Icebergs And Sunshine, Both Make The Fact File Today.

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

.

Another contrasting day of facts here at the fasab blog.

And what could be more of a contrast than icebergs and sunshine?

Find out more below.

Enjoy.

.

did you know2

.

Contrary to popular belief,

the ‘t’ at the end of Voldemort,

who features in the Harry Potter stories,

is silent.

The name comes from the French

words meaning “flight of death.”

Lord Voldemort

.

.

In North Carolina each year there is a

Hot Sauce and Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest,

consisting of 5 rounds in which the participants

have to eat increasingly hot chilies.

The hotness of chilies is based on Scoville Heat Units.

In the first round, each contestant starts out with a

Large Cayenne Pepper (Long Hots) (500-2,500 SU)

and those who make it all the way to the last fifth round

have to deal with The Orange Habenero (100,000-300,000 SU).

Crikey!

Hot Sauce and Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest

.

.

Apparently Greece Is the “Sunniest” Country in Europe

enjoying on average more than 250 days of sunshine

(three thousand hours) a year,

which also makes it one of the

most sunny countries in the world.

Greece Is the “Sunniest” Country In Europe

.

.

Daniel Craig is able to take any

Aston Martin from the factory

for the rest of his life,

because of his time as Bond.

Daniel Craig Aston Martin deal

.

.

Tequila is made from the blue agave,

or agave tequilana Weber.

According to WebMD, the core of the plant

contains aguamiel or “honey water,”

which is used for syrup (and tequila) production.

blue agave

.

.

All Egyptian pyramids were built

on the west bank of the River Nile,

which as the site of the setting sun

and was associated with the realm of

the dead in Egyptian mythology.

west bank of the River Nile

.

.

The more education you have,

the lower your risk of heart disease,

however, in spite of that, heart disease

is still the greatest threat to your health.

heart disease

.

.

The infamous iceberg that sank the Titanic

has been floating around since about 1,000 B.C.

Titanic iceberg

.

.

Why do people sing in shower? 

One theory is that they might simply feel

more comfortable in the shower

since it is a relaxing place

and they are by themselves.

Or it may be because the acoustics

are better in the bathroom,

so the chances of you sounding

like a great singer are higher.

sing in shower

.

.

Although it is supposed to be in Chicago,

the McCallister´s house in the movie Home Alone

is actually located at 671 Lincoln Avenue

in the village of Winnetka, Illinois.

The three-story single-family house

was listed for sale at $2.4 million in 2011

and sold for $1.585 million in 2012.

The house is now promoted as a tourist attraction.

McCallister´s house in the movie Home Alone

.

.

As a farmer,

George Washington grew marijuana

on his farm and promoted its growth.

George Washington grew marijuana

.

.

The October 24, 1960 saw one of the

deadliest spare-related accidents in history,

when a Soviet R-16 rocket (an ICBM) exploded

on the launch pad during testing.

72 workers were killed.

Soviet Premier at the time, Nikita Khrushchev,

demanded it be kept secret.

Today it is known as the Nedelin Catastrophe.

Nedelin Catastrophe

.

.

A bottle of champagne contains

90 pounds or pressure per square inch,

which is three times the pressure found in car tires.

The popped cork from a champagne bottle

travels as fast as 60 miles per hour

and can cause some serious damage.

popped cork from a champagne bottle

.

.

Mary Allerton was an immigrant

who established a permanent residence in

Plymouth Colony, which we know today as Massachusetts.

She was one of the many passengers of on the Mayflower,

the historic ship that transported the first Pilgrims,

from Plymouth, England, to the New World.

She was only four years old when she boarded the ship

and would die almost 80 years later,

making history as the last surviving Mayflower passenger.

Mary Allerton

.

.

The first video uploaded to YouTube,

titled “Me at the zoo,”

made its debut on April 23, 2005.

The nineteen-second video was shot by Yakov Lapitsky

and shows YouTube cofounder Jawed Karim

at the San Diego Zoo.

It also contains the first words uttered on YouTube

which were

“All right, so here we are in front of the elephants”

when Karim was trying to “charm” the camera.

.

.

====================================

.

 

 

Fractions, Food And French Horns – It’s The Fasab Quiz!

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

.

Yes, fractions, food, and French Horns are just some of the questions you’ll face if you take this week’s quiz.

