Thursday, April 30, 2009
What was the first song Two Way Radio sang in "Five Dollar Cover"?
Search: two way radio kate crowder
Why: Well, I guess I liked it. I can't wait to see it again on "Five Dollar Cover" (premiering May 1 on mtv.com)!
Answer: "Carrie Rodgers"! Here is a video of them singing it live at the Hi-Tone:
Source: Myspace.com/twowayradiomemphis
The More You Know: I'm pretty sure their keyboardist (Joe) went to high school with me. I think Rachel used to have a crush on him. Is that true, Rachel? Are you reading this like I asked you to?
What is Muck Sticky's real name?
Search: muck sticky real name
Why: Because no one is really named Muck Sticky. He was at the premiere of "Five Dollar Cover" tonight, wearing pajama pants and a big weird hat. Weirdo.
Answer: Hmm... I don't think I believe this:
murvous thrifty his mom is sheri thriftySource: WikiAnswers
The More You Know: Here is a video of Muck Sticky singing "The Icky Muck" at The New Daisy. Another douchebag who has achieve minor celebrity status around Memphis is Robert "Prince Mongo" Hodges (of the planet Zambodia). Doooouche chiiiiill.
Does Harlan Bobo always dress like a zombie clown?
Search: harlan bobo
Why: In "Five Dollar Cover," he looks like a zombie clown. Watch his performance right here. It's at the Hi-Tone!
Answer: No! Sometimes he looks like vaudeville hobo Guy Fawkes, and sometimes he wears no makeup at all!
Source: Myspace.com/harlantbobo
The More You Know: "Five Dollar Cover" is an MTV documentary-style web series about Memphis bands. Director Craig Brewer (who did Hustle and Flow and Black Snake Moan) hosted a premiere tonight in Memphis and we got to see all 15 of the webisodes. They are pretty entertaining! Watch the first one on mtv.com May 1 at midnight EST. Go Memphis!
What is an 11-sided polygon called?
Search: 11 sided polygon
Why: Sadie's placemat has various shapes on it, but none have 11 sides.
Answer: Hendecagon! And an 11-sided polyhedron is called a hendecahedron. It might look like this:
Source: Mathforum.org
The More You Know: Here are some other names:
- 9 - enneagon
- 12 - dodecagon
- 13 - triskaidecagon
- 14 - tetrakaidecagon
- 19 - enneakaidecagon
- 20 - icosagon
- 21 - icosikaihenagon
- 22 - icosikaidigon
- 23 - icosikaitrigon
- 30 - triacontagon
- 31 - triacontakaihenagon
- 32 - triacontakaidigon
- 40 - tetracontagon
- 50 - pentacontagon
- 100 - hectogon
- 1000 - chiliagon
- 10000 - myriagon
Where did the name Radio Flyer come from?
Search: radio flyer
Why: My mom found a scrapbook that included a print ad I was in for the Flexible Flyer. (I am out of town right now, but maybe I will scan it when I get home. I was adorable.)
Answer: Inventor Antonio Pasin coined the name in 1930 in honor of his fascination with flight and the invention of the radio. He called his company Radio Steel & Manufacturing. It was the largest producer of toy wagons, producing 1500 a day despite the Great Depression.
Source: Wikipedia
The More You Know: The movie Radio Flyer (1992) is great. I own it. Dan is a big fan of the theory that Bobby is a figment of Mike's imagination.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
What does the name Kermit mean?
Search: kermit name
Why: Teddy Roosevelt had a son named Kermit. It's ridiculous. It almost looks like an acronym.
Answer: It is the Anglicized form of the surname McDiarmuid. Diarmuid is an Irish Gaelic name. It comes from di-tharmait, "without envy" (which is funny because green = envy).
Variant of Dermot. Similar baby names are Hermite and Karmi.
Source: ThinkBabyNames
The More You Know: Kermit the Frog was introduced in 1955. Here is a chart of the name's booming popularity over the last century:
What was the name of that caterpillar man in "Freaks"?
Search: freaks human caterpillar
Why: Billy sent me this video of the Human Treeman.
Answer: They called him Prince Randian, but no one is sure what is real name was. He was born in Demerara, British Guiana, without arms or legs. Here he is in "Freaks" (1932) lighting a cigarette using only his mouth:
Source: TheHumanMarvels
The More You Know: Prince Randian spoke Hindi, English, French, and German. He was married and had 4 children.
Where does the term "on the lam" come from?
Search: on the lam
Why: Marge went on the lam.
Answer: The root of lam is the Old Norse word lamja, meaning "to make lame." The original meaning of lam, when it first appeared in English back in the 16th century, was "to beat soundly" (from Icelandic lemja: "thrash or beat").
The change in the meaning of lam from "beat" to "run away" probably echoed another slang term for running away - "beat it." To "beat it" or "lam it" is to rapidly beat the road with one's feet by running.
Source: Phrases.org.ukThe More You Know: The English word lame is from the same source, as is lambaste, a double whammy: the baste part is from a Scandinavian root meaning "to beat with a stick."
How did Carmen Miranda die?
Search: carmen miranda
Why: On "America's Next Top Model," Sutan the hairdresser said:
She died a paaaainful deeeath.Answer: A heart attack while on TV!
On August 4, 1955, at age 46, Miranda suffered a heart attack during a segment of the live "The Jimmy Durante Show." After completing a dance number, she unknowingly suffered a mild heart attack, and nearly collapsed. She quickly pulled herself together and finished the show. At the end of the broadcast, she smiled and waved, then exited the stage. She died later that night after suffering a second heart attack at her home.Here's the clip:
Source: Wikipedia
The More You Know: Carmen Miranda played Chiquita Hart in Something For the Boys (1944).
