Any Obscure History Buffs?

[jdbnsn]

Hi Ladies and Gents,

I was reading one of my Lost History books last night and got to wondering how many of you are as hooked on historical tid-bits as I. If you are, why don't you share a less well known story with me and help me learn something new each day. Try not to make it a page-long essay if you do post, just something short and interesting.

[Scotty]

Hate history :x Took it for GCSE regretted that after a month

[tybrenis]

I'm a huge history fan as well... I'll try to think up a good story for you, Jon.

[jdbnsn]

In my experience, History is only fun when you don't have to learn it. I hated history in school too. Last night I read some really cool stuff about the Ark of the Covenant and King Solomon's Temple. Some of it I had read before, but some I hadn't. Does the name "Nebuchadnezzar" ring a bell? It did to me, I think it was the name of Morpheus's ship in the Matrix but I may be mistaken. In the history of the Lost Ark, he is the Babylonian warlord who is the most likely candidate for it's disappearance/demise. The Ark was originally kept in Solomon's secret chamber "The Holy of Holies" which is where the priests would witness the ark manifest the spirit of God between the cherub's wings allowing direct communication with the almighty. Neb sacked the first Temple (Solomon's) and probably made off with it scrapping it for the gold.

[jdbnsn]

I'm a huge history fan as well... I'll try to think up a good story for you, Jon.


Sweet!

[Elenril]

I LOVE HISTORY! But yeah, I hate studying it at school, which is why I didn't continue it as a subject. I'll try and find a good story too, but here's a small fact that I bet you didn't know:

You know how in calculus the derivative is written dy/dx? There's a beach near where I live called Dee Why beach, apparently it's named after that.

God, how nerdy. Sorry, that wasn't about history at all, I just found out a few hours ago and I'm pretty excited about it.

[simon275]

You know how in calculus the derivative is written dy/dx? There's a beach near where I live called Dee Why beach, apparently it's named after that.



ROFL

[progbuddy]

History is fun. Well, history and genealogy. They are both very interesting to me ^^.


You know how in calculus the derivative is written dy/dx? There's a beach near where I live called Dee Why beach, apparently it's named after that.

God, how nerdy.

B.Y.O.Beach

:D

[Helix666]

I did history at GCSE. (I've probably failed. Didn't find it as interesting as I first thought.)

History of Medicine (blech), and Germany 1914 - 1939 (about the only interesting part of the course).
Why couldn't we have done something interesting like the cold war?

Did you know that during pre-history, they would drill holes in a patients skull with a piece of flint, (they believed that would release the evil spirits trapped inside) and many of the patients survived. This is trepanning, and is still practiced today, albeit to release pressure on the brain and it's normally done with a high speed drill and hole-saw.

[Crazy Buddhist]

1.

Christmas Humphreys was founder of the London Buddhist Society and one of the leading scholars known for bringing knowledge of Buddhism to the west.

He was also a judge at London's Central Criminal Courts, known as "The Old Bailey" and was known for being rather tough on people in sentancing them.

2.

If you look on the licence plate of a London Taxi (the black ones) it says "Hackney Carriage", stemming from the days when taxis in London were horse drawn carriages and often stabled in hackney.

To this day it is illegal for a hackney carriage not to carry a bale of hay for the horses, a law passed when some unscrupulous operators were found to be undernourishing their animals.

If you get a cab in London and the guy hasn't got a bale of hay in the boot you could technically refuse to pay the fare. You would definitely get a punch in the face though.

3.

There remain on the British law books two laws which are classed as capital crimes, punishable by death. The first is rather obvious and is murdering or attempting to murder the reigning monarch or their heir.

The other one less so. If you sing the national anthem out of tune there remains on the statute books a law from several hundred years ago that says you must suffer death as your punishment.

Let me know if they are not odd enough for your purposes. I'll google-fu for a gem.

CB

[Crazy Buddhist]

Did you know that during pre-history, they would drill holes in a patients skull with a piece of flint, (they believed that would release the evil spirits trapped inside) and many of the patients survived. This is trepanning, and is still practiced today, albeit to release pressure on the brain and it's normally done with a high speed drill and hole-saw.

Haven't they heard of a dremel?

[Airbozo]

Interesting History tidbit;

It used to be legal and even encouraged to pay your taxes in the states with a portion of Hemp (MJ's cousin), that was then used to make rope for the Navy...

Another;
The Bavarian Purity Law of 1516 is the oldest consumer protection law in existence (although it has been modified), that specifies only 3 ingredients were to be used in the brewing of beer; Barley, Hops and water. This was mainly to limit the use of herbs in beer, some of which could be hallucinogenic. Notice what ingredient is missing? And why?

tests will be graded...

[XcOM]

i hated history at school, but that was becuase my teacher was mono tone,

I have always liked the history channel in the early hours of the morning,

My fav bits are about hittler, WW2 and Holy stuff:

Oak Island:
The Oak Island Money Pit is the site of the world's longest running hunt for lost treasure. For hundreds of years, treasure hunters have ventured to Nova Scotia and tried to recover the treasure which is protected by a series of ingeneous traps. Strange man made artefacts have been recovered from the pit over the years, but to this day, the treasure still remains buried. Pirates , the Knights Templar or Francis Bacon. No one is sure exactly who created this mysterious Money Pit or why.

research copy from sites
The discovery of the Oak Island Money Pit
In 1795 at age 16, Daniel McGinnis made his way across to Oak Island on a fishing expedition.