A random and challenging assortment, but as usual, if you get stuck, you will find the answers waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below. But please, NO cheating!

Enjoy and good luck.

.

quiz 09

.

Q.  1:  The name of what American city means “the meadows” in Spanish?

.

.

Q.  2:  How many women now regularly wear shoes with heels higher than one inch to work?

            a)  15%            b)  25%            c)  35%            d)  45%

.

.

Q.  3:  What year was the death penalty abolished in England?

            a)  1959          b)  1969          c)  1979          d)  1989

.

.

Q.  4:  What number lies halfway between 1/3 and 1/5?

.

.

Q.  5:  What was the first nation to give women the right to vote?

.

.

Q.  6:  From what type of creature is ‘Bombay duck’ made?

.

.

Q.  7:  Which country would you be in if you were skiing in the Dolomites?

.

.

Q.  8:  It is the name of a fragrant cosmetic and a city in Germany, what is it?

.

.

Q.  9:  In which country did French horns originate?

.

.

Q. 10:  What acid is associated with muscles in the body experiencing lack of oxygen?

.

.

Q. 11:  In Roman times what was a gladiator armed with, in addition to a dagger and spear?

.

.

Q. 12:  From which plant do we get ‘Vanilla’?

.

.

Q. 13:  What is ‘Hansen’s disease’ more commonly known as?

.

.

Q. 14:  What was the name of the political system in South Africa from 1948 to 1994?

.

.

Q. 15:  ‘Wild Marjoram’ is another name for which commonly used herb?

.

.

Q. 16:  How deep is one fathom of water?

.

.

Q. 17:  How many different letters are used in Roman numerals and what are their values? (A point for each part of the question correctly answered.)

.

.

Q. 18:  What common mineral is used to make casts, moulds, blackboard chalk and plaster of Paris?

.

.

Q. 19:  What extinct creature got its name from the Portuguese word for stupid? (Hint: the answer is not Congressman.)

.

.

Q. 20:  Who created the cartoon characters “The Simpsons”?

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

ANSWERS

.

Q.  1:  The name of what American city means “the meadows” in Spanish?

A.  1:  Las Vegas.

.

.

Q.  2:  How many women now regularly wear shoes with heels higher than one inch to work?

            a)  15%            b)  25%            c)  35%            d)  45%

A.  2:  The correct answer is b)  25%.

.

.

Q.  3:  What year was the death penalty abolished in England?

            a)  1959          b)  1969          c)  1979          d)  1989

A.  3:  The correct answer is b) 1969.

.

.

Q.  4:  What number lies halfway between 1/3 and 1/5?

A.  4:  4/15ths

.

.

Q.  5:  What was the first nation to give women the right to vote?

A.  5:  New Zealand, in 1893.

.

.

Q.  6:  From what type of creature is ‘Bombay duck’ made?

A.  6:  Fish (specifically a Bummalo fish).

.

.

Q.  7:  Which country would you be in if you were skiing in the Dolomites?

A.  7:  Italy.

.

.

Q.  8:  It is the name of a fragrant cosmetic and a city in Germany, what is it?

A.  8:  Cologne.

.

.

Q.  9:  In which country did French horns originate?

A.  9:  Germany.

.

.

Q. 10:  What acid is associated with muscles in the body experiencing lack of oxygen?

A. 10:  Lactic acid.

.

.

Q. 11:  In Roman times what was a gladiator armed with, in addition to a dagger and spear?

A. 11:  A net.

.

.

Q. 12:  From which plant do we get ‘Vanilla’?

A. 12:  The Orchid.

.

.

Q. 13:  What is ‘Hansen’s disease’ more commonly known as?

A. 13:  Leprosy.

.

.

Q. 14:  What was the name of the political system in South Africa from 1948 to 1994?

A. 14:  Apartheid.

.

.

Q. 15:  ‘Wild Marjoram’ is another name for which commonly used herb?

A. 15:  Oregano.

.

.

Q. 16:  How deep is one fathom of water?

A. 16:  1.82 Meters or 6 feet.

.

.

Q. 17:  How many different letters are used in Roman numerals and what are their values? (A point for each part of the question correctly answered.)

A. 17:  Seven or VII   (They are,  I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500, M = 1000)

.

.

Q. 18:  What common mineral is used to make casts, moulds, blackboard chalk and plaster of Paris?

A. 18:  Gypsum.

.

