4/6/16 @ 5:36pm
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Moving slowly but surely somewhere sometime
Posts: 29,285
1 - Root beer is a dark sweet beverage traditionally made using the root beer tree Sassafras albidum (sassafras) or the vine Smilax ornata (sarsaparilla) as the primary flavor. Root beer may be alcoholic or non-alcoholic, and may be carbonated or non-carbonated. Most root beer has a thick foamy head when poured. Modern, commercially produced root beer is generally sweet, foamy, carbonated, and non-alcoholic, and is flavoured using artificial sassafras. It may or may not contain caffeine.
2 - Pharmacist Charles Elmer Hires was the first to successfully market a commercial brand of root beer. Hires developed his root tea made from sassafras in 1875, debuted a commercial version of root beer at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876, and began selling his extract. Hires was a teetotaler who wanted to call the beverage "root tea". However, his desire to market the product to Pennsylvania coal miners caused him to call his product "root beer" instead
3 - Many enjoy "root beer floats " . Soda type root beer over vanilla ice cream served in a mug . Some use other flavors of ice cream besides vanilla .
Next up : Famous music/artists from Denmark . Quote
4/7/16 @ 9:47am
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Spain, longing for Denmark
Posts: 2,447
1 - From the "Golden Age" of Danish classical music: The Champagne Galop* by the composer Hans Christian Lumbye (1810–1874, the Strauss of the North) written to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Tivoli Garden in 1845. It is said H.C. Lumbye improvised this piece to illustrate to his family a formal celebration at the British Embassy in Copenhagen, that he had, however, missed ... . Special attention should be paid to the xylophone. It took quite a few years before the instrument became a part of orchestras elsewhere!
The film Champagnegaloppen (1938), a musical, is based on Lumbye's music.
2 - Danish Jazz started about 1923 and has influenced modern Denmark and it's love for music like no other . In the 1940s during the German occupation, Danish Jazz artists went underground, some fleeing to Sweden and despite the suppression it became a "Golden Age of Jazz".
Arne "Papa" Bue Jensen, born in Copenhagen 1930, was a sailor as a young man and experienced the Jazz culture in many po/arts of the world. He became a self-tought Jazz legend. It was Papa Bue's Viking Jazz Band* which recorded the theme music for the Olsen Gang series, nowadays a legendary sequence for the Danes.
Copenhagen Jazz Festival is an annual event to celebrate and promote local Jazz culture.
3 - Modern pop music culture has seen a few Danish bands of international fame, such as Aqua, Safri-Duo, and Alphabeat*. Denmark also participates in the annual Eurovision Song Contest, which it won three times in 1963, 2000 and 2013, selecting the song to represent Denmark in its Dansk Melodi Grand Prix competition. In 2015, I went to see the contestants "Anti-Social Media" live in Tivoli Garden (Did you notice that all points include Tivoli Garden somehow? Denmark is a small world of its own.) after they had already dropped out. Lovely boys .
Next up : US Presidential election system for dummies .
* for the interested reader (posts 486-488): http://www.flirt4free.com/forums/threads.php?forum_id=5&thread_id=18455&num_posts=488&last_post=1 Quote
4/7/16 @ 3:53pm
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Moving slowly but surely somewhere sometime
Posts: 29,285
1 - Democrats and Republicans are major parties in US . "Primaries" are done to get to ONE candidate for each of those 2 parties .
2 - Other parties include Independent , Communist , Social , etc
These parties sometimes win offices - not the President yet .
3 - Almost anyone can be elected . Recent President George W Bush spent decades doing drugs and alcohol . Due to name recognition and successful campaign - he even got elected
Electoral College : Each state has delegates to cast votes for the candidate . It has happened that President candidate won with less actual popular votes because of Electoral College . States with larger populations have more delegates .
If any of this made sense - then maybe you should run for an office Quote
4/8/16 @ 2:47pm
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Moving slowly but surely somewhere sometime
Posts: 29,285
4/9/16 @ 6:32am
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Spain, longing for Denmark
Posts: 2,447
1 - A kite is traditionally a tethered heavier-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create lift and drag. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. Kites have a bridle to guide the face of the kite at the correct angle so the wind can lift it.
Kites were invented in China, where materials ideal for kite building were readily available: silk fabric for sail material; fine, high-tensile-strength silk for flying line; resilient bamboo for a strong, lightweight framework.
