http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/hillandglen Fri, 25 May 2012 20:17:21 -0600 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.squidoo.com/free-wooden-toy-plans Looking for free wooden toy plans? Let this lens guide you...! Check out the wooden toy resources below or add your own link... Wood note: Poplar, pine, fir, and spruce are all good choices for making wooden toys... hobbies-games-toys Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:54:16 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/satellite-view-of-home Usually when making lenses, I would recommend several different suppliers of the information you're looking for... But this time is different. There is only one! It's called Flashearth! It runs straight off your browser without the need to download anything. Paul Neave has done us all proud. I also love his little 'distractions' on the website! Check it out ; ) squidoo-community Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:53:08 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/world-biggest-spider A: The Goliath Birdeater! Watch out - Here it comes! Native to the rain forest regions of northern South America, these spiders have up to a 30 centimeter (12 in) long leg span when fully extended and can weigh over 120 grams. Wild goliath birdeaters are a deep burrowing species, found commonly in marshy or swampy areas. Goliath birdeaters usually live in burrows in the ground that they have either dug themselves or have been previously abandoned by rodents or other similar creatures. pets-and-animals Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:54:57 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/howtocutroofrafters Looking to cut some roof rafters? Let this lens guide you...! I'm sure there are lots of people searching the Internet right now for information on how to cut roof rafters. I've tried to help by listing some of my favourite resources below. I hope you like them... Funny: 'how to cut roof rafters' anagrams to 'Coat show-off torturer.' :o hobbies-games-toys Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:55:28 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/short-rhyming-love-poems Lyric poetry is a genre that, unlike epic poetry and dramatic poetry, does not attempt to tell a story but instead is of a more personal nature. Rather than depicting characters and actions, it portrays the poet's own feelings, states of mind, and perceptions. While the genre's name, derived from "lyre," implies that it is intended to be sung, much lyric poetry is meant purely for reading. Though lyric poetry has long celebrated love, many courtly love poets also wrote lyric poems about war and peace, nature and nostalgia, grief and loss. Notable among these are the 15th century French lyric poets, Christine de Pizan and Charles, Duke of Orleans. Spiritual and religious themes were addressed by such medieval lyric poets as St. John of the Cross and Teresa of Ávila. The tradition of lyric poetry based on spiritual experience was continued by later poets such as John Donne, Gerard Manley Hopkins and T. S. Eliot. Although the most popular form for western lyric poetry to take may be the 14-line sonnet, as practiced by Petrarch and Shakespeare, lyric poetry shows a bewildering variety of forms, including increasingly, in the 20th century, unrhymed ones. This the most common type of poetry, as it deals intricately with the author's own emotions and views. arts-and-design Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:55:52 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/free-radius-maps Believe it or not, there a LOTS of people from all over the World looking for FREE radius maps - just like you! Have a look at my helpful links below. I think you'll like them... Funny: 'radius maps' anagrams to 'Rapid as sum.' education Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:57:01 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/illinois-indoor-waterparks Grab your bathing suit and head for an adventure you won't forget at one of Illinois' amazing indoor water parks. Raft rides, body slides, water cannons and vortex pools will ensure that winter's the last thing on your mind. Below are some of the parks making big waves throughout the state, including spectacular water resorts with great restaurants, spas, and fitness centers. Here's the list: entertainment Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:56:20 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/where-can-i-find-free-church-bulletin-covers Looking to find free church bulletin covers? I'm sure there are many people out there looking for exactly the same thing. I've collated a little list for you that you might find useful. Thanks for looking... education Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:58:34 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/who-is-dolly-partons-husband A: Carl Thomas Dean. (born 20 Jul 1942, Nashville, Tennessee) Dolly Parton married Carl in Ringgold, Georgia on May 30, 1966. She first met Dean at the Wishy-Washy Laundromat two years earlier on her first day in Nashville. Apparently, his very first words to her were -'You're gonna get sunburnt out there, little lady.'! Dean shuns publicity and is rarely seen in public. According to Parton, he has only seen her perform once. However, she has also commented in interviews that, although it appears they do not spend much time together, it is simply that nobody sees him. She has also commented on Dean's romantic side claiming that he will often do spontaneous things to surprise her, even writing poetry. Funny: 'dolly parton' anagrams to 'Dynatrollop.' :O culture-and-society Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:57:23 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/printable-grid-paper Looking for printable grid paper? Lots of people from all over the World are looking for Printable Grid Paper resources. Have a look at my collection of links below. I think you'll find then useful...! Funny: 'printable grid paper' anagrams to 'Rip bland paper tiger.' hobbies-games-toys Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:06:13 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/is-there-going-to-be-a-princess-diaries-3 After the success of the first two Princess diaries movies, speculation is rife on the Internet as to wether there's going to be a third. No-one really knows for sure as there have been no official announcements on the matter. Julie Andrews is quoted as saying in an interview about PD2; "...And I hope there's a Princess Diaries 3, too" Bear in mind that Anne Hathaway (Amelia "Mia" Thermopolis) did a nude scene in Brokeback Mountain, which Disney will surely be well aware of...! Watch this space, as they say. I'll keep a lookout for you all. entertainment Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:58:02 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-much-does-a-segway-scooter-cost Looking to buy a Segway scooter? Want to know how much it costs? Let this lens inform you...! What the dang's a Segway? The Segway PT is a two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle invented by Dean Kamen. It is produced by Segway Inc. of New Hampshire. The name "Segway" is a homophone of "segue" (a smooth transition, literally Italian for "follows"). PT is an initialism for personal transporter while the old suffix HT was an initialism for human transporter. Computers and motors in the base of the device keep the Segway PT upright when powered on with balancing enabled. Users lean forward to go forward, lean back to go backward, and turn by using a "Lean Steer" handlebar, leaning it left or right. Earlier HTs used a twist grip to steer by twisting the grip left and right. Segway PTs are driven by electric motors at up to 5.6 m/s (12.5 mph/20 km/h). Gyroscopic sensors (see vibrating structure gyroscope) are used to detect tilting of the device which indicates a departure from perfect balance. Motors driving the wheels are commanded as needed to bring the PT back into balance. Segways do not use traditional mechanical brakes but rather the motor decelerates as needed to brake; this makes their legal use uncertain on public roads in some jurisdictions which classify them as some form of motor vehicle and have only one definition for braking mechanisms. Funny: 'Segway scooter' anagrams to 'Sweaty scrooge'! cars Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:05:05 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/paper-airplanes-for-kids Looking for paper airplanes ideas for kids? I think there are a LOT of people out there in Internetwebland looking for the same kind of information. Have a peek at my personal favorite links that might give you a helping hand. Chocks away! Funny: 'paper airplanes for kids' anagrams to 'Fair plonkers disappear.' :o hobbies-games-toys Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:05:41 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/what-is-the-biggest-whale Looking for the World's biggest whale? Step inside...! The blue whale is found alone or in small groups in all oceans. It spends the summer in polar waters, feeding on shrimplike crustaceans (krill), and in winter moves toward the Equator to breed. Once the most important of the commercially hunted baleen whales, the blue whale was greatly reduced in numbers during the late 19th and the first half of the 20th century. It is now protected but is listed as critically endangered in the Red Data Book. pets-and-animals Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:07:34 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/play-online-virtual-drums Looking for a place to play online virtual drums? There are a heap of musically interested people just like yourself looking for Virtual drum resources. Have a peek at my collection below. I'm sure you'll like them...! Funny: 'play online virtual drums' anagrams to 'Unloved, military snarl-up.' music Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:57:41 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/history-of-ajanta-caves The Ajanta caves are a series of Buddhist rock-cut cave temples and monasteries, near Ajanta village, north-central Maharashtra state, western India, celebrated for their wall paintings. The temples are hollowed out of granite cliffs on the inner side of a 70-foot ravine in the Wagurna River valley, 65 miles NE of Aurangabad, at a site of great beauty. The 29 caves were excavated between the 1st century BC and the 7th century AD and consists of two types - Caityas (sanctuaries) and Viharas (monasteries). Although the sculpture, particularly the rich ornamentation of the caitya pillars, is noteworthy, it is the fresco-type paintings that are the chief interest of Ajanta. These paintings depict colourful Buddhist legends and divinities with an exuberance and that is unsurpassed in Indian art. education Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:15:10 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/free-dinosaur-games Looking for FREE dinosaur games? You're not alone. Lots of people are looking for handy resources to refer to that'll help them find free dinosaur games. I've compiled a little list below that I hope you'll find interesting and useful. Thanks. Funny: 'free dinosaur games' anagrams to 'Semidangerous fear.' : o parenting-and-kids Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:06:33 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/what-is-the-largest-zoo-in-the-united-states Well, I guess it depends on wether you mean 'large' by acreage, or 'large' by number of species/animals... The largest by area, is the Red McCombs Wildlife (Texas) with over 5.000 hectares (12.500 acres) The largest by species is San Diego Zoo (California) with around 4500 animals in 900 species. education Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:08:30 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/man-in-the-glass-poem The Man in the Glass has long been a favourite in Alcoholics Anonymous, whose members no doubt appreciate the unintended pun on "glass", as in "drinking vessel". AA legend has it that the poem was scrawled on the walls of death row in San Quentin prison by a nameless author. It is actually the work of Peter "Dale" Winbrow Sr (1895-1954), who published it in 1934. Funny: 'the man in the glass' anagrams to 'The manliest gnash.' : o books-poetry-writing Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:58:50 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/what-are-the-major-landforms-in-india It is now generally accepted that India's geographic position, continental outline, and basic geologic structure resulted from the shifting of enormous, rigid, crustal slabs called tectonic plates. These plates, which form the entire surface layer of the Earth, collide or slip by one another as they move across the underlying layer of molten material. India forms the northwestern portion of the Indian-Australian Plate. pets-and-animals Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:12:04 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-long-did-it-take-to-build-the-great-pyramid A: According to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, the Great Pyramid took 20 years to construct and demanded the labour of 100,000 men. completion date | 2570 BC height | 456 feet (139 meters) original height | 481 feet (147 metres) Built for King Khufu. education Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:08:53 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/10-facts-about-jupiter 1. It is the most massive of the planets; 2. It has the strongest magnetic field of the planets; 3. The planet has no solid surface; 4. The core temperature is 25,000 k; 5. The great red spot is roughly the same diameter as Earth; 6. The atmosphere is made up of mainly Hydrogen and Helium; 7. The first objects in the solar system discovered by means of a telescope were the four brightest satellites of Jupiter (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto); 8. Jupiter is 5th planet from the sun; 9. The planet was named after the Roman King of the Gods; 10. Jupiter is the source of intense bursts of radio noise, at some frequencies occasionally radiating more energy than the Sun. pets-and-animals Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:23:32 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/sand-bags-online If you live in a very wet Country like mine, or if you are in an area prone to flooding, you may want to stock up on your supplies of sandbags. Relatively cheap, long lasting and durable, a good supply of sand bags in the garage could save you thousands in the long run, as a lot of Insurance companies are refusing to pay out... hobbies-games-toys Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:09:10 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-tall-is-kourtney-kardashian A: Kourtney is 5' 0" tall. (1.52m) She was born on April 18, 1979 in Mill Valley, California, USA. She's an Aries. Kourtney is probably best known for the TV shows' Keeping Up with the Kardashians' and 'Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami'. Funny: 'Kourtney Kardashian' anagrams to 'House-train dark yank.' culture-and-society Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:15:40 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/what-do-bald-eagles-eat A: Fish! Bald eagles pluck fish out of the water with their talons, and sometimes they follow seabirds as a means of locating fish. Bald eagles also rob ospreys of their fish catches. Besides live fish, bald eagles prey on other birds, small mammals, snakes, turtles, crabs, and carrion. pets-and-animals Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:19:09 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/lyrics-and-guitar-chords-of-besame-mucho "Besame Mucho" is a Mexican song written in 1940 by Consuelo Velázquez before her sixteenth birthday. The phrase "besame mucho" can be translated into English as "kiss me a lot". According to Velázquez, she wrote this song even though she had never been kissed yet at the time. She was inspired by the aria "Quejas, o la Maja y el Ruisenor" from the Spanish 1916 opera Goyescas by Enrique Granados. Emilio Tuero was the first to record the song. It has since been performed by many artists including, notably The Beatles, who often played it during live performances throughout 1962 (though they never released a studio recording of the song.) The composition has been used on the soundtrack of numerous films including Great Expectations, A toda máquina, Moon Over Parador, Arizona Dream, Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, In Good Company, Paid, Juno, and Mona Lisa Smile. American Jazz musician, Art Pepper, had a big hit with the song in 1956. In 2007, Composer/Arranger and Jazz Trombonist Steve Wiest was nominated for a Grammyfor Best Instrumental Arrangement for his version of Besame Mucho that was recorded by Maynard Ferguson on The One and Only Maynard Ferguson. music Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:10:28 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/what-is-the-characteristics-of-mercutio Mercutio is a kinsman of the prince of Verona and a friend to the Montague Romeo in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Mercutio's baiting of and eventual stabbing by the Capulet Tybalt brings about Romeo's banishment and the misunderstanding that leads Romeo and Juliet to double suicide. arts-and-design Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:21:44 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/colinmontgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE (born June 23, 1963) is a Scottish professional golfer often referred to by his nickname 'Monty'. Although Scottish by birth and ethnicity, he was raised in Yorkshire, England, where his father James was Managing Director of Fox's Biscuits. Colin spent a number of years at the Ilkley Golf Club where he was tutored by the past professional Bill Ferguson. He was educated at both Leeds Grammar School and Strathallan School, Perthshire. His father would later become the secretary of Royal Troon Golf Club, one of Scotland's most famous clubs. Montgomerie became one of the first British golfers to go to a United States college, attending Houston Baptist University. In later years, many top young British golfers (e.g., Luke Donald) would follow Monty's path to United States universities. He won three important Scottish amateur tournaments - the 1983 Scottish Youths Championship, the 1985 Scottish Stroke Play Championship, and the 1987 Scottish Amateur Championship. He also played for Scotland twice in the Eisenhower Trophy (1984 and 1986) and for Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup twice (1985 and 1987). culture-and-society Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:26:46 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/panzer-IV Panzer IV is the common name of a medium tank that was developed in the late 1930s by Germany and used extensively in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen IV (abbreviated PzKpfw IV) and the tank also had the ordnance inventory designation SdKfz 161. It was initially designed as an infantry-support medium tank (Begleitwagen, mittlerer Panzer), to work in conjunction with the Panzer III which was intended to engage enemy armor. Later in the war it was up-gunned and up-armored and took over the tank-fighting role while Panzer IIIs were either put into infantry support duties or converted into other vehicles. The Panzer IV was the most common German tank of World War II, and was used as the base for many other fighting vehicles, such as tank destroyers and self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. The Panzer IV has the distinction of being the only German tank to remain in continuous production throughout all of World War II, with over 8,500 produced from 1937 to 1945. VERSIONS "Ausf" is an abbreviation of Ausfuhrung, which means "version". * Ausf. A (1937-1938, 35 produced) * Ausf. B (1938, 42 produced): Thicker armor, larger engine. * Ausf. C (1938-1939, 138 produced): Minor improvements. * Ausf. D (1939-1940, 229 produced): Thicker side armor. First model intended for combat. * Ausf. E (1940-1941, 223 produced): Thicker front and side armor. * Ausf. F1 (1941-1942, 462 produced): Simplified construction. * Ausf. F2 (1942, 175 produced): Armed with a new, longer-barreled 7.5 cm KwK 40 L/43 gun. * Ausf. G (1942-1943, 1687 produced): Thicker turret armor, winter combat modifications. Some late Ausf. Gs were fitted with 'Schürzen', side skirts, thin metal plates attached to the hull sides and turret via mounting brackets for protection against Soviet anti-tank rifles as well as hollow-charge rounds. * Ausf. H (1943-1944, 3774 produced): Longer 7.5 cm KwK 40 L/48 gun and thicker armor. Radio antenna moved to left rear of hull. * Ausf. J (1944-1945, 1758 produced): Turret traverse engine replaced with an extra fuel tank. Later ausf Js had simplified vertical exhaust mufflers and the use of 3 instead of 4 track return rollers. Very late ausf J's used wire mesh side-skirts (Drahtgeflecht Schürzen) in place of solid metal plates to conserve strategic materials and reduce overall weight. * Tauchpanzer (1940, 42 converted): A "diving tank". Ausf. D converted in anticipation of Operation Sealion. All openings were sealed, commander's cupola, gun mantlet and machine gun mount covered with rubber sheeting, turret ring protected by inflatable rubber ring. Exhausts were fitted with non-return valves. Air was supplied via a flexible 18-meter hose held on the surface by a buoy. Maximum safe depth was about 15 meters, maximum underwater speed about 3 mph (5 km/h). Some were used by the 18th Panzer Regiment during River Bug crossing in Operation Barbarossa. * Panzerbefehlswagen IV (PzBefWg. IV) (1944, 97 converted): Ausf H converted to command vehicle, were fitted with second radio. * Panzerbeobachtungwagen IV (PzBeogWg. IV) (1944-1945, 96 converted): Pz IV, mostly Ausf. J, converted to Panzerartillerie Forward Observation Officer's vehicle. Were fitted with additional periscope to the left of the commander's cupola and with additional radios. cars Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:18:21 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/famous-people-from-wyoming Wyoming was admitted to the Union as the 44th state on July 10, 1890. The state's name is derived from a Delaware Indian word meaning "land of vast plains," an apt description of its spacious natural environment, which is home to nearly as many pronghorn as people. The state's residents are spread across the land in small ranching and farming towns, in mining settlements, and in communities offering unparalleled outdoor recreational opportunities. Each year millions of people visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. Tens of thousands of pioneers crossed Wyoming along the Oregon, Overland, Mormon, Bozeman, and Bridger trails during the 19th century. The route of the short-lived Pony Express crossed the state along the Oregon Trail in 1860-61, as did the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad when they first connected North America's east and west coasts in the late 1860s. Listed below are some of the famous people connected with the State... culture-and-society Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:31:40 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/metamorphic-rocks Metamorphic rocks are those which have been changed inside the Earth's crust by heat, pressure and chemical activity. Both igneous and sedimentary rocks can be metamorphosed, a word which means changed completely. Some rocks are metamorphosed over thousands of square kilometres. This happens when rocks that have been buried deep in the Earth return to the surface through earthquakes or the erosion of the rocks above them. This is known as regional metamorphism. Contact metamorphism occurs in rocks that lie close to where new igneous rocks have been thrust up to the surface. This heats the existing rocks up and changes them. Contact metamorphism is often found in the rock surrounding a dike. Many metamorphic rocks, such as gneisses, can be readily identified by their striped or banded appearance. They are formed under considerable pressure. pets-and-animals Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:23:00 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/scottish-toasts * Freedom and whisky gang thegither-Tak aff your dram! * Here's our noble sel's, weel met the day! * Here's tae us! Wha's like us? Deil the yin! * Here's to the heath, the hill and the heather, the bonnet, the plaid, the kilt and the feather! * Here's to them that lo'es us, or lends us a lift! * Here's health, wealth, wit and meal! * May the honest heart ne'er feel distress! * May the winds o adversity ne'er blow open your door! * When we're gaun up a hill o fortune, may we ne'er meet a frien' comin' down! * A cosy but and a canty ben to couthie women and trusty men! * Mair frien's, and less need o them! * May ye ne'er want a frien', or a dram to gi'e him! * May the hinges o frien'ship ne'er rust, nor the wings o love lose a feather! * May the pleasures of the evening bear the reflections of the morning! * Guide nicht to ye, and tak your nappie: A willie-waught's a gude nicht-cappie. * To the King owre the water! * All absent friends, all ships at sea, and the auld pier o Leith! * Tir nam beann, nan gleann, nan gaisgeach! [To the land of the bens, the glens and the heroes!]  * May the best you've ever seen Be the worst you'll ever see; May a moose ne'er leave yer girnal Wi' a teardrop in his e'e. May ye aye keep hale and hearty Till ye're auld enough tae dee, May ye aye be just as happy As I wish ye aye tae be. arts-and-design Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:07:55 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch Llanfairpwllgwyngyll (long form Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch), also spelt Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll and commonly known as Llanfair PG or Llanfairpwll, is a village and community on the island of Anglesey in Wales, situated on the Menai Strait next to Menai Bridge and across the strait from Bangor. According to the 2001 census, the population of the community is 3,040, 76% of whom speak Welsh fluently; the highest percentage of speakers is in the 10–14 age group, where 97.1% are able to speak Welsh. It is the fifth largest settlement on the island in terms of population. The long form of the name is the longest officially recognised place name in the United Kingdom and one of the longest in the world, being 58 letters in length (51 letters in the Welsh alphabet, where "ch" and "ll" count as single letters). The name is Welsh for "St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave". This village was originally known as Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll (and is sometimes still referred to as Llanfairpwllgwyngyll) and was given its long name in the 19th century in an attempt to develop the village as a commercial and tourist centre (see Significance of the name below). Today the village is still signposted as Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, marked on Ordnance Survey maps as Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll and is known to locals as Llanfairpwll or simply Llanfair. The name is also seen shortened to Llanfair PG, which is sufficient to distinguish it from the many other Welsh villages with Llanfair in their names. Other variant forms use the full name but with tysilio mutated to dysilio, and/or with a hyphen between drobwll and llan. In Welsh, the initial Ll may be mutated to a single L in some contexts. Visitors stop at the railway station to be photographed next to the station sign, visit the nearby Visitors' Centre, or have 'passports' stamped at a local shop. Another tourist attraction is the nearby Marquess of Anglesey's Column, which at a height of 27 metres offers views over Anglesey and the Menai Strait. Designed by Thomas Harrison, the monument celebrates the heroism of Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey at the Battle of Waterloo. travel-and-places Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:43:32 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/when-did-america-gain-independence America declares independence Date | 4 July 1776 Countries involved | United States of America | United Kingdom of Great Britain People involved | Thomas Jefferson | John Adams | Benjamin Franklin | King George III education Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:16:02 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-do-i-get-urine-smell-out-of-carpet Looking for some tips on removing urine smells from carpet? Let this lens guide you...! education Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:22:55 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/hailstones Hail is a form of precipitation which consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice (hailstones), also hail is a type of snow. Hailstones on Earth usually consist mostly of water ice and measure between 5 and 50 millimeters in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms. Hail is only produced by cumulonimbi (thunderclouds), usually at the front of the storm system, and is composed of transparent ice or alternating layers of transparent and translucent ice at least 1 mm thick. Small hailstones are less than 5 mm in diameter, and are reported as SHGS. Unlike ice pellets, they are layered and can be irregular and clumped together. The largest hailstone ever was a seven-inch diameter, 18.75 inches circumference monster, that fell on Aurora, Nebraska on June 22, 2003. pets-and-animals Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:22:00 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/what-is-mcdonalds-hamburger-meat-made-of Answer: 100% Beef Patty. (Ground beef) 100% pure USDA inspected beef; no fillers, no extenders. Prepared with grill seasoning (salt, black pepper). food-and-cooking Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:39:39 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/tyson-beckford Tyson Craig Beckford (born December 19, 1970 in Bronx, New York) is a Jamaican American male supermodel and actor, known worldwide for his muscular physique, facial structure, and tattoos; and also as the lead model for Ralph Lauren. He is also reported to be one of the highest-paid and richest Jamaican American male supermodels in the world. Beckford is the son of a Jamaican mother and a half Jamaican and half Chinese father. Growing up in Rochester, New York, he attended Bay Trail Middle School in the suburbs of Penfield, NY and then Pittsford Mendon High School in the affluent suburb of Pittsford as a participant in the Urban-Suburban Program, a busing program designed to give educational opportunities to urban youth in the city's surrounding suburban school districts. Tyson was a member of his high school football and track teams. In 1991, he was recruited to hip hop magazine The Source by a talent scout who had come across him by chance in a New York park. In 1993, Beckford was recruited by Ralph Lauren as the front model for the company's Polo line of male sportswear. Beckford's fame continued to rise, and he was named "Man of the Year" in 1995 by VH1, as well as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World by People magazine. In June 2005, Beckford was injured in a car accident near his home. His vehicle caught fire, and Beckford was able to pull himself out before it became fully engulfed in flames. The accident had a profound effect on his spirituality, which he later revealed on The Oprah Winfrey Show. culture-and-society Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:03:10 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/iron-sky In 1945 the Nazis went to the Moon. In 2018, they are coming back. A two-and-a-half minute teaser for the dark science fiction comedy Iron Sky has been released. (see teaser below) Iron Sky is the second film by the creators of Star Wreck, the most popular Internet feature film of all time, as well as the most popular Finnish film ever. Over 8 million people have downloaded Star Wreck since its free Internet release in 2005. The film was eventually distributed by Universal Pictures as a premium DVD. Iron Sky is a pitch-black science fiction comedy that holds nothing sacred. It combines the dry irony of Dr. Strangelove with the visual style of invasion films such as Independence Day. Finns are known for their dark wit, perhaps due to their history successively under the oppressive thumb of Sweden, Russia, and the Nazis. Star Wreck repeatedly skewered Russia (and was wildly successful there), and Iron Sky continues in the same vein of mocking totalitarianism. Says director Timo Vuorensola: "Iron Sky is a story about conformity: those who want to conform, those who want to make others conform, and those who refuse to conform." entertainment Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:27:55 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-many-stars-and-stripes-are-on-the-usa-flag A: There are 50 stars and 13 stripes! The fifty stars on the flag represent the fifty current U.S. states. The thirteen (7 red, 6 white) stripes represent the thirteen colonies that rebelled against the British Crown and became the first states in the Union. The colonies being... Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island education Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:34:55 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/jonahlomu Jonah Tali Lomu,(born May 12, 1975) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who has played 73 times (63 caps) as an All Black after debuting in 1994. Lomu was born in Auckland, New Zealand of Tongan descent. He grew up in South Auckland and attended Wesley College, Pukekohe. He is generally regarded as the first true global superstar of rugby union, and one of the sport's most intimidating players on the field, and has had a huge impact on the game. He was inducted to the International Rugby Hall of Fame on 9 October 2007. Lomu burst onto the international rugby scene during the 1995 World Cup in South Africa. At one time Lomu was considered 'rugby union's biggest drawcard', swelling attendances at any match where he appeared. He has played for several provincial teams, in the National Provincial Championship (NPC) and Super Rugby competitions. These included Counties Manukau, the Auckland Blues, Waikato Chiefs, Wellington Lions and Hurricanes, and later North Harbour. He is making a comeback after undergoing a kidney transplant in 2004. In 1996 he married South African Tanya Rutter; they officially divorced in 2000. He has been married to Fiona Taylor since 2003. He is officially the Rugby World Cup all-time top try scorer with 15 tries. He is the cousin of National Rugby League footballer Andrew Lomu. At 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) Lomu is as tall as most locks, and at 119 kg (262 lb) is as heavy as most props. Despite his size (he was the All Blacks heaviest ever back), at his peak he was still able to run 100 metres in 10.89 seconds. At school his sprint training included running around the field and pulling a lawn-roller with a rope tied around his waist. Lomu played rugby league until the age of fourteen. While at Wesley College and being coached by Chris Grinter, Lomu became a mobile loose forward in the school's First XV. He was soon noticed by provincial rugby selectors, and joined the Counties Manukau National Provincial Championship (NPC) side. Lomu was also selected for national age-grade sides, representing New Zealand under-17 in 1991-92 and New Zealand Secondary Schools in 1992-93. sports-and-recreation Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:26:31 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/melting-point-of-pvc-plastic Answer = 80 deg C (degrees Celsius) education Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:45:13 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/transatlanticsessionsvideoshowcase A  folk music collaboration between top musical artists from North America, Ireland and the UK. For the latest series (three), a beautiful old farm steading converted into a small concert/studio space at Strathgarry House near Killiecrankie in the Perthshire Highlands was chosen and top vocal and instrumental exponents of the Country and Celtic traditions gathered to rehearse and play together with no audience except themselves and a "resident" house-band of their peers. Music co-directors were Nashville's Jerry Douglas and Shetland's own Aly Bain. music Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:44:11 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-many-people-died-in-the-battle-of-gettysburg A: Around 43,000! Losses at Gettysburg (July 1st - 3rd, 1863) were among the Civil war's heaviest. Of the 88,000 Northern troops, casualties numbered about 23,000. Southern soldiers lost 20,000 out of 75,000 men. education Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:26:34 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-many-people-die-a-year-from-heart-disease A: In the U.S. in 2005, there were 445,687 deaths from heart disease - that's roughly one in five deaths. Globally, cardiovascular diseases (coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, raised blood pressure, peripheral artery disease, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease and heart failure) are the no.1 cause of death and is set to remain so. An estimated 17.5 million people died from cardiovascular disease in 2005, representing 30 % of all global deaths. Of these deaths, 7.6 million were due to heart attacks and 5.7 million due to stroke. About 80% of these deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries. If current trends are allowed to continue, by 2015 an estimated 20 million people will die from cardiovascular disease (mainly from heart attacks and strokes). education Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:27:18 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/humanism-by-maslow Humanism is a 20th-century movement in psychology that believes that man, as an individual, is a unique being and should be recognized and treated as such by psychologists and psychiatrists. The movement grew in opposition to the two mainstream 20th-century trends in psychology, behaviourism and psychoanalysis. culture-and-society Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:27:27 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/hunter-wellies The Hunter story begins in the 1850's when an Englishman whose name has been lost in the mists of time patents a process to cure (vulcanise) natural rubber. An American entrepreneur, Mr. Henry Lee Norris, realised that the patent related solely to England so he registered his own trademark and patent in Scotland, and then arrived in search of a suitable site to produce rubber footwear. Having acquired a block of buildings in Edinburgh, known as the Castle Silk Mills, the North British Rubber Company was registered as a limited company in September 1856. Mr. Norris then had to find employees skilled in the manufacture of rubber footwear. This was no simple task for such a new industry. The problem was solved by importing labour. Four adventurous individuals from New York set sail on a ship laden with manufacturing machinery bound to become pioneers of the rubber industry in Scotland. They were employed not only to make boots, but also to instruct others in the process. Although the company began its life as a manufacturer of rubber boots and shoes, it quickly expanded to produce an extensive range of rubber products. These included tyres, conveyor belts, combs, golf balls, hot water bottles and rubber flooring - to name just a few. Initially the rubber boot was produced in a limited number but production was dramatically boosted with the advent of World War I. The North British Rubber Company was asked by the War Office to construct a sturdy boot suitable for the conditions in flooded trenches. The mills ran day and night to produce immense quantities of these trench boots. In total, 1,185,036 pairs were made to cope with the Army's demands. The fashionable boot was now a functional necessity. Again the company made an important contribution during World War II. At the outbreak of war in September 1939, 80% of the entire output consisted of war materials. The list of contributions was extensive, including ground sheets, life belts, bomb covers, gas marks and wellington boots. Although trench warfare was not a feature of the war, the wellington still played an important role. Those forces assigned the task of clearing Holland of the enemy had to work in terrible flooded conditions. Thus The North British Rubber Company was called upon to supply vast quantities of Wellingtons and thigh boots. By the end of the war the wellington had become popular among men, women and children for wear in wet weather. The boot had developed to become far roomier with a thick sole and rounded toe. Also, with the rationing of that time, labourers began to use them for daily work. To deal with this success the company extended their manufacturing premises in 1946, acquiring an extensive factory in Dumfriesshire. This factory, known as Heathhall, had been built in 1912 originally to manufacture car and aeronautical engines (the Arrold Johnston motor car was produced at this site). The North British Rubber Company continued to prosper introducing both the green Hunter and the Royal Hunter Wellingtons into the market in the winter of 1954/1955. Trade reaction was very slow - an order of 36 pairs was regarded as quite an achievement. However, the company persisted in their promotion taking them to many country shows. In 1966, the North British Rubber Company underwent a name change and from that date operated under the name of Uniroyal Limited. In 1986 The Gates Rubber Company Limited of Colorado, Denver bought UniRoyal and the following year the name of the Scottish company was changed to The Gates Rubber Company Limited. In 1996, Gates was bought by Tomkins PLC of London, who sold it in 1999 to Interfloor, the country's largest manufacturer of carpet underlay. In 2004, the management of Hunter bought the footwear bit from Interfloor and for the first time ever, the business has become a freestanding independent company. hobbies-games-toys Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:38:46 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-do-you-know-fake-or-real-diamond Looking to tell real diamonds from the man-made variety? Read on...! education Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:27:57 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/gianthogweed Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), or Giant Cow-parsley, is a member of the family Apiaceae, native to the Caucasus Region and Central Asia. Giant hogweed may reach 2-5m (rarely to 7 m) tall. Except for size, it closely resembles Common Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium), Heracleum sosnowskyi or Garden Angelica (Angelica archangelica). It is further distinguished by a stout, dark reddish-purple stem and spotted leaf stalks that are hollow and produce sturdy bristles. Stems vary from 3-8 cm in diameter, occasionally up to 10 cm. The stem shows a purplish-red pigmentation with raised nodules. Each purple spot on the stem surrounds a hair, and there are large, coarse white hairs at the base of the leaf stalk. The plant has deeply incised compound leaves which grow up to 1-1.7 m in width. Giant Hogweed is a perennial with tuberous rootstalks which form perennating buds each year. It flowers from late spring to mid summer, with numerous white flowers clustered in an umbrella-shaped head that is up to 80 cm (2.5 ft) in diameter across its flat top. The plant produces flattened, 1 cm long, oval dry seeds that have a broadly rounded base, and broad marginal ridges. It flowers from late spring to mid summer, and then produces between 1,500 to 100,000 seeds. Shoots die down in the fall. Tall stems mark its locations during winter. Many foreign plants were introduced to Britain in the 19th century, mainly for ornamental reasons. A few have become aggressively dominant, creating serious problems in some areas. It is now widespread throughout the British Isles especially along riverbanks. By forming dense stands they can displace native plants and reduce wildlife interests. It has also spread in the northeastern and northwestern United States. It is equally a pernicious invasive species in Germany, France and Belgium, overtaking the local species. It was introduced in France in the 19th century by botanists, much appreciated by beekeepers. pets-and-animals Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:34:50 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/what-gases-make-the-sun Wondering which gases make up the sun? The answer is here...! pets-and-animals Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:29:29 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/interesting-facts-about-hydrogen Basic elemental properties: abbreviation | H atomic number | 1 atomic weight | 1.00794 Thermodynamic properties: phase at STP | gas melting point | -259.14 deg C boiling point | -252.87 deg C (properties at standard conditions) Material properties: density | 8.99x10^-5 g/cm^3 sound speed | 1270 m/s (rank: 61st) thermal conductivity | 0.1805 W/(m K) (rank: 83rd) (properties at standard conditions) Electromagnetic properties: magnetic type | diamagnetic color | (colorless) refractive index | 1.000132 Reactivity: valence | 1 electronegativity | 2.2 electron affinity | 0.755 eV (molar electronvolts) ionization energies | 13.598 eV Atomic properties: quantum numbers | ^2S_1/2 atomic radius | 53 pm (electronic ground state properties) Abundances: universe abundance | 0.75 (rank: 1st) crust abundance | 0.0015 (rank: 11th) human abundance | 0.1 (rank: 3rd) Nuclear properties: half-life | (stable) stable isotopes | H1 (99.9885%) | H2 (1.15x10^-4 ) unstable isotopes | H3 (12.33 yr) | ... Identifiers: CAS number | CAS1333-74-0 PubChem CID | 783 education Sun, 17 Oct 2010 12:45:43 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/butterfly-life-cycle Butterflies are some of the most colourful and attractive insects on the planet. There are several thousand species of butterflies belonging to about six families (or more, in other systems of classification) and constituting the subfamily Papilionoidea. Along with the moths and the skippers, they make up the insect order Lepidoptera. Butterflies are nearly worldwide in distribution. Like those of moths, the wings, bodies, and legs of butterflies are covered with dustlike scales that come off when they are handled. Unlike moths, butterflies are usually brightly or strikingly coloured and are active during the day. Perhaps the most distinctive features of the butterfly are its club-tipped antennae and its habit of holding the wings vertically over the back when at rest. The life cycle of the butterfly, like that of other lepidopterans, has four stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chyrsalis), and adult (imago). The larva and adults of most species are plant eaters. education Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:28:27 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/olympic-skater-kristi-yamaguchi Kristi Yamaguchi was born July 12, 1971, Hayward, Calif., U.S. sports-and-recreation Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:28:43 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/Golfgadjets Looking for fun golf gadgets? Let this lens guide you... hobbies-games-toys Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:34:19 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/donate-furniture-in-new-york New Yorker's are famous for their down-to-earth attitude and generosity of spirit. Lots of people just like you, are looking to donate their old furniture, in the hope of making someone's life a little better. Furnish a Future is New York City's only free furniture bank. Since 1992, Furnish a Future has helped more than 22,000 formerly homeless families turn bare rooms into comfortable, functional homes. The furniture you donate today will help transform an empty apartment into a warm, welcoming home for a formerly homeless family or individual. travel-and-places Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:23:40 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/allanwells Allan Wipper Wells (born May 3, 1952) is a former Scottish athlete who became Olympic Champion in the 100 m at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. culture-and-society Sun, 20 Jun 2010 13:10:26 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/best-basketballplayer-ever The definitive list to find the world's best Basketball player ever - deceased or living. Vote for your favorite, or add your own suggestion...  sports-and-recreation Sun, 20 Jun 2010 13:13:26 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/florida-state-road-map The geographic location of Florida has been the key factor in a long and colourful development, and it helps explain the striking contemporary character of the state. The greater part of Florida lies on a peninsula that protrudes southeastward from the North American continent, separating the waters of the Atlantic Ocean from those of the Gulf of Mexico and pointing toward Cuba and the Caribbean Sea beyond. Florida shares a border with only two states, Georgia and Alabama, both to the north. The nearest foreign territory is the Bahamian island of Bimini, some 50 miles (80 kilometres) to the east of the state's tip. With the exception of Hawaii, Florida is the southernmost state of the United States, its northernmost point lying 100 miles farther south than California's southern border. The Florida Keys, a crescent of islands that forms the state's southernmost portion, lie within 1,700 miles of the equator. The state lies close to both the geographic and the population centres of the landmass of the Western Hemisphere, and its position not only commands one entrance to the Gulf of Mexico but also lies along a strategic crossroads between North and South America and historic routes to the European and Mediterranean worlds. Florida played a prominent role in the struggles of the European powers to control the New World, and it is fitting that St. Augustine, founded in 1565 on its northeastern coast, is the oldest European settlement within what were to become the boundaries of the continental United States. Although agriculture and manufacturing continue to be important in Florida, the climate and scenery of the "Sunshine State" have attracted enormous numbers of visitors, and tourism is now a mainstay of a well-diversified economy. The Capital is Tallahassee. travel-and-places Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:31:05 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/indoor-water-parks-in-ohio Whether the weather outside is frightful or delightful, it's a balmy 84 degrees in Ohio's exciting indoor waterparks! With seven parks throughout Ohio offering unique combinations of waterslides, water rides, pools, full service spas and more, kids will have a blast and parents can relax poolside or join in the fun. Best of all, family-sized, comfortable hotel rooms are just steps away, making for a no-stress getaway with your kids! sports-and-recreation Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:35:23 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/eiger The Eiger is a mountain in the Alps of Switzerland. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge-crest that extends to the Mönch (4,107 m) and across the Jungfraujoch to the Jungfrau (4,158 m). The peak is mentioned in records dating back to the 13th century but there is no clear indication of how exactly the peak gained its name. The three mountains of the ridge are sometimes referred to as the Virgin (German: Jungfrau, lit. "Young Woman" - roughly translates to "Virgin" or "Maiden"), the Monk (Mönch) and the Ogre (Eiger). The name has been linked to the Greek term akros, meaning "sharp" or "pointed", but more commonly to the German eigen, meaning "characteristic". The first ascent of the Eiger was made by Swiss guides Christian Almer and Peter Bohren and Irishman Charles Barrington who climbed the west flank on August 11, 1858. The Jungfraubahn railway runs in a tunnel inside the Eiger, and two internal stations provide easy access to viewing-windows in the mountainside. The railway terminates at Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe, located in the col between the Mönch and the Jungfrau. In July 2006, a piece of the Eiger, amounting to approximately 700,000 cubic metres of rock, fell from the east face. As it had been noticeably cleaving for several weeks and it fell into an uninhabited area, there were no injuries and no buildings were hit. travel-and-places Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:22:41 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/interesting-facts-about-chlorine Basic elemental properties: abbreviation | Cl atomic number | 17 atomic weight | 35.453 Thermodynamic properties: phase at STP | gas melting point | -101.5 deg C boiling point | -34.04 deg C (properties at standard conditions) Material properties: density | 0.003214 g/cm^3 sound speed | 206 m/s (rank: 72nd) thermal conductivity | 0.0089 W/(m K) (rank: 92nd) (properties at standard conditions) Electromagnetic properties: electrical type | insulator resistivity | 100 Omega m (ohm meters) magnetic type | diamagnetic color | (yellow) refractive index | 1.000773 Reactivity: valence | 5 electronegativity | 3.16 electron affinity | 3.617 eV (molar electronvolts) ionization energies | 12.968 eV | ... Atomic properties: quantum numbers | ^2P_3/2 atomic radius | 79 pm (electronic ground state properties) Abundances: universe abundance | 1x10^-6 (rank: 22nd) crust abundance | 1.7x10^-4 (rank: 19th) human abundance | 0.0012 (rank: 10th) Nuclear properties: half-life | (stable) stable isotopes | Cl35 (75.78%) | Cl37 (24.22%) unstable isotopes | Cl36 (0.3 Myr) | ... education Sat, 30 May 2009 07:07:08 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/major-causes-of-cold-war A look at the early causes of the cold war... education Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:21:37 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/what-year-was-the-statue-of-liberty-built A: Work began on the statue in 1875, in France. In 1885, the completed statue was disassembled and shipped to New York City. The official opening was in October 1886. education Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:30:06 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/lenazavaroni Lena Zavaroni was a Scottish child singer (November 4,1963 - October 1, 1999). With her album Ma, Hes Making Eyes At Me'' at ten years of age, she is the youngest person in history who has had an album in UK album chart top ten. She died at the age of 35 after a long battle with anorexia nervosa. Early life and career  Lena grew up in the small town of Rothesay on the Isle of Bute with musical parents. Father Victor Zavaroni played the guitar, mother Hilda sang, and Lena herself sang from the age of two. Her Italian surname came from her immigrant grandfather. She was discovered in the summer of 1973 by record producer Tommy Scott, who was on holiday in Rothesay and heard her singing with her father and uncle in a band. Scott contacted impresario Phil Solomon, which led to his partner, Dorothy Solomon, becoming Zavaroni's manager. In 1974 she appeared on Hughie Green’s Opportunity Knocks and won the show for a record-breaking five weeks running. She followed this with the album Ma, He's Making Eyes At Me, a collection of classic and then-recent pop standards which reached #8 in the UK album chart. At 10 years, 146 days old, Zavaroni is still the youngest person to have an album in the top 10 and was also the youngest person to appear on the BBC's Top of the Pops. Zavaroni also sang at a Hollywood charity show with Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball in 1974, at which Ball commented, "You’re special. Very special and very, very good,"although some sources attribute the words to Sinatra. Following this, Zavaroni guest-starred on The Carol Burnett Show. She also appeared in the Morecambe and Wise Show, the 1976 Royal Variety Show and performed at the White House for US President Gerald Ford. "Ma! He's Making Eyes at Me," originally an Eddie Cantor song from 1921, became her only US chart record when it reached #91 during a four-week run on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1974. While attending London's Italia Conti Academy stage school, Lena met and became long-term friends with child star Bonnie Langford. The two starred in the TV show Lena and Bonnie. Between 1980 and 1982, Lena had her own TV series on the BBC, Lena Zavaroni and Music, which featured singing and dancing, and included guests such as Spike Milligan and Les Dawson. Illness and later years  From the age of 13, Zavaroni suffered from anorexia nervosa. While at stage school, her weight dropped to 4 stone (25 kg). Zavaroni blamed this on the pressure placed upon her to fit into costumes while at the same time she was "developing as a woman." She continued to suffer from anorexia throughout the 1980s, and in 1989 she married computer consultant Peter Wiltshire. The couple settled in North London but separated 18 months later. Also in 1989, Zavaroni's mother, Hilda, died of a tranquilliser overdose and a fire destroyed all of her showbiz mementoes. After the breakup of her marriage, Zavaroni moved to Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, to be nearer to her father and his second wife. By this time, she was living off state benefits and in 1999 was accused of stealing a 50p packet of jelly, although the charges were later dropped. Zavaroni underwent a number of drug treatments and received electroconvulsive therapy in an attempt to beat her anorexia. Her inquest was told that none of these had been successful in the long term. In addition she was suffering from depression and begged doctors to operate on her to relieve her depression. Although the operation would not cure her anorexia, she was desperate for it to proceed and threatened suicide (she also took a drug overdose) if it did not. In September 1999 Zavaroni was admitted to University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for treatment and is believed to have undergone a leukotomy. After the operation, she appeared to be in a satisfactory condition and after a week she was "making telephone calls, cheerful and engaging in conversation," even asking her doctor if he thought there was any chance that she would get back on stage. However, three weeks after the operation, she developed a chest infection and died from pneumonia on October 1. She weighed less than 5 stone (32 kg). culture-and-society Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:03:19 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/whisky-cocktails Looking for something different to keep you cool on a sweltering summer's day? Want to remind yourself just how much you love scotch? Read on!  food-and-cooking Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:45:40 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/which-states-were-part-of-the-confederacy A: South Carolina Mississippi Florida Alabama Georgia Louisiana Texas Virginia Arkansas North Carolina Tennessee The American Civil War lasted four years, (1861-65) and was fought between the federal government of the United States and 11 Southern states that asserted their right to secede from the Union. education Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:04:51 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/wagonwheels If there's a bigger bite, it can't be found. Wagon Wheels are a popular biscuit in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom which have a marshmallow centre and are covered in a chocolate flavoured coating. They are produced and distributed by Burton's Foods. The biscuit itself is round to represent the wheel of a wagon (hence the name). Wagon Wheels were invented by Garry Weston (1927-2002) (son of W. Garfield Weston). Garry Weston worked for his father's business in Australia before taking over his UK family business. The biscuits were first launched during the 1940s at the time of the 1948 Olympia Food Fair. The name was derived from the fact that the Wild West was very popular at time, and in particular the film Wagon Train. They were originally marketed as Weston Wagon Wheels Interest in Wagon Wheels was at an all time peak when the female UK comedians French and Saunders made a sketch with Dawn French dressed as a schoolgirl delicately placing a Wagon Wheel into her mouth. Wagon Wheels were "re-launched" in 2002. Two previous slogans for the product have been: * "A taste for adventure." * "If there's a bigger bite, it can't be found." the current slogan being "you've got to grin to get it in" In Canada, Wagon Wheels are produced by Dare Foods Limited. They come in Original, Caramel, Fudge, and Raspberry flavour. In Australia, Wagon Wheels are produced by Arnott's Biscuits. George Weston Foods Limited sold the brand to Arnott's in August 2003. food-and-cooking Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:13:01 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/main-stars-in-pisces Main stars: eta Piscium | gamma Piscium | alpha Piscium | omega Piscium | iota Piscium | omicron Piscium | epsilon Piscium | theta Piscium | delta Piscium | nu Piscium | beta Piscium | lambda Piscium | tau Piscium | xi Piscium | chi Piscium | phi Piscium | upsilon Piscium | mu Piscium | kappa Piscium | zeta Piscium A | psi_1 Piscium A | rho Piscium | sigma Piscium | pi Piscium | psi_1 Piscium B | psi_2 Piscium | psi_3 Piscium | zeta Piscium B pets-and-animals Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:29:18 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/who-discovered-copper So, who did discover copper? Well the first thing to realise is that copper can be found in a free metallic state in nature. Its reckoned that this native copper was first used (c. 8000 BC) as a substitute for stone by Neolithic man. So I reckon the correct technical answer would be the stone-age people. Metallurgy, however, dawned in Egypt as copper was cast to shape in molds (c. 4000 BC), was reduced to metal from ores with fire and charcoal, and was intentionally alloyed with tin as bronze (c. 3500 BC). The Roman supply of copper came almost entirely from Cyprus; it was known as aes Cyprium, "metal of Cyprus," shortened to cyprium and later corrupted to cuprum. education Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:26:02 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/oregon-trail-the-game Many people have fond memories of playing this computer game. It dates back to the 70's, and has been updated several times in the 80's and 90's. The player takes the part of a wagon leader in 1848, trying to get his settlers West to Oregon. Below are a few useful links that might be of interest to you... videogames Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:14:41 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/space-hopper A space hopper, also known as a skippyball, kangaroo ball, bouncer, hippity hip, hop ball, or a hoppity hop properties of the ball to move forward. This can be carried even further by employing several balls and organizing a , is a rubber ball with handles which allow one to sit on it without falling off. The goal is to hop around with it, holding onto the ears. hobbies-games-toys Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:23:32 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/japaneseknotweed Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica, syn. Polygonum cuspidatum, Reynoutria japonica) is a large, herbaceous perennial plant, native to eastern Asia in Japan, China and Korea. A member of the family Polygonaceae, Japanese knotweed has hollow stems with distinct raised nodes that give it the appearance of bamboo, though it is not related. While stems may reach a maximum height of 3-4 m each growing season, it is typical to see much smaller plants in places where they sprout through cracks in the pavement or are repeatedly cut down. The leaves are broad oval with a truncated base, 7-14 cm long and 5-12 cm broad, with an entire margin. The flowers are small, creamy white, produced in erect racemes 6-15 cm long in late summer and early autumn. Closely related species include giant knotweed (Fallopia sachalinensis, syn. Polygonum sachalinense) and Russian vine (Fallopia baldschuanica, syn. Polygonum aubertii, Polygonum baldschuanicum). Other English names for Japanese knotweed include fleeceflower, Huzhang, Hancock's curse, elephant ears, donkey rhubarb, sally rhubarb, Japanese bamboo, American bamboo, and Mexican bamboo (though it is not actually a bamboo). In Japanese, the name is "itadori" (usually written in katakana). There are also regional names, and it is sometimes confused with sorrel. Japanese Knotweed is a primary commercial source of Resveratrol supplements. Huzhang root extract is a traditional Chinese medicinal treatment. It is also known as He Shou Wu, and the prepared herb is used as a blood tonic. Japanese Knotweed is considered an invasive pest in much of the US, UK, and elsewhere. pets-and-animals Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:36:17 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/reliant-robin The Reliant Robin,(often incorrectly referred to as a Robin Reliant), is a small three wheeled car manufactured by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England. Being a three-wheeler with an offical weight below 453.6 kg (1000 lb), the Robin can be driven by holders of a B1 category licence or car licence in the United Kingdom, and can be registered and taxed at motorcycle rates, which gives considerable savings over a conventional car. The single wheel in the front steered, while the engine (also in the front) drove the rear axle. This car was hilariously mentioned in Louise Rennison's book "Away Laughing On A Fast Camel" The Robin was first manufactured in 1973 and the final original Robin