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!
Sep 26, 2014
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.
Sep 12, 2014
Happy Friday
Time spent laughing is time spent with the gods.
Spending time laughing is also the best way to celebrate a Happy Friday!
Spending time laughing is also the best way to celebrate a Happy Friday!
Short Performance Oscars
The record for shortest Oscar
winning performance is held by Beatrice Straight, who won a Best
Supporting Actress Oscar for her work in Network (1976), which she
appeared in for just one 5 minute and 40 second scene.
Second shortest record for a Best Actor Oscar is held by David Niven, for his work in Separate Tables (1958), which he appeared in for 15 minutes and 38 seconds.
Third shortest record for Best Actor Academy Award is held by Anthony Hopkins, for his work in The Silence of the Lambs (1991), which he appeared in for just over 16 minutes. All prove that sometimes less is more.
Second shortest record for a Best Actor Oscar is held by David Niven, for his work in Separate Tables (1958), which he appeared in for 15 minutes and 38 seconds.
Third shortest record for Best Actor Academy Award is held by Anthony Hopkins, for his work in The Silence of the Lambs (1991), which he appeared in for just over 16 minutes. All prove that sometimes less is more.
Junk Phone Calls
When you receive an unwanted phone call,
you might want to look up the number by using Google or other search
engine. For regular numbers, you will see a list of services
promising to find a person, but for scams you will usually see a few
sites like those below.
You can help others by going to web sites like http://www.mycallbot.com http://misternumber.com or 800notes.com www.callercomplaints.com The sites will show you what others have to say about calls from a number and you can add your add details of the call. You will also want to add the number to your do not call list.
You can help others by going to web sites like http://www.mycallbot.com http://misternumber.com or 800notes.com www.callercomplaints.com The sites will show you what others have to say about calls from a number and you can add your add details of the call. You will also want to add the number to your do not call list.
Hack the Menu
Speaking of junk - like junk food, here
is a site that has many of the secret menu items from your favorite
fast food joints. Items that you might like, but do not see on the
menu. Interesting that Wendy's in not featured.
Did you know that KFC has a triple down that is a larger version of the double down, or that you can get bacon added to any order. How about a side of biscuits with their honey and butter. Burger King offers Frings, which is half fries and half onion rings and you can order a ham and cheese if you are tired of burgers. Many more goodies. Yum. Here is the LINK.
Did you know that KFC has a triple down that is a larger version of the double down, or that you can get bacon added to any order. How about a side of biscuits with their honey and butter. Burger King offers Frings, which is half fries and half onion rings and you can order a ham and cheese if you are tired of burgers. Many more goodies. Yum. Here is the LINK.
Pipsqueaks, Plonkers, and Whizz-bangs
World War I, soldiers in the trenches gave cute names to the artillery shells that were constantly killing and maiming their friends and comrades. Some of these names, like 'whizz-bang', 'plonker' and 'pipsqueak' describe some of the lethal devices.
Another war term from the time is strafe, as in The German phrase "Gott strafe England!" (God punish England!) was widely used in German propaganda. The word strafe then entered the English language, meaning punish, bombard or reprimand. Strafe definition later narrowed to refer to attacking with machine-gun fire from low-flying aircraft.
What's in a Name, Welsh Rarebit
It is cheese on toast
with added ingredients. When it was devised in the 18th century, the
English (by then well-established in their teasing of the Welsh)
jokingly called it Welsh Rabbit - as a Welshman, supposedly too poor
to have meat, had to eat cheese instead.
The earliest reference can be traced to 1725 and the diary of a poet called John Byrom who wrote, "I did not eat of cold beef, but of Welsh rabbit and stewed cheese."
Sixty years later, the rarebit popped up in Francis Grose’s Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue: ‘A Welsh rabbit is bread and cheese roasted, i.e. a Welsh rare bit.’
The earliest reference can be traced to 1725 and the diary of a poet called John Byrom who wrote, "I did not eat of cold beef, but of Welsh rabbit and stewed cheese."
