While we’d like to believe Hawaii’s Interstate system exists for the sole purpose of annoying George Carlin, the name is actually a misnomer. Not all Interstates physically go from one state to another; the name merely implies that the roads receive federal funding.
The three Hawaii Interstates (H1, H2, and H3) became Interstates as part of The Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and National Defense Highways to protect the U.S. from a Soviet invasion by making it easier to get supplies from one military base to another.
9. What Does McDonald’s Have in Common with the CIA?
"Clowns wanted! We are looking for clowns to fit high profile, permanent positions. Must be wiling to relocate."
If this ad seems a little peculiar, it’s because McDonald’s execs share an intense policy of employee secrecy with their less-delicious counterparts over at the Central Intelligence Agency. Clowns who portray the company mascot, Ronald McDonald, are strictly forbidden from disclosing their identities.
It’s also taboo for two (costumed) Ronalds to be in the same place at the same time. In fact, the only time they get together is at the biennial Ronald McDonald Convention, which, as you might imagine, is also very top-secret.
All of this helps keep up the image that Ronald, the second most recognizable figure worldwide after Santa, is a single, magical character. There are, of course, many Ronalds - an estimate 250 of the clowns worldwide, in fact. Their average income is about $40,000 a year, but the busiest clowns can bring in as much as $100,000. The Ronald McDonald who appears in the company’s television commercials earns a salary of more than $300,000 and must be booked a year in advance. We could tell you who he is, but then, of course, we’d have to kill you.
8. Why Do Battery Letters Skip from A to C? Was There Ever a B-Cell Battery?
Battery letter designations are based on the size of the battery: for common sizes, A is the smallest, and D is the largest. By the same logic, AA batteries are larger than AAA. Unfortunately for B batteries, it’s not the size that counts. You never see B batteries around because they aren’t very useful. The size never caught on in products made for consumers, so stores didn’t carry them, and the cycle continued. They are sold, but only in Europe, where they’re used primarily to power bicycle lamps.
7. Can a Pregnant Woman Drive in the Carpool Lane?
Expectant mothers, start your engines! In 1987, a pregnant California woman was ticketed for driving "by herself" in the carpool lane. Sure, the citation was only for $52, but she sued anyway, contending that her 5-month-old fetus constituted a second person.
Lo and behold, the jury agreed with her, despite the prosecution’s argument that women could then just stuff pillows up their dresses to drive "carpool" on California’s freeways.
But as it turns out, the California Highway Patrol took care of that concern, brushing off the case as a bunch of hooey. Verdict or not, officers said they would continue to ticket solo drivers, even if they claimed to be pregnant.
While the mental_floss staff is still working round the clock to figure out that blasted chicken/egg question, this one we can definitely answer.
In 1810, a British merchant named Peter Durand patented the tin can, making it possible for sterilized food to be preserved more effectively than was possible with breakable containers. The can were especially useful for long ocean voyages, where glass bottles were prone to breakage, and soon the British Navy was dining on canned veggies and meat.
So far, so good. But what Durand (and everybody else for that matter) forgot to invent was a way to open the cans. For almost 50 years, getting into your pork ‘n’ beans required the use of a hammer and a chisel. The first can opener was patented by American inventor Ezra Warner in 1858, but even that wasn’t particularly convenient. These early openers were stationed at the grocery store, and clerks did the honors. It wasn’t until 1870 that the first home can openers made an appearance.
4. Is There One Move That’s More Likely to Win a Game of Rock-Paper-Scissors?
To answer this question, we turned to the archives of the World Rock-Paper-Scissors Society (seriously!), where we found that RPS players rely on strategy, not probability, to win. From the playground to the annual International World RPS Tournament (really, people, we’re not kidding), outwitting your opponent is job No. 1 for serious competitors.
According to the Society, one way to guess what hand someone will throw out is to know how many rounds they’ve won so far. Players who are in the lead will often use scissors, because it’s believed to symbolize aggression, while paper is used for a more subtle attack. Rock is usually a last resort, when players feel their strategies are failing. There are also techniques you can use to mask your move, such as cloaking, in which players will pretend to throw rock and then stick out two fingers at the last second to make scissors. In addition, the true professionals (who do exist) will use sets of three moves, called "gambits," to help them make their moves out of strategy, not reaction.
But that’s not all. The Society also keeps track of how common moves are, particularly as they relate to mentions of RPS in pop culture. For instance, after "The Simpsons" episode where Bart beats Lisa with rock and thinks to himself "Good old rock, nothing beats it," the Society recorded a .3 percent upswing in the use of rock.
But if you’re gonna play, be prepared to pay; RPS can be a dangerous sport. In the late 1980’s, Kenyan Mustafa Nwenge lost a match and the use of a finger when an overzealous opponent "cut his paper" a little too hard and crushed Nwenge’s finger ligaments.
Like falafel and the number "0," nougat is a product of Middle Eastern genius. Originally made from a mixture of honey, nuts, and spices, the basic recipe was transplanted to Greece where it lost the spices and gained the name "nugo."
