Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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• It was prolific British author G.K. Chesterton who made the following sage observation: “An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.” • According to the Guinness Book of Records, the world’s longest place name belongs to a hill in New Zealand, which is known as Taumatawhakatangihangak oauauotamateaturipukaka pikimaungahoronukupokaiwhe nua kitanatahu. When translated from Maori, the language of the native people, the name reads “place where Tamatea, the man with the big kne...
STRANGE BUT TRUE It was 20th-century Belgian writer and philosopher Raoul Vaneigem who made the following sage observation: “There are more truths in 24 hours of a man’s life than in all the philosophies.” The next time you’re annoyed by a bad case of the hiccups, consider poor Charles Osborne. In 1922, when he was 28 years old, Mr. Osborne got the hiccups. For the next 68 years, he continued to hiccup, finally stopping in 1990, one year before his death at the age of 97. Those who study such things claim that an average bank robber in the Uni...
It was French writer, artist and filmmaker Jean Cocteau who made the following sage observation: “The greatest masterpiece in literature is only a dictionary out of order.” If you were in or near Springfield, Mo., at the end of April, I hope you took the opportunity to attend a popular local festival: the Typewriter Toss. Every year on April 22 — Administrative Professionals Day (also known as Secretaries Day), appropriately — a local radio station sponsors the event, in which contestants are raised in a lift truck to a height of 50 feet, t... Full story
It was American novelist and editor Edgar Watson Howe who made the following sage observation: “Americans detest all lies except lies spoken in public or printed lies.” Those who study such things say that ancient Egyptians had bowling alleys. In 1980 a woman named Rosie Ruiz appeared to have won the Boston Marathon in the fastest time ever recorded for a woman in that race. However, after a number of suspicions surfaced (including a strange lack of fatigue at the end of the long race), it was found that she hadn’t actually run the entire race...
It was venerable American newscaster David Brinkley who made the following sage observation: “The one function TV news performs very well is that when there is no news, we give it to you with the same emphasis as if there were.” According to Guinness World Records, the oldest cat in the world was named Crème Puff and lived to the ripe old age of 38 years and three days. If you do much printing, you might not be surprised to learn that if you figure out the cost by volume, the average ink cartridge for a printer costs seven times more than Dom...
It was Kurt Vonnegut, one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, who made the following sage observation: “There is no reason why good cannot triumph over evil. The triumph of anything is a matter of organization. If there are such things as angels, I hope they are organized along the lines of the Mafia.” That cork you pulled out of your wine bottle was made from the bark of a tree. The cork oak has to grow for 25 years before any cork is harvested, and then it’s stripped only every 10 years thereafter. If you can predict the f...
It was 20th-century German-American poet, novelist and short-story writer Charles Bukowski who made the following observation: “The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later; in a dictatorship you don’t have to waste your time voting.” In the 18 months that the Pony Express operated, carrying mail across the Wild West and its myriad hazards and dangers, only one pouch of mail was lost. It takes approximately 10 months for a Las Vegas slot machine to pay for itself. At one t...
It was legendary American crime novelist Rex Stout who made the following sage observation: “Nothing is more admirable than the fortitude with which millionaires tolerate the disadvantages of their wealth.” If you have an aversion to bugs, you might not want to take a vacation in Borneo anytime soon. The world’s third largest island is home to a particular stick insect that, measuring in at 14 inches, is the longest insect in the world. You might be surprised to learn that the earliest recorded reference to a vending machine dates back to th... Full story
It was American astronomer, astrophysicist and author Carl Sagan who made the following sage observation: “The fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.” If you’re like the average American woman, you will eat 4 to 6 pounds of lipstick during your lifetime. You probably won’t be surprised to learn that Alaska is the most northern and western state in the Union, but...
It was beloved American comedian, actor, producer and author Bill Cosby who offered the following advice to new parents: “Always end the name of your child with a vowel, so that when you yell, the name will carry.” Those who study such things say that it takes one second to vacuum 1 square foot of floor. You probably don’t realize it — and you certainly don’t notice it — but experts claim that the Atlantic Ocean is getting about 1 centimeter bigger every year, and the Pacific Ocean is shrinking by the same amount. It’s due to continental d...
It was British novelist and essayist Arthur Koestler who made the following sage observation: “The more original a discovery, the more obvious it seems afterwards.” One might think that famed model and businesswoman Tyra Banks would rely on a plethora of pricey cosmetics and other aids — and she doubtless does. But she claims that the most important beauty product she uses is Vaseline. According to a 2010 study conducted in the Netherlands, symptoms of asthma can be successfully treated by riding a roller coaster. Singles, take note: The datin...
It was American author, social critic, economist and political commentator Thomas Sowell who made the following sage observation: “Much of the social history of the Western world over the past three decades has involved replacing what worked with what sounded good.” Visiting the longest chain of mountains on Earth requires some rather special arrangements — aquatic ones, to be precise. The 10,000-mile-long Mid-Atlantic Ridge, as its name indicates, is located on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. The only parts of the chain above water are a few... Full story
It was prolific British author G.K. Chesterton who gave the following sage bit of advice: “Don’t ever take a fence down until you know the reason it was put up.” When Richard Nixon first ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives (which he won in 1946), he funded his campaign largely with money he won playing poker while serving as a lieutenant commander in the Navy during World War II. From 1863 until 1945, the city of Vicksburg, Miss., didn’t celebrate the Fourth of July holiday. This is because during the Civil War, the Confederate...