rolled off the production line in 1981. The vehicle was also produced under licence in Greece by MEBEA between 1974 and 1978. In 1989, Reliant produced a new and totally revamped Robin featuring a new fibreglass body, and increased engine power. This Robin and variants of it were available until February 2001 when Reliant announced the end of production. The final sixty-five Robins designed in 1997 manufactured by Reliant formed a Special Edition known as the Robin 65, featuring leather trim, walnut interior, and a numbered plaque, and sold for approximately £10,000. Manufacturing of the Robin resumed under licence by a company called B&N Plastics in April 2002, but stopped in October of the same year. Reliant three-wheelers enjoy a special place in British culture, often as the butt of jokes. The Reliant Robin is staple material for comedian Jasper Carrott. However, perhaps two of the best known Reliants in British comedy are actually Reliant Regal Supervans — the dirty yellow van owned by the Trotter brothers in Only Fools and Horses, and the light blue which always ends up getting tipped over, crashed into, bumped out of its parking space etc by an Austin Mini in Mr Bean. Robins are raced, as shown in the photograph on the right. During races several cars usually overturn. The driver can return the car onto its wheels unaided from inside the car by rocking it and pushing down on the track through the window. In the February 18, 2007 episode of Top Gear, a Reliant Robin was used by Richard Hammond and James May in an attempt to modify a normal K-reg Robin into a reusable space shuttle. Steve Holland, a professional radio-controlled aircraft pilot, helped Hammond to work out how to land a Robin safely. The craft achieved a successful launch, flew for several seconds into the air and managed to successfully jettison the solid fuel rocket boosters on time. This was the largest rocket launched by a non-government organisation in Europe. It used 6 x 40960 NS O hybrid rocket motors giving a maximum thrust of 8 metric tons. However the car failed to separate from the large external fuel tank due to a faulty alignment between the Robin and the external tank (10 thousandths of an inch out) and the Robin subsequently crashed and 'seemed' to explode into the ground soon after. In the June 18, 2007 episode of Fifth Gear, Tom Ford and Johnny Smith both modified a Reliant Robin, to compete against each other in a speed challenge and a destruction derby. In the UK, the Reliant Robin is sometimes affectionately nicknamed the "Plastic Pig" because of its distinctive shape and fibreglass bodyshell. cars Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:33:51 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/silverfir The Silver fir - Abies alba is a tree growing to a height of 150 feet; abundant in the mountainous regions of central and southern Europe. pets-and-animals Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:46:26 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/molluscs Molluscs are a group of animals with soft bodies, and they make up one of the largest phyla of the animal kingdom. To protect their soft bodies most molluscs have shells, like the snail or the oyster. But some, like the octopus, are completely unprotected. There are more than 80,000 living species of molluscs, and many more fossil yarieties. They are grouped in these six classes: Monoplacophora have simple, cap-shaped shells. Only three living species are known, though many fossils have been found. The first living specimen, genus Neopilina, was discovered 11,800 feet (3,590 m) down in the Pacific as recently as 1952. Amphineura are simple sea creatures. Some are worm-like; others, such as the chitons, have shells made up of eight plates. Gastropoda form the largest group, and include snails, slugs, and limpets. Scaphopoda, or tusk shells, have long tube-like shells. They burrow in the sand and mud of the sea-bed, usually in deep water. Pelecypoda or bivalves have shells made in two halves (called 'valves') hinged together. They include clams and oysters. Cephalopoda is a class including squids, cuttlefishes, and octopuses-and some of the largest sea creatures as far as length goes. All molluscs have a fairly well developed nervous system, and the octopuses have well developed brains, too. Most molluscs have a single broad-soled foot, on which the animal can crawl by a series of muscle contractions. Molluscs tend to move slowly, but octopuses and squids are fast swimmers. Many molluscs, such as oysters, swim about when they are young, then settle down to a quiet life on the sea floor. pets-and-animals Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:34:48 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/L-for-Lifeboat A lifeboat is a small craft located onboard a ship designed to allow for emergency deboarding by passengers in the event of a catastrophe aboard the ship. Lifeboats and may be rigid or inflatable vessels, and the inflatable type are sometimes referred to as liferafts. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of modern cruise ships are often designed to double as lifeboats. In the united States, the US Coast Guard is responsible for making sure that the proper type and number of lifeboats are available and kept in good repair on any large ship. "Lifeboat drills" are a part of a cruise experience. Inflatable lifeboats, may be equipped with auto-inflation (carbon dioxide or Nitrogen) canisters or mechanical pumps. A quick release and pressure release mechanism is fitted on board ships so that the canister or pump automatically inflates the lifeboat, and the lifeboat breaks free of the sinking vessel. Commercial aircraft are also required to carry auto-inflating life rafts in case of an emergency water landing, and are also kept on offshore platforms. Ship-launched lifeboats are designed to be lowered from davits on a ship's deck, and are unsinkable, with buoyancy that cannot be damaged. The cover serves as protection from sun, wind and rain, can be used to collect rainwater, and is normally made of a reflective or fluorescent material that is highly-visible. Lifeboats are usually equipped with flares and/ or mirrors for signaling, several days' worth of food and water, basic first aid supplies and oars. Some lifeboats are even more capably equipped to permit self-rescue; containing such supplies as a radio, an engine and/ or sail, heater, basic navigational equipment, solar water stills, rainwater catchments and fishing equipment. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Life-Saving Appliance Code (LSA) require a specific list of emergency equipment to be carried on each lifeboat and liferaft used on international voyages. Modern lifeboats should also carry an Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) and either a radar reflector or Search and Rescue Transponder (SART). Liferafts in general are collapsible, and stored in a heavy-duty fiberglass canister, and also contain some high-pressure gas to allow automatic inflation to the operations size. SOLAS and military regulations require these to be sealed, never opened by the ship's crew, they are removed at a set periodicity and sent to a certified facility to open and inspect the liferaft and contents. In contrast, a lifeboat is open, regulations require a crewmember to inspect it periodically and ensure all required equipment is present. Modern Lifeboats have some form of a motor; liferafts usually do not have a motor. Lifeboats require some form of a davit or launching system (there might be multiple lifeboats on one), and that does require human intervention to commence or be involved in the launch process. Thus, launch of lifeboat is longer and has higher risk of failure due to human factor, however, lifeboats don't suffer from inflation systems failures like liferafts. Some ships have freefall lifeboats, stored on a significantly downward sloping slipway, dropping into the water as holdback is released. If launched, return to the launching system is only possible at a pier using a large crane, and such lifeboats are considerably heavier to survive the impact with water. Freefall lifeboats are used for their capability to launch nearly instantly and high reliability, and since 2006 are required on bulk carriers that are in danger of sinking too rapidly for conventional lifeboats to be released. Tankers are required to carry fireproof lifeboats, tested to survive a flaming oil or petroleum product spill from the tanker. Fire protection of such boats is provided by insulation and sprinkler system, which has pipe system on top, through which water is pumped and sprayed to cool the surface. This system, while prone to engine failure, allows fireproof lifeboats to be built of fiberglass and not only metal. education Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:28:13 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/marjolein-bastin-vera-the-mouse Marjolein Bastin (born 1943 in Loenen aan de Vecht) is a noted nature artist, writer, children's author and illustrator. She is the creator of the character "Vera the mouse". She studied at the Academy of Arts in Arnhem, where she met her husband (and manager), Gaston Bastin. Marjolein and Gaston Bastin have a daughter, Sanna (born in 1973), and a son, Mischa (born in 1974). Sanna, married and mother of Merel and Roos, runs the "Marjolein Bastin Kadowinkel" (The Marjolein Bastin Giftshop). Mischa is a lawyer in Kansas City, USA. Marjolein and Gaston, divide their time between country homes in the Netherlands and Missouri, and a tropical retreat in the Cayman Islands. books-poetry-writing Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:33:35 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/who-wrote-the-song-mad-world A: Roland Orzabal (Tears for Fears) It was the band's first hit single in 1982. In 2003, the song was covered in a much slower, ballad style by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules for the soundtrack to the movie Donnie Darko. It reached No.1 in the UK charts. music Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:39:57 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/L-for-Laburnum Laburnum (also called Golden Chain) is a genus of two species of small trees in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, Laburnum anagyroides (Common Laburnum) and L. alpinum (Alpine Laburnum). They are native to the mountains of southern Europe from France to the Balkan Peninsula. Some botanists include a third species, Laburnum caramanicum, but this native of southeast Europe and Asia Minor is usually treated in a distinct genus Podocytisus, more closely allied to the brooms. They have yellow pea-flowers in pendulous racemes 10-30 cm (4-12 in) long in spring, which makes them very popular garden trees. In L. anagyroides the racemes are 10-20 cm (4-8 in) long, with densely packed flowers; in L. alpinum the racemes are 20-30 cm (8-12 in) long, but with the flowers sparsely along the raceme. The leaves are trifoliate, somewhat like a clover, the leaflets typically 2-3 cm (¾-1¼ in) long in L. anagyroides and 4-5 cm (1½-2 in) long in L. alpinum. Most garden specimens are of the hybrid between the two species, Laburnum x watereri (Voss's Laburnum), which combines the longer racemes of L. alpinum with the denser flowers of L. anagyroides; it also has the benefit of low seed production (Laburnum seed toxicity is a common cause of poisoning in young children, who mistake the seeds for peas). The yellow flowers are responsible for the old poetic name 'golden chain tree' (also spelled golden chaintree or goldenchain tree). All parts of the plant are poisonous and can be lethal if consumed in excess. Symptoms of Laburnum poisoning may include intense sleepiness, vomiting, convulsive movements, coma, slight frothing at the mouth and unequally dilated pupils. In some cases, diarrhea is very severe and at times the convulsions are markedly tetanic. The main toxin in the plant is Cytisine, a nicotinic receptor agonist. Despite the plant's toxicity, it is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Buff-tip. pets-and-animals Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:21:20 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/tonka-toys-on-squidoo Tonka is an American toy company most known for its signature toy trucks and construction equipment. On September 19, 1946 Mound Metalcraft was created in Mound, Minnesota with three men as partners, Lynn Everett Baker (1898-1964), Avery F. Crounse, and Alvin F. Tesch. The first products produced by the fledgling company were two versions of a metal tie-rack. Their original intent was to manufacture garden implements. However when their building's former occupants, the Streater Company, attempted to market two metal toys and failed, the three men at Mound Metalcraft thought they might make a good side line to their other products. After some modifications to the design by Alvin Tesch and the addition of a new logo created by Erling Eklof with the Dakota-Sioux word "Tonka", which means "Great" or "Big", the company began selling metal toys. This soon became the primary business. On November 23, 1955, Mound Metalcraft changed its name to Tonka Toys Incorporated. The logo at this time was an oval, showing the Tonka Toys name in red above waves, presumably honoring nearby Lake Minnetonka. Celebrating the company's 60th anniversary, Tonka released a big dump-truck toy. The impact of the Tonka truck concept has been enduring and pervasive. The company was purchased by Hasbro of Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1991. parenting-and-kids Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:17:09 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-far-away-from-mars-is-the-sun A: 130.1 million miles! (1.399 astronomical units) 2.093x10^8 km (kilometers) 2.093x10^11 (meters) 1.4 x mean Earth-Sun distance pets-and-animals Sun, 20 Jun 2010 13:17:58 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/which-popcorn-pops-the-fastest Want to know which popcorn pops the fastest? You've come to the right place...! food-and-cooking Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:49:47 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/U-for-U-505 Unterseeboot 505 is a Type IXC U-boat of the Kriegsmarine, notable for her capture by the United States Navy in 1944, and presently a museum ship at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Codebooks and other secret documents were captured from the U-505 which assisted Allied codebreaking operations. Her keel was laid down June 12, 1940, by Deutsche Werft AG of Hamburg. She was launched on 25 May 1941, and commissioned on 26 August 1941, with Kapitänleutnant Axel-Olaf Loewe in command. On 6 September 1942, Loewe was relieved by Kptlt. Peter Zschech. On 24 October 1943, Oberleutnant zur See Paul Meyer found himself in command (see below) for about two weeks until he was relieved on 8 November by Oblt. Harald Lange. Lange commanded the boat until her capture on 4 June 1944. U-505 conducted twelve patrols, sinking eight ships totaling of 44,962 tons—three American, two British, and one each Norwegian, Netherlands, and Colombian. The next to last ship sunk by U-505 was the three-masted Colombian schooner Roamar from Cartagena. The sailing vessel refused to stop for a warning shot and was then sunk by 22 rounds from U-505's 105 mm deck gun. Upon return to Germany (hastened by Kptlt. Loewe's attack of appendicitis shortly after sinking Roamar), Admiral Karl Dönitz's staff officers commented that, "The sinking of the Colombian schooner had better been left undone." On 10 November 1942, the second watch officer and one lookout were seriously wounded in an air attack by a Lockheed Hudson aircraft of No. 53 Squadron RAF. The aircraft was shot down or damaged by her own bombs and crashed in the attack. The U-boat was damaged heavily and headed back. Twelve days later the wounded watch officer was transferred to the milchkuh ("milk cow") U 462. After six months in Lorient for repairs U-505's next cruise was aborted several times due to equipment failure and sabotage. This happened so many times that she became the butt of jokes throughout the fleet at Lorient. Upon one return they found a sign painted in the docking area reading, "U-505's Hunting Ground". At a time when many U-boats were being sunk U-505's new commander, Kptlt. Peter Zschech overheard another U-boat commander joke, "There is one commander who will always come back... Zschech." After 10 months in Lorient U-505 was once again crossing the Bay of Biscay on her way to the Atlantic Ocean. On 24 October 1943, Kptlt. Zschech, while in command of U-505 and under a heavy depth charge attack, committed suicide, the only such incident in the war. The first watch officer, Oblt. Paul Meyer, saved the boat and brought her back to port. (For his part in saving the ship and her crew from almost certain destruction after their commander had abandoned them, Meyer was merely, "absolved from all blame"). On 4 June 1944, United States Navy Task Group 22.3 (TG 22.3) captured U-505, the first time a US Navy vessel had captured an enemy at sea since 1815, when USS Peacock seized HMS Nautilus during the War of 1812. education Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:41:57 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/dungeons-and-dragons-player-sheets Looking for D&D player sheets? You've come to the right place...! hobbies-games-toys Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:08:27 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-tall-is-the-washington-monument Constructed of granite faced with Maryland marble, the monument is 55 feet (16.8 metres) square at the base, 555 feet 5 inches (169.3 metres) high, and weighs an estimated 91,000 tons. The shaft's load-bearing masonry walls are 15 feet (4.6 metres) thick at its base, tapering to a thickness of only 18 inches at the top. At its completion in 1884 it was the world's tallest man-made structure, though it was supplanted by the Eiffel Tower just five years later. It is the world's tallest masonry structure. travel-and-places Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:25:45 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/W-for-Webkinz Webkinz are stuffed animals that were originally released by the Ganz company on April 28, 2005. (So they have been around for a long time now) The toys are similar to many other small plush toys, however they come with a special code on their labels that allows access to the "Webkinz World" which is a website to "adopt" a virtual version of the pet for virtual interaction. There are also smaller versions of the toys called "Lil' Kinz". entertainment Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:31:22 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/theklf The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, The JAMs, The Timelords... The KLF (also known as The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu (The JAMs), The Timelords and other names; the acronym KLF has no "official" meaning but is sometimes interpreted as "Kopyright Liberation Front") were one of the seminal bands of the British acid house movement during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Beginning in 1987, Bill Drummond (alias King Boy D) and Jimmy Cauty (alias Rockman Rock) released hip hop-inspired and sample-heavy records as The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, and on one occasion (the British number one hit single "Doctorin' the Tardis") as The Timelords. As The KLF, Drummond and Cauty pioneered the genres "stadium house" (rave music with a pop-rock production and sampled crowd noise) and "ambient house". The KLF released a series of international top-ten hits on their own KLF Communications record label, and became the biggest-selling singles act in the world for 1991. The duo also published a book, The Manual, and worked on a road movie called The White Room. From the outset, they adopted the philosophy espoused by esoteric novels The Illuminatus! Trilogy, gaining notoriety for various anarchic situationist manifestations, including the defacement of billboard adverts, the posting of prominent cryptic advertisements in NME magazine and the mainstream press, and highly distinctive and unusual performances on Top of the Pops. Their most notorious performance was at the February 1992 BRIT Awards, where they fired machine gun blanks into the audience and dumped a dead sheep at the aftershow party. This performance announced The KLF's departure from the music business, and in May 1992 the duo deleted their entire back catalogue. With The KLF's profits, Drummond and Cauty established the K Foundation and sought to subvert the art world, staging an alternative art award for the worst artist of the year and burning a million pounds sterling in The K Foundation burn a million quid. Although Drummond and Cauty remained true to their word of May 1992-the KLF Communications catalogue remains deleted-they have released a small number of new tracks since then, as the K Foundation, The One World Orchestra and most recently, in 1997, as 2K. music Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:26:23 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/chocolate-fig-cake-recipe Looking for a scrummy-litious chocolate fig cake recipe? Let this lens guide you... food-and-cooking Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:44:59 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/scotland-st-andrews-cross-saltire-flag The National flag of Scotland consists of a blue field (background) bearing a white saltire (diagonal cross) that extends to the flag corners; this type of emblem is known as the Cross of St. Andrew (after the patron saint of Scotland). According to Scottish lore, the legendary King Angus (Achaius, or Hungus) saw a white saltire in the blue sky during his battle against the Saxons near what is now the village of Athelstaneford. That is the supposed origin of the Cross of St. Andrew, although the event, attributed to AD 737 or 832, is clearly apocryphal. The first corroborated use of the symbol dates from 1286, when it appeared in the government seal of the "guardians" of Scotland. The royal coat of arms of Scotland-a red lion and intricate border on a yellow background-was used in the early 13th century on seals and, quite possibly, in flag form; in the 20th century it was unofficially and improperly used as a Scottish national flag. In the summer of 1385 the Scottish Parliament decreed that soldiers should wear a badge with the white Cross of St. Andrew against a black background. The corresponding flag, frequently with a blue background, was probably chosen to provide a stark contrast to the red-and-white flag of England (the Cross of St. George). After 1606, at least during those times when Scotland and England were under a common monarch, the saltire of St. Andrew and the Cross of St. George were united. The design of the Union Jack is the best-known example of the combination, but a quarterly arrangement was official during the rule of Oliver Cromwell in the mid-17th century. When Scotland and England joined to form Great Britain in 1707, their individual flags ceased to be recognized internationally. In 2003, the Scottish Parliament (as it was then) decided that the 'blue' of the flag should be Pantone 300, or sky blue. (See below) entertainment Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:33:34 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/baycityrollers The Bay City Rollers were a Scottish pop/rock band of the 1970s. Bassist Alan Longmuir, his younger brother Derek Longmuir, a drummer, along with school mate, lead singer Gordon "Nobby" Clark founded the group in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1967, as The Saxons. Shortly afterwards, seeking a less English-sounding moniker, they chose a new name allegedly by throwing a dart at a map of the United States. The dart landed on the map in the state of Arkansas, but since "Arkansas Rollers" did not sound quite right, and might also lead to problems with pronunciation, they tried again and this time the dart landed near the community of Bay City, Michigan. The Bay City Rollers were managed from early on by the imposing and controversial Tam Paton, himself a former big band leader. Paton was notorious for his rigid control over all aspects of the band's career, including the shuffling in and out of group members at a very high rate. They received their first break when prominent record executive Dick Leahy caught their act by chance in an Edinburgh club. After signing with Leahy's Bell Records, the band's first hit was "Keep on Dancing" (UK #9, 1971), a cover of a 1965 Gentrys hit, recorded at the suggestion of pop impresario and producer Jonathan King. (Singer Nobby Clark was backed on vocals on "Keep on Dancing" by King himself.) Upon this release's success, they made guest appearances on BBC-TV's Top of the Pops. The group then won a Radio Luxembourg-sponsored song contest with the tune "Mañana", which was later popular in parts of Europe and in Israel. Several non-charting singles were released over the following two years. In late 1973 they narrowly missed the UK chart with "Saturday Night", one of many singles written and produced for the band by the highly successful songwriting duo of Scotsman Bill Martin and Irishman Phil Coulter. By the end of 1973, Nobby Clark had become disillusioned by the band's lack of success and decided to move on. culture-and-society Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:24:26 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/bathyscaphetrieste Information on the bathyscaphe 'Trieste' Trieste was a Swiss designed deep-diving research bathyscaphe ("deep boat") with a crew of two people, which reached a record-breaking depth of about 10,900 m (about 35,760 ft), in the deepest part of any ocean on earth, the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, in 1960. The dive has never been repeated, and presently no manned or unmanned craft exists capable of reaching such depth. travel-and-places Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:33:00 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/chinesezodiacanimals The 12 animal forms of the Chinese zodiac. Chinese astrology classifies people according to 12 signs. (the same as western culture) These signs, however, all take the form of animals. Your animal sign depends upon the year in which you were born. Legend states that Buddha invited all the animals to a New Year party. Only 12 turned up, so, in thanks, offered them each a year of their own. culture-and-society Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:26:49 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/quickchange Quick Change Artists on America's Got Talent David Michael Maas &  Dania Kaseeva combine ballroom sequences, with dramatic and fast costume changes. entertainment Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:23:15 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/riverspey The River Spey (Scottish Gaelic: Uisge Spè) is a river in the north-east of Scotland, the second longest and the fastest flowing river in Scotland. It is important for salmon fishing and whisky production. Rising at over 1000 feet (300 m) at Loch Spey in Corrieyairack Forest in the Scottish Highlands, 10 miles (16 km) south of Fort Augustus, it descends to flow through Newtonmore and Kingussie crossing Loch Insh before reaching Aviemore at the start of Strathspey. From there it flows the remaining 60 miles north-east to the Moray Firth. The Spey changes its course very frequently, either (relatively) gradually as a result of deposition and erosion from normal flow, or in a matter of hours as a result of going into spate. The Spey spates very quickly due to its wide catchment area in the mountains, as a result of rainfall or snowmelt. Insh Marshes, areas of roughly two miles on either side of the Spey in the lower reaches are designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest, as are the extensive shingle systems at Spey Bay. pets-and-animals Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:19:20 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/steveovett Stephen Michael James Ovett OBE, born 9th October 1955, is a former middle distance champion form UK. He was a gold medalist in the 800m at the 1980 Olympic games, Moscow, and set world records for 1500m and 1 mile. Ovett first attracted international fame when he won the 800-metre race at the 1973 European junior championships in Duisburg, W.Ger. He finished fifth in the 800 metres at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. He first competed against Coe in Prague in 1978, beating Coe but finishing second in the 800-metre race; in that same year he set a world record of 8 min 13.51 sec in the two-mile run. His first-place victory over Coe in the 800-metre run at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow came as a surprise; equally surprising, since Ovett had been undefeated in the 1,500-metre race in three years, was his third-place finish in that event at the same Olympics. The British press encouraged the rivalry between the gregarious Ovett, who feuded with the press, and the more reserved Coe, although in their best years the two seldom raced against each other. The one-mile world record (3 min 48.8 sec) that Ovett had set in 1980 was bested by Coe on August 19, 1981; on August 26, Ovett set another world record by running the mile in 3 min 48.4 sec, only to have Coe defeat that record (by 1.07 seconds) two days later. In 1983, a week after his world record in the 1,500 metres had been broken, Ovett mustered a strong finish to set a new world record of 3 min 30.77 sec. Illness forced him to drop out of the final 1,500-metre run at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. culture-and-society Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:27:26 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/polkemmet Learn about Polkemmet Country Park, Whitburn, West Lothian, Scotland, UK   The town of Whitburn stands astride, what was one time, a major crossroads on one of the old drove roads between Scotland and England, and the main East-West route in Central Scotland.   The local population benefitted greatly from this position, and it is recorded that in the 18th Century, black cattle and horses were being bred in the Whitburn Parish area, for sale to the drovers and carters who used these trade routes. This lucrative business acted as an incentive for field enclosures, as the traders required sheltered parks for holding their beasts. It can be seen from old maps, that Polkemmet was one of the first areas in this part of the Country to be enclosed.   