Later cultural exchanges brought the treat to France, where it became "nougat," and the recipe switched from calling for ground walnuts to ground almonds. In 1650, the French made another change for the better, adding beaten egg whites and creating the fluffier, modern nougat texture. The first commercial nougat factory opened in Montelimar, France, in the late 18th century, and today, the area is renowned for its nougat, with about a dozen manufacturers producing the sugary treat.
As for its ugly American cousin - the nougat you’re probably familiar with from candy bars - it’s not "true nougat." The imitation stuff is chewier, less almond-y, and contains enough artificial preservatives to make a French candy-maker swoon.
2. Who’s That AOL Guy Who Eerily Knows When You’ve Got Mail?
Meet Elwood Edwards, the man behind the message. Approximately 63 million times a day, Edwards’ voice greets AOL customers to let them know "you’ve got mail."
Edwards’ career as a disembodied cyber presence stretches back to 1989 when his wife overheard her boss at Quantum Computer Services discussing adding a voice to its online service, Q-Link. At the time, Elwood did voice-overs for radio and television, so his wife suggested him for the company’s new program. Not long after, Quantum changed its name to America Online and premiered AOL 1.0, with Elwood speaking four phrases: "Welcome," "You’ve got mail," "File’s done," and "Goodbye." Through AOL’s numerous upgrades, one thing has remained the same: Elwood Edwards.
Today, his voice is so well known that he’s created a website where fans can order their own custom phrases. The site also includes pictures of Edwards, just in case you’re looking to put a face with that friendly voice you love so much.
Little. Yellow. Identical. The No. 2 is definitely No. 1 in the pencil market. It’s a staple in schools and workplaces everywhere, and the required writing utensil for Scantron® tests across the globe. But is it really that great of a pencil? You bet your bippy.
No. 2’s use medium weight graphite, which makes them the ideal pencils for general writing. 18th-century French pencil maker Nicolas-Jacques Conté created the number system based on a pencil’s hardness (the higher the number, the harder the graphite), and we’ve been using it ever since.
But let’s not forget the other numbers of pencils out there. No. 1’s are made with soft graphite and tend to smudge, and are often used to record bowling scores. No. 3’s and above indicate harder pencils that are most often used for drafting, when you need a sharp, strong point.
A baby asked God, 'They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?' God said, 'Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you.'
The child further inquired,' But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy.' God said, 'Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy.'
Again the child asked, 'And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?' God said, 'Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.'
'And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?' God said, 'Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray.'
'Who will protect me?' God said, 'Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life.'
'But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore.' God said, 'Your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way to come back to me, even though I will always be next to you.'
At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name.' God said, 'You will simply call her, 'Mom.'
Happy Birthday my friend, enjoy it for what it is, a tribute to a wonderful beginning filled with the promises of Monday and forever. Of coursr I would also like to add that you can thank your mother from me for such an insightful man entering my life filled with inspiration. A muse and mirth rolled into one. Congrats young man, it is in truth but just another day but you my friend are the gift.
My friend you have the entire premise of Love messed up here beyond its intention. Love like a smile or friendship can only be given away. There is no expectations or it loses its lustre and becomes something else. There is an unconditional aspect of Love that is often overlooked. Pride, selfishness, fear these are the enemies of Love. If we harobour those then there is no room for Love in our hearts. You must Love to be loved by all except God as His Love is unfaltering alone. Materialism is not Love of anything but the world. Wer are to live in the world but not to the extent that all we have is here. Those who do this are equally men and women. No gender has a moratorium on this foolishness. There are different stages in life and not all are on the same page. We all go through the book to the end but some readers are quicker, some take more time to be sure of what has gone before. Some have impeccable retention, others just skim looking for the good parts. Try Loving and see what it draws to you. Do not expect anything as Love requires Hope and Faith and doubt or fear is the only opposite of Love. Feed the fear starve the Love.
Thanks my friend. I already have an under the counter purifier and a Brita portable one that I double filter my water through. New legislation in Canada is proposing fluoride be added to bottled water as well.
Fluoride is an active ingedient in most toothpastes and is currently being added to the world's water supplies. It is proposed as a blessing to protect our teeth but it has a much more insidious effect on our bodies. It collects in our bones and is scientifically linked to cancers. It is also the primary ingedient in most animal poisons. Not the ones the make themselves but the ones humans use to erradicate them. Population control? The lesser of two evils?
If there were only 52 weeks in a year then every calendar would be the same. There would be no need to get a new one. There is one extra day that does not fit into the system of 52 weeks.
January- 31 days (31- running total) Febraury- 28 days (59...) March- 31 days (90...) April- 30 days (120...) May- 31 days (151...) June- 30 days (181...) July- 31 days (212...) August- 31 days (243...) September- 30 days (273...) October- 31 days (304...) November- 30 days (334...) December- 31 days (365.)
Of course leap year comes every four years to allow us to gather the quarter days into something useful (or not-depends on what we do that particular day I suppose).
Just think if there were exactly 52 weeks (rather than 52.17857143...) the first of January would be the same day of the week every year until leap year and then the calendar would push everything ahead by one day.
