# Tell us an interesting random fact you stumbled across (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 13, 2020, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674 "2020-04-13T03:19:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/221 "2020-05-04T14:17:06Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I’m just watching a documentary about the [Reichstag building](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_building) and was reminded of the story of the famous photo of Red Army soldiers [hoisting the Soviet flag on the roof of the Reichstag on May 2nd, 1945](https://www.tagesspiegel.de/images/zsowjets/11710576/2-format43.jpg). > > First, the picture was staged. The first flag had appeared a while ago on the roof, but the photographer reenacted it at a different place with a better view for the photo. When he developed the photo, he noticed that the soldier holding the flag wore wristwatches on each wrist. This was of course unthinkable for a soldier of the glorious and honorable Red Army, so he retouched the photo and scratched out one of the watches. This became the official and famous picture. Likewise, Joe Rosenthal’s famous [photo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_the_Flag_on_Iwo_Jima#/media/File:Raising_the_Flag_on_Iwo_Jima,_larger_-_edit1.jpg) of the flag raising atop Mt. Suribachi, while not exactly staged, was the _second_ flag. The [first flag](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_the_Flag_on_Iwo_Jima#/media/File:First_Iwo_Jima_Flag_Raising.jpg) was raised at much more risk earlier in the day and was replaced by the second much larger one to be preserved as a souvenir. Rosenthal nearly missed the shot. He’d set his Speed Graphic on the ground and started to pile some rocks to stand on for a better angle. Seeing motion in the corner of his eye he grabbed the camera and fired from the hip without using the viewfinder. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/222 "2020-05-04T14:22:29Z")
Rick James was in a band with Neil Young. [The Mynah Birds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mynah_Birds) ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/223 "2020-05-04T14:35:44Z")
Crane flies, a.k.a. “skeeter eaters”, don’t actually eat mosquitoes. In fact, as adults they don’t eat anything at all. They live long enough to mate and that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/224 "2020-05-04T15:19:41Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Pretty much true but not quite. In the Southern Hemisphere, the universal birthdate is August 1. [Cite.](https://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/thoroughbred-horse.htm) I meant to specify the US, but it is the entire northern hemisphere and south of the equator they use a different date. This opens up the possibility of something like the Michigan mail truck bottle deposit scam. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/225 "2020-05-04T17:41:46Z")
the Who were the opening act for Herman’s hermits on a US tour in the 60s. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/226 "2020-05-04T18:49:23Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > The birthday for all thoroughbred horses is January 1st. Doesn’t matter what day of the year they are born on, their birthday is January 1st of the year they were born. A thoroughbred horse born on December 31st is considered 1 year old the next day. Interesting. With 11-12 month gestation, I wondered if stud fees are much higher in February than in December. But a mare is in estrus only once a year … > [@Wikipedia](#): > > When an early foal is desired, barn managers will put the mare “under lights” by keeping the barn lights on in the winter to simulate a longer day, thus bringing the mare into estrus sooner than she would in nature. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/227 "2020-05-04T18:49:46Z")
[quote=“lobotomyboy63, post:214, topic:851674”] Writing “Different Drum” was enough for me. [/QUOTE] That video led me to [this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUBhE00h9U0). Glen Campbell was an amazing player. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/228 "2020-05-04T19:03:10Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > That video led me to [this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUBhE00h9U0). Glen Campbell was an amazing player. He never learned to read music, but besides guitar, he could play the banjo, mandolin and bass. [Glen Campbell - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Campbell) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/229 "2020-05-04T20:16:17Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Interesting. With 11-12 month gestation, I wondered if stud fees are much higher in February than in December. But a mare is in estrus only once a year … I’m sure it is unless artificial insemination changes the timing factor. Here’s a chart of[Kentucky Derby winners and birth months from 1966 to 2017](https://bettingmarket.com/kdymonth.html). Only 4 were born in May, the rest earlier in the year. That doesn’t tell us how many horses born after May were even entered though. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/230 "2020-05-04T20:41:51Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I’m sure it is unless artificial insemination changes the timing factor. > > Here’s a chart of[Kentucky Derby winners and birth months from 1966 to 2017](https://bettingmarket.com/kdymonth.html). Only 4 were born in May, the rest earlier in the year. That doesn’t tell us how many horses born after May were even entered though. I thought artificial insemination was explicitly forbidden if one wished to certify the offspring as a “Thoroughbred”? Per the wiki, the horse must be conceived by “live cover.” [Thoroughbred - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoroughbred) One reason not mentioned in that wiki for the live cover requirement, but I can see being a valid reason why, is that it requires the sire to be alive when he inseminates the mare. I.e., the horse can’t be bred to be too lightweight in structure, or it won’t survive a racing regimen and a life at stud. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/231 "2020-05-04T21:14:35Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > I thought artificial insemination was explicitly forbidden if one wished to certify the offspring as a “Thoroughbred”? Per the wiki, the horse must be conceived by “live cover.” [Thoroughbred - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoroughbred) > > One reason not mentioned in that wiki for the live cover requirement, but I can see being a valid reason why, is that it requires the sire to be alive when he inseminates the mare. I.e., the horse can’t be bred to be too lightweight in structure, or it won’t survive a racing regimen and a life at stud. There’s another interesting fact. I didn’t realize artificial insemination isn’t allowed. Not following your reasoning on the live horse though. Nobody would want to breed a lightweight thoroughbred. Keeping the number of thoroughbreds down through only live cover breeding does make a lot of sense for thoroughbred owners though. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/232 "2020-05-05T00:25:15Z")
