Scatty.com

Month: April 2023

The Rise and Fall of 5 Celebrities: A Look at Their Careers and What Led to Their Demise

Posted on by scatty

One day, someone can be on top of the world; known and beloved by all with millions of dollars in the bank. Then, suddenly, it seems that that person disappeared for one reason or another. The roles stopped coming without any public explanation and the average person was no longer interested in their careers.

Not everyone can stay at the top for decades in the same way that actors or musicians like Tom Hanks, Paul McCartney, or a handful of others. Today we’ll focus on those that had a sudden rise to the A-list only to see themselves fade into obscurity or burn out completely. Here are the rises and falls of five celebrities and a look at their careers.

Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan was destined to become a star when she was a child, appearing in commercials left and right while modeling for several notable companies. Her acting career really took off in 1998 when she starred as both twins in the film “The Parent Trap”. She went on to star in massive hit films like “Freaky Friday”, “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen”, and “Mean Girls”.

Lohan began focusing on more mature roles, but the height of her career was met with a long list of legal issues including multiple DUIs. She had been subject to substance abuse for years, and many major film studios were afraid to work with her. Though she has had small roles in film and television, Lohan is nowhere near the star she once was.

Amanda Bynes

The story of Amanda Bynes is similar to the one of Lindsay Lohan. Both had been child stars, with Bynes appearing on Nickelodeon. She was on “All That” and got her own series, “The Amanda Show”, before briefly becoming a major movie star. Some of her biggest roles included “Easy A” and “She’s the Man”, but after 2010, she disappeared from acting, mostly due to personal issues.

Bynes was slapped with multiple arrests, including a DUI in 2012 that started off her long list of troubles. Bynes had said that she was the victim of abuse but backtracked on those statements. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after more arrests including starting a fire and more issues on the road. Bynes noted that she became addicted to drugs, and any attempts at an acting return have been halted.

Macaulay Culkin

Another child star to make the list, Macaulay Culkin became one of the highest-grossing actors in the world during the early 1990s thanks to a pair of “Home Alone” movies to go along with films such as “My Girl”, “The Good Son”, and “Richie Rich”. By the middle of the decade, though, Culkin was gone. He was 15 years old and said he was tired of acting, and wanted to do music instead.

Because his music career didn’t take off, many assumed that Culkin had gone off the rails. While he did appear to be partying a bit hard at times, it wasn’t anything out-of-the-ordinary for someone in their late teens or early 20s. Things turned out fine for Culkin, who has two children with actress Brenda Song.

Brendan Fraser

It didn’t take long for Brendan Fraser to become a star thanks to his role in “Encino Man”, which led him to take on top billing for movies like “Airheads”, “George of the Jungle”, and “Bedazzled”. However, it was his starring role in “The Mummy” that made him a megastar, but by the time the sequel was released, he was seemingly gone from the public eye and it wouldn’t be until the 2020s that he truly made his big return, winning an Oscar for “The Whale”.

Fraser had gone through a divorce at the height of his career that saw him get slammed with unaffordable alimony payments. He also required multiple surgeries due to physically demanding acting roles and said that he was blacklisted from Hollywood because he spoke out against HFPA head Philip Berk sexually assaulting him. Thankfully, Fraser got back into the spotlight after telling his story. 

Jonathan Taylor Thomas

Not all stories have to have a sad ending, thankfully. Jonathan Taylor Thomas was all that young people could talk about during the 1990s thanks to his role on the television series “Home Improvement” as well as his movie roles in “The Lion King”, “Man of the House”, and “Tom and Huck” to name a few. After having a couple of TV movies to start the 2000s, though, “JTT” left acting.

So why did the former child star suddenly vanish in adulthood? Don’t worry, he didn’t run into a long list of personal problems. Instead, he decided he would rather go to college, receiving degrees from both Harvard and Columbia Universities. Thankfully, he has made a couple of brief cameos in acting since then, but he’s mostly focused on academics and is on the board of the SAG-AFTRA Union.

The Most Inspiring Celebrity Weight Loss Stories: How They Did It

Posted on by scatty

Weight is something that many people struggle with around the world, and that even applies to Hollywood. While we think of actors, singers, and entertainers in general being rail-thing, there have been plenty to be overweight or obese like a majority of the American population. Many of these larger celebs, though, have been able to take control of their weight and get back to a healthy range.

Here are five celebrities who inspired millions with their healthy weight losses, allowing them to live longer and happier lives while looking great doing so. We’ll also explain how they dropped all of the extra pounds.

