Why do revolving doors in buildings have regular doors right beside them?

Well, I have gone and stepped into it once again.

It seems I made something of a boo-boo in last week’s column, regarding the word “gigayear.”

I said a gigayear is a trillion years, and it isn’t. It’s actually a billion years. A simple use of my normally awesome Google-fu would have shown me that, but no … I have to go with my gut. Well, we can see where that leads, can’t we?

Thanks to my Kansas-based friend John for pointing out my mega-gaffe.

Maybe calling it a giga-gaffe would be more appropriate. Anyway, on to this week’s stuff!

Did you know …

… adhesive postage stamps were invented in 1837? A schoolmaster from England, Rowland Hill (1795-1879) devised the idea. He was rewarded with a knighthood from King William IV (1765-1837). (The king gave his “stamp” of approval to the idea.)

… all clownfish are born male? They can change their sex to female if they wish, but once done, it’s done – they cannot change back. (That doesn’t help me to understand why they’re called clownfish, though.)

… a popular television series focused on a state-wide police force that does not really exist? From 1968 to 1980, one of the most popular crime dramas on television was Hawaii Five-O, starring Jack Lord (1920-1998). The show, created by Leonard Freeman (1920-1974), was about a state police department in the Hawaiian Islands operated from the capital, Honolulu. In reality, however, Hawaii does not have a statewide police department or even a Department of Motor Vehicles. Each county (island) government operates its own. Additional trivia note: Lord was not the original choice for the lead character, Steve McGarrett. The role was first offered to actors Richard Boone (1917-1981), Gregory Peck (1916-2003), and Robert Brown (1926-2022) before Lord was selected. (Book ‘em, Danno.)

… schools in one European nation teach in three languages? In the tiny nation of Luxembourg, students in primary school are taught for the first few years in the country’s native tongue, Luxembourgish. About our equivalent of fifth grade, the lessons start being delivered in German. Then, in high school, all courses are taught in French. (A rather nifty skill to master!)

… a rallying cry used in the Third Reich was inspired by American college football? During the time of the Nazi government in Germany, the phrase “Sieg heil” (Hail victory) was used ad nauseum. The use of the phrase was devised by Ernst Hanfstaengl (1887-1975), at one time a top advisor to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler (1889-1945). Hanfstaengl had been educated at Harvard University, and he was impressed by the camaraderie and excitement at Harvard’s football games. When he returned to Germany he wanted to simulate the same kind of excitement at rallies featuring speeches by Hitler, and devised the chanting of “Sieg heil!” as a way to create the same effect. (What if he’d used the Harvard fight song instead?)

… revolving doors on buildings are accompanied by regular doors for a reason? The reason is the 1942 fire at the Cocoanut Grove Supper Club in Boston. On the night of November 28, 1942, the popular nightclub was filled to more than twice its legal capacity when busboy Stanley Tomaszewski (1927-1994) lit a match to see enough to replace a light bulb. The busboy thought he’d extinguished the match, but within seconds draperies near the site of the bulb replacement were aflame, and before it was over 492 people lost their lives. One reason for the high death toll was the club’s revolving door, which was the main entrance – and was jammed with people trying to get out. In the aftermath of the fire, new codes were enacted nationwide requiring regular doors on either side of revolving doors.

… a proposed law requiring Congress to read the bills they vote on has been stuck in limbo since 2006? The “Read the Bills” act was proposed in Congress that year. It would require members of Congress to actually read any bills being proposed, rather than have staff members “summarize” the bill before voting. The idea is to prevent the quick passage of legislation that is sometimes thousands of pages long. The “Read the Bills” act bill has been stuck since its introduction; seems nobody wants to actually pass a bill requiring that bills be read by Congressmen. (Why, oh why am I not surprised?)

… an Oklahoma state representative once tried to legislate a lower divorce rate? Linda Larsen (born 1958) once proposed a law she felt would keep people from divorcing by requiring these conditions be met before a marriage license would be issued: neither party snores; at least one meal a week be prepared by the non-primary cook; toothpaste must be squeezed from the bottom of the tube; pantyhose cannot be left hanging in the shower; the toilet seat should be left down when not being used. (Sounds pretty reasonable to me.)

… a French noblewoman once lost four million francs in half an hour of gambling? Madame de Montespan (1640-1707), a courtesan of King Louis XIV of France (1638-1715), lost the enormous sum during a game of cards. To her credit, though, she won it all back – and then some – later that evening. (You win some, you lose some.)

… words only make up seven percent of human communication? Tone of voice makes up 38%, and body language takes the other 55%. (So it’s true – it isn’t what you say so much as it is how you say it.)

Now … you know!

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