Election
campaigns have sometimes been referred to as a vicious circle.
The term vicious circle or vicious cycle refers to a complex
chain of events which reinforce themselves through a feedback
loop. A chain of events in which the response to one difficulty
creates a new problem that aggravates the original difficulty.
During the feedback
loop each iteration of the cycle reinforces the previous one.
These cycles will continue in the direction of their momentum
until an external factor intervenes and breaks the cycle.
Incidentally, A virtuous circle has favorable
results, while a vicious circle has detrimental
results.
Jan 20, 2017
National Days to Celebrate
Yesterday, January 19 was National Popcorn
Day, today, January 20 is National Cheese Day and
tomorrow, January 21 is National Hug Day. Followed next
week Tuesday January 24 with Global Belly Laugh Day. What
a week, popcorn and cheese followed by hugs and topped off
with a great big belly laugh to be heard 'round the globe.
What's in a Name, FODMAP
Have been seeing ads lately
for something called FODMAP. I never heard the term before, so
thought I would do some research. It is an acronym for Fermentable
Oligosaccharides (eg. Fructans and
Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) Disaccharides (eg.
Lactose) Monosaccharides (eg. excess Fructose) and Polyols
(eg. Sorbitol, Mannitol, Maltitol, Xylitol and Isomalt). The
name alone raised my latest-fad-diet-of-the-week antenna.
A FODMAP is one of a group of compounds thought to contribute to the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and similar gastrointestinal disorders. The term is used mainly with reference to a diet that is low in these compounds.
Foods high in FODMAPs include barley, yogurt, many fruits, honey, almost all beans, garlic, onions, foods that contain wheat, beer, coconut milk, rum, soy milk, tea, cheese, milk, ice cream, and cauliflower.
Blackberries bad, blueberries good. Celery less than 5cm of stalk good, Celery more than 5cm of stalk bad.
It is a relatively new concept and was first published in 2005. The low FODMAP diet was originally developed by a research team at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. When looking for some proof, only found a few published papers and each contained the same author Susan J Shepherd, an Advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian and Accredited Nutritionist who is director of a private practice Shepherd Works. She also has a line of low FODMAP products.
The foods to avoid is so long decided to add a link LIST for those who wish to find out more. For me, the name alone gives me IBS.
A FODMAP is one of a group of compounds thought to contribute to the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and similar gastrointestinal disorders. The term is used mainly with reference to a diet that is low in these compounds.
Foods high in FODMAPs include barley, yogurt, many fruits, honey, almost all beans, garlic, onions, foods that contain wheat, beer, coconut milk, rum, soy milk, tea, cheese, milk, ice cream, and cauliflower.
Blackberries bad, blueberries good. Celery less than 5cm of stalk good, Celery more than 5cm of stalk bad.
It is a relatively new concept and was first published in 2005. The low FODMAP diet was originally developed by a research team at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. When looking for some proof, only found a few published papers and each contained the same author Susan J Shepherd, an Advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian and Accredited Nutritionist who is director of a private practice Shepherd Works. She also has a line of low FODMAP products.
The foods to avoid is so long decided to add a link LIST for those who wish to find out more. For me, the name alone gives me IBS.
Wordology, Eke
If we see the word 'eke' these days, it is usually when we 'eke out' a living, but it comes from an old verb meaning to add, supplement, or grow. It is the same word that gave us 'eke-name' for 'additional name', which later changed from an 'eke-name' to 'nickname'.
Quote
A hearty
belly laugh leads to a natural boost in blood pressure and heart
rate, which can overpower the midday fatigue. ~ Dr. Robert
Provine
Lucky Seven
This is the seventh item in today's Friday Thoughts. The number seven is seen as lucky in many cultures. According to biblestudy.org, the number gets 735 mentions in the Bible (860 if you count "sevenfold" and "seventh"). According to religious beliefs, it is the number of days it took God to create the universe, the number of miracles Jesus performed on the Sabbath, and the number of trumpets blown before the dead are resurrected in the Book of Revelation. There are also seven angels, seven churches, seven thunders, seven seals, and seven plagues.
