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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 04-17-2007 09:25 AM
Rated G ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Useless fact - How do I pick the right eyeglasses for the shape of my face?
A general guideline is to choose frames that are the opposite of your face shape. "Angular-shaped faces look better with rounder frames. Softer, fuller faces are enhanced with sharper-edged frame shapes." That said, here are some more detailed guidelines tailored to specific face shapes:
* Oval -- Most styles look good on oval faces, so try either geometric or rounded frames.
* Oblong -- Pick a curved or rounded style to emphasize the width of your face rather than the depth.
* Round -- Squared or angled frames will help sharpen your features.
* Triangular -- Aviator and geometric styles can add width to the lower part of the face.
* Square -- Look for rounded, cat-eyed, or oval styles to soften the shape of your face.
* Rectangular -- Curved or rounded styles will make your face appear wider.
* When choosing frames, consider their overall size, which should be in proportion to the size of your face. Frames that are too large or too small do not flatter, not matter what style they are. Make sure the frames fit properly. Your pupils should fall in the center of the lenses, and frames shouldn't move around on your face when you smile. If you prefer colored frames, pick a shade that complements your hair and skin tones. Above all, choose a frame that you like and that reflects your style and personality.
One final pointer -- when shopping for frames, it helps to bring along a friend you trust (and whose style you like) to offer honest opinions.
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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 04-20-2007 08:50 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - What is the history of the Ouija board?
"Ouija board, Ouija board, will you work for me?" Spirit seekers have been asking that question of the mysterious talking board for over a century. Some sources claim the board has an ancient heritage, but no reliable proof has been found. According to one link, Ouija boards started in the mid 19th century when spiritualism became wildly popular in the United States and Europe. This obsession with the occult led people to hold séances to contact the dead. Spirits supposedly knocked on the table, moved objects across the room, and spoke to the living.
Parlor games were invented to help interpret the spirits' voices, and one of the first was the planchette. The word means "little plank" in French, and the device was a small piece of wood (usually heart-shaped) with three small legs or wheels. Early planchettes had a pencil for a third leg, and when you put your fingers on the planchette, spirits were supposed to move your hand to make the pencil write out messages.
Around 1886, people began modifying the planchette. They removed the pencil and set the planchette atop a message board printed with all the letters of the alphabet, the numbers one through ten, the words "yes" and "no," and the phrases "good evening" and "good night." Players would place their fingers on the planchette and allow spirits to move it around the board to spell out words or dates. The spirits could also answer yes or no questions. "Good evening" and "good bye" were for courtesy (the Victorian inventors didn't want to anger the spirits with bad manners).
In 1891, Elijah J. Bond, Charles W. Kennard, and William H. A. Maupin were granted the first patent for a Ouija board. No one knows if they designed the board or simply copied an existing fad. Regardless, in 1890, Kennard founded the Kennard Novelty Company and produced the first commercial talking boards. He was also the first to call it a Ouija board, claiming that "ouija" (pronounced "wE-ja") was Egyptian for "good luck." While the word doesn't mean "good luck," the name Ouija stuck, and the boards were sometimes called Egyptian luck boards.
Kennard didn't reap much good luck from the Ouija board, however. In 1892, a hostile takeover forced him out of his own company, and a former employee, William Fuld, became the new owner. Fuld changed the name of the business to the Ouija Novelty Company and invented a new history for the talking board to add to its mystery. Fuld's name has been connected to the Ouija board ever since and was often used to market the game, even after his death in 1927.
In 1966, Fuld's heirs sold Ouija to the game and toy company Parker Brothers, which still owns the trademark and continues to make Ouija boards. Since the late 1800s, many others have manufactured and sold some form of talking board as well. But we think Parker Brothers had the best advertising slogan: "It's just a game -- isn't it?"
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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 04-20-2007 12:10 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - How does cryogenics work?
Let's begin with a couple of definitions. Cryogenics is described by the Britannica Concise Encyclopedia as the "study and use of low-temperature phenomena... Applications of cryogenics include the storage and transport of liquefied gases, food preservation, cryosurgery, rocket fuels, and superconducting electromagnets." We're talking about a range of temperatures from -238°F (-150°C) to absolute zero -- colder than cold. Cryonics is the experimental application of cryogenic principles to freeze and preserve recently deceased humans. The hope is that they may be revived in the future through new, as yet undiscovered, medical technologies.
The body of deceased baseball great Ted Williams currently lies in a frozen state of "suspended animation" at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation cryonics facility in Arizona. The controversy surrounding Williams' last wishes and the uncertain fate of his remains have been in the news since Williams died on July 5, 2002, at age 83. Coverage of cryonics has proliferated in the media. Meanwhile, Williams' frozen body is suspended, upside-down in a titanium steel cylinder, along with several other heads and bodies, according to a recent article in the New York Times.
