What have you learnt today?

Hello fellow org-ers!

In the spirit of self-betterment, and scientific research, I have been keeping a log of at least 1 thing I have learnt every day. I have found it creates a self-reinforcing loop, and actually gives you a great sense of accomplishment when you know you have actually expanded your mind today.

Collectively though, this could be fascinating!

So, what have you learnt today? It could be anything, a new word, making eggs Benedict, that Ronaldinho is no longer with FCBarcelona, or that you will be getting a promotion. It could be one thing, or many, large or small.

I'll start - I have lived my life unaware of Khinkali, and have righted that wrong today! Have had my eyes opened to georgian food and wine, and wish I had discovered it sooner!

I learned today that pollen, in the right amounts, can imitate smog in a large city. The stuff coats everything outside in this sickening green color, makes you sneeze incessantly and wish you were indoors even though its a gorgeous day outside.

The downside of spring, I suppose.

I'm curious, what is the threshold concentration for allergies to fire?

So its measured by a pollen count, which is a measurement of how many pollen grains are in a cubic meter of the air. The pollen count for where I live got up to almost 6,000 grains per cubic meter two days ago. That should tell you how bad it gets. A low number is in the double digits.

More on it here.

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Originally Posted by Hooahguy

So its measured by a pollen count, which is a measurement of how many pollen grains are in a cubic meter of the air. The pollen count for where I live got up to almost 6,000 grains per cubic meter two days ago. That should tell you how bad it gets. A low number is in the double digits.

More on it here.

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You are back in the ATL I see. Pray for rain, I remember those springs...

Its supposed to pour all week, its overcast now and was drizzling this morning. Heres to a week of non-stop rain!

~:cheers:

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Originally Posted by Hooahguy

So its measured by a pollen count, which is a measurement of how many pollen grains are in a cubic meter of the air. The pollen count for where I live got up to almost 6,000 grains per cubic meter two days ago. That should tell you how bad it gets. A low number is in the double digits.

More on it here.

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Wow, that's pretty spectacular. As drone says I hope it rains. Hang in there.

I've learned that if you ask random Americans on the street, a lot of them will not be able to tell you who Edward Snowden is or what he did. I also repeated some spanish but I'm not sure whether I learnt anything as I only have BDocs flying around in my head right now, back to work it is...
Oh, I also learnt that pollen can imitate smog if it comes in high density. ~;)

You got me reading. Apparently, pollen will explode if: concentrations equal 60g per cubic meter or more, a high heat source/flame is present, and the cloud is contained in some manner (in a building; surrounded on three sides by tall buildings, some form of tent). I think ALL of us would be allergic to pollen in the form of a fuel air explosion.

Thankfully it poured last night, so the pollen washed away. It will be back though, it always does.

And Seamus Fermanagh that is mildly terrifying.

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Originally Posted by Hooahguy

And Seamus Fermanagh that is mildly terrifying.

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I assume that those who survive the oxidation of the pollen will have fewer problems with allergies however.

As for what I have learnt so far today, how to ask someone out in Spanish, that Schiller died young and that Goethe had a penchant for beauty and thought that prisms violate light because they tear it apart. I also learnt that when one is on a university with two campi in neighboring cities, one should be careful about signing up for Spanish courses because one might sign up for a course in the other city and then the uni plays inflexible and refuses to switch courses even though there is a course with fewer signups in one's own city that hasn't even started yet. I also learnt that the university shuttle bus that connects the two campi takes only 20 minutes. And the day isn't even over yet.

Cha-cha is not only a caribbean dance. It is also a 70-90% alcohol Georgian spirit made from grapes. The hangover is like wearing a skull with nails on the inside.

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Originally Posted by Husar

I assume that those who survive the oxidation of the pollen will have fewer problems with allergies however.

As for what I have learnt so far today, how to ask someone out in Spanish, that Schiller died young and that Goethe had a penchant for beauty and thought that prisms violate light because they tear it apart. I also learnt that when one is on a university with two campi in neighboring cities, one should be careful about signing up for Spanish courses because one might sign up for a course in the other city and then the uni plays inflexible and refuses to switch courses even though there is a course with fewer signups in one's own city that hasn't even started yet. I also learnt that the university shuttle bus that connects the two campi takes only 20 minutes. And the day isn't even over yet.

