Did You Know? – Some More Concrete Facts From Fasab’s Files.

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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Fact day again on the fasab blog.

And where better to start that a fact literally set in concrete – lots of concrete.

Enjoy.

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did you know4

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There is enough concrete in the Hoover Dam

to pave a two lane highway from San Francisco to New York

Hoover Dam

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When the Statue of Liberty was moved

from France to the United States,

214 crates were used to transport it.

The Statue was also reduced to 350 pieces.

statue of liberty

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When the divorce rate goes up in the United States,

toy makers report that the sale of toys also rise.

divorce rate

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The cartoon character Popeye was actually based

on a real person named Frank “Rocky” Fiegel

who was a tough guy handy with his fists

and who was quite similar to Popeye physically.

Popeye

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The reason why locusts swarm are because when they are in groups,

a “hot-spot” behind their hind legs is stimulated,

which in turn causes their destructive nature.

A large swarm of locusts can eat eighty thousand tons of corn in a day.

locust_swarm

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In 1755, the first Canadian post office opened in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

postal service canada

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The company “Sony” was originally called “Totsuken.”

They felt the name “Sony” would be easier to pronounce.

The name was invented by a cross between the name

“sonus” and “sonny” (derived from “sound” and “sonic”).

They also thought that the similarity to “Sonny”,

meaning a young man or boy,

would represent an energetic young company.

Sony-Logo

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After the Krakatoa volcano eruption in 1883 in Indonesia,

many people reported that, because of the dust,

the sunset appeared green and the moon blue.

The moon was said to appear blue for almost two years.

volcano erupting

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Reno, Nevada is west of Los Angeles, California.

map Reno Nevada

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During one seven year period,

Thomas Edison obtained approximately three hundred patents.

In is whole life he obtained over one thousand patents.

edison patent

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About 30% of American admit to talking to their dogs

or leaving messages on their answering machines

for their dogs while they are away.

doggie message

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The longest bout of sneezing recorded was by Donna Griffith.

It began in January 13 1981 and continued until September 16 1983

and lasted for 978 days.

Cartoon woman sneezing

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A bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin during World War II

killed every animal in the Berlin Zoo except the elephant,

which escaped and roamed the city.

When a Russian commander saw hungry Germans chasing

the elephant and trying to kill it, he ordered his troops to protect it

and shoot anyone who tried to kill it.

berlin-zoo-2

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In 1999, All Nippon Airlines, had one of its jets

fully decorated with Pokemon characters

from nose to tail on its exterior.

All Nippon Airways Pokemon 747 jet

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The first person to die in the electric chair was William Kemmler,

an ax murderer from New York on August 6, 1890

William Kemmler execution

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The city of Denver was originally chosen to host the 1976 Winter Olympics,

but had to withdraw because Colorado voters rejected to finance it.

Denver Olympic sticker 1976

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The expression “Tying the Knot” comes from an old Roman custom

where the bride’s clothes were tied up in knots

and the groom was supposed to untie the knots

tying the knot

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Velcro was invented by Swiss engineer George de Mestral,

who got the idea after noticing burrs were sticking to his pants

after his regular walks through the woods.

Swiss engineer George de Mestral inventor of Velcro

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Nylon is a man-made fiber that is made from coal and petroleum

nylon

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The theme song of the Harlem Globetrotters is

“Sweet Georgia Brown.”

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Did You Know? Another Rummage Through The Fasab Fact Files

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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Hello again and welcome to another rummage through the fasab fact files.

As random as ever, this selection covers many centuries and many countries so you should find something of interest.

Enjoy.

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Did You Know 4

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1 in 5 of the world’s doctors are Russian.

RAMA

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The Nullarbor Plain of Australia covers

100,000 square miles (160,900 km) without a tree.

Nullarbor_plain

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In 1933, Mickey Mouse, an animated cartoon character,

received 800,000 fan letters.

Mickey Mouse

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Nerve impulses to and from the brain

travel as fast as 170 miles (274 km) per hour.

neurons-120208

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Ancient Egyptians shaved off their eyebrows

to mourn the deaths of their cats.

egypt

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Canadian researchers have found that

Einstein’s brain was 15% wider than normal.

brain_jar

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Isaac Asimov is the only author

to have a book in every Dewey-decimal category.

