Strange But True: Nov. 8, 2018

* It was British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, writer, social critic and political activist — and, not insignificantly, Nobel laureate — Bertrand Russell who made the following sage observation: “The fundamental cause of trouble in this world is that the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.”

* In an odd coincidence, President Abraham Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy, and President John F. Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln. Kennedy the secretary told Lincoln the president that he shouldn’t go to Ford’s Theatre the night he was shot; Lincoln the secretary tried to convince Kennedy the president not to go on a trip to Dallas, where he was shot.

* If you’re like the average man, your beard grows about half an inch every month.

* Those who study such things claim that an average bank robber in the United States nets about $4,000 for every job. No info at hand on how the researches acquired their data.

* You might think that hot dogs are a relatively recent food offering, but you’d be wrong. The first sausages were created more than 3,500 years ago when ancient Babylonians began stuffing spiced meat into the intestines of animals.

* The fastest of all non-domesticated canines, the African wild dog can sprint faster than 40 mph.

* Many people make provisions in their wills for their pets; it’s the compassionate thing to do. Singer Dusty Springfield went a bit further than most, though; she specified that her cat was to be fed only imported baby food.

Thought for the Day

“Every man possesses three characters: that which he exhibits, that which he really has, and that which he believes he has.”

-- Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr

(c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.