Your Wikipedia find of the week

[Tim Hall]

Whilst watching The Sound of Music yesterday (never seen it before) I went a-Wiki-ing.  Georg von Trapp's first wife was the grand daughter of Robert Whitehead, torpedo inventor. He's buried a handful of miles from here in Worth churchyard, Crawley.

Follow up question: Whitehead is credited as inventing the torpedo in 1866, which was presented to the Austrian Navy.  In simple terms, which side were the Austrians (presumably Austro-Hungarian Empire) on at that time?

[PaulR]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet_paper_orientation

This is one of my few OCD things. 
I just can't relax enough for a poo if the paper is "under".  I have to change it.
Even visiting chums' houses I will change it around if it is in the "incorrect" orientation, even though though I'm only in there for a wee.

The conflict in our household is managed by means of one of these chaps:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimbosussexmtb/7636025368/

Now we just argue about the correct tension for the QR skewer...

[mattc]

Whilst watching The Sound of Music yesterday (never seen it before) I went a-Wiki-ing.  Georg von Trapp's first wife was the grand daughter of Robert Whitehead, torpedo inventor. He's buried a handful of miles from here in Worth churchyard, Crawley.

Follow up question: Whitehead is credited as inventing the torpedo in 1866, which was presented to the Austrian Navy.  In simple terms, which side were the Austrians (presumably Austro-Hungarian Empire) on at that time?

Dunno: have you tried Wiki?

[rogerzilla]

Actually from Wookieepedia:  the Millennium Falcon can be seen landing on Coruscant in "Revenge of the Sith".

That makes it so old by ANH, it's as if Han Solo was riding around in a souped-up Ford Anglia.

[rogerzilla]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap%E2%80%93bath_split

People who live in Bristol are likely to pronounce the name of the neighbouring town as Bath (not "Barth"), like I do (because I have northern parentage).    There is also a "foot-strut" split between south and north, but I have adopted the southern form after too much piss taking ("say duck!") at school.

[Bledlow]

...
Follow up question: Whitehead is credited as inventing the torpedo in 1866, which was presented to the Austrian Navy.  In simple terms, which side were the Austrians (presumably Austro-Hungarian Empire) on at that time?

The Austrian side. The system of alliances which led to everyone joining in WW1 didn't exist. Austria & some other German states fought Prussia & some other German states, & Italy (which wanted Venice) fought a war that year. The outnumbered & outgunned Austrians defeated the Italians at sea, but lost the war on land.

Britain, France & Russia kept out of it. Not their business.

IIRC Austria became Austria-Hungary the next year, in the Ausgleich.

[tiermat]

SFW.

There is a real illness known as Beaver Fever: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver_fever

[rogerzilla]

SFW.

There is a real illness known as Beaver Fever: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver_fever

I've had it, from eating the local food in Malta.  Good way to lose weight fast, although you get explosive yellow poo.

[mark]

I had a very mild version quite a few years ago. Spent a few days on the sofa, within sprinting distance of the toilet. More than a very mild version can put you in hospital with severe dehydration, or so I'm told. Since then I've used a water filter on all my back country trips.

[mattc]

Railbikes. You can hire them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draisine

[mrcharly-YHT]

A working storm-prediction barometer was invented, mechanically operated by leeches.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempest_Prognosticator

[Charlotte]

Good grief.  Following on from that, I think this establishment probably deserves a mention, too:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barometer_World

[Pingu]

Some people had too much time on their hands: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copiale_cipher

[Cudzoziemiec]

Railbikes. You can hire them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draisine

Did you ever read this?

[Pancho]

WWII era pigeon guided missile.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Pigeon

[CAMRAMan]

Since then I've used a water filter on all my Black Country trips.

I never realised Dudley was so risky...

[Jaded]

Good grief.  Following on from that, I think this establishment probably deserves a mention, too:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barometer_World

That little vignette has led me to some Barograph spares sources. Oh joy!

[nikki]

Good grief.  Following on from that, I think this establishment probably deserves a mention, too:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barometer_World

Sometime in my teens I got put on their mailing list courtesy of a friend with a sense of humour.

They were really very insistent that I bought a barometer from them: sending me incrementally larger discount enticements until I finally had to break it to them they probably weren't going to get a sale, regardless of price!

[clarion]

I had a lovely barometer given to me as a birthday present.  It kinda worked, but it got knocked off the wall, and the glass broke.  I took it to the clock & barometer folk in Tod to get a replacement, then Events happened, and I never got it back

[clarion]

The Explorer Group are the UK's second largest manufacturers of caravans, and are based in Consett.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Explorer_Group

[Pancho]

The Scots used to eat halal.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_pork_taboo

[mrcharly-YHT]

A weather instrument invented in the 1800s by a Scot is still used today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campbell%E2%80%93Stokes_recorder

[Pancho]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumpology

An entry which includes the marvellous quotation,

I can't imagine anyone wasting their time and money on someone like this when there are so many legitimate psychics out there.

[Bledlow]

The Scots used to eat halal.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_pork_taboo

Lot more to halal than not eating pork.

[Dibdib]

I am especially fond of pseudolegal woo, especially fuckwits like this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemen_on_the_land

It seems to be a pretty significant overlap with (a) recreational drug users, (b) people who feel that paying tax is optional, and (c) fuckwit conspiracy theorists.