A salt plain (also known as a salt pan or salt flat) is a flat area of ground covered with salt and other minerals. They are usually purely white. They are found in desert areas. In areas where salt plains form, the rate of evaporation (how quickly water dries up) is faster than the rate of precipitation (how often rain falls). A salt plain is formed where a lake or pond would otherwise be found. When the water dries up, the minerals stay left behind on the suface of the ground. Over thousands of years, the minerals (usually salts) build up on the surface.
Large salt plains are common in the Sahara Desert, the Kalahari Desert, the Rann of Kutch, the western United States and the central deserts of Australia. The Altiplano in Bolivia has the world's largest salt plan, the Salar de Uyuni.
Witchetty grub
A witchetty grub (also spelled witchety grub or witjuti grub) is the large, white larva of a moth. It is a name used in Australia. Normally, it refers to the larvae of the cossid moth "Endoxyla leucomochla", found in central Australia. These moths eat the roots of the witchetty bush (a plant named after the grubs). It is also sometimes used to refer to the larvae of other cossid moths, as well as those of ghost moths (Hepialidae). It is used mainly when the larvae are being thought of as food. Because it contains a lot of protein, the grub is the most important insect food of the desert. It was a staple in the diets of nomadic Aboriginal people living in the outback.
The name "witchetty" (or "witjuti") comes from the Adnyamathanha language. The name comes from the words "wityu" (meaning "hooked stick") and "vartu" (meaning "grub").
Carpenter Painter
The Carpenter Painter was a red-figure vase painter. He worked in Athens. He was active between 515 and 500 BC. He chiefly painted cups. His real name is unknown. "Carpenter Painter" is taken from his depiction of a carpenter at work on a cup in the British Museum. Few of his works are known. The way he painted nipples, pectorals, hands, garments, and other details identify his work.
John Astin
John Allen Astin (born March 30, 1930) is an American movie, television, stage, voice, and radio actor. He has acted in many movies and television shows. He is best known for his role as Gomez Addams in "The Addams Family", his role in "Evil Roy Slade", and other comedic characters.
Astin was born on March 30, 1930 in Baltimore, Maryland. He studied at Washington & Jefferson College and at Johns Hopkins University.
Astin was married to Suzanne Hahn from 1956 until they divorced in 1972. He was married to Patty Duke from 1972 to 1985. He married Valeri Ann Sandobal in 1989. Astin had five sons; three by Hahn (David, Allen, and Tom), one by Duke (Mackenzie) and one adopted by Astin and Duke (Sean). Astin lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
Peter O'Toole
Peter Seamus Lorcan O'Toole (2 August 1932 – 14 December 2013) was an Irish movie and stage actor. He was known for his stage plays that were mostly based on that of William Shakespeare.
O'Toole was born on 2 August 1932 in Connemara, County Galway, Irish Free State.
O'Toole's career lasted almost 60 years. He became famous for his role as T. E. Lawrence in "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962). He received his first Academy Award nomination for that role. He received seven more Academy Award nominations – for "Becket" (1964), "The Lion in Winter" (1968), "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1969), "The Ruling Class" (1972), "The Stunt Man" (1980), "My Favorite Year" (1982), and "Venus" (2006). O'Toole holds the record for the most Academy Award nominations by an actor without a win.
O'Toole won four Golden Globes, a BAFTA Award, and an Emmy Award. He also received an honorary Academy Award in 2003.
O'Toole died on 14 December 2013 in London, England from stomach cancer. He was 81 years old.
O'Toole was born on 2 August 1932 in Connemara, County Galway, Irish Free State. His mother was Constance Jane Eliot (née Ferguson), a Scottish nurse. His father was Patrick Joseph O'Toole, an Irish footballer.
O'Toole was raised as an Irish Catholic. He was raised in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England and stayed there until he was forced out due to World War II. O'Toole studied to become an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art from 1952 until 1954.
O'Toole's career began in 1954 on stage. His movie career began in 1960 in the movie "Kidnapped" as Robin MacGregor. His became famous when he played T. E. Lawrence in "Lawrence of Arabia". He became one of the most famous actors during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1972 O'Toole played both Miguel de Cervantes and Don Quixote in "Man of La Mancha".
In 1980, he received good reviews for playing the director in the behind-the-scenes movie "The Stunt Man". He received mixed reviews as John Tanner in "Man and Superman" and as Henry Higgins in "Pygmalion". He won a Laurence Olivier Award for his performance in "Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell" (1989).
O'Toole played King Priam in the 2004 movie "Troy". His last worldwide movie role was as food critic Anton Ego in the 2007 Disney-Pixar movie "Ratatouille". On 10 July 2012 O'Toole released a statement that he would be retiring.
He was offered a knighthood but rejected it in objection to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's policies.
O'Toole was nominated for eight Academy Awards. He holds the record of having the most nominations for an Academy Award without winning. He won four Golden Globes, a BAFTA Award, and an Emmy Award. In 2003 O'Toole received an honorary Academy Award.
O'Toole was married to Siân Phillips from 1959 until they divorced in 1979. O'Toole had three children; two daughters with Phillips (Kate and Patricia) and a son by his girlfriend Karen Brown (Lorcan Patrick O'Toole). O'Toole lived in London, England. He was lifelong friends with Irish actor Richard Harris until Harris' death in 2002.
O'Toole recovered from stomach cancer in the 1970s. He also had stomach cancer for the last eighteen months of his life. He died of the disease in the Wellington Hospital in London, aged 81. President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins lead a tribute to O'Toole. Higgins called O'Toole "a friend".
O'Toole's funeral was held on 20 December 2013 at his London home. Rock star Sting and ex-wife Siân attended his funeral. His remains were later cremated. O'Toole's remains ware being planned to be taken back to his birthplace of Connemara, Ireland. His daughter Kate said, "We're bringing him home. It's what he would have wanted." At the mean time, O'Toole's ashes are kept in a safe in the Irish presidential mansion.
Cerastes
Cerastes is a genus of small venomous vipers growing up to the length of around 50 cm. There are currently three species found. They are usually known as the ""Horned Vipers"", the ""North African Desert Vipers"", or the ""Cerastes Vipers"".
The Horned Viper is nocturnal and terrestrial (lives on the ground), and is usually found buried underneath the sand. They are said to be slow moving, but they are able to do sidewinding. When they do sidewinding they can move faster across the sand. They are able to sink into the sand by moving in a rocking motion. They sink into the sand tail first and keep on sinking deeper into the sand until only their eyes and nose are sticking out of the sand. The reason they do this is so they can ambush prey which come close to it. They are oviparous, meaning they lay eggs. They live in the deserts of North Africa, Arabia, and Iran.
The Horned Viper catch their prey by ambushing. They eat mainly rodents, birds and lizards.
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