10 Things We Didn't Know This Time Last Week

[Scheherazade]

1. Holding your hands up on a rollercoaster stretches the torso, enhancing the physical sensations.

2. We got Vikings wrong - new research at Cambridge University concludes they were more traders than raiders, who worked hard to settle into new societies as good immigrants.

3. Monkeys floss.

4. And ducks can be gay.

5. 'YR' was an abbreviation for "your" in the 17th and 18th Century too.

6. On 11 September 2001, WTC workers took an average of five to eight minutes to leave their desks - finishing e-mails, filing papers, and some went to the toilet.

7. And in 1985's Manchester Airport crash, some passengers stopped to take luggage out of the overhead bins as the plane burned on the runway.

8. A "sonic brand trigger" is ad-land's term for aural branding - such as BA's opera music or Intel's short string of beeps - used instead of jingles.

9. Electronic cigarettes exist.

10. Biggest first date faux pas? Clicking your fingers at the waiter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/10_things/

[Virgil]

1. Holding your hands up on a rollercoaster stretches the torso, enhancing the physical sensations.

So does the rack, but we don't do that for fun.

2. We got Vikings wrong - new research at Cambridge University concludes they were more traders than raiders, who worked hard to settle into new societies as good immigrants.

Tell that to the French who bore the brunt of their "trading".

3. Monkeys floss.

What??? With what, each other's tail? I saw the video by the way and that was disgusting.

4. And ducks can be gay.

Gives a whole new meaning to "quack." (sorry only kidding.)

5. 'YR' was an abbreviation for "your" in the 17th and 18th Century too.

Oh, and all this time I thought it was short for "you retard."

9. Electronic cigarettes exist.

Bet that first drag is a real shocker.

10. Biggest first date faux pas? Clicking your fingers at the waiter.

And here I thought it was dropping your pants at dinner.

[Scheherazade]

1. Wuthering Heights is known as Les Hauts de Hurlevents in France.

2. The shoes that take Dorothy back to Kansas were originally silver.

3. Champagne that's 184 years old can still have a few bubbles left in it.

4. Elephants can be pink.

5. False memory is called confabulation.

6. Mining output fell more in the periods before and after Mrs Thatcher, than during her time as prime minister.

7. Kim Jong-il likes pizza. North Korea's first pizzeria has opened.

8. Parts of cremated bodies are recycled.

9. Monkeys in Thailand use public transport.

10. You should warm up before gardening.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/10_things/

[papayahed]

19. Monkeys in Thailand use public transport.

Where do they keep their tokens? and how do they know when to ring the bell (to stop)? Are they dressed? I remember the buses required shoes and shirts. This is very confusing? Where are they going, to work? a day out in the city?

[Virgil]

2. The shoes that take Dorothy back to Kansas were originally silver.

What were they red? They turned red when she stepped into a bucket of paint.

3. Champagne that's 184 years old can still have a few bubbles left in it.

I bet it tastes like it was a 184 years old. Actually it reminds me of me, an old fart.

4. Elephants can be pink.

After enough martinis anything can be pink.

5. False memory is called confabulation.

Oh then my wife should call me Confabulate for all the erroneous things I've said.

7. Kim Jong-il likes pizza. North Korea's first pizzeria has opened.

And if the chef makes it too cheesey, it's fifty years in prison.

8. Parts of cremated bodies are recycled.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust...let me have a recycled bust.

9. Monkeys in Thailand use public transport.

Where do they keep their tokens? and how do they know when to ring the bell (to stop)? Are they dressed? I remember the buses required shoes and shirts. This is very confusing? Where are they going, to work? a day out in the city?

They are shorter than the 4 foot height requirement and pass as ugly children. Dressed? Have you ever known a monkey to be modest? Their little ding-a-lings flop around. Work? Of coure they are off to monkey business.

[Scheherazade]

1. Tits are also known as bumbarrels.

2. The Daily Sport website is banned in the House of Commons.

3. Teenagers don't like pink light.

4. Crabs feel pain.

5. Britons spend six months of their lives queueing.

6. A broken heart is known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy and it can be cured.

7. Britney Spears's family comes from Tottenham in north London.

8. People like their tea to have a temperature of 56-60C.

9. Hyenas have the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom.

10. Charles Darwin loved eating vegetables.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/

[Virgil]

1. Tits are also known as bumbarrels.

I'm not even going to touch that. It's funny enough on its own.

3. Teenagers don't like pink light.

And here I thought teens liked everything pink. Guys and gals.

5. Britons spend six months of their lives queueing.

God I hate standing in line. I've no patience for it.

8. People like their tea to have a temperature of 56-60C.

Really? I like mine hotter than that I think, though I've never measured the temperature.

9. Hyenas have the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom.

Unless you've been bitten by your wife.

