May 25, 2018
Well, Pinch My Bum
How many names can one holiday have? Quite a few, such as
Restoration Day, Oak Apple Day, or Royal Oak Day. It was an
English public holiday, observed annually on 29 May, to
commemorate the restoration of the English monarchy in May 1660.
It is also known as Shick Shack Day, Oak and Nettle Day, Bumping
Day, and Pinch-bum Day. Each
group seems to have their own name and as many ways to celebrate
the English monarchy.
May 18, 2018
Happy Friday
You do not need teeth to
smile, just a happy thought.
It is easy to have happy thoughts, especially on a Happy Friday!
It is easy to have happy thoughts, especially on a Happy Friday!
Google Tricks
Type “Do a Barrel Roll” (without quotes) in your search bar and
hold your desk for a second as this will give a circular roll
off your screen. A few more to try, "space", "gravity",
"underwater". Fun stuff to keep you from doing your work.
Tonsils and Adenoids
Technically, there are three sets of tonsils: the pharyngeal
tonsils, commonly known as adenoids, the palatine tonsils, and
the lingual tonsils. People refer to tonsils usually as the
palatine tonsils, which are oval, pea-sized clusters of lymph
cells at the opening of either side of the throat. Their role is
to filter bacteria and viruses and produce white blood cells and
antibodies. Tonsils are the first line of defense as part of the
immune system.
Adenoids or pharyngeal tonsils are clusters of lymphatic tissue in the back of the nose, above the roof of the mouth. They begin to shrink by age 7 or 8, are barely visible by the late teens, and completely gone by adulthood. Adenoids are covered with cilia and mucus. The small hairs wave about to spread mucus, which is carried to the stomach by swallowing. The purpose of the mucus is to capture infectious bacteria, dust, and other particles and flush them away.
Bottom line, all adenoids are tonsils, but not all tonsils are adenoids.
Adenoids or pharyngeal tonsils are clusters of lymphatic tissue in the back of the nose, above the roof of the mouth. They begin to shrink by age 7 or 8, are barely visible by the late teens, and completely gone by adulthood. Adenoids are covered with cilia and mucus. The small hairs wave about to spread mucus, which is carried to the stomach by swallowing. The purpose of the mucus is to capture infectious bacteria, dust, and other particles and flush them away.
Bottom line, all adenoids are tonsils, but not all tonsils are adenoids.
Wordology, Hoi Polloi
This term is used to mean two completely
different things. Originally it came from the Greek and is a
transliteration of the Greek for 'the many'. So, it means the
masses, the ordinary folks, the general populace, and usually it
is usually meant as derogatory. However, it also has a second
meaning. According to Merriam Webster it also means people of
distinction, or wealth, or elevated status.
I checked a few dictionaries and found the first definition, but the second seems limited to Merriam Webster. Incidentally, the hoi polloi is actually redundant, as hoi means the, so the hoi polloi literally would mean the the masses.
I checked a few dictionaries and found the first definition, but the second seems limited to Merriam Webster. Incidentally, the hoi polloi is actually redundant, as hoi means the, so the hoi polloi literally would mean the the masses.
Skin Printer
Wow, 3D printing is getting interesting. A handheld skin printer
is like a magic wand for healing flesh wounds. It acts like tape
used for correcting a writing error. It can produce a sheet of
skin tissue to cover a wound. University of Toronto engineers
have developed a 3D skin printer that can apparently, form
tissue in situ, depositing and setting in place, within two
minutes or less.
This could serve as a future alternative to regular skin grafts. However, instead of first requiring that a patient has healthy skin removed to be grafted elsewhere, this device can roll out a new layer of bio ink-based, 3D-printed skin tissue.
It is portable and weighs just over 2 pounds and has already been shown to function when patching up both rats’ and pigs’ wounds. The team is currently conducting wound-healing experiments to benchmark their approach against established alternatives.
This could serve as a future alternative to regular skin grafts. However, instead of first requiring that a patient has healthy skin removed to be grafted elsewhere, this device can roll out a new layer of bio ink-based, 3D-printed skin tissue.
It is portable and weighs just over 2 pounds and has already been shown to function when patching up both rats’ and pigs’ wounds. The team is currently conducting wound-healing experiments to benchmark their approach against established alternatives.
Wikipedia Hack
Enter a search for month and year and it will return world news for that month. Try it for your birthday. Try it for a family member or friend who is having a birthday, print it out and give it to them as an interesting gift.
The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, says that some years the most births occur during July or September. Worldwide birth statistics vary with climates and cultural factors that influence the timing of conceptions and births.
Incidentally, in the US, February is the month with the least births and August has the most.+
The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, says that some years the most births occur during July or September. Worldwide birth statistics vary with climates and cultural factors that influence the timing of conceptions and births.
Incidentally, in the US, February is the month with the least births and August has the most.+
Happy Songs
Current hit songs in the UK are happier, more danceable, and
more likely to be sung by women than songs which fail to make it
to the charts. Songs were considered successful if they made it
into Top 100 charts.
