10 Things We Didn't Know This Time Last Week

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02-18-2010, 07:20 PM
Scheherazade

1. The Frisbee was originally called the Pluto Platter.

2. Fast-moving elephants run with their front legs but walk with their back legs

3. Parents in Japan swear by KitKats when their children are taking exams.

4. High-end cars have radar-based cruise control.

5. At the 1964 Innsbruck Games the Austrian army transported 20,000 blocks of ice for the bobsled and luge.

6. The United Arab Emirates recently held the largest camel beauty contest ever.

7. "Karaoke rage" has claimed more than a dozen lives in the Philippines... usually for Frank Sinatra's My Way.

8. Birds may use their feathers for touch, like cats use their whiskers.

9. Nearly 400,000 people still watch every episode of Friends on Channel 4 and E4.

10. In Japan, a bow's humility is determined by its deepness and duration.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_122.shtml
02-19-2010, 07:52 PM
The Walker

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

9. Nearly 400,000 people still watch every episode of Friends on Channel 4 and E4.

of course! friends is friends
oh i know so many of them! jeje
02-25-2010, 08:17 PM
Scheherazade

1. The Dalai Lama has met every serving US president since 1991.

2. The Barbie doll has had 125 careers since 1959.

3. There is a Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.

4. 10 possible endings were written and rehearsed for the EastEnders live episode.

5. Pregnant women do not need to eat for two.

6. Winning the lottery really does make you happier.

7. Australia has never had a saint. Until now.

8. The Battle of Bosworth actually took place more than a mile from where we thought.

9. Goldie Hawn runs schools.

10. King Tut broke his leg shortly before his death.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_123.shtml
02-25-2010, 09:32 PM
Virgil

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. The Frisbee was originally called the Pluto Platter.

I tell you, Pluto gets no respect. First they downgrade it from a planet and then they scrap it as a toy. What next? :cornut:

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2. Fast-moving elephants run with their front legs but walk with their back legs

Sounds like Michael Jackson and the moon walk. :p

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3. Parents in Japan swear by KitKats when their children are taking exams.

Did Scher grow up in Japan? She grew up on kitkats. :D

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4. High-end cars have radar-based cruise control.

What the heck is that for, monitoring ICBMs while one is driving? :driving:

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5. At the 1964 Innsbruck Games the Austrian army transported 20,000 blocks of ice for the bobsled and luge.

Can't the Austrian army come to my house now? We're in our fourth snow storm of the year, and it would be so knid of them to take some of this crap away.

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6. The United Arab Emirates recently held the largest camel beauty contest ever.

And the camel was cuter than their Miss Universe entry. :lol: (No, no, I'm kidding. No disrespect intended. Just a joke.)

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7. "Karaoke rage" has claimed more than a dozen lives in the Philippines... usually for Frank Sinatra's My Way.

:confused: I can't imagine what exeactly happens here to end their lives. Did the singer sing so bad that they decided to pummel him to death? :beatdeadhorse5:

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8. Birds may use their feathers for touch, like cats use their whiskers.

But you can't use a cat whisker for a quill. Birds are more literary. :)

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9. Nearly 400,000 people still watch every episode of Friends on Channel 4 and E4.

One of these days they will no longer be friends. :wink5:

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10. In Japan, a bow's humility is determined by its deepness and duration.

Don't get fooled. Most japanese have bad backs and are hunched over. :p

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. The Dalai Lama has met every serving US president since 1991.

And the Dalai Lama is still in office while all those presidents are not. I'll take the D-L's job, despite the dresscode. ;)

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2. The Barbie doll has had 125 careers since 1959.

Talk about a lack of focus and not having a direction in life. :D

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3. There is a Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.

And one wonders why UK have never had a great composer like Mozart. :D

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4. 10 possible endings were written and rehearsed for the EastEnders live episode.

Can't they make up their mind? Talk about indecision. :)

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5. Pregnant women do not need to eat for two.

But they so enjoy doing so. :lol:

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6. Winning the lottery really does make you happier.

I'm willing to give it a try. :D

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7. Australia has never had a saint. Until now.

