Interesting Facts: Well I Never No. 9

Three Cool, Useful or Otherwise Interesting Things I Didn't Know a Month (or so ...) Ago.

Look what I learnt recently!

1. We Go Wrinkly When We're Wet for a Reason

Via: www.gettyimages.com

You know you've been in the bath too long when your fingers start pruning, but it's not just a sign that it's time to get out. Back in our more hunter gatherer days, we were barefoot and we had many a terrain and weather condition to contend with in our nearly 100% outdoor lives. Now imagine it's peeing it down and you're trying to scale a rock face to get a clearer view of that wildebeest you intend on having for dinner. Or you're walking through wetlands, foraging and trying to pick up wet things. As we get wetter, our wrinkly fingers and feet work like tyre tread to give us better grip in wet conditions. Why haven't we evolved this away? Because we're generally a quite clean species, and we like like to get wet on a regular basis. Our bodies don't know that we're just having a shower, and not trying to scale a waterfall.

My Favourite Places in Joburg: Independent Traders Unlimited, Northriding

Ah me, do you remember my post about one of my favourite places to go with the kids in Joburg, Gecko Jewellers in Crowthorne? Doesn't really matter if you don't, or if you have no idea where Crowthorne is. The point being (I am getting to it, honest) is that when I wrote it blinking yonks ago, it occurred to me that it would make a good regular posting, places that I like to visit.

You see, not only do I always take loads of photos, which we all like to look at no? The places I like, for some reason, tend not to be the same places other people like. But I know that out there - *prods glass of screen* - amongst you guys, there are those who will love these odd little places I seem to find, as much as I do.

So here's number two in hopefully a series of posts;

Interesting Facts: Well I Never ... No. 7

Three Cool, Useful or Otherwise Interesting Things I Didn't Know a Month (or so ...) Ago.

1. You Can Edit the Display Name When You Tag Folks on Facebook

You know how Facebook added fairly recently the ability to tag folk in your status and comments? So that the person you're talking about gets a notification that you are. Talking about them that is. Well, I found out entirely by accident the other day that you can alter the name as it's displayed once you've added the link. Normally you start typing your mates name and then a suggested list comes up ("did you mean Aunty Maggie? or Annie May?"), you click on the one you want and the full name appears in your text. It can be amusing, leaving the full name in at times. I always feel like I'm addressing somebody as a Mum does when she's cross, using the full and even a middle name sometimes. "LOUISA JANE FISHER, GET DOWN THESE STAIRS!!!" kind of thing. If you'd rather address people on Facebook by first name only, put your cursor at the end of the link and Backspace to delete the surname. Ta da! Or go to the front of the link and press delete to lose the first name or names. Useful I suppose if you want to add a title and refer to someone very formally (Mr/Mrs/Sir/Lord/Her Majesty) or to add a nickname or family title, like 'Aunty' or 'Uncle'. Or, er "Bunnykins' or something.

Well I Never ... No. 6

Three Cool, Useful or Otherwise Interesting Things I Didn't Know a Month (or so ...) Ago.

 

1. Vinegar can cure hiccoughs. 

 

I know this one to be true, not sure if it's one of those things that only works for some people and I've never tried it on the kids, although I don't see why ..

Anyhoo, when I get hiccoughs, I drop a teaspoon of vinegar down the back of my throat and swallow. Hiccoughs gone. Honest!

 

Well I Never ... No.5

Did anyone notice I missed this post last month? Ssssshhhh. Can you believe I was struggling to think of three new things I'd learnt? Shocking. I should be a total sponge for new knowledge, learning new things every day. Had I really not learnt anything new in a month? Sheesh.

And then Hubby, as he so often does, came to the rescue. Over the years, I've learnt a shedload of interesting and useful knowledge from Hubby, he's a great source. In the space of a few days last week, he'd taught me three brand spanking new things so without further ado, and as an ode really to Hubby and his fountain of uncapped knowledge ...

Three Cool, Useful or Otherwise Interesting Things I Didn't Know a Month Ago.