Randy Jackson

In 2002, the reality singing competition “American Idol” made the airwaves for the first time and introduced the world to Randy Jackson, a larger-than-life record executive who also performed with the likes of Aretha Franklin and Journey. Jackson, almost immediately after the first season, underwent gastric bypass surgery and lost over 110 pounds, and has been able to keep all of the weight off ever since.

“(Weight loss surgery is) a great jump starter,” Jackson said. “You lose a bunch of weight really fast, but maintaining’s another thing because you get there and your mind tells you, ‘Okay, phew. I’m here now. I can start to party and bring out the cheesecakes.’” Jackson went on to explain that he still dabbles in sweets every now and then, but he does so very sparingly and avoids binge eating.

Adele

Known as perhaps one of the greatest singers of any generation, Adele is a multi-grammy winner who has produced hit songs including “Rolling in the Deep”, “Hello”, and “Set Fire to the Rain”, just to name a few. For much of her life, though, Adele had a weight problem, much of which she attributed to overindulging in alcohol and snack food.

It’s reported that Adele lost 100 pounds during her remarkable transformation, and she attributes much of it to exercise being her newfound love. “I do my weights in the morning, then I normally hike or I box in the afternoon, and then I go and do my cardio at night,” she said. Adele explained that exercise also helped her mental health tremendously, helping to relieve her of anxiety attacks as she was able to take control of her whole body.

Kevin Smith

With a small amount of money, New Jersey native Kevin Smith was able to put together the film “Clerks” which ended up being a cult classic. It launched Smith into a career where he earned larger budgets, leading him to direct fan favorites including “Chasing Amy”, “Mallrats”, and “Dogma”. Smith, who had his weight constantly brought up in the films, and he topped out at nearly 330 pounds.

Smith suffered a heart attack that required emergency surgery, and he was told to stop the yo-yo dieting and keep the weight off for good. Smith took that advice seriously and lost 50 pounds almost immediately, then continued to slowly lose the rest of the weight. He adopted a vegan lifestyle, joined Weight Watchers, and cut out all of his other vices to boost his health even further.

Missy Elliott

Known as one of the best rappers of all time, female or male, Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott was dubbed the ‘Queen of Rap’ for good reason. Thanks to hits like “Get Ur Freak On”, “Gossip Folks”, and “One Minute Man”, Elliott ascended to the top, but her weight also continued to climb early on in her career. Elliott’s weight became a trademark, but in the early 2000s, she showed up to the scene much lighter and more successful than ever.

While Elliott had yo-yo’d a little bit after her initial weight loss, she showed up slimmer than ever in the late 2010s. Elliott received a health scare when she was diagnosed with Grave’s disease, which affected her thyroid. Elliott said that through diet and exercise, she was able to take control of the disease. This included cutting out soda and bread, and sticking with water for her drinks. It wasn’t easy, but Elliott says it’s worth it.

John Goodman

For much of his career, John Goodman was heralded as the actor in Hollywood you wanted to go to when you needed a heavier-set character who could act circles around anyone else in the room. Because of this, Goodman landed notable roles that included “Roseanne”, “The Flintstones”, and “The Babe”, all of which required a large man.

However, Goodman arrived to work one day much lighter than he had been, and at most had lost 200 pounds in total. While Goodman saw his weight creep back up every now and then, he’d make sure to get back on the right track before getting back to his highest. Cutting out alcohol was a big factor, saying that not drinking beer helped him more than anything.

5 Surprising Facts About the History of Timekeeping

Posted on by scatty

Time is an abstract concept, but almost all of us around the world adhere to that concept. Despite the fact that we’re small specks on a massive sphere that itself is a small speck in the ever-expanding cosmos, everything seems to be a matter of seconds on Earth. If you’re a few seconds too late or early, it can make all of the difference in your life, from avoiding car accidents to being fired from your job and everything else that happens.

Humans haven’t always kept track of time down to the second, though. It took many generations to get to the current way we perceive and track time. Timekeeping has had a lot of interesting moments throughout its history, resulting in these five surprising facts that you may not have known about.

Using Water

Most people are familiar with the fact that the earliest forms of measuring time came via the sundial, but we also used water to measure time. The low and high tides could tell you what time of the day it was, but specific water clocks were also used, with several regions laying claim to the invention. Mesopotamia, India, and China all have water clock origins that date back as far as 4000 BC.

So how does a water clock operate? There are markings on the clock, and with every drip, you would be closer to measuring one hour. There were two types of water clocks, with inflow and outflow both having somewhat similar designs. To the modern eye, they look more like coffee mugs than clocks, but they got the job done.

The Definition of a Second is More Modern Than You Think

Keeping track of time in an hour is pretty easy once you get the hang of it, as most of us master the art by the time we hit five or six years old. There are 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour, and 60 seconds in a minute. But what exactly is a second? Most of us simply accepted the second for what it was when it was invented all the way back in 1644 by French mathematician Marin Mersenne.

