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10 Very Tough Spelling Bee Words – And To Remember the Correct Spellings!

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Whether you’re in a local spelling bee or competing at the national level, there are going to be some tough words that get in your way. While you might think that you know how to spell them just from how they sound, that’s not always the case. Let’s take a look at some of the toughest spelling bee words that we’ve seen from competitions, what they mean, and how you can remember to nail the correct spelling when it comes up.

Iridocyclitis

Meaning: The acute inflammation of the iris and ciliary body.

Pronunciation: Ee-ruh-dow-sai-klai-tuhs

Language of Origin: English

How to Remember: When knowing that it has to do with the iris, should help with the first part of the word. Cyclitis is pertaining to the ciliary body, too, so it’s important to remember that word when preparing for a spelling bee, as well.

Neutercane

Meaning: A subtropical cyclone that is usually less than 100 miles in diameter and that draws energy from sources common to both the hurricane and the frontal cyclone.

Pronunciation: no̅o̅′tər kān′

Language of Origin: Latin and English

How to Remember: The first part of neutercane might throw you off because it doesn’t have anything to do with your housepets. Once you remember that, simply remember that it’s the common ‘c’ instead of the ‘k’ and you’ll be set.

Asceticism

Meaning: A severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.

Pronunciation: a-sed-iss-is-um

Language of Origin: Greek

How to Remember: Because it’s Greek, you can count on the first syllable being asc, which is where he get words such as ascend. The tricky part is remembering that it’s ‘eti’ in the middle instead of ‘ete’ while the -ism at the end speaks for itself.

Idiosyncrasy

Meaning: A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group, or a physiological or temperamental peculiarity.

Pronunciation: id-ee-o-syn-cra-see

Language of Origin: Greek

How to Remember: The idio prefix is one that comes naturally for a lot of spellers, but the syncrasy part is where many get tripped up. Remember your ‘y’ instead of the ‘i’ and that the Greek causes the ending to be spelled with an -asy instead of -isy.

Playwright

Meaning: A person who writes plays.

Pronunciation: plā-rīt

Language of Origin: English

How to Remember: This one throws a lot of people off because we spell the word copyright without the ‘w’ in the middle, while also spelling copywriting and copyright. Think of the fact that it’s a writer, and it should help you realize how to spell the word with the w and without the -ite ending.

Odontalgia

Meaning: A pain in or about the tooth.

Pronunciation: ō-ˌdän-ˈtal-j-ē-ə

Language of Origin: New Latin and Greek

How to Remember: 

Smaragdine

Meaning: Of or pertaining to emeralds. Having the color of emeralds.

Pronunciation: Sm-uh-rag-deen

Language of Origin: New Latin and Greek

How to Remember: While the beginning and end of the word are pretty straightforward when it comes to spelling, the part where most spellers get tripped up is in the middle. Many think that it’s a ‘u’ or ‘e’ based on how they hear it in their heads, but don’t overthink it and spell it with the ‘a.’

Xanthosis

Meaning: The yellow discoloration of the skin from abnormal causes.

Pronunciation: zanˈthōsə̇s

Language of Origin: Greek

How to Remember: The first thought that a lot of people will have with xanthosis is that it starts with a ‘z’ instead of an ‘x.’ The Greek language of origin should be a dead giveaway, though, as very few words in ancient Greek start with z. 

Crustaceology

Meaning: The branch of zoology dealing with crustaceans.

Pronunciation: Krus-tay-see-all-oh-gee

Language of Origin: English and Latin

How to Remember: Just like with any ‘ology’ it’s all about realizing where the prefix word ends. For crustaceans, it cuts off the -ans suffix, much like virology, which cuts off the -us plural from virus. It’s all about making it into a singularity in your head.

Heiau

Meaning: An ancient Hawaiian temple or sacred site.

Pronunciation: hāou

Language of Origin: Hawaiian

How to Remember: When it comes to Hawaiian, you pretty much have to be an expert as the vowels can be tricky. The phonology is different in Hawaii, so figuring out the ‘ei’ and ‘au’ sounds are paramount for spellers.

