A metajoke is a joke that references itself as a joke.
Here’s an example:
An Englishman, an Irishman, and a Scotsman walk into a bar. The bartender turns to them, takes one look, and says "What is this - some kind of joke?"
Or for all you scientists:
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Original post by Alex
Panamax is the largest class of ships that can fit through the Panama Canal.
This size is determined by the dimensions of the lock chambers and the depth of the water in the Panama Canal. Panamax is a significant consideration in ship design.
Original post by Alex
In 1982, Larry Walters tied 42 helium-filled weather balloons to his lawnchair and flew over Los Angeles.
Lawnchair Larry planned to rise 100 feet above the ground, but he actually flew to an altitude of 16,000 feet (3 miles) and floated into the controlled airspace near Long Bech airport. After he shot a few balloons with a pellet gun he was carrying for this purpose, Larry’s lawnchair descended … onto a powerline!
The dangling cables got caught in a powerline, which caused a blackout. When he was arrested, Larry was asked by a reporter why he had done what he did. His answer: "a man can’t just sit around." (Source)
[YouTube Link]
Fast forward to April 2008, when Reverend Adelir Antonio de Carli, a priest in Brazil, strapped himself to helium-filled party balloons to raise money for a spiritual rest-stop for truckers. The wind pushed him off course to the ocean, and he […]
Original post by Alex
Scientists have actually investigated the Five-Second Rule.
The Five-Second Rule states that it’s okay to eat a dropped piece of food, as long as you pick it up before you can count to five.
In 2003, a high school intern at the University of Illinois named Jillian Clarke conducted a survey and found that half the men and 70% of the women knew about the five-second rule. Jillian then conducted this experiment: first, she contaminated a ceramic tile with E. coli bacteria, then she
placed gummy bears and cookies for 5 seconds and analyzed the food: they sure were contaminated.
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Original post by Alex
Comedian Yakov Smirnoff painted the mural "America’s Heart" on the World Trade Center’s ground zero.
Smirnoff was an art teacher in Odessa before he came to the United States and became known as a comedian. After 9/11, Smirnoff painted "America’s Heart," a pointillist-style artwork with one brush-stroke for each victims of the attack. A giant mural of his painting was displayed on a damaged skyscraper overlooking the World Trade Center ground zero. (Source)
Original post by Alex
The Sark National Football Team, nicknamed "The Bad Lions" is the "losingest" national soccer team in history.
The Sark national football team represented the island of Sark in the International Island Games Association (Island Games 2003). The team lost every match by 15 goals or more, scored no goal, and had a total of 70 goals scored against it in just 4 matches.
The team’s coach Shane Moon summed up as such:
"It was a special occasion for our lads to enter the tournament. They will probably never do this again in their lifetimes." (Source)
Original post by Alex
Under Scots law, there are three potential outcomes of a criminal trial: "proven" (guilty), "not guilty", and "not proven."
The "not proven" [wiki] verdict, also called the Scottish Verdict or the "bastard verdict," is where although the juries don’t think that the case has been proven against the defendant, they also not convinced of his innocence.
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Original post by Alex
