FINEST KIND CLINIC AND FISHMARKET.... Discussing medicine, culture, and the joys of cooking Pansit.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Robin preparing dye
Christmas!
Feels like Christmas website has lots of freebie christmas music in mp3 downloads.
and they link with the coloringspot if you want christmas theme clipart.
and they link with the coloringspot if you want christmas theme clipart.
News below the fold
Do you travel like Homer Simpson or Mr Spock?
I removed the rest of the post because it's too depressing and after all it's christmas...
I removed the rest of the post because it's too depressing and after all it's christmas...
Saturday, December 20, 2008
FAMILY NEWS
Robin is teaching a class next week on textile design using dye, so went to Manila to pick up supplies.
I am sick at home with bronchitis.
I didn't sleep well last night, because mama cat decided to miscarry on our bed...had to clean up and change the linen at midnight...luckily we have an undersheet so the mattress is okay...poor thing, we'd get her fixed, but we spent lots of money getting the two female dogs fixed, and it didn't stop them from having puppies....
The internet is off and on: Chano is "fixing" the system, which means he moves the wireless router in a cabinet, so that the signal to my room is blocked by two concrete walls, but it looks nice and neat (Duh)...I just rehung the router underneathe the shelf so we have a weak connection (only one concrete wall for the signal to go through)...
As you can tell, I'm in a bad mood.
I am sick at home with bronchitis.
I didn't sleep well last night, because mama cat decided to miscarry on our bed...had to clean up and change the linen at midnight...luckily we have an undersheet so the mattress is okay...poor thing, we'd get her fixed, but we spent lots of money getting the two female dogs fixed, and it didn't stop them from having puppies....
The internet is off and on: Chano is "fixing" the system, which means he moves the wireless router in a cabinet, so that the signal to my room is blocked by two concrete walls, but it looks nice and neat (Duh)...I just rehung the router underneathe the shelf so we have a weak connection (only one concrete wall for the signal to go through)...
As you can tell, I'm in a bad mood.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
News below the fold
Most drug overdose deaths are of druggies trying to get high, not by people in pain...
The "editorial" warns doctors to be more careful...
Uh, fellahs, most of the deaths I have seen were druggies who stole the pain pills from my patients or bought the medicine on the street.
----------------------
I had assumed Palin's church burned down at night...now the WAPO reports that children were inside the church when the fire was set..and accelerants were poured at the exits...Hmm...they must have been inspired by this
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Two China stories you may have missed: the return of Chinese nationalism, and the return of Confucius
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Torture: It's not just for terrorists anymore:
Noise polluters sentenced to listen to Barry Manilow
The "editorial" warns doctors to be more careful...
Uh, fellahs, most of the deaths I have seen were druggies who stole the pain pills from my patients or bought the medicine on the street.
----------------------
I had assumed Palin's church burned down at night...now the WAPO reports that children were inside the church when the fire was set..and accelerants were poured at the exits...Hmm...they must have been inspired by this
-----------------------------------
Two China stories you may have missed: the return of Chinese nationalism, and the return of Confucius
-----------------------
Torture: It's not just for terrorists anymore:
Noise polluters sentenced to listen to Barry Manilow
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
The Hubble Space Telescope Advent Calander
In January 2002, a dull star in an obscure constellation suddenly became 600,000 times more luminous than our Sun, temporarily making it the brightest star in our galaxy. The star, called V838 Monocerotis, has long since faded back to obscurity, but observations of a phenomenon called a "light echo" around the star have uncovered remarkable new features over the following years (this animation covers two years' time). The light echo is light from the earlier explosion echoing off dust surrounding the star. Light from the outburst traveled to the dust and then was reflected to Earth. Because of this indirect path, the light arrived at Earth months after light from the star that traveled directly from the star. (NASA, ESA) More (see this on Google Sky) check out link at Boston.com for some of the most amazing Hubble photos...
Star wars the musical
The Laughing Squidblog posts photos...
but why does C3Po look like the tin woodsman with Pecs? and R2D2 look like a trash bin?
