200 years ago the resources of Pittsburgh of plenty of coal and rivers to carry the goods made it the place of choice for steel mills and other industries. But by the end of the early 1980’s, foreign competition and decreased demand for “raw steel” halted the many steel mills. In exchange for losing the steel industry, the city now has air that is cleaner and its waters run clear.

Pittsburgh has exhibited amazing adaptability in the wake of the steel industry’s collapse. The primary industries have shifted from steel manufacture and heavy industry to high technology, biomedics, banking, and service based fields

Pittsburgh is located at the center of a fairly expansive set of river valleys, and much of the city’s residential population is situated on or near the slopes of those valleys with certain neighborhoods (particularly south of the Monongahela) are inaccessible by car during the winter. As a result, Pittsburgh is widely believed to be right behind San Francisco as the “steepest” city in the United States

Wealthy area businessmen of the 19th century, including Andrew Carnegie, the Heinz family and Henry Clay Frick, donated large sums of money to local educational and cultural institutions. As a result, Pittsburgh is rich in art and culture. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is world-class. It owns and performs at Heinz Hall, which also plays host to a number of other events throughout the year. The Benedum Center and Heinz Hall provide venues for numerous musicals, lectures, speeches, and other performances.

The collection of the Carnegie Museum of Art is home to works by such luminaries as Edgar Degas, Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and many others, along with galleries of sculpture, modern art, the Heinz Architectural Center, a large film and video collection, and various traveling exhibits.

Pittsburgh is home to many universities and research facilities. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has over 2.1 million cataloged items available for circulation. The Health Sciences Department ([http://www.health.pitt.edu/]) at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center ([http://www.upmc.com/]) operate some of the finest hospitals in the world, and an advanced medical research center that performs pioneering work in organ transplantation, AIDS and cancer research, and many other fields.

Fast becoming Americas’ new ‘wonder drug’ and seems to be replacing our old standard…asprin. With a shelf-life of about 2 years, Diphenhydramine hydrochloride is an antihistamine with drying and sedative side effects. If you have hay fever and allergy problems you will see this ingrediant in most over the counter medications for the runny noses, sneezy and sniffles, colds and flu-like symptoms.

It is being used for a varity of ailments including but not limited to: treating throat irrations,itchy and watery eyes, in the teatment and prevention of motion sickness, and as a gentle sleep aid. Available in a cream ointment it can also relieve sunburn, poison oak & ivy, stings and insect bites, as well as other minor skin irrations. Diphenhydramine hydrochloride is also included in many of the over the counter sleep aids.

Diphenhydramine hydrochloride generally available in 25mg. caplets and capsules; and available in the generic forms as well. There are minor side effects, not felt by everyone and you should exercise caution when trying any ‘new to you’ over the counter medications.
–User:Aegis1|Aegis1 04:28, 25 February 2006 (EET)

Titanium is a metal and a proud member of the periodic table that haunts most people in their nightmares set in high school chemistry classes. Being an element, Titanium is one of very few substances in the world that is “indivisible”, in the sense that Titanium is an atomic element, something that cannot be broken down further unless it is changed at the atomic level.

Titanium is extremely strong and extremely light. For example, if you had a small solid cube of low carbon steel roughly two inches on each side, it would weigh a bit over two pounds. Steel is also a very strong material, with a yield-strength in the range of fifty-four thousand pounds per square inch. A cube of aluminum the same size would weigh only about three-quarters of a pound, but would not be quite as strong, with a yield-strength near forty thousand pounds per square inch, which is admittedly still a pretty impressive number. The same size block of titanium would weigh just over a pound, coming in between the two others in terms of weight, but amazingly, its yield strength would be in the range of one hundred and forty thousand pounds per square inch! Pound for pound, titanium is an extremely strong material.

Titanium has grown in “public awareness” rapidly in the last few decades, as business and technology have started to design and manufacture using titanium. As one would expect, titanium’s use was originally limited to places like NASA; because of its strength, it is also difficult to process by cutting, shaping, or stretching. However, as these research facilities developed new ways to manipulate the metal, large corporations saw the advantages of this material and started the long process of integrating it as a cost-effective resource. Industries like aerospace transferred knowledge of titanium to other industries driven by a desire to keep weight low and strength high, such as racing bicycles, automotive and motorcycle track competition, sailing, and others. As more industries have started to use the metal, the cost has slowly fallen, and now titanium is even used for things like flatware and laptop computer cases, and it won’t be long before titanium is as common as the iron, aluminum, steel, brass, and copper that we see everywhere we turn today.

Planning a wedding is exactly as challenging as you allow it to become. If you’re on the ball, you talked to each other about your respective concepts of “the big day” long before the proposal, and if those images were different, you talked about how to compromise. Regardless, the first step to actually planning the wedding is to get a sense of the scope and scale of the event. The most important questions to ask yourselves as early as possible are, “What do WE want to do?” and “Who do WE want to be there?” and last but certainly not least, “How do WE afford this?”

