Strange But True

* It was Nigerian poet and novelist Ben Okri who made the following sage observation: "Beware of the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world."

* Romans thought that roses could prevent drunkenness.

* The neon sign was invented in France in 1910, but the first one didn't come to the United States until 1923. That was the year a car dealership in Los Angeles put up two brightly lit "Packard" signs. The novelties literally stopped traffic in the streets.

* Those who study such things say that China gets more earthquakes than any other country.

* Medical specialists say that the true definition of an insomniac is someone who wants to go to sleep but can't. If you can't go to sleep but aren't really trying anyway, the term doesn't apply to you.

* Pure water doesn't conduct electricity; in fact, it's an insulator. It's the impurities in water that conduct electricity -- making it a bad idea to use a hair dryer in the shower. There are underground lakes so pure that you can safely change a light bulb in them.

* The old Pony Express has been romanticized in modern times, but it's rarely pointed out that it was a financial failure. The mail delivery service actually lost an average of $13 for every item it carried.

* According to a number of psychological surveys and studies, men have more friends early in life, while women have more friends when they're older.

* All tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises.

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Thought for the Day: "When you're traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don't have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road." -- William Least Heat-Moon

(c) 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.