ALTER EGO

Batman
Bruce Wayne

Captain America
Steve Rogers

Captain Marvel
Billy Batson

Captain Midnight
Captain Jim “Red” Albright

Captain Nice
Carter Nash

The Crow
Eric Draven

The Flash
Barry Allen

Gemini Man
Sam Casey

Green Hornet
Britt Reid

Incredible Hulk
Dr. David Bruce Banner

Invisible Man
Daniel Westin

Iron Man
Tony Stark

Jetman
Oscar North

Jon Sable
Nicholas Flemming

Lone Ranger
John Reid

Man from Atlantis
Mark Harris

The Mighty Thor
Dr. Don Blake

Mr. Fantastic
Reed Richards

Mr. Terrific
Stanley Beamish

Penguin
Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot

Phantom
Kit Walker Jr.

Riddler
Edward “E” Nigma

Robin
Boy Wonder
Dick Grayson

Robin Hood
Sir Robin of Loxley

The Saint
Simon Templar

Scarlet Pimpernel
Sir Percy Blakeney

Six Million Dollar Man
Col. Steve Austin

Spiderman
Peter Parker

Submariner
Lord Namor

Superman
Clark Kent

Tarzan
John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke

Ultra Man
Andrew Clements

Zorro
Don Diego de la Vega

Batgirl
Barbara Gordon

Bionic Woman
Jaimie Summers

Black Scorpion
Darcy Walker

Cat Woman
Selina Kyle

The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
April Dancer

Oracle
Barbara Gordon

Queen of Swords
Maria Teresa Alvarado

Supergirl
Linda Danvers

Witchblade
Sara Pezzini

Wonder Girl
Drusilla Prince

Wonder Woman
Yeoman Diana Prince

POMOLOGY 101

FIG

Called "the poor man's food" in the Mediterranean countries.

Chief producers are Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey,

Greece, and Algeria. Smaller producers are

the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, Peru,

Argentina and Australia.

In the U.S., the

main production is in the central valleys of California.

They have a laxative effect, provide calcium and

phosporus, and dried they are high in iron.

When fresh, figs should be purchased

unsulfured. Try eating a dried

fig with an almond in

the middle.

"Behold, I Have Given You Every Herb Bearing Seed..."

Genesis 1:29

BIRD-WATCHING 101

IBIS

Ibis is the common name

for various wading birds

having long, curved bills

and belonging to the fa-

mily Threskiornithidae,

which also includes the spoonbill. Ibis are found in most of the warmer areas of

the world and are familiar among the hieroglyphics on ancient Egyptian

monuments. The sacred ibis, Threskiornis aethiopica, of Africa

was worshiped in ancient Egypt for its legendary powers.

Two American species formerly confined to the

extreme south have extended their ranges northward in recent years: the

glossy ibis,

Plegadis falcinellus, approximately 60-cm in length and dark bronze

blue, now reaches Maine in annual flights; and the white ibis,

Eudocimus albus, larger and white with blackwingtips,

now nests in Virginia. The scarlet ibis of tropical

South America is approximately 60-cm

long. It makes its nest in

huge coastal

colonies.

Scarlet ibis

Sacred ibis

White ibis

Red ibis

Glossy ibis

"The bird-watchers's life is an endless succession of surprises."

W.H. Hudson -- The book of a Naturalist

POMOLOGY 101

POMEGRANATE

Fruit of a deciduous shrub or small tree Punica Granatum,

native to SW Asia but cultivated widely in tropical

and subtropical areas. The seeds of the

reddish-yellow fruit are often

fresh or made into

wine.

Links: Pomegranate helps prevent Alzheimer's... click below

http://www.ayurvedictalk.com/pomegranate-helps-prevent-alzheimer%E2%80%99s/485/

BIRD-WATCHING 101

SPINE-TAILED SWIFT

The fastest of all animals is the spine-tailed swift. it can fly at 170km/h (106-mph). Swifts spend most of their lives in the air, only landing to have their chicks. They can fly 900-km (560-miles) in a single day.

The swift has a very streamlined shape and crescent-shaped wings.

"The bird-watcher's life is an endless succession of surprises."

W.H. Hudson -- The Book of a Naturalist

Images via http://www.wildlifting.com/ ; http://www.rosyfinch.com/

SQUARE WATERMELONS

A round watermelon can take up a lot of room in a refrigerator
and the usually round fruit often sits awkwardly on refrigerator shelves. Smart Japanese Farmers have forced their watermelons to grow into a square shape by inserting the melons into square, tempered glass cases while the fruit is still growing on the vine.

