Did you know...?

[Kajehase]

David M Mallon wrote:

Billy Ray Cyrus' multi-platinum hit single "Achy Breaky Heart" was originally written by Nashville songwriter Don Von Tress 1990 as a single for The Oak Ridge Boys. However, Oak Ridge Boys lead singer Duane Allen thought that the lyrics were too silly and passed the song off to California country band The Marcy Brothers, who changed a few lyrics (for example, "achy breaky" became "achy breakin'") and released it in 1991 as "Don't Tell My Heart."

That same year, Billy Ray Cyrus heard Von Tress's original version of the song, and chose to include it on his debut album Some Gave All in 1992. "Achy Breaky Heart" is written in the key of A major and possesses only two chords: A and E. The song is considered by some as one of the worst songs of all time, featuring at number two in VH1 and Blender's list of the "50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs Ever."

While I agree that it's a pretty bad song, saying it's one of the worst of all time completely ignore the Swedish Eurovision Song Contest qualifiers which will throw up 5-10 completely objectively utter stinkers per annum.

[DungeonmasterCal]

David M Mallon wrote:

Billy Ray Cyrus' multi-platinum hit single "Achy Breaky Heart" was originally written by Nashville songwriter Don Von Tress 1990 as a single for The Oak Ridge Boys. However, Oak Ridge Boys lead singer Duane Allen thought that the lyrics were too silly and passed the song off to California country band The Marcy Brothers, who changed a few lyrics (for example, "achy breaky" became "achy breakin'") and released it in 1991 as "Don't Tell My Heart."

That same year, Billy Ray Cyrus heard Von Tress's original version of the song, and chose to include it on his debut album Some Gave All in 1992. "Achy Breaky Heart" is written in the key of A major and possesses only two chords: A and E. The song is considered by some as one of the worst songs of all time, featuring at number two in VH1 and Blender's list of the "50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs Ever."

I was the lighting tech for a country band that covered a lot of songs during that time period. It got the point people were requesting the song 5 or more times a night. We finally put up a sign in front of the stage that said we would walk out if the song was asked for me than three times. We did, twice.

[David M Mallon]

Theconiel wrote:

David M Mallon wrote:

Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones (2002) is the longest Star Wars film to date, clocking in at 142 minutes. The shortest film in the series is Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), with a running time of 127 minutes.

Oh...

I thought Attack of the Clones just seemed like the longest film. Ever.

I'd venture that the interminable awkward "romance" scenes between Anakin and Padmé helped both to pad the actual and perceived length.

My personal vote for "longest Star Wars thing ever" would have to go to the eight-minute-long lightsaber duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan at the end of Revenge Of The Sith. Every time I have to sit through it, it feels like an hour.

For comparison, the next-longest duels in the series (the two-on-one duel between Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Darth Maul from The Phantom Menace, and the one between Luke and Darth Vader from The Empire Strikes Back) were just four minutes each, and the iconic duel between Luke and Vader in Return Of The Jedi clocked in at just under two minutes.

[David M Mallon]

DungeonmasterCal wrote:

David M Mallon wrote:

Billy Ray Cyrus' multi-platinum hit single "Achy Breaky Heart" was originally written by Nashville songwriter Don Von Tress 1990 as a single for The Oak Ridge Boys. However, Oak Ridge Boys lead singer Duane Allen thought that the lyrics were too silly and passed the song off to California country band The Marcy Brothers, who changed a few lyrics (for example, "achy breaky" became "achy breakin'") and released it in 1991 as "Don't Tell My Heart."

That same year, Billy Ray Cyrus heard Von Tress's original version of the song, and chose to include it on his debut album Some Gave All in 1992. "Achy Breaky Heart" is written in the key of A major and possesses only two chords: A and E. The song is considered by some as one of the worst songs of all time, featuring at number two in VH1 and Blender's list of the "50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs Ever."

