It has been a few good years and a pretty decent run. I wouldn't say I have gotten bored or that I have lost the passion for the things I love. This is far from how things are. I just feel that I need some time away from doing the main blog. I appreciate all of the readers, all of the support I have gotten over the years. I want to thank all of the artists, PR people, and everyone else who has made it possible to share with the world in my own way the music I enjoy. I will still have Twitter and the Tumblr micro-blog running. Perhaps in time this blog will return. If not, there is always an opportunity to come back with another. Until then..... Please check out Mixed Genre Me over at Tumblr or follow me @cbmam on Twitter. Have a safe and Happy New Year!!!
We have made it to the final installment of the year for the Useless Facts series. I hope you have been enjoying the recaps. Have a very safe and Happy New Year!!! -- The first box of crayons sold by Crayola in 1903 contained 8 colors (brown, blue, green, yellow, black, orange, red, and violet). It sold for 5 cents. -- The term "autobiography" is said to have been coined by the poet Robert Southey (August 12, 1774- March 21, 1843) in 1809 when he predicted "an epidemical rage for autobiography" in the Quarterly Review. -- A medium-large owl, the Ural Owl, is smaller than The Great Grey Owl and larger than a Tawny Owl (whom it closely resembles). The 15 subspecies of this owl live in Europe and Asia. These nocturnal birds have no ear tufts and dark eyes. They are gray or gray with streaks of brown. All have a whitish-grey underside. For more info, please check out: Wikipedia and National Geographic -- The theremin was invented in October 1920 by a Russian physicist named Lev Sergeevich Termen, aka Leon Theremin, after the outbreak of the Russian Civil War. It was originally the product of Russian government-sponsored research into proximity sensors. After touring Europe with his invention, where he showed it to packed houses, Theremin made his way to the United States and patented it in 1928. -- Did you know that the opossum is the only marsupial native to North America? Their prehensile tail helps them climb. Babies can hang upside down on trees for a short period of time. They have an excellent sense of hearing and smell. Their eyesight is poor. Opossums have 52 teeth. This is more than any other North American mammal. -- Trees: Did you know that there are over 400 species of Eucalyptus trees? The palm tree family has over 3000 species. -- Moose: The antlers of a male moose can grow up to about 6 feet from end-to-end. Also, did you know that they can run at speeds up to 35 mph for short distances and can trot at a steady rate of 20 mph for an hour? Despite their size, they are also known to be good swimmers and can swim for miles. -- Pigeons: Pigeons have lived alongside man for thousands of years. The first images of pigeons was found by archaeologists in what is now modern Iraq, then known as Mesopotamia, dating back to 3000 BC. Throughout history pigeons have served many different roles like symbols for gods and goddesses, messengers, and pets. -- Hurricanes: The term "hurricane" comes from the Taino Native American word, "hurucane", which translates to evil spirit of the wind. The first person to give hurricanes names was an Australian weather forecaster named Clement Wragge in the early 1900s. The first US hurricane was (unoffically) named George in 1947. -- Did you know that men are 50% more likely than women to snore? While snoring is not generally dangerous, it could be a symptom of something more serious. If you are experiencing any problems please see a doctor. -- It is estimated that there are 2,000 species of geckos. It is believed that there may be more that are yet to be discovered. For more on geckos, check out the web-footed gecko - here. -- Did you know that turkeys can turn their heads almost all the way around? They have much better vision than humans and by moving their necks around can have a field view of nearly 270 degrees. Turkeys also hear very well. They have small holes on the sides of their heads near their eyes and are believed to be able to pinpoint sounds from a mile away. Did you know that the Oriental Fire-Bellied toad has pupils that are triangular? -- These toads excrete toxins from their skin and when threatened they rise up on their front legs, arch their back, and sometimes flip over to show the bright red and black colors of their underside. They do this to show potential predators that eating them is not a good idea. For more on the Oriental Fire-Bellied Toad : ADW
Once again here we are with the third of the four parts recapping all of the facts that were shared this year. Enjoy! -- Did you know?
Studies have found that women have more taste buds than men and therefore are better tasters. -- The Hyrax is an animal with such a vast ancestry and characteristics that it has its own order. Also known as the rock rabbit or dassie, its closest living relative is the elephant. It is said that the hyrax, elephants, and sea cows shared a common ancestor centuries ago. For more on this interesting animal please check out: Britannica Online -- Did you know that the word marmoset is derived from a French word meaning "a grotesque image or mannequin"?
Pygmy marmosets are the world's smallest true monkeys. The smallest primate is the pygmy mouse lemur. Adult pygmy marmosets tend to grow to about 5 inches tall and have a tail as long as 8 inches. -- The average American will eat about 160 bowls of cereal per year? That's an average of 11.9 lbs annually. -- Did you know that the brain operates on the same amount of power as a 10-Watt light bulb? Also, the brain uses only 20% of the oxygen that enters the bloodstream. -- Even though spotted hyenas look like dogs, they are related to cats? Their most close relation is actually the mongoose and the civet. -- Sea lions can swim in speed bursts of up to 25mph? They generally tend to cruise at 11 mph. -- It is believed by some scientists that the "domestic" cat as a pet began about 12,000 years ago. In 1983, archaeologists, found a jawbone of a cat that dated as far back as 8,000 years ago on a dig in Cyprus. Part Four of the Series will be next Monday. Happy Holidays!
