X-rays

X-rays were discovered during 1895. The first use of X-rays under clinical conditions was by John Hall-Edwards in Birmingham, England on 11 January 1896.

Up until 2010, five billion medical imaging studies have been conducted worldwide. Radiation exposure from medical imaging in 2006 made up about 50% of total ionizing radiation exposure in the United States.

X-rays both cause and kill cancer. The use of X-rays as a treatment is known as radiation therapy and is largely used for the management of cancer. It requires higher radiation doses than those received for imaging alone. X-rays beams are used for treating skin cancers using lower energy X-ray beams while higher energy beams are used for treating cancers within the body such as brain, lung, prostate, and breast.

A Computed Tomography (CT scan) and computerized axial tomography (CAT scan) make use of computer-processed combinations of many X-ray images taken from different angles to produce cross-sectional (tomographic) images of specific areas of a scanned person or object, allowing a user to see inside without cutting.

Diagnostic X-rays, primarily from CT  scans due to the large dose used increase the risk of developmental problems and cancer in those exposed. X-rays are classified as a carcinogen by both the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer and the US government. The radiation doses received from CT scans are 100 to 1,000 times higher than conventional X-rays. Cancers in the United States caused by CT scans performed in the past have been estimated to be as high as two percent.

According to the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, between the 1980s and 2006, the use of CT scans increased six hundred percent.  A study by a New York hospital found that nearly a third of its patients who underwent multiple scans received the equivalent of five thousand chest X-rays. Bottom line, if your doc or dentist cannot convince you that you really need the X-ray do not get it. Consider the X-ray factor of your future health vs. their wallet.

Adage, Axiom, Epigram, and Idiom

An adage is a traditional saying or proverb that states a piece of wisdom or a general truth. An adage is usually something that has been repeated for so long that it is a cliche, such as 'less is more'.

An axiom is a statement or principle that is accepted as being true, self-evidently true, or proven true by virtue of experience. An axiom can be the foundation for further study or knowledge. Axiom and adage are interchangeable and are usually sayings that have been repeated, often over many generations. Mathematicians make heavy use of axioms and maxims. An Aphorism can be a short Axiom.

An epigram is a short, witty, saying or remark expressed with brevity and sometimes paradoxically. An epigram is usually an original saying or remark, such as 'I can resist everything but temptation'. Many famous quotes are epigrams.

An idiom is a word or phrase whose meaning cannot be understood outside its cultural context. These expressions are usually figurative, such as 'cut to the chase', 'rule of thumb', etc. Idioms generally convey a casual tone and are known culturally, so other cultures may not understand the phrase or meaning. Many adages, axioms, and epigrams can also be considered idioms if not universally known.

Heineken Bricks

During 1962, Alfred Heineken created a beer bottle that also could function as a brick to build houses in impoverished countries.

Medicine and Humor

The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine says, "A highly significant increase in survival was due to the psychological variables of block three [quality of life and sense of humor] (p < .001) essentially accounted for by sense of humor (p < .005). Those who scored above the median in sense of humor increased their odds for survival by on average 31%. Conclusions: Sense of humor appeared to mediate better coping and, therefore, protected against detrimental effects of disease-related stressors upon survival."

This finding is in line with the notions that stress weakens the immune system and humor can reduce stress.

Researchers are using the idea that stress reduces blood flow and laughter increases blood flow. A preliminary study by Michael Miller, M.D., and others (all from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore) used violent and comedic movie scenes with twenty patients. In 2005 Miller reported that "average blood flow increased twenty two percent during laughter, and decreased 35 percent during mental stress." He said we still need to exercise regularly, but 15 minutes of laughter on a daily basis is probably good for the vascular system.

Bottom line, laughter can improve your health.

Happy Friday

Happiness creates more confidence than does knowledge.

I am confident that today will be a Happy Friday!

International Sons of The Desert Convention

It will be celebrated at the Cumbria Grand Hotel July 13 - 17. This is the Laurel and Hardy fan club convention and always provides a good time with hi-jinks and showings of their movies, plus more.

