Am sure many of you woke up this
morning with the same burning question on your mind, where did the
common colors get their names.
Pink - In English, pink used to refer exclusively to a flower
called a pink, a dianthus which has pale red petals with fringed
edges. Pink, as a verb means to cut or tear jaggedly and has been in
use in the English language since the early 14th century.
Orange - When oranges (the fruit) were exported from India,
the word for them was exported too. Sanskrit narangah, or "orange
tree," was borrowed into Persian as narang, "orange (fruit)," which
was borrowed into Arabic as naranj, into Italian as arancia, into
French as orange, and eventually into English as orange. The color
of the fruit was so striking that English speakers eventually began
referring to the color by this word as well. Before oranges were
imported in the 1500s, the English word for the color orange was
geoluhread (yellow-red).
Jan 9, 2015
Fog, Smog, Vog, Haze, and Mist
This time of year we see many
of these weather conditions and some people can get a bit foggy
about the definitions.
Mist and fog are caused by water droplets in the air, and the only difference is how far you can see. The airline industry’s definition of fog uses the guideline of not being able to see more than 1,000 meters (3,280 ft), although the civilian definition of fog is when visibility is less than 200 meters (650 ft). If you can see farther than that, it is considered mist. Different types of fog include Valley fog, Upslope fog, and coastal fog. Also, evaporation fog causes freezing fog.
Haze is the reflection of sunlight off air pollution. Some naturally occurring sources of haze include smoke particles from fires. Most haze is air pollution, carried by the wind often hundreds of miles from where it originated.
Smog was first used in London during the early 1900's to describe the combination of smoke and fog. It occurs when pollution causes low-lying ozone. When certain pollutants enter the air, such as nitrogen oxides, they react with the sunlight to form ozone. Major smog occurrences often are linked to heavy motor vehicle traffic, high temperatures, sunshine, and calm winds. During 1952, weather conditions led to massive smog descending on and gathering over London. Visibility was less than 30 centimeters (12 in), the air was black with coal and pollution, and the usually bustling city came to a standstill. By the time the smog cleared, 4,000 people died from exposure to the pollution, and another 8,000 died during the following weeks.
Vog only happens when a nearby volcano is releasing sulfur dioxide into the air to react with what is already there. When a volcano erupts, or begins to erupt, it releases sulfur dioxide, which then reacts with other gases already in the air. When lava reaches the sea, it also reacts with the water to produce other chemicals like hydrogen sulfide. The resulting “fog” is called vog and can mean anything from severely reduced visibility to adding a mild, blue-grey tint to the landscape.
Mist and fog are caused by water droplets in the air, and the only difference is how far you can see. The airline industry’s definition of fog uses the guideline of not being able to see more than 1,000 meters (3,280 ft), although the civilian definition of fog is when visibility is less than 200 meters (650 ft). If you can see farther than that, it is considered mist. Different types of fog include Valley fog, Upslope fog, and coastal fog. Also, evaporation fog causes freezing fog.
Haze is the reflection of sunlight off air pollution. Some naturally occurring sources of haze include smoke particles from fires. Most haze is air pollution, carried by the wind often hundreds of miles from where it originated.
Smog was first used in London during the early 1900's to describe the combination of smoke and fog. It occurs when pollution causes low-lying ozone. When certain pollutants enter the air, such as nitrogen oxides, they react with the sunlight to form ozone. Major smog occurrences often are linked to heavy motor vehicle traffic, high temperatures, sunshine, and calm winds. During 1952, weather conditions led to massive smog descending on and gathering over London. Visibility was less than 30 centimeters (12 in), the air was black with coal and pollution, and the usually bustling city came to a standstill. By the time the smog cleared, 4,000 people died from exposure to the pollution, and another 8,000 died during the following weeks.
Vog only happens when a nearby volcano is releasing sulfur dioxide into the air to react with what is already there. When a volcano erupts, or begins to erupt, it releases sulfur dioxide, which then reacts with other gases already in the air. When lava reaches the sea, it also reacts with the water to produce other chemicals like hydrogen sulfide. The resulting “fog” is called vog and can mean anything from severely reduced visibility to adding a mild, blue-grey tint to the landscape.
Internet Time
This is what happens every sixty seconds on
the internet.
2,635,217 Google searches
204,709,030 emails sent
1,865 new mobile web users
51,763 app downloads
847 new websites created
200,743 people watching porn
$238,651 is spent on web shopping
$89,300 revenues from products sold on Amazon
778,520,485 Gb of global data transferred
1,875,734 new Facebook likes
159,745 new photos uploaded on Facebook
243,040 new tweets
104 hours of video uploaded on YouTube
2,780,653 YouTube video views
About a million Google searches happened while you were reading this tidbit.
2,635,217 Google searches
204,709,030 emails sent
1,865 new mobile web users
51,763 app downloads
847 new websites created
200,743 people watching porn
$238,651 is spent on web shopping
$89,300 revenues from products sold on Amazon
778,520,485 Gb of global data transferred
1,875,734 new Facebook likes
159,745 new photos uploaded on Facebook
243,040 new tweets
104 hours of video uploaded on YouTube
2,780,653 YouTube video views
About a million Google searches happened while you were reading this tidbit.
Pork Powered Protein
The protein found in
bacon is extremely valuable to maintaining our energy levels and a
fully functioning, healthy body, with a minimum of those nasty,
waist, thigh and butt expanding, fat building carbohydrates.
Razor Differences
Men and women use different
razors, but there is no difference between men’s and women’s razors.
There are differences between brand names.
Gillette
issued
a press release in which it stated that the blades used in its
gendered
products both use the same 'blade technology'.
Women’s razors are generally more expensive than men’s, but cost to manufacture different shapes are negligible. The razors for women are usually larger to cut more hair. The heads of men’s razors are designed to facilitate more accurate facial grooming with smaller heads around the blades, as well as having the blades more tightly packed. This serves to better cut thicker hair commonly found on men’s faces vs. women’s legs, and to cut hair closer to the skin.
