Things I did not know until today...........

[pair8head]

We all learn new things. Some people try to learn something new every day. So I thought this might be a good idea for a thread.


Today I learned that Oktoberfest started out as a wedding celebration 200 year ago.
http://tinyurl.com/24a8z2z

[piratenurse]

How's this?

A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.

I have to try this just to see it.

[SMLCHNG]

The dryer in our new apartment has a buzzer that goes off when the cycle is done. Scared the crap outta me.

[citcat]

The dryer in our new apartment has a buzzer that goes off when the cycle is done. Scared the crap outta me.

Mine always seems to do that right when I'm walking by it.......if I'm carrying something, I drop it.

[bravedave]

The stink bugs that have recently invaded certain locales on the east coast are a foreign species that made it to this country from Asia about ten years ago.

[Brown Eyed Girl]

I didn't know that fig beetles are helpless if they flip on their backs...they apparently have no way to right themselves.

Even though they scare the crap outta me (they're big, green, buzzy and seem to have to sense of direction), I can't stand seeing anything suffer, especially something harmless. So I also learned that I have the courage to go outside amidst a whole lot of hornets to give said fig beetle a push with the broom to turn him over. And I didn't scream like a little girl as I raced back in the house.

[piratenurse]

Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter "A"?

A. One thousand

[SMLCHNG]

So I also learned that I have the courage to go outside amidst a whole lot of hornets to give said fig beetle a push with the broom to turn him over. And I didn't scream like a little girl as I raced back in the house.

[piratenurse]

23% of all photocopier faults worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their butts.

I have no doubt this is true. A few years ago, my supervisor was out sick and his boss went into his filing cabinet looking for a form. He found some photocopies, all right. It wasn't his butt. I'll leave you to figure out what it was. Ewww! I have hated having to use copiers at work ever since.

[Brown Eyed Girl]

So I also learned that I have the courage to go outside amidst a whole lot of hornets to give said fig beetle a push with the broom to turn him over. And I didn't scream like a little girl as I raced back in the house.

Actually, that's wrong. It was a mass of yellowjackets outside. Can't find the nest though. It's HORNETS that are inside and getting into the upstairs. I've got a baaaad feeling about this. Over a year ago I reported a honeybee swarm on the outside of one of the units across from us. The property company sent someone out and said they couldn't find anything. Apparently they were blind, because all you had to do was follow the bees. I showed it to my neighbor and he took some pics and sent them to the property company. I looked yesterday and entire sections of stucco has been ripped out to get at the hive. Man...I hope that's not what the hornets are doing here. I see them flying around but have yet to see them getting into the house from the outside, so it has to be on the roof.

As much as I don't like the fig beetles, I'll take them over hornets any day. But I braved all the flying buzzy things again today to try to scrape off the squished figs on the patio, cuz I know that's not helping the problem.

[irishcajunphan]

I try to learn my one new thing a day as early as possible. That way, I am off the hook until the next day. Today, I learned that I had an elevated white cell count when I was in the hospital for chest pains all weekend, and no one told me about it.

[tikitatas]

Today I leaned the difference between butterscotch, caramel and toffee. The names are used for different stages of caramelization of white or brown sugar:

Butterscotch = caramelized brown sugar 239°F-257°F (115°C - 125°C)
Toffee = brown sugar caramelized to hard crack stage 302°F-320°F (150°C - 160°C)
Caramel = white sugar heated to the point it browns, which starts at 338°F (170°C)

The "-scotch" in the butterscotch has nothing to do with alcoholic drink and the Wikipedia lists a few theories of why it has that name -"Food historians have several theories regarding the name and origin of this confectionery, but none are conclusive. One explanation is the meaning "to cut or score" for the word "scotch", as the confection must be cut into pieces, or "scotched", before hardening.[1][2] It is also possible that the "scotch" part of its name was derived from the word "scorch"."

[aeroparrot]

Troy Polamalu's hair was insured by the makers of Head n Shoulders shampoo.

[sonofabeach]

Today I learned that people are asian and rugs are oriental.

[SeattleParrotHead]

Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter "A"?

A. One thousand

ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine, a hundred . . . .

[Lightning Bolt]

Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter "A"?

A. One thousand

ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine, a hundred . . . .

..six, seven, ate, nine, ten...

[Lightning Bolt]

I learned today that in this economic downturn/freefall we're still struggling through,

...of ALL the jobs lost in this current cycle, 82% of those jobs belonged to MEN ....basically 5 out 6.

[SeattleParrotHead]

I learned today that in this economic downturn/freefall we're still struggling through,

...of ALL the jobs lost in this current cycle, 82% of those jobs belonged to MEN ....basically 5 out 6.

'cuz we make more money? (Uh, sorry, wrong thread!)

[Lightning Bolt]

I learned today that in this economic downturn/freefall we're still struggling through,

...of ALL the jobs lost in this current cycle, 82% of those jobs belonged to MEN ....basically 5 out 6.

'cuz we make more money? (Uh, sorry, wrong thread!)

no, because we're smarter, and stronger, and faster, and could open WAYYYY more jars

[MacPhin]

I learned today that in this economic downturn/freefall we're still struggling through,

...of ALL the jobs lost in this current cycle, 82% of those jobs belonged to MEN ....basically 5 out 6.

'cuz we make more money? (Uh, sorry, wrong thread!)

no, because we're smarter, and stronger, and faster, and could open WAYYYY more jars

yes, all that and at a cheaper labor rate...............that's why so many men are being laid off.