Saturday, September 15, 2012

Making Candles at Home

DIY Personalized Candle Lights
DIY Personalized Candle Lights (Photo credit: eelke dekker)

In comparison to regular candles, gel candles slowly attracting enthusiastic attention the candle and fans. In general, these candles are very similar to other types of candles. However, the materials used are different, and they are actually better for the environment. To make gel candles, it is important that you know the nature of the material. Unlike wax candles, these candles are made of mineral oil and a bit high percentage of polymer resin.

In addition, Gel wax is classified into three states of the density is low, medium and high. Density is often described as the state in which the wax gel can accommodate or tolerate the oil level. For example, the higher the density, the greater the amount of oil you can use. However, this can lead to an excess of gel candles, which in turn are more difficult melt and pour.

The same steps also recommended if you want to make gel candles to improve your home. First you must prepare the material that is freezing up, fuse, container, oils, perfumes or dyes. Secondly, melting the gel with a water bath or multi-cuisine. There is little difference when it comes to using the water bath equipment fusion. However, other fans prefer to use the multi-cuisine, as the gel can be placed directly on the inside and wait for this to melt.

Third place, while the merger of gel, it is important to avoid using wooden spoons or agitation. To avoid gel candles bubbles appear at the end. tools of choice is made of plastic or metal agitators. Furthermore, it is better to buy a thermometer to determine the exact amount of the melting temperature, while the gel.
Fourthly, to make gel candles, you have to think fast and pleasant colors. You can always start with white, blue, yellow or green. The use of a liquid dye it deems appropriate in gel candles, because it is easier to incorporate into the mixture of melted gel. Fifth, the addition of a perfume or scent of your choice is also a step likely since it improve the quality of gel candles. Finally, it is imperative to cool the candle after pouring the batter into the prepared pans or containers. Suggested time varies, but the important thing is to ensure that the mixture has completely resolved.

To make gel candles is really easy. There are so many ways to work if you are committed to learning skills. You can start by asking close friends or colleagues. Think of those who are really in the business of the candles. Anyway, what will help you learn to develop their interest and passion for what is considered the art of making candles.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

The Parasite


My friend Dan mentioned “Shivers,” an old Cronenburg horror flick on sexually-transmitted, libido-stimulating parasites in his journal today… Which made me think about parasites in general and their wild and wacky life cycles.

Okay, so most parasites are pretty straightforward. Animal ingests eggs, eggs hatch into parasites, parasites lay eggs, animals defecate, rinse, wash, repeat. Some are a bit more complex: blood-sucking insect with stage A parasite bites animal, injects parasite into blood, parasite morphs into Stage B, has sex, replicates, etc, etc, is picked up by blood-sucking insect during biting, morphs back into stage A in insect, etc.
Some, however, do exactly what Cronenburg’s film suggests - they have a humongous impact on the behavior of their host. One makes its rodent hosts stupid and visually impaired, so they’re more likely to be eaten by a more desirable host - a cat. But my favorite (and I suspect the darling of the parasitic world in many respects) is the lancet fluke.

The lancet fluke, Dicrocoelium dendriticum isn’t really a human problem, because we don’t graze. It’s a serious problem for sheep, however. Without getting into the great chicken-egg, debate, I’ll start the life cycle with the egg of the parasite, which is defecated onto the grass by infected sheep. The eggs are like extra protein for certain terrestrial snails, who gobble them up. Inside the snail, the eggs hatch, and the parasite goes through an intermediate larval stage called a miracidium, and then becomes a more stable, ball-shaped form called a cercariae. The cercariae, to the snail, are like grains of sand to an oyster - very, very irritating. So the snail does what we would all do, if we were snails, which is to bundle it up in mucus and secrete it in the waste all snails leave behind - yes, that shiny, sticky trail on your garden path may well contain little balls of potential ovine infection.