It couldn't have happened until you had your dreams come true though as the good Lord does have a waiting list and you my friend were far more deserving. I am just grateful that you had your prayers answered so that mine could likewise be recognized in turn. Congrats to you too my friend, it truly couldn't happen to a nicer man. Karen is so lucky and so are you. God Bless, ~ Mark
Just checked my pants... no skid marks so no crap. Pinched myself a mighty fine bruise and there was plenty of reaction to that so no illusion either. Real as any other person on earth but more empathic than I should be at times I suppose.
Sorry got a bit carried away. My mind is scrambled by other more precious thoughts right now and likely for the rest of my life. I am surprised I can even type words now.
Thank You Kamelia and likewsie welcome back to you as well.
September 2008. Took a break for a few months but came back despite misgivings and couldn't be happier to find the wonderful voices I missed and the new ones I never got to experience who have all touched me in such a positive way.
It appears that the full moon has not drawn its furor away yet. Quote the source or not there will be those who seek to disseminate aggression upon those who use it's beautiful words to state what clearly cannot be outdone. Rather than become recalcitrant, why not choose another path? Perhaps quote the verse and add the proper credit yourself then you can enjoy the embittering battle that will come in its wake to denouce not only the Word but all who have ever uesed or read it for their own blessings. I tire of the games played here when any spiritual word is posted, and the next ten pages of an otherwise worthy discourse turns into recriminations against historical entities who are blamed for every wrong done on earth by a few proponents of enmity. Far too many threads of great harmony have been lost to this oppression. I do not wish to be party to that anymore, as it is wearying to the heart. If you feel strong enough to stand against the assault be my guest.
Please check my posts to discern my integrity before you denounce it. I write my own words and when I quote I always give the credit where due. Over the last few days mentioning anything from Biblical sources draws enmity and destroys thread within a matter of a few posts. I am sorry you think that I am claiming any ownership on those words, as I assure you that was never my intention. Merely to avoid further recriminations against my faith from those who seek any and every opportunity to slander it, and in doing so ruin the positive messages therein.
The second half assuredly is but quoting from such a 'heinous' book draws forth far too much attention from those to whom that book is anathema. I take no credit for its words merely presented them as a furtherance of the fisrt half of the post. They assuredly were divinely inspired as no greater or more accurate truth has ever been written on Love, nor will it ever be surpassed.
Divine intervention perhaps(?), but assuredly divine inspiration(!) at the least. Thank you my friend, but I am inspired by the wisdom of far greater than my own here and it occasionally comes out in a form that is concise and clear.
My cup young lady... my cup... the essence of my heart which from it's matter I could easily build a bridge straight to the stars for her just to pluck a single strand of heavenly light to match the glow in her eyes.
Let the dance begin anew and continue throughout time. Hopefully the music will inspire others to open their hearts and find all they truly seek.
My friend there is not an inch of the 1380 miles between us that I would not have walked to look into her eyes just once. Highway or no, there is no obstacle that would impede a journey into her open arms. She is coming here due to political and environmental issues as here she will be freed from those pressures and we will be freed to work a little magic of our own.
I am very happy that you as well have found your heart's song. It couldn't happen to a nicer man. A few equals perhaps come to mind of late and I am overjoyed to see this site managing to connect rather than separate as is oft the case in so many threads.
The woman I Love is on her way in 5 days to where I am. I would just as easily have gone to her as there is no distance or obstacle I would not overcome to spend a single moment in her arms. Distance is merely time and time is the currency we spend on less important things than happiness without regret. Trade the merciless wasting of time and create opportunities to use it in the direction your heart flies. 6-8 weeks or more as time demands and I will sell my home and we are going wherever our hearts draw us to start a life that never would have happened without CS and a little effort, trust, and faith. Good luck in your quest, nothing is impossible if you believe. Believing does not free you of the obligation to put forth your best effort it merely supports all the effort required to overcome each stone in the path. It is not easy but nothing worth having comes cheap.
Did you hear about the teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten students put on his cowboy boots?
He asked for help and she could see why. Even with her pulling and him pushing, the little boots still didn't want to go on.
Finally, when the second boot was on, she had worked up a sweat. She almost cried when the little boy said, "Teacher, they're on the wrong feet."
She looked and sure enough, they were. It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on, this time on the right feet.
He then announced, "These aren't my boots."
She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, "Why didn't you say so?" like she wanted to. And, once again she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off his little feet.
No sooner they got the boots off and he said, "They're my brother's boots. My Mom made me wear 'em."
Now she didn't know if she should laugh or cry. But, she mustered up the grace and courage she had left to wrestle the boots on his feet again.
Helping him into his coat, she asked, "Now, where are your mittens?"
BarrenPneuma Forum Posts (1,561)
25 Most Important Questions in the Universe. (?) (!)
10. Why Does Hawaii Have Interstate Highways?While we’d like to believe Hawaii’s Interstate system exists for the sole purpose of annoying George Carlin, the name is actually a misnomer. Not all Interstates physically go from one state to another; the name merely implies that the roads receive federal funding.
The three Hawaii Interstates (H1, H2, and H3) became Interstates as part of The Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and National Defense Highways to protect the U.S. from a Soviet invasion by making it easier to get supplies from one military base to another.