10 Things We Didn't Know This Time Last Week

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08-04-2009, 07:23 AM
Scheherazade

1. Stoke City were huge in Norway in the 80s.

2. A third of England's coastline is inaccessible.

3. Police officers are not required to be able to swim.

4. 10 million people drive to work every day.

5. The dye used in blue M&Ms can help mend spinal injuries.

6. Poverty, as measured by the government, can decline during a recession.

7. Broadband speed is decided before the signal even leaves the exchange.

8. Poet Robert Browning used the T-word while thinking it was an item of clothing for a nun.

9. Chimpanzees are biologically programmed to appreciate pleasant music.

10. Bees warn other bees about flowers where dangers can be expected.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...ast_w_99.shtml
08-08-2009, 05:55 PM
Scheherazade

1. Wild orangutans use leaves to make their voices deeper and to scare predators.

2. University degrees in comedy exist.

3. European bison live in just one forest, on the Belarus-Poland border.

4. Men At Work's Down Under was inspired by Dame Edna's nephew.

5. Aesop's fable about a crow using stones to drink out of a pitcher is based on fact.

6. 17 million people in Britain aged over 15 do not use the internet.

7. Millions of people in Germany and Scandinavia watch an obscure British comedy sketch every New Year's Eve.

8. Last year Britons sent 80 billion texts.

9. Bristol is the fourth most visited city in England.

10. Director John Hughes sometimes wrote under a pseudonym taken from an Alexandre Dumas novel.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_100.shtml
08-14-2009, 05:21 PM
The Walker

wow i had forgotten this thread! now i have plenty to read!
08-14-2009, 05:45 PM
Michael T

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

7. Millions of people in Germany and Scandinavia watch an obscure British comedy sketch every New Year's Eve.

Now we all want to know which comedy sketch they watch Scher! :)
08-14-2009, 07:13 PM
Virgil

Oh, I've missed quite a few weeks worth. I'll just pick a few from each to catch up. ;)

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. Heavy metal in Morocco is regarded as devil-worship.

I think heavy metal is regarded as devil worship everywhere. You mean it's not. :lol:

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2. Monkeys notice bad grammar.

They would have a ball reading through lit net. Hey I bet some lit netters are actually monkeys. :D

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3. Trousers used to be called unmentionables.

That's when no one wore underwear. Get a hole in your trouser crotch and people started mentioning it. ;)

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5. The best place to put a wind turbine is in Orkney Islands.

Why? Do they pass a lot of wind there? :)

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6. Dinosaurs were couch potatoes.

And that shoould be a lesson for all of us if we don't want to be extinct. ;)

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9. Ringo Starr's mum wanted him to work in a bank.

I thought he lived in a yellow submarine. :p

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

2. A third of England's coastline is inaccessible..

Hmm, actually other than the romans in the first century and the Normans conquest in the 11th century, I don't believe anyone has actually invaded England through their coast. Hey that's every thousand years and this century makes a thousand years since the last. Is England due for a successful invasion this century? :eek:

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3. Police officers are not required to be able to swim.

Looking at their physiques, I don't think many cops can even run, let alone swim. :D

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4. 10 million people drive to work every day.

I assume that's not world wide.

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5. The dye used in blue M&Ms can help mend spinal injuries.

Oh what a wonderful reason to pop some M&Ms. But it will have to be the whole bag. They don't sell only the blue ones. :idea:

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6. Poverty, as measured by the government, can decline during a recession.

You would think then that the measuring technique would be flawed. But who thinks.

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8. Poet Robert Browning used the T-word while thinking it was an item of clothing for a nun.

The "T" word? :blush: You'll have to read that one yourself. Modesty prevents me from commenting. But it's pretty funny. :lol:

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9. Chimpanzees are biologically programmed to appreciate pleasant music.

Which puts them on a higher level of evolution than most people in Brooklyn. :lol:

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. Wild orangutans use leaves to make their voices deeper and to scare predators.

And here I thought they were looking for toilet paper. :p

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2. University degrees in comedy exist.

Surprise, when you get your dioploma it trurns out to be a joke.

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3. European bison live in just one forest, on the Belarus-Poland border.

I didn't know Europe had bison. And they look fairly similar to the American bison. Here's the European:
http://www.americazoo.com/goto/index...nimals/388.jpg

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5. Aesop's fable about a crow using stones to drink out of a pitcher is based on fact.

Quote the raven, never more. :)

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7. Millions of people in Germany and Scandinavia watch an obscure British comedy sketch every New Year's Eve.

