All about Standard Gauge TOY TRAINS

Toy Train - Photo: Wikipedia

Collecting toy trains is a very popular hobby among many people. Some collect them because they are reminded of their childhood, or because they had one or two of these realistic toys passed down to them through the generations. Standard gauge toy trains are one of the most popular collectible toy trains. There are many replicas and styles to choose from, and some of these toy trains are quite hard to come by. If you're new to collecting toy trains or are just looking for unique pieces to add to your collection, you're about to find out what makes these mini-locomotives a one-of-a-kind tradition in toy trains. 

So what exactly makes a standard gauge toy train more desirable than others? Ask any collector of standard gauge toy trains and they're likely to explain it in great detail. Standard gauge trains typically tend to model the originals more precisely than other available gauges. Compared to other toy trains, such as replicas of old Lionel, standard gauge trains truly have a unique way of grabbing the attention of a collector. This is probably because the standard gauge toy trains are strikingly identical to the actual trains used in the days of old. 

The concept of toy trains has existed for centuries and at one time, was the toy of choice for many youngsters in America. The standard gauge toy train was an idea originally put into motion by the Lionel Corporation, in an effort to boost the sales of toy trains in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. The term "standard gauge' refers to the size and diameter of railroad tracks for the toy trains. The Lionel Corporation developed a three-rail track of about 54 mm between each outside rail, which in turn did not work very well with gauge 1 productions from Europe. Soon the idea spread to other manufacturers in America, under the name "wide gauge". Standard gauge was discontinued in 1940 due to the expensive cost of production. It is now a desired collection trait because the standard gauge is precisely accurate to its actual larger model version in mean scale. 

Standard gauge toy trains remain a popular collection item as it nears its centennial anniversary. It has become the choice of many collectors and is most popular on display around the holidays, seen in several stores and shopping malls. So where can one find these unique pieces? There are several places to locate standard gauge toy trains and for good deals, if you know where to look. A simple search of the internet will provide you with several websites that sell standard gauge items, as well as eBay and other online auctions. You can also find some informational websites and places to participate in blogging on standard gauge toy trains. 

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Casting in FLY FISHING

Fly Fishing - Photo: Pixabay

Casting is a fundamental skill in fly fishing. It is the foundation of the sport thus it should be done correctly to achieve the desired results. Below are a few things about casting that one should keep in mind when going fly fishing for the first time.

- It all starts out with the grip. The proper casting grip is one which has the thumb on top of the rod. This helps the fisher apply a greater force when casting.

- Before casting, any slack on the line should be removed. This would allow for a smooth forward and backward cast.

- The line must fly towards the direction where the person points the rod during the cast.

- The size of the loop depends on how the rod tip is moved when casting.

- The distance of a typical cast is usually a number of meters away from the caster. Long distance casts are achieved by tons of practice.

The newbie may not get it right on his/her first few tries at casting. However, with the proper guidance from a more experienced companion and a lot of time dedicated to practice, the correct way of casting can be achieved.

Ideally, 15-30 minutes spent on practicing per day can help improve the beginner’s technique. 

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As a word of warning, practicing casting can be a dangerous activity. That is why beginners are advised to do their practice away from the water and away from a lot of people.

Fields are ideal spots to do this as there is a large room to accommodate errors that may prove dangerous in otherwise constricted areas.

Ideas for HALLOWEEN Face Painting

sugar skull - Photo: Pixabay

Halloween is fun both for adults and young kids. If you've enjoyed painting pumpkins with your family and friends, you will surely enjoy face painting during this special occasion. You can scare the wits out of young kids and even adults if you paint scary faces once they knock on your door and ask the same old line – 'trick or treat'. 

Here are some excellent ideas for Halloween face painting. 

Pumpkin – you can paint a pumpkin on both sides of your cheeks. The pumpkin should be bright orange in color. The nose, mouth, and eyes can be painted in black. The outline and ridges of pumpkin design should be light grey. 

If you want, you can make your whole face look like a pumpkin. The base should be orange and for the cheekbones, you have to apply a darker shade of orange. Make a triangle shape over your eyes and paint it black. For your lips and nose, you must paint it black as well. 

Skull – the skull design should occupy the whole face. The base should be white and after you've painted the white paint, you can paint a bright red color for the lips. Make an outline of fangs on both sides of your mouth in light grey. The fill should be white and the tip should be painted in red so that it will look like blood. Use smoky grey for the eyelids and exaggerate your eyebrows with sweeping strokes in black color. 

