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Author Topic: Useless Fact's Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-10-2007 07:43 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - What kinds of trees are used to make telephone poles? Very tall, straight ones without any branches? Actually, after trudging through a forest of links, we discovered that a number of different trees are used to make telephone poles. According to the web site of one phone company, the most common type of tree used is the chestnut. Chestnut trees are fairly common and can grow up to 100 feet. Their wood is strong, easy to work with, and rot-resistant, making them the ideal material for telecommunication poles. And at a woodworking web site, we learned that several types of pine trees are used as well. If you're interested in identifying the wood of a particular pole, look for a two-letter code that is either burned into the pole or noted on a metal plate. This identifies the type of tree that gave its life in the interests of clearer communication.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-11-2007 08:00 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - Is Dr. Phil a real doctor? Would the man who tells us to "get real" try to fake a doctorate? Heck no! Dr. Phil McGraw has a Ph.D. in psychology, which seems like a more relevant degree than other daytime advice givers can claim. McGraw went to the University of Tulsa on a football scholarship, but was injured and completed his B.A. at Midwestern State University in 1975. He followed this up with studies at the University of North Texas where he earned a master's degree in experimental psychology and a doctorate in clinical psychology in 1979. Soon after, he started a psychology practice with his father. But during a decade of treating patients, Dr. Phil realized that he didn't have the patience for the job. So he co-founded Courtroom Services, Inc., a company that uses its expertise in psychology to help lawyers in trials. That's how he met Oprah Winfrey in 1996 when McGraw helped the daytime diva fight a court battle against the beef industry. A few years later, Dr. Phil became the resident psychology expert on Oprah's TV show. And you don't need an advanced degree to figure out where that led him.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-11-2007 10:15 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - Why did Ozzy Osbourne leave Black Sabbath? Long before his days as MTV's resident mumbler, Ozzy Osbourne fronted Black Sabbath, a hugely influential heavy metal band generally credited with inventing the genre. Sabbath created several seminal albums of intense, grinding rock music before Osbourne left the group in the late '70s. Actually, Osbourne left Black Sabbath twice. First time Ozzy left voluntarily in September of 1977 for a number of personal reasons, including substance abuse and the recent death of his father. The Ozzman eventually rejoined Black Sabbath only to part ways again with the band in May of 1979. There are several differing accounts of this breakup. The band claims that Ozzy was released due to "lack of interest," as well as drug and alcohol abuse. Mr. Osbourne claims that he left on his own. Black Sabbath carried on without Osbourne into the '80s, but their music suffered. The band reunited briefly for the Live Aid Festival in 1985, and has toured several times with various past and present band members since.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-11-2007 10:17 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - What was the first commercial airline? 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.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-11-2007 11:19 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - How safe is tongue piercing? When performed by a qualified studio, tongue piercing is pretty safe. To sum up: Find a friend who's had their tongue pierced and ask them to recommend a studio. * Visit the studio. Ask to look at their photo portfolio. Does the studio seem sterile? * Ask if they use a hospital grade autoclave, which uses high pressure and heat to clean instruments. * The piercing shouldn't be done in a tattoo room, or an administrative office. * The staff should all be vaccinated against hepatitis-B. *The staff should be friendly and willing to answer all of your questions. * All the needles and jewelry should be kept in sterilized packages. * Health certificates should be clearly visible. * It usually takes four to six weeks for the piercing to completely heal, but your tongue will swell dramatically during the first couple days. Fret not -- apply ice and drink plenty of water. Don't smoke, don't kiss, rinse with warm salt water, and avoid spicy foods. After you've completely healed, you won't notice the piercing at all. It's true. Of course, any time you have minor surgery, complications are possible. You'll have to decide for yourself if the rewards outweigh the risks.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-11-2007 01:30 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - What are the 10 most dangerous jobs? According to the 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.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-11-2007 02:32 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - Is it harmful to play really loud music in a car? Yes, in more ways than one! 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 sound 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. Some concerned citizens want to prevent people from playing loud thumpin' music in their cars. But there are those who love listening to car-shaking music. The most extreme bass-lovers participate in decibel drag-racing.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-15-2007 03:45 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - Does Barbie have a last name? Not only does Barbie have a last name, she boasts a complete biography. Barbie Millicent Roberts was born on March 9, 1959. A perpetual student, she attends Willows High in Willows, Wisconsin. But high school hasn't stopped this dynamic doll from pursuing a multitude of careers, including physician, astronaut, NASCAR driver, and (of course) "teenage fashion model." The oldest of the Roberts brood, Barbie has a number of younger siblings, including Skipper, twins Tutti and Todd, Stacie, Kelly, and Krissy. Barbie's circle of friends is also quite extensive. But until quite recently, Barbie had only one main squeeze -- she and boyfriend Ken (last name Carson) were an item for 43 years. Sadly, the plastic pair parted ways February 12, 2004, no doubt making for one sad Valentine's Day. Barbie takes her first name from Barbara Handler, the daughter of Ruth Handler, co-founder of Mattel Toys and creator of the doll. Her middle and last names were added later after sales skyrocketed and the doll's history was "fleshed out."  