The Improbable Origins of PowerPoint

A computer program is an organized list of instructions that, when executed, causes the computer to behave in a predetermined manner. Without programs, computers are useless.

A program is like a recipe. It contains a list of ingredients (called variables) and a list of directions (called statements) that tell the computer what to do with the variables. The variables can represent numeric data, text, or graphical images.

Love it or hate it, PowerPoint is one of those programs. If you have worked in an office in the Western world in the past 25 years, you will probably have sat through a PowerPoint presentation. But where did it come from?

This week, a look at the improbable origins of PowerPoint.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip." - Will Rogers (US humorist and showman, 1879 - 1935)

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How a Group of ’70s Radicals Tried (and Failed) to Invade Disneyland

There was a time when Southern California’s youth sought to do battle with “The Man” in a theme-park-like setting. In the spring of 1970, Disneyland had just relaxed its dress code for guests (meaning that teenagers with long hair and dressed in hippy garb were no longer automatically turned away at the turnstiles). That made the Happiest Place on Earth a very tempting target for the Youth International Party, which was this theatrically inclined offshoot of the free speech and anti-war movement of the 1960s who were always looking for new ways to mock the establishment.

This week, a look a an attempted and failed invasion of Disneyland.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Quote of the week: "The only sure thing about luck is that it will change." - Bret Harte (US author, 1836 - 1902)

How a Group of ’70s Radicals Tried (and Failed) to Invade Disneyland by fredwine on Scribd

Why the Amish Are Building America’s RVs

According to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, RV manufacturing is a $50 billion business in the United States, employing nearly 300,000 Americans. Approximately 80% of the RVs manufactured in America are made in Northern Indiana.

The Amish in this region don’t just live near the RV epicenter, they’re building the vehicles. Most of the Amish men under 65 work in factories. The majority of these manufacturing plants either assemble RVs or supply parts such as cabinets or windows.

This week, a look at why the Amish are building America’s RVs.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "The past is a source of knowledge, and the future is a source of hope. Love of the past implies faith in the future." - Stephen Ambrose (American historian and author, 1936 - 2002)

   Why the Amish Are Building America’s RVs by fredwine on Scribd

The Other Reformation: How Martin Luther Changed Our Beer, Too

Gruit is a catchall style that can encompass any beer made with a single variety or blend of herbs in place of hops. These beers were brewed in Northern Europe in some form perhaps as early as 5,000 years ago. A wide variety of botanicals were used as bittering agents, flavorants, and preservatives in these beers, including rosemary, juniper, and sage. In addition to grains, these beers would contain a large amount of adjuncts such as honey and fruit.

Along with religion, the Protestant Revolution changed beer as we know it today. Who knew the two were intertwined?

This week, more beer...that is a good thing.

TTFN, Fred. 

Quote of the week: "Mistakes, obviously, show us what needs improving. Without mistakes, how would we know what we had to work on?" - Peter McWilliams (American self-help author, 1949 - 2000)

   The Other Reformation How Martin Luther Changed Our Beer, Too by fredwine on Scribd

A Brief History of Window Cleaning

Glass is one of the oldest materials around. The discovery of glass date back to the Stone Age, around 7,000 BC. The organized production of glass in the form of jewelry and small jugs began in Egypt approximately four millennia later.

Only in 1861, did the Belgian chemist Ernest Solvay introduce the material to wide circles of the population with the cost-effective production of glass. Suddenly, countless office buildings, train stations, administrative buildings and ministries were equipped with massive window facades. This laid the foundation for the commercial window cleaning industry. Eventually windows were so prevalent it became a househld chore and window cleaning products were developed.

This week, a brief look at window cleaning.

Quote of the week: "One never knows what each day is going to bring. The important thing is to be open and ready for it." - Henry Moore (British sculptor, 1898 - 1986)

   A Brief History of Window Cleaning by fredwine on Scribd

Where the Cocktail Party Came From

A cocktail party is a party at which cocktails are served. It is sometimes called a cocktail reception. A cocktail party organized for purposes of social or business networking is called a mixer. A cocktail hour is sometimes used by managers of hotels and restaurants as a means of attracting patrons between 4 pm and 6 pm, for example.

