Fact of the Day

[Lonewolfe187]

Cats can rotate their ears 180 degrees

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - FINGERPRINTS

 

Did you know... that a fingerprint is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger? The recovery of partial fingerprints from a crime scene is an important method of forensic science. Moisture and grease on a finger result in fingerprints on surfaces such as glass or metal. (Wikipedia)

 

Fingerprint, impression made by the papillary ridges on the ends of the fingers and thumbs. Fingerprints afford an infallible means of personal identification, because the ridge arrangement on every finger of every human being is unique and does not alter with growth or age. Fingerprints serve to reveal an individual’s true identity despite personal denial, assumed names, or changes in personal appearance resulting from age, disease, plastic surgery, or accident. The practice of utilizing fingerprints as a means of identification, referred to as dactyloscopy, is an indispensable aid to modern law enforcement.

 

Fingerprint patterns. From top left to bottom right: loop,

double loop, central pocket loop, plain whorl, plain arch,

and tented arch.

 

Each ridge of the epidermis (outer skin) is dotted with sweat pores for its entire length and is anchored to the dermis (inner skin) by a double row of peglike protuberances, or papillae. Injuries such as superficial burns, abrasions, or cuts do not affect the ridge structure or alter the dermal papillae, and the original pattern is duplicated in any new skin that grows. An injury that destroys the dermal papillae, however, will permanently obliterate the ridges.

 

Any ridged area of the hand or foot may be used as identification. However, finger impressions are preferred to those from other parts of the body because they can be taken with a minimum of time and effort, and the ridges in such impressions form patterns (distinctive outlines, or shapes) that can be readily sorted into groups for ease in filing.

 

Fingerprint Document

 

Early anatomists described the ridges of the fingers, but interest in modern fingerprint identification dates from 1880, when the British scientific journal Nature published letters by the Englishmen Henry Faulds and William James Herschel describing the uniqueness and permanence of fingerprints. Their observations were experimentally verified by the English scientist Sir Francis Galton, who suggested the first elementary system for classifying fingerprints based on grouping the patterns into arches, loops, and whorls. Galton’s system served as the basis for the fingerprint classification systems developed by Sir Edward R. Henry, who later became chief commissioner of the London metropolitan police, and by Juan Vucetich of Argentina. The Galton-Henry system of fingerprint classification, published in June 1900, was officially introduced at Scotland Yard in 1901 and quickly became the basis for its criminal-identification records. The system was adopted immediately by law-enforcement agencies in the English-speaking countries of the world and is now the most widely used method of fingerprint classification. Juan Vucetich, an employee of the police of the province of Buenos Aires in 1888, devised an original system of fingerprint classification published in book form under the title Dactiloscopía comparada (1904; “Comparative Fingerprinting”). His system is still used in most Spanish-speaking countries.

 

Dactiloscopía comparada - Juan Vucetich

 

Fingerprints are classified in a three-way process: by the shapes and contours of individual patterns, by noting the finger positions of the pattern types, and by relative size, determined by counting the ridges in loops and by tracing the ridges in whorls. The information obtained in this way is incorporated in a concise formula, which is known as the individual’s fingerprint classification.

 

There are several variants of the Henry system, but that used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States recognizes eight different types of patterns: radial loop, ulnar loop, double loop, central pocket loop, plain arch, tented arch, plain whorl, and accidental. Whorls are usually circular or spiral in shape. Arches have a moundlike contour, while tented arches have a spikelike or steeplelike appearance in the centre. Loops have concentric hairpin or staple-shaped ridges and are described as “radial” or “ulnar” to denote their slopes; ulnar loops slope toward the little finger side of the hand, radial loops toward the thumb. Loops constitute about 65 percent of the total fingerprint patterns; whorls make up about 30 percent, and arches and tented arches together account for the other 5 percent. The most common pattern is the ulnar loop.

 

 

Dactyloscopy, the technique of fingerprinting, involves cleaning the fingers in benzene or ether, drying them, then rolling the balls of each over a glass surface coated with printer’s ink. Each finger is then carefully rolled on prepared cards according to an exact technique designed to obtain a light gray impression with clear spaces showing between each ridge so that the ridges may be counted and traced. Simultaneous impressions are also taken of all fingers and thumbs.

 

Latent fingerprinting involves locating, preserving, and identifying impressions left by a culprit in the course of committing a crime. In latent fingerprints, the ridge structure is reproduced not in ink on a record card but on an object in sweat, oily secretions, or other substances naturally present on the culprit’s fingers. Most latent prints are colourless and must therefore be “developed,” or made visible, before they can be preserved and compared. This is done by brushing them with various gray or black powders containing chalk or lampblack combined with other agents. The latent impressions are preserved as evidence either by photography or by lifting powdered prints on the adhesive surfaces of tape.

 

Though the technique and its systematic use originated in Great Britain, fingerprinting was developed to great usefulness in the United States, where in 1924 two large fingerprint collections were consolidated to form the nucleus of the present file maintained by the Identification Division of the FBI. The division’s file contained the fingerprints of more than 250 million persons by the early 21st century. Fingerprint files and search techniques have been computerized to enable much quicker comparison and identification of particular prints.

 

 

 

Other “fingerprinting” techniques have also been developed. These include the use of a sound spectrograph—a device that depicts graphically such vocal variables as frequency, duration, and intensity—to produce voicegraphs, or voiceprints, and the use of a technique known as DNA fingerprinting, an analysis of those regions of DNA that vary among individuals, to identify physical evidence (blood, semen, hair, etc.) as belonging to a suspect. The latter test has been used in paternity testing as well as in forensics.

 

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - Fingerprint

[Lonewolfe187]

The term 'robot' comes from the Czech word 'Robota', that means 'Drudgery' or 'hard work' and 'forced labor'.

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - GOULDIAN FINCH

Did you know... that the Gouldian finch, also known as the Lady Gouldian finch, Gould's finch or the rainbow finch, is a colourful passerine bird that is native to Australia. (Wikipedia)

 

The Gouldian finch is one of the most beautiful of all pet bird species. It is a brilliant, multicolored bird with vibrant plumage. Its shyness with humans makes it a favorite bird for those who enjoy looking at birds but do not want to handle them. This finch is very social with birds of its kind. A small group of these diminutive birds makes for an excellent display in a large enclosure.

 

Gouldian Finch - Colorful Bird of Australian Grassy Tropics

 

 

Breed Overview

• COMMON NAMES: Gouldian finch, Gould's finch, rainbow finch, Lady Gouldian finch, painted finch
• SCIENTIFIC NAME: Erythrura gouldiae 
• ADULT SIZE: 5 to 6 inches
• LIFE EXPECTANCY: 6 to 8 years

 

Origin and History
The Gouldian finch is native to the grasslands of Australia. British ornithologist John Gould named the bird the "Lady Gouldian Finch" for his wife Elizabeth in 1841. The beautiful little finch was imported to Europe six years later and quickly became a favorite among bird enthusiasts.