Bat – make a bat design over your whole face. Just like the skull design, use white color as a base. Above your nose and your forehead, paint the face of the bat in black and light grey for the eyeballs. The body of the bat should be painted over your nose ending at the nostril's base. Use different shades of black for the body. The wings cover your eyes and your mid-cheek. You can paint some definitions by using light grey on the wings. Over your lips, paint exaggerated curls upward to the corners. Use your imagination and you can create a realistic bat design. 

Face Painting - Photo: Flickr

These are just four great ideas that you can use. if you want, you can obtain other painting ideas online. There are many helpful websites you can visit to get some great ideas for Halloween face painting. Visit the different sites and if you're diligent with your search, you can find pictures of the designs. With a picture to refer to, it will be a lot easier to paint because you already have a clear idea of what the design will look like. Find a design that you like so that it will be easier to paint. 

You can even paint your own face if you like, but this will a bit difficult. Get the whole family involved and paint each other's face. But before anything else, you have to buy face paints, paint brushes, and other painting materials that you will need. You can purchase them in paint stores or in craft stores. 

Celebrate Halloween with your family and friends. Give life to this special occasion by doing some face painting. Just remember to wash the paint off your face before you go to sleep to avoid any irritations. Have fun this Halloween season by painting your face in different designs.

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How to Notice the Difference between CRIMINOLOGY and Psychology

Illustration from The Speaking Portrait, an article from Pearson's Magazine, 1901, illustrating the principles of Alphonse Bertillon's anthropometry - Photo: Wikimedia

Psychology is the scientific study of an individual’s behaviors and thoughts as a basis for their personality and reactionary processes.  There are many reasons that a person may be studied by a psychologist.  Sometimes, the people who are being studied are simply trying to find ways to move past a particular feeling or longing that they cannot seem to let go off on their own.  By using psychology and investing in the help that they can receive from a psychologist, a person can be shown the different ways in which they approach situations and learn to react differently and redefine their approaches to problems or stressors.  

In learning different habits as reaction processes, a person can learn to overcome different problems or feelings that they may have not been able to do at an earlier time, before being studied in the psychology field.  Psychologists tend to amass the information that they are able to gather from different subjects in order to learn about how the human mind operates in a general sense.  The information can be used also to notice the similarities and differences that exist between the individual mind and assessment of life.  

While Criminology is also the study of an individual’s behavior and thought process, there is a specific outcome that is being sought by the criminologist.  The individual’s actions and thoughts are being investigated in order to learn how that individual is able to either overcome or succumb to the different elements of crime that exist within an environment.  There are many different thoughts surrounding how a criminal comes to be.  Some believe a criminal is born with the natural instinct to be deviant while others believe that the criminal element is nurtured within an individual by specific environmental aspects.  Criminologists are often in the pursuit of why and how a person is able to act out in a way that is either hurtful to themselves or others.  They use their knowledge in order to provide a safe and comforting environment for the general public.

Psychological criminology is a specific branch of criminology that combines these two perspectives.  By using psychology as the only basis for the invention of the individual, criminologists are able to generate a profile of the perpetrator.  In looking at an individual’s actions or behavior patterns, psychological criminologists are able to see into the personality of the individual that is being tracked or studied.  This can help criminologists to analyze the pattern in order to cut the perpetrator off before they are able to perform their next criminal act if the individual is still on the loose, or it can help the criminologist to understand how the crime came to be, in effect determining the motive for the crime.  However, psychological criminologists are typically not the ones who will help criminals to move beyond their behavioral or mental deviants.  Instead, they generally use their knowledge in order to help others understand what the criminal did and why effectively helping to get answers out of the criminal that may be useful or necessary. 

By analyzing the mind, both criminologists and psychologists are attempting to gain insight into the individual.  While in some instances this is being done for the benefit of the individual, in other instances this is being done in order to keep the public at large safe from the individual.  

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Legendary CHESS Greats

Michael Botvinnik - Photo: Wikimedia

A game is not going to be memorable without its respectable and great players. Over the course of time, chess has produced some of the brightest minds in board games. The discovery of these players was all thanks to several international events organized by the chess society. Several rankings are even used to determine the quality and standing of the players, which made them even more popular to both those who play chess and those who simply admire the game.

