Aug 8, 2014
Happy Friday
The difference between the optimist and pessimist is that the optimist never uses the snooze button.
I do not even wait for the alarm, especially when waking up to a Happy Friday!
What's in a Name
Microsoft’s search engine, Bing
was named “Kumo,” during development, but Microsoft went with
Bing after focus groups said it reminded them of “the moment of
discovery.”
Yelp - The “yel” in “Yelp” comes from “yellow,” and the “p” comes from “pages.” The business listings and ratings site is like an Internet version of the Yellow Pages.
Twitter - It is a microblogging site and users’ posts cannot exceed 140 characters. Those short messages reminded company founders of birds chirping or twittering. Individual posts are known as tweets and the logo is a bird.
Wikipedia - “Wiki” is Hawaiian for “quick,” and “pedia” comes from “encyclopedia.” It is a quick encyclopedia added to and edited by almost anyone.
The Onion - It began as a college newspaper, and founders Tim Keck and Chris Johnson had so little money they ate onion sandwiches. While planning the paper, Keck’s uncle saw them eating onion sandwiches and reportedly said, “You should call the newspaper The Onion.”
Skype - The video phone via Internet service got its name from a shortening of the phrase “sky peer-to-peer,” as users connect person-to-person via the cloud (Internet).
Etsy - Rob Kalin, founder of the marketplace where users buy and sell vintage and handmade goods, wanted a nonsense word, but as he was watching an Italian film, he noticed characters often said “etsi”, which means “oh, yes.”
Pinterest - The name is a combination of “pin” and “interest,” which reflects how the site functions. It is a social network where users share pictures of things they find interesting by “pinning” them on their pin board.
Yelp - The “yel” in “Yelp” comes from “yellow,” and the “p” comes from “pages.” The business listings and ratings site is like an Internet version of the Yellow Pages.
Twitter - It is a microblogging site and users’ posts cannot exceed 140 characters. Those short messages reminded company founders of birds chirping or twittering. Individual posts are known as tweets and the logo is a bird.
Wikipedia - “Wiki” is Hawaiian for “quick,” and “pedia” comes from “encyclopedia.” It is a quick encyclopedia added to and edited by almost anyone.
The Onion - It began as a college newspaper, and founders Tim Keck and Chris Johnson had so little money they ate onion sandwiches. While planning the paper, Keck’s uncle saw them eating onion sandwiches and reportedly said, “You should call the newspaper The Onion.”
Skype - The video phone via Internet service got its name from a shortening of the phrase “sky peer-to-peer,” as users connect person-to-person via the cloud (Internet).
Etsy - Rob Kalin, founder of the marketplace where users buy and sell vintage and handmade goods, wanted a nonsense word, but as he was watching an Italian film, he noticed characters often said “etsi”, which means “oh, yes.”
Pinterest - The name is a combination of “pin” and “interest,” which reflects how the site functions. It is a social network where users share pictures of things they find interesting by “pinning” them on their pin board.
Lonliness vs. Being Alone
Being lonely increases
the risk of everything from heart attacks to dementia, depression
and death. People who are satisfied with their social lives sleep
better, age more slowly, and respond better to vaccines. Those who
have rich social lives and warm relationships do not get as sick and
they live longer. A person can be lonely in a crowd or be alone and
not be lonely.
Research shows, our bodies have evolved so that in situations of perceived social isolation, they trigger branches of the immune system involved in wound healing and bacterial infection. Differences relate most strongly to how lonely people think they are. Ending loneliness is not about spending more time with people, but about our attitude to others. Changing this attitude reduces loneliness more effectively than giving people more opportunities for interaction.
Meditation is typically done while a person is alone and there is evidence that meditation boosts the immune response in vaccine recipients and people with cancer, protects against a relapse in major depression, soothes skin conditions, and even slows the progression of HIV. As with social interaction, meditation works largely by influencing stress response pathways. People who meditate have lower cortisol levels.