Sixty years later, the rarebit popped up in Francis Grose’s Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue: ‘A Welsh rabbit is bread and cheese roasted, i.e. a Welsh rare bit.’
Yelp Changes
Speaking of food, Yelp, the site millions go
to for reviews of local eating establishments may be changing, and
not for the better. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San
Francisco, said that review site Yelp could manipulate its ratings
for money.
So, if a small diner makes a big ad buy on the site, those extra dollars could possibly boost the diner's rating, thus potentially gaining it more customers.
Yelp says that it does not manipulate ratings, despite longtime accusations from business owners. It says it uses an automated process for star ratings on the site. There is no reason to believe that the company is or will be 100 percent fair about business ratings and placement just because it seems like the right thing to do. Take your Yelp reviews with a grain of salt from now on, as you should have been doing all along.
So, if a small diner makes a big ad buy on the site, those extra dollars could possibly boost the diner's rating, thus potentially gaining it more customers.
Yelp says that it does not manipulate ratings, despite longtime accusations from business owners. It says it uses an automated process for star ratings on the site. There is no reason to believe that the company is or will be 100 percent fair about business ratings and placement just because it seems like the right thing to do. Take your Yelp reviews with a grain of salt from now on, as you should have been doing all along.
Windows Printing Tip
To print a web page, email, or
selected text or picture hold down the CTRL key and press the letter
p. You can select your PDF printer to create a page to read later.
Coconut Facts
There are more than 1,300 kinds of coconut,
and they can be separated into two main genetic origins: the Pacific
Ocean and the Indian Ocean. There are also over a thousand uses for
coconut and its tree.
Coconut water is a workable short-term substitute for human blood plasma and was positively tested as emergency intravenous fluid as far back as the 1950s. Coconut water is also low in calories, carbohydrates, and sugars, and almost completely fat-free. In addition, it is high in ascorbic acid, B vitamins, and proteins. The soft meat inside the coconut helps to restore oxidative tissue damage and contains a source of healthy fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
Gas mask manufacturers in the US developed the use of steam-activated coconut char, obtained by burning coconut husks as an important component in gas mask production. They found that masks using coconut carbon were superior at filtering noxious substances. Coconut carbon is still an important ingredient in cleaning up radiation and was heavily used in the cleanup project at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
Coconut lumber is a good building material, a fossil fuel alternative, and coconut trees can produce oil in workable quantities.
In the Philippines, sap from an unopened coconut flower is distilled into a potent drink called lambanog. It is 80 to 90 proof, but is organic and chemical-free. Lambanog is traditionally homemade, but some commercial distilleries have introduced several flavors into the market, such as mango, bubblegum, and blueberry.
Coconut armor consisted of a cap, body armor, back plate, leggings, and a close-fitting jacket. A high collar in the back protected the warrior from stones thrown from his own side.
Coconut butter is the flesh of the coconut which has been ground into butter. It is creamier than the oil, and makes a great dairy-free spread.
Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the meat of mature coconuts. Use coconut oil to remove heavy makeup. Rub into your skin, leave it on for a few minutes, and wipe it all off with a warm cloth. Treat dry, flaky cuticles by rubbing coconut oil into your nail beds. Use your fingers to massage some oil into the area and it will moisturize your hands.
Use coconut oil to lubricate a squeaky hinge
Coconut meat can be eaten raw, cooked, or as a preserve. You can top salads with shredded or grated, lightly toasted coconut meat. You can use a blender to make it into smoothies. Coconut meat is high in fiber, polyphenols, and phytosterols, and can decrease the levels of LDL cholesterol.
