Did you know…. A fun, and very simple game.

[uk666]

Did you know.....

The largest ship ever built was the oil tanker Seawise Giant

At its largest, it was 458.45 meters (1,504 feet) long, with a deadweight tonnage of 564,763 tons. Its massive 24.6-meter (81 ft) draft restricted it from navigating canals like the Suez or Panama.

Built in Japan by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, it was originally named Oppama.

It was purchased by C.Y. Tung in 1979 and renamed Seawise Giant, after which it was expanded to its record-breaking length.

In 1988, it was heavily damaged by Iraqi missiles but was later salvaged and rebuilt, eventually being converted into a floating storage and offloading unit.

The ship made its final voyage to a ship-breaking yard in Alang, India, in 2009.

Currently, the largest operational ships are the cruise ship Icon of the Seas (passenger), the container ship Barzan (container), and the crane vessel Pioneering Spirit (crane/engineering). 

Other large ships include naval vessels like the USS Enterprise and lake freighters like the Paul R. Tregurtha.

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Did you know.....

The "rule of thumb" was as a rough and practical unit of measurement

In various trades, craftsmen used the width or length of their thumb for rough measurements because it was readily available. 

The "rule of thumb" refers to one of the numerous ways that thumbs have been used to estimate things - judging the alignment or distance of an object by holding the thumb in one's eyeline, the temperature of brews of beer, measurement using the estimated inch from the joint to the nail, etc. It isn't clear which of these is the precise origin.

The popular but incorrect belief that the phrase comes from an English law allowing men to beat their wives with a stick no thicker than a thumb is a 20th-century myth and not true.

[uk666]

Did you know.....

New York City has continuously held the title of the most-populated city in the United States since 1790

Since 1790, when the first U.S. census was conducted, New York City has held the title as the most-populated city in the United States. In that initial census, New York City had 33,131 people. Today it is home to more than 8,335,000. That is more than double the second largest city, Los Angeles, and triple the third largest city, Chicago.

The tallest skyscrapers, the biggest museums, the cheesiest pizza. New York City takes everything to the max. It’s easy to see why it’s the most-visited place in the U.S. Whether you want to check out historic landmarks, catch a Broadway show, or stroll the streets of Brooklyn, there’s no wrong way to do it and something new to discover every time you go.

Spend the day neighbourhood-hopping, from the family-friendly Upper West Side packed with playgrounds and cute restaurants to the gritty-but-cool Lower East Side, each has its own vibe. 

Browse art galleries in Chelsea, go shopping in SoHo, then grab a drink in the East Village. Or take the subway (or walk across the Brooklyn Bridge) and cruise the cobblestone streets in Dumbo. Want some nature? It’s got that, too. Have a picnic in Central Park, hit the High Line, or hop on a ferry and see the city from the sea. 

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Did you know.....

Corn Flakes has some fascinating origins in an idealistic movement to promote clean living and eliminate sexual behaviours

Kellogg advocated what he called “biologic living,” a program that included exercise, sexual abstinence and the avoidance of alcohol, tobacco, tea, coffee, and meat. For the guests at a sanatorium that he ran in Michigan, Kellogg developed new foods, including granola, corn flakes, peanut butter, soy milk, and imitation meats.

Kellogg, a devout Seventh-day Adventist and the director of the Battle Creek Sanatorium in Michigan, advocated a lifestyle he called "biologic living," which emphasized:

1. A vegetarian diet.
2. Abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, tea, coffee, and all sexual activity, including marital sex.
3. Regular exercise and fresh air. 

He believed that rich, flavourful, or seasoned foods and meat increased "carnal passions," while a simple, bland, plant-based diet, such as the one containing his new cereal, would promote physical health and moral discipline, helping individuals control their sexual desires.

The cereal was initially created as an easily digestible and nutritious food option for his patients at the sanatorium. His brother, Will Keith Kellogg, later commercialized the cereal for mass production and added sugar to make it more palatable, a move John Harvey disapproved of, leading to a long-standing feud between the brothers.

[uk666]

Did you know.....

"Rock the Casbah" was the 1st song that the US Army radio played during operation desert storm

"Rock the Casbah" by The Clash was the first song played on Armed Forces Radio during the initial broadcasts for Operation Desert Storm. The song was chosen to mark the start of the 1991 Gulf War, a decision that the band's songwriter Joe Strummer later reportedly found deeply ironic.

The song, released in 1982, was inspired by the ban on Western music by the Ayatollah Khomeini after the Iranian Revolution. "Rock the Casbah" is a song by the English punk rock band The Clash, released in 1982. 

