Category Archives: List of…

Everybody loves a list!

Five inspirational quotes from Oprah Winfrey.

Posted on by
2

Considered to be the world’s most influential woman, Oprah Winfrey is ending her 25-year reign as the queen of daytime talk television this week. The final Oprah Winfrey show will air today, May 25, 2011. Oprah will then focus on her new cable channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

In her quarter century on national TV, Oprah has hosted thousands of guests — from presidents to Michael Jackson — and doled out plenty of wisdom along the way. Here are five examples of  inspirational words from this extraordinary woman:

 

“Always continue the climb. It is possible for you to do whatever you choose, if you first get to know who you are and are willing to work with a power that is greater than ourselves to do it.“

“I was raised to believe that excellence is the best deterrent to racism and sexism.“

“My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.“

“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.“

“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.“

Read more about Oprah and her life story on Answers.com and ask your own questions here.

6 human anatomical parts named after people

Posted on by
1

It’s one thing to have a building or bridge named after you. But a body part? Pretty sweet. Check out these six body parts named after people:

1. Fallopian Tube

Named after Italian anatomist Gabriele Falloppio.

2. Sideburns

Named after American Civil War Union General Ambrose Burnside.

3. G-Spot

Named after German-born physician Ernst Gräfenberg.

4. Achilles tendon

Named after Greek mythological character Achilles.

5. Cowper’s gland

Named after anatomist William Cowper.

6. Adam’s apple

Named after Adam of the Bible.

Check out the full list at Answers.com.

Five interesting facts about geckos.

Posted on by
1

How much do you really know about the gecko? No, not the one with the funny accent on your TV screen selling car insurance. We’re talking real geckos, in the wild. Read on for some truly fascinating facts about these little lizards. 

  1. Geckos (with the exception of the Eublepharinae subfamily) don’t have eyelids. They clean the eyeball membrane with their tongue.
  2. The only known surface a gecko’s feet can’t stick to is Teflon.
  3. A gecko can support about 8x its weight hanging from just one toe on a smooth glass surface.
  4. Geckos’ footpads are self-cleaning.
  5. It is often thought that geckos are double-jointed, but their toes actually just bend in the opposite direction from human fingers and toes.

Bonus fun fact: GEICO stands for Government Employees Insurance Company.

Read more about geckos on Answers.com.

6 quotes from Carol Burnett

Posted on by
Reply

Comedian Carol Burnett celebrated her 78th birthday this week.  The Texas native is best known for her variety show on CBS, The Carol Burnett Show, which ran for 278 episodes. Interestingly enough, the redhead was always insecure about her appearance, causing her mother to say: “You can always write, no matter what you look like.” Ouch. Even so, we’re glad she stuck with TV!

Here are some of our favorite Carol Burnett quotes over the years:

“Comedy is a tragedy plus time.”

“I think we’re here for each other.”

“Because nobody goes through life without a scar.”

“Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.”

“Adolescence is just one big walking pimple.”

“I was once asked to do my Tarzan yell at Bergdorf Goodman, and a guard burst in with a gun! Now I only do it under controlled circumstance.”

Of course, you can learn more about Carol Burnett at Answers.com.

Five fun facts about animal crackers.

Posted on by
Reply

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! No matter your age, animal crackers are a fun snack to eat. But how much do you know about these slightly sweet treats? Check out five deliciously interesting facts:

  1. The original purpose of the string on the Animal Crackers box was so that it could be hung as a Christmas ornament on the tree.
  2. A box of Animal Crackers sold for 5 cents in 1902.
  3. Animal Crackers originated in England where they were known as animal biscuits.
  4. 54 different animals have been transformed into animal crackers. The most popular brand, Barnum’s Animal Crackers, has featured 37 different animals since 1902.
  5. Shirley Temple’s 1935 song “Animal Crackers in My Soup” was used by different companies advertising their brands of animal crackers.

Discover more about animal crackers on Answers.com.

Chew on this: 6 facts about jerky.

Posted on by
Reply

Jerky is a popular snack enjoyed by adventurers of all kinds: hikers, astronauts and road trippers. But even if you aren’t scaling a mountain or planning a trip to the moon, you can enjoy this chewy meat treat anytime. Jerky comes in all flavors ‒ smoky, sweet, spicy ‒ and types ‒ beef, ostrich, even alligator.

Here are six more jerky facts to gnaw on: 

1. The word “jerky” comes from the Quechua term charqui, meaning “to burn (meat).”
2. Types of meat “jerkied” include: bovine, pork, goat, mutton or lamb, deer, elk, caribou, kudu, springbok, kangaroo, bison, moose, turkey, ostrich, salmon, alligator, tuna, emu and horse.
3. Most fat must be removed from the meat before the jerky process can begin because fat won’t dry and can become rancid.
4. Many European Union countries currently prohibit the importing of meat products like jerky, requiring extensive customs documentation and inspections.
5. In Ethiopia jerky is known as qwant’a.
6. Astronauts have packed jerky for space flights since 1996, citing the snack’s high nutrition level and light weight.

