Fun facts about Pomeranian dogs

Fun facts about Pomeranian dogs

The Pomeranian is one of they toy breeds and weighs between 3 and 7 pounds (there are larger poms, and although not to the breed standard, they still make wonderful loving pets!). Intelligent and vivacious, these little dogs will steal your heart, but don't let them get away with too much as they must be properly trained or they will become too demanding. With proper care your Pom can live to about 15 years old.

1. Did you know the Pomeranian was once a much larger dog that weighed around 35 pounds? A cousin to the spitz type dogs, this pampered lap dog once called the arctic home.

2. Bred down to it's tiny size over the centuries, the Pomeranian became popular in the late 1800's when Queen Victorian brought a 12 pound Pom back from Italy. This vivacious little dog soon became a favourite of European royalty and was bred to be even smaller until it reached the average of 5 pounds.

3. Historically, the Pomeranian has been fancied by many famous Europeans.Michelangelo had a little Pom that sat on a silk pillow and watched him while he painted the Sistine Chapel. Martin Luther, the great church leader had one of these little dogs that he mentioned often in his work. Mozart had a Pomeranian that he dedicated an Aria to and Chopin composed the Valse des Petits Chiens for his girlfriends Pom.

4. Originated from Pomerania, Germany. The Pomeranian breed was created with selective breeding. Originating from the spitz group of dogs that were used as sled dogs in Iceland. Pomeranians were bred to be smaller and have beautiful coats.

5. Pomeranians come in different colors. They can be black, white, brown, red, orange, blue and parti colored. The parti-colored has a calico type of pattern.

6. Pomeranians make excellent guard dogs. They are very alert and will warn you if anyone is outside.

7. Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic - a Newfoundland, a Pomeranian, and a Pekingese .  A Pomeranian survived the sinking of the Titanic! This dog belonged to Miss Margaret Hays (in lifeboat 7). Miss Hays survived as well.

8. Theodore Roosevelt owned a Pomeranian. President Roosevelt called his Pomeranian"Gem".

9. Recognized as official dog breed in U.S. in 1900 Pomeranians were recognized in 1900 and had their first dog show in the United States in 1911.

10. Pomeranians have a double coat. They have an undercoat that is very dense and the outer coat is long and straight. The best brush to use on them is a wire slick brush to get the undercoat as well.

11. Pomeranians are highly intelligent and extroverted. They crave a lot of attention and constant love from the owner. They seem to be one-owner dogs and are very loyal. Not recommended for young children because they are too small and may be hurt by the child.

12. Pomeranians have been in numerous movies. Including: To Die For with Nicole Kidman, Dumb and Dumber with Jim Carey, Harlem Nights with Robin givens, X-files with Scully and Cadillac Man with Fran Drescher.

13. There are many famous people who love Pomeranians. Some of the famous figures who are or have been Pomeranian owners include Sharon Osbourne, Elvis Presley, Leann Rimes, Fran Drescher, Nicole Richie, Rihanna, Maria Sharapova, Geri Halliwell, P. Diddy, Samantha Mamba, Bill Cosby, Mozart, Paris Hilton, Kate Hudson, Isaac Newton and Michelangelo. Queen Victoria had six Pomeranians which were named Marco, Gona, Sacha, Fluffy, Beppo and Turi.

14. Pomeranians are used for rescue missions and operations whenever a smaller breed of dog is needed. Their ancestors were used by the Nordic people as sled pulling dogs and reindeer herders. Of course, these early Pomeranians were much larger than our present day Poms.

15. Luxating Patellas or a knee that slips out of place is common in Pomeranians and in some cases this may require surgery. Many Poms suffer from hypothyroidism which can cause other problems and should be checked by your vet. Some Poms lose patches of hair as they grow older. This usually starts at the back and moves forward. If your Pom sounds like he is coughing then he may have a collapsing trachea which is not uncommon in this breed. An xray can determine if this is the problem and medication can be given to reduce coughing. Tooth loss and bacteria build up is a problem in Pomeranians as well as other small dogs. 

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Animal fun facts

Animal fun facts

1. Cats have excellent vision which helps them as expert hunters. They are usually very quiet when pursuing their prey.

2.  Only big cats roar.  Little cats purr.

3.  The largest wild cat is the Siberian Tiger from head to tail they can measure more than 10 feet and weigh more than 600 pounds.

4.  Cats have hairy tails and rough tongues that they use to clean their fur.

5.  There are about 230 species of primates.

6.  Monkeys and apes have families or larger groups called ‘troops,’ and often behave like people.

7..  Primates have developed behaviors that let them live almost anywhere from the semi-desert areas of Africa to the cold mountains of Asia.

8.  Monkeys and apes have hands that can grab. They have eyes that face forward allowing them to see precise distances.

9.  Birds are the only animals on earth to have feathers which grow out of their skin.

10.  Wing feathers help birds fly, tail feathers help them turn, and they also help to control a bird’s body temperature.

