tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38115012977472333842024-03-14T02:47:13.023-07:00Get Smart, GirlfriendGet Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-43600198167482536962016-04-03T18:27:00.002-07:002016-04-07T04:34:11.500-07:00Sign Here, John Hancock<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">The term John Hancock is a modern day synonym for
signature in the United States. John Hancock is best known for his signature on
the Declaration of Independence because it’s so large. Even though there were
56 signers on the Declaration of Independence, he typically is the one we remember
first. A lesser-known fact is that he was also the first person to sign the
Declaration. Maybe this explains why his signature is so large; everyone else
just wrote smaller? Actually, there are a couple of reasons why he signed so
largely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">John Hancock was born on January 23, 1737. His father
died when he was seven and so he lived with his wealthy Uncle Thomas and Aunt
Lydia in Boston, Massachusetts on the west edge of the Common. Hancock lived in
a huge house (with 54 windows), dressed in expensive clothing, had a fabulous
red curtain that draped around his bed, could eat plum cake any time he wanted
it, and could ride any number of horses from the stable. Basically, he grew up
in extreme wealth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Hancock wanted nothing more than for people to like
him, and they did; he was attractive, friendly, kind, generous, and threw
amazing parties. But his kindness and generosity and amazing parties weren’t
without their purpose. His goal was to get everyone to like him so much that
they would elect him to public office; and to get elected he knew he needed to
gain admiration and be noticed. To be noticed he dressed in exquisite
embroidered satin, velvet and lace, wore gold and silver on his shoes…the
richest clothing that he could find. When Hancock was 27 his uncle died and he
inherited his massive fortune. It was enough to make Hancock the richest man in
New England and the second richest man in America. Wow, that is massive. And so
now more people did take notice of John Hancock.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Samuel Adams certainly took notice. Adams was a
politician in Massachusetts who wanted to stop England from bothering America
and he decided that John Hancock was the man to do it – because of his massive
fortune and popularity. So Samuel Adams made sure that Hancock was elected to
office as a selectman (a member of the governing board for the town of Boston).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">In 1765 England enacted the Stamp Act on America. This
imposed 55 different taxes on traded goods. John Hancock owned 20 ships that
transported these taxable goods: whale oil, fish, lumber, cloth, paper, books,
furniture, wine, salt, leather…you get the idea. Hancock said that there was
not a person on earth or a single thing in the world that would make him pay a single
cent of that “damned tax.” The Patriot Party and other Americans agreed. When
England repealed the tax, Hancock threw an over-the-top party at his house (to
celebrate and of course to increase everyone’s admiration of him). Flags
adorned his house, tables were piled high with food, and when the townspeople gathered
in droves on the Common, he opened his doors to everyone for the grandest party
ever thrown in Boston. He brought out a 126-gallon cask of Madeira wine for
people on the Common who couldn’t fit into the house. And at the end of the
night, fireworks lit up the sky. John Hancock did everything in the grandest
style to ensure that he was admired and popular.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">So by this time John was well noticed and extremely
popular and became one of Boston’s four representatives to Massachusetts’
governing body. He played his new position up big time. He would showboat
around in one of his 9 modes of transportation: several chariots, a chaise, a
sulky, a kittereen, sleighs... And when he felt people weren’t paying enough
attention to him, he would give them very generous gifts – coins to children, a
fire engine or concert hall or bandstand or lime trees to the town – generous
gifts indeed. But he gave the gifts for the attention he received and not so
much the needs of the recipients.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Anyhow, in 1767 England tried again to tax Americans.
John Hancock refused to pay. In April of 1768 tax inspectors boarded one of
Hancock’s ships. Hancock and his strongmen refused to let them inspect. Another
time they locked an inspector in a cabin while they unloaded. This made King
George furious, so the King put John Hancock’s name on his “Dangerous
Americans” list. By 1775 it was clear that war between England and the Colonies
was inevitable. Massachusetts had formed their own government and made John
Hancock the president. The King then moved Hancock’s name to the very top
position of his “Dangerous Americans” list and put a price of 500 pounds on
Hancock’s head. English troops marched into Concord looking for weapons and
John Hancock; John Hancock evaded the English army by fleeing to Philadelphia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Hancock was a delegate from Massachusetts to the
Continental Congress, a meeting of representatives from all of the Colonies.
They met in Philadelphia to discuss what to do about England. A couple of weeks
later they were suddenly without a president of the Congress. The members of
Congress voted unanimously for John Hancock to be its new president. This would
show the King how they felt about him and his “Dangerous Americans” list. John
Hancock was in his element, the center of attention, admired, wearing his
finest clothes and making important decisions. And signing his name to these
important decisions he absolutely loved to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Over the years John Hancock practiced writing various
styles of his signature using underlines, curlicues, and underlines with
curlicues. By the time he became president of the Second Continental Congress,
his signature became larger with more swoops and swirls including back and forth
underlines that were entwined with curlicues. In the spring of 1776, Congress
discussed whether or not America should declare their Independence. On July 2<sup>nd</sup>
they agreed yes, they should. It took two more days to agree on the wording and
another month for the final to be drafted on parchment for members to sign.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BqSaXzAuJko/VwHCvzW77yI/AAAAAAAAX8g/9JlCJvDGegci_H4F5APQSgCtxJmWYDMqA/s1600/JohnHancockImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BqSaXzAuJko/VwHCvzW77yI/AAAAAAAAX8g/9JlCJvDGegci_H4F5APQSgCtxJmWYDMqA/s400/JohnHancockImage.jpg" width="231" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">John Hancock was first to sign. With his fancy lace
cuffs flipped back, he dipped the quill pen into the inkstand and then signed
his name – very large. “There! King George the Third can read THAT without his
spectacles. Now he can double his reward for my head.” This is the most
commonly accepted reason that John Hancock signed his name so large on the
Declaration of Independence: so that King George could no doubt read it without
his glasses. It was an “in your face King George” move. But the vain and egotistical
and side of John Hancock, that liked to showboat about and throw fabulous
parties and give generous gifts in return for praise, also knew that if America
won the war, he would be praised and admired and honored as the first signer of
the Declaration of Independence. He was making history. And being the first to
sign America’s Declaration of Independence was his pinnacle “look how great I
am” moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Want to know all 56 signers of the Declaration of
Independence? Find it here:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><a href="http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/print_friendly.html?page=declaration_signers_factsheet_content.html">http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/print_friendly.html?page=declaration_signers_factsheet_content.html</a><!--EndFragment--> </span></div>
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Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-68482399036483718292013-06-30T16:56:00.000-07:002013-06-30T17:21:20.295-07:00Sojourner Truth: Traveler of Truth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A couple of months ago a friend, Hannah, was about to graduate from university and emailed to ask for relocation and employment advice since she knew I had done it before; moved a long distance from home, found a place to live and a job. My advice was simple – go! I reminded her that the roads conveniently work in both directions. I told her if things don’t work out, it’s easy to go back to familiarity, especially when parents or loved ones are there to take you in and help is available from friends and family, so just do it and go. Hannah thanked me, said I relieved her concerns and suggested that I blog about it; that maybe I could help others in the same situation. So I decided to take her advice this time. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In considering how to approach this topic, I couldn’t help but think about all of the women throughout history who didn’t have a safety net of any kind (parents, a stable home, extended family, friends, resources, skills, education), yet found their way and managed to change the world in the process. I learned that Sojourner Truth is one of those amazing women.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Born a slave in New York in 1797, Isabella Baumfee was first purchased at the age of 9 along with a herd of sheep for $100. Her owner’s family beat and whipped her, and it was during this time she found refuge in religion, praying aloud when being hurt or was scared. She was sold several times, each time enduring harsh and cruel treatment at the hands of her owners. Around the age of 18 she fell in love with Robert, a fellow slave, but his owner forbade the relationship; he didn’t want his slave having children with a slave he did not own – and therefore would not own the new “property” they produced. One night when Robert visited, his owner and the owner’s son followed him, beat him savagely, bound and dragged him away, never to return. Isabella had a daughter soon after. In 1817 she was forced to marry an older slave and they had four children together.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New York legislated the abolishment of slavery, set to happen on July 4th, 1827. The year before Isabella’s owner had promised her freedom, however, he went back on his promise; Isabella was infuriated. She continued working until she had done enough to feel that she had satisfied her obligations to him (spinning 100 pounds of wool) then escaped with her infant daughter before dawn. Later, she had said:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>“I did not run off, for I thought that wicked, but I walked off, believing that to be all right.”</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not certain where she was going and praying for direction, Isabella wandered about, ending up at the home of the Van Wagenens. Her owner soon arrived threatening to take her baby and insisting she come back. Mr. Van Wagenen offered to buy Isabella for the remainder of the year until the emancipation fully took effect. Her owner accepted $20 for her purchase.