Fact # 443

Real Fact #433: The pound sign, or #, is called an octothorp.

First, I would like to apologize for not writing in nearly a month. My schedule has changed and I have not been able to keep up with blogging, until today. I hope I do not take such long breaks in the future!

Today's fact is an interesting one. It has gone by this official name, the pound sign (or key), the number sign, crosshatch, tic-tac-toe, and thanks to Twitter, the hashtag. More on hashtags - and my personal opinion on them - later.

Octothorp apparently has two spellings: as I have been using until now and the spelling octothopre. According to www.merriam-webster.com, Octothorp has two definitions:

1. The # symbol.
2. octo-thorpe: of unknown origin; from the eight points on its circumference.

Also, the first known use of the word is believed to be in 1971.

An octothorp. Picture taken from status.net

Great information, but not enough for a blog. I dug up some little-known octothorp facts...

This word has yet to become internationally official, and was believed to be a joke among engineers at Bell Labs in the 1960's. Supposedly. For more info from World Wide Words, go here.

Many other rumors abound in how this word came to be, yet none of them are all that reliable. Such as the idea that a man named Charles B. Octothorpe wanted to make his name famous.

Today we see this symbol more often with hashtagging and Twitter.

I will preface my following statements with this disclaimer: I hold no judgement against anyone who uses hashtags and Twitter. While I have yet to embark on this particular cyber adventure, if that is your thing...go for it. Please, just do the world a favor and check before you post. Typos and ironic, idiotic comments happen. I am sure you can find some in this blog, maybe this post (and I edit before I hit "Publish"). Please, no offense meant to any of you who use Twitter and hashtags. They're just not my thing.

I hate hashtags. The idea, the comments people post, and the nearly daily digging these things burrow into our lives. Sadly, there appears to be somewhat of a correlation between their use and stupid people. While most hashtag users are totally fine (and I know lots of people who use them), I offer you some proof.

Ironically, the same day I wrote this blog, my husband found an article on Buzzfeed called "26 People Who Are Too Stupid For Their Own Good." On this list, there was a person who posted on Facebook the following message:

Yes, this happened. from Buzzfeed.com

Are you KIDDING me? As an English major, writer, blogger, and self-professed grammar geek, I am appalled at people like this. Then again, people like this are who give humanity a bad name. As Albert Einstein said, “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe” (www.goodreads.com).

Want to see more online stupid moments? Find the entire list here!

And we wonder why the Darwin Awards have so many entries every year.

Thank you, Snapple, for a true fact, and a few moments of laughter.

Fact #234

Real Fact #234: Great Falls, Montana, is the windiest city in the U.S.

Located in Cascade County, Great Falls boasts a population of over 58,950 (as of 2011 census). It is located in western Montana, towards the north, and is situated just east of the Rocky Mountains. Keep driving east from this city and you will discover why Montana is called "Big Sky Country." The climate is considered cold and semi-arid. Average temperatures in the summer reach into the eighties and fall as low as the teens during the winter, especially in January and February. Extreme freezes have been known to take place every month of the year, except July. (Wikipedia)

Great Falls has been known for its wind, at least within the state. I know multiple people from the area, and they have explained how windy the area can get. And yet, as my friends tell me, it is illegal to fly a kite within city limits. Yet Great Falls being the windiest city in the United States? I did a little research, and found there actually isn't a concrete answer...

According to CurrentResults.com, Boston is the windiest city, with average wind speed clocking in at 12.3 mph.

Ask.com, who I will mention rarely seems to be right in these searches, claims that while it varies on a monthly bases, Boston, Buffalo, Oklahoma City, and San Francisco are the windiest, depending on the year.

The website www.city-data.com has a list of the 101 cities with the highest average wind speeds. Great Falls did make the list...at #12 with an average wind speed of 12.5mph. Notice how that is higher than the CurrentResults declaration. Who beat out Great Falls on the list? Let's see...

1. Brockton, MA (14.3mph)
2. Framingham, MA (13.6mph)
3. Amarillo, TX (13.3mph)
4. Weymouth, MA (13.2mph)
5. Fort Collins, CO (12.8mph)
6. Newton, MA (12.7mph)
7. Waltham, MA (12.6mph)
8. Loveland, CO (12.6mph)
9. Quincy, MA (12.5mph)
10. Greeley, CO (12.5mph)
11. Rochester, MN (12.5mph)

This list also tells me that Massachusetts is a very windy state! And while I have been to Fort Collins, Loveland, and Greeley in my Colorado travels I do not recall any of those cities to be particularly windy.

At Education.Randmcnally.com, while Chicago holds the title of the Windy City. Yet according to their research on the topic, Dodge City, Kansas holds the title of the true windiest city. They attribute their research to a chart from the National Climatic Data Center.

I checked out NCDC myself, at ncdc.noaa.gov myself. They have a chart about all the most extreme climates in the U.S. Here are their results for windiest locations in the United States, along with average wind speeds:

1. Mount Washington, NH (35.1mph)
2. Blue Hill, MA (15.2mph)
3. Dodge City, KS (13.9mph)
4. Amarillo, TX (13.5mph)
5. Cheyenne, WY (12.9mph)
6. Rochester, MN (12.8mph)
7. Casper, WY (12.7mph)
8. Goodland, KS (12.5mph)
9. Great Falls, MT (12.5mph)
10. Boston, MA (12.4mph)

Great Falls made the list! However as you can see it made the list at #9. According to all the above research, Great Falls, while very windy, is not the windiest city in the country.