The "we're all gonna die" post of the day
NASA reports a giant breach in the earth's magnetic fields...more HERE
Nat Geo news says the earth's magnetic fields are changing fast, and might flip in the "near" future...
Freeper Codetoad explains what it means in plain english:
The various layers of Earth’s atmosphere block various types of particles from the sun...The article basically says we’re about to get a doze of higher than normal electromagnetic radiation, which will be seen to Radio Frequency (RF) communications, like cell phones and radios, as additional noise. Humans won’t even notice anything.
The Sun has been very quite for the past few years (but) If that changes as it is expected to, we might get hit with a good dose of solar radiation that we have not experienced in modern science. The outcome isn’t chaos except for maybe a bunch of technical devices like satellites and cell phones. They might get interfered with.
So if the sunspots return, there goes your cellphones, folks.Tuesday, December 16, 2008
New Photo Blog
I just got a new camera, and Ruby likes to take photos.
So I am posting the photos on a new blog:the BCCC Gapan Photo Blog.
With Robin coming tonite, we will probably fill it up with photos.
So I am posting the photos on a new blog:the BCCC Gapan Photo Blog.
With Robin coming tonite, we will probably fill it up with photos.
Something to ponder about
"...I remember a day I forgot and made some reference to God; I could see the surprise and the near-horror in their eyes. "Wladimir Martinovich," said one little girl, "is it possible that you believe in God, a smart man like you? How can you still let yourself be influenced by unscientific stories about God and religion?" She was perhaps in the seventh grade. I didn't want them to go away without an answer, so I told them they would come across the idea of God wherever they went; it was a serious problem that troubled many people, and they would make a serious mistake if they didn't consider it carefully and try to solve it for themselves...."
read the link for some serious deja vu
read the link for some serious deja vu
Monday, December 15, 2008
But I thought Hobbits walked barefoot...
for the knitters among you, you can join the Lord of the Rings Sock club at link....
As for hobbits, the UniqueSheep has a pattern for sale to make hobbit feet socks...
Craft item of the day
ReeseDixonBlog has instructions on how to make a quilled Snowflake Christmas ornament.(headsup Craftzine)
wittyliving has quilling tutorials...
Gift item of the day
A USB Doomsday device...
use the USB Doomsday Device as a 4 port USB hub. No one will mess with you with this baby on your desk.
---------------
and check out more suggestions at Webecoist...
.
Stuff below the fold
New treatment eliminates heel pain...
Duh...it's the same old steroid injection but using an ultrasound to make sure you hit the right spot.
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Transplanted fat cells may help spinal cord injury.
the scientists turned fat cells into stem cells, and these grew back the injured nerves..
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artificial hands that can "feel"?
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The MRI can diagnose Multiple Sclerosis, but we also see the same changes in normal people.
Now, a survey shows that one third of "normal" people with this on their MRI will develop symptoms of MS in five years...
what about the others? No problems...so far...
-------------------
Ecology pioneer Lester Brown's lecture on how to save the Earth at WGBH (streaming audio/video).
-----------------------------
Also on WGBH (streaming only) is DavidMoore pf Gallup polls explaining how polls manufacture opinions, not merely report the news.
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Gollum and Einstein and Dorrit, oh my.
Andy Serkis gets an interview at the UKTimes.
Duh...it's the same old steroid injection but using an ultrasound to make sure you hit the right spot.
-----------------------
Transplanted fat cells may help spinal cord injury.
the scientists turned fat cells into stem cells, and these grew back the injured nerves..
---------------
artificial hands that can "feel"?
---------------------
The MRI can diagnose Multiple Sclerosis, but we also see the same changes in normal people.
Now, a survey shows that one third of "normal" people with this on their MRI will develop symptoms of MS in five years...
what about the others? No problems...so far...
-------------------
Ecology pioneer Lester Brown's lecture on how to save the Earth at WGBH (streaming audio/video).
