Strange But True

* It was noted American science fiction author Philip K. Dick who made the following sage observation: “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.”

* You might be surprised to learn that when Hernan Cortes reached the New World in the 1600s, he found the Aztecs drinking hot chocolate at their banquets.

* The World Health Organization does not include cockroaches on its list of insects hazardous to human health.

* Are you afraid of rattlesnakes? Those are certainly dangerous creatures, but keep in mind that the venom of a black widow spider is 15 times deadlier than that of the rattler — and the spider doesn’t provide an early-warning alarm like the rattler does.

* The name for that lovely lavender stone, amethyst, is derived from the Greek term for “not drunk.”

* You probably knew that cats were revered in ancient Egypt, but did you know that when a domestic cat died, the family went into mourning? Yep. People would shave their eyebrows to demonstrate their grief over the passing of their beloved pet.

* If you’re like the average American, you eat roughly 17 pounds of potato chips every year.

* Way back in 1879, the Cincinnati Gazette predicted that the game of baseball had “run its course.”

* Singer and songwriter Roger Miller, best known for his hit song “King of the Road,” had a passion for music early, even though his family was poor. When he was in grade school, he spent his weekends picking cotton so he could save up enough money to buy a guitar. After eighth grade he quit school and went to work herding cattle and riding in rodeos.

Thought for the Day

“It is better to sleep on things beforehand than lie awake about them afterwards.”

--Baltasar Gracian

(c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.