Tag Archives: Facts

Mary Poppins

By | |
Leave a comment
Mary Poppins

“It’s Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” says Mary Poppins.

  • Mary Poppins is often rated among the best movies ever produced, and is a musical film with a fantasy based theme, set in 1910, in London.
  • Mary Poppins was made by the Walt Disney film company, directed by Robert Stevenson, and the screenplay was written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi.
  • Mary Poppins was based mainly on the first of eight books in the series of the same title, authored by Australian born Pamela Lyndon Travers (P.L. Travers, originally Helen Lyndon Goff), who did not like, and regretted, the overall film production.
  • Mary Poppins is based on the character of the same name, who is a supernatural nanny, performed by Julie Andrews, who won an Academy Award for the best actress as Poppins.
  • Mary Poppins was chosen to be preserved by Library of Congress for the United States National Film Registry in 2013.
Mary Poppins Poster, Film, Walt Disne, Julie Andrews, Magic, Disney, Ten Random Facts
 Mary Poppins
Image courtesy of Disney
  • Mary Poppins was nominated for thirteen Academy Awards, winning five of them, the most ever in Walt Disney history.
  • The Mary Poppins producers took twenty-three years to obtain production rights from the author of the books, Pamela Travers, to create the movie, due to her belief that a film would detract from her books.
  • The Mary Poppins film runs for approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes, and was first released on 27 August, 1964.
  • Mary Poppins had over 30 music pieces written by the Sherman brothers, Robert B Sherman and Richard M Sherman, for the production, although only 17 were used.
  • Mary Poppins had the top profits of 1965, with a $28.5 million net profit, a budget of 6 million, and to date, a worldwide gross of over $146 million.
Bibliography:
Mary Poppins (Film), 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Poppins_(film)
Pohn K, The History of Mary Poppins, 2007, Cosmic Play, http://www.cosmicplay.net/Kaleid/Mary/scenebehind1.html

Garden Hose

By | |
Leave a comment
Garden Hose

SNAKE!!! Oh… it is just a green garden hose.

  • ‘Garden hoses’ are also known as ‘hoses’, ‘water hoses’ and ‘hosepipes’, and are typically green in colour, but can be black, silver or blue, among others.
  • A garden hose is a portable and flexible tube that carries water from a water supply, typically around the garden.
  • Garden hoses commonly have a nozzle or sprinkler attached to focus or disperse water onto a particular area.
  • Garden hoses are generally made of waterproof materials like vinyl or rubber, or a combination of the two, with the addition of reinforcing to add strength.
  • Garden hose materials are typically hardy and strong, although they are not normally made for use with heated water.

Garden hose, lawn, grass, green, gardenpipe, pile, Ten Random Facts, Garden

  • The ends of garden hoses can generally be connected together to make a longer hose.
  • Garden hoses have their origins in fire fighting hoses, originally made from ox intestines from 400BC, and the invention of stitched together leather hoses were by the Dutch inventor (among other things), Jan van der Heyden in the 1600s.
  • In the 19th century, fire hoses saw numerous improvements to the materials and methods of production, that included cotton and rubber hoses, and by the 1900s, people were purchasing the new and improved hoses for garden hose use.
  • Some garden hoses leak poisonous chemicals into the transported water, and are therefore, not safe to drink from.
  • Garden hoses come in various lengths, thicknesses and weights, and it is important to consider these options before purchasing a hose, especially the weight, as some hoses can be quite heavy, especially if they contain rubber.
Bibliography:
Garden Hose, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_hose
Stackhouse J, How to Avoid Kinked Hoses, Homelife, http://www.homelife.com.au/gardening/features/how+to+avoid+kinked+hoses,5423
Swauger D, The Garden Hose, 2012, Snippets from Springdale, http://deannaswauger.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/garden-hose.html

 

Amazon:     

New Year’s Resolution

By | |
Leave a comment
New Year’s Resolution

What should your New Year’s resolution/s be?

  • New Year’s resolutions are the tradition of vowing, often to one’s self, to make an improvement in one’s life.
  • New Year’s resolutions are typically made on New Year’s day or New Year’s eve, and usually the goal is to achieve the resolution/s by the end of the new year.
  • People from western countries are more likely to make New Year’s resolutions than those from the rest of the world.
  • New Year’s resolutions have a long history, as the Ancient Babylonians of 2000 BC and the Ancient Romans had similar traditions of wanting to please their gods, so they vowed they would return items and pay back any owed money.
  • Throughout history, many Christians, Catholics and Jews have made types of New Year’s resolutions, commonly with a religious or moral slant, and often at special religious-related activities, such as Lent.

New Year's Resolution, Tidy Bedroom, 2014, Example, Written, Pen, Paper, Ten Random Facts

  • In 2007, a study was held by psychologist Richard Wiseman of Britain, of 3000 individuals, that resulted in data that showed that 88% of New Year’s resolution makers do not achieve their resolution goals.
  • Popular New Year’s resolutions are those that vow to improve health, inner self, finance, education, career and stopping addictions.
  • Strategies to help keep New Year’s resolutions include social support, writing them down, and setting goals or steps.
  • Many New Year’s resolutions are not fulfilled due to being unachievable, imprecise or hard to complete vows.
  • The most common New Year’s resolution is to achieve weight loss, however studies have shown that willpower is affected by food, and if you are not well-fed, the willpower to achieve your goals will be diminished.
Bibliography:
Dicker L, History of New Year’s Resolutions, 43 Things, http://www.43things.com/resolutions/history
New Year’s Resolution, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year%27s_resolution

Amazon:     

Marmalade

By | |
Leave a comment
Marmalade

No slice of toast for breakfast is complete without marmalade.

