What Kind of Person Reads VLKF?

A lot of you out there already “get it”: Very Little Known Facts is not just about education. It’s about a lifestyle. It embodies a certain philosophy, a “Je Nais Se Qua,” a real sang-Freud. It’s about being a cultured, sophisticated human being. The ideal VLKF reader knows how to mix drinks, drive a car made in Europe, optimize analog stereophonic equipment, roll a cigar, appreciate the weave of a fine wool suit (not to mention warp and woof) and hold court on any number of intellectual topics such as politics, anthropology, R. Buckminster Fuller and human sexuality. The VLKF philosophy is about living the Good Life: good food, good clothes, good music, and (of course) good facts. So what kind of person reads Very Little Known Facts?

The VLKF reader is a trend-setter, not a trend-follower or a trend-ignorer.

Chances are the VLKF reader lives in either Pakistan, Norway, Yemen, or the United States.

The VLKF reader can always distinguish fine Corinthian leather from a cheap imitation.

Over half of VLKF readers list "Will and Grace" as their favorite television show of all time. Many are dues-paying members of NAGVA.

The VLKF reader knows the value of a dollar as well as a pound, a Euro, a yen, and a Deutschmark.

Most VLKF readers have never owned a personal computer.

The VLKF reader would rather hear the Phil Collins version of “You Can’t Hurry Love” than the original Peter, Paul, and Mary version.

Approximately 10% of VLKF readers own a cat named “Marco.”

The VLKF reader is not afraid to wear a white wife-beater after Labor Day.

The average VLKF reader has lunched with either a member of Congress, the CEO of a Fortune 500 corporation, or a nationally syndicated game show host.

The VLKF reader:

• Learned to read by age 5.
• Owns property in Arizona.
• Is clean shaven.
• Knows a good melon from a bad melon.
• Rents to own.
• Ferments their own microbrew.
• Would never confuse a camel with a dromedary.
• Believes that children are our future.

The Heat Is On--Literally

As the summer solstice is fast approaching, many areas of the world are experiencing record-breaking heat waves. We here at Very Little Known Facts have put together some trivia, helpful hints, and historical insights into the phenomenon known as Temperature.

• Avoid drinking cold beverages in the summer heat. Although the drink may "seem" refreshing, your body will actually heat up processing the liquid.

• Dogs have no sweat glands. This is the origin of the phrase, "Dog Days of Summer."

• Global warming is a serious issue that may affect many people in certain climates outside the United States.

• "Hot Hot Hot," the #1 hit single written by Buster Poindexter and the New York Dolls, is the national anthem of Jamaica.

• In the Southern Hemisphere, summer is actually the coldest season of the year.

• Heat stroke is caused by an aneurism, or blod clot in the brain due to sunburn.

• Many people are daunted by the concept of the heat index. In reality nothing cold be easier to understand. Simply apply the following formulate to calculate the heat index: Heat=Temperature+Humidity

• Mercury is naturally metallic silver colored. Manufacturers of thermometers add red food coloring to give thermometers that "trademark" look.
  
  
  

Very Little Known History of This Week: July 28

• 542 BC: The first Olympic games are held in Athens, Greece. Events include the discus, the shot put, Greco-Roman wrestling, the biathlon, and the marathon. Ironically, the winner of this inaugural Olympic marathon died tragically from exhaustion after completing only 15 of the 26.2 kilometers.

• 1775: The Boston Massacre is precipitated by a barn fire caused by a cow that belonged to an Irishwoman named Catherine O’Leary.

• 1831: Beethoven's 1812 Overture is released on phonograph. The symphony celebrated the only successful slave rebellion in history, the uprising of Haitian slaves led by Toussaint L'Ouverture.

• 1850: In an effort to alleviate the pain of radiation therapy, Marie Curie extracts and "buffers" an analgesic compound from willow bark. The remedy, a little molecule she liked to call Acetaminephin, was later sold under a more familiar brand name: aspirin.

• 1928: Al Capone is arrested and tried on charges of embezzling funds from his own crime syndicate.

• 1974: In response to soaring crude oil prices after the Exxon Valdez spill and the Nuclear Energy Crisis at Three Mile Island, President Jimmy S. Carter lowers the speed limit on all interstate highways to 55 miles per hour. Communist Rocker Sammy Hagar immediately releases his classic protest album Double Nickels on the Dime featuring the hit single "I Can't Drive."

• 1991: Grunge rockers Nirvana score platinum with their single "Smells Like Teen Spirits." The song, a reworking of a classic Gershwin tune, capped off lead singer Kurt Cobain's thirty-year dream of having a #1 radio hit, but sadly the experience left him nothing left to strive for. He lost his long battle with alcoholism only months later.

• 2000: Funnyman Robin Williams celebrates his 59th birthday.

The Best of Very Little Known Facts

Hello again! As the fiscal year draws to a close this week, we are taking the opportunity to look back, as it were, on our first year of Very Little Known Facts. In fact, it's been a good one!

Some of these facts may seem familiar to our "regular" readers, but look closely--you may have missed something. And thanks again for all your support and monetary donations.

• PAGING MICK JAGGER: Wild horses can regenerate a leg unless the herd has been culled too low.

• BLIND AS A BAT: The Kinsey Report found that around 15% of the male population had masturbated at some point in their lives. Due to the stigmatization of onanism, he postulated that the actual figure was closer to 20%.

• TOASTY! The temperature inside an ordinary 40-watt lightbulb is exactly equal to the temperature on the surface of the sun.

• KETCHUP IS THE OPPOSITE OF MUSTARD: Old mustard containers left over from the Vietnam War cause more cases of asthma per year than every kind of pollen combined.

• GIGA-WHAT? Early web surfers had to hard-wire a MODEM (which stands for Modular Operator-Dialed Electronic Modem) to their telco data interface system, or TELDIS, until they heard the “handshake” protocol. This infamous series of whistles and noise blasts startled and terrified techies who thought their computers were “haunted.”

• GRADE A NONSENSE: A significant portion of teachers around the country can't seem to get their "facts" straight.

• STUCK ON YOU: Over half of American babies are born with tails. In almost all cases, the tail falls off within minutes of birth, but approximately 1 out of 1,200 babies require surgery to remove the tail. (Note: insurance companies consider this cosmetic or plastic surgery and do not cover the cost of the operation.) Identical twins born with tails can have a condition known as codae congenitalis where the two tails have wound around each other in utero, fusing into one biomass that may share blood vessels and even nerve endings known as an Infant King.

• THAT REALLY GRINDS MY GEARS! Garbage disposals are used all over the world and have been a great help to mankind.

• A THOUSAND WORDS ARE WORTH EVERY PENNY: The word "horsepower" originally referred to the amount of energy released by burning the carcass of one dead horse, the primary source of fuel for early American submarines.

• I'LL BE DOGGED: It is a myth that dogs can sense fear. In point of fact, there are two important things to remember when approaching any dog:
  
  
  1. The best way to approach a dog is to immediately put the dog in a Full Nelson, also known as a headlock. This not only comforts the dog, but it also lets the dog know you are in control by asserting your sexual "dominance" over the animal.
  2. Be sure to get your face as close to the dog’s as soon as possible. They may not "sense fear," but they can see a coward! (See below.)

• LIKE TWO PEAS IN A POD: Just days after the first Olympic medal was given in Ping Pong, the sport they helped popularize, Siamese twins Chang and Eng died of grief.

