› added 9 years ago

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TIL that in the afternoon of 9/11, Rumsfeld gave the following directive to his aides: “Judge whether good enough hit S.H.” (Saddam Hussein) at same time. Not only UBL" (Osama bin Laden). Need to move swiftly – Near term target needs – go massive – sweep it all up. Things related and not.“

Read more theguardian.com

via reddit.com

W7JJd TIL Theory of sexual selection says giving gifts increases male’s chances of mating amongst heavy competition. Some species of spiders continue to hold the gift between their legs even after sex starts, refusing to give it up and running away with it as soon as the process is over.
rWw4 TIL that the co-founder of Paypal, Max Levchin, coded non-stop for 5 days without sleep and then finished the product 1 hour before he received $4.5 million in funding
e0lxJ TIL that in 2013, after more than 20 years of soda being America’s number one beverage, water has taken over as Americans’ favorite drink.
XERPr TIL that the Japanese film Battle Royale (2000) is banned in South Korea and took 11 years before it was released in the United States and Canada. The film was banned in Germany in 2013, but this was later overturned. Quentin Tarantino considers Battle Royale to be one of his favourite films.
Lk9pr TIL King Henry VIII was such a big fan of codpieces (a type of flap or pouch protruding from a man's trousers) that there used to be a wooden statue of him at the Tower of London with a secret mechanism in the floor. When you stepped on the right spot, the royal codpiece would swing forth.