Totally Useless Facts

[YellowFever]

WHEN WAS TOILET PAPER INVENTED AND WHAT WAS USED BEFORE THEN?

The Chinese invented toilet paper in the fourteenth century, and the Bureau of Imperial Supplies began to produce paper for use by the Chinese emperors.

However, it wasn’t until 1857 that the first factory-produced toilet paper was made, by American Joseph Cayetty, who named his product “Therapeutic Paper” and sold it in packs of 500 sheets. Cayetty’s name was printed on each sheet.

Before the invention of toilet paper, different areas of the world used many different things. Public toilets in ancient Rome provided a moist sponge on the end of a stick, while the wealthy used wool and rosewater. In Viking-occupied England, discarded wool was used, while in the Middle Ages this had been replaced by hay balls.

In Hawaii, meanwhile, coconut husks were used, while the early Eskimos used snow and tundra moss. Wealthy people around the world often used hemp and wool, with lace being used by the French royalty British lords used pages from books.

Poorer people used their hands, grass, stones, moss, seashells or wood shavings, while the use of water was also common around the world In India, the left hand was used to wash with, while in Africa it was the right hand. The other hand in each place was used to greet people, and it was considered rude to offer the incorrect hand.

In the U S , newspapers and telephone directories were commonly used, as were other books. The Old Farmer’s Almanac was actually printed with a hole punched through the corner of each page so that it could be hung in outhouses, and the Sears catalogue was widely used until it was produced with glossy pages, after which its use as a hygiene product became unpopular Corncobs were also used in the United States.

[YellowFever]

WHY DO PHONE NUMBERS IN MOVIES ALL START WITH 555?

Phone numbers in movies and television shows usually begin with the fictional prefix 555. The reason why a fictional prefix was chosen for all onscreen phone calls is one of privacy.

A few decades ago, the first letters of exchange names were used as part of telephone numbers in the U S , followed by numbers. The number five on the dial corresponded with the letters J, K and L, but no exchange-name abbreviation could be made with any combination of these three letters.

Instead, the 555 prefix was allocated to service provider's numbers, such as the directory assistance number, which is 555-1212. Anyone attempting to call a number used in a movie or television show would therefore be able to contact only a service provider, not a registered phone customer, which removed the potential for viewers to harass other customers (There have been instances where 555 numbers were not used on television and a multitude of crank calls have been made to the number )

In order to stop any further confusion from disrupting service providers, the numbers 555-0100 to 555-0199 are now specifically reserved for fictional use.

[rickshaw92]

Wealthy people around the world often used hemp

Perhaps that's why its called smokin shit?

[USSWisconsin]

a man named Crapper marketed early toilets (he called them water closets)

[YellowFever]

WHY DO MEN OFTEN SHIVER AFTER URINATING?

After a man has finished urinating, it’s common for him to experience a shiver over his entire body.

While this phenomenon is colloquially known as “piss shiver,” it is technically
called post-micturition convulsion syndrome, and scientists are not exactly sure why it occurs.

One theory is that urination results in heat loss after the warm urine has
been expelled from the body, or through exposing the penis to the air, causing the body to shiver. Meanwhile, another theory suggests that the micturition
(i e , urination) reflex is relayed through the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for both contracting the urethra to hold in the urine and relaxing it to allow the urine to flow out.

It is thought by some that, in order to govern urine retention, the autonomic nervous system produces certain chemicals and that, when the urine is released, the production of these chemicals reduces, and that it is this sudden change in the levels of these chemicals that causes the shivering.

Also, as urine is released there is often a change in blood pressure, which might also explain the shivering.

Post-micturition convulsions are generally more acute when a person has a particularly full bladder. They are also more common in men than women, and some find the experience pleasurable or even mildly erotic.

Sadly, for some members of WAB, such a Benny, tankie and Dok, this is the only sexual gratification they will ever achieve.

[dave lukins]

A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no-one knows why.

[Tarek Morgen]

snopes.com: Duck's Quack Echo

also YellowFever and "totally useless" go hand in hand.

[dave lukins]

A group of unicorns is called a blessing.

A group of kangaroos is called a mob.

A group of whales is called a pod.

A group of geese is called a gaggle.

A group of owls is called a parliament.

A group of ravens is called a murder.

A group of bear are called a sleuth.

12 or more cows are called a flink.

[Mihais]

And a group of tankies?

[YellowFever]

Oh, jeez, you putzes are messing up a good thread.

I don't simply want odd and useless facts. I want trivial facts and an explanation of why they are the way they are!!!!!

YES, Mr. Lukins, a ducks quack DOES echo and there is a reason why people think it doesn't echo.

Man, it's.so hard trying to insert some culture into you barbarians.....

[bigross86]

And a group of tankies?

Depending on size, a platoon, a company, a battalion, a brigade, etc...

[Parihaka]

And a group of tankies?

A pint of tankies

[YellowFever]

A group of tankies are known as a DoM.

Which is an acronym for Dirty Old Men.

[Doktor]

In tankie's case it would be Drinkers of the Majesty

[YellowFever]

or Dummy on Motorcycle....