Cocktails can have some great origin stories, but how can you tell sober fact from tipsy fiction? The noble institution of pre-dinner drinking has a complicated history, stretching across the Atlantic and a century or two

This week, a look at where the cocktail party might have originated.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter can be said to remedy anything." - Kurt Vonnegut (US novelist, 1922 - 2007)

   Where the Cocktail Party Came From by fredwine on Scribd

Grasping at Straws

A drinking straw is a tube for transferring a beverage from its container to the mouth of the drinker. The oldest drinking straw in existence, found in a Sumerian tomb dated 3,000 B.C.E., was a gold tube inlaid with the precious blue stone lapis lazuli, used for drinking beer, probably to avoid the solid byproducts of fermentation that sunk to the bottom. Argentines and their neighbors used a similar metallic device called a bombilla, that acts as both a straw and sieve for drinking mate tea for hundreds of years.

In the 1800s, the rye grass straw came into fashion because it was cheap and soft, but it had an unfortunate tendency to turn to mush in liquid. To address these shortcomings, Marvin C. Stone patented the modern drinking straw, made of paper, in 1888. He came upon the idea while drinking a mint julep on a hot day in Washington, D.C.; the taste of the rye was mixing with the drink and giving it a grassy taste, which he found unsatisfactory. He wound paper around a pencil to make a thin tube, slid out the pencil from one end, and applied glue between the strips. He later refined it by building a machine that would coat the outside of the paper with wax to hold it together, so the glue wouldn't dissolve in bourbon.

Beer, mint juleps, bourbon...once again, proof that alcohol leads to greatness.

This week, a look at the history of the straw.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "The easiest thing in the world to be is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don't let them put you in that position." - Leo Buscaglia (US author and lecturer, 1925 - 1998)

   Grasping at Straws by fredwine on Scribd

Can We Blame the Mafia on Lemons?

Organized crime consists of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals who intend to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for money and profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist groups, are politically motivated. Sometimes criminal organizations force people to do business with them, such as when a gang extorts money from shopkeepers for so-called "protection".

And while citrus hardly seems like a black market commodity, plenty of blood was spilled in Silicy over it.

This week, a look at how lemons may have lead to the Mafia.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "You can't have everything. Where would you put it?" - Steven Wright (US comedian and actor, 1955 - )

   Can We Blame the Mafia on Lemons by fredwine on Scribd

Why Phoenix's Airplanes Can't Take Off in Extreme Heat

We take for it granted that we can fly from one side of the world to the other in a matter of hours, but a century ago this amazing ability to race through the air had only just been discovered. What would the pioneers of powered flight make of an age in which something like 100,000 planes take to the sky each day in the United States alone? 

Weather can keep planes on the ground. Snow, wind, extreme rain, these make sense. Who wouldn't prefer to fly in nice weather? But can it be too nice? Yes, if it is hot, "...like Africa hot. Tarzan couldn't take this kind of hot."

This week, a look at why airplanes can't take off in extreme heat.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "If a dog jumps in your lap, it is because he is fond of you; but if a cat does the same thing, it is because your lap is warmer." - Alfred North Whitehead (English mathematician and philosopher, 1861 - 1947)

   Why Phoenix's Airplanes Can't Take Off in Extreme Heat by fredwine on Scribd

Duncan Hines

Cakes paved the way through many of our lives. Birthdays, social gatherings, special events, all were likely celebrated with a cake. Once I learned how to use the mixer I was hooked. I grew up making Bundt cakes, as I liked the shape and the Pillsbury box mixes came with the cake, filling and glaze all in one box.

I never wondered if the Pillsbury Dough Boy was real, but Betty Crocker included a face that I thought belonged to someone. Betty didn't seem to age but did change over the years into other women to keep up with the times. Once I knew that I figured none of the names used were real. Little did I know that Duncan Hines was a real person.

This week, a look at Duncan Hines.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults." - Socrates (Greek philosopher, 469 BC - 399 BC)

Duncan Hines by fredwine on Scribd

The Clue to Next Year's Flu Strain Could Be Inside You

Influenza, commonly known as the "flu," is an extremely contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza A or B viruses. Flu appears most frequently in winter and early spring. The flu virus attacks the body by spreading through the upper and/or lower respiratory tract.

Influenza viruses evolve rapidly, making it hard to develop protective vaccines against them. Despite a great deal of effort, scientists have found it difficult to forecast which way the virus’ evolution would take it. But now, thanks to some well-preserved snot, that may be getting easier.