Because exchanging vows in front of families and friends involves other people, it will be a constant battle to keep focused on the fact that it’s your day. It’s a celebration of your commitment to a life-long relationship together, not a family reunion or a weekend getaway with friends. Avoid the trap of “well, if we invite so-and-so, we HAVE to invite such-and-such”… at the end of the day, it’s about the two of you, and the invite list should be comprised of the people that you want to share the day with, and no one else. It’s an impossible-to-achieve ideal, because second cousin Jeremiah and his ex-wife will show up uninvited anyway… but strive for it.

Additionally, because it’s your day, the two of you are the ones who get to decide whether you want an ice sculpture or a live blues band, a canine ring-bearer or Elvis-impersonators as waiters. Use your imagination and plan the day the way you will always want to remember it, and the way that will bring the most smiles to your faces.

Finally, since the financial outlay involved is often considerable, there needs to be a budget. Talk about what you can afford to spend. If your wedding plan doesn’t jive with your wallet, talk to parents about whether they willing and able to contribute. Whatever you do, choose a target, flush out the details, and do your best to stick to the plan. Flowers may end up costing twice as much as you thought, the cake may only cost half of what you expected: regardless, building and maintaining a basic budget will keep you from massive unexpected debt the day after your wedding, which can put a noticeable damper on the honeymoon.

Some final words of advice: take it slow and steady. Talk to other recently married couples about their weddings, and if they are willing to share the information, inquire about their budgets. Realize that the wedding, reception and honeymoon can cost as little as a $50 marriage license and a bottle of champagne, and as much as a small townhouse; but money spent doesn’t directly translate into increased happiness. Good planning and good communication, on the other hand, generally do.

After World War II, in 1946, it was Masaru Ibuka, an engineer, and Akio Morita, a physicist, who started a company with $845 and 20 employees. They began repairing electrical equipment in a bombed out Department Store in Tokyo. They called the company Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering. The name was changed to “Sony” which was chosen as a mix of the Latin word sonus, which is the root of sonic and sound, and the English word “sunny.” they wanted a name that did not limit the scope of what the company could become.

In 1954, they obtained a license to make transistors. Transistors had not been used in radios. Sony made the first all-transistor radio,

Their inventive and innovative products have included the Trinitron Color Televison, The Betamax VCR, the Walkman, the 3.5 inch micro floppy disk, the electronic camera, the first CD Player, and the first consumer camcorder.

Sony bought Columbia Records and Columbia Pictures. Sony got in the game product area with their Sony Play Station.

In the 45 years since the company began, it has grown from 20 employees to over 100,000 people around the world. The name Sony was a good choice since now the company is in so many fields that involve sound that a limiting name would not have fit all of the industries they now dominate.

If you want inexpensive candles to look like a million bucks, there are zillions of ways that you can spruce them up. A fantastic idea for a holiday or special occasion is to turn a plate or a platter upside-down and set a large square or pillare candle on the upside-down plate. You can also use a set of round pillar candles in various sizes. Then, decorate around the base of the candle with silk ivy, roses and baby breath, or pine needles and candy canes. You can also use fruits, cinnamon sticks or even pine cones and strings of beads.

This same concept can be used to make lovely kitchen candles. Use a cereal bowl or dipping sauce bowl (depending upon how large your candle is) and turn it upside-down to make the stand. Glue ceramic berries or other assorted fruits around the base of the candle. A variation of this is to turn a coffee cup upside-down and glue lace around, leaving a slit at the handle. Place round pillar candle on the cup, with the lace hanging down. Use the handle to carry the candle around.

If you have an old flat mirror, use it to lay on a bathroom counter or a tub shelf to place several candles, strings of beads, rings, etc. You can also place a couple of flowers or seashells on the mirror, depending upon the look you want.

In days gone by, everything wasn’t pre-packaged and sitting on a shelf, waiting for you to purchase. You had to be inspired, inventive, even ingenious to throw together a few things from the cupboard to make a luscious treat, like this one:

Total preparation time: 45 minutes

1 potato
18 oz. peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
2 lb. confectioner’s sugar

Boil 1 medium sized potato in a small saucepan until it is tender when poked with a fork. Remove from water and peel potato. Smash potato in medium sized bowl with a fork. Let the steam subside somewhat, then begin to add confectioner’s sugar until a dough forms. (If you add the sugar while the potato is too hot, it will turn soupy. If you add the sugar when potato has cooled too much, it won’t mix properly.) Add sugar when potato is not scalding, but still extremely warm.
After the dough becomes too stiff to stir, sprinkle confectioner’s sugar on a clean table and lay the dough in the middle of the sugar. Sprinkle more sugar on top of the dough ball, kneading the sugar into the dough.
When the dough is no longer sticky, use a rolling pin to spread the dough to about 1/4″ thick. Spread with peanut butter until completely covered.
Roll up like a jelly roll, then use a clean thread to cut into 1/2″ wide slices. *Do not chill. Cover with aluminum foil and leave out. Makes approximately 20 large candy pieces.

