Elizabeth Leighton of Aberfeldy, Scotland proposed a pairing of the Scottish town of Dull while passing through Boring, Oregon on a cycling holiday. Boring has a population of 12,000. Dull has a population of about 84.
During 2013, Dull entered into another partnership with the Australian town Bland. Seems the residents of Bland Shire in New South Wales want to cash in on humorous publicity by creating a trinity with Dull and Boring. Bland has a population of about 6,000.
Dull's name is thought to have come from the Gaelic word for meadow, but others have speculated it could be connected to the Gaelic word "dul" meaning snare. Bland was named after William Bland, the first person in the Australian Medical Association and was transported to Australia as a convict after he killed a man in a duel in Bombay. Boring was named after one of its first residents, W.H. Boring, a farmer and Union veteran who moved to Oregon after the Civil War.
Oct 17, 2014
Nutella Facts
Nutella is a great tasting spread. The
chocolaty nut spread was thought of as a great substitute for
peanut butter, but a recent study found out it is not much
different.
One tablespoon of Nutella contains 100 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 11 grams of sugar. One tablespoon of peanut butter has 94 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1.48 grams sugar. Generic cake frosting has 75 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 7.5 grams of sugar.
One tablespoon of Nutella contains 100 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 11 grams of sugar. One tablespoon of peanut butter has 94 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1.48 grams sugar. Generic cake frosting has 75 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 7.5 grams of sugar.
Bacon Brain Building
Bacon is full of an important
nutrient called choline, which helps increase intelligence and
memory and has been shown in University studies to help fight off
the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s Disease and other chronic
mental impairments. Bacon helps me to remember to eat more #bacon.
Oct 10, 2014
Happy Friday
“Life is sweet when you pay attention. When it doesn't seem sweet,
put a sticker on your nose and do a funky dance.” Whitney Scott
I have a sticker on my nose and am doing a happy dance on this Happy Friday!
I have a sticker on my nose and am doing a happy dance on this Happy Friday!
Happy Columbus Day
Monday is Columbus Day for most of the
US, but Seattle, WA., will be holding its first Indigenous Peoples'
Day. It makes little difference as Columbus Day is not an official
holiday in Washington. A councilman said it is, "About taking a
stand against racism." An opposing lawyer said people of Italian
descent are "deeply offended." "By this resolution you say to all
Italian-Americans that the city of Seattle no longer deems your
heritage or your community worthy of recognition." Seems like
politics never takes a holiday.
Bacon's Blood Balancing Bounty
Several university and
medical center studies have shown that including bacon as a regular,
moderate part of one’s diet naturally works to lower the body's
blood pressure and blood sugar levels, helping to prevent and / or
alleviate the effects of diabetes, as well as heart disease, stroke,
and heart attack.
Tips, Tipsy, Tipple, and Wingtips
The etymology of these
words is a bit different than the generally accepted (although
incorrect) stories that they come from acronyms.
Tip does not come from 'to insure prompt service'. It dates back to the 1600s and meant to give a small present of money. It was also used in thieves jargon about the same time, meaning 'to give, hand, or pass'. The meaning 'give a gratuity to' is first documented in the early 1700s. The incorrect acronym story came from an editorial in "Life" magazine from July 15, 1946, claiming the restaurant server's word tip "probably comes from a London coffeehouse custom of two centuries ago when the words 'To Insure Promptness' were written on notes to the waiter, with coins attached.
Tipsy comes from another definition of tip, from the 1300s meaning 'to knock down, topple, or knock askew'. Possibly from Scandinavian tippa 'to tip, dump'. Tipsy-cake from the 1800s was stale cake saturated with wine or liquor.
Tipple dates back to the 1500s, meaning 'sell alcoholic liquor by retail'. It is possibly from a Scandinavian source tipla 'to drink slowly or in small quantities'. The meaning of 'drink (alcoholic beverage) too much' is found in the 1550s. A tippler is a seller of alcoholic liquors.
Wingtips are totally unrelated to the above discussion, except that many businessmen who wear these shoes with a back-curving toe cap suggestive of a bird's wingtip often tipple after work and are tipsy by the time they go home.
Tip does not come from 'to insure prompt service'. It dates back to the 1600s and meant to give a small present of money. It was also used in thieves jargon about the same time, meaning 'to give, hand, or pass'. The meaning 'give a gratuity to' is first documented in the early 1700s. The incorrect acronym story came from an editorial in "Life" magazine from July 15, 1946, claiming the restaurant server's word tip "probably comes from a London coffeehouse custom of two centuries ago when the words 'To Insure Promptness' were written on notes to the waiter, with coins attached.
Tipsy comes from another definition of tip, from the 1300s meaning 'to knock down, topple, or knock askew'. Possibly from Scandinavian tippa 'to tip, dump'. Tipsy-cake from the 1800s was stale cake saturated with wine or liquor.
Tipple dates back to the 1500s, meaning 'sell alcoholic liquor by retail'. It is possibly from a Scandinavian source tipla 'to drink slowly or in small quantities'. The meaning of 'drink (alcoholic beverage) too much' is found in the 1550s. A tippler is a seller of alcoholic liquors.
Wingtips are totally unrelated to the above discussion, except that many businessmen who wear these shoes with a back-curving toe cap suggestive of a bird's wingtip often tipple after work and are tipsy by the time they go home.
