Breaking the Wishbone for Luck

Breaking the Wishbone for Luck

The tradition of pulling apart the wishbone, or clavicle, may be as much as 2,500 years old. Ancient Etruscans in what is now Italy kept chickens in their temples to aid priests in interpreting signs of the future. When one of the sacred birds died, the collarbone was dried and saved. Believers would stroke the bone and then make a wish.

The ancient Romans, who came to live in Italy after the Etruscans, believed chickens had special powers. When sacred chicken bones from the temple became scarce, the people began breaking the collarbone of the chicken in half to create more 
bones for others.

The Romans carried the custom with them when they conquered the British Isles. The British were the first to believe good luck would come to the person left with the head of the bone still attached, or the “lucky break.” 

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Thanksgiving Day 28-11-2013

Thanksgiving Day 28-11-2013

Source: The First Thanksgiving 1621

http://loc.gov/pictures/item/2001699850/

Throughout history, people have given thanks - sometimes in joyful celebration, often in solemn, even prayerful, ceremony. The United States, over hundreds of years, has come to observe a national holiday for giving thanks. Thanksgiving: family and friends, crisp fall weather, orange and gold leaves, football, turkey, pumpkin pie.

A legendary Thanksgiving celebration was held in 1621. The  terrible winter of the previous year had been difficult for the Pilgrims. Many of the Pilgrims had died because of illness and lack of shelter. The Thanksgiving celebration was held after the Pilgrims had their first harvest-after they had gathered their first crops.

The writings of the Pilgrims tell us that about 140 people attended the three-day celebration. Ninety of the people were  Wampanoag men. About 50 people were Pilgrims. Only four of the Pilgrims at the party were women. The feast was held outside because the Pilgrims did not have a building large enough to hold so many people.

The Pilgrims were thankful for the harvest and for the help of the Wampanoag in teaching them to grow crops in America. Without their help, the Pilgrims would have had little to eat. The menu for the first Thanksgiving included venison, or deer meat, and  fowl, which included ducks, geese, and turkeys. Sea bass, cod fish, cornmeal, 
fruits and vegetables were also served.  

Games were played, and singing and dancing were also part of the celebration. Praises were given  to God for the harvest and for the Pilgrims that survived the harsh winter.

Thanksgiving in America is now celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. Families prepare a meal similar to the meal prepared by the Pilgrims and Wampanoag 400 years ago. It is a time for counting the blessings received during the year and for spending time with family and friends.  

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A Reptile of Many Talents

A Reptile of Many Talents

1. Chameleons are lizards, and lizards are reptiles, like snakes, crocodiles, and tortoises. There are about 4,000 kinds of lizards altogether, including around 120 different chameleons. Just over half of all the types of chameleons come from Madagascar, a big island off the east coast of Africa. Most of the others live in mainland Africa. 

2. What animal has feet like a parrot, can see in more than one direction at a time, and has a tongue that can move with incredible speed? It’s not a bird. It’s not a frog. It’s a chameleon.

3. Some lizards eat bananas-chameleons don’t. Some lizards walk upside down on the ceiling-chameleons can’t. There’s even a lizard that glides from tree to tree-a chameleon certainly wouldn’t do that! But of all the different kinds of lizards,  chameleons are the best. 

4. It’s not that they’re all that big. The biggest is only about the size of a small cat. It’s called Oustalet’s chameleon and it lives in Madagascar. They can be really, really small, though. The smallest one could balance happily on your little finger. It’s called the Dwarf Brookesia, and it lives in Madagascar too.  

5. And I suppose you wouldn’t exactly call many of them beautiful. Their skin is wrinkly and bumpy, and they’ve got big bulgy eyes, while lots of them have the most ridiculous noses! 

6. Their mouths are pretty odd, too. They turn down at the corners, which is why chameleons always look grumpy. Actually, they don’t just look grumpy. They are grumpy. So if two chameleons bump into each other, things can get pretty lively. There’s lots of puffing and hissing - and sometimes, there’s a real fight. And that’s when chameleons do what they’re famous for - they change color. A chameleon will fight only with the same kind of chameleon as itself. 

7. Lots of people think chameleons change color to match their surroundings. They don’t! They change color when they’re angry, or when they’re too cold or too hot, or when they’re sick. And there are some sorts of chameleons that hardly change color at all. 

8. A chameleon’s feet are shaped like pincers for holding onto branches tightly. 

9. As a rule, though, chameleons don’t bump into one another all that often. I suppose it wouldn’t be fair to call them lazy, but they certainly don’t move any more than they have to. And when they do, it’s almost always incredibly slowly. Sometimes they stop completely in midstep, as if they’ve forgotten what they’re supposed to be doing. But if you look closely, you’ll see that they’re actually carefully peering about. 

