Fact of the Day

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - LAKES

Peyto Lake, Alberta, Canada

 

Did you know... that a lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, apart from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although like the much larger oceans, they form part of earth's water cycle. Lakes are distinct from lagoons which are generally coastal parts of the ocean. They are generally larger and deeper than ponds, which also lie on land, though there are no official or scientific definitions. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams, which are usually flowing in a channel on land. Most lakes are fed and drained by rivers and streams. Natural lakes are generally found in mountainous areas, rift zones, and areas with ongoing glaciation. Other lakes are found in endorheic basins or along the courses of mature rivers, where a river channel has widened into a basin. In some parts of the world there are many lakes because of chaotic drainage patterns left over from the last Ice Age. All lakes are temporary over geologic time scales, as they will slowly fill in with sediments or spill out of the basin containing them. Many lakes are artificial and are constructed for industrial or agricultural use, for hydro-electric power generation or domestic water supply, or for aesthetic, recreational purposes, or other activities. (Wikipedia)

 

Interesting Facts About Lakes

by Admin  |  2017

Lake Bled seen from Little Osojnica Hill

 

• A lake is a body of water that is surrounded by land.
• There are millions of lakes in the world.
• They are found on every continent and in every kind of environment—in mountains and deserts, on plains, and near seashores.
• Lakes vary greatly in size. Some measure only a few square meters and are often referred to as ponds while others are so big that they are called seas.
• The majority of lakes on Earth are fresh water, and most lie in the Northern Hemisphere at higher latitudes.

 

Banff National Park, Canada

 

• Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources gives an official count of 2,747,997 lakes in Russia. 98% of these lakes, the ministry says, are less than 1 square kilometer (0.38 miles), and less than 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) deep.
• Canada has an estimated 31,752 lakes larger than 3 square kilometers (1.2 sq mi) and an unknown total number of lakes, but is estimated to be at least 2 million.

 

Possibly Banff National Park, Canada

 

• Finland has 187,888 official lakes that each have an area of over 500 square meters (5,380 square feet). Approximately 56,000 of these lakes have an area of over 10,000 square meters (107,640 square feet). Finland has one of the highest densities of lakes and is often referred to as the land of the thousand lakes.
• The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed inland body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world’s largest lake or a full-fledged sea. It sprawls for 1,030 kilometers (640 miles) from north to south, although its average width is only 320 kilometers (200 miles). The sea has a surface area of 371,000 square kilometers (143,200 square miles).

 

This is a view from orbit of the Caspian Sea as

imaged by the MODIS sensor on the Terra satellite.

 

• Lake Superior is the largest of North America’s Great Lakes. It is generally considered the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. The surface area of Lake Superior is 82,170 square kilometers (31,700 square miles). That is 10% of all the earth’s fresh surface water.

 

Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario

 

• Lake Baikal located in southern Siberia is is the largest freshwater lake by volume in the world, containing 22–23% of the world’s fresh surface water. With 23,615.39 cubic kilometers (5,670 cu mi) of fresh water, it contains more water than the North American Great Lakes combined.
• Lake Baikal is also the deepest lake in the world. It is 1,642 meters (5,387 ft) at its deepest point. It is considered among the world’s clearest lakes and is considered the world’s oldest lake — at 25 million years.

 

Lake Baikal in mid July

 

• The Dead Sea, also known as the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. It is the world’s lowest lake at 418 meters (1,371 ft) below sea level. Although its name implies otherwise, the Dead Sea isn’t actually a sea at all. It’s really a lake. In fact, it’s a hypersaline lake, which means it’s a landlocked body of water with a high concentration of sodium chloride and other mineral salts.

 

Dead Sea

 

• Lake Titicaca located on the border of Bolivia and Peru at an altitude of 3,812 meters (12,507 feet), is the highest commercially navigable body of water in the world. By volume of water and by surface area, it is the largest lake in South America.

 

Raft of totora on Lake Titicaca in the

island of the Sun (Bolivia).

 

Click the link below  to read more facts about lakes.

 

 

Source: Facts About Lakes  |  Wikipedia - Lake

Edited June 9, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - SCIENCE-FICTION

The alien invasion featured in H. G. Wells' 1897

novel The War of the Worlds

 

Did you know... that science fiction is a genre of speculative fiction that typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life. It has been called the "literature of ideas", and often explores the potential consequences of scientific, social, and technological innovations. (Wikipedia)

 

Fun Facts about Science Fiction

By Kristine Tucker  |  Updated April 24, 2017

 

Science fiction might not appeal to every reader or viewer, but public interest in the genre has increased. In 2008, 41.4 million TV watchers claimed to watch science fiction shows. In 2013, 47.58 million people tuned in to watch sci-fi episodes, according to Statista. The genre encompasses short stories and books, movies, television -- and sometimes even a place where science fiction intersects with science facts.

 

Scary Themes

Science fiction stories have common themes, such as space travel, scientific progress, catastrophic events, supernatural powers, alien invaders, robots and the dangers of machines. For example, in Douglas Adams' novel "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," the protagonist and his alien friend navigate outer space and defeat evil Vogons who plan to destroy Earth. In the blockbuster hit "The Matrix," a human computer hacker defeats a race of machines that feed off human energy and erase human minds. Sci-fi themes often have underlying social or political messages that address human interactions on a global level.

 

Universal Robots

The term "robot" wasn't invented by scientists or alien life forms. Karel Čapek, a Czechoslovakian author, wrote a play in 1920 called "R.U.R. -- Rossum’s Universal Robots." Capek derived the word "robot" from a term in the Czech language that means forced labor. In his play, humans are threatened with extinction when robots try to take over the world. Authors and producers often strive to make robots seem as human as possible. In the 1968 novel "The Iron Man" by Ted Hughes, later made into a 1999 animated film entitled "The Iron Giant," a huge, three-story metal robot survives by consuming old metal parts on a family farm turned junkyard. Eventually, the robot sacrifices its life for a boy it befriends.

 

Beam Me Up

Teleportation isn't just a bizarre and crazy travel method used by characters in sci-fi books and movies such as "Star Trek." According to NASA, the "basic premise of teleportation is sound." Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado, successfully teleported individual atoms using the principle of quantum entanglement. Some technology experts believe teleportation could eventually lead to the production of lightning fast quantum computers. However, there's no evidence to show that scientists will ever be able to teleport human beings -- that concept is purely science fiction.

 

Subgenres Galore

Science fiction contains a wide range of categories and attributes. There are over 36 subgenres of science fiction, according to SciFiLists.com. Subgenres include space opera, steampunk, space Western, retrofuturism, nanopunk, gothic science fiction, slipstream and pulp science fiction. Better-known subgenres include hard science fiction, alien invasion, robot fiction, superhero fiction, apocalyptic science fiction, zombie fiction and time travel.

 

Superhero Powers

Honorable, heroic characters contribute to the popularity of science fiction. For example, Superman has super powers, but his moral code doesn't allow him to kill anyone, according to StarPulse.com. As a result, he must use his supernatural abilities, such as X-ray vision, to protect himself, defend others and solve crimes. Superman isn't the only one who can see through walls with his X-ray vision. In 2013, students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a way to see through walls -- a method they call "Wi-Vi." Wi-Vi tracks movements through walls using an inexpensive wireless system that could potentially be installed in smart phones or small hand-held devices. This could help rescuers search for victims trapped in rubble or aid law enforcement agents in their quest to defeat crime. The best part -- you don't have to wear blue tights and a red cape to use Wi-Vi.

 

Epic Sci-Fi Thriller

Big-screen movies elevated science fiction to a new level. One of the most critically acclaimed science fiction movies -- George Lucas' "Star Wars" -- is the second highest grossing movie of all time when you adjust sales for inflation, according to Celebrity Networth. Box Office Mojo reports that the gross income, including adjustments for ticket price inflation, exceeded $1.4 billion as of 2014. That's not bad considering Lucas produced the film on an $11 million budget and agreed to a $150,000 salary plus merchandising rights. Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 will forever remain science-fiction legacies, and "Star Wars" will always be remembered as a gigantic box office hit.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Science Fiction  |  Science Fiction Facts

Edited June 10, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - ATTACK ON TITAN

Cover art for the first volume of the

manga series Attack on Titan.

 

Did you know... that Attack on Titan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. It is set in a world where humanity lives inside cities surrounded by three enormous walls that protect them from the gigantic man-eating humanoids referred to as Titans; the story follows Eren Yeager, who vows to exterminate the Titans after a Titan brings about the destruction of his hometown and the death of his mother. Attack on Titan was serialized in Kodansha's monthly Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine from September 2009 to April 2021, with its chapters collected in 34 tankōbon volumes. An anime television series was produced by Wit Studio (seasons 1–3) and MAPPA (season 4). A 25-episode first season was broadcast from April to September 2013, followed by a 12-episode second season broadcast from April to June 2017. A 22-episode third season was broadcast in two parts, with the first 12 episodes airing from July to October 2018 and the last 10 episodes airing from April to July 2019. A fourth and final season premiered in December 2020, airing 16 episodes in its first part, with the remainder announced to air in early 2022. Attack on Titan has become a critical and commercial success. As of December 2019, the manga has over 100 million tankōbon copies in print worldwide, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. It has won several awards, including the Kodansha Manga Award, the Attilio Micheluzzi Award, and Harvey Award. (Wikipedia)

 

 

Attack on Titan: 10 Crazy Facts You Didn't Know About Armin
Armin is one of Attack On Titan's greatest heroes, though he may not seem like it at first, but what else are fans missing?

BY WINSTON WALLACE  |  PUBLISHED SEP 29, 2020

 

The hit series Attack on Titan is the pinnacle of Shonen storytelling. Series creator, Hajime Isayama, is a genius when it comes to story, world-building, and characters. Speaking of characters, AoT has some of the most iconic characters of all time. The characters feel like actual people. That’s not prevalent in most anime, so it’s imperative to give credit where credit is due. Armin Arlert is one of the most underrated characters in the series. He has done so much for the scouts. Sure, he’s not one of the strongest fighters, but he is helpful in other areas. He’s extremely intelligent, levelheaded, and a loyal friend. There are also some interesting facts about his character that many fans might not be aware of. Seeing that the final season has not yet aired, this article will only cover events about Armin and the plot up to season 3.

 

Voice Actors

Both voice actors of Armin, Sub and Dub, have a long catalog of voice roles. Japanese voice actress Marina Inoue, for example, has voiced Yoko from the infamous Gurren Laggann, Eve from Baccano!, Maiko Ogure form Kill la Kill, Momo, of My Hero, and Ikeda Aasemon from Gintama. American voice actor, Josh Grelle, has voiced William Vangeance from Black Clover, Mark Ibaraki from 7 Seeds, and Hughes from Fairy Tale. Both voice actors are well-versed with voice roles.

 

He Killed A Human Before He Actually Killed A Titan

Armin still hasn’t technically killed a Titan, but he has gotten blood on his hands. In season 3 of episode 2 Armin shoots one of Kenny Ackerman's cronies. Armin is so traumatized by what he has done, he constantly vomits. At the time, Armin only believed he would be killing Titans, which, again, he hasn’t technically done yet. So, it does make sense that this would be a little traumatizing for him. This also took many fans by surprise.  No one ever thought Armin would kill someone.  Eren killing another human isn't surprising. We've seen him do it.   Armin, however, is another story.

 

He Ranked 10 In Popularity Poll

Despite being a main character in the series, Armin isn't that popular amongst the fans. The first popularity poll that was released, he ranked 10th. Since then, he's gone up in ranking, though, not by much. In the second character popularity poll, he ranked 6th. In the third, he ranked 8th. Perhaps in the final season, he'll move up in the ranking?

 

The Reason For His His Name

There’s an interesting reason why Isayama chose the full name Armin Arlert as the character's name. He claims it sounds like the word “aluminum”. Writers often have a comical reason why they give the characters they create certain names. And, as it seems, mangaka's are no different.  He also proclaims he chose this full name for Armin seeing that its easier to remember.

 

His Birthday

Armin’s birthday, November 3rd is Culture Day in Japan. This holiday centers around all thing's academics, fine arts, and culture. Writers also tend to give characters birthdays around events. Monkey D. Luffy of One Piece, for instance, birthday is May 5th, which is Children's Day in Japan. Since Luffy has a childlike sense of wonder, this does make sense.

 

Armin’s Interest In The Outside World

Ever wondered how Armin and Eren knew about the beach, despite being cut off from the outside world? Armin’s grandfather gave him a book when he was young, detailing what was beyond the walls.  This is the sole reason why Armin and Eren have such a strong bond. They both possess the same dream of seeing the world. Eren and Armin constantly looked at it, with aspirations of going beyond the walls. This book is considered illegal for someone to have their possession. How did Armin’s grandfather get his hands on this book?

 

Never Made It Into The Top Ten Of His Graduating Class

Despite his high intelligence and resourcefulness, Armin surprisingly didn’t graduate at the top of his class, from the training corps. To be fair, this ranking is mainly based on combat performance. In fact, he’s the only scout in Levi's squad, currently, that’s not in the top ten of his graduating class. It’s still jarring though because Eren’s in the top 5 of the graduating class, and he’s not that much better than Armin when it comes to combat.

 

He’s In The Top Five In Academics

Seeing that Armin’s, the guy that devises some of the most brilliant plans, it’s not surprising he graduated top five from the 104th Training Corps in academics. It’s true he’s not the strongest fighter, but he is a great strategist. It’s was his idea to use Eren’s Titan form to use the bolder to cover up Wall Rose. By doing this, it will prohibit any more Titans from entering the city. He also figured out Annie was the Female Titan. Moreover, he orchestrates the plan to trap her.

 

His Name Has Multiple Meanings

The name Armin is a German name with many meanings such as, “whole”, “ universal”, “warrior” and “soldier”. Given the fact Armin is indeed a soldier, the writer may have picked this name, for that very reason. In a previous entry, it’s discussed that Isayama had another reason why he chose Armin Arlert as his full name. Clearly, a lot of thought went into his name.

 

How His Parent’s Died

In the series, Armin divulges that his parents died in a recovery mission to take back Wall Maria. As of now, this information has been retconned. According to the Attack on Titan Encyclopedia, it is revealed that Armin's parents were executed, after attempting to leave the walls via air balloon. As a matter of fact, this information gets lightly touched on in the anime.  In episode 2 of season 3, their killer, Djel Sannes, admits to killing a couple trying leave, by using an air balloon.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Attack On Titan  |  Attack On Titan Facts

 

Edited June 11, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - OTAKU

The Akihabara neighborhood of Tokyo, a popular

gathering site for otaku

 

Did you know... that Otaku is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime and manga. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in Manga Burikko. Otaku may be used as a pejorative; its negativity stemming from a stereotypical view of otaku as social outcasts and the media's reporting on Tsutomu Miyazaki, "The Otaku Murderer", in 1989. According to studies published in 2013, the term has become less negative, and an increasing number of people now identify themselves as otaku, both in Japan and elsewhere. Out of 137,734 teens surveyed in Japan in 2013, 42.2% self-identified as a type of otaku.

