TIL: Today I Learned... (Join in!)

[Marko Dash]

The forehead of Beluga whales are very wibbly

https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/y ... n_massage/

[LadyTevar]

The forehead of Beluga whales are very wibbly

https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/y ... n_massage/

Ok.. I knew the "melon" on dolphin and whale heads was a big fatty thing that somehow directs/detects soundwaves to find prey and in some cases stun it.
But dude, that's like playing with jello!!

[Raw Shark]

At least farmers can be reasoned with. I've gotten away with my skin plenty of times I had a weapon pointed at my face with a simple, "Hey sorry man, just passing through." Sometime they were like, "Imma follow you the whole way," and sometimes it was like, "Okay, keep moving."

How do you get yourself into such situations so regularly?

I've just one of those faces, I guess. Actually, no, that particular situation I used to get into a lot because I had a tendency to trespass on other people's property when I was a kid. Trespassing + 'Murica = Gun In Face.

[Broomstick]

Yep - first time someone shot at me I was trespassing.

[Eternal_Freedom]

TIL that Americans get shot at often enough that they have to specify the "first time" rather than "the time."

This concerns me.

[LadyTevar]

TIL that Americans get shot at often enough that they have to specify the "first time" rather than "the time."

This concerns me.

Not all civilians get shot at. However, I did live in a urban neighborhood with a lot of gang/drug-related gun violence, so gunshots in the middle of the night were not uncommon. One reason Martin decided we needed to move Somewhere Better.

At least where I am living now, if you hear gunshots it's usually someone sighting their rifle in for deer season. Which means I've been hearing them off and on for the last couple weeks.

[Raw Shark]

TIL that Americans get shot at often enough that they have to specify the "first time" rather than "the time."

This concerns me.

Well, I am also well-armed now, too. Fairly quick with my well-engineered Austrian hardware, which I have taught others how to deploy. The minimal difference between the Glock 17 and the Sig p229 was one of my eternal debates with PONYTAIL that got our friends saying things like, "Shut up you two, who invvited the NRA?," It concerns me as well.

[Raw Shark]

(The joke here is that the Glock 17 and the Sig p229 are basically the same weapon - I favor the 1oz lighter carry, she favors the 1/4" shorter length. Two fewer rounds on hers, which she says means I'm a poor shot which I guess is fair)

[Raw Shark]

I misspoke, PONYTAIL packs a Sig p226. Never takes it off unless she's in the shower, really. She's a little scary. I really loved her, as much as she can be loved. We just weren't right together. I was actually afraid of her.

[EnterpriseSovereign]

After reading that I found this detailed post on Quora:

The Glock upside: it is relatively cheap-US $550-$600. It has a simple manual of arms- once it is loaded and in service, simply draw, aim, trigger press. The trigger pull and trigger action remains the same for every shot. Rinse and repeat until you do not need to fire anymore. There are no extraneous levers or controls. It is rugged, reliable, has good capacity in either form, is easy to customize, easy to maintain, and there are enormous amounts of after market parts available to modify or improve performance and utility for a particular user. The plastic frame allows significant modifications; you can get the grip custom reshaped and shrunk slightly as well as stippled for better hold, and it’s possible to even create a flared magazine well for faster loading.

The Glock Downside: the trigger is crunchy, gritty and long, about 8 pounds. (Edit: Some trigger connector combinations give much better and smoother trigger function, circa 5.5- pounds- my personal Glocks have triggers that are as rough as an East Texas gravel road). The Glock grip angle is awkward and pointing is unnatural for most firers. The pistol grip itself is very square; it has been compared to clutching a 2x4 piece of lumber. People with small hands or short fingers often have to resort to “side gripping” to access the trigger, this makes the gun (when fired right handed) recoil by twisting up and to the right, significantly increasing the time for follow up shots and making Control more difficult. The factory plastic sights are terrible and the glue holding them fails; I have had a rear sight simply fly off in the middle of shooting a string.

Sig P226/P229 upside: both models are accurate and well made. A metal SiG is rugged and reliable. Being hammer fired, they are less sensitive to ammo loaded with overhard primers. They have excellent factory sights and the all metal construction gives a “heft” that builds confidence. Capacity is pretty much up to modern standard. The manual of arms of the Double Action/Single Action system is simple: once it's loaded and in service, the firer simply draws, aims and presses the trigger through its 11 pound Double Action trigger pull which cocks the hammer and then releases it to fire the first shot; subsequent shots are fired with a crisp and short 5 pound Single Action trigger pull. The SiG grips fit the human hand, most shooters can avoid side gripping.

