Uncle John's Ahh-Inspiring Bathroom Reader by Bathroom Readers’ Institute Page B

in shame. She died a brokenhearted woman on August 30, 1909.

    â€œWe wouldn’t have been captured if we hadn’t stuck to the woman.”
    â€”Jack Biddle
    Q: How many toothpicks can you make from one cord of wood? A: 75 million.

IT’S A WEIRD, WEIRD WORLD
    Proof that truth really is stranger than fiction.
W ORD RAGE
    â€œA man who becomes upset when he hears certain words was sentenced to six years in prison for shooting his girlfriend because he thought she was about to say ‘New Jersey.’ Thomas Mitchell, 54, was convicted earlier this month of aggravated assault for shooting Barbara Jenkins in March 1999. Jenkins survived the attack. His relatives testified that Mitchell gets angry, curses and bangs on walls when he hears certain words or phrases, including ‘New Jersey,’ ‘Snickers,’ ‘Mars,’ and ‘Wisconsin.’”
    â€”Associated Press
CUT IT OUT
    â€œAn Oregon man who was shot in the leg removed the bullet himself with an X-acto knife, and then sold it back to the shooter for $200 to hinder the prosecution’s case against him.”
    â€”The Bend Bulletin
A STONE’S THROW AWAY
    â€œMore than 600 people were injured in this year’s Stone-Throwing Festival in central India. The ritual, in which residents of two villages form groups on either side of the river Jaam and hurl stones at each other, is held every year. Last year, only 250 were injured.”
    â€”Reuters
INDECENT PROPOSAL
    â€œWho said romance is dead? Twenty-five-year-old Paul Armstrong proposed to his girlfriend by having ‘Connie, Will You Marry Me?’ tattooed on his butt, which she then discovered while giving him a massage. ‘How could I say no after that?’ said Connie, a school-teacher. A week later, he discovered on her rear end the tattoo, ‘Yes!’ And they were married.”
    â€” London Daily Telegraph
    What did they use before that? The first chalkboard was used in a school in 1714.

Q&A: ASK THE EXPERTS
    Everyone’s got a question or two they’d like answered—basic stuff, like “Why is the sky blue?” Here are a few of those questions, with answers from some of the nation’s top trivia experts.
T HEY’RE NO CHICKENS
    Q: Do ostriches bury their heads in the sand?
    A: “No, they do not. This ancient belief may have come about because baby ostriches often fall on the ground and stretch out their long necks when they are frightened. This largest of all birds cannot fly and therefore does need protection, but burying its head is not the answer. The ostrich’s protection from danger lies in its very powerful legs and its ability to run at speeds of about 40 miles an hour.” (From The Question and Answer Book of Nature , by John R. Saunders)
HOT STUFF
    Q: What makes food sizzle?
    A: “There is water inside food. When you put it in a hot pan, the water comes out in tiny drops. As soon as they hit the hot pan, the drops dance around, exploding into little puffs of steam. Dancing and exploding, they make little waves in the air that travel to your ears as a sizzling sound.” (From Why Does Popcorn Pop? , by Catherine Ripley)
THAT’S SWELL
    Q: Why do your feet swell up in an airplane?
    A: “It is a common myth that feet swell up when you ride in an airplane because of changes in atmospheric pressure due to high elevation. Feet swell up on planes, especially during long flights, for the same reason they swell up on the ground—inactivity.
    â€œAnd it does not matter if you leave your shoes on or off; they will swell either way. If left on, they will provide external support, but will inhibit circulation a bit more and probably feel tighterduring the latter part of the flight. If taken off, comfort may be increased, but the shoes are likely to be more difficult to put on once the flight is over.
    More Americans claim German ancestry (46.5%) than any other. Irish ancestry is #2 at