A Few Drinking Terms
Speaking of tipsy, here are a few
more booze related terms. Two old words that I miss.
GROG-BLOSSOM, A word from the 18th century for the dilation of blood vessels caused by long-term over consumption of the drink—in an alcoholic's nose.
CRAPULENCE, This word, from the Latin root crapula, arose in the 18th century. It denoted intestinal and cranial distress arising from intemperance and debauchery. Put another way: If you get drunk, expect crapulence.
GROG-BLOSSOM, A word from the 18th century for the dilation of blood vessels caused by long-term over consumption of the drink—in an alcoholic's nose.
CRAPULENCE, This word, from the Latin root crapula, arose in the 18th century. It denoted intestinal and cranial distress arising from intemperance and debauchery. Put another way: If you get drunk, expect crapulence.
Electronic Swing
Normally, I extremely dislike
commercials and mute them at best or change channels. Have heard a
few lately that struck my fancy because of the background music. One
in particular had a track I remembered, but could not recall the
artist. As usual, I scoured the web to find out more information.
It was Parov Stelar, one of my new besties. His musical style is called Electronic Swing. The first YouTube video I remember from him 'All Night', complete with amazing dancing LINK.
Here is one with vocals from singer Cleo Panther (I think I love her) 'Nobody's Fool' LINK.
Here is one for the oldies, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing to Parov's 'Booty Swing', with samples from 'Oriental Swing' LINK and a rousing live version LINK. These will get your toes a tappin.
It was Parov Stelar, one of my new besties. His musical style is called Electronic Swing. The first YouTube video I remember from him 'All Night', complete with amazing dancing LINK.
Here is one with vocals from singer Cleo Panther (I think I love her) 'Nobody's Fool' LINK.
Here is one for the oldies, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing to Parov's 'Booty Swing', with samples from 'Oriental Swing' LINK and a rousing live version LINK. These will get your toes a tappin.
What's in a Name, Starbucks
Starbucks is named for
Captain Ahab’s first mate, Starbuck in the 1851 novel Moby-Dick.
The founders had considered naming it Pequod's, after Ahab’s ship.
Coffee related and true - The first webcam watched a coffee pot. It allowed researchers at Cambridge to monitor the coffee pot without leaving their desks. Well, call me Ishmael.
Coffee related and true - The first webcam watched a coffee pot. It allowed researchers at Cambridge to monitor the coffee pot without leaving their desks. Well, call me Ishmael.
New Internet Rumor Tracker
Emergent is a real-time rumor
tracker. http://www.emergent.info/about
It is part of a research project with the Tow Center for Digital
Journalism at Columbia University that focuses on how unverified
information and rumor are reported in the media. It aims to develop
and best practices for debunking misinformation. Kind of like a
"real time" version of Snopes.
You can view a list of rumors being tracked on the homepage, along with their current claim state (True, False, Unverified). Click on a story to visit a page that visualizes the sources reporting the rumor, and a breakdown of social shares per source. You can also click on individual articles on the story page to see specific revision and social share data about that article.
You can view a list of rumors being tracked on the homepage, along with their current claim state (True, False, Unverified). Click on a story to visit a page that visualizes the sources reporting the rumor, and a breakdown of social shares per source. You can also click on individual articles on the story page to see specific revision and social share data about that article.
Wordology, Crocodility
I love the way that word rolls off
the tongue. Crocodility is an ancient word for fallacious reasoning
See if you can follow this paradox. A crocodile snatches a young boy from a riverbank. His mother pleads with the crocodile to return him, to which the crocodile replies that he will only return the boy safely if the mother can guess correctly whether or not he will return the boy.
There is no problem if the mother guesses that the crocodile will return him. If she is right, he is returned; if she is wrong, the crocodile keeps him. If she answers that the crocodile will not return him, however, we end up with a paradox: if she is right and the crocodile never intended to return her child, then the crocodile has to return him, but in doing so breaks his word and contradicts the mother’s answer. On the other hand, if she is wrong and the crocodile actually did intend to return the boy, the crocodile must then keep him even though he intended not to, thereby also breaking his word.
The paradox is such an enduring logic problem that in the Middle Ages the word 'crocodilite' came to be used to refer to any similarly brain-twisting dilemma where you admit something that is later used against you.
See if you can follow this paradox. A crocodile snatches a young boy from a riverbank. His mother pleads with the crocodile to return him, to which the crocodile replies that he will only return the boy safely if the mother can guess correctly whether or not he will return the boy.
There is no problem if the mother guesses that the crocodile will return him. If she is right, he is returned; if she is wrong, the crocodile keeps him. If she answers that the crocodile will not return him, however, we end up with a paradox: if she is right and the crocodile never intended to return her child, then the crocodile has to return him, but in doing so breaks his word and contradicts the mother’s answer. On the other hand, if she is wrong and the crocodile actually did intend to return the boy, the crocodile must then keep him even though he intended not to, thereby also breaking his word.
The paradox is such an enduring logic problem that in the Middle Ages the word 'crocodilite' came to be used to refer to any similarly brain-twisting dilemma where you admit something that is later used against you.
My Blog Statistics
Interesting statistics
from last month show that the top five viewing countries to my
blog, in order were Ukraine, US, France, Russia, and UK. It has
been a very long time since US was not first on the list.
