Tag Archives: Facts

William Shakespeare

By | |
Leave a comment
William Shakespeare

“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” – William Shakespeare.

  • William Shakespeare has no known birth date, but was baptised on 26 April, 1564, and died on 23 April, 1616, and spent most of his life at Stratford-upon-Avon in England.
  • William Shakespeare was a tragic and romantic genre playwright and poet, most active in 1589 to 1613, and is commonly said to be one of the best English writers of all time.
  • ‘William Shakespeare’ is also known as the ‘Bard of Avon’, the ‘Swan of Avon’ and ‘England’s native poet’.
  • William Shakespeare married at the age of 18 to 26 year old Anne Hathaway, and later had three children (one died young), who all had children that didn’t have any offspring.
  • William Shakespeare officially wrote 38 plays, 154 sonnets and many poems, and took part in writing many other works.

William Shakespeare, Portrait, Painting, Art, Playwrite, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

Shakespeare
Image courtesy of Books18/Flickr
  • William Shakespeare’s birth date is celebrated on Saint George’s Day, 23 April, coincidentally the same day he died, due to a scholar’s mistake in the 1700s.
  • According to William Shakespeare’s will, most of Shakespeare’s property was given to his eldest child.
  • William Shakespeare’s works have influenced many authors, including Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy, and Shakespeare’s language has influenced the modern English language.
  • Famous works of William Shakespeare include Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet.
  • William Shakespeare’s works grew in significant popularity in the 1800s, although the work was popular in his time.
Bibliography:
William Shakespeare, 2013, Bio, http://www.biography.com/people/william-shakespeare-9480323?page=1
William Shakespeare, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare

Amazon:     

Pressure-sensitive Tape

By | |
Leave a comment
Pressure-sensitive Tape

Broken something? Use some pressure-sensitive tape!

  • ‘Pressure-sensitive tape’ is also known as ‘PSA tape’, ‘tape’, ‘sticky tape’, ‘adhesive tape’, and ‘self-stick tape’.
  • Pressure-sensitive tape is an adhesive tape, commonly plastic-backed, that sticks onto surfaces when pressure is applied.
  • Pressure-sensitive adhesive was invented in 1845 by surgeon Dr Horace Day, who applied it to fabric to make a surgical, pressure-sensitive tape.
  • In the 1900s, many pressure-sensitive tapes were invented and sold commercially, using the formula of Dr Day’s, or something similar.
  • There are many versions of pressure-sensitive tape, including clear tapes, decorative backed tapes, paper-backed tapes (masking tape), strong adhesive tapes (duct tape) or thick tapes (Gaffer tape).

Pressure-sensitive tape, Sticky Tape, Clear, PSA Tape, Adhesive Tape, Bundle, Roll, Three, Wide, Ten Random Facts

  • Pressure-sensitive tape can sometimes decrease the recycling efficiency of a recyclable object.
  • Pressure-sensitive tape has many uses, depending on the type of backing and adhesive  is is made from, and uses can include sticking pieces of paper together, and taping down or sealing boxes, and the tape is usually found in most homes and offices, in a tape dispenser.
  • Pressure-sensitive tape generally has four layers, a release coat, backing, primer coat and adhesive under-layer.
  • If left on a surface, particularly paper, for a considerably long length of time, many pressure sensitive tapes become oily, yellow and start to merge into the surface.
  • Pressure-sensitive tape can destroy the value of documents or papers, although it can be professionally removed in layers to protect valuable documents from the aging process of the tape.
Bibliography:
Pressure-senstive Tape, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pressure_sensitive_tape
Smith M, Jones N, Page S & Dirda M, Pressure-Sensitive Tape and Techniques for its Removal From Paper, 1983, Conservation Online, http://cool.conservation-us.org/coolaic/sg/bpg/annual/v02/bp02-13.html

Amazon:   

Galah

By | |
5 Comments
Galah

Don’t be a galah!

  • Galahs are a common bird in almost all of Australia, and are a type of parrot, specifically a cockatoo.
  • Galahs have a pink and pale pink head, a pink chest and pale grey wings and back, while males have brown irises and females often having pink or red ones.
  • ‘Galahs’ are also known as ‘rose-breasted cockatoos’, ‘galah cockatoos’, ‘rosies, ‘roseate cockatoos’  ‘Willock cockatoos’ and ‘pink and greys’.
  • The scientific name for a galah is Eolophus roseicapilla and some indigenous Australians call galahs ‘gilaa’, which is where the term ‘galah’ comes from.
  • Galahs grow to approximately 35 centimetres (14 inches) in length and up to 350 grams (12 ounces) in weight.

