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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 05-10-2007 07:18 AM
Rated G ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Useless fact - How do you get the smell of cigarette smoke out of walls and fabric?
Commercial air fresheners only mask odors with an artificial scent and don't provide a long-term solution. Instead, try to prevent and neutralize odors. One of the most effective ways to deal with the smell of cigarette smoke is to air out the room for a short time every day. This will also help prevent new odors from building up. To neutralize the smoke smell, place saucers of white vinegar around the room and near affected furniture. Charcoal or baking powder has a similar effect. Leave it in the room overnight or for several days, preferably with the room closed off. Then thoroughly air out the room again.
To remove the smell from fabrics, such as furniture upholstery, sprinkle the fabric with baking soda. Leave it for a few hours, and then vacuum it off. If you're concerned about baking soda messing up your fine materials, test it first in an inconspicuous area of the fabric. Upholstery shampoo, either a commercial brand or a one you make yourself using liquid dish or laundry detergent and warm water, can also help remove smells from furniture. Be careful that you don't get the furniture too wet while you're cleaning it, and speed the drying by keeping windows open and using a fan. Don't forget the carpets. These can suck up smells too. Sprinkle the carpet with a mixture of 1 cup Borax and 2 cups cornmeal, wait an hour, and then vacuum
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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 05-10-2007 03:14 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - We drink water and eat salt. Aside from the taste, why can't we drink sea water?
Humans can't drink salt water because the kidneys can only make urine that is less salty than salt water. Therefore, to get rid of all the excess salt taken in by drinking salt water, you have to urinate more water than you drank, so you die of dehydration. As is so often the case, this answer raises some new questions. How much salt is too much? Salt, like water, is a key ingredient of life on earth. The right amount of sodium chloride (common table salt) is essential for human health. In fact, our blood is 0.9% salt and our body weight is about 1/400 salt. Living cells depend on sodium chloride to maintain the chemical balances required for complex processes and reactions that take place at the microscopic level.
Insufficient salt intake can lead to fatigue, illness, and death, although it is more common nowadays to hear about health problems associated with too much salt. According to the Salt Institute's encyclopedic site about salt, the National Academy of Sciences' recommended daily dose is 500 mg/day -- though most Americans consume closer to 3,500 mg/day. (A teaspoon of salt equals about 2,000mg.)
Optimal salt intake varies -- it depends on a person's genetic makeup, where they live, how active they are, and other lifestyle factors. However, nobody, except for a saltwater fish, is designed to drink saltwater.
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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 05-11-2007 11:01 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - What's the difference between a comet, a meteor, and an asteroid?
Asteroids and comets are both classified as near-Earth objects. Asteroids are made of rock or metal and are thought to have been created in the warmer inner solar system. Comets are composed of ice, rock, and organic (carbon-based) compounds, and are believed to have formed in the cold outer solar sytem. Scientists believe both are "...ancient remnants of the earliest years of the formation of our solar system more than four billion years ago."
When asteroids collide, meteroids, smaller rocky bodies, often result. Meteroids are also formed when a comet passes near the sun, and the heat releases dust particles from the comet's icy tail. When a meteroid or asteroid enters the Earth's atmosphere, it ignites, creating a visible streak of light called a meteor. If the object doesn't vaporize completely and crashes into the Earth, it's called a meteorite.
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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 05-11-2007 11:07 AM
Rated G
How can I exchange damaged U.S. dollar bills? Does it have the same value?
How can I exchange damaged U.S. dollar bills? Does it have the same value?
If you have more than one half of the original bill, the Treasury will usually reimburse you for the full face value of the bill. Within the Treasury, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's Office of Currency Standards (OCS) handles all requests to replace damaged currency, so we headed to the OCS for more detail.
The OCS page provides a mailing address and complete shipping instructions for turning in your damaged currency. If more than half of that dollar is identifiable, they'll give you back a new dollar. If less than half of the bill can be identified, a new greenback will be headed your way if you can explain how the currency was damaged, and also prove to the Treasury that the rest of the bill was totally destroyed. Each case of damaged currency is handled individually, and experts carefully examine each bill submitted.
The OCS only handles mutilated currency, such as that damaged by fire, water, chemicals, or animals. If your dollar is merely dirty, defaced, worn, or ripped, and more than half of the dollar is clearly visible, you can go to any U.S. bank to exchange it for a fresh dollar. Banks can turn over such currency to a Federal Reserve Bank to be retired or destroyed.
So, next time you and your buddies spend a Sunday afternoon burning c-notes, don't worry -- just make sure you snatch the burning bills from the fire before they're half gone.
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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 05-11-2007 12:18 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - Does sitting too close to the TV really damage your eyes?
