Electric eel used to power Xmas lights

http://mdn.mainichi.jp (Japan) ^ | 12/15/07 | Staff

[Rb ver. 2.0]

KAKAMIGAHARA, Gifu -- An aquarium filled with exotic fish here is using an electric eel to power lights on a Christmas tree.

Each time the electric eel at the Aqua Toto Gifu aquarium touches a copper wire in its tank, it sends power that lights up globes decking a Christmas tree.

Officials expect the "eel Christmas tree" to be a popular attraction for dating couples in the lead-up to Christmas Day, when the tree will be removed.

Electric eels are capable of generating electricity in their bodies. They have notoriously poor eyesight and use electric shocks to stun prey so they can catch and eat them.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

A shockingly simple concept that will enrage PETA.

Aqua Toto Gifu's electric eel and the Christmas tree lights it powers. (Mainichi)

[Rb ver. 2.0]

The same eel on Dec. 26:

[neverdem]

BTTT

[new cruelty]

Alternate current headlines-

I’m dreaming of a watt Christmas

We fish you a merry Christmas and a Crappie New Year!

Joules to the World

: )

[pray4liberty]

Well...at least the power is free!

[Calpernia]

Check this out

[PROCON]

You lost me with the XMAS lights title.

Am I being too sensitive to say keep the CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS!!

Just askin'?

[Rb ver. 2.0]

Take it up with the guy who wrote the article title.

[Red Badger]

We have electric rays here on The Gulf Coast........

[G8 Diplomat]

That’s shocking!

[metmom]

ping

[Red Badger]

This guy will knock you on you patootie if you step on him or pick him up!......

[GOP_Party_Animal]

Xmas has been used as an abbreviation for Christmas since medieval times. The “X” is shorthand for Christ.

[new cruelty]

If they discontinue this next year, it will be known as the first no eel!

[bluefish]

There are better things to get worked up about.

Quick search on the web yielded this:

---

In any case, by the fifteenth century Xmas emerged as a widely used symbol for Christmas. In 1436 Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with moveable type. In the early days of printing typesetting was done by hand and was very tedious and expensive. As a result, abbreviations were common. In religious publications, the church began to use the abbreviation C for the word “Christ” to cut down on the cost of the books and pamphlets. From there, the abbreviation moved into general use in newspapers and other publications, and “Xmas” became an accepted way of printing “Christmas” (along with the abbreviations Xian and Xianity). Even Webster’s dictionary acknowledges that the abbreviation Xmas was in common use by the middle of the sixteenth century.

So there is no grand scheme to dilute Christianity by promoting the use of Xmas instead of Christmas. It is not a modern invention to try to convert Christmas into a secular day, nor is it a device to promote the commercialism of the holiday season. Its origin is thoroughly rooted in the heritage of the Church. It is simply another way to say Christmas, drawing on a long history of symbolic abbreviations used in the church. In fact, as with other abbreviations used in common speech or writing (such as Mr. or etc.), the abbreviation “Xmas” should be pronounced “Christmas” just as if the word were written out in full, rather than saying “exmas.” Understanding this use of Christian symbolism might help us modern day Xians focus on more important issues of the Faith during Advent, and bring a little more Peace to the Xmas Season.

See http://www.cresourcei.org/symbols/xmasorigin.html for the full text.

[umgud]

Forget hybrids, put a few of these in your tank.

[G8 Diplomat]

It comes from the Greek letter chi, which looks like an X, that's used to abbreviate Christianity or Christ.

[G8 Diplomat]

LOL

New energy source...and we don’t have to pay the Arabs for this one!

[353FMG]

You must be an electrical engineer or perhaps a physics major.

[scrabblehack]

And it’s green power too...