I was the lighting tech for a country band that covered a lot of songs during that time period. It got the point people were requesting the song 5 or more times a night. We finally put up a sign in front of the stage that said we would walk out if the song was asked for me than three times. We did, twice.

It's the "Freebird" of country music.

I will say, though, that I greatly enjoyed "Achy Breaky Heart" when I was a young child. Good thing I grew up.

[Aberzombie]

Mandeville is a small city in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 11,560 at the 2010 census. Mandeville is located on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, south of Interstate 12. It is across the lake from the city of New Orleans and its southshore suburbs. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner metropolitan area.

[Aberzombie]

Mariel Hemingway is the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway and Elizabeth Hadley Richardson. She is the younger sister of Margaux Hemingway, born in 1955, and Joan Hemingway ("Muffet"), born in 1950.

[Aberzombie]

The earliest evidence of the phrase Black Friday applied to the day after Thanksgiving in a shopping context suggests that the term originated in Philadelphia, where it was used to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic that would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. This usage dates to at least 1961. More than twenty years later, as the phrase became more widespread, a popular explanation became that this day represented the point in the year when retailers begin to turn a profit, thus going from being "in the red" to being "in the black".

[Aberzombie]

Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country interstate highway in the American Interstate Highway System. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 (SR 1) (Pacific Coast Highway) in Santa Monica, California, to I-95 in Jacksonville, Florida. This freeway is part of the originally planned Interstate Highway network that was laid out in 1956, and its last section was completed in 1990. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following I-90, I-80, and I-40. About one-third of its length is within the state of Texas, where the freeway spans the state at its widest breadth.

[DungeonmasterCal]

Aberzombie wrote:

Mariel Hemingway is the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway and Elizabeth Hadley Richardson. She is the younger sister of Margaux Hemingway, born in 1955, and Joan Hemingway ("Muffet"), born in 1950.

And in the 80s I had the Playboy Magazine issue with her in it. Rowr rowr.

[Aberzombie]

DungeonmasterCal wrote:

Aberzombie wrote:

Mariel Hemingway is the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway and Elizabeth Hadley Richardson. She is the younger sister of Margaux Hemingway, born in 1955, and Joan Hemingway ("Muffet"), born in 1950.

And in the 80s I had the Playboy Magazine issue with her in it. Rowr rowr.

I think every dude had that issue.

[Crusinos]

I might as well post this!

They're working on a form of induced enhanced learning. So far, encouraging results.

[David M Mallon]

Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto (creator of numerous Nintendo flagship games, including Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, and Star Fox) named the titular princess of his Legend Of Zelda games after American socialite and novelist Zelda Fitzgerald (née Sayre, 1900-1948), wife of novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald. Zelda Fitzgerald herself was named after the titular character of author Jane Howard's 1866 novella Zelda: A Tale Of Massachusetts Colony.

[Rysky]

David M Mallon wrote:

Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto (creator of numerous Nintendo flagship games, including Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, and Star Fox) named the titular princess of his Legend Of Zelda games after American socialite and novelist Zelda Fitzgerald (née Sayre, 1900-1948), wife of novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald. Zelda Fitzgerald herself was named after the titular character of author Jane Howard's 1866 novella Zelda: A Tale Of Massachusetts Colony.

And then you have the creatures Poe (Edgar Allen Poe) and Zora (Zora Neale Hurston).

[Aberzombie]

Cyber Monday is a marketing term for the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. The term "Cyber Monday" was created by marketing companies to persuade people to shop online. The term was coined by Ellen Davis and made its debut on November 28, 2005 in a Shop.org press release entitled "'Cyber Monday Quickly Becoming One of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year".

[Kirth Gersen]

Aberzombie wrote:

I think every dude had that issue.

Or, in my case, wishes they did.

[Kirth Gersen]

Aberzombie wrote:

Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country interstate highway in the American Interstate Highway System. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 (SR 1) (Pacific Coast Highway) in Santa Monica, California, to I-95 in Jacksonville, Florida. This freeway is part of the originally planned Interstate Highway network that was laid out in 1956, and its last section was completed in 1990. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following I-90, I-80, and I-40. About one-third of its length is within the state of Texas, where the freeway spans the state at its widest breadth.