Despite the repeated warnings of your mother, sitting too close to the TV will not damage your eyes. Prior to 1968 or so some sets emitted excessive X- rays, but that problem has now been eliminated. So no damaging rays are actually given off from the set that can hurt you. However, sitting too close to the TV could strain your eyes. Some eye doctors recommend that you sit no closer than five feet from the TV screen, but this precaution is merely to prevent eye fatigue. There are some people who believe that eyestrain can lead to myopia, or nearsightedness, and a few animal studies seem to support this theory, but there is little conclusive evidence.
Several other sources confirmed that sitting smack dab in front of the TV does not damage your eyes. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, kids, the usual culprits, can focus up close better than adults, so they often develop the habit of sitting right in front of the television. However, sitting too close to the TV may indicate that your child needs glasses. While TV may not ruin your eyes, the jury is still out as to its effects on your brain.
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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 05-12-2007 10:31 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - How is white chocolate made?
White chocolate is made the same way as milk chocolate and dark chocolate -- the difference is the ingredients. In fact, because of the ingredients, many people (including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) don't consider "white chocolate" to be chocolate at all.
The chocolate-making process begins with the cacao tree, which grows in equatorial areas of South America, Africa, and Asia. The seeds of the tree's fruits are the cocoa beans, which are harvested, fermented for six or seven days, and then dried. The highest quality chocolate comes from cocoa beans that are dried naturally in the sun for a week -- shorter, artificial drying yields inferior chocolate. Next, the beans are roasted, and the shells are removed. Then the cocoa is ground, resulting in a thick liquid called chocolate liquor (it's not alcoholic). This liquor is used to make unsweetened chocolate.
For other chocolaty purposes, the liquor is pressed to extract the fat, which is called cocoa butter. With the fat removed, the liquor becomes a powder that is blended with the cocoa butter and other ingredients to make different kinds of chocolate. Plain chocolate is made of cocoa powder, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, and sugar. Milk chocolate, of course, has milk added. White chocolate is made of cocoa butter, milk, and sugar.
After the ingredients are mixed, the product is further refined to create chocolate suitable for solid bars and pieces. It's mixed, heated, and cooled very precisely in methods called "conching" and "tempering." These processes can take up to a week for the finest chocolates.
Because white chocolate has no cocoa solids from the chocolate liquor, the FDA doesn't classify it as chocolate. However, the organization is working with chocolate manufacturers to establish a standard definition for white chocolate.
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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 05-12-2007 10:33 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - Who owns the "Mona Lisa" painting?
As we learned from the links we visited, Mona Lisa's history is almost as fascinating as the subject's enigmatic smile. Artist, inventor, and original Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci, began painting his portrait of an Italian nobleman's wife in 1503 and completed it some years later, probably around 1507. The painting was originally a commissioned work, but da Vinci didn't sell it to the man who requested it (possibly because he hadn't finished it yet). Instead, he kept it and still had it in his possession when he arrived in France at the court of King François I, around 1516. The French monarch eventually purchased "Mona Lisa" from da Vinci.
The painting became part of the French royal art collection. For several centuries, "Mona Lisa" was kept at palaces around France, including Amboise, Fontainbleau, Versailles, and the Tuileries. When the French Revolution struck in the late 18th century, the king was beheaded, and most of his palaces and possessions became property of the newly formed state. In 1793, the French government created a public art museum and used the old Louvre palace as its home. The "Mona Lisa" was displayed in this new museum.
This famous painting has remained in the Louvre as property of the French government ever since. But in 1911, it was stolen right off the wall by an Italian who wanted to return it to Italy, the painting's country of origin. Two years later, the "Mona Lisa" was found and returned to the Louvre. It has made only two journeys since then -- to the United States in 1963 and to Japan in 1974, both for hugely popular displays
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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 05-12-2007 10:40 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - How many states are tax free?
We hate to break it to you, but no U.S. state is completely tax free. However, in some states the tax burden is lighter than in others.
According to the Federation of Tax Administrators, the following states impose no income tax on state residents: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. In addition, New Hampshire and Tennessee limit state income tax to dividends and interest income only. In these two states, the bulk of most people's income -- i.e., salary or wages -- goes untaxed. Nice break!
Income tax is only one form of tax that states impose. Most states charge a sales tax when someone (resident or visitor) purchases items within the state. Some food products and prescription drugs are exempt from state sales tax, but this varies from state to state. Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon have no state sales tax. But even though the state doesn't tax retail sales, individual counties and cities are sometimes allowed to collect sales tax. In Alaska, where the state has no sales tax, the cities of Bethel, Clarks Point, and Dillingham each charge their own 5% sales tax.
