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Author
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Topic: Useless Fact's
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 06-16-2005 01:05 PM
Rated G ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
useless fact - Who is the largest individual land owner in the U.S.?
According to the links in the Real Estate News category, Mr. Ted Turner individually owns the most land in the United States.
Turner's holdings are comprise roughly 1,800,000 acres spread across half a dozen states. Compared to some of his other investments, Turner's real estate portfolio has performed admirably. Its net worth is approximately $750 million.
Collectively, the country's 10 largest landowners own 10.6 million acres. However impressive, that figures pale in comparison with federal ownership. According to the journalism research group FacsNet, the federal government owns 624 million acres, or 27 percent of the country's land.
It's worth noting that much of the federal land, especially in Nevada and the western states, isn't good for much. The CIA World Fact Book estimates that only 20 percent of American land is arable. But, hey, twenty percent of 2.3 billion acres isn't too shabby.
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 06-18-2005 11:34 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - What was the first commercial airline?
We visited the links in the Air Travel category to answer your question. On November 16, 1909, Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin and a group of entrepreneurs created the first passenger airline, called Deutsche Luftschiffahrt Aktien Gesellschaft (DELAG).
Between 1910 and 1914, DELAG carried 35,000 passengers around Germany via "zepplins," a form of airship named after their inventor. Tickets cost 100 to 200 reichsmarks each and were sold mostly to wealthy foreign tourists. World War I interrupted service, and flights were briefly resumed after the war.
The world's first scheduled passenger airline using an airplane was probably the St. Petersburg-Tampa Air Line (also called the "Airboat Line"). On January 1, 1914, pilot Tony Jannus flew one passenger across Florida's Tampa Bay in a Benoist type XIV flying boat. While it only operated for three or four months, the airline's twice daily roundtrips greatly influenced commercial aviation.
Another early pioneer offered a scheduled passenger service in California. Silas Christofferson seems to have had a short-lived service flying people between the ports of San Francisco and Oakland in 1913. Unfortunately, few details about this airline are available on the Web.
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 06-18-2005 03:13 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - Is using a turn signal while changing lanes the law or just common courtesy?
While you certainly wouldn't know it from watching the majority of drivers out there, using a turn signal to indicate a lane change is generally the law, according to the links in the Driving category.
For example, Massachusetts traffic code states: "Every person operating a motor vehicle, before stopping said vehicle or making any turning movement which would affect the operation of any other vehicle, shall give a plainly visible signal by activating the brake lights or directional lights or signal as provided on said vehicle..."
So if you have 'em, the law says use 'em! If your particular vehicle isn't equipped with "directional lights" (commonly known as turn signals or blinkers), then you are required to use the appropriate arm signal. Failure to do so can cost you a fine, not to mention the eternal hatred of your fellow drivers.
Of course, driving laws and codes vary from state to state, but virtually every state and commonwealth includes a similar law. In fact, the Uniform Vehicle Code, a set of guidelines developed to help states draft vehicle legislation, requires that all vehicles signal their intention to "move right or left upon a roadway" with either electric turn signals or arm signals. It also specifies that the signal be given "continuously during not less than the last 100 feet traveled by the vehicle before turning."
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 06-21-2005 08:24 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - Why do we have daylight saving time?
As the links in the Time category explain, moving our clocks an hour ahead means more sunlight later in the day. Aside from its obvious brightening effect, this act of time trickery also conserves energy. By "springing ahead," we shorten the peak period when electricity is needed to power lights, televisions, and other appliances before bedtime. Benjamin Franklin was the first to suggest the idea in his essay, "An Economical Project." But William Willett is considered the originator of daylight savings. He started the campaign that led to "summer time," ratified in the U.K. in 1916. European countries adopted daylight saving time over the next two years, and the United States followed with an act in 1918, though the new system was practiced inconsistently.
In 1966, the U.S. Uniform Time Act established a set pattern for observing daylight saving time across the country. The act was revised in 1986, moving the start date a month earlier to the first Sunday of April. This saves an additional 300,000 barrels of oil each year.