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Obviously the problem is the extensive metropolitan transit network in your area. If travelling and commuting were more difficult for everyone, then they wouldn't be able to act this way.

The solution is to privatize the transit network until everyone gets sick of it and buys a car - from nationalized factories, of course. :sneaky:

I learned that you can graduate with a degree in engineering and still think the stupidest **** in the world.

I don't want to tell the whole story here, but it involves a man who seems to believe that women should have no problem drinking water contaminated with BPA because, "their bodies can handle the extra estrogen". FML, I'm graduating with this guy.

ACIN, you'll realise quickly almost anyone can get a degree. In almost anything. And 20 years later they will be considered a 'senior engineer'. Regardless of whether they have actually learnt anything in 20 years.
This is one of my learnings this week.

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Originally Posted by a completely inoffensive name

I learned that you can graduate with a degree in engineering and still think the stupidest **** in the world.

I don't want to tell the whole story here, but it involves a man who seems to believe that women should have no problem drinking water contaminated with BPA because, "their bodies can handle the extra estrogen". FML, I'm graduating with this guy.

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I recommend you join the food babe army and campaign for better food and drink with them.

Learned

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Originally Posted by Fragony

Learned

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Is that a lesson? Or a future lesson? :) In any case - I learnt of self-aware pretentiousness. Never saw such a thing. People aware, and proud of their classist self-awareness. Weird night.

The Fundy States of America actually has these fake abortion clinics(CPCs) that outnumber the real abortion clinics and are funded by the government.

"Today" (or rather, recently), I learned a lot today. I'm only sharing the ones that won't get me in as much trouble here:

-don't dare express your feelings to anyone who might work with you--especially if they're romantic ones. Even if you do nothing about, they'll assume you're actively trying to get in their panties.

-as a corollary to above: don't ever work with them. No matter how well intentioned and honest you are, you're pretty much screwed if you do.

-trust no-one at work: assume they're all out to get you. Don't back-stab though--don't stoop to the level of your rivals.

-don't engage in any social interaction with your coworkers--particularly of the opposite sex. That just gives people more fuel to back-stab you: instead, be as invisible as possible.

-the best sign of a coward is how quickly they hide behind a manager.

-truth is not the best defense--mostly because few if any will believe you, especially if the person you are having trouble with is female.

-trying to be the better person, or extending an olive branch, will only earn you a kick in the teeth.

-*name redacted* is a petty, cowardly, mean spirited, paranoid, and kind of stupid person, who can't distinguish between a rick-roll and a propositioning, or while we're at it, a Good friend v. someone they just met.

-Missouri should pay reparations for producing such a hell-spawn--the greatest ever argument against heterosexuality.

I haven't had such experiences on my internship, but then again, I work at a small company majorly composed of geeky male student employees.

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Originally Posted by Ibrahim

"Today" (or rather, recently), I learned a lot today. I'm only sharing the ones that won't get me in as much trouble here:

-don't dare express your feelings to anyone who might work with you--especially if they're romantic ones. Even if you do nothing about, they'll assume you're actively trying to get in their panties.

-as a corollary to above: don't ever work with them. No matter how well intentioned and honest you are, you're pretty much screwed if you do.

-trust no-one at work: assume they're all out to get you. Don't back-stab though--don't stoop to the level of your rivals.

-don't engage in any social interaction with your coworkers--particularly of the opposite sex. That just gives people more fuel to back-stab you: instead, be as invisible as possible.

-the best sign of a coward is how quickly they hide behind a manager.

-truth is not the best defense--mostly because few if any will believe you, especially if the person you are having trouble with is female.

-trying to be the better person, or extending an olive branch, will only earn you a kick in the teeth.

-*name redacted* is a petty, cowardly, mean spirited, paranoid, and kind of stupid person, who can't distinguish between a rick-roll and a propositioning, or while we're at it, a Good friend v. someone they just met.

-Missouri should pay reparations for producing such a hell-spawn--the greatest ever argument against heterosexuality.

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I'm not sure whether one should draw general conclusions from anecdotal events, although the advice not to date co-workers has been going around for a while. But yeah, I'd be very careful with work relations, although the social interaction warning may be a bit much unless you work in some competitive financial or knowledge-based environment, which is why I try to avoid such companies in the first place.

