Cool Facts
I'll start this off with one.
SUPPOSED FACT: According to German researchers, the risk of heart attack is higher on Monday than any other day of the week.
Yeah I was thinking that if this "fact" is true that it had to do with having to start work on Monday. Everybody loves Fridays, right?Quote: AlanRRTMy random guess, based on no research or facts, is that some people who already have some heart disease spend the weekend engaging in unhealthy behaviour (staying up too late, smoking, drinking, etc.) then face the stress of the job on Monday. Of course, this is assuming that the German researchers actually existed and did this research.
Quote: HotBlondeSUPPOSED FACT: Compact discs read from the inside to the outside edge, the reverse of how a record works.
Oh, that one's true. You can easily verify it, too. Simply burn any CD with very little information, and you'll see the area burned is that on the inside edge.
Quote: HotBlondeSUPPOSED FACT: Adolf Hitler was one of the people that was responsible in the creation of the Volkswagen Beetle. He came up with the idea of producing a car that was cheap enough for the average German working man to afford.
This is not in dispute. Hitler was the kind of leader who had his nose in all kinds of details of everything. The fascist government had major control over privately-owned industry. One show I saw on it said Hitler made a few tweaks to the design same as a CEO of an auto company might as he saw the preproduction cars.
Quote: AZDuffmanThis is not in dispute. Hitler was the kind of leader who had his nose in all kinds of details of everything.
Wolkswagen translates as "the people's car"; the term was in use in Hitler's day. Furthermore, it is fair to say Hitler did as much as anyone to get the company started, unless I am very much mistaken.
Quote: odiousgambitWolkswagen translates as "the people's car"; the term was in use in Hitler's day. Furthermore, it is fair to say Hitler did as much as anyone to get the company started, unless I am very much mistaken.
Hitler demanded it be a four-seat car and not one of the not-uncommon two seat minicars they had in Europe at the time. Wanted it for German families.
Ford almost bought VW right after the war, but the issue was there was no clear title to buy it from. Creditors ranged from claims of unpaid slave labor to banks to people who partially paid for cars not delivered pre-war. Imagine how different things would have been if Ford did that. Given independence to VW to grow Ford surely would have been bigger than GM by the late 1950s.
1979 in Calif and sold in 1981. I paid $400 and did
nothing to it, maybe changed the oil once. Drove it
every day and sold it for $400. Its probably out there
somewhere, running right along. This is just what it
looked like:
One middle aged tourist felt a bit tired so he stayed out to watch the Komodo Dragons as the tourguide took the rest of the tourists back to the hotel. He had a cane but apparently fell asleep in the sunshine. They found the cane.
Distance and alertness seem the key to defense.
By the way, humans who survive an attack by alligators often die a few days later from massive infections from the microbes they carry. So even if you find their eyes and press like hell, you are still likely to die from the experience.
On-edit:
Cheerleader Cammie Colin, 16, helped catch a gator that was 10 feet, five inches long and weighed 353 pounds.
...Wrestling an alligator is not much of a challenge due to their extremely weak muscles for opening their mouths. Nature has endowed them with extremely strong muscles for closing them. If you decide to take up alligator wrestling, please don't get these two points confused.
Yikes! Scary stuff.Quote: FleaStiffThank you but I'd rather not put this to any tests although I do believe crocodiles have developed protection for that. I believe there is a term "crocodile's tears". They like to snap, drag you into the water and take you deep while twisting... hard to even find their eyes probably.
One middle aged tourist felt a bit tired so he stayed out to watch the Komodo Dragons as the tourguide took the rest of the tourists back to the hotel. He had a cane but apparently fell asleep in the sunshine. They found the cane.
Distance and alertness seem the key to defense.
By the way, humans who survive an attack by alligators often die a few days later from massive infections from the microbes they carry. So even if you find their eyes and press like hell, you are still likely to die from the experience.
I don't know if any of you watch the tv show "I Survived..." on the Biography channel. One of my favorite shows to watch, and I watch them all online for free. I saw one recently where an elderly man was attacked by a female mountain lion who basically tore him to shreds, yet he survived with the help of his elderly wife. Both of them tried the eye thing on the lion but it did not work. Luckily after the wife beating the lion and him fighting back after a period of time the lion gave up. It's crazy that he survived, there were even pieces of his skull laying on the ground.
Quote: HotBlondeSUPPOSED FACT: Adolf Hitler was one of the people that was responsible in the creation of the Volkswagen Beetle. He came up with the idea of producing a car that was cheap enough for the average German working man to afford.
Well known as true, but I wanted to ask if everybody knew who he hired to design it:
.
.
.
Ferdinand Porsche.
