learn something new every day

Um. Weird. 81:365

2008-03-21T11:55:00.001-05:00

In 1977 when marvel comics issued the first KISS (you know, the band) comic book. The red ink used to print the comic was mixed with each of the band member's blood. Seriously. I'm not lying. Check it out on snopes....

http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/kissblood.asp

Bond. James Bond. 80:365

2008-03-20T11:37:00.000-05:00

One of the hot women used in the Bond movie For Your Eyes Only, was transsexual. As soon as the movie came out and a UK tabloid (New of the World) "outed her" her modeling and acting career was disrupted.

Bachelor. 79:365

2008-03-19T11:32:00.000-05:00

The only president to remain a bachelor throughout his term was James Buchanan (republican, elected 1856). He used his niece as a white house hostess.

can someone catch that giraffe?? 78:365

2008-03-18T11:21:00.001-05:00

Momma giraffes give birth standing up, so the baby (calf) is dropped nearly six feet to the ground onto their head. Welcome to the world little one! On average, the calf is already 6 feet tall when born and weighs 110-120 pounds. Um, ouch!! I guess I'd drop my kid on its head too!

History of underarm hair removal. 77:365

2008-03-17T18:00:00.004-05:00

In the West, underarm hair removal didn't become popular until after the safety razor was invented at the beginning of the 20th century. Around 1915, US magazines started sporting advertisements with women in summer dresses without underarm hair. Underarm shaving became quickly adopted in the United States and Canada...and did not become widespread in Europe until well after WWII.

Many cultures do not find it aesthetically necessary...and I should probably belong to one of those. ;-)

bold face liar or bald face liar? 76:365

2008-03-16T17:51:00.002-05:00

So, my friends were having a conversation about which is correct...calling someone a bold face liar or a bald face liar. So...I decided to look into it.

Taken from Merriam-Webster Online

The truth is this: both are used, and so is barefaced. Bald-faced is the newest term; its first known print appearance dates back only 62 years, to 1943. Bold-faced is some four centuries older than that, dating to 1591. Although you might guess bald-faced developed out of a mishearing of bold-faced, the meanings of the two adjectives are not synonymous. Bold-faced means "bold in manner or conduct; impudent"; bald-faced has the same meaning as barefaced: "open; unconcealed"; and "having or showing a lack of scruples."

Barefaced is one year older than bold-faced; its first print appearance dates to 1590. But the original meaning of barefaced was literal: it meant "having the face uncovered," either "beardless" or "wearing no mask." Not surprisingly, folks using the word barefaced were open to shifting the adjective into the metaphoric realm: barefaced soon came to describe something "unconcealed or open"; and then something "showing or having a lack of scruples."

Interesting. So I guess what we learned here....is to say it however you want to. Mkay?

dimple. 75:365

2008-03-15T17:48:00.001-05:00

The attachment of human muscles to skin is what causes dimples.

Happy Pi Day!! 74:365

2008-03-14T17:31:00.001-05:00

Did you know that if you are in a mathematical pinch (yeah...like that is going to happen)...you can approximate pi with the fraction 22/7. Thus giving us another pi day on July 22.

Because, who doesn't need another excuse to eat pie to celebrate?

luthier 73:365

2008-03-13T00:09:00.000-05:00

Originally uploaded by sungazing

A luthier is someone who makes or repairs stringed instruments.

Spam. 72:365

2008-03-12T11:01:00.002-05:00

Weirdie Mana
Originally uploaded by KnowWonNose

SPAM Jam (formerly known as Cedar River days) is a yearly festival of the popular meat product Spam. It is held in Austin, Minnesota, where Hormel food company produces the meat.

The festival spans from July 1 to July 7 and includes fireworks, parades, games, a carnival, and of course, the mysterious meat itself. Each year, those who enter the city during the festivities are likely to see copious amounts of blue and yellow (the colors of the packaging), and myriad dancing men and women in large SPAM can costumes.

Spam Jam is also celebrated annually in Hawaii during the last week of April.

All this taken directly from the spam jam wiki page.

George Washington 71:365

2008-03-11T10:50:00.000-05:00

George Washington
Originally uploaded by Skyco

George Washington had a dog named Drunkard.