It was French playwright Albert Guinon who made the following sage observation: “There are people who, instead of listening to what is being said to them, are already listening to what they are going to say themselves.” Most people at all familiar with the name Max Schmeling know him as the Great Nazi Hope, the boxer produced by Adolf Hitler in the 1930s to defeat Joe Louis, supposedly proving Aryan superiority. (He did defeat Louis in a match in 1936, though he lost a rematch in 1938.) What most people don’t realize, though, is that Schme...
It was 20th-century British author and Anglican priest William Ralph Inge who made the following sage observation: “Events in the past may be roughly divided into those which probably never happened and those which do not matter.” Consider your age, then consider the following tidbit: In the 1700s, the average human lifespan was about 30 years. Sobering thought, isn’t it? Historians report that Napoleon Bonaparte, when he wasn’t busy conquering, enjoyed ice skating. If you’re frightened of bugs, you might not want to know the following... Full story
* It was journalist, entrepreneur and philanthropist Esther Dyson who made the following sage observation: “The Internet is like alcohol in some sense. It accentuates what you would do anyway. If you want to be a loner, you can be more alone. If you want to connect, it makes it easier to connect.” * In China, the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau, which issues license plates, has recently stopped allowing the number 4 to appear on the tags. Evidently the number sounds like the word for “death” and is therefore considered to be unlucky. * Here...
* It was Kurt Vonnegut, one of the most influential American writers of the 20th century, who made the following sage observation: “Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.” * Snakes are sometimes born with two heads, but they don’t survive long. It seems the heads fight each other for food. * During this season of excess, it might be worthwhile to remember that the typical holiday meal contains more than 3,000 calories. It also might be wo...
* It was British playwright Tom Stoppard who made the following observation: “Skill without imagination is craftsmanship and gives us many useful objects such as wickerwork picnic baskets. Imagination without skill gives us modern art.” * You’ve probably had some experience with hail at some point in your life, but probably not with hail like this: The heaviest recorded hailstone in the world fell in Bangladesh in 1986; it weighed a whopping 2.25 pounds. The largest hailstone, which fell earlier this year in South Dakota, measured 8 inche...
* It was American author, producer, screenwriter and director Michael Crichton who made the following sage observation: “Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet, because you’re being had.” * Statistics show that more babies are born in September than in any other month of the year. * Talk about bad luck: In May of 2009, two thieves broke into a jewelry store in Milwaukee, bagged up their loot and tried to make their getaway. On the way out of the looted store, they were confronted by tw...
* It was French poet, journalist and novelist Anatole France who made the following sage observation: "The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread." * Those who study such things claim that baby girls smile more than baby boys. * While in space, astronauts can’t use traditional salt and pepper. If they tried to sprinkle the condiment on food, it would just float away, possibly clogging air vents and otherwise wreaking havoc. So some bright person came...
* It was British mathematician, historian, logician and philosopher Bertrand Russell who made the following sage observation: “Boredom is a vital problem for the moralist, since at least half of the sins of mankind are caused by the fear of it.” * Statistics on sporting events show that 17 of the 20 sporting events with the most attendees every year are NASCAR races. * Though coffee has been around for about 700 years, instant coffee was invented just more than 100 years ago, in 1906 * Albert Einstein’s theories of relativity suggest that... Full story
• It was American author and futurist Alvin Toffler who made the following sage observation: “Profits, like sausages, are esteemed most by those who know least about what goes into them.” • In honor of October being National Pizza month, here are a few statistics: Approximately 3 billion pizzas are sold every year in the United States. Seventeen percent of all the restaurants in the country are pizzerias. If you’re like 93 percent of Americans, you eat at least one pizza every month. Pepperoni is the most popular topping, followed by sausage,...
* It was 20th-century French air force brigadier general and geopolitician — and bearer of the nickname “father of the French atom bomb” — Pierre Marie Gallois who made the following sage observation: “If you put tomfoolery into a computer, nothing comes out of it but tomfoolery. But this tomfoolery, having passed through a very expensive machine, is somehow ennobled and no one dares criticize it.” * Gravity makes you shorter. It’s true; gravity compresses your spine — in a weightless environment, you would be 2 to 3 inches taller than you... Full story
* It was existential psychologist Rollo May who made the following sage observation: “It is an ironic habit of human beings to run faster when we have lost our way.” * Two countries are tied for the nation encompassing the most time zones. It’s no surprise that Russia is one of them, but it seems odd that the other would be France. It’s true, though; once you take a look at a map of French territories around the world, you’ll see. There are French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean, the island of Reunion off the east coast of Africa, various holdin... Full story
* It was author, journalist and political consultant Vic Gold who made the following sage observation: “The squeaking wheel doesn’t always get the grease. Sometimes it gets replaced.” * The record for the longest space flight in history is held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov. In 1995 he completed a 438-day stay aboard the Mir space station. * It’s commonly believed that Eskimos have 50 or more words for different types of snow but no word for just plain snow. In point of fact, that statement is misleading, as the Eskimo language is comp... Full story