Memories of ... School (Part 2: High School/Secondary)

Could Have Been My School

My Secondary School (or High School) was in fact two different schools, as we moved as a family in my third year (? I think). Not that it matters, UK Secondary and Comprehensive Schools in the 80's were all pretty much the same. If you're a Brit, think Grange Hill with less drugs. If you're not a Brit, 'Grange Hill' was a kids TV show in the 80's about a .... UK Secondary School. If you were a kid in the 80's, you wished your school was like Grange Hill but your parents hoped and prayed it wasn't at all like that. Mine was a bit! I'm whistling the theme tune to Grange Hill now.

Burnt in My Memory: Walking the halls between classes trying to look cool and attractive at all costs and at all times. Because everyone's watching you, right? Not easy to achieve my ideal High School look of a cross between Boy George and 80's Madonna when my Mum was still responsible for most of my wardrobe. AND I had to work around that dumb uniform and stupid school rules about make up and hemlines.

The day I was given detention by my impossibly unforgiving French Teacher (also Head of Year) for ... ASKING A QUESTION. Yes, I was punished for my enquiring mind at school. She ordered me into the Store Cupboard at the back of the classroom, there was a small desk inside and a young chap in school uniform whom I didn't recognise. He looked at me as I walked in and said deadpan "I've been here for years".

Heard in My House .. Tallen Changed His Mind

** Can I just say, because it may help some readers, a Bakkie is a South African works vehicle, like a pick up truck without the hook thingy. And a Chappie is a sweet we get here that has interesting facts (Did You Know?) printed on the inside of the wrapper. That'll all make sense in a minute ...

Tallen (4) is enjoying his school holidays at the moment. Reminds me, must email the school and find out when he's due back, must be next week surely ... anyhoo.

Very luckily for Tallen, his Mummy and Daddy run a small (teeny really) playground company and a day at work with Daddy in the holidays amounts to a day of free play in a school playground. And he's the only kid there.

Problem is, Tallen also loves staying at home with me and his little brother and first thing in the morning, it's friggin' hard to get him to make a decision.

Memories of ... School (Part 1: Nursery & Primary School)

Earliest memories first, Nursery/Pre School. I remember little about the building but I do remember a large curtain, behind which sat a plump, smiley old lady who read stories all day.

Burnt in my Memory: Sitting on plump, smiley old ladys lap for story time.

Best Forgotten: Clinging to Dads leg so he couldn't leave me there.

Dramatic Performance: Just the tantrums when it was time for Dad to leave.

Stuff I Learnt: At Aged 3? Just that I miss my Mummy and Daddy I think.

Well I Never ... No. 4

Three Cool, Useful or Otherwise Interesting Things I Didn't Know a Month Ago.

1. Google Image Search Match

When you're doing an image search in Google, see that little blue camera there? Did you think it was just for fun, like me? If you click on it, you can upload or otherwise select an image of your own and then ask Googles Image Search to find any matching or near matching images. Cool ey? Uses? Er, I dunno, but it's fun! I guess if you were a photographer, you could use it to check if your pics are being used elsewhere or if you had a pic and you wanted to find the original source. If it can't find an exact match, the near matches it suggests can be amusing. It's a Google search after all.

Well I Never ... No. 3

Three Cool, Useful or Otherwise Interesting Things I Didn't Know a Month Ago.

1. Smartphone Barcodes

Get me, being all Techy on my blog. And I’m nothing but a user really. I love Technology, but I don’t get passed the user stage. Shiny, blinky lights and “it can do WHAT??!! Show me how, show me how!” is where I’m at.

My dear friend Clare however, is a true Techy. She doesn’t just use and drool over blinky lighted gadgets and technology, she understands the workings. She can even make Techy. Oh yeah. She told me recently that often when she chats to folk, their eyes glaze over and she realises she’s lost them with her Techy talk. It’s happened to me often. I bow to her superior Techyness.

Imagine then, my possibly over enthused excitement when she showed me this;

It’s a QR (Quick Response) Barcode. Have we all seen these yet? Am I, in fact, over here in Africa, the last to know? They make getting URLs, location coordinates, any text or contact information onto a phone as easy as you like. With a barcode scanner app installed you can scan them with your Smartphone and it’ll wop the info straight into your phone. Go on, try it! (To find a scanner application, Google "QR Reader" and the model of your phone). This barcode leads to mine and Hubbys business site. How. Cool. Is. That. If not already, you’ll see them soon printed on advertising and business cards, on TV ads. Everywhere I’m sure. And just think – you may have seen it here first. Well, if you live in South Africa. Or the Outer Hebrides. Love you Clare. And all your Techyness.