.

Q. 19:  What extinct creature got its name from the Portuguese word for stupid? (Hint: the answer is not Congressman.)

A. 19:  The Dodo.

.

.

Q. 20:  Who created the cartoon characters “The Simpsons”?

A. 20:  Matt Groening. Thanks Matt. 

.

.

=========================================

.

 

 

Yesterday The Super Bowl – Today The Super Quiz!

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

.

First of all congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks who won their first Super Bowl by crushing the Denver Broncos 43-8, in a rather one-sided game yesterday.

Today it’s the super quiz and this won’t be so easy.

Yes, another random selection of questions, a lot of which will set you a challenge I think.

As usual if you get stuck the answers can be found waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down below, but please NO cheating!

Enjoy and good luck.

.

Quiz 07

.

Q.  1:  Who won a best actor Oscar for his portrayal of an anthropophagus?

.

.

Q.  2:  The Komodo dragon takes its name from as island in which country?

.

.

Q.  3:  Which car company built the classic ‘1962 250 GT Berlinetta Boxer’ automobile?

.

.

Q.  4:  Name the country from which the soup ‘Gazpacho’ originated?

.

.

Q.  5:  Name the fictional detective associated with ‘Miss Felicity Lemon’?

.

.

Q.  6:  In which famous movie would you find  a robot called ‘Marvin’?

.

.

Q.  7:  ‘Winter’, ‘Secret’, ‘Dirty’, ‘Pastry’, ‘Cola’, ‘Pig’, ‘Honey’, ‘Football’, ‘Rif’ and ‘Cod’ are all examples of what?

.

.

Q.  8:  What sauce is made from the plant ‘Armorica rusticana’?

.

.

Q.  9:  Which of these is a comic character who appears in three plays by Shakespeare?

           a) Rifle            b) Musket            c) Pistol      

.

.

Q. 10:  Rather appropriately for this month, the following line ‘February made me shiver‘ is found in which song?

.

.

Q. 11:  Contestants from which South American country have won the most Miss Universe titles?

.

.

Q. 12:  Which of these actors has won the most Best Actor Oscars?

            a) Tom Hanks        b) Kevin Spacey        c) Daniel Day Lewis        d) Jeff Bridges

.

.

Q. 13:  John James Audubon is famous for his paintings of what?

.

.

Q. 14:  Which large sea in the south-western Pacific Ocean is named after a German?

.

.

Q. 15:  ‘Monique Delacroix’ was the mother of which debonair hero?

.

.

Q. 16:  What is the name and the color of Jim Henson’s most famous creation?

.

.

Q. 17:  This word is the name for a magnificent palace, a variety of apple and a person or thing without equal, what is it?

.

.

Q. 18:  Name the movie in which Michael Caine plays ‘Lt Gonville Bromhead’?

.

.

Q. 19:  What does a woman raise and hold up in a ‘Pabana’?

.

.

Q. 20:  Which very famous soothing English song uses the melody from Mozart’s ‘Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman’?

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

ANSWERS

.

Q.  1:  Who won a best actor Oscar for his portrayal of an anthropophagus?

A.  1:  Anthony Hopkins in ‘The Silence of the Lambs’, an anthropophagus is a cannibal.

.

.

Q.  2:  The Komodo dragon takes its name from as island in which country?

A.  2:  Indonesia. (Probably because of the name a lot of people guess Japan.)

.

.

Q.  3:  Which car company built the classic ‘1962 250 GT Berlinetta Boxer’ automobile?

A.  3:  Ferrari.

.

.

Q.  4:  Name the country from which the soup ‘Gazpacho’ originated?

A.  4:  Spain. (You also get a point if you said Portugal.)

.

.

Q.  5:  Name the fictional detective associated with ‘Miss Felicity Lemon’?

A.  5:  Hercule Poirot.

.

.

Q.  6:  In which famous movie would you find  a robot called ‘Marvin’?

A.  6:  ‘A Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy’.

.

.

Q.  7:  ‘Winter’, ‘Secret’, ‘Dirty’, ‘Pastry’, ‘Cola’, ‘Pig’, ‘Honey’, ‘Football’, ‘Rif’ and ‘Cod’ are all examples of what?

A.  7:  They are all names of different wars.

.

.

