The Miami Heat are a professional basketball team that compete in the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball League (NBA). The team was founded in 1988 as an expansion franchise and a survey was held to choose the name (Vice and Heat were both popular). The team initially struggled in the league, but turned their fortunes around in the mid 90’s to become an extremely strong side. They have achieved ultimate success twice and took home the NBA Championship in 2006 and 2012. The Heat are now one of the most valuable and well supported teams in the NBA. Let’s find out where the Miami Heat play their home games.
Where do the Miami Heat play?
The Heat play their home games at American Airlines Arena, which is located in downtown Miami. The arena was built as a replacement for their original home and opened in 1999, after almost two years of construction, at a cost of $213 million. The arena seats about 19,600 for basketball games and includes 80 luxury suites and 76 private boxes. The Heat are the only permanent tenant of American Airlines Arena, but it is also used for other events such as concerts, awards ceremonies, UFC and more.
Prior to moving into the American Airlines Arena the Heat played at Miami Arena. This stadium was built in 1988 at a cost of $52.5 million and, despite being just 11 years old, the Heat played their last game here in 1999. The stadium was sold for $28 million in 2000, which was $24 million less than it cost to build, and it was demolished in 2008. One of the main reasons that it was replaced was that it had one of the smallest capacities of any arena in the NBA (15,200). It was sometimes known as the “pink elephant” because it was considered to be a failure (white elephant) and had pink walls.
Terbium is a soft, silvery-white metal that is never found in free form in nature. However, it is found naturally in a number of minerals, along with other rare earth elements, and it is estimated that about 1.2 mg of terbium per kilogram is found in the crust of the Earth. Terbium is a chemical element and is represented by the chemical symbol Tb and the atomic number 65. Terbium has few uses, but is mined in small amounts each year. The largest reserves of the metal are found in Southern China and the most important mineral for the commercial extraction of terbium is bastnäsite (bastnaesite). Let’s find out who discovered this element.
Who discovered terbium?
Terbium was discovered by the Swedish chemist Carl Gustaf Mosander. He was working with the mineral Yttrium oxide (yttria) and discovered terbium in his sample. He named the element after the town of Ytterby in Sweden. Mosander separated yttria into three fractions (he called these yttria, erbia and terbia). Terbium (which was originally called erbia) only made up about 1% of the yttria and many scientists were unable to replicate Mosander’s results. This caused much confusion about the existence of terbium and the names erbia and terbia were mixed up in the process. This means that Mosander discovered both erbium and terbium, but he originally gave them the opposite names! His results were eventually confirmed and he is credited with the discovery. The first isolation of the pure metal did not occur until much later with the invention of ion exchange techniques.
Did you know?
Mosander was taught chemistry by fellow Swedish chemist Jöns Jakob Berzelius. They were both extremely successful in their industry. Berzelius is credited with the discovery of four elements (and played a part in two other discoveries) and Mosander discovered three!
Russell Brand is a British comedian and actor who became a household name with the films “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek” and due to his former relationship with pop sensation Katy Perry. His career before this time was mostly restricted to the United Kingdom where he had a relatively successful acting, presenting, comedy and radio career. Brand is also well known for his off screen indiscretions, which include a battle with heroin and alcohol, along with more than 10 arrests. He is a perfect example of a celebrity that polarizes opinion and he has a very strong fan base. This means that it is very likely that many more projects will feature Brand in the future. The following is a list of movies that Russell Brand has acted in during his career so far.
What About Dick? 2012 Dick
Rock of Ages 2012 Lonny
Arthur 2011 Arthur
Hop 2011 E.B. / Production Assistant
The Tempest 2010 Trinculo
Despicable Me 2010 Dr. Nefario
Get Him to the Greek 2010 Aldous Snow
Bedtime Stories 2008 Mickey
Forgetting Sarah Marshall 2008 Aldous Snow
St. Trinian’s 2007 Flash
Cold Blood 2007Ally Parkins (mini-series)
The Abbey 2007 Terry
Penelope 2006 Sam the Jazz Club Owner
A Bear’s Christmas Tail 2004 Mr. Wolf
Cruise of the Gods 2002 Woolly Hat Fan
Related Movie Lists
Jonah Hill Movie List – The two worked together on the hit films “Get Him to the Greek” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”
The Bahamas is a country that is made up of a number of islands located in the Atlantic Ocean southeast of the State of Florida and east of the Florida Keys. There are a total of 3000 islands, cays and inlets, as well as 180,000 square miles of ocean, that are recognized as the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. It is part of the chain of islands that make up the West Indies and Caribbean Islands along with the Greater Antilles and The Lesser Antilles. The Bahamas are home to approximately 360,000 people with 250,000 people living in the capital city of Nassau on the island of New Providence.