(think about it - he's the only man who ever liked designing rear-engine cars)
Quote: FleaStiffThank you but I'd rather not put this to any tests although I do believe crocodiles have developed protection for that.
I watched some program where a man survived a crocodile attack; he said the correct technique to defeat the beast is to reach further down the animal's throat, the angle of the teeth allow that but not the opposite. Reaching in you stuff your hand in and the croc has an instinct to let you go. The croc had him by the arm and he got away so he has the credentials to say he knows what he is talking about. He didnt mention poking the eyes.
Quote: FleaStiffBy the way, humans who survive an attack by alligators often die a few days later from massive infections from the microbes they carry. So even if you find their eyes and press like hell, you are still likely to die from the experience.
Komodo Dragons too, and gators, other similar bites have a lot of microbes to get you. If you get medical attention huge antibiotics doses are indeed the drill, and should save you. If you don't get to a hospital apparently you are in big trouble even if hale and hardy with a good immune system. What I have gleaned from this is that one's skin is very good at fighting off infection, but if you get a big dose of germs into muscle or especially abdominal cavities, the immune system has a real challenge. One thing is that skin rapidly grows to heal and seal, while elsewhere the microbes are going to start making a little home for themselves.
Quote: EvenBobBest VW I ever owned was a '56 VW bus I bought in
1979 in Calif and sold in 1981. I paid $400 and did
nothing to it, maybe changed the oil once. Drove it
every day and sold it for $400. Its probably out there
somewhere, running right along. This is just what it
looked like:
If you had that actual one, the one with what, 21 windows, too bad you didn't hold on to it. Just saw a restored one go near six figures at auction.
Quote: odiousgambitI watched some program where a man survived a crocodile attack; he said the correct technique to defeat the beast is to reach further down the animal's throat, the angle of the teeth allow that but not the opposite. Reaching in you stuff your hand in and the croc has an instinct to let you go. The croc had him by the arm and he got away so he has the credentials to say he knows what he is talking about. He didnt mention poking the eyes.
Well, naturally the thing to do is not to be in a position where a crocodile can attack you. But if you might be, then you should bring along a high-caliber handgun and a very big, very sharp knife. Not to mention at least one other person similarly equipped. Same goes for mountian lions, bears, wolves, lions, tigers, etc etc.
Quote: Nareeda very big, very sharp knife
oh, yeah, I remember now Tarzan dispatching crocs that way [g]
Quote: Nareedyou should bring along a high-caliber handgun and a very big, very sharp knife. Not to mention at least one other person similarly equipped. Same goes for mountian lions, bears, wolves, lions, tigers, etc etc.
I have to admit in "the woods" I am always armed to the teeth, even around here in VA where it takes great imagination to think you are in any kind of danger. I sometimes do nature trails unarmed, but you would never talk me into that in some places. The unarmed hiker attacked by the grizzly... sorry, that would never be me.
Quote: FleaStiffThere is some European-only camper model that a guy imports into this country for use by a group of European students who then tour the USA in it and sell it to him. Each year he then sells the camper van at a profit since its a model not available in the USA.
Seen 1-2 of them in my time. Back section of roof pops-up and you can camp out in it. Never saw the inside but a dealer had one here and woulod display it popped up so people knew it was there.
Can you imagine if they tried to sell that vehicle in the USA now? Driver over drive wheels, no crunch space, etc.
Quote: odiousgambitThe unarmed hiker attacked by the grizzly... sorry, that would never be me.
You never know what will set up an animal attack. Maybe they're hunting, maybe you got to close to their young, maybe you're in the way of something they want, maybe they're bored... So the sensible thing is to be armed just in case that happens. If you have time to shoot neaar the animal to scare it, great. If not, then it's too bad for the beast.
Actually the sensible thing is to leave whatever's left of the wildwerness and near-wilderness to the animals, and stay in civilization where we belong. But some people like the outdoors.
LOL. There is ONE spot at the back of the head to shoot it. And you better be able to know just where it is and get it with your first shot.
Attacks during rutting season. One woman was jogging by... what did she think a male deer would do when something approaches him from behind while he is busy with some female deer? Turn and decide its not another male deer and go on about his business? Instinct means instinct, not careful reasoned analysis.
Shoot a Grizzly? You've heard the expression perhaps, "loaded for bear"? If its not going to stop the bear dead in its tracks, don't bother shooting at it at all. Same with mountain lion attacks. In the Everglades, Search and Rescue units go in with a rifleman at the ready to take the shot if a panther appears. If there is the slightest delay... forget it!
Quote: AZDuffmanIf you had that actual one, the one with what, 21 windows, too bad you didn't hold on to it. Just saw a restored one go near six figures at auction.
