15 Now-You-Know Facts That Are Perfect Ice Breakers

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15 Now-You-Know Facts That Are Perfect Ice Breakers

"The world's gone wrong," a young woman told me. We were sitting on an old bench at the side of a road, watching cars go by in both directions, when she said that. The sun was setting behind the hills, and the shadows had lengthened, darkening the asphalt and making our surroundings look like a movie set.

A couple of years before this, the world had gone right again; it had been a good time. But the world is not always right and sometimes it goes wrong. It has been going wrong now for about twenty years.

I'm not sure why. I don't think anyone knows. There may have been some kind of accident or something. Maybe it's all just part of the plan.

I sighed deeply, and began contemplating the scene around me. Suddenly, on the edge of these lengthening shadows, I saw a newspaper – it was crumpled up, but still legible. There was an article listing fifteen fun facts, starting with ...

Humphrey Bogart was the only one on set not to get dysentery.

While filming The African Queen in the Congo, everyone except Humphrey Bogart became very ill. CRACKED.COM The crew had contracted dysentery from drinking contaminated water, but Bogart was spared because he only drank whiskey.

NY Post 

You would be justified in shaming people for speaking “English” in Illinois.

American was the official language of Illinois from 1923 to 1969. ILLIN COMM alnut GRACKED COM The declaration proclaimed: The name of the language of a country has a powerful psychological influence in stimulating and preserving the national ideal.

Language Policy

The American Express Black Card was a myth before it was real.

Prior to 1999, the mythical American Express Black Card was just a myth. AMERICAN EXPRESS 3763 9 Valid Thru GRACKED.COM 02/12 NG CHUN KEUNG The myth became so pervasive that AmEx decided to capitalize on it and actually make a black, ultra-exclusive credit card.

Money Tips

Prince snubbed Weird Al.

Weird Al Yankovic has asked permission from Prince to parody his songs on numerous occasions and has always been refused. CRACKED.COM When the two were assigned to sit in the same row at an award's show, he got a telegram from Prince's lawyers demanding that he not make eye contact.

Wired 

Wolverines are being trained to save avalanche survivors.

Wolverines are being trained to find avalanche survivors since they are naturally inclined to sniff out animals 20 feet below the snow. CRACKED.COM Of course, when a wolverine finds an animal it tends to eat them. We're assuming these rescue wolvies are a bit more gentle.

Outside Online

Popeye owns an interdimensional chimera as a pet.

Popeye the Sailor owns a dog-like creature whose cells leaked through from the 4th dimension. CRACKED.COM The creature transmuted into a being capable of moving between dimensions and solving difficult problems. His name is Eugene the Jeep.

MeTV 

When an Anime gets ahead of the source material, fights can go on for hours.

The total length of the fight between Goku and Frieza in Dragonball Z is 4 hours and 13 minutes. CRACKED.COM Frieza famously blasts the core of the planet the fight is taking place on, and confidently declares it has only five minutes before it blows.

GameRant 

Some Barbie outfits came with a helpful weight loss manual.

In 1963, Barbie Baby-Sits came with a book titled How to Lose Weight, which advised: Don't eat! CRACKED.COM The book was also added to the 1965 Slumber Party ensemble, with an added pink bathroom scale permanently set at 110 lbs.

Daily Mail 

Eric Clapton is kind of a knob.

Rock Against Racism was formed in response to a speech made by Eric Clapton in 1976. CRACKED.COM At a concert, Clapton urged the British audience to vote for Enoch Powell and Keep Britain White.

Virgin Media 

A young man died after a two-day gaming session.

In 2012, a Taiwanese man collapsed and died from playing Diablo III for 40 straight hours. P3 CRACKED.COM The 18-year-old entered an internet cafe, booked a private room, and played almost two days without stopping to eat.

Gamespot

The first jet plane was tested by a guy in a gorilla mask.

While test flying the first American jet plane, Jack Woolams wore a gorilla mask to mess with other pilots. GRAGKED.COM The pilots were convinced they were crazy for seeing an airplane without a propeller with a monkey at the controls.

HistoryNet 

About 4 billion American chestnut trees once blanketed the east coast of the USA.

About 4 billion American chestnut trees once blanketed the east coast of the USA GRAGKED.COM They all disappeared by the 1950s due to an invasive species of fungus that has made them extinct.

Timeline

Owls have special feathers that allow them to fly silently.

Owls have serrations on the edge of their flight feathers, allowing their flight to be practically silent. CRACKED.COM Some fish-eating owls lack this adaptation, since being silent for them has no evolutionary advantage.

NCBI 

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