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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

11:57 AM

Mill Ends Park

Located in downtown Portland, Oregon, in the median strip of a parkway is Mill Ends Park. This park, according to the Guinness Book of World Records as of 1971, is the smallest park in the world measuring only 452-square inches – that’s only 2 foot across!

The space where Mill Ends Park sits was to become the site for a light pole. The park was created when the light pole failed to appear and local Irish columnist Dick Fagan sat staring at the vacant space from his second-story office window. Deciding to take action, Fagan planted flowers in the vacant space, naming it ‘Mill Ends’ after his column in the Oregon Journal. Some contextual info, ‘mill ends’ are the odd, unusable pieces of wood left over at a mill. On St. Patrick’s Day in 1948, the park was officially dedicated to the town of Portland.

In 1969, Fagan sadly died due to cancer, but since then the park has still been cared for by many of Portland’s townsfolk and continues to thrive.

Before and after Fagan’s death, many different things have been placed in the park. These have included a small swimming pool for butterflies complete with a diving board, a fragment of the Oregon Journal building where Fagan worked, a horseshoe and even a little leprechaun leaning happily against his pot of gold in 2001! In 2006 the park was temporarily relocated due to roadworks on the parkway, but it was moved back to its original location with a festive celebration that featured Royal Rosarians, bagpipers, and Fagan’s own family including his widow Katherine.

To this day the legends of the leprechauns still live on within the Fagan family. One of Dick’s sons, Pat Fagan, is known to have enjoyed sharing the experience of the park with his own son, and it quoted as saying “it’s still the largest leprechaun colony west of Ireland!”

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Tuesday, February 21, 2017

2:02 PM

Interesting facts about life

1. Bob Marley’s last words to his son before he died were “Money can’t buy life.

2. A broken clock is right two times every day.

3. ”New York drifts about one inch farther away from London each year.

4. A mole can dig a tunnel that is 300 feet long in only one night.

5. Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Public Libraries.

6. About 150 people per year are killed by coconuts.

7. Avocados are poisonous to birds.

8. If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die.

9. More people are allergic to cow’s milk than any other food.

10. Coconut water can be used as blood plasma.

11. Gorillas burp when they are happy

12. In New York, it is illegal to sell a haunted house without telling the buyer.

13. A man from England changed his name to Tim Pppppppppprice to make it difficult for telemarketers to pronounce it.

14. In Japan, crooked teeth are considered cute and attractive.

15. A Swedish woman lost her wedding ring, and found it 16 years later- growing on a carrot in her garden.

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Monday, February 20, 2017

2:36 AM

The 10 Strangest Phobias You Could Have

We’re all afraid of something. Some of us however, whether due to a traumatic experience or just bad luck, have fears that could be classified as being a bit more irrational. These are the 10 strangest phobias you could have.

Phagophobia

This one could truly be hard to live with. Phagophobia is the fear of swallowing and in some cases it can actually lead to weight loss and malnutrition.

Chronophobia

Chronophobia is the fear of time passing. Not surprisingly it is often found mostly in prison inmates or the elderly but it can also occur in people who experience a lot of stress and anxiety.

Decidophobia

While some of you may just be indecisive and apathetic, there are people out there who are genuinely terrified of making decisions, they are known as decidophobes.

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

The longest town name in the world belongs to

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch in the United Kingdom and if you have hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia you might want to steer clear of that place.Because you are afraid of long words.

Neophobia

Neophobia is classified as the fear of new things and in its milder form consists of an unwillingness to part with old habits.

Coulrophobia

Generally found in children, coulrophobia is the fear of clowns. Some phobias are just so sad.

Haphephobia

Whatever you do just make sure you don’t get too close to anyone with haphephobia…it’s the fear of being touched.

Arachibutyrophobia

Although you’ve probably heard this one thrown around, the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth is actually a made up phobia.

