Author Archives: Cris

Musha Cay

By | |
1 Comment
Musha Cay

Musha Cay is more than just majestic and beautiful.

  • Musha Cay is an island found among the 700 islands and islets of the Bahamas, in the Atlantic Ocean, and is part of the Exuma Chain district.
  • Musha Cay is owned privately by David Copperfield, an illusionist from America, who purchased it and ten other nearby islands for approximately $50 million in 2006.
  • Musha Cay covers an area of 0.6 square kilometres (0.23 square miles) and is one of the 11 islands in what is known as ‘Copperfield Bay’.
  • Musha Cay is a resort, and home to a main manor and a small number of guest villas, that are maintained by around 30 staff.
  • Musha Cay has white sand beaches, crystal blue water, and extensive tropical vegetation, and the temperature typically ranges between 21 and 28°C (70 and 82°F).
Musha Cay, Water, Island, Airport, Resort, Ten Random Facts, Place, Atlantic, Resort
Musha Cay
Image courtesy of Daniel Piraino/Flickr
  • People can hire Musha Cay for a vacation or a getaway for their exclusive use, and only one group, of up to 24 people, are permitted to stay on the island at a time.
  • Sergey Brin, the cofounder of Google, was married on the island of Musha Cay in early 2007, and actress Penelope Cruz is also said to have married there in 2010.
  • The are many, typical resort style activities that one can participate in at Musha Cay, including boating, fishing and diving, as well as some that are unique to the island, including a treasure hunt, secret village, olympic style competitions, and goldfish racing.
  • The buildings on Musha Cay were designed by the architect Howard Holtzman, and artifacts from David Copperfield’s International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts can also be found there.
  • To stay at Musha Cay, a fee of tens of thousands of dollars is payable per night, making it one of the most expensive islands to holiday at in the world, and while food and many activities are included in the price, massages, international telephone calls, scuba diving, and others, are not.
Bibliography:
About Musha Cay, Private Islands, 2014, Island Hideaway, http://www.islandhideaways.com/private-islands/villas/musha-cay/
Walther G, Musha Cay, David Copperfield’s Magic Private-Island Resort In The Bahamas, 2012, Forbes, http://www.forbes.com/sites/garywalther/2012/11/27/muscha-cay-david-copperfields-magic-island-in-the-bahamas/
Musha Cay, nd, Musha Cay: The Islands of Copperfield Bay, http://www.mushacay.com/

Amazon:     

Honey Badger

By | |
Leave a comment
Honey Badger

Are you as crazy for honey as a honey badger?

  • Honey badgers are mammals that are native to parts of Asia and Africa, and they do not have the appearance of a typical badger.
  • ‘Honey badgers’ are also known as ‘ratels’, and they have the scientific name Mellivora capensis, and are from the family Mustelidae, the family of weasels and other mammals.
  • Most honey badgers have fur typically coloured black with an upper white stripe, and they have baggy skin that allows freedom of movement, that is particularly advantageous when being attacked.
  • Honey badgers range from 55 to 77 centimetres (22 to 30 inches) in length, excluding the tail, and weigh 5 to 16 kilograms (11 to 35 pounds).
  • A honey badger typically lives by itself, however, others may be found nearby when looking for food, especially in breeding periods.
Honey Badger, Animal, Mammal, White, Black, Ten Random Facts,
A Honey Badger
Image courtesy of Steve Slater/Flickr
  • Honey badgers live in 1 to 3 metres (3.3 to 9.8 feet) long burrows underground, that can be dug in as little as ten minutes, and they can also climb and swim.
  • Honey badgers have robust skin that can deflect bites, stings and punctures, making it a hard animal to kill, and they will also attack aggressively and release a smelly odour, and are therefore unpopular prey.
  • The diet of honey badgers includes honey, bee larvae, insects, eggs, rodents, birds, amphibious animals, vegetation, and reptiles, including venomous snakes and turtles, and they consume all components of their prey including shell, bones, fur, and feathers.
  • Honey badgers that live near livestock owned by humans can be a significant nuisance, as it is difficult to kill the badger and prevent it from capturing and eating the animals.
  • Female honey badgers typically give birth to one or two cubs at a time, and can live up to 24 to 26 years in captivity.
Bibliography:
Honey Badger, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_badger
Honey Badger (Ratel), 2014, San Diego Zoo, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/honey-badger-ratel

Amazon:     

Tapioca

By | |
Leave a comment
Tapioca

Tapioca is a diverse substance.

