Strange But True: Feb. 21, 2019

* It was French-German physician, philosopher and humanitarian Albert Schweitzer who made the following sage observation: “In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”

* You might be surprised to learn that famed lover and heartbreaker Casanova eventually became a librarian.

* In parts of Illinois, it was once illegal to put a cake in a cookie jar.

* If you’ve ever yelled out a warning in panic — “Stop!,” “Run!,” “Don’t!” — you’ve used a monepic sentence; that is, one that is complete with just a single word. Of course, at the time you probably weren’t concerned about the grammatical nature of your utterance.

* If you’re like the hypothetical average person, your mouth will create 10,000 gallons of saliva over the course of your lifetime.

* It’s been reported that the country’s first pizza parlor was in New York City — naturally. It opened in 1885, but barely got by. In 1895, it was sold for a mere $200 — small change even in those times.

* The bearded vulture is the only known animal whose diet is made up almost exclusively of bone.

* It’s a well-worn trope that men refuse to stop and ask for directions when they’re lost. That point of view might seem to be supported by the results of a survey conducted by the American Automobile Association, which found that just 34 percent of male drivers admit to stopping to ask for directions. However, the same survey found that only 37 percent of women did the same.

Thought for the Day

“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

--Jiddu Krishnamurti

(c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.