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Isabella had a life-changing, religious experience during her time with the Van Wagenens. She felt “overwhelmed with the greatness of the Divine presence” and was inspired to preach, quickly becoming known as “remarkable and whose influence was miraculous.” </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Settling in New York City, Isabella had lost her savings and possessions. She resolved to leave and make her way as a traveling preacher. On June 1, 1843, Isabella Baumfree changed her name to Sojourner Truth, telling friends “the Spirit calls me and I must go.” She wandered, depending on the kindness of strangers, ending up at the Northampton Association of Education and Industry in Massachusetts. The group lived on 500 acres of farmland raising livestock, running saw and grist mills and a silk factory. The 210 member group was formed by abolitionists promoting cooperative and productive labor. They were religiously-tolerant women’s rights supporters who were strongly anti-slavery. There, Sojourner worked with notable abolitionists Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison. The group disbanded in 1846 amid debt, unable to stay profitable. Sojourner then went to live with group member George Benson who had started his own cotton mill.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave</u> was privately published in 1850, giving Sojourner an income, increasing her speaking engagements and where she could sell copies of her book. She spoke about anti-slavery and women’s rights, often sharing her personal experiences as a slave. Sojourner bought a home in Northampton for $300 after the mill closed. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sojourner became involved with an offshoot of the Quakers, a group called Progressive Friends; a spiritualism movement who believed in abolition, the rights of women, non-violence, and communicating with spirits. She bought a home in Harmonia, Michigan in 1857 to live with the community.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During the Civil War, Sojourner spoke on the Union’s behalf; for freeing slaves and enlisting black troops for the war cause. She worked at a government refugee camp for freed slaves in Virginia. While there in 1864, she was invited to the White House to meet President Abraham Lincoln. She continued to work to help the newly-freed slaves after the war ended through the Freedman’s Relief Association and the the Freedman’s Hospital in Washington. In 1867 she moved to Battle Creek, Michigan. There she converted a “barn,” owned by William Merritt, into a house, which four years later he gave her the deed to.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sojourner spent the year of 1879 in Kansas helping refugees who were migrating west and north by speaking in churches to gain support for the “Exodusters” who were trying to build a new life after the end of slavery. This endeavor was to be her last in her mission.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In July of 1883, Sojourner sought treatment back home in Battle Creek for ulcers on her legs from Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. He grafted some of his own skin onto her legs to try to help cure her ailments. She died at her home on November 26, 1883 at the age of 86.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s been 130 years since Sojourner Truth’s last mission. African Americans, women, and society in general, have benefitted greatly from her sacrifices. Sojourner Truth had no safety net, no one to depend on, she struggled, took risks, yet accomplished so much simply by pursuing what she felt to be right. So I say go, in the spirt of Sojourner Truth, and find your place in the world – go. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can’t help but think that she is the flawless reflection of the familiar saying from the Bible, “The Truth Will Set You Free.” And yes, she sure did.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend – And so am I.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Exoduster:</b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">a name given to men migrating along the Mississippi River to Kansas in the late 1800’s. Known as the “Great Exodus,” it was the first general migration of African Americans following the end of the Civil War.</i></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ygU1OCj8sh8/UdDE8i5GIeI/AAAAAAAAF1g/sDDSqO6E8_s/s480/SojournerTruth_c1870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ygU1OCj8sh8/UdDE8i5GIeI/AAAAAAAAF1g/sDDSqO6E8_s/s200/SojournerTruth_c1870.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 1854 in Akron, at the Ohio Woman’s Rights Convention, Sojourner Truth gave her most famous speech with her legendary phrase, “Ain't I a Woman?” </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>“That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud puddles, or gives me any best place, and ain’t I a woman? ... I have plowed, and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me – and ain’t I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man (when I could get it), and bear the lash as well – and ain’t I a woman? I have borne thirteen children and seen most all sold off to slavery and when I cried out with my mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me – and ain’t I woman?”</i></span></span></div>
Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-22166172409334228592011-03-14T22:17:00.000-07:002016-04-03T20:52:58.054-07:00Place Settings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I recently hosted an informal dinner party for a couple of my girlfriends and their husbands. I decided it would be easier to go ahead and set the table with napkins and utensils. So as I started setting the table, I thought to myself how helpful it would be if I actually knew the proper way to do it. Knife on the right or left, spoon with the fork... I had no idea but I decided that it was about time to learn it.</span></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>For a very simple, informal place setting:</b></span></span> <br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Forks on the left</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Napkin on the left with the open end facing away from the plate, either to the left of the fork or under it</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Spoons on the far right</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Knife on the right closest to the plate with the cutting edge facing the plate</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Drink glasses just above the knife on the right</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Bread plate on the left side above the fork</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One way to remember which bread plate and drinking glass is yours, helpful when your out at a dinner with lots of people, is that if you make an “okay” sign with your hands, your left hand forms a “b” for bread and your right hand forms a “d” for drink. That way you won’t worry that you’re eating your neighbor’s bread!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NAWTXOEElfI/VwHlDxYiISI/AAAAAAAAX90/1W3dRuS0KBQJ6eb3y8lwT7iHszc2e5U7w/s1600/LetsEat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NAWTXOEElfI/VwHlDxYiISI/AAAAAAAAX90/1W3dRuS0KBQJ6eb3y8lwT7iHszc2e5U7w/s200/LetsEat.jpg" width="148" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And a great way to remember the proper order of the silverware is to simply alphabetize, reading from left to right: <i>F</i>ork, <i>K</i>nife, <i>S</i>poon.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></div>
Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-8747689441344430112010-10-15T23:15:00.000-07:002016-04-03T20:35:17.196-07:00The Dashes – En, Em and Hyphen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I am a big fan of the dash and use it frequently in my writing. For me, dashes just fit in well with the way my mind creates written sentences. But I was a bit stumped recently when someone asked me, when do you use an en dash and when do you use an em dash and why can’t you just use a hyphen? Hmmm – good questions. I basically knew the answers, but to be honest, I learned that my preference for using the en dash is technically incorrect – I should really be using the em dash. Drat.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In grammar, the dash can be used to interrupt the flow of a sentence and give a moment of pause before an important or dramatic statement. The dash introduces a related portion after a sentence and gives it more emphasis. The writer can use it to indicate to the reader there is about to be an abrupt change in tone or thought.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The dash functions in much the same manner as a colon, both introduce a related element after a sentence, but the dash is much less formal than a colon. A colon typically tells the reader more information is going to be added to the sentence they just read. The dash is the strongest method possible used to draw attention – it adds dramatic flair. Dashes can be used like commas or parentheses, but if there isn’t much of a payoff after the dash, it’s best to stick to a comma or parentheses.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here are examples:</span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I’m going on vacation – to Paris!</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I need a few things from the grocery for dinner tonight: peas, linguini and broccoli.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you don’t mind, could you pick up the mail?</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I ran a few errands (grocery, pharmacy and post office).</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, what is the difference between the en, the em and the hyphen and when are they used?</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">EN Dash ( – )</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> As long as the width of a capital typeset letter N. The en dash is used to indicate an inclusive range, such as between two numbers like time, money or dates.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">EM Dash ( — )</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> As long as the width of a capital typeset letter M. The em dash is the one that is used in a sentence for emphasis.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hyphen ( - )</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Splits a word at the end of a line or joins compound words. The hyphen connects words and is never to be used in place of a dash.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The length of an en dash falls halfway between the length of a hyphen and length of an em dash. The length of the en and em dashes were originally based on traditional typesetting standards of the N and M, hence the names en and em, but that rule is no longer hard and fast with computer fonts.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PW-bneXdF38/VwHg6d8bwkI/AAAAAAAAX9g/FINquMjTQZE0B-Q3Z1IeIZnpr-ORPyiqg/s1600/HyphenEnEm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PW-bneXdF38/VwHg6d8bwkI/AAAAAAAAX9g/FINquMjTQZE0B-Q3Z1IeIZnpr-ORPyiqg/s320/HyphenEnEm.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There are two ways to format em dashes in a sentence and either way is acceptable. You can use a space or no space preceding and following the em dash, whichever you prefer, just be sure to stay consistent. And a good rule of thumb is to limit the use of em dashes to no more than two per paragraph.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">While I’m glad to learn the correct way to use a dash in sentences, I will likely stick to my preference for using the shorter en dash – I just like the way it looks.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I</span></span></div>
Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-69371152356044979182010-07-02T10:23:00.000-07:002016-04-03T20:13:33.430-07:00The Declaration of Independence<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">I mentioned in a recent blog, <i>The Preamble</i>, that I had bought a book about the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Being that it is the 4th of July weekend where most Americans will be celebrating in some manner, I thought the Declaration of Independence would be an appropriate topic to remind us it’s about more than just barbecues and fireworks.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><i>“When in the Course of human Events...”</i> is the beginning phrase of the Declaration of Independence written 234 years ago. The Declaration was a revolutionary manifesto meant to end British rule over America by proclaiming its justified end. Initially, the colonists wanted to avoid independence, even after the outbreak of war at Lexington and Concord in April of 1775. The Second Continental Congress were pressed by their constituents to reconcile with the mother country, which they tried. But after the arrival of more British troops in January of 1776, it was clear the King still held much hostility towards the states. Word spread among the colonists and the consensus was that the time had come to found new governments, free of kings and hereditary rulers, governments whose power came from the popular choice. This conclusion was based on the way the king had treated Americans over the previous years and not on the flaws of Britain’s form of government.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">The colonist’s reasons for wanting independence from Britain were cited as King George III’s: refusal to answer their petition for peace from the Second Continental Congress; his approval of the Prohibitory Act of December 1775 essentially making their ships and ports vulnerable to attack by his Royal Navy; marking war on his subjects from America; burning American towns; enlisting slaves and indians to fight against the colonists; and contracting with Germany for mercenary soldiers to assist in his reestablishment of authority in North America.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">The colonists knew they needed help from a non-British ally or face being destroyed by Britain’s larger and stronger forces. To attain help, they had to state their intent to cut ties with Britain. On June 7, 1776 they put forth this resolution:</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><i>“That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">On June 11, Congress appointed a committee to draft a declaration to be issued if Congress adopted independence. The committee consisted of five men:</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><b>Thomas Jefferson</b> – Virginia Delegate </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><b>John Adams</b> – Massachusetts Delegate</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><b>Benjamin Franklin</b> – Pennsylvania Delegate</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><b>Robert Livingston</b> – Lawyer/Politician/Diplomat from New York </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><b>Roger Sherman</b> – Lawyer/Politician from Connecticut</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(a delegate is an elected non-voting member of the House of Representatives from a U.S. territory or from Washington, D.C.)</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wCxxobElhcI/VwHbzHvzeFI/AAAAAAAAX88/1sCNhyeandgT2QQIa9dx1yD2yjCn4UVZg/s1600/Declaration.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wCxxobElhcI/VwHbzHvzeFI/AAAAAAAAX88/1sCNhyeandgT2QQIa9dx1yD2yjCn4UVZg/s400/Declaration.png" width="333" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">The Declaration of Independence, most of which was penned by Thomas Jefferson, was the action of Second Continental Congress and a unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America for freedom from Britain rule. Throughout the Declaration, the facts set forth for independence repeatedly </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">state <i>“he,”</i> meaning King George III. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "lucida grande"; font-size: small;">Probably the most well known excerpt from the Declaration, that most of us have heard, is; <i>“...that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness...”</i> But how the Declaration ends, the final sentence, I find to be most poignant. <i>“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "lucida grande"; font-size: small;">Our independence from Britain was an impossible achievement, one that realistically we should not have succeeded in because they were a substantially stronger opponent. But it was accomplished through the unwavering determination of Americans from those 13 colonies who knew it was imperative and worthy of sacrifice. So every July 4th, we give thanks by remembering and honoring them for their fearless and steadfast commitment to the inception and the future of these now 50 United States of America.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "lucida grande"; font-size: small;">Remarkably, John Adams died on July 4, 1826. His friend, Thomas Jefferson, died that same day.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span></div>
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Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-57635997394068456792010-07-01T21:02:00.000-07:002016-04-03T20:24:02.242-07:00Sodium<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">A few weeks ago I started making dinner and turned on the television to watch the news but forgot to change the channel. The show “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader” came on, which I have to admit I’d heard about but never watched. I decided to listen as I cooked just to see how I did. One of the questions was, which element on the periodic table is known by the symbol Na. I was so excited – I actually knew the answer. Even better, the gal playing the game missed it! It was a small triumph though because she pretty much got all of the other questions correct and I – did not. Apparently, I should be watching that show and not the news.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "lucida grande"; font-size: small;"><b>Symbol: Na / Group: Alkali Metal / Atomic Number: 11</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Sodium is most commonly known to us as salt. But our table salt is not pure sodium, it’s actually sodium chloride (NaCl), which is the combination of the elements sodium and chlorine. And if we happen to be on a low-sodium diet, then it’s potassium chloride we are eating. Potassium chloride isn’t as tasty as sodium chloride and has a bitter metallic note to its saltiness, which must be why people prefer regular salt.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">When exposed to air, the silvery color of sodium tarnishes, turning white within seconds. What is most interesting about sodium is that it’s extremely explosive. When you throw sodium into water, it rapidly generates hydrogen gas and seconds later ignites with a massive bang spewing flaming sodium in all directions. The other alkali metals react in much the same way, but when sodium reacts with water it produces sodium hydroxide, or Lye which is commonly used as a drain opener.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">The salt in our oceans isn’t pure sodium either. It’s mostly sodium, chloride, magnesium, calcium, potassium and sulfate. The elements of this salt “cocktail” arrive from various sources: decayed biological matter, volcanic vents in the Earth’s crust, breaking up of rocks via erosion of mountains, the dissolving action of rain, streams washing particles into the oceans, and even from our atmosphere. This complex salt content of our oceans is why sea salt tastes different from our typical table salt. The elements that make up both are not the same.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J3ImATQhY7U/VwHeQdJzoaI/AAAAAAAAX9E/Tw3IQOhExhsxb_2gv4aTf-KxgWAsem9Bw/s1600/Sodium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J3ImATQhY7U/VwHeQdJzoaI/AAAAAAAAX9E/Tw3IQOhExhsxb_2gv4aTf-KxgWAsem9Bw/s200/Sodium.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">So why is the symbol for sodium Na and not So? Sodium comes from the Latin name natrium, which actually comes from the Egyptian name natron, the word for the natural mineral salt.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span></div>
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Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-6456717336869224352010-06-29T20:11:00.000-07:002010-06-29T21:36:06.119-07:00The American’s Creed<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I have to admit, I didn’t even know that we had an American’s Creed. But, with Independence Day fast approaching, now is an opportune time to learn about it. And with the fatigue from our current economic pinch and seemingly perpetual bad news, maybe we can find some inspiration from a truly selfless man – a true American in every sense of the word.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">William Tyler Page of Maryland, who was an employee of the U.S. House of Representatives and Clerk of the House from 1919 to 1931, was the winner of a nationwide contest for the best summary of American political faith. His idea was to write a creed in the style of the Apostle’s Creed (I’ll have to look that one up.) It came to him while driving home from church in 1917, a time when the United States was fighting World War I. Page used the writings of the Declaration of Independence, Preamble to the Constitution and the Gettysburg Address for inspiration. The U.S. House of Representatives accepted Page’s Creed on behalf of the American people and in 1918, it became the official American’s Creed.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The prize William Tyler Page won: $1,000. I’m sure that was a substantial amount of money in 1918. But rather than keep it for himself, he used the money to buy Liberty Bonds and gave them to his church. Now that is a true American.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The American’s Cree</span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">d</span></span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b></b></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a Republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect Union; one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.</span></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"></span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it; to support its Constitution; to obey its laws; to respect its flag; and to defend it against all enemies.</span></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Tomorrow, I am going to do a good deed for a fellow American because I am happy to be an American. Thanks for the inspiration, Mr. Page.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"></span></span></span></div>Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-16901153213457101172010-06-27T18:09:00.000-07:002016-04-03T20:45:58.191-07:00The Eagle Has Landed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My father-in-law happens to be friends with Neil Armstrong. I was fortunate to meet Mr. Armstrong and his wife at my mother-in-law’s funeral and although it was under sad circumstances, it was none-the-less a cool thing to actually meet the person who was the first human ever to step foot on the moon.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">On July 20, 1969, Apollo II astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed Eagle on the surface of the moon. Moments after they landed, Neil Armstrong’s voice from a quarter of a million miles away announced to Earth, “the Eagle has landed.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Eagle’s trip to the moon’s surface had not gone exactly as planned. The computer had overloaded and the spacecraft hurled toward the surface – Houston decided not to abort the mission and directed “Eagle, you are a go for landing.” The computer had overshot Eagle’s mark by four miles and as Armstrong looked out the window to find a smooth landing area, he saw they were approaching a crater of jagged boulders. A warning light began to blink indicating they were running out of landing fuel. With no other options, Armstrong took command from the computer and safely landed Eagle just as the low-fuel signal flashed. Six and a half hours later, he and Aldrin stepped onto the surface of the moon. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Before Armstrong and Aldrin departed, they left a plaque on the moon that says:</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">HERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">FIRST SET FOOT UPON THE MOON</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">JULY 1969, A.D.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">WE CAME IN PEACE FOR ALL MANKIND</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bBRgC0x1vLg/VwHjaVSEAZI/AAAAAAAAX9o/fYVOFt7z8MksJYtImcLl6KyiDK9vchM9Q/s1600/TheEagleHasLanded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bBRgC0x1vLg/VwHjaVSEAZI/AAAAAAAAX9o/fYVOFt7z8MksJYtImcLl6KyiDK9vchM9Q/s320/TheEagleHasLanded.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">If we could create peace on Earth for all mankind, that would truly be an amazing achievement!</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span></div>
