Friday, January 28, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The weight of a man
In this postage stamp is represented Primo Carnera, a boxe heavy weight champion.
A light hardware with a heavy software
The name Apple suggest an OS with a strong software but in this advertising Apple focuses the attention to the most important characteristic of the new macbook: the computer is very light!
Neil's Heavy Concept Album
Neil's Heavy Concept Album is a 1984 recording of songs and spoken comedy routines by British actor Nigel Planer, in character as the long-suffering hippie Neil from the BBC comedy series The Young Ones. Production, arrangements and keyboards are by famed Canterbury keyboardist Dave Stewart, who also debuts on guitar, bass and drums.View Link
Songs:
- "Hello Vegetables"
- "Hole In My Shoe"
- "Heavy Potato Encounter"
- "My White Bicycle"
- "Neil the Barbarian" (narrated by Nigel Planer's brother Roger Planer)
- "Lentil Nightmare"
- "Computer Alarm"
- "Wayne"
- "The Gnome"
- "Cosmic Jam"
A to Z of what's good for you and when it's not
A is for Alcohol
GOOD A few drinks a day makes us happy indeed. The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index surveyed 2000 Australians in April and found those who drank up to three drinks a day were far happier than those who never drank. But be aware: those who had a cigarette with their tipple rated low on the happiness scale.
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BAD While brain volume decreases by nearly 2 per cent a decade as people age, a US study has found a ''significant negative linear relationship'' between alcohol consumption and space the brain takes up.
B is for BACON
GOOD A team at Reading University in Britain gave 50 primary-school children set breakfasts for a month and tested their IQs before, during and after the test period. They found orange juice and toast significantly improved IQs. Next best? Bacon sandwiches.
BAD A 2007 study by American researchers found those who ate cured meat such as ham, hot dogs and bacon every other day were 78 per cent more likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
C is for CHOCOLATE
GOOD A couple of squares of the dark variety a day may ward off wrinkles and lower the risk of skin cancer. Researchers in London found volunteers who ate flavanol-rich chocolate - rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents - could tolerate more wrinkle-causing UV light on their skin.
BAD The short high gained from eating chocolate could make depression worse. Researchers from the Black Dog Institute found comfort eating was more likely to prolong a negative mood than shorten it.
D is for DIETARY FIBRE
GOOD Dietary fibre, or roughage, found in wholegrain breads and cereals, fruit and vegetables plays a big role in maintaining a healthy immune system and keeping asthma, type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis at bay. Researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research found insoluble fibre is eventually converted by bacteria into short-chain fatty acids damping down inflammation in the gut.
BAD Too much fibre and too little fat can lead to vitamin deficiencies.
E is for EGGS
GOOD Long blamed for causing cholesterol problems, it seems eggs are back in fashion. The Heart Foundation has lifted its recommended intake to six a week. Low in saturated fat and high in protein, eggs contain choline, good for the metabolism and for foetal brain development during pregnancy, and lutein, which lowers the risk for cataracts.
BAD Specialists at Harvard Medical School in Boston found eating an egg every day could increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes by about 60 per cent.
F is for FOLIC ACID
GOOD While it has long been known to decrease the incidence of neural tube defects in babies, University of California scientists found it can also improve sperm quality in men. Men with the highest levels had the lowest proportion of sperm harbouring genetic changes that can lead to Down syndrome and miscarriages.
BAD A ground-breaking Australian study late last year found pregnant women who took too much of the supplement were 30 per cent more likely to have a child with asthma.
G is for GERMS
GOOD Most bacteria within our bodies are helpful, constantly working to keep the numbers of disease-causing bacteria under control. Anti-bacterial or anti-microbial cleaning products kill both the good and the bad, sometimes disturbing the ratio and allowing bad bacteria to get the upper hand.
BAD Hospitals can be havens for superbugs such as golden staph. A study published in the Medical Journal of Australiafound only 39 per cent of doctors regularly wash their hands, despite knowing its importance in reducing infection rates.