2 - Kites have been used for scientific purposes, such as Benjamin Franklin's famous experiment proving that lightning is electricity. Kites were the precursors to the traditional aircraft, e.g. the Wright brothers experimented with large man-lifting kites. Kites had a historical role in lifting scientific instruments to measure atmospheric conditions for weather forecasting.
3 - In Euclidean geometry, a kite is a quadrilateral whose four sides can be grouped into two pairs of equal-length sides that are adjacent to each other. Kite quadrilaterals are named for the wind-blown, flying kites, which often have this shape and which are in turn named for a bird of prey.
Isis is said in Ancient Egyptian mythology to have taken the form of a kite in various situations in order to resurrect the dead.
Next up : Women Quote
4/9/16 @ 1:27pm
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Moving slowly but surely somewhere sometime
Posts: 29,285
1 - Unique everyday and have simple to complex needs . No two are exactly alike .
2 - Women are ALWAYS right !
3 - If you think you are correct and the woman is wrong - LOOK AGAIN at rule number 2 .
[Easiest way to explain . Did not check with Wiki on this subject ]
Next up : Ways NOT to be as shy Quote
4/9/16 @ 2:27pm
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Spain, longing for Denmark
Posts: 2,447
1 - Being in good company : A good conversationalist will not only talk about himself, but ask interested questions and get even shy people to come out of their shell, whilst remaining in their comfort zone.
2 - Feeling the need to protect someone: Being with somebody even more shy or a friend who needs help or encouragement brings the best (or worst) out of anybody.
3 - Being thrown into the cold water: Traveling to unknown cultures, giving talks to unknown audiences, in short doing things you thought you might never do ... [I was 20 when I got onto a plane for the first time.]
[I hear alcohol is a way, but according to my due observations, people just behave stupidly and say ridiculous things, they regret later on.]
Next up : American Barbecue Quote
4/9/16 @ 2:38pm
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Moving slowly but surely somewhere sometime
Posts: 29,285
1 - In the United States, barbecue (also spelled barbeque or abbreviated BBQ) refers to a technique of cooking that involves cooking meat for long periods of time at low temperatures with smoke from a wood fire; often this is called pit barbecue, and the facility for cooking it is the barbecue pit. This form of cooking adds a distinctive smoky taste to the meat; barbecue sauce, while a common accompaniment, is not required for many styles
2 - The most popular occasions for which barbecues happen are:
Independence Day at 71%
Memorial Day at 57%
Labor Day at 55%
Family / friend gatherings is a GREAT excuse to BBQ !
3 - The techniques used in barbecue are hot smoking and smoke cooking. Hot smoking is where the meat is cooked with a wood fire, over indirect heat, at temperatures between 120 and 180 F (49 and 82 C), and smoke cooking is cooking over indirect fire at higher temperatures. Unlike cold smoking, which preserves meat and takes days of exposure to the smoke, hot smoking and smoke cooking are cooking processes. While much faster than cold smoking, the cooking process still takes hours, as many as 18. The long, slow cooking process leaves the meat tender and juicy .
Next Up : Danish Delights . The Best of Denmark Quote
4/10/16 @ 5:40am
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Spain, longing for Denmark
Posts: 2,447
1 - Flødeboller: Chocolate-coated marshmallow treats are produced in different variations around the world, with several countries claiming to have invented it or hailing it as their "national confection". The first chocolate-coated marshmallow treat was created in the early 1800s in Denmark. Denmark is arguably the largest producer of Flødeboller with about 800 million of these every year. The amount of flødeboller eaten per Dane per year is about 45. (only?? :D)
2 - Smørrebrød: In the German-dubbed version of The Muppet Show, the Chef is not a Swede, but a Dane and his signature song is "Smørrebrød, Smørrebrød røm, pøm, pøm, pøm". Smørrebrød literally translates to butter bread and is indeed an "open sandwich" (funniest thing to call it like that, the single slice of bread was before the sandwich, no?) with varying toppings. They can become rather large and can have salad, slices of beef, cheese, shrimps, eggs and many other things on top. The visual appearance is important, Nyhavn the best place in Copenhagen to have one. Made at home, it's a typical cold lunch dish.
3 - Jordbær: This simply is the strawberry. Strawberry picking is a seasonal work in Denmark that attracts foreign workers and students. Denmark uses over 50% of available land for farming, and serves as one of the largest exporters of agricultural products in the world. In a good strawberry year (lots of rain, not too hot) it is harvested almost all year long.
