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Whitney Houston

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Whitney Houston

“Loneliness comes with life” – Whitney Houston

  • Whitney Houston was a very successful pop and gospel singer, actress, and model, and through her achievements, she became one of the primary contributors in opening up music industry opportunities to ‘black’ women.
  • On the 9 August, 1963, in New Jersey’s Newark, in the United States, Whitney Houston was born to African American parents, and was named Whitney Elizabeth Houston.
  • Whitney Houston is listed among the top-selling music artists in history, with 170 to 200 million records sold worldwide, and was recognised as the most awarded female artist by the Guinness World Records in 2009, and in her lifetime is said to have won up to 600 or more awards, including two Emmy Awards, six Grammys and 30 Billboards, and has continued to accumulate awards since her death.
  • Each of the ten albums, including six studio produced albums, recorded by Whitney Houston, has received a high level of recognition, some reaching the honours of diamond.
  • In her life, Whitney Houston had the honour of featuring the most number one singles on the Billboard in a row, with seven, while her 1985 self-titled debut album was the biggest selling debut album ever (at the time) for a female.
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Whitney Houston
Image courtesy of tm_10001/Flickr
  • Whitney Houston’s first performances were in her local Baptist church choir, while as a young teenager she sometimes accompanied her mother, famous gospel singer Emily ‘Cissy’ Houston, who sung at local night clubs, and in 1977 and 1978 she was backup singing.
  • During Whitney Houston’s later teenage years she was a successful model, and later signed to music company Arista Records, in 1983, after rejecting numerous offers due to school commitments.
  • Whitney Houston became addicted to drugs in the 1990s, which became noticeable in her appearance and performances, and negatively affected her career; and she died on 11 February, 2012, in a hotel bathroom in California’s Beverly Hills, in the US, most likely due to accidental drowning, possibly from excessive drug use.
  • Whitney Houston was married to singer and rapper Robert Barisford “Bobby” Brown from 1992 to 2007, and had a daughter named Bobbi Kristina Brown in 1993.
  • Whitney Houston had a significant acting career, featuring in several films including a leading role in her first film The Bodyguard in 1992, and The Preacher’s Wife in 1996.
Bibliography:
Whitney Houston, 2015, Bio.com, http://www.biography.com/people/whitney-houston-9344818
Whitney Houston, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Houston

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Eraser

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Eraser

Do erasers ever rub you the wrong way?

  • Erasers are inventions used to clear markings from an object, which is most often paper, and before they were invented, wax, bread, a mixture of oat bran and milk, pumice or sandstone were used to remove markings from a writing surface.
  • An ‘eraser’, once called a ‘lead-eater’, is also known as a ‘rubber’, which was the original term for the object due to the rubbing motion required to use it, while the natural material caoutchouc also became known as ‘rubber’ due to its use as an erasing tool.
  • The type of markings commonly removed by a rubber are those made with a pencil, generally graphite, although, ink, chalk and whiteboard pen marks are also able to removed with an appropriate eraser.
  • The base material of erasers is generally synthetic or natural rubber, plastic, vinyl or gum, although felt and other fibres are used for those that have the purpose of clearing whiteboard markers and chalk.
  • The discovery of caoutchouc or rubber as a useful tool for erasing, was made in the mid 1700s, and in 1770, Englishman Joseph Priestly, a scientist and theologian is said to have named the ‘eraser’, which was a later American term for the tool, a ‘rubber’.

Eraser, rubber, Invention, Stationary, Ten Random Facts, Utensil, Collection, Assortment, Traditional, Shaped,

  • Erasers vary in colour, and are commonly white, but can range from pink to grey, and are typically found in a bar shape or as a cylinder on the end of a pencil, while some come in a kneadable or electric form.
  • Most rubber erasers undergo the process of vulcanisation, which was discovered in 1839 by American chemist Charles Goodyear, which significantly increases the rubber’s usability and long lasting nature.
  • The modern eraser, although unvulcanised at the time, is believed to have been primarily commercialised by Englishman Edward Nairne, an optician, in 1770, when he was selling cubes of rubber for the purpose of erasing.
  • Erasers generally remove markings, such as graphite, by collecting the marking’s particles in the rubber’s compound, as the rubber has greater adhesive properties than the erased surface.
  • Erasers can come in a wide variety of different shapes, sizes and colours that are commonly collected, although these more collectible orientated rubbers generally erase poorly.
Bibliography:
Eraser, 2015, How Products Are Made, http://www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Eraser.html
Eraser, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eraser
Garber M, 10 Things You Probably Did Not Know About Eraser Technology, 2013, The Atlantic, http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/08/10-things-you-probably-did-not-know-about-eraser-technology/279028/

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Cuttlefish

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Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish are not fish!