-----------------------------
Also on WGBH (streaming only) is DavidMoore pf Gallup polls explaining how polls manufacture opinions, not merely report the news.
-------------------
Gollum and Einstein and Dorrit, oh my.
Andy Serkis gets an interview at the UKTimes.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Music download pages
Muzyka Dawna page
and for those who like music from the age of the Tudors, check Robert Parsons project.
and more free downloads HERE...both classical and Christmas music
and for those who like music from the age of the Tudors, check Robert Parsons project.
and more free downloads HERE...both classical and Christmas music
LA Times editorial blasts South Africa for it's failure to pressure Mugabe
good article, but ignores that politics and international organizations are stopping anyone from sending in the Marines (or the UK SAS)...
my rant about stopping genocide HERE...
my rant about stopping genocide HERE...
Music of the Spheres
Riding with Robots 2008 Holiday Card from Bill Dunford on Vimeo.
(HEADSUP FROM mU'A'VO MU' KLINGON WORD FROM THE WORD BLOG, who has a klingon podcast, which I haven't listened to, but linked as a headsup for Trekkies).
The Robots card's site was from the Japanese probe that is taking high definition photos from the moon. their Youtube site is HERE.
I just heard about the Japanese probe from Astronomy Podcast, a nice link for those of you interested in stars, nebula, gravity and other such things).
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Craft item of the day
Hate to throw out all that lovely lint you clean from your clothes drier?
Instructables tells you how to use it to make home made paper
(headsup Scribbit Blog)
(here in the Philippines, our "drier" is a separate spinner, that removes most of the moisture and then we hang the clothes up in the sun, or under the roof in the dry season...during the monsoon, we have to iron things to get them really dry.)
Instructables tells you how to use it to make home made paper
(headsup Scribbit Blog)
(here in the Philippines, our "drier" is a separate spinner, that removes most of the moisture and then we hang the clothes up in the sun, or under the roof in the dry season...during the monsoon, we have to iron things to get them really dry.)
Wreaths across America
laying wreaths in Arlington National Cemetery...
In 1992, the Worcester Wreath company started to donate wreaths to decorate graves in Arlington Cemetery; the idea has now spread across the country; over 350 communities are now laying wreaths in local Veteran's cemeteries or on memorials to the war dead.
Bagpipes
(headsup the anchoress)
------------------
However, it's not really a joke:LINK
Photo: INS
Cornmarket's bagpiping busker is flying back to his native Australia after the council banned him from playing in Oxford City centre.
The bagpiper, Heath Richardson, had breached the rules of his contract by playing for too long at his favourite Cornmarket pitch.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Oh great
now there are reports of Ebola viruses in pigs...there goes the Lechon...
actually it's the Reston strain that doesn't infect humans (see the Hot Zone)....or rather infects humans but doesn't make them sick
--------------------------
update: Whoops:
The infected pigs were from Santo Nino in Bulacan province, Pinagpanaan in Nueva Ecija province and Manaoag in Pangasinan province
More HERE.
Guess they'll have to confiscate teacups
England has confiscated guns and dangerous knives, so one shop keeper had to resort to more basic weapons:
She threw the tea in the face of one robber as he came towards her. "He staggered back a bit and his friend was still hanging around so I threw my empty mug at his face."
(the robbers ran away before she could use her third "weapon": A bottle of whiskey).
Rant stuff
Ah, Chicago style politics... John Kass explains....
My take here...reminds me of Manila...where no one knows anything either.
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more rants on BNN include:
My take here...reminds me of Manila...where no one knows anything either.
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more rants on BNN include:
- Cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe, 10 Dec 2008
- Obama sends the wrong signal to Russia, 07 Dec 2008
- Global Warming makes a convenient scapegoat, 05 Dec 2008
The Twelve days of Christmas
The world's largest Christmas tree display rises up the slopes of Monte Ingino outside of Gubbio, in Italy's Umbria region.Composed of about 500 lights connected by 40,000 feet of wire, the 'tree' is a modern marvel for an ancient city
====================
Did you ever wonder about the weird things listed in the carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas"?
