Until 1975 it was a rule that all major-league baseballs had to be covered with horsehide. Horsehide gradually became increasingly more expensive resulting in 1975 baseballs optionally being covered in either cowhide or horsehide. Nowadays cowhide is used almost exclusively.

Speaking of baseball — during the 1970’s and into the 1990’s, a bosomy blonde gained fame for sprinting onto fields during games and kissing targeted players. Known as the Kissing Bandit, she smacked George Brett, Pete Rose, Nolan Ryan and several others. However, it was the osculation on Nolan Ryan that resulted in Morganna Roberts’ (her real name) arrest. Morganna is now 69 years old and was reported to be residing in Louisville, Kentucky.

Normal adult humans have 206 separate bones. Human babies are usually born in possession of 350 bones. Maturity and bone fusions result in the eventual 206 count.

There exists a widely held misconception that we use only ten percent of our brains. This belief is far from the truth. Well over ninety percent of our brains are frequently used. PET and CAT scans have verified that our brains exhibit definite signs of activity in almost one hundred percent of our skull contents. I suspect that scans of my brain could significantly skew the percentage data.

Another urban myth is that the consumption of large amounts of turkey will cause a diner to be unduly stuffed with tryptophan and become quite sleepy. Turkey does contain tryptophan. However, cheese and beef and pork all surpass turkey in tryptophan per ounce.

Well, picky, picky – in 1997 a University of Wisconsin baseball coach was suspended for endorsing the hazing of freshmen team members by forcing the youngsters to eat live goldfish.

Rafflesia arnoldii

The parasitic flower Rafflesia arnoldii is often referred to by the endearing name of “rotting corpse plant.” This botanical oddity has the largest bloom of any plant on earth. The open flower can hold gallons of “nectar” and measure more than three feet across. Flies and various beetles must think the smell to be wonderful as they congregate by the thousands on petals, greatly aiding in the pollination process as the insects flit from Rafflesia to Rafflesia.

Here is another deep question and I have no satisfactory answer: If a man tries to fail and succeeds – which has he done?

Arguments about soccer officiating are taken very seriously in Brazil. Recently (September), a referee grew weary of quarreling and pulled out a loaded gun to quiet a particularly confrontational player. Well, try to avoid smelling like a Raffelsia arnoldii and have a great week.