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TIL that traditional lacquer is made w urushiol sap, aka the rash-causing toxin in poison ivy & poison oak. In fact, "urushi" (as in "urushi-ol") is the Japanese for the Chinese lacquer tree (also toxic) & an English word for lacquerware. They all fall in the genus Toxicodendron, or "poison tree".

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BJRk TIL in 1973 the United States organized the overthrow of the democratically elected Chilean government and established a military dictatorship that committed mass genocide
GYDEG TIL that, in the United Kingdom, Several Prisons have restaurants that are fully run by inmates at the prison, including chefs and waiters. These restaurants are also open to the public and rank highly on Tripadvisor
VBloB TIL the first director of the Big Brother series also directed The Human Centipede movies
PYVmE TIL that 2 donkeys that have been together for 10 years at a zoo in Poland were separated after a local politician and parents complained about them mating in front of children. Experts weighted in and a petition to rejoin them got 7,000 signatures so the zoo put them back together.
J1jPm TIL Melvin Williams played The Deacon on The Wire and Williams criminal history as a Baltimore drug kingpin inspired much of the series. After his release from prison Williams became a community activist.