The new 2018 study, based on 500,000 songs released in Britain between 1985 and 2015, found that as happy music declined, so did the popularity of songs sung by men. The study analyzed the sound characteristics of popular tracks, but not their lyrics.
It also discovered trend that there is less happy music, while people clearly prefer happy music. "More and more unhappy songs are being released each year," a research team from the University of California Irvine reported in the journal Royal Society Open Science. Overall, they found that happiness in music has declined, while sadness increased during the last 30 years.
However, hit tunes defy the trend, and tend to be much happier than unsuccessful tunes.
The new 2018 study, based on 500,000 songs released in Britain between 1985 and 2015, found that as happy music declined, so did the popularity of songs sung by men. The study analyzed the sound characteristics of popular tracks, but not their lyrics.
It also discovered trend that there is less happy music, while people clearly prefer happy music. "More and more unhappy songs are being released each year," a research team from the University of California Irvine reported in the journal Royal Society Open Science. Overall, they found that happiness in music has declined, while sadness increased during the last 30 years.
However, hit tunes defy the trend, and tend to be much happier than unsuccessful tunes.
May 11, 2018
Happy Friday
Desire,
admire, and inspire happiness.
I always desire, admire, inspire, and require happiness, especially on a Happy Friday!
I always desire, admire, inspire, and require happiness, especially on a Happy Friday!
Mattress Cleaner
A quick way to clean the upper layer of your mattress is with
a spray consisting of one part alcohol mixed with two parts
water. Vacuum your mattress and then spray it with the alcohol
solution and let it dry. The alcohol will disinfect the upper
layer and kill any bacteria that are making it smell bad. If you
have any essential oils handy, put a few drops in the solution
to also make it smell fresher.
Incidentally, there are not pounds of dead mites and skin on the mattress. LINK
Incidentally, there are not pounds of dead mites and skin on the mattress. LINK
Smartphone Cell vs. WiFi Data
Many people do not know the difference between
WiFi data and cell data (LTE, 4G). WiFi allows your phone or
tablet to connect to the Internet via a router. You need to be
to be in the range of a router and connect to the network in
order to access the Internet. Cellular data allows your phone or
tablet to connect to the Internet via a cell phone signal. You
need to be in the range of a cell phone tower to access the
Internet. When you use your phone to access the Internet without
WiFi, you are using up the monthly allotment of data your cell
phone plan allows. Another important distinction to know,
especially for the security conscious, cell data is encrypted so
it is safer than public Wi-Fi.
Think of two types of data, background data is data that is used behind the scenes by apps and the operating system (iOS, Android, etc.). This can also include data from actions you are aware of such as downloading email messages. Apps on your phone use background data even when you are not using the app. You can individually turn off background data for apps, such as Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat when you are not using them. If you do not have an unlimited plan it is very advantageous to turn off background data. It will turn back on automatically when you use the app and off again when you close it.
Foreground data is data that you deliberately use, such as streaming videos, derping the internet, downloading a new app, etc. This is where WiFi comes in handy if you do not have an unlimited data plan. Also, WiFi is often faster, under the right conditions.
However, WiFi drains the battery quicker. It works by sending and receiving a microwave radio signal through the air to a Wireless Access Point. Radio waves are essentially electricity from your battery that has been converted into a specific frequency, and pushed out of your device through an antenna. Ideally, you might set your WiFi to be off all the time, then turn it on when you are home using your WiFi, or when you are out and want to download large amounts of data, such as a movie or Facebook video.
If you spend more time connected to WiFi networks than cellular, leave your WiFi turned on. If not, it is advantageous to keep it turned off and save your battery. If you travel internationally, use WiFi to avoid expensive charges for international roaming.
Bottom line, if you have an unlimited data plan, the difference between WiFi and cell data is battery usage. If you do not have unlimited data, then the difference can be costly from overage charges, if you exceed your limit. Both are automatically available on smartphones.
Other may have caught on to this battery saver idea as OpenSignal analyzed a 90-day period beginning on Dec. 1, 2017 and found the time spent on WiFi dropped for three of the four major U.S. carriers compared to the first quarter of 2017, due to the growth in unlimited data plans.
Incidentally, on an Android phone, if you go into settings, tap “Data usage”, and then tap the Facebook app icon, you can then select “Restrict app background data.” You can also go into the settings in the actual Facebook app (found under “More” after you open Facebook), uncheck “autoplay videos” and set it to “WiFi only”. Now Facebook does not add to cell data unless you are using it. In addition, there is another data saving setting on the phone to update all apps only when connected to WiFi.
Think of two types of data, background data is data that is used behind the scenes by apps and the operating system (iOS, Android, etc.). This can also include data from actions you are aware of such as downloading email messages. Apps on your phone use background data even when you are not using the app. You can individually turn off background data for apps, such as Chrome, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat when you are not using them. If you do not have an unlimited plan it is very advantageous to turn off background data. It will turn back on automatically when you use the app and off again when you close it.