This week, a look a discovering flu strains.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail." -  Abraham Maslow (American psychologist, 1908 - 1970)

The Clue to Next Year's Flu Strain Could Be Inside You by fredwine on Scribd

A brief history of the Kwik Lok Closure

A bread clip is a device used to hold plastic bags closed, such as the ones in which sliced bread is commonly packaged. They are also commonly called bread tags, bread climps, bread tabs, bread ties, bread ribbons or bread-bag clips.

Call them what you will, they end up at the back of a drawer in our kitchen, hardly ever re-used, collecting dust until they are recycled. But enough about my hoarding habits.

This week a look at the Kwik Lok Closure.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "I hate mankind, for I think myself one of the best of them, and I know how bad I am." - Giuseppe Marc'Antonio Baretti (Italian literary critic, poet, writer, translator, linguist and author, 1719 - 1789)

   A Brief History of the Kwik Lok Closure by fredwine on Scribd

One Slippery Character

Tools come and go from my tool box, but there are a few things that have been consistent across the years: a cresent wrench from my father (with his name engraved on the side); a straight-jaw channel lock I found in the middle of the street one day with John Torresan while we were riding our bikes; bailing wire, which has been useful more times than I can even remember; and a roll of thread seal tape, better known as Teflon tape.

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that has numerous applications. The best known brand name of PTFE-based formulas is Teflon by Chemours (a spin-off of DuPont, which discovered the compound in 1938). NASA also raised the celebrity status of Teflon when the Agency applied it to heat shields, space suits, and cargo hold liners. Today, the major application of PTFE, consuming about 50% of production, is for wiring in aerospace and computer applications (e.g. hookup wire, coaxial cables).

This week, a look at Teflon.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "When you're through changing, you're through." - Bruce Fairchild Barton (American author, advertising executive, and politician, 1886 – 1967)

   One Slippery Character by fredwine on Scribd

Holy Guacamole

Avocados. Alligator pears. Ahuacate. Call them what you will, they are buttery, not sweet, somewhat nutty and oily in flavor; firm enough to be sliced or diced, yet pliable enough to be mashed into a paste or puree. And apparently hard to cut properly; I don't like to eat them, but even I know how to cut one open without hurting myself.

This week, a look at a definte first world problem - not knowing how to cut an avocado.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane." - Nikola Tesla (US (Serbian-born) electrical inventor, 1857 - 1943

   Holy Guacamole by fredwine on Scribd

Why There Will Never Be Another Einstein

Albert Einstein may be the most famous and beloved scientist of all time. He is revered not only as a scientific genius but also as a moral and even spiritual sage, called by Abraham Pais, Einstein's friend and biographer, "the divine man of the 20th century."

This week, a look at why Albert Einstein may be one of a kind...but then, aren't we all?

TTFN, Fred. 

Quote of the week: "In mathematics you don't understand things. You just get used to them." - Johann von Neumann (US (Hungarian-born) computer scientist and mathematician, 1903 - 1957)

   Why There Will Never Be Another Einstein by fredwine on Scribd

Finding Direction

My first compass was likely from a box of Cracker Jack. My most recent on is in my phone. In-between were various versions of directional assistants, from directions provided by the guy at the service station to maps to Global Positioning System (GPS) units.

Somedays I am still lost, but it isn't due to a lack of assistance in trying to find my way.

This week, a look at the compass.

TTFN, Fred. 

Quote of the week: "Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how…We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark." - Agnes de Mille (US choreographer and dancer, 1909 - 1993)

   Finding Direction by fredwine on Scribd

The Magic Materializer

Engineers and designers have been using three dimensional (3D) printers for more close to two decades, mostly to make prototypes quickly and cheaply before they embark on the expensive business of tooling up a factory to produce the real thing.

As 3D printers have become more capable and able to work with a broader range of materials, including production-grade plastics and metals, the machines are increasingly being used to make final products too.

As Arthur C. Clarke has stated, any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

This week, a look at 3D printers.

TTFN, Fred. 

Quote of the week: "There must be more to life than having everything." - Maurice Sendak (American illustrator and writer of children's books, 1928 - 2012)

   The Magic Materializer by fredwine on Scribd

Microwave Ovens

I remember the day our first microwave oven came into my parent's household. It was big (by today's standards) with a faux wood exterior, dials (no digital displays) and a bell that went "ding" when the cycle was completed. We read the instructions and cookbook that came with it and the first thing we made was scrambled eggs. It was like magic.