Interesting facts about The Bahamas (original photo by Ton Engwirda)
The Bahamas were the site of the first landing in the Americas by Christopher Columbus in 1492.
Although never colonized by the Spanish, the indigenous population of the Bahamas was shipped to Hispaniola as slaves and the island were mostly deserted from 1513 to 1648. Those who were not shipped as slaves were wiped out for the introduction of small pox.
In 1648 English colonists from Bermuda settled on the island of Eleuthera. These colonists were English Puritans and had to salvage goods from shipwrecks to survive.
The Bahamas became a British Crown colony in 1718 and after the American War of Independence many American loyalists and their African American slaves moved to the Bahamas to start plantations.
When slavery was abolished in 1807 many of the Africans aboard British Royal navy ships were settled on the islands in the Bahamas. Slavery was abolished in the Bahamas in 1834 and most of the population of the Bahamas is descended from slaves.
The Bahamas became an independent commonwealth realm in 1973.
The Bahamas is one of the richest countries in the Americas following the United States and Canada.
The official language in the Bahamas is English.
The word Bahamas originates from the Spanish words “baja mar” meaning shallow water. It is one of only two countries that officially begins with the world “the”
The Bahamas are mostly low and flat and have only slight elevations that reach to a height of 15 to 20 m (49 to 66 ft). The highest point in the Bahamas is located on Cat Island. Mount Alvernia (formerly Como Hill) is just 63 meters (207 ft) high.
The largest of the islands in the Bahamas is Andros Island which is 167 km (104 miles) long and 64 km (40 mi) wide. The other islands that are inhabited include Eleuthera, Cat Island, Long Island, San Salvador Island, Acklins, Crooked Island, Exuma and Mayaguana.
The Bahamas is home to the third largest barrier reef which includes a wide variety of tropical fish and sea life.
The Dean’s Blue Hole (pictured above), located on Long Island, is the deepest known saltwater blue hole (underwater sinkhole) on the planet. It is 202 meters (663 ft) deep!
The Bahamas experience tropical to sub tropical weather which is largely determined by the waters of the Gulf Stream. This means that the country experiences hurricanes. In 2011 Hurricane Irene traveled the whole length of the islands causing widespread damage.
The average maximum temperature in the Bahamas is 31.6 C (88.9 F) and the average minimum is 26.2 C (79.2 F).
The Bahamas have no military or air force, but they do have the Royal Bahamas Defense Force which is the navy.
The Bahamas generates much of its income through the tourism trade. It is a popular destination for tourists from the United States.
Those who are native to the Bahamas are referred to as Bahamian.
Most of the population of the Bahamas are Christian with the largest church group being Baptists.
The literacy rate in the Bahamas is 98.2%.
The practice of folk magic on the islands of the Bahamas is illegal.
The people celebrate by having a festival called Junkanoo on Boxing Day and New Years Day. This is a street parade of music, dance and art.
Regattas are also important events and during this locals race old wooden work boats.
Carnegie Hall is one of the most celebrated music venues in the world. This concert hall is located in Midtown Manhatten in New York City, about two blocks south of Central Park. Carnegie Hall hosts about 250 performances each season and has hosted a number of famous performers, performances and world premieres since it was opened in the late 1800’s. There are three separate performance halls on the site. The Main Hall (Isaac Stern Auditorium) is the largest performance hall with 2,804 seats, Zankel Hall is the second largest and the Weill Recital Hall is the smallest. Carnegie Hall is one of the largest buildings in the city made entirely from masonry and is well recognized as a landmark in the city. It is also listed as a U.S. National Historic Landmark. Let’s find out who designed this famous concert hall.
Who designed Carnegie Hall?
Carnegie Hall was the idea of Andrew Carnegie who paid for the construction. He served on the board of both the Oratorio Society of New York and the New York Symphony Society and the music hall was originally intended as a venue for these organizations. He chose fellow board member William B. Tuthill as the architect for the project. Tuthill extensively studied the great European concert halls and was known for his great musical ear (sometimes referred to as his “golden ear”). This meant that his design for Carnegie Hall led to some of the finest acoustics of any concert hall in the world!
Did you know?
The first performances began in April 1891, but the official opening of the new concert hall came a month later (May 5, 1891). This event was a concert conducted by Walter Damrosch and the famous Russian composer Tchaikovsky. It is believed that Tuthill left the building during this performance to check his drawings and ensure that his design would be able to support the weight of the large crowd!
