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Sunday, March 30, 2008
Researchers find song recorded before Edison's phonograph
For more than a century, since he captured the spoken words "Mary had a little lamb" on a sheet of tinfoil, Thomas Edison has been considered the father of recorded sound. But researchers say they have unearthed a recording of the human voice, made by a little-known Frenchman, that predates Edison's invention of the phonograph by nearly two decades.
The 10-second recording of a singer crooning the folk song "Au Clair de la Lune" was discovered earlier this month in an archive in Paris by a group of American audio historians. It was made, the researchers say, on April 9, 1860, on a phonautograph, a machine designed to record sounds visually, not to play them back. But the phonautograph recording, or phonautogram, was made playable — converted from squiggles on paper to sound — by scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California.
Scott's device had a barrel-shaped horn attached to a stylus, which etched sound waves onto sheets of paper blackened by smoke from an oil lamp. The recordings were not intended for listening; the idea of audio playback had not been conceived. Rather, Scott sought to create a paper record of human speech that could later be deciphered.
But the Lawrence Berkeley scientists used optical imaging and a "virtual stylus" on high-resolution scans of the phonautogram, deploying modern technology to extract sound from patterns inscribed on the soot-blackened paper almost a century and a half ago. The scientists belong to an informal collaborative called First Sounds that also includes audio historians and sound engineers.
more...
23:15 Posted in Science | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Thomas A, Edison, news, Science, USA, Audionews, History
The picture looks nice but... the sad reality of food is here!
A German website Pundo3000 has a large list of photographs of fast food, snacks, canned goods, instant noodles and other food as depicted in advertising as compared to real life. 
here's the link to see all pictures
23:05 Posted in Shopping | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Food, Fast food, pictures, advertaising, publicity, marketing, news
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
4-Port USB Car Charger
4-Port USB Car Charger lets you connect to or charge 4 USB devices, such as USB fan, USB lamp, USB Ionize, MP3 player, etc at the same time. And there is a DC port for you to charge your mobile phone conveniently, too.
Only US $12.00
Buy it here...
22:13 Posted in Shopping | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Usb, Gadgets, Technology, USA, Computers, Electronics, Shopping
The first new $5 bill was issued by the Federal Reserve
Federal Reserve banks will begin distributing the redesigned $5 bills to customer banks, which will then distribute them to businesses and consumers. The new $5 bill designs will circulate first in the U.S. and gradually spread to other countries as international banks place orders for them from the Federal Reserve. 
You don’t have to trade in your old bills for new ones. Both the new $5 bills and the older-design $5 bills will continue to maintain their full face value.Watermarks: There are now two watermarks on the redesigned $5 bill. A large number “5″ watermark is located in a blank space to the right of the portrait replacing the previous watermark portrait of President Lincoln found on the older-design $5 bills. A second watermark – a column of three smaller “5″s – has been added to the new $5 bill design and is positioned to the left of the portrait.
Security Thread: The embedded security thread runs vertically and is now located to the right of the portrait on the redesigned $5 bill. The letters “USA” followed by the number “5″ in an alternating pattern are visible along the thread from both sides of the bill. The thread glows blue when held under ultraviolet light.
22:10 Posted in news | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Money, news, blog, USA, Dollars, journal, bills
Monday, March 24, 2008
The Most Horrible English Words
1.Honorificabilitudinitatibus
The word consists of 27 letters. This word appeared in the script of Shakespeare titled “Love's Labour's Lost”, which means “invincible glorious.”
2.Antidisestablishmentarianism
The word consists of 28 letters. This word means “opposition to the withdrawal of state support or recognition from an established church, esp. the Anglican Church in 19th-century England” as explained in Dictionary.com. It has been quoted once by the British Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone, 1809- 1898.
3.Floccinaucihihilipilification
The word comprises of 29 letters. It means “act or habit to deny the value of some particular things.”
4.Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
The word comprises of 34 letters. This word appeared in a movie called “Marry Poppins”, which means “good.”
5.Hepaticocholecystostcholecystntenterostomy
The word consists of 42 letters. It appears in the “Medical Dictionary” edited by Gao De as a surgical terminology, which refers to indirect artificial tube surgery between the intestine and gallbladder or in the gallbladder and bile duct.
more...
23:15 Posted in Blog | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: English Language, Blog, ESL, journal, Words
Monday, March 17, 2008
To Eat Or Not To Eat?
Chocolate
The Good
* Antioxidant content. Dark chocolate is a potent antioxidant . It is high in flavonoids such as catechin and procyanidin.
* Protective effect on the cardiovascular system: dark chocolate induces coronary vasodilation, improves coronary vascular function, and decreases platelet adhesion (antiplatelet effect) .
* Mood-elevating properties (short-term effect)
* Blood-pressure lowering effect
* High in potassium and magnesium
The Bad
* High in fat, sugar and calories.
