# 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:** 44
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/861 "2020-10-21T02:08:02Z")
Another Hoyt Axton favorite is _Sweet Misery_. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/oWzQeVJDpFE/hqdefault.jpg "Hoyt Axton,,, sweet misery") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWzQeVJDpFE) ---
**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:** [October 21, 2020, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/862 "2020-10-21T23:19:27Z")
According to the woman talking (scroll halfway down to the video, advance to 2:50 or so), none of the 50 states require that a dead person be embalmed. > **[DIY Death: Natural, At-Home Funerals And Their Boomer Appeal](https://www.wbur.org/news/2013/11/22/diy-death-natural-home-funerals)** > > With new momentum to shatter long-standing taboos and stop tip-toeing around death — from "death with dignity" measures sweeping the country to projects promoting kitchen table "conversations" about our parents' deepest dying wishes — a re-energized... Says the accompanying article: > [@](#): > > Cost and the environment are also driving factors. People like the idea of “fewer chemicals, no rainforest woods and Chinese steel,” Webster says, noting that when you avoid embalming you’re not “draining blood into the public septic system and not subjecting loved ones to violent procedures — the embalming process is quite brutal — just for cosmetic reasons and for no health benefits.” ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/863 "2020-10-21T23:38:02Z")
In 1453 Mehmed the Conqueror sacked Constantinople, thus administering the last, fatal wound to the Roman Empire. In 1492, Columbus landed in what is now known as Cuba, and shortly thereafter, in Hispaniola. That means that when the New World was discovered, there were still people walking around alive and well who were born Roman citizens. Citizens of the same empire of Caesar Augustus, Tiberius, Vespasian, Nero, etc. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2020, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/864 "2020-10-22T02:28:26Z")
Axton wrote a lot of songs that were successfully covered by others. Another one is “The Pusher.” [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3XqyGoE2Q4Y/hqdefault.jpg "Steppenwolf - The Pusher") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XqyGoE2Q4Y) ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/865 "2020-10-22T12:23:27Z")
The world’s largest parking lot is at the docks of Bremerhaven, Germany - allegedly with a capacity of 95,000 vehicles (five times the capacity of that of a large shopping centre). Although mostly open to the air, there are some multiple-storey structures. Vehicles are stored there prior to being transferred to ships (a crew of 20 drivers has about 15 hours to drive 8,000 to 10,000 (mostly) cars aboard, and take a shuttle back to the lot). Google Streetview gives you a good view as well. [The biggest car park in Europe](https://www.wfb-bremen.de/en/page/bremen-invest/investing-in-bremen-automotive-industries-the-biggest-car-park-in-europe-blg-logistic-group-ag) ---
**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:** [October 22, 2020, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/866 "2020-10-22T16:49:01Z")
Someone’s going to nitpick this, so it might as well be me. The New World had been discovered (and I’ll add “by Europeans”) [some time earlier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_colonization_of_North_America). Sorry 'bout that. Impressive fact, none the less. j ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/867 "2020-10-22T18:28:59Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > Someone’s going to nitpick this, so it might as well be me. The New World had been discovered (and I’ll add “by Europeans”) [some time earlier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_colonization_of_North_America). > > Sorry 'bout that. Impressive fact, none the less. I knew that, too – I’ve actually been to the L’Anse aux Meadows site. Just goes to show how hard 1492 is drummed into our heads when we’re kids. Or at least it was back in the sixties. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2020, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/868 "2020-10-22T18:47:30Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > In 1492, Columbus landed in what is now known as Cuba, and shortly thereafter, in Hispaniola. > > That means that when the New World was discovered, there were still people walking around alive and well who were born Roman citizens. Citizens of the same empire of Caesar Augustus, Tiberius, Vespasian, Nero, etc. No reason for you to mention Columbus there, but your statement is still technically accurate in regard to Europeans discovering the New World. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/869 "2020-10-22T20:06:43Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > in 1453 Mehmed the Conqueror sacked Constantinople … In 1492, Columbus In 1453, the Black Sea was closed, preventing access to the already mostly broken Silk Road. This drove up the price of spice, and spurred exploration towards the west in search of an alternated route. The fall of the Roman Empire was the cause of the creation of the Spanish Empire. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/870 "2020-10-23T19:51:08Z")
That is an incredibly poorly written article, apparently by someone whose first language isn’t English. Here’s a [better cite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMDb#History) for your interesting random fact. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/871 "2020-10-23T19:52:21Z")
Thanks - I had watched a BBC TV segment about it but was struggling to find the info online to be able to link to. Wikipedia should have been obvious! ---
**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:** [October 24, 2020, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/872 "2020-10-24T01:15:52Z")
50 years ago? 1970 was a hell of a year for music. > **[Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1970](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_1970)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > > This is a list of Billboard magazine's Top Hot 100 songs of the year 1970. It covers from January 3 to November 28, 1970. I see many old friends in there. I’ll pick one. [My selection](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n95A6G9IxlM) I caught Mrs. L singing “The colder the place, that’s the best.” ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/873 "2020-10-24T16:21:48Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > 50 years ago? 1970 was a hell of a year for music. > > [Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1970 - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_1970) > > I see many old friends in there. I’ll pick one. > > [My selection](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n95A6G9IxlM) > > I caught Mrs. L singing “The colder the place, that’s the best.” I played that, and then wondered what the flipside was. It’s kind of a let down.[https://youtu.be/qwR0pwHafE4](https://youtu.be/qwR0pwHafE4) ---