Now, maybe at one point, Great Falls did hold that claim. Weather patterns can change. I also like to give people the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps at one time each source listed above was correct, although I still doubt that Ask.com is all that accurate (one too many times finding incorrect information on that site). And as one site even sources NCDC, who is one of the experts in this field, what they got at the time was probably right. Dodge City still ranks in the top three.

So...Snapple...Get your facts checked.

Many who know me can attribute that yes, I have been to Great Falls. I attended a rodeo there in January of 2012 with two friends (who, I am proud to say, later married and now have a bouncing baby boy!). But the main reason I have been there was not by choice. Don't panic...this is the shortest version of the story I will probably ever give.

In January 2009 I was in a sledding accident and rushed to the hospital in Helena where I attended college. Discovering that my back was broken, the staff knew they could not care for me, and so sent me north to Great Falls for better treatment. I was there for eight days in recovery and occupational therapy. So my big experience of Great Falls is not exactly one of pleasant memories. Technically, I didn't even see the city. I was brought in at midnight and while my room had a window it faced another part of the building. So I saw nothing until I left in my parents' rental car and that was brief at best. The rodeo experience was much better, although I still would never know my way around that place.

Great Falls is indeed windy, and a place worth checking out if you ever find yourself in that part of Montana. There are lots of sights around the town, including several waterfalls. But it does not hold the record of the windiest city in the country at this time. Sorry, Great Falls...looks like your claim to fame will need to come from someplace else!

Fact #17

Real Fact #17: A hummingbird weighs less than a penny.

The hummingbird is one of nature's most beautiful, delicate, and bizarre creatures rolled into one.

Hummingbirds draw attention with their gorgeous colors and quick movements. There are many species across the United States and they have enough of a fan base to have their own website! Hummingbirds.net contains a wealth of information about these tiny birds, and is my primary resource for this blog.

There are over a dozen different species of hummingbird in the U.S. While all are fascinating to read about, I will quickly discuss specifics about hummingbirds that are native to my current region; namely, Colorado. Out of the 17 species I found, 6 have been known to take up residence in this state!

Male black-chinned hummingbird, (c) Dan True

The black-chinned hummingbird can be found in 25 states plus western Canada. Known as the "least colorful" of United States hummingbirds, they are rather plain looking. The male has a brown green crest with a purple throat band. Males weigh 3.09 grams, while the larger female can weigh 3.42 grams.

The blue-throated hummingbird is a large one, with males tipping your gram scale at 8.4 grams. Largely observed in southern states but found as north as Utah, these birds are homely as females while the males are a grey-ish color and have a blue gorget and tail.

Male blue-throated hummingbird, (c) Dan True

The broad-billed hummingbird looks quite attractive, with its iridescently green body (well, the males anyway). These birds have been observed across the U.S. in a smattering of states and weigh a 3.4 to 3.72 grams, depending on gender.

Male broad-billed hummingbird, (c) Dan True

The calliope hummingbird prefers high mountain regions, having been seen at elevations extending over 11,000 feet high. While it may like mountains, it may not particular to where it lives: this bird has been seen in 31 states! Maybe not the most attractive hummingbird out there, it comes in slightly smaller than the previously mentioned species at 2.5 to 2.83 grams. In this species, the female is bigger.

Male calliope hummingbird, (c) Dan True

The magnificent hummingbird, I am sad to say, doesn't exactly look it. The second-largest hummingbird in the country, these birds weigh 6.4 to 7.7 grams, depending on gender. They can be found largely in the southern U.S., although there are exceptions. This bird has been spotted in Minnesota.

Male magnificent hummingbird, (c) Dan True

The rufous hummingbird could be described as feisty. A bully at feeders, it usually out-maneuvers other species to get what it wants. It doesn't seem to care about location. Seen in every state except Hawaii, this bird weighs in at 3.22 to 3.41 grams, with the females outweighing the males by a fraction.

Male rufous hummingbird, (c) Dan True

Now that I have thrown all these facts at you, the question remains: do these birds weight the same as a penny? As the weight between the species ranges from 2.5 to 8.4 grams, it is safe to say that not every bird weighs the same as a penny. As someone on a very tight budget, I have plenty of pennies lying around. Yet while I have one scale in the bathroom and one in the kitchen, neither are sensitive enough to weigh one. So I turned to the U.S. Mint.

"Head" of a penny. Courtesy of marshu.com

According to usmint.gov, the penny is made of copper-plated zinc. They are 1.52mm thick, have plain edges, and  are 0.75 inches in diameter. Here's the real kicker: a penny weighs 2.5 grams. So Snapple is right, in a sense...the calliope hummingbird can weigh the same as a penny. All other species that I researched weight at least a gram more. Maybe they just need to be more specific. And perhaps there are other breeds in the U.S. and around the world that are smaller than a penny. Again, I only looked at birds observed in Colorado, mostly for the sake of time and to keep this blog from becoming 20 pages long. Check your facts, Snapple!

Hummingbirds make me think of childhood. I have mentioned my family's cabin previously. Well the area it's based in has hummingbirds in the summer. They dart and zip around, seemingly never landing...ever. Since I was a tot, my mom and grandma would hang a hummingbird feeder right outside the kitchen window. Every so often you would look up from a meal and see a green and white hummer hovering over an opening of the bright red feeder, his little beak buried deep in the hole, sucking up sugar water.