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were
not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone
during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning
plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each
element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality
which the children could remember.
-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
And did you know the 12 days of Christmas are not the 12 days before Christmas, but are the 12 days that the church celebrates, from December 25 to the feast of the Three Kings?
So there is your history for today....from an email from Col Updraft
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Hero of the day
Off duty Okie state trooper honored for stopping massacre at restaurant.
"It was one of those deals of being in the right place at the right time," Robinson said. "I believe he would have loaded up that gun and gone to town because he was praying for Allah to help him carry out his mission."
(note: the perpetrator was not a Muslim, merely crazy)
Craft item of the day
Christmas star update
the latest theory on the Christmas star...
Jesus was born in June? heh. I always thought he was born in April, during lambing season (which is why the shepherds were in the fields instead of home in bed).
Doesn't bother me a bit...StPaul said don't get your knickers in a knot about when to celebrate feast days.
(headsup AmericanPapist)
The researchers claim the 'Christmas star' was most likely a magnificent conjunction of the planets Venus and Jupiter, which were so close together they would have shone unusually brightly as a single "beacon of light" which appeared suddenly.
Jesus was born in June? heh. I always thought he was born in April, during lambing season (which is why the shepherds were in the fields instead of home in bed).
Doesn't bother me a bit...StPaul said don't get your knickers in a knot about when to celebrate feast days.
(headsup AmericanPapist)
HelloKitty Military patch
HellokittyHell reports on a (homemade) HelloKitty Military patch
coming to a recruiting station near you.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Science news you can use
Will carbon nanotubes let us make space elevators...
NewScientist says no...and discusses some of the problems.
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Headlines of the day;Juiced-up bug builds better biofuel
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If the year seems too long, maybe the problem is that 2008 will be one second longer than usual...don't forget to adjust your clocks.
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on the other hand, we are told solar wind is at a 50 year low...this is good for satellites but what happens when it comes back again?
NewScientist says no...and discusses some of the problems.
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Headlines of the day;Juiced-up bug builds better biofuel
------------------------------
If the year seems too long, maybe the problem is that 2008 will be one second longer than usual...don't forget to adjust your clocks.
----------------------
on the other hand, we are told solar wind is at a 50 year low...this is good for satellites but what happens when it comes back again?
Ah, I see they have their priorities right
Drudge's headlines are "Crook county" with 8 links to news stories.
Google news top story is "
Governor's arrest: Cars race up, footsteps, a phone rings
Chicago Tribune -36 minutes ago
By John Chase | Tribune reporter Just minutes before 6 am Tuesday, a pair of black sedans and an SUV raced up Richmond Street toward the personal residence of Gov.
with 3000+ other news stories.
But my Yahoo page?
Google news top story is "
 ABC News |
Chicago Tribune -
By John Chase | Tribune reporter Just minutes before 6 am Tuesday, a pair of black sedans and an SUV raced up Richmond Street toward the personal residence of Gov.
with 3000+ other news stories.
But my Yahoo page?
Dec 10, 2008 
Oprah reveals her weight
The talk-show queen admits she's "fallen off the wagon" when it comes to staying healthy. » 'I'm embarrassed'
Oprah 'embarrassed' about weight gain
Illinois governor arrested in corruption probe
Disgruntled star is leaving 'Grey's Anatomy'
Why Scorpios are more likely to get asthma
» More:FeaturedBuzz
which maybe is why Yahoo is going broke (although I love their email)...
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Sigh. It almost makes you wish for the good old days of Clinton's corrupt friends....at least he didn't hang around with confessed bomb throwers militant pacifists who claim they would never hurt a fly....(uh tell that to Brian McDonnell)....
which maybe is why Yahoo is going broke (although I love their email)...
