First settled in 1641, Nantucket is an island about 30 miles south of Cape Cod. Together with two other islands (Tuckernuck and Muskeget) is collectively called the town of Nantucket. It is a tourist destination during the summer months, with a population that grows 5 times during that time. The island itself is ripe with history since it's over 350 years old. It has the oldest operating windmill in the US (operation began in 1746). Nantucket's name came from Native American origins, however the exact origin is debated still. According to come accounts, the Algonquians used the terms natocke, nantaticut, nantican, and nautican which are thought to mean "in the midst of waters" or "far away island". The Wampanoags that lived on the island called it Canopache, which means "place of peace". The island is nicknamed "the gray lady" because of the fog.
However nice and possibly interesting as this all may be, what makes Nantucket interesting enough to make it as expendablenlightenment? Well, Nantucket has an interesting piece of trivia that most people don't know: Nantucket had no squirrels on the island until 1989.
You might be wondering why there is a date for this, and you might be wondering where they were before. The answer to the second is that squirrels weren't indiginous creatures on the island. And the answer to the second is that a truck carrying firewood in 1989 took the ferry to the island, and on the ferry were some squirrels. These squirrels populated the island that is filled with hearty beech tree nuts for them to feast on. It is usually very dangerous to introduce non-indiginous creatures into new areas: the most prominant example would be the carp in the Illinois River, but we'll save that for another day. In this case, the squirrels have flourished and the island seems to have adapted well.
Bet you didn't know that!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
The B Vitamins
In the health and nutrition world, there are certain vitamins and minerals that the body needs. One of the most interesting of these is what is known as the vitamin B complex. Unlike other vitamins (such as vitamin A, C, D, E, or K), B is a unique vitamin in that it isn't one vitamin: it's a group of vitamins. Some time ago, it was thought that B was a single vitamin, but it turned out to be quite different. So what are the B vitamins?
There are eight total B vitamins, and a supplement that has all eight is called a vitamin B complex. They are:
And if you're paying attention to the above list, there is no vitamin B4, B8, B10, or B11. So where are they? There are actually many B vitamins, not all of which deal with humans, and some of which could be toxic. Here's the list of other B vitamins which aren't considered to be vitamins anymore:
Bet you didn't know that!
There are eight total B vitamins, and a supplement that has all eight is called a vitamin B complex. They are:
- B1 is thiamine
- B2 is riboflavin
- B3 is niacin
- B5 is pantothenic acid
- B6 is pyridoxine/pirodoxomine
- B7 is biotin
- B9 is folic acid
- B12 is cobalamin
And if you're paying attention to the above list, there is no vitamin B4, B8, B10, or B11. So where are they? There are actually many B vitamins, not all of which deal with humans, and some of which could be toxic. Here's the list of other B vitamins which aren't considered to be vitamins anymore:
- B4 is adenine
- B8 is adenosine monophosphate
- B10 is para-aminobenzoic acid
- B11 is pteryl-hepta-glutamic acid, which is a form of folic acid, and sometimes called vitamin S
- B13 is orotic acid
- B14 is a phosphate that has properties of a rat growth factor and cell proliferant
- B15 is pangamic acid
- B16 is dimethylglycine
- B17 is amygdalin or Laetrile, which is used in cancer treatment
- B20 is carnitine
- B22 is an extract from Aloe vera ingredients
- Bh is a type of biotin
- Bm is called "mouse factor"
- Bp is choline
- Bt is L-carnitine
- Bv is a type of B6 but not pyridoxine
- Bw is a type of biotin but not d-biotin
- Bx is a type of para-aminobenzoic acid
Bet you didn't know that!
Monday, April 23, 2012
What is a "dord"?
Picture yourself in the early 1930's. Imagine you work for a publishing company that prints dictionaries. As you picture this, think of how dificult it would be to create a dictionary without using a computer. Difficult to imagine? Impossible? Well, that's how things were done. In this post, we're going to specifically look at the second edition of Webster's New International Dictionary from 1934. In this particular dictionary, on page 771, there appeared an entry for the word "dord". What is a dord?
