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Shoelaces

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Shoelaces

Shoelaces are handy items for securing shoes.

  • Shoelaces are lengths of cord used to fasten shoes or boots around feet, and are usually purchased in pairs.
  • ‘Shoelaces’ are also known as ‘shoestrings’ and ‘bootlaces’, and they come in a wide variety of colours and decorative patterns.
  • Shoelaces are typically woven through numerous holes, hooks or loops, most often in a criss-cross pattern, and tightened, to narrow the opening of the shoe over one’s foot.
  • Shoelaces were originally made of leather, cotton or rope; while today, most laces are made of or include synthetic fibres.
  • Shoelaces end with a sheath called an aglet, that is typically made of brass, plastic or copper, that enables ease of threading through the holes in the shoe.

Shoelaces, Multiple, Loose, Packaged, Colours, White, Black, Blue, Brown, Ten Random Facts, Clothes

  • To complete securing, shoelaces are usually finished with a shoelace knot or a bow knot.
  • Shoelaces range from 45 to 200 centimetres (18 to 79 inches) in length, and the lengths generally vary according to the quantity of holes in the shoe.
  • Shoelaces have been used as early as 4000 to 3000 BC, to tie leather around one’s foot.
  • There are accessories available for shoelaces, typically a decorative metal or plastic tab that is threaded onto a lace, and is known as a ‘shoelace charm’.
  • Shoelaces are sometimes elasticised so that the shoe is easily slid off one’s foot without untying or loosening the laces.
  • Bibliography:
Shoelace, 2014, Know How, http://www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Shoelace.html
Shoelace, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoelaces

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Hallerbos

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Hallerbos

Is Hallerbos full of magic?

  • Hallerbos is a forest area located in Europe’s Belgium, mainly in the Halle district.
  • Hallerbos is known for its abundance of wild hyacinths or bluebells that bloom during spring, from April to May.
  • The forest of Hallerbos has an area of approximately 5.35 square kilometres (2 square miles), which includes 1 square kilometre (0.4 square miles) that is classed as a reserve and is home to a number of rare plants.
  • ‘Hallerbos’ is also known as ‘Halle Forest’ and ‘The Blue Forest’.
  • The trees of Hallerbos include species of oak, ash, pine, beech, giant sequoia and larch.
Hallerbros, Trees, Forest, Plants, Bluebells, Carpet, Belgium, Europe, Ten Random Facts, Flickr
Part of Hallerbos
Image courtesy of Ines Saraiva/Flickr
  • Nearly all of the Hallerbos trees were cut down by Germans during World War I.
  • Hallerbos is home to hares, foxes, deer, rabbits and polecats.
  • In Ancient Roman times, Hallerbos was part of the Coal Forest, which reached into Germany.
  • Since the 1930s, Hallerbos trees have been replenished and planted, and the area expanded by the purchase of nearby farms.
  • Hallerbos has tracks for cyclers, hikers and horse riders, and also a museum.

 

Bibliography:
Hallerbos, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallerbos
Halle 2011, Natuur en Bos, http://www.natuurenbos.be/hallerbos#.U-VbUvmSzVx
Welcome to Hallerbos, 2014, Hallerbos, http://www.hallerbos.be/en/

 

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Barbecue Sauce

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Barbecue Sauce

Do you like barbecue sauce?

  • Barbecue sauce is a sauce or condiment used for flavouring food items, and its use and recipe varies in different regions and countries.
  • ‘Barbecue sauce’ is also known as ‘barbeque sauce’ and ‘BBQ sauce’.
  • Some barbecue sauces are designed to be used to marinate or baste meat cooked on a barbecue, as well as flavouring other foods.
  • Barbecue sauce typically has the primary ingredient of at least tomato paste or vinegar, depending on its purpose with an addition of sugar or molasses, spices and sometimes liquid smoke.
  • One of the first commercial barbecue sauces was made in Georgia’s Atlanta, in the United States, and was available for purchase in 1909.

Barbeque Sauce, BBQ, Barbecue. Condiment, Commercial, Bottled, Australian, Homebrand

  • Barbecue sauce is typically red-brown to dark brown in colour.
  • Barbecue sauce is commonly sold in bottles in supermarkets, and is often similar to ketchup or tomato sauce in its taste and use.
  • Barbecue sauce originated from the culinary practice of marinating, combined with the barbecue method Native Americans used to cook their meat.
  • Barbecue sauce was probably invented in America from the 1400s – 1600s, and was later developed in Europe.
  • Some barbecue sauces have a very high content of sodium, are a good source of manganese, and have a significant quantity of vitamin A and potassium, as well as other vitamins and minerals.

 

Bibliography:
Barbecue Digest: The secret history of BBQ sauce, 2012, Eatocracy, http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/07/09/bbq-sauce/
Barbecue Sauce, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbecue_sauce
Goldwyn M, The History of Barbecue Sauce, 2012, Amazing Ribs, http://amazingribs.com/BBQ_articles/history_of_bbq_sauce.html

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Moray Eel

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Moray Eel

Moray eels are shy, are you?

