Did a famous actor take a game show host job just so another comedian wouldn’t get it?

Well, it’s time for another mea culpa. Seems I got a part of an earlier column wrong.

My friend, Hondo, at www.valorguardians.com, took me to task about an item in the column two weeks ago concerning the radioactive grave at Arlington National Cemetery. The part about the accident and the grave was correct; I messed up on the type of reactor.

I had said that the reactor used one control rod. Hondo pointed out that the reactor actually used up to nine control rods, and on the day of the accident, was using five. One rod was the “primary” control rod, and that’s the one that the unfortunate Spec. McKinley moved too far too fast, causing his and two other deaths.

Thanks, Hondo, for catching that and keeping me honest! Now on to this week’s trivia!

Did you know …

… between 1940 and 1987, 94 patents were taken out on shaving mugs? (How do you patent a shaving mug, anyway? Isn’t it just a coffee cup with soap in it?)

… in Richmond, Virginia, it is illegal, in an eating establishment, to flip a coin to determine who buys a cup of coffee? (Don’t you ever wonder about the people who make these silly laws? I know I do.)

… pollution can cause obesity? Pollution affects hormones, which control weight. (That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.)

… the national symbols of Australia were chosen for a specific reason? In 1908, the first coat of arms for Australia was authorized by King Edward VII of the United Kingdom (1841-1910). That coat of arms, and all symbols of the nation approved thereafter, features an emu and a kangaroo. Of all the unique animals found in Australia, those two were chosen to symbolize the country for one reason—they cannot walk backward. Australians have always seen themselves as a forward-moving society, so it made sense to them to choose two animals unable to walk backward—even if they wanted to—as their national symbols.

… a famous game show host took his best-known job just so another comedian would not get it? Actor Peter Marshall (born 1926) is most well known as the host of the long-running NBC game show, “The Hollywood Squares.” Marshall did not host the 1966 pilot for the show, however; that was done by Bert Parks (1914-1992). But Parks’ style proved too “over the top” for the producers, and they searched for another, less intense, host. The eventual competition for the job came down to two men – Marshall and comedian Dan Rowan (1922-1987). Marshall and Rowan intensely disliked each other, and though Marshall did not really want the job, he took it just so Rowan would not get it. Marshall expected the show to flop after 13 weeks, and he would get to go back to acting on Broadway. The show became a hit, however, and Marshall would spend the next 15 years hosting it. Rowan would later go on to co-star in the wildly popular comedy show, “Laugh-In” with Dick Martin (1922-2008) from 1968 to 1973. (Talk about being in the Secret Square!)

… the British Parliament once condemned lipstick? In 1770, Parliament passed a law that said women using lipstick would be “found guilty of seducing men into matrimony by cosmetic means” and were practicing witchcraft. (What, you mean they weren’t?)

… the United Kingdom actually has a definition for “white Christmas?” In the U.K., an official “white Christmas” happens if there is a single flake of snow observed falling in the 24 hours of December 25. (You had to know that the British would have a rule about it.)

… a line of clothing was created that is resistant to chainsaws? When the chainsaw touches the fabric, it cuts through the outer layer into long Kevlar fibers. Those fibers are designed to be pulled into the saw and jam it, preventing further injury. (Clothes for the Clumsy, I bet they call it.)

… adding milk to coffee was once recommended for medicinal purposes? In the 1680s, physicians in France recommended café au lait (coffee with milk) as a medicine. (Now it helps keep Starbucks in business.)

… it’s actually against the law in Turin, Italy, to walk your dog less than three times a day? Violators face fines up to $650 if they don’t take Fido out for his “exercise” at least thrice per day. (The police probably have a “Fido Tip Line” so your dog can tell on you, too.)

… only one continent does not have any native reptiles or snakes? It’s Antarctica. (It doesn’t have a lot of other native things too. Like people.)

… the kids in the Peanuts comic strip were first animated in a commercial? In 1957, the Ford motor company had Charlie Brown and Linus animated for a commercial for the Fairlane. (They’re too young to drive, aren’t they?)

… the useful life of a modern toilet is 50 years? (You have to wonder how they figure such things out, don’t you?)

… cheese is the oldest man-made food? (And some of the smelliest too!)

… bachelor parties can trace their origins back to the ancient Greeks? Specifically to Sparta, where, on the eve before a battle, warriors would feast and toast each other. The custom developed over time to a party honoring a man about to be married, often for the same reason. (Okay, maybe not for the same reason, but similar.)

Now … you know!

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