Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
In 1958 3-M developed a new technology of non-woven fibers and tried to cash in on their discovery by designing a line of Bras. But 3-M bras failed miserably. Some enterprising guy was looking at the failed bras one day and came up with the idea of cutting the bras in two and adding tie straps. He came up with the idea of a surgical mask, which made 3-M Millions of dollars!
In 1963 Time Magazine quoted someone as saying, "The only difference between a TAX collector and the TAXidermist... the taxidermist leaves the hide.
Coca-Cola went on sale in China in 1986. Well meaning Coke executives had picked some Chinese language characters that they thought sounded like "Coca-Cola" but what they actually read was, "Bite the Wax Tadpole". Deciding that this was not the image they wanted to project they changed the characters to read "Happiness in the Mouth".
In 1694 the Bank of England, on Threadneedle street in London, issued the first Bank Checks for everyday Depositors. The bank charged a goodly amount for printing the checks, so within a few years depositors were getting their own checks printed cheaply. The stuffy old Bank of England tried not to honor those checks, because they wanted to hold on to the profit from check-printing. But the case was taken to court where a judge ruled that "any written form of cheque" was to be honored, thus setting a legal precedent...
Well, in 1699 one Lowan Eben Gremp owed his neighbor a small amount of money and kept putting off paying. The neighbor threatened to have Gremp arrested and thrown into debtor's prison. (At that time you could have someone thrown into debtor's prison if they owed you money and they couldn't get out until they paid the debt. )
Gremp must have been a vindictive little moron, for he then painted a check on a door, filled in the amount, and dropped it onto his neighbor from a second floor window.
The neighbor dragged the thing to the Bank of England, who of course refused to honor it. But the neighbor took it before a judge, who ruled that due to legal precedent, (any written form of cheque) the bank did indeed have a responsibility to cash the door. Which it then did.
In the 1950's one Albert Haddock owed the English government tax money which came to 26 pounds, 10 shillings. He whitewashed that amount onto the side of one of his cows, congratulated himself on pulling a fast one on the government, and called his local tax office and told them to come and get their cow-check. They promptly did, trucked the cow to the Bank, got paid and then kept the cow as evidence!
In 1963 Time Magazine quoted someone as saying, "The only difference between a TAX collector and the TAXidermist... the taxidermist leaves the hide.
Coca-Cola went on sale in China in 1986. Well meaning Coke executives had picked some Chinese language characters that they thought sounded like "Coca-Cola" but what they actually read was, "Bite the Wax Tadpole". Deciding that this was not the image they wanted to project they changed the characters to read "Happiness in the Mouth".
In 1694 the Bank of England, on Threadneedle street in London, issued the first Bank Checks for everyday Depositors. The bank charged a goodly amount for printing the checks, so within a few years depositors were getting their own checks printed cheaply. The stuffy old Bank of England tried not to honor those checks, because they wanted to hold on to the profit from check-printing. But the case was taken to court where a judge ruled that "any written form of cheque" was to be honored, thus setting a legal precedent...
Well, in 1699 one Lowan Eben Gremp owed his neighbor a small amount of money and kept putting off paying. The neighbor threatened to have Gremp arrested and thrown into debtor's prison. (At that time you could have someone thrown into debtor's prison if they owed you money and they couldn't get out until they paid the debt. )
Gremp must have been a vindictive little moron, for he then painted a check on a door, filled in the amount, and dropped it onto his neighbor from a second floor window.
The neighbor dragged the thing to the Bank of England, who of course refused to honor it. But the neighbor took it before a judge, who ruled that due to legal precedent, (any written form of cheque) the bank did indeed have a responsibility to cash the door. Which it then did.
In the 1950's one Albert Haddock owed the English government tax money which came to 26 pounds, 10 shillings. He whitewashed that amount onto the side of one of his cows, congratulated himself on pulling a fast one on the government, and called his local tax office and told them to come and get their cow-check. They promptly did, trucked the cow to the Bank, got paid and then kept the cow as evidence!
