Strange But True: Dec. 6, 2018

* 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 as often as 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.”

* If you received all of the gifts in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” you’d have 364 presents.

* The period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is an apt time to consider the word “crapulous,” which means “sick from excessive eating or drinking.”

* Ireland’s Porterhouse Brewing Company has what might seem to be an unlikely hit on its hands: the Oyster Stout. During the brewing process, raw oysters are shucked directly into the conditioning tank. This unlikely combination is popular, though, selling out quickly whenever it’s available.

* Those who study such things say that while shaving, a person removes about as much skin as hair.

* As the holidays approach and you’re out shopping for gifts, you might want to keep this in mind: According to survey results, siblings are the worst holiday gift-givers, getting the lowest marks from 21 percent of respondents. However, they weren’t far behind in-laws, who were rated the worst by 20 percent.

* Unless you’re from Central Florida, you’ve probably never heard of the small town of Ocoee. So you might be surprised to learn that during World War II, Ocoee earned the distinction of sending more men, per capita, to serve in the military than any other town in the United States.

Thought for the Day

“Fame is very agreeable, but the bad thing is that it goes on 24 hours a day.”

--Gabriel Garcia Marquez

(c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.