May 4, 2018
National Nurses Day
National Nurses Day is celebrated annually on May 6 to raise
awareness of the important role nurses play in society. It marks
the beginning of National Nurses Week, which ends on May 12, the
birthday of Florence Nightingale and also International Nurses
Day. I have a warm spot in my heart for nurses and the work they
do. If you know a nurse, give him or her a hug for me.
Alarm Clock Snooze
Smart phones have a built in snooze for about nine minutes.
There is an interesting reason for this. Clock experts say when
snooze alarms were invented during the 1950s; the gears in alarm
clocks were standardized.
When the snooze gear was introduced, its gears needed to mesh with the existing gears. The engineers needed to choose between a gear that made the snooze period nine-plus minutes or ten-plus minutes and opted for nine. There was no scientific reason for this time period. It was purely mechanical, just as it is with railroad tracks, but that is another story. There are no scientific papers published on benefits or detriments to using the snooze, but there are many opinions for and against. Fortunately modern technology allows us to use it or not and to change the snooze time as we choose.
Incidentally, snooze means sleeping for a short period of time.
When the snooze gear was introduced, its gears needed to mesh with the existing gears. The engineers needed to choose between a gear that made the snooze period nine-plus minutes or ten-plus minutes and opted for nine. There was no scientific reason for this time period. It was purely mechanical, just as it is with railroad tracks, but that is another story. There are no scientific papers published on benefits or detriments to using the snooze, but there are many opinions for and against. Fortunately modern technology allows us to use it or not and to change the snooze time as we choose.
Incidentally, snooze means sleeping for a short period of time.
Bill Nye, Not so Science Guy
Bill Nye has long been known for his
children's show Bill Nye The Science Guy and recently for his
views about climate change. He has a BS degree in mechanical
engineering. He is an entertainer, and although known as the
'science guy' he does not claim to be a scientist. In order to
earn the privilege of calling yourself a 'scientist' one
normally has to have an earned PhD in the natural sciences.
Nye started doing standup comedy during 1978 while working at Boeing as an engineer. He eventually left Boeing and began writing and performing jokes and bits for a local sketch television show Almost Live!, where he would regularly conduct wacky science experiments, such as what happens when you eat a marshmallow that has been dunked in liquid nitrogen. He moved from that show to do eight segments for the Disney Channel's All-New Mickey Mouse Club.
Throughout it all, he had his eyes on bigger things and went on to star in Bill Nye Science Guy for public broadcasting station KCTS-TV in Seattle. It became part of a package of syndicated series that local stations could schedule to fulfill Children's Television Act requirements. It ended in 1998. He was also host of an eight-part Discovery Channel series called Greatest Inventions with Bill Nye and appeared in a number of other TV shows. In addition, he holds several United States patents, including one for ballet pointe shoes and an educational magnifying glass created by filling a clear plastic bag with water.
During 2012, Nye supported President Barack Obama's reelection bid and frequently consulted with Obama on science matters during his presidency. He has also received a number of honorary degrees, including one in pedagogy, although he has never contributed any research to the scientific community.
Incidentally, there are many other entertainers who have honorary degrees, including Ben Affleck, P, Diddy, Alec Baldwin, John Legend, Aretha Franklin, Kanye West, Jon Bon Jovi, Conan O'Brien, LL Cool J, and Jimmie Fallon, among others.
Nye started doing standup comedy during 1978 while working at Boeing as an engineer. He eventually left Boeing and began writing and performing jokes and bits for a local sketch television show Almost Live!, where he would regularly conduct wacky science experiments, such as what happens when you eat a marshmallow that has been dunked in liquid nitrogen. He moved from that show to do eight segments for the Disney Channel's All-New Mickey Mouse Club.