The blades of men’s razors are often put at more of an oblique angle than women’s razors, along with a different contour of handle. The difference in angle and handle shape allows women to see better what they are shaving when looking down at their legs vs. men looking straight into a mirror.
Shaving creams are also identical, except for aroma, because women prefer different fragrances than men.
So, the price for women is much higher, because of perception and because women are more inclined to pay more - for any number of non-tangible reasons. Men see shaving as a chore and women tend to think of it as beauty enhancing. Save some money and use the less expensive alternative razors, creams, and gels, just do not share the same razor.
Women’s razors are generally more expensive than men’s, but cost to manufacture different shapes are negligible. The razors for women are usually larger to cut more hair. The heads of men’s razors are designed to facilitate more accurate facial grooming with smaller heads around the blades, as well as having the blades more tightly packed. This serves to better cut thicker hair commonly found on men’s faces vs. women’s legs, and to cut hair closer to the skin.
The blades of men’s razors are often put at more of an oblique angle than women’s razors, along with a different contour of handle. The difference in angle and handle shape allows women to see better what they are shaving when looking down at their legs vs. men looking straight into a mirror.
Shaving creams are also identical, except for aroma, because women prefer different fragrances than men.
So, the price for women is much higher, because of perception and because women are more inclined to pay more - for any number of non-tangible reasons. Men see shaving as a chore and women tend to think of it as beauty enhancing. Save some money and use the less expensive alternative razors, creams, and gels, just do not share the same razor.
Seven Interesting Facts
Coke would be green if
coloring was not added.
An average hummingbird weighs less than a penny.
The total weight of ants on earth is greater than the total weight of humans.
The average person is one percent shorter in the evening.
Half of all people in history aged 65 or older are still living.
Frozen lobsters can come back to life when thawed (they do not squeal when being boiled).
Eyes remain the same size from birth, but the nose and ears never stop growing.
An average hummingbird weighs less than a penny.
The total weight of ants on earth is greater than the total weight of humans.
The average person is one percent shorter in the evening.
Half of all people in history aged 65 or older are still living.
Frozen lobsters can come back to life when thawed (they do not squeal when being boiled).
Eyes remain the same size from birth, but the nose and ears never stop growing.
What's in a Name, Ouija Board
The Ouija board was created
as a parlor game around 1890 by designer Elijah Bond, who patented
it in 1891, then sold the patent to William Fuld in 1901. Fuld
popularized the game and promoted it as a novelty. He sold the
business in 1966 to Parker Brothers, which was acquired by Hasbro,
which now owns it, along with Monopoly, Risk, Trivial Pursuit, etc.
Ouija is a combination of two words: 'oui' and 'ja' which mean 'yes'
in French and German respectively.
One of the first mentions of the automatic writing method used in the Ouija board is found in China around 1100 AD. The method was known as fuji, spirit writing or automatic writing using a suspended sieve or tray to guide a stick which writes Chinese characters in sand or incense ashes.
Despite being a trademark, “Ouija” is also used to refer to any kind of 'talking' board that uses automatic writing. Shortly after it was introduced, Pearl Curran, a popular 20th-century spiritualist began using the Ouija board during WWI as a tool for her divination. Some people thought it was kind of ancient mystical device used to communicate with the dead. It has also been associated with devil worship or spirituality, despite Hasbro’s insistence that it is just a board game. The 'automatic' writing is simply done by the ideomotor effect, people moving the indicator unconsciously.
Paranormal and supernatural beliefs associated with Ouija have been harshly criticized by the scientific community, since they are characterized as pseudoscience. There is a 'museum' of talking boards on the web at LINK.
One of the first mentions of the automatic writing method used in the Ouija board is found in China around 1100 AD. The method was known as fuji, spirit writing or automatic writing using a suspended sieve or tray to guide a stick which writes Chinese characters in sand or incense ashes.
Despite being a trademark, “Ouija” is also used to refer to any kind of 'talking' board that uses automatic writing. Shortly after it was introduced, Pearl Curran, a popular 20th-century spiritualist began using the Ouija board during WWI as a tool for her divination. Some people thought it was kind of ancient mystical device used to communicate with the dead. It has also been associated with devil worship or spirituality, despite Hasbro’s insistence that it is just a board game. The 'automatic' writing is simply done by the ideomotor effect, people moving the indicator unconsciously.
Paranormal and supernatural beliefs associated with Ouija have been harshly criticized by the scientific community, since they are characterized as pseudoscience. There is a 'museum' of talking boards on the web at LINK.
Jan 2, 2015
Happy Friday
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your
smile can be the source of your joy.”
Both my smiles and joy always show up for a Happy Friday!
Both my smiles and joy always show up for a Happy Friday!
Time
Ah, we are at the beginning of another New Year and
the world awaits what wonderful things we can accomplish this year.
Time is such an important part of our lives and is so personal to
each of us that there are hundreds of ways to describe it. Each of
us has our own specious present. This year, do not bide your time.
Use this window of time to spend some face time with family and
friends and keep them close for all time.
Words from the Rolling Stones (I like the second version) title come to mind LINK. In the nick of time we look at the fresh calendar, sit a spell, adjust our circadian clock, and ponder the current epoch. This is the kairos to begin before we reach our first poronkusema.
Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment (the supreme moment).
The Finnish word poronkusema describes the distance equal to how far a reindeer can travel without taking a comfort break.
The Malaysian word for the time it takes to eat a banana is pisan zapra. To say that someone would arrive in pisan zapra means they could be expected in a few minutes.
The Turkish phrase 'zaman dilimi' means time period as does the Haitian Creole phrase 'peryĆ²d tan'.
A jubilee is 50 years.
A vigil is a period of time, especially at night, when you stay in a place to wait for something or to give your support.
In medieval time, a moment was defined as being 90 seconds.
In the Old Testament, Yom is translated as period of time, such as year, always, and more.