[You will however also find hamburgers in every café. There is no real Danish cuisine, despite what wiki says. Having typical food items, potatos, sausages, etc. doesn't make a cuisine . Recent trends put licorice into EVERYTHING (beer, chocolate, tea, ice cream, barbecue sauce ... )]
Next Up : The American Dream Quote
4/10/16 @ 2:47pm
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Moving slowly but surely somewhere sometime
Posts: 29,285
1 - The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, the set of ideals (Democracy, Rights, Liberty, Opportunity, and Equality) in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility for the family and chi1dren, achieved through hard work in a society with few barriers.
2 - Reality the American Dream is more simple . Having a nice place to live and having right people as friends or family or romance .
Others define it as Ownership of a car , home , luxury items , fancy clothes , etc .
3 - White picket fence / 2 chi1dren / male works and female raises chi1dren . That was American dream of yesteryear .
Some simply try to do ok with doing as little as possible .
ONE true relationship between 2 people is American Dream for many .
Next Up - How I would be a Model and run my room Quote
4/10/16 @ 5:11pm
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Spain, longing for Denmark
Posts: 2,447
1 - Having fun myself and not putting pressure on me to earn money (though setting credit goals for things) would be first priority. I would not want to be a "boring" model, I want to talk with people who come in (but have some music running too), I'd laugh to make them laugh (not with a joke, but with saying something unexpected, provocative or absurd). I want to be active (which depending on the hours online might be difficult) and not sit around all the time. Dancing is great, but could seem too fidgety. I'd definitely sing, bring earplugs :P. And I want to change positions, broadcast from different locations maybe even daily.
[I had an awesome prvt on a beach once!!]
2 - I'd love to have many different clothes nearby, underwear of course, but also different shirts, shoes, socks etc. I'd love to hear people's opinion in which outfit I look sexy, cute, aggressive, lovely or nothing of that. I don't have any toys ... do I need to get them to do "serious" modeling? I love dirty talk, but how to engage people who might be put off by a too direct approach?
[When I talk too much - and I do - my boyfriend just seals my lips with a kiss - even during an argument. Visitors to my room could not do that, lol.]
3 - I love to talk in different languages - most members wouldn't like that - but those who know little English would appreciate it ... I'd love to have a Latin Lover amongst my fans. I'd try to answer all, even the rude and reckless, the greys or those who can't easily be understood. I have moderated rooms full of scientist before ... It should be easier to keep John Q. Public (??) tame and focused, no? [People debating on the work they love and feel they have to defend or promote can become very loud, selfish and are worse than second-hand car dealers.]
Next Up - 4th of July Quote
4/10/16 @ 7:25pm
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Moving slowly but surely somewhere sometime
Posts: 29,285
1 - Independence Day of the United States is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, by the Continental Congress declaring that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as a new nation, the United States of America, and no longer part of the British Empire.
2 - Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the National Day of the United States.
3 - More than 81 million = Number of Americans who said they have taken part in a barbecue during the previous year. It's probably safe to assume a large number of these events took place on the Fourth.
Most watch Professional Displays of Fireworks . Local Fire Departments often are on standby or set off the fireworks for safety reasons .
Next up : Danish Celebrations
[ Your Model name could be Danish Dish or Danish Delight or Clever Chris ] Quote
4/12/16 @ 6:45am
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Spain, longing for Denmark
Posts: 2,447
1 - General remarks: There are few public holidays, 6 associated with Easter (Thursday-Tuesday around Easter weekend), Ascension and Pentecost, 5 days around Christmas and New Year's Eve. Apart from those Christian holidays known all over the world, there is only Grundlovsdag (see next).
In contrast to Germany national pride is visible everywhere in Denmark and Danes love to celebrate with national flags put up for birthday parties on balconies or in their front yard or decorated buses on special days. You see them a lot on the airports, too. Take a look at flagkage (Danish flag cake made from white chocolate and raspberry ).
There are other days of importance, like the day Germany invaded Denmark during WWII (1940), which lead to a recent movie "9 April" in 2015 with beautiful Pilou Asbæk and Lars Mikkelsen.
2 - Grundlovsdag (literally ground=basic law's day) celebrates the Danish Constitution on 5th of June, signed in 1849 by Frederik the IV. It established Denmark as a constitutional monarchy, as opposed to the absolute monarchy it was since 1660.
The day has added significance as women were given the right to vote on 5th of June 1915 and since 1935 Father's Day is celebrated on this day, too. In 1953 an updated constitution was made official on this day.
