Stuff you didn't know and probably don't care about

[Charmonium]

Guess who sold the most cds in 2016, go ahead. You'll never guess. Never.

Spoiler

If you had to guess which musical artist had the top-selling CD of the year, you might guess someone like Adele, Drake, or Beyonce. But in fact, in terms of the number of CDs sold, the top artist of 2016 was another musician often known by just one name: Mozart, as in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the prolific and influential Austrian composer of the Classical era of the mid- to late-1700s. Mozart 225: The New Complete Edition has sold 1.25 million copies so far, although that number may be slightly misleading as it individually counts every CD in the collection, which consists of a whopping 200 compact discs and includes every single work by the classical music giant. Mozart 225: The New Complete Edition features 600 world-class soloists and 60 orchestras and offers 240 hours of enjoyment.

Growing up gifted in the 1700s:

• Born in Salzburg, Mozart demonstrated a prodigious musical ability from an early age. He composed his first piece at the age of 5 and performed on keyboard and violin for European royalty.
  
• Mozart wrote his first symphony when he was 8 years old. It is believed that his father transcribed most of it for him.
  
• Strangely enough, Mozart had a particular fondness for scatalogical humor. Examples can be found in his letters, particularly those written to his cousin, Maria Anna Thekla Mozart, around 1777.

http://www.wisegeek.com/which-recording-artist-sold-the-most-cds-in-2016.htm

 

[zerocool84]

Guess who sold the most cds in 2016, go ahead. You'll never guess. Never.

Spoiler

If you had to guess which musical artist had the top-selling CD of the year, you might guess someone like Adele, Drake, or Beyonce. But in fact, in terms of the number of CDs sold, the top artist of 2016 was another musician often known by just one name: Mozart, as in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the prolific and influential Austrian composer of the Classical era of the mid- to late-1700s. Mozart 225: The New Complete Edition has sold 1.25 million copies so far, although that number may be slightly misleading as it individually counts every CD in the collection, which consists of a whopping 200 compact discs and includes every single work by the classical music giant. Mozart 225: The New Complete Edition features 600 world-class soloists and 60 orchestras and offers 240 hours of enjoyment.

Growing up gifted in the 1700s:

• Born in Salzburg, Mozart demonstrated a prodigious musical ability from an early age. He composed his first piece at the age of 5 and performed on keyboard and violin for European royalty.
  
• Mozart wrote his first symphony when he was 8 years old. It is believed that his father transcribed most of it for him.
  
• Strangely enough, Mozart had a particular fondness for scatalogical humor. Examples can be found in his letters, particularly those written to his cousin, Maria Anna Thekla Mozart, around 1777.

http://www.wisegeek.com/which-recording-artist-sold-the-most-cds-in-2016.htm

I guess that makes sense since anyone who buys modern artists wouldn't buy their tracks on CD. Older people would still buy CD.

 

[Charmonium]

That's a good point. Here's a good article on how the revenue breaks down these days - http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/25/b...eady-but-lucrative-cd-sales-decline.html?_r=0

Interesting fact - vinyl generates more revenue than youtube.

Also note that the 1.25 million noted only required about 5700 sales.

 

[shortylickens]

The novel for Gremlins states that Mogwai are actually a failed alien experiment.

 

[Charmonium]

Zoril - basically an African skunk

 

[KMFJD]

 

[feralkid]

Doritos started out as garbage can tortillas

http://www.wisegeek.com/how-were-doritos-invented.htm

Zapotec people did the same thing in the same region 2000 years earlier.

Without the artificial flavoring, of course.

Pre-Columbian peoples had no concept of "Cool Ranch", apparently.



.

 

[shortylickens]

Ultimate does not mean best.
It means final.

 

[Charmonium]

The drawer under your oven isn't for holding pots and pans. D'oh!

http://www.wisegeek.com/why-does-everyone-put-their-pot-and-pans-under-the-stove.htm

You know that drawer underneath the oven, where you throw all the saucepan lids, cookie sheets, and muffin tins? Manufacturers say that it's actually a warming drawer, and you’re supposed to be using it to keep hot foods at serving temperature, especially when you’re making an elaborate meal for a lot of guests. Who knew? However, it’s important to know that this drawer isn’t designed for cooking food, just for keeping it warm after it comes out of the oven.

Kitchens of the past:

• The first cast iron stove was invented in 1795 by Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford. It had a single fire source and the temperature could be regulated for several pots at the same time.
  
• The first commercial gas stove, designed by James Sharp, hit the market in 1834. The gas stove was easier to regulate and required less upkeep than wood or coal stoves.
  
• Electric stoves were first used in the 1890s, following the introduction of home electricity. The Amana Corporation, a subsidiary of Raytheon, introduced the first microwave in 1967, but the high price and the public's fear of radiation delayed its acceptance.