But this is where it starts to get really cool. Turns out, these little parasite slime balls are the equivalent of candy to ants (my textbook calls them “gastronomic prizes”). There may even be ants who stalk snails hoping they’ll excrete cercariae, though I haven’t heard of any. At any rate, the ants grab, fight over, and consume these little balls as fast as possible. Then the plot thickens. The cercariae turn mobile and move into the “brain” of the ant (ants don’t really have brains - they have subesophageal ganglions, but whatever. In a head that small, who needs a brain?).

Somehow, mysteriously, the presence of parasites in ant brains makes the ants a little nuts, perhaps a little Don Quixote-style in their philosophy. They decide that the best thing in the world is to form a traveling acrobatic company. Now, having a limited repertoire (no clown school for ants), they only have one option, apparently. The infected ants crawl up blades of grass and dangle from the tips by their mandibles. A typical conversation might look like this:

non-parasitized ant, looking up: “Barry! What the hell are you doing up there?”
Barry, who has a parasite: “mmphmmmphh mhhpmm” (translation: Oh, nothing, just hanging out.”)
N.P.A.: “Why on earth would you want to do that? You’re an ant! We like to work!”
Barry: “mmphmmtmymph mmphhpermmph” (I don’t know, it seemed like a good idea at the time)
This behavior is not just weird, it’s temporally controlled. Ants only do this at dusk or early morning, the favorite time for many grazers to knosh on a bit of bedtime or breakfast greenery. So hanging ants get nibbled up along with the grass, and BLAMMO! The parasite has a new home in the sheep of its dreams. It turns into the adult fluke, crawls up the bile duct, lays eggs, and the whole thing starts again.
Now, this is just bizarre. I mean, why would the lancet fluke have any reason to do this? It could be like lots of other flukes and just happily go from egg to snail to larva on grass to sheep. Or it could be super-simple and just go from egg to adult to egg. But no…. at some point the lancet fluke must’ve been given a book on “how to be an evil overlord” or something along those lines, because it came up with the most pointless, complex, fascinatingly silly life cycle ever. “Muahahaha,” it said, rubbing its little membranous hand-like bits together, “I shall eenvade zee brainz of antz! And zen! I shall make zem crazee! And zey shall commeet zueecide een zee jaws of sheep! Muahahahaha!”

Makes you wonder what more successful and more subtle bugs do, doesn’t it? I mean, sneezing when sick may be a good way of ejecting extra mucus, but it’s also a great way for spreading colds - so is it to the virus’s best interest to make us sneeze more? Are we just pawns of our plagues?

Awesome post, but don't know who wrote it, if you know, let me know... you know?

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Medical Health Improves with Living Environment

Urban Planning Exhibition Hall_008
One thing that isn't all that funny in our country is our horrendous obesity rates. We wouldn't have to worry about spending as much on our healthcare costs, and medical manufacturing companies would be able to focus on solutions to other medical problems besides obesity. What if in the future all of our neighborhoods were set up, designed, laid out and planned all in a way to specifically drive us to exercise, stay in shape, and be more active? If your neighborhood were set up that way now, do you think you’d exercise more? Would it be easier to convince yourself? I say yes, and apparently, so do the urban planners who are trying to make this dream a reality.
From lining streets with trees, adding speed bumps to make it safer for bikers, to even adding zoning laws that push people to walk to work rather than drive, all of these things are going to come together in what the article calls a “marriage” of urban planning and public health. Those behind the plan think it could help to effectively end our nation’s obesity epidemic.
Head over and read all about this new idea; it’s one of the most exciting and promising things I’ve read in a while, and I think it really could work. More than that, it shows that we’re TRYING…people are trying to figure it out and make a difference. That’s why I love working for a gym; by designing and producing top-of-the-line hydraulic resistance equipment we are enabling more people in more areas to try to get into good shape, drop extra dangerous pounds, and reduce their risk for disease. Can’t beat that.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Taking a Trip To College Station

All I ever knew about College Station my whole life was that it was the home of Texas A&M. Last week I had a chance to take a trip through this lovely slice of the country, though, and was surprised to learn a few things about this city. So my apologies for giving this from my lowly Yankee perspective, but here's some observations.

