Tell Me Something I Don't Know

[hinakiba777]

The dot on the letter i and j is called a tittle.

Benicio Del Toro wears a ring with a wooden stone in it, so that when he needs to "knock on wood," he can do so easily.

The Purpose of "knocking on wood" is to awaken Wood Sprites to grant you wish. When Christian's adopted the practice it was said to be the same as knocking on the true cross, which makes no sense really.

A group of owls is called a paliament. They are also called wisdoms or studies. Crows come in murders, and a group of ravens is called an unkindness. Which seems...unkind.

A group of Ferrets is called a business. A group of unicorns is called a blessing. A group of zombies is called a shambling. A group of God is called a Himself. (That being the Judeo-Christian God, not gods as in a pantheon. That always made me giggle. I used to have a graphic with the group names for all animal groups both Mystical, mythical, and real)

[EricKei]

Before he started doing movies, Elvis spent some time performing at the (long-since closed) Pontchartrain Beach amusement park in New Orleans.

The Purpose of "knocking on wood" is to awaken Wood Sprites to grant you wish. When Christian's adopted the practice it was said to be the same as knocking on the true cross, which makes no sense really.

Another (supposed) Christian interpretation is that worms which may be living in the wood are spies for that mean red dude who lives down below, and convey poorly-chosen words to him that people have said (read: their JOB is to give the evil GM ideas) if they say something that is just "begging for trouble" -- knocking startles and confuses the little buggers, so they forget whatever it was that you said.

[fireheart]

In the South Park film, this scene occurs: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IiNYmiM0Nfw (definitely nsfw!!) originally that scene was going to involve cartmans mum engaging in certain acts with animals.

Funnily enough, keeping in with the theme of ass-related jokes in the film, the piano that is played during big gay als song later in the film is labelled "felcher and sons."

[CoffeeMonkey]

Natural bread starters are mixtures of flour and water that have colonies of yeasts that were started with fruit skins and gathered from the air. Wild yeasts float all around us, especially in watery areas. A starter is basically immortal, as long as it's fed and its environment is maintained. san Francisco sourdough starter has been alive for 150 years.

Starters (or preferments) encourage gluten strength, assist in rising and extend shelf life. Along with the yeasts, different kinds of good bacteria grow, and the acids they produce give bread complex flavor. they are what makes sourdough sour.

There are lots of different kinds of preferments. You can make levain (a natural starter) by soaking raisins in water for a couple of days, and then over a week or so feeding it doses of flour and water. Once the levain has grown, you can start using it, and keep it in your fridge to slow it down. Only problem for the home baker is that you have to feed it every couple of days in the fridge or the yeast will run out of food and die. If you don't bake a lot, this can lead to a bread monster that will take over a small town. To make starter for just one loaf that is super easy, try poolish. Mix eight ounces (by weight) of flour and water with half the yeast from your recipe. Cover and let it hang out in a warm place overnight. Then just add the rest of your ingredients and mix as normal.

[Kal]

A group of baboons is called a "flange". This was made up for a comedy show called "Not the Nine O'Clock News", somehow made its way into a scientific usage, and is now the official term for it.

[Antisocial_Worker]

Christina Hendricks, of Mad Men fame, in addition to possessing perhaps the finest natural bosom in Hollywood, can also play the accordion. She is a natural blonde, but began dyeing her hair red after reading Anne of Green Gables as a child... and speaking of, she's from Knoxville, Tennessee.

[Aislin]

Hippo milk is naturally pink.

[firecat88]

A tie-in novel was written for the game The 7th Guest. It goes into better detail about the lives of Stauf and the guests.

(Picture by me. Because I just got a copy of it today.)

[sms001]

Christina Hendricks, of Mad Men fame,

And Firefly!

[paintballworker]

In the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, a new mineral was discovered. Chernoblyite was found in the corium lava(the glassy material formed after a meltdown), and is highly radioactive(up to 10% of it's content is uranium).

Chernobyl is also one of two Level 7 INES(International Nuclear Event Scale) disaster - the other being Fukushima Daiichi.

Three Mile Island, the other (in)famous* nuclear accident, rates a 5 on the scale.

This has been a service of the PBW School of Nuclear Trivia.

*any discussion on my use of these words should be left to fratching or a pm.

[SongsOfDragons]

Urk. You try to think of useless factoids and they all swim out of your head. XP

Benicio Del Toro wears a ring with a wooden stone in it, so that when he needs to "knock on wood," he can do so easily.

I just tap myself on the head...my surname is Wood.

In the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, a new mineral was discovered. Chernoblyite was found in the corium lava(the glassy material formed after a meltdown), and is highly radioactive(up to 10% of it's content is uranium).

I have a morbid fascination with radioactive stuff. I remember reading about the 'Elephant's Foot', corium from the Chernobyl meltdown that ended up several stories below the reactor in a massive two-tonne lump that was so radioactive it borked the camera-on-wheels they had to send in to look at it, let alone getting a man in close proximity. I recently saw this photo... and went what are you doing there man?!

[AnaKhouri]

I read a book of interviews with Chernobyl survivors. Prolonged radiation sickness has to be the absolute worst way to die.

On a lighter note, Barbie's (the doll's) full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.

[fireheart]

On a lighter note, Barbie's (the doll's) full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.

Fun fact: in Iran/Saudi Arabia, they've banned the sale of Barbie (no surprises there) because of her indecent clothing and lifestyles. (to them. I can understand this to a point since they seem to have focused on more fashion-conscious Barbie and less "good role model" Barbie)

Instead, they've promoted the sale of Fulla dolls, which are also sold in a number of other countries. She's designed to be a role model to Muslim girls. Therefore, all the clothing covers shoulders and the skirts are longer than knee length. They've also put more focus on the careers, but she doesn't have a boyfriend

Iran also introduced dolls called Sara and Dara, but unlike Fulla, it's a girl/boy combo.

[paintballworker]

All things nuclear fascinate me, from reactors to nuclear weapons, from Darlington to Hiroshima.

I wrote a essay(just for fun) on the evolution of nuclear weapons and their usage. My laptop's background is the famous Operation Crossroads-Baker shot.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...r_in_color.jpg
That black smuge is said to be the 27,000 ton USS Arkansas

[klhanson]

elephants cant jump