5 Famous People From North Carolina

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When you think of states that have produced famous celebrities, you tend to think of places like California or New York. North Carolina isn’t very high on that list, at all, but there has still been some A-list talent to come from the Tar Heel State. Here are five people who called North Carolina their home throughout their childhood before becoming big-time stars.

Ava Gardner

One of the biggest stars during the Golden Age of Hollywood, Ava Gardner appeared in films throughout the 1940s, 50s, and 60s including “The Killers”, “The Barefoot Contessa” and “Seven Days in May”. The beautiful award-winning star took an incredibly winding path to Hollywood, and it all started in Grabtown, North Carolina where she was born on Christmas Eve in 1922.

When she was born, Gardner’s parents were tobacco sharecroppers, though they would end up losing the farm while she was a child. She remained in the state for several years while her parents worked odd jobs until she moved to Virginia briefly, then headed back to North Carolina. It was in Rock Ridge where she finished high school before leaving for New York City and beginning her film career.

Jaime Pressly

Jaime Pressly is one of those rare people in Hollywood that has a southern accent and wasn’t really asked to change it. Instead, she has used it to her advantage thanks to roles in films including “Joe Dirt” and “Not Another Teen Movie” while also starring in memorable TV roles in “My Name is Earl” and “Mom”.

Pressly’s accent comes from her time in North Carolina, as she was born in Kinston on July 30, 1977. Pressly’s mother was a dance instructor while her father sold cars in North Carolina, and she remained there for the first 15 years of her life. She made her way to California with her family where she became a model in high school, starting her career. Over the years, Pressly has made her way back to North Carolina multiple times, remembering the state fondly.

Zach Galifianakis

Though his name might suggest that he’s from Greece, Zach Galifianakis was born and raised in North Carolina. Galifianakis was born on October 1, 1969 in Wilkesboro, North Carolina where his mother operated a community arts center while his father worked in oil. Galifianakis attended Wilkes Central High School and then North Carolina State University where he got into acting and honed his comedy skills.

It was clear that Galifianakis was a bright star in the comedy, and he started landing gigs as a writer, including a brief stint with “Saturday Night Live”. Eventually, he made his way in front of the camera as a star, landing memorable roles in hit films “The Hangover” and “Due Date” while also starring in the television series “Baskets”.

Evan Rachel Wood

Evan Rachel Wood started out her acting career at a very young age, appearing in TV shows as a child including “American Gothic” and “Once and Again”. When she got into adulthood, Wood transitioned into more serious roles and made her way to the big screen, starring in movies including “The Wrestler” and “The Ides of March”, while more recently appearing in “Frozen II” and “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”.

Wood’s parents Sara Lynn Moore and David Wood III are actors, as well, and were based out of Raleigh, North Carolina where Evan Rachel was born on September 7, 1987. Wood got involved in acting with her parents locally at a young age, and when her television career took off, the family moved to California where she became homeschooled and graduated at just 15 years old.

Michael C. Hall

One of the most critically acclaimed shows of the 20th century was “Dexter”, and its success was due in large part to leading man Michael C. Hall. Outside of “Dexter”, Hall has had appearances in “Six Feet Under”, “Game Night” and “Paycheck”, just to name a few. It’s been a solid career for Hall, and he did it after starting in North Carolina.

Hall was born in Raleigh on February 1, 1971 to parents that were not part of the acting scene. He was raised in the city and attended high school and part of college in North Carolina before eventually making his way to New York City to begin acting.

5 Things To Know Before Getting a Car Loan

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There are three massive loans that most people take out in a lifetime. First, you have the home loan, and then the student loan (if you’re in the United States). Then, there’s the car loan, which you’ll end up going through multiple of in most cases throughout your life. Whether you’re heading into your first car loan or your seventh, here are five things you need to know before getting that loan.

1. Trading In

With each passing year, there are more and more people that are trading in their cars due to the ease of convenience. That’s because online companies that manage purchases, trade-ins, and sales have made the car-buying process hassle-free. If you currently have a car, no matter what type of condition it’s in, you’ll be able to trade it in.

Many people have switched to trading in their cars online, while there are still plenty that take their cars directly to the dealer. Of course, there are going to be varying prices for how much that you can get for your trade-in, but a good rule of thumb is to use the Kelly Blue Book to see what your car’s value is. From there, you can use your trade-in to make a big dent in your new car’s purchase price.