Seven is also lucky in Japan, due to seven deities known as the Seven Lucky Gods. In China, seven is a lucky number, because it is pronounced "qi," which is the same as the Chinese words for 'arise' or 'life essence'. The seventh son of the seventh son always seems to get the kingdom.
The 'Seventh Son' is also a well known song (and one of my favorites) LINK for Mose Allison, a legendary blues and jazz pianist, who passed away this past November.
Seven is also lucky in Japan, due to seven deities known as the Seven Lucky Gods. In China, seven is a lucky number, because it is pronounced "qi," which is the same as the Chinese words for 'arise' or 'life essence'. The seventh son of the seventh son always seems to get the kingdom.
The 'Seventh Son' is also a well known song (and one of my favorites) LINK for Mose Allison, a legendary blues and jazz pianist, who passed away this past November.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland
and Labrador is the name of a Canadian Province on the East
Coast of Canada. Labrador is the Northern portion and
Newfoundland Island is Southeast. They are also the
names of two different breeds of related dogs.
Newfoundlands were originally bred and used as a working dog for fishermen in Newfoundland, Canada. They are famously known for their giant size, tremendous strength, sweet dispositions, and loyalty.
Labrador Retrievers were originally black and initially bred for retrieving small downed waterfowl. They are also adept at a number of other jobs including leading the blind, acting as hearing dogs, and used for police and military work. The name "Labrador" was given to this dog by British breeders in order to differentiate between the two types. The retriever was originally called the 'lesser Newfoundland' or St. John's Dog.
Incidentally, St. John's a city on the Island and is the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Newfoundlands were originally bred and used as a working dog for fishermen in Newfoundland, Canada. They are famously known for their giant size, tremendous strength, sweet dispositions, and loyalty.
Labrador Retrievers were originally black and initially bred for retrieving small downed waterfowl. They are also adept at a number of other jobs including leading the blind, acting as hearing dogs, and used for police and military work. The name "Labrador" was given to this dog by British breeders in order to differentiate between the two types. The retriever was originally called the 'lesser Newfoundland' or St. John's Dog.
Incidentally, St. John's a city on the Island and is the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Jan 13, 2017
Happy Friday
Happiness does not have a future tense.
It is always here if you look for it, especially on a Happy Friday!
It is always here if you look for it, especially on a Happy Friday!
Paraskevidekatriaphobia
That is the official name for fear of Friday the 13th. Therapist Dr. Donald Dossey, whose specialty is treating people with irrational fears, coined the term paraskevidekatriaphobia. Another is known as friggatriskaidekaphobia. The fear of the day is likely rooted in Christianity. Jesus was crucified on a Friday and ever since the day has been associated with general ill omen according to Michael Bailey, a history professor at Iowa State University who specializes in the origins of superstitions. See also LINK
Weddings in the Middle Ages were not held on Fridays and it was not a day someone would start a journey. Thirteen guests are believed to have attended the Last Supper, the night before Jesus was killed, according to Stuart Vyse, a psychology professor at Connecticut College. Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, is considered to have been the 13th guest, Vyse said.
It is unclear when Friday and number 13 became linked in the way we think of them today, according to Vyse and Bailey. There are no mentions of Friday the 13th before the 19th century.
Taylor Swift says her lucky number is 13. "I was born on the 13th. I turned 13 on Friday the 13th. My first album went gold in 13 weeks. My first #1 song had a 13-second intro." The performer was sued in 2014 by the clothing brand Lucky 13 for selling T-shirts on her online store with the phrase "Lucky 13" on them.
Weddings in the Middle Ages were not held on Fridays and it was not a day someone would start a journey. Thirteen guests are believed to have attended the Last Supper, the night before Jesus was killed, according to Stuart Vyse, a psychology professor at Connecticut College. Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, is considered to have been the 13th guest, Vyse said.
It is unclear when Friday and number 13 became linked in the way we think of them today, according to Vyse and Bailey. There are no mentions of Friday the 13th before the 19th century.