This, and the mineral wealth found in the area (coal), must have enhanced the relative prosperity of the Baillie family who owned the Estate. travel-and-places Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:03:39 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/claypigeonshooting Clay pigeon shooting, formally known as Inanimate Bird Shooting, is the art of shooting at special flying targets, known as clay pigeons or clay targets, with a shotgun. Clay shooting originated in England in the late 18th century when marksmen, to improve their hunting skills, shot at live pigeons released from cages or box traps. The practice was outlawed or died out in the late 19th century when various inanimate objects were substituted as targets, culminating with the invention of the modern disk. Trapshooting has since developed an appeal of its own apart from training for hunting and is chiefly pursued among marksmen who seldom or never hunt. It has been included in Olympic Games competition, with few exceptions, since 1900. Modern birds, or clay pigeons, are 4 5/16 inches (11 cm) in diameter and 1 1/8 inch (3 cm) in thickness and are made of pitch and clay or limestone, weighing 3 1/2-4 ounces (99-113 g). They are so brittle that even one pellet from a shot will usually shatter them for a score. sports-and-recreation Mon, 18 Oct 2010 05:52:22 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/L-for-Limpets Limpet is a common name used for many kinds of saltwater or freshwater snails, specifically those that have a simple shell which is more or less broadly conical in shape, and which is either not coiled, or appears not to be coiled, in the adult snail. The word "limpet" is a very inexact name which is fairly frequently encountered as part of the common name of a wide variety of different marine and freshwater gastropod species, some of which have gills and some of which have a lung. The name is given on the basis of a limpet-like or "patelliform" shell, but the several groups of snails which have such a shell are not at all closely related to one another. Limpets have flattened, cone-shaped shells, and the majority of species are commonly found adhering strongly to rocks or other hard substrates, looking like little bumps on the surface. In life, many limpet shells are often covered in microscopic growths of green marine algae, which can make them even harder to see, as they can closely resemble the rock surface itself. The majority of limpet species have shells that are less than 3 in (8 cm) in maximum length and many are much smaller than that. Until quite recently a west Mexican limpet species, the giant limpet, Patella (Ancistromesus) mexicana, was known to grow as large as 8 in (20 cm). This species is now in serious danger of extinction, as it is slow to reach maturity, and has suffered from overcollecting, both as a food item, and by shell collectors and dealers. Various different species live throughout the intertidal zone, from the high zone (upper littoral zone) to the shallow subtidal. They attach themselves to the substrate using pedal mucus and a muscular "foot". They locomote using wave-like muscular contractions of the foot when conditions are suitable for them to graze. They can also "clamp down" against the rock surface with very considerable force when necessary, and this ability enables them to remain safely attached, despite the dangerous wave action on exposed rocky shores. The ability to clamp down also seals the shell edge against the rock surface, protecting them from desiccation during low tide, despite their being in full sunlight. When true limpets are fully clamped down, it is impossible to remove them from the rock using brute force alone, and the limpet will allow itself to be destroyed rather than stop clinging to its rock. This survival strategy has led to the limpet being used as a metaphor for obstinacy or stubbornness. Limpets are preyed upon by a variety of organisms including starfish, shore-birds, fish, seals, and humans. Limpets exhibit a variety of defenses, such as fleeing or clamping their shells against the substratum. The defense response can be determined by the type of predator, which can often be detected chemically by the limpet. Limpets can be long lived, with tagged specimens surviving for more than 10 years. If the limpet lives on bare rock, it grows at a slower rate but can live for up to 20 years. Limpets found on exposed shores, which have fewer rock pools than sheltered shores and are thus in less frequent contact with water, have a greater risk of desiccation due to the effects of increased sunlight, water evaporation and the increased wind speed. To avoid drying out they will clamp to the rock they inhabit, minimizing water-loss from the rim around their base. As this occurs chemicals are released that promote the vertical growth of the limpet's shell. pets-and-animals Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:34:46 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/recipes-for-deviled-eggs Deviled eggs or eggs mimosa are a common dish in France and the United States, known as "Russian Eggs" in Germany, but they actually originated in Rome according to the show The Secret Life Of.... Made with hard-boiled eggs, deviled eggs are served cold. They are served as a side dish and are a common holiday or party food. Deviled eggs are one way of using Easter eggs after the children have found them. In the Southern U.S., they are commonly served as hors d'oeuvres before a full meal is served, often during the summer months. Deviled eggs are so popular that special serving dishes and carrying trays are sold specifically for them. Prepared deviled eggs are now available in some supermarkets. First, the uncracked eggs are boiled until the yolks are hard and firm, referred to as "hard-boiling". When the cooked eggs have cooled, the eggs are peeled then sliced lengthwise. The yolks are removed, leaving two egg white halves with empty "cups". The yolks are mashed and mixed with a variety of other ingredients, most often mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip) and mustard. Other common flavorings include: diced pickle or pickle relish, corn relish, salt, ground black pepper, vinegar, green olives, pimentos, poppyseed, and minced onion. In French cuisine, the other ingredients are most likely to be pepper and parsley. The yolk mixture is then scooped with a spoon or knife or piped into each egg "cup." Paprika may be sprinkled on top as a garnish. The term "deviled" dates back to the 19th century, referring to the use of particularly hot spices in cooking. Contemporary versions of deviled eggs may include a wide range of seasonings and added foods, such as garlic, horseradish, wasabi, cheese, chutney, capers, salsa, hot sauce, mushrooms, spinach, sour cream, caviar, smoked salmon, or other seafood. Thus contemporary deviled eggs are not always particularly spicy. Around 1868, the William Underwood Company began experimenting with a new product created from ground ham blended with hot seasoning. They introduced a line of seasoned meat products including chicken, turkey, tongue, lobster, and ham. They dubbed the seasoning process "deviling," and the Underwood red devil was born. It holds U.S. Patent Office trademark No. 82, granted in 1870, the oldest existing food trademark still in use in the United States. While the Underwood devil is a trademark, the term "deviled" has evolved to refer to a number of foods (such as eggs) pureed with hot spices, particularly Dijon mustard. Mustard and mayonnaise are common ingredients in deviled eggs. food-and-cooking Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:26:41 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-did-john-pierpont-morgan-die Wondering how J.P. Morgan died? Look no further...! culture-and-society Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:27:58 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/V-for-Volcano A volcano is an opening, or rupture, in a planet's surface or crust, which allows hot, molten rock, ash and gases to escape from below the surface. Volcanic activity involving the extrusion of rock tends to form mountains or features like mountains over a period of time. Volcanoes are generally found where tectonic plates are pulled apart or come together. A mid-oceanic ridge, for example the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, has examples of volcanoes caused by "divergent tectonic plates" pulling apart; the Pacific Ring of Fire has examples of volcanoes caused by "convergent tectonic plates" coming together. By contrast, volcanoes are usually not created where two tectonic plates slide past one another. Volcanoes can also form where there is stretching and thinning of the Earth's crust (called "non-hotspot intraplate volcanism"), such as in the African Rift Valley, the Wells Gray-Clearwater Volcanic Field and the Rio Grande Rift in North America and the European Rhine Graben with its Eifel volcanoes. Volcanoes can be caused by "mantle plumes". These so-called "hotspots" , for example at Hawaii, can occur far from plate boundaries. Hotspot volcanoes are also found elsewhere in the solar system, especially on rocky planets and moons. Volcanoes can be classified by their eruptive habits and are generally arranged by progressive increases in the explosiveness of their eruptions. The type of volcanic eruption also plays an important role in the evolution of a volcanic landform, thus forming a significant link between eruptive habit and volcanic structure. Less explosive eruptions involve the effusive outpouring of basaltic magma that is relatively low in viscosity and in gas content. (The term lava is applied to molten magma after it has erupted to the surface.) More explosive eruptions generally involve magma that is more viscous and has a higher gas content. Such magma is shattered into pyroclastic fragments by explosive boiling during an eruption. Types of eruptions In classification schemes based on character of eruption, volcanic activity and volcanic areas are commonly divided into six major types in order of increasing degree of explosiveness: (1) Icelandic, (2) Hawaiian, (3) Strombolian, (4) Vulcanian, (5) Pelean, and (6) Plinian. The Icelandic type is characterized by effusions of molten basaltic lava that flow from long parallel fissures. Such outpourings often build lava plateaus. The Hawaiian type is similar to the Icelandic variety. In this case, however, fluid lava flows from summit and radial fissures to form shield volcanoes. The Strombolian type involves moderate bursts of expanding gases that eject clots of incandescent lava in cyclical or nearly continuous small eruptions. Because of such small intermittent outbursts, Stromboli Volcano (off the west coast of Italy) has been called the "lighthouse of the Mediterranean." The Vulcanian type, named for the island of Vulcano that neighbours Stromboli, generally involves moderate explosions of gas laden with volcanic ash (i.e., fine volcanic particles). This mixture forms dark, turbulent eruption clouds that rapidly ascend and expand in convoluted shapes. The Pelean type is associated with explosive outbursts that generate dense mixtures of hot volcanic fragments and gas. It is named for the destructive eruption of Mt. Pelee in Martinique in 1902. The fluidized slurries produced by Pelean-type eruptions are heavier than air but are of low viscosity and pour down valleys and slopes at velocities exceeding 100 kilometres per hour (60 miles per hour). Variously called nuées ardentes, glowing avalanches, ash flows, or pyroclastic flows, such hot fluidized flows of volcanic gases and fragments are extremely destructive. The Plinian type is an intensely violent kind of volcanic eruption exemplified by the outburst of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79 that killed the famous Roman scholar Pliny the Elder, from whom the name is taken. In this type, gases boiling out of gas-rich magma generate enormous, nearly continuous jetting blasts that rip apart and core out the magma column. The uprushing gases and volcanic fragments appear like a gigantic rocket blast directed vertically upward. Plinian eruption clouds can rise into the stratosphere and are sometimes sustained for several hours. pets-and-animals Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:05:52 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/scotspine Native over much of Europe and northern and western Asia, the Scots pine is very widely planted for its valuable timber. It also makes an attractive and hardy ornamental tree, thriving in light acid soils. Grows to 35-40 metres Crown: Pyramid shaped or conical when young, becoming flat-topped or rounded with age, with the branches sparseley arranged high up on the trunk Bark: At the base of the trunk, reddish or grey-brown and cracked. On the upper trunk and branches, orangeey red to pink and scaly Shoots: Hairless and pale green, becoming brown Buds: Cylindrical, dark brown or red Leaves:  Blue-grey or blue-green needles, often twisted, growing in pairs. 3-7 cm long Male cones: Small, yellow and rounded, clustered near the tips of the shoots in early summer Female cones: Pink and globular when fertilised, becoming green and turning down on the stem during the next year. Mature third year cones are 3-8 cm long, grey-brown, oval and pointed. They produce winged seeds Uses: Yields a good multi-purpose resinous timber with reddish heartwood and pale-brown sapwood. One of the best softwoods for general construction, telegraph poles, railway sleepers, fencing, pit props, paper pulp, chipboard etc. Other products are pitch and tar, oil of turpentine and rosin (from the resin) and a reddish-yellow dye (from the cones) pets-and-animals Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:21:16 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/best-rugbyplayer-ever The definitive list, to find the world's best Rugby player ever - deceased or living Vote for your favourite or add your own  sports-and-recreation Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:00:04 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/what-are-the-names-of-the-11-finger-lakes A: Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, Cayuga, Owasco, Skaneateles, Otisco, Conesus, Hemlock, Canadice, and Honeoye. The finger lakes are a group of narrow, glacial lakes in west-central New York state, U.S.A . The main lakes vary in length from 6 miles to 40 miles and are up to 3.5 miles wide. Seneca Lake is the largest and deepest. education Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:03:54 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-many-red-stripes-does-the-american-flag-have A: Seven! The flag is made up of of thirteen horizontal stripes of alternating red and white. (7 red, 6 white) The thirteen stripes represent the thirteen colonies that rebelled against the British Crown and became the first states in the Union. The colonies being... Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island education Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:28:13 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/when-is-spider-man-4-coming-out A: Production starts 2010 for a 3rd July 2012 (USA) release date. The movie is being directed by Marc Webb. entertainment Mon, 17 May 2010 04:07:31 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/L-for-Leprechaun In Irish mythology, a leprechaun (Irish: leipreachán) is a type of male faerie said to inhabit the island of Ireland. They are a class of "faerie folk" associated in Irish mythology and folklore, as with all faeries, with the Tuatha Dé Danann and other quasi-historical peoples said to have inhabited Ireland before the arrival of the Celts. Leprechauns and other creatures of Irish mythology are often associated with "faerie forts" or "faerie rings" - often the sites of ancient (Celtic or pre-Celtic) earthworks or drumlins. They usually take the form of old men who enjoy partaking in mischief. Their trade is that of a cobbler or shoemaker. They are said to be very rich, having many treasure crocks buried during war-time. According to legend, if anyone keeps an eye fixed upon one, he cannot escape, but the moment the gaze is withdrawn, he vanishes. Gold is a rare prize. The leprechaun originally had a different appearance depending on where in Ireland he was found. Prior to the 20th century, it was generally agreed that the leprechaun wore red and not green. Samuel Lover, writing in the 1831 describes the leprechaun as, ... quite a beau in his dress, notwithstanding, for he wears a red square-cut coat, richly laced with gold, and inexpressible of the same, cocked hat, shoes and buckles. Yeats, in his 1888 book entitled Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry describes the leprechaun as follows: He is something of a dandy, and dresses in a red coat with seven rows of buttons, seven buttons on each row, and wears a cocked-hat, upon whose pointed end he is wont in the north-eastern counties, according to McAnally, to spin like a top when the fit seizes him. In a poem entitled The Lepracaun; or, Fairy Shoemaker, the 18th century Irish poet William Allingham describes the appearance of the leprechaun as: ...A wrinkled, wizen'd, and bearded Elf, Spectacles stuck on his pointed nose, Silver buckles to his hose, Leather apron - shoe in his lap... Some commentators accuse Allingham of leaving the legacy of the modern image of the leprechaun described below. The modern image of the leprechaun is almost invariant: he is depicted wearing an emerald green frock coat, and bestowed with the knowledge of the location of buried treasure, often in a crock of gold. education Wed, 09 Mar 2011 10:56:04 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/Monster-Trucks A monster truck is an automobile, typically a pickup truck, which has been modified or purposely built with extremely large wheels and suspension. They are used for popular entertainment and in some cases they are featured alongside Motocross races, mud bogging, tractor pulls and car-eating robots. Typically, a monster truck show involves the truck crushing smaller vehicles beneath its huge tires. These trucks can run up and over most man-made barriers, so they are equipped with remote shut-off switches, called the Remote Ignition Interuptor (RII), to help prevent an accident if the driver loses control at any time. At some events, only one truck is on the course at a time, while most feature two drivers racing each other on symmetrical tracks, with the losing driver eliminated in single-elimination tournament fashion. In recent years, many monster truck competitions have ended with a "freestyle" event. Somewhat akin to figure skating with giant trucks, drivers are free to select their own course around the track and its obstacles. Drivers will often try a 'Donut', also called a Cyclone, which involves spinning the truck in a high speed circle, and maybe even deliberately rolling the truck over. Additional items for the drivers to crush - usually including a motor home - are frequently placed on the track specifically for the freestyle event. cars Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:28:13 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/who-wrote-alice-in-wonderland A: Lewis Carroll! (pseudonym of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) First published in 1865. books-poetry-writing Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:31:38 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/scafellpike At 978 metres (3,209 feet), Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England. It is located in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria. It is sometimes confused with the neighbouring Sca Fell, to which it is connected by the col of Mickledore. The name Pikes of Sca Fell was originally applied collectively to the peaks now known as Scafell Pike, Ill Crag and Broad Crag, which were considered subsidiary tops of Sca Fell (which looks higher from many angles). The contraction Scafell Pike originated as an error on an Ordnance Survey map, but is now standard. The land was donated to the National Trust in 1920 by Lord Leconfield in memory of the men of the Lake District "who fell for God and King, for freedom, peace and right in the Great War". Scafell Pike is one of three British mountains climbed as part of the (National) Three Peaks Challenge. pets-and-animals Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:28:03 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/drag-racing Drag racing is a sport in which cars race down a track with a set distance as fast as possible. While usually thought of as an American and Canadian pastime, drag racing is also very popular in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Caribbean in particular Aruba, Mexico, Greece, Malta, South Africa and Scandinavian countries especially Finland and Sweden. At any given time there are over 325 drag strips operating world-wide. Drag races are an acceleration contest from a standing start between two vehicles side by side over a measured distance. The accepted standard for that distance is either a quarter-mile (1,320 feet) or an eighth-mile (660 feet). A drag racing event is a series of such two-vehicle, tournament-style eliminations. The losing driver in each race is eliminated, and the winning drivers progress until one driver remains. These contests are started by means of an electronic device commonly called a Christmas Tree because of its multicolored starting lights. On each side of the Tree are seven lights: two small amber lights at the top of the fixture, followed in descending order by three larger yellow LED lights, a green bulb, and a red bulb. Two light beams cross the starting-line area and connect to trackside photocells, which are wired to the Christmas Tree and electronic timers in the control tower. When the front tires of a vehicle break the first light beam, called the prestage beam, the pre-stage light on the Christmas Tree indicates that the racer is approximately seven inches from the starting line. When the racer rolls forward into the stage beam, the front tires are positioned exactly on the starting line and the stage bulb is lit on the Tree, which indicates that the vehicle is ready to race. When both vehicles are fully staged, the starter will activate the Tree, and each driver will focus on the three large amber lights on his or her side of the Tree. Depending on the type of racing, all three large amber lights will flash simultaneously, followed four-tenths of a second later by the green light (called a Pro Tree), or the three bulbs will flash consecutively five-tenths of a second apart, followed five-tenths later by the green light (called a Sportsman, or full, Tree). Two Separate performances are monitored for each run: elapsed time (e.t.)and speed. Upon leaving the staging beams, each vehicle activates an elapsed-time clock, which is stopped when that vehicle reaches the finish line. The start-to-finish clocking is the vehicle's elapsed time, which serves to measure performance. Speed is measured in a 66-foot "speed trap" that ends at the finish line. Each lane is timed independently. The first vehicle across the finish line wins, unless, in applicable categories, it runs quicker than its dial-in or index (see glossary). A racer also may be disqualified for leaving the starting line too soon, leaving the lane boundary (either by crossing the centerline, touching the guardwall or guardrail, or striking a track fixture such as the photocells), failing to stage, or failing a post-run inspection (in NHRA class racing, vehicles usually are weighed and their fuel checked after each run, and a complete engine teardown is done after an event victory). The elapsed time of the vehicle is measured from when the front wheels run out of the staging beam until they cross the finish line; thus, a car with a faster elapsed time can actually lose the race if the driver does not react to the green light fast enough. The elapsed time is a measure of performane only; it does not, per se, determine the winner. In practice, it is necessary for the driver to "jump the gun" by a fraction of a second, starting the car during the split-second interval between when the yellow light goes out and the green light goes on. However, if the car leaves the front electric eye ("the beam") before the green light comes on, the driver has "red-lighted" (because the red light is lit on the Christmas Tree) and should no further fouls happen during the race, is disqualified. Once a driver commits a red-light foul, the green light is automatically signaled on the other side, even if the other driver also commits a foul start by leaving the line too early. A driver who gets a substantial lead at the start is said to have gotten a "holeshot", and in a heads-up start, should he have a slower elapsed time and wins the race, has a "holeshot win". The driver's reaction time and the car's top speed are also recorded, in addition to the e.t., on the "timeslip". The car that crosses the finish line first wins. A car can actually blow an engine part way down the strip and coast to the end of the track at a (relatively) lower top speed than the competitor, and still win with a lower elapsed time. This practice, where both drivers leave at the same time, is called "heads-up racing", and is used in all professional ("pro") classes. In the common Eliminator racing format, the losing car and driver are removed from the contest, while the winner goes on to race other winners, until only one is left. There are some instances where there are three cars remaining, and in this case one car, either chosen at random or the car with the fastest elapsed time thus far, gets a "bye run" where his or her car goes down the track by itself (in order to at least partially eliminate the advantage that would otherwise come from the engine having one less run on it), and then awaits the winner of the other two for the title. However, in most Eliminator formats, the bye runs take place only in the first round. Drivers are about equally divided between making a nice easy pass on the bye run so as not to stress the car unduly, making a real effort for the benefit of the spectators, or recording a time good enough to earn lane choice. Unlike the NHRA, many European events will feature a consolation race where the losers of the semifinal rounds will race for third place, the final spot on the podium, and more points than the fourth-place driver. During drag racing events, vehicles are classified into different classes by various criteria that take into account the extent of modifications to the car. These criteria include engine capacity, configuration of cylinders, frame type, vehicle construction materials, wheelbase, horsepower to weight ratio, number of cylinders, whether or not power adding devices such as turbochargers, superchargers or nitrous oxide are employed, vehicle type (such as car, truck, et cetera), or even make and model for limited entry fields. The aforementioned divisions are in place to ensure that the cars are evenly matched during the race. Drag racing vehicles are special in that they are modified to be lighter and more powerful than in their standard form. A lighter vehicle means that the power-to-weight ratio is increased and hence a greater acceleration will be achieved. Power increases vary depending on the extent of the modifications to the engine. cars Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:30:05 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Mary Poppins was made into a film by Walt Disney Productions in 1964 based on the series of children's books. According to the 40th anniversary DVD release of the film in 2004, Walt Disney first attempted to purchase the film rights to Mary Poppins from P.L. Travers as early as 1938 but was rebuffed because Travers did not believe a film version of her books would do justice to her creation and did not want an animated cartoon based on it. Disney finally succeeded in 1961, although Travers demanded and got script approval rights. The relationship between Travers and Disney is detailed in Mary Poppins She Wrote, a biography of Travers, by Valerie Lawson, published by Aurum Press in the United Kingdom. The biography is the basis for two documentaries on Travers, The Real Mary Poppins and The Shadow of Mary Poppins. The process of planning the film and composing the songs took about two years. Songs in the film are by the Sherman Brothers. Mary Poppins is played by Julie Andrews. Disney cast Dick Van Dyke in the key supporting role of Bert. The Banks children were played by Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber. Mr and Mrs Banks were played by David Tomlinson and Glynis Johns respectively. entertainment Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:21:09 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/mammal-with-the-longest-gestation-period The longest gestation period of any mammal is... pets-and-animals Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:26:52 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/where-do-oranges-come-from A: Oranges are believed to be native to the tropical regions of Asia, especially the Malay Archipelago Orange culture probably spread from its native habitat to India and the east coast of Africa and from there to the eastern Mediterranean region. The Roman conquests, the development of Arab trade routes, and the expansion of Islam contributed significantly to this dispersal. By the time Christopher Columbus sailed, orange trees were common in the Canary Islands. Today oranges are cultivated in subtropical and tropical America, northern and eastern Mediterranean countries, Australia, and South Africa. food-and-cooking Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:32:05 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/steelers-fight-song-here-we-go Roger Wood wrote 'Here we go' in 1994. It is an unofficial song for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers. It was updated in 2006, due to departing members of the team roster, and not needing to win 'that one for the thumb' after winning Superbowl XL in Michigan. sports-and-recreation Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:45:58 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/bananagram-game Banana! Here's the BANANAGRAM game...! entertainment Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:23:30 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/paydotcom-affiliate-marketing Hi Squidoo-er!, Hillandglen here... There is a new FREE marketplace to sell any product you want, or you can become an an affiliate for different items in a huge marketplace. It's called PayDotCom.com! Did I mention it is 100% FREE to Join? All serious marketers have a PayDotCom account, so now that I do, I figured you would want one too... So get yours now and see how much they have to offer... Thanks, HILLANDGLEN internet Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:27:52 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/the-tallest-man-on-earth-ever The tallest man on Earth ever is Robert Pershing Wadlow. He was born at Alton, Illinois, USA, on 22nd February 1918, and when he was last measured in 1940, was found to be 8 ft 11" tall! (2.72 m) education Sun, 20 Jun 2010 13:31:06 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/sigmund-freud-why-do-we-dream Sigmund Freud (1856 - 1939), the Austrian neurologist, was the founder of psychoanalysis. Freud may justly be called the most influential intellectual legislator of his age. In 1899 he published Die Traumdeutung (The Interpretation of Dreams), in which he analyzed the highly complex symbolic processes underlying dream formation. culture-and-society Wed, 10 Nov 2010 12:39:58 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/red-squirrel The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a species of tree squirrel (genus Sciurus from ). Red squirrels are tree-dwelling omnivorous rodents that are frequently found throughout Eurasia. In Britain, however, numbers have decreased drastically; in part due to the introduction of the eastern grey squirrel from North America and, in part, through poor management of their woodland habitat. pets-and-animals Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:22:29 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/drambuie-cocktails The name Drambuie comes from the Scottish Gaelic phrase an dram buidheach, meaning the drink that satisfies. Fancy a satisfying cocktail? Read on!  food-and-cooking Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:34:30 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/dictionary-of-flower-names Looking for a Dictionary of flower names? Let this lens guide you...! entertainment Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:12:59 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/best-tennisplayer-ever The definitive list, to find the world's best Tennis player, ever - deceased or living, Male or Female, Vote for your favourite or add your own...  sports-and-recreation Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:58:40 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/mars-attacks Mars Attacks! is a comedy and science fiction movie by Tim Burton based on the popular card series Mars Attacks. It was released in 1996 by Warner Bros. The film combines the storyline and tone of a B-movie (or B-movie spoof) with the budget of a blockbuster movie. It features an ensemble cast. The film is highly dependent upon special effects. The soundtrack by Danny Elfman makes extensive use of the theremin. The film received mixed reviews from US critics, though it was more popular in Europe. It grossed some $101 million worldwide, it was considered a moderate box office success because of its $70 million cost. Source  entertainment Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:23:41 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/bbking B.B King (born Riley B. King on 16th September, 1925) is an American blues guitarist, and singer-songwriter. One of the best and most influential blues musicians of all time, he was ranked 3rd on Rolling Stone's list of 100 greatest guitarists of all time.  music Sun, 20 Jun 2010 13:17:54 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/angelofthenorth Angel of the North is a modern sculpture designed by Antony Gormley, which is located in Gateshead, United Kingdom. As the name suggests, it is a steel sculpture of an angel, standing 66 feet (20 metres) tall, with wings measuring 178 feet (54 metres) across - making it wider than the Statue of Liberty's height. The wings themselves are not planar, but are angled 3.5 degrees forward, which Gormley has said aims to create "a sense of embrace". It stands on a hill, on the southern edge of Low Fell overlooking the A1 road and the A167 road into Tyneside and the East Coast Main Line rail route. Work began on the project in 1994, the total cost coming to £1m. Most of the project funding was provided by the National Lottery. Due to its exposed location, the sculpture has to withstand winds of over 100 mph (160 km/h). Thus, 150 metric tonnes (165 tons) of concrete were used to create foundations which anchor the sculpture to rock 20 metres (66 ft) below. The sculpture itself was created offsite at Hartlepool Steel Fabrications Ltd in three parts - with the body weighing 100 metric tonnes (110 tons), and two wings weighing 50 metric tonnes (55 tons) each - then brought to its site by road. It took seven hours for the body to be transported from its construction site in Hartlepool, up the A19 to the site. Construction work on the Angel was finished in 16th February 1998. At first, Angel of the North aroused some controversy locally - one local councillor, Martin Callanan, was especially strong in his opposition - and in the UK newspapers. It has now come to be considered by some as a landmark for the North East of England and is one of the 12 official 'Icons of England'. travel-and-places Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:26:13 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/K-for-Kung-Fu Kung fu and wushu are popular terms that have become synonymous with Chinese martial arts. However, the Chinese terms kung fu and wushu have very distinct connotations. Each term can describe different martial arts traditions and can also be used in a context without referencing martial arts. Colloquially, kung fu (or gong fu) alludes to any individual accomplishment or cultivated skill. In contrast, wushu is a more precise term that refers to general martial activities. The term wushu has also become the name for a modern sport similar to gymnastics involving the performance of adapted Chinese bare-handed and weapons forms judged to a set of contemporary aesthetic criteria for points. The origins of Chinese martial arts are traced to self-defense needs, hunting activities and military training in ancient China. Hand to hand combat and weapons practice were important components in the training of Chinese soldiers. From this beginning, Chinese martial arts proceeded to incorporate different philosophies and ideas into its practice - expanding its purpose from self-defense to health and finally as method of self cultivation. In return, influence of martial arts ideals can be found in poetry, fiction and film. Chinese martial arts is now an integral element of Chinese culture. According to legend, the reign of the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi, traditional date of ascension to the throne, 2698 B.C.) introduced the earliest forms of martial arts to China. The Yellow Emperor is described as a famous general who, before becoming China’s leader, wrote lengthy treatises on medicine, astrology and the martial arts. He allegedly developed the practice of jiao di or horn-butting and utilized it in war. Regardless of these legends, jiao di evolved during the Zhou Dynasty (2nd millennium B.C.) into a combat wrestling system called jiao li, the practice of which in the Zhou Dynasty was recorded in the Classic of Rites. This combat system included techniques such as strikes, throws, joint manipulation, and pressure point attacks. Jiao li became a sport during the Qin Dynasty (221 - 207 B.C.). Jiao li eventually became known as shuai jiao, its modern form. sports-and-recreation Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:28:32 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/barack-obama-transformed ...meanwhile, over in an alternate universe, a young Barack Obama grows up into a successful President...then evolves... culture-and-society Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:19:05 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/Optical-illusions-showcase An optical illusion is characterised by visually perceived images that, at least in common sense terms, are deceptive or misleading. The information gathered by the eye is processed by the brain to give a percept that does not tally with a physical measurement of the stimulus source. There are two main types of illusion: physiological illusions that are the effects on the eyes and brain of excessive stimulation of a specific type - brightness, tilt, color, movement; and  cognitive illusions where the eye and brain make unconscious inferences. entertainment Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:45:39 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/fresh-green-bean-recipes Looking for fresh green been recipes? You've come to the right place...! food-and-cooking Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:24:07 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-many-books-did-mark-twain-write A: If you mean main, completed novels, then the answer is 10. 