2. Down Payment

Trading in your car is the most common and convenient way to make a down payment on your new car instead of coming up with a large sum of cash. Naturally, the larger the down payment the better. It’s important to know how much you can afford for a down payment, and never spend more than you’re able to afford just to bring down your monthly payments by a dollar or two per month.

That’s one of the biggest mistakes that people make when entering into a car loan, as down payments don’t really make a big difference on the loan rates until you start talking increments that are several hundred dollars in most cases. Also, don’t take out another loan just to make a down payment on a car, because then you’re burying two holes.

3. Interest Rate

The absolute biggest thing that’s going to affect how much you pay for your new car is the interest rate. See what you’re approved for before you even start shopping, that way you know how much you can spend. If you’re receiving an offer for an incredibly low-interest rate, you may be able to get a better and newer car than you first expected.

To bring in new customers that clearly have good credit, a lot of dealerships will offer 0% APR or even a cash rebate. You’ll be able to shop around and see what kind of rebate you can get, and the higher rebates equal lower monthly payments. People with poor credit may still be able to afford monthly payments on high-interest rates, but the type of car they’ll be able to get will be much older or have higher mileage.

4. Loan Length

There are plenty of potential car owners that are able to afford a brand-new car every two or three years and can take on those shorter-term car loans while being able to keep up with the high monthly payments. If you’re one of those people that’s willing to commit to a vehicle for several years, though, you might want to take a longer loan.

This is especially true for lower-interest loans as the monthly payments overall will be incredibly low on a new vehicle. That will allow you to save your income for other expenditures rather than worrying about whether or not you can even afford the car in the first place. The typical car loan lasts for 60 months (five years).

5. Type of Car

Now that you have your interest rate, know how much you can trade-in and put down for a down payment, and figured out your monthly payments, it’s time to decide what type of car you want. Each person has different needs, and a lot depends on the climate, commute to work, and size of the family.

Take all of these into consideration, as you don’t want to buy a two-seater if you have several young children while a larger SUV is sitting there at the same price and mileage. Typically, people will know what they’re looking for before the process even begins.

5 Most Catastropic Crashes From Airplane Faults

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When it comes to airplane crashes, a large chunk of them is the result of pilot error or severe weather. Around 20 to 25 percent of the time, though, there’s a mechanical error due to a fault on an airplane. While these crashes aren’t always deadly, they can be catastrophic in the rare event that it does happen. Here are five incidents where airplane faults led to tragic crashes.

Death of Roberto Clemente

On New Year’s Eve 1972, baseball legend Roberto Clemente and four more people were onboard a Douglas DC-7CF en route from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Managua, Nicaragua after an earthquake had devastated the city. Clemente had been spending time in Managua due to coaching the Puerto Rico baseball team and was making a personal effort to provide aid to those affected.

Proper maintenance wasn’t performed on the aircraft, though, and the number two engine failed upon takeoff. The pilot attempted to return to Puerto Rico, and when the plane began descending too quickly tried to take it down into the ocean. Unfortunately, the landing would end up fatal and all five people onboard lost their lives. The pilot was made unaware that earlier in the month, improper maintenance had caused a minor crash for the plane.

American Airlines Flight 1

In what is now John F. Kennedy International Airport, American Airlines Flight 1 took off en route to Los Angeles International Airport on March 1, 1962. The aircraft was one of the newest on the American Airlines lines of Boeing 707s, and it seemed that everything passed the preflight check. After taking off, though, the pilot attempted to make a turn to begin heading west before the plane banked and inverted, initiating a nosedive into the Pumpkin Patch Channel of Jamaica Bay.

It wasn’t the pilot’s fault that the plane was unable to make the turn, however. An investigation into the crash showed that the autopilot system was faulty and it resulted in the rudder system being unable to function properly. All 95 people onboard lost their lives as a result of the improper maintenance, including Olympic gold medalist Emelyn Whiton and a pair of multi-millionaires.