10. Most of a chameleon’s eye is covered in skin, like the rest of its body.

11. Now, peering about is something chameleons are rather good at. That’s because their eyes can move separately from each other, unlike our eyes, which always move together. So while one eye is looking back over the chameleon’s shoulder, the other one is scanning the branches ahead. As soon as it spots something tasty, the chameleon fixes both eyes on its prey and begins to creep forward - even more slowly than usual. Then it opens its mouth just a crack, and . . . 

12. Out shoots this amazingly long tongue with a sticky tip at the end, like a piece of well-chewed chewing gum. thwap! 

13. There’s a tiny peephole in the middle that the chameleon sees through. 

14. Chameleons feed on all sorts of creepy crawlies. The big ones also eat small birds, mice, and even other chameleons. 

15. Then the tongue flies back, and there’s a lot of chomping and chewing, and perhaps a few bits of insect leg fluttering to the ground. And after that the chameleon just sits there for an hour or two, doing nothing at all, looking quite exhausted ( and still grumpy) after all that hard work. 

16. Most lizards gulp their food down without chewing it, but chameleons grind everything up thoroughly! 

17. If you’ve ever looked closely at a chameleon’s toes, you’ll see they have parrot-like feet. Each foot has five toes grouped as two together on the outside and three together on the inside. 

18. They have extremely long tongues, sometimes even longer than their body length.

19. Most chameleons are found in Africa, but a few species have been found other places around the world, including Asia, India, and the United States. 

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Some Amazing Facts

Some Amazing Facts

 Source: http://thumbpress.com/20-mind-blowing-facts-you-probably-didnt-know/

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Fun facts about Pomeranian dogs

Fun facts about Pomeranian dogs

The Pomeranian is one of they toy breeds and weighs between 3 and 7 pounds (there are larger poms, and although not to the breed standard, they still make wonderful loving pets!). Intelligent and vivacious, these little dogs will steal your heart, but don't let them get away with too much as they must be properly trained or they will become too demanding. With proper care your Pom can live to about 15 years old.

1. Did you know the Pomeranian was once a much larger dog that weighed around 35 pounds? A cousin to the spitz type dogs, this pampered lap dog once called the arctic home.

2. Bred down to it's tiny size over the centuries, the Pomeranian became popular in the late 1800's when Queen Victorian brought a 12 pound Pom back from Italy. This vivacious little dog soon became a favourite of European royalty and was bred to be even smaller until it reached the average of 5 pounds.

3. Historically, the Pomeranian has been fancied by many famous Europeans.Michelangelo had a little Pom that sat on a silk pillow and watched him while he painted the Sistine Chapel. Martin Luther, the great church leader had one of these little dogs that he mentioned often in his work. Mozart had a Pomeranian that he dedicated an Aria to and Chopin composed the Valse des Petits Chiens for his girlfriends Pom.

4. Originated from Pomerania, Germany. The Pomeranian breed was created with selective breeding. Originating from the spitz group of dogs that were used as sled dogs in Iceland. Pomeranians were bred to be smaller and have beautiful coats.

5. Pomeranians come in different colors. They can be black, white, brown, red, orange, blue and parti colored. The parti-colored has a calico type of pattern.

6. Pomeranians make excellent guard dogs. They are very alert and will warn you if anyone is outside.

7. Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic - a Newfoundland, a Pomeranian, and a Pekingese .  A Pomeranian survived the sinking of the Titanic! This dog belonged to Miss Margaret Hays (in lifeboat 7). Miss Hays survived as well.

8. Theodore Roosevelt owned a Pomeranian. President Roosevelt called his Pomeranian"Gem".

9. Recognized as official dog breed in U.S. in 1900 Pomeranians were recognized in 1900 and had their first dog show in the United States in 1911.

10. Pomeranians have a double coat. They have an undercoat that is very dense and the outer coat is long and straight. The best brush to use on them is a wire slick brush to get the undercoat as well.

11. Pomeranians are highly intelligent and extroverted. They crave a lot of attention and constant love from the owner. They seem to be one-owner dogs and are very loyal. Not recommended for young children because they are too small and may be hurt by the child.

12. Pomeranians have been in numerous movies. Including: To Die For with Nicole Kidman, Dumb and Dumber with Jim Carey, Harlem Nights with Robin givens, X-files with Scully and Cadillac Man with Fran Drescher.