It had the 21 windows, they weren't that rare
in the 70's when I bought mine. Especially
in Calif.
Quote: FleaStiffSame with mountain lion attacks. In the Everglades, Search and Rescue units go in with a rifleman at the ready to take the shot if a panther appears.
Maybe so, but an adult human has a good chance of backing down a mountain lion, or getting one to cease and desist. A panther is not on the level of a lion, tiger, or jaguar. Of course you can't show fear or be running. You would come out a little worse for wear, to put it mildly, if you tangle. A couple of rounds from about any gun would only help.
The most dangerous bucks are once that have been fed or in some other way lost fear of humans. Pretty rare for the others even to be seen on any casual basis, much less encountered.
Quote: odiousgambitMaybe so, but an adult human has a good chance of backing down a mountain lion, or getting one to cease and desist.
Could be. but a big effing gun trumps just about all else, including a royal flush :P
got eaten alive by a bear last summer. She
was on her honeymoon and got attacked
and the bear ate part of her leg while she
was on her cell phone pleading with her
mother for help. The bear went away for
awhile and came back with two cubs and
had her for lunch while she was screaming
on her phone. Not funny, true story.
Bear are typically only dangerous when cornered, hurt, or with cubs. I split a mama from her cubs once and ended up between them, what a rush. A random bear will easily scare with any loud noise, be it a gun, shouting, or banging sticks and pans. A dangerous bear needs to be avoided. If you can't and only have a stick, defend yourself with stabs. Never swing baseball style, it wont even phase it. Guns work well; unlike a deer, a kill shot usually drops them in their tracks.
Deer are easy. Just stay away from them Sept through Nov. If it's a moose, stay away from it always.
Cats are same as bears to scare away, somewhat easier. Make yourself big, make yourself loud. Never turn your back, never run.
Sasquatch are fine. Just don't tease them.
Quote: FaceSasquatch are fine. Just don't tease them.
Or share your picnic with them. They have a
habit of crapping wherever they're standing,
like homeless people do sometimes.
Quote: EvenBobThey have a habit of crapping wherever they're standing, like homeless people do sometimes.
what!!!?? I think you are well into your cups same as me.
Quote: NareedCould be. but a big effing gun trumps just about all else, including a royal flush :P
Nareed!!! you need to tell us more about your relationship with guns. I won't rest till you do [g]
Quote: EvenBobHow about the poor woman in Siberia who
got eaten alive by a bear last summer. She
was on her honeymoon and got attacked
and the bear ate part of her leg while she
was on her cell phone pleading with her
mother for help. The bear went away for
awhile and came back with two cubs and
had her for lunch while she was screaming
on her phone. Not funny, true story.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2026914/Mum-bear-eating--Final-phone-calls-woman-19-eaten-alive-brown-bear-cubs.html
I'm not going to vouch for the accuracy or inaccuracy of that particular story, but research suggests that some of those stories in the Daily Mail are not true at all. They wrote about a similar odd story in a town near mine, and the local media attempted to find the person referenced, only to find the pictures were not of that person (who was fictitious, as far as we know), they were actually from someone who was given $500 to use them in their stories.
Note that the story above has no official quotes from authorities, or from a local news source (what would normally be used for a story on the other side of the globe). So we are to believe that there was this horrible tragedy, and the family decided to first and only give an interview to the UK Daily Mail? If you google her name, you'll only come up with articles written based off the original Daily Mail article. No other sources are available. Again, perhaps this story is true. But when you see it in the Daily Mail, it's just as likely to be made up to generate pageviews and links.
http://www.irishcentral.com/story/news/danny_boy/irish-college-bans-tabloid-after-faking-student-death-story-135180258.html
you need to tell us more about your relationship with guns. I won't rest till you do [g]Quote: odiousgambitNareed!!!
It's spelled See? :)
Guns? Let's see. I shot a .22 single shot rifle once, about ten rounds, one of which actually hit the cardbaord with the target (not the target). And I once shot a .45 handgun, one shot, it did hit the target.
That's it.
the "big effing gun" is a reference to an old video game where one weapon was called "BFG"
The trumps a royal flush comes from a joke where three cowboys are playing poker, on the showdown they go:
"I've a full house"
"I've a royal flush"
"I've a .45 Colt."
Quote: cclub79http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2026914/Mum-bear-eating--Final-phone-calls-woman-19-eaten-alive-brown-bear-cubs.html
I'm not going to vouch for the accuracy or inaccuracy of that particular story, but research suggests that some of those stories in the Daily Mail are not true at all.
I didn't read it there, it was in an American
paper.