A sidereal time is the measurement of time relative to a distant star. It is used in astronomy to predict when a star will be overhead. A sidereal day is 4 minutes less than a solar day.
Scientist Gilbert Newton Lewis defined a jiffy in the early 1900s as the amount of time it takes light to travel 1 centimeter (0.4 in), which is about one-hundredth of a second.
A Planck is the duration light takes to travel one (Max) Planck length, theorized to be the smallest duration measurement that will ever be possible, roughly 10 to the 43rd seconds.
Words from the Rolling Stones (I like the second version) title come to mind LINK. In the nick of time we look at the fresh calendar, sit a spell, adjust our circadian clock, and ponder the current epoch. This is the kairos to begin before we reach our first poronkusema.
Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment (the supreme moment).
The Finnish word poronkusema describes the distance equal to how far a reindeer can travel without taking a comfort break.
The Malaysian word for the time it takes to eat a banana is pisan zapra. To say that someone would arrive in pisan zapra means they could be expected in a few minutes.
The Turkish phrase 'zaman dilimi' means time period as does the Haitian Creole phrase 'peryĆ²d tan'.
A jubilee is 50 years.
A vigil is a period of time, especially at night, when you stay in a place to wait for something or to give your support.
In medieval time, a moment was defined as being 90 seconds.
In the Old Testament, Yom is translated as period of time, such as year, always, and more.
A sidereal time is the measurement of time relative to a distant star. It is used in astronomy to predict when a star will be overhead. A sidereal day is 4 minutes less than a solar day.
Scientist Gilbert Newton Lewis defined a jiffy in the early 1900s as the amount of time it takes light to travel 1 centimeter (0.4 in), which is about one-hundredth of a second.
A Planck is the duration light takes to travel one (Max) Planck length, theorized to be the smallest duration measurement that will ever be possible, roughly 10 to the 43rd seconds.
Aging and Time
Time obviously affects our age, but how we
feel about our age can make a difference between just getting old
and aging gracefully.
JAMA Internal Medicine online recently published a study that looked at data from 6,489 people with an average age of 65.8 years who reported that they felt a little less than 10 years younger. Most said they felt about three years younger and 4.8%, felt at least a year older than their actual age.
During the next eight years, scientists found just over 14% of those who felt younger than their years had died, while more than 24% of the people who reported feeling older or feeling their age died.
The study concluded that self-perceived age has the potential to change us. This and other research shows that personality can affect our destiny. New research into the link between personality and aging finds that there are two main traits that seem to help people live longer: conscientiousness and optimism. Happiness and a positive attitude can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. These results certainly make me happy.
JAMA Internal Medicine online recently published a study that looked at data from 6,489 people with an average age of 65.8 years who reported that they felt a little less than 10 years younger. Most said they felt about three years younger and 4.8%, felt at least a year older than their actual age.
During the next eight years, scientists found just over 14% of those who felt younger than their years had died, while more than 24% of the people who reported feeling older or feeling their age died.
The study concluded that self-perceived age has the potential to change us. This and other research shows that personality can affect our destiny. New research into the link between personality and aging finds that there are two main traits that seem to help people live longer: conscientiousness and optimism. Happiness and a positive attitude can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. These results certainly make me happy.
New Year Census
The US population is at 320.09 million
people as of January 1. It is an increase of 11.35 million since the
last census. During January 2015, the US is expected to have one
birth every eight seconds and one death every 12 seconds. Net
migration is expected to add one person to the US population every
33 seconds, according to the Census Bureau.
The combination of births, deaths, and net migration will add at least one person to the US population every 16 seconds.
The combination of births, deaths, and net migration will add at least one person to the US population every 16 seconds.
Wordology, Hogmanay
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the
last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the
New Year in the Scottish style. The celebrating begins on the last
day of the year and lasts through the night until the morning of New
Year's Day or 2 January, a Scottish Bank Holiday.
Windows Number Tip
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.
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.
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 bĆ»sen, 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 bĆ»sen, 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, GlƦdelig Jul, HyvƤƤ Joulua, Meri Kirihimete, Maligayang Pasko, Linksmu Kaledu, Craciun fericit, Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva s Novim Godom, Schƶni 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 "XĻ" or "Xt" as far back as 1021. This X and P arose as the uppercase forms of the Greek letters Ļ (Ch) and Ļ (R) used in ancient abbreviations for Ī§ĻĪ¹ĻĻĪæĻ (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 "XĻ" or "Xt" as far back as 1021. This X and P arose as the uppercase forms of the Greek letters Ļ (Ch) and Ļ (R) used in ancient abbreviations for Ī§ĻĪ¹ĻĻĪæĻ (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 "JĆ³lasveinarnir" was published as a part of the popular poetry book "Christmas Arrives" by Icelandic poet JĆ³hannes Ćŗr Kƶtlum. 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. GrĆ½la is a dreadful character, described as part troll, part animal, and the mother of 13 precocious boys (the Yule Lads). GrĆ½la lives in the mountains with her third husband, Leppaludi, her thirteen children, and a black cat. Every Christmas, GrĆ½la and her sons come down from the mountains: GrĆ½la 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 laufabrauĆ° (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 "JĆ³lasveinarnir" was published as a part of the popular poetry book "Christmas Arrives" by Icelandic poet JĆ³hannes Ćŗr Kƶtlum. 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. GrĆ½la is a dreadful character, described as part troll, part animal, and the mother of 13 precocious boys (the Yule Lads). GrĆ½la lives in the mountains with her third husband, Leppaludi, her thirteen children, and a black cat. Every Christmas, GrĆ½la and her sons come down from the mountains: GrĆ½la 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 laufabrauĆ° (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.
