cat, cat and cat

Cats conserve energy by sleeping more than most animals, especially as they grow older. Daily durations of sleep vary, usually 12–16 hours, with 13–14 being the average. Some cats can sleep as much as 20 hours in a 24-hour period. The term cat nap refers to the cat's ability to fall asleep (lightly) for a brief period and has entered the English lexicon – someone who nods off for a few minutes is said to be "taking a cat nap".

Due to their crepuscular nature, cats are often known to enter a period of increased activity and playfulness during the evening and early morning, dubbed the "evening crazies", "night crazies", "elevenses" or "mad half-hour" by some.^[13][14]

The temperament of a cat can vary depending on the breed and socialization. Cats with "oriental" body types tend to be thinner and more active, while cats that have a "cobby" body type tend to be heavier and less active.

The normal body temperature of a cat is between 38 and 39 °C (101 and 102.2 °F).^[15] A cat is considered febrile (hyperthermic) if it has a temperature of 39.5 °C (103 °F) or greater, or hypothermic if less than 37.5 °C (100 °F). For comparison, humans have a normal temperature of approximately 36.8 °C (98.2 °F). A domestic cat's normal heart rate ranges from 140 to 220 beats per minute, and is largely dependent on how excited the cat is. For a cat at rest, the average heart rate should be between 150 and 180 bpm, about twice that of a human






cat's and alot of cat's

How does a universal remote control work?

Let me first give an overview, a simple explanation about how universal remote controls work, then give you some more details, including some links that provide more insight and which include cutaway views of the circuit boards from remote controls.

Universal remote controls today send control information using infra red light. When you touch a key on the universal remote control, the circuitry determines what sequence of
flashes of infrared light correspond to that key, and then the signal is sent as a sequence of voltages that turn an infred LED (light emitting diode) on and off. The appliance that
you are pointing at -- a TV or VCR or DVD or stereo or whatever -- has an infrared light detector that picks up the infrared light signals, converts the infrared light to electrical
signals, and then uses some digital circuitry to determine what function needs to be done in response to that signal sequence.

A universal remote control has to be flexible enough to handle both of the two international standards which are used by remote controls to encode the commands:
RC5 and
RECS 80 code.

RC5 coding represents each command as a series of "bits", just like the bits used in computers to represent numbers and letters. RC5 has a uniform duration of each "bit" that is
being transmitted, and uses what is caled a "biphase code". In the middle of the duration of a bit, a "0" is encoded by a transition from a high to a low voltage, and a "1" by a
transition from a low to a high voltage.

RECS 80 code uses pulse length modulation, where information about the bits to be encoded is contained in the length of each pulse. Each bit to be transmitted is encoded
by sending an initial high level of the duration T, followed by either a low level of duration 2T representing a logical '0', or following the initial level with a 3T to represent a
logical '1'.

Then, the code of bits (either RC5 or RECS 80 coding) is modulated with a 20-30 KHz oscillating signal, and the resulting pulses of oscillating signal are sent to the LED to
make the light flicker in bursts corresponding to the bits. The 20-30 KHz oscillation is added to make sure the receiving appliance is not confused by other lights flashing on and
off around the home. The receiver can receive the light, filterout the signals that don't include the 20-30KHz oscillation, then demodulate the signal to capture the bits from the
20-30 KHz modulated signal.


Posted By: Eric Maass, Director, semiconductors / communication products
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/nov2001/1005591590.Eg.r.html

Organic or not Organic?

Rebecca Roth

Lately whenever I go to the supermarket I see fruits and vegetables labeled as 'organic'. Both the non-organic and organic fruits and vegetables look fresh and plump, but the organic foods cost almost twice as much. There are now organic drugs, drinks, fruits, bread, yogurt, and vegetables. The market for organic foods is growing by 20 percent a year (1). I hear my father telling me that some of his friends only eat organic fruits and vegetables and would never think of buying the foods if they were not organic. When I spoke to one of his friends and asked why she chooses to purchase organic foods, she strongly stated, "we are being poisoned by pesticides". When I looked through my nutrition magazines I noticed that they often mention the word 'organic'. So I ask myself are organic foods really better than their non-organic counterparts?

I do not buy organic fruits or vegetables. However, whenever I buy fruits, I always rinse them properly before eating. I feel that this removes the pesticides and the surface microbes. Am I mistaken, or should I in fact be buying only organic foods?

