Strange BUT TRUE

• It was Irish author and editor Robert Lynd who made the following sage observation: “History may be read as the story of the magnificent rearguard action fought during several thousand years by dogma against curiosity.”

• Historians say that the Halloween tradition of trick-or-treating dates back to the early European tradition of mumming, when costumed dancers would go door to door to perform choreographed routines, as well as songs and plays, in exchange for treats.

• You might be surprised to learn that on a per-capita basis, Finland has more heavy-metal bands than any other country on Earth.

• If you’re fortunate enough to be planning a trip to Argentina, you’ll almost certainly make a stop in Buenos Aires, the capital. While you’re there, keep an eye out for a mobile work by Raul Lemesoff. The artist, known for his eccentricity, converted a 1979 Ford Falcon into a kind of a tank — it even has a turret that swivels. Instead of soldiers and armaments, however, this tank carries books on shelves both inside and outside the vehicle. Lemesoff drives his “Weapon of Mass Instruction” through the city streets, delivering free books to all comers. His only requirement? Recipients must promise to read what he gives them.

• You’ve certainly heard of “Tarzan of the Apes.” Edgar Rice Burroughs’ 1912 work has been adapted over and over again — for radio, television, film and more. You probably weren’t aware, though, that the novel was such an instant and ongoing success that Burroughs wrote 24 sequels.

• In a recent survey of pet owners, 43 percent of respondents said that they’d be eating healthier themselves if they ate the same thing they fed their pets.

Thought for the Day:

“What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof.”

— Christopher Hitchens