Thirst-for-knowledge Thursdays!

So my roommate has decided at age 37 to go to University. Not only is she going back to school, she's taking two languages that she's never spoken before. It's going to be a tough row to hoe, as they say, but she's really excited about it and up for the challenge.

And now when she comes home with tales of some new thing learned or of a lively debate in class I find myself getting excited about it for her. I remember that feeling. After a lifetime of Catholic schooling there was something very exhilarating about being able to raise an objection or a differing opinion in class without being looked at as just a troublemaker. And then to have it intelligently answered by perhaps someone else in the class? Heaven!

Well, okay, I may be romanticizing a bit. My University had it's fair share of idiots, too, just like every other University. But by year three most of them were weeded out. Something having to do with paying for the privilege of being there maybe.

Ah, memories. However, all of this reminiscing isn't getting today's post written. Let's get on with it, shall we?

Today's Thirsty Thursdays twofer special gives us two learnings for the price of one. And both, miraculously, are culled from the astromonical sciences.

I learned the first fact while looking up the price of admission to The Bata Shoe Museum. I happened across their "fun facts" page and learned that Neil Armstrong's famous "one small step for man" boots are now officially space junk. You see, they were afraid of contamination, and well, what do you do when you're out in space and have something that you don't want anymore? Why, you open up the pod bay door and jettison it, that's what! TOP O' THE FOOD CHAIN, MA! WE'RE THE GODS NOW! W3 0Wnz da un1v3r53! Take it, bitch! Take it!!1

*Ahem* The second bit o' larnin' I got me today has to do with a charming but little-known story about a young boy in search of adventure in space. Oh, and there's this war going on, too. And there's this princess and another adventurous guy and a hairy dude, and some robot dudes, and did I mention this all happens in space? I think it's called "Star Wars" or something like that. Anyway, it seems to have caught the imagination of this one guy so much that he's spent what must be hundreds of hours lovingly turning the story into an ASCII animated movie. Well, at least the first twenty minutes or so of the story. But it hasn't been updated since May of last year. Strange.

So today I learned that humans are bound to pollute everything they touch and that someone was dedicated enough to take the time to turn little symbols into art, and that it very likely took his life.

Well, those sure were fun facts, weren't they? See you tomorrow kids!

Hump day? More Like Stump Day!

Ba dum bum! I kill me. But seriously folks, I got nuthin'. Plus my cute boyfriend is over and bugging me to use the laptop to look up sports things (like I don't know it's porn. Duh.)

Anyway, today I learned that there is actually a word for that uneasy feeling I get whenever I get home from work and my tummy begins to rumble. I realize that I'm going to have to cook something, or waste away to nothing (*ahem* it might take a while, but I could waste).

I thought that I was the only person who dreads this dilemma, but no. There's actually a phobia of cooking that I can con my roommates wi-- er, that truly sick people face everyday. The word is mageirocophobia and apparently the fear is real.

Well, at least the specious program to cure you of it is real. I just hope you aren't also afflicted with the fear of specious $147 money-back guaranteed programs. Although, taking a quick gander at their phobia list their program might just possibly cure it.

Anyway, I hope you learned a little something today. I know I did. However, it's late and I'm afraid I gotta go. (I wonder what that fear's called...)

Day Two: The Learnening

Ah, knowledge. From the relatively simple act of brushing your hair to the almost impossible feat of distinguishing which pick-up line will get you laid and which will get you slapped, knowledge in any form is invaluable. I have always had a thirst for knowledge and every day I am rewarded with something, even if it's a very small thing, to learn.

Except for today, of course. Because today I was looking for things to learn, and while I did pick up bits of information like "Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher got married" and "Don Adams died", none of it seemed to fit in with my intended theme for this week. Plus you could learn that yourself watching ET.

So, I'm going to have to cheat. (Hey, I just learned that I don't care if I cheat! Cool!) I'm going to use something that I learned last week. On September 21st to be exact. And you know, it's not really cheating because that was a day, and I did learn something on it, so technically it still works. (Hey, I just learned that I might have a career in politics! Er, yay, I guess...)

Anyway, Wednesday, September 21st I signed up for a google alert for stories that mention "daylight savings time". The US of A has decided to extend theirs, you see, and this effects Canadians fairly heavily. We say that we're "looking into it", but really, we're going to have to follow suit. Or oy, with the airline timetables and the stock markets and the aaah! You know we're going to do it. But I want to know when.

On the day I received my first google alert it really did alert me to a few previously unknown facts:

1. There is a place in Mississippi that holds an event called the Wing Dang Doodle Festival.
2. Due to that accursed Hurricane Katrina, this year's (the 2nd Annual, by the way) Wing Dang Doodle Festival is postponed until November!
(My next point is actually a supposition rather than actual fact)
3. Mississipians is a mite goofy for the poultry.

Hm, I'm wondering if I just learned something about the not-so-complex process of prejudice... It's like learning within learning.

Whoa, I just blew my own mind...

Learn Something New Every Day

Bonjour mes amis. Comment ca va? Bien! Zut alors, mais c'est been a while since I've updated on a daily basis. And it's been even longer that it wasn't some holier-comme-vous sentimental horse merde, too. But all that's about to change! Oui!

I've been learning just lots and lots of stuff lately. It seems, as the old saying goes, that you actually do learn something new every day. And since I've got nothing else to write about I thought I'd share my learnings each day this week. These are going to be short posts, so be prepared. But at least they'll be here.

Okay, so what did I learn today? Well, for work I had to look up one of those difficult words that can be spelled two ways. What are they called? Oh yeah, homilies. Anyway, it was the word "liquify", which, as you can see, I spell with an "i". Apparently, though, it can be spelled "liquefy". Huh. I take it it's one of those American vs. Canadian spelling things.

(Obviously, I think the way I spell it is right, and my theory is further supported by the fact that the process describes the turning of something from a solid into liquid, not a liqued. But I digress.)

However this fascinating spelling factoid is not the main fascinating factoid I learned today. In trying to verify my American/Canadian spelling theory I stumbled across a bunch of sites that contain Canadianisms. And this is what I learned: the term shit disturber is apparently Canadian in origin. It's true! Harvard says so!

For those of you non-Canadians who can't figure out what a shit-disturber is, well, just look it up in the link I provided, you big keener. Man, only a knob who sits around on his chesterfield all day waiting for his baby bonus cheque to arrive so he can buy a 2-4 instead of paying the hydro would wait for me to spoon-feed him the answer. Ya fuckin' goof.

Ah, my home and native land... what etymological wonders you hold. *sniff*

Bon soir, mon petite siblings! Bon soir!