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Umbrella

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Umbrella

Do you look petite with a parasol or formal with an umbrella?

  • Umbrellas are typically handheld inventions used primarily to provide a portable way to protect the user from weather or provide shade.
  • ‘Umbrellas’ are also known as ‘parasols’, and they are sometimes called ‘rainshades’, ‘sunshades’, ‘brollies’, ‘bumbershoots’, ‘gamps’ and ‘parapetuies’.
  • The term ‘umbrella’ is used more often in referring to the item as a water shield, while the term ‘parasol’ is normally reserved for those used as a heat shield, although both terms are used loosely.
  • ‘Umbrella’ comes from the Latin word ‘umbra’ which means shadow or shade, while ‘parasol’ is of Italian origin and combines the words ‘para’ and ‘sole’, which mean ‘to protect against’ and ‘sun’ respectively.
  • The Middle Eastern ancient civilisation of Nineveh were possibly the first users of umbrellas, most likely used for shade purposes, and reserved only for the monarchy, however there is evidence of other ancient societies, including Egypt, Rome, Greece and India, producing their own versions.

Umbrella, Invention, Trivia, Random Facts, Assortment, Open, Closed

  • China has the earliest known record of a foldable umbrella, dating back to 21 AD, which was purposed for a carriage.
  • Europeans began to use umbrellas to block rain in the 1700s, and they slowly replaced the cloak that was commonly used for that purpose.
  • While China produced the first retractable umbrella, a modern version that weighed significantly less than others was designed in 1710 by Jean Marius, a merchant from France.
  • Umbrellas are typically made of cotton, nylon, plastic or other synthetic materials, and historically silk or leaves were used.
  • Umbrellas come in a wide variety of colours, shapes and sizes, although generally they have a domed top and a wire frame work attached to a handle that is straight or in the shape of a ‘J’.
Bibliography:
History of Umbrella and Parasol, n.d, Umbrella History, http://www.umbrellahistory.net/
Umbrella, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbrella

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Purple

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Purple

Have you ever seen a purple cow?

  • Purple is a colour that is made of the colours red and blue and is typically classified by the hex code #800080 and RGB code (128, 0, 128).
  • The word ‘purple’ has its roots in the Greek word ‘porphyra’, the term used for a dye that made this colour.
  • Purple is commonly used to symbolise royalty, power, the supernatural, mourning, magic and mystery.
  • Natural purple paints have been popularly made from hematite and manganese, while dyes have been made from blackberries, orcein moss and the murex sea-snail.
  • Although synthetic purple dyes were available previously, Englishman William Perkin created the first affordable mauve dye in 1850, while in his late teens.

Purple, Colour, Color, Assortment, Shades, Trivia, Science, Ten Random Facts

  • Eggplants, some cauliflower and beans, irises and other flowers, grapes, sea urchins, lavender, blackberries, and distant mountains at dawn and dusk are sometimes coloured purple.
  • The sole country to use the colour purple in their flag is Dominica, although the colour is used minimally on the flag’s parrot.
  • Organic items that display a purple colour generally contain the chemical anthocyanin, that helps to protect leaves from light damage, and the chemical also contains antioxidants.
  • Purple is not located on the light spectrum, due to it being made from a combination of red and blue, while violet, the closest colour in appearance, is at the lowest end of the spectrum.
  • Notable shades of purple include mauve, violet, orchid, and mulberry.
Bibliography:
Purple, 2015, Color Matters, http://www.colormatters.com/the-meanings-of-colors/purple
Purple, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple

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Hagia Sophia

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Hagia Sophia

Nothing can tear down Hagia Sophia.

