Blue Bike Books – förlag

An entertaining and lighthearted collection of facts from across the country to tickle your funny bone. Discover: · how many UFOs have been sighted in Canada · how many people in Canada drink beer · the best place to park your car so that it won't be stolen · the curative powers of the Aurora Borealis · the number of deaths attributed to avalanches · the woman who negotiated her weight in gold for a marriage settlement · the number of words we use for snow · the Newfoundland tradition of screeching-in · the largest land animal in North America · which monsters have been sighted across Canada An so much more... A journey through Canada that you'd never imagine. You won't learn this stuff in school!

The Canadian landscape is home to some pretty odd sights; for example, the UFO landing pad in St. Paul, Alberta, the ice hotel in Québec City or Casa Loma, Canada's only castle. This book humorously inventories many real estate oddities found across the country. Welcome to the True North strange to see.

Canada's most populous province may also boast some of the weirdest places in the country. This enjoyable collection features hundreds of odd locales and structures, from a Cold War relic called the Diefenbunker to the world's largest curling stone to the home of famous white squirrels.

Just around the next mountain switchback or on the next sunny beach, you can find some fairly unusual sites in British Columbia: a nude beach, a house built out of embalming fluid bottles, a haunted restaurant where the ghost sits right next to you. You'll find it all in Weird BC Places.

From the Great Lakes to Hudson Bay, Ontario is a province rich in history-and some of that history is simply weird. Read about the fascinating and funny past of Canada's most populous province: the Toronto Circus Riots of 1865 were started by firemen and clowns brawling in a brothel; Ontario's Parliament got its start in a hospital; Ontario, not Alberta, was the first province to see oil wells in the back-forty; and more.

He calls himself Captain Canada and he's the only one who does! He's the author of the hilarious best-seller Fakin' Eh!: How to Pretend to be a Canadian. He's Dan de Figueiredo and he's back with another packed package of entertainment and veritable font of knowledge.You'll learn such things as:The 10 longest rivers in CanadaThe 10 biggest scams, cons and frauds ever pulled in CanadaThe 10 best Canadian cities to live in andThe top 10 Canadian athletes of all timeAll this, for less than you'd spend at the movies. Caution: We know Dan made up half the stuff in the book. It's pretty funny anyway.

The human body may be a wonder of natural engineering but it also can be pretty gross and bad-smelling. In this fearless little book, find the answers to such profound questions as why are boogers green, why do farts smell, and where does belly button lint come from? Dare to read on!

This book is an entertaining collection of trivia from the Buckeye State. For example, the Kitty Hawk was built in Ohio. A remarkable number of presidents come from Ohio. George Armstrong Custer was born in Rumley and taught school in Ohio before enrolling in military school. This and more in the Bathroom Book of Ohio Trivia.

Humans have lived alongside dogs for millennia, but there's more to them than just tail wags, a love for car rides and chasing tennis balls. It is not surprising that there are so many weird facts and fascinating tales: - A recent poll showed that 33 percent of dog owners talk to their dogs on the phone or leave messages for their pets on answering machines - Before the law requiring pet owners in New York City to scoop up after their dogs, about 40 million pounds of doggie doodoo were left on the streets each year - Laika, a stray dog from Russia, was the first living creature to enter orbit on the Soviet's Sputnik 2 - Dogs really can sense when a person is about to die - Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Pompeii found the remains of a dog laying across a child, apparently trying to protect the youngster from the volcano's deadly eruption - In Oklahoma, you'd better restrain yourself from making faces at a dog-you could be fined, arrested or even jailed - The only dog that does not have a pink tongue is the chow; that breed's tongue is jet black - The fastest dog, the greyhound, can reach speeds of up to 44 miles (70 kilometers) per hour And much more...

