Odd Little Things

One of the reasons I didn't become a rocket scientist is because a lot of stuff like equations, formulas, and finding life on other planets never interested me much. On the other hand, I have a genuine gift for retaining incredibly irrrelevant bits of trivia. I've recently discovered some new bits that you might want to retain, too. Unless, of course, you're a rocket scientist. You guys should go visit the NASA blog. Okay?

The split-fingered Vulcan salute from Star Trek is derived from an Orthodox Jewish ritual called the Blessing Hands, which is used to anoint congregations on holy days. Leonard Nimoy, whose grandfather was Orthodox, remembered the hand gesture from his childhood visits to the synagogue and borrowed it for his role as Mr. Spock.

  

In a 2004 episode of Sesame Street, Cookie Monster said that before he started eating cookies, his name was Sid.

In 1976 Bruce Springsteen was nabbed by security guards when he tried to scale the wall outside Graceland to meet Elvis.

The most expensive thing sold on eBay was a $168 million yacht.

Stephanie Joanne Angelina Germanotta began learning to play piano at the age of four and wrote her first piano ballad at 13, long before she became known as Lady Gaga.

Owls are unable to move their eyeballs.

Your average dream lasts about 20 minutes.

More than half of Americans can name the Three Stooges, but less than 17% can name three Supreme Court Judges.

Okay, that last one got me so I stopped and thought – I can name this many off the top of my head (you know, without going inside and digging around):

Antonin Scalia

Chief Justice John Roberts

Sonia Sotomayor

Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Clarence Thomas

Those I didn’t have to Google. These I did:

Anthony Kennedy

Stephen Bryer

Samuel Alito

Elena Kagan

David Souter

John Paul Stevens (retired)

Sandra Day O’Connor (retired) I knew this one, just wasn't counting the retired ones.

Did you stop reading and test yourself? No – not on the Three Stooges. I know you’ve got that one down cold.

Have a great day!