The song was released as the third single from their fifth album, Combat Rock. It reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US (their second and last top 40 and only top 10 single in the United States)

It is said that Strummer was saddened to learn that the phrase "Rock the Casbah" was written on one of the bombs to be used in Iraq during the war.

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Did you know.....

Vodka has been the top-selling spirit in the U.S. since the 1970s

The spirit of choice for James Bond to characters on “Mad Men” and “Sex and the City,” vodka has long held the dominant position in the U.S. liquor market.

The top-selling spirit in the U.S. since the 1970s, vodka generated more than $7.3 billion in revenue in 2021, $2 billion more than the second-highest selling spirit, tequila and mezcal, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. 

More than 78.1 million 9-liter cases of vodka were sold in the U.S. in 2021, roughly the same number of 9-liter cases of American whiskey, tequila and mezcal, and rum combined.

Initially gaining a footing in the U.S. in the 1940s when World War II-era mandates made whiskey distilleries shift to producing alcohol for products like ammunition and rubber and then later taking off in the 1950s before climbing to the top spot in the 1970s, spirits and cocktail historian David Wondrich said there was a roughly 40-year period where “everything went vodka’s way.”

However, vodka’s growth has slowed significantly in recent years as other spirits like tequila and whiskey have taken larger chunks of market share.

Vodka also faced another challenge, its historical ties to Russia. In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, lawmakers, bar owners, retailers, and consumers looking to show support for Ukraine have called for boycotts of brands with links back to Russia, or in the case of some vodka brands, perceived links to Russia.

While Russia is the world’s largest vodka producer, accounting for more than 30% of global production, more than 90% of it is consumed domestically.

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Did you know.....

What would happen if we could travel at the speed of light

the speed of light is a staggering 299,792,458 metres per second (or approximately 299 792 kilometres per second). Albert Einstein may not have calculated this, but he was the one that recognised it as the fasted thing in our Universe, a cosmic speed limit.

Let’s take an example, this is all hypothetical… you are in a rocket travelling through space and you manage to travel at speeds approaching the speed of light. So, for you, time slows down and you reach your destination in a relatively short space of time. You arrive, do whatever it is you went there to do and then head back to Earth (again at speeds close to the speed of light).

The main thing you would notice when you get back home is how old everyone is! People who were the same age as you when you left would be a lot older than you when you come back. Remember, as Einstein said, it’s all relative! It depends on where you are observing from; if you are on Earth then time continues as normal. But if you head off into space and travel at speeds that slow down time, then a little time for you will equal a lot of time back on Earth.

Scientists like to call this the twin paradox; if you took a set of identical twins and sent one travelling off in space at speeds close to the speed of light and left the other here on Earth, when the first twin returned from his cosmic travels he would be younger than his twin who remained on Earth.

it is impossible for anything with mass to travel at the speed of light because it would require an infinite amount of energy. However, if an object could approach the speed of light, time would slow down dramatically for it (time dilation), and distances would appear to shrink (length contraction). The view from the object would change, with stars ahead appearing blue-shifted and stars behind red-shifted due to the Doppler effect, and the universe ahead would look contracted to a point. 

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Did you know.....

The chickens we consume may not have walked more than 10 feet in their entire lives

The statement is a representation of conditions in many modern fast-growing poultry farms, where chickens are kept in crowded spaces with limited room to move, often meaning they do not walk more than a few feet. 

This lack of mobility is a result of their rapid growth rate and the specific environment they are raised in, which can lead to health problems like leg injuries and bumblefoot. 

They are bred to grow so large, so quickly, that their legs may not be able to support them, and they are often unable to walk even short distances.

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Did you know.....

The pyramids were built by free workers, not slaves

The pyramids were built by paid, skilled labourers and a conscripted workforce, not slaves. Archaeological evidence, including workers' tombs found near the pyramids and a nearby workers' village, shows that these were not enslaved people. 

These workers were provided with housing, food rations, and medical care, with some historians suggesting many were volunteers who took part as a national or religious project.

Tombs for pyramid builders were discovered near the pyramids, indicating they were not slaves and were buried with respect in preparation for an afterlife. The discovery of a village for the builders, complete with bakeries, dormitories, and medical care, further demonstrates that they were a well-supported, organized workforce.

Graffiti found on the walls of the pyramids refers to the workers' labour units by names like "Friends of Khufu," showing a sense of camaraderie and organization, not bondage.

Workers received daily rations of bread and beer and access to fish and meat, a level of care unlikely to be provided to slaves.

[uk666]

Did you know.....

The Black Widow spider eats her mate during or after sex

For male widow spiders, mating is an infamously dangerous activity. In these species, which include the black widow and redback, the large females will often devour the smaller males during sex—hence the “widow” in their names. 

