Totally Useless (or not) Fact of the Day

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Since 1950, neither winners

nor heirs may sell their Oscar statuette
without offering to sell it back

to the Academy first for $1.

'80s rocker Billy Squier allegedly had a rider in his contract
that said if the venue he was performing at misspelled his name
as "Squire" on the marquee, he was entitled to 100 percent of the door receipts!
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The cubicle did not get it's name from its "cube" shape,
(a cube has six sides). It is from the Latin "cubiculum"
meaning bed chamber.
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Omar Knedlik of Coffeyville, Kansas,
invented the Icee (also called a Slurpee, Slush or Mr. Misty)
in the late 1950s. The first flavor he offered was root beer.
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Sources say that February 22, 1630,
was the date on which English colonists were introduced
to popcorn by Native Americans in Massachusetts.
The special corn variety had been popped in a deerskin bag.

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Unable to prevent the use of the word "spam"
to represent unwanted email messages,
the Hormel company now uses all-capital letters
in referencing its canned pork product.

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Before settling on the Seven Dwarfs we know today,
Disney considered Chesty, Tubby, Burpy, Deafy, Hickey, Wheezy & Awful.

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The average bag of chocolate M&M's contains
24% blue,
20% orange,
16% green,
14% yellow,
13% red,
and
13% brown colored candy shells.

Japan is commonly thought of as a tiny island nation,
but it's actually about the size of California.
In fact, it's larger than many European countries.

Colonel Sanders' finger-lickin' formula is locked away in a bank vault in Louisville, KY. In fact, the KFC people are so serious about keeping the ingredients under wraps that two separate companies are used to blend the spices, so neither possesses the complete recipe.
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The sailfish (the fastest fish, 68 mph)
is speedier in the water than the
cheetah (the fastest land animal, 62 mph) is on land.
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Creed Bratton, a cast member on the NBC comedy series The Office,
is a former member of The Grass Roots
who appeared on their first four albums and eight of their hit singles.

(Google image search is making me "hoppin' mad" today!)

The North Pole is not considered a continent like the South Pole
because the ice of the North Pole floats on the ocean,
while the ice of the South Pole sits on actual ground -
- the continent of Antarctica.
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There are 293 ways to make change for a U.S. dollar.

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Symbols, like !#@%, that used to indicate swearing or cursing
in comic strips are called grawlix.

!#@% Growlix would be more appropriate. lol

The first cellular phone measured 9" x 5" and weighed 2.5 lbs.
It was developed by Dr. Martin Cooper, who worked for Motorola.
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The first ferris wheel was built by a man named George Ferris in 1893 for the Chicago Worlds Fair or the Columbian Exposition. It was intended to upstage the Eiffel Tower which was the main attraction from the 1889 Paris Exhibition. The Ferris Wheel was 264 feet and carried 2,160 people in 36 cars.

When Paul McCartney and John Lennon first played "She Loves You" for Paul's dad, he said "That's very nice son, but there's enough of these Americanisms around. Couldn't you sing "She loves you, yes, yes, yes!". The duo collapsed in a fit of laughter.

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Chinese Imperial Court official Ts'ai Lun is traditionally credited with the invention of what we know as paper on March 11 in the year 105. His paper was more flexible and affordable than previous writing surfaces and was said to be made from a combination of plant fibers and cloth rags.

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The FBI called Ted Kaczynski "The Unabomber"
because his early mail bombs were sent to universities (UN) & airlines (A).

"You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" was sung by Thurl Ravenscroft,
who also voiced Tony the Tiger ("They're grrrrrreat!!")

JackRabbit wrote:Colonel Sanders' finger-lickin' formula is locked away in a bank vault in Louisville, KY. In fact, the KFC people are so serious about keeping the ingredients under wraps that two separate companies are used to blend the spices, so neither possesses the complete recipe.
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Alrighty... now, I wish to know 2 - no, 3 ! things about this "formula"
(which is yummy ! - IMO) :

1.)
Do you think it is likely that - if the 'formula' were known
'all of a piece', as it were; so to speak... there is something sinister
about it that would become immediately obvious? Hmm?

2.)
How much of this cloak-and-dagger secrecy is Pure-D HYPE... ?
(It ain't rocket science, after all... [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.])

3.)
Do you suppose that, if the "formula" (- What is wrong with "RECIPE" ?)
For cat's sake !?! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]) were to become known in its entirety, they would
discover WHY IT IS that - for the past 12-15 YEARS - the chicken is RAW
in some areas of each piece? Hmm? (Blick! Pooey!) I have had to switch to
" Church's " - it's good, it COSTS MUCH ! LESS... and Church's has solved
the mystery of "How To Cook Chicken - Completely" [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

... just curious ... [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] };>

JackRabbit wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Unable to prevent the use of the word "spam"
to represent unwanted email messages,
the Hormel company now uses all-capital letters
in referencing its canned pork product.

Huh. So do I! -So does everyone, I think. (?) [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
I don't type, " ... received bunches of spam in my inbox... "
It's an acronym (I think?) and I type it, "... bunches of SPAM in my inbox..."
Usually with an' ! ' ; "... bunches of SPAM! ..." - and very often with :
"... bunches of *%$#!! SPAM! in my ... " [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Also, I didn't realize that "SPAM" was once "Spam" (?)
... or was it formerly "spam"... ?
Actually, I betcha unwanted email has provided Hormel with
a copious amount of free publicity.
I've never - not once- negatively associated the ubiquitous mystery
meat with (eeewww!) unwanted email.
I sure hope the effort wasn't expensive. (Riiiight - litigation never is.)