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Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-68135992875249877202010-06-24T21:45:00.000-07:002010-06-26T18:10:56.003-07:00The Preamble<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Well, it’s been far too long since I’ve blogged — I had good intentions. Time to get back to learning.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Last fall I got very involved in a local PAC (political action committee) for a great cause in which we were unfortunately defeated, but sometimes it only takes a few to make a big difference and you still have to try no matter the odds.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">A couple of weeks ago, I bought a book at our local bookstore, Pages, about the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. It made me think a lot about the sacrifices made by so many, the courage and dedication of a handful, and how both made such an impact on our lives today. Our small PAC fighting for 13 acres of land would not have been possible had it not been for all of the people who have given so much for us to not have to give much at all. So </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:small;">I sat down with my book and memorized the Preamble. I felt like it was something I absolutely should know by heart. We all take our freedoms for granted, but even little things, like going against the world’s largest retailer, reminds me how truly fortunate we are to have our voices heard regardless of the outcome.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><b>The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States<br /><br />We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.</b></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span></div><div><br /></div></div>Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-31995488787734085302009-08-04T14:28:00.001-07:002016-04-03T21:31:55.026-07:00Pronunciation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I read a magazine article a while back that listed the top 10 mispronounced words. The two I was guilty of was “realtor” and “jibe” of which I was happy to learn the correct pronunciation. I hear both of those words mispronounced often. My husband immediately looked up the word “jibe” after I corrected him—he couldn’t just take my word for it.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Incorrect</span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> / </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Correct</span></span></span></span></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">assessory / accessory</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">calvary</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>cavalry</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">cannidate</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>candidate</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">comfterble</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>comfortable</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">dialate</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>dilate</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">disasterous</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>disastrous</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">ecsetera</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>etcetera</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">expecially</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>especially</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">expresso</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>espresso</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">heidth</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>height</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">jive</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>jibe</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">lambast</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>lambast</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">e</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">miniture</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>miniature</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">mischievious</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>mischievous</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">nucular</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>nuclear</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">ordinance</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>ordnance</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">perculate</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>percolate</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">perogative</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>prerogative</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">perscription</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>prescription</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">realator</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>realtor</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">reoccur</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>recur</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">sherbert</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>sherbet</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">silicone</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>silicon</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">snuck</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>sneaked</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">spitting image</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>spit and image</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">stomp</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>stamp</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">supposably</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>supposedly</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">taunt</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>taut</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">tickilish</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>ticklish</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">verbage</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>verbiage</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">volumptuous</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>voluptuous</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;">yoke</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> / </span>yolk</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande"; font-size: 48px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "lucida grande";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uHXy-QNFfBs/VwHnYNUg3WI/AAAAAAAAX-Q/sUFoZz6cUK4KCMbCvkttbjBriiBvP_S4w/s1600/Jibe.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uHXy-QNFfBs/VwHnYNUg3WI/AAAAAAAAX-Q/sUFoZz6cUK4KCMbCvkttbjBriiBvP_S4w/s320/Jibe.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "lucida grande"; font-size: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: "lucida grande";">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span></div>
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Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-10972403798315220422009-07-31T19:44:00.000-07:002009-07-31T20:17:37.837-07:00Keeping Time<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I always assumed that our clock time that we live by has been around for hundreds of years. Well, I found out it’s more like just over a hundred years.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Until the 1800’s, every village in the United States lived in its own time zone with all of the clocks synchronized to the solar noon. With the advent of trains this created mayhem trying to keep on a schedule. For years watches were made that could tell both the local time and “railway time.” It wasn’t until 1883 that American railway companies forced the adoption of national standardized time zones.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">One second used to be defined as 1/86,400 the length of a day, but Earth’s rotation isn’t completely reliable. Tidal friction from the Sun and Moon slows our planet and increases the length of a day by 3 milliseconds per century. This means that during the time of the dinosaurs a day was just 23 hours long.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Weather also changes the day. During El Niño events, strong winds can slow the rotation of the Earth by a fraction of a millisecond every 24 hours. To keep time in sync with the Earth’s slowing rotation, a “leap second” is added every few years. The last time a “leap second” was added was on New Year’s Eve of 2009.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The world’s most accurate clock is at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Colorado. It measures vibrations of a single atom of mercury. In a billion years it will not lose one second.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Daylight savings time was started by Ben Franklin. He spent a lot of time in France and realized that their later nights and sleeping in in the mornings used more resources, namely candles. Daylight savings times was implemented to utilize more daylight hours and conserve resources. The amount of money saved since it started is incalculable. Today, the Department of Energy estimates that electricity demand drops by 0.5 percent during Daylight Savings Time and save the equivalent of almost 3 million barrels of oil daily.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Interesting Facts: According to quantum theory, the shortest moment of time that can exist is known as Planck time, or 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 second • Einstein showed that gravity makes time run more slowly, thus airplane passengers, flying where Earth’s pull is weaker, age a few extra nanoseconds each flight</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span></div>Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-54305793078465473142009-07-30T15:40:00.000-07:002009-07-30T21:29:31.100-07:00Astronomical Unit (AU)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">I have to say, I don’t think I’ve heard the term “Astronomical Unit” before. I do use the word “astronomical” when referring to big things, so I thought I’d do a little research. I anticipated there would be some correlation between the two.