Just had a gander at http://babynamewizard.com/namevoyager/lnv0105.html, based on information from the Social Security Admin. so a lot of names are not in here...actually was looking for pets' names but they for some reason are not tracked by the Social Security Administration...as of yet. Still a fun site to play with

In the 1500's houses had thatched roofs - thick straw - piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the dogs, cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof, hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem where bugs and other droppings could really mess up your clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they kept adding more thresh until, when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway - hence a "thresh hold." ...just some of those fun facts passed around.

Funny how just a slight change in tone or a stroke of the caps lock can change the whole meaning of a message. There even have been times when I've had to clarify to friends that I was being most sincere instead of expressing my opinion with the sarcasm that they have grown to know and love. My father used to tell me that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit....but I think he was being sarcastic because there have been various studies that show that you must have a higher level of cognition to fully appreciate the subtleties of sarcasm...note* I'm talking about the good kind not the mean and viscious kind.
On the Irishhealth.com website stated that the researchers at the Rambam Medical Centre and University of Haifa in Israel found that people with right frontal lobe damage did not get the irony in these remarks. Also noted was Dr Shamay-Tsoory said the ability to understand sarcasm may be inborn. (Thanks Dad, now I know where I get it from)

Psssst did you hear what she just said about him...and it must be true because I heard it from whats_her_name and she heard it directly from whatchamacallit who heard it from someone else. And OMG if you see it in a blog...well then it must be a fact. It's funny how some rumors start...usually someone skewing facts to benefit their cause in some way...and hey, if we can get the media involved...all the better.

There is an old saying that states trying to undo a rumor is like trying to un-ring a bell...hopefully with rumors people will realize that the tone is off and then turn a deaf ear to such nonsense.

So I'm just sitting around browsing over some articles about quantum physics, relativity and time machines. Then I wonder....if given the opportunity to use a time machine only once would I go back in time to make changes or rush ahead and embrace the future? After pondering for a few moments...reflecting on the past and anticipating the future I know it is best to play the hand that I've been dealt (be it by fate or by design) and live for the moment! I should stick to article that discuss the differences between a volt, amp, ohm and a watt of course that would just make another light bulb go off in my head.
Speaking of....here is a theory I enjoy because of the different perspective :)


Rewritten by the Quantum Mechanic
(Author Unknown)

For years the electrical utility companies have led the public to believe they were in business to supply electricity to the consumer, a service for which they charge a substantial rate. The recent accidental acquisition of secret records from a well known power company has led to a massive research campaign which positively explodes several myths and exposes the massive hoax which has been perpetrated upon the public by the power companies.

The most common hoax promoted the false concept that light bulbs emitted light; in actuality, these 'light' bulbs actually absorb DARK which is then transported back to the power generation stations via wire networks. A more descriptive name has now been coined; the new scientific name for the device is DARKSUCKER.

This newsletter introduces a brief synopsis of the darksucker theory, which proves the existence of dark and establishes the fact that dark has great mass, and further, that dark particle (the anti-photon) is the fastest known particle in the universe. Apparently, even the celebrated Dr. Albert Einstein did not suspect the truth.. that just as COLD is the absence of HEAT, LIGHT is actually the ABSENCE of DARK... scientists have now proven that light does not really exist!

The basis of the darksucker theory is that electric light bulbs suck dark. Take for example, the darksuckers in the room where you are right now. There is much less dark right next to the darksuckers than there is elsewhere, demonstrating their limited range. The larger the darksucker, the greater its capacity to suck dark. Darksuckers in a parking lot or on a football field have a much greater capacity than the ones in used in the home, for example.

It may come as a surprise to learn that darksuckers also operate on a celestial scale; witness the Sun. Our Sun makes use of dense dark, sucking it in from all the planets and intervening dark space. Naturally, the Sun is better able to suck dark from the planets which are situated closer to it, thus explaining why those planets appear brighter than do those which are far distant from the Sun.