There are increasing concerns about food safety and the fact that many processed foods are made from genetically modified products. Organically grown foods mean that these organic foods have been grown on land that is absent of any chemicals for a minimum of 3 years. The crops are grown without the use of pesticides or any chemicals whatsoever. Organic foods are processed and packaged without the use of artificial preservatives, colorings, irradiation or any other additives(2).

One of the strongest arguments in favor of organic farming is that it supposedly does not pose the threat of pesticide and chemical run-off and the resulting contamination of watersheds and drinking water (3). North American studies indicate that organic farms tend to be smaller and more socially supportive, have a greater diversity of crops in rotation, and reduce health risks associated with pesticides, antibiotics and nitrates (4). Organic farming creates a richer, more sustainable soil through the use of cover crops, diverse crop rotations and organic composts. In order to infuse their soil with essential nutrients, organic farmers might first plant a "cover" crop such as clover, which naturally puts nitrogen in the soil. Cover crops also can attract beneficial insects that help control pests. Instead of growing the same crop in the same field year after year, organic farmers use crop rotation, which means they vary the types of crops that are grown in any particular field each year. Crop rotation helps to deter pests from returning regularly. It can be beneficial in slowing soil erosion, and it also varies the nutrient demands placed on the soil (3).

One French study analyzed twelve foods, and concluded that organic is ahead in terms of nutritional quality and micronutrients. In organic food one finds more micronutrients essential for good health: vitamins A, C, E, vitamins of the B group, and other elements such as zinc and minerals such as calcium. These findings, coupled with health concerns linked to pesticides, antibiotics, nitrates and additives occurring in non-organic foods, suggests increased government support for organic production could have significant health benefits in addition to the environmental benefits already proven (5). A recent article in the Journal of Applied Nutrition gave credence to the notion that organic foods have higher nutrient levels that non-organic food. In this study the mineral content of organic apples, pears, potatoes, wheat, and sweet corn were compared to commercial varieties. Overall, the organic foods showed much higher levels of nutrient minerals and much lower levels of heavy metals (6).

However, on Feb. 4, 2000, the ABC News correspondent John Stossel hosted a report on "20/20" that probably surprised many fans of organic foods. It made the case that organic food is not necessarily healthier than conventional food -- and might actually be dangerous (7). Manure used in organic compost may be more harmful than the health risks from pesticide residues. Manure may contain E. coli bacterium, which can spread harmful animal-borne diseases to humans. However, the USDA's proposed regulations for organics include temperature guidelines to kill any human pathogens that could be present in the manure (3).

Despite its benefits, organic cropping faces greater management challenges. The most troubling constraint to organic cropping is when soil nutrients removed from land are not replaced to maintain soil balance. Current organic standards limit fertilizer use, placing organic fields at risk of nutrient depletion. Studies have shown organic fields to have low levels of soil phosphorus and sulfur (4).

The pros in 'going organic' is that organic food is free from artificial chemicals, pesticides, antibiotics, growth-promoters and fertilizers. It is produced using environmentally friendly methods and is free from genetically modified ingredients (term used to describe foods that have had genetic material from other edibles artificially inserted into them using a process known as 'genetic engineering'. The idea behind this is to transfer the beneficial properties found in some types of plants or animals - such as resistance to attack by diseases, insects or herbicides - to other plants or animals that normally lack these properties). Organic foods reduce dependence on non-renewable resources and places emphasis on animal welfare. Some people think organic food tastes better than non-organic. Organic foods according to some studies show that they have more vitamins and beneficial trace elements than conventionally grown food and so may be more nutritious (8).

However, with all these pros come some cons. Organic foods are not mass-produced and traditional organic farming often produces lower yields than modern intensive farming methods. That is why organic food is generally more expensive than non-organic. For example, a half gallon of non-organic milk in New York City is $1.49, while the cost of organic milk is $2.99 The fruits and vegetables produced organically sometimes look less appealing than conventional produce that's been specially bred for the commercial benefits (8).

In conclusion, there are different views on whether organic foods are really helpful to us, or in fact may be harmful. Science is always subject to challenges based upon new observations. There are still many questions that I am not sure of the answer. For instance, can a processed food be called organic if it also contains some non-organically produced ingredients? If so, what percentage of ingredients should be organically grown and what percentage can be non-organically grown? Consumers may pay up to double the price for organic foods. What happens to those people who can not afford organic foods, are they really at a disadvantage? I believe that the organic food label is not enough to prove that it is better than non-organic foods. I mean what about the nutrition of the food itself? How about the soil in which the crops were grown? What about the post-harvesting handling of the foods? Soil management will vary from farm to farm. I guess this just proves that science does not have an ending loop or a conclusion.

