my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Community   » Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon   » Useless Fact's (Page 50)

This topic comprises 88 pages: 1  2  3  ...  47  48  49  50  51  52  53  ...  86  87  88

Author Topic: Useless Fact's Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-05-2005 04:36 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - In the stock market,what does it mean to "short" a stock? According to the links in the Stock Trading category, shorting a stock involves "selling a security that the seller does not own but is committed to repurchasing eventually. It is used to capitalize on an expected decline in the security's price." In other words, someone who shorts a stock borrows shares from a brokerage house in order to sell them in the hope that he or she can buy them later (or cover) at a lower price, return the shares to their owner, and profit on the difference. The key provision in this agreement is that a short seller has to buy back the stock. If the stock suddenly shoots upward, you're paying the difference. So you're betting on failure. It's the opposite of going long -- buying a stock and forgetting about it. Shorting is akin to putting yourself in a hole, and digging your way out.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-06-2005 08:26 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - How did Thousand Island Dressing get its name? With a toss of lettuce and a sprinkling of croutons, we went to Condiments category to answer your question. This slightly sweet, chunky salad dressing got its name from the Thousand Islands area of upstate New York. The region is filled with about 1,800 islands and stretches along the St. Lawrence River to Lake Ontario, reaching into both the U.S. and Canada. In the 1870s, vacationers discovered the area and began building summer homes and hotels. In the early 20th century, Sophia LaLonde of Clayton, N.Y., served the dressing at dinner for guests of her husband, who was a popular fishing guide. One of the dinner guests was leading actress May Irwin. It was Irwin who christened the dressing with the Thousand Island name, and the dressing was served by Irwin's request at the Herald Hotel in Clayton. The actress also introduced the dressing to the wider world when she gave LaLonde's recipe to the owner of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. Thousand Island Dressing is a variation on the so-called Russian dressing popular around the time, which consisted of a yogurt base with chili sauce or ketchup added for flavor. Early Thousand Island recipes used mayonnaise instead of yogurt and added pickle relish, chives, and sometimes chopped hard-boiled eggs. In the 1950s, Thousand Island Dressing made of mayo, ketchup, and pickle relish became a standard condiment, used on sandwiches and salads alike.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-09-2005 10:26 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - What is the proper way to make a toast? The Etiquette category offers a few concrete tips: 1) Keep it simple. Avoid highfalutin language. 2) Keep it short. A few heartfelt sentences should do the trick. 3) Keep it sincere. Personal experience counts for a lot. 4) Don't wing it. Spend a little time preparing beforehand. 5) Finish strong. Announce "Cheers!" to let everyone know it's time to drink. One no-no is to make negative remarks about someone¿s appearance or personality. For instance, calling the groom a "womanizer" (kidding or not) is not a good way to commemorate the day.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-15-2005 11:48 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - What's the best way to clean a keyboard? Even the most meticulous of web surfers drops the occasional crumb or two on their keyboard, but luckily there is help available for cleaning those sticky, gray characters. PCWorld offers a step-by-step guide to de-griming your computer keyboard. 1. Gather your supplies. There are commercial kits available, but a can of compressed air, a lint-free cloth or wipes, mild dishwashing liquid, and a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush are all you really need for a basic cleaning. 2. After turning off your computer and unplugging your keyboard, gently shake the keyboard upside down over some newspaper to dislodge loose crumbs and particles. 3. Use the can of compressed air to blow a stream of air between the keys. Repeat Step 2. 4. Dampen a lint-free cloth with a diluted solution of dishwashing liquid and water to wipe down the keys. 5. Use the vacuum cleaner brush attachment to suck away any remaining dirt or debris. If you have a membrane-type keyboard (it doesn't have a spring under each key) and the keys are truly grungy, you can remove the keys with a small screwdriver and use cotton swabs and 90% isopropyl alcohol to get it sparkling clean. If you are still feeling industrious, next you can tackle cleaning your mouse. Of course, if cleaning your keyboard seems a truly undesirable task, you can always buy a new one for around $20.