The heavy demand for these pet birds led to widespread trapping and export from Australia until the late 1960s. These practices greatly reduced the number of wild birds. Estimates put the number of birds in the wild at less than 2,500. In 1992, Gould's finch was classified as "endangered in the wild" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Nearly all pet specimens are now bred in captivity.

 

Temperament
Gouldian finches are social birds that love interacting with other finches but do not tolerate human handling. Though they are intelligent, their reluctance to be held makes them difficult for training to perch on your finger. But, of the finch species, Gould's finches are one of the calmest finches, so with enough persistence, you might be able to get them to come to you.

While finches are not affectionate with humans, they do appreciate being with other finches. They thrive on social interaction, and it is best to keep Gouldian finches in pairs or small flocks. Finches are monogamous and mate for life.

 

 

 

Speech and Vocalizations
Gouldian finches do not sing complicated songs. They make a persistent musical peeping sound that is unlikely to disturb you or annoy neighbors. Gouldian finches are relatively quiet birds and their low, chirping vocalization is pleasant to the ear. Gouldian finches are not known to mimic human speech.

 

Gouldian Finch Colors and Markings
Gouldian finches are arguably the most beautiful of the finch family. Both males and females display brilliant plumage in blue, purple, yellow, red, black, and green with some variations. Males tend to display more vivid coloring than females—this is common among many bird species. 

 

Generally, finches fit into categories based on the color of their heads. For example, they are called black-headed, red-headed, and yellow-headed, among other types. These head color variations are most common in captive-bred birds; in the wild, most Gouldian finches have black heads. 

 

Black-headed, red-headed, and yellow-headed finches.

 

Caring for the Gouldian Finch
Gouldian finches are popular choices in families with children or the elderly in the home, and those who live in apartments or condominiums. Since they stay in the cages, there is little threat of harming these delicate birds.

 

A young Gouldian finch with

the beginnings of bright adult

plumage.

 

These birds usually live in small aviary settings with different finch species, especially society finches and zebra finches. Gouldian finches seem content in an aviary with live plants.

Overall, Gouldian finches are rather sensitive birds that may not be the best choice for first-time bird owners. They can get easily stressed and are susceptible to ailments. Gouldian finches are susceptible to cold and require a temperature of between 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Aviary

 

Common Health Problems
Gouldian finches are susceptible to air-sac mite infection, especially if they are stressed. They are also prone to scaly face, which is caused by a mite that affects the skin around the beak, eyes, and legs. Any infections require immediate attention from an experienced avian veterinarian. If your finch develops overgrown nails or beak, seek the help of a bird groomer or vet.

 

Diet and Nutrition
In the wild, Gouldian finches eat grass seeds and insects. In captivity, Gouldian finches seem to do best on a seed-based or pellet diet supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Feed them first thing in the morning, and try again at dusk. Fruits and vegetables should make up at least half of the food offered to your finches. They eat up to 35 percent of their bodyweight each day.

 

Hard vegetables and fruits such as carrots, squash, and unripe pears should be finely chopped or grated. Greens can be left whole or chopped. Dandelion greens are a particular favorite of finches. Any fresh foods that you place in your Amazon’s cage should be taken away when feeding time is over.

 

Provide a cuttlebone inside of the cage for added calcium. The birds also use the cuttlebone to maintain their beak and nails.

 

Exercise
Like all finches, Gouldian finches are active birds and need space to fly. Clipping your bird's wings is not recommended, as finches have a very high metabolic rate and flying helps them get ample exercise to burn energy. Since most Gouldian finches reject human interaction, out-of-cage flight time is not an option.

 

Be prepared to purchase the largest flight cage you can. Expect that this bird will spend its entire life in its cage. A large cage gives them access to free flight whenever they want. Flight cages often take up as much space as a larger parrot cage. The cage should be at least 3 to 4 square feet for a per pair of finches.

 

Finches need toys and perches in their cage to properly exercise and socialize. Purchase small, chewable toys made of hard plastic. These birds are not strong chewers, so the toys will likely last long. Provide different-sized perches or branches; it enables the birds to stretch out their feet.

 

Finches enjoy flitting around in the water, so put a shallow bath dish with fresh water at the bottom of the cage three days a week. Gouldian Finch Care Sheet

 

 

Source: The Spruce Pets

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - SCIENCE 

 

Did you know... that science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. The earliest roots of science can be traced to Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia in around 3500 to 3000 BCE. (Wikipedia)

 

The English word scientist is relatively recent – first coined by William Whewell in the 19th century. Previously, people investigating nature called themselves "natural philosophers".

 

Science is a body of knowledge about the natural world, produced by scientists who observe, explain, and predict real world phenomena. Historiography of science, in contrast, often draws on the historical methods.

 

Facts about the natural world have been described since classical antiquity. Ancient Greece is perhaps most famous for its contributions to astronomy and mathematics. Aristarchus of Samos came up with the idea of the Sun at the centre of what we now call the Solar system many centuries before Galileo. Others, like Thales and Aristotle were interested in the natural world.

 

The School of Athens by Raphael.

Aristotle (pictured in blue in the centre arch)

wrote that the truth can be found through

observation and induction. This was his

scientific method.

 

Scientific methods have been used since the Middle Ages (Roger Bacon), but the dawn of modern science is often traced back to the early modern period and in particular to the scientific revolution that took place in 16th- and 17th-century Europe. Important figures in the development of modern science include Isaac Newton, Johannes Kepler, Robert Boyle, Charles Darwin, Wilhelm Roux and Albert Einstein.

 

Scientific methods are so fundamental to modern science that some consider earlier inquiries into nature to be pre-scientific. Traditionally, historians of science have defined science sufficiently broadly to include those inquiries. (Kids Encyclopedia)

 

We learn about some awesome science in high school - like Einstein's theory of relativity, the Periodic table, and DNA replication.

 

The knowledge we pick up there sets the foundations for all the other amazing things we go on to study. But science definitely doesn't end at high school, and it's once you take your learning to the next level that things get really interesting.

 

Water can boil and freeze at the same time

Seriously, it's called the 'triple point', and it occurs when the temperature and pressure is just right for the three phases (gas, liquid, and solid) of a substance to coexist in thermodynamic equilibrium. This video shows cyclohexane in a vacuum.

 

 

Lasers can get trapped in a waterfall

Oh my gosh, yes. Not only is this an incredible example of total internal reflection, it also shows how fibre optic cables work to guide the flow of light.