The only definition given is for density, and the word is used in physics and chemistry, and other than being a noun, there is no other information given. That's because the word didn't exist.
The story for this "ghost word" began in 1931. At that time, abbreviations and words were comingled, but the next edition would have abbreviations in their own separate section of the dictionary. When the list of abbreviations were being compiled, there was one notation that was added into the pile: "D or d, cont/ density". This meant that the next edition (the 2nd edition from 1934) would include an abbreviation for density, using "D or d". Somehow, that notation ended up in the words pile, and dord was born.
It wasn't until five years later that an editor noticed the word and began the process to pull the word from future printings. Other dictionaries that weren't as careful still had the word for a few more years. So, not only was dord not a real word, it made it into dictionaries and then stayed in them for a few years. It's true that mistakes are made in dictionaries, but none are as humorous of a mistake as this one.
Bet you didn't know that!
The only definition given is for density, and the word is used in physics and chemistry, and other than being a noun, there is no other information given. That's because the word didn't exist.
The story for this "ghost word" began in 1931. At that time, abbreviations and words were comingled, but the next edition would have abbreviations in their own separate section of the dictionary. When the list of abbreviations were being compiled, there was one notation that was added into the pile: "D or d, cont/ density". This meant that the next edition (the 2nd edition from 1934) would include an abbreviation for density, using "D or d". Somehow, that notation ended up in the words pile, and dord was born.
It wasn't until five years later that an editor noticed the word and began the process to pull the word from future printings. Other dictionaries that weren't as careful still had the word for a few more years. So, not only was dord not a real word, it made it into dictionaries and then stayed in them for a few years. It's true that mistakes are made in dictionaries, but none are as humorous of a mistake as this one.
Bet you didn't know that!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
True Story #1
Sometimes a story comes along that seems too strange to be real, but this story is a real one. It was first published in December of 2011.
A 76-year old woman was having digestive issues, so she went to the doctor. She was diagnosed with extreme diverticulosis, which is essentially small pouches bulging from the colon. It is common with older people, so it seemed like a rational diagnosis. She was given a CT scan, and that's when the true cause of the pain and discomfort was shown.
Unbelievably, she had a pen in her stomach. And not only was it in her stomach, it had been in her stomach for 25 years! She remembered standing by the steps 25 years earlier and trying to make a mark on her tonsils when she tripped and swallowed the pen. Her husband and doctor didn't believe her, and the Xrays came back normal. Her digestive problems weren't caused by the pen itself, but it was removed to ensure that no holes were punctured in her gastrointestinal tract. The pen itself was a felt-tip pen made of plastic. It was beginning to flake, but it was still intact. It was an amazing story in that the stomach acid hadn't degraded the pen to a more decayed state.
The most amazing part of this story was that it still contained ink, and it could still write! If you don't believe me, click on the link below to go to the medical journal that has pictures of the CT scan and the pen.
http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2011/bcr.10.2011.5001.full?sid=fba8736f-33ca-4362-a35e-bb230df19d64Images%20in..
Beyond belief, but true!
A 76-year old woman was having digestive issues, so she went to the doctor. She was diagnosed with extreme diverticulosis, which is essentially small pouches bulging from the colon. It is common with older people, so it seemed like a rational diagnosis. She was given a CT scan, and that's when the true cause of the pain and discomfort was shown.
Unbelievably, she had a pen in her stomach. And not only was it in her stomach, it had been in her stomach for 25 years! She remembered standing by the steps 25 years earlier and trying to make a mark on her tonsils when she tripped and swallowed the pen. Her husband and doctor didn't believe her, and the Xrays came back normal. Her digestive problems weren't caused by the pen itself, but it was removed to ensure that no holes were punctured in her gastrointestinal tract. The pen itself was a felt-tip pen made of plastic. It was beginning to flake, but it was still intact. It was an amazing story in that the stomach acid hadn't degraded the pen to a more decayed state.
