Wednesday, March 21, 2007

TRIVIA CORNER

What roles are tiny Felix most well-known for?

Diminutive actor Felix Silla played the hirsute role of Cousin Itt on the bizarre 1960s sitcom The Addams Family. Years later, he was Twiki on television's Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and also was one of the countless Ewoks in Return of the Jedi.

Why does a cow have a magnetic stomach?

Cows have four stomachs. Often, when a calf is born, the farmer will make it swallow a magnet. This is to attract the various nails, staples, bits of wire, and so on, that the cow may ingest while grazing. This odd hunger is known as "hardware disease."

How fast will a Hot Wheels car go?

In 1966, Elliot Handler, one of the co-founders of Mattel, Inc. and part of the Barbie doll empire, was the inventor of Hot Wheels. Handler experimented with axles and rotating wheels being attached to tiny model cars. The innovative gravity-powered car he developed had special low-friction styrene wheels. Hot Wheels have been clocked at speeds of up to 300 miles per hour.

Where was Broughton buried?

Jack Broughton was one of the most revered boxing figures in England. He was buried at Westminster Abbey, the burial place of British nobility, although Broughton was not a member of English royalty.

How long does a crocodile live?

The Nile crocodile averages about 45 years in the wild, and may live up to 80 years in captivity.

How long have we been enjoying Oreos?

Since its first appearance in 1912, Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies have reigned supreme as being the number one selling cookie in America. The basic design of the cookie has not changed for more than 50 years. Today's version is a neat 1 3/4 inches across - that's one, two or three bites, depending on how big your bite is!

Are more crimes committed in the summer?

Temperature and crime are correlated. Many more crimes are committed in the hot summer months than in the cold winter months.

How much Barley goes into Guinness?

A full seven percent of the entire Irish barley crop goes to the production of Guinness Beer.

What's Wilton's unusual industry?

In Wilton, Maine, there is a cannery that imports and cans only dandelion greens.

What's the difference between a rummage and a jumble?

In the United States, sales of used household merchandise are called "rummage sales;" in Britain, they're called "jumble sales."

How much did Carnegie donate?

Andrew Carnegie donated about $330 million to libraries, research projects, and world peace endeavours.

How large was Ross's telescope?

In 1845, the third Earl of Ross, a wealthy amateur astronomer, built the world's largest telescope on his Ireland estate. The earl's reflecting telescope had a 72-inch metal mirror, and was suspended between two ivy-covered stone walls.

Which is the oldest horse?

Today's oldest form of horse is the Przewalski, or Mongolian Wild Horse. Survivors of this breed were discovered in the Gobi Desert in 1881.

Is junk food bad for squirrels?

City squirrels will eat just about anything, and often, it's the junk food that people offer them that they prefer, like Cracker Jack peanuts. Many naturalists have concluded that a peanut diet is harmful to squirrels: it seems to result in a weakening of eyesight and a thinning of the animal's pelt.

How much does your head weigh?

An adult human head weighs about 12 pounds (5.4kg), or the same as a light bowling ball.

How long have Jamaicans been jerking barbecue?

Jerk barbecue can be traced to the 1600s, when Jamaican runaway slaves preserved and cooked meat in dug-out pits and basted it with native herbs, spices, and chile peppers. The name "jerk" has uncertain origins. It is believed by some culinary experts to be derived from the Spanish word "charqui," which means dried meat, or from the French term "charcuterie." One legend suggests that the phrase "jerked pork" was coined because slabs of pork were literally jerked back and forth over a hot grill

How many ads do you see?

The average American sees or hears 560 advertisements a day.

How much energy does the sun make?

The Sun produces more energy every minute than all the energy used on Earth in a whole year.


Should you refrain from winking in Oz?

Winking at women, even to express friendship, is considered bad manners in Australia.

 

 

3 comments:

Lee Ann said...

Wow, you are a plethera of knowledge.
Does the magnet stay in the cow's stomach for ever?
I think people are agitated more in the hot summer months, hence creating more crime! uh, I don't know.... ;)
Sometimes, when I am tired, my head feels heavier than 12 lbs.!

Jules said...

In Canada they're called Garage sales and if you don't have a garage, they're called yard sales. My husband calls them junk sales. Well, he DID, until we had one of our own.

SIMON said...

Yes lee ann you are right about the crime. Thanks for the visit - don't get light headed!

Jules did you know that the really really old word for the penis was....yard! Thanks as ever for your visit.