Creative Reviews discussion

I was reading a book with my kids tonight (about reptiles and birds) and I learned something I never knew...

A swan's wings are strong enough to actually break a human arm!!!!

Freaky!

Anyway... Anyone else have any random trivia they'd like to share? :-)

Yo! Humans can't lick their own elbows.

And I can see you trying it, but it's true (and a great way to keep kids occupied for five minutes or so, esp if you say "Can't you? How weird...I thought everybody could..."


JAC

I think Canadian Geese can do it too. That's why they say stay AWAY from their nests

LOVE this thread.
Will be back with random facts soon!!

Cassie - Gathering Leaves wrote: "I was reading a book with my kids tonight (about reptiles and birds) and I learned something I never knew...

A swan's wings are strong enough to actually break a human arm!!!!

Freaky!

I'm not surprised. Geese are pretty tough to tangle with, too, so I suppose a swan would be stronger. How do African Swallows rate?
Anyw..."

Phil - is that laden or unladen??

It's not a matter of how it GRIPS it ... it's a simple weight to lift ratio! A 8 oz. swallow can't carry a 1 lb. coconut!

Random fact of the day:

Odontophobia is the fear of teeth.

Katy wrote: "It's not a matter of how it GRIPS it ... it's a simple weight to lift ratio! A 8 oz. swallow can't carry a 1 lb. coconut!"

Not even if it flapped extra hard?

Heheheh.... you lot seen Spamalot the musical yet?

J.A. wrote: "Heheheh.... you lot seen Spamalot the musical yet?"

Nope; but I did see the legos version of the Camelot song & dance number and was pretty amused by that ...

"On second thought, let's NOT go to Camelot - it is a silly place ..."

The legos version is HILARIOUS!!!

And, Cambria, people are afraid of teeth? Whoa...

I will say that I am leery of teeth.........

teeth are scary.... except when attached to hot vampires and super exciting werewolves.

dentures are the scariest!!!!

Cambria wrote: "dentures are the scariest!!!!"

No, Cambria, having to get dentures is the scariest.

ROFL!!!!! I can't imagine...

My dentist said Dentures are like trying to eat something when your mouth is already full of marbles!

ooooh complex...

J.A. wrote: "My dentist said Dentures are like trying to eat something when your mouth is already full of marbles!

ooooh complex..."

Yeah, it takes practice. Just don't swallow the marbles.

It's hard to *blarfgwrlmmthmf* with all these marbles in my mouth ...

But presumably you end up talking the Queen's English...Well it worked for Eliza Dooolittle!
JAC

Cambria wrote: "Random fact of the day:

Odontophobia is the fear of teeth."

What is the phobia of having dental work?

Dentophobia is the fear of having dental work done. Here is a site with some other phobias in it...I have some of these! LOL

http://www.medicinenet.com/phobias/ar...

Well, I learned something today while reading "Crazy About You" - Dante was the first to use the word "bizarre" to describe a mentally ill person. Interesting, no?

Katy wrote: "Well, I learned something today while reading "Crazy About You" - Dante was the first to use the word "bizarre" to describe a mentally ill person. Interesting, no?"

Interesting. The OED says it's a French word meaning "odd" and formerly meant "soldier-like". The dictionary refers to the Spanish and Portuguese word "bizarro" meaning "handsome, brave". I don't know enough of those languages to confirm that. They don't mention Dante, but if it's in French, Spanish and Portuguese, it's bound to be an Italian word too. Seems to have different definitions in different languages.

The English expression is said to mean "eccentric, whimsical, odd; grotesque, irregular"

I suppose eccentricity and madness are only matters of degree, to some people at least.

"Bizarro" sounds like a character from old Superman comics.

I have extreme Dentophobia...like give me the gas and I still need restriants...lol... Okay, it's not that bad, but in my head they are killing me.

I have a few others...claustrophobia and social phobia (social anxiety) very much so....

Cambria wrote: "teeth are scary.... except when attached to hot vampires and super exciting werewolves."

Except for people who don't care about vampires or werewolves! ;-)

I am curious about something...

I get extremely "car sick" if I am not driving. If I am in the back seat, you might as well give me a puke bucket right away. If I am driving, I am totally fine. If it is raining, no problem. If it is dark...
The only time I've gotten sick on a plane was from the pressure bothering my sinuses.
I am generally fine on roller coasters and such...except those things that spin you around really quickly.

I figure the driving thing is because I am "in control" of the situation and all parts of my brain and body are focused on driving and the direction we are moving. I don't understand the rain part. I get the dark b/c basically you can't see as much to the sensation of moving isn't as drastic.

I dunno... It really is a pain b/c anytime we go anywhere I have to drive, and sometimes I'd like to just relax, grab a nap, or even read a book, which is NOT going to happen!!

I'm gearing up for a several hour drive this morning........sigh....

Hmmm. I usually don't have a trouble with motion sickness ... have you ever tried those bracelet-things that zap you with mild electrical pulses? I got one of those whilst in hospital once, after a surgery - because it was abdominal surgery and they didn't want me vomiting and ripping my stitches open - and it worked pretty well. You could also go to the pharmacy and ask for some meclizine - no prescription is required and it is cheaper than even Bonine (and Dramamine, which both have meclizine as an active ingredient) - it works pretty well. Yeah, I said I don't get motion sickness, but I DO have problems with vertigo occasionally, and the same medicine works for both problems.

Hope you find something that will help!

Cassie - Gathering Leaves wrote: "I am curious about something...

I get extremely "car sick" if I am not driving. If I am in the back seat, you might as well give me a puke bucket right away. If I am driving, I am totally fine. ..."