Mersenne used a pendulum to mark one unit of time, and everyone just adopted it without really asking what it meant. Since then, there have only been a couple of accepted definitions, and the current definition wasn’t defined until 1967. Not 1667…1967. So what is a second? “The time it took the cesium-133 atom to release 9,192,631,770 cycles of microwave radiation when making its ‘hyperfine energy transition.’” Easy enough, right?

The Watch Inventor Killed a Guy

Peter Henlein, a German locksmith, is credited with inventing the portable watch in 1511, changing the world forever as many of us were able to tell the time without needing to rely on a clocktower or the sun (or the cell phone these days). Growing up, Henlein was an apprentice and showed off his new skills as a young adult in the early 16th century.

In 1504, though, Henlein got into an altercation with another locksmith. The locksmith, Georg Glaser, died in the brawl, and Henlein was one of the men accused of his murder. Instead of serving prison time, he was granted asylum, giving him time to focus on creating the portable watch. It turned out that his being granted asylum led to his invention, though poor Glaser isn’t as remembered these days.

12 Hours vs 24 Hours

One thing that all of us can agree on is that there are 24 hours in a day. However, what much of the world is torn on is whether time should be told on a 12-hour basis or a full 24-hour basis. It’s almost right down the middle in terms of which one your country uses. The United States is the largest country that only observes the 12-hour clock while many major nations including Canada, Australia, India, and China observe both clocks.

So why are nations so split between which clock should be used? Simply put, countries that found mechanical clocks easier to use on a 12-hour basis ran with it and made it the standard. Most of these countries are English-speaking or are in North Africa due to the original 24-hour day being set by two 12-hour halves in Egypt. 

On the Same Page

All of us run on the exact same time, no matter what time zone we’re in. It’s important for everyone to have a clock that’s on the exact second, but it wasn’t until the 20th century that this was adopted as Coordinated Universal Time.

You can thank the International Astronomical Union for getting us all set up back in 1928. The first few decades saw a few changes, but on January 1, 1960, every nation linked up times, even staying together during daylight savings and leap years.

5 Surprising Facts About the History of Flight

Posted on by scatty

There are around 100,000 flights that take to the skies every single day. It’s wild to think that within around a century, airplanes went from being a wild new invention to essentially sky buses that could take us across the world in a matter of hours. Very few fields of technology advanced quite as quickly as flight, the history isn’t all that long, but it is fascinating.

While there are some well-documented aspects of flight history, there is also a lot that most people don’t know about. Let’s take a look at some of the more surprising facts about the history of flight and how they shaped aviation as we know it today.

The First Commercial Airline Was Short (and Short-Lived)

The first commercial airline in world history might not have originated where you thought, didn’t last as long as you thought, and had a shorter path than you thought. That line is the SPT Airboat Line, and you can probably guess all of the destinations when you hear the full name: St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line. What was (then) a 20-hour drive by car in 1914 was shortened to just 90 minutes via the SPT Airboat Line.

P.E. Fansler enlisted aviator and manufacturer Thomas W. Benoist to help build and start the fleet that had a grand total of two aircraft. The company opened for business on January 1, 1914, but it didn’t last for long. The company closed on May 5, 1914, but not before more than 1,200 people made their way from St. Petersburg to Tampa (or vice-versa) over the course of 172 flights.

Leaving the Country

There are a lot of hoops you have to jump through to get from one country to another, especially when it comes to air travel. Even then, it took five years to work out the schematics of the first commercial flight that would cross country borders. On August 25, 1919, the first international flight took place with service from London to Paris.

The flight operated by Air Transport & Travel (now British Airways) was a daily trip both ways. Of course, international flights would change dramatically over the following decades. At the height of international travel, there were nearly 3 billion passengers in a single year. 

Attendance Was Light For The First Flight

When you think about monumental moments in human history, one of the first that comes to mind is the Wright Flyer making the 120-foot trip in Kittyhawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903. That 12-second flight was just the start of what humans could accomplish with aviation, but you would think that the crowd for something like that would be huge, even if it was just a 12-second flight.

However, there were only 10 people believed to have been there outside of the Wright Brothers. It’s unclear who those people were or if they were just simply walking by and wanted to see what the brothers were up to. Either way, the first flight that would help launch an industry that has taken hundreds of millions around the world was seen by just 10 people.

The Busiest Airline Route

If you think about the most frequently flown routes in the world, you might think of something like New York City-Los Angeles, Beijing-Shanghai, or something along those lines. Instead, the busiest route in the world belongs to two cities that are in the same country, and that country is rather small. Jeju International Airport on the southern island of South Korea is the second largest airport in the country.