Once on the island, he found himself stood in a clearing in front of an old oak tree bearing the marks of unnatural scarring. This, he supposed to be caused by a rope and tackle system used to lower material down into a shaft below, indicated by a depression beneath the tree, about 4.8 meters in diameter. This completed the scene as one Daniel immediately recognised from childhood tales of swashbuckling pirates.

The very next day, Daniel McGinnis returned to Oak Island accompanied by two friends, Anthony Vaughan and John Smith. Equipped with picks and shovels they began the task of recover the treasure - but it was to take significantly more digging equipment than first anticipated.

As the three boys began to dig, they found the earth still bore pick marks on its smooth, clay sides. Their excitement rose when, at a depth of 1.2 metres they hit a layer of flagstones. These were removed only to reveal packed logs at 3 metre, 6 metre and 9 metre intervals.

On removing these layers of logs, the boys were quickly realised that they were going to need more substantial tools if they were going to recover the treasure of Oak Island. They reluctantly returned to the mainland, making a pledge to return and recover the treasure.

Although nine years were to pass until Daniel, Anthony and John were to return to Oak Island, they found the treasure digging site just as they had left it. Returning with Simeon Lynds, a local businessman, the project now had financial backing and significant support from they local labour force. The treasure excavation had now begun in earnest, with everyone in the syndicate working in return for a share of the gold if and when they found it.

As the treasure seekers dug deeper, more oak platforms were recovered at depths of 12 metres, 15.2 metres and at 18.2 metres, with the addition of coconut fibre and putty. At 21.3 metres, they hit a platform of plain oak, followed by more oak but sealed with putty at 24.4 metres.

Much to the syndicate's excitement, at 27.4 metres, a stone, not native to Nova Scotia was recovered bearing an inscription. They believed they were about to recover a hoard of pirate's treasure.

Sadly, the significance the illegible cypher on this stone was lost on Smith and the other treasure hunters as Smith, who owned the island at that time fitted the stone in his fireplace. The inscription was translated to read:

Forty Feet Below Two Million Pounds Are Buried

if you want to read more, go to:
http://www.oakislandtreasure.co.uk/content/section/5/35/

[jdbnsn]

Great stuff! I had seen a show on the Oak Island treasure but forgot all about it. As for the beer, I have no clue...

[Airbozo]

... As for the beer, I have no clue...

Yeast. In the 1500's there was no concept of yeast, beer was fermented by leaving it open and wild yeast dropped in for a spell. Very unpredictable results.

The Bavarian Purity Act, if law in the united states, would prevent Miller Coors and Budweiser (to name a few) from being called beer since they gain most of their sugars, not from barely, but rather from rice. Yes, America's most popular beer is mostly made with rice. No wonder most countries have no respect for our malted beverages.

[jdbnsn]

Doh! That should have been obvious! Great info!

[XcOM]

did you realise that hitler during WW2 wanted to reate a new city called GERMINA,

He was going to copy most of the wonders of the world, and copy some of the best parts of the world,

IE, he was going to make a copy of the collisum (In rome) but 200ft wider, with a roof also.

A congress hall size wise you could stand the eifel tower within it, and still have room, all of whch would have no support comming from the walls, and to have a massive 350ft sky light.

If you read some of the designs hitlers inverters/engerniers came out with is amasing, even by todays standards there truly inspiring and amasing.

[Airbozo]

...

If you read some of the designs hitlers inverters/engerniers came out with is amasing, even by todays standards there truly inspiring and amasing.

He is also credited with the success of the Volkswagen beetle. The best modern production of a vehicle ever. The original factory parts are still in use today in south america pumping out the original model. If the guy was not such a megalomaniac he would have been one of the worlds greatest leaders. Too bad he was intent on world purification...

Good info XcOM!

Here's and odd one...

590 B.C. The Athenian lawgiver Draco designed an early legal code that was hardly noted for its leniency. Nevertheless, he was quite popular with his fellow citizens. In 590 B.C. there was a testimonial in his honor at the theater of Athena. As Draco entered the open-air arena, thousands of well-wishers showered him with their hats and cloaks. Draco was smothered to death under the pile of clothing.

[Microcenter]

Any body know about all the similarities of President Lincoln and President Kennedy's deaths?

[AJ@PR]

Any body know about all the similarities of President Lincoln and President Kennedy's deaths?

Hell yeah! I saw a flyer/paper the other day of that!
Amazing stuff!
Birth dates... secretaries' names.... killers' names... places of death... etc. etc.

Gonna do a search to see if I find that...

[jdbnsn]

590 B.C. The Athenian lawgiver Draco designed an early legal code that was hardly noted for its leniency. Nevertheless, he was quite popular with his fellow citizens. In 590 B.C. there was a testimonial in his honor at the theater of Athena. As Draco entered the open-air arena, thousands of well-wishers showered him with their hats and cloaks. Draco was smothered to death under the pile of clothing.
__________________


That is f-ing hilarious, great tid-bit dude!

[Ironcat]

Any body know about all the similarities of President Lincoln and President Kennedy's deaths?


Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
The names Lincoln and Kennedy each contain seven
letters.
Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost a child while living in the White
House.
Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head.
Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's secretary was named Lincoln.
Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.


Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in
1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in
1908.
John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.
Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.
Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Kennedy.'
Kennedy was shot in a car called 'Lincoln.'
Booth ran from the theater and was caught in a
warehouse.
Oswald ran from a warehouse and was caught in a
theater.
Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their
trials.

