Category Archives: 10 things you might not know

10 Things You Might Not Know, part 13

Posted on September 1, 2009 | 14 Comments

I’ve learned new stuff. Here you go!

  1. Meet The Press is the longest-running television show in worldwide broadcasting history. It debuted November 6, 1947, which makes it almost 62 years old! (This one comes straight from The Boy. Shhh, don’t tell him that I used the interwebs to verify his claim.)
  2. Research has shown that men lower their standards when it comes to one-night stands. A new study shows that women raise theirs. (I actually don’t know what to make of that, except maybe this: One night stands are much more of a compliment to men.)
  3. As we already know (because we’re all smarty pants and I already wrote about this) redheads are more sensitive to pain. But now, here’s why according to SCIENCE. (And it’s not even j-science.) “A mutation in the MC1R gene causes the production of a substance called pheomelanin, and that results in red hair and fair skin… The MC1R gene belongs to a family of receptors that include pain receptors in the brain, and as a result, a mutation in the gene appears to influence the body’s sensitivity to pain.” (Which explains – and completely justifies – the “supposed” fiery temper.)
  4. In Somoa, more than a century of motoring history is being overturned as cars will now be required to drive on the left side of the road. (I can’t even imagine the chaos if we tried that here in the USA.)
  5. The name “narwhal” comes from the Old Norse word for corpse whale, because the animal’s mottled coloration supposedly looked like the skin of a drowned sailor. (If you’re like me, you will be clicking the link just to see what a narwhal is.)
  6. In August, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt blasted through his own world record for the 100-meter dash. He ran it in 9.58 seconds. Biologically, the human body can (and will) run it faster. (In the meantime, don’t you just love that the record holder’s name is Bolt?)
  7. There is accumulating evidence that noise in urban habitats is affecting animal  mojo. Frogs croaking for mates are finding it hard to be heard over the din, and birds are singing at night because their habitats have become too noisy during the day. (Quiet down people. Animals need nookie too.)
  8. Women multitask, feel, hear, nurture, age gracefully, cry and smile more often than men. (This is my totally unbiased summary of Estrella Azul’s delightful post on “Life’s a Stage.” Feel free to check my accuracy.)
  9. What is a “10 Things” list without a kissing fact? Health officials in Spain are recommending that Spaniards no longer greet each other with the customary kiss on both cheeks for fear of spreading the H1N1 influenza. (But many people say kissing is so important they are willing to risk catching swine flu. <– That is my favorite part of the story.)
  10. I love this word from my urban dictionary calendar. Alcologic: Explanations given by a person who has been drinking and that only make sense to them.

Don’t you feel smarter? What do you think of this tag line? Zebra Sounds: Better for your brain than a crossword puzzle.

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10 Things You Might Not Know, part 12

Posted on August 11, 2009 | 17 Comments

Take my hand, boys and girls, I have ten completely irrelevant absolutely fascinating new findings to share! Ready? Let’s go!

  1. French kissing involves all 34 muscles in the face. A simple no-tongues kiss? Only two. (Should be a t-shirt, huh? “Get a workout. Use your tongue.”)
  2. Oil aids in the absorption of vegetable nutrients. Scientists at Iowa State University discovered that people who ate oil based dressings on their salads absorbed more of the nutrients than those who ate low fat, fat free or no dressing. (SWEET!)
  3. One serving of meat is equal in size to a deck of playing cards. I learned that on Terre Pruitt’s blog. I loved the post which related serving sizes to common household items. Much more helpful than grams or ounces. (Thanks, Terre!)
  4. You can get the vitamin D you need, by spending as little as 10 minutes outdoors three or four times a week. (You can also take a supplement, but where’s the fun in that?)
  5. According to Nasa, men are four times more likely to be struck by lightning than women. (There’s a lightning rod joke dying to be made here, but I can’t quite bring myself to make it.)
  6. More on kissing! Philematology is the science of kissing, and it is under-researched, according to Wendy Hill, dean of the faculty and a professor of neuroscience at Lafayette College. (I wonder if you can get a degree in Philematology at Lafayette…)
  7. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew smashed an aquarium tank in Florida. About a half-dozen spiny, venomous lionfish washed into the Atlantic Ocean, spawning an invasion that could kill off local industry along with the native fish. (So begins an NPR story I found fascinating.)
  8. Remember when I told you that eye patches weren’t worn by pirates to cover a missing eye? Well, the man that started the clean shaven look didn’t originally do it for the sake of fashion. As it turns out, it was Alexander the Great, and he shaved his beard so his enemies couldn’t grab it in battle. (I wonder why the pirates didn’t worry about that…)
  9. According to Public Policy Polling, 5 percent of North Carolina voters polled said they did not think Hawaii was part of the United States. Three percent said they were unsure. (The remaining 92 percent walked quickly ahead, pretending not to know the Hawaii doubters.)
  10. You can have too many cucumbers. It’s true. And we do. Or I thought we did. Until just today when I learned that I can have my cucumber shaken, not stirred.