The most amazing part of this story was that it still contained ink, and it could still write! If you don't believe me, click on the link below to go to the medical journal that has pictures of the CT scan and the pen.
http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2011/bcr.10.2011.5001.full?sid=fba8736f-33ca-4362-a35e-bb230df19d64Images%20in..
Beyond belief, but true!
Monday, April 16, 2012
The Maple Leaf Controversy
We Americans typically don't get too wrapped up in other country's history or activities. However, sometimes, interesting stories come about based on how things came to be. An example of this is from our neighbor to the north: Canada. Many people in the US make fun of Canada for its flag. After all, it's basically a maple leaf. How exciting is that? Not very for us, at least. But if you lived in Canada in 1964, the flag controversy was a big deal.
For anyone who lived in Canada before 1964, the flag used was very different than the maple leaf flag from today. However, the flag used wasn't an official flag. Canada became a confederation in 1867, and the flag used was just simply the Union Jack from Great Britain. In the next few decades, it changed to the Red Ensign (a red flag with the Union Jack in the corner and the Canadian coat of arms opposite). It still wasn't an official flag though. The flag controversy began in 1924, but no consensus could be met, so it was dropped. It came up again 20 years later with the same result. In the early 1960's, the debate came up again, but this time, it wouldn't go away.
The biggest problem in choosing a flag is honoring the past, pointing to the future, and appeasing most of those who will raise it. What made this so difficult for Canada was that there were three groups who needed to be appeased: those from the English background, those from the French background, and those who weren't from either. Those from the English background wanted to have the Union Jack in it, those from the French background wanted something French (such as the fleur-de-lys), and those that weren't English or French wanted something that uniquely Canadian. This made for intense debate.
The only symbol that anyone could seemingly look at without actually having strong reactions over was the sugar maple leaf. This symbol had been used in the past by Canadians, but it wasn't a strong well-used symbol. The real reason it was really considered was it was less of an irritation than the pro-English and pr-French symbols that were being considered. The pro-French symbol group were all right with the maple leaf mostly because it wasn't a union jack, and the pro-English symbol group were all right with the maple leaf mostly becuase it wasn't a fleur-de-lys. Some people, however, didn't like it because isn't uniquely Canadian nor does it have any real historical context. The other complaint was that the maple tree didn't grow any west of the province of Ontario.
So, after much more debate, and a narrowing down of ideas, there were three designs left: a three leaf design with blue on the left and right side, a one leaf design with a union jack in the upper left corner and a fleur-de-lys in the upper right corner, and a one leaf design which had 13 points.
The three leaf design looked too similar to a liberal party symbol, so it was thrown out. The compromise flag (with the union jack and fleur-de-lys) was thrown out because of too many objections. The only remaining choice was the single maple leaf. Citizens were encouraged to find symbology with the single maple leaf to Canadian life, which would smooth the firestorm. The new flag was voted on and approved finally. This flag has 13 points, and during the period after the voting, the points were lessened to 11. Some think that the points represent the 10 provinces and 1 country or 1 for the territories. Some think that the points mean the 11 governments of Canada: 10 provinces and 1 federal government, but the 2 territories have governments also. But this was all thought of after the flag was adopted, and have no bearing on the meaning of the maple leaf flag.
So, the moral of this story is that if anyone mentions why the Canadian flag was chosen, you will know that the real reason their flag has a maple leaf is basically because it was the least offensive design that would appease everyone involved. It wasn't that everyone loved the maple leaf; it was more that they didn't hate it as much as what the other side was proposing. And there's something about that which is amusing. Compromise, anyone?
Bet you didn't know that!