13. There are many famous people who love Pomeranians. Some of the famous figures who are or have been Pomeranian owners include Sharon Osbourne, Elvis Presley, Leann Rimes, Fran Drescher, Nicole Richie, Rihanna, Maria Sharapova, Geri Halliwell, P. Diddy, Samantha Mamba, Bill Cosby, Mozart, Paris Hilton, Kate Hudson, Isaac Newton and Michelangelo. Queen Victoria had six Pomeranians which were named Marco, Gona, Sacha, Fluffy, Beppo and Turi.

14. Pomeranians are used for rescue missions and operations whenever a smaller breed of dog is needed. Their ancestors were used by the Nordic people as sled pulling dogs and reindeer herders. Of course, these early Pomeranians were much larger than our present day Poms.

15. Luxating Patellas or a knee that slips out of place is common in Pomeranians and in some cases this may require surgery. Many Poms suffer from hypothyroidism which can cause other problems and should be checked by your vet. Some Poms lose patches of hair as they grow older. This usually starts at the back and moves forward. If your Pom sounds like he is coughing then he may have a collapsing trachea which is not uncommon in this breed. An xray can determine if this is the problem and medication can be given to reduce coughing. Tooth loss and bacteria build up is a problem in Pomeranians as well as other small dogs. 

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Uses of Neodymium Magnets

Uses of Neodymium Magnets

Nickel plated neodymium magnet on a bracket from a hard drive.

The magnets in your possession are some of the most powerful magnets in the world.  They are made out of a neodymium-iron-boron material, or Nd2Fe14B, of which iron is the main component.  Their field strength has been measured at 12.5 kiloGauss, or 1.25 Tesla (tens of thousands of times stronger than the earth’s magnetic field).  Their incredible strength makes them a constant source of wonder as well as ideal demonstrators of the force of magnetism in traditional, and some not so traditional, experiments.  As you may already know, these are not ordinary magnets and cannot be handled as such.

Here is just some of the uses that neodymium magnets have been put to:

  Repairing my fridge seal. Put a couple inside the plastic of the seal and it holds the door shut beautifully

  Experimenting with cathode ray tubes (TV's and computer monitors)

  Hold directions to my motorbike petrol tank so they don't come off at speed

  Removing parts from a punch press, safely. 

  Cleaning up debris in a machining workshop.  

  Hanging wet clothes to tent poles or parts of a caravan 

  Levitation 

  Tie clip 

  Violin mute. Put small discs on each side of the bridge to add mass and quiet the violin.

  Slot car traction

  Holding down a car cover 

  Pulling dents out of vehicles. 

  Attaching tracking devices to motor vehicles.  

  Jewellery clasps 

  Hanging fairy lights  

  Re-magnetising alnico (Aluminium-Nickel-Cobalt) magnets.  

  Hanging tapestries in a warehouse.

  Magic illusion tricks 

  With 1 magnet and a ball bearing I remove dents from brass musical instruments.  

  Holding all the lathe tools to the lathe 

  Magnetic stirring device  

  Bike light generator  

  Christmas presents! 

  Wind power alternator  

  Alleviate joint pain - magnetic therapy 

  Hold a small vice down  

  Welding  

  Picking up nails/screws/needles 

  School projects and demonstrations 

  Hold lines and tape on steel boat hull.  

  Collecting nails or bits of barbed wire from pasture  

  Oil filter in my motorbike  

  Guitar pickups  

  Attaching tools securely to my car 

  Holding the roof down on my shed 

  Holding safety shield on machine tools 

  Holding trailer lights on towed vehicle.  

  Picking keys out of storm drains! 

  Retrieving an antique shotgun from a well. 

  Treasure hunting  

  Loudspeakers  

  Cleaning up the oil in go-cart racing engines. Glue them inside!  

  Used to create great ear, nose, lip rings and therefore avoid piercing. 

  Car Top advertising signs  

  Stud finder in walls  

  Holding vehicle number plates to the car 

  Holding sheet metal together for welding 

  Dampening for seismograph  

  Door latches on a tree-house  

  Hold down a tarpaulin 

  Hanging tools in sheds and garages 

  Door catches for cupboards and ward robes. 

  Cleaning fish tank glass from the outside  

  Holding a set of house keys securely in a car.  

  For the darkroom: to secure metal developing tank parts, reels, etc. To lock down metal wash tank doors instead of sticky bolt locks.  

  Motor experiments  

  Water Conditioning 

  Magic tricks 

  Erasing tapes  

  Remove metal debris from a well 

  Homemade alternator  

  Movement of paramagnetic beads for bio-medical applications  

  Erasing credit card data 

  Erasing hotel door key cards 

  Cleaning plastics granulate for moulding.  