That's because most Aussies are a bunch of devils. :devil:

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8. The Battle of Bosworth actually took place more than a mile from where we thought.

I guess they liked the alliteration. The Battle of Umphadickering just didn't sound as cool. :coolgleamA:

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9. Goldie Hawn runs schools.

For blondes. Enough said. :p

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10. King Tut broke his leg shortly before his death.

His Queen was a karate balckbelt and didn't like him staring at the slave girls. :D
02-27-2010, 05:56 PM
Scheherazade

Quote:

Originally Posted by Virgil

Did Scher grow up in Japan? She grew up on kitkats. :D

Guess, this explains why I am super-duper like this, doesn't it? :D

1. The average life of a web page these days is apparently somewhere between 44 and 77 days.
More details

2. A "beryl" is a type of precious mineral.

3. A dentist in San Francisco is named Les Plack.

4. A piconewton is a millionth of the force that a grain of salt exerts when resting on a tabletop.

5. There are people in the UK called Justin Case, Barb Dwyer and Stan Still.

6. Computer game and movie character Lara Croft was created in Derby.

7. Elephants growl.

8. Johnny Cash's Guess Things Happen That Way was the 10 billionth track to be sold on iTunes.

9. The types of lasers that remove tattoos can also be used to clean up works of art.

10. Recent snow has left the UK's roads riddled with 1.6 million new potholes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_124.shtml
03-13-2010, 07:03 PM
Scheherazade

1. A parrot can be repossessed.

2. Germans call chickenpox windpox, due to the speed with which it spreads.

3. Chickenpox is not referred to in medical literature before the 17th Century but it is thought to be an ancient condition whose name springs from the fact that the blisters resemble chick peas.

4. Some chickens are half-male and half-female.

5. The largest meat-eating plant in the world likes to eat the droppings of tree shrews and rats, rather than tree shrews and rats themselves.

6. "Hurt locker" is a phrase used by the military since at least 1966.

7. The Yukon never actually has 24-hour darkness.

8. Fifty percent of a jumbo jet can be recycled.

9. The world's first sleeping bag was patented in 1876, and called an Euklisia rug.

10. Soldiers in Afghanistan use concrete mixers to wash their clothes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_126.shtml
03-20-2010, 07:39 PM
Scheherazade

1. Plastic surgeons in the US are doing lip grafts using muscle from the neck to make lips fuller.

2. For almost 30 years, the Virgin Mary has been said to appear daily in the Bosnian town of Medjugorje.

3. The mafia use Facebook.

4. The flat-headed cat has webbed feet.

5. Bono, Nick Cave and Jarvis Cocker sing sea shanties.

6. A "labile" vitamin means it is easily destroyed.

7. Straightening irons outsell hairdryers.

8. Dolphins can swim up to 50 miles a day.

9. Fried tarantula tastes like liver.

10. The Achilles tendon usually breaks with a loud snap.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_127.shtml
03-26-2010, 08:32 PM
Scheherazade

1. Eighty-two million people play Farmville.

2. The name "scrumpy" comes from a word meaning small and shrivelled.

3. Rudyard Kipling turned down the Order of Merit - twice.

4. In The Wizard of Oz, Toto was played by a dog called Terry.

5. Pine that is grown in a cold climate has greater durability.

6. The Bill began life as a one-off drama called Woodentop.

7. The world's most complex mathematical problem is called the Poincare Conjecture.

8. There are only about 10 Pagani Zonda S supercars produced each year.

9. Teachers sometimes get lavish gifts from their pupils like a Tiffany bracelet.

10. Over 260 species of marine wildlife become entangled in litter or mistake it for food.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_128.shtml
03-27-2010, 10:37 AM
jet.thursday

Quote:

7. "Karaoke rage" has claimed more than a dozen lives in the Philippines... usually for Frank Sinatra's My Way.