Here it is:
http://www.online-literature.com/for...highlight=year
08-18-2009, 10:39 AM
Scheherazade

1. You're as likely to be hit by lightning as be killed by a mentally ill person.

2. It's illegal for British people to play the UK Lottery while on holiday in Spain and the US.

3. Tom Cruise has got a 14-year-old son.

4. Only about one or two in 200 people with autism have a savant talent, or exceptional ability.

5. There's a 40-year wait for an allotment in one part of London.

6. A freak wave is one that measures roughly three times higher than other swells on the sea at any one time.

7. They tend to occur at an incidence of about three waves in every 10,000.

8. North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il has a water slide in his garden.

9. Young men in their early 20s are the worst at keeping their NHS appointments.

10. Les Paul, whose name is synonymous with the electric guitar, also invented the eight-track tape recorder.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...eks_news.shtml
08-18-2009, 01:53 PM
AmericanEagle

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

3. Tom Cruise has got a 14-year-old son.

After Suri was born, people seemed to forget that he already has two children with Nicole Kidman.
08-25-2009, 06:34 PM
Scheherazade

1. PowerPoint was originally called Presentation.

2. The average length of a PowerPoint presentation is 250 mins.

3. Emoticons in the East are the right way up (^_^).

4. The British Board of Film Classification has denied only three titles seeking an 18 rating during the last four years.

5. Surnames can have question marks.

6. You can write using squid ink.

7. Cricketer Andrew Flintoff played chess for Lancashire as a schoolboy.

8. The number of people reporting UFO sightings leapt up in the year when Independence Day was released in the UK.

9. London Ashford Airport and London Southend Airport are not officially recognised as London airports.

10. Four people died after being stung by a wasp, bee or hornet, in England and Wales in 2007.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_101.shtml
08-30-2009, 07:04 AM
Scheherazade

1. iPhones are not yet sold in China.

2. Margaret Thatcher suffered one parliamentary defeat as prime minister - on Sunday trading laws.

3. English holidaymakers drink an average of eight alcoholic drinks a day.

4. The UK population grew more in 2008 than at any time since 1962.

5. And Germany's population is shrinking.

6. West Ham's stadium is really called the Boleyn Ground, not Upton Park.

7. The smell of cut grass makes people happy.

8. A pint glass lasts an average of only three months.

9. An Englishman sailed to the "New World" only two years after the first European is thought to have landed in Newfoundland.

10. Men in China cannot marry until aged 22.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_102.shtml
08-30-2009, 09:49 AM
Virgil

goodness, I miss three again. Has it been three weeks already since I participated in this? Where does time go? Ok, let's see if I can get my funny bone working this morning. It might be a little early for my wit, but i am currently drinking my second cup of coffee. :)

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. You're as likely to be hit by lightning as be killed by a mentally ill person.

You mean Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" is an exaggersatin? Whew, now I can relax every time I go into the shower. ;)

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2. It's illegal for British people to play the UK Lottery while on holiday in Spain and the US.

But it's legal to play it in France. Amazing. Your laws aree really convoluted. :p

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3. Tom Cruise has got a 14-year-old son.

With a higher intelligence than his dad I'm sure. :D

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4. Only about one or two in 200 people with autism have a savant talent, or exceptional ability.

Of course, and everyone here knows I'm an idiot savant. Or at least an idiot. :lol:

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5. There's a 40-year wait for an allotment in one part of London.

Oh Fifth just explained to me the other week what an allotment is. I would imagine it's hard to get in London. Do they even have green spaces in London?

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6. A freak wave is one that measures roughly three times higher than other swells on the sea at any one time.

And a freak person is one with three time higher quantity of fluid in his head. ;)

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7. They tend to occur at an incidence of about three waves in every 10,000.

Unfortunately the same ratio does not apply for a freaky person. Just count the weirdos on lit net and divide by the total number of active members and you'll find it's one out of three. There are way more freaky people than freaky waves. :)

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8. North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il has a water slide in his garden.

Do I need say more about freaky people? :lol: Some say that he slides down in the nude and when he's through the nurses put diapers on him and give him a baby bottle to suck on. :p

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9. Young men in their early 20s are the worst at keeping their NHS appointments.

Young men in their 20s are only concerned about keeping the appointments with their female interests. and that's the truth. ;)

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. PowerPoint was originally called Presentation.

As one who makes PowerPoint presentations almost weekly these days, I think Presentation would have been a better name. But what a wonderful product. I don't know how we did without it in the past.

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2. The average length of a PowerPoint presentation is 250 mins.

Three hours??? No way. Who can sit through a three hour brief, and that's just the average. I don't believe that. I would guess mine average an hour.

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3. Emoticons in the East are the right way up (^_^).

Ironic isn't it? We have slanty eyes on the emoticons in the west. -_- -;- -!-

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5. Surnames can have question marks.

That's because they're not sure what their surname is. John Smith? or is it Jones? :lol:

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6. You can write using squid ink.

:sick: Does the page smell of sea food afterwards?

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8. The number of people reporting UFO sightings leapt up in the year when Independence Day was released in the UK.

Isn't that the same year aliens from space landed on the cliffs of Dover? :eek2:

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9. London Ashford Airport and London Southend Airport are not officially recognised as London airports.