How do you play KenKen?
Search: kenken
Why: It's in the back of my Reader's Digest, taunting me.
Answer: It's kind of like Sudoku, except you have to add. Yipes! I can't really put the whole tutorial in this space, so here is a link. Try it out!
Source: KenKen.com
The More You Know: KenKen was invented by a schoolteacher, kind of like Airborne.
What was "agon" in the Greek games?
Search: agon
Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #83 Across: Competition at the Greek games
AGONAnswer: Oh. It's just a competition:
- A conflict, especially between the protagonist and antagonist in a work of literature.
- The part of an ancient Greek drama, especially a comedy, in which two characters engage in verbal dispute.
- A test of will; a conflict: “Freud's originality stemmed from his aggression and ambition in his agon with biology” (Harold Bloom).
- A contest in ancient Greece, as in athletics or music, in which prizes were awarded.
The More You Know: This is the root of the word agony (an intense struggle).
What does a dudgeon look like?
Search: dudgeon knife
Why: In the In Touch Weekly crossword, #55 down: Wood used for dagger handle
DUDGEONAnswer: Only medieval cutlers called it "dudgeon." Now we call it boxwood:
Source: Knives by Nick
The More You Know: Dudgeon also means: n. sullen, angry, or indignant humor, as in:
Slamming the door in Meg's face, Aunt March drove off in high dudgeon.
(Louisa May Alcott)
What does the Swedish term "lagom" mean?
Search: lagom
Why: On the Facebook quiz "What is your true Inner Nationality?"
SWEDEN! You are friendly, gentle, and modest, with a good heart and a lusty nature. You laugh easily, have a well-developed sense of irony, and tend to understand people intuitively. You are interested in new people, but will always maintain notions of insider vs. outsider, and this will lead you to commit to a group of friends and lovers who will be with you your entire life. If you have a weakness it's your timidity -- you feel pressure to remain 'lagom' -- on an even par with others. But this is also your strength.Answer: Variously: enough, sufficient, adequate, just right, in moderation, in balance, optimal, suitable, and average. But whereas words like "sufficient" and "average" suggest some degree of abstinence, scarcity, or failure, lagom carries the connotation of perfection or appropriateness.
Source: Wikipedia
The More You Know: The archetypical Swedish proverb "Lagom är bäst," literally "Lagom is best," is translated as "Enough is as good as a feast" in the Lexin dictionary. The same proverb is translated as "There is virtue in moderation" in Prismas Stora Engelska Ordbok.
Monday, April 27, 2009
How old is Jon Favreau?
Search: jon favreau
Why: He played the clown who didn't know who Bozo was in the "Seinfeld" episode "The Fire," which aired in May 1994.
Answer: 42. He was born October 19, 1966.
Source: Wikipedia
The More You Know: He wrote a movie called Couples Retreat that is scheduled to come out later this year. Some of the couples in it are played by:
- Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman
- Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell
- Jon Favreau and Kristin Davis
How would I escape a wild bear?
Search: escape a grizzly bear
Why: There are different rules for different kinds of bears.
Answer: The first way would probably to be to stay out of the woods and other places bears live. Otherwise:
- Avoid encounters with bears in the first place. They don't want to be near you, either. Announce your presence in their environment by talking loudly, singing, or jingling bells. Use proper food storage techniques while camping. Hike in open areas so that a bear can spot you from a distance. Leave dogs at home or keep them leashed. If you see bear tracks, take a detour or leave the area.
- Stay the hell away from it. If it doesn't see you, retreat calmly and quietly. If a bear sees you, begin speaking in a low, calm voice and retreat slowly. Keep an eye on it, but don't make eye contact. Your goal is to communicate that you are human (you can defend yourself and are not frightened), that you are non-threatening, and that you are leaving its territory.
- Stand tall. Move slowly - do not run. Speak softly. If the bear approaches you, speak more loudly, but still calmly. Wave your arms so you look bigger, but don't be aggressive. Do not crouch, play dead, or otherwise show fear, vulnerability, or submission. If it charges you, stay where you are - it is most likely bluffing.
- Recognize the kind of bear you are dealing with. In North America, there are brown bears (grizzly and Kodiak), black bears, and polar bears.
- Recognize the bear's motivations. If it is stalking you or it is night time, it probably sees you as food. Any attack will be predatory. If it has cubs, is eating, or if you surprise it, the bear will be acting in self-defense.
- Respond based on the situation:
- If a grizzly bear or polar bear makes a non-predatory attack (in self-defense), play dead. This will put it at ease. Do this only after the bear attempts to make contact with you. Lie flat on the ground and cover the back of your neck with your hands. Keep your legs together and do not struggle. Make sure the bear is completely gone before you start moving again. It may be watching you.
- If any bear makes a predatory attack, fight back. Any bear (usually a black bear) that makes predatory attacks on a human is either immature, starving, or wounded. It will be easily scared away if you hit it or scare it.
The More You Know: Don't climb trees. Bears can climb, too.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
What is Alice Cooper's full name?
Search: alice cooper
Why: I am writing an essay about how much I dislike masked psychopaths in movies. In Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991), he played Freddy Krueger's abusive foster father.
Answer: Vincent Damon Furnier. He was born Feb. 4, 1948, in Detroit.