In some cases, the female catches the male while he’s trying to escape. But often, the male seems to welcome his fate, actively somersaulting onto his partner’s fangs.

There’s a reason for these suicidal gymnastics. In 1996, Maydianne Andrade found that sexual encounters between redback spiders are longer if the male allows himself to be cannibalized. By sacrificing his life, he can fill his partner with more sperm. The female keeps that sperm in two storage organs and can control when she uses those stockpiled cells to fertilize her eggs. 

If she mates again, the second male’s sperm might displace those of the first now deceased suitor. But Andrade showed that females that eat their first mate are more likely to reject a subsequent one.

So, by committing “copulatory suicide,” the males guarantee their future fatherhood. Besides, females aren’t common and many males die while searching for one; when the odds of finding more than one partner are low, the costs of giving up your life to your first mate are low.

[uk666]

Did you know.....

King cobras are the longest venomous snakes in the world

In 1937, a 5.54-metre-long king cobra was found in Negeri Sembilan state on the Malay Peninsula. Captured and kept at London Zoo, it eventually grew to 5.71 metres but this huge snake was killed at the outbreak of the Second World War, to avoid putting the public in danger should the zoo be bombed and the snake escape.

Over five metres is unusual for king cobras, although even their average length of 3.7–4.6 metres make them large animals.

These snakes best show off their length when they’re feeling defensive or need to see above tall grass or bushes. They’ll raise the front of their body up to about one metre off the ground and can even chase threats while in this posture. These snakes generally prefer to flee than fight, however.

As an additional scare tactic, they’ll hiss and flatten their neck ribs into a hood, giving them the classic cobra shape.

Threatened by habitat destruction, it has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2010. In parts of their range, they’ve faced population declines of over 80% in 10 years due to habitat loss and exploitation. This includes being harvested for its skin, food and medicinal purposes.

[uk666]

Did you know.....

Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was almost cut from The Wizard of Oz

It's hard to believe that one of the most iconic movie songs of all time was almost cut from The Wizard of Oz. But MGM executives considered removing the scene because they thought it dragged down the film's momentum. 

They worried that the quiet moment would slow the story just as the plot was picking up speed. Some also felt the setting — a simple barnyard — didn’t match the movie's big, colourful spectacle. 

On top of that, the song itself struck them as sad, and they feared audiences wouldn't respond well to something so melancholy, and that they wanted excitement and sparkle. Luckily, for all of us, the executives made the right choice in the end.

Associate producer Arthur Freed argued passionately to keep it, famously telling studio head Louis B. Mayer, "The song stays—or I go!". Mayer ultimately relented, and the song remained in the movie.

[uk666]

Did you know.....

When Alec Guinness agreed to play Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: A New Hope, he wasn't particularly thrilled

Guinness thought the dialogue was clunky and the story was "fairy tale rubbish," but he found himself unable to put down the script. He agreed to do the film only after 20th Century Fox doubled their initial offer (paying him $ 300K) and to give him 2% of the film's box office royalties. 

George Lucas gave him an additional 0.5% after the film wrapped as a goodwill gesture. For his part, Guinness thought the film wasn't going to be a hit. When Star Wars became a massive global hit during its initial run, his share of the profits made him $7 million. 

By the time of his death in 2000, it is estimated that he had earned $95 million in residuals and royalties. His family continues to collect royalties from that role to this day.

[uk666]

Did you know.....

Eating the heart of a male Partridge was the cure for impotence in ancient Babylon

This practice was part of a broader set of ancient medical traditions that often-incorporated animal parts as a means of transferring desirable traits (such as the perceived virility or strength of a male animal) to a human. 

Ancient Babylonian medical texts, written on cuneiform tablets, include various "ŠĂ.ZI.GA" rituals (meaning "rising of the heart" or potency rituals) that combined incantations with the application of specific animal- or plant-based medicaments to treat sexual performance issues. 

This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or a diagnosis, consult a professional.

[uk666]

Did you know.....

When a crow passes away, other crows have a “funeral” and gather to see what may have caused it

when a crow dies, others gather around the body in a behaviour called a "crow funeral" or "death gathering," but it's less about mourning and more about information gathering to assess danger, identifying threats (like predators or humans), learning the cause, and remembering the location to avoid future risks, a process scientists call crow thanatology.

Crows call loudly, gathering others to investigate the dead crow's cause of death, often a predator or human. They study the scene to learn what posed the threat and where it occurred.

They remember dangerous individuals and locations, passing this knowledge to their young, and can even hold grudges for years. 

This behaviour highlights crows' high intelligence, complex social bonds, and advanced cognitive abilities beyond simple grief.