Sig P226/229 Down Side: Metal Sigs are pricey, US $960-1250 and up depending on Model and trim. Metal Sigs tend to be heavier than comparable Glocks, although some people consider this a feature not a bug. The trigger pull changes from first to subsequent shots, many people find this disconcerting and have to “shift grip” to accomodate the two differing types of trigger action. When firing is finished, the pistol must be manually “decocked” with the decocking lever before reholstering; that’s a step in the manual of arms that the Glock doesn’t have. Learning to manage the SiG trigger for best accuracy requires more training time, although it is readily accomplished.

TIL that "Strimmer" is just an abbreviation of "String Trimmer" and that "Weedwacker" is just another name for it.

Today I also learned that gas-powered leaf blowers are surprisingly dangerous.

[The_Saint]

TIL the word prosody which I feel I should have known and did know but can't remember ever knowing.

[LadyTevar]

TIL the word prosody which I feel I should have known and did know but can't remember ever knowing.

The Wiki article was a little dense. So.. if I get the gist of this right, Prosody is the difference between the "Ah!" of surprise and the "Ah..." of "I'm not sure about this".

[The_Saint]

TIL the word prosody which I feel I should have known and did know but can't remember ever knowing.

The Wiki article was a little dense. So.. if I get the gist of this right, Prosody is the difference between the "Ah!" of surprise and the "Ah..." of "I'm not sure about this".

Pretty much.
Specifically for speech (the context I came across it for) it's the information encoded in the tone/melody as opposed to the specific words.

So to mirror/expand on your example it's the difference between yelling "MUM" (panic, questioning, pleading) and "MUM" (anger, statement) and "Mum" (happy, content).
Same word, different meanings.

[LadyTevar]

TIL the word prosody which I feel I should have known and did know but can't remember ever knowing.

The Wiki article was a little dense. So.. if I get the gist of this right, Prosody is the difference between the "Ah!" of surprise and the "Ah..." of "I'm not sure about this".

Pretty much.
Specifically for speech (the context I came across it for) it's the information encoded in the tone/melody as opposed to the specific words.

So to mirror/expand on your example it's the difference between yelling "MUM" (panic, questioning, pleading) and "MUM" (anger, statement) and "Mum" (happy, content).
Same word, different meanings.

I never knew there was a word for that, although it's clearly something found in all languages. Emotion does play a huge part in daily conversations.

[Lord Revan]

I didn't know there was a term for it either though it doesn't surprise me at all, lets take the sentence "sure boss, I'll do that" depending on the way you say it can convey very different emotional dynamics and/or meanings.

to use that example if said in a neutral professional tone, it conveys simple agreement of doing a task. if said in a cheery or eager tone it conveys that task is probably something the speaker likes or wants to do, if said in angry or venomous tone it's most like something the speaker doesn't want to do and last but certainly not least if said in a defeated tone it's something the speaker doesn't want to do but can't really avoid or protest doing either.

It's still the same sentence if written down but the meaning behind it can is very different depending how you said it.

That's probably why things like sarcasm tags exist since tone and the emotion put into a word can alter the meaning in dramatic ways.

[EnterpriseSovereign]

It's what emojis are for after all.

[aerius]

TIL that edibles kick in a lot faster and hit harder when taken with alcohol.

[Broomstick]

Really? Because according to two people I know edibles + alcohol = meh, as if they mostly cancel each other out. Granted, the amount of weed and alcohol consumed during that experiment was not a lot.

Oh, hey - maybe I haven't mentioned it. I did try edible recently (due to lung issues I will not smoke or vape). First round I was declared "most boring stoned person ever". Second round had more laughing. Both times I slept really well, being able to relax better than usual.

Not declaring myself any sort of authority, your mileage may vary.

[EnterpriseSovereign]

TIL what edibles are

[Raw Shark]

Really? Because according to two people I know edibles + alcohol = meh, as if they mostly cancel each other out. Granted, the amount of weed and alcohol consumed during that experiment was not a lot.

Can confirm, alcohol and the devil's lettuce are known to typically amount to greater than the sum of their parts. YMMV depending on whether your stuff is cannabis indica, cannabis sativa, or their relative proportion in a hybrid.

Not declaring myself any sort of authority, your mileage may vary.

Source: I have... a little experience in this area...

[Broomstick]

Pretty much everyone has more experience than me in that area.

I told the "budtender" at the dispensary that I was look for more relaxing and calm than anything else. Not sure about the details at this point but there was definitely a label talking about indica and sativa and some other stuff.