Occasionally, the Sun actually oversucks; under those conditions, dark spots appear on the surface of the Sun. Scientists have long studied these 'sunspots' and are only recently beginning to realize that the dark spots represent leaks of high pressure dark because the Sun has oversucked dark to such an extent that some dark actually leaks back into space. This leakage of high pressure dark frequently causes problems with radio communications here on Earth due to collisions between the dark particles as they stream out into space at high velocity via the black 'holes' in the surface of the Sun.

As with all manmade devices, darksuckers have a finite lifetime caused by the fact that they are not 100% efficient at transmitting collected dark back to the power company via the wires from your home, causing dark to build up slowly within the device. Once they are full of accumulated dark, they can no longer suck. This condition can be observed by looking for the black spot on a full darksucker when it has reached maximum capacity of untransmitted dark... you have surely noticed that dark completely surrounds a full darksucker because it no longer has the capacity to suck any dark at all.

A candle is a primitive darksucker. A new candle has a white wick. You will notice that after the first use the wick turns black, representing all the dark which has been sucked into it. If you hold a pencil next to the wick of an operating candle, the tip will turn black because it got in the way of the dark flowing into the candle. It is of no use to plug a candle into an electrical outlet; it can only collect dark.. it has no transmission capabilities. Unfortunately, these primitive darksuckers have a very limited range and are hazardous to operate because of the intense heat produced.

There are also portable darksuckers called flashlights. The bulbs in these devices collect dark which is passed to a dark storage unit called a battery. When the dark storage unit is full, it must be either emptied (a process called 'recharging') or replaced before the portable darksucker can continue to operate. If you break open a battery, you will find dense black dark inside, evidence that it is actually a compact dark storage unit.

I'm not one to make resolutions dictated by the calendar. When I see a need for change (and boy, am I need to stay in a state of evolution) I make a change. But there is something about this year...I really am looking to make a new start in many aspects of my life. I want to sell my home and get a new house. I want to but things that have caused me pain behind me and embrace my new found happiness. I want to take advantage of my new work schedule and enjoy the extra time I have with my children. This past weekend I was able to do some activity with the kids; that includes taking my boxer on a play date with a neighbor dog. I guess nothing has really changed and I'm not that different than anyone else. I just want to be happy and contribute to other peoples happiness,remember....... Life is too important to be taken seriously.

Modern medicine can be frustrating. We can now diagnosis and detect disease processes and tumors that were not even heard of years ago. Treating and curing disease is something completely different than diagnosing. Wondering, waiting, will it work, what do I do if it doesn't work? During these anxious and frightening times I hope my friend (http://my-fire-hydrant.blogspot.com/) knows she and Bailey are in my thoughts.

My sister just had a high resolution MRI. Typical MRIs can detect masses that are 5mm this one can detect masses as small as 2mms. Good news and bad news...good that we have technology to detect these masses; bad news is that they found a third tumor in M's brain. Ahhhhh but we have more good news...she underwent surgery via the Gamma Knife and with this knowledge they were able to zap all three!!! We continue to wait, utilize every bit of technology and resources, and trust that all is well....besides M. is just too busy to be bothered by all this cancer stuff.

It's nice to reflect upon all the things in life for which we should be grateful. My family is the first thing I think of...that includes immediate and extended. But why stop there, I have friend that I hold close to my heart just as if they were family members too. Speaking of family members I should mention this of course includes my boxer.

Everywhere I go people express their love for pets...it's so easy to do. On a recent trip to my sister's, I sat next to a man on the plane that shared a photo of his Lab with me. It was the wallpaper on his cell phone, I loved it!

Speaking of my trip to my sister's, thanks for the great cranberry recipe M. I'll never be able to eat the canned gel again. Well, I hear a pumpkin pie and cup of coffee calling me...Happy day after Thanksgiving.

I actually saw the first snow flurries being blown about today. I had a hunch today might be the day. Zip..my baby boxer was snuggled deep in her covers this morning and only the clang of her food bowl could motivate her to get out of bed. She is the best weather forecaster I've known. She is definitely a fair weather girl. Too hot and she must be fanned; too cold and she needs her blankie. This morning it was the comforter that she was covered with...a sure sign that it would be snowing soon.