Coconut water is a workable short-term substitute for human blood plasma and was positively tested as emergency intravenous fluid as far back as the 1950s. Coconut water is also low in calories, carbohydrates, and sugars, and almost completely fat-free. In addition, it is high in ascorbic acid, B vitamins, and proteins. The soft meat inside the coconut helps to restore oxidative tissue damage and contains a source of healthy fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
Gas mask manufacturers in the US developed the use of steam-activated coconut char, obtained by burning coconut husks as an important component in gas mask production. They found that masks using coconut carbon were superior at filtering noxious substances. Coconut carbon is still an important ingredient in cleaning up radiation and was heavily used in the cleanup project at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
Coconut lumber is a good building material, a fossil fuel alternative, and coconut trees can produce oil in workable quantities.
In the Philippines, sap from an unopened coconut flower is distilled into a potent drink called lambanog. It is 80 to 90 proof, but is organic and chemical-free. Lambanog is traditionally homemade, but some commercial distilleries have introduced several flavors into the market, such as mango, bubblegum, and blueberry.
Coconut armor consisted of a cap, body armor, back plate, leggings, and a close-fitting jacket. A high collar in the back protected the warrior from stones thrown from his own side.
Coconut butter is the flesh of the coconut which has been ground into butter. It is creamier than the oil, and makes a great dairy-free spread.
Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the meat of mature coconuts. Use coconut oil to remove heavy makeup. Rub into your skin, leave it on for a few minutes, and wipe it all off with a warm cloth. Treat dry, flaky cuticles by rubbing coconut oil into your nail beds. Use your fingers to massage some oil into the area and it will moisturize your hands.
Use coconut oil to lubricate a squeaky hinge
Coconut meat can be eaten raw, cooked, or as a preserve. You can top salads with shredded or grated, lightly toasted coconut meat. You can use a blender to make it into smoothies. Coconut meat is high in fiber, polyphenols, and phytosterols, and can decrease the levels of LDL cholesterol.
Sep 5, 2014
Happy Friday
Those
who live as if there is no tomorrow and those who live as if there
are endless tomorrows are both wrong.
I try to live like every day is worth celebrating, especially on a Happy Friday!
I try to live like every day is worth celebrating, especially on a Happy Friday!
Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest Winners
Since 1982 the English
Department at San Jose State University has sponsored the
Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, a whimsical literary competition
that challenges entrants to compose the opening sentence to the
worst of all possible novels. LINK Fun
read for all.
Baseball Trivia
The only man who hit a home run, but did
not score on it was former Major League baseball player Benji
Molina. He was so slow that he once hit a home run that he never
scored on. What happened was Molina hit a home run that initially
was ruled a single and a pinch runner, Emmanuel Burris was put in.
However, manager Bruce Bochy challenged the call and it was ultimately ruled a home run, but because the pinch runner had already been put in, the umpires ruled that Molina could not go back out to complete the home run. Burris was given credit for scoring the run, while Molina was credited with hitting the home run.
However, manager Bruce Bochy challenged the call and it was ultimately ruled a home run, but because the pinch runner had already been put in, the umpires ruled that Molina could not go back out to complete the home run. Burris was given credit for scoring the run, while Molina was credited with hitting the home run.
Smartphone Tips
Want to capture something on your phone's screen? Try this
iPhone - Press and hold the Home button along with the Sleep/Wake button. You should hear a shutter click. The screenshot will appear in your Camera Roll or Saved Photos section.
Android - Hold the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time. The image is saved to the "Captured Images" folder in your Gallery app. That only works in Android 4.0 and higher. For some Samsung Galaxy phones, hold the home and power off buttons at the same time.
Want to increase the font size to something a bit easier to see?
iPhone
Go to Settings>>General>>Accessibility and turn on Bold Text and Larger Text. You can choose either one or both, depending on your preferences. You will need to restart your phone for Bold Text to take effect.
Android
Go to Settings>>Accessibility. Under Vision, tap Font size and set it to Large. Some phones include an even larger 'Huge' option.
Want to have your phone read things out loud?
iPhone
Go to Settings>>General>>Accessibility and turn on VoiceOver. You will need to do some playing around to get used to it. For example you can touch and drag your fingers around the home screen to have it read what's there. Double tap to activate an app, while one tap will give you details about it. VoiceOver will read directions to you in Maps, have your camera tell you how many people are in your shot, and get spoken photo descriptions. You can also hand write notes and letters on the screen and have VoiceOver translate your messages into text for Mail and other apps.
