Acronyms

Acronyms have to be "pronounceable" (e.g. LASER, AIDS, NATO).

If you just say the initials (e.g. DFTBA, LOL, CEO, FBI, etc.) it isn't an acronym. It's an initialism.

There is some debate that they are the same thing, but I think it's important in this day-and-age of our computer shorthand to distinguish between the two! :)

Currency

Cousin Tim was right.

For some reason I thought the Chinese currency was the "yen", but that is Japanese.

The Chinese use the "yuan".

While we're on the subject, here are some other world currencies:

India = Indian Rupee

Andora = Euro

Qatar = Qatari Riyal

Zambia = Zambian Kwacha

Want more? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_circulating_currencies

Tanning through a window?

During my lunch, I sometimes sit in the windows of the skywalk. It's a quiet break from the noise and hustle and bustle of the lab. I enjoy people watching and have had quite a few conversations with people passing by. Strike that! Now that I think of it, I have only conversed with elderly men!?!?!!! Anyway, that's not the point of this blog entry! One of the main reasons I sit there is because I enjoy the warmth of the sun on my face. It is the perfect spot to bask in its glow, especially during the winter.

It is quite funny to me, but MANY people say, "Don't get sunburned!" as they pass by. I usually smile and give a little laugh, but I wish I could just say to them, "Believe me, if you could get sunburned through glass I would be as red as a lobster right now."

When they keep on walking, I truly wonder, 'Do they really think you can get sunburned through glass or are they just being polite and/or funny and trying to make small talk with the strange girl sitting in the window?'

Here are some of the answers I found:

From: http://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints/219/

A window acts like a sunscreen. It does not block all the UV radiation but it does block the most dangerous wavelengths of UV radiation. Glass absorbs short wavelength ultraviolet light, but it does pass 350 to 400 nanometer ultraviolets. While this longer wavelength ultraviolet is less harmful than the shorter wavelength variety, you can still tan or burn if you get enough exposure. You will burn much more quickly when driving with the windows down and exposed to the sun as compared to driving with the windows up and exposed to the sun.

From: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080507082448AAmKxNq

It depends on the window... some windows are pure glass (although very few are), and some are treated or tinted (which will filter out more UV than non-treated windows).

Non-treated glass will filter out some UV light (compared to not having it there), so it will take longer to tan vs being outside in open sunlight... but not much more. UV treated glass will filter out much more light, but some small amount of UV light can still get through (very minimal... like it would take hours upon hours to get a tan).

Some people are surprised to find this out, but standard windows (like those in your home) are UV treated to minimize the UV-B rays, which your body uses to produce Vitamin D. That's one of a few reasons that many shut-ins who can't go outside are more likely to be depressed and may have more problems with their bones (because Vitamin D impacts the absorption of Calcium and has an impact on the mood).

So, I have to admit, I am surprised that some UV radiation can get through. I thought windows were a complete protection. I am still going to sit there because I have NOT gotten tan or sunburned in over a year of doing so. Everyone can attest that I GLOW white! ;)

Jewish Saints?

Toward the end of my day today, a co-worker of mine said that he thinks our hospital, "St. Mary's", should cater to the Jewish people in our community and change their name to "St. Manny's". I don't know what made him have this thought, BUT it made me wonder...Does the Jewish Faith have Saints?

I don't want to post everything I found, but basically, YES, there are Jewish Saints, although, they are not named/canonized like those in the Catholic Faith.

Here are some of the articles I found:

From: http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Judaism/2000/09/The-12-Days-Of-Rosh-Hashanah.aspx

The word for saint in Hebrew is hasid, and in its original usage, a hasid was someone who followed a more rigorous spiritual path, a holy path. (That is, for instance, how Maimonides uses the term.) The analogy to Catholic saints isn't perfect--there's no official category in Judaism, for instance--but the subject of Jewish saints is fascinating in its own right.