11.  Birds migrate great distances every year in response to changes in their environment and weather.

12.  Scientists believe that birds may have evolved from dinosaurs.

13.  Birds use their beaks to do the important jobs of collecting food and eating.

14.  Almost half of all mammal  species are rodents.

15.  There are over 1700 different kinds of rodents including squirrels,  mice and meerkats.

16.  Rodents are nature’s collectors,  foresters and builders.

17.  The smallest rodent is a Pygmy Mouse of Central America which is only 1 inch long and weighs only 7 grams.

18.  Pigs, boars, hippos, camels, deer, giraffes, antelopes and many other hoofed animals all have a horny hoof on each toe which is used for gripping the ground.

19.  The tallest hoofed mammal is the giraffe which can be 19 feet tall.

20.  The heaviest hoofed animal is the African Hippopotamus which can weigh about 10000 pounds.

21.  Studies have shown that pigs are as smart as dogs they’ve been taught to fetch, sit and do many of the tricks that dogs can do.

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Mount Kilimanjaro: 25 fun facts

Mount Kilimanjaro: 25 fun facts

Kibo Peak looms beautifully in the distance. Kibo is a dormant volcano and is the highest point in Africa.The ice cap is visible in this photo, but in a decade it could be gone due to global warming. This would deprive surrounding villages of a vital water source.

1.  Johannes Rebmann, a German missionary, is credited with discovering Mount Kilimanjaro in 1848. He explored the lower slopes and sent the Royal Geographical Society his findings, including a description of a snow-capped summit. Experts at the time doubted the possibility of a snow-capped mountain located near the equator.

2.  The first successful summit occurred in 1889. It took took six weeks. Today the average climber can do it in five or six days.

3.  Some of the camps on the mountain sell beer.

4.  Mount Kilimanjaro stretches 5,895 metres into the sky, making it the world’s tallest free-standing mountain. It’s also the highest point in Africa.

5.  The snow caps are rapidly diminishing, having lost over 80 per cent of its mass since 1912, likely due to climate change. They could be entirely gone by 2020.

6.  On June 29, 2009 eight blind climbers made it to the top of the mountain in an effort to raise funds for 52 blind babies in Arizona.

7.  South African Bernard Goosen was the first person to scale Mount Kilimanjaro in a wheelchair. He did it twice. First in 2003 (nine days), and then again in 2007 (six days).

8.  Famed humourist Douglas Adams, author of the legendary Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, once ran up the mountain dressed in a rhinoceros suit.

9.  The mountain is a massive volcano, formed by lava flow. The volcano is dormant.

10.  Mount Kilimanjaro is actually a massive stratovolcano that was formed by repeated lava flow. It has three volcanic cones, two of which are extinct. The third cone, Kibo, is the highest point on the mountain and is dormant.

11.  There are six distinct ecological systems on the mountain: cultivated land, rainforest, heath, moorland, alpine desert and finally the arctic summit.

12.  Coffee is grown on the lower slopes and is a major export.

13.  Ernest Hemmingway wrote a short story entitled The Snows of Kilimanjaro where he captured the beauty of the mountain in the following passage describing the mountain “...as wide as all the world, great, high and unbelievably white in the sun.”

14.  Most porters are hired from villages surrounding the mountain. They make anywhere from U.S$3.00 to $6.00 a day, not including tips. Porters carry much of the luggage on their heads.

15.  Over 20,000 people attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro a year.

16.  There are six established routes that climbers can take up the mountain. The most popular is the Marangu Route, which has been dubbed the “Coca-Cola” route.

17.  Altitude sickness is a hazard of mountain climbing. It occurs when a person ascends too quickly to acclimatize to higher altitudes. Mild symptoms include headaches, lethargy and insomnia, thus slow ascents are recommended.

18.  Around 10 people die each year trying to climb the mountain.

19.  A porter from the first successful summit lived to see the centennial of that climb. At the time of the anniversary he was 118 years-old.

20.  The oldest person to summit Mount Kilimanjaro was an 87 year-old Frenchman named Valtee Daniel.

21.  The fasted verified ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro occurred in 2001 when Italian Bruno Brunod climbed the Uhuru Peak from Marangu Gate in 5 hours, 38 minutes and 40 seconds. The fastest roundtrip was accomplished on Boxing Day in 2004, when native guide Simon Mtuy went up and down the mountain in 8 hours and 27 minutes.

22.  The meaning of the word “Kilimanjaro” is shrouded in mystery, but some experts believe it means “White Mountain.”

23.  It is estimated that out of every 1,000 tonnes of water that trickles down the mountain, 400 are directly from the ice caps.

24.  Mount Meru is an unofficial training ground for climbers preparing to take on Africa’s tallest point. It is located 70 kilometres west of Mount Kilimanjaro and measures 4,566 metres high.

25.  On June 29, 2009, eight blind climbers made it to the top of the mountain in a effort to raise money for 52 blind children in Arizona.

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Fun facts About Micro-Organisms

Fun facts About Micro-Organisms

Micro-organisms cannot be seen by the naked eye (micro means tiny and organism means a living creature); many hundreds of them would fit on the full stop at the end of this sentence. This term includes: viruses, bacteria and some fungi. They are found everywhere, in soil, air, water, on your skin and in your guts. Most of the time when they are in the right place the majority of micro-organisms are not harmful to people and often do a lot of good such as breaking down waste and making bread. We couldn’t live without them.

