The show features clips from a movie
starring McBain, a movie star in the same vein as Schwarzenegger and
Stallone. These clips are dispersed among many episodes, but if you
put the clips together, you can actually form a full coherent story.
Many characters are named after streets in Portland, Oregon.
As soon as Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, was given a
drawing of the characters in yellow by an animator, he knew it was
perfect. The idea was that whenever someone was flipping through the
channels, they would automatically know The Simpsons was on when
they saw the yellow bodies flash by.
All, except one of the characters are a one finger short of a human
hand. The only character to have five fingers on a hand is God.
Oct 18, 2013
Blood Pressure
The first known experiment to measure the
exact pressure of blood was performed by Stephen Hales on December
1, 1733. He took a live horse, attached a tube to her left crural
artery, then allowed her blood to rush through the tube and it rose
to a height of 8’3”.
He noted that “when it was at its full height, it would rise and fall at and after each pulse 2, 3,or 4 inches”. The horse bled out, but he performed the experiment on a horse that was about to be put down.
He noted that “when it was at its full height, it would rise and fall at and after each pulse 2, 3,or 4 inches”. The horse bled out, but he performed the experiment on a horse that was about to be put down.
Quotes from '1984'
George Orwell penned these prescient
sobering quotes in his book, released in 1948.
“He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.”
“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever.”
“Big Brother is Watching You.”
“Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.”
“Until they became conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious.”
“The choice for mankind lies between freedom and happiness and for the great bulk of mankind, happiness is better.”
“The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power, pure power.”
“Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.”
“Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship.”
“He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.”
“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever.”
“Big Brother is Watching You.”
“Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.”
“Until they became conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious.”
“The choice for mankind lies between freedom and happiness and for the great bulk of mankind, happiness is better.”
“The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power, pure power.”
“Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.”
“Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship.”
What's in a Name
PAM Cooking Spray is an acronym for
Product of Arthur Meyerhoff.
NECCO, as in Necco wafers is an acronym for New England Confectionery Company.
NECCO, as in Necco wafers is an acronym for New England Confectionery Company.
Street Signs
Real estate and subdivision developers have
the privilege of naming new streets in the United States. The name
is submitted to the city for review. Police, fire, and the post
office, are given the opportunity to veto the name if they feel it
creates any confusion.
The building, engineering and public works departments all comment, but the departments that have the most input and veto power are police and fire. The reason is that the street names are unique and intelligible enough for them to distinguish and find a street and property in an emergency.
Most cities have guidelines and standards for certain areas that require street names to be of a specific theme. This is why you see a large quantity of streets named after trees in one particular section of a city, or all 50 states represented in street names in Washington D.C.
If you happen to be a developer and want to name a street after yourself, you would have better luck in a newly developing suburb than you would in an established city.
The names of trees and numbers make up the greatest number of street names in the country
The building, engineering and public works departments all comment, but the departments that have the most input and veto power are police and fire. The reason is that the street names are unique and intelligible enough for them to distinguish and find a street and property in an emergency.
Most cities have guidelines and standards for certain areas that require street names to be of a specific theme. This is why you see a large quantity of streets named after trees in one particular section of a city, or all 50 states represented in street names in Washington D.C.
If you happen to be a developer and want to name a street after yourself, you would have better luck in a newly developing suburb than you would in an established city.
The names of trees and numbers make up the greatest number of street names in the country
Health Insurance Statistics
The Census Bureau survey report
on health insurance said there were about 311,116,000 people in the
United States in 2012. Of these, 263,165,000 had some kind of health
insurance coverage and 47,951,000 did not. Of the 263,165,000 who
had health insurance coverage, 101,493,000 million obtained it from
the government. That means almost 33% of Americans get health care
from the government.
According to the survey, there were approximately 114,809,000 people who usually worked full-time in the United States in 2012. Percent of all people working in 2012 was less than in many decades past.
According to the survey, there were approximately 114,809,000 people who usually worked full-time in the United States in 2012. Percent of all people working in 2012 was less than in many decades past.
Food for Thought
Oranges and bananas are berries, but
strawberries are not technically berries, they are aggregate fruits.
Inventions by Women
Josephine Cochrane invented the
dishwasher. She was angry that hired domestic help continually broke
and chipped her fine china. Cochrane's dishwasher used high water
pressure aimed at a wire rack of dishes, she received a patent for
it in 1886. During this era, most houses didn't have the technology
of a hot water system to run such a machine, but Cochrane persisted
and sold her idea to hotels and restaurants. Eventually dishwashers
moved into households as more and more women entered the workplace.
