Factoid of the day (not to be confused with the series of unrelated thoughts)

[GISRICK]

Even government employees get fed up with government beaurocracy.

[frizgolf]

Originally Posted by GISRICK

Even government employees get fed up with government beaurocracy.

a-freakin-men.

[Chespo]

The girl described in "The Girl from Ipanema" wasn't just an idealized abstraction; she's real and her name is Heloisa Pinheiro. Despite being the inspiration for the song, she's been legally barred from using the song title for commercial purposes.

[GISRICK]

Originally Posted by frizgolf

a-freakin-men.

The last two days have been hell...From one GIS-Gov't worker to another.

[malheureux]

Originally Posted by Chespo

The girl described in "The Girl from Ipanema" wasn't just an idealized abstraction; she's real and her name is Heloisa Pinheiro. Despite being the inspiration for the song, she's been legally barred from using the song title for commercial purposes.

i heart you, chespo.

the average span of a MLB baseball is 5-6 pitches.

[1979]

Originally Posted by Dirk

Yeah, I have, Actually the TV show Brainiac (think british Mythbusters with less science and more explosions) did a quick thing saying you couldn't lick your elbow. They got so many videos of people doing it (some of which they showed) that they had to have an update and state that it is possible, just hard to do.

And now, back on topic, you can't tickle yourself.

That would be fantastic to see - seriously! I know there are some flexible folks out there, but that is amazing.



On topic - The novel "Gadsby", written by one Ernest Vincent Wright, is roughly 50,000 words - and NONE of them contain the letter "e".

[patio]

There is no genetic evidence that shows modern humans and Neandertals interbred.

[patio]

Antibacterial resistant strains of bacteria can transfer their mutated DNA to other bacteria through plasmids thereby causing the receiving bacteria to become resistant.

[justmaybetiger]

Geisha ("person of the arts") are traditional Japanese artist-entertainers. Geisha were very common in the 18th and 19th centuries, and are still in existence today, although their numbers are dwindling. Geisha take lessons in several arts forms for most of their lives, not for just entertaining customers but for a lifetime of learning.

[jfurnie]

Facts that would be impressive in the 1500's

The world is not flat.
The Earth revolves around the sun.

[Motti]

Originally Posted by Chespo

The girl described in "The Girl from Ipanema" wasn't just an idealized abstraction; she's real and her name is Heloisa Pinheiro. Despite being the inspiration for the song, she's been legally barred from using the song title for commercial purposes.

And she posed naked for the Brazilian Playboy with her daughter, Ticiane Pinheiro.

Speaking of disturbing mother-daughter relationship: the Barbie doll was invented by Ruth Handler in 1959. It was modelled on a minuscule German sex doll called "Lilli". Barbie was the nickname of Ruth's daughter, Barbara.

One cannot happen to wonder what exactly is a "minuscule sex doll".

[SallyCinnamon]

Body hair grows in layers. Once one layer is shaved or waxed off (or whatever you do to get rid of it), another layer grows in from different roots than the first layer.

[Chespo]

Originally Posted by Motti

Speaking of disturbing mother-daughter relationship: the Barbie doll was invented by Ruth Handler in 1959. It was modelled on a minuscule German sex doll called "Lilli". Barbie was the nickname of Ruth's daughter, Barbara.

One cannot happen to wonder what exactly is a "minuscule sex doll".

The doll was based on a 'naughty' cartoon character. Some history here.

[teribl sob stry]

Originally Posted by Dirk

And now, back on topic, you can't tickle yourself.

i can. my feet. they're super ticklish. like, almost painfully ticklish.

[crank-e]

Originally Posted by malheureux

the average span of a MLB baseball is 5-6 pitches.

My attention span for baseball is less than that!

"Eskimo" is a westernized term for the Arctic people factually known as Inuit, but is used by this group in derogatory namenclature.

[jfurnie]

Originally Posted by justmaybetiger

The year 1241. Mongols led by Batu Khan and Subutai crushed the Hungarian army of King Béla IV in the Battle of Mohi.

"Excuse me! When did the Mongols rule China?"
"Ahh, I don't know.... I just work here!"

[Sunshine]

Acoustic neuromas are neither acoustic nor neuromas. Discuss.

[patio]

The Ottomans were the first people to create military bands. It was then copied through Europe.

Nasr, Hossein Seyyed. Islamic Art and Spirituality . New York: State University of New York Press, 1987.

[SallyCinnamon]

Winnie the Pooh received the 2308th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today.

[indigobunting]

Julia the Elder (39BC-14AD)—80,000
Daughter of Roman Emperor Augustus, Julia was beautiful, intelligent, highly educated, and witty. Everything a woman might want was hers, save one: sexual satisfaction. And this not ten men, nor a hundred, nor a thousand could provide. Even as a young girl she delighted in exhibiting her flawless body publicly, preferring to wear translucent garments to maximize the exposure of flesh. It was during her childhood that she embarked upon her amorous adventures. Her lovers soon numbered in the dozens, then hundreds, then beyond, said to encompass half the virile youths of Rome. Still not satiated, she began offering herself to every passing stranger, whatever his color, age, or appearance. With a band of lascivious Roman women she wandered through the streets, accosting passersby and sometimes dragging them into the nearest alleyway, where the transaction would be swiftly concluded. She persisted in her unseemly behavior for many years, until exiled to the lonely island of Pandateria.