Thread: Strange and Unusual Facts

Originally Posted by lom

yes but where is it?

It is

In the Irish town-land of Knockaun, 80 meters off Downpatrick Head stands a colossal, 50 meters in height, sea-stack called Dun Briste (The Broken Fort).

If it wasn't for Venetian blinds it'd be curtains for everybody.

Tobacco companies spend the most money on advertising during the month of January because that's when most people try to quit smoking, as New Year resolutions.

Nuclear robot lighthouses

The Soviet Union decided to build a chain of lighthouses to guide ships finding their way in the dark polar night across uninhabited shores of the Soviet Russian Empire. So it has been done and a series of such lighthouses has been erected. They had to be fully autonomous, because they were situated hundreds and hundreds miles aways from any populated areas. After reviewing different ideas on how to make them work for a years without service and any external power supply, Soviet engineers decided to implement atomic energy to power up those structures.

So, special lightweight small atomic reactors were produced in limited series to be delivered to the Polar Circle lands and to be installed on the lighthouses. Those small reactors could work in the independent mode for years and didn’t require any human interference, so it was very handy in the situation like this. It should be clarified that by nuclear powered they mean with radio thermoelectric generators, rather than a full on fission reactor. It's the same sort of technology we put on space probes and other machines that need long term power supplies with little maintenance.

It was a kind of robot-lighthouse which counted itself the time of the year and the length of the daylight, turned on its lights when it was needed and sent radio signals to near by ships to warn them on their journey.

Originally Posted by tomcat

Not quite so large, but there is a straw buffalo grazing in a field just outside Luang Prabang.

Hemp bottles will degrade after around 80 days. Cannabis plastics are also non-toxic.

In exchange for $3 billion in Pepsi products, Russia gave Pepsi 17 submarines, a cruiser, a frigate, and a destroyer. Before they sold the ships for scrap metal, Pepsi had the 6th most powerful navy in the world.

...Copy of a braille Bible...

Originally Posted by tomcat

In exchange for $3 billion in Pepsi products, Russia gave Pepsi 17 submarines, a cruiser, a frigate, and a destroyer. Before they sold the ships for scrap metal, Pepsi had the 6th most powerful navy in the world.

I've heard that before. I don't believe it. 3 BILLION dollars worth of Pepsi.
Yes, colour me dubious.

Not a strange and unusual fact......but a bizarre news headline.

John Clabburn, Aussie TV director, dies after hedge trimming accident.

Director John Clabburn dies after hedge trimming accident

Originally Posted by Latindancer

Not a strange and unusual fact......but a bizarre news headline.

Then why would you post it in the strange and unusual facts thread?
Oh that's right, because...Karen.

Why would you even say that ?

Oh....because : Cujo. And Dutch genes.

Originally Posted by Latindancer

Dutch genes.

Explain that one.....

Longest thumbs on Earth.

Father born in Indonesia, Grandfather born in Surinam.

Originally Posted by Cujo

Father born in Indonesia, Grandfather born in Surinam

...hmmm...both former Dutch colonies...

Originally Posted by tomcat

...hmmm...both former Dutch colonies...

No Hmmm about it.
Great granddad was portmaster in Surinam about the time Capt'n Jack Sparrow probably passed through.

...statuesque canine...

Originally Posted by tomcat

Not to be outshone, Nongbualamphu has just invested in a pair of 4 metre tall, rice straw fighting chickens. In glorious colour.

Alligator lizard fighting back from inside the belly of a King snake ...

...jaguar...