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The Urban Distionary defines "dagnabbit" as an "Oldcootism used during great consternation or surprise. Used by 1890’s prospectors, cantankerous old farmers, and young people playing old people on TV in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s." Hard to argue with that.
This week, a look at how "dagnabbit" may have come to be.
TTFN, Fred.
Quote of the week: "If you're here for four more years or four more weeks, you're here right now. I think when you're somewhere, you ought to be there. It's not about how long you stay in a place, it's about what you do while you're there, and when you go, is that place any better for your having been there?" - Karen Hall and Jerry Stahl, Northern Exposure, Soapy Sanderson, 1990
A car seat belt is designed to arrest as much momentum as possible in the case of a sudden stop (i.e. a front end collision). This is also the purpose served by the airbag. Without a seat belt, your car would stop and you would keep moving forward: into the steering column or through the front windshield. In other words, the car seat belt assumes that if there is a difference between your momentum and the car's momentum, it will be that you are moving forward relative to the car.
An airplane accident is not usually a sudden front end collision. If it happens in the air, such as engine or control surface failure, the airplane's attitude could change drastically and the difference between your momentum and the plane's could be in any direction. The lap belt is designed to keep you in your seat in the event of loss of conventional downward gravitational acceleration and nothing more.
This week, a look at in-flight seat belts.
TTFN, Fred.
Quote of the week: "I used to think of all the billions of people in the world, and of all those people, how was I going to meet the right ones? The right ones to be my friends, the right one to be my husband. Now I just believe you meet the people you're supposed to meet." - Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, Northern Exposure, The Quest, 1995
The practice of channeling – a person's body being taken over by a spirit for the purpose of communication – has been around for millennia. There are countless stories of shamen, witch doctors, prophets and others who claim to hear voices or receive some supernatural knowledge from the spirit world. Channelers, also sometimes known as psychic mediums, often use what are called "spirit guides," friendly spirits who give them knowledge and help them on their spiritual journeys.
This week, a look at when women channeled the dead to be heard.
TTFN, Fred.
Quote of the week: "I used to think of all the billions of people in the world, and of all those people, how was I going to meet the right ones? The right ones to be my friends, the right one to be my husband. Now I just believe you meet the people you're supposed to meet." - Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, Northern Exposure, The Quest, 1995
As commander in chief during the American Revolution, Washington acknowledged that there should always be “a sufficient quantity of spirits with the army, to furnish moderate supplies to the troops.”
Ever the enterprising businessman, Washington opened an expansive whiskey distillery in 1797 at the urging of his Scottish farm manager James Anderson. It became one of Mount Vernon’s most profitable ventures.
This week, a look at George Washington's Whiskey.
TTFN, Fred.
Quote of the week: "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't think you can measure life in terms of years. I think longevity doesn't necessarily have anything to do with happiness. I mean happiness comes from facing challenges and going out on a limb and taking risks. If you're not willing to take a risk for something you really care about, you might as well be dead." - Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, Northern Exposure, Northern Lights, 1993
An automated teller machine (ATM) is an electronic telecommunications device that enables customers of financial institutions to perform financial transactions, such as cash withdrawals, deposits, transfer funds, or obtaining account information, at any time and without the need for direct interaction with bank staff.
ATMs are known by a variety of names, including automatic teller machine in the United States (ATM, American, British, Australian, Malaysian, South African, Singaporean, Indian, Maldivian, Hiberno, Philippines and Sri Lankan English), often redundantly ATM machine, automated banking machine (ABM, Canadian English). In British English, the terms cash point, cash machine, minibank (the official name of the Yorkshire bank ATM's) and "hole in the wall" are most widely used.
This week, a look at the ATM.
TTFN, Fred.
Quote of the week: "A person has three choices in life. You can swim against the tide and get exhausted, or you can tread water and let the tide sweep you away, or you can swim with the tide, and let it take you where it wants you to go." - Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, Northern Exposure, Northern Lights, 1993
Traditional balsamic vinegar is produced from the juice of just-harvested white grapes (typically, Trebbiano grapes) boiled down to approximately 30% of the original volume to create a concentrate or must, which is then fermented with a slow aging process which concentrates the flavors.
The flavor intensifies over the years, with the vinegar being stored in wooden casks, becoming sweet, viscous and very concentrated. During this period, a portion evaporates: it is said that this is the "angels' share", a term also used in the production of bourbon whiskey, scotch whisky, wine, and other alcoholic beverages.
This week, a look at Traditional Balsamic Vinegar.
TTFN, Fred.
Quote of the week: "I can't criticize what I don't understand. If you want to call this art, you've got the benefit of all my doubts." - Charles Rosin, Northern Exposure, Aurora Borealis, 1990
There was always a note pad next to the phone in my parent's house. On it were telephone numbers, scribbled drawings and important bits of information. Same with the phone at my desk when I went to work. Somewhere along the line, the note pad was replaced by the now ubiquitous yellow post-it. I think my desk was less cluttered with a single note pad versus a dozen or so post-its that move about in importance.
This week, a look at Post-It notes.
TTFN, Fred.
Quote of the week: "Einstein said God doesn't play dice with the universe, but I don't know – maybe not as a whole, but I think he gets a pretty big kick out of messing in peoples' back yards." - Dennis Koenig and Jordan Budde, Northern Exposure, Roots, 1991
