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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 04-12-2006 08:02 AM
Rated G ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Useless fact - Is there a "most rare" stamp? If so, how much is it worth?
The United States 1c Z grill is the rarest of all US stamps, with only two known to exist. On October 8, 1998, the stamp set a world record for a single U.S. stamp, realizing $935,000.
During the 1860s, the postal authorities became concerned about postage stamp reuse. Although there is little evidence that this actually occurred much, many post offices had never received any cancelling devices, and improvised by scribbling on the stamp with an ink pen ("pen cancellation"), or whittling designs in pieces of cork, sometimes very creatively ("fancy cancels"), and poor-quality ink could be washed from the stamp. A number of inventors patented various ideas to solve the imagined problem.
The Post Office eventually adopted the grill, a device consisting of a pattern of tiny pyramidal bumps that would emboss the stamp, breaking up the fibers so that the ink would soak in more deeply, and thus be harder to clean off. While the patent survives (No. 70,147), much of the actual process of grilling was not well-documented, and there has been considerable research trying to recreate what happened and when. Study of the stamps shows that there were ten types in use, distinguished by size and shape (philatelists have labelled them with letters A-I and Z), and that the practice started some time in 1867 and was abandoned around 1871. A number of grilled stamps are among the great rarities of US philately; the United States 1c Z grill is the rarest of all US stamps, with only two known to exist.
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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 04-23-2006 11:57 AM
Rated PG Faye in Kingston, Ont.
AND THAT'S A FACT!!!!
If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee..
(Hardly seems worth it.)
If you farted consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb.
(Now that's more like it!)
The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.
(O.M.G.!)
A pig's orgasm lasts 30 minutes.
(In my next life, I want to be a pig.)
A cockroach will live nine days without its head before it starves to death! (Creepy)
(I'm still not over the pig.)
Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories a hour
(Don't try this at home, maybe at work)
The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off.
("Honey, I'm home. What the....?!")
The flea can jump 350 times its body length. It's like a human jumping the length of a football field.
(30 minutes..lucky pig! Can you imagine?)
The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds.
(What could be so tasty on the bottom of a pond?)
Some lions mate over 50 times a day.
(I still want to be a pig in my next life...quality over quantity)
Butterflies taste with their feet.
(Something I always wanted to know.)
Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people.
(If you're ambidextrous, do you split the difference?)
Elephants are the only animals that cannot jump.
(okay, so that would be a good thing)
A cat's urine glows under a black light.
(I wonder who was paid to figure that out?)
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
(I know some people like that.)
Starfish have no brains.
(I know some people like that too.)
Polar bears are left-handed.
(If they switch, they'll live a lot longer)
Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure.
(What about that pig??)
Now that you've smiled at least once, it's your turn to spread these crazy facts and send this to someone you want to bring a smile to (maybe even a chuckle) ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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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 05-08-2006 01:03 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - Why are glasses knocked together during toasts?
I've read and heard many different theories, but most of them are silly or don't really tell you the background of this tradition. The only one that is not only interesting, but gives an explanation is the following:
Northern people in Europe, highlanders or probably Vikings, used to knock their big mugs in a very vigorous manner and in groups (this means 5-15 people knocking all the mugs altogether) before or after battle to show their trustfulness. Why? Because if one of the drinks was poisoned, then knocking all the glasses in an energetical way, would cause liquid to slop over from one glass to the others, putting the poisoner in risk to get poisoned too. They used to share other things, like the bread, the water to get cleaned in the mornings, they all took pieces from the same cooked bird.
I've read that people keep knocking glasses today, because they like the stimulating "chin-chin" noise of the glasses (according to psychologists), but this couldn't be the reason for our Northern friends, cause their beer mugs were made from wood mainly.
So,at the end you can conclude that they used to do it for
"safety" reasons. Cheers !!
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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 05-09-2006 06:21 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - Is professional wrestling, like the WWE, real?
Depends on your definition of "real". It's not real, in the sense that the outcome, who's going to win, etc. is pre-determined, based on considerations like storyline, which wrestler is being promoted, etc. That's why you'll never see Vegas giving odds on the WWE!