-oh this so true! :iagree: especially on streets where there are dozen drunk men, i think i also heard,
that when the drunk man's singing is out of tune, he'll be sorrrrry and dead (>.<)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

4. Some chickens are half-male and half-female.

quite unusual, and will you tell it is half male/female? cause we've got lots of
chickens back at our yard :D
04-04-2010, 08:38 PM
Scheherazade

1. The heat of a chilli pepper is measured on the Scoville Scale.

2. The world's oldest hot cross bun is 189 today.

3. The world record for sitting in a room with snakes without being bitten is 113 days.

4. Fish, rodents and snakes can predict earthquakes.

5. The classic 45-second shower scene in Psycho took a week to film.

6. Britain's oldest-known new father is 76.

7. The average person tells four lies a day.

8. The most visited exhibition in the world last year was a Buddhist exhibition in Japan.

9. Ordained priests can work in supermarkets.

10. Gossip spreads as rapidly as flu.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_129.shtml
04-04-2010, 09:02 PM
cgrillo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

2. The world's oldest hot cross bun is 189 today.

Wow - happy birthday to the hot cross bun.

That'll take a lot of candles...
04-04-2010, 11:07 PM
Virgil

Wow, am I behind. I'll attempt a retort to a selected few from each week.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. The average life of a web page these days is apparently somewhere between 44 and 77 days.
More details

Hmm, sounds like the life of a fly.

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4. A piconewton is a millionth of the force that a grain of salt exerts when resting on a tabletop.

:lol: Having bad breath probably has more force that a piconewton.

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7. Elephants growl.

If you had their sinuses, you would too. :wink5:

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8. Johnny Cash's Guess Things Happen That Way was the 10 billionth track to be sold on iTunes.

I guess it happened that way. :p

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9. The types of lasers that remove tattoos can also be used to clean up works of art.

First, you can't be the smartest person in the world to get a tattoo, but burning it off with a laser isn't exactly all that brilliant a thing to do either. :sosp:

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10. Recent snow has left the UK's roads riddled with 1.6 million new potholes.

Seriously, you should see the pot holes we have. I've never seen it so bad.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. A parrot can be repossessed.

Yeah, but don't take his cracker away or he'll peck your eyes out. :reddevil:

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2. Germans call chickenpox windpox, due to the speed with which it spreads.

Hmm, we call windpox that breaking of wind from one's behind. :smilielol5:

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3. Chickenpox is not referred to in medical literature before the 17th Century but it is thought to be an ancient condition whose name springs from the fact that the blisters resemble chick peas.

I thought chickenpox was the original bird flu. :p

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4. Some chickens are half-male and half-female.

Some humans too. :D

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5. The largest meat-eating plant in the world likes to eat the droppings of tree shrews and rats, rather than tree shrews and rats themselves.

Yummy, tastes like spam. :spam:

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9. The world's first sleeping bag was patented in 1876, and called an Euklisia rug.

Snug as a bug in a rug. :wink5:

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10. Soldiers in Afghanistan use concrete mixers to wash their clothes.

Talk about body armor.:p

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. Plastic surgeons in the US are doing lip grafts using muscle from the neck to make lips fuller.

Now, who thought of that? Can you imagine sitting around brain storming, trying to figure out where to take flesh to make the lips fuller? I would have thought the anus. :smilielol5:

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3. The mafia use Facebook.

No way. Probably more likely to break your face with a book than to use Facebook. :boxing_smiley:

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6. A "labile" vitamin means it is easily destroyed.

Hmm, sounds like one of those gynecologist words. :p

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9. Fried tarantula tastes like liver.

Now who was sick enough to taste a fried tarantula? :sick:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. Eighty-two million people play Farmville.

Including my wife.

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2. The name "scrumpy" comes from a word meaning small and shrivelled.

Better than being called scummy. :p

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4. In The Wizard of Oz, Toto was played by a dog called Terry.

And he was smarter than the scarecrow. :)

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5. Pine that is grown in a cold climate has greater durability.

Hmm, that is actually very interesting.

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7. The world's most complex mathematical problem is called the Poincare Conjecture.

Sounds like a TV show that was cancelled.

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9. Teachers sometimes get lavish gifts from their pupils like a Tiffany bracelet.

That's the price of the local bribe to pass the class. :wink5:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. The heat of a chilli pepper is measured on the Scoville Scale.