Substitutions: try strawberry or chocolate frosting instead of peanut butter, but you’ll have to refrigerate this version.

*If you must refrigerate, allow candy to sit out, covered in foil, until firm enough to handle easily. Wrap each piece individually in cling wrap before chilling.

Turtles:

Place 4 pecan halves in an “X” shape on a plate with waxed paper. Then place a caramel square on top of each “X”. Place in microwave on medium low until caramel is about half melted. Remove from heat and use a spoon to press the caramel down into the nuts. After completely cool, spready with chocolate frosting. Store in refrigerator or leave out, but covered.

Chocolate Covered Nuts:

Place a medium saucepan of water on burner and heat to boiling, then reduce to medium heat. Place a bag of semi-sweet chocolate pieces in another, smaller saucepan and place on top of the water. Allow chocolate to melt, stirring frequently. When completely melted, begin adding peanuts or mixed nuts to the chocolate, stirring well. When mixture is full of nuts and getting thick, remove from heat and place tablespoons full of the mixture on waxed paper. Allow to cool, then store in refrigerator.

Haystacks:

Place a medium saucepan of water on burner and heat to boiling, then reduce heat to medium. In a smaller pan, place one bag of butterscotch morsels then place upon the pan of water. Allow morsels to melt completely. After melting, add dry chow mein noodles, stirring well. When mixture becomes thick with the noodles, remove from heat and drop large spoons full of the mixture on to waxed paper. Store in refrigerator.

Seattle: for most people, the first thing to come to mind is the rain. But that’s not the only thing worth mentioning.

Seattle is a relatively young metro area that has reached true “big city” population numbers only in the last half-century, with relatively steady growth since the 1980’s. The city proper is home to about 600,000 people, while the Seattle metro area includes about 2.5 million people, and the greater Puget Sound region holds closer to 3.5 million. Most the growth can be traced to the companies and industries that have driven employment opportunity in the area: software, aerospace, electronics and computer-related products, biomedical, and telecommunications.

The region has an overblown reputation for poor weather, but the real emotional downer isn’t the rain, it’s the number of overcast days. Yet, in spite of the darker shorter winter days, for residents, it’s all about the “everything else” that outweighs the weather. Recreationally, there are almost limitless options, whether you are into hiking, biking, skiing, sports games, climbing, gambling, camping, or fishing. With Portland, Oregon only three hours drive to the south, the San Juan Islands only an hour to the west, Vancouver, BC only three hours north, and excellent skiing a quick forty-five minutes to the east, get-away opportunities are in all directions and come in many flavors.

For metro-focused people, downtown Seattle is a great place to live and play. The relatively well blended mix of cultures results in a variety of cuisines if food is your thing. The city has a professional sports team for most fanatics, with one of the last remaining absentees being professional hockey, and in any given year, at least one of the teams has got a chance to go the distance. The downtown neighborhoods all have their own feel. For dancing and nightclubbing, head to Belltown, Capitol Hill, or Pioneer Square. For a casual beer or a chat over coffee and people-watching, head up to Queen Anne, or over the hill to Fremont and Ballard.

So if L.A. and New York move a bit too fast or seem a bit too crowded, Chicago, Boston and Detroit seem too old, Miami seems too humid, Portland seems to small, Minneapolis seems too cold, and Phoenix and Dallas seem too dry… swing through Seattle, see Pike Place Market, drive out to Snoqualmie Falls and play golf at Mount Si, take a ferry over to Whidbey Island, and grab coffee up on Queen Anne Hill. And leave your umbrella at home, because after a few days of “maybe it’s a drizzle, maybe that’s a real cloud, maybe it will clear up”, you’ll realize you don’t really need it. Trust me.

Another interesting fact is that Seattle has the largest percentage of teeth implants in the US.

A creature that is fragile, shy and virtually harmless. Is that any way to describe our horror image of the vicious tarantula of movie fame? Yes it is because by and large these spiders are timid creatures. Although they are venomous there is no reliable report of the venom killing any human.

When tarantulas mate it is more like they are dancing the tango. Their front legs touch and then she sidesteps with him following. He caresses her and gradually face-to-face they entwine their front limbs together. The tango continues with the male hooking his front legs over her fangs and with his second set of legs bends her backward. Then the moment arrives when he reaches under to transfer his sperm into a furrow in her mid section. Because a female may kill her sex partner after the dance is complete the male quickly scrambles out of reach of her legs.

Although the sex dance is intricate and charming these creatures don’t do much but sit and wait as predators. They can’t leap or construct intricate webs or ensnare an insect with silken threads. No, they just wait for the next passers by and attack the unsuspecting one in its path with their venomous fangs.

Tarantulas can live to more than 20 years and grow to the size of a dinner plate which is too big to stomp under foot like a regular spider. But they aren’t the gargantuan scary size as seen in the 1955 film Tarantula. In this scary flick a hundred foot tarantula crushed houses and eats cattle.

No wonder the tarantula has developed an undeserved reputation when in reality it is such as shy and virtually harmless spider to the human race.