Research from Echnische Universität in Munich Germany shows a 2009 study. Scientists there used fMRI (functional MRI) imaging to measure brain activity in regions of emotional processing in the brain before and after injecting Botox to suppress smiling muscles. The findings showed that facial feedback (such as imitating a smile) actually modifies the neural processing of emotional content in the brain, and concluded that our brain’s circuitry of emotion and happiness is activated when we smile.
Smiling stimulates our brain’s reward mechanisms in a way that even chocolate, a pleasure inducer, cannot match. In a study conducted in the UK (using an electromagnetic brain scan machine and heart-rate monitor to create “mood-boosting values” for various stimuli), British researchers found that one smile can provide the same level of brain stimulation as up to 2,000 chocolate bars; they also found that smiling can be as stimulating as receiving up to 16,000 Pounds in cash.
And unlike lots of chocolate, lots of smiling can actually make you healthier. Smiling has documented therapeutic effects, and has been associated with: reduced stress hormone levels (like cortisol, adrenaline, and dopamine), increased health and mood enhancing hormone levels (like endorphins), and lowered blood pressure.
Humans intrinsically know that smiling is powerful. This simple act goes a long way toward improving your mood and the mood of those around you, reducing stress, and spreading happiness in a way that is contagious.
Smile whenever you want to look great and competent, improve your marriage, or reduce your stress.
A smile is the least expensive, most thoughtful, and personal gift you can give.
Only the emotionally destitute are too poor to share a smile.
May 15, 2015
Black, Green, White, OOlong Teas
Both black and
green tea is harvested from an evergreen, tree-like shrub known as
camellia sinensis. Most likely originating in China, the camellia
sinensis is thought to have first been used to brew a medicinal
drink during the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC to 1046 BC). By the third
century BC, it had become a relatively popular drink using only the
leaves from this plant, rather than mixed with other things as was
common when used medicinally.
Leaves that are going to be used for black tea are allowed to ferment, or oxidize, completely. The general process is to roll, tear, or crush the leaves to help the oxidation process (similar to why the inside of an apple turns brown when exposed to air). The leaves are then dried out, sometimes in the sun or using machines. As the leaves oxidize, they gradually turn from green to black.
Manufacturers create green tea by picking the leaves off the plant and then heating them immediately. This is commonly done by pan firing the leaves or steaming them. Heat stops the leaves from oxidizing and allows them to maintain their green color.
Oolong tea is initially generally processed in the same way as black tea, but is not allowed to oxidize for as long. Once the desired oxidation level has been reached, which varies by type and manufacturer (some oolong tea is closer to green tea, while others are closer to black), the leaves are fired similar to green tea to stop the oxidation process at that point.
White tea is made by picking the leaves and buds early in the year while the bud is still closed. The leaves may be placed out to dry in the sun or mechanically, and minimizing oxidation.
Highest tea consumption per person per year, as of 2014:
1 Turkey 6.87 kg (242 oz)
2 Morocco 4.34 kg (153 oz)
3 Ireland 3.22 kg (114 oz)
4 Mauritania (Africa) 3.22 kg (114 oz)
5 United Kingdom 2.74 kg (97 oz).
A cup of tea is generally six ounces.
Leaves that are going to be used for black tea are allowed to ferment, or oxidize, completely. The general process is to roll, tear, or crush the leaves to help the oxidation process (similar to why the inside of an apple turns brown when exposed to air). The leaves are then dried out, sometimes in the sun or using machines. As the leaves oxidize, they gradually turn from green to black.
Manufacturers create green tea by picking the leaves off the plant and then heating them immediately. This is commonly done by pan firing the leaves or steaming them. Heat stops the leaves from oxidizing and allows them to maintain their green color.
Oolong tea is initially generally processed in the same way as black tea, but is not allowed to oxidize for as long. Once the desired oxidation level has been reached, which varies by type and manufacturer (some oolong tea is closer to green tea, while others are closer to black), the leaves are fired similar to green tea to stop the oxidation process at that point.
White tea is made by picking the leaves and buds early in the year while the bud is still closed. The leaves may be placed out to dry in the sun or mechanically, and minimizing oxidation.
Highest tea consumption per person per year, as of 2014:
1 Turkey 6.87 kg (242 oz)
2 Morocco 4.34 kg (153 oz)
3 Ireland 3.22 kg (114 oz)
4 Mauritania (Africa) 3.22 kg (114 oz)
5 United Kingdom 2.74 kg (97 oz).
A cup of tea is generally six ounces.
Cell Phone History
First cell phone 1973 large commercial mobile
phone, first flip type mobile phone, 1G system, Nordic Mobile
Telephone was introduced in 1981, first 2g second generation
cell phone 1991, digital vs. analog first phone to phone text
1993, 1994 Simon smartphone could fax had stylus, touchscreen
color screen (never became a success).
In 1999, the Japanese firm NTT Docomo released the first smartphones to achieve mass adoption within a country, 2001 first 3g phone, 2007 first touch screen smartphone, 2009 first 4g phones. 5G phone development has yet to begin, but should arrive by 2020.
2g, 3g, etc., is for generation, and LTE is for Long Term Evolution (a specific type of 4g).
In 1999, the Japanese firm NTT Docomo released the first smartphones to achieve mass adoption within a country, 2001 first 3g phone, 2007 first touch screen smartphone, 2009 first 4g phones. 5G phone development has yet to begin, but should arrive by 2020.
