Thursday, July 15, 2010

You Learn Something New Every Day

This is the best frequently asked question (and response) I have ever come upon (from the groupon FAQ):

One of your write-ups stated that "hummingbirds come from cocoons"... I'm not sure that's correct.

Thank you for your suggestion, but it is correct.


And if you don't know, Groupon is a neat service which uses "collective buying power" to get rippin' good deals. The trick is that they offer businesses a minimum number of customers to secure the deal, so if not enough people show interest (by buying the deal), no deal. Definitely worth looking into if you haven't already. Plus, really, what's one more piece of spam in your inbox each day?

9 comments:

thhowl said...

Agreed! I found your blog by googling "hummingbirds come from cocoons".

terriblenews said...

According to google analytics, you are not the first! Thanks for stopping by :*)

Quinn Reilly said...

I'm sorry, but the best FAQ response is actually a different one from Groupon. This is catharsis for anyone who has ever authored an FAQ and had to include answers to stupid, stupid questions:

Q: Where did you get the name "Groupon?"

A: Groupon is a city in Switzerland where Goodyear tires are sold at heavily discounted rates.

Unknown said...

Actually, this is not correct, hummingbirds do not come from cocoons. Hummingbirds are actually born from a very small egg, approximately the size of a small pea, and if they make it through the first year they will live about 5 years in all.

terriblenews said...

I'm afraid I'm going to need a reference for that "eggs" thing. Sounds kinda suspicious. Groupon has had this on their website for a long time, but your comment is pretty recent. Colbert's razor says that your argument isn't as Truthy as theirs...

KillerChihuahua said...

Hummingbirds line and cushion their tiny nests with spider webs and cocoons. So yes... they come from cocoons - which were used in making their nests. A bit misleading, that one. But accurate so far as it goes.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry, but a cocoon contains an organism that metamorphs from a larvae or pupal into another stage of life (e.g. A butterfly or moth). Since in vitro (egg) or in utero does not count as a stage in metamorphisis, this is incorrect.

terriblenews said...

You don't sound very sorry, Anonymous... I do like KC's take on it, though.

claidheamdanns said...

Notice how Anonymous hides behind anonymity. I sure indicator that they are wrong.

Cocoon raised hummingbirds rock!