WORD CHALLENGE 101

philomath (Fil uh math)

n. A philomath is a lover of learning, an enthusiast for study and knowledge; not especially concerned with math, short for mathematics, though it comes from Greek mathematike (scientific), related to math-, the root of mathanein (to learn), the same

-math as that in philomath. Philomathes is Greek for "fond of learning." Philo- (phil- before a vowel) is a common prefix consisting of the combining form of philos (loving), related to the verb phileein (to love), while -phile is a common suffix from the same source (philanthropy, philology,philosophy; ailurophile, bibliophile). In the philo- department, we also have philately (fih LAT uh lee), stamp-collecting (literally, love of postage stamps), the -ately being from ateleia (literally, freedom from taxation, i.e. cost-free, showing the addressee's freedom from delivery charges by affixing a stamp) and phillumeny (fih LOOH muh nee), the collection of matchbox labels.

ailurophile - lover of cat(s)

ailurophobia - fear of cat(s)

bibliophile - lover of books

bibliophobia - fear of books

BIRD-WATCHING 101

KOOKABURRA

Also known as the laughing jackass, the largest of the world's kingfishers with an extraordinary laughing call. It feeds on insects and other small creatures. The body and tail measure 45-cm, the head is greyish with a dark eye stripe, and the back and wings are flecked brown with grey underparts.

"The bird-watcher's life is an endless succession of surprises."

W.D. Hudson -- The Book of a Naturalist

What's the Difference?

Egoist/Egotist.

An egoist is a person who is selfish and self-centered. So is an egotist, and more -- an unrelenting braggart with an exaggerated and unrealistic concept of self-importance. It is quite possible to be an egoist and not an egotist. Of the two, the egotist is probably the more disliked person.

BIRD-WATCHING 101

GOULDIAN FINCH

The Gouldian Finch, Erythrura gouldiae (or Chloebia gouldiae), also known as the Lady Gouldian Finch, Gould's Finch or Rainbow Finch , is a colourful passerine bird endemic to Australia. There is strong evidence of a continuing decline, even at the best-known site near Katherine in the Northern Territory. It is bred in captivity, but is an endangered species, with less than 2,500 left in the wild. It is subject to a conservation program.

"The bird-watcher's life is an endless succession of surprises."
W.H. Hudson -- The Book of a Naturalist

Links:
www.mypets.net.au/
http://en.wikipedia.org/

What's the Difference?

Petroleum/Oil/ Gasoline

Petroleum (or oil) is a thick, flammable, dark liquid. When it's a liquefied form of bitumen (asphalt or a similar substance), it's known as mineral oil; when formed by the decay and compacting, over millennia, of animal and vegetable remains, it's known as crude oil. Petroleum doesn't mix with water and is used for lubricating and combustion; crude oil can be distilled into kerosene, benzene, paraffin, and other substances. Chief among these is gasoline, a flammable liquid used as fuel for internal combustion engines.

BIRD-WATCHING 101

TOUCAN
Toucans are boldly marked arboreal birds that have very large, serrated, and often multicolored bills that may exceed the bird's body length. About 37 species are found from the sea level to about 3,000-meter (10,000-feet) in woody regions of Central America and tropical South America. Toucans commonly have a body length of 30 to 60-cm, short and rounded wings, and strong legs with two toes oriented forward and two backward. The tongue has a featherlike fringe along each edge. The beak and plumage are usually brightly colored. Toucans are often gregarious and noisy. Most feed mainly on small fruits.

"The bird-watcher's life is an endless succession of surprises."

W. H. Hudson-- The Book of a Naturalist

Olympic Games 101

Abebe Bikila, a 28-year old member of Ethiopia's Imperial Palace Guard, caused a sensation at the 1960 Rome Olympics when he won the marathon barefoot while completing the gruelling 42.195-kilometer run in a world best of 2 hours 15 minutes and 16.2 seconds. Four years later in Tokyo, Bikila repeated his gold medal run -- but this time with shoes and socks -- in another world best time of 2 hours 12 minutes and 11.2 seconds. This made him the first man to win back-to-back Olympic marathon titles.

No Anagram for 'Anagram'

Anagrams are words or phrases that can be scrambled to make other words or phrases.

