Today I Learned

[Jumble]

TIL that some people that wish to promote breastfeeding style themselves as being "lactivitsts". I find this simultaneously terrible and awesome.

Sorry to respond late on this, but I'm going to go with awesome. My wife is a breast feeding support midwife and freelance lactation consultant. I always thought her job was pretty cool to start with (stressful, but cool. Couple of days ago she delivered a baby within 5 min of getting into work, in a corridor just outside the lifts. She didn't have time to get her coat off).

However, I now can't wait for her to wake up to tell her she's a lactivist. It sounds like a really specialist branch of the special forces. Can I get her a black jump suit and a balaklava?

[hey, a page topper I'm reasonably happy with!]

[pseudoidiot]

TIL Suzanne Collins (of Hunger Games fame) did some writing for Clarissa Explains it All.

[Panonadin]

TIL: what the term "tu quoque", means.

[quadmaster]

Today I learned that unsurprisingly, Mercury (I) fluoride is a terrifying chemical.

[DaBigCheez]

Today I learned that unsurprisingly, Mercury (I) fluoride is a terrifying chemical.

Try chlorine trifluoride on for size.

[Kyreles]

A 5 year old girl from peru had a baby in the 30s. At 5. 5 years old. And she had a baby. In Peru. And she's 5. Wow. A 5-year-old had a baby.

[emceng]

I recently learned that Teddy Roosevelt was pretty much a racist asshole. I'm also gradually learning that pretty much everyone is a dick.

[shawnhcorey]

I recently learned that Teddy Roosevelt was pretty much a racist asshole. I'm also gradually learning that pretty much everyone is a dick.

Yeah, you can find a reason to hate anyone if you look long enough.

[SecondTalon]

I recently learned that Teddy Roosevelt was pretty much a racist asshole. I'm also gradually learning that pretty much everyone is a dick.

He also had an attitude of "It it breathes, I'll kill it."

On the other hand, he was also the first President to have a black American invited to a formal dinner, if not the first black man ever. And got his ass chewed out so much by everyone else (read: Whitey) that he never did it again. He was anti-School Segregation. He just also believe that Europeans were more intellectually developed than people from anywhere else. As did a metric asston of people at the time, many of them very well educated.

Was he racist? Sure. So was basically every other white man.

[Giant Speck]

TIL that Neill Blomkamp (co-writer and director of District 9) is working on a new sci-fi movie called Elysium and it's going to star Jodie Foster. I love her!

[Ephemeron]

Today I learned, I share my birthday with Mr Snuffleupagus, thanks to an chart that shows you which fictional character shares your birthday. There's one for every day of the year.

Also, they are making a quantum internet, and a robot that can climb stairs. We're in the future, man.

A 5 year old girl from peru had a baby in the 30s. At 5. 5 years old. And she had a baby. In Peru. And she's 5. Wow. A 5-year-old had a baby.

Pics or it didn't happen

[shawnhcorey]

Also, they are making a quantum internet, and a robot that can climb stairs. We're in the future, man.

Not until I get my flying car!

[dhokarena56]

Today I learned that the order Primates is in the clade Euarchonta, containing the orders Dermoptera and Scandentia, which is in the clade Euarchontoglires, also containing Rodentia and Lagamorpha.

In other words, we're more closely related to fucking treeshrews and hamsters than real mammals like dogs and cats.

Damn.

[SecondTalon]

A 5 year old girl from peru had a baby in the 30s. At 5. 5 years old. And she had a baby. In Peru. And she's 5. Wow. A 5-year-old had a baby.

Pics or it didn't happen

Okay. (NSFW, Wikipedia)

[Vieto]

Today I learned, I share my birthday with Mr Snuffleupagus, thanks to an chart that shows you which fictional character shares your birthday. There's one for every day of the year.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo! I share the same birthday as Aquaman!

[Amie]

Today I learned, I share my birthday with Mr Snuffleupagus, thanks to an chart that shows you which fictional character shares your birthday. There's one for every day of the year.

Wow. Mine's Malcolm from Malcolm in the Middle and he's the same age as me. Also, Frankie Muniz (who played Malcolm) was actually born on Dec 5th but in 1985. Wow.

[OBrien]

Today I learned, I share my birthday with Mr Snuffleupagus, thanks to an chart that shows you which fictional character shares your birthday. There's one for every day of the year.

Bert from Sesame Street. Slammin'!

[yurell]

Some character I've never heard of from some show I've never heard of .... I think I'll just stick with the Battle of Waterloo and the US declaring war on the British Empire.

[Mumpy]

I will take Phillip J Fry. I will indeed.

[SlyReaper]

Tia and Tamera, Sister Sister.

Who dafuq are they?

[OBrien]

Tia and Tamera, Sister Sister.

Who dafuq are they?

You're better off not knowing.

[Giant Speck]

Tia and Tamera, Sister Sister.

Who dafuq are they?

They're essentially the black version of the Olsen twins.

[emceng]

Tia and Tamera, Sister Sister.

Who dafuq are they?

They're essentially the black version of the Olsen twins.

IIRC from the commercials, Sister Sister was similar to Parent Trap, except a TV show instead of movie.

