A shiver is a wood splinter from a broken mast on a ship, sometimes caused by cannon fire from another ship. As the mast shattered, splinters broke off and sometimes flew into an unfortunate sailor caught too close to the action.
Knives with no handles are shaped like those broken shards and are hence called shivs. Arrgh, that's the truth, matey.
Dec 15, 2009
Keeping Notes
If you are like me and need to write notes to yourself about some web site or other tidbit of info you don't want to lose. Try this. I write an email to myself and save it as draft. I usually have only a few emails in my draft folder, so it is easy to find. The worst thing that can happen is that you hit 'send' by mistake and it is mailed to yourself.
Winter Solstice
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice marks the first day of the season of winter. It falls on or near December 21.
The Pagan celebration of Winter Solstice (also known as Yule) is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. It is a celebration of the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, when the North Pole is at its furthest point away from the sun.
The Druids (Celtic priests) would cut the mistletoe that grew on the oak tree and give it as a blessing. Oaks were seen as sacred and the winter fruit of the mistletoe was a symbol of life in the dark winter months.
Yule logs are traditionally lit on the first day of the Solstice and are burned throughout the Solstice night for 12 hours as a symbol of hope and belief that the sun will return. The Celts thought that the sun stood still for twelve days in the middle of winter and during this time, a log was lit to conquer the darkness, banish evil spirits, and bring luck for the coming year.
The Pagan celebration of Winter Solstice (also known as Yule) is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world. It is a celebration of the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, when the North Pole is at its furthest point away from the sun.
The Druids (Celtic priests) would cut the mistletoe that grew on the oak tree and give it as a blessing. Oaks were seen as sacred and the winter fruit of the mistletoe was a symbol of life in the dark winter months.
Yule logs are traditionally lit on the first day of the Solstice and are burned throughout the Solstice night for 12 hours as a symbol of hope and belief that the sun will return. The Celts thought that the sun stood still for twelve days in the middle of winter and during this time, a log was lit to conquer the darkness, banish evil spirits, and bring luck for the coming year.
Land Ownership
The United States government has direct ownership of almost 650 million acres of land, or nearly 30% of its total territory. These federal lands are used as military bases or testing grounds, nature parks, and reserves and Indian reservations, or are leased to the private sector for commercial exploitation (e.g. forestry, mining, agriculture). (Red is Fed owned)
They are managed by different administrations, such as the Bureau of Land Management, the US Forest Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the US Department of Defense, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the US Bureau of Reclamation or the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Dec 11, 2009
Christmas Shopping
The value of retail sales by electronic shopping and mail-order houses in December 2008 was $24 Billion.
New Way to Fight Cancer
Cell>Point is a company that plans to deliver a cheaper and more effective way to detect tumors in 2010.
Doctors currently rely on positron-emission tomography (PET) scans to see tumors. But PET machines cost more than $2.5 million apiece and are usually found only in major medical centers. MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, had developed a chemical that could light up a tumor on a common SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) camera. They wanted Cell>Point's owner to help turn it into a product.
More affordable at about $800,000, SPECT cameras are found in six times as many US hospitals as PET scanners and Cell>Point's isotope uses 70% less radiation than PET isotopes and should cost about half as much, about $800 per scan.
Doctors can determine within about two weeks whether a cancer treatment was working, instead of waiting for months with PET scans. Now it is time to begin the costly FDA approval process, but don't expect that to be accomplished next year.
Doctors currently rely on positron-emission tomography (PET) scans to see tumors. But PET machines cost more than $2.5 million apiece and are usually found only in major medical centers. MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, had developed a chemical that could light up a tumor on a common SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) camera. They wanted Cell>Point's owner to help turn it into a product.
More affordable at about $800,000, SPECT cameras are found in six times as many US hospitals as PET scanners and Cell>Point's isotope uses 70% less radiation than PET isotopes and should cost about half as much, about $800 per scan.
Doctors can determine within about two weeks whether a cancer treatment was working, instead of waiting for months with PET scans. Now it is time to begin the costly FDA approval process, but don't expect that to be accomplished next year.
Christmas Post Office Offer
The following is taken directly from the Post Office web site and thought I would share.
"Camcorder. Check. Toy train. Check. Cuckoo clock. Check. No matter what’s on your holiday wish list, if it fits, it ships, with Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes, only from the U.S. Postal Service. Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes let you ship nearly any gift for a low flat rate,” said Robert F. Bernstock, president, Mailing and Shipping Services.
Four box sizes are available to fit holiday gifts:
* Small Flat Rate box, 8 5/8" x 5 3/8" x 1 5/8", shipping starts at $4.95
* Medium Flat Rate box, 11" x 8 1/2" x 5 1/2", shipping starts at $10.35
* Large Flat Rate box, 12" x 12" x 5 1/2", shipping starts at $13.95 ($10.95 when shipping to military personnel at APO/FPO addresses overseas)
* Medium Flat Rate box, 13 5/8" x 11 7/8" x 3 3/8", shipping starts at $10.35.
Prices are even lower when you pay online at usps.com. “Order Flat Rate boxes now, and we’ll deliver them to you at no charge in time to ship for the holidays,” said Bernstock. “We’ll even pick up your packages for free, saving you a trip to the Post Office.” I think they are really interested in some business this year.
Mircrosoft Maps
Microsoft is trying to get in on the Google action of taking pictures of streets, so you can actually see store fronts on the map as you move down the street. Just tried it at LINK and it has a ways to go before catching up with Google.
If you have not tried the Streetview when using the Google map, just click on the outline of a man on the view bar on the left side of the map and drag him the the street you are looking at. You will see a photograph of the buildings. Google has also done many neighborhoods and I tried my own house and the pictures are reasonable.
To try it, look up your own address on Google maps LINK
Type in your address and zoom in to your house. Then hold down the left mouse button and drag the little man to your street. It will turn the map into a photo. Click on the left or right arrows to move up and down your street.
If you have not tried the Streetview when using the Google map, just click on the outline of a man on the view bar on the left side of the map and drag him the the street you are looking at. You will see a photograph of the buildings. Google has also done many neighborhoods and I tried my own house and the pictures are reasonable.
To try it, look up your own address on Google maps LINK
Type in your address and zoom in to your house. Then hold down the left mouse button and drag the little man to your street. It will turn the map into a photo. Click on the left or right arrows to move up and down your street.
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