Source: Wikipedia
The More You Know: Early press releases claimed that the stage name was agreed upon after a session with a Ouija board, during which it was revealed that Furnier was the reincarnation of a 17th century witch named Alice Cooper. However, this story was a publicity stunt - the name actually came out of thin air, conjuring an image of "a cute and sweet little girl with a hatchet behind her back." (Other rumors included that the name was an inside joke associated with a character in the "Andy Griffith" spin-off "Mayberry RFD," and that Alice Cooper is the name of Betty Cooper's mother in Archie Comics.) The band hoped that the concept of a male playing the role of an androgynous witch - in tattered women's clothing and wearing make-up - would cause social controversy and grab headlines. Furnier later said that the name change was one of his most important and brilliant career moves.
What is swine flu?
Search: swine flu
Why: It's all anyone ever talks about anymore.
Answer: A respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses. Outbreaks of swine flu happen regularly in pigs. People do not normally get it, but human infections can and do happen. Most commonly, human cases of swine flu happen in people who are around pigs, though it's possible for swine flu viruses to spread from person to person. The new strain found in Mexico and the U.S. is a mixture of swine, human, and avian flu viruses.
Symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu: fever, cough, body aches, fatigue, etc. In humans, cases can vary in severity from mild to severe. From 2005 until January 2009, 12 human cases of swine flu were detected in the U.S. with no deaths occurring. When passing from person to person, it is thought to transfer mainly through the coughing or sneezing of infected people.
Swine flu viruses are not spread through food. People can not get it from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.
Source: News.XinhuaNet
The More You Know:
Were any dinosaurs bigger than blue whales?
Search: blue whales bigger than dinosaurs
Why: According to Wikipedia: "The Blue Whale is the largest animal ever to have lived."
Answer: No! A few of the biggest dinosaurs may have been longer than the blue whale, but none compared to its actual body size. This is because land animals have growth limitations due to gravity. The bigger an animal becomes, the bigger its bones, muscles, organs, etc. need to be to support it its bulk. It also must eat more to sustain itself.
In the sea, however, there are no such constraints because water supports the bulk, and there are literally millions of tons of available food.
Compare sizes:
Source: TheNatureInUS, Yahoo Answers!
The More You Know: Fun Facts! A blue whale:
- Can be up to 110 ft long
- Can weigh 200+ tons
- Is as big as a town of 2,700 people
- Has to eat 1-2 million calories a day
- Has a tongue that weighs more than an elephant
- Has arteries big enough for a man to swim through
- Has 8 tons of blood
- Has a heart that weighs 1,000 lbs
Can kudzu really grow 6 ft per day?
Search: kudzu
Why: Someone told me that a long time ago. I saw some today on the Santa Monica Freeway. Zack doesn't know what it is.
Answer: It grows up to 1 ft per day during summer months, climbing trees, power poles, mailboxes, trucks, and concrete. Under ideal conditions (like the Southeastern US), it can grow up to 60 ft a year and look like the Grim Reaper:
Source: The Amazing Story of Kudzu
The More You Know: Kudzu was introduced to the US in 1876 at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Invited to build an exhibit, the Japanese government constructed a beautiful garden featuring the vine. American gardeners began to use it for ornamental purposes and soon noticed that animals would eat the leaves. Kudzu was also advertised and sold to prevent erosion. Now it covers over 7 million acres in the deep South and takes up to 10 years to kill. Some herbicides actually make it grow faster.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Who wrote "Here Comes the Bride"?
Search: here comes the bride
Why: I don't think Megan McAllister will get her dream beach wedding after all.
Answer: The "Bridal Chorus" is from the 1850 opera Lohengrin by composer Richard Wagner. In the opera, the chorus is sung after the ceremony by the women of the wedding party as they accompany the heroine Elsa to the bridal chamber. The marriage between Elsa and Lohengrin is an almost immediate failure.
The "Wedding March" is completely different, composed by Felix Mendelssohn for a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1842. It became popular at weddings when it was selected by Victoria, The Princess Royal for her marriage to Prince Frederick William of Prussia in 1858.
Anyway, here they both are:
Source: Wikipedia
The More You Know: The "Bridal Chorus" is seldom played at Jewish weddings, which do not feature a processional. This also may be because of Wagner's reputation as a hater of Jews (including Mendelssohn).
Is it "confidant" or "confidante"?
Search: confidante
Why: Bea Arthur died. She was a pal and a confidante.
Answer: Both!
confidant = a close friend or associate to whom secrets are confided or with whom private matters and problems are discussed
confidante = a woman to whom secrets are confided or with whom private matters and problems are discussed
Source: Dictionary.com
The More You Know: They are pronounced the same, like fiancé and fiancée. Also,
What's the different between a couch and a sofa?
Search: couch vs sofa
Why: I never used to say "sofa," but now sometimes I do. I also sometimes say "soda," but just as a joke.
Answer: A couch is the armless variety of furniture that one would have seen in the Victorian period, as in "fainting couch." It comes from the French coucher, "to lie down."
Sofa has this etymology:
1625, "raised section of a floor, covered with carpets and cushions," from Turk. sofa, from Ar. suffah "bench." Meaning "long stuffed seat for reclining" is recorded from 1717.or
Turkish, from Arabic suffa, carpet, divan, from Aramaic sippa, absolute form of sippeta, mator "someplace meant for reclining or sitting, but not laying."
Source: EZineArticles
The More You Know: Whatever, I lay on my csooufcah all the time. I have half a mind to lay on it right now.
Where did maraschino cherries come from?
Search: maraschino cherries
Why: I had one today and also a few last night.
