This week brought news of an especially horrific plane crash, the deadliest in over a decade and among the deadliest ever. We’d like to take your mind off that with some random facts, only three of which are related to airplanes.
If you read carefully, you might also learn a bit about how to make a fortune or at least how to avoid being fooled by Big Antiseptic.
Leave ’Em Laughing
Vaudeville star Bert Williams collapsed onstage on February 27, 1922, and the audience laughed, assuming that was part of the act. “That’s a nice way to die,” said Williams, as he was led out. “They was laughing when I made my last exit.” He was joking, but he did die within the week.
Moderate Rock
Many websites claim to offer the lyrics to the song “Tourette’s” by Nirvana. This would come as a surprise to Kurt Cobain, both because he wasn’t terribly familiar with websites and because he said the bulk of the song contained no words or sentences at all, just screams.
Are My Arms Tired
A Delta flight last month had to postpone takeoff to capture a pigeon that was flying loose in the cabin. Then, they had to stop a second time when they discovered a second pigeon. Spokespersons offered jokes but no explanation on how the birds had got in there.
Pig Out
The cast of Apollo 13 trained hard so their bodies could handle the film’s zero-gravity scenes. The crew didn’t prepare themselves as much, leading to one cameraman vomiting on Kevin Bacon.
Lake Great Lake
You might think Lake Ontario is named for the Canadian province of Ontario. It might be more accurate to say the province is named for the lake. “Ontario” comes from a Huron word meaning “great lake.”
NASA
Covered Up
Keanu Reeves and Ana de Armas had a movie in 2016 that most people missed. In fact, even the director of Exposed disowned the film, refusing to be credited by name.
Big Brother Is Watching
If you’re thinking of a new career, consider a job as a hole watcher. When people work in holes, it’s good practice to employ a dedicated hole watcher to keep an eye on things and make sure no one passes out.
A World Without You
Many people don’t know that It’s a Wonderful Life was based on a short story, titled “The Greatest Gift.” This story, in turn, was based on a different Christmas story that everyone knows: A Christmas Carol.
Close to the Sun
Robert Schumann was a pianist with an idea for an invention that could make playing the piano easier. It used a cigar box and wires and was supposed to strengthen the fingers. Trying it instead permanently injured his fingers, and he could never properly play the piano again.
Hogwash
For 55 years, Listerine ads claimed that gargling with the mouthwash prevents colds by killing germs. It does not — or, if it does, gargling with warm water does the job just as well. So, in 1976, the FTC ordered Listerine ads to say, “Contrary to prior advertising, Listerine will not help prevent colds or sore throats or lessen their severity.”
Popular Science
Leave. Paid Leave
Ian Fleming wrote all his James Bond books while vacationing in Jamaica. He worked at The Times of London during these years, but he talked the paper into giving him two months off annually, and he spent the time off at his Jamaican estate.
The Business
In Panama, one species of monkey has started kidnapping the young of another. Not only does this offer no evolutionary benefit — it offers the kidnappers no clear benefit at all. Perhaps monkeys are just evil.
A Plane With No Beer
Australian authorities kicked The Who off a plane in 1968 for drinking too much beer. Prime Minister John Gorton then informed them that once they left the country, they would never again be allowed back in. They didn’t return till 2004, after Gorton had died.
The Real Estater
Arnold Schwarzenegger was a millionaire before he starred in movies. He made some money bodybuilding, and then he multiplied that by buying apartments in the 1970s and selling them at a profit.
Duel of the Pedants
In 1912, a dying man in Peoria gave a surprising confession. He was secretly John P. Davis, a fugitive who had murdered a man in 1876 over an argument about how to pronounce “Newfoundland.” The confession apparently did him well, as he now recovered and went on the run again.
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