Sweet Potato Pie made of yams is not a Sweet Potato Pie

It would be a Yam Pie. That is because while they are similar in color and shape, sweet potatoes and yams are not related.

The library of congress puts it best:

"Yams are a monocot (a plant having one embryonic seed leaf) and from the
Dioscoreaceae or Yam family. Sweet Potatoes, often called ‘yams’, are a dicot (a
plant having two embryonic seed leaves) and are from the Convolvulacea or
morning glory family."

The topic of sweet potato vs. yams was recently covered on an episode of the Food Network's Unwrapped.

Oh Marc Summers, its been a long time since Double Dare...

Thanks to John for bringing this to my attention.

Smart people adopt pets

A year ago today I adopted an eight week old puppy named Chloe from the Jersey Animal Coalition.


On our one year anniversary I would like to remind everyone of the importance of adoption. There are millions of pets out there without homes and unless they are adopted many of these helpless animals will be put to sleep.

It isn't easy having a dog but it is very rewarding. While I may not have gotten to sleep late in this past year, and the beast has eaten many of my possessions (most recently my iron; not the cord, she actually removed the buttons and left the rest intact), I am so glad she is mine and I can't imagine my life without her.




To find a shelter near you, visit Pet Finder.

What is a Crownie?

A Crownie is a hybrid of a cookie and a brownie. Developed in 2008 by Katie Foley and Lila Branigan, Crownies have become a popular dessert in northern New Jersey which is enjoyed as a breakfast, snack or dessert.

The creators of the Crownie have plans to release a reduced-fat version of the hybrid in early 2009.

Barney Rubble needs career counseling

Barney Rubble of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon, "The Flintstones" did not have an official occupation for the first few years of production. He held odd jobs from TV repossession to short-order cooking until he finally landed a job with his buddy Fred at the quarry.




For more info on Barney's career path, visit The Straight Dope and avoid less accurate answers like this one.

Thanks to John for this question submission.

"Fug" boots helped fight WWI/WW2

Sheepskin boots were commonly used by shepherds in Australia and New Zealand, where the boots were originally developed and given the name "Ugg" boots, for "Ugly Boot".

These boots were also popular amongst aviators in WW1 and WW2 because of their ability to keep feet warm in non-pressurized planes at high altitude. (They are also helpful for shielding my feet from the cold at 6 AM when my dog decides she needs to go out.)

These brave soldiers called their sheepskin boots "FUG" boots. (Yes, there is more to learn about world wars than what one gets from late nights playing Call of Duty alone in their room.)

For more information about these wonderful foot protectors, click here. To read the words of a hater (whose blog I no longer follow), click here.

Bamboo is the fastest growing grass in the world

Bamboo is the largest, fastest growing evergreen grass in the world. There are about 1,000 species of bamboo worldwide. Some bamboo can grow up to .5 - 1 ft per day! Since bamboo is a grass, it keeps its leaves year round; even in the snow.

How do I know this? Growing up, my next door neighbors kept a traditional Japanese backyard complete with a forest of bamboo (my dad has spent the last 23 years trying to stop it from expanding into our yard). During bad ice storms the bamboo would bend with the weight of the ice, forming little caves on our yard, but it would never break.



Bamboo is very flexible and is used to build earthquake resistant housing. For more information on bamboo, visit TreeHugger.com.

Earthworms don't have lungs

Earthworms breathe through their skin. Oxygen combines with mucus on the outside of the worm and then enters the worm's blood vessels. The skin has to be wet in order for the oxygen to enter, but not too wet.

If the worm is too dry then it will die, if it is too wet then it cannot absorb the oxygen and then suffocates, and dies. Very sad. This is why whenever it rains the sidewalk is covered with earthworms -- watch your step!!

For more information on earthworms, click here.

Smart people vote

That's right. Smart people vote. Especially tomorrow.

If you aren't sure where to vote click here to find your local polling place.

Thanks to Bill for the helpful link.

The quarter test

The quarter test is a method of measuring the tread on your tires.

How do you do it? Take a quarter and place it Washington's (not Lincoln's head. Back in the day this test was preformed with a penny. To be super safe the test now uses a quarter, because it is bigger. I think.) head first into the tire tread. If you can see his whole head, it is time to get a new tire.

How do I know this? Last Thursday the automotive team at work hosted an educational experience on tires and tire maintenance. They taught us all about tires and how to change them. This would have been helpful a few months ago when I got a flat on 80 on my way to work...

Thank you AAA.

For more info about tires, check out these handy tip sheets courtesy of the Auto team.

That Sea-Monkey® is such a shrimp...

Literally. Sea-Monkeys® are actually just the brand name for a variety of brine shrimp. These fishies (actually crustaceans) can live in suspended animation for years if kept in an oxygen free environment, which is what allows the period sized (.) eggs to be shipped to your front door and still hatch.
Brine shrimp have a life span of only one year. Could you imagine? Your entire life in one year.

Click here for more information on the original Sea-Monkeys®.

Thank you Miss Kelly for inspiring this post.

Let me pick your brain...

Yes, my knowledge of random facts is vast, but even I could learn something new. Feel free to send your own random tidbits or questions to be answered to LRBranigan@gmail.com.

