Fact O' The Day

[Krandall]

'Guantanamo Bay Naval Base has a McDonald's and a Domino's Pizza. '


The U.S. military base on the island of Cuba has been shrouded in mystery since becoming a high-security prison for suspected terrorists in 2002. However, U.S. military presence dates back over a century, allowing plenty of time for a small city to have grown around the base. In 1986, McDonald's moved in; they've been followed by KFC, Subway and Domino's Pizza, to name a few, although Cuban citizens don't have access -- the franchises only serve the military base.

[Krandall]

'In 1889, a wooden-hulled ship and an iron-hulled ship collided, with disastrous results for the steamship. '


Late one night in 1889 on the English Channel, the 210-foot-long wooden-hulled cargo ship Vandalia collided head-on with the massive 3,000-ton, 380-foot-long iron-hulled steamship Duke of Buccleugh. In a matter of minutes, the Duke of Buccleugh disappeared beneath the waves, taking her captain and the entire crew of 47 with her. The Vandalia was damaged but did not sink. Historians at a loss to explain the collision's curious outcome have tended to blame the Duke's captain.

[Krandall]

'Two iconic symbols of the Olympic games were first launched by the Nazis.'

Hitler designed the enormous pageantry of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin as a global showcase for Nazi power and Aryan supremacy. Two of the traditions created by Hitler and the Nazis to meet these ends include the Olympic Torch Relay and the ceremony of lighting the flame to begin the games, and the very symbol of the games themselves, the five interlocking rings.

[Krandall]

'Patrick Roy is the only goalie to win the Calder Cup and the Stanley Cup in consecutive seasons.'


More than 100 players and coaches have won both the Calder Cup and Stanley Cup in their careers, most recently Sergei Gonchar and Philippe Boucher, but only one goalie has won both cups, back to back: Playing for the AHL's Sherbrooke Canadiens, Patrick Roy lead the team to the 1984-85 Calder Cup championship despite playing just one game for the team during the regular season. The following year, as an NHL rookie, Roy backstopped the Montreal Canadiens to the 1985-86 Stanley Cup.

[Krandall]

'18th century pirates elected their captains by democratic vote. '


The early 18th century is considered the "golden age of piracy," because of the legendary pirate captains who plied their trade during this era. Captains such as Blackbeard (Edward Teach), Benjamin Hornigold and Henry Morgan had fearsome reputations, but all operated according to a Pirate Code, which differed from ship to ship but in general dictated that each ship elected a captain and quartermaster by democratic vote.

[Krandall]

'An estimated 99,000 people die each year from infections picked up in U.S. hospitals.'


Experts estimate that as many as 1.7 million people who enter U.S. hospitals each year end up contracting an avoidable and unnecessary infection during their hospital stay, and that 99,000 of them will die from those infections. A good percentage of these infections occur because of mishandling of so-called central lines -- IV's and ports that are used to get drugs and medications into the patient and often remain there for days or weeks at a time.

[Gunz]

Funyun

[Krandall]

[Krandall]

'A common procedure performed on infants amounts to big business in biotech labs. '

Male circumcision is routinely performed at hospitals throughout the U.S., despite increasing evidence that it is not necessarily beneficial for the child. The removed foreskin, however, is often grown into thousands of square feet of new tissue by biotech labs, and can be used as skin for burn victims and to help manufacturer insulin among other uses. The circumcised skin of one child can be extrapolated into 250,000 square feet of new skin and sold at $3,000 per square foot.



so mah dick may be on someones face you know.

[Peelz]

'A common procedure performed on infants amounts to big business in biotech labs. '

Male circumcision is routinely performed at hospitals throughout the U.S., despite increasing evidence that it is not necessarily beneficial for the child. The removed foreskin, however, is often grown into thousands of square feet of new tissue by biotech labs, and can be used as skin for burn victims and to help manufacturer insulin among other uses. The circumcised skin of one child can be extrapolated into 250,000 square feet of new skin and sold at $3,000 per square foot.



so mah dick may be on someones face you know.

well mah bawlz are on yo momma's chin....

[Krandall]

'The "Presidential shell game" refers to a security maneuver performed by the U.S. Marines. '


Established under Eisenhower, the Marine One helicopter serves to carry the U.S. president from the south lawn of the White House to points nearby or to the tarmac where Air Force One awaits. However, "Marine One" is the President's exclusive call sign, not a helicopter designation. A handful of HMX-1 helicopters play the part of Marine One, dependent on which one the president is on. When transported this way, three or four identical HMX-1 helicopters fly together -- referred to as the "Presidential shell game" -- to confuse anyone looking to shoot the President down.

[funyun]

What if they just shoot down all four

[Krandall]

kinda what I was thinking. But.. meh.

[Peelz]

What if they just shoot down all four

the gov't can spend more money this way.

[Krandall]

'Tickets to the Toronto Maple Leafs are the most expensive in the NHL. '
Since the 2007-08 season, tickets to see the Toronto Maple Leafs have been the most expensive in the league, although average prices for the 2009-10 season are far and away the most expensive in recorded league history, and at $117.49, the only average ticket price ever to cost $100 or more.