The everlasting paint job

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By constant attack from corrosive elements like salt air, road contaminants, aging, UV rays etc., the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco needs to be maintained on a daily basis - of which painting makes up for most of the maintenance. Only a few dozen painters scurry all over the bridge to keep it looking good at all times

Kennecott mine in Alaska - what happened?

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When prospectors were looking for pasture for their horses, they saw a green hill in the distance. On arrival in the vicinity, they discovered it was not grass, but a huge deposit of copper. 
A town and operations were soon established - only to collapse in 1939 when all the copper was exhausted. All that remained was the abandoned Kennecott Mine Camp.

Major rivers humble sources

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Because a river has many sources, it's impossible to pinpoint the exact location from where a river begins. A rivers source is that point opposite to the estuary or confluence with another river and is, in many cases illusive.
Starting as a treacle, it gradually flows towards a lake or the sea and is supplemented by numerous sources such as underground water, springs, rainwater, marshes and lakes to become a mighty river.

Security changed after a man picked 2 'unpickable' locks in 1851

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With the introduction of the lock, there was an interest to pick it! There was only a brief window period of 70 years when something was safe once you put it 'under lock and key'.
In the 1770s there was an inventor named Joseph Bramah, a polymath engineer, who changed everything.

Where do city nicknames come from?

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Why do certain cities have nicknames like "The Big Apple", "Venice of the North" etc.? Some come from ancient city heritages - some refer to the industry that city is associated with. 

Seven unexplained mysteries

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Besides today's technology and innovation, there are still mysteries that are unsolved. From ocean's depths, to incredible holes in the ground, there's still a lot humanity has not yet uncovered about our world.

8 towns that have numbers for names

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Where do town names come from - especially if the name is a number? Here are the stories behind the names of 8 communities named after numbers.

Besides believing otherwise - foods that are actually healthy

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Eggs were first bad for us then they were good for us! For all of the 'scientific' studies of nutrition and health, the bottom line is that we know something about the food we eat. Be assured that the 5 foodstuffs mentioned here will put your mind at ease.

Ever thought how the tea bag came into being?

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Unlike what most tea manufacturers claims, the tea bag was not invented by Thomas Sullivan in 1908. He was beaten by about 7 years by Roberta C. Lawson and Mary Molaren of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Read about the invention of the tea bag.

Are you aware of these 23 car tips?

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Why not make the upkeep of your car a little bit easier? These tips and tricks won't make you a car expert, but they can make general upkeep and travel a little bit less stressful.

13 reasons why you should have a cat in your home

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Does not matter where you go - most likely you will meet some person who despises cats.  
For every cat hater out there, there's someone who believes that cats are just misunderstood -  a kitty crusader. 
Cats aren't perfect, but here are 13 reasons why they're worth it.

Ever think of water as a strange liquid?

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The more water is examined, the stranger it starts to seem - as it distorts all rules, If it didn't, ice would sink and fire hoses would be useless. See how water baffles and confuses us all.

The 5 unluckiest people in the world

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Violet Jessop, an ocean liner stewardess and nurse, who survived the sinking of both the RMS Titanic and her sister ship, the HMHS Britannic, in 1912 and 1916 respectively. Besides that, she had been on board the RMS Olympic, their other sister ship, when it collided with the protected cruiser HMS Hawke in 1911.
There are  other people making up 5 Of The World's Unluckiest People.
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Uummannaq - do you know where it is?

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Uummannaq is a beautiful island and town in the Qaasuitsup district, Greenland. It is also home to the most prominent mountain on the Arctic coast of western Greenland.
The 1,170-meters high granite mountain, also named Uummannaq, occupies almost the entire northern half of the island.

The word OK...where did it originate?

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It’s the most recognized word on the planet - however you spell it (albeit Okay, OK or o.k.).
It is a bit of a mystery where the word OK comes from, but there are a few theories (as it was developed in different parts of the world)

Why can't you grab that soft toy with the claw machines?

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You must have tried grabbing a toy from those claw machines - hoping to be successful, only to see the claw does not grab as tight as it should.
Don't despair - it is not you....those claw machines are rigged in such a clever way that you won't believe.

Do you like the music from years ago?
Join our group of (to date) over 1200 Oldies lovers here... https://www.facebook.com/groups/favouriteoldies/?ref=group_header

Oops, sorry.....oh, it worked - not too bad then!

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You won't believe that these 18 things were actually invented by mistake! Many...well most, inventors spend ages trying to create a perfect life-changing product.

And, yet, some of the most fascinating and brilliant discoveries were actually invented by accident. 

Fruits and Veggies of all shapes and sizes..

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Ever found a fruit or veggie that looks like something else? Check this list of the weirdest specimens that look like anything except itself.

I'll drink to this flower...