That's the scale of the intensity of the burn in the colon as it comes out six hours later. :lol:

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2. The world's oldest hot cross bun is 189 today.

And still edible. :sick:

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3. The world record for sitting in a room with snakes without being bitten is 113 days.

Now there is an interesting stat. Why would anyone sit in a room that long even without snakes? And what were the sankes eating for those 113 days?

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4. Fish, rodents and snakes can predict earthquakes.

Seems like every creature but man can predict earthquakes. What is it, God didn't want us to survive them? :hat:

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5. The classic 45-second shower scene in Psycho took a week to film.

They had to sharpen that knife several times during the week. :p

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6. Britain's oldest-known new father is 76.

Dirty old lech. :devil:

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7. The average person tells four lies a day.

I never lie, I swear. :D

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9. Ordained priests can work in supermarkets.

Talk about a life of poverty. :lol:

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10. Gossip spreads as rapidly as flu.

Yeah, I'm still laughing over using the anus for lips by plastic surgeons. :smilielol5:
04-05-2010, 05:07 PM
Scheherazade

Quote:

Originally Posted by Virgil

Now, who thought of that? Can you imagine sitting around brain storming, trying to figure out where to take flesh to make the lips fuller? I would have thought the anus. :smilielol5:

Depends on out of which part of his anatomy the person tends to speak, I guess.
04-05-2010, 06:21 PM
Paulclem

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

Depends on out of which part of his anatomy the person tends to speak, I guess.

:lol:
04-11-2010, 09:40 PM
Scheherazade

1. Marriage over the telephone is valid under Islamic law.

2. Salmonella can build up on bird feeders and then spread among birds.

3. Bebo stands for blog early, blog often.

4. Capuchin monkeys were named because of their resemblance to the Catholic friars.

5. MPs' parliamentary gym memberships are cancelled during the election campaign.

6. Wombats produce cube-shaped dung.

7. The home computer was invented by a man called Dr Henry Edward Roberts.

8. Cillit Bang is called Cillit Bam in New Zealand.

9. Bodies repatriated to a home country from the UK must be encased in zinc-lined coffins.

10. Insect museums are called insectariums.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_130.shtml
04-12-2010, 05:07 AM
Aravona

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

5. MPs' parliamentary gym memberships are cancelled during the election campaign.

6. Wombats produce cube-shaped dung.

These two had just made my day.

Firstly, I didnt think most MPs know what a gym is... :shocked:

Secondly... thats gotta be one strange sensation, cubed dung! My day is definately looking better now :D
04-25-2010, 05:49 PM
Scheherazade

1. In America, 30% of teenagers send more than 100 texts a day.

2. Gaza has a surf club.

3. Migalki is a type of siren which allows some Russian officials and business to bypass regulations so they can get through traffic jams.

4.US President Barack Obama has played golf 32 times since taking office, beating George W Bush's record.

5. Male long tailed slugs make "love darts" from calcium minerals and use them to inject hormones into females.

6. Babies born in autumn or winter are more likely to develop a food allergy than those born in spring or summer.

7. In the 13th century, the Chinese used covered sewage tanks to generate power.

8.2 metre-long sea-scorpions used to roam the coast of North East Fife

9.US President George Washington failed to return a library book. It's now racked up a $300,000 fine.

10. Children who address important issues with their fathers are less likely to smoke.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_132.shtml
05-01-2010, 07:16 PM
Scheherazade

1. There are vending machines that sell hot chips.

2. Burning oil is one way of controlling a spill.

3. A lot of people are still using floppy disks.

4. Chocolate doesn't always make you happy.

5. In Japan, burahara is the harassment of people because of their blood group.

6. Chimpanzees deal with death in a similar way to humans.

7. Some ready-meal curries are saltier than seawater.

8. There are surgeons who specialise in restoring virginity.

9. Stephen Hawking thinks aliens exist.

10. Storks can go blue.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_133.shtml
05-01-2010, 07:37 PM
Revolte

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

8. There are surgeons who specialise in restoring virginity.

your kidding me..... why would any women want to go through that again? lol.
05-01-2010, 07:53 PM
Hurricane

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revolte

your kidding me..... why would any women want to go through that again? lol.