Some examples are:

Angered -- enraged, derange, grenade, grandee

Lustre (luster) -- result, rustle, rulest, Ulster

The BEST Anagrams

Dormitory -- Dirty Room

Dictionary -- Indicatory

Schoolmaster -- The Classroom

A telescope -- To see place

The eyes -- They see

Madame Curie -- Radium came

Evangelist -- Evil's Agent

Postmaster -- Stamp Store

Desperation -- A Rope Ends It

The Morse Code -- Here Comes Dots

Conversation -- Voices Rant On

Mother-in-law -- Woman Hitler

God save us all -- Salvaged soul

Astronomers -- Moon starers/ No more stars

Num13ers

Sixty nine squared =

69x69 = 4761

Sixty nine cubed =

69x69x69 = 328509

These two answers use all the digits from 0 to 9 between them.

4761 328509

August 21, 1983: 'Birth' and Death of a Hero

25th DEATH ANNIVERSARY

Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino

"the

Filipino

is

worth

dying

for"

Olympic Games 101

At the 1964 Tokyo Games, Kokichi Tsuburaya won the marathon bronze medal, Japan's first Olympic track medal in 28 years, and he became a national hero. In 1967, while training for the 1968 Mexico City Games, he suffered two injuries and was forced to spend three months in the hospital. When he realized he could not possibly win the next Olympic marathon because of his weakened condition, Tsuburaya ended his own life by cutting his right carotid artery with a razor blade. Beside him was a piece of paper on which he had written a single phrase: "Cannot run anymore." Other source states: "I cannot run by having already gotten exhausted."

'Past' Forward

The people of Turkey went to bed in the year 1344, and when they woke up it was 1926 -- but they were alive and well. On December 31, 1925, Turkey was going by its old calendar, which adopted the Julian months but kept the Muslim era. The government ordered a complete change to the Christian era that night, so when Turks awoke the morning after, they had grown 582 years older.

'First Programmer'

The world's first programmer was Lady Augusta Ada Lovelace of England. She worked with Charles Babbage who invented the analytical engine, a forerunner of modern computers. She is credited with telling a machine what to do by using punch cards to program algebraic patterns. The US Department of Defense uses a programming language named ADA in her honour.

By the way, Ada Lovelace was the only child of the famous poet Lord Byron.

Yes, this is a word...

Sample entry from Norman W. Schur's 1000 Most Obscure Words

humuhumunukunukuapuaa (HOOH mooh HOOH mooh NOOH kooh NOOH kooh AH pooh AH uh) n. the name of either of two triggerfishes that swim among the coral reefs of the tropical Indian and Pacific oceans. The lovely name is generally applied to one of the two species known to ichthyologist as Rhinecantus aculeatus. Beyond that , it is the name of the state fish of Hawaii.

Olympic Games 101

Paavo Nurmi of Finland a.k.a the 'Flying Finn,' set world records, and won nine golds and three silvers in middle and long distance races. He participated in the 1922, 1924, and 1928 Olympics. Nurmi was declared ineligible for the 1932 Olympics when he lost his amateur status by accepting excessive expense money while on tour.

Timeline 101

Leon Trotsky, Russian revolutionary, assassinated in Mexico, August 20, 1940.

Of 'Mouse' and Men

The mouse was invented in the 1960s by Douglas Englebart. He said that he called it a mouse because it looks like one. It's small, gray, and has a tail. The mouse has since caught on as the most popular way to point at different things on a computer screen. In order to do this, it has to take your movement and turn it into electricity, which is the only thing a computer can process.

The ball on the underside of the mouse keeps track of how much you've moved it by touching two rollers, one that measures how much you move it up and down, and one that measures motion left and right.

The two rollers are connected to special wheels that are lined with holes, allowing light to shine through. They spin next to detectors which send electrical pulses to the computer at the rate in which the light passes through the holes. More pulses mean more motion, and the computer moves the arrow on the screen accordingly.

The other important part of the mouse is the button. You need to be able to tell the computer when you're finished moving. The button is a simple electrical switch. When you push it down, you let electricity through and send a signal down the wire into the computer.

That's how mice take your movements and turn them into electricity for the computer to process. A trackball works in pretty much the same way. The ball rotates rollers that rotates wheels that make electrical pulses that a computer can decode into movement. The buttons just aren't on the part that moves, so you can click without accidentally pushing the arrow off what you're pointing at.

Olympic Games 101

At the 1908 London Games, Oscar Swahn of Sweden won his first Olympic gold medal in the now-defunct running deer-shooting event. What made this feat notable was that Oscar was 60 years old at the time. But that's not all. Four years later in Stockholm, Oscar captured a gold in the running-deer team event, making him the oldest ever Olympic gold medalist at age 64. But that's not all. At the 1920 Antwerp Games, at age 72, Oscar won the silver in the team shooting event, thus becoming the oldest medalist in Olympic history. Oscar Swahn died in 1927 at age 99.