Hummingbird using the family feeder, (c) Allison, 2009

Having flipped through the species photos I have found, I think this was a female rofous hummingbird. They tend to hang out an drink for a minute or two, then take off to wherever they came from. When I was really little, we also fed duck and other birds leftover bread edges (we finicky kids refused to eat bread crusts). However the park in which the cabin sits put out a law forbidding the feeding of any animals. Makes sense...when we quit feeding the birds the raccoons left too (I remember Grandma sweeping them off the porch with a broom!).  However hummingbird feeders must not have been part of that jurisdiction.

As I have grown up, fewer and fewer hummers have paid that feeder a visit. As I have not been to the cabin since 2011 (SOB!) I have no idea if my family still hangs it outside the window. I hope they do. Hummers are fascinating to watch! Some species are also struggling and I think it would be best if they stuck around on planet Earth for quite some time to come.

References:

Chambers, Lanny. "." Humminbirds.net. Lanny Chambers, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2014. <http://www.hummingbirds.net/index.html>.

"Coin Specifiactions." United States Mint. United States Mint, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2014. <http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/index.cfm?action=Coin_specifications>.

Fact #793

Real Fact #793: Broadway is one of the longest streets in the world. It is 150 miles long.

Well, the Broadway in Denver isn't that long. I will assume this is Broadway, New York. :-)

Sorry, Snapple. You need to check your facts on this one. The only site that even mentions Broadway (WikiAnswers) says it's 400 miles long. However, it is not called Broadway the entire stretch of the road. Is it just me, or would that be cheating?

As there is (to my knowledge) no list of the longest streets in the world, I cannot say one way or another that this is true. What I can tell you are some of the other long streets/roads out there.

The Pan American road (Also known as Highway 101) is the longest road according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It runs down pretty much the entirety of the West Coast of North America. There are parts closed at times and some places the pavement disappears and you drive on dirt instead (both largely in Central/South America) but it is one continuous road.

Yonge Street in Canada has been sighted as the longest road, and still is on Wikipedia (somebody update that, please). Pan American has it beat, however. Guinness removed it after only a few weeks.

Locals here in Colorado say Colfax is the longest continuous street (as in it doesn't change names) in the United States. I have yet to verify this one. As Pan American is a highway instead of a city street, I can accept it as fact, for now. However I know one thing for sure...I never plan on driving it from end to end to find out, especially at night.

There also various roads in other continents, like the Silk Road, that rival what we have here in the U.S. for length. Again, I wish I could find a reputable list somewhere, but I have yet to do so. Sorry.

I am happy that I have been on parts of the longest road in the world. My family's cabin is off Highway 101 on the Washington State peninsula. On the request of my family, I cannot publish specifics (other than that the cabin is off of Lake Crescent), but here is the view from the cabin itself...

(Photo from my personal collection, taken June 2010)

I have not been to my family's piece of paradise since 2011. And I want to go back very, very badly.

If you ever have the chance to drive the ol' 101, take your time and enjoy the sights. There is so much to see: beaches, forests, and hidden gems like what you see above. If you gotta be somewhere, just make sure you take the time to stop and smell the roses. You never know what you will find off 101!

Fact #262

Real Fact #262: The act of chewing an apple is a more efficient way to stay awake than caffeine.

A wonderful tidbit of information about one of my favorite fruits!

In my ever-continuous search for the truth, I saw right off that bat that there are entire blogs devoted to this topic, most likely in health blogs of some kind. I also saw that WikiAnswers and Ask.com both claim yes, this is true. Ask even says that the natural sugars that come in an apple are the cause of this. But I shall dig deeper than a one minute Google browse.

(Image from designlap.com)

The natural sugar found in an apple (and other fruits too, but not to the same extent) is fructose. This is a very good sugar. Fructose can "wake you up naturally and help keep you going. It also moves slowly through the body, reaching areas where you may not wake up immediately, but once an apple [is] in your system it'll wake you up and keep you awake. There's no crash either" (Burgett). Apples also contain fiber and good carbs that your body needs to stay moving.

Reference.com backs Burgett up while adding more facts. Apples do not contain caffeine and the amount of sugar in an apple is actually less than most people put in their morning coffee (13 grams). The natural sugar in apples (which also contains glucose, by the way) is far easier for the body to digest than the artificial sweeteners we tend to put into so many foods and drinks today. Apples come loaded with Vitamin C and other nutrients, which will give the body an overall daily boost. The high vitamin content of an apple

also helps increase alertness. The vitamins are absorbed slowly and increase the energy levels slowly. There is no jolt of energy as there is with coffee, but the energy is more lasting.There are several other aspects of the apple that help wake people up. First of all, the crunch really helps increase alertness. The feel of crunching on an apple and the sound that it makes helps wake people up in the morning. The scent is also said to help one wake up. It is gently, sweet and lingering. All in all, the apple is a great choice for a morning meal and should leave one feeling refreshed and ready to face the day (Refernce.com).

There's no doubt that apples are better for you than coffee, and now there's another reason to love this multipurpose fruit.

