ODDS, ENDS & INSPIRATION

z “A politician can appear to have his nose to the grindstone while straddling a fence and keeping both ears to the ground.” – Anonymous z Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel, famed inventor of dynamite and originator of the Nobel Prizes, could speak five languages fluently by the time he was 17 years old. z Most languages change dramatically over time. If we in modern Australia were to try to read, say, “Beowulf” (which was written in Old English), only those who have spent time studying the language would be able to make out more than a word or two here and there. If you’re from Iceland, however, this isn’t the case; the written language there has remained virtually unchanged for more than 1000 years. Modern Icelanders have no trouble reading sagas that were written in the 10th century.

z Those who study such things say that fully one-third of all your brainpower is used for vision.

z At some point in your life you’ve probably gotten your hands gooey with papiermache, whether you were making crafts yourself or helping your kids. You may not have realised, though, that the term “papier-mache” means “chewed-up paper” in French.

z You might be surprised to learn that there are people who study how air quality, humidity, the hardness of the water and pollution affect people’s hair.

NOW HERE’S A TIP

z “Plastic grocery bags are handy for so many uses, but keeping them organised was always a pain, until I discovered that I could use an empty tissue box to store them. I just ball up each bag individually (so there is no air trapped) and stuff it in the tissue box. You can store even more bags by using an empty 12-pack box from soft drinks. I keep one of these in my shed.” – contributed by F.C. z Got spotty mobile phone service in your favourite stores, but have a coupon in your email that you’d like to use? Bring the coupon up at home, and screen shot the bar code and details. That way it will be in your stored photos, and you won’t have to wait for it to load in the checkout line. z Tech tip: “Invest in a DVR – a digital video recorder. Our kids record something the night before, and they can only press play in the morning once they’re ready for school – dressed with shoes, books and bag at the ready. It gives them an incentive to hustle.” – B.R. z To get the most juice from a lemon (or lime), microwave for 10-15 seconds, then roll on the counter to break up the pulp. Only then should you slice them and use your hand juicer. z “My son has two laundry baskets, one white and one black. The black one is for dirty clothes, which is pretty obvious. The white one is for clothes that are clean. He wears clothes from the clean basket without ever folding, hanging or putting them in a drawer. I have learned to be OK with this, as long as they are kept separate and he looks and smells nice when he leaves the house. My mum always said I have to pick my battles!” – T.F. z Send your tips to now-heres-atip@dubbophotonews.com.au