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-15-2005 11:51 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - What is the halo-like ring you sometimes see around the moon? According to the Astronomy category, that breathtaking vision in the night sky is the result of ice crystals refracting the light of the moon. The halo rings the moon when high, thin cirrus clouds made up of millions of these crystals cover the sky. The moon's light enters into the hexagonal-shaped ice structures and is bent before passing out another side of the crystals, causing a ring of light to appear around the moon. But this phenomenon is not limited to the moon -- given the right conditions, you can spot a sun halo as well. Halos typically appear as a ring of white light around the moon or the sun, but they can also appear in color patterns. The most common type of halo is the 22-degree halo, so-called because the ice crystals refract the light of the moon or sun at an angle of 22 degrees. A less-common type of halo is the 46-degree variety, which has a larger diameter than the 22-degree but is also fainter. According to folklore, a moon halo indicates that bad weather is on the way. There may be some truth to this since the halo is usually caused by high-altitude cirrus clouds that precede a warm front and an associated storm. One dark, cloudy night, you might also be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of another spectacular moon show -- the lunar corona, when the moonlight is diffracted into hazy colored rings.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-20-2005 10:40 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - Is it safe to eat unpasteurized cheese? We visited the links in the Cheese category to answer this question. We hate to raise a stink, but the case against the delights of unpasteurized cheese has been gathering steam. While no one can deny the glories of such unpasteurized varieties as Roquefort, Camembert, and Brie, they can cause bacterial illnesses, such as the flu-like like Brucellosis, as well as Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli. The lure of unpasteurized cheese -- the distinct earthy flavor cultivated through the process of fermentation and mold development -- is exactly what creates the risk of infection. While pasteurized cheese has been heated to a specific temperature to kill off bacteria, many cheeses are made without that precautionary step. But just how serious is the problem? Some would argue the loss of the best cheeses in the world outweighs any possible risks, while some would claim that no cheese is worth the chance of illness -- or at the very least call for tighter FDA regulations. Examining all the evidence, it's safe to say not every single- batch Fontina or Gruyere will do you harm. Cases of bacterial illnesses caused by unpasteurized cheese are rare, but they can be serious, particularly for pregnant women. The risks depend on where and how the cheese is made, as well as how sanitary the production conditions. Also, take into account the age of the cheese, how far it has traveled to get to your corner supermarket, and how reliable your supermarket is. Then, weighing all these, you can decide yourself whether or not to take the risk.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-20-2005 10:47 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - How much money goes unclaimed in state lotteries? While we couldn't find an exact figure, some links in the US Lotteries category estimate that hundreds of millions of state lottery dollars go unclaimed every year. This seems entirely reasonable, considering the net amount of money involved. According to the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, during the last fiscal year, U.S. lottery sales totaled $44.9 billion. To pick one state (albeit a big one), Texas had $72 million dollars of unclaimed state lottery prize money. California had roughly $38 million. Florida governor Jeb Bush awarded a single unclaimed $30 million dollar ticket to his state's languishing education budget. Where does all this unclaimed money go? Out of the 38 states that hold lotteries, 10 of them roll over all the money to the prize pool. Other states take percentages towards "state asset pools," such as education, transportation, or tax relief. Over 57% of Americans played the lottery last year. The largest jackpot ever? On Christmas day 2002, Jack Whittaker of West Virginia won $314.9 million, to be paid out over 30 years. He elected to receive a lump sum payment of $170.5 million instead.