Fact of the Day

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Fact of the Day - MAPLE SYRUP

Quebec, Canada

 

Did you know.... that maple syrup is a syrup usually made from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple, or black maple trees, although it can also be made from other maple species. Maple syrup was first made and used by the indigenous peoples of North America. The practice was adopted by European settlers, who gradually refined production methods. Technological improvements in the 1970s further refined syrup processing. Virtually all of the world's maple syrup is produced in Canada and the United States. The Canadian province of Quebec is the largest producer, responsible for 70 percent of the world's output; Canadian exports of maple syrup in 2016 were C$487 million (about US$360 million), with Quebec accounting for some 90 percent of this total. Maple syrup is graded according to the Canada, United States, or Vermont scales based on its density and translucency. Sucrose is the most prevalent sugar in maple syrup. In Canada, syrups must be made exclusively from maple sap to qualify as maple syrup and must also be at least 66 percent sugar. In the United States, a syrup must be made almost entirely from maple sap to be labelled as "maple", though states such as Vermont and New York have more restrictive definitions. Maple syrup is often used as a condiment for pancakes, waffles, French toast, oatmeal, or porridge. It is also used as an ingredient in baking and as a sweetener or flavouring agent. Culinary experts have praised its unique flavour, although the chemistry responsible is not fully understood. (Wikipedia)

 

 

Interesting Facts About Maple Syrup

by Tess Boissonneault  |  August 2020

Maple syrup, also known in Canada as liquid gold, is a truly special product. Created from the sweet sap of the maple tree, the leaf even emblazons the Canadian flag – but there’s much more to it than a breakfast ingredient to pour on your pancakes. Here are some of the most interesting facts about Canada’s favorite sweetener.

 

Most of the world’s maple syrup comes from Quebec

Though Canada is popularly known as the home of maple syrup, most of the natural product actually comes from a specific part of the country: Quebec. Today, the French-speaking province supplies roughly two-third’s of the world’s maple syrup.

 

• Maple syrup is packed with nutrients and antioxidants

Though its sweet, rich flavor might make you think otherwise, maple syrup boasts plenty of health benefits. The syrup is filled with antioxidants as well as healthy minerals like zinc, magnesium, calcium and potassium.

 

• 40 gallons of maple sap makes one gallon of syrup

The cost of pure maple syrup makes a bit more sense when you realize that it takes roughly 40 gallons (150 liters) of maple tree sap to produce a single gallon (3.8 liters) of syrup.

 

• There was once a major maple syrup heist

In 2011 and 2012, the maple syrup market was disrupted by the “Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist.” Nearly 3,000 tons of maple syrup valued at roughly CAD$18 million (£10.4m) were stolen from Quebec suppliers.

 

• The Iroquois people invented maple syrup

Maple syrup was invented by the Iroquois people, who are indigenous to northeastern America. They pioneered the tapping technology that drew sap from the maple tree, as well as processing techniques for transforming it into syrup and sugar crystals.

 

• Maple syrup production is heavily weather-dependent

Like many agricultural crops, maple farming is very weather-dependent. Producers typically start tapping trees in early spring, when the trees and their sap begin to thaw. In a good year, the sugaring season will last between four and six weeks.

 

There are different grades of maple syrup

Maple syrup is categorized into different grades, which are determined based on the color and light transmission of the product. These factors are influenced by the time of season the sap is collected, not by how the maple syrup is processed.

 

• In WWII, Canadians were encouraged to sweeten recipes with maple syrup

Due to rationing during the Second World War, Canadians were encouraged to sweeten their food with maple syrup instead of sugar. The country’s department of agriculture even released a collection of special wartime recipes that used maple syrup in lieu of processed sugar.

 

• Maple sap is now mostly gathered with suction pump systems, not pails

While many picture maple sap being gathered by pails and spiles, this tradition is largely outdated, and most industrial maple tree farms rely on more sophisticated systems using suction pumps and tubes. This has been the primary maple sap-gathering method since the 1970s.

 

Maple syrup goes with more than just pancakes

Maple syrup is most traditionally used as a pancake or crepe topper, but the ingredient is exceptionally versatile. Use maple syrup in marinades, vinaigrettes, baking and even cocktails for an indulgent, natural sweetener.

 

• A single tree can produce up to 15 gallons of sap per year

A single maple tree is capable of producing anywhere between 5 to 15 gallons (19 to 57 liters) of sap per season. This wide margin is dependent on a few factors, including weather, tree age and health. A healthy maple tree can produce sap for generations.

 

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Maple Syrup  |  Facts About Maple Syrup

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - CIRCUS

Did you know... that a circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, unicyclists, as well as other object manipulation and stunt-oriented artists. The term circus also describes the performance which has followed various formats through its 250-year modern history. Although not the inventor of the medium, Philip Astley is credited as the father of the modern circus. In 1768, Astley, a skilled equestrian, began performing exhibitions of trick horse riding in an open field called Ha'Penny Hatch on the south side of the Thames River. (Wikipedia)

 

Weird Facts About the Circus
By: Kate Kershner

 

A wall of death rider reads Zoo magazine

with a lioness. Think that's strange? This list

gets even weirder.

 

Strange facts about the circus are plentiful. The circus is — simply put — weird. Part of its appeal is that it's outside the realm of normal: We don't usually pet tigers, swing from a trapeze or watch clowns pile into a car. Since there's a lot that's "weird" about circus acts, we chose to include facts about its origins and legacy that may surprise you. Here's a start: It might shock you that the circus is still a wildly popular business. Feld Entertainment, which owns Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, had an estimated $1 billion in revenue in 2013, and the owner of Cirque du Soleil is worth an estimated $1.8 billion [source: Mac]. Let's take a look at some strange circus facts that made the bizarre and fantastic circus what it is today.

 

Web-Sci Circus Geek

 

Performing Animals Made Their Debut in Theatres

An elephant rides a custom-made tricycle in 1918.

 

While we think of elephants as circus stalwarts, they actually became popular in an arena a little more sophisticated than the Big Top. Although elephants had performed in various menageries and tours for a while, they became a big hit in the august theatre. In 1829, a play called "The Elephant of Siam" was performed at the Adelphi in London and later toured the country. It featured a trained elephant that went by the rather hoity-toity name of Mademoiselle D'Jeck. Mlle D'Jeck was trained to complete a number of actions — ring a bell and steal a crown with her trunk, then place it on someone's head, for instance. This bit of theatre was quite popular, and soon other circus promoters began advertising elephants that performed tricks in the ring, as well. But it wasn't just elephants: Trained lions were first used on the stage in breathtaking productions. Queen Victoria was in the audience for some of them, which ignited the public's appetite for performing cats [source: Speaight].

 

Rope Walkers Were Titillating

Tightrope walker Mlle Elleanorer performs

on a high wire in 1922.

 

Not to paint with too broad a brush, but it's probably fair to say that many of us watch tightrope walkers and feel pretty much undiluted fear. But that's a modern audience, bombarded with any kind of scintillating entertainment we want on-demand. It was a little different in the early days of circus, when the sight of a lady wearing trousers could rouse a serious blush. Think about it — high-wire-walking ladies were going to give everyone an eyeful if they were wearing skirts. The leg-baring doublet and hose women wire walkers wore allowed men to gawk at women's bodies in a way that certainly wasn't socially appropriate for the time [source: Victoria and Albert Museum]. One 1699 review even describes how a wire walker's dexterity might translate well in the bedroom [source: Speaight]. Apparently, watching a wire-walker proved to be a very chaste way to get one's jollies. But let's peel our eyes from the lady dancing on the rope to learn a little more about the weird origins of the word circus.

 

A Horse Ring Is the Circus' Namesake

A couple rides horses in 1913 in Hyde Park,

from which the circus supposedly got its name.

 

So perhaps you're a classical studies scholar and familiar with Roman entertainment, or you've seen "Spartacus" one time and vaguely remember it. Either way, you're probably under the impression that the famous Circus Maximus (the ring where chariot races took place) gave the contemporary circus its name. You're kind of right, in the sense that it's the same word. But that's pretty much where the similarities end. The first modern circus, founded by Philip Astley in 18th century Britain, was actually referred to as an Amphitheatre. In George Speaight's entertaining book "History of the Circus," the author suggests the word was initially adopted because it sounded fancy, which is as good a reason as any. It was only when equestrian showman Charles Hughes decided to perform a show he called "The Royal Circus" did the circus moniker come to be associated with the acts we see today. It probably had nothing to do with the Circus Maximus of ancient Rome but instead was derived from the "circus" ring around Hyde Park where rich people would exercise their horses [source: Speaight]. By the 19th century, "circus" was the accepted nomenclature.

 

John Wilkes Booth Was From a Circus Family

John Wilkes Booth might not have committed

this infamous crime had his father avoided

a fight with circus folk.

 

Infamous characters populate circus history, like the snake-oil salesman P.T. Barnum and those guys from the Insane Clown Posse. (Totally counts, don't try to argue.) But did you know that because of a simple twist of circus fate, one of the most villainous characters in modern U.S. history was born? John Wilkes Booth, President Abraham Lincoln's assassin, was born on American soil as a result of some circus-related drama. His father was Junius Brutus Booth, a well-regarded British actor. In Liverpool, England in 1821, J.B. Booth got into a fight with the Portuguese circus performer and rope dancer Il Diavolo Antonio, and Booth injured him badly [source: Speaight]. Booth decided to make a quick getaway to avoid the long arm of the law — and his wife, too. He left for America with a flower-selling girl to make a clean break. John Wilkes Booth was born to the couple in 1838. But let's return to the ring, where you might be amused to find acts that were once considered incredible acrobatics but aren't as impressive today.

 

Leaping Was Huge

Audiences were amazed when performers

made huge leaps over objects.

 

We demand a lot from circus performers these days. We not only want to see them defy gravity, but we also need other twists to make the show super-exciting. Perhaps they could do wild contortionist routines while hanging from their hair? Or maybe perform a high-wire act with no net while balancing on a chair? But in the early days of the circus, the demands of the audience were a lot less challenging, and leaping was a big deal. Leaping, you say? Yup. Literally leaping over things. Which is still not considered "uncool," I suppose, if you're a big parkour fan. But jumping over stuff (horses, people, carriages, whatever) really was a prime attraction. While we might think of acrobats as aerial or contortionist acts, in the late 18th century and early 19th century, leapers got the pulse beating. In 1842 a clown named Dewhurst (a fairly staid name for a clown) was jumping over ten horses and through balloons and the like [source: Speaight]. But the act provided one of the circus' first secrets: Trampolines or springboards were hidden to assist the high jumpers.

 

Circus Parades Were Spectacles

Pre-show parades were full of pomp and circumstance.

 

The glitz and glam of the circus is pretty much taken for granted in standard shows. Companies like Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Cirque du Soleil offer a certain amount of prestige, but there was a time when the acts under the Big Top felt secondary to the arrival of the show itself. The pre-show parade, which heralded the circus into town, was no pokey affair. One parade in 1880 is said to have taken five hours as it crawled along the streets of New York, and others boasted themed floats nearly 30 feet (9 meters) high. The cool thing is that the parades were basically free spectacles for the public. In fact, when Barnum & Bailey went to Germany, the residents supposedly assumed they got enough show from the parade itself and didn't bother buying tickets to a performance [source: Speaight]. As the railroad and larger trucks caught on, however, circuses no longer caravanned into town with as much majesty.

 

Circuses Were Publicity Machines

Circuses spent a ton of money on posters

in the early 20th century.

 

You'd think that the circus sells itself, with its death-defying acts and feats of amazing ability. But the circus was actually a well-oiled machine of public relations and became more heavily promoted than pretty much any form of entertainment on American soil before it. How did they do it? Paper. So much paper. Posters became a booming circus business spearheaded mostly by Strobridge Lithographing, a printing company in Cincinnati that met the high demand [source: Duke University Libraries]. And boy, was the demand high. The Forepaugh Circus alone had over a hundred different posters for promotion, and it's estimated that by 1915 Ringling Bros. was posting 10,000 posters a day by employing 70 people in advance cities. And kind of hilariously, there were serious turf wars over poster space. Circuses would spend loads of money printing up a jillion posters, and rival circuses would come and post right over them. There was so much strain that the Showman's Association even tried to address it in a 1911 Code of Ethics, a code that was pretty much ignored, which might tell you something about the ethics of the circus [source: Speaight].

 

Floating Circuses Traversed Rivers

The Floating Circus Palace provided ease

of shipment and a permanent location for

the show.

 

We've talked about how circus parades came into and went out of vogue, but another transportation option spawned a new American circus tradition that was quite popular. While traveling with wagons was all well and good, circus proprietors, who desperately depended on the ability to build and strike a tent quickly, began to see the appeal of setting up on the banks of rivers. They could ship their equipment quickly from town to town without much travel. But by the middle of the 19th century, an even better idea was hatched. What if the circus itself was on a barge? The Floating Circus Palace offered such a sight. It contained a 42-foot (12.8-meter) ring and accommodated 3,400 people [source: Speaight]. It traveled up and down the Mississippi and Ohio rivers for years, until the Civil War effectively shut down the operation. Nevertheless, it provided a permanent house for the circus and became one of the first showboats in a long history of American entertainment.

 

A Tragedy Bred Safety Measures

The 1944 circus tent fire proved fatal for

many spectators and circus animals.

 

In July 1944, one of the most horrific accidents in American entertainment occurred. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baily Circus was in Hartford, Connecticut for an early afternoon show when a fire ripped through the paraffin-covered tent. It caused a stampede, which resulted in 168 deaths, including that of at least 67 children [source: Daily Kos]. It was a horrific tragedy in circus history, but it put a spotlight on some much-needed safety regulations. After the fire, Hartford — and Connecticut in general — took a look at the laws in place regulating things like fire exits. Temporary structures like the Hartford circus tent were not stringently regulated or enforced. In response, the city and state adopted some extremely strict safety regulations, among the toughest yet in the nation, to prevent another disaster. The American Standards Association adopted new regulations for temporary structures to create a national code, and in the 70 years since the Hartford fire, nobody has died in a commercial tent fire [source: The Hartford Courant].

 

Balloon Ascents Were All the Rage

In the 19th century, hot air balloon ascents

were exciting feats of flight.

 

Look up there, flying high above the circus ring! No, that's no flying trapeze artist. It's a ... hot air balloon? Does that check out? Turns out, it actually does. Balloon ascents became a popular part of the British circus tradition in the 19th century. While it might seem pretty strange to a modern audience, remember that the hot air balloon (and flight in general) was a gigantic deal back in the day. It was as bizarre and strange as an elephant calmly taking commands or contortionists bending themselves into nearly inhuman shapes. And at one of the original British circuses — that would be Philip Astley's in 1840 — the pilot of the balloon decided to bring a leopard onboard to add some interest [source: Victoria and Albert Museum]. Balloon ascents weren't all moonlight and roses, though. Balloonists were under such pressure to perform that they often ascended in unfavorable conditions. In 1871, an acrobat named Professor Torres was performing tricks on a trapeze hanging from a balloon when the balloon exploded. The performer survived the crash, only to drown in another balloon accident later that year [source: Kotar and Gessler].

 

Source: Wikipedia - Circus  |  Weird Circus Facts

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - ESCAPOLOGY 

Harry Houdini (1874–1926), a famous

escapologist and magician

 

Did you know... that escapology is the practice of escaping from restraints or other traps. Escapologists escape from handcuffs, straitjackets, cages, coffins, steel boxes, barrels, bags, burning buildings, fish-tanks, and other perils, often in combination. (Wikipedia)

 

FAMOUS ESCAPE ARTISTS IN HISTORY

by TEAM ARTICLE  |  SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

 

Some of the greatest illusionists of all time have astonished crowds again and again with their sleight of hand and elaborate tricks. Here is a look at some of the most famous escape artists in history and learn how you can participate in an escape experience.

 

1. HARRY HOUDINI

Harry Houdini Breaks Chains

 

Harry Houdini no doubt tops the list of most famous escape artists in history.  The Hungarian-American stunt performer and illusionist was world famous for his magnificent escape acts performed in the U.S. and other places like Europe. Some of his best-known stunts include the “Chinese Water Torture Cell” and “Milk Can Escape.” He was an expert in escaping chains, handcuffs, stocks, and padlocks while submerged under water, and was even buried alive on several occasions. However, he always managed to escape. Houdini passed in 1926 on Halloween but not before becoming one of the biggest influences in magic.

 

2. DOROTHY DIETRICH

Dorothy Dietrich is a stage magician and escape artist, as well as the only female to have ever catch a bullet in her mouth. In addition, Dietrich was also the very first ever female to do a straightjacket escape while being suspended by a burning piece of rope. Not only is she one of the most noted magicians of the late 20th century, Dorothy Dietrich has also been honored in the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame. In fact, she was well-known as “The Female Houdini.”

