The National Football League (NFL) is the highest level of professional American football. Points are scored in a number of ways including touchdown (6 points) and the resulting extra point (1 point) or conversion (2 points), field goal (3 points) and safety (2 points). A field goal occurs during regular play and is usually taken via a place kick, although the rarely used drop kick is still permitted. To be successful and score points the field goal must be kicked between the upright posts and over the crossbar. Let’s find out who holds the record for the longest successful field goal of all time.
George Lucas is a celebrity director, producer and writer best known as the creator of Star Wars. He is also the founder of the production company Lucasfilm Ltd., which has produced a number of box office hits. His big break came in 1973, just after he founded this company, with the hit film “American Graffiti.” The film won 5 Oscars and Lucas himself was nominated for 2 Academy Awards. This success allowed him to work on other projects, including the first Star Wars film which broke all box office records and landed Lucas more accolades. The following is a list of movies that George Lucas has written, produced or directed during his distinguished career.
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual singing competition held in Europe first held in 1956. It is open to any country that is a member of the European Broadcasting Union and each country submits one song to be performed on live television. These countries also vote for a winner and each country awards points (1-8, 10 and 12) for their favorite act (excluding their own act). Currently, the final votes are determined by a 50-50 combination of public votes via the telephone or SMS and a panel of music experts. These votes are delivered by presenters on live television and once this is completed the act with the most votes is officially crowned the Eurovision Song Contest winner.
Hummingbirds are small birds best known for their ability to hover in mid air by rapidly flapping their wings and for being the only bird that can fly backwards. They are also capable of incredible speeds and have been known to fly at speeds faster than 55 km/h (34 mph). There are over 300 species of hummingbirds and these birds are only found in the Americas where they range from southern Alaska to the southernmost point of South America. Hummingbirds drink the sweet liquid inside flowers called nectar and also eat small insects and spiders. Many species of hummingbirds migrate in search for food and warmer weather.
Koalas are marsupials (mammals that carry their young in a pouch) found only in the eastern and southern regions of mainland Australia. They have the appearance of a small bear and are usually gray and white in color with small patches of black and/or brown or their back and arms. They are known for spending almost their entire lives in eucalyptus trees where they feed on the leaves and spend most of their time sleeping. There is some debate about the conservation status of the koala and how many are left in the wild, but they are listed as vulnerable by 3 Australian state/territory governments. Let’s find out why this koala is endangered.
A basketball is the ball used in the game of the same name. The game was invented by physical education teacher James Naismith as a way to keep athletes fit over the winter months. The first ever game of basketball was played with a soccer ball, but a custom made ball was soon manufactured for the game. The materials and techniques for producing has undergone many changes throughout the years.
Gangrene is a medical condition that occurs when a large mass of body tissue dies (called necrosis). The affected area usually appears black, green and/or a yellow color. There are many types of the condition including dry, wet, internal and gas gangrene. It is considered to be a very serious condition and often leads to amputation of the affected area. It is probably best known for occurring after a serious case of frostbite, but there are many other more common conditions that lead to gangrene.
Blackberries, also called caneberries and brambles, are a fruit produced from a number of species of plants from the same family as raspberries and dewberries. There are over 375 species of plants in the group and many of these produce blackberries. The fruit can be eaten raw, but it is most commonly used as an ingredient in desserts, jams and jellies. Let’s take a look at how blackberries are grown commercially.
Bananas are a tropical fruit best known for their yellow skin, curved shape and pleasant taste. The banana plant is one of the oldest cultivated plants and today they are grown in many countries of the world. Bananas are a popular fruit because of their sweet taste, nutritional value and outer skin, which allows them to be easily transported without causing spoilage to the fruit inside. Let’s take a look at the nutritional value of this important fruit.
Dogs Playing Poker is the name given to a series of paintings in many of which dogs are sitting at a table playing poker. The paintings are part of a series commissioned in 1903 by the advertising company Brown & Bigelow to promote cigars. However, the 9 paintings of the dogs playing poker are the most well known. Prints of the paintings are extremely popular in the United States and they have inspired a number of artists and spawned many parodies. The originals are very highly valued and 2 of the paintings, “Waterloo” and A “Bold Bluff”, sold as a pair at auction in 2005 for $590,400 after an initial guide price of $30,000 – $50,000. If you have ever wondered who painted these famous advertisements, keep reading to find out.