The largest, of course, is Seoul Gimpo. More than 1 million people make the trip between the two airports each month, with Sapporo and Tokyo coming in second place. The main reason, of course, is that Jeju Island is a massive hub for South Korean business, and the fastest (and cheapest) way to get there is to fly from Seoul.

The New Safety Standard

At the start of commercial aviation, the number of fatalities and plane crashes was through the roof. You could expect more than 4,000 fatalities and over 600 crashes, but those days are long gone. The 1960s saw a huge drop, but things started creeping back up in the 1970s. New regulations were put into place around the start of the 1980s, and airplanes have only gotten safer with every passing year.

It was only a matter of time before the world saw the amount of airplane-related fatalities drop below 400. In 2017, it finally happened, with only 399 recorded deaths. There were also 101 reported incidents, which meant it was nearly the first year with under 100. The first time there were under 100 air incidents came in 2020, but that has an asterisk due to the stoppage of air travel because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

5 Surprising Facts About the History of Television

Posted on by scatty

Around the world, a very small percentage of homes don’t have at least one television. In developed countries, people are almost stunned to find that you don’t have one in the house, even if you don’t use it. The television has come a long way from being a massive and expensive novelty that took up half the living room to a cheap and thin hyper-realistic device that can be mounted to a wall.

In all of those years between, there have been some fascinating things to happen in television history. Let’s take a look at five of the most surprising facts about that history and how they molded TV as we know it.

The First TVs Looked Like Record Players

Before the electronic television was invented in 1927 by Philo Farnsworth, mechanical television had been decades in the making. Essentially, the machine looked like a large radio box hooked up to what looked like a record player attached to a blender. A cone would allow people to look into the ‘televisor’ which displayed pictures using the metal disc which received radio signals. 

At 7.5 frames per second, it was revolutionary for its time, but the electronic version was coming along quite quickly. Though mechanical televisions were quite popular at the start of the television era, they were phased out by 1933 when almost every company and network focused on electric TVs. Not everyone was happy as the mechanical TVs of the time allowed for larger videos, but the difficulty and cost of the mechanical television just ended up being too much.

The First Sporting Event Wasn’t Professional

When we think of television in the modern era, the first thing that networks think about is sports. Most cable companies would be in serious trouble if it weren’t for live sports, and there are endless options for fanatics to get their fix. In the early days of television, though, you had to be incredibly lucky to find a sporting event. While leagues like the English Premier League and National Football League dominate airwaves now, the first sports broadcast wasn’t a professional game.

Instead, the first event was a baseball game between Columbia and Princeton Universities on May 17, 1939. NBC was the network that had the idea of broadcasting the game, and it ended up being a huge hit. Other networks would soon follow suit in the coming years, and sports coverage really ramped up following World War II. Now, events like the Super Bowl dominate the airwaves every year.

The Early Flat Screens Were Extremely Expensive

The flat-screen television of today is the standard, and getting one that’s 42 inches or larger costs nearly nothing these days. That was the opposite case back in the late 1990s when they made their debut. The first flat-screen television was released in 1997 by Fujitsu, and it cost $15,000 and weighed over 40 pounds. For that money, you’d think it was massive, but it was only 42 inches.

The first couple of years saw flat-screen televisions increasing in size, but the prices didn’t come down very much. It wasn’t until major electronics companies started to make them much easier and cheaper, allowing them to phase out CRT televisions. By the late 2000s, the same-sized flat-screen that first broke onto the market would only be around $500, and by the end of the 2010s, you could get one for about $200.

Ads Weren’t Always a Thing

After the invention of the television, it took more than a decade for advertising to sink its claws into the market. Earlier, we mentioned how a college baseball game was the first sports broadcast, but it was on a professional baseball broadcast where the first ad appeared. It was right before the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies squared off on July 1, 1941.

The game was being broadcast on NBC, and just before the first pitch, a 10-second spot for Bulova aired, saying “America runs on Bulova time.” Advertisements these days are injected into every broadcast, and can cost millions for a 30-second spot. However, Bulova paid just $9 for their name to be shown to millions across the United States.

Royals Dominate The Airwaves

When you’re talking about the most-watched broadcasts in television history, there are a few things that have dominated in every country. Sporting events fill up a lot of the most-watched broadcasts, as well as news events like the Apollo 11 landing on the moon, or monumental entertainment moments like Live Aid or Elvis visiting Hawaii.

However, it’s the royal family that has laid claim to some of the most-watched broadcasts in world history. The funeral for Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 took the new number-one spot with over 5 billion viewers worldwide. Other royal family events in the top 20 include the funeral of Princess Diana, Prince Harry’s wedding, and Prince Charles’s wedding.

