I am going away for 2 weeks and won't be on the Internet. I will keep a written record of my daily learning and will then update this blog upon returning.
The project never stops.
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Saturday, 28 June 2008
59
59) 28/6/2008
Today I learnt that the 2008 Giro d'Italia was won by Alberto Contador who now rides for the Astana team.
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Today I learnt that the 2008 Giro d'Italia was won by Alberto Contador who now rides for the Astana team.
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Friday, 27 June 2008
58
58) 27/6/2008
Today I learnt that the famous line "Hell is other people" comes from a play by the existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre.
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Today I learnt that the famous line "Hell is other people" comes from a play by the existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre.
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Thursday, 26 June 2008
Days 50 - 57
50) 19/6/2008
Today I learnt that the common expression "come what may" was coined by William Shakespeare in his play Macbeth.
51) 20/6/2008
Today I learnt the names of the 4 principle islands of Japan. They are Hokkaidō (has Sapporo), Honshū (the main one which has Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Yokohama etc.), Shikoku and, furthest south, Kyūshū (has Nagasaki).
52) 21/6/2008
Today I learnt that former Sheffield United and Birmingham City player Curtis Woodhouse is now a professional boxer who has won his first 6 fights. He also currently plays for Rushen and Diamonds.
53) 22/6/2008
Today I learnt that Riyadh is the capital city of Saudi Arabia.
54) 23/6/2008
Today I learnt that the expression "Blimey" originated in the 19th Century from "Gorblimey"; itself a corruption of "God blind me".
55) 24/6/2008
Today I learnt a fantastic palindrome off-by-heart:
Are we not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to new era?
56) 25/6/2008
Today I learnt that the part of a string instrument which anchors the strings in place at the bottom is called the Tailpiece.
57) 26/6/2008
Today I learnt that temerity means a rash lack of fear and unreasonable boldness. Eg. His temerity cost him his life.
Today I learnt that the common expression "come what may" was coined by William Shakespeare in his play Macbeth.
51) 20/6/2008
Today I learnt the names of the 4 principle islands of Japan. They are Hokkaidō (has Sapporo), Honshū (the main one which has Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Yokohama etc.), Shikoku and, furthest south, Kyūshū (has Nagasaki).
52) 21/6/2008
Today I learnt that former Sheffield United and Birmingham City player Curtis Woodhouse is now a professional boxer who has won his first 6 fights. He also currently plays for Rushen and Diamonds.
53) 22/6/2008
Today I learnt that Riyadh is the capital city of Saudi Arabia.
54) 23/6/2008
Today I learnt that the expression "Blimey" originated in the 19th Century from "Gorblimey"; itself a corruption of "God blind me".
55) 24/6/2008
Today I learnt a fantastic palindrome off-by-heart:
Are we not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to new era?
56) 25/6/2008
Today I learnt that the part of a string instrument which anchors the strings in place at the bottom is called the Tailpiece.
57) 26/6/2008
Today I learnt that temerity means a rash lack of fear and unreasonable boldness. Eg. His temerity cost him his life.
Days 43 - 49
43) 12/6/2008
Today I learnt that The Lost World is a novel by Arthur Conan Doyle.
44) 13/6/2008
Today I learnt that The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a German silent horror film from 1920.
45) 14/6/2008
Today I learnt that the lyrics at the very end of Alice In Chains’ seminal song Would? are: ‘If I would, could you?’
46) 15/6/2008
Today I learnt that former US president Gerald Ford’s favourite film was Home Alone.
47) 16/6/2008
Today I learnt that original member of A Perfect Circle, Troy Van Leeuwen, was previously a guitarist for Failure.
48) 17/6/2008
Today I learnt that Sylvia Plath was an American poet who married Ted Hughes. She is buried quite near where I live in West Yorkshire.
49) 18/6/2008
Today I learnt that only one member of Russia's Euro 2008 squad plays for a non-Russian club. (Ivan Saenko - who plays for FC Nuremburg).
Today I learnt that The Lost World is a novel by Arthur Conan Doyle.
44) 13/6/2008
Today I learnt that The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a German silent horror film from 1920.
