F.Y.I.

Site Has Been Moved

2010-07-22T18:05:00.002-05:00

This site has been moved to the following location:

http://fyilogs.wordpress.com/

Gobble Gobble

2010-05-11T18:21:00.000-05:00

   Lying in the Middle East, Turkey, officially named Turkiye Cumhuriyeti or Republic of Turkey, is a country between Europe and Asia with Ankara as its capital. Turkey’s terrain mostly consists of rocky and barren landscape as well as a few mountains. Turkey, with a republic form of government, has the lira as their main currency. It is currently the head steel producer in the Middle East. Although it allows all religions, most Turkish people are Muslims.
   Even before 6000 B.C., advanced settlements existed amongst Turkey. Catalhoyuk, for example, is inhabited by the Hittites, who built their empire on Turkey’s foundation. Around 550 and 513 B.C., the Persian Empire took Anatolia and Thrace, but the land was lost to Alexander the Great in 331 B.C. Peace came when Roman general Pompey took control of Turkey in 63 B.C. The Byzantine Empire then ruled over the land. When Muslims took over, the Muslim Seljuk Turks took control until the Mongols invaded. This caused the city Seljuks to evolve into the Ottoman Empire which failed after World War I. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk proclaimed Turkey an official republic in 1923.
   Today, Turkey has evolved into modern times. In the mid-1900's, cities changed drastically for the growing population. In rural areas, electricity and appliances are supplied for villages and other peoples. In addition, Soccer is a popular sport in Turkey where the chief food is wheat bread. Housings include wooden cottages, stone and brick buildings, and cinder block and concrete structures.
   About ten percent of government funding is dedicated to public school support. By law, children must take eight years of school until graduation or fifteen years of age. Three-year high schools, enrollment in vocational school, and the work force are offered beyond that. College and university are also offered in Turkey.
   Turkey has a vast economy. In agriculture, wheat, barley, and grain, cotton, tobacco, fruits, and vegetables are grown. Livestock, like sheep, contribute wool as a product. However, factories are twice as much productive. Mines offer coal, baron, chromite, and many other minerals. Turkey’s international trade runs mostly on Germany, and tourism is offered as well.

Did you know?

Homer's famous epic poem Odyssey occurred in Turkey.

Afghanistan Assault

2010-05-10T20:42:00.000-05:00

   The Afghanistan War has killed over 1,700 soldiers. From its launch in 2001, the war’s foundation was a conflict between the United States and the Taliban, an Afghanistan-controlling Islamic group sought to establish a Sunni Islamic regime in Afghanistan through militant methods. Following the infamous September 11 terrorist attacks, the initial phase of the war occurred between the October and December of 2001 overthrowing a Taliban regime and establishing a new Afghanistan government.
   On September 11, 2001 in an event known as nine-eleven, terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon Building in Washington D.C. after seizing an airliner. Criminal forces known as Al-Qaeda, an Islamic group established in 1996 in Afghanistan by the Taliban, were suspected to be responsible.
   After being refused to shut down the Al-Qaeda program, United States forces created the Operation Enduring Freedom campaign on October 7; it was set to remove the Taliban. After its leader, Ahmad Shah Massoud, was assassinated on September 9 by Al-Qaeda, an Afghan anti-Taliban force took Mazar-e Sharif on November 9. After the Taliban evacuated the city on December 7, Afghan forces took control of Kandahar on the 9th of the same month ending Taliban’s rule over Afghanistan.

Did you know?

Afghanistan's national sport is Buzkashi.

