TIL Thread: Today I learned...
Moderator: Fizzbuzz
- Mr. Big
- いいんですよ
- Posts: 931
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:00 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Tennessee
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
TIL that there was an actor named Harrison Ford. No, not the guy who played Han Solo and Indiana Jones, but an unrelated silent movie actor who died in 1957.
To make it even more confusing, both actors received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Harrison Ford the silent film actor's star is located at 6665 Hollywood Boulevard, while the current Harrison Ford's star is in front of Dolby Theater.
While I'm at it, two unrelated people named Michael Jackson have a star on Walk of Fame, one for the singer and another for a radio host (who is still alive). When the singer died fans left flowers on the radio host's star because the singer's star was blocked off due to a film premiere going on at the same time.
To make it even more confusing, both actors received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Harrison Ford the silent film actor's star is located at 6665 Hollywood Boulevard, while the current Harrison Ford's star is in front of Dolby Theater.
While I'm at it, two unrelated people named Michael Jackson have a star on Walk of Fame, one for the singer and another for a radio host (who is still alive). When the singer died fans left flowers on the radio host's star because the singer's star was blocked off due to a film premiere going on at the same time.
- Fizzbuzz
- Posts: 1048
- Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2017 10:54 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: TN
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
I had some relative buy me a star in one of those star registries as a Christmas gift somewhere near two decades ago. It was mildly interesting at the time, but I was mostly just sad once I realized those were just fancy presentation. It's the thought that counts, I suppose.Pocket wrote: ↑Tue Nov 09, 2021 5:48 pmPeople keep comparing NFTs to star registries so I decided to do some digging on how those actually work, thinking maybe it was something run by NASA as a way to fund astronomy research or whatever... turns out not only is it just some random people, it's multiple groups of random people, so there is a good chance the same star has occasionally been "sold" to multiple people by different agencies.
So yeah, it's a pretty spot-on analogy actually.
- everything's a little bit weird now
- Posts: 368
- Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2017 4:52 pm
- Location: at soup
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
I keep making Unicode discoveries. Like, you know how in comics, sound effects are sometimes written inside of half-asterisks, like
🗦BLAM🗧
Well, TIL there are, as you can clearly see, Unicode versions of those symbols, for some reason. Except apparently whatever default font is being used as the fallback to support it on most websites pads them with big spaces (I didn't indent that paragraph up there), which makes me suspect that it's there for some very specific purpose that has nothing to do with comics.
Still, anyone out there designing a "comic book lettering" font is quite welcome to make use of them. They're U+1F5E6 and U+1F5E7 respectively.
🗦BLAM🗧
Well, TIL there are, as you can clearly see, Unicode versions of those symbols, for some reason. Except apparently whatever default font is being used as the fallback to support it on most websites pads them with big spaces (I didn't indent that paragraph up there), which makes me suspect that it's there for some very specific purpose that has nothing to do with comics.
Still, anyone out there designing a "comic book lettering" font is quite welcome to make use of them. They're U+1F5E6 and U+1F5E7 respectively.
Every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that wonders what the part that isn't thinking isn't thinking of...
- Mr. Big
- いいんですよ
- Posts: 931
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:00 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Tennessee
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
TIL that one of the writers for Nickelodeon's "Angry Beavers", Micah Wright, got himself in a hot water in the early 2000s because he lied about being a military veteran while making comic books for DC with anti-Iraq War themes (he claimed he faked his credentials in order to give his anti-Bush stance weight).
DC cancelled the comic when the news came to light.
DC cancelled the comic when the news came to light.
- Mr. Big
- いいんですよ
- Posts: 931
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:00 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Tennessee
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
TIL that Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, had his life saved from a possible train accident by Edwin Booth, the brother of the guy who shot his father.
I should note this happened before the assassination (about a year or two, although the exact date is unknown), but it's still somethin'.
I should note this happened before the assassination (about a year or two, although the exact date is unknown), but it's still somethin'.
- everything's a little bit weird now
- Posts: 368
- Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2017 4:52 pm
- Location: at soup
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
TIL "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson was released in instrumental form only one year before the first version with lyrics, sung by the Andrews Sisters. I bet most people think of the lyrics version as being a more modern take on a considerably older song that had already become a Christmas-radio staple.
Every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that wonders what the part that isn't thinking isn't thinking of...