Throughout it all, he had his eyes on bigger things and went on to star in Bill Nye Science Guy for public broadcasting station KCTS-TV in Seattle. It became part of a package of syndicated series that local stations could schedule to fulfill Children's Television Act requirements. It ended in 1998. He was also host of an eight-part Discovery Channel series called Greatest Inventions with Bill Nye and appeared in a number of other TV shows. In addition, he holds several United States patents, including one for ballet pointe shoes and an educational magnifying glass created by filling a clear plastic bag with water.
During 2012, Nye supported President Barack Obama's reelection bid and frequently consulted with Obama on science matters during his presidency. He has also received a number of honorary degrees, including one in pedagogy, although he has never contributed any research to the scientific community.
Incidentally, there are many other entertainers who have honorary degrees, including Ben Affleck, P, Diddy, Alec Baldwin, John Legend, Aretha Franklin, Kanye West, Jon Bon Jovi, Conan O'Brien, LL Cool J, and Jimmie Fallon, among others.
Apr 27, 2018
Happy Friday
If
you are not more happy today than yesterday, you are not smiling
enough.
Start your day with a smile, especially on a Happy Friday!
Start your day with a smile, especially on a Happy Friday!
Funny Diet Thoughts
I bought a talking refrigerator that said “Oink” every time I
opened the door. It made me hungry for pork chops.
Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.
I feel about airplanes the way I feel about diets, they are wonderful things for other people to go on.
My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. . . unless there are three other people.
Food is like sex: when you abstain, even the worst stuff begins to look good.
The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.
Soup is just a way of screwing you out of a meal.
Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.
Life is too short for self-hatred and celery sticks.
Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.
I feel about airplanes the way I feel about diets, they are wonderful things for other people to go on.
My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. . . unless there are three other people.
Food is like sex: when you abstain, even the worst stuff begins to look good.
The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.
Soup is just a way of screwing you out of a meal.
Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.
Life is too short for self-hatred and celery sticks.
Human Affect on Earth
There are many statistics about the earth, oceans,
and weather. Although satellites give us a good picture of land
and sea, many parts of both have not been visited or set foot on
by humans. Almost all of the earth's subsurface is still
unexplored. The following are closest to consensus data that I
could find.
About 80% of the earth is covered in water. The other roughly 20% is surface land. NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies says urban areas currently take up less than 1 percent of earth's surface.
According to the FAO Global Land Cover SHARE database, produced in 2014, 0.6% of Earth’s land surface is defined as 'Artificial surfaces'. Artificial surfaces include any areas that have an artificial cover as a result of human activities such as construction (cities, towns, transportation), extraction (open mines and quarries) or waste disposal.
Of the 108 billion people that have ever been alive, it is estimated that 6.4 percent of them, roughly seven billion are alive now. So seven billion humans inhabit or use just .6% of 20% of the earth. Since we have yet to discover major parts of land and sea, it is difficult to project future impact, because we still do not know what we do not know.
Incidentally, to date we have explored five to ten percent of the ocean. There are around 8.7 million species on earth of which 80 percent are undiscovered. No one has been able to determine how many ocean species there might be or the percent we may have already discovered. It is estimated that approximately seven percent or more of territorial earth is yet to be discovered. Finally, we have yet been able to fully explore the human body.
About 80% of the earth is covered in water. The other roughly 20% is surface land. NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies says urban areas currently take up less than 1 percent of earth's surface.
According to the FAO Global Land Cover SHARE database, produced in 2014, 0.6% of Earth’s land surface is defined as 'Artificial surfaces'. Artificial surfaces include any areas that have an artificial cover as a result of human activities such as construction (cities, towns, transportation), extraction (open mines and quarries) or waste disposal.
Of the 108 billion people that have ever been alive, it is estimated that 6.4 percent of them, roughly seven billion are alive now. So seven billion humans inhabit or use just .6% of 20% of the earth. Since we have yet to discover major parts of land and sea, it is difficult to project future impact, because we still do not know what we do not know.
Incidentally, to date we have explored five to ten percent of the ocean. There are around 8.7 million species on earth of which 80 percent are undiscovered. No one has been able to determine how many ocean species there might be or the percent we may have already discovered. It is estimated that approximately seven percent or more of territorial earth is yet to be discovered. Finally, we have yet been able to fully explore the human body.