Sticky Situation

2010-05-06T20:34:00.001-05:00

   Although we might not think about it, we use glue as a constant and intricate repair mechanism in everyday life. From making projects in school to building towers, nothing compares to the sticky greatness of glue.
   Surprisingly, glue is made from the meat, bones, and skins of animals. Since it's a gelatin, glue attaches things together once applied and dried creating a strong bond.
   Hide glue, bone glue, and fish glue are the three classifications of glue. Hide and bone glues are sold in the form of powder which needs to combine with thermal water to function properly. This type of glue lasts as long as they are kept dry. Fish glue, a partially liquid glue, is more temporary as it may expire within two weeks of production.
   Glue is manufactured first by cooking animal parts in water which removes protein from the tissues. After filtration and concentration, the glue is ready for the market. In hide glue, the hide is first washed. The skins are bathed in lime water to remove unnecessary proteins. Next, after being treated with acid and water, the glue is cooked and turns solid. Afterward, solid glue is crushed into powder. For liquid glue, antigelling agents are added. In bone glue, bones are washed, crushed, and cooked. They then go through the hide glue process. In addition, fish glue is washed and cooked fish skin.
   The function of glue is very outreaching. Glue is used in holding together products such as furniture. It is also essential in the construction of tape. Furthermore, book bindings are possible with glue. Additionally, sand, with the aid of glue, sticks with paper in sandpaper.

Did you know?

Glue dries when water evaporates from its composition. That's why glue doesn't stick to the inside of the bottle: the inside is protected from air which stops evaporation.

Infomercial Legend II

2010-03-10T21:52:00.007-06:00

Other than Billy Mays, Anthony Sullivan was one of the most productive commercial salesman.
Anthony Sullivan was born in a diminutive village in Devon, England in 1969. His mother had a job as a schoolteacher, while his father became a thriving merchant. Once Sullivan was a teenager, his future talent started sprouting as he appreciated representing productive innovations. He treasured the sport so much that he completely gave up university just to discover how London street purveyors verbally promoted their products. At the age of twenty-one, Sully really began some serious professional advertising, as his street reputation told of his ways of assembling audiences with miraculous manifestations that guaranteed high profit. One of Anthony Sullivan’s first products he produced himself is the Smart Mop, which he acquired the design of during a Hawaiian trip while scrubbing the wet, sandy floorboards. In the course of three months, Anthony designed, produced, and released his Smart Mop. This invention truly launched his career, converting him from the standard entrepreneur on the old, rugged streets of London to the famous television pitchman in front of the camera at HSN. How did this happen? With the infomercial age booming, Anthony flew to the US to ally with the company that produced his mops. One day, a talent scout spotted Anthony’s stunning pitchman skills and signed him up to be the pitchman on HSN. Americans were thrilled at Anthony’s energy and zest that salted his products, and especially brought out their flavor, while profits manufactured by his commercials smashed through the roof. In 1999, Sullivan went even farther from HSN to opening his own company, Sullivan Productions. Since then, he has made over millions of dollars in commodities, and completely smashed the infomercial record of the best commercial for the year three times by the Electronic Retailing Association. Anthony Sullivan’s advertising prospered and circulated for there on out throughout the media, as he was featured on NBC, USA, BBC, LA Times, St. Petersburg Times, Ad Age, and so much more publications. Overall, Sullivan was a successful writer, director, and producer, while his serious, yet persuasive voice sold numerous products such as The One Sweep, Natural Bra, Jet Tan, Slimming Pants, Glass Wizard, Laser Straight, Swivel Sweeper, and First Alert Instant Alarm.

Did you know?

Just like his partner Billy Mays, Sully once sold products on Home Shopping Network.

This post is an extension to a previous post, Infomercial Legend.

Infomercial Legend

2010-03-09T21:48:00.001-06:00

Who is Billy Mays? Billy Mays is probably the greatest commercial salesman in the world. Here's a little history:
William Darrel Mays Jr. was born on July 20, 1958 and was raised in Pittsburg. After dropping out of West Virginia University, he worked for his father’s toxic waste trucking company. In 1983, Mays moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he learned from older examples and started pitching products to public events. During one of his trips, Billy Mays made friends with the founder and owner of Orange Glo International, Max Appel, after lending him a microphone in place of his original, broken one. Because of this, Max made Billy his company’s orator. In the late 1990’s, Billy started Mays Promotions Inc., the company which created the infomercials he starred in, in Dunedin, Florida. This company helped out with other businesses in Tampa Bay by advertising their products. Initial infomercials started in 1999, assisting Orange Glo circulate the news about their products. Billy Mays also starred in the television program Pitchmen along with his partner Anthony Sullivan. The infomercial legend passed away in his house in Tampa, Florida around 7:45 A.M. Billy was fifty years old.

