random facts

[StuffyClaret]

There are NO skyscrapers in Washington DC

[Fretters]

O.J. Simpson was considered for the role of The Terminator but it was thought that he was 'too nice' to play a killer.

[Bosscat]

O.J. Simpson was considered for the role of The Terminator but it was thought that he was 'too nice' to play a killer.

Dirty Harry ....

Frank Sinatra was originally cast to play Dirty Harry, but a broken wrist he suffered while filming the Manchurian Candidate prevented him from hoisting Harry Calagan’s signature beast of a gun. So he had to quit.

John Wayne was then offered the role, but he turned it down because he didn’t “like being offered Sinatra’s rejections.”

Producers then went after Robert Mitchum, but he turned it down because he thought the role was a “piece of junk.”

Burt Lancaster was then offered the role, but he turned it down because he didn’t agree with the movie’s violence.

Finally Eastwood was offered the script and the rest was movie history.

[NRC]

There are NO skyscrapers in Washington DC

great fact!
that situation emanates from the 1910 Height of Buildings Act. It's principle is to take the height limit from the width of the street on which a building is situated. There are some very wide avenues, such as Pennsylvania Ave, so there is also a maximum of 130ft (about 11 stories) in commercial areas. The one exemption is Pennsylvania Ave, which can have 160ft by exception.

It's fabulous because you get to see the capitol and the skyline feels very open

[giveusaB]

Bohemian Rhapsody contains in it's lyrics the name of the song that knocked it off the number 1 spot (mamma mia).

[dibraidio]

There are NO skyscrapers in Washington DC

On a tour of Chicago I was told that they only built sky scapers after the Great Chicago fire in 1871 previously two thirds of the buildings were made from Wood. After the fire they changed the rules banning wooden houses but because down town land was in short supply they started building taller and taller to make the most of what was there. The story in San Francisco was the same after an earth quake destroyed much of the town in 1906. I don't know what it's like for the other American Cities but without a significant disaster I don't suppose these large urban spaces open up too often to allow for huge building projects. I'm sure London would have far fewer "recent" buildings if it wasn't for the blitz.

[TheFamilyCat]

Haggis has been banned in the US since 1971.

Haggis: bad
Guns: good

God bless America

[Goalposts]

Boeing uses potatoes to test their in-flight Wi-Fi, as they reflect and absorb the signals similarly to people. The project is called Synthetic Personnel Using Dialectic Substitution- or SPUDS.

[Volvoclaret]

Haggis is banned in USA because the little buggers were running rampart due to a hunting ban. Unlike Scotland where they are hunted after 12th August which keeps numbers down and under control. Eventually after importing feral hunter killer bagpipes the USA was finally free of the pest and the ban was imposed.

[dougcollins]

The numbers on a roulette wheel add up to 666.

[redwasp]

There are only 2 "Lakes" in the Lake District.

[FCBurnley]

Burnley were the first ever British club to have a training facility away from the club ground. Prior to that all clubs trained on the pitch.

[Bosscat]

Haggis is banned in USA because the little buggers were running rampart due to a hunting ban. Unlike Scotland where they are hunted after 12th August which keeps numbers down and under control. Eventually after importing feral hunter killer bagpipes the USA was finally free of the pest and the ban was imposed.

The wild haggis's left and right legs are of different lengths (cf. Sidehill gouger or Dahu), allowing it to run quickly around the steep mountains and hillsides which make up its natural habitat, but only in one direction. It is further claimed that there are two varieties of haggis, one with longer left legs and the other with longer right legs. The former variety can run clockwise around a mountain (as seen from above) while the latter can run anticlockwise. The two varieties coexist peacefully but are unable to interbreed in the wild because in order for the male of one variety to mate with a female of the other, he must turn to face in the same direction as his intended mate, causing him to lose his balance before he can mount her. As a result of this difficulty, differences in leg length among the haggis population are accentuated.

[Hipper]

Courtesy of Chat GTP

• The world's deepest postbox is located 10 meters underwater in Susami Bay, Japan.

I would suggest that the one on the Titanic is deeper although it may not get much use.

[Volvoclaret]

The left legged haggis droppings are known as neeps and the right legged ones are called tatties. FACT

[Hipper]

Courtesy of Chat GTP

• The longest word in the English language, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.

I have the Shorter English Dictionary and it's in there! However for the meaning it says 'a factitious long word alleged to mean 'a lung disease caused by inhaling very fine ash and sand dust'.

Of course I now have to look up 'factitious' which is in the other volume - this means 'made for a special purpose, not genuine'.

[ClaretinJapan]

There is nothing better in life than writing on the sole of your slipper with a biro

Mary had a little lamb
the doctors were astounded
everywhere she went
gynaecologists surrounded

99% of gargoyles look like Bob Todd

[Jjjack]

There are only 2 "Lakes" in the Lake District.

There is only 1 Lake in the lake district which is Bassenthwaite. 'Lake' Windermere is a mere, the 'Lake' was added for tourist reasons.

[Tricky Trevor]

There is only 1 Lake in the lake district which is Bassenthwaite. 'Lake' Windermere is a mere, the 'Lake' was added for tourist reasons.

Thank you. I immediately thought there’s only one but couldn’t be arsed getting the maps out.