Answer: The name comes from the Marasca cherry that grows wild in Dalmatia on the coast of Croatia. Before there was any real way to preserve fruit, the locals would pickle the cherries in seawater. Then they would marinate them in a liqueur they called maraschino, made from the Marasca's juice, pits, and leaves.
Rich Americans tasted maraschino cherries in Europe and brought them (either physically or theoretically) back in the late 1800s. In the face of the growing temperance movement, American producers began to experiment with so many flavors and other types of cherries that in 1912, the USDA felt the need to decree that only "marasca cherries preserved in maraschino" could be called "maraschino cherries."
The modern method of making them was invented in Oregon, which has the perfect climate and conditions for growing the notoriously finicky cherry. However, Oregon cherries would turn mush before they reached East Coast maraschino manufacturers. OSU professor Ernest Wiegand spent 6 years during (and independent of) Prohibition looking for a solution to the problem of the wasted crops. He then figured out that adding calcium salts to the brine would firm the cherries up.
It wasn't long before a tariff was passed that made those Italian cherries very expensive to import.
Source: WhatsCookingAmerica
The More You Know: After Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the FDA revisited the federal policy towards canned cherries. Since 1940, "maraschino cherries" have been defined as "cherries which have been dyed red, impregnated with sugar and packed in a sugar sirup flavored with oil of bitter almonds or a similar flavor."
Friday, April 24, 2009
Something very cool
What's in a road flare?
Search: road flare
Why: Just saw a little part of one between lanes on the freeway, still blazing.
Answer: Road flares (also called highway flares or ground flares) are known as fusees, and burn 10-60 minutes with a bright red light. Flares produce light through the combustion of a pyrotechnic composition. The ingredients are varied, but often based on strontium nitrate, potassium nitrate, or potassium perchlorate and mixed with a fuel such as charcoal, sulfur, sawdust, aluminium, magnesium, or a suitable polymeric resin. Flares may be colored by the inclusion of pyrotechnic colorants. Calcium flares are used underwater to illuminate submerged objects.
Source: Wikipedia
The More You Know: In the days before train radio communications, fusees were used to keep trains apart on un-signaled lines. A railroad fusee was timed to burn for 10 minutes and then dropped on the tracks behind a train. If a following train encountered a burning fusee, it was not to pass until the fusee burned out. Fusees made specifically for railroad use have a sharp steel spike at one end, used to embed the fusee upright in a wooden railroad tie.
Why does stress cause acne?
Search: why does stress cause acne
Why: I've got the end-of-semester boyfriend's-parents-are-visiting gotta-go-to-Memphis-to-see-my-brother's-new-baby-three-days-before-my-thesis-is-due pizza-face breakout blues.
Answer: Until a couple of years ago, the medical field was divided on the issue of whether stress actually causes acne, but recently there have been many clinical studies which show that stress does worsen it in two ways. First, by stimulating adrenal glands to produce more hormones. Adrenal glands, which are located above the kidneys, secrete norepinephrine and epinephrine under stress and the adrenal cortex secretes male hormones. These male hormones are well known for stimulating the sebaceous gland to secrete more sebum, an oily substance in the hair follicles that lubricates hair and skin and ultimately results in the formation of acne.
Secondly, stress slows down the healing process. It ha been established that psychological stress can decrease the wound healing capacity of immune systems up to 40%, which doubles the impact of stress on acne.
Source: Acne-Resource.org
The More You Know: Stress also induces the adrenal glands into overproduction of cortisol, a steroid, which in turn makes sebaceous glands produce more oil and make skin extra oily.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
What's the song in that Volvo commercial?
Search: "let me say it if you don't mind"
Why: This commercial (except not in Swedish):
Answer: "It's Only You (Part II)" by Salem Al Fakir
Source: LeosLyrics
The More You Know: Salem Al Fakir is known (by some) as "the Swedish Mika."
When were pop-top cans invented?
Search: poptop cans
Why: Kate and Uncle Rico had pop-top DHARMA beer in 1977.
Answer: 1959 by Ermal Cleon Fraze, an Ohio manufacturer of tools and war materials (like gun barrels). He got the idea when he forgot to bring a can opener to a picnic and had to use a car bumper to pry his cans open.
His first version used a lever that pierced a hole in the can, but left sharp edges. Later he created the familiar pull-tab version, which had a ring attached to a rivet for pulling. He patented the pull-top in 1963. The Pittsburgh Brewing Company was the first customer to adopt the design, and soon saw huge sales increases. By 1965, nearly 75% of US breweries were using them.
Source: Inventor of the Week
The More You Know: Ermal Cleon Fraze is one of the best names I have heard in a long time.
What TV soap opera has the most episodes ever?
Search: longest running soap operas
Why: This website lists the Longest Running TV Shows, but the criteria include: US production, Fictional content, and No more than 1 new episode aired per week.
The top 5 are:
- WWE Raw (1997-present, 642 episodes)
- Gunsmoke (1955-1975, 633 eps)
- Lassie (1954-1973, 588 eps)
- WWE Smackdown! (1999-present, 505 eps)
- The Simpsons (1989-present, 441 eps)
- Guiding Light (1952-present; 15,638 episodes)
- As the World Turns (1956-present; 13,494 eps)
- General Hospital (1963-present; 11,792 eps)
- Days of Our Lives (1965-present; 11,066 eps)
- One Life to Live (1968-present; 10,405 eps)
- All My Children (1970-present; 10,108 eps)
- The Young and the Restless (1973-present; 9,131 eps)
- Search for Tomorrow (1951-1986; 9,130 eps)
- Another World (1954-1999; 8,891 eps)
- Love of Life (1951-1980; 7,500 eps)
The More You Know: WWE Raw had a different format when it first aired between 1993 and 1997. Since 1993, it has aired 830 total episodes.