 

Things To Know About The Otaku Culture In Japan
By Trevor Jones  |  October 28, 2020

 

What does “otaku” mean? In high school, there was an afterschool club that one could join called the “Otaku Club.” I later learned that it was for people who were fans of Japanese media, typically in the form of manga and anime. Upon moving to Japan, I learned that the term was multi-faceted. In America it tends to have a negative connotation, and is similar to “nerd” or “geek.” In Japan, I learned that it could have a negative connotation, but it is not always negative. I discovered that “otaku” came in all different varieties. There are, of course, “otaku” that are interested in manga and anime. But there are other “otaku” that are interested in idol groups, trains, and even bird-watching. Anybody who is very passionate about a hobby of theirs can be dubbed an “otaku.” Here are some important things to know about “otaku” culture and a brief summary on why these features are important.

 

Anime

Many people’s first introduction to “otaku” culture is through anime. As a child, Dragon Ball Z was incredibly popular with my peers and then the Pokémon craze exploded in America. Because of the popularity of these two shows, I learned that Japan had a very unique style of animation that included large eyes and intense sound effects. In the 80’s and 90’s Japan was churning out these animated television shows at an unbelievable rate. Upon export to Western audiences, some Japanese anime series were cut in a way that created different story lines and they were dubbed into English to be more accessible.

 

Ghibli

 

One of the most popular anime studios in Japan is Studio Ghibli, founded be Hayao Miyazaki. Ghibli is responsible for such classic films as “My Neighbor Totoro,” and the award winning “Spirited Away.” Ghibli characters can be seen all over Japan. They are on lunch boxes, t-shirts, bags and countless other items. Studio Ghibli is considered Japan’s Disney Studios. The films and stories are known by most Japanese, whether young or old.

 

Manga

 

Manga is an integral part of “otaku” culture. Many anime series were born as manga before being adapted for the screen. Manga has a long history in Japan and they are incredibly similar to Western comic books. It is thought that one of the first manga was created by the famous Japanese artist Hokusai. Manga is so popular in Japan that many people read manga on their daily commute. “Manga kissa,” or manga cafes are places where one can buy a beverage and peruse the extensive manga library available at the café and read to their heart’s content.

 

Osamu Tezuka

Known as the godfather of manga, Osamu Tezuka is known for “AstroBoy,” “Kimba the White Lion” and others. He is also a descendant of the famous ninja Hattori Hanzo. Tezuka was originally from the Osaka area, and moved to Tokyo as his popularity grew. After the success of his first work, “The New Treasure Island” he opened his own production company, Mushi Productions in Tokyo. Mushi was rivaled at the time by Toei Animation. Many of Tezuka’s stories were adapted from Western literature, but given a unique Japanese twist. The characteristic large eyes in manga and anime today were a signature of Tezuka, and he is credited as originator of this style. The Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum is located in Takarazuka in Hyogo, Tezuka’s hometown.

 

Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball is an incredibly popular franchise based on a manga and adapted into many animated incarnations. It was created in 1984 by Akira Toriyama. Dragon Ball originally appeared in a serialized format in Weekly Shōnen Jump and has gone on to become one of the most successful manga and anime series of all time. In addition to the manga and show, the Dragon Ball franchise includes games, films and countless merchandising in the form of figures, apparel and toys. Dragon Ball has gone on to become a pop culture again all over the world.

 

Video Games

Once Nintendo made the pivot to home-gaming, the world was changed forever. Sony is a well-known Japanese electronics brand that has also entered the video game market with their PlayStation gaming consoles. Both companies are now synonymous with the video game industry.

 

Idols

 

Idols usually start their career at a very young age, in their pre-teens, and when they reach adulthood, they “graduate” out of the group. The idol phenomenon attracts armies of fans. Office workers come to see shows performed by their favorite idols and feel a connection to them. Some fans border on obsessive in their collection of memorabilia from their favorite idols.

 

AKB48

 

AKB48 is the most famous idol group in Japan. Assembled in the otaku mecca of Akihabara, this group includes 48 girls who sing, act and dance. The group has been around for decades, and when the girls reach the maximum age, they “graduate” and new recruits are voted in to carry on the AKB legacy. AKB48 have a performance venue and café in Akihabara. The merchandizing for AKB48 is very lucrative, with fans collecting everything from photos to ticket stubs and more.

 

Tsutomu Miyazaki

Tsutomu Miyazaki is the inspiration for the negative connotation of the term “otaku” in modern society. Also known as the “vampire killer” or “otaku murderer,” Miyazaki was convicted of murdering numerous young girls in Tokyo during the early 90’s. A police search of his apartment exposed numerous VHS tapes containing anime as well as manga comics. The photograph of his apartment was widely published and described as a typical “otaku” apartment.

 

Hikikomori

Hikikomori: Behind Japan’s modern hermits

 

“Hikikomori” is a Japanese word used to describe members of society who do not go outside and are “shut-ins.” These individuals may venture outside for food or necessities, but they tend to prefer staying in their rooms. The term was coined by psychologist Tamaki Saitō, and it is estimated that there are somewhere between 500,000 to 1 million “hikikomori” today. In today’s internet age it is much easier to seclude oneself and it’s an ongoing issue and discussion topic of policymakers.

 

Doujinshi

The term “doujinshi” indicates a self-published work. It could be a magazine, manga, novel, etc. Many times these works extract characters or themes from popular works. “Doujinshi” is very similar to fan-fiction. There have been some copyright issues in the past, but for the most part, “doujinshi” is permitted as it is seen as honoring the root story that it borrows from. These items can be found and sometimes sold at conventions, the most well-known being Comiket.

 

 

 

Click the link below  to know more about Otaku Culture in Japan.

 

Source: Facts About Otaku Culture in Japan  |  Wikipedia - Otaku

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - MADE UP BUT NOT

 

Did you know.... that polar bears aren't white, strawberries aren't berries, and the Earth isn't round—we'll have you rethinking everything you thought you knew for sure!

by Charlotte Hilton Andersen  |  Updated: Mar. 17, 2021

 

Froot Loops are all the same flavor

Sure those sweetened O’s are all different colors but that doesn’t mean they are different flavors. Kellogg’s, the company who makes them, has admitted that each Froot Loop is “froot flavored” which they describe as “a blend of fruit flavors.” Not all facts are factual—like these 51 “facts” everyone believes, that are actually false.

 

Anne Frank and Martin Luther King, Jr. were born the same year

Anne Frank is an iconic symbol of the Nazi brutality of World War II in the 1940s while Martin Luther King, Jr. was the face and voice of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. The two events seem so far apart in history but both figures were born in 1929—January 15 for King, and June 12 for Frank. How’s that for a mind-blowing fact? On the flip side, here are 12 Martin Luther King, Jr. “facts” that just aren’t true.

 

Most Canadians live south of Seattle

Canada and the United States are both large countries which can make understanding the relative geography difficult. But the contiguous United States goes farther north than you think and the majority of Canadians live near the southern border. The result? At 45 degrees latitude, Seattle is farther north than Toronto and Montreal, meaning that 64 percent of Canadians live south of Seattle. Here are 23 more mind-blowing facts you didn’t learn in geography class.

 

More French soldiers died during World War I than American soldiers during all of U.S. history

World War I was catastrophic on levels that most of us alive today cannot even comprehend. One example? The numbers of total deaths. During the first world war, France lost about 1,360,000 soldiers. In contrast, the United States has recorded about 1,350,000 military deaths total, over every war since 1775. Here are 20 cool everyday things that were actually designed for WWI.

 

There is a species of jellyfish that is immortal

Think that immortality is just a fantasy? Well, it is for humans. But scientists have discovered that the Turritopsis dohrnii jellyfish can revert back to its juvenile polyp stage after maturing, continuing in an endless cycle making it the only known officially immortal creature. Love mind-blowing facts? Check out 100 interesting facts about practically everything.

 

The U.S. government has an official plan for a zombie apocalypse

Think The Walking Dead is straight-up fiction? Well, it is—but the government wants to be prepared for a real-life version anyhow. The 31-page Counter-Zombie Dominance Plan, or CONPLAN 8888-11, was designed in 2011. And just in case you think it’s weird bureaucratic humor, the first line reads, “This plan was not actually designed as a joke.”

 

There is a country with no capital

Nauru is the only country in the world without an official capital city. The government offices of the tiny Pacific island nation are located in the Yaren District. These are the only 5 countries in the world without airports. 

 

The Penny Hoarder Issues “Urgent” Alert: 6 Companies Are Overcharging You

By The Penny Hoarder — How many times have we fallen for this?

 

The “word of the year” in 2015 was a picture

Proof that Internet culture has overtaken reality: In 2015, Oxford dictionaries chose the “smiling with tears of joy” emoji as its official word of the year. The pictograph “best reflected the ethos, mood, and preoccupations of 2015,” they said.

 

Prince Charles has a car fueled by wine

In the search for more efficient fuels, Prince Charles is taking a strange-but-entertaining approach: The heir to the British throne had his vintage Aston Martin reworked to use wine as it’s primary fuel. Do you know these facts about Prince Charles? 

 

Click the link below  to read more Mind Blowing Facts!

 

 

Source: Mind Blowing Facts

Edited June 13, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - DRAGONFLY

 

Did you know... that a dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, infraorder Anisoptera. Adult dragonflies are characterized by large, multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Dragonflies can be mistaken for the related group, damselflies (Zygoptera), which are similar in structure, though usually lighter in build; however, the wings of most dragonflies are held flat and away from the body, while damselflies hold their wings folded at rest, along or above the abdomen. Dragonflies are agile fliers, while damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural colouration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each. (Wikipedia)

 

Fascinating Facts About Dragonflies

By Debbie Hadley  |  Updated February 09, 2020

Prehistoric-looking dragonflies can be a little intimidating as they swoop about the summer skies. In fact, according to one dragonfly myth, the uncanny creatures would sew up the lips of unsuspecting humans. Of course, that's not even remotely true. Dragonflies are essentially harmless. Even better, these large-eyed aeronauts love to feed on pests like mosquitoes and midges for which we can be truly grateful—but those aren't the only interesting qualities that make them so fascinating.

 

1. Dragonflies Are Ancient Insects

Long before the dinosaurs roamed the Earth, dragonflies took to the air. Griffenflies (Meganisoptera), the gigantic precursors to modern dragonflies had wingspans of over two feet and dotted the skies during the Carboniferous period over 300 million years ago.2

2. Dragonfly Nymphs Live In the Water

There's a good reason why you see dragonflies and damselflies around ponds and lakes: They're aquatic! Female dragonflies deposit their eggs on the water's surface, or in some cases, insert them into aquatic plants or moss. Once hatched, the nymph dragonfly spends its time hunting other aquatic invertebrates. Larger species even dine on the occasional small fish or tadpole. After molting somewhere between six and 15 times, a dragonfly nymph is finally ready for adulthood and crawls out of the water to shed its final immature skin.

 

3. Nymphs Breath Through Their Anus

The damselfly nymph actually breathes through gills inside its rectum. Likewise, the dragonfly nymph pulls water into its anus to facilitate gas exchange. When the nymph expels water, it propels itself forward, providing the added benefit of locomotion to its breathing.

4. Most New Dragonfly Adults Are Eaten

When a nymph is finally ready for adulthood, it crawls out of the water onto a rock or plant stem and molts one final time. This process takes several hours or days as the dragonfly expands to its full body capacity.2 These newly emerged dragonflies, known at this stage as teneral adults, are soft-bodied, pale, and highly vulnerable to predators. Until their bodies fully harden they are weak flyers, making them ripe for the picking. Birds and other predators consume a significant number of young dragonflies in the first few days after their emergence.

5. Dragonflies Have Excellent Vision

Relative to other insects, dragonflies have extraordinarily keen vision that helps them detect the movement of other flying critters and avoid in-flight collisions. Thanks to two huge compound eyes, the dragonfly has nearly 360° vision and can see a wider spectrum of colors than humans. Each compound eye contains 28,000 lenses or ommatidia and a dragonfly uses about 80% of its brain to process all of the visual information it receives.

 

6. Dragonflies Are Masters of Flight

Dragonflies are able to move each of their four wings independently. They can flap each wing up and down, and rotate their wings forward and back on an axis. Dragonflies can move straight up or down, fly backward, stop and hover, and make hairpin turns—at full speed or in slow motion. A dragonfly can fly forward at a speed of 100 body lengths per second (up to 30 miles per hour).

7. Male Dragonflies Fight for Territory

Competition for females is fierce, leading male dragonflies to aggressively fend off other suitors. In some species, males claim and defend a territory against intrusion from other males. Skimmers, clubtails, and petaltails scout out prime egg-laying locations around ponds. Should a challenger fly into his chosen habitat, the defending male will do all he can to chase away the competition. Other kinds of dragonflies don't defend specific territories but still behave aggressively toward other males that cross their flight paths or dare to approach their perches.

 

8. Male Dragonflies Have Multiple Sex Organs

In nearly all insects, the male sex organs are located at the tip of the abdomen. Not so in male dragonflies. Their copulatory organs are on the underside of the abdomen, up around the second and third segments. Dragonfly sperm, however, is stored in an opening of the ninth abdominal segment. Before mating, the dragonfly has to fold his abdomen in order to transfer his sperm to his penis.

 

9. Some Dragonflies Migrate

A number of dragonfly species are known to migrate, either singly or en masse. As with other migratory species, dragonflies relocate to follow or find needed resources or in response to environmental changes such as impending cold weather. Green Darners, for example, fly south each fall in sizeable swarms and then migrate north again in the spring. Forced to follow the rains that replenish their breeding sites, the Globe Skimmer—one of several species that's known to spawn in temporary freshwater pools—set a new insect world record when a biologist documented its 11,000 mile trip between India and Africa.

 

10. Dragonflies Thermoregulate Their Bodies

Like all insects, dragonflies are technically ectotherms ("cold-blooded"), but that doesn't mean they're at the mercy of Mother Nature to keep them warm or cool. Dragonflies that patrol (those that habitually fly back and forth) employ a rapid whirring movement of their wings to raise their body temperatures. Perching dragonflies, on the other hand, who rely on solar energy for warmth, skillfully position their bodies to maximize the surface area exposed to sunlight. Some species even use their wings as reflectors, tilting them to direct the solar radiation toward their bodies. Conversely, during hot spells, some dragonflies strategically position themselves to minimize sun exposure, using their wings to deflect sunlight.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Dragonfly  |  Facts About Dragonflies

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - SAILOR MOON

Did you know... that Sailor Moon is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. It was originally serialized in Nakayoshi from 1991 to 1997; the 60 individual chapters were published in 18 tankōbon volumes. The series follows the adventures of a schoolgirl named Usagi Tsukino as she transforms into Sailor Moon to search for a magical artifact, the "Legendary Silver Crystal". She leads a group of comrades, the Sailor Soldiers (Sailor Guardians in later editions) as they battle against villains to prevent the theft of the Silver Crystal and the destruction of the Solar System. (Wikipedia)

 

What You Didn't Know About Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon changed anime as a whole, but there's a lot to its creation that fans may have never known.