Indians - The First Native Americans

Native Americans were the first aborigines in North and South America. Crossing over the "land bridge" (peninsula) from the Subcontinent, they tanned skins to erect teepees and cut down trees to make log houses, which they erroneously referred to as "longhouses."

Native Americans were the first peoples to tattoo the skin. The fact that Ancient Egyptian mummies have been found with tattoos on their bodies is proof that the Egyptians visited North America thousands of years before Cristobol Columbus, Leif Ericsson, or Odysseus.


Positive Contributions to Society

Although many think of Indians as lazy alcoholic gamblers, in reality they are so much more. Aboriginal Americans introduced the Pilgrims and other Caucasians to corn (maize), tobacco, popcorn, indigo dye, cornmeal, Thanksgiving, gunpowder, papooses, cornbread, moccasins, and other native foods (masala), many of which are still eaten today by some.

Indians are the only group of people to have ever tamed snakes for pets. They also eat snakes, if the snake in question is a cobra.

Traditional Indian treatments and remedies were long the province of Brahmins, also referred to as Shamans or "Medicine Men." Modern scientists are just now rediscovering the potential of Native American cancer-fighting drugs such as hydroxyurea, doxorubicin liposomal, birch sap, mistletoe extract, and HGS-ETR1.


Myths and Urban Legends

Since Native Americans have moved into the misty realm of lore, many misconceptions have sprung up around them. One of the most common is the idea that Indians were the original Conservationists. This was not always the case as some tribes actually stripped all natural resources from their land--food, trees, coal, copper ore, even animals.

Because Indians consider the cow to be sacred, in times of drought or crop failure they would often resort to eating horses as their herds of cattle continued to fatten. This is why there were no horses in the New World when Columbus claimed Florida for Spain.

Another myth that persists in the history books is that of the Lost Colony. In reality the colony of Jamestown was never lost; its inhabitants merely moved to the colonial capital, Williamsburg.


The Trail of Tears

The Trail of Tears was a dark and terrible period in our nation's history. (See map below.)



"High" Society

Indian societies were marked by a strict hierarchy. Different tribes used different symbols to denote the various ranks ("castes") including face paint, forehead dots, and feathers. In fact, this is the origin of the phrase, "a feather in his cap," even though Indians do not wear caps.

Some tribes even had a caste called the Untouchables whose members wore crow feathers and could not be involved in the preparation of food. Despite rumors to the contrary, this was not the inspiration for the Kevin Costner movie The Untouchables, although it may have inspired sections of the Kevin Costner movies Dances With Wolves and Message In a Bottle.

Tribal meetings were called "pow-wows" or "meetings." Often these involved smoking the peace pipe. But don't get too excited, Johnny Weedhead--the peace pipe was filled with 100% home-grown tobacco! *


Indian Names

Many cities and states in America bear Indian names. Some examples are:

• Cheyenne
• Delaware
• Mississippi
• Phoenix
• North Dakota
• Detroit
• Buffalo
• Colorado
• Oklahoma
• Indiana
• Pittsburgh
• Los Angeles
• Milwaukee
• Boise
• Boca Raton
• Bombay (Mumbai)
• Atlanta Braves
• Sioux City
• Hawaii

In addition, some Caucasians have adopted Indian names of their own. Be careful though--don't choose an Indian name just because it sounds "cool." It might not mean what you think. For example, the Indian name "Cloudwalker" means you are an airline pilot and "Friend of Bears" could signify that you're lunch for a grizzly! Check the Internet if you are unsure about which Indian name to choose.


Conclusion

In conclusion, Native Americans have a rich and varied cultural history.