Why was Audrey Hepburn so skinny?
Search: audrey hepburn skinny
Why: I'm watching Two for the Road. She is wearing what looks basically like a Spandex turtleneck and it still hangs off her.
Answer: Her thinness may have been leftover from bodily trauma she experienced as a teenager during World War II living in German-occupied Netherlands.
In 1939 (she was 10), her mother moved her and her two half-brothers to their grandfather's home in Arnhem in the Netherlands. Ella believed the Netherlands would be safe from German attack.Source: Wikipedia
In 1940, the Germans invaded the Netherlands. During the Nazi occupation, Hepburn adopted the pseudonym Edda van Heemstra, modifying her mother's documents because an 'English sounding' name was considered dangerous.
After the Allied landing on D-Day, living conditions grew worse, and Arnhem was subsequently devastated by Allied artillery fire that was part of Operation Market Garden. During the Dutch famine that followed, over the winter of 1944, the Germans confiscated the Dutch people's limited food and fuel supply for themselves. People starved and froze to death in the streets. Hepburn and many others resorted to making flour out of tulip bulbs to bake cakes and biscuits.Hepburn's half-brother, Ian van Ufford, spent time in a German labor camp. Suffering from malnutrition, Hepburn developed acute anemia, respiratory problems, and an edema.
The More You Know: Of Anne Frank, with whom she identified strongly (they were the exact same age) she said:
"We saw reprisals. We saw young men put against the wall and shot and they'd close the street and then open it and you could pass by again. If you read the diary, I've marked one place where she says 'five hostages shot today'. That was the day my uncle was shot."
What are these little red bugs all over my apartment?
Search: red bugs
Why: They're everywhere and I hate them. If you squish them, they leave a red smear. They look like they might be arachnids, but they are really too small to examine properly. Uch, disgusting.
Answer: Red mites / red velvet mites / spider mites / scrub mites / so gross.
Source: Google Images
The More You Know: Wikipedia says that chiggers (those things that bite you at summer camp if you wear elastic) are red mites in their larval stage. Chicago Wilderness Mag says red mites keep their mouthparts off of humans. Whatever, just kill them.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
What is an outrigger?
Search: outrigger
Why: In Pacific Coast Shark News:
On April 7, 2009 Scott Murdock and a companion were paddling their 21-foot outriggers 2 miles off the entrance to Newport Harbor in Newport Beach.Answer: Oh! It's that kind of canoe on "Lost" with an extra hull to stabilize the main vessel! We were just wondering what these were called the other day:
Source: Google Images
The More You Know: Here are Ben and Locke paddling around in one. Desmond and Charlie take another to the Looking Glass. Man, I can't believe how long Charlie's been gone.
What's that site with webcams that always show sun___s?
Search: endless sunrise, eternal sunrise, endless sunset, eternal sunset
Why: Carlie Brucia's 2004 abduction was caught on surveillance camera. Some webcams capture pleasant things!
Answer: www.eternalsunset.net! Right now, the sun is setting in Adelaide, AU. Goodnight, Adelaide!
Source: Google
The More You Know: Adelaide was named in honor of Queen Adelaide, who was born in Germany in 1732. The city was founded in 1836 and shaped by religious freedom; many of its early inhabitants were religious refugees from Germany. It was once known as the capital of the wowsers (prudes, puritans, killjoys), but today it is just called the City of Churches.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Do flamingos live in North America?
Search: flamingos
Why: This necklace is called "Miami Vice has a Girlfriend." There are a lot of plastic flamingos in Florida, but I haven't seen any in California:
Answer: American Flamingos breed in the northern Caribbean in the Bahamas, Hispaniola, Cuba, and Turks and Caicos. Most sightings in southern Florida are usually considered to be escapees, although at least one bird banded as a chick in the Yucatán Peninsula has been sighted in Everglades National Park. Others may be genuine wanderers from Cuba.
Source: Wikipedia
The More You Know: There are 5 other species of flamingo: Greater, Lesser, Chilean, James's, and Andean. Flamingos produce a type of "milk" due to a hormone called prolactin. The milk is produced in glands lining the the upper digestive tract, and contains fat, proteins, and red and white blood cells. Both parents nurse their chicks for about 2 months until their bills are developed enough to filter feed.
What does hypergraphia look like?
Search: hypergraphia
Why: A girl in tonight's episode of "SVU" had hypergraphia brought on by Pemoline. Hypergraphia is the overwhelming, compulsive, or obsessive urge to write. It is not itself a disorder, but can be associated with temporal lobe changes in epilepsy and main in the context of bipolar disorder.
Answer: A few examples by Lewis Carrol:
Charles Crumb:
and a guy named Matsumoto:
Source: WorldWithWords
The More You Know: In boring classes, I write my name a few hundred times on a sheet of paper. It passes the time.
I want to watch that "Look Out for Hypothermia" video
Search: look out for hypothermia
Why: Laurie said something about putting the lotion in the basket. I used to watch this video like once a week freshman year.
Answer: It is unembeddable! You will have to click here like I did!
Update oh god oh god:
Source: Humor Archive
The More You Know: Look out for your mom / She's wearing those shoes that you hate /
Your life is going before your eyes
and you remember the way
That ice-cream tasted
Did the Brown Bird whose leg Ross broke ever act again?
Search: the one where rachel quits
Why: That kid looks familiar, but she's so young and tiny.
Answer: It's Mae Whitman, TV's Ann Veal!