45) 14/6/2008
Today I learnt that the lyrics at the very end of Alice In Chains’ seminal song Would? are: ‘If I would, could you?’
46) 15/6/2008
Today I learnt that former US president Gerald Ford’s favourite film was Home Alone.
47) 16/6/2008
Today I learnt that original member of A Perfect Circle, Troy Van Leeuwen, was previously a guitarist for Failure.
48) 17/6/2008
Today I learnt that Sylvia Plath was an American poet who married Ted Hughes. She is buried quite near where I live in West Yorkshire.
49) 18/6/2008
Today I learnt that only one member of Russia's Euro 2008 squad plays for a non-Russian club. (Ivan Saenko - who plays for FC Nuremburg).
Days 36 - 42
36) 5/6/2008
Today I learnt that "Reagan Democrats" was a name given to the many white, working-class traditional democrats who switched and voted for Ronald Reagan, the Republican candidate, in his successful 1980 and 1984 presidential elections.
37) 6/6/2008
Today I learnt that nanotechnology is an advanced scientific field where the goal is to control matter on the level of single atoms.
38) 7/6/2008
Today I learnt that David Mitchell writes a weekly sports column in The Guardian.
39) 8/6/2008
Today I learnt that a leviathan is a sea-monster (the word comes from the bible). It can also mean anything which is large or powerful.
40) 9/6/2008
Today I learnt that the German word "jawohl" which is frequently heard in war films means: yes of course / certainly.
41) 10/6/2008
Today I learnt who Gram Parsons was. He was a country-rock pioneer of the late 60s and early 70s whose two solo albums were titled "GP" and "Grievous Angel". He died of a drugs overdose at 26.
42) 11/6/2008
Today I learnt the location of the mountain Base Brown in the Lake District. (Borrowdale).
Today I learnt that "Reagan Democrats" was a name given to the many white, working-class traditional democrats who switched and voted for Ronald Reagan, the Republican candidate, in his successful 1980 and 1984 presidential elections.
37) 6/6/2008
Today I learnt that nanotechnology is an advanced scientific field where the goal is to control matter on the level of single atoms.
38) 7/6/2008
Today I learnt that David Mitchell writes a weekly sports column in The Guardian.
39) 8/6/2008
Today I learnt that a leviathan is a sea-monster (the word comes from the bible). It can also mean anything which is large or powerful.
40) 9/6/2008
Today I learnt that the German word "jawohl" which is frequently heard in war films means: yes of course / certainly.
41) 10/6/2008
Today I learnt who Gram Parsons was. He was a country-rock pioneer of the late 60s and early 70s whose two solo albums were titled "GP" and "Grievous Angel". He died of a drugs overdose at 26.
42) 11/6/2008
Today I learnt the location of the mountain Base Brown in the Lake District. (Borrowdale).
Days 29 - 35
29) 29/5/2008
Today I learnt that the latin phrase "contemptus mundi" means "contempt for the world".
30) 30/5/2008
Today I learnt that the film "Fight Club" has several subliminial frames included. In some the Tyler Durden character appears and disappears rapidly on the screen before he has been introduced into the film. I had not noticed these until today.
31) 31/5/2008
Today I learnt that in Morse Code the silent space between letters should be, conventionally, equal to 3 dots; and each dash should be equal in length to 3 dots.
32) 1/6/2008
Today I learnt that this type of sleeping bag is known as the "mummy" variety.
33) 2/6/2008
Today I learnt that the sycamore trees we have in Britain are not native to this country and no-one knows exactly who introduced them or when. Only in the last 200 years or so have they become widespread.
34) 3/6/2008
Today I learnt that Rabat is the capital city of Morocco; not the far larger Casablanca.
35) 4/6/2008
Today I learned that Czechoslovakia won the 1976 European Championship on penalties against West Germany. The winning penalty was an audacious chip by Panenka; perhaps the first such penalty ever seen. I was under the impression that Germany had never lost a penalty shoot-out.
Today I learnt that the latin phrase "contemptus mundi" means "contempt for the world".
30) 30/5/2008
Today I learnt that the film "Fight Club" has several subliminial frames included. In some the Tyler Durden character appears and disappears rapidly on the screen before he has been introduced into the film. I had not noticed these until today.