Aeroflot Flight 8641

With more than 120 passengers onboard, Aeroflot Flight 8641 was scheduled to leave Leningrad, Russia, and arrive in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 28, 1982. There were no issues with the flight’s precheck as it only departed one minute late (due to a passenger coming on board late) and the flight was a smooth one to Kyiv. As it began its landing, though, that’s when the trouble started.

The autopilot system began making the descent angle too sharp and ultimately shut off after the plane started going into a sharp drop. The pilots attempted to pull up, but it was too late as the aircraft crashed at nearly 500 miles per hour, resulting in the death of all 132 onboard. The investigation determined the cause of the crash was the jackscrew mechanism not functioning because of improper maintenance that led to metal fatigue.

Finnish Air Force DC-3

Carrying many businesspeople and politicians on their way to a meeting formed by the Finnish Defence Forces, The Finnish Air Force took a DC-3 out of Utti Airport on October 3, 1978. It successfully made it to its stopover at Kuopio Airport, but trouble began when it was headed for its ultimate destination of Helsinki. Just seconds after taking off, one of the engines lost power.

The pilot attempted to make a quick return to the airport, but without the engine, couldn’t make the turn. Winds also played a factor as the aircraft quickly lost altitude and crashed, claiming the lives of all 15 onboard. The report found that the exhaust valve had cracked due to fatigue, resulting in the total engine failure that played a factor into the crash.

USAir Flight 427

On September 8, 1994, USAir Flight 427 was scheduled to take off from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, and make a stopover in Pittsburgh before then heading to Palm Beach, Florida. There were 132 people aboard the Boeing 737-3B7 that day, many of whom were hoping to take a nice vacation in Florida.

Things seemed fine until the flight was arriving in Pittsburgh and started experiencing turbulence. The pilot, Captain Peter Germano, attempted to go against the wind but the rudder malfunctioned and went in the opposite direction. This caused the airplane to stall and the pilots could not recover. There were no survivors as the craft crashed hard at 300 miles per hour.

5 Myths About Missing Persons

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Nothing can be more frightening than when someone that you love and care about goes missing. Going that extended period of time without hearing anything can incite panic and make you think the worst has happened. Before you start to put the worst thoughts into your head about that person and their whereabouts, there are some myths that you should dispel first. Here are the five most common myths about missing persons.

1. The Waiting Period

There’s a popular myth that you have to wait a certain time period before you report somebody missing. For most people, they think that the rule is 24 hours, while some wait for up to 72 hours until they file a report. However, the moment that you think a person is missing, you should alert the local authorities. The sooner that you call them, the better the chances are at finding that person.

There are also plenty that think it’s illegal to not wait a certain time period, while others feel that being a missing person is a crime in itself. Neither of these is true, and police aren’t going to shame you or hassle you for reporting someone missing. They’ve experienced missing person cases where they wish that someone had filed the report sooner because it would have increased the likelihood of finding them.

2. Telling Your Whereabouts

Those that have gone missing typically fear telling people the truth about where they were when they were reported missing. However, it’s only in the case of a missing child that the parents will be informed where they were and when. If you’re an adult that has gone missing and has been located by authorities, however, you don’t have to disclose your location to the reporting party.

Of course, you can give your consent to the police to let them know that you were somewhere safe and had just lost your phone or something innocent along those lines. If you worry about that person and were trying to get away from them, you can let the authorities know, and further action can be taken from there.

3. The Success Rate

In the news, we hear about missing persons who vanish into thin air and are never heard from again, either live or dead. These are sensationalized and turned into news pieces, documentaries, and even fictionalized films. However, it should be known that these cases aren’t just rare, but you nearly have a better chance of being born with 11 fingers or toes than a missing person does of not being found.

The success rate of finding a missing person is over 99.2 percent in the United States, and it’s a similar number for other developed countries around the world including France, Australia, and the United Kingdom. We fear the worst, but it’s usually the best that occurs in these missing persons cases.

4. The Repeat Missing Person Myth

Typically the first time that someone goes off the grid for the first 24 or 48 hours, people are afraid to alert authorities because they think that they’ll be shrugged off. They feel that because the person doesn’t have a history of going missing that their case won’t be taken seriously, but authorities want to make sure that everyone is found and accounted for.

Someone that doesn’t respond to calls, texts, or even answers the door might just be sick or have a broken phone, but they might also be in danger. Don’t be afraid to let authorities know that you have concerns about a person that’s missing for the first time in their life.