Death has a profound effect on crows’ brains, too, as an imaging study found that the sight of a dead member of their species stimulates the part of the brain used in making complex decisions, rather than instinctive reactions.

We might not know what the crows are thinking, but they are thinking. And after all, what’s a funeral if not a gathering for contemplation?

[uk666]

Did you know.....

When a Hawaiian woman wears a flower over her left ear, it means that she is not available

in Hawaiian tradition, a woman wearing a flower behind her left ear signifies she is taken, married, or unavailable, while wearing it behind the right ear means she's single and available, a simple code of romance and relationship status. 

The Meaning of Flower Placement:

1. Left Ear (Taken): Indicates the woman is in a relationship, married, or otherwise unavailable.
2. Right Ear (Available): Signals that the woman is single and open to romance. 

This tradition is a beautiful cultural practice, often seen with flowers like the fragrant plumeria, conveying messages through simple, elegant placement.

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Did you know.....

The longest recorded flight of a chicken is thirteen seconds

The widely cited record for the longest chicken flight is about 13 seconds, covering over 300 feet (around 91 meters). Chickens are a domesticated form of the species of pheasant known as junglefowl. Junglefowl are primarily ground birds that use what flight capabilities they have to avoid ground predators and roost at night.

Modern chickens have been selectively bred for larger bodies and breasts, making them too heavy for sustained flight, though smaller breeds and young chickens can still manage short bursts of flight. They use flight for quick escapes or to get over obstacles.

[uk666]

Did you know.....

The “shhh” sound we make could sound like hissing to your cat

While we may hush a baby to soothe it or shush someone to keep them quiet, your cat may not interpret these sounds the same way. 

While humans use the "shhh" or "hush" sound to soothe or quiet someone, to a cat, it mimics the defensive vocalization they use to communicate fear, discomfort, or the need for space. Cats hiss as a warning to other animals (or people) to back off, so hearing a similar sound from a human can be confusing or threatening. 

Instead of using a "shhh" sound to manage your cat's behaviour, it is recommended to: 

1. Use a soft, calm, and measured voice to talk to your cat.
2. Give them space if they appear stressed or fearful.
3. Avoid staring directly at them or leaning over them, as these actions can be perceived as threatening.
4. Redirect unwanted behaviour using positive methods like playtime or treats, rather than verbal reprimands. 

Understanding how your cat perceives sound and communication is key to building a positive relationship and avoiding inadvertently causing them anxiety.

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Did you know.....

Blueberry Jelly Bellies were created especially for Ronald Reagan

The Blueberry Jelly Belly flavour was created specifically for President Ronald Reagan's 1981 inauguration to complete a red, white, and blue patriotic mix, as blue jelly beans didn't exist before then and became an instant hit.

Solidifying Jelly Belly's popularity during his presidency. Reagan's famous love for Jelly Beans, which he used to help him quit smoking, led to a massive boom in orders for the candy. 

For his inauguration, Reagan ordered 3.5 tons of Jelly Belly beans in patriotic colours; to get the blue, the Herman Goelitz Candy Company (makers of Jelly Belly) developed the Blueberry flavour.

Blueberry remains a beloved flavour, and Reagan's endorsement made Jelly Belly a national sensation, with jars often found in the Oval Office and on Air Force One.

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Did you know.....

Bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers were all invented by women

That statement is largely true, highlighting significant contributions by women to safety and technology: 

1. Stephanie Kwolek: A chemist at DuPont who developed Kevlar, the strong, lightweight fibre essential for modern bulletproof vests, in 1965.
2. Anna Connelly: Patented the first fire escape in 1887, a vital safety feature for multi-story buildings.
3. Mary Anderson: Invented the windshield wiper in 1903, providing a crucial solution for drivers to see in rain and snow.
4. Joan Brewer Ewing: A critical member of the team that developed the first laser printer, contributing significantly to the technology

These inventions, often stemming from women's direct experiences and empathy, underscore their crucial role in innovation, making the world safer and more convenient.

[uk666]

Did you know.....

In Disney's Fantasia, the Sorcerer's name is "Yensid" (Disney backwards.)

In Disney's Fantasia, the powerful sorcerer who mentors Mickey Mouse is named Yen Sid, which is "Disney" spelled backward, a fun nod from the animators to Walt Disney himself, as Yen Sid was modelled after Walt.

Yen Sid (Disney backward) was an inside joke among the animators who modelled his stern look and eyebrows after Walt Disney.

He appears in the famous "Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment, where Mickey uses his magical hat, causing chaos that only Yen Sid can fix. His name isn't spoken in the original movie but was given by the production team as a tribute.