› added 11 years ago

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TIL because their shows were so large, Van Halen inserted a clause in the middle of its contract requesting a bowl of M&Ms in the dressing room with all brown pieces removed. If they were not removed, they line-checked the entire production, often finding potentially life threatening oversights.

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KOmkE TIL a Russian cat was used by prisoners to sneak drugs into their penal colony near Moscow. The cat allegedly had 5.79 grams of hashish & 1.56 grams of amphetamine under its collar. Defense/prosecution lawyers each wanted the cat to support their case but it escaped from its kennel before trial.
GYkk5 TIL that to prevent illegal fly posters, a local council in the UK stuck their own "CANCELLED" posters over the top of ones for events. Cleaning staff had been removing up to 100 illegal posters per week. Eight weeks after the initiative was introduced this was reduced to zero.
9DQ7 TIL that from 1952 to 1956, billions of Kent Micronite cigarettes were sold with a filter made from asbestos. The new filter was marketed as “the greatest health protection in cigarette history.”
nerjY TIL that in the 1922 silent movie Nosferatu, Count Orlok (Max Schreck) only blinks once in the movie.
5AkP TIL infamous Australian criminal Mark “Chopper” Read once played Russian roulette in an interview. He took the first shot, survived, and then told the interviewer it was her turn. When she replied that she didn’t want to play, he said “bad luck”, aimed at her and pulled the trigger (she survived).