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SOLAR LIGHTS - TIN FOIL
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| Wrap foil around top of solar lights to improve brightness |
If you take some sheets of tin foil and wrap them around the part of your solar lights where the light shines out, you can make your solar lights shine brighter. Try it out!
Did You Know? Bananas Trick
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| Keep bananas from spoiling by .... |
You probably already heard about wrapping banana steps in plastic wrap so it makes them last a few days longer. Well, it turns out that tin foil is just as good. Give it a try!
Tape Measures - Did You Know?
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| Why do tape measures have a hole at the end? |
When the tape measure is being used by one person, the hole is to be hooked over a nail so the tape measure will stay in place.
Giant Armored Dinosaur Found In China
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| Skeleton of an Ankylosaurus, an armored dinosaur |
In August 2014 during an excavation in Liaoning Province in northeastern China, farmers found the skeleton of a juvenile armored dinosaur in a quarry. The dinosaur was almost completely intact. This area is also where the remains of feathered dinosaurs were found in 2004. It is one of the largest Ankylosaurus to have grown huge early in their lives which was during the Cretaceous Period when millions of dinosaurs roamed the earth in vast numbers.
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| Various Ankylosaurus species |
This new Ankylosaurus is named Chuanqilong (in Chinese, it means legendary dragon) Chaoyangensis (the area where it was found). As plant eating dinosaurs, the Ankylosaurus is covered in heavy armor and some had a bony club at the end of their tails. Archaeological digs have unearthed this species of dinosaur on all continents with the exception of Africa.
This fossil was about 14.7 feet long, and researchers say when compared to others they have found, that this one was only moderate in size, however, this one wasn't fully grown. The adults (called Cedarpelta) could grow to be 26 feet long.
Source: LiveScience.com
KITCHEN HACK
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| Pull out the bottom basket about halfway |
If you are tired of the freezer door closing before you get to put away your frozen foods, here's a hack for you.
Pull out the bottom basket and leave it out till you put away your groceries. It can stay open a few minutes. It will save you some frustration and definitely save you from getting pissed off that the door closes so well.
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Knocker-Uppers
Beginning in the 18th century up to the early 20th century, people in Britain who needed to get up on time for work would pay knocker-uppers (yes, it was a real job!) to act as human alarm clocks to wake them up in various ways.
The "knocker-upper" was a common sight in Britain, particularly in the northern mill towns, where people worked shift work, or near London's dock area where the shifts of dockworkers went according to the tide.
In 1931, Mary Smith (pictured below) charged each of her East London customers the sum of sixpence a week to wake them up. She did this by using a long bamboo stick and shooting a pea at the windows of the sleeping workers.
Knocker-uppers also used batons and canes to rouse the residents who lived on upper floors.
Knocker-uppers also used batons and canes to rouse the residents who lived on upper floors. Knocker-uppers were night owls who slept during the day and stayed up all night to be sure they woke up their customers on time for work.
To have a knocker-upper wake you up, you could do one of two things: put a note on your door saying when you wanted to be woken up, or reach out to the knocker-upper in person and let them know when to bang on your window. They rapped on your window once for a sequence of three or four bangs, then they went on their merry way.
They weren't like your mother or wife who would call you ten times to get up. Nope. You got one set of three or four raps for your sixpence and that was it.
Their time, after all, is money.
By the end of the 1930s, there were an estimated 1,000 jobs for Britain’s knocker-uppers and thousands of subscribers in need of their services.
But who woke up the knocker-uppers? Here's a tongue-twister from that time with the answer.
We had a knocker-up, and our knocker-up had a knocker-up
And our knocker-up's knocker-up didn't knock our knocker up
So if our knocker-up didn't knock us up
It's 'cos he's not up.
Source: Unusual Jobs of the 19th and 20th century
The "knocker-upper" was a common sight in Britain, particularly in the northern mill towns, where people worked shift work, or near London's dock area where the shifts of dockworkers went according to the tide.
In 1931, Mary Smith (pictured below) charged each of her East London customers the sum of sixpence a week to wake them up. She did this by using a long bamboo stick and shooting a pea at the windows of the sleeping workers.
Knocker-uppers also used batons and canes to rouse the residents who lived on upper floors.
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| Mary Smith woke people up by shooting peas at their windows |
Knocker-uppers also used batons and canes to rouse the residents who lived on upper floors. Knocker-uppers were night owls who slept during the day and stayed up all night to be sure they woke up their customers on time for work.
To have a knocker-upper wake you up, you could do one of two things: put a note on your door saying when you wanted to be woken up, or reach out to the knocker-upper in person and let them know when to bang on your window. They rapped on your window once for a sequence of three or four bangs, then they went on their merry way.
They weren't like your mother or wife who would call you ten times to get up. Nope. You got one set of three or four raps for your sixpence and that was it.
