More Facts '09

12/23/09 - It is estimated that 400,000 people become sick each year from eating tainted Christmas leftovers.

12/20/09 - The "Twelve Days of Christmas" was originally written to help Catholic children, in England, remember different articles of faith during the persecution by Protestant Monarchs. The "true love" represented God, and the gifts all different ideas:
The "Partridge in a pear tree" was Christ.
2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity-- the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which relays the history of man's fall from grace.
6 Geese A-laying = the six days of Creation
7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

12/16/09 - One Norwegian Christmas custom begins in late autumn at harvest time. The finest wheat is gathered and saved until Christmas. This wheat is then attached to poles made from tree branches, making perches for the birds. A large circle of snow is cleared away beneath each perch. According to the Norwegians, this provides a place for the birds to dance, which allows them to work up their appetites between meals. Just before sunset on Christmas Eve, the head of the household checks on the wheat in the yard. If a lot of sparrows are seen dining, it is suppose to indicate a good year for growing crops

12/15/09 - In 1937, the first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria.

12/14/09 - Mexicans call the pointsettia "Flower of the Holy Night" - the Holy Night is the Mexican way of saying "Christmas Eve".

12/13/09 - In North America, children put stockings out at Christmas time. Their Dutch counterparts, however, use shoes. Dutch children set out shoes to receive gifts any time between mid-November and December 5, St. Nicholas' birthday.

12/10/09 - Winter was a time of celebration to pre-Christian Romans and they decorated fir trees in honor of this seasonal change.

12/09/09 - The use of a Christmas wreath as a decoration on your front door, mantel or bay window symbolizes a sign of welcome and long life to all who enter.

12/08 09 - The popular Christmas song "Jingle Bells" was composed in 1857 by James Pierpont, and was originally called "One-Horse Open Sleigh."

12/06/09 - The Christmas season begins at sundown on 24th December and lasts through sundown on 5th January. For that reason, this season is also known as the Twelve Days of Christmas.

12/05/09 - New York City's Empire State Building's world famous tower lights are turned off every night at midnight with the exception of New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and St. Patrick's Day, when they are illuminated until 3 a.m.

12/04/09 - Because of population shifts towards big towns and cities in Ireland, some parts of the countryside are increasingly populated only by old folks. Over one-third of the population in some Irish rural areas is now over 65 years of age.

12/03/09 - Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.

12/02/09 - What North American landmark is constantly moving backward? Niagara Falls (The rim is worn down about two and a half feet each year because of the millions of gallons of water that rush over it every minute.)

12/01/09 - If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib.

11/30/09 - At lavish Christmas feasts in the Middle Ages, swans and peacocks were sometimes served "endored." This meant the flesh was painted with saffron dissolved in melted butter. In addition to their painted flesh, endored birds were served wrapped in their own skin and feathers, which had been removed and set aside prior to roasting.

11/19/09 - Formally called Kiritimati, Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean is 52 square miles.

11/14/09 - Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.

10/14/09 - The first Children's department in a Library is said to be that of the Minneapolis Public Library, which separated children's books from the rest of the collection in Dec. 1889.

09/29/09 - There are only two vegetables that can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons . . Asparagus and rhubarb.

09/25/09 - Sore throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.

09/24/09 - People’s number 1 fear is speaking in public – death is number 7.

09/23/09 - The Sun’s diameter is about 870,000 miles wide. The Sun is 109 times wider than Earth, and is 333,000 times heavier. That means if you put the Sun on a scale, you would need 333,000 objects that weigh as much as the Earth on the other side to make it balance.

09/19/09 - It is possible to have a month without a full moon. This occurs in February, but either January or March will have two moons.

09/16/09 - From Earth, we always see the same side of the moon; the other side is always hidden.

09/15/09 - The moon does not give off light of its own. It is the Sun that gives light to the Moon. The Moon reflects the Sun’s light. A star is the only body in space that emits its own light; everything else reflects light from the closest star.

09/14/09 - The first space craft to send back pictures from the moon was Luna 3 (built by the Soviet Union) in October 1959.