Oh, and before I get started, after spending some time in the South I'll preface this with "thanks to all y'all who were so nice to me throughout my travels."

Look, there's a college called Corpus Christi College!

Anyhow, I'd ramble on some more, but needless to say, there's more to the town than just a slew of Aggies fans.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaet44/1464759684/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Cheap Businesses Don't Get My Respect!

English: Dim Sim and Soy Sauce
You better appreciate that Soy Sauce, and that.. other thing (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today, I go to fill up my gas tank at a local gas station that I never go to. This one always seems to be empty, and there's never a wait for gas here. I slide my credit card in the pump and proceed to fill up my tank. While I’m waiting, I go inside and grab a bottle of Pepsi. The bottle costs $1.39 and I don’t have any cash, so I take out my credit card to pay for it. The guy points to a sign and says “There’s a $0.50 charge for purchases under $5.00.”
I tell him I’m paying $50.00 for gas outside! I’m charging well over the $5.00 minimum. He’s says it’s a $5.00 minimum per charge. How ridiculous! I just left in amazement. I wish I could have unfilled my tank cause I’m obviously never coming back.
Why do some businesses lose customers over a few pennies. Was he not going to make a profit off the $1.39 Pepsi?
Here are some huge pet peeves of mine when it comes to cheap businesses.
1) I once went to a hamburger/hotdog place that charged extra for condiments. Seriously, it was like $0.10 for onions, $0.10 for relish, $0.10 for ketchup! The place was out of business a few months later.
2) Italian restaurants that don’t give you enough pasta. Come on! That’s the cheap part of the meal. Piling on the pasta gives the impression that you give huge portions.
3) Chinese restaurants that charge extra for sweet & sour or soy sauce packets on take out orders. Is it really costing you that much money? Are people just hoarding soy sauce so they don’t have to buy the bottle?
4) Fast food places that don’t let you get your own napkins. Then when you go ask for some they give you “one” napkin. Ok, how am I suppose to eat your greasy food with one napkin.
Any others?

Monday, June 25, 2012

Summer Comedy Shows

English: Stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan after ...
English: Stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan after a performance at the State Theatre in Easton, Pennsylvania. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Summer is the season to go to live shows, and there are quite a few great commedians coming to the Michigan area in the next few months. Here are a few of the big ones:

Jeff Dunham - Island Resort & Casino in Harris, MI
Jeff will be bringing his puppets along the road to Harris MI for the weekend after the 4th of July. He will be there July 13 and 14 and he's a great commedian you wouldn't want to miss if you're up in that area.

Jim Gaffigan - DTE Energy Music Theatre - Clarkston, MI
One of my all time favorites, he will be there on Saturday July 21. Known for his bacon and hot pocket jokes, Gaffigan also has appeared in movies.

Joan Rivers - Andiamo Celebrity Showroom - Warren, MI
I don't know all that much about Joan, but I've heard great things. It's hard to find commedians in the Fall, and she will be one of the last big ones to come to the Detroit area for a while.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Patch Adams Medical Humor

Film poster for Patch Adams (film) - Copyright...
Film poster for Patch Adams (film) - Copyright 1998,Universal Pictures (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
One of my favorite Robin Williams movies from the 90s is the 1998 comedy "Patch Adams". Based on a true story, Robin Williams portrays a first year medical student who understands from his own history that one of the most powerful and effective medicines that any patient can receive is laughter and humor, however his nontraditional means and methods do not go over well with his teachers and instructors. They believe that doctors should never make emotional bonds with their patients as it can damage their emotions and motivation over the course of time.
Although received poorly by critics, the film was a huge success and grossed over twice the budget they used to make the movie. Unfortunately, the real Patch Adams did not think highly of the film, and criticized Williams for not portraying an accurate picture of the person he was. He argued that many parts of the film were cut out just to make more money, and many of the props and scenery of the hospital were not in the least bit accurate. Maybe if they had used real real equipment like surgical screws and other real medical equipment instead of balloons and fake noses Mr. Adams would not have been so upset.