Thought you might enjoy some nice quotes.
At home I'm a nice guy; but I don't want the world to know. Humble people, I've found, don't get very far. (Muhammad Ali)
Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one. (Bill Gates)
I've decided to cut out the part of the speech where I say something nice about Democrats. (Ann Coulter)
Nice to be here? At my age it's nice to be anywhere. (George Burns)
Always be nice to people on the way up; because you'll meet the same people on the way down. (Wilson Mizner)
If you live long enough, lots of nice things happen. (George Halas)
Feb 15, 2010
Feb 13, 2010
Chinese New Year
Like other lunar dates, the Chinese New Year does not fall on the same date each year, although it is always in January or February. In 2010, it is February 14.
The Chinese New Year is an important celebration all over the world including Canada. There are similar New Year celebrations in Japan, Korea and Vietnam known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival.
Celebrations today are both literal and symbolic. Spring cleaning is started about a month prior to the Chinese New Year and must be completed before the celebrations begin.
The Chinese New Year is an important celebration all over the world including Canada. There are similar New Year celebrations in Japan, Korea and Vietnam known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival.
Celebrations today are both literal and symbolic. Spring cleaning is started about a month prior to the Chinese New Year and must be completed before the celebrations begin.
Pancake Day
In the United Kingdom, Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday is the day before lent. During lent one is supposed to fast, so a day of eating prior to 40 days of deprivation. Pancake day varies in line with Easter. In 2010, it is on February 16.
Pancake day is the last chance to indulge yourself, and to use up the foods that weren't allowed during Lent. Pancakes are eaten on this day because they contain fat, butter, and eggs which were forbidden during Lent. Eating meat was also forbidden.
Pancake races and tossing the pancakes are two traditions that have stayed with us. Women race with pancakes in frying-pans, tossing them as they run. This was one of many merry-making games played at this time.
Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the ritual of shriving, when the faithful confessed their sins to the local priest and received forgiveness before the Lenten season began.
As far back as 1000 AD, "to shrive" meant to hear confessions. 'Short shrift' is derived from this and means giving little attention to someone's explanations.
Today, the Shrove Tuesday pancake tradition lives on throughout Western Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia, but is most associated with the UK where it is simply known as Pancake Day with a traditional recipe.
In France, as well as in New Orleans it is known as Fat Tuesday which kicks off the Mardi Gras festival with wild celebrations just before the austere Lenten season. Mardi Gras means Grease or Fat Tuesday.
In Poland, pączki and faworki are traditionally eaten on Fat Thursday, the one before Shrove Tuesday. However, in areas of Detroit, like Hamtramck with a large Polish population, they are eaten on "Fat Tuesday" due to French influence. Shrove Tuesday itself is sometimes referred to as "śledzik" ("little herring") and it is customary to have some pickled herring with Polish vodka that day.
Pancake day is the last chance to indulge yourself, and to use up the foods that weren't allowed during Lent. Pancakes are eaten on this day because they contain fat, butter, and eggs which were forbidden during Lent. Eating meat was also forbidden.
Pancake races and tossing the pancakes are two traditions that have stayed with us. Women race with pancakes in frying-pans, tossing them as they run. This was one of many merry-making games played at this time.
Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the ritual of shriving, when the faithful confessed their sins to the local priest and received forgiveness before the Lenten season began.
As far back as 1000 AD, "to shrive" meant to hear confessions. 'Short shrift' is derived from this and means giving little attention to someone's explanations.
Today, the Shrove Tuesday pancake tradition lives on throughout Western Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia, but is most associated with the UK where it is simply known as Pancake Day with a traditional recipe.
In France, as well as in New Orleans it is known as Fat Tuesday which kicks off the Mardi Gras festival with wild celebrations just before the austere Lenten season. Mardi Gras means Grease or Fat Tuesday.
In Poland, pączki and faworki are traditionally eaten on Fat Thursday, the one before Shrove Tuesday. However, in areas of Detroit, like Hamtramck with a large Polish population, they are eaten on "Fat Tuesday" due to French influence. Shrove Tuesday itself is sometimes referred to as "śledzik" ("little herring") and it is customary to have some pickled herring with Polish vodka that day.
Scented Candles
How about this site to get some Bacon, or Pancake, or Coffee scented candles. Mmmm smells so goooood! Gives me a lardon! LINK
Feb 10, 2010
Religious Customs
Many religious customs were borne from necessity, such as Lent or no meat on Fridays for millions of Catholics. In olden times, there was a shortage of meat, so the church declared Friday as meatless days, that way the poorer populations would not be singled out for not having meat as part of the daily meals and they could offer their hardship as penance (to receive blessings).
Lent was that time of year after winter storage was running low and spring harvest was still months away. Fasting was a way to accept the hardship as an offering to please God, rather than to endure because there was little food available.
