Bill W

I hope you get a chance to do that, drs.

I'm glad you enjoyed the visual aspects of the chapter. Yes, Mac's mom was convinced to try some things, even though it wasn't very easy or comfortable for her, but Devin and Mac had a good time. They may end up going to a museum, but it may be different that what you might be thinking. And if I ever got to the Louvre, I'd probably end up spending more than one day there.

I'm glad you enjoyed it, but the trip is just beginning and it may get even more interesting.

And we'll have to wait and see over the next few days if @Myr loves K words as well.

You're very welcome, and looking through the spaces between the planks can be quite thrilling, and even interesting, unless you're suffering from acrophobia.

Yes, they manage to find plenty of places that the boys, and even some of us, find interesting. I'm glad that you guys find them interesting and possibly something you might check out if you're ever in that area.

They do a fairly good job of planning things like this and I'm glad you find it interesting.

You can never tell what parents might do because they think their children will enjoy it.

When I was growing up, it was comon that parents would buy their children a kaleidoscope toy to play with. It was very entertaining to watch the different patterns form as you looked through the tube.,

The word "kaleidoscopic" comes from the Ancient Greek words kalos ("beautiful"), eidos ("shape"), and skopeō ("to look to, to examine"). The suffix "-ic" is used to form adjectives from other parts of speech in Greek and Latin loanwords in English. The word "kaleidoscopic" entered the English language in the 1840s. "Kaleidoscopic" means continually shifting or rapidly changing. For example, you might describe a scene as kaleidoscopic if it's a continually shifting pattern of shapes and colors. The word "kaleidoscope" refers to an optical instrument that displays a continually changing pattern of shapes and colors. It's a tube that contains loose pieces of glass or plastic, and two mirrors at one end. When the tube is turned, the pieces of glass reflect off the mirrors to create many different patterns.

Chapter 47 – The Semester’s Over We actually slept until 8:00, which meant we’d been asleep for ten hours, but I guess that was to make up for some of the nights before our finals when we’d only slept for five hours or less. As soon as we showered and got dressed, we loaded our things into the SUV, and then we checked the house to make sure we were leaving it in good shape, and now we were ready to think about getting something to eat. Seeing we were both starving and knew the dining hall

It's nice to hear from you again, drp.

Myr threw us a curveball with today's Word of the Day! The word kakistocracy comes from the Greek words kakistos (κάκιστος). meaning "worst", and kratos (κράτος), meaning "rule". The word literally means "government by the worst people". Some more interesting facts about kakistocracy: The word has seen a resurgence in recent years, reflecting ongoing political sentiments. It's often used in political commentary criticizing corrupt governments. The earliest know use of the word was in 1644 by Paul Gosnold, a loyalist to King Charles I during the English Civil War. Gosnold use the word in a speech to Parliament to warn of what could happen if the monarchy descended into kakistocracy. The word was used again in 1829 by the novelist Thomas Love Peacock in his book The Misfortunes of Elphin. The word is often used alongside other negative terms for government like: Plutocracy (rule by the rich) Oligarchy (rule by the powerful few)

That's ok, Carl. I'm often repeat myself as well - or call people by the wrong name.

Sorry, Gary, I had my head up my backside again. I don't know why I keep doing that. I guess it's some kind of a mental block, or just a blockhead.

Ah, Steve's a romantic.

For me, it isn't Christmas until I watch a version of A Christmas Carol. My favorite is the 1951 version entitled "Scrooge", starring Alastair Sim, and my second favorite version of "A Christmas Carol" is George C. Scott's 1984 version, followed by Patrick Stewart's 1999 version. If you want a light-hearted version, I'd go with "The Muppet Christmas Carol" (1992) or Albert Finney's 1970 musical version titled "Scrooge. I also like Tim Allen "The Santa Clause" (1994). If you want a really touching Christmas program, watch "The Twilight Zone: The Night of the Meek" (1960) starring Art Carney.