Micro-organisms can be spread: 

1. by direct contact such as holding hands then getting into the body through cuts or breaks in the skin.

2. through the air when you sneeze, cough, talk or sing.

3. by indirect contact as micro-organisms are present on toys, toilet handles, etc.

4. Viruses: are the smallest type of germ that is known and can cause infections such as colds and flu, measles, and chickenpox. Viruses are even smaller than bacteria and need to live inside cells to reproduce and spread infection.

5. Bacteria: are single cell organisms. The human body is home to millions of bacteria, most are friendly and are found almost everywhere on the body, but some can cause diseases such as tummy ache and feeling sick, often related to food poisoning. They come in four general shapes of: rod, comma, round and spiral.

6. Fungi: includes mushrooms, like the ones you eat, moulds and yeasts. Some are parasites and can live on you such as ringworm.

7. Typically there are between 10,000 and 10 million bacteria on each hand.

8. Damp hands spread 1,000 times more germs than dry hands.

9. The number of germs on your ?ngertips doubles after you use the toilet.

10. Bacteria 40 million years old have been extracted and successfully grown from a fossilised bee.

11. In 1918 more people died from the influenza virus (approximately 30 million) than died in the First World War (10 million).

12. When you cough germs can travel about 3 metres if you do not put your hand or a handkerchief over your nose and mouth.

13. Studies show only about 70% of people wash their hands after using a public toilet.

14. Bacteria double their number every 20 minutes. Students can be asked to calculate how many there are after 1, 7 and 24 hours.

15. Almost one million bacteria can be created by one person in a school day.

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Fun facts about the Presidents of the United States

Fun facts about the Presidents of the United States

GEORGE WASHINGTON loved cream of peanut soup.

JOHN ADAMS and his wife Abigail were the first presidential couple to live at the White House – even though it wasn’t completely finished at the time.

JAMES MADISON’s friends called him “Jemmie.”

ANDREW JACKSON was the first president to ride on a railroad train.

JAMES POLK was the first president in office to have his photo taken.

JAMES BUCHANAN threw parties at the White House where he served sauerkraut and mashed potatoes.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN grew a beard because a little girl wrote him a letter telling him that he would look more handsome with a beard.

ULYSSES S. GRANT’s favorite breakfast was a cucumber soaked in vinegar-a pickle.

JAMES GARFIELD was the first left-handed president.

President WILLIAM MCKINLEY always wore a red carnation in his lapel for good luck.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT was the first president to ride in a car and to ride in an airplane. He had a guinea pig named Father O’Grady and a snake named Emily Spinach.

JIMMY CARTER’s daughter, Amy, was nine years old when her father became president. A tree-house was built for her on the White House grounds.

GEORGE W. BUSH, son of GEORGE H. W. BUSH,  was the second president to follow in his father’s footsteps. The other presidents were John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams.

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FUN FACTS ABOUT THE EIFFEL TOWER

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE EIFFEL TOWER

1. From the ground to the second floor: 

5 (one in the East pillar, one in the West pillar, one in the North pillar, one private elevator in the South pillar for the “Jules Verne” restaurant and one goods elevator in the South pillar). From the second floor to the top: two sets of two duo lifts.

It towers over the Paris skyline and is one of the most recognized monuments in the world. The Eiffel Tower has a storied past and has served its city well as a worldwide ambassador. Here are some fun facts to help you learn a little more about the Eiffel Tower.

2. The Eiffel Tower is nicknamed “The Iron Lady”.

The French people have nicknamed the Eiffel Tower “La dame de fer” which translates to“The Lady of Iron.” Most of the structure is made of puddle iron, which is a pure form of iron. Puddled iron is stronger than regular iron and is used for buildings that need a lot of extra strength. Because the tower is so tall, the iron needed to be strong enough to support the weight and to fight the winds that press against the top of the tower.

3. For 41 years the Eiffel tower was the tallest structure in the world.

When it was built in 1889, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington monument as the tallest structure in the world, and it held that title for 41 years. When it was first  built, the tower was 986 feet (300.5 meters) tall. In 1930 the Chrysler Building was built in New York City. The Chrysler Building stands 1057 feet (322.2 meters) tall, including its spire. Later that same year a 77 foot (23.5 meter) tall radio antennae 

was added to the tower to again make it the tallest building in the world, but only for a short time. At 1,063 feet (324 meters) tall, the Eiffel Tower is the height of an 81 story building.

4. There are over 18,000 pieces of iron in the tower.

The tower is actually made up of 18,038 pieces of iron two and a half million rivets. Each of these pieces is held in place with rivets. A rivet is a metal pin that has a head at one end. The other end is hammered into a head with a hole in it, after it has gone through the iron. There are over two and a half million rivets holding together the Eiffel Tower! It took 300 workers over two years to build the tower.

5. The Eiffel Towerwas built as the entrance to aWorld’s Fair.

The tower was meant to serve as the entrance to the World’s Fair, held in Paris from May to October 1889. People would enter the fair by walking under the tower. The World’s Fair was called the Exposition Universelle and it marked the one hundred year anniversary of the French Revolution. During the fair, countries and organizations from all over the world had exhibits at the fair. World’s Fairs can be huge, with many buildings and exhibit halls included. They are still held today, about every two to three years apart.