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-21-2005 07:01 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - What exactly is a nimrod? Should I be offended if someone calls me one? We'll go ahead and answer the second part of the question first -- probably. According to the links in the Wordplay category, it's possible the person may be comparing you to a mighty king and hunter of yore, but it's more likely that they're calling you a dipstick. The American Heritage Dictionary offers two distinct definitions of a nimrod -- either a hunter, or a person regarded as silly or foolish. The dictionary goes on to explain that the second meaning probably originated with the cartoon character Bugs Bunny. The wily Bugs used the term in its original sense to refer to dithering hunter Elmer Fudd, whom he called a "poor little Nimrod." Over time, however, the "hunter" meaning got dropped, and the "dithering" connotation stuck. Nimrod was in fact a Biblical figure -- the great-grandson of Noah. He was a haughty king who declared himself a "mighty one in the earth," founded the great city of Babylon, and presided over the construction of the mythical Tower of Babel. Nimrod was also a renowned hunter, though at least one source we found claimed his game of choice was not animals but men, whom he would enslave upon capture. Whatever his prey, his name became synonymous with a skilled hunter.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-23-2005 10:27 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - Since yogurt is milk spoiled by bacteria, does it ever really go bad? We visited the links in the Dairy Product Facts category to answer your question. Yogurt does indeed go bad - witness the expiration dates on commercial yogurt containers. But when you're talking about spoiling, otherwise known as fermentation, the schedules are flexible. Most retailers suggest that refrigerated "live" yogurt is perfectly edible several days after the expiration date. Yogurt is simply milk that has been supplemented with a couple of friendly bacteria (more specifically, actobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus), then been left alone to ferment. The bacteria convert the milk's sugar, or lactose, into lactic acid. The lactic acid accounts for yogurt's tangy taste, as well as its texture. So when you buy a container of yogurt, you are effectively purchasing an ongoing chemical process. Allowing this process to continue unchecked (i.e., leaving the yogurt alone for three weeks) will result in a lot of dead bacteria and lactic acid. The yogurt will taste sour. Feel free to try. Some yogurts are pasteurized, meaning the bacteria have been killed through heat. Since this halts the fermentation process, the yogurt should last longer and may not have to be refrigerated. If your power goes out for a couple of hours, you probably don't have to throw out your yogurt. But check the expiration dates just to be safe.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 05-25-2005 02:58 PM                        Rated G Today's useless fact - Where does vinegar come from or how is it made? According to the links in the Condiments category, the word "vinegar" derives from the French "vin aigre", meaning "sour wine." That tells you a lot about the origins of vinegar itself. The tart liquid was probably first created by accident when wine went bad or when fruit juice was left out long enough to ferment into alcohol and then ferment again into vinegar. People have made and used vinegar for about 10,000 years. The ancient Babylonians, Egyptians, and Romans used it as a flavoring, medicine, and preservative for foods. Before refrigeration, pickling in vinegar was an important way to keep vegetables from spoiling. Vinegar can be made from most any sweet or starchy material, such as juices of fruits, vegetables, and grains. A little warmth and the right bacteria will turn sugars and alcohol into acetic acid, the main component of vinegar. Like a fine wine, vinegar can be aged to produce more complex flavors. Different ingredients and brewing processes are used to create various types of vinegar. Balsamic vinegar, the favorite of foodies, is traditionally made from the sweet, white Trebbiano grapes grown in Modena, Italy. The grapes are crushed, filtered, boiled, cooled, filtered again, and poured into casks to age for 12 to 25 years. This results in a very fine and expensive condiment used sparingly and sometimes drunk as an aperitif. In Asia, rice vinegar is very common. The grain is ground, steamed, and fermented for many months in clay pots. The process creates a mellow, fragrant vinegar used to season sushi rice and in other dishes.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 06-01-2005 01:58 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - Why are people who carry a coffin at a funeral called "pallbearers"? It stands to reason that a pallbearer is one who bears,or carries,a pall. So what's a pall? As we learned from the links in the Funeral Customs category,the word comes from the Latin pallium,which refers to a cloak or covering. Thus,a pall refers to the cloth covering the coffin. In the case of a military funeral, the pall is often a national flag. The word can also be used in a general sense to refer to anything that cloaks, shrouds, or obscures. In ecclesiastical terms, the pallium refers to the robes worn by the Pope. Coffin palls probably come from burial cloths. The practice of wrapping a body in a shroud dates from antiquity.