H is for HOLIDAYS
GOOD Holidays offer the chance to relax and revive and can assist in achieving a healthy work-life balance.
BAD Working too hard makes us stressed and our immune systems work at their peak. When we finally stretch out on a beach and relax, our body notes it is no longer under stress and begins to stand down from its state of heightened alert. This is unfortunate timing because our immune system becomes less vigilant at a time when we are being exposed to viruses and bacteria not encountered before.
I is for IRON
GOOD Without iron our bodies can't transport oxygen in the blood. Good sources of iron include red meat, offal, spinach and broccoli. Drinking orange juice with your dinner helps iron absorption. Tannins from tea, coffee and wine reduce iron absorption. About one-third of the world's population is iron-deficient, many of them menstruating or pregnant women, babies and toddlers and teenage girls.
BAD The body can't excrete excess iron and unnecessary supplements can interfere with the ability to absorb zinc and copper.
J is for JUICE
GOOD A study in the American Journal of Medicine showed that drinking juice more than three times a week reduced the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by 76 per cent, compared with those who drank it less than once a week. It is the strong anti-oxidant properties of fruit and vegetable juices that have been shown to offer protection against the disease.
BAD But an Adelaide-based study found that some people can't process juice's natural sugar, resulting in bloating, flatulence and diarrhoea.
K is for KISSING
GOOD Swiss scientists have found you need to be in a close relationship to benefit. Indiscriminate kissing just won't do. University of Zurich researchers studied 51 German couples for a week and found those who reported more physical contact had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their saliva.
BAD Passionately kissing several partners can increase the risk of meningitis, a deadly infection of the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord, researchers from the Children's Hospital at Westmead found.
L is for LIPIDS
GOOD Having high cholesterol is never good but some lipid-lowering drugs have the potential to halve the risk of amputation in diabetic patients, according to a study of 1000 people with Type 2 diabetes.
BAD The liver processes cholesterol and dietary fat. When we eat animal fats the liver transports the fat, with cholesterol, in the form of lipoproteins, into our bloodstream. Too much cholesterol leads to fatty deposits in the arteries, which can become blocked, leading to heart disease and stroke.
M is for MILK
GOOD A protein in milk can help fight drug-resistant bacteria that cause eye infections. It also speeds the healing of wounds to the cornea. When attached to contact lenses, it prevents bacteria growing on them, reducing the risk of eye disease.
BAD Drinking milk can increase the risk of prostate cancer. A study of 82,483 men in the US found an increased chance of localised or non-aggressive tumours in those who drank low or non-fat milk. Drinking whole milk showed a decreased risk of developing prostate cancer.
N is for NUTS
GOOD In a University of Wollongong study, 50 overweight adults with non-insulin-treated diabetes followed a well-balanced, low-fat diet. Those given 30 grams of walnuts a day had more good, unsaturated fats in their diets than those who followed a low-fat diet alone.
BAD At least one in 200 children born in 1995 had a peanut allergy but, by last year, that had risen to one in 75. In a study that tracked patients in one of Canberra's two private allergy clinics, nine out of 10 children had their first reaction by age six.
O is for ORGASM
GOOD Orgasms are natural stress-relievers. Serotonin levels in the brain become elevated during sexual activity, promoting a sense of wellbeing that has a calming effect on cravings, such as those for junk food or cigarettes. An orgasm can also help boost the immune system and flush toxins from the skin.
BAD The inability to reach orgasm is known as anorgasmia. About 90 per cent of cases have a psychological base, such as stress, but drugs, alcohol, injury, multiple sclerosis or diabetes may play a part.
P is for POTATOES
GOOD The potato, like the banana, is one of the few foods which, if eaten in isolation, provides the essential elements for healthy survival. When boiled in its skin, a medium-size potato contains half the adult daily requirement of vitamin C and significant amounts of iron, zinc, folate, calcium, vitamin B and potassium.