*Native American tobaccos may contain some or all of the following additives: Acetic acid, Acetoin, Acetophenone, Alfalfa extract, Allspice oil (pimenta berry), Allyl Hexanoate, alpha-Methylbenzyl acetate, Ambergris tincture, Ammonium alginate, Ammonium hydroxide, Ammonium phosphate dibasic, Amyl alcohol, Amyl butyrate, Amyl formate, Angelica root (extract and oil), Anise oil, Anisyl acetate, Anisyl alcohol, Anisyl formate, Apple juice concentrate and extract, Apricot extract, l-Arginine, Ascorbic acid, Balsam peru and oil, Bay oil, Beeswax (resinoid and absolute), Beet juice concentrate, Benzaldehyde, Benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal, Benzoic acid, Benzoin (resin, resinoid, gum, and absolute), Benzophenone, Benzyl alcohol, Benzyl benzoate, Benzyl butyrate, Benzyl cinnamate, Benzyl salicylate, Bergamot oil, Bois de Rose (Peruvian) oil, Bornyl acetate, Brown sugar, Buchu leaf oil, Butter (butter esters and butter oil), Butyl Acetate, Butyl Alcohol, Butyl Butyrate, Butyl butyryl lactate, n-Butyl isovalerate, Butyl phenylacetate, 3-Butylidenephthalide, Butyric acid, Camphene, Cananga oil, Caramel and caramel color, Caraway oil, Carbon, Carbon dioxide, Cardamom oleoresin (oil, extract, seed oil, and powder), Carob bean and extract, beta-Carotene, Carrot (oil and seed), Carvacrol, 4-Carvomenthenol, l-Carvone, beta-Caryophyllene oxide, beta-Caryophyllene, Cascarilla oil (and bark extract), Cassia (bark, buds, oil and extract), Cassie absolute, Castoreum (extract, tincture, liquid, and absolute), Cedar leaf oil, Cedarwood oil terpenes, Celery seed (extract, solid, oil, and oleoresin), Cellulose (and Cellulose fiber), Chamomile flower (oil and extract), Chicory extract, Chocolate, 1,8-Cineole, Citric acid, Citronella oil, dl-Citronellol, Citronellyl isobutyrate, Civet absolute, Clary sage oil and extract, Cocoa (cocoa shells, extract, distillate, powder, alkalized, absolute and tincture), Coffee (and coffee solid extract), Cognac (white and green oil), Copaiba oil, Coriander (extract, oil, and seed), Corn silk, Corn syrup, Costus root oil, para-Cymene, l-Cysteine, Dandelion root solid extract, Davana oil, 2,4-Decadienal, delta-Decalactone, gamma-Decalactone, Decanal, Decanoic acid, Decanoic Acid, Ester with 1,2,3 - Propanetriol Octanoate (Coconut oil), Dextrin, Diacetyl, Diethyl malonate, 2,3-Diethylpyrazine, 5,7-Dihydro-2-methylthieno (3,4-d) pyrimidine, Dill oil, delta-Dodecalactone, gamma-Dodecalactone, Ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, Ethyl acetate, Ethyl acetoacetate, Ethyl alcohol (including Specially Denatured Alcohol SDA No. 4), Ethyl benzoate, Ethyl butyrate, Ethyl cinnamate, Ethyl decanoate, Ethyl heptanoate, Ethyl hexanoate, Ethyl isovalerate, Ethyl lactate, Ethyl laurate, Ethyl levulinate, Ethyl maltol, Ethyl methyl phenylglycidate, Ethyl myristate, Ethyl nonanoate, Ethyl octadecanoate, Ethyl octanoate, whoa nelly, Ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-2(5H)-furanone, 2-Ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, 4-Ethylbenzaldehyde, 4-Ethylguaiacol, para-Ethylphenol, 3-Ethylpyridine, Farnesol, Fenchone, Fenugreek (extract, resin, and absolute), Fig juice (concentrate and extract), filthy things, Food starch modified, Geranium rose and bourbon oil, Geranyl acetate, Geranyl butyrate, Geranyl formate, Ginger oil and oleoresin, Glucose/ Dextrose, l-Glutamic acid, Glycerol, Graphite, Guaiac wood oil, Guaiacol, guar gum, Hexenoic acid cis-3-Hexenyl formate Hexyl acetate Hexyl alcohol Hexyl phenylacetate, High Fructose Corn Syrup, I can’t believe you’re still reading this, Honey, 6-Hydroxydihydrotheaspirane, 4-(para-Hydroxyphenyl), Hydroxypropyl cellulose Immortelle (absolute and extract), Invert sugar, Isoamyl formate, Isoamyl hexanoate, Isoamyl isovalerate, Isoamyl phenylacetate, alpha-Isobutylphenethyl alcohol, Isobutyraldehyde, Isobutyric acid, 2-Isopropylphenol, Isovaleric acid, Jasmine (absolute), Kola nut extract, Labdanum (oils, absolute), Lactic acid, Lauric acid, Lavandin oil, Lemon oil, Lemongrass oil, Levulinic acid, Licorice (root, fluid extract and powder), Lime oil (and lime oil terpeneless), Linalool, Linalool oxide, Linalyl acetate, L-Lysine, Lovage oil (and extract), Mace (powder and oil), l-Malic acid, Malt (and malt extract), Maltodextrin, Mandarin (and tangerine oil), Maple syrup, Mate (leaf, absolute, extract and oil), para-Mentha-8-thiol-3-one, Menthol and L-Menthol, Menthone, Menthyl Acetate, Menthyl Isovalerate, 2-,5-, or 6-Methoxy-3-methylpyrazine (mixture of isomers), 2-Methoxy-4-methylphenol, 2-Methoxy-4-vinylphenol, para-Methoxybenzaldehyde, 1-(para-Methoxyphenyl)-1-penten-3-one, 1-(para-Methoxyphenyl)-2-propanone, Methyl-alpha-ionone, para-Methyl-anisole, 3-Methylbutyraldehyde, 2-Methylbutyric acid, 2-Methylheptanoic acid, 2-Methylhexanoic acid, 3-Methylpentanoic acid, (Methylthio) methylpyrazine (mixture of isomers), 2-Methylpyrazine, 3-(Methylthio) propionaldehyde, Methyl-trans-2-butenoic acid, 2-Methylvaleric acid, Mimosa absolute, Molasses (blackstrap, sugarcane and extract), Mountain maple solid extract, Myristic acid, Myrrh (oil and absolute), Nerol, Neroli bigarade oil, Nonanoic acid, 2-Nonanone, Nonyl alcohol, Nutmeg (powder and oil), Oak moss absolute, Octanal, Octanoic acid, 2-Octanone, old ground-up sneakers, Orange leaf absolute, Orange Oil, Orris concrete (oil and root extract), Palmarosa oil, Palmitic acid, Parsley seed oil, Patchouly oil and absolute, Pectin, Pepper oil, black Peppermint (oil and peppermint oil terpeneless), 3-Phenylpropionaldehyde, 3-Phenylpropionic acid, 3-Phenylpropyl acetate, Phosphoric acid, Pine needle oil, Pine oil, scotch, Pineapple juice concentrate, alpha-Pinene, beta-Pinene, Piperonal, Pipsissewa leaf extract, Plum juice, concentrate and extract, Potassium carbonate, Propylene glycol, 3-Propylidenephthalide, Prune juice and concentrate, Pyridine, Pyroligneous acid and extract, Raisin juice (concentrate and extract), Rhodinol, Rosemary (oil and extract), Rum (and rum extract), Rum ether, Rye Extract, Sage (oil, oleoresin, and powder), Salicylaldehyde, Sandalwood (oil, yellow), Sclareolide, Sodium benzoate, sodium chloride (salt), Sorbic acid, d-Sorbitol, Spearmint oil, Storax (and styrax, extract, gum, and oil), Sucrose, Sucrose octaacetate, Tagetes oil, l-Tartaric acid, dl-Tartaric acid, Tea extract, alpha-Terpineol, Thyme oil, para-Tolyl 3-methylbutyrate, para-Tolyl acetate, para-Tolyl isobutyrate, para-Tolyl phenylacetate, Triacetin, 2-Tridecanone, 2-Undecanone, Urea, Valeraldehyde, Vanilla extract and oleresin, Vanillin, Veratraldehyde, Vetiver oil, Violet leaf absolute, Walnut hull extract, water, Wheat absolute, and Ylang ylang oil in addition to natural and artificial flavors.

Brother, Can You Spare a Fact?

How much would you pay for a fresh batch of Very Little Known Facts? As far as I'm concerned, these are priceless!

• The Roosevelt dime originally featured the mustachioed visage of Teddy S. Roosevelt. Before that it bore the likeness of Booker T. Washington who invented over 100 uses for peanut butter.

• You must pay a $10 admission fee to climb Mt. Everest.

• Studies have shown that orange is the most beautiful color.

• NOW THAT'S FRESH: The first television commercial was for Pepsodent. It was fifteen minutes long!

• The planet Mercury is so hot that a human standing on the surface with no protective clothing would die of heat exhaustion within a year.

• It is an old Marine Corps tradition to return a Purple Heart once the bullet is removed from the body.

• HOW VERY SPORTING: Ty Cobb is the only professional baseball player to kill an opposing player during a game. A hometown jury acquitted him of manslaughter, but he was still suspended for four games by the President of Baseball.

BREAKING NEWS

Very Little Known Facts has learned from our confidential Internet sources that the government of India has restricted access to all Blogspot sites, including this one!

Apparently the crackdown was in response to rumors that we would be posting Very Little Known Facts about Indians this week. Well, the rumors are true! But fear not, Native Americans. We shall not be censored. If you still have access to our site, check back soon for the post. If this Orwellian government action continues, you can still keep up on Very Little Known Facts by sending us Self-Addressed Response Envelopes, or SARS, and we will gladly send you printouts of all the latest facts.

Keep your proud aboriginal chins up, and we send you all our Very Little Known love!

This Little Piggy...

• Less than half of the porkchops sold in the United States each year are made from pork.

Color Me Surprised!

• Picasso flunked out of the prestigious Sorbonnes Art School in Paris because his human faces were "too realistic."

The Big Questions

We here at Very Little Known Facts literally receive hundreds of emails a day in addition to our regular surface mail, overnight mail, and courier-delivered correspondence. Unfortunately we can't answer every communique personally. There are only so many hours in a day! (Twenty-four.) But sometimes we come across a query that touches upon a crucial issue that affects all of us, something that human beings yearn to know at their very core. These are the Big Questions.


Q: What is the sound of one hand clapping?
A: The percussive sound of a handclap is caused by rapid compression of air trapped between the palms at the moment of contact between opposing hands. By definition, a handclap involves two hands; you cannot clap with one hand any more than you can play billiards with only one ball. Because the very premise of the question is based on a falsity, the question is moot.

Q: Does God exist?
A: Maybe.

Q: Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

A: Since the basic genetic makeup of an organism does not change during its lifetime, genetic mutations contributing to the evolution of a new species must be passed on during reproduction to manifest itself in the offspring. Therefore the egg came first.

Q: Why are we here?
A: Everybody has to be somewhere.