  • Hagia Sophia is a building located in Turkey’s city of Istanbul, in Europe, initially built as an Eastern Orthodox church, and the UNESCO World Heritage Convention included it as part of the ‘Historic Areas of Istanbul’ World Heritage Site in 1985.
  • ‘Hagia Sophia’ translates as ‘holy wisdom’, and it is also known as the ‘Church of the Holy Wisdom’ in English, as well as ‘Sancta Sophia’ in Latin and ‘Ayasofya’ in Turkish.
  • Two churches were previously constructed on the site of Hagia Sophia, in 360 and later in 415, however both were destroyed by arson due to riots.
  • The third and existing Hagia Sophia building was built from early 532 until late 537, under orders of Emperor Justinian I, and in excess of ten thousand people are said to have contributed their work to the construction of the church.
  • Hagia Sophia is made primarily of stone and brick, with marble low relief work and pillars common throughout the building.
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Hagia Sophia
Image courtesy of Dennis Jarvis/Flickr
  • A dome tops the construction of Hagia Sophia, which spans 31 metres (102 feet) in diameter, and the dome has been reconstructed or renovated on a number of occasions, which has caused its originally spherical shape to be a little skewed.
  • A number of disasters have been inflicted onto Hagia Sophia, particularly during its earlier years, from earthquakes to fires, though the current building has survived over 1400 years.
  • Hagia Sophia was used as an imperial mosque from 1453, and in 1935 it was turned into a museum after orders by the then Turkish President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
  • The paintings, mosaics, and other artwork in Hagia Sophia have become increasingly jeopardised by water from leaks, as well as increased humidity.
  • Hagia Sophia reaches a total height of 55 metres (180 feet) and has the base dimensions of 73 by 82 metres (240 by 270 feet).
Bibliography:
Hagia Sophia, 2015, Encyclopaedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com/topic/Hagia-Sophia
Hagia Sophia, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia
Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, 2015, Sacred Destinations, http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/istanbul-hagia-sophia

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Mossy Frog

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Mossy Frog

Try not to step on a mossy frog in disguise!

  • Mossy frogs are medium-sized frogs that can reach lengths of 5 to 9 centimetres (2 to 3.5 inches) and are native to north Vietnam in Southeast Asia.
  • ‘Mossy frogs’ are also known as ‘Tonkin bug-eyed frogs’ and ‘Vietnamese mossy frogs’.
  • The scientific name of a mossy frog is Theloderma corticale, and it is from the family Rhacophoridae, the family of shrub frogs.
  • The colour of mossy frogs ranges from a lush green to a murky brown, and the colour patterns, combined with its bumpy texture, have the appearance of moss, which the frog uses to camouflage itself.
  • Mossy frogs live in habitats of forests and mountainous regions in tropical climates, especially those areas that are commonly wet or marshy.
Mossy Frog, Reptile, Vietnamese, Green, Top, Head, Trivia, Random, Facts, animal
Mossy Frog
Image courtesy of Jason Wesley Upton/Flickr
  • The diet of mossy frogs consists of insects including crickets, moths, locusts and flies.
  • When feeling threatened, a mossy frog retracts into the shape of a ball and acts as if it was dead.
  • Due to their remote location, mossy frogs are not well researched, which prevents them from having a proper population estimate, although it is known the frog is threatened by habitat loss.
  • Female mossy frogs generally produce between ten and thirty eggs that are laid slightly above, or just in water, that hatch two to three weeks later.
  • Mossy frogs have become popular amphibians in the pet industry, due to their interesting look and their relatively easy care nature.
Bibliography:
Keeping and Breeding Mossy Frogs (Theloderma Corticale), 2015, Saurian Enterprises, https://saurian.net/froginfo_mossyfrogcare.html
Mossy Frog, n.d, World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, http://www.waza.org/en/zoo/visit-the-zoo/amphibian-house/frogs-and-toads-1254385524/theloderma-corticale
Theloderma Corticale, n.d, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/summary/59033/0
Theloderma Corticale, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theloderma_corticale

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Yorkshire Pudding

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Yorkshire Pudding

When do you enjoy a Yorkshire pudding?