 

3. CRISS ANGEL

an escape artist act

Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos, also known as Criss Angel, is a famous magician who first started his career in magic in New York prior to heading to Las Vegas. He has starred in countless stage and television shows, including his own stage show called Mindfreak. Criss Angel has also performed many live performances and continues to sell out shows at Planet Hollywood in Vegas. The talented escape artist has won the International Magician’s Society’s Magician of the Year a total of five times and has been given the “Magician of the Decade” title. He has remained a force in the magic community for more than a decade.

 

 

4. DEAN GUNNARSON

Dean Gunnarson is a Canadian escape artist that found fame by performing large-scale escape performances for TV audiences. He is known for such daring stunts as the “Car Crusher” in which he was handcuffed and chained to the steering wheel of a car and lifted into a car crusher. However, he managed to escape his chains and jumped out of the vehicle just before the car was about to be compressed. He was also buried alive and managed to dig himself out of the grave two days later. His career almost ended when he was handcuffed and shut inside a nailed coffin in the Winnipeg Red River. The stunt went wrong and he stopped breathing but paramedics were successful in reviving him.

 

5. ROBERT GALLUP

American escape artist and illusionist Robert Gallup is known for his innovative performances and what he calls “extreme magic.” Gallup was first introduced to the public eye in a television special called The World’s Most Dangerous Magic during the late 1990s. In the special he performed death-defying acts like the “Sixty Seconds to Live” stunt which involved escaping from chains while hanging upside down from burning ropes. He is also known for his “Skydive Chain Escape” which required the daredevil to escape from chains, handcuffs, and padlocks while being thrown out of an airplane at 14,000 feet.

 

6. DAVID BLAINE

Blaine Bound In Block Of Ice On Broadway

 

David Blaine is one of the most well-known magicians that is still currently performing today. He is famous for performing endurance and high-profile stunts, first starting his career with close-up street magic. While he has performed many stunts over the years, one of the most famous stunts consists of him being encased in a block of ice for 63 hours. He has also been sealed inside a closed case for 44 days that hung 30 feet above the River Thames located in London.

 

7. ANTHONY MARTIN

Anthony Martin is a professional escape artist known for his amazing underwater and skydiving escapes that aired on network television. His career in magic started early on in life at the mere age of 12 when he performed his first escape. Some of Martin’s biggest escapes were from notable jails that held infamous criminals like Edward Gein and Baby Face Nelson. You can read about his secrets to cheating death in his book “Escape or Die” which was released in 2013.

 

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Escapology  |  Facts About Escape Artists In History

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - ANDRÉ THE GIANT

Did you know.... that André René Roussimoff, better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. He was best known for his time in the World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation promotion from 1973 to 1991. (Wikipedia)

 

Facts About The Life Of Andre The Giant

by Stephen Randle  |  2015

 

Professional wrestling has had more than its share of giants, but none stood taller in the eyes of wrestling fans than the legendary Andre The Giant. During the 70’s and 80’s, Andre was legitimately the biggest wrestling star in the entire world, and his fame expanded outside the squared circle, even into the realm of Hollywood. Tales of his exploits are numerous, as it seems that every wrestler from that era has a story about Andre, whether about his prodigious size and strength, his impressive capacity for alcohol, or his genial, friendly nature with nearly everyone he met. You could fill a very large book about the legend of Andre The Giant (and several already have been written), and only scratch the surface, but here are some of the most interesting facts we found about wrestling’s most unique Superstar.

 

Driven To School By Samuel Beckett

Any English major or theater buff worth their salt should recognize the name of playwright Samuel Beckett, who wrote dozens of plays and poems, including the famous Waiting For Godot, and received a Nobel Prize for his contributions to literature. That same Samuel Beckett also purchased a large plot of land in France, becoming neighbours and friends with Boris Roussimoff, the father of the man who would one day be known as Andre The Giant. Even at a young age, Andre’s acromegaly made him awkwardly large, to the point that he could not take the bus to school. Upon hearing of Andre’s troubles, Beckett offered to drive him to school in a truck, and the two bonded, apparently over a love of cricket. It’s possible that Beckett was at least partially responsible for Andre’s professed love of the theater, although he never went, because he was afraid that he would block the view of other patrons.

 

Drafted By The French Army

Andre’s massive size caused many incredible complications over his life, from being forced to modify his house to accommodate him, to purchasing multiple seats on airplanes, to being forced to use bathtubs and other fixtures for certain bodily functions when travelling around the world, due to toilets being far too small for him. His large size also managed to make him ineligible for the French army, which he was drafted into during peace time in 1965. When he arrived, however, it was discovered that he was too large to fit into any of the required uniforms, as well as the bunks. In fact, Andre’s size also made it impossible for him to fit inside trenches, which was still a large part of ground combat at the time. In the end, Andre was told to go home.
 

Appeared In Multiple Films/TV Shows

Everyone remembers Andre’s role as Fezzik in the film The Princess Bride, however, Andre actually had several roles in both film and TV that are less well-remembered. He appeared on several popular TV shows in minor roles, such as BJ and the Bear and The Greatest American Hero. He also found his way into more than one Hollywood film in addition to The Princess Bride, including an uncredited role as Dagoth in Conan The Barbarian, where he became friends with Arnold Schwarzeneggar. Ironically, in the original casting for The Princess Bride (the first attempt to make the movie fell through, before finally being made several years later), Schwarzeneggar was supposed to play Fezzik, because at the time, Andre was too big of a star to have time for filming a movie! After his death, Andre was also the inspiration for the movie My Giant, starring Billy Crystal, who had become good friends with Andre during the filming of The Princess Bride.

 

The Greatest Drunk On Earth

Andre’s love of alcoholic beverages was legendary, as he reportedly consumed over 7,000 calories worth of alcohol every day. Several confirmed stories exist of Andre drinking over a hundred beers or several bottles of wine in a single sitting, and he was given the unofficial title of the “Greatest Drunk on Earth”. In fact, an urban legend (which has never been confirmed) exists which claims that when Andre was having surgery, a problem arose when it came to determining how much anesthesia to use, due to his size, and the doctors allegedly used his level of alcohol tolerance in order determine a basis for the medication. Unfortunately, Andre’s fondness for drinking had a dark side to it, as Andre used it as a form of self-medication due to the massive amount of pain caused by his condition, and also to deal with how awkward his size made him feel in public.
 

The Highest-Paid Wrestler In The World

In 1974, Andre made his way into the Guinness Book of World Records, however, it wasn’t for the reason you might think. In fact, Andre was listed in the book as the highest-paid wrestler in the entire world, with an annual salary of roughly $400,000, which equates to about $2 million by modern standards. While he did make a lot of money (and made several wrestling promoters even more), much of Andre’s wealth went towards the expenses necessary to make him comfortable in a world that was far too small for him. He required custom-made clothing, furniture, and even his home in France had extensive modifications. Andre’s bar bills were also extensive, and the cost of travelling to wrestling events in other countries was prohibitive, given the challenges of finding planes and hotel rooms that could manage his bulk.

 

Andre Always Paid

While he was well-paid for his work, Andre was never selfish with his wealth. Multiple stories have been told about his generosity, especially when dining with friends. Whether he was invited to attend or taking friends out on the town, when you ate and drank with Andre, you never paid the bill. One of the most famous stories of Andre’s insistence on picking up the cheque came from Arnold Schwarzeneggar, who talked about trying to secretly pay for dinner while Andre was distracted. When Andre discovered what Arnold had done, he enacted a swift revenge on his friend, reportedly picking up the future Governor of California (who, let’s not forget, was not a small man) with the assistance of another friend, basketball star Wilt Chamberlain, and dropping the action star on the roof of his car.

 

 

Not The Tallest Wrestler Ever

Andre may have been a true giant, and the Eighth Wonder of the World, but in wrestling history, there have actually been several other wrestlers who stood taller than his 7’4″ height. Many are not that well-known, but among the names on the list is Giant Gonzalez, a former NBA player who spent time in both WCW and WWE, and was an amazing 7’7″. Gonzalez suffered from a similar condition as Andre, and passed away in 2010 due to diabetic complications resulting from it. Of course, much like the Big Show is now billed as the World’s Largest Athlete, height isn’t the only measurement of size, as Andre also weighed over 500 pounds by the end of his wrestling career. Andre was so large, that when he died, his cremated remains reportedly weighed over 17 pounds.

 

His Daughter

Andre never married, although he was reportedly quite the ladies man, and he did have one daughter, Robin Christensen Roussimoff, who was born in 1979. Andre’s daughter has said that her father’s stardom caused some problems in her life, making it nearly impossible to date. She maintains a professional relationship with WWE, mostly in terms of receiving royalties for use of her father’s likeness, but she also has spoken publicly about disliking the current WWE product, and Vince McMahon in particular, saying that Vince’s father was a far better man than him. She also reportedly wasn’t thrilled with the “OBEY” images of Andre, which were done without permission, although she has been receptive to anyone who wants to use Andre’s legacy for projects, as long as they ask ahead of time.
 

He Wasn’t Really Undefeated Before WrestleMania III

Despite what WWE continues to tell people, Andre was never undefeated for 15 years, and had lost or gone to draws several times in his career before losing to Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III. Hogan also was not the first man to bodyslam Andre, as that feat was accomplished over a dozen times in the years before WrestleMania III. In fact, Hogan himself bodyslammed Andre during Hogan’s first, unheralded run in WWE, when Hogan actually played a heel against the babyface Giant. However, in an age before the Internet and instantaneous access to information, it’s likely that very few people actually knew the truth. Besides, it did make for a better story, didn’t it?

 

First Inductee Into The WWE Hall of Fame

After Andre’s passing in 1993, WWE established their Hall of Fame, making him the very first and only inductee. At the time, there was no ceremony, and the induction didn’t even take place at WrestleMania. Instead, a video package announcing Andre’s induction was played on an episode of Monday Night Raw. Andre wouldn’t be alone for long, however, as WWE would induct three more classes of Hall of Famers from 1994-1996, before abandoning the concept. WWE would resurrect the Hall of Fame in 2004 for the twentieth edition of WrestleMania, turning it into the yearly ceremony full of spectacle that continues to this day. In 2014, as part of the promotion for the thirtieth edition of WrestleMania, WWE also created the Andre The Giant Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the winner of an annual battle royal at the Pay Per View.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - André the Giant  |  André the Giant Facts

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - HUMPBACK WHALE

Did you know.... that the humpback whale is a species of baleen whale. It is one of the larger rorqual species, with adults ranging in length from 12–16 m and weighing around 25–30 t. The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is known for breaching and other distinctive surface behaviors, making it popular with whale watchers. Males produce a complex song lasting 10 to 20 minutes, which they repeat for hours at a time. All the males in a group will produce the same song, which is different each season. Its purpose is not clear, though it may help induce estrus in females. (Wikipedia)

 

Fascinating Facts About Humpback Whales

by Leoma Williams

 

1. Where does the name humpback come from?

Humpback whales are named, predictably, after an obvious hump in front of their small dorsal fin. Compared to those of other whales and dolphins, this dorsal fin is small and stubby. This hump is emphasized when they raise and bend their backs in preparation for a dive.

 

2. How big are humpback whales?

Humpback whales grow to between 15 and 19 metres in length (about the size of a bus) and weigh approximately 40 tons. One of their most noticeable and distinctive features are their long and ungainly-looking pectoral fins (flippers). These can grow to nearly 5 metres long, making them relatively the longest flippers of any baleen whale. This feature is related in their Latin name, Megaptera novaeangliae, which means “big wing of New England.” Although they may look overly long and cumbersome scientists have found that they are actually vey hydrodynamic and well adapted for maneuverability.

 

3. What do humpback whales eat?

Humpbacks are baleen whales, which means that they have a specialized filter feeding systems inside their mouths. They filter their food through baleen plates, which are made up of fringed brushes which grow in rows from the upper jaw. They take huge gulps of water into their mouths, then push the water out through the plates, trapping their prey inside. This prey is mainly made up of krill – small crustaceans, as well as other small invertebrates, but may also include small schooling fishes such as anchovies, sardines, and mackerel. Some humpback whales use an ingenious cooperative method to trap fish called ‘bubble netting’. These whales will dive below a school of fish then spiral back upwards blowing air bubbles as they go. As these bubbles rise they disorientate and trap the fish into a tight ball. The whales can then swim quickly upwards into the shoal and gulp down a concentrated mouthful of fish. This behaviour is often performed in groups, and is thought to be learned rather than instinctive, as some groups know how to do it and others don’t.

 

A group of humpback whales bubble netting in Alaska. 

 

4. How long do humpback whales live?
As they don’t have teeth which could be used to estimate their age, it is hard to know how long they could live for. Some estimates say that they have a lifespan of approximately 50 years, whilst others say it could be up to 80.

 

5. Where can humpback whales be found?

 

A group of 15 whales bubble net fishing near Juneau, Alaska

Humpback whales can be found in every ocean in the world, but are most concentrated in a band running from the Antarctic ice edge to 81° N latitude. Where they can be commonly found also depends on the temperature and the time of year. In the summer many spend their time in high-latitude feeding areas such as the Gulf of Alaska or the Gulf of Maine, then in the winter they can be found in the warmer waters near to the equator .

 

6. Are humpback whales at risk of extinction?

Vintage engraving showing Whalers attacking a whale with a harpoon, 19th Century. 

Intensive hunting over centuries by the whaling industry severely reduced humpback whale populations, such that the population of humpbacks in the western South Atlantic dropped to only about 450 individuals. It is estimated that at least 300 000 individuals were killed worldwide. Protections were put in place in the 1960s, and a complete ban on commercial whaling was put in place in 1985 (although some countries still hunt whales under the guise of ‘scientific whaling’). Since the ban populations of humpbacks have steadily recovered. Encouragingly, a newly published study has reported a significant population rebound, with the current abundance in the western South Atlantic now close to 25,000 whales, an estimate beloved to be close to pre-whaling numbers. Read more here.  Although as recently as 1988 humpbacks were listed as endangered, the IUCN now classifies them as ‘least concern’. They are however still under threat from hunting in west Greenland and on Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines,  from collisions with ships, and entanglement in fishing gear. 

 

7. Do humpback whales live in social groups?

Humpback whales do not live in tight-knit social groups, instead they travel either alone or in transient groupings of two or three individuals (pods) that disband after a few hours, although longer-term associations have been observed. They may gather together for longer to hunt and feed however, for example when bubble-netting cooperatively as described above, and males may band together into “competitive groups” around a female to try and mate with her.

 

8. How do humpback whales reproduce?

A female humpback whale with her calf. 

Humpback whales have fairly complex courtship rituals that take place during the winter months. Before these can begin however, the whales must first congregate in the warm equatorial breeding waters, often travelling thousands of miles from their summer feeding grounds to find a mate. Once they arrive the males need to earn the right to mate with a female, and this involves often fierce competition. Unrelated males will group together to tail females and will fight each other around her, breaching, tail-slapping, and charging at one another. In doing so they hope to impress the female with their dominance and strength. Most of this fighting is for show however, and it is rare that they will cause each other serious physical harm. Singing also plays a part in reproduction. It is thought that males will use song to attract the female, as well as to show dominance. It may also have an important role in inducing oestrus in females. Once mating has occurred, the gestation period for female whales is 11.5 months. Once born, the calves are between 3 and 4.5 m long and weigh up to a ton.

 

9. Do humpback whales communicate?
Humpback whales are well known for their haunting, evocative calls or ‘songs’. These complex sequences of moans, howls, and cries can last for hours and travel vast distances through the ocean. The exact function of humpback song’s is not known, but there are many theories. As it is the male that produces the long complex songs (females have shorter vocalizations), and these are produced during the breeding season, it is speculated that they may function to attract females. It could also act as a challenge to other males. Yet another theory is that it has an echo-locative function, acting as a sonar, so that the whales can ‘see’ and navigate around their environment. Humpbacks also use grunts, groans, and snorts to communicate with one another, and calves are known to ‘whisper’ to their mothers, using low tones that can only be heard from short distance away. This may help them to avoid predators and big males. 

 

10. Are humpback whales dangerous?

Swimming with humpback whales in Tonga. 
 