BAD The downside is weight
gain but cutting them out can make you grumpy, as was revealed in a study by the CSIRO, the University of South Australia and Flinders University.
Q is for QUEUES
GOOD Hospital waiting lists have blown out to the longest in four years but the State Government is unfazed, claiming waiting times are a better performance guide.
BAD In 2007-08, the median waiting time for elective surgery in NSW increased to 39 days. In 2009 it was 40 days. Health Department statistics show 62,890 people were waiting for surgery in NSW public hospitals in the March quarter. The average waiting time was 2.66 months compared with 2.75 months for the same quarter last year when 58,839 people were waiting.
R is for RUNNING
GOOD Humans are designed to run. We have larger surface areas in hip, knee and ankle joints for shock absorption than our prehistoric ancestors as well as shoulders decoupled from the head and neck, allowing the body to rotate, bones in feet to create a stable arch for pushing off the ground and huge buttocks so we don't fall on our faces.
BAD CSIRO figures show more than 2000 people in Australia die each year from air pollution-related diseases. Those at risk include otherwise healthy people who exercise outdoors on high-pollution days.
S is for SLEEP
GOOD Sleep is important to every facet of our lives. Miss a few hours thanks to a crying baby or a long-haul flight and the day ahead looks grim indeed. Most scientists believe eight hours sleep a night is critical in immune function, metabolism, memory and learning.
BAD For some people, getting a full night's sleep could be risky. Researchers from the University of California found those who slept between 6½ and 7½ hours had a lower mortality rate than people who slept for eight hours or more.
T is for TEA
GOOD Research reveals that drinking just one cup of regular tea a day may help promote cardiovascular health. The research, conducted at the University of L'Aquila in Italy, is the first study to show that black tea can reduce both blood pressure and the stiffness of your arteries.
BAD But wait at least four minutes before drinking your cuppa because researchers have found that drinking very hot tea can increase the risk of throat cancer.
U is for UNDIES
GOOD Wearing the loose cotton variety can make make life easier for women. Thrush, or fungal infection, thrives best in moist, airless and warm places such as the vagina or the anus. And be warned: persistent vaginal thrush could be a symptom of diabetes.
BAD If you are trying to reproduce, wearing tight underwear can affect sperm production. Tight undies increase the heat of the testes, affecting the quality and quantity of sperm. The effects are temporary, but can last up to three weeks.
V is for VITAMINS
GOOD People on restrictive diets, athletes, pregnant women, those with eating disorders and the elderly should take vitamin supplements, says a nutrition epidemiologist with the Cluster for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Sydney.
BAD Nutritionist Rosemary Stanton says the body can become dependent on high doses of vitamins. When you stop taking them, it is no longer efficient at absorbing them from food and you can become nutrient-deficient, even though your diet may be good.
W is for WATER
GOOD Drinking plenty of water is directly related to your health. If you don't get enough water you will become dehydrated and experience other problems. Water helps regulate digestion and elimination, and improves skin quality.
BAD Drinking too much water causes cells to swell and upsets the body's electrolyte balance. This can cause an irregular heartbeat and cause fluid to enter the lungs. Swelling puts pressure on the brain and nerves, causing behaviour resembling alcohol intoxication.
X is for X-RAYS
GOOD X-rays are used to observe broken bones and swallowed objects and track blood flow in patients. They can also be used to diagnose cancer, kill bacteria in food, detect flaws in machinery and analyse the structure of crystals or distant stars.
BAD Radiation experts warn of danger from overuse of medical X-rays, claiming they are responsible for many cancer and heart-disease deaths. They can cause the material through which they pass to become charged, or ionised. Ionisation can damage cells or DNA in living matter.
Y is for YOGA
GOOD Yoga has been credited with improving flexibility and performance, reducing stress and providing inner peace. It has also been advocated as complementary treatment to help with conditions such as coronary heart disease, depression, anxiety, asthma, and extensive rehabilitation for disorders including musculoskeletal problems and traumatic brain injury.