On the Alcor web site, we learned liquid nitrogen is used to cool the remains in order to preserve DNA and cell structure, in the hope that future medical advances will be able to cure mortal diseases and reanimate individuals whose bodies have been preserved. Over 100 people have been cryonically suspended since the process was first attempted in 1967.
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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 04-20-2007 12:21 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - What are contact lenses made of?
We could answer your question with just one word, à la "The Graduate". That word would be "plastics." Contact lenses are made of thin, clear, curved plastics, specifically polymers. In the 1960s, the first contact lenses that became commonly available were made of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). PMMA is used in Plexiglas and Lucite and for things like aquariums and hockey rink barriers. It's even found in latex paints. PMMA lenses are hard, rigid, and not very comfortable. These lenses don't allow oxygen to pass directly to the cornea, which can be detrimental to the eye. Hard lenses are not very popular anymore.
In 1971, the first soft contact lenses were introduced commercially in the United States. These were also made of a polymer, but this time it was a polyacrylamide, which contains nitrogen. This polymer dissolves in water, and it's similar to polymers used to make acrylic fibers for fabric. Crosslinked polyacrylamide actually absorbs water, so it's a good material for contact lenses. Anywhere from 38% to 79% of a soft contact lens is water, and the water keeps the lens soft and flexible. Over 75% of contact lens wearers in the U.S. use soft lenses.
In 1979, the first rigid gas-permeable lenses (also known as RGPs) hit the market. These lenses combine PMMA with silicone and fluoropolymers so oxygen can pass directly through the lens to the eye. This makes the lens more comfortable for the wearer. Plus, the rigidity of RGPs can make vision crisper, and RGPs are better suited to correcting astigmatism and bifocal needs.
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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 04-20-2007 02:06 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - My friends would like me to perform their marriage ceremony. How can I become an ordained minister?
Studying at a seminary isn't the only way to become an ordained minister. You can sign up on a web site and immediately be a minister. Not everyone finds the Web's path legitimate from a spiritual perspective, but it's usually legal in the United States. Perhaps the most popular instant-minister organization is the Universal Life Church (ULC). The ULC used to advertise in the back of magazines like Rolling Stone. All you had to do was mail in a self-addressed stamped envelope in order to become a minister. With the advent of the Internet, you're only a few clicks away from holy orders.
Founded by Kirby James Hensley in 1959 in Modesto, California, the ULC is about as non-denominational and non-dogmatic as a church can be. This group espouses no particular theology and simply requests that its ministers "do that which is right." Ministers can decide what is "right" for themselves. As of 2002, the ULC has ordained some 5 million ministers.
To ordain yourself online, simply go to any of the ULC sites such as ULC.org, or ULC.net, and look for the "ordination" link. Then supply your full name and address, and -- presto! -- you're a minister. Some of the sites provide a printable credential, while others will mail you a paper credential.
Is this legal? Generally, yes. A ULC minister can legally perform weddings and sign a marriage license, just like any other minister, rabbi, or religious official. In most U.S. states, any minister can solemnize a marriage as long as he or she is in good standing with his or her church. Many state laws simply declare that weddings can be performed by "any currently ordained clergyman or religious authority of any religious denomination or society."
However, several states have additional requirements. In Arkansas, Delaware, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New York (for weddings in New York City only), and Virginia, ministers must register their name and address with the state or county, or present a copy of their credentials to a state or county office before they can perform weddings (specifics vary among these states). The states of Nevada, Ohio, and Rhode Island each license their ministers. Tennessee's requirements might restrict ULC ministers because the state specifies that ordination must be a "considered, deliberate, and responsible act."
We now pronounce this question answered. You may kiss your monitor. Check out the links in our Wedding category and ULC category for more.
Or call me I have been ordained.
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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 04-21-2007 07:52 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - How can someone have two different colored eyes?
According to the experts at "Scientific American", it was once believed that eye color was controlled by a single gene and inherited in a straightforward fashion (remember Mendel from high-school biology?). These days it's not quite that simple. We now believe that eye color is a polygenic trait.
Eye color is determined by the amount of melanin, a dark brown pigment, present in your irises. Blue eyes are due to a lack of melanin, while brown eyes indicate melanin- rich irises. Thus, people with darker hair and skin have higher levels of melanin and tend to have brown eyes, while people with lighter hair and skin have lower levels of melanin and usually have lighter colored eyes. This is also why many babies are born with blue eyes. Their eyes change color later as they begin to produce more melanin.
When an individual has different amounts of melanin in each of their irises, their eyes are different colors. Heterochromia iridium (the scientific name for two different color eyes in the same individual) is relatively rare in humans but common in some animals, such as horses, cats, and certain species of dogs. A variation on the condition is heterochromia iridis, in which an individual has a variety of colors within one iris.
