The watery-looking base liquid is mostly a
mixture of water, colored dye, and chemicals that prevent the
formation of fungus. The water-based liquid is mixed with a
secret combination of chemicals that give it a similar density
to the wax. The other ingredient, which forms the psychedelic,
slowly-changing shapes that float around the lamp, is primarily
made of wax. Like a paraffin wax, a petroleum-based wax that is
commonly found in candles and cosmetic products.
Because the wax and water mixtures have different densities,
they do not mix with each other. When the lamp is turned off,
the wax is slightly more dense than the water, and will rest on
the bottom of the lamp. When you turn the lamp on, the light
bulb at its base will heat the wax, causing it to expand, lose
density, and rise through the lamp. By the time it reaches the
top, it has cooled, contracted, and begun to fall back down to
the bottom, where it will keep repeating the process until you
turn it off.
Mar 9, 2020
Chili Powder vs. Chile Powder
Chile powder has one ingredient, pure
ground dried peppers, like cayenne or jalapeno.
Chili powder is a blend that includes other ingredients, like garlic, cumin, salt, and oregano.
Chili powder is a blend that includes other ingredients, like garlic, cumin, salt, and oregano.
What's in a Name, Ferris Wheel
The Ferris wheel is a
beloved centerpiece for any good fair, carnival, or amusement
park. The revolving ride was invented after a challenge was set
forth to create a structure for the Columbia Exposition in 1893
that would rival Paris' Eiffel Tower (which was erected in 1889
for the Exposition Universelle).
Rising to the challenge was a man named George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. As Smithsonian magazine remarked, the new attraction provided people with access to "an aerial panorama few had ever beheld."
Rising to the challenge was a man named George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. As Smithsonian magazine remarked, the new attraction provided people with access to "an aerial panorama few had ever beheld."
More Wordology
Words sometimes seem similar, but have different meanings.
Infamous and famous are not the same words. You really do not want to mix up these commonly confused words. While famous means "widely known" with no positive or negative connotation, the adjective infamous is defined by Merriam-Webster as "having a reputation of the worst kind." People who are infamous are usually also famous, but people who are famous are not necessarily infamous.
Adverse and Averse are not the same words. Adverse is an adjective synonymous with unfavorable and harmful. Averse is an adjective used when someone strongly dislikes something. You can have an adverse reaction to a medication and you are averse to taking it again.
Accept and Except are not the same and are not interchangeable. Accept is a verb meaning to believe or receive something, and except is a preposition used to refer to something being excluded.
Entitled and titled are not synonyms. Per Merriam-Webster, entitled is an adjective meaning "having a right to certain benefits or privileges" or "showing a feeling of entitlement." A piece of literature is titled, meaning that it has a title.
Bemused and amused are not synonyms. People who are amused are not usually also bemused. While amused is synonymous with entertained, bemused is synonymous with confused and befuddled.
Disinterested and uninterested are synonyms and similar adjectives, but are not exactly the same. To be disinterested is to be unbiased. To be uninterested is to simply not care.
Incidentally, according to Merriam-Webster, the meanings of these words used to be reversed. Disinterested used to mean "not interested," and uninterested used to mean "unbiased."
Infamous and famous are not the same words. You really do not want to mix up these commonly confused words. While famous means "widely known" with no positive or negative connotation, the adjective infamous is defined by Merriam-Webster as "having a reputation of the worst kind." People who are infamous are usually also famous, but people who are famous are not necessarily infamous.
Adverse and Averse are not the same words. Adverse is an adjective synonymous with unfavorable and harmful. Averse is an adjective used when someone strongly dislikes something. You can have an adverse reaction to a medication and you are averse to taking it again.
Accept and Except are not the same and are not interchangeable. Accept is a verb meaning to believe or receive something, and except is a preposition used to refer to something being excluded.
Entitled and titled are not synonyms. Per Merriam-Webster, entitled is an adjective meaning "having a right to certain benefits or privileges" or "showing a feeling of entitlement." A piece of literature is titled, meaning that it has a title.
Bemused and amused are not synonyms. People who are amused are not usually also bemused. While amused is synonymous with entertained, bemused is synonymous with confused and befuddled.
Disinterested and uninterested are synonyms and similar adjectives, but are not exactly the same. To be disinterested is to be unbiased. To be uninterested is to simply not care.