Android
Go to Settings>>Accessibility and tap TalkBack. If you don't see it, you can download it from the Google Play store. Turn it on and your phone will read whatever you touch on the screen and incoming notifications. To perform a regular swipe gesture, you need to use two fingers instead of one. To adjust your TalkBack settings, go to Settings>>Accessibility and tap Text-to-Speech options. You can adjust the voice engine and speed rate. Then go to Settings and turn on Hands-free mode. This will tell you who is calling or messaging. (I tried this and it was so irritating, that I shut it off)
Want to control your phone camera with voice?
Android
Open the camera app and tap the gear to see the settings. Scroll down to Voice control and turn it on. Now you can take pictures with the commands, "Capture," "Shoot," "Smile" and "Cheese." If your phone doesn't have a built-in camera app with this feature, you'll need a third-party app like Say Cheese.
iPhone - Press and hold the Home button along with the Sleep/Wake button. You should hear a shutter click. The screenshot will appear in your Camera Roll or Saved Photos section.
Android - Hold the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time. The image is saved to the "Captured Images" folder in your Gallery app. That only works in Android 4.0 and higher. For some Samsung Galaxy phones, hold the home and power off buttons at the same time.
Want to increase the font size to something a bit easier to see?
iPhone
Go to Settings>>General>>Accessibility and turn on Bold Text and Larger Text. You can choose either one or both, depending on your preferences. You will need to restart your phone for Bold Text to take effect.
Android
Go to Settings>>Accessibility. Under Vision, tap Font size and set it to Large. Some phones include an even larger 'Huge' option.
Want to have your phone read things out loud?
iPhone
Go to Settings>>General>>Accessibility and turn on VoiceOver. You will need to do some playing around to get used to it. For example you can touch and drag your fingers around the home screen to have it read what's there. Double tap to activate an app, while one tap will give you details about it. VoiceOver will read directions to you in Maps, have your camera tell you how many people are in your shot, and get spoken photo descriptions. You can also hand write notes and letters on the screen and have VoiceOver translate your messages into text for Mail and other apps.
Android
Go to Settings>>Accessibility and tap TalkBack. If you don't see it, you can download it from the Google Play store. Turn it on and your phone will read whatever you touch on the screen and incoming notifications. To perform a regular swipe gesture, you need to use two fingers instead of one. To adjust your TalkBack settings, go to Settings>>Accessibility and tap Text-to-Speech options. You can adjust the voice engine and speed rate. Then go to Settings and turn on Hands-free mode. This will tell you who is calling or messaging. (I tried this and it was so irritating, that I shut it off)
Want to control your phone camera with voice?
Android
Open the camera app and tap the gear to see the settings. Scroll down to Voice control and turn it on. Now you can take pictures with the commands, "Capture," "Shoot," "Smile" and "Cheese." If your phone doesn't have a built-in camera app with this feature, you'll need a third-party app like Say Cheese.
Homogamy, Hypergamy, Hypogamy
This is a marriage between
individuals who are, in some culturally important way, similar to
each other. Homogamy may be based on socioeconomic status, class,
gender, ethnicity, or religion. Concerning age homogamy, there is
an old maxim, "Never date anyone under half your age plus seven."
This rule of thumb is sometimes used to judge whether the age
differences in potential intimate relationships are socially
acceptable within a Western-oriented culture. Homogamy can also
refer to the socialization customs of a particular group; such
that people who are similar in religion, class, gender, or culture
tend to socialize with one another.
Hypergamy, or marrying up is the practice of marrying someone wealthier, or of higher caste or status than oneself. The term is not gender specific, but it is generally used by social scientists to refer to women marrying higher-status men, rather than to men marrying higher-status women.
Hypogamy typically refers to instances of marrying a person of lower social class or status. So, this hypergamist and hypogamist got married and lived happily ever after.
