In Homer Simpson's voice..........

.......mmmm.........spiders...........yum

 

Just FYI, the space shuttle's SRB's are 12.17 feet in diameter...considerably larger than the 4 ft, 8.5 inches implied by this story. It's possible that that number had to be kept in mind when designing the SRB's, and it's possible that they were shipped in pieces rather than complete cross-sections, so those PIECES had to be smaller than 4 ft, 8.5 inches, but I think the real answer is that this story is yet another example of internet-spawned-and-propagated BS .

[QUOTE]Originally posted by DJ Qube
[B]What do the space shuttle and a horse's ass have in common?

The US Standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches.

 

Come on, get into the spirit of this thread(the operative word is incredible)

True or not, I thought it was a great story.

Duffer

 

On your shoelaces, the little plastic tip at the end of the laces that makes it easier to pass the laces through the holes are called "flugal binders".

I got this from the movie Cocktail.

Dunno if it's true.

 

Actually, they're called aglets.

Originally, they were made out of silver because it was the only metal which was soft enough to bend around the laces and durable enough to stay attached; gold was too soft (and too expensive) and iron was too brittle. The word aglet comes from the chemical abbreviation for silver (Ag) and their small size.

 

I respectfully beg to differ... while Aglet does start with AG the etymology is diminutive of the latin word acus (needle)

 

The first Christian Emperor, Constantine, is only considered the first because he was baptized on his death bed.

 

You said that the "facts" were supposed to be incredible. I figured that it was a small stretch to include "facts" which are believable but, in fact, untrue. I made up that etymology, and had a good laugh whilst doing so. It sounds plausible, you'll agree. Seriously, how many of the viewers would have taken it as gospel, never bothering to look it up?

(When I told my wife what I was writing, she asked our son to grab the dictionary so that I could look up the true etymology. So I knew it came from acus.)

 

They're good with a nice red wine and shallot vinaigrette.



(Before I get flames, consider that the Incas domesticated cavies (guinea pigs) thousands of years ago. There are only two reasons to domesticate animals: beasts of burden and food. Guinea pigs don't pack much.)

 

Arabian horses have shorter backs than all other breeds because Arabians have one lumbar vertebra fewer than all other breeds, and, consequently, one pair of ribs fewer.

Arabians are said to stop and turn faster than any other breed. Actually, they dematerialize in one place and rematerialize in another, usually with saddle and bridle intact but without rider.