* Chocolate cravings. Chocolate contains several pharmacologically active compounds (methylxanthines, biogenic amines, and cannabinoid-like fatty acids), which have addictive properties similar of other addictive substances.
* Migraine. May provoke a migraine attack in sensitive persons
* Heartburn. May cause heartburn (adversely effects sphincter pressure)
* Kidney stones. Increases urinary oxalate excretion and may promote kidney stones (calcium oxalate calculi) formation.
more...
00:00 Posted in Diet | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Food, Diet, science, medicine, web, blog, journal
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Top Ten Grammar Myths
1. You shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition. Wrong! You shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition when the sentence would mean the same thing if you left off the preposition. That means "Where are you at?" is wrong because "Where are you?" means the same thing. But there are many sentences where the final preposition is part of a phrasal verb or is necessary to keep from making stuffy, stilted sentences: I'm going to throw up, let's kiss and make up, and what are you waiting for are just a few examples.
2. You shouldn't split infinitives. Wrong! Nearly all grammarians want to boldly tell you it's OK to split infinitives. An infinitive is a two-word form of a verb. An example is "to tell." In a split infinitive, another word separates the two parts of the verb. "To boldly tell" is a split infinitive because boldly separates to from tell.
more...
23:52 Posted in Blog | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: USA, grammar, news, blog, web, journal, top ten
Charge your cell phone anywhere!
Dead cell phone? With this tiny charger, you don’t need an outlet to charge it. It takes up less space in your purse than a tube of lipstick, but gives your drained phone up to two hours of talk time or 40 hours of standby time.
buy it here...
23:45 Posted in Shopping | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Cell phone, technology, Shopping, electronics, news, blog, web
Monday, March 10, 2008
Congratulations to Adrian Picou!
I would like to sincerely congratulate Adrian and Blues Power on their outstanding performance at Plaza Providencia on Saturday. Blues, Latin Ballads, Santana and even Beatles' songs were played to the audience. I had the pleasure of listening to his music and enjoyed it a lot.
The concert is part of a campaign to prevent drugs and alcohol abuse among teenagers in the city of Chihuahua, México.
I hope that the next concert turns out to be as or more successful than this one for the group. Keep up the good music!
20:15 Posted in Music | Permalink | Comments (4) | Email this | Tags: Chihuahua, Jazz, Blues, News, Music, Brentwood Int., web
Rocky Planets May Orbit Most Stars
Astronomers have discovered that terrestrial planets might form around many, if not most, of the nearby sun-like stars in our galaxy. These new results suggest that worlds with potential for life might be more common than we thought.
Meyer and his colleagues found that at least one-fifth (20 percent), and possibly as many as three-fifths (60 percent), of stars similar to the sun are candidates for forming rocky planets.
The next critical test of the assertion that terrestrial planets like Earth could be common around stars like the sun will come next year with the launch of NASA's Kepler Mission. Kepler will detect the tiny dips in the amount of light seen as planets pass in front of their stars. The Giant Magellan Telescope, one in a new generation of extremely large ground-based telescopes, could also play a role in determining how many neighboring sun-like stars are forming planets.
more...
19:56 Posted in Science | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Astronomy, planets, Solar system, USA, Science, news, journal
Thursday, March 06, 2008
How retailers trick You in buying crap you don't need!
Consumers shopping habits have been put under a microscope and analyzed by the retail industry in order to maximize sales. Shoppers have been as thoroughly studied as lab rats and the research has resulted in scientifically proven approaches to influence shopper’s emotions, to heighten their insecurities and to trick them in to buying things they don’t need or want.
My, that’s a big basket you’ve got there!!! Stores have hundreds of enormous shopping carts parked conveniently at the entrance. Once you have selected something, you’re more likely to “find” additional items - after all, that empty space in the cart is just begging to be filled, you must have something else you can buy, right?
Tip: If you can skip the cart and make do with a basket, you’ll reduce the temptation to over buy. If you can get by without the basket, even better!MMM...That's a good tip...
Mirror, mirror on the wall…Vanity mirrors slow you down and keep you looking, but there is more than meets the eye. Most people can’t help but check themselves out, and who’s 100% satisfied with what they see? Making you more self-conscious helps you see new items as a solution. You are more likely to buy, when you’ve walked out of the house in something less flattering than what’s on the rack in front of you.
Tip: Wear something that looks good on you while you shop, and avoid mirrors unless you’re already trying something on. Not only will you feel more confident and buy less, you’ll generally get better service too.