Hot Dog Day

It is on July 14 and celebrated all over the world. Enjoy some dogs today, especially with bacon and cheese or other toppings of choice.

Bastille Day

The French recognize Bastille Day, July 14, officially National Day or formally called La Fête Nationale as the end of the monarchy and beginning of the modern republic. The lasting significance of the storming of the Bastille event was in its recognition that power could be held by ordinary citizens. Today, Parisians celebrate this national holiday with a grand military parade up the Champs Elysées, colorful arts festivals, fireworks, and raucous parties.

Wordology, Lock, Stock, and Barrel

This means everything, the whole thing. The term lock, stock, and barrel refers to the parts of a gun. There are three major parts of a gun, the lock or firing mechanism, the stock or wood handle, and the barrel which the bullet travels through. If one has a lock, stock, and barrel, then one has everything that makes up a gun. In time, the phrase came to be used figuratively to mean the whole thing.

Old Time Radio Online

Download or Listen Online to over 35,000 Old Time Radio Shows. http://www.rusc.com/ (R U Sitting Comfortably)

This site features background information for each show. Less variety than RUSC. http://www.relicradio.com/otr/

This site has old and new TV shows, music, libraries,  arcades, free software, and much more. The radio portion has 2,500 shows, such as Gunsmoke, Sherlock Holmes, Johnny Dollar, Dragnet, Jack Benny, Amos and Andy, etc. is at https://archive.org/details/oldtimeradio

All provide great background listening while surfing the web.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is such a staple of American childhood that it seems like it has been around forever. In fact, there are people alive today in America who grew up in a world when the PB&J sandwich was not well-known. The first known reference to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich was in a 1901 cookbook.

The first reference of peanut butter dates back to about 1000 BC with the Ancient Incas. Records show both Africans and Chinese grinding peanuts into a paste early in the 15th century. Marcellus Gilmore Edson of Montreal, Quebec was the first person to patent peanut butter. He was issued with US patent #306727 in 1884. J.H. Kellogg of cereal fame, secured US patent #580787 in 1897 for his 'Process of Preparing Nutmeal', which produced a "pasty adhesive substance" that Kellogg called 'nut-butter.' George Washington Carver was born only a few years before Edson's patent was issued and he did develop a number of uses for the peanut, but he did not invent peanut butter.

US law dictates that any product labeled “peanut butter” in the United States must be at least 90 percent peanut. Eighty percent of the peanut butter sold in the U.S. is creamy, while seventeen percent is crunchy. The rest is mixed.

The jelly part of the sandwich could mean jelly, jam, or other fruit preserves. It has also been around for a long time, going all the way back to at least the first century, mentioned in 'Of Culinary Matters' by Marcus Gavius Apicius.

Mr. Welch developed Grapelade from Concord grapes in 1918, which proved to be extremely popular among the troops during World War I. When they got back from the war, they spread the practice of using it on bread. I just enjoyed a PB&J on a toasted English Muffin.

Lightning Strikes

Between 2004 and 2013 an average of 33 Americans died each year as a result of lightning strikes. The numbers have been coming down and during 2015 there were only 27 lightning deaths.

Lightning strike Washington Monument Aug 15, 2010.

Nine occurred during the first six months of 2016. On average, about three times as many men are killed as women. About ten percent of people struck by lightning become a fatality.

Wordology, Luthier

A luthier (loo ti ur) is someone who builds or repairs string instruments generally consisting of a neck and a sound box. The word "luthier" comes from the French word luth, which means lute. The term originally referred to makers of lutes and is now used interchangeably with any term that refers to makers of a specific, or specialty, type of stringed instrument, such as violin maker, guitar maker, or lute maker.

Antonio Stradivari was an Italian luthier who lived between 1644 and 1737. Throughout his life he made around 1,100 instruments, 650 of which are still around today. Out of these, about 500 are violins. Five out of 12 of the most expensive violins in the world today were made by him, and the most expensive one, called “The Messiah Stradivarius” is worth $20 million. How he was able to craft them so perfectly still baffles luthiers today.

Happy Friday

Happiness wrinkles make us look younger.


I always feel young while celebrating a Happy Friday!