Don't like the weather; just wait five minutes. Real Canadian culture is complaining about the weather: * The ice storm of January 1998 in Eastern Canada caused power outages in Ontario and Quebec, leaving 200,000 people in the dark and forcing more than 100,000 to seek refuge in shelters * Mercury soared to 45 degrees Celsius in Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan, on July 5, 1937, the highest temperature ever recorded in Canada * Snag, Yukon, recorded the lowest temperatures in Canadian history, at -62.8 degrees Celsius * Canada's longest and deadliest heat wave occurred in Manitoba and Ontario between July 5 and 17, 1936, claiming 1180 lives, with temperatures exceeding 44 degrees Celsius * In January 1966, the temperature rose 21 degrees in four minutes when a Chinook arrived in Pincher Creek, Alberta * Canada's most destructive hailstorm occurred in Calgary on September 7, 1991, when a 30-minute storm caused over $300 million in damage * A massive tornado in Edmonton, Alberta, on July 31, 1987, left 27 dead, 253 injured and hundreds homeless * Three centimetres of snow fell on the Canada Day celebrations in Kapuskasing, Ontario, probably causing a tow truck to receive the Best Float Award. * And so many more weird facts about our country's weather... Weird, but maybe not...

"America's Most American State," Illinois is considered the most average state according to Census Bureau data analysis by the Associated Press. Illinois is full of fascinating and often humorous stories of strange places, bizarre events, intriguing history and colorful characters: · The first pickup truck was built by A.W. King in Chicago in 1896; he called it the King High-Wheeler · Chicago is home to the largest Polish community outside of Poland, and more than one million people of Polish descent live in Illinois · In 1972, the state officially made the town of Metropolis the "adopted home of Superman," and police uniforms bear patches with the Superman logo · Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois was the first and, to date, only black woman elected to the U.S. Senate ·Because high sewage and pollution levels in Lake Michigan were causing diseases such as typhoid and cholera, Chicago civil engineers reversed the flow of the Chicago River to empty into the Mississippi River basin instead of Lake Michigan. · The only Hippie Memorial in the United States is in the town of Arcola · In 1993, the Illinois State Senate passed a resolution proclaiming Springfield the "Chilli Capital of the Civilized World" (and that's not a typo)-Springfieldians spell chili with two l's after a popular establishment in town misspelled the word on its sign a century ago And so much more...

Colorado is full of fascinating and often humorous stories of strange places, bizarre events, intriguing history and colorful characters: · Colorado has the highest paved road in North America; the road to Mt. Evans climbs an amazing 14,258 feet above sea level · Mike the Headless Chicken Day is celebrated in the town of Fruita each year to remember the rooster that lived for 18 months without a head · Loveland is home to the Valentine Re-mailing Program, where hundreds of thousands of love letters are stamped with romantic prose before being directed to their intended recipients · Every March, Nederland holds Frozen Dead Guy Days in honor of deceased Grandpa Bredo Morstoel, whose remains are still being kept cool in a shed full of dry ice · In Logan Country, it is illegal for any man to kiss a woman while she's asleep · Each year Manitou Springs holds the Great Fruitcake Toss using GPS technology to ensure distance accuracy · The folks in Florissant host a mock election that is more truthful than most-only jackasses need run; in July 2005, a donkey named Paco Bell clopped away with the honorable title of town mayor And so much more...

Filled with fascinating facts about the most extreme and curious weather stories in Ontario's history. This looks at the highs and lows of Ontario weather and gives an entertaining and informative journey through the environmental factors that make Ontario weather anything but boring: January 2006 brought some of the warmest temperatures ever recorded in the province with temperatures in the double digits. Ontario joggers were out in their shorts, and some people in the southern areas traded snowboots for umbrellas. The 1998 Québec ice storm affected many Ontarians too, striking 57 communities and downing 300 transmission towers. In 1829, a tornado nearly destroyed the tiny town of Guelph, but the community rebuilt and Guelph is now a thriving city. In just one hour, the temperature in Sarnia, Ontario, dropped 17 degrees from 22°C to 5°C on March 31, 1998. Hurricane Hazel pounded Ontario in 1954, killing 81 people, 35 on one street alone, and leaving thousands homeless. In the late 1800s, weather forecasts came by way of train. Large metal discs indicating the coming weather conditions were attached to the sides of the engine or the baggage cars, and people could check the forecast as the train went by. Check out these wild weather facts and stories and so many more.

