Statistics and other proven facts

Apropos of nothing, my dad would drop statistics into a conversation.

You can rely on luck—half the time.

Half the married people in the world are women.  That probably remains true.

If you invite 400 people to your wedding, at least 35 of them will have been born on the same day.  He had variations on this, like the probability of 100 people in a room having the same birthday. Odds increased dramatically for days of the week. 

Nine of ten people turn right when then enter a store.  Having exhibited in many large expo centers, this is absolutely true. 

A pint’s a pound the world around.

A drip a second is eight gallons a year.

Eating raw vegetables consumes more calories than are contained in the celery stick, carrot, etc.

Janice and I each read a book once and wish we could remember the title.  It was light reading; its heroine solved mysteries and often used “proven facts” to reach her conclusions.  Thanks to my dad I knew facts were proven.

But, one “proven fact” I learned in the book whose title I cannot remember is:  If you put your heel in your elbow, your big toe will reach the end of your wrist.  There was a time I could actually prove this fact.  It’s from Michelangelo’s perfect body measurements and comes in very handy when I’ve wanted to make socks for someone as a surprise.  I’ve just had to steer the conversation around.  Although I know a Marine whose toe ends almost at his fingers.