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Showing posts from May, 2018

31 May 2018

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Raccoons mate for life. When the fromagerie exploded in Île-de-France, fire inspectors were forced to sift through de Brie. The longest limousine measures 30 metres.  Babies and Pampers first met in 1961. More than a million Rastafarians deify Ethiopia’s late Emperor Hailie Selesie I.   To protect against  the sins of pride and vanity, Amish dolls have no faces. The telephone Area Code for Antarctica is 672. Pteronophobia is the irrational fear of being ticked with feathers. Arabic is the most commonly spoken language in Africa. Bungee jumping is suicide--with strings attached. Adolph Hitler’s first childhood desire was to become a Roman Catholic priest. The word ‘mate’ comes from Middle German, meaning to share food at the table. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary became the colony’s official police force in 1729.  In 2000,  Saddam Hussein anonymously published his romance novel, Zabiba and the King . Church is where you see the world

29 May 2018

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The Czech Republic boasts more than 2,000 castles and palaces. For North Americans, a generation is 25.2 years. It was 1958 when Swedish surgeons implanted the first pacemaker into a cardiac patient. Mango leaves are harvested to make medicines for diabetics. Patented in 1937, the ballpoint pen is an inkredible invention. There are 219 days until Christmas. The properties of cashmere keeps wearers warm, even at -40°C. For the past twelve years, Canada has not had a Deputy Prime Minister. Ka youbi , 火, the Japanese word for Tuesday, translates as ‘Fire Day’. As seen on Kijiji: Free to good home—no strings attached—four broken marionettes.  As observed throughout the United States, today is National Paperclip Day.  Orchid is the official national flower of Venezuela and Columbia.  Robins are unable to digest birdseed.  Today in 1914, the HMS Empress of Ireland sank near Rimouski, Québec, taking 1,012 to watery graves. Eating a chocolate

28 May 2018

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Canadians see their way to spend $2 billion a year on eyeglasses. 80% of used asphalt is recycled.  The average household weighs in a 3 000 kilos.  The Royal Canadian Mint reports that a four-litre pickle jar holds 3,411 quarters, or $852.75. Since time is money, it stands to reason that an ATM is a time machine. Chevrolet has graced the world’s highways and byways for 105 years.  The number of public phone boxes in the United Kingdom rings up to 58,000. Wilson is the tenth most common surname in Canada and the United States. The 25-cent coin is struck in the Mint’s Regina facility and has featured a moose since 1937. Topiary artists like to invest their money in hedge funds. On this date in 1742, the world’s first indoor swimming pool opened in London. Flags fly at half-mast in the United States and government buildings abroad, to honour fallen soldiers this Memorial Day. The Danish Broadcasting Corporation took to the airwaves in 1925. 

27 May 2018

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200,000 pedestrians walked the new 1.6-km long Golden Gate Bridge, today in 1937.  There are two genres of crossword puzzles. The singular of lasagna is lasagne. Sunday’s child is full of grace. Vancouver’s Karma restaurant has no menu. Diners get what they deserve.  2.8 million Canadians live outside the country. The second most common phobia on the planet is ophidiophobia , the fear of snakes. Society of Saint Vincent de Paul serves the poor, hungry and homeless in 132 countries. Earth’s densest moose population is in Newfoundland, causing 500 to 600 moose-vehicle crashes a year.  Claustrophobic cosmonauts require space.  In order to take flight, a butterfly’s temperature must be 30°C. More than 20,000 Canadians’ identities were stolen in 2014. According to the Thai Colour Calendar, wearing red on Sunday brings good luck. Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. ~ Dr. Seuss “I stand corrected,” said the man in orthopæd

26 May 2017

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Fun Facts for 26 May 2018 Canada is home to 35 billionaires. A group of elephants is called a crash. Mexico’s official national food is mole sauce. On this date in 1927, the final and 15-millionth Ford Model T rolled off the line. The inventor of sandpaper began with a rough idea. Every organization is perfectly designed to get the results it wants. Of the eight planets in our Solar System, Mercury is the smallest.  Germany is the world’s third largest exporter of goods. 70% of Canadians carry life insurance policies. The cipher was created for nothing.  The World Federation of Lutherans represents 74 million believers who hail from 89 countries. In 2011, beer was reclassified from a soft drink to alcohol by the Russian government. Tennesee’s Official State Firearm-the semi-automatic long-range sniper rifle-the Barrett M82.  Two out of three humans have never seen snow.  Inconsequential pachyderms are irrelephant. Russia is the

25 May 2018

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The collective term for lies is called a ‘pack’. Donated blood has a 40-day shelf life before it goes bad. The value of the artwork within the Louvre is pegged at €25 billion.  Produced in all six states, Australia is Earth’s fifth largest exporter of wine.  Cauliflower is nothing more than a cabbage with a university education. ~ Mark Twain For 85 years, the ‘eight’ in V8 are: tomato, carrot, celery, beet, parsley, lettuce, watercress and spinach. At 57%, Italy is the EU’s paradise for bank robbers.  A dozen of the fifty United States have official dogs and five have state cats.  1% of Eritreans possess telephones.  Someone who suffers from the irrational fear of picnics is called a basket case. The population of Labrador comprises  6% of Newfoundland and Labrador’s total. An orange tree bears blossoms and fruit at the same time.  It was 1995 when eBay got its start in Pierre Omidyar's living room. An upscale grocery cart costs USD$400