That’s it for now. See you when I’ve learned ten more new things!

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And now for something completely different… I need this.

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10 Things You Might Not Know, part 11

Posted on July 14, 2009 | 25 Comments

I’ve learned ten more things. Time to share…

  1. If a lobster loses an eye, it grows a new one. According to MeLobster.com, lobsters not only regrow claws, they regrow eyes. They’re the Wolverines of the sea! Sort of. Only not nearly as cute as Hugh Jackman without a shirt.
  2. Touching items in a store makes you more likely to buy. Not only that, but it makes you willing to pay more, according to a recent study in the Journal of Consumer Research. Touching, it seems,  increases our feeling of ownership, which is why retailers and manufacturers often use the sneaky, underhanded “try me” signs to lure us in. (Which explains my $150 Tickle Me Obama doll purchase. He’s so cute!)
  3. The Guinnesses of  World Record fame, and the Guinnesses that make my husband’s favorite beer are the same Guinnesses! I have nothing to say about that particularly except that some of the Guinness world records do seem as if they were attempted under the influence of Guinness Draught.
  4. Muscle men do get more sex then their 98-pound brethren, but, according to New Science,  “the downside of all that brawn is a poor immune system and an increased appetite.” Evolutionarily speaking, that puts he-men at a disadvantage, which explains why the little guys hold fast to their place in the gene pool.
  5. Stewardesses is the longest word that is formally typed with only the left hand.
  6. I love this from my urban dictionary… Bardcore: A pornographic movie with a Shakespearean plot.
  7. According to the latest “Happy Planet” report from the British nonprofit group New Economics Foundation, Costa Rica is the happiest country on earth. “Their comprehensive new report, which compares nations according to their populations’ life expectancies, life satisfaction, and ecological footprint, combining all of the factors to create a Happy Planet Index score, ranks the sunny, fun-loving Costa Rica as the number one place in the world to live, followed by the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guatemala, Vietnam, Colombia, El Salvador, Brazil, and Honduras to round out the top ten. (I’m sold! Let’s start a commune in Costa Rica!)
  8. Some of you will no doubt already know this one, but it was news to me because I’m not a serious runner. (I’m not even a casual runner, to be honest. I’ve decided to save up my running prowess for life-threatening situations. Until then, I’m perfecting the amble.) Where was I? Oh! Runner’s toenails often turn black (bruising under the nail) and fall off. It’s a common problem. I had no idea. In fact, I found a host of running afflictions about which I had no idea, but I’ll save them for a future list. Meanwhile, I’ll be ambling like a pro.
  9. Back in the day, baby boys wore pink, baby girls wore blue. In the early 1900s, blue was thought to be “delicate” while pink was considered “strong and masculine.” It wasn’t until the 1950s that we started reversing that.
  10. SpongeBob SquarePants celebrates his tenth birthday this weekend on Nickelodeon. “This weekend’s SpongeBob SquarePants marathon will include, besides some new shows, separate top-10 countdowns of favorite episodes as selected by fans and celebrities.” (Oh! I hope they do the one where Mrs. Puff tries to teach SpongeBob how to drive!)

That’s all for now, boys and girls. I’ll be back with ten more new things when I learn them!

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10 Things You Might Not Know, part 10

Posted on June 16, 2009 | 13 Comments

It’s that time again! I’ve learned ten new things! And this post makes a ridiculous cool 100 things you’ve learned reading Zebra Sounds. Clearly, you can feel good about the time you waste spend here!