Did you know?

When Billy Mays died, evidence had proven that he had taken drugs. However, his family insists this statement false.

Son of a Gun

2010-03-05T10:58:00.007-06:00

   The gun: a dangerous innovation. The most basic definition of a gun, or firearm, is any weapon that sends a projectile at high speeds with an explosion. In most guns, the burning of gunpowder creates a pressure-building gas that sends the projectile at high speeds.
   Guns are classified by their size from small weapons called small arms to larger weapons such as cannons or artillery. Caliber is a measure of a barrel's diameter. Some guns have a rifling, or a spiral within the barrel, that increases the accuracy of the projectile.
   It is still unknown of who invented the gun. There is evidence, however, that proves that small-scale cannons were used in China around 1100 AD. In northern Africa in 1300, the Arabs could have used resembling weapons.
   From hunting to warfare, firearms are the most commonly used weapons and have changed the course of history at the pull of a trigger.

Did you know?

In America, 75 children are shot each day. Only 80% survive.

No Dice

2010-02-17T20:09:00.000-06:00

   Dice (singular: die), are small cubes commonly used in chance portions of games, especially board games. They are mostly used in pairs. A dice is a six-sided cube with dots expressing the numerals one through six on each side. The numeral expressed is represented by the number of dots on a specific side.
   A dice is used by being "rolled" or tossed and bounced around until they become still. The number on the very top is used for the player. This process is done completely by chance.
   During the siege of Troy, the Greek man Palamedes was probably the inventor of dice. But even before this, around 6000 BC, dice were found in Egyptian tombs.
   It was once believed in ancient times that dice results were from the gods. Egyptian pharaohs have been proven to use dice for games, as well as the Romans and Greeks.
   Dominoes may have been the ancestor of dice, as the Chinese created dominoes from the looks of dice.
   From board games to gambling to fortune telling, dice have become a fundamental part of entertainment.

Did you know?

Numerals represented on opposite sides of a dice always add to seven.

Shine On

2010-02-07T10:27:00.000-06:00

   *Click*. In just a split second of flipping the switch, your world is lit up. How do these brilliant machines work and who made them? Buckle up and get ready for Flashlights 101.
   Conrad Hubert, founder of the American Ever-Ready Company, lit up the streets of New York City with his special invention, the electric hand torch, in 1898. Limited technology at the time reduced the portable flashlight's ability to only produce short flashes of light. Hence, the term "flashlight". In 1910, tubes plated with nickle, strengthened rubber fiber, and tungsten filament bulbs all advanced flashlight technology. Even so, it wasn't until 1916 when flashlights became popular and common.
   When you flick the switch on a flashlight, it goes between two wires thus allowing itself to become a "bridge" for electricity from the battery to flow through. These wires run to the bulb to power it and back to the battery to form a closed circuit. Light is made. Reflectors reflect light given off by the bulb in the lamp to create a steady beam. Glass on the front protects the fragile bulb from the elements.

Did you know?

New flashlights around this early age allow you to shake the flashlight for power instead of replacing batteries over and over.

