You Learn Something New Every Day

577

2009-11-30T22:14:00.000Z

577) 30/11/2009

Today I learnt that if you are about to get shot, a good thing to say would be this: "If I live I will kill you; if I die then you are forgiven, such is the rule of honour."
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576

2009-11-30T18:14:00.002Z

576) 29/11/2009

Today I learnt that a song by Mott the Hoople (Sea Diver) features on Morrissey's Desert Island Disks.
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575

2009-11-30T18:14:00.001Z

575) 28/11/2009

Today I learnt that Ben Harper's song "Like a King" is about the LA riots and Rodney King.
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574

2009-11-30T18:13:00.000Z

574) 27/11/2009

Today I learnt that as a young boy Cassius Clay was always asking his brother to throw rocks at him so he could dodge them.
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573

2009-11-30T18:12:00.000Z

573) 26/11/2009

Today I learnt that Scatness is in the Shetland Isles.
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572

2009-11-25T18:05:00.002Z

572) 25/11/2009

Today I learnt that Heathers is a late 1980s black comedy cult movie.
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571

2009-11-25T18:03:00.005Z

571) 24/11/2009

Today I learnt that there exists an outstanding scene in the movie Taxi Driver where the camera pans up to reveal the main protagonist sporting a new Mohawk hair cut whilst attending the public speech of a politician.
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570

2009-11-25T18:03:00.003Z

570) 23/11/2009

Today I learnt that P.M. in archaeological terms often refers to Post-Medieval.
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569

2009-11-25T18:02:00.008Z

569) 22/11/2009

Today I learnt that Byzantium was the Christian East.
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568

2009-11-25T18:02:00.006Z

568) 21/11/2009

Today I learnt that Anthony Trollope was instrumental in inventing and introducing post boxes in Britain.
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567

2009-11-20T21:11:00.001Z

567) 20/11/2009

Today I learnt that Max Wall was an English comedian known for his ludicrously attired and hilariously strutting comedic performance.
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566

2009-11-20T21:10:00.000Z

566) 19/11/2009

Today I learnt that the fetishism of commodities is a Marxist idea, implying that for capitalists value is inherent in a commodity rather than being added to it by the labour that created it.
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565

2009-11-18T11:08:00.001Z

565) 18/11/2009

Today I learnt that the word "fidelity" as well as referring to sound quality of course, can denote faithfulness, loyalty and devotion.
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564

2009-11-18T11:07:00.000Z

564) 17/11/2009

Today I learnt that in the Thursday song "Telegraph Avenue Kiss" the second word the singer spells out is "Fidelity".
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563

2009-11-16T22:25:00.002Z

563) 16/11/2009

Today I learnt a quote which I saw inscribed on a board by a church. "Love people, not things; use things, not people."
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562

2009-11-16T22:24:00.001Z

562) 15/11/2009

Today I learnt that somniphobia is the fear of sleep.
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561

2009-11-16T22:20:00.000Z

561) 14/11/2009

Today I learnt that Nilmar is a very good Brazilian footballer.
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560

2009-11-13T23:54:00.002Z

560) 13/11/2009

Today I learnt that South African athlete Oscar Pistorius attended some weird-ass boarding school as a teenager.
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559

2009-11-13T23:54:00.001Z

559) 12/11/2009

Today I learnt that Clarke and Binford can be seen as pioneers in "New Archaeology" as it moved away from cultural-historical models to a more functionalist ethos in the 1960s.
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558

2009-11-11T22:21:00.001Z

558) 11/11/2009

Today I learnt that Unix is a computer operating system.
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557

2009-11-11T22:20:00.000Z

557) 10/11/2009

Today I learnt that in the film District 9 the alien refugees enjoy cat food.
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556

2009-11-11T22:10:00.000Z

556) 9/11/2009

Today I learnt that the word "derivative" can mean unoriginal, bland.
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555

2009-11-11T22:09:00.002Z

555) 8/11/2009

Today I learnt that one of the venues for the South Africa 10 World Cup features an astonishing, gargantuan arch which can which features a lift to carry visitors to the top.
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554