Admiral Dr. Grace Murray Hopper was stationed at Harvard after WWII, where she worked on the development of the IBM-Harvard Mark 1, the first large-scale computer in the U.S. Dr. Hopper invented the compiler, which translates written language into computer code. She coined the term "bug" for a computer problem, and co-developed COBOL, the first user-friendly business computer software program. As a woman inventor, she won numerous awards, including the National Medal of Technology in 1991. Dr. Hopper had received honorary degrees from 30 universities.
Mary Anderson noticed a problem with cars of her time and in 1903 she invented windshield wipers. It was the ingenious squeegee on a spindle attached to a handle inside the car. To clear the windshield, the driver would pull down on a handle. Ten years after she patented the device, another woman, Charlotte Bridgwood first patented the automatic windshield wiper in 1917, called the 'Storm Windshield Cleaner'. The reason we call it a windshield is because that is what it actually does, shields us from wind.
Admiral Dr. Grace Murray Hopper was stationed at Harvard after WWII, where she worked on the development of the IBM-Harvard Mark 1, the first large-scale computer in the U.S. Dr. Hopper invented the compiler, which translates written language into computer code. She coined the term "bug" for a computer problem, and co-developed COBOL, the first user-friendly business computer software program. As a woman inventor, she won numerous awards, including the National Medal of Technology in 1991. Dr. Hopper had received honorary degrees from 30 universities.
Mary Anderson noticed a problem with cars of her time and in 1903 she invented windshield wipers. It was the ingenious squeegee on a spindle attached to a handle inside the car. To clear the windshield, the driver would pull down on a handle. Ten years after she patented the device, another woman, Charlotte Bridgwood first patented the automatic windshield wiper in 1917, called the 'Storm Windshield Cleaner'. The reason we call it a windshield is because that is what it actually does, shields us from wind.
Oct 11, 2013
Happy Friday
A wise man hears one word and understands two.
I hear Friday and understand it will be a Happy Friday!
I hear Friday and understand it will be a Happy Friday!
International Day for Failure
October 13th is International
Day for Failure. A new holiday intended for people to share stories
of failure and learn from them. The goal of the people organizing
the event is to have it be an internationally-recognized holiday by
2020.
The holiday was created in Finland in 2010. In 2012 it has expanded to over 17 different countries, their goal is for it to be accepted worldwide by 2020. In 2011, their campaign got over 30 public figures in Finland to talk about their failures. They managed to reach 1/4 of the population with their media coverage. LINK It will be interesting to see if their failure campaign will be a success.
The holiday was created in Finland in 2010. In 2012 it has expanded to over 17 different countries, their goal is for it to be accepted worldwide by 2020. In 2011, their campaign got over 30 public figures in Finland to talk about their failures. They managed to reach 1/4 of the population with their media coverage. LINK It will be interesting to see if their failure campaign will be a success.
Free Mug Shots
There are over a hundred web sites that
publish mug shots and request payment to take them off. These are
legal, but can be very bad for someones reputation and job
prospects. The sites get away with their actions because the United
States Supreme Court has ruled that mug shots are public records and
many law enforcement agencies regularly publish them online. Mug
shots are taken at time of booking and many people are exonerated or
have their charges dropped.
Mug shots have been online for years, but now there are many more sites. They get most of their images from sheriffs’ and other law enforcement web sites. Some sites offer a courtesy removal for people who have been exonerated or never charged, to get their image removed for free. Others charge hundreds of dollars for removal. Unfortunate for the people who land on many sites. It could cost them thousands to have their mug shots removed.
Lately PayPal and some credit card companies have been dropping known mug shot sites as customers, making it more difficult for them to get paid. This is good for their corporate consciences, but makes it even more difficult to get mug shots removed from the web.
Mug shots have been online for years, but now there are many more sites. They get most of their images from sheriffs’ and other law enforcement web sites. Some sites offer a courtesy removal for people who have been exonerated or never charged, to get their image removed for free. Others charge hundreds of dollars for removal. Unfortunate for the people who land on many sites. It could cost them thousands to have their mug shots removed.
Lately PayPal and some credit card companies have been dropping known mug shot sites as customers, making it more difficult for them to get paid. This is good for their corporate consciences, but makes it even more difficult to get mug shots removed from the web.
Vitamin C Myth Lingers
As we approach the cold and flu
season, I thought it might be interesting to follow up on the
persistent vitamin C myth of using it as a prevention and cure for
the common cold. Some people have also claimed it to be a cure for
cancer.
