The Danes love their biycles

Denmark is famous for its high rate of bicycle usage, but did you know they even have identification numbers?

All cars produced worldwide have a VIN (vehicle identification number), but in Denmark bicycles have to have their own special, unique VINs as well.

"Since 1948, it has been illegal^[1] to sell bicycle frames in Denmark without an embedded VIN. Because of this, insurance companies in Denmark will not pay indemnities for stolen bicycles without a VIN."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_bicycle_VIN-system

What does "Totaled" mean?

It comes from the insurance industry, where the vehicle is referred to as a "total loss".

What you might not have known is that the definition of a "total loss" can be subjective.  For example, totaled cars are sometimes shipped to developing countries where the cost to restore it (albeit sometimes dangerously below standards) is less.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totaled

Oldest continuing heredity monarchy in the world

Nope, not England.

It's Japan.  The monarchy was founded in 660 BC, and the current emperor is the 125th monarch.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysanthemum_Throne

Hollywood is poor

The famous district of Los Angeles is actually very poor, despite the Tinseltown wealth.

Interesting facts about Hollywood:

• 78k residents in a 3.5 square mile area (2000 census)
• 42% Latino or Hispanic, 41% Non-Hispanic White, 7% Asian, 5% black, 4.5% other
• Median household income of $33,694, low for the general area
• In 2002, held a vote to secede from LA and form its own municipality.  The vote failed by a "wide margin".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood

American Cheese is not really "cheese"

American Cheese is a processed cheese, a combination of different cheeses and artificial ingredients in order to produce a more durable, uniform product.  Unlike other cheeses it melts uniformly (useful for things like cheeseburgers).

In the United States,^[2]it may not be legally sold as "cheese", and must be labeled as "processed cheese", "cheese product", or similar—e.g., "cheese food". At times even the word "cheese" is missing in the name on the label, e.g. "American slices" or "American singles".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_cheese

NFL drop-kick

Did you know that the drop-kick in the NFL, a move that has only been successfully performed once since the 1940s (by Doug Flutie), has to actually hit the ground before being kicked in?  And that it can only bounce once?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop-kick#American_football

Interesting facts about canning (food)

Did you know:

• The art of canning only dates back to 1809?  During the Napoleonic Wars, the French government was looking for a way to preserve food for its soldiers.
• Botulism can result from eating improperly canned foods.  It requires a low acid, low oxygen environment.
• The sale of canned goods goes up during recessions, due to a phenomenon called "cocooning".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canning

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocooning

Corned Beef has nothing to do with corn

At least, not the corn that most people think of.

The term "corned beef" originates from its salting process.

The word corn derives from Old English, and is used to describe any small hard particles or grains.^[2] In the case of "corned beef", the word refers to the coarse granular salts used to cure the beef.^[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corned_beef

One day, the Northwest Passage will be a well-traveled commercial sea route

The Northwest Passage has always been very hazardous due to the weather and ice conditions.

However, due to global warming, the ice hasn't frozen over as deeply in each successive year, leading to a day when the passage will be open permanently, all-year round.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Passage

Did you know Europeans used to think California was an island?

The Island of California refers to a long-held European misconception, dating from the 16th century, that California was not part of mainland North America but rather a large island separated from the continent by a strait now known instead as the Gulf of California.

One of the most famous cartographic errors in history, it was propagated on many maps during the 17th and 18th centuries, despite contradictory evidence from various explorers. The legend was initially infused with the idea that California was a terrestrial paradise, like the Garden of Eden or Atlantis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_of_California

What does Botox and one of the most dangerous poisons in the world have in common?

They're actually the same thing.

Botox uses the Botulin toxin, an extremely potent paralytic, to paralyze skin muscles and prevent them from wrinkling.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botulin_toxin