Page 43 - 20060708 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - July/August 2006

Myth-Conceptions 43 Myth-Conceptions 43 MYTH- MYTH- CONCEPTIONS CONCEPTIONS MYTH: The captain of a ship at sea can perform weddings. FACT: U.S. Navy regulations - and those of navies of many other nations - actually prohibit ships’ commanders from joining couples in marriage. MYTH: Your hair and nails continue to grow after you die. FACT: They don’t. Your tissue recedes from your hair and nails, making them appear longer. MYTH: Bananas spoil faster when you put them in a refrigerator. FACT: This belief comes from an old ad jingle. The purpose of the jingle was to tell people to keep bananas out of the refrigerator... but only until they had ripened. Once ripened, bananas will last linger in the refrigerator. OCTOBER 1-2, 2006 PALACE STATION HOTEL & CASINO * LAS VEGAS, NEVADA MYTH: You should never wake a sleepwalker. Immerse yourself in the paranormal experience in exciting Las Vegas! FACT: There’s no reason not to wake a sleepwalker. This superstition comes from the www.tlvpc.com old belief that a sleepwalker’s spirit leaves the www.tlvpc.com body and might not make it back if the person is awakened. MYTH: Shaving your hair makes ti grow in faster and thicker. FACT: The rate of your hair’s growth is determined by hereditary factors. Shaving will have no effect on the rate of its growth. MYTH: During a flight, you'll sometimes hit an “airpocket.” FACT: What’s often called an “air pocket” is actually a downdraft. MYTH: It’s darkest just before the dawn. FACT: Actually, it’s darkest at about 2 AM. CELEBRITY CELEBRITY SUPERSTITIONS SUPERSTITIONS Alfred Hitchcock: The cameo appearance he made in each film he directed was for good luck. Confederate General Stonewall Jackson: Jackson always charged into battle with his left hand held over his head, for “psychic balance.” Thomas Edison: Carried a staurolite, a stone that forms naturally in the shape of a cross. Legend has it that when fairies heard of Christ’s crucifixion, their tears fell as “fairy cross” stones. Also a lucky piece for Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. John Wayne: Considered it lucky to be in a movie with actor Ward Bond. Jack Lemmon: Whispered “magic time” as filming started. Mario Andretti: Won’t use a green pen to sign autographs.