- Mechanical Ape
- Not slim, definitely shady
- Posts: 582
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:23 pm
- Gender: Male
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
Yeah, I would have guessed the lyrics came decades later like with "Carol of the Bells".
TIL the story of "Carol of the Bells":
It began as a Ukrainian song named "Shchedryk", composed in 1916 and inspired by Ukrainian folk chants. The original lyrics refer to good tidings for the coming year -- it's really more of a New Year's song.
"Shchedryk" got performed in the US a few times, then in 1936 a Ukrainian-American composer said "you know what would sound good with this? Bells" and wrote a new arrangement with bells and Christmas lyrics. And there you have it.
TIL the story of "Carol of the Bells":
It began as a Ukrainian song named "Shchedryk", composed in 1916 and inspired by Ukrainian folk chants. The original lyrics refer to good tidings for the coming year -- it's really more of a New Year's song.
"Shchedryk" got performed in the US a few times, then in 1936 a Ukrainian-American composer said "you know what would sound good with this? Bells" and wrote a new arrangement with bells and Christmas lyrics. And there you have it.
- Orange Fluffy Sheep
- Dropping tears does not always mean the sadness.
- Posts: 494
- Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 7:17 am
- Gender: Male
- Location: The hearts of man
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
The guy who shot Booth performed a home vasectomy and had a nice dinner and a walk before going to a hospital for the self mutilation.Mr. Big wrote: ↑Sat Nov 27, 2021 9:47 pmTIL that Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, had his life saved from a possible train accident by Edwin Booth, the brother of the guy who shot his father.
I should note this happened before the assassination (about a year or two, although the exact date is unknown), but it's still somethin'.
- everything's a little bit weird now
- Posts: 368
- Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2017 4:52 pm
- Location: at soup
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
TIL Carrie Fisher owned a copy of The Star Wars Holiday Special (not a recording off TV, an official copy that she finagled Lucas into giving her in return for participating in the DVD commentaries of the original trilogy... which proves that he didn't actually destroy every copy he could find after all) and would put it on to get rid of houseguests who had overstayed their welcome.
Every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that wonders what the part that isn't thinking isn't thinking of...
- Adiwan
- Posts: 379
- Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 2:40 am
- Gender: Male
- Location: Germany
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
BUT I WANT TO SEE THE HOLIDAY SPECIAL
"The knack of flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." - Douglas Adams
- Mr. Big
- いいんですよ
- Posts: 931
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:00 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Tennessee
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
Let's hope Carrie Fisher didn't have to deal with Ted Forth. Watching the Holiday Special is a Thanksgiving tradition for him, much to Sally and others' chagrin.
- Mr. Big
- いいんですよ
- Posts: 931
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:00 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Tennessee
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
You know that meme of Ralph Wiggum in a bus saying "I'm in danger?" TIL that came from a "Family Guy" crossover.
Honest to god I thought it came from an older episode
Honest to god I thought it came from an older episode
- Mr. Big
- いいんですよ
- Posts: 931
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:00 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Tennessee
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
TIL that older typewriters didn't have a key for 1, because it was deemed interchangeable with lower-case L. There was also no exclamation point key. To add one, you had to type in a period, go back a space, and type an apostrophe.
It wasn't until the 1970s that both keys became common in typewriters.
It wasn't until the 1970s that both keys became common in typewriters.
- Adiwan
- Posts: 379
- Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 2:40 am
- Gender: Male
- Location: Germany
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
I had a touch typing course where we classes on electronic typewriters. There I had a lesson about when a key fails and on how to compose letters from other languages like ę (e with comma) or ł (l with /). The homework typ1n6 e><er(is3 tur|\|ed 6radu11ly fr0/\/\ n0r/\/\a1 t3><t to 13375|°34|<.
"The knack of flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." - Douglas Adams
- Mr. Big
- いいんですよ
- Posts: 931
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:00 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Tennessee
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
TIL about the Pig War, involving a territory dispute between US and Britain on some remote island hardly anyone knows due to confusing treaty agreements. It caused an international incident because an American settler shot a pig belonging to a British subject.
Despite "War" in the name, there were no casualties (except for the pig) because, well, starting a major war over some guy shooting a pig is really dumb.
Despite "War" in the name, there were no casualties (except for the pig) because, well, starting a major war over some guy shooting a pig is really dumb.