5 Surprising Facts About the History of Medicine

Posted on by scatty

The world of medicine is a fascinating one and it’s constantly improving. It wasn’t that long ago that we thought that leeches would cure what ailed us and that smoking was good for our health. Because of this, there are a lot of weird and surprising facts about the world of medicine. Let’s take a look at some of those shocking stats which range from the hospitals we use to the fields we study, and even some soft drink science.

The First Physician

Many people know the name Imhotep from Ancient Egypt, but may only know that name from “The Mummy” film series. Not only was Imhotep a real person, but he is credited as being the first-ever recognized physician. While the tales of his life weren’t revealed until hundreds of years after his death. Imhotep was a physician on top of being a sculptor, carpenter, priest, and even a magician.

You can add physician to that list, though, as Imhotep was truly a man of all trades. It’s unclear exactly what his medicinal practices were like, but he was referred to as the God of medicine and healing. Some researchers have said that Imhotep treated a long list of ailments, though, which include appendicitis and gout. We do know that Imhotep performed surgeries, but his success rate is unclear.

Virology Is Not That Old

When we think of viruses, we think of plagues that have haunted humans throughout history, including smallpox, which wiped out millions of people for centuries, including hundreds of thousands per year in the 17th century. With the number of people in human history who have died because of a virus, you’d think that we would have learned about how they work far earlier than the end of the 19th century.

However, it wasn’t until Dmitri Ivanovsky used a filter underneath a microscope to look at a diseased tobacco plant. That was how virology came to be as scientists wanted to study Ivanovsky’s findings even further. What’s even more interesting is that vaccines actually predate virology, so people were aware that diseases could occur, but 

Pepsi Was a Medicine

While the end of the 19th century saw the invention of virology, there were also a ton of medicinal moments which ended up being blunders. Among them was the invention of what we now know as Pepsi, a refreshing cola that we deem to be poor for our health. When it was founded by Caleb Bradham in North Carolina in 1893, though, it was called Brad’s Drink and a cure for stomach ailments.

Bradham sold the drink at his drugstore with the promise of boosting energy and digestion. In fact, the name Pepsi-Cola (which was adopted in 1898, five years after its invention), was in reference to pepsin, an enzyme that promotes digestion. It didn’t take long until we found out that the sugary drink was only for taste, but not until the world was introduced to a delicious beverage.

The Oldest American Hospital is Still Standing

The first hospital on record was established in Baghdad, Iraq in 805 CE. You have to go nearly a millennia into the future to find the first hospital in the United States. Of course, America is a much younger area, and it wasn’t until colonial times that a hospital made its way to the area. That hospital was a two-story brick building in what is now City Hall Park in New York City in 1736 known as Bellevue Hospital.

While most of the hospitals that were built afterward were completely torn down, replaced, or went out of business, that hasn’t been the case for Bellevue. Officially known as NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue these days, Bellevue is still one of the best hospitals in New York City, but in more modern times has the stigma of being for the mentally ill due to a psychiatric ward, but it’s much more than that. The next oldest hospital still running in the United States is 15 years younger than Bellevue.

The History of Alcoholism Treatment

Throughout time, addiction is something that has made people suffer from the highest-ranking nobles to the most common man. Alcoholism is the most common form of addiction in the world, and it has been that way for centuries. Because of this, there have been many different attempts at finding a cure for alcoholism, but we still haven’t found one that’s 100 percent effective.

One of the oldest forms of treatment was the Amanita muscaria mushroom, which is a hallucinogenic that was used as the most common form of treatment for several millenniums. Treatments since then have included opium, lotus flowers, hashish, and even heroin. These days, most treatments come in the form of mental support, but there are some medicines which can help to reduce the symptoms of withdrawals.

New York City on a Budget: 5 Essential Tips

Posted on by scatty

Each year, New York City pulls in more than 60 million visitors from outside of the metro area and the United States, making it one of the most visited cities in the world. It’s almost its own country with its sheer size and massive population, and there’s plenty to offer those millions who visit. One of the main reasons that people have held off on going to the Big Apple, though, is the cost.

New York can be one of the most expensive cities around if you don’t know what to expect. Thankfully, we’ve got some great tips on visiting America’s largest city. Here are five essentials you need to know when going to New York City on a budget.

Go LaGuardia (Sometimes)

If you’re visiting from another city in the United States, you’re almost always going to want to fly into LaGuardia Airport. It’s a much cheaper option for domestic flights, but JFK might be your only option if you’re international.