I've heard of it as a way for women who are members of a religion that forbids sex before marriage to avoid being stigmatized. Kind of messed up stuff, actually.
05-01-2010, 08:57 PM
cgrillo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

9. Stephen Hawking thinks aliens exist.

Hm. He always struck me as the sort that wouldn't believe in aliens - but I'm sure he has some really confusing theory that detracts from the whole 'little green men' sort of thing. I've read A Brief History of Time, so he's confused me many times before. :p
05-01-2010, 11:30 PM
applepie

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

3. A lot of people are still using floppy disks.

Heavens why???? Do they even make floppy disks or computers with them any more?

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4. Chocolate doesn't always make you happy.

You're not eating the right chocolate then :D
05-02-2010, 06:06 PM
Basil

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

6. Chimpanzees deal with death in a similar way to humans.

Chimps drink bourbon?
05-02-2010, 06:39 PM
Scheherazade

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basil

Chimps drink bourbon?

What a ridiculous idea, Basil!

Where are they supposed to get the ice from in the jungle?
05-02-2010, 06:48 PM
Virgil

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. Marriage over the telephone is valid under Islamic law.

:eek2: What if you got the wrong number? What if she passes the phone over to the ugly sister? :lol:

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2. Salmonella can build up on bird feeders and then spread among birds.

Well, birds aren't excluded from vomiting either. :wink5:

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3. Bebo stands for blog early, blog often.

Sounds like Dark Muse here on Lit Net. :p

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4. Capuchin monkeys were named because of their resemblance to the Catholic friars.

And here i thought they were praying for evolution to hurry up. :p

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5. MPs' parliamentary gym memberships are cancelled during the election campaign.

:lol: Now there's a way to punish politicians, take away their exercise.

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6. Wombats produce cube-shaped dung.

Sounds like their colon is like a pasta making machine. :lol: :lol:

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7. The home computer was invented by a man called Dr Henry Edward Roberts.

So that is the S-0-B responsible for sucking away all my free time.

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8. Cillit Bang is called Cillit Bam in New Zealand.

Better than being called Clitoris Bang. :p

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9. Bodies repatriated to a home country from the UK must be encased in zinc-lined coffins.

What's the matter, you Brits don't want to smell the encasings. :wink5:

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10. Insect museums are called insectariums.

Sort of like masoleums for cockaroaches.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. In America, 30% of teenagers send more than 100 texts a day.

And you would think they are literate. Have you seen some of their messages? "C u wen da clss n's."

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2. Gaza has a surf club.

That's called their Navy. :D

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3. Migalki is a type of siren which allows some Russian officials and business to bypass regulations so they can get through traffic jams.

Yeah, I bet it's all part of their corruption.

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4.US President Barack Obama has played golf 32 times since taking office, beating George W Bush's record.

Actually I don't think Bush had the record. I think that should have said Obama in one year exceeded the number of times Bush had golfed in all of his eight years. I couldn't track down the statistic, but I seem to recall Eisenhower played the most golf while in office.

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5. Male long tailed slugs make "love darts" from calcium minerals and use them to inject hormones into females.

Sounds rather sexy. Are you sure you can say that on Lit Net. :D

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6. Babies born in autumn or winter are more likely to develop a food allergy than those born in spring or summer.

Well, it must depend on which day of the year they were concived. :p

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7. In the 13th century, the Chinese used covered sewage tanks to generate power.

And what is different in the 21st century? :p

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8.2 metre-long sea-scorpions used to roam the coast of North East Fife

And that is why the residents of North East Fife now abhor sea food.

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9.US President George Washington failed to return a library book. It's now racked up a $300,000 fine.

Yeah, and just try to collect. :)

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10. Children who address important issues with their fathers are less likely to smoke.

I completely believe that. Who says fatherhood is obsolete. Fathers establish right and wrong through their actions and values. Take that feminists. :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. There are vending machines that sell hot chips.

Hopefully they are not cow chips. :D

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2. Burning oil is one way of controlling a spill.

Yes it is sad but necessary.

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3. A lot of people are still using floppy disks.

