Strange But True
By SAMANTHA WEAVER

• It was noted wit Oscar Wilde who made the following sage observation: "Biography lends to death a new terror."

• You may not realize it, but you have almost certainly engaged in sternutation at some point in your life - and if you're like me, you do it regularly every spring when the pollen count is high. Sternutation is simply the act of sneezing.

• Iconic fashion designer Ralph Lauren started out his career as a glove salesman.

• I wouldn't be surprised if you've never heard of Dion McGregor, who, as a songwriter, achieved only very modest success - most notably as the cowriter of the Barbra Streisand song "Where Is the Wonder." He did achieve notoriety in some circles, however, for a very strange characteristic: He talked in his sleep. Somniloquy is not rare, but McGregor took it to new levels. He spoke very clearly, essentially narrating his bizarre dreams, such as flying to the moon with a group of children on a hot-air balloon. You might wonder how I know what his dreams were like, and that's where his notoriety comes into play: In 1964, Decca Records released the album "The Dream World of Dion McGregor (He Talks in His Sleep)," perhaps the only commercial recording during which the performer is not conscious at all.

• As spring progresses, those of us in the southern latitudes of the United States are preparing for another long, hot summer. We should count our blessings, though, and keep in mind that it could be worse: The lowest temperature ever recorded in the tiny Southeast Asia nation of Singapore is 66 degrees Fahrenheit - and that was during a particularly chilly winter.

Thought for the Day: "Irrationally held truths may be more harmful than reasoned errors." - Thomas H. Huxley

(c) 2008 King Features Synd., Inc.