BAD Performing a pose wrongly for years may cause chronic injury so it is best to see accredited instructors and regularly check that your technique is correct.
Z is for ZINC
GOOD If you love oysters, you probably don't have a shortage of zinc. They contain more zinc a serving than any other food, but red meat and poultry usually provide us with most of our needs. Other good sources include beans, nuts, crab, lobster and whole grains.
BAD If you've been experiencing hair loss, skin lesions, diarrhoea and cold sores you could have a deficiency. A lack of zinc also contributes to an increased incidence and severity of pneumonia and impairs cognitive and motor function in children.
Atomic Weight
The atomic theory of matter, in its various forms, existed a good two thousand years before the time of John Dalton, he was the first to propose, in his 1808 book A New System of Chemical Philosophy, that atoms had weight. Atoms, as Dalton defined them, were hard, solid, indivisible particles with no inner spaces, rather than something that could not be seen, touched, or tasted. They were indestructible and preserved their identities in all chemical reactions. Furthermore, each kind of element had its own specific kind of atom different from the atoms of other elements. These assumptions led him to propose that atoms were tangible matter and therefore had weight.
Because atoms were much too small to be seen or measured by any common methods, absolute weights of atoms could not be determined. Rather, these first measurements were made by comparing weights of various atoms to hydrogen. Hydrogen was chosen as the unit of comparison because it was the lightest substance known and the weights of the other elements would be very close to whole numbers.
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The Weight of History
EIGHT years ago, when Pope John Paul II prayed at Jerusalem’s Western Wall, there seemed to be a new level of trust between Roman Catholics and Jews. But so heavy is the historical baggage that the relationship still creaks under the strain.
The latest problem is a nasty flare-up in an old argument over the role of Pius XII, who was pope during the second world war. Was he a hero who deserves to be beatified, or was he, as some Jews say, guilty of neglectful silence?
On October 19th Shimon Peres, Israel’s 85-year-old president, tried to draw a line under the row. “We have reason to believe that Pius XII didn’t do enough to save Jewish life,” he said, speaking for many Israelis. But he added: “I don’t want to pass judgment. We don’t want to make false accusations. If there is evidence [that he helped persecuted Jews] then it should be checked carefully.” And he reissued Israel’s invitation to the present pope, Benedict XVI. “The visit to the holy country is nothing to do with anger or disputes. It’s holy all the time, it is holy for all of us.”
Iron Butterfly
The Los Angeles music climate of the late sixties and seventies was characterized by the heavy sounds and sentiments that reflected the revolutionary attitudes of the generation. Bursting onto that scene was a new group whose sound not only epitomized the hard attitudes of the youth with its heavy drumming and bass lines, but also embraced more delicate aspirations through its intricate guitar and keyboard overlays.
Iron Butterfly was signed to ATCO records (a division of Atlantic Records) in the spring of 1967 and released their first album, aptly titled Heavy, the following winter. While the band was on the road with the likes of: The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Traffic, The Who, and Cream, their impressive debut stayed on Billboard's album charts for almost a year.
In July of 1968, Iron Butterfly released the monumental LP, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, featuring the 17:05 minute side-long track that shook the entire music industry with its phenomenal reception. 'Vida outsold every record in the history of recorded music within the first year of its release (over eight million copies sold) and therefore outgrew and outsold the standard of the music industry's "Gold Album" award. For this achievement, Iron Butterfly was subsequently awarded: The Industry's Very First "Platinum Album"! This historic award was created and presented by then-president of ATCO Records Ahmet Ertegun, who went on to become the current CEO of the WEA Group. Most recently, "Vida" received the Multi-Platinum award.
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, stayed on the charts for 140 weeks, with 81 weeks in the Top Ten. To date the album has sold in excess of 30 million copies and remains an undisputed classic in the archives of rock with DJ's and audiophiles worldwide.