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Sigh. It almost makes you wish for the good old days of Clinton's corrupt friends....at least he didn't hang around with confessed bomb throwers militant pacifists who claim they would never hurt a fly....(uh tell that to Brian McDonnell)....
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Anime Classics
We have a lot of Japanese cartoons on TV...both traditional (Samurai X) and remakes of traditional stories.
A list of World Masterpiece Theatre cartoons is HERE, but there are other companies that make similar classic stories.
I've already seen Heidi on one of our channels, but now I find they have made Trapp Family Story....no, not the sentimental Sound of Music but family stories...
and unlike the American type "cute kids" stories where the kids are really bad and their bad behavior "forgiven" (winked at, sen
ding the message behaving bad is okay) the series is big on moralizing and shame for disobedience, but sympathetic to the idea that too strict rules that overlook being human isn't good either.Being true to the story? Japanese culture? I don't know, but it's a nice contrast to Disney's "being a rich beautiful rule breaking rock star brat superstar" type stories which is the alternative...
Monday, December 08, 2008
Zunegate is a false alarm
The big story isn't the elusive Obama birth certificate, it's whether or not he uses an ipod or a Zune...
Earlier, he was spotted with a Zune, but it turns out he only "borrowed" it from a friend, so he wasn't covering up...
Earlier, he was spotted with a Zune, but it turns out he only "borrowed" it from a friend, so he wasn't covering up...
Headlines below the fold
America's first Vietnamese-American Congressman was elected...from Louisiana.
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WaPost mentions the real problem with marriage: not gay marriage per se but that the sexual revolution resulted in some men refusing to marry the mothers of their children.
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Mumbai attack was bad, but SenseOfEventsBlog worries what would happen if someone shot up a stadium?
-----------------------
Tainted food: It's not just China:
Ireland has to recall tainted pork...the pigs were fed contaminated feed.
---------------------
I argue that Obama is sending the wrong signals to Russia, and Hillary isn't a good idea either....
------------------
and the headlines here in the Philippines:
Paquiao wins over DeLaHoya
in a TKO in the 8th.
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WaPost mentions the real problem with marriage: not gay marriage per se but that the sexual revolution resulted in some men refusing to marry the mothers of their children.
-------------------------
Mumbai attack was bad, but SenseOfEventsBlog worries what would happen if someone shot up a stadium?
-----------------------
Tainted food: It's not just China:
Ireland has to recall tainted pork...the pigs were fed contaminated feed.
---------------------
I argue that Obama is sending the wrong signals to Russia, and Hillary isn't a good idea either....
------------------
and the headlines here in the Philippines:
Paquiao wins over DeLaHoya
in a TKO in the 8th.
Remembering the Japanese attack
In the US, December 7 is the day the war started, but here in the Philippines, it is December 8th, with the attack coming on a Monday when a lot of people were in church celebrating a feastday of Mama Mary (the Immaculate Conception).
I asked Lolo what he remembers, and he said he remembered his mother decided to leave town for the farm; he was still a boy, but he carried Remedios, and halfway there they had to stop to sleep by a river and chase snakes...
I asked Lolo what he remembers, and he said he remembered his mother decided to leave town for the farm; he was still a boy, but he carried Remedios, and halfway there they had to stop to sleep by a river and chase snakes...
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Medical news you can use
Expecting?
Well, have your baby in HelloKitty Hospital...
The 30-bed Hau Sheng Hospital in Yuanlin in central Taiwan claims to be the only institution of its kind authorized by the popular cartoon cat's parent company Sanrio Co Ltd.
Newborns get everything Hello Kitty but a set of whiskers, including pink or blue receiving blankets, nurses dressed in pink uniforms with cat-themed aprons, cot linen and room decor. In the lobby, a Hello Kitty statue in a doctor's uniform greets patients, and twice a year people in feline costumes visit mothers and children.
The cat's likeness even shows up on birth certificate covers.
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Hmm...Maybe that's the reason that Obama won't release his birth certificate.