  Holding a vehicle glove box closed 

  Finger Print collection and processing 

  Shirt fastenings instead of buttons or studs 

  Holding curtains to a caravan 

  Holding curtains to a narrowboat 

  Geocaching 

  Door closures for high end furniture 

  Swarf removal from converyor belts 

  Cleaning fish tanks 

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Common Computer Terms

Common Computer Terms

Boot: The act of starting up a computer.

Byte: One character (eight bits of data).

Cracker.  The preferred term to refer to a computer criminal who penetrates a  computer program to steal information or damage the program in some way.

Crash. A malfunction in hardware or software that keeps a computer from functioning.  

Cut and paste. To move a block of text from one place to another.

Cursor: The blinking vertical or horizontal line that indicates where text is being typed.

CD-ROM: Compact Disc Read-Only Memory

CD-R/CD-RW: CD-Recordable/CD-Re-Writeable.  Disc drives that create (or burn) new CDs.

CPU: Central Processing Unit.  The computer's electronic brain.

Crash: A hardware or software failure.

CRC Error:  These can occur when you try to decompress a file that has become corrupt during the downloading process, usually as a result of too much resuming.

Cybrarian. The electronic equivalent of a librarian.  A person who makes a career of  online research and data retrieval.

Dialog Box: A window that asks a question or requests the user to make a choice.

Drive: A device that spins disks or tapes in order to read and write data; for example, a hard drive, floppy drive, or CD-ROM drive. Each drive has an assigned letter. The “C” Drive is the hard drive (information is stored in the computer). The “A” drive holds the floppy disk (information is stored in the floppy).  The “D” Drive is the CD-ROM drive.

Download: The act of retrieving data from another computer.  

Upload: The act of sending data to another computer.

DVD: Also called DVD-ROM. Digital Versatile Disk Read-Only Memory.

File: Any form of digital data that's saved to a disk.

Filename extension: The last three characters of a file or folder name, appearing after a period (dot). For example, DOC is the filename extension of MyLetter.DOC.

Floppy Disk:  The standard removable storage device used with computers.  The floppy disk goes in the “A” Drive.

Icon: A small drawing that represents a program, command, data file, service,  function, or website.

Hacker.  A dedicated computer programmer. The term hacker is sometimes used erroneously to refer to a computer criminal who penetrates and damages a computer program.  The preferred term for a computer criminal is cracker.

Hardware: The electronic, electrical, and mechanical components that make up a computer.

Hypertext markup language (HTML). The formatting language used to establish the appearance of a Web page.

Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).  The protocol used on the World Wide Web that permits Web clients (Web browsers to communicate with Web servers.  This protocol allows programmers to embed hyperlinks in Web documents using hypertext markup language.

Kilobyte.  A measurement of the storage capacity of a computer.  One kilobyte represents 1024 bytes.  Kilobyte may be abbreviated K or KB; however, KB is the clearer abbreviation since K also stands for the metric prefix kilo (meaning 1000).

Maximize:  Expanding an open window to fill the screen by clicking the maximize button.

Megabyte.  A measurement of the  storage capacity of a computer.  One megabyte represents more than 1 million bytes.  Megabyte may be abbreviated M or MB; however, MB is clearer since M also stands for the metric prefix mega (meaning 1 million).

Minimize: Shrinking an open window by clicking the minimize button.

Mouse: The standard pointing device used with computers.

Mouse potato.  A person who sits glued to a computer screen in the same way that a couch potato sits glued to a TV screen.

Mouse elbow.  A repetitive strain injury similar to tennis that  is caused by repeatedly using a mouse.

Open: To activate a program or data file.

Operating System:  The main program that controls your PC (personal computer).(Windows 95, 98, ME, XP ,Windows7,Windows 8 )

Pointer: The arrow that moves when the mouse is jostled.

Port:  Input/output receptacles which enable your PC to  connect  to other hardware resources,  such as a keyboard, printer, mouse,  and so on.

RAM: Random Access Memory. The computer's temporary memory. It is used when you are running a program or creating something. RAM is erased when you turn your computer off.

Software:  Programs that run in a computer, such as a word processor, spreadsheet, database, web browser, or e-mail system.

Shouting.  The use of all capital letters in e-mail.

USB:  Universal Serial Bus. The standard input/output port for connecting devices to computers.

Virus.  A piece of computer code designed as a prank or malicious act to spread from one computer to another by attacking itself to other programs.  Some viruses simply cause a humorous message to appear on the screen, some cause minor glitches, and some cause serious damage to a computer’s memory or disks.

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