Rick's InfoBlog

Tips and Information on...everything!

Did you know the ‘TV Dinner’ was invented to remedy a colossal mistake?

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Chances are you’re familiar with the frozen meals sold in grocery stores.

You know the ones I’m talking about. They usually come in a tray that includes some sort of meat entree (Salisbury steak, anyone?) along with a couple of vegetables and/or a dessert item.

When I was growing up those frozen meals were called “TV dinners”.

Busy moms seemed to love them but most everyone else preferred enjoying a home-cooked meal.

Well, you rarely hear anyone call those frozen meals “TV dinners” anymore, but they’re more popular (and more tasty) than ever these days.

Chances are, you enjoy eating one yourself on occasion.

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If Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, why isn’t it the hottest?

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You probably know that Mercury is the closest planet to the sun by far, so shouldn’t it also be the hottest planet in the solar system?

Well, one would think so, but that isn’t the case.

The planet Venus (the second planet from the sun) is actually hotter than any of the other planets, Mercury included.

That’s right, with temps as high as 870 degrees Fahrenheit, Venus is actually hotter than Mercury which “only” gets as hot as 800 degrees.

The reason Venus is hotter than Mercury even though it’s farther from the sun is because Venus has a very thick atmosphere.

That atmospheric “cover” traps much of the heat Venus receives from the sun and prevents it from escaping back into space.

This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the “greenhouse effect”.

Truth be told, you’ve probably experienced the greenhouse effect on a very personal scale…

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John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day – exactly 50 years after the Declaration of Independence was adopted!

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If you’re a student of American History you’re well aware of how Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson helped create our wonderful nation and set it on the path to freedom.

After helping form the new country known as the United States of America, Adams and Jefferson both went on to serve as its president.

The influences these great men had on American life and traditions are still evident today.

Both Adams and Jefferson lived long and consequential lives, but the date of their deaths is quite intriguing in its own right.

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