2009-11-11T22:09:00.001Z

554) 7/11/2009

Today I learnt that David Haye now joins the Klitchko brothers as one of the three heavyweight champions of the world.
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553

2009-11-11T22:08:00.000Z

553) 6/11/2009

I learnt that a line of balance graph is a way of programming data in projects which is well suited to projects which feature numerous repetitive activities.
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552

2009-11-05T18:52:00.002Z

552) 5/11/2009

Today I learnt that Timothy Taylor is a much-respected professor of Archaeology who has written somewhat controversial books and even appeared on television.
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551

2009-11-05T18:52:00.001Z

551) 4/11/2009

Today I learnt that the "Design Argument" is any argument for the existence of God. especially the one that theorises the Earth is so complicated/beautiful that a divine entity must have created it.
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550

2009-11-04T17:01:00.000Z

550) 3/11/2009

Today I learnt that "Coma White" is the final track on Marilyn Manson's Mechanical Animals album.
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549

2009-11-02T20:50:00.001Z

549) 2/11/2009

Today I learnt that Bill Bryson actually lived in Britain for many years before writing his books about this country.
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548

2009-11-02T20:49:00.000Z

548) 1/11/2009

Today I learnt that the New York Marathon is a relatively slow course. The winning time will never be earth-shatteringly fast.
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547

2009-11-01T11:40:00.004Z

547) 31/10/2009

Today I learnt that the JJB stadium in Wigan is now called the DW Stadium.
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546

2009-11-01T11:40:00.003Z

546) 30/10/2009

Today I learnt that the film Son of Ranbow includes an amusing French exchange student character who is just incredibly cool.
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545

2009-10-29T18:34:00.001Z

545) 29/10/2009

Today I learnt that there is an urban legend concerning the 80s movie 3 Men and a Baby. A ghost of a little boy is supposedly seen in one scene of the film but in actual fact this was a partially obscured cardboard cut-out of Ted Danson which is used later in the film. It's still freaky though.
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544

2009-10-29T18:18:00.002Z

544) 28/10/2009

Today I learnt that young Arsenal player Craig Eastmond is capable of playing in a defensive midfield role as well as defender. This is the position he played in for his first team debut tonight.
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543

2009-10-29T18:18:00.001Z

543) 27/10/2009

Today I learnt that the symbol for gamma looks like a stylised V or Y shape.
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542

2009-10-29T18:17:00.000Z

542) 26/10/2009

Today I learnt that Britain's premier distance runner Mo Farah won the Great South Run yesterday.
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541

2009-10-26T19:26:00.001Z

541) 25/10/2009

Today I learnt that the Roman name for the Yorkshire town of Ilkley is unknown.
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540

2009-10-24T21:14:00.003Z

540) 24/10/2009

Today I learnt that Windows 7 is the new successor to Windows Vista.
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539

2009-10-24T21:14:00.001Z

539) 23/10/2009

Today I learnt that Nightwish have a very long song entitled "The Poet and the Pendulum."
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538

2009-10-23T17:17:00.000Z

538) 22/10/2009

Today I learnt that celebrated psychologist Carl Jung was associated with Nazism.
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537

2009-10-21T22:30:00.002Z

537) 21/10/2009

Today I learnt that director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro have collaborated on a number of films including Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and Cape Fear.
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536

2009-10-21T22:30:00.001Z

536) 20/10/2009

Today I learnt that Timbuktu is in Mali.
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535

2009-10-19T18:22:00.000Z

535) 19/10/2009

Today I learnt that the concept of athletic "circuit training" was invented at the University of Leeds.
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534

2009-10-18T20:47:00.000Z

534) 18/10/2009

Today I learnt that I can muster a 16.9 mph sprint at the end of a 10 mile race. But I must run a more evenly paced race which is not as conservative in the early stages.
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533

2009-10-17T12:02:00.002Z

533) 17/10/2009

Today I learnt that Terry Nation's Survivors had 3 series made.
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532

