Fun Facts and Strange News

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Here are some fun facts to help get you through the day and look like the most informed person at the water cooler.

– The first “for dummies” book was “DOS for Dummies” in 1991.  Now the series has around 2,500 titles and more than 200 million copies in print.

 

–  “Herpes” is an ancient Greek word that means “creeping.”  The disease got the name because the blisters would creep across your skin.

 

–  The founder of Kodak, George Eastman, hated that months had different numbers of days.  So, he made the company operate on a 13-month calendar, with 28 days in each, and two left over.  He called the 13th month “Sol.”

It sounds crazy, but the company used the 13-month calendar from 1928 to 1989.

 

–  Powdered wigs became popular in the late 1500s because so many men were losing their hair . . . due to syphilis.

 

–  Volkswagen has its own brand of sausage in Germany . . . and they sell more sausages than cars.

 

(Wikipedia / Bioentymology / Gizmodo / Mental Floss / cnet)

 

Strange and trending news:

– A new study figured out how much of the stuff you worry about comes true.  And the average is . . . 8.6%.  In other words, less than one in 10 things you worry about is worth worrying about.  (Full Story)

 

–  A new survey asked people which is more stressful:  Holiday shopping . . . or back-to-school shopping?  And believe it or not, more than one-third of people said it’s back-to-school shopping.  (Full Story)

 

–  Only 13% of people say they’ve had a vacation romance that kept going back in real life, according to a new survey . . . the other 87% say the relationship only lasted as long as the vacation.  (Full Story)

 

–  A wedding planner just posted a story on Reddit of a wedding disaster . . . because a bride, quote, “gambled on a fart and lost in a big way.”  She wound up destroying her $15,000 dress with what came out of her . . . but still went on with the reception with a stained dress.  (Full Story)

 

–  There’s a new list out of the bestselling beers in the U.S. with some surprising results.  Bud Light did more than double the sales of any other beer . . . Michelob Ultra passed Miller Lite to be the number three beer in America . . . and somehow, Bud Ice came in 16th.  (Full Story)

 

–  Is it cool to get a table at a restaurant 15 minutes before it closes?  According to a new survey, 60% of people say it’s NOT COOL.  27% of people say it’s fine.  (Full Story)

 

–  About one-third of people who’ve posed for photos while they were high regretted it, according to a new survey.  30.5% who called or texted someone regretted it . . . and 21.4% who posted on social media regretted it.  (Full Story)

 

–  M&M’s has been running a contest since January where they’ve been selling three international flavors and people can vote:  Mexican Jalapeno Peanut, Thai Coconut Peanut, and English Toffee Peanut.  Well the votes are in, and your winner is . . . English Toffee Peanut.  So that will stay on sale.  (Full Story)

 

–  A photo is going viral on Reddit right now from a guy who opened the top of the coffee maker in a hotel room . . . and found a thriving, disgusting mold colony.  So ALWAYS inspect the hotel room coffee maker before you use it.  (Full Story)

 

–  A woman in Washington was fishing last week and posed for a picture with a small octopus on her face.  And . . . it bit her and POISONED her.  She wound up in the hospital, she’s still in pain, and she says, quote, “This was not a good idea.”  (Full Story)

 

–  There’s a guy in Tennessee whose real name is Luke Sky Walker.  He was in the news last year for stealing road signs, and now he’s in the news again . . . because there’s a warrant out for his arrest for theft.  (Full Story)

 

–  A new study found there’s NO connection between drinking coffee at night and having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.  Nicotine and alcohol can affect your sleep, though.  (Full Story)