Humpback whales are by nature mostly gentle and non-aggressive animals, so it is very unlikely for them to do any harm to a human. They are however very large and curious and will sometimes approach boats. Due to their acrobatic tendencies its is possible for them to breach and strike boats, and there was a case in 2015 of a Canadian woman who was killed when a breaching humpback whale landed on the snorkeling tour boat she was on.  This is however extremely rare as humpbacks tend to be aware of their surroundings and avoid direct contact with boats and swimming humans.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Humpback Whale  |  Facts About Humpback Whales

 

Edited July 3, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - DONKEYS

Did you know... that the donkey or ass is a domesticated member of the horse family, Equidae. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African wild ass, E. africanus. The donkey has been used as a working animal for at least 5000 years. The donkey has been used as a working animal for at least 5000 years. There are more than 40 million donkeys in the world, mostly in underdeveloped countries, where they are used principally as draught or pack animals. Working donkeys are often associated with those living at or below subsistence levels. Small numbers of donkeys are kept for breeding or as pets in developed countries. (Wikipedia)

 

Surprising Facts About Donkeys
By Jaymi Heimbuch  |  Updated January 07, 2021

The donkey is one of the most underappreciated animals around. With roots in both Asia and Africa, it has a long and varied history. As far as its characteristics, you've heard of its famed obstinance, but do you know the intelligent reason behind it? How about their skillful ears or the way they can act as guards for livestock? Keep reading for 10 facts that will make you want to give more thought to this common working animal.

 

1. Donkeys' Large Ears Help Them Stay Cool

Wild asses such as donkeys evolved in arid locations in Africa and Asia, where most herds tend to be more spread out. The large ears help heighten a donkey's sense of hearing, so it can pick up the calls of herd mates — and predators — from miles away. Another use for the donkey's long ears is heat dissipation. The larger surface area helps the donkey expel its internal heat at a high rate to stay cool in the hot desert environments.

2. Donkeys' Vocalization Is Unique

 

The donkey's characteristic sound is called braying. It is unique among the equids because it requires an ability that donkeys have but horses and zebras lack: vocalizing while both inhaling and exhaling. The hee occurs during air intake, and the haw comes during air outflow. Despite this sound being specific to donkeys, there is still some variation. The duration and frequency of a bray, for instance, is unique to each individual animal.

 

3. One Donkey Breed Is Impressively Hairy

The Poitou donkey was developed in the French Poitou region in the 18th century, and it is a standout among breeds created by humans. Used primarily to breed mules across Europe, it is known for its distinctive long coat that hangs in thick, matted cords called cadenettes, similar to dreadlocks. The longer and more matted the coat, the more prized the donkey. But as the use of donkeys and mules declined in the modern era, so too did the breeding of Poitou donkeys. By 1977, there were only 44 individuals left. Since then, numbers have been rising thanks to private breeders and conservation efforts.1

4. Their Ancestors Are on the Brink

There are two species of wild ass: the African wild ass and the Asiatic wild ass. However, only the former is the ancestor to which today's domesticated donkeys can be traced. Unfortunately, despite being the start of domesticated donkeys 5,000 years ago, the African wild ass is in danger. According to the IUCN, the African wild ass is critically endangered with between just 23 and 200 adults left in the wild as of 2014. It is hunted for food and traditional medicinal purposes, and also suffers from human encroachment; human-tended livestock outcompetes the wild creatures for what little water can be found in their arid habitat.

 

5. There Are Conservation Efforts To Protect Endangered Wild Asses
The future for the African wild ass may seem bleak, but there are people working to protect them. The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), an environmental treaty of the United Nations, created a plan in 2017 called the "Roadmap for the Conservation of the African Wild Ass Equus africanus." The thorough strategy hones in on each geographic area that holds a significant African wild ass population and outlines tailored objectives and actions to be taken over the next 20 years. Meanwhile, there is also legislation in place to protect these donkey ancestors, including full legal protections in Eritrea and Ethiopia and the establishment of protective nature reserves.

 

6. Donkeys Are Part of Many Hybrids

Donkeys are key to a number of the world's hybrid creatures; because they are closely related to horses and zebras, donkeys can produce offspring with both. In fact, creating hybrids was standard practice for centuries because mules were popular working animals. The long history of creating donkey hybrids has led to an abundance of names for the mixed-species animals.

 

Here are just a few:

• Mule: a hybrid of a male donkey and female horse
• Hinny: a hybrid of a female donkey and male horse
• John mule: the male offspring of a horse and donkey
• Molly: the female offspring of a horse and donkey

 

Mules are almost always sterile. But despite the slim odds of foal, folks still came up with names for them:

• Jule, donkule: the offspring of a male donkey and female mule
• Hule: the offspring of a male horse and female mule

 

Because donkeys can mate with zebras, there are creative names for those offspring too:

• Zebra hinny, zebret, zebrinny: a hybrid of a male donkey and female zebra
• Zebroid, zebrass, zedonk: a hybrid of a female donkey and male zebra

 

7. They Are Highly Social

Donkeys are social animals that don't like to be alone. They evolved as herd animals and form deep, lifelong bonds with other donkeys or animals with whom they share a pasture. Close bonds between two donkeys are called pair bonds, and there is also research to prove their legitimacy. Separating a pair has negative effects on the donkeys that include stress, pining behavior, and loss of appetite. This is why for those interested in owning a donkey, it's commonly advised to bring home two, or at least place your donkey with potential friends such as a horse.

 

8. They Can Act as Guard Animals

Donkeys are naturally aggressive toward canid animals. As a result, they are sometimes used as "guardians" for livestock — they can defend against a dog, coyote, fox, or even bobcat that's bothering a herd of sheep or goats. The livestock will begin to see the donkeys as protectors and gravitate toward them when they feel they are in danger.

 

9. They're Stubborn for a Reason

Donkeys are known for being obstinate, planting their feet and staying put regardless of how hard a handler pulls. But just because they have a tendency to resist doesn't mean they're dumb, as commonly assumed. Quite the opposite. Donkeys have a keen sense of self-preservation. If they feel they're in danger, rather than running away, they'll stand their ground and refuse to move, giving them time to make their own decision about whether or not it's safe to keep going forward. It's a distinct difference from horses which, when frightened, usually flee immediately.

 

10. Some Donkeys Are Tiny

Miniature donkeys are impressively small. Native to Sicily and Sardinia, they stand no taller than three feet high at the shoulder. The Guinness World Record for shortest donkey currently belongs to KneeHi at 25.29 inches tall, but another miniature donkey, Ottie, stood at 19 inches high when fully grown in 2017 and never officially received the title. It's important to note that unlike many other miniature animal breeds, the miniature donkey is not a bred-down version of the "normal" animal — its size is natural.

 

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Donkey  |  Facts About Donkeys

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - TRIASSIC PERIOD

 

Did you know..... that The Triassic is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago, to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest period of the Mesozoic Era. Both the start and end of the period are marked by major extinction events. The Triassic period is subdivided into three epochs: Early Triassic, Middle Triassic and Late Triassic. (Wikipedia)

 

Triassic Period Facts: Climate, Animals & Plants
By Mary Bagley - LiveScience Contributor  |  February 11, 2014

The dinosaur Batrachotomus lived during the Triassic period.

 

The Triassic Period was the first period of the Mesozoic Era and occurred between 251 million and 199 million years ago. It followed the great mass extinction at the end of the Permian Period and was a time when life outside of the oceans began to diversify. At the beginning of the Triassic, most of the continents were concentrated in the giant C-shaped supercontinent known as Pangaea. Climate was generally very dry over much of Pangaea with very hot summers and cold winters in the continental interior. A highly seasonal monsoon climate prevailed nearer to the coastal regions. Although the climate was more moderate farther from the equator, it was generally warmer than today with no polar ice caps. Late in the Triassic, seafloor spreading in the Tethys Sea led to rifting between the northern and southern portions of Pangaea, which began the separation of Pangaea into two continents, Laurasia and Gondwana, which would be completed in the Jurassic Period.

 

Marine life

Ichthyosaur

The oceans had been massively depopulated by the Permian Extinction when as many as 95 percent of extant marine genera were wiped out by high carbon dioxide levels. Fossil fish from the Triassic Period are very uniform, which indicates that few families survived the extinction. The mid- to late Triassic Period shows the first development of modern stony corals and a time of modest reef building activity in the shallower waters of the Tethys near the coasts of Pangaea. Early in the Triassic, a group of reptiles, the order Ichthyosauria, returned to the ocean. Fossils of early ichthyosaurs are lizard-like and clearly show their tetrapod ancestry. Their vertebrae indicate they probably swam by moving their entire bodies side to side, like modern eels. Later in the Triassic, ichthyosaurs evolved into purely marine forms with dolphin-shaped bodies and long-toothed snouts. Their vertebrae indicate they swam more like fish, using their tails for propulsion with strong fin-shaped forelimbs and vestigial hind limbs. These streamlined predators were air breathers and gave birth to live young. By the mid-Triassic, the ichthyosaurs were dominant in the oceans. One genus, Shonisaurus, measured more than 50 feet long (15 meters) and probably weighed close to 30 tons (27 metric tons). Plesiosaurs were also present but not as large as those of the Jurassic Period.

 

Plants and insects

Plants and insects did not go through any extensive evolutionary advances during the Triassic. Due to the dry climate, the interior of Pangaea was mostly desert. In higher latitudes, gymnosperms survived and conifer forests began to recover from the Permian Extinction. Mosses and ferns survived in coastal regions. Spiders, scorpions, millipedes and centipedes survived, as well as the newer groups of beetles. The only new insect group of the Triassic was the grasshoppers.

 

 

Reptiles

The Mesozoic Era is often known as the Age of Reptiles. Two groups of animals survived the Permian Extinction: Therapsids, which were mammal-like reptiles, and the more reptilian Archosaurs. In the early Triassic, it appeared that the Therapsids would dominate the new era. One genus, Lystrosaurus, has been called the Permian/Triassic “Noah,” as fossils of this animal predate the mass extinction but are also commonly found in early Triassic strata. However, by the mid-Triassic, most of the Therapsids had become extinct and the more reptilian Archosaurs were clearly dominant.

 

Archosaurs had two temporal openings in the skull and teeth that were more firmly set in the jaw than those of their Therapsid contemporaries. The terrestrial apex predators of the Triassic were the Rauisuchians, an extinct group of Archosaurs. In 2010, the fossilized skeleton of a newly discovered species, Prestosuchus chiniquensis, measured more than 20 feet (6 meters) in length. Unlike their close relatives the crocodilians, Rauisuchians had an upright stance but are differentiated from true dinosaurs by the way that the pelvis and femur were arranged. 

 

Archosaur

 

Another lineage of Archosaurs evolved into true dinosaurs by the mid-Triassic. One genus, Coelophysis, was bipedal. Although smaller than the Rauisuchians, they were probably faster as they had a more flexibly jointed hip. Coelophysis also picked up speed by having lightweight hollow bones. They had long sinuous necks, sharp teeth, clawed hands and a long bony tail. Coelophysis fossils found in large numbers in New Mexico indicate the animal hunted in packs. Some of the individuals found had remains of smaller members of the species inside the larger animals. Scientists are unclear as to whether this indicates internal gestation or possibly cannibalistic behavior.

 

Coelophysis bauri

 

By the late Triassic, a third group of Archosaurs had branched into the first pterosaurs. Sharovipteryx was a glider about the size of a modern crow with wing membranes attached to long hind legs. It was obviously bipedal with tiny, clawed front limbs that were probably used to grasp prey as it jumped and glided from tree to tree. Another flying reptile, Icarosaurus, was much smaller, only the size of a hummingbird, with wing membranes sprouting from modified ribs.

 

Sharovipteryx

 

Earliest mammals

The first mammals evolved near the end of the Triassic Period from the nearly extinct Therapsids. Scientists have some difficulty in distinguishing where exactly the dividing line between Therapsids and early mammals should be drawn. Early mammals of the late Triassic and early Jurassic were very small, rarely more than a few inches in length. They were mainly herbivores or insectivores and therefore were not in direct competition with the Archosaurs or later dinosaurs. Many of them were probably at least partially arboreal and nocturnal as well. Most, such as the shrew-like Eozostrodon, were egg layers although they clearly had fur and suckled their young. They had three ear bones like modern mammals and a jaw with both mammalian and reptilian characteristics.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Triassic  |  Triassic Period Facts

Edited July 5, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - HOTTEST PLACES

Image of a Desert

 

Did you know.... that when you dream of jetting off to somewhere warm and sunny, you likely picture a beachy destination with temperatures in the 80s or even 90s — not a desert known for its infamous heat. With temperatures regularly soaring past 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the hottest places on Earth range from busy cities to stunning desert landscapes. (Travel and Leisure)

 

Hottest Places on Earth (If You Want To Melt)
By Mark Stock  |  March 27, 2021

 

We’re just entering spring and still a few months away from summer, but if you’re already dreading the impending heat, know this: It could be a lot worse. There are places on the planet so hot that a 100-degree day would seem mild. Places so hot that locals talk about phenomena like melting lights and spontaneously-combusting trees. Places so humid you could cut the hot air with a knife. A lot of the world’s hottest places are far removed. They’re so remote that they often lack the ground-based thermometers and weather stations used elsewhere, which means much of the heat info is sourced from satellites. Many are deserts, but some are cities, small towns, and jungles.

 

Death Valley, California

While somewhat disputed, the hottest temperature on record was registered in our very own country. In July of 1913, in Furnace Creek, California, the mercury read 134 degrees F. Some think a sandstorm caused superheated material to confuse the weather equipment. Others think it was just a hotter-than-normal kind of afternoon. Either way, the tiny town within the larger Death Valley is no stranger to scorching weather, registering record temperatures almost annually. 

 

Flaming Mountains, China

You can’t call a range the Flaming Mountains unless they’re practically on fire. The lifeless-looking strip of red topography resides within the Taklamakan Desert and routinely breaks 122 degrees F. And with so much radiation from the rocks, it can often feel hotter. An unverified soil surface reading in 2008 read 152.2 degrees F! How do locals cope? Long ago, the Chinese would beat the heat with silk or even bamboo clothing. The latter material is still used to cover beds and things like car seats today to insulate from the heat. There’s also a tendency to enjoy a cup of mung bean juice, which is believed to be able to cool your core temperature.

 

Lut Desert, Iran

Iran’s Lut Desert looks like another planet with its dramatic plateaus and countless colossal sandcastles that dot the salty desert. One of the hottest areas within the Lut is called Gandom Beryan, Persian for “toasted wheat.” It’s believed that here, some wheat was left out and roasted by the sun in a matter of a few days.

 

Sahara Desert

The Sahara is the largest hot desert on earth, pretty much making up the entire top half of Africa. It’s a sunbaked mass of some 3.6 million square miles that are easily identifiable from outer space. It’s a place of few clouds and harsh heat. In fact, where there is water, it evaporates at the quickest rate anywhere on earth. There is sand almost everywhere, and it draws heat immensely. Ground temperatures often surpass 170 degrees F in the Sahara, warranting special shoes or, better still, a trusty camel.

 

El Azizia, Libya (Aziziya)

This town of about 25,000 in northwestern Libya was believed to have the hottest temperature recorded on earth for many years until it was disproved back in 2012. Regardless, it’s home to extreme heat, as well as an ancient trade route that led up to nearby Tripoli. The landscape is pretty quintessential when we think of scorching deserts, with its golden sand dunes, occasional oases, and cloudless skies. Here, residents tend to be much more active at night, taking on chores and going to the market in the wee hours when it’s more tolerable outside.

 

Sonoran Desert

A cactus-strewn expanse in the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico, the Sonoran Desert bakes. It’s a surprisingly diverse place in terms of biology, and it’s even home to a rare jaguar population. The rather large region is home to Phoenix, a city so hot most simply stay indoors during the summer months. Here, in July, temperatures average in the mid-90s, and it’s quite common to break 115 degrees during peak heat hours.

 

Bangkok, Thailand

The heat of Bangkok is a deceptive one. The Thai city is never setting any all-time highs, but it’s so consistently warm year-round that it’s one of the hottest inhabited places around. And there’s often very little relief at night when so many cities cool off. Locals like to combat the warmth with things like boat transit, fresh fruit juices, squirt guns (which are especially popular here), or food dishes that are so often spicy they distract you from the hot weather.

 

Kuwait City, Kuwait

The capital of Kuwait is one of the hottest cities in the Middle East and the world. With a population of more than 4 million, it’s also one of the hottest metropolises out there. Here, average summer highs hover around the stifling 115 degrees F mark. Strangely, it’s also quite cold during the short winter, with lows dipping into the 40s. The heat, which dominates most of the year, can feel even more extreme due to common sandstorms.

Dallol, Ethiopia

Extremely remote and set in the far north of Ethiopia, Dallol is a tiny village known for setting records. It’s the hottest year-round spot in the world, with the average annual high temperature coming in at a blistering 106.1 degrees F. A study that took place over six years in the 1960s determined that the record low over that stretch was a remarkable 70 degrees F.

