Odd factoids

[ClichéGuevara]

In Kentucky, it is illegal to carry ice cream in your back pocket.

 

[Blue Hills]

I once caught a late nite showing of an old French anarchist movie called Themroc which features no dialogue at all, apart from occasional lion-like roars from the main character. About half way thru' the projector jammed, as you describe, and the film bubbled and melted on-screen. Blinking silence, then, from a few rows back, another audience member roared loudly. The best 'heckle' I've ever witnessed.

Ah the joys of amateurish cinema projection. A colleague of mine in the filmsoc once boasted that he'd accidentally shown the reels of a bollywood musical extravaganza to the indiasoc in the wrong order and no-one noticed.

I blame it on the gaseous air and dodgy ventilation in one of the theatres we used - verging on cinema paradiso levels of safety - the main auditorium we used was up to west end standards, so in an immersive attempt to add some frisson/sensurround to that safe environment, a projectionist just before my brief reign as projection manager plugged a chainsaw into a socket at the back of the auditorium during an all night filmshow featuring the texas chainsaw massacre. Bet that woke them up.

 

[Blue Hills]

Dolly Parton is taller lying down than when standing up.

Just deleted a schoolboy response to this ...

 

[Blue Hills]

In seventeenth-century Japan, no citizen was allowed to leave the country. Anyone caught trying to leave without permission was exiled for life.

This rings a recent bell. Where did you glean this from? I have memories of maybe japan maybe china but with a death penalty.

 

[Profpointy]

Yeah apparently his mother named him after Attila THE Hun

I worked with Attila the Hun. He was technical director of one of my suppliers.

True story: his name was genuinely Atilla and he and his company was based in Hungary

 

[Drago]

During GWI the B2 bombers and F117 strike aircraft bombed Baghdad very badly indeed. Of course, being stealth aircraft the Iraqi radar operators couldn't detect them. Not realising this, and thinking they were asleep on the job, Saddam had them all shot. Oops!

 

[classic33]

One may not drive a cow while drunk. The Licensing Act of 1872 explains that operating a horse, cow or steam engine while intoxicated carries a prison sentence or a £200 fine.

In London, it is illegal for a person with the Plague to flag down a taxi. No cab may carry corpses or rabid dogs.

 

[Dirk]

At any given time of the day, it is estimated that there are 660,000 people airborne in commercial aircraft.

 

[Drago]

At any given time of the day, it is estimated that there are 660,000 people airborne in commercial aircraft.

That's a big plane!

 

[raleighnut]

At any given time of the day, it is estimated that there are 660,000 people airborne in commercial aircraft.

At least one of whom will be a corpse.

 

[Tim Hall]

At least one of whom will be a corpse.

That's because they couldn't go by cab.

 

[swee'pea99]

At any given time of the day, it is estimated that there are 660,000 people airborne in commercial aircraft.

In related news, commercial airliners spend 75% of their entire lives in the air - so, eg, a 20 year old jumbo has actually been airborn for 15 years.

 

[Dirk]

A single transatlantic Jumbo jet burns more fuel on a return crossing to America than the whole field of Formula 1 cars use in a full season of practice and racing.

 

[jefmcg]

At least one of whom will be a corpse.

I wonder how many? (not counting coffins in the hold). I've been on one flight where a passenger died and another where the heart attack was serious enough for them to dump <a F1 season's worth of fuel> in the Hudson to land at JFK.

 

[Drago]

Bimota make the most gorgeous Italian motorcycles. People often say that Ducati are the Ferrari of motorcycling, but that plaudit really should go to Bimota.

The companies name is formed from the first 2 letters of each of its three founders surnames, Bianchi, Massimo and Tamburini.