Don't Cry for Me Argentina...

Argentina cried for Maria Eva "Evita" Peron, who died in Buenos Aires (July 26, 1952) after a long , losing fight with cancer. She was 33. The second wife of Argentine President Juan Peron, Evita wielded enormous influence in public affairs and was proclaimed the "spiritual chief of state" by Congress just before her death.

The Living Planet

The earth is not really round - it's actually an oblate spheroid, which means it is slightly flattened at the poles and bulges at the equator. The polar diameter of the earth is about 42 kilometers (26 miles) less than the equatorial diameter. As a result, the equator is about 21 kilometers (13 miles) farther from the center of the earth than are the North and South Poles.

Olympic Games 101

At the 1896 Athens Games, the first Olympic swimming competitions were held outdoors, in and around the Bay of Zea and were watched by 40,000 people on the shore.. The swimmers, taken by a small boats to the starting line out sea, had to battle not only each other, but also horribly cold weather (13 degrees Fahrenheit) and 12-foot waves. Of the 13 entries in the 100-meter freestyle, only two finished.

What's the Difference?

Enquire and Inquire. Both spellings are acceptable, although inquire is more widely used. Similarly, the noun inquiry is preferable to enquiry. Enquire (enquiry) is sometimes used for the act of questioning, whereas inquire (inquiry) refers to a more detailed or prolonged questioning, an investigation.

Olympic Games 101

The 2nd modern Olympic Games opened in Paris- and this time women were allowed to compete after being barred in Athens four years earlier. Charlotte Cooper of Britain became the first female Olympic champion by winning the singles and mixed doubles events in tennis. The big hero of the Games was American track star Alvin Kraenzlein who won the 60-meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, 200-meter hurdles, and long jump. However, the Games were overshadowed by the brand new Eiffel Tower, highlight of the 1900 Paris Exposition.

AMPERSAND

Ampersand is the name of the symbol '&,' meaning 'and.' This sign once followed the alphabet in children's learning books. Children would recite the name of the letters of the alphabet and then, to describe '&,' would say, 'and per se and,' per se being Latin for 'by itself.' In time and per se evolved to the present-day ampersand.

RECORD BREAKER!!!

Phelps flies to Olympic gold medal record
With wins, swimmer now has five at Beijing Games
By Alan Abrahamson, NBCOlympics.com
Posted Tuesday, August 12, 2008 7:57 PM ET

BEIJING -- Michael Phelps won the men's 200-meter butterfly Wednesday and not even an hour later helped lift the U.S. 4x200m freestyle relay team to victory, becoming the winningest athlete in Olympic history, now with 11 gold medals -- and counting.

Michael Phelps wins the 200m butterfly on Day 5 of the Beijing Games for his record-setting 10th career Olympic gold medal.
The U.S. men didn't just set the world record, they destroyed it. Their 6:58.56 was 4.68 seconds faster than the previous record, also set by the U.S. men at the 2007 World Championships.
Phelps swam a 1:43 31 leading off the relay, just short of his personal best, and the world record, set the day before in winning the 200m freestyle. Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens and Peter Vanderkaay did the rest, as the silver medalists from Russia finished more than five seconds behind.

Read more

One liner

Change is inevitable,

except from vending machines.

Olympic Games 101

Olympic Heroes

Mark Spitz, American swimmer, won a record seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. He set four world records in individual swimming events.


Jesse Owens was the first black track and field athlete to win four Olympic gold medals. He accomplished the feat at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany.

PORTMANTEAU WORDS

A portmanteau (plural: portmanteaux or portmanteaus) is a word that is formed by combining both sounds and meanings from two or more words. It can also be called a frankenword. The term used in linguistics is blend

Some portmanteau words:

• Brunch - Breakfast and lunch
• Chortle - Chuckle and snort
• Mimsy - Miserable and flimsy
• Slithy - Slimy and lithe
• Squawk - Squeak and squall

Olympic Games 101

Olympic Symbol

The five circles represent the following continents: Africa, the Americas (North and South), Asia, Australasia, and Europe. They are interlocking to show friendship among the people of the world. The colours of the rings- blue, yellow, black, green, and red- were chosen because they are commonly found among the flags of all the countries of the world.

ACRONYMS

An acronym is a word formed by the first letters of a series of words.

Some words that are actually an acronym...