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">Astronomical</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> — of or relating to astronomy, extremely large</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">An Astronomical Unit is approximately the mean distance between the Earth and the Sun. It is used to indicate distances within our solar system.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">The recent (suspected) comet that hit Jupiter is thought to be from a part of the solar system known as the Oort Cloud that sits well beyond Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. This region of space spans a zone between 1,000 and 20,000 AU away from the Sun.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">Here is the formal definition that makes my brain hurt. The radius of an unperturbed circular orbit a massless body would revolve about the sun in 2*(pi)/k days (i.e. 365.2568983... days), where k is defined as the Gaussian constant exactly equal to 0.01720209895. Since an AU is based on radius of a circular orbit, one AU is actually slightly less than the average distance between the Earth and Sun. (I’m guessing this is because the Earth does not orbit in a perfect circle, rather an oval where the Sun is not exactly in the middle. See my blog on Perihelion, Aphelion and Precession.)</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">History of Earth/Sun Distance</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> — In the late 1500’s Tycho Brahe estimated the distance at 5 million miles. The early 1600’s Johannes Kepler estimated 15 million miles. In the late 1600’s Giovanni Cassini estimated 87 million miles by observing Mars and estimating our distance from that planet and then was able to determine the Earth to Sun distance. Pretty close for so long ago. Funny that I cannot find who was able to determine the current distance–will keep looking.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">So what is Earth’s distance from the Sun? 93 million miles, or 1 Astronomical Unit. Wow. What an astronomical distance!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span></div>Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-24710871456636732252009-07-27T22:27:00.000-07:002009-07-28T08:42:29.042-07:00Astronauts<span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">With the recent anniversary of the first manned lunar landing 40 years ago and the final spacewalk on the International Space Station today, I thought some astronaut and Moon knowledge would be appropriate.</span></span></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There are three kinds of astronauts aboard the U.S. Space Shuttles: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pilot or Commander</span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> – Heads the mission and controls the spacecraft, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mission Specialis</span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">t – Crew members who carry out specific jobs, such as performing experiments or going on spacewalks and </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Payload Specialis</span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">t – Scientists and other on-board guests who are not NASA astronauts.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There are three kinds of spacecraft: </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Unmanned Probes</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Artificial Satellites </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">and</span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Manned Spacecraft.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Interesting Facts:</span></span></span></span></span></span></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The very first astronauts were jet pilots.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Astronauts need to be fit and have 20/20 eyesight.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Weightlessness makes astronauts grow an inch or so during a long mission.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Astronauts need to be between 5’4” and 6’4”.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The word “astronaut” comes from the Greek words meaning </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">sailor among the stars</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Cosmonaut” is a member of the Russian space program.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The first woman in space was cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova in 1963.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The first man in space was cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in 1961.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard was the first American in space just 23 days after Yuri Gagarin.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The first human to step outside a spacecraft was cosmonaut Alexei </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Leonov</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> in 1965.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Three months later, astronaut Edward White II made the first spacewalk for the U.S.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Soviet probe Lunar 9 was the first moon landing in 1966.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Apollo 8 was the first to orbit the Moon in 1968.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Neil Armstrong was the first human to step foot on the moon, following behind him was Buzz Aldrin in 1969.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">E.V.A. (Extra-Vehicular Activity) is the technical name for going outside a spacecraft.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The first </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">spacewalkers</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> were tied to their spacecraft by life-support cables.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Astronauts have brought back 838 pounds of Moon rock.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A mirror was left on the Moon to reflect a laser beam to measure the Moon’s distance from Earth.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The laser measurements show that, on average, the Moon is 233,806 miles from Earth.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Temperatures vary from 243°F at noon to -260°F at night on the Moon.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The gloves of Apollo 11 astronauts had tiny lights built into the fingertips.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Spacesuits are officially called E.M.U.s (Extra-Vehicular Mobility Units.)</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The cost of a spacesuit is around $11 million, of which 70% is for the backpack and controls.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Laika</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, a dog, was the first living creature in space aboard the Soviet’s Sputnik 2.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Carbon dioxide that crews breathe out is absorbed by pellets of lithium hydroxide.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The U.S. space shuttle reaches speeds of 18,650 mph.</span></span></span></li></ul></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span></span></span></div></div>Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-47405820898955185602009-07-26T15:02:00.000-07:002009-07-26T16:55:58.548-07:00Bad or Badly<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">I never use the word “badly” when speaking as I’m just not sure what the correct usage is. I would say, “I feel bad about...” but always wondered if I should really be saying “badly” instead. Well, here is the general explanation.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">Bad is an adjective that modifies a noun. Adjectives follow </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">linking verbs</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">Badly is an adverb that modifies a verb. Adverbs modify </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">action verbs</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">If you say, “I feel bad,” you are using the word “bad” as as adjective meaning </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">of poor quality</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">. If you say, “I feel badly,” you are using the word “badly” as an adverb meaning </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">in an unsuccessful way</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">. In essence, you are saying that your fingers are not feeling things correctly.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">Badly can also mean </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">to a great or serious degree</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">, so you could say, “I wanted a new car so badly” and it would be correct. So then, why is it not correct to say, “I feel badly,” because you are trying to imply</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> to a serious degree</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">?</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">The general rule is with most verbs it is correct to use the adverb “badly.” </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">L</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">inking verbs</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> such as </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">feel</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">smell,</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> and </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">am</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> are the exception to the rule and in this case you would use “bad.” To determine if it is a </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">linking verb</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> or an </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">action verb</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">, replace the verb with “is.” If it still makes sense with the word “is,” it’s a </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">linking ver</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">b. If not, it’s an </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">action verb</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">She feels bad.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">She is bad.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">(In this sentence “feels” is a </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">linking verb</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> because it still makes sense.)</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">She feels badly.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">She is badly.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">(In this sentence “feels” is an </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">action verb</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> because it no longer makes sense.)</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">A few other </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">linking verbs</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> are:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">State of being</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> — <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">taste, look, appear, grow, seem and become</span>. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Forms of </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">to be <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">—</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"> is, are, was, were, being and been.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span></div>Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-30935717644468729862009-07-25T16:44:00.000-07:002009-07-26T00:02:20.838-07:00A and An<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">I have forgotten the vast majority of what I learned about grammar. (Past participle, correlative conjunction, absolute adjective–sound familiar?) One thing I recently read is that you have to go with your gut. If it </span></span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">doesn</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">’t sound right or it feels a bit off, it is. A few days ago I was working on a cover letter (job searching is no fun) and I put “an” before a word that started with “H” and Microsoft Word said it needed to be “a”. So, I did a little research. Turns out, my gut instinct was right.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">The proper usage for “a” or “an” is not whether it comes before a word starting with a consonant or vowel, it’s whether it comes before a word that <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">sounds</span> like a consonant or vowel.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'lucida grande';">For Example:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">An hour (hour sounds like the vowel “o”)</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">A hiker (hiker sounds like like the consonant “h”)</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">An only child (only sounds like the vowel “o”)</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">A one-horse race (one sounds like the consonant “w”)</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">An MBA (MBA sounds like the vowel “e”)</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">A mechanic (mechanic sounds like the consonant “m”)</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">So it’s the sound of the word, not just the first letter. I have to say, I totally do not remember ever learning the rule that way, but it’s way easier to remember.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span></div>Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-89295466132577248982009-07-23T23:42:00.000-07:002009-07-23T23:50:25.378-07:00Naming Pluto<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">I think many of us who grew up with the knowledge that Pluto was the ninth planet are a bit sad at its demotion to dwarf planet. But the story behind its name is way cool–and it has nothing to do with the Disney dog. Well, not exactly.<br /><br />On March 14, 1930, the frozen and lonely Planet-X orbiting in the far reaches of our solar system got its name from a British girl. 11-year-old Venetia Burney was having breakfast when her grandfather read aloud from the newspaper about the new planet. He wondered what it would be called. After a pause, Venetia replied, “Why not call it Pluto?” Pluto was a Roman God of the underworld and Venetia thought it fit very well with the other planetary names.<br /><br />Venetia’s grandfather, Falconer Madan, was a librarian who was friends with many astronomers. He dropped a note to astronomer Herbert Hall Turner who then cabled the idea to astronomers at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.<br /><br />Percival Lowell founded the observatory and formed the efforts that discovered Pluto 14 years after his death. Venetia was not familiar with Percival Lowell, but the astronomers who were thinking of names found Pluto to be fitting because of the coincidence of the first two letters being “PL”. The name was official in May of 1930.<br /><br />It has been a persistent notion over the years that the planet was named after the Disney character. But in fact, it was the other way around. </span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Venetia Burney Phair died in April of 2009 at the age of 90. She proves that girls rock–even at 11.</span></span></span><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:13px;">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></div></div>Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-58797369239862352152009-07-21T22:42:00.000-07:002009-07-25T23:59:03.259-07:00The XYZ Affair<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><div>I was reading a (children’s) book on the Presidents and ran across The XYZ Affair on the John Adams page. It sounded so contemporary and intriguing, like it could be the title of the next James Bond movie.</div><div><br /></div>John Adams, the country’s first Vice President, beat Thomas Jefferson in the 1796 race for President. As our 2nd President, Adams held the same beliefs as George Washington in his desire to keep the U.S. neutral in the war between France and Britain. However, American shipping was suffering as a result of the fighting. After the French attacked U.S. ships in 1797, Adams sent diplomats to France to negotiate a commercial agreement to protect U.S. shipping and for peace talks.<br /><br />Three French agents suggested America pay a bribe of $250,000 to Talleyrand, the French Foreign Minister, and a $10 million loan to France as a prelude to negotiations. In April 1798, the scheme of the three French agents (referred to as X, Y and Z in the diplomatic correspondence) was made public and the scandal became known as The XYZ Affair. There was public outcry and many Americans were very angry and wanted war with France. <br /><br />There was a period of undeclared naval warfare between France and the United States, but a formal war was avoided. In 1800 Adams sent more diplomats to France and this time they were successful and a peace treaty was signed. Adams ran for President again that year but lost to Thomas Jefferson.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Interesting Facts:</span> John Adams established the U.S. Navy and ordered the first warships to be built • Thomas Jefferson was Adams’ Vice President • Fierce rivals after Adams lost his re-election to Jefferson, they became close friends as time passed • Adams died on July 4, 1826, just hours after Jefferson died • Thomas Jefferson was George Washington’s Secretary of State and wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span><br /></div></div>Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-71551294423085451612009-07-17T09:38:00.000-07:002009-08-05T20:20:47.476-07:00Space Junk<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Last night was another episode of The Universe and the topic was Space Junk. I have only recently heard about space junk, but it makes sense–wherever we go we produce debris. But space debris is in a category all on its own because it does come back home. That puts a whole new spin on our concept of meteors.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">There are approximately 750,000 objects of debris larger than a centimeter orbiting the Earth at 17,500–28,000 miles per hour. There are an estimated 250,000+ additional objects that are too small to be detected. Space surveillance can only monitor 13,000 of these objects. Space junk consists of things like old satellites, space probes, rocket bodies, rubbish bags from the Mir Space Station, tools and even paint chips and drops of chemicals.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Space debris poses a threat to the International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, shuttles and satellites. The tinniest piece can put a hole in an astronaut’s suit or the exterior of a shuttle. Even NASA needs to access the locations of the debris before they launch. And the more debris produced, the higher the risk is for a catastrophic event, in space or here on Earth.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">All space junk eventually falls back to Earth as its orbital speed slows from atmospheric drag and the effects of our gravity bring it down. Much of it will burn up in the atmosphere but some of it does survive and strikes the Earth. Most of it lands in the oceans since the Earth is 70% water. What does hit land is generally unoccupied as 99.9% of the Earth is not occupied by a person at any given time (hard to imagine). There is one woman from Oklahoma who is the only known person to ever be hit by space junk (she was not injured).</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Around 50–200 “larger” pieces of space debris return to Earth every year. Over the past 40 years, about 12 million pounds of space junk have survived re-entering Earth’s atmosphere.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Interesting Facts</span>: In 1965, Gemini 4 astronaut Edward White lost a glove which stayed in orbit for a month. The oldest debris still in orbit is the US satellite Vanguard I launched in 1958, which worked for only six years. Experts calculate that debris will strike one of the 900 active satellites every two or three years.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span></div>Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-20913752168232228812009-07-15T21:56:00.000-07:002009-07-25T23:58:39.532-07:00Andromeda (M31)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">I was watching one of my favorite shows on History International last night called The Universe. The topic was galaxies and it so happens Andromeda is the closest to the Milky Way and the furthest object we can see without assistance.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">The first recorded observation of Andromeda was in the year 905 by a Persian astronomer. Charles Messier created the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters</span> (1771-1784) and entered the object as the 31st item. The name M31 is referred to as the object's Messier number in which the M is followed by his catalogue number. He theorized the object was a nebula (cloud of gas and dust) and it wasn't until 1923 that American astronomer Edwin Hubble measured the distance to M31 and showed that it was a distant galaxy.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">This is the coolest fact. The spiral galaxy of Andromeda is the furthest object in the universe that can be seen with the naked eye. It is 2.5 million light-years from Earth (light travels at 186,000 miles per second). Andromeda is believed to have between 300 billion and 400 billion Suns. It's diameter of about 200,000 light-years makes it appear five times larger than the full Moon in our sky.<br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Andromeda and the Milky Way are moving toward each other at about 75 miles per second. The two galaxies will eventually collide and form a single, giant elliptical galaxy. The process will start in about 2 billion years and completely merge by about 5 billion years from now. The black holes at the center of the two galaxies will combine to form a single, supermassive black hole potentially forming a quasar. Computer models suggest that our Sun and solar system will survive but will likely be thrown into the distant outer halo of the new combined galaxy.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span></div>Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-78064224230723776532009-05-17T11:04:00.000-07:002009-07-25T23:58:25.457-07:00The Enlightenment<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I watched a show on the History Channel about Ben Franklin (that would be a whole other blog topic–the man accomplished everything). They referred to the time period as The Enlightenment and honestly, I don’t remember ever learning that one. Must have been a “skip” day.