Incidentally, according to Merriam-Webster, the meanings of these words used to be reversed. Disinterested used to mean "not interested," and uninterested used to mean "unbiased."
Another Redhead Myth Debunked
The redhead gene is not becoming extinct. In
August 2007, many news organizations reported that redheads
would become extinct, possibly as early as 2060, due to the gene
for red hair being recessive. Although redheads may become more
rare due to mixed marriages where one parent is from a group
without the redhead gene and will result in no redheaded
children, but some redheaded grandchildren. Redheads will not
die out unless everyone who carries the gene dies or fails to
reproduce. This misconception has been around since at least
1865, and often resurfaces in American newspapers.
Time Tales
Cleopatra was alive closer to the invention of cell phone than
to construction of great pyramid, but the woolly mammoth was
around during the pyramid building. Shakespeare and Pocahontas
lived during the same time.
Mar 1, 2020
Happy Friday
"Among those whom I
like or admire, I can find no common denominator,
but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh." ~ W. H. Auden
Cannot be a better day to laugh than today, especially on a Happy Friday!
but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh." ~ W. H. Auden
Cannot be a better day to laugh than today, especially on a Happy Friday!
National Pig Day
March 1 is National Pig Day. Pigs are some of the cleanest
animals around, refusing to excrete anywhere near their living
or eating areas when given a choice. Pigs are smarter than any
other domestic animal. Their ability to solve problems, like the
pig I.Q. test on The Joy of Pigs, is well-documented, and they
are considered by animal experts to be more trainable than dogs
or cats. To scientists, pigs are unique as one of the only large
mammals that exists, in one form or another, in every part of
the world. Potbellied pigs were first imported into the United
States from Vietnam during 1985. I presume this means eating bacon is
like eating smart food!
Pilates Origin
Pilates initially was not intended for weight loss, but to stay
alive in internment camps.
At the dawn of World War I, the British government was suspicious of young German residents. To control the immigrant population, the British arrested many of them and placed them in camps on the Isle of Man. One of these camps, Knockaloe, interned 23,000 prisoners. Conditions were grim. Many inmates reported “barbed-wire disease,” a mental weariness similar to depression.
Joseph Pilates thought he had the cure for his fellow inmates’ blues. He believed that exercise could strengthen the German’s resolve. He crafted a rudimentary workout machine by re-configuring bed-frames. The contraption stretched and built muscles even while lying in bed. After the war, the equipment became the Pilates Cadillac. His product worked and none of the prisoners who used Pilates’ equipment died during the influenza outbreak of 1918. After a successful tour in America, Pilates became a guru for health enthusiasts around the world.
At the dawn of World War I, the British government was suspicious of young German residents. To control the immigrant population, the British arrested many of them and placed them in camps on the Isle of Man. One of these camps, Knockaloe, interned 23,000 prisoners. Conditions were grim. Many inmates reported “barbed-wire disease,” a mental weariness similar to depression.
Joseph Pilates thought he had the cure for his fellow inmates’ blues. He believed that exercise could strengthen the German’s resolve. He crafted a rudimentary workout machine by re-configuring bed-frames. The contraption stretched and built muscles even while lying in bed. After the war, the equipment became the Pilates Cadillac. His product worked and none of the prisoners who used Pilates’ equipment died during the influenza outbreak of 1918. After a successful tour in America, Pilates became a guru for health enthusiasts around the world.
Wordology, Shaka
If you have ever been to Hawaii or seen a movie about surfing,
you probably saw a distinctive hand gesture. Curl the middle
fingers, extend the thumb and pinky, wag them back and forth,
and you have a shaka. It is basically a way to let the world
know how laid-back you are, and it is also an endorsement of
peace and goodwill.
According to Hawaiians, though, the symbol is far from peaceful. Originating in the early 20th century, the gesture was invented solely to mock a man who had suffered a horrifying industrial accident.
Hamana Kalili made his living working in the Kahuku Sugar Mill until his hand got caught in a sugarcane press. He lost the three middle fingers of his right hand and was no longer able to work, so he got a job guarding the train that delivered cane to the factory.
It was a lucky break, or at least it would have been if not for the local teens. They would often jump on the trains mid-trip to ride from town to town, and Kalili’s job was to stop these dangerous stunts. The resentful teens invented the shaka to mock their fingerless nemesis and silently signal each other when he was nearby. It is pronounced like Shocka.
According to Hawaiians, though, the symbol is far from peaceful. Originating in the early 20th century, the gesture was invented solely to mock a man who had suffered a horrifying industrial accident.
