Those little icons along the bottom of
your screen that you use for everyday program shortcuts are handy.
Normally you use the mouse to click on the icon to open the program.
There is an easier way to open them without using a mouse. Each
program to the right of the Start button is assigned its own
numerical shortcut, with the first program being "1," the second
being "2," and so on up to the 10th shortcut, which is "0."
Press the Windows key, plus the number of the program you want to
open and it will launch. For example, if the first icon is for
email, hold down the windows key (on the lower left of most
keyboards) and press the number 1. Your email will open.
You can rearrange the icons and move the most used to the left
position to make it easier to remember. I have more than ten, so I
moved the least used to the right and kept the top ten as the first
ten.
Jan 2, 2015
Holiday Boozing
Many equate the holidays with drinking, so
I looked up some of the common terms we use, beginning with
'crapulous' (a substitute for hangover), from the 18th century Greek
kraipale (drunken headache or nausea). I love that word.
Booze first appeared in Middle Dutch as bûsen, which meant 'to drink to excess.' There was also the Old High German word bausen, which meant 'to bulge or billow.'" It took 200 years for English speakers to start using it as both a verb (to booze) and a noun (give me some booze). It is a common misconception that the word was borrowed from a brand of whiskey sold by E.S. Booz in the 1800s, but the word much older. The 1529 Oxford dictionary defined it as “affected by drinking.”
Booze first appeared in Middle Dutch as bûsen, which meant 'to drink to excess.' There was also the Old High German word bausen, which meant 'to bulge or billow.'" It took 200 years for English speakers to start using it as both a verb (to booze) and a noun (give me some booze). It is a common misconception that the word was borrowed from a brand of whiskey sold by E.S. Booz in the 1800s, but the word much older. The 1529 Oxford dictionary defined it as “affected by drinking.”
Hooch
comes from Alaska. There was a native tribe there called the
Hoochinoo that distilled rum made primarily from molasses and
introduced it to soldiers from the lower 48.
Alcohol
began as an Arabic word describing a fine metallic powder used as
eye shadow (al-kuhul). The word was broadened to mean 'the pure
spirit of anything'. Later it was expanded to include a distilled
spirit or liquor. Alcoholic meaning 'caused by
drunkenness' is attested by the 1800s and meaning 'habitually
drunk' by 1910.
Liquor
dates back to at least 1200, likur
"any matter in a liquid state," and the Latin verb liquere,
meaning "to be fluid", from Latin liquorem.
The definition including a fermented or distilled drink followed
about a hundred years later. In North America, the term hard
liquor is used to distinguish distilled beverages from
undistilled ones and does not include beverages such as beer,
wine, and cider, which are fermented, but not distilled.
Spirits
refers to a distilled beverage that contains no added sugar and
has at least 20% alcohol by volume. It probably originated with
ancient alchemists, who referred to the vapor given off and
collected during an alchemical process (like the distillation of
alcohol) as the 'spirit' of the original material. Early European
Monks believed that the spirit was removed from the mash during
the distilling process.
Cocktail
refers to any beverage that contains two or more ingredients with
at least one of them being alcohol. When a cocktail contains only
a distilled spirit and a mixer, it is a highball. The Oxford English dictionary cites the word as originating in the
US. The first recorded use of the word cocktail as a beverage was
during the early 1800s. Of the many origins, two stand out: an old
French recipe for mixed wines, called a coquetel, brought to
America by General Lafayette’s soldiers in 1777; and New Orleans
brandy drink in an egg-cup called a coquetier in French. The
latter was a morning drink served at the time the tail of the
evening met with the morning cock-a-doodle-do of a rooster.
Bar
is an abbreviation of barrier, the counter that separates drinks
from the drinkers. Toward the end of the 16th century it expanded
to mean the building that housed the barrier. Barmaid
didn’t appear in print until the mid 1700s and bartender
arrived about fifty years later and barfly came about
during the early 1900s. Bottom line, beer, wine, cider, hooch,
and alcohol are booze, but only hooch, and alcohol are liquors.
