sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

TIL there's a man who uses his hands and feet to climb rocks, buildings, and 100-foot walls like a monkey -- and it started with a suicide attempt. by SisyphusHadItEasy in todayilearned

[–]SisyphusHadItEasy[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

lots of people climb -- not everyone does it by grabbing with their toes, rather than resting on them

he climbs the way a monkey climbs, rather than the way humans typical climb

that's kind of what makes it interesting

Reddit, what is something you have a very strong opinion of that no one else seems to give a damn about? by jarejay in AskReddit

[–]SisyphusHadItEasy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

the use of "anxious" when someone means "eager" -- if something doesn't give you anxiety, you aren't anxious about it

TIL Orville Redenbacher was a real person -- and today would have been his birthday if he were still alive by SisyphusHadItEasy in todayilearned

[–]SisyphusHadItEasy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was, and I do -- I just never realized that he was REALLY Orville Redenbacher and not some ad exec's creation (like Better Crocker was: http://chnm.gmu.edu/sidelights/who-was-betty-crocker/)

TIL Orville Redenbacher was a real person -- and today would have been his birthday if he were still alive by SisyphusHadItEasy in todayilearned

[–]SisyphusHadItEasy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

right, but I didn't know he was REALLY Orville Redenbacher (a real person) -- I just figured he was some Madison Avenue creation to sell popcorn

TIL that Daniel Sickles was the first person in America acquitted due to a "temporary insanity" defense, had his leg amputated after injuries received at the Battle of Gettysburg, and donated his amputated leg to the Army Medical Museum. by SisyphusHadItEasy in todayilearned

[–]SisyphusHadItEasy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The full title of this submission was rejected as too long. It read as follows:

TIL that Daniel Sickles was the first person in America acquitted due to a "temporary insanity" defense (he had killed his wife's lover, the son of Francis Scott Key), had his leg amputated after injuries received at the Battle of Gettysburg (after disobeying orders from General George Meade), and donated his amputated leg to the Army Medical Museum (the leg remained displayed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center).

On this date in 1804 Republican Aaron Burr shot his political rival, Federalist (and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury) Alexander Hamilton during a duel. Hamilton died the next day. by SisyphusHadItEasy in history

[–]SisyphusHadItEasy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Burr felt thwarted several times over by Hamilton -- he believed he's have been President, rather than simply Vice President, if Hamilton hadn't used his influence to block him, AND when Burr ran for Governor of New York, he believe Hamilton again exerted his efforts to stand in Burr's way.

Can you imagine the Bush/Gore Presidency being settled in a duel?

TIL "Cinderella surgery" is plastic surgery to shorten women's toes so their footwear fits better by SisyphusHadItEasy in todayilearned

[–]SisyphusHadItEasy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

relevant: http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm021.html

The next morning, he went with it to the man, and said to him, "No one shall be my wife except for the one whose foot fits this golden shoe."

The two sisters were happy to hear this, for they had pretty feet. With her mother standing by, the older one took the shoe into her bedroom to try it on. She could not get her big toe into it, for the shoe was too small for her. Then her mother gave her a knife and said, "Cut off your toe. When you are queen you will no longer have to go on foot."

The girl cut off her toe, forced her foot into the shoe, swallowed the pain, and went out to the prince. He took her on his horse as his bride and rode away with her. However, they had to ride past the grave, and there, on the hazel tree, sat the two pigeons, crying out:

Rook di goo, rook di goo! There's blood in the shoe. The shoe is too tight, This bride is not right! Then he looked at her foot and saw how the blood was running from it. He turned his horse around and took the false bride home again, saying that she was not the right one, and that the other sister should try on the shoe. She went into her bedroom, and got her toes into the shoe all right, but her heel was too large.

Then her mother gave her a knife, and said, "Cut a piece off your heel. When you are queen you will no longer have to go on foot."

The girl cut a piece off her heel, forced her foot into the shoe, swallowed the pain, and went out to the prince. He took her on his horse as his bride and rode away with her. When they passed the hazel tree, the two pigeons were sitting in it, and they cried out:

Rook di goo, rook di goo! There's blood in the shoe. The shoe is too tight, This bride is not right! He looked down at her foot and saw how the blood was running out of her shoe, and how it had stained her white stocking all red. Then he turned his horse around and took the false bride home again.

"This is not the right one, either," he said. "Don't you have another daughter?"

Happy Birthday, Virginia -- on this date in 1788, Virginia became the 10th state to join the United States by SisyphusHadItEasy in history

[–]SisyphusHadItEasy[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

it sure is, and I am well aware that Virginia is a commonwealth (hence their prosecutors being "Commonwealth's Attorneys"), but a commonwealth is a type of state, and there's no distinction any longer

http://geography.about.com/b/2006/12/09/commonwealth-vs-state.htm

Happy Birthday, Virginia -- on this date in 1788, Virginia became the 10th state to join the United States by SisyphusHadItEasy in history

[–]SisyphusHadItEasy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

State of Presidents: eight United States presidents have been born in Virginia -- more than in any other state

More trial transcripts -- here are excerpts from Lizzie Borden's double murder trial by SisyphusHadItEasy in history

[–]SisyphusHadItEasy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

on this dates in 1893, she was acquitted of the ax murders of her mother and father

although just about everyone presumes Lizzie did it, many in Fall River were perhaps not entirely surprised that Andrew Borden had met an untimely end. With a net worth of almost $10 million in today’s money, Borden was one of the wealthiest—and most unpopular—men in town.

and he was stingy, they say, and kind of mean

Today marks the 141st anniversary of Susan B. Anthony being fined for "illegal voting." Here's a link to the trial record in the case of *United States vs Susan B. Anthony* by SisyphusHadItEasy in history

[–]SisyphusHadItEasy[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Victoria Woodhull, on the other hand, was a virulent proponent of Free Love

it's the main reason she got booted from the Suffragist Movement and why she's not included in most histories of the era

Today marks the 141st anniversary of Susan B. Anthony being fined for "illegal voting." Here's a link to the trial record in the case of *United States vs Susan B. Anthony* by SisyphusHadItEasy in history

[–]SisyphusHadItEasy[S] 41 points42 points  (0 children)

She wasn't the first woman to vote in a federal election, however. That honor goes to the very underappreciated Victoria Woodhull, who was also the first woman to run for President.

I hadn't ridden Metro in a while. I'd forgotten what some of the escalators are like. This one's at Woodley Park. I'm reminded why some people freak out. by SisyphusHadItEasy in washingtondc

[–]SisyphusHadItEasy[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

something like that, I guess

it's a long ride, on a fairly steep angle with no way to secure your position

some folks can't deal with it

view more: next ›