The Rankings and Titles of Chess Players

Initiated by the FIDE, the best players are awarded specific titles. Firstly, the Grandmaster, also known as the International Grandmaster, is usually awarded to world-class masters of chess. This title, apart from the World Champion, is the highest title that a chess player can achieve. However, before FIDE gives this title to a player, he must have a rating of at least 2,500 at one time in the Elo chess rating. More so, the player must also have three favorable results in competitions involving other Grandmasters, including those masters from countries apart from the applicant’s.

Next is the International Master. With the minimum rating of 2,400, the International Master has the same conditions as the Grand Master and is also less demanding. The FIDE Master is usually gained by players who have achieved a FIDE Rating of equal to or more than 2,300. The CM or Candidate Master, on the other hand, is awarded to those who have a FIDE rating of at least 2,200.

These titles are open to both men and women. There are also separate women-only titles, like the Woman Grandmaster, available.

Composers and solvers of chess problems are also awarded International titles. Additionally, national chess organizations can also award titles generally to advanced players, who are still under the level required for international titles.

Some of the Best Chess Players of All Time

Probably one of the greatest natural talents of all time, Capablanca was sometimes extremely lazy and refused to read chess textbooks. Still, he made considerable contributions to the opening theory. He managed to score 318 wins, 249 draws and 34 losses in matches and tournaments played between 1909 and 1939. Capablanca was known for his ability to accurately and instantly evaluate chess positions. Additionally, he liked to control the position and focus on elements, which he felt were necessary to gain victory.

Considered as the greatest tactician of all time, Kasparov was the world champion title holder for 15 years. He held the title from 1985 to 2000, when he was beaten by Kramnik. However, he dominated major tournaments from the beginning of his reign as world champion until 2001. He was known to have the ability to see everything in all positions. Moreover, he was also exuberant and had a photographic memory.

Botvinnik is the only player to hold the world title on three separate occasions. He was also a scientist, which is a profession that usually showed through his play style. The style used by Botvinnik was to make closed positions by flank maneuvers and movements.

Steinitz is known for his many bizarre chess positions, which made him an unpredictable and dynamic adversary. It was also believed that over the course of twenty years, he stood higher above his contemporaries than any other masters. He has the best tournament record up to his defeat in the world championship event in 1894. His greatest asset in chess games was his flexibility as a master of

tactical and positional strategies.

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How to Choose Historical Areas to Visit in PARIS

Skulls in the Catacombs, Paris - Photo: Wikimedia

This article is patterned for all you history buffs with insight that opens your mind to all areas of life, including visiting the grave. If you are interested in learning and reliving Paris’s uncivilized history, and don’t mind visiting the dead, you must check out Paris’s Les Catacombs. The tunnels are not suited for everyone, only for those with an open mind to see what it is like to walk in the grave and visit the dead. The tunnels have a disturbing, yet the unique pattern of bones and skulls, fashioned to bring the dead back to life. 

Some people feel that visiting Les-Catacombs in Paris is a waste of time. Yet, the Opinionists fail to realize that history buffs see things in a new light. At Les-Catacombs, you will pay an entry fee of five French dollars. 

Areas around Paris, during the late 1800s, discouraged the average person, since its history of overpopulated cemeteries and deceased souls made the area, one of Paris’s uncivilized environments. The area was filled with filth. For this reason, the councils of the Parisians transferred the deceased to the tunnels of Les-Catacombs. In this, tunnel the bones of millions of dead souls rest. Parisian counsels of France transferred the bones, piling them in various areas around the tunnel. The skull of these dead people is piled in areas of the tunnel, and put together in reverse/front fashion. The bones are disturbing to many since these dead peoples structures were fashioned in a way that it appears as faces and transverse structures, i.e. in the shape of crosses. 

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Throughout the tunnels are spiral stairways. Once you begin walking down the stairs, you will spot eye sockets of the deceased. The tunnels become present as you continue down the stairs. As you continue down the stairs and into the dirt tunnels, you are approaching the graves of many deceased souls, which at this point you cannot turn back. Since underground tunnels and graves are chilling you, want to make sure that you wear proper attire to keep you warm. Keep in mind you will get the residue of the deceased on you. If this bothers you, perhaps you can wear attire that shields your clothes and flesh. 

