If you were expecting to add a sweet temptation like whipped cream to your holiday desserts you may be out of luck! The propellant that allows the pressure to force out the somewhat dubious "whipped cream" from the popular Reddi-wip and other brands, nitrous oxide is in short supply due to an explosion in one of the major producers, Conagra. The gas, which is also used as an anesthetic in dentists offices and for legal huffing, will go to the dentist and not the pumpkin pie! From the Boston Globe:
"If you were hoping to add a dollop of whipped cream to your apple pie this holiday season, then you’d better head to the store and start filling up your shopping cart early.
Some supermarkets and manufacturers are warning customers that due to a national shortage of nitrous oxide, certain canned whipped cream products may be missing from the shelves.
An incident at a Florida facility in August has impacted the production of the gas that shoots whipped cream from canisters and onto desserts, leaving some stores that sell the fluffy white topping strapped before Christmas.
Conagra Foods, which makes Reddi-wip, said the industry-wide issue affects any company that relies on nitrous oxide in their products, including private labels and competitive brands.Lanie Friedman, a Conagra spokeswoman, said in a statement that the company is doing its best to make its whipped cream available to as many consumers as possible.
In the meantime, they’re encouraging shoppers to “stock up early,” during the peak season.
“We should have our full supply up and running by February,” Friedman said".
Of course for those who realize that you can make whipped cream easily at home without the need for shooting it directly into your mouth, there is no problem. Strange that in a world in chaos we are worried about whipped cream. Only in America...
 

Video Below:

The LED (Light Emitting Diode) candle has become ubiquitous and has been around for several years in various forms. The principle is simple; make a yellow LED flicker and look like a candle. Although there are several price points and aesthetic designs, the form differs from tea lights or votives, all the way to massive column shapes. And, many of the more recent iterations have real wax exteriors in an attempt to look more “natural”.
However, the technology to make the LED’s flicker like a candle flame has changed over time. The earliest examples used discreet parts like transistors, resistors, and capacitors to effectively mimic the movement of a burning flame. Then, integrated circuits  became the default technology, and soon they were miniaturized to fit into the LED itself! And soon thereafter came the next innovation; an LED candle that can be turned on and off with a breath of air. I do have the ability to extinguish a candle with air, but I have not been able to re-ignite it in the same way! And that is the subject of this post and video.
I have received several questions as to how the blow on/blow/off candles operate so it was time for a tear down. Although I typically do not try and “reverse engineer” products, I thought a video might explain how these candles work. So, enjoy the destruction and explanation…

This is the mini-amp that I used to amplify the electret microphone signal from the JFET that did not show up in the video.

 This is perhaps the most unusual entry that I have done in the past five years. It is not a typical post and it is designed to be fun and maybe entertaining. I’ll leave the analysis up to the reader (listener). The content involves some of my activities that are generally outside of this websites subject matter. Let’s follow the bouncing ball!
I have been playing guitar for a number of years and in a number of styles but mainly finger picking. But, over time I have learned other stringed instruments including the bass guitar, banjo, and mandolin. But, I have also tried harmonica and piano and enjoy the challenge of learning something new. But, I consider myself an amateur and have always played music for fun.
About 5 years ago I decided to figure out how to accompany myself and do something like a “one man band”. The obvious answer was a simple 4 channel tape recorder that allows putting down one track with the acoustic guitar, playing that back through headphones, and adding the bass on track 2. Then, while playing both of those tracks, add the electric guitar on track 3. Then finally, add the harmonica on track 4. Although it sounds simple, it is labor intensive but really fun. (As an aside, I could have done it all digitally but a higher cost). So, since I was going to do that anyway, I might as well write some songs and really go big or go home! So I did write about 10 songs; some were instrumental and some were vocal. But, to be perfectly clear, I really could not write songs as I don’t read music. And, you can’t write what you can’t read. So, I made them up as poetry and added the chords. So, since I was the “composer”, there was no chance of copyright infringement! The next logical step was to copy them all after taping to a CD and distribute them to friends and family. Of course the big flaw in my use of analog tape for a natural sound is changed by burning to a CD and making the songs mp3’s. Oh well, here is a clip of one I call “Scrambled Eggs” which defies genre!
 
 

Note: The video below is the same one as the YouTube video so if you have already seen it there just read the write-up.

