Encyclopedia Miscellany

Isaac Asimov wrote about five hundred books.

When he was 81, P.T. Barnum fell gravely ill. At his request, a New York newspaper printed his obituary in advance so he could enjoy it. Watch for this to become a source of revenue for newspapers seeking to shore up their advertising losses to the Internet.

The kappa is one of the strangest supernatural beings in the Encyclopedia Britannica. It's a "vampirelike lecherous creature" from Japan that's obsessed with cucumbers, resembles a green monkey with fish scales, and refuses to lower its head for fear of spilling the magic water it keeps in the holes on top of its skull.

Source: The Know-It-All.