And here's the kicker..........

A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland.

A week before Kennedy was shot, he was in Marilyn Monroe!

[Microcenter]

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
The names Lincoln and Kennedy each contain seven
letters.
Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost a child while living in the White
House.
Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head.
Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's secretary was named Lincoln.
Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.


Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in
1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in
1908.
John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.
Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.
Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Kennedy.'
Kennedy was shot in a car called 'Lincoln.'
Booth ran from the theater and was caught in a
warehouse.
Oswald ran from a warehouse and was caught in a
theater.
Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their
trials.

And here's the kicker..........

A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland.

A week before Kennedy was shot, he was in Marilyn Monroe!

Also every president elected to reelected on a year ending in zero was either assassinated or some how died in office Lincoln was the first Kenney was the last.

[jdbnsn]

I've seen that before, creepy even though I'm not superstitious at all it certainly makes you raise an eyebrow.

Trivia- Who recieved the first official autopsy in recorded history?

[Ironcat]

The first documented forensic autopsy was made in Bologna, Northern Italy, in 1302

[jdbnsn]

Here's an interesting bit of history. One of my favorite poets is Edgar Allen Poe, his work is dismal but has an amazing sense of personalizing fear. Most of you probably know the controversy surrounding Poe's death, he was found dead on a wooden plank and to this day his cause of death has remianed a mystery. He was known to take drugs, was an alcoholic, very likely sufferend major depression and possibly other mental illnesses. He also died during an election which raised the question of voter payoff. At the time, it was not uncommon for politicians to liquer up voters and drug them for multiple voting and it is possible he was over-intoxicatedto a leathal level. There is also suspicion of him dying of rabies, but there is really no way to know now what for sure killed him.
What is well known was his fear of being buried alive, which was not as uncommon as people might think. Especially during wars and times of epidemics, but even during normal times the percentage was as high as 1-2% of all burial in the U.S. and Europe. The reason is doctors of this time had unreliable methods to distinguishing death from comas and there are many accounts of people waking during the funeral or even as being lowered into the ground. There is another possible reason during Poe's times that rates of live burials were higher than normal, although I cannot verify that this is true. I have been told that the old drinking cups were metal containers with the seams soldered using lead. The grain alcohol somehow reacted with the lead leading to poisoning causing lethargy, stupor, and coma (and of course death). I have seen accounts of entire cemetaries been exhumed to examine the coffins and found up to 15% of the coffins to have claw-marks inside, but again I cannot verify this. So folks would be tipping a few too many back and wake up underground. This lead to several practices to safegaurd against live burial. One was to bury the body with a crowbar and shovel (can't imagine how that was supposed to work), another was to tie a string to the deceased's finger and run it through a tube to the surface where it was attched to a bell, when rung the cemetary attendant would unearth the terrified zombie. The method most often used, and used by Poe himself, was to write in their will that the casket must be left above ground and open for 1 week prior to burial, just for good measure. I'll bet that was rancid. Poe was so obsessed with this fear that you can see it's resonating undertones in nearly all of his works, it evidently haunted him for most of his life.

[jdbnsn]

The first documented forensic autopsy was made in Bologna, Northern Italy, in 1302

Ironcat- You are correct and I mistated the question. But it turns out the more I look into it my answer may have been wrong anyway. In 44 BC Julius Caesar was given ONE OF the earliest recorded autopsies by the Roman physician Antistius, but for some reason it's not recorded as a forensic autopsy. Besides, I thought it was the first and it appears there may have been some earlier than that.

[Zephik]

I can only imagine a few other things that would be as horrifying as being buried alive, then waking up underground in a casket. I don't blame poe of his fear, as extreme as it was.

*shivers*

Reminds me of how some people who are being operated on, aren't unconscious, but in fact only paralyzed. There are machines to monitor whether you are truly unconscious or not, but from what I've heard, they don't usually use those machines unless need be or on request. I'll definitely be requesting one of them if I ever undergo surgery.

Its funny really, I love history, and yet, I received the lowest marks in the history of my US History class for attending students. I only missed a few days, I think I got like an 8%. Which is utterly horrible because of all the work our teacher gave us. 8% is like... only doing one worksheet out of like 200ish. lol but its so funny, because it was still my favorite class out of all my classes! ...if only they could make learning more fun. Thats how I got into science, because my 9th year science teacher made it fun to learn. After that, I knew so much science, that I enjoyed learning even more. They should try and do that for all classes. I think most school would have a higher success rate then.

[Killdrath]

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Kennedy.'


Actually, that would be Ford theatre, but mayhaps the name Kennedy was involved in some way.

[Airbozo]

A few odd short tidbits...

It has been calculated that in the last 3,500 years, there have only been 230 years of peace throughout the civilized world.

The Hundred Year War actually lasted for 116 years – from 1337 to 1453.

The shortest war there has ever been was between Britain and Zanzibar during 1896. It lasted for a pathetic 38 minutes.

[XcOM]

In 1962, the schools in Tanganyika had to be closed because of an outbreak of contagious laughter that lasted for six months!

In 1980, workers in a Las Vegas hospital were suspended because they use to bet on when patients would die.

[xenosagarox]

In 1962, the schools in Tanganyika had to be closed because of an outbreak of contagious laughter that lasted for six months!