Q: If the "black box" recording device is the only thing that can survive a plane crash intact, why don't they make the entire plane out of the same material as the black box?
A: Elementary aerodynamics tells us that an airplane must generate enough lift, or net positive vertical pressure generated by a negative pressure differential on the upper (topmost) surface of the wings, to counteract the gravitational force in decagrams exerted on the plane. This should be obvious from the formula for lift L = (1/2) d v2 s CL. An entire aircraft made of heavy gauge reinforced steel would require an inordinate amount of lift to get off the ground; hence the selection of aluminum and plastic as the basic structural components of the Spruce Goose.

Q: If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear it, does it still make a sound?
A: Of course it does.

Q: What if your whole life, your whole existence, was just a dream?
A: It's not.

Q: Yeah, but what if it was?
A: It's not.

Life Goes On

• Human hair, fingernails, and teeth keep growing up to seven years after death.

Recycle This!

• Brainchild of eccentric billionaire Howard Hawks, the so-called "Spruce Goose" was the largest airplane to fly around the world under its own power. Ironically, the Goose is not made of spruce at all; it is composed of high-tech plastic polymers wrapped over an aluminum frame.

"Word" up!

Gertrude Stein once famously said, "A word is a word is a word." This is as true today as it ever was. Although linguists and anthropomorphists disagree about why humans ever talk to each other and which language is the "best," the simple fact is that we all use words every day that we live on this planet, Earth. So take a moment to increase your word power by checking out these Very Little Known Facts!

• Famed linguist Norm Chomsky discovered that all languages can be broken down into approximately 80 phonemes, or "letters." He received the Noble Prize for Semiotics in 1968, but the award was rescinded when he was accused of Communist tendencies.

• HOW DO YOU SAY "WHERE'S THE BATHROOM?" Everybody knows that there are over 400 words for "snow" in Aleutian, the Inuit Eskimo language. But did you realize that in Russian there are over 1,000 synonyms for "despair?"

• Computers can understand dolphin language, but humans cannot.

• MY WORD! It is a violation of British Common Law for any member of the royal family to speak a language other than English or Latin.

• The word "horsepower" originally referred to the amount of energy released by burning the carcass of one dead horse, the primary source of fuel for early American steamboats.

• "Lotto" is simply an industry term for "lottery."

• NOW THAT'S A LOT OF IBI! Groups of animals can have odd names in the English language. A group of lions or tigers is called a pride. A group of crows is called a flock. Four or more lambs form a quartet. Flies congeal in swarms, cows socialize in herds, and dogs congregate in packs. The plural of ibex is ibi, and a group of ibi is referred to as a confederacy.*

*BONUS FACT: Under duress, a confederacy of ibi will huddle together at night in a confused jumble of limbs and tails for defensive purposes. Occasionally, if some ibi have been injured and their wounds mash against each other in the huddled confederacy, their injuries will actually heal together to fuse the individual beasts into a hideous conglomerate of ibex flesh and scar tissue known as an Ibex King.

Happy Birthday, Amerigo Vespucci!

Of course July 4 was Independence Day, America's birthday and wedding anniversary all rolled into one. But only a true patriot and scholar would realize the historical significance of July 5th, the day President-Elect George Washington signed the Declaration of Independence into law. I would wager you haven't heard a single television pundit mention that today is also Bastille Day in France, not to mention D-Day, the day America won the Second World War. You're welcome, mis amis! Ready for some more Very Little Known Facts about today and the country that became the greatest ever in history? (I'm talking about the United States.)

• The Liberty Bell was cast on July 5, 1776, to mark the one month anniversary of America's independence from Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Purely symbolic, it was never meant to be used, which is why it cracked during the Mardi Gras celebration of 1811. Legend has it that should the crack ever be mended, the American Empire will fall.

• The only star on the United States Flag that officially stands for a specific state is the second from the left on the top row, which stands for Betsy Ross’s home state of Kentucky.

• According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there are 140 towns and cities in the U.S. that have the word "America" in their names. Ironically, in 6 of those localities the Fourth Of July, Presidents Day, and Flag Day have never been celebrated as holidays because the towns were settled by Norwegians.

• COINCIDENCE OR CONSPIRACY? Presidents Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, and John S. Kennedy were all born on July 5. But not in the same year!

• July 5, 1776: Paul Revere's "midnight ride" actually took place at 2pm local time, which was midnight Greenwich Mean Time. And he only "rode" down the street to the First Baptist Church of Boston where he climbed to the steeple and used two lanterns to blink out the Morse code message, "The Hessians are coming!"

• The famous explorer Amerigo Vespucci was named after America.

• WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE: Most ships bringing immigrants to the Land of Opportunity at the turn of the eighteenth century steamed majestically past the gleaming symbol of freedom standing astride the entrance to New York’s harbor, the Statue of Liberty. This regal site was not for everyone on board, however—certainly not. Only those affluent passengers who could afford First Class cabins were allowed on deck during daylight hours. The “huddled masses learning to be free” were stuck belowdecks in steerage where they were shackled together until being unceremoniously dumped on Ellis Island. Even there makeshift barriers made sure none of the riff-raff saw Lady Liberty until they became American citizens.

Humans In Peril!

I'm sure you've heard all the old midwives' tales about the dangerous animals that surround us on all sides every day in this world in which we all live and breathe. But even the most outlandish tales contain a grain of truth. So we here at Very Little Known Facts have taken it upon ourselves yet again to separate Fact from Myth. Remember: more humans die from animal attacks each year than any other source of violent death except for hurricanes, the silent killers.


MYTH: It is bad luck to kill a spider in your home.
FACT: All spiders can inflict bites. Although the bites are only lethal ninety percent of the time, you don’t want to "press your luck!" The other ten percent cause ulcerative boils.

MYTH: Rattlesnakes are nature's killers.
FACT: Rattlesnakes are in no way poisonous although their bite can be quite painful. Their built-in "alarm" allows ample time for you to get out of the way!

MYTH: There is no antidote for the bite of the deadly Komodo Dragon, largest and deadliest of all lizards.
FACT: No human being has ever seen a Komodo Dragon in the wild.

MYTH: Cats can suck the breath out of a newborn baby.
FACT: Since it is illegal in most countries to experiment with the life of infants, science has not been able to prove or disprove this theory. If you have a newborn and a cat, allow several years of "progressive" introduction before they meet face to face.

MYTH: Elephants are afraid of mice.
FACT: Elephants fear nothing, but they are allergic to the fleas commonly found on small rodents. Since elephants are social animals, they are prone to "group frenzy" if a member of the pride is irritated by flea bites. So the number one cause of elephant stampedes--you guessed it--mice!

MYTH: Snakes can roll themselves into a hoop shape to roll down a hill.
FACT: Snakes of all kinds are extremely dangerous and should be killed on site.

MYTH: Dogs can sense fear.
FACT: There are two important things to remember when approaching any dog:

1. The best way to approach a dog is to immediately put the dog in a Full Nelson, also known as a headlock. This not only comforts the dog, but it also lets the dog know you are in control.
2. Be sure to get your face as close to the dog’s as soon as possible. They may not "sense fear," but they can see a coward! (See below.)

This Week In History: June 30

• 11 BC: Cleopatra, Queen Of the Nile and Empress of India, seduces Roman general Ptolemy* and leads her forces into battle against her ex-husband Marc Anthony. She dies from a cobra bite, which is where we get the term "Achilles heel."

• 1704: Polish ingenue Frederic Chopin debuts his groundbreaking piano piece entitled "Flight Of the Bumblebee," the first song to use every note on the piano. He died 31 years later from grief.