Wordology, Unexplored vs. Uncharted
These two words are often used
interchangeably, but do not mean the same thing. Uncharted means
unmapped. For example, Canada, as recently as 1916 was about 25
percent still uncharted.
Unexplored means a geographic area where no one has explored or investigated and published their findings. There are considerable areas of the jungles in Brazil, Indonesia, and desert areas such as the Sahara, the Namib desert, central Australia, and desolate cold areas such as Siberia, northern Canada, Greenland, Antarctica, remote areas in central Asia, and central Africa that are still essentially unexplored. As recently as 2011, British researchers were using Google Earth to look around Africa when they noticed a patch of forest on and around Mozambique's Mount Mabu that they never knew existed. It was uncharted and unexplored.
Unexplored means a geographic area where no one has explored or investigated and published their findings. There are considerable areas of the jungles in Brazil, Indonesia, and desert areas such as the Sahara, the Namib desert, central Australia, and desolate cold areas such as Siberia, northern Canada, Greenland, Antarctica, remote areas in central Asia, and central Africa that are still essentially unexplored. As recently as 2011, British researchers were using Google Earth to look around Africa when they noticed a patch of forest on and around Mozambique's Mount Mabu that they never knew existed. It was uncharted and unexplored.
Spleen vs. No Spleen
The spleen is an organ in the upper far left part of the
abdomen, to the left of the stomach. It varies in size and shape
between people, but is commonly fist-shaped, purple, and about
four inches long. Because the spleen is protected by the rib
cage, you cannot easily feel it unless it is abnormally
enlarged. About 10% of people have a
small extra accessory spleen, which causes no problems and is
considered normal.
The spleen plays multiple supporting roles in the body. It acts as a filter for blood as part of the immune system. Old red blood cells are recycled in the spleen, and platelets and white blood cells are stored there. It also helps fight certain kinds of bacteria that cause pneumonia and meningitis.
Bottom line, the spleen filters blood and helps the body fight infections, but it is not essential for survival. The spleen can be removed if it is damaged. However, people without a spleen are more prone to infections.
The spleen plays multiple supporting roles in the body. It acts as a filter for blood as part of the immune system. Old red blood cells are recycled in the spleen, and platelets and white blood cells are stored there. It also helps fight certain kinds of bacteria that cause pneumonia and meningitis.
Bottom line, the spleen filters blood and helps the body fight infections, but it is not essential for survival. The spleen can be removed if it is damaged. However, people without a spleen are more prone to infections.
Wordology, Antioxidant
Few people are aware what exactly an
antioxidant is. An antioxidant is a substance that inhibits
oxidation. It is a substance that removes potentially damaging
oxidizing agents in a living organism.
The level of antioxidants in any substance or food is evaluated with an ORAC score, (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity). ORAC tests the power of a plant to absorb and eliminate free radicals. These measurements were developed by the National Institute of Aging and are based on 100 grams of each food or herb. Cinnamon, clove, oregano, dark chocolate, and pecans have extremely high ORAC scores.
Antioxidants can be man-made or natural substances. They are found in many foods. They are also available as dietary supplements. Examples of antioxidants include: Beta-carotene, Lutein, Lycopene, Selenium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E. Vegetables, fruits, and nuts are rich sources of antioxidants.
The benefit list of antioxidants is long and includes:
Slower signs of aging, including skin, eyes, tissue, joints, heart, and brain,
Healthier more youthful glowing skin,
Reduced cancer risk,
Detoxification support,
Longer life span,
Protection against heart disease and stroke,
Less risk for cognitive problems, such as dementia,
Reduced risk for vision loss, such as macular degeneration and cataracts.
The level of antioxidants in any substance or food is evaluated with an ORAC score, (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity). ORAC tests the power of a plant to absorb and eliminate free radicals. These measurements were developed by the National Institute of Aging and are based on 100 grams of each food or herb. Cinnamon, clove, oregano, dark chocolate, and pecans have extremely high ORAC scores.