They are just parking lots that airplanes decided to use as a landing. ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. iPhones are not yet sold in China.

They are probalbly made in China and people pocket them off the assembly line. :)

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2. Margaret Thatcher suffered one parliamentary defeat as prime minister - on Sunday trading laws.

All I can say is that love Margret Thatcher. :)

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3. English holidaymakers drink an average of eight alcoholic drinks a day.

I don't know what a holidaymaker is or does, but what an appropriate name. :D

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4. The UK population grew more in 2008 than at any time since 1962.

Have you noticed many Germans entrering. Isn't SleepyWitch immigrating to England?

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5. And Germany's population is shrinking.

All because of SleepyWitch. :D

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7. The smell of cut grass makes people happy.

That's because the work is done. I groan every time I see my grass needing to be cut.

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8. A pint glass lasts an average of only three months.

Boy, I've heard of nursing a drink but that's ridiculous. The bartender should throw him out at closing time. ;)

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9. An Englishman sailed to the "New World" only two years after the first European is thought to have landed in Newfoundland.

Well, to the English Ireland counted as the New World. :p

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10. Men in China cannot marry until aged 22.

Oooh, and some fail the marriage license test and have to wait until 25. :p
09-06-2009, 05:41 PM
Scheherazade

Virgil> Please take your time to have your coffee before posting your comments! :D

1. The village of Cambourne, in Cambridgeshire, has a higher birth rate than India and China.

2. Block capitals are used to signify formality.

3. Only half of seven-year-olds with an August birthday reach expected educational level.

4. WalMart is the biggest employer in the world.

5. It is not against the law to be naked in public in the UK.

6. Michael Aspel was a wartime evacuee.

7. Each of us has at least 100 new mutations in our DNA.

8. Britain's oldest original computer, the Harwell, first ran in 1951.

9. The crease under your buttocks is called the gluteal fold.

10. Nasa gave moon rocks to more than 100 countries following lunar missions in the 1970s.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_103.shtml
09-06-2009, 06:14 PM
papayahed

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

10. Nasa gave moon rocks to more than 100 countries following lunar missions in the 1970s.

uh, don't you mean fake moon rocks since we all know the moon landing never happened:alien:
09-06-2009, 06:22 PM
Scheherazade

Of course! There are three conspiracy theories that are out there to confuse you:

1. Moon landing has never happened.

2. Elvis is still alife.

3. British cuisine is actually tasty and very rich.

:D
09-06-2009, 08:25 PM
Virgil

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

Virgil> Please take your time to have your coffee before posting your comments! :D

Hopefully that's a compliment. ;)

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1. The village of Cambourne, in Cambridgeshire, has a higher birth rate than India and China.

So the reason for the low birth rates in Europe is because they have houses that are not new? New houses spark births, which I assume sparks lots of sex. I think I need a new house. :)

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2. Block capitals are used to signify formality.

BUT ON THE INTERNET THEY IMPLY RAISING YOUR VOICE. CAN YOU HEAR ME. :p

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3. Only half of seven-year-olds with an August birthday reach expected educational level.

Hah! Both my sistern and brother were born in August. I will have to send them this to explain why their older brother is so much smarter. :D

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4. WalMart is the biggest employer in the world.

Wow. Where's Granny? She's our official lit net WalMart employee.

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5. It is not against the law to be naked in public in the UK.

And thank God they don't because I'm not sure there are many English one would want to see naked. *shudders* (Only kidding. :p)

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7. Each of us has at least 100 new mutations in our DNA.

And if lit ent is a cross section of the population, by the looks of it there are quite a few mutants here. :D

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8. Britain's oldest original computer, the Harwell, first ran in 1951.

Oh, just this morning I came across a quote from one of the original inventors of the computer back in 1943 that he estimated that there would only be a maximum need of five computers worldwide. Boy, given that almost all educated people these days have on on their desk at work and at least one at home, was he wrong. You can be a genius in one field, but short sighted in another.

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9. The crease under your buttocks is called the gluteal fold.

Is that for both men and women? I've got a different name for that fold on women. :lol:
09-12-2009, 04:18 AM
Scheherazade

1. Married couples used to always sleep apart.

2. Criminal trials in Japan have a 99% conviction rate.

3. The world's oldest circle of church bells is in Ipswich.

4. Both parties file for divorce in only one in 300 cases, on average.

5. Peter Andre's surname is actually Andrea.

6. The subject with the most GCSE passes this year was chemistry.

7. Everyone once used the left-hand side of the road.

8. There are so few redheads in Mexico that they often greet each other in the street.

9. Silvio Berlusconi is the same height as Nicolas Sarkozy.

10. "Posh" tea company Twinings is owned by Associated British Foods, which also own budget clothes chain Primark.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/
09-20-2009, 06:22 PM
Scheherazade

1. The Da Vinci Code and Dan Brown's three previous books are the UK's top four bestselling adult paperback novels of all time.