For anyone who lived in Canada before 1964, the flag used was very different than the maple leaf flag from today. However, the flag used wasn't an official flag. Canada became a confederation in 1867, and the flag used was just simply the Union Jack from Great Britain. In the next few decades, it changed to the Red Ensign (a red flag with the Union Jack in the corner and the Canadian coat of arms opposite). It still wasn't an official flag though. The flag controversy began in 1924, but no consensus could be met, so it was dropped. It came up again 20 years later with the same result. In the early 1960's, the debate came up again, but this time, it wouldn't go away.
 |
| The Red Ensign |
The biggest problem in choosing a flag is honoring the past, pointing to the future, and appeasing most of those who will raise it. What made this so difficult for Canada was that there were three groups who needed to be appeased: those from the English background, those from the French background, and those who weren't from either. Those from the English background wanted to have the Union Jack in it, those from the French background wanted something French (such as the fleur-de-lys), and those that weren't English or French wanted something that uniquely Canadian. This made for intense debate.
The only symbol that anyone could seemingly look at without actually having strong reactions over was the sugar maple leaf. This symbol had been used in the past by Canadians, but it wasn't a strong well-used symbol. The real reason it was really considered was it was less of an irritation than the pro-English and pr-French symbols that were being considered. The pro-French symbol group were all right with the maple leaf mostly because it wasn't a union jack, and the pro-English symbol group were all right with the maple leaf mostly becuase it wasn't a fleur-de-lys. Some people, however, didn't like it because isn't uniquely Canadian nor does it have any real historical context. The other complaint was that the maple tree didn't grow any west of the province of Ontario.
So, after much more debate, and a narrowing down of ideas, there were three designs left: a three leaf design with blue on the left and right side, a one leaf design with a union jack in the upper left corner and a fleur-de-lys in the upper right corner, and a one leaf design which had 13 points.
 |
| Three Leaf Design |
The three leaf design looked too similar to a liberal party symbol, so it was thrown out. The compromise flag (with the union jack and fleur-de-lys) was thrown out because of too many objections. The only remaining choice was the single maple leaf. Citizens were encouraged to find symbology with the single maple leaf to Canadian life, which would smooth the firestorm. The new flag was voted on and approved finally. This flag has 13 points, and during the period after the voting, the points were lessened to 11. Some think that the points represent the 10 provinces and 1 country or 1 for the territories. Some think that the points mean the 11 governments of Canada: 10 provinces and 1 federal government, but the 2 territories have governments also. But this was all thought of after the flag was adopted, and have no bearing on the meaning of the maple leaf flag.
So, the moral of this story is that if anyone mentions why the Canadian flag was chosen, you will know that the real reason their flag has a maple leaf is basically because it was the least offensive design that would appease everyone involved. It wasn't that everyone loved the maple leaf; it was more that they didn't hate it as much as what the other side was proposing. And there's something about that which is amusing. Compromise, anyone?
Bet you didn't know that!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
If a Word is Misspelled in the Dictionary...
...How would we ever know? That is a very good question. The simplest answer is to look it up in another dictionary and see what it says. Today, we have access to many dictionaries online and can check out a word in mutiple sources at once. But think about the days before computers. How did they create such books with so many words without misspellings? Well, firstly, the answer is very carefully, but secondly, there were misspellings. In fact it's been reported in multiple sources that the 1996 Webster's dictionary had 315 entries misspelled. That's quite a lot, especially in the age of computers. So, these things happen.
To help all of you who are interested in having the correct spellings, here is a link to the 100 most misspelled words in the English language. I hope it helps you in the future!
http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/spelling-and-word-lists/misspelled.html
To help all of you who are interested in having the correct spellings, here is a link to the 100 most misspelled words in the English language. I hope it helps you in the future!
http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/spelling-and-word-lists/misspelled.html
Monday, April 9, 2012
A Chocolate Banned in the USA?
Easter is around the corner and with it comes a whole host of tasty treats. But be warned: one popular European treat is banned in the United States. Yes, that's right: it's banned. What is it? Something that is poisonous? Dangerous? Dirty? Not at all.