  • Cuttlefish are aquatic animals of the mollusc type, and they are cephalopods that feature a pronounced head and a total of ten tentacles, eight of which are short.
  • Cuttlefish are typically 15 to 50 centimetres (6 to 20 inches) in length, plus the length of the tentacles, and weigh 3 to 10.5 kilograms (6.6 to 23 pounds).
  • There are approximately 120 species of cuttlefish, and they are from the order with the scientific name Sepiida, that contains five families, and they are related to octopus and squid.
  • The diet of cuttlefish consists primarily of fish, crabs, molluscs, shrimp and worms, among others.
  • Due to their ability to change body colour for camouflage purposes or other reasons, as well as the differences between species, cuttlefish can come in a variety of colours, including red, pink, yellow, green, brown, white and blue.
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Cuttlefish
Image courtesy of William Warby/Flickr
  • Inside a cuttlefish there is distinct aragonite porous shell, known as a ‘cuttlebone’ that is often found on the beach and fed to pet birds as a source of calcium, and the blood of the animal is coloured a greenish-blue and pumped around by three hearts.
  • Poison that can be lethal and is used to paralyse its prey, is produced by a cuttlefish in its mouth, and the animal captures its prey by two long tentacles that propel out from its body and later retract.
  • To protect itself from predators such as sharks and large fish, cuttlefish may use camouflage or produce ink to obscure the other animal’s vision.
  • To find a mate, a male cuttlefish will change its skin colour for appeal, while females die after laying approximately 200 eggs; and the animal has an average lifespan of one to three years.
  • Cuttlefish can be found in most oceans around the world, however they do not live around North or South America; and some cultures enjoy the animal as food, and they are commonly dried and shredded and eaten as a snack.
Bibliography:
Cuttlefish, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/cuttlefish/
Cuttlefish,  2015, Net Industries, http://science.jrank.org/pages/1918/Cuttlefish.html
Cuttlefish, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuttlefish

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Belize Barrier Reef

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Belize Barrier Reef

Beautiful Belize Barrier Reef.

  • Belize Barrier Reef is a very large coral reef located off the coast of Central America’s country of Belize, and the reef notably contains the largest blue hole known on Earth, the Great Blue Hole.
  • ‘Belize Barrier Reef’ is officially known as the ‘Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System’, and the area is a significant marine ecosystem that also includes considerable quantities of mangroves.
  • The second largest coral reef on Earth and largest reef of the northern hemisphere is Belize Barrier Reef, and it covers an area of 963 square kilometres (372 square miles), and is approximately 300 kilometres (186 miles) in length.
  • Belize Barrier Reef was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, and later marked as endangered in 2009, mostly due to illegal hunting, fishing and timber removal.
  • Species discovered in the vicinity of Belize Barrier Reef include 65 coral species, 350 species of mollusc, more than 500 fish species, as well as numerous other species; while it is said that 90 percent of the reef’s total number of species have not yet been discovered.
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Part of Belize Barrier Reef
Image courtesy of Heath Alseike/Flickr
  • Belize Barrier Reef is the home to seven designated and protected reserves, 450 sand islands known as ‘cays’, plus three ring shaped reefs known as ‘atolls’.
  • Hurricanes, shipping, over-fishing, tourism, pollution and coral bleaching are all believed to be primary factors that continue to endanger the Belize Barrier Reef.
  • The native Mayan people used Belize Barrier Reef as a source of food, especially during 300BC to 900AD, and some of the cays were used as burial sites for the indigenous population.
  • Belize Barrier Reef is popularly visited by tourists for its prized snorkelling and scuba diving attractions, with more than 128,000 tourists visiting the reef annually.
  • Many bird species can be found in the area of the Belize Barrier Reef, as well as vulnerable or endangered species like the American crocodile, a number of turtle species, and the West Indian manatee.
Bibliography:
Belize Barrier Reef, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belize_Barrier_Reef
Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/764
Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, Belize, n.d, The Encyclopedia of Earth, http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/150471/

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French Fries

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French Fries

French fries have been influenced by the Americans, Belgians, French, British… and the list goes on.