Thanks and welcome to my new best friends from Ukraine.
Oct 3, 2014
Happy German-American Day
It became Public Law 100-104 when
President Reagan signed it on August 18, 1987. The US celebrates
German-American Day on Oct. 6. It commemorates the date in 1683 when
13 German families from Krefeld, near the Rhine landed in
Philadelphia. These families subsequently founded Germantown,
Pennsylvania, the first German settlement in the original thirteen
American colonies. About 1 in 4 Americans claim part or full German
heritage.
Day of German Unity (Tag der Deutschen Einheit) is observed on October 3, when the official German holiday commemorates Germany's reunification in 1990, when East and West Germany once again became one country known as the Federal Republic of Germany die Bundesrepublik Deutschland).
German Pioneers Day is celebrated in Ontario, Canada on the day after Canadian Thanksgiving, second Monday in October. A law passed by the Ontario provincial Legislative Assembly in 2000 proclaimed the annual celebration of the German contributions to Canada on the day after Canadian Thanksgiving.
Day of German Unity (Tag der Deutschen Einheit) is observed on October 3, when the official German holiday commemorates Germany's reunification in 1990, when East and West Germany once again became one country known as the Federal Republic of Germany die Bundesrepublik Deutschland).
German Pioneers Day is celebrated in Ontario, Canada on the day after Canadian Thanksgiving, second Monday in October. A law passed by the Ontario provincial Legislative Assembly in 2000 proclaimed the annual celebration of the German contributions to Canada on the day after Canadian Thanksgiving.
National Pizza Month
It was first observed in the US during
October 1984. The observance was thought up by Gerry Durnell from
Santa Claus, Indiana and the founder of Pizza Today magazine. It is
also observed throughout much of Canada.
The US has about 63,000 pizzerias and 94% of Americans eat pizza at least once a month. About three billion pizzas are sold in the United States every year, plus an additional one billion frozen pizzas. That works out to about 100 acres of pizza per day, or 350 slices per second.
The US has about 63,000 pizzerias and 94% of Americans eat pizza at least once a month. About three billion pizzas are sold in the United States every year, plus an additional one billion frozen pizzas. That works out to about 100 acres of pizza per day, or 350 slices per second.
UPS 3D Printing
It has reached a new plateau. UPS is
now offering in-store printing of 3D objects for its customers. It
is the first nationwide retailer to offer 3D printing services
in-store. Other local and regional stores have been set up around
the country specifically to offer 3D printing with varying degrees
of success, but having a national brand offering the printing
service brings a shift from concept to mainstream.
UPS' experiment with in-store 3D printers worked and now has expanded the availability of 3D printing services to over 100 locations across the US, including Hawaii. Customers can print everything from accessories, architecture, functional prototypes, and one-of-a-kind gadgets.
http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/22/ups-3d-printer-expansion/
UPS' experiment with in-store 3D printers worked and now has expanded the availability of 3D printing services to over 100 locations across the US, including Hawaii. Customers can print everything from accessories, architecture, functional prototypes, and one-of-a-kind gadgets.
http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/22/ups-3d-printer-expansion/
Coupes, Flutes, and Tulips
During the 19th century,
champagne glasses were wide and shallow, not at all like the flutes
we use today. They were called 'coupes' and legend has it that they
were modeled after the shape of Marie Antoinette's left breast.
The coupe eventually gave way to the 'flute', the tall, narrow glasses out of which most of us currently our bubbly. The flute both displays and preserves champagne bubbles, and makes it easier to drink.
Many champagne lovers say the 'tulip' is the true way to enjoy the beverage. The glass is tall, but curves outward to within a couple inches from the mouth, then curves inward to the mouth. This design allows a little more space for swirling, and focuses the aromatics.
The coupe eventually gave way to the 'flute', the tall, narrow glasses out of which most of us currently our bubbly. The flute both displays and preserves champagne bubbles, and makes it easier to drink.
Many champagne lovers say the 'tulip' is the true way to enjoy the beverage. The glass is tall, but curves outward to within a couple inches from the mouth, then curves inward to the mouth. This design allows a little more space for swirling, and focuses the aromatics.
Fatfingers
Smaller and smaller keyboards have caused many
to mistype words. This is commonly called fat fingering the
keyboard. Now there is a site that can help, Fatfingers. The main
purpose of Fatfingers is to help people find items on Ebay that have
not sold, because the owner mistyped the word. Fun to try. I typed
in bicycle and found 1,643 results. LINK
Wordology, Schmoo
The origin of the word comes from Al Capp
and his cartoon Lil Abner. A Shmoo is a cuddly creature that desires
nothing more than to be a boon to mankind.
Shmoos are the world's most amiable creatures, supplying all man's needs. However, they reproduce so prodigiously they threaten to wreck the economy.
They require no sustenance other than air, have no bones, and reproduce asexually and prolifically. Shmoon (plural) are delicious to eat, are eager to be eaten, and taste like chicken. Nogoodniks are anti-Shmoo. They are Shmoo-shaped, but colored sickly green with yellow teeth, red eyes, and often had five-o’clock shadow, chomp stogies, and devour their friendly Shmoo cousins.
Since then, the word schmoo now has taken on other meanings. In socioeconomics, a shmoo refers to any generic kind of good that reproduces itself.
