Cool, weird facts

[Phelia]

The French Revolution gave us the metric system. Yay! But it also gave us the French Republican Calendar, which is weird and wacky and has weeks that are ten days long. The days are creatively named:

• primidi (first day)
• duodi (second day)
• tridi (third day)
• quartidi (fourth day)
• quintidi (fifth day)
• sextidi (sixth day)
• septidi (seventh day)
• octidi (eighth day)
• nonidi (ninth day)
• décadi (tenth day)

ETA: Unlike the metric system, which is still kinda popular or whatever, the calendar did not make it much past the revolution.

 

[bra_man69]

The first Ford cars had Dodge engines.

 

[RoryN]

Paul Simon's Mother and Child Reunion isn't about Jesus and his mother, Mary.

It's about a chicken and egg dish Paul ate at a restaurant.

 

[Phelia]

In the US and Europe, about 1 of every 10,000 people has perfect pitch. Among speakers of East Asian tonal languages, that number jumps up somewhere closer to 100%.

A Vietnamese friend tried to teach me six different pronunciations of "ma," each with their own distinct meanings. I could discern maybe three of them, four if I'm being generous. Blew my mind.

 

[Phelia]

Nicole Kidman is scared of butterflies.

 

[RoryN]

The guy hammering the piano (hard) on The Shangri-Las 1964 hit Leader of the Pack is Billy Joel.

 

[blobfish]

Thanks for this thread. It's cool.

John Wilkes Booth was photographed with Abraham Lincoln at his second inaugural address. Also, a young Theodore Roosevelt is visible in a photograph of Lincoln's funeral procession in New York City.

 

[CHNOPS]

The guy hammering the piano (hard) on The Shangri-Las 1964 hit Leader of the Pack is Billy Joel.

Rory, not to troll, but that's just not true. The Simon fact is a bit sloppy as well: he got the title from the dish, but it's not what the song is about.

 

[Phelia]

Awh, I love you nerds and your big brains and your weird knowledge. Zip, cabbage leaves?? Bizarre!

Washington Irving (of Sleepy Hollow fame) described the 5'4" James Madison, 4th president of the US of A, as a "withered little apple-john."

Historians would later go on to cite this as the awesomest slam dunk of all time.*

*No, they wouldn't. But it's still a good one.

 

[RoryN]

John Wilkes Booth was photographed with Abraham Lincoln at his second inaugural address.

 

[CHNOPS]

Butterflies are scared of Nicole Kidman.

 

[blobfish]

That is weird. Was that taken right before he shot him?

 

[RoryN]

Rory, not to troll, but that's just not true.

Looks like he claimed it was true.

One thing's for sure: session musicians are infamous for arguing over who was on what track. So it very well could be true; the other guy could be full of it.

The Simon fact is a bit sloppy as well: he got the title from the dish, but it's not what the song is about.

We don't know for sure. Paul may be jerking our chain, or not. He's certainly been pressured to have it be about something else because of numerous (mis)interpretations.

 

[bra_man69]

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

 

[RoryN]

That is weird. Was that taken right before he shot him?

Hours before, I believe.

He's signing the final infamous autograph on the record in the picture.

 

[RobDownSouth]

The Simon fact is a bit sloppy as well: he got the title from the dish, but it's not what the song is about.

I think that goes without saying....it's a bit difficult to write a complete song about a sandwich.

 

[blobfish]

Hours before, I believe.

He's signing the final infamous autograph on the record in the picture.

Double Fantasy. Crazy stuff.

During World War II, Franklin Roosevelt used a bulletproof limousine that was once owned by Al Capone. He did this because there was a limit on the amount that could be spent on a vehicle for the president, and Capone's limousine was already government property.

 

[Disgustipated]

That is weird. Was that taken right before he shot him?

No, right after.

 

[blobfish]

No, right after.

The man had composure.

 

[CHNOPS]

Looks like he claimed it was true.

One thing's for sure: session musicians are infamous for arguing over who was on what track. So it very well could be true; the other guy could be full of it.



We don't know for sure. Paul may be jerking our chain, or not. He's certainly been pressured to have it be about something else because of numerous (mis)interpretations.

No one's arguing. Joel said he played on an early demo and has no idea what if anything survived, session pianist says he played the final version. Seems pretty straightforward, unless someone's trying to find a way to hold on to an incorrect fact they posted somewhere.

Re: Simon. He hasn't been pressured to have it be about anything. He's always said what it's about. Seems pretty straightforward, unless someone's...well, you know the rest.

 

[Disgustipated]

No one's arguing. Joel said he played on an early demo and has no idea what if anything survived, session pianist says he played the final version. Seems pretty straightforward, unless someone's trying to find a way to hold on to an incorrect fact they posted somewhere.

Re: Simon. He hasn't been pressured to have it be about anything. He's always said what it's about. Seems pretty straightforward, unless someone's...well, you know the rest.

Quit trolling.

 

[CHNOPS]

That is weird. Was that taken right before he shot him?

He got the autograph as Lennon was heading out to a recording session, and killed Lennon when he was coming back from the same session.

 

[blobfish]

Quit trolling.

Seriously. This is a fun thread, and you people are smearing your shitty assholes all over it.

 

[CHNOPS]

Quit trolling.

Racist piece of jizz.

 

[Very_Bad_Man]

RoryN is a short bald white guy living in his parents garage.

Sad but true.

But that fucker has spectacular grammar.