 

We've got spacecraft hurtling towards the edge of our Solar System really, really fast

We all know rockets are fast, and space is big. But sometimes when we're talking about how long it takes for us to get to distant parts of the Solar System (eight months to get to Mars, are you kidding me?) it can feel like our spacecraft are just crawling along out there.

 

This gif shows just how wrong that idea is by comparing the speed of the New Horizons probe, which flew past Pluto last year, to a 747 and SR-71 Blackbird.

 

An egg looks like a crazy jellyfish underwater

A cracked egg on land might make a big mess, but 18 metres (60 feet) below the surface of the ocean, the pressure on the egg is 2.8 times atmospheric pressure, and it holds it all together like an invisible egg shell. True story.

 

You can prove Pythagoras' theorem with fluid

Not buying what your maths teacher is selling when they tell you a2 + b2 = c2? You can actually prove it with liquid.

 

This is what happens when a black hole swallows a star

As the star gets sucked up into the black hole, a huge jet of plasma is burped out, spanning hundreds of light-years. "When the star is ripped apart by the gravitational forces of the black hole, some part of the star's remains falls into the black hole, while the rest is ejected at high speeds," explains Johns Hopkins University researcher, Suvi Gezari.

 

 

You CAN see without your glasses

According to MinutePhysics, all you need to do is make a pinhole with your hand, which will help you focus the light coming into your retina. Sure, it won't give you 20/20 vision, but it's a good start if you've left your glasses at home.

 

 

This is how a face forms in the womb

Embryonic development is an incredibly complex process that scientists are still just beginning to understand. But one thing researchers have been able to map out is how the embryo folds to create the structures of the human face in the womb. We could watch this all day.

 

 

 

One researcher popped the knuckles of one hand for 60 years but not the other, and found no discernible difference in the amount of arthritis between the two of them at the end of his experiment. Find out more in this video from Vox:

 

 

Want to read more on Science?  CLick the link below. 

                      

Source: Science Alert

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - BAROQUE PERIOD

The Italian Baroque style- the magnificent interior design

 

Did you know... that the Baroque is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1740s? The Baroque style used contrast, movement, exuberant detail, deep colour, grandeur and surprise to achieve a sense of awe. The style began at the start of the 17th century in Rome, then spread rapidly to France, northern Italy, Spain and Portugal, then to Austria, southern Germany and Russia. By the 1730s, it had evolved into an even more flamboyant style, called rocaille or Rococo, which appeared in France and Central Europe until the mid to late 18th century. (Wikipedia)

 

The word Baroque comes from Portuguese. There, barocco means something like strange. In Portuguese, it was first used for irregularly-shaped pearls. It was first used in France to mean works of art that did not follow the current trend. The baroque period was from 1600s to the 1750s. Famous composers in the baroque era were Alessandro Scarlatti and Handel.

 

The Baroque era is sometimes divided into three approximate phases for convenience:

• Early Baroque, c. 1590 – c. 1625
• High Baroque, c. 1625 – c. 1660
• Late Baroque, c. 1660 – c. 1725

The term "Late Baroque" is also sometimes used synonymously with the succeeding Rococo movement.

 

Painting
A defining statement of what Baroque signifies in painting is provided by the series of paintings executed by Peter Paul Rubens for Marie de Medici at the Luxembourg Palace in Paris (now at the Louvre), in which a Catholic painter satisfied a Catholic patron: Baroque-era conceptions of monarchy, iconography, handling of paint, and compositions as well as the depiction of space and movement.

 

The Coronation of Marie de Medici

 

Baroque style featured "exaggerated lighting, intense emotions, release from restraint, and even a kind of artistic sensationalism". Baroque art did not really depict the life style of the people at that time; however, "closely tied to the Counter-Reformation, this style melodramatically reaffirmed the emotional depths of the Catholic faith and glorified both church and monarchy" of their power and influence.

 

There were highly diverse strands of Italian baroque painting, from Caravaggio to Cortona; both approaching emotive dynamism with different styles. The most prominent Spanish painter of the Baroque was Diego Velázquez.

 

Another frequently cited work of Baroque art is Bernini's Saint Theresa in Ecstasy for the Cornaro chapel in Santa Maria della Vittoria, which brings together architecture, sculpture, and theatre into one grand conceit.

 

Saint Theresa in Ecstasy

 

The later Baroque style gradually gave way to a more decorative Rococo.

 

A rather different art developed out of northern realist traditions in 17th century Dutch Golden Age painting, which had very little religious art, and little history painting, instead playing a crucial part in developing secular genres such as still life, genre paintings of everyday scenes, and landscape painting. While the Baroque nature of Rembrandt's art is clear, the label is less often used for Vermeer and many other Dutch artists. Flemish Baroque painting shared a part in this trend, while also continuing to produce the traditional categories.

 

In a similar way the French classical style of painting exemplified by Poussin is often classed as Baroque, and does share many qualities of the Italian painting of the same period, although the poise and restraint derived from following classical ideas typically give it a very different overall mood.

 

Still-life With Sweets, by Josefa de Óbidos, c. 1679, Santarém, Portugal, Municipal Library

 

Sculpture
In Baroque sculpture, groups of figures assumed new importance and there was a dynamic movement and energy of human forms—they spiraled around an empty central vortex, or reached outwards into the surrounding space. For the first time, Baroque sculpture often had multiple ideal viewing angles. The characteristic Baroque sculpture added extra-sculptural elements, for example, concealed lighting, or water fountains. Aleijadinho in Brazil was also one of the great names of baroque sculpture, and his master work is the set of statues of the Santuário de Bom Jesus de Matosinhos in Congonhas. The soapstone sculptures of old testament prophets around the terrace are considered amongst his finest work.

 

Santuário de Bom Jesus de Matosinhos

 

The architecture, sculpture and fountains of Bernini (1598–1680) give highly charged characteristics of Baroque style. Bernini was undoubtedly the most important sculptor of the Baroque period. He approached Michelangelo in his omnicompetence: Bernini sculpted, worked as an architect, painted, wrote plays, and staged spectacles. In the late 20th century Bernini was most valued for his sculpture, both for his virtuosity in carving marble and his ability to create figures that combine the physical and the spiritual. He was also a fine sculptor of bust portraits in high demand among the powerful.

 

Bust of Louis XIV (Bernini)

 

Click below  if you would like to read more on the Baroque Period.

 

Source: Kids Encyclopedia - Baroque Facts , Wikipedia - Baroque

 

[Lonewolfe187]

During the production of Psycho Pass the production team they made it not only something that would be consider a counter culture to mainstream anime but also to make something that could not be adapted by the western film industry. 

[DarkRavie]

1 hour ago, Lonewolfe187 said:

During the production of Psycho Pass the production team they made it not only something that would be consider a counter culture to mainstream anime but also to make something that could not be adapted by the western film industry. 