  • Yorkshire pudding is a flour-based culinary dish that has been commonly eaten in Great Britain in Europe.
  • Yorkshire pudding is typically made of a batter of eggs, flour and a liquid, commonly milk or water, or a combination of the two, and it is traditionally cooked in fat.
  • ‘Yorkshire pudding’ is a ‘batter pudding’, and it is also known as ‘dripping pudding’ due to it being originally cooked in dripping, a fat from meat, and it is believed to have originated in northern England.
  • Most often, Yorkshire puddings are served as a side with a main meal of roast beef, or other roasted meat, although they can be served as an entrée, a main meal in themselves, or even dessert.
  • There is evidence of a recipe of a Yorkshire pudding that was published in 1737, in the book The Whole Duty of a Woman, and it is one of the earliest known written records of the pudding.
Yorkshire Pudding, Wheat, Pile, Food, Culinary, Ten Random Facts, Trivia
Yorkshire Puddings
Image courtesy of Sam Greenhalgh/Flickr
  • Yorkshire puddings are often tall and have a puffy texture, while the early versions where quite flat in comparison.
  • Hannah Glasse, who wrote the book The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy in 1747, recorded her own version of the Yorkshire pudding.
  • Gravy or other sauces, especially those made for meat or from meat juices, are commonly eaten with Yorkshire pudding.
  • Yorkshire pudding varies in size and shape, although it commonly has a somewhat sunken middle and is often cooked in the oven in small tins for individual serves, that have sides to increase the height of the pudding.
  • Many peasant families ate Yorkshire pudding as the main meal due to its inexpensive nature, and it was usually served with a sauce, often a gravy made from roast meat.
Bibliography:
Challis C, The History of Yorkshire Pudding, 2015, BT, https://home.bt.com/lifestyle/the-history-of-the-yorkshire-pudding-11363958395461
Yorkshire Pudding, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yorkshire_pudding
The Yorkshire Pudding- Where Did It All Begin?, 2014, Yorkshire Pudd, http://www.yorkshirepudd.co.uk/yorkshire-pudding-history/

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Hand Truck

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Hand Truck

Hand trucks may not be as big as trucks, but they are certainly easier to move.

  • Hand trucks are inventions used to allow a single person to lift multiple large objects at once, or items of heavy weight, with a reduced possibility of injury.
  • ‘Hand trucks’ are also known as ‘stack trucks’, ‘sack trucks’, ‘two-wheelers’, ‘box carts’, ‘dollies’, ‘trundlers’, ‘bag barrows’, ‘trolleys’ and ‘sack barrows’.
  • The materials hand trucks are made from vary widely, though they commonly include some form of heavy duty metal, often tubular in shape, and they can include materials like aluminium, steel or plastic.
  • To lift heavy objects, hand trucks uses the principle of levers – and in this case a ‘Class 1’ lever, with the wheels acting as the fulcrum in the middle.
  • Objects that are lifted at the most efficiency are generally a maximum height of three times the length of the hand truck’s plate.

Hand Truck, Red, Single, Wheels, Invention, Tool, Ten Random Facts

  • Hand trucks are made up of a plate which is attached perpendicular to a framework that includes a long handle, while the wheels generally sit at the base behind the framework.
  • Although hand trucks are generally much taller than their depth and width, some trucks can be flipped so the depth is larger than the height, which usually contributes to better stability in transporting some objects.
  • While it is not certain who invented the hand truck, patents exist from the mid to late 1800s for the invention, and it has been suggested that its origins possibly date back as far as ancient times when the concept of levers was already known.
  • Hand trucks transport loads using wheels, which vary greatly in size and the tool may be equipped with stair climbers.
  • Hand trucks are popularly used in transport stations, to move customer’s belongings; in retail, to move stock; and households, especially during house moving.

 

Bibliography:
Hand Truck, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_truck
What is a Hand Truck?, 2015 WiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-hand-truck.html

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