STRANGE BUT TRUE - Jan. 13, 2011

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 drift, they say.

If you’re planning a trip to central Africa, you can pay a visit to both the shortest people in the world (the Pygmy tribes) as well as the tallest (the Tutsi, also known as the Watusi).

If you’re a blood donor, you help to make up a significant minority. In the United States, less than 5 percent of the population donates blood every year.

If you took all the Tootsie Rolls produced every year and placed them end to end, there would be enough candy to stretch to the moon and back. Interestingly, the Tootsie Roll isn’t actually considered to be chocolate — not according to the definition used by federal officials supervising the candy industry, anyway.

The world’s highest tides are found in the Bay of Fundy, located in Nova Scotia, Canada. There, the difference between high and low tides can be as much as 50 feet.

Thought for the Day: “I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally.” — W.C. Fields

(c) 2011 King Features Synd., Inc.