Their time, after all, is money.
By the end of the 1930s, there were an estimated 1,000 jobs for Britain’s knocker-uppers and thousands of subscribers in need of their services.
But who woke up the knocker-uppers? Here's a tongue-twister from that time with the answer.
We had a knocker-up, and our knocker-up had a knocker-up
And our knocker-up's knocker-up didn't knock our knocker up
So if our knocker-up didn't knock us up
It's 'cos he's not up.
Source: Unusual Jobs of the 19th and 20th century
Hey! Protect Pets and Children from the Heat!
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| Pet safety in the heat is just as important as child safety |
There is nothing more heartbreaking that a news report about a child who was left in a car seat in the back seat of a car or a careless pet owner who left their animal in the car with barely a cracked window.
When it comes to pet safety, it isn't just limited to your car. So here are some tips to help you out.
PET SAFETY
- Walk your animal in early morning and later in the evening after dinner. Steer clear of walking your pet in the middle of the day when temperatures are at their highest.
- Take breaks in the shade if you are out for more than 20 minutes.
- Keep a 'damp to wet' hand towel around your own neck to keep yourself cool and put a 'damp to wet' bath towel in a large Ziploc bag to take along for your pet. Don't forget to grab a bottle of cold water and a small plastic bowl with you every time you take your pet for a walk so your pet can get a drink too. The cold drinking water cools from the inside. The dampness of the bath towel will cool your pet from the outside. Your pet needs both if they are ever overheated.
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| Know the numbers and what they mean! |
- Know the signs of distress: If you pet starts to pant excessively, they are overheating so get in the shade and give them a drink from your bottled water, then head for home.
- If it is above 100 degrees outside, either stay inside or if your pet must go out, then keep your walk to under five minutes.
- If your pet "feels" hot or measures with a body temperature exceeding 102 degrees and if he does not cool down with air conditioning, a pet bath or lots of cool liquids, it's time to get to the vet.
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| Leaving a window open for your pet is an invitation for someone to steal him. |
- If your pet's gums are dry, your pet is overheated. Their gums should be slimy and slick.
- An animal's foot pads will feel heat before any other part of their body. Either put foot pads or insulated socks on them before you take them outside OR delay the walk until the cooler hours of the day.
- If your animal's feet are hot to the touch, use a wet towel to cool them down or let them stand in ankle-high bath water or pool water for a few minutes.
- If you have to go inside a building for any length of time and you have to take your pet with you for any reason, bring along a friend to sit in the car with him until you return.
- Whenever you have a list of errands to run, leave your pet at home.
CHILD CAR SAFETY
- "Look Before You Lock" - Every time you get out of your vehicle, open the back door (or hatch if you don't have a back door) to check over your whole vehicle before walking away. Make sure no child (or pet) has been left behind.
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| Protect the most precious thing in your life - your children. |
- If you are in the habit of allowing your children to play with your keys, give them an old set of keys or a pretend set of keys to play with. Children will instinctively pick up your keys because they are familiar with them they to crawl inside the car or trunk when you are not aware.
- Keep this 3-point checklist on a Post-It note and tack it on your dashboard, on your handicap hang tag, on your rear view mirror, the center of your steering wheel, or on your drop down sun visor. Do the three steps every time you are leaving your vehicle and before you lock it. They are: 1. check back seat. 2. check car seat 3. check trunk
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| People remember their phones but forget they have a child. |
- Give yourself a reason to go in the back seat every time you use your vehicle. Behind the driver's seat on the floor, place your purse, cellphone, laptop, jacket -- something that you'll need to take out of the vehicle with you, so that you have to open the back door to get it out every time that you park.
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| Hot Weather Safety Tips |
- Keep a LARGE stuffed animal in your car and put it in the front seat with you after you have put your child in the car seat. Seeing the stuffed animal will remind you that your child is in the back in his car seat.
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| Keep a stuffed animal in the front seat to remind yourself you have a child in the car seat |
- Put a policy in place with all child care providers that you will call when the child will not be attending. Likewise, if the child does not show up as expected, that the facility should call you to be sure the child is safely at home.
- As a matter of safety, check the inside of your vehicle before you get in, no matter if your car is garaged, in a driveway or in a regular parking space, and regardless if you just got out of the car ten minutes ago. People do strange things to their pets and children - like forgetting they left them in cars, and strange people do even stranger things to your pets and children - like stealing them out of cars.
- Don't use your pet as a reminder of which car is yours in a crowded parking lot. Leave your pet at home. There are other ways to find your car: use your remote to find your car, hang something unique from the rear view mirror, put a funky bumper sticker on the fender, or buy a colorful windshield sun protector so you know which car is yours.