Source: IMDb
The More You Know: Shelley Berman is also in this episode. He teaches the LOLs in my program!
Who was Miss California this year?
Search: miss california
Why: In her country where she was raised, she supports "opposite marriage," not gay marriage.
Answer: Carrie Prejean. She is a junior at San Diego Christian College and loves the Padres.
Source: Fox News
The More You Know: There are two different Miss California pageants - regular Miss California, who will go on to compete in Miss America, and Miss California USA, who will compete in Miss USA and then Miss Universe.
What is Flo Rida's real name?
Who was the real Milton Bradley?
Search: milton bradley
Why: The Milton Bradley Company made the critically-acclaimed New Kids on the Block Game.
Answer: He was born in 1836 in Vienna, Maine. When he grew bored drafting plans for railroad cars, he taught himself lithography and printmaking. During the 1860 presidential campaign, he created an image of Abraham Lincoln that sold well in the heavily Republican Massachusetts. However, Lincoln’s decision to grow a beard, and his resulting iconic connection to facial hair, immediately rendered Bradley’s lithograph obsolete, and left his fledgling printing business without a marketable image.
In 1860, a friend gave him an imported board game. Bradley decided to produce and market a similar game for American consumers, and soon released The Checkered Game of Life. He sold over 40,000 copies that winter.
In 1869, Bradley began to publish educational pamphlets based on the virtues of Friedrich Fröbel's kindergarten system, which stressed aesthetic and sensory stimulation, brief lessons, simple terms, and children's instinctual preferences for play and spontaneity. His company produced 2 magazines on the subject - neither of which turned a profit.
He died in 1911.
Source: Wikipedia
The More You Know: Milton Bradley also invented the paper cutter.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Do other people dislike Aisha Tyler as much as I do?
Search: amiannoying
Why: I am watching an episode of "Friends" that she ruined. Her stand-up gives me second-hand embarrassment. She made "Talk Soup" so awful that they had to change the name of the show.
Answer: Apparently I'm in the minority:
For 2009, as of last week, Out of 199 Votes: 34.67% Annoying
In 2008, Out of 965 Votes: 33.37% Annoying
In 2007, Out of 965 Votes: 43.94% Annoying
In 2006, Out of 646 Votes: 39.94% Annoying
In 2005, Out of 1340 Votes: 46.94% Annoying
The More You Know: There is an option of "Don't Care" on that site. Just because 65% didn't click "Annoying," it doesn't mean they clicked "Not Annoying" either. Man, she bugs me.
What's another word for "dazzling success"?
Search: crossword helper
Why: In Touch Weekly crossword puzzle, #75 down: Dazzling success. Answer:
E C L A _Answer: ECLAT!
1. enthusiastic approval; "the book met with modest acclaim"; "he acknowledged the plaudits of the crowd"; "they gave him more eclat than he really deserved" [syn: acclaim, acclamation, plaudits, plaudit] 2. ceremonial elegance and splendor; "entered with much eclat in a coach drawn by eight white horses" [syn: pomp] 3. brilliant or conspicuous success or effect; "the eclat of a great achievement"Source: OneAcross
The More You Know: It actually gets a little accent, like éclat. Comes from French, brilliance, from Old French esclat, splinter, from esclater, to burst out, splinter, probably of Germanic origin.
What are the names of all the Peanuts characters?
Search: peanuts characters
Why: In Touch Weekly crossword puzzle, #51 down: Peanuts character. Answer
_ R I E _ _Answer: The main ones are: Charlie Brown, Franklin, Linus, Little Red-Haired Girl, Lucy, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, other Patty, Pig-Pen, Rerun van Pelt, Sally Brown, Schroeder, Shermy, Violet, and Woodstock.
The supporting characters are:
- "5"
- Charlotte Braun
- Eudora
- FRIEDA
- Joe Agate
- Joe Shlabotnik
- Lila
- Lydia
- Miss Othmar
- Molly Volley
- Poochie
- Royanne Hobbs
- Spike
- Truffles
The More You Know: Frieda looks like this. She has a cat named Faron.
How do you post a sound file?
Search: cat party
Why: Maybe some people want to hear my "Cat Party" ringtone without leaving the page.
Answer: This is a test!
Source: Entertonement
The More You Know: Welcome to five months ago! I'm down with "Dog Party" now:
Where does the word "fesnyng" come from?
Search: fesnyng etymology
Why: A group of ferrets is called a fesnyng, apparently. (Also, a group of ravens is called an unkindness.)
Answer: A ferret enthusiast says:
A collective name for them is fesnyng - a very strange word and I've heard that it came from misreading the word fesynes in Middle English and that word does, in fact, mean busy-ness!Wikipedia says that's a transcription error: "besynys" became "fesynes" instead of "busy-ness."
Also, I find this weird little note in The History of 'Probability' (?) that says:
chance [from late Latin cadentia "falling," from Latin cadere "to fall"]A fesnyng of frendschip sounds nice.
- The falling out or happening of events; the way in which things fall out. 1528 (More) As he would haue made ye contrary choyse, if had forsene in them the contrary chaunce.
- A happening or occurrence of things in a particular way; a casual or fortuitous circumstance. 1375 (Barbour) Fesnyng of frendschip and of pess, That neuir for na chanss suld cess.
Source: All-About-Ferrets
The More You Know: (A ____ joke:) A group of collective noun specialists in a pub observed a group of prostitutes. They came up with the following:
- A jam of tarts
- A flourish of strumpets
- An anthology of English pros
When was the last time a boy lived in the White House?