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-16-2007 05:52 PM                        Rated G Useless fact-Why do some cities have a sheriff, while others have a chief of police? Law enforcement titles vary from state to state, but there are some general differences between police chiefs and sheriffs. Police chiefs tend to work in larger metropolitan areas and are usually appointed by the city's mayor. Sheriffs, on the other hand, are responsible for counties and often have larger, more rural areas to patrol. Many times they have a kind of default jurisdiction over unincorporated areas or small towns. Sheriffs are usually elected rather than appointed. According to an article from a criminal justice course, the American police system was lifted wholesale from the British. By 1845, most major cities in the United States had a police chief. The office of sheriff is also of British origin. Sheriffs tend to have more autonomy since they're elected, but their departments often lack jurisdiction over cities and towns. In many areas of the country, like Los Angeles for example, there are both blue and brown shirts protecting the peace.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-17-2007 12:22 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - How do mood rings work? Mood rings don't monitor your mood so much as your body temperature (though the two are often related). The active ingredients in mood rings are thermotropic liquid crystals. These crystals are commonly used in laptop screens and are extremely temperature-sensitive. That's why your computer screen can act strangely on a cold day. But let's get back to the rings, shall we? The molecules in the liquid crystals realign themselves very quickly depending on the temperature, causing them to absorb different spectrums of visible light. So depending on whether you're burning with desire, cold with envy, or lukewarm with inner peace, the ring will change color.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-18-2007 12:44 PM                        Rated G Useless fact - How are credit unions different from banks? 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.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-22-2007 07:18 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - Why do barber shops have blue and red striped poles? The late Bill Marvey, one of the world's last remaining manufacturer of barber poles, shared his expert opinion in a 1981 article. He explains: The symbolism of the barber pole goes back to the barber/surgeon of the Middle Ages. In addition to cutting hair, he'd pull teeth, let blood, use leeches, lance boils. He'd hang his bandages out to dry, and they'd blow in the wind and twist around red and white together. If you needed dental work, enemas, or wound surgery during this time, the barber/surgeon was the man to visit. A pole painted red and white (to represent blood and bandages) was an advertisement to potential patients. By the 19th century, barbers began focusing on hair styling and snipping, leaving the ER work to the doctors. The distinctive striped pole remained however. It's not quite as clear what the blue stripe of a barber pole represents. One interpretation says the blue stands for veins. Marvey believes the blue stripe was added during the turn of the century as a patriotic gesture.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-22-2007 09:38 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - Is the Bermuda Triangle a real place? The Bermuda Triangle is formed by the Bermuda Islands, southern Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. A number of ships and aircraft have vanished without a trace while passing through this area. National Geographic Magazine says it's the world's greatest modern mystery. On January 8, 1962, a KB-50 aerial tanker disappeared over the Triangle. The press claimed the plane crashed headlong into the sea, but later reports disproved the media's account. No single piece of evidence was found. This wasn't the first spooky disappearance. The craft and crew of Flight 19 in 1945 and the NC- 16002 in 1948 shared similar fates. Numerous theories have attempted to explain the strange phenomenon. According to the magnetic variation theory, the Bermuda Triangle (one of two places on Earth where a magnet compass points true north) causes navigational instruments to go haywire and send crafts off course. Other theories claim the Triangle is a gateway to alien worlds. Still others claim the area also known as the "Devil's Triangle" is a time warp. So, the Bermuda Triangle is a real place -- we're just not sure what's really there. And that's fine with us.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-22-2007 09:45 AM                        Rated G Useless fact - Who was Eddie Bauer? Eddie Bauer wasn't just a marketing gimmick. He was born in 1899 to Russian immigrant parents in the North Puget Sound area of Washington. As a young man, his enthusiasm for the outdoors grew while working at Piper and Taft, then Seattle's biggest sporting goods store. In 1919, he started his own business selling tennis rackets. He soon expanded his line to include fishing tackle, golf clubs, and outdoor clothing. In 1929, Bauer married Christine Heltborg, who was as avid a sportsperson as Bauer himself. Christine inspired him to add women's clothing to his store. Bauer is credited with inventing the down parka. In winter 1934, he nearly got hypothermia after removing a heavy, wet, wool jacket. This inspired him to make a quilted, goose-down jacket, which he patented and sold in 1936. Eddie Bauer ran his growing company until 1968, when he retired. His business partner, William Niemi, bought the company, and it was eventually sold to larger corporations. Bauer died in 1986, but his stores, down parkas, and good name live on.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-22-2007 07:04 PM                        Rated G Who's the guy wearing the hat on the back of the $2 bill? We assume you're referring to the 1976 version of the $2 bill that features John Trumbull's "Declaration of Independence" painting. Created between 1788 and 1795, the painting memorializes the document's historic signing. However the scene didn't actually take place as depicted. Trumbull included all the key players in his painting, whether or not they supported independence, and whether or not they actually signed. Twenty-five years after he finished the painting, Trumbull identified the man in the Quaker hat as Stephen Hopkins, a signatory of the Declaration of Independence and first governor of Rhode Island. But in the 1940s, Trumbull's original sketch of Hopkins was discovered. It called into question the identity of the man in the wide-brimmed hat. Art historian Irma Jaffe concludes the mysterious man was actually John Dickinson, a Pennsylvania Quaker opposed to independence. A commission from the Rhode Island Governor's Office investigated the claim and agreed with Jaffe's findings. Maybe John Trumbull intended to be vague. Or maybe he was pulling a joke. He certainly showed a sense of humor when he painted John Adams stepping on Thomas Jefferson's foot.  |  IP: Logged

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