3 - Royal birthdays: Danes have a great relationship to the Royal family in contrast to e.g. Spain where it is all corruption and disappointment. Queen Margrethe II who had just last year (16th April) her 75th birthday reigns Denmark for 44 years already. Her birthday is celebrated throughout the country, but also the birthdays of Crown Princess Mary (who was born in Australia ) and Crown Prince Frederik are celebrated by the public. The Queen, though a lover of arts rather than science makes an annual appearence at the Commemoration day of my university, too.
Next up : Old Cartoons [I love Barney Bear ] Quote
4/12/16 @ 5:11pm
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Moving slowly but surely somewhere sometime
Posts: 29,285
1 - Aesop Fables . Cartoon that taught simple life lessons and morals .
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 560 BCE.
2 - Mickey Mouse is a character-based series of 130 animated short films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The films, which introduced Disney's most famous cartoon character, were released on a regular basis from 1928 to 1953 with four additional shorts released between 1983 and 2013. The series is notable for its innovation with sound synchronization and character animation, and also introduced well-known characters such as Minnie Mouse, Pluto, and Goofy.
3 - Looney Tunes is an American animated series of comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. from 1930 to 1969 during the golden age of American animation, alongside its sister series Merrie Melodies.
Looney Tunes rose to greater fame for creating such popular cartoon stars as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester, Tweety, Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner. The characters themselves are commonly referred to as the "Looney Tunes." From 1942 into the 1960s, Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies were the most popular cartoon shorts in movie theaters, exceeding the works of Disney and other popular competitors .
Next up : Barney Bear Quote
4/13/16 @ 9:18am
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Spain, longing for Denmark
Posts: 2,447
1 - Barney Bear is a cartoon series by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer broadcasted between 1939 and 1954. The title character is a sluggish, sleepy, short-tempered bear who is most unlucky with his different endeavors. He also starred in comic books. In 1941 the short "The Rookie Bear" was nominated for an Oscar. The 1953 cartoon "Barney's Hungry Cousin" is the first known mentioning of Jellystone Park, the later home of Hanna-Barbera's Yogi Bear. Barney Bear reappeared in newer Tom&Jerry films (1980-2013). I had a VHS tape with a handful of Barney Bear cartoons that I watched over and over again. A Bear with a plan, that was most often hindered by cute and innocent (and not human-like) animals.
2 - The Prospecting Bear: Barney feels the gold rush. He climbs a mountain path together with a heavily loaded, small donkey that carries equipment, tools and dynamite. He finds a cave - only his head fits the entrance hole - that is full of gold. The pickaxe turns out to be no use and while Barney is at it, his donkey starts to eat the straw in which the dynamite is packed (occasionally eating the dynamite). Barney remembers the dynamite and gun powder and puts it all into the cave. A heavy sneeze by the donkey makes them both land inside the cave ... and another one lets all the explosives go off. We see Barney sitting on the donkey's back standing on the remainder of the mountain - a mere stele in a vast landscape.
3 - Wild Honey: As a true bear, Barney wants to collect honey and goes into the forest with bee keeping equimpment. He uses a gramophone to find a bee and follows her to the hive. He has a mechanical queen bee that he winds up and all the bees leave the hive dancing Conga with the blonde queen bee. But she hits a trunk and is damaged and the bees are in rage, hunting Barney Bear - who has already filled a few buckets - in the shape of bow and arrow and also as a plane that drops bombs on him. He finds salvation by jumping into a lake and is reminded by his helpful book to use his food stamps next time.
Next up : Ford Model T Quote
4/13/16 @ 2:15pm
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Moving slowly but surely somewhere sometime
Posts: 29,285
1 - The Ford Model T (colloquially known as the Tin Lizzie, T‑Model Ford, Model T, or T) is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927
2 - It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, the car that opened travel to the common middle-class American; some of this was because of Ford's efficient fabrication, including assembly line production instead of individual hand crafting .
The Ford Model T was named the most influential car of the 20th century in the 1999 Car of the Century competition, ahead of the BMC Mini, Citroën DS, and Volkswagen Type 1, and with 16.5 million sold it still makes the top ten list of most sold cars of all time (ranked eighth) as of 2012.
3 - The Model T set 1908 as the historic year that the automobile became popular for the mass market. The Model T was a complete success among the population; in a matter of days after the release, 15,000 orders were placed .