I love apples. I ought to...I grew up in the apple state (aka Washington) where my family has an apple tree in the backyard. Apple pie just doesn't taste the same when the pie hasn't been made with your own apples picked fresh that day and been made with my mom's perfect pie crust recipe. Apples are the only fruit I will eat whole. Call me a picky eater if you want, but most fruits taste great to me...I just struggle with texture. So smoothies are my friends. Unless they contain peaches. I can't do peaches.

There's one part of apples I don't like. I miss caramel apples.

(Image from myrecipes.com)

Yes, those treats look amazing. I'm drooling over this picture. Yet I may never eat one as along as I live. No, I don't have an allergy to any ingredients (I'm only allergic to fish, and now's not the time to talk about it). There isn't an ingredient I don't like (if I ever dislike chocolate, may the M&M characters come to my home and beat me senseless with Snickers bars). It's actually a small dental issue.

Many people who know me well know I have a history of dental procedures. We discovered that when my adult teeth grew in my adult incisors (my "two front teeth") have abnormally short roots. That means if I bite into something extremely hard I could wrench a tooth loose. On either side of those teeth I have dental implants (I have no upper adult laterals, so we had to put fake ones in surgically). Because the area is so fragile, whole apples are off the menu. If I really need a caramel and apple fix though, I can slice up an apple and use some dip. Works just as well.

While I like my apples, I also like my coffee. I picked up the "joe habit" in college because it was freely available and I could put all the cream and sugar into it I wanted without a parent standing over me chiding "you want a little coffee with your sugar?" I drank it so much that one year I gave it up for Lent and had headaches for over two weeks. Whoops!

(Image from theproscons.com)

Now I drink coffee on work mornings. As of the day I posted this blog entry, no job exists. So right now I drink coffee...never. It's a treat that will return when the paycheck does. And yes, I have drank it to wake up. But it's more than the caffeine...it's the taste, the smell, and the cup of something warm between your fingers when driving to work on a dark, frozen Colorado morning. I'm not picky about my beans...as long as it's coffee (and I can put cream and sugar in it) I'll drink it. 

I may love my coffee, but when I need to get up in the morning, I will give the apple trick a try. After all, apples are better for you than coffee, won't make you crash, and are cheaper (apples here in Colorado run about $1.99 per pound while a tall mocha from Starbucks can run you double that). So if you're looking for a healthy way to wake up, want to change your morning routine, or are just curious, give it a try! You never know...it may be the best part of waking up. ;-)

References:

Burgett, Joe. "10 Things That Can Wake You Up Better Than Coffee." Oddee. Oddee, 28 Feb 2013. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. <http://www.oddee.com/item_98510.asp&xgt;.>

F., Isabella. "Can Eating Apples Keep You Awake."Reference.com Answers. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 11 Apr 2014. <http://www.reference.com/motif/health/can-eating-apples-keep-you-awake>.

Fact #432

Real Fact #432: Antarctica holds 90% of the world's fresh water.

And it's all locked up in ice.

I have heard so many different statistics about how much of our fresh water is held down south. It's hard to know who's right!

Snapple: 90%
ScienceDaily: 90%
WikiAnswers: 70%
Wikipedia: 61%
Ask.com: 99%
Will Steger Foundation: 80%
DiscoveringAntarctica.org: 70%

There are also several numbers concerning how much of the world's ice is held down there...

Planet Earth TV Series: 90%
WikiAnswers: 90%
Ask.com: 90%
Will Steger Foundation: 85%

Based on these percentages I think we can safely assume that about 90% of the ice on our planet is found in Antarctica. This makes sense. The ice on the land mass itself is several miles thick, while the north pole ice melts significantly each year.

But I digress. After all, this is a post about freshwater in general, not just ice. Or maybe not. You would not find liquid fresh water in the poles, because it's always freezing there. Salt water does not freeze at the same temperature as fresh water, hence the ocean staying largely liquid year round. So any fresh water in Antarctica is going to be frozen solid.

I have a theory: the numbers vary because of the time of year percentage may have been researched. There is a lot more ice around the poles during their perspective winters. So, if you measure the ice amount on the planet in late September, there will be  a heck of a lot more ice around the south pole than there would be up north. If you were taking measurements, say, now (early April), the reverse would be true.

The amount of ice on our planet is constantly changing because of respective climates, seasons, and sadly, global warming. Having a concrete statistic on how much freshwater is where is nearly impossible. The best we can do is take an educated guess.

That would have to be a lot of water down there. Anyone who has visited a large lake or river has probably had the thought, "That's a lot of water!" Now think about how that gigantic lake is less than one percent of the earth's fresh water. Wow.

All this talk about fresh water is making me thirsty. I think it's time for a glass of cool, refreshing fresh water with a few ice cubes in it...

Fact #23

Real Fact #23: The San Francisco cable cars are the only mobile national monument.

The first word that comes to my mind when I see this is...RANDOM! I also had no idea that national monuments could be mobile. Shows you how much I know...if it's true.

I haven't visited Wikipedia in a while, and this is a more difficult research project. turns out Wikipedia has a list of every national monument. Want the whole list?
Here goes...

Admiralty Island
African Burial...

You know what?

Just go here. There are way too many to list in this blog.

Guess what? The San Fran cars are not listed.

They are not on the disbanded list either.

Of course, other sites, such as various random trivia sites, claim various "truths":

1) The cable cars are not a monument at all
2) The San Fran cars are the only mobile national monument
3) The St. Charles car in New Orleans is also a mobile national monument.

Okay, then, who is right?