It's called a Kinder Egg (or Kinder Surprise). They are made by the Italian company Ferrero (who also make Nutella). Kinder Eggs are well-known in Europe for their surprise inside the chocolate (a plastic capsule with a toy inside, often requiring assembly), and this is why they are banned in the United States. You see, Kinder Eggs have a toy surprise completely enclosed by chocolate, which is a problem for the United States. You might wonder why?
In 1938, the US passed the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act which prohibits "embedding non-nutritive items in confections." Basically, if it isn't food or edible, then it can't go in food. Suckers are an exception to this because the stick is a handle for the candy, so those are allowed. Since the toy is completely enclosed by the chocolate in a Kinder Egg, it is a violation of the 1938 law. Any attempt to bring a Kinder Egg into the US will result in the egg being seized by US Customs and Border Protection. In 2010 alone, over 25,000 eggs were seized from approximately 1,700 incidents.
The funny thing about Kinder Eggs is that they are banned only in the US. They are sold all over the world, and have actually gained a nearly cult-like following in Europe. Avid collectors buy, sell, and trade the toys sold inside in a manner similar to the beanie baby crazy of some years ago: the difference is that this craze has lasted for many years.
One story that I'd read about includes a Canadian woman who was stopped at a random checkpoint search in Minnesota. Her Kinder Egg was seized. A few days later, she received a 7-page document asking if she still wanted the egg back or if she was willing to surrender her rights to it. She was shocked that there was so much fiasco over a $2 chocolate egg. But the US government is serious about it.
So if you plan on acquiring a Kinder Egg, good luck. There are ways, but I won't say how. I will say that if you can find one, they are really good. Just be aware that you will be enjoying an illegal tasty treat.
It's called a Kinder Egg (or Kinder Surprise). They are made by the Italian company Ferrero (who also make Nutella). Kinder Eggs are well-known in Europe for their surprise inside the chocolate (a plastic capsule with a toy inside, often requiring assembly), and this is why they are banned in the United States. You see, Kinder Eggs have a toy surprise completely enclosed by chocolate, which is a problem for the United States. You might wonder why?
 |
| Kinder Egg |
In 1938, the US passed the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act which prohibits "embedding non-nutritive items in confections." Basically, if it isn't food or edible, then it can't go in food. Suckers are an exception to this because the stick is a handle for the candy, so those are allowed. Since the toy is completely enclosed by the chocolate in a Kinder Egg, it is a violation of the 1938 law. Any attempt to bring a Kinder Egg into the US will result in the egg being seized by US Customs and Border Protection. In 2010 alone, over 25,000 eggs were seized from approximately 1,700 incidents.
 |
| Kinder Egg unopened, cut in half, and a toy with the capsule. |
One story that I'd read about includes a Canadian woman who was stopped at a random checkpoint search in Minnesota. Her Kinder Egg was seized. A few days later, she received a 7-page document asking if she still wanted the egg back or if she was willing to surrender her rights to it. She was shocked that there was so much fiasco over a $2 chocolate egg. But the US government is serious about it.
So if you plan on acquiring a Kinder Egg, good luck. There are ways, but I won't say how. I will say that if you can find one, they are really good. Just be aware that you will be enjoying an illegal tasty treat.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
"Take Me Out to the Ballgame"
There is a joke question that seems to pop up on the internet that asks: "Why do we sing 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' if we're already at the ballgame?" The simplest answer is that it's become the unofficial official song of baseball. It is a song of reverence of going to see a game in the pastoral fields of the past, and brings back memories of a life of baseball for countless Americans. But in honor of opening day and following in the tradition of expendablenlightenment, here's some info I'm sure you don't know.