Charity. 70:365

2008-03-10T10:39:00.001-05:00

The average American gives about 3.1% of their income (before taxes) to charity. The people that give the most actually make the least. Households earning under $10,000 a year -- far below the poverty line -- gave 5.2% of their income to charity. That's a larger percentage of their money than any other income group.

statistics from http://www.justgive.org/

How to survive a volcano 69:365

2008-03-09T10:25:00.003-05:00

bits and pieces. 68:365

2008-03-08T10:23:00.003-06:00

The average car contains 15,000 parts.

hexapus? 67:365

2008-03-07T22:29:00.002-06:00

English marine experts have found an octopus with six tentacles. Turns out, it was a birth defect....but has proven that an octopus can indeed have less than 8 tentacles and still be a real octopus.

Here is the link to the story if you are interested in reading up on it.

dr pepper 66:365

2008-03-06T17:45:00.003-06:00

dr pepper
Originally uploaded by jek in the box

Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. The Dublin Dr Pepper, 85 miles west of Waco, still uses pure imperial cane sugar in its product.

Some Guys Have All the Luck 65:365

2008-03-05T08:56:00.002-06:00

Rod Stewart
Originally uploaded by CockneyRebel

Rock legend Rod Stewart briefly had a job digging graves for London's Highgate Graveyard before he became a musician. It only lasted a couple of weeks, but still. A grave digger.

Too bad he didn't dig a grave for his voice. Hehe. Sorry to any Rod fans. I swear I'm joking.

*uncrosses fingers*

Bradbury. 64:365

2008-03-04T12:36:00.003-06:00

Where do we begin?
Originally uploaded by sungazing

I was reading up a bit about Ray Bradbury today and I found out that the powers that be have named an asteroid and a crater on the moon in honor of Mr. Bradbury.

The asteroid is named 9766 Bradbury. The crater is named the "Dandelion Crater" after his book Dandelion Wine.

Cool. He deserves it.

Bravo! Bravo!! 63:365

2008-03-03T12:17:00.001-06:00

On March 3, 1585 the Olympic Theatre (Teatro Olimpico) in Vicenza, Italy designed by Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, was inaugurated. This kind of Renaissance structure is the sole survivor of its kind to survive until contemporary times.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! 62:365

2008-03-02T09:38:00.001-06:00

Thanks Jamie for today's entry! Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) was born on March 2, 1904. Happy Birthday (even though you are dead.)! :-)

Nebraska. 61:365

2008-03-01T21:57:00.000-06:00

On this day in 1867, Nebraska became the 37th state.

ricin. 60:365

2008-02-29T20:58:00.001-06:00

Did anyone else know what ricin was? It is all over the news today...and I had never even heard of it before.

It is a toxin, that is deadly to humans, that is extracted from the castor bean. More info can be found here, if you want to learn more.

You asleep? 59:365

2008-02-28T20:44:00.000-06:00

Dolphin - a beautiful sight
- a wonderful gift
Originally uploaded by brynmeillion

Did you know that dolphins do not sleep like land mammals? They need to come up for air on a regular basis, so dolphins sleep with only one side of their brain at a time.

Crazy!? One hemisphere of the brain is asleep and one eye closed, while the other side is alert, telling them when to go up for air and watching for any dangers. Cool.

I wish I could sleep like that.

I scream you scream. 58:365

2008-02-27T18:17:00.000-06:00

ICE CREAM!
Originally uploaded by cammom

You ever wonder what the best spoon to use is when eating ice cream? Yeah, me neither. But John Harrison, who is the official ice cream taster for Dreyers Ice Cream, uses a gold spoon because unlike plastic, metal or wood, gold has no aftertaste.

How'd you get that name? 57:365

2008-02-26T16:16:00.000-06:00

Dinosaurs generally are named after a characteristic body feature, after the place where they were found, or after a person involved in the discovery. Usually the name consists of two Greek or Latin words (or combinations); in order, these are the genus (plural, genera) and the species name. For example, the Greek and Latin combination (binomen) Tyrannosaurus rex means "king of the tyrant lizards." Biologists name modern animals exactly the same way.