BY RICHARD KELLER  |  PUBLISHED AUG 07, 2020

 

Before the advent of streaming services, anime lovers got their fill of shows from videos and television. One of the places it came from was the Cartoon Network block called Toonami. This is where the popularity of the female-driven Sailor Moon got its start in Western screens. Based on the successful manga Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, the anime series ran in Japan from 1992 to 1997. Once acquired and dubbed for American audiences, it ran on Toonami for several seasons. Though fans of the series know a lot about it and its characters, others only know the basics. To fill in the blanks, here are ten things you didn't know about Sailor Moon. [Sailor Moon: When Is Every Sailor Scouts’ Birthday]

 

There's A Prequel Of Sorts

Sailor Moon doesn't start with Usagi. In reality, it begins in another manga series produced by creator Naoko Takeuchi. It's here that she introduces an important Sailor Scout. In Codename: Sailor V, a girl named Minako meets Artemis, a white cat with a crescent moon symbol on its head. During the series, Artemis tells Minako she has powers that are ready to be released. In Sailor Moon, Minako would become Sailor Venus.

 

Naoko Takeuchi Has A Scientific Background

Takeuchi didn't start her life as a manga/anime artist. Truth be told, her love in school was science. In high school, she was president of the astronomy club. This admiration for the stars was actually one of the main influences for Sailor Moon. Encouraged to follow other paths than animation, Takeuchi enrolled in pharmacy school and received a degree in chemistry. Her time at university also provided an interest in geology. This is why the villains are named after gemstones in the original Japanese version of the show.

 

The Tsukino Family Has A Real-World Connection

Outside of Takeuchi's scientific influences, there's another real-world connection in Sailor Moon. It's the names Takeuchi gave to Usagi's parents and brother. In truth, they're named after her own family. As for the creator herself, there's a deep link to the show's Scouts. Out of all of them, Usagi is the one whose personality is most like hers.

 

Sailor Moon Isn't The Only Usagi Around

In the original Japanese manga and anime, Sailor Moon's real first name is Usagi. Translated, this means rabbit or bunny. Hence, the reason she's known by the name Bunny Tsukino in some versions of the show. While it seems unique, Usagi is the name of another Japanese hero older than Sailor Moon. That would be Usagi Yojimbo. Created by Stan Sakai, the 17th-century samurai has been around since 1984. Also, Usagi is a rabbit. [Sailor Moon: 5 Marvel Villains Sailor Jupiter Could Defeat (& 5 She Couldn’t)]

 

There's A Stage Musical Of Sailor Moon

How big Sailor Moon is across the Pacific, you may ask? Well, it spawned several musical theater productions. Close to three dozen, to be specific. They started in 1993 and ran during the winter and spring until 2005. The format was resurrected again in 2013. All totaled, the musicals have run over a whopping 800 times. The live-action performances feature all the Sailor Scouts along with the show's only male hero, Tuxedo Mask. Musical numbers include the theme song and ones connected to family life and battle. In 2019, a version of the musical appeared in New York City for a limited engagement. It's been so popular in Japan that it helped spawn a live-action TV series.

 

There Was An Attempt To Americanize Sailor Moon

Children's television was in another creative peak during the early '90s. When producers saw how successful Sailor Moon was, they thought it would be a great idea to create an American version. However, it wouldn't have the same format as the original. Instead of just dubbing the anime, the American version starred real-life actresses. When called upon to save the world, the Scouts would then become animated. Needless to say, this Power Rangers-styled approach to localization didn't really pan out, and the only example of this concept is a demo video that has made its way across the internet. Speaking of the Power Rangers... [Sailor Moon: Usagi's 10 Best Disguises, Ranked]

 

Sailor Moon Was Inspired By The Power Rangers

Naoko Takeuchi has revealed a secret about her influence on Sailor Moon. The number of scouts and their color schemes were taken from another Japanese creation about heroes assigned to save the galaxy. These would be The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. That's what they'd eventually become. When they were introduced in 1975, the group's name was Super Sentai and it was comprised of five boys who have to protect the world by becoming costumed superheroes. Takeuchi wanted to introduce an all-female version of the same idea, resulting in Sailor Moon. Needless to say, neither franchise has suffered from the cross-influence.

 

Sailor Moon's Creator Married A Fellow Mangaka

Believe it or not, there's a connection between the Sailor Moon universe and the ones of another pair of anime -- Hunter X Hunter and Yu Yu Hakusho. It's not related to any type of crossover between the stories. Rather, it's the fact the creator of these shows is married to Sailor's creator. Award-winning creator Yoshihiro Togashi is the man who married Takeuchi in 1999. Since then, they've both continued to work successfully in various forms of media to display their works.

 

Usagi's Transformation Has A Hidden Signed Message

Superhero-based anime always feature some of the best transformation scene; it's practically a signature of the genre. Think of the sequence where the Lions become Voltron. Sailor Moon also has a well-known transformation scene for Usagi, and it's here that one secret lies. The hand motion she uses when she starts the change is not simply there for the sake of it, as it represents the phrase "I love you" in American sign language. On the other hand, the sideways 'V' symbol she salutes with at the end of the transformation doesn't represent anything. It's a simple creative flair, made courtesy of the creator.

 

Tuxedo Mask Is Technically Sailor Earth

The lone male hero in the Sailor Moon universe is Tuxedo Mask. Dressed in a cape and (of course) a tuxedo and white mask, the hero can read past, present, and future events through a single touch. Additional psychic abilities come and go, depending on the series. Though he isn't technically a Sailor Scout, the translation of his Japanese name makes him an honorary one. Called Chiba Mamoru, his English name is Protector of the Earth. In other words, he is technically Sailor Earth.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Sailor Moon  |  Sailor Moon - Facts You Didn't Know

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - NETFLIX

 

Did you know... that Netflix, Inc. is an American over-the-top content platform and production company headquartered in Los Gatos, California. Netflix was founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California. (Wikipedia)

 

Facts About Netflix, Recommended For You
BY JAKE ROSSEN  |  AUGUST 19, 2019

Netflix has become the world’s intravenous line for filmed entertainment. And like any media empire, it has a few stories of its own to tell. Take a look at some lesser-known, non-buffering facts about the streaming giant.

 

1. EARLY NETFLIX SUBSCRIBERS GOT A LOT OF CHINESE PORNOGRAPHY.

 

In 1998, Netflix was still in the business of selling as well as renting DVDs. To try and offer consumers something new, co-founder Marc Randolph decided to offer footage of President Bill Clinton’s Grand Jury testimony about his involvement with Monica Lewinsky. But according to the book Netflixed, the duplicating house had a mix-up: out of the 1000 customers who ordered Clinton's interview, a few hundred received discs full of hardcore Chinese pornography.

 

2. NETFLIX WAS ORIGINALLY CALLED KIBBLE.
Choosing a name for the company was a drawn-out process. Directpix.com, Replay.com, and other names were considered; so was Luna.com, which was the name of Randolph’s dog. When the company was being incorporated, he named it Kibble.com until they could decide on something permanent.

 

3. NETFLIX EXECUTIVES USED TO MAKE HOUSE CALLS.
From the beginning, Netflix has been preoccupied with seeing how users interact with its software in order to select titles. In the late 1990s, subscribers near the company’s location in Los Gatos, California were reached via telephone and asked a series of questions. Then staffers would ask if they could stop by to watch them use the site. Surprisingly, most agreed. Netflix brought them coffee, a small investment for gaining valuable information about their usage.

 

4. NETFLIX GOT DENNIS QUAID TO SING.

 

 

For a 2006-2007 publicity tour, Netflix decided to screen films in thematically-correct locations: For example, Field of Dreams was shown in the “real” Iowa cornfield-slash-baseball diamond featured in the movie. But the company also wanted actors to make appearances. Their approach: offer to let those with bands perform for the crowds. Kevin Costner, Bruce Willis, Dennis Quaid, and Kevin Bacon all agreed to the barter deal. Quaid and his band, The Sharks, played in New Orleans before a screening of his film The Big Easy.

 

5. NETFLIX HAS MADE A SCIENCE OUT OF SPOILERS.
Because so much of Netflix’s high-profile content can be “binged” in a single weekend, the company commissioned cultural anthropologist Grant McCracken to examine how spoilers affect a person’s viewing habits. McCracken identified classifications of spoiler-prone people by whether they ruin a plot twist intentionally or hold it over others. (Some people are “Coded Spoilers,” too self-aware to let anything slip. These people are your friends.) His verdict? Some people enjoy the power they get from having knowledge of spoilers. But if a show is good enough, knowing about key scenes won't dissuade viewers from watching.

 

6. NETFLIX STAFFERS THINK YOU DECIDE ON A MOVIE IN TWO MINUTES.

 

Netflix spends more than $150 million on improving their recommendation system every year, trying to arrange selections based on what they think you might like. That kind of personalized menu is necessary: The company estimates that users spend only two minutes browsing for a title before choosing one or opting for another diversion entirely.

 

7. NETFLIX STAFFERS ALSO THINK YOU MIGHT BE KIND OF A LIAR. 
You can stop trying to impress Netflix with the streaming version of keeping Ulysses on your coffee table. In a 2013 WIRED interview, Carlos Gomez-Uribe—the company's vice president of product innovation from 2010 to 2016—noted that viewers often report viewing documentaries or esoteric foreign movies. “But in practice,” he said, “that doesn’t happen very much.”

 

8. THE FIRST "NETFLIX ORIGINAL" WAS AN ABSTRACT TEST FOOTAGE SHORT.

 

In order to test frame rates and how their streaming service handles different kinds of content, Netflix produced 11 minutes of test footage in 2011 that can be viewed by typing “example show” in their search engine. Cut together (as seen above), the shorts become a very strange, very abstract art film, with an unidentified man juggling and reciting Shakespeare. (But not, sadly, juggling while reciting Shakespeare.)

 

9. NETFLIX BINGE-WATCHING MIGHT CORRELATE WITH DEPRESSION. 
A 2015 study by the University of Texas found that respondents who claimed to binge Netflix shows were more likely to suffer from depression, lack of self-control, or loneliness. The good news? The sample group was small—only 316 people—and the university’s definition of “binge-watching” was as low as two episodes. Amateurs. 

 

10. THERE’S A SECRET NETFLIX MENU.

 

No, not that kind of secret menu. Pressing Shift + Alt + a left mouse click brings up a troubleshooting menu that allows you to adjust the bit rate of a stream so it doesn’t buffer. (On a Mac, it's Shift + Option + click.) The picture quality won’t be as good, but it’s better than a pixelated Demogorgon.

 

11. THERE WAS ONCE A GLITCH IN THE NETFLIX MATRIX. 
In 2014, Netflix’s content descriptions became odd amalgamations of two different titles to create one completely nonsensical listing. The summaries were quickly fixed, but not before someone took several screen shots of the mishaps.

 

12. YOU'LL SOON BE ABLE TO STREAM NETFLIX IN A TESLA.

 

In July 2019, Tesla founder Elon Musk informed Tesla owners they would soon be able to stream both Netflix and YouTube in their cars, an attractive option for anyone looking to keep passengers occupied. But there's a catch: The services only work when the cars are parked. The feature will be available in newer-model cars at a date to be determined.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Netflix  |  Facts About Netflix

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - STEAMBOAT WILLIE

 

Did you know.... that Steamboat Willie is a 1928 American animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. It was produced in black-and-white by Walt Disney Studios and was released by Celebrity Productions. The cartoon is considered the debut of Mickey Mouse and his girlfriend Minnie, although both characters appeared several months earlier in a test screening of Plane Crazy. Steamboat Willie was the third of Mickey's films to be produced, but was the first to be distributed because Walt Disney, having seen The Jazz Singer, had committed himself to produce one of the first fully synchronized sound cartoons. (Wikipedia)

 

Fun Facts about “Steamboat Willie”

BY JIM KORKIS  |  NOVEMBER 18, 2018

 

I wrote The Book of Mouse (2013) that featured two chapters on the making of Steamboat Willie and just recently Secret Stories of Mickey Mouse (2018). This being the Mouse’s official “birth date”, I thought this would be good day to share some of my research – in regards to Mickey’s first sound cartoon, Steamboat Willie.

 

When did Mickey celebrate his third birthday? October 24, 1931. The Los Angeles Times at the time contacted the Disney Studios in Burbank to confirm that fact.

 

 

When did Mickey celebrate his fifth birthday? October 1, 1933. Walt told Film Pictorial magazine “that was the date on which his first picture was started so we have allowed him to claim this day as his birthday”.

 

Walt was incorrect as to the starting date of Mickey’s first cartoon (Plane Crazy which was April 1928) as well as the starting date of Steamboat Willie (which was in August 1928) but Mickey’s birthday was occasionally celebrated on October first for several years. When was Mickey’s lucky seventh birthday when every available print of all Disney animated cartoons were in use across the country in theaters, cartoonist Floyd Gottfredson drew a special birthday-themed installment of the Mickey Mouse newspaper strip and Guy Lombardo and his orchestra recorded a special fox trot “Mickey Mouse’s Birthday Trot”, September 28th, 1935.

 

Of course, those dates were all in the earliest years of the Mouse where things were in turmoil and Walt had a small staff and documentation was not as important. So, let’s try an easier one. When was Mickey’s 40th birthday in 1968? September 27th, 1968. Basically, for over forty years, Disney selected any date from mid-September to mid-November to celebrate Mickey’s birthday in order to encourage theaters to rent Mickey Mouse cartoons for promotional birthday parties and to drive in hordes of children who were back in school to those theaters before the big Christmas holiday season.

 

 

Mickey’s 40th was a huge success, unleashing a wave of unprecedented merchandising nostalgia for the original, pie-eyed Mickey. With even more elaborate plans for Mickey’s 50th in 1978 and the hiring of Disney Archivist Dave Smith in June 1970, it became a priority to finally establish an official date that had some legitimate foundation in time for the big birthday. Smith cleverly decided that the premiere of Steamboat Willie at the Colony Theater in New York on November 18, 1928 was truly the first time that Mickey Mouse made his debut.

 

Of course, both Plane Crazy and Gallopin’ Gaucho had had extremely limited one day theatrical appearances in single, local Los Angeles theaters to judge the audience’s reaction and to try to find a distributor for the series but it was Steamboat Willie that made a huge hit nationwide, had an extended run and garnered tons of publicity. So Mickey first celebrated his official birthday on November 18th, 1978 thanks to Dave Smith and has continued to do so for the last forty years. Of course, it is also Minnie’s birthday but it is rude to acknowledge a lady’s age.