Also, when looking at flights, make sure that your one into LaGuardia is significantly cheaper if you want to save. That’s because JFK is easier to get to via public transportation, which may offset your savings if flying into LaGuardia.

Ride the Rails

Here in the United States, let’s just say that the public transportation infrastructure is lacking in most major cities. It’s hard to get around in any way but a car, but that’s not the case for New York City more than any other in America. Beginning operation in 1904, the New York City Subway has more than 6 million riders every day, and it’s because you can go wherever you need in the NYC metro without a car or extensive walking.

The best part about using the subway lines in New York City is the price. In most cases, you’ll pay under $3 for a single ride and you no longer need to carry cash with you to pay. If you plan on staying a little longer, you can get a MetroCard which can be refilled to give you more rides without having to pull out your phone. Nowhere else besides Chicago offers a US subway system this extensive.

Avoid The Swanky Areas

As we’ve noted, getting around New York City is cheap and convenient, so you can stay in any borough and only pay $2.75 to get to another. Many people who visit from outside of the city make a beeline for Manhattan because that’s where all of the more upscale hotels are. However, all of the boroughs have their charm for a much lower cost.

If you want to save yourself hundreds (if not more) over the course of your stay in NYC and don’t mind a 20-minute trip to Manhattan, you can stay in Queens where they offer plenty of affordable (but good) hotels. Plus, if you stay in Queens, you’re going to be much closer to popular visitor spots like Flushing Meadows and Citi Field.

Look For The Free Hotspots

It seems that these days in New York City, it costs at least a $1 fee just to stand on the sidewalk. However, there are still plenty of great free visitor attractions to be found. Of course, Central Park is the one that always draws the attention of tourists, and it certainly lives up to the hype. Any time of year is a great one to visit, but make sure to avoid the extra costs like carriage rides.

The other big free destination that people often relate to New York City is Times Square. While it’s mainly just a lot of advertisements in one intersection, it’s still a hotspot just to say you’ve seen it in person. Taking a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, going to one of the many free museums, or popping into Grand Central Station are all other great options that won’t cost you a dime. 

Ask Locals For Food Recommendations

There are a lot of people who live in New York City that don’t have a lot of money to their name, and one of the biggest reasons is that they’re saving money on food. New York has featured a lot of prominent restaurants on television and film which have brought in tourists, but it’s better to ask the locals where to eat.

You’re going to get some great recommendations, and probably some memorable stories about that restaurant. Once you’ve walked around the city for a while, you’ll start to get a feel for which restaurants are more beloved by locals and more affordable compared to the overpriced ones that are just tourist traps.

Japan on a Budget: 5 Essential Tips

Posted on by scatty

During the 2000s, there were about six to eight million people who made their way to Japan each year as visitors. In the 2010s, that number skyrocketed, growing each year until reaching nearly 32 million prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourism became a larger focus for Japan, and it’s easy to see why they’d want to have so many come to visit.

Japan has a lot to offer, but it can become expensive in a hurry if you’re not sure what to expect. If visiting Japan has always been your dream but you’re worried about the cost, we have you covered. Here are five essential tips for visiting Japan on a budget.

Picking the Airport and Time

If you want to fly anywhere in Japan, the cheapest time of the year is going to be between March and May while the most expensive times fall at the end of the year. Once October comes to a close, flights start to skyrocket, so try to find that sweet spot of mid-April or early-October for the best prices.

When it comes to airports, you’re going to have a lot of options due to Japan’s size. Tokyo is going to be your best bet for the cheapest airport due to its massive size. Osaka isn’t too far behind while Nagoya, Okinawa, and Kagoshima are a bit more on the expensive side. International carriers like United can get you there the cheapest while flying Japan Airlines within the country is the cheapest.

Get a Train Pass

No matter where you fly into, you can make it to all the great tourist spots in Japan thanks to the country’s rail system. Buying a Japan Rail Pass allows you to travel for one, two, or three weeks unlimited without needing to worry about refilling your card. This is an absolute must even if you don’t plan on using the rail system all that much.

While they aren’t all that cheap on the surface (around $225 USD for the seven-day pass), it’s going to save you a ton in other travel expenses. There is an upgrade option for the Green Pass that’s offered, but you’ll want to avoid that to save money. What Japan considers to be coach class on a train is what we expect the first class to be like on an American flight, after all.

Capsule Hotels

There are a lot of us that need the perfect scenario in which to fall asleep. We need a fan running, we need complete darkness, and maybe a little bit of ASMR until we doze off. Then, there are those that aren’t concerned about being in a super-cramped space, they just need to be vertical. If you’re in that latter category, you’re in luck, because Japan has what’s known as capsule hotels.