In 1980, workers in a Las Vegas hospital were suspended because they use to bet on when patients would die.

lol. you know, the best way to make a kid like history is to make him play AOE 2 nonstop. I played it when I was 8? or was it 11? I can't remember but it got me to start liking history somewhat. Plus there's some history lessons involved that'll help with history class (sidenote: I'm terrible at strategy games)

[Stockholm1984]

...another was to tie a string to the deceased's finger and run it through a tube to the surface where it was attched to a bell, when rung the cemetary attendant would unearth the terrified zombie.

This is where the term 'Dead-Ringer' originated.

[Stockholm1984]

Btw, the Bavarian Purity Law from 1516 posted by Airbozo earlier is the reason why German beers are (generally) the only ones which are suitable for Vegans.

[Ironcat]

* Wikipedia : An urban legend circulated by e-mail, The Bad Old Days claims that the English idiom "saved by the bell" originated in medieval rope systems to alert surface dwellers in the case of accidental burial. In fact, the phrase originated in the sport of boxing, and there is no evidence of a widespread fear of live burial in the Middle Ages. Likewise, the term "dead ringer" has its origin in horse racing, and the unrelated phrase "graveyard shift" arose in the 20th Century.

* World Wide Words : Many people know of equally preposterous stories associated with the expanded term dead ringer. A common one is that people in Victorian times were so afraid of being buried while still alive that they had their coffins fitted with a string and a bell so they could attract the attention of a graveyard attendant if they woke up. Though the fear of premature burial was indeed intense and various inventions that included bells were really developed to reassure people, the expression has nothing to do with the matter. It’s just ringer with dead added to give the phrase greater emphasis. It’s known from the 1890s — my earliest example is from an Ohio newspaper in 1893: “Israel Williams wearing a wig would be no longer Israel Williams, but would be a dead ringer for Wellington just before the battle of Waterloo.”

* In case we have any vegans that want to drink beer... LINK (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/geraint.bevan/Vegetarian_beers.html)

[DaveW]

The Hundred Year War actually lasted for 116 years – from 1337 to 1453.

The l337 war! Rock on! :p

-Dave

[Ironcat]

Okay, now that we've all seen the Lincoln / Kennedy connection and given a large collective gasp... Here's the truth...


Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's secretary was named Lincoln.
This is one of those coincidences that isn't a coincidence at all -- it's simply wrong. John Kennedy did have a secretary named Evelyn Lincoln (who may or may not have warned him about going to Dallas), but one searches in vain to find a Lincoln secretary named Kennedy. (Lincoln's White House secretaries were John G. Nicolay and John Hay.)

The more important point is that since Presidents are frequent recipients of assassination threats, they rarely make any public appearances without somebody's warning them of potential danger. Only on the extemely rare occasions when a tragedy actually occurs do we later take note of the warnings; in all other cases the failed "prophecies" are quickly forgotten. (Lincoln received "an unusual number of letters about plots to kidnap or assassinate him," said to have numbered at least eighty, yet none of those plots were enacted.) Nor does anyone think to mention other attempts at kidnap or assassination that were not preceded by any recorded warnings to the victims. (Lincoln was shot at on at least one other occasion.)

Yes, Lincoln was warned not to go to Ford's Theatre by persons concerned for his safety, just as he had been warned not to visit Richmond a week earlier, and just as he had been warned not to attend his own inauguration in 1861. Obviously, only one of the myriad of warnings he received throughout his four years in office was on the mark. Likewise, Kennedy was warned not to visit San Antonio the day before his trip to Dallas (and undoubtedly before a host of other appearances as well), but only the last warning he allegedly received is considered significant, because it coincidentally happened to come true. As Jeane Dixon and other "psychics" have demonstrated, if you make enough predictions, one of them is eventually bound to come true -- just as a stopped clock is also right twice a day.


Both were assassinated by Southerners.
A dubious use of the term "Southerner." Although John Wilkes Booth was undeniably a Southern sympathizer, he was born in Maryland, which (along with Delaware) was the northernmost of the border slave states and remained part of the Union throughout the Civil War. Additionally, Booth spent a good deal of his life in the North and "thought of himself as a Northerner who understood the South."


Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.
The identification of Andrew Johnson as a "Southerner" is also a bit problematic here. Although Johnson was born in North Carolina and spent his adult life in Tennessee (both slave states), Johnson was also the only Southern senator who refused to follow his state when it seceded, and he remained loyal to the Union.


John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.
Another coincidence that is no coincidence because it's plain wrong: Booth was born in 1838, not 1839.


Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Kennedy.'
Even in 1865 it was called Ford's theatre.


Booth ran from the theater and was caught in a
warehouse.
Oswald ran from a warehouse and was caught in a
theater.
Another "coincidence" that is both inaccurate and superficial.
Booth shot Lincoln in a theatre of the type where live stage shows are held, then fled across state lines before being trapped and killed in a tobacco shed several days later.
Oswald shot Kennedy from (not in) a textbook warehouse, then remained in Dallas and was caught and taken alive in a movie theater a little over an hour later.


A week before Kennedy was shot, he was in Marilyn Monroe!
This is a latter-day addition to the list and nothing more than a bit of salacious humor. Even as a humorous coincidence it fails the test, as Marilyn Monroe died well over a year before Kennedy's assassination.

[Airbozo]

Btw, the Bavarian Purity Law from 1516 posted by Airbozo earlier is the reason why German beers are (generally) the only ones which are suitable for Vegans.