Down in the Dewey

2010-02-06T16:15:00.000-06:00

Back in the 1870s, Melvil Dewey was searching for a book in the library. After several minutes of unsuccessful exploring, he decided that there had to be a better way to browse the many unorganized books on each shelf.
His invention soon became widely popular and it's still used today. The Dewey Decimal Classification system, or DDC, is a numbering system for organizing the position of books in libraries, thus making them easier to find. The following list shows the ten broad categories of the system:

000-099 Computers, Information, and General Reference
100-199 Philosophy and Psychology
200-299 Religion
300-399 Social Sciences
400-499 Language
500-599 Science
600-699 Technology
700-799 Arts and Recreation
800-899 Literature
900-999 History and Geography

These are broken down into ten additional sub-classifications, which are broken down even further. Once a division has become specific enough, the number becomes a decimal. A good advantage to the DDC system is that because numerals are infinite, so are the number of books that could be added. No rearrangements are needed for large categories.

Did you know?

Not all libraries use the Dewey system. Some use the Library of Congress Classification.

The Warm Shoulder

2010-02-05T20:40:00.002-06:00

   Similar to its cousin condition, hypothermia, hyperthermia is a human body condition when the body is exposed to extreme temperatures. Namely, extremely hot temperatures. There are ways that the human body deals with heat normally. For example, heat escapes through the skin. Blood vessels widen to submerge heated blood for cooling at the surface. Sweating also helps. However, sometimes the body is unable to perform these actions. Thus, hyperthermia sets in.
   Heat exhaustion is the most common type of hyperthermia. One who works for a long duration in the heat runs the risk of this when one's body loses massive amounts of fluids via sweating. A symptom respectively called heat cramps causes painful, abnormal, and instantaneous muscle movements.
   If heat exhaustion remains untreated, it may lead to a heatstroke. This happens as the body's sweating system malfunctions and sweating halts. The resulting overheating may damage essential organs.
   Treatment involves cooling and fluid restoration. Here's a detailed description give by World Book Online (Student):

"Move the victim to a cool environment and provide cool water to drink. Loosen tight clothing and remove perspiration-soaked clothing. Apply cool, wet cloths to the skin and fan the victim.
If the victim refuses water, vomits, or begins to lose consciousness, call for medical help immediately. Cool the victim by applying ice packs or cold compresses to the head, neck, and places where large blood vessels are near the skin. A person suffering heatstroke may experience a heart attack or breathing failure, requiring artificial respiration or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to be given."

Did you know?

In contradiction, hypothermia (spelled with an "o") happens when the body is extremely cold. Learn more on the article The Cold Shoulder.

This article is an extension to another article, The Cold Shoulder.

The Cold Shoulder

2010-02-05T20:06:00.001-06:00

   Next time you go ice skating, watch for thin ice. Falling through into water isn't fun. In addition, you'll run the risk of another threat...
   Essentially, hypothermia is a condition where the human body is losing more heat than it can generate. It is usually caused by constant exposure to cold temperatures, namely around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. To show how dangerously close that is, the average human body temperature is 98.6 degrees.
   Hypothermia usually occurs in unwise outsiders. Even if someone keeps indoors, he or she may still run the risk of hypothermia at the ridiculously normal temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
   Symptoms of this condition include shivering, numbness, loss of vision, drowsiness, dizziness, or confusion. The victim may become unconscious around 90 degrees. Death is possible as blood circulation is altered by irregular heart activity at around 80 degrees.
   Normally, body organs will be damaged if they do not receive oxygen from a running bloodstream for a few minutes. However, when hypothermia sets in, organ activity is reduced, thus also reducing the need for oxygen.

Did you know?

In contradiction, hyperthermia (spelled with an "e") is when the human body is overheated. Learn more in the extension article The Warm Shoulder.

Then/Than Twister

2010-01-31T18:50:00.000-06:00

Back then, I was better than him.
No one wants to make an embarrassing grammar mistake. The most hazardous areas are misusing similar words, such as then and than.
Then is used in specifying time. Use this word when you're telling of events in a series or instructing in a "step-by-step order".

I found the answer first, and then Sam got it.
Attach the tail; then, attach the wings.

Than is used when you're relating nouns in which one noun is more, less, better, worse, greater, lesser, etc. than another noun

I am a better typist than you.
The cake was worse this year than last year.

