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Fact of the Day - DANGEROUS JOBS Did you know... Some say that without risk there is no reward. While this might not always be true, it certainly is for some of these dangerous professions, where workers have to deal with a daily dose of peril. And in many cases, these brave individuals are precisely the ones who keep our modern world functioning. Let’s explore ten hazardous occupations where every day on the job is a brush with danger. 1. Commercial Fishing As exciting as it might be, commercial fishing ranks among the deadliest professions globally, with a fatality rate so high that it might discourage even the bravest souls. In addition to the inherent dangers of the sea, the combination of unpredictable weather, heavy equipment, and remote locations makes it extremely perilous. Even with modern safety measures, accidents like capsizing or entanglement in fishing gear are sadly common. 2. Logging Logging necessarily involves working with heavy machinery and handling sharp tools in rugged terrains. Falling trees, equipment malfunctions, and transportation accidents pose significant risks. Despite advancements in safety protocols, logging remains one of the most hazardous occupations. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the occupation had a fatal work injury rate of 82 per 100,000 in 2021. 3. Snake Milker Snake milkers extract venom from some of the world's deadliest serpents to produce life-saving antivenom. This perilous profession involves handling venomous snakes with precision and care. One wrong move could result in a lethal bite, making each milking session a dance with danger. More often than not, however, snake milkers are trained herpetologists who know a lot about the behavior of the venomous reptiles they work with. 4. Mining Mining is a profession fraught with dangers, such as cave-ins, explosions, and exposure to toxic gasses. Miners also face long-term health risks from dust inhalation leading to conditions like black lung disease. Despite stringent safety regulations, the inherent hazards of working underground make mining a perilous - although sometimes profitable - occupation. 5. Firefighting Firefighters risk their lives every day battling blazes and all sorts of natural and man-made disasters, having to deal with unpredictable and hazardous conditions. From collapsing structures to toxic smoke inhalation, firefighters certainly don’t have it easy. Often, however, the opportunity to save lives and help others is more than enough to motivate these fearless first responders. 6. Waste Management There is a reason few people dare work in waste management positions. Workers in this field have to face numerous risks, including exposure to toxic materials, heavy machinery accidents, and vehicle-related incidents. Also, the risks vary wildly depending on the type of waste being disposed of. For example, waste removal workers who work with radioactive materials might have to periodically check in with a doctor and control their radiation poisoning levels. 7. Electrical Powerline Maintenance Electrical linemen quite literally keep our world functioning, and to do so they have to face enormous risks on a daily basis. These individuals are often highly skilled and attentive to detail - because if anything goes wrong, the price to pay might be too high. Working on electrical powerlines often exposes workers to the risk of electrocution or falls from great heights, and when doing maintenance during inclement weather is required, the inherent danger associated with the profession increases sharply. 8. Commercial Diving Commercial divers undertake tasks such as underwater welding and maintenance, exposing them to risks like decompression sickness, equipment failure, and all kinds of underwater hazards. Sometimes, the remote nature of the jobs also means they have to spend long periods of time away from family and friends, and with limited ability to communicate with them. 9. High-rise Window Cleaning This job is not for the faint-hearted. Cleaning windows at great heights, precariously dangling from a rope, requires nerves of steel and a calm disposition. Suspended hundreds of feet above ground, these brave professionals have to maneuver on small platforms to be able to reach the outside surfaces of the world’s tallest skyscrapers. Although nowadays stringent safety measures make the job safer than ever, the risk of falls and equipment malfunctions is ever-present. 10. Professional Bull Riding Professional bull riding is for those who think you can’t have fun without taking some risks. Trying to ride a massive, unpredictable animal - such as an enraged bull - is not an easy challenge, and these athletes endure an awful amount of bucking and thrashing just for mere seconds of glory. With the potential of being trampled or caught by the animal’s horns, this dangerous sport is a test of courage and resilience. Source: Only For The Brave: Discover Ten OF The World's Most Dangerous Jobs?

What's the Word: COUNTERVAIL pronunciation: [kown-tər-VEIL] Part of speech: verb Origin: Late Middle English, 1350s Meaning: 1. Offset the effect of (something) by countering it with something of equal force. Examples: "The dentist hoped the new toothpaste would countervail the candy’s effect." "As a skilled debater, Andy was familiar with countervailing arguments." About Countervail Countervail developed in Late Middle English by way of the Anglo-Norman French word "contrevaloir." This word is derived from the Latin term "contra valere" ("be of worth against"). Did you Know? As simple machines (levers, pulleys, etc.) developed, the first scales worked very similarly to how a seesaw works. However, as scales grew more complex, being able to accurately balance items on both sides of the scale became an important development. Merchants could ensure that they were buying and selling the right amount every time by using rocks and other materials to countervail what was being weighed. This countervailing method allowed for more specific weights and measures using a scale.

