today I learned:
- chris brown appeared in court in 2012 with his lawyer regarding his probation after assaulting rihanna. he began addressing the court, but was interrupted by his lawyer, who said, “I don’t dance; you don’t talk”
- a new study has suggested that “hating on fat people just makes them fatter” as many of them cope with the hatred/anxiety with food. so quit vein’ a peen about it and be kind.
- jimi hendrix insisted on being the final performer at the 1969 woodstock and was scheduled to perform on sunday at midnight. he didn’t take the stage until 9am on monday morning, and played for 2 hours to a dwindling audience.
- the playing card company ‘bicycle’, during WWII, manufactured a playing cared that, when soaked, would reveal an escape route for POWs (prisoners of war). these cards were christmas presents for all POWs in germany 🙂
- movie theatre popcorn costs more per ounce than filet mignon.
- new research suggests that psychopaths don’t lack empathy, but rather can turn it on and off at will.
- in japan there are more pets than children under the age of 15.
- chinese checkers is actually a german variation of an american game. it was later introduced to the chinese by the japanese.
- tickling was a form of torture used in ancient china on nobility because it didn’t leave a mark and the victims recovered quickly.
- when coming into power in january of 1933, the nazi party [assed a comprehensive set of animal protection laws, with hitler saying, “in the new reich, no more animal cruelty will be allowed”. I guess he forgot that animals are human too.
- the number of chinese individuals killed by the japanese during WWII is greater than the number of jewish individuals killed in the holocaust.
- there is a tribe called the sentinels who live on a little island in the indian ocean. for thousands of years, they have refused all contact with the outside world. using only stones and arrows, they have successfully repelled arabs, persians, indians, europeans, AND helicopters.
- betty white currently holds the guinness world record for the longest career in tv…..65 years!!!
- there was a private prison that fed the prisoners vegan meals, gave bible studies, offered job training and anger management therapy. violence amongst the prisoners dramatically decreased and inmates of all ethnicities/races associated with each other. only 2% were rearrested (in other places the rearrest rate is much higher, like california at 95%!!!!)
- many countries and 9 US states chemically castrate sex offenders.
- in 1988, cosmo magazine claimed that unprotected sex with an HIV-positive man did not put women at risk of infection and it was impossible to transmit HIV in the missionary position. thanks once again, cosmo, for the great advice…
- 20,000 bibles were once donated from the US to romania. they turned them into toilet paper.
- bear grills once rowed naked for 22 miles in a homemade bathtub along the thames river to raise funds for a friend who lost his legs in a climbing accident.
- ethiopia donated $5000 to earthquake victims in mexico because mexico supported ethiopia when italy invaded in 1935.
- arnold schwarzenegger turned down his $207,500 yearly salary stating it was “petty cash”. instead, he “gave it back to the community” and didn’t collect a salary the entire time he served 🙂
todaywelearned 