# 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:** 96
**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:** [May 10, 2021, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1904 "2021-05-10T16:23:22Z")
More on this: > **[Dracula's Castle Is A Bloody Good Place To Get A COVID-19 Shot](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/draculas-castle-covid-19-shot_n_609953c9e4b05fb33f4fef02)** > > Romanian doctors are offering a jab in the arm rather than a stake through the heart. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2021, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1905 "2021-05-10T17:25:24Z")
Saw this in my FB feed: > [@](#): > > When ships pass through Point Nemo in the southern Pacific Ocean, they are 2,700 km from the nearest land. That means that at the right time of day, the nearest humans are on the International Space Station, 416 km up. Even if those distances are true, it also assumes there are no other boats within a 416 km radius. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2021, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1906 "2021-05-10T19:09:41Z")
[Jeff Bezos, comic book super villain](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-05-07/jeff-bezos-s-new-superyacht-heralds-roaring-market-for-big-boats?utm_source=digg) seems to be building a 127m, three-masted, $500m yacht. No word if this will be what provokes the Revolution. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2021, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1907 "2021-05-10T19:29:33Z")
No he won’t. ducks and runs ---
**Author:** ![Kzbre5m](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kzbre5m](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kzbre5m)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1908 "2021-05-11T13:14:57Z")
More about “Point Nemo” or the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility at [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pole_of_inaccessibility). It’s the furthest point from land, and presumably civilization (and humans). While your point about ships being closer, it doesn’t look like a popular shipping lane according to [ShipTracker](https://shiptracker.live/) (one cargo ship and one fishing vessel somewhat in the area). The Wikipedia statement about “Point Nemo” and ISS is probably more accurate than the facebook quote: > …sometimes the closest human beings are astronauts aboard the International Space Station when it passes overhead. (Currently the ISS is crossing South America towards South Atlantic, according to [Astroviewer](https://www.astroviewer.net/iss/en/).) Oddly, it seems because of ocean currents blocking nutrients from the area, even fish avoid the location. Finally, Point Nemo is near the longest straight-line ocean path. I’m not sure of the significance of that. ---
**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:** [May 11, 2021, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1909 "2021-05-11T13:23:19Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Saw this in my FB feed: > > > [@](#): > > > > When ships pass through Point Nemo in the southern Pacific Ocean, they are 2,700 km from the nearest land. That means that at the right time of day, the nearest humans are on the International Space Station, 416 km up. > > Even if those distances are true, it also assumes there are no other boats within a 416 km radius. Wouldn’t that also assume the ISS was directly above? If it were on the other side of the Earth, the distance would be far greater. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1910 "2021-05-11T13:50:56Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Wouldn’t that also assume the ISS was directly above? I think “at the right time of day” covers that. ---
**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:** [May 11, 2021, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1911 "2021-05-11T14:55:19Z")
I find it hysterical that they’ve plotted the Pole of _Inaccessibility_ for Great Britain. It’s in the middle of some farmer’s field northwest of Tamworth. The guy probably walks over it a couple of times a week. I know, I know. Still amusing, though. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1912 "2021-05-11T15:02:11Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > P-38 Lightning found under nearly 300 feet of ice in '92 was disassembled in situ and brought up piece-by-piece then reassembled and restored to flying condition. Antoine de Santt-Exupery, the author of the beloved children’s story “The Little Prince,” flew a P-38 during World War II with the Free French Air Force. He was a careless and arrogant pilot who - this is true - once delayed returning to base so he could finish reading a book IN THE COCKPIT. He and his plane vanished on a reconnaissance mission in 1944. ---
**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:** [May 11, 2021, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1913 "2021-05-11T15:14:38Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > He and his plane vanished on a reconnaissance mission in 1944. The wreck of Saint-Exupéry’s P-38 was found in 2004: > **[Plane Wreck Of the Author Of 'Prince' Is Discovered (Published 2004)](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/07/world/plane-wreck-of-the-author-of-prince-is-discovered.html)** > > French underwater salvage team discovers off Marseille remains of plane of author Antoine de Saint-Exupery, which vanished during July 1944 wartime reconnaissance mission; French have long speculated about fate of author, aristocratic adventurer... ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1914 "2021-05-11T17:17:46Z")
For anyone interested in aviation, history, or both, Saint-Exupery’s two semi-biographical books are amazing reads of true pioneering and adventuring. > **[Night Flight (novel)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Flight_(novel))** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > Night Flight, published as Vol de Nuit in 1931, was the second novel by French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It went on to become an international bestseller and a film based on it appeared in 1933. Its popularity, which only grew with the ideological conflicts of the 1930s – 1940s, was due to its master theme of sacrificing personal considerations to a cause in which one believes. > The book is based on Saint-Exupéry's experiences a... > **[Wind, Sand and Stars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind,_Sand_and_Stars)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > Wind, Sand and Stars (French title: Terre des hommes, literally "Land of Men") is a memoir by the French aristocrat aviator-writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and a winner of several literary awards. > It was first published in France in February 1939, and was then translated by Lewis Galantière and published in English by Reynal and Hitchcock in the United States later the same year. > The book's themes deal with friendship, death, heroism, camarader... ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1915 "2021-05-11T21:55:58Z")
