Happy New Year

We made it through another one. This coming year should be fun for the politicians and election junkies. Don't forget to pick up 'Unelectum All' before voting. It has some great info to help you with your choice.

Happy Friday

Every man has three characters - that which he exhibits, that which he has, and that which he thinks he has.

I know you see that I think I have a need for a Happy Friday!

What's in a Name, Craneberry

That is the original name for the cranberry. It was first named by early European settlers in America who felt the expanding flower, stem, calyx, and petals resembled the neck, head, and bill of a crane. Native Americans used cranberries in a variety of foods, especially for meat, wound medicine, and dye.

Historically, cranberry fruits and leaves were used for a variety of problems, such as wounds, diarrhea, diabetes, stomach ailments, and liver problems. Most notably, cranberry products have been used in the hope of preventing or treating urinary tract infections. The berries are also used as dietary supplements in the form of extracts, capsules, and tablets. Raw cranberries have moderate levels of vitamin C, dietary fiber and the essential dietary mineral, manganese, as well as a balanced profile of other essential micronutrients.

Cranberries are a major commercial crop in certain American states and Canadian provinces. Cranberry sauce is regarded an indispensable part of traditional American and Canadian Thanksgiving menus and some European winter festivals.

In the 1820s cranberries were shipped to Europe and became popular for wild harvesting in the Nordic countries and Russia.

Wisconsin is the leading producer of cranberries, with over half of US production. About 95% of cranberries are processed into products such as juice drinks, sauce, and sweetened dried cranberries. The remaining 5% are sold fresh to consumers.

Phosphenes

This is the name for the lights you see when you close your eyes and press your hands to them. It is kind of like your own personal Christmas lights.

Posh

This is a word that has been around since the late 1800s, but is not used much these days, except for many small businesses which use it in their name. It means smart, elegant, or fashionable, such as posh clothes. It also means upper-class or genteel. It is also an herb.

A common reference is that back when ocean liners were the only way to cross the Atlantic, the preferred staterooms were those that faced “port out and starboard home.” As the ship crossed the North Atlantic, sunlight came into the room from the direction of the equator to the south. In a “posh” room you were on the port side (left) on the way south and east, and the starboard side (right) on the way home. Although this explanation is completely wrong, it makes for a good story.

Google+ is Growing

Google+ growth is accelerating. It has now gone past 62 million users and is adding about 625,000 new users per day. It is predicted to hit 400 million users by end of 2012.

Facebook needs to be concerned. Google+ is easier to use and groups can be separated so you do not need to have all posts seen by all friends. It is also easier to add links, pictures, etc. It also hosts live chats, so if you are planning an event, everyone can be online and conversing at the same time. Kind of like a free 'go-to-meeting'.

Cheeta the Chimp

Old timers who remember Tarzan from the movies will surely remember Cheeta the chimpanzee, who starred in the Tarzan films in the early 1930s. Cheeta died of kidney failure on Christmas Eve, according to the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbour, Florida where he lived. At 80, he was the oldest non-human primate alive, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. He outlived both Johnny Weissmuller, the actor who played Tarzan and owned him, and Maureen O’Sullivan, who played Jane.

Nostradamus

It is probably prophetic that Nostradamus was born in December, because that is the month all the pundits come out withe their predictions for the coming year. Michel de Notredame was and is famous for his predictions, even though many change with the reader. He was born 1503 in St. Remy, France. He is the author of ten books of prophecies, titled Centuries that many still believe foretell the future. He was also a physician, astrologer and, clairvoyant.

His famous astrological predictions were written in rhyming quatrains (four-line poems) that many believe predicted the Great London Fire in 1666, Spain’s Civil War, a Hitler who would lead Germany into war, and predicted his own death on July 2, 1566.

He wrote in code, because in those days, if he was found out, he would have been considered a sorcerer and probably burned at the stake. He used symbolism, metaphors, and added and deleted letters to make his writings even more obscure. Most were written in French and some in Italian, Greek, and Latin. Since we do not know his exact code, or which calendar he was using, we are challenged with making events fit into the 942 quatrains, or vice versa.

Louisiana

I am surprised Nostradamus did not foresee the Louisiana Purchase. The United States took possession of the Louisiana Territories from France in December 1803, just before Christmas. The treaty that France drew up, sold the territory to the United States for $15 million.

The Louisiana Purchase effectively doubled the size of the existing U.S. It was 827,987 square miles, at about $18 per square mile.

The area was later made into 15 states, created or *partially created from the Louisiana Purchase: Arkansas, *Colorado, Iowa, *Kansas, Louisiana, *Minnesota, Missouri, *Montana, Nebraska, *New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, *Texas and *Wyoming.

How Much is a Trillion

The government throws around numbers that are difficult to comprehend. Here is a way to understand a trillion - If you counted 24 hours a day, it would take 31,688 years to reach one trillion.

Scooter Bag

Had to throw this one in for travelers. It is a scooter built into a suitcase. Truly for the traveler on the go.

The case's back is made from durable ABS while the zippered front is made from sturdy nylon. Its generous interior provides 1' cu. of space; its 15" L x 11" padded laptop compartment has three storage slots for documents and zips to close off the spacious interior for storing work shoes, a lunch, or purse. Cool stuff.

Government Salarymen

For those who care, this is a list of the top 1,000 highest paid civil service government employees, by salary, with names. The most often seen title is medical officer. No, elected officials are not included.   LINK

Happy Friday

In order to make our dreams come true, we must wake up.

I woke up this morning to fulfill my dream of having a Happy Friday!

Old Saint Nicholas

On this day in 1823 in the Troy NY Sentinel published the poem we know as "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement C. Moore. It was published anonymously under the newspaper editor’s title, Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas. Moore wrote it a year earlier and read it to his children, who saved it.

He was a professor of Oriental and Greek literature and never sought to do any more than read the story to his children that one time. Clement referred to the poem "a mere trifle." Some have questioned whether he was the author, but proof of another writer has been elusive.

It is known that Donner and Blitzen were originally from ''Dunder'' and ''Blixem'' Dutch for thunder and lightning. Rudolph didn't come along until 1939, but that's another story on my blog from December 17, 2010.

Prior to the poem, American ideas about St. Nicholas and other Christmas visitors varied considerably. The poem has influenced ideas about St. Nicholas and Santa Claus beyond the United States to the rest of the world. He was the first to describe eight tiny reindeer. Oh, and it ended with 'Happy Christmas to all'.