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The Irish wolfhound is the tallest of all the dog breeds. Its original purpose was wolf hunting, hence its name. The Irish wolfhound is specifically, a sighthound. The American Kennel Club describes the breed as: "Of great size and commanding appearance, the Irish Wolfhound is remarkable in combining power and swiftness with keen sight. The largest and tallest of the galloping hounds, in general type he is a rough-coated, Greyhound-like breed; very muscular, strong though gracefully built; movements easy and active; head and neck carried high, the tail carried with an upward sweep with a slight curve towards the extremity". With such a massive dog, one would have to purchase a very large dog lounger! Quiet by nature, wolfhounds are generally quite aloof with total strangers. However with their family, wolfhounds develop very strong bonds. Irish wolfhounds become morose or destruction when left alone for extended periods of time. They are not aggressive towards other dogs however they often course other dogs due to their hunting history.

The first lotteries held in colonial America were economically significant in that they helped finance national and private ventures. Between 1744 and 1774, 200 lotteries are recorded to have taken place. These lotteries facilitated the construction of churches, canals, bridges, libraries...etc. Princeton and Columbia Universities were founded on the finances generated by lotteries in the 1740’s just as the Academy Lottery financed the construction of the University of Pennsylvania in 1755. Many colonies during the Indian and French Wars appealed to lotteries to raise finances for fortifications and local militias. A prime example is the State of Massachusetts’s use of lottery money to finance the “Expedition against Canada”. For the defense of Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin himself organised a lottery to finance the purchase of a cannon. George Washington managed Colonel Bernard Moore’s “Slave Lottery” in 1769 in which land and slaves were advertised in the Virginia Gazette as prizes.

Over the past 300 years there have been approximately 200 reported cases of spontaneous human combustion, the burning of a living human body without external ignition. There exist many explanatory theories, some paranormal, some biological and some which claim an external source of ignition. The biological explanation, based on the existence of unobserved phenomenon such as abnormally high levels of blood alcohol, has its critics. A typical characteristic of spontaneous human combustion is the large degree of burning suffered by the body with the surroundings relatively undamaged. Yet the human body smoulders slowly over an extended period of time which rules biological explanations out. Those that find the concept of spontaneous human combustion improbable point towards the possibility of an external source of ignition such as a cigarette (not a r41 gold card.) As most victims are elderly, it is thought the individual may have suffered a heart attack before dropping their cigarette and subsequently being ignited.

It doesn't feel like that long ago I was blogging about it being summer time, and now the autumnal chill is setting in and I'm worrying about layers and boots! My lovely boyfriend has now moved in with me and we're setting up a lovely little home for the two of us! Which means, I'm now worrying about his layers and warmth in the winter time - the boy doesn't even have a decent winter jacket! I'm thinking of looking online for jackets for men and choosing one out and ordering it as a present, but it's so hard to pick things for him - he has very specific taste, and while I understand his taste to a T, sometimes he surprises me by not liking things I'd expect him to, it's so hard to put my finger on! I might ask him first, but then it spoils the surprise! Oh I don't know, guys! Photo: Katie Earley (Flickr)

I'm always looking to make new discoveries with lesser-known creations, like music, art movies and even games. I love nothing more than obscure bands and film-makers that aren't the typical chart-toppers and box office-smashers. I've discovered some amazing creativity off the beaten track, going to random gigs and music nights, tiny film screenings or even through blog sites. If you're like me and a gamer, you're in for a treat. A friend of mine is a very talented game developer and he has created a fantastic Nintendo DS game that he's letting a sample few people download for free onto an R4i card to test out and give him feedback. It's great, and there are no glitches that I've found, hopefully he can get it distributed, it's brilliant, and so far, free! Photo: Duncan~ (Flickr)