 

 

Most articles refer to the cartoon as a parody of comedian Buster Keaton’s last independent silent comedy, Steamboat Bill Jr., which had been released in May 1928. Both films do feature a steamboat, and Keaton’s character is named Willie, but the Disney cartoon makes no direct references to Keaton’s film, unlike Gallopin’ Gaucho, which parodies the action and style of the Douglas Fairbanks’ silent film, The Gaucho (1927).

 

While Walt may have hoped that audiences would associate his cartoon with the popular Keaton film, no direct parody was intended. It was just Walt’s way of drawing attention to the cartoon.

 

Steamboat Willie, the first Mickey Mouse cartoon, is perhaps the most important and well known of the early animated cartoons. It transformed a fading cinematic novelty into an art form and became the foundation of the Disney Company. According to Roy O. Disney's personal handwritten ledger books, the film cost $4,986.69, which included not only the production costs but the prints for movie theaters.

 

 

Steamboat Willie debuted on a Sunday afternoon, November 18, 1928, at Manhattan’s Colony Theatre on 53rd Street and Broadway in New York.

 

 

The theater was later renamed the Broadway Theater and for Mickey’s 50th birthday in 1978 a plaque was installed at the theater designating it the official birthplace of Mickey Mouse. A costumed Mickey and Disney Legend Ward Kimball were in attendance for the ceremony. That same theater premiered Fantasia in 1940.

 

The original story script for Steamboat Willie written by Walt with two fingers on a manual typewriter and illustrated by Ub Iwerks was found in Walt’s desk by Disney Archivist Dave Smith when he was hired in 1970 and one of his first jobs was cataloging Walt’s office. Dave told historian Jim Korkis, “The fact that he [Walt] saved the Steamboat Willie script proved to me that he did at least treasure this special moment in history, which had started him on the road to success.”

 

In 1988, to celebrate the 60th birthday of its most famous cartoon character, the Disney Company donated to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History six original drawings from Steamboat Willie selected personally by Walt’s nephew Roy E. Disney.

 

 

Steamboat Willie was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1998 as a “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant film” deserving of preservation at the Library of Congress.

 

In the opening of Steamboat Willie, Mickey is whistling the chorus of a popular parlor song of the time called “Steamboat Bill,” written by the Leighton Brothers (who also composed “Frankie and Johnny”) and Ren Shields (who wrote “In the Good Ol’ Summertime”) in 1911. The song helped inspire the title of the cartoon.

 

(The song recounts the story of Steamboat Bill, commander of the steamboat Whippoorwill, who was attempting to break the record of the Robert E. Lee, which in 1870 had set a record time covering the stretch of the Mississippi between New Orleans and St. Louis.) Captain Pete had previously been a villain in both the Oswald cartoons and the Alice Comedies. He is the longest continually appearing Disney animated character.

 

He is a cat because that would be a natural adversary of a mouse. Pete is the captain of the steamboat and is so identified that way in Walt’s script as “cat Captain”. Mickey is the pilot who helps navigate and is the only crew member on board.

 

 

Walt Disney not only did the squawks for Mickey Mouse in this cartoon but provided the voice for the smart aleck parrot. Walt must have liked this particular parrot because he later appeared in three other black-and-white Mickey Mouse cartoons.

 

 

Disney Legend Ub Iwerks animated virtually the entire film himself in what was known as “straight ahead” animation, a technique in which he did the first drawing, then the second drawing, then the third, and so on. He had help on two very short scenes by Les Clark and Wilfred Jackson of Minnie running on the riverbank and Mickey feeding the cow some hay. It was documented that Iwerks could produce over 600 drawings a day that were usable or roughly one drawing a minute during a ten hour day.

 

Weekly Film Review proclaimed after that first screening that Steamboat Willie “kept the audience laughing and chuckling from the moment the lead titles came on the screen, and it left them applauding.”

 

Exhibitor’s Herald stated, “It is impossible to describe this riot of mirth, but it knocked me out of my seat.”

 

Disney Legend Wilfred Jackson later recalled: “Walt didn’t know if people would believe that the character on the screen was making the noise. Nobody had ever seen a drawing make noise, and there was no way to be sure that the people would believe it. It might just look like some kind of a fake thing, and Walt wanted it to seem real, as if the noise was coming right from what the character was doing.”

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Steamboat Willie  |  Facts About "Steamboat Willie"

Edited June 17, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - CANADA GOOSE

Did you know.... that The Canada goose is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and its migration occasionally reaches across the Atlantic to northern Europe. It has been introduced to the United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, Japan, Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Islands. Like most geese, the Canada goose is primarily herbivorous and normally migratory; it tends to be found on or close to fresh water. (Wikipedia)

 

Facts About Canada Geese
BY MATT SONIAK  |  JUNE 8, 2016

 

 

If you live in North America, you're probably familiar with—and perhaps annoyed by—the Canada goose (Branta canadensis). But how much do you know about the birds besides the fact that they're everywhere and honk a lot? Here are a few tidbits to get you better acquainted with the big, loud birds. 

 

1. THEY’RE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THEY LIKE THE HABITATS WE CREATE …

Canada geese look for a few things in a place to live and breed: grass to eat, water to drink, and unobstructed views to scan for danger. Part of the reason the geese are so common and so successful is that people have created a lot of spaces that fill those needs in the form of lawns, parks, golf courses, agricultural fields, and airports. After decades of decline due to hunting and habitat loss, all of that safe, reliable habitat has allowed the number of Canada geese in North America to grow rapidly, from less than 500,000 in the 1980s to more than 5 million today. 

 

2. … AND THAT’S CAUSED SOME PROBLEMS.

The increase in goose numbers and their concentration around humans has led to the goose getting branded as a nuisance or pest for eating grass and crops, fouling lawns and water with their waste, making a racket, and sometimes attacking people while defending their territory. Around airports, the geese also pose a serious danger to aircraft in the form of bird strikes. While geese and other waterfowl don’t account for very many bird-aircraft collisions, Canada geese are among the species that can cause the most damage to planes because of their size and the large flocks they fly in. Government agencies and private landowners have tried plenty of ways of deterring the geese, including audio repellents that play goose alarm calls or the calls of birds of prey; swapping out shorter grasses for taller ones that geese don’t eat; scaring them with pyrotechnics; and relocating or culling the birds.

 

3. THEY FORM GANGS.

Where populations are dense, Canada geese commonly form “gang broods,” groups of 20-100 goslings from different parents that move around and feed together accompanied by a few adults. This is sometimes cooperative, with families joining up so that some adults can watch the babies while the others forage for food. Sometimes, though, joining a gang brood isn’t voluntary, and dominant pairs of geese have been known to attack and kill other adults and absorb their broods into their own. Either way, it’s good for the goslings, since larger families can more easily control the best foraging spots.

 

4. THEY’RE MONOGAMOUS THROUGHOUT THEIR RELATIVELY LONG LIVES. 

Canada geese find mates when they’re around two years old, and pairs stay together for the rest of their lives (24 years on average). The birds usually pick partners that are similar to their own body size, a pattern known as “assortative mating.”

 

5. THEY FLY IN A “V” FOR EFFICIENCY.

Canada geese usually fly in a large V-shaped formation, with one bird in the lead and the others trailing behind it in two diverging lines. There are two reasons for this. First, the V shape makes the flock more energetically efficient, with vortices of air created by each goose’s flapping giving some lift to the birds behind it. Second, the formation makes it easier for the geese to maintain visual contact with each other and communicate, which helps navigation and flock cohesion.

 

6. THEY COULD BE THE NATIONAL BIRD OF CANADA (BUT PROBABLY WON’T BE).

Canada has more than 450 resident bird species and its fair share of national emblems but no official national bird. The Royal Canadian Geographic Society aims to fix that by next year, the nation’s 150th birthday. They’ve picked 40 candidates from the birds that call the country home and asked the public to vote for their favorite. The society will then lobby the government to give the winning bird official designation. As of this writing, the Canada goose is in a distant fourth place, with 2703 votes to the common loon’s 9209. At least it's slightly ahead of the black-capped chickadee (2530 votes).

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Canada Goose  |  Honking Canada Geese Fats

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - MOVIE BOMBS TURNED CLASSICS

Did you know.... that some films were simply born before their time? Some movies manage to deeply connect with audiences right out of the gate. Whether it's a family classic like E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial, a space opera like Star Wars, or a romantic historical drama like Titanic, the choice few break box office records and capture hearts as soon as they hit theaters. But other iconic movies weren't built in a single opening weekend. In fact, some of the films that have changed cinematic history barely made a blip at the box office when they were first released. They were actually undisputed movie bombs. But, whether it was through a favored position on the Blockbuster shelf, a TV re-airing that caught the eyes of eager channel-flippers, or a midnight interactive screening event, these films have built up a fandom over the years. They've all proven that slow and steady does sometimes win the race. Read on for the list of movies you won't believe were ever considered failures.  (Best Life Online) 

 

MARCUS JONES  |  APRIL 3, 2019

 

Box Office Bombs That Are Now Considered Classics

BY TOM REIMANN  |  UPDATED JAN 26, 2021

 

One of the sad truths of movies is that the good ones don't always get the success they deserve, while the bad ones are frequently rewarded with entirely too much. Consequently, some of the best-loved classics were films that did not do well at all when they were first released. That said, there are approximately eleven thousand different versions of this article on the internet, and they all generally feature the same handful of movies. At this point, I feel like pretty much everyone knows that Fight Club, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Blade Runner were huge box office failures. And odds are you’ve heard that Brazil was a flop, and that critics didn’t really care for The Shining. So, I tried to put together a list of less talked-about box office failures that didn’t necessarily redefine cinema, but are no less considered to be extremely watchable classics. I was at least marginally successful in accomplishing this task. Read on, won’t you?

 

TRON

TRON is an undeniable classic, if for no other reason than it pushed the art of visual effects into exciting new territory. Believe it or not, most of the effects aren’t digital – the filmmakers utilized back-lit animation blended with live-action footage to create the film’s signature look. Bizarrely, despite its legacy as a groundbreaking achievement in visual effects design, TRON was declared ineligible for a visual effects Oscar because the Academy considered the use of computer-generated effects to be “cheating.” (The Academy is, historically, a terrible organization with antiquated hang-ups.) The story is dated sci-fi gibberish, and the notion that programs are humanoid creatures that just wander around a black-light world inside your computer when you’re not actively running them is kind of a difficult premise to get immersed in, but everything looks so dang cool that you can forgive the script for being a little weak. Unfortunately, TRON was a victim of Disney's spite – the company bumped up its holiday release date to the middle of the summer in order to compete with Don Bluth’s The Secret of NIMH. Bluth had recently left Disney and started his own animation studio to directly compete with the Mouse, and Disney couldn’t let that betrayal go unchecked. However, a summer release meant that TRON would also be going up against the likes of E.T. and Poltergeist. It resulted in a write-off for Disney, but would ultimately inspire the next generation of effects artists to see the potential of computer animation (including the people behind Pixar).

 

Starship Troopers

It’s hard to believe that Paul Verhoeven’s much-beloved science fiction satire Starship Troopers didn’t shatter box office records and win every single Academy Award including some new ones invented specifically for the film, but it’s true. When the movie hit theaters in November of 1997, it landed with a thud and only barely managed to break even on its $100+ million budget. Also, most people didn’t get the joke, despite the fact that Neil Patrick Harris spends much of the film marching around in a literal Nazi uniform. In the years since its release, Starship Troopers has become a massive cult hit, and several critics have come around to the film’s gonzo action and tongue-in-cheek treatment of right-wing militarism. (Although you still see some embarrassing editorials pop up blasting its “glorification” of fascism, because there’s a certain percentage of people that will only ever consume anything at face value.) And really, where else can you see Michael Ironside snarl about space bugs while clenching his robotic fist?

 

Hocus Pocus

You might be shocked to learn that everyone’s favorite Disney movie about the dangers of being a virgin was not a big critical or commercial hit. Hocus Pocus, starring Bette Milder, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as a trio of witches accidentally brought back from the dead by stupid children, bombed pretty majorly when it was initially released. But it was a reasonable hit on video and has since become a nostalgic favorite of virtually everyone who grew up in the 90s. Co-written by notable horror director Mick Garris and featuring famed creature performer Doug Jones as a reanimated corpse with his mouth sewn shut, Hocus Pocus contains some truly wild shit for a PG-rated kids movie that might’ve contributed somewhat to its underperformance. Fans have been clamoring for a sequel for years, and it looks like they might finally get their wish as a follow-up is currently in development as a Disney+ exclusive movie.

 

Children of Men

Alfonso Cuarón’s 2006 dystopian film Children of Men features some of the most impressive action sequences ever captured on film. It was, in many ways, a precursor to the work he would do in 2013’s Gravity, although Children of Men didn’t enjoy anywhere close to the same financial success. It’s essentially a chase movie, in which Clive Owen is racing to escort the first pregnant woman in a generation safely out of the country while being pursued by both the government and a group of revolutionaries. If you can get through that first act car chase without jumping up out of your chair and shouting, you are watching movies incorrectly. Despite tanking at the box office (which can at least partially be blamed on its bizarre Christmas Day release date), Children of Men received a great amount of critical acclaim and became kind of a cult hit on video, and routinely appears highly ranked on lists of the best films of the past century.

 

The Thing

The Thing is a special effects masterpiece and easily one of the best horror movies ever made. Kurt Russell and a bunch of other impressively scruffy dudes have to drunkenly do battle with a hideous shape-shifting alien, which results in all sorts of craziness up to and including an ax rampage perpetrated by Wilford Brimley. The movie tanked at the box office and was criticized for being too bleak and too grotesque, which you may notice are two pretty common characteristics of horror films. It also didn’t help that The Thing came out a few weeks after E.T., a film with the exact opposite view of alien visitors that also just so happened to become the biggest movie of all time (at the time). Audiences that summer weren’t terribly interested in watching a man’s head split apart to bite another man’s head off, and while those audiences were entitled to their opinion, their opinion was bad and wrong.

 

Clue

The ensemble comedy Clue, based on the murder mystery board game of the same name, is way better than it had any right to be. The movie is quite literally bursting with some of the best comedic actors of all time, including Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn, Martin Mull, Michael McKean, and freaking Tim Curry. And despite the fact that Clue frequently appears on “best of all time” lists and gets regularly cited as an important influence by people working in comedy, it bombed pretty majorly in theaters and was not particularly well-liked by critics. Clearly, everyone in 1985 hated joy, because Clue rules. The film famously has three different endings with three entirely different solutions to the murders, and audiences that saw Clue in theaters would be shown one of the three. This probably led to some confusion around the water cooler, but to be honest I think this is a tremendous idea that more movies should adopt. For example, the Star Wars franchise should start doing this immediately.