[semicharmed]

Oscar the Grouch and Don Draper from Mad Men.

[The Scyphozoa]

For me, something from Hello Kitty.

I, uh, I expected something cooler, considering I was born on Halloween.

[Giant Speck]

Tia and Tamera, Sister Sister.

Who dafuq are they?

They're essentially the black version of the Olsen twins.

IIRC from the commercials, Sister Sister was similar to Parent Trap, except a TV show instead of movie.

While that is definitely correct, I meant in real life.

I kind of miss Sister, Sister. It was a good show.

[Xeio]

Today I learned, I share my birthday with Mr Snuffleupagus, thanks to an chart that shows you which fictional character shares your birthday. There's one for every day of the year.

And according to wikipedia this list is worth less than the bits it's printed with.

Because my character is not born on the date specified.

Unless wikipedia is wrong, but that never happens.

[Torvaun]

For me, something from Hello Kitty.

I, uh, I expected something cooler, considering I was born on Halloween.

Harry Dresden, private investigator and wizard, from the awesome book series The Dresden Files, was also born on Halloween.

[emceng]

Yeah, I was expecting someone cool, that I might actually have heard of. I got an actress from a TV show I've never seen that aired in the 70s.

[Torvaun]

Yeah, I was expecting someone cool, that I might actually have heard of. I got an actress from a TV show I've never seen that aired in the 70s.

What day were you? Maybe we can put together a much more kickass list.

[clockworkmonk]

Also it's not her box... It's Prometheus's Box. She just opens it.

I know this is a page late... but that was Epimethius, not Prometheus. Epimethius was Prometheus' much dumber brother who never thought things through. fun creation myth there too.

[Magnanimous]

I know this is a page late... but that was Epimethius, not Prometheus. Epimethius was Prometheus' much dumber brother who never thought things through. fun creation myth there too.

Ah, good to know. Also it turns out it wasn't a box at all--it was a jar. Mistranslations!

[ShootTheChicken]

A box can be ajar, no?

[shawnhcorey]

I know this is a page late... but that was Epimethius, not Prometheus. Epimethius was Prometheus' much dumber brother who never thought things through. fun creation myth there too.

Ah, good to know. Also it turns out it wasn't a box at all--it was a jar. Mistranslations!

Wasn't it an amphora jar, the kind they used to keep wine in? No wonder others were interested in what it contained.

[Vieto]

I know this is a page late... but that was Epimethius, not Prometheus. Epimethius was Prometheus' much dumber brother who never thought things through. fun creation myth there too.

Ah, good to know. Also it turns out it wasn't a box at all--it was a jar. Mistranslations!

Wasn't it an amphora jar, the kind they used to keep wine in? No wonder others were interested in what it contained.

why not boxed wine? It's both a box and a (dozen) jar(s)!

[clockworkmonk]

lets see how much I can remember from myth.

Spoiler:

Prometheus stole fire, causing not a small amount of upset on mount Olympus. In a plot against humanity, Epimethius was given a wife, Pandora. Now Epimethius was pretty excited about this, but he did have a jar filled with ills. This could lead to trouble, as Pandora was very curious. Epimethius banned her from opening his jar. But one day he was out and her curiosity overcame her and she opened the jar. out came all the troubles and ills in the world. Seeing this, Pandora closed the jar as quick as possible, but only one thing remained in the jar, hope.

also related, how Epimethius created Man, but went to Prometheus after realizing claws and fins and flight weren't cutting it. So Prometheus gave them reason.

also how the burnt offerings to Zeus were selected, the taking of fire from man, then the subsequent theft of fire, and punishment of Prometheus.

[emceng]

Yeah, I was expecting someone cool, that I might actually have heard of. I got an actress from a TV show I've never seen that aired in the 70s.

What day were you? Maybe we can put together a much more kickass list.

June 18th 1912, if you believe my profile.

[yurell]

You win! You get me being born (although the year's off by a fair bit)!
Oh, and Napoleon losing the Battle of Waterloo, and the United States of America declaring war and invading the British Empire.

[Vieto]

lets see how much I can remember from myth.

Spoiler:

Prometheus stole fire, causing not a small amount of upset on mount Olympus. In a plot against humanity, Epimethius was given a wife, Pandora. Now Epimethius was pretty excited about this, but he did have a jar filled with ills. This could lead to trouble, as Pandora was very curious. Epimethius banned her from opening his jar. But one day he was out and her curiosity overcame her and she opened the jar. out came all the troubles and ills in the world. Seeing this, Pandora closed the jar as quick as possible, but only one thing remained in the jar, hope.

also related, how Epimethius created Man, but went to Prometheus after realizing claws and fins and flight weren't cutting it. So Prometheus gave them reason.

also how the burnt offerings to Zeus were selected, the taking of fire from man, then the subsequent theft of fire, and punishment of Prometheus.

Finally, a Pandora's box myth that actually makes any sort of reasonable sense, as opposed to "Here, take this box, it contains ills! Don't open it!" "But I'm so curious!" *opens box*

[tastelikecoke]

I thought the hope escaped from the jar, but it was the last thing to do so.
Well that explains everything.