- Adiwan
- Posts: 379
- Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 2:40 am
- Gender: Male
- Location: Germany
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
Pig-adjecent:
There is a rare German pig breed that resembles the Danish flag.
It was bred because under Prussian rule the Danish minority was prohibited from raising the Danish flag.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_Protest_Pig
There is a rare German pig breed that resembles the Danish flag.
It was bred because under Prussian rule the Danish minority was prohibited from raising the Danish flag.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_Protest_Pig
"The knack of flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." - Douglas Adams
- Mechanical Ape
- Not slim, definitely shady
- Posts: 582
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:23 pm
- Gender: Male
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
TIL that while Colonel Sanders spent time in the army, that's not where the Colonel part comes from. Kentucky has a non-military title called the "Kentucky Colonel" which the governor can bestow on good Kentuckians. He got his Kentucky colonelship in 1935 for being good at chicken.
Around the same time he got in a literal shootout with a competitor because Colonel Sanders was an OG.
Around the same time he got in a literal shootout with a competitor because Colonel Sanders was an OG.
- DaikatunaRevengeance
- Posts: 334
- Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:28 am
- Gender: Female
- Location: FLAVATOWN
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
reading the first part: oh yeah,i remember reading that
reading the second part: wtf
reading the second part: wtf
- Orange Fluffy Sheep
- Dropping tears does not always mean the sadness.
- Posts: 494
- Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 7:17 am
- Gender: Male
- Location: The hearts of man
- Contact:
- DaikatunaRevengeance
- Posts: 334
- Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:28 am
- Gender: Female
- Location: FLAVATOWN
- Orange Fluffy Sheep
- Dropping tears does not always mean the sadness.
- Posts: 494
- Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 7:17 am
- Gender: Male
- Location: The hearts of man
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
beloved icon harlan sanders got into a gun fight over painting ads on barns, but I think it was sanders's buddy that actually shot a man dead
- Orange Fluffy Sheep
- Dropping tears does not always mean the sadness.
- Posts: 494
- Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 7:17 am
- Gender: Male
- Location: The hearts of man
- Contact:
- DaikatunaRevengeance
- Posts: 334
- Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:28 am
- Gender: Female
- Location: FLAVATOWN
- Mr. Big
- いいんですよ
- Posts: 931
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:00 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Tennessee
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
You know how in "Over a Barrel" trains were pulled by a bunch of Ponies?
TIL that horses pulling a railway was, in fact, a thing. More info here
TIL that horses pulling a railway was, in fact, a thing. More info here
- DaikatunaRevengeance
- Posts: 334
- Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:28 am
- Gender: Female
- Location: FLAVATOWN
- DaikatunaRevengeance
- Posts: 334
- Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:28 am
- Gender: Female
- Location: FLAVATOWN
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
in the uk they used to also ship stuff via canals and the boats were pulled by horses on the shore
- DaikatunaRevengeance
- Posts: 334
- Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:28 am
- Gender: Female
- Location: FLAVATOWN
- Smoke
- Bringing back a classic
- Posts: 187
- Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2017 2:02 am
- Gender: Male
- Location: България
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
Not just the UK, although in The Netherlands it was mainly passenger transport.
Also interesting is that the 17th century Dutch in that article is still understandable for Dutch speakers these days.
Also interesting is that the 17th century Dutch in that article is still understandable for Dutch speakers these days.
I shall sing you the song of my people
- everything's a little bit weird now
- Posts: 368
- Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2017 4:52 pm
- Location: at soup
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
That was an American thing too. "I got a mule and her name is Sal, fifteen miles on the Erie Canal." I got to see some old canal boats once on a field trip; they still had the long pole attached that would hook onto the mule's yoke.DaikatunaRevengeance wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 12:00 pmin the uk they used to also ship stuff via canals and the boats were pulled by horses on the shore
Every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that wonders what the part that isn't thinking isn't thinking of...
- Mechanical Ape
- Not slim, definitely shady
- Posts: 582
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:23 pm
- Gender: Male
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
Sometimes one of the mules would escape, change its name and become a respectable citizen, and then an inspector mule would hunt it obsessively for years. That only happened a couple times though.DaikatunaRevengeance wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 12:00 pmin the uk they used to also ship stuff via canals and the boats were pulled by horses on the shore
- Mechanical Ape
- Not slim, definitely shady
- Posts: 582
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:23 pm
- Gender: Male
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
JUSTIN: This is a *huge* fucking stationary steam engine, which occupied a whole building and generated 65 horsepower.