 

[IronWing]

The drawer under your oven isn't for holding pots and pans. D'oh!

http://www.wisegeek.com/why-does-everyone-put-their-pot-and-pans-under-the-stove.htm

Amana Corporation started as the religious Amana Colonies.

 

[shortylickens]

One ounce of water weighs 1.043 ounces.

 

[Imp]

I think they already technically dam the fuq out of the St. Lawrence for hydroelectric power and canals for ships. I haven't heard them collecting all the fresh water and selling it at the last possible point... seems like a waste of fresh water.

 

[Mai72]

When some people die, their body turns to soap.

 

[KMFJD]

I think they already technically dam the fuq out of the St. Lawrence for hydroelectric power and canals for ships. I haven't heard them collecting all the fresh water and selling it at the last possible point... seems like a waste of fresh water.

huh? Where did i imply that ?

 

[Chaotic42]

Pre-Columbian peoples had no concept of "Cool Ranch", apparently.

Look at where that got them.

 

[Charmonium]

When some people die, their body turns to soap.

Saponification.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryglossary/ss/Saponification-Definition.htm

 

[louis redfoot]

a cheap fast food employee scam:

when it's late night at the drive-thru, the attendant will notify you that the computers are down and they can only take cash. you'll get your food, and no receipt. guess what, the food was just stolen and the cash pocketed.

 

[Imp]

huh? Where did i imply that ?

You didn't, I'm wondering why they haven't done the selling thing.

 

[Charmonium]

5-10% of people have never experienced a headache. But they're still a pain in my ass.

Most people get headaches from time to time, but not everyone is familiar with the many different types of headaches that can occur. Ninety percent of headaches are considered primary, including tension headaches, migraines, and cluster headaches. Secondary headaches are triggered by an underlying problem, such as sinusitis. Traction headaches or inflammatory headaches are caused by a medical condition. And it may surprise you to learn that not everyone gets headaches. In fact, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says that about 10 percent of all men and 5 percent of women have never experienced a headache.

Wrap your head around this:

• About 45 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches. That's roughly one in six people. More men suffer from them -- about 25 million compared to 20 million women.
  
• The World Health Organization says that more work hours are lost to migraine headaches than to any other neurological disorder. Migraine attacks are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.
  
• If you spend all day staring at a computer screen or at your phone, you might develop something called computer vision syndrome, an eye strain condition that can be accompanied by a headache.

http://www.wisegeek.com/does-everyone-get-headaches-now-and-then.htm

 

[IronWing]

I rarely get headaches, usually when I'm sick with something else and I rarely get sick. I've had a couple dehydration headaches and I can't say I'd recommend doing that.

 

[KMFJD]

Two bullets that collided at Gallipoli in WW1

 

[Charmonium]

People who swear are more honest. I coulda f***in' told ya that.

We seem to be choosing our words less carefully these days. Words that were formerly never used in movie and TV scripts are now uttered freely. Even President Donald Trump used off-color speech while campaigning in 2016 -- and his supporters said that made him seem more genuine. Now, a January 2017 study conducted by the University of Cambridge tells us that people who swear are often more honest. The researchers concluded that people who don’t filter their language are also less likely to filter their views. The researchers asked 276 people why they swear, and most of the respondents said that it was to express their true selves and be honest, or to express negative emotions, rather than to insult or intimidate others.

Can we handle the truth?

• The study found that people from northeastern U.S. states such as Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York are more likely to swear than folks in southern states like South Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi.
  
• Commenting on the study results, co-author David Stillwell admitted that swearing is often inappropriate. “If people said what they think all the time,” he added, “would that really be a good thing?”
  
• In the 1939 film Gone With the Wind, Rhett Butler says, “Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.” The filmmakers were fined $5,000 USD for violating the Motion Picture Production Code by including profanity.

http://www.wisegeek.com/is-it-bad-to-use-swear-words.htm

 

[Charmonium]

Why does time fly when you're having fun? Because dopamine is being released in a particular part of your brain which is slowing down your perception of time.

Dopamine neurons in a brain region known as the substantia nigra pars compacta can alter the perception of time, according to new research published in Science in December. Stimulating or inhibiting these cells makes mice behave as if time is moving faster or slower, the researchers found. More specifically, boosting dopamine activity slows down the animals’ internal clock, leading them to underestimate time intervals.

The study — the first to look so precisely at dopamine activity during timing judgments — provides a potential molecular mechanism for the perception that ‘time flies when you’re having fun.’ “It’s an impressive study that combines optogenetics and other techniques to show that if you knock out dopamine neurons, you can change temporal perception in predictable ways,” says Howard Eichenbaum, a neuroscientist at Boston University who was not involved in the study.

More at link

https://www.simonsfoundation.org/fe...amine-cells-influence-our-perception-of-time/

Dopamine cells in the substantia nigra influence perception of time. Credit: Nicolas Tritsch

 

[sdifox]

Two bullets that collided at Gallipoli in WW1

how did they find that?

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

how did they find that?

Pulled it out of the poor sap it ran in to.