10 Things We Didn't Know This Time Last Week

[Scheherazade]

1. There's a town in Uruguay called Fray Bentos.

2. The final day - or half-day - of World War I produced about 11,000 casualties.

3. Ian Fleming's wife administered a rap over the knuckles with a spoon to a reviewer who didn't like Dr No.

4. About 90% of pumpkins grown worldwide are not eaten - instead they are carved for Halloween and the innards discarded.

5. Men like women in red. And not just red clothing - even those in photos with a red frame are rated as more attractive than any other colour.

6. The word "euthanasia means easeful death.

7. George Osborne wore plus fours at university.

8. There are about 200 earthquakes a year in Britain.

9. The United Arab Emirates, along with the US, has the largest ecological footprint per person.

10. "Charlie's dead" means that someone's slip is showing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...x.html#a040249

[Scheherazade]

1. Saddam Hussein's yacht had an escape tunnel leading to a submarine.

2. The Dalai Lama boxes.

3. Women's hands have more bugs.

4. Londoners complained about house prices in the 1600s.

5. Antelopes click their knees to demonstrate sexual prowess.

6. Drum-making can be fatal.

7. Barack Obama supports West Ham.

8. The average person can sing three octaves.

9. Snow ploughs are used to clear dead lemmings on Norway's roads.

10. About 20,000 people die globally every year from snake bites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...x.html#a040582

[Virgil]

1. Saddam Hussein's yacht had an escape tunnel leading to a submarine.

Hey that is really neat. Sounds like something from a James Bond movie. In fact Saddam could have made a great Bond villian.

2. The Dalai Lama boxes.

Isn't he supposed to be a pacifist?

3. Women's hands have more bugs.

I guess I won't ever hold my wife's hands again. Kind of makes that Beatles song "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" have extra significance.

5. Antelopes click their knees to demonstrate sexual prowess.

I've known a few women that do that too and for the same reason.

8. The average person can sing three octaves.

Yeah, and every time I try my life gets threatened. I wonder why.

[librarius_qui]

2. The Dalai Lama boxes.

Isn't he supposed to be a pacifist?

Well, everyone should have something to punch sometimes! Specially girls! Sometimes I give them my hands, and say "come on, punch!" The one who made it harder was the most honest of them! I'm about to take measure with another one, as soon as I can, only ... She lives in another town! ... Blast! O tempora! O internet!


a klicky

[Scheherazade]

1. The 999 emergency number was chosen over 111 because telegraph wires rubbing together in the wind transmitted the equivalent of a 111 call.

2. In space, an item as small as a toolbag can be seen from Earth.

3. There are only eight mycologists in the UK.

4. US intelligence kept a file on Tony Blair's personal life.

5. Premium chocolate tasters don't swallow the goods.

6. Police use curry to combat alleged drugs possession.

7. A dog's mucus enhances its sense of smell.

8. The speechwriting "tricolon technique" has been used by Julius Caesar and Barack Obama.

9. A French cologne has a scent inspired by the smell of human sperm.

10. Gordon Brown writes to X Factor contestants.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...x.html#a043411

[byquist]

Today's americanthinker.com essay argues that Bill Ayers had a literary hand in President Elect Obama's Dreams From My Father -- assuming you know who, or give a hoot who, Bill Ayers is.

[Virgil]

1. The 999 emergency number was chosen over 111 because telegraph wires rubbing together in the wind transmitted the equivalent of a 111 call.

Either of those are better than the American. Our emergency number is 911. I wonder why we have two separate digits. Oh wait, pehaps I know. Perhaps if someting accidentaly presses up against a single digit then it may automatically dial. Perhaps then the AMerican makes better sense. Hmm.

2. In space, an item as small as a toolbag can be seen from Earth.

Of course. Why do you think the flight paths all go over nudist colonies.

5. Premium chocolate tasters don't swallow the goods.

Such a job exists??? And I wasted my time going to college.

6. Police use curry to combat alleged drugs possession.

Some of those curries can knock you out with a whiff.

7. A dog's mucus enhances its sense of smell.

I didn't know mucus smelled.

