Things you were shockingly old when you learned

The only reason that's fresh in my mind is that I just listened to a book on the topic of the "war of the currents." It was truly bizarre, and the execution of the elephant was horrific--although it was a successful film (produced by the Edison Company) in kinetoscope arcades for years afterwards.

a shockingly old tale

I only know about the whole Tesla/Edison/Topsy thing because of Bob's Burgers, rather embarrassingly.

An elephant is a dreadful thing to waste so surprised people can think they have them to spare.
Really odd that Hoffman gives no background other than numerical statistic.
Aren't they supposed to be intelligent creatures like whales are. Which gives a further reason not to just waste them.

that there's a real place called Penzance, and it's in England. i just thought it was what a weirdo lite opera man would make up as a name for some pirates to be from

It's in Cornwall. Which I think was at one point a separate people. I still never made it there. I think I was just about to head down to the Elephant Fayre when I got invited on my first trip to Ireland.
Yeah thinking how many lifts I could do it in hitching.

Must have 2 festivals confused was it the goat fair? Looks like Elephant Fayre ended in 1986 not 90.

Tarantara

Turns out that not only is Talia Shire Francis Ford Coppola's sister, she's also Jason Schwartzmann's mother! I honestly don't have a clear picture of the Coppola acting dynasty in my head, it seems to encompass most of Hollywood.

lol I just learned that two days ago, my friend told me

And Nic Cage is Coppola's nephew!

that one i did know

I knew most of that stuff but don’t worry, I am sure there’s plenty of stuff I’ll be shocked to learn coming down the pike.

Talia Shire was also married to composer David Shire, who composed the score to The Conversation

Talia and Francis' father, Carmine, was a composer (scored Apocalypse Now among many many others)

I love all this stuff tbh

David Shire is good new info, thanks

Reading about Nic Cage’s dad now, Dr. August Coppola.

you guys are gonna laugh at me but i don't care. it just dawned on me YESTERDAY that XTC were telling me that the world was...round.

to be fair, though, not all u.k. BISCUITS are round. there could be some confusion there...

You're not alone, Scott.

Things you were shockingly old when you learned

oblate spheriod (earth) vs prolate spheroid (american football) vs sphere (soccer ball) vs wtf are you eating for cookies (cookie)

i mean if a baked good is shaped closer to earth it might be a donut hole.

haha, i never saw that post of yours! yeah, it makes sense though.

Charles and Ray Eames who designed the Eames chair were not brothers but a married couple

like Rufus and Chaka Khan

I thought Rufus morphed out of the American Breed who had the Original hit with Bend Me, Shape Me. Song went on to be a hit for Amen Corner.
First l.p. by Rufus was pretty good. Denim cover photo.

the other day:

maria: you know that on a car there is a tiny arrow next to the little fuel pump on the gas gauge to show you which side the fuel cap is on, right?

me: uhhhh, of course i knew that what do you take me for?

Along those lines, I only recently learned that the control boxes with the button you press to cross at uk pedestrian crossings have a little knob on the underside that starts spinning when the lights change, so visually impaired ppl can feel when it’s safe to cross

Er, what?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkWhIQPff-M

Yep, check it next time! I know some of them also beep but not all

I only know this because of my nephew who loves to feel for the twirly thing at the lights

28 years old he is stew

About the same time as I learned about the twiddly knobs on the underside of the control boxes, I also learned that they are now putting the red/green man on the same side of the road as you when you're waiting to cross, not the other side. The idea is that if you're not staring at the man on the other side of the road you're more likely to be aware of cars.

feel the little knob

this morning: the etymology of courtesy, which of course refers to behavior that is worthy of a court. i think i must have known this at some point and then forgot, since the norbert elias book i'm re-reading is heavily annotated by past me.

my kids used to think the little twirly knob was a hack to make the light change quicker and no amount of explanation would dissuade them

absolutely fucking floored by this knob news lads, never even dreamed such a thing was possible

Out of context bait

snap

> absolutely fucking floored by this knob news lads

where were you all in 2015 when it was first mentioned?

gazing raptly at the green man across the road as we stepped happily out into the traffic

Ray Parker Jr. plays the guitar solo on Stevie Wonder "Maybe Your Baby"

The Nice were formed to back up PP Arnold.

I've been listening to Mouse On Mars for 30 years but didn't realise that (according to tvtropes.org), "Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma ... were born on the same day, in the same hospital, in the same room," and were childhood friends.

that has to be a joke, right?

who knows! I actually went to middle school with a kid I'd never met before who was born in the same hospital, the same day. I mentioned that to my parents and they explained there was actually a mix up and he was taken to my parents' room and vice versa but it was very quickly figured out because we didn't look alike

I never knew that Jim Steinman produced "This Corrosion" until right this second! That's wild. (its kinda the one song i want to hear by SoM every blue moon...)

I found this out a few months ago. So weird but I love it - The song and the fact that he produced it.

Just learned yesterday about the first, Spector-produced, version of "Tell the Truth" by Derek and the Dominos. (Includes G. Harrison and D. Mason and was recorded during the ATMP sessions.)

xxp he also did "Dominion" and "More" (from the next album). Perfect pairing imo

I learned for the first time yesterday that "lizard people" is an antisemitic trope.

I remember reading a Jon Ronson book where he was traveling around with David Icke as his events were being protested and cancelled because people were calling him an anti-Semite and Ronson’s take was, “No, when he says lizards, he means LIZARDS — what you’re failing to understand is, HE’S INSANE.”

i'm afraid to know any more of ronson, despite my real appreciation of his work i know. some is q insightful, some so "well, duh." i'll just keep reading/listening i guess.