I drive on I-10 in Texas every day. Once saw a guy killed in a horrific accident right in front of me there.

Spoiler:

A kid in a sports car going at least 95 mph sideswiped another vehicle, which plowed through the separator and into the toll/HOV lanes, struck the median barrier, rebounded all the way across all 4 lanes, and finally smashed head-on into a minivan that was trying to merge onto the freeway and had nowhere to go to avoid it (the driver's side of the minivan was crushed so badly it became part of the out-of-control car, so I assume no one could have survived that). I'm still trying to un-see that.

[Tacticslion]

:/

Sorry, Kirth. Sorry for those people, too.

[Kirth Gersen]

Me, too. I should mention that I'd have likely been hit, too, except I instinctively took my foot off the gas when the sports car flew past me, so the whole thing took place in front of me instead of on top of me. Moral of the story -- slow down anytime something is happening you either don't understand or can't keep track of the spacial relations of.

With all that said, on a lighter note, I-10 is a pretty nice highway here, with big, convenient 3-lane feeders on either side.

[Aberzombie]

Just thinking about it - the first time I drove on I-10 was nearly 30 years ago.

[Aberzombie]

Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Atlantic Ocean and U.S. Highway 1, serving areas between Florida and New England inclusive. In general, I-95 serves metropolitan areas such as Boston, Providence, New York, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. in the Northeast down to the Mid-Atlantic, and Richmond, Fayetteville, Savannah, Jacksonville, and Miami in the Southeast. The route follows a more direct inland route between Washington, D.C. and Savannah, notably bypassing the coastal metropolitan areas of Norfolk-Virginia Beach and Charleston, which require connections through other Interstate Highways.

I-95 is one of the oldest routes of the Interstate Highway System, yet its completion is still dependent on a project in Pennsylvania and New Jersey that is scheduled to be finished by 2018. Currently, its role in that region has been filled in mainly by I-295, by I-195, and by an unsigned portion of the New Jersey Turnpike in Southern New Jersey. Many sections of I-95 incorporated pre-existing sections of toll roads where they served the same right of way. I-95's two pieces total 1,919.74 mi (3,090 km). The southern terminus of I-95 is at U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, while the northern terminus is at the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing with New Brunswick, Canada.

I-95 is the longest north–south Interstate, followed by I-75, and the sixth-longest Interstate Highway overall after I-70 (2,153 miles, 3,465 km), I-10 (2,460 miles, 3,959 km), I-40 (2,555 miles, 4,112 km), I-80 (2,899 miles, 4,665 km), and I-90 (3,099 miles, 4,987 km). I-95 passes through more states than any other Interstate Highway at 15 states, followed by I-90, which crosses 13 states. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only five of the 96 counties (or equivalents) along the route are completely rural, while statistics provided by the I-95 Corridor Coalition suggest that the region served is "over three times more densely populated than the U.S. average and as densely settled as much of Western Europe".

[Kirth Gersen]

Man, I used to use I-95 a lot, too, when I lived in Connecticut, and later on in Virginia and South Carolina. Either the U.S. highway system is really good, or I've lived in WAY too many U.S. states (8 so far).

Or maybe both.

[Drahliana Moonrunner]

Aberzombie wrote:

Adam Driver served in the Marine Corps, and now runs a non-profit foundation called Arts in the Armed Forces that stages theatrical performances for military personnel.

And of course, Adam Driver plays a bus driver called Paterson, who drives a bus in a city called Paterson, in a movie called "Paterson". And from what I've seen on the trailer they either spent a fortune in recreation or more likely shot the movie on location, in Paterson, NJ.

They however really went the extra mile in recreating the then Public Service buses used in the period depicted in the film.