Spirits are alcohol and both are liquor. All highballs are
cocktails, but not all cocktails are highballs.
Wordology, Prosopagnosia
Now that the holidays are about
over and we met many new friends, it seems this disease might fit
the discussion. People with prosopagnosia, about two percent of the
population, find it difficult or impossible to remember faces, even
their own. Some contort their own face when standing in front of a
mirror in a crowded restroom so they can determine which is theirs.
They are not technically face blind, but their brains cannot
memorize what they see. Many prosopagnosics are ostracized by people
who are offended that they are not recognized. There is no therapy
or cure, so most learn to cope with prosopagnosia by using secondary
clues such as clothing, gait, hair color, body shape, and voice to
recognize friends, family, and co-workers.
Healthcare Tidbit
I thought this was enlightening
information regarding comparative healthcare costs. There seems to
be a delicate balance of spending too little or spending too much to
achieve greater life expectancy.
ABBA Happy New Year
Decided to toss in this Happy New Year
song by ABBA in their own style. LINK
Enjoy!
New Year Voice Resolution
Artificial voices have been
around since the 1700s and have made much progress, but have been
very limited until now. There is a new service hoping to help some
of the millions of voice impaired people. A company, VocaliD has
been set up to allow volunteers to donate their voice to help
someone speak.
To create a voice, the company takes the shape of the vocal tract from a voice donor, and the source from a recipient, who has given something as limited as a vowel. After taking that short recording from the recipient the team selects a donor with a similar 'filter' and uses a computer algorithm to layer one over the other. The process takes about ten to fifteen hours after recordings from both donor and recipient have been completed.
It provides unique voices for those who rely on computerized devices because they are unable to speak. The technology builds on speech science theory and creates a hybrid voice that preserves the clarity of the donor’s recordings while conveying as much of the recipient’s vocal identity as possible.
Some things from the FAQ on the site - A banked voice would make it possible to re-create your voice should you ever lose it in the future. Your voice may also spark new discoveries and innovations in speech technologies, biometrics, and health diagnostics. Becoming a speech donor is simple, rewarding and even educational. All you need to record is an Internet connection, a microphone, a quiet place, and a computer or smartphone running the Chrome browser. You will be asked to read or repeat short sentences that, together, cover all the combinations of sounds that occur in the language. It takes a few hours, but you can record at your leisure and do not need to complete all at one sitting. LINK This year I plan to be a donor and have my voice recorded to help the cause.
To create a voice, the company takes the shape of the vocal tract from a voice donor, and the source from a recipient, who has given something as limited as a vowel. After taking that short recording from the recipient the team selects a donor with a similar 'filter' and uses a computer algorithm to layer one over the other. The process takes about ten to fifteen hours after recordings from both donor and recipient have been completed.
It provides unique voices for those who rely on computerized devices because they are unable to speak. The technology builds on speech science theory and creates a hybrid voice that preserves the clarity of the donor’s recordings while conveying as much of the recipient’s vocal identity as possible.
Some things from the FAQ on the site - A banked voice would make it possible to re-create your voice should you ever lose it in the future. Your voice may also spark new discoveries and innovations in speech technologies, biometrics, and health diagnostics. Becoming a speech donor is simple, rewarding and even educational. All you need to record is an Internet connection, a microphone, a quiet place, and a computer or smartphone running the Chrome browser. You will be asked to read or repeat short sentences that, together, cover all the combinations of sounds that occur in the language. It takes a few hours, but you can record at your leisure and do not need to complete all at one sitting. LINK This year I plan to be a donor and have my voice recorded to help the cause.
Dec 27, 2014
Happy Friday Christmas Thought
Christmas is the day to skip the past, skip the future, and
enjoy the present, presents, and presence of family and friends.
