New Blog! Tell your friends!

Welcome to my new blog! What's the Difference Between a Duck? will endeavor to cover a variety of topics, including current events, science, beer, trains, cars, sports, fishing, history, taxes, and anything else that catches my interest. No matter what the topic, I will always strive to be factual and accurate. This means that all facts will be researched and verified, and sources will be cited. I hope that my topics will interest you as much as they interest me. 

I will try to make a new post at least once a week.

Please feel free to make comments, suggestions, and corrections. I promise to at least read them.


On the significance of the title: What's the Difference Between a Duck?

My father was a very wise and funny man. He used to say things like, "If your teeth itch, take them out and scratch them." and "You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose." He once asked me "What's the difference between a duck?" When I said that I didn't know, he replied, "One leg is both the same." I leave it to you, the reader, to figure out.


Random facts from randomhistory.com:

• The insulting slang “kiss my ass” dates back at least to 1705. (Etymology Online. “Online Etymological Dictionary.” Accessed: January 14, 2009.)
• From 1850 to 1942, marijuana was listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia as a useful medicine for nausea, rheumatism, and labor pains and was easily obtained at the local general store or pharmacy. (Booth, Martin. 2003. Cannabis: A History. London, England: Doubleday.)
• In Texas, the Encyclopedia Britannica was banned because it contained a formula for making beer. (Lindsell-Roberts, Sheryl. 2004. Whacky Laws, Weird Decisions, and Strange Statutes. New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Company. )
• The longest words that can be typed using only the left hand with conventional hand placement are sweaterdresses and tesseradecades. (“Spelled with Typewriter Letters from Left Hand.” Taxonomy of Wordplay. Accessed: June 29, 2011.)
• Jean Harlow was Hollywood’s first blonde goddess. She dyed her hair with a mixture of peroxide, household bleach, soap flakes, and ammonia until it fell out and she was forced to wear a wig. (Phillips, Kathy. 1999. Vogue Book of Blondes. New York, NY: Viking Studio.)
• The 2008 presidential candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama, were the only two presidential candidates to be born outside of the continental U.S. Obama was born in Hawaii, and McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone, a U.S. naval base. A bipartisan legal review agreed that McCain was a natural-born citizen and thus eligible to run for president. (University of California, Santa Barbara. The American Presidency Project. Accessed: September 20, 2008.)
• Divorce Klingon style means slapping your spouse, reciting the words “N’Gos tlhogh cha!” (our marriage is done) and spitting in your spouse’s face. (Erdmann, Terry J. and Paula M. Block. 2008. Star Trek 101: A Practical Guide to Who, What, Where, and Why. New York, NY: Pocket Books.)