Life Hacks

1. If someone doesn't like you, ask to borrow their pencil. It's a cool psychological trick that will make them like you more.

2. Having a conversation with someone and not sure if they're interested? Fold your arms. If they do the same, they probably are.

3. Can't remember if you already shampooed your hair in the shower? Pull on it. If it squeaks, you already shampooed it.

4. Applying lemon juice onto freckles fades them, and can even make them disappear.

5. To exit a maze [in a game or real], touch your hand to the right wall and keep walking like that. You'll eventually reach the exit.

6. If you spend a while looking for something, after you find and use it, put it back in the first place you looked for it.

7. Easy way to wake up: Play a game on your phone. Angry Birds, Tetris, Fruit Ninja etc. It'll stimulate your mind.

8. Test to see if your TV remote control is working by pointing it at your cell phone camera. If you see an infrared light, it works!

9. Studying in a room? Keep your shoes on. Your mind associates having your shoes on with being busy.

10. How to throw an amazing punch: pretend that your punching THROUGH the object. 

Little Known Facts: Spongebob Squarepants

1. Spongebob was created by Steve Hillenburg, a former marine biologist and art teacher who went to art school to study cartooning. Like SpongeBob, Hillenburg once worked as a fry cook at a seafood restaurant.


2. Hillenburg liked drawing marine life and thought sponges were the "oddest of all" these creatures. But the lumpy shape of natural sponges didn't feel right for the character he wanted to create. A sink sponge turned out to be perfect—it's so clean and so square, just like the innocent and un-hip SpongeBob.


3. SpongeBob lives in a pineapple because pineapples are a common motif in Polynesian crafts. In addition, Hillenburg says he thought SpongeBob "would like the smell" of a pineapple home. Smell is a very important sense for sea animals.


4.  For those of you who have watched almost every single episode of Bob, do you realise that almost every time someone throws something away, you'll hear a glass breaking sound? Also, in chaotic crowd scenes, you almost always hear someone cry out "My leg!!!!!". Interesting eh?


5.  Originally, Spongebob was supposed to be named Spongeboy! Due to the fact that "Spongeboy" was already copyrighted as the name of guess what, a MOP,  Hillenburg changed "Boy" to "Bob" and insisted to keep "sponge" in the name as he was afraid that kids might mistake Bob for a piece of yellow cheese!




6. The recipe for Krabby Patties is a well-guarded secret, but creator Hillenburg has hinted that these mystery burgers may be vegetarian. Otherwise, some inhabitants of Bikini Bottom would be cannibals.


7. SBSP has an impressive list of celebrity guests that appeared in some episodes:

• Pink (singer) - Pink appeared in a pirate costume while singing a pirate song in "Truth or Square" 
• Victoria Beckham and Sebastian Bach (Skid Row) - Victoria plays voice of Queen Amphitrite, while Sebastian plays her son, Triton in "The Clash of Triton"
• Johnny Depp (actor) - Multi-award winning actor Depp plays voice of Jack Kahuna Laguna in "Spongebob vs The Big One"

8. Tom Kenny, who does the voice of SpongeBob, says his character's laugh was meant to make viewers think of the ocean. It is based on the distinctive call of a dolphin, with just a touch of a seagull's shriek.

9. Patrick's rock sometimes has a small living room ,and sometimes it's just a huge bedroom. And other times it's a whole house! You never know what it's going to look like under Patrick's rock.

10. Squidward's middle name is Johanssen. Also, January 15th is Annoy Squidward Day.

Creative Truths

The New US Bank Note Designs

Dowling Duncan have submitted a design concept to a competition run by New York designer Richard Smith. The Dollar Bill ReDe$ign hopes to bring about change for everyone.

Why the size?
They have kept the width the same as existing dollars. However, the size of the note is changed so that the one dollar is the shortest and the 100 dollar the longest. When stacked on top of each other it is easy to see how much money you have. It also makes it easier for the visually impaired to distinguish between notes.



Why a vertical format?
People tend to deal with money vertically rather than horizontally. They tend to hold a wallet or purse vertically when searching for notes. A majority of people hand over notes vertically when making purchases. All machines accept notes vertically. Therefore a vertical note makes more sense.

Why different colours?
It is one of the strongest ways graphically to distinguish one note from another.

Why these designs?
Dowling Duncan wanted a concept behind the imagery so that the image directly relates to the value of each note. They also wanted the notes to be educational, not only for those living in America but visitors as well. Each note uses a black and white image depicting a particular aspect of American history and culture. They are then overprinted with informational graphics or a pattern relating to that image.

Little Known Facts: Harry Potter

1. Hermione's name was almost "Hermione Puckle".

It has a sour tone to it, right? J.K Rowling thought so too and changed it to something that suited the character better. Hermione was also going to have a younger sister but Rowling never found the right moment to stick her in the books.