* In case we have any vegans that want to drink beer... LINK (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/geraint.bevan/Vegetarian_beers.html)

Hehe I would think that ANY beer would be forbidden since it was made with living organisms that are NOT vegetable matter. IE: Yeast... I guess it doesn't count if you can't see it with the human eye? :rolleyes:

[Ironcat]

maybe since they figure there are 9 million gazillion yeasts floating around in every breath we take, drinking a few more in a beer was ok?

[Airbozo]

maybe since they figure there are 9 million gazillion yeasts floating around in every breath we take, drinking a few more in a beer was ok?

Hehehe That one is funny!

TRUE vegans wear face masks to filter the little buggers out...


hahhahha

[Helix666]

In 1962, the schools in Tanganyika had to be closed because of an outbreak of contagious laughter that lasted for six months!

ROFLMAO.


:p

[Airbozo]

OK, a few more for your amusement;

The Bank of America was originally called the Bank of Italy until the founder, Amedeo Giannini, changed the name in 1930.

The only South East Asian country that has never been colonized by a Western Power is Thailand.

There was a time in Japan where a wife being left handed was a ground for divorce.

Chrysler built B-29's that bombed Japan, Mitsubishi built Zeros that tried to shoot them down. Both companies now build cars in a joint plant called Diamond Star.

Escape maps, compasses, and files were inserted into Monopoly game boards and smuggled into POW camps inside Germany during W.W.II; real money for escapees was slipped into the packs of Monopoly money.

[xRyokenx]

Cool stuff there. ^^ History is interesting, but I"m preoccupied with a lot of stuff going on now, I do enjoy it though.

[jdbnsn]

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f395/jdbnsn/chrysler.jpghttp://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f395/jdbnsn/mitsubishi.gif



Chrysler built B-29's that bombed Japan, Mitsubishi built Zeros that tried to shoot them down. Both companies now build cars in a joint plant called Diamond Star.


That is awesome, it's funny how things turn out over time. I'm guessing Diamond Star is some play off of their emblems?

[Airbozo]

That is awesome, it's funny how things turn out over time. I'm guessing Diamond Star is some play off of their emblems?

Good catch, I never even thought about that...

[FuzzyPlushroom]

Wiki says that's true.

"The name came from the parent companies' respective logos: three diamonds (Mitsubishi) and a pentastar (Chrysler)."

Interesting thread. I'll have to check back!

[AJ@PR]

Was just reading /. and came upon this post...


It isn't luck, it was *absolute genius* (Score:5, Interesting)


The US declared bankruptcy on the 15th of August 1971.

Nobody noticed or seemed to care. Which I have to admit I find a touch odd. But... at the same time, in 1972 and 1973 they managed to persuade the House of Saudi to denominate oil in US dollars so everyone had to buy dollars to buy oil. Perhaps you'll start to understand the close relationship between the US and Saudi now.

This genius has allowed the US to export it's inflation to the rest of the world for decades. It may have been desperation or genius, but whoever it was that thought it up should be given the highest medal by the US government and people. It's given the US a truly massive advantage over all of the other countries.

Of course, 40 years later, everyone is starting to wake up to the importance of currency, and the oil producers are starting to switch away from the US dollar as it's value dwindles.

"A nation-state taxes its own citizens, while an empire taxes other nation-states."
And inflation is just another form of taxation.

Brilliant.

Brilliant indeed.

[Stockholm1984]

* Wikipedia : An urban legend circulated by e-mail, The Bad Old Days claims that the English idiom "saved by the bell" originated in medieval rope systems to alert surface dwellers in the case of accidental burial. In fact, the phrase originated in the sport of boxing, and there is no evidence of a widespread fear of live burial in the Middle Ages. Likewise, the term "dead ringer" has its origin in horse racing, and the unrelated phrase "graveyard shift" arose in the 20th Century.[/URL]

Damn me working in a shop and not having access to t'internet till the evening, I keep getting left behind. My apologies at posting what now appears to be false info, having double checked this it does now appear that a 'dead ringer' did arise from horse racing, meaning exchanging an exact duplicate to defraud the bookies. Seems Wikipedia isn't just edited by people like me who think they know more than they actually do... ;) Btw, the vegan beer thing did come from a friend of a friend, who is a vegan, while drinking genuine German beer. :)

[Ironcat]

The US declared bankruptcy on the 15th of August 1971.

I can't find that anywhere else except in some guy posting an American corruption of government conspiracy to rule from the shadows thing.
What really happened was on this day, President Nixon reversed U.S. international monetary policy by officially declaring the non-convertibility of the U.S. dollar into gold.
It's not the same thing, just as it wouldn't be the same thing if I said out out loud "I am too broke to pay my bils this month". It does not mean I am declaring bankruptcy.
Some people say that if it doesn't have the strength to convert to gold then we are admitting our money is worthless and therefore, we are declaring that we are bankrupt.

For other fun bankruptcy news look up Roosevelt in 1933

[Crazy Buddhist]

What really happened was on this day, President Nixon reversed U.S. international monetary policy by officially declaring the non-convertibility of the U.S. dollar into gold.
It's not the same thing, just as it wouldn't be the same thing if I said out out loud "I am too broke to pay my bils this month". It does not mean I am declaring bankruptcy.

It is bankruptcy in all but name. Bretton woods pegged currencies to gold - to a real material - and after Bretton woods collapsed courtesy of Nixon - the whole monetary economy became a paper printing game that we pay for to this day - with inflation - exactly as described.

Immediately that inflation went into the price of oil and caused the "crisis" of 72 - 73 where oil became massively revalued and effectively became the new gold standard. This caused some quite widespread financial and economic complications worldwide. This was all about adjusting to the "post-Bretton Woods" world.