They are called old men and their members are should not be referred to as floppy. :lol:

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4. Chocolate doesn't always make you happy.

Oh just test me. :D

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5. In Japan, burahara is the harassment of people because of their blood group.

You mean there is prejudice against B+ types? Shame on them. i thought we were over such petty racism. :wink5:

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6. Chimpanzees deal with death in a similar way to humans.

I've never been to a chimp funeral parlor. :)

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7. Some ready-meal curries are saltier than seawater.

And some are against the fire department codes of flame temperature.

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8. There are surgeons who specialise in restoring virginity.

Yes, their method is to have sex with them and wollah, you are magically a virgin. :D

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9. Stephen Hawking thinks aliens exist.

I always though Steven Hawking was an alien. :D

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10. Storks can go blue.

And pink for girls. :wink5:
05-05-2010, 12:25 PM
SilentMute

You know what I know this week that I didn't know last week? I think it is really neat!

Dermoid cysts. They are cysts that can grow on the back of your neck, on the brain, on the ovaries, etc. They contain many different tissue cells, which is why they are called monster cells. They can have hair, sweat glands, teeth, and even eyes!
05-09-2010, 05:29 PM
Scheherazade

1. Britain's oldest unsolved murder dates back to 1866.

2. Discussion about politics is banned inside polling stations.

3. As is the wearing of rosettes by anyone except for election candidates and their polling agents.

4. Dawdling across a pedestrian crossing could land you in court.

5. 1,000,000,000 trillion (that's a billion-trillion) bytes of computer storage is called a zettabyte.

6. The inventor of the Maclaren folding pushchair also designed the Spitfire's undercarriage.

7. The difference between the minimum wage and "living wage" in London is £1.80 per hour.

8. People who regularly have less than six hours sleep increase their chance of dying over a 25-year period by 12%.

9. Despite its scary name, the colossal squid is no fast-paced predator - it prefers to drift about.

10. Blood pressure rises when checked by a doctor.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_134.shtml
05-09-2010, 07:26 PM
Hurricane

Quote:

10. Blood pressure rises when checked by a doctor.

Funny story about this; one of my good friends gets really nervous when getting his blood pressure and heart rate checked by a doctor to the point where they've had to send him to the hospital to make sure there's nothing seriously wrong with him (there isn't).
05-11-2010, 08:14 PM
RaoulDuke

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hurricane

Funny story about this; one of my good friends gets really nervous when getting his blood pressure and heart rate checked by a doctor to the point where they've had to send him to the hospital to make sure there's nothing seriously wrong with him (there isn't).

A younger brother of a friend of mine once had to wear a monitor which logged his blood pressure for a 48 hour period in which he was instructed to do no exercise, in order to test for a hereditary heart murmur condition. At the time he was a young teenager without a girlfriend (you can probably see where this is going!)

When he took it back the doctor had a look at the data which showed a five minute spell where the blood pressure exploded in a massive peak. The peak was late at night and the doctor thought it was unlikely he would have done any excercise at this time of day and began to get very worried. He was eventually faced with the toss up of either coming clean (no pun intended) or being diagnosed with a heart condition!

Anyway... 10 things I didn't know last week...

1). Lightning strikes the earth on average 100 times every second.
2). Bolivia has the highest turnover of governments (200 since 1825).
3). 5 billion crayons are produced every year.
4). 92 nuclear bombs are lost at sea
5). Peter the Great taxed people with beards!
6). Sea captains used to keep pigs on board because they believed, should they be shipwrecked, pigs always swam toward the nearest shore.
7). In Denmark there are twice as many pigs as people
8). There exists a critter called the Mongolian Death Worm.
9). The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is a wonderful film.
10). If I spent half the time I spend trawling the internet and watching films doing something constructive then I could probably have made a useful contribution to society last week!
05-17-2010, 09:12 AM
Scheherazade

1. £1m made up of £20 notes weighs 25 times as much as the equivalent of £1m in 500 euro notes.