  1. The good news? We are not becoming isolated individuals with smaller social networks, as some killjoys might have you believe. Our total number of friends doesn’t change much over our lifetime. The bad news? We’re fickle. A new study suggests that we lose and replace about half of our friends every seven years. (Time to check your friends’ expiration dates.)
  2. Off the coast of California, there have been more and more sightings of giant squid. Theories abound as to why that is. We here at Zebra Sounds just thought you should know. We’re that way. We like speaking of ourselves in third person plural. The royal we makes us full of ourselves and we like that.
  3. A study by Duke University shows that the ability of wild things to stay alive in our urban jungles depends on their ability to differentiate human faces. I think it’s cool that animals can do that, and sad that their lives depend on it.
  4. Sand castles. I recently posted a link to some truly amazing sand sculptures, which ultimately led me to this site of tips and tricks for building castles in the sand. Summer is about to begin, kids! I think we should all build castles, and post our pictures here like a great big virtual crazy j beach party. What do you say?
  5. In Russia there are 460 jobs women can’t do. And by can’t, I mean they are not allowed to do them.  Jobs like chimney sweep, fire fighter, blacksmith, steel worker, and metro train operator, for example. You’ll be happy to know they can drive buses, trams, and trolleys. Good thing. I thought they were being unreasonable there for a second.
  6. I learned this fact from Terre Pruitt. Before she enlightened me, I thought humming birds worked their beaks like straws, but in truth they have freakishly long tongues! She has a great picture of it – better than any I found on the web – but I forgot to ask her if I could link to it on my blog. Doh! (Maybe she’ll comment?)
  7. According to the WSJ, for the first time ever, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not has a shortage of oddities. That actually makes me happy. I never liked Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.  As a kid, it freaked me out. I was more a Mad Libs kind of girl. Still am.
  8. In an earlier 10 Things List, I wrote about the largest prime number and the ongoing worldwide search to find the next one. I may have made some sort of snide remark about prime number hunting as a pastime, or maybe I just thought it. In any case, the 47th Mersenne prime has been discovered! (Imagine much fanfare, please. A parade. Ticker tape. Remember you heard it here first.)
  9. Apparently, one of the ways that acting how you want to feel (which is one of my personal commandments) works is that it tricks your body. Our bodies are not able to differentiate between acting and being, so, physiologically, it’s all the same. Act unstressed, be unstressed. How cool is that?
  10. And I’m back to kissing! (A much better pastime than searching for prime numbers!) Did you know that people are twice as likely to tilt their head right when they kiss as left? I’m definitely a right-tilt kisser. I’m also right handed. I have no idea if there is a correlation. Any lefties want to weigh in?

And there you have it, ten more things to make you the most interesting person at your next party (which hopefully is being held on a beach where you are building sand castles and taking pictures for me).

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10 things you might not know, part 9

Posted on May 28, 2009 | 8 Comments

I’ve learned ten more things, boys and girls. Time to share!

  1. “Redheads may be hotheads, but they get colder quicker. They also bruise more easily. And they feel more pain,” says Jena Pincott on her Love, Sex, Attraction and Science blog. (She says a lot of other AMAZINGLY interesting things about redheads, all backed by science, baby! In my completely unbiased opinion, you should check it out.)
  2. According to a new paper by researchers at the University of Exeter, a certain amount of air pollution may actually be good for the planet. (And not just because smog makes for a pretty sunset!)
  3. Half of all Americans believe they are protected by guardian angels, one-fifth say they’ve heard God speak to them, one-quarter say they have witnessed miraculous healings, 16 percent say they’ve received one and 8 percent say they pray in tongues. (I am going to let this one stand. That seems like a whole lot of people I have the potential to offend.)
  4. EcoFaeBrick makes bricks that are greener, stronger and 20% lighter than regular clay bricks. AND… they’re made from cow dung! (Reuse, America!)
  5. Washington, DC, is the healthiest city in America. In the second annual American Fitness Index (AFI), a publication released by the American College of Sports Medicine, Washington, DC, edged out Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., Denver, Boston and San Francisco. (Hmmm… must be all that federal healthcare.)
  6. Locking eyes with a loved one triggers a powerful hormonal response, in particular the release of the hormone oxytocin. The more oxytocin absorbed by receptors in your brain, the more trusting, attached, and calm you’ll feel. And if you don’t have someone into whose eyes you’d love to stare, you can use your dog! (Same hormonal response, less embarrassing.)
  7. There is such a thing as the Miracle Fruit. It’s a West African berry that makes everything sour taste sweet for an hour or so after you eat it. (I don’t even know why you’d want to do that except maybe for a little j-science!)
  8. This just in: Hedgehogs are a powerful form of pest control. A single hedgehog can keep an average garden free of pests by eating up to 200 grams of insects each night. (Woo-hoo! I’m thinking that all I need is a hedgehog, a bunch of lady bugs, some decollate snails and Lexi. I’ll have the Fort Knox of vegetable gardens!)
  9. The interweb is amazing! I found a love calculator that calculates a couple’s chances for success with no more information than their first names. (I know!) So I typed in Judy and Chad and here’s what it said: Dr. Love thinks a relationship might work out between Judy and Chad, but the chance is very small. A successful relationship is possible, but you both have to work on it… and even with effort, chances for success are slim. (Okay! Good to know!)
  10. Elizabeth Taylor twitters. (Need I say more?)

