Apparently Earth’s Rotation Is Slowing – So Why Does Time Seem To Be Passing More Quickly? It’s Fasab Fact Day!

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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Yes, one of today’s facts, the first one actually tells us that the Earth’s rotation is slowing. I don’t know who measures these things but as far as I am concerned time is passing faster rather than slower.

But maybe you shouldn’t think about these things too hard.

Just enjoy.

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Earth’s rotation is slowing at a rate of

about 17 milliseconds a century.

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Information can fly around your brain at 260 mph

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The American army together with Hershey

improved the heat-resistance of chocolate

in order to withstand the hot sun during Desert Storm.

These chocolate bars remained solid

even at temperatures of up to 140°F.

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The smallest number of letters in an alphabet is 11,

in the Papuan language known as Rotokas 

The most letters is 74

in the Khmer (Cambodian) alphabet.

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A duck’s quack does in fact echo

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Disney World is second only to the US Military

when it comes to purchasing explosives in the United States

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In what is possibly one of the worst ways to spend your Christmas Eve,

Juliane Koepcke was the sole survivor of the LANSA flight 508.

It’s estimated that Koepcke fell from a height of about 10,000 feet

before crashing into the Peruvian rain forest.

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During the ice age, people in the British Isles

used humans skulls as cups

 

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Peter the Great had his wife’s lover beheaded

and then forced his wife to keep the head preserved in her room.

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Just like people acquiring spoken languages have accents,

people acquiring sign languages have accents as well

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King Adolf Frederick of Sweden became

“the King Who Ate Himself to Death”

in 1771 after a meal consisting of lobster, caviar, saurkraut,

cabbage soup, smoked herring, champagne

and 14 servings of his favorite dessert.

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Each year the moon moves 3.8 cm further from the Earth.

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Noon comes from the Latin phrase “nona hora” or “ninth hour”.

In ancient Rome noon was actually around 3pm

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The silhouette on the NBA logo is Jerry West.

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The first fossilized specimen of Austalopithecus afarenisis

was named Lucy after the palentologists’ favorite song,

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, by the Beatles.

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Did You Know? – It’s A First Tuesday Fact Feast!

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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It’s the first Tuesday of 2014 so here are a few lesser known facts about the New Year, its traditions and its celebrations.

Enjoy.

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January is named after Janus, the god with two faces,

one looking forward and one looking backward.

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The Scottish ‘First Footer’ tradition or superstition originates

in the belief that the first visitor on New Year’s Day would bring

either good luck or bad luck for the rest of the year,

depending on who he/she was.

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The tradition of fireworks and making loud noises on New Year’s Eve

is believed to have originated in ancient times,

when noise and fire were thought to dispel evil spirits and bring good luck.

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Traditionally, it was thought that people could alter the luck

they would have throughout the coming year

by what they did or ate on the first day of the year.

It has, therefore, become important to celebrate first day of the New Year

in the company of family and friends.

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Almost half of Americans make New Year’s Resolutions,

mainly about losing weight, stopping smoking, being better organized,

staying fit and healthy and spending less and saving more.

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More than half of Americans who make New Year’s Resolutions

are able to keep them for less than a month.

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In Denmark, it is a good sign when you find broken dishes in front of your door.

Danish people specially keep a few plates that they break

to place at their friends’ doors on New Year’s Eve.

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Many parts of the U.S. celebrate New Year by consuming black-eyed peas

and other legumes, as it has been considered good luck in many cultures.

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Ancient Persians gave New Year’s gifts of eggs,

which symbolized productiveness.

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“Auld Lang Syne” is traditionally sung at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

It was written by Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788

and may have based it on a folk song.

The words “auld lang syne” mean “times gone by”.

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More than a third of a billion glasses of Champagne and other sparkling wine

are consumed during the Christmas / New Year celebrations.

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In Brazil at New Year many people dress in white

as a sign or hope for peace for the coming year.

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The Time Square New Year’s Eve Ball came about as a result of a ban on fireworks.

The first ball, in 1907, was an illuminated 700-pound iron and wood ball

adorned with one hundred 25-watt light bulbs.

Today, the round ball designed by Waterford Crystal, weighs 11,875-pounds,

is 12 feet in diameter and is bedazzled with 2,668 Waterford crystals.

The only time the New Year’s Eve ball was not lowered was

in 1942 and 1943 due to wartime restrictions.

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The tradition of ringing in the New Year dates back four thousand years,

to the time of the Babylonians who celebrated it at

the first full moon after the spring equinox.

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In 46 BC Julius Caesar made January 1st the first day of the year.

In England and its colonies, including America,

we didn’t do the same until 1752.

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The top three destinations in the United States

to ring in the New Year are

Las Vegas, Disney World and New York City.

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Many cultures believe that anything given or taken on New Year,

in the shape of a ring is good luck,

because it symbolizes “coming full circle”.

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In America more vehicles are stolen on New Year’s Day

than on any other holiday throughout the year.

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The Spanish ritual on New Year’s Eve is to eat twelve grapes at midnight.

The tradition is meant to secure twelve happy months in the coming year.

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The Ethiopian Calendar has twelve months with 30 days each and a

thirteenth month called Pagume with five or six days depending on the year.

Their current year is still 2006 and they celebrate New Years on September 11.

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More Of Those Questions That Are Well Worth Asking, But Nobody Bothers To Ask

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

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Well, apparently I was right, last week’s selection of questions that are worth asking, but nobody bothers to ask, weren’t life changing. But some people seemed to like them, so here is another batch for your consideration.

As usual, enjoy.

 

 

What can deaf people use instead of an Alarm Clock?

 

Why are Softballs hard?

 

Why aren’t Blueberry’s blue?

 

Do Butterfly’s make butter?

 

Does the Queen Bee have a King?

 

Can you carry a Kangaroo on your back?

 

Is a gold knife or fork still considered Silverware?

 

Why isn’t Chocolate considered a vegetable if it comes from Cocoa Beans?

 

What happens when you get ‘half scared to death’ twice?

 

Is it true cannibals don’t eat clowns because they taste funny?

 

If all the world’s a stage, where does the audience sit?

 

Why are the alphabets in the order that they are? Is it because it’s a song?

 

If you write a book about failure, and it doesn’t sell, is it called success?

 

If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?

 

If work is so terrific, how come they have to pay you to do it?

 

Are the good things that come to people who wait, the leftovers of people who went before them?

 

Why did Yankee Doodle name the feather in his hat Macaroni?

 

Isn’t Disney World a people trap operated by a mouse?

 

Why is Greenland called Greenland, when it’s white and covered with ice?

 

If something ‘goes without saying’, why do people still say it?

 

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