The 20/20 scale is different in different
parts of the world. After examining a large number of people,
American ophthalmologists decided on the 20/20 scale, saying that
“20/20” is the normal visual acuity of the average person. That
means standing 20 feet away from something, you can see what the
average person can see standing 20 feet away from the same thing.
In metric countries doctors measure how well a person can see at 6
meters away (19.69 feet).
The Snellen eye chart is the chart topped with the big E and
consists of 11 rows of capital letters that get progressively
smaller toward the bottom of the chart. A person is placed 20 feet
away from the chart. Since most doctors’ offices are too small,
mirrors are often used to simulate 20 feet. The doctor asks the
person to read out the smallest line of letters that can be seen
at that distance. Most people can read the fourth line up from the
bottom without trouble, so if a person can do this, the vision is
considered 20/20.
Using the Snellen chart, if a person can only see the big E up top
and none of the other lines of text, he is considered to have
20/200 vision., meaning he sees at 20 feet what an average person
can see at 200 feet away. 20/200 visual acuity and worse is
considered legally blind in the United States, unless it can be
corrected to better with glasses or contacts.
If a person can read the tiny bottom line of text on the chart at
20 feet away, it is considered 20/5 visual acuity. Most humans do
not have the ability to have much better than 20/10 vision.
The 20/20 or 6/6 visual acuity is not a measure of a prescription
as it does not take into account the nature of the problem, only
the result of it.
May 25, 2015
Wordology, Base Jump
BASE is an acronym for Buildings,
Antennas, Spans and Earth. Base jumps and other non-harnessed
jumps are illegal in all US national parks.
Eight Useful Google Tips
Are you trying to remember the name of a song you heard? Try typing, winner takes it* abba and Google will try to complete your search.
You can search by file type by typing filetype:ppt or filetype:excel or any other file type.
Putting two periods, .. between two numbers will search within that range, such as news 2013..2015
If you are looking for a definition type, define: followed by the word you want defined.
Here is a very useful thing google can do for you. Set a timer by typing, set timer for and then the amount of time, as in, set timer for 10 minutes.
In a restaurant and need to figure out tip, type in, tip calculator and Google will present an onscreen calculator for you. You set amount, tip percent and it does the work for you.
If you want listen to some music, type in, music by Cher or any other artist and add youtube at the end.
You can do the same for books, type in, books by and the author name, (of course I had to test this by typing in my own name).
You can search by file type by typing filetype:ppt or filetype:excel or any other file type.
Putting two periods, .. between two numbers will search within that range, such as news 2013..2015
If you are looking for a definition type, define: followed by the word you want defined.
Here is a very useful thing google can do for you. Set a timer by typing, set timer for and then the amount of time, as in, set timer for 10 minutes.
In a restaurant and need to figure out tip, type in, tip calculator and Google will present an onscreen calculator for you. You set amount, tip percent and it does the work for you.
If you want listen to some music, type in, music by Cher or any other artist and add youtube at the end.
You can do the same for books, type in, books by and the author name, (of course I had to test this by typing in my own name).
Discreet vs. Discrete
This pair of homophones (words that
sound alike, but are different in meaning, spelling, or both) can
be confusing. Discreet implies the showing of reserve in behavior
or speech. Discrete means distinct, separate, unrelated.
Both words derive from the same Latin word discretus meaning “separated.” Until the 1700s, these words were each spelled many different ways including discrete, discreet, dyscrete, discreete, etc.
Eventually discrete and discreet came to be differentiated in spelling as well as in meaning. Discreet has yielded the noun discretion, but discrete's noun form is discreteness. For most of English history, discreet was more frequently used, but today discrete is much more frequently used than discreet; it has seen a dramatic rise since the 1940s.
If the e’s are separated by the “t”, use “discrete” (meaning “separate”).
Both words derive from the same Latin word discretus meaning “separated.” Until the 1700s, these words were each spelled many different ways including discrete, discreet, dyscrete, discreete, etc.
Eventually discrete and discreet came to be differentiated in spelling as well as in meaning. Discreet has yielded the noun discretion, but discrete's noun form is discreteness. For most of English history, discreet was more frequently used, but today discrete is much more frequently used than discreet; it has seen a dramatic rise since the 1940s.
If the e’s are separated by the “t”, use “discrete” (meaning “separate”).
May 15, 2015
Happy Friday
How can you lose at the game of life when you have joy, friendship, happiness, and love on your team.
My team always plays to win and have a Happy Friday!
My team always plays to win and have a Happy Friday!
All the Same
Every day this week is the same forward and backward - 5/10/15, 5/11/15, 5/12/15, 5/13/15, 5/14/15, 5/15/15/, and 5/16/15.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Metonymy, pronounced 'mi-tonn-ə-mee'
is a figure of speech in which a thing or concept is called by the
name of something associated in meaning with that thing or concept,
rather than by its own name. The words "metonymy" and "metonym" come
from the Greek: metōnymía, 'a change of name'.
Metonymy and related figures of speech are common in everyday talk and writing. Synecdoche is a specific type of metonymy. Synecdoche refers to a thing by the name of one of its parts. For example, calling a car “a wheel” is a synecdoche. A part of a car, the wheel stands for the whole car.
One of the main purposes of using a metonymy is to add flavor to the writing. The name of a sports team can be used in place of its individual members.
Other examples: "Wall Street" is often used metonymously to describe the US financial and corporate sector, and "Hollywood" used as a metonym for the US film industry. The national capital is often used to represent the government or monarchy of a country, such as "Washington" for United States government or "Downing Street" for the Government of the United Kingdom.
Other metonymys - Crown. (For the power of a king.)
The White House. (the American administration.)
Dish. (To refer an entire plate of food.)
And finally, the old adage, 'the pen is mightier than the sword'
Pen. (For the written word.) Sword - (For military force.)
Metonymy and related figures of speech are common in everyday talk and writing. Synecdoche is a specific type of metonymy. Synecdoche refers to a thing by the name of one of its parts. For example, calling a car “a wheel” is a synecdoche. A part of a car, the wheel stands for the whole car.
One of the main purposes of using a metonymy is to add flavor to the writing. The name of a sports team can be used in place of its individual members.
Other examples: "Wall Street" is often used metonymously to describe the US financial and corporate sector, and "Hollywood" used as a metonym for the US film industry. The national capital is often used to represent the government or monarchy of a country, such as "Washington" for United States government or "Downing Street" for the Government of the United Kingdom.
Other metonymys - Crown. (For the power of a king.)
The White House. (the American administration.)
Dish. (To refer an entire plate of food.)
And finally, the old adage, 'the pen is mightier than the sword'
Pen. (For the written word.) Sword - (For military force.)
6 common Acronyms
CVS (Pharmacy) is now just called CVS, but when it first opened, the letters stood for Consumer Value Store.
The ZIP in ZIP Code stands for Zone Improvement Plan.
GEICO used to stand for "Government Employees Insurance Company."
The fashion retailer H&M is for Hennes & Mauritz.
The Smart Car was a collaboration between Swatch and Mercedes Benz and originally called the Swatch and Mercedes Art Car.
Today TCBY stands for The Country's Best Yogurt, but used to be called This Can't Be Yogurt.
The ZIP in ZIP Code stands for Zone Improvement Plan.
GEICO used to stand for "Government Employees Insurance Company."
The fashion retailer H&M is for Hennes & Mauritz.
The Smart Car was a collaboration between Swatch and Mercedes Benz and originally called the Swatch and Mercedes Art Car.
Today TCBY stands for The Country's Best Yogurt, but used to be called This Can't Be Yogurt.
Power of Smiles
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.
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.
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.
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