09/12/09 - The multi layer space suits worn by the astronauts to the moon weighed 180 pounds on earth, but thirty pounds on the moon due to the lower gravity.

09/10/09 - The Sun is made out of 92% hydrogen, 7% helium and the rest is other low number gasses. The Sun’s core is the hottest part of its matter. It is 27 billion° Fahrenheit.

09/09/09 - The Sun is now a middle-aged star, meaning it is at about the middle of its life. The Sun formed over four and a half billion years ago. You may think the Sun will die soon, but it will keep shining for at least another five billion years

09/08/09 - Sun loops are large loops caused by the Sun’s magma (molten rock) shooting off of the Sun’s surface. These loops can fly millions of miles into space. Our Sun is approximately 25,000 light-years from the galactic core of our galaxy (the Milky Way). It is like a really big star.

09/06/09 - If the Sun was hollow, you could fit 333,000 Earths inside.

09/05/09 - The moon has no global magnetic field.

09/04/09 - When a month has two full moons, the second full moon is called a blue moon. Another definition of a blue moon is the third full moon in any season (quarter of year) containing 4 total full moons.

09/02/09 - The moon rotates at 10 miles per hour compared to the earth's rotation of 1000 miles per hour.

09/01/09 - How close can you get without completely running out of gas? Apollo 11 had only 20 seconds of fuel left when they landed on the moon.

08/31/09 - In China, the dark shadows that are on the moon are called "the toad in the moon".

08/30/09 - When Alan Sheppard was on the moon, he hit a golf ball and drove it 2,400 feet, nearly one half a mile.

08/29/09 - When Neil Armstrong took that historical step of "one small step for man one giant step for mankind" it would not have occurred to anyone that the step he took in the dust of the moon was there to stay. It will be there for at least 10 million years.

08/28/09 - We all know there was a man on the moon, but did you know that there is one who stayed there? Dr. Eugene Shoemaker, a Geological Surveyor, who educated the Apollo mission astronauts about craters, never made it into space himself, but it had always been one of his dreams. He was rejected as an astronaut because of medical problems. After he died, his ashes were placed on board the Lunar Prospector spacecraft on January 6, 1999, which was crashed into a crater on the moon on July 31, 1999. The mission was to discover if there was water on the moon at the time, but it also served to fulfill Dr Shoemaker's last wish.

08/27/09 - Drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately-without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional pain relievers?

08/26/09 - Horses can't vomit.

08/25/09 - The horseradish root is harvested in the spring and fall and sold in 1200 pound pallets to processors who grate the root releasing the volatile oils that distinguish horseradish from all other flavors. The ground horseradish is then mixed with distilled vinegar to stabilize the "heat." This basic formula, which varies from processor to processor, may also contain spices or other ingredients – salt, sugar, cream or vegetable oil. But, generally speaking, horseradish and vinegar are the primary constituents in the basic prepared horseradish on the market today.

08/24/09 - Eliminate ear mites. All it takes is a few drops of Wesson Corn Oil in your cat's ear. Massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.

08/23/09 - Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly-even though the product was never been advertised for this use.

08/22/09 - In the year 1908, most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

08/21/09 - Honey remedy for skin blemishes...cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.

08/20/09 - Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 tablespoon horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil for instant relief for aching muscles.

08/19/09 - Rainy day cure for dog odor: Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.

06/21/09 - Horseradish milk can be drunk to help aid in digestion. If you suffer from gas or bloating, try mixing one-half teaspoon grated horseradish and one cup warm milk and stir. Drink this milk after meals to aid in digestion and preventing the bloated feeling.

06/20/09 - Horseradish contains many antibacterial agents that are good for preventing infections. To help ward off infections drink one cup of horseradish tea three times per day. To prepare tea, take one cup of boiling water and mix with one teaspoon grated horseradish. Let stand for ten minutes, then strain the tea to remove any excess horseradish.

06/18/09 - To prepare horseradish vinegar take a medium size of the root and grate, put the grated horseradish into 4 cups of vinegar and let stand for two to three weeks. Store in cool, dry place. Then after two to three weeks strain and use on face twice daily for three weeks. This will fade age spots and freckles.

