3:10 p.m. - 2005-02-15
Useless Facts to Know & Share
Cheapskate Flies: The mating ritual of a type of fly called Hilara, commonly known as "dance flies," involves gift-giving. The male catches a small insect, wraps it in silk, and then presents it � along with a wing-waving mating dance � to his potential mate. When she accepts it, he mounts her while she's busy eating the gift. But some dance flies are too lazy to even catch the bug. In one species, the male offers the female what looks like a gift-wrapped insect. While she unwraps it, he mates with her, trying to complete the act before she discovers there's no bug in the bag.

Bum Wrap: "Jean Baptiste de Chateaubrun (1685 � 1775) spent 40 years polishing and refining two plays, virtually his life's work, only to discover that his housekeeper had carelessly used the pages as wrapping paper, losing them forever." ~ The Best of the Worst

When In Kenya, never accept a gift, wrapped or not, with your left hand.

In China, decline a gift a few times before accepting. Use both hands to give or receive one.

"Wild Bill" Hickock had a brother. His nickname was "Tame Bill."

You're more likely to be stung by a bee on a windy day than in any other weather.

Beauty fact: Most lipstick contains fish scales.

Woof! Holland is the only country with a national dog. (It's the keeshond, in case you were wondering.)

Immediately after the last episode of M*A*S*H*, New York City's sewer flow increased by 320 million gallons, the equivalent of 1 million toilets flushing simultaneously.

A horse expends more energy lying down than it does standing up.

Worldwide, there are 8,500 chapters of the Barbie fan club.

The Neanderthal's brain was bigger than yours is.

#1 cause of depression in married people: being married. In unmarried people: being single.

Q: What, in 1952, did Einstein call the most difficult thing to understand? A: Income taxes.

It takes about a ton of ore to provide the gold for one wedding ring.

It takes a drop of ocean water more than 1,000 years to circulate around the world.

Artichokes are flowers.

When Italy was founded in 1861, only 3% of Italians spoke Italian fluently. (before then, just so you know, Italy existed as seperate states such as Naples and Florence and Rome.)

Restroom tip: The first stall is usually the cleanest. Most people, seeking privacy, skip it.

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