Jun 27, 2014
What's in a Name, Salisbury Steak
This dish was created by and named after
James Salisbury in 1886 as a treatment for many afflictions such as
gout, bronchitis, and tuberculosis. He believed that well-done
ground beef should be eaten three times a day and a glass of hot
water be taken before and after each meal.
J.K. Rowling
In 2004, she became the first person to become
a billionaire by writing books. I plan to be the second, as long
as I can hang in there for about 542 more years.
Color Me Purple
Purpura is the Latin
name of a particular kind of shellfish which, when ground up,
produces a bright purple dye, which in turn was taken from the
Greek word porphura to describe the same sea creature. The word
purpura later began to refer to the dye, and eventually the color
of this dye. This dye was very expensive, and purple was
considered a color of royalty throughout Europe. When this dye was
exported to England, the word purple was imported into English as
well. Today "purpura" is used by doctors to describe purplish
discolorations of the skin.
The Egyptian queen Cleopatra loved purple. To obtain one ounce of Tyrian purple dye, she had her servants soak 20,000 Purpura snails for 10 days.
In Thailand, purple is worn by a widow mourning her husband's death.
A “purple heart” is a U.S. military decoration for soldiers wounded or killed in battle.
Purple is a royal color.
Purple robes are an emblem of authority and rank.
“Purple speech” is profane talk.
“Purple prose” is writing that is full of exaggerated literary effects and ornamentation.
Leonardo da Vinci believed that the power of meditation increases 10 times when done in a purple light, as in the purple light of stained glass.
Purple in a child's room is said to help develop the imagination, according to color theory.
Richard Wagner composed his operas in a room with shades of violet, his color of inspiration.
The Egyptian queen Cleopatra loved purple. To obtain one ounce of Tyrian purple dye, she had her servants soak 20,000 Purpura snails for 10 days.
In Thailand, purple is worn by a widow mourning her husband's death.
A “purple heart” is a U.S. military decoration for soldiers wounded or killed in battle.
Purple is a royal color.
Purple robes are an emblem of authority and rank.
“Purple speech” is profane talk.
“Purple prose” is writing that is full of exaggerated literary effects and ornamentation.
Leonardo da Vinci believed that the power of meditation increases 10 times when done in a purple light, as in the purple light of stained glass.
Purple in a child's room is said to help develop the imagination, according to color theory.
Richard Wagner composed his operas in a room with shades of violet, his color of inspiration.
Ten Crazy US Driving Laws
In Alaska it is illegal to tie a
dog to the roof of your car.
In San Francisco it is illegal to dry your car with used underwear.
In Florida, if an elephant is tied to a parking meter, the attendant must deposit money in the meter.
In Nevada it is illegal to ride a camel on the highway.
In Alabama it is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while operating a vehicle.
In Illinois it is illegal to change clothes inside a car, except during a fire.
In Montana it is illegal to leave a sheep unescorted in a truck.
In Georgia it is illegal to drive through playgrounds.
In Oklahoma it is illegal to read a comic book while driving.
In Massachusetts it is illegal to drive with a gorilla in the back seat of your car.
In San Francisco it is illegal to dry your car with used underwear.
In Florida, if an elephant is tied to a parking meter, the attendant must deposit money in the meter.
In Nevada it is illegal to ride a camel on the highway.
In Alabama it is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while operating a vehicle.
In Illinois it is illegal to change clothes inside a car, except during a fire.
In Montana it is illegal to leave a sheep unescorted in a truck.
In Georgia it is illegal to drive through playgrounds.
In Oklahoma it is illegal to read a comic book while driving.
In Massachusetts it is illegal to drive with a gorilla in the back seat of your car.
Sweet Potato vs. White Potato Myth Debunked
The
differences are much less than some experts would have us believe.
These two tubers are very similar. The myth seems to stem from the
fact that people tend to eat sweet potatoes baked or boiled, not
fried, but more than a third of all white potatoes are consumed as
either chips or French fries, so the sweet potato would appear to be
less fattening by cooking style, not nutritional fact.
