10 Random Facts

                                           

I have always loved trivia and random facts. I safely store them in my brain where perhaps other valuable information should be. Not everyone cares for trivia and may refer to it as useless, but I call it fact finding and informative to others. So, here we go.

1. Willie Nelson turned 90 recently. He was born on April 30, but his birth is registered as May 1. He has always made a point of celebrating on both days. I am sure 90 years ago, his dad was responsible for registering his birth. In the olden days it was the dad's job to register the new baby in the house and it was done the next time they were in town. I guess when you have many children and a home birth, an error may occur.  

2. There are only 6% of married couples in Canada that have passed their 50th Anniversary.  That percentage drops to 5% for those that have made it to their 60th Anniversary. 

3. How our biggest cities fit into Global wealth. The write up was an American article and the wealth is referred to in US dollars: 

Toronto placed 12th globally with a total of 105,200 high-net-worth individuals. They have 193 centi-millionaires (net worth over $100 million US dollars) and 18 billionaires. 

Vancouver ranks second in Canada and 29th globally with 37,300 high net-worth individuals, 67centi-millionaires and 6 billionaires.  

Montreal sits 48th globally with 17,900 high net-worth individuals, 26 centi-millionaires and two billionaires in the city. 

Calgary was the last and final Canadian city to appear on the ranking, placing 55th with a population of 14,700 HNWIs. The western city has 21 centi-millionaires and two billionaires.

4. The oldest dog in the world is 31 years and lives in Portugal. The dog is a breed of Portuguese which are trained to be guard dogs. Bobi has never been on a leash, roams freely and eats people food. 

Bobi

5. Next to India, Canada has the second largest Sikh population. In 2019 the Turban Day Act was passed in Manitoba. A spokesman for the Sikh community, stated that when they wear a turban it reminds them to do the right thing, to stand for equality, and social justice. Turbans are worn to signify faith and to do selfless service. April is Sikh Heritage Month with April 13 identified as "Turban Day". 

6. The World Health Organization has declared Covid is no longer a global epidemic but it is here to stay. Monkey Pox is also listed as no concern in world health. There were nearly 1500 cases of Monkey Pox in Canada. The breakdown is: Ontario-706, Quebec-525, BC-196, Alberta-45, Sask-6, Yukon-2, Manitoba, PEI, NB, Nova Scotia all had one case, Newfoundland, NWT and Nunavut had no cases. 

7. Vanna White only won $2,000 on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. She called a letter that had already been called, not once but twice and seemed to struggle to solve puzzles. She was going up against Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik the hosts from Jeopardy.  

8. United States stands second behind North Korea on the list of "Most Unpopular Countries of the World". They are identified as bullies with controversial presidents who like to stick their noses in and create war.  Canada is 29 on the list of 30.  No reason was given for being in that position. 

9. I always thought that the only predator of Moose was man. But I guess I am wrong, whales are. I wouldn't doubt a pack of wolves could overcome a young moose. A moose generally lives a safe life, and as a result the moose population is certainly on the rise. Moose eyes shine red and do not glow in headlights, which has resulted in many vehicle accidents and some deaths. 

Moose are not natural to Newfoundland; they were transported there, and the province is now overrun with them.  It is estimated that about 120,000 wander the province, the largest concentration in the world. Moose belong to the deer family and weigh between 600 and 1,200 lbs. They are creating problems for the delicate ecosystem and the people that live there. 

To control the population the province issued 29,260 moose hunting licenses. Nearly 85% of hunters went home with a moose. Some of the butchers are contacting the hunters and are making a Newfoundland delicacy: moose bologna.

10. I find eyes fascinating.

A corneal transplant is the only transplant that doesn't have to have a matching blood type because they don't have a blood source. The wait list for a cornea is long in Manitoba. Healthy corneas are obtained from individuals who, before their death, gave consent for such a donation. In Manitoba, the Lions Eye Bank has a program where everyone between the ages of 2 to 80 years is to be considered as donors. 

Organ donation soared after the horrible Humbolt Bronco bus accident. Logan Boulet, had signed his donor card one year before the accident, and at the time of his death, his organs were donated. This inspiried thousands to sign their own card. One person can save the life of 8 people. This did not happen with Logan's family, but families can override a person's wishes to donate.

I know of two people that required a corneal transplant from damage caused by a cold sore in their eye. 

I had such a fun time writing this post. I'm hoping that you have found at least one fact that you didn't know a few minutes ago. That's the best part of sharing trivia, it has a bit of a shock value, not to mention you now have many great conversation starters. I can just hear you saying, "you will never guess what I learned today".