Thursday, January 11, 2024
SOME FACTS
Contrary to popular belief, Walt Dsney'si head was not severed from his corpse, cryogenically frozen, and stored under the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. According to his wishes, Disney was cremated, and his ashes were interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. The icy rumors are traced back to a cabal of Disney animators with a dark sense of humor playing a crazy prank on their onetime boss.
Candy floss was invented by a dentist! Even though this sugary fairground treat is pretty bad for your teeth, a dentist named William Morrison invented 'fairy floss' in 1897 with a confectioner called John Wharton and eventually sold 68,000 boxes of the stuff at St. Louis World’s Fair a few years later.
M&M'S doesn't stand for Mmm and Mmm. The initials represent the chocolate maker owners Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie, and their initials appear on 400 million sweets every day!
A human can sweat around 26 gallons in bed every year! That works out at 416 cups over the course of 12 months. It's one of the many reasons you should change your bed sheets regularly.
Space has a smell! According to several astronauts, space has a hot metallic whiff. But British astronaut Tim Peake has said it also reminded him of a summer barbecue, but explained that it's most likely to be static electricity with ozone.
There are 421 words for snow in Scotland. You could call a large snowflake a 'skelf', for example. Or, if there's a short snowfall, you could call it a 'flindrikin'.
There are 100 folds in a chef's hat! The 100 folds in a chef’s hat are supposed to represent the 100 ways to cook an egg. Some historians say that the higher a chef's hat – or toque – is, the more experienced they are.
There are earthquakes on the moon! They’re less common and less powerful than the quakes on Earth, and they’re called moon quakes!
Chicago is nicknamed The Windy City, but it doesn't have anything to do with the weather. A journalist came up with the nickname because they thought everyone who lived there was a 'windbag'.
Most Muppets are left-handed! That's because the puppeteers who help the soft cloth heroes act in TV shows and films use their dominant hand, which is in most cases their right, to operate their head and mouths.
Pringles have an official shape. Most snacks have a random shape, which is down to the shape of the potato they're from or the shape of shells, alien heads or teddy bears. Pringles, however, have a scientific name – hyperbolic paraboloids – which can be expressed as the equation z=Ax2+By2.
Pigs do not sweat! They don't possess sweat glands like humans, so they roll around in mud to keep cool.
There are thousands of rubber ducks lost at sea. In 1992 a crate containing 28,000 rubber ducks capsized at sea and spilled out into the ocean. And they're still washing up today.
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
AESOP'S FABLE
Aesop's Fables, or the Aesopica, is a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and storyteller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BCE. Of diverse origins, the stories associated with his name have descended to modern times through a number of sources and continue to be reinterpreted in different verbal registers and in popular as well as artistic media. The fables originally belonged to the oral tradition and were not collected for some three centuries after Aesop's death. By that time a variety of other stories, jokes and proverbs were being ascribed to him.
A Man and a Lion were discussing the relative strength of men and lions in general. The Man contended that he and his fellows were stronger than lions by reason of their greater intelligence. “Come now with me,” he cried, “and I will soon prove that I am right.” So he took him into the public gardens and showed him a statue of Hercules overcoming the Lion and tearing his mouth in two.
“That is all very well,” said the Lion, “but proves nothing, for it was a man who made the statue.”
Moral:
We can easily represent things as we wish them to be.
The source of evidence should be examined before it is accepted.
Honesty outweighs boasting.
The Lion, seeing a statue of a Man defeating a Lion, comments that had a Lion carved the statue it would be different. Truth is in the eye of the story teller.
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
Monday, January 8, 2024
SYDNEY SUBURBS: DEAN PARK
DEAN PARK
Location:
Dean Park is located 43 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Blacktown and is part of the Western Sydney region.
Name Origin:
Dean Park takes its name from the Dean family.
William 'Lumpy' Dean (1776–1854) received two grants of land of 100 and 50 acres in 1817, and later a third one of 50 acres, beside Eastern Creek.
His family owned the Bush Inn on the Western Highway.
About:
William Lumpy Dean was born in 1777 in England,
Convicted of stealing money, he was sentenced to transportation for life and arrived in Sydney Cove in 1799 on "Hillsborough"
Dean married Elizabeth Hollingsworth in 1806 at Parrramatta and they had the following children
William 1805
john Samuel 1807
Sarah 1810
Thomas 1812
Mary 1813
Elizabeth 1816
Ann 1822
Martha 1823
William died 7/11/1847 age 78 and was buried at Parramatta
From:
The Legend of ‘Lumpy’ Dean’
He was a huge man (over 6’ tall and weighing 22 stone) with a huge sense of humour and the ability to laugh at himself but it was no laughing matter for youthful William Dean when he was sentenced to death at the Old Bailey. He was 16 and employed as a servant at a house in Cavendish Square, London, when he found a £20 note in his master’s jacket and put it in his own pocket. Instead of hanging he was transported to New South Wales which turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him.