I’ve known this for awhile, but maybe it will give you a smile: Boring, Oregon’s sister city is Dull, Scotland. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/233 "2020-05-05T02:08:32Z")
The Dodgers have been in Los Angeles longer than Brooklyn (61 vs 44 years) The Colts have been in Indianapolis longer than Baltimore (36 vs 30 years) And these two really disturb me: Will Smith is now older than Uncle Phil was in the “French Prince of Bel Air” pilot. Ralph Macchio is now older than Pat Morita was in “The Karate Kid” ---
**Author:** ![FollowMeDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6a8cbe/32.png) [@FollowMeDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FollowMeDown)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/234 "2020-05-05T04:26:29Z")
You people are amazing! Jim Morrison’s father was an admiral in the navy. Chevy Chase was the original drummer in the band that would become Steely Dan (not quite certain about the 2nd one). ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/235 "2020-05-05T10:23:55Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > will give you a smile: Boring, Oregon’s sister city is Dull, Scotland. And for another smile: Boring has also twinned with another sister city: Bland, Australia. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/236 "2020-05-05T11:44:48Z")
DC lost 2 baseball teams , first Senators went to Minn. and the second went to Texas. Atlanta lost 2 NHL teams to Calgary and Winnipeg ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/237 "2020-05-05T14:27:42Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I’m sure it is unless artificial insemination changes the timing factor. > > Here’s a chart of[Kentucky Derby winners and birth months from 1966 to 2017](https://bettingmarket.com/kdymonth.html). Only 4 were born in May, the rest earlier in the year. That doesn’t tell us how many horses born after May were even entered though. As has been pointed out, AI is not a factor with thoroughbreds and for young horses, a late birth can be a big factor but it becomes less and less so as the horse matures. Since a derby – any derby – is by definition a race for 3-year olds, all of them are young. The other two jewels of the Triple Crown are also limited to 3-year olds even though they are not called a derby and they are only the most famous ones – at least in the US. There are over [300](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Flat_horse_races_for_three-year-olds) open races for 3YO world-wide and another [159](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Flat_horse_races_for_three-year-old_fillies) that are restricted to 3YO fillies. If a mare fails to settle when she is first covered she will come into estrus again a few months later and some breeders will breed her then rather than wait out the year. Any such get will be for breeding rather than racing, or raced as 3YOs later in the year, or even wait until they’re four. A late 3YO would have to be pretty fantastic to be considered – never mind qualified – to be entered in a Triple Crown race, or any 3YO race for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/238 "2020-05-05T16:05:42Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > And these two really disturb me: > > Will Smith is now older than Uncle Phil was in the “French Prince of Bel Air” pilot. > > Ralph Macchio is now older than Pat Morita was in “The Karate Kid” For that matter, Wil Wheaton is now the same age that Patrick Stewart was in the _Star Trek: TNG_ pilot. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/239 "2020-05-05T17:06:34Z")
Elon Musk’s GF had a baby yesterday. His first 5 kids are a set of twins and a set of triplets. All 6 kids are boys. He had another son who died of SIDS at 10 weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/240 "2020-05-05T17:39:35Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > There’s another interesting fact. I didn’t realize artificial insemination isn’t allowed. > > Not following your reasoning on the live horse though. Nobody would want to breed a lightweight thoroughbred. Keeping the number of thoroughbreds down through only live cover breeding does make a lot of sense for thoroughbred owners though. It wouldn’t let me edit my original post to show the lightweight idea was my hypothesis, not in the wiki. I might have read of it elsewhere; a tickle in my head makes me thing I did, but I don’t remember where. Tried to edit the post within the time limit too. Oh well. Anyway, my theory was that to make the fastest racehorse, they need all of the musculature, and lungs + circulatory system to feed it. A skeletal structure thicker than that needed to get through the race though, simply adds weight. Weight costs speed. So, if you were to breed a very lightly structured horse, with all of the muscle and drive, it could run faster for a given race than a horse with a more robust structure. But the chances of the lightly built horse getting fractured during a race would be higher. With enough races and training, the lightly built horse’s chances of surviving to stud would be low. Who cares though if you don’t care about the animal’s welfare, the welfare of the breed in general, but you do care about winning races? Requiring live cover forces more humane treatment of the animals for the reason that you can’t work them literally to death during their career, and still receive most of the remuneration from owning a championship Thoroughbred. For horse people, is it true that stud fees dwarf winnings for most successful championship horses? Anyway, it was just a thought I had. You’re clearly right that requiring it greatly cuts down on the supply, which is I’m sure the real reason for it. Can you imagine modern animal husbandry if AI were banned? We’d all be vegetarians/pescatarians because of the cost. Oh, interesting fact. I’m sure you all already know this, but there would be practically no European wine industry without the vital contribution of rootstock from North America. European grapevines are susceptible to a louse-borne disease endemic to America. American grapevines are resistant. So, graft the European plant top, with the leaves, flowers that become grapes, etc…to an American trunk and roots. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=13)