Strange but true
BY SAMANTHAWEAVER

. On a per-capita basis, more Speedo bathing suits are sold in Iceland than anywhere else in the world.

. Hedy Lamarr was best known as a siren of the silver screen in the 1930s, '40s and '50s, but she was more than just a pretty face. In 1942, in the middle of her busy film career, she, along with composer George Antheil, found time to invent and patent what they called a "Secret Communication System," which was an ahead-of-its-time version of frequency hopping. In 1997, three years before her death, Lamarr was honored by the Electronic Frontier Foundation for her contribution to the technology.

. You may not have realized it when you were drinking that martini, but, as a species, the olive used as a garnish is older than you as a human being.

. Interestingly, it was noted American architect Frank Lloyd Wright who made the following observation: "A man is a fool if he drinks before he reaches the age of 50, and a fool if he doesn't afterward."

. If, like me, you grew up watching "The Brady Bunch" on TV, you'll remember Alice, the Brady's inimitable housekeeper. Ann B. Davis, the actress who played Alice, insisted that when any scene was being filmed in which her character was cooking, there had to be some kind of food in the pot.

. During the Middle Ages, it was thought that artichokes had aphrodisiac qualities.

. It's been reported that a law in Providence, R.I., prohibits any retailer from selling a toothbrush and toothpaste to the same person on a Sunday.

. A now-unknown company once put caramel-and-prune ice cream on the market.

Thought for the Day: "Any girl can be glamorous; all you have to do is stand still and look stupid." -- Hedy Lamarr

(c) 2007 King Features Synd., Inc.