2. If you buy an item worth more than £100 with a credit card and it breaks because of a fault, the credit card provider is liable.

3. In Freemasonry, there is a death ritual in which a mock murder is performed.

4. A typical human has enough body fat to sustain about 40 marathons.

5. Tyrannosaurus Rex developed from a near-identical but much smaller predecessor.

6. Sportswear firms Adidas and Puma have had a 60-year feud.

7. Monkeys suffer colour blindness.

8. Pregnancy may help athletes to be more flexible.

9. All British industrial action ballots must be by post, except for workers at sea.

10. Vera Lynn had three songs in the first ever Top 12 in 1952, when Britain first introduced official sales charts.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_105.shtml
09-25-2009, 06:15 PM
Scheherazade

1. Banana skins can take two years to biodegrade.

2. The longest speech at the United Nations lasted almost eight hours.

3. Brazil always speaks first at the UN General Assembly, according to long-standing protocol, and is followed by the host country.

4. Jay-Z has Barack Obama's mobile phone number.

5. Swine flu gel can get you drunk.

6. British heroin comes from Hampshire.

7. Michael Gambon, star of the Harry Potter films, has never read any of the books.

8. The only woman ever in the French Foreign Legion is British.

9. Ceefax was created by accident.

10. Fifteen Billy bookcases are made every minute.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_106.shtml
09-25-2009, 07:46 PM
Virgil

Goodness three weeks have gone by again. Where does the time go? Let me do my best. ;)

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. Married couples used to always sleep apart.

No wonder the population exploded after they invented large beds. :D Actually divorce also exploded? Coincindence? I leave it up to you good reader. :lol:

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2. Criminal trials in Japan have a 99% conviction rate.

Whoa! No bleeding heart liberals there. :D Brings a smile to a conservative's face. :D :D

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4. Both parties file for divorce in only one in 300 cases, on average.

And they are usually signed in blood. The mate's blood. ;)

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6. The subject with the most GCSE passes this year was chemistry.

that's because they were teaching how to brew a good beer. That's how you get college students to learn. :D

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7. Everyone once used the left-hand side of the road.

We still do over here!!!

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8. There are so few redheads in Mexico that they often greet each other in the street.

That's to compare whose dye job is better. :p

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9. Silvio Berlusconi is the same height as Nicolas Sarkozy.

I guess when you're a womanizing president you think about these things. Bill Clinton was taller than both of them. :lol:

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. The Da Vinci Code and Dan Brown's three previous books are the UK's top four bestselling adult paperback novels of all time.

Of all the great literature the english have produced, this is what sells? Sad, isn't it.

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2. If you buy an item worth more than £100 with a credit card and it breaks because of a fault, the credit card provider is liable.

What kind of law is that? So if I buy a bottle of wine with a credit card and it's spoiled, does the credit card drink it for me? ;)

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3. In Freemasonry, there is a death ritual in which a mock murder is performed.

I thought that was supposed to be a secret. :eek2:

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4. A typical human has enough body fat to sustain about 40 marathons.

Yeah, but I've seen a few that can sustain about 140 marathons. ;)

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5. Tyrannosaurus Rex developed from a near-identical but much smaller predecessor.

Tyrannosaurus minor? :)

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6. Sportswear firms Adidas and Puma have had a 60-year feud.

A couple of beatrings and murders I bet. :p

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7. Monkeys suffer colour blindness.

They should have waited to evolve to humans. :D

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8. Pregnancy may help athletes to be more flexible.

Oh yeah, that bubble below the chest allows a woman to do all sorts of stretches. :)

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9. All British industrial action ballots must be by post, except for workers at sea.

Workers at sea must put them in a bottle and let them float to shore. No wonder those votes don't amount to much. ;)

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. Banana skins can take two years to biodegrade.

I believe it. My mother gave up trying to compost them.

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2. The longest speech at the United Nations lasted almost eight hours.

Some blowhards just don't stop. :D

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3. Brazil always speaks first at the UN General Assembly, according to long-standing protocol, and is followed by the host country.

That's because they have the coffee and are the most wide awake. ;)

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4. Jay-Z has Barack Obama's mobile phone number.

Good Lord. That explains a lot.

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5. Swine flu gel can get you drunk.

:lol: Some addicts will do anything for a high.

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7. Michael Gambon, star of the Harry Potter films, has never read any of the books.

Well, that makes two of us. :D

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8. The only woman ever in the French Foreign Legion is British.