6. The Eiffel Towerwasn’t finished when it first opened.

The World’s Fair opened on May 6, 1889, but the Eiffel tower wasn’t completely finished yet. The tower workers worked hard all night to finish enough of the tower that people could climb up to the second floor platform safely.  The second floor platform is 377 feet (115 meters) above ground and it provided a wonderful view of the Exposition Park. Only construction workers were allowed to go above the second floor platform.

7. Many people hated the tower when it was first built.

When the tower first went up, a lot of people really didn’t like the way it looked. The newspapers were filled with angry letters that had been written against the tower. Even famous people such as the writer Alexandre Dumas, the composer Charles Gounod, and the painter and sculptor Ernest Meissonier wrote letters against the tower. Some people even called it a “metal asparagus.”

Even though many people hated it, it was too late to change the design of the tower. It needed to be in place for the opening of the World’s Fair, so the tower was finished. Over the years, many people have changed their mind about the tower. It is now considered to be not only a great piece of architecture, but a great work of art.

8. The Eiffel Towerwas meant to be taken apart and destroyed.

When the tower was originally built, it was only supposed to stand for 20 years. In fact, the original rules for the contest for the entrance tower said that it must be easy to demolish! At the end of the twenty years, in 1909, the City of Paris became the owner of the tower. Instead of demolishing it, the city decided that it would make a great radio tower. The tower served as a radio tower during the First World War. It was used to jam the radio signals of the German army that was approaching Paris. It was also used in September 1914 to send taxi cabs carrying over 6,000 French soldiers to battle the Germans in a place called Marne.

9. The Eiffel Tower is actually painted three different colors.

When you look at the Eiffel Tower, it looks like it is painted one solid color all the way up. It isn’t. If there was one solid color on it, the tower would actually look like it was painted in different colors. This is because your eyes see light and colors a bit differently when they are far away than they do when they are close up. 

Also, the amount of light reflected from the sky in the background is also different.The tower is repainted every seven years, to keep the color bright and to protect the tower from rust. It takes about 55 to 65 tons (50 to 60 tonnes) of paint to paint the entire tower. As of 2011, the tower was painted bronze, however the color will sometimes change. On the first floor of the tower visitors can vote on which color should be used for a future painting.

10. There are 72 men’s names engraved on the Eiffel Tower.

When Gustave Eiffel designed the Eiffel Tower, he included the names of 72 prominent French men. These men were engineers, scientists, and other important people. Gustave Eiffel wanted to recognize the important work they had done, so he had their last names engraved just below the first level in letters that are two feet (60 cm) tall.At some time around 1900 the names were painted over. They were left hidden for about 80 years. Then in 1986 and 1987 they were cleaned off and fixed up. They are now painted in gold. While there are 72 men’s names from several different occupations, there are no women included!

11. The Eiffel Tower bends in the sunlight!

Iron expands when it gets hot. When the sunlight hits the side of the tower for long periods during the day, the iron on that side of the tower heats up. That causes it to expand and grow larger, pushing over onto the cooler, shorter side of the tower.On very hot days, the tower will lean over seven inches (17 cm) from the center due to the heated iron.

12. At one time the Eiffel Towerwas used as a giant billboard!

From 1925 to 1930, three sides of the tower showed huge, lighted advertisements. The billboards advertised a company called Citroen, which is a French auto maker. The Citroen Company has been around since 1919, and they are still building cars today. In 1930 the billboards were removed so the tower could be completely seen again.

13. It is illegal to publish pictures of the Eiffel tower when it is lit.

In 1989 the Eiffel Tower was lit up in lights in honor of its 100th birthday. The organization that runs the tower decided to copyright the lighting display. In June 1990 a French court ruled that the display was an “original visual creation” and could be protected by a copyright. Usually an “original visual creation” refers to a photograph, a drawing or a painting, but in this case the court decided that it applied to the way the tower was lighted. Because of that it is illegal to publish any pictures of the Eiffel Tower showing it with the lights lit, even if you take the pictures yourself!

There is one way to get around this rule, though. If you take a picture of Paris at night and the Eiffel Tower just happens to be in the picture, that is allowed. The tower cannot be the main focus of the picture, though.

14. You cannot climb to the very top of the tower.

There are three level areas on the tower where people can walk around and admire the view. The first level is 187 feet (57 meters) above the ground and sits just above the arches. To reach it you can take one of four elevators, that climb up the legs of the tower. The elevators are actually sets of stacked cars and they go up to the first and second levels. You can also climb up the 347 steps in the legs.

The second platform is about one-third of the way up the tower, or about 381 feet (116 meters) above ground. It can be reached by climbing 674 steps from the ground, or by taking one of the elevators.

The third platform is at 910 feet (277 meters) above the ground and can only be reached by elevator. There is a set of stairs with 1,710 steps that reaches the third platform, but it is closed to the public. This platform is often very windy and very cold. From here you can see all over Paris, but you can’t see very many of the 

buildings since they are so far away.

Even at this level you are over 76 feet (23.2 meters) from the top of the tower and 153 feet (46.6 meters) from the top of the radio antennae.

