Beatrix Potter

The original Potter linked to children's books was not Harry but Beatrix.


Beatrix Potter was an English writer and talented artist who wrote and illustrated 23 delightful children's books in the early part of the 20th century. Her most famous work is undoubtedly The Tale of Peter Rabbit.



Beatrix lived in an era when women's rights were unheard of. She was strongly discouraged, by her own parents, to pursue 'intellectual development' although this did nothing to deter her.

Despite numerous obstacles she found a publisher for her writings and eventually became independently wealthy. Her books were small - specifically designed to fit into a child's hands.

Little known fact: Beatrix was also a well-respected, expert mycologist (person who studies fungi).

image from www.art.com

Atman

The German word for breathing - atmen- is derived from the ancient Indian (Sanskrit) word Atman meaning the indwelling divine spirit or God within.

- from The New Earth, Eckhart Tolle

Gray's Anatomy

In the 21st century, Grey's Anatomy is widely known as a popular medical drama series. However, Gray's Anatomy is also a well-known medical reference book that has been around even before TV was invented. In 1872, Gray's Anatomy was already in it's 6th edition.

Fish surviving a pepper storm

Fish are far more resilient than we think. A friend's tiny little fish (named Speedy) survived when her little boy decided to sprinkle some pepper in the fish bowl. Everyone thought that would be the end of little Speedy (he's only about 5 cm long) but he's still hanging out merrily . Well done, Speedy!

Mesclun

A mixed green salad is also known as mesclun (which apparently means 'mixed' in French)

Fierce People

"We are the sum of all the people we have ever met" - character from the movie, Fierce People

image from joblo.com

Malaysian thunderstorms

The thunderstorms are so aggressive in Malaysia these days that even people who have lived there all their lives (and who are routinely capable of ignoring massive tropical storms) are a little afraid.

Xenophobia

Xenophobia means having a fear of and contempt for foreigners.

Lake Natron

Lake Natron is located in northern Tanzania in East Africa. It is unique in the sense that it has a reddish hue.

This is caused by high evaporation levels and an increase in salinity which allows microorganisms to thrive. Some of these tiny organisms produce the deep red hue.

image from szavannablog.wordpress.com

Joseph Merrick

In 19th century London, Joseph Merrick was employed as an 'attraction' at a freakshow because of his tragically disfigured skull and part of his body. This anomaly caused him to vaguely resemble an elephant which was why he was known as The Elephant Man.

image from answers.com

Butterflies

Butterflies taste with their feet (their taste sensors are located there)

Gibson

Gibson is a Guinness World Record holder.... he's the world's tallest dog! Here he is with Zoe the little chihuahua:



When he's on his hind legs, he's 7 feet 2 inches (more than 2 meters) tall !

image from 11alive.com

The Ashera

There is a new mixed-breed cat that costs USD22,000 and resembles a small leopard. It's called an Ashera and is a hybrid of an African serval, an Asian leopard cat and a domestic cat.

image from dailymail.co.uk

Tallest Three

Everyone knows that the highest mountain in the world is Mt. Everest (Himalaya range, Nepal/Tibet).

But what about the second and third highest? The second highest peak is appropriately named K2 (Karakoram Range, Kashmir) while the third highest is called Kanchengjunga (also the Himalaya range, Nepal/India)

St.Patrick

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland

Meditation

In Lama Surya Das' book, "Letting Go Of The Person You Used To Be", he mentions a joke among Buddhist circles. It's a quirky, funny but accurate description about meditation - Don't just do something, sit there!

One

We are one. Every being on this is linked to every other.

Wise words

"Dream like you'll live forever. Live like you'll die today" - James Dean

Interconnection

Without exception....every single living being on this planet wants the same thing....happiness.

Sticks and stones may break my bones....

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me."

If you do not receive harsh words, it will remain with the person who said it. Words will only affect you if you breathe life into them.

The 7 Deadly Sins

Pope Gregory the Great who lived in the 6th century invented the 7 Deadly Sins:

envy
pride
gluttony
lust
anger
greed and
sloth

Prana

In Sanskrit, the word 'prana' means energy

Avos and dogs

The avocado, while delicious and harmless for humans, can poison dogs!

image from topgoldenretrieversites.net

Hummingbirds

A hummingbird beats its wing 50 times per second.


image from physorg.com

An Ancient Greek Tomb

An ancient Greek tomb with artifacts dating back to 3000BC has been found during road construction on the Greek island of Lefkada.

Human skeletons, pottery and beads made of semiprecious stones were among the items discovered in the tomb.

The find could spark a dispute on the true homeland of Homer's Greek hero, Odysseus. The tomb, believed to be of the Mycenaean era, is one of a kind on Lefkada although dozens have been found in Crete.

Homer's Odysseus is believed to have been loosely based on events that took place during the Mycenaean period.

Training

It is much harder to train/coach someone to do something than to be trained/coached.

Jumping the Broom

Traditional African American weddings feature the bride and groom "jumping the broom". In this part of the wedding ceremony, a broom is laid in front of the couple and they jump across it. This is supposed to signify the couple's 'jump' into a new life.

Happiness

Happiness is not a state of being...it's a decision. If you wait for "happiness" to descend upon you, it never really will because not everything in your life is going to go exactly the way you want it to all the time.

So just decide to be happy and you will be. Today, I ,made the decision and it worked!

Trust

It takes months or even years to earn somebody's trust but only a second to lose it.

The IFAW

The IFAW or International Fund for Animal Welfare is an excellent organisation that seriously pledges to improve the life of wild and domestic animals.

Animals lovers worldwide can join to help this cause in whatever small/big way they can. If you're reading this and you love animals, you can go to www.ifaw.org

Mr.Big

Carrie's man, Mr. Big, from Sex and the City has a real name - it's John James Preston.