• 1892: Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert of Monaco, has a Hyde Park man arrested for eating a loaf of bread in public.

• 1929: Menlo Park, NY native Thomas "Al" Edison is given the Noble Prize posthumously for discovering the phonograph, the fluorescent light bulb, the refrigerator, the dictaphone, and an early precursor to the VCR that used wax cylinders to record black and white television signals.

• 1938: Anglican chemists Francis Crick and Tom Watson invent the structure of DNA (Double-helix Nucleic Acid) proving their theory that every race, creed, and color of human beings on the planet are genetically identical. The only exceptions are the Irish who are predisposed to alcoholism.

• 1981: The Buick Riviera becomes the best-selling car of all time, second only to the Saab 9000.

• 1987: Funny guy Dan Aykroyd, illiterate crooner Bob Dylan, and hard rocker Kenny Loggins use their extensive Motown pull to gather several out-of-work celebrities together in a recording studio. The result: the smash hit "We Are the World." Once a throw-away track from Off the Wall, this Michael Jackson tune draws the attention of the world to the mounting AIDS crisis. Legend has it that Waylon Jennings, sole survivor of the 1958 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly and Richie Havens, walked out of the session due to a dispute over royalties.

• 1999: President William S. Clinton celebrates his 59th birthday.

*NOTE: During the battle, Ptolemy realized that the Roman catapults could launch rocks taken from the nose of the Eqyptian Sphinx "over the horizon." It was this epiphany that led him to conclude that the earth was, in fact, round and not, in fact, flat.

Little Stevie's Paper

We have received a very unsettling communication here at Very Little Known Facts. Apparently some "overzealous" grade school teacher believes she knows a thing or two about the history of Ping Pong. (Click here to see our original post entitled A Brief History Of Ping Pong.) This is the text of the email she sent us:


Dear Very Little Known Facts,

I recently received a rather disturbing paper from one of my sixth grade summer school students on the history of ping pong. Though I am no ping pong expert, the facts he cited seemed patently absurd. When I asked him about his research methods, he showed me your website, or "blog," on our classroom computer. I must say I was taken aback by your wanton disregard for facts. I want you to understand that your site has the capacity to lead a struggling sixth grader astray. Shame on you.

Mrs. Poling, Tanglewood Elementary



Well Mrs. Poling, if that is your name, we take these allegations very seriously. So seriously that we contacted little Stevie Dennis and obtained, AT OUR OWN EXPENSE, a copy of his paper. (Click on the embedded hyperlink to see the full-size version.) And you know what we found? Solid academic achievement, that's what! But don't take our word for it. The following are merely a handful of sources available on the World Wide Web:

The standard reference site for anyone interested in the history of ping pong is, of course, Mongolian Ping Pong. I believe this site speaks for itself. But for the unversed, here is a brief translation from the Mongolian:

"Honorary twins conjoined forever, they are the flight of [untranslatable] from first Eurasian skies. Hail to Ping! This happy day is owed everything from one hen bladder game."

Pure poetry.

Also try this informative web log called heydidyaknow. In addition to many little known facts, it also has a rundown of some common knowledge regarding the history of ping pong.

And finally this link shows how ping pong is still popular and fun today. So before you "paddle" little Stevie, maybe you should check the facts yourself, Mrs. Poling! Shame on you!

Happy Zero-th Birthday!

It's a girl! Congratulations to Very Little Known Facts co-founder Britt Bergman and his lovely wife Nora. Their daughter Phoebe Jane Bergman was born today, June 26, at 7:40am. Not only is today Phoebe's birthday, but it is Britt's as well! To celebrate the happy occasion, we at Very Little Known Facts have put together a very special Puerperium Edition of facts and babycare tips. Enjoy!

• During World War II when water was rationed, people often kept bathwater in the tub for weeks at a time. Showers were only for special occasions, at times reserved for hospital patients who needed to be clean for surgery or childbirth. This was the origin of the phrase "baby shower."

• TALL TAILS: Over half of American babies are born with tails. In almost all cases, the tail falls off within minutes of birth, but approximately 1 out of 1,200 babies require surgery to remove the tail. (Note: insurance companies consider this cosmetic or plastic surgery and do not cover the cost of the operation.) Identical twins born with tails can have a condition known as codae congenitalis where the two tails have wound around each other in utero, fusing into one biomass that may share blood vessels and even nerve endings.

• Humans are the only primates capable of giving birth to live gorillas.

• THEY CALL IT IRISH COFFEE: One shot of espresso mixed with formula is an old Irish folk remedy for teething pains.

• Never try to "calm" a crying baby. This will only prolong the process.

• IT'S A GUY THING: Newborns regenerate cells at an exponential rate. This is why circumcision is always performed at least three years after birth; otherwise the foreskin would simply grow back!

• IF YOUR BABY WAS BORN TODAY: Babies born in 2006 are Pisces, making them even-tempered and fair-haired. In Chinese astrology, they are born in the year of the Human. They will be 82 by the time Haley's Comet returns. They will never know what a "land line" telephone is, much less a "VCR" or a "bicycle." They will graduate from college in the year 2020, except by then "college" will be a robot. By the time they are old enough to drive in 2018, gasoline will cost over $3.00 a gallon, but don't worry--cars will run on wind power. Houses will no longer be made of wood but of factory-made boards of industrial composites bonded with artificial adhesives under high-temperature, high-pressure conditions. Toilets will no longer use precious, precious water but will instead work with lasers. Dogs will be able to speak using implanted microchips. Television will be replaced by the World Wide Web, which in turn will become obsolete as the Internet gains in social acceptance. Marriage will be defined as the spiritual union between a man and a woman. Cars will still not fly, but birds will. Nobody in the world will speak French.

Ask And You Shall Receive!

As I'm sure you all remember, Friday is Reader Appreciation Day here at Very Little Known Facts, the day when we take the time from our busy schedule to answer electronic mail and revisit some of the best comments posted to our web log. So read on, and consider yourself appreciated!


Craig in Louisiana tracked down this Very Little Known Fact for us:

The Greek philosopher Socrates' father was Diogenes, a Roman nobelman rumoured to be linked to the ancient Rosocrucian sect in neighboring Italy. Incidentally, Diogenes is also thought to have invented the first magnesium flashbulb, which must have come in handy as the Rosocrucians tunneled out the catacombs beneath Roman Coliseum trying to excavate the remains of Emporer Nero II.

Incredible! And for a bonus fact, the word “incredible” literally means “unbelievable,” just like the hit song by Oasis. Thanks Craig—you really are “unbelievable!”

Longtime reader Ellen in North Carolina sent us this electronic missive:

dear verylittleknownfacts,
please post more pictures of whippets.
thank you.

Ask and you shall receive! Thanks Ellen, and keep on truckin’ down the Information Superfreeway!




Jim in Pennsylvania sent us this gem:

Muslims are actually Christians! Allah, the name of the primary Muslim deity, comes from a poor translation of the Aramaic al-ahg which early Christians used as a term of endearment for their prophet, Jesus Christ!

Whoa, not quite sure about that one, Jim. We don’t want to make anybody mad here. But thanks for sharing!


Fact enthusiast ipso facto left us this insightful comment:

It's true that a country mile is 1.43 miles, but only "as the crow flies." "As the cow ambles," it's actually 1.87 miles. Cows aren't as efficient or as smart as crows, but they taste better on Kaiser buns (frequently misattributed to Kaiser Wilhelm II, but was actually the discovery of his Prussian predecessor, Friedrich III.)