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Millions of people around the world, perhaps unknowingly, are not aware that these blooms are the most important flowers in their lives. Mornings would most likely be very different without them.
This is the coffee flower and it's gorgeous.

You'll be a-mazed!

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Mazes and labyrinths have been part our imagination for ages. A maze is a challenging series of pathways designed to confuse people. A labyrinth is a single pathway designed for meditation or thinking while walking for you to find yourself, whereas a maze is designed to lose yourself. Here is a selection of some intricate outdoor mazes and labyrinths.

There's no stopping this train...

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Carrying 131 passengers, the express train from Granville to Paris was running late on October 22, 1895. The driver increased the speed of the steam locomotive to make up on lost time.
On entering the Montparnasse station, the train was traveling between 25 to 37 miles per hour. Attempts to stop the train in time failed, resulting in the train crashing through the buffers at the end of the track, crossed the 100-foot concourse and burst through the wall of the station, tumbling onto the street below.

How the Rubiks Cube was developed

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The Hungarian inventor and professor of architecture, Erno Rubik is best known for the invention of the Rubik's Cube. Starting with blocks of wood and rubber bands, Rubik set out to create a structure which would allow the individual pieces to move without the whole structure falling apart.
Rubik made the original prototypes of his cube by hand, cutting the wood, boring the holes and using elastic bands to hold the device together.

How old are you?
Time is catching up with you. Do the years seem to be going ridiculously quickly now? There's a reason for it. You're getting old!
Have a bit of fun: Click on link below and type in your date of birth and you will be provided with a report full of interesting stuff

Playing Solitaire, Minesweeper, Hearts and FreeCell had a purpose..

Image credit: Chris Pirillo via Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

If you haven't ever played Solitaire, Minesweeper, Hearts or FreeCell, you're in the minority. These simple Windows games have probably caused more lost worker hours than anything short of a worldwide coffee shortage.

But as fun as these games were, they weren't actually designed for entertainment. At least not in their Windows incarnations.

Pubs in the most inhospitable places 

There has been ways to live it up in the most inhospitable locations in the world. Before you think of surviving, you find a way to get happy in 'Bars at the End of the World' in which you can have a drink. Cheers!

Born on this day in 1948...

Richard John Parfitt, OBE was a singer, songwriter and rhythm guitarist with rock band Status Quo. Parfitt started in the early 1960s, playing in pubs and holiday camps. In 1967 he joined Status Quo  who was looking for a singer.
Born: 12 October 1948 in Woking, Surrey, UK. 
Died on 24 December 2016 in Marbella, Spain
Status Quo - Down, down: https://youtu.be/d1gYJDQXPOk
Photo credit: The copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide.

In some countries this may not be legally possible; if so:
He grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.

The Tupperware Queen..

image credit: Florida Memory

There's more to Tupperware than just leftovers. The story of the unique plastic container is a story of innovation and reinvention: how a new kind of plastic, made from an industrial waste material, ended up a symbol of female empowerment.
The product ushered women into the workforce, encouraging them to make their own money, better their families, and win accolades and prizes without fear of being branded that 1950s anathema, 'the career woman.'

Don't you just hate these 21 types of people on flights?

Image credit: PVBenn
Flying can be a stressful time - you've got to worry about what to pack, getting to the airport on time, checking you have your passport and making sure you haven't accidentally smuggled a full bottle of water in your hand luggage.
But there's more. Screaming babies, drunks and the guy that has reclined his seat so far that he is crushing your legs are all on board and ready to make your flight miserable.
Just in Flight have conducted a survey of 5000 people to find the 21 types of people we hate most on flights.

Google is tracking all you do - How to delete it 

Google knows a lot about you. For instance, just head over to its 'ad settings' page where you'll see a profile Google has built for you, based on your search history, YouTube history and other interests.
Google doesn't make a huge issue about this knowledge of its users, but it doesn't keep it a secret either. Here's how to find out what Google knows and take control of your data.

Image: PVBenn

SAMSUNG - from humble beginnings to one of the largest companies..

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Dubai's Burj Khalifa is the tallest structure ever constructed to date...and who built it? Who built Taipei 101, tallest building ever before Burj Khalifa? And the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the tallest building before that? It was SAMSUNG..

Lee Byung-chul founded Samsung in 1938 as a trading company dealing in groceries (photo above). It mainly produced noodles before expanding into sugar and, later, wool. It had 40 employees. Today it has 500 000.

16 things you might not have known about the RMS Titanic

It is a known fact that the Titanic hit an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on the night of April 14, 1912 and sunk just over two-and-a-half hours later, but do you know these 16 facts about the Titanic?

Image: PV Benn

On a wing ...and a prayer


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Not long after the Wright Brothers' historic first flight, people began attempting death-defying stunts on airplanes.
Starting in the 1920s, wing walking is the act of walking on the wings of an airplane during flight.

