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Robin Williams

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Robin Williams

“You’re only given one little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it” – Robin Williams

  • Robin Williams was a prominent actor, comedian, screenwriter and film producer, that started acting in the early 1970s, continuing on until his death in 2014, and a significant component of his work was unscripted and improvised.
  • Robin McLaurin Williams, or ‘Robin Williams’ as he was known, was born in Chicago in the United States state of Illinois, on 21 July, 1951, and he was the great, great grandson of governor Anselm J McLaurin from Mississippi.
  • Robin Williams was nominated for and received numerous awards during his lifetime, gaining two Emmys, five Grammys, four Golden Globes, an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in the film Good Will Hunting, and the Golden Globe Cecil B DeMille Award for ‘outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment’.
  • Robin Williams died on 11 August, 2014, in California’s Marin County, in the United States, and despite being a well-loved actor, it is believed he hung himself after suffering from significant depression.
  • Robin Williams attended New York’s Juilliard School and became successfully popular as an alien in 1978 on Happy Days, a television show, that launched his acting career and led to his leading role in the television series Mork and Mindy that ran from 1978 to 1982.
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Robin Williams
Image courtesy of Eva Rinaldi/Flickr
  • Robin Williams has been featured in 80 films, including Popeye (1980), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Dead Poet’s Society (1989), Aladdin (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Night at the Museum (2006) and Happy Feet (2006), and also made numerous television appearances.
  • In 1993, Robin Williams had a dispute with The Walt Disney Company, due to the belief that the company broke their agreement of the use of his character, Genie in the marketing of the Aladdin film, in 1992.
  • From the 1970s to 1980s, Robin Williams was addicted to drugs and alcohol, and after years of self-restraint, he resumed drinking alcohol in 2003, although later he attended rehabilitation to overcome his addiction.
  • Robin Williams was married to Valerie Velardi from 1978 to 1988, Marsha Garces from 1989 to 2008 and Susan Schneider from 2011 until his death in 2014, and he had three children named Zachary, Zelda and Cody, born in the years of 1983, 1989 and 1991, respectively.
  • Robin Williams enjoyed playing electronic games and was an avid cyclist and enthusiast, and in 2003 is said to have owned more than 50 bicycles.
Bibliography:
Robin Williams, 2014, Bio, http://www.biography.com/people/robin-williams-9532797
Robin Williams, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Williams

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Tiger Shark

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Tiger Shark

Underwater tigers – presenting the tiger shark.

  • Tiger sharks are large fish, or sharks, located in the warmer oceans of the earth, and are commonly found in coastal waters.
  • Tiger sharks are the sole species of the Galeocerdo genus, and are from the family Carcharhinidae, the family of requiem sharks.
  • Tiger sharks have the scientific name Galeocerdo cuvier, and are also known as ‘sea tigers’, ‘man-eater sharks’ and ‘spotted sharks’.
  • Tiger sharks grow to be 3.0 to 5.5 metres (9.8 to 18 feet) in length, and weigh 385 to 1,524 kilograms (848 to 3,360 pounds) in weight.
  • Tiger sharks are coloured generally in a combination of blue or green and grey, black and white and are typically patterned with dark stripes.
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Tiger Shark
Image courtesy of Gord Webster/Flickr
  • Tiger sharks eat a wide variety of items, but their diets typically consist of fish, birds, marine mammals and molluscs, as well as man-made rubbish.
  • The tiger shark is second only to the great white shark, as the most common to attack humans, even though it is an uncommon for them to strike.
  • Tiger sharks are commonly hunted for their skin, fin, flesh and liver, the latter containing a significant amount of vitamin A, used to create vitamin rich oil.
  • Female tiger sharks give birth to fully developed young, numbering from 10 to 80, after they have been forming internally for up to 16 months, and they have an approximate lifespan of 30 to 50 years.
  • Tiger sharks can move at speeds of 32 kilometres per hour (20 miles per hour), even though they generally move slowly through the water.
Bibliography:
Tiger shark, 2014, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/tiger-shark/
Tiger shark, 2014, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/fish/tiger-shark/
Tiger shark, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_shark

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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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