In microbiology, the cellular bulge produced by a haploid yeast cell towards a cell of the opposite mating type during the mating of yeast is referred to as a shmoo, due to its structural resemblance to the cartoon character.
In the field of particle physics, shmoo refers to a high energy survey instrument. Over one hundred white shmoo detectors were at one time sprinkled around the accelerator beamstop area and adjacent mesa to capture subatomic cosmic ray particles emitted from the Cygnus constellation. The detectors housed scintillators and photomultipliers in an array that gave the detector its distinctive shmoo shape.
In electrical engineering, a shmoo plot is the technical term used for the graphic pattern of test circuits. The term 'to shmoo means to run the test. Incidentally, there is no relationship between schmoo and schmooze.
Shmoos are the world's most amiable creatures, supplying all man's needs. However, they reproduce so prodigiously they threaten to wreck the economy.
They require no sustenance other than air, have no bones, and reproduce asexually and prolifically. Shmoon (plural) are delicious to eat, are eager to be eaten, and taste like chicken. Nogoodniks are anti-Shmoo. They are Shmoo-shaped, but colored sickly green with yellow teeth, red eyes, and often had five-o’clock shadow, chomp stogies, and devour their friendly Shmoo cousins.
Since then, the word schmoo now has taken on other meanings. In socioeconomics, a shmoo refers to any generic kind of good that reproduces itself.
In microbiology, the cellular bulge produced by a haploid yeast cell towards a cell of the opposite mating type during the mating of yeast is referred to as a shmoo, due to its structural resemblance to the cartoon character.
In the field of particle physics, shmoo refers to a high energy survey instrument. Over one hundred white shmoo detectors were at one time sprinkled around the accelerator beamstop area and adjacent mesa to capture subatomic cosmic ray particles emitted from the Cygnus constellation. The detectors housed scintillators and photomultipliers in an array that gave the detector its distinctive shmoo shape.
In electrical engineering, a shmoo plot is the technical term used for the graphic pattern of test circuits. The term 'to shmoo means to run the test. Incidentally, there is no relationship between schmoo and schmooze.
Coupons Site
Do you use coupons? This is a site that has
many coupons that you cannot find in the paper. Go ahead; get some
money off of your next purchase. LINK
What's in a Name, Viagra
The official name is Sildenafil
Citrate. Pharmaceutical chemists at Pfizer's research facility in
Kent, England originally conceived it as a treatment for
hypertension, angina, and other symptoms of heart disease. Clinical
trials during 1991 and 1992 revealed the drug was not great at
treating what it was supposed to treat, but eighty percent of male
test subjects were experiencing a side effect of erections.
It was finally approved by the US FDA in 1998 and the drug took US markets by storm as a treatment for penile dysfunction and became an overnight success. It and female Viagra now raise over two billion dollars a year.
It was finally approved by the US FDA in 1998 and the drug took US markets by storm as a treatment for penile dysfunction and became an overnight success. It and female Viagra now raise over two billion dollars a year.
Five Interesting Baseball Facts
Two brother
pitchers win every World Series game for the winning team: In the
1934 World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Detroit
Tigers 4 games to 3. Jerome “Dizzy” Dean and his kid brother Paul
“Daffy” Dean won two games each, accounting for all four Cardinal
wins.
Pitching a no-hitter and homering twice: On June 23, 1971, Phillies Pitcher Rick Wise pitched a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds at Riverfront Stadium and hit two home runs in the same game.
Making the final out in two no-hitters against the same pitcher: Harvey Kuenn made the final out of two no-hitters, both against Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax. On May 11, 1963, Kuenn made the final out of Koufax’s no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants. On September 9, 1965, Kuenn struck out to end Koufax’s perfect game against the Chicago Cubs.
Eddie Gaedel was 26 year old, 3 feet, 7 inch tall. He was signed by Bill Veeck to a Major League contract of $15,400 ($100 per game), which was the set minimum one could pay a little person performance act, per event. During his first (and last) game he walked. Eddie took his base, stopping to take a bow twice on his way, and was lifted for a pinch runner, Jim Delsing. Two days later, American League President Will Harridge voided Gaedel’s contract and he was out of a job. Further, Harridge officially banned midgets from being able to play in the American League. Although he only made $100 for the one game, it’s estimated he earned over $17,000 ($140,000 today) in the few weeks following his lone Major League at bat. Gaedel’s uniform had the number 1/8 on the back and it now sits in the MLB Hall of Fame.
Four more people in the history of Major League Baseball had only one plate appearance and drew a walk. The others were Dutch Schirick on September 17, 1914, with the Browns; Bill Batsch on September 9, 1916, with Pittsburgh; Joe Cobb on April 25, 1918, with Detroit; and Kevin Melillo on June 24, 2007, with the Oakland A’s.
Pitching a no-hitter and homering twice: On June 23, 1971, Phillies Pitcher Rick Wise pitched a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds at Riverfront Stadium and hit two home runs in the same game.
Making the final out in two no-hitters against the same pitcher: Harvey Kuenn made the final out of two no-hitters, both against Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax. On May 11, 1963, Kuenn made the final out of Koufax’s no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants. On September 9, 1965, Kuenn struck out to end Koufax’s perfect game against the Chicago Cubs.
