# 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:** 152
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2021, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3028 "2021-11-01T21:11:22Z")
Part of the Portland metropolitan area is in Clackamas County. This is the image I was shown. [249944346\_4785354561528146\_3439927916089762190\_n.jpg (352×534) (fbcdn.net)](https://scontent.fhio2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/249944346_4785354561528146_3439927916089762190_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=9S1HrD3hmTsAX_v8xrC&tn=j4eEvg2tirnR7oD5&_nc_ht=scontent.fhio2-2.fna&oh=11ff87771a46cdbf620e90bbdf36935b&oe=6184A35E) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2021, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3029 "2021-11-01T21:19:11Z")
> [@digs](#): > > > [@chappachula](#): > > > > Indianapolis, IN is the largest city in the USA that does not… sit on a navigable river. > > > > Why this is interesting, I know not. > > What I found interesting is that when a resident there told me this fact, he seemed quite proud of knowing it. . > > I listened to a team of Mormon missionaries place almost comical emphasis on the fact\* that when the city of Nauvoo, Illinois was founded by the Latter-Day Saints (or just Joseph Smith? My attention was wavering until the next line woke me up), they made sure to lay it out like …[dramatic pause]… a grid. > > "Annnd, it became the _first city ever to use A GRID!"_ Navoo – founded 1839. New York City Grid plan adopted in 1811. From Wikipedia: “The concept of a grid as the ideal method of town planning had become widely accepted by the time of Alexander the Great. His conquests were a step in the propagation of the grid plan throughout colonies, some as far-flung as Taxila in Pakistan” ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2021, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3030 "2021-11-01T23:20:41Z")
> [@Drsunflower1](#): > > > [@markn\_1](#): > > > > verloren hoop”, which literally means “lost troop” > > True. But hoop definitely means hope as well in Dutch. The word has multiple meanings. And just for yuks, the Dutch word “hoop” is pronounced the same as the English word “hope”. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2021, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3031 "2021-11-02T00:31:28Z")
I was going to point out that the nine-square grid of [New Haven, Connecticut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Haven,_Connecticut#Pre-colonial_foundation_as_an_independent_colony) dates from 1638. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2021, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3032 "2021-11-02T00:51:56Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > I give you The Battle of Castle Itter. In reading this I came upon a wiki link to the French Resistance and an [actual historical photograph]( ([French Resistance - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Resistance#/media/File:American_officer_and_French_partisan_crouch_behind_an_auto_during_a_street_fight_in_a_French_city._-_NARA_-_531322_-_restored_by_Buidhe.jpg)) that looks much more like a Hollywood promotional photo than anything that ever actually came out of Tinsel Town. ETA: damn it, I STILL can’t figure out how to make the pic appear in this post! How? HOW? ETAAA - trying again, > **[French Resistance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Resistance#/media/File:American_officer_and_French_partisan_crouch_behind_an_auto_during_a_street_fight_in_a_French_city._-)** > > Germany > Italy > Spain (Spanish Civil War) > Albania ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2021, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3033 "2021-11-02T00:58:11Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > ETA: damn it, I STILL can’t figure out how to make the pic appear in this post! How? HOW? Post the picture link on an extra line. And yeah, damned cool photo. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2021, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3034 "2021-11-02T01:04:49Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Post the picture link on an extra line. > > And yeah, damned cool photo. but it only does a small picture with the page summary? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2021, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3035 "2021-11-02T01:10:56Z")
Your link goes to the general wiki site, not to the particular photo. But for the heck of it, normally you’d paste the url of the wiki picture link on a separate line, like this, but in this special case it doesn’t work. Discourse somehow seems to parse the link wrongly: [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/American_officer_and_French_partisan_crouch_behind_an_auto_during_a_street_fight_in_a_French_city._-_NARA_-_531322_-_restored_by_Buidhe.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/American_officer_and_French_partisan_crouch_behind_an_auto_during_a_street_fight_in_a_French_city._-_NARA_-_531322_-_restored_by_Buidhe.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2021, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3036 "2021-11-02T01:41:41Z")
Your link is broken ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2021, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3037 "2021-11-02T01:48:57Z")
I know, this is what I wanted to demonstrate: for some reason, Discourse breaks the wiki picture link, and I don’t know why. Maybe this is a question for Site Feedback. Normally, when you paste an url of a picture link on a separate line, the picture gets embedded. Not in this case. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2021, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3038 "2021-11-02T13:33:30Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I know, this is what I wanted to demonstrate: for some reason, Discourse breaks the wiki picture link, and I don’t know why. Evidently it has something to do with the hyphen between underlines. More images of the French Resistance: > **["French Forces Of The Interior" Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty...](https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/french-forces-of-the-interior?assettype=image&phrase=%22french%20forces%20of%20the%20interior%22&sort=oldest&license=rf%2Crm)** > > Browse Getty Images' premium collection of high-quality, authentic "French Forces Of The Interior" stock photos, royalty-free images, and pictures. "French Forces Of The Interior" stock photos are available in a variety of sizes and formats to fit... ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2021, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3039 "2021-11-02T13:40:17Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > > [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > > > I know, this is what I wanted to demonstrate: for some reason, Discourse breaks the wiki picture link, and I don’t know why. > > Evidently it has something to do with the hyphen between underlines > > More images of the French Resistance: > > ["French Forces Of The Interior" Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images](https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/french-forces-of-the-interior?assettype=image&phrase=%22french%20forces%20of%20the%20interior%22&sort=oldest&license=rf%2Crm) hmmmm ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2021, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3040 "2021-11-02T15:30:37Z")
> [@digs](#): > > And of course 58008 > > “BOOBS” > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > There was some kind of equation you could key in the old Casio calculators where the result displayed as 71077351. Turn it upside down, and it shows what I do for a living: I SELL OIL. …so of course, in Middle School, someone taught me an equation to type into your little LCD calculator (my, so futuristic!) while telling a silly joke story about a woman visiting a doctor for some reason, and ending up… 55378008 BOOBLESS ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2021, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3041 "2021-11-02T16:29:29Z")
Archaeologists have discovered a 2700 year old industrial wine press in Iraq. I’ll drink to that > [@](#): > > Archaeologists have excavated the first, and what they believe is the oldest, industrial wine press in northern Mesopotamia dating back more than 2,700 years and coinciding with a sharp rise in wine demand among the ruling imperial elites of Assyria. > … > > Assyrian scripture has previously pointed to an increased demand in wine, especially among members of court and the broader social elite. It was used in various ceremonial practices among the rich. > > Archaeobotanical remains have also shown an expansion in vineyards in the area at that time. > > “In the late Assyrian period, between the 8th and the 7th century BC, there was a dramatic increase … in wine demand and in wine production,” said Bonacossi. “The imperial Assyrian court asked for more and more wine.” [https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/wine-press-iraq-intl-scli-scn/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/wine-press-iraq-intl-scli-scn/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3042 "2021-11-02T16:32:02Z")
Star Wars is Real! > **[Watch "XTURISMO Limited Edition" hoverbike take flight | CNN Business](https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2021/10/28/xturismo-hoverbike-lon-orig.cnn)** > > The "XTURISMO Limited Edition" uses a combustion engine and four battery powered motors to hover at speeds of around 60 miles per hour. Quick, Leia! Jam their communications! Center switch! ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2021, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3043 "2021-11-02T16:37:53Z")
I hear a test flight for the press is planned, just to show it off. But I question their decision to do that in a dense redwood forest… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2021, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3044 "2021-11-02T17:01:03Z")
As long as there aren’t any Ewoks around… ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2021, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3045 "2021-11-02T23:13:51Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I know… Sorry, that was supposed to be a joke. (In my head it was said in a dumb guy voice…) ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2021, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3046 "2021-11-03T13:08:47Z")
> [@Limmin](#): > > > [@digs](#): > > > > And of course 58008 > > > > “BOOBS” > > > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > > > There was some kind of equation you could key in the old Casio calculators where the result displayed as 71077351. Turn it upside down, and it shows what I do for a living: I SELL OIL. > > …so of course, in Middle School, someone taught me an equation to type into your little LCD calculator (my, so futuristic!) while telling a silly joke story about a woman visiting a doctor for some reason, and ending up… > > 55378008 > BOOBLESS I have been trying to think of the setup for that joke for almost 35 years. ETA: I found it via [Google](https://bestjokehub.com/joke-210016/). ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2021, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/3047 "2021-11-03T20:36:28Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Your link goes to the general wiki site, not to the particular photo. But for the heck of it, normally you’d paste the url of the wiki picture link on a separate line, like this, but in this special case it doesn’t work. Discourse somehow seems to parse the link wrongly It’s a [known issue](https://meta.discourse.org/t/links-broken-with-at-least-two-underscores-in-url/72976/4). You would have to replace the underscores with “%5F” like this `https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/American%5Fofficer%5Fand%5FFrench%5Fpartisan%5Fcrouch%5Fbehind%5Fan%5Fauto%5Fduring%5Fa%5Fstreet%5Ffight%5Fin%5Fa%5FFrench%5Fcity.%5F-%5FNARA%5F-%5F531322%5F-%5Frestored%5Fby%5FBuidhe.jpg` [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/American%5Fofficer%5Fand%5FFrench%5Fpartisan%5Fcrouch%5Fbehind%5Fan%5Fauto%5Fduring%5Fa%5Fstreet%5Ffight%5Fin%5Fa%5FFrench%5Fcity.%5F-%5FNARA%5F-%5F531322%5F-%5Frestored%5Fby%5FBuidhe.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/American%5Fofficer%5Fand%5FFrench%5Fpartisan%5Fcrouch%5Fbehind%5Fan%5Fauto%5Fduring%5Fa%5Fstreet%5Ffight%5Fin%5Fa%5FFrench%5Fcity.%5F-%5FNARA%5F-%5F531322%5F-%5Frestored%5Fby%5FBuidhe.jpg) ~Max [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=151) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=153)