Share/Learn a Random Fact

[ShiraNoMai]

I came across a really...disturbing good fact today:

Ortolan Bunting: After capturing a migrating flock of these tiny birds, they are placed in dark cages, which triggers a reflex to engorge themselves on food (which in this case is grains and figs). Once they're doubled in size, they are then drowned (and subsequently, marinated) in fucking Armagnac Brandy, plucked of their feathers and then roasted.

It is the consumed by humans by picking them up by their heads, ingesting them feet first, all while being covered by a towel to "to keep in the smells and, perhaps, to hide one’s face from God."



What a world.

[Mr EliteL]

Ah, happy I already ate today. Not that it would make me refuse to eat, but still what a lovely way of cooking/eating. (not)

[Moonface]

According to Wikipedia the French ate so many of those birds it caused their population to drop drastically (the birds, not the French), but the laws restricting their consumption weren't (potentially) enforced properly until 2007, despite the law being announced in 1999. It's now banned to do anything with the birds across the EU that negatively affects them, although I can't tell how well France is enforcing anything and wouldn't be surprised if they still aren't doing a proper job of it.

I have to wonder though how the heck someone comes up with the idea for such a dish. I guess it's somewhat normal up until the "just eat the whole thing in one go" part, which sounds like some greedy bastard didn't want to wait to eat it and just deepthroated the whole thing instead.

[ShiraNoMai]

Click the link: https://g.co/kgs/6bhWiX

or

Google "Cat"
Click the paw print that pops up next to the wiki article on Cats
Enjoy

[Mr EliteL]

*presses button* 
*presses the area continuously*

Not enough meows, THEY CANNOT KEEP UP

[ShiraNoMai]

Here's today's fun fact: Did you know there's an eSports league for (get ready for this) Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets?

[Mr EliteL]

...eh really?! OK. I take it it's just completing a certain spreadsheet, either an unofficial sort of made up one or based on some chosen past business or something. Still don't particularly want to watch it even for a brief look-in but good to know these kinds of things get into eSports too.

[ShiraNoMai]

Yeah, it's essentially being the first on your team to figure out how to make a small program, effectively, without making any misclicks or typos that could cost time. It's definitely a thing. I tried to time-stamp an explanation of what challengers are expected to do if anyone was interested, but yea.

[Moonface]

Click the link: https://g.co/kgs/6bhWiX

or

Google "Cat"
Click the paw print that pops up next to the wiki article on Cats
Enjoy

This also works for the word "Dog" too. Haven't checked if any other animals get anything yet.

As for the Excel esports, I can't believe that exists! I did try watching it but almost everything went over my head except that it involves being given a task and trying to perform it in Excel as fast as possible.

[Moonface]

The Car Graveyard of the Mojave Desert

So I knew about the scandal with VW cheating on emissions tests, (although I didn't know about Audi being part of that too), but I never knew until now that after recalling all the cars they just dumped them all in the middle of the Mojave Desert and walked away. What a waste...

I also wonder now what happened to the cars in Europe that cheated these tests too, since I doubt they're included in the Mojave dump.

[Moonface]

I read about this a bit ago but forgot to post it until now. Did you know there's a board game that takes 1500+ hours to complete?

Now to be fair it isn't a typical board game, but rather a board game in the war game genre, which usually has rather lengthy games, but nothing comes close to this one. Even the creator himself said it's absurd and even he hasn't actually played a full game of it.

[ShiraNoMai]

The fact that it's a literal one-for-one simulation of an actual war plan makes it even the more wild. I'm not even sure what even constitutes it as a game rather than just a puzzle to figure out the winning actual strategy.

My random fact as of late is learning that symphysiotomies were real procedures and I bless every higher being for letting me be born in a time period where this is not necessary to perform any more. Even more scary: they were performed with primitive chainsaws 

[Mr EliteL]

Frick that "board" game and even more so to that ancient procedure, my goodness! 

[Maniakkid25]

I mean, it would have been better than a C-section during the times they were necessary. And those are old enough that Shakespeare frickin' referenced them.

I actually knew about Campaign for North Africa, but didn't realize it was so time-intensive. It is a HEAVILY operational and strategic-level (as in, focused on the big picture campaigns) game, as opposed to the tactical (more info on the levels here). It is the type of game where you have to consciously allocate resources for shipping tea for the British. It's very nuts-and-bolts, and if you're into that sort of thing, a short session might be interesting. Me personally, I like crunch, but that's a LITTLE too much crunch for me.

[Moonface]

I dunno, if I was faced with any surgical procedures for a child in a time where one of those choices involves the precursor to the modern day chainsaw I think I'd just choose death. I can't imagine many women fared well in the aftermath of any of those procedures.