Origin of Christmas Stockings
The tradition of Christmas
stockings is said to have originated from the actions of a kind
noble man named Nicholas, who was born in March, 270 AD, in Patara,
at the time Greek, but now Turkey. While still young, his wealthy
parents died in an epidemic. Nicholas became a Christian priest and
used all his riches to help the poor, the needy, the sick, and the
suffering. He was made Bishop of Myra (modern Turkey) at a young age
and became known for his kindness and generosity. He traveled across
the country helping people, giving gifts of money and other
presents. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as
putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, a
practice celebrated on his feast day - St Nicholas Day, December 6
in Western Christianity and 19 December in Eastern Christianity. He
died December 6, 343 AD. Many still observe December 6 as a St.
Nicholas holiday. I grew up enjoying the candy treats thrown on
my porch the evening of December 6.
Nicholas was so widely revered that thousands of churches were named for him, including three hundred in Belgium, thirty-four in Rome, twenty-three in the Netherlands and more than four hundred in England.
Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of Saint Nicholas' life and deeds. One popular account (with many variations) tells us of a poor peasant who lived happily in a small cottage in Saint Nicholas' hometown, with his wife and three daughters. The wife suddenly died of an illness, leaving the poor man and his three daughters in despair. All the burden of household chores now fell upon the daughters.
When the daughters reached a marriage age, the poor father became depressed for he knew he could in no way marry them off to good men. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value - a dowry, which he could not afford.
Saint Nicholas found out about peasant and his daughters and decided to help him. He went to the peasant's house the night before the eldest daughter came of age, with a bag of gold and waited for the family to go to bed. That night, after finishing their washing for the day, the daughters hung their stockings by the fireplace to dry. As they turned off the lamps and fell asleep, St. Nicholas tiptoed to the cottage window and saw the daughters' stockings hanging close to his reach. He carefully put in his bag of gold in one of the stockings and went away.
When the father found the bag the next morning and opened it, he was delighted to find enough gold in the stocking to pay for the dowry of one daughter. The father was able to provide for his eldest daughter and saw that she got married to a nice groom.
Soon after, Saint Nicholas took another bag of gold, and threw it carefully into another stocking. The next morning the man opened the stocking and found enough gold to marry off his second daughter.
The father had grown eager to discover his mysterious benefactor, and each night he stayed awake. When Saint Nicholas came up with another bag of gold, the man recognized him. He fell on his knees and cried of gratitude and thanked him with all his heart.
This is how the tradition of Christmas stockings is said to have begun.
And below, my Christmas stockings.
Nicholas was so widely revered that thousands of churches were named for him, including three hundred in Belgium, thirty-four in Rome, twenty-three in the Netherlands and more than four hundred in England.
Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of Saint Nicholas' life and deeds. One popular account (with many variations) tells us of a poor peasant who lived happily in a small cottage in Saint Nicholas' hometown, with his wife and three daughters. The wife suddenly died of an illness, leaving the poor man and his three daughters in despair. All the burden of household chores now fell upon the daughters.
When the daughters reached a marriage age, the poor father became depressed for he knew he could in no way marry them off to good men. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value - a dowry, which he could not afford.
Saint Nicholas found out about peasant and his daughters and decided to help him. He went to the peasant's house the night before the eldest daughter came of age, with a bag of gold and waited for the family to go to bed. That night, after finishing their washing for the day, the daughters hung their stockings by the fireplace to dry. As they turned off the lamps and fell asleep, St. Nicholas tiptoed to the cottage window and saw the daughters' stockings hanging close to his reach. He carefully put in his bag of gold in one of the stockings and went away.
When the father found the bag the next morning and opened it, he was delighted to find enough gold in the stocking to pay for the dowry of one daughter. The father was able to provide for his eldest daughter and saw that she got married to a nice groom.
Soon after, Saint Nicholas took another bag of gold, and threw it carefully into another stocking. The next morning the man opened the stocking and found enough gold to marry off his second daughter.
The father had grown eager to discover his mysterious benefactor, and each night he stayed awake. When Saint Nicholas came up with another bag of gold, the man recognized him. He fell on his knees and cried of gratitude and thanked him with all his heart.
This is how the tradition of Christmas stockings is said to have begun.
And below, my Christmas stockings.
Origin of Santa Claus
It is believed that Santa Claus
is actually an alteration of this same Saint Nicholas, Santa for
Saint and Claus for Nicholas. The original Santa Claus (and many
current European) outfits resemble a Bishop's clothing, hat, and
staff. The modern figure of Santa Claus is derived from the Dutch
figure of Sinterklaas, whose name is a dialectal pronunciation of
Saint Nicholas.
The 19th century was a time of cultural transition and many wanted to domesticate the Christmas holiday. Through the first half of the 19th century, Presbyterians, Baptists, Quakers, and others continued to regard December 25th as a day without religious significance.
In 1809, Washington Irving published the satirical fiction, Knickerbocker's History of New York, with numerous references to a jolly St. Nicholas character. This was not the saintly bishop, rather an elfin Dutch burgher with a clay pipe. Irving's work was regarded as the "First notable work of imagination in the New World."
In 1810, the New York Historical Society commissioned artist Alexander Anderson to create the first American image of Nicholas for St. Nicholas Day. Nicholas was shown in a gift-giving role with children's treats in stockings hanging at a fireplace.
During 1821, the first lithographed book in America, the Children's Friend described how "Sante (sic) Claus" arrived from the North in a sleigh with a flying reindeer. The anonymous poem and illustrations proved pivotal in shifting imagery away from a saintly bishop. Sante Claus rewarded good behavior and punished bad. Gifts were safe toys, "pretty doll . . . peg-top, or a ball; no crackers, cannons, squibs, or rockets to blow their eyes up, or their pockets. No drums to stun their Mother's ear, nor swords to make their sisters fear; but pretty books to store their mind with knowledge of each various kind." The sleigh had a bookshelf for the "pretty books." The book also marked Sante Claus' first appearance on Christmas Eve, rather than December 6th. The book may have actually been penned a few years earlier according to some accounts.
In 1823, a poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas" was penned. It is now better known as "The Night Before Christmas."
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes - how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf. . . .