06/17/09 - The horseradish plant grows up to three feet tall and has lush green leaves, but the only part that is used is the root. The root contains a high content of mustard oil and is very favorable in Aromatherapy because of its natural healing abilities. Some of the many uses for horseradish are relieving the symptoms of the flu, sore throat, and bronchitis. It can be made into vinegar, in teas and syrups; it can also be applied as a poultice to improve blood circulation.
Mustard oil is made from grating or cutting the horseradish root, when this happens the water and enzymes flow to form mustard oil. When mustard oil is mixed with honey it is used to relieve symptoms of the flu, like sore throats. Horseradish also aids in digestion by promoting the appetite. Horseradish vinegar is used to fade age spots and freckles. It also when drank, improves the blood flow and helps regulate blood pressure.

04/30/09 - In the United States, an estimated 24 million pounds of horseradish roots are ground and processed annually to produce approximately 6 million gallons of prepared horseradish.

04/23/09 - Horseradish is a member of the mustard family and is native to Eastern Europe, although it may have originated in Asia, Germany, or the Mediterranean area. The ancient Greeks used it, so did the Hebrews — it is one of the 5 bitter herbs of the Jewish Passover. The strong flavor of this root has an underlying sweetness and seems more like garlic than a spice.

04/22/09 - Horseradish is a member of the mustard family (sharing lineage with its gentler cousins, kale, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts and the common radish) and is cultivated for its thick, fleshy white roots. The bite and aroma of the horseradish root are almost absent until it is grated or ground. During this process, as the root cells are crushed, volatile oils known as isothiocyanate are released. Vinegar stops this reaction and stabilizes the flavor. For milder horseradish, vinegar is added immediately.

04/12/09 - The "y" in signs reading "ye olde.." is properly pronounced with a "th" sound, not "y". The "th" sound does not exist in Latin, so ancient Roman occupied (present day) England used the rune "thorn" to represent "th" sounds. With the advent of the printing press the character from the Roman alphabet which closest resembled thorn was the lower case "y".

04/08/09 - Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different.

03/19/09 - The word "karate" means "empty hand."

03/04/09 - Poor whites in Florida and Georgia are called "crackers." They got the name from their principal staple food, cracked corn.

03/02/09 - Ninety percent of New York City cabbies are recently arrived immigrants.

02/04/09 - 23% of all photocopier faults world-wide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their butts.

02/02/09 - The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.

02/01/09 - Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water whenever you have a cold, or plugged sinuses. It will bubble and help to kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes then blow your nose into a tissue.

01/28/09 - Butterflies taste with their feet.

01/27/09 - Smart splinter remover: Just pour a drop of Elmer's Glue-All over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.

01/26/09 - Long in the tooth," meaning "old," was originally used to describe horses. As horses age, their gums recede, giving the impression that their teeth are growing. The longer the teeth look, the older the horse.

01/22/09 - Under the Endangered Species Act* (ESA), gray wolves are listed as endangered in the lower 48 states, except Minnesota, where they are listed as threatened. Wolves in Alaska are not listed under the ESA. I'm assuming that this means that the wolf should be reintroduced to all of the lower 48 states, including Washington D.C.

01/20/09 - Upper and lower case letters are named 'upper' and 'lower' because in the time when all original print had to be set in individual letters, the upper case' letters were stored in the case on top of the case that stored the smaller, 'lower case' letters.

01/19/09 - Using a cotton ball, apply vodka to your face as an astringent to cleanse the skin and tighten pores. Yum! Maybe good for mouthwash too. :O)

01/13/09 - Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of "Peroxide" to keep them free of germs.

01/12/09 - Leonardo Da Vinci invented scissors. Also, it took him 10 years to paint Mona Lisa's lips.

01/11/09 - Celery has negative calories! It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with. It's the same with apples.

01/10/09 - Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.

01/09/09 - Chocolate affects a dog's heart and nervous system; a few ounces will kill a small sized dog.

01/08/09 - If the government has no knowledge of aliens, then why does Title 14,Section 1211 of the Code of Federal Regulations, implemented on July 16, 1969 , make it illegal for U.S. citizens to have any contact with extraterrestrials or their vehicles?