Merry and Happy Christmas 2014
Merry Christmas in any language sounds as sweet. Happy Christmas, Joyeaux Noel, Froehliche Weihnachten, Mele Kalikimaka, Blithe Yule, Nollaig Shona Dhuit, Buone Feste Natalizie, Buon Natale, Bon Natali, krismas mubarak, Feliz Navidad, Glædelig Jul, Hyvää Joulua, Meri Kirihimete, Maligayang Pasko, Linksmu Kaledu, Craciun fericit, Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva s Novim Godom, Schöni Wiehnachte, Z Rizdvom Khrystovym, Cestitamo Bozic, Vrolijk Kerstfeest.
Xmas vs. Christmas
Some people use Xmas as shorthand for
Christmas, the abbreviation is not modern and was not invented for
the purpose of being disrespectful to Christians. It is not supposed
to eliminate the word “Christ” and the X is not meant to stand for
anonymity. The X is actually considered to represent the letter Chi
from the Greek alphabet, the first letter in the word Christos. The
“-mas” part on the end of Christmas and Xmas comes from the Old
English word for “mass”.
Xmas is sometimes pronounced xmas, but it and variants such as Xtemass, originated as handwriting abbreviations for the typical pronunciation of Christmas. There is a common misconception that the word Xmas stems from a secular attempt to remove the religious tradition from Christmas by taking the 'Christ' out of 'Christmas', but its use dates back to the 16th century.
In the United States, in 1977 New Hampshire Governor Meldrim Thomson sent out a press release saying that he wanted journalists to keep the 'Christ' in Christmas, and not call it Xmas, which he called a pagan spelling of Christmas. Many of those who dislike abbreviating the word are unfamiliar with a long history of Christians using X in place of 'Christ' for various purposes.
The word 'Christ' and its compounds, including 'Christmas', have been abbreviated in English for at least the past 1,000 years, long before the modern "Xmas" was commonly used. Christ was often written as "Xρ" or "Xt" as far back as 1021. This X and P arose as the uppercase forms of the Greek letters χ (Ch) and ρ (R) used in ancient abbreviations for Χριστος (Greek for Christ), and are still widely seen in many Eastern Orthodox icons depicting Jesus Christ. The two Greek letters shown as ☧, is a symbol often used to represent Christ in Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian Churches. Bottom Line; it was once positive to use xmas, but has now become bad form to use anything but Christmas.
Xmas is sometimes pronounced xmas, but it and variants such as Xtemass, originated as handwriting abbreviations for the typical pronunciation of Christmas. There is a common misconception that the word Xmas stems from a secular attempt to remove the religious tradition from Christmas by taking the 'Christ' out of 'Christmas', but its use dates back to the 16th century.
In the United States, in 1977 New Hampshire Governor Meldrim Thomson sent out a press release saying that he wanted journalists to keep the 'Christ' in Christmas, and not call it Xmas, which he called a pagan spelling of Christmas. Many of those who dislike abbreviating the word are unfamiliar with a long history of Christians using X in place of 'Christ' for various purposes.
The word 'Christ' and its compounds, including 'Christmas', have been abbreviated in English for at least the past 1,000 years, long before the modern "Xmas" was commonly used. Christ was often written as "Xρ" or "Xt" as far back as 1021. This X and P arose as the uppercase forms of the Greek letters χ (Ch) and ρ (R) used in ancient abbreviations for Χριστος (Greek for Christ), and are still widely seen in many Eastern Orthodox icons depicting Jesus Christ. The two Greek letters shown as ☧, is a symbol often used to represent Christ in Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian Churches. Bottom Line; it was once positive to use xmas, but has now become bad form to use anything but Christmas.
The Yule Lads
Jolasveinar, or Yulemen, or Christmas boys
are figures from Icelandic folklore who in modern times have become
the Icelandic version of Santa Claus. Their number has varied
throughout the ages, but currently is thirteen. They put rewards or
punishments into shoes placed by children on window sills during the
last thirteen nights before Christmas Eve. Every night, one Yuletide
lad visits each child, leaving gifts for good children or rotting
potatoes for bad children.
In 1932 the poem "Jólasveinarnir" was published as a part of the popular poetry book "Christmas Arrives" by Icelandic poet Jóhannes úr Kötlum. The poem reintroduced Icelandic society to Icelandic Yuletide folklore and established what is now considered the thirteen Yule Lads, their personalities, and connection to other folkloric characters.