Eddie Gaedel was 26 year old, 3 feet, 7 inch tall. He was signed by Bill Veeck to a Major League contract of $15,400 ($100 per game), which was the set minimum one could pay a little person performance act, per event. During his first (and last) game he walked. Eddie took his base, stopping to take a bow twice on his way, and was lifted for a pinch runner, Jim Delsing. Two days later, American League President Will Harridge voided Gaedel’s contract and he was out of a job. Further, Harridge officially banned midgets from being able to play in the American League. Although he only made $100 for the one game, it’s estimated he earned over $17,000 ($140,000 today) in the few weeks following his lone Major League at bat. Gaedel’s uniform had the number 1/8 on the back and it now sits in the MLB Hall of Fame.
Four more people in the history of Major League Baseball had only one plate appearance and drew a walk. The others were Dutch Schirick on September 17, 1914, with the Browns; Bill Batsch on September 9, 1916, with Pittsburgh; Joe Cobb on April 25, 1918, with Detroit; and Kevin Melillo on June 24, 2007, with the Oakland A’s.
Pork Powered Protein
The protein found in
bacon is extremely valuable to maintaining our energy levels and a
fully functioning, healthy body, with a minimum nasty, waist, thigh,
and butt expanding, fat building carbohydrates.
Sep 26, 2014
Happy Friday
A smile is a light in the window to your soul.
With Autumn's diminishing daylight, it is time to smile and light up a Happy Friday!
With Autumn's diminishing daylight, it is time to smile and light up a Happy Friday!
Acronyms and Initialisms
Although many believe both are
acronyms, there is a difference. An acronym is a pronounceable word
that is formed using the first letters of the words in a phrase
(sometimes, other parts of the words are also used). Some common
acronyms include NASA (National Aeronautical and Space
Administration), scuba (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing
Apparatus), and laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of
Radiation). WYSIWYG - What You See Is What You Get RAM - Random
Access Memory NAFTA - North American Free Trade Agreement WASP -
White Anglo Saxon Protestant.
An initialism is formed using the first letters of the words in a phrase -- it is pronounced like a series of letters, not like a word. Some common initialisms include UFO )Unidentified Flying Object) and LOL (Laugh Out Loud). IMHO - In My Humble Opinion.
ROTC - Reserve Officers Training Corps is used both as an acronym and initialism.
An initialism is formed using the first letters of the words in a phrase -- it is pronounced like a series of letters, not like a word. Some common initialisms include UFO )Unidentified Flying Object) and LOL (Laugh Out Loud). IMHO - In My Humble Opinion.
ROTC - Reserve Officers Training Corps is used both as an acronym and initialism.
Ig Nobel Awards
The awards ceremony is traditionally closed with the words: "If you didn't win a prize, and especially if you did, better luck next year!"
The "Stinker" is the official mascot of the Ig Nobel Awards.
The Physics prize went to a team that measured the amount of friction between a shoe and a banana skin and then a banana skin and the floor, when a person steps on a banana skin that is on the floor.
The Neuroscience prize went to a team that attempted to dissect the inner workings of the brains of people who see Jesus in their toast.
The Economics prize went to the Italian government's National Institute of Statistics, for taking the lead in fulfilling the European Union mandate for each country to increase the official size of its national economy by including revenues from prostitution, illegal drug sales, smuggling, and all other unlawful financial transactions between willing participants.
The Biology prize went to a team that discovered when dogs poop and pee, they tend to align their body axis with Earth's north-south geomagnetic field lines.
The Public Health prize went to a team that investigated whether it is mentally hazardous for a human being to own a cat.
The Arctic Science prize went to a team that observed how reindeer behave upon seeing humans disguised as polar bears.
The Medicine prize went to a team that was able to treat "uncontrollable" nosebleeds using strips of cured pork. A team at the Detroit, Michigan Medical Center decided to try the folk remedy as a last resort after failed attempts to stop an uncontrollable nosebleed in a 4-year-old who suffers from Glanzmann thrombasthenia, a rare condition in which blood does not properly clot. They stuffed strips of cured pork into the child’s nostrils twice, and the hemorrhaging ceased. They reported the clotting factors in pork and the high level of salt pulls in a lot of fluid from the nose. Ah, they may never stop finding new uses for bacon.
Love Your Teeth Day
A bit late on this. To increase
awareness of the importance of dental care, the Chinese government
designated September 20 as national “Love Your Teeth Day.” This day
involves promotions from dentists to attract clients, as well as
information meant to encourage people to see a dentist and take
better care to avoid cavities in the future. The campaign has been
running for decades and has been successful in getting more people
to the dentist.
What's in a Name, Avocado
The original name for avocado is
Ahuacatl, an Aztec word which means testicle. The avocado tree is
originated from Central America and Mexico. The plant is cultivated
in countries with very warm or hot climates. The fruit, when
ripened, is very tasty and is used in many savory dishes. It can
also be used as an aphrodisiac to stimulate the sex drive.
The fruit consists 67% fat and mostly made up of oleic acid and monounsaturated fat. An oil is extracted from the fat found in this fruit, and can be used in cosmetics, lubricants, and cooking oil. Avocado oil is also used in the manufacturing of numerous skin-care products.
The fruit consists 67% fat and mostly made up of oleic acid and monounsaturated fat. An oil is extracted from the fat found in this fruit, and can be used in cosmetics, lubricants, and cooking oil. Avocado oil is also used in the manufacturing of numerous skin-care products.