1 - 'The Gilded Age', (with Charles Dudley Warner) (1873) 2 - 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' (1876) 3 - 'The Prince and the Pauper' (1881) 4 - 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' (1884) 5 - 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) 6 - 'The American Claimant' (1892) 7 - 'Tom Sawyer Abroad' (1894) 8 - 'The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson' (1894) 9 - 'Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc' (1895) 10 - 'Tom Sawyer, Detective' (1896) 'The Mysterious Stranger' (1916, re-edited 1969) was published posthumously. Twain also wrote lots of other tales, sketches, reminiscences, philosphical dialogues and other works, as well as using several different pen names, or 'noms de plume'. books-poetry-writing Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:29:00 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/L-for-Lace Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was not made until the late 15th and early 16th centuries. A true lace is created when a thread is looped, twisted or braided to other threads independently from a backing fabric. Originally linen, silk, gold, or silver threads were used. Now lace is often made with cotton thread. Manufactured lace may be made of synthetic fiber. A few modern artists make lace with a fine copper or silver wire instead of thread. There are many types of lace, defined by how they are made. These include: Needle lace; made using a needle and thread. This is the most flexible of the lace-making arts. While some types can be made more quickly than the finest of bobbin laces, others are very time-consuming. Some purists regard Needle lace as the height of lace-making. The finest antique needle laces were made from a very fine thread that is not manufactured today. Cutwork, or whitework; lace constructed by removing threads from a woven background, and the remaining threads wrapped or filled with embroidery. Bobbin Lace; as the name suggests, made with bobbins and a pillow. The bobbins, turned from wood, bone or plastic, hold threads which are woven together and held in place with pins stuck in the pattern on the pillow. The pillow contains straw, preferably oat straw or other materials such as sawdust, insulation styrofoam or ethafoam. Also known as Bone-lace. Tape lace; makes the tape in the lace as it is worked, or uses a machine- or hand-made textile strip formed into a design, then joined and embellished with needle or bobbin lace. Knotted lace; including Macramé and Tatting. Tatted lace is made with a shuttle or a tatting needle. Crocheted lace; including Irish crochet, pineapple crochet, and filet crochet. Knitted lace; including Shetland lace, such as the "wedding ring shawl", a lace shawl so fine that it can be pulled through a wedding ring. Machine-made; any style of lace created or replicated using mechanical means. References to lace are made in the Bible in the Book of Exodus (Exodus 28:28, King James Version). Lace was used by clergy of the early Catholic Church as part of vestments in religious ceremonies, but did not come into widespread use until the 16th century. The popularity of Lace increased rapidly and the cottage industry of lace making spread throughout Europe to where most European countries. Countries like Belgium, Russia, Ireland, Spain, Hungary, Malta and others all have their own unique artistic heritage expressed through lace. In North America in the 19th century, lace making was spread to the Native American tribes through missionaries. entertainment Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:18:54 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/best-tabletennisplayer-ever The definitive list, to find the world's best Table Tennis player ever - deceased or living Vote for your favourite, or add your own suggestion...  sports-and-recreation Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:15:52 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/L-for-Lamprey A lamprey (sometimes also called lamprey eel) is a jawless fish with a toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth. While lampreys are well known for those species which bore into the flesh of other fish to suck their blood, these species make up the minority. In zoology, lampreys are often not considered to be true fish because of their vastly different morphology and physiology. Lampreys live mostly in coastal and fresh waters, although at least one species, Geotria australis, probably travels significant distances in the open ocean, as is evidenced by the lack of reproductive isolation between Australian and New Zealand populations, and the capture of a specimen in the Southern Ocean between Australia and Antarctica. They are found in most temperate regions except Africa. Their larvae have a low tolerance for high water temperatures, which is probably why they are not found in the tropics. Outwardly resembling eels, in that they have no scales, an adult lamprey can range anywhere from 13 to 100 centimetres (5 to 40 inches) long. Lampreys have no paired fins, large eyes, one nostril on the top of the head, and seven gills on each side. The unique morphological characteristics of lampreys, such as their cartilaginous skeleton, mean that they are the sister taxon (see cladistics) of all living jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes) and are not classified within the Vertebrata itself. This is disputed by some, who place lampreys within Vertebrata. The hagfish, which superficially resembles the lamprey, is the sister taxon of the lampreys and gnathostomes (a clade termed the Craniata). Lampreys begin life as burrowing freshwater larvae (ammocoetes). At this stage, they are toothless, have rudimentary eyes, and feed on microorganisms. This larval stage can last five to seven years and hence was originally thought to be an independent organism. After these five to seven years, they transform into adults in a metamorphosis which is at least as radical as that seen in amphibians, and which involves a radical rearrangement of internal organs, development of eyes and transformation from a mud-dwelling filter feeder into an efficient swimming predator, which typically moves into the sea to begin a predatory/parasitic life, attaching their mouth to a fish, secreting an anticoagulant to the host, and feeding on the blood and tissues of the host. In most species this phase lasts about 18 months. Not all lampreys can be found in the sea. Some lampreys are landlocked and remain in fresh water, and some of these stop feeding altogether as soon as they have left the larval stage. The landlocked species are usually rather small. To reproduce, lampreys return to fresh water (if they left it), build a nest, then spawn, that is, lay their eggs or excrete their semen, and then invariably die. In Geotria australis, the time between ceasing to feed at sea and spawning can be up to 18 months. Studies reported in Nature suggest that lampreys have a unique type of immune system with parts that are unrelated to the antibodies found in mammals. They also have a very high tolerance to iron overload, and have biochemical defenses to detoxify this metal. pets-and-animals Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:14:47 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/singingkettlevideoshowcase The Singing Kettle is a folk music group who are well known for performing traditional children's songs with a distinctly Scottish flair. The group began in the mid 1980's with the husband and wife team of Cilla Fisher and Artie Trezise and their friend, Gary Coupland. They were joined for a time by Cilla and Artie's daughter, Jane, who is now in the electro band Motormark. Other current members of the group are Kevin Macleod and the dog character, Bonzo. Aside from their several albums of traditional children's music, The Singing Kettle has also released several DVDs and made five television series with BBC Scotland. They also tour regularly throughout the United Kingdom, performing their highly successful stage show. They have performed command performances before both Prince Charles and Jordan's royal family. The three founding members of The Singing Kettle (Cilla, Artie, and Gary) have each been honored with the MBE. entertainment Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:59:50 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/matterhorn Information on the Matterhorn, Swiss/Italian border, Europe. The Matterhorn (German) or Cervino (Italian), (French: Mont Cervin or Le Cervin) is perhaps the most familiar mountain in the European Alps. On the border between Switzerland and Italy, it towers over the Swiss village of Zermatt and the Italian village Breuil-Cervinia in the Val Tournanche. The mountain derives its name from the German words Matte, meaning valley or meadow, and Horn, which means peak. Though from the Swiss side it appears to be an isolated horn-shaped peak, it is actually the butt end of a ridge; and the Swiss slope is not nearly so steep or difficult to climb as the grand terraced walls of the Italian slope. The Matterhorn has four faces, facing the four compass points, the north face overlooking the Zmutt Valley, the south face Breuil-Cervinia, the east and west faces looking towards the Gornergrat and the Dent d'Hérens, respectively, with the north and south faces meeting to form a short east-west summit ridge. The faces are steep, and only small patches of snow and ice cling to them; regular avalanches send the snow down to accumulate on the glaciers at the base of each face. The Hörnli ridge of the northeast (in the center of the view from Zermatt) is the usual climbing route. travel-and-places Sun, 17 Oct 2010 06:03:49 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/F-for-FurReal Introducing the bird that wants to be heard! SQUAWKERS McCAW the parrot is a talkin', squawkin', and totally unpredictable play pal! He’s got plenty to say (and plenty of attitude!) right out of the box and you can train him to do a whole lot more! This plush-plumed bird responds to you with more than 45 words, phrases and silly sound effects. Try recording additional words and phrases and even "train" SQUAWKERS McCAW to talk back to you – just like a real parrot! And just as much as this bird loves to talk, he loves to get down! SQUAWKERS McCAW sings and dances to his signature song, "Squawk, Squawk, Squawk" – and your tunes too. A handy remote lets you switch between speech, dance and singing modes. He even plays silly gags, including whistling, laughing and making noises! And just like a real parrot, SQUAWKERS McCAW gets "hungry"! "Feed" him his cracker and he'll make yummy sounds! Go ahead and pet one of this pretty bird's special sensors to make him coo, sway, kiss or flutter his wings. He’ll even play peek-a-boo! You never know what he’ll say – or when! – But one thing is for sure. You'll always have a friend to act up, speak up and get down with – with SQUAWKERS McCAW. Animatronic "talking" parrot figure acts up, speaks up and gets down with more than 45 words, phrases and sound effects, including his signature "Squawk, Squawk, Squawk" song and dance! Includes 4 "AA" batteries for SQUAWKERS McCAW toy. Requires 2 "AAA" batteries for remote control (not included). Parrot comes with toy cracker, remote control, perch and instructions. Ages 5 to 105. Source  entertainment Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:33:45 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/K-for-Kayak A kayak hunters in sub-Arctic regions of northeastern Asia, is a small human-powered boat. It typically has a covered deck, and a cockpit covered by a spraydeck. It is propelled by a double-bladed paddle by a sitting paddler. The kayak was used by the native Ainu, Aleut and EskimoNorth America and Greenland. Modern kayaks come in a wide variety of designs and materials for specialized purposes. Kayaks are in some parts of the world referred to as canoes. sports-and-recreation Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:27:40 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/K-for-Kaleidoscope The kaleidoscope is a tube of mirrors containing loose coloured beads or pebbles, or other small coloured objects. The viewer looks in one end and light enters the other end, reflecting off the mirrors. Typically there are two rectangular lengthways mirrors. Setting of the mirrors at 45° creates eight duplicate images of the objects, six at 60°, and four at 90°. As the tube is rotated, the tumbling of the coloured objects presents the viewer with varying colours and patterns. Any arbitrary pattern of objects shows up as a beautiful symmetric pattern because of the reflections in the mirrors. A two-mirror model yields a pattern or patterns isolated against a solid black background, while a three-mirror (closed triangle) model yields a pattern that fills the entire field. For a 2D symmetry group a kaleidoscopic point is a point of intersection of two or more lines of reflection symmetry. In the case of a discrete group the angle between consecutive lines is 180°/n for an integer n≥2. At this point there are n lines of reflection symmetry, and the point is a center of n-fold rotational symmetry. See also symmetry combinations. Modern kaleidoscopes are made of brass tubes, stained glass, wood, steel, gourds and most any other material an artist can sculpt or manipulate. The part of the kaleidoscope which holds objects to be viewed is called an object chamber or cell. Object cells may contain almost any material. Sometimes the object cell is filled with liquid so the items float and move through the object cell with slight movement from the person viewing. hobbies-games-toys Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:25:43 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/theolsentwins Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986) are American actresses, best known for playing the role of Michelle Tanner on the sitcom Full House. Though they appear to be identical twins, the twins themselves claim to be fraternal. Both have appeared in television and films since infancy. Since then, they have continued their celebrity through numerous television programs, films, interviews, as well as commercial endorsements. Funny: 'olsen twins' anagrams to 'Now listens.' : 0 culture-and-society Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:31:37 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/frisbees Flying discs (commonly called Frisbees) are disc-shaped objects, which are generally plastic and roughly 20 to 25 centimeters (8–10 inches) in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating. The name Frisbee is a registered trademark of the Wham-O toy company, but is often used generically to describe all flying discs. Flying discs are thrown and caught for recreation, and as part of many different flying disc games. A wide range of flying disc variants are available commercially. Disc golf discs are usually smaller but denser and are tailored for particular flight profiles to increase/decrease stability and distance. Disc dog sports use relatively slow flying discs made of more pliable material to better resist a dog's bite and prevent injury. Ring shaped discs are also available which typically fly significantly farther than any traditional flying disc. There are illuminated discs meant for night time play which use phosphorescent plastic, or battery powered light emitting diodes. There are also discs that whistle when they reach a certain velocity in flight. sports-and-recreation Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:21:06 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/evel-knievel Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel, Jr. (October 17, 1938 – November 30, 2007) was an American motorcycle daredevil, a well-known figure in the United States and elsewhere since the late 1960s, and arguably the most iconic motorbike stuntman of all time. Knievel's nationally televised motorcycle jumps, including his 1974 attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon at Twin Falls, Idaho, represent four of the top 20 most-watched ABC's Wide World of Sports events of all time. His achievements and failures got him into the Guinness Book of World Records several times, including his record forty broken bones. Knievel's daredevil persona was parodied as "Super Dave Osborne", a fictional character played by Bob Einstein, whose signature is to perform outrageous stunts which invariably go awry and result in his grievous injury. cars Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:47:08 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/infomercial-bare-escentuals looking for Bare escentual videos? You've come to the right place...! entertainment Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:33:23 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/current-population-for-the-usa Question: How do I find the current U.S. & World population? Answer: The LIVE FEED below will tell you. culture-and-society Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:30:14 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/britisharmyvideoshowcase The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and was controlled by the War Office from London. Today it is managed by the Defence Council and the Ministry of Defence. As of April 2007, the British Army includes roughly 110,580 regular personnel and 38,460 Territorial Army members. The full time element of the British Army has also been referred to as the Regular Army since the creation of the reservist Territorial Army. The British Army is deployed in many of the world's war zones as part of a fighting force and in United Nations peacekeeping forces. In contrast to the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force, the British Army does not include "Royal" in its title, instead many of its constituent Regiments and Corps are styled Royal. culture-and-society Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:27:50 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/what-year-was-mickey-mouse-born A: 1928! Mickey Mouse was first introduced in Steamboat Willie (1928), the first animated cartoon with sound. Mickey Mouse was created by Walt Disney; he was customarily drawn by Ub Iwerks, but his voice was provided by Disney himself. Mickey was often portrayed with a girlfriend, named Minnie Mouse. Mickey was a cheerful and mischievous rodent who went on to star in more than one hundred cartoon shorts and became a virtual cult figure. In 1932 Disney was given an Honorary Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the creation of Mickey Mouse. education Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:28:09 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/what-does-the-usa-flag-colors-stand-for A: There is no official assignment of meaning or symbolism to the colours of the flag. However, Charles Thomson (1729 - 1824), secretary of the Continental Congress, in describing the proposed Great Seal, suggested the following symbolism: "White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue . . . signifies vigilence, perseverence [sic] & justice." education Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:28:51 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/belly-button-fluff Navel lint, or more commonly belly button lint or navel fluff, is an accumulation of fluffy fibres in one's navel. Many people find that, at the beginning and end of the day, a small lump of fluff has appeared in the navel cavity. The reasons for this have been the subject of idle speculation for many years but in 2001, Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki of the University of Sydney, Australia, undertook a systematic survey to determine the ins and outs of navel lint. His primary findings were as follows: Navel lint consists primarily of stray fibers from one's clothing, mixed with some dead skin cells and strands of body hair.Contrary to expectations, navel lint appears to migrate upwards from underwear rather than downwards from shirts or tops. The migration process is the result of the frictional drag of body hair on underwear, which drags stray fibers up into the navel.Women experience less navel lint because of their finer and shorter body hairs. Conversely, older men experience it more because of their coarser and more numerous hairs.Navel lint's characteristic blue-gray tint is likely the averaging of the colors of fibers present in clothing; the same color as clothes dryer lint.The existence of navel lint is entirely harmless, and requires no corrective action. Dr. Kruszelnicki was awarded the Ig Nobel Prize for Interdisciplinary Research in 2002. Graham Barker of Perth, Western Australia, is in the Guinness Book of Records as the record holder for collecting navel lint. He has been collecting navel lint almost every day for over 20 years since 17th January 1984. He collects about 3.03 mg per day. Contrary to the research of Dr. Kruszelnicki, his lint is in a particular shade of red, even though he rarely wears red clothes. education Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:28:48 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/chalk-and-flint Chalk is easy to recognise and impossible to mistake. When freshly broken, it is a dazzling white, but exposure to the weather robs it of its purity. Being very soft, it powders easily and forms a white ‘streak’ on anything it touches. Exposure in chalk pits, roadside and railway cuttings and cliffs, show that the chalk is a bedded rock. It consists of a mass of parallel layers (strata) and splits along these layers in flat slabs; otherwise it smashes when broken into shapeless lumps. Chalk is a form of calcite, a mineral which consists of calcium carbonate. Touched with a weak acid, it ‘fizzes’, giving off bubbles of carbon dioxide. When strongly heated, it parts with its carbon dioxide and becomes quicklime (calcium oxide), so corrosive a substance that in medieval times, it was used as a weapon. Water added to quicklime converts it into slaked lime (calcium hydroxide), generating a heat so fierce that it throws off clouds of steam. Slaked lime is used in making mortar and cement, and can also serve as a fertiliser, restoring calcium to the soil. Lime is also used in the manufacture of steel, as a flux in metallurgy, and in neutralising acids. Powdered and examined under the microscope, chalk reveals itself to be consisting of white grains, mixed with fragments of marine shells, and even with complete shells of miniature creatures. The chalk, in its hundreds of feet of thickness, varies in texture and composition. It contains belts of ‘chalk rock’ and other material hard enough to be used for building. Towards its base, it is grey rather than white and contains patches of marl (limy clay).   FLINT Most chalk-pits contain nodules (rounded lumps) of Flint. Although most of these form layers parallel to the bedding of the chalk, the two minerals are altogether different in appearance and composition. The flint is very hard and, except on its surface, it is black or very dark grey. It breaks neither into jagged lumps nor along flat surfaces, but in gentle curves like those of an oyster shell; this is called conchoidal (shell-like) fracture. Broken into thin flakes, it is translucent and may have very sharp edges. Flint is a form of the very common mineral silica (silicon dioxide). Like the chalk, it is derived from material in the bodies of sea-living creatures. At one time it was supposed that this has accumulated on the sea floor seperately from the calcite which forms the chalk; it is now thought more probable that its particles were originally widely scattered through the chalk, but that they gradually ‘grew’ together by a process resembling crystallisation. The surface of most flints consists of a porous layer of particles of silica so small that by ‘scattering’ the light they appear white. Broken pieces of flint may ‘weather’ to a delicate shade of blue. Before Humphrey Davey invented the safety lamp, coal mines were illuminated by the fitful light of a ‘Steel Mill’, in which a revolving wheel struck a shower of sparks from a flint edge; these were not hot enough to ignite the dangerous ‘fire-damp’. Though its modern uses are limited, flint was for ages, the chief raw material used in industry, and was almost essential to human life. Not only did it serve to make fire, sparks being struck either from two pieces of flint, or from flint and ironstone; it was also used to make almost all tools and weapons. Indeed, for the greater part of human history, such implements consisted not of steel, not of iron, not of bronze, not even of copper, but of flint! The wood with which these tools were hafted, and on which it was used, has long since perished; the most durable flint implements are exhibited in the museums, and may be collected from some river gravels. They include knives with edges keen enough to serve as razors, saws with well cut teeth, scrapers for dressing hides, chisels, sharp-pointed borers and awls and spear and axe heads (arrow heads being a comparatively recent invention). For these purposes, flint was systematically mined. Many chalk pits also contain smaller nodules with a brown, rusty looking surface: spheres or cylinders with spherical ends. When broken, they reveal a silvery interior with a radial structure, resembling needles tightly packed, with their points meeting at the centre; unfortunately, however, the beautiful silver-like surface soon rusts into a reddish-brown. These nodules, which are sometimes called ‘thunderbolts’, consist of iron sulphide, either marcasite or a form of iron pyrites. pets-and-animals Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:27:46 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/jackiestewart Sir John Young Stewart, OBE (born 11 June 1939 in Milton, West Dunbartonshire), better known as Jackie, and nicknamed The Flying Scot, is a Scottish former racing driver. culture-and-society Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:27:01 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/auld-lang-syne 'Auld Lang Syne' was based on an anonymous verse which Burns took down from an old man's singing, and which so enchanted him that he wrote: 'Light be the earth on the beast of the Heaven-inspired poet who composed this glorious fragment.' Little did he think as he worked at the happy task of converting the fragment into a complete poem that he was writing what was destined to become the most widely sung song in the world. A word on the pronunciation. It is really extremely simple. Auld Lang Syne is not pronounced Old Long Zyne. Auld rhymes with bald; lang rhymes with pang (the 'a' slightly broader); and the 's' in syne is sibilant, as in since. Three words of one syllable should not be hard to master!  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Auld lang syne, long ago; braes, hill-slopes; gowans, daisies; burn, stream; braid, broad; fiere, comrade; guid-willie waught, a hearty draught, drunk in friendship. arts-and-design Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:36:37 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) is a children's book by Welsh author Roald Dahl. This story of the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric candymaker Willy Wonka is often considered one of the most beloved children's stories of the 20th century. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was first published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. in 1964, and in the United Kingdom by George Allen & Unwin in 1967. The book was adapted into two major motion pictures: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory in 1971, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2005. The book's sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, was written by Roald Dahl in 1972. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is also a 2005 film, based on the 1964 Roald Dahl children's novel of the same name. The film was directed by Tim Burton and stars Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka and Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket, and is the second film adaptation of the book. It is also the second film based on a Roald Dahl novel worked on by Tim Burton. It became a box office success and received positive critical reaction. It received an Academy Award nomination in 2006 for Best Costume Design. entertainment Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:34:43 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/which-planet-has-the-greatest-density A: Earth! 