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TIL that Allen Klein, Rolling Stones manager and owner of the song “Dead Flowers,” which plays at the end of “The Big Lebowski,” initially wanted $150,000 for it. He was then convinced to let them use it for free when he saw the scene in which The Dude says, “I hate the fuckin’ Eagles, man!”

Read more telegraph.co.uk

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KYV6B Today I learned that sound can be minus decibels. The quietest place on Earth is Microsoft’s anechoic chamber in Redmond, WA, USA, at -20.6 decibels. These anechoic chambers are built out of heavy concrete and brick and are mounted on springs to stop vibrations from getting in through the floor.
j6EVQ TIL that, in 1898, due to the closure of the Fleetwood Park Racetrack due to being sold to real estate developers, New York City officials considered building a new harness horse racetrack in Central Park. The city approved plans for a Central Park racetrack, but built it on unused land instead.
ANx6a TIL of shell cordovan, a rare "leather" that isn't made from animal skin, but connective tissue from a horse's buttocks. Shoes made from them are waterproof, don't crease, don't require polishing, and can last indefinitely. Only two major tanneries make them.
W7XZ4 TIL that The Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic is a Roman Catholic chapel decorated with the skeletal remains of over 40,000 people. Originally a cemetery, it's now a well-known tourist spot.
l7BVV TIL that on the old (1928-1994) flag of South Africa, the small Union Jack that was incorporated as part of the design was intentionally upside-down.