Your heartwarming story of the day
Fluffy is back home...after being lost in Yellowstone for three months, thanks to a wonderful lady who fed and trapped her to send her back to the heartbroken girls in Houston.
(photo BillSmithIIChronicle)
Ah, the good old days
The year is 1908.
One hundred years ago.
What a difference a century makes!
Here are some statistics for the Year 1908 :
************ ********* ********* ******
The average life expectancy was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
The average wage in 1908 was 22 cents per hour.
The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year .
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year,
A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .
Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard. '
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from Entering into their country for any reason.
Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars.
The population of Las Vegas , Nevada, was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea Hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter
at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin
clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind,regulates the
stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health.' (
Shocking? DUH! )
Eighteen percent of households had at least
One full-time servant or domestic help.
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE ! U.S.A. !
Your email of the day from Col Updraft
Friday, December 05, 2008
Craft item of the day
Dave Barry's Christmas gift ideas
go to link and put down coffee first...
one suggestion:
Why would you want to fry an egg in the shape of a pistol? We can think of hundreds of possible reasons. One is, you are insane. Or, an insane person is holding a real gun against your temple and ordering you to fry an egg shaped like a gun. Or, you simply want to make sure that nobody ever asks you to cook breakfast again. The list just goes on and on.
$7.95 plus shipping and handling from Amazon.com. Suggested by LaDawn Haws of Chico, Calif.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
How to brew beer
Expert video site has 15 videos on how to brew different types of beer at link.
In the Philippines, we have imported beer, but the local favorite is San Mig...
1988 commercial
In the Philippines, we have imported beer, but the local favorite is San Mig...
1988 commercial
stuff below the fold
Savagechicken link
I'll drink to that....
scientists in the US are creating a beer that contains the same compound found in red wine, which has been linked to good health and longevity. Labelled BioBeer, the brew is made from a genetically modified brewer's yeast, which produces resveratrol.
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In the US, I've seen the sides of buildings painted with scenery
But in Japan, they have Manga painted trains.
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Have you been naughty or nice, asks ZooilogixBlog
Because if you're naughty, Santa no longer uses carbon emissions coal to put in your stocking...he recycles Rudolf Droppings...
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worm glue might help hold artificial hips in place.
and then there are "roach motels" for germs: the tiny 1-5 miscron sized globes are sticky, so germs get stuck and can't spread.
Headlines below the fold
Generic heart medicines are just as good as brand names, says the headline.
Bullcrappie, says I, and I explain why in a BNNrant.
-------------------------
Sigh. Zimbabwe getting worse.
Pray for my friends there...
---------------------------
UN Climate talks produced 13000 tons of Carbon...
---------------------------
Colleges now costing so much that the middle class can't afford tuition...
Well, then attend community college, or come to the Philippines to get a degree.
However, in these days when I can hear podcasts from Berkeley and Yale for free, can someone explain to me why tuition is so high?
==========
and the most shocking report of the day: Obama uses a ZUNE...but how can that be, when he also claims to use a MAC...
Can you say "coverup"?
;-)
Bullcrappie, says I, and I explain why in a BNNrant.
-------------------------
Sigh. Zimbabwe getting worse.
Pray for my friends there...
---------------------------
UN Climate talks produced 13000 tons of Carbon...
---------------------------
Colleges now costing so much that the middle class can't afford tuition...
Well, then attend community college, or come to the Philippines to get a degree.
However, in these days when I can hear podcasts from Berkeley and Yale for free, can someone explain to me why tuition is so high?
==========
and the most shocking report of the day: Obama uses a ZUNE...but how can that be, when he also claims to use a MAC...
Can you say "coverup"?
;-)
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Stuff below the fold
Lifesaver...no, it's not what you think, it's a way to get Celox (the powder that clots blood and stops hemorrhages) into penetrating wounds.
----------------------
TeaatTrianon discusses Pennsylvania coalmininghistory and links to this history site.
===================
Pinoys develop bomb disposal robot on the cheap...
