Monday, December 14, 2009

Here's A Bit Of Trivia...!


Since it's Monday, I want to start your week off with a few unique questions you may or may not know the answers to.

I figure that it's a good way to get the old gray matter warmed up. Besides,it beats the heck out of hearing about all the bad things going on in the world!

Ready...? Then here we go!!

Why wasn't the Bill of Rights originally included in the Constitution?


A lot of folks asked the same question when the framers first drafted the Constitution. President George Washington asked Congress to consider adding some amendments "providing for essential civil liberties" to address this oversight. The result was a draft that included 12 amendments, 2 of which were ultimately voted down. Ratification of the remaining 10 took place in 1791. See the complete text of the original 12 amendments.

Why do people say, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth"?

The saying, which generally means "Don't be ungrateful," seems to stem from the practice of giving horses as gifts. To check the age of a horse, you normally look into its mouth. This would be considered quite rude if the horse was being given to you as a gift.


Where does one find a black-tailed deer in the United States?

The black-tailed deer, a subspecies of the mule deer, is primarily found in the Pacific Northwest. Stockier than the white-tailed deer, it is mostly yellow to reddish brown in summer, and the upper side of its tail is black.

What's the deal with unbleached versus bleached flour?

Bleached and unbleached flour are interchangeable in any recipe. The only difference is that bleached flour is a little whiter, which some people prefer. Unbleached flour isn't any more nutritious, as many people think.

Is it true that when the Moon is tipped on its side, it is going to rain or snow?


According to folklore, if the new crescent Moon holds its points upward, able to contain water, you can expect a dry spell. If it stands on its points, expect precipitation to spill out.


Is it colder at the North Pole or the South Pole?

The South Pole. Why? Because the South Pole is surrounded by a large land mass covered by a thick ice sheet. The North Pole rests in the middle of the Arctic Ocean which acts as an effective heat reservoir, warming the cold atmosphere in the winter and drawing heat in the summer.

Can you tell me the origin of the saying "by hook or by crook"?


Reapers' hooks and shepherds' crooks are the instruments referred to here. In Old England, forests were the private property of the king, and permission to cut wood was rarely given. Commoners could take deadwood, though, and they increased their bounty by bringing down branches from the trees in any way they could--including by hook or by crook.


How can we keep our cat away from our Christmas tree?


Folks have suggested a lot of things over the years, and you may have to try several until you find a method that fits your cat's personality. The most direct route may be to keep your cat out of the room where the tree is. If that's not possible, try lining the tree's lower trunk with aluminum foil. Some cats hate the sound and feel of it and won't try to climb up with the foil there. Another trick may be to keep a pot of ryegrass or catnip near the tree to act as a diversion. Cats may respond to loud noises or the popular method of spraying water at them when they begin to attack the tree, but we've found that their little cat brains forget this message pretty quickly, and they're soon back to cause trouble again.

Well, that's enough to keep you all busy for a while, don't you think? Maybe later I can come up with something else!

Now, my friends, it's coffee time on the patio...quick, before it rains again!

8 comments:

Rae said...

You are a wealth of information. I always get my morning lesson here. I didn't know the answers to any of those, so I learned a lot today. Thanks Professor Jim.

Momlady said...

Do you know the origin of the saying "Sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite."? I do.

JoJo said...

Good Morning My Special One, Now these are pretty good and I didn't know the answers before. Thanks for the wealth of info you pass on to us all the time. Its fun to learn these lessons.
Maybe you do need to change your title to Hermitjim the Professor of fun things to know. I guess thats a little long. :)
Maybe we can sit out on the porch today since it seem like rain is on the way.

Catman said...

Jim,

Christmas in our home with 9 cats has taken on the theme "Trash The Halls" instead of "Deck The Halls".

There is -nothing- that will persuade the cats to leave the tree or decorations alone.

HermitJim said...

Hey Rae...
People are always telling me that I'm full of it, and I do hope that they are talking about all this trivial knowledge I like to share!

I love this stuff!

Hey, thanks for the visit this morning!


Hey Momlady...
The saying "sleep tight" has it's origins in the fact that in the old days, ropes were used on the bed frames to support the mattress. From time to time the ropes would become loose and would have to be tightened, offering a more firm support!

After this was done, the bed was considered to be tight, thus meaning that sleeping on a freshly tightened bed was to "sleep tight!"

Hey, I'm not sure about the bed bugs though!

Thanks for coming by today!


Hey JoJo...
I'm always glad to know folks find something useful or interesting here!

If I can make someone's day a bit more enjoyable, then I feel as though I've done something good!

Hey, sweetie, I sure do appreciate you dropping by today!


Hey Catman...
With 9 cats interested in the decorations, I think you're probably fighting a losing battle, don't you?

Maybe you need to get them their own tree!

I appreciate the visit today, buddy!

Kyddryn said...

Neat stuff, Mister Hermit sir! I knew about the horse and some of the history behind the Bill of Rights, and I prefer to use unbleached flour because I don't need bleached food, thanks...but the rest was new info.

As for cats - when I get a tree, I always ask the nice folks at the tree lot or farm to trim the bottom foot or so of branches off - it helps fit gifts underneath, keeps ornament raised a bit, and the cats seem less interested in climbing or playing with it. Of course, this year there's a kitten in the house, so I'm sure havoc will be wreaked...but it's all good. Speaking of trees - I need to get busy moving some furniture in the living room - it's tree day at Casa de Crazy, today!

Shade and Sweetwater,
K

HermitJim said...

Hey K...
Happy Tree Day...! Oh, I thought it was a holiday...sorry!

Not a bad idea to trim the bottom of the tree. Like you said though, having a kitten is almost a certain invitation to tree climbing!

At my Mom's, all the furniture moving is now reduced to moving one chair! Not too bad!

Good luck on the decorating, my friend! And thanks for coming by!

Meadowlark said...

Black-tailed deer in the PacNW?

I thought we had Muleys????

Of course, I'm no hunter, so probably wrong!

Peace to you, my friend. :)