Galah, Female, Male, Eating, Two, Red eye, Ten Random Facts, Bird, Australia

  • Galahs typically lay 2 to 5 eggs in their nest, a hollow in a tree, and when chicks hatch, they leave the nest after approximately 49 days.
  • The term ‘galah’ is Australian slang for ‘a fool’.
  • Galahs like eating vegetation, and small seeds of plants, as well as nuts and berries and they like to grind or chew objects to keep their beak sharp.
  • Galah’s can often be seen in large flocks of 500 – 1000 birds, although they only have one mating partner for life.
  • Galahs generally make small chitting or loud screeching noises, and can also impersonate other sounds or voices.
Bibliography:
Galah, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galah>
Galah, n.d, Birds in Backyard, <http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Eolophus-roseicapillus>

Amazon: 

Delphinium

By | |
Leave a comment
Delphinium

The tall, tall delphiniums.

  • There are over 400 species of Delphiniums, which is a group of tall, perennial flowering plants.
  • Delphiniums are native to the North Hemisphere, and the mountainous African tropics.
  • Delphiniums are from the Rananculaceae family, which is the family of buttercups, and are a popular garden plant due to their height in the garden and their showy flowers.
  • ‘Delphiniums’ are also known as ‘larkspurs’, however, the name ‘larkspur, usually refers to plants in the Consolida genus which is closely related and are annuals, rather than perennials.
  • The name ‘delphinium’ is from the word meaning ‘dolphin’ in Latin, which originally came from the Greek , named due to the plant’s bud and spur that resembles the shape of a dolphin.

Delphinium, Flowers, white, Blue, Garden, mutliple, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • The flowers of delphiniums, grow on tall spikes and range from purple, pink, red, yellow, and white in colour.
  • Delphiniums have small, black coloured seeds.
  • Most delphinium plants and seeds are poisonous to humans as well as to cattle, and ingestion can be fatal, and the plant can also cause irritation to the skin, although the plant has been used in medicine.
  • Delphiniums typically grow up to 2.1 metres (7 feet) in height, athough this depends on the species.
  • Historically, parts of delphinium plants have been used to create blue dyes and inks.
Bibliography:
Delphinium, 2013, National Garden Association, <http://www.garden.org/plantguide/?q=show&id=2046>
Delphinium, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphinium>

Amazon:     

Parade Float

By | |
Leave a comment
Parade Float

Have you seen a float in a parade?

  • Floats are mobile platforms or vehicles, rigged to move at a slow pace, which are decorated for entertainment, and often advertisement purposes, in parades.
  • Floats, in this case horse-powered wagons, were being used in the 1300 to 1400s to feature biblical plays.
  • It is believed that the term ‘float’ came about due to barges being decorated for the Lord Mayor’s Show, an annual event originally held on the River Thames, London, that was being held as early as the 1500s.
  • The largest float ever was in a 2012 parade, and was 35 metres (116 feet) in length, featuring dogs surfing in a 24 metre (80 feet) sea of water.
  • Using floats for advertising purposes became popular in the 1930s.

Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, Youth Connect, Float Boat, Parade, Flowers, Peter Pan, Ten Random Facts

  • Floats often have fabric draped over the side of the platform, to conceal the mobility devices.
  • Floats are commonly decorated with floral items or theme-related items, and often have people on the platform.
  • Floats generally are included in event parades, commonly abiding a theme.
  • Professional floats can cost a large amount of money to produce, which can be as high as $50,000 to $200,000.
  • Floats are often built in a large workshop, and depending on the features, can take a year to create.
Bibliography:
Cavette C, Parade Float, 1999, Encylopedia.com, <http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2896800085.html>
Float (Parade), 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Float_(parade)>

Amazon:   

Toaster

By | |
7 Comments
Toaster

Pop goes the toaster.

  • Toasters are typically electrical bread cookers found in most kitchens around the world which makes the bread crunchy, and helps to keep bread longer.
  • Two-slice toasters typically toast bread for 1 to 3 minutes using 600 to 1200 watts of power.
  • Bread was originally toasted over a fire with a stick, the basic concept of a toaster, with modern appliances appearing in the late 1800s, but toast was popular throughout the Roman colony.
  • The first practical electrical toaster was invented by Scottish scientist, Alan MacMasters, around 1893, as previous hazardous attempts had been made by multiple inventors.
  • The first pop-up toaster was invented by American Charles Strite, which was patented in 1921.

Toaster, Metal, Four Slice, Silver, Grey, Breville, Gleaming, Kitchen, Ten Random Facts, Bread, Australia

  • Some toasters are a small ovens, while others toast bread on a conveyor belt-like mechanism, toasting 350-900 pieces per hour.
  • Toasters have been adapted to not only toast bread, but waffles and crumpets, and even hot dogs.
  • The term ‘toast’, where the word ‘toaster’ is derived from, comes from the words ‘torrere’ and ‘tostum’ of Latin origin, meaning ‘to burn’ or ‘scorch’.
  • There are many designs of toasters, with different colours and shapes, as well as multiple toasting spots with two slots being the most common, although four slice toasters are not unusual.
  • A toaster was invented in 1990 that could be controlled over the internet, and in 2012, a toaster was made that could recognise the toast’s colour shades.

 

Bibliography:
Bellis M, The History of your Toaster, 2013, About.com, <http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bltoaster.htm>
Toaster, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toaster>

Amazon:     

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...