ELCOME TO THE
ORLD IDE EB
IRCLE OF RIENDS
NFORMATION AGE

Return to Newsletter Index
Strange but True

Saturday mail delivery in Canada was eliminated by Canada Post on February 1, 1969!

The king of hearts is the only king without a moustache on a standard playing card!

Tablecloths were originally meant to be served as towels with which dinner guests could wipe their hands and faces after eating!

A car uses 1.6 ounces of gas idling for one minute. Half an ounce is used to start the average automobile!

A violin contains about 70 separate pieces of wood!

Forest fires move faster uphill than downhill!

A sneeze travels out your mouth at over 100 m.p.h.!

Every year, kids in North America spend close to half a billion dollars on chewing gum!

One gallon of used motor oil can ruin approximately one million gallons of fresh water!

It is estimated that millions of trees in the world are accidentally planted by squirrels who bury nuts and then forget where they hid them!

A toothpick is the object most often choked on by Americans!

submited by Vicki


Water in the Microwave

Following is a story that Pat received that she would like to share with us.

About five days ago, my 26-year-old son decided to have a cup of instant coffee. He took a cup of water and put it in the microwave to heat it up (something that he had done numerous times before). I am not sure how long he set the time for but he told me he wanted to bring the water to a boil. When the timer shut the oven off, he removed the cup from the oven.

As he looked into the cup he noted that the water was not boiling. Then instantly the water in the cup "blew up" into his face. The cup remained intact until he threw it out of his hand but all the water had flown out into his face due to the build-up of energy. His whole face is blistered and he has 1st and 2nd degree burns to his face, which may leave scarring. He may also have lost partial sight in his left eye.

While at the hospital, the doctor who was attending to him stated that this is a fairly common occurrence and water (alone) should never be heated in a microwave oven. If water is heated in this manner, something such as a wooden stir stick or a tea bag should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy.

Here is what our science teacher has to say on the matter: "Thanks for the microwave warning. I have seen this happen before. It is caused by a phenomenon known as super heating. It can occur any time water is heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that the water is heated in is new. What happens is that the water heats faster than the vapor bubbles can form. If the cup is very new then it is unlikely to have small surface scratches inside it that provide a place for the bubbles to form. As the bubbles cannot form and release some of the heat that has built up, the liquid does not boil, and the liquid continues to heat up well past its boiling point. What then usually happens is that the liquid is bumped or jarred, which is just enough of a shock to cause the bubbles to rapidly form and expel the hot liquid. The rapid formation of bubbles is also why a carbonated beverage spews when opened after having been shaken.

Please pass this on to everyone you know. It could save a lot of pain and suffering.

Pat (aka Bigsis)

Always extend a hand in friendship!

Take a moment to look at this Friendship Book and this Friendship Card

Love to have you sign the guestbook before you leave today.

Have a Great Day everyone!

We are the Circle of Friends, made from a chain,
A chain of cable and wire without an end.

There's lots to do and plenty of friends to meet in the Worldwide Circle of Friends! We have people from all over the world who meet, chat and share experiences.

Find out more about us in the site, look at the Message Board and then be sure to join in!

“A ball is a circle. No beginning, no end.
It keeps us together, like our Circle of Friends;
but, the treasure inside, for you to see
is the treasure of friendship you've granted to me.

Today I pass the friendship ball to you. Pass it on to someone who is a friend to you.”

A warm welcome from Sharon,
founder of the Worldwide Circle of Friends

Copyright 2000-2003 © Worldwide Circle of Friends. All rights reserved. . Floribunda Initial Font courtesy of IconBAZAAR. Copyright materials on this site may not be removed or used by anyone without the copyright owner's written permission.