October 26, 2010
Zojirushi is a Japanese multinational manufacturer and marketer of high-quality vacuum flasks, bread machines and consumer electronics including electric water boilers, refrigerators and rice cookers. It has a branch in South Korea and subsidiary companies in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States. Zojirushi is listed on Osaka Securities Exchange.
The company was founded in 1918 as the Ichikawa Brothers Trading Company in Osaka and in 1948 was changed to Kyowa Manufacturing Co., Ltd. In 1961, its name was changed again to the Zojirushi Corporation and its corporate logo, including an elephant (Zōjirushi means ‘elephant mark’) was adopted.
Posted in Money, Technology, World |
Leave a Comment »
October 26, 2010
Propolis [prop-uh-lis] is a resinous mixture that honey bees collect from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources. It is used as a sealant for unwanted open spaces in the hive. Propolis is used for small gaps (approximately 6 millimeters or less), while larger spaces are usually filled with beeswax.
Its color varies depending on its botanical source, the most common being dark brown, but it can be found in green, red, black and white hues. Propolis is sticky at and above room temperature. At lower temperatures it becomes hard and very brittle. Propolis is also marketed by health food stores as a traditional medicine with a variety of uses.
Continue reading →
Posted in Health, Science |
Leave a Comment »
October 26, 2010
Berkshire [burk-sheer] Pigs are a rare, black skinned breed of pig originating from Britain that is considered the finest source of pork by chefs and gourmands. In Britain breeding is maintained by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust at Aldenham Country Park, Hertfordshire and the South of England Rare Breeds Centre in Kent. It is listed as ‘vulnerable’ as there are fewer than 300 breeding females.
In the United States, the American Berkshire Association, established in 1875, pedigrees only hogs directly imported from established English herds, or hogs tracing directly back to such imported animals. The pig is also bred in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, under the trademarked name Kurobuta.
Posted in Food, World |
Leave a Comment »
October 26, 2010
The Hood Internet is a Chicago-based duo specializing in mashups of hip-hop (from the mainstream to the underground) with indie rock. They also run a blog of the same name through which they release their music, a venture that helped them earn notability as a minor internet phenomenon. The Hood Internet is composed of Aaron Brink (aka ABX) and Steve Reidell (aka STV SLV).
Posted in Art |
Leave a Comment »
October 26, 2010
The hygiene hypothesis states that the more hygienic a society is, the more allergic they are as well. Studies suggest that the immune system in early infancy is primed to recognize and fight infections. In the absence of infections, the immune system begins to target innocuous items in the child’s diet and environment. A rise in peanut allergies, in particular, is being investigated as the result of a lack of early childhood exposure to infectious agents, symbiotic microorganisms (e.g., gut flora or probiotics), and parasites. The theory that exposure to infections decreases the risk of an allergy was first proposed by, David P. Strachan in an article published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), in 1989.
Other diseases, such as the rise of autoimmune diseases and acute lymphoblastic leukemia in young people in the developed world, have also been linked to the hygiene hypothesis. There is also some evidence that autism is caused by an immune disease, and at least one study implicates the hygiene hypothesis as a cause of autism. Because of the increased use of antibiotics, antipyretics (fever reducing drugs), and vaccines against childhood diseases, children with modern medical care are less likely to experience high fever. According to some medical papers, high fever may prevent cancer.
Posted in Health |
Leave a Comment »
October 26, 2010
The Thrones are a class of celestial beings mentioned by Paul of Tarsus in Colossians 1:16 (New Testament) and related to the throne of God. They are living symbols of God’s justice and authority. The corresponding order of angels in Judaism is called the Erelim, which translates to ‘valiant ones,’ ‘heroes,’ or ‘warriors’. The Ophanim (Wheels or Galgallin) is a class of higher liberated celestial beings, under many Christian angelic hierarchies, that are also known as the ‘Thrones,’ from Daniel 7:9 (Old Testament). They are the carriers of the throne of God, hence the name. They are said to be wheels within wheels covered in eyes.
Continue reading →
Posted in Philosophy |
1 Comment »
October 25, 2010
Astroturfing denotes political, advertising, or public relations campaigns that are formally planned by an organization, but are disguised as spontaneous, popular ‘grassroots’ behavior. The term refers to AstroTurf, a brand of synthetic carpeting designed to look like natural grass. The goal of such campaigns is to disguise the efforts of a political or commercial entity as an independent public reaction to some political entity—a politician, political group, product, service or event. The term is said to have been used first in this context by former US Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas in 1985.
Astroturfers attempt to orchestrate the actions of apparently diverse and geographically distributed individuals, by both overt (outreach, awareness, etc.) and covert (disinformation) means. Astroturfing may be undertaken by an individual promoting a personal agenda, or highly organized professional groups with money from large corporations, unions, non-profits, or activist organizations. Very often, the efforts are conducted by political consultants who also specialize in opposition research.