  • Moray eels are a family of roughly 200 different species of eel, found mainly in the world’s tropical and sub-tropical salt waters.
  • A moray eel looks similar to a snake, however, it has a dorsal fin that sits behind its head and along its body.
  • Moray eels are divided into 15 genera and are also known as the family of Muraenidae.
  • Moray eels can grow to be 0.11 to 4 metres (0.375 to 13 feet) in length, and while they do not have a good sense of sight, their smell sense is acute.
  • The head and body of moray eels, and the inner section of the mouth in some species, are usually marked with patterns that differ, depending on the species.
Moray Eel, Hiding, Rocks, Ko Lanta, November 2010, Ten Random Facts, Marine, Underwater, Flickr
Moray Eel
Image courtesy of Thomas Quine/Flickr
  • Moray eels have an outer layer of mucus that can be poisonous, varying by species, and some eels may be toxic if eaten, due to their diet.
  • Moray eels prey on sea snakes; molluscs and cephalopods like octopus and squid; fish and crustaceans.
  • Moray eels are hunted by large fish and sharks, and have a life span of approximately ten to thirty years.
  • Moray eels do interact and cooperate with some other marine species, in the process of hunting.
  • Moray eels are typically afraid of people, attacking humans to self defend or mistake human fingers for food, and in which case, the eel cannot let go as it latches on with its large teeth.
Bibliography:
Moray Eel, 2014, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/moray-eel/
Moray Eel, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moray_eel

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Cork Stopper

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Cork Stopper

With cork stoppers, you will not spoil your wine.

  • Cork stoppers are generally small cylinders that are placed in the top of containers to block and seal in the contents.
  • ‘Cork stoppers’ are also known as ‘corks’, ‘stoppers’ and ‘bungs’, and are typically made of cork, but stoppers can also be made of rubber, metal, glass or silicone, depending on their use.
  • Cork stoppers are most often used to seal bottles, particularly those containing wine, and are occasionally used to seal barrels or tubes.
  • Cork stoppers are generally manufactured from the outer bark of the cork oak tree, that has the scientific name Quercus suber, and whole corks are usually cut from the bark, although cheaper corks are manufactured from amassed cork particles and are known as ‘agglomerated corks’.
  • Cork stoppers were used in wine bottles as early as the first century BC, in Ancient Greece in Ephesus, located in today’s Europe.

Cork Stopper, Many, Patterned, Brown, Wine, Bung, Ten Random Facts

  • Cork stoppers are environmentally friendly, stable, water resistant, compressible, flexible and are able to seal liquid and gas in the container, and these properties are almost impossible to replicate in the cheaper man-made stoppers or screw caps that are sometimes used for similar purposes.
  • The first machine to make cork stoppers was invented in the 1800s in the United Kingdom, Europe.
  • Europe’s Portugal, is one of the largest producers of cork stoppers in the world, and in 2002, 13 billion corks were produced throughout the world, 8% of which were synthetic.
  • A corkscrew is often required to remove and properly install cork stoppers, and their use was documented in 1681.
  • Cork stoppers are recyclable, and can be made into shoes and apparel, sporting equipment, incorporated into aircraft and building designs, as well as various other forms.
  • Bibliography:
Bung, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bung
Corks – Past, Present, and Future, n.d, Beekman Wine and Liquors, http://www.beekmanwine.com/prevtopap.htm
Cork, 2011, Cork Forest Conservation Alliance, http://www.corkforest.org/history_of_cork.php
Amorim, n.d, Amorim Cork, http://www.amorimcork.com/en/natural-cork/recycling

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Hitachi Seaside Park

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Hitachi Seaside Park

Hitachi Seaside Park is a park of wonder.

  • Hitachi Seaside Park is a park located on the coast of Japan’s largest island, Honshu, in the city of Hitachinaka, in the Ibaraki Prefecture.
  • ‘Hitachi Seaside Park’ is known as ‘Kokuei Hitachi Kaihinkōen’ in Japanese.
  • Hitachi Seaside Park comprises of approximately 190 hectares (470 acres) of area, that includes a hill, forests, garden, entertainment area and other features.
  • Hitachi Seaside Park notably contains 4.5 million blue nemophila plants, 1 million daffodils and 170 different varieties of tulip, as well as many other flowering plants and vegetation.
  • Hitachi Seaside Park features a Ferris wheel that is a good way to gain great views of the park, as well as a rollercoaster, golf area, a labyrinth, a water playground and more.
Hitachi Seaside Park, Flowers, Blue, Blooming, Ferris Wheel, Japan, Garden, Public, Ten Random Facts, Flickr
Hitachi Seaside Park
Image courtesy of Temaki/Flickr
  • Hitachi Seaside Park is the venue for the Rock in Japan Festival, the largest rock genre music festival in Japan, that is held each year in August.
  • Hitachi Seaside Park has entrance and parking fees, and pets on leashes are welcome, although they are restricted in some areas.
  • Hitachi Seaside Park contains numerous cycling tracks, public paths and recreation areas.
  • Although flowering occurs all year, the majority of flowers in Hitachi Seaside Park bloom in spring, notably the nemophilas, which led to the name ‘Nemophila Harmony’ for this period.
  • Since the Fukishima nuclear disaster of 2011, some areas of Hitachi Seaside Park have been closed at various times due to rising radiation levels, however, the levels are closely monitored and decontamination has occurred when necessary.
Bibliography:
Flower Paradise at Hitachi Seaside Park, Japan, 2012, Amusing Planet, http://www.amusingplanet.com/2012/06/flower-paradise-at-hitachi-seaside-park.html
Hitachi Seaside Park, 2013, Visit Ibaraki Japan, http://visitibaraki.net/hitachi-seaside-park-post.html
Hitachi Seaside Park, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitachi_Seaside_Park
Menu, 2014, Hitachi Seaside Park, http://hitachikaihin.go.jp/

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