2. Hedwig, Harry's Snowy Owl, isn't entirely accurate. 

It was during the writing of book two that J.K Rowling realized that Snowy Owls are silent, meaning that Hedwig’s knowing hoots and conversational noises weren’t quite true-to-life. She admits this was just a research hole on her part, but says readers should feel free to assume that her unusual talents are just part of her magical ability. Incidentally, although Hedwig is female, she is played by a male in the movies because females aren’t wholly white like males are.




3. Collecting unusual names and words has been a lifelong habit for Rowling. 

She has said that she loves reading lists of them, from war memorials to baby name books, and made it a point to remember her favorites. Some of them found a new home in the Harry Potter books. She makes up some of the words too – “quidditch” is a Rowling original. She filled up five pages of made-up words that started with “Q” before she hit on one that sounded right. “Voldemort” and “Malfoy” were also invented.


4. Fred and George Weasely were born on April Fools' Day.

Go figure. While we’re talking about the Weasleys, there was a Weasley cousin named Mafalda who got edited out of The Goblet of Fire in order to make room for the love-to-hate-her invasive “journalist” Rita Skeeter. That’s probably best – Ginny Weasley is supposed to have been the first girl born to the Weasley family for several generations, so scrapping Malfalda supports that backstory.


5. Snape was partially based on a teacher J.K Rowling once had.
She likes to write to him though, because she finds him such a pathetic creature.

Little Known Facts: Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston, one of the most successful women in Hollywood. But did you know some of the insignificant but interesting facts of her life? Here are some of them worth knowing.

1. When she was 11, one of Jennifer's paintings was placed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

2. Jen offered to be Matthew Perry's personal trainer in 2002 to help him lose weight.

3. In high school, Jen was known as the class clown. 

4. Jennifer had worked as a waitress and telemarketer before making it as an actor. Jen also starred as a waitress many times- her role in Freinds, Office Space, The Iron Giant and Along came Polly, were all waitresses. 

5. Despite her jet-setting lifestyle, Aniston has a fear of flying. 

6. Aniston invented "The Rachel", a widely copied hairstyle of the '90s.

7. She was slapped by a 'Santa' during her early years as a New Yorker.

8. Through her mother, Jennifer is a direct descendant of the Royal House of Stuart of Scotland.

9. Aniston originally auditioned for the role of Monica Geller on Friends, but persuaded the producers that she was more suitable for the role of Rachel Green. Later she won an Emmy for her role as Rachel.

10. After graduating, she began performing in several off-Broadway productions while working as a bicycle messenger among other odd jobs to pay the rent.

11. Her original family name was Anastassakis-changed when her family moved from Greece to the US.

Now for some pictures...

Little Known Facts: Katy Perry

From singing about kissing girls to alien boyfriends, Katy Perry has always surprised us with her crazy costumes and her upbeat songs. Here are some lesser known facts about her.

Family Life
Going by her highly risqué style choices and questionable lyrics, you wouldn't expect her to come from a Christian family, but boy did she ever! Her parents were both ministers at the local church.




Early Years
Katy's Christian roots prompted her too to release a a gospel album - which flopped almost immediately- at the age of 16 under her birth name Katy Hudson. After turning 19 she decided to give music another go, but her efforts fell short again when the CD was never made into circulation.

"Hudson" to "Perry"
After her flop she changed her surname to Perry, her mother's maiden name, because "Katy Hudson" was too close to actress "Kate Hudson".


Big Break
Seven years after her failed attempt at fame, the singer-songwriter ditched the religious market and created the sexy alter-ego Katy Perry.
Her 2008 blockbuster One of the Boys sold an impressive 46,767 units in its first week and Teenage Dream raked in 192,222!


The Story Behind "I Kissed A Girl"
Did you know that her most famous song so far "I Kissed A Girl" was inspired by her attraction to Scarlett Johansson? After the song raised questions Katy confessed to adoring the actress because she is "a classic beauty". Perry also fancies Angelina Jolie and Natalie Portman. Maybe she'll write a song about them one day?



"Oops" moment on tour
While touring in 2008 put on a beach theme concert sponsored by Garnier Fructis that didn't go exactly as planned. After an hour and a half of getting her hair done, she spontaneously grabbed a can of Silly String and paraded onto the stage.
"So I point at the audience and try to spray at them", Katy Perry explains in an interview. "Only instead of spraying it at the audience I had the can backward and sprayed it all over my awesome hair. Everybody thought that was pretty funny. Except maybe the hair people, I guess."
P.S this picture has nothing to do with anything.


Kitty Purry
Unless you're a big fan of Katy Perry you will not know that her partner in crime, Kitty Purry has her own blog! In fact, the adorable feline was nominated for Teen Choice Best Celebrity Pet of 2009.


Now for some pictures...













































 
























And now for her insane wardrobe












The first dress is cute, though.




And so is this!


She looks beautiful in this one!!















Uh...is she supposed to be a marshmallow?