IsaacAsimov

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The shortest British monarch was Charles I,

who was 4 feet 9 inches.

King_Charles_I_by_Antoon_van_Dyck

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Sigmund Freud had a morbid fear of ferns.

(Something to do with his mother no doubt!)

sigmund-freud

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Camels chew in a figure 8 pattern.

camel-chewing-cud

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In space, astronauts cannot cry,

because there is no gravity,

so the tears can’t flow.

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There are 1,792 steps in the Eiffel Tower

 Eiffel Tower

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A silicon chip a quarter inch square

has the capacity of the original 1949 ENIAC computer,

which occupied a city block.

Silicon chip

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About a third of all Americans flush the toilet

while they’re still sitting on it.

 woman-sitting-on-toilet

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Actor Tommy Lee Jones and vice president Al Gore

were freshman roommates at Harvard.

 Tommy Lee Jones and Al Gore college shot

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In eighteenth century England,

women’s wigs were sometimes 4 feet high.

These remarkable headdresses were dusted with flour

and decorated with stuffed birds, replicas of gardens,

plates of fruit, or even model ships.

 18th Century hairstyles

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In 1976 a Los Angeles secretary named Jannene Swift

officially married a 50 pound rock.

The ceremony was witnessed by more than 20 people.

Woman marries rock

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In Tokyo, they sell toupees for dogs.

dogs-with-toupees

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John has a long moustache was the coded signal

used by the French Resistance in WWII

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It’s Monday, Stimulate Those Brain Cells For The Rest Of The Week!

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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Another quiz to stimulate the brain cells for the rest of the week.

As usual a random mixture with some easy, some tricky and some rather difficult, but have a go anyhow.

The answers are waaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please NO cheating!

Enjoy.

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Quiz 6

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Q  1:  What is the only city in the world located on two continents?

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Q  2:  A word or sentence that is the same front and back (for example, “racecar”, or “kayak”) is called a what?

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Q  3:  What is the only bird that can’t fly but can swim underwater?

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Q  4:  What famous film star appeared on the cover of Life magazine more than anyone else?

(Hint: she was also married many times!)

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Q  5:  What is the collective noun for a group of whales?

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Q  6:  What is unusual about the sentence “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog”?

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Q  7:  What famous cartoon character’s first suggested name was Mortimer?

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Q  8:  In 1819, a $5 million debt that Spain owed the USA was canceled in exchange for what?

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Q  9:  Mr. Butts invented a famous game that he originally called “Criss Cross Words.” What is it better known as today?

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Q  10:  What is hardest substance in the human body?

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Q  11:  A double question here and a point for each part.

Who launched the world’s first artificial satellite in 1957, and what was it called?

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Q  12:  What state in the USA is known as the “Land of ten thousand lakes”?

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Q  13:  And what country, with a population of approximately 5 million people, has one lake for every 26 people?

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Q  14:  What is the only word in English language with three consecutive double letters?

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Q  15:  The first jet engine was invented by an Englishman in 1930, but what was his name?

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Q  16:  What country has more recreational golfers than any other?

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Q  17:  What is a newly hatched fish called?

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Q  18:  What is the literal meaning of the martial art name “Karate”?

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Q  19:  And in what country did Karate originate?

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Q  20:  And finally, you have a dime and a dollar, you buy a dog and a collar, the dog is a dollar more than the collar, how much is the collar?

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ANSWERS

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Q  1:  What is the only city in the world located on two continents?

A  1:  Istanbul, Turkey

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Q  2:  A word or sentence that is the same front and back (for example, “racecar”, or “kayak”) is called a what?

Q  2:  A “palindrome”.

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Q  3:  What is the only bird that can’t fly but can swim underwater?

A  3:  The penguin

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Q  4:  What famous film star appeared on the cover of Life magazine more than anyone else?

(Hint: she was also married many times!)

A  4:  Elizabeth Taylor

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Q  5:  What is the collective noun for a group of whales?