Heterochromia iridium is thought to result from an alteration to one of the genes that controls eye color. This can be an inherited trait, although trauma and certain medications may result in increased or decreased pigmentation in one of the irises. Certain medical syndromes, such as Waardenburg syndrome, may also cause someone to have two different colored eyes.
Some people with this condition wear colored contact lenses so their irises match, while others take pride in their striking appearance.
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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 04-21-2007 09:53 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - How can you prolong the life of cut flowers in a vase?
First, before you put the flowers in a vase, cut the stems. Hold the stems underwater, and use a sharp knife to cut them on the diagonal. Don't use dull scissors because they can crush the stem and prevent the flowers from soaking up as much water as they need. Make sure to remove all the leaves and thorns that will be underwater in the vase. Leaves under the water line can cause bacteria and algae to form.
Next, prepare the water. Most flowers prefer lukewarm water, although spring flowers (such as tulips, irises, and daffodils) survive best in ice-cold water. A floral preservative can help the flowers last longer. You can use a store-bought preservative or make your own. Some recipes mix lemon with a little bleach, while others recommend a teaspoon of sugar and a few drops of bleach. However, some experts advise against any home concoctions because they don't provide the complex mixture of nutrients and preservatives that cut flowers need to survive.
Once your bouquet is in the vase, keep it out of direct sunlight and place it in a cool spot. Remove flowers as they wilt so they don't contaminate the rest of the bouquet. Change the water at least every two or three days, if not daily. Make sure to add more preservative to the water every time, and you can re-cut the stems to allow the flowers to absorb more water.
Some types of flowers benefit from special care. When lilies open, they show their pollen-covered anthers. To make cut lilies last longer (and prevent staining), remove these anthers. You can keep cut roses from drooping by poking a pinhole in the stem right below the blossom. Don't mix daffodils and narcissi with other flowers because their cut stems emit a slime that's toxic to other flowers. And don't mix flowers and fruit in the same arrangement -- the fruit will make the flowers wilt faster.
If you follow these suggestions, most cut flowers will last about a week. Gladiolus, statice, liatris, and lisianthus will last up to 10 days, and carnations have been known to last 21 days with proper care
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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 04-22-2007 11:27 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - How long should you keep personal financial records like bank statements, receipts, tax statements, etc.?
This answer is for anyone who has ever had an overstuffed filing cabinet, a desk stacked with bills, or a "special" drawer in which you can find phone bills from 1988. Here's a quick overview:
* Taxes -- Seven years. The IRS has three years from your filing date to audit your return if it suspects good faith errors, and six years if it thinks you underreported your gross income by 25 percent or more.
* IRA contributions -- Permanently.
* Retirement/Savings plan statements -- From one year to permanently. Keep the quarterly statements until you receive your annual summary; keep the annual summaries until you retire or close the account.
* Bank records -- From one year to permanently. Throw away checks that have no long-term importance, but keep checks related to your taxes, business expenses, and housing and mortgage payments.
* Brokerage statements -- Until you sell your securities.
* Bills -- From one year to permanently. In most cases, when you receive the canceled check, the bill can be tossed. However, you should keep bills for big purchases (e.g., jewelry, appliances, cars, collectibles, etc.) for proof of their value in the event of loss or damage.
* Credit card receipts and statements -- From 45 days to seven years. Keep the statements seven years if they document tax- related expenses.
* Paycheck stubs -- One year. If your W-2 form matches your stubs, you can toss your stubs.
* House/Condominium records and receipts -- From six years to permanently.
Whether you use a filing cabinet, shoebox, or desk drawer, find a system that works for you and stick with it.
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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 04-24-2007 01:57 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - What causes that intense pain when you eat ice cream too fast?
On a hot, stifling day, there's nothing better than an ice cream cone. As it drips down your hand, you might find yourself licking faster in a futile attempt to salvage the falling ice cream. Then, like a ton of cold bricks, it hits you -- brain freeze! What's going on when this happens? Why does it feel like your eyes are going to pop out of your head? About a third of people suffer from ice cream headaches. The condition is caused by extremely cold foods or beverages that touch the roof of the mouth and set in motion a chain of events. When the nerves that travel to the brain are stimulated, the blood vessels in the front of the head expand and contract like they do during a migraine headache. Even though this sensation typically lasts only 10 to 20 seconds, the pain is mind-numbing.
The "brain freeze" has nothing to do with your brain, it's just the reaction of the blood vessels in your noggin. In addition, we learned a couple of ways to avoid the pain:
* Slow down. Eat cold foods slowly.
* Warm the cold food in the front part of your mouth before swallowing.
* If it's too late and you can feel the pain creeping into your head, hold your tongue against the roof of your mouth to warm the palate. This may help ease the pain a bit.
