Some
months ago, I started writing a
series of columns called Ponder
Points, which were these little bits
of information you might want to try
and work into some conversation. Not
that they would necessarily do you
any good, but then you just never
know, do you? Anyway, I recently had
several people ask me to write
something along these lines for one
reason or another. Who knows,
perhaps they’re planning some big
Memorial Day trivia contest.
Betcha didn’t know all of this
stuff.
So, if you were buying a Super Bowl
ad in the first game in 1967…what
would you have paid? About $85,000
for a full minute…now it’s over
$1,000,000 for each ½ minute……
So did you ever actually count and
see for yourself that there were 28
tiles in a game of dominoes? There
are.
Before 1908 the Olympic Marathon was
26 miles….why did it change? 385
yards were added to the race so that
it would finish in front of King
Edward VII’s royal box in London. He
must have had some pull.
Where’d we get the term…..”Red
herring”? From the sport of fox
hunting….anti-hunting activist used
to drag herrings across the path of
the dogs to throw them off the scent
of the fox…..Is this new? Nope,
started back in the 17th
century….folks still up in arms
about it aren’t they?
You remember CinemaScope? Can you
tell me what film was the first to
be made in it? “The Robe” back in
1953.
Come on think about this…what’s the
most often printed warning in the
history of the printed word? “Close
cover before striking” Used on match
book covers…….did you get it?
What industry was the first to adopt
the 5-day, 40-hour workweek? The
steel industry in 1923.
Tough job, but someone had to do
it…..In 1811 DeWitt Clinton managed
to serve as a senator for the state
of New York, Mayor of New York City
and the Lt. Governor for the State
of New York. So what you ask? Well,
he did all three at the same time.
Of course you knew that heavyweight
champion Gene Tunney was a teacher
on Shakespeare at Yale. You knew
that.
John Paul Jones, the great American
naval hero, was from Scotland. His
real name was just plain old John
Paul. Changed it after he killed
another sailor involved in a mutiny.
Fled to this country to avoid going
to trial. Won fame during the
Revolutionary War…..You remember
those famous words he spoke during
this battle……”Sirs, I have not yet
begun to fight…”
If you want life insurance…don’t
call Lloyds of London…they don’t
sell life insurance.
Back in the Middle Ages it was
thought that men had one less rib
than women…the story was the result
of the story of Adam and Eve in the
Bible.
I think last week, I mentioned
something about moths and
caterpillars….anyway to keep you up
to date I thought I’d pass along the
fact that there isn’t any clear cut
evidence that cedar chests or cedar
closets actually repels moths…..
Those rabbits that run wild in
Australia….eat millions of dollars
worth of agriculture…well, they are
the direct descendants of 6 common
bunnies that were turned loose in
the middle 1800’s.
The Emperors of China during the
Manchu empire (1644-1912) made
slaves wear pigtails so they could
be identified easily.
It’s interesting to note that Panama
was selected to be the site of the
canal rather than Nicaragua due to
the fact that a letter was written
to members of Congress using a stamp
showing a belching volcano erupting
in Nicaragua. Congress was afraid
the volcano would destroy the canal.
King Louis XII ordered all of the
trash removed from outside of the
walls of Paris in 1512. Was he
concerned for the health of the
citizens? Nope, he was afraid
invaders would be able to climb the
garbage and gain entrance to the
city.
Speaking of Kings…King Edward VIII
of England was the King for 11
months (January – December 1936)
before he abdicated to marry Mrs.
Simpson. You knew that.
Correction!!!!! A few weeks ago I
wrote about Wild Bill Hickok
sleeping with newspapers crumpled up
around his bed…said it would alert
him if anyone walked on them. In
error I said ….”He died in
bed”….That’s incorrect…what I meant
to say was, "It must have
worked since he didn’t die in bed.”
Rack it up to small keys and large
fingers.
So, if you get a card from a friend
in Japan and it has a lot of
dragonflies on it…what does that
mean? It would indicate that someone
is wishing you good luck.
Fellow by the name of James
Hetherington of England got himself
arrested in 1797 for wearing what? A
top hat….seems the powers that be
decided that it was unsightly and
calculated to disturb timid people.
Times have changed, haven’t they?
Have a good week and a safe weekend.
