I Love Wikipedia

(Where "I" is David, Joe, and Sarah.)

Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson saw the movie during its initial release, between sessions for Smile. Under the influence of drugs, the early stages of schizotypal behavior, and pressure to complete Smile, Wilson found Seconds an especially intense experience, that affected him personally (beginning with his arriving late; the first dialogue he heard onscreen was “Come in, Mr. Wilson”, taking him by surprise). His state of mind shifted over the next months, between fantasies of escaping his own life in a similar way, and thoughts that perhaps rival producer Phil Spector had somehow convinced Columbia Pictures (sic) to make the movie “to mess with my mind”. Wilson later abandoned the Smile sessions, and did not see another movie in a theater until E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 1982.

Due to the use of their names as call signs, the Peanuts characters Charlie Brown and Snoopy became semi-official mascots for the [Apollo 10] mission. Peanuts creator Charles Schulz also drew some special mission-related artwork for NASA.

(Hat tip to this post at the Atlantic)

Changaa or Chang’aa (literal meaning “kill me quick”) is an alcoholic drink which is popular in Kenya. Distilled from grains like millet, maize and sorghum, it is very potent….The alcoholic content is sometimes increased by adding substances like jet fuel, embalming fluid or battery acid, which has the effect of giving the beverage more ‘kick’.Drinkers have suffered blindness or death due to methanol poisoning. In Nairobi slums like Korogocho, the water used to make the drink is often contaminated with feces, and women’s underwear along with decomposing dead rats have been found in the drink during police raids.

Die Geschichte von dem wilden Jäger” (The Story of the Wild Huntsman) is the only story not primarily focused on children. In it, a hare steals a hunter’s musket and eyeglasses and begins to hunt the hunter. In the ensuing chaos, the hare’s child is burned by hot coffee and the hunter falls into a well, presumably to his death.

—Summary of a story in Der Struwwelpeter.

Eventually, the Count kidnaps Betty and takes her to an abandoned silver mine. Billy confronts the Count but soon finds that bullets are no match for a vampire. The Count subdues the notorious outlaw and sets out to transform Betty into his vampire mate. Just then, the town sheriff and a country doctor arrive. The doctor hands Billy a scalpel telling him he must drive it through the vampire’s heart. Billy throws his gun at the vampire and knocks him senseless, making him easy pickings for a staking. With the count destroyed, Betty is saved and Billy takes her away, presumably to live happily ever after.

Eventually, the Count kidnaps Betty and takes her to an abandoned silver mine. Billy confronts the Count but soon finds that bullets are no match for a vampire. The Count subdues the notorious outlaw and sets out to transform Betty into his vampire mate. Just then, the town sheriff and a country doctor arrive. The doctor hands Billy a scalpel telling him he must drive it through the vampire’s heart. Billy throws his gun at the vampire and knocks him senseless, making him easy pickings for a staking. With the count destroyed, Betty is saved and Billy takes her away, presumably to live happily ever after.

There is a curious apocryphal story that Berwick is (or recently was) technically at war with Russia. The story tells that since Berwick had changed hands several times, it was traditionally regarded as a special, separate entity, and some proclamations referred to “England, Scotland and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed”. One such was the declaration of the Crimean War against Russia in 1853, which Queen Victoria supposedly signed as “Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, Ireland, Berwick-upon-Tweed and all British Dominions”. However, when the Treaty of Paris (1856) was signed to conclude the war, “Berwick-upon-Tweed” was left out. This meant that, supposedly, one of Britain’s smallest towns was officially at war with one of the world’s largest powers – and the conflict extended by the lack of a peace treaty for over a century. According to a story by George Hawthorne in The Guardian of December 28, 1966, the London correspondent of Pravda visited the Mayor of Berwick, Councillor Robert Knox, and the two made a mutual declaration of peace. Knox said “Please tell the Russian people through your newspaper that they can sleep peacefully in their beds.” 

There is a curious apocryphal story that Berwick is (or recently was) technically at war with Russia. The story tells that since Berwick had changed hands several times, it was traditionally regarded as a special, separate entity, and some proclamations referred to “England, Scotland and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed”. One such was the declaration of the Crimean War against Russia in 1853, which Queen Victoria supposedly signed as “Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, Ireland, Berwick-upon-Tweed and all British Dominions”. However, when the Treaty of Paris (1856) was signed to conclude the war, “Berwick-upon-Tweed” was left out. This meant that, supposedly, one of Britain’s smallest towns was officially at war with one of the world’s largest powers – and the conflict extended by the lack of a peace treaty for over a century.

According to a story by George Hawthorne in The Guardian of December 28, 1966, the London correspondent of Pravda visited the Mayor of Berwick, Councillor Robert Knox, and the two made a mutual declaration of peace. Knox said “Please tell the Russian people through your newspaper that they can sleep peacefully in their beds.” 

[David Mitchell] once claimed he is “not remotely interested in music” but owns two CDs, Phil Collins’ …But Seriously and Susan Boyle’s debut, though he has expressed a dislike for both.

[David Mitchell] once claimed he is “not remotely interested in music” but owns two CDs, Phil Collins’ …But Seriously and Susan Boyle’s debut, though he has expressed a dislike for both.

“Most Caldor stores had a bookselling department, and the stores would often post the New York Times Best Seller list to inform its shoppers. The posting of the list led to a spat with the newspaper in 1993. That year, Howard Stern released his autobiography Private Parts. Caldor wanted nothing to do with the book and would not carry it in its stores. In fact, Caldor would not even acknowledge the book’s place on the list once it reached the top spot, moving every other book on the list up one place. The New York Times told Caldor that in order to post the list, all of the books on it had to be acknowledged. Caldor responded by not posting the list the next week.”

“Most Caldor stores had a bookselling department, and the stores would often post the New York Times Best Seller list to inform its shoppers. The posting of the list led to a spat with the newspaper in 1993. That year, Howard Stern released his autobiography Private Parts. Caldor wanted nothing to do with the book and would not carry it in its stores. In fact, Caldor would not even acknowledge the book’s place on the list once it reached the top spot, moving every other book on the list up one place. The New York Times told Caldor that in order to post the list, all of the books on it had to be acknowledged. Caldor responded by not posting the list the next week.”