Fact O' The Day

[Krandall]

'A volcanic eruption in Peru killed an estimated 2 million people in Russia.'


In the year 1600, a stratovolcano (one with a conical shape) in Peru named Huaynaputina erupted, sending an enormous amount of ash and sulfur into the atmosphere, but the real destruction occurred in the Northern hemisphere, specifically Russia, where it created an extremely cold winter and led to the worst famine in history -- one that lasted until 1603 and is believed to have led to the deaths of as many as one third of the Russian population.

[Krandall]

'The longest-running ad jingle in TV history ends with the line: "It's fun for a girl and a boy." '



Written by ad men Homer Fesperman and Charles Weagley and first heard in a 1963 television commercial, the jingle for the Slinky has not changed since that original premiere and continues to be used to sell the toy, which was first invented in the 1940s. Since its launch, more than 300 million Slinkys have been sold worldwide.

[dragonz]

'The longest-running ad jingle in TV history ends with the line: "It's fun for a girl and a boy." '



Written by ad men Homer Fesperman and Charles Weagley and first heard in a 1963 television commercial, the jingle for the Slinky has not changed since that original premiere and continues to be used to sell the toy, which was first invented in the 1940s. Since its launch, more than 300 million Slinkys have been sold worldwide.

One of the most usless, timewasting, but still rather amusing inventions ever!
Bit like the internet really...............

[Krandall]

'A possum set the record recently for the longest mammalian hibernation. '



In 2007, an Australian Eastern Pygmy Possum went on a lengthy feed under the direction of a New England zoologist (as well as the watchful eye of the folks at the Guinness Book of World Records) and then went into hibernation, a deep sleep that lasted a record 367 days, making this the first known mammal ever to have slept for a full year.

[dragonz]

'A possum set the record recently for the longest mammalian hibernation. '



In 2007, an Australian Eastern Pygmy Possum went on a lengthy feed under the direction of a New England zoologist (as well as the watchful eye of the folks at the Guinness Book of World Records) and then went into hibernation, a deep sleep that lasted a record 367 days, making this the first known mammal ever to have slept for a full year.

Brian has only slept 364 so far....................

[Krandall]

'One of the most popular early medical treatments for sexual dysfunction involved goat gonads. '


In the 1920s, Dr. John Brinkley created a procedure to treat sexual dysfunction and low libido for men and women in which he transplanted tissue from the gonads of goats into his patients. He is believed to have performed the medically discredited procedure thousands of times for the then-huge sum of $750. As a result he became one of the most financially successful quacks of the 20th century. He even purposefully wore his facial hair in a goatee as a means of publicity.

[dragonz]

'One of the most popular early medical treatments for sexual dysfunction involved goat gonads. '


In the 1920s, Dr. John Brinkley created a procedure to treat sexual dysfunction and low libido for men and women in which he transplanted tissue from the gonads of goats into his patients. He is believed to have performed the medically discredited procedure thousands of times for the then-huge sum of $750. As a result he became one of the most financially successful quacks of the 20th century. He even purposefully wore his facial hair in a goatee as a means of publicity.

Re-post
Weve already tried that on Preddy

[Krandall]

my bad

'The initials for the tabloid site TMZ stand for "30-mile zone."'


Launched in 2005 by AOL and overseen by former Los Angeles area legal correspondent Harvey Levin, TMZ.com has become one of the most visited celebrity news sources on the web, thanks to having been the first to break several huge stories -- including the death of Michael Jackson. The name itself stands for "30-mile zone," an area where many celebrities live that radiates out in 360 degrees from the corner of Beverly and La Cienega boulevards in L.A.

[Krandall]

Only five U.S. states use special elections to fill unexpected Senate seats. '


The 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution allows the legislature of each state to empower the governor to appoint a replacement to occupy the seat until the end of the term. The huge majority of states do exactly this, and the governor is free to choose a replacement from his or her own party, whether they shared that party with the departing Senator or not. Arizona and Massachusetts are among the small handful of states that require special elections to fill the seat.

[Krandall]

An estimated 1,000 Americans die every year from autoerotic asphyxiation.'


Autoerotic asphyxiation (AeA), practiced by so-called "gaspers," involves constricting the two primary blood vessels in the neck during sex and orgasm, the carotid artery heading north to the brain and the jugular vein heading back to the heart. The FBI published this estimation in the 1980s; experts believe it's much higher now, but that many such deaths are reported as suicides.

[Krandall]

Splenda was initially designed to be an insecticide. '


Splenda, also known as sucralose, has in recent years overtaken its rivals (like Equal) to become the No. 1 no-calorie artificial sweetener on the market. However, according to Discover Magazine, it was never meant to be a sweetener; rather, a lab assistant was told to take a sample for testing and allegedly heard "tasting" and put a bit in his or her mouth, and was surprised by the sweet taste. In 1998, presumably after many changes, the FDA approved Splenda for widespread use as a sweetener.






'In the average oil field, only one-third of the oil is recovered. '


That's generally about how much oil in a typical field is relatively easy to recover. The other two-thirds of the oil might, for example, be locked into rock and very, very difficult to recover. Oil fields almost always produce substantially more oil than is initially predicted, because those predictions are based on the current drilling and recovering technology. As technology advances over many years, the predictions about oil yield tend to skyrocket

[Krandall]

The highest recorded IQ in history is 228.'


For many years, the Guinness Book of World Records has listed the IQ (Intelligence Quotient) of Marilyn vos Savant as the world's highest at an astonishing 228 (the average IQ is 100). This IQ may explain why Savant has been the author of "Ask Marilyn," one of the most successful and widely syndicated question-and-answer columns around addressing a broad range of topics, since 1986. Incidentally, Savant is married to Robert Jarvik, credited with the invention of the Jarvik 7, the first artificial heart.

[Krandall]

'Since 2006, more than two million votes have been cast for the Top 49 list.'



Since the inception of the Top 49 Most Influential Men list 2006 (when George Clooney came in at No. 1), AskMen.com readers have cast over two million votes in favor of the men they deemed to be the most influential representatives of our gender -- the men who had the greatest impact on how other men behave, dress, buy, and think. In 2007, David Beckham had the honor of being No. 1, and in 2008, just prior to his election, Barack Obama was chosen as the Most Influential Man of 2008. Who was chosen as the most influential man of 2009? Click through the feature, live on AskMen.com as of 10 a.m. EST on October 6.

[dragonz]

'Since 2006, more than two million votes have been cast for the Top 49 list.'



Since the inception of the Top 49 Most Influential Men list 2006 (when George Clooney came in at No. 1), AskMen.com readers have cast over two million votes in favor of the men they deemed to be the most influential representatives of our gender -- the men who had the greatest impact on how other men behave, dress, buy, and think. In 2007, David Beckham had the honor of being No. 1, and in 2008, just prior to his election, Barack Obama was chosen as the Most Influential Man of 2008. Who was chosen as the most influential man of 2009? Click through the feature, live on AskMen.com as of 10 a.m. EST on October 6.

I'll give you a clue, it wasn't the guy who breaks swingarms on raptor rallies 

[Krandall]

'October 15 is Global Handwashing Day. '


Global Handwashing Day -- that's with soap, not just with water -- was first celebrated in 2008 as a means of promoting good heath and raising awareness among children of the value of handwashing with soap to fight the spread of infectious diseases. The date of October 15 was established by the United Nations General Assembly, and the organization behind the annual celebration claims that at least 20 seconds are required to fully cleanse one's hands.