• Laser - Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
• Radar - Radio detecting and ranging
• Maser - Microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
• Scuba - Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus
• Sonar - Sound navigation ranging
• Snafu - Situation normal all fouled up

Num13ers

NUMBER CURIOSITIES

1 x 9 + 2 = 11

12 x 9 + 3 = 111

123 x 9 + 4 = 1111

1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111

12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111

123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111

1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111

12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111

One liner

From Poor Richard's Almanack
by Benjamin Franklin

Don't throw stones at your neighbors,

if your own windows are glass.

Olympic Games 101

The Modern Olympic Games

It was a young French nobleman, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who began a campaign to revive the Olympic Games. He was anxious to bring back the high standards of sportmanship that the Games had shown during their greatest period. He believed that taking part in sporthelped to strengthen the mind as well as the body.

France supported Coubertin's idea from the start. Other countries also backed him. At a meeting held in 1894, it was decided to revive the Olympic Games 2 years later. Fittingly, the modern Olympics began at Athens, the capital of Greece. They were to be held every 4 years at a different city.

One liner

The early bird may get the worm,

but the second mouse gets the cheese.

Olympic Games 101

Olympic Games First:

Katerina Emmons of the Czech Republic won the first Gold Medal in the 10M Air Rifle Event for Women in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Olympic Games 101

The first recorded game took place in 776 B.C. with one event, a one-stade (the length of the stadium) race.

Coeroebus, a cook for the local town of Elis, won the race. Thereafter, for nearly 1,200 years, Olympic contests were held every 4 years at the site.

The Number 1

FIRST AND FOREMOST
by Jackie Kay

My good points:

I am fresh, novel, the genuine article. I am unprecedented. From the word go, - a healthy ego; I'm incomparable, bold and original. Never backwards in coming forwards. Never put off to tomorrow what I can do today. I rise at dawn with the cockerel. I reap the first fruits. I put my good foot first. I also first foot. I am phenomenal. First among equals. I took the first step. I made the first move. I always stand up to be counted. I don't run away from the truth. I get things first hand; I come straight to the point. Hold on, hold on, I say, first things first . To sum up: I'm quite exceptional.

My bad points:

I am first to fly off the handle. I am selfish, callous, cruel, ruthless. I look after number one. I put myself first. My friends call me Numero Uno . It pains me, but doesn't stop me pushing to be first in the queue. Oh! I say snootily, First come first served. I don't care for other numbers. Useless losers. I travel first class. I throw the first stone. I am tall, lanky, wear my beret, the French way. I am Premier. I am the first in my field. I show off at first nights. I believe in yours truly; the first stroke is half the battle. Let's face things frankly - I am the one and only.

A unicycle has only 1 wheel.

In old ecclesiastical symbolism 1 was unity and represented God which has no parts.

In the British Royal Navy the first lieutenant of a ship is colloquially known as "Number 1".

The Atlantic Ocean grows 1 inch wider every year due to continental drift.

The traditional gift for a 1st wedding anniversary is cotton.

A sphere and a Mobeus strip each have 1 surface.

Lots of things occur only once. There is only 1 you, 1 me and 1 Maths Year 2000.

There is only 1 planet Earth that we all have to share.

One liner

On the other hand,

you have different fingers.

NUMBERS

1 x 8 + 1 = 9;

12 x 8 + 2 = 98;

123 x 8 + 3 = 987;

1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876;

12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765;

123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654;

1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543;

12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432;

123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

Howell Winter

Wonderful Baby

Wonderful baby livin' on love the
sandman says maybe he'll take you above,
up where the girls fly on ribbons and bows, where
babies float by, just counting their toes.

Wonderful baby nothin' but new, the
world has gone crazy, I'm glad I'm not you.
At the beginning or is it the end? It goes
in and comes out and starts over again.

Wonderful baby livin' on love the
sandman says maybe he'll take you above,
up where the girls fly on ribbons and bows, where
babies float by, just counting their toes.

Wonderful baby I'll watch while you grow. If
I knew the future you'd be first to know. But
I don't know nothin' of what life's about, Just as
long as you live, you'll never find out.

Wonderful baby, nothin' to fear.
Love whom you will, but doubt what you hear.
They'll whisper sweet things to make untrue. So be
good to yourself, that's all you can do. You're a

wonderful baby livin' on love the
sandman says maybe he'll take you above,
up where the girls fly on ribbons and bows, where
babies float by, just counting their toes, where
babies float by, just counting their toes... Ooh...

Howell Winter at 3 months Old