Posted in Language, Politics |
Leave a Comment »
October 22, 2010
Teardrop tattoos originated as a prison tattoo that was forced on some inmates by their ‘Sugar Daddy’ to signify sexual ownership and to permanently mark that person as a ‘sissy.’ The tattoo was later appropriated in the Chicano gangs of California by members who had killed another person, particularly while in prison. The tattoo can also mean that a family member, close friend or fellow gang member has died, frequently in a gang related incident.
In the United Kingdom, the tear tattoo can indicate someone that has spent time in a young offenders prison. In the U.S., A fully inked in teardrop can mean that a murder was committed. If the teardrop is clear in the middle, it can indicate an attempted murder, or that a loved one was murdered. A tear drop that is empty at the the top and inked at the bottom can indicate that a loved one was murdered and the killer was himself murdered by the tattoo wearer.
Posted in Art, Death, World |
Leave a Comment »
October 21, 2010
Cortisol, also called the ‘stress hormone,’ is an endogenous steroid that helps the body metabolize glucose, control blood pressure, suppress immunity, and respond to inflammation. The cortisol [kawr-tuh-sawl] awakening response (CAR) is an increase of about 50% in cortisol levels occurring 20–30 minutes after awakening in the morning in some people. This rise is superimposed upon the late-night rise in cortisol which occurs before awakening.
It is thought to be linked to the hippocampus’ preparation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) to face anticipated stress. The HPA is a complex set of interactions among three endocrine glands. It is a major part of the neuroendocrine system that controls reactions to stress and regulates many body processes, including digestion, the immune system, and mood. The hippocampus is responsible for long term memory. CAR is hypothesized to be the stress response that occurs when your memories systems ‘wake up,’ forcing you to consider the challenges of the day ahead. Continue reading →
Posted in Health |
1 Comment »
October 20, 2010
During World War II in the Philippines, the occupying Japanese government issued fiat currency in several denominations; this is known as the Japanese government-issued Philippine fiat peso, or simply the Japanese peso. The Japanese-sponsored Second Philippine Republic under Jose P. Laurel outlawed possession of guerilla currency, and declared a monopoly on the issuance of money, so that anyone found to possess guerrilla notes could be arrested.
The Filipinos called the fiat peso ‘Mickey Mouse money,’ because it was similar to play money and next to worthless. Many survivors of the war tell stories of going to the market laden with suitcases or ‘bayong’ (native bags made of woven coconut or buri leaf strips) overflowing with the Japanese-issued bills. In 1944, a box of matches cost more than 100 Mickey Mouse pesos.
Posted in Money, Politics, War |
Leave a Comment »
October 20, 2010
Pissaladiere or Pissaladina is a pizza-like dish made in southern France, around the Nice, Marseilles, Toulon and the Var District, and in the Italian region of Liguria, especially in the Imperia district. Believed to have been introduced to the area by Roman cooks during the time of the Avignon Papacy, it can be considered a type of white pizza, as no tomatoes are used. The dough is usually a bread dough thicker than that of the classic Italian pizza, although a pâte brisée (pastry) is sometimes used instead, and the traditional topping consist of sauteed (almost pureed) onions, olives, garlic and anchovies (either whole or in the form of pissalat, a type of anchovy paste).
No cheese is used in France; however in the nearby Italian town of San Remo, mozzarella is added. Now served as an appetizer, it was traditionally cooked and sold early each morning. The etymology of the word seems to be from Old French pescion from the Latin piscis, which in turn became the pissalat (‘salted fish’) anchovy paste mentioned above.
Posted in Food, World |
Leave a Comment »
October 19, 2010
Seed bombing or aerial reforestation is a technique of introducing vegetation to land by throwing or dropping compressed clods of soil containing live vegetation. Often, seed bombing projects are done with arid or off-limits (for example, privately-owned) land. The term ‘seed grenade’ was first used by NY artist, Liz Christy in 1973 when she started the ‘Green Guerrillas.’ The first seed grenades were made from condoms filled with local wildflower seeds, water and fertilizer. They were tossed over fences onto empty lots in New York City in order to make the neighborhoods look better. It was the start of the guerrilla gardening movement.
The earliest records of aerial reforestation date back from 1930. In this period, planes were used to distribute seeds over certain inaccessible mountains in Honolulu after forest fires. Seed bombing is also widely used in Africa in barren or simply grassy areas. Newer seed bombs use biodegradable shells which feed the sprout as it grows. Barren land can be turned into a garden in a little over a month. A variant of seed bombing, called tree bombing, involves dropping saplings from military aircraft, but has yet to be attempted.
Posted in Politics, Science |
Leave a Comment »
The Daily Omnivore 