15. The Eiffel Tower sways in the wind.

It is very windy at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Even on a warm, sunny day there are tremendous winds. The winds are actually strong enough to bend the tower. The top of  the tower will sway back and forth in the winds. It can sway as much as 5 inches (13 cm) back and forth. This may not seem like much, and it isn’t. But when you are standing 910 feet (277 meters) above the ground, you probably wish that what you were 

standing on didn’t move at all!

16. Born on December 15, 1832 in Dijon, Gustave Eiffel was an exceptionally gifted engineer and builder. He graduated from the prestigious Ecole Centrale de Paris. His extraordinary career was marked in 1876 by the construction of the Maria Pia bridge over the River Douro in Portugal, then by that of the Garabit Viaduct in central France in 1884 and Budapest station in Hungary. He was responsible for the metal structures of the Bon Marché department store and the Crédit Lyonnais bank in Paris, the cupola of the Nice observatory, and, above all, the very impressive internal structure of the Statue of Liberty. The construction of the Eiffel Tower in 1889 was his crowning achievement.

17. But the Tower is also affected by heat. When the temperature is high, that portion of the structure exposed to the sun expands more than the portion in the shade. To “get out of the sun”, the Tower can lean as much as 18 centimeters.

18. The Tower hosted the first radiophonic experiments and played a crucial role in the beginnings of French television. Gustave Eiffel greatly encouraged research into radio transmissions by allowing the Tower to be used as a monumental antenna. In 1909, the Tower was saved from demolition thanks to the launch of wireless telegraphy. The top of the Tower was modified over the years, to accommodate an ever-growing number of antennas. Today, it is home to several dozen antennas of all sorts, including a television mast that reaches a height of 324 meters. The first experiments in television broadcasting from the Tower date from 1925 and the first regular broadcasts from 1935.

19. In 1999 a golf tournament is held in Paris for the first time with the first and last hole under the Eiffel Tower.

20. In 2004 the VTT champion, Xavier Casas from Andorra, beats his own record for climbing the steps on a VTT:  1,300 steps! He obtained an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for this feat.

21. Because of its size and structure, the Eiffel Tower has inspired extremely sophisticated and original lighting innovations. By turns a sparkler, a Parisian beacon, an advertising sign, a torch, a Christmas tree, a beauty bathed in red and a fireworks theatre, the Tower has a history that is closely linked with the history of lighting. Spectaculars, bedazzlements, memories the very night it was inaugurated, ten thousand gaslights enhanced the gown of the Iron Lady!

22. To protect the Iron Lady’s surface, the Eiffel Tower is covered in paint. In fact, the stylish Lady’s attentiveness to color coordination has resulted in the need for three different shades of paint to go with the hues of the Parisian sky darkest at the bottom, lightest at the top.

23. The history behind the Eiffel Tower restaurants is inseparable from the “Great Moments” in history from the monument’s opening to the public in 1889. The Tower offers its visitors breathtaking seating overlooking Paris: a delight for the eyes and the taste buds. Today a range of restaurants cater to the different needs and tastes, from snack shops to gourmet cooking. 

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FUN FACTS ABOUT GARLIC

FUN FACTS ABOUT GARLIC

Garlic (Allium sativum) is commonly used as a flavoring for food, as a condiment, and for medicinal purposes.  The milder-flavored elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum) is actually a leek that produces large cloves.

Garlic is a bulb and a type of herb. It is made up of a number of segments called cloves. It has a very distinct strong smell and is used a lot in cooking. Garlic is a member of the ‘onion family’ (known as Alliums), which includes onions, leeks, chives, spring onions and shallots. The English word garlic originates from the Middle Ages, gar= spear, leac = pot herb.

Its Latin name is Allium sativum.
Allium = Latin for garlic,
Sativum = cultivated / farmed.

The potency of garlic has been acknowledged for more than 500 years. In the ancient times, garlic was used as a remedy for intestinal disorders, flatulence, worms, respiratory   infections, skin diseases, wounds, symptoms of aging, and many other ailments. Through the middle ages into World War II, the use of garlic to treat wounds surfaced repeatedly. It was ground up or sliced and was applied directly to wounds to inhibit the spread of infections.

Throughout history, people worldwide the Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks, Indians, Koreans, Romans, Babylonians, and Vikings have used allium vegetables to enhance health:

The Codex Ebers, an ancient Egyptian medical papyrus, lists 22 therapeutic formulas in which garlic was used to treat heart problems, headache, bites, worms, and tumors.

In Greece, Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, recommended garlic for its medicinal effects, and athletes ingested garlic as a stimulant during the first Olympic games.

In India, garlic was used as both an Ayurvedic heart remedy and an antiseptic lotion.

The French fed garlic and onions to horses suffering from painful blood clots in the legs. In the Middle Ages it was thought that garlic helped to prevent the plague. In France, thieves in Marseille invented a potion containing garlic called ‘Vinegar of the Four Thieves’. It was said to be so effective that they could rob the houses of those suffering with the plague with no risk of getting the disease themselves!

Eastern and Western cultures alike have used garlic and onion to free the respiratory tract of phlegm, rid the bowels of parasites, and aid digestion.