Those French men sure do have a sense of humor. :D
10-04-2009, 06:11 PM
Scheherazade

1. The UK produces 8% of the world's scientific papers, the third most behind the US and China.

2. Ken Livingstone was twice rejected for a cameo in EastEnders.

3. Colin Powell speaks Yiddish.

4. Tesco sells two sewing machines every minute.

5. Homes are 4C warmer, on average, than they were 50 years ago.

6. Turtles can swim 900km (559 miles) in a month.

7. Coffins can be made out of banana leaves. Keith Floyd was buried in one.

8. Michael Jackson had tattooed eyebrows and lips.

9. The most common names for swingers are Paul and Catherine.

10. There are about 100 million bubbles in a bottle of champagne.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_107.shtml
10-10-2009, 09:30 PM
Scheherazade

1. Male life expectancy in the UK goes up by about three months every year.

2. Fidel Castro stopped smoking cigars in 1985.

3. In the early days of barcodes there was a plan for round ones.

4. In the UK, 26 million addresses get post.

5. Japan has a theme park where children pretend to be fast food workers.

6. Only two serving US presidents won the Nobel peace prize before Barack Obama - Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 and Woodrow Wilson in 1919.

7. The flash on David Bowie's Aladdin Sane album cover was inspired by the logo from a rice cooker.

8. Wild animals in zoos in Gaza have to be smuggled in tunnels under the border.

9. There was a royal blood disorder.

10. Low-quality females prefer low-quality males. In the world of zebra finches at least.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_108.shtml
10-11-2009, 01:00 AM
Virgil

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

3. Colin Powell speaks Yiddish.

Well, he's from New york and we all know some Yiddish, schmuck and putz :D

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5. Homes are 4C warmer, on average, than they were 50 years ago.

I guess we want to be more comfortable. Without even looking at the article, it must be from some environmental whacko.

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6. Turtles can swim 900km (559 miles) in a month.

Oh what those sexual urges can do. :p

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7. Coffins can be made out of banana leaves. Keith Floyd was buried in one.

Just don't let the monkeys think there are bananas in them or you you're going to have quite a mess at the funeral. :)

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8. Michael Jackson had tattooed eyebrows and lips.

One of these days they are going to figure out that Michael Jackson was a manikin and never actually lived. :nod:

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9. The most common names for swingers are Paul and Catherine.

Hey those are my neighbors. I should knock on their door. :D

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10. There are about 100 million bubbles in a bottle of champagne.

And tell me, has anyone actually counted to verify.;)

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. Male life expectancy in the UK goes up by about three months every year.

That's because female life expectancy keeps going down every three months every year. :lol:

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2. Fidel Castro stopped smoking cigars in 1985.

Hopefully one day they'll shove them up his butt.

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3. In the early days of barcodes there was a plan for round ones.

They were persuaded not to do that because they would look like the back end of a zebra. Everyone woould then think they were looking up a zebra's ***. :lol: :lol:

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5. Japan has a theme park where children pretend to be fast food workers.

What??? Must be inspired by a bunch of philosophy majors after graduating and getting jobs: "Do you want fries with that?"

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6. Only two serving US presidents won the Nobel peace prize before Barack Obama - Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 and Woodrow Wilson in 1919.

At least they actually did something to accomplish it. Apparently they give out these things on affirmative action these days. I heard President Obama will now get a Pulitzer Prize, an Academy Award, and an Olympic gold medal. What the hell, one doesn't have to achieve anything anymore.

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7. The flash on David Bowie's Aladdin Sane album cover was inspired by the logo from a rice cooker.

And a lot of scotch!

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8. Wild animals in zoos in Gaza have to be smuggled in tunnels under the border.

Just like the terrorists. ;)

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9. There was a royal blood disorder.

It gave the vampires a stomach ache. :D

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10. Low-quality females prefer low-quality males. In the world of zebra finches at least.

Looking at all the low class trash couples out there, I would say that's true in the human world as well. :lol:
10-17-2009, 06:40 PM
Scheherazade

1. Earth's warmest year was 1998.

2. Morecambe and Wise nearly split up, before they had even got on television.

3. Sailors in Tudor times had man bags.

4. Some spiders are vegetarian.

5. Each person has 1.5kg of probiotic bacteria in their digestive system, on average.

6. The placebo effect is real.

7. Boyzone sold more singles than Take That in the 1990s.

8. Culled rabbits are used to heat homes in Sweden.

9. William Pitt's dying words were about House of Commons catering.

10. Jeremy Clarkson's father was friends with the Monty Python team.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/
10-17-2009, 07:19 PM
papayahed

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

3. Sailors in Tudor times had man bags.

I've always suspected men secretly long to carry murses.
10-24-2009, 06:49 PM
Scheherazade

1. Humpback whales' mating rituals can be deadly.

2. Galaxies that are 10.2 billion light-years away can be seen through telescopes.

3. Wine gums have the names of alcoholic drinks on them.

4. People spent £37m on cup cakes in the UK last year.

5. The spread of cupcake shops has been used to map urban gentrification in the US.

6. Bagged salad is photographed 4,000 times a second.

7. The most available time of week for a meeting is Tuesday at 3pm.

8. GPS locates the Prime Meridian 100m to the east of Greenwich Observatory.

9. Sales of Asterix books number 325 million.

10. The first watches appeared shortly after 1500 in Germany.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_110.shtml
10-31-2009, 05:13 AM
Scheherazade