1 | Earth | 5.515 g/cm^3 2 | Mercury | 5.43 g/cm^3 - 0.98 mean Earth densities 3 | Venus | 5.24 g/cm^3 - 0.95 mean Earth densities 4 | Mars | 3.94 g/cm^3 - 0.714 mean Earth densities 5 | Neptune | 1.76 g/cm^3 - 0.319 mean Earth densities In case you're looking for the planet with the greatest mass, here's the list: 1 | Jupiter | 1.8988x10^27 kg 2 | Saturn | 5.685x10^26 kg 3 | Neptune | 1.0278x10^26 kg 4 | Uranus | 8.6625x10^25 kg 5 | Earth | 5.9742x10^24 kg education Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:28:50 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/union-flag The Union flag is a red, white and blue flag that combines the Crosses of St. Andrew (Scotland), St. George (England), and St. Patrick (Ireland). Initially the flag was called a jack when it was flown at the bowsprit (pole at the front of a ship) of British naval vessels. It was commonly called the Union Jack by the late 17th century, and that name became official in the late 19th century. The Union Jack is flown on land for government and military purposes, and at sea it serves as a flag for the Royal Navy. The general public uses it unofficially as a civil flag. Its width-to-length ratio is 1 to 2. The earliest form of the flag of Great Britain was developed in 1606 and used during the reigns of James I (1603-25) and Charles I (1625-49). It displayed the red cross of England superimposed on the white cross of Scotland, with the blue field of the latter. Because in heraldry a red on blue is not considered permissible, the red cross had to be bordered with white, its own correct field. During the Commonwealth and Protectorate period (1649-60), the Irish harp was incorporated in the Union Jack, but the flag resumed its original form on the Restoration of Charles II in 1660. Thus did the "Union Flag," or "Great Union," continue in use until January 1, 1801, the effective date of the legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland. In order to incorporate the Cross of St. Patrick (a red diagonal cross on white) while preserving the individual entities of the three crosses, the heraldic advisers to the sovereign found an elegant solution. The existing white Cross of St. Andrew was divided diagonally, with the red appearing below the white on the hoist half of the flag and above it on the fly half. To avoid having the red cross touch the blue background, which would be contrary to heraldic law, a fimbriation (narrow border) of white was added to the red cross. In the centre, a white fimbriation also separated the Cross of St. Patrick from the red Cross of St. George. The Union Jack is the most important of all British flags and is flown by representatives of the United Kingdom all the world over. In certain authorized military, naval, royal, and other uses, the Union Jack may be incorporated into another flag. For example, it forms the canton of both the British Blue Ensign and the British Red Ensign. It is part of the flags of such Commonwealth nations as Australia, New Zealand, and Tuvalu, as well as of the U.S. state of Hawaii, the Australian states (New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia), and three Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario). education Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:10:37 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/whose-face-is-on-the-dime A: Franklin D. Roosevelt! Since its introduction in 1796, the dime has been issued in six different major types. The name for each type indicates the design on the coin's obverse (the side of a coin or medal bearing the principal stamp or design), the Barber dime excepted. * Draped Bust (1796-1807) * Capped Bust (1809-1837) * Seated Liberty (1837-1891) * Barber (1892-1916) * Winged Liberty Head (Mercury) (1916-1945) * Roosevelt (1946-to present) education Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:11:17 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/space-1999 Space: 1999 show about the journey of the occupants of a (ITC Entertainment, 1975-77) is a British science-fiction televisionMoon base after the Moon is knocked out of orbit by a nuclear explosion. The series was the last produced by the partnership of Sylvia and Gerry Anderson, famous for the TV series Thunderbirds, Fireball XL5, and UFO. Space: 1999 was the first attempt since the demise of Star Trek in 1969 at producing a large-scale weekly science fiction series, and the show drew a great deal of visual inspiration (and technical expertise) from the Stanley Kubrick classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. The show's special effects director Brian Johnson had in fact previously worked on both Thunderbirds (as Brian Johncock) and 2001. It was the last in a long line of successful science-fiction series that the Andersons produced as a working partnership, beginning with Supercar in the early Sixties and including the famed marionette fantasy series Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, and Joe 90, as well as the gritty live-action alien-invasion drama UFO. Space: 1999 owes much of the visual design to pre-production work for a never-made second series of UFO which would have featured a more extensive Moonbase. It has since become a cult classic, and is available on DVD. entertainment Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:28:34 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/where-is-the-eiffel-tower-located A: Paris, France! More specifically, the tower's address is: Tour Eiffel Champ de Mars 75007 Paris FRANCE education Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:10:03 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/K-for-Karate Karate, is a martial art developed from indigenous fighting methods from the Ryuku Islands, Chinese kempo, and classical Japanese martial arts. It is known primarily as a striking art, featuring punching, kicking, knee/elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques, but grappling, joint manipulations, locks, restraints/traps, throws, and vital point striking are taught with equal emphasis, depending on the school. A karate practitioner is called a karateka. In sporting karate and sparring (kumite) in training, blows and kicks are stopped short, preferably within an inch of contact. Sporting matches commonly last only three minutes, to a decision, if neither contestant has scored a clean "killing" point in the estimation of the judges. Contests of form (kata) are also held, in which single competitors perform predetermined series of movements simulating defense and counterattack against several opponents. Performances are scored by a panel of judges, as in gymnastics. Karate evolved in the Orient over a period of centuries, becoming systematized in Okinawa in the 17th century, probably by people forbidden to carry weapons. It was imported into Japan in the 1920s. Several schools and systems developed, each favouring somewhat different techniques and training methods. Karate, like other Oriental fighting disciplines, stresses mental attitude, rituals of courtesy, costumes, and a complex ranking system (by colour of belt). There is some overlapping of technique with other fighting styles. sports-and-recreation Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:09:56 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/K-for-Knots A knot is a method for fastening or securing linear material such as rope by tying or interweaving. It may consist of a length of one or more segments of rope, string, webbing, twine, strap or even chain interwoven so as to create in the line the ability to bind to itself or to some other object - the "load". Knots have been the subject of interest both for their ancient origins, common use, and the mathematical implications of knot theory. education Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:08:18 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/m-for-mammals Mammals are the most highly developed of all animals. They form a class, Mammalia, which gets its name because of the great distinguishing feature of all mammals--mammary glands, or breasts, which give milk. The other thing that distinguishes mammals is that they all have hair. Some mammals, such as whales, have very little, and some, such as bears, have a lot. The basic mammal type is an animal with four legs, breathing air, having warm blood, and giving birth to live young. But there are exceptions to this. In seals, for example, the legs have become flippers. Whales also have flippers, but only one pair: they have no hind limbs at all. But the skeleton of a whale has a definite relationship to other mammals-in the flippers are digital bones similar to those of an ape's hand, though greatly changed in size and proportion. A whale has other features common to all mammals-such as lungs, a four-chambered heart, and a well-developed brain. The two forms of mammals least like the basic type are the primitive monotremes and marsupials. Monotremes-the Duck-billed platypus, for example-lay eggs, like reptiles, but are mammals in all other respects. Marsupials (kangaroos and wallabies, for example) give birth to live young, but only partly developed. The babies spend some time in the pouch on their mother's abdomen. There are about 4,000 species of mammals, grouped into 18 orders and about 90 families. pets-and-animals Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:26:09 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/kaiju-toys Looking for Kaiju toys? Look no further! Monsters galore on this lens...! entertainment Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:15:10 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/map-of-russia Full name - Russian Federation Full native name - Rossiyskaya Federatsiya Internet code - .ru education Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:08:14 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/K-for-Kumquat Kumquats are slow-growing, evergreen shrubs or small trees, from 2.5–4.5 metres tall, with dense branches, sometimes bearing small thorns. The leaves are dark glossy green, and the flowers pure white, similar to other citrus flowers, borne singly or clustered in the leaf-axils. Kumquats originated in China (they are noted in literature dating to the 12th century), and have long been cultivated there and in Japan. They were introduced to Europe in 1846 by Robert Fortune, collector for the London Horticultural Society, and shortly thereafter into North America. Originally placed in the genus Citrus, they were transferred to the genus Fortunella in 1915, though subsequent work (Burkill 1931, Mabberley 1998) favours their return to inclusion in Citrus. Four or five species are currently accepted: Citrus crassifolia (syn. Fortunella crassifolia) - Meiwa Kumquat. Generally eaten fresh, skin-on, instead of cooked.Citrus hindsii (syn. Fortunella hindsii) - Hong Kong KumquatCitrus japonica (syn. Fortunella japonica, C. margarita, F. margarita) - Marumi or Nagami Kumquat. Tart, prized for staying fresh on the tree longer, generally cooked or peeled.Citrus obovata (syn. Fortunella obovata) - Jiangsu or Fukushu KumquatCitrus polyandra (syn. Fortunella polyandra) - Malayan Kumquat Kumquats readily hybridise with other members of the genus Citrus and with the closely related Poncirus. These hybrids are known as Citrofortunella; examples include the limequat, orangequat, and calamondin. In appearance the kumquat fruit (generally called simply "kumquat") resembles a miniature oval orange, 3–5 centimetres long and 2–4 centimetres wide. Depending on variety, peel color ranges from yellow to red. A Nagami kumquat has an oval shape, while a Marumi kumquat is round. Kumquat fruit is generally in season from late autumn to mid-winter, and can be found in most food markets with other produce. food-and-cooking Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:47:53 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/T-for-Tortoise Tortoises or land turtles are land-dwelling reptiles of the family of Testudinidae, order Testudines. Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise has both an endoskeleton and an exoskeleton. Tortoises can vary in size from a few centimetres to two meters. Tortoises tend to be diurnal animals with tendencies to be crepuscular depending on the ambient temperatures. They are generally reclusive and shy. Female tortoises dig burrows in which they lay from two to twelve eggs. Hatchlings take approximately 90-120 days to incubate within the ping-pong-ball sized eggs. Upon completion of the incubation period the hatchlings break open egg shell enclosure with their beak and dig their way to the surface. Most hatchlings are born with an embryonic egg sac which serves as a source of food until they are capable of eating solid foods, this stage lasts between 3 and 7 days. Unlike turtles, hatchlings of most tortoise species will move from their nest and into their mother's burrow following birth. The mother will usually provide protection for the hatchlings for around 80 days, after which the babies will attempt to survive on their own. There are many old wives tales about the age of turtles and tortoises, one of which being that the age of a tortoise can be deducted by counting the number of concentric rings on its carapace, much like the cross-section of a tree. This is, of course, not true, since the growth of a tortoise depends highly on the access of food and water. A tortoise that has access to plenty of forage (or is regularly fed by its owner) will grow faster than a desert tortoise that goes days without eating. Tortoises generally have lifespans comparable with those of human beings, and some individuals are known to have lived longer than 150 years. Because of this, they symbolize longevity in some cultures, such as China. The oldest tortoise ever recorded, almost the oldest individual animal ever recorded, was Tui Malila, who was presented to the Tongan royal family by the British explorer Captain Cook shortly after its birth in 1777. Tui Malila remained in the care of the Tongan royal family until its death by natural causes on May 19, 1965. This means that upon its death, Tui Malila was 188 years old. The record for the longest-lived vertebrate is succeeded only by one other, a Koi Fish named "Hanako" whose death on July 17, 1977 ended a 226 year life span. The Alipore Zoo in India was the home to Adwaitya, which zoo officials claimed was the oldest living animal until its death on March 23, 2006. Adwaitya (sometimes spelled with two d's) was an Aldabra Giant Tortoise brought to India by Lord Wellesley who handed it over to the Alipur Zoological Gardens in 1875 when the zoo was set up. Zoo officials state they have documentation showing that Adwaitya was at least 130 years old, but claim that he was over 250 years old (although this has not been scientifically verified). Adwaitya was said to be the pet of Robert Clive. Harriet, a resident at the Australia Zoo in Queensland, was apocryphally thought to have been brought to England by Charles Darwin aboard the Beagle. Harriet died on June 23, 2006, just shy of her 176th birthday. Most land based tortoises are herbivores, feeding on grazing grasses, weeds, leafy greens, flowers, and certain fruits. Their main diet consists of alfalfa, clover, dandelions, and leafy weeds, although they will also eat various insects. Feeding tortoises cat or dog food is a common mistake, as both cat and dog food contain too much protein and lack other important nutrients for tortoises. Tortoises are not carnivores, and should not be fed large amounts of protein, as it may cause shell deformation and other medical problems. There is a large amount of speculation on the use of tortoise pellets when feeding tortoises as in fact, tortoise pellets contain way too much protein, which will cause shell deformation and other medical problems. As a general rule, tortoises kept as domestic pets (usually Testudo Graecae and Testudo Hermanae) should be fed on weeds such as dandelions and clover and that is all that is needed. Calcium Carbonate can be ground into powder and added with weeds to provide extra essential calcium to a tortoise's diet. pets-and-animals Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:33:51 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/texas-sheet-cake-recipe Texan sheet cake makes a nice barbecue or party treat. Moist and delicious, it'll feed a crowd and is very easy to make. Takes about 20 mins. INGREDIENTS: * 250 g all-purpose flour * 400 g white sugar * 5 g baking soda * 3 g salt * 115 g sour cream * 2 eggs * 225 g butter * 235 ml water * 25 g unsweetened cocoa powder * 90 ml milk * 25 g unsweetened cocoa powder * 115 g butter * 500 g confectioners' sugar * 5 ml vanilla extract * 120 g chopped walnuts DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10x15 inch pan. 2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix in the sour cream, then beat in the eggs. Set aside. In a saucepan, melt the butter, then stir in the water and 5 tablespoons cocoa. Bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly, then stir cocoa mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing until blended. 3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 4. For the icing: In a large saucepan, combine the milk, 5 tablespoons cocoa and 1/2 cup butter. Bring to a bowl, then remove from heat. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, then fold in the nuts, mixing until blended. Spread frosting over warm cake. food-and-cooking Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:31:28 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/hazel Widely distributed in Europe and South-west Asia, the hazel is found in woods, thickets, and hedgerows; It can grow to 12m but is usually shorter at 6m. Crown: Usually a broad bush, sometimes with a short trunk; Bark: Smooth and shiny grey-brown, with horizontal rows of pores; Shoots: Pale brown, covered with long swollen-tipped (glandular) hairs; Buds: Smooth, blunt, and egg-shaped, changing from brown to green; Leaves: Rounded with a pointed tip and double-toothed margins, up to 10 x 10cm, borne on hairy stalks. Hairy and deep green above, they turn brown and finally yellow; Male flowers: Brownish-yellow catkins that appear in autumn, becoming yellow and longer (5cm) by Spring; Female flowers and fruit: Small brown buds with protruding crimson stigmas develop into clusters of 1 - 4 nuts, each partly enclosed in a toothed green husk. The nuts chamge from whitish-green to pale pink-brown, and finally brown by autumn; Uses: The nuts are edible. The strong and flexible wood is used for hurdles, pea and bean sticks, hoops etc, and formerly for wattle and daub building. Also used to make walking sticks, and water divining rods.    pets-and-animals Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:29:09 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/sherman The M4 Sherman was the primary tank produced by the United States for its own use and the use of its Allies during World War II. Production of the M4 Medium tank exceeded 50,000 units, and its chassis served as the basis for numerous other armored vehicles such as tank destroyers, tank retrievers and self-propelled artillery. In the United Kingdom, the M4 was dubbed the Sherman after Union General William Tecumseh Sherman, following the British practice of naming its American-built tanks after famous American Civil War generals. Subsequently the British name found its way into common use in the US. Following WWII, the M4 medium tank was used by the US until the end of the Korean War. Many nations continued to use the tank in both training and combat roles into the late 20th century. cars Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:28:58 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/edinburghtattoovideoshowcase The Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a show given by military bands and display teams in the Scottish capital Edinburgh. The event takes place annually, as part of the Edinburgh Festival (a collective name for many independent festivals and events in Edinburgh in August). Source  entertainment Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:27:42 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/mistert I pity the fool! Mr. T (legally changed his name from Laurence Tureaud), (born on May 21, 1952), is an iconic actor known for his roles as Sgt. "B. A." Baracus in the 1980s television series The A-Team, as boxer James "Clubber" Lang in the 1982 film Rocky III, and for his numerous appearances in the WWF and pro-wrestling. He is also well-known for his distinctive mohawk hairstyle and for wearing large amounts of gold jewelery and his hard man image. culture-and-society Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:34:14 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-tall-is-the-burj-dubai A: The Burj Dubai (Officially Burj Khalifa) is 828 metres tall. (2,716 feet) It is the world's tallest building and opened in January 2010. travel-and-places Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:06:34 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/best-cricketer-ever The definitive list, to find the world's best cricketer ever - deceased or living.  Vote for your favourite, or add your own... sports-and-recreation Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:09:00 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/best-jockey-ever The definitive list, to find the world's best Jockey ever - deceased or living Vote for your favourite or add your own  sports-and-recreation Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:26:39 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/rubikscubevideoshowcase Rubik's Cube (commonly misspelled rubix, rubick's or rubics cube) is a mechanical puzzle invented in 1974 by the Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Erno Rubik. Originally called the "Magic Cube" by its inventor, this puzzle was renamed "Rubik's Cube" by Ideal Toys in 1980 and also won the 1980 German "Game of the Year" (Spiel des Jahres) special award for Best Puzzle. It is said to be the world's best-selling toy, with some 900,000,000 Rubik's Cubes and imitations sold worldwide. Typically, the faces of the cube are covered by 9 stickers in 6 solid colors; there is one color for each side of the cube. When the puzzle is solved, each face of the cube is a solid color. The cube celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2005, when a special edition cube in a presentation box was released, featuring a sticker in the centre of the reflective face (which replaced the white face) with a "Rubik's Cube 1980-2005" logo. The puzzle comes in four widely available versions: the 2×2×2 ("Pocket Cube"), the 3×3×3 standard cube, the 4×4×4 ("Rubik's Revenge"), and the 5×5×5 Quinn Hancock version ("Professor's Cube"). Recently, Greek inventor Panagiotis Verdes patented a method of creating cubes beyond the 5×5×5, up to 11×11×11. His designs, which include improved mechanisms for the 3×3×3, 4×4×4, and 5×5×5, are suitable for speed cubing, whereas existing designs for cubes larger than 3×3×3 are prone to breaking. As of June 1st, 2007, these designs are still being tested and are not widely available yet, although videos of actual, working prototypes for the 6×6×6 and 7×7×7 have been released. computers-and-electronics Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:15:39 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/battlefield-1942 Battlefield 1942 is a 3D World War II first-person shooter (FPS) computer game developed by Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows (2002) and Apple Macintosh (2004). The game can be played in singleplayer mode against computer game bots or in multiplayer mode against players on the Internet. In-game, players assume the role of one of five classes of infantry: Sniper, Assault, Anti-Tank, Medic, and Engineer. Players also have the ability to fly various World War II fighter aircraft and bombers, navigate capital ships and aircraft carriers, man coastal artillery defenses, drive tanks, APCs and jeeps, and take control of anti-aircraft guns and mounted machine guns. Each battle takes place on one of several maps located in a variety of places and famous battlefields in all of the major theaters of World War II: the Pacific, European, North African, and Eastern Fronts. Combat is always fought between the Axis Powers and the Allies. The location determines which nation-specific armies are used (for example, on the Iwo Jima map, it is Japan versus the United States, while on the Battle of Britain map, it is Germany versus the United Kingdom). The maps in Battlefield 1942 are based on real battles and are somewhat realistically portrayed. videogames Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:14:47 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/best-f1driver-ever The definitive list, to find the world's best F1 driver, ever - deceased or living Vote for your favourite, or add your own  cars Sun, 20 Jun 2010 13:23:27 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-many-ml-in-a-liter A: There are 1000 ml in a liter (litre). education Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:06:39 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/stephenhendry Stephen Hendry, MBE (born January 13, 1969 in South Queensferry, Edinburgh) is a Scottish professional snooker player, whose achievements make him one of the most successful players of the modern era. He spent a record eight consecutive years at no. 1 in the world rankings, has won the World Snooker Championship a record seven times, and was the youngest World Champion at the age of 21. culture-and-society Sun, 19 Jul 2009 12:16:16 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/O-for-Oilrigs An oil platform or oil rig is a large structure used to house workers and machinery needed to drill and/or produce oil and natural gas through wells in the ocean bed. Depending on the circumstances, the platform may be attached to the ocean floor, consist of an artificial island, or be floating. Generally, oil platforms are located on the continental shelf, though as technology improves, drilling and production in deeper waters becomes both feasible and profitable. A typical platform may have around thirty wellheads located on the platform and directional drilling allows reservoirs to be accessed at both different depths and at remote positions up to 5 miles (8 kilometres) from the platform. Many platforms also have remote wellheads attached by umbilical connections, these may be single wells or a manifold centre for multiple wells. Source  education Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:25:57 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/this-is-halloween Also called All Hallows' Eve or All Hallows' Evening a holy or hallowed evening, observed on October 31, the eve of All Saints' Day. In modern times, it is the occasion for pranks and for children requesting treats or threatening tricks. In ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic festival of Samhain eve was observed on October 31, at the end of summer. This date was also the eve of the new year in both Celtic and Anglo-Saxon times and was the occasion for one of the ancient fire festivals when huge bonfires were set on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits. The date was connected with the return of herds from pasture, and laws and land tenures were renewed. The souls of the dead were thought to revisit their homes on this day, and the autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, black cats, fairies, and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature. In addition, Halloween was thought to be the most favourable time for divinations concerning marriage, luck, health, and death. The pagan observances influenced the Christian festival of All Hallows' Eve, celebrated on the same date. Gradually, Halloween became a secular observance, and many customs and practices developed. In Scotland young people assembled for games to ascertain which of them would marry during the year and in what order the marriages would occur. Many Halloween customs have become games played by children. Immigrants to the United States, particularly the Irish, introduced secular Halloween customs that became popular in the late 19th century. Mischief-making on this occasion by boys and young men included overturning sheds and outhouses and breaking windows, and damage to property was sometimes severe. In later years, the occasion has come to be observed mainly by small children, who go from house to house, often in costume, demanding "trick or treat" (the treat, often candy, is generally given and the trick rarely played). Since 1965, UNICEF, an agency of the United Nations, has attempted to incorporate into the Halloween observance the collection of money for the United Nations Children's Fund. A common symbol of Halloween is the jack-o'-lantern (the name possibly was derived from that for a night watchman). It is a hollowed-out pumpkin carved to resemble a face and with a lighted candle fixed inside. In Scotland a turnip was used, but the native pumpkin was substituted in the United States. entertainment Sun, 17 Oct 2010 12:47:40 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/ice-sculptures Sculpting ice presents a number of difficulties due to the variability and volatility of the material. Ice must be carefully selected to be suitable for sculpting. The ideal material should be made from pure, clean water for high transparency, and have the minimum amount of air bubbles. Boiled water produce bubble free, transparent ice. Different company in different parts of the world can produce blocks of different dimensions. Blocks can be carved from frozen river or from "ice quarries". These large ice blocks must be moved by heavy machinery and are used for large ice sculpting events or as part of an ice hotel. The temperature of the environment affects how quickly the piece must be completed to avoid the effects of melting; if the sculpting does not take place in a cold environment, then the sculptor must work quickly to finish his piece. Some sculptures can be completed in as little as ten minutes if the carver is using power tools such as chainsaws and specialty die grinder. Ice sculptors also use razor-sharp chisels that are specifically designed for cutting ice. As various technologies are adapted for use with ice carving, many sculptures are now created largely by machine. CNC machines and molding systems are now commonly used to create ice sculptures and complicated logos. Color effects are also possible. This art form is traditionally taught in culinary schools using text books such as Ice Sculpting the Modern Way, Joseph Amendola's Ice Carving Made Easy and Mac Winker's Ice Sculpture: The Art of Ice Carving in 12 Systematic Steps. There are also small schools that teach ice carving. education Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:35:00 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/cairnterriers The Cairn Terrier is a breed of dog of the terrier category. It is one of the oldest terriers, originating in the Scottish Highlands and recognised as one of Scotland's earliest working dogs, used for hunting burrowing prey among the cairns. The breed standard can be found on the Cairn Terrier Club of America website. The current standard was approved on May 10, 1938 and it was adopted from the The Kennel Club of Great Britain. According to the American standard, dogs should weigh 14 pounds and stand 10" at the withers. Females should weigh 13 pounds and stand 9.5" at the withers. A Cairn's appearance may vary from this standard. It is common for a Cairn to stand between 9 and 13 inches (23-33 cm) at the withers and weigh 13 to 18 pounds (6 to 8 kg). European Cairns tend to be larger than American Cairns. Due to irresponsible breeding, many Cairns available today are much smaller or much larger than the breed standard. Cairns that have had puppy mill backgrounds can weigh as little as 7 pounds or as much as 27 pounds. The Cairn Terrier has a harsh, weather-resistant outer coat that can be cream, wheaten, red, sandy, gray, or brindled in any of these colors. Pure black, black and tan, and white are not permitted by many kennel clubs. While registration of white Cairns was once permitted, after 1917 the American Kennel Club required them to be registered as West Highland White Terriers. A notable characteristic of Cairns is that brindled Cairns frequently change color throughout their lifetime. It is not uncommon for a brindled Cairn to become progressively more black or silver as it ages. The Cairn is double-coated, with a soft, dense undercoat and a harsh outer coat. A well-groomed Cairn has a rough-and-ready appearance, free of artifice or exaggeration. Cairn Terriers are intelligent, strong, and loyal. Like most terriers, they are stubborn and strong-willed, and love to dig after real or imagined prey. Cairn Terriers have a strong prey instinct and will need comprehensive training. However, they are highly intelligent and, although very willful, can be trained. Although it is often said that they are disobedient, this is not the case provided correct training is applied. These are working dogs and are still used as such in parts of Scotland. Some Cairn Terriers are very independent and do not make good "lap dogs". The image of Cairn Terriers being like "Toto" from the Wizard of Oz is a partial misconception. In reality, these dogs do not always like to snuggle and would heartily object to being kept in a basket. Cairn Terriers should always be hand stripped. Using scissors or shears can ruin the dog's rugged outer coat after one grooming. Hand stripping involves pulling the old dead hair out by the roots. This does not harm the dog in any way. Removing the dead hair in this manner allows new growth