Today I Learned (TIL)

TIL that Rick Derringer played lead guitar on Steely Dan’s Show Biz Kids. 

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

I was today years old when I learned this, too.

I learned today is Danny Trejos birthday. He's 75!! I knew he was older, but didn't think he was that old

After having my lawnmower for 9 years now, I realized yesterday that it will do wheelies if provoked. How did it take me that long to try it? I feel ashamed. 

Ashyukun (Robert) said:

First CD I misjudged by its cover is by a group/artist called Justice (apparently their first album, 'Cross'). The CD cover is black with a line-drawing of a cross in gold- at first glance my thought was, "Great, are there Christian Dance/EDM groups now too?" The titles of the tracks (Genesis, Let There Be Light, Waters Of Nazareth) didn't exactly inspire confidence either- but to my surprise it's a solid electronica album with no apparent religious bend other than the track names. I'll likely check out some of their other albums.

I learned about Justice from Forza Horizon 3. Yeah, they are pretty cool.

RevRico said:

I learned today is Danny Trejos birthday. He's 75!! I knew he was older, but didn't think he was that old

Holy crap.  And a lot of those were hard miles, too.

RevRico said:

I learned today is Danny Trejos birthday. He's 75!! I knew he was older, but didn't think he was that old

He doesn't look a day over 140!

So,  Keith Richards and Tanny Trejo are the same age.

TIL there is a new Focus ST wagon that looks really neat but they won't sell it here so I'm slightly sad. 

RevRico said:

I learned today is Danny Trejos birthday. He's 75!! I knew he was older, but didn't think he was that old

My brother floated a question at me a once:  What are the ages at which you think you could beat anyone in the world that age and younger/older?  Meaning I think I could solidly be confident that there isn't an 11 year old on earth that I couldn't take in a fight and until reading this I figured anyone 73 or over wouldn't be a serious challenge either.  (Yes I know it's a slightly sociopathic thought, blame long drives before smart phones)

I may have to re-evaluate my upper limit after learning this.

Well, technically last week I learned, but it showed up.

Where has this tool been all my life??

TIL I'm working with a minor "celebrity." Anyone remember this thread from a few years back? 

TIL that Chevy makes an engine that wants to be a K24.  Large size displacement four, intake and exhaust "reversed" compared to modern practice, fine pitch timing chain that is junk before 90k, intake cam phasers that fail around thr same time...

Don't use a headlight restoration kit of unknown origin. I received a 3M kit with a car I bought years ago, and put it away in the garage. Tried to use it today and the foam sanding disc exploded into tiny pieces, leaving me with partially sanded headlights.

Oil service light came on in the Abarth today... easy peasy to turn off. Turn on the igntion, pump the pedal three times in 10 seconds, shut down the ignition and then start.

Spoolpigeon said:

After having my lawnmower for 9 years now, I realized yesterday that it will do wheelies if provoked. How did it take me that long to try it? I feel ashamed. 

Well, I've had my mower for almost 5 years, and hadn't even thought of trying a wheelie. The answer is yes. A 1000 lb commercial ZTR can do a wheelie. And it is TERRIFYING.

One of these, but not this specific one:

Thanks for the bad idea!!!

TIL Toyota has a line of sewing machines, and they've been making them dang near forever. 

In reply to Mike :

My wife is an avid knitter. One of her ball winders is a Toyota. The logo looks just like the lettering on the cover of the owners manual from a mid-90s Camry. 

Before there was a Toyota car there was the Toyoda Automatic Knitting Loom Works. Cars were a diversification, and the name spelling change a marketing strategy. Seems to have worked.

Mike said:

TIL Toyota has a line of sewing machines, and they've been making them dang near forever. 

Toyoda was the name of the founder, who got his start making sewing machines. The name was changed to Toyota because the way it is written in Japanese is considered luckier... or something like that. I did try to pay attention to my certification courses. But yeah. Sewing machines. Since like 1890 something IIRC. 

TurnerX19 said:

Before there was a Toyota car there was the Toyoda Automatic Knitting Loom Works. Cars were a diversification, and the name spelling change a marketing strategy. Seems to have worked.

And they were going to market the cars in the US as the Toyolet.  Someone told them that it would have been a crappy idea.

In reply to Knurled. :

They goofed. I wouldn't have bought anything else.

Mike said:

TIL Toyota has a line of sewing machines, and they've been making them dang near forever. 

But are they grounded to the ground?

TIL most Corvette owners spend more on tires than Countach owners now.

TIL that UPS wants $78 to ship a muffler from Signal Hill, CA to 44133.

Ouch.

It will be well spent.  My ears are still ringing from the hour-ish drive with no muffler, and I was wearing muffs.