This is how St. Nicholas was transformed into Santa Claus.
The 19th century was a time of cultural transition and many wanted to domesticate the Christmas holiday. Through the first half of the 19th century, Presbyterians, Baptists, Quakers, and others continued to regard December 25th as a day without religious significance.
In 1809, Washington Irving published the satirical fiction, Knickerbocker's History of New York, with numerous references to a jolly St. Nicholas character. This was not the saintly bishop, rather an elfin Dutch burgher with a clay pipe. Irving's work was regarded as the "First notable work of imagination in the New World."
In 1810, the New York Historical Society commissioned artist Alexander Anderson to create the first American image of Nicholas for St. Nicholas Day. Nicholas was shown in a gift-giving role with children's treats in stockings hanging at a fireplace.
During 1821, the first lithographed book in America, the Children's Friend described how "Sante (sic) Claus" arrived from the North in a sleigh with a flying reindeer. The anonymous poem and illustrations proved pivotal in shifting imagery away from a saintly bishop. Sante Claus rewarded good behavior and punished bad. Gifts were safe toys, "pretty doll . . . peg-top, or a ball; no crackers, cannons, squibs, or rockets to blow their eyes up, or their pockets. No drums to stun their Mother's ear, nor swords to make their sisters fear; but pretty books to store their mind with knowledge of each various kind." The sleigh had a bookshelf for the "pretty books." The book also marked Sante Claus' first appearance on Christmas Eve, rather than December 6th. The book may have actually been penned a few years earlier according to some accounts.
In 1823, a poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas" was penned. It is now better known as "The Night Before Christmas."
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes - how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf. . . .
This is how St. Nicholas was transformed into Santa Claus.
Perspective
Here is a thought as we ponder our place in the
universe. "Put three grains of sand inside a vast cathedral, and
the cathedral will be more closely packed with sand than space is
with stars." James Jeans
How Many Kisses
A popular study showed that
kissing as a greeting is healthier than a handshake because you
don't know what someone has just been touching.
What we call the 'Eskimo kiss', or rubbing noses is called a kunik by the Inuit. It is an expression of affection, usually from an adult to a child. The Inuit also kiss on the lips as we do. The myth of rubbing noses grew out of a Hollywood silent documentary.
French disagree on the number of greeting kisses, but mostly for central France it's two kisses, and for the North, four. There are exceptions - in FinistĆØre, one kiss is normal - and even disparities within the same area: half the population of Calais prefer deux bises, while the other half will greet you with quatre. The number of kisses can depend on whether someone is a friend or family member, and varies between generations. To the upper-class French any more than two kisses is a faux pas.
Of course, it is not just in France that people greet each other with a kiss; in the Netherlands three is normal, and in Belgium it's one kiss for your peers, but if someone is 10 years older than you, then three is respectful. In Spain, two is normal, but you must kiss the right cheek first.
The French don’t necessarily French kiss more than anyone else; the term probably comes from our belief that French sexuality is more sophisticated. In France, it's known as baiser anglais ('English kissing'), baiser florentin (Florentine kiss) or rouler une pelle (to roll a spade). In Quebec, it is frencher.
Kissing in public is illegal in India and a similar law has been proposed in Russia and Indonesia.
What we call the 'Eskimo kiss', or rubbing noses is called a kunik by the Inuit. It is an expression of affection, usually from an adult to a child. The Inuit also kiss on the lips as we do. The myth of rubbing noses grew out of a Hollywood silent documentary.
French disagree on the number of greeting kisses, but mostly for central France it's two kisses, and for the North, four. There are exceptions - in FinistĆØre, one kiss is normal - and even disparities within the same area: half the population of Calais prefer deux bises, while the other half will greet you with quatre. The number of kisses can depend on whether someone is a friend or family member, and varies between generations. To the upper-class French any more than two kisses is a faux pas.
Of course, it is not just in France that people greet each other with a kiss; in the Netherlands three is normal, and in Belgium it's one kiss for your peers, but if someone is 10 years older than you, then three is respectful. In Spain, two is normal, but you must kiss the right cheek first.
The French don’t necessarily French kiss more than anyone else; the term probably comes from our belief that French sexuality is more sophisticated. In France, it's known as baiser anglais ('English kissing'), baiser florentin (Florentine kiss) or rouler une pelle (to roll a spade). In Quebec, it is frencher.
Kissing in public is illegal in India and a similar law has been proposed in Russia and Indonesia.
Dec 12, 2014
Happy Friday
Even a quantum smile produces exponential benefits.
It is difficult to calculate the exponential benefits of a Happy Friday!
It is difficult to calculate the exponential benefits of a Happy Friday!
Free Microsoft Books
Came across this site recently and
thought it is worth passing along. The site offers over one
hundred Microsoft e-books for free. Topics like Windows 8.1,
Windows 8, Windows 7, Office 2013, Office 365, Office 2010,
SharePoint 2013, Keyboard shortcuts, CRM, PowerShell, etc. Likely
will appeal more to the technical bunch, but also useful to get
the most out of software you may already be using. For instance,
instructions for using Windows voice commands to tell your
computer to perform many actions. LINK
Six Tape Types
Beyond duct tape (Duck tape is a brand
name), scotch tape, packing tape, and others are a few relatively
unknown to many. Here are a few of the more interesting types of
tape.
Speed
tape is an aluminized adhesive tape used to do minor
repairs on aircraft, and as a temporary repair material until a
more permanent repair can be carried out. It has an appearance
similar to duct tape, with which it is sometimes mistaken, but
its adhesive is capable of sticking on an airplane fuselage or
wing at high speeds. It is resistant to water, solvents, and
flames, and will reflect heat and UV light. It is also able to
expand and contract through a wide range of temperatures.