In a study of fifty people with advanced lung cancer, those judged by their doctors to have high “spiritual faith” responded better to chemotherapy and survived longer. More than forty percent were still alive after three years, compared with less than ten percent of those judged to have little faith.
Some think that what matters is having a sense of purpose in life. Having an idea of why you are here and what is important increases your sense of control over events. Spending more time doing what you love, whether it is gardening or volunteer work has a similar effect on health. Bottom line, loneliness is more of an attitude than a state of physical being. You have the power to be happy, alone or with others.
Research shows, our bodies have evolved so that in situations of perceived social isolation, they trigger branches of the immune system involved in wound healing and bacterial infection. Differences relate most strongly to how lonely people think they are. Ending loneliness is not about spending more time with people, but about our attitude to others. Changing this attitude reduces loneliness more effectively than giving people more opportunities for interaction.
Meditation is typically done while a person is alone and there is evidence that meditation boosts the immune response in vaccine recipients and people with cancer, protects against a relapse in major depression, soothes skin conditions, and even slows the progression of HIV. As with social interaction, meditation works largely by influencing stress response pathways. People who meditate have lower cortisol levels.
In a study of fifty people with advanced lung cancer, those judged by their doctors to have high “spiritual faith” responded better to chemotherapy and survived longer. More than forty percent were still alive after three years, compared with less than ten percent of those judged to have little faith.
Some think that what matters is having a sense of purpose in life. Having an idea of why you are here and what is important increases your sense of control over events. Spending more time doing what you love, whether it is gardening or volunteer work has a similar effect on health. Bottom line, loneliness is more of an attitude than a state of physical being. You have the power to be happy, alone or with others.
Attitude Changers
Here are some ideas to perk up your
attitude.
Asking people to list three things they are grateful for in life or three events that have gone well during the past week can significantly increase their level of happiness for about a month.
People become much happier after the smallest acts of kindness.
Adding plants to an office results in a fifteen percent boost in the number of creative ideas and helps produce more original solutions to problems.
Lightly touching someone on their upper arm makes them far more likely to agree to a request. In one study, the touch produced a twenty percent increase in the number of people who accepted an invitation to dance in a nightclub and a ten percent increase in those who would give their telephone number to a stranger on the street.
Praising a child’s effort rather than their ability encourages them to try.
Visualizing taking steps required to achieve a goal is more effective than dreaming about the goal.
Asking people to list three things they are grateful for in life or three events that have gone well during the past week can significantly increase their level of happiness for about a month.
People become much happier after the smallest acts of kindness.
Adding plants to an office results in a fifteen percent boost in the number of creative ideas and helps produce more original solutions to problems.
Lightly touching someone on their upper arm makes them far more likely to agree to a request. In one study, the touch produced a twenty percent increase in the number of people who accepted an invitation to dance in a nightclub and a ten percent increase in those who would give their telephone number to a stranger on the street.
Praising a child’s effort rather than their ability encourages them to try.
Visualizing taking steps required to achieve a goal is more effective than dreaming about the goal.
Tricorder Xprize
Qualcomm started a global competition in
2012 that will award ten million US dollars to revolutionize digital
healthcare. The idea is to stimulate innovation and integration of
precision diagnostic technologies, helping consumers make their own
reliable health diagnoses anywhere, anytime.
The device it is seeking will be a tool capable of capturing key health metrics and diagnosing a set of fifteen diseases. Metrics for health could include such elements as blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature. Ultimately, this tool will collect large volumes of data from ongoing measurement of health states through a combination of wireless sensors, imaging technologies, and portable, non-invasive laboratory replacements. The only stated limit on form is that the mass of its components together must be no greater than five pounds. The name comes from the medical device used in Star Trek.
This week, August 4 is the qualifying round for review and selection of the ten finalist teams. The final award will be held in January 2016.