Carnegie Hall was originally simply called “Music Hall,” but was renamed Carnegie Hall in 1893 after the governing body of the building persuaded Carnegie to allow his name to be used.
Neodymium is a soft, silver metal with the chemical symbol Nd and the atomic number of 60. When exposed to the air neodymium tarnishes quickly. It is found naturally in chemical form in ore minerals such as monazite and bastnäsite and is one of the most common elements found within the crust of the Earth. It is generally refined into its metallic form for many applications.
Uses of Neodymium
Neodymium has a wide range of applications in the industrial, electronics and earth sciences. Some of the smaller uses of this element include:
Use as a high temperature chemical element in cyrocoolers.
Use as a fertilizer (particularly in China). It has similar properties to Calcium and Nitrogen.
Use as a form of chemical dating called Samarium-neodymium dating which is helpful in determining the age of rock formations and meteorites.
Used as a predictor of the size and strength of volcanic eruptions. Different types of eruptions produce different neodymium isotopes, this information can be used to warn residents of the size and strength of a coming eruption.
The main use of neodymium is in magnets. When combined with other metals it creates the strongest permanent magnet that is currently known. They are also cheap to produce and lightweight which makes them a favorite for uses in which small mass and size are required. Neodymium magnets are used in products such as microphones, professional loudspeakers, in-ear headphones, guitar and bass guitar pick-ups and computer hard disks. These magnets are also used in the engines of aircraft, hybrid powered automobiles and some wind turbines.
(original image by GOKLuLe)
Another major use of neodymium is in doped lasers. Neodymium is added to glass to increase the gain of infrared wave lengths. It is used in lasers that determine the density, temperature and pressure of chemical reactions.
Neodymium crystals produce the green infrared light that is used in hand-held lasers and laser-pointers.
Neodymium oxide is used to color glass in a variety of shades from pure violet through to soft grey.
This glass is often used in astronomy. It is also used to make the glass in safety goggles because of the way the neodymium causes the light to be absorbed. Another use for this glass is in the production of color enhancing filters, which are used in photography to eliminate the yellow hues from overhead incandescent lighting.It is also being added to light bulb glass to create a light that is closer to natural sunlight. Neodymium glass has also been used in vehicle rear-view mirrors to reduce the glare at night. Neodymium salts are used as colorants in enamel in much the same way as the oxides are used to color glass.
“The Lord of the Rings” is a fantasy novel that was originally written as a sequel to the children’s novel “The Hobbit.” However, the work became an epic and was actually split into three volumes, “The Fellowship of the Ring,” “The Two Towers” and “The Return of the King,” when it was first published between 1954 and 1955. The book is one of the most famous and popular novels of all time and is one of the bestselling novels ever published (about 150 million copies have been sold). The book has also been adapted for television, film, radio, video games and many more. The best known adaptation of this novel is the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy of movies, which began in 2001. This introduced a whole new audience to this fantasy world and sparked another surge in sales for the book. Let’s find out who wrote this successful novel.
Who Wrote “The Lord of the Rings”?
The “The Lord of the Rings” was written by English author J. R. R. Tolkien between 1937 and 1949, with the largest portion written during the second World War. He initially began writing a sequel to his popular novel “The Hobbit” in 1937 at the request of his publisher. However, he had trouble with the idea for the novel at first. He came up with the title a year later, but the project was put on hold on many occasions and was not finished until 1949. He had a dispute with his publisher and it was offered to Collins Publishers in 1950. However, they believed the novel needed major editing, including major cutting, and Tolkien decided to try again with his original publisher Georges Allen & Unwin. The novel was divided into three volumes because of a paper shortage after the war and to ensure it was affordable. The first volume was published in July 1954 and the last was delayed until October 1955. This was partly because of a dispute about the title of the last volume, which Tolkien believed gave away the plot.
Did you know?
Due to a mix up with copyright in the United States, a publisher produced an unauthorized printing of the novel in 1960. After a public protest by Tolkien and public pressure from his fans the work was withdrawn and a payment was made to Tolkien.
Dugongs are large marine mammals found throughout the Indo-Pacific region and the eastern parts of Africa. However, they are scarce throughout much of their range and the largest populations are found in the northern waters of Australia. They are the only remaining species of the Dugongidae family after their closest remaining relative was hunted to extinction in the 1700’s. Dugong numbers have declined over the years and the species is now listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Let’s find out why this species is threatened and what is being done to ensure this species survives.
Why are dugongs endangered?
