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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 03-05-2008 02:12 PM
Rated G ![[Smile]](smile.gif) the little woman
Verified on Snopes:
Do you realize how early Easter is this year? As you may know, Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.
Found out a couple of things you might be interested in! Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) but that is pretty rare.
Here's the interesting info. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above!). And none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Here are the facts:
1) The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).
2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this 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 03-18-2008 01:10 PM
Rated G
Who named the planets?
The story behind the names of the planets was written long ago by early stargazers -- the first astronomers to focus attention on the sun, the moon, and the visible planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. They believed that each of these celestial bodies influenced a particular day of the week. Diverse cultures ascribed the names of their gods to individual planets (with the notable exception of Earth). The Romans matched planetary attributes with particular deities and named the known planets accordingly. Tiny Mercury was named after the fleet-footed messenger to the gods, probably because it moves so quickly across the sky; Venus, the brightest planet visible to the unaided eye, was named for the goddess of love and beauty. Jupiter, more than twice as massive as all the other planets combined, earned the name of the superior god.
These Roman names were adapted by early European astronomers and have persisted, long after the ancient geocentric model of our solar system was proven wrong. These days, the hard-working scientists who find the planets get to choose their names. Although English is recognized as the international language of professional astronomy and planetary nomenclature, different languages have their own planetary names that are commonly used in everyday conversation.
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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 03-24-2008 12:50 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - Does breathing into a paper bag really stop a person from hyperventilating? If so, why?
Apparently so. The paper bag technique as a popular home treatment for hyperventilation. To find out why this cures most (but not all) cases, we consulted one of the links and learned that most instances of hyperventilation are relatively mild. Anxious or nervous people start to feel they can't get enough oxygen and breathe too quickly. This lowers the carbon dioxide level in the blood, which can cause "symptoms of numbness and tingling of the hands, and dizziness."
The paper bag works effectively because it forces the person to breathe in the carbon dioxide rather than "lose it into the atmosphere." After 5 to 15 minutes, the feeling of panic usually goes away. Just be careful not to overdo it and breathe in too much carbon dioxide.
Of course, when it comes to all things medical, it pays to err on the side of caution. If you're having trouble breathing and suspect something other than a mild case of hyperventilation, please seek medical assistance. And, for God's sake, never use a plastic bag.
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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 04-11-2008 02:24 PM
Rated G
Useless fact - When were jeans invented and by whom?
From cowboys to catwalks, blue jeans are big business. Whether you are a celeb with sass, or an average Joe seeking a relaxed look, the style, cut, color, and fit of your favorite pair of jeans say a lot about you. And this year marks the 150th anniversary of the indispensable bottoms. So whom do we have to thank for this most treasured piece of clothing? None other than Levi Strauss, the Bavarian-born American icon who clothed rugged cowboys in their signature work pants. The young immigrant made his way to San Francisco with his siblings in tow and dreams of success filling his head. In 1866, he established a dry-goods store on Battery Street, where it remained for 40 years.
Many of his customers were miners and cowboys who needed rough-and-tumble work clothes. Due to its durable nature, canvas was already a staple of workwear, but it tended to chafe the wearer. Strauss searched around and found a new fabric from France called "serge de Nimes" (later shortened to denim).
One of Strauss' customers was Jacob Davis, a tailor who purchased bolts of cloth wholesale. Davis' clientele included one particularly demanding customer who continually ripped the pockets off his pants. Davis fashioned him a pair of denim pants strengthened with rivets that could withstand a great deal of strain and abuse. Davis' pants were a hit, and he quickly saw the potential for big business. Lacking the $68 to file a patent and protect his design, Davis approached Strauss. The two quickly became business partners and filed a patent for their "waist overalls" on May 20, 1873.
U.S. Patent 139,121 specifically covered the process of riveting men's work pants. Featuring a single back pocket with an arcuate stitching design (a double row of arched stitching -- one of the oldest apparel trademarks in existence), a "cinch" buckle strap on the waistband, and suspender buttons instead of belt loops, the first pair of jeans were officially born in the San Francisco fog.
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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 11-02-2008 10:35 AM
Rated G
Useless fact - Who was Granny Smith?
Who was the mysterious matron of the green apple? Granny Smith was an Australian woman who stumbled on her famous variety after throwing out a bunch of apples in the mid-19th century. As the story goes, from this pile of bad apples a young tree sprung, bearing a light green fruit that was tart but not excessively sour. The new strain of apple could also withstand lengthy bouts of storage and shipping.
The story is true, mostly. The city of Ryde in New South Wales, Australia, hosts her official biography. Born in 1799 in Sussex, England, Maria Ann Sherwood emigrated with her husband Thomas Smith to Australia in 1838 to plant orchards in the new Australian colony.
Granny Smith developed her famous fruit late in life. Her distinctive green apple came from a seedling tree that had grown from the remains of "some French crab apples grown in Tasmania." She never lived to see its success. In 1870, just two years before folks began cultivating her new seedling tree, she passed away. Granny Smith apples won first prize in a local agricultural fair in 1891, and five years later they were being shipped around the world. Check out the links in our Granny Smith category and Apples category for more. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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