The device it is seeking will be a tool capable of capturing key health metrics and diagnosing a set of fifteen diseases. Metrics for health could include such elements as blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature. Ultimately, this tool will collect large volumes of data from ongoing measurement of health states through a combination of wireless sensors, imaging technologies, and portable, non-invasive laboratory replacements. The only stated limit on form is that the mass of its components together must be no greater than five pounds. The name comes from the medical device used in Star Trek.
This week, August 4 is the qualifying round for review and selection of the ten finalist teams. The final award will be held in January 2016.
Gluten Free Finally Defined
The FDA finally passed a rule
about what it means to be 'gluten free'. "A gluten-free claim means
the food contains less than 20 parts per million of gluten, the
protein found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye."
The three million, roughly .008% of Americans diagnosed with celiac disease are at risk of nutritional deficiencies, infertility, and intestinal cancer if they do not follow a strict gluten-free diet.
The rules do not apply to restaurants, although the FDA was urging them to comply. The agency also warned consumers that some products labeled gluten-free that do not meet the new standards may still be on the shelves.
Last year, gluten-free products accounted for more than $10.5 billion in sales in what has become an overblown fad for many people, for which gluten free may be more harmful to them.
The three million, roughly .008% of Americans diagnosed with celiac disease are at risk of nutritional deficiencies, infertility, and intestinal cancer if they do not follow a strict gluten-free diet.
The rules do not apply to restaurants, although the FDA was urging them to comply. The agency also warned consumers that some products labeled gluten-free that do not meet the new standards may still be on the shelves.
Last year, gluten-free products accounted for more than $10.5 billion in sales in what has become an overblown fad for many people, for which gluten free may be more harmful to them.
Do Not Call
Go to the website https://www.donotcall.gov/
and enter your landline or cell number. There is an e-mail
verification and you are done. You can also call 888-382-1222 from
any phone you want on the list. Your number stays on the list until
you ask for it to be removed or you give up the number.
If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to work at the Do Not Call Registry or Federal Trade Commission and they offer to sign you up if you provide some personal information, do not respond. This is always a scam.
The Do Not Call list keeps you off of for-profit business call lists, but it can take up to 31 days before it goes into effect. If you receive an unexpected sales call after you registered your number, and you have been on the list for 31 days, you may file a complaint. Go to the donotcall.gov site above or call 888-382-1222. You will be asked to provide the date of the call and the company's name or phone number.
Unfortunately, political organizations, charities, and survey takers are still permitted to call you. Businesses you purchased from or made a payment to in the last 18 months also have a right to call. If you ask them not to, they must honor your request. Political and informational robocalls, such as those from health care providers, banks, and schools, are still allowed.
The fine print on free product offers may say the company may send you telemarketing calls.
In spite of frequent email hoaxes, mobile telephone numbers have never been in any danger of being made public or released to telemarketers. The FTC says that unsolicited telemarketing calls or robocalls to cellphones are illegal. If you get unsolicited marketing calls on your cellphone, tell them you do not want to be contacted and you can file a complaint using the information above.
If you sign up and still receive a telemarketing call, it is most likely the person on the other end is a scammer. Legitimate telemarketers do not want to risk a $16,000 fine for disregarding a number on the list.
If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to work at the Do Not Call Registry or Federal Trade Commission and they offer to sign you up if you provide some personal information, do not respond. This is always a scam.
The Do Not Call list keeps you off of for-profit business call lists, but it can take up to 31 days before it goes into effect. If you receive an unexpected sales call after you registered your number, and you have been on the list for 31 days, you may file a complaint. Go to the donotcall.gov site above or call 888-382-1222. You will be asked to provide the date of the call and the company's name or phone number.
Unfortunately, political organizations, charities, and survey takers are still permitted to call you. Businesses you purchased from or made a payment to in the last 18 months also have a right to call. If you ask them not to, they must honor your request. Political and informational robocalls, such as those from health care providers, banks, and schools, are still allowed.
The fine print on free product offers may say the company may send you telemarketing calls.