There is much tradition and folklore surrounding weddings. Generation after generation, cultures have developed rituals, superstitions and events to make this day a special one to remember: ·The world's most expensive wedding dress featured 150 carats of diamonds and was valued at $12 million ·According to one European study, 60 per cent of couples do not consummate their marriage on their wedding night ·Traditional stag parties for grooms and their buddies have been around since at least the days of the Roman Empire ·The tradition of wearing a white dress developed fairly recently when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert wearing a gown of white satin instead of the traditional royal silver ·Wearing pearls on your wedding day either wards off the possibility of tears in the future or are a sign of the tears that will someday flow ·Several states in the U.S., including Utah, Arizona, Indiana, Illinois, Colorado and Tennessee, allow first cousins to wed under certain circumstances ·A young North American Hopi Indian man proposes by leaving clothing by the door of his intended's home; her acceptance or rejection of the clothing signifies her answer ·In days past, the best man carried a charm in his pocket to ward off bad luck for the groom and his betrothed ·The tradition of tossing confetti at weddings evolved from an earlier practice of tossing rice, nuts and other seeds or grains as a wish for good luck, abundant harvests and a fertile marriage bed ·The average American engagement is 17 months, with June being the most popular month for wedding ceremonies, followed by August, September, October and May. And so much more...

From strange behaviour to interesting prey-vs.-predator relationships to fantastical creatures, the animal world is full of fascinating facts about our furry, feathered and scaly friends: * The wood frog burrows into the leaf litter in winter; its heart, brain and eyeballs freeze, and they defrost again in the spring * In 2006, a hunter shot and killed a hybrid of a grizzly and a polar bear, dubbed a grolar or pizzly bear, the first to be found in the wild *The bombardier beetle protects itself by expelling a boiling hot chemical spray from its rear end * A woodpecker's tongue is so long that it rolls up in the bird's skull like a tape measure in its case * Rabbits produce two kinds of stool: one that the animal eats, which is rich in vitamins and nutrients, and another that is waste matter * Some clever crows drop nuts onto roadways so that passing vehicles drive over them and break the shells open * The horned lizard defends itself by squirting blood from its eyes * Canada was home to 2.5-metre-long giant sea scorpions 400 million years ago. * And so much more...

Babies are life's little miracles. Everything about them -- from conception to birth and beyond -- is fascinating. Book of Babies includes intriguing scientific facts, strange stories, famous stars and their little ones, and cultural traditions from across the globe: * The Chinese believe that if a pregnant woman reads good poetry and thoughtful books, her child will develop a thoughtful and intelligent disposition * During a newborn's first month, you can expect to change diapers 12 to 16 times per day; if using disposable diapers, expect to spend about $72 per month * According to number crunchers at the Population Reference Bureau in Washington, DC, as many as 106 billion people have been born throughout the history of the world * Spanish mother Maria del Carmen Bousada de Lara delivered twin boys on December 29, 2006, and celebrated her 67th birthday seven days later * Despite the urban legend, babies are born with kneecaps, but they are more cartilage than bone and ossify around the three-year mark for girls and at age four or five for boys * Weird cravings are common to most pregnant women -- Nicole Kidman craved radishes. * And much more.

Each of the 365 days of our Gregorian calendar is represented in this book with morsels of odd trivia, historical events, celebrity birthdays, weather anomalies and astrological information. With a decidedly Canadian twist, it's an entertaining and enlightening new take on a day that happens every year: * January 26 is not only Wayne Gretzky's birthday, it's also National Peanut Brittle Day * On May 3, 1915 Canadian Solider John McCrae took only 20 minutes to compose his poem 'In Flanders Fields' * February 29 is Sadie Hawkins Day, the official day on which a woman can ask a man to marry her * April 17, 1982 was the day Canada officially became an independent nation from Britain with the repatriation of our constitution * March 9 is Middle Name Pride Day. Benedict Martin Paul 'Ben' Mulroney was born on this day in 1976. * And so much more..

Chocolate. Seductive, decadent and sinfully delicious. The pages of this book are dripping with an assortment of facts, trivia and history about the world's favorite indulgence: * Dark chocolate contains four times the antioxidants of green tea and six times what is found in blueberries; raw cacao has even more * Chocolate also contains theobromine, a gentle, non-addictive stimulant; it provides energy and increases alertness and concentration without the jitters * The Germans lead the world in chocolate consumption per capita, enjoying 24.5 pounds per person each year, compared to Canada at 8.58 and the U.S. at 12.27 * The cacao tree, a sacred plant to the Mayans, was believed to have been delivered to humans by the gods; they used the beans as currency * Because the Mars family dislikes peanut butter, Mars Inc. does not use it in any of its products * The U.S. has about 60 chocolate-related food holidays, including National Chocolate Brownie Day on December 18 and National Rocky Road Ice Cream Day on June 2 * Bugs are a typical ingredient in chocolate with an average of 80 bug fragments per 100 grams * Every Russian and American space voyage has included chocolate bars * AND... Indulge in mouth-watering recipes, useful tips and intriguing morsels.

