Yes, grass really does get that tall

•Did you know that bamboo is actually a kind of grass? Reaching heights of up to 130 feet, it’s the world’s tallest grass, in fact.

•Walter Winchell, famed newspaper reporter of the early part of the 20th century, once made the following shrewd observation: “The way to become famous fast is to throw a brick at someone who is famous.”

•Many of us who grew up watching the popular PBS series “Sesame Street” don’t realize that the show’s original title was “The Preschool Educational Television Show.” I imagine “Sesame Street” was easier for youngsters to remember — and pronounce.

•”Casino” means “place of entertainment” in Italian.

•It’s been reported that TV personality Oprah Winfrey learned to read before she was 3 years old.

•Gangster Al Capone reportedly paid more than $290,000 every week for bribes.

•Linguists report that the United States has the fewest distinct dialects of any major country in the history of the world.

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Thought for the Day: “What, after all, is a halo? It’s only one more thing to keep clean.” — C. Fry