The Icelandic Santas first appeared in the 17th century as the sons of two trolls. Gryla and Leppaludi are frightening creatures, and have a reputation for stealing and eating naughty children. Grýla is a dreadful character, described as part troll, part animal, and the mother of 13 precocious boys (the Yule Lads). Grýla lives in the mountains with her third husband, Leppaludi, her thirteen children, and a black cat. Every Christmas, Grýla and her sons come down from the mountains: Grýla in search of naughty children to boil in her cauldron and the boys in search of mischief. She can only capture children who misbehave, but those who repent must be released.
The first Jolasveinar arrives Dec 12 and leaves Dec 25, the second arrives Dec 13 and leaves Dec 26, etc. Below are the names and mischief they cause. They sound like a fun bunch.
Sheep-Cote Clod - Harasses sheep, but is impaired by his stiff peg-legs.
Gully Gawk - Hides in gullies, waiting for an opportunity to sneak into the cowshed and steal milk.
Stubby, abnormally short - Steals pans to eat the crust left on them.
Spoon-Licker - Steals spoons to lick and is extremely thin due to malnutrition.
Pot-Scraper - Steals leftovers from pots.
Bowl-Licker - Hides under beds waiting for someone to put down their bowl, which he then steals.
Door-Slammer - Likes to slam doors, especially during the night.
Skyr-Gobbler - A Yule Lad who loves skyr (like yogurt).
Sausage-Swiper - Hides in the rafters and snatches sausages that are being smoked.
Window-Peeper - A voyeur who looks through windows in search of things to steal.
Doorway-Sniffer - Has an abnormally large nose and an acute sense of smell which he uses to locate laufabrauð (Christmas bread).
Meat-Hook - Uses a hook to steal meat.
Candle-Stealer - Follows children in order to steal their candles, which are made of tallow and thus edible.
In 1932 the poem "Jólasveinarnir" was published as a part of the popular poetry book "Christmas Arrives" by Icelandic poet Jóhannes úr Kötlum. The poem reintroduced Icelandic society to Icelandic Yuletide folklore and established what is now considered the thirteen Yule Lads, their personalities, and connection to other folkloric characters.
The Icelandic Santas first appeared in the 17th century as the sons of two trolls. Gryla and Leppaludi are frightening creatures, and have a reputation for stealing and eating naughty children. Grýla is a dreadful character, described as part troll, part animal, and the mother of 13 precocious boys (the Yule Lads). Grýla lives in the mountains with her third husband, Leppaludi, her thirteen children, and a black cat. Every Christmas, Grýla and her sons come down from the mountains: Grýla in search of naughty children to boil in her cauldron and the boys in search of mischief. She can only capture children who misbehave, but those who repent must be released.
The first Jolasveinar arrives Dec 12 and leaves Dec 25, the second arrives Dec 13 and leaves Dec 26, etc. Below are the names and mischief they cause. They sound like a fun bunch.
Sheep-Cote Clod - Harasses sheep, but is impaired by his stiff peg-legs.
Gully Gawk - Hides in gullies, waiting for an opportunity to sneak into the cowshed and steal milk.
Stubby, abnormally short - Steals pans to eat the crust left on them.
Spoon-Licker - Steals spoons to lick and is extremely thin due to malnutrition.
Pot-Scraper - Steals leftovers from pots.
Bowl-Licker - Hides under beds waiting for someone to put down their bowl, which he then steals.
Door-Slammer - Likes to slam doors, especially during the night.
Skyr-Gobbler - A Yule Lad who loves skyr (like yogurt).
Sausage-Swiper - Hides in the rafters and snatches sausages that are being smoked.
Window-Peeper - A voyeur who looks through windows in search of things to steal.
Doorway-Sniffer - Has an abnormally large nose and an acute sense of smell which he uses to locate laufabrauð (Christmas bread).
Meat-Hook - Uses a hook to steal meat.
Candle-Stealer - Follows children in order to steal their candles, which are made of tallow and thus edible.
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