31) 31/5/2008
Today I learnt that in Morse Code the silent space between letters should be, conventionally, equal to 3 dots; and each dash should be equal in length to 3 dots.
32) 1/6/2008
Today I learnt that this type of sleeping bag is known as the "mummy" variety.
33) 2/6/2008
Today I learnt that the sycamore trees we have in Britain are not native to this country and no-one knows exactly who introduced them or when. Only in the last 200 years or so have they become widespread.
34) 3/6/2008
Today I learnt that Rabat is the capital city of Morocco; not the far larger Casablanca.
35) 4/6/2008
Today I learned that Czechoslovakia won the 1976 European Championship on penalties against West Germany. The winning penalty was an audacious chip by Panenka; perhaps the first such penalty ever seen. I was under the impression that Germany had never lost a penalty shoot-out.
Days 22 - 28
22) 22/5/2008
Today I learnt that the word "appellation" describes a name or the act of giving a name or title to something.
eg. Ray Parlour was known as the Romford Pele with this ironic appellation affectionately coined by the Arsenal fans.
23) 23/5/2008
Today I learnt that Germany have only won the Eurovision Song Contest once (in 1982).
24) 24/5/2008
Today I learnt that the words "history will absolve me" were the last lines of a speech by Fidel Castro he made while defending himself in court in 1953.
25) 25/5/2008
Today I learnt the that my great-great-great grandfather was a renowned bassonist and also fought in colonial India in the 1850s to quell various uprisings.
26) 26/5/2008
Today I learnt that the unusual chord sequence in Johnny Cash's song "I Walk The Line" was inspired by an accidental reverse playback of a tape-player. - Hence the seemingly "back-to-front" feel of the cadences.
27) 27/5/2008
Today I learnt that MRI stands for "Magnetic resonance imaging".
28) 28/5/2008
Today I learnt that Frank Lloyd Wright was a well-known American architect.
Today I learnt that the word "appellation" describes a name or the act of giving a name or title to something.
eg. Ray Parlour was known as the Romford Pele with this ironic appellation affectionately coined by the Arsenal fans.
23) 23/5/2008
Today I learnt that Germany have only won the Eurovision Song Contest once (in 1982).
24) 24/5/2008
Today I learnt that the words "history will absolve me" were the last lines of a speech by Fidel Castro he made while defending himself in court in 1953.
25) 25/5/2008
Today I learnt the that my great-great-great grandfather was a renowned bassonist and also fought in colonial India in the 1850s to quell various uprisings.
26) 26/5/2008
Today I learnt that the unusual chord sequence in Johnny Cash's song "I Walk The Line" was inspired by an accidental reverse playback of a tape-player. - Hence the seemingly "back-to-front" feel of the cadences.
27) 27/5/2008
Today I learnt that MRI stands for "Magnetic resonance imaging".
28) 28/5/2008
Today I learnt that Frank Lloyd Wright was a well-known American architect.
Days 15 - 21
15) 15/5/2008
Today I learnt that there is a village in Suffolk called Brockley with a population of 281 at the last census. It has an indoor bowls club. It is near Bury St Edmunds. Wow.
16) 16/5/2008
Today I learnt that "perfidy" is a word to describe an act of disloyalty, a betrayal of trust.
17) 17/5/2008
Today I learnt that Portsmouth's ground, Fratton Park, is on its own separate island.
18) 18/5/2006
Today I learnt that deep inside a pine forest can be a peculiarly still, dead, grey and somewhat mystical place.
19) 19/5/2008
Today I learnt that in the Mexican Revolution Emiliano Zapata's armed unit was called The Liberation Army of the South or more commonly reffered to as the Zapatistas.
20) 20/5/2008
Today I learnt that Ray Mears believes his television "extreme survival" rival Bear Grylls is a "showman" and a glorified boy scout.
21) 21/5/2008
Today I learnt that Ken Burns is an American maker of documentary films who frequently uses still photographs in his films. The "Ken Burns Effect" is slowly zooming in or panning across still photographs which are embedded into the film.
Today I learnt that there is a village in Suffolk called Brockley with a population of 281 at the last census. It has an indoor bowls club. It is near Bury St Edmunds. Wow.