Hypergamy, or marrying up is the practice of marrying someone wealthier, or of higher caste or status than oneself. The term is not gender specific, but it is generally used by social scientists to refer to women marrying higher-status men, rather than to men marrying higher-status women.
Hypogamy typically refers to instances of marrying a person of lower social class or status. So, this hypergamist and hypogamist got married and lived happily ever after.
Scanner Radio App
One of the most
valuable things in an emergency is real-time information. Now you
can add an app to your smartphone to be informed. LINK
Get access to live police, fire, weather, and radio repeaters from around the world and add local stations to a favorites list. This app is free for Apple and Android smartphones.
Get access to live police, fire, weather, and radio repeaters from around the world and add local stations to a favorites list. This app is free for Apple and Android smartphones.
Facebook Messenger
Now that Facebook has decided to separate
the messenger service from Facebook it might be time to look at
whether you want to use it. It only works for Facebook friends, so
you still need another messenger service for non Facebook friends.
The new Messenger allows you to message ONLY your Facebook friends using a Wi-Fi connection or your data plan. It lets you include stickers in your messages and new messages will pop up on your screen while you are using other apps. The app lets you send picture and video messages like other mobile messaging services. Like Skype, now you can call your Facebook friends all over the world for free using your Wi-Fi connection. Of course Skype does not limit calls to only Facebook friends. Seems silly to add another messenger service that can only access some of your contacts. Caveat Emptor and absolutely do read the terms of service.
The new Messenger allows you to message ONLY your Facebook friends using a Wi-Fi connection or your data plan. It lets you include stickers in your messages and new messages will pop up on your screen while you are using other apps. The app lets you send picture and video messages like other mobile messaging services. Like Skype, now you can call your Facebook friends all over the world for free using your Wi-Fi connection. Of course Skype does not limit calls to only Facebook friends. Seems silly to add another messenger service that can only access some of your contacts. Caveat Emptor and absolutely do read the terms of service.
Wall Plug Tip
Wall plugs or outlets have no top or
bottom. Unlike light switches, it does not matter which way is up
or down. However, most buildings have switch-controlled outlets
mounted upside-down with the center hole on top. Normal position
for plugs is to have the center hole below the two prongs. Very
handy to know when moving into a new place and you want to place a
lamp that you want to be controlled by a light switch.
More Google Tips
Google has 12 billion searches per
month. Many people try too hard and become frustrated. Using a few
tricks makes it much easier to quickly find what you want. For
all of these tips, do not type the quote marks.
This is very useful for finding one thing, while eliminating something related - to find a sunbird that is not a car, type "sunbird -car" and Google will eliminate car references or try "beatle -beatles" to get bug info and eliminate the singing group.
Type in a holiday name and it will give you the day and date for the current year.
Put ".." between two numbers and Google will search within that range, as “camera $200..$300” to show cameras within that price range.
To find a definition, type "define:" followed by the word.
If you do not remember a complete headline, book title, song title, etc., fill in the blanks of any search with asterisks (*) and Google will try to complete your search for you.
Search for "Books by" and the name of an author, Google will display all of their works.
If you hit "I'm feeling lucky" without actually typing anything into the search box, you will get a catalog of all the Google doodles.
This is very useful for finding one thing, while eliminating something related - to find a sunbird that is not a car, type "sunbird -car" and Google will eliminate car references or try "beatle -beatles" to get bug info and eliminate the singing group.
Type in a holiday name and it will give you the day and date for the current year.
Put ".." between two numbers and Google will search within that range, as “camera $200..$300” to show cameras within that price range.
To find a definition, type "define:" followed by the word.
If you do not remember a complete headline, book title, song title, etc., fill in the blanks of any search with asterisks (*) and Google will try to complete your search for you.
Search for "Books by" and the name of an author, Google will display all of their works.
If you hit "I'm feeling lucky" without actually typing anything into the search box, you will get a catalog of all the Google doodles.
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