2g, 3g, etc., is for generation, and LTE is for Long Term Evolution (a specific type of 4g).
Other Words for Underwear
Knickers is actually
a standard word for underwear, mainly in Britain. "Knickers" derives
from "knickerbockers," or "loose-fitting short pants gathered at the
knee." Because the city's early Dutch settlers wore those pants,
"New Yorkers" became known as "Knickerbockers." The Knickerbockers,
more commonly "The Knicks" is the name of New York's NBA team.
In the 1500s, a corselet was something a soldier might wear, a piece of armor for the torso. The word comes from the French word for body. Several centuries later, the same word emerged and shortened to corset, to describe a combination of girdle and brassiere.
Drawers does not refer to where you store them, as in a chest of drawers. The word drawers has been used since the 16th century to refer to garments such as stockings, underpants, and pants. It comes from the verb draw used in the sense of pull, likely because you pull them up your legs.
The union suit gets its name by uniting the upper and lower pieces of underwear in one garment. Two-piece long johns are more common these days, and do not require a seat flap. Long johns are reputedly named after the late-19th-century heavyweight boxer John L. Sullivan, who wore a similar-looking garment in the ring. This explanation is uncertain and the true origin is unknown.
Singlet usually describes a sleeveless undershirt. It also refers to the one-piece suit a wrestler wears. It has only one thickness of cloth. A doublet is not underwear, but a lined jacket worn by men during the Renaissance.
In the 1500s, a corselet was something a soldier might wear, a piece of armor for the torso. The word comes from the French word for body. Several centuries later, the same word emerged and shortened to corset, to describe a combination of girdle and brassiere.
Drawers does not refer to where you store them, as in a chest of drawers. The word drawers has been used since the 16th century to refer to garments such as stockings, underpants, and pants. It comes from the verb draw used in the sense of pull, likely because you pull them up your legs.
The union suit gets its name by uniting the upper and lower pieces of underwear in one garment. Two-piece long johns are more common these days, and do not require a seat flap. Long johns are reputedly named after the late-19th-century heavyweight boxer John L. Sullivan, who wore a similar-looking garment in the ring. This explanation is uncertain and the true origin is unknown.
Singlet usually describes a sleeveless undershirt. It also refers to the one-piece suit a wrestler wears. It has only one thickness of cloth. A doublet is not underwear, but a lined jacket worn by men during the Renaissance.
Five Frozen Food Facts
Frozen foods do not require any added
preservatives to keep them safe and consumable, because microbes
cannot grow on food that is at a temperature less than 0°F. The
microbes do not die at that temperature, but they stop multiplying
and can come back as food is unfrozen.
Despite some old wives’ tales, freezing food does not remove any nutrients.
Freezer burn is just the result of air hitting frozen food and allowing the ice to sublimate; other color changes can be blamed on long freezing times or poor packaging. It might look gross, but if your frozen food has maintained a proper temperature, it is fine to eat.
Freezing food typically keeps items edible indefinitely, although taste and quality may diminish over time. Some items that stay tasty even after long freezes include uncooked game, poultry, and meat, which are still good after up to a year in the freezer.
Even though freezing food was used as a storage technique in cold weather climates for many years, it is believed it was first applied to industrial food sales sometime in the 1800s, when a Russian company froze a small quantity of duck and geese and shipped them to London. By 1899, the Baerselman Bros. company adapted frozen storage for their own Russia-to-England food shipping business, though they initially only operated during cold weather months. Birdseye fact here LINK.
Despite some old wives’ tales, freezing food does not remove any nutrients.
Freezer burn is just the result of air hitting frozen food and allowing the ice to sublimate; other color changes can be blamed on long freezing times or poor packaging. It might look gross, but if your frozen food has maintained a proper temperature, it is fine to eat.
Freezing food typically keeps items edible indefinitely, although taste and quality may diminish over time. Some items that stay tasty even after long freezes include uncooked game, poultry, and meat, which are still good after up to a year in the freezer.
Even though freezing food was used as a storage technique in cold weather climates for many years, it is believed it was first applied to industrial food sales sometime in the 1800s, when a Russian company froze a small quantity of duck and geese and shipped them to London. By 1899, the Baerselman Bros. company adapted frozen storage for their own Russia-to-England food shipping business, though they initially only operated during cold weather months. Birdseye fact here LINK.
Bacon Vitamins and Minerals
Bacon provides substantial
amounts of important, necessary vitamins and minerals our bodies
need to function healthfully. From bacon, we receive: 65% of our
Recommended Daily Intake of Thiamin (Vitamin B1) as well as 47% of
Niacin (Vitamin B3), 38% of Vitamin B12, 36% of Zinc, 24% of Vitamin
B6, 22% of Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), 22% of Phosphorus, 10% of
Pantothenate, 10% of Magnesium, 9% of Iron. The Protein to fat
balance in bacon is actually 4 to 1, which is one of the highest
protein to fat balances found in any meat, fish, or fowl.
I apologize ahead of time, but cannot get this silly diddy out of my head, bacon pancakes by Hugh Jackman, Wolverine LINK - and the original LINK.
I apologize ahead of time, but cannot get this silly diddy out of my head, bacon pancakes by Hugh Jackman, Wolverine LINK - and the original LINK.
Friday Quote
"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals." Winston Churchill
May 8, 2015
Happy Friday
Don't reflect on the past, magnify the now.
I always magnify the fun of a Happy Friday!
I always magnify the fun of a Happy Friday!
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