The Amazon

Earth’s most famous tropical rainforest may be veiled in trees, but it’s still damn hot and humid. Granted, it’s misty, and rainfall is common, but it’s also very close to the equator and quite toasty. A thick type of heat pervades here, the kind you can feel in your lungs with every breath. With an average temperature of more than 80 degrees F, it’s always warm and amplified by off-the-charts humidity levels.
 

 

Source: Hottest Places on Earth

Edited July 6, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - FAMOUS POETS

Victor Hugo was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist.

 

Did you know... that a poet is a person who creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be a writer of poetry, or may perform their art to an audience. (Wikipedia)

 

Things You Might Not Know About Famous Poets

by Ana Sampson  |  Interesting Literature

 

Matthew Arnold struggled a bit with the ageing process

circa, 1883

 

At Oxford University, Matthew Arnold made a name for himself as something of a dandy. It was only when he fell in love, and needed to prove that he had prospects, that he finally settled into the position of Schools Inspector, rattling around provincial Victorian Britain on the newborn railway network. Most of his poetry was written during his younger years – he once said that after his thirtieth birthday he felt ‘three parts iced over’. His most famous poem, ‘Dover Beach’, was begun during his honeymoon in 1851, but was not published until sixteen years later.

 

There was a sad story behind Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s beard

photographed by Julia Margaret Cameron in 1868

 

Longfellow, best remembered now for The Song of Hiawatha, numbered among New England’s ‘Fireside Poets’, so called because their verses were easy to learn and recite due to their musical rhythms, and were written to be shared with families. Longfellow’s first wife, Mary, died young and his second, Frances, burnt to death while using sealing wax on a letter. He grew his iconic bushy beard to hide the burn scars he sustained while trying to save her.

 

Edward Lear went to extraordinary lengths to make moving house easy on his cat

1866

 

Lear suffered from epilepsy – which he termed ‘the Demon’ – and depression – ‘the Morbids’. He was also rather ugly, though happy to lampoon his own odd appearance (‘His nose is remarkably big… his beard it resembles a wig’). As well as being one of the world’s best-loved nonsense writers, Lear was a talented artist and gave Queen Victoria drawing lessons. He found Court etiquette understandably confusing (the Queen was almost certainly not amused.) There has been some speculation that his verses were actually written by his patron the Earl of Derby, ‘Lear’ being an anagram of ‘Earl’. The Owl and the Pussy-cat was inspired by Lear’s tailless cat Foss, whom he adored so much that, on moving, he had his new house built as a replica of the old to make the move easier on the cat.

 

G. K. Chesterton was prone to getting lost

Born; May 1874

 

Despite being rather a scatterbrain, Chesterton managed to produce journalism, biographies, short stories – including the Father Brown mysteries – and the anarchic thriller The Man Who Was Thursday as well as poetry. Considerable credit must go to his wife, Frances, who occasionally redirected him by telegram when he had misjudged public transport and arrived at the wrong town. Chesterton was a large man, but happy to lampoon his own bear-like figure. He once told his lean friend George Bernard Shaw, ‘To look at you anyone would think there was a famine in England,’ to which Shaw retorted: ‘To look at you, anyone would think you caused it.’

 

Robert Frost recited the wrong poem at John F Kennedy’s inauguration

1941

 

Frost was dogged by poor health and bereavements: his father died young leaving his mother with only $8, only two of his six children outlived him, his wife predeceased him by twenty-five years, and mental illness haunted the family. Despite these setbacks, Frost achieved huge popularity, winning the Pulitzer Prize four times and declaiming at JFK’s 1961 inauguration aged eighty-six. He had written a new poem for the occasion but, with the sun half blinding him, found he couldn’t read it, and so recited his 1942 poem ‘The Gift Outright’ from memory to rapturous applause.

 

John Betjeman helped inspire Brideshead Revisited’s Sebastian Flyte

Photograph of Sir John Betjeman (1906-1984).

 

Betjeman threw himself into undergraduate life at Oxford with a vengeance – the friendships and carousing, though, rather than the academic side of things. He had brought his teddy bear, Archibald Ormsby-Gore, along for the ride, thereby providing inspiration for his fellow undergraduate Evelyn Waugh. During the Second World War Betjeman worked in the British Embassy in Dublin, where the IRA considered assassinating him as a spy, something only revealed many years later. Betjeman was knighted in 1969 and was a popular choice for Poet Laureate in 1972 – he replied personally by hand to every member of the public who sent him a poem.

 

Poe’s biographer had a gruesome talking point at his dinner parties

1849 "Annie" daguerreotype of Poe

 

Poor old Poe died in poverty, despite his lack of self-doubt: he called ‘The Raven’ ‘the greatest poem that was ever written’. Poe was orphaned at three and it is no surprise that he suffered night terrors as a child; drink and depression haunted him all his life. He married his thirteen year-old cousin Virginia who died from tuberculosis aged only twenty-four. Her bones fell into the hand of an early biographer of Poe, who displayed them to lucky dinner guests until they were finally reburied with those of her husband.

 

It could have been ‘The Walrus and the Butterfly’

Carroll in 1857

 

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson was a stammering professor of mathematics at Oxford who found himself most at home in the company of children, to whom he recounted fantastic tales. His pseudonym Lewis Carroll was created by translating his first and middle names into Latin, reversing the order of them, and translating them back into English, a typically scholarly piece of word play. Carroll gave his illustrator John Tenniel three choices of second character in ‘The Walrus and the Carpenter’: Tenniel was to choose between a carpenter, a butterfly or a baronet as each one would scan equally well.

 

Wordsworth was prone to tantrums

Wordsworth on Helvellyn

 

By the last decade of his life the rural idylls Wordsworth depicted were in many places already being gobbled up by Victorian industrialisation. He was quite the firebrand as a child, throwing terrible tantrums and once skewering a family portrait with a fencing sword. How did the young iconoclast, fired up by the French Revolution, whose poems peppered with ‘farmyard’ language shocked critics, end up as the eminent Poet Laureate? His reputation helped: he was the least scandal-ridden of the racy Romantics (the fact that he had an illegitimate daughter was hidden for a hundred years), as well as the longest lived. Wordsworth’s vast output was studied in schools during his lifetime, and tourists flocked to his beloved Lakes hoping to glimpse him striding about.

 

Robert Herrick’s pet pig drank out of a tankard

Herrick, 1904 illustration

 

Rather suspiciously, the infant Herrick’s father fell out of a window two days after writing a will, though the courts generously didn’t confiscate the family’s estate as they did in those days in the case of suicide. His support for the Royalist cause during the Civil War lost Herrick his position as vicar of Dean Prior, Devon, but he was reinstated at the Restoration of Charles II. Initially he found life as a country parson dull, though he eventually grew to love Devon. Teaching his pet pig to drink from a tankard presumably helped to pass the time.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Poet  |  Facts About Famous Poets

 

Edited July 7, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - CROSSROADS (1986 film)

Did you know..... that Crossroads is a 1986 American coming-of-age musical drama film inspired by the legend of blues musician Robert Johnson. Starring Ralph Macchio, Joe Seneca and Jami Gertz, the film was written by John Fusco and directed by Walter Hill and features an original score featuring Ry Cooder and guitar virtuoso Steve Vai on the soundtrack's guitar, and harmonica by Sonny Terry. Steve Vai also appears in the film as the devil's guitar player in the climactic guitar duel. Fusco was a traveling blues musician prior to attending New York University Tisch School of the Arts, where he wrote Crossroads as an assignment in a master class led by the screenwriting giants Waldo Salt and Ring Lardner Jr. The student screenplay won first place in the national FOCUS Awards (Films of College and University Students) and was sold to Columbia Pictures while Fusco was still a student.

 

Things You Didn’t Know About the Film ‘Crossroads’
JD Nash  |  March 2020

 

A cult classic among musicians and blues fans alike, Crossroads has stood the test of time. Saturday, March 14 will mark the 34th Anniversary of the release of the film, Crossroads. The coming-of-age musical drama starring Ralph Macchio, Joe Seneca, and Jami Gertz became instantly popular among members of the blues community, due to its semi-fictional Robert Johnson story line connection, and tons of killer music performed by artists including Arlen Roth, Ry Cooder, Steve Vai, and Sonny Terry.  Almost everyone remembers the “Cuttin’ Heads” scene. Who could forget a guitar duel between Lightnin’ Boy Martone and Jack Butler at a club in hell? But there’s so much more to the film than just that finale. To learn more about Crossroads we went to the man who wrote it; singer-songwriter-screenwriter John Fusco.

 

The original story came from a school thesis 

Fusco describes what gave him the idea in the first place. “I wrote Crossroads as my Bachelor’s thesis as I had only come off the road as a traveling musician in the south a few years earlier,” he shared. “In fact, I was a high school dropout and had to go to night school and get a GED diploma to try to get accepted into NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. I came into the Dramatic Writing Program with a satchel full of stories from the road. I had long been fascinated by the Robert Johnson story — not only because he was the King of the Delta Blues and his music held canonical status among my blues-rocker influences like The Allmans — but also because his story was so rich in mythic Americana. Which is the stuff I love as a writer. I had actually come up with the idea during the summer before I started at NYU, while I was working a blue collar job to pay for school. My girlfriend (now my wife) was working at an assisted living home and she called me to tell me that an elderly African-American man from the south had been admitted, and that he played harmonica. On my drive over to meet him I did the writer’s ‘what if’ game. What if he turned out to be a forgotten blues legend? And what if he wanted to get back home and settle unfinished business. A deal at the crossroads? And that’s how it all started. I had already traveled around the South with old blues guys, so I had the experience to create a drama around that concept. I basically went down the Robert Johnson rabbit hole and put the pieces together, centering on the line from the titular song, ‘my friend boy Willie Brown.’ Who was he? Could he be this mysterious cat in the rest home?”

 

The story was so good, it won an award

Fusco’s student screenplay won first place in the national FOCUS Awards (Films of College and University Students) and was sold to Columbia Pictures while Fusco was still a student. It may have been a bit overwhelming to a young college student at first.

 

John Fusco

 

"I was 24 and became something of a curiosity in Hollywood,” Fusco told us. “Was this a talented NYU film student, or a formerly homeless kid who came off the road and wrote something strangely original? I was broke and tending bar while going to school full-time, so winning the FOCUS award and being flown to L.A. had my head spinning. Columbia Pictures bought the script from me for six figures, and the next thing I knew, every major Hollywood director wanted to do it as did every young star. Lasse Hallström, the Oscar-nominated Swedish director behind My Life As A Dog wanted to do it and the producer did ask my feelings about it. I was all-in. Lasse fucking Hallstrom??  But then Walter Hill read the script and wanted it. Hill was an idol of mine, so he became my #1 choice. The studio and producer felt that he could capture the rugged road quality and American mythos.”

 

Lots of young stars came to casting calls

“Sean Penn wanted to play the Lightnin’ Boy,” Fusco says. “So did Tom Cruise.  But Ralph was hot off Karate Kid and box office ruled the day. Karate Kid ultimately hurt Crossroads from standing on its own. Truth be told, I never saw the movie before I wrote Crossroads. Mentor-student cross-cultural material has always been part of my story well.  I think you can look at nearly every movie I’ve done (Young Guns, Young Guns II, Thunderheart, Hidalgo, etc) and see that. But because of Ralph’s famous presence the similarity in storylines was blown out of proportion. Critics like to go for low-hanging fruit and that similarity, made bolder because of the lead, did my film a disservice. Imagine Crossroads directed by Lasse Hallström and starring Sean Penn. By the way, Ralph passed on Back to the Future in order to do Crossroads.”

 

How to pick the perfect bluesman

Joe Seneca was ultimately chosen to play the role of Willie Brown. Besides being a seasoned actor, Seneca was also a singer-songwriter performing at upscale clubs in New York, and writing such hits as “Talk to Me,” and “Break It to Me Gently.” Fusco told us, “I wanted real-life bluesman Roy Dunn to play Willie Brown. I got to know Roy from a stint he was playing at a bar called Preachers on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, near  the NYU campus. I would work on my script at a back table, listen to Roy, and then hang out with him.  So he was a real influence in my shaping the character.  So was Sonny Terry, who I knew and idolized and who would later become the harmonica behind the movie! I brought the producer to come see him, and he was smart enough to know that a role that big required a real actor. So he then took me to Broadway to see Ma Rainy’s Black Bottom. We fell in love with Joe Seneca — and Bob Judd (who plays Scratch in the film). Joe was a remarkable talent and also the real deal as a singer-songwriter.  And what a gentleman. I loved the man.

 

Joe Seneca (Willie Brown aka Blind Dog Fulton aka Smokehouse Brown) and Ralph Macchio (Lightning Boy) 

 

And what about “guitarist from hell” Jack Butler?

In the film’s decisive scene, Lightning Boy stands in for Willie to cut heads against Jack Butler. The outcome would be nothing less than Willie’s (and Eugene’s) immortal souls. Butler, as described by Scratch “discourages a lot of up and coming boys,” and therefore had to be somebody with major chops. The final choice as we all know was virtuoso rock guitarist Steve Vai. But there were plenty of other players that wanted that part. “I wish I had more insight into how the final choice was made,” Fusco says. “Again, I was a 24 year-old former bar musician being told that Jimmy Page, Johnny Winter, and Keith Richards all wanted to play a role that I created. Ry (Cooder) and Walter (Hill) were very secretive about this particular process. I remember getting the phone call that a decision was made and locked — and that it would be Steve Vai. I admit that I was thrown and confused, but it all became clear very quickly that Ry knew what he was doing and it was the best choice of all. I ran into Jimmy Page in a bar in the West Indies years later. True story. He told me how badly he wanted that role. We hung out for days and he played his acoustic guitar in me and my wife’s cabana while he was writing new songs.” According to the film’s musical consultant Arlen Roth, both Frank Zappa and Stevie Ray Vaughan were briefly considered as well.

 

Steve Vai and Ralph Macchio Cuttin’ Heads

 

Did Macchio actually play guitar in the movie?

The short answer is yes, in some parts. Director Walter Hill had hired guitarist Arlen Roth as a musical consultant and to teach Macchio to play, sort of. Roth visited Macchio’s home, four days a week for months teaching the young actor blues techniques, including finger-picking and slide. Although Ralph was set on actually playing in the film, Roth, Cooder and Hill knew that would be impossible, but Roth tutored Macchio well enough for him to fake the parts on screen. Fusco adds, “He (Roth) was first and foremost the guy that Ry sought out to assign to Ralph as his guitar mentor and ‘crash course’ teacher. They pretty much lived together for the few months leading up to production. Arlen was also on set all the time and a part of the amazing musical pedigree we were absorbing every day, down there in the Delta. Ry and Steve Vai are mostly responsible for the licks we hear when Ralph plays. But I want to emphasize that Ralph did much of his own playing and it was impressive. He is a smart and diligent kid. Wait, he’s not a kid any more, but he still looks the same.” As a side note, to this day Arlen Roth has not been officially credited for his work on the film. However, Fusco, Vai and others remember his importance. In a 1987 interview with Guitar World Vai said, “Arlen worked very hard on the project. He taught Ralph Macchio how to hold and finger the guitar to make it look realistic. And he recorded a lot of the slide guitar parts throughout the film, along with Ry.”

 

Were the “jook joint” scenes filmed in actual Delta clubs?

Although there was a lot of filming that took place in the Delta, the “jook scenes” were actually filmed on a sound stage. That’s not to say there weren’t some other scary times. “Shit got real,” says Fusco matter-of-factly. “We had LA crew mixed with local crew and there was some palpable prejudice. Some of our African-American camera guys were not accustomed to being called ‘boy.’ One night, Joe Seneca and I went to dinner at a restaurant on the Mississippi River. The place was less than half-full and they would not seat an old black man and a long-haired white boy. Then I remember someone yelling, “Hey!” And it was the late blues harp monster Juke Logan. He and Arlen were sitting at a table and they called us over. The staff didn’t like it, but we sat down. We did scout into the deepest nooks of the Delta, to jooks and fish frys, searching for our ‘house band.’  Me, Ry, Arlen, Juke Logan — getting paid to explore jook joints and find undiscovered blues talent. Like Frank Frost (who along with John Price, Otis Taylor, Richard “Shubby” Holmes, and Terry L Evans made up the house band). We did not shoot in actual jooks, we built them. Look, just a few years earlier I had been right there where we were shooting, and I saw a lot of shit. It found its way into the script. You know the scene with the guy getting jumped in the motel room with the girl? I had lived all of that. Today when I sing about running for my life down Highway 8 south of Rosedale, I’m not making it up.”

 

Akosua Busia. Joe Seneca, and Ralph Macchio at the boarding house.
 

