The Extraordinary Book of Useless Information

A PERIGEE BOOK

Published by the Penguin Group

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Copyright © 2013 by Don Voorhees

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eBook ISBN: 978-1-101-62139-4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Voorhees, Don.

The extraordinary book of useless information : the most fascinating facts that don't really matter / Don Voorhees. — First edition.

pages cm

ISBN 978-0-399-16517-7

1. Questions and answers. I. Title.

AG195.V645 2013

031.02—dc23 2013017463

First edition: September 2013

While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers, Internet addresses, and other contact information at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors, or for changes that occur after publication. Further, the publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

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To all my loyal readers who enjoy useless information as much as I do. Enjoy!

Mascot Musings

There are 1.8 million squirrel hunters in the United States.

Squirrels will dig up crack cocaine buried by drug dealers/addicts, eat it, and become quite aggressive.

Sugar Bush Squirrel is an eastern gray squirrel that was rescued by one Kelly Foxton and now is featured on its own website (sugarbushsquirrel.com) appearing in photos wearing one of three thousand custom-made little outfits and posed with various props.

Female red squirrels will mate with up to fourteen different males a day when in heat.

In 2012, a bright purple squirrel was captured in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania. Scientists were unable to explain its bizarre coloring.

Marmots, which are really large ground-dwelling squirrels, now leave hibernation earlier in the Rocky Mountains and are getting fatter, due to global warming.

Twice in one week, a flying squirrel invaded the emergency room at Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Center in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Paleontologists have discovered the fossilized remains of a 100-million-year-old saber-toothed squirrel in Argentina.

Squirrels in California have been found that carry the plague.

Just in time for Christmas, one enterprising company is now selling freeze-dried squirrel's feet earrings.