Random Interesting Facts

There are over two hundred corpses on Mt. Everest and some are used as way markers for climbers.

The tallness of a mountain refers to its length from base to summit. The height refers to the length from sea level to summit. Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world, but it is not the tallest. At 33,465 ft (10,200 m) Mauna Kea in Hawaii is taller than Everest, which is only 29,029 ft (8,848 m). However, almost two thirds of Mauna Kea is underwater.

The US Supreme Court's basketball court is on the fifth floor of the United States Supreme Court Building, higher than the second floor courtroom, so it has been dubbed the highest court in the land.

Almost twenty five percent of Los Angeles is covered by automobiles and there are also more cars than people in Los Angeles.

John D. Rockefeller's wealth, when adjusted for inflation was ten times greater than Bill Gates.

There are over seventy various spacecrafts on the Moon, as well as a few flags, some golf balls, some TV cameras, empty packages and, human waste containers. All total over 400,000 pounds.

Embalming Facts

This was something of a surprise to me. No state requires routine embalming and some do not require it at all. It is also not required for cremation if performed immediately. Some states require embalming for remains that are to be shipped out of state. Embalming provides no public health benefit, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Canadian health authorities. Hawaii and Ontario forbid embalming if the person died of certain contagious diseases.

Modern embalming consists primarily of  washing with a germicide-insecticide-olfactant. removing all blood and gases from the body and the insertion of a disinfecting fluid.  Funeral home effluent is not regulated, and waste is flushed into the common sewer system or septic tank. Embalming does not preserve the body for any great length of time. It also serves no useful purpose in preventing the transmission of communicable disease. Refrigeration is just as effective as embalming for short periods of time, such as for viewing.

The US Federal Trade Commission says, "Except in certain special cases, embalming is not required by law. Embalming may be necessary, however, if you select certain funeral arrangements, such as a funeral with viewing. If you do not want embalming, you usually have the right to choose an arrangement that does not require you to pay for it, such as direct cremation or immediate burial." Refrigeration is an alternative to maintain a body while awaiting a funeral service or when there is a delay in making arrangements.

Charges for embalming, dressing, and cosmetology can be covered under one charge and can vary from $500 to $1500, or more. Sheltering and refrigeration of a body for up to 3 days can vary from no charge to a few hundred dollars.

Microwave and Plastic Myth Debunked

The dangers of plastic in microwaves appears to have originated with a TV station in Honolulu that ran a segment in 2002 featuring Dr. Edward Fujimoto, who explained how microwaving plastic wrap and containers can release potentially deadly toxins into our food. A short news segment from Hawaii that few actually saw became huge when someone made it into an email that went viral.

The email claimed to be a media release from Johns Hopkins University, has the common urge to "pass this on to your family and friends" as do most untrue or politically incorrect emails. Johns Hopkins has formally debunked the email as originating from it.

Scientists do admit that it is possible heating plastic in a microwave might leach some substances into foods, but nowhere near the amount that would cause harm.

Another myth about chemicals in plastic water bottles getting into our bodies, while a boon for the metal water bottle industry, scientists say that cold temperatures actually inhibit the ability of chemicals to leak out of plastics.

Four Coffee Seed Facts

Coffee bean is not actually a bean, it is a seed.  Beans are always seeds, but seeds are not always beans.  A bean is just one kind of a seed.  Specifically, the bean is a name for seeds of the family Fabaceae, of which the coffee plant is not a member.
A coffee bean is actually the seed of the coffee plant, the pit inside of the coffee fruit.
Only one state produces coffee, Hawaii.
English chemist, George Constant Washington invented instant coffee.
Put used coffee grounds in houseplant soil to help the plants.

Decades of Fun

How about a trip back to your favorite decade? Check this LINK. This site takes you from the fifties to the eighties. You can find Music, Television, Movies, Books, Gadgets, Sports, and Cars all neatly packaged. Great for feeding the nostalgia bug, or just loading up on more trivia, like Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959. Did you know that in 1950 the average cost of a new house was $8,450, a new car was $1,510, a gallon of gas was 18 cents, and a postage stamp cost three cents. Now you do.