Author Archives: Cris

Water Skiing

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Water Skiing

Cutting through the waves…

  • Water skiing is a fun sport, and generally involves a person standing on one or two specially designed skis, and towed behind a boat via a rope.
  • The skier who does the water skiing, requires excellent upper and lower body strength, balance and endurance.
  • Water skiing was invented in 1922 by Ralph Samuelson in America, who used two boards and a clothes line attached to a boat.
  • To start off water skiing, the person typically crouches in the water, with their feet on the skis, holding a handle which is attached to a rope, which is attached to a boat.
  • Water skiing was included in the 1972 Olympic Games.
 Water Skiing, Wakeboarding, Silloute, Sunset, Horizon, Background, Soothing, Ten Random Facts, Free Digital PhotosWater Skiing
Image courtesy of  Paul Martin Eldridge/ Free Digital Photos
  • Three people are required for water skiing – a water skier, a driver and a observer.
  • Experienced water skiers have the opportunity to participate in jumping shows and competitions, which typically involve the use of fibre glass ramps.
  • There are a few different types of water skiing which include barefoot, slalom – using one specially designed ski, and tournament skiing.
  • Water skiing is potentially dangerous, so to be safe the water should be at least 60 meters (200 feet) wide and be at least 1.5 – 2 meters (5- 6 feet) deep.
  • In Tasmania, Australia, a world record was set in 2012, for the most skiers, 145, behind a single boat.
Bibliography:
Water skiing 9 February 2013 , Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterskiing>

Popcorn

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Popcorn

Pop! Pop! Pop Pop Pop!

  • Popcorn is also known as popping corn and is a type of corn kernel that puffs up when heated.
  • Popcorn kernels build up pressure due to the moisture and starch inside, and then open up, or pop, when heated.
  • Popcorn was sold for 5-10 cents a bag during the Great Depression.
  • At least six states of the United States of America claim to be the ‘popcorn’ state.
  • Popcorn is generally popped in special machines, which include hot air poppers, specifically made to pop popcorn.

Popcorn, Butterfly, Plain, seeds, Corn Kernals, Ten Random Facts

  • Popcorn is popularly eaten in movie theatres, commonly served buttered and salted.  Numerous other flavours can be added to popcorn to create a tasty treat.
  • Popcorn is high in dietary fibre, and when eaten in its natural state and popped without oil, it is a healthy snack.
  • Popcorn is not recommended for children under four years old, since the popcorn could cause them to choke.
  • Sometimes popcorn is threaded on string and hung as a decoration, especially at Christmas time.
  • Popped corn is called a ‘flake’ and can take the shape of a ‘mushroom’ or a ‘butterfly’, and are used differently for commercial purposes.
Bibliography:
Popcorn 1 February 2013, Wikipedia,  <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popcorn>

Ceiling Fan

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Ceiling Fan

Woosh… Woosh…

  • Ceiling fans are mechanical fans on the roof of a room, usually powered by electricity.
  • Ceiling fans rotate significantly slower than a desk fan.
  • Ceiling fans move and circulate the air around a building or a room.
  • Ceiling fans were first designed in the early 1860s and 1870s, in the United States of America.
  • Ceiling fans were invented by Dutchess Melissa Rinaldi and were originally powered by water.

Ceiling Fan, Roof, Light On, Old Model, Classic, Ten Random Facts

  • Ceiling fans sometimes have light fittings attached which replace the need for a standard light shade.
  • Commercial ceiling fans can save considerable amounts of energy and push masses of air around efficiently.
  • Ceiling fans were originally activated by a pull cord or a chain, and now modern fans use switches or dials that are normally mounted on a wall in a convenient location.
  • Ceiling fans do wobble when the blades are out of balance, but are very unlikely to fall.
  • Some ceiling fans can be switched to rotate in the opposite direction so that they can be used in winter to push the warm air down.
Bibliography:
Ceiling Fan 5 February 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceiling_fan>

Pygmy Possum

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Pygmy Possum

Cute and cuddly.