Remember Solomon Burke?

Passed away (aged 70) on this day in 2010 at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands, is preacher and singer, Solomon Burke 
He was born on 21 March 1940 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Burke left behind 21 children, 90 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren at the time of his death.

He is well known for the hit "Cry to Me", a song written by Bert Berns (listed as "Bert Russell") and first recorded by Solomon Burke was in 1961 (and was released in 1962). South Africans will know this song as covered by their local group The Staccatos as a film track in the South African movie "Katrina")

YouTube link for "Cry to Me": https://youtu.be/mEu8DrO9PbY

Image credit: Tom  Beetz. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons license. You are free:

• to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work
• to remix – to adapt the work

Organized crime via the Internet - Here's how..



Almost all areas of life have had an impact due to the internet (and especially social media) as we have become dependent on the internet.
During casual browsing, doing our banking, shopping on-line, doing holiday planning etc., we do not realize how dark some corners of the online realm can be.
Organized crime has set up there, too, and it is sinister and bizarre what influence this has on social media

Image attribution: Santeri Viinamäki

How did New York become known as "the Big Apple"?

          

The history of the name 'Big Apple' (referring to New York), was thought a mystery but research has provided a solution of the term's history. False terms were made earlier in time that was derived from a NY brothel madam named Eve. This was exposed as a hoax.

(Usage of this image: Licensing/copyright information. Under the CC BY-NC: you are free to copy, distribute, transmit and adapt this work provided that correct attribution is provided. Attribution must be provided in a prominent location to "Fir0002/Flagstaffotos".)

TETRIS....and the weird story behind it
                   

Tetris is 34 years in existence, being a tile-matching video game, designed and programmed by Russian Alexey Pajitnov. The name comes from the Greek numerical prefix tetra- and tennis.
Tetris must be one of the weirdest stories in video gaming history – roping in such unlikely 80s and 90s people such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Robert Maxwell and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.

(This image is a screenshot from a video game, and its copyright is most likely held by the game's publisher or developer. It is believed that the use of low-resolution screenshots

·          to visually identify the game in question

·          on the English Wikipedia, hosted on servers in the United States by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation, constitutes fair use under United States copyright law. Other uses of this image may be copyright infringement. 

The mystery disappearance of DB Cooper

                       

DB Cooper is an unidentified man who hijacked a Boeing 727 airplane between Portland, OR, and Seattle, WA, on November 24, 1971.
He managed to get $200,000 in ransom and parachuted from the plane. Despite an extensive manhunt and prolonged FBI investigation, Cooper has never been identified or located.

(The image is a work of a United States Department of Justice employee, taken or made as part of that person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain (17 U.S.C. § 101 and 105).)

Good music

From 1970, the South African Rock Group, The Omega Limited, performed their version of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Opus 23.

https://youtu.be/h7NX3qQe2yA

The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge (also known by the locals as the Bay Bridge), is a complex of bridges crossing over San Francisco Bay in California, USA. It was designed by Charles H. Purcell and construction started: July 8, 1933. 
Date of completion was on November 12, 1936 (making this bridge 83 years old). The two decks carries about 260,000 vehicles a day.

                                             

                                                 

     I fondly remember my Transistor radio from my childhood...

     

Using transistor-based circuitry, the transistor radio is a small portable radio receiver, invented in 1947. The first transistor radio (the  Regency TR-1) was developed by Texas Instruments from Dallas and Industrial Development Engineering Associates from Indianapolis, Indiana…at a staggering cost of US$49.95 (equivalent to US$456 today). Besides this price, over 150,000 units were sold.

In August 1955 the first transistor radio was manufactured in Japan and the new brand name “SONY” was given to its first product namely the Sony TR-55.

Needless to say that this radio was extremely popular – especially under the teens of the time.

                         

Lee Jun-fan was known professionally as Bruce Lee who was born in Chinatown, San Francisco on November 27, 1940. 

Bruce was married to Linda Emery (m. 1964) and had two children: Brandon Lee (1965–1993) and Shannon Lee (born 1969)

He died in Kowloon Tongon on July 20, 1973, at the age of 32

The movies featuring Bruce Lee:

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1969	Marlowe	Winslow Wong
1971	The Big Boss	Cheng Chao-an	Also known as Fists of Fury
1972	Fist of Fury	Chen Zhen	Also known as The Chinese Connection
1972	Way of the Dragon	Tang Lung	Also known as Return of the Dragon
1972	Game of Death	Hai Ten	Filming was never completed until after 1978
1973	Enter the Dragon	Lee	Posthumous release
1979	The Real Bruce Lee	Bruce Lee before his death	A post death film about him
1981	Game of Death II	Also known as Tower of Death. Lee died before production of the film, and his scenes were taken from his other films.