2. Downing Street's famous black front door was once green.

3. And the original door - now in the Churchill Museum - has its own cleaner.

4. Shakespeare's Henry VIII is considered jinxed because during a performance in 1613, the Globe theatre burned down.

5. The prime minister's first task is always to answer the question of whether he would retaliate in the event of a nuclear attack.

6. More than half of Spain's cabinet is female.

7. China smokes one third of the world's cigarettes.

8. And there are 4.5 trillion cigarette butts discarded each year.

9. Florence Nightingale used the pseudonym "Miss Smith" to evade the media.

10. Hair is used to clean up oil spills because it is adsorbent (not absorbent).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_135.shtml
05-21-2010, 06:53 PM
Scheherazade

1. Kiefer Sutherland watches Coronation Street.

2. In Greece, trombonists and hairdressers can retire early because their professions are classed as unhealthy.

3. Sex is not dangerous for heart attack patients.

4. A million people a month are refused a drink in a pub.

5. American and British sign language is different.

6. Twelve is the optimum age for lying.

7. Jigsaw puzzle sales reached a weekly peak of 10 million in 1933.

8. The German army used nettle fabric to make army uniforms during World War I.

9. There are 450 music festivals in the UK this year alone.

10. Sextuplets are born once in every 4.5 million pregnancies.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_136.shtml
05-28-2010, 09:29 PM
Scheherazade

1. People conduct 22 Google searches each day, on average.

2. Guinness really is good for you.

3. Planets eat stars.

4. Ray Alan's puppet Lord Charles was modelled on Stan Laurel.

5. A pollen expert is called a palynologist.

6. Brushing teeth is good for the heart.

7. Botticelli's Venus and Mars were high on drugs.

8. Andy Murray has a kneecap made of two separate bones rather than one.

9. In winning Eurovision songs, one word in every 50 is "love".

10. The risk of contracting HIV is higher during pregnancy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_137.shtml
05-28-2010, 10:08 PM
Virgil

Gosh, I'm definitely falling sdown on the job. Let's see how many I can tackle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. Britain's oldest unsolved murder dates back to 1866.

I guess the neighborhood is still in fear he's at large and ready to strike again. :wink5:

Quote:

2. Discussion about politics is banned inside polling stations.

And Scher and Logos are there to moderate. :lol:

Quote:

4. Dawdling across a pedestrian crossing could land you in court.

Or in the hospital. :)

Quote:

6. The inventor of the Maclaren folding pushchair also designed the Spitfire's undercarriage.

Either a very comfortable car or a very uncomfortable chair. :D

Quote:

8. People who regularly have less than six hours sleep increase their chance of dying over a 25-year period by 12%.

I really need to get more sleep.

Quote:

9. Despite its scary name, the colossal squid is no fast-paced predator - it prefers to drift about.

Makes for good fried calamari though. :D

Quote:

10. Blood pressure rises when checked by a doctor.

I think mine does too actually.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. £1m made up of £20 notes weighs 25 times as much as the equivalent of £1m in 500 euro notes.

I bet they blame it on Greece. :D

Quote:

2. Downing Street's famous black front door was once green.

I wonder if the Stones's song "Paint It Black" had anything to do with it. :wink5:

Quote:

4. Shakespeare's Henry VIII is considered jinxed because during a performance in 1613, the Globe theatre burned down.

I would think many of Henry VIII's wives thought he was a jinx. :lol:

Quote:

5. The prime minister's first task is always to answer the question of whether he would retaliate in the event of a nuclear attack.

And I would assume the answer would always be yes.

Quote:

6. More than half of Spain's cabinet is female.

No wonder. :D

Quote:

7. China smokes one third of the world's cigarettes.

So that's the cause of global warming. :)

Quote:

8. And there are 4.5 trillion cigarette butts discarded each year.

That's revolting actually. Urrgh.

Quote:

10. Hair is used to clean up oil spills because it is adsorbent (not absorbent).

Something to talk about next time I go to the barber shop. My didn't realize he was saving the world. :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. Kiefer Sutherland watches Coronation Street.

Never heard of him or the show.