to come in. This new growth helps protect the dog from water and dirt. pets-and-animals Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:24:04 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/the-big-sleep Hibernation (the winter sleep) is one of the great puzzles of the animal world. In northern parts of the world, winter is a time of food shortage. Some animals deal with this problem by migrating-many birds do this. Others forage harder, eat less, sleep more, and generally battle through the winter in very much their normal way. But a few animals indulge in a complete change of life during winter. They include some rodents such as dormice, Prairie dogs, and marmots; bats; and insectivores such as hedgehogs. Some reptiles, toads and frogs also indulge in a form of hibernation. Other animals such as bears spend much of the winter sleeping, but in an incomplete form of hibernation. Most hibernating animals wake up if the weather turns warm, and look round for something to eat. Hibernation is more than just a deep sleep. The hibernating animal's rate of breathing and its pulse speed both slow down, as in sleep but to a greater degree. But the body temperature also drops consider­ably-often to around 10°C (50°F). In this condition the whole body metabolism is running in slow gear. The heart beats incredibly slowly, and the digestion is just tick­ing over. A hibernating animal starts the winter very fat, and this store of fat is drawn on to supply the body's needs during the long sleep. Some animals such as mice and squirrels make a cache of nuts and other food which they can draw on during the winter, and these animals do not sleep so long or so soundly as the true hibernators. The animals that do best in hibernation are those that can curl up in a well-insulated nest, like the dormouse. For if the temperature around the animal falls too low, the stores of fat are burned up too quickly and the animal dies. pets-and-animals Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:56:26 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/robbiecoltrane Robbie Coltrane, OBE (born Anthony Robert McMillan on March 30, 1950) is a Scottish television and film actor. Coltrane was born Anthony Robert McMillan in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, the son of Jean McMillan Ross (née Howie), a teacher and pianist, and Ian Baxter McMillan, a general practitioner who also served as a forensic police surgeon. He has an older sister, Annie, and a late younger sister, Jane. Coltrane is the great-grandson of Scottish businessman Thomas W. Howie. He was educated at the prestigious Glenalmond College in Perthshire, from which he was nearly expelled after hanging the prefects' gowns from the school clocktower. Though he later described his experiences there as deeply unhappy, he played for the First XV, was head of the school's debating society and won prizes for his art. From Glenalmond, Coltrane went on to Glasgow School of Art, where he was ridiculed for "having an accent like Prince Charles  (which he quickly disposed of, though not before gaining the nickname "Lord Fauntleroy")and then the Moray House College Of Education in Edinburgh. Coltrane moved into acting in his early twenties, taking the stage name Coltrane (in tribute to jazz saxophonist John Coltrane) and working in theatre and stand-up comedy. Appearing in the 1981 BBC television comedy series A Kick Up the Eighties, his comic skills also brought him roles in the The Comic Strip Presents (1982) series and he was one of the stars of Laugh? I Nearly Paid My Licence Fee (1984). Coltrane soon moved into films, obtaining roles in a number of movies such as Flash Gordon (1980), Death Watch (1980), Scrubbers (1983), Krull (1983), Absolute Beginners (1986), Mona Lisa (1986) and appeared as "Annabelle" in The Fruit Machine (1988). On television, he also appeared in The Young Ones, Tutti Frutti (1987), as Samuel Johnson in Blackadder (1987) (a role he later reprised in the more serious Boswell and Johnson's Tour of the Western Islands (1993)), and in a number of stand-up and sketch comedy shows. Coltrane co-starred with Eric Idle in Nuns on the Run (1990), and played the Pope in The Pope Must Die (1991). He also played a would-be private detective obsessed with Humphrey Bogart in the TV play The Bogie Man. His roles went from strength to strength in the 1990s with the TV series Cracker (1993-1996, 2006 one-off special) and a BAFTA award as the stepping stone to parts in bigger films such as the James Bond films GoldenEye (1995) and The World Is Not Enough (1999) and a major supporting role in From Hell (2001) as well as half-giant Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter films (2001-present). J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, has stated that she created the character of Hagrid based on Coltrane's likeness. In 1997 Coltrane presented a series of six programs under the title "Coltrane's Planes and Automobiles" in which he extolled the virtues of a number of engineering achievements, namely the Steam Engine, the Diesel Engine, the Supercharger, the V8 Engine, the Two Stroke engine, and the Jet Engine. In these programs he showed he was not afraid to get his hands dirty, getting involved with dismantling and rebuilding several engines. He also single-handledly removed the engine from a Trabant car in 23 minutes. In August 2007, Coltrane presented a series for ITV1 called 'B-Road Britain' in which he travelled from London to Glasgow, stopping in at quirky towns and villages along the way. Coltrane was voted No. 10 in ITV's "TV's 50 Greatest Stars" and sixth in a poll of 2000 adults across the UK to find the 'most famous Scot', behind the Loch Ness Monster, Robert Burns, Sean Connery, Robert the Bruce and William Wallace. culture-and-society Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:47:22 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/calories-per-one-banana A: 105! Banana definitions: Edible fruit - elongated crescent-shaped yellow fruit with soft sweet flesh Herb - any of several tropical and subtropical treelike herbs of the genus Musa having a terminal crown of large entire leaves and usually bearing hanging clusters of elongated fruits food-and-cooking Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:46:54 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/is-a-cherry-a-berry-or-a-fruit A: A fruit! A Cherry is a red fruit with a single hard stone. A berry is a simple, fleshy fruit that usually has lots of seeds e.g. banana, tomato, and cranberry. The middle and inner layers of the fruit wall are often not very distinct. Fruit, in a strict sense, is the fleshy or dry ripened ovary of a plant, enclosing the seed or seeds. So, apricots, bananas, and grapes, as well as bean pods, corn grains, tomatoes, cucumbers, and (in their shells) acorns and almonds, are all technically fruits. Popularly, however, the term is restricted to the ripened ovaries that are sweet and either succulent or pulpy (like the cherry). education Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:26:35 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/neolight-laser-brush For decades, dermatologists and hair clinics in Europe and Japan have been using Light Therapy (also referred as PhotoTherapy) for fuller, thicker and healthier looking hair. Combining laser therapy with LED Light Therapy into one, the Neolight® Laser Brush is a breakthrough solution for thinning hair and hair loss in men and women. entertainment Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:54:17 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/autobiography-of-dolly-parton The successful Country and Western star, Dolly Parton, discusses her life, including her first visit to Nashville at age eighteen, marriage to the private Carl, difficult partnership with Porter Wagoner, business ventures, and personal relationships. culture-and-society Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:06:18 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/airforceone In 1944 President Franklin D. Roosevelt called for the creation of the Presidential Pilot Office to provide air transportation to the President and his staff. For most of the next 20 years, various four-engine propeller-driven aircraft were used for presidential air travel. In 1962, the first jet aircraft, a Boeing 707, was purchased for use as Air Force One. The current presidential fleet consists of two specifically-configured Boeing 747-200B series aircraft - tail numbers 28000 and 29000 - with Air Force designation VC-25A. When the President is aboard either craft, or any other Air Force aircraft, the radio call sign is "Air Force One." While on the aircraft, the President and staff have access to a full range of services, including communications systems, secure and non-secure voice, fax and data communications, along with access to photocopying, printing, and word processing. These aircraft are maintained and operated by the Presidential Airlift Group, part of Air Mobility Command's 89th Airlift Wing, based at Andrews Air Force Base, Suitland, Maryland. The VC-25A is capable of flying half way around the world without refueling and can accommodate more than 70 passengers. An Air Force aircraft carrying the Vice President of the United States is designated as Air Force Two. education Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:40:38 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/what-are-the-main-stars-in-libra A: Zubeneshamali | Zubenelgenubi | sigma Librae | upsilon Librae | tau Librae | Zubenelhakrabi | theta Librae | iota_1 Librae | kappa Librae | delta Librae | epsilon Librae | lambda Librae | alpha_1 Librae | nu Librae | mu Librae | eta Librae | xi_2 Librae | zeta_4 Librae | zeta_1 Librae | xi_1 Librae | zeta_3 Librae | iota_2 Librae | omicron Librae pets-and-animals Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:29:12 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-tall-is-the-great-pyramid A: 456 feet! (139 meters) - completion date: 2570 BC The Great Pyramid no longer reaches its original height because most of the outer casing of smooth white limestone, has been stripped away by thieves. Originally, it stood 481 feet high. (147 metres) education Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:34:45 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/cosey-horsey A horse blanket or rug is a blanket or animal coat intended for keeping a horse warm or otherwise protected from wind or other elements. They are tailored to fit around a horse's body from chest to rump, with straps crossing underneath the belly to secure the blanket yet allowing the horse to move about freely. Most have one or two straps that buckle in front, but a few designs have a closed front and must be slipped over a horse's head. Some designs also have small straps the loop lightly around the horse's hind legs to prevent the blanket from slipping sideways. Standard horse blankets are commonly kept on a horse when it is loose in a stall or pasture as well as when traveling. Different weights are manufactured for different weather conditions, and some are water-resistant or even waterproof. Modern materials similar to those used in human outdoor wear are commonly used in blanket manufacture. Blankets are sometimes used to keep the horse's hair short. If horses are blanketed at the beginning of the autumn, especially if kept in a lighted area for 16 hours a day, they will not grow a winter coat. Blankets also protect horses that are kept with a short, clipped hair coat for show purposes. When a horse is given a full body clip, or even a partial "trace clip," it needs to have a blanket kept on at all times if the weather is cool because the horse no longer has the natural insulation of a longer hair coat. If a blanket is put on a horse at the beginning of the winter in order to suppress the growth of a winter coat, or if the horse is kept clipped in cold weather, the blanket it cannot be taken off until warmer weather arrives in the spring. If a horse is subjected to cold weather without either a blanket or a natural hair coat to keep it warm, it may become ill, vulnerable to sicknesses such as influenza. Although heavy blankets for warmth make up the bulk of the horse blanket market, lightweight blanket may be used in the summer to help the animal ward off flies and to prevent the hair coat from bleaching out. Such blankets are usually called a "sheet" or a "fly sheet." They are usually made of some type of nylon or strong synthetic fiber, but with the capacity to "breathe" so that the animal remains cool. Most have a smooth nylon lining in front to prevent hair from wearing off on the shoulders. They are becoming increasingly popular, particularly with the rise of insect borne diseases such as West Nile Virus. Any blanket may be supplemented with a neck cover or a full hood. Neck covers are often attached directly to the blanket. Hoods are a separate piece of horse "clothing," which cover the neck and come down the head to just above the muzzle of the horse, with holes cut for the eyes and ears. Summer weight hoods and neck covers help keep away insects and are also frequently used to keep a horse clean prior to a horse show. Winter weight hoods are used for warmth. A blanket or pad used under a saddle when a horse is being ridden is called a saddle blanket. They do not cover the horse's entire body, though a hybrid design that is a cross between a saddle blanket and a horse blanket, called a quarter sheet, is a blanket placed under the saddle but which covers the horse from shoulder to hip while riding. Quarter sheets are sometimes used in cold weather to keep a horse's muscled loosened up when warming up for competition, or on horses that may have to stand around when under saddle and run the risk of stiffening up if their muscles get chilled. pets-and-animals Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:24:46 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/trinidad-asphalt-lake The asphalt lake When Captain Robert Dudley landed on the West Indian island of Trinidad in 1595, he found on the beach a sticky material, like the pitch used for filling the gaps in the planking of ships to make them watertight. As Dudley had used all his pitch and his ship was leaking badly, he used some of the strange substance. It proved to be perfectly watertight and did not melt in the sun like the pitch. Although Dudley didn't know it, he had found asphalt. It had leaked out of one of the most amazing lakes in the world. The Trinidad asphalt lake at La Brea is about a mile in diameter and 250ft deep in the centre. It fills the crater of what was once a volcano. But the wonderful thing about the lake is that no matter how much asphalt is taken out of it, the level never seems to fall. Reserves are estimated at around 6 million tonnes, with tens of thousands of tonnes taken annually. Mechanical diggers and bulldozers scrape the asphalt off the surface of the lake. The asphalt is then taken to a factory where it is mixed with sand and carbonate of lime, and heated to 300 degrees. It is then poured into barrels and hardens, ready for sending all over the world. It is a major export of Trinidad & Tobago. Asphalt for paving is heated on the site, spread over the road and rolled while it is hot. Granite chips may be thrown onto the surface to give a better grip to tyres. When it cools, it becomes hard as rock. Since 1815, thousands of streets in great cities have been paved with asphalt, but the lake from which it came shows no sign of drying up. education Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:22:06 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/rabbieburns Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796) (also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland's favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, the Bard of Ayrshire and in Scotland as simply The Bard) was a poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best-known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is also in English and a 'light' Scots dialect, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and in these pieces, his political or civil commentary is often at its most blunt. He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement and after his death became an important source of inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism. A cultural icon in Scotland and among Scots who have relocated to other parts of the world (the Scottish Diaspora), celebration of his life and work became almost a national charismatic cult during the 19th and 20th centuries, and his influence has long been strong on Scottish literature. As well as making original compositions, Burns also collected folk songs from across Scotland, often revising or adapting them. His poem (and song) Auld Lang Syne is often sung at Hogmanay (New Year), and Scots Wha Hae served for a long time as an unofficial national anthem of the country. Other poems and songs of Burns that remain well-known across the world today, include A Red, Red Rose, A Man's A Man for A' That, To a Louse, To a Mouse, The Battle of Sherramuir, and Ae Fond Kiss. Burns Night, effectively a second national day, is celebrated on 25 January with Burns suppers around the world, and is still more widely observed than the official national day, Saint Andrew's Day, or the proposed North American celebration Tartan Day. The format of Burns suppers has not changed since Robert's death in 1796. The basic format starts with a general welcome and announcements followed with the Selkirk Grace. Just post the grace comes the piping and cutting of the Haggis, where Robert's famous Address To a Haggis is read, and the haggis is cut open. The event usually allows for people to start eating just after the haggis is presented. This is when the reading called the "immortal memory", an overview of Robert's life and work is given; the event usually concludes with the singing of Auld Lang Syne. culture-and-society Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:06:09 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/sarahwelch Model Sarah Welch falls through a hole in the catwalk. Shadang fashion show, Mondrian hotel, Los Angeles, USA    culture-and-society Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:49:35 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/transatlantic-sessions A  folk music collaboration between top musical artists from North America, Ireland and the UK. music Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:42:35 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/t34 The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1941 to 1958. It is widely regarded to have been the world's best tank when the Soviet Union entered World War II, and although its armor and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it is credited as the war's most effective, efficient and influential design. First produced at the KhPZ factory in Kharkov (Kharkiv, Ukraine), it was the mainstay of Soviet armoured forces throughout World War II, and widely exported afterwards. It was the most-produced tank of the war, and the second most-produced tank of all time, after its successor, the T-54/55 series. A 1996 publication showed that the T-34 was still in service with twenty-seven countries. The T-34 was developed from the BT series of fast tanks, and was intended to replace both the BT-5 and BT-7 tanks and the T-26 infantry tank in service (Zaloga & Grandsen 1984:66, 111). At its introduction, it was the tank with the best balance and attributes of firepower, mobility, and protection in existence, although initially its battlefield effectiveness suffered from the unsatisfactory ergonomic layout of its crew compartment, lack of radios and poor tactical employment. The two-man turret crew arrangement required the commander to also serve as the gunner, an arrangement common to most Soviet tanks of the day; this proved to be inferior to the German arrangement of three men (commander, gunner and loader). The design and construction of the tank were continuously refined during the war to improve effectiveness and decrease costs, allowing steadily greater numbers of tanks to be fielded. In early 1944, the improved T-34-85 was introduced, with a more powerful 85 mm gun and a three-man turret design. By the war's end in 1945, the versatile and cost-effective T-34 had replaced many light and heavy tanks in service, and accounted for the majority of Soviet tank production. Its evolutionary development would lead directly to the T-54/55 series of tanks, built until 1981 and still operated today. cars Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:21:33 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/esca-train-cases Looking for an ESCA train case? You've come to the right place...! travel-and-places Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:29:07 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/S-for-Spiderman Spider-Man is a fictional comic book superhero published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, since his first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962), Spider-Man has become one of the world's most popular, enduring and commercially successful superheroes and is arguably Marvel's most famous character. When Spider-Man first saw print in the 1960s, teenage characters in superhero comic books were usually sidekicks. The Spider-Man series broke ground by featuring a hero who himself was an adolescent, to whose "self-obsessions with rejection, inadequacy, and loneliness" young readers could relate. Spider-Man has since appeared in various media including several animated and live-action television series, syndicated newspaper comic strips and a successful series of films. Marvel has published several Spider-Man comic book series, the first being The Amazing Spider-Man. Over the years, the Peter Parker character has developed from shy high school student to troubled college student to a married teacher and a member of the superhero team the New Avengers. According to BusinessWeek, Spider-Man is listed as one of the top ten most intelligent fictional characters in American comics. entertainment Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:28:53 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/daleks A Dalek  is a member of a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A Dalek is a grotesque mutated organism integrated with a tank-like mechanical casing. The resulting creatures are a powerful race bent on universal conquest and domination, utterly without pity, compassion or remorse (as all of their emotions were removed except hate). They are also, collectively, the greatest alien adversaries of the Time Lord known as the Doctor. Their most famous catchphrase is "EX-TER-MI-NATE!", with each syllable individually screeched in a frantic electronic voice. The Daleks were created by writer Terry Nation and BBC designer Raymond Cusick and were introduced in December 1963 in the second Doctor Who serial. They became an immediate hit with viewers, featuring in many subsequent serials and two 1960s motion pictures. They have become synonymous with Doctor Who, and their behaviour and catchphrases are part of British popular culture. "Hiding behind the sofa whenever the Daleks appear" has even been cited as an essential element of British cultural identity. The word "Dalek" has entered the Oxford English Dictionary and other major dictionaries; the Collins Dictionary defines it rather broadly as "any of a set of fictional robot-like creations that are aggressive, mobile, and produce rasping staccato speech". It is also a trademark, having first been registered by the BBC in 1964 to protect its lucrative range of Dalek merchandise. The term is sometimes used metaphorically to describe people, usually figures of authority, who act like robots unable to break from their programming. John Birt, the Director-General of the BBC from 1992 to 2000, was publicly called a "croak-voiced Dalek" by playwright Dennis Potter in the MacTaggart Lecture at the 1993 Edinburgh Television Festival. The Daleks appeared on a postage stamp celebrating British popular culture in 1999, photographed by Lord Snowdon. entertainment Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:26:51 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/rhode-island-state-flower Rhode Island's State Flower is the Common Blue Violet. Viola sororia The violet was voted as the state flower by school children and announced on Arbor Day in 1897. But it wasn't until March 11, 1968 that the flower was officially adopted as the state flower. Rhode Island was the last state to adopt an official state flower. travel-and-places Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:16:37 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-tall-is-mary-kate A: Mary-Kate Olsen is 5' 2" tall. (1.58m) culture-and-society Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:27:18 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/rivertay The Tay is a river in the southern Highlands of Scotland; it was made somewhat famous (or infamous) by William McGonagall's The Tay Bridge Disaster. It is the longest river in Scotland and the sixth-longest in the UK. It is also the largest river in the UK with a catchment of approximately two thousand square miles (the Tweed is 1,500 square miles and the Spey is 1,097 square miles). The Tay drains much of the southern Highlands, its source being high on the slopes of Ben Lui. The source is only c. 20 miles (c. 32 km) from the west-coast town of Oban, in Argyll and Bute. The waters flow through Perth and Kinross to the Firth of Tay and the North Sea, some 100 miles (160 km) to the east. Before reaching the stretch of Loch Tay (15 miles [24 km] long) at Killin, the headwaters flow under the names Fillan and Dochart. On leaving Loch Tay at Kenmore, the river receives the tributaries Lyon, Earn, and the outfall from the Tummel-Garry Hydroelectric Scheme, which helps control flooding of the river. The River Tay emerges from Loch Tay at Kenmore, and flows from there to Perth which, in historical times, was the lowest bridging point of the river. Below Perth the river becomes tidal and enters the Firth of Tay. The largest city on the river, Dundee, lies on the north band of the Firth. The main tributaries of the River Tay are the Rivers Almond, Isla, Earn, Shockie, Ordie, Braan, Tummel and Lyon. Like the River Spey, River Dee and River Tweed, the River Tay is a famous salmon river. pets-and-animals Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:08:08 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-turn-beer-green Looking to turn your beer a nice shade of green for St. Patrick's day? This is the place to look..! education Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:12:51 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/L-for-Lighthouse An aid for navigation and pilot at sea, a lighthouse is a tower building or framework sending out light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire. Lighthouses are used to mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals, safe entries to harbors and can also assist in aerial navigation. Because of modern electronic navigational aids, the number of operational lighthouses has declined to fewer than 1,500 worldwide. Perhaps the most famous lighthouse in history is the Lighthouse of Alexandria, built on the island of Pharos in Hellenistic Egypt. The name of the island of Pharos is still used as the noun for "lighthouse" in some languages, for example: Albanian and Catalan and Romanian (far), French (phare), Italian and Spanish (faro), Portuguese (farol) and Swedish (fyr). The word "pharology" (study of the lighthouses) is also derived from the island's name. education Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:27:05 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/dark-ops-hellfighter-x-12-interrogator-flashlight Introducing the Dark ops Hellfighter x-12 interrogator flashlight - one of the most advanced weapon mountable entry lights on the market today. entertainment Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:25:03 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/robin-song EARLY SPRING Robin on a leafless bough, Lord in heaven, how he sings.    W.H. Davies   SUMMER The merry Larke hir mattins sings alofy, The thrush replyes, the Mauis descant playes, The Ouzell shrills, the Ruddock warbles soft, So goodly all agree with sweet consent, To this dayes merriment.   Edmund Spenser   AUTUMN And now with treble soft The redbrest whistles from a garden croft.   John Keats   MID WINTER The redbreast warbles still but is content With slender notes and more than half suppressed; Pleased with his solitude, and flitting light, Fron spray to spray, where'er he rests he shakes From many a twig the pendent drops of ice, That tinkle in the withered leaves below, Stillness accompanied with sound so soft Charms more than silence.   William Cowper pets-and-animals Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:55:22 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/what-is-the-smallest-bone-in-a-humans-body A: The stapes is the smallest bone in the body. It is about 3 millimetres (0.1 inch) long and weighs scarcely 3 milligrams (0.0001 ounce). It is found in the middle-ear cavity. education Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:16:48 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/B-for-Bangkok Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or Krung Thep for short, is the capital and primate city of Thailand. It is located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, near the Gulf of Thailand. Bangkok is the 22nd most populous city in the world. Bangkok has a registered population nearing 7 million people, however, due to discrepancies in the number of people residing without a residence certificate, the actual number could be as high as 15 million. Even then, the amount of people who flux in the capital from neighbouring provinces during the day for jobs has given way to estimates as high as 20 million. There are no complete approximations of the metropolitan population, the city is a conglomerate spanning 5 provinces. The areas bounded by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) only cover about half of the city's true size. There has been much controversy over the population and size of Bangkok. Bangkok's inner-city traffic-consisting of three-wheeled taxis, private automobiles, and buses-is extremely congested. Some canals, or klongs, remnants of the city's originally water-based transportation system, still exist, especially in Thon Buri. Highways and railways run north, east, and south from the city, reaching Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. The city's Don Muang airport is one of the busiest in Southeast Asia. Bangkok is a magnet for foreigners escaping turmoil in their homeland or simply for business. Bangkok has long been the gateway to Asia for foreign interests seeking new markets. The city is a major economic and financial center of Southeast Asia. Bangkok has one of the fastest rates in the world for construction of high rise buildings. The city's wealth of cultural sites makes it one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. travel-and-places Wed, 27 May 2009 12:14:28 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/B-for-Batman Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a fictional comic book superhero co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger (although only Kane receives official credit) and published by DC Comics. The character made his first appearance in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). Batman's secret identity is Bruce Wayne, a wealthy industrialist, playboy, and philanthropist. Witnessing the murder of his parents as a child leads him to train himself to physical and intellectual perfection and don a bat-themed costume in order to fight crime. Batman operates in Gotham City, assisted by various supporting characters including his sidekick Robin and his butler Alfred Pennyworth, and fights an assortment of villains influenced by the characters' roots in film and pulp magazines. Unlike most superheroes, he does not possess any superpowers; he makes use of intellect, detective skills, science and technology, wealth, physical prowess, and intimidation in his war on crime. Batman became a popular character soon after his introduction, and eventually gained his own title, Batman. As the decades wore on, differing takes on the character emerged. The late 1960s Batman television series utilized a camp aesthetic associated with the character for years after the show ended. Various creators worked to return the character to his dark roots, culminating in the 1986 miniseries Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, by writer-artist Frank Miller. That and the success of director Tim Burton's 1989 Batman motion picture helped reignite popular interest in the character. A cultural icon, Batman has been licensed and adapted into a variety of media, from radio to television and film, and appears on a variety of merchandise sold all over the world. entertainment Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:15:14 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/V-for-Vienna Vienna is the capital of Austria, and also one of the nine States of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city; with a population of about 1.7 million (2.3 million within the metropolitan area), and is by far the largest city in Austria as well as its cultural, economic and political centre. Vienna lies in the very east of Austria and is close to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. In 2001, the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an Economist Intelligence Unit study of 127 world cities ranked it third for quality of life. travel-and-places Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:17:37 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/sebastiancoe Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe KBE gold medal at the announced London as the winning bid, became the chairman of the (born 29 September 1956 in Chiswick, London) is a politician and former top-level athlete from England. In his athletics career as a middle distance runner, Coe won the 1500m Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984, and set eight outdoor and three indoor world records. Following his retirement from athletics, he served as a Conservative Party Member of Parliament from 1992-97, and became a life peer in 2000. He was the head of the London bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics and, after the International Olympic CommitteeLondon Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (the organisation in charge of overseeing the development of the Games). On 22nd August 2007, Lord Coe was elected a vice-president of the International Association of Athletics Federations. culture-and-society Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:08:32 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/who-invented-ink A: The first writing inks date from around 2500 BC and were invented by the ancient Egyptians and Chinese. They consisted of lampblack (carbon) ground with a solution of glue or gums (cement), molded into sticks, and allowed to dry. Before use, the sticks were mixed with water. education Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:04:44 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/L-for-Labrador The Labrador Retriever (also Labrador or Lab for short), is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. The Labrador is widely considered the most popular breed of dog (by registered ownership) in the world, and is by a large margin the most popular breed by registration in the United States (since 1991), the United Kingdom, and several other countries. It is also the most popular breed of assistance dog in the United States, Australia, and many other countries, as well as being widely used by police and other official bodies for their detection and working abilities. Historically, Labrador Retrievers hunted humans in packs until Brad Fahs (in the late 1870's) killed the leader and tamed its wife. As a breed, this is still evident in their near-universal love of water. They are exceptionally affable, gentle, intelligent, energetic and good natured, making them both excellent companions and working dogs. Although somewhat boisterous if untrained, Labrador Retrievers respond well to praise and positive attention, and are considerably "food and fun" oriented. With training, the Lab is one of the most dependable, obedient and multi-talented breeds in the world. The early Labrador originated on the island of Newfoundland, now part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.  