Read Newspapers Online
I am not a fan of paying for
information that should be free on the web, but sometimes there are
exceptions. For instance, it you are away from home and wish to keep
up with local news, there are ways to get your paper online. Another
time might be to look up family historical information that may have
been in the paper. Here are a few sites that provide online issues
of printed copies.
Newseum – You can find and download front pages of more than 800 newspapers from around the world and it is updated daily. The collection includes small-town and local newspapers as well as globally-distributed big papers. It also maintains an archive of newspaper front pages belonging to dates of significant importance, for example, September 11.
Press Display – Like Newseum, but for a fee, this is where you can find current and past issues of hundreds of newspapers and magazines in full-color, full-page format. Individual issues cost 99¢ each and you may also download them to your PC or mobile device for offline reading.
NewspaperARCHIVE – Billed as the world’s largest online archive of historical newspapers published from 1753 on. You can browse newspaper issues by date or find articles that match a particular phrase. NewspaperARCHIVE costs $9.99 a month if you subscribe for a year.
Boston Globe – All issues of The Boston Globe newspaper printed since 1924 are available online. You can access all news articles printed since 1979 for free while the older articles are available at $2.95 for a single article.
Times Machine – This site has archived editions of The New York Times from 1851 through 1922. The issues are identical to the original newspapers, and include all pages including advertisements.
Times Archive – The Times daily paper from the UK offers digital archives of issues from 1785 to 1985 on its website. All pages of the papers are completely scanned, and organized with an index of topics. You can read the articles highlighted on their front page for free while specific papers and articles are available for £4.95/day.
Newseum – You can find and download front pages of more than 800 newspapers from around the world and it is updated daily. The collection includes small-town and local newspapers as well as globally-distributed big papers. It also maintains an archive of newspaper front pages belonging to dates of significant importance, for example, September 11.
Press Display – Like Newseum, but for a fee, this is where you can find current and past issues of hundreds of newspapers and magazines in full-color, full-page format. Individual issues cost 99¢ each and you may also download them to your PC or mobile device for offline reading.
NewspaperARCHIVE – Billed as the world’s largest online archive of historical newspapers published from 1753 on. You can browse newspaper issues by date or find articles that match a particular phrase. NewspaperARCHIVE costs $9.99 a month if you subscribe for a year.
Boston Globe – All issues of The Boston Globe newspaper printed since 1924 are available online. You can access all news articles printed since 1979 for free while the older articles are available at $2.95 for a single article.
Times Machine – This site has archived editions of The New York Times from 1851 through 1922. The issues are identical to the original newspapers, and include all pages including advertisements.
Times Archive – The Times daily paper from the UK offers digital archives of issues from 1785 to 1985 on its website. All pages of the papers are completely scanned, and organized with an index of topics. You can read the articles highlighted on their front page for free while specific papers and articles are available for £4.95/day.
Fastening Tips
Have you ever wondered what type of glue
is the best to stick things together. Maybe you want to stick glass
to a brick, or ceramic to leather. The sole purpose of this site is
to help you stick things together. It might be very helpful. LINK
Capons, Chickens, Cockerels, Hens, and Roosters
A capon
is a rooster or cockerel that has been castrated. This culinary
practice existed in ancient China and Europe. Romans castrated
roosters to double their size. Capon meat is more moist, tender, and
flavorful than that of a cockerel or a hen and is less gamey
tasting.
Chickens are a domesticated fowl, bred primarily as a source of food, including meat and eggs. In the UK and Ireland adult male chickens over the age of 12 months are primarily known as cocks. In the US, Australia, and Canada they are more commonly called roosters. Males less than a year old are cockerels.
Hens are female chickens over a year old and younger females are called pullets. In the egg-laying industry, a pullet becomes a hen when she begins to lay eggs at 16 to 20 weeks of age. Chicken eggs vary in color depending on the hen, ranging from bright white to shades of brown, blue, green, and purple.
Here is a quick summary. Roosters generally crow and hens generally cluck. All capons, cockerals, hens, and roosters are chicken. All capons, cockerals, and roosters are male. All hens and pullets are female. All cocks are not chicken, but also the male of other species, such as cock sparrows. "Roosting" is the action of perching to sleep and is done by both chicken sexes.
During the course of the 2014 Super Bowl, American consumers devoured a total of 1.25 billion chicken wingettes and drumettes (the wing tips were sent to Asia). There is a chicken sound app for smartphones that can be used as a ringtone, or just to irritate those around you.
Chickens are a domesticated fowl, bred primarily as a source of food, including meat and eggs. In the UK and Ireland adult male chickens over the age of 12 months are primarily known as cocks. In the US, Australia, and Canada they are more commonly called roosters. Males less than a year old are cockerels.
Hens are female chickens over a year old and younger females are called pullets. In the egg-laying industry, a pullet becomes a hen when she begins to lay eggs at 16 to 20 weeks of age. Chicken eggs vary in color depending on the hen, ranging from bright white to shades of brown, blue, green, and purple.
Here is a quick summary. Roosters generally crow and hens generally cluck. All capons, cockerals, hens, and roosters are chicken. All capons, cockerals, and roosters are male. All hens and pullets are female. All cocks are not chicken, but also the male of other species, such as cock sparrows. "Roosting" is the action of perching to sleep and is done by both chicken sexes.
