Strange But True - Oct. 21, 2010

* 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 up with liquid forms of the seasonings.

* The English word for the fruit "squash" comes from the language of the Native American Narragansett tribe. It means "something eaten green."

* If you ever decide to participate in a public protest in Greece, remember not to wear sunglasses. Since shades can hide your face, wearing them is illegal during demonstrations there.

* Wilhelm Rontgen discovered X-rays in 1895, and his work earned him the first Nobel Prize in Physics. His work also set off a fad among many women, who refused to undress even behind closed doors. They feared that X-rays could be used to see through walls to spy on intimate moments.

* After the vows have been said in a traditional Korean wedding, the groom formally introduces his new wife to his parents. The bride’s father-in-law then pelts the bride with red dates, which is supposed to ensure fertility.

Thought for the Day: "Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps, for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are and what they ought to be." — William Hazlitt

(c) 2010 King Features Synd., Inc.