I was traveling when this happened, but I listened to the interview. A lot of it went as expected, but I respect the attempt. Even if Putin gave some BS answers here & there, it's better that we get to hear from our 'enemy' and get a shot at understanding him than complete silence. I don't trust our own media, so this gives me a chance to consume something from both sides & make up my own opinion. I'm not a fan of Joe Rogan, but I feel that Tucker's interview/podcast with him from a few days ago was better than the Putin one. Tucker is a likeable guy (to me).

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Hello again @Arisien & @Nekone , just checking in to say thanks again for the pointers & that this conversation bore fruit. While the OP was about my email server (still happily chugging along, by the way) I used our following conversation about Linux to finally take the plunge. I'm not an advanced user or even intermediate yet, but I have been using Manjaro for a month with a Plasma desktop as my daily driver at work & loving it. I have a 2nd PC I use at work set up to dualboot Windows 10 (weaning myself off) and Arch. Thankfully my Linux mentor at work is an Arch user and is walking me through it while I use Manjaro solo until I have my Arch experience properly customized. We only get a few hours per week to mess around with my setup, but it's coming along nicely & I have a notebook quickly filling up with notes/cheat-sheets as I learn to use the CLI. The goal is still to get to a point where Arisien's bash script above makes sense & I know how to run/schedule it. I may not be "close" to that yet, but I'm a million miles closer than I was in January. I'll follow up with any interesting milestones or perhaps a question or two. Thanks again.

3 months late...but I did go get some that weekend! I even took pictures to prove it (I found a few others I hadn't tried before, so I got the entire line-up): A brief review, since you waited so long... Chester's Fries Flamin' Hot - These didn't taste like anything. Kinda like a bad knockoff of Andy Capp's Hot Fries. If they didn't have red dust on them & I hadn't read the bag, I wouldn't have known that these were supposed to be spicy. Worst of the three, 3/10 Crunchy Cheetos Buffalo - These were alright, I'd get them again once in a while. Again, the flavor wasn't very strong...it feels like they're being cheap with the seasoning on these. What flavor there was was still good. 6/10 Flamin' Hot Crunchy Cheetos - Best of the bunch. Flavorful & addicting to keep munching on. I'll get these again soon. 8/10 (I heard that they used to be better years ago, is this true?)

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Fact of the Day - WEED Did you know.... Marijuana really does give you the munchies. If you’ve ever smoked weed, chances are you’ve felt pretty hungry afterwards. Maybe you even said, “I’m starving” as you plowed through a Nachos BellGrande, a Quesarito Combo, and a Crunchwrap Supreme. Well, you were right—you were starving. Or at least, your body thought you were. And that’s because of tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC, which is the main psychoactive component in marijuana. A 2015 study conducted on mice by researchers at the Yale School of Medicine found that THC flipped a switch in the rodents’ brain circuitry, making them feel hungry rather than full. “By observing how the appetite center of the brain responds to marijuana, we were able to see what drives the hunger brought about by cannabis and how that same mechanism that normally turns off feeding becomes a driver of eating,” said Tamas Horvath, the study’s lead author. “It’s like pressing a car’s brakes and accelerating instead,” Horvath explained. “We were surprised to find that the neurons we thought were responsible for shutting down eating, were suddenly being activated and promoting hunger, even when you are full. It fools the brain’s central feeding system.” Assuming that THC has a similar effect on humans, it’s easy to understand how smoking weed would produce insatiable cravings for anything and everything. But that’s not the only science at work when it comes to getting the munchies: THC also binds to cannabinoid receptors known as CB1s in the brain’s olfactory bulb, making food aromas more intense, which increases your perception of flavor. So not only are you convinced that you’re ravenous, but things smell and taste better than they do when you’re not high, which is kind of a double whammy. While this all may be a little annoying if you’re trying to cut back on your fast-food intake, the link between hunger and THC is potentially great news for people who have trouble eating due to illness or other medical reasons. For instance, marijuana has been shown to be an effective appetite stimulant in cancer patients. If researchers know exactly what causes that appetite surge, they may be able to use the munchies to benefit those who need it. Source: Why Does Weed Make You Hungry?

