If you think the local dry-cleaning store smells harsh, consider this.
People of seventeenth-century England used ashes, bread, and urine to clean their clothes.
This gives new meaning to the phrase “smells clean”.
John
The next time you complain that it’s too cold outside, remember this little nugget of information.
The expression three dog night originated with the Eskimos and means a very cold night. So cold that you have to bed down with three dogs to keep warm. Brrr, that’s cold!
John
Mosquitoes have been responsible for more human deaths throughout history than all wars combined.
Malaria, which is carried by the Anopheles mosquito, kills 1.5 million people each year worldwide. About 120 million people have died of malaria since 1914, and the disease is endemic in 101 countries, mainly tropical, in Africa, Asia and America.
Mosquitoes, by the way, are attracted to the color blue twice as much as to any other color.
John
The Black Plague in Europe, which is estimated to have killed around 75 million people, was partially due to the belief that people thought cats were witches. Therefore, in true medieval tradition, all the cats were hauled away and killed. Can’t have a bunch of four-legged witches running around now can we?
That left a lot of rats (who carried the fleas that caused the plague) to run around towns and villages and multiply. I guess they thought it was better to have plague-infested rats running around than suspected cat witches.
Ironically, cat lovers giving cats safe haven were a large part of those who survived. Maybe the cat-witches cast a survival spell on the survivors!
John
I know it’s been a while since I posted any useless knowledge so I’ll make it up to you by passing along two, yes two, pieces of useless knowledge. I know what you’re thinking, “Oh rats!”
Speaking of rats…
Did you know that a rat can fall from a 5-story building without injury?
Good to know if you’re walking along a street with tall buildings.
AND
Did you know a rat can go without water longer than a camel can?
Of course rats are kind of hard to ride on top of. Unless you catch one of those big babies that live in the sewer system of New York City!
Until next time!
John