16) 16/5/2008
Today I learnt that "perfidy" is a word to describe an act of disloyalty, a betrayal of trust.
17) 17/5/2008
Today I learnt that Portsmouth's ground, Fratton Park, is on its own separate island.
18) 18/5/2006
Today I learnt that deep inside a pine forest can be a peculiarly still, dead, grey and somewhat mystical place.
19) 19/5/2008
Today I learnt that in the Mexican Revolution Emiliano Zapata's armed unit was called The Liberation Army of the South or more commonly reffered to as the Zapatistas.
20) 20/5/2008
Today I learnt that Ray Mears believes his television "extreme survival" rival Bear Grylls is a "showman" and a glorified boy scout.
21) 21/5/2008
Today I learnt that Ken Burns is an American maker of documentary films who frequently uses still photographs in his films. The "Ken Burns Effect" is slowly zooming in or panning across still photographs which are embedded into the film.
Days 8 - 14
8) 8/5/2008
Today I learnt that the word "candour" means honest, straightforward speech or behaviour.
9) 9/5/2008
Today I learnt that the American president who came before Herbert Hoover was Calvin Coolidge; also a Republican.
10) 10/5/2008
Today I learnt that Ebbsfleet United FC are the 2008 FA Trophy champions.
11) 11/5/2008
Today I learnt that Usman Afzaal now plays his cricket for Surrey.
12) 12/5/2008
Today I learnt that the word "schadenfreude" (a German expression sometimes used in English) means taking direct satisfaction from someone else's failure. I learnt this from reading a thread on here just now.
13) 13/5/2008
Today I learnt that the word "convoluted" can mean language that is hard to understand and unnecessarily complicated. Eg. He gave a convoluted talk that no-one enjoyed.
14) 14/5/2008
Today I learnt that Sir Walter Raleigh was beheaded.
Today I learnt that the word "candour" means honest, straightforward speech or behaviour.
9) 9/5/2008
Today I learnt that the American president who came before Herbert Hoover was Calvin Coolidge; also a Republican.
10) 10/5/2008
Today I learnt that Ebbsfleet United FC are the 2008 FA Trophy champions.
11) 11/5/2008
Today I learnt that Usman Afzaal now plays his cricket for Surrey.
12) 12/5/2008
Today I learnt that the word "schadenfreude" (a German expression sometimes used in English) means taking direct satisfaction from someone else's failure. I learnt this from reading a thread on here just now.
13) 13/5/2008
Today I learnt that the word "convoluted" can mean language that is hard to understand and unnecessarily complicated. Eg. He gave a convoluted talk that no-one enjoyed.
14) 14/5/2008
Today I learnt that Sir Walter Raleigh was beheaded.
Days 1 - 7
Here's a record of the first 57 days.... (before I started this blog)
1) 1/5/2008
Today I learnt that the furthest away photograph ever taken of the Earth was taken by the Voyager 1 probe in 1990. The craft was about 4 billion miles away when it took this image of a tiny “pale blue dot” in the distance; totally alone in the void of space. This is our planet.
2) 2/5/2008
Today I learnt that the "tenuto" marking of a note in music can either mean hold the note to its full value or accent the note. The symbol's meaning then must be determined by the musical context it appears in.
3) 3/5/2008
Today I learnt that Dixie Dean achieved his 60 goals in a season feat in 1928. I had previously thought he did this in the immediate post-World War 2 period.
4) 4/5/2008
Today I learnt that, in their 124 year history, Leicester City had never been below the second tier of English football until their relegation to the third tier today.
5) 5/5/2008
Today I learned that the capital city of Latvia is Riga.
6) 6/5/2008
Today I learned that Mathieu Flamini had left Arsenal for AC Milan. I was sad.
7) 7/5/2008
Today I learnt that that the word "Anaphylaxis" means a severe allergic reaction.
1) 1/5/2008
Today I learnt that the furthest away photograph ever taken of the Earth was taken by the Voyager 1 probe in 1990. The craft was about 4 billion miles away when it took this image of a tiny “pale blue dot” in the distance; totally alone in the void of space. This is our planet.