 

Treasure Planet

Disney’s 2002 feature Treasure Planet is, to date, the most expensive traditionally animated film ever made. Unfortunately, it is also one of the biggest box office bombs of all time. Which is a shame, because it’s a really gorgeous movie! It’s a sci-fi take on Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, recasting the characters from the original novel as aliens and robots in search of a legendary pirate haven in space rumored to be the hiding place of the infamous Captain Flint’s considerable booty. Written and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, who previously helmed other massive Disney hits like The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, Treasure Planet is a solid adventure movie about space pirates that got absolutely creamed by the second Harry Potter film and the shittiest James Bond sequel in history. However, it was a modest critical success, and it’s maintained a strong cult fanbase thanks to its striking visual style and its status as one of the last major films to be made using 2D animation.

The Quick and the Dead

Sam Raimi’s batshit western about a mysterious woman entering a gunfighting competition to settle a decades-old vendetta is hands-down one of his best films. And while that doesn’t necessarily make it a classic, the movie has a freaking unbelievable cast – Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman, plus an unknown Russell Crowe and a babyfaced Leonardo DiCaprio pre-superstardom, elevate a pretty standard western tale to an extremely watchable treat. And while Raimi has since gone on to become a blockbuster director, he was still playing with his Evil Dead bag of wild-ass low budget horror tricks when he made The Quick and the Dead. The movie is so unabashedly bonkers that it’s impossible not to have a good time. A man gets shot in the face with such force that his dead body does a backflip, and that’s arguably not the craziest thing that happens. It was a huge bomb that didn’t play well with critics at the time, but much like Weezer’s Pinkerton, it has been re-evaluated in the years since its original release to become recognized as a true gem that deserved to be a bigger success.

Event Horizon

Event Horizon is one of the greatest movies ever made that is in no way a great movie. A bloody haunted house yarn set aboard a derelict spaceship, the film opened in August of 1997 to middling reviews and an equally lukewarm box office. The movie had been marketed as more of a sci-fi thriller rather than the gonzo demonic horror film it actually was, which possibly turned audiences off at the time. (Either that or the scene in which Jurassic Park’s Dr. Grant claws his eyeballs out of his skull.) In the years since its release, Event Horizon has become a massive cult hit that is constantly referenced in other horror films and series. Additionally, there’s a mystique that’s built up around the film, fueled by rumors of a longer, more graphic director’s cut. Director Paul W. S. Anderson insists that the deleted footage wasn’t properly cared for, as Paramount didn’t think the movie would have any kind of legacy, and is effectively gone forever. Which is a shame, because who doesn’t want to see an extended version of the infamous blood orgy scene?

 

The Iron Giant

The box office implosion of The Iron Giant is, quite frankly, the biggest travesty on this list. Brad Bird’s 1999 film about a robot from space befriending a little boy in 1950s Maine is widely regarded as one of the best animated films ever made, and in my opinion is one of the best dang movies of all time, period. It absolutely tanked in theaters, signaling the death knell of Warner Bros.’ disastrous attempt to compete with Disney’s animated features after a string of failures like Thumbelina and Quest for Camelot. (The studio has had way more luck in recent years with films like The LEGO Movie.) But The Iron Giant was a big critical success, owing to its heartfelt and powerful storyline that simultaneously deals with loneliness and isolation, forming meaningful connections, and the way irrational fear turns people into monsters. It’s deep, you guys. And while it may not have gotten the love it deserved while it was in theaters, if you don’t have a copy of The Iron Giant sitting on a shelf somewhere in your house, chances are you’re a robot from space who didn’t learn the true meaning of friendship.

 

 

Source: Movie Bombs That Became Cult Classics  |  Box Office Bombs That Are Now Considered Classics

 

 

Edited June 19, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - SOOTHSAYER

Did you know... that soothsayer is one practicing divination, including: Fortune-telling, Oracle or Haruspex.  (Wikipedia)

 

Famous Soothsayers
BY STACY CONRADT  |  MARCH 15, 2010

 

Oh, _flossers, beware the Ides of March!! If only Caesar had heeded the similar warning he received the day he was assassinated (more on that in a second). You don't have to go back to the days of Caesar to find yourself a soothsayer, though there have been many prophets throughout history (some self-proclaimed). Here are a few of them, starting with the Ides of March man himself.

 

1. Caesar's Soothsayer.

Caesar was warned the Ides of March would be an exceptionally bad day for him by an unnamed seer. The Ides came and were nearly gone when Caesar ran into the seer on his way to the Theatre of Pompey. He basically said to the seer, "So, the Ides are here and nothing has happened, don't you feel stupid?" and the seer responded, "They have come, but they are not gone." The seer was right, of course. Caesar was murdered almost as soon as he arrived, stabbed 23 times.

 

2. Joan Quigley.

After Ronald Reagan nearly followed in Caesar's assassinated footsteps in 1981, Nancy Reagan sought the advice of psychic Joan Quigley, whom she had met on The Merv Griffin Show several years earlier. According to Time, no Presidential appearance was made without first consulting Quigley to see if stars aligned or not. For instance, "For the Reagan-Gorbachev Washington summit, she cast the charts of both men and determined that 2 p.m. on Dec. 8, 1987, was the most propitious moment for them to sign the intermediate-range nuclear forces treaty. At Nancy's behest, the entire summit was built around that hour." When the news broke that the Reagans were using a psychic, the activity was quickly hushed up.

 

3. The Brahan Seer.

Brahan Seer Stone in Craig Wood. 

 

This prophet may not have existed at all, but his alleged predictions are legendary in Scotland. Employed by the third Earl of Seaforth, the Seer predicted some pretty bizarre and specific incidents, including that "The day will come when the MacKenzies of Fairburn shall lose their entire possessions; their castle will become uninhabited and a cow shall give birth to a calf in the uppermost chamber of the tower." He also supposedly predicted that the Bonar Bridge would be "swept away under a flock of sheep," and it was washed away in an 1892 flood (the frothy foam-current was said to look like sheep). Another infamous prediction was that when five bridges stretched over the River Ness in Inverness, there would be worldwide chaos. That one was true, too there were five bridges over the river when Hitler invaded Poland. Sadly, one of the Brahan Seer's visions ended up being his undoing. He predicted that his employer, the Earl of Seaforth, was cheating on his wife with numerous women in Paris. Hearing none of it, Lady Seaforth had the Seer burned to death in a spiked tar barrel. Apparently she had never heard of the phrase "Don't shoot the messenger."

 

4. Nostradamus.

No list of soothsayers would be complete without this guy. His prophecies pop up on a fairly regular basis and freak people out when they are able to apply his predictions to current events. Nostradamus himself would probably object to this behavior because he didn't see himself as a prophet and mentioned many times that he didn't guarantee the results of his predictions. One thing he did allegedly get right on the money, though? His death. On July 1, 1566, he is said to have told his secretary, "You will not find me alive at sunrise." He was right the next morning, Nostradamus was found on the floor next to his bed, dead from edema (accumulation of fluid beneath the skin or in body cavities). His predictions are far too numerous to mention here, plus, the interpretations and accuracy of each one have been much debated for years. Snopes has a good example of how his predictions get skewed, though.

 

5. Cassandra.

Cassandra is a tragic tale (although most Greek myths are) not only did she have to endure horrific visions of future events, she had to deal with the fact that no one would believe her, even when her visions came true. Word on the street is that when Apollo fell in love with her but discovered she didn't love him back, he exacted his revenge by cursing her with the burden of no one believing her warnings. Those warnings included the Trojan Horse, Agamemnon's death and her own death.

 

6. Pythia.

Pythia was any priestess who manned the Oracle at Delphi (you may have seen her brief, nude appearance in 300). Collectively, the Pythia made more than 500 predictions and statements that leaders would believe to the letter. For example, in the ninth century B.C., Pythia stated that "Love of money and nothing else will ruin Sparta." As a result, Lycurgus banned silver and gold money and made Spartans lug around coins made of heavy iron instead. And in 67 A.D., she said to Nero, "The number 73 marks the hour of your downfall." Apparently not liking to hear of his inevitable defeat, Nero had Pythia buried alive. He always thought he would die at the age of 73, but actually ended up committing suicide at the age of 30 after a revolt by Galba, who was 73 years old at the time.

 

7. Edgar Cayce.

Cayce was a renowned seer who made his predictions by lying down and entering a trance-like state. While he was in his trance, people would be invited to ask him questions about their future, specifically about their health. Cayce theorized that the unconscious mind had access to all kinds of information the conscious mind didn't. He made more than 20,000 predictions during the period that he was en vogue, from the early 20th century to his death in 1944. His predictions included things that happened (the Great Depression and Hitler) and things that have yet to happen (California crumbling into the ocean; the discovery of Atlantis).

 

8. The Amazing Criswell.

The Amazing Criswell was well, maybe he was amazing, but not for the accuracy of his predictions. He ran around with Ed Wood and Vampira; the movie Ed Wood suggests Criswell never believed he was psychic and only made his wild predictions because of the fame they brought him. But at least one source who knew him in real life said Criswell once stated, "I had the gift, but lost it when I started taking money for it." His crazy predictions included a ray from outer space that would cause metal to turn to rubber and cause terrible disasters in amusement parks; that by the time the world came to an end in 1999 we would all have resorted to cannibalism; that Mae West would become President of the United States and take a rocket to the moon; and that JFK wouldn't run for re-election in 1964 because something was going to happen to him. Oh wait"

 

9. The Nechung Oracle.

The Nechung Oracle is one of a handful of Oracles still regularly used today. He's the State Oracle of Tibet, in fact, and lives with the Dalai Lama. Perhaps the most famous of the Oracle's predictions dates back to 1947, when he accurately predicted that Tibet was headed for times of trouble. He also predicted that the Dalai Lama would have to flee Tibet in upcoming years, and in 1959, exactly that happened.

 

10. Madam Marie.

Madam Marie made her living telling fortunes on the Asbury Park Boardwalk for more than 70 years. The strongest evidence for her prediction accuracy is that she declared fellow Boardwalk busker Bruce Springsteen would become famous. He returned the favor by immortalizing her in song: in "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)," he sings, "Did you hear the cops finally busted Madam Marie for tellin' fortunes better than they do." Thanks to Bruce, Madam Marie gained somewhat of a celebrity following and told fortunes for Judy Garland, Diane Keaton, Ray Charles, Elton John and Woody Allen, among others.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Soothsayer  |  Quick Facts About Famous Soothsayers

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - SOLSTICE

Diagram of the Earth's seasons as seen from t

he north. Far right: southern solstice.

 

Did you know.... that a solstice is an event that occurs when the Sun appears to reach its most northerly or southerly excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. Two solstices occur annually, around June 21 and December 21. In many countries, the seasons of the year are determined by reference to the solstices and the equinoxes. (Wikipedia)

 

Solstice Facts That Everyone Should Know
by Ethan Siegel  |  June 2019

The summer solstice marks the highest, longest path the Sun traces out through the sky, while the winter solstice marks the lowest, shortest path that the Sun traces out throughout the sky. Which solstice you experience is hemisphere-dependent, with June's solstice marking the arrival summer for the northern and winter for the southern.

 

Today is June 21st, 2019: the day of the solstice. Although there are many factors at play that determine the behavior of each planet — its spin and orbital angular momenta, the eccentricity of its orbit, the effects of General Relativity and the other planets — there's only one that determines when the solstices are: axial tilt. As every planet revolves around the Sun, it rotates on its axis, and only the orientation of that axis matters.

 

Even though the Earth always rotates on its axis, which is tilted at 23.5 degrees, the equinoxes are special for having that axial tilt be perpendicular to the Sun-Earth plane, rather than at an angle, which occurs on all other days of the year. Similarly, the solstices are what occurs at the midpoints between the equinoxes: when the Earth's axis is maximally tilted with respect to the Earth's orbital plane around the Sun.

 

Dependent on which side of the equator you're on, you'll experience the summer solstice when your hemisphere (north or south) is maximally tipped towards the Sun, and the winter solstice when your hemisphere is maximally tipped away from the Sun. The solstices are colloquially known as the longest or shortest day of the year. While this is true, they represent so much more than that. Here are the facts that everyone should know.

 

1.) Solstice literally means "Sun stands still" in Latin.

The observed path that the Sun takes through the sky can be tracked, from solstice to solstice, using a pinhole camera. That lowest path is the winter solstice, where the Sun reverses course from dropping lower to rising higher with respect to the horizon, while the highest path corresponds to the summer solstice.

 

If you were to trace out the path of the Sun in the sky throughout the year, such as with a pinhole camera (as shown above), you'd find that the Sun follows a set of paths that all correspond to it rising somewhere in the east/northeast/southeast, reaching a maximum height overhead,  and setting somewhere in the west/northwest/southwest. But over the course of a year, one path will be the longest and reach the highest point, while another path will be the shortest and reach the lowest maximum height above the horizon. These correspond to the solstices: winter and summer solstice, to be precise. The reason it's called the solstice is because — for approximately a week on either side of the solstices — the apparent change in motion of the Sun is largely imperceptible. The Sun appears to "stand still," and the word solstice comes from the Latin "sol" (for Sun) and the verb "stare" (to be fixed/rigid/unmoving).

 

2.) The tips of any analemma you can construct occur on the solstices.

As the Earth rotates on its axis and orbits the Sun in an ellipse, the Sun's apparent position appears to change from day-to-day in this particular shape: Earth's analemma. The tilt of the analemma will correspond to the time of day at which the image is taken, but this shape is always reproduced from Earth if you take a photograph at the same time of every day.

 

If you were to photograph the Sun at the same exact time, every day, for 365 days, you'd find that it traces out a particular shape known as the analemma, which looks like a figure 8 on our world. Defined by both our planet rotating on its tipped axis and our elliptical motion around the Sun, the analemma will rotate throughout the day. But the uppermost tip of the analemma, if you were to draw an imaginary line down the long axis of it, always occurs at the summer solstice, while the lowest tip occurs at the winter solstice. This is highly related to the pinhole camera picture you saw earlier, but it's a fun fact that this remains true regardless of the time at which you look at the Sun. So long as you're consistent from day to day throughout the year, the analemma's extreme tips will indicate the solstices.

 

3.) The solstices, despite being the longest and shortest days of the year, do not correspond to the earliest or latest sunrises and sunsets.

With a large amount of atmosphere to pass through, light from the Sun (or Moon) reddens tremendously when it's close to the horizon. Neither the latest sunset of the year nor the earliest sunrise of the year corresponds to the summer solstice.

 

Since the winter solstice corresponds to the shortest day of the year, with the least amount of sunlight, then you might expect you'd see the latest sunrise and the earliest sunset of the year on that day. Similarly, since the summer solstice is the longest day of the year, you'd be reasonable to expect the earliest sunrise and the latest sunset of the year. But this isn't the case for any of these expectations. While the Earth's axial tilt determines solstice and equinox, the ellipticity of our orbit helps determine the time of earliest sunrise and latest sunset. The naïve expectation would only be true if our orbit was a perfect circle. As it stands, the earliest sunrise occurs before the June solstice and the latest sunset occurs after the June solstice. The farther away from the equator you are, the closer these dates will be to the solstice, while the closer to the tropics, it might be as far as two weeks away.