[Scheherazade]

1. The song Agadoo by Black Lace is originally French.

2. There are 19 countries in the G20.

3. The American signal to stop is a cross of the forearms.

4. It requires 60 tonnes of paint to paint the Eiffel Tower.

5. Eating custard cakes daily does not prevent a very long life.

6. Chicks count.

7. Michelle Obama does high fives.

8. When photographing a group of heads of state, the host should stand in the centre at the front and next to him should be the longest-serving leaders.

9. Too many grapefruits is bad for you.

10. The police tactic of confining demonstrators in a confined space is called kettling.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/

[Virgil]

2. There are 19 countries in the G20.

No wonder we're in this economic mess. They can't even count straight.

3. The American signal to stop is a cross of the forearms.

That must be some formal signal. I don't recall ever seeing it in everyday practice. That video was humorous though.

4. It requires 60 tonnes of paint to paint the Eiffel Tower.

Holy smoke, that's a lot. But yeah I believe it.

5. Eating custard cakes daily does not prevent a very long life.

That was interesting. The best one was the woman who recommended donkey milk for longetivity. Now where am I supposed to get donkey milk?

6. Chicks count.

Can they count to 20? If so, sign them up to head our world economic team. Our human kind can't seem to count that far.

8. When photographing a group of heads of state, the host should stand in the centre at the front and next to him should be the longest-serving leaders.

Sounds like a kindergarten picture. Same thing actually.

9. Too many grapefruits is bad for you.

There are certain medications where people are told to not eat grapefruits at all.

10. The police tactic of confining demonstrators in a confined space is called kettling.

Sounds like a border collie and sheep.

[Scheherazade]

Hey Virgil,

Your commentary on these entries has become a regular addition to this thread. I am sure people are looking forward to reading them!

[Virgil]

Hey Virgil,

Your commentary on these entries has become a regular addition to this thread. I am sure people are looking forward to reading them!

Thanks. I get a kick out of turning something witty out of a news item.

[Scheherazade]

1. Breaking wind is a bookable offence in football.

2. Black soldiers fighting for the Free French Forces were removed from the unit which led the liberation of Paris to ensure a "whites only" victory.

3. Many of the mosques in Islam's holiest city, Mecca, point the wrong way.

4. Britain pays an annual sum to Ireland to cover healthcare costs of Irish workers who have returned home.

5. Jellied hoof meat from horses is a delicacy in Siberia.

6. Potholes are aggravated by cold weather.

7. Car ownership in India is about nine per thousand people.

8. Mexico City was once a floating city.

9. Six percent of England's streets are littered with rubber bands.

10. More than 97% of all e-mail traffic is spam.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/10_things/

[Virgil]

1. Breaking wind is a bookable offence in football.

What? I guess they have to make sure they don't eat beans the night before. Now how did that rule get into the books? So I take it that silent but deadly is the best type to let out.

2. Black soldiers fighting for the Free French Forces were removed from the unit which led the liberation of Paris to ensure a "whites only" victory.

That is disgraceful. Nothing more needs to be said. And though that article refers to European soldiers, Americans were just as disgraceful in their dealing of balck soldiers.

5. Jellied hoof meat from horses is a delicacy in Siberia.

It's quite possible that my wife and I will be going to Kazakhstan, which is close to Siberia, in the near future and it seems that they eat horse meat there too. Must be a regional thing. Poor horsies.

6. Potholes are aggravated by cold weather.

Oh God don't I know it. We have potholes all over the place right now. A lot seems to depend on the average winter temperature. If you live in a place that oscillates between above freezing and below freezing (like here in the US northeast) the pot holes are worst. Water gets underneath the surface, freezes, and breaks up the street.

8. Mexico City was once a floating city.

Yeah and now it's sunk. Someone let the air out of the raft.

9. Six percent of England's streets are littered with rubber bands.

Reminds me of my sixth grade class. We (the bad boys like me ) use to bring rubber bands to class and when the teacher turned her back we used to fling them. We used to have rubber band fights. Now I bet all those rubber bands in the English streets are due to the sixth grade boys.

10. More than 97% of all e-mail traffic is spam.

*sigh* I certainly get a lot. But it's not that high.

[kilted exile]

Oh God don't I know it. We have potholes all over the place right now. A lot seems to depend on the average winter temperature. If you live in a place that oscillates between above freezing and below freezing (like here in the US northeast) the pot holes are worst. Water gets underneath the surface, freezes, and breaks up the street.

When I was at college we had part of a course dedicated just to this subject - the problem is they are not properly compacting or not using true Gran A for backfill. The potholes will still occur but the severity can be reduced if you use the correct construction techniques

[Taliesin]

It's quite possible that my wife and I will be going to Kazakhstan, which is close to Siberia, in the near future and it seems that they eat horse meat there too. Must be a regional thing. Poor horsies.

Not trying to pick a fight or anything, but what is the difference between eating the meat of a cow and eating the meat of a horse besides the thing that horses are cuter/more noble/can be given human properties more easily/whatever? I vaguely remember that you were quite anti-vegetarian in some topic so why such a change of statement? I might of course be mistaken, in that case, deep apologies.