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Post by Celestial on Mar 19, 2021 7:58:53 GMT -5
Apparently Neopets got rid of the color-swapping Random events! I never knew this! I think it was because people were furious that rare colours, or worse, unconverted pets, got changed by these random events.
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Post by Rasaiu on Mar 21, 2021 14:06:21 GMT -5
Today was the first time I watched a competition in biathlon.
I already knew that if the athlete misses the target, they have to do the penalty loop. Although I assumed that the penalty loop was just an extra lap to the full race. Basically if the competition has 5 laps, then every miss adds an extra lap to that.
But it turns out that after shooting there are two paths - one goes back to race and second goes to penalty loop which is about 150 m long. So athlete goes around the penalty loop as many times as they missed the targets. Of course, penalty loop is shorter than lap from the race.
Now I'm watching a volleyball match and I'm trying to figure out why the teammates are holding their hands up before their team is making a serve.
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Post by Gelquie on May 24, 2021 15:09:44 GMT -5
After I was gently corrected on a Chinese name that I'd utterly butchered, I was assured that I shouldn't feel too bad about it because apparently, the romanization is... really inconsistent?
Like, for example, I didn't know until now that "Peking" was used to refer to... ... ...Beijing.
(Like, I thought those were referring to different things or places?)
Further research tells me that maybe it could be a different dialect thing from a different region when it was first romanized.
Still... gah. xD
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Post by Kyn on May 25, 2021 8:08:57 GMT -5
After I was gently corrected on a Chinese name that I'd utterly butchered, I was assured that I shouldn't feel too bad about it because apparently, the romanization is... really inconsistent? Spot on about the inconsistency. I grew up intimately acquainted with the myriad ways the same Chinese character can be rendered in English (e.g. Liew-Liaw-Liu-Lau-Loo), with some romanizations not even remotely looking like they're derived from the same character (e.g. Wu and Ngo, due to differences in regional dialects). The most extreme example of inconsistency I've heard of was within a single family where each child had their surname romanized differently, apparently due to language barriers and/or clerical inefficiency. (I would also like to add that I myself butcher Chinese intonations on occasion despite growing up speaking the language, so you definitely don't need to feel too bad about it😊)
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Post by Lizica on Jul 26, 2021 22:34:27 GMT -5
Technically yesterday, but I learned about the existence of hero shrews! They live in the Congo Basin, and they have robust interlocking vertebrae, which give them the basically insane superpowered ability to withstand the weight of a fully grown man--something like 1000 times their own body weight. Just look at this coolest, most adorable and mysterious superhero:
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Post by starvinglama on Dec 5, 2021 5:47:33 GMT -5
that drinking milk is okay if i feel dizzy
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Post by Twillie on Jun 27, 2023 12:15:24 GMT -5
This may be common knowledge and I’m just out of the sports loop, but today I learned that lacrosse has Indigenous American origins while reading this article about an Indigenous lacrosse sports organization. I was aware of lacrosse but never paid it much mind, so I guess I missed out on learning its history up until now. More specific to the article, it was neat reading about the lacrosse team’s history and accomplishments, as well as the story behind their recent name change. I also learned today that the term Iroquois has colonial origins and is considered derogatory by many Indigenous people, and once this organization learned about this as well, they switched to using their proper name, Haudenosaunee. Just a cool story about reclaiming their history and culture, as well as a new perspective on something I never thought much about before.
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Post by Stephanie (swordlilly) on Aug 18, 2023 23:54:14 GMT -5
I learned a piece of slang called "humblebragging." xD Humblebragging refers to when someone says something self-deprecating, but their real goal is actually to make themselves look good. e.g. "I struggle with self-esteem issues at my job." (The real goal is to brag about having the job.)
I also learned that not everyone likes chocolate! Some people are sensitive to a plant compound called tannins, found in chocolate and coffee, which can taste bitter.
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Post by downrightdude on Aug 20, 2023 0:14:03 GMT -5
I learned that I can turn off the "Save Data" function my browser.
I have to manually type in my daily deposits, but it's better then not being able to delete anything.
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Post by Lizica on Aug 27, 2023 0:35:56 GMT -5
I learned earlier today that the name "Algernon" means "having a moustache," and I am DELIGHTED
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Post by Breakingchains on Aug 29, 2023 14:28:40 GMT -5
The indigenous/real names of Easter Island and its statues. The island is Rapa Nui and the statues are Moai.
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Post by downrightdude on Aug 29, 2023 16:42:26 GMT -5
I learned that you can still visit Kelp despite the lack of flash. And no, I got no avvie.
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Post by Gelquie on Nov 25, 2023 14:13:46 GMT -5
The heart monitors on TV shows or movies default to the standard 60 beats per minute. Probably just because it's an easy soundbyte.
This is pretty odd as 60 beats per minute is on the lowest boundary of normal unless they're asleep, and usually the characters in those situations are not athletes where that heart rate could be normal.
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Post by Stephanie (swordlilly) on Dec 14, 2023 0:48:03 GMT -5
I learned that today is a Swedish holiday called Lucia Day, which is about celebrating light. People typically eat saffron buns and gingerbread cookies and drink glögg (mulled wine). Also there is a giant goat made out of hay.
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Post by downrightdude on Dec 16, 2023 16:33:21 GMT -5
I learned that a site I've frequently visited has been showing prices in the overinflated Canadian dollar; of course the prices are lower when I view them under the US dollar, which is a neat find!
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