There were actually two different endings to the film

(Spoiler Alert) When Lightning Boy defeats Butler in the duel, he and Willie are instantly transported back to the crossroads to begin the next leg of their journey. But that’s not the way it was originally written. “My original screenplay has Willie dying on a Greyhound bus,” Fusco told us. “Walter Hill’s father died that week if I recall, and it was very hard for him to shoot. So he shot an alternate ending that I did not like. My script was very different, more of a gritty realistic drama rather than a metaphysical romp that portrayed so many things literally and lyrically. My duel at the end took place in a defunct rail yard in Clarksdale. Kind of an underground blues competition between guitarists. It was left to the viewer to determine if it was really the Devil or not. Today, the movie has achieved a kind of cult status among musicians. The guitarists who have personally reached out to me to say so include Luther Dickinson, Cody Dickinson, Devon Allman, Duane Betts, Eric Krasno, and many others. Because of that, I am okay with the final outcome of the movie, but somewhere deep inside it still hurts.”

 

There were other scenes that ended on the cutting room floor as well

A few scenes never saw the darkness of the theater. There was a scene in a cemetery, a Gospel scene in a church, and someone who cut heads with Jack before Lightning Boy took up the challenge. “My absolute most meaningful memory was rebuilding a church in Beaulah, Mississippi that had been destroyed in a storm,” Fusco shares. “We removed a massive tree that had crushed it and rebuilt the church for a gospel service scene (cut from the film) and then handed the restored church back to the community. Knowing that this came out of something I wrote made it all worth it.” The person who cut heads with Butler (and lost) was none other than “Shuggie” Otis, the son of R&B pioneer Johnny Otis. Shuggie himself is a funk, rock, blues, R&B and psychedelic soul singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who wrote the hit song “Strawberry Letter 23,” recorded by The Brothers Johnson.

 

Ralph Macchio, Jami Gertz, and Joe Seneca

 

Ralph Macchio, Jami Gertz

 

After all was said and done, did the film please its author? 

“It was a dream come true,” says Fusco. “Unfortunately, Walter Hill did not like having the 24 year-old writer who had lived the story on set. I forced my way on and just hung out with the blues guys and the local gospel community. I would learn from that experience to always attach myself as a producer and wield more power — or you don’t get my script. Aside from the opening with RJ, it (my favorite scene) would be ‘Good Man Feelin’ Bad’ the scene in the room, pouring rain outside, when Willie opens up about his life and Lightnin’ finally starts to get it on his ax.”

 

Screenwriter John Fusco and actor Ralph Macchio on set.
 

After 34 years, Crossroads has stood the test of time, a cult classic among musicians and blues fans alike. The Robert Johnson story, the legends of Willie Brown and Lightnin’ Boy and the incredible soundtrack make this a film that will be watched over and over again. As for Fusco, you can see his original screenplay in the history of the blues archives at the University of Mississippi. He continues to write both scripts and songs, and has a new album with his band the X-Road Riders due out sometime this summer. But that’s another story…

 

- John Fusco

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Crossroads (1986 film)  |  Facts About Crossroads (1986 film)

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - BLUE NOON

A blue moon during the December 2009 lunar eclipse

 

Did you know.... that a blue moon is an additional full moon that appears in a subdivision of a year: the third of four full moons in a season. (Wikipedia)

 

What’s A Blue Moon, And When’s The Next One?
Posted by Bruce McClure and Deborah Byrd  |  June 23, 2021

Most Blue Moons are not blue in color.

This photo of a moon among fast-moving

clouds was created using special blue filters.

 

Next Blue Moon August 22, 2021
Our last Blue Moon came on October 31, 2020, the night of Halloween. Like most Blue Moons, it was blue in name only. It was called a Blue Moon because it was the second of two full moons in a single month. There’s another definition for Blue Moon. It can also be the third of four full moons in a single season. A season is the period between a solstice and an equinox. The next Blue Moon will be of this sort, and it’ll happen on August 22, 2021. In recent years, people have been using the name Blue Moon for these two different sorts of moons: second of two full moons in a calendar month, or third of four full moons in a single season.  Blue-colored moons in photos – like the ones on this page – are usually made using special blue camera filters or in a post-processing program such as PhotoShop. Usually … but not always.

 

Are moons ever blue in color?

Sure, they are, and someday you might see a true blue-colored moon in the sky. Blue-colored moons are rare – aren’t necessarily full – and happen when Earth’s atmosphere contains dust or smoke particles of a certain size. The particles must be slightly wider than 900 nanometers. You might find particles of this size in the air above you when, for example, a wildfire is raging nearby. Particles of this size are very efficient at scattering red light. When these particles are present in our air, and the moon shines through them, the moon may appear blue in color.

 

For more about truly blue-colored moons, click here.

 

First, seasonal Blue Moons

By season, we’re referring to the period of time between a solstice and an equinox. Or vice versa. We’re talking about winter, spring, summer, fall. Each season typically lasts three months and typically has three full moons. The upcoming seasonal Blue Moon of August 22, 2021, happens because June’s full moon falls just a few days after the June solstice, early in the season of northern summer (southern winter). And thus there’s enough time to squeeze four full moons into the current season, which will end at the September equinox on September 22, 2021. Weirdly, it’s not the fourth of these four full moons that’ll be called a Blue Moon. It’s the third. Go figure.

 

Full moons between June 2021 solstice and September 2021 equinox:

• June solstice: June 21, 2021
• June full moon: June 24, 2021
• July full moon: July 24, 2021
• August full moon (a Blue Moon): August 22, 2021
• September full moon: September 20, 2021
• September solstice: September 22, 2021

 

How often do seasonal Blue Moons happen?

Pretty often! There was a seasonal Blue Moon on November 21, 2010, another on August 20-21, 2013, another on May 21, 2016, and another on May 18, 2019. You get the idea.

 

The upcoming Blue Moon will be on August 22, 2021.

Desert Blue Moon from our friend

Priya Kumar in Oman, August 2012.

 

Now, the 2nd full moon in a month
In modern times, most of us know Blue Moons as the second full moon of a single calendar month. These happen a lot, too! By this definition, there was a Blue Moon on July 31, 2015; January 31, 2018; March 31, 2018; and October 31, 2020.

 

The time between one full moon and the next is close to the length of a calendar month. So the only time one month can have two full moons is when the first full moon happens in the first few days of the month. This happens every two to three years, so this sort of Blue Moon comes about that often. Very rarely, a seasonal Blue Moon (3rd of four full moons in one season) and a monthly Blue Moon (2nd of two full moons in one calendar month) can occur in the same calendar year. For this to happen, you need 13 full moons between successive December solstices for a seasonal Blue Moon – and, generally, 13 full moons in one calendar year for a monthly Blue Moon. This will next happen in the year 2048, when a monthly Blue Moon falls on January 31, and a seasonal Blue Moon on August 23. Then 19 years later, in the year 2067, there will be a monthly Blue Moon on March 30, and a seasonal Blue Moon on November 20. In this instance, there are 13 full moons between successive December solstices – but only 12 full moons in one calendar year and no February 2067 full moon.

 

Blue Moons don’t really look blue in color.

Greg Hogan got this shot of a Blue Moon

(blue in name only!) on July 31, 2015. He wrote:

“Having some fun with the blue moon idea …

I blended the same image twice one with a blue

tint, and one normal. “

 

Why call them Blue Moons?
The idea of a Blue Moon as the second full moon in a month is more recent – more modern – than the idea of a Blue Moon as the third of four full moons in a season. It stemmed from the March 1946 issue of Sky and Telescope magazine. The magazine published an article called “Once in a Blue Moon” by James Hugh Pruett. Pruett was referring to the 1937 Maine Farmer’s Almanac, which defined Blue Moons as the third of four full moons in a season. But he inadvertently simplified the definition. He wrote: Seven times in 19 years there were – and still are – 13 full moons in a year. This gives 11 months with one full moon each and one with two. This second in a month, so I interpret it, was called Blue Moon. 

 

Had James Hugh Pruett looked at the actual date of the 1937 Blue Moon, he would have found that it had occurred August 21, 1937. Also, there were only 12 full moons in 1937. You generally need 13 full moons in one calendar year to have two full moons in one calendar month. However, that fortuitous oversight gave birth to a new and perfectly understandable definition for Blue Moon.

 

The notion of a Blue Moon as the second full moon of a calendar month was buried for decades. Then, in the late 1970s, EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd happened upon a copy of the old 1946 issue of Sky and Telescope in the stacks of the Peridier Library at the University of Texas Astronomy Department. Afterward, she began using the term Blue Moon to describe the second full moon in a calendar month on the radio series StarDate, which she wrote and produced.

 

Later, this definition of Blue Moon was also popularized by a book for children by Margot McLoon-Basta and Alice Siegel, called Kids’ World Almanac of Records and Facts, published in New York by World Almanac Publications in 1985. The second-full-moon-in-a-month definition was also used in the board game Trivial Pursuit. Today, it has become part of modern folklore. As the folklorist Philip Hiscock wrote in his comprehensive article Once in a Blue Moon: ‘Old folklore’ it is not, but real folklore it is.

 

It’s very rare that you would see a moon that’s

actually blue in color. This photo was created

using special filters. Most Blue Moons you hear

about are Blue in name only.

 

Resources:

Phases of the moon: 2001 to 2100

Solstices and equinoxes: 2001 to 2100

 

What most call a Blue Moon isn’t blue in color. It’s only Blue in name.

 

Bottom line: Modern folklore has defined two different kinds of Blue Moons. The last Blue Moon – second full moon of a calendar month – came on October 31, 2020. The other sort of Blue Moon – third of four full moons in a single season, with a season being between a solstice and equinox – will come on August 22, 2021.

 

Possible to have only 2 full moons in a single season?

 

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Blue moon  |  Blue Moon Facts

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - GODZILLA

Did you know.... that Godzilla is a fictional monster, or kaiju, originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film Godzilla and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produced by Toho, four Hollywood films and numerous video games, novels, comic books and television shows. Godzilla has been dubbed the "King of the Monsters", a phrase first used in Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), the Americanized version of the original film. (Wikipedia)

 

Fun Facts About Godzilla
BY MARK MANCINI  |  MAY 31, 2019

A scene from Godzilla (1954).

 

Wherever Godzilla goes, fire-breathing destruction is set to follow—along with a whole lot of fun for moviegoers. To celebrate his legacy, we’ve put together a list of things that even hardcore fans might not know about the world’s greatest city-stomper.

 

1. HIS ORIGINAL NAME, GOJIRA, WAS RUMORED TO BE THE NICKNAME OF A TOUGH GUY AT TOHO STUDIOS.
According to Ishirō Honda (who directed the first Godzilla film), “There was this big—I mean huge—fellow working in Toho’s publicity department, and other employees would say, ‘That guy’s as big as a gorilla.’ ‘No, he’s almost as big as a kujira [the Japanese word for whale].’ Over time, the two mixed and he was nicknamed 'Gojira.'" It's a fun story, but in 1998, Honda’s widow dismissed this account, telling the BBC: “The backstage boys at Toho loved to joke around with tall stories, but I don’t believe that one."

 

2. GODZILLA’S CLASSIC ROAR IS A SURPRISING MIX OF SOUNDS.

 

In the original 1954 movie, Godzilla's iconic roar was produced by rubbing a pine tar-coated leather glove over a double bass string. As you can hear in the video above, Godzilla's roar has changed quite a bit over the years.

 

3. GODZILLA WAS ORIGINALLY GOING TO BE A GIANT, MUTATED OCTOPUS.
It's part of movie lore by now: the original idea for Godzilla was that he would look something like a giant octopus. Ultimately, producer Tomoyuki Tanaka (smartly) decided to go with a more dinosaur-like design instead.

 

4. GODZILLA WENT HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH CHARLES BARKLEY.

 

In 1992, Godzilla and NBA star Charles Barkely faced off in a Nike ad. The commercial, which was filmed over the course of eight days, was also adapted into a comic book.

 

5. GEORGE TAKEI GOT HIS SHOW BUSINESS START DUBBING JAPANESE MONSTER MOVIES.

Listen for George Takei's rich baritone in the English-language version of Godzilla’s second film, Godzilla Raids Again, which was first released in Japan in 1955. Previously, the Star Trek legend had broken into the film industry by doing similar work on Rodan, another Toho monster flick.

 

GODZILLA FRANCHISE
Aaron Neuwirth  |  May 16, 2019

Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla: King of the Monsters hits theaters this summer. The film is sure to be the literal biggest film of the year (size does matter). As many prepare to see what happens in this epic brawl between Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah, among others, I thought it would be fun to go over some of the more interesting, wild, and obscure facts about the kaiju franchise that has been around for 65 years, with no signs of stopping. Keep reading if you want to learn about the Italian cut of the original film Toho doesn’t want you to see, the many other wacky abilities Godzilla has, the extent of Kim Jong-Il’s Godzilla fandom, and more.

 

1. A SIZE RANGING FROM CITY SMASHER TO WORLD CRUSHER

Godzilla’s size has changed from film to film (sometimes scene to scene), depending on the filmmaker’s vision for the particular movie they were working on. The original Godzilla was designed to be 50 m. As Tokyo’s skyline expanded with more prominent buildings, Godzilla’s height grew to 100 m, so as not to be over shown by man’s creation. For 2014’s American Godzilla, the monster’s size rose to 108.2 m. Not to be outdone, Toho’s 2016 entry, Shin Godzilla, was made even taller, standing at 118.5 m. However, the upcoming Godzilla: King of the Monsters now has Godzilla at his tallest (in live-action*) at 119.8 m. *The anime films that began with 2017’s Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters has the creature standing at 300 m.

 

2. SUITMATION OVER STOP-MOTION
Today’s Godzilla movies utilize CG versions of the giant monster; conversely, most of the series relied on actors in large rubber suits, a filmmaking technique referred to as “Suitmation.” The initial idea was to use stop-motion, taking inspiration from King Kong; however, a mix of budget limitations, lack of experience, and deadlines prevented the follow-through on this. Developed by special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, to make Suitmation work, actors would perform their movements while moving through sets composed of miniatures to give the impression of a giant creature. Additionally, these scenes would be filmed at a higher framerate, with the actor moving at a deliberate pace, creating a final product that would allow the monster a proper sense of immense scale. Haruo Nakajima was the most notable suit actor in this role, having played Godzilla in twelve consecutive films. The former stuntman also appeared in other Kaiju films and is considered the best actor to have embrace Suitmation. While having passed in 2017, he has an asteroid named in his memory.

 

3. KAIJU ITALIANO: THE STORY OF COZILLA

In 1976, Italian director Luigi Cozzi, a protégé of horror and giallo maestro Dario Argento, decided he wanted to bring Godzilla to Italy. Unable to obtain the rights to the original version, he was only able to license the American cut of the film, Godzilla, King of the Monsters, which led to Cozzi creating a new cut of the film. Now known infamously as “Cozilla,” Cozzi’s version colorized the picture using a technique called Spectrorama 70. Additionally, Cozzi re-edited the movie by replacing various scenes with stock footage of death and destruction from WWII newsreel footage. A new Italian dubbed track, and new original music was added as well. There were even attempts to augment the soundtrack with in-theater effects to shake the audience’s seats every time Godzilla took a step. Toho approved of none of this and decreed that this version of the film may only be legally distributed in Italy. That said, bootleg versions are out there.

 

4. MULTIPLE GODZILLA PERIODS

There are currently 32 Japanese Godzilla films produced by Toho and fans recognize four distinct eras in the history of this ongoing franchise. Three are named for the Japanese Emperors of the time, and the eras include the Showa period (1954-1975), the Heisei period (1984-1995), the Millennium period (1999-2004) and the Reiwa period (2016-present).

• The Showa series opens with its serious franchise-starter, before evolving into a more comical monster-action series, with Godzilla even going from villain to anti-hero, to monster superhero. This period also included other monsters that would have their own solo films, including Mothra and Rodan.
• The Heisei series is unique in that all of the films are set on a single timeline, allowing for a shared continuity from one film to the next. Godzilla is also more of a villain again, though occasionally still fought for the greater good.
• The Millennium series was a series of anthology stories, as each entry (with one exception, Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.) served as a sequel to the original 1954 film.
• Lastly, the Rewia period currently only features Shin Godzilla and the three animated films, though Toho plans to create a “World of Godzilla” that will function as a series similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

 

5. SATURDAY MORNING GODZILLA

Movies could not contain the King of the Monsters, which is why Godzilla was able to transcend mediums and become the star of a couple of animated shows. First was Godzilla, a 1978 animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera. The series aired for two seasons (26 episodes) on NBC and much like many of the films in the Showa era, Godzilla would help people by fighting off other monster threats. Additionally, despite failing to launch a theatrical sequel, the 1998 American Godzilla did lead to the development of Godzilla: The Series, an animated series that aired on Fox Kids for two seasons (40 episodes). Picking up where the film left off, the remaining egg that survived hatches and imprints on Dr. Nick Tatopoulos (Matthew Broderick’s character in the movie), becoming a monster on the side of the humans, helping to fight off other mutated monsters. The reception of this series was actually stronger than the movie.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Godzilla  |  Facts About Godzilla Franchise  |  Godzilla Facts

Edited July 10, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - WOMEN HAIRSTYLES

Traditional hairstyle of a Japanese bride.