 

4.) The solstices are unrelated to the planet's closest approach to or farthest distance from the Sun.

Just 800 years ago, perihelion and the winter solstice aligned. Due to the precession of Earth's orbit, they are slowly drifting apart, completing a full cycle every 21,000 years. 5,000 years from now, the spring equinox and the Earth's closest approach to the Sun will coincide.

 

You might notice that the December solstice is very close in time to Earth's perihelion, where it makes its closest approach to the Sun, occurring in early January. Similarly, the June solstice is very close in time to Earth's aphelion, or its farthest distance from the Sun, occurring on July 4th of this year (2019). But this is only a coincidence. Earth's orbit is an ellipse, and this ellipse processes over time. With a period of about 21,000 years, the winter solstice will line up with perihelion and then move farther away, lining up with aphelion 10,500 years later, and then another 10,500 years on, with perihelion once again. The alignment was perfect 800 years ago, and we won't have another solstice/perihelion/aphelion alignment for approximately 10,000 years to come.

 

 

5.) If you live at a higher latitude than the 43rd parallel, the Sun is lower during your winter solstice than it is at the opposite hemisphere's pole.

During the winter solstice, the closer to the pole you are, the lower the Sun appears at every moment, including at its highest, above the horizon. From Fairbanks, AK, as shown here on the winter solstice, it never gets more than a few degrees above the horizon. For everyone at a latitude greater than 43 degrees, on your winter solstice, the Sun never reaches higher above the horizon than an observer at the opposite pole will see it all day long.

 

Are you a fan of Santa Claus, and his apocryphal home at the North Pole? As Santa experiences the summer solstice, the Sun will continuously appear, today, at a height of  23.5° above the horizon. This is higher than the highest angular height above the horizon of any observer south of 43° latitude in the southern hemisphere. This includes cities like: Christchurch and Dunedin in New Zealand; Port Arthur, Bruny Island and Cape Raoul in Tasmania; Comodoro Rivadavia, the Falkland Islands, and Santa Cruz province in Argentina; about the southernmost third of Chile, and the entire continent of Antarctica.

 

6.) Observers within the Arctic/Antarctic circle on the solstice will either see 0 or 24 hours of sunlight. 

The Sun's apparent path through the sky on the solstice is vastly different near the equator, at 20 degrees latitude (left) versus far from the equator, at 70 degrees latitude (right). If you're at greater than a 66.5° latitude, you will have either 0 or 24 hours of sunlight during the solstice, depending on whether it's the winter or summer solstice.

 

Because our Earth is tilted on its axis at 23.5°, anyone living at a latitude higher than 66.5° (because 90° - 23.5° = 66.5°) will either never have the Sun rise above the horizon (during the winter solstice) or set below the horizon (during the summer solstice). This is at its least extreme at the border of the Arctic/Antarctic circles themselves, were the Sun almost appears to rise/set and then dips a full 23.5° above or below the horizon 12 hours later. But at the north or south poles, you'll receive 6 consecutive months of night followed by 6 consecutive months of sunlight. Things switch only on the equinoxes: the mid-way point between the two solstices.

 

Click here to read more about Solstice Facts.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Solstice  |  Solstice Facts

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - BARKCLOTH

Barkcloth jacket from Kalimantan.

 

Did you know.... that barkcloth or bark cloth is a versatile material that was once a treasure in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. Barkcloth comes primarily from trees of the family Moraceae, including Broussonetia papyrifera, Artocarpus altilis, and Ficus natalensis. It is made by beating sodden strips of the fibrous inner bark of these trees into sheets, which are then finished into a variety of items. Many texts that mention "paper" clothing are actually referring to barkcloth. Some modern cotton-based fabrics are also named "barkcloth" for their resemblance to these traditional fabrics. (Wikipedia)

 

Fashion History: Love to Know - Bark Cloth
By Carol A. Dickson and Isabella A. Abbott

Hawaiian Barkcloth

 

The term "bark cloth" has been known by various names in the Pacific Islands, including: tapa or kapa (Hawaii), ngatu (Tonga), ahu or ka'u (Tahiti), masi (Fiji), and autea (Cook Islands). "Tapa" is the popular word now used to describe bark cloth throughout the Pacific Islands. Bark cloth, or tapa, describes the fabric whose source material is the bark of a tree or similar plant material grown in tropical areas around the world and is, therefore, cellulosic. Like felting, bark cloth produces a nonwoven fabric. Like felting, bark cloth or tapa is produced in a warm, moist environment. While the bonding of fibers in felt is mechanical, the bonding in bark cloth is chemical. One of the plants carried by exploring Polynesians was paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera), called wauke by Hawaiians. In addition to paper mulberry, several other plants found in tropical locales have been used for making bark cloth.

 

Production

kua kuku

To start the bark-cloth-making process, the inner bark (bast) of a tree or plant was stripped or removed from its source, the outer bark of a tree or branch, and cleaned. The bast fibers were then placed in water, often seawater, causing the fibers to break down (ferment or ret) into a somewhat sticky substance resembling bread dough. The substance was spread on a specially carved flat wood surface called a kua kuku in Hawaiian and then beaten with grooved wooden beaters, called hohoa, of various thicknesses. As the substance was beaten, it became wider, longer, and thinner and began to dry. It was spread into a thin sheet and laid out to dry with stones holding the edges in place against the winds. The result, depending on thickness, was a fairly supple, somewhat paperlike sheet of fabric. The beating of a hohoa on a kua kuku was also reportedly sometimes used for sending messages. The special houses or sheds used for beating tapa were called hale kuku, and when people gathered for beating, it could be compared to a modern quilting group or party.

 

Bark-cloth-making was refined in many areas of Polynesia, especially Hawaii. Though pieces of tapa were most commonly beaten or pounded together to make larger pieces, tapa pieces were also sewn together with fiber and a wooden needle. Edges were turned under and fused, by beating or sewing, for evenness. Various thicknesses for different purposes could be achieved in the beating process. Fabric could be made so thin as to be gossamer, or thicker strips of the fabric were sometimes plaited.

 

Decorative Bark Cloth

Many sources agree that Hawaiians developed the most complex and greatest number of decorative prints for bark cloth. Some tapa was dyed first by soaking, or sometimes by brushing the dye onto the fabric, or even beating an already dyed piece of tapa into a larger piece. The Hawaiians carved designs into pieces of bamboo often shaped like thin paddles. These strips of carved wood were then used to stamp or print on the tapa with dyes from plants and soil and other sources. The Hawaiians were careful and precise printers, making sure that patterns were straight and continuous. Several patterns might be used on one length of tapa, creating unique patterns. Interesting patterns could also be obtained by plaiting or twisting pieces of tapa or other plant materials into a long strip and then pressing the length against the tapa. The most common colors used were brown, black, pink, red, green, pale to medium blue, and yellow.

 

 

Uses
Bark cloth was derived and used as fabric in other tropical areas well into the late twentieth century. South American Indian populations still living in the remote forests of Brazil, Panama, and Colombia used bark cloth, called damajagua (Colombia), as sleeping mats. Based on photographs and descriptions of researchers, the bark cloth of the South American Indians is crude compared with the bark cloth produced in the Pacific Islands. It appears that one of the biggest reasons South American bark cloth was coarser than that of Polynesia is that the retting time allowed for the bast fibers was considerably shorter, overnight, compared with the several days of retting by Polynesians.

 

Throughout the Pacific Islands, bark cloth was used as a household fabric for both bedding and clothing, and in making ceremonial objects. As clothing, the fabric was wrapped and tied onto the body. It could be gathered or pleated in various ways to create decorative effects for ceremonial occasions.

 

 

In everyday use, women commonly wrapped the bark-cloth fabric, called a pa'u, around their bodies and tied and tucked the ends in to keep it in place. Women commonly covered only the lower part of their bodies between the waist and knees with the pa'u.

The malo, worn by men, was also wrapped around the body and between the legs to protect the genitalia. The malo might or might not have a flap in the front, which could be tucked away depending on tasks that needed to be performed on a given day. Originally only men performed the hula. When performing, additional pieces of tapa could be tied over the malo. Tapa was also tied around the shoulders by both men and women when a little extra warmth was needed. Such capes were called kihei.

 

The largest and most elaborate pieces of Hawaiian tapa were made into bedding. Five to eight sheets of plain white tapa were sewn along one edge and then topped with a dyed and watermarked piece. During cool nights the layers could be draped over the sleeper, or laid back, for desired warmth. Tapa was also scented on occasion. Sap, leaves, or flowers were mixed with oil and heated and then added to a dye.

 

Tapa Cloth - Vatican

 

Bark cloth is rarely used for clothing today. It lacks the pliability of woven fabrics, it tends to break down when wet, and processing is labor intensive. The fabric does, however, give important information about the tropical cultures in which it was developed. Hobbyists, historians, and others continue to make bark cloth to study and to keep the knowledge and skill of tapa-making alive. In the Pacific Islands, tapa was not found in common usage after the turn of the nineteenth century.

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Barkcloth

Edited June 22, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - VENDING MACHINE

Vending Machine, 1952

 

Did you know.... that a vending machine is an automated machine that provides items such as snacks, beverages, cigarettes and lottery tickets to consumers after cash, a credit card, or a specially designed card is inserted into the machine. The first modern vending machines were developed in England in the early 1880s and dispensed postcards. Vending machines exist in many countries and, in more recent times, specialized vending machines that provide less common products compared to traditional vending machine items have been created. (Wikipedia)

 

Facts About Vending Machines in Japan!
by SUGOII JAPAN  |  January 2021

An automatic stamp and postcard vending machine,

made by Takashichi Tawaraya in 1904 in Japan.

 

Japanese vending machines have built up almost a cult-like following overseas. People from far and wide have all heard about the magic that is the vending machine experience in Japan. Once you step foot into this country, you’ll realise that you won’t be able to walk down the street without coming across at least one vending machine. Traditionally, the bright red and blue will give away its location immediately. These days, however, vending machine operators are getting creative and they come in all sorts of colours and sizes!

 

Some of the biggest reasons why vending machines in Japan have become so popular with visitors is because of its sale items. Need a coffee? A soft drink? Milk? Ramen? Maybe you’re craving a burger? You won’t come across a vending machine selling the latter everywhere, but they definitely do exist! They say your first vending machine experience is a special one.  Perusing past the warm glows of all the options available; holding onto that 100-yen coin until you’ve made your decision; hearing the beeps as you select your item; and the surprise you feel when you realise it’s actually warm is indescribable! There are so many fun facts about vending machines in Japan. Below we’ve listed 10 facts about Japanese vending machines you probably didn’t know about.

 

1. Hot coffee? Tick!

 

People usually associate vending machines with thirst-quenching cold drinks such as water, Coke, and fruit juices. Japanese vending machines are in a completely different ballpark.  Yes, they do offer the aforementioned drinks in abundance, but just as popular are the vending machines that sell hot coffee! You read that right. Their advanced technology allows them to store both hot and cold beverages in the same machine. You will be able to tell whether the beverage is hot or cold by the red or blue price label of the item. On top of hot coffee, if you’re feeling a bit peckish, many vending machines also sell savoury soup items as well. The most popular items to try would be the hot sweet corn soup, onion soup, and even clam chowder!

 

2. Pay In Almost Any Form In Japanese Vending Machines!

 

In most western countries, you’ll find that vending machines only accept cash or credit cards. Not in Japan! If you have a loaded commuter pass, chances are you’d be able to tap that to pay as well. In Tokyo, these would be either the Suica or Pasmo cards. Other regions will have different names for their cards but you get the picture. If you’re visiting Japan, you will almost definitely need to purchase and load up one of these cards to get around. It’s not only convenient to collate all your payment options into the one card, but the novelty of using it is quite exciting as well!

 

3. How Many Vending Machines In Japan: More Than 5 MILLION Vending Machines!

 

That is A LOT of vending machines. In a country where the population is upwards of 125 million, that equates to almost one vending machine for every 25 people! Sometimes you’ll see lone vending machines, and sometimes you’ll see a few bunched together. Due to the population density of the country, the latter is more popular.

 

4. Fresh Fruits and Vegetables? No problem!

 

Most people accept that drink items will stay in a vending machine for a few weeks, maybe even a few months. On that note, the idea that a fresh food item can be sold via a vending machine may seem preposterous. Not in Japan! In fact, fresh fruit and vegetable vending machines are becoming more and more popular outside of the main cities. This is because farmers are becoming more tech-savvy and are finding ways to reach out to their markets in innovative ways. Major cities like Tokyo and Osaka are most likely too dense with grocery stores and supermarkets for these types of vending machines to work. However, you will still come across the occasional machine which sells fresh fruits like bananas or apples.

 

5. Touch Screen Vending machines

 

Majority of the vending machines in Japan are still the traditional pop-a-coin and press-a-button for your item type. However, in many of the major cities, you’ll start coming across bigger, brighter, more colourful vending machines that are touchscreen! The most notable thing about these machines is the display. Because the screen is actually bigger, it makes it easier for you to view your selections. The LED display also makes it easier to advertise certain items and brands in the background. It also hides any sold-out items so there is no ugly ‘sold out’ sticker across it. During certain times of the year, you might even notice traces of the season embedded in the display, such as cherry blossoms. These brightly lit vending machines can usually be found at stations or along busy streets. Like traditional vending machines, it takes most forms of payment.

 

6. JR East Water Business’s “Acure” Vending Machine – Next Level Touch Screen Vending Machines

 

If you were impressed with the above, wait until you hear about this! In the latest in touchscreen vending machines, JR East Water Business released their “Acure” vending machines. These vending machines are a first in vending machine customer targeting. When standing in front of the vending machine, there is an obscure camera right above the customer. It will determine the general age and gender of the customer. Using this info, the machine will make subtle suggestions to the customer on the touchscreen display panel.  How crazy is that! You may think you’re making your own decisions but in fact, the vending machine could be the one making the choice for you.

 

7. Specialty Item Vending Machines

 

The majority of vending machines in Japan usually sell hot and cold drinks. Occasionally you will come across the specialty item vending machines. These items can quite literally range from anything you can imagine. Clothing is one such category of specialty item vending machines. There are Uniqlo vending machines selling heat-tech shirts. There are also machines selling brand new ties in case you randomly decided you needed one.  If you needed a flower gift and didn’t have time for the supermarkets, there are in fact machines that stock freshly made bouquets that you can just slip some coins in and run off with. Cooking up a storm but forgot one of the most important base-level ingredients in Japanese cooking, the dashi stock? Say no more! There exist vending machines in Japan that actually sell freshly made dashi stock in bottles for you to take home and use straight away. Just don’t confuse them for tea because they look exactly alike! There are many, many, many more specialty item vending machines; so much so that we couldn’t possibly name them all. If you do come across one, snap a pic for memories!