I went on the San Francisco cable car website for answers.  First off, just so you know, it's not a great site. It could use an upgrade, so be patient if you ever visit it. Second, I found nothing about the cable cars being a mobile national monument. Personally, I am inclined to go with the source: the actual cable car site.

If you take a look at the random trivia sites that claim that the cable cars are a national monument, they do not list sources you ca track. SO where did they get the information. A note about future research: ALWAYS look at sources. I don't frequently trust Wikipedia, as it goes everything I was taught in school, but at least there are sources. And the cable car website agrees with them.

Maybe this fact is a misinterpretation. On the cable car history page, there is a brief blurb about October 1, 1964. It says that there was a ceremony that designated the San Francisco cable car system as a special mobile National Historic Landmark.

I have never been to San Francisco, so I have never ridden the cable cars there (trust me, I would love to go there for a quick visit). I grew up in the land...or should I say, water...of the Puget Sound Ferry System. I have ridden a cable car before, though. It was 2010, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

(I just tired to post a picture from the trip, but for some reason it will not rotate properly)

We won't go into any details about the trip. It brings up bad memories from a past relationship. However I am still glad I went. I got to eat beignets, walked down Bourbon Street, and visited the Tabasco Factory on Avery Island. Oh, yeah...and ride a cable car (Don't call them trolleys: you might get punched). I would also go back...once the bad memories don't sting anymore.

And yes, beignets are delicious.

Fact #678

Real Fact #678: Unlike your housecat, the Siberian tiger loves to swim!

Anyone who has owned a cat or cared for a cat knows that they hate to swim. Try to teach a cat this skill and you will get something like this,

Or this,

Or this:

And you may notice in the last video that water wasn't even always present. Thank you YouTube.com for the videos!

There are the occasional cats that do like to swim. I believe, if memory serves me correctly, that the Maine Coon cat actually likes water. The Scottish Fold may as well. Then there are the rare cats of dubious heritage that actually like water.

Housecats clean themselves regularly, so getting wet hampers the process. Speculations of why include that water removes protective oils from a cat's coat to drying out the skin to allowing infections to set in. I will not go into the debate here (as I have heard so many stories), but maybe in some other post.

Siberian tigers live very different lives than your Fluffy or Mittens, who may be trying to covet your keyboard or laptop right now. The largest cats in the world, Siberian tigers are pretty rare, with only 400-500 left int he wild today (National Geographic). Their famous stripes are unique to every tiger, just like no two humans have the same fingerprints.


Tigers, like cats, are normally solitary. While females may overlap territories with males and other females, the male will never overlap his space with that of another male. Because food can run fast and cover several miles, the territories are necessary. Prey is also rare, so a tiger's territory may be quite huge ant he tiger could travel many miles in search of deer, elk, or wild boar. Tigers catch and kill prey by sneaking up within pouncing range. Their over 600 pound body and sharp claws are perfect for executing the perfect pounce. The average tiger eats over 60 pound of meat a day, although they typically eat less (National Geographic).

Tigers do take to the water, unlike other big cats. "They enjoy bathing and often play in the water when young. As adults, they often swim several kilometers to hunt or to cross rivers, and at least one has been recorded to have swum almost 30km in a day' (Wan). Finding prey may be one reason why tigers would swim, in order to reach prey quietly and quickly. Tigers could potentially hunt animals in rivers as well.

Oden is a tiger at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom outside of San Francisco. He regularly shows guests how much tigers can like water, jumping into his pool and diving to the bottom for a piece of meat (below) or just playfully swimming around (Conger).

(Photo is from animalplanet.com)

While I have never spent quality time with a tiger or ever see one swimming (zoo tigers tend to sleep all the time), it would be a neat spectacle! I do recall hearing as a kid that tigers swim, but never for enjoyment. It's always nice to learn something new every day!

The most activity I ever saw from a tiger was in 2009, on a class field trip to Zoo Montana in Billings. One of the keepers brought along a paper mache ball with treats inside when she met with our group. As we approached the tiger area her voice and the smell of meat drew the attention of this guy...

(Photo from my personal collection)

And yes, this was a Siberian tiger! The tiger paced and paced (and drooled, which you may be able to see in the picture) as he waited for the ball to be thrown in. You can see a bit of the retrieval process in the photos below...

(Photos from my personal collection)

Om nom nom! Snack time!

So yes, tigers do swim and appear to enjoy it! Most housecats tend to differ on this I suppose. In closing, please do not try to teach your cat to swim. It's not worth the scratches and bites you may occur, and the cat won't like it. Instead, watch this video:

(Video in thanks to YouTube)

Resources:

Conger, Cristen. "Why do tigers swim?." Carnivores. Animal Planet, n.d. Web. 13 Mar 2014. <http://www.animalplanet.com/mammals/swimming-tigers.htm>.

"Siberian Tiger." National Geographic. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 13 Mar 2014. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/siberian-tiger/>.

Wan, Kate. "50 Unusual Facts About Tigers." Animals. Listverse Ltd., 10 Sep 2012. Web. 13 Mar 2014. <http://listverse.com/2012/09/10/50-unusual-facts-about-tigers/>.

Fact #408

Real Fact #408: Panda bears eat up to 16 hours a day.

Talk about a food marathon!
Cute as the dickens and the universal symbol for endangered animals, pandas eat almost only bamboo (which is low in nutrients) so they need to eat a LOT of it get the amount of food they need.