 

Did you know.... that a hairstyle, hairdo, or haircut refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human scalp. Sometimes, this could also mean an editing of facial or body hair. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence some hairstyles. (Wikipedia)

 

The history of women hairstyle in time and space
Are you curious to find out how women's hairstyle evolved over time and what are the main customs in terms of hairstyles in the 5 continents? 
BY ALEX M.  |  AUGUST 27, 2019

 

The evolution of hairstyle over time
Let’s start by talking about the different historical periods. As we all know, history is divided into stages, and each of them has a name, based on its own peculiarities that refer not only to ideological and historical differences, but there are also real differences in customs and traditions and we will analyze the evolution of different hairstyles over time in this article!

 

Ancient Age Hairstyle

From the name, we can understand that this is the most ancient age, the one in which men still knew almost nothing of what surrounded them, but this did not prevent them from already starting to decorate their hair. In fact, it will be in this age that the first people that nowadays we call “hairdressers” were born. Obviously, however, those who could afford hairstyles were people with wealth. This is why people initially considered hairdressers a noble figure, able to combine technique, innovation, and creativity. In fact, initially, hairstyles varied not only by sex but also by social differences. Obviously in this period, we do not find large hairstyles, in fact, the majority of women had hair that today we would call “barbaric“, those who were nobler could afford to decorate their hair with bones of worked animals.

 

Ancient Egypt

In fact, from the Egyptians and Etruscans, we will find the first real hairstyles, each of them motivated by its own reason, by a belief or motivation sustained by those who wore them. For example, Egyptian women liked to wear wigs because for them to show their hair was a sign of dirt, while wigs, often made with horse or pig hair, were a sign of cleanliness and if adorned with clasps, even of royalty.

 

Greece

As we can see the hair was also a sign of freedom: in the Greek world, the woman was submissive to her husband. For this reason, she could not show her hair. It was considered too sensual and therefore scandalous. In the Greek world, women wore long hair in vain hairstyles. While servants, or mourners, wore short hair. Hair, as we said below, was also a symbol of identity. For this reason, slave women shaved their heads because this indicated that they did not have their own identity. They were nobody. Moreover, in case of lack of respect from the wife towards her husband, the husband had the right to cut her hair and thus deprive her of her identity and femininity. Especially in the case of adultery, the husband shaved his wife’s hair, and he had the right to strip her and beat her throughout the village, even in the eyes of her family.

 

Middle Ages Hairstyle

 
14th Century Women’s Hairstyle                        15th Century Women’s Hairstyle

 

In the Middle Ages, Christian morality required, as a sign of respect and modesty, to wear braids decorated with ribbons, or having the hair enclosed in a silk net. This is because, Christian morality tried to affirm simplicity in every field, even in hair care. Why did Christian morality place so much importance to the hair, especially for women? Because hair, for many cultures, was a symbol of sexuality, femininity, and fertility. It expresses the true identity of the person, so it was not modest for a woman to show her hair, cured and adorned. In other words in this age, it was not allowed to express femininity.

 

Did this Christian laws actually work?

In this regard, since the thirteenth-century Christian morality formulated laws that had no effect on people, in fact in this period but in a much more pronounced manner in the sixteenth century, we find almost “monumental” hairstyles. The most famous hairstyles at the time included large swellings on the head, which were often adorned with jewels and clasps and curls that were dropped onto the shoulders.

 

From the Belle Époque to nowadays, how hairstyle changes

Starting from the Belle Époque, we see much simpler hairstyles, for example, hairstyles that left the face visible, such as chignon. Until today, where we enjoy various treatments and hairstyles. From simple loose hair for every day to braids or ponytails for those incredibly hot days when we just seek for relief. But we must not forget to mention the extremely elaborate hairstyles that we wear on vacation or on special occasions where we want to look elegant.

 

 

A little curiosity about the perm

1908 advertisement from The Ladies Field

Nowadays, widespread treatment is perm. The first hairdresser to invent the machine for the perm was a German who built a system of cylinders around which girls could wrap mall strands of hair (1906). Above these cylinders, there was a machine which, through the electric current, allowed the cylinders to heat up to make the curls. In short terms girls, it was nothing than the hair straightener for curling we use nowadays, just a little bit bigger. However, we must emphasize that today, through these tools, we succeed in obtaining the hairstyle that we want in an extremely short time, compared to the approximately six hours of waiting that the first machine for the perm took at that time. So I guess we are pretty lucky.

 

Want to read more about Hairstyles?  Click the link below  to read about Hairstyles in the 5 continents.

 

 

Source: History of Women Hairstyles  |  Wikipedia - Hairstyle

 

 

Edited July 11, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - THE RED BARON

Did you know... that Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, known in English as Baron von Richthofen was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of the war, being officially credited with 80 air combat victories. (Wikipedia)

 

Surprising Facts About WW1’s Greatest Flying Ace
by: MHN  |  JANUARY, 2014

 

IN DECEMBER, MilitaryHistoryNow.com ran this article about the eight air combat maxims of the highest scoring combat pilot of the First World War — Manfred von Richthofen, aka The Red Baron. While researching the piece, we stumbled across a number of fascinating and lesser-known details about the Kaiser’s most famous flier. Since we didn’t have room enough to include them in December, we’re offering them to readers now. Enjoy!

 

He came from money
Manfred Von Richthofen was born on May 2, 1892 in the town of Kleinburg, which today isn’t even in Germany at all, but rather near Wroclaw, Poland. Raised in an aristocratic Prussian family, Manfred inherited the medieval title of Freiherr or “free lord”. The designation is roughly equal to a baron in English — it’s one of the lower levels of nobility.

 

He began in the saddle

Germany’s most famous flying ace began the war in the cavalry.

 

Manfred enlisted in the German army in 1912. When war broke out two years later, he served as a mounted scout on both Eastern and Western Fronts in the war’s opening months. Later, his cavalry regiment was forced to give up its horses and fight in the trenches alongside the infantry. The young lieutenant pondered a transfer to supply and logistics but then reconsidered and pushed to join Germany’s fledgling air corps instead. “I have not gone to war in order to collect cheese and eggs, but for another purpose,” he wrote his superiors. 

 

His first kills weren’t counted

The first plane von Richthofen shot down

was a French aircraft, similar to the one

seen here. Since no wreckage was found,

the victory was unconfirmed.

Von Richthofen’s very first air-to-air kill was never officially counted. While serving as an observer and rear gunner on a two-seat reconnaissance plane in late 1915, young Manfred shot down a French pusher bi-plane above the Champagne sector. Since the enemy machine went down over unfriendly territory, the victory couldn’t be confirmed and as such was never added to his official tally of 80 kills. Neither was his second kill. In April of 1916, Von Richthofen riddled a French fighter with bullets while at the controls of an Albatross C.III bomber. Again, since the encounter occurred over enemy territory, the victory couldn’t be confirmed and was never counted.

 

He had a curious way to celebrate his victories

Tom Rees of Britain’s Royal Flying Corps has

the unfortunate distinction of being the Red Baron’s

first official victim. 

Manfred celebrated his first official victory on Sept. 17, 1916 shortly after being transferred to a fighter squadron. To mark the occasion, he ordered a silver cup for himself that was engraved with the date as well as the make of the enemy aircraft he shot down — a British F.E. 2b. Von Richthofen ordered another new cup for every subsequent victory. He had to discontinue the ritual by the time of his 60th triumph however as silver was becoming scarce in war ravaged Germany.

 

He made squadron leader at 24

The pilots of Jasta 11. Von Richthofen is in the cockpit. 

Von Richthofen’s notoriety grew with each new victory. He became an ace on Oct. 16, 1916 and won the Blue Max, formally known as the Pour le Mérite citation, for his 16th confirmed kill in January 1917. That same month, the young flier was appointed commander of Jagdstaffel or Jasta 11. Manfred’s legend only grew from there. He brought down 22 planes in April of 1917 alone – four of those in just one day! Eventually, he became the most famous (and feared) pilot of the war. German propagandists even circulated rumours that the Allies were so terrified of von Richthofen that they vowed to award at Victoria Cross to any pilot who shot him down.

 

He acquired his famous tri-plane at the end of his career

Von Richthofen may be famous for his Fokker tri-plane (RIGHT), but he shot down far

more planes in Albatrosses like this one (LEFT).

In early 1917, von Richthofen, ever mindful of his growing status as a celebrity, painted the wings of his aircraft a brilliant shade or red. Later he’d colour his entire plane crimson. Eventually, he became known to friend and foe alike as “the Red Knight,” “the Red Devil,” “Little Red” and finally “the Red Baron.” Interestingly enough, he only began flying his signature Fokker Dr.I tri-plane in the final months of his life. Nearly three-quarters of his victories were won in various makes of Albatross as well as the Halberstadt D.II.

 

He became a best-selling author

After being hospitalized following a crash in July of 1917, Manfred penned a shamelessly self-aggrandizing autobiography from his hospital bed. Entitled Der rote Kampffliegeri or “The Red Battle Flier”, the book sold well in Germany and was even translated into English (and heavily censored) the following year. Von Richthofen was later embarrassed by the boasts he’d made and was even hoping to edit out some of the book’s more self-serving aspects. He’d never get the chance.

 

Controversy surrounded his death

A dramatization of the final moments

of the Red Baron’s life.

Von Richthofen was killed in action on the morning of April 21, 1918 near the Somme. He met his end while chasing a 22-year-old rookie flier from the Canadian prairies named Wilfred “Wop” May. During the low-level dogfight, Manfred was fatally struck in the torso by a .303 round fired by either one of May’s squadron mates, Roy Brown, or by Australian army machine gunners in the trenches below. The angle of von Richthofen’s wounds suggested that it was indeed ground fire that killed the Red Baron. The wounded ace, who was still wearing his pajamas beneath his flight suit when he was hit, managed to force land his plane in a meadow but died from his injuries just as Allied infantrymen arrived at the crash site.

 

His enemies buried him with full military honours

Von Richthofen’s funeral. 

Von Richthofen’s body was turned over to a nearby Australian fighter squadron who buried him with all the pomp and ceremony of a genuine war hero. His largely intact aircraft on the other hand was pulled apart by souvenir hunting solders. Von Richthofen’s body was disinterred in 1925 and repatriated to Germany for a second funeral.

 

The wreckage of his plane became a trophy

Australian soldiers pose with remains of

von Richthofen’s famous tri-plane.

The seat from Manfred’s famous red triplane was recovered by Brown and later handed over to the Royal Canadian Military Institute where it’s been displayed for decades along with some of the plane’s fabric and a wingtip. Despite what many believe, the hole that’s clearly visible in the back of the seat isn’t from the fatal shot.

 

His great grand niece is serving a 40-year prison sentence

Suzane von Richthofen, her brother Andreas, and their parents

Manfred and Marisia.

Von Richthofen never married and had no known children. His younger brother Lothar, also member of  Jasta 11, survived the war but was killed while flying a commercial aircraft from Berlin to Hamburg on July 4, 1922. He was survived by a son and a daughter. Interestingly enough, Lothar’s great granddaughter, Suzane von Richthofen, was sentenced to 40 years in prison in 2006 for beating her parents to death in Brazil. She is the Red Baron’s great grand niece. (photo gallery)

 

Source: Wikipedia - Manfred von Richthofen  |  Facts About The Red Baron

 

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - CN TOWER

Did you know.... that the CN Tower is a 553.3 m-high concrete communications and observation tower located in the downtown core of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Built on the former Railway Lands, it was completed in 1976. Its name "CN" originally referred to Canadian National, the railway company that built the tower. Following the railway's decision to divest non-core freight railway assets prior to the company's privatization in 1995, it transferred the tower to the Canada Lands Company, a federal Crown corporation responsible for real estate development. (Wikipedia)

 

Facts about the CN Tower in Toronto
by Pamela  |  December 27, 2020

The CN Tower is perhaps the most well-known vacation destinations in Canada. Arranged in midtown Toronto, the structure, finished in 1976, it has been utilized as perception and a correspondence tower. It likewise has an eatery and different attractions. The CN Tower is a tall radio pinnacle, albeit, not the tallest radio pinnacle on the planet. It is realized that these pinnacles are completely held by fellow wires or supporting ropes. Since its introduction, a huge number of vacationers from around the globe visit the CN Tower each year. It is at present possessed and by the Federal Crown Corporation Canada Lands Company and has a place with the World Federation of Great Towers. Here we have aggregated probably the most fascinating realities about the CN Tower that you probably won’t know.

 

1. There is a Time Capsule Embedded In the Tower’s Wall
In 1976, during the pinnacle’s initiation function a period container was put inside one of the dividers. The time container conveys a portion of the memorabilia from the occasion initiating complimentary letters from the then Canadian Prime Minister and Provincial Premiers. It additionally incorporates not many duplicates of public papers like the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail. The official opening of the case is planned for 2076.

 

2. The Tower is Subject to Periodic Lightning Strikes
Toronto’s CN Tower is one of the greatest lightning bars on the planet. It encounters around 70 to 80 lightning strikes each year. Yet, on certain events, this number can even be higher. One such occurrence happened in 2011 when the pinnacle experienced 52 lightning strikes in under two hours. As indicated by Ali Hussein, an educator at the Ryerson University, the pinnacle is amazingly near low mists, which by and large conveys a negative charge, and that makes a high electric field around the pinnacle’s receiving wire. The lightning strike, be that as it may, doesn’t hurt the structure or anybody in it.

 

3. It Was Initially Conceptualized in 1968

The possibility of a particularly gigantic structure was first begun in 1968 when the Canadian National Railway Company chose to raise the greatest transmission tower in Canada. The thought was to exhibit the intensity of Canadian Railways and the country’s tech area. The task was concluded four years after the fact in 1972 and development on the site started a year after that.

 

4. The Glass Floor of Observation Level
Situated in the lower perception deck around 342 m over the ground, the pinnacle’s Glass floor is among the most elevated glass-lined decks on the planet. The whole structure is comprised of different layers of hardened glass, which is as much as multiple times more grounded than any standard business floors. It was the world’s first such structure when introduced in 1994. As per their site, the glass floor can withstand the weight of 35 moose. FYI, one grown-up male moose have a weight somewhere close to 350-700 kg.

 

5. Smart Lightning
The pinnacle is likewise known for its brilliant and shading evolving lights. Around 1,330 LED lights are introduced in the deep openings of the pinnacle from the base to the fundamental unit, and afterwards as far as possible up to the radio wire. The lighting plan is changed on siestas and significant events. During the feathered creature relocation seasons (spring and Autumn), these lights are normally darkened out to keep fowls from getting harmed.

 

6. It’s One of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World

No, the CN Tower isn’t among UNESCO’s assigned world marvels, rather it is named such by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Different structures that share the title are the Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco), the Panama Canal, the Channel Tunnel or Chunnel (Under English Channel), the Empire State assembling, the Itaipu Dam (on Paraná River) and the Delta Works in The Netherlands.

 

7. One Can Observe Niagara Falls From Tower’s SkyPod
On a sunny morning, you can see the popular Niagara Falls from the pinnacle’s SkyPod, its most noteworthy perception point. A few focuses along the Niagara Escarpment in the United States are likewise obvious from the SkyPod. Essentially, the pinnacle is obvious at any rate from Oshawa 60 km away in the west of Toronto and from Kennedy Street, Ontario around 40 km away in North.

 

8.Has One of the World’s Highest Observation Deck
At 447 meters, the CN pinnacle’s perception Deck known as the SkyPod is one of the most noteworthy perception decks on the planet. The SkyPod had held the title for the most elevated survey stage, since its development in 1976, however, was later supplanted by Shanghai World Finance Tower (492 meters observatory) in 2008. Two more perception decks are there, one at 346 meters and another at 342 meters over the ground.

 

9.It’s One of the Tallest Structures in the World

The CN Tower is one of the tallest unattached pinnacles on the planet and the tallest in the Western side of the equator. It held the crown of tallest unattached structure for a very long time (1975-2007) and was just outperformed by Burj Khalifa in 2008 and afterwards by Canton Tower a year after. After Burj Khalifa turned into the world’s tallest unattached structure, the Guinness renamed the CN Tower as world’s tallest detached pinnacle. Be that as it may, it was before long finished out by China’s Canton Tower (604 m) in 2010. The record was again broken in 2011 by Tokyo Skytree multipurpose pinnacle. At 634 m., it’s right now the tallest pinnacle on the planet.