Think of them as large human-sized filing cabinets where you can get some sleep. These are popular tourist spots, so not all of them are cheap, but many run for as little as $10 to $20 per night. When you just need a place to rest your head, it’s hard to beat that price compared to some of the larger hotel rooms which can be nearly $1,000 per night.

Visit Familiar Spots

You might scoff at the idea of leaving the United States or Europe, heading all the way to Japan and eating at a KFC, or stopping at a 7-Eleven. However, you shouldn’t, because those two chains in Japan are much, much different than they are in the rest of the world. In fact, the 7-Eleven that most of us know as a convenience store offers affordable great-tasting food that will make you wonder why it’s not the standard.

While Americans and Brits are also used to Dollar General or Poundland, Japan offers 100-Yen stores. Again, like KFC and 7-Eleven, the quality of these stores is through the roof compared to the other countries. These are great spots for toiletries during your stay and even full-on grocery shopping in a pinch.

Head to the Historical Spots

There are going to be some very convincing places in Japan to spend money like the Pachinko machines or the Pokemon Store. Instead, to save money, try visiting many of the historical sites that are completely free of charge and are absolutely breathtaking. 

Some of the best spots that you can visit include the Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine, the Senso-ji Temple, and Dotombori District. While they might lack some of the glitz and glamour that downtown Tokyo offers, it’s going to save you a lot of money during your stay.

Florida on a Budget: 5 Essential Tips

Posted on by scatty

Florida is the third-most populous state in the US, and the second-most visited behind only California with tens of millions making their way to the Sunshine State each year. There are some very obvious reasons why people head to Florida, especially when you consider that the state has more coastline than any other on the mainland (yes even more than California).

When people visit Florida, they tend to spend a lot of money. If you’ve always wanted to check out the best of what Florida has to offer and either don’t want to break the bank or don’t have too much to spend, we can help. Here are five essential tips for visiting Florida on a budget.

Fly to These Two Areas

You know an area is reliant on having millions upon millions of tourists come in to dump their hard-earned money in other areas when the flights are incredibly cheap. No airport in the United States is cheaper to fly to than Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. The second and third-cheapest airlines, though? They both belong in Florida.

Florida relies heavily on tourism, so flights are numerous to even the smaller airports of the state. However, the two cheapest airports are Orlando International (MCO) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL). What makes these two even more tempting for travelers is that they offer direct flights to some of the smaller markets in the United States that have decent-sized airports.

Disney Plans

Let’s face it, the biggest reason that many people from around the world come to Florida is because they want to visit the Disneyworld Resort in Orlando. After all, that’s why Orlando has the second-cheapest airport to fly to in the United States. If you’re going to Disney, you’ll have to show a lot of restraint unless you want to end up spending thousands of dollars on tickets, food, lodging, and, naturally, all the merchandise.

The biggest way to save yourself money is by booking far in advance and during one of the cheaper months. January, February, and November offer low rates, but September is the best time as the kids are all back at school. Shopping around for a hotel on the Disney property while also avoiding a lot of the add-ons like desserts and souvenirs (yes that will be hard) will save you hundreds of dollars.

Ticket Tips

The tickets at Disney Parks themselves become a bigger percentage of the yearly expenditures for visitors every year, but there are ways to get them cheaper. Disney offers a Park Hopper ticket that allows you to go from park to park freely. However, once you get there, you’ll realize that it can take more than two entire days just to enjoy the Disneyworld park itself. Stick to the value pass and download the Genie+ app so you know which rides have the shortest lines.

Disney doesn’t have a monopoly on theme parks in Florida, though. There are plenty of others who would rather visit Universal Studios. The opposite situation is true at Universal, where buying the multi-park pass will actually save you money. The parks (Universal Studios, SeaWorld, Wet ‘n Wild) are much smaller and will give more value over a three-day trip.

Coupons Galore

Have you ever been inside a hotel or a gas station and they have that rack near the door which is filled to the brim with traveler’s brochures? Well, most of those pamphlets, brochures, and booklets were placed there by Florida companies or the Florida tourism board. A lot of those brochures are jam-packed with coupons in hopes of promoting the tourism industry which Florida relies on heavily.

From getting half-priced on go-karts in Kissimmee to a free sub sandwich at the Miami Children’s Museum, there’s a way to save at least a few dollars at every popular tourist stop in Florida. There are even discounts for hotels in cities throughout the state, so you’ll never have to pay full price for your stay whether you’re headed to Disney, Tallahassee, Tampa, or anywhere else.

Stick to Beaches

If you really want to get the biggest Florida experience without breaking the bank, spending your time near the beach is going to be the best way to do that. Because of the insane amount of coastline that we mentioned earlier, there are a lot of hotels that are competing to give you the lowest price. 