Q.  8:  What sauce is made from the plant ‘Armorica rusticana’?

A.  8:  Horseradish.

.

.

Q.  9:  Which of these is a comic character who appears in three plays by Shakespeare?

           a) Rifle            b) Musket            c) Pistol            

A.  9:  c) Pistol. (Pistol (fict) is a follower of Sir John Falstaff in Henry IV, Part 2 and The Merry Wives of Windsor. He is married to Mistress Quickly, and is a soldier in conflict with Fluellen, in Henry V.)

.

.

Q. 10:  Rather appropriately for this month, the following line ‘February made me shiver‘ is found in which song?

A. 10:  American Pie (Don McLean).

.

.

Q. 11:  Contestants from which South American country have won the most Miss Universe titles?

A.  11:  Venezuela (6, in 1979, 1981, 1986, 1996, 2008 and 2009).

.

.

Q. 12:  Which of these actors has won the most Best Actor Oscars?

            a) Tom Hanks        b) Kevin Spacey        c) Daniel Day Lewis        d) Jeff Bridges

A. 12:  c) Daniel Day Lewis

.

.

Q. 13:  John James Audubon is famous for his paintings of what?

A. 13:  Birds.  (An original copy of his book ‘Birds of America’ sold in London at Sotheby’s for a record £7,321,250 (approximately $11.5 million) on 6 December 2010.)

.

.

Q. 14:  Which large sea in the south-western Pacific Ocean is named after a German?

A. 14:  The Bismarck Sea.

.

.

Q. 15:  ‘Monique Delacroix’ was the mother of which debonair hero?

A. 15:  James Bond.

.

.

Q. 16:  What is the name and the color of Jim Henson’s most famous creation?

A. 16:  Kermit the Frog and he is green.

.

.

Q. 17:  This word is the name for a magnificent palace, a variety of apple and a person or thing without equal, what is it?

A. 17:  Nonsuch.

.

.

Q. 18:  Name the movie in which Michael Caine plays ‘Lt Gonville Bromhead’?

A. 18:  Zulu.

.

.

Q. 19:  What does a woman raise and hold up in a ‘Pabana’?

A. 19:  Her skirt. The Pabana (or Peacock dance) is a solemn and stately Spanish dance.

.

.

Q. 20:  Which very famous soothing English song uses the melody from Mozart’s ‘Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman’?

A. 20:  Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

.

.

=======================================

.

Fasab’s Feast Of Festive Facts

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

.

You probably thought by now that you knew all there was to know about Christmas.

But there might be a few things in here that may be new to you.

Enjoy.

.

.

Each year more than 3 billion

Christmas cards are sent in the U.S. alone.

Christmas Cards

.

.

The actual date of the birth of Jesus is not known

and for hundreds of years was not celebrated by Christians.

The decision to use December 25 was made in 350AD by pope Julius I

and was chosen because it was the same date used in pagan festivals

such as Saturnalia (December 17-December 23),

the Kalends (January 1 -5, the precursor to the Twelve Days of Christmas),

and Deus Sol Invictus or Birthday of the Unconquerable Sun (December 25).

Christmas-a-Pagan-Ritual .

.

According to the Guinness world records,

the tallest Christmas tree ever cut was a 221-foot Douglas fir

that was displayed in 1950 at the Northgate Shopping Center in Seattle, Washington.

tall Christmas tree .

.

The word ‘Mistletoe’ actually means “little dung twig”

because the plant spreads though bird droppings.

Pagans, such as the Druids, considered mistletoe sacred because it remains

green and bears fruit during the winter when all other plants appear to die.

They even thought it had the power to cure infertility

and nervous diseases and to ward off evil.

Even today a hanging sprig is a fertility or virility symbol

and kissing under the Mistletoe at Christmas or even standing under it

is a signal that the person is sexually available – so be very careful!

Mistletoe_Kiss_by_bittenhard .

.

Although Santa Claus may have been based on a fourth-century bishop from Patara,

in the modern-day country of Turkey, St. Nikolas of Myra,

the modern day Santa Claus that we know first appeared as a recognizable entity

was in a newspaper ad for toys and “gift books” in the mid 19th century.

Originally Santa wore Green colored robes, green signifying the coming spring,

but another ad, this time from the Coco Cola company,

used their own color scheme of red and white which has become the accepted color today.

Green Santa .

.

It is only in very recent times that Christmas has become a “family” holiday.