Heliophobia

Heliophobia is actually defined as fear of the sun. Although it sounds harmless, it can actually be quite serious and lead to vitamin D deficiency as a result of staying indoors.

Somniphobia

Also known as hypnophobia, this is the abnormal fear of falling asleep. Oftentimes it can be the result of people feeling as though they are losing control and nightmares have been known to cause it as well.

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Sunday, February 19, 2017

11:57 AM

Strangest Medical Treatments In History

While some of these treatments are still practiced today, they way medical issues were handled in the past will make you glad you are alive in the 21st century.

Heroine

In the late 1800s heroine was marketed as a remedy for coughs, colds, and pain.

Soothing Syrup

A remedy known as Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup became popular in the late 1800s to help children get through the teething process. The main issue with the syrup though was its two main ingredients – morphine and alcohol.

Leeches

Often used to let out “bad blood”, these days the practice of leeching has made somewhat of a comeback in the arena of organ reconstruction and microsurgery.

Shark Cartilage

It was the 1950s when the sharks-don’t-get-cancer-so-lets-all-eat-shark-cartilage craze took off.

Dog poop

At one point in time the home remedy for sore throats was album graecum, or dried dog dung.

Tongue Cutting

Also known as hemiglossectomy doctors in the 18th and 19th tried to cure stuttering by cutting of large chunks of their patients tongues. This is actually still practiced today for treatment of oral cancer.

Powder of Sympathy

Of all the crazy medicines in the 17th century this one probably took the cake. Intended as a treatment for sword wounds it was made of earthworms, pig brains, rust, and mummified corpses all ground into powder.

Dead mouse paste

In ancient Egypt if you had a toothache then mashed mice mixed with other ingredients were typically applied to the spot.

Crystal Meth

Apparently this was Hitler’s medication of choice. His doctor would inject his buttocks with meth laced vitamins to keep him feeling “fresh, alert, and active”.

Moldy Bread

Used to disinfect cuts since the days of ancient Egypt there is some merit to this. As was eventually discovered, certain fungi can actually block disease causing bacteria.

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3:44 AM

Number 1.

First victim of an automobile accident

Although the car was steam powered and experimental, in 1869 Mary Ward of the UK became the first recorded car crash victim ever. But this car could only move several kilometers per hour.

First city

İn 3200 BC Uruk, located in Mesopatamia, is often considered

the first city. It had nearly 50,000 inhabitants, a thick wall, and was a center of trade and commerce.

First controversial video game

The 1976 game Death Race involved running over as many gremlins as you could. It caused quite a bit of press coverage as people were afraid that it would lead to reckless driving.

First watch

The first officially produced wearable clock was the Nuremberg Egg. It was designed by Peter Hemlein of Germany in 1509.

First flashmob

The first flashmob confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records took place in New York City in a New York City shop in 2003.

First automatic weapon

In 1883 Sir Hiram Maxim created the Maxim gun. The world’s first machine gun would go on to revolutionize warfare and was used in both World Wars.

First action movie, fiction film, and American Western

The 1903 film The Great Train Robbery was 10 minutes long and had 14 scenes.

First skyscraper

The Home Insurance Building was erected in Chicago in 1884 and has been called the “Father of the Modern Skyscraper”. It was 10 stories high.

First official fan-made music video

The band Placebo was so impressed by Grégoire Pinard’s claymation video made to their song “English Summer Rain” that they decided to make it official.

First road map

Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar commissioned the first known road maps to be created, not surprisingly because the Romans were famous for the roads they built. It took nearly twenty years to complete the first map!

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Saturday, February 18, 2017

3:06 PM

The Worst Earthquakes in History

Nepal Earthquake - A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal in an area between the capital, Kathmandu, and the city of Pokhara on Saturday April 25, 2015 The devastation claimed the lives of at least 5,000 people while injuring 10,000 more with authorities warning that casualty numbers could rise. The devastating quake also destroyed major monuments such as the Dharahara tower, temples and world heritage sites near Kathmandu.

