# 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:** 401
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8011 "2023-11-05T12:39:06Z")
A fact with a depressing history, and one that I’m sure New Yorkers already perhaps knew: the last prison ship in use by the USA is shutting down. > **[Last operating U.S. prison ship, a grim vestige of mass incarceration, set to...](https://www.post-gazette.com/news/nation/2023/11/05/prison-ship-mass-incarceration-closing-nyc/stories/202311050037)** > > NEW YORK — Kenneth Williams spent his whole life in Brooklyn, but it wasn’t until a night in 2018 when he crossed a narrow footbridge in shackles,... ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8012 "2023-11-05T13:32:56Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > …the last prison ship in use by the USA is shutting down. Meanwhile, the British government is opening them up: > **[Bibby Stockholm: Asylum seekers describe life on barge](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66444120)** > > Fifteen men boarded the government's new accommodation barge for asylum seekers in Dorset on Monday. > **[‘This is a prison’: men tell of distressing conditions on Bibby Stockholm](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/oct/29/this-is-a-prison-men-tell-of-distressing-conditions-on-bibby-stockholm)** > > Asylum seekers share fears about Dorset barge becoming even more crowded, saying they already ‘despair and wish for death’ (Strictly speaking it isn’t a prison. People are _merely_ detained there.) j ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8013 "2023-11-05T15:06:35Z")
> [@OttoDaFe](#): > > … No idea if that’s how Shaffer intended him, but that’s how I played him. FWIW. Oh, cool. Is your performance recorded anywhere? It would be interesting to see your take on the character and compare it to Olivier’s. I’m sure you nailed it. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8014 "2023-11-05T18:40:28Z")
There is a road near here called “Fields-Ertel.” Ertel was the name of a farmer, and at one time the road ended at his farm. Noone seems to know where “fields” fits in there. ---
**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 5, 2023, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8015 "2023-11-05T18:57:12Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > To find appropriate multipliers, we can use the fact that a^n+1 is divisible by a+1 if n is odd. So (with a=10), a number > 100…001 is always divisible by 11 if there are an even number of zeros. > > So, if we take any 7-digit number and repeat it to make a 14 digit number, it will always be divisible by 909091 and by 11, since 10000001 = 909091 x 11. Or, more simply, It’s divisible by 11 if the sum of the odd digits equals the sum of the even digits. There are also (relatively) simple tests for division by 7 and 13. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8016 "2023-11-05T20:24:01Z")
I may have mentioned this already on the message board, but it didn’t come up when I searched this thread. You know the old hackneyed joke: A: It’s raining cats and dogs! B: I know, I just stepped in a poodle. Poodles were originally bred to assist hunters by flushing and retrieving waterfowl; the traditional grooming style was developed as a way to prevent the dog’s fur from weighing it down while in the water. The breed name comes from a Low German word _puddeln_, meaning “to splash”, and a cognate to the English word “puddle”. So from an etymological perspective, B is really saying he stepped in a puddle, after all. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2023, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8017 "2023-11-05T20:33:28Z")
Maybe saying “I just stepped on a poodle” is funnier. Depends on style and context though. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8018 "2023-11-05T22:04:18Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > the traditional grooming style was developed as a way to prevent the dog’s fur from weighing it down while in the water. The weird little poofs of hair are there to protect the muscles and keep them warm. And of course, one on top to make it pleasant to pat their little heads. LOL! Personal factoid: I learned to walk holding onto the collar of a standard poodle named Missy. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2023, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8019 "2023-11-05T22:44:19Z")
1 - 1 !!! ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2023, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8020 "2023-11-06T03:18:54Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > The weird little poofs of hair are there to protect the muscles and keep them warm. I forgot about this part; thanks for mentioning it. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2023, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8021 "2023-11-06T03:20:32Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Maybe saying “I just stepped on a poodle” is funnier. Depends on style and context though. Of course. I’m not suggesting that the joke should be told any other way. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2023, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8022 "2023-11-06T05:11:05Z")
