Today I Learned (TIL)

TIL that 0.125" gap is the go/no-go point for ignition on an '04 Grand Cherokee with a 4.0L. That must be one unholy powerful coil

TIL that the parent's website for our alma mater is using a picture of my wife and I, and her parents, on the banner. The picture is from 2011, we think. 

In reply to mtn (Forum Supporter) :

TIL that mtn can make millions suing his alma mater for using his likeness.

Lol, seeing as my wife was at the time an employee of the university, and we were both students, and the photo was taken by a university photographer at a ticketed university function in the student center, I don't think I'd get very far with that. 
 

Just after learning that fact, I learned two things:

1. The best Italian food in town is a take out counter at a gas station. And that is saying something, this is a town with wonderful Italian food; the type of town that has two Catholic Churches: one for the Irish, one for the Italians (as a Polish Catholic, I just go for the shortest mass)
2. Italian food in a gas station is a tremendous business plan. Gas stations make their profit via the convenience store attached. Without the overhead for the restaurant, the food is cheaper. So you order, you're happy you're getting superb food at half the cost of a sitdown restaurant, but now you're waiting 10-15 minutes for it to come out.... and you notice that this gas station has a surprisingly good beer and wine selection, and only about $1-$2 more than the liquor store....

TIL that I have a particular idea of what a scientist is, and have been trying to decide since then what has created that idea.  My 26yo daughter, the vet med student, said,"Well, Dad, I'm a scientist" in response to something.

Stunned silence.  She has a BS in animal bioscience, she's third year vet med.  Of course she is a scientist.

Why was I shocked?  Sexism because she is female?  Ageism because she's young?  Dadism because she's my little girl?  I don't think it's any of those.

The only people who I know  that call themselves "scientists" are Dr Evil, Dr Strangelove, Dr Bunsen Honeydew, and Doc Brown.  

It's just a term that isn't specific enough for the modern world.

TIL that Allard made a 2-door station wagon:

And no, it's NOT a shooting brake, because the back of the roof doesn't open to allow the gentleman to go hunting without getting his boots muddy.

TIL where the term "shooting brake" originated.

TIL that there very likely won't be a Lego Movie 3 or a Lego Batman Movie 2. After the sequel performed under expectations (still made $100 million plus in profits, mind you) Warner Brothers sold the rights to Universal. Since WB holds the film rights to all DC characters, if Universal were to move forward with Lego Movie 3, they would have to dump a bunch of characters

In reply to NickD :

It would be downright poetic if Disney partners with Universal and makes a Lego Movie 3 with Marvel characters... 

TIL that you could get a Ford Explorer Sport Trac with a manual. 

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=578300013&zip=60126&referrer=%2Fcars-for-sale%2Fsearchresults.xhtml%3Fzip%3D60126%26city%3DElmhurst%26incremental%3Dall%26modelCodeList%3DCOBALT%252CCRUZE%26makeCodeList%3DCHEV%252CFORD%252CGMC%252CHONDA%252CHYUND%252CKIA%252CMAZDA%252CMERC%252CPONT%252CSAAB%252CSCION%252CTOYOTA%26transmissionCodes%3DMAN%26sortBy%3Drelevance%26mpgRanges%3D0%26location%3D%255Bobject%2BObject%255D%26maxPrice%3D4000%26state%3DIL%26firstRecord%3D25%26marketExtension%3Dinclude%26relevanceConfig%3Ddefault%26searchRadius%3D200%26isNewSearch%3Dfalse&numRecords=25&maxPrice=4000&firstRecord=25&modelCodeList=COBALT%2CCRUZE&makeCodeList=CHEV%2CFORD%2CGMC%2CHONDA%2CHYUND%2CKIA%2CMAZDA%2CMERC%2CPONT%2CSAAB%2CSCION%2CTOYOTA&searchRadius=200&makeCode1=FORD&modelCode1=SPORTTRAC&clickType=listing

NickD said:

TIL that there very likely won't be a Lego Movie 3 or a Lego Batman Movie 2.