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| You can easily spot your car when it has a unique sun cover. |
- Don't leave a child of any age in a car with the doors locked. Anyone can say they are locked out, get a code to unlock your doors and steal your child. If you can't take your child inside a building with you, leave them at home. Get a neighbor to watch them for you and make it snappy while you are out.
- Some people crack a window and think that is good enough for a pet, then it is good enough for a child. Neither is correct.
- Having a child is a responsibility, just as having a pet is a responsibility. Start making arrangements for alternate caregivers to help out in a pinch so you aren't leaving a child in the car for any reason.
- If a child is asleep and you hesitate to take them out of the vehicle to go inside any building with you because you fear waking them up, get over the hesitation and take the sleeping child out of the car. A child can always go back to sleep, but you can't replace a child who has died from being left in a hot car. If it is not possible to take a child inside a building with you and that's your reason for leaving them in the car, leave them at home with a responsible adult or ask someone at your appointment to look after the child until you have completed your business.
- If you ever think your child is missing, before you call 911, go check the inside of your vehicle (all passenger compartments and trunk). Children might lock the doors if they see a stranger approach. Newer model cars self-lock when the driver gets out of the vehicle.
- Be aware at all times who and what is inside your vehicle. Anyone can get in your car or take something (or someone) out of your car in parking lots, gas stations, and shopping centers.
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| People forget their children in the car because the child fell asleep. |
- ANYTIME that you see a child alone in a vehicle, call 911 immediately. If the child appears to be asleep, overly hot or sick, break a window or damage door handles and get them out as fast as possible. Then, stay with the vehicle until police arrive. The same goes for pets.
- There are 11 US states that have the "Good Samaritan" law which gives citizens the LEGAL right to use any means necessary (smash windows, damage door handles, etc.) to save a distressed animal or child. They are: Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Indiana, Colorado, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont and Wisconsin. In Canada, England and Australia, it is illegal to break windows or do damage to vehicles when animals or children are locked unattended inside a vehicle.
- Know the signs: If you see a child alone in a hot vehicle, immediately call 911. Warning signs of hyperthermia include red, hot and moist or dry skin; no sweating; a strong rapid pulse or a slow weak pulse; nausea or acting strangely.
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| This is a growing epidemic. Please check your car so you aren't leaving behind a child. |
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Awesomely Abandoned
VW BUG IN CANCUN
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| A VW Bug sculpture on display under water in Cancun |
This little VW Bug is part of an underwater museum in Cancun. For those who don't have the courage or the ability to dive or snorkel, there is also the option of seeing it through glass bottom boats.
Underwater, there are over 500 sculptures to view. This VW sculpture is a life-sized replica of the Classic Volkswagen Beetle which houses marine life as well as being entertaining for divers.
RUSSIAN SHIPWRECK IN THE RED SEA
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| Shipwreck in the Red Sea that may have been a spy ship |
There were several shipwrecks in the Red Sea but this particular shipwreck looks like it may have been what is referred to as the "Russian Wreck." It was discovered back in 1988 and treasure hunters think it is the fishing trawler named Khanka. It is believed that the Russians used fishing trawlers for surveillance and communication. There was a lot of communication equipment, electronic devices and batteries found on board, so it was most likely used as a spy ship.
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| The HMS Ontario sank in 1780 |
The HMS Ontario, a British warship that sank in 1780, is the oldest British warship to have been found in the Great Lakes. It was discovered mostly intact between Niagara, New York and Rochester, New York in 2008. The ship sank during a storm and about 130 men lost their lives.
Jim Kennard started searching for the ship 35 years earlier but was not successful until he teamed up with Dan Scoville, another hunter who was searching for sunken vessels. Together, it only took them three years to find this ship.
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| The SS America ran aground in the Canary Islands |
Built in 1940, the SS America was mostly a passenger ship and had gone by several different names up until the wreck, which occurred in 1994.
In 1941, during a period of time when the ship was used by the Navy, there were two Nazi spies aboard among the crew. They were part of the Duquesne Spy Ring and were later convicted, along with 31 other agents when the FBI uncovered them. It was the largest espionage conviction in United States History.
In 1994, on what was supposed to be a 100-day journey, they ran into a storm and the ship went aground just off of the Canary Islands. It eventually broke in two.
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| The Dixon Cove Wreck is partially underwater in Honduras |
The Dixon Cove Wreck occurred in the 1970s, and according to one of many rumors, it was partially caused by a storm that pushed it into the channel so it was stranded there.
The ship was supposedly carrying wood. In an effort to save the ship, they tried unloading it. It was later retrieved by pillagers.
Another rumor claims that they were carrying marble. Still another rumor claims that both the Dixon Cove and another ship (that is also wrecked there) caught on fire and were abandoned. It has been said that both ships were part of the Nicaraguan Revolution.