The greatest danger to dugongs is due to human impact. They have long been hunted as a source of food and oil and this has threatened their numbers. Commercial and local fishing, that occurs close to the coast, with nets is also a great threat to dugongs. They must come to the surface for air and if they become tangled in a net they cannot rise to the surface. Shark nets, placed on beaches to protect humans, have also been known to entangle this species. Habitat destruction is also another factor that is causing population decline. Dugongs rely on seagrasses for survival and any activity which kills or reduces the quality of the seagrass is a threat to this species. Many human activities (mining, trawling, dredging) and waste products produced by humans all reduce the quality of the seagrass. Other human impacts on this species includes: soil and chemical run-off from farms, oil spills and impacts with boats.
Conservation
This species is now officially protected in many regions. Reducing the human impact in terms of fishing and environmental damage are also important steps in protecting dugongs. Seagrass restoration projects are also thought to be a key to the survival of this species. Unfortunately, seagrass can take many years to regenerate after it has been destroyed.
Did you know?
Dugongs hunting is banned in Australia, but Indigenous Australians are allowed to hunt dugongs in a traditional manner. There are some areas of the country where hunting is completely banned and boats must travel at low speeds to avoid collisions with these animals.
The FA Cup (official title: The Football Association Challenge Cup) is the oldest and one of the most prestigious domestic football (soccer) cup competitions in the world. It is run by the Football Association (the governing body of the sport in England) and is a knockout style tournament. Entry is open to all of the professional teams in England and teams in the first 5 levels of the National League System, with selected teams from the 6th level (758 clubs competed in the 2012-13 season). This means that both professional and amateur clubs can compete in the competition and on some occasions a lowly ranked team will beat a more professional opponent! Teams are drawn to play each other at random and the winner advances to the next round (a replay is held if the first match is a draw). Eventually the 2 remaining teams compete in the FA Cup Final and the winner is presented with the trophy simply known as the “FA Cup.” Let’s find out who won the inaugural FA Cup.
Who won the first FA Cup final?
The FA Cup was first held in 1871 when the Football Association committee took the advice of C. W. Alcock and created a challenge cup open to all clubs that belonged to the Association. The first tournament began in November 1871 and fifteen clubs entered the competition. However, only 12 clubs ended up playing and there were thirteen games in total. On March 16, 1872, the Wanderers Football Club became the first winners of the FA after beating the Royal Engineers 1-0. The Wanderers went on to win four more FA cups, including a hat-trick of wins. The won the FA cup in the following seasons: 1871-72, 1872-73, 1875-76, 1876-77 and 1877-78.
Did you know?
Despite their cup successes, the Wanderers Football Club struggled in the 1880’s and eventually folded in 1887. The club was reformed in 2009, with approval of the descendants of the original club, with the intention of playing charity matches. In 2012 the club played the Royal Engineers to celebrate the 140 anniversary of the first FA Cup. Unfortunately, they could not replicate the result of the first FA Cup and the ream lost the match 7-1!
The boa constrictor is a large, heavy species of snake found throughout Mexico, much of Central America and South America, along with some Caribbean islands. They are best known for their impressive size and weight and have been recorded to reach lengths of 4.3 m (14 ft) and weights of up to 45 kg (99 lbs). However, the size and weight of these animals varies considerably between subspecies and the average boa constrictor is about 2.4 m (8ft) long with a weight of around 10 kg (22 lbs). The size of these snakes is also very dependent on the availability of suitable prey. Let’s take a look at the common diet of the boa constrictor.
What do boa constrictors eat?
Boa constrictors are carnivores (meat eaters) and ambush predators, which means they lie in wait for their prey. They will feed on virtually any small to medium sized mammal or bird, as well as the occasional lizard and amphibian. The majority of their diet consists of rodents, but are capable of eating animals as large as an ocelot. Young boa constrictors have a similar diet, but will generally prey on smaller animals such as mice, small birds, lizards, amphibians and bats. The size of the prey increases as the animals grows.
A boa constrictor usually hunts at night and will lie in wait until suitable prey enters their strike zone. They first bite the prey with their teeth and then coil their long, heavy body around the prey to squeeze (constrict) it until it is dead. They then consume the prey whole and their teeth and muscles force the prey down their throat and into the stomach. It takes about four to six days to fully digest their food, depending on the size of the prey and temperature, and they will not eat again for a period of time (anywhere from a week to a few months).
The following is a video of a boa constrictor catching and killing their prey (WARNING: This video shows a snake biting and killing live prey and may not be suitable for younger viewers!).
Want to know it? 