Be aware that then and than can be misused in more places than writing. The pronunciations of the words are somewhat different. For further study in this portion of the topic, click here.
A good strategy to test whether "than" is acceptable or not is to replace "than" with "in comparison to" in the sentence and see if it still functions correctly. Similarly, replace "then" in a sentence with "next" to find if "then" functions correctly in the sentence.

Oxi-Clean is better than ShamWow. Oxi-Clean is better in comparison to ShamWow. "In comparison to" does work for the second sentence. As a result, "than" is acceptable.
I will practice my typing then. I will practice my typing next. "Next" functions correctly in the second sentence, so "then" is acceptable in the first.
The blue team was better then the gold team. The blue team was better next the gold team. "Next" does NOT function correctly in the second sentence. Thus, "then" is unacceptable.

A dangerous yet possibly common pitfall is to use "then" in sentences that use time as their theme.

Billy Mays was earlier than Vince. Substituting "in comparison to" into the sentence works, so "than" is acceptable.

Practice Exercises: Decide whether "than" or "then" should be in place of the blank.

It was better with the machine _ without.
John will pick up your dry clean _.
Seven is less _ 12.

Answers:

Than
Then
Than

Did you know?

Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings. A homograph has two words that spell the same but with different meanings. A homonym is spelled the same, pronounced the same, but has different meanings. Then and than are neither of these.

Apple Pi

2010-01-31T12:26:00.000-06:00

c/d=π
   That's right! The infinitely precise number.
   The equation above is the formula for pi for c=circumference of a circle and d=diameter of the same circle. No matter what size the circle is, the equation always works. The symbol π representing the irrational number was familiarized by mathematician Leonhard Euler in the 18th century. Because the number is an infinitely long decimal that doesn't repeat or continue in any pattern, everyday people use the acceptable approximation of 22/7 or 3.14.
    There are hints that the Egyptians understood pi when they tried to calculate the area of a circle. Also, the Babylonians seemed to "discover" an inaccurate numeral to represent pi. Ancient mathematician Archimedes knew he couldn't find the exact quantity of pi, but he found two numbers that pi was between. In addition, Zu Chongzhi, a Chinese mathematician, used a similar strategy. Unfortunately, his method is unknown.

3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286 208998628034825342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481 117450284102701938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128475648...

Did you know?

"Pi Day" is celebrated on March 14. Albert Einstein was born on this day.

Coffee Logic

2010-01-30T22:07:00.003-06:00

What is it about coffee that makes us want to drink it? The heavenly aroma? The awakening taste? There are many stories about the birth of coffee. Unfortunately, the true story is still unknown. Here's one legend though:
Kaldi, an Arabian shepherd, was in the south of the Arabian Peninsula when his goats drew his attention to a "dark green leafed shrub with bright red cherries". After trying some cherries out, he discovered the amazing awakening power of coffee.
The coffee plant produces a coffee berry. These berries are harvested and given a sluice, or a bath of running water. This is where the acceptable berries are separated from the rejects, such as bad berries, leaves, sticks, etc. Next, the berries' pulps are removed. Then, the berries are washed, fermented, and dried. After that, they are skinned, and excess rejects, such as dirt, are removed. The beans are then stored and shipped to roasting plants where they are roasted and mashed. Finally, the coffee is ready to land in a coffee cup along with some water and possibly cream. Cheers!

Did you know?

Apples are more efficient than coffee at waking people up in the mornings.