Antioxidants can be man-made or natural substances. They are found in many foods. They are also available as dietary supplements. Examples of antioxidants include: Beta-carotene, Lutein, Lycopene, Selenium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E. Vegetables, fruits, and nuts are rich sources of antioxidants.
The benefit list of antioxidants is long and includes:
Slower signs of aging, including skin, eyes, tissue, joints, heart, and brain,
Healthier more youthful glowing skin,
Reduced cancer risk,
Detoxification support,
Longer life span,
Protection against heart disease and stroke,
Less risk for cognitive problems, such as dementia,
Reduced risk for vision loss, such as macular degeneration and cataracts.
Bottom
line, antioxidants are generally very good for you, but
high-dose supplements of antioxidants may be linked to health
risks in some cases, such as high doses of beta-carotene may
increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers. High doses of
vitamin E may increase risks of prostate cancer and one type
of stroke. As my mother used to say, "It can be too much of a
good thing."
Robo Calls are Big Business
Consumers get an estimated
98 million robocalls daily, according to the US government.
Fraud from these unwanted calls amounts to about $9.5 billion
annually. More than 3 billion robocalls were placed during
March, 2018, according to the YouMail Robocall Index. In
addition, the FCC gets about 200,000 complaints about robocalls
each year, and the FTC received 4.5 million complaints about
unwanted calls during 2017.
During 2017, the FCC gave phone companies the ability to block numbers they know are attempting to send spoofed calls that look as if they are local calls. And the agency also began a process to improve caller ID so calls could have "a verified digital fingerprint" to ensure a caller was legit.
Most of the big carriers offer a free call protection app, except Sprint, which costs $2.99 a month.
There are hundreds of apps such as Hiya, Nomorobo, RoboKiller, Truecaller, and YouMail that work. Look at the rating and read user comments before downloading any app. You can block numbers on your phone, but the major bad guys keep changing their number so it does not help much. However it is good for blocking local business that keep calling to sell services.
I have not found any app that blocks the call and locks the caller out of voice mail. This is the most aggravating part for me. I want one that blocks the call and blocks voice mail at the same time.
Incidentally, YouMail operates a Robocall Index that compiles the scope and location of the worst robocalling hotspots across the country by area code, and Atlanta leads the list.
During 2017, the FCC gave phone companies the ability to block numbers they know are attempting to send spoofed calls that look as if they are local calls. And the agency also began a process to improve caller ID so calls could have "a verified digital fingerprint" to ensure a caller was legit.
Most of the big carriers offer a free call protection app, except Sprint, which costs $2.99 a month.
There are hundreds of apps such as Hiya, Nomorobo, RoboKiller, Truecaller, and YouMail that work. Look at the rating and read user comments before downloading any app. You can block numbers on your phone, but the major bad guys keep changing their number so it does not help much. However it is good for blocking local business that keep calling to sell services.
I have not found any app that blocks the call and locks the caller out of voice mail. This is the most aggravating part for me. I want one that blocks the call and blocks voice mail at the same time.
Incidentally, YouMail operates a Robocall Index that compiles the scope and location of the worst robocalling hotspots across the country by area code, and Atlanta leads the list.
Apr 20, 2018
SD vs. SSD
An
SD card is removable flash memory, much like a USB stick (thumb
drive), it just fits into smaller slots, like in a digital
camera, or phone. SD stands for secure digital.
SSD stands for solid state drive and is a hard drive based on flash memory technology just like the an SD card, except it usually holds much more data. SSD differs from a conventional hard drive. It has no moving parts, it is much faster and lighter, does not use much energy, and does not emit heat.
SSD stands for solid state drive and is a hard drive based on flash memory technology just like the an SD card, except it usually holds much more data. SSD differs from a conventional hard drive. It has no moving parts, it is much faster and lighter, does not use much energy, and does not emit heat.
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