Random #379 – 50 Intriguing and Random Tidbits

During the production of the film "Roadhouse" (1989), all the actors performed their own stunts. Actor Sam Elliott recalled, "All the actors, as far as I know, did their own fighting. I got the living daylights kicked out of me for the entire film."

27. Before modern sewage systems, Australian outhouses, known as "dunnies," were prevalent for waste disposal. These simple toilets comprised old drums with a seat, and squares of newspaper were hung on a nail behind the door. The "Dunny Man" played a vital role, arriving late at night to empty the toilets-usually filled drums. His duty included lifting the filled drum onto his shoulder, carrying it away, and replacing it with an empty one.

28. In 2006, Disney traded Al Michaels to Universal to regain the rights to Walt Disney's first character, Oswald the Rabbit.

29. While making "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," Mars Incorporated, the company that owns M&Ms, refused to grant director Steven Spielberg permission to use the candy in the movie. As a result, Spielberg used Reese's Pieces, leading to an 85% increase in Reese's Pieces sales following the film's release in 1982.

30. In 2007, two Americans rediscovered Pure Nacional cacao trees that were thought to have been completely wiped out by disease in the early 20th century. The ancient Nacional varietal was cultivated more than 5,000 years ago and is believed to produce the world's most exquisite (and expensive) chocolate.

A meteor air burst traveling between 3 and 6 miles above Earth at about 60,000 mph on June 30th, 1908, caused a 12-megaton explosion over the Tunguska River in Russia. The blast flattened approximately 80 million trees over 830 square miles of forest.

32. While there have been no major medical emergencies in space (as of 2023), astronauts are trained to handle them. ISS astronauts devised a way to perform CPR in zero gravity by bracing their legs on the ceiling while pushing down on the patient on the floor below.

33. Los Angeles was the first American city to embrace sushi successfully. In 1966, Noritoshi Kanai and his Jewish business partner, Harry Wolff, opened Kawafuku Restaurant in Little Tokyo.

34. Linkin Park initially desired to be called "Lincoln Park" but changed their name to register linkinpark.com.

35. During the filming of "Dirty Dancing" in October 1984, the Virginian cold weather caused temperatures to drop to 40 °F (4 °C) during the swimming scene. Jennifer Grey described the water as "horrifically cold" and mentioned that she might not have gone into the lake if not for being "young and hungry."

Able Archer 83 was a NATO war exercise that panicked the Soviets into believing that they were under attack, nearly prompting a nuclear retaliation. It is now considered the closest mankind has come to nuclear war since the Cuban Missile Crisis.

37. After the Battle of Pilska in 811 A.D., Bulgarian emperor Krum the Fearsome had the skull of Byzantine emperor Nikephoros I, who was killed in the battle, covered in silver and used it as a drinking cup.

38. Giffen Goods represent an economic concept where poor-quality goods exhibit unusual behavior, defying conventional economic principles. In this scenario, as the prices of these goods rise, their demand paradoxically increases. Despite the typical expectation of the substitution effect, the income effect of higher prices results in greater consumption of the commodity.

39. Due to earthquakes destroying Spanish-built structures in the Colonial-era Philippines, a new architectural style, Earthquake Baroque, was created solely to withstand tremors.

40. In 2012, a cat named Tuxedo Stan ran for mayor of Halifax, Nova Scotia, but couldn't continue his candidacy due to a lack of a birth certificate.

In the Philippines, there are driving restrictions based on certain vehicles and specific days. The last digit of the license plate determines which day a car is prohibited from being on public roads.

42. The Ford F100 pickup truck featured in the movie 'Mr. Majestyk' was not modified for stunt driving. Ford later used the footage from this movie in their commercial for the truck.

43. Ducklings swim in a line behind their mother to reduce drag and propel themselves forward more efficiently.

44. In 1844, Samuel Morse transmitted the first telegraph message over the newly constructed Washington, D.C. to Baltimore telegraph line, reading "What hath God wrought!" This event marked the beginning of the telegraph age.

45. Over 80% of bulldog litters are delivered by Caesarean section because their characteristically large heads can become lodged in the mother's birth canal.

In 1900, gold miner William Schmidt began hand-digging a half-mile tunnel in the Mojave Desert for ore transportation. Although a new road made the tunnel unnecessary after 20 years, Schmidt spent an additional two decades completing the tunnel, which was never used.

47. Due to a tomato shortage but surplus banana production during World War II, the Philippines attempted to make ketchup with bananas. Banana ketchup eventually became a national signature condiment.

48. The brown color of some potato chips, resembling 'burned' areas, is attributed to 'Zebra Chip.' This disease alters potatoes' sugar levels, causing caramelization during frying and resulting in a burnt appearance and off-taste.

49. Reindeer can produce a sound with ligaments snapping across bones in their legs, which is believed to enable them to communicate with each other in foul weather and respond to threats.

50. Lack of myostatin can result in excessive muscle growth. 'Double-muscled' mice, which lack myostatin (a protein inhibiting muscle growth), exhibit excessive muscle growth but impaired force generation. Essentially, they are more muscular but not necessarily stronger.