From: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Reform-Judaism-950/Jewish-Saints.htm:

"Your question is very interesting. In many Orthodox communities, particularly Haredi and Chasidic communities, they believe in tzadikkim (righteous ones). There are reportedly thirty-six tzadikkim at any single time. No where have I encountered the implication that a tzadik must be Jewish. However, it is believed that these thirty-six righteous tzadikkim is the reason God does not destroy the world. Many in the Ultra-Orthodox communities believe their rabbis to be among the tzadikkim. The tzadik allegedly has no inclination toward evil, and is able to resist those inclinations.

It has been taught that everyone has the ability to attain the righteousness to become a tzadik. Consequently, it is not an honorific that is bestowed upon a person. Only God knows the identities of the tzadikkim. The world does not know these people as tzadikkim, nor are they aware of it themselves.

Maimonides, a prolific Jewish philosopher, physician, and rabbi, wrote this to define the prerequisite of the tzadik, “One whose merit surpasses his iniquity.” This is a very ambiguous qualification as this can be applied to almost anyone.

This topic is highly controversial and mystical lacking true foundation in the Torah, but it is an interesting cultural concept to ponder, but take this “tradition” with a grain of salt."

From: http://medievalhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/saints

Jewish and Muslim saints are much more informally established than Christian saints through simple popularity, though there are both local and international Jewish and Muslim saints. This resembles informal local Christian saints not recognized by the Church like the 13th century English rebel Simon de Montfort.

I am still a teenager!

Ok, so I wasn't really the "typical" teenager that OBSESSED or had a ton of crushes on boys (Squeegies, correct me if I am wrong)...but now that I am ALMOST THIRTY, I thought it would be the PERFECT time to act like that!

So, my cousins and I like to watch our newest finds (i.e. funny videos) on YouTube when we hang out. One of my cousins found this AMAZING YouTube vlogger, Alex Day ("Nerimon") who is reading Twilight out loud by chapter, but then comments on it in the BEST way! http://www.youtube.com/user/nerimon

Anyway, he's British, so he's already adorable because he has the accent, but THEN I discovered he has a friend on YouTube named, Charlie ("charlieissocoollike")!!!! http://www.youtube.com/user/charlieissocoollike

I am in CRUSH! WOW! Charlie is a mere NINETEEN years old (a good 10 years younger than me with a healthy tween fan-base), but he is already WELL on his way to living a wonderful life! He's so full of joy, zaniness, and self-deprecating humor that I can't stop watching him...me and almost half-a-million of my closest friends! He is currently the #1 Subscribed YouTuber in the UK! So, if you haven't checked him (or Alex Day) out, you MUST!!!

Here are a FEW of my favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/user/charlieissocoollike#p/u/0/pVo-S9ns2_A

http://www.youtube.com/user/charlieissocoollike#p/u/3/V6T7cAeLRTU

http://www.youtube.com/user/charlieissocoollike#p/u/5/tMG-_d8zpRE

http://www.youtube.com/user/nerimon#p/u/24/SxDGG-yvl1Y

http://www.youtube.com/user/nerimon#p/u/40/s8UL2mFWZqE

http://www.youtube.com/user/nerimon#p/u/44/d26d5UH3TgU

So, as I have now been HOOKED on YouTube, I have learned that there is a WHOLE community of YouTubers that interact with each other online and now offline (they date, plan gatherings, etc.)! I always just went to YouTube for cute videos, music videos, or TV clips that I missed. :) People and technology amaze me and people using technology amaze me even more!!!!!!

YAY!!!!!! I learned...

I CAN ACCESS MY BLOG AGAIN!!!!!

Ok, so for those of you who have been DYING without their Day-Lee Connection...I completely forgot my USERNAME AND PASSWORD to my account!! Oops!

I was cleaning out my "inbox" and found I had created a folder in which I had put some information about this account! THANK GOODNESS!!! I have missed doing this blog!!!

So, I am glad to be back! :)

H1N1 is for real

I didn't "learn" this today, but I got to see first hand the effects of H1N1.

People die. Young people die.

I did an autopsy on a young man who had complications from the flu. SO sad.

*As of 11/18/09, I had my second autopsy on a young person (younger than me!) due to H1N1! :( VERY sad!!!!!!!

*As of 11/19/09- 3rd autopsy on yet ANOTHER young person due to H1N1!!!!!! :(