Taylor Swift says her lucky number is 13. "I was born on the 13th. I turned 13 on Friday the 13th. My first album went gold in 13 weeks. My first #1 song had a 13-second intro." The performer was sued in 2014 by the clothing brand Lucky 13 for selling T-shirts on her online store with the phrase "Lucky 13" on them.
Cold Weather Hack
We have not had much cold weather here lately, but I know some
of you are dealing with it. When you are outside in cold
weather, one of the first things to get cold is your feet. The
reason is the body is protecting itself from the cold and trying
to keep the core of your body, where all your internal organs
are located, warm. That means blood flow to your hands and feet
become limited, making them colder.
This is why it is important to have warm footwear when venturing outside in cold weather. A way to improve the warmth of even the cheapest boots is to go to a dollar store and buy a sun sheet, like the one you put in a car window to keep the sun out during summer. Remove shoe or boot insoles, place them face down on the sheet, trace the outside of them, and cut the sun sheet. Put the cut sun sheet in your boot and put your insole in over top of it. This will add insulation between you and the cold ground and it will also reflect your body heat back up into you.
This is why it is important to have warm footwear when venturing outside in cold weather. A way to improve the warmth of even the cheapest boots is to go to a dollar store and buy a sun sheet, like the one you put in a car window to keep the sun out during summer. Remove shoe or boot insoles, place them face down on the sheet, trace the outside of them, and cut the sun sheet. Put the cut sun sheet in your boot and put your insole in over top of it. This will add insulation between you and the cold ground and it will also reflect your body heat back up into you.
Wordology, Just Deserts
The 'desert' from the phrase 'just
deserts' is not the hot, dry, and sandy kind, nor the after
dinner kind. It comes from an Old French word for 'deserve', and
it was used in English from the 13th century to mean "that which
is deserved." When you get your just deserts, you get what you
deserve.
Things and Stuff
George Carlin had a great bit about Stuff. He talked about his
stuff, your stuff and everybody's stuff LINK.
He talked about stuff, but he neglected to mention things.
We distinguish between these two classes of existence. We can count things, but stuff forms a sort of cumulative mass. Things are made of stuff (cars are made of steel), but stuff is made of things (gold is made of molecules).
Chairs, dogs, balloons, and flowers are things. If I have one dog and add another, I have two dogs. My chair did not exist until it was assembled into that form. If a balloon pops, it is no longer a balloon.
Helium, gravy, wood, and music are stuff. If some helium escapes my balloon, it seems wrong to say that I lost a thing. If I divide my gravy into two portions, it is still gravy. If I chop my cabin into firewood, the amount of wood in the world has not changed.
Linguistically, we distinguish between thing terms and stuff terms, where a thing is a count noun, and stuff is a mass noun. Syntactically, thing functions as a term that refers to a single "entity" and hence takes "a" and "every" and is subject to pluralization, while stuff functions refers to a plurality of "entities" and hence takes some and is not subject to pluralization. Bottom line, we have some things and some stuff.
We distinguish between these two classes of existence. We can count things, but stuff forms a sort of cumulative mass. Things are made of stuff (cars are made of steel), but stuff is made of things (gold is made of molecules).
Chairs, dogs, balloons, and flowers are things. If I have one dog and add another, I have two dogs. My chair did not exist until it was assembled into that form. If a balloon pops, it is no longer a balloon.
Helium, gravy, wood, and music are stuff. If some helium escapes my balloon, it seems wrong to say that I lost a thing. If I divide my gravy into two portions, it is still gravy. If I chop my cabin into firewood, the amount of wood in the world has not changed.
Linguistically, we distinguish between thing terms and stuff terms, where a thing is a count noun, and stuff is a mass noun. Syntactically, thing functions as a term that refers to a single "entity" and hence takes "a" and "every" and is subject to pluralization, while stuff functions refers to a plurality of "entities" and hence takes some and is not subject to pluralization. Bottom line, we have some things and some stuff.
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