Even in the late 1800’s December 25 was not a legal holiday in New England,

so stores were open, business were open, and children were expected to attend school.

Christmas was originally celebrated as an adult form of “trick or treat,”

with the “treat” consisting of an alcoholic beverage and

the threatened “trick” consisting of bodily harm or destruction of property.

drunk_christmas

.

.

“We Wish You a Merry Christmas” was originally a threat.

The ever-popular song was originally sung, loudly and repeatedly,

by crowds of rowdy, lower-class servants demanding booze from their masters… or else. 

(I.e. “We won’t go until we get some!”)

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

.

.

Victorian intellectuals invented the tradition of the Christmas tree

as part of a social movement to consciously reform Christmas

away from its tradition of raucous drinking.

Free-Wallpaper-Christmas-Tree

.

.

Many people mistakenly believe that the character ‘Scrooge’

from Charles Dickens ‘A Christmas Carol’,

celebrates Christmas at the home of his clerk Bob Cratchit.

However, in Victorian times this would not have been socially acceptable so,

whilst the reformed ‘Scrooge’ does send the Cratchits a turkey,

he celebrates instead with his middle-class nephew.

scrooge with nephew

.

.

All the gifts in the Twelve Days of Christmas would equal 364 gifts.

It’s not 78 as some people say,

it’s an accumulative song with each verse building on the last.

The first verse has 1 gift, the second verse has 2 + 1 gifts.

The third verse has 3 + 2 etc.

12 days gifts

.

.

The traditional three colors of Christmas are green, red, and gold.

Green has long been a symbol of life and rebirth;

red symbolizes the blood of Christ,

and gold represents light as well as wealth and royalty.

Christmas colors red green and gold

.

.

The world’s largest Christmas stocking measured 51 m 35 cm (168 ft 5.65 in) in length

and 21 m 63 cm (70 ft 11.57 in) in width (heel to toe)

and was produced by the volunteer emergency services organization

Pubblica Assistenza Carrara e Sezioni (Italy) in Carrara, Tuscany, Italy, on 5 January 2011.

largest christmas stocking

.

.

Christmas trees have been sold in the U.S. since 1850.

Christmas Tree

.

.

People in many European countries believed that spirits,

both good and evil, were active during the Twelve Days of Christmas.

These spirits eventually evolved into Santa’s elves.

santa's elves

.

.

Each year there are approximately 20,000 “rent-a-Santas” across the United States.

rent-a-santa

.

.

Bolivians celebrate Misa del Gallo or “Mass of the Rooster” on Christmas Eve.

Some people bring roosters to the midnight mass, a gesture that symbolizes

the belief that a rooster was the first animal to announce the birth of Jesus.

misa_de_gallo__copy

.

.

The British wear paper crowns while they eat Christmas dinner.

The crowns are stored in a tube called a “Christmas cracker.”

jane-burton-golden-retriever-puppy-with-christmas-crackers-wearing-paper-hat

.

.

In Poland, spiders or spider webs are common Christmas trees decorations

because according to legend, a spider wove a blanket for Baby Jesus.

In fact, Polish people consider spiders to be symbols of goodness and prosperity at Christmas.

spider's web in Christmas tree

.

.

In the United States Christmas wasn’t declared an official holiday until June 26, 1870.

Alabama was the first state in the United States to officially recognize Christmas in 1836

and Oklahoma was the last state the declare Christmas a legal holiday, in 1907.

happy holidays

.

.

Because they viewed Christmas as a decadent Catholic holiday,

the Puritans in America banned all Christmas celebrations from 1659-1681

with a penalty of five shillings for each offense.

Some Puritan leaders condemned those who favored Christmas

as enemies of the Christian religion.

Likewise Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector of England

banned Christmas celebrations.

puritan christmas

.

.

Christmas purchases account for 1/6 of all retail sales in the U.S.

Retail sales

.

.

The poinsettia is native to Mexico and was cultivated by the Aztecs,

who called the plant Cuetlaxochitl (“flower which wilts”).

For the Aztecs, the plant’s brilliant red color symbolized purity,

and they often used it medicinally to reduce fever.

Contrary to popular belief, the poinsettia is not poisonous, but holly berries are.

poinsettia-flower

.

.

In 1962, the first Christmas postage stamp was issued in the United States.

first christmas postage stamp

.

