Strange BUT TRUE

* It was 20th-century American writer and political activist Max Eastman who made the following sage observation: “It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humor.”

* Have you ever wondered why a “down” in American football is called that? In the early days of the sport, when the ball carrier was tackled, he was supposed to yell “Down!” to avoid getting hit by other players.

* If you’re like one-third of American vacationers, you spend

at least some time cleaning your holiday lodgings upon arrival.

* In many Mediterranean countries, a typical breakfast consists of some combination of the following: tomatoes, olives, cheese, bread and hard-boiled eggs.

* The Guinness Book of World Records (now known simply as Guinness World Records) is so named because in 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, the managing director of the Guinness Breweries, wanted to settle an argument over whether the golden plover or the red grouse was the fastest game bird in Europe. Unable to find the answer in reference books, Beaver realized that there must be many such questions debated in pubs, but no reference book to settle them. Another Guinness employee recommended professional fact-finders (and twin brothers) Norris and Ross McWhirter to compile such a book. The first edition was printed in 1954, and all 1,000 copies were given away.

* It was a New Yorker named William Shepherd who patented the first liquid soap. The recipe? One pound of soap, 100 pounds of ammonia solution and enough water for the mixture to reach the consistency of molasses.

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Thought for the Day:

“I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” — James Baldwin.