It wasn't officially called bankruptcy but that is what is was to all extents and purposes. Up until that point governments were effectively obliged to be able to cover their debts with gold. After that point they could cover them with the (worthless) paper they printed.

In your analogy this would be the same as saying "I am too broke to pay my bills this month so I have printed some pretty paper money of my own to pay you with. Hope thats OK."

Until about four years ago I used to visit the house outside Oxford in England where the Bretton Woods agreement was brokered: It was a ramshackle ruin much like the international monetary system has been since BW was thrown out.

[Airbozo]

A few more;

Can anyone confirm this (I don't have any Canadian 2 dollar bills handy...):
On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament building is an American flag.


The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.


In 1555, Ivan the Terrible ordered the construction of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. He was so thrilled with the work done by the two architects that he had them blinded so they could never be able to build anything else more beautiful.

More than 5,600 men died while building the Panama Canal. Today, it takes more than 8,000 workers to run and maintain the canal. It takes a ship an average of 33 hours to travel the length of the canal.
(I was fortunate enough to travel through the Panama Canal in 1981... A must see on any travelers list!)

[Zephik]

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/3089/flag0002zz9.gif

Hmmm, looks Canadian to me. But then again, I just pulled that off of the internet using Google. Looks authentic though doesn't it?

[AJ@PR]

The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
Not sure about that... but, interesting side-note:::
Soldiers in WWII, when radar was really picking up (from pure research to an actual usable device), we just didn't know the health concerns.

So, the stories are that the soldiers in the bases, when they where outside and cold, would go stand in front of the radar antennas for a couple of seconds/minutes (??). They'd get all warm and fuzzy from the inside.

YIKES!!!! They where LITERALLY microwaving themselves!

Another interesting side-note:::
When I was 15, I had the interesting oportunity to tag along with an engineer to the Roosevelt Roads' Naval Station thing in Puerto Rico (Ceiba).
A destroyer we boarded, had microwave communication dishes up top.
I don't remember what we were doing... but I do remember sailors making fun of their "game".

They would bet on the odds of how many birds would get 'cooked' in a given day.
This would work the following way:::
The microwave communication dish was pointing to wherever (space, another land-based dish, etc.).
So these are dishes sending MBs of data back and forth...
Every so often, a bird would fly right along the path of the microwave.
In a split second, the bird would plop to the deck... hot and steamy.
Probably encrusted with a couple hundred megabytes worth of Navy data.
LoL

[Crazy Buddhist]

Every so often, a bird would fly right along the path of the microwave.
In a split second, the bird would plop to the deck... hot and steamy. Probably encrusted with a couple hundred megabytes worth of Navy data.
LoL

Isn't that the Colonel's recipe?

[Crazy Buddhist]

H.M.H.S. ST. DAVID (January 25, 1944)

The St David was a British hospital ship with 226 medical staff and patients on board and was bombed and sunk by Luftwaffe planes while evacuating the wounded from the Anzio beachhead.

There were 130 lives saved but unfortunately 96 souls were lost. Of the two planes that attacked the St David, one was shot down by gunners on the liberty ship Bret Harte. Britain lost ten hospital ships during the war.

Three hospital ships were attacked that night. only the St David was sunk. My Grandfather and his brother were both onboard. They had signed up as medics the day war broke out as they were both committed pacifists but also committed to helping the effort to defeat Nazi Germany.

My Grandfather was amongst the 96 dead. His brother was amongst the 130 saved.

There is a dearth of published information about what happened that night and twenty years ago my mother asked a family friend who was very highly placed in military intelligence if he could find anything out about it.

Some weeks later he returned and told her that she would never know but that there was a chance her children would get to understand the facts.

Our assumption is that the British were actually using the St David or one of the other hospital ships as a command vessel for the Anzio landings. Further we assume the Germans knew this which is why they tried to blast all three hospital ships present at the Anzio landings out of the water.

[Airbozo]

Not sure about that... but, interesting side-note:::
Soldiers in WWII, when radar was really picking up (from pure research to an actual usable device), we just didn't know the health concerns.

When in the Navy, I was taught that tidbit (about the chocolate bar) as part of our coursework...

So, the stories are that the soldiers in the bases, when they where outside and cold, would go stand in front of the radar antennas for a couple of seconds/minutes (??). They'd get all warm and fuzzy from the inside.

YIKES!!!! They where LITERALLY microwaving themselves!

Can anyone say "Birth control"?


Another interesting side-note:::
When I was 15, I had the interesting oportunity to tag along with an engineer to the Roosevelt Roads' Naval Station thing in Puerto Rico (Ceiba).
A destroyer we boarded, had microwave communication dishes up top.
I don't remember what we were doing... but I do remember sailors making fun of their "game".

They would bet on the odds of how many birds would get 'cooked' in a given day.
This would work the following way:::
The microwave communication dish was pointing to wherever (space, another land-based dish, etc.).
So these are dishes sending MBs of data back and forth...
Every so often, a bird would fly right along the path of the microwave.
In a split second, the bird would plop to the deck... hot and steamy.
Probably encrusted with a couple hundred megabytes worth of Navy data.
LoL

When I was in the Navy, in order to "work aloft" you had to file paperwork of what you were doing, schedule time that the radar was physically turned off and post several notes in combat and on the bridge to that effect. You also had to physically shut off the breaker to the dish (several of them as a matter of fact) and lock it down with 2 different locks that 2 different people held keys to so someone would not be able to accidentally turn the dish back on. My SR Chief and I noticed 2 people playing in front of the dish one day and discovered that they were up there without permission. When we notified the bridge, the Weapons Chief stopped in the Galley to pick up a chicken which he then "roasted" in front of the dish to show the 2 digits what they were playing in front of... I would wager that neither of them have their "own" kids today.