Not only that, but grocery stores are going to have cheaper options and you don’t have to worry about a theme park’s outside food policy. Also, about 40 percent of the entire Florida coastline is open to the public, giving you hundreds of miles of options to choose from when you’re soaking up the sun.

The World of Mineral Collecting: A Guide to Building Your Collection

Posted on by scatty

Mineral collecting is a fascinating hobby that has captivated people for generations. From the young to the old, this is a pastime that appeals to all ages. Many mineral collectors find peace and satisfaction in hunting for and collecting various minerals. When you’re starting out, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. But with a little education and guidance, anyone can confidently begin collecting minerals. This guide will provide you with everything you need to know to start building your mineral collection.

Getting Started with Mineral Collecting

Before embarking on the exciting world of mineral collecting, there are a few essential things you need to know. First, what is mineral collecting, and what is the necessary equipment?

Mineral collecting is the process of gathering minerals from their natural environments. It is an activity that requires a range of equipment, including rock hammers, chisels, gloves, safety goggles, and a backpack for carrying and organizing your minerals. Before starting your collection, it’s also essential to research the mineral regions in your area, as well as any laws and regulations that must be followed.

Minerals Worth Collecting

There are numerous types of minerals, but not all of them are worth collecting. To build a valuable and impressive collection, it’s essential to understand the difference between common minerals and worth collecting, as well as rare and valuable minerals.

There are some minerals commonly found in nature that are still interesting to collect. These include quartz, amethyst, malachite, and calcite. However, rare and valuable minerals, such as diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires, require significant investment and time to find.

Knowing how to identify the minerals you’re collecting is crucial to ensure that you’re not wasting time with common minerals.

Where to Find Minerals

When it comes to finding minerals worthy of your collection, it’s all about location. There are certain areas rich in specific types of minerals, so it’s essential to do your research before heading out.

The Internet is a great resource to help you find areas rich in minerals in your state or within driving distance. Rock and mineral clubs are also great resources where you can learn from fellow collectors and join outings to mineral-rich areas.

It’s also important to keep in mind that collecting minerals is not only about finding the best specimen but also about protecting the environment and following ethical considerations.

Building Your Collection

Once you’ve gathered your minerals, you should focus on building your collection. The following tips will help you organize and display your collection.

  • Tip #1 – Categorize Your Minerals: Start by organizing your mineral collection into categories. Group minerals based on their type, location, size, or rarity. Doing so will help you keep track of what you have and what you need to collect.
  • Tip #2 – Label Everything: Once you have categorized your minerals, make sure they’re properly labeled. This labeling method will allow you to identify your minerals at a glance, and over time, you will develop an eye for the details of each mineral.
  • Tip #3 – Display Options for Collections: You can display your minerals’ beauty by using display cases or shelves. Choose a method that works best for your space and be creative.
  • Tip #4 – Storage: Proper storage is essential to prevent damage to your mineral collection. Minerals must be kept in a dry, cool place away from sunlight and humidity. It’s essential to avoid keeping minerals near chemicals because some minerals can react with them.

Understanding Mineral Grades and Conditions

Evaluating the quality and condition of the minerals in your collection is crucial to understand the minerals’ value. When assessing a mineral, some factors to keep in mind are shape, color, transparency, texture, brightness, and rarity. The better the quality of a mineral, the more valuable it is.

Proper care and maintenance of minerals as they age are equally essential. Storing minerals in a dry and cool place to avoid changing their composition should be a priority.

Appreciating the Aesthetics of Mineral Collecting

Mineral collectors appreciate and value their collections based on their aesthetics or beauty. It is often said that, in the natural world, beauty lies in material substances. Some minerals can be stunning with different hues, crystal forms, and shine, adding value to an already valuable collection.

The beauty of a mineral can also be easily appreciated in its natural setting. Visiting a mineral-rich area and observing the natural surroundings in which minerals form can be an enjoyable and awe-inspiring experience.

Challenges of Mineral Collecting

Ethical and legal considerations, avoiding environmental impacts, and protecting your collection from damage or theft are challenges you may face as a mineral collector.

Minerals, like any other valuable commodity, require consideration for ethical and legal considerations. Mineral collecting often happens in fragile natural environments that could harm the environment if not managed appropriately. It can also lead to government interventions where hunting down illegal collectors, levying fines, or even confiscating collections.

It’s important that collectors adhere to regulations and consider community and environmental welfare when conducting hobbies like mineral collecting.

Protecting your mineral collection from theft will also require precautions. This includes investing in a safe, installing security cameras, and ensuring that all minerals and information about them are kept confidential. It’s essential not to make public promotions about newly acquired specimens to avoid unwanted attention.