One thing is for sure: Americans love their ice cream and don't seem to mind the pain that comes with the pleasure.
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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 04-26-2007 11:17 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - Why can't dogs see color?
Popular wisdom has it that dogs are color-blind, but recent research suggests that a dog's world is not all black and white. To understand what dogs can and can't see, it helps to have some basic knowledge of vision in humans and other mammals. Our vision is optimized for seeing in bright light, while dogs, like many other predators, see best in dimmer light.
The retina is a structure at the innermost layer of the eye that senses light and sends visual information to the brain. Two types of photoreceptor cells in the retina -- rods and cones -- respond to light and transmit electric impulses to the optic nerve through a series of chemical reactions. Rods process visual information in dim light and are sensitive motion detectors, while cones handle color and detail. The human retina contains approximately 100 million rods and 7 million cones.
Cone cells contain pigments that perceive specific wavelengths of color. Human vision is trichromatic -- we have three types of cones that recognize different portions of the color spectrum. These cones allow us to see a range of colors that are a mix of red, blue, and green pigments. Dogs have only two types of cones - - their dichromatic color vision is similar to that of a human with red-green color-blindness. In addition, a dog's retina contains a much smaller ratio of cones to rods than ours does.
Before you start feeling sorry for Fido, keep in mind that although he may not have the color range and visual acuity (focus) that you depend on, his night vision is far superior. Thanks to a reflective structure behind their retina called the tapetum lucidum, dogs see objects in the dark as if lit by an eerie glow.
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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 04-27-2007 09:16 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - What is the largest fish ever caught?
We fished around an ocean of the links to reel in the answer to your question. The Whale Shark, or Rhincodon typus, holds the title of largest fish ever caught. In 1919, a specimen measuring 59 feet was captured in the Gulf of Thailand. Not coincidentally, the Whale Shark is considered the largest species of fish, as adults often grow to be 45 feet long and can weigh up to 15 tons. Whale Sharks are not related to whales (which are mammals, not fish). They may have earned the name because of their large size and the fact that, like whales, Whale Sharks are filter feeders. They suck up plankton and small sea creatures as they swim with their mouths open. Despite having thousands of teeth, this type of shark is harmless to humans.
Whale sharks are found in the warm, tropical oceans of the world, although their numbers are declining. The 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species labels the Whale Shark as a "vulnerable" species, meaning that it faces a high risk of extinction in the wild in the not-too-distant future.
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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 05-01-2007 10:34 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - What is quicksand composed of and where is it found?
Quicksand is loose, water-logged sand which yields easily to weight or pressure. Quicksand is usually liquefied by an underground water source. A soupy mix of sand and water, quicksand is usually only a few feet deep. It can be found anywhere that land and water meet, including beaches, marshes, and ponds.
Quicksand is rarely found in deserts, due to the lack of water. It's also not a specific kind of soil -- any area of ground that has been sufficiently soaked with water to the point where it can't support weight can become quicksand. Earthquakes often temporarily liquefy soil, leading to serious structural damage.
Quicksand is not as dangerous as depicted in many movies. Because quicksand is denser than the human body, a person will usually float in it. The biggest danger comes from flailing the arms and legs, which literally "digs" that person deeper and can cause him/her to drown.
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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 05-01-2007 10:49 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - How can I name a star?
You can name any star you like, but it's virtually impossible to get anyone else, much the less international authorities, to recognize your star name. Many companies will gladly take your money so they can "register" your choice of name for a particular star. This star naming is promoted as a great gift for all occasions. But none of these companies have any authority over official star names. To shine some light on this issue, we consulted several links and found out that the only body with the authority to name stars is the International Astronomical Union (IAU). This organization doesn't sell names for stars or any other celestial object, and doesn't recognize the names sold by any purported star-registry companies.
Stars are named according to internationally accepted rules. A few bright stars have widely known names that were given centuries years ago, such as Betelgeuse and Polaris (also called the North Star). But most stars have no proper name and never will. Instead, stars are assigned catalog numbers and are identified by their position in the sky.
Since the 1970s, various businesses have claimed to sell star names. But what these companies actually do is write your star name down in a book and randomly assign you a star. Some businesses suggest that your star name is official because the book that lists your star name is then registered with the copyright office of the U.S. Library of Congress. In reality, this doesn't confer legitimacy on your star name -- any book can be copyrighted and registered with the Library of Congress. Other companies say their list of registered star names will be kept for eternity in a secure vault or perpetual database for future generations. That may be true, but none of this means that any government, astronomical group, or space agency on Earth will refer to "your" star by "your" name.
The IAU disassociates itself from the practice of selling star names and says, "like true love and many other of the best things in human life, the beauty of the night sky is not for sale, but is free for all to enjoy."
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