I think the biggest confidence killer comes from worrying about what other people think.

Trust your instincts and be yourself, and be proud of who your are. Some people will like you and some won't, it's important not to let yourself be shaped by how you think others perceive you, and while you are pausing to … Read more

There were several leaders in Wales who declared themselves the "King of Wales", but there was only one true King of Wales, with that being Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, who ruled all of the Wales territory from 1055 (all of Wales was under his control by 1057) until his death in either … Read more

"I'm a bit bored of all the stuff I used to listen to - and nothing new out there inspires me that much."

I know that feeling...

One rare album I really enjoyed by a current band is An Awesome Wave by Alt-J. It's got a couple of tracks that I liked instantly, and most of the … Read more

Among other things, Alexander the Great conquered the Achaemenid Empire - which, at its height, had controlled more than 40% of the world's population.

Although Alexander conquered it, he was a big fan of its founder, Cyrus the Great (in fact, when Cyrus' tomb was vandalised, it was Alexander who ordered its … Read more

This sometimes happens when people use a web-based service like Yahoo or Gmail, but set it up so the e-mails also go to their phone or their PC.

Usually, the default setting is that, once the e-mail has been downloaded to a device, it gets deleted from the server. The assumption is that e-mails can be … Read more

I haven't even heard anything about these "smart watches", but I think I was a bit ahead of the time when it comes to technological watches.

When I was around 10, I was one of the first kids in my class to come to school with this bad boy:

That's right, it's a WWF Wrestling … Read more

You will pay an average of $184.38 a week.

There are different numbers of weeks per calendar month, so I multiplied your monthly rent by twelve (to determine how much you pay over the course of a single year) and divided it by the number of weeks in the same period.

Because some months are longer than … Read more

The scene shown is from Italian Spiderman, which is a Youtube video from 2007.

Originally, it was just a spoof trailer for a non-existent 60s film, sending up foreign superhero movies like the Turkish Three Great Men and the Indian version of Superman.

… Read more

My first question is, what do you mean by "high"?

For instance, a "high" reading could be one that suggests you've taken methamphetamine yourself.  Lower readings on hair follicle tests can reflect passive exposure (i.e., someone else taking the drug nearby) rather than personal use.

If that's what you're worried about, then I'm afraid this is indeed … Read more

I agree that home is probably the best place for writing  :o)

If I had to go away, I would rent one of the Landmark Trust properties.  The Landmark Trust is a UK charity that restores historical buildings and then rents them out to holiday makers, generating funds to do more restorations.  They have hundreds of … Read more

There are lots of interesting facts about the white-faced capuchin, which is also known as the white-headed or white-throated capuchin (Cebus capucinus).

The white-faced capuchin is native to the forests of Central America.  Although a fully-grown one weighs less than ten pounds, it can live for over fifty years.

Cebus capucinus is one of the most intelligent … Read more

You can't make yourself shorter, but 180 cm is nothing to be self-conscious about!  You're about the same height as celebrities like Liv Tyler, Minnie Driver, and Kate Middleton (all 178 cm).

Everyone's different, and some of us stop growing very early or quite late - but many sources (see below) say that girls usually stop … Read more

Melissa is an ancient Greek name that comes from melli, "honey".  Like many classical names, it's used internationally with slight variations.  The main difference in French is that you would usually write it with an acute accent over the letter "e" ("Mélissa").

If you watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWTNj8Vej5w, you will hear how the French … Read more