One would be in less danger, from the wiles of the stranger, if one's own kin and kith, were more fun to be with. ~ Ogden Nash
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31. There are 43 countries that still have a royal family.
The British royal family may be the most famous royal family on the planet, but there are still plenty of other nobles out there. In total, there are 28 royal families who rule over a total of 43 countries around the world, including Japan, Spain, Swaziland, Bhutan, Thailand, Monaco, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Liechtenstein.
32. California is home to the "Artichoke Capital of the World."
Castroville is a rural town in California that grows a lot of artichokes (and other vegetable crops), thanks to the fact that the area enjoys ideal weather year round. Because of this, it grows 99.9 percent of all commercially grown artichokes and has been nicknamed the "Artichoke Capital of the World."
33. All giant pandas in zoos around the world are on loan from China.
The panda at your local zoo may look like it's at home in its cozy sanctuary. But unless you live in China, the pandas that you're seeing are just visiting. That's because every one of the gentle giants in zoos around the world are on loan from China. Despite many of the bears' international credentials, they're technically the property of the government of China, according to Vox.
34. The "most typical human" fits this description.
According to a study developed for National Geographic in 2011, the world's "most typical" person is right-handed, makes less than $12,000 per year, has a mobile phone, and doesn't have a bank account.
35. Canada has nine percent of the world's forests.
Our neighbors to the north boast 396.9-million hectares of forests, or nine percent of all of the forest area in the entire world, according to Natural Resources Canada.
36. The red-billed quelea is the most common bird on Earth.
There may not be any red-billed queleas in your neighborhood, but that's not because there aren't an abundance of them. These birds, which live in sub-Saharan Africa, are considered "agricultural pests" because their massive flocks can obliterate entire crops. Although their numbers fluctuate, there are around 1 to 10 billion queleas, which leads scientists to believe that there are more of them than any other bird on Earth, according to Audobon.
37. There's a website that tracks the world's population in real time.
As of 2019, the overall human population is estimated to be more than 7.7 billion people. And if you want to watch that increase in real time, you can tune into the World Population Clock, which shows the upticks and downticks as babies are born and other people die. You can also see the current populations of different countries, including China (1,420,000,000+), India (1,368,000,000+), and the U.S. (329,000,000+).
38. More people speak Mandarin Chinese than any other language.
With around 950 million native speakers and an additional 200 million people speaking Mandarin Chinese as a second language, it's the most popular language in the world.
39. Around one in every 200 men is a direct descendant of Genghis Khan.
During his lifetime between 1162 and 1227, Genghis Khan fathered countless children. And while we may never know exactly how many offspring the leader of the Mongol Empire had, scientists now believe that around 1 in every 200 (or 16 million) men is a direct descendant of his, according to a 2003 historical genetics paper.
40. Copenhagen is the most bike-friendly city in the world.
Many places around the world are trying to figure out how to rework their infrastructure to accommodate cyclists and hopefully, in turn, encourage residents to use the environmentally-friendly mode of transportation. That's why Copenhagen has become such a role model; according to Wired, it's the most bike-friendly city in the world.
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Good morning everyboomie.
It is
FRIDAY!!!!! 
I've been looking for this little guy.
I didn't quite need him today. It was upper 50s.
I didn't do a lot today. My sister came by, and we went to lunch at the casino. Her treat.
After that all I wanted to do was lay down and nap. What can I say?
I did about 30 seconds of exercise today. I'll get back on that horse tomorrow.
![[Linked Image]](https://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/smilie/figuren/a010.gif)
Have a happy day everyone.
joe
acebook
witter
Sister time is important.
SpaceQ any plans for the weekend? Family have a fun day. Soot the coffee does smell delicious and it is ready for you. Ana nice you will have that special boarder this weekend. I am almost ready for Christmas! 
Have a Happy Day today everyone! 
Danish, Eggs, Grits, Hash Browns, BB Pancakes, Bacon, and French Toast in the NC. 