 

10. Even Its Construction Attracted A Huge Crowd
In late 1974, after the finishing of the fundamental structure, the lone thing remaining was to taken care of the primary receiving wire, which was at first intended to be completed by cranes. Be that as it may, the development was at long last finished with the assistance of Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane helicopter, which had practical experience in lifting substantial items. The helicopter conveyed the whole pinnacle in 36 rounds more than three and a half months. The entire activity picked up such fame that it turned into a fascination for vacationers and neighbourhood swarms, Its whole timetable was imprinted in papers. That helicopter was named “Olga”.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - CN Tower  |  Facts About the Toronto CN Tower

Edited July 13, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - FEMALE SCIENTISTS

Mary Somerville, for whom the word "scientist" was coined.

 

Did you know.... that a scientist is a person who conducts scientific research to advance knowledge in an area of interest. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engaged in the philosophical study of nature called natural philosophy, a precursor of natural science. It was not until the 19th century that the term scientist came into regular use after it was coined by the theologian, philosopher, and historian of science William Whewell in 1833. In modern times, many scientists have advanced degrees in an area of science and pursue careers in various sectors of the economy such as academia, industry, government, and nonprofit environments (Wikipedia)

 

Female Scientists Your Children Should Imitate
by Amber Guetebier  |  2021/05/22

 

When it comes to changing the world, having a positive role model can help spurn action, confidence and imagination. These female scientists have invented, researched and collected their way to a place in scientific history. From discovering new elements to inventing Wi-Fi, the following seven women will wow you and your kids. Read on to get inspired for Women’s History Month and every day!

 

1. Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000)

 

More widely known for her Hollywood starlet status during the 1930s and 40s, Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, aka Hedy Lamarr, was much more than a pretty face. Native to Austria, she was incensed over the Nazi takeover of her beloved home country. Highly intelligent and fearless, Lamarr worked with scientist and inventor George Antheil to develop a secret communication system. They manipulated radio frequencies at irregular intervals to form an unbreakable code which she envisioned helping submarines deploy missiles and allow them to not be detected by enemy ships. This is what is known as spread spectrum technology, and it is what modern-day digital communications are based on. Without her work (for which she obtained a patent) wireless technology as we know it today would not exist. She received very little recognition for her work during her lifetime although today she is acknowledged as being the mother of wi-fi.

 

Communicate like Hedy: Try making a tin can telephone to represent the idea of sending messages. We love the one here from Crafts by Amanda. A game of telephone will also do the trick: try to scramble the messages on purpose to see what funny results you get.

 

Hedy says: “All creative people want to do the unexpected.”

 

2. Ameenah Gurib Fakim

 

Bibi Ameenah Firdaus Gurib-Fakim was born in 1959 in Mauritius, the country for which she now serves as the first woman President. She is a biodiversity scientist who has spent countless hours researching and documenting the indigenous plants of Mauritius and their medicinal and nutritive properties. She has held many high positions in the fields of both politics and science and was awarded the 2007 UNESCO Award for Women in Science.  

 

Be Like Ameenah
Develop their love of plants at a young age with this super cool transformation of a mere cardboard box into a natural lightbox. Gather local plants, leaves and flowers to make yours.

 

Ameenah says: “My dream is to be a voice from a part of the world that is rarely listened to, speaking on behalf of a part of the planet that is often overlooked.”

 

3. Grace Hopper

Grace Brewster Murray Hopper (1906-1992) was one of the first computer programmers ever in the U.S. A Navy Rear Admiral, in 1944 she worked on the Harvard Mark I Computer and invented the first compiler for computer programming language. In other words, she figured out how to explain computer code to mere humans (and how to program a computer to do what humans want). In the 1940s!!! She continued working for the Navy and later for other government agencies as a high-ranking official. She even worked as a senior consultant to a private company until she died at the age of 85.

 

Code Like Grace:
Promote a little active screen time with your future programmer when you have her complete an hour of code for 20 minutes each day. Everything you need to know is mapped out online, and although the hour is best spent on a screen, you can opt to use screen-free alternatives to teach the same concepts to your cutie at home. The best part? A sweet certificate your tiny techie can earn when she’s learned it all. Gold stars all around!

 

Splurge-worthy: This cool wooden toy can teach a kid as young as three to code.

 

Grace says:  “A ship in port is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.”

 

4. Mae C. Jemison (Born in 1956)

On June 4, 1987, Mae C. Jemison became the first African-American woman to enter the space program. On Sep. 12, 1992, she joined the crew of seven astronauts on the Endeavour, becoming the first African-American woman in space. Born in Decatur, Alabama and raised mostly in Chicago, Il, Jemison holds multiple awards and degrees including a B.S. in biomedical engineering and an M.D. She has worked as a medical doctor (including in the Peace Corps). As a child, Jemison spent a lot of time in her school library, reading especially books about space.

 

Blast Off Like Mae
Let your dreamers build a rocket ship of their own and join a mission into outer space. Or try this super sweet shooting-star craft.

 

Fun fact: Mae is one of the six women of NASA LEGO figurines.

 

Mae says: “We look at science as something very elite, which only a few people can learn. That’s just not true. You just have to start early and give kids a foundation. Kids live up, or down, to expectations.”  

 

5. Marie Curie (1867–1934)

 

A physicist and chemist who was not only the first woman ever to win a Nobel Prize, Marie Curie was also the first person and only woman to win it twice, once for Chemistry and once for Physics. Her pioneering work includes the theory of radioactivity and discovering not one but two elements (radium and polonium).

 

Be Like Marie
We don’t want you having any radioactive waste in your house but you can get in the spirit of Marie Curie’s work by creating some glow-in-the-dark science. Try making glow bubbles or splashing in a (non) toxic pool of bathwater.

 

Marie says: “A scientist in his laboratory is not a mere technician: he is also a child confronting natural phenomena that impress him as though they were fairy tales.”

 

6. Alice Eastwood (1859-1953)

 

 

Born in Canada, Eastwood is best known for her work as a renowned (and self-taught!) botanist who is credited with building the extensive collection of botanical specimens at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, Ca. Not only did she collect them, in 1906 after the big earthquake she rescued the collection from the fire, managing to save 1497 irreplaceable botanical specimens. She lost her own home and all of her possessions, choosing to save the collection over all else. There are 17 plant species (and two plant genera) named for her, including the above pictured Fritillaria eastwoodiae. She went on many expeditions, especially in and around the California Sierra Nevada mountains, hiking with the Sierra Club and documenting the plants. She also hiked Mt. Shasta by herself. She published over 300 scientific articles in her lifetime.

 

Follow Alice
Try your hand at some homespun botany with an indoor garden project you can do in your own kitchen, windowsill or balcony.

 

After the great fire, Alice wrote: “I did not feel the loss to be mine, but it is a great loss to the scientific world and an irreparable loss to California. My own destroyed work I do not lament, for it was a joy to me while I did it, and I can still have the same joy in starting it again… .”

 

7. Tu Youyou (Born 1930)

Chinese-born Tu Youyou took the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, primarily for her work in researching and discovering artemisinin and dihydroartemisinin, two compounds used to treat malaria. Her work has saved millions of lives.  More than 240,000 other compounds had been previously studied as a treatment for malaria by scientists all over the world for years, but in 1960 Tu began analyzing plants from Chinese medicine. Tu and her team selected 2000 potential plants and eventually narrowed them down to just one. The compound comes from an artemisia (wormwood) plant and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Tu’s extensive knowledge of the vast pharmacopeia of traditional and Western medicine has made her one of the most important scientists in her field. She found what no one else could. Interestingly her father named her Youyou after a sentence from the Chinese Book of Odes: “Deer bleat ‘youyou’ while they are eating wild Hao.” Hao is Artemesia! 

 

Be Like Tu
Foster their love of experimenting with some at-home chemistry like this super basic vinegar and baking soda volcano, or get more complex (and messier) by making elephant toothpaste.

 

Tu says: “As a scientific worker we need innovation spirit to find new things.”
 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Scientist  |  Facts About Female Scientists

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - AESOP

Did you know.... that Aesop was a Greek fabulist and storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as Aesop's Fables. Although his existence remains unclear and no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages in a storytelling tradition that continues to this day. Many of the tales are characterized by animals and inanimate objects that speak, solve problems, and generally have human characteristics. (Wikipedia)

 

Interesting Facts about Aesop
by admin  |  June 2014 

 

Those who really love to read Aesop’s fables must have known one of these following facts about Aesop. However, do you know who Aesop was?

 

Aesop’s Life

Scattered details of Aesop’s life can be found in ancient sources, including Aristotle, Herodotus, and Plutarch. An ancient literary work called The Aesop Romance tells an episodic, probably highly fictional version of his life, including the traditional description of him as a strikingly ugly slave.

 

Birthplace

The earliest Greek sources, including Aristotle, indicate that Aesop was born around 620 BCE in Thrace at a site on the Black Sea coast which would later become the city Mesembria. A number of later writers from the Roman imperial period say that he was born in Phrygia.  The place of Aesop's birth was and still is disputed: (Africa)Thrace, Phrygia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Samos, Athens, Sardis and Amorium all claimed the honour. It is thought by modern writers that he may have been of African origin, it is said that his name is likely derived from "Aethiopian", a word used by the Greeks to refer mostly to dark skinned people of the African interior and that the stories are full of animals present in Africa, many of the creatures being quite foreign to Greece and Europe. Aesop was also briefly mentioned in the classic Egyptian myth, "The Girl and the Rose-Red Slippers", considered by many to be history's first Cinderella story. In the myth, the freed slave Rhodopis mentions that a slave named Aesop told her many entrancing stories and fables while they were slaves on the island of Samos. According to the historian Herodotus, Aesop met with a violent death at the hands of the inhabitants of Delphi, though the cause was not stated.

 

 

The Aesop Romance

The Aesop Romance became a folkbook, a work that belonged to no one, and the occasional writer felt free to modify as it might suit him. Multiple, sometimes contradictory, versions of this work exist. The earliest known version “was probably composed in the 1st century AD”.

 

Aesop’s Fables

Aesop’s Fables continued to be revised and translated through the ensuing centuries, with the addition of material from other cultures, so that the body of fables known today bears little relation to those Aesop originally told. The fables remain a popular choice for moral education of children today. Many stories included in Aesop's Fables, such as The Fox and the Grapes (from which the idiom "sour grapes" was derived), The Tortoise and the Hare (see Zeno's paradoxes) and The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf (also known as The Boy Who Cried Wolf), are well-known throughout the world.

 

 

Question of African Origin

A much later tradition depicts Aesop as a black African from Ethiopia. The presence of such slaves in Greek-speaking areas is suggested by the fable “Washing the Ethiopian white” that is ascribed to Aesop himself. This concerns a man who buys a black slave and, assuming that he was neglected by his former master, tries very hard to wash the blackness away.

 

Art and Literature

Ancient sources mention two statues of Aesop, one by Aristodemus and another by Lysippus, and Philostratus describes a painting of Aesop surrounded by the animals of his fables. None of these images have survived.

 

 

Play

A raposa e as uvas (“The Fox and the Grapes”), a play in three acts about the life of Aesop by Brazilian dramatist Gulherme Figueiredo, was published in 1953 and has been performed in many countries, including a videotaped production in China in 2000 under the title Hu li yu pu tao.

 

Popular Culture
Occasions on which Aesop is portrayed as black include Richard Durham’s “Destination Freedom” radio show broadcast (1949), where the drama “The Death of Aesop,” portrays him as an Ethiopian. In 1971, Bill Cosby played Aesop in the TV production Aesop’s Fables.

 

 

Animated Shorts
Beginning in 1959, animated shorts under the title Aesop and Son appeared as a recurring segment in the TV series Rocky and His Friends and its successor, The Bullwinkle Show.

 

Aesop’s Fables Transmission
The body of work identified as Aesop’s Fables was transmitted by a series of authors writing in both Greek and Latin. Demetrius of Phalerum made a collection in ten books, probably in prose (Αισοπείων α) for the use of orators, which has been lost. Next appeared an edition in elegiac verse, cited by the Suda, but the author’s name is unknown.

 

 

Source: Wikipedia - Aesop

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - PARLIAMENT HILL

Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario (2014)

 

Did you know... that Parliament Hill, colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its Gothic revival suite of buildings, and their architectural elements of national symbolic importance, is the home of the Parliament of Canada. Parliament Hill attracts approximately three million visitors each year. Law enforcement on Parliament Hill and in the parliamentary precinct is the responsibility of the Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS). Originally the site of a military base in the 18th and early 19th centuries, development of the area into a governmental precinct began in 1859, after Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the capital of the Province of Canada. Following several extensions to the parliament and departmental buildings and a fire in 1916 that destroyed the Centre Block, Parliament Hill took on its present form with the completion of the Peace Tower in 1927. Since 2002, an extensive $3 billion renovation and rehabilitation project has been underway throughout all the precinct's buildings; work is not expected to be complete until after 2028.  (Wikipedia)

 

Facts about Parliament Hill in Ottawa
Posted by Pamela  |  December 2020

 

Parliament Hill alludes to a bunch of structures in Ottawa, Ontario, the capital of Canada, where the Government of Canada meets and Members of Parliament make laws. It is called Parliament Hill since it is on a slope over the Ottawa River. There are three principal structures: the West Block, the East Block and the Center Block. A fire in 1916 consumed the Center Block and just the library was saved. The structure was modified and the Peace Tower was done in 1927. The top of each building is made of copper which turns green over the long haul. There are numerous sculptures around Parliament Hill including numerous previous Prime Ministers and 5 popular ladies who assisted ladies with picking up equivalent rights in Canada. There is additionally a centennial fire that was lit when Canada turned 100 years of age. From mystery ways to the Speaker’s Scotch, here are the main 10 things you presumably didn’t think about Parliament Hill.

 

1. One man controls time on Parliament Hill
Public Works representative Robert Labonté is liable for a considerable lot of the most unmistakable components on Parliament Hill, yet the most obvious might be the Peace Tower clock. Controlled from a little room inside the pinnacle, Labonté sets the large clock utilizing a pilot clock that reenacts a similar time. The pilot clock is bolted, with just three or four individuals holding a key for it, he said.

 

2.The fire in the yard isn’t everlasting — however, coins tossed into the wellspring store research

 

Numerous individuals allude to the Centennial Flame as an endless fire — however, the fire is killed four times each year for careful cleaning of the wellspring. Public Works representatives consistently gather the mint pieces tossed into the wellspring around the fire, and the House of Commons HR board utilizes the $4,000 to $5,000 gathered each year to finance investigation into handicaps. The 2013 honour, as per the parliamentary site, went to Sara Carleton for her examination taking a gander at Olympian Clara Hughes and how she has influenced how Canadians consider psychological well-being messes. Hughes assists with bringing issues to light about discouragement.

 

3.There’s a mystery entryway in Tom Mulcair’s office
The head of the Official Opposition gets an intricate office on the fourth floor of Center Block, simply over the Prime Minister’s Office, that incorporates a chimney and definite frescoes portraying troopers in a fight. The workplace likewise has what might be Center Block’s just mystery entryway. Indistinguishable wood boards brighten the divider on one or the other side of the chimney, however, one really sits on concealed pivots. “This board on this side here,” Mulcair revealed to CBC News, highlighting the board to one side of the chimney, “is really a mystery entryway.” The entryway opens into the following office, involved by Mulcair’s chief aide, George Smith. “The legend is that former leader William Lyon Mackenzie King, particularly in the day when there wasn’t a ton of security, individuals used to simply meander in and when there were individuals out there he would not like to see, there was another entryway and he could escape the back way,” Mulcair said.

 

4. Creatures have large amounts of Center Block
While Center Block is a Gothic structure, House custodian David Monaghan says that style of engineering can be light and unconventional just as dim. “The choice of subjects in the structure, for a Parliament, isn’t generally political,” he said in the structure’s fundamental corridor, known as the rotunda or Confederation Hall. “A repetitive topic in the structure is Canadian greenery. You see pictures of owls and snow geese and fish. It’s not actually frightfully genuine when you consider everything: that you have a spot where rulers and executives stroll through [and it] is enhanced with fish and fowl,” Monaghan stated, calling attention to that the creatures, including beavers and bears, are in any event, skipping around. The principal entrance, one story over the guest entrance and utilized by parliamentary staff and writers, is loaded up with compositional detail. One Monaghan loves to call attention to begins from the focal section in the lobby. Green and white marble are orchestrated as a compass rose (the plan on the compass face), with a wavy green strip surrounding the rotunda. A straight green circle envelops the wavy one.