I also fell off of the top yard arm when one of my "mates" decided it would be funny to make a _really_ sharp turn while I was working on one of my equipment antennae. The break away strap on my vest did just that and I only dropped about 10' and was dangling from the yard arm for almost 15 minutes before they pulled me down. I got permission from the Capt. to toss his arse overboard. He never saw it coming and we got to practice our man overboard drill on a live dummy... (I have a REALLY funny story about a man overboard drill with family onboard, I just don't want to derail this thread too much)

For extra rep points, name the flag they fly during man overboard...

[Airbozo]

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/3089/flag0002zz9.gif

Hmmm, looks Canadian to me. But then again, I just pulled that off of the internet using Google. Looks authentic though doesn't it?

I wonder if they are talking about the older version of that bill...?

[Crazy Buddhist]

For extra rep points, name the flag they fly during man overboard...

That be the phonetic alphabet "O" flag. O for overboard in this case.

Red/yellow divided diagonally:

http://www.freedomforall.net/O.jpg

[Zephik]

I wonder if they are talking about the older version of that bill...?

http://www.snopes.com/business/money/redensign.asp

Looks like its false.

[Airbozo]

That be the phonetic alphabet "O" flag. O for overboard in this case.

Red/yellow divided diagonally:

http://www.freedomforall.net/O.jpg

That is correct sir! More commonly referred to as the "Oscar" flag and incidentally _most_ Man overboard dummies are also named "Oscar" (and painted hunters orange so as to be easily seen in the water....).


http://www.snopes.com/business/money/redensign.asp

Looks like its false.

I really should have checked that one out since I know it was highly improbable that the Canadians would allow an American flag on their money....

Good catch!

[jdbnsn]

Oh yeah, I forgot about snopes.

Here is a story that most certainly cannot be confirmed, but it's got a twisted humor that I can appreciate. I was told this by an old friend who was a history professor. In WWII, during the blitzkrieg attacks a fortified compound occupied by British troops was being absolutely squashed by Nazi attacks from all sides. They were doomed for sure. During the unbelievable calamity of bullets, bombs, grenades, artillery, etc.. An a soldier who's identity was unknown by the survivor passing on the tale was heard screaming "Dear God were fu%&ed! Oh Lord please save us and don't send Jesus, come yourself!"

[Zephik]

Oh yeah, I forgot about snopes.

Here is a story that most certainly cannot be confirmed, but it's got a twisted humor that I can appreciate. I was told this by an old friend who was a history professor. In WWII, during the blitzkrieg attacks a fortified compound occupied by British troops was being absolutely squashed by Nazi attacks from all sides. They were doomed for sure. During the unbelievable calamity of bullets, bombs, grenades, artillery, etc.. An a soldier who's identity was unknown by the survivor passing on the tale was heard screaming "Dear God were fu%&ed! Oh Lord please save us and don't send Jesus, come yourself!"

HAHA, I LOVE History Teachers who know there **** and are honestly interested in History, not just a dude standing in front of a class reading from a book.

I had a History Teacher who knew details like that too, he was hard on us when it came to homework, tests, quizzes, etc etc, but he was really kind and super funny. Damn he knew weird things though, he could do this thread justice ten times over. I think he said that he could teach college students, but he made the choice to teach high school students. He had a good reason, but I can't really remember. It was something on the lines of younger minds are better to teach properly than older ones. Something like that.

Which I agree with. I think we should be harder on High School students, and not be so easy to let them drop out. We need to better educate this country, the best way to do that is to start with the younger people. imo at least.

[Crazy Buddhist]

57 men died during construction of the Forth Railway Bridge. Construction began in 1883 and was completed in March 1890 when His Royal Highness Edward Prince of Wales tapped into place a ‘golden’ rivet.

There is no memorial at the bridge to the 57 men who officially died building the bridge.

There is no memorial to the 21 men who died whose deaths seem to have been covered up by the project managers (http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh.cfm?id=333082005).

There is no memorial to the many men who died over the years maintaining it.

There is a memorial to the Prince of Wales.

That to me is both obscure history and an obvious example of what's up in the world.

[Zephik]

57 men died during construction of the Forth Railway Bridge. Construction began in 1883 and was completed in March 1890 when His Royal Highness Edward Prince of Wales tapped into place a ‘golden’ rivet.

There is no memorial at the bridge to the 57 men who officially died building the bridge.

There is no memorial to the 21 men who died whose deaths seem to have been covered up by the project managers (http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh.cfm?id=333082005).

There is no memorial to the many men who died over the years maintaining it.

There is a memorial to the Prince of Wales.

That to me is both obscure history and an obvious example of what's up in the world.

We as humans, have a very nasty tendency of considering ourselves higher than others (**good present day example), especially when we are in a more powerful position than others. In this case, his "Royal Highness" speaks for itself. Royal = Better than you, Highness = Better than you. Psh, stupid. There is no such thing as a Royal Blood Line, their blood is the same as anyone else's. Hmmm, just thought of the movie 300. lol.