I actually lived on the same street Jersey Street, as the Jersey Street Bus Depot, which is just a rock throw or two from the Great Falls. If you go to the terminal today, you can still find remnant rails from the trolleys that used to be based there. Instead of ripping them out, they were simply concreted or asphalted over, and in spots they still stick out. Much of Jersey Street itself however, no longer exists.

[David M Mallon]

Though primarily taking place in New York City, the 2012 superhero action film The Avengers (AKA Marvel Avengers Assemble) was mostly filmed in Cleveland, Ohio. The "museum gala" scene in which Loki (Tom Hiddleston) reveals himself to the people of Earth and is captured by Captain America / Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Iron Man / Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), ostensibly taking place in Stuttgart, Germany, was filmed in and around Tower City Center, a shopping mall in Cleveland's Public Square. The first time I saw The Avengers in the theater, I went with a friend of mine who had grown up in Cleveland. During that scene, she couldn't stop laughing, and throughout the film, she recognized various recognizable Cleveland landmarks.

Additional filming was done in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico: the "Calcutta" scene was filmed in the old Santa Fe Railyard, and the exterior of the secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base destroyed in the film's opening was actually the exterior of Atrisco Heritage Academy High School. The base's interior was largely filmed at the Creekside Mushroom Farm in Worthington, Pennsylvania.

Tony Stark’s "Stark Tower" was added digitally to central Manhattan, replacing the MetLife Building. One of the few scenes actually to be filmed in New York was the scene in which Black Widow / Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johanssen) and Hawkeye / Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) crash-land an airplane on the plaza in front of 101 Park Avenue, a location prominently featured in Joe Dante's Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) and Terry Gilliam's The Fisher King (1991).

[Aberzombie]

Mr. Bingle is a fictional character, a snowman assistant to Santa Claus. Originating as a mascot of the Maison Blanche department store in New Orleans, Louisiana, the character was later marketed in New Orleans and elsewhere by Mercantile Stores and Dillard's, and it remains part of the popular culture of the Greater New Orleans area.

Mr. Bingle was originally conceived by Emile Alline, an employee of Maison Blanche, in 1947. Mister Bingle shared the initials of his home, "M.B.", as the store was often called. Mr. Bingle became best known in puppet (or marionette) form at the Canal Street Maison Blanche, puppeteered by Edwin "Oscar" Isentrout (who also played the voice of Mr. Bingle), assisted by Ray Frederick and Harry J. Ory. These puppet shows occurred each day for the few weeks leading up to Christmas for about 15 minutes at a time, and were a favorite of local children. Mr. Bingle also appeared in musical radio and television commercials. The puppet shows ended in 1985 when Isentrout died.

[Aberzombie]

Emily Mortimer was educated at the prestigious St Paul's Girls School in London, and was in the same class as fellow actress Rachel Weisz.

[David M Mallon]

The instructions printed on the back of the flameless ration heater found in US Army MREs (Meals, Ready to Eat; alternatively Meals, Rejected by Everyone) direct users to keep the heater inclined using a "rock or something."

Other gems of wisdom contained in the instructions include "After heating, the heater bag and MRE pouch will be very hot," and "Heater and its byproducts are not intended for human consumption."

[Drahliana Moonrunner]

Blockbuster turned down it's chance to acquire NetFlix in order to partner with Enron. (Yes, THAT Enron.)

[The Status Crow]

Drahliana Moonrunner wrote:

Blockbuster turned down it's chance to acquire NetFlix in order to partner with Enron. (Yes, THAT Enron.)

Oh jeez...

[David M Mallon]

The 2003 film Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World, starring Russell Crowe as Captain Jack Aubrey, also features actors Paul Bettany and James D'Arcy as Dr. Stephen Maturin and First Lieutenant Tom Pullings, respectively. A decade later, both would appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Bettany playing the artificial intelligence J.A.R.V.I.S. (later Vision) and D'Arcy portraying J.A.R.V.I.S.'s namesake, Edwin Jarvis.