During the course of the 2014 Super Bowl, American consumers devoured a total of 1.25 billion chicken wingettes and drumettes (the wing tips were sent to Asia). There is a chicken sound app for smartphones that can be used as a ringtone, or just to irritate those around you.
Overweight Defined
During 1998, twenty nine million
Americans suddenly became overweight without gaining an ounce. The
US government announced new guidelines lowering the threshold of
what classifies a person as overweight.
Previously, if your body mass index (BMI) was less than 28 for men or 27 for women, you were considered 'normal'. Since then only BMIs of 25 or below are considered healthy. That was a reduction of about 20 pounds for the average male. BMI is a ratio of weight to height, and is considered an indicator of how much body fat a person has.
Previously, if your body mass index (BMI) was less than 28 for men or 27 for women, you were considered 'normal'. Since then only BMIs of 25 or below are considered healthy. That was a reduction of about 20 pounds for the average male. BMI is a ratio of weight to height, and is considered an indicator of how much body fat a person has.
Wordology, Goodbye
The customs of English speakers and many
English words are based on religion, often without most people being
aware of the fact. In this vein, our most common phrase to bid
someone farewell is “goodbye.” While it seems like a mundane,
secular word, goodbye is actually a contraction of the phrase “God
be with ye,” an expression that dates back to the 14th century.
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Speaking of goodbye, On September 19,
2014, Oasis Beverages announced it acquired the Pabst Brewing
Company. Pabst owns Pabst Blue Ribbon, Old Milwaukee, Schlitz,
Ballantine India Pale Ale, and Colt 45. Oasis has brewing operations
in Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. Maybe they will change it
to Pabst red ribbon.
Sep 19, 2014
Happy Friday
Smile at a mirror and it smiles back. Smile at the world and it
smiles back.
Smile at everyone today and share a Happy Friday!
Smile at everyone today and share a Happy Friday!
Talk Like a Pirate Day
Today is September 19, International Talk Like a Pirate Day 2014
It is a parodic holiday created in 1995 by John Baur (Ol' Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap'n Slappy) of Albany, Oregon, US, who proclaimed September 19 each year as the day when everyone in the world should talk like a pirate.
Pirate Myths Debunked - The rumor that pirates commonly made people walk the plank is not true. Only five documented instances were recorded. Peg legs were not common, because amputated legs usually meant a quick death. Buried treasure was usually found very quickly and no one needed a map. There have only been three well documented instances throughout pirating history where a pirate admitted to burying treasure. The earliest use of “shiver me timbers” came from Captain Frederick Marryat’s 1835 book Jacob Faithful, about hundred years after the age of piracy.
For the intellectuals in the crowd
It is a parodic holiday created in 1995 by John Baur (Ol' Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap'n Slappy) of Albany, Oregon, US, who proclaimed September 19 each year as the day when everyone in the world should talk like a pirate.
Pirate Myths Debunked - The rumor that pirates commonly made people walk the plank is not true. Only five documented instances were recorded. Peg legs were not common, because amputated legs usually meant a quick death. Buried treasure was usually found very quickly and no one needed a map. There have only been three well documented instances throughout pirating history where a pirate admitted to burying treasure. The earliest use of “shiver me timbers” came from Captain Frederick Marryat’s 1835 book Jacob Faithful, about hundred years after the age of piracy.
For the intellectuals in the crowd
What's in a Name, Lego
Danish carpenter Ole Kirk
Christiansen, the founder of Lego, asked his staff to come up with a
name for his growing toy company. The two names that ended up being
finalists were 'Legio' and 'Lego'. The first was a reference to a
legion as in a Legion of toys. The second was made from a
contraction of 'leg godt', which is a Danish phrase meaning 'play
well'. Lego is also a Latin word meaning 'to gather or collect'.
History of Kevlar
Did you know Kevlar was invented by a
woman? Stephanie Kwolek took a temporary position for DuPont during
1946. Her goal was to save enough money to pay for medical school.
By 1964 Stephanie was still working there and doing research on how
to change polymers into higher strength synthetic fibers. She was
working with polymers that possessed rod-like molecules that were
all lining up in a single direction.
In contrast to the molecules that had been forming in bunches, Stephanie believed that uniform lines would render the resulting material more powerful, although such polymers had been quite challenging to break down into a testable solution. She finally developed the correct solution that had rod-like molecules and at the same time looked dissimilar to every other molecular solution she had yet made.
The next step was to put it through a spinneret, a device that could generate the fibers. The operator for the spinneret initially refused to allow Kwolek to operate the machine, because her new solution was so different than any other before it, and he believed it would ruin the machine.
Kwolek refused to give up and made a fiber, which was as tough as steel. The material was then named, Kevlar and since that time it has been utilized for radial tires, brake pads, drums, skis, helmets, camping gear as well as suspension bridge cables. The most widely known use for Kevlar is bulletproof vests. Kevlar was a brand name, but has become generic term. In July 1995, Kwolek was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Perseverance counts.
In contrast to the molecules that had been forming in bunches, Stephanie believed that uniform lines would render the resulting material more powerful, although such polymers had been quite challenging to break down into a testable solution. She finally developed the correct solution that had rod-like molecules and at the same time looked dissimilar to every other molecular solution she had yet made.