5. Information Access

There’s a lot of television shows and movies that will have you believe that there’s a large wiretapping operation that gets set up in living rooms around the country whenever someone goes missing. This is far from being the case, though, as police won’t access any personal data or technology that you’d only see from political wiretappings.

Instead, authorities will try to locate the missing person on social media to see if they made any indication of their whereabouts. From there, they’ll question possible witnesses, family members, and friends, while also scanning the area where the person went missing.

5 Greatest Hip Hop Music Videos Ever

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There was once a time when hip-hop music videos were among the cheapest to produce in the music industry as many of them involved someone simply rapping in front of a camera, whether it be outside or in the studio. During the mid-to-late 1990s, however, music video production exploded in quality as the genre became more mainstream, and multi-million dollar videos were soon being pumped out weekly.

Now, there is a long list of amazing music videos from the genre that have had great direction and artistry while also being accompanied by a great song. Though it’s hard to choose from a long list of an entire genre, here are the five greatest hip-hop music videos ever in our opinion.

California Love

“California Love” is one of the greatest creations to come from the late rapper, Tupac Shakur. Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman were also featured on the 1995 hit. The music video for the song was directed by Hype Williams and filmed in El Mirage, California. 

The video, inspired by Mad Max Beyond the Thundersome, features the artists and various actors such as Chris Tucker, Clifton Powell, and Tony Cox in a dystopian desert setting, dressed in ravaged clothing and body armor as seen in the movie. The song has been listed by countless publications as being one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time.

The Real Slim Shady

“The Real Slim Shady” is the lead single off of Eminem’s 2000 album, The Marshall Mather’s LP. The satirical video starts off with Eminem as a patient in a psych ward, with comedian Kathy Griffin as a nurse. 

The video cuts to different hilariously odd scenes throughout, some with Eminem surrounded by a group of lookalikes, with him pointing out there’s only one Slim Shady and others are just imitating. The video went on to win Best Video and Best Male Video at the MTV Video Music Awards. 

Sabotage    

“Sabotage” serves as the first single off of the Beastie Boys’ 1994 album, Ill Communication. The music video for “Sabotage” was directed by Spike Jonze and is inspired by 70’s crime shows such as Hawaii Five-O and Starsky and Hutch. 

The hilariously action-packed video features the members of the group being introduced as characters in a mock television show intro, fighting crime in 70’s style outfits, wigs, and mustaches. The video was nominated for various awards during the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards but failed to win in any of the categories. 

Jesus Walks

Kanye West had established himself as a producer for many years, but in the early 2000s, he finally got on the other side of the microphone and recorded his debut album “The College Dropout”, which ended up being considered one of the greatest albums in rap history. Among the singles released were “Through the Wire” and “All Falls Down”, with “Jesus Walks” being released later in the album’s life.

There were three different videos released for “Jesus Walks”, with two of them being paid for exclusively by West. The song was deeply important for West and his spirituality, which is why he felt that it was important to spend over $1 million to produce the two additional videos. The one that most people know though was the second version which started with prisoners being treated like modern-day slaves and touched on the social justice issues of the past two centuries in the United States.

Tha Crossroads     

While Bone Thugs-n-Harmony was already an up-and-coming group by the time 1996 came around, the release of “Tha Crossroads” really helped put them on the map. The group, which was then comprised of members Krayzie, Layzie, Bizzy, and Wish Bone, came out with “Tha Crossroads” as a tribute to not just family members that they had lost, but also their mentor Eazy-E after his passing in 1995 at just 30 years old.

The accompanying music video for “Tha Crossroads” was a deep and emotional look at life, death, and the afterlife which included a full choir and even a man that chaperones lost souls into the afterworld. At that point, there hadn’t been many rap music videos that had touched deep into sensitive topics like death and gang vioelnce, but “Tha Crossroads” did that beautifully and became one of the best hip-hop songs of the 1990s.

Birds With the Highest Global Population

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Have you ever seen one bird and then find yourself seeing the same type of bird over and over? There are some species that are certainly much higher in population for various reasons. No matter what country you’re in, there tends to be one type of bird that has a much higher population than the rest.

