I just finished reading one of my favorite kinds of books - random trivia. This book is titled 1,339 Quite Interesting Facts to Make Your Jaw Drop, by John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, and James Harkin. Here are some of the facts, with more to follow... soon. :)
High heels were first worn by Persian horsemen to steady
themselves in the stirrups when firing arrows.
Bacteria that catch viruses may commit suicide to protect
their neighbors from infection.
People who die of old age are more likely to die at 11:00am
than at any other time.
Tobacco companies use kitty litter to make cigars bigger.
Using nuclear reactors, it is possible to turn lead into
gold; though it is much easier to turn gold into lead.
Fake soy sauce can be made from human hair.
The sound of arguments can affect the brains of sleeping
babies.
A flu virus can only survive on most surfaces for 48 hours,
but can live on a banknote for 17 days.
A traditional British butler irons the morning paper to stop
the ink from smudging.
According to the Vatican, you can reduce the time you spend
in purgatory by following the pope on Twitter.
The Irish language has one set of numbers for arithmetic,
one for counting humans, and one for counting non-humans.
I did some research into the theme song for the television series Outlander. The opening music is just lovely, moving, and powerful. Bear McCreary is the music director. Singing by Raya Yarbrough. Music
based on the song Skye Boat Song, about Bonnie Prince Charlie. Original
lyrics:
Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing
Onward, the sailors cry!
Carry the lad that’s born to be King
Over the sea to Skye.
Loud the winds cry, loud the waves roar,
Thunderclaps rend the air.
Baffled our foes stand by the shore.
Follow they will not dare
Many's the lad fought on that day
Well the claymore could wield,
When the night came silently lay
Dead on Culloden’s field.
Burned are our homes, exile and death
Scatter the loyal men.
Yet ere the sword cool in the sheath
Scotland will rise again!
(Lyrics written 120 years after by an Englishman.)
Lyrics for theme of Outlander were partially taken from a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Sing me a song of a lad that is gone,
Say, could that lad be I?
Merry of soul he sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye.
Mull was astern, Rum on the port,
Eigg on the starboard bow;
Glory of youth glowed in his soul;
Where is that glory now?
Sing me a song of a lad that is gone,
Say, could that lad be I?
Merry of soul he sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye.
Give me again all that was there,
Give me the sun that shone!
Give me the eyes, give me the soul,
Give me the lad that's gone!
Sing me a song of a lad that is gone,
Say, could that lad be I?
Merry of soul he sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye.
Billow and breeze, islands and seas,
Mountains of rain and sun,
All that was good, all that was fair,
All that was me is gone.
Lyric to Outlander:
Sing me a song of a lass that is gone
Say, could that lass be I?
Merry of soul she sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye
Billow and breeze, islands and seas
Mountains of rain and sun
All that was good, all that was fair
All that was me is gone
Sing me a song of a lass that is gone
Say, could that lass be I?
Merry of soul she sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye
Listen and watch the opening credits to the first episode (the opening credits are also gorgeous):
There
is a lot of information on Bear McReary's website about the music, but I
also accessed wikipedia, poetryfoundation.org, and
http://artists.letssingit.com.
Oh,
yes, by the way - I am obsessed with Outlander. If you haven't read at
least the first book in the series, by Diana Gabaldon, you really need
to. :) IMHO.
They are doing a great job with the story so far. The costumes and sets are terrific, and I love the actors they have chosen to play the main characters. The actor playing Dougal is PERFECT. I'm loving the chemistry between Clair and Jamie, too. We don't get Starz so I've only seen the first four episodes on DVD so far, but I'm pretty well hooked at this point. :)