After spending several years on the hated floating hulks in London he arrived at Port Jackson aboard the hell-ship Hillsborough in 1799, aged 23. Twelve years later he received a ticket-of-leave and was self-employed as a tanner.
Elizabeth Hollingsworth, transported for stealing two £1 notes from her employer, was assigned to him. The couple formed a relationship and married at St John’s Church of England, Parramatta on Christmas Day 1806. They already had one child, the first of eight with another on the way.
In 1817 William Dean received two grants from Governor Macquarie. One was of a 100 acres, south of the Western Road and west of Eastern Creek. The other was of 50 acres, north of the Western Road and west of Eastern Creek. He was later given a further 50 acres in the area.
Deane, who, on land near the Presbyterian Church at Rooty Hill, grew grain, which he had milled into flour at Parramatta.
This flour was exported to India, and it is from this fact that Rooty Hill is said to have derived its name. The word “Roti” was the name written on the bags of flour, and is an Indian word meaning “bread” or “flour’.
In 1820 he was living on the Western Road near the turnpike almost 10 miles from Parramatta. By this time his enormous bulk earned him the nickname of ‘Lumpy’ Dean but in spite of his size he was energetic and enterprising and had built a home for his wife and seven children with extensions for an inn. He also grew wheat and raised cattle.
The role of Mine Host of The Bush Inn suited him admirably and customers were drawn by his jovial personality. He later changed the name to The Corporation Inn a facetious reference to his girth. The inn was a seven hour journey by coach from Sydney and travellers often stayed over to enjoy the warmth and hospitality. When the Western Road was extended, traffic increased and so did the family fortune. The 1828 census shows William Dean as the owner of 220 acres with 100 cattle and eight horses.
‘Lumpy’ Dean was 78 when he died, a wealthy man and a generous advocate for the education of the poor. Hundreds turned up for his funeral. In spite of his bulk it is said he could still dance the Sailor’s Hornpipe as good as anyone half his age.
The family home, Hollingsworth House on the Western Road, built by convicts in 1817 was occupied by the Learmonth family, descendants of William and Elizabeth Dean, when it was acquired by the Department of Main Roads and demolished in 1960 for the construction of the Great Western Highway.
A few items associated with ‘Lumpy’ Dean remain today, in particular a giant cedar chair especially made to accommodate his larger-than-life size and personality. Today William ‘Lumpy Dean is remembered in the suburb of Dean Park.
The suburb was originally planned and developed in the early 1980s.
At the 2016 census, there were 3,227 residents in Dean Park. 58.2% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were Philippines 8.6% and India 3.9%.
Gallery:
The granddaughter of William 'Lumpy' Dean, Eileen Olson, pictured with her grandfather's red cedar chair.
Sunday, January 7, 2024
TREE WEEK CONTINUED
EUROPEAN TREE OF THE YEAR, 2023, CONTINUED
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No 8
Country: France
Tree: The Weeping Beach of Cassel Mount
Species: Weeping Beech
Age: 140 years
Votes: 8867
The Tree’s Story:
The Beech of encounters
He culminates in the central hill of a public park, undulating his weeping branches cradled by the northern winds. His elegant giant silhouette has been growing in the sun for over 140 years, but he is not a loner. Named the Beech of encounters, a lime tree is his nearest friend and he has numerous visitors. Beloved by locals, witness of History, he inspires beautiful poems. People of Cassel obtained the prestigious Remarkable Tree of France label for him, and he won our hearts nationally.
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No 7
Country: United Kingdom
Tree: Waverley Abbey Yew
Species: Yew
Age: 500 years
Votes: 9413
The Tree’s Story:
Spectaular centuries old Yew wins UK Tree of the Year
The winner of UK Tree of the Year 2022 is a yew perching on the ruins of Waverley Abbey, in Surrey, founded 900 years ago by the reforming Cistercian religious order.
After the abbey was dismantled in 1536 following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the yew tree sprung up and has been a faithful guardian of the ruins for nearly 500 years. It is a spectacular tree with roots that sprawl out above ground before plunging into the earth. Its multi-stemmed form is dotted with holes, crevices and areas of decay that provide valuable habitat for wildlife.