  • Tapioca is a starch taken from the root of the plant with the scientific name, Manihot esculenta, that is commonly known as cassava.
  • The cassava or manioc tuber, as it is sometimes called, that tapioca is derived from, is native to South America, and was eventually taken to Africa and Asia as a result of explorers from Portugal and Spain.
  • Tapioca can be bought as powder, flakes, pearls, sticks and meal, and the latter four often require soaking before use.
  • Tapioca is often made into desserts; is used as a thickener in liquids; and can be used as a flour in baked goods.
  • The roots of cassava are poisonous and contain cyanide until they are thoroughly processed, after which the tapioca is extracted.

Tapioca, Starch, White, Pearls, Ten Random Facts, Food, Culinary, Invention

  • Tapioca was a staple food item during the food shortages in Southeast Asia during World War II.
  • The word ‘tapioca’ comes from the native Tupí language term for the method of making the cassava root fit for consumption, known as ‘tipi’óka’.
  • Tapioca is commonly used in gluten free cooking, and it helps to give a crispy or chewy feel to baked goods, depending on the item.
  • Tapioca is high in iron and manganese and is very high in carbohydrates.
  • Tapioca is typically white in colour, but very rarely does it affect the colour of other food, and it generally does not provide flavour, although too much of the starch in a food item can cause an unpleasant or slimy texture, as well as taste.
Bibliography:
Tapioca, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapioca
Tapioca Flour, 2014, Bob’s Red Mill, http://www.bobsredmill.com/tapioca-flour.html
WHAT IS TAPIOCA STARCH AND TAPIOCA FLOUR? {GLUTEN FREE FOOD FACTS}, 2012, Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures, http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2012/10/what-is-tapioca-starch-and-tapioca-flour-gluten-free-food-facts.html

Amazon:     

Weighing Scale

By | |
Leave a comment
Weighing Scale

Now precise and accurate with weighing scales!

  • Weighing scales are devices used to ascertain the weight of various items.
  • ‘Weighing scales’ are also known as ‘scales’ and ‘weighing machines’.
  • Weighing scales are available as electronic or mechanical machines, and the latter uses a spring that is measured when pressure is applied.
  • Errors can easily occur in the measurements of weighing scales, caused by air movement, friction, magnets, temperature changes, water and moisture, among others.
  • More efficient modern weighing scales that use a spring, have been mentioned from the 1600s, although the first known recorded design was invented by Richard Salter in 1770.

Scales, White, Invention, Measure, Weighing, Culinary, Food, Ten Random Facts

  • Balancing weighing scales have been used for thousands of years to measure objects, and they also commonly symbolise justice.
  • Weighing scales come in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes, and are often made of metal or plastic.
  • Weighing scales are commonly found in kitchens, used in food preparation; bathrooms, used to measure body weight; and factories, for commercial use.
  • Early electronic weighing scales were invented in the 1940s, and these were the predecessors for the modern style scales that use load cells that measure pressure.
  • The term ‘scale’ as in ‘weighing scale’, originates from words like ‘skal’, ‘scala’ and ‘schaal’ that mean ‘bowl’ and ‘drinking cup’ in several different languages from the 1200s and earlier.
Bibliography:
Menk C, History of Weighing Scales, 2010, Ezine, http://ezinearticles.com/?History-of-Weighing-Scales&id=4791422
Weighing Scale, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weighing_scale

Amazon:     

Bali

By | |
Leave a comment
Bali

Ever fancy a trip to Bali?