When you take the entire world into consideration, though, which birds have the highest population? There’s a unique blend of birds on the list, ranging from songbirds to ones that are eaten on a daily basis. Here’s a look at the five birds with the highest global population, how many there are, and how population numbers are controlled.

Chickens

There are approximately 34 billion chickens spanning worldwide as of 2022. Making domesticated chickens the most populous bird on the planet. This comes as no surprise to anyone, being that chickens are small, easy to raise, and eaten more than any other livestock in the world. The US is home to the largest population of chickens, over 9 billion. 

Red-Billed Quelea

Native to sub-Saharan Africa, the Red-Billed Quelea population has reached an astounding 1.5 billion. The small birds are on average no bigger than 4.7 inches long and weigh less than an ounce. Farmers in the region deem them as pests, similar to locusts, due to their feeding habits consisting of sorghum, wheat, rice, corn, and many of their other crops. 

Mourning Dove

Mourning Doves are known for their appearances at funerals, symbolizing letting go of a loved one after passing. It’s estimated that there are nearly 350 million Mourning Doves within North America. Their overbreeding, resulting in their dense population, make them prime for hunting and remain the most plentiful game bird in the region. Hunters make out with about 20 million birds after hunting season ceases. 

American Robin

The American Robin is one of the most plentiful species of undomesticated bird within North America, second to the Mourning Dove, with an estimated 311 million scattered throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The American Robin is the state bird of Michigan, Connecticut, and Wisconsin due to their beauty, their impressively colored eggs, and making themselves constant visitors in residents’ backyards.

Common Pheasant   

The Common Pheasant is just that, common, with over 50 million birds worldwide before hunting season begins in early October. The hunting season ends in early February and can bring the Common Pheasant population down to 5 million. The species, of which there are about 50, are native to parts of Asia and Europe, having been introduced to different parts of the world throughout the years for sport. They’re often used for their meat, as they’re easy to butcher and have a similar look and taste to chicken. 

Red-Winged Blackbird

The striking Red-Winged Blackbird has a population of up to 150 million in North America. Their breeding grounds mostly consist in Canada and occupy all of the United States and most of Mexico year round. They feed on corn, rice, seeds, insects, as well as small fruits and berries. To farmers, they’re seen as mild pests, but do some good by consuming insects that may attempt to infest and ruin their crops. 

Chipping Sparrow

Another extremely populous species of bird, the Chipping Sparrow, has grown in numbers over the years and has reached about 1 billion birds. Chipping Sparrows are not deemed as pests, or game birds and are relatively tame, helpful birds that aid in the prevention of invasive insects. They primarily occupy North America as well as parts of Central America in woodlands, parks, and forest areas. Often foraging for their meals, consisting of seeds, small fruits, and of course insects. 

5 Things To Know Before Buying a Tractor

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Buying a tractor is a huge investment, even more so than a standard vehicle. At the bare minimum, a new tractor is going to cost around $10,000 while some of the higher-end ones can cost hundreds of thousands. There are many people that are looking into buying a tractor for the first time, while others are looking for their next one and wondering what exactly they need.

Before you go shopping for a tractor, there are a lot of details that you should be aware of. Some things are more obvious, while others are much more subtle. Here are the five things that you need to know first before buying a tractor.

1. Budget

Obviously, before you hop into any big purchase, you’ll want to know how much you can spend. Some people go the old-school route and buy a used tractor with straight-up cash while others finance a brand new one whether it be through special loan options via John Deere, Kubota, etc.

You’ll need to know about the ins and outs of financing if you’re going the latter route. From the down payments to interest rates, to the length of the loan, you’ll want to do your homework to make sure that you can afford the payments. Once you’ve figured out how much you can spend upfront or per month from a loan, you’re ready to start seriously shopping and look at the finer details of the tractor itself.

2. What Do You Need

In the same way it is with buying a car, a lot of us have eyes for something that we don’t really need. Sure, you can walk to a car dealership with the money for a convertible, but you live in a cold climate and what you really need is an SUV for the same price. This line of thinking should be placed into purchasing a tractor, as well.

