ODDS, ENDS & INSPIRATION

STRANGE BUT TRUE

It was anti-apartheid activist, Nobel Peace Prize winner and South African president Nelson Mandela who said: “If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”

In 2012, there were 18.7 million working television sets in private dwellings in Australia.

Those who study such things say that the mouth of an anteater is only an inch wide.

Alexander III of Macedon earned the moniker Alexander the Great by embarking on an unprecedented military campaign in Asia and north Africa after he became king at the age of 20. By the time he was 30, his empire stretched from Greece to present-day India. One of the things that made his army different is that he required his soldiers to be clean-shaven. He felt that during battle, beards made a convenient handhold and could be grabbed by their enemies.

You might be surprised to learn that there is no such thing as a poisonous snake. Of course, there are venomous snakes. What’s the difference, you may ask. Well, something that is poisonous has detrimental effects when you ingest it – for example, poisonous mushrooms. As a general rule, eating snake meat won’t hurt you. Because snakes inject the toxin into your bloodstream, they’re venomous.

NOW HERE’S A TIP

Kids love their sports, and here are a couple of tips from a seasoned coach: “Have one bag per sport if you are playing multiple sports; make sure each bag is stocked with all the items you’ll need to practice effectively. If you wear gear that collects sweat (e.g. cricket pads and other safety gear), be sure to spray it with a disinfectant/deodoriser after each use and hang it to dry between uses.” – contributed by Coach P. Here are two kitchen safety tips for families with young children: Designate a small fridge or esky just for kids with appropriate beverages and small snacks. Also, use coloured chalk to create a “don’t pass” line around the oven/stove area.

To eat a healthier meal, start by filling half your plate with veggies. Limit starches to a quarter of your plate and protein sources to the other quarter. Begin and end with a glass of water. That’s a great start!

If you haven’t already, find out if your routine electricity/gas/phone/etc services and banking have electronic statements. You can save yourself the trouble of filing and storing all that paper, which you likely won’t need. Electronic statements can be saved on a portable drive, accessed anytime and printed out only when necessary.

If you’re considering a Halloween celebration, here’s a tip contributed by V.S.: “A great way to use smaller pumpkins for outdoor decorations for Halloween is to get a small one for each letter in your family’s last name. Carve one letter into each pumpkin. Set them up with candles and line them up in front of your house. Then, you can light them and make a fun message. Also, you could use Halloween-themed words, like ‘Boo’ and ‘Spooky’, etc.”