Very Little Known FAQ

Have you ever had a question and wondered if someone had already answered the question somewhere in the past, possibly in the Nineties? Here at Very Little Known Facts we pride ourselves in our innate ability to provide an answer to any question. Who knows--perhaps the very question that has haunted you for years has already been answered by ourselves. Be sure to check the Very Little Known FAQ below.


Q: Is it legal to download and use images from the internet?
A: No. You must always ask for and receive the express written permission of the person or organization that owns the images before you can download them to your PC (Personal Computer). Maintaining a "copy" of an image on your computer is a crime punishable by law. Some web "browsers" come pre-configured to automatically download and display images from websites without checking for copyright infringement. This is a legal gray area. When in doubt, make sure you have the owner's written permission before viewing a website.


Q: Robin Williams used to be funny. Why is he so terrible now?
A: Robin Williams is no longer funny because he stopped using cocaine.


Q: What's the deal with airlines handing out those little bags of peanuts on flights?
A: Airlines face severe space and weight constraints on passenger jets. Their goal is to maximize use of the space available in the cabin--hence the fact that most cabin space is reserved for passenger seating. Of course, as a business it behooves them to keep their customers happy. Small, sealed bags of peanuts provide a popular and nutritious snack to passengers without taking up an inordinate amount of cabin space or adding a large amount of weight to the plane. Note that anyone who is allergic to peanuts should not ingest peanuts on an airliner.


Q: What does FAQ stand for?
A: The acronym FAQ is short for For Answering Questions.


Q: Are the noises I hear coming from my basement a bear?
A: This is a good question.


Q: For tax purposes, should I report that I am covered by my spouse’s current employer sponsored retirement plan for the fiscal year if my spouse has not worked at his or her job long enough to be vested?
A: If your spouse’s employer provides a separate account for each employee, any amount contributed or allocated by your spouse and/or your spouse’s employer to your spouse’s account is considered covered. It does not matter if your spouse has worked long enough to be vested. This is known in the industry as a Defined Contribution plan.

If, on the other hand, your spouse’s employer provides a Defined Benefit plan in which the employer must make enough contributions (together with earnings) to provide the retirement benefit promised in the retirement plan, your spouse must meet the minimum age and years of service requirements to participate in your spouse’s employer's plan. In this case your spouse is considered to be covered. It does not matter if your spouse is vested or not.

In either case, you should not report that you are covered by your spouse’s employer sponsored retirement plan. Only your spouse should report this.


Q: What if your whole life, your whole existence, was just a dream?
A: We have already covered this. As stated previously, it's not.


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

Action Facts!

• A LICENSED COSMETOLOGIST: Marie Antoinette was not as dumb as everybody gave her credit for. She actually graduated with a degree from Oxford University.

• President Grover S. Cleveland's nickname was Uncle Jumbo. This was apparently due to his excessive girth.

• Any black bird can be considered a raven.

• PUT THIS ON YOUR RESUME: In the Odd Jobs department, a Chicken Shooter fires chicken carcasses out of a moving aircraft and records the damage caused for insurance purposes.

• All gypsies are ethnically Argentinian.

• GET A HAIRCUT, HIPPIE: The lead singer of the band Midnight Oil originally starred in the 1979 horror classic The Hills Have Eyes. He later became a member of the British Parliament!

• "Al dente" is a Spanish term meaning that pasta should be cooked until it is soft enough for someone wearing dentures to eat.

• GROSS: The FCC outlawed America's only pornographic radio station in 1974.

Web Rumor Concerning the Death of Sinbad (David Adkins)

We at Very Little Known Facts are saddened and dismayed to report on rampant rumors and speculation across the internet and the worldwide web that popular comedian and actor David Adkins, aka Sinbad, has died. Reports of his death have not been officially released by any creditable news agency, but based on web searches, we have deduced that Sinbad may indeed have succumbed to his long battle with illness.

There may be hope, however. If the attached picture is any indication, Sinbad (aka David Adkins) may still be alive and well. Unfortunately, this could simply be wishful thinking on our part. In the end there truly is no way to tell, so we will refrain from making any pronouncements.

Godspeed, Sinbad, and thanks for all the laughs.