Henry Ford said of the vehicle:
"I will build a car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for the individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise. But it will be so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one – and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God's great open spaces"
Next up : Best of Berlin Quote
4/13/16 @ 5:07pm
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Spain, longing for Denmark
Posts: 2,447
1 - Berlin is a unique city within Europe with the highest share of public green spaces (having had up to four airports in its past, Tempelhof was recently turned into a public park and currently serves as a refugee camp) and a low population density due to a large area with many idyllic suburbs (my home town calls itself the "green lung of Berlin"). With four major universities (counting Potsdam in Brandenburg, the county surrounding Berlin, called its Versailles since it hosts "Sanssouci", the former summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia; also its Hollywood due to the Filmpark Babelsberg), Berlin is a true university city, lively, artistically, always in development, a place for many sports and music events, the political center of Germany.
2 - Its rich history and cultural diversity has led to an impressive landscape of museums, theaters/cabarets (do I need to mention Marlene Dietrich? or David Bowie ?), operas etc. Most importantly, the Museum Island with five internationally significant museums is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. The Museum of Film and Television and the Museum of Musical Instruments are fun places to visit. The natural history museum in Berlin is the largest of its kind in Germany and has the largest mounted dinosaur in the world (who's head can be seen from a lecture hall of Humboldt-University!). Along the riverside of the Spree you will find artificial beaches and beach cafés (much time spent in the cocktail bar "Zeitlos"=timeless). Sightseeing tours by boat day or night are a must!
3 - The best time to visit Berlin is in December. Over 50 Christmas markets are distributed around the city, with the Nostalgic market at the State Opera House being the most magical, the cleanest is found at Gendarmenmarkt, the liveliest are around Alexanderplatz close to the historic quarter Nikolai, a calm one in the gardens of Castle Charlottenburg and many, many more. Being at Gendarmenmarkt close to famous Check-point Charlie - a crossing between Russian territory and Allies' Territory in parted Berlin - the visit of Fassbender & Rausch, one of the world’s largest chocolate stores, is strongly recommended, in particular their restaurant on the first floor.
Next up : Hurricanes Quote
4/13/16 @ 6:46pm
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Moving slowly but surely somewhere sometime
Posts: 29,285
1 - •While they are essentially the same thing, the different names usually indicate where the storm took place. Tropical storms that form in the Atlantic or Northeast Pacific (near the United States) are called hurricanes, those that form near in the Northwest Pacific (near Japan) are called typhoons and those that form in the South Pacific or Indian oceans are called cyclones.
2 - •The wind flow of hurricanes in the southern hemisphere is clockwise while the wind flow of hurricanes in the northern hemisphere is counterclockwise.
3 - •In 2005 Hurricane Katrina ki11ed over 1800 people in the United States and caused around $80 billion dollars worth of property damage. The city of New Orleans was hit particularly hard with levee breaches leading to around 80% of the city being flooded.
Next Up : The Smurfs Quote
4/14/16 @ 3:10am
(EST) |UTC - 5:00
Location: Spain, longing for Denmark
Posts: 2,447
1 - The Smurfs (French: Les Schtroumpfs) are a fictional colony of small blue humanoids who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. The Smurfs wear Phrygian caps a symbol of freedom. There are more than one hundred Smurf characters, and their names are based on adjectives that emphasize their personality. All of the original Smurfs were male; later female additions are Smurfette, Nanny and Sassette - Smurfette being Gargamel's creation, the Smurf's archenemy.
2 - Since their first appearance in the Belgian comic book series "Johan et Pirlouit" in 1958, 30 Smurf comics have been created, 16 of them by Peyo, the creator of the Smurfs. Many comics were first published in dedicated Smurf magazines, which existed in French, Dutch, German and Turkish. The word "Smurf" is the Dutch translation of the original French "Schtroumpf", which, according to its creator, is a word invented during a meal with a fellow cartoonist, when he could not remember the word salt (and has nothing to do with the German "Strumpf"=sock).
3 - With the commercial success of the Smurfs (comic books, TV series, films, video games, music, Smurfs on Ice) came the merchandising empire of Smurf miniatures, models, games, and toys. Entire collecting clubs have devoted themselves to collecting PVC Smurfs and Smurf merchandise. The 50th anniversary of the Smurfs and the 80th anniversary of the birth of its creator Peyo, were celebrated by issuing a high-value collectors' coin: the Belgian 5 euro 50th anniversary of The Smurfs commemorative coin, minted in 2008.
Next Up : Caring for a horse Quote
1. Horses do NOT eat peanut butter.. (unless spread liberally on slices of apple)
2. Horses do NOT produce, nor do they subsidize the production of peanut butter for use on animals,
3. Horses (Mister ED, soecifically) were NOT fed peanut butter in order to give him the appearance of speech! Horses actually do talk!
Peanut butter: Quote