I didn't know that.

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - WILD ROSES

Did you know... that wild roses have been used by people for centuries, provide food for pollinators, birds and mammals and are even the provincial flower of Alberta. Discover more about the uses, growing requirements and learn all about some Canadian species of this much-loved plant.
 

Native roses have pink blossoms, ranging from very pale to deep tones. They typically bloom around the end of June or early July. Their stems usually have thorns and their compound leaves (comprising several small leaflets) are arranged alternately along the stem. They often have a bushy appearance and interesting fall colour.

 

• Habitat: Wild Roses prefer to be in sun, well-drained soil and water at the base of the plant in the mornings. In the spring, cut back deadwood but leave living canes as they flower on older stems.
• Behaviour: Collect rose hips once they are ripe (usually red or orange in colour). Remove the seeds and gently rub the plumpest with sandpaper. Plant immediately and watch for seedlings the following spring.
• Primary Ecosystem Roles: The pollen on the wild rose’s many bright yellow anthers are a valued food source for many beneficial insects, including bees. Rose hips are a winter food for birds and mammals such as waxwings, pine grosbeak, grouse, rabbits, coyotes and skunks.

Bohemian waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)

 

Roses have been valued by people for centuries. Aboriginals are reputed to have used the roots as an ointment for sore eyes, and the wood of the plant for arrows. As food, rose hips are nourishing with their high vitamin C content and antioxidants, along with other nutrients such as zinc. They were used to treat scurvy, numerous infections and to promote digestion. You can pick the ripe red hips in the fall - some wait until after the first frost - to nibble on or to make a tea. While the seeds are edible, they don’t taste overly great and can be cut or strained out. Some species are fleshier than others. Rose hips have also been used in baked goods and puddings, and their pectin has been used as a thickener.

 

Rose petals are also edible and can be sprinkled into salads — a feast for the eye and a conversation starter! They can also be made into jams, jellies, vinegars and syrups. Remove the white base of the petal as it can be bitter. Candied rose petals are added to cakes for both decoration and consumption.

 

 

 

The Myths
In addition to the wild medieval tales of love and magic, the rose has many myths around it that are alive today. For example, if you're really informed about what a "wild rose" is, you're one of a tiny minority. First of all, that wonderful old pink, fluffy rose that your grandmother called "wild," wasn't. Most of the roses you see around old abandoned homesites aren't wild either. They're just tough. Since roses have been hybridized since Roman times, there are thousands of tough, long-lived hybrids that seem to grow on forever.

 

The True "Wild" Roses

The botanical term for wild rose is "species rose", which means just what it says — a species that occurs naturally, with no help from man — a true "wildflower." There are over 100 of these worldwide, some native to North America, many from the Orient and Europe. These true wild roses are all single with exactly five petals — never more, and almost all of them are pink, with a few whites and reds, and even fewer that range toward yellow. (By the way, there are now over 20,000 hybrids, with about 200 new ones every year.)

 

True Wild Roses

 

North American Native Roses
Two of the most widespread species roses you may see are Rosa Carolina, or the Carolina Rose, common in thickets, and Rosa palustris, commonly called "Swamp Rose", since it grows in wet ground. Both are rather small, scrambling shrubs with spectacular, 2" wide-open single blooms with five bright pink petals. And both are native to a huge area from the entire Atlantic seaboard all the way west to Nebraska.

 

Swamp Rose

 

Further west, Rosa blanda is the pink-fading-to-white-flowered climbing shrub usually called "Prairie Rose". It's native from Ontario down into Texas, and west to the Rockies.

 

 

From the Rockies through the Cascades, a very hardy favorite is Rosa woodsii, or "Wood's Wild Rose". Along the upper Pacific coast from Alaska down into California, a famous wild rose is Rosa nutkana, known as "The Nootka Rose." And of course, there is a Rosa californica, native west of the Sierra Nevada. All these westerners are pink. There are others, and every region has it's favorite.

Most all North American native roses look a lot like the large photo above, pink with exactly five petals. Most of the native rose plants are smallish shrubs, with canes no longer than three or four feet.

 

The Most Misused Common Names of All
If your Aunt Sarah, who knew her plants, told you that wild rose at the farm was a "Pasture Rose", that's fine, but don't expect anyone else to know what that means. Pasture Rose, Prairie Rose, Wild Rose, Dog Rose, Eglantine, Sweetbriar, and Scotch Briar are just a few of the very common names for wild roses that mean different things in different places. (Probably ten different species are called "Pasture Rose" in various parts of the country.)

 

Click the links below  to learn more about WIld Roses

 

Source: Canadian Wildlife Federation - Wild Roses, American Meadows - The Wild Roses

 

 

 

[Lonewolfe187]

On 7/19/2020 at 2:08 PM, DarkRavie said:

I didn't know that.

Also the term "moe" or anything wholesome related got banned because it went against the grim narrative and story they wanted to tell.

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - IDIOMS

Did you know... that an idiom is a phrase or expression that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase; but some phrases become figurative idioms while retaining the literal meaning of the phrase. Categorized as formulaic language, an idiom figurative meaning is different from the literal meaning. Idioms occur frequently in all languages; in English alone there are an estimated twenty-five thousand idiomatic expressions. (Wikipedia)

 

Cost an Arm and a Leg
In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are 'limbs,' therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Artists know hands and arms are more difficult to paint.

 

Hence the expression, 'Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg.'

 

For example idiom “break the leg” does not mean that you should literally break the leg. Quite opposite. it means good luck.

 

 

 

Threshold
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt, hence the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors which would get slippery in the winter when wet. So they spread thresh on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on they kept adding more thresh until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed at the entryway, hence a "threshold."

 

Go-sip

Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what the people considered important. Since there were no telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars. They were told to 'go sip some ale' and listen to people's conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at different times. 'You go sip here' and 'You go sip there.' The two words 'go sip' were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the term 'gossip.'

 

Losing face

Personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions... When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she was told, 'mind your own bee's wax.' Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term 'crack a smile'. In addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt.

 

 

Idioms are the grease that makes language .. expressions give language a peculiar flavour and give it variety, character and colour. - ELENA MARÍA GARCÍA MORENO,

Many Idioms have funny historical roots...

Graveyard shift

In 1700 England is old and small, and they started running out of places to bury people. So, they would dig up coffins and would take their bones to a house and reuse the grave. In reopening these coffins, one out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they thought they would tie a string on their wrist and lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night to listen for the bell. Hence on the "graveyard shift" they would know that someone was "saved by the bell" or he was a "dead ringer."

 

Also where Dead Ringer derives from.