<br /><br />The period known as The Enlightenment refers to the Western philosophy in the 18<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> century, from around 1740 to 1789, prior to the French Revolution (1789-1799). There were remarkable cultural changes characterized by a loss of faith in traditional religious and political sources of authority and where reason based on democracy, human rights and science was advocated as the primary source for authority. The term Enlightenment was used by writers of the time, aware they were emerging from centuries of darkness and ignorance into a respect for humanity and reason. “Dare to know,” coined by German philosopher Immanuel Kant, was the motto of the age. The period is also referred to as the Age of Reason.<br /><br />The signatories of the Declaration of Independence, including Ben Franklin, were motivated by the principles of Enlightenment, which were based more on a set of values and not on ideas or shared beliefs. The Bill of Rights, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, and the Polish-Lithuanian Constitution of May 3, 1791 were all motivated by the values and principles of Enlightenment.<br /><br />The precursors to The Enlightenment stemmed from new discoveries in science by Copernicus and Galileo, by philosophical rationalists Descartes and Spinoza, political philosophers Hobbes and Locke and skeptical thinkers such as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Bayle</span> in the 17<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span> century. The most important common belief to philosophers and intellectuals of this period were an abiding faith in the power of human reason.<br /><br />The Enlightenment ended with the French Revolution, which some see the social and political ferment of the period as being responsible for the Revolution. Conservatives believed the Enlightenment was too radical, while romantic writers and artists who came after the period found it to be without passion or soul.<br /><br />The Enlightenment’s effects on the 19<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">th</span> and 20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">th</span> centuries marked a decline of the church and growth of modern secularism and served as the model for political and economic liberalism.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span><br /></div>Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-17723378835694961102009-05-10T14:30:00.000-07:002009-07-25T23:58:11.009-07:00Additive and Subtractive Colors<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">In my previous research, the explanation behind cloud color (additive color) persuaded me to review the topic again.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Additive Colors — </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Red, Green & Blu</span>e<br />Additive color systems, such as televisions or computer monitors, start with no light (black). Additive colors are produced by light sources and the wavelengths create color. Red, green, and blue are called additive colors because when two of them are added (mixed), one of the subtractive colors is produced. Combining all three additive colors with equal intensities produces white. Combining all three additive colors with different luminosities reveals the full gamut of colors.<br /><br />Red + Green + Blue = White<br />Blue + Green = Cyan<br />Blue + Red = Magenta<br />Green + Red = Yellow<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Subtractive Colors — </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Cyan, Magenta & Yellow</span><br />Subtractive color systems, such as paint or ink, start with white light. Subtractive colors are produced by light reflecting off of opaque surfaces. Some of the light that strikes the surfaces is being absorbed, or subtracted, by the surfaces and the rest of the light is reflected. The variation in mixtures of wavelengths being absorbed and reflected creates colors. Combining all three subtractive colors with equal intensities produces black, because all colors are subtracted.<br /><br />Cyan + Magenta + Yellow = Black<br /><br />Subtract Red, reflect the Green & Blue = Cyan<br />Subtract Green, reflect the Red & Blue = Magenta<br />Subtract Blue, reflect the Red & Green = Yellow<br /><br />Two subtractive colors together produce an additive color because each of the two subtractive colors absorbs (subtracts) additive colors.<br /><br />Magenta + Yellow subtracts the Green & Blue is seen as Red<br />Cyan + Yellow subtracts the Red & Blue is seen as Green<br />Cyan + Magenta subtracts the Red & Green is seen as Blue</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span><br /></div></div>Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-33436189361629131092009-05-03T11:42:00.000-07:002009-07-25T23:57:57.609-07:00Clouds<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">I was watching a show and a character mentioned Cumulus clouds. I realized I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">didn</span></span>’t remember exactly which ones those were, or any specifics of the cloud types for that matter. Since it was a kid's show and my 4-year-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">olds</span></span> were watching, I decided I should brush up on the information. I felt a little dumber than a child, frankly.<br /><br />The Earth’s troposphere is the lowest level of our atmosphere and this is where clouds hang out. All air contains water. The water in the air near the ground is in vapor form. When warm air rises, it expands and cools. Cool air holds less water vapor than warm air, so some of the vapor condenses onto microscopic dust particles in the air turning into water or ice. The water droplets are so small and light they float in the air. When billions of droplets combine, they become a visible cloud.<br /><br />Clouds are white because they reflect the light from the sun. The rays from the sun are made up of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. When you add those colors together, the result is white. Clouds reflect all of the sunlight’s colors the exact same amount, so they appear white.<br /><br />Clouds are classified by the height of the cloud base. Names beginning with "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Cirr</span>"</span> are located at high levels. Alto clouds are found at middle levels. Stratus clouds are at low levels.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">High-Level Clouds</span> form above 20,000 feet and since the temperatures are so cold at such high elevations, these clouds are primarily composed of ice crystals. They are typically thin and white in appearance, but can appear in an array of colors when the sun is low on the horizon.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Mid-Level Clouds</span> typically appear between 6,500 to 20,000 feet. Because of their lower altitudes, they are composed primarily of water droplets. They can also be composed of ice crystals when temperatures are cold enough.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Low-Level Clouds</span> are mostly composed of water droplets since their bases generally lie below 6,500 feet. When temperatures are cold enough, these clouds may also contain ice particles and snow.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Vertically-Developed Clouds</span> are commonly generated through either thermal convection or frontal lifting. They can grow to heights in excess of 39,000 feet, releasing energy through the condensation of water vapor within the cloud itself.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Cirrus</span> clouds are the most common of the high clouds. They are composed of ice and are thin, wispy clouds blown in high winds forming long streamers. Cirrus clouds are usually white and predict fair to pleasant weather. By watching the movement of cirrus clouds you can tell from which direction weather is approaching. Cirrus clouds usually indicate that a change in the weather will occur within 24 hours.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Cirrostratu</span></span></span>s clouds are thin, sheet-like high clouds that often cover the entire sky. They are so thin that the sun and moon can be seen through them. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Cirrostratus</span></span> clouds usually come 12-24 hours before a rain or snowstorm.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Cirrocumulus</span></span></span> clouds appear as small, rounded white puffs that appear in long rows. Their small ripples sometime resemble the scales of a fish. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Cirrocumulus</span></span> clouds are usually seen in the winter and indicate fair, but cold, weather. In tropical regions, they may indicate an approaching hurricane.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Altostratus</span></span></span> clouds are gray or blue-gray mid level clouds composed of ice crystals and water droplets. These clouds usually cover the entire sky. In the thinner areas of the clouds, the sun may be dimly visible as a round disk. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Altostratus</span></span> clouds often form ahead of storms with continuous rain or snow.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Altocumulus</span></span></span> clouds are mid level clouds made of water droplets and appear as gray puffy masses usually in groups. If you see <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">altocumulus</span></span> clouds on a warm, sticky morning, be prepared to see thunderstorms late in the afternoon.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Stratus</span> clouds are uniform grayish clouds that often cover the entire sky. They resemble fog that doesn't reach the ground. Light mist or drizzle sometimes falls out of these clouds.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Stratocumulus</span></span></span> clouds are low, puffy and gray and most form in rows with blue sky visible in between them. Rain rarely occurs with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">stratocumulus</span></span> clouds, however, they can turn into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">nimbostratus</span></span> clouds.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Nimbostratus</span></span></span> clouds form a dark gray, wet looking cloudy layer associated with continuously falling rain or snow. They often produce precipitation that is usually light to moderate.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Cumulus</span> clouds are white, puffy clouds that look like pieces of floating cotton. Cumulus clouds are often called "fair-weather clouds". The base of each cloud is flat and the top has rounded towers. When the top of a cumulus cloud resembles the head of a cauliflower, it is called cumulus <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">congestus</span></span> or towering cumulus. These clouds grow upward and they can develop into giant cumulonimbus clouds, which are thunderstorm clouds.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Cumulonimbu</span></span></span>s clouds are thunderstorm clouds. High winds can flatten the top of the cloud into an anvil-like shape. Cumulonimbus clouds are associated with heavy rain, snow, hail, lightning and even tornadoes. The anvil usually points in the direction the storm is moving.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Mammatus</span></span></span> clouds are low hanging bulges that droop from cumulonimbus clouds. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Mammatus</span></span> clouds are usually associated with severe weather.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Lenticular</span></span></span> clouds are caused by a wave wind pattern created by the mountains. They look like discs or flying saucers that form near mountains.