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10 Things You Might Not Know, part 8

Posted on April 28, 2009 | 19 Comments

I need a list to introduce the list. Here’s how it went this time…

  1. I notice I have nine new things saved up, but they fit nicely into three categories, so I decide to post.
  2. It bugs me not to have 10 things, so I add a silly category and write one more thing.
  3. It bugs me that the now-four categories are not equal, so I add two more things.
  4. It bugs me that you might notice there are 12 things, and the last 3 seem… well, stupid, so I write a list to intro the list as if that makes it all okay.

Okay! Onward!

Dietary Notes…

  1. There is an International Federation of Competitive Eating. Here’s what it says on the About Page of MajorLeagueEating.com:
    Major League Eating (MLE) is the sports franchise that oversees all professional competitive eating events and competitive eating television specials. The mission of Major League Eating is to maintain a safe environment for all events, while also seeking to create a dynamic and enjoyable fan experience. (I actually have nothing to add, but I’m betting at least some of you had no idea…)
  2. Lima beans (which are the yuckiest food EVER) are one of the healthiest foods in the world. (Grrrr. Cursed legumes!) Curious to know how healthy your diet is? Find out at the World’s Healthiest Food site. It’s kinda cool.
  3. This is the best lasagna recipe I’ve ever made. Ever. Seriously. (I found it on the fun Musings of a Housewife blog.)

Sex Notes…

  1. The average erect penis is five to seven inches long, and four to six inches in circumference. (I keep typing parenthetical comments for this and then deleting them. I will let this fact stand on its own – pun attended.)
  2. The average male loses his virginity at age 16.9; females average slightly older, at 17.4. And a new study shows that genetics may be a factor: inherited traits, such as impulsivity, can make a person more or less willing to have sex at an earlier age. (If I thank my mother here, I wonder what she’ll make of that…)
  3. According to a survey of adults aged 20 to 59, women have an average of four sex partners during their lifetime; men have an average of seven.

(Not enough sex for you? I got all this knowledge from one place. There’s more where this came from.)

Happiness Notes…

  1. Having a sister makes you happier and more optimistic, a new study shows, but the same is not true for having brothers. (Which is why my brothers should be grateful for me, and it is a miracle I am as well adjusted as I am.)
  2. While we all try to focus on the NOW (as we should), you may also want to make an effort to stay connected to your past (assuming your past is a happy thing). Rekindling old friendships and sharing happy memories help to build strong relationships. Strong relationships are a (maybe THE) key to happiness.
  3. Twitter might just make you a better (and happier) person, so says Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com. His piece makes a compelling argument, if you like that sort of thing. (Compelling arguments, I mean. Not Twitter.)

J Notes…

  1. I think I would give up television if I couldn’t have TIVO. (I often think I should not have TIVO.)
  2. I am not entirely comfortable being barefoot. I don’t know why.
  3. I am not the kind to panic about such things, but all this swine flu talk makes me edgy. Am I the only one?

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And now for something completely different… A friend just sent me this. Hello, cutest elderly piano playing couple ever! Watch and smile!

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10 Things You Might Not Know, Part 7

Posted on April 10, 2009 | 6 Comments

It’s that time again! I’ve learned ten new things, and so I’m sharing! (And just in case you need to refer back to some of the goofy amazing facts I’ve shared before, I made a new category where all these lists can be found. I know… it’s exciting!)