Would be nice if all that was legal where I live. It would be useful for those times I'm under stress and anxious and need something to take the edge off. Sure, there's alcohol, but it can disrupt sleep and doesn't always play nice with anxiety. Sure, antihistamines, which I have in abundance due to allergies, can knock you out but there are issues with them, too (not the least of which after a half century of heaving use due to said allergies it now takes a LOT to knock me out).

Stupid backward pole-up-the-ass puritanical Red state! Legalize it, regulate it, tax it just like other legal vices like alcohol, tobacco, and the lottery.

[aerius]

Really? Because according to two people I know edibles + alcohol = meh, as if they mostly cancel each other out. Granted, the amount of weed and alcohol consumed during that experiment was not a lot.

That's what I thought too. Normally I start drinking after the edibles kick in, sometimes it doesn't really have any effect, sometimes it takes some of the edge off the high so I don't get paranoid. This time, I ate the edibles and had a couple drinks at the same time and half an hour later I was completely baked as fuck.

Oh, hey - maybe I haven't mentioned it. I did try edible recently (due to lung issues I will not smoke or vape). First round I was declared "most boring stoned person ever". Second round had more laughing. Both times I slept really well, being able to relax better than usual.

Not declaring myself any sort of authority, your mileage may vary.

I'm a pretty boring stoner until I start watching youtube videos. It usually doesn't take long before I'm watching some random video and laughing my ass off for no good reason.

[EnterpriseSovereign]

Really? Because according to two people I know edibles + alcohol = meh, as if they mostly cancel each other out. Granted, the amount of weed and alcohol consumed during that experiment was not a lot.

That's what I thought too. Normally I start drinking after the edibles kick in, sometimes it doesn't really have any effect, sometimes it takes some of the edge off the high so I don't get paranoid. This time, I ate the edibles and had a couple drinks at the same time and half an hour later I was completely baked as fuck.

Oh, hey - maybe I haven't mentioned it. I did try edible recently (due to lung issues I will not smoke or vape). First round I was declared "most boring stoned person ever". Second round had more laughing. Both times I slept really well, being able to relax better than usual.

Not declaring myself any sort of authority, your mileage may vary.

I'm a pretty boring stoner until I start watching youtube videos. It usually doesn't take long before I'm watching some random video and laughing my ass off for no good reason.

Got any of the links?

[LaCroix]

Secretariat's Belmont Stakes run is worth a watch - he blew the competition out of the water. Any other, more typical year, either the 2nd or 3rd place winner could have also been a Triple Crown Winner, they only look slow next to Secretariat. If you only ever watch one horse race in your entire life this is the one to watch. Heck, it's less than 2.5 minutes - go ahead. (alright, the entire video is slightly longer than that)

https://youtu.be/vfCMtaNiMDM

I am really amazed with the riding form of the rider of #2 (whoever that was) in the closeup sequence around the corner (and most of the race) His head was completely stable, his posture perfectly angled and cushioning the shocks and the hips decoupling the upper body from the horse. The only movements his torso made were intentional. By far the best rider in the group. Most of the others were "overleaning" and losing control because of that.

That was a really excellent piece of riding...

[LadyTevar]

Secretariat's Belmont Stakes run is worth a watch - he blew the competition out of the water. Any other, more typical year, either the 2nd or 3rd place winner could have also been a Triple Crown Winner, they only look slow next to Secretariat. If you only ever watch one horse race in your entire life this is the one to watch. Heck, it's less than 2.5 minutes - go ahead. (alright, the entire video is slightly longer than that)

https://youtu.be/vfCMtaNiMDM

I am really amazed with the riding form of the rider of #2 (whoever that was) in the closeup sequence around the corner (and most of the race) His head was completely stable, his posture perfectly angled and cushioning the shocks and the hips decoupling the upper body from the horse. The only movements his torso made were intentional. By far the best rider in the group. Most of the others were "overleaning" and losing control because of that.

That was a really excellent piece of riding...

#2 jockey was Ron Turcotte, on Secretariat.
But you're right. Look at Turcotte's movements compared to the jockey Laffit Pincay on Sham, the horse that was side-by-side with him. Pincay's arms are clearly jerking with every stride. He may have also been whipping Sham with his other hand, we can't tell from the video's angle.
In the comments on that video, Turcotte himself posts that he had planned to hold back, but Secretariat had other plans, so Turcotte just decided to be a "good passenger" and just stay out of Secretariat's way.