Weekend Open Thread

… only one basketball coach in the history of the University of Kansas has a career losing record? That one coach was Dr. James Naismith (1861-1939), who just so happened to invent the game of basketball. His record as the (obviously) first basketball coach of the Jayhawks is a less-than-inspiring 55-60 over his nine-year term. (I’m sure there’s a meaning in the man who invented the game not having a winning record, but I don’t want to spend the time trying to find it.)

… nine-banded armadillos always have quadruplets? They’re all identical, too. (I’m not sure how you’d tell the difference anyway.)

… it is against the law in Switzerland to mow your lawn on a Sunday? You also cannot drop glass bottles and cans into public recycling bins. It’s too noisy, and the Swiss love their quiet Sundays. (Don’t we all?)

… the word “phonetic” is not phonetic? (‘Nuff said.)

… a famous British army surgeon had his works suppressed for over a century? Dr. James Barry (1789-1865) graduated from school at age 22 and became one of the most distinguished surgeons in the British Army. In Africa, Barry performed one of the first successful caesarian section births in which both mother and baby survived. Barry was named Inspector General of Hospitals for Canada in 1857 and made numerous improvements for the treatment of the poor. But after Barry died of dysentery in 1865, the British Army shut down all access to anything Barry had done – because Barry wasn’t who everyone thought he was. In fact, Barry wasn’t even a “he.” Barry was actually Margaret Ann Bulkley, who had spent her entire life disguised as a man.

… a signer of the Declaration of Independence freed his slave the day he signed it? William Whipple (1730-1785) was one of the New Hampshire delegates to sign the Declaration of Independence, and upon doing so, he freed his sole slave Prince Whipple (1750-1796). William Whipple felt he could not in good conscience fight for freedom while at the same time hold another man in bondage.

… the creator of a series of children’s horror novels used to write jokes? R.L. Stine (born 1943), whose series of Goosebumps teen horror novels has enthralled millions of young readers, got his start in writing by creating jokes for the inside wrappers of Bazooka™ bubble gum. (The scary jokes, of course.)

… an engineer has developed what may be the safest method of air travel? Volodymyr Tatarenko (born 1939), a retired Ukrainian engineer, has designed an airplane which has a detachable passenger cabin. In the event of an in-flight emergency, the passenger cabin can be detached from the fuselage of the aircraft and descend to Earth on parachutes. (Now that’s an idea whose time has come!)

Now … you know!