(Photo taken from www.fanpop.com)

But exactly how long and how much must they eat? Other grazing-type animals such as horses will forage for as much as 20 hours a day to get the calories they need. But bears are not grazers. They are omnivores, eating both plants and animals. Grizzly bears, for example will eat anything from berries to salmon to whatever you left in your unlocked car...

(Photo taken from www.thehogring.com)

According to National Geographic, Pandas do not always eat 16 hours a day. They claim that "a typical animal eats half the day - a full 12 out of every 24 hours" and that "it takes 28 pounds...of bamboo to satisfy a giant panda's daily dietary needs" (National Geographic). They will also eat the occasional bird or rodent, but up to 99% of its diet is bamboo. And it's not very nutritious.

Keep in mind that most of what we know about pandas we know from observation in zoos: the wild pandas (of which there are only about 1,000 left) are quite elusive and difficult to find. You can learn more about pandas here and here.

(Photo taken from www.mlmguides.com)

Pandas are adorable. They look so fluffy and cute, and the internet is abound with videos of them playing on slides, logs, and crunching on that ubiquitous plant they love so much. I think it would be awesome to pet a panda some day, if such an opportunity presents itself.

But no, it does not appear they eat 16 hours a day. Where does Snapple get some of its facts? However, eating up to 16 hours a day on occasion makes sense. After all, 28 pounds of food would take a long time to eat, especially if you have to go looking for it. To put that amount of food into perspective, the average human probably eats 3-5 pounds of food a day, depending on dietary needs (Andrews).

So the next time you think you're full beyond belief, or super bored waiting for your dinner partner to finish off their crab legs, remember how much and how long a panda eats.

Resources:

Andrews, Ryan. "Energy and Calorie Density: What are your 4 pounds made of?." Precision Nutrition Blog. Precision Nurtrition, n. d. Web. 8 Mar. 2014. <http://www.precisionnutrition.com/what-are-your-4-lbs>.

"Giant Panda." National Geographic. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 8 Mar 2014. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/giant-panda/>.

Fact #712

Real Fact #712: 100% recyclable, old newspapers are great for washing windows.

Never would have thought to try that. As we do not have a newspaper subscription nor the space to store anything of immediate or repetitive use, currently I am unable to try this myself.

I would imagine, however, that the newspaper would deteriorate very quickly, leaving wet mulch on your windows. Also, wouldn't the ink just transfer to your windows, leaving black or colored streaks?

You can find instructions on how to do this on the internet, just like you can find almost anything else. To get step by step instructions to try it yourself, go here. If you do try it, please let me know.  I will update this post and try it myself. We have two sliding glass doors on our apartment...to be frank we could use all the help we can get!

(Picture taken from www.nielson.com)

Newspaper is one of those unusual materials that can be used for so many reasons. First of all, obviously, you can read it. How many of use have memories from childhood of a parent, most likely Dad, sitting at the table on a weekend morning, sipping coffee?

Okay, so that may sound very 1950's. Yet that's how I grew up: coming down to breakfast to find Dad drinking black coffee (ew!) and reading the Seattle Times.  After reading the paper cover to cover, Dad would break out a pen or pencil and start on the crossword. He's brilliant. He can do the whole thing in about 15 minutes, maybe a bit longer. Heck, I'm lucky if I can answer just one clue! Ads would be in a separate pile, and on Sunday the comics would be in their own little corner. My brother and I would fight over first dibs. As an adult, all I want from the paper is the comics...and occasionally a good "Dear Abby" article.

Most people today get their news from the internet, on their phones, or by watching television. Newspapers are becoming a thing of the past. Rumors abound that they may go 100% obsolete. I hope not. Sunday comics are a tradition I very much cherish. I have also written for a paper before. It's a high stress task, but also so much fun! Yes, it was my college's newspaper for which I wrote for two to three years. I would love to share the articles with you! However, I cannot seem to find them archived online. If you ever come across any editions of the Carroll College Prospector from 2009 to 2011, please let me know.

Newspapers can be so much more than just for reading.  Many of us who have ever packed up every belonging we own and traveled from one domicile to the other would understand the need for padding when you move. Whenever I have moved, stacks of newspaper have been my friends when I need to cushion dishes or other fragile items.

Nowadays you can find other uses for newspaper online. Have you ever heard of a material called pykrete? It's a mixture of frozen water and wood pulp. Kind of like a frozen particle board. It's tough stuff.

(Photo from www.simegen.com)

So what does pykrete have to do with newspaper? Wood pulp, like newspaper, ultimately comes from trees. You can actually use newspaper to create a kind of pykrete. This may seem like a ludicrous idea, but it has been done.

The Discovery Channel hosts a show called "MythBusters." Those who know me well have heard about ti before: it's a great show! Anyway, there is a myth floating around that in World War II the U.S. Navy wanted to build a fleet of pykrete air craft carriers, attributing the idea to pykrete's slow melt rate, bulletproof qualities, and readily available materials (by this point in the war, steel was in very short supply). Now we never built any naval fleets with the stuff because the war ended, but the idea remained: could you actually build a boat with pykrete? The main hosts of the show, Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, set out to Alaska to find out.