 

8. Japanese Vending Machine Etiquette

 

If you’ve travelled to Japan before, you’ll know that there are no trash cans on the streets. This is one of the reasons why the country is so clean – people dispose of it in very specific areas or they take it with them. You will also notice that people in Japan do not usually eat whilst walking on the streets. When they purchase food, they usually eat nearby (or inside convenient stores), dispose of the rubbish and then move on. You will notice that most vending machines will have small trash cans nearby. The openings of these cans are usually small enough just to fit drink bottles into them. Most Japanese people will purchase a drink, drink the entire bottle/can in one go, and throw it away before moving on. They will almost never carry the drink with them to consume whilst walking away. This might seem like a lot for a regular 375ml bottle of Coke, but the sizes of the bottles and cans in Japan are relatively smaller.

 

9. Disaster Relief Settings

One of the things that Japan experiences quite regularly is natural disasters. This is because of where it is located on earth. Because of this, some vending machines have actually been designed to acknowledge when a natural disaster has happened and changes its settings. It will provide free refreshments during times of emergency such as if the country is experiencing a major earthquake or tsunami. There are even backup power generators installed so that they don’t completely shut down during emergencies. Whilst it is a small gesture, these may be well-worth it for desperate situations.

 

10. Tommy Lee Jones for BOSS coffee!

 

 

Did you know that Tommy Lee Jones, aka the other half of the famous MIB duo, is a spokesperson for Suntory’s BOSS Coffee Brands? BOSS Coffee is only like one of the most popular coffee brands across the country! His affiliation with the brand means that you’ll see his face randomly plastered along the sides and tops of many Japanese vending machines. You may even see him promoting Suntory’s BOSS brand across massive billboards in the cities and within train stations as well! When you’re feeling tired, grab a BOSS coffee from a vending machine and know that Tommy Lee Jones is silent cheering: Ganbatte! Honestly, some people might find the thought of vending machines trivial. But that is probably because they haven’t experienced Japan’s ones yet! The thought of purchasing a warm can of coffee or soup, which is the norm in Japan and almost nowhere else in the world, is thrilling! Even if you’ve visited multiple times and have bought it time and time again, the excitement will never get old. When you come across any interesting vending machines, we highly recommend that you snap a pic and let your friends know back home! They’ll be thankful you exposed them to the wonderful world of Japanese vending machines.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Vending Machine  |  Vending Machine Facts

 

Edited June 23, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - GYPSY OR ROMANI PEOPLE

Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted

at the 1971 World Romani Congress

 

Did you know.... that the Romani people, also known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan people, traditionally nomadic itinerants living mostly in Europe, as well as diaspora populations in the Americas. The Romani people are widely known in English by the exonym Gypsies (or Gipsies), which is considered by many Romani people to be pejorative due to its connotations of illegality and irregularity as well as its historical use as a racial slur. In many other languages, regarding cognates of the word, such as Spanish: gitano, Italian: zingaro and Portuguese: cigano, this perception is either very small or non-existent. At the first World Romani Congress it was unanimously voted to reject all exonyms for the Romani people, including Gypsy for its aforementioned negative and stereotypical connotations. (Wikipedia)

 

Fascinating Facts About Gypsies
by Angela Hamm  |  May 2016

 

The Romani are one of the most misunderstood and mythologized peoples on our planet, and it’s been that way for centuries. Rumors have long persisted that they blow into town, seduce men and women, and then steal everything in sight, including children. There are also many myths about lusty women, scarf-wearing fortune-tellers, and caravans. Misconceptions and myths aside, the Romani remain one of the most fascinating ethnic groups in history.

 

The Huge Debate About Where They Came From

The Romani’s origins are shrouded in mystery. In the early days of their travels, it seemed that they magically appeared on the Continent. That alone may have sparked the Europeans’ feelings of fear and mystery about the Romani. Noted professors theorized that the Romani originally made a mass exodus from India in the fifth century. That theory supposes that their flight was due to the spread of Islam, which the Romani were desperate to escape to protect their religious freedom. This theory has them moving from India to Anatolia to Europe and further theorizes that the Romani people split into three distinct branches—the Domari, the Lomavren, and the Romani—during their mass exodus. However, noted professor (and Romani activist) Ian Hancock does not support the theory. Instead, he proposes that there were as many as three separate migrations over a span of several centuries. Hancock used linguistics to further support his theories but was met with opposition to them.

 

Their Nomadic Lifestyle Isn’t Always By Choice

The Romani people have long been subject to exotification. Whether it’s the casual use of phrases like “gypsy soul” (free-spirited) or the Cirque du Soleil show Varekai, the Romani people are constantly stereotyped as a people who willingly move wherever they will. According to the stereotype, they prefer to live outside the mainstream and eschew societal norms for a shifting nomadic lifestyle replete with colorful caravans and dancing. The truth of their shifting, moving existence is far bleaker. For centuries, the Romani people have often been forcefully expelled from the countries in which they lived. That forced expulsion continues today. It is common for large numbers of the Romani people to be forcefully deported to other countries. Many have theorized that the truest reason for the nomadic existence of the Romani people is also the simplest: survival.

 

They Have No Country Of Their Own

The Romani are a stateless nation. Most countries refuse them citizenship even if they were born within the country. Centuries of persecution, their insular society, and mitigating factors in the post-Yugoslavia era have left the modern Romani adrift, apart from society, and stateless. The statelessness of the Romani was not fixed by the 1977 creation of the International Romani Union. In 2000, the Romani were officially declared a non-territorial nation. This statelessness makes the Romani legally invisible. Without access to health-care services, they often lack verifiable citizenship or birth certificates. That leads to many of the same issues faced by “legally invisible” people across the world. They cannot access education, health care, and other social services. They can’t even get passports, which makes traveling difficult or impossible.

 

They Are Among The Most Persecuted People On Earth

The Romani were an enslaved people in Europe, most notably in Romani, from the 14th to the 19th centuries. They were bartered and sold and considered to be less than human. In the 1700s, Maria Theresa, sovereign of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, made the Romani people, dress, and occupations illegal. This was done to force the Romani to integrate into society. Maria Theresa was not the only ruler who attempted to force the Romani to assimilate in such a way. Similar laws were enacted in Spain, and many European nations outlawed the Romani people from entering their countries. Until recently, the Romani were the unseen victims in the Nazi persecutions. The Nazi regime pursued and captured the Romani, putting tens of thousands to death by claiming that they were ethnically inferior. Even today, the Romani are persecuted. Lately, many human rights organizations have begun to protest the treatment received by the Romani, whether it is forced expulsion or the denial of social services.

 

Nobody’s Sure How Many Romani Exist

It’s difficult to give a solid figure on how many Romani exist. Due to the discrimination often encountered by the Romani, many do not publicly register or identify as Romani. Also, given their legal invisibility, the preponderance of children born without documentation, and the transient nature of the Romani, many are unaccounted for or unknown. Also problematic is the lack of Romani enrolled in social services, which would help to give a clearer accounting of their number. Even so, The New York Times estimates the population of Romani worldwide as approximately 11 million people. However, those figures are often disputed. As there are few census-related polls that include the Romani, that number may be substantially lower or higher. Nevertheless, there are Romani populations in the US, Russia, Bulgaria, Italy, and other European countries.

 

Gypsy Or Gypsie: Is An Ethnic Slur To The Romani

To many people, the term “gypsy” simply means someone who is nomadic and is not considered a racial slur. But for the Romani, the word has sinister overtones. For example, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “gypped” was derived from gypsie, and “gypped” refers to a criminal act. The Romani, who were often called gypsies, were seen as outsiders and thieves and actually had the word “gypsy” tattooed or branded onto their skin during the Nazi regime. Ian Hancock, noted linguistics professor and Romani activist, described the word “gypsy” as a label applied to ethnic people who were considered outsiders. Like many racial slurs, “gypsy” has been used over the centuries to oppress the Romani, to single them out as different, and to perpetuate a stereotype. The Romani do not refer to themselves as gypsies and consider the usage of the term to be derogatory.

 

They’re Not Any More Magical Than The Rest Of Us

There are many myths surrounding the Romani. One such myth is that they possess centuries-old magic (majiks) passed down through lineage and training. The myth seems to be framed around tarot cards, crystal balls, and the fortune-telling tents that populate other Romani stereotypes. We encounter many of these stereotypical suppositions of Romani magic in our daily lives. Literature is rife with references to the Romani and their magical arts. For example, in Jane Eyre, the Romani visit Thornfield as fortune-tellers. In Stephen King’s novel Thinner, in which the main character is cursed by the Romani after killing an elderly woman, there’s much made of the Romani’s ability to perform magical acts. In addition, there are many movies that feature curses from the Romani. Even in art, there are many depictions of the Romani as a mystical and magical people. However, many intellectuals have attributed this supposed magic to misconception.

 

No Formal Religion

In European folklore, it was often said that the Romani made a temple out of cream cheese. Supposedly, they ate it when they got hungry during a period of severe famine. This left them without a church or religion. That’s probably not true, but it is true that the Romani have no official religion. Usually, they join the church that is most prevalent in the country in which they live. There are plenty of traditional Romani beliefs, however. But these may or may not be practiced as part of their religion. Ian Hancock has debunked the previously held beliefs that the Romani had no formal religion before and after the exodus. In his writings, he points to many connections between the Romani and Hinduism.

 

Modesty In All Things

TLC showed us My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding and dropped our jaws with enormous wedding dresses and reality show moments designed to titillate. Although Romani weddings are often accompanied by massive dresses, modesty often dictates their day-to-day clothing. Modesty is a traditionally important tenet among the Romani. The dances most often associated with Romani women are belly dances. However, many Romani women do not belly dance. Instead, they perform traditional dances that use only their bellies but not their hips. Using their hips would be considered immodest. In addition, those long, flowing skirts so commonly associated with Romani women are not worn so that women can whip them high in seductive dances. They are worn to keep the legs covered. Leaving the legs bared to view is also considered immodest.

 

They’ve Given The World A Massive Legacy Of Art And Music

From early on, the Romani have been connected solidly with singing, dancing, and acting. They have carried that tradition throughout the centuries to leave behind a legacy of massive proportions. Many Romani have assimilated into the world, leaving legacies of their talents and culture. The list of famed musicians with Romani backgrounds includes Kesha, Neon Hitch, Cher Lloyd, Jerry Mason, and Django Reinhardt. Famed LGBT author Mikey Walsh and The Pilgrim’s Progress author John Bunyan are two of the many Romani who have given us memorable books. In addition, many famous dancers come from Romani backgrounds. These artists include Carmen Amaya, who is widely hailed as the greatest flamenco dancer of all time.

 

Maybe they are magical after all.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia Romani people  |  Facts About Gypsies

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - POLAR BEAR

Sow Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) near Kaktovik, Barter Island, Alaska.

 

Did you know.... that the polar bear is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear species, as well as the largest extant land carnivore. A boar (adult male) weighs around 350–700 kg (770–1,540 lb), while a sow (adult female) is about half that size. Although it is the sister species of the brown bear, it has evolved to occupy a narrower ecological niche, with many body characteristics adapted for cold temperatures, for moving across snow, ice and open water, and for hunting seals, which make up most of its diet. Although most polar bears are born on land, they spend most of their time on the sea ice. Their scientific name means "maritime bear" and derives from this fact. Polar bears hunt their preferred food of seals from the edge of sea ice, often living off fat reserves when no sea ice is present. Because of their dependence on the sea ice, polar bears are classified as marine mammals. (Wikipedia)

 

FACTS ABOUT POLAR BEARS

by WWF

 

1. POLAR BEARS ARE CLASSIFIED AS MARINE MAMMALS
Because they spend most of their lives on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean depending on the ocean for their food and habitat, polar bears are the only bear species to be considered marine mammals.

 

2. POLAR BEARS ARE ACTUALLY BLACK, NOT WHITE.
Polar bear fur is translucent, and only appears white because it reflects visible light. Beneath all that thick fur, their skin is jet black.

 

3. THEY CAN SWIM CONSTANTLY FOR DAYS AT A TIME
As well as reaching speeds of up to 6mph in the water, polar bears can swim for long distances and steadily for many hours to get from one piece of ice to another. Their large paws are specially adapted for swimming, which they’ll use to paddle through the water while holding their hind legs flat like a rudder.

 

4. LESS THAN 2% OF POLAR BEAR HUNTS ARE SUCCESSFUL
Although about half of a polar bear’s life is spent hunting for food, their hunts are rarely successful. Polar bears main prey consists of ringed seals and bearded seals, though they will also scavenge carcasses or settle for small mammals, birds, eggs and vegetation.

 

5. SCIENTISTS CAN EXTRACT POLAR BEAR DNA FROM JUST THEIR FOOTPRINTS
An innovative new technique developed by WWF and DNA specialist firm SPYGEN allows scientists to isolate DNA from a polar bear’s footprint in the snow. Two tiny scoops of snow from a polar bear track revealed not just the DNA of the polar bear that made it, but even from a seal it had recently eaten.

 

6. THEY FACE MORE THREATS THAN CLIMATE CHANGE
While climate change remains the greatest threat to the polar bear’s survival, that is not all that the predator is up against. The oil and gas industry is turning its eyes to the arctic, and with it comes the potential risks of habitat destruction from oil exploration work. Contact with oil spills can reduce the insulating effect of a bear’s fur requiring them to use more energy to get warm, and can poison them if ingested. Polar bears can also be exposed to toxic chemicals such as pesticides through their prey, which can affect a bear's biological functioning and ability to reproduce. Melting sea ice from climate change has increased human-polar bear conflicts when hungry polar bears go searching for food in the summer. Fortunately, people are learning to adapt to the polar bear's presence and take preventative measures to reduce the risk of conflict. Learn more about the threats to polar bears and how we are working to solve them.

 

7. GRIZZLY-POLAR BEAR HYBRIDS EXIST
As recently as 2006 genetic testing confirmed the existence of polar bear-grizzly bear hybrids, also known as ‘grolar bears’ or ‘pizzly bears’. The hybrid physically resembles an intermediate between the two species, but as wild hybrids are usually birthed from polar bear mothers they are raised and behave like polar bears. The ability for polar bears and grizzly bears to interbreed is unsurprising when you consider that polar bears evolved from brown bears as recently as 150,000 years ago!

 

8. THERE ARE AS MANY AS 19 SUBPOPULATIONS OF POLAR BEAR
The total population of approximately 26,000 wild polar bears are divided into 19 units or subpopulations. Of these just 1 subpopulation is increasing, 5 are stable and 4 are in decline. The remaining 9 have not been assessed as they are data deficient – we simply don’t have enough information about them to know how they’re doing.

 

9. MALE POLAR BEARS CAN WEIGH AS MUCH AS 10 MEN
Male polar bears can weigh up to 800kg, and are twice the size of females. This, in addition to the fact that they can measure up to 3 metres long, makes polar bears the largest land carnivore in the world.