Hundreds of studies have now concluded that vitamin C does not treat the common cold. The results of many studies of various types, involving hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have all arrived at the same conclusion - vitamin C has no effect to prevent or cure colds or cancer.
The FDA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Dietetic Association, the Center for Human Nutrition at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the Department of Health and Human Services do not recommend supplemental vitamin C for the prevention or treatment of colds. Vitamin C does have other benefits and the studies did not say vitamin C is bad for you, it just does not provide the cancer and common cold remedies claimed.
Hundreds of studies have now concluded that vitamin C does not treat the common cold. The results of many studies of various types, involving hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have all arrived at the same conclusion - vitamin C has no effect to prevent or cure colds or cancer.
The FDA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Dietetic Association, the Center for Human Nutrition at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the Department of Health and Human Services do not recommend supplemental vitamin C for the prevention or treatment of colds. Vitamin C does have other benefits and the studies did not say vitamin C is bad for you, it just does not provide the cancer and common cold remedies claimed.
New Toothbrush
It looks almost like a set of dentures and has 400 bristles in a mold of a person's mouth. By biting down on the mouthpiece and grinding on it, the 45-degree angled bristles are supposed to clean your teeth in six seconds.
There are also inter-dental bristles that get between teeth. The Blizzident comes with slits where dental floss can be inserted to clean between teeth and the handle has a container for the dental floss. In the middle there is also a tongue scraper and brush so you clean your tongue at the same time.
The toothbrush is tailored to a person's mouth through either a dental impression or a dental scan performed by a dentist. The 3D scan can be uploaded to Blizzident's site, where it is used to make the toothbrush with a 3D printer. The first Blizzident brush costs $299 and recommended annual replacement brushes sell for $159. The company also offers to refurbish a brush by replacing the bristles for $89. Here is a LINK to the site. Wow, personally tailored low tech and high tech in one package.
Potato Facts
China grows the most potatoes of any nation on
earth, followed by Russia, India, and US in fourth place. China
consumes almost half of all potatoes produced and the Europeans, per
capita consume the most potatoes annually. Potatoes rank as the
world's fourth most important food crop, after corn, wheat, and
rice.
A fresh potato contains about 80 percent water and 20 percent dry matter. About 60 to 80 percent of the dry matter is starch. On a dry weight basis, the protein content of potato is similar to that of cereals and is very high in comparison with other roots and tubers. In addition, the potato is low in fat. Potatoes are rich in several micronutrients, especially vitamin C, if eaten with its skin. A single medium sized potato provides nearly half the daily adult requirement. The potato is a moderate source of iron, and its high vitamin C content promotes iron absorption. It is a good source of vitamins B1, B3 and B6 and minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium, and contains folate, pantothenic acid and riboflavin. Potatoes also contain dietary antioxidants and dietary fiber.
Boiling potatoes in their skins prevents loss of nutrients. Baking causes slightly higher losses of vitamin C than boiling due to the higher oven temperatures, but losses of other vitamins and minerals during baking are lower.
More than 5 000 native varieties are still grown in the Andes. While the Incas called it papa (as do modern-day Latin Americans), Spaniards called the potato patata, apparently confusing it with another New World crop, the sweet potato, known as batata. In 1797, the English herbalist Gerard referred to the sweet potato as "common potato", and for many years S. tuberosum was known as the "Virginia potato" or "Irish potato" before finally displacing batata as the potato.
A fresh potato contains about 80 percent water and 20 percent dry matter. About 60 to 80 percent of the dry matter is starch. On a dry weight basis, the protein content of potato is similar to that of cereals and is very high in comparison with other roots and tubers. In addition, the potato is low in fat. Potatoes are rich in several micronutrients, especially vitamin C, if eaten with its skin. A single medium sized potato provides nearly half the daily adult requirement. The potato is a moderate source of iron, and its high vitamin C content promotes iron absorption. It is a good source of vitamins B1, B3 and B6 and minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium, and contains folate, pantothenic acid and riboflavin. Potatoes also contain dietary antioxidants and dietary fiber.
Boiling potatoes in their skins prevents loss of nutrients. Baking causes slightly higher losses of vitamin C than boiling due to the higher oven temperatures, but losses of other vitamins and minerals during baking are lower.
More than 5 000 native varieties are still grown in the Andes. While the Incas called it papa (as do modern-day Latin Americans), Spaniards called the potato patata, apparently confusing it with another New World crop, the sweet potato, known as batata. In 1797, the English herbalist Gerard referred to the sweet potato as "common potato", and for many years S. tuberosum was known as the "Virginia potato" or "Irish potato" before finally displacing batata as the potato.
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