In spite of frequent email hoaxes, mobile telephone numbers have never been in any danger of being made public or released to telemarketers. The FTC says that unsolicited telemarketing calls or robocalls to cellphones are illegal. If you get unsolicited marketing calls on your cellphone, tell them you do not want to be contacted and you can file a complaint using the information above.
If you sign up and still receive a telemarketing call, it is most likely the person on the other end is a scammer. Legitimate telemarketers do not want to risk a $16,000 fine for disregarding a number on the list.
Tidbits
Pope John Paul II was named an honorary Harlem
Globetrotter in 2000.
The number of words posted each day on Twitter would fill a ten million page book.
The chance of dying on the way to purchase a lottery ticket are greater than the chance of actually winning.
Not True - The average mattress weight doubles every ten years from mites and mites poop.
True - There is a mattress sale every day of the year.
The number of words posted each day on Twitter would fill a ten million page book.
The chance of dying on the way to purchase a lottery ticket are greater than the chance of actually winning.
Not True - The average mattress weight doubles every ten years from mites and mites poop.
True - There is a mattress sale every day of the year.
Wordology, Ambulance
The word 'ambulance' derives from the
Latin 'ambulare', meaning 'to walk or move about'. This gave rise to
the French hôpital (sic) ambulant, meaning mobile hospital. It used
to refer to a temporary medical structure that could be easily
moved, such as movable army medical hospitals. In English, ambulance
first appeared around 1798 and also referred to temporary hospital
structures.
Ambulances were first used for emergency transport in 1487 by the Spanish, and civilian variants were put into operation in the 1830s. Mobile medical transport vehicles were also called ambulances in French and were designed to get injured soldiers off the battlefield and to medical aid during battle. One of the first instances of this was during the Crimean War. During the American Civil War they were known as ambulance wagons.
The first known hospital-based ambulance service was based out of Commercial Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, US, in 1865.
Ambulances were first used for emergency transport in 1487 by the Spanish, and civilian variants were put into operation in the 1830s. Mobile medical transport vehicles were also called ambulances in French and were designed to get injured soldiers off the battlefield and to medical aid during battle. One of the first instances of this was during the Crimean War. During the American Civil War they were known as ambulance wagons.
The first known hospital-based ambulance service was based out of Commercial Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, US, in 1865.
National Hobo Convention
For some odd reason, the ambulance
reminded me that beginning this week, August 7-10-2014 is the
National Hobo Convention in Britt, Iowa (close to Mason City and
Clear Lake). There is a parade on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. "Some in
rags, some in tags, some in velvet gowns."
Hobos are migratory workers, some with a special skill or trade, others ready to work at any task, but always willing to work to make his way. The tramp is a traveling non-worker, moving from town to town, but never willing to work for the handouts he begs for. A bum is the lowest class, too lazy to roam around and never works.
There will be marching bands, queens, business floats, children, adults, and hobos all come down the streets in one long line and share the fun that only a Hobo Convention can provide. Following the parade, mulligan stew is available. Other events during the weekend include a 5K & 10K Walk/Run, Hobo King & Queen coronation, Hobo Museum, Hobo Auction, Hobo Memorial Service, Vagabond Craft show, and Outdoor Classic Car Show.
Hobos are migratory workers, some with a special skill or trade, others ready to work at any task, but always willing to work to make his way. The tramp is a traveling non-worker, moving from town to town, but never willing to work for the handouts he begs for. A bum is the lowest class, too lazy to roam around and never works.
There will be marching bands, queens, business floats, children, adults, and hobos all come down the streets in one long line and share the fun that only a Hobo Convention can provide. Following the parade, mulligan stew is available. Other events during the weekend include a 5K & 10K Walk/Run, Hobo King & Queen coronation, Hobo Museum, Hobo Auction, Hobo Memorial Service, Vagabond Craft show, and Outdoor Classic Car Show.
Aug 1, 2014
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