1. The city of Bath, in Somerset, was referred to as "The Bath" until the 19th Century.

2. Bears don't like honey, and aren't even very keen on berries and nuts.

3. Scouts can deliver post.

4. Barbara Windsor was the second actress the play Peggy Mitchell in Eastenders.

5. Tattoos can be done with a person's ashes.

6. The average American spends $66.45 (£40) on Halloween.

7. When a shark pup is born its liver makes up 20% of its body mass

8. The world's oldest dog is 20.

9. The secret to a happy marriage for men is choosing a wife who is smarter and at least five years younger.

10. A man has been sent to jail for driving the motorised chair while drunk.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_111.shtml
10-31-2009, 05:44 PM
Virgil

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. Earth's warmest year was 1998.

And we've continued to dump ever more CO2 into the atmosphere and it has actually cooled down. Is there something wrong with the man made global warming theory? I would say so.

Quote:

2. Morecambe and Wise nearly split up, before they had even got on television.

And would anyone really have cared? :P

Quote:

3. Sailors in Tudor times had man bags.

Oh I bet they looked sexy. :D

Quote:

4. Some spiders are vegetarian.

Then why do they need to make a web, to catch falling grapes? ;)

Quote:

5. Each person has 1.5kg of probiotic bacteria in their digestive system, on average.

Isn't that commonly known as sh*t, or crap, or feces? :lol:

Quote:

6. The placebo effect is real.

Now that you've let the cat out of the bag, it's effect has just been eliminated. Hey if it's real, why don't we all pretend to take medicine? :D

Quote:

7. Boyzone sold more singles than Take That in the 1990s.

That's because Girlzone was whispering sweet nothings into his ear. ;)

Quote:

8. Culled rabbits are used to heat homes in Sweden.

Ah how cruel. Can't they use logs or coal like other places? Those poor bunnies. :)

Quote:

9. William Pitt's dying words were about House of Commons catering.

Yeah, the chef sucked. :lol:

Quote:

1. Humpback whales' mating rituals can be deadly.

Isn't that why they are called hump-back? :lol:

Quote:

2. Galaxies that are 10.2 billion light-years away can be seen through telescopes.

Wow. I can't even imagine how far that is.

Quote:

3. Wine gums have the names of alcoholic drinks on them.

Cool, gum now comes in wine flavors! :)

Quote:

4. People spent £37m on cup cakes in the UK last year.

Part of the reason for the weight problem I would guess. ;)

Quote:

5. The spread of cupcake shops has been used to map urban gentrification in the US.

I've never seen a cupcake shop. I guess I'm just not part of the gentry. :lol:

Quote:

6. Bagged salad is photographed 4,000 times a second.

Boy some of the things that people find photogenic surprises me.

Quote:

7. The most available time of week for a meeting is Tuesday at 3pm.

Hey I am free at that time. Who wants to meet with me? :D

Quote:

8. GPS locates the Prime Meridian 100m to the east of Greenwich Observatory.

I thought it was supposed to go right through the Observatory. Did they make a 100m mistake?

Quote:

9. Sales of Asterix books number 325 million.

What? I've never even heard of Asterix books.

Quote:

10. The first watches appeared shortly after 1500 in Germany.

That is actually interesting.

Quote:

1. The city of Bath, in Somerset, was referred to as "The Bath" until the 19th Century.

Is that when people started switching over to showers? :p

Quote:

2. Bears don't like honey, and aren't even very keen on berries and nuts.

They like good old human flesh. :D

Quote:

3. Scouts can deliver post.

What and the unions don't complain?

Quote:

5. Tattoos can be done with a person's ashes.

OK. Is that better than snorting someone's ashes? ;)

Quote:

6. The average American spends $66.45 (£40) on Halloween.

I'm not average. I didn't spend anything. :lol:

Quote:

7. When a shark pup is born its liver makes up 20% of its body mass

And the other 80% are teeth.

Quote:

8. The world's oldest dog is 20.

That was a great video. he looks pretty darn good for 140 years old. (20 x 7)

Quote:

9. The secret to a happy marriage for men is choosing a wife who is smarter and at least five years younger.

Now that's where I screwed up. :lol: :lol: :lol: (Lord I hope sh doesn't see that. :D)

Quote:

10. A man has been sent to jail for driving the motorised chair while drunk.

I saw that on TV here. What a cool chair!
11-10-2009, 07:09 PM
Scheherazade

1. Gordon Brown gave up a £2m pension on his first day in office

2. At peak times, 32,000 pedestrians cross Oxford Circus junction in one hour.

3. Lyrics from Jon Bon Jovi's new album are framed and hanging up in the White House.

4. Journalists visiting Sesame Street are banned from asking Bert and Ernie if they are gay.

5. The BBC rejected Sesame Street in 1971 because it was "too authoritarian".

6. Elmo's favourite food is wasabi .

7. Tall men can have small parents.

8. Part-time veggies are called flexitarians.

9. A missing child must usually have been missing for at least two years to warrant an age progression image.

10. French babies cry with an accent.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_112.shtml
11-14-2009, 08:53 PM
Scheherazade