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 06-03-2005 01:16 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - What are the best indoor plants to help remove toxins from the air? We visited the links in the Indoor Air Quality category to answer your question. In the excellent article on office air quality, Tony Jaros lists five plants noted for their ability to flush out harmful air toxins: florists' mum, kimberley queen, English ivy, dracaena, and golden pothos. If you work in an office building, Jaros suggests you keep a plant on your desk to avoid sick building syndrome -- a variety of unpleasant symptoms caused by trapped chemicals. We also found several concrete suggestions in an article on home indoor air quality from the EcoLiving Center, a directory of articles on all things healthy and organic. They give the clean lungs stamp of approval to: "bamboo, aloe vera, chrysanthemums, dracaena palms, English ivy, golden pothos, Janet Craig, philodendrons, scheffleras, and spider plants." Besides plants, you can help maintain a healthy living environment in your home by keeping it well ventilated. It's also important to keep potentially harmful materials like cleaning detergents and pesticides in a secure place away from your primary activity rooms.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 06-04-2005 05:20 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - When a man gives an engagement ring to a lady and the engagement is called off later, is the ring to be returned to the man or is the lady to keep it? We visited the links in the Proposals and Engagements category and found that many authorities say the ring should be returned. But opinions vary according to who breaks off the engagement and whether you follow the rules of etiquette or the law. Most traditional and even modern etiquette resources say that the woman must at least offer to return the ring. This is widely regarded as the honorable thing to do, especially if the woman breaks the engagement. If the man calls off the wedding, some suggest that the woman may keep the ring (or hope he's such a gentleman that he wants her to keep it). In any case, if the engagement ring would only be a reminder of painful circumstances, the lady may want to return it. The legal point of view seems to follow etiquette. In 1999, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court ruled that the woman must give the engagement ring back. The reasoning was that "the ring was a gift predicated on getting married." So, if the wedding is off, the ring should come off -- and should be returned.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 06-08-2005 12:28 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - How did baseball's seventh-inning stretch get started? We visited the links in the Baseball History category to answer your question and found that, much like the game itself, the origins of the seventh-inning stretch are clouded in a thicket of hoary anecdotes. One popular legend lays the blame at President William Howard Taft's feet. During a baseball game in 1910, Taft (who tipped the scales at 300 pounds) stood up during the middle of the seventh inning to stretch his cramped legs. The spectators thought he was leaving, and rose out of respect. When he returned to his seat a few minutes later, the crowd followed suit. Alas, this probably didn't happen. Another story claims that the seventh-inning stretch began as a way of disciplining unruly students. A prefect at Manhattan College in the late 1800s instructed student supporters to stand up and stretch as a way of exorcising the fidgets. This may have happened, but it wasn't the first time it did. The seventh-inning stretch has been a documented phenomenon since 1869 and has no finite origin. One early player writes: "The spectators all arise between halves of the seventh inning, extend their legs and arms and sometimes walk about. In so doing they enjoy the relief afforded by relaxation from a long posture upon hard benches." Whatever its origins, the seventh-inning stretch is now a firmly established part of America's favorite pastime.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 06-14-2005 12:43 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - Is it harmful to play really loud music in a car? Yes, in more ways than one! According to the links in the Hearing category, prolonged listening to music over 85 decibels loud -- about the sound level of busy city traffic -- can cause permanent noise-induced hearing loss. Though it takes about 8 hours to harm your ears at 85 decibels, crank the tunes up to 110 decibels, and it only takes a minute and a half to endanger your hearing. You might be surprised to know that normal speaking is around 60 decibels, a baby crying is about 110, and an airplane taking off is around 140. Car stereos can blast music at levels of 140 decibels and above. Human ears adjust to sound over time, so you may not realize that the music you are playing is loud enough to be harmful. Besides the damage you're doing to your ears, a university study found that listening to loud noise in cars decreases reaction time and decision-making ability, cutting off the vital fraction of a second it takes to avoid an accident. So booming music while cruising in your car increases your chances of getting into a wreck.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 88 pages: 1  2  3  ...  47  48  49  50  51  52  53  ...  86  87  88

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.