That's probably OK.  Both LM2 and LBM were... good enough, I guess, but neither was great.  They had moments, but it's just as well that WB won't push even more subpar sequels out the door.

If you need a LEGO movie fix, watch the LEGO Ninjago movie.  It's actually my second favorite after the original LEGO Movie.  I know nothing about the Ninjago universe and don't care to, but the movie is solidly funny and entertaining.

Duke said:

NickD said:

TIL that there very likely won't be a Lego Movie 3 or a Lego Batman Movie 2.

That's probably OK.  Both LM2 and LBM were... good enough, I guess, but neither was great.  They had moments, but it's just as well that WB won't push even more subpar sequels out the door.

If you need a LEGO movie fix, watch the LEGO Ninjago movie.  It's actually my second favorite after the original LEGO Movie.  I know nothing about the Ninjago universe and don't care to, but the movie is solidly funny and entertaining.

I really enjoyed Lego Movie 2. Lego Batman started off solid but the second half was not enough comedy and too much touchy-feely garbage. I have seen Lego Ninjago, and, yeah, pretty underrated. I guess that one didn't perform well either, and I think that was partially because people (like me) weren't sure if you needed to know the source material or not.

Greg Smith (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to NickD :

It would be downright poetic if Disney partners with Universal and makes a Lego Movie 3 with Marvel characters... 

I would die if Lego Movie 3 just replaced Batman with Iron Man, also voiced by Will Arnett, and just never even mentioned the change and everyone acted like it was normal.

NickD said:

Greg Smith (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to NickD :

It would be downright poetic if Disney partners with Universal and makes a Lego Movie 3 with Marvel characters... 

I would die if Lego Movie 3 just replaced Batman with Iron Man, also voiced by Will Arnett, and just never even mentioned the change and everyone acted like it was normal.

Yeah, I would pay movie ticket money to see that.

Today I learned it's NOT a good idea to try to hold the throttle open on the tiller with a string. 

TIL there is a Czech movie called Ferat Vampire about a car that runs on blood, the car appears to have been built with Kamei and actually looks pretty cool.

Streetwiseguy said:

The only people who I know  that call themselves "scientists" are Dr Evil, Dr Strangelove, Dr Bunsen Honeydew, and Doc Brown.  

I sat thru my kids 2 hour dissertation on the picture below.  He tells me he's a scientist and I believe him cause I have no idea what he talked about.  
 

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

Plasmon resonance imaging could be a secret weapon...

TIL that the world will likely be stuck with me for a while.

My mother and brother both died suddenly from aortic dissection several years ago and I've been seeing a cardiologist ever since.

He started with an echocardiogram, then a DNA test, then another echocardiogram and finally he pulled out the big proscription pad and proscribed a CT scan which I had Tuesday (I feel fine BTW, these are all just diagnostic measures).

Anyway, everything has come back squeaky clean and as a bonus, both echo techs noted that my arterial plaque is surprisingly low (I'm 56 so some plaque is to be expected).

I don't want to get exiled from here (GRM's love for bacon is epic) but I don't eat any processed meat and I only eat red meat once a week at the absolute most; just saying.  

TIL, a mullet is also known as a "Missouri Compromise". 

kazoospec said:

TIL, a mullet is also known as a "Missouri Compromise". 

Mullets are racist?

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

kazoospec said:

TIL, a mullet is also known as a "Missouri Compromise". 

Mullets are racist?

Holy crap.  I guess so.  The historical context of that phrase escaped me until you brought it up.  This was an extended joke on a nationally syndicated morning show.  Pretty not funny in that context.  Apologies to anyone who might have been offended.  

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

kazoospec said:

TIL, a mullet is also known as a "Missouri Compromise". 

Mullets are racist?

Given the very limited number people I've met that have them these days, I'm going to say that sometimes the people who have them are.

In reply to Brett_Murphy (Ex-Patrón) :

That or they are acutely aware of the irony of owning a mullet. See also playoff hockey hair.