The ability to free my art mannequin from that annoying piece of wire support has allowed me to use different configurations in looking at the way in which limbs move. In the full disclosure mode, I am not an artist or even an art student. But, I am interested in bio-mechanics and that is what motivated me to free my model. (If you want to know more about how the mannequin is fabricated, check Google Patents for the 1945 patent, (2,451,023 for one of the methods of construction.)
 I originally planned on using small neodymium magnets embedded in the hands and feet to allow positional control but did not like the idea of drilling or cutting the model. But, while discussing the problem with my son he happened to mention Velcro as a possible solution. That, and in some instances coupled with magnets, solved the problem. But, the story would be incomplete without the magic of Velcro, (A trade name for a hook and loop fastener) and a video. The name Velcro comes from the words velvet and crochet.
In 1941 Swiss engineer George de Mistral was walking his dog in the woods of the Alps and was perplexed by the fact that the burrs (seed) of the burdock plant were sticking to his pant legs and his dog’s fur. When he returned home he examined the burr under the microscope and discovered that the burr was covered with hooks that locked together with the loops on the dogs’ fur and on his pants. He immediately thought about making a temporary cloth connector that could be used like a zipper. It is the perfect example of biomimicry where natural phenomena can be translated into other useful processes.
He began his work with cotton but had many failures until he finally used nylon. His first patent was filed in 1955 and granted in 1958. The product really did not really catch on until the 1960’s, when NASA began using it to secure space suits and tying down equipment on spacecraft. But since then it has been a standard method of making temporary connections on many products. The patent expired in 1978 and is now manufactured by many other manufactures. But Velcro is still strong and is still manufactured right here in New Hampshire. Velcro, by the way, is a trade name. Here is the macro image:Now, on with the video!
Note: I found that my mannequin had a threaded post and took some effort to detach.
 

The Library of Congress in the research and repository arm of most of the history of the United States. The cover photo is the west façade taken in 1898. But it is international in content. And, although a trip to the library would be a worthwhile adventure, the online photo archive is the next best activity. The library is the largest in the world followed by the British Library.
The Prints and Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC) contains catalog records and digital images representing a rich cross-section of still pictures held by the Prints & Photographs Division and, in some cases, other units of the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress offers broad public access to these materials as a contribution to education and scholarship.
The collections of the Prints and Photographs Division include photographs, fine and popular prints and drawings, posters, and architectural and engineering drawings. While international in scope, the collections are particularly rich in materials produced in, or documenting the history of, the United States and the lives, interests and achievements of the American people.
If you have an interest in history, photography, or are just curious about how we developed as a nation, then this is the site for you. The collections have thumbnails and offer several different download quality options up to the TIFF which will open in Photoshop. The content is incredible from stark images of the civil war to the war years and education, industry, life in general, and entertainment. There are black and white as well as color images. Each photo has the history of the photo and identification and most important, whether or not it is public domain or has publishing restrictions. So, the responsibility for checking ownership is up to the person using it for commercial purposes. Prepare to be dazzled and the link is here. Below is one of the images from 1940 in Melrose, Louisiana. It is a Bar, Store, and Juke Joint. Enjoy!
 
 
 

I have received several emails over the past five years asking about the banner image that looks like a painting rather than a real location. But I can assure you that it is real and I have been there at least twice. But, that was a long time ago before the masses and gift shops started to compete with nature like so many places in the Southwest. But, let’s start with the reality first.
The photo is of Monument Valley and although the entrance is actually in Utah, the location is in the four corners where Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico meet. It is a Navajo Tribal Park which is similar to a US national park. It is about a 17 mile ride on a dirt road and it takes about 2 to 3 hours to see it all. But, as mentioned above, I saw it with different eyes and it was a lasting experience.
I was on my own at an early age and living in California and wanted to travel east to find parts of a fractured family as has been experienced by many people. I had already been moved to California by my father and had to begin to find my own way back to where home may have been. At the time, route 66 was the main highway between Chicago and Los Angeles. It was the best way to travel for a young hitch hiker with limited resources. The experience is one that can only be described as life changing as what I saw was life at its best and its worst. But part of the journey included leaving the trail and seeing the remarkable natural wonders like Carlsbad Caverns, Bryce Canyon, Death Valley, The Petrified Forest, and Monument Valley. And although many of these locations were far afield from route 66, it was worth the detour. The best part was that these now iconic vistas had almost no rules, regulations, and tourist traps. Truly a magical time! And, as a side note, movie director John Ford filmed many of his best known western movies at Monument Valley.
Looking at the images now and experiencing them as natural phenomena is quite interesting. In the image above I see the beauty; but, standing there as a young 13 year old I saw heat, emptiness, and the barren landscape. It was so quiet and yet peaceful. But, it does raise the question that remains today. How did this beauty begin?
 
 
 

This past week saw the internet and social media explode with the news that Mattel is producing a more diverse Barbie doll that looks similar to “real women” and thus reflects some level of reality. It is only speculation, but perhaps the sagging sales had something to do with the transformation.  And, it only took 57 years to make the appropriate changes.
Barbie has always been under the gun of scrutiny from her introduction in 1959. With her disproportionate oversized topside, to the long legs, saucy lips, and skinny frame, she looked more like a hooker than a “typical” female. But that is the irony! She was modeled on a cartoon character who was a call girl!
But, let’s go back to 1952 where Barbie, (AKA Lilli), was born. She was introduced as a cartoon character in the Hamburg, Germany newspaper comic strip Bild-Zeitung as an upscale call girl with a suggestive and provocative nature. She gained fame as an adult novelty and was eventually made into a doll sold mostly to men as a suggestive trinket. From Robin Gerber, the author of Barbie and Ruth, “Lilli dolls could be bought in tobacco shops, bars, and adult-themed toy stores”. But now, we have to make the trip across the pond to find Barbie as an American citizen.
During a 1956 trip to Switzerland, 15 year old Barbara Handler found the Lilli doll and really wanted one. Her mother, Ruth Handler, co-founder of Mattel, bought three and brought them home to the US. Three years later she introduced the Barbie doll, named after her daughter, as a figure that young girls would aspire to emulate. Since being introduced at the American International Toy show in New York in 1959, Mattel has sold over 1 Billion dolls and a lot of accessories, like cars, hair, clothes, and Ken!  
So, did American girls aspire to be like Barbie as Ruth Handler had hoped? Let’s see; looking skinny like a model is good, makeup at an early age, unrealistic desire to be the “perfect woman” and guilt about not being like the others. It seems that between Barbie, the diet gurus, and the marketers, somebody has muddied the waters of what is really important. Too little, too late…
 