Perfect! I'm starting to get hungry! I would buy that for a dollar!


Our post entitled A World Of Facts included the following Very Little Known nugget of wisdom:

• In the Northern Hemisphere, the rotors (or "blades") of helicopters always turn clockwise. In the Southern Hemisphere, they always turn counter-clockwise. Thus no helicopter can ever cross the Equator in the air.

Apparently this just about caused fact-fan Travis to "fly" off the handle! He wrote:

This is one of the most ridiculous contentions I've ever seen. Helicopter rotors turn in whichever direction the motor causes them to turn. Period. Air is air in both hemispheres. The turning rotor pushes against the air, creating lift, and keeping the helicopter airborne regardless of its relation to the Equator. Twin rotor helicopters are designed to have the rotors turn in opposite directions from each other, just like twin engine planes and the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. This cancels out the inherent torque forces created by a single rotor, which would otherwise tend to cause the helicoptor (or plane, or V-22) to continually be inclined to pitch in one direction or another. Therefore, at least one of those blades will be necessarily turning in the opposite direction of what you asserted above.

Good job, Travis! Helicopters are indeed amazing machines. However, if you factor in the Coriolis Effect, which deflects or "spins" air forced in one direction by pressure gradients (this of course caused by the Earth's own rotation around the polar axes) you will see how helicopter rotors must turn counter to this direction; otherwise they would be gliding! Also, the V-22 Osprey is a fixed-wing Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft, not a true helicopter, so the Osprey can naturally fly across the Equator. Thanks again for your comment!


If you want to be contestant on Very Little Known Facts, just drop us a line at:

verylittleknownfacts@yahoo.com

People Are Animals Too!

Animals surround us every day. Did you know that even as you read this tiny, microscopic animals are eating your skin? It's true! Now sit back, relax, and enjoy some more animal facts:

• Due to a shortage of transformers in the 1950’s, Chinese-made neon signs were powered by silver electrodes placed at either end of an aquarium filled with electric eels. This accounts for the “flickering” effect of neon signs you can see in old movies.

• CAN I COME OUT AND PLAY YET? An elephant’s gestation period is 3.5 years.

• If a cockroach is decapitated, it has the ability to turn its neckhole into a rudimentary mouth. It can continue to eat for years in this state, even through nuclear war.

• The family of fish commonly known as “gars” (mocken ichnacius) have green skeletons. The skeletons are rarely seen though, as gars are unable to be caught by humans.

• Koalas and pandas are the only animals known to live exclusively from the fruit of the prune tree.

• BIRD ON A WIRE!!! The next time you really feel like taking it all in, notice the following very little known facts about birds. Birds can land and take off when they want. Sometimes, void of any stimulus, birds will decide to do something such as move a little or fly. Birds also have hollow bones.

• Giant squid actually “see” with their tentacles.

• YOU CAN LEAD A CAMEL TO WATER... Camels can live for three weeks with no water, but if they stand outside during a rainstorm they will drown.

• Dinosaurs were the first animals. Since there were no other animals on the earth during the Age of the Dinosaurs, carnivorous dinosaurs were forced to eat each other, which is where we get the word cannibalism. Herbivorous dinosaurs only ate other dinosaurs during times of drought or mating season. The word "dinosaur" comes from two Greek words: saurus meaning "lizard," and tyrannos meaning "king." Move over, Jim Morrison!

Brad Pitt Is More Ripped Than Christian Bale

EDITOR'S NOTE: As part of our ongoing "Point/Anti-Point" series, we occasionally invite outside fact enthusiasts to provide the Anti-Point-Of-View. Here with a rebuttal to our recent post entitled Christian Bale Is More Ripped Than Brad Pitt is guest columnist Jason Hartley, curator of the Advanced Theory blog and volunteer proctor for disadvantaged longshoremen.


I'm the first person to tell you that Christian Bale is ripped. Anyone could see that. But more ripped than Brad Pitt? That's just batty, so if you think it's true, get ready to join my fight club. Here are three simple facts that prove that Pitt is more ripped:

• Fact One: Bale is six feet tall while Brad Pitt is five foot eleven inches. This means that Bale has less mass in his abdominal muscles or "abs," which weakens his "core" (a term used to describe one's "center of gravity"). As I'm sure you know, the core is the place where all work emanates (e.g. W = F/d). Therefore, Pitt is stronger and by definition more ripped.

• Fact Two: Pitt is more angular or "gaunt" than Bale, so the defining lines of his musculature are accentuated more clearly. Properly lighted, these accentuated lines make it possible to see every one of Pitt's 1,257 muscles clearly. Bale's lines are not as clear (weightlifters call this "Murky Muscles), and ipso facto cannot be more ripped than Pitt.

• Fact Three: Pitt has a well-defined hip adductor, which is the muscle that you see running along his hip and into his groin area. This is so important that in the most recent judge's guide for the Mr. Universe competition (page 237, paragraph 2, rule 164.8a) it states that "of all the muscles, the adductor is the penultimate." And it is clear that Pitt's, not Bale's, adductor is the penultimate of them all. (Of course, being second to the penultimate is nothing to be ashamed about.)

Conclusion

In closing, one man's opinion about whether one man is more ripped than another man might not be worth much (even with the facts above), but no less of an authority as the Urban Dictionary agrees with me. Under "ripped," the definition is "well defined muscles" and the example given is, you guessed it, "Brad Pitt in Fight Club."

Christian Bale Is More Ripped Than Brad Pitt

Of course Brad Pitt is ripped--you would have to be blind and schizophrenic to say otherwise. I mean, have you seen Fight Club? That guy is RIPPED. But when you stop to think it, and I mean really think about it, you will inevitably come to the conclusion that Brad Pitt, while undeniably ripped, is ripped in something of an obvious manner. Who instantly comes to mind when you picture the concept of “ripped?” Brad. Sure. But should you delve deeper into the essence of being ripped, I propose that there is one man who actually redefines the concept. And that man is none other than Christian Bale, star of American Psycho and Batman Begins. Have you seen American Psycho? Christian Bale is so ripped in that movie. He is super-ripped.


Can Just Anybody Become As Ripped As Christian Bale?

One of the key factors here is what trainers call muscle memory. See, any Joe Blow with a Gold's Gym membership and some protein shakes can achieve pectoral definition. It really is that easy. And please bear in mind that this takes nothing away from Brad Pitt, who set the bar high. The guy is ripped. Obviously. But did he lose a jaw-dropping 63 pounds? No, he did not. For his role in the psychological thriller The Machinist Christian Bale transformed himself from the Adonis of Manhood he portrayed in American Psycho to a skeletal freak. (Of course that's one way to get some definition! The hard way!)


What About Muscle Memory?

Now here is where muscle memory comes into play. Much like rechargeable batteries, mere "maintenance" of musculature leads to a gradual but inevitable decay in visible definition. Microbiologists tell us that muscle memory is a decay of the DNA replicatory process[es] at the mitochondrial level. For the layman: use it or lose it. If you use it, you will eventually lose it. But if you lose it all at once--like Christian Bale did, dropping 63 pounds in two months--and then build it back up as Christian Bale did for his seminal role in Batman Begins, you will (and this is crucial) become even more ripped than before. It just stands to reason, and it marks the complete triumph of young Christian's development not only as a bodybuilder but also as the archetypical specimen of manhood.


