Moderator
Posts: 797 
January 3rd, 2006, 11:04 AM
-or- Things You Never Knew You Wanted to Know
Is your head full of trivial knowledge? Are you a Harper's junkie? Do you need to clear a bit space in there for relevant info? Here's a great place to braindump some of it.
The idea behind the thread is this to once a day pop by and post a common, uncommon, quirky or otherwise interesting little factoid. The topic can be anything... the wingspan of a dung beetle, how many toothpicks are needed to circle the globe, where did a certain custom originate etc, whatever ya like so long as it's true.
The guidelines:
Please limit posts to one or two trivial tidbits a day.
No discussing the posts in this thread, this way we can keep the facts together and easily readable for all. The first person with a question, comment or further info about any posted trivia can create a thread with the format "Trivia - <date>" (using the date that particular item was posted), all subsequent items posted on that day will be discussed in the corresponding 'discussion' thread.
If, in a related discussion thread, it is proven that some posted item is a load of rubbish the original will be edited to reflect this...just to 'keep the facts straight' 'n all
(the original won't be snipped, just a little Mythbuster's style "Busted" comment added)
-or- Things You Never Knew You Wanted to Know
Is your head full of trivial knowledge? Are you a Harper's junkie? Do you need to clear a bit space in there for relevant info? Here's a great place to braindump some of it.
The idea behind the thread is this to once a day pop by and post a common, uncommon, quirky or otherwise interesting little factoid. The topic can be anything... the wingspan of a dung beetle, how many toothpicks are needed to circle the globe, where did a certain custom originate etc, whatever ya like so long as it's true.
The guidelines:
Please limit posts to one or two trivial tidbits a day.
No discussing the posts in this thread, this way we can keep the facts together and easily readable for all. The first person with a question, comment or further info about any posted trivia can create a thread with the format "Trivia - <date>" (using the date that particular item was posted), all subsequent items posted on that day will be discussed in the corresponding 'discussion' thread.
If, in a related discussion thread, it is proven that some posted item is a load of rubbish the original will be edited to reflect this...just to 'keep the facts straight' 'n all
(the original won't be snipped, just a little Mythbuster's style "Busted" comment added)
Ponderous Intellect
Posts: 3,859 
Location: Victoria, BC
Location: Victoria, BC
January 3rd, 2006, 11:16 AM
I got one on ants ...
Amazon ants (red ants found in the western U.S.) steal the larvae of other ants to keep as slaves. The slave ants build homes for and feed the Amazon ants, who cannot do anything but fight. They depend completely on their slaves for survival.
Damn, they need a revolution!
I got one on ants ...
Amazon ants (red ants found in the western U.S.) steal the larvae of other ants to keep as slaves. The slave ants build homes for and feed the Amazon ants, who cannot do anything but fight. They depend completely on their slaves for survival.
Damn, they need a revolution!
Don't bother arguing, I KNOW!
Posts: 10,485
Location: The Evil Empire
Location: The Evil Empire
January 3rd, 2006, 11:26 AM
A human head remains conscious for about 15 to 20 seconds after it is been decapitated.
Over 2500 left handed people are killed each year from using products made for right handed people.
In 1845, President Andrew Jackson's pet parrot was removed from his funeral for swearing.
A human head remains conscious for about 15 to 20 seconds after it is been decapitated.
Over 2500 left handed people are killed each year from using products made for right handed people.
In 1845, President Andrew Jackson's pet parrot was removed from his funeral for swearing.
Ponderous Intellect
Posts: 3,859
Location: Victoria, BC
Location: Victoria, BC
January 3rd, 2006, 04:34 PM
Can't resist this thread ...
"Freeze the balls off a brass monkey" sounds like sailor talk, which it is ... in the way back days when they had cannons on ships, they stored the cannon balls on a brass holder called a monkey (the kids/women that ran down to the powder room to carry up powder were powder monkeys, btw). When it got cold out, the brass monkey would shrink, and the cannon balls would fall off ... this cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey
Can't resist this thread ...
"Freeze the balls off a brass monkey" sounds like sailor talk, which it is ... in the way back days when they had cannons on ships, they stored the cannon balls on a brass holder called a monkey (the kids/women that ran down to the powder room to carry up powder were powder monkeys, btw). When it got cold out, the brass monkey would shrink, and the cannon balls would fall off ... this cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey
Ponderous Intellect
Posts: 4,465
Videos: 1
Location: Surrey, British Columbia
Videos: 1
Location: Surrey, British Columbia
January 3rd, 2006, 05:44 PM
Trivia Pertaining to the Parliament of Canada
The shortest session of Parliament since Confederation was the Sixth Session of the Eighteenth Parliament, which lasted a scant one day (on which both the House of Commons and the Senate sat).
The longest period of dissolution of Parliament was two-hundred sixty-six (266) days; the Fifth Parliament opened on February 8th, 1883, two-hundred sixty-six days after the dissolution of the Fourth, on May 18, 1882.
Information courtesy of the Library of Parliament.
Edit Corrected a formatting problem.
Trivia Pertaining to the Parliament of Canada
The shortest session of Parliament since Confederation was the Sixth Session of the Eighteenth Parliament, which lasted a scant one day (on which both the House of Commons and the Senate sat).
The longest period of dissolution of Parliament was two-hundred sixty-six (266) days; the Fifth Parliament opened on February 8th, 1883, two-hundred sixty-six days after the dissolution of the Fourth, on May 18, 1882.
Information courtesy of the Library of Parliament.
Edit Corrected a formatting problem. Bright Spark
Posts: 273
Location: Reentering the Fray at CC.net
Location: Reentering the Fray at CC.net
January 4th, 2006, 02:05 AM
The ritual of CHEERS was invented to prevent assassination in norse days. If someone poisoned a drink then they would all crash the glasses together too spill a bit of each others drink into every glass. You drink immediately following the CHEERS and cannot put your glass down or thats automatic suspicion.
The ritual of CHEERS was invented to prevent assassination in norse days. If someone poisoned a drink then they would all crash the glasses together too spill a bit of each others drink into every glass. You drink immediately following the CHEERS and cannot put your glass down or thats automatic suspicion.
Steven Hawking's Tutor
Posts: 4,958
Location: Saint John, N.B.
Location: Saint John, N.B.
January 4th, 2006, 02:09 AM
In Rome, at the public toilets, a sponge on the end of a stick was kept in a bucket of salt water. This was used to clean one's backside after defecating.
Sometimes one would reach down and grab the wrong end, thus "getting the ****ty end of the stick"
In Rome, at the public toilets, a sponge on the end of a stick was kept in a bucket of salt water. This was used to clean one's backside after defecating.
Sometimes one would reach down and grab the wrong end, thus "getting the ****ty end of the stick"
Clever Clogs
Posts: 608
Location: earth
Location: earth
January 4th, 2006, 08:32 AM
'magine..................
Quoting
EEEEEEEEEW!!!
In Rome, at the public toilets, a sponge on the end of a stick was kept in a bucket of salt water. This was used to clean one's backside after defecating.
Sometimes one would reach down and grab the wrong end, thus "getting the ****ty end of the stick"
Sometimes one would reach down and grab the wrong end, thus "getting the ****ty end of the stick"
'magine..................