  • Marmalade is a special citrus jam that is made from the peel and juices of citrus fruit, as well as sugar and water.
  • The word ‘marmalade’ comes from the Portuguese word ‘marmelada’, which means ‘quince jam’.
  • Marmalade has been the most popular among the British, but in recent years it has seen a decline in sales, due to the younger generation favouring other spreads and breakfast options.
  • In the 1500s, the use of the term ‘marmalade’ became a common term for jam or fruit preserves, not just quince or citrus jam, and depending on the country you live in, ‘marmalade’ today, can be a reference to only citrus preserves, or it can be a broad term for any fruit jams.
  • Preserves have been made for hundreds of years, and by the 1400s, quince pastes (like thick jam) were being made, and were known as ‘marmalade’.

Marmalade, Homemade, Orange, Citrus, Jar, Peel, Jam, Preserves, Ten Random Facts, Spread,

  • Scottish Janet Keiller of Dundee city made a jam out of oranges, most likely adapting a quince recipe, and commercialised the marmalade in the late 1700s.
  • Marmalade is popularly used as a spread on toast or bread, commonly at breakfast.
  • Marmalade often has a tangy taste, particularly when using tangier oranges such as the traditionally used, Seville oranges.
  • It is said that marmalade was originally a type of sweet, and that it was beneficial for digestive issues.
  • Marmalade is typically orange in colour, but it can be red, brown or many other colours, depending on the fruit used, the length of time cooked, and the ingredients included.
Bibliography:
Marmalade, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmalade
Marmalade: A preserve we must preserve, 2010, The Telegraph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/7175487/Marmalade-a-preserve-we-must-preserve.html

Amazon:       

Petra

By | |
Leave a comment
Petra, Front, Rose, Ten Random Facts, New Seven Wonders of the World, Jordan, City,

Awe-inspiring, ancient city… Petra

  • Petra is an ancient city fortress located in southern Jordan in the Middle East, on the side of the mountain Jebel al-Madhbah, in amongst valleys and hills.
  • ‘Petra’ is an Ancient Greek word meaning ‘rock’ or ‘stone’, and is also known as the ‘Rose city’, describing the rock colour that is best seen at sunrises or sunsets.
  • Petra was built in an area that was a significant city on the trade route and had a good supply of water all year round from a stream, and the city was well known for its ancient and unique water and farming systems.
  • Historically, Nabataean folk populated the city of Petra and made it their capital, and at its most populated, the city accommodated 20,000 people.
  • Petra is said to have been established around 600 BC, and was occupied at one stage by the Romans, and later, Arabs.

Petra, Front, Rose, Ten Random Facts, New Seven Wonders of the World, Jordan, City,

 

City front
Image courtesy of Maureen/Flickr
  • Petra was struck by an earthquake that weakened the city’s structure near the end of the Roman reign, and afterwards many valuable items were stolen from the numerous city tombs.
  • Petra became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and gained recognition as one the New 7 Wonders of the World in 2007.
  • As well as damage from tourism and earthquakes, Petra suffers from erosion, flooding, structure collapse and the like, which has caused much deterioration of the city.
  • The first Western explorer to record the discovery of Petra was from Switzerland, by the name of John Burckhardt, in 1812.
  • One of the entrances to the city of Petra, known as Al-Khazneh, the ‘treasury’, has the dimensions of 30 by 43 metres (98 by 141 feet), which looks like the front of a mansion.
Bibliography:
Petra, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra
Petra, n.d, Jordan, http://www.visitjordan.com/default.aspx?tabid=63

Amazon:     

Trilobite Cockroach

By | |
2 Comments
Trilobite cockroach, Giant Cockroach, Black, Female, Wingless, One, Wood, Ten Random Facts, Animal, Insect, Bug, Australia

Unlike trilobites, trilobite cockroaches are not extinct.

  • Trilobite cockroaches are usually dark brown, flat, oval shaped roaches that appear to have armour, and they sit close to the ground and are not usually fast movers.
  • Trilobite cockroaches are from the family Blaberidae, the family of giant cockroaches.
  • Trilobite cockroaches range from a size of 1 to 2.5 centimetres (0.4 to 1 inches) in length.
  • ‘Trilobite cockroaches’ are named after ‘trilobites’ due to the females looking like the extinct, unrelated, aquatic species.
  • There are approximately 15 species of trilobite cockroaches, all of which are native to Australia except two that can be found in Papua New Guinea.

Trilobite cockroach, Giant Cockroach, Black, Female, Wingless, One, Wood, Ten Random Facts, Animal, Insect, Bug, Australia

  • Trilobite cockroaches can be found in wooded areas, forests and gardens, and are often found underneath objects such as leaves, bark and wood or rotting vegetation.
  • The scientific name of trilobite cockroaches is ‘Laxta’, or ‘Laxta Walker’, the genus named after the British entomologist Francis Walker, who worked for the British Museum in the 1800s.
  • Trilobite cockroaches are also known as ‘bark cockroaches’, ‘woodroaches’ and ‘flat cockroaches’.
  • Trilobite cockroaches live in little groups that communicate via smell and their diet typically consists of fibres from wood.
  • Trilobite cockroach female adults do not have wings, while males do; therefore the wings significantly change the appearance of the two genders.
Bibliography:
Bark Cockroach, 2011, Brisbane Insects, http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_cockroaches/BarkCockroach.htm
Flat cockroach, 2009, AustralianMuseum, http://australianmuseum.net.au/Flat-Cockroach
Trilobite Cockroach, n.d, Oz Animals, http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Trilobite-Cockroach/Laxta/sp.html

Amazon:  

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...