The name bromine was derived from the Greek word brōmos (a stink or stench), via the French word brome (a light or thick mist), which was combined with the English suffix ‘ine’ (to indicate it is a chemical element). Today, bromine is primarily obtained by treating brines from wells in Michigan and Arkansas with chlorine. Antoine-Jérôme Balard (1802-1876), a French Chemist, was credited with the discovery of Bromine in 1826. He first noticed it in the residues (bitterns) from the manufacture of sea salt at Montpellier. He liberated the element by passing chlorine through an aqueous solution of the residues, which contained magnesium bromide, but it wasn’t prepared in quantity until 1860. Carl Jacob Löwig (1803-1890), a German chemist, discovered bromine independently of Antoine Jérôme Balard while adding chlorine (Cl) and ether to spring water, which produced a red colored substance. While Löwig investigated this substance, Antoine Balard published his independent discovery of bromine. Bromine is unique because it's the only non-metallic element that exists as a liquid at room temperature, appearing as a reddish-brown liquid. It evaporates easily to form a red vapor with a strong, chlorine-like odor. Bromine is less reactive than chlorine or fluorine but more reactive than iodine. Occurrence: Found naturally in seawater and the Earth's crust, primarily in the form of bromide compounds. Chemical properties: Bromine exists as a diatomic molecule (Br2). Uses: Historically used as a sedative, today bromine is used in various applications like flame retardants, pesticides, photography (in silver bromide), and water treatment. Health concerns: Due to its irritating fumes, handling pure bromine requires significant safety precautions. · Bromine is the Earth's 44th most common element. · Products with bromine are used in agriculture, sanitation and as fire retardants (chemicals that help prevent things from catching fire). Historically, some bromine-containing products were used as sedatives (drugs that can make people calm or sleepy).

Selenium was discovered jointly in 1817 by Swedish chemists Jöns Jakob Berzelius (1779–1848) and Johan Gottlieb Gahn (1745–1818), as an impurity in sulphuric acid. Tellurium had already been discovered, and named after the Greek word for earth, so Berzelius named selenium using the Ancient Greek word σελήνη (selene), or moon. Selenium has the atomic number of 34 and an atomic mass of 78.96 AMU (atomic mass units). This element is unique in the fact that it has many different forms. As discovered by Berzelius, selenium can be a red powder, often called an amorphous form, meaning without a crystalline shape. Selenium: Selenium exists in a number of allotropic forms. The amorphous forms of selenium do not have specific melting points. ... Fun fact about Selenium: Selenium gets its name from the Greek word “selene”, which means “moon”. Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon. Chemical symbol: Se. Although it is uncommonly found, selenium does exist in relatively pure form, free in nature. Selenium is a nonmetal. Like many nonmetals, it exhibits different colors and structures (allotropes) depending on the conditions. Brazil nuts are high in selenium, even if they are grown in soil that is not rich in the element. A single nut provides enough selenium to meet the daily requirement for a human adult. English electrical engineer Willoughby Smith (1828–1891) discovered that selenium reacts to light (photoelectric effect), leading to its use as a light sensor in the 1870s. Scottish-born American inventor Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922) made a selenium-based photophone in 1879. The primary use of selenium is to decolorize glass, to color glass red, and to make the pigment China Red. Other uses are in photocells, in laser printers and photocopiers, in steels, and in semiconductors. There are six natural isotopes of selenium. One is radioactive, while the other five are stable. However, the half-life of the unstable isotope is so long that it is essentially stable. Another 23 unstable isotopes have been produced. Some plants require high levels of selenium to survive, so the presence of those plants means the soil is rich in the element. Liquid selenium exhibits extremely high surface tension. Selenium is important to several enzymes, including antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase and the deiodinase enzymes that convert thyroid hormones into other forms. Approximately 2,000 tons of selenium are extracted annually worldwide. Selenium is most commonly produced as a byproduct of copper refining. The element was featured in the films "Ghostbusters" and "Evolution."

