STRANGE BUT TRUE - July 15, 2010

* It was famed 20th-century Canadian-American economist John Kenneth Galbraith who made the following sage observation: “It is a far, far better thing to have a firm anchor in nonsense than to put out on the troubled sea of thought.”

* In Switzerland, it’s considered to be bad luck to tell anyone your baby’s name before he or she is born.

* It’s been estimated that, around the world, 16 million tons of rain fall every second.

* Do you ever yawn just because you saw someone else do it? It seems that humans are the only animals so affected.

* If you’ve spent a great deal of time in the Scottish highlands, you might be familiar with the term “sgiomlaireachd.” Evidently, the habit of dropping in at mealtimes is common enough there to require a word to describe it.

* Statisticians claim that the more money a man makes, the more likely he is to cheat on his spouse.

* Mascara was invented by a chemist named T.L. Williams, who founded the cosmetics company Maybelline. The original eyelash enhancer was composed of coal dust and Vaseline.

* Before the iconic reclining armchair was dubbed “La-Z-Boy,” the names “Sit-N-Snooze,” “Slack Back” and “Comfort Carrier” were considered.

* The first jugglers who were recorded in the history books were Egyptian. They also were women.

* Deaf people who suffer from Tourette’s syndrome swear in sign language.

* Those who study such things say that automatic teller machines are three times more likely to be robbed between 6 and 9 p.m. than at any other time of day.

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Thought for the Day: “If you’re not scared or angry at the thought of a human brain being controlled remotely, then it could be this prototype of mine is finally starting to work.” — John Alejandro King

(c) 2010 King

features Synd., Inc.