A red car does not mean higher car insurance, or more speeding tickets

No need to avoid buying a red car for insurance reasons. Insurance companies will not give you higher premiums for the color of your car, and cops will not pull you over if you sport a red ride (any police out there to verify? please comment...) According to Snopes it is actually gray/silver cars that get the most tickets (sorry Pep).

How do I know this? I was a red car owner myself. My insurance was not higher than any of the other cars on our plan (because of the color of my car at least). Despite the fact that it was a modest bright red C-RV, I got pulled over just as often as anyone else.

Odds are if you are driving a red car and get pulled over, it's probably because you deserved it (as I did; don't tell my mother that...). And depending on the red car, you might be compensating for something as well...

A bulldozer tire weighs 700 lbs

The average bulldozer tire weighs 700 lbs. Off-the-road (OTR) tires, including tractor tires, are built with extra internal reinforcement to withstand harsh conditions and heavy loads. These heavy duty tires can cost up to $50,000.

How do I know this? Master mulch/mum/pumpkin/assorted plant farmer Jeremy Halper of Cornell Farms in Belle Meade, NJ educated me on these massive tires during a visit to his farm.

Another fact about the bulldozer tire...it is about 5'2"tall. Just like me!

Who has better dreams, your dog or a duck-billed platypus?

Ever seen your dog start to wag, whimper, or wiggle around during sleep? That means your dog is dreaming. Dogs are mammals, and like other taller, less furry mammals (humans) they experience REM sleep, the section of the sleep cycle where we dream.

The duck-billed platypus experiences more REM sleep than any other mammal. They also lay eggs. And have bills. Go figure.

What does your dog dream about?

Mine has a reoccurring dream of becoming a smurf...


Beat that platypus!

Super glue is no match for nail polish remover

If your skin (or someone else's) is stuck together with super glue never fear, it can be easily removed with nail polish remover.

How do I know this? Well, its pretty obvious that I was gluing something and my fingers happened to get glued together. It happens.

I have discovered that nail polish remover is useful for much more than making my nails pretty. It can be used for stain removal (like when you spill nail polish on the floor of a hotel in Tampa and make your brother go down to the gift shop to pick up an overpriced bottle of nail polish remover so your mother doesn't see) and to get rid of permanent marker mishaps (like when someone writes "for a good time call" and your number).

Check out some more uses courtesy of Sandra.

Pineapples are berries, and clearly not apples or mini pine trees

That's the biggest berry I've ever seen... Pineapples are actually a mass of berries which have fused together creating a central fruit.

The pineapple, the only edible fruit of the Bromeliaceae family (There are other pineapple looking plants that you don't eat like the one I bought my friend as a gift. I was wondering why it never grew...), is not in any way related to apples or pine trees.

Pineapples were brought to Europe for the first time in 1493 by Christopher Columbus himself (carried it the whole way... not really, well he could have). The Spaniards thought it looked like a pine cone, and named it "Pine of the Indies". At that time in Europe, the English, being so creative, referred to most fruit as "apples". Mix the two together, TA DA, pineapple!

Don't believe me? Well prepare to be schooled by Union County College.

Thank you Cakers for bringing this to my attention.

Fish do sleep, and have sleeping problems

Fish sleep regularly just as people do, but their eyes remain open. Why? Because they don't have eyelids! Sleeping habits of fish depend on breed; some seem to be still in open water while others hide under rocks or logs. Fish are very light sleepers, and will wake with the slightest ripple of water.

Some fish even have sleep disorders, like insomnia (such as the Dave Attell Fish, ha ha). Check out these Zzzz-less zebrafish.

This topic was submitted by Laura Johnson

Bees are the only insects that make food for humans

Honey Bees are the only insects that make food for humans.

Not only do they make us food, but 1/3 of the human diet comes from insect pollinated plants -- 80% of which is the work of bees. Personally, I am not a fan of bees (I am terrified) but I do like plants and food, so I guess they aren't that bad.

Thank you Snapple cap for bringing this topic to my attention. For more info visit Herbs N' Honey.

The largest pickle factory in the world is in Holland, MI

The largest pickle factory in the world is the Heinz Pickle Factory in Holland, Michigan.

How do I know this? Every summer of my childhood we would spend a week or so at my grandparents cottage on Lake Macatawa in Holland. This cottage was built by my great grand father, and my grandmother and father spent all of their summers in this cottage. When it was built, the was nothing but forest around it, and as the area developed, the cottage remained the exactly the same. Well, on that same lake is the Heinz Pickle Factory. My uncle spent time one summer working dumping salt and vinegar into the large pickle vats. Before a storm, when the wind changes, all you can smell is pickles, and I happen to love pickles.

For more information on the factory, click here.

Gnats go to the highest point on your body

Hands up! (Baby, hands up!) This day camp favorite song was good for more than spirit day, it was also a great way to keep gnats out of your face.

Why, you ask? Gnats (those annoying little swarming bugs that seem to have no purpose) always target the highest point on your body, so by "raising up" you send the gnats up in the sky and out of your face. My softball team may laugh at me, but I'd rather look silly than deal with flies in the outfield.

While I haven't found a scholastic source to verify this fact, there are plenty of websites that agree. Check this one out.