DID YOU KNOW …? Did a popular fast food chain once sell something called a “Hula burger”?

Sunday was Father’s Day, and it got me to thinking about my dad, who left us in 2007.

Dad was a pretty good fellow, all things considered. Like all fathers, he made a few mistakes while we kids grew up, but he made sure of one thing: my brother and I grew up to be gentlemen. And my sister grew up to be a lady.

That was a non-negotiable part of our childhood; learning to do the right thing even when nobody was watching was another. I have to admit I fall short on that, as we all do, but Dad did his best.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad, wherever you are.

Now, on to the trivia!

Did you know …

… the oldest known work of art is on an Indonesian island? On the island of Sulawesi can be found a human-created work that dates back more than 44,000 years. The work is made up of handprints and figurative depictions of the hunting of pigs. (I didn’t say it was worthy of being shown in the Louvre or anything.)

… the habit of driving on the left side of the road, as practiced in the United Kingdom, dates back to the 1700s? Yes, I know they didn’t have cars back then. What they did have, however, was a practice by which travelers would keep passers-by on their right, in case they were bandits. That meant the sword hand (usually the right hand) would be ready at the draw if needed. This evolved into driving horses, and later cars, on the left side of the road. (Over here in the states, we had someone riding shotgun across from the driver.)

… a popular restaurant chain once sold a “Hula burger?” In 1963, McDonald’s™ offered the Hula burger, which had no beef – it was rather a thick slice of grilled pineapple, topped with cheese, on a bun. The sandwich was created by company owner Ray Kroc (1902-1984) as an alternative menu item for Catholic customers who traditionally did not eat meat on Fridays. Since the Hula burger tasted pretty much the way you would expect grilled pineapple, cheese and bread to taste, it was not a big seller, and the other sandwich created for the same reason – the Filet-O-Fish™ – became the sales champion. Additional trivia note: The Filet-O-Fish was created in 1962 by Lou Groen (1917-2011), a Cincinnati McDonald’s franchisee. Many reports indicate Kroc, who initially hated the idea of a fish sandwich, carried a grudge against Groen for the rest of his life because of the failure of the Hula burger. (You might say Kroc had a real beef with Groen.  You might.  I won’t.)

… people once ate arsenic to improve their skin? According to reports, in the late 19th Century people would eat arsenic to get rid of freckles, pimples and blackheads. (It did, too. They went away when the person died from the poison.)

… a British monarch was also an auto mechanic? Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2023) joined the British Labour Exchange when she was 16 and learned the basics of truck repair. The education came in handy, too, as she performed such duties during World War II. (Her Majesty’s oil changes must have been great.)

… a popular entertainer long thought to have been a spokesman for a particular million-dollar giveaway actually wasn’t? For decades, people have thought that they remembered Tonight Show sidekick and game show host Ed McMahon (1923-2009) as the spokesman for Publishers’ Clearing House, which used to (and maybe still does) send out blind mailings to millions of people offering them the chance to win millions of dollars, while at the same time providing cut-rate magazine subscriptions. They will swear that McMahon was in Publishers’ Clearing House commercials and his face was on the envelopes. Only … he wasn’t. Yes, McMahon did lend his talents to such a giveaway, but it was with American Family Publishers, not Publishers’ Clearing House. This is cited as a classic example of the Mandela Effect. (Here’s Ed … oops.)

… a popular media personality has a strange clause in her contract? Kim Kardashian (born 1980) has what is called a “glam” clause in her contracts, which states that if she is ever in a position where she cannot communicate or is unconscious, someone has to make sure that her makeup, hair and nails are all perfect. (I have a line here, but it would close the show.)

… a popular 1960s recording group got their name from a song? In the lyrics to the song “Talkin’ Coffee Blues” by Mississippi John Hurt (1893-1966), the line, “Got to have me one a them lovin’ spoonfuls” is sung in reference to Maxwell House™ coffee. The group Lovin’ Spoonful took their name from that line in the song. (Thanks to David for the tip!)

… a popular shopping center’s floor plan isn’t as random as you might think? Costco has hundreds of huge membership stores around the country and, if you go into one, it may seem to be laid out in a rather haphazard manner. But it’s a carefully planned strategy – Costco relocates important items to various parts of the store so the customer has to search for them again. This maximizes business and leads customers to new areas of the store. (And the longer you stay there, the more you spend.  Think about it.)

… the oldest officer to serve on active duty in the United States Army was serving at age 90? Brigadier General John Baptiste de Barth Walbach (1766-1857) joined the Army in 1798, having previously served as an officer in the French Army from 1782 to 1798, rising to the rank of major. Walbach was commissioned a U.S. Army second lieutenant in 1799 and served on active duty until his death in 1857 at the age of 90. (Well, when you’re good at something …)

Now … you know!