Quote:

2. In Greece, trombonists and hairdressers can retire early because their professions are classed as unhealthy.

Sounds like everyone in Greece has a justification to retire early. And what's early, 30? :wink5:

Quote:

3. Sex is not dangerous for heart attack patients.

I guess it depends who you're having sex with, doesn't it? :lol:

Quote:

4. A million people a month are refused a drink in a pub.

Bad breath is a real turn off. :)

Quote:

5. American and British sign language is different.

No different than American and British English. :D

Quote:

6. Twelve is the optimum age for lying.

If so, how come there are no politicians who are twelve years old?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

1. People conduct 22 Google searches each day, on average.

Strange, but probably fits my average.

Quote:

2. Guinness really is good for you.

It sure is!! :cheers2:

Quote:

6. Brushing teeth is good for the heart.

Definitely true!

Quote:

7. Botticelli's Venus and Mars were high on drugs.

But Botticelli was clean sober. Sure. :p
06-11-2010, 06:13 PM
Scheherazade

1. The number of snakes in the world is falling.

2. Indigenous Bolivians wear bowler hats because of the English.

3. The top sponsors of the World Cup pay on average £75m.

4. Forty-two people die on South African roads every day, on average.

5. Motor racing is popular in the West Bank.

6. More than one in 10 websites is pornographic.

7. When one police diver is under water, another four remain on dry land.

8. If all the worldwide television coverage of the 2006 World Cup was shown on one channel, it would take more than eight years to watch.

9. Man can beat a horse in a running race, in the right conditions.

10. A seal's whiskers can detect fish movement 100 metres away.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_139.shtml
06-11-2010, 06:39 PM
dafydd manton

The number of snakes is falling? Hissssssss-terical!
06-21-2010, 05:49 PM
Scheherazade

1. Whale poo helps absorb CO2.

2. The BBC failed to record Charles de Gaulle's famous broadcast to German-occupied France.

3. Vuvuzelas are pitched at the B flat below middle C.

4. Male menopause exists (in 2% of men).

5. Britain's VAT of 17.5% is one of the lowest rates in Europe.

6. That "USA WINS 1-1" headline in the New York Post? They were joking.

7. Men were taught to change nappies at Fathercraft classes in the 1920s.

8. The government considered blocking North Korea from the 1966 World Cup.

9. Using the words "Games" and "2012" could land advertisers a £20,000 fine come the next Olympics.

10. Mathematicians busk.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_140.shtml
06-21-2010, 10:52 PM
billl

There is a large region of Antarctica called West Antarctica.
06-27-2010, 05:54 PM
Scheherazade

1. More than 5,000 so-called mosquito alarms, which emit a sound to disperse teenage groups, are in operation in the UK.

2. Human hair is used as a food additive.

3. Italy's footballers were pelted with rotten fruit when they arrived back in the country after an early exit from the 1966 World Cup.

4. Scotland has the highest proportion of cocaine users in the world.

5. Tennis matches can last three days.

6. There are 820 government websites.

7. More than eight million visits were made to news websites every minute, on the night Barack Obama won the US presidential election. On the first day of the World Cup, there were 12m visits per minute.

8. General Stanley McChrystal only eats one square meal a day.

9. Nottingham Forest players got drunk the night before winning the League Cup final in 1979.

10. There are 6,000 islands in Greece, but only 227 are inhabited.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_141.shtml
06-28-2010, 10:49 AM
prendrelemick

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

4. Capuchin monkeys were named because of their resemblance to the Catholic friars.

]

Which also explains why the Friars are often called Monks
07-02-2010, 08:08 PM
Scheherazade

1. Ancient whales had really big teeth.

2. German fans moo at England football players and fans.

3. The process of encrypting secret data in images or text is called steganography.

4. The name comes from Steganographia, title of a book written in 1499.

5. Some 14 million British homes date from when asbestos was widely used as a building material.

6. The celebrity perfume market is estimated to be worth £255m in the UK alone.

7. Wonder Woman was originally an Amazon.

8. A Gazan man has more than 430 grandchildren (and 11 wives over his lifetime).

9. BBC Radio 2 was once called the Light Programme, and Radio 3 the Third Programme.

10. Withdrawn banknotes are shredded and sometimes used in compost.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...st_w_142.shtml

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