 

 

Chair Man
In the late 1700's, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long wide board folded down from the wall, and was used for dining. The 'head of the household' always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Occasionally a guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal. To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. They called the one sitting in the chair the 'chair man.' Today in business, we use the expression or title 'Chairman' or 'Chairman of the Board.'

 

Origins for familiar idioms & expressions
 

Barking up the wrong tree
People use this expression to refer to someone who is misguided in thought or action regarding an event or situation. Its origin is from hunting and has been used as early as the 19th century. A hunting dog sometimes barks at the base of a tree even though the prey is not there.

 

Bite off more than you can chew
This means you have taken on more than you can handle. Back in the 1800s, plug chewing tobacco was popular. It was tobacco leaves pressed into a cube or brick shape. Bites taken from the plug that was too large couldn’t easily be chewed.

 

 

Popular Idioms
 

Bite the bullet
This expression means acceptance of something unpleasant, challenging, or unsavory. Back before anesthesia—and also in warfare when medical supplies were thin—doctors would have the patient bite down on a bullet (or other hard objects). This was to divert the patient’s attention and distract from the pain.

 

Blow your own horn
To blow your own horn means to be boastful or a braggart. This expression dates back to the 1870s and refers to the loud, attention-seeking trumpeter.

 

Break the ice
When you break the ice, you become friendly or avert conflict with someone. The historical meaning comes from the shipping trade. During cold weather, ships could become stuck when ice would form. Often the receiving party would send out ice-breaker boats to clear the way, allowing the cargo to be safely brought to port.

 

Burn the midnight oil
This is the expression for working late into the night. Before electricity, people burned oil lamps and candles to see at night. The expression dates back to the 17th century.

 

 

Source: Funny Historical Facts

 

Click below  to read more about Idioms

 

Source: Listcaboodle

 

 

 

 

Edited July 21, 2020 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - ODYSSEUS

 

Did you know... that Odysseus, also known by the Latin variant Ulysses, is a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in that same epic cycle. (Wikipedia)

 

Odysseus

In GREEK MYTHOLOGY, Odysseus is the great-grandson of HERMES, one of the twelve Olympian Gods. He is the son of Laertes, the king of Ithaca, and Anticlea and the husband of Penelope and father of a child named Telemachus.

 

Known for his leadership skills, wit, and intelligence, Odysseus is most famous for his ten-year journey had after the Trojan War. It’s during this time he was involved in a series of adventures and faced many obstacles as he struggled to return home to his wife and son.

 

Odysseus’ journey is told in the story “The Odyssey,” a classic story written by the ancient Greek bard Homer. The rest of Odysseus’ life beyond what’s told in this tale of his struggles to return back home after the Trojan War is based on accounts from various sources. Although many details are fairly consistent.

 

Homer's Odyssey Book i

A 15th-century manuscript of the Odyssey,

book i, written by the scribe John Rhosos

for the Tornabuoni family,

Florence, Italy (British Museum) 

 

Childhood and Early Life
Odysseus was born on isle of Ithaca. During his childhood, he displayed impressive athletic abilities. He enjoyed archery and did very well at it. Young Odysseus also liked to hunt with his dog, Argos, often going along with him. He is not a god, but he does have a connection with the gods on his mother’s side of the family.

 

While on one hunting trip, Odysseus was gored by a wild boar, an incident that left a scar. It soon became evident during his early years that Odysseus possessed certain unique abilities and talents, including an ability to solve problems and outwit opponents.

 
Odysseus was also known for his speaking abilities. It was often said that once he spoke, no one could resist him. It was his intelligence that attracted the attention of ATHENA, a goddess who would become Odysseus’ protector during the Trojan War and later during his attempts to return home. She would prove to be a trusted source of advice and guidance.

 

Odysseus and Argos

 

Early Adult Years
Before he married Penelope, Odysseus tried to attract the attention of Helen of Troy, making him one of her many suitors. It was when he was trying to attract the attention of Helen of Troy, who wasn’t interested enough to choose him, that he met her cousin, a woman named Penelope. She would prove to be just as clever and intelligent as he was known to be, a fact that made the two a perfect match for one another.

 

Odysseus made a deal with Helen’s father (King Tyndareus) that he would find a way to prevent Helen’s suitors from battling each other and would vow to defend the chosen suitor against anyone who would wrong him or attempt to do him harm (Oath of Tyndareus) if he would help him win over Penelope. King Tyndareus agreed. Odysseus won approval from Penelope’s father, Icarius of Lacedaemon, by defeating him a foot race. Helen married a man named Menelaus and Odysseus married Penelope.

 

Odysseus became ruler of a group of people who lived on islands not far from the northwest coast of Greece. These people were called the Cephallenians. He lived with Penelope in a palace on the island of Ithaca that he built himself. Even so, Odysseus was not considered a rich man. Him and his wife had a child named Telemachus. Soon after his birth, Helen eloped with Paris, which is what ultimately led to the Trojan War.

 

Helen and Paris

 

During the Trojan War
Helen’s husband, Menelaus, invoked the Oath of Tyndareus when his wife was abducted by Paris, who had been one of the suitors who lost out to him. Not wanting to leave his wife and young son, Odysseus pretended to be insane and unfit to help Menelaus.

 

However, when Palamedes of Euboia came to get Odysseus, he was suspicious and doubted that Odysseus was truly insane. So, he placed Odysseus’ young son in front of a plow as a test to see if the boy’s father had really gone mad. When Odysseus swerved to avoid hitting his son, it became clear he was faking. Odysseus was then drawn into the Trojan War.

 

Odysseus fought in the Trojan War with Achilles. While Odysseus admired Achilles’ skills as a gallant warrior, the two men did now like each other. They had an ongoing dispute over what mattered the most, brains or brawn (strength).

 

Achilles

 

Nonetheless, it was Odysseus who was able to convince Achilles, considered one of the best of the Greek fighters of his time, to leave his wife and children to fight in the war. The dispute between Odysseus and Achilles came to an end when the gallant warrior was fatally injured in his one weak spot, his heel. After Achilles died, Odysseus competed to win his weapons and other arms.

 

It was predicted that the battle for Troy would not be won until the bow and arrows of HERCULES could be obtained. These items were located on an island called Lemnos. Odysseus and a friend named Diomedes who was fighting in the war with him sailed to the island. They convinced the possessor of the bow and arrows, Philoctetes, to come back with them.

 

The battle continued for many years. At one point, it looked as if the Greeks were going to lose. In fact, they pretended to sail away in defeat and a wooden horse was left behind. However, it was a trick. The large wooden horse was taken into the city as a victory trophy for having “defeated” the Greeks. Once the gates to the city were opened to allow the grand gift inside, Odysseus and the other warriors came out from the inside of the wooden horse.