 

5. An gigantic picture of Sir John A. Macdonald hangs in the PMO

 

Leader Stephen Harper’s office has minimal other than certain seats and an overwhelming work area, leaving one thing to rule the stylistic theme: a representation of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first executive — a Conservative. At the point when Google Streetview was permitted into Harper’s office, it was similarly as clean as when press secretary Carl Vallée indicated CBC News around. A Beatles mug sits on the work area and photographs of Harper with his family hold tight the divider that would be to one side when he’s situated at the work area.

 

6.The first sculpture raised on Parliament Hill
This was the principal sculpture raised on Parliament Hill, to the quick west of the Center Block, at the prompting of Sir John A. Macdonald. From among proposition from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Italy, Louis-Philippe Hébert was picked to frame the landmark, which was set up during the 1880s.

 

7. A Clock Behind the Time
Did you realize the wonderful legacy clock that decorates the Parliament Tower falls 15 seconds behind consistently? For André Viger, the “guardian of time,” each subsequent checks! Viger, an expert clockmaker for a very long time at this point, does his wizardry each Tuesday and physically twists back the clock. He is one of not many with the essential ability to chip away at old mechanical tickers.

 

8. Je me souviens: More Than Just a License Plate

Since 1978, the Quebec licence plate has

featured the phrase "Je me souviens"

The celebrated maxim Je me souviens (I recall), found on all Québec tags, was made by Eugène-Étienne Taché, planner of the Parliament Building. Engraved over the primary passage, it inspires the design of the Parliament. As the show-stoppers enhancing the exterior represent, the saying praises the legends of New France and driving figures of the British system.

 

9. Busy Bees
The National Assembly flaunts wonderful nurseries for you to investigate, including a metropolitan vegetable nursery where many various spices, vegetables, berries, eatable plants, and natural product trees are developed utilizing natural techniques. There are even apiaries on the rooftop! In 2017, more than 250,000 honey bees created 175 kg of metropolitan nectar, sold at the Boutique de l’Assemblée.

 

10. Prehistoric Fossils in a Beautiful Library

Open to people in general, the National Assembly Library is the ideal spot to unobtrusively study or read in an astounding setting. The dividers, floors, and steps are shrouded in 7 kinds of marble that add to the palatial impact. You can even discover 50-million-year-old fossilized ammonites and mollusks in the marble of the columns—genuinely astonishing! The library additionally houses uncommon and valuable books, the most established going back to 1473.

 

Source: Wikipedia - Parliament Hill  |  Facts About Parliament Hill

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - HYBRID ANIMALS

Pizzly Polar/brown bear hybrid

 

Did you know... that hybrid animals are a result of a crossing from two animals of different species. These such crossings result in animals whose appearance presents mixed characteristics, and trust us, they are beautiful! Some of these animal hybrids are so incredibly fascinating that it’s hard to believe they are even real. Additionally, not all species are able to mate with each other, so when this does happen it is incredible rare. (Animal Wised)

 

Hybrid Animals That Are Actually Real

A-Z Animals  |  July 2020

 

What is a hybrid animal? Is it a creature that only exists in fables and myths? No! In fact, many crossbred animals are real! Hybrid animals are usually the reproductive result of intercourse between two similar animals, like lions and tigers. Lab hybrid animals also exist. Scientists call the process is “somatic hybridization,” and it allows them to manipulate genes to create new species with useful traits from both parents.

 

1. Liger: Male Lion and Female Tiger Hybrid Animal

The offspring of a male lion and female tiger, the liger is probably the most famous hybrid animal of all and the largest of the big cats. Ligers are usually much bigger than either parent. The largest non-obese liger in the world weighs 1,000 pounds, and the heaviest one ever recorded weighed an astounding 1,600 pounds. Unlike some hybrid animals, it would be nearly impossible to find ligers in the wild because lions and tigers don’t naturally inhabit the same regions. They usually look and behave more like lions than tigers, but they do show tiger traits such as a love for swimming and striped backs. You can read more about ligers here.

 

2. Tigon: Male Tiger and Female Lion Hybrid Animal

Nobody could fault you for thinking a tigon should basically be the exact same animal as a liger. After all, they’re both mixes of lions and tigers. However, when a male tiger mates with a female lion, the resulting offspring is a tigon. Tigons are much smaller than ligers, and they tend to be smaller than both of their parents. They typically look more like their tiger fathers, but they possess traits from their lion mothers, such as the ability to roar and a love for socialization.

 

3. Wholphin: False Killer Whale and Dolphin Hybrid Animal

Wholphins are one of the rarest hybrid animals. They come from the crossbreeding of a female bottle-nosed dolphin and a male false killer whale (a member of the dolphin family that isn’t related to killer whales). Citizen wholphin sightings in the wild are common, but concrete evidence still eludes scientists. Currently, we can only reliably see them in captivity. Wholphins are an extremely interesting balance of their parents. Their skin is a dark gray — the perfect blend of light gray dolphin skin and black false killer whale skin. They also have 66 teeth, which is the precise average of dolphins’ 88 teeth and the false killer whale’s 44 teeth.

 

4. Leopon: Leopard and Lion Hybrid Animal

Leopons are beautiful and uncommon hybrids resulting from a male leopard and female lion union. Leopons grow to be nearly as large as lions, but they have shorter legs like a leopard. They also have other leopard traits, including a love for water and climbing chops. Did You Know? When a male lion mates with a leopardess, the resulting offspring is called a lipard. Male lions are typically about 10 feet long and weigh around 500 pounds, but a female leopard is usually only about 5 feet long and weighs about 80 pounds. Because of the immense size difference between a male lion and a female leopard, this pairing happens very rarely.

 

5. Beefalo: Buffalo and Cow Hybrid Animal

Beefalo are the hybridization of buffalo and domestic cattle. In most cases, breeders create beefalo by pairing a domesticated bull with a female American bison. Unlike many other types of animal hybrids, beefalo are able to reproduce on their own, which is useful. These animals were intentionally crossbred by humans to improve beef production and carry the best traits of both species. They produce leaner, more flavorful meat like bison, but are more docile and easier to raise like domestic cattle. Typically, beefalo are 37.5% bison and mostly resemble cattle. Some breeds are 50% or more bison and sometimes called “cattalo.” In addition, any hybrid that resembles a bison more than a cow is usually considered an “exotic animal” rather than livestock.

 

6. Grolar Bear: Grizzly and Polar Bear Hybrid Animal

Grolar bears, as you might expect, are a cross between a grizzly bear and polar bear. These animals are also sometimes called “pizzly bears,” and some First Nations peoples call them “nanulak,” which is a blend of their words for polar bear, “nanuk,” and grizzly bear, “aklak.” Grolar bears are interesting because, generally speaking, polar bears and grizzlies have a mutual contempt for one another and will rarely coexist in captivity or in their natural habitats. However, extreme situations and human interventions have produced more of these adorably shaggy, caramel-colored hybrid bears. They typically grow to be slightly smaller than polar bears, averaging 60 inches tall at the shoulder and around 1,000 pounds, but they’re better able to survive in warmer climates thanks to their grizzly bear genes.

 

7. Jaglion: Jaguar and Lion Hybrid Animal

Another stunning and intriguing big cat hybrid is the Jaglion, which comes from the mating of a male jaguar and a female lion. Not much is known about jaglions simply because so few exist. However, an unintentional mating between a black jaguar and a lioness resulted in two jaglion cubs. One has the coloring of a lion and the rosette-pattern spotting of a jaguar, but the other sports a breathtaking dark gray coat with black spotting thanks to the dominant melanin gene found in black jaguars. Offspring produced by the opposite pairing of a male lion and female jaguar are called liguars. 

 

8. Zebroid: Zebra and Horse Hybrid Animal

Technically, a zebroid is actually a hybrid of a zebra and any equine species. When paired with a horse, the result is called a “zorse.” Zebra hybrids are usually infertile and pairings are rare. For example, we call the offspring of a male donkey and a female zebra a ‘hinny,’ but they’re extremely uncommon. Zebra hybrids usually have the appearance of whichever animal they have been crossbred with while still retaining the striped coat of a pure zebra. Most of these hybrid animals don’t have fully striped coats. Instead, the stripes are usually found on just the legs or non-white areas of the body, depending on the genetics of the non-zebra parent. For more information about the zorse, click here.

 

9. Geep: Goat and Sheep Hybrid Animal

One of the cutest and cuddliest hybrid animals is the geep, an endearing cross between a goat and a sheep. Despite being absolutely adorable, the geep is exceptionally rare. Some experts debate whether or not the geep is a true hybrid or simply a sheep with genetic abnormalities. After all, since goats and sheep carry different numbers of chromosomes, cross-species conception is nearly impossible. If it happens, very few babies are carried to term, and even fewer survive birth. Regardless, looking at pictures of these animals is sure to make you smile.

 

10. Cama: Camel and Llama Hybrid Animal

Like beefalo, the cama was created to produce an animal that was more economically viable than either of its parents. Camas are hybrids of dromedary camels and llamas, typically via artificial insemination. This is the best and safest way to breed them since male dromedary camels can weigh six times more than female llamas, and the reverse pairing isn’t fruitful. Camas don’t have camel humps and are covered in soft, fleecy fur similar to llamas’. They were bred with the intent of creating a mega-wool-producing animal that’s strong and docile enough to be used as a pack animal in desert climates.

 

11. Savannah Cat: Domestic Cat and African Serval Hybrid Animal

Savannah cats may be house pets, but they’re also exotic hybrids — the result of breeding a domestic cat with a wild African serval. Savannahs are striking animals that are around the same size as a large domestic cat. However, their tall bodies, slender forms, and spotted coats give them a wild, exotic appearance. Savannah cats with more serval blood can be twice as large as domestic cats! So anyone interested in owning one should do plenty of careful research. Savannah cats are extremely intelligent, loyal, and loving creatures. Plus, they’re prized household pets.

 

12. Green Sea Slug: Algae and Slug Hybrid Animal

Possibly the most unusual hybrid animal on this list is the green sea slug. It is a sea slug that incorporates genetic material from the algae it eats into its own DNA. The strange result is a plant-animal hybrid that can consume food like an animal or create its own nutrients via photosynthesis. Scientists call these sea slugs “emerald green elysia.” Their ability to turn solar energy into food is what gives them their brilliant green hue. Scientists acknowledge that they will have to do more research in order to determine how this phenomenon happens. But as of now, this is the only successful instance of gene transfer from one type of complex organism to another.

 

 

Source: Animal Wised  |  AZ Animals

 

Edited July 17, 2021 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

Fact of the Day - WORLD OF WARCRAFT

Did you know... that World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the Warcraft fantasy universe, World of Warcraft takes place within the world of Azeroth, approximately four years after the events of the previous game in the series, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. The game was announced in 2001, and was released for the 10th anniversary of the Warcraft franchise on November 23, 2004. Since launch, World of Warcraft has had eight major expansion packs: The Burning Crusade (2007), Wrath of the Lich King (2008), Cataclysm (2010), Mists of Pandaria (2012), Warlords of Draenor (2014), Legion (2016), Battle for Azeroth (2018), and Shadowlands (2020). Similar to other MMORPGs, the game allows players to create a character avatar and explore an open game world in third- or first-person view, exploring the landscape, fighting various monsters, completing quests, and interacting with non-player characters (NPCs) or other players. The game encourages players to work together to complete quests, enter dungeons and engage in player versus player (PvP) combat, however the game can also be played solo without interacting with others. The game primarily focuses on character progression, in which players earn experience points to level up their character to make them more powerful and buy and sell items using in-game currency to acquire better equipment, among other game systems. World of Warcraft was a major critical and commercial success upon its original release in 2004 and quickly became the most popular MMORPG of all-time, reaching a peak of 12 million subscribers in 2010. The game had over one hundred million registered accounts by 2014 and by 2017, had grossed over $9.23 billion in revenue, making it one of the highest-grossing video game franchises of all time. The game has been cited by gaming journalists as the greatest MMORPG of all-time and one of the greatest video games of all time and has also been noted for its long lifespan, continuing to receive developer support and expansion packs over 15 years since its initial release. In 2019, a vanilla version of the game titled World of Warcraft Classic was launched, allowing players to experience the base game before any of its expansions launched. (Wikipedia)

 

Interesting Facts And Finds in World of Warcraft
By Lana Vrz  |  December 2019

 

World of Warcraft and its realms have been introduced to us all back in 2004, and since then, the statistics revolving around this game has increased exponentially. Today, there are billions of quests completed, gamers created millions of characters, and it is impossible to calculate how many hours people spent playing this game. You are probably reading this article in order to find out the most interesting facts and finds in this video game. And, if that is the case, the text below will enable you to gain insights – insights that might shock even the gamers that have been playing WoW for a long time. Let’s take a closer look at the facts:

 

 

1. The Game Has The Largest Wiki of All Franchises
One of the most shocking things I found out when researching fun facts about WoW is that its Wiki has nearly 100.000 pages! Yup, you read that right. When you visit it, you will be able to find a wide range of guides, facts, hidden Easter eggs, tutorials, and locations in the game. I wonder how many hours would it take to read all the pages?

 

2. The Most Popular Class? The Hunter
If you look at the statistics, the Hunter character class is the one people chose to play the most. In America, it managed to attract 12% of players, and in the European Union, 11.1% of gamers chose the Hunter class. If you are wondering what class is the least popular, it is the Monk class which only attracted 5.8% of US players, and 6% of EU players.

 

 

 

3. Azeroth is Actually Quite Small
Although you can spend hours roaming this world, if you look at it as a real-life place, it would only be 80 square miles large, which is 207 square kilometers. So, if it was a real-world, it would be quite small. However, players from all over the world know the map quite well, which is surprising since there are a lot of things to remember.

 

4. The 14 Million Mark
If you were wondering how many physical copies were sold since the game was released, the answer is – 14 million. This fact makes it the 4th best-selling PC game and in front of it are games such as The Sims 1 and 2, as well as Minecraft. Keep in mind that this number does not include digital purchases, which people in a lot of Asian countries prefer.

 

 

5. You Can Get Boosts
If you are just starting out with this game, you will definitely want to know that you can purchase boosts that will make your life easier – and it will also allow you to advance in the game faster and easier. If you are interested in learning what the WoW Vanilla PvP Boost can give you.

 

6. The Rarest Mount in The Game
A lot of people wonder what the rarest mount is. Well, it is the Heavenly Onyx Cloud Serpent that has a drop chance of only 0.03 percent. Yup, that is incredibly low and a lot of hardcore gamers have tried to get it for a long time now. The creature is incredibly beautiful and is probably one of the reasons why it is so rare.

 

 

7. The Weird Postmaster Malown
Now, this is not theoretically, this is not a new one, but it does feature a new pet battle dungeon. Postmaster Malown is a secret NPC that you can muster in the new Stratholme Pet Battle Dungeon. If you manage to win the battle, you will gain the Malowned achievement and a Burnout battle pet. If you want to summon him, you will need to first find the “discarded letter” in the dungeon and then head to Market Row Postbox. Keep in mind that you can only get the discarded letter when you win either Stage six or nine of the pet battle dungeon. Bonus tip: you will be able to easily win by using three pets with Burrow, Dodge, and Flurry.

 

8. Famous People Love Playing WoW
It would be crazy if there were no celebrities that love playing WoW. Well, there is actually a lot of them who love playing including Mila Kunis, Henry Cavill, Vin Diesel, and many others. Some of them even talked about the game on talk shows and public appearances, which makes it even more interesting to play.

 

 

9. The People Behind The Game Wrote 5.5 Million Codes
When you ask yourself why it takes the developers five years to create the game, the reason is that they had to write 5.5 million code lines! Crazy, right? It gets even crazier when you learn that it would take 100.000 pages to print all the codes. However, it is not surprising that it took so many lines, especially since there is a wide range of spells, weapons, setting, characters, and armor that went into the game development.

 

10. The Biggest Raid in WoW History Happened on a Server in Germany
Yet another shocking detail about the game and its players. On December 30th, 2005, the biggest raid ever happened on a German server. There were more than 900 alliance members who decided to join the raid and what is quite surprising – the players only needed less than two weeks to organize the entire event. What they did not know is that they created a raid that went down in history, and it is a record that no one tried to beat for 14 years.

 

 

Conclusion
So, there you have it. The facts mentioned in this article will probably make the video game more fun and interesting to play. Some of the information from the list above might even help you with improving your character and advancing in the game. So, now that you learned what those things are, do not waste any more time and continue or start exploring the wonderful realms of Azeroth.

 

Source: Wikipedia - World of Warcraft  |  Facts About World of Warcraft