Mister Smarty Pants Knows

It took the late Orville Reddenbacker, a former county agent, 24 years to breed his gourmet strain of popping corn.

In 1947, the Syrian Orthodox archbishop of Jerusalem convinced himself that the Dead Sea Scrolls were genuine by tearing a corner off one manuscript and setting it on fire to make sure it was real leather.

It's okay to buy opals for other people. Some consider it bad luck to buy opals for yourself.

Five times as many people on Okinawa claim to live to the age of 100 as in the rest of Japan; and the Japanese live longer than any other nationality on earth.

In the Gulf War, Stealth Bombers flew under 1% of the missions and destroyed 44% of the targets.

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The above is information which Mr. Smarty Pants read in a book, a magazine, or the newspaper; heard on the radio; saw on television; or overheard at a party. Got any facts? Leave a message for Mr. Smarty Pants, at 454-5766, ext. 226 for possible inclusion in the column. E-mail: mrpants@auschron.com