what are the chances

An article about a whale jumping onto a boat ended up talking about how often rare things occur. It’s hard to believe some of the stories in the article really happened.

The best one I know of personally is a family with seven children who had three boys born on the same day two years apart. In other words, they had a boy, then two years later (to the day) had another boy, and two years after that, on the same day, a third baby boy. The father called MIT to get the odds but I don’t remember their response. It was probably something to the affect of, “Will you please buy me a lottery ticket?”

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  1. hmmmm, one time my mom took my sister into the birdhouse at the zoo and a bird pooped on her head, after which my mom washed her hair in the bathroom and they returned to the birdhouse only for the same thing to happen again.

    Comment by Kristine on August 27, 2003 @ 7:17 am
  2. Very enjoyable article. “So you’re telling me there’s a chance.” (Mr. Dumb or Mr. Dumber)

    Comment by Cameron on August 27, 2003 @ 7:49 am
  3. Great post Dan. Mental note to self: 1) don’t talk about death and eat mints. 2) don’t work on electronic devices while on the toilet 3) sweet merciful crap, don’t work on electronic devices while on the toilet!

    Comment by jason on August 27, 2003 @ 8:27 am
  4. I just wonder how the lady who had 3 husbands fried by lightning got the third one to marry her.

    Comment by Renee on August 27, 2003 @ 1:08 pm
  5. (Prepare for bad joke)

    Maybe she had an electrifying personality.

    Comment by dan on August 27, 2003 @ 1:15 pm
  6. Uh huh… she really lit up a room.

    Comment by Renee on August 27, 2003 @ 3:42 pm
  7. maybe she was a methane emitter and they all fried?

    Comment by poop on August 27, 2003 @ 5:11 pm
  8. I have been hugely told that I won a lottery but I never bothered because I know the senders.They cheat severely,you will never win without buying to buy email [email protected]

    Comment by anas on December 15, 2006 @ 7:30 am
  9. Even if you are the luckiest guy in the world, no way you can win a competition about you don’t even know!…..it’s a good one,guys!

    Comment by Andy on November 27, 2007 @ 7:01 am

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