Bondage
tape adheres to itself without using adhesives. Bondage
tape is a 2-to-3-inch-wide (51 to 76mm) and 0.0051 inch-thick
(0.13mm) strip of thin plastic material, usually latex. It is
typically intended to be used for erotic bondage. Since it does
not stick to the hair or skin, a person can be tightly bound or
gagged without causing harm when the tape is removed
Elastic
therapeutic tape, also known as K tape and kinesiology
tape, is an elastic-cotton strip backed with acrylic adhesive.
It is used for treating various physical disorders. It is
claimed to be able to stretch up to 140% of its original length.
As a result, if the tape is applied to a patient with a stretch
greater than its normal length, it will recoil after being
applied and therefore create a pulling force on the skin that it
is being applied to. This elastic property allows much greater
range of motion compared to traditional white athletic tape and
can also be left on for long periods of time.
Gecko
tape is being designed with directional adhesion
properties, which is the ability to grip a load in one direction
and to release its grip when the direction is reversed. The same
structures on Scotch tape revealed that this material could
support a shear stress of 36N/cm2, nearly four times higher than
a gecko foot. This new material can adhere to a wider variety of
materials, including glass and Teflon. When pulled parallel to a
surface, the tape releases, not because the CNTs lose adhesion
from the surface, but because they break, and the tape cannot be
reused. It only works for small area (approximately 1 cm2).
Researchers are currently working on a number of ways to
strengthen the nanotubes.
Lingerie
tape, also called cleavage tape or fashion tape is
double-sided adhesive tape used to keep clothing in place. It
is used to secure the edges of a strapless dress or top to the
cleavage or side of the breasts or on shoulders to secure bra
straps from slipping, in order to keep the item of clothing in
place. It may also be referred to as toupee tape or wig tape, a
similar double-sided tape intended for a different function.
Road
marking tape is reformed polymer tape that can be applied
permanently or temporarily on pavement to create road surface
markings. It is heavy-grade material with reflective beads
embedded in the plastic. It is commonly used to mark crosswalks,
stop bars, and traffic guidance, such as turn lanes, HOV lanes,
train crossings, pedestrian crossings, taxi lanes, bus lanes,
etc.
Holiday Meal Cures
This also a bit tacky, but it is a
real product. Pills to change the smell of flatulence to something
less offensive. Just in time for the holidays. LINK
Searing Meat
A 19th century German chemist Justus von
Liebig was one of the first people to propose that by applying
very high temperatures to meat you would create a 'sealed' layer
of cooked meat through which liquid inside the meat couldn't
escape.
Liebig's experiment compared the liquid and nutrients from a piece of meat submerged in cold water which was gradually heated in that water and simmered in the cooking liquid with a dry piece of meat applied to an extremely hot surface. Liebig thought that searing meat "sealed in juices," because the resulting meat was juicier than the meat that was essentially boiled to death.
However, in the book On Food and Cooking, Harold McGee makes a direct comparison between a seared piece of meat and an un-seared piece, both cooked with identical methods. The result was that the seared piece of meat actually retained fewer juices than the un-seared piece, and at the very least the searing did nothing to preserve the moisture inside the meat. This debate still continues. Many people think that searing meat does result in moister meat, while others dispute it.
In reality, the best thing about searing meat is that when applied to high heat, the surface of the meat undergoes the Maillard Reaction, which results in some delicious browning on the surface of the meat. Bottom line; sear your steaks, not because it locks in juices, but because it is tastier.
Liebig's experiment compared the liquid and nutrients from a piece of meat submerged in cold water which was gradually heated in that water and simmered in the cooking liquid with a dry piece of meat applied to an extremely hot surface. Liebig thought that searing meat "sealed in juices," because the resulting meat was juicier than the meat that was essentially boiled to death.
However, in the book On Food and Cooking, Harold McGee makes a direct comparison between a seared piece of meat and an un-seared piece, both cooked with identical methods. The result was that the seared piece of meat actually retained fewer juices than the un-seared piece, and at the very least the searing did nothing to preserve the moisture inside the meat. This debate still continues. Many people think that searing meat does result in moister meat, while others dispute it.
In reality, the best thing about searing meat is that when applied to high heat, the surface of the meat undergoes the Maillard Reaction, which results in some delicious browning on the surface of the meat. Bottom line; sear your steaks, not because it locks in juices, but because it is tastier.
Which Sandwich
The Earl of Sandwich is purportedly the
first to put a slab of meat between two slices of bread.
The
existence of the club sandwich comes from a cook named Danny
Mears, who worked at the Saratoga Club House in Saratoga
Springs, N.Y. during the 1800s.
During
the 1920s, Reuben Kulakofsky, who was playing poker at the
Blackstone Hotel in Omaha, Nebraska, ordered a sandwich with
corned beef and sauerkraut. Bernard Schimme made the sandwich by
draining the sauerkraut and mixing it with Thousand Island
dressing then layering it with corned beef and Swiss cheese on
dark rye bread. He then grilled the sandwich and served it with
it a sliced kosher dill pickle and potato chips.
A
French myth says croque monsieur was accidentally discovered in
1910 when some French workers left their lunch pails full of
cheese and ham sandwiches too close to a hot radiator. The
sandwich was originally made with ham and GruyĆØre cheese, later
evolving into other variations like the the croque madame, the
croque Provencal, the croque tartiflette, and the Monte Cristo (my
favorite).
The
grilled cheese sandwich was first widely eaten as a cheap meal
during the US Great Depression, when cheese and bread were some
of the least expensive food items.
In
1901, Julia David Chandler published the first known recipe for
a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Peanut butter is not widely
consumed in Europe and is almost never mixed with jelly. In the
US peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a staple.
Joe
Lorenza added cheese to a popular chopped steak sandwich
creating the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich during the 1940s.
The
bacon chip butty is made with handfuls of French fries and large
pieces of crispy bacon between two slices of soft buttered
bread. It was originally considered a working-class meal and was served in English pubs. Yum!