While they did discover that pykere is indeed stronger than ice and melts slower, they also toyed with the idea of using newspaper instead of wood pulp. The newspaper proved to be much stronger than the wood pulp and they did build a boat out of the material:

(Photo from www.popularmechanics.com. Photo taken during Season 7, Episode 2 of the show "MythBusters")

Sadly, I cannot find a free link to show you the episode. I own 95% of all MythBusters episodes through iTunes, so I don't go looking for a freebie. Do go watch the show. It's awesome. And they blow stuff up all the time. I guarantee I will be mentioning MythBusters again in this blog.

Newspaper is perfect for paper mache projects. It can be shredded and used as liner or bedding for certain small mammals. Fish get wrapped in it all the time (yuck...I'm allergic to fish).

Perhaps the biggest use for newspaper outside of just READING it would be recycling. Newspaper is generally 100% recyclable. By recycling your newspaper, you are providing material to make more newspaper, recycled paper, paper products, paper towel, etc. The more you recycle, the fewer trees we have to chop down to make more. The fewer trees we cut down, the less pollution we have and the happier our planet will be. Remember a green planet is a happy planet, so let's all do our part. I wish I could recycle...our apartment does not have a recycle program.

So can newspaper clean windows? Give it a try and let me know. When I can try it myself, I will let you know!

Fact #47

Real Fact #47: Giraffes have no vocal chords.

Giraffes are peculiar creatures. Standing up to 19 feet tall, with super long necks and legs, reaching high into the treetops for acacia leaves, this is one of those creatures that makes you wonder what the heck God was thinking when He created it.

Giraffes are herbivores, eating leaves at the tops of trees that most animals cannot reach. They live on most of the African continent (and yes, you see them in almost every zoo around the world). Giraffes are the tallest terrestrial mammal - their legs alone are over six feet long, which is taller than most humans.

(This photo from my personal collection, taken at the Denver Zoo in Spring 2013)

Even their tongues appear to have been on the rack. The average giraffe tongue is 21 inches long, and bluish in color. These flexible leaf grabbers help giraffes grab food from thorny branches or large amounts of hay, as you can see in the picture above.

Having long legs and along neck also allows a giraffe to spot and flee from predators, such as lions. A giraffe can sprint at 35 mph and with such amazing height they can spot something coming. Chances are you will not see this in the wild:

(Photo from pintrest.com. Cartoon by Gary Larson)

There is a big downside to this height. A giraffe has a lot of trouble drinking at a water hole. Their heart is specially formulated to pump massive amounts blood all the way up to the head, and the giraffe can have a blood rush when its head lowers. To properly drink water, giraffes must spread their legs apart to reach the water hole, and are very vulnerable at this time. It also takes a giraffe a very long time to get up from the ground, should it lie down. This makes it a sitting target. Thankfully, they only need one drink of water every few days - they get the rest of the moisture
they needs from their food. Yikes, that makes me thirsty even just thinking about it!

(Picture from my own personal collection, taken at the Denver Zoo Spring of 2013)

Thank you to animals.nationalgeographic.com for the giraffe facts.

But, do they have vocal chords? It's true that in the many, many times I have visited a zoo, the giraffe barn is probably the quietest place in the whole menagerie, and I have never heard giraffes utter a peep. Like other animals, giraffes only have seven cervical vertebrae, although they are much longer, of course. But are there any vocal chords in there?

According to the San Diego Zoo, yes! Here is what their website has to say:
"Although they do possess vocal chords, giraffes vocalize much less than [their closest relative] Okapi" (Apfelbach, et al).

Some vocalizations that have been observed include:
-an "alarm snort"
-mewing (bleating) from calves
-a "roaring bellow" from females looking for lost young
-males making a "raucous cough" during courtship
-various snoring, hissing, moaning, and flutelike sounds (Apfelbach, et al).

So in essence, Snapple does not have their facts straight on this one. You will find arguments for either side all over the internet, yet I am more willing to believe zoological sites over places like ask.com.

As a kid, I tired to imagine what it would be like to ride a giraffe. I had a toy giraffe I played with and I would make my dolls ride it (still have the giraffe, ditched dolls pretty early on in life). For all the time I have spent at zoos, giraffes have never been my favorite exhibit. First off, the barns stink to high heaven. keep in mind I am someone who is not bothered by the smell of horse manure! Second, giraffes typically don't move much. With those long legs, I am not sure I would either. I have always had a bigger interest in horses or anything that resembles them. Elephants, dolphins, penguins, seals, and otters always seem to grab my attention more. Yet there was this one time that that they really grabbed my attention.

It was 2010, my last summer living with my family, and my mom and I took a trip to the zoo. While we were there, the giraffes were being moved from their outdoor pasture to the barn. To do this, keepers must block off the path with gates and usher them through, either with treats or just good training. A picture of the process is below:

(Photo from my personal collection, taken at the Woodland Park Zoo, Summer 2010)

Once in the barn enclosure the giraffes found bunches of leaves tied to the fencing, so they would get a little enrichment, along with a snack. While the zoo guests could not get super close to the fence, it was closer than any of us had been before. I was about four feet from the giraffes while they snacked, and that is about as close as a visitor to this zoo can come (the outdoor enclosure is a large pit with lots of fencing and ravines between the people and the animals. You can only see the animals from a great distance). There was something about being so close to these normally silent beauties that just gave the area a sense of peace. Something about giraffes seems very calming.