Quote: EvenBobI didn't read it there, it was in an American
paper.
Unfortunately many newspapers across the world will use information from these British Tabloids without knowing their shoddy records. I first saw this article on the Drudge Report, and heard it on several Talk Shows as well. Repeating it from the original source does not make the original source any more valid.
In my personal example, it was a local paper's desire to find out more about one of the Daily Mail's stories that lead them to figure out it was false.
Again, I have no idea if the bear story is true or not. But last year I learned a valuable lesson that the Daily Mail does create stories out of nothing to sell papers and get pageviews.
Quote: HotBlondeSUPPOSED FACT: According to German researchers, the risk of heart attack is higher on Monday than any other day of the week.
That fact has actually been verified many times. According to TIME = Usually, during the night, the cardiovascular system is "sleeping," which is characterized by low blood pressure and heart rate. But the last stage of sleep REM, or rapid eye movement, sleep {when we believe most dreaming occurs} is a risk period for cardiovascular emergencies because when you dream, you have a dramatic increase of activity of the autonomic nervous system even more than when you are awake. Probably each of us can remember waking up in the morning sometimes feeling very tired. That's because during that stage of dreams, we were running or facing some danger. Your heart was running, so it was consuming oxygen. And for similar reasons to those when you're awake, that activity is risky if you don't have a good vessel system.
Logically if morning highly increases the possibility of a heart attack, then on Monday when you are stressing about the work week would naturally increase the possibility of bad dreams, and hence the risk of an attack.
Probably gives rise to the story that if you die in your dreams, you die in real life.
Quote: pacomartinthen on Monday when you are stressing about the work week would naturally increase the possibility of bad dreams, and hence the risk of an attack.
Hence the need to control your dreams. I'm always
aware that I'm dreaming, I've worked on it for years.
If I'm having a bad dream its never really bad because
I know its only a dream. Just tell yourself when you're
nodding off that you have total control in your dreams
and sooner than you think, you will. Dreams are part
of you, they aren't separate. You're making them up
as you go along, might as well be in charge of them.
I forgot to mention that in the episode of "I Survived..." where the man was attacked by the lion, he did say that he would grab on and hold onto the lion's tongue and that the lion would cease but only momentarily until he lost his grip and then she was back to tearing him up. He was successful in doing this to her several times but again nothing that he nor his wife tried to do seemed to phase her at all.Quote: odiousgambitI watched some program where a man survived a crocodile attack; he said the correct technique to defeat the beast is to reach further down the animal's throat, the angle of the teeth allow that but not the opposite. Reaching in you stuff your hand in and the croc has an instinct to let you go. The croc had him by the arm and he got away so he has the credentials to say he knows what he is talking about. He didnt mention poking the eyes.
That's not a fact, silly. It's alright that you don't like it but it's really, super popular here in the US. They even go on tour and made a feature-film with those Glee kids. I personally never got into it but it was always fun to watch when I did tune in. My old roommate loves the show and even went to the movies to watch their movie.Quote: WizardofEnglandSupposed Fact: Glee is an awful Tv show.
What were you drinking, my dear?Quote: odiousgambityou guys have caught me in a good mood after cocktails and I am enjoying this thread.
I too feel usually in control of my dreams and can usually change things around. But because the mind likes to believe what it thinks, at the same time I am directing what is happening my mind does seem to lose itself in the realness of it all.Quote: EvenBobHence the need to control your dreams. I'm always
aware that I'm dreaming, I've worked on it for years.
If I'm having a bad dream its never really bad because
I know its only a dream. Just tell yourself when you're
nodding off that you have total control in your dreams
and sooner than you think, you will. Dreams are part
of you, they aren't separate. You're making them up
as you go along, might as well be in charge of them.
I heard (I guess you can say this is a supposed fact) that people who dream often and vividly and in detail actually have a higher IQ than those who don't. I tried asking someone once if they had very vibrant dreams or none at all, and they said usually none at all. I then told them about the associated IQ theory and they, of course, tried to backtrack and be like, "Wait! No, I dream!" Blah, blah, blah. Try asking someone about their dreams first before telling them of this "supposed fact". And not to sound all thrilled about it (ok, I am a little bit) I myself dream often and in great detail.
Isn't it another supposed fact, along the lines of what pacomartin was saying, that dreams occur in the last few second before you awake? Interesting concept when you think about how we humans envision time. When going over what I just dreamt, it seems that what I did dream lasted several minutes yet science supposedly says it happens in a matter of seconds.
Which brings me to ANOTHER thought... (whew, I've got a lot on my mind today!)