[David M Mallon]

Aberzombie wrote:

DungeonmasterCal wrote:

Aberzombie wrote:

Mariel Hemingway is the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway and Elizabeth Hadley Richardson. She is the younger sister of Margaux Hemingway, born in 1955, and Joan Hemingway ("Muffet"), born in 1950.

And in the 80s I had the Playboy Magazine issue with her in it. Rowr rowr.

I think every dude had that issue.

I... wasn't born yet. That issue came out almost 35 years ago. I had to look it up.

[Drejk]

Micorgravity changes senses of smell and taste significantly.

[Kajehase]

Drahliana Moonrunner wrote:

Blockbuster turned down it's chance to acquire NetFlix in order to partner with Enron. (Yes, THAT Enron.)

In a similar vein, at one point the Gothenburg football clubs GAIS and BK Häcken owned a firm producing advertising for rental-VHS tapes and a youth football tournament together.

Eventually they decided to end their cooperation, with the bigger club, GAIS, taking care of the more lucrative advertising firm, and Häcken taking care of the youth tournament.

Today, that youth tournament, Gothia Cup, is the biggest football tournament in the world, and GAIS is no longer the bigger of the two clubs.

[Aberzombie]

Victoria's Secret is an American designer, manufacturer and marketer of women's premium lingerie, womenswear and beauty products. With 2012 sales of $6.12 billion, it is the largest American retailer of women's lingerie. Victoria's Secret is wholly owned by L Brands, a publicly traded company.

Roy Raymond opened the first Victoria's Secret store on June 12, 1977 at the Stanford Shopping Center after feeling embarrassed trying to purchase lingerie for his wife in a public department store. To open the store, he took a $40,000 bank loan and borrowed $40,000 from his parents to found Victoria's Secret: a store in which men could feel comfortable buying lingerie. Raymond picked the name Victoria to associate with the refinement of the Victorian era. The Secret was what was hidden underneath the clothes. The company's first store was located in Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, California. The company earned $500,000 in its first year and Raymond promptly started a mail order catalog and opened three more stores.

In 1982, Raymond sold the Victoria's Secret company, with its six stores and 42-page catalogue, grossing $6 million per year, to Leslie Wexner, the founder of The Limited, for about $1 million. By the early 1990s, Victoria's Secret had become the largest American lingerie retailer, topping $1 billion.

[Ed Reppert]

David M Mallon wrote:

The instructions printed on the back of the flameless ration heater found in US Army MREs (Meals, Ready to Eat; alternatively Meals, Rejected by Everyone) direct users to keep the heater inclined using a "rock or something."

Other gems of wisdom contained in the instructions include "After heating, the heater bag and MRE pouch will be very hot," and "Heater and its byproducts are not intended for human consumption."

When I was in 'Nam, we used to heat C-rats with C4, which burns very nicely. You do not, however, want to try to stomp out the flames with your boot.

[Ed Reppert]

David M Mallon wrote:

I... wasn't born yet. That issue came out almost 35 years ago. I had to look it up.

April 1984. She was 23. I was 37. :-)

[Drahliana Moonrunner]

Floyd Vivano aka "Uncle Floyd" of the Uncle Floyd Show of Channel 68 and PBS fame also held the Guiness Record of longest stint playing a piano. 24 hours and 15 minutes.

Around 1976 the Uncle Floyd Show was occupying the same time slot as the syndicated TV show, Star Trek. Floyd declared war on that ill-fated show and through the support of fans and Fan Clubs (of which there were at least 400), eventually succeeded in knocking Star Trek off the air. Victory was declared, though only the most ardent supporter would actually believe Floyd's show had anything to do with the programming change.

[Aberzombie]

Cruise control (sometimes known as speed control or autocruise, or tempomat in some countries) is a system that automatically controls the speed of a motor vehicle. The system is a servomechanism that takes over the throttle of the car to maintain a steady speed as set by the driver.