  1. 97% of all email sent is spam. I’m stunned by that number. Thank you, Gmail’s awesome spam dectectors!
  2. April Fools Day ends at noon in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa. In those countries, you are considered an April Fool if you play a trick after noon. I would like that. I’d only have to feel that odd, nervous vulnerability for half a day. In fact, I could sleep in and miss the dangerous hours altogether!
  3. Every year during Entrepreneur Week, Stanford’s Technology Ventures Program gives an award for the “Biggest Failure” in their Entrepreneurship Tournament. Hats off to Stanford for recognizing most successes come after more than a few failures.
  4. According to a VERY informative book I read (written by a fifth grader which is why I believe it absolutely), zebras smile. Their “grimace-smile” is used to greet other zebras. (They laugh, too, of course. You heard it here first!)
  5. I’m freezing, and so my brown fat is burning up calories! I actually already knew about brown fat and how it’s better than yellow fat because it burns calories trying to keep you warm. But this piece on NPR reminded me there’s a bright side to not being able to afford heating my house to a comfortable temperature!
  6. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gives stink bombs and rotten eggs their smell. But according to Italian researchers, H2S has an unexpected side effect: It also triggers erections. I’m guessing until they figure out the smell thing, it won’t be a viable replacement for Viagra.
  7. My Urban Dictionary calendar is full of useful vocabulary. Take this word: Yoink! It is “an exclamation that, when uttered in conjunction with taking an object, immediately transfers ownership from the original owner to the person using the word, regardless of previous property rights.” I know. This is a SERIOUSLY useful word.
  8. Okay, so I’m guessing most of you already know the Obamas’ new dog is (or will be) a Portuguese Water Hound. But have you seen his picture? Hello cutest First Puppy ever!
  9. In Colorado, a vegan woman wanted to get a personalized license plate that proclaimed her love for tofu. “ILVTOFU,” she wanted it to say, but she was denied. Apparently in Colorado you can’t have the letters F and U together “because some people could read that as street language for sex.” Reading that, I realized I’d be “some people.” I can’t decide if I’m happy or sad that my mind goes to the gutter before it goes to natural, healthy goodness.
  10. The largest prime number found to date is nearly 13 million digits long. To get an idea of just how big that is, if you write 10 digits per inch, the number would extend for 20.45 miles. On NPR.org you can download a free program that will search for the next (even bigger) prime number whenever your computer isn’t doing something “more important.” There’s a snide math-phobe remark here dying to be made, but I’m not going to make it.

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And now for something completely different… Have you seen Julian Beever’s sidewalk art? Here’s a sample. There is much, much more! He takes my breath away!

Kiss me, Kid. I'm a princess!

Kiss me, Kid. I'm a princess!

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10 Things You Might Not Know, Part 6

Posted on March 25, 2009 | 11 Comments

I’ve learned ten more new things. Time to share!

  1. Two million bags are checked in at airports each day and 99.5% of them reach their destination on the same flight as their owner. Of the .5% that don’t, most will eventually be reunited with their owners. Still, about 100 bags a day are lost forever. Sort of… As it turns out, you can actually purchase those lost bags, and a bunch of the stuff inside. In Alabama there’s a place called The Unclaimed Baggage Center, where you can browse the new and slightly used belongings of world travelers – iPods, digital cameras, clothes, jewelry, Japanese toothpaste. Seriously. Check it out.
  2. Women’s feet are getting bigger. As a result, many shoe manufacturers are starting their women’s lines at Size 6, dropping Size 5 altogether because there aren’t enough customers. I don’t wear Size 5, but I have plenty of sympathy outrage for my tiny-footed sisters! WTF!
  3. On the list of books that people lie about having read (saying they did when they didn’t) 1984 is Number 1. That is the only book on the list of ten that I actually HAVE read… Really.
  4. Remember when I blogged about toy sales staying strong despite the ailing economy?  Well, candy sales are up as well! It delights me to think that when times get tough, the tough tap into their inner child (which explains my recent hankerings to climb the nearest tree).
  5. Instead of anti-aging cream, try a little stress. A recent study shows that a protein tied to protecting cells from stress also helps slow aging. How cool is that? I must be getting younger all the time!
  6. I LOVE this word. Spoonerism \SPOO-nuh-riz-uhm\, noun: The transposition of usually initial sounds in a pair of words.
  7. Did you know there is such a thing as hedgehog shows? Like dog shows. The hedgehogs are judged, and they don’t have it easy. “Bowed legs are not acceptable. Feet are to be small but in proportion to the legs. Front feet must have five toes and the back, four.” Clearly, it’s not easy being a tiny spiny beauty!
  8. In Hong King, the oldest housing project consists of 100-square-foot apartments. These pictures are fascinating and sad and touching, and they made me thoroughly appreciate all the space I have.
  9. There is a conservative Christian movement called the Quiverfull Movement, in which couples trust God to give them the “right” number of children. Birth control is shunned, and the average family in one practicing congregation has 8.5 kids… 8.5! I don’t even know where to begin on this one.
  10. Where The Wild Things Are is going to be a movie! Watch the trailer. (I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that book!)