 

10. THEY CAN SMELL THEIR PREY UP TO A KILOMETER AWAY
Polar bears have a very strong sense of smell, which they use to find seal breathing holes in the ice. Once it has found the hole, the bear will wait patiently until the seal comes up for air to attack. They can even detect a seal in the water beneath a metre of compacted snow.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Polar Bear  |  Brief Polar Bear Facts

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - CORKSCREW

Did you know.... that a corkscrew is a tool for drawing corks from wine bottles and other household bottles that may be sealed with corks. In its traditional form, a corkscrew simply consists of a pointed metallic helix (often called the "worm") attached to a handle, which the user screws into the cork and pulls to extract it. Corkscrews are necessary because corks themselves, being small and smooth, are difficult to grip and remove, particularly when inserted fully into an inflexible glass bottle. More recent styles of corkscrew incorporate various systems of levers that further increase the amount of force that can be applied outwards upon the cork, making easier the extraction of difficult corks. (Wikipedia)

 

 

History of the Wine Corkscrew

by Joshua Malin - VinePair  |  October 2014 

 

 

The corkscrew, like so many other inventions, was borne out of necessity. For as long as we have sold wine in glass bottles sealed with cork stoppers, consumers have struggled to easily remove those corks. As soon as the earliest glass bottles arrived in late seventeenth-century England, inventors began dreaming up instruments to ease the removal of corks. The earliest reference to a corkscrew was noted in the 1680s. These crude instruments — “steel worms” — were variations on musket barrel cleaning tools (gun worms) manufactured by gunsmiths. Over the next 300 years inventors would file hundreds of patents, relentlessly improving upon these first adapted corkscrews. Here’s a brief history of the most important advances.

 

 

THE FIRST PATENTED CORKSCREW
Reverend Samuel Henshall received the world’s first patent for a corkscrew in 1795. Henshall, a religious official in Oxford, England, collaborated with Mathew Boulton, a prominent manufacturer in Birmingham, to bring his corkscrew to the market. Henshall’s key improvement on the wooden-handled steel worm was the insertion of a concave disk between the handle and the worm. The disk served two purposes: it prevents its user from screwing too deep into the cork and it forces the cork itself to turn once that limit is reached, breaking any seal between the cork and the glass neck. Henshall’s corkscrew was so effective that it was used widely for over 100 years. Cork enthusiasts – helixophiles — claim that while Henshall may have patented the design, he likely was not its inventor, as similar models were made by others decades earlier.

 

Samuel Hanshell’s Patent For A Corkscrew via The Quarterly Worme – Granted 1795

 

INVENTING THE SINGLE DIRECTION TWIST
The next key innovation in corkscrew design can be traced to another Englishman, Edward Thompson. Thompson, in an 1802 patent, documented a way to allow a user to turn the corkscrew in a single direction by employing nested screws, which turn in opposite directions. When one screw reached its limit, a second screw engaged, allowing the cork to begin its move upward. This design element made its way into many other corkscrew designs, including the famous “Zig-Zag” corkscrew.

 

THE WAITER’S FRIEND
In 1882, German inventor Carl F.A. Wienke, filed a patent on the “Waiter’s Friend,” also known as a “Butler’s Friend” and a “Wine Key.” This slim, foldable corkscrew (in a shape similar to a pocket knife — earning it yet another name, the “Sommelier’s Knife”) employs a screw and a single lever. The Waiter’s Friend’s handle uses the side of the wine bottle for leverage, easing the upward pull of the cork. While this design has seen many improvements — the double hinged levers of the “Pull-Tap” prominent among them — its basic form has proved its worth, as the myriad variations remain extremely popular both with restaurant and bar professionals and home wine drinkers alike.

 

The U.S. Patent Filing For Carl FA Wienke’s Lever Corkscrew – Granted 1883

 

THE WING
The double-lever, rack-and-pinion “Wing” corkscrew has its origins in H.S. Heely’s 1888 British patent on a corkscrew he called the A1 Heeley Double Lever. A version of this corkscrew reached the United States in 1930. Patented to Italian designer Dominick Rosati, the design remains quite popular. As you twist the screw into the cork, a pair of levers rise on each side of the bottle’s neck. When you push the levers down the cork rises. When crafted out of heavier, thicker metal it can be easy to use and quite effective. Cheap, flimsier versions can be frustrating to use, as the leverage the corkscrew should provide just isn’t there.

 

The U.S. Patent Filing For Dominick Rosati’s Wing Corkscrew – Granted 1930

 

MODERN INNOVATIONS
1979 saw the introduction of the “Screwpull” corkscrew, designed and patented by Herbert Allen, an oil and aerospace industry engineer who fell in love with wine while traveling through Europe in the 1950s. Allen used polycarbonate plastic and advanced metals to produce a corkscrew so elegant it found its way into The Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection. The slim device wraps around the top of the bottle. To use it you simply turn the plastic screw.

 

Herbert Allen’s Screwpull Corkscrew – Granted 1981

 

Herbert Allen earned another patent for a single side lever corkscrew, which employed a down–up–down series of strokes to dive into the cork, pull it out, and then slip off the screw. The “Rabbit” made this type of corkscrew famous among American consumers, as an extremely easy-to-use, if pricey way to reliably remove corks.

 

Allen’s Self Pulling Corkscrew Patent And The Rabbit Patent For A Similar Device, Two Decades Later

 

What does the future hold? Perhaps one day the idea of removing corks will seem alien to us, at least for expensive bottles we’d like to drink in more than one sitting. The Coravin uses a syringe and inert gas to allow wine to be removed from a bottle without ever extracting the cork, or allowing oxygen to enter.

 

An Early Patent For The Coravin – Granted 2010


Source: Wikipedia - Corkscrew  |  Brief Facts About Corkscrews

 

 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - BEWITCHED

Did you know.... that Bewitched is an American fantasy sitcom television series, originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typical suburban housewife. The show was popular, finishing as the second-rated show in America during its debut season, staying in the top ten for its first three seasons, and ranking in eleventh place for both seasons four and five. The show continues to be seen throughout the world in syndication and on recorded media. (Wikipedia)

 

Interesting Facts about Bewitched

by Mental Itch

 

The fantasy sitcom Bewitched enchanted television viewers from 1964 to 1972. It stars the late Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha, the witch who marries a mortal man and vows herself to the normal life of a typical suburban housewife. But her magical powers get in the way, and this is often the main source of the sitcom’s hilarious situations. Bewitched was so popular during the time of its original broadcast, and this classic television show continues to be watched through syndication and on the Internet as well. It also inspired subsequent sitcoms that combined magical fantasy and comedy such as I Dream of Jeannie, as well as a 2005 cinematic rehash starring Nicole Kidman.

 

1. Elizabeth Montgomery was not the sitcom’s first choice for the lead role

Bewitched's creator, Sol Saks, originally wanted actress Tammy Grimes to play the lead role of the witch as Cassandra (instead of Samantha). But Grimes was still under contract to Screen Gems at the time, which made her unavailable to take the role. Instead, Saks and director Bill Asher went with Elizabeth Montgomery instead, and the rest is history.

 

2. Actual alcoholic drinks were used on the show

If you have noticed and assumed that the show’s characters were imbibing iced tea that looked like whiskey, you’re quite mistaken. These are real alcoholic drinks, which the sitcom’s adult cast members drank often on the set (and within the context of the show).

 

3. Dick York’s chronic back pain was the real reason for his exit

Actor Dick York originally played as Samantha’s husband, Darrin Stephens. While most Bewitched fans were aware that York was replaced as Darrin, they didn’t know the reason behind it. It later turned out that he actually suffered a severe back injury which forced him to quit the show.

 

4. Dick Sargent as the new Darrin

Actor Dick Sargent went to replace Dick York as Darrin. Agnes Moorehead, who played as Samantha’s mother Endora, didn’t like the new Darrin. Moorehead was close friends with York before his exit.

 

5. The sitcom was interrupted by two assassinations

 
In 1963, Montgomery had a difficult time filming for the pilot episode because it was the day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. They had to call off the work following the announcement of this tragic incident. Montgomery and director Bill Asher were friends of the president’s. In 1968, another assassination – this time of Martin Luther King Jr. – also halted another episode as well.

 

6. Richard Crenna was almost Darrin

During the early stages of the Bewitched casting, Richard Crenna was actually the producer’s second choice to play Darrin Stephens – nope, not even Dick York. Crenna was almost cast as Darrin, but he was busy with another role while the producers were searching for the ideal actress to play Samantha.

 

7. Samantha didn’t wiggle her nose, ever

Elizabeth Montgomery, who played as the witch Samantha, never actually wiggled her nose. A camera trick did it.

 

8. Dick Sargent was actually the first choice to play Darrin

Everybody thought that Sargent’s assumption of the role as Darrin (after York’s departure) was based on the show’s impulsive decision. But the producers had actually considered Sargent as their original top choice to play Darrin.

 

9. Tired of the show

Montgomery soon grew tired of the show and wanted to leave after the fifth season. She later changed her mind after producers offered her so much money. However, her performances in the sitcom’s last three seasons were noticeably humdrum as she became increasingly bored with it.

 

10. Montgomery was married to the sitcom’s director

In real life, Montgomery was married to Bewitched director William Asher during much of the sitcom’s heyday. However, their marriage was eventually on the rocks and the couple had separated by the end of the show’s eighth season. The couple divorced in 1973, after a 10-year marriage.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Bewitched  |  Facts About Bewitched

Edited June 27, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - THE MUPPETS

 

Did you know.... that The Muppets are an ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety-sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the namesakes of the Disney-owned media franchise that encompasses television, film, music, and other media associated with the characters. (Wikipedia)

 

What You Probably Didn't Know About 'The Muppets'
Meghan Cook  |  November 19, 2018

 

Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog

 

Jim Henson's Muppets have a long legacy that spans multiple television shows, movies, and late night appearances. For nearly six decades the singing, dancing, and joke cracking Muppets have entertained viewers.

 

Jim Henson had a puppet show prior to "The Muppet Show" called "Sam and Friends."

Before he created "The Muppet Show," Jim Henson's first television venture was called "Sam and Friends," a puppet ensemble show that ran from 1955 to 1961. In addition to featuring the original version of Kermit the Frog, a wide array of early Muppets appeared on "Sam and Friends" including Harry the Hipster, Icky Gunk, and Pierre the French Rat.

 

The Muppets made regular guest appearances on late-night talk shows in the '60s and they still do from time to time.

Miss Piggy and Kermit on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."

YouTube/ The Tonight Show Jimmy Fallon

 

In the 1960s, during their "The Muppet Show" fame, several characters made guest appearances on talk shows. Rowlf the Dog and Kermit the Frog were the most popular of the Muppets and made frequent appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Rowlf the Dog eventually became the first Muppet to have a regular spot on late-night television when he was signed to "The Jimmy Dean Show" alongside comedian Jimmy Dean.

 

"The Muppet Show" won four Emmy awards in its five-year run.

Diana Ross on "The Muppet Show." ATV
 

"The Muppet Show" ran from 1976 until 1981 in the United Kingdom until finding syndication in the United States. It was nominated for multiple Emmy awards and won four.

 

Jim Henson produced a Muppet sketch series on "Saturday Night Live" that only ran for one season.

Muppets have appeared on the show a few times since. YouTube/Saturday Night Live

 

Following "Sam and Friends," Jim Henson created a recurring sketch for the first season of "Saturday Night Live" called The Land of Gorch. Originally called Muppet Night Creatures, The Land of Gorch depicted an uncouth family of royal Muppets that interacted with "Saturday Night Live" cast members. According to Salon, the sketch series was not popular with critics or with cast members themselves. Stars like John Belushi were frustrated with having to share screen time with the characters, which Belushi called the "mucking Fuppets."

 

The finale for "The Muppet Movie" featured 250 Muppets on screen at the same time.

That's a lot of Muppets. Disney

 

For the musical finale of "The Muppet Movie," Henson wanted 250 Muppets simultaneously on the screen. In "Jim Henson: The Biography" author Brian Jay Jones said Henson put out a casting call and wrangled about 150 performers.  "When [director] James Frawley called out 'Muppets up!' up came a sea of colorful Muppets — making up the largest puppet cast ever assembled on film," wrote Jones. 

 

Guest stars on "The Muppet Show" included singers, comedians, dancers, and movie stars.

Reese Witherspoon appeared on 2015 reboot of "The Muppets." ABC

 

"The Muppet Show" was notable for featuring famous guest stars. In the five seasons of the show, talented performers guest starred including Broadway star Ethel Merman, singer Harry Belafonte, comedian Steve Martin, actress Julie Andrews, and a magician named Doug Henning. Furthermore, in a season four episode, the entire cast of "Star Wars" starred alongside the Muppets. The series reboot that aired from 2015 to 2016 also featured big-name celebrities like actress Reese Witherspoon. 

 

The film crew for "The Muppet Movie" had to make a 60-foot version of Animal.

A normal-sized version of Animal (right). 

 

In one scene, Animal eats some chemicals in Bunsen and Beaker's lab that cause him to become huge. "The Muppet Movie" director James Frawley told USA Today that instead of shooting the scene on a miniature set with the original Animal Muppet, Henson wanted the crew to create a larger version of Animal that was actually 60 feet tall.

 

Thog is one of the biggest full-bodied Muppets.

Thog is big and blue. ABC

 

One of the more obscure Muppets, Thog is a full-bodied Muppet who towers over most Muppets and humans alike. He has a large snout and shaggy blue fur, as well as a gentle disposition. In the 2011 "The Muppets" he can be spotted in a brief cameo, squeezed into an office with Amy Adams, Jason Segel, and dozens of other Muppets.

 

Kermit the Frog has been puppeteered by three actors and voiced by five.

Jim Henson was the original Kermit the Frog. Disney
 

After Jim Henson's passing in 1990, a variety of voice actors and puppeteers have stepped in to fill his shoes for playing Kermit. Steve Whitmire took over as Kermit the Frog's puppeteer and voice in 1990 and was allegedly fired in 2016. Matt Vogel, Kermit's current performer, then took over. Frank Welker also voiced Kermit the Frog in all of his animated forms ("Muppet Babies," "Little Muppet Monsters," and "Family Guy") and Matt Danner voiced him in the newest iteration of "Muppet Babies" that premiered in 2018.

 

Jason Segel recruited Kermit himself to ask Amy Adams to star in "The Muppets" with them.

She said it's hard to say no to Kermit. Disney

 

Amy Adams ("Enchanted," "Arrival," "Sharp Objects") played a key role in the 2011 "Muppets" film as Jason Segel's girlfriend, Mary. She later revealed that she was personally asked to join the movie by Kermit the Frog himself. "When I heard they were doing a new one I was really excited," Adams said in an interview with Collider. "Jason sent me a DVD where he and Kermit were inviting me to be part of 'The Muppets.' It was really cool. Once Kermit asks you to do something it is really hard to look at him and say, 'No.' So I was hooked."

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - The Muppets  |  Facts About The Muppets