Several North American Indian tribes used garlic and onions to relieve the pain of insect stings and prevent or cure scurvy.

1. Reduction of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and cancer A stimulation of immune function.
2. Enhanced foreign compound detoxification.
3. Radioprotection .
4. Restoration of physical strength.

If you split a garlic bulb then you will reveal the individual cloves inside. If you peel one of these you’ll instantly get the unique smell of garlic.

Garlic’s strong flavour means that it is used a lot in cooking, particularly in European and Asian dishes.

Garlic can be eaten raw, where it has a very strong flavour, but most often it is cooked to make it less strong and more appetizing. It can make your breath smell after eating it, but chewing parsley or a clove is said to get rid of the odour. It is a good source of vitamin C and can help to ward off colds.

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Ice Cream Fun Facts

Ice Cream Fun Facts

Ice cream and frozen desserts come in many flavors and types that allow the consumer to choose from a host of delicious choices. Whether the flavor is vanilla, chocolate, pumpkin pie or cookie dough, ice cream and its related products share certain basic characteristics that are often unknown to or misunderstood by many consumers.

Frozen desserts come in many forms.

Ice Cream consists of a mixture of dairy ingredients such as milk and nonfat milk, and ingredients for sweetening and flavoring, such as fruits, nuts and chocolate chips. Functional ingredients, such as stabilizers and emulsifiers, are often included in the product to promote proper texture and enhance the eating experience. By federal law, ice cream must contain at least 10% milkfat, before the addition of bulky ingredients, and must weigh a minimum of 4.5 pounds to the gallon.

1. Frozen Custard or French Ice Cream must also contain a minimum of 10% milkfat, as well as at least 1.4 % egg yolk solids.

2. Sherbets have a milkfat content of between 1% and 2%, and a slightly higher sweetener content than ice cream. Sherbet weighs a minimum of 6 pounds to the gallon and is flavored either with fruit or other characterizing ingredients.

3. Gelato is characterized by an intense flavor and is served in a semi-frozen state that is similar to "soft serve" ice cream. Italian-style gelato is more dense than ice cream, since it has less air in the product. Typically, gelato has more milk than cream and also contains sweeteners, egg yolks and flavoring.

4. Sorbet and Water Ices are similar to sherbets, but contain no dairy ingredients.

5. A Quiescently Frozen Confection is a frozen novelty such as a water ice novelty on a stick.

6. Frozen Yogurt consists of a mixture of dairy ingredients such as milk and nonfat milk which have been cultured, as well as ingredients for sweetening and flavoring.

7. Novelties are separately packaged single servings of a frozen dessert such as ice cream sandwiches, fudge sticks and juice bars that may or may not contain dairy ingredients.

8. Vanilla is the #1 selling flavor.

9. Chocolate syrup is the worlds favorite topping to put on ice cream. But in WA it’s Spearmint!

10-. The major ingredient in ice cream is air. One of the major ingredients in Ice Cream is air, and without it, it would be as hard as a rock.  It takes only ½ litre of milk plus cream, sugar and flavourings to make one litre of Ice Cream.

11. July is National Ice Cream Month in the US. It was created by Ronald Reagan in 1984.

12. It takes approximately 50 licks to finish off a scoop of ice cream.

13. The United States is the top ice cream consuming country in the world. New Zealand is second and Aussies are a close third.

14. According to the Guinness the largest ice cream pyramid was made in August of 2002.  The pyramid had 3,894 scoops, totaled 22 layers and weighed 1,005 pounds. The pyramid was 53 inches high.

15. The largest ice cream cake weighed in at 12,096 pounds.

16. The history of ice cream dates back to the second century B.C.! Many believe that it was invented in China.

17. Nero used to send slaves to the mountains around 62 A.D. to bring fresh snow to the royal kitchens.  This snow was then flavored with fruits and juices to make flavored ice.

18. Another popular tale gives credit to the chef of King Charles I as the inventor of Ice Cream. The King made the chef keep the recipe a secret, but after Charles’ beheading in 1649, the chef blabbed and soon all the nobility in Europe were enjoying Creme Ice.

19. In 1812 the first lady, Dolley Madison, served ice cream at the second inaugural ball.. Dolley Madison, James Madison's wife is supposed to have served ice cream at the dinner when her husband became President.

20. In 1845 the hand-cranked ice cream freezer was invented.

21. It takes 3.5litres of milk to make 5 litres of Gelato. 2litres to make 5litres of ice-cream

22. The ice cream cone was invented in 1896 with a patent being issued in 1903 to Italo Marchiony.

23. The widespread use of ice cream cones occurred after its introduction at the St. Louis.

24. World’s Fair in 1904 and many credit this as the birth of the ice cream cone. So just like the birth of ice cream, nobody knows for sure when the cone really was invented.

25. Ice Cream is a delicious dessert made from cream or milk. These ingredients are combined with flavorings and sweeteners, such as sugar, and possibly other ingredients. The mixture is stirred slowly while cooling to prevent large ice crystals from forming; the result is a smoothly textured Ice Cream.