Approximately 70 countries observe daylight saving time, but the start and end dates vary. And countries near the equator don't participate since their daylight hours change minimally throughout the year.
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 06-22-2005 03:43 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - In poker, what beats what?
We found the list of hands in the Poker category. Here's the basic list in descending order of value:
* Royal flush - The ace, king, queen, jack, and 10 of one suit.
* Straight flush - Five sequential cards belonging to the same suit.
* Four of a kind - Four cards of the same rank (e.g., four queens).
* Full house - Three of a kind, and a pair.
* Flush - Five cards of the same suit (non-sequential).
* Straight - Five cards in sequence, regardless of suit.
* Three of a kind.
* Two pair.
* Pair.
* Nothing - If two people have nothing, the person with the highest ranking card wins.
As you might imagine, there's much more to poker than just the hands.
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 06-23-2005 06:12 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - What is the exact definition of "obstruction of justice"?
Obstruction of justice is a criminal charge with a very broad definition. According to the Legal Information category, it refers to any interference of the administration and due process of law. This can take place during an investigation, as well as during a trial. Anyone who knowingly interferes with the work of police officers, investigators, or government agencies can be charged. Someone can also be charged with obstruction of justice if they impair the efforts of a court trial. For example, threatening a juror or witness.
President Clinton was famously accused of obstruction of justice during the 1999 impeachment trial. The charge stated he attempted to "delay, impede, cover up and conceal evidence" in the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit.
The Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School offers a myriad of offenses that can be classified as obstruction of justice. To cite just a few: interfering with an audit, assaulting a process server, or resisting an extradition agent.
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 06-24-2005 04:42 PM
Rated G
How late is "fashionably late"?
According to the links in the Etiquette category, that depends on the function. For weddings, church services, theater performances, and business functions, it's best to arrive on time. For holiday and cocktail parties, several etiquette guides agree on a half-hour window. For a late-night wingding, all bets are off.
Columnist Elizabeth Wellington claims that being fashionably late is out of date -- "promptness is the latest trend at social gatherings these days."
But while it's impolite to show up late, it can be downright fatal to show up early. For business functions, the manly resource Ask Men advises to "never be early," but also notes that "thirty minutes late should represent a barrier you don't want to cross."
For more casual gatherings or parties that start "around 10-ish," arrival time comes down to personal preference. As an article from the USC college paper points out, you can show up late and look cool, or show up on time while there's still alcohol.
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 06-25-2005 06:06 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - I'm getting married. Who's supposed to pay for what?
Back when Marriage meant a woman was moving directly out of her parents' home and in with her new husband, the bride's family paid the bulk of wedding expenses. But these days, wedding costs are split more equitably.
According to Modern Bride magazine, over 60 percent of American couples now contribute to their own wedding costs. It's increasingly common to split the expenses equally between the bride's parents, the groom's parents, and the happy couple.
Most sources agree that traditionally, the bride's family pays for the majority of the ceremony and reception, while the groom's family hosts a rehearsal dinner and picks up the honeymoon tab. The groom himself buys the bride's engagement and wedding rings (which, if he follows the famed two-month salary guideline, is no small amount), and handles many side expenses.
As far as the supporting cast goes, wedding attendants are typically responsible for buying (or renting) their own outfits. The bridesmaids traditionally pay for the bridal shower, while the groomsmen pay for the bachelor party. Some sources say the bride and groom each pay for the lodging of their out-of-town attendants.
Finally, everybody pays for their own gifts to the couple. In return, the couple pays for their gifts to the wedding party and each other.
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 06-25-2005 04:42 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - Why do dimes and quarters have ridged edges while nickels and pennies have flat edges?
According to the links in the Coins category, ridged or "reeded" edges served two purposes. Reeded edges not only made the coins harder to counterfeit, they also prevented people from filing down or "clipping" the coins.