Superman returns! Written by David Goyer and directed by Zach Snyder, Man of Steel follows the story of the infant that came from another planet, was raised here on Earth, and becomes a hero using his supernatural abilities. Man of Steel stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Christopher Meloni, Diane Lane, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Julia Ormond, and Michael Shannon. It is set for release June 2013.
Here we are with another round-up from this year featuring some of the facts we learned. Enjoy! -- Do you know anything about bicycles? Check out these cool facts from National Geographic : bikes -- The red panda typically grows to the size of a house cat. Their bushy tails add an extra 18 inches. Did you know that they use their tails as a blanket to keep themselves warm in chilly mountain weather? -- National Hockey League regulation pucks are black, 3 in (7.6 cm) in diameter, 1 in (2.54 cm) thick, and weighing 5.5-6 oz (154-168 g). They are made of vulcanized rubber and are kept frozen before the game to reduce bouncing. -- Did you know that there are more than 3,000 types of pears grown in the world? 95% of the pears grown in the United States are grown in Washington, Oregon, and northern California. -- Did you know that the name of South America's largest big cat, the jaguar, derives from the Native American word yaguar, which means "he who kills with one leap"? -- In flight, the wings of a ruby-throated hummingbird beats at 53 times per second. Only the males have the ruby red throat. They have extremely short legs. The ruby-throated hummingbirds are unable to hop or walk efficiently due to this. -- Did you know??? The human nose produces an estimated one to two pints of mucus per day. -- Ketchup (catsup) was invented in Asian and Indonesian cultures. Its history dates back thousand of years. It was originally called ke-tsiap or kecap. The original recipe was made from pickled fish (anchovies), walnuts, mushrooms, and kidney beans. This was very popular as ke-tsiap in China in the 17th century. British seamen brought it home and the name was changed to catchup then ketchup. Tomatoes were added by New Englanders in the late 1700's. -- The largest dragonfly to ever live had a wingspan of 28 inches (70 centimeters). As found in the fossil record of the Permian period, it was also the largest insect known in history. -- In America, pizza is consumed at about 350 slices per second. This is about 100 acres a day. 36% of pizzas ordered have pepperoni as the topping of choice. -- Did you know that even though they may not look like it; porcupines are really good at climbing trees? In fact, they use the hairless soles of their feet to help them. They like to hang out in trees mainly and feed off of the bark. Useless Facts Of The Year will continue with Part Three next Monday. Have great week!
Well, it is that time of year again when just about every blog, magazine, show, or what-have-you does a year review. To celebrate all that was accomplished as I look forward to things coming up for next year, let me begin with all of the interesting facts that some of us learned this year. These facts were originally posted from January-March. Enjoy! -- Did you know that when a dik-dik , a dwarf antelope, is scared or disturbed it makes a whistling sound through its nose that sounds like "zik-zik"? Many believe this may be where this adorable animals' name is derived from. -- Water bears, also known as tardigrades, live mainly in puddles and small freshwater pools. Did you know that if their habitat dries out that a water bear can hibernate for up to 25 years? -- The first remote control intended for the television was created in 1950 by Zenith Radio Corporation (now known as Zenith Electronics). The remote was called "The Lazy Bones" and was connected to the tv by a wire. -- In 1933 Ruth Graves Wakefield from the Toll House Inn , located in Whitman, Massachusetts, was baking cookies. She decided to add a some cut up chunks of a Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate bar to her recipe. The cookies were a huge success and thus chocolate chip cookies were invented. -- Many of us know that a polar bear has white fur to help camouflage them while they are in the snow but did you know that they have black skin underneath? This helps them soak up the warmth from the rays of the sun. -- Did you know that the male platypus is venomous? They have sharp stingers on the heels of their rear feet and use them to deliver quite a blow to an enemy. -- Did you know that Mt. Fuji is not just one but three separate volcanoes layered on top of eachother? The bottom layer is the Komitake volcano. The second is Kofugi volcano. Then there is the youngest of the three named Fuji. -- Did you know that when chased by a predator the patagonian cavy (also known as the mara) is said to run up to 35 mph, be able to jump nearly six feet high? They are also known to dig a burrow to hide. Check out the link to see some photos of this awesome animal.
PATAGONIAN CAVY -- Did you know that the largest member of the dolphin family, the orca (killer whale), can eat up to 500 pounds (227 kilograms) a day? -- Donkey vs. Horse
Did you know that a donkey is stronger than a horse? Donkeys are also more independent in their thinking. Part Two will continue next week.
The Baytown Outlaws is a story of three brothers who agree to help a woman save her son from an abusive father. They soon find themselves on the run from a host of characters hired by the father to get back his son. The Baytown Outlaws stars Eva Longoria, Billy Bob Thornton, Paul Wesley, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Daniel Cudmore, Clayne Crawford, and Michael Rapaport. It is set for release January 2013.
Did you know that the Oriental Fire-Bellied toad has pupils that are triangular? These toads excrete toxins from their skin and when threatened they rise up on their front legs, arch their back, and sometimes flip over to show the bright red and black colors of their underside. They do this to show potential predators that eating them is not a good idea. For more on the Oriental Fire-Bellied Toad : ADW