----------------------
Hating Israel is real,
-------------------
Korea Times discusses why the much touted SouthKorean financed industrial complex in North Korea is a scam...that is falling apart, along with the rest of their economy.
-------------------
and YUM
SpaceBeer: space beer, brewed from barley cultivated in the International Space Station in 2006 in Tokyo on Dec. 2, 2008. Japan's beer giant Sapporo will produce 100 liters of the 5.5 percent alcoholic brew which are not for sale in the next year. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)
Ah, for the good old days
Col updraft passes along this chain email about the good old days of 1500...
THE 1500'S
The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water..
Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying . It's raining cats and dogs.
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house..This posed a real problem in the bed-room where bugs and other drop-pings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt.. Hence the saying, Dirt poor. The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a thresh hold.
(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)
In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving left-overs in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old..
Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, bring home the bacon. They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat..
Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust.
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake.
England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, saved by the bell or was considered a ..dead ringer..
And that's the truth...Now, whoever said History was boring ! ! !
THE 1500'S
The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water..
Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying . It's raining cats and dogs.
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house..This posed a real problem in the bed-room where bugs and other drop-pings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt.. Hence the saying, Dirt poor. The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a thresh hold.
(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)
In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving left-overs in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old..
Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, bring home the bacon. They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and chew the fat..
Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust.
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a wake.
England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, saved by the bell or was considered a ..dead ringer..
And that's the truth...Now, whoever said History was boring ! ! !
Family news
The house has been busy making hand made capiz flower lamps for Christmas presents...they are up late at night.
We built a gate so we didn't have to keep the watch dog chained in the garden...he used to jump over the five foot gate...well, now he can climb over the six foot (smooth) wall...and he bit one of the workers, but not badly.
Oh well.
The black dog's puppies are at the "cute" stage but not eating yet...we figure they will be given to people for christmas presents...
And the small white dog's four puppies alas look like the large watchdog...we had tried to mate her to our other small white dog, but she got lose...
Ruby is fine...she climbs over the wall all the time too...
We had brownout last night until 10 am...so no jogging at 5 am (no street lights)...the internet has been out for 2 plus days and is now back on...
We are waiting for Robin to arrive on the 16th for a visit.
We built a gate so we didn't have to keep the watch dog chained in the garden...he used to jump over the five foot gate...well, now he can climb over the six foot (smooth) wall...and he bit one of the workers, but not badly.
Oh well.
The black dog's puppies are at the "cute" stage but not eating yet...we figure they will be given to people for christmas presents...
And the small white dog's four puppies alas look like the large watchdog...we had tried to mate her to our other small white dog, but she got lose...
Ruby is fine...she climbs over the wall all the time too...
We had brownout last night until 10 am...so no jogging at 5 am (no street lights)...the internet has been out for 2 plus days and is now back on...
We are waiting for Robin to arrive on the 16th for a visit.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Headlines below the fold
Stuff you may have missed:
Is that a fly in your soup, or is the Army bugging you...
MAV's, bugsized robots, are coming...
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Hundreds of thousands of Colombians have demonstrated all over their country against FARC...
guess it wasn't newsworthy next to the 4 million who demonstrated last July...
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...killing someone is more stressful than being hurt by a IED ...
The U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) has found that those who had killed someone in combat were 40 percent more likely to show symptoms of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). or similar symptoms found in those who suffered concussions from roadside bombs.
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It's now official: Grandmom is best...
"Recent growth in the number of grandparents providing childcare has some observers concerned they don't adhere to modern safety practices," said lead study author David Bishai, MD, PhD, MPH, a professor with the Bloomberg School's Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health. "To the contrary, this research tells us not only is there no evidence to support this assumption, but families that choose grandparents to care for their children experience fewer child injuries."
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And is the UK turning into a nanny state?
As part of a £30,000 health and safety scheme, flip-flops are to be given free to drunk women to prevent injuries on their walk home...
Next step, the UK and Mayor Blumberg will outlaw high heels...
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