Hard to imagine a kitchen without the power contained in a microwave oven. In 1971, about 1% of all households in the US had one; by 1997, that number was 90%.

This week, a look at microwave ovens.

TTFN, Fred. 

Quote of the week: "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function." - F. Scott Fitzgerald (US novelist, 1896 - 1940)

   Zap It! by fredwine on Scribd

Pure Pasteur

We've talked about pasteurization before, and before that, and even before that. But did you know that old Louis Pasteur himself saved the French wine industry in the 1860's?

Gotta love science. And wine, of course.

This week, another look at pasteurization.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "In the field of observation, chance favors only the prepared mind." - Louis Pasteur (French biologist amd bacteriologist, 1822 - 1895)

   Pure Pasteur by fredwine on Scribd

Hitting the Mark

The origins of rifling are difficult to trace, but some of the earliest practical experiments seem to have occurred in Europe during the 15th century. Archers had long realized that a twist added to the tail feathers of their arrows gave them greater accuracy. 

Rifles were created as an improvement in the accuracy of smooth bore muskets. In the early 18th century, Benjamin Robins, an English mathematician, realized that an elongated bullet would retain the momentum and kinetic energy of a musket ball, but would slice through the air with greater ease. Science!

This week, a look at rifles.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough." - Og Mandino (American author, 1923 - 1996)

   Hitting the Mark by fredwine on Scribd

An Overreaction to Food Allergies

The cause of food allergies is unknown. Symptoms of a reaction can include digestive problems, hives, or swollen airways. Severe reactions can be life-threatening.

But what if you're diagnosed incorrectly and you don't have food allergies? How can that happen, you say? Read on, faithful reader, read on.

This week, a look at an overreaction to food allergies.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "When in doubt, tell the truth." - Mark Twain (American humorist, novelist, short story author and wit, 1835 - 1910)

   An Overreaction to Food Allergies by fredwine on Scribd

Fun Food Firsts

Remember the first time you ever had a donut? Or a popsicle? Or cotton candy? Now stop to think how life would be without them. And now imagine you are the first person in the world to taste them. Everything has a first time.

This week, a look at fun food firsts.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him." - Galileo Galilei (Italian astronomer and physicist, 1564 - 1642)

   Fun Food Firsts by fredwine on Scribd

Elevators

An elevator (US and Canada) or lift (UK, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa) is a type of vertical transportation that moves people or goods between floors (levels, decks) of a building, vessel, or other structure. Elevators are generally powered by electric motors that either drive traction cables or counterweight systems like a hoist, or pump hydraulic fluid to raise a cylindrical piston like a jack.

Elisha Otis, thank you for making The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror possible.

This week, a look elevators.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." - Robert Frost (American poet, 1874 - 1963)

   Getting the Shaft by fredwine on Scribd

Good and Numb

In the practice of medicine (especially surgery) and dentistry, anesthesia is a temporary induced state with one or more of analgesia (relief from or prevention of pain), paralysis (muscle relaxation), amnesia (loss of memory), and unconsciousness. A patient under the effects of anesthetic drugs is referred to as being anesthetized.

Anesthesia enables the painless performance of medical procedures that would cause severe or intolerable pain to an unanesthetized patient. I, for one, am happy it exists and biting on a bullet during surgery is no longer the norm.

This week, a look at anesthesia.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Tears may be dried up, but the heart - never." - Marguerite de Valois (French princess of the Valois dynasty who became queen of France, 1553 - 1615)

   Good and Numb by fredwine on Scribd

The Close Ties Between Exercise and Beer

We've talked about beer and its mineral content, how beer was one of the six drinks that shaped the world, about studying really old beer, how beer is better for post-workout replenishment, the color of beer, churches that attract new members with beer, and five things you might not have known about God and beer, What can I say, it's a good topic.

This week, a look the close ties between exercise and beer.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Nothing is so good for an ignorant man as silence; and if he was sensible of this he would not be ignorant." - Saadi (one of the major Persian poets and literary men of the medieval period, 1184 - 1291)

   The Close Ties Between Exercise and Beer by fredwine on Scribd