Well I Never ... No. 2

Three Cool, Useful or Otherwise Interesting Things I Didn't Know a Month Ago.

1. You Shouldn't use Boiling Water to Make Hot Drinks.

gallery.hd.org

I used to be one of those people who hovers over the kettle, waiting for it to boil. Usually because there's a wanting hubby or the rest of a movie waiting for me. Then I read somewhere that boiling water scalds, and if you pour it directly onto your instant coffee or tea bag, it affects the taste. It can also scald the milk. Hmmm. So I Googled a bit, experimented a bit and guess what? It's true. This is how I now make instant coffee; boil the kettle, but then let it stand for 5 mins. Put coffee, sugar and a little hot (but not boiling) water in the cup and stir it up so the coffee and sugar dissolve. Add the milk and then top up slowly with hot water, so the milk warms up slowly. If you can be bothered to stick a pan of milk on (I can't frankly) then warm milk is actually best. Coffee in particular tastes a lot less bitter made this way, and I'm using less sugar now. What does that say for percolators though??

2. Sand Dunes Hum.
They do! http://www.acoollink.com/sand-dunes-hum/ And the bods who spend their days finding out why, er .... well ... they don't know exactly why yet. I'm sure once they get their next multi billion dollar grant they'll suss it out though.

3. Oestrogen Works Like Valium.

Nora Batty

Dr. Oz said so. The reason we get less tolerant as we get older is down to the drop in hormone levels in particular Oestrogen, which amongst many other things, can control our mood. Oestrogen has been in popular use as a drug since the 1960's for many health issues including contraception, tiredness, depression, poor concentration, irritability, mood swings, skin problems, low libido, osteoporosis, heart disease prevention, and others. And men and women are effected pretty much equally by a drop in levels. You don't need an excuse or a reason to be a grumpy old git, it's hormonal my friend.

Well I Never ... No.1

Three Cool, Useful or Otherwise Interesting Things I Didn't Know a Month Ago.

I've added a number to this post 'cos I think it may be a good one to do regularly. Mainly to stop me forgetting the things I learn. I hearby promise to do a 'Well I Never' post once a month. Or thereabouts. Depending on how I'm feeling. Or whether I've learnt anything new that month or not. .

So with no further ado (drum roll too much?) here's the first.

1. Women Listen Differently to Men.

Okay, this is supposed to be things I didn't know a month ago, but it's now confirmed for me. Comes back to the skill women have to multi task (using multiple areas of their brains at one time) and mens tendency to be better at focusing (using one area of the brain). Also explains why my husband can't hear me talking to him when he's watching his favourite TV show, but his hearing returns to normal in the ad breaks. Whilst I can listen to him, the TV and both kids talking to me at the same time. We smell better too. No, not our body odours, sense of smell. Having said that ...

2. Crickets Can Throw Their Voice.

Or their 'sound' at least, and there's no link here because I couldn't find it on the net but I experience it when I try and catch one in the house. And Hubby told me, so it must be true. He thinks it's to announce there's a predator about, without the cricket giving his hiding spot away. In googling I also found out that the sound is only made by males by rubbing their wings together, other than to warn of predators it's mainly used to attract females. And the ladies can tell from the pitch of the chirp, how ..ahem... big the male is. Turns out 'Crickets Can Throw Their Voice' is the name of a band in Texas also. Who knew? Their fans probably ...

3. How Lightning and Thunder Work. 
I should have really learnt this in school but it was obviously one of those teacher/pupil moments when my mind got bored, wandered and went out the window. And I've worded it that way around, 'Lightning and Thunder' as opposed 'Thunder and Lightning', because I've just discovered that the Lightning comes first. Recently I read this explanation and it was like a proper 'Eureka' moment. I hadn't even thought about how the two phenomenom were linked before I read this. Doh! Lightning actually causes thunder. Simply (follow the link if you want more detail) lightning's caused by static electricity build up, brought about by water and ice particles in the clouds rubbing together on a humid day. And the rapid heating of the air around it (to as much as five times as hot as the suns surface) creates rapid expansion, which makes the loud noise we hear. It all happens in a split second but because light travels faster than sound, we see the lightning first. Closer the two are to each other, closer the storm.