... Ja'aj ... you're too much!

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The proper name for a crash test dummy is Anthropomorphic Test Device. The first one was developed for the Air Force, not the automobile industry, and he was used to test ejection seats.

Tuesday Island, Wednesday Island, Thursday Island and Friday Island
all exist in the Torres Strait off the coast of Australia.

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Corn has "hair" or some people call it tassels, when it is first harvested. Most people don't know that there is ONE "hair" for every KERNEL of corn on the cob.

JackRabbit wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Corn has "hair" or some people call it tassels, when it is first harvested. Most people don't know that there is ONE "hair" for every KERNEL of corn on the cob.

I just may be pathetic and sad enough to test that theory. lol

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Per a British medical journal report, the fungi that feed on old paper may be mildly hallucinogenic, and the "fungal hallucinogens" may cause an "enhancement of enlightenment" in readers. The source of creative inspiration for many great authors through history may have been a quick sniff of moldy books, causing them to get high.

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The Nike "swoosh" logo was designed by University of Oregon student Carolyn Davidson in 1964 -- four years after business undergrad Phil Knight and track coach Bill Bowerman founded the company they originally called Blue Ribbon ... Ms. Davidson was paid $35 dollars for her design.

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In the U.S., prime-time Westerns on TV reached their peak in 1958-1959, when there were 31 shows on the air. The public's taste shifted, and by 1964-1965, the number of TV Westerns had plummeted to 7. Westerns have never enjoyed such popularity on U.S. television since.

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The taxicab gets its name from the taximeter,
a device that measures the distance and time a car has traveled.

Chickens with white ear lobes lay white eggs,
whereas chickens with red ear lobes lay brown eggs.

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... And where do these brightly colored Easter eggs come from?

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On December 6, 1884, workers placed the 3,300-pound marble capstone on the Washington Monument and topped it with a nine-inch pyramid of cast aluminum, completing construction of the 555-foot Egyptian obelisk. The cornerstone had been laid in 1848, the Library of Congress observes, but for some 20 years, "lack of funds and loss of support for the Washington National Monument Society left the obelisk incomplete at a height of about 156 feet. Finally, in 1876, President Ulysses Grant authorized the federal government to finish construction. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took over the project two years later."

JackRabbit wrote:Chickens with white ear lobes lay white eggs,
whereas chickens with red ear lobes lay brown eggs.

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... And where do these brightly colored Easter eggs come from?

That's interesting.

Easter eggs come from the Easter bunny, silly rabbit! lol

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Donald Duck's middle name is Fauntleroy.

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November 2nd, 2010 ... NASA observes, "The second decade of a new era in human history — when not everyone lives on our home planet — begins ... as the International Space Station crosses the 1.5 billion mile mark of its travels with six residents on board and six visitors en route." The first permanent crew of astronauts arrived on the International Space Station on November 2, 2000. "With its permanent human presence," said Mike Suffredini, International Space Station program manager, "it will serve as a foothold for long-term exploration into space, being an integral part of testing human endurance, equipment reliability and processes essential for space exploration."

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Chicago is America's skyscraper capital.
The city has more 1,000-foot tall buildings than any other U.S. city.

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The General Sherman tree in Sequoia National Park
east of Visalia, California is the largest tree in the world (by volume).

THIS IS THE ONLY TIME YOU WILL SEE THIS IN YOUR LIFETIME
(OR IN THE NEXT 40 GENERATIONS)!

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This year, July has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays.
This happens once every 823 years.

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In car design circles, a hood ornament is properly called a "mascot."
The first American automobile to sport a mascot was the 1912 Cadillac.

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Syd Barrett got the name "Pink Floyd"
from two American blues musicians,
Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.

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Hawaiian Punch was originally developed in 1934
as a tropical flavored ice cream topping.

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The S in Harry S Truman didn't stand for anything;
Truman had a middle initial but no middle name.

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Buddy Ebsen, known for his portrayal of Jed Clampett on the Beverly Hillbillies, was originally cast as the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz. However, he had to drop out of production when he discovered he was allergic to the silver make up required for the Tin Man.

Sir Francis Drake’s name for California in 1579 was New Albion.

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The split-fingered Vulcan salute from Star Trek is derived from an Orthodox Jewish ritual called the Blessing Hands, used to anoint congregations on holy days. Leonard Nimoy, whose grandfather was Orthodox, remembered the hand gesture from his childhood visits to the synagogue with his grandfather and borrowed it for his role as Mr. Spock.

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Despite the optical illusion,
the Gateway Arch is exactly as wide (630 feet) as it is tall.

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King Louis XIV lived and ruled so long (72 yrs) that he is not only the longest ruling ruler of Europe but his successor, Louis XV, was neither his son nor his grandson but his great-grandson.

can't help but wonder if the next in lines ever thought abou knocking him off ?? i mean, their whole lives they must have waited....for nothing....like being trained for one job only and never doing it... a bit like Charles ??

The Barcolo Manufacturing Company of Buffalo, New York, started the American tradition of the office "coffee break." In 1902 they offered free coffee to their employees in order to boost morale, as well as a few free minutes in which to enjoy it.