Riddle Me This! Or Else!

Riddles and logic puzzles have fascinated mankind for decades. Can you figure out the answers to these Very Little Known classic riddles? Just in case you can't, we have provided the answers below for your convenience. Good luck!


1. The World-Famous Surgeon

A young boy and his father were driving on the Ventura Freeway when an SUV pulled in front of them and caused an accident. Both were injured, but the son was unconscious and bleeding. An ambulance came and rushed the son to the hospital. A world-famous surgeon was called in, prepped, and led into the operating room where the boy lay in critical condition. The surgeon took one look at the boy and said, "That child is my son. I can’t operate on him!"

Why couldn’t the surgeon operate on the boy?


2. A Game of Backgammon

103 backgammon players congregate from 56 different countries in Cleveland, Ohio. They meet to determine once and for all who the greatest backgammon player of all time is. The contest takes the form of a 7-round double-elimination tournament. Each round consists of the best of three games. The top-seeded player in each division is given a “by” for the first round.

How many games must be played before someone wins?


3. The Hanged Man

The police break into a locked room with no windows. As they trudge through a puddle on the bare concrete floor, they discover the body of a man dangling from a noose.

The security guard saw the dead man enter the room. The guard swears that no one else entered or left the room before or after the dead man entered it. The only way in or out of the room is through the door, which was locked. The ceiling is 25 feet high, and the noose only extends 4 feet down from the ceiling. There is no furniture of any kind in the room, nor are there any ladders, stairs, or other visible means to reach the noose.

How did the man die?


4. What the Old Woman Said

The old woman who lives in the haunted house on Pine Street tells people that she has 7 children. When asked if they are boys or girls, she says half boys and half girls. Is the old woman lying?


5. Coffee Klatch

The coffee klatch meets every Tuesday at the Java Shop, except on the first and last Tuesday of the month. George, Helen, and Steve always drink regular coffee. Bert, Karen, and Dave always order decaf. George, Steve, and Bert always sit on the couch while everyone else sits in a wooden chair.

Does Elizabeth drink regular or decaf coffee?


6. Quite the Bargain

A farmer was tired of watching his lazy son read comic books. One day the father gave the boy three dollars and told him to go down to the convenience store to buy the following:

• something to feed the cows
• something to plant in the garden
• something to eat as a snack
• something to drink

The father further stipulated that the son was only allowed to purchase one item. What did the boy buy?


7. A Terrible Tragedy

International Air flight 100 from Dallas to Mexico City crashes exactly on the border between the United States and Mexico, killing 17 people including the pilot (a Mexican) and his newborn son (who was just delivered over U.S. airspace.) Where do they bury the survivors?


The Answers

1. The surgeon (the boy's father) had been injured in the auto accident on the Ventura Freeway, as stated earlier in the story.
2. One. Someone will win the first game played. Unless it is a tie. In that case, the winner is chosen by secret ballot.
3. The man died from hanging.
4. Yes, she is lying. There is no such thing as a haunted house.
5. Neither. Elizabeth hates coffee.
6. Nothing. His father did not give him enough money, and in any case there was no single item that met all the specified criteria due to the limited selection of merchandise available for purchase in the convenience store.
7. Mexico.

The Circle of Life

• It takes 72 pounds of peanuts to make a pound of peanut butter.

• It is illegal to import fresh peanut butter into America because the peanut plant is considered “non-native flora.”

• THE WET LOOK: On average, Americans have two gallons of moisture in the clothes they wear. Most of this is contained in the air between their clothes and their body.

• Through the simple act of smelling a piece of clothing, most people can determine if it was last worn by a man or a woman—even if it is brand new!

• DO YOU SMELL THAT SMELL? Magic markers contain diluted paint instead of ink—hence the distinctive odor.

• SOUNDS FISHY: Shark meat has no smell, even when rotting.

• Sharks are the largest species of fish on Earth not counting whales, which are technically mammals.

• IT TAKES A BIG LASSO: Whales, much like cattle (their land-lubber counterparts) travel in herds and are prone to “stampedes.” There is one big difference, however—no one ever got trampled by a runaway whale!

• Cows are allergic to peanuts.