Lent was that time of year after winter storage was running low and spring harvest was still months away. Fasting was a way to accept the hardship as an offering to please God, rather than to endure because there was little food available.
Iran Banknotes
The picture shows, "Don’t believe what a government says if that government is the only entity that has the right of expression."
Since Iranians can't display opposition publicly, they are writing on the money. Their government tried to have the bills all confiscated, but there were too many of them.
What a novel idea to get the word out. Maybe we should do our own "vote non-incumbent' on our bills this year.
Since Iranians can't display opposition publicly, they are writing on the money. Their government tried to have the bills all confiscated, but there were too many of them.
What a novel idea to get the word out. Maybe we should do our own "vote non-incumbent' on our bills this year.
Pull Out all the Stops
Means to make every possible effort. The popular belief is that this phrase derives from the manner of construction of pipe organs. These instruments have stops to control the air flow through the pipes and pulling them out increases the musical volume.
Prior to the introduction of pipe organs the word 'stop' had, in a musical context, been used to mean 'note' or 'key'. That usage is recorded as early as the late 16th century. The word 'stop' later came to be used for the knobs that control the flow of air in pipe organs, by pushing them in or pulling them out.
Prior to the introduction of pipe organs the word 'stop' had, in a musical context, been used to mean 'note' or 'key'. That usage is recorded as early as the late 16th century. The word 'stop' later came to be used for the knobs that control the flow of air in pipe organs, by pushing them in or pulling them out.
Healthy Patch
Japanese venture firm WIN Human Recorder Ltd is set to bring a health monitor patch to market that is capable of keeping tabs on all your vitals. The HRS-I is a small (30mm x 30mm x 5mm) lightweight (7g) device that adheres to your chest and relays the data it collects to a computer or mobile phone via wireless connection.
While the HRS-I only directly monitors electrocardiograph information, body surface temperature, and movement (via accelerometers), it can connect to sensors for heart rate, brain waves, respiration and many other important health indicators.
WIN is selling the HRS-I for around $330 and providing monitoring software for around $110. It moves from clinical trial to market in the next year or so.
While the HRS-I only directly monitors electrocardiograph information, body surface temperature, and movement (via accelerometers), it can connect to sensors for heart rate, brain waves, respiration and many other important health indicators.
WIN is selling the HRS-I for around $330 and providing monitoring software for around $110. It moves from clinical trial to market in the next year or so.
Overweight is Good For You
Moderately overweight elderly people may live longer than those of normal weight, an Australian study suggests, but being very overweight or being underweight shortened lives.
The study of 9,200 over-70s found that regardless of weight, sedentary lifestyles shortened lives, particularly for women. The report, published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, said dieting may not be beneficial in this age group.
The team tracked the number of deaths over 10 years among volunteers who were aged 70 - 75 at the start of the study. It found that those with a BMI which classed them as overweight not only had the lowest overall risk of dying, they also had the lowest risk of dying from specific diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and chronic respiratory disease.
Overall death rate among the obese group was similar to that among those of normal weight, but those who were very obese had a greater risk of dying during the 10 year period.
The conclusion of this study is that being overweight may be less harmful for elderly people and it corroborates the findings of previous research.
However, sedentary lifestyles shortened lives across all weight groups, doubling the risk of mortality for women over the period studied, and increasing it by 25% for men. I think I need to go fix a bacon, bacon, bacon and cheese sandwich with potato chips on the side.
The study of 9,200 over-70s found that regardless of weight, sedentary lifestyles shortened lives, particularly for women. The report, published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, said dieting may not be beneficial in this age group.
The team tracked the number of deaths over 10 years among volunteers who were aged 70 - 75 at the start of the study. It found that those with a BMI which classed them as overweight not only had the lowest overall risk of dying, they also had the lowest risk of dying from specific diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and chronic respiratory disease.
Overall death rate among the obese group was similar to that among those of normal weight, but those who were very obese had a greater risk of dying during the 10 year period.
The conclusion of this study is that being overweight may be less harmful for elderly people and it corroborates the findings of previous research.
However, sedentary lifestyles shortened lives across all weight groups, doubling the risk of mortality for women over the period studied, and increasing it by 25% for men. I think I need to go fix a bacon, bacon, bacon and cheese sandwich with potato chips on the side.
Health and Wealth
Whether you think health or wealth is more important depends upon which one you have lost.
Popeye's Chicken
Did you know the name came from Popeye Doyle, from The French Connection, not Popeye the Sailor Man. Now you do.
Google Buzz
This week Google announced Buzz. It is the Google answer to Facebook and it is incorporated right in Gmail. If you have a Gmail (free) email address check it out by clicking on Buzz on the left side of the page. Very easy to add comments, pics, videos, etc. Easier than Facebook. I'm buzzed about this.
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