Useless Facts

Did they say what the street value of the cash was?

 

Haha! Clever, but no.

 

In the movie Black Hawk Down, soldiers refer to local Somalis as "Skinnies." Many assume it's because of the warlord-induced starvation, but several soldiers have reported it was because of the popularity among soldiers of the novel Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein (it was required reading at West Point). In the novel, one of the alien races are called "Skinnies." Soldiers in Mogadishu thought the local culture was so otherworldly, they referred to them as Skinnies. (Confirmed by several soldiers who survived the Battle of Mogadishu)

 

The tasmanian devil has the highest proportional bite force of any carnivore. It is the size of a small dog but can crunch large bones and break metal traps. The tazzie devil character in Looney Toons is based of their character. They have an extraordinary amount of temper and energy which they use to seem to much more dangerous than their size. And despite their stubby legs and round body they actually move quite fast.

 

Aldous Huxley, C.S. Lewis, and J.F.K. all died on the same day: November 22, 1963.

 

So apparently sand fleas are little (an inch or two by length) critters that live in beaches all around the world. They hide in the sand during the day and come out at night to feast on small organic critters. They're not to be confused with the fleas on dogs and cats.

 

Evil, vicious, blood-sucking little devils is what they are.

Edit: Or actually, what we called sand fleas may actually be sand flies or something. Idk. Ignore me. Whatever they are they're painful and awful.

 

Sand fleas don't hurt humans or pets.

 

Yep. I remember those from Florida. They don't infest anything but sand or sandy soil, and as far as I know they're harmless to humans or animals. They're mostly interested in food that doesn't fight back. The worst they'll do is crawl up your shorts and surprise the hell out of you when you're napping on the beach.

 

Yeah, I see that, and I edited my comment before you answered. Sorry!

 

It's confusing, because "sand flea" refers to two creatures. One is the one I described, but the other is the one you described. Sandflies or "no-see-ums" are satanic little vampires. Sand fleas are crustaceous bugs that burrow in the sand and scare the ever-loving shit out of your Aunt Denise when they crawl between her toes at the same time a sand crab scuttles across her feet, much to the amusement of her nephew.

 

Yes, those. And it is confusing, because we always just called them sand fleas. I have to say - that sounds highly amusing!

 

@zoupskim, got anything to add here? I'm Hollywood, but I seem to recall the other side having different stories to this about sand fleas.

 

When a United States Marine Corps Drill Instructor dies, if he was a good, and strong, and particularly loud Drill Instructor, he is visited by the greatest of the Immortal Marine Lords: Chesty Puller.

O'holy Puller judges the Drill Instructor on two things: how massive his biceps were, and how many Marine Recruit souls he destroyed.

If judged worthy, the Drill Instructor does not pass from the world of the living. Nay, the fate reserved for him is much grander. He is resurrected as a sand flea, and stationed within the Recruit Depot in Parris Island. There, he lurks in the fields, and ranges, and barracks of nubile Marine Recruits, where with mandible and claw and malice, he continues his revered task of toughening the flesh, and hardening the spirit...

... Of all future US Marines.

 

Beats standing guard duty for eternity I guess.

 

Do you want to know why banana flavored candies don't taste like bananas?

It's because they are actually modeled after a different type of banana altogether. That was the Gros Michel, which was larger and sweeter than the Cavendish banana we eat today.

But because all modern seedless bananas are basically cloned mutants, they are vulnerable to disease/fungi do to lack of genetic variation.

A fungus destroyed the Gros Michel in the 1960s (after many companies had already made banana flavor mimicking it) thus forcing the to switch to a new banana.

The candy companies never did change their flavor though...

 

You forgot to mention that they are also the reason exotic spiders get imported to places all over the world.
Bananas are evil, and hide evil little eight legged bastards.

 

"Yes! We Have No Bananas", a novelty song from the 1922 Broadway revue Make It Snappy, is said to have been inspired by a shortage of Gros Michel bananas, which began with the infestation of Panama disease early in the 20th century.

 

As a Registered Spider Fan I must object to this stereotype. Huntsman spiders are wicked cool ya'll and they're natures' insecticide

 

Asparagus crops in wet times can grow up to 8 inches(over 20 centimetres) a day.

 

Sounds like an even more disgusting form of that old bamboo torture (I hate asparagus, you'd be as likely to get it into my body ballistically as orally).

 

Lol my stepfather hates asparagus too.

 

I'm a vegetarian. Have been since I was about 6 years old

... And uncooked asparagus is disgusting.

 

Uncooked, yes, but grilled and basted in butter with some roasted garlic... now that's delicious. Well, that is if you're the type of vegetarian that eats butter. Maybe some olive oil instead, why not?

 

Asparagus cooked in butter is good