Hamana Kalili made his living working in the Kahuku Sugar Mill until his hand got caught in a sugarcane press. He lost the three middle fingers of his right hand and was no longer able to work, so he got a job guarding the train that delivered cane to the factory.
It was a lucky break, or at least it would have been if not for the local teens. They would often jump on the trains mid-trip to ride from town to town, and Kalili’s job was to stop these dangerous stunts. The resentful teens invented the shaka to mock their fingerless nemesis and silently signal each other when he was nearby. It is pronounced like Shocka.
Pill Identifier
Have you ever found a pill in the bottom of a drawer or on
your counter and not known what it was? Maybe you threw a daily
supply of pills for a trip and forgot which was which. There is
a web site that can help. You fill out a few characteristics and
the site will tell you what the pill is.Very clever. I tried a
few and it worked. LINK
What's in a Name, Bowler
English nobleman Edward Coke went to a
London-based hat-making company, requesting a hat that was
better suited for the gamekeepers who worked on his family
estate, because top hats were often knocked off by tree branches
when they were on horseback. In response, the company's Thomas
and William Bowler came up with the sturdy and stout piece of
headgear that we know as the Bowler hat.
Incidentally, the fedora hat originated in 1891 after the stage play Fedora. Princess Fedora, the cross dressing heroine of the play, wore a center creased and soft, wide brimmed hat and this is how the fedora hat came to be. Also, the trilby hat name also comes from a play, an adaptation of George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby, performed in London, a hat of this style was worn and so the trilby hat was born.
Incidentally, the fedora hat originated in 1891 after the stage play Fedora. Princess Fedora, the cross dressing heroine of the play, wore a center creased and soft, wide brimmed hat and this is how the fedora hat came to be. Also, the trilby hat name also comes from a play, an adaptation of George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby, performed in London, a hat of this style was worn and so the trilby hat was born.
Four More Uses for Meat Tenderizer
Relieve Bug Bites/Stings – Meat
tenderizer can offer some relief from itchy and painful insect
bites and stings. It is a staple in some prepper medicine
cabinets. It is an analgesic of sorts with pain-numbing
powers. Just mix it with water, and make a paste if you are
bitten or get stung. It will help soothe the irritation while
calming inflammation. The Journal of the American Medical
Association states “This proteolytic enzyme of meat tenderizer
probably breaks down the venoms and kinins injected by the
insect.”
Burn Remedy – To use meat tenderizer to heal burns, make a soothing paste out of it using water. Meat tenderizer is the instant relief that sits in your pantry, but belongs in your medicine cabinet.
Stain Remover – Get out tough stains using meat tenderizer, but avoid using meat tenderizer on silk or wool. You could ruin the fabrics. You should be able to tackle blood stains, perspiration stains, and milk stains using it.
Muscle Aches – Interestingly enough, the ingredient bromelain in meat tenderizer is a plant compound and an antifibrotic enzyme that breaks down scarification in muscles to help with muscle tension and pain. It can help soothe aching and sore muscles.
People who have allergies, such as bee allergies or latex allergies, or other sensitivities, should follow their normal protocol and discuss its use with a physician before using a meat tenderizer for first aid. Likewise, if you have issues with sodium, refrain from using meat tenderizers as they typically have high sodium content.
Burn Remedy – To use meat tenderizer to heal burns, make a soothing paste out of it using water. Meat tenderizer is the instant relief that sits in your pantry, but belongs in your medicine cabinet.
Stain Remover – Get out tough stains using meat tenderizer, but avoid using meat tenderizer on silk or wool. You could ruin the fabrics. You should be able to tackle blood stains, perspiration stains, and milk stains using it.
Muscle Aches – Interestingly enough, the ingredient bromelain in meat tenderizer is a plant compound and an antifibrotic enzyme that breaks down scarification in muscles to help with muscle tension and pain. It can help soothe aching and sore muscles.
People who have allergies, such as bee allergies or latex allergies, or other sensitivities, should follow their normal protocol and discuss its use with a physician before using a meat tenderizer for first aid. Likewise, if you have issues with sodium, refrain from using meat tenderizers as they typically have high sodium content.
Facebook Blue
Facebook’s blue color scheme is for Mark Zuckerberg’s benefit.
The Facebook founder suffers from red-green colorblindness, and
blue is the color he can see best.
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