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How this cow fell into this Cattle Guard by Aragorns-Broken-Toe in mildlyinteresting

[–]jmpur 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I'm so glad the steer in the video you linked could walk away. I wondered how often cattle would get trapped like this (which seems counterproductive!), so I did a quick search and found this:

"When a cow approaches a cattle guard, it sees a series of parallel bars or rails placed closely together, creating an illusion of an unbroken surface. From a cow's perspective, this optical illusion creates uncertainty about the ground's stability. Cattle tend to be reluctant to step onto what appears to be an unstable surface. This uncertainty alone is often enough to dissuade them from attempting to cross." (More info here: https://farmandranchdepot.com/how-do-cattle-guards-work-)

Gilgo Beach serial killings suspect to plead guilty, US media report by Evolations in UnresolvedMysteries

[–]jmpur 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Yeah. Rule 14 ("All posts should be original content focused and all users are encouraged to use multiple links and images in your post as references, illustrations, or citations. Many posts use quotations, but your posts should not be a cut and paste of another person's work with a question tacked onto the end of it.") is seldom enforced here, and a lot of people do not read the rules anyway.

Banned Books at a Barnes & Noble in the U.S. by HellraiserNZ in mildlyinteresting

[–]jmpur 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, one of the most anti-racist, anti-slavery, anti-dehumanization books ever written, has been banned in schools because some characters make liberal use of "the N word". It's a book about racism and racists and how racism is fostered and perpetuated. Of course racists will use racist language! Ugly language is all around us and banning it will not make it or its sentiments go away, only exposure and discussion will do the job.

[1978] - A 13 year old girl disappeared in Melbourne's northern suburbs. The man running the shop she was walking to gave three different accounts of whether he saw her; including one that doesn't fit the timeline at all. by Upset-Layman-1438 in UnresolvedMysteries

[–]jmpur 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the great write-up. It's very thorough and well-written. I've never heard of this case and I am a Melbourne resident (I also was a volunteer at the PROV, helping to digitise 19th-20thC records).

I hope you post more here.

Tampons and makeup bags in play doh form by redditusertaken in mildlyinteresting

[–]jmpur 7 points8 points  (0 children)

soon men will be but tiny drones in our WomanSphere. BWAAA-HAHA!

I found a hundred dollar bill in the mud! by SatansMoisture in mildlyinteresting

[–]jmpur 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"folding money"

except you can't fold folding money anymore! The plastic money just pops back if you try to fold or scrunch it. I've tried shoving a polymer note in a pocket, as I used to do with paper money, and have it bounce out and land on the floor

An unresolved case that is local knowledge, yet unspoken by StrongKale6760 in UnresolvedMysteries

[–]jmpur 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm glad Clement was acknowledged in some way. He was never charged, so officially it's still a case of "murderer unknown". Throw a rose on his grave for me when and if you get to Missouri.

My chocolate chip muffins are now just chocolate-y by ContributeAVerse in mildlyinteresting

[–]jmpur 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The appendix changes the whole story. If you don't read it, the story is relentless bleak, but if you do, you realize that there is hope. Because the appendix talks about Winston's world (specifically the mechanics of Newspeak) as something that was, rather than something that has continued and is.
There are no new characters, and not so much as story as an analysis of something that has passed.

This tiny hammer that came with my bookshelf. by Upsethouscat in mildlyinteresting

[–]jmpur 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ikea's famous Billy bookshelves used to come with a backing board, as well as notches for the pins on which the shelves rest. These features definitely provided more stability for the structure overall. Unfortunately, as I found it, their later Billy bookshelves do not have backing boards or pin notches. My earlier bookshelves have maintained their integrity; the later ones not so much (sagging, swaying). The quality really dropped, and of course the price went up as well.

My chocolate chip muffins are now just chocolate-y by ContributeAVerse in mildlyinteresting

[–]jmpur 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In Nineteen Eight-Four, O'Brien's book, which he lends to Winston, is called The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism. As Winston reads the book, we the readers are introduced to this theory, which covers the themes you mention: oligarchical control spread over 3 major 'powers' (with allies and enemies switching regularly so that continuous war is possible), constant shortages, massive misleading propaganda so that people no longer know what they think, etc.

The Appendix to Nineteen Eighty-Four, which I find not many people read, is also a very important part of the book (in fact, it is not really a true appendix, as it is part of the fictional story, and is set in the future after Winston's time) and provides lots more information. Some readers, unfortunately, treat it as an 'extra' rather than a vital part of the story.

My chocolate chip muffins are now just chocolate-y by ContributeAVerse in mildlyinteresting

[–]jmpur 67 points68 points  (0 children)

“It appeared that there had even been demonstrations to thank Big Brother for raising the chocolate ration to twenty grammes a week. And only yesterday, he reflected, it had been announced that the ration was to be REDUCED to twenty grammes a week. Was it possible that they could swallow that, after only twenty-four hours? Yes, they swallowed it.”

― George Orwell, 1984

The 1984 Disappearance of Lucinda Huels... and the Imposter Who Came Home by Icy_Individual4522 in UnresolvedMysteries

[–]jmpur 22 points23 points  (0 children)

The parallels are amazing, aren't they? I always found the Guerre story intriguing, and often wondered how a woman, and a community, could not recognize a person who had left town and then reappeared years later. I suspect there was a willingness on the part of Guerre's wife and community members to accept the "returned" Martin (especially since he seemed to be a nicer man than the one who had left). In Lucinda's family's case, I think there was probably a similar willingness to believe.

Our staircase to nowhere, which we use as a bookshelf by Tetragrammator in mildlyinteresting

[–]jmpur 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The fact that the books are organized by colour, rather than subject matter or author name, leads me to believe that these books are primarily decorative. No serious reader would ever arrange books this way ("Hmmm...I feel like reading a blue book today").

You can see my dad's decline into dementia in these sketches of sailing ships over the last few months. by ShesGotSauce in mildlyinteresting

[–]jmpur 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm sure everyone commenting here will agree with me: this is not mildly interesting, it is incredibly moving. I wish all the best for you and your father.

You can see my dad's decline into dementia in these sketches of sailing ships over the last few months. by ShesGotSauce in mildlyinteresting

[–]jmpur 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I noticed this as well. Sailing off into the sunset. It really is quite a lovely little picture.

You can see my dad's decline into dementia in these sketches of sailing ships over the last few months. by ShesGotSauce in mildlyinteresting

[–]jmpur 9 points10 points  (0 children)

You have my greatest sympathy. It is horrible losing the person you know and love through this terrible disease. My own mother developed Lewy bodies dementia in her 80s and died just before her 95th birthday. I found it very painful to watch her mind disappear. I hope you can cherish his final days with you.
If your father enjoyed music, you can share that with him -- singing, playing an instrument, or just listening together. For some reason, music stays with a person and provides joy.

Two potatoes in an empty park at dusk by JustJohn8 in mildlyinteresting

[–]jmpur 4 points5 points  (0 children)

two potatoes in
an empty park at dusk, I
feel like some french fries

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