Search: president
Why: Sasha & Malia, Barb & Jenna, Chelsea... Amy Carter... ?
Answer: John F. Kennedy, Jr. lived in the White House from January 1961 to November 1963. His dad's funeral procession was held the same day as his 3rd birthday.
Steven Meigs Ford was 17 when his father was inaugurated in August 1974, but he immediately went west, working on the professional rodeo circuit as a cowboy team roper and taking bit parts as an actor.
Source: Wikipedia
The More You Know: John Jr.'s brother Patrick Bouvier Kennedy was born August 7, 1963, but died 2 days later in the hospital of hyaline membrane disease (now called infant respiratory distress syndrome).
Can I still buy Shrinky Dinks?
Search: shrinky dinks
Why: Peter Dinklage is in Prince Caspian.
Answer: Yes! Look at all this stupid crap! Starting at only $5.25!
Source: ShrinkyDinks.com
The More You Know: They also sell "Dolls of All Nations" rubber stamps. Collect them all!
What is the etymology of "hippopotamus"?
Search: hippopotamus
Why: Yesterday, 14 horses died just before a polo match in Florida. The study of horses is hippology, but a "hippo" is not a horse.
Answer: Latin, from Greek: hippos, "horse" + potamos, "river"
Source: Answers.com
The More You Know: A group of hippopotami is called a bloat. A group of jellyfish is called a smack. A group of mice is called a mischief.
Why are they called the Miranda rights?
Search: miranda rights origin
Why: Miranda is a girl's name. Maybe she was the victim, but I don't think so.
Answer: The term stems from Miranda vs. Arizona. In 1963, Ernesto Miranda was accused of kidnapping and raping an 18-year-old, mildly retarded woman. He was brought in for questioning, and confessed to the crime. He was not told that he did not have to speak or that he could have a lawyer present. At trial, Miranda's lawyer tried to get the confession thrown out, but the motion was denied. In 1966, the case came in front of the Supreme Court. The Court ruled that the statements made to the police could not be used as evidence, since Miranda had not been advised of his rights.
Source: USConstitution.net
The More You Know: This is a long version of the Miranda warnings, designed to cover all bases that a detainee might encounter while in custody. A detainee may be asked to sign a statement acknowledging the following:
- You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Do you understand?
Anything you do say may be used against you in a court of law. Do you understand?
- You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future. Do you understand?
- If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish. Do you understand?
- If you decide to answer questions now without an attorney present you will still have the right to stop answering at any time until you talk to an attorney. Do you understand?
- Knowing and understanding your rights as I have explained them to you, are you willing to answer my questions without an attorney present?
Sunday, April 19, 2009
I want to see a video of Yakov Smirnoff
Search: yakov smirnoff youtube
Why: I don't even know what he looks like. In "Family Guy," Peter's GPS says,
In Soviet Russia, road forks you!Answer: Is this funny?
Source: YouTube
The More You Know: Smirnoff is 58. He is also a painter - view some of his artwork here on his website. He loves America and Jesus, even though he was born Jewish.
Are any of the Desperate Housewives actually wives?
Search: desperate housewives
Why: I watched part of an episode tonight for the first time since Season 1, I think. Anyway, all the characters seem to be single.
Answer: A couple are:
- Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher) was divorced at the show's start, remarried, and is now divorced again
- Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman) has been married throughout the show
- Bree Van de Camp (Marcia Cross) was widowed and is now remarried
- Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria) was to married Carlos, divorced Carlos, married Victor, widowed by Victor, and is now remarried to Carlos
- Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan) was twice-divorced at the show's start, married, widowed, and twice-engaged. Now she is dead.
The More You Know: Apparently there was a 5 year story jump between seasons 4 and 5. Who knew!
Why do my hands go numb when I type?
Search: hands numbness tingle type
Why: It's annoying and kind of hurts. They get tingly and very cold. It also happens when I sleep and sometimes when I sit up with my hands in my lap.
Answer: Aw dang, it's probably carpal tunnel syndrome (which I thought was a joint thing; oops):
Carpal tunnel syndrome is compression of the median nerve at the wrist, which may result in numbness, tingling, weakness, or muscle atrophy in the hand and fingers. It is common in people who perform repetitive motions of the hand and wrist, such as typing. When the wrist is poorly positioned, there isn't enough space for the median nerve to travel to the hand.Source: HealthScout
The condition occurs most often in people 30 to 60 years old, and is five times more common in women than men.
The More You Know: More like crapal tunnel. My thesis is due in 12 days.
How many episodes of "Family Guy" are there?
Search: how many episodes family guy
Why: Tonight's was called "Episode 420." Har har.
Answer: Tonight's was the 122nd. By the end of this season (the show's 7th), there will be 126.
Source: Wikipedia
The More You Know: Another animated sit-com called "Sit Down, Shut Up" premiered tonight on Fox. It was created by Mitch Hurwitz (who also did "Arrested Development"). Voice talent includes:
- Will Arnett
- Jason Bateman
- Will Forte
- Cheri Oteri
- Kenan Thompson
- Henry Winkler
Where did the golf term "bogey" come from?
Search: golf terms bogey
Why: Sunday mornings in spring mean PGA on NBC.
Answer: "Bogey was the first stroke system, developed in England in 1890. Hugh Rotherdamn, Secretary of the Coventry Golf Club, conceived the idea of standardizing the number of shots at each hole that a good golfer should take, which he called "the ground score." Dr. Browne, Secretary of the Great Yarmouth Club, adopted the idea as well. With the assent of the club's golfers, this style of competition was introduced for use in match play.