24 May 2018

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The Statue of Liberty wears size 879 in sandals. In China, the last course served at a meal is soup. Pomology is the study of fruit.  The sewing term used to describe an armhole in clothing is an ‘armsaye’. According to Canada’s Food Guide , food is an important part of a balanced diet.  Bananas are slightly radioactive. Europe has more than 10,000 types of soil.  Thursday’s child has far to go.  Today  in 1944, 98.4% of Icelanders voted to exit the Kingdom of Denmark, still under Nazi occupation. An apple a day will keep anyone away—if thrown hard enough.  The Dutch and New Zealanders get the most sleep.  Minute Rice was first stocked on grocery store shelves in 1949. Las Vegas is home to 122 casinos. Polar bears are southpaws.  Stress cannot exist in the presence of pie.  The traditional housewife cleaned the upstairs on Thursdays. Male horses have 40 teeth; their female counterparts have 36. Apple is the flavour of New Yor

23 May 2018

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Syria’s leading agricultural export is cotton.  Wednesday’s child is full of woe. On this date in 1568, The Netherlands declared independence from Spain. Georgia’s official state food is grits.  Rain before seven stops by eleven.  In 1973, Little Green Sprout became buddies with the Jolly Green Giant. Chickens cannot swim. Hockey pucks are made of vulcanized rubber.  The Seventh-day Adventist Church organized in Battle Creek, Michigan on this date, in 1863. Ring around the sun, time for fun. Ring around the moon, storm coming soon. The Big Dipper is called ’The Plough’ in Britain.  At the rate of 2.1% a year, Islam is the world’s fastest growing religion.  The Liberal Party’s nickname, ‘Grits’ comes from slang, meaning to be firm in character.  Air France flies to 168 destinations in 93 countries. Clear moon, frost soon. The international boundary between Mexico and the USA is the second longest in the world. The papaya will b

22 May 2018

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The eggplant is a berry.  On this date in 1936, Aer Lingus became Ireland’s state airline. Tuesday’s child is full of grace.  One out of every six people live on an island. Fish don’t applaud. ~ Bob Hope  St. Adrian is the patron saint of armament dealers.  5.6 million Torontonians can dine in any of the city’s 8,000 eateries.  The average life of a flamingo spans 20 to 30 years. Homo Sapiens are the only living beings that sleep on their backs.  People who throw kisses are hopelessly lazy. ~ Bob Hope Globally, there are 255 births every minute. Denizens of St. Paul, Alberta have built a UFO landing pad—just in case. A group of flamingoes is called a colony and can be home to a million fine-feathered friends. Singapore imports 13% of the world’s sand.  Bigamy is the only crime where two rites make a wrong. ~ Bob Hope Belgium legalized euthanasia in 2002.  The most common surname in Serbia is Jovanovič. Yes, you read this co

21 May 2018

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Fun Facts for 21 May 2018 Canadians have celebrated today as the Queen’s Birthday, a.k.a. Victoria Day, since 1845. Belgians consume six kilos of chocolate annually.  Human bones are 36% water. The Republic of South Sudan is the planet’s newest country. People who hang up as the other party answers-because they forgot who they rang-suffer from phonesia.   Canada Post employs 64,000 people. Mosquitoes have 47 teeth.  The tourist tax in Rome is €5 per night, payable at one’s 3-star hotel, upon checkout.  A 500-gram box of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes contains 7,122 individual flakes.  Victoria Day starts tourist season, and runs to Thanksgiving in October but it is illegal to hunt them. 300,000 Barbadians have the day off in observance of Whit Monday.  One of the most commonly reported dreams is that of falling.  In addition to five primary senses, we possess 15 more, including balance, temperature and pain. A hummingbird’s heart beats more than 1

20 May 2018

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From Bonavista Bay to Juan de Fuca Strait, this is National Safe Boating Week.  A bale of hay weighs between 25 to 75 kilos. There are 33 letters in the Russian alphabet.  Tuna is part of the mackerel family.  Some folk don’t know how to act their age because they have never been this old before. In Romanian folklore, a seven-year old boy and a white horse are required to hunt vampires. Ho! Ho! Ho! The Jolly Green Giant has walked the valley since 1935. 83% of Canadians consider themselves to be brand loyal.  Levi Strauss received patent number 139,121 for copper-riveted jeans, on this date in 1873. Never judge a book by its movie.  There are 1.4 billion television receivers on the planet. A mosquito’s favourite meal is Type O.  The 11,377 souls who reside in the State of Yap are called Yapese. For £2, one can download the Ten Plagues of Egypt colouring book. I’m thankful that I don’t have to hunt for my food. I have no idea where sandwiches

19 May 2018

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The City of Montréal collected $174 million in parking fines last year.  Cherokees and Choctaws shared cornbread with fresh-off-the-boat European immigrants.  Three billion people warmed up their Marconis and Electrohomes to watch Harry and Meghan tie the knot. Minus icing on the cake, 1/6th of a Betty Crocker Super Moist Devil’s Food Cake has 582 calories.  The trouble with being a good sport is that one must lose in order to prove it.  There are no words for ‘yes’ or ’no’ in Irish Gaelic.  Born in 1947, the beloved and bilingual anthropomorphic Elmer the Safety Elephant  teaches children traffic and fire safety in all ten provinces. The first ribbon makers’ guild was established in 1585, in France.  In America, this is National Devil’s Food Cake Day.  A politician shakes your hand before an election and your confidence, after. Wheat, iron ore and soybeans are the most common cargoes on the Great Lakes. More than 250 Betty Crocker cookboo