A  5:  A group of whales is called a pod.

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Q  6:  What is unusual about the sentence “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog”?

A  6:  It uses every letter in the alphabet and was developed by Western Union to Test telex/twx communications.

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Q  7:  What famous cartoon character’s first suggested name was Mortimer?

A  7:  Walt Disney had originally suggested using the name Mortimer Mouse instead of Mickey Mouse

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Q  8:  In 1819, a $5 million debt that Spain owed the USA was canceled in exchange for what?

A  8:  The purchase of Florida.

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Q  9:  Mr. Butts invented a famous game that he originally called “Criss Cross Words.” What is it better known as today?

A  9:  SCRABBLE

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Q  10:  What is hardest substance in the human body?

A  10:  Enamel.

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Q  11:  A double question here and a point for each part.

Who launched the world’s first artificial satellite in 1957, and what was it called?

A  11:  The USSR launched the world’s first artificial satellite, called “Sputnik 1”, in 1957.

(You get a point for “Sputnik” as well as “Sputnik 1”)

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Q  12:  What state in the USA is known as the “Land of ten thousand lakes”?

A  12:  Minnesota

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Q  13:  And what country, with a population of approximately 5 million people has one lake for every 26 people?

A  13:  Finland, which is also known as “the land of the thousand lakes,” even though it has around 188,000 of them

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Q  14:  What is the only word in English language with three consecutive double letters?

A  14:  “Bookkeeper”

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Q  15:  The first jet engine was invented by an Englishman in 1930, but what was his name?

A  15:  His name was Frank Whittle

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Q  16:  What country has more recreational golfers than any other?

A  16:  There are more recreational golfers per capita in Canada than any other country in the world

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Q  17:  What is a newly hatched fish called?

A  17:  A newly hatched fish is called a “fry”

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Q  18:  What is the literal meaning of the martial art name “Karate”?

A  18:  The word Karate means, “empty hand.”

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Q  19:  And in what country did Karate originate?

A  19:  Karate actually originated in India, but was developed further in China

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Q  20:  And finally, you have a dime and a dollar, you buy a dog and a collar, the dog is a dollar more than the collar, how much is the collar?

A  20:  A nickel. (You have $1.10, the dog costs $1.05 and the collar $0.05)

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So how did you do?

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Smell My Finger! – It’s Quiz Show Answers Monday

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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I can’t believe how fast this year is going. Another Monday and half way through October. But no matter how much time we put in people don’t seem to be getting any smarter. I think this next selection of quiz show answers proves it yet again.

And it may help to explain the rather odd headline on this post too.

Enjoy!

 

 

Q: Name a talk show host you watch in the daytime        

A: Louie Anderson

 

 

Q: An electric appliance designed to be handheld           

A: Blender

 

 

Q: An animal with more than four legs   

A: Dog

A: Horse

 

 

Q: Name a famous woman who seems to intimidate other men   

A: Barbara Bush

 

 

Q: Name something that can damage a home    

A: A woman

 

 

Q: Name a food that comes in instant form       

A: Asparagus   

 

 

Q: Name something you ask people to smell     

A: Your finger   

 

 

Q: Name something that runs on a track

A: Speakers     

 

 

Q: An instrument used by a doctor        

A: Violin

 

 

Q: Name something in a candy bar, besides chocolate  

A: Candy

 

 

Q: The country with the most intriguing women   

A: Africa

 

 

Q: Name a bad habit that has serious consequences     

A: Picking your nose     

 

 

Q: Name a cartoon character with big ears         

A: Kermit the Frog

 

 

Q: Name something Scotch      

A: Water

 

 

Q: Name a famous Barbara       

A: Barbara Washington

 

 

Q: Name a city that jetsetters visit         

A: Florida

A: Norway

 

 

Q: Name a woman who’s had her breasts supersized     

A: Wonder Woman

 

 

Q: An age where a person would be happy to be carded at a bar

A: 18

 

 

Q: Name something people cheat on     

A: Chicago Bears

 

 

Q: Name something you might find in a manicure set     

A: A wig

 

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