During one competition, Mr. C.A. Wellman exclaimed to Dr. Browne, "This player of yours is a regular Bogey man!" This was probably a reference to the subject of a popular music hall song, "Hush! Hush! Hush! Here Comes the Bogey Man" (a funny little ditty - listen here.) So at Yarmouth and elsewhere, the ground score became known as the Bogey score.
A "bogle" was a Scottish goblin (from Welsh: bwg) as far back as the 16th Century; Bogey-man was a widely-used term for a goblin or devil. Golfers of the time considered they were playing a "Mr. Bogey" when measuring themselves against the bogey score.
Source: ScottishGolfHistory
The More You Know: In 1911, the US Golf Association (Men) laid down the following very modern distances for determining Par (from Latin: par, "equal"):
As golf developed, scores were coming down, but many old British courses did not adjust their courses or their Bogey scores. This meant that good golfers and professionals were achieving scores lower than the Bogey. The US had an up-to-date national standard of distances for holes, while the British Bogey ratings were determined by each club and were no longer appropriate for professionals. The Americans began referring to one over Par as a "Bogey," much to the chagrin of the British.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
How old is the New Kids on the Block song "Tonight"?
Search: new kids tonight
Why: I do not remember that awesome song from my childhood (even though I saw them live - for the 1st time - when I was 7).
Answer: It was on the album Step By Step, released in 1990. Embedding is disabled for the video, but you should really indulge me for a few minutes watch it right here. The ultrafun starts at about 1:08.
Source: Wikipedia
The More You Know: Last night, they came out into the audience while they were singing this and Zack hi-5ed all five of them. I only slapped 5 with Donnie Wahlberg while he was singing on some speakers. Here is a blurry picture of Jordan Knight, who I did not get to touch:
Also, this was my third New Kids on the Block concert.
Who was Beatrice Wood?
Search: beatrice wood
Why: Dana told me she was said to have inspired the character Catherine in the novel and film Jules & Jim.
Answer: An artist and studio potter who late in life was dubbed the "Mama of Dada." While working as a stage actress in New York, she met artist Marcel Duchamp, who introduced her to her first great love interest, journalist Henri-Pierre Roché. She worked with Duchamp and Roché in the 1910s to create The Blind Man, a magazine that was one of the earliest manifestations of the Dada art movement in New York. Though she was involved with Roché, the two would often spend time with Duchamp, creating a love triangle. Biographies of Wood traditionally link Roché's novel (and the consequent film), Jules et Jim, with the relationship between Duchamp, Wood, and himself.
In her early 40s, she enrolled in a ceramics class at Hollywood High School because she wanted to make a teapot to match some plates she found. This hobby turned into a passion that would last 60 years, as she developed a unique form of luster-glaze technique.
When asked the secret to her longevity, she responded, "I owe it all to chocolate and young men."
Source: Wikipedia
The More You Know: Beatrice Wood died in 1998 in Ojai, CA, nine days after her 105th birthday. In addition to inspiring Roché, she also served as a partial inspiration for the character of old Rose DeWitt Bukater in Titanic. She even drew nudes!
How do water towers work?
Search: how does a water tower work
Why: I always just sort of thought of them as storage containers, but I today I realized that doesn't make any sense.
Answer: In most towns, the water people drink comes from either a well, a river, or a reservoir/local lake. The water is treated in a treatment plant to remove sediment and bacteria. The output from the water treatment plant (A) is clear, germ-free water. A high-lift pump (B) pressurizes the water and sends it to the water system's primary feeder pipes (C). The water tower is attached to the primary feeders quite simply by a tube that passes directly through the ground.
If the pump is producing more water than the water system needs, the excess flows automatically into the tank (D). If the community is demanding more water than the pump can supply (like in the morning when people shower, brush teeth, etc.), then water flows out of the tank to meet the need.
Source: HowStuffWorks
The More You Know: Water towers are tall to provide pressure. Each foot of height provides 0.43 PSI (pounds per square inch) of pressure. A typical municipal water supply runs at between 50 and 100 PSI (major appliances require at least 20 to 30 PSI). The water tower must be tall enough to supply that level of pressure to all of the houses and businesses in the area of the tower.
What is J.D. Power & Associates?
Search: jd power
Why: Every car commercial mentions how the car was rated by J.D. Power & Associates, like that means anything to me.
Answer: A global marketing information services firm founded in 1968 by James David Power III. The firm conducts surveys of costumer satisfaction, product quality, and buyer behavior for industries ranging from cars to marketing and advertising firms. The firm is best known for its customer satisfaction research on new-car quality and long-term dependability. It offers automotive forecasting.
Source: Wikipedia
The More You Know: The company is a business unit of the Information and Media Group of McGraw-Hill. I used to work for McGraw-Hill's archenemy, Pearson.
Who were all the members of the Traveling Wilburys?
Search: traveling wilburys
Why: We listened to "Handle With Care" today while driving down PCH. It was nice:
Answer: The band only existed 1988-1990. Members were:
- Bob Dylan (as Lucky Wilbury and Boo Wilbury)
- George Harrison (as Nelson Wilbury and Spike Wilbury)
- Jeff Lynne (as Otis Wilbury and Clayton Wilbury)
- Roy Orbison (as Lefty Wilbury)
- Tom Petty (as Charlie T., Jr. and Muddy Wilbury)
The More You Know: In 2005, Jenny Lewis (of Rilo Kiley) and The Watson Twins recorded a version of "Handle With Care" featuring Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie), Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes) and M. Ward for their release, Rabbit Fur Coat. A clip of them playing a live version at Spaceland is right here.
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