What's the Word: REDOUBTABLE pronunciation: [re-DOW-də-bl] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Late Middle English, mid-1300s Meaning: 1. (Of a person) Formidable, especially as an opponent. Examples: "He was a redoubtable chess player, but he still had to fight nerves before every match." "John earned his redoubtable reputation after leading his team to several victories." About Redoubtable This word came from the Old French word "redoutable," which developed from the combination of the words "redouter" ("to fear") and "douter" ("to doubt"). Did you Know? Video game developers specialize in creating formidable opponents. The goal is for a game to start at a moderate level of difficulty, which increases as the player progresses and becomes more familiar with the material. The main villain, often referred to as the "final boss," is the most redoubtable character and the hardest to overcome.

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BORING!

Nao Tomori (Charlotte)

Fact of the Day - ENGAGEMENT CHICKEN ORIGINS Did you know.... According to some foodies, this culinary urban legend might have a ring of truth to it. Ready to get engaged? You could buy a ring, propose, and start wedding planning. Or, you could bypass the traditional methods and potentially coax a future spouse into tying the knot with this legendary chicken recipe instead. Oft-reported as a trigger for settling down, “engagement chicken” is essentially just a roast chicken. But it is reportedly so delicious that after enjoying it as a duo, you have no choice but to get married. And no, it’s not served with a ring dangling off the drumstick. Rather, it’s more of a basic, easy-to-execute recipe, roasting the bird at a high heat for crispy skin and juicy interiors, and maybe—just maybe—charming someone into embarking on a lifetime partnership together. The Origins of “Engagement Chicken” Roast chicken is a classic, so what makes this one so special? Urban lore, specifically. “Engagement chicken” was given its romantic title in 1982 when Kim Bonnell, a former fashion editor at Glamour magazine, shared a roast chicken recipe with a colleague. The recipe was based on an earlier dish by chef Marcella Hazan. They subsequently made it for a boyfriend and became engaged a month later, and the recipe’s reputation at the magazine grew from there. “I started sharing this recipe, and then next thing you know, people started getting engaged,” Bonnell told The New York Times in 2023. The recipe became canon in the mid-2000s when Glamour published it. While cooking for someone is a true act of love, of course, it’s hard to determine if this specific recipe directly correlates with a partner getting down on one knee and declaring a desire for lifelong commitment. Still, the legend and tasty recipe lives on. Ina Garten has put her own spin on it (though it’s worth noting she married Jeffrey in 1968, years before her culinary career). Megan Markle’s engagement to Prince Harry also followed her making a certain chicken dish. Even Emily Blunt is reportedly a fan. “The roast chicken I love is Ina Garten’s roast chicken, it’s called her ‘engagement chicken.’ When people make it for people, they get engaged or something,” she told iHeartMedia’s River Cafe Table 4 podcast in 2021. Blunt revealed that she made it for her husband, John Krasinski, early on when they started dating. “That’s it," she added. “All it took!” The Allure of “Marry Me” Dishes Poultry probably isn’t the key to a happy relationship. Still, a good meal can be transcendent, evoking important conversations, memories, and even realizations. This is perhaps why the concept of “engagement chicken” evolved with social media in a new recipe called “Marry Me Chicken,” which recently went viral on TikTok. Dubbed one of the most popular recipes of 2023 by The New York Times, it was created in 2016 by Lindsay Funston, then an editor at Delish. This decadent recipe calls for chicken breasts to be seared in butter, then simmered in parmesan tomato cream sauce. It’s rich and photogenic and, according to commenters, the Tuscan-style meal pleases newlyweds and divorcees alike. It has also been adapted into other forms, including “Marry Me Chicken Pasta,” “Marry Me Pasta,” and several other variations. Because hey, marriage is romantic—and who doesn’t like a cream sauce? But all this begs the question: Do any of these pre-proposal dishes actually work? Skeptics will say no, and if you’re on the brink of getting engaged, it will probably happen whether you cook a special meal or not. But if you eat meat (or pasta), want to enjoy a nice meal for two at home, and you’re up for a little kitchen witchcraft, why not crank up that oven to 425°F and see what happens? Source: What Is “Engagement Chicken,” and More Importantly, Does It Work?