In addition, many states have excise taxes levied against specific products. Some are aimed at wholesalers and importers, but the consumer pays a few directly. For example, every state has a tax on cigarettes which ranges from 2.5 cents per pack in Virginia to over $1 per pack in New York.
Benjamin Franklin uttered the famous bon mot, "Nothing in life is certain but death and taxes." That saying still rings true -- even in "tax free" states, the U.S. federal government wants to tax you, too. There is no escape.
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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 05-13-2007 07:06 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - Why was the Manhattan Project called that?
The Manhattan Project was named after the location of Columbia University, where much of the early research for the nuclear program was conducted. The project was instigated in 1939 with the name Manhattan Engineering District Project and the initial grant of $6,000; At its conclusion, it cost around $20 billion (in today's dollars) and involved over 125,000 people. The first bomb was detonated in Alamogordo, New Mexico, and another bomb was used on Japan less than three weeks later. The scientists who built the first bomb referred to it as "The Gadget," or "The Thing." Visitors at the Trinity test site in the southern New Mexico desert can view a small obelisk with a plaque that reads "Where the World's First Nuclear Device Was Exploded on July 16, 1945."
The principle behind the bomb is fission, which occurs when the central part of an atom, the nucleus, breaks up into two equal fragments. These fragments release other neutrons that break up more atoms, causing a chain reaction. Several hundred million volts of energy are released in only millionths of a second.
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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 05-14-2007 07:52 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - Why is there such good surfing in Hawaii?
Long before movies like The Endless Summer and North Shore focused attention on the world-class surfing scene in Hawaii, natives had been enjoying the 50th state's "choice waves" for centuries. Prior to the arrival of Captain James Cook in 1778, Hawaiian royalty fashioned boards of koa wood and learned to he'e nalu (wave slide) around their islands. The optimal surf conditions coupled with the locals' love of water sports gave rise to the modern sport of surfing.
As meteorologists and oceanographers can attest, there are specific reasons why Hawaii is so blessed with good surf. What exactly creates a good, surfable wave? It takes the perfect combination of coral reefs, strong winds and tides, and beach or shore geography.
Luckily, Hawaii possesses many examples of the above. Because of its remote location smack dab in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the archipelago is the beneficiary of gusting wind patterns, ocean swells, and tropical currents from every direction. Couple that with thousands of miles of volcanic shores, coves, inlets, and ideally configured coral reefs, and you have the perfect recipe for reliable surf almost all year round.
The Banzai Pipeline and Waimea Bay, both located on Oahu's famed North Shore, are among the most famous surfing spots in the world. The "Pipe" earned its nickname from the long barrel rides enjoyed by surfers. The waves here owe their enviable form to the infamous stretch of coral reef that plagues surfers near the shallow waters. Waves at the Pipe usually peak at 15-20 feet tall. Waimea, on the other hand, is what's known as a big wave beach. Just this month, waves there crested at a whopping 50 feet! Once again, the wave size and shape are due to its unique bay and reef configuration.
On the island of Maui, Ho'okipa Beach is a renowned windsurfing destination. Its long ride and waves are perfect for the sport. But Hawaii's most famous beach of all, Waikiki Beach, is the most inviting and least intimidating to surfers who are wet behind the ears. The long shore break and postcard-perfect views of Honolulu have made it the hotspot for longboard surfing, ever since the days of Olympic great Duke Kahanamoku.
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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 05-14-2007 03:13 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - Do NFL cheerleaders receive a salary?
According to several NFL links, we found a rough approximation of what cheerleaders earn per game. The outfits donned by these dancing dervishes aren't the only skimpy aspect of the job -- turns out the pay per game is rather minimal.
Here's a quote from the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders page, from the "Audition Information" and "Rules and Regulations" section. It states:
* Cheerleaders are paid $50.00 per home game.
* There is no pay schedule for rehearsals.
* Opportunities for paid appearances and shows are available!
So for the privilege of being one of the lucky 30 or 40 who make the final cut, the Cowgirls stand to earn approximately $500 ($50 x 10 home games). That's what the Cowboys pay, but what about other squads? Most don't list any sort of pay scale, but the San Diego Charger Girls make $60 per home game, the St. Louis Rams squad makes $50 per game, and the Seattle Seahawks Sea Gals make an unspecified hourly wage. To back up our research, we found this page that offers Pro Cheer tips. It states, "The pay may range from only $15 to $50 per game."
For obvious reasons, most of the NFL cheerleader sites make it perfectly clear that the women are required to hold down a full-time job in addition to their Sunday duties. The paltry pay of $500 doesn't even cover a month's worth of hair- care products for some of these professionals, much less living expenses for an entire year.