2009-10-17T12:01:00.001Z

532) 16/10/2009

Today I learnt that Alsatians and German Shepherds are the same dog.
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531

2009-10-15T20:52:00.001Z

531) 15/10/2009

Today I learnt that Eugenics is the principle or practice, now largely discredited, of "improving" the human race by selective breeding. It was a staple of Nazism.
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530

2009-10-15T20:51:00.002Z

530) 14/10/2009

Today I learnt that there is a new series of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Pretty good, Pretty... pretty... pretty good!
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529

2009-10-13T21:21:00.001Z

529) 13/10/2009

Today I learnt that in studio photography the flash light is often pointed away from the subject, and is bounced on to them by use of a reflector to soften the effect of light and reduce shadow.
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528

2009-10-12T21:32:00.002Z

528) 12/10/2009

Today I learnt that Champion sportswear is an American brand and has been a popular staple in hip hop and urban fashion since the early 1990s.
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527

2009-10-11T22:41:00.000Z

527) 11/10/2009

Today I learnt the identity of a song I could just about make out, muffled and quiet, in a supermarket a week ago. From what I could hear, which was the verse bassline and the chord sequence of the chorus I thought, "Wow, that sounds like an excellent song". Unfortunately I had no idea who performed this track because I couldn't decipher the lyrics to search on teh internets. Well now I know it was "Bodies" by Robbie Williams, released tomorrow.
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526

2009-10-10T22:03:00.001Z

526) 10/10/2009

Today I learnt that "Blade Runner" and "Blade" have nothing to do with each other, being separate artistic entities.
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525

2009-10-09T22:08:00.001Z

525) 9/10/2009

Today I learnt that in Freudian psychology the ego is the balance between the id with its driving, dark temptations and the super-ego which constitutes one's moral centre.
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524

2009-10-09T22:06:00.001Z

524) 8/10/2009

Today I learnt that Darwin only actually used the word "evolution" right at the end of "On the Origin of Species".
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523

2009-10-09T22:05:00.000Z

523) 7/10/2009

Today I learnt that Dewsbury is far further away from Bradford than I previously thought.
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522

2009-10-06T20:26:00.000Z

522) 6/10/2009

Today I learnt that a man (John Hinkley) who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagen did so because he wanted to impress young actress Jodie Foster who he was obsessed with and stalked.
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521

2009-10-06T09:53:00.000Z

521) 5/10/2009

Today I learnt that Steve Prefontaine was a brilliant American distance runner who ran heroically but missed out on a medal in the 1972 Olympic 5000m. He died in a car crash whilst training for the 1976 Olympics.
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520

2009-10-04T21:09:00.001Z

520) 4/10/2009

Today I learnt that a "virago" is a loud, fierce, abusive, masculine woman. The term comes from the Latin for "manlike woman".
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519

2009-10-03T17:49:00.002Z

519) 3/10/2009

Today I learnt that Disturbed's song "Land of Confusion" is actually a cover version. The original was by Genesis and it rocks too!
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518

2009-10-03T17:49:00.001Z

518) 2/10/2009

Today I learnt that the city of Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. It will be the first one in South America.
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517

2009-10-02T09:21:00.001Z

517) 1/10/2009

Today I learnt that there is a fiction genre called "steampunk" which is an offshoot of cyberpunk. It usually depicts advanced computer-based technology existing in the years where steam power was still dominant.
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516

2009-10-01T09:46:00.000Z

516) 30/9/2009

Today I learnt about a curious athletic training phenomenon called ‘Yasso 800s’. Apparently if you can run 10 sets of 800m repetitions at 3 minutes each, with 3 minutes recovery-jogging between each interval, then you will be in shape for a 3 hour marathon. Equally, if you can do them at 3 minutes 30 apiece then you’re in shape for a 3 and a half hour marathon. Peculiar, nonsensical yet if you build this method of interval training up week-by-week and successfully complete the 10 800s 2 weeks before the marathon then you are in line to achieve whatever the interval timings suggest. Cosmic.
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515

