A buffet is properly a cupboard, sideboard, or closet used to hold china, crystal, plate, and the like. The word is also very commonly applied to the space set apart for refreshments in public places, and to a spread of food from which diners serve themselves to a selection before going to eat elsewhere, as distinct from having the food laid out on the table at which the diners sit. Research Buffet
There is evidence of the use of crystal balls as a means of divination in medieval times, and 'scrying' in some of its many forms was by no means rare in the Greek and Roman periods. The essential requisite for the exercise of this species of divination is a polished surface of some sort upon which the scryer shall gaze intently; for this purpose mirrors, globules of lead or mercury, polished steel, the surface of water, and even pools of ink, have been employed and have been found to ensure quite as satisfactory results as the crystal ball. The points of light reflected from the polished surface serve to attract the attention of the gazer and to fix the eye until, gradually, the optic nerve becomes so fatigued that it finally ceases to transmit to the sensorium the impression made from without and begins to respond to the reflex action proceeding from the brain of the gazer. In this way the impression received from within is apparently projected and seems to come from without.
It is easy to understand that the results must vary according to the idiosyncrasy of the various scryers; for everything depends upon the sensitiveness of the optic nerve. In many cases the effect of prolonged gazing upon the brilliant surface will simply produce a loss of sight, the optic nerve will be temporarily paralysed and will as little respond to stimulation from within as from without; in other cases, however, the nerve will be only deadened as regards external impressions, while retaining sufficient activity to react against a stimulus from the brain centres. It is almost invariably stated that, prior to the appearance of the desired visions, the crystal seems to disappear and a mist rises before the gazer's eye. The Achaians, as Pausanius relates, frequently used a mirror to divine diseases or to learn whether there was danger of sudden death. Research Crystal Gazing
Snow is the frozen moisture of the atmosphere. Snow is comprised of flakes, each a unique six-sided or hexagonal crystal. Snow differs from hail in that hail is frozen rain drops which fall as a shower of ice pellets. Research Snow
A varnish is a solution of resins or drying oils forming a transparent, hard, shiny surface on drying. Spirit varnishes use alcohol and other volatile liquids as the solvent, oil varnishes one of the drying oils, eg linseed oil, poppyseed, etc, usually diluted with oil of turpentine Resins dissolved in turpentine alone are often known as crystal varnishes. The usual resins are shellac, mastic, sandarac, etc, for spirit varnishes ; and amber, copal, kauri, etc., for oil varnishes. Lacquers are natural varnishes. Research Varnish
In western cultures wedding anniversaries are traditionally associated with the giving of gifts made of materials which vary depending upon the number of years the couple has been married. Similarly, wedding anniversaries are also known by the material, so the 25th wedding anniversary is popularly known as the 'silver wedding anniversary' after the material associated with it. While there are variations to the list, a general one follows: 1st Paper 2nd Cotton 3rd Leather 4th Fruit 5th Wood 6th Sugar 7th Copper 8th Bronze 9th Pottery 10th Tin 11th Steel 12th Silk 13th Lace 14th Ivory 15th Crystal 20th China 25th Silver 30th Pearl 35th Coral 40th Ruby 45th Sapphire 50th Gold 55th Emerald 60th Diamond 70th Platinum Research Wedding Anniversaries
Crystal Gale (real name Brenda Gail Webb) is an American country singer. She was born in 1951 at Paintsville, Kentucky. Her first record success came in 1970 with 'I've Cried The Blue (Right Out Of My Eyes)'. Research Crystal Gale
George Manville Fenn was a British novelist. He was born in 1831 and died in 1909. He became a teacher and later turned to literature. He contributed short sketches to All the Year Round, Chambers's Journal, and Once a Week (of which he became proprietor), and also to the Starnewspaper. In 1867 he published Hollowdell Grange, a story for boys, which was followed by a long series of tales and novels, many of them boys' stories. They include Bent, not Broken (1867); The Parson o' Dumford; Eli's Children; The New Mistress; Double Cunning; The Master of the Ceremonies; The Man with a Shadow; A Double Knot; The Mynns Mystery; King of the Castle; In an AlpineValley; Bluejackets; High Play. A number of his tales were specially written for Christmas. His boys' books include: In the King's Name, Nat the Naturalist, Bunyip Land, Menhardoc, Patience Wins, Brownsmith's Boy, Commodore Junk, The Crystal Hunters, The Grand Chaco, Bluejackets, Fire Island, etc. George Fenn also produced, either alone or in collaboration, several works for the stage. Research George Fenn
Sir George Grove was an English writer. He was born in 1820 and died in 1900. He was trained as a civil engineer, in which capacity he was connected with the Britannia Bridge and other important works. For a long while he was secretary to the Crystal Palace Company, and did much for the popularizing of classical music in connection with its concerts. For some years he edited Macmillan's Magazine, and he was editor of, and a contributor to, the great Dictionary of Music, published in 1878-1889. He was also an extensive contributor to Smith's Dictionary of the Bible. He was knighted in 1883. Research George Grove
Karl Ferdinand Braun was a German physicist who made improvements to Guglielmo Marconi's system of wireless telegraphy. He was born in 1850 at Fulda, and died in 1918. He and Marconi shared the 1909 Nobel Prize for Physics. Braun also discovered crystal rectifiers (used in early radios), and invented the oscilloscope in 1895. He was educated at Marburg and Berlin. He held academic posts at a number of German universities, ending his career as professor and from 1895 director of the Institute of Physics at Strasbourg. In an attempt to increase the radio transmitter range to more than 15 km, Braun devised a system in which the power from the transmitter was magnetically coupled (using electromagnetic induction) to the antennacircuit. He patented this invention in 1899, and the principle of magnetic coupling has since been applied to all similar transmission systems. Later Braun developed directional antennas. In 1874 Braun discovered that some mineral metal sulphides conduct electricity in one direction only. These were later used in the crystal radio receivers that preceded valve circuits. Braun's oscilloscope was an adaptation of the cathode-ray tube. A laboratory instrument to study high-frequency alternating currents, it was the forerunner of television and radar display tubes. Research Karl Braun
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Buffet
