Today I learned that the word "preternatural" comes from "praeter naturalis", which means "outside of nature". It is a term from the 13th century referring to phenomena which were neither everyday natural occurrences nor miracles from God. These phenomena were things such as abnormal meteorological events or unusual births, and the cause could be considered either celestial (caused by heavenly bodies such as the moon), demonic, or unknown. Later philosophers and theologians argued that you just couldn't know, but St. Aquinas argued that they were definitely demonic and his argument held the most weight, and this is part of how magic became linked with the demonic in the eyes of the church for centuries to come.

I thought that was very interesting!

If you boil a cup of water and take it outside when the temperature is below zero F you can throw the water into the air and it will turn directly to steam.  Also, it is really cold here.  Wow is it cold.

Quote from: Gwynne on January 28, 2014, 10:19:36 PM
I read about krokodil.

I watched a documentary on that. Probably one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen.

Quote from: Mr Hockey on January 29, 2014, 06:18:05 AM
I watched a documentary on that. Probably one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen.

I can't get my head around people's willingness to throw their lives away like that. It speaks to how desperate their lives must be. 

Quote from: Gwynne on January 29, 2014, 12:48:32 PM
I can't get my head around people's willingness to throw their lives away like that. It speaks to how desperate their lives must be. 

Yeah, really. I don't get how they can still take that awful drug knowing their skin will basically melt off their body. :/ I've seen the pictures of what krokodil can do to a person and it's disgusting.

Quote from: Gwynne on January 29, 2014, 12:48:32 PM
I can't get my head around people's willingness to throw their lives away like that. It speaks to how desperate their lives must be. 

Yeah, it's just...it makes me terribly sad for them.

And terribly sad for my nachos and salsa because after googling the image I no longer find them appetizing.

I learned that following the second World War, Poland effectively moved northwest. Southeastern Poland remained annexed by the Soviet Union, becoming Ukrainian territory. Eastern Prussia was permanently wiped from the map (its inhabitants deported to East Germany), the northern part of which becoming an enclave of Russia (Kalingrad Oblast), with the remainder awarded to Poland.

That going into a meeting, tripping over a chair leg and going ass over tit is not the best way of maintaining composure in front of 5 men.

Quote from: birkin on January 29, 2014, 01:38:29 PM
Yeah, it's just...it makes me terribly sad for them.

And terribly sad for my nachos and salsa because after googling the image I no longer find them appetizing.

Same thing happened to me when I first found out about it. I was eating something, can't remember what it was, while watching this video of this guy who had to have his leg amputated because of the damage krokodil did to his body. It was absolutely disgusting and I didn't feel hungry anymore.

Quote from: Mr Hockey on January 31, 2014, 07:52:21 PM
Same thing happened to me when I first found out about it. I was eating something, can't remember what it was, while watching this video of this guy who had to have his leg amputated because of the damage krokodil did to his body. It was absolutely disgusting and I didn't feel hungry anymore.

That's why I always make a point to never check out things like that when I am eating at the computer desk. Munching in front of the computer is strictly record reviews and fanfiction time.

I learned that it's pretty difficult to date or have a romantic interest pre-surgery. Enough so that I just plan to be single until I have all three stages of my phallo done.

I learned that I could take a person that watches some pretty questionable porn vids and absolutely disgust him with one line in a fanfic describing a very vanilla sexual act between a heterosexual feline couple. 

Quote from: Laura Squirrel on January 31, 2014, 08:18:09 PM
I learned that I could take a person that watches some pretty questionable porn vids and absolutely disgust him with one line in a fanfic describing a very vanilla sexual act between a heterosexual feline couple. 

Psst.. if you could direct me to said fanfic about a vanilla sexual act between a heterosexual feline couple, that'd be great.

I learned that Transgender porn involving anthropomorphic animals isn't that bad.

Quote from: Mr Hockey on January 31, 2014, 09:47:13 PM
I learned that Transgender porn involving anthropomorphic animals isn't that bad.

But there isn't any trans porn in them. Well...dude was dressed as a girl. Hmmmmmm.

Quote from: Laura Squirrel on January 31, 2014, 10:17:16 PM
But there isn't any trans porn in them. Well...dude was dressed as a girl. Hmmmmmm.

What? But now I want to read some anthropomorphic lesbian trans porn... Or just romance...

Quote from: alabamagirl on January 31, 2014, 10:21:30 PM
What? But now I want to read some anthropomorphic lesbian trans porn... Or just romance...

The only lesbians in the bunch are Laura Squirrel and Portia Porcupine. The other (feline) couple are straight.

Oh...it certainly has its share of mushy romantic moments. That's what the sig quote is referring to. 

I learned that planets can make sounds.

Quote from: Mr Hockey on February 01, 2014, 01:15:01 PM
I learned that planets can make sounds.

That would be good source material for an ambient/noise piece.