You know how you hear about people who have seen "their life flash before their eyes"? What's that all about? My uncle said that that happened to him. If I remember correctly, he fell off a pole and literally saw his life from infancy flash before his eyes in a succession of memories. Another interesting twist on this concept of time, eh?
Quote: HotBlondeIsn't it another supposed fact, along the lines of what pacomartin was saying, that dreams occur in the last few second before you awake? Interesting concept when you think about how we humans envision time. When going over what I just dreamt, it seems that what I did dream lasted several minutes yet science supposedly says it happens in a matter of seconds.
That's not quite right. There are stages of sleep and you cycle through them over throughout the time you're sleeping. Dreams take place during a stage called R.E.M. sleep, which stands for "Rapid Eye Movement" sleep. Most dreams take place during this stage, which can last, added together, for about 20 or 25% of all sleep time. This type of sleep has been observed in many mammals.
One hypothesis states that the purpose of the REM phase is to oxygenate parts of some eye tissues like the cornea which lack blood vessels. And that this activity gives rise to dreams.
Anyway, REM periods start out short and grow longer over sleep time. Light sleep usually follows REM, and that's one reason some people wake up after it. Perhaps as a consequence, perhaps due to some outside factor like light noise or light which didn't affect you during deeper sleep stages.
As for me, I usually wake up in the morning due to the obnoxiousness of my alarm clock :)
Quote: HotBlondeIsn't it another supposed fact, along the lines of what pacomartin was saying, that dreams occur in the last few second before you awake? Interesting concept when you think about how we humans envision time.
"REM sleep in adult humans typically occupies
20-25% of total sleep, about 90-120 minutes
of a night's sleep."
REM is where we do all our dreaming, thats
why the eyes are moving, to follow whats
happening in the dream. You dream for
1 1/2 to 2 hours a night.
Quote: EvenBob"REM sleep in adult humans typically occupies 20-25% of total sleep, about 90-120 minutes of a night's sleep."
Yes, but you only remember the much smaller percentage of dreams that happen close to when you wake up.
We can dream of going several rounds with a boxing champion without our spouses waking up black and blue because our muscles are inhibited during REM sleep, but not always.
If people do die early Monday mornings, it might be that they ate a Sunday dinner which induced more dreams or more vivid dreams than usual.
Quote:the bear ate part of her leg while she was on her cell phone pleading with her mother for help. The bear went away for awhile and came back with two cubs and had her for lunch
going back to this, if the animal was a wolf, this story would be represent typical behavior. Not sure about bears, but seems possible.
Wolves are notorious for eating away without killing their prey. You can check out the internet for videos of them doing this, complete with the poor deer or whatever bleating away. I'm not going to post a link here and I suggest not looking for them.
For whatever reason, my mother in law likes to retell the story about the time my father in law hit her in his sleep. Every time I hear her say it, I turn to him and say, "How do you get away with that?"Quote: FleaStiffWe can dream of going several rounds with a boxing champion without our spouses waking up black and blue because our muscles are inhibited during REM sleep, but not always.
Quote: DJTeddyBearFor whatever reason, my mother in law likes to retell the story about the time my father in law hit her in his sleep.
I knew a guy who used to tell a story about his wife smashing him in his face when he was asleep. But in his story she was wide awake, and she was just mad at him.
Paco, I literally just laughed out loud!!Quote: pacomartinI knew a guy who used to tell a story about his wife smashing him in his face when he was asleep. But in his story she was wide awake, and she was just mad at him.
SUPPOSED FACT: Dieting can cause bad breath since less saliva is produced which leads to dry mouth.
Quote: FleaStiffUsually that is true. Some people have dreams, even nightmares, in which they know they are asleep but are unable to awaken themselves. One man couldn't end his nightmare until his repeated cries of "Wake me up!" finally induced his wife to wake him up.
I get those occasionally. Not very pleasant. Normally they are preceded by a quiet vivid waking dream where I wake up, do part of my morning routine, wake up, do part of my morning routine, wake up, etc (which each wake up period shorter than the one before).
my wife and I are in Vegas for 2 weeks and
forget to gamble till the last day. But no matter
what I do, I can't find a casino. I have this
dream at least once a week.
Quote: FleaStiffMost bad breath is from bacteria on the tongue not the teeth.
Actually, I think most bad breath results from simple dry mouth. I'm not talking about halitosis, throat infections or diseases coming from your gut, but common morning breath we all seem to get. The constant stream of saliva washes away bad breath during the day (the bacteria on the tongue as Flea mentions), but keeping the mouth closed all night results in bad breath. Babies don't have bad breath because they drool a lot. Dogs have bad breath due to eating out of the catbox and dead fish on the beach. Cool facts indeed.