In the future science will have to address these issues. As more studies are being done, our views about organic foods might change. In the past, we thought the egg was the perfect food. Now we know that although nutritious it contains high levels of cholesterol. Who knows what will be considered healthy eating in the future? At this point, organic foods seem to be beneficial.

how to fold money into a t shirt

A shirt, usually buttonless, collarless, and pocketless, with a round neck and short sleeves, that is pulled on over the head and covers most of a person's torso. The sleeves of the T-shirt extend at least slightly over the shoulder but not completely over the elbow. A shirt that is either longer or shorter than this ceases to be a T-shirt, at least in the classic sense.

T-shirts are typically made of cotton or polyester or a mix of the two knitted together in a jersey stitch that gives a T-shirt its distinctive soft texture. T-shirt fashions include styles for men and women, and for all age groups, including baby, youth and adult sizes.

---wikipedia---

follow these...

As with all these designs, try to start with a relatively clean, crisp bill. It will make it much easier. All folds should be sharply creased. It helps to go over the fold with a fingernail on a flat, hard surface.


Start by folding the bill precisely in half lengthwise. (I prefer to fold in toward the front of the bill. I think it produces a nicer design on the end product. For your first attempt, it will be easier to follow exactly the same orientation on the bill as shown in the photos.) Unfold the bill, leaving the crease produced by the fold for the next step.





Fold the bill one quarter of the way in from each side lengthwise. The edge of the bill should just meet the crease made by the fold in the previous step. Do this for both sides as shown.













Turn the bill over. Fold the white of one end over as shown. This will become the collar in the next step. (If the bill is printed unevenly, use the wider edge.)







Turn the bill over again. From this side, angle-in the two corners from the end you folded in the last step. The two points should meet precisely at the centerline. The angle is not terribly important, but should be about the same as shown in the photo.





Fold a little less than one third of the bill lengthwise from the opposite end as shown. If you're following in the same orientation as the photos, use the markings on the bill for a fold point. (Notice that the edge of the bill just meets the word "OF" on the reverse printing.) If you fold too little, the shirt will appear too long in the end. If you fold too much, the next step will not work. See below.











Now you will fold inward in the same direction, tucking the previous fold under the "collar" created in step 4. So far it looks kinda 'nifty, and if you know it is supposed to look like a shirt, you get the collar concept. But wait, there's more...









Gently unfold the previous two folds, keeping the creases. On the lateral fold furthest from the collar, refold it strait across as shown. (On the flatbed scanner, this made a bit of a mess of it, but it is fairly easy in 3D.)











(This step is hard to describe, but it is actually fairly easy.) You are going to introduce two new folds on each "sleeve". I do this by holding each side of the previous fold between thumb and forefinger in the orientation shown, just on either side of the vertical fold as shown. Just force the angle to close slightly, and force the extra paper inside the vertical folds. Once you've got it looking right, force the insides to crease by pressing on a hard surface. (Try looking at the next photo - like I said, it is hard to describe!)




(This is a close-up of what the fold should look like when complete.) Do this for both sides.









(This is what it should look like after both sides are complete.)















When you re-tuck the fold you've been working on back under the collar, you're done! It should look about like this. With the basic shape, the collar and the sleeves, it should be recognizable. Once you've done a few, you can try folding the whole thing into the reverse side, leaving the obverse side out. (Like I said, I think this looks better. This is especially true with 1 dollar bills where the edge seal on the reverse under the collar looks a little bit like a necklace.)

My Dream House

Yeah, we are now in our dream house. And we actually found a new construction home that was perfect for us. We never thought that would be a possibility (we can't be so freaking picky and have specific needs). I’m still going to be adding an outbuilding for my studio/office, but otherwise it is exactly what we’ve afford for years. So, this is a big goal I and mark off.

Before it, my dream house is :

I would want a 4 bedroomed one , detatched, with a HUGE garden, both out the back and the front... I would also like a small area to walk in with trees.. really natural - I adore walking first thing in the morning when the sun is coming up.

I would have a master bedroom, a study for Mr Linux and a study for myself and a spare bedroom....

I would also want a home gym in my house so that I could stay relatively healthy and stop having to go to the uni gym where strange people seem to hang out at times.

And I would HAVE to have more cats..... (ok, not house related but hey )

So... what would your dream house be like? in the country or city? or abroad? or are you mega lucky and already have your dream house?