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| 1911 photo of abandoned mining town |
In 1845, a large amount of silver was discovered in this little town of Silver Islet but efforts to mine the silver were near impossible due to weather conditions and the tumultuous waters of Lake Superior.
They fought against storms, tidal waves, and ice surges all to no avail until decades later, the miners were finally able to retrieve the silver (worth about $3 million) by building a breakwater of rock and concrete that was able to hold back the raging water.
In 1883, all operations ceased due to water-filled shafts and the lack of funds for fuel to keep the furnaces going.
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| Lucy The Elephant has been a tourist stop since the 1880's |
This enormous elephant-shaped building is named Lucy and originally had six stories when it was built back in 1881. It was called Elephant Bazaar and had winding stairs that led up to the howdah, the seat where you would ride an elephant.
Lucy endured many disasters including a fire during a period of time when the building was used as a tavern. During one of these disasters, Lucy's howdah got blown off. By 1960, it had been so neglected that the city condemned it.
When a new developer bought Lucy and wanted to have her removed, a committee formed to save and restore her. After being abandoned for many years, today she is back in operation and fully restored.
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| Once a luxury hotel, Halcyon Hall became part of Bennett College in New York but was demolished in 2014 |
Built in 1890, Halcyon Hall started out as a luxury hotel for wealthy clientele with five stories and two hundred rooms. Unfortunately, the hotel didn't do as well as planned and was closed down in 1901.
In 1907, a school teacher from New York bought it and used it as a school for girls. More buildings were added, which eventually led to it becoming Bennett Junior College.
By the 1970s, it began sinking into debt as more co-ed colleges were popping up. In 1977, it went bankrupt and was abandoned shortly after.
Despite being placed on the National Register for Historic Places, it was demolished in 2014.
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| Sunken boats create a safe harbor for smaller boats |
These ships look like they are sitting on the surface of the water of this beautiful island, but the truth is they were sunken there on purpose on Moreton Island in order to create a safe harbor for smaller boats on the island. That explains why they are lined up the way they are.
These old boats dating back to 1963 were steam dredges and barges that were no longer in use. At the request of a group of boat owners, these old wrecks were placed in the water.
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| Dome houses that were abandoned because of weather |
Retired oil producer Bob Lee built these circular homes in 1980 in Cape Romano, located near Naples, Florida. They were actually very beautiful when they were first built before hurricanes wreaked havoc on them.
They used to have windows all around which gave a beautiful circular view of the beach. The houses were fully solar-powered and self-sustaining.
In 2005, they were sold to John Tosto right before Hurricane Wilma arrived which caused considerable damage not only to the dome houses but also washed away much of the coastline. Now the sea has completely taken the houses over and the only way they can be reached is by boat.
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| An abandoned home in Oregon |
An abandoned home in Boyd, Oregon is just one of the homes left empty after Boyd was un-incorporated in 1955. Boyd is now a ghost town.
The Great Depression had much to do with the demise of the town; especially since the town was already struggling from low wheat prices. Businesses couldn't succeed without visitors coming into the area.
The ghost town has many old dilapidated outhouses.
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| Once the site of St Anne's Asylum, Atkins Hall Apartments are now mostly abandoned |
Back in the mid-1800s, Atkins Hall Apartments was once St. Anne's mental asylum. It was originally three stories high and three blocks long, with men living on one side and women living on the other side.
There were also other buildings such as a gate lodge and the Church of Ireland. About half of this extremely long complex was renovated into apartments but the rest is still mostly abandoned. Some people might find it creepy living in an apartment where mentally ill patients once resided.
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| Mir Diamond Mine in Eastern Siberia, Russia |
The Mir Diamond Mine is an incredible treasure located in the city of Mirny, Eastern Siberia, Russia where diamonds were literally spilling out of the pit from 1957 to 2001. The mine was finally closed down in 2011.
Mir Diamond Mine is one of the World’s largest man-made holes and is referred to as the “Navel of the Earth.”
What is amazing is how a place that looks so deserted could produce diamonds that made many miners rich beyond their wildest dreams.
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| Abandoned theater inside Norwich State Hospital in Norwich Connecticut |
Norwich State Hospital treated both the criminally insane and patients who were mentally unstable. It was new and innovative for its day when the hospital first opened in 1904 with only 95 patients.
As new buildings were added on for dedicated recreation space, it grew to over 1,000 patients by 1915. By 1955, there were 3,186 patients.
The hospital was unlike any other. Recreation areas, like this theater, were added on, housed in separate buildings that were connected by underground tunnels.
All good things come to an end. Investigations of the staff for reports of mistreating patients by starvation, prolonged confinements, beatings, and packing patients in ice led to the hospital finally being shut down in 1996. Many believe the buildings to be haunted.
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