Living in the Old West was sometimes a dangerous pastime. According to one resident of 1860s Virginia City, Nevada – the first 26 people buried in the Virginia City public cemetery were murder victims.
The correct spelling of “Pennsylvania” was perhaps a matter of opinion some years back? On the iconic Liberty Bell, the state’s name is spelled “Pensylvania.” One “n.”
Sleep away those extra pounds. Results from a recent study indicate that 8 hours of sleep for an adult human can average burning up about 360 calories. Z-z-z-z-z-z…
Leavenworth (population 35,200) is generally recognized as the oldest town in Kansas. It was incorporated in 1854 while its namesake fort was established in 1827.
Leavenworth, Washington (population 1,960) is also worth mentioning. Founded in 1906, the entire town is modeled after a typical Bavarian village. Descriptions of the hamlet suggest that the place oozes charm and is inhabited by wonderfully friendly people.
A current issue of an acclaimed Biology Publication avers that an exceptional bird known as the Common Swift (Apus apus) can remain aloft for ten consecutive months without alighting even once. I do wonder how these feathered marvels were continuously observed for 300-plus successive days.
While in high school, my biology instructor told me that one of the easiest ways to tell most frogs from toads was by examining the feet of the creatures in question. Frogs generally had webbed toes and toads did not. For me, another myth was recently “busted.” In the December 2016 issue of Discover Magazine, it is clearly conveyed that scientists who study amphibians do not recognize any characteristic differences between frogs and toads. Quaerere veritatem.
Speaking of frogs, the most famous “frog” ever — one Kermit of Sesame Street, was created in 1955 by using a cleaved ping-pong ball and an old green coat donated by the mother of Jim Henson. One version of Kermit is presently being displayed at the Smithsonian Institution.
A semi-precise analysis was conducted to determine what made some people appear to be “creepy.” I feared that writing trivia columns would be high on the list, but that peculiarity was kindly omitted. Bulging eyes, long uncombed hair, lengthy finger nails, crooked smiles and a habit of frequently licking one’s lips were cited. Creepy hobbies included collecting insects, collecting bones and bird watching (very surprising to me). Well, I shall shortly take my cockroach assortment and my fibula sets while I shuffle along. Have a great week.
James White is a retired mathematics teacher who enjoys sharing fascinating trivia. He can be reached at [email protected].