The next step was to put it through a spinneret, a device that could generate the fibers. The operator for the spinneret initially refused to allow Kwolek to operate the machine, because her new solution was so different than any other before it, and he believed it would ruin the machine.
Kwolek refused to give up and made a fiber, which was as tough as steel. The material was then named, Kevlar and since that time it has been utilized for radial tires, brake pads, drums, skis, helmets, camping gear as well as suspension bridge cables. The most widely known use for Kevlar is bulletproof vests. Kevlar was a brand name, but has become generic term. In July 1995, Kwolek was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Perseverance counts.
Bathroom Time Trivia
Normally I do not do this type
of trivia, but the numbers staggered me, and not in a good way. This
first fact was not a surprise, but the rest were rather surprising.
Women spend more than twice as long in the bathroom than men. Thirty seven percent of women and fifteen percent of men spend more than one hour in the bathroom per day.
86% said the toilet is the place where they did most of their reading.
75% of Americans have used their mobile phone in the bathroom. 67% of them read text, 63% answer a call, and 29% do social networking (Yuck).
63% of people read books, magazines and newspapers in the bathroom. Magazines are the favored literature (many of my books are considered good bathroom reading). Men's top two reading are erotic magazines and sports. Women's top two are romance novels and interior design magazines.
33% of people read mail and email in the bathroom.
3% of Americans have TVs in their bathroom.
Women spend more than twice as long in the bathroom than men. Thirty seven percent of women and fifteen percent of men spend more than one hour in the bathroom per day.
86% said the toilet is the place where they did most of their reading.
75% of Americans have used their mobile phone in the bathroom. 67% of them read text, 63% answer a call, and 29% do social networking (Yuck).
63% of people read books, magazines and newspapers in the bathroom. Magazines are the favored literature (many of my books are considered good bathroom reading). Men's top two reading are erotic magazines and sports. Women's top two are romance novels and interior design magazines.
33% of people read mail and email in the bathroom.
3% of Americans have TVs in their bathroom.
Annual Rainfall
While checking a city and looking at annual
rainfall can be interesting, it may not be informative. For
instance, Houston, Texas gets 49 inches of rain annually, which is
more rain than Seattle, which gets only 38 inches of annual
rainfall. The key difference is Seattle has a relatively high amount
of days per year with relatively light rain, 158 vs. Houston with
104 rainy days. Seattle also has 226 cloudy days per year.
Wordology, Briffits and Dustups
Briffits are the clouds
left behind when comic-strip characters speed off. They are most
often found in the comic strips with hites, which are the horizontal
lines streaking between a cartoon character and the briffit to
represent speed.
Dustups are the clouds that obscure comic-strip fights.
Things that look like clouds, but are not, include various fumetti, such as word balloons and thought balloons (cumulus fumetti).
Incidentally, although storytelling with pictures and words had been around for hundreds of years and, until recently it was generally believed that the first comic was the Yellow Kid in 1896. However, Rodolphe Töpffer is considered the father of the modern comic strips. His illustrated stories of Histoire de M. Vieux Bois (1827), was first published in the USA in 1842 as The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck.
Dustups are the clouds that obscure comic-strip fights.
Things that look like clouds, but are not, include various fumetti, such as word balloons and thought balloons (cumulus fumetti).
Incidentally, although storytelling with pictures and words had been around for hundreds of years and, until recently it was generally believed that the first comic was the Yellow Kid in 1896. However, Rodolphe Töpffer is considered the father of the modern comic strips. His illustrated stories of Histoire de M. Vieux Bois (1827), was first published in the USA in 1842 as The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck.
Handy Online Manuals
Do you have appliances, computer
equipment, lawnmower, audio equipment, TV, GPS, tools, or any number
of other items with no owner's manual? This site has the manual. It
also has an option for you to upload your manual so it can help
others. Handy info to know. LINK
Call Back App
Here is an application that could save your
evening or possibly your life. It is based on text messages, works
with any cell phone, not just smartphones and it does not rely on an
Internet connection. The service is called Kitestring.
A person sends Kitestring a text with time period like '30m'. In 30 minutes, Kitestring will send back a check-up text and you have five minutes to respond with an 'OK'. If you do not reply on time, Kitestring sends an alert to your designated emergency contact. It might be handy to set before blind dates, traveling alone, or for medical situations.
The basic service is free with eight uses per month with one emergency contact. A paid version offers unlimited uses and contacts as well as with a recurring check-in mode and customized response period.
The recurring check-in might be useful for people with medical conditions and/or who live alone. For instance, you can have it check in on you once or twice a day. A pleasant way to be reminded to let someone know you are OK, without the need for a call. Using this service can mean no call is good news.
A person sends Kitestring a text with time period like '30m'. In 30 minutes, Kitestring will send back a check-up text and you have five minutes to respond with an 'OK'. If you do not reply on time, Kitestring sends an alert to your designated emergency contact. It might be handy to set before blind dates, traveling alone, or for medical situations.
The basic service is free with eight uses per month with one emergency contact. A paid version offers unlimited uses and contacts as well as with a recurring check-in mode and customized response period.
The recurring check-in might be useful for people with medical conditions and/or who live alone. For instance, you can have it check in on you once or twice a day. A pleasant way to be reminded to let someone know you are OK, without the need for a call. Using this service can mean no call is good news.
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