Speed control with a was used in automobiles as early as 1900 in the Wilson-Pilcher and also in the 1910s by Peerless. Peerless advertised that their system would "maintain speed whether up hill or down". The technology was adopted by James Watt and Matthew Boulton in 1788 to control steam engines, but the use of governors dates at least back to the 17th century. On an engine the governor adjusts the throttle position as the speed of the engine changes with different loads, so as to maintain a near constant speed.

Modern cruise control (also known as a speedostat or tempomat) was invented in 1948 by the inventor and mechanical engineer Ralph Teetor. His idea was born out of the frustration of riding in a car driven by his lawyer, who kept speeding up and slowing down as he talked. The first car with Teetor's system was the 1958 Imperial (called "Auto-pilot") using a speed dial on the dashboard. This system calculated ground speed based on driveshaft rotations off the rotating speedometer-cable, and used a bi-directional screw-drive electric motor to vary throttle position as needed.

A 1955 U.S. Patent for a "Constant Speed Regulator" was filed in 1950 by M-Sgt Frank J. Riley. He installed his invention, which he conceived while driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, on his own car in 1948. Despite this patent, the inventor, Riley, and the subsequent patent holders were not able to collect royalties for any of the inventions using cruise control.

In 1965, American Motors (AMC) introduced a low-priced automatic speed control for its large-sized cars with automatic transmissions. The AMC "Cruise-Command" unit was engaged by a push-button once the desired speed was reached and then the throttle position was adjusted by a vacuum control directly from the speedometer cable rather than a separate dial on the dashboard.

Daniel Aaron Wisner invented "Automotive Electronic Cruise Control" in 1968 as an engineer for RCA's Industrial and Automation Systems Division in Plymouth, Michigan. His invention described in two patents filed that year (US 3570622 & US 3511329), with the second modifying his original design by debuting digital memory, was the first electronic device in controlling a car. Two decades passed before an integrated circuit for his design was developed by Motorola. as the MC14460 Auto Speed Control Processor in CMOS. The advantage of electronic speed control over its mechanical predecessor was that it could be integrated with electronic accident avoidance and engine management systems.

Following the 1973 oil crisis and rising fuel prices, the device became more popular in the U.S. "Cruise control can save gas by avoiding surges that expel fuel" while driving at steady speeds. In 1974, AMC, GM, and Chrysler priced the option at $60 to $70, while Ford charged $103.

[Drahliana Moonrunner]

Aberzombie wrote:

"Cruise control can save gas by avoiding surges that expel fuel" while driving at steady speeds.

Expel fuel? That'd make a real bang coming out of the muffler.

"What happened Scotty?"
"Spock jettisoned the fuel, and ignited it."

[Aberzombie]

As a model, Tyra Banks had the following restrictions: - No Frontal Nudity - No Birds - No Cats - No Fish - No Cigarettes - No Alcohol.

[David M Mallon]

Although the name of the Baby Ruth candy bar sounds like the name of famed baseball player George H. "Babe" Ruth, the Curtiss Candy Company traditionally claimed that it was named after President Grover Cleveland's daughter, "Baby" Ruth Cleveland (1891-1904).

The candy maker, located on the same street as Wrigley Field, re-branded their "Kandy Kake" bar "Baby Ruth" in 1921, as Babe Ruth's fame was on the rise, 24 years after Cleveland had left the White House, and 17 years after his daughter, Ruth, had died.

The company did not negotiate an endorsement deal with Ruth, and many saw the company's story about the origin of the name to be a devious way to avoid having to pay the baseball player any royalties. Curtiss successfully shut down a rival bar that was approved by, and named for, Ruth, on the grounds that the names were too similar.

Curtiss was bought out by Nabisco in 1981, and Nabisco (RJR Nabisco, Inc.) sold the brand to Swiss transnational food & drink company Nestlé in 1990. It was not until 1995 that a company representing the Ruth estate licensed his name and likeness for use in a Baby Ruth marketing campaign.