Don't walk under ladders! Place a star on the top of your Christmas tree. Superstitions and traditions often govern how we participate in life. But what of the uniquely Canadian superstitions and traditions practiced across the country? - Canadian folklore suggests eating fish from the head downward; for a filet of fish, eat the widest part first and then move downward - In Alberta, picking blackberries after October 11 is bad luck because by this time in the year, the devil has surely laid claim to the remaining berries - A First Nations ritual advises blessing a new home by taking smoldering sage from room to room and saying prayers; this will banish everything from evil spirits to ill feelings - A Manitoba urban legend says that if you run around St. Andrews-on-the-Red near Lockport three times at midnight, you'll disappear - In dustbowl Depression-era Saskatchewan it was believed that a red sky at night in the springtime meant the next day would be a windy one, too windy for farmers to seed - According to one old folktale, the captain of a schooner off the coast of Nova Scotia turned back to port when he discovered one of his crewmen had grey mittens; undertakers wore grey mittens, so it was like asking for a death on the journey. And so much more...

They took away smoking, they took away drugs and promiscuous sex, they took away eating red meat and cat calling hot chicks on the street. All I have left is over-priced coffee, and by God I'm going to drink it! - Brent Sienna I'll take a venti, half-sweet, non-fat, caramel macchiato with extra whipped cream. Hold the caramel. In our consumer culture, coffee has become almost unrecognizable from its origin as a little brown bean. There are entire communities and economies relying on coffee production, and there is a rich and--sometimes violent--history behind it as well: - Coffee is the most commonly used legal stimulant in the world - Coffee first became popular in Arabia in the 13th century, but it is said to have actually originated in Kaffa, an Ethiopian province, back in the 9th century - London coffee houses are credited with being the birthplace of the Stock Exchange in the late-17th century - Some coffee berries are processed only after being eaten--and deposited--by an animal Starbucks didn't sell coffee-based drinks until more than 10 years after its inception and at first only sold coffee beans for brewing at home - In Finland, drinking coffee in the parish hall after church services is so important that it is often referred to as the third sacrament of the Finnish Lutheran Church. And so much more...

British Columbians are well known for being a laid-back population, but you'd better mind your Ps and Qs, or you might be headed to jail. Read about these strange and wacky laws and more in Weird British Columbia Laws: * From 1947 to 1986, it was illegal to sell stoves on a Wednesday in Vancouver * Kelowna once permitted nude bathing in any public waters, but only between 9:00 pm and 6:00 am * In Port Coquitlam, it is against the law to own more than four pet rats or to allow your cattle to roam the streets * One of Esquimalt's first bylaws prohibited the throwing of snowballs within city limits * From 1916 until 1977, you couldn't buy any booze on Election Day in British Columbia * An Oak Bay bylaw requires its residents to keep their noisy parrots quiet * And so much more.

North Carolina Trivia is full of fascinating and often humorous stories of strange places, bizarre events, intriguing history and colorful characters: - The famous Siamese Twins, Chang and Eng Bunker, lived in and are buried near Mount Airy--the town after which Andy Griffith modeled his Mayberry TV town - George Herman Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run in a scrimmage match in Fayetteville - It's illegal to sing off-key in the town of Nags Head - The world's largest privately owned home, measuring 175,000 square feet, is the Biltmore Estate in Asheville--built by the famous Vanderbilt family - The first English colony in America was located on Roanoke Island, but the inhabitants mysteriously vanished - The state was the nation's biggest producer of gold, long before the California Gold Rush - People from across the country meet up in Spivey's Corner and holler for all they're worth in the National Hollerin' Contest. And so much more...

The American Civil War has intrigued millions of readers for 150 years. But how much do we know about the real lives of Americans on the battlefields and in trenches and winter quarters when the sodiers has a respite from combat? Civil War Trivia looks inside the conflict to examine the many fascinating and heartrending stories about this great war.