Buy in bulk and save?Misleading bulk sales are another retail favorite. There’s no difference between $5 each and the four for $20 on sale, except that you just might end up with three more than you wanted. Also, products sold in different volumes and weights often have prices that are chosen to confuse you. Shoppers tend to look at $10.49 for 48 ounces and think it’s the equivalent of $4.99 for 24 ounces even though it’s not -you’re paying more for less! Most grocery stores and pharmacies are required to provide per unit pricing signage, but these often don’t reflect sale prices.
Even when it is actually cheaper per unit to buy in bulk, it doesn’t mean you should! Do you really need a gallon of mayonnaise, or 1000 clothes hangers?
Tip: Compare unit prices, use that calculator on your cell phone, and don’t buy more than you can use, no matter the “savings”.
more tips...
10:41 Posted in Shopping | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Shopping, Shopping tips, news, USA, world, jornal, web
What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart?
Finland's teens score extraordinarily high on an international test. American educators are trying to figure out why.
High-school students here rarely get more than a half-hour of homework a night. They have no school uniforms, no honor societies, no valedictorians, no tardy bells and no classes for the gifted. There is little standardized testing, few parents agonize over college and kids don't start school until age 7.
Yet by one international measure, Finnish teenagers are among the smartest in the world. They earned some of the top scores by 15-year-old students who were tested in 57 countries, I do not want to mention Mexico's place ( I feel embarrassed about it). American teens finished among the world's C students even as U.S. educators piled on more homework, standards and rules. Finnish youth, like their U.S. counterparts, also waste hours online. They dye their hair, love sarcasm and listen to rap and heavy metal. But by ninth grade they're way ahead in math, science and reading -- on track to keeping Finns among the world's most productive workers.
more...
10:31 Posted in news | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Finish Kids, Finland, Helsinki, Europe, USA, world, news
Sunday, March 02, 2008
The World's Tallest Snowwoman
he world’s tallest snowman isn’t a man at all. Creators unveiled a 122-foot snowwoman in Bethel, Maine Friday morning. With skis for eyelashes and red-painted tires for lips, she is a whole-lot-of-woman.
Maine creators named their snowwoman “Olympia” after their Senator who is ironically named Olympia Snowe. Olympia knocked “Angus, King of the Mountain,” the record holder since 1999, right out of the park.
The 1999 record holder was named for Angus King, who was governor in Maine at the time, but Angus isn’t King anymore.
Olympia’s creators made her arms out of pine trees and she too has her share of glitz and glamour as a giant snowflake pendant, more than six feet in diameter, hangs from her neck.
This ice princess will be around for a while; she isn’t expected to melt until May. More pictures here...
15:48 Posted in Leisure | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Snowmen, USA, Guiness Records, news, blog, journal, journals
Lose weight by increasing your metabolism!
If you're trying to lose weight and think your metabolism might be the culprit, there are changes you can make to improve it. Understand what metabolism is. In the simplest terms, metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories. The rate differs significantly from person to person. 
You and your friend can have the same activity level, diet, and weight but still gain or lose weight at different rates based on differences in metabolism.
Determine what is influencing your metabolism. There are some factors that you can change, and some factors that you can't like age, gender, heredity,etc.
Eat small, frequent meals. Extending the time between meals makes your body go into "starvation mode", which means it'll hold onto as many calories as possible and store them as fat. This is why fasting and skipping meals will only make things worse. In addition to having four to six small meals per day, eating healthy snacks will also increase metabolism.
Drink water. As with food, depriving your body of water can encourage it to "hoard" rather than "burn". In order to encourage your liver to focus on metabolism rather than water retention, make sure you drink an appropriate amount of water. Boost metabolism temporarily with aerobic exercise. Different activities burn different quantities of calories, but the important thing is to raise your heart rate and sustain the activity for approximately 30 minutes. Boost metabolism in the long run with weight training. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle you build, the higher your resting metabolic rate.
more...
15:36 Posted in Science | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: Diet, Weigth loss, USA, news, blog, journal, web
101 New Uses for Everyday Things
10 New Uses for Lemon
“Lemon juice is the strongest food acid in our kitchens, strong enough to make life unbearable for most bacteria,” says Robert Wolke, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh.
Use Lemon to:
1. Sanitize a chopping block. Run a slice of lemon over the surface to disinfect.
2. Eliminate the browning that occurs when food sits out too long. Sprinkle apple or pear slices with lemon juice before serving, or squeeze a bit into guacamole and give it a stir.
3. Remove tough food stains from plastic and light-colored wooden cutting boards. Slice a lemon in half, squeeze the juice onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse with water.
4. Fade tea stains on cloth. Dilute lemon juice with an equal amount of water. Use an eyedropper or a Q-tip to make sure the juice targets the stain. Thoroughly flush with cool water.
more...
Also learn about coffee filters,newspaper, olive oil and many more! click here to find out...
15:20 Posted in Blog | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email this | Tags: News, kitchen, science, USA, Stuff, blog, journal