The Web Cam

 

A webcam is a video camera that sends or streams an image or video to or through a computer network, such as the Internet, in real time. Small cameras that sit on a desk, attach to a user's monitor, or are incorporated into the hardware are known as webcams. Webcams can be utilized during a video chat session between two or more persons, with live audio and video chats.

Users can utilize webcam software to record or stream video over the Internet. Since video streaming over the Internet consumes a lot of bandwidth, compressed formats are commonly used.

Since larger resolutions would be lowered during transmission, a webcam's maximum resolution is likewise lower than most handheld video cameras. Webcams are less expensive than most video cameras due to their lesser resolution, yet the impact is sufficient for video chat conversations.

A webcam was directed at the Trojan Room coffee machine in the Cambridge University Computer Science Department when it was first constructed in 1991. (initially operating over a local network instead of the web). On August 22, 2001, the camera was eventually turned off. The camera's final image is still available to view on its homepage. San Francisco State University's FogCam, the world's oldest continually operational camera, has been running since 1994 and was set to shut down in August 2019. Following the public outcry over the proposed closure of FogCam, SFSU opted to keep it operational and maintain it. 

Atlantic City, New Jersey

 

The Atlantic City boardwalk in New Jersey is more than 5 miles long, making it the country's longest. The boardwalk, which runs from Absecon Lighthouse to Margate City, takes you past the city's famous casinos to picturesque seaside cottages overlooking a sand-strewn route ideal for biking.

Climb the 228 steps to the top of Absecon Lighthouse, which was built in 1857 and is a National Historic Landmark. Then go to Lucy the Elephant in Margate, a six-story skyscraper designed like an elephant that was built in 1881. In the greatest conceivable way, it remains one of America's most odd and random attractions.

The boardwalk's Steel Pier amusement park, of course, is a must-see. A Slingshot on the 1,000-foot pier will launch you into the air at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. If speed isn't your thing, the Grand Carousel is a great way to have some old-fashioned fun.

Atlantic City's boardwalk is not only the nation's longest, but it's also the oldest, dating back to 1870. 

Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland

 

Lewis Carroll's novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (often shortened to Alice in Wonderland) was published in 1865. (the pseudonym of Charles Dodgson). It relates the story of Alice, a little girl who falls down a rabbit hole into a subterranean fantasy world full with strange, anthropomorphic creatures. It is widely regarded as one of the best works in the literary nonsense genre. The story toys with logic, resulting in enduring popularity among adults and children alike.

The narrative, structure, characters, and images of one of the best-known and most popular works of English-language fiction have had immense influence in popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre. The text has been translated into at least 97 languages and has never gone out of print. Many adaptations for theatre, movie, radio, art, ballet, theme parks, board games, and video games have been made. Carroll followed up with Through the Looking-Glass in 1871, as well as a condensed version for young children, The Nursery "Alice," in 1890.

In 1931, the Governor of China's Hunan Province banned the book for the same reasons, claiming that "animals should not use human language" and that "putting animals and humans on the same level is terrible." 

Brioche

 

Brioche is a French bread with a thick and soft crumb due to its high egg and butter content. "Light and slightly puffy, more or less fine, depending on the percentage of butter and eggs," chef Jol Robuchon said. It has a dark, golden, flaky crust that is often enhanced by an egg wash after proofing.

Brioche is classified as a Viennoiserie because it is created in the same way as bread but has a deeper flavor due to the addition of eggs, butter, liquid (milk, water, cream, and, rarely, brandy), and sugar. A leavened subgroup of Viennoiserie includes brioche, pain au lait, and pain aux raisins, which are typically consumed for breakfast or as a snack. Brioche is frequently eaten on its own or as the base of a dessert, with various local variations in added ingredients, fillings, or toppings.

The first time the word was used in French was in 1404. It first appears in Cotgrave's A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues in 1611, when it is characterized as "a rowle, or bunne, of spiced bread" with a Norman origin. 

Tour de France

 

The Tour de France is an annual men's multi-stage bicycle race that takes place largely in France, but also in neighboring countries on occasion. It consists of 21 stages, each lasting a day, over the course of 23 days, same as the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana).

The Amaury Sport Organization organizes the race, which was first held in 1903 to boost sales for the newspaper L'Auto. Since its initial edition in 1903, the race has been held every year except during World Wars I and II. The race was lengthened as the Tour gained reputation and appeal, and its reach began to stretch around the world. More cyclists from all over the world began to enter the event each year, expanding the field from a largely French field. With the exception of the teams invited by the organizers, the Tour is a UCI World Tour event, which means that the teams competing in the race are largely UCI WorldTeams. It has evolved into "the world's most important annual sporting event." Between 1984 and 2009, a women's Tour de France was held under several names. Since 2014, the La Course by Le Tour de France has been contested during the men's race in a one- or two-day version for women.

The majority of the race is traditionally held in July, with the one exception after World War II being the COVID-19 epidemic, which has pushed the race back to August 29, 2020. While the route varies from year to year, the race's format is consistent, with time trials, passage through the Pyrenees and Alps mountain chains, and a finale on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The contemporary Tour de France consists of 21 day-long portions (stages) spread out over a 23-day span, covering around 2,200 miles. The race rotates between counterclockwise and clockwise French circuits. 

Nyctophobia

 

Nyctophobia is a severe dread of night or darkness that can manifest as severe anxiety and depression symptoms. When a fear becomes excessive, unreasonable, or interferes with daily living, it develops into a phobia.

Fear of the dark frequently begins in childhood and is accepted as a normal stage of development. Humans frequently fear the dark due to its absence of visual stimulation, according to studies on this phobia. In other words, people may fear night and darkness due to their inability to perceive their surroundings.

While some fear is natural, when it begins to interfere with everyday activities and sleep habits, it may be time to consult a physician.

Fear of darkness and night frequently begins between the ages of three and six. It may be a normal stage of development at this point. For many children, sleeping with a nightlight helps alleviate their dread until they outgrow it. When the fear interferes with sleep, produces extreme anxiety, or persists into adulthood, it is referred to as nyctophobia. 

Paella

 

Paella is a Valencian rice dish. Paella is one of Spain's most well-known foods. As a result, many non-Spaniards regard it as Spain's national cuisine, whereas Spaniards virtually overwhelmingly regard it as a Valencian dish. Paella, on the other hand, is one of Valencia's defining symbols.

Paella is named after the broad, shallow traditional pan used to cook the dish over an open flame. Paella translates as "frying pan" in Valencian, the regional language of Valencia. While it may have ancient origins as a dish, its contemporary incarnation dates all the way back to the mid-19th century, in the rural area surrounding the Albufera lagoon near to the city of Valencia on Spain's east coast.

Around the tenth century, Moors in Muslim Spain began cultivating rice. As a result, residents of the eastern Iberian Peninsula frequently prepared casseroles of rice, fish, and spices for family gatherings and religious feasts, developing the tradition of rice consumption in Spain. By the 15th century, rice had become a staple food. Following that, it became traditional for cooks to blend rice with vegetables, beans, and dried cod to create a Lenten feast. Rice was traditionally eaten with fish in Spain's eastern coast.

According to Spanish food historian Lourdes March, the dish "symbolizes the marriage and heritage of two significant cultures: the Roman, who gave us the utensil, and the Arab, who provided humanity with its basic nourishment for millennia."