 

The war was over and Odysseus began his journey back home. In some stories, it’s claimed that Odysseus is the one who came up with the idea of using the Trojan Horse as a hiding place. As a result of this trick, the Spartans were defeated and the Greeks were victorious in recapturing the City of Troy.

Trojan Horse

 

Click below  to learn more about Odysseus.

 

Source: Greek Gods and Goddesses - Odysseus

[ani-me]

On 7/19/2020 at 9:53 PM, Lonewolfe187 said:

During the production of Psycho Pass the production team they made it not only something that would be consider a counter culture to mainstream anime but also to make something that could not be adapted by the western film industry. 

That's interesting. Not sure how can it not be adapted by the western film industry though!

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - PIKA (animal)

 

Did you know... that a pika is a small mountain-dwelling mammal found in Asia and North America. With short limbs, very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative, the rabbit, but with short, rounded ears. (Wikipedia)

 

• Pika is a common name for the smallest members of the order Lagomorpha, which also includes rabbits and hares.
• The order Lagomorpha consists of two extant families, the pikas in Ochotonidae and the rabbits and hares in Leporidae.
• Only one genus, Ochotona, is recognised within the family, covering 30 species.
• Members of this group include silver pikas, collared pikas, steppe pikas, American pikas, Chinese red pikas, Himalayan pikas, and many other species.

 

Silver Pika

 

 

• Pikas are native to cold climates, mostly in Asia, North America, and parts of Eastern Europe.
• The two species found in North America are the American pika, found primarily in the mountains of the western United States and far southwestern Canada, and the collared pika of northern British Columbia, the Yukon, western Northwest Territories, and Alaska.
• Pikas are found in two distinct habitats: broken rock (talus) habitat or in meadow, steppe, forest, and shrub habitats.

 

 

 

• The large-eared pika of the Himalayas and nearby mountains is found at heights of more than 6,000 meters (20,000 ft) above sea level, among the highest of any mammal.
• The average lifespan of pikas is about 7 years in the wild.
• Pikas are notable for their short, rounded ears, lack of a tail, and round body.
• They are about 15 to 23 centimeters (5.9 to 9.1 in) in body length and weigh between 120 and 350 grams (4.2 and 12.3 oz), depending on species.
• Their fur is long and soft and is generally grayish-brown in colour, although a few species are rusty red.

 

 

• These animals are herbivores, and feed on a wide variety of plant matter, including forbs, grasses, sedges, shrub twigs, moss, and lichen.
• Pikas are diurnal or crepuscular, with higher altitude species generally being more active during the daytime.
• They show their peak activity before the winter season.

 

• Pikas do not hibernate, so they rely on collected hay for warm bedding and food.
• Once the grasses dry out, the pikas take this hay back to the burrows for storage.
• Each rock-dwelling pika stores its own “haypile” of dried vegetation, while burrowing species often share food stores with their burrow mates.
• Pikas engage in a variety of calls. Rock-dwelling pikas have a vocal repertoire of two calls, while burrowing pikas have a number of different vocalizations.

 

 

Rock-dwelling pikas have small litters of less than five young, while the burrowing species tend to give birth to more young, and to breed more frequently, possibly due to a greater availability of resources in their native habitats. The young are born after a gestation period of between 25 and 30 days.

Pikas provide important ecological functions as part of food chains, consuming a variety of plant matter and being preyed upon by weasels and martens.

Traditionally, pikas were a valuable source of fur throughout Asia and in particular the Soviet Union.

The name “pika” appears to be derived from the Tungus piika, and the scientific name Ochotona is from the Mongolian word ogdoi which means pika.

The pika is also known as the “whistling hare” for its high-pitched alarm call when diving into its burrow.

 

 

 

Source: Interesting Facts - Pika

 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - HARPY EAGLE

 

Did you know... that the harpy eagle is a neotropical species of eagle. It is also called the American harpy eagle to distinguish it from the Papuan eagle, which is sometimes known as the New Guinea harpy eagle or Papuan harpy eagle. It is the largest and most powerful raptor found in the rainforest, and among the largest extant species of eagles in the world. It usually inhabits tropical lowland rainforests in the upper (emergent) canopy layer. (Wikipedia)

 

• The harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) is one of the largest species of eagle.
• Rare throughout its range, the harpy eagle is found from Mexico (almost extinct), through Central America and into South America to as far south as Argentina. The eagle is most common in Brazil, where it is found across the entire national territory.
• Harpy eagles live in the canopies of tropical lowland rainforests. They prefer undisturbed forests but will also hunt along open patches of land. They generally are found in mid to upper levels of rainforest canopies where they are able to find preferred prey.
• They typically occur below an elevation of 900 meters (3,000 ft), but have been recorded at elevations up to 2,000 meters (6,600 ft).
• The lifespan of the harpy eagle is about 25 to 35 years in the wild and up to 40 years in captivity.

 

 

• Harpy eagles are from 86.5 to 107 cm (2 ft 10 in to 3 ft 6 in) long and have a wingspan of 176 to 224 cm (5 ft 9 in to 7 ft 4 in).
• Females are normally larger with an average weight of 6 to 9 kg (13 to 20 lb), while the males weigh an average of 4 to 5 kg (8.8 to 11 lb).
• Harpy eagles possess the largest talons of any living eagle, they can be as large as a bear’s claws, and its legs can be almost as thick as a man’s wrist.
• The coloration of the harpy eagle is deep gray, although they are white underneath. Their chests all feature prominent black ridges. The head is pale grey, and is crowned with a double crest. These eagles’ eye colors are generally either brown or gray. Their bills are black and their feet are yellow with black talons.

 

 

• Harpy eagles are most often found in pairs as they form monogamous pairs that mate for life. The average area occupied by each breeding pairs was estimated at 4,300 hectares (11,000 acres).
• They are solitary hunters which use their keen sense of sight to locate arboreal prey in thick rainforests.
• Harpy eagles can potentially perch for up to 23 hours in search of prey. They are incredibly skilled in flight and are adept at maneuvering through their dense, forest habitat. They are diurnal and hunt during the day.
• It has excellent vision and can see something less than 2 centimeters (1 inch) in size from almost 200 meters (220 yards) away.
• A harpy eagle is capable, in a serious chase, of reaching speeds of 80 kilometers per hour (50 miles per hour). It dives down onto its prey and snatches it with outstretched feet.

 

They have short, broad wings and can fly almost straight up, too, so it can attack prey from below as well as above.

 

The harpy eagle preys on tree dwelling mammals like monkeys, sloths and opossums. Other partially arboreal and even land mammals are also preyed on given the opportunity, including porcupines, rodents, anteaters, armadillos, and even relatively large carnivores such as kinkajous, coatis, and tayras. Occasionally, this eagle also preys on other bird like macaws as well as on reptiles such as iguanas, tejus, and snakes.