2) 2/5/2008
Today I learnt that the "tenuto" marking of a note in music can either mean hold the note to its full value or accent the note. The symbol's meaning then must be determined by the musical context it appears in.
3) 3/5/2008
Today I learnt that Dixie Dean achieved his 60 goals in a season feat in 1928. I had previously thought he did this in the immediate post-World War 2 period.
4) 4/5/2008
Today I learnt that, in their 124 year history, Leicester City had never been below the second tier of English football until their relegation to the third tier today.
5) 5/5/2008
Today I learned that the capital city of Latvia is Riga.
6) 6/5/2008
Today I learned that Mathieu Flamini had left Arsenal for AC Milan. I was sad.
7) 7/5/2008
Today I learnt that that the word "Anaphylaxis" means a severe allergic reaction.
My project
Hi, I go by the pseudonym of Ric d'Shen-Wi. Welcome to my life's work.
I am undertaking a life-long project where each and every day I write down one thing I learned that particular day. It could be anything - no matter how trivial, complicated, large or small.
On this blog I will record each piece of newly-learned knowledge. It is a record; for posterity and so I can review and revise my daily learnings.
I started this project 57 days ago as a thread on a forum. Here was my initial explanation for doing it:
I believe in the psychological "life-time learning and development" thesis which I feel every human undertakes to some level. As a record of my own personal daily progression through life until my eventual certain death; I will post once on this thread every single day with something I have learned that particular day. It may be anything but I want to keep a record; and I encourage others to post anything they may have learned today.
"The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery." - Anais Nin.
57 days on and I am still going strong. It is like a proof of my existence. So often we go through days, weeks even - sleepwalking from one end of the conveyor belt to the other. We remember nothing much at all - life just goes on relentlessly so where is the proof we even existed?
This is my proof. I can look back on a day and say, "yes, I learned something that day." I can remember and recall how I came across that fact, who told me it or where and why I looked it up. The project is a chronological record of my life - a kind of diary with a difference.
The things I learn are personal to me and are a product of my own unique life-context. They tell me where I've been, what I've done, what I read, what I watched or who I was with. The things you learn are personal to you. I hope you read at least something on this blog that makes you think, "wow, I didn't know that."
We become aware of many things but we mostly forget or don't really take them in at all. Also, we are all defined only by the limitations we place on ourselves. So keep learning, keep progressing. My main message of this is that we should embrace the world around us and expand our minds.
So I welcome and encourage anyone reading this to contribute themselves; and share a piece of knowledge, fact or information with the world. Your comments are welcome - I might just learn something!
I am undertaking a life-long project where each and every day I write down one thing I learned that particular day. It could be anything - no matter how trivial, complicated, large or small.
On this blog I will record each piece of newly-learned knowledge. It is a record; for posterity and so I can review and revise my daily learnings.
I started this project 57 days ago as a thread on a forum. Here was my initial explanation for doing it:
I believe in the psychological "life-time learning and development" thesis which I feel every human undertakes to some level. As a record of my own personal daily progression through life until my eventual certain death; I will post once on this thread every single day with something I have learned that particular day. It may be anything but I want to keep a record; and I encourage others to post anything they may have learned today.
"The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery." - Anais Nin.
57 days on and I am still going strong. It is like a proof of my existence. So often we go through days, weeks even - sleepwalking from one end of the conveyor belt to the other. We remember nothing much at all - life just goes on relentlessly so where is the proof we even existed?
This is my proof. I can look back on a day and say, "yes, I learned something that day." I can remember and recall how I came across that fact, who told me it or where and why I looked it up. The project is a chronological record of my life - a kind of diary with a difference.
The things I learn are personal to me and are a product of my own unique life-context. They tell me where I've been, what I've done, what I read, what I watched or who I was with. The things you learn are personal to you. I hope you read at least something on this blog that makes you think, "wow, I didn't know that."
We become aware of many things but we mostly forget or don't really take them in at all. Also, we are all defined only by the limitations we place on ourselves. So keep learning, keep progressing. My main message of this is that we should embrace the world around us and expand our minds.
So I welcome and encourage anyone reading this to contribute themselves; and share a piece of knowledge, fact or information with the world. Your comments are welcome - I might just learn something!
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