Sure you might want the biggest and most powerful tractor since you can afford it and it looks amazing, but it might not be practical. If you’re on a small acreage of land, that big tractor won’t do much for you, especially in tighter spaces. If your land is small enough, you might not even need a tractor at all!

3. How You Ride

Are you someone that likes to just go along for the ride and let the tractor do most of the work or do you want to get really hands-on? Tractors come with automatic and manual transmissions, so how much work you want to put into riding is up to you, just know that the manual tractors come cheaper.

You’ll also want to consider how much the tractor will be able to do for you in terms of hauling, cultivating, etc. If you don’t need all of the extra bells and whistles and just want a smooth ride, you can get a small automatic tractor just to do some light work around the property while saving a ton of money.

4. Know Your Brand

There used to only be a handful of tractor brands, but as the years have gone one, there have been more to choose from. Because of this, you really have to do your homework to see which one is going to fit best for you. Look at the tractors that you’re thinking of getting, and ask around with people who have owned the same brand.

There are the obvious tractor companies like John Deere, Kubota, and New Holland, but there are plenty of other tractor brands both foreign and domestic that might be right for you. Maybe a Case IH, Massey Ferguson, or Class could be a good option in the long run.

5. Gotta Go Fast

One thing that you won’t want to skimp out on is speed. After all, the reason that tractors are needed in the first place is that they simply make jobs faster. With that said, there’s no such thing as having a tractor that goes too fast. You invest in a tractor to save time and therefore save money.

With that said, a faster tractor might cost more, but it will save you much more time. Brands like JBC are known for having the fastest tractors around, making even the toughest jobs are quick breeze.+

5 Memorable Contestants on The Voice

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Back in 2011, NBC decided to join the singing talent competition game after the success of shows like “American Idol” and “The X Factor”. The show has a simple enough concept, with four superstar judges/coaches unable to see the contestant’s face. Thus, contestants are chosen solely due to their voice, which was a big change from previous reality competitions.

The coaches then work with the contestants to determine a winner with the hopes that it shoots the singer into the same level of stardom. The top prize at the end is $100,000 in cash and a record deal for the winner. Throughout the years, there have been several notable contestants to either earn the top prize or at least find enough fame thanks to the show. Here are the five most memorable contestants from “The Voice”.

Christina Grimmie

Before Christina Grimmie’a appearance on the sixth season of The Voice in 2014, she pursued her singing ventures on YouTube, recording and uploading covers of popular songs. In time, she found herself opening for Selena Gomez & the Scene, the Jonas Brothers, and performing on the Ellen DeGeneres show performing a cover of “How To Love” by Lil Wayne. Grimmie’s passion, great pop vocals, and stage presence made her stand out. 

The judges all adored her, earning her a four-chair turn on the show. With help from her Mentor, The Voice judge Adam Levine, Grimmie took third place in the competition. She went on to have a successful career that tragically was cut short when she was murdered after one of her shows by a crazed fan in June of 2016. 

Melanie Martinez

Melanie Martinez auditioned for season three of The Voice in 2012. She managed to stand out during her audition due to her acoustic rendition of Britney Spears’s “Toxic” and her quirky sense of style. Three of the four judges turned their chairs for her, including the judge she chose as her coach, Adam Levine. Through the battles, she came out on top. 

Though, come week five, she was voted off the show via viewer votes. During the following years, she worked on writing and recording her own music. Later, she signed with Atlantic Records and went on to have a very successful career thanks to her album “Crybaby”. 

Sawyer Fredericks 

Sawyer Fredericks auditioned for season eight of The Voice in 2015, ultimately winning the entire competition that season. The judges were immediately blown away by his audition, performing his version of the folk song “I’m a Man of Constant Sorrow”. 

The depth of his rich blues voice took them by surprise, especially considering he was only 16 years old. He chose Pharrell Williams as his coach after a four-chair turn, who led him to success. Fredericks’ was signed by Atlantic Records after his big win and has had a successful career following his time on the show. 

Jordan Smith  

Jordan Smith auditioned for season 9 of The Voice in late 2015. He surprised everyone when he began his audition by belting out the popular song “Chandelier” by female singer Sia. His ability to comfortably use his falsetto to hit those high notes was a pleasant surprise for the judges. 