Fire Eyes

2010-01-30T11:51:00.000-06:00

   When you look at photographs taken from flash cameras, you may see eyes that turn red, even though they are not actually red in real life. What causes these "red eye" effects and how do you prevent them?
   Flash cameras are just what they sound like. They use a moment's flash to quickly produce enough light for a photograph.
   When a camera flashes, the light from the flash reflects off a person's retina. The retina contains essential blood vessels that feed the eye, and the redness from blood causes the red eye in photographs.
   If red eye is caused by light reflecting off of our retinas, then why don't we always see our eyes as red? If you've ever looked at an owl at night, you can see light reflecting off of an eye. In other words, they glow in the dark. Animals like the owl have what is called a tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer in the retina. Humans lack this layer, but the layer is strong enough to reflect even the smallest amounts of light. Regular light isn't enough to generate red eye in humans, but the camera flash is bright enough.
   Cameras around these times now have a "red eye reduction" feature. In this setting, the camera flashes once before the photo and a second time during. The first flash partially closes the pupil of the eye which prevents red eye.
   Not all photos have red eye. Next time you take a photograph with a camera known to generate red eye, try tilting the person's head to the side. Red eye only functions when the person is looking directly at the flash. Any tilt will stop the light from hitting the area of the eye where blood vessels are present.

Did you know?

To take a picture of yourself with the first camera, you'd have to stand still for about eight hours.

The Last Straw

2010-01-30T11:02:00.000-06:00

Here's a brief history on the beginning of one of our favorite convenience products:

At first, people used rye grass in their straws. The first manufactured paper drinking straws were manufactured by Marvin Stone in 1888. What he did was he wrapped a pencil in paper and attached the papers together, forming the tube. He chose almost waterproof paper and decided the straw's dimensions. This amazing invention was patented on January 3, 1888. In 1890, Stone's factories produced more straws than his previous manufactured product, cigarette holders. In 1906, Stone Straw Corporation started winding straws mechanically rather than by hand. Soon, people all over the country were drinking via straws.

Did you know?

The first bendable drinking straws were invented in 1937 by Joseph Friedman. Ease of access to the straw was now facilitated.

Bubble Rap

2010-01-29T19:10:00.002-06:00

   Pop. Pop. Since its release in 1957, bubble wrap has been one of the greatest entertainment systems ever devised. Most people, however, don't give much thought to the humble wrap, but rather to the object it wraps around. Invented by Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes, this classic packaging material has been used by hundreds of markets worldwide.
   Manufacturing of bubble wrap consists of three steps: extrusion, drum, and finish. Polyethylene resin is a very small material in the shape of a bead. First, the resin is melted into a liquid in an extruder. Next, the liquid is shaped into two plastic and transparent sheets. A drum then grabs the top layer and rolls it around on its surface. Said drum is specialized to engrave small circles into the plastic which shapes out the traditional air bubbles. Afterward, the other layer of plastic is applied and the production is finished.
   In addition for being convenient in shipping transactions, bubble wrap has made appearances in television broadcasts, magazines, and many other POP culture references.

Did you know?

Stores preferably choose transparent, but bubble wrap can come in many colors.

Lights Out!

2010-01-29T12:49:00.002-06:00

   The sky darkens and errie clouds roll by. Suddenly, as quick as the speed of lightning, lightning strikes followed by the crushing sound of thunder. Looks like Zeus is brewing up another stew. At least once in his or her lifetime, a child is scared by lightning. Who could blame them? Similar to fire, a thunder storm is both beautiful and dangerous.
   Next time you're in a thunder storm, keep an eye out for the flash. Then, start counting the seconds. Stop counting when the crash of thunder breaks in. The duration between the lightning strike and the crash of thunder in seconds divided by five will give you the distance in miles in which the lightning struck. For example, if you counted 8 seconds, the distance would be approximately 1.6 miles away. If the light and sound both come at the same time, the storm is right above you, and you should seek safe shelter immediately.
   This method works because light traveles much faster than sound. In fact, light traveles the fastest speed than any other object in the universe. Lightning and thunder come essentially from the same source, so the light will come to your eyes earlier than the sound that hits your ears. Even so, mother nature is unpredictable. Don't believe that your calculation is always certain.

Did you know?

Ball lightning is a type of lightning that ironically forms a ball in the sky. This sphere moves slowly but can annihilate anything in its way until it combusts or burns itself out.