But no-one who spends any time watching wrestlers train and work would use the word "fake" - I'd reserve that for action films starring Schwarzenegger or Stallone, where the actors in question are kept safely away from the slightest danger. Most wrestlers do have to have some physical/athletic prowess. They have to know how to fall without getting hurt and also how to execute moves that won't (seriously) harm their competitor. Obviously, parts are real (like when someone breaks something, dies, or starts bleeding.) On the other hand, some parts are very fake (hitting someone 20 times in the head and they're still conscious.) Yet injury remains a certain part of every wrestler's life. On those terms, it's quite real. Personally, I never use the word fake; I like the term "
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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 05-09-2006 06:24 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - Is it actually possible to catch a disease from a toilet seat?
Toilet seats are not major culprits in spreading diseases. If you have an open sore on your bottom it's probably more likely, but in that case you'd be at risk in any public place. You can't get a sexually transmitted disease from a toilet seat, especially AIDS. The AIDS virus can't survive exposure to the air. The best thing to do if you think a toilet seat is yucky is to wipe it off with toilet tissue, then flush the tissue down before using the toilet. Then wash your hands after using the facility because there are still germs on the flush handle, and definitely the sink, doorknob, etc. It's your hands that come in contact with your eyes, nose, and mouth, which are open doors into your body. Keeping the hands clean is vital.
In a public bathroom, it's a good idea not to touch the faucet to turn off the water, or the doorknob to leave, after you wash your hands. This is especially true if you are at a restaurant and cleaning up before you eat. Doorknobs are dirty things. Consider keeping the towels in your hands not only after you dry them, but when turning off the water and when opening the door as well. I'm always glad to see that a public restroom has a door that can be opened from the inside with just a push.
And don't touch your face with your hands! Especially when using a public telephone!
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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 05-09-2006 06:30 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - Where did the name 'Hollywood' come from?
In 1886, H. H. Wilcox bought an area of Rancho La Brea that his wife then christened "Hollywood."
The sign, however, was put up in the 1920's by a real estate company as an advertisement for their new homes in a subdivision called "Hollywoodland", and, yes, he sign originally had all 13 letters. Hollywoodland's real estate development experienced a slide in the 1930s due to 1929 stock market crash. By the 1940s, no longer able to pay someone to maintain the sign, the developers abandoned it.
The sign was left derelict until 1949, when the 'H' toppled in the wind. The damage made people take notice. It was at that time that the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce stepped in - they offered to remove the last four letters of the sign (LAND) and repair the rest.
But sustained maintenance proved a somewhat trying task. As Hollywood itself started going to seed in the 1960s, the sign once again fell into disrepair. The Hollywood Kiwanis Club raised enough money to fix the damage, but soon after using the last of the funds to restore the 'D,' one of the 'O's crashed down the hill.
Fortunately, help was on the way. Hugh Hefner organized and hosted a party at his Mansion at which letters for a new sign would be sold at nearly $28,000 a pop. The adopt-a-letter campaign worked, and aided by Gene Autry (who bought an 'L') and rocker Alice Cooper ('O'), among others, Hefner ('Y') raised enough to prop those letters back up where they belonged.
And while Hollywood itself may forever change and adapt with the trends that circulate around it, the sign can look forward to a long and happy life, complete with the occasional facelift.
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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 05-16-2006 03:07 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - If someone is using a cell phone in the bathroom stall next to me, is it rude to flush?
That's funny! This recently happened to me and I was flabbergasted that someone would actually discuss a real estate deal while relieving themselves. I don't know, it just seems wrong somehow!
I would have to say the answer is no, it's not rude to finish doing your business if someone in the next stall is using their phone. What would you do, wait until they left and then flush? Or just walk away without flushing? I think it would be more rude not to flush and walk away leaving a nice surprise for the next person.