1. Reading lamps can run off the electricity that comes down a defunct landline socket.

2. Men's urine is less acidic than women's.

3. Coral can eat jellyfish.

4. The first sell-by dates were on milk and cream in the 1950s.

5. Early flights to India stopped to refuel in Basra.

6. Porn for the furry community is known as "yiff".

7. Russia has 11 time zones.

8. Travelling in a "road train" can cut fuel consumption by 20%.

9. Canadian Transport Minister John Baird called his cat Thatcher.

10. Pigtails used to be known as queues.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/
11-14-2009, 11:45 PM
Virgil

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. Gordon Brown gave up a £2m pension on his first day in office

Of course no one knows he made 3m under the table. ;) [Actually that sounds quite admirable.]

Quote:

2. At peak times, 32,000 pedestrians cross Oxford Circus junction in one hour.

I didn't realize that circus clowns went to Oxford. :)

Quote:

3. Lyrics from Jon Bon Jovi's new album are framed and hanging up in the White House.

What? Of all the great quotes from past presidents and world leaders and dignataries, and this administration frames quotes from Bon Jovi? We are in bigger trouble than I thought.

Quote:

4. Journalists visiting Sesame Street are banned from asking Bert and Ernie if they are gay.

:lol: Now why would puppets be gay? Or perhaps why would puppets not be gay? :lol:

Quote:

5. The BBC rejected Sesame Street in 1971 because it was "too authoritarian".

Yeah, that big bird really has a lot in common with Adolph Hitler. :p

Quote:

6. Elmo's favourite food is wasabi .

Goes great with chocolate milk. :D

Quote:

7. Tall men can have small parents.

Tall men can have small other things. Size is not linked to height. ;)

Quote:

8. Part-time veggies are called flexitarians.

Part-time veggies? Couldn't they get a full time paying job? :nod:

Quote:

9. A missing child must usually have been missing for at least two years to warrant an age progression image.

I don't have the heart to make a joke out of this one. God be with those missing children.

Quote:

10. French babies cry with an accent.

Well, they want to be fed and so they are trying to say, "bon appétit." :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. Reading lamps can run off the electricity that comes down a defunct landline socket.

Don't stick your finger in there. It will be shocking. ;)

Quote:

2. Men's urine is less acidic than women's.

Don't I know it. Women's always seems to give me heartburn. :p

Quote:

3. Coral can eat jellyfish.

And Carol put her's on toast. :)

Quote:

4. The first sell-by dates were on milk and cream in the 1950s.

And by all accounts, they are still on the supermarket shelf. ;)

Quote:

5. Early flights to India stopped to refuel in Basra.

So where did late flights stop? :eek2:

Quote:

6. Porn for the furry community is known as "yiff".

Well, there's a lot of furryness on display in porn, isn't there? :lol:

Quote:

7. Russia has 11 time zones.

Do they even have clocks there? ;)

Quote:

8. Travelling in a "road train" can cut fuel consumption by 20%.

I went over to read this one. Sounds cool. But yikes if there is an accident. Could be deadly.

Quote:

9. Canadian Transport Minister John Baird called his cat Thatcher.

A conservative I take it. :) :)

Quote:

10. Pigtails used to be known as queues.

And people in queue are regarded as pigs? :)
11-17-2009, 01:26 PM
bloomdido

:eek:I may never sleep again.
11-21-2009, 07:54 PM
Scheherazade

1. Three of the world's supercomputers are in the US.

2. Humans are more likely to be killed by a hippo than a lion.

3. Teeth grinding is known as bruxism.

4. Spin doctors were used in the Iron Age.

5. School phobia is a condition recognised by doctors since the 1960s.

6. Whisky should be stored upright, unlike wine.

7. "Wrap rage" is a term coined to describe the anger felt by people trying to get into bonded plastic "clamshell" packaging.

8. Male and female candidates to be officers in the British Army have to do different amounts of press-ups, but the same number of sit-ups in a physical test.

9. For three decades, the BBC took a very dim view of Enid Blyton's work.

10. Swindon has the UK's highest broadband use.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_114.shtml
11-21-2009, 08:30 PM
Virgil

Geez, I need a laugh this evening. This came just in time. ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. Three of the world's supercomputers are in the US.