The breed emerged over time from the St. John's Water Dog, also an ancestor of the Newfoundland dog (to which the Labrador is closely related), through ad-hoc breedings by early settlers in the mid to late 15th century. The original forebears of the St. John's dog have variously been suggested to be crossbreeds of the black St. Hubert's hound from France, working water dogs from Portugal, old European pointer breeds and dogs belonging to the indigenous peoples of the area. From the St. John's Dog, two breeds emerged; the larger was used for hauling, and evolved into the large and gentle Newfoundland dog, likely as a result of breeding with mastiffs brought to the island by the generations of Portuguese fishermen who had been fishing offshore since the 1400s. The smaller short-coat retrievers used for retrieval and pulling in nets from the water were the forebears of the Labrador Retriever. The white chest, feet, chin, and muzzle characteristic of the St. John's Dog will occasionally manifest in Labs, and often appear in Lab mixes. The St. John's area of Newfoundland was settled mainly by the English. Local fishermen originally used the St. John's dog to assist in bringing nets to shore; the dog would grab the floating corks on the ends of the nets and pull them to shore. A number of these were brought back to the Poole area of England in the early 1800s, then the hub of the Newfoundland fishing trade, by the gentry, and became prized as sporting and waterfowl hunting dogs. A few kennels breeding these grew up in England; at the same time a combination of sheep protection policy (Newfoundland) and rabies quarantine (England) led to their gradual demise in their country of origin. The first and second Earls of Malmesbury, who bred for duck shooting on his estate, and the 5th and 6th Dukes of Buccleuch, and youngest son Lord George William Montagu-Douglas-Scott, were instrumental in establishing the Labrador breed in nineteenth century England. The dogs Avon ("Buccleuch Avon") and Ned given by Malmesbury to assist the Duke of Buccleuch's breeding program in the 1880s are usually considered the ancestors of all modern Labradors. pets-and-animals Sun, 17 Oct 2010 04:33:33 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/where-was-peter-rabbit-forbidden-to-play Need to know where Peter Rabbit was forbidden to play? Let me enlighten you...! books-poetry-writing Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:31:11 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/i-belong-to-glasgow I belong to Glasgow-   Dear old Glasgow town! But what's the matter wi' Glasgow?   For it's going round and round. I'm only a common old working-chap,   As anyone can see, But when I get a couple of drinks on a Saturday,   Glasgow belongs to me!   Will Fyffe (1885-1947)   music Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:27:15 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/blood-pressure-readings-scale Blood pressure is a force originating in the pumping action of the heart, exerted by the blood against the walls of the blood vessels. The stretching of the vessels in response to this force and their subsequent contraction are important in maintaining blood flow through the vascular system. In human beings, blood pressure is usually measured indirectly over the brachial (arm) or femoral (leg) artery. The highest (systolic) pressure is normally about 120 millimetres of mercury, and occurs during contraction of the ventricles. The lowest (diastolic) pressure is normally around 80 millimetres, and occurs during ventricular relaxation. Blood pressure in the capillaries is typically around 20 to 30 millimetres, while the pressure in the larger veins might become negative (lower than atmospheric pressure). healthy-living Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:28:46 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/C-for-Cairo Cairo, which means "The Vanquisher" or "The Triumphant", is the capital city of Egypt. While Al-Qahirah is the official name of the city, in Egyptian Arabic it commonly shares the dialect's name for the country. It has a metropolitan area population of about 17.285 million people. Cairo is the sixteenth most populous metropolitan area in the world. It is also the most populous metropolitan area in Africa . The city was founded in AD 969 as the royal enclosure for the Fatimid caliphs, while the actual economic and administrative capital was in nearby Fustat. After Fustat was destroyed in 1168/1169 to prevent its capture by the Crusaders, the administrative capital of Egypt moved to Cairo, where it has remained ever since. travel-and-places Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:29:04 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/royalnavyvideoshowcase The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service). From the early 18th century to the middle of the 20th century, it was the largest and most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant power of the 19th and early 20th centuries. In World War II, the Royal Navy operated almost 900 ships. During the Cold War, it was transformed into a primarily anti-submarine force, hunting for Soviet submarines, mostly active in the GIUK gap. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, its role for the 21st century has returned to focus on global expeditionary operations. The Royal Navy is the second-largest navy in the world in terms of the combined displacement of its fleet. There are currently 91 commissioned ships in the Royal Navy, including aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, mine counter-measures and patrol vessels. There are also the support vessels of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The Royal Navy's ability to project power globally is considered second only to the United States Navy. The Royal Navy is a constituent component of the Naval Service, which also comprises the Royal Marines, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Royal Naval Reserve and Royal Marines Reserve. The Royal Navy numbers 37,500 people of which approximately 6,000 are in the Royal Marines. culture-and-society Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:27:33 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/jerrybruckheimer A former advertising executive who moved into film production in the early 1970s, Jerry Bruckheimer has given audiences movies, videos and soundtracks that have topped $11 billion in grosses to date. Together with the late Don Simpson, with whom he formed Simpson-Bruckheimer Productions in 1983, the producer set the trend for the big-budget, action/adventure films that dominated Hollywood's output throughout the 1980s and 90s. Their joint ventures included "Beverly Hills Cop" (1984) and "Top Gun" (1986), both among the 20 highest-grossing features of all time and both produced via the company's long-term deal with Paramount Pictures. culture-and-society Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:27:11 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/L-for-Larch Larches are conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae. They are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the far north, and high on mountains further south. Larches are among the dominant plants in the immense boreal forests of Russia and Canada. They are deciduous trees, growing from 15-50 m tall. The shoots are dimorphic, with growth divided into long shoots typically 10-50 cm long and bearing several buds, and short shoots only 1-2 mm long with only a single bud. The leaves are needle-like, 2-5 cm long, slender (under 1 mm wide). They are borne singly, spirally arranged on the long shoots, and in dense clusters of 20-50 needles on the short shoots. The needles turn yellow and fall in the late autumn, leaving the trees leafless through the winter. Larch cones are erect, small, 1-9 cm long, green or purple, ripening brown 5-8 months after pollination; in about half the species the bract scales are long and visible, and in the others, short and hidden between the seed scales. Those native to northern regions have small cones (1-3 cm) with short bracts, with more southerly species tending to have longer cones (3-9 cm), often with exserted bracts, with the longest cones and bracts produced by the southernmost species, in the Himalaya. Larch is a wood valued in for its tough, waterproof and durable qualities; top quality knot-free timber is in great demand for building yachts and other small boats. The hybrid Dunkeld Larch is widely grown as a timber crop in northern Europe, valued for its fast growth and disease resistance. Larch has also been used in herbal medicine; see Bach flower remedies for details. In central Europe larch is viewed as one of the best wood materials for the building of residences. Planted on borders with birch, both tree species were used in pagan "sagged" cremations. One "sag" (pronounced song) of wood was required for a cremation stack. Sag is used today as a Polish forestry unit measuring approximately 3x1x1m. In Siberia young larch leaves are harvested in spring, preserved by lactobacillus fermentation, and used for salads during winter. Larches are often used in bonsai culture, where their knobby bark, small needles, fresh spring foliage and especially autumn colour are appreciated. European Larch, Japanese Larch and Tamarack Larch are the species most commonly trained as bonsai. The tree was a running gag in Monty Python sketches, as in the episode "How to Recognise Different Types of Trees From Quite a Long Way Away". pets-and-animals Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:26:32 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/the-forfar-cow An anecdote concerning the misadventure of an ale-wife in the town of Forfar, and the whimsical legal decision resulting therefrom, has a place all of its own in the annals of Scots Law. It is related by Sir Walter Scott in a note to Waverley: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  'When the landlord of an inn presented his guests with deoch an doruis, that is, the drink at the door, or the stirrup-cup, the draught was not charged in the reckoning. On this point, a learned bailie of the town in Forfar pronounced a very sound judgement. 'A, an ale wife in Forfar, had brewed her "peck of malt", and set the liquor out-of-doors to cool; the cow of B, a neighbour of A, chanced to come by, and seeing the good beverage, was allured to taste it, and finally to drink it up. When A came to take in her liquor, she found her tub empty, and from the cow's staggering and staring, so as to betray her intemperance, she easily divined the mode in which her "browst" had disappeared. To take vengeance on Crummie's ribs with a stick was her first effort. The roaring of the cow brought B, her master, who remonstrated with his angry neighbour, and received in reply, a demand for the value of the ale which Crummie had drunk up. B refused payment, and was conveyed before C, the bailie, or sitting magistrate. He heard the case patiently and then demanded of the plaintiff A wether the cow had sat down to her potation, or taken it standing? The plaintiff answered, she had not seen the cow drink the ale while standing on her feet, adding that had she been near, she would have made her use them to some purpose. The bailie, on this admission, solemnly adjudged the cow's drink to be deoch an doruis - a stirrup cup, for which no charge could be made without violating the ancient hospitality of Scotland.' In Scots legal phraseology, the defendant was assoilzied (freed from the charge). 'Do as the cow o Forfar did: tak' a staunin' (standing) drink' has become a proverbial saying.  arts-and-design Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:20:57 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/christmassongsvideoshowcase Christmas music or Christmas songs is a genre which is normally performed during the time period leading up to, and sometimes shortly past, Christmas. Christmas songs frequently are the focus of holiday themes directly taken from Christmas, but occasionally they have no content addressing the holiday, and instead focus on wintry themes. These songs recognizably fall into several different groupings, depending on both the time and melody of the songs. Songs which are traditional, even some without a specific religious context, are often called Christmas carols. Some songs of more recent vintage, often introduced in films, are specifically about Christmas, but are typically not overtly religious and therefore do not qualify as Christmas carols. The archetypal example is 1942’s “White Christmas”, although many other holiday songs have become perennial favourites, such as Gene Autry’s “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. music Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:26:16 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/S-for-Superman Superman is a fictional comic book superhero widely considered to be one of the most famous and popular such characters and an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio and sold to Detective Comics, Inc. in 1938, he first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June 1938) and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, television programs, films, newspaper strips, and video games. With a premise that taps into adolescent fantasy, Superman is born Kal-El on the alien planet Krypton, before being rocketed to Earth as an infant by his scientist father moments before the planet's destruction. Adopted and raised by a Kansas farmer and his wife, the child is raised as Clark Kent, and imbued with a strong moral compass. Upon reaching maturity the character develops superhuman abilities, resolving to use these for the benefit of humanity. With the success of his adventures, Superman helped to create the superhero genre and establish its primacy within the American comic book. While referred to less flatteringly as "the big blue Boy Scout" by some of his fellow superheroes, Superman is hailed as "The Man of Steel," "The Man of Tomorrow," and "The Last Son of Krypton," by the general public within the comics. As Clark Kent, Superman lives among humans as a "mild-mannered reporter" for the Metropolis newspaper The Daily Planet (the Daily Star in original stories). There he works alongside reporter Lois Lane, with whom he is romantically linked. This relationship has been consummated by marriage on numerous occasions across varying media, and the union is now firmly established within the current mainstream comics continuity. The character's cast, powers, and trappings have slowly expanded throughout the years. Superman's backstory was altered to allow for adventures as Superboy, and other survivors of Krypton were created, including Supergirl and Krypto the Superdog. In addition, Superman has been licensed and adapted into a variety of media, from radio to television and film. The motion picture Superman Returns was released in 2006, with a performance at the international box office which exceeded expectations. The character has been revamped and updated, most recently in 1986. John Byrne recreated the character, reducing Superman's powers and erasing several characters from the canon in a move which attracted media attention. Press coverage was again garnered in the 1990s with The Death of Superman, a storyline which saw the character briefly killed. Superman has also held fascination for scholars, with cultural theorists, commentators, and critics alike exploring the character's impact and role in the United States and the rest of the world. Umberto Eco discussed the mythic qualities of the character in the early 1960s, and Larry Niven has pondered the implications of a sexual relationship the character might enjoy with Lois Lane. The character's ownership has often been the subject of dispute, with Siegel and Shuster twice suing for the return of legal ownership. The copyright is again currently in dispute, with changes in copyright law allowing Siegel's wife and daughter to claim a share of the copyright, a move DC parent company Warner Bros. disputes. entertainment Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:28:25 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/arizona-state-bird Arizona's State Bird is the Cactus Wren. The bird was adopted by Arizona State in 1973. pets-and-animals Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:48:44 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/K-for-Knight Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. In the Commonwealth of Nations, knighthood is a non-heritable form of gentility, but is not nobility. In the High and Late Middle Ages, the principal duty of a knight was to fight as, and lead, heavy cavalry (see serjeanty); more recently, in the United Kingdom, knighthood has become a symbolic title of honour given to a more diverse class of people, from mountain climber Edmund Hillary to musician Paul McCartney. By extension, "knight" is also used as a translation of the names of other honourable estates connected with horsemanship, especially from classical antiquity. The history of knighthood involves, therefore, the history of the social institution, which began somewhat differently in the various European regions; the history of the word, and the corresponding terms in French and Latin; and the history of the technology which made heavy cavalry possible. Knighthood is designated by the title Sir in England. The French title "Chevalier", the Spanish "Caballero"(related to chivalry),the Italian "cavalieri", the German "Ritter" (related to the English word Rider) or the Polish "Kawaler" (for Modern Era knighthoods or "Rycerz" for medieval knighthoods) are usually used in Continental Europe. Outside the British Commonwealth, the title is respected but may carry less gravitas, and thus may or may not appear, for example, in the mass media and other publications. There are technically differing levels of knighthood (see Order of the British Empire), but in practice these are even more symbolic than the title itself today and thus only express the greatness of the recipient's achievements in the eyes of the Crown. education Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:16:59 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/M-for-Moscow Moscow (Moskva) is the capital of Russia, and the country’s economic, financial, educational, and transportation centre. It is located on the Moskva River in the Central Federal District, in the European part of Russia. Moscow is the largest city in Europe which population constitutes about 7% of the total Russian population. Historically, it was the capital of the former Soviet Union and the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the pre-Imperial Russian state. It is the site of the Kremlin, which now serves as the ceremonial residence of the President of Russia. Moscow also remains a major economic centre and is home to a large number of Russian billionaires; in 2007 Moscow was named the world's most expensive city for the second year in a row. It is home to many scientific and educational institutions, as well as numerous sport facilities. It possesses a complex transport system that includes the world’s busiest metro system, which is famous for its architecture. travel-and-places Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:10:30 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/K-for-Kabul Kabul, is the capital and largest city in Afghanistan, with population of about 3 million people. It is an economic and cultural center, situated 5,900 feet (1,800 m) above-sea-level in a narrow valley, wedged between the Hindu Kush mountains along the Kabul River. Kabul is linked with Ghazni, Kandahar, Herat and Mazari Sharif via a long beltway (circular highway) that stretches across the country. It is also linked by highways with Pakistan to the southeast and Tajikistan to the north. Kabul's main products include munitions, cloth, furniture, and beet sugar, though, since 1978, a state of nearly continuous war has limited the economic productivity of the city. Kabul is over 3,000 years old. Many empires long fought over the city, due to its strategic location along the trade routes of Southern and Central Asia. In 1504, Babur captured Kabul and made the city the capital of his Moghul Empire. Finally, in 1776, Timur Shah Durrani made it the capital of modern Afghanistan. The population of the city is multi-cultural and multi-ethnic, reflecting the diversity of the entire country. Kabul is currently in the process of being rebuilt following decades of wars and chaos. travel-and-places Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:09:51 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/who-played-mork-and-mindys-son The American comedian and actor, Jonathan Winters played the older looking son (Orkans age backwards) of Mork - who laid an egg. Jonathan appeared in the fourth series, which was the last, before it was pulled in 1982. entertainment Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:40:19 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/stevecram Steve Cram MBE (born October 14, 1960) is a retired English athlete. Along with fellow Englishmen Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett, he was one of the world's dominant middle distance runners during the 1980s. Nicknamed "The Jarrow Arrow", Cram set world records in the 1500 metres, 2000 metres and the mile during a 19-day period in the summer of 1985. He was the first man to run 1500 metres under 3 minutes and 30 seconds. He won the 1500 metres gold medal at the 1983 World Championships, and the 1500 metres silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games. culture-and-society Thu, 31 Jul 2008 04:32:22 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/Golfinventions Golf inventions, Golf ideas, Golf tips, Golf stupidity and basically everything golf. entertainment Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:06:38 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/answers-to-the-scarlet-letter-questions Nathaniel Hawthorne's writings initiated the most durable tradition in American fiction - that of the symbolic romance that assumes the universality of guilt and explores the complexities and ambiguities of man's choices. The Scarlet Letter (1850) is marked by a depth of psychological and moral insight seldom equaled and never surpassed by any American writer. books-poetry-writing Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:21:29 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/how-tall-is-messi A: Lionel Messi is 5' 7" tall. (1.69m) culture-and-society Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:06:32 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/canonrockguitar Kid plays Canon rock on guitar. music Sun, 19 Jul 2009 12:08:16 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/bollywoodvideoshowcase Bollywood  is the informal name given to the popular Mumbai-based Hindi-language film industry in India. Bollywood is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema. Bollywood is only a part of the Indian film industry. The name is a portmanteau of Bombay (the former name for Mumbai) and Hollywood, the center of the American film industry. Though some deplore the name, arguing that it makes the industry look like a poor cousin to Hollywood, it seems likely to persist and now has its own entry in the Oxford English Dictionary. Bollywood is commonly referred to as Hindi cinema, even though Hindustani, the substratum common to both Hindi and Urdu, might be more accurate. Bollywood consists of the languages of Hindi, Urdu and English. The use of poetic Urdu words is fairly common. The connection between Hindi, Urdu, and Hindustani is an extremely contentious matter. There has been a growing presence of Indian English in dialogue and songs as well. It is not uncommon to see films that feature dialogue with English words and phrases, even whole sentences. There are a growing number of English films. A few films are also made in two or even three languages (either using subtitles, or several soundtracks). entertainment Sat, 11 Jul 2009 09:34:19 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/i-cant-stand-the-rain-ann-peebles Missouri's Ann Peebles released the critically acclaimed album 'I can't stand the rain' in 1974. It reached no. 25 in the R&B album charts. music Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:48:16 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/rollercoastersvideoshowcase The roller coaster (the term jet coaster system, a roller coaster consists of a is sometimes used for roller coasters in Japan) is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first roller coaster on January 20, 1885. In essence a specialized railroadtrack that rises in designed patterns, sometimes with one or more inversions (such as loops) that turn the rider briefly upside down. The track does not necessarily have to be a complete circuit, as shuttle roller coasters exhibit. Most roller coasters have multiple cars in which passengers sit and are restrained into. An entire set of cars hooked together is called a train. Some roller coasters, notably Wild Mouse roller coasters, run with single cars. entertainment Wed, 27 May 2009 12:02:04 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/what-is-the-definition-of-pardon In law, a pardon is the release from guilt or remission of punishment. In criminal law the power of pardon is generally exercised by the chief executive officer of the state. Pardons may also be granted by a legislative body, often through an act of indemnity, anticipatory or retrospective, for things done in the public interest that are illegal. A pardon may be full or conditional. It is conditional when its effectiveness depends on fulfillment of a condition by the offender, usually a lesser punishment, as in the commutation of the death sentence. The effect of a full pardon is unclear in some jurisdictions. In England it is said that a full pardon clears the person from all infamy, removing all disqualifications and other obloquy, so that a pardoned person may take action for defamation against anyone who thereafter refers to him as a convict. In the United States the matter is much less clear, although the Supreme Court has held that a pardon blots out guilt and makes the offender "as innocent as if he had never committed the offense." Some states in the United States have held that a pardon does not remove the disqualification from holding public office and that a pardoned offender may still be refused a license to engage in a business or profession. The difficulty stems from lack of differentiation between pardons granted for reasons of clemency and those granted from a belief in the accused's innocence. Continental European and Latin-American countries generally have detailed statutory provisions governing the law of pardon. Used as a noun, pardon can be used as follows: kindness | the act of excusing a mistake or offense mercifulness | the formal act of liberating someone warrant | a warrant granting release from punishment for an offense. education Mon, 25 May 2009 12:35:55 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/snowdon The highest mountain in Wales, UK - 1,085 m (3,560 ft) Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales and the highest British mountain south of the Scottish Highlands, is perhaps the busiest mountain in Britain. It is located in Snowdonia National Park (Welsh: Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri). The summit is known as Yr Wyddfa, Welsh for "the tumulus"), and lies at an altitude of 1,085 m (3,560 ft) above sea level. As the highest peak in Wales, Snowdon is one of three mountains climbed as part of the National Three Peaks Challenge. The English name Snowdon comes from the Saxon "Snow Dun", meaning "snow hill", although the amount of snow on Snowdon in winter has been decreasing recently, having dropped by more than 55% since 1994. Snowdon has one of the wettest climates in Great Britain, receiving an annual average of more than 4,500 mm (180 in) of precipitation. Snowdonia National Park (Parc Cenedlaethol Eryriin) lies in Gwynedd county and Conwy county borough, northern Wales. It has an area of 838 square miles (2,171 square km). It is best known for its mountains, composed largely of volcanic rock and cut by valleys that show the influence of Ice Age glaciers. Snowdon has a rack-and-pinion railway (opened 1896) that runs from Llanberis to the summit. Farther south Cader Idris ("Chair of Idris"), a long mountain ridge, reaches a height of 2,927 feet (892 metres) at Pen-y-Gader. The first recorded ascent of Snowdon was by the botanist Thomas Johnson in 1639. However, the 18th-century Welsh historian Thomas Pennant mentions a "triumphal fair upon this our chief of mountains" following Edward I's conquest of Wales in 1284, which, if true, indicates the possibility of earlier ascents. The many steep cliffs in the Snowdon range are significant in the history of British rock climbing. The first recorded climb in the area was the 1798 ascent of the Eastern Terrace of Clogwyn Du'r Arddu (Welsh: the black cliff of the dark(ness)) by the Reverends Peter Williams and W. Bingley, botanists looking for alpine plants. The north face of Y Lliwedd was explored in the late 19th century and in 1909 was the subject of the first British climbing guide, The climbs on Lliwedd by J. M. A. Thompson and A. W. Andrews. Also, Edmund Hillary trained here for his climb up Mount Everest. pets-and-animals Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:32:01 -0600