What's the Word: LEONINE pronunciation: [LEE-ə-niyn] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Late Middle English, 1350s Meaning: 1. Of or resembling a lion or lions. Examples: "The leonine habitat was one of the top attractions at the zoo." "The actor’s leonine face made him a popular choice for charming villains." About Lionine While we're using "leonine" as an adjective referencing lions, it can also be used as a capital "L" adjective. "Leonine" means "relating to one of the popes named Leo, especially Leo IV and the part of Rome that he fortified." Did you Know? The word "leonine" might bring to mind the iconic image of a maned, male lion, but the female lions are the stars of the show in the wild. The core of a pride (a group of lions) are the females of the group, who are largely responsible for securing most of the food, raising offspring, and guarding territory.

104 Number 104: Masquerade Types Spellcaster / Xyz / Effect Attribute Light Rank (4) Star Star Star Star ATK 2700 DEF 1200 Text 3 Level 4 monsters During either player's Battle Phase, when an opponent's monster effect is activated: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; negate the activation, and if you do, inflict 800 damage to your opponent. Once per turn: You can send the top card of your opponent's Deck to the Graveyard.

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But....but....but... I don't get half of this!

Pitch Black

Elfman Strauss (Fairy Tail)

Otome Katou (School Days)

Fact of the Day - FAST FOOD SNACKS Did you know... Did you know that Americans didn’t start eating bananas — perhaps one of the most popular healthy snacks — until the late 19th century? Or that for many years, sailors considered the fruit bad luck? Those are just two of the bite-sized facts about snacks we’ve rounded up from across the website. Which of your favorite spud snacks were created to reduce waste? Which treats have been to space, or might spontaneously combust in transit? Find out these and more noteworthy nuggets below. 1. McDonald's Chicken Nuggets Actually Come in Four Shapes Think McDonald’s chicken nuggets shapes develop randomly from the raw pink goo? Think again! The nuggets actually come in four shapes, although they’re all a little rough around the edges: the boot, the bow tie, the ball, and the bell. They come out of a rotating mold and everything. After getting shaped and dropped on a conveyor belt, they’re breaded and slightly cooked before going out to restaurants, where they’ll finish cooking and be served to customers. 2. Oranges Are Often Sold in Red Bags for a Reason Citrus growers often bundle together bunches of oranges in mesh bags, which you may have noticed are made from red plastic. It’s no coincidence: Red bags against orange peels create an optical illusion that makes the fruit appear more vibrantly hued and enticing. The trick works for other citrus — like mandarins, clementines, tangerines, and even some grapefruit — though not all. Yellow citrus, like lemons, are often sold in yellow or green bags to create a similar color-popping effect. 3. Froot Loops Are All the Same Flavor The O’s of Froot Loops come in a variety of fruity colors, as if they each represent a different fruit flavor. However, the color is the only real difference among those O’s, because the flavor is the same throughout the box. You may still taste a difference between the colors, but it’s probably because your vision tells you to expect something different. Speaking of fruity misconceptions, it’s always been spelled “Froot Loops” — contrary to a popular belief that the name changed because of a lawsuit over the cereal’s lack of real fruit. 4. Americans Didn’t Eat Bananas Until the 1870s Bananas made their U.S. debut in Philadelphia in 1876, sold to fairgoers attending the Centennial Exhibition (the first world’s fair held in America). For 10 cents, visitors could purchase a foil-wrapped banana and get a taste of a fruit many had never seen before. Today, bananas are one of the most popular fruits among American snackers, who consume an average of 13.2 pounds per person each year. 5. Doughnuts Cook Better Because of Their Holes Ever wondered why doughnuts have holes? Historians aren't certain why (or when) the doughy centers disappeared, but one theory suggests it may have been to help the pastries cook more evenly. According to food lore, American sailor Hansen Gregory created the doughnut’s modern shape around 1847 while at sea; by his account, doughnuts of the time were twisted or diamond-shaped and often cooked faster on the outside than in the centers. Removing the dense middles helped create uniformly cooked treats that fried quickly and didn’t absorb as much oil. 6. Potato Chips Were Nearly Discontinued During World War II In the midst of World War II, the U.S. War Production Board was tasked with making the most of limited materials for the war effort, pausing manufacturing of noncritical foods and items. One of the items on the chopping block: potato chips. The snack was initially considered “nonessential,” a move that would stop factories from producing potato chips until the war ended. However, chip manufacturers lobbied to rescind the ruling and even secured contracts to produce chips for troops overseas and workers in manufacturing plants. One such company — Albany, New York’s Blue Ribbon potato chip brand — chipped in about 7 million pounds of crisps to the war effort in just nine months. 7. The Word “Sandwich” Likely Gets Its Name From a Real-Life Royal John Montagu (1718-1792), the British noble who served as the fourth Earl of Sandwich, was a politician and postmaster. He’s also credited as the inventor of the sandwich. Humans have arguably been combining bread with savory fillings for thousands of years, but Montagu is said to have inspired the dish’s official term. (His noble title, meanwhile, comes from a place name that means “sandy harbor.”) One 18th-century account claimed Montagu popularized sandwiches by requesting sliced meat and bread as a meal so that he could continue gambling, though other accounts say the earl likely also consumed sandwiches while working at his desk. With his title used as a description, sandwiches exploded in popularity throughout Europe, soon served to nobility and civilians alike. Click the link below to read more on Fast Food Snack. Source: Our Favorite Fast Facts About Snacks