  • French fries are sticks of potato that have been cooked, most often fried in oil, and are popularly eaten across the globe, while those living in Belgium are said to be some of the biggest consumers of the food in the world.
  • ‘French fries’ are also known as ‘chips’, ‘fries’, ‘finger chips’, ‘French fried potatoes’, ‘shoestrings’, ‘frites’ and ‘pommes frites’.
  • French fries are most commonly eaten as a side with a main meal, or as a snack food, and they are very frequently found in fast food outlets, and often accompany burgers or cooked fish.
  • Flavourings, including salt, vinegar, cheese, mayonnaise, ketchup and barbecue sauce, among other sauces, are commonly eaten with French fries.
  • French fries are traditionally coloured a light yellow to a golden colour, and normally are soft internally and crisply shelled.

French Fries, Food, Potato Chips, Crinkle Cut, Homemade, Cooked, Ten Random Facts

  • The country that invented French fries is highly debated, while both France and Belgium in Europe claim the creation is theirs, but whatever the case, there is evidence of their existence as early as 1775.
  • The McDonald’s Corporation has contributed significantly to French fries becoming one of the most popular fast foods in the world, and their original fries originated as simple hand-cut potatoes until the late 1960s, when a transition to factory produced frozen fries occurred.
  • French fries generally range from 0.3 to 1 centimetre (0.12 to 0.4 inches) in thickness, while the length generally varies according to the length of the potato, and they can be curved, straight or wavy in shape.
  • French fries are typically served hot, and they can be purchased ready to eat from fast food outlets, or from supermarkets where they are sold frozen in packets and are ready to be cooked or heated at home.
  • French fries are very high in carbohydrates, fat, and vitamin B6, and they are high in vitamin C, potassium and fibre, as well as acrylamides, a potentially harmful substance that may have negative effects on health.
Bibliography:
French Fries, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_fries
Hiskey D, The History of French Fries, 2010, Today I Found Out, http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/09/the-history-of-french-fries/
Sloam N, Things you didn’t know about French fries, 2014, Fox News, http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/07/17/things-didnt-know-about-french-fries/

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Red

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Red

What do cherries, lobsters and blood have in common? They’re all red!

  • Red is a colour that sits on one edge of the visible spectrum and it has the longest wavelength at 620 to 740 nanometres (nm), and is known under the hex code as #FF0000 and has the RGB value (255, 0, 0).
  • Red features as one of the three primary or basis colours in terms of light, as in the RGB colour model, as well as art, as represented in the RYB colour wheel.
  • Shades of red range from a light pink to a dark maroon, and other common shades include crimson, scarlet, vermilion and burgundy.
  • Dyes used to colour objects red have been derived from rocks containing high quantities of iron oxide including ochre, plants like madder, and the crushing of certain insects like cochineals.
  • Besides humans, primates are among the very few groups of animals that can detect the colour red.

Red, Pink, Colour, Objects, Shades, Assortment, Ten Random Facts

  • Red is associated with a multitude of symbolism, with themes including blood, courage, power, love, happiness, warning, anger, war and passion.
  • Red is one of the most common colours to be used on country flags, with over 77% of flags featuring the colour, which commonly symbolises sacrifice and bravery.
  • One’s eye is attracted to the colour red more than any other colour except yellow, and it is said that the colour appears to move forward, which causes the colour to stand out among others.
  • Red is considered one of the most important colours throughout most civilisations, and some leaves, fruit, flowers, birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians feature the colour.
  • As many as 8% of men and 0.5% of women suffer from red-green colour blindness, which causes the colour red to appear differently.
Bibliography:
Red, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red
Red, n.d, Color Matters, http://www.colormatters.com/the-meanings-of-colors/red
Robson D, How the Colour Red Warps the Mind, 2014, BBC, http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140827-how-the-colour-red-warps-the-mind

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