.

Santa Claus, or St Nicholas, is the world’s most popular non-Biblical saint.

He is, for example, the patron saint of banking, pawnbroking, pirating,

butchery, sailing, thievery, orphans, royalty, and New York City.

Artists have portrayed him more often than any other saint except Mary.

pawnbroker-symbol

.

.

There are two competing claims as to which president was

the first to place a Christmas tree in the White House.

Some scholars say President Franklin Pierce did in 1856;

others say President Benjamin Harrison brought in the first tree in 1889.

What isn’t disputed is the fact that President Coolidge started

the White House lighting ceremony in 1923.

White House Christmas lights

.

.

President Teddy Roosevelt, an environmentalist,

banned Christmas trees from the White House in 1912.

He needn’t have worried though, these days there are in excess of

400 million trees with tens of millions of Christmas trees planted each year.

Christmas tree farm in Iowa.

.

.

It is estimated that the single “White Christmas” by Irving Berlin

is the best selling single of all time, with over 100 million sales worldwide.

.

.

===================================

.

Did You Know? Facts, Facts And More Facts.

“Fight Against Stupidity And Bureaucracy”

.

Fact day again on the fasab blog.

Another twenty things you probably don’t know now, but not to worry, you will do soon if you read on.

Enjoy.

.

did you know1

.

Before Gmail, “G-Mail” was the name of a free

email service offered by Garfield’s website.

gmail-logo-transparent

.

.

In America the bonnets and caps of city fire hydrants

are painted certain colors to alert firefighters

to the amount of water pressure available from that hydrant.

fire hydrant

.

.

It isn’t water itself that conducts electricity,

but the impurities found in it.

short_circuit water and electricity cartoon

.

.

Richard Hollingshead of Camden, N.J., built the first

drive-in theater in his driveway.

The idea was inspired by his mother who was a large woman

who found the seats at regular movie theaters uncomfortable.

He made it with a sheet strung between two trees and

a movie projector mounted to the hood of his car.

drive-in-theater

.

.

Washington state’s Mt. Rainier is the tallest

volcano in the contiguous United States,

measuring nearly 14,500 feet in height.

It last erupted in 1854.

mount rainier washington us

.

.

Despite their menacing appearance and fierce name,

dragonflies cannot sting and are harmless to human beings.

dragonfly

.

.

When referring to China, make sure

to say the People’s Republic of China.

Leave off “People’s” and you’re talking about Taiwan.

china_taiwan

.

.

Approximately one quarter of the United States’

homeless population are war veterans.

(Shameful statistic!)

homeless_veterans

.

.

The inventors of bubble wrap,

Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes,

were originally trying to make plastic wallpaper.

bubble-wrap

.

.

The toilet featured in Hitchcock’s Psycho

was the first flushing toilet to appear on-screen.

psycho toilet

.

.

Frankincense, one of the precious items

the wise men gave the baby Jesus,

was actually an ancient form of chewing gum

Frankincense

.

.

The poinsettia is named after former

congressman and ambassador Joel Poinsett,

who introduced the plant to the United States in the 1800s.

Joel Poinsett

.

.

Peridots are the only gems that

have been found in meteorites.

Peridot August Birthstone

.

.

The longest jellyfish on record measured 160 feet,

more than half the length of a football field.

Jellyfish

.

.

All holly trees are gender specific – male or female.

Only the female holly tree bears fruit (berries),

and in order to do so there must be a male

pollinated tree within a two mile radius of her.

holly tree in park

.

.

Two-thirds of the world’s lawyers live in the United States.

LawyersProtectArtists

.

.

The Hard Rock Café got its name from a now-defunct bar that

appeared on the back of the Doors’ album Morrison Hotel.

Doors album cover Morrison Hotel - Hard Rock Cafe

.

.

When cranberries are ripe, they bounce like a rubber ball.

cranberry

.

.

Due to the “naughty” dancing of the can-can girls and

the scantily clad models on 1800s French postcards,

the British equated anything risqué with France.

In fact, that’s how the phrase “pardon my French” entered the vernacular.

can can dancers

.

.

Scott Joplin’s famous piano song, “Maple Leaf Rag,”

was not named for the leaf or for Canada:

it was named for the Maple Leaf Club,

a social gathering place in Sedalia, Missouri.

.

.

=============================================================

.