26. More Ice Cream is sold on Sunday than any other day of the week.

27. The average number of licks to polish off a 1/2 cup scoop of Ice Cream is 50.

28. Approximately 13 per cent of men and eight per cent of women admit to licking the bowl after eating Ice Cream!

29. Children between the ages of two and 12, and adults over 45 eat the most Ice Cream.

30. Ice Cream novelties such as Ice Cream on sticks and Ice Cream bars were introduced in the 1920’s. Adults consume nearly one-half of all Ice Cream novelties.

31. The ice cream sundae was invented to allow people to enjoy the cold treat on Sunday (the Lord's day) when slurping was not allowed.

32. The first ice cream shop was opened in Baltimore in 1851. Because freezers were not invented until the 1930's, the ice cream was made at the time you ordered it and enjoyed immediately.

33. Clarence Birdseye was the father of freezing foods. His work made it possible to freeze and sell ice cream like we see today in grocery stores.  It doesn't matter if it is in a cone, between cookies or covered in hot fudge, today ice cream is a treat that can be enjoyed by children and adults.

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Dairy Fun Facts and Trivia

Dairy Fun Facts and Trivia

Source:   http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

Milk is defined as the lacteal secretion obtained by the complete milking of one or more mammalian animals.  Although in other parts of the world a variety of animals are used as sources for milk, in the United States almost all commercially available milk comes from cows.  Milk is valued because it is an important source of many of the nutrients essential for the proper development and maintenance of the human body.

Facts and Trivia

1. The average cow produces enough milk each day to fill six one-gallon jugs, about 55 pounds of milk.

2. It takes more than 21 pounds of whole milk to make one pound of butter.

3. The fastest growing variety of cheese produced in the U.S. is Hispanic-style soft cheese.

4. All 50 states in the United States have dairy farms.

5. The natural yellow color of butter comes mainly from the beta-carotene found in the grass cows eat.

6. A typical dairy cow weighs 1400 pounds and consumes about 50 pounds of dry matter each day.

7. Cheddar cheese is the most popular natural cheese in the U.S.

8. It takes 12 pounds of whole milk to make one gallon of ice cream.

9. The average cow drinks from 30-50 gallons of water each day - about a bathtub’s worth.

10. Large ice cream producing states include California, Indiana, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Minnesota.

11. Super Bowl Sunday rates as the number one day for pizza consumption.

12. Cows have an acute sense of smell, and can smell something up to six miles away.

13. It takes more cows to produce milk annually for Pizza Hut cheese (about 170,000) than there are people living in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

14. The average buyer purchases cheese 15 times at retail each year.

15. McDonald’s uses approximately four million gallons of low-fat vanilla yogurt each year in its Fruit ‘n’ Yogurt Parfait.

16. Vanilla is America’s favorite ice cream flavor.

17. Tank trucks for transporting fluid mild were first introduced in 1914.

18. Each person in America eats an average of 46 slices of pizza a year.

19. More ice cream is sold on Sunday than on any other day of the week.

20. More than 1000 new dairy products are introduced every year.

21. A cow has four stomachs and 32 teeth.

22. About 300 varieties of cheese are sold in the U.S.

23. 1 pound of cheese = 10 pounds of milk

24. 1 gallon of ice cream = 12 pounds of milk

25. 1 pound of butter = 21.1 pounds of milk

26. 1 gallon of milk = approximately 345 squirts

27. It takes 340 squirts to fill a milk pail

28. Americans eat the equivalent of 10 acres of pizza every day!

29. Americans eat an average of 29 pounds of cheese every year-over a lifetime that’s more than a ton of cheese

30. The milk bottle was invented in 1884.  Plastic milk containers were introduced in 1964.

31. Cows have an acute sense of smell - they can smell something up to 6 miles away!

32. These cows are very healthy!  They make milk out of the feed they eat, therefore there is not a lot of fat on there body making their confirmation more obvious

33. Cows chew at least 50 times per minute.

34. Cows eat over 90 pounds of food each day. Hay, corn silage, corn, cottonseed, grass .

35. Cows drink over 35 gallons of water every day, in the summer time that is sometimes doubled! .

36. Milk is cooled down to below 40 F right on the farm .

37. Average U.S. cow produces 53 pounds of milk= 6.2 gallons.

38. Cows can detect smell up to six miles away .

39. Cows can go up stairs, but not down stairs .

40. The milk bottle was invented in 1884.  Plastic milk containers were introduced 1964.

41. Everyone needs at least 3 servings a day .

42. 1 serving = 8 ounces .

43. Dairy products naturally contain calcium, this is why they are the best way to get calcium to our body.

44. Dairy products are among the most tested and regulated products in this country

45. Milk is approximately 97% water.

46. The month of July has been designated as national ice cream month.

47. Limburger cheese is known for its strong aroma.

48. The first commercial cheese factory in the United States is New York.

49. George Washington was the first president to serve ice cream.

50. Icecream is the most popular dessert in the U.S.

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Fun Facts About English Language

Fun Facts About English Language

1. Of all the words in the English language, the word 'set' has the most definitions!

2. "Almost" is the longest word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order.

3. "Rhythm" is the longest English word without a vowel.

4. No word in the English language rhymes with month.

5. "Underground" is the only word in the English language that begins and ends with the letters "und."