Wow, that's pretty specific Ibrahim. I sense there is a story there (bloody genius I am), but it seems like the pendulum has swung all the way...

Learnt today: If you go to places where they make nice cocktails you will invariably run into pretentious people who judge a book by its cover. Specially when the book is all cover.

I learnt that my roommate stole my gym shorts and is the one who causes the shower to drip all the time due to him completely stripping the knobs twice.

I thought a lot of blokes "stripped the knob" in the shower from time to time...how does that degrade the plumbing?

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Originally Posted by Husar

I'm not sure whether one should draw general conclusions from anecdotal events, although the advice not to date co-workers has been going around for a while. But yeah, I'd be very careful with work relations, although the social interaction warning may be a bit much unless you work in some competitive financial or knowledge-based environment, which is why I try to avoid such companies in the first place.

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normally one shouldn't, but here, it is food for thought.

yes, it is a knowledge based job--specifically in the Oil industry. No avoiding it here: I need the money to pay for graduate school.

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Originally Posted by SwordsMaster

Wow, that's pretty specific Ibrahim. I sense there is a story there (bloody genius I am), but it seems like the pendulum has swung all the way...

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yes, there is. A long, stupid, and retarded one that has gone on nearly 9 months, cost me my job (temporarily), and convinced me that the person in question is an awful creature. (perhaps a demon inside the--admittedly pretty--body of a 26 year old woman)

and no, it hasn't swung all the way: it won't have till the higher ups get a clue and set things right: I can't, because they won't let me give my 2 cents to them or her: they tell me to "pretend it never happened". Kind of :daisy: hard to do so when you've lost your job at one point over this, and at another was effectively slandered for a group rick-roll--isn't it?!

and the sick part? they know the last part is untrue--one of them actually saw the video (she didn't apparently. I'll let you figure out the implications here). Yet they won't set this right. No retribution, no damages payment, not even an apology. nope--just ":daisy: you Ibrahim--female loggers are apparently more valuable for the company because of their :daisy:"

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Originally Posted by Seamus Fermanagh

I thought a lot of blokes "stripped the knob" in the shower from time to time...how does that degrade the plumbing?

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Think of the knob or handle in your shower to control the water. You turn it clockwise to turn off the shower, now imagine if you just kept turning... to be honest I don't know if the knob really is the problem, I just know that whatever he is doing, somehow the shower starts leaking water even when you turn the knob to the off position. I know this because I have used this shower for over a year and it started leaking when he moved in. I called landlord to fix it during the break while he was away, and it starts leaking again right after he uses it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ibrahim

normally one shouldn't, but here, it is food for thought.

yes, it is a knowledge based job--specifically in the Oil industry. No avoiding it here: I need the money to pay for graduate school.



yes, there is. A long, stupid, and retarded one that has gone on nearly 9 months, cost me my job (temporarily), and convinced me that the person in question is an awful creature. (perhaps a demon inside the--admittedly pretty--body of a 26 year old woman)

and no, it hasn't swung all the way: it won't have till the higher ups get a clue and set things right: I can't, because they won't let me give my 2 cents to them or her: they tell me to "pretend it never happened". Kind of :daisy: hard to do so when you've lost your job at one point over this, and at another was effectively slandered for a group rick-roll--isn't it?!

and the sick part? they know the last part is untrue--one of them actually saw the video (she didn't apparently. I'll let you figure out the implications here). Yet they won't set this right. No retribution, no damages payment, not even an apology. nope--just ":daisy: you Ibrahim--female loggers are apparently more valuable for the company because of their :daisy:"

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Political correctness taken to the ridiculous extreme... Upsetting, but sadly I can't say it's surprising... At least looking at the evidence should be par for the course.

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Originally Posted by a completely inoffensive name

Think of the knob or handle in your shower to control the water. You turn it clockwise to turn off the shower, now imagine if you just kept turning... to be honest I don't know if the knob really is the problem, I just know that whatever he is doing, somehow the shower starts leaking water even when you turn the knob to the off position. I know this because I have used this shower for over a year and it started leaking when he moved in. I called landlord to fix it during the break while he was away, and it starts leaking again right after he uses it.

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So what you're saying is.. he has a strong knob-arm?

I'll get my coat

I learned today that when your car awkwardly dies in the middle of a single-lane road in the middle of rush hour people get pretty angry at you.