But don't weep for these women. If you refer back to point #3 in the Cowboys pay package, you'll see that income can extend beyond the bounds of the gridiron. Cheerleaders are in demand to appear at various functions, model for calendars, and perform shows outside of the stadium to help extend the NFL brand. For an idea of what it can cost to have cheerleaders appear at your special event, we found a page on the Buffalo Jills site detailing their pricing structure. In exchange for low wages, these aspiring women make money on these side gigs while receiving valuable exposure.
NFL cheerleaders can also participate in a wide variety of modeling jobs, public appearances, and television gigs. For example, lucky Washington Redskins cheerleaders helped soldiers clean their guns and met with such Hollywood luminaries as Jim Belushi. So while they don't make very much for waving their pom- poms, cheerleaders always have something to fall back on.
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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 05-15-2007 12:12 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - Are soy candles really better than wax candles?
Well, if you believe the peddlers of the new-fangled votives, soy candles offer a number of benefits over traditional wax candles. According to Wicks Works, a candle retailer that sells beeswax, soy, and gel candles, soy candles last 50% longer than candles made of petroleum-based paraffin, the ingredient found in most candles. They also burn slower and cooler (helping to better distribute fragrance), are non-toxic, less likely to trigger allergies, clean up with soap and water, and produce very little soot. These factors tend to make them more animal and child- friendly than traditional candles.
Soy wax is also a favorite of environmentally conscious consumers. Made from American-grown soybeans, it's biodegradable, a renewable resource, and from a global point of view, it "supports the U.S. economy instead of foreign oil conglomerates."
Paraffin wax, on the other hand, is made from petroleum and produces carcinogens and soot when burned. In fact, one air quality researcher stated that the soot from a paraffin candle contains many of the same toxins produced by burning diesel fuel. Even many of the seemingly healthy, aromatherapy candles sold today can do more harm than good.
The newly popular gel candles are also petroleum-based and, though contrary to widely circulated emails, they are not likely to explode, they do pose a danger. If sufficient heat builds up, the glass container housing the candle can shatter.
Beeswax is another popular alternative to paraffin candles. It is also less likely to trigger allergies and does not produce toxins or soot when burned. It is generally more expensive than paraffin but burns longer. However, some candles labeled as beeswax may also contain paraffin.
If a candle doesn't explicitly state it is soy on the label, it is probably a paraffin candle. Soy candles appear more opaque with a whitish film.
No matter what type of candle you burn, it's important to remember that you are playing with fire -- literally. So, play it safe next time you want to set the mood for a romantic evening.
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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 05-16-2007 03:54 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - Why is the North Star stationary, yet all the other stars and planets rise and set?
The North Star appears to be stationary because it's located only a half a degree from the North Celestial Pole (NCP). This is the point in the night sky where the projection of the Earth's axis lies. In other words, a huge column extending from the geographic North Pole up into space would just miss the North Star.
Since the Earth rotates around this axis, it stands to reason that in the Northern Hemisphere, the North Star appears stationary, while other constellations revolve around it. Astronomers have known about this for thousands of years.
An observer at the North Pole would see the North Star directly over head, while someone at the Equator sees Polaris at the Northern horizon, though it still appears that other stars revolve around it. And by 2100 A.D. the wobble of Earth's axis will begin pointing the North Pole away from Polaris. Eventually, after another 26,000 years or so, the Polaris will once again be the North Star.
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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 05-18-2007 07:18 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - Which president is on the $2 bill?
Thomas Jefferson graces the front of the $2 bill, while the signing of the Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull is portrayed on the reverse side.
The Continental Congress authorized $2 bills on June 25, 1776, as "bills of credit for the defense of America." Jefferson made his appearance on the note in 1928, and while earlier versions depicted Monticello on the reverse side, the Trumbull painting was introduced in 1976 for the Bicentennial.
There are more than a billion dollars' worth of $2 bills out there. The Bureau itself churns out around 700 million dollars worth of cash per day, but 95% of those notes are used to replace tired money. It takes money to make money; paper bills cost a little over four cents to produceuseless fact - Which president is on the $2 bill?
Thomas Jefferson graces the front of the $2 bill, while the signing of the Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull is portrayed on the reverse side.
The Continental Congress authorized $2 bills on June 25, 1776, as "bills of credit for the defense of America." Jefferson made his appearance on the note in 1928, and while earlier versions depicted Monticello on the reverse side, the Trumbull painting was introduced in 1976 for the Bicentennial.
There are more than a billion dollars' worth of $2 bills out there. The Bureau itself churns out around 700 million dollars worth of cash per day, but 95% of those notes are used to replace tired money. It takes money to make money; paper bills cost a little over four cents to produce
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