Doesn't one belong to Admin to run lit net? All my super thoughts require at least one supercomputer to handle them. :p

Quote:

2. Humans are more likely to be killed by a hippo than a lion.

How true. I've know several run over by a hippo but only my ex-best-friend who was killed by a lion. I bet we've all known a few people killed by your next door neighbor's hippo. :lol:

Quote:

3. Teeth grinding is known as bruxism.

I used to do that. Or maybe I still do. My wife has other noises I make in bed to complain about. :lol:

Quote:

4. Spin doctors were used in the Iron Age.

Politicians go way back, don't they? ;)

Quote:

5. School phobia is a condition recognised by doctors since the 1960s.

Are you kidding? School phobia must go back to Plato's Symposium. :)

Quote:

6. Whisky should be stored upright, unlike wine.

Hmm, two of my favorite beverages. I guess i do it correctly. :D

Quote:

7. "Wrap rage" is a term coined to describe the anger felt by people trying to get into bonded plastic "clamshell" packaging.

I know the feeling!! Why do they make those things so hard to open?

Quote:

8. Male and female candidates to be officers in the British Army have to do different amounts of press-ups, but the same number of sit-ups in a physical test.

I just checked for the US Army and it's the same for them. Interesting. I wonder why women can do the same situp requirements. By the way, I can still meet a 100% score for my age group in both the pushups and situps. :D

Quote:

9. For three decades, the BBC took a very dim view of Enid Blyton's work.

And if that is the case, why did it take 30 years to fire him. :p

Quote:

10. Swindon has the UK's highest broadband use.

And what a selfish person he is. Didn't his parents teach him to share. ;)

Out of curiosity, does anyone read my retorts here?
11-22-2009, 04:01 AM
Scheherazade

Quote:

Originally Posted by Virgil

Politicians go way back, don't they? ;)

Maybe that is the world's oldest profession...

Quote:

And if that is the case, why did it take 30 years to fire him. :p

You don't know who Enid Blyton is, d'ya? :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Virgil

Out of curiosity, does anyone read my retorts here?

Oh, I read your every single post, Virgil! ;)
11-22-2009, 09:56 AM
Virgil

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

Maybe that is the world's oldest profession

Yeah, actually they do share a lot in common, don't they.

Quote:

...You don't know who Enid Blyton is, d'ya? :D

No, I never have. Thanks. She seems noteworthy to know.

Quote:

Oh, I read your every single post, Virgil! ;)

Ah, yes, I know too well. Big brother, or should I say Big Sister. ;)
11-29-2009, 07:56 PM
Scheherazade

1. Michael Jackson's iconic white glove is a modified golf glove.

2. To be a Beefeater you have to have done 22 years military service.

3. Seemingly vegetative patients are asked to think of playing tennis while being scanned for evidence of consciousness.

4. The UK had its first curry restaurant in 1809.

5. The hamlet of Seathwaite in Borrowdale is, on average, the wettest inhabited place in England.

6. All British infrastructure, including bridges, is designed to at least withstand the kind of flooding that would happen on average once every 200 years.

7. Hammerhead sharks can actually see rather well.

8. And humans use their skin to "hear".

9. Google will only remove images from its image search facility if legally ordered to do so.

10. Christmas trees can be dangerous.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...his_t_20.shtml
11-30-2009, 08:52 AM
Taliesin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

10. Christmas trees can be dangerous.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...his_t_20.shtml

That's news? I thought that anyone who has hunted, or, at least, been taken as a little child to the forest to hunt a Christmas tree, knows how dangerous those cunning bastards are. I've known plenty of good men who have perished hunting those magnificient beasts. It is not a show for the weak-hearted not for those who cannot stand the sight of blood, since a Christmas tree, when cornered, can be fierce - and deadly.
11-30-2009, 04:11 PM
Basil

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taliesin

That's news? I thought that anyone who has hunted, or, at least, been taken as a little child to the forest to hunt a Christmas tree, knows how dangerous those cunning bastards are. I've known plenty of good men who have perished hunting those magnificient beasts. It is not a show for the weak-hearted not for those who cannot stand the sight of blood, since a Christmas tree, when cornered, can be fierce - and deadly.

Christmas trees can be dangerous in other ways, as well. Their shiny ornaments, their shimmery tinsel, their suggestive poses...anyone who has succumbed to the cheap and tawdry allure that Christmas trees possess will tell you: Christmas trees have been the ruin of many a poor boy.

And God, I know I'm one.
11-30-2009, 05:58 PM
papayahed

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basil

Christmas trees can be dangerous in other ways, as well. Their shiny ornaments, their shimmery tinsel, their suggestive poses...anyone who has succumbed to the cheap and tawdry allure that Christmas trees possess will tell you: Christmas trees have been the ruin of many a poor boy.

And God, I know I'm one.

Kinda gives new meaning to the term "Trimming the tree", no?:santasmil
12-01-2009, 02:51 AM
Basil

Quote:

Originally Posted by papayahed

Kinda gives new meaning to the term "Trimming the tree", no?:santasmil

Don't taunt me, Papaya.
12-01-2009, 02:56 AM
Basil

papayahed : O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree...

basil : Shut up! SHUT UP!!

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