I learned a new word. **obdurate** I can’t recall seeing it in print or heard it used until a character called Tom Selleck obdurate in _Blue Bloods_. The character was upset because her idea for a political ad was dismissed without discussion. It could be useful in puzzle word games. I avoid pretentious words in everyday conversions. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2023, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8023 "2023-11-06T10:44:52Z")
You never watched the [muppets](https://youtu.be/ueuA-9pqRok?t=87) ?! ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2023, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8024 "2023-11-06T12:53:50Z")
That was a cute clip. I like the Muppets. I don’t remember details from the skits. I enjoy learning new words. Hopefully I can use obdurate in the 8 character thread game. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2023, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8025 "2023-11-06T16:24:41Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > 1 - 1 !!! Hah! To explain @pjd’s rather cryptic post, the FA Cup tie between Charlton Athletic and Cray Valley Paper Mills FC (post 7949 et seq) ended in a draw. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67279192](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67279192) The tie will now go to a replay (which will have extra time (overtime) and penalties, if required, to produce a winner). As an aside, this is an enormously significant result for Cray Valley Paper Mills. For a tiny side like CVPM, money is always short. I don’t know the average ticket price for the fixture, but I’ll assume, say, £20. The crowd was 6721 (tiny, but I guess a walkover was assumed, and anyway it was on telly). That’s a gate of around £130 000, with something similar for the replay\*. > The English FA requires both clubs participating in a match to split the net ticket revenue evenly through to the quarterfinals. The only time this 50-50 split changes is **when a club outside the top four tiers (Premier League, Championship, League One, League Two) plays against a club hailing from those top four tiers. In that case, the split is 55-45 favoring the team outside the top four divisions.** My bold. [Source](https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/football/news/fa-cup-prize-money-2022-win-how-much/1l28ognlllbd110i6qx9l9sj7r). Then there were TV fees for the game - around £50 000 per club, I believe ([source](https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sport/football/blackpool-fc/the-prize-money-tv-income-and-extras-that-await-blackpool-if-neil-critchley-decides-4373970)). So CVPM stand to make something of the order of £200 000 - more if the second match in televised live - an eyewatering sum for a club whose average home crowd is around 150. I they were to _win_, there’s some prize money and the prospect of another haul in the next round. Happy days. j \* - I’m assuming that the second game will also be played at Charlton, by agreement between the two clubs, in order to maximize revenue (CVPM’s ground capacity is 1000). By rule, a replay should be played at the ground of the away team in the first match; but a change of venue can be negotiated. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2023, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8026 "2023-11-06T16:42:14Z")
My wife couldn’t figure out who I was going bonkers on the beach in New England following a soccer match on my phone between a third tier and eighth tier team in England. 40 years ago my mother was similarly perplexed when I was doing the same thing glued to a short wave radio in Pakistan. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2023, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8027 "2023-11-06T16:44:43Z")
Great! Make a note - 14 Nov, 7.45 PM GMT. j ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2023, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8028 "2023-11-06T18:47:47Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I learned a new word. **obdurate** (Someone in the bunkhouse uses an obscure, multisyllabic word) “What in tarnation was that?!” “There it went - it’s hiding in the corner!” BLAM! BLAM! John Wesley Hardin. So mean he once shot a man just for mellifluous erudition. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2023, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8029 "2023-11-06T19:44:25Z")
Jeffrey Combs, famed (to me, anyway) star of the Re-Animator films, as well as several VA credits and TV roles, has a very distinctive cold, snarky, and slimy voice, that fits his characters very well. I always assumed that it was just a slightly altered version of his real voice-but it isn’t. He actually sounds different IRL. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2023, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/8030 "2023-11-06T20:04:56Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I learned a new word. **obdurate** > > I can’t recall seeing it in print or heard it used until a character called Tom Selleck obdurate in _Blue Bloods_. The character was upset because her idea for a political ad was dismissed without discussion. It was in Gilbert & Sullivan’s _Tit Willow_ from The Mikado. That’s where I learned it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=400) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=402)