Since the Oxford Dictionary, a well respected and trusted compendium of words selected an emoji (Tears of Joy) as the word of the year, there has been a flame war of comments about the choice. When I first heard of the decision I had very little reaction but many questions. But, I failed to have the visceral response that other people seemed to have. My favorite comment that I have read so far is “that this choice is the final nail in the coffin of civilization”! Wow! If this is the final nail then we are in serious trouble.
My first legitimate question is to ask how an emoji, a representational pictograph, can be defined as a word? And second, how do we find it in a book of alphabetized words? Do we look up emoji, tears, joy, ideograph, face, or simply social media contagion? Here is what the Oxford Dictionary, a dictionary that has been around since the late 1800’s said:
“Emojis (the plural can be either emoji or emojis) have been around since the late 1990s, but 2015 saw their use, and use of the word emoji, increase hugely. This year Oxford University Press have partnered with leading mobile technology business SwifttKey to explore frequency and usage statistics for some of the most popular emoji across the world, and  was chosen because it was the most used emoji globally in 2015. SwiftKey identified that made up 20% of all the emojis used in the UK in 2015 and 17% of those in the US: a sharp rise from 4% and 9% respectively in 2014. The word emoji has seen a similar surge: although it has been found in English since 1997, usage more than tripled in 2015 over the previous year according to data from the Oxford Dictionaries Corpus”.
So, because this is the most popular emoji, by extension, it is the most important word and worthy of the “Word of the year award”! Based on that logic, I guess that “selfie” is the new photography standard. I am not sure if this dictionary already has selfie and I really don’t care. I think that I will just file this in the same box with the other concepts that I don’t understand…
 
 
 
 

The Big Bang Theory is certainly one of the most viewed sitcoms in several years. But, like many network entries it was a duck shoot at best to expect that 8 seasons in it would still be so popular. However, what is really happening may not be evident as the humor and entertainment seem to be the shows strong points. But, I see something a little bit different in the reasons behind the popularity.

First and foremost is the fact that it is STEM based and that is drawing interest in the sciences at long last. (STEM, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) has been covered in these pages before as I am a strong advocate for the sciences. But, I also add “A” for STEAM as the arts should be an integral part of learning. But, as important is the fact that there are strong, smart, women representing microbiology and the neurosciences. And, most viewers are aware that Amy (Mayim Bialik) has a Ph. D from UCLA. This is a big deal for those young women who are intimidated by the male dominated sciences. It is impossible to tell yet whether or not there will be a meaningful increase in the sciences in the future but this show might help. However, there is also recognition from the show’s producers and cast that the sciences and education is critical. They have established a scholarship at UCLA that is currently at $4 million. Kudos to them!

And for the critics, there is an emphasis on video games, science fiction, and sexual innuendo, but that is in the current generation’s wheelhouse. And, that makes Big Bang a Big Bang. And, what about Penny? I am hoping that before the show ends at some time she will complete community college and receive at least an Associate’s Degree. She is already a strong character but it would be great to see her face the challenge and show other women that it is possible even while working at the Cheesecake Factory…


 

 

 

 

It seems like it is a long trip from the Netherlands to the US for our eggs, a commodity that we have almost always been able to provide domestically. In fact we have been exporting more than 30 million dozen eggs a month to our trading partners in Canada and Mexico. But, due to the H5N2 virus, some 47 million chickens have died since the beginning of spring and 35 million of those birds were laying hens. This represents some 80 % of what are referred to as breaker eggs. These are eggs that are liquefied, dried, or frozen and sold to food processors for use in baked goods. The American Bakers Association has called the shortfall a crisis and food producers are paying up to 200 % more and that will result in increased prices when we buy their products.

But, in addition to food producers raising prices, the price of eggs in the shell at the market are also going up. Supply and demand wins again. The question I always have is how will changing our importing of eggs effect health. We have been assured by the United States Department of Agriculture, FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service) that the Netherlands safety record is fine. But, I have been critical of this agency in the past and I continue to be concerned. They failed during the salmonella problem over the past two years and my lack of confidence is reasonable.  If the eggs are all destined to be incorporated into baked good, then complete cooking will not be a problem. But what will happen if the eggs wind up in the supermarkets? And, to complicate the problem there are seven countries that have been approved by the Agriculture Marketing Service to send breaker eggs to the US. Chile, Argentina, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal are all potential exporters. Good luck to us with the FSIS on the job! I for one will be cooking my eggs thoroughly for the foreseeable future.