6. Four words end in"-dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.

7. The longest word is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.

8. The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is "uncopyrightable."

9. There is only 1 word with three consecutive sets of double letters: Bookkeeper .

10. There is a word with only one vowel, which occurs five times: "indivisibility."!

11. The longest one syllable word in the English language is "screeched".

12. The letter most in use in the English language is "E" and the letter "Q" is least used.

13. Only 3 words in the English language end in "ceed": "proceed," "exceed," and "succeed."

14. No language has more synonyms than English!

15. Of all the languages in the world, English has the largest vocabulary about 800,000 words.

16. French was the official language of England for over 600 years.

17. The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in English.

18. "Four" is the only number whose number of letters in the name equals the number.

19. "Go. Go. Go. Go." is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.

20. The dot over the letter 'i' is called a tittle.

21. There is a seven letter word that contains ten words "therein": the, there, he, in, rein, her, here, ere, therein, herein.

22. "Typewriter" is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

23. The verb "cleave" has two opposite meanings. It can mean to adhere or to separate.

24. "mate", "eight" and "strait" all make the same sound they are spelled totally differently!

25. There are 3 one-syllable words with 9 letters: "stretched," "scratched" and "screeched."

26. "Scissors", "binoculars" and "tongs" exist only as a plural!

27. The shortest sentence using all the alphabet is "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog".

28. "Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt"!

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FUN FACTS: FAMOUS SCORPIO PEOPLE

FUN FACTS: FAMOUS SCORPIO PEOPLE

Scorpio, being a water sign, is by nature intuitive and deep and possesses great sensitivity and emotionalism. Issues of trust present a great problem for many Scorpios so they are not always open and do not communicate well in relationships. There is a tendency to be guarded, and jealousy can at times rear its ugly head. Sex is merely a vehicle for deeper passions of which they are very capable. 
Their emotions run deep. Scorpios have an incredible ability to regenerate their lives after any form of adversity and this allows for truly strong individuals. They make excellent researchers and psychiatrists. In fact, they do well in any occupation where they can use their probing abilities.

1) Scorpios are intelligent and can be great business people. That's why they usually succeed what they do. Bill Gates is one!

2) Scorpios are artistic and often eccentric. Icelander and famous musician Bjork is a Scorpio.

3) Another icon under the Scorpio sign who will be remembered (for as long as fashion exists) is Calvin Klein!

4) Hot MILF anyone? Demi Moore, star of GI Jane and Striptease is one hot Scorpio.

5)You know how Ally McBeal was so career oriented and confident and extremely sexual in the TV series? She's probably the same in person. Calista Flockhart is a Scorpio.

6) Still not convinced of their artistic capabilities? Another famous and immortal names in the world of the arts is Pablo Picasso. He will forever be remembered for his surreal paintings, drawings, sculptures and his really long name. Pablo Picasso was born Pablo Diego Jos Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Maria de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santsima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso.

7) The only Scorpio of the band Scorpion is Matthias Jabs  not that it had anything to do with the bands name!

8) One of the most seriously misunderstood and mysterious Scorpios of all time is Charles Manson! Go figure.

9) Another world famous Hollywood A-Lister? Leonardo DiCaprio. I'm beginning to think Scorpios are a real good catch.

10) And speaking of hot and talented A-Listers you can add The Phantom of The Opera and 300 star Gerard Butler. A great voice and hot ass is always a nice addition to the positive Scorpio traits.

11) Canadian musician, songwriter and painter who was very famous for the Big Yellow Taxi song was Joni Mitchell. She was born November 7, 1943.

12) Scorpios are regarded as authoritative and even shrewd. One of the most famous country leaders who possesses these qualities was Indira Gandhi, the worlds first female prime minister to hold office and remain longest in term as of 2011.

13) If you don't agree that Scorpios are very sexual people she might actually get to convince you 100%. American model and 1993's Playboy Playmate of the year Jenny McCarthy was born November 1, 1972.

14) Another great leader to be remembered in the history not only of the United States but the while world was Theodore Roosevelt.

15)My Best Friend's Wedding and Eat, Pray, Love star Julia Roberts is a Scorpio born on October 28, 1967.

16) Multiple Grammy Awardee K.D.Lang was born November 2, 1961 and is not only famous for her music but also for raising HIV and gay rights awareness. Scorpios can change lives.

17) Former US first lady Laura Bush was born November 4, 1946.

18) It's not only their personality that causes mystery, world famous novelist Neil Gaiman has enchanted kids and the kids at heart with his critically acclaimed works Coraline and Stardust, to name a few.

19)Other talented Hollywood celebrities that share the Scorpio sign include, Owen Wilson, Piper Perabo, Ricky Martin, David Schwimmer, Ryan Gosling, Scarlett Johansson and Winona Ryder.

20)Famous 1800s English novelist George Elliot was actually a woman who used a male pen name for her works to be taken seriously during the time when females were only good for writing romance novels. Gotta admire that!

Some more Famous Scorpios:
Björk, John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jodie Foster, Ryan Gosling, Grace Kelly, Ang Lee, Diego Maradonna, Joaquin Pheonix, Ryan Reynolds, Tara Reid, Brittanny Murphy ,Anne hathaway, Gerard Butler, Matthew McConaughey.

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