You’ve probably heard that elephants are scared of mice. Not really. However, they are afraid of bees. If they disturb a hive, the bees come out and attack them, stinging their eyes, behind their ears, and in their trunks. Elephants even have a sound that they make, a bee rumble, when they hear bees. A… Continue Reading What little critters are elephants afraid of?
We are designed to pick up other people’s emotions, and all emotions are contagious, and that includes laughter. Laughter is part of our evolution, and it’s something we share with other mammals. It’s well established that apes laugh in a remarkably human-like way. Laughter produces endorphins that help us de-stress, which is why humor helps… Continue Reading Is Laughter Really Contagious?
The origin of the word corduroy is fuzzy. Originally made of silk and worn by royal servants, modern corduroy was a product of the industrial revolution in the 1700s. A clever marketing ploy said it was corde du roi, “ropes of the king.” But it was really from cord duroy, rope with a heavy woolen… Continue Reading Do you like wearing royal clothes?
Seattle’s Space Needle? Nah. Let’s go back to 1st century Rome. Nero’s Golden Palace contained a 52-foot circular dining hall that rested on a 13-foot pillar with four spherical mechanisms. It rotated day and night to imitate the motion of the celestial bodies around the Earth and, of course, to impress his guests. The rotation… Continue Reading Where was the first 360-degree rotating dining space?
The Bishop of Myra, aka Santa Claus, was born into a rich family in Turkey in 270 C.E. and delighted in giving gifts. After his death, sailors spread his story and he gained sainthood as Saint Nicholas. His bones began to secrete a liquid called manna or myrrh, which was said to possess potent healing… Continue Reading When was Santa Claus stolen?
Theodore Geisel, aka Dr Suess, was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, but settled in California, the land of vanity license plates. He wanted a specific one, but it was unavailable. An ardent Seuss-lover with four children had already put GRINCH on the license plates and both sides of his RV. When that family moved to Iowa… Continue Reading What was on Dr Seuss’ license plate?
A unique toy was introduced in 1998, selling nearly 2 million in that first year. The fuzzy toy creature was called Furby, and it had the ability to “converse” with its owner. The NSA freaked out, and afraid that the toy might record classified information, Furby was banned from the Pentagon in 1999. In actuality,… Continue Reading What popular toy was banned from the Pentagon?
In 1965, the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania officially designated the Great Dane as the state dog of Pennsylvania. In one of their “whereas” clauses, they noted that the outline of the Great Dane’s head resembles the outline of the Commonwealth’s boundaries. Uh huh. They’re also nice, big, friendly beasties. Carson won the… Continue Reading What is the state dog of Pennsylvania?
The derby (or bowler) was by far the most popular cowboy hat. Most photographs from that time feature men wearing them, and one of the reasons they were popular is that they stayed on in windy conditions. This photo of the Wild Bunch includes Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Top hats were also popular.… Continue Reading What kind of hats did cowboys wear in the mid-1800’s?
Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County – UUCDC
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