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No 6
Country: Spain
Tree: Encina of San Roque
Species: Spanish Oak
Age: 400 years
Votes: 10174
The Tree’s Story:
The oak that resisted and conquered
This holm oak has rooted its roots in the Monte de La Redonda de Colindres for 400 years, watching over the Camino Real that runs at its feet. For centuries, it was spared the massive clearing of the forest, promoted by shipyards, for shipbuilding. In 1778, it's represented on the plan of the Salt Route, as a main reference. His story is a story of resistance: he didn't succumb to adversity and was neither firewood nor coal nor galleon, but a protective tree of travelers and walkers.
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No 5
Country: Portugal
Tree: Eucalyptus of Cortige
Species: Eucalyptis
Age: 144 years
Votes: 10281
The Tree’s Story:
Eucalyptus of Contige
Described by the University of Aveiro as "the largest classified tree in Portugal", it is located on the old National Road (EN 229). Its planting dates back to 1878, when the Donárias road was opened. It may have belonged to the neighboring families Garcia de Mascarenhas, Rio de Moinhos and Xavier do Amaral Carvalho from the county, who married in the 19th century. The monumentality of the tree forced its care, so that the profile of the road gave it the bow it deserved.
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No 4
Country: Italy
Tree: Palermo Botanical Garden's Giant Ficus
Species: Moreton Bay Fig
Age: 173 Years
Votes: 10663
The Tree’s Story:
The ficus of the Unification of Italy
Introduced in 1845, it is the progenitor of the great Italian Ficus trees. The trunk is formed of stems and aerial roots that have merged over time. It develops vertically but extends laterally with large branches supported by columnar aerial roots that turn into tabular roots on the ground. There are as many as 44 secondary stems (some with a circumference of over 3 metres) supporting 11 large branches with horizontal development and a canopy covering an area of almost 3,000 square metres.
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No 3
Country: Ukraine
Tree: Apple Tree Colony from Krolevets
Species: Apple Tree
Age: 220 years
Votes: 14219
The Tree’s Story:
The tree is a symbol of Ukrainian indomitability
The apple tree occupies an area of 0.1 hectares. It’s been a long time since it lost the main trunk, there are now 15 small trunks that have grown into the ground. The feature of the apple tree is the ability to root itself when one of the trunks dies. So far no one has succeeded in transplanting an apple tree to another. People say it heals, walks in the “garden” relieve fatigue and apples rejuvenate. The apple colony survived two World Wars, the Holodomor of 1932-33 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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No 2
Country: Slovakia
Tree: Common Oak – Dragon Oak
Species: Common Oak
Age: 700 years
Votes: 18198
The Tree’s Story:
Dragon oak
The tree resembles a sitting dragon. Although his bark is rough and scarred, everyone feels safe around him. Hidden in the forest, it has protected the locals for centuries - from the first settlers who helped build the nearby Pajštún Castle, through merchants and immigrants from Croatia. He also oversaw the construction of the forest railway, which has long outlived its usefulness. Logging is currently taking place in its vicinity. Hopefully, the Dragon Oak will be saved for future generations as well.
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No 1
Country: Poland
Tree: Oak Fabrykant
Species: Common Oak
Age: 180 Years
Votes: 45718
The Tree’s Story:
King of oaks in a sea of flowers
This is one of the most original trees in Poland, a symbol of longevity and wisdom. Its unique shape attracts visitors to the park Klepacz in Łódź. One of its branches is s-shaped and is over 20 m long. Its canopy reaches an impressive 33 m. In the spring we can admire sapphire meadows around the oak, full of glories of the snow and siberian squills enhancing the noble nature of the tree.
Saturday, January 6, 2024
TREE WEEK, CONTINUED
2023 EUROPEAN TREE OF THE YEAR, PART 1
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The European Tree of the Year is an annual contest held to find the most 'loveable tree' in Europe and has been running since 2011. The contest selects a tree from participating countries (now 16 in number) by public vote. Most countries hold a national poll to select their entrant for each year. The winner is announced at an awards ceremony held in the EU Parliament, Brussels.
Below are the European Tree of the Year 2023 results, working from the lowest number of votes to the greatest number, with the stories about the nominated trees. The trees’ stories below are the commentaries from the European Tree of the Year nominations, being the text provided by the nominators.
Since 2015, there has been a promotional tree tour visiting many candidate trees during the voting month of February. Media PR events, and community, child led, art contests take place for each tree, with the winning art works being displayed at the awards ceremony.
In more recent years, a #TreesInNeed blog[2] has been promoted by the contest organisers to highlight the plight of numerous trees across Europe under threat of destruction.
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No 16
Country: Republic of Croatia
Tree: The Oak from Drežnica Field
Species: English Oak
Age: 250 years
Votes: 4814
The Tree’s Story:
The magical forest
This tree doesn’t have a name. It is one of the many ancient oak trees in the karst Drežnica field in Croatia. The 440 m altitude makes this forest special: in spring or fall, as if by magic the field becomes a lake and only the tips of the highest oaks, such as this one, remain visible. Thanks to its endemic species, the Drežnica field is part of Natura 2000 but the planned retention (under litigation) means longer cycles of flooding and danger for this tree, the forest and the whole ecosystem.