In a 100-gram portion, the white potato has 92 calories, 21 grams of carbs, 2.3 grams of fiber, 2.3 g of protein and 17% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C. White potatoes are higher in essential minerals, such as iron, magnesium, and potassium.
The same amount of sweet potato has 90 calories, 21 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, 35% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C and 380% of the daily recommended value of vitamin A.
Another difference is that sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index than regular potatoes. The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly blood glucose levels rise after eating. Foods that have a low glycemic index do not cause a quick spike in blood sugar. As a result, people do not experience the same sugar highs and lows, which can lead to hunger and the consumption of extra calories. In other words, foods with lower glycemic indexes, like sweet potatoes and brown rice, make you feel full longer. However, baked white potatoes typically are eaten with cheese, sour cream, or butter. These toppings all contain fat, which also lowers the glycemic index of a meal.
Bottom line, the form in which you consume a potato, such as baked vs. fries is a more important difference than the type of potato. Yams and sweet potatoes are not the same, but they are cousins and come from a different plant family.
In a 100-gram portion, the white potato has 92 calories, 21 grams of carbs, 2.3 grams of fiber, 2.3 g of protein and 17% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C. White potatoes are higher in essential minerals, such as iron, magnesium, and potassium.
The same amount of sweet potato has 90 calories, 21 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, 35% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C and 380% of the daily recommended value of vitamin A.
Another difference is that sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index than regular potatoes. The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly blood glucose levels rise after eating. Foods that have a low glycemic index do not cause a quick spike in blood sugar. As a result, people do not experience the same sugar highs and lows, which can lead to hunger and the consumption of extra calories. In other words, foods with lower glycemic indexes, like sweet potatoes and brown rice, make you feel full longer. However, baked white potatoes typically are eaten with cheese, sour cream, or butter. These toppings all contain fat, which also lowers the glycemic index of a meal.
Bottom line, the form in which you consume a potato, such as baked vs. fries is a more important difference than the type of potato. Yams and sweet potatoes are not the same, but they are cousins and come from a different plant family.
Jun 20, 2014
Happy Friday
You can't be a liver of life to the fullest if your liver won't let
you.
I live my life to the fullest every time I enjoy a Happy Friday!
I live my life to the fullest every time I enjoy a Happy Friday!
Happy Summer 2014
Tomorrow June, 21, 2014 marks the beginning of summer
in the US and is also the longest day of the year.
Socks and Puppets
Socks have been around as a form of
footwear for thousands of years. They initially started as matted
animal hair shaped to fit inside a shoe or around the foot and
ankle. The ancient Greeks were known to have used this technique as
far back as 750 BC. The Romans innovated with thick fabrics that
were wrapped around the legs to form a shaped sock.
Knitting was invented in Egypt during the 12th century AD by nomadic sheep herders who would create fabric through the simple use of knotting wool yarn using straight twigs. The technique had advantages over traditional weaving and allowed any shepherd and his wife to produce a more valuable product instead of just selling their wool. The practice quickly spread from Egypt throughout the Middle East and into Europe. Muslim knitters in Spain started developing a variety of knitting stitches that allowed them to create shaped fabrics, the sock being one of the first knitted items of clothing to be produced.
In 1589, William Lee of Calverton in England invented the first knitting machine which overnight transformed knitted garments into something almost everyone could afford. Knitting is credited with transforming the textile industry and became the precursor to the industrial age.
In China and Japan during the first millennium BC puppets were being intricately carved from wood. Puppets were being used in India by the 11th century as devices to give morality stories a visual impact that words couldn't convey. Puppets have been used to represent good, evil, jealousy, and greed without running the risk of identifying individuals who might exact revenge against the storyteller. In ancient India puppets were constructed from carved sticks, and were often elaborately decorated. Sock puppets were likely invented when knitted socks became more widely in use.
As the puritan movement in England gained momentum, traditional puppetry was banned along with all other forms of theater. During these years in England and France, radicals would organize secret theater shows and used puppets, as they were easier to transport and conceal than sets, costumes, and large bands of actors. Socks and very basic stages made of suspended fabric hung behind a table became a popular way of getting around the ban. It was about this time that the puppet character Punch was created.