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10 Things You Might Not Know, Part 5

Posted on March 10, 2009 | 8 Comments

Wow, boys and girls, after you read this, you’ll be up to 50 fabulously fun facts to know and tell. We can all sound just like Cheers’s Cliff Claven at our next party!

  1. When you’re scared, eat a banana! According to Dr. Judith Rich in her HuffPo post, “Living The Impossible: Dream Big,” the potassium in bananas serves as a beta blocker which soothes jangled nerves. I guess that explains why monkeys are so calm.    Wait…
  2. March 3, 2009 was a Square Root Day! I hope you celebrated!
  3. Here’s one I think I should be embarrassed not to have known, but I didn’t. Sushi isn’t raw fish. It’s cold boiled rice moistened with rice vinegar, usually shaped into bite-size pieces and topped with raw seafood (nigiri-zushi). What a maroon I am.
  4. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, one-quarter of the American population now sports tattoos, and the number goes up to 36 percent for ages 25-36. Also, Albert Einstein had a tattoo. I heard that on the radio, but couldn’t find it on google. (I did find several Einstein tattoos, however. Go figure.) Anyone with more information on Einstein’s tattoo is encouraged to comment.
  5. And while we’re on the subject of tattoos, for her 50th birthday, Barbie got tattooed!
  6. And while we’re on the subject of Barbies, did you know that when Ruth Handler, founder of Mattel Toy Company, first approached her male coworkers with the whole crazy Barbie idea, they were appalled. They said no mother would ever buy their daughter a doll with breasts. I feel there’s something I should say about that, but I don’t know what it is. I grew up with boys.
  7. There are about seventy-three lightning deaths in the U.S. every year. (That fun fact is in my book, which is not only quirky, serious and literary, but also educational.  This is me trying to build up buzz.)  :-)
  8. To increase your circulation, put at least a teaspoon of cinnamon in your oatmeal, applesauce or yogurt for breakfast. According to an article on home remedies in the SF Chronicle, cinnamon is now being used to increase circulation in patients who have diabetes.  … There’s a remedy on the Chronicle’s list that involves your urine, too, but I’m much too tasteful to bring that up here. (My mom is heaving a sigh of relief.)
  9. The average lifespan of a walrus  is 35 years. (The boy supplied this fun fact.)
  10. And while we’re on the subject of large, strange mammals, the Javan Rhinoceros is the most endangered mammal in the world. There are fewer than 60 left. You can learn more (and donate) at The International Rhino Foundation.

Okay, that was way too sad a note to end on, so here you go: Five Amazing Animal Rescue Stories, complete with video and a really cute kitten picture.  Awwww.

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10 Things You Might Not Know, Part 4

Posted on February 28, 2009 | 9 Comments

Here I go, sharing the knowledge again!

  1. There is a website, Ashley Madison Agency, that promotes/facilitates extramarital affairs.  It’s quite possible that you already know this.  The site has been featured on Oprah, Larry King, FOX News, 20/20, Ellen DeGeneres, Dr. Phil and Howard Stern, but I don’t watch any of these shows. I’m feeling happy about that (and more than a little smug and superior, too.)
  2. Portland, Maine has rescinded their chicken ban. In an effort to promote sustainability, “The council voted 7-1 Wednesday to remove its long-standing ban on chickens and allow people to keep up to six hens within city limits. Roosters, though, would not be allowed.” Good plan – who wants a sustainable food source that wakes up the neighbors?
  3. By 2012, we will have universal chargers for cell phones.  It is ridiculous how happy that makes me.
  4. Approximately 1% to 2% of the world’s human population has red hair.
  5. Why Twitter? That’s not really a “Thing You Might Not Know,” it’s a question I have that no one has quite satisfactorily answered.
  6. Charles Darwin tried to determine once and for all if blonds have more fun, but was unable to secure evidence sufficient enough to prove the hypothesis… Yes, THE Charles Darwin.
  7. Hey, drinking coffee lowers your risk of diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and colon cancer, lifts your mood and can alleviate headaches. It might even lower your risk of cavities! Let the java pour, baby!
  8. The pirates of the Caribbean (the real ones) did not wear eye patches to cover missing eyeballs. When raiding a ship, they had to be able to fight both up on the deck where it was light, and down below where it was dark. The patched eye was ready to see in the dark at a moment’s notice. (I tried this, it works – I totally kicked ass in the dark cabins below.)
  9. Atoms consist of mostly space (99.99999999%), which means we really are full of hot air.
  10. Couples have been banned from kissing at Warrington Bank Quay Station in the UK because it holds up commuters. Expediency over romance. How sad! kissingban1

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