  • Bali is part of the Lesser Sunda Islands archipelago, and is one of the islands of Southeast Asia’s Indonesia.
  • Bali is a popular tourist destination, with impressive scenery, and many attractions, including cultural artistic talents.
  • The population of Bali was approximately 4.2 million people in 2014, while the majority followed Hindu religious beliefs.
  • The province of Bali covers an area of 5,780 square kilometres (2,232 square miles) and its largest city and capital is Denpasar.
  • Bali was settled during the ancient times by the Austronesians, and the culture was mainly shaped by the Asian communities of India and China.
Bali, Panorama, Aerial View, Ten Random Facts, Island, Place, Land, Asia,
Part of Bali
Image courtesy of William Cho/Flickr
  • Indonesian is Bali’s official language, and the island is thought to have been first visited by Europeans in 1512, by the Portuguese navigator António de Abreu and explorer Francisco Serrão.
  • Bali beaches can have sand that is either black or white in colour, depending on which side of the island they are on, and the island is encompassed by many coral reefs.
  • Bali is the home to a number of mountains including the active volcano and the highest mountain on the island, Mount Agung, that is 3,031 metres (9,944 feet) in height, that last erupted in 1963, killing many people.
  • Many animals can be found on the island of Bali, including many mammals and reptiles, approximately 280 bird species, and at least 952 fish species that exist around the reefs, and the notable Bali tiger also belonged there until it became extinct in the early to mid 1900s.
  • Bali tourism provides the greatest income for the area, and second to that is agriculture, particularly rice farming.
Bibliography:
Bali, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bali
General Information About Bali, 2000, indo.com, http://www.indo.com/geo/gen_info.html
General Information About Bali, 2012, Lombok Network, http://www.bali.lombok-network.com/general_info.htm

Amazon:     

Blue Billygoat Weed

By | |
1 Comment
Blue Billygoat Weed

Blue billygoat weed is a strange name for a strange plant.

  • Blue billygoat weeds are an annual plant, native to areas of Central America and Mexico.
  • Blue billygoat weeds have the scientific name Ageratum houstonianum and are from the family Asteraceae, the family of asters and daisies.
  • ‘Blue billygoat weeds’ are also known as ‘blueweeds’, ‘floss flowers’, ‘blueminks’, ‘pussy foots’, ‘Mexican paintbrushes’ and ‘goatweeds’, among others.
  • Blue billygoat weed typically grows to be 30 to 100 centimetres (1 to 3.3 feet) in height and the leaves grow to be 2 to 7 centimetres (0.8 to 2.8 inches) in length.
  • Blue billygoat weed has small seeds that are coloured brown to black, and are covered in small scales that look like hairs.

Blue billygoat weed, Purple, Flower, Ten Random Facts, Plant, Vegetation, Weed

  • Blue billygoat weed is often used for ornamental purposes, such as in gardens, and some of the cultivars have been awarded the British Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
  • The flowers of blue billygoat weed can be blue, pink, white or purple in colour, and the flower heads are covered with numerous, clustered, tiny tubular flowers, that are thread-like in appearance.
  • Blue billygoat weed contains a chemical that causes premature moulting in insects, and they can be poisonous to animals such as sheep and cows, causing liver problems.
  • Blue billygoat weed has been classified as an invasive weed in many areas, such as parts of the United States, Asia, New Zealand, Europe, Africa and Australia.
  • Blue billygoat weeds are readily grown from seeds, that are easily spread in water and wind, and this is the main cause of its widespread weed status.
Bibliography:
Ageratum houstonianum, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ageratum_houstonianum
Blue billygoat weed, 2011, Weeds of Australia, http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/03030800-0b07-490a-8d04-0605030c0f01/media/Html/Ageratum_houstonianum.htm

Amazon:     

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...