The
most likely story of the origin of the New Orleans po' boy
belongs to Clovis and Benjamin Martin, who had a restaurant on
St. Claude Avenue during the 1920s. When streetcar drivers went
on strike in 1929, the brothers created an inexpensive sandwich
consisting of gravy and bits of roast beef on French bread that
they served unemployed workers out of the back of their
restaurant. A worker would come to get one and the restaurant
employees would yell, “Here comes another poor boy.” which
eventually transferred to the name of the sandwich, po’ boy.
Wordology, Lector
The word ‘lector’ usually makes us think of
university lecturers and public speakers, but in the 1900s, a
lector was actually a form of entertainment. A factory lector
was employed to entertain workers in cigar factories by reading
out loud, usually newspapers and sometimes novels. The
profession started in Cuba, later becoming more prominent in New
York and Florida.
Life in a cigar factory was mostly manual labor, such as rolling cigars by hand, so the lectors proved to be good for the morale of workers. The employees would pool money together to help pay the lector’s salary. Lectors had a huge influence on the workers, providing an education for them through their reading. Lectors were eventually replaced by radios during the 1920’s.
Life in a cigar factory was mostly manual labor, such as rolling cigars by hand, so the lectors proved to be good for the morale of workers. The employees would pool money together to help pay the lector’s salary. Lectors had a huge influence on the workers, providing an education for them through their reading. Lectors were eventually replaced by radios during the 1920’s.
Expired Milk Dates
That date on the carton of milk could
mean very different things depending on what US state you are in.
Some states require a sell by date, which indicates the last day a
store can legally sell the milk. It is calculated to give the
consumer a reasonable amount of time to enjoy. Other states have a
use by date that indicates the date milk is believed to be at peak
flavor. For instance, milk cartons in Montana are labeled with a
sell by date 12 days after pasteurization, Washington requires a
use by date that is 21 days after pasteurization.
While the pasteurization of milk kills most of the harmful bacteria, precautions always need to be made by the consumer to keep the milk from going bad. One way to keep milk as fresh as possible is to keep it on a shelf, never in the door of your fridge, where temperature fluctuates the most.
Depending on whom you ask, the refrigerator temperature should be 34-38 °F or 38-40 °F. Warmer temperatures give bacteria more of a chance to develop.
One rule of thumb is that if you are properly refrigerating it, whole milk's expiration date is five days after the "sell-by" date. If it is non-fat, skim, or reduced fat, you will have a bit less time. Ultra pasteurized milk has a longer shelf life than other types of milk and can be left in the pantry until opened, and then it must be chilled.
While the pasteurization of milk kills most of the harmful bacteria, precautions always need to be made by the consumer to keep the milk from going bad. One way to keep milk as fresh as possible is to keep it on a shelf, never in the door of your fridge, where temperature fluctuates the most.
Depending on whom you ask, the refrigerator temperature should be 34-38 °F or 38-40 °F. Warmer temperatures give bacteria more of a chance to develop.
One rule of thumb is that if you are properly refrigerating it, whole milk's expiration date is five days after the "sell-by" date. If it is non-fat, skim, or reduced fat, you will have a bit less time. Ultra pasteurized milk has a longer shelf life than other types of milk and can be left in the pantry until opened, and then it must be chilled.
Dec 5, 2014
Meeting Minutes
Meeting minutes have nothing to do with
time, but rather small, as in minute (my-newt). Minutes in this
sense first appeared in the early 18th century, possibly directly
from the Latin “minuta scriptura”, meaning small notes.
Minutes as in 'meeting notes' references condensing something, such as information down, as in the 'my-newt' pronunciation, not as in 'seconds, minutes, hours'.
Minutes as in 'meeting notes' references condensing something, such as information down, as in the 'my-newt' pronunciation, not as in 'seconds, minutes, hours'.
Straight Teeth Talk
Though fillings do crack and decay over
time, you rarely need all of them replaced at once. Some dentists
claim that old silver fillings need to be removed for safety
reasons, because they leech mercury, but that idea is a myth.
There is enough fluoride in our drinking water and in over-the-counter toothpastes to prevent cavities in most people, so additional fluoride from a dentist is additional cost, with little benefit.
There is enough fluoride in our drinking water and in over-the-counter toothpastes to prevent cavities in most people, so additional fluoride from a dentist is additional cost, with little benefit.
Circadian Rhythms
These are physical, mental and behavioral
changes that follow an approximately 24-hour cycle, responding
primarily to light and darkness in an organism’s environment. The
study of circadian rhythms is called chronobiology.
The master clock that controls circadian rhythms consists of a group of nerve cells in the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, or SCN. The SCN contains about 20,000 nerve cells and is located in the hypothalamus, an area of the brain just above where the optic nerves from the eyes cross. SCN controls the production of melatonin, a hormone that makes us sleepy. When there is less light, like at night, the SCN tells the brain to make more melatonin so we get drowsy.
Circadian rhythms can influence sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, body temperature, and other important bodily functions. They have been linked to various sleep disorders, including insomnia. Abnormal circadian rhythms have also been associated with obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder.
Clock genes contain instructions for making clock proteins, whose levels rise and fall in a regular cyclic pattern. This pattern in turn regulates the activity of the genes.
Many of the clock genes and proteins are similar across species, allowing researchers to make important findings about human circadian processes by studying the clock components of other organisms. They have identified genes that direct circadian rhythms in people, fruit flies, mice, fungi, bread mold, plants, and several other model organisms used for studying genetics.
Jet lag occurs when travelers suffer from disrupted circadian rhythms. When you pass through different time zones, your body’s clock will be different from your wristwatch. For example, if you fly in an airplane from California to New York, you 'lose' 3 hours of time. So when you wake up at 7:00 a.m., your body still thinks it is 4:00 a.m., making you feel disoriented. Your body’s clock will eventually reset itself, but this often takes a few days. My circadian clock tells me this is a Happy Friday.