Throughout the walk, you will notice the walls. The walls are filled with plagues, yet observers say that the information is written in French. This makes sense since the tunnels were designed in the 1800s. In view of the fact, you may want to learn a bit of French before visiting the tunnel. Ultimately, if you have a French interpreting, or friend who speaks French, take him/her with you. 

NOTE: Because people have stolen bones from the tunnels, as you return to the starting point, the staff will inspect your bags. 

How to decide if  Les-Catacombs is right for you or your children: 

Les-Catacombs is not intended for people who fear closed areas, underground arenas, etc. If you have claustrophobia, perhaps you would enjoy visiting other attractions in Paris instead. Children into history, or intending to prepare a future in science, etc, may enjoy this experience, however, most will feel threatened by the environment. Take care to consider your children’s likes, explain first to them what they will visit, and ask the children if this is something they want to see. 

The experience for children could be a learning experience that opens their eyes to the reality of death and graves. If your children cannot handle this, however, or have emotional reactions easily, visit other attractions in Paris. 

Where is Les-Catacombs located in France? 

Les-Catacombs is at the first Place, Denfert-Rochereau. The tunnels are open Tuesday through Friday between 2pm and 4pm. On Saturday and Sunday, the tunnel is open from 2 pm to 4 pm also. 

Flight efforts during the 19th and 20th centuries

Wilbur Wright in seinem Flieger mit Fluggast Ernest Zeus - Photo: Wikimedia

The first person to plan and build a practical manned glider that can fly over long distances is a German engineer named Otto Lilienthal.  Studying aerodynamics, on 1891 he concentrated his efforts on building a glider that can fly.

Otto Lilienthal was captivated by the thought that one day there would be manned flying machines.  On 1889, he published a book on aerodynamics.  This book was conceptualized from his studies of birds in flight.  The Wright Brothers, later on, referred to this book to build their successful aircraft. 

Otto Lilienthal died tragically in a plane crash.  Strong winds made him lose control of the craft causing it to crash back to earth.  This happened after his 2,500th flight.

Another milestone in flight history is on 1891 when the aerodrome flew to nearly a mile after exhausting its fuel.  The aerodrome’s inventor is Samuel Langley.  He is a physicist and astronomer; he recognized that power was needed in man’s quest for flight. This was his greatest contribution to flight, putting up a power plant to a glider.  His experiments with whirling arms and steam-powered engine resulted in a plane model he called aerodrome.

Langley received a grant of $50,000, which was purposely given for creating a full-sized aerodrome.  This plane crashed because it was too heavy.  Langley gave up his dreams of flight because of this disappointment.  Langley was a director of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D. C.

On 1894, Engineer Octave Chanute invented the Herring - Chanute biplane.  The biplane the Wright brothers built was based on this aircraft.   Inspired by Otto Lilienthal, inventing airplanes became Octave Chanute’s hobby.

Chanute collected all technical information about aviation accomplishments and its pioneers all over the world.  This information was made into a book entitled “Progress in Flying Machines,” this was published in 1894.  Many experiments of the Wright Brothers were based on this book.  Chanute even came to know the Wright Brothers and encouraged their progress.

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Orville and Wilbur Wright were standing on the shoulders of the aviation pioneers.  They spent a few years studying the pioneers' work and development with regards flight.  They read books and other materials written on the topic.  Next was challenging their theories on balloons and kites.  They learned relationships of wind with surface and flight.  Experiments followed using different shapes for gliders and how to control their flight.

To test the different wing shapes and tails it was placed inside a wind tunnel.  Tests were also done in the North Carolina Outer Banks dunes; this is where they discovered the most promising glider shape.  When this happened, they focused their attention on designing an engine and mechanism to launch and put the glider to fly.

On December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, the “Flyer” was recorded the first heavier-than-air flight plane and Orville Wright as the first man to fly the plane.  It launched from ground level and flew all the way to the north of Big Kill Devil Hill in twelve seconds, covering a distance of one hundred twenty feet.  The Flyer totaled six hundred and five pounds.

Dreams of human flight now came true.  Development of more advanced airplanes was seen during the next century.  These planes were developed for various purposes like transporting people, cargo, the military, and their weapons.

All the advances in aviation in the 20th century were based on this first flight at Kitty Hawk according to Wilbur and Orville Wright.