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No 15
Country: Belgium
Tree: The Brown Cherry Pear of Klerken
Species: Common Pear
Age: 102 years
Votes: 4823
The Tree’s Story:
Cultural identity of the village of Klerken
The tree has contributed to Klerken's cultural identity. For many years, this village organised a perelaarommegang, a procession around the fruit of the tree. After 20 years of standstill, this will be organised again in August 2023 by the vzw perenstoet klerken,the organisation that submitted the tree. Throughout history, the pears have been an important symbol for the village, so a street was also named after the tradition: the Perelaarommegang.
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No 14
Country: Bulgaria
Tree: Plane Tree
Species: Oriental Plane
Age: 1054 years
Votes: 5814
The Tree’s Story:
The oldest tree in the Varna region
Thе tree is the oldest in Varna region. Its origin dates back to the period of the First Bulgarian Empire (7th-11th c.).Czech archaeologists and naturalists the Škorpil brothers, who made a significant contribution to the exploration of Bulgarian history and nature in the post-Ottoman period, mention it in their records. Its trunk has suffered fire damage,yet its crown turns beautifully green every spring. Legend has it that its energy heals all ailments. This makes it a favorite place for the locals.
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No 13
Country: Estonia
Tree: The Purple Beech of Reigi
Species: Eusopean Beech
Age: 120 years
Votes: 5875
The Tree’s Story:
Driver for creative spirit
On a small and serene Estonian island, Hiiumaa, in the Baltic Sea, a rare red-leaved beech grows, a resilient exceptional finding in harsh Nordic conditions. 120 years ago, this tree was set in the garden of the pastorate of the Reigi Church by a pastor in honor of the birth of his son.
Once upon a time it was a centre of community life; church bells rang and the tavern buzzed, providing content for several novels, films and even an opera. Nowadays, tranquility mixes with the vitality of the Reigi beech, waiting for guests.
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No 12
Country: Latvia
Tree: Seja Oak
Species: Common Oak
Age: 500 years
Votes: 6005
The Tree’s Story:
Five centuries of memory
The 500-year-old oak tree holds memories of the people who lived in Sēja Manor, of historical events, and of the strongest winds. Its roots run deep not only in our land, but also in people's hearts. Every year at the summer solstice, local people gather at the foot of the oak to make a flower ornament in its honour and celebrate the shortest summer night with songs. Is it a special magic that draws people to the Sēja Oak? No. Besides the grandeur of the oak, it possesses an unusual serenity that we all long for.
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No 11
Country: Czech Republic
Tree: The Pear Tree in Drasov
Species: Common Pear
Age: 300 years
Votes: 6664
The Tree’s Story:
A Beautiful Solitary Tree
Near the municipality of Drásov stands a pear tree - it's beauty is known all around and its resilience is breathtaking. The tree is a true hero as it grows only 25 metres from the uranium mine that was opened at the end of the 1950s and the excavated tailings were deposited on a heap near the tree. Fortunately, the mining did not last long and the edge of the heap stopped only 20 metres from the tree. It is incredible that the pear tree withstood these hard times and the locals can still enjoy its beauty and juicy fruit.
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No 10
Country: Hungary
Tree: The Bridge Plane Tree
Species: Oriental Plane
Age: 230-250 years
Votes: 7342
The Tree’s Story:
The symbol of willpower and the will to live.
This 230-250 year old sycamore tree can be found in the historical garden of Tata. It was still young when it fell over, due to the wet soil and other natural forces, so it has been growing on the ground, leaning over Lake Cseke for more than 200 years. Yet every spring, it turns green and brings happiness to the hearts of the visitors of the landscape garden. It is more than a tree, it is a sign, a symbol. A symbol of willpower and the will to live. A message: "Never give up!"
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No 9
Country: The Netherlands
Tree: The Marquis Oak
Species: Common Oak
Age: 220 years
Votes: 8616
The Tree’s Story:
Patriarch of an endangered forest
It’s the classic dilemma of the modern age: nature vs. mobility. I am the patriarch of my forest, 30 metres tall, planted around 1800 by the marquis of the Amelisweerd estate. Many have enjoyed my presence since then. But how about the future? My existence is threatened by the expansion of highway A27, 800 other trees face the same fate. Many alternatives have been presented, all have been rejected, despite numerous protests. I consider myself a symbol of resistance against global tree felling, but how much longer do I have?
(By the way, this is in Utrecht, where my dad was born and grew up).
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