I used to get airsick a lot when the gliding season started, particularly in competitions. Believe me, there's nowhere to turn but the sick bag if you're flying solo at 10,000 feet. I tried everything, from Dramamine to the little wrist bands that are supposed to work by acupressure. The only thing that helped me was something called Travacalm -- the main ingredient was hyoscine, I think. Makes your mouth and sinuses dry, which you don't really need on a 300-mile solo flight, but at least I was in control.

I've never felt the least bit airsick, but I am like Cassie: I need to drive.

I can ride for a little while, but not in the back seat. It really depends on the driver so I know part of it is psychosomatic.

Flying is totally different to me. I'm the only one on board who enjoys turbulence on commercial flights and if I get a chance to go up in a little plane that can do rolls and stuff, I take it.

Splitter

Barbara wrote: "Cambria wrote: "teeth are scary.... except when attached to hot vampires and super exciting werewolves."

Except for people who don't care about vampires or werewolves! ;-)"

I don't know of these people you speak of.... ;)

I can't ride in the backseat either. I can ride in the passenger seat when my husband drives but I usually tell him how to drive while hes doing it. poor guy. LOL

Cambria wrote: "I can't ride in the backseat either. I can ride in the passenger seat when my husband drives but I usually tell him how to drive while hes doing it. poor guy. LOL"

I like to think I'm not that sort of person, but back in 2002 when Dmitry and I went to Montana to see my folks, we went to Yellowstone park, too - we were driving through it at night and those roads are dark (no streetlights), windy, the woods are right there, and there are always animals running around (we saw an elk and a fox that night - the next day we saw some BEARS which I had never managed to see at the Park however many times I have gone!) and let me tell you ... I was stomping that "passenger-side brake" and telling him to SLOW DOWN and I don't think he was even going 40, but it seems SO much faster in the dark like that ... hehe.

I get sick in the backseat, and on coaches sometimes and if I'm on a small boat and the sea is really turbulent, a little bit; otherwise no probs really.

However, there are 2 things you can do; first, if you're just starting to feel a bit dodgy is shut your eyes. Apparently motion sickness comes because you're sitting in something that looks like it's still when your inner ear knows that it's moving,and the cognitive dissonance (ooooh get me - basically the disagreement between the senses) in your brain manifests itself as nausea. When you shut your eyes, that just leaves the inner ear telling you about the movement - but it only works if you do it before you really feel sick.

The other one I read about and assumed was complete nonsense was that if you're getting motionsick, what you need to do is think really hard about sex and you'll stop feeling sick. Obviously this was nonsense, but intriguing so nex time I was motionsick I tried it and do you know, it does work!

Bizarre but true! So long as you're really concentrating on something, you'll be fine, it would seem. Don't understand that one and it may well be psychosomatic but if it means no pills and no barfing, then count me in.
It's a strange old world...
JAC

BAH HA HA HA HA HA
Okay, JA the next time i feel motion sickness I will think about sex. ha ha ha
Men everywhere will now claim to have motion sickness.

J.A. wrote: "I get sick in the backseat, and on coaches sometimes and if I'm on a small boat and the sea is really turbulent, a little bit; otherwise no probs really.

However, there are 2 things you can do; fi..."

As one who has even been seasick on a small yacht BECALMED on Sydney Harbour, I've tried just about every remedy except the one you suggested, JA. Must give it a go!

I tried the Seabands when I was pregnant (and they helped). I don't like Dramamine and stuff b/c it makes me drowsy. I haven't heard about anything that sends electrical pulses... Hmmm...

I cannot ride in the backseat either. I have some homeopathic motion sickness medicine that has helped in the past. I generally don't test it out too often, though. I am usually in the driver seat. I drove to Tuscaloosa today, but my husband drove back and I was fine. It was really cloudy though.

I think a lot of it IS psychosomatic. I'll have to try the sex thoughts...LOL... ;-)

Cassie - Gathering Leaves wrote: "I tried the Seabands when I was pregnant (and they helped). I don't like Dramamine and stuff b/c it makes me drowsy. I haven't heard about anything that sends electrical pulses... Hmmm...

I can..."

You may find you have to pull over in a hurry, if your husband is driving!

ha ha ha ha ha ha

And if it's not your husband driving, just make sure you keep your thoughts to yourself - no vocalisation...or you may find your driver pulling over in a hurry anyway!

JAC

Phil wrote: "Cassie - Gathering Leaves wrote: "I tried the Seabands when I was pregnant (and they helped). I don't like Dramamine and stuff b/c it makes me drowsy. I haven't heard about anything that sends el..."

THAT is exactly what he said when I told him about our conversation! Ha!

For all of you horror fans - you can probably use this somehow in a book:

A group of ravens is called a murder. :)

Amy wrote: "For all of you horror fans - you can probably use this somehow in a book:

A group of ravens is called a murder. :)"

I know crows are - are ravens also called a murder? Cool.

A group of (domestic) rats is called a mischief. Wild rats live in colonies, however. Interesting distinction, I thought.

And it's a parliament of owls!

But "a flange of baboons" is something that was made up on an English comedy show in the 80s called Not the 9'o'clock News - and has subsequently made it into the OED after being used by a professor in her book studying baboons!
Genius!
JAC

I thought this was an interesting fact, and a bit frightening...

The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year by the weight of books.

I wonder what is happening to my home! LOL

What happens when it sinks to much?

Birds = Murder. I am not surprised. They prolly call a herd of chickesn that too.

Hah! Chickens! lol

I made a joke the other night that men don't read so I went and did some research. They do, they just don't read fiction.

Industry studies say that men make up only about 20% of book sales in fiction.

So there ya have it.

Splitter