2009-09-29T21:17:00.002Z

515) 29/9/2009

Today I learnt that tomorrow's front cover of The Sun indicates that the newspaper has stopped supporting Labour after over 12 years and will be once more championing the Conservative Party from now on, leading up to the next general election.
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514

2009-09-29T21:16:00.003Z

514) 28/9/2009

Today I learnt that the worst road accident in British history occurred near Grassington, Yorkshire in 1975.
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513

2009-09-27T21:05:00.001Z

513) 27/9/2009

Today I learnt that the origin of the phrase "Tall Poppy Syndrome". It comes from a story by Aristotle where a man scythed a stick across his garden thus cutting off the heads of the tallest flowers. The expression describes the societal phenomenon in which people of genuine merit are criticised or resented because their talents or achievements elevate them above or distinguish them from their peers.
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512

2009-09-26T23:02:00.000Z

512) 26/9/2009

Today I learnt that Fountains Abbey is located very near to the town of Ripon.
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511

2009-09-26T18:31:00.002Z

511) 25/9/2009

Today I learnt that "concentric circles" would constitute circles positioned inside each other, they share the same centre.
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510

2009-09-26T18:30:00.004Z

510) 24/9/2009

Today I learnt that, recently, the biggest horde of Anglo Saxon gold ever found was discovered under a field in Staffordshire by an unemployed metal detectorist.
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509

2009-09-26T18:30:00.003Z

509) 23/9/2009

Today I learnt that the Japanese athlete (Kokichi Tsuburaya) who took bronze in the 1964 Tokyo Olympic marathon behind Abebe Bikila committed suicide a few years later.
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508

2009-09-23T19:31:00.001Z

508) 22/9/2009

Today I learnt that Backspacer is Pearl Jam's new album.
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507

2009-09-22T14:33:00.000Z

507) 21/9/2009

Today I learnt that Asics is a Japanese firm.
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506

2009-09-20T21:21:00.004Z

506) 20/9/2009

Today I learnt that Rotherham United F.C. have been playing their home games at the athletics stadium in Sheffield while a new stadium is being built in Rotherham.
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505

2009-09-20T21:21:00.003Z

505) 19/9/2009

Today I learnt that the statue of Oliver Cromwell in London ironically looks out across the street to a bust of Charles I.
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504

2009-09-18T16:45:00.001Z

504) 18/9/2009

Today I learnt that a Beetle Drive is a mass-participation game where people each attempt to draw a beetle with each part dictated by the roll of a dice. It is similar to Bingo because the winner must shout out "Beetle!"
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503

2009-09-17T22:07:00.001Z

503) 17/9/2009

Today I learnt that a slogan I recently invented yields only one result on Google and is therefore extremely original. That expression is this: "The Revolution Starts Yesterday".
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502

2009-09-16T18:05:00.000Z

502) 16/9/2009

Today I learnt that court case against two teenagers for "plotting" their own version of the Columbine High School Massacre has rightly been labelled "a waste of money" and they were correctly acquitted after only a few minutes of jury deliberation. Thoughts and fantasises and fixations are not and can never constitute crimes. I myself am an expert on the Columbine incident and there are many important lessons to learn from it.
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501

2009-09-15T20:02:00.001Z

501) 15/9/2009

Today I learnt that the word "arbitrary" can be said of a policy or decision which is based on subjective factors or random choice, not on objective principles. The word comes from the Latin for "uncertain" and thus carries connotations of capriciousness and misuse of power.
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500 Days!

2009-09-14T21:07:00.004Z

Well I'm still going. Every day I take away one thing I learned in those particular 24 hours. It's been fun so far. Now to learn some more...
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500

2009-09-14T21:07:00.001Z

500) 14/9/2009

Today I learnt that Uluru is the actual name of what outsiders called Ayers Rock.
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499

2009-09-13T20:05:00.000Z

499) 13/9/2009

Today I learnt what the loneliness of the long distance runner truly feels like.
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498

2009-09-12T19:56:00.001Z

498) 12/9/2009

Today I learnt that Lord Reith was the first Director-General of the BBC.
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497