After the return of the monarchy and the end of puritan times Punch and Judy, puppets became more commonly associated with glove or hand puppets. Children used discarded socks that could be decorated to mimic a hand puppet.
Recently the term sock puppet is also used to describe a fictitious identity used online to promote a particular point of view or defend a person who is seen as controversial.
Knitting was invented in Egypt during the 12th century AD by nomadic sheep herders who would create fabric through the simple use of knotting wool yarn using straight twigs. The technique had advantages over traditional weaving and allowed any shepherd and his wife to produce a more valuable product instead of just selling their wool. The practice quickly spread from Egypt throughout the Middle East and into Europe. Muslim knitters in Spain started developing a variety of knitting stitches that allowed them to create shaped fabrics, the sock being one of the first knitted items of clothing to be produced.
In 1589, William Lee of Calverton in England invented the first knitting machine which overnight transformed knitted garments into something almost everyone could afford. Knitting is credited with transforming the textile industry and became the precursor to the industrial age.
In China and Japan during the first millennium BC puppets were being intricately carved from wood. Puppets were being used in India by the 11th century as devices to give morality stories a visual impact that words couldn't convey. Puppets have been used to represent good, evil, jealousy, and greed without running the risk of identifying individuals who might exact revenge against the storyteller. In ancient India puppets were constructed from carved sticks, and were often elaborately decorated. Sock puppets were likely invented when knitted socks became more widely in use.
As the puritan movement in England gained momentum, traditional puppetry was banned along with all other forms of theater. During these years in England and France, radicals would organize secret theater shows and used puppets, as they were easier to transport and conceal than sets, costumes, and large bands of actors. Socks and very basic stages made of suspended fabric hung behind a table became a popular way of getting around the ban. It was about this time that the puppet character Punch was created.
After the return of the monarchy and the end of puritan times Punch and Judy, puppets became more commonly associated with glove or hand puppets. Children used discarded socks that could be decorated to mimic a hand puppet.
Recently the term sock puppet is also used to describe a fictitious identity used online to promote a particular point of view or defend a person who is seen as controversial.
Embalming Facts
This was something of a surprise to
me. No state requires routine embalming and some do not require it
at all. It is also not required for cremation if performed
immediately. Some states require embalming for remains that are to
be shipped out of state. Embalming provides no public health
benefit, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and
Canadian health authorities. Hawaii and Ontario forbid embalming if
the person died of certain contagious diseases.
Modern embalming consists primarily of washing with a germicide-insecticide-olfactant. removing all blood and gases from the body and the insertion of a disinfecting fluid. Funeral home effluent is not regulated, and waste is flushed into the common sewer system or septic tank. Embalming does not preserve the body for any great length of time. It also serves no useful purpose in preventing the transmission of communicable disease. Refrigeration is just as effective as embalming for short periods of time, such as for viewing.
The US Federal Trade Commission says, "Except in certain special cases, embalming is not required by law. Embalming may be necessary, however, if you select certain funeral arrangements, such as a funeral with viewing. If you do not want embalming, you usually have the right to choose an arrangement that does not require you to pay for it, such as direct cremation or immediate burial." Refrigeration is an alternative to maintain a body while awaiting a funeral service or when there is a delay in making arrangements.
Charges for embalming, dressing, and cosmetology can be covered under one charge and can vary from $500 to $1500, or more. Sheltering and refrigeration of a body for up to 3 days can vary from no charge to a few hundred dollars.
Modern embalming consists primarily of washing with a germicide-insecticide-olfactant. removing all blood and gases from the body and the insertion of a disinfecting fluid. Funeral home effluent is not regulated, and waste is flushed into the common sewer system or septic tank. Embalming does not preserve the body for any great length of time. It also serves no useful purpose in preventing the transmission of communicable disease. Refrigeration is just as effective as embalming for short periods of time, such as for viewing.
