Useless knowledge for useful situations
Dear Readers,
I find it fascinating that sometimes the news is just filled with nonsense. Well readers, no fear...not much difference here. Check back with me weekly to read or watch videos about the most crazy things people do and also catch up on what's the latest in the building industry. Occasionally, and I stress occasionally... will have some serious news that affects the building industry but don't count on me to give you an unbiased opinion because being a furry dog with a hat, not much I say would be credible anyway.
This week's Useless Knowledge Corner
Did you know that...
• Abraham Lincoln's mother died when the family dairy cow ate white snakeroot and Ms. Lincoln drank the milk.
• The city of St. Petersburg, Russia, was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, hence the name, St. Petersburg. But it wasn't always that simple. In 1914, at the beginning of World War I, Russian leaders felt that Petersburg was too German-sounding. So they changed the name of the city to Petrograd -- to make it more Russian-sounding. Then, in 1924, the country's Soviet Communist leaders wanted to honor the founder of the Soviet Union, Vladimir I. Lenin. The city of Petrograd became Leningrad and was known as Leningrad until 1991 when the new Russian legislators -- no longer Soviet Communists -- wanted the city to reflect their change of government, so they changed the name back to St. Petersburg.
• The Ancient Egyptians regarded the dung beetle as sacred, and many would wear figures of these insects as charms
• April Fools Day started in France after the adoption of a reformed calender by Charles IX in 1564. Up till that time, New Year celebration began March 21 and ended April 1. When New Year's was changed, some people still celebrated on April 1. These people became known as "April Fools."
• The army's jeep was not always called that. Instead it was called a general purpose vehicle. It was then shortened to GP (jeep), and the car company just started to manufacture the general purposes vehicles under the name "Jeep."
• The custom of offering up a salutation before drinking came from the ancient Roman practice of dropping a small square of toast into an alcoholic beverage to soak up any remaining sediments before drinking. The salutation was given while the bread did its work.
• If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
• Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
• Clans of long ago that wanted to get rid of their unwanted people without killing them used to burn their houses down - hence the expression "to get fired."
• The term "the whole 9 yards" came from WWII fighter pilots in the South Pacific. When arming their airplanes on the ground, the .50 caliber machine gun ammo belts measured exactly 27 feet, before being loaded into the fuselage. If the pilots fired all their ammo at a target, it got "the whole 9 yards."
• The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin during World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.
***taken from http://www.totallyuselessknowledge.com***
The Serious News Corner
The 2010 Auckland Registered Master Builders House of the Year awards dinner was held on Saturday the Manukau Telstra Pacific Convention Centre. It was a glitzy event with everyone in dinner suits and stunning dresses.
DW Homes picked up 5 awards out of the 4 categories entered. Winning the Category and Silver award in the Homes under $250,000. Picking 2 Bronze for a stunning home built on the Awhitu Peninsula for New Homes $1,000,000 - $2,000,000 and Sustainable Homes over $1,000,000
Lastly, a Silver award for a home built for our NZ's Paralympic and World Champion in shooting for New Homes between $450,000 - $600,000.
Though a Gold award eluded us this year, we will be trying much harder and our builders working smarter and harder to win a Gold next year. Watch this space !
