Tuesday 16 March 2021

Knowledge is useful ... sometimes

 

There is really no limit to the amount of research I do to bring interesting facts to my readers. My job is to inform and entertain.

Did you know, for instance, that the universe is for ever expanding. The universe is the term we use to encompass all that there is. All that exists. For example, all the planets, moons, stars, galaxies, solar systems and so on. Everything, put together in a big shopping bag, is the universe.

And it is for ever expanding. Don't ask me into what; because I don't know. If everything that exists is the universe then there is nothing outside it, so how can it expand into nothing that exists? Try that on your friends at your next party and they'll avoid you like a fart in a space suit.

Coming back to earth. Did you know that pigeons recognise you if you've been unkind to them? They recognise vivid colours that you wear. Say you are in a park wearing a yellow coat and you've shooed away a pigeon. The next day, if you're in the same park in the same coat and the same pigeon is there he'll recognise you and drop a deposit on you.

Have you ever dropped a wallet or purse? Did you get it back I wonder? A study was carried out and apparently a wallet with a lot of money in it is more likely to be handed in to the police than one with a little money, or no money at all. Also, there is a better, or lesser, chance of your wallet being handed in depending on which photos it contains. A wallet with a photo of a baby is more likely to be handed in than a wallet with photos of old people, or one's spouse, or a pet, or no photo at all. There seems to be a pecking order as to which photo is more likely to result in the wallet being returned to you. Mine contains a photo of a boomerang!

Did you know when a centipede is chased by a predator it cuts one of its legs and throws it at the predator? Whilst the predator is eating the leg the centipede runs away. Unfortunately, most centipedes eventually die when they return to look for their shoe.

Also, did you know that there is a species of dragonfly where the female pretends to be dead to avoid having sex with its partner? I bet a number of men can testify to similar experiences.

Also, somewhere in Europe there's a library with many ancient and very valuable books. So valuable that you are not allowed to touch them in case you ruin these very ancient documents. So they've decided to put all these documents on one Kindle type tablet; or better still on one USB stick. When they finish the transfer, there will be this huge ornate building totally empty with just one USB stick which you can borrow.

Are you aware that you must never go swimming after you've had a meal. My grandfather once went swimming straight after eating a burger and fries and was attacked by a shark. Luckily he survived because the shark was vegetarian.

You are more likely to be attacked by a hippopotamus than being bitten by a shark. That's because there are no sharks in the jungle. Unless you took one in your suitcase.

House flies have compound eyes made up of thousands of individual visual receptors, called ommatidia. When a fly lands on a mirror it says, "That's another way of looking at it!"

Also, did you know that silverfish can live for two to eight years unless you hit them hard with your shoe.

Did you know that you should not sleep with your head under the pillow otherwise the tooth fairy will take all your teeth away?

Finally, Marriage Guidance Counsellors report that generally husbands do not remember their mistakes. There is no point in both couple remembering the same thing. Also, husbands are best at keeping secrets because they never listen anyway. And archaeologists make the best marriage partners; the older you get the more interested they are in you.

I am very good at keeping secrets. Years ago friends of mine got married in secret in a far away town. They only invited very few well trusted friends like me. On the morning of the wedding I called a taxi at my hotel. The taxi driver asked me where I wanted to go and I did not tell him. He asked several times and I kept the secret safe with me. 

23 comments:

  1. ...knowledge is one thing, understanding is what's important.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You certainly informed and entertained us today, Victor.
    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like my readers to have all the facts for when they make conversation at parties. They'll be the centre of attention ... like I usually am at these gatherings. People congregate in little groups and talk about me.

      God bless you, Martha.

      Delete
  3. OK, you've cited a couple things that gave me giggles (which, for the sake of modesty I'm keeping to myself). Actually, the theory of a returned purse makes perfect sense. Have you, perhaps, shared that with law enforcement?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad I made you giggle secretly, Mevely.

      I think the theory about the wallet/purse is because if there's too much money people might think it relates to a crime. So they return the item to the police.

      God bless my friend.

      Delete
  4. Knowledge is very useful or at least entertaining...accept that at my age it is hard to retain all of this delightful info.
    By the time I got to the end of this post I forgot most of what I read but I did retain the talented author's name.

    God Bless Victor ✝

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the nice compliment, Jan. You're too kind.

      Why not print my list of items and take them with you at your next party. You can then read them to your friends and be the centre of attention. I am usually the centre of attention at these events by complimenting the ladies on their shoes. That's because I'm lying flat on the ground totally drunk!

      God bless, Jan.

      Delete
  5. Interesting about the returning of a lost wallet!!
    I left my purse in a fitting room one time and was out of the store before I realized it. Went running back in and thankfully it was still where I left it!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, the wallet fact is real, Happyone. People get concerned about keeping a wallet with a lot of money in it. Glad you found your purse. I once left a Department Store and forgot to take my mother-in-law with me. I guess she is still there!

      God bless.

      Delete
  6. Posts such as this always are highly entertaining, Victor!
    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so pleased you enjoy them, Lulu. It takes a lot of research on my part.

      God bless you.

      Delete
  7. My take-away is that I should put a photo of a baby in my wallet. I'd also add some money, if I had any extra.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes Kathy. That fact is statistically true. Wallets with baby pictures are more likely to be handed in to the police or lost property office.

      God bless.

      Delete
  8. Many thanks for all the helpful and entertaining information here Victor.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a pleasure, Jan. Most facts here are true.

      God bless.

      Delete
  9. It's hard work Victor to keep as entertained and you do a good job. We do after all have very high standards. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I try to keep the high standards at my end too, Bill. That is why I always post my articles from on top of a ladder. I'm so pleased you enjoy my offerings. Thanx Bill.

      God bless you.

      Delete
  10. Dearest Victor,
    Those are very funny but how stupid you were for MISSING out on your friend's wedding by not mentioning the address to the cab driver...?!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had to keep the location secret, Mariette. That is what he told me, and I am good at keeping secrets. He has not spoken to me since. I have not contacted him and continue to keep his wedding secret. He is now a grand-father and no one knows.

      God bless.

      Delete
  11. You always teach me something i probably didn't need to know.

    ReplyDelete

I PRAY FOR ALL WHO COMMENT HERE.

God bless you.