[The (US) Air & Space Museum](https://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2021/05/smithsonian-curator-in-heaven-over-arrival-of-star-wars-x-wing-its-one-of-the-moments-where-my-kids-think-im-cool.html) has taken delivery of a _Star Wars_ x-wing fighter. It strikes me that I am so over _Star Wars._ it has not aged well. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1916 "2021-05-12T00:10:48Z")
I’m not about to go through a thousand posts right now, even though I would find the vast majority interesting; I apologize if this has been mentioned. Tea Leonni is the grandniece of the actor who played Fred Ziffel on Green Acres. ---
**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 12, 2021, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1917 "2021-05-12T09:13:22Z")
In the sitcom “Frasier” > **Eddie** (born May 15, 1990) is the dog owned by Martin, a large [Jack Russell Terrier](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Russell_Terrier). Eddie was played by two dogs during the run: first by [Moose](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moose_%28dog_actor%29), and then by Moose’s son [Enzo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzo_%28dog_actor%29), who first appeared as a [stunt double](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stunt_double). [source](https://thecheersfrasier.fandom.com/wiki/Eddie) ---
**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:** [May 12, 2021, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1918 "2021-05-12T11:52:59Z")
On October 3, 2019, the Los Angeles Dodgers (the MLB baseball team) set a record - having played 1,471 consecutive home games (since April 17, 2000) without being rained out. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2021, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1919 "2021-05-12T15:42:01Z")
I learned this recently from a book I picked up – **The Addams Family: An Evilution**. The book traces the development of the “canonical” members of the Addams family through Charles Addams’ cartoons. It’s rather surprising. “Lurch” (not named in the cartoons, of course, like many of the characters, who first got name for the TV series) originally had dark hair and a beard, and was very likely inspired by Boris Karloff’s butler character Morgan in James Whale’s 1932 movie **The Old Dark House**. (And not inspired by Karloff’s turn as the Frankenstein monster in James Whale’s 1931 film **Frankenstein** ) But that’s not the main thing I came to talk about. What really surprised me was that Thing – the disembodied hand – was not a disembodied hand in Addams’ cartoon. To quote Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > Thing was originally conceived as a whole creature (always seen in the background watching the family) that was too horrible to see in person. Actually, in the drawings, Thing doesn’t appear to be horrible-looking – merely extremely shy. The inspiration for Thing being only a hand appears to be the single cartoon in which Thing is acting as the record-changer (and in which Thing very clearly has _two_ hands, and obviously a body, even if it’s hidden) [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/858/43662640851_846f398918_b.jpg "Thing - Addams Family cartoon by Charles Addams 6227") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/93779577@N00/43662640851) As portrayed in the TV series, Thing was a hand (and, in some episodes, and arm, up to the elbow) usually portrayed by Ted “Lurch” Cassidy, although others substituted when both had to be in a scene. Thing wasn’t shown without his box until the movies. Cousin Itt, on the other hand, _did_ appear in the cartoons as a person-sized hairy creature, just as on TV. > **[The Addams Family: An Evilution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Addams_Family:_An_Evilution)** > > The Addams Family: An Evilution is a book about the "evilution" of The Addams Family characters created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. The book was made to celebrate The Addams Family musical that opened on Broadway in April 2010. > An Evilution is the first book to trace The Addams Family history. It presents more than 200 cartoons created by Addams during his career, including some that were never published. It is arranged by H. Kevin Miserocchi, director of the Tee and Charles Addams ... ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1920 "2021-05-12T16:04:05Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > [The (US) Air & Space Museum](https://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2021/05/smithsonian-curator-in-heaven-over-arrival-of-star-wars-x-wing-its-one-of-the-moments-where-my-kids-think-im-cool.html) has taken delivery of a _Star Wars_ x-wing fighter. > > It strikes me that I am so over _Star Wars._ it has not aged well. Not only that, it is apparently a “new” model from the most recent trilogy, rather than from the original trilogy. Just…not worthy of the Air & Space museum IMO. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2021, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1921 "2021-05-12T16:05:32Z")
In the very first Addams family cartoon published in The New Yorker back in 1938 you can see both the Morgan-inspired “Lurch” with dark hair and beard (and Morticia, of course), but also upstairs, peering through the railing bars, the whole-body person that is Thing. See the first cartoon below the splash panel on this page: > **[An Addams Family History](https://dansmediadigest.co.uk/an-addams-family-history-eb270f90a19b)** > > You know they’re creepy and they’re kooky, but did you know just how many Addams Families there have been? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1922 "2021-05-12T16:15:37Z")
> [@P-man](#): > > I’m not about to go through a thousand posts right now, even though I would find the vast majority interesting; I apologize if this has been mentioned. > > Tea Leonni is the grandniece of the actor who played Fred Ziffel on Green Acres. It wasn’t previously mentioned. But anything involving Fred Ziffel is always of interest to me, if no one else. So thanks for sharing. [https://www.google.com/search?q=Fred+Ziffel&hl=en&tbm=isch](https://www.google.com/search?q=Fred+Ziffel&hl=en&tbm=isch) FYI it only took me a few seconds to confirm you were first. I clicked the magnifying glass search icon, checked the “search this topic” box, then typed [leonni] into the box. A moment later it showed only your post. To make sure I changed [Leonni] to [Ziffel] and got the same result. Nobody else mentioned either of these names. Per Google, the lady spells her name Téa Leoni. With an accent on the “é” and just one “n”. Nobody else mentioned that name either. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674/1923 "2021-05-12T16:16:52Z")
> [@Mark\_Finn](#): > > On October 3, 2019, the Los Angeles Dodgers (the MLB baseball team) set a record - having played 1,471 consecutive home games (since April 17, 2000) without being rained out. The Dodgers (who had a lot of nicknames in their early history) have had their home games attended by more spectators than any other professional sports franchise in the history of the world. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=95) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-us-an-interesting-random-fact-you-stumbled-across-part-1/851674.md?page=97)