 

 

 

 

Harpy eagles use vocalizations to communicate with one another and visual displays and vocalizations in mating rituals. They will often produce vocalizations while sitting on perches, which sound like “uahaaaau…uahaaaau…uahaaaau”.

 

 

 

The breeding season for harpy eagles coincides with the start of the rainy season which usually begins in April or May. Harpy eagles construct large nests that measure 1.2 meters (3.9 ft) thick and 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) across. These impressive nests are reused by breeding pairs every year. The female harpy eagle lays one or two white eggs in a large nest. Eggs are incubated for an average of 56 days. The first eaglet to hatch gets all the attention and is more likely to survive, while the other egg dies from lack of incubation. Both parents feed the chick for about 10 months. Harpy eagle chicks are ready to fledge at about five to six months of age, but they usually hang around the nest for over a year, begging a meal from its parents. Pairs of harpy eagles only breed once every 2 to 3 years.

 

 

• Harpy eagles are near the top of a food chain but are preyed upon by snakes, jaguars and the much smaller ocelot.
• Globally, the harpy eagle is considered Near Threatened by IUCN and threatened with extinction by CITES. It is threatened primarily by habitat loss due to the expansion of logging, cattle ranching, agriculture, and prospecting.
• The species name harpyja and the word harpy in the common name harpy eagle both come from Ancient Greek hárpuia (ἅρπυια). They refer to the Harpies of Ancient Greek mythology. These were wind spirits that took the dead to Hades, and were said to have a body like an eagle and the face of a human.
• The harpy eagle is the national bird of Panama and is depicted on the coat of arms of Panama.
• The harpy eagle is considered by many Brazilian indigenous tribes as the personification of tribal chiefs, a symbol of eagerness and prowess.
• The 15th harpy eagle released in Belize, named “Hope”, was dubbed “Ambassador for Climate Change”, in light of the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009.
• The harpy eagle was the inspiration behind the design of Fawkes the Phoenix in the Harry Potter film series.

 

 

Source: JustFunFacts - Harpy Eagle

[Lonewolfe187]

Psycho Pass was originally meant to be as a successor to Ghost In The Shell but evolved into its own stand alone project. 

[DarkRavie]

22 minutes ago, Lonewolfe187 said:

Psycho Pass was originally meant to be as a successor to Ghost In The Shell but evolved into its own stand alone project. 

I'll have to look for this and watch it.

[Lonewolfe187]

5 minutes ago, DarkRavie said:

I'll have to look for this and watch it.

Its a really solid show and worth the watch

[DarkRavie]

Well, here's some facts I found about this anime that you've got me interested in and hope will interest others who like me haven't watched it.

 

Fact of the Day - PSYCHO-PASS

 

Did you know... that Psycho-Pass is a Japanese cyberpunk anime television series produced by Production I.G. It was co-directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani and Katsuyuki Motohiro and written by Gen Urobuchi, with character designs by Akira Amano and featuring music by Yugo Kanno.

 

The series aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block between October 2012 and March 2013. A second season aired between October and December 2014, with a feature film titled, Psycho-Pass: The Movie released in January 2015. In 2019, Psycho-Pass: Sinners of the System premiered the first of its three independent films, spanning release dates between January and March. All of the stories take place in an authoritarian future dystopia where omnipresent public sensors continuously scan the mental states of every passing citizen. A third season aired between October and December 2019, with a sequel film, Psycho-Pass 3: First Inspector, released in March 2020.

 

 

 

Psycho-Pass originated from Production I.G.'s interest in making a successor to Mamoru Oshii's achievements. The series was inspired by several live-action films. Chief director Katsuyuki Motohiro aimed to explore psychological themes in society's youth using dystopian storylines. Multiple books and movies influenced Psycho-Pass with the most notable being the 1982 American science fiction film Blade Runner. The series was licensed by Funimation in North America.

 

Two manga adaptations have been serialized in Shueisha's Jump Square magazine. Several novels, including an adaptation and prequels to the original story, have been published. An episodic video game adaptation called Chimi Chara Psycho-Pass was developed by Nitroplus staffers in collaboration with Production I.G. New novels and another manga were serialized in 2014. A prequel manga centered around Kogami's past has been written.

 

Psycho-Pass is set in a futuristic Japan where the Sibyl System, a powerful bio-mechanical computer network, endlessly measures the biometrics of Japanese citizens' brains and mentalities using a "cymatic scan." The resulting assessment is called a Psycho-Pass, which includes a numeric Crime Coefficient index, revealing the citizen's criminality potential, and a color-coded Hue, alerting law enforcement to other data, as well as the improvement (clearing) or decline (clouding) of said Psycho-Pass.

 

When a targeted individual's Crime Coefficient index exceeds the accepted threshold (100), they are pursued, apprehended, and either arrested or decomposed by the field officers of the Crime Investigation Department of the Ministry of Welfare's Public Safety Bureau. Elite officers known as Inspectors research and evaluate crime scenes, including all personnel involved, with the assistance of Enforcers.

 

Enforcers are latent criminals charged with protecting the Inspectors, adding their expertise and carrying out Inspectors' instructions. Both are equipped with personally activated, hand-held weapons called "Dominators" whose integrated scanners provide the target's immediate Psycho-pass. The gun-like weapon can only fire when approved by the Sibyl System and triggered by its owner. Inspectors and Enforcers work as a team, though Inspectors have jurisdiction to fire their Dominators on the Enforcers should they pose a danger to the public or the Inspectors themselves.

 

Dominator Standard Edition

 

Motohiro wanted the series to counter concurrent anime trends. The use of moe (slang) was banned at staff meetings because they appreciated dramas like Mobile Suit Gundam and Patlabor that focused on conflicts between male characters. As the series was "anti-moe," the team decided to avoid having Tsunemori remove her clothes and instead had Kogami do it. Nevertheless, the show attracted a female viewership because the conflict between the male characters appeared to attract the shonen ai genre fans. Although Shiotani also wanted the series to avoid romance between male characters, he believed the fight scenes between male characters unintentionally attracted female fans. The staff decided to focus on friendships rather than romantic relationships.

 

Makishima VS Kogami

 

The series was inspired by several Western films, most notably L.A. Confidential. Director Naoyoshi Shiotani cited several other influences, including Minority Report, Gattaca, Brazil and Blade Runner; the latter of which he compared very closely to Psycho-Pass. Before the making of the series, Urobuchi insisted on using a Philip K. Dick-inspired, dystopian narrative. The psychological themes were based on the time Shiotani watched Lupin III during his childhood because he thought about adding "today's youth trauma" to the series. The rivalry between the main characters was based on the several dramas the staff liked. Other voice actors have been credited in the making of the series because of the ways they added traits to the characters. Since the third series was handled by new writers (Fukami and Yoshigami), the new members used ideas from their superiors when writing the script such as Ubukata's novels Mardock Scramble and Spiegel.

