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TIL John Kellogg, inventor of Corn Flakes and founder of the Kellogg company, worked tirelessly to “reform masturbators” by wrapping their genitals in sharp wire to prevent arousal, burning their genitals with acid to desensitize, and circumcising small boys without anesthetic, among other things

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wLNr8 TIL about the phrase "If it's black, fight back. If it's brown, lay down". It tells you how to behave if attacked by a bear. Often "If it's white, say goodnight" is added, regarding the dangerousness of polar bears. Though apparently it depends on the situation, it can be used as a rule of thumb.
ANrn TIL Sparta’s best general, Alcibiades, lead attacks on Athens that nearly destroyed it. Then he switched sides, used his knowledge of Sparta to lead Athens to military victories which forced Sparta to sue for peace. Also Socrates, his homosexual lover, once saved his life in battle.
p804N TIL that The March 11, magnitude 9.0 earthquake in Japan may have shortened the length of each Earth day and shifted its axis.
KBP6 TIL Ernest Hemingway begged his wife not to send him for more electroshock treatments because he lost so much of his memory he couldn’t even remember his own name. He committed suicide the day after his 36th shock treatment.
LQAaQ TIL that from 2003 to 2005, Dell sold over 11 million computers with leaky capacitors, fully aware that the capacitors were almost certain to fail. At one point, 1,000 computers that Dell delivered to the law firm that was defending it in a related lawsuit started failing.