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Fog</span> is a cloud on the ground composed of billions of tiny water droplets floating in the air. Fog exists if the atmospheric visibility near the Earth's surface is reduced to around three quarters of a mile.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Contrails</span> are condensation trails left behind jet <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">aircrafts</span></span>. Contrails form when hot humid air from jet exhaust mixes with environmental air of low vapor pressure and low temperature. The mixing is a result of turbulence generated by the exhaust.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Green Clouds</span> are often associated with severe weather. They form when the clouds are illuminated by light reflected off green vegetation, such as large cornfields or a heavily wooded forest. In the Great Plains region of the U.S., green clouds are associated with storms likely to produce tornadoes.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Latin Translations</span><br />Cumulus — Heap<br />Stratus — Layer<br />Cirrus — Curl of Hair<br />Nimbus — Rain</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span><div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span><br /></div></div></div></div>Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-11344837888797561052009-03-09T14:13:00.000-07:002010-07-02T10:15:14.256-07:00The Periodic Table<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Not sure why, but I'm fascinated by atoms, elements and how the periodic table works. I totally did not get it in chemistry class in high school and college, but now it makes (more) sense. Although the details of each are very complex. For instance, Hydrogen is one of the most volatile elements, but mix two Hydrogens with Oxygen and it's extraordinarily neutral and gives us water.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Everything in the universe is made of elements. An element is a substance that cannot be broken down or made into anything simpler by chemical reactions. Several elements, like gold, silver and lead, have been known for thousands of years. Darmstadtium, on the other hand, was created in a lab in the 1990's.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Siberian chemist Dimitri Mendeleev arranged the elements into the periodic table in 1869. He organized them in groups (columns) and periods (rows) leaving gaps for elements that were still undiscovered. Today, those gaps have been filled to a total of 118 known elements but certainly there may be others that have yet to be discovered.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">The vertical groups of the table make up "families" that are closely related and liking the same types of chemical characteristics. Mendeleev organized the elements so that each had a higher atomic weight than the one on its left and by similar chemical properties to other elements in the same column.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">In 1913 Henry Moseley discovered it was the atomic number (charge) and not the atomic weight that is most fundamental to the chemical properties of any element. The element's chemistry is determined by the way its electrons are arranged. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">There is a progression from metals to non-metals across each period. The block of elements in groups 3-12 contain the transition metals. The rare Earth elements are groups 58-71 (lanthanides–chemically similar to each other) and 90-103 (actinides-less chemically similar to each other). Naturally occurring rare Earth elements are found only in very small amounts. The actinides include most well known elements that take part in or produce nuclear reactions. No element with an atomic number higher than 92 occurs naturally and are produced in nuclear reactors or particle accelerators.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">In researching the periodic table, I found conflicting information regarding how many elements were on the periodic table and even how some of them are grouped. But for the most part, it looks like there are 118.</span></span></span><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:13px;">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></div>Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-11857921418844334872009-02-22T12:49:00.000-08:002009-07-25T23:56:26.351-07:00Atoms – The Basics<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Once again, I was watching a show on the Science Channel that was way over my head. This time it was about atoms. The whole show just blew my mind and much of the details were so hard to even comprehend. I would need to watch the episode about 10 more times to even have a chance of completely understanding. I'm not even going to get into the chemistry classes I took in high school and college–not good. I guess that's why I make pretty pictures for a living.</span></span></span><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Atom - </span>the basic unit of a chemical element.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br />The word atom is derived from the Greek word atom, which means indivisible. Atoms and cannot be chemically subdivided by ordinary means. Atoms are the basic building blocks of matter that make up every object. Matter has mass and takes up space. There are 90 naturally occurring kinds of atoms. Scientists have been able to make about 25 more.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'lucida grande';font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Atoms are composed of three types of particles: Protons, Neutrons, and Electrons. Protons and Neutrons are responsible for the majority of the atomic mass as the mass of an Electron is very small.<br /><br />Both the Protons and Neutrons reside in the Nucleus. Electrons reside in orbitals around the Nucleus.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br />Protons carry a positive charge.<br /><br />Neutrons carry no charge.<br /><br />Protons and Neutrons join together to form the Nucleus, the central part of the atom.<br /><br />Electrons carry a negative charge and circle the nucleus. Electrons are bound to the nucleus by the electromagnetic force.<br /><br />Atoms usually have about as many Neutrons as Protons. Atoms always have as many Electrons as Protons and are electrically neutral. If the Electrons and Protons are not the same in an atom, it has a positive or negative charge and is an Ion.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Ion</span> - an atom or molecule with a net electric charge due to the loss or gain of one or more electrons.<br /><br />It is the number of Protons that determines the atomic number on the Periodic Table. The number of Protons in an element is constant, but Neutron numbers may vary, so mass number (protons + neutrons) may vary. The number of Neutrons determines the Isotope of the element.<br /><br />Hydrogen (#1 on the Periodic Table)<br />1 Proton<br />1 Electron<br />0 Neutrons<br /><br />Helium (#2 on the Periodic Table)<br />2 Protons<br />2 Electrons<br />2 Neutrons<br /><br />Adding a Proton makes a new kind of atom. Adding a Neutron makes an isotope of that atom–a heavier version of that atom.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Isotope</span> – each of two or more forms of the same element that contain equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei, and hence differ in relative atomic mass but not in chemical properties. Some isotopes are radioactive, meaning they "radiate" energy as they decay to a more stable form, perhaps another element half-life (time required for half of the atoms of an element to decay into stable form).<br /><br />In 1968, scientist discovered particles inside the Proton and Neutron. These particles are called Quarks.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Quark</span> - any of a number of subatomic particles carrying a fractional electric charge, postulated as building blocks of the hadrons. Quarks have not been directly observed, but theoretical predictions based on their existence have been confirmed experimentally.<br /><br />There are three Quarks in each Proton and Neutron. Quarks are held to each other by particles called Gluons.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Gluon</span> - a subatomic particle of a class that is thought to bind quarks together.<br /><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Wrap your brain around these crazy facts:<br /></span><br />It would take 136,000 atoms side-by-side before we could see them.<br /><br />To get an idea of scale, if a hydrogen atom were roughly the size of a dime, the orbital electrons would be ½ mile away. The space between them is empty. Or if an atom were the size of a movie theater, the nucleus would be the size of a postage stamp and that stamp would hold 99.9% of the atom’s mass.<br /><br />A typical human cell has roughly 100 trillion atoms.<br /><br />A human hair is about 1 million carbon atoms wide.<br /><br />A single drop of water contains about 2 sextillion atoms of oxygen (that’s 2,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) and twice as many hydrogen atoms.<br /><br />The atoms that are in the water we drink are the same atoms that once made up the dinosaurs–and everything else that was once on this planet…or the universe as far as that goes.<br /><br />The atoms we breathe are the same atoms that Galileo, Michelangelo, Jesus–everyone who has ever lived–once breathed.<br /><br />The atoms that make us up as an individual will some day be parts of other existing things.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.</span></span></span><br /></div>Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3811501297747233384.post-80694504210628852872009-01-31T17:06:00.000-08:002009-07-25T23:56:05.648-07:00Great Britain, UK and England<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">I always assumed that Great Britain, United Kingdom, British Isles and England were just different references to the same country. You guessed it–it’s a bit more complicated.<br /><br />Great Britain is an island consisting of three autonomous regions including England, Scotland and Wales. It is located east of Ireland and northwest of France. The capital and largest city of Great Britain is London. The monarchy of Great Britain is limited to ceremonial functions only and sovereignty rests with Parliament.<br /><br />The United Kingdom is a country that includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its official name is United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are often mistaken as countries, but they are only a part of the United Kingdom.<br /><br />England is the largest and most populous portion of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is bounded by Wales, the Irish Sea, Scotland, the English Channel, the Strait of Dover and the North Sea.<br /><br />The British Isles encompasses Great Britain, the island of Ireland, the Isle of Man and several other smaller islands.<br /><br />The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of countries that were formerly British colonies. Members recognize the UK Monarchy as their own king or queen, but remain politically independent.<br /><br />Members of the Commonwealth of Nations:<br /><br />Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Canada, Cameroon, Cyprus, Dominica, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra, Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Kingdom, Vanuatu and Zambia<br /><br />I’m not sure, but now I may be more confused.<br /><br />Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.<br /></span></span></span>Get Smart Girlfriendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14575697293151623250noreply@blogger.com0