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Some interesting facts about the city of Seattle. (Well, I think they're interesting.)

Alki Beach, across the bay from the city, got its name when one of the early settlers, in a fit of optimism, decided the city was going to be built there and that it was going to be called New York Alki - Alki being the Chinook jargon word for 'by and by'. (They ended up moving across the bay because the water wasn't deep enough for shipping at the original site.)

The original Indian name for the current site of Seattle was Dzidzelálitch, which means 'place of the little crossing'. The city was later renamed after a local Indian chief who befriended Dr. David Maynard, one of the founders. His name was actually closer to Si'alh - the final consonant (which in the original, involves pronouncing 'L' while pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth and forcing air out of both sides - try it) was deemed unpronounceable.

The downtown streets are, in order, heading north: Jefferson, James, Cherry, Columbia, Marion, Madison, Spring, Seneca, University, Union, Pike, Pine. The accepted mnemonic for these is Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Protest.

After the Great Fire of 1889, the present Pioneer Square district was rebuilt and, due to flooding from poor drainage, it was decided to regrade the streets a couple of storeys higher. For a while, people had to climb ladders to get from the sidewalks up to street level. Eventually, the now underground parts fell into disuse, but parts of them have been reopened and can be toured.

The term 'Skid Row' - formerly 'Skid Road' - originally meant a downhill slide along which logs were transported. It was originally applied to the area around Yesler Way in Seattle (although the hill probably wasn't used for that purpose) and then spread to refer to generally impoverished areas in other American cities.

The Seattle school system was largely set up on the back of a bequest from one Lou Graham, who died in 1903. She was the city's most notorious and wealthiest brothel owner.

How one looks at things determines what one sees. All is quite subjective and it's the chosen perception what makes what one perceives. (not sure if this is more opinion than fact, I think it's true)

When Blind Willie McTell died, he accidentally ended up being buried beneath the gravestone bearing the name of his cousin Eddie McTear, who was still alive.

Tinker Bell was not modeled on Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jean Mortenson), but on an actress named Margaret Kerry (born Peggy Lynch).

In Norse mythology, the universe is represented as an enormous tree called Yggdrasil, that houses the nine worlds, five of which are located in the trunk (From top to bottom: Asgard, Alfheimr, Midgard, Svartalfheimr & Helheimr), and four situated on individual branches (Jötunheimr, Muspelheimr, Niflheimr & Vanaheimr), the latter four being inhabited by giants.

In Buddhist mythology, the center of the world is Mount Sumeru (also known as Mount Meru), a sacred mountain with five peaks.
It's of the shape of an hourglass, 80000 yojanas high and 80000 yojanas deep. It's surrounded by a square ocean which in turn is surrounded by a circle of mountains which is surrounded by another mountain range … (continue it 7 times).

After the 7 layers of mountains and oceans there is the main ocean surrounding it all.

The known world is an island in the southern sphere of the main ocean.

There is now so much water stored in dams created by human beings that the axis of the Earths tilt has been affected!

Istanbul has a vending machine that releases food and water for the city's stray dogs in exchange for recycled plastic bottles.

There are no mountains in the state of Florida.

It takes most healthy mammals, irrespective of size, under 12 seconds to defecate.

Grapes & raisins are poisonous to dogs.

Howie Mandel has OCD like me! He's my favorite judge on AGT.

Cats have 32 muscles in each ear.

Johnny Manuel was Seal's golden buzzer on AGT tonight

KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell are owned by Pepsi.

Angelica Hale was Chris Hardwick's golden buzzer in the first episode of AGT Judge Cuts