What's the Word: SOLATIUM pronunciation: [sə-LAY-shee-əm] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin, early 19th century Meaning: 1. (Formal) A thing given to someone as a compensation or consolation. Examples: "Management gave the customers who had been overcharged a free item as a solatium." "Even though his dog came home on her own, Jacob still offered a solatium to everyone who had helped him search." About Solatium This word originated from Latin, and it literally translates to "solace." The meaning of "solace" is "comfort or consolation in a time of distress or sadness." Did you Know? The word "solatium" was first used to describe compensation for emotional (rather than physical) injury in the 1800s. The types of "solatia" (the plural) offered depend on the relationship between the two parties. While friends might exchange a hug or a card to make up after a fight, a business will likely offer monetary or physical compensation in exchange for any mishaps — such as serving the wrong dish to a customer at a restaurant. The solatium could be a discount on a bill or an extra dessert, for example.

Cutter Pitch

Fact of the Day - EATING YOUR BOOGERS? Did you know... There’s an old joke: What’s the difference between broccoli and boogers? You can’t get kids to eat broccoli. There definitely seems to be something about boogers that is simply irresistible to many children. Glance at a group of five or more children, and chances are good that at least one of them will likely have their finger either thrust up their bulging nostril halfway to their brain or poking the flake/chunk/globule sourced from within said nostril into their mouths. Yes, children can be truly disgusting. Boogers, of course, form in the nose, when some of the mucus that is constantly produced gets dried out. The purpose of nasal mucus is to stop potentially harmful particles and pathogens found within the air from being inhaled. Instead, they are caught by wet, sticky snot and taken down the throat to be dealt with in the stomach. Larger particles, or large amounts of them, can form bigger sticky chunks or linger long enough to dry out, which is when the stuff in your nose goes from sniffable to pickable. Mucophagy, According to Science Aside from being gross, the act of picking one's nose is inadvisable, as a probing finger can introduce all sorts of infectious materials into the body, as well as pass illnesses on to other people. Picking your nose and then shaking hands with someone, for example, is one way to spread pneumonia. You can also damage the inside of your nose, which can cause nosebleeds. As for the booger-eating—or, to use its more elegant name, mucophagy—opinions differ, health-wise. In 2013 Scott Napper, an associate professor of biochemistry at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, sparked headlines around the world when he proposed a theory that evolution might suggest that eating boogers is one way to boost your immune system, and that boogers’ deliciousness was an advantageous mutation. He suggested that by ingesting these particles rather than blowing them out (or wiping them under a school desk), children were increasing their immunity, via exposure, to any illnesses they could cause. However, as other scientists have pointed out, the majority of the mucus you produce gets swallowed anyway, so the small percentage of it that makes a brief journey outside before being chomped is unlikely to add many health benefits to the proceedings. Just for the Taste of It A more pointed answer to the question of why kids eat their boogers is just because they like the taste. Tastiness is key to Napper’s theory—and a frequently cited 1966 look [PDF] into derivatives of coprophagia (the eating of poop) by psychiatrist Sidney Tarachow states: “The patients enjoy these activities. The nose pickings are reported to be quite tasty, salty, to be exact.” The convenience of boogers also cannot be overstated. How delicious does something even need to be when it’s so handily located near one’s mouth? Perhaps, ultimately, the answer to why kids eat boogers is the same as that given by the great mountaineer George Mallory, when he was quizzed as to why he was trying to climb Mount Everest: “Because it’s there.” Maybe that’s it, or maybe … it’s snot. Source: Why Do Kids Eat Their Boogers?