Back in 1793, the first U.S. coins were linked to a silver standard. A half dollar contained half as much silver as a silver dollar, a quarter contained one-fourth, and so on. The ridged edges prevented nogoodniks from skimming the coins' edges for extra silver. Introduced later, negligible nickels and paltry pennies weren't made of silver, and thus their edges escaped unscathed.
While coins these days aren't made of precious metals, the government decided to keep the reeded edges on certain coins to help the visually impaired. The dime and the penny, for example, are roughly the same size, so the ridges help people distinguish them. We could tell you why the government doesn't adopt a similar policy toward paper money, except that, well, we don't know why.
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 06-27-2005 10:15 AM
Rated G
What's the best way to get rid of dandruff?
According to the links in the Hair Advice category, the best way to get rid of those unsightly flakes is to try one of several over-the-counter specialty shampoos. If your condition is chronic, you may want to consult your doctor about a prescription steroid lotion.
Doctors aren't sure what causes seborrheic dermatitis, the condition that results in flaky skin. However, the condition is often exacerbated by "stress, fatigue, oily skin, infrequent shampooing or skin cleansing," and alcohol-based lotions. Besides using topical medication, it's a good idea to tackle some of the risk factors listed above. Seborrheic dermatitis tends to be an inherited condition.
Avoid using too many hairsprays, gels, or coloring products. Fitting hats don't help either. And let your dandruff shampoo soak for at least five minutes before rinsing.
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 06-30-2005 12:49 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - What is the bestselling beer in the world?
We chugged down the rest of our beer (root beer, that is -- we are at work after all), wiped the foam from our mouths, and turned to the links in the Beer category to answer your question.
The links confirmed that the King of Beers, Budweiser, came by its nickname honestly. Yes, it's true -- that rather bland brew Budweiser wears the crown of bestselling beer in the world. Until recently, it also held the title of bestselling beer in America. But Bud was recently dethroned in the United States by its brother, Bud Light.
Budweiser's maker, Anheuser-Busch, is the largest brewer in the world and has a corner on about 50% of the U.S. beer market. The company sells beer under a number of other labels, including Busch (of course), but also Michelob, Red Wolf, and O'Doul's. The company also holds an interest in two microbreweries, Redhook and Widmer Brothers.
So although Anheuser-Busch has conquered the world beer market and Budweiser may be the King of Beers, true beer lovers usually give the crown to a less mass-marketed brew.
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 07-01-2005 03:57 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - What are the 10 most dangerous jobs?
According to the Careers category and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, timber cutters have the most perilous profession in the country, with roughly 118 fatalities per 100,000 workers.
The rest of the list goes as follows: fishers, pilots and navigators, structural metal workers, driver-sales workers, roofers, electrical power installers, farm occupations, construction laborers, and truck drivers. Pizza deliverers fall under the driver-sales workers category, so remember to tip big.
Every job has its downsides. Fishers (71 fatalities per 100,000) usually die by drowning, though many fall prey to huge pieces of equipment. In many of these professions, commission-based employment and crushing schedules are often to blame for accidents caused by sleep deprivation.
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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)
Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 07-05-2005 11:30 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - How are credit unions different from banks?
We visited the links in the Credit Unions category to answer your question. Credit unions are nonprofit and owned by their members, while banks are publicly held corporations. In a credit union, the money made from loan interests is distributed amongst its members as dividends. Because credit unions don't face the same federal regulations as banks, they are often able to offer cheaper loans. Fortunately for investors, accounts are insured by the government, just like at banks.
According to Cinco Credit Union, there are currently just over 11,000 credit unions in the United States. Credit unions first appeared in Europe during the mid-19th century. Originally, they were a way for working organizations, or guilds, to store capital and fund new projects.
Most of the relevant information on banks vs. credit unions comes from credit unions, so the debate is fairly one-sided. But there's no arguing that credit unions have become an increasingly popular alternative to banks -- over 70 million Americans belong to one.
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