What Duct Tape is Made Of

##EMBED## Duct tape is composed of three layers.  The top layer is a plastic, polyethelyne; the middle layer is a fabric mesh; the bottom layer is a rubber-based, pressure sensitive adhesive.  It was originally manufactured simply by pressing these three layers together and was named “Duck Tape”, not “Duct Tape”.   It was invented by Johnson & Johnson’s Permacel division during […]

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The Words “Blond” and “Blonde” are Not Wholly Synonymous

Blonde Hair

Today I found out the words “blond” and “blonde” are not wholly synonymous.  So what’s the difference between the words “blond” and “blonde”? (besides the obvious extra ‘e’) 😉 The difference is simply in what gender the word is referring.  When referring to a woman with yellow hair, you should use the feminine spelling “blonde”.  When referring to a male […]

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The Statue of William Shakespeare in Central Park was Paid for from Funds Donated from a John Wilkes Booth Performance of Julius Caesar

##EMBED## The three brothers John Wilkes, Junius Brutus (Jr.), and Edwin Booth, all critically acclaimed actors of their day, only once all three appeared in the same play together.  That was in a portrayal of Julius Caesar in 1864, with John Wilkes playing Marc Antony; Junius taking the roll of Cassius; and Edwin playing Brutus.  The funds from the above […]

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The World’s Largest Item On A Menu Is Camel Stuffed with Lamb which has Been Stuffed with Chickens which has Been Stuffed with Fish or Eggs

Today I found out that the largest item on a menu in the world is whole camel which is often stuffed with a lamb which has been stuffed with chickens which has been stuffed with fish or eggs;  the whole lot also tends to have rice and other fixings mixed in at each stuffing stage. As you might expect, cooking […]

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Why Bathing Was Uncommon in Medieval Europe

Mark R. asks: Why didn’t people in the middle ages ever bathe? To begin with, it is something of a common misconception to say people never bathed in the Middle Ages (or centuries around it). In fact, in some regions, bathing regularly (in some form or other) wasn’t really all that different than today. And even in regions where it […]

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Where the Word “Echo” Comes From

##EMBED## Click Here for Sources and to Learn More Interesting Echo Related Facts The word “echo”, as we use it, comes from Greek mythology.  Echo was a Nymph whose job it was to talk to Hera constantly while Zeus was having affairs, thus distracting Hera.  When Hera found out, she cursed Echo to only be able to repeat what someone […]

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