Within a year of releasing In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Iron Butterfly had charted a third album, Ball, - which surpassed "Vida" (still in Billboard's Top 10) turning "Gold", and climbed to No. 1. Ball remained on the charts for 44 weeks, followed by two more album releases in 1970 - Live, and Metamorphosis, each charting respectably in the Top 20.
Official Site
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, jazz,psychedelia, and space rock—and for live performances of long musical improvisation. "Their music," writes Lenny Kaye, "touches on ground that most other groups don't even know exists."
The fans of the Grateful Dead, some of whom followed the band from concert to concert for years, are known as "Deadheads" and are known for their dedication to the band's music. Many referred to the band simply as "the Dead."
The Grateful Dead's musical influences varied widely; in concert recordings or on record albums one can hear psychedelic rock, blues, rock and roll, country & western, bluegrass, country-rock, and improvisational jazz. These various influences were distilled into a diverse and psychedelic whole that made the Grateful Dead "the pioneering Godfathers of the jam band world." They were ranked 55th in the issue The Greatest Artists of all Time by Rolling Stone magazine.The Weight From Grateful Dead
I pulled into nazareth, was feeling ‘bout half past dead
I just need some place where i can lay my head
Hey, mister, can you tell me, where a man might find a bed
He just grinned and shook my hand, “no” was all he said.
Take a load off fanny, take a load for free
Take a load off fanny, and you put the load right on me
I picked up my bags, i went looking for a place to hide
Then i saw old carmen and the devil walking side by side
I said, “hey carmen, c’mon, let’s go downtown”
She said, “i gotta go, but my friend can stick around”
Chorus
Go down, miss moses, ain’t nothin you can say
It’s just old luke, and luke’s waiting on judgement day
Well, luke, my friend, what about young annalee
He said, “do me a favor, so, won’t you stay and keep annalee comapany”
Chorus
Crazy chester followed me, and he caught me in the fog
Said, “i will fix your rag, if you’ll take jack, my dog”
I said, “wait a minute chester-you know, i’m a peaceful man”
He said, “that’s ok, boy, won’t you feed him when you can”
Chorus
Get you cannonball, now to take me down the line
My bag is sinking low, and i do believe it’s time
To get back to miss fanny, you know she’s the only one
Who sent me here, with her regards for everyone
Chorus
Metals and Weight Standards of Milesian Coins
Although many objects had been used as money from the earliest times, coins in the modern sense were invented in the general region of Miletus and adjacent Lydia in the late seventh or early sixth century bc. The idea of coined money spread from the Ionian colonies to mainland Greece about 550 bc, and by about 500 bc it had spread throughout the Greek world. All the coinage of the West is directly descended from the first issues struck in the territory surrounding Miletus more than two and a half thousand years ago.
The earliest coins of Miletus and Lydia were not made of gold or silver but rather of electrum, a naturally-occurring alloy of gold and silver that was especially common in the Lydian rivers. Since the gold/silver ratio in natural electrum is variable, the Lydian kings purposely regulated the proportion of gold in their coinage to guarantee that it would have a consistent value (and almost certainly to guarantee that it would generate a profit for themselves, as well). Although the gold content of the earliest Lydian coins appears to have been closely regulated, at least some of the Ionian Greek cities—including Samos, a few miles off the coast from Miletus—issued early electrum coins that were highly variable in gold content, although this was not readily detectable because copper was routinely added to maintain consistency of color (Konuk, in press). Much remains to be learned, even today, about the details of early electrum coinage production. Progress in this area will certainly depend upon techniques of materials analysis that have only become available within the last few years (Keyser and Clark, 2001).
The economic uncertainties that followed from the use of an alloyed metal for coinage soon led to the widespread replacement of electrum issues with separate series of gold and silver coins, and this innovation was made by the Lydian king Croesus (Kroisos), who ruled from 561–546 bc. Just as the oil of the Middle Eastern countries has made them wealthy today, so the electrum, gold, and silver of Lydia made that country wealthy in the sixth century bc. The expression “as rich as Croesus” has been a by-word for wealth for more than 2500 years.
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