The master clock that controls circadian rhythms consists of a group of nerve cells in the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, or SCN. The SCN contains about 20,000 nerve cells and is located in the hypothalamus, an area of the brain just above where the optic nerves from the eyes cross. SCN controls the production of melatonin, a hormone that makes us sleepy. When there is less light, like at night, the SCN tells the brain to make more melatonin so we get drowsy.
Circadian rhythms can influence sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, body temperature, and other important bodily functions. They have been linked to various sleep disorders, including insomnia. Abnormal circadian rhythms have also been associated with obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder.
Clock genes contain instructions for making clock proteins, whose levels rise and fall in a regular cyclic pattern. This pattern in turn regulates the activity of the genes.
Many of the clock genes and proteins are similar across species, allowing researchers to make important findings about human circadian processes by studying the clock components of other organisms. They have identified genes that direct circadian rhythms in people, fruit flies, mice, fungi, bread mold, plants, and several other model organisms used for studying genetics.
Jet lag occurs when travelers suffer from disrupted circadian rhythms. When you pass through different time zones, your body’s clock will be different from your wristwatch. For example, if you fly in an airplane from California to New York, you 'lose' 3 hours of time. So when you wake up at 7:00 a.m., your body still thinks it is 4:00 a.m., making you feel disoriented. Your body’s clock will eventually reset itself, but this often takes a few days. My circadian clock tells me this is a Happy Friday.
Bacon’s Blood Balancing Bounty
Several university and
medical center studies have shown that including bacon as a regular,
moderate part of one’s diet, naturally works to lower the body's
blood pressure and blood sugar levels, helping to prevent and / or
alleviate the effects of diabetes, as well as heart disease, and
stroke.
What's in a Name, Budapest
Ćbuda united with Buda and Pest
in 1873. Budapest is the capital and largest city of Hungary.
Pest is the eastern, mostly flat part of Budapest, Hungary, comprising about two thirds of the city's territory. It is separated from Buda by the Danube River. In colloquial Hungarian, "Pest" is often used for the whole capital of Budapest. Harry Houdini was from Pest
Buda is the former capital of the Kingdom of Hungary and the western part Budapest. Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's complete territory and is mostly wooded and hilly. Buda Castle is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, and was first completed in 1265.
Obuda means old Buda and it is located on the western side of the city. It has a sculpture in the town square of people waiting for the rain to stop.
Pest is the eastern, mostly flat part of Budapest, Hungary, comprising about two thirds of the city's territory. It is separated from Buda by the Danube River. In colloquial Hungarian, "Pest" is often used for the whole capital of Budapest. Harry Houdini was from Pest
Buda is the former capital of the Kingdom of Hungary and the western part Budapest. Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's complete territory and is mostly wooded and hilly. Buda Castle is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, and was first completed in 1265.
Obuda means old Buda and it is located on the western side of the city. It has a sculpture in the town square of people waiting for the rain to stop.
Adware, Malware, Phishing, Spyware, Trojan Horse, Virus, and Warez
These terms show up often, especially during the
holidays when more people than ever are cruising the web for
bargains. Here are a few descriptions to help you understand the
lingo.
Adware is typically an application that shows users an excessive amount of advertising in return for providing a service of little value. There is a grey area from most anti-virus companies as to how to handle adware, because so many applications have begun to show ads.
Malware generally is an all-encompassing term used to describe any harmful program. This includes spyware, viruses, and phishing scams.
Phishing and spyware are closely related. They work by tricking users and sending user information to a third party. A phishing application or website will pretend to be from a trusted source to try and trick a person into entering personal information.
Spyware tries to hide itself from users. It is an application that reads user information and data without the user actually knowing it - and reporting it back to a third party. This includes keystroke loggers to steal passwords or credit card information.
A trojan horse is a specific type of virus. The app pretends to be something useful, or helpful, or fun while causing harm or stealing data. This term is often used to describe spyware and phishing attacks as well.
The term virus term has mostly been replaced by malware, although there is a subtle difference. Virus typically takes control of the operating system and either damages it, or uses it for its own purposes. An example might be sending emails to everyone in the email address book.
Warez typically refers to pirated or unlicensed software. The files are stolen from the real developers.
Bottom line - Adware is aggravating, but not usually harmful. Phishing and trojan horses wear masks and steal data, while spyware hides itself and steals data. Malware is the new all-encompassing term, except for Warez. Malware aggravates or steals from us while Warez steals from developers.
Adware is typically an application that shows users an excessive amount of advertising in return for providing a service of little value. There is a grey area from most anti-virus companies as to how to handle adware, because so many applications have begun to show ads.
Malware generally is an all-encompassing term used to describe any harmful program. This includes spyware, viruses, and phishing scams.
Phishing and spyware are closely related. They work by tricking users and sending user information to a third party. A phishing application or website will pretend to be from a trusted source to try and trick a person into entering personal information.
Spyware tries to hide itself from users. It is an application that reads user information and data without the user actually knowing it - and reporting it back to a third party. This includes keystroke loggers to steal passwords or credit card information.
A trojan horse is a specific type of virus. The app pretends to be something useful, or helpful, or fun while causing harm or stealing data. This term is often used to describe spyware and phishing attacks as well.
The term virus term has mostly been replaced by malware, although there is a subtle difference. Virus typically takes control of the operating system and either damages it, or uses it for its own purposes. An example might be sending emails to everyone in the email address book.
Warez typically refers to pirated or unlicensed software. The files are stolen from the real developers.
Bottom line - Adware is aggravating, but not usually harmful. Phishing and trojan horses wear masks and steal data, while spyware hides itself and steals data. Malware is the new all-encompassing term, except for Warez. Malware aggravates or steals from us while Warez steals from developers.
Subway Restaurant Facts
There are currently 42,859 Subway
restaurants in 108 countries around the world. Subway has overtaken
McDonald’s in number of locations. Subway has plans to have 50,000
restaurants around the world by 2018, which means the company will
need to open more than six restaurants a day, every day, for the
next four years. Subway has opened, on average, more than two
restaurants per day since 1965.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)