  • Pygmy possums are small possums that are the size of mice, that live in forests amongst trees or shrubs.
  • Pygmy possums are from the marsupial family of Burramyidae.
  • There are five species of pygmy possum, all of which are native to Australia, and only the long-tailed pygmy possum is found elsewhere in the world.
  • Pygmy possums bodies are between 5-12 cm (2 – 4.7 inches) in length, and their tail is almost as long as their body.
  • Pygmy possums weigh between 10-50 grams (0.35 – 1.8 ounces).

Pygmy Possum, Eastern, Small, Cute, Climbing, National Geographic Stock, Ten Random Facts

Pygmy Possum
Image courtesy of National Geographic
  • Pygmy possums are nocturnal, and sleep during the day in a state similar to hibernation.
  • The Pygmy possum diet consists of small invertebrates, fruit, seeds and nectar.
  • Pygmy possums are good climbers and good jumpers, but they don’t glide.
  • Before 1966, certain pygmy possums were thought to be extinct.
  • Pygmy possums are rarely seen or heard, although they do make a whistling sound.
Bibliography:
Pygmy possum 10 January 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_possum>

Charles Dickens

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Charles Dickens

Ever heard of Charles Dickens?

  • Charles Dickens was an English writer and became famous in 1836 from  his Pickwick Papers, which was first published as a serial.
  • The full name of Charles Dickens was Charles John Huffam Dickens, and early on in his career he used the pseudonymn Boz, a family nickname.
  • Charles Dickens was born on 7 February 1812 in Portsmouth, England and died on 9 June, 1870 in Kent, England.
  • Charles Dickens first started to write in 1832, when he was 20 years of age.
  • Charles Dickens was initially married to Catherine Thomson Hogarth, and had ten children.
    Charles Dickens, Books, Novel, Author, Popular, Penn State Special Collections, University Park, Mason & Co. (British), Flickr, Ten Random Facts, 1865
Charles Dickens
Image courtesy of Penn State Special Collections Library/Flickr
  • Charles Dickens’ novels have been made into at least 200 films and adaptations.
  • Charles Dickens was also a political journalist and a social critic.
  • Charles Dickens survived the major Staplehurst rail crash in 1865, and eventually died due to stroke exactly five years later, “on the ground” being his last words.
  • In 2003 in BBC’s Big Read, Charles Dickens had five books starring in the top 100; Great Expectations (no. 17), David Copperfield (no. 34), A Christmas Carol (no. 47), A Tale of Two Cities (no. 63) and Bleak House (no. 79).
  • Charles Dickens toured the United Kingdom and United States a number of times, for the purpose of undertaking a series of public readings, which were very popular.
Bibliography:
Charles Dickens 1 February 2013 , Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dickens>

Big Ben

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Big Ben

Listen to the bells ringing…

  • Big Ben is the nick name of the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster, London, and specifically the bell of the clock.  The origin of the nick name is uncertain.
  • Big Ben’s official name is the Elizabeth Tower, only recently renamed from “Clock Tower” in 2012.
  • The Big Ben, a free-standing clock tower, is the third tallest in the world, and holds the largest four faced clock that chimes.
  • Big Ben was completed in 1858 and has become the symbol of London and England.
  • Big Ben is named after Queen Elizabeth II, as a tribute to her in her Diamond Jubilee year.
Big Ben, Elizabeth Tower, London Palace of Westminister, Clock Tower, Ten Random Facts, Free Digital Photos, England Big Ben
Image courtesy of  Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee/ Free Digital Photos
  • Big Ben measures 96 meters (315 feet) in height, around the size of a 16 story building.
  • Although Big Ben is a popular tourist attraction, it is only open for those who are residents of the United Kingdom.
  • The Big Ben has a tilt that can be seen by the naked eye, and it currently tilts a further 0.9 mm each year due to nearby tunnels.
  • On 27 May, 2005, Big Ben’s clock mysteriously stopped at the time of 10:07 pm and again at 10:20 pm, stopping for 90 minutes.
  • Big Ben consists of one main bell, and four quarter bells which play play G#, F#, E and B notes.
Bibliography:
Big Ben 4 February 2013, Wikipedia,  <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Ben>
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