With a four-chair turn from the judges, Smith chose Adam Levine as his coach. With Levine’s coaching and Smith’s passion and natural talent, he ended up winning the competition for that season. 

Cassadee Pope

Cassadee Pope auditioned for season three of The Voice in 2012, eventually becoming the first female winner since the show’s start. She began her singing career as the lead of her band Hey Monday before pursuing a solo singing career in 2012. 

She auditioned with the song “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia, earning her a four-chair turn. Her chosen coach, Blake Shelton, helped her win it all. She’s had a successful career in country music since her time on the show. 

5 Greatest Hong Kong TV Stars

Posted on by scatty

When thinking about television across the world, most people’s minds go straight to Hollywood, but there are plenty of countries worldwide that have been able to establish a strong television presence. This includes Hong Kong, which has produced a lot of memorable shows and characters over the years that fans have come to know and love.

Through networks including RTV and TVB, there have been a lot of television stars in Hong Kong through all genres of entertainment. Let’s take a look at some of the stars that have been produced, picking out the very greatest that Hong Kong has had to offer. While some have had major careers in film, they’re still known as fantastic TV stars.

Charmaine Sheh

Charmaine Sheh is thought to be one of Hong Kong’s greatest television actresses of her time. Sheh has starred in a ton of Chinese television series since her contract with TVB began in 1998. 

She’s known for her role in series such as Return of the Cuckoo, War and Beauty, Maiden’s’ Vow, Can’t Buy Me Love, and most recently The Legend of Xiao Chuo. She has been nominated for countless awards, winning three times for favorite female character at the TVB Anniversary Awards.  

Maggie Shiu

Born in 1965, Maggie Shiu rose to popularity in the mid-1980s when she joined TVB and immediately started landing roles in shows including “Take Care, Your Highness!” and continued to be a big name throughout the rest of the decade and into the 1990s and beyond. Some of her most recognizable work throughout her career in television has included “New Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre”, “Crime Fighters” and “Virtues of Harmony” just to name a few.

Shiu has been nominated for several awards throughout her career, including TVB Anniversary Awards for favorite television character and best actress. Shiu has even received plenty of film work throughout her career, too, starring in movies such as “Eye in the Sky”, “Breaking News” and “Election”, all of which earned her nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress.

Anthony Wong  

Anthony Wong is mostly known for his cinematic roles in films that include “The Untold Story”, “Beast Cops” and “Still Human” (all of which have earned him the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor), though he has spent plenty of time on the small screen. Born as Anthony Perry in Hong Kong in 1961 to a British father and Hong Kong native mother, he adopted the name Anthony Wong prior to his acting career.

Wong made his television debut in 1989 with the production of “War of the Dragon”, and over the next few years had several smaller roles. It wasn’t until the 2000s when his film career had taken off that he started landing more prominent TV roles. Some of his more recent work on the small screen include “Kung Fu Soccer”, “Eight Heroes” and “Lord of Shanghai”, while also earning a win at the Asian Television Awards for Best Actor for “The Republic”.

Roger Kwok

Hong Kong-born Roger Kwok is one of the most successful television actors to come out of Hong Kong. Well known for his work with the TVB station in television series like Square Pegs, The Royal Swordsmen, The Season of Fate, Black Heart White Soul, and most recently Big White Duel ll. 

Thanks to Square Pegs, Kwok quickly rose to stardom after years in the business. His work on Square Pegs, Black Heart White Soul, and Life Made Simple allowed him to become one of three talented actors to have been nominated and won the award for Best Actor three times at the TVB Anniversary Awards. 

Daniel Wu 

Though he was born in the United States (Berkeley, California specifically), Daniel Wu is based almost entirely out of Hong Kong. While in his mid-20s, Wu made his acting debut in the 1998 film “Bishonen” and has gone on to star in more than five dozen films. This includes American productions including “Tomb Raider” and “Geostorm” in recent years.

As for his television career, Wu is best known for starring in the series “Into the Badlands”. Since then, he has starred in shows including “Skylanders Academy”, “Westworld” and “American-Born Chinese”. It has been a fascinating career for Wu, who has been nominated for (and won) several awards for his work in Hong Kong and China, including Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Horse Awards.