The word arsenic was adopted into Greek (using folk etymology) as arsenikon (ἀρσενικόν) – a neuter form of the Greek adjective arsenikos (ἀρσενικός), meaning "male", "virile". Latin-speakers adopted the Greek term as arsenicum, which in French ultimately became arsenic, whence the English word "arsenic" in Late Middle Ages. Arsenic is often referred to as the “king of poisons” and the “poison of kings” because of its potency and the discreetness, by which it could be administered, particularly with the intent of removing members of the ruling class during the Middle Ages (5th–15th C) and Renaissance (15th and 16th C). It was also a popular way to get rid of unwanted relatives or rivals. In 1960, activation analyses at the Harwell Nuclear Research Laboratory of the University of Glascow, London of authenticated hairs of Napoleon Bonaparte taken immediately after his death confirmed Napoleon's chronic arsenic poisoning on the island of St. Helena. In 1984, the EPA determined that pesticides containing arsenic were not safe and two years later banned most inorganic arsenic pesticides. In the 1860s, arsenic was used in embalming fluid. It was eventually replaced with formaldehyde (still the most common today). In addition to formaldehyde, some funeral homes now offer green embalming, which involves using an embalming fluid made from non-toxic chemicals and essential oils. In 19th-century England people considered small doses of arsenic safe and used it for diverse products, from face powder to rat poison. The substance found its way into food, textiles, medicine, and other common goods, so its use in wallpaper was not considered unusual. Arsenic compounds are still used to make special glass, semi-conductors (gallium arsenide), some paints, dyes, metals, soaps, and drugs. Some interesting facts about arsenic: History: Arsenic was known to ancient people and was important in alchemy. The German friar Albertus Magnus is usually credited with discovering the element in 1250. Toxicity: Arsenic is highly toxic, especially in its inorganic form. It can damage multiple organs, including the skin, nervous system, and immune system. Even low doses can be dangerous, as arsenic can cause genetic damage and cancer. Forms: Arsenic has several forms, or allotropes, including metallic gray, yellow, and black. Occurrence: Arsenic is found in the Earth's crust, but is rare in its free form. It's usually found in minerals like arsenopyrite, orpiment, and realgar. Arsenic is also naturally present in groundwater in some countries. Uses: Arsenic compounds were used in early times in bronze to make it harder, as pigments, and in medicines. Today, it's used in metallurgical applications, such as in the manufacture of lead shot. Isotopes: Arsenic has one stable isotope, arsenic-75, and at least 32 radioisotopes. Smell: When heated, arsenic oxidizes and releases a smell similar to garlic. Sublimation: At normal pressure, arsenic sublimes directly into vapor, like carbon dioxide. Liquid arsenic only forms under high pressure.

The name of the chemical element germanium comes from the Latin word Germania, which means "Germany". Clemens Winkler discovered germanium in Germany in 1886. Some interesting facts about germanium: Phase at room temperature: Solid Appearance: Grayish-white hard solid with a metallic luster Group: Group 14 (Carbon Group) Semiconductor: Germanium is a semiconductor with electrical properties between those of a metal and an insulator. It has a diamond cubic crystal structure, which contributes to its semiconducting properties. Uses: Germanium is used in many electronic devices, energy storage, telecommunication, solar panels, Mars rovers, automobile headlights, and LCD screens. Germanium is also used to manufacture rectifiers, transistors and weapons-sighting systems and is used as a fluorescent material. Discovery: In 1869: Demitri Mendeleev predicted the existence of element number 32, which he named eka-silicon, after he noticed a gap between silicon and tin in his periodic table. Germanium was discovered in 1886 by Clemens Winkler and was named after Germany, where it had been discovered. Toxicity: Germanium is not toxic or poisonous to humans, but it can be toxic for certain bacteria. However, artificial compounds such as germanium tetrachloride and germane can irritate the eyes, skin, lungs, and throat. Origin: Germanium is found in the ores germanite and argyrodite, both of which are very rare. Atomic number: Germanium has 32 protons and 32 electrons. The number of neutrons varies according to the isotope. Germanium has an unusual ability to absorb and emit infrared light, making it ideal for manufacturing infrared detectors and lenses. Night-vision goggles, thermal imaging cameras, and infrared astronomy all use these components.

Yes, I'm sure you couldn't look all throughout history and find examples of where that has happened with disastrous results. That may happen in the form of the child throwing in the towel and killing themselves because their lives aren't their own, or in the other extreme where the child reacts and pulls away from the parents completely and has nothing more to do with them, or even goes to the other extreme where they kill the offending parents. Many other times, the reactions are somewhere in between those extremes. Whatever the end result, it usually isn't good for the child or the parent. 😢

Or Big Chested Marilyn Monroe, for those old enough to remember her. Or Bit Cheesy Marilyn Manson. Big Cheese Mickey Mouse. Bit Crazy Mike Myers. Boy Crazy Minnie Mouse. or to go with your comment: Before Christ Mary Magdalene, or for those who believe in this possibility, Bride of Christ Mary Magdalene.

Man, if I had the name that you suggested, then I'd just go by BCMM. 😜 I'm glad you thought it sounded like a real life situation. You've gotta think about the kids.