Resources:

Apfelbach, , Coe, Estes, Fennessy et al, Guggisberg , Innis, Le Pendu et al., and Leuthold & Leuthold. "Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis." San Diego Zoo Global. San Diego Zoo Global, n.d. Web. 27 Feb 2014. <http://library.sandiegozoo.org/factsheets/giraffe/giraffe.htm>.

"Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis." National Geographic. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 27 Feb 2014. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/giraffe/>.

Fact #899

Real Fact #899: The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.

(Picture from www.123rf.com, with arrows added for clarification)

Those things have a name? I would like to say I have heard that somewhere before. When in doubt, go to the dictionary!

Here is what I found: "1 : the plain or ornamental tag covering the ends of a lace or point   2 : any of various ornamental studs, cords, or pins worn on clothing" ("Aglet" 23).

My print dictionary may be a little on the old side, but what the heck. I don't think that definition has changed much.

This seems like one of those random factoids that after reading it, you think (with sarcasm, of course) "Well now that I know THAT, is my life any different?" I know mine isn't any different for that knowledge. Maybe it will serve me well in trivia someday.

So according to this definition the term "aglet" also applies to the plastic coverings on the ends of drawstrings on sweatshirts. As a hoodie sweatshirt lover, I began to just take those string out. Not that they weren't useful, as a natural busybody I began chewing on them in classes, at home, in the car, etc when I was a kid. Anyone else guilty of this bad habit?

No, I never did that to shoelaces. No, I don't do this as an adult. The habit was kicked as a teen, yet I still remove the strings if they come out. I just never have a reason to use them, even in the rugged Rocky Mountain weather. I like to be able to see so I use a hat instead. Plus, I have some of the thickest hair around. It makes a great scarf, as weird as that may sound.


Reference: "Aglet." Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield: 1997.

Fact #831

Real Fact #831: Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day.

We've all heard it: we need to laugh more. Laughter is the best medicine. It takes more muscles to frown than smile. Smiling actually burns calories. And on and on. I am not going to even research this one. The numbers here almost don't matter. We all need to laugh more. Why take life so seriously? No one makes it out alive anyway.

In honor of us all (including myself) needing to laugh more, this post is full of cartoons, pictures, and jokes that I have compiled over the years. I cannot verify where the pictures come from, as most were given to me via friends on Facebook. The text jokes are mostly from Readers' Digest. Enjoy! And laugh lots!

"Last night I played a blank tape at full blast.  The mime next door went nuts."

"What’s the last thing you usually hear before a redneck dies? 

                'Hey, y’all!  Watch this!'"

"How many quarters does it take to play the new Lord of the Rings pinball game?  None.  It only takes Tolkiens."

"It was a really hot day.  The drunk decided that maybe he should lay off the alcohol, so he went to a vending machine to buy a soda.  He popped some coins in the machine and a can rolled out.  Excited, he continued to feed the machine.  A line started to form behind him and a woman shouted, 'Hurry up!  We’re all hot and thirsty!'  'Not yet,' the drunk replied, 'I’m still winning!'"

"Lawyers are leaving their mark everywhere.  Today I went to the aquarium and saw a sign that said Alleged Killer Whale."

"These guys, one a pessimist and the other an eternal optimist, had been friends for years.  The optimist was always trying to get his pal to see the bright side of things.  The optimist found a dog that could walk on water.  This is perfect, he thought.  There’s no way that darn cynic can say anything negative about this.  He took his friend duck hunting so he could see the dog in action.  Mid-morning, they finally downed a bird.  It fell on the other side of the lake, so the optimist sent the dog to retrieve it.  The animal trotted across the water, grabbed the duck in his mouth, and ran back.  'Isn’t that amazing?'  'Hmph,' the cynic replied.  'That dog can’t swim, can it?'"

"A pollster was working outside the United Nations building.  He approached a Texan, a Californian, and a New Yorker.  'Excuse me,' he said, 'I would like your opinion on the current meat shortage.'  The Texan replied, 'Pardon, but what is a shortage?'  The Californian asked, 'Sorry, but what is meat?'  The New Yorker asked, 'What is ‘Excuse me’?'"

“'Daddy, do all fairy tales begin with the words ‘Once upon a time’?' the little girl asked.  'No,' he replied.  'A whole lot of them begin with the words, ‘If elected, I promise.''”

"How do you get a man to do sit ups?  Put the remote control between his feet."

"Through the pitch-black night, the captain sees a light dead ahead on a collision course with his ship.  He sends a signal: 'Change your course 10 degrees west.'  The light signals back, 'Change yours, 10 degrees west.'  Angry, the captain sends, 'I’m a navy captain!  Change your course, sir!'  'I’m a seaman, second class,' comes the reply, 'change your course, sir.'  Now the captain is furious.  'I’m a battleship!  I’m not changing my course!'  There’s one last reply.  'I’m a lighthouse.  Your call.'”

"You can always spot an employee who’s playing golf with his boss.  He’s the fellow who gets a hole in one and says, 'Oops!'”

"Did you hear about the desperado who tried to hijack a bus full of Japanese tourists?  Fortunately, police had 5,000 photographs of the suspect."

"Phone-answering machines for the rich and famous:

·         Silvester Stalone – 'Yo. You.  Message.  Now.'

·         Sally Field – 'If you like me – if you really like me – leave your name and number after the beep.'

·         Clint Eastwood – 'Go ahead, leave a message.  Make my day.'

Shirley MacLaine – 'I already know who you are and what you’re calling about.  Simply leave a brief description of your present incarnation.'”