Read more about this road trip staple on Answers.com.

 

Five fun facts about jellybeans.

Posted on by
1

Jellybeans. Do you eat them one at a time or grab a handful? Either way, these chewy candies are quite yummy and often show up in Easter baskets. Brush up on your jellybean trivia with these five fun facts:

  1. In the 1910s and early 1920s, the word “jellybean” referred to a young man who put a lot of great effort in to dressing stylishly. The word later became synonymous with the term pimp.
  2. Jellybeans have made a trip in a space shuttle.
  3. A series of Harry Potter jellybeans featured flavors like dirt, earwax, pepper, and vomit. Mmmm.
  4. A precursor to the jellybean was advertised as early as 1861 as a candy gift for soldiers fighting in the Civil War.
  5. The blueberry-flavored Jelly Belly jellybean was created especially for President Ronald Reagan’s inauguration in 1981.

Read more about jellybeans on Answers.com.

10 Martin Luther King, Jr. quotes.

Posted on by
Reply

Forty-three years ago this month, the iconic civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated by James Earl Rey on the balcony of a motel room in Memphis, Tennessee. The son of a Baptist preacher, MLK was the most visible and celebrated symbol of the civil rights movement.

He is perhaps most famous for his “I have a dream” speech, delivered to more than 200,000 people in Washington on August 28, 1963. That March on Washington was influential in the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

His memory lives on with inspirational quotes like these:

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

“The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.”

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

“Nothing pains some people more than having to think.”

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”

“I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

“Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.”

“We must combine the toughness of the serpent with the softness of the dove, a tough mind and a tender heart.”

Learn more about Martin Luther King, Jr. at Answers.com.

5 fantastic Dr. Seuss facts.

Posted on by
Reply

Oh, the words you’ll read!

The pictures you’ll see!

For yesterday was the anniversary

of the wonderful, whimsical Seuss!

Yesterday, March 2nd, was the birthdate of Theodore Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Who, as a kid, didn’t love being read the rhyming lines of his imagination? And who as an adult doesn’t cherish reading his books to younger folks?

Dr. Seuss was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, and died in 1991 at age 87 in San Diego, California. His birthday was made the annual date for National Read Across America Day, an initiative on reading.

Find out more about the one doctor kids love to see:

  1. Commonly known as Dr. Seuss, Geisel had other pen names, including Theo LeSieg, Rosetta Stone, and Theophrastus Seuss.
  2. Talk about serving your country! During World War II, he served as the commander of the Animation Department of the First Motion Picture Unit of the United States Army Air Forces.
  3. Seuss’ first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, was rejected by publishers 27 times.
  4. Dr. Seuss’s honors include: two Academy awards, two Emmy awards, a Peabody award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, and the Pulitzer Prize.
  5. While at Dartmouth, Geisel was caught drinking gin with friends, violating national Prohibition laws of the time; as a result, he was resigned from his extracurricular activities, including the college’s humor magazine. However, Geisel continued to write for it under the pen name “Seuss.”

Find out more on Answers.com, with Dr. Seuss quotes on Holy Kaw.

Top 10 official (and fun) state foods.

Posted on by
1

Who’s hungry? I suppose that depends where in the United States you are. Every state has an official food – or a few. There are official state nuts, fruits, grains, pies, deserts and even… jellies.

Here are some of the more fun, odd and delicious of the official state foods:

  1. Illinois
    State Snack Food: popcorn. Simple, clean fun Illinois – way to go!
  2. Texas
    State Pepper: Jalapeño. Don’t mess with Texas.
  3. Tennessee
    State Fruit: Tomato. So is that tomay-to or tomah-to in Tennessee?
  4. North Carolina
    State Blue Berry: I’m not even going to spell this out for you.
  5. Utah
    State Snack Food: Jell-O.
  6. New York
    State muffin: I’m just going to say it’s awesome that they have a state muffin. Oh, and it’s apple, if you couldn’t figure it out.
  7. Massachusetts
    State doughnut: Boston cream (six points for originality, Massachusetts).
  8. Georgia
    State Vegetable: Vidalia Sweet Onion. Someone ought to teach Georgia how to have a little fun.
  9. Oklahoma
    State – actually, entire meal: barbecued pork, biscuits, sausages and gravy, grits, squash, are we full yet? And the State Vegetable (yes, vegetable): watermelon.
  10. Louisiana
    State Jelly: make that jellies - Mayhawhaw jelly and Louisiana sugar cane jelly.

And the apple wins for most popular State Fruit. Nothing like an American classic.

Check out more at Holy Kaw! and Answers.com, of course.