The song "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" has been around since 1908. The lyrics were written by Jack Norworth, and the tune was by Albert Von Tilzer. The song was recorded first by Edward Meeker (whose recording was entered into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2010, which is exclusive to recordings that important in the history of recordings). The went on to become one of the most popular songs of 1908. The song was for many years performed in vaudeville acts, and not in actual baseball parks. The first known use of the song at a baseball game was in 1934 at (of all things) a high school baseball game. There has been evidence of the song being played at a major league park later that year.
An interesting note about the song that most people don't know is that what is sung during the seventh inning stretch is actually just the chorus of the song. There are two verses that are not sung during baseball games. The lyrics were rewritten a bit in 1927, but the original 1908 lyrics are as follows:
Katie Casey was baseball mad,
Had the fever and had it bad.
Just to root for the home town crew,
Ev'ry sou
Katie blew.
On a Saturday her young beau
Called to see if she'd like to go
To see a show, but Miss Kate said "No,
I'll tell you what you can do:"
[Chorus]
Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd;
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don't care if I never get back.
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win, it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game.
Katie Casey saw all the games,
Knew the players by their first names.
Told the umpire he was wrong,
All along,
Good and strong.
When the score was just two to two,
Katie Casey knew what to do,
Just to cheer up the boys she knew,
She made the gang sing this song:
[repeat Chorus]
One note is the word "sou". This word was a slang term that is now defunct, but it meant a low denomination coin. The song's reworked lyrics went "Ev'ry cent/Katie spent". Also, later versions of the song changes Katie to Nelly. As you can see, the song is actually a story.
The most interesting part of the "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" story is that the idea for the song came from Norworth sitting on a subway train in New York and seeing a sign that read "Baseball Today - Polo Grounds". Unbelievably, Norworth had never been to a baseball game up to that point, and he wrote the lyrics before he ever attended a game. Von Tilzer hadn't been to a ballgame either. Neither attended a baseball game until at least twenty years after they wrote baseball's greatest anthem!
Bet you didn't know that!
The song "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" has been around since 1908. The lyrics were written by Jack Norworth, and the tune was by Albert Von Tilzer. The song was recorded first by Edward Meeker (whose recording was entered into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2010, which is exclusive to recordings that important in the history of recordings). The went on to become one of the most popular songs of 1908. The song was for many years performed in vaudeville acts, and not in actual baseball parks. The first known use of the song at a baseball game was in 1934 at (of all things) a high school baseball game. There has been evidence of the song being played at a major league park later that year.
An interesting note about the song that most people don't know is that what is sung during the seventh inning stretch is actually just the chorus of the song. There are two verses that are not sung during baseball games. The lyrics were rewritten a bit in 1927, but the original 1908 lyrics are as follows:
Katie Casey was baseball mad,
Had the fever and had it bad.
Just to root for the home town crew,
Ev'ry sou
Katie blew.
On a Saturday her young beau
Called to see if she'd like to go
To see a show, but Miss Kate said "No,
I'll tell you what you can do:"
[Chorus]
Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd;
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don't care if I never get back.
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win, it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game.
Katie Casey saw all the games,
Knew the players by their first names.
Told the umpire he was wrong,
All along,
Good and strong.
When the score was just two to two,
Katie Casey knew what to do,
Just to cheer up the boys she knew,
She made the gang sing this song:
[repeat Chorus]
One note is the word "sou". This word was a slang term that is now defunct, but it meant a low denomination coin. The song's reworked lyrics went "Ev'ry cent/Katie spent". Also, later versions of the song changes Katie to Nelly. As you can see, the song is actually a story.
The most interesting part of the "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" story is that the idea for the song came from Norworth sitting on a subway train in New York and seeing a sign that read "Baseball Today - Polo Grounds". Unbelievably, Norworth had never been to a baseball game up to that point, and he wrote the lyrics before he ever attended a game. Von Tilzer hadn't been to a ballgame either. Neither attended a baseball game until at least twenty years after they wrote baseball's greatest anthem!
Bet you didn't know that!
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