[laughter]
ALICE: I mean, it makes a lot more sense if you know that the precursors to locomotive-driven railways were just a tramway where you have a single horse pull a cart down some rails, but Jesus Christ.
JUSTIN: “We have a whole building, that’s like having 65 horses! Which is the same number of horses that were sucked into the pipe last month.”
ALICE: That’s what the horsepower measures.
JUSTIN: This is the law of conservation of horses.
ALICE: Yeah, you feed the horse into a closed system …
[laughter]
JUSTIN This has definitely been one of our dumber episodes.
ALICE: Look, no one can say that we just read the Wikipedia page, because the Wikipedia page isn’t a one-paragraph summary of the facts and a seven-scroll-deep monologue about horse viscera.
- Mr. Big
- いいんですよ
- Posts: 931
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:00 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Tennessee
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
Yeh! It was similar with Elvis's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, except from Louisiana instead of Kentucky.Mechanical Ape wrote: ↑Tue Dec 14, 2021 10:47 amTIL that while Colonel Sanders spent time in the army, that's not where the Colonel part comes from. Kentucky has a non-military title called the "Kentucky Colonel" which the governor can bestow on good Kentuckians. He got his Kentucky colonelship in 1935 for being good at chicken.
Around the same time he got in a literal shootout with a competitor because Colonel Sanders was an OG.
- everything's a little bit weird now
- Posts: 368
- Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2017 4:52 pm
- Location: at soup
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
It's kind of an American equivalent of a modern-day knighthood, when you think about it
Every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that wonders what the part that isn't thinking isn't thinking of...
- Mechanical Ape
- Not slim, definitely shady
- Posts: 582
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:23 pm
- Gender: Male
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
“Arise, Sir Loin of Beef!” Except for fried food because America
- DaikatunaRevengeance
- Posts: 334
- Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:28 am
- Gender: Female
- Location: FLAVATOWN
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
Mechanical Ape wrote: ↑Thu Dec 23, 2021 9:21 am“Arise, Sir Loin of Beef!” Except for fried food because America
- everything's a little bit weird now
- Posts: 368
- Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2017 4:52 pm
- Location: at soup
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
About a decade ago, the writer and artist of Dick Tracy retired and was replaced by Joe Stanton and Mike Curtis, the latter of whom had been active in the furry community for a long time as the artist and co-creator of the Shanda the Panda comic book series and co-founder of its publisher, Shanda Fantasy Arts.
Well, TIL Stanton retired this year and was replaced with Shelley Pleger, a name I recognize from my early days on the Internet... although why, I'm still trying to figure out. Best guess I can give is that she was one of the contributors to the Ozy and Millie fan art archive that's long gone now, although I might be getting her mixed up with Laura Howell.
Well, TIL Stanton retired this year and was replaced with Shelley Pleger, a name I recognize from my early days on the Internet... although why, I'm still trying to figure out. Best guess I can give is that she was one of the contributors to the Ozy and Millie fan art archive that's long gone now, although I might be getting her mixed up with Laura Howell.
Every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that wonders what the part that isn't thinking isn't thinking of...
- DaikatunaRevengeance
- Posts: 334
- Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:28 am
- Gender: Female
- Location: FLAVATOWN
- Mr. Big
- いいんですよ
- Posts: 931
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:00 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Tennessee
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
She, like Mike Curtis, was part of the furry comics days, including Shanda the PandaPocket wrote: ↑Thu Dec 23, 2021 1:31 pm
Well, TIL Stanton retired this year and was replaced with Shelley Pleger, a name I recognize from my early days on the Internet... although why, I'm still trying to figure out. Best guess I can give is that she was one of the contributors to the Ozy and Millie fan art archive that's long gone now, although I might be getting her mixed up with Laura Howell.
- Fizzbuzz
- Posts: 1048
- Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2017 10:54 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: TN
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
It's pretty damn rare for legacy comic strips like that to actually ever end, in my experience.
- everything's a little bit weird now
- Posts: 368
- Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2017 4:52 pm
- Location: at soup
- Contact:
Re: TIL Thread: Today I learned...
Little Orphan Annie might have been the longest-running comic strip to be retired. (So, naturally, characters from it have since made appearances in Dick Tracy.)
Every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that wonders what the part that isn't thinking isn't thinking of...