I feel sorry for those people who died without mention. Thats pretty sad that they aren't remembered for what they did and for what they gave up. Even if they weren't intelligent or as intelligent as others, they are still human beings, therefor, just as important as the most intelligent person on this planet. I don't see how people can be like that, its horrible. I'm glad things have changed though. Well, for the most part. Some parts of the world are still learning. It's only a matter of time though!

Power breeds ignorance. Thats why we never put any one man or women in a position where he or she has absolute power over others.

Does anyone know who was the last mentionable person to have a position of absolute power before it was decided that that way of things had to change? Just curious.

**Good present day example? Ever been to Portland, Oregon? Yea, LOTS of homeless people there. Including children btw, a few of who I met and have talked to. You would think, talking to them, that no one other than other homeless people have ever even acknowledged them before! Which, by the way, is why alot of them seem angry when you try and talk to them or help them. I watch people who have homes and jobs walk by them without even acknowledging them, pretty sad and pretty disgusting if you ask me. At the very least, people should help out more often in soup kitchens and shelters. Especially the smaller cities, it seems that only the bigger cities have programs to actually and genuinely HELP homeless people. While the smaller cities, like where I live, seem to kind of almost ignore the problem, as if even though our homeless numbers are fewer than bigger cities, that justifies not putting forth a good effort to help those people. "Well, Portland has hundreds of homeless, so of course they have better programs, we don't have as many, so we don't put forth as much effort. Just enough to make their lives a little better day by day." Since when is any one single life less important than others? Whether its 1 person or 1000, it shouldn't matter. We should find time in our busy lives to help the less fortunate.

Sorry for the rant, just reliving old memories. Has a tendency to bring forth emotions.

[Crazy Buddhist]

snip....I feel sorry for those people who died without mention. Thats pretty sad that they aren't remembered for what they did and for what they gave up. Even if they weren't intelligent or as intelligent as others, they are still human beings, therefor, just as important as the most intelligent person on this planet. I don't see how people can be like that, its horrible. I'm glad things have changed though. Well, for the most part. Some parts of the world are still learning. It's only a matter of time though!...snip

Zephnik that was beautiful to read, all of it. Things haven't changed in 2000 years though, sadly, much at all. Not when it comes to power politics of humans. It is the guys with the big guns that take charge.

Our democracies are a sham and we are, for the most part, as domesticated as our cats and dogs. We don't know it yet there are systems of governance, education, familial loyalty, percieved wisdom and official history that are the cultural/linguistic and therefore political/philosophical soup we live in being human. We are programmed into the matrix.

How much of what you know do you know? As opposed to stuff you have been told.

[Zephik]

How much of what you know do you know? As opposed to stuff you have been told.

Thats an awesome thought to have. I've thought about, from time to time, things like what you are saying. Its a subject that is far FAR beyond myself and my understanding of things. Probably beyond any one humans understanding. Maybe thats why people believe in god(s)?

Well, as much as I like to think about things like that, I try to focus on what I do know and what I believe, whether what I know or believe is right or not. or even if there is a right and wrong in the first place? Probably not, its all about perception and how, when, and where we are raised. But it doesn't really matter. I know how people, like homeless people, FEEL. I've never been homeless myself, my understanding comes from my knowledge which I have earned throughout my life. An easier way to understand people, is to attempt to put yourself in their shoes. Thats when I decided that I wanted to help people in general. At first, I didn't really know what to expect. But later, I learned that those people, whether homeless or wealthy, all have the same red blood that bleeds just as easy as the next person. Although, I put forth more effort towards the homeless rather than those who are wealthy and are struggling.

I also understand that not everyone CAN help. My belief is, that you should take care of yourself before others first, then when you have done that, venture forth and help others. I also don't think its wrong to want to have more than "just enough" in life. There isn't anything wrong with the want for material wealth, in fact, I would like to see more people struggle for that goal. Think of what we could accomplish with such people then! But to become overly wealthy, requires power, which breeds ignorance. You get caught up in yourself and your daily life unfortunately. But thats where I come in! I, every now and then, remind people what its like to have a beating heart that is just the same as any other heart. So...

Peeps, do yourself and others a huge tremendously awesome favor, get out there and help a fellow human being. We are all brothers and sisters, maybe not by direct bloodlines, but as humans in general. Even animals have been studied and reported to have helped each other in rough times. Are we not more than animals? Stop living in ignorance, it might be bliss, but its disgusting.

lol I seem to be in a fairly chatty mood today. ^_^

[AJ@PR]

Jesus... this cool thread was burried in page 7 of The Chatterbox...

DAMN we people talk a lot.

Anyways, a bump, since I just came upon this in /. and thought it interesting:::

Dehydrated grape bricks

That article reminds me of the dehydrated grape bricks my dad told me about. They were sold during prohibition, and they came with a packet of yeast, and a detailed warning explaining exactly how not to add the yeast to the rehydrated grape juice.

[Crazy Buddhist]

Thats an awesome thought to have.

...

Peeps, do yourself and others a huge tremendously awesome favor, get out there and help a fellow human being. We are all brothers and sisters, maybe not by direct bloodlines, but as humans in general. Even animals have been studied and reported to have helped each other in rough times. Are we not more than animals? Stop living in ignorance, it might be bliss, but its disgusting.

lol I seem to be in a fairly chatty mood today. ^_^

Dude that ^^ is an equally awsome thought to have :) really awesome.

I meant to say so before, when you first posted it. Well done to AJ for bumping the thread.

:)