[Kajehase]

The first woman to be the editor of a major British newspaper was Rachel Sassoon* Beer, an Iraqi Jewish woman born in Bombay, who edited both the Observer (from 1891) and the Sunday Times (from 1893).

* aunt of Siegfried

[Aberzombie]

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, commonly known as the Tower of Terror, is an accelerated drop tower dark ride located at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney California Adventure, Tokyo DisneySea, and Walt Disney Studios Park. Exempting the Tokyo version, the attractions are inspired by Rod Serling's anthology television series, The Twilight Zone, and take place in the fictional Hollywood Tower Hotel in Hollywood, California. The Tokyo version, which features an original story line not related to The Twilight Zone, takes place in the fictional Hotel Hightower. All four versions place riders in a seemingly ordinary hotel elevator, and present riders with a fictional back story in which people mysteriously disappeared from the elevator under the influence of some supernatural element many years prior.

The original version of the attraction opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in July 1994, and was the basis of the 1997 television film of the same name; where several scenes were shot at the attraction. A decade later, Disney began plans to add similar versions of the attraction to their newest parks at the Disneyland Resort in California, Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan, and Disneyland Resort Paris. In California and Paris, Disney sought to use the popular attraction to boost attendance at the respective resorts' struggling new theme parks. The California and Tokyo versions of Tower of Terror opened in 2004 and 2006, respectively, while financial problems delayed the opening of the Paris version until 2008. The California version is scheduled to close in January 2017.

The Tower of Terror buildings are among the tallest structures found at their respective Disney resorts. At 199 feet (60.7 m), the Florida version is the second tallest attraction building at the Walt Disney World Resort, shorter only than Expedition Everest's 199.5 feet (60.8 m). At the Disneyland Resort, the 183-foot (55.8 m) structure is the tallest attraction at the resort, as well as one of the tallest buildings in Anaheim. At Disneyland Paris, it is the second tallest attraction.

[Kajehase]

Presented without comment: Australia's Great Emu War

[Aberzombie]

Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration.

Barbie is the figurehead of a brand of Mattel dolls and accessories, including other family members and collectible dolls. Barbie has been an important part of the toy fashion doll market for over fifty years, and has been the subject of numerous controversies and lawsuits, often involving parody of the doll and her lifestyle.

Mattel has sold over a billion Barbie dolls, making it the company’s largest and most profitable line. However, sales have declined sharply since 2014. The doll transformed the toy business in affluent communities worldwide by becoming a vehicle for the sale of related merchandise (accessories, clothes, friends of Barbie, etc.). She had a significant impact on social values by conveying characteristics of female independence, and with her multitude of accessories, an idealized upscale life-style that can be shared with affluent friends.

[Tacticslion]

Kajehase wrote:

Presented without comment: Australia's Great Emu War

This may be one of the (very many) greatest things I've ever read.

Thank you!

[Aberzombie]

Naval Station Pearl Harbor is a U.S. naval base adjacent to Honolulu, in the U.S. state of Hawaii. In 2010, along with the United States Air Force's Hickam Air Force Base, the facility was merged to form Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam.

Pearl Harbor is the headquarters of the United States Pacific Fleet. The attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan on Sunday, 7 December 1941 brought the United States into World War II.

Naval Station Pearl Harbor provides berthing and shore side support to surface ships and submarines, as well as maintenance and training. Pearl Harbor can accommodate the largest ships in the fleet, to include dry dock services, and is now home to over 160 commands. Housing, personnel, and family support are also provided and are an integral part of the shore side activities, which encompasses both permanent and transient personnel.

The Navy base itself was recognized on 29 January 1964 as a National Historic Landmark district and with the National Register of Historic Places since 1976. Within its bounds, it contains several other National Historic Landmarks associated with the attack on Pearl Harbor, including the Arizona, Bowfin, and Utah. As an active Navy base, many of the historic buildings that contributed to the NHL designation are under threat of demolition and rebuilding.