The US Federal Trade Commission says, "Except in certain special cases, embalming is not required by law. Embalming may be necessary, however, if you select certain funeral arrangements, such as a funeral with viewing. If you do not want embalming, you usually have the right to choose an arrangement that does not require you to pay for it, such as direct cremation or immediate burial." Refrigeration is an alternative to maintain a body while awaiting a funeral service or when there is a delay in making arrangements.
Charges for embalming, dressing, and cosmetology can be covered under one charge and can vary from $500 to $1500, or more. Sheltering and refrigeration of a body for up to 3 days can vary from no charge to a few hundred dollars.
Beware Hot Spots
Comcast is doing something different,
adding your router output as free WiFi to others passing by. It is
also an opt-out solution, which means it is enabled by default and
you need to turn it off. It also does not pay you for this use by
others.
Comcast is quietly turning on public hotspots in its customers’ routers and turning private homes into public hotspots. Other Comcast customers get free Wi-Fi wherever there is a Comcast box and the company gets to build out a private network to compete with telecoms, but using your resources.
Fifty thousand users with basic modems that Comcast cable provides have already been turned into public hotspots in Houston, and there are plans to enable 150,000 more.
It is using your private residence as a corporate resource and using your electricity, your Internet connection, and potentially opening up your private browsing to hackers. Comcast says these two streams are independent, but that has never stopped hackers. There is also nothing to stop someone from downloading illicit material, software, and other junk from your hotspot, implicating you if caught. Remember, if there is a line out, that means there is also a line in. Caveat Emptor Comcast users.
Comcast is quietly turning on public hotspots in its customers’ routers and turning private homes into public hotspots. Other Comcast customers get free Wi-Fi wherever there is a Comcast box and the company gets to build out a private network to compete with telecoms, but using your resources.
Fifty thousand users with basic modems that Comcast cable provides have already been turned into public hotspots in Houston, and there are plans to enable 150,000 more.
It is using your private residence as a corporate resource and using your electricity, your Internet connection, and potentially opening up your private browsing to hackers. Comcast says these two streams are independent, but that has never stopped hackers. There is also nothing to stop someone from downloading illicit material, software, and other junk from your hotspot, implicating you if caught. Remember, if there is a line out, that means there is also a line in. Caveat Emptor Comcast users.
Five Food Hacks
To cook potatoes evenly, drop in cool
water, not hot. Hot water will make the outsides mushy and not cook
the insides evenly. Allowing to water to warm up with the potatoes
cooks the outside and inside evenly. Potatoes are more dense than
veggies.
Heat the pan before cooking veggies. Preheating the pan and using a bit of olive oil keeps the veggies from sticking and helps them evenly brown without making them mushy.
Meat should never be tossed into a cold pan, in the oven or on the stovetop.
Slicing onions vertically is to slice along with the fibers of the onion. When you slice with the fibers, the onion pieces hold up a bit better as they cook. If you do not want them to retain the shape, cut along the side like circles or dice them and they will be more mushy.
Cakes should be light and airy and one way to help is to alternately mix in dry and wet ingredients. It is bubbles, unpopped and whole, that give an open crumb in cakes. When you are beating sugar into softened butter or when you are beating eggs into a froth, you are making bubbles. Adding dry ingredients keeps the bubbles from popping and makes for a light, airy cake. Dump and stir is better for more dense things, like brownies.
Heat the pan before cooking veggies. Preheating the pan and using a bit of olive oil keeps the veggies from sticking and helps them evenly brown without making them mushy.
Meat should never be tossed into a cold pan, in the oven or on the stovetop.
Slicing onions vertically is to slice along with the fibers of the onion. When you slice with the fibers, the onion pieces hold up a bit better as they cook. If you do not want them to retain the shape, cut along the side like circles or dice them and they will be more mushy.
Cakes should be light and airy and one way to help is to alternately mix in dry and wet ingredients. It is bubbles, unpopped and whole, that give an open crumb in cakes. When you are beating sugar into softened butter or when you are beating eggs into a froth, you are making bubbles. Adding dry ingredients keeps the bubbles from popping and makes for a light, airy cake. Dump and stir is better for more dense things, like brownies.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)