Mildly interesting

[Mik]

The custom of "telling the bees" is a charming and ancient tradition where beekeepers inform their bees about significant events in their lives, such as deaths, births, marriages, and other major occurrences. This practice is believed to have its roots in Celtic mythology, where bees were seen as messengers between the human world and the spirit world. The presence of a bee after a death was thought to signify the soul leaving the body. The tradition became particularly prominent in the 18th and 19th centuