The Sony PlayStation was never meant to be a product. It was intended to be a new console that would play exclusively Nintendo games on CDs. Instead Nintendo backed out of the deal at the last minute. Sony went ahead and launched what would become the most successful console of all time.
The State of Washington once forced…
The State of Washington once forced Comcast to refund nearly 50,000 customers for charging them a $5/month “service protection plan” that actually did nothing.
While the Royal Mail employed cats…
While the Royal Mail employed cats from 1868, the cats only had one pay rise in the first 84 years. When questioned about these labour practices in the House of Commons, the Assistant Postmaster-General reported “there have been no complaints”.
Hitler was so paranoid that the British…
Hitler was so paranoid that the British would poison him so he had 15 girls taste the food before he ate it himself. “The food was delicious, only the best vegetables, asparagus, bell peppers, everything you can imagine”, food taster Margot Woelk recalled.
Forcing left-handed children to write…
Forcing left-handed children to write with their right hands is not in any way innocuous or helpful- it is actually harmful to their developing brains and can result in dyslexia, stuttering and other learning or speech disorders.
Bill Withers, the singer song…
Bill Withers, the singer song writer of “Aint no Sunshine” was a factory worker making airplane toilets when he wrote the hit song at age 31. After the song hit gold, the record company presented him with a gold toilet marking the start of his new career.
A man from New Zealand memorized…
A man from New Zealand memorized every french word in the french scrabble dictionary and won the French Scrabble Championship. He still doesn’t speak any french.
Hitler privately expressed great…
Hitler privately expressed great admiration for Mussolini; however, Mussolini had little regard for Hitler. Mussolini said that the Germans were the descendants of those who were illiterate when Rome had Caesar, Virgil, and Augustus.
Donor Blood Was Found to Contain Xanax, Caffeine, and Cough Medicine
A quick note: receiving any of these things through a blood transfusion wouldn’t be problematic for most people, so it shouldn’t put you off receiving or giving blood.
That said, the results of this Oregon State University study does offer some pretty interesting insights into what’s keeping many people in our country on their feet.
Researchers sifted through 18 batches of scanned human blood and, using a mass spectrometer, learned the samples were laced with all kinds of drugs.
In fact, every single one of the samples contained caffeine.
Many of the others contained Xanax, over-the-counter cough medicine, or a medication for type 2 diabetes – and though the sample size is small, the director of the Oregon State study speculates it could be indicative of a widespread trend.
“We can only speculate on how widespread the problem is. Another thing to consider if that we found drugs that we just happened to be looking for in doing the drug interaction assay validation – how many others are in there too that we weren’t looking for?”
Still, they stress that the contamination wouldn’t be an issue for the majority of people in need of donor blood.
#donateblood #nhsblooddonation #savealife #christmas“From a ‘contamination’ standpoint, caffeine is not a big worry for patients, though it may be a commentary on current society,” explains Luying Chen, a PhD student who was part of the group. “But the other drugs being in there could be an issue for patients, as well as posing a problem for those of us doing this type of research because it’s hard to get clean blood samples.”
So coffee drinkers: you should continue to give blood when and where you can – even if you’ve just chugged a venti coffee on your way there.
It’s a good deed, and no one wants you to fall asleep at the wheel on the way there.
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6 Fast Facts About Actor James Stewart
Even though most people nowadays probably know actor James “Jimmy” Stewart because of his leading role as George Bailey in the much-beloved Christmas classic It’s A Wonderful Life, the truth is that he was incredibly prolific in his day.
He played cowboys opposite Henry Ford, he was one of Hitchcock’s top choices – starring in movies like Rear Window and The Man Who Knew Too Much – and he even did a comedy or two (one of my all-time favorite movies, The Philadelphia Story, is a must see).
Stewart was also a veteran and someone who eschewed the harsh light of Hollywood whenever possible.
So, let’s take a look at these 6 other tidbits that might be new information for you!
6. He hated the colorization of It’s a Wonderful Life as much as everyone else.
Stewart wrote a letter to Congress in 1987 protesting that colorizing originally black and white films violated the creative vision of directors like Frank Capra, who never would have employed “the kind of obvious visual pun” of dressing Violet Bick in violet costumes.
He described the tinted versions as “a bath of Easter egg dye” and also lobbied against the practice in person.
5. He had a degree in architecture.
Stewart grew up in Indiana, Pennsylvania. His father owned a hardware store, and Stewart displayed artistic talent all through school – his interest in music helped him get accepted into Princeton, his father’s alma mater.
Stewart received a degree in architecture in 1932, but with the Great Depression in full swing, Stewart followed his interests into acting, joining a Massachusetts theater group (where he roomed with Henry Fonda).
He did a few short runs on Broadway before landing his first feature film, The Murder Man, which was released in 1935.
4. He published a book of poetry.
He authored Jimmy Stewart and His Poems in 1989, a small volume that contains not only poems, but anecdotes about how each was composed.
3. He was passionate about serving in WWII.
Stewart received a draft notice in 1940, and upon learning that he was five pounds under the minimum weight for enlistment, ate everything in sight until he qualified. He joined the Army Air Corps (later the Air Force), where he was a great asset, as he already had a pilot’s license.
The Air Corps tried to sideline him, keeping him stateside because of his high profile, but Stewart insisted on being sent into the action. In November, 1943, he was sent to England and flew over 20 combat missions over Germany.
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and two Oak Leaf clusters, making him the most decorated actor to participate in the war.
2. There’s a statue of him in Indiana, Pennsylvania.
His hometown unveiled the piece of art in 1983, for Jimmy’s 75th birthday.
1. He wasn’t sure what to do with his Oscar.
He won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in The Philadelphia Story (I told you!) in 1940. Afterwards, his father asked “I hear you won some kind of award. What was it, a plaque or something?” Stewart took his suggestion and displayed it at his father’s hardware store in PA.
It stayed in the same spot for 25 years.
If you have time, working your way through his catalogue is a great way to spend it (don’t miss Mr. Smith Goes to Washington or The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance!).
What’s your favorite Stewart movie? We’d love to share our favs in the comments!
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