Foreground data is data that you deliberately use, such as streaming videos, derping the internet, downloading a new app, etc. This is where WiFi comes in handy if you do not have an unlimited data plan. Also, WiFi is often faster, under the right conditions.
However, WiFi drains the battery quicker. It works by sending and receiving a microwave radio signal through the air to a Wireless Access Point. Radio waves are essentially electricity from your battery that has been converted into a specific frequency, and pushed out of your device through an antenna. Ideally, you might set your WiFi to be off all the time, then turn it on when you are home using your WiFi, or when you are out and want to download large amounts of data, such as a movie or Facebook video.
If you spend more time connected to WiFi networks than cellular, leave your WiFi turned on. If not, it is advantageous to keep it turned off and save your battery. If you travel internationally, use WiFi to avoid expensive charges for international roaming.
Bottom line, if you have an unlimited data plan, the difference between WiFi and cell data is battery usage. If you do not have unlimited data, then the difference can be costly from overage charges, if you exceed your limit. Both are automatically available on smartphones.
Other may have caught on to this battery saver idea as OpenSignal analyzed a 90-day period beginning on Dec. 1, 2017 and found the time spent on WiFi dropped for three of the four major U.S. carriers compared to the first quarter of 2017, due to the growth in unlimited data plans.
Incidentally, on an Android phone, if you go into settings, tap “Data usage”, and then tap the Facebook app icon, you can then select “Restrict app background data.” You can also go into the settings in the actual Facebook app (found under “More” after you open Facebook), uncheck “autoplay videos” and set it to “WiFi only”. Now Facebook does not add to cell data unless you are using it. In addition, there is another data saving setting on the phone to update all apps only when connected to WiFi.
Dark Chocolate and Vizion
Good news for dark chocolate lovers. Researchers
had 30 healthy adults, averaging 26 years old; eat either a
1.5-ounce Trader Joe's 72 percent Cacao Dark Chocolate bar or a
similar-sized Trader Joe's Crispy Rice Milk Chocolate bar.
Labels were removed from each bar so participants did not know
what type of chocolate they were eating.
About two hours later, each participant underwent vision testing using standard letter-based eye charts. Compared to people who ate the milk chocolate bar, those who snacked on the dark chocolate showed "small enhancements in visual acuity and large-letter contrast" on the vision test, the researchers reported.
Heart-healthy compounds in chocolate called flavanols appeared to sharpen eyesight. The observed change in vision was small, but significant. Prior studies showed that the antioxidant flavanols in dark chocolate might help boost blood flow to the nervous system, boost heart function, and even help preserve the aging brain. The study results were published April 26, 2018 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
About two hours later, each participant underwent vision testing using standard letter-based eye charts. Compared to people who ate the milk chocolate bar, those who snacked on the dark chocolate showed "small enhancements in visual acuity and large-letter contrast" on the vision test, the researchers reported.
Heart-healthy compounds in chocolate called flavanols appeared to sharpen eyesight. The observed change in vision was small, but significant. Prior studies showed that the antioxidant flavanols in dark chocolate might help boost blood flow to the nervous system, boost heart function, and even help preserve the aging brain. The study results were published April 26, 2018 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
Hot Phone Battery Tips
Ah, summer is fast approaching and we love to get
out in the sun. Did you know your smartphone does not like it as
much as you do? In fact, it is adversely affected by it. The
hotter outside it gets, the more it uses battery power. Heat and
background apps are the quickest ways to drain your phone
without you realizing it.
Phones are good for temperatures up to 95 degrees and can be stored up to about 110 degrees. Never leave a phone, tablet, or computer in a hot car, especially in direct sunlight, because temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range.
As noted above for usage charges there are other reasons for turning off apps you are not using, such as battery draining. On your smartphone, turn off WiFi, bluetooth, GPS, and other energy-draining functions if you are not using them. Another energy killer is screen brightness. Dimming brightness even just a little, can save hours of battery life.
Just because you press the Home button on your phone does not mean an app is closed. In fact, the app is still running in the background. To make sure that an app that you had opened is not sucking up your battery life press the Home button twice or the multiple apps button on some android phones, then swipe left, right, or hit the X on the app, depending on phone, to turn off apps that are currently running in background. Bottom line, if it is too hot for you, it is likely too hot for your phone.
Phones are good for temperatures up to 95 degrees and can be stored up to about 110 degrees. Never leave a phone, tablet, or computer in a hot car, especially in direct sunlight, because temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range.
As noted above for usage charges there are other reasons for turning off apps you are not using, such as battery draining. On your smartphone, turn off WiFi, bluetooth, GPS, and other energy-draining functions if you are not using them. Another energy killer is screen brightness. Dimming brightness even just a little, can save hours of battery life.
Just because you press the Home button on your phone does not mean an app is closed. In fact, the app is still running in the background. To make sure that an app that you had opened is not sucking up your battery life press the Home button twice or the multiple apps button on some android phones, then swipe left, right, or hit the X on the app, depending on phone, to turn off apps that are currently running in background. Bottom line, if it is too hot for you, it is likely too hot for your phone.
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