 

Click below  to read more about Psycho-Pass

 

Source: Wikipedia - Psycho-Pass ; Psycho=Pass Wiki | Fandom

 

 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - JAPANESE ANIME

 

DId you know.... that sixty percent of the world's animation is anime?  The animation industry in Japan is pretty big, but just how big is it? Well, according to a 2004 document from the Japan External Trade Organization, anime films and television shows account for 60% of the world's animation-based entertainment.  Unsurprisingly, anime voice acting is also big, as Japan has around 130 voice-acting schools. 

 

The Titans in 'Attack On Titan' Are Based On Drunks

 

How did Hajime Isayama ever come up with creatures as terrifying as the Titans for his manga series Attack on Titans? In a TV appearance for Nihon TV's Zip! program, Isayama revealed that some of the scariest anime monsters of all time were based on a drunk customer he met at an internet cafe.  Being unable to communicate with the drunk inspired Isayama to create a series about the most familiar yet scary animal in the world: humans.

 

Everyone In 'Code Geass' Loves Pizza Because The Series Was Funded By Pizza Hut

 

If you're wondering why so many Britannians in Code Geass love to chow down on pizza, it's because the anime itself was funded by Pizza Hut in Japan. Cheese-kun - the Japanese mascot for Pizza Hut - is seen throughout the show.  Another sponsor for Code Geass that often appears in the anime is BIGLOBE, a Japanese internet service provider.

 

50 New Colors Were Created For 'Akira'

 

Akira wasn't just a game-changer for challenging the kid-friendly Western perception of animation back in 1988. The critically acclaimed anime movie was also a technical achievement for the Japanese anime industry. Akira consisted of 2,212 shots and 160,000 single pictures. This is about 2-3 times more than the average anime movie. Among the anime movie's record-breaking usage of 327 colors, 50 were created exclusively for the film. The reasoning for all this? The majority of Akira takes place at night, which was a setting animators commonly avoided due to increased color requirements.

 

'Spirited Away' Is The First Anime To Win An Academy Award

 

The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature usually doesn't stray away from Disney and Pixar movies, but in 2003, the anime movie Spirited Away won Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards.  However, Hayao Miyazaki, the director of the movie, didn't attend the ceremony because of his opposition to the Iraq war.

 

The Authors Of 'Sailor Moon' And 'Yu Yu Hakusho' Are Married

 

Celebrity marriages seldom last, but the same can't be said for manga creators in love.  According to fans, Naoko Takeuchi, the author of Sailor Moon, and Yoshihiro Togashi, the author of Yu Yu Hakusho and Hunter x Hunter, were married on January 6, 1999. 

 

'Bleach' Almost Didn't Happen

 

Bleach recently came to an end in 2016, but the series almost didn't make it into the Shonen Jump magazine when it was originally pitched.  Series creator Tite Kubo submitted his supernatural series to the publisher, but they rejected it. This discouraged from Kubo. However, Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama penned a letter to Kubo suggesting he continue his work on Bleach.

 

'Death Note' Inspired Chinese Children To Write Down The Names Of Their Teachers

 

When it comes to banning anime for inappropriate material, China certainly isn't shy. The Chinese government has banned popular anime series like Highschool of the Dead, Attack on Titan, and Psycho-Pass without hesitation.  For Death Note, however, the popular Shonen Jump series was banned not because of the violence, but because it inspired students to alter notebooks to resemble Death Notes and write the names of the teachers they hated in the books.

 

This Anime Character Has 10 Different Voices

 

In the anime series Is This a Zombie?, the necromancer named Eucliwood Hellscythe goes through as many as 10 different voice actors throughout the show's two seasons.  The character herself is mostly mute, however, all her speaking lines are all imagined by the protagonist, resulting in different voices for each fantasy.

 

'Your Name' Is The Highest Grossing Anime Film Worldwide

 

The critical and commercial success of Makoto Shinkai's Your Name can't be understated. Not only did the anime movie bring in the bucks in Japan, but it surpassed the Studio Ghibli movie Spirited Away as the highest-grossing anime film worldwide.  Spirited Away previously held the title with a box office take in of $275 million; Your Name brought in $281 million.

 

Studio Ghibli Is Named After A WWII-Era Aircraft

 

There's more to Hayao Miyazaki's love of airplanes than his 2013 anime film The Wind Rises. The name of his legendary Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli, originated from an Italian WWII-era scouting aircraft called the Ca. 309 Ghibli.  Studio Ghibli even paid tribute to the plane's designer, Giovanni Caproni, in a dream sequence for The Wind Rises. 

 

'Sazae-san' Is The Longest Running Animated TV Series

 

When Americans think of longest-running animated series, images of The Simpsons or SpongeBob SquarePants pop up in their heads. When it comes to Japan, however, those shows don't hold a candle to Sazae-san and its jaw-dropping 2,250+ episodes.  The anime series began in 1969 and continues to air to this day. The Guinness World Records recognized Sazae-san as the longest-running animated television series in the world back in 2013. 

 

The First Magical Girl Anime Aired In The '60s

 

Sailor Moon may be synonymous with the magical girl anime genre, but she was hardly the first.  The first magical girl show was Sally the Witch, which aired from 1966 to 1968 in Japan.  On a side note, this anime played in french and was called Minifée).

 

Real-Life Japanese Astronaut Recorded His 'Space Brothers' Cameo From The ISS

 

In space, no one can hear you scream. Unless, that is, it's in an anime. For the 31st episode of the anime series Space Brothers, real-life astronaut Akihiko Hoshide made a guest appearance on the show and actually recorded his part aboard the International Space Station (ISS).    Hoshide had this to say about being the first voice actor in space: “It was quite difficult, but I did my best. I am very excited to see what kind of an anime scene it will turn out to be.”

 

'Naruto' Characters Inspired By Japanese Film Industry

 

In the Naruto anime series, Naruto occasionally summons the giant ninja toad Gamabunta to help him out of a jam. The name "Gamabunta" is derived from the famous Japanese actor Bunta Sugawara, who starred as a Yakuza member in the Battles Without Honour and Humanity film series.  The director of those Yakuza films, Kinji Fukasaku, was also honored in Naruto as another elder ninja toad in the show is named Fukasaku.

 

Secret Origin Of The Word 'Gundam'

 

Have you ever wondered where the word "Gundam" came from?  Well, according to Bandai South Asia, the original name for those military robots were "Gundam," a portmanteau of the words "gun" and "freedom." 

 

Source: Anime Underground

Edited July 27, 2020 by DarkRavie