How Is Christian Bale So Ripped?

Secondly we come to muscle mass. Now first off let's dispel a common myth: muscle mass is not the same as muscle definition. I wish I had a nickel for every time I've heard the two confused. I seriously do wish that. Muscle mass is of course the aggregate substantive measure of innate and actuated (earned) muscle mass in the body. Muscle definition is visual appeal. If you are asking yourself, "If I divide the percentage body fat in this man by the aggregate (earned) mass minus previous (unearned) mass, what will the quotient yield?" then you are looking for muscle mass. However, if you find yourself wondering, "Does this man look ripped?" then muscle definition is what you seek.


Conclusion

So in conclusion, when you step back from the issue, when you compare and contrast, and when you search deep inside your soul, ask yourself this: "When I want to envision a man who is ripped beyond my wildest imaginings, who do I want to imagine?" If you answer Brad Pitt, there is no shame in that. But if you take that extra leap of faith and choose Christian Bale--well, my friend, I for one would call that Advanced.

Smells Like a Very Little Known Fact

Everyone knows that smell is the sense most closely associated with memory of previous smells. But were you aware that the nose is the largest and most complex organ on your body? Here are some more fragrant Very Little Known Facts:

• THAT STINKS: With years of practice, some vinophiles can detect the subtle but distinct difference between rare wine and ordinary vinegar--using only their nose!

• Onions have no natural smell. The odor commonly associated with onions is caused by a chemical reaction between receptors inside your nose and microscopic particles of the onion wafting through the air.

• LOOK BUT DON'T TOUCH: Animals kept in close quarters (such as zoo exhibits or pets cohabiting a house) only touch each other to mate or to attack. Macrobiologists say this is due to human scent markers that drive all animals into a constant, low-level frenzy.

• Based on chemical compounds in the atmosphere found by the Apollo space probes, astronomers tell us that were you to travel to Mars and remove your space helmet, you would smell burning toast before you died.

• A NOSE FOR BUSINESS: Star of stage and screen Jamie Farr, best known for his recurring role as "Colonel Clinger" on M*A*S*H, has his trademark schnoz insured with Harold Lloyd's of London for $5,000.

• The term "nosy neighbor" originated during the Civil War when informers would "sniff the wind" for the aroma of cologne next door, a sure sign that their neighbors harbored a deserting Confederate soldier or a Yankee carpetbagger.

• TRICK OR TREAT, SMELL MY FEET: Foot fungus, swamp gas, and food spoilage are all caused by the same e.coli bacteria that are found naturally in the human brain.

Chocolate Is the Opposite of Vanilla

Salutations! Friday is Opposite Day here at Very Little Known Facts, the day where Jon Black and Britt Bergman pick two polar opposites and square off to debate their relative merits. Today's contest: chocolate vs. vanilla.



Britt Bergman Says: I Need To Go To Rehab! I Am a CHOCOHOLIC!!!

Jon Black may be content with his vanilla tastes, but I prefer the bold robust taste of chocolate any day! Chocolate has quite an interesting history that actually shares some lineage with vanilla. Just like vanilla, chocolate is also derived from the coffee tree. But instead of using the fatty part of the bean, they use the curd in order to produce luscious chocolate. Strangely enough, scientists have found over three thousand chemicals in chocolate, 99% of which are shared with tobacco! Coffee please, hold the smokes! Chocolate makers have a lot of fancy terms to differentiate between the three different kinds available. There is dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, and milk chocolate. I see the score board just changed: Vanilla: 1 Chocolate: 3! If this isn’t enough to convince you that chocolate is superior, just check out this other fact expert’s site all about the stuff: http://www.chocolatesandfudge.co.uk/chocolatefacts.htm.
It’s a great site with lots of information and some to die for graphics-and oh yeah, they are chocoholics too!


Jon Black Says: VANILLA Is the Best! It Couldn't Be Plainer!


Perhaps in the modern, hectic, complicated world that we all live in every single day we have lost our taste for simple pleasures. Unlike my "urbane" friend Britt Bergman, I for one still find the palate-cleansing pleasure of old-fashioned vanilla quite adequate. This elegantly uninteresting flavor was invented by eighteenth-century French botanist Gregor Mendel. Famous for discovering DNA, Mendel also experimented with "grafting" which the dictionary defines as "sticking parts of trees on other trees." By combining a butter bush with a coffee tree, Mendel gave birth to a vanilla plant, the first legume. Vanilla remained an exotic spice for centuries until World War I when Nazi scientists, entranced by vanilla's natural whiteness, learned to chemically replicate it. Nowadays vanilla is the most included ice cream variety in the world. So you can have your fancy, gourmet flavors Britt--vanilla is good enough for the likes of me.

Sun and Fun, Surf and Turf: The Beach

Greetings from vacationland! Can you believe that 81% of Americans have never even seen an ocean? Even so, the beach remains a popular and crowd-pleasing destination. Here is a special beach edition of Very Little Known Facts.

• Only five of Hawaii's two thousand islands are not completely surrounded by water.

• Conchs, whorls, and other shells are the discarded exoskeletons of immature eels.

• SORRY KIDS: Since they are made entirely of lava, it is impossible for volcanic islands to have natural beaches. Sand must be brought in by barge. In the Bahamas alone, over 7 million metric tons of sand were shipped from Tunisia.

• Approximately 2 million people around the world live in underwater colonies--and you can bet they don't vacation at the beach!

• Sand, glass, and plastic are all chemically identical; they are all made of silicon dioxide, better known as Silicone!

• I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT ALOE: The best salve for jellyfish stings is butter. If you don't have any butter handy, try mayonnaise.

A Fact Is a Fact Is a Fact

Like Socrates wandering the streets of Olde London, holding his lamp high as he searched for "one or two honest men," so we at Very Little Known Facts scour the globe and the virtual interglobe for our readers. Our newest finds:

• Maine is the only state in the lower 48 that touches only one other state. Delaware is the only state that does not touch any other state. Rhode Island is not actually an island—it is completely landlocked!

• Studies have proven that the luckiest number is zero.

• NOW THAT'S HEAVY METAL: Since submarines are heavier than water they must constantly move forward or they will sink to the bottom of the ocean.

• Cacao, the essential ingredient of chocolate and coffee, was first used by Aboriginal Americans. They would grind the fragrant cacao beans to a fine powder to pack the wounds of injured soldiers in order to prevent gangrene and other festering infections. This is where we get the English word cocoa.

• If you were to put 23 random people in a room, there would be a 50% chance that two of them would have the exact same first and last names.

• I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW THE RAIN IS GONE: Windshield wipers were originally used as turn signals in early automobiles. In 1931 rubber magnate Samuel Goodyear applied his patented Vulcanization process to rubber wipers, enabling them to clear rainwater from the windshield.

• Cold water boils faster than hot water.

Computers Are Confusing--LOL!

We apologize to any of our readers who were unable to enjoy the full potentiality of the site for the last several days. Apparently our gracious host blogspot.com is having some technical difficulties with their API server, which stands for Application Programming Interface.

This brings up quite an interesting subject—just what do all these crazy computer acronyms stand for? Who thinks up these things? We at Very Little Known Facts are happy to clue you in on these webhead "secrets."