9. A French cologne has a scent inspired by the smell of human sperm.

Why would I want to put on my body someone else's sperm?

[Guinivere]

1. New Zealand was the first country that allowed the women's vote.

2. The movie "Fargo" is called "Mysterious murder in snowy cream" in Hong Kong.

3. Every three seconds a shark dies at the hand of a human.

4. The smurfs are called "i puffi" in Italy.

5. Rice has more genes than a human being.

6. Elvis never gave an encore.

7. Gustav Mahler's dying words were "Mozart !"

8. There are pink dolphins in the Amazon river.

9. The books, which are the most read in Guantanamo are J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter novels.

10. George Bush's favourite painting shows a cowboy on horseback.

[TheFifthElement]

Either of those are better than the American. Our emergency number is 911. I wonder why we have two separate digits. Oh wait, pehaps I know. Perhaps if someting accidentaly presses up against a single digit then it may automatically dial. Perhaps then the AMerican makes better sense. Hmm.

In Europe they use 112 (not sure if it's universal) and 112 works in UK too. Don't know how it works with US phones, but in UK the keypad lock on phones doesn't operate for 999 as every parent finds out at some time after their lovely little one has dialled it and had a nice chat with the emergency services. Certainly I have found this out. Twice.

[Scheherazade]

1. The first trunk call made in the UK was by the Queen.

2. Claims worth £40m are made each year to the Bank of England in relation to damaged banknotes.

3. And two serial numbers must be legible for a damaged note to be exchanged at the bank.

4. A street light costs about 15p a night to keep lit.

5. The world's timekeeping is monitored by one man.

6. And December 2008 will last one second longer than December 2007.

7. Motorways are five times safer than single-lane roads, according to the AA.

8. The Sydney Opera House was inspired by a peeled orange.

9. Shakespeare probably lost his sight.

10. Spanish has overtaken German as the second most popular language taught in schools.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...ast_w_78.shtml

[Virgil]

1. The first trunk call made in the UK was by the Queen.

What exactly is a trunk call? Sounds like something related to prostitution.

4. A street light costs about 15p a night to keep lit.

Hmm, where are the environmental whackos trying to save every little bit of energy? I bet they want dark city streets.

5. The world's timekeeping is monitored by one man.

So if he has a heart attack and dies one night, does that mean time stops?

6. And December 2008 will last one second longer than December 2007.

What a relief. I thought time was moving too fast.

7. Motorways are five times safer than single-lane roads, according to the AA.

I believe this. I'm always afraid that someone coming the other way on single lane roads is going to drift over into my lane.

8. The Sydney Opera House was inspired by a peeled orange.

I guess we should be lucky it wasn't a banana.

9. Shakespeare probably lost his sight.

I was curious and went and read about this. What a crock. It's all based on speculation.

10. Spanish has overtaken German as the second most popular language taught in schools.

You should come to the US. We have more Spanish speaking people than English.

[Scheherazade]

1. Emily, of Bagpuss fame, was paid with a bag of sweets.

2. Reindeers are genetically programmed to stop growing in cold weather when food is scare, cutting their calorific needs by 70%.

3. Kissing can damage hearing.

4. Butch Cassidy was a Geordie.

5. Councils are banning number 13 houses on new developments.

6. Potatoes can weigh 24lbs (11kgs).

7. The more brothers a man has, the more likely he is to have sons himself.

8. Dogs get jealous.

9. Secondary school pupils in England are the best in Europe at science.

10. The Moon's distance from the Earth can vary by about 30,000km.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinem...x.html#a048531

[Virgil]

1. Emily, of Bagpuss fame, was paid with a bag of sweets.

For what?

2. Reindeers are genetically programmed to stop growing in cold weather when food is scare, cutting their calorific needs by 70%.

I think that's called dying.

3. Kissing can damage hearing.

What? What's that you say? So that's why I'm going deaf.

8. Dogs get jealous.

Oh absolutely.

[Joreads]

5. Councils are banning number 13 houses on new developments.


I can understand that I would not live in a house that was numbered 13 or 666 for that matter, I have enough problems without that

[Scheherazade]

100 things we didn't know this time last year