Nankaido, Japan- This 8.6 magnitude earthquake that occurred on September 20, 1498, off the coast of Nankia, Japan triggered a large tsunami, which cost the lives of between 26,000 and 31,000 people. It caused severe shaking that reached the Boso Peninsula and also caused a tsunami in the Suruga Bay, which destroyed the building that housed the statue of the Great Buddha at Kotuku-in.

Izmit, Turkey- This was a 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck northern Turkey on August 17, 1990, which lasted for only 3.7 seconds. The city of Izmit was very badly damaged and 959 injured though other sources suggested that the actual figure for fatalities may be closer to 45,000 with a similar number of injured. Another report from September 1999 showed that the earthquake had destroyed 120,000 poorly-engineered houses, heavily damaged 50,000 houses; caused 2,000 buildings to collapse while 4,000 other buildings left severely damaged, and made more than 300,000 people homeless.

Sicily, Italy- On January 11, 1693, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4, ‘extreme’ had struck the parts of Sicily, Calabria, and Matta in southern Italy. Considered the most powerful in Italian history, it destroyed at least 70 towns and cities causing the death of 60,000 people. It was also followed by a tsunami that hit the Ionian Sea and the Straits of Messina, wiping out two-thirds of the entire population of Catania.

Yunagay, Peru- This Great Peruvian Earthquake was an undersea earthquake that affected the regions of Ancash and La Libertad. It occurred in May 31, 1970 ad was recorded as the worst catastrophic natural disaster that hit Peru, which affected over 3 million people. It has a magnitude of 7.9 to 8.0 on the Richter scale with an intensity of VIII on the Mercalli scale, which lasted for 45 seconds which led to the death of 20,000 people. The damages incurred tallied to 74,194 deaths, 25,600 missing, 143,331 injured, and more than a million homeless.

Tabriz, Iran- This took place near the city of Tabriz, Iran on April 26, 1721, and destroyed prominent mosques and schools resulting in death casualties of 8,000 to 250,000, though it was approximated at 80,000 only. Interpreted as an omen of misfortune or a demonstration of divine wrath, it contributed to the success of the Ottoman take-over of Tabriz in 1722 and on its economic difficulties, as well as the destruction of the city’s significant historical monuments.

Shemakha, Azerbaijan- This was a 6.9 magnitude earthquake that occurred in November 1667 with its epicenter close to the city of Samaxi, Azerbaijan. It had a maximum felt intensity of ten and caused the death of 80,000 people. It had a focal depth of 12 kilometers with an estimated damage of over $25 million.

Kashmir, Pakistan- The October 8, 2005 Kashmir, Pakistan was visited by an earthquake with a moment magnitude of 7.6.The disaster had a death toll of 85,000 and more than 69,000 were injured. İt affected countries in surrounding regions with 14,000 deaths in Jammu and tremors felt in Taijikistan and western China. It also cost a staggering $5.4 billion in aids from all around the world.

Sichuan, China- The Great Sichuan Earthquake occurred on May 8, 2008 with a magnitude that measured 8.0 and 7.9. It was so great that it was felt in nearby countries and as far away as Beijing and Shanghai where buildings swayed with tremors. Official figures for the damages include 69,197 deaths with 68,636 in Sichuan province, 374,176 injured and 18,222 missing. The Chinese government is appropriating 1 trillion Yuan or $146.5 billion to rebuild areas ravaged by the great quake.

Messina, Italy -This was a 7.1-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that claimed the lives of some 100,000 to 200,000 lives in Messina and Reggio in Sicily and Calabria in southern Italy. The earthquake, which took place on December 28, 1908, caused the ground to shake for 30 to 40 seconds and was felt in a 186-mile radius. A 12-meter tsunami also hit the nearby coasts causing more destruction including the death of 70,000 residents with 91% of the structures in Messina destroyed.

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