A Bit of History

Contrary to popular belief, the history of the internet goes back all the way to UNIVAC, the world’s first personal computer invented to decode Nazi messages. UNIVAC stands for Universal Non-Integrated Vacuum Actuated Computer. It was Winston Churchill who first said, "Someday everyone will have a telephone in their pocket and a computer in their teacup." How right he was! In those days, of course, anyone with a phone line could access UNIVAC—all they had to do was hard-wire a MODEM (which stands for Modular Operator-Dialed Electronic Modem) to their telco data interface system, or TELDIS, and soon they would hear the “handshake” protocol. This infamous series of whistles and noise blasts startled and terrified early computer novices who thought their computers were “haunted.” Even modern DSL (which stands for Digital Security Line) and cable MODEMs still make this horrifying noise!


A Web Across the Width of the World

The first BLOG (which stands for Binary Language Operator Guide) was also the first website, created by a young intern at IBM (International Business Management) named William Jefferson Gates. Young “Bill” was tired of his mother constantly reading his diary, so he decided to start keeping it on his work SERVER (Stand-alone Emulating Reverse Engineered Regulator). When Mr. Gates left to form his own company, MICROSOFT (not an acronym), he needed some way to access his diary remotely. Thus the World Wide Website was born, along with the ubiquitous WWW acronym.


From Decoding To Undecoding

As the web grew exponentially, not only Bill Gates but also other people found that typing DOS (Disk Operating System) information on their computer was not only dangerous but also insecure. They needed some way to make it secret—something like a code! Thus the first programming code BASIC (which is short for Beginning All-purpose Secure Internet Code) was born. Eventually the name BASIC was shortened to C for convenience. Later, for marketing purposes, C+ and the even more plussed C++ were released. These were followed by other languages like PERL (Programmer Entered Resource Language), JAVA (a synonym for coffee) and UNIX (Uninterruptible Non-Integrated Experiment). UNIX was developed solely for ‘command line’ programmers who were too set in their ways to utilize the more powerful GUI (Great User Interface) languages like WINDOWS, which stands for World Integrated Non-DOS Web System, or WYSIWYG for short.


IBM vs. Apple

Complaining that the high cost of the UNIVAC personal computer (PC for short) made searching the Internet for pornography expensive, two California engineers invented a new kind of computer in their garage. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak took the CPU (Computer Programming Unit) circuit board and all the electronics from an IBM computer and put it in a new, fancy case. Thus was born the first Apple computer, the MAC! MAC of course stands for Mod Artistic Computer. Ironically, the two found that they could charge twice as much for a MAC because of its “designer” look. In the end, though, much like the Betamax VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) the MAC was relegated to a niche market because of its price and obsolescence.


Conclusion

Although computers have come a long way from their beginnings as behemoth machines that only worked in outer space due to their size and heat output, we still have much to learn from them. Computer engineers tell us that we have forgotten what over half of computer acronyms actually stand for—and that’s a Very Little Known Fact!

6 Facts For 6-6-06

"Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six." -Revelation of St. Paul 13:18

We at Very Little Known Facts do not believe in "conspiracy theories." However, one cannot deny the significance of today's date. Is it mere coincidence that 6-6-06 falls on the 100 year anniversary of D-Day, the day America invaded Europe to swing the tide of battle in World War I? Historians disagree. The numbers, however, are worth looking at:

• On "original" calendars there were six days.

• All UPC barcodes begin with the sequence of digits 666. The only exception is imported soap, which begins with 333.

• The world's tallest buildings, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Indonesia, have no 666th floor.

• Biblical scholars postulate that Satan's favorite number is 6 because it is almost the word sex. ON A RELATED NOTE: A sextet was originally a satanic poem written in blood with an a-b rhyme scheme. It should be noted, however, that they are not generally, nor have they ever been, written in blood.

• CAN YOU COUNT TO SIX? C-O-F-F-E-E...sound familiar? Perhaps you should think twice before drinking this fiery beverage--it has six letters.

• "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" as performed by the country act known as the Charlie Daniels band is almost 666 seconds long.

• As part of his "Upside-Down Cross of Gold" speech delivered on June 6, 1906, perennial presidential contender William Jennings Bryan accused infamous carnie P.T. Barnum of being the Anti-Christ. The last name Barnum has six letters.

• There is a cough medicine called 666. We don't know why it is called this, but perhaps it is satanic.

• It is impossible to score exactly 666 in tetris.

• June 6, 1606 was the birthday of an obscure Italian nobleman called Marco Bestia. At the age of 33 he published his own translation of the King James bible which had 666 pages. He had a birthmark on the back of his neck that many people said looked like "a port wine stain." At the age of 60, in the year 1666, he published a book detailing his "visions and predictions" under the pseudonym Nostradamus, which translates into English as "our thing." He died tragically of the black plague on June 6 of that same year, at 7:06am, 66 minutes after 6 o'clock.

Ketchup Is the Opposite of Mustard

Welcome back! As you know, Friday is Opposite Day here at Very Little Known Facts, the day where Jon Black and Britt Bergman pick two polar opposites and square off to debate their relative merits. Today's battle: ketchup vs. mustard.



JON BLACK SAYS: BRITT BERGMAN NEEDS TO KETCH-UP WITH THE TIMES!

Ketchup, or Catsup, or Cetschup, is the singular greatest contribution America has ever made to the culinary world. Full of anti-oxidants that alleviate cell oxidation due to excessive iron intake, ketchup has been shown to lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and basal respiratory rate. Key (but secret) ingredients of catsup actually reverse the aging process, restoring skin to its youthful, elastic appearance. A balanced diet that includes at least five servings of katsup per day may help prevent cancer, correct temporary memory impairment, and enhance social standing. No wonder its very name is derived from the Greek word katsus meaning "perfect condiment."

BONUS FACT: Although the tomato is technically a fruit, ketchup is still a vegetable.



BRITT BERGMAN SAYS: JON BLACK CAN’T CUT THE MUSTARD!

Being the chemical opposite of ketchup, mustard is a sauce that has been used for hundreds of years. In Gloucester England, there is actually a law still on the books banning restaurants from serving a sandwich without this golden, tangy material. Mustard is made from a combination of horseradish and the mustard plant (Iroquois Vulgaris). Its origin is unknown, but some scholars think that ancient cultures may have invented mustard. Personally I love it, so I plead with you not to go to the other side like Jon or I will spray you with mustard gas*! Just kidding, of course.


* Seriously though, a Very Little Known Fact of great importance should be interjected here: Old mustard gas canisters from the Vietnam War cause more cases of asthma per year than every kind of pollen combined, so seriously--be safe.

Laws That Are Still on the Books

In our wacky, zany, outdated legal system there are still laws on the books from over 50 years ago. Can you imagine? Watch out, or you might just get busted for breaking one of these Very Little Known laws you've never even heard about:

• CRAZY BUT TRUE: In Maine it is illegal to pass a stopped school bus, even on the right.

• In Saskatchewan, Canada, it is illegal to begin or end a conversation by physically striking someone.

• WHICH CAME FIRST? It is illegal to transport live chickens across state lines.

• In Oneida, New York, it is illegal to use cremated human remains in "bone china."

• Billboards featuring graphic depictions of sexual intercourse are forbidden in all fifty states.

• Bottlerockets are illegal in Tennessee unless used for "hunting purposes."

• NO SHIRT, NO SHOES, NO SODA: You can be arrested in Nebraska for entering a convenience store naked.

• In Indiana, it is perfectly legal to shoot someone if they break into your home and assault a member of your household who is related to you by blood.

• HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER: In some Georgia counties, it is illegal to purchase alcoholic beverages on a Sunday.