It's assumption of risk on the cell phone user's part, imho. If one makes/takes a call in an area that is designated for a specific purpose, it's reasonable assume the sounds of that purpose will be going on in that area, i.e. the flushing of toilets in a bathroom. Just like if the person used their phone in a noisy construction area; should the workers stop what they are doing so the person on the phone can have a conversation without all the noise?
I would say responsibility lies with the cell phone user - if they don't want to have the sounds of people using the restroom going on in the background as they use their phone, then they should consider using their phone elsewhere. After all, is nothing sacred anymore?
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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 05-17-2006 09:21 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - Are there natural ways to help me sleep?
Insomnia and sleeplessness generally fall into three categories:
1. "Initial" insomnia: where you have difficulty in falling asleep, generally taking 30 minutes or longer to fall into a sleep state.
2. "Middle" insomnia: where after falling asleep you have problems maintaining a sleep state, often remaining awake until the early morning hours.
3. "Late" or "Terminal" insomnia: where you awake early in the morning after less than 6 hours of sleep.
Insomnia can be the symptom of some medical conditions that may require your doctor's advice and medical care. In those cases the cause will be treated, not the insomnia.
If, however, your sleeplessness is due to a pattern of not sleeping, or because your body and mind find it difficult to settle into a state of relaxation necessary for sleep, here are some tips for achieving healthy sleep without the use of prescription drugs:
* A great evening cocktail for one or two is two cups of lettuce leaves pressed down tightly, combined in a blender with two cups of pineapple juice. This is more effective fresh than leftover, so reduce the amounts if there's no one to share.
* The best herb to help with deep relaxation and sleep is valerian extract, or valerian root. You can pick up bottles of it (available in capsule form, and sometimes in teas) at your local supermarket in the vitamin and herb section. Valerian extract/root is completely harmless, 100% natural, and actually works better than most all over the counter sleeping pills.
* Try counting backwards slowly. I imagine myself writing numbers, starting at 10 down to 1. If I get to 1, I start over. Or, imagine the beach (or some other soothing place). Or, try to invent a children's story in your head. Any of these help me fall asleep when I can't.
* It may sound weird, but eating a peanut butter sandwich right before you go to bed may help you fall asleep. It works because of the trytophan in the peanuts. Try adding slices of banana too since it has trytophan as well.
* A cup of Chamomile tea (no sugar) before you go do bed.
Hope this helps.
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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 05-19-2006 09:01 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - What exactly is port?
Port is a 'fortified' wine that originates in the Douro Valley, Portugal. The valley stretches east from the city of Oporto to the border with Spain. The term "port wine" can only refer to these wines, much like French regions lay claim to certain titles.
Port first became popular when the English were at war with France, and could therefore not drink French wines. The English went in search of a new location to set up vineyards, and the Duoro Valley proved to be quite suitable. The vineyards are laid out along very steep hills, terraced to provide footing for the vines.
In the seafaring days when this occurred, something had to be done to wine to allow it to survive the long ocean journeys. Brandy was added to allow the wine to last longer, and to be more resistant to temperature changes. Wines altered like this were called "fortified wines", and port is one of the more famous of the fortifies.
Port should be served around 65 degrees, in a narrow wine glass, and the glass should only be half filled. This keeps the alcoholic content from overwhelming the flavors. It often needs to be decanted, and is traditionally served with Stilton or cheddar cheese. Port also goes very well with chocolate. Port aromas include pepper, smoke, truffles and black currant. "Standard" port should be drunk within a year or two of purchase. Vintage Port peaks at around 20 years for good quality port.
Ports should also be stored differently depending on their type. The Standard port, with the stopper-with-plastic-top, is not meant to be aged. It should be stored upright, so the cork does not have any contact with the liquid within. Vintage ports, on the other hand, are meant to be aged and have a different, "normal" cork. These should be stored on their sides like any other wine.
A vintage port, once opened, loses its flavor quickly (again, like wine). It should be drunk within 24 hours of decanting if possible. The standard port, on the other hand, can last much longer. If kept corked (stopped), it can last between one (Ruby) and four (Tawny) months before its flavor is lost.
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