2009-09-11T14:09:00.001Z

497) 11/9/2009

Today I learnt that the song "News of the World" with the chorus lyrics of "Read all about it" was by The Jam.
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496

2009-09-11T11:18:00.001Z

496) 10/9/2009

Today I learnt that if you listen very carefully to the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt" you can discern, from the left channel, some of the lyrics (in the first chorus) sung slightly before they are heard in the primary vocals track. This immersive "musical precursor" device creates an interesting reverse-echo effect.
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495

2009-09-09T21:07:00.001Z

495) 9/9/2009

Today I learnt that in Ordnance maps, when a town or village has CP after it this stands for Civil Parish.
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494

2009-09-08T21:01:00.001Z

494) 8/9/2009

Today I learnt that Bristol is famous for its abundance of graffiti art, it is the home city of the iconic and anonymous Banksy.
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493

2009-09-07T21:56:00.001Z

493) 7/9/2009

Today I learnt that the Rat Islands are a group of volcanic islands which are part of Alaska.
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493

2009-09-06T23:00:00.000Z

493) 6/9/2009

Today I learnt that there is a singer who achieved moderate popularity in the 1970s called Dean Friedman with an interesting voice capable of singular high pitches.
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492

2009-09-06T09:22:00.003Z

492) 5/9/2009

Today I learnt that the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show three weeks running. It wasn't a one-off performance.
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491

2009-09-06T09:22:00.001Z

491) 4/9/2009

Today I learnt that there is a U2 tribute band entitled New2.
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490

2009-09-03T21:52:00.001Z

490) 3/9/2009

Today I learnt that Alice in Chains have preceded their upcoming new album with two singles one of which features an darkly artistic and abstractly provocative video.
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489

2009-09-02T21:51:00.000Z

489) 2/9/2009

Today I learnt that there was an amazing and rare spectacle which occurred in 1054 AD whereby a star dramatically increased in brightness as the result of a supernova. It was even visible in broad daylight for weeks and its presence was recorded by the Chinese, Arabs and and native Americans.
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488

2009-09-01T22:31:00.001Z

488) 1/9/2009

Today I learnt that the two countries who principally dispute the identity of the Kosovo region are Albania and Serbia. The vast majority of Western nations recognise Kosovo as an independent country.
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487

2009-09-01T09:44:00.001Z

487) 31/8/2009

Today I learnt that Ted Edgar is a man involved with show-jumping.
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486

2009-09-01T09:43:00.002Z

486) 30/8/2009

Today I learnt that "Barefoot Runner" is book written about the legendary Ethiopian marathon runner and Olympic champion of the 1960s Abebe Bikila.
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485

2009-09-01T09:43:00.001Z

485) 29/8/2009

Today I learnt that Michael Jackson shares a birthday with my aunt (today).
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484

2009-08-28T21:30:00.002Z

484) 28/8/2009

Today I learnt that Overkill is the use of excessive force or action that goes further than is necessary to achieve its goal. For example, using a sledgehammer to crack a hazelnut, using a flamethrower to light a candle or killing an ant with a rocket launcher. I learnt that you can call these absurd acts overkill!
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483

2009-08-28T21:30:00.001Z

483) 27/8/2009

Today I learnt that the athlete Caster Semenya has a staggering anagram of her name given the circumstances of her recent World Championships win... "Yes, a secret man".
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482

2009-08-26T20:57:00.001Z

482) 26/8/2009

Today I learnt an inspirational saying courtesy of Arsene Wenger: "The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement".
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481

2009-08-26T20:56:00.001Z

481) 25/8/2009

Today I learnt that the word "gauche" which I was aware means "left" in French is used in English to connote uncomfortable awkwardness in social situations. This stems from the French meaning whereby being left-handed was considered awkward.
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480

2009-08-24T23:47:00.000Z

480) 24/8/2009

Today I learnt that Omegle.com is an interesting website where after pressing a button you are automatically anonymously set up with another completely random anonymous visitor to the site in 1 on 1 chat. Your partner is "Stranger" and you are "You". Very funny site!
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