Edit: Speaking from personal experience, it's also a lovely place to visit.

[Aberzombie]

The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single–seat, twin turbofan engine, straight wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). Commonly referred to by its nicknames Warthog or Hog, its official name comes from the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, a World War II fighter that was effective at attacking ground targets. The A-10 was designed for close-in support of ground troops, close air support (CAS), and providing quick-action support for troops against helicopters and ground forces. It entered service in 1976 and is the only production-built aircraft that has served in the USAF that was designed solely for CAS. Its secondary mission is to provide forward air controller – airborne (FAC-A) support, by directing other aircraft in attacks on ground targets. Aircraft used primarily in this role are designated OA-10.

The A-10 was intended to improve on the performance of the A-1 Skyraider and its poor firepower. The A-10 was designed around the 30 mm GAU-8 Avenger rotary cannon. Its airframe was designed for durability, with measures such as 1,200 pounds (540 kg) of titanium armor to protect the cockpit and aircraft systems, enabling it to absorb a significant amount of damage and continue flying. Its short takeoff and landing capability permits operation from airstrips close to the front lines, and its simple design enables maintenance with minimal facilities. The A-10 served in Operation Desert Shield, and Operation Desert Storm, the American intervention against Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, where the A-10 distinguished itself. The A-10 also participated in other conflicts such as Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada, the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, and against ISIL in the Middle East.

The A-10A single-seat variant was the only version produced, though one pre-production airframe was modified into the YA-10B twin-seat prototype to test an all-weather night capable version. In 2005, a program was started to upgrade remaining A-10A aircraft to the A-10C configuration with modern avionics for use of precision weaponry. The U.S. Air Force had stated the F-35 would replace the A-10 as it entered service, but this remains highly contentious within the Air Force and in political circles. With a variety of upgrades and wing replacements, the A-10's service life may be extended to 2040.

[David M Mallon]

The Praxis effect (also known as the Praxis explosion or Praxis ring) is a special effect sometimes used in science fiction movies and other visual media. The effect is most commonly seen following the explosion of a large object in space — a ring or disc of matter or energy expanding out from the destroyed object. It is named after the explosion of the fictional Klingon moon Praxis at the start of the 1991 science fiction film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

The first known use of the effect was in the 1979 science fiction film Alien during the self-destruction of the spaceship Nostromo. It first forms a horizontal multicolored line, with an orange sphere behind or inside it. The shockwave strikes Ellen Ripley's ship a moment later. A similar effect occurs during the evolution of V'Ger in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, released later that same year.

Since 1979, the effect has been used in a number of films, including the aforementioned Star Trek VI, Stargate (1994), Independence Day (1996), Armageddon (1998), and the 1997 special editions of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi.

Astronomer Philip Plait has described the explosion and resultant shock wave as "the most dramatic effect ever filmed", but states that in reality it would be more likely for the explosion seen in Star Trek VI to generate a spherical shock wave. He finds the effect to be more plausible when appearing in the 1997 version of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope during the explosion of the first Death Star, as an explosion traveling from the core of the space station would reach the equatorial trench before the surface of the station and find no resistance at this point.

However, in A New Hope, the Praxis effect was perpendicular to the trench in this shot, instead of on the same plane. When the second Death Star explodes at the end of the 1997 version of Return of the Jedi, the Praxis effect is on the same plane as the equatorial trench. In-universe (in the 2007 Expanded Universe novel Death Star), the ring effect at Alderaan was explained as the shadow of a hyperspace ripple from firing the superlaser at full charge. Unfortunately, as of the new Canon v. Legends distinction, the canonicity of this explanation is in doubt.

[Kajehase]

I'm 37 years old, which means the day of my birth is farther away from the present, than it is to the end of the Second World War.

[David M Mallon]

Contrary to popular belief, George Lucas has been altering his Star Wars films since basically minute one, and has made alterations to every edition of every film in the original and prequel trilogies. A complete list can be found here.