**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:** [October 24, 2020, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/874 "2020-10-24T16:50:29Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > I played that, and then wondered what the flipside was. It’s kind of a let down.[https://youtu.be/qwR0pwHafE4](https://youtu.be/qwR0pwHafE4) I assume that they chose that song on purpose. My reasoning: on April 4, 1964, the Beatles had all top five songs in the Billboard 100. If\* they came from the same album and if most albums had 10 songs, then each 45 would need a B side. In order to maximize profits, the A side would all be hits, and none of the B side would be. That way fans had to buy five 45 rpm records. \*I don’t really know if they were all from the same album, if there were ten songs on it, etc. But if you’re in charge, put songs that are less likely to become hits on the B side. The tune is nice enough. The words, though… ---
**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:** [October 25, 2020, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/875 "2020-10-25T12:46:38Z")
a British radio guy Michael Jackson who worked in LA has a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. When Jackson the singer died people put flowers on the radio guys star by accident. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2020, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/876 "2020-10-25T16:15:07Z")
I recently discovered that there are two kinds of cinnamon: [Ceylon, or “true” cinnamon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_verum), and [cassia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_cassia), which comes from a related, but different tree. It turns out that what we in the U.S. know as cinnamon is actually cassia; Ceylon cinnamon is generally not sold in stores. OTOH, in Europe, only Ceylon cinnamon can be sold as “cinnamon.” (I was reminded of this last night when one of the bakers on the Great British Baking Show mentioned she was going to use cassia bark in a recipe.) The taste of Ceylon cinnamon is more subdued and subtle than that of cassia. However, the more important difference, for some people at least, is that large doses of cassia can cause liver damage. > Due to a blood-thinning component called [coumarin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coumarin) that could damage the liver if consumed in larger amounts,[[7]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_cassia#cite_note-7) European health agencies have warned against consuming high amounts of cassia.[[8]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_cassia#cite_note-8) Other bioactive compounds found in the bark, powder and essential oils of _C. cassia_ are [cinnamaldehyde](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamaldehyde) and [styrene](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styrene). In high doses these substances can also be toxic for humans.[[9]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamomum_cassia#cite_note-bfr.bund.de-9) I learned this alarming news a few months after my wife’s cardiologist advised her to start having smoothies for lunch with “heart-healthy” spices, including _two teaspoons_ of cinnamon. He, and the author whose book he was citing, said nothing about the distinction between cassia and true cinnamon, so my wife has consumed over a _pound_ of cassia since July. I am dismayed, to say the least. I have discarded all our remaining cassia and bought a new supply of Ceylon cinnamon. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2020, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/877 "2020-10-25T16:27:08Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > _two teaspoons_ of cinnamon. That’s a lot of cinnamon of any kind in one drink. I must be sensitive to it because I think half of that would turn my stomach. It’s been difficult to get the real stuff at times, and you have to be careful about what you purchase that’s labeled ‘Ceylon’ because there’s not much oversight of spice content. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2020, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/878 "2020-10-25T20:09:13Z")
Moose are good swimmers… which is why one of the predators of moose are orcas. Also, apparently a small herd of moose were released in New Zealand in 1910. The last confirmed sighting was 1952, and they thought they had died out. Until some moose fur was found in 2002. And then, someone actually saw one this year: > **['I spied a moose in the Fiordland National Park'](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/120030454/i-spied-a-moose-in-the-fiordland-national-park)** > > The mystery of the moose in Fiordland continues after a man claims he saw one from a helicopter. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2020, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/879 "2020-10-26T12:25:40Z")
Every couple of years or so - a moose is spotted on the streets of Montreal (Canada), which is on an island. It’s a good km or two swim from the nearest heavily-forested area. > **[Rare sighting: Moose on the loose in Montreal’s West Island - Montreal |...](https://globalnews.ca/news/4360441/moose-on-the-loose-kirkland/)** > > A moose was on the loose in Montreal's West Island. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2020, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/880 "2020-10-26T12:38:56Z")
When the economy collapsed in 2008, the only bank in Iceland that was able to preserve their investors money was Audur Capital, a bank established and completely run by women. > Auður Capital was a [financial service](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_service) company, founded in 2007 by two [Icelandic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland) businesswomen, with the aim of incorporating feminine values into finance. [Halla Tómasdóttir](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halla_T%C3%B3masd%C3%B3ttir) was Auður’s executive chairman and Kristín Pétursdóttir was the company CEO. > > The company offered wealth management, private equity advice and corporate advice. It attempted to correct what it perceived as a historic lack of balance and diversity in the financial sector. The founders blamed the 2007 financial downturn on high risk behavior, short term orientation and a narrow definition of results which had driven the financial sector for the past years. > > Auður succeeded in preserving the funds of its clients when the Icelandic banks collapsed in October 2008. > > In December 2008 Auður announced the launching of BJÖRK, a [private equity fund](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_equity_fund), established by Auður Capital and the renowned musician [Björk Guðmundsdóttir](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bj%C3%B6rk), who is an active supporter of entrepreneurship, creative thinking and increased diversity in the Icelandic economy. The aim of the BJÖRK venture fund was to invest in early-stage corporations, with high growth potential capitalizing on Iceland’s human and/or natural resources, as well as emphasizing sustainability and a triple bottom line. > > Auður received significant international attention. The Auður story has been featured by the BBC,[[1]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audur_Capital#cite_note-1) New York Magazine,[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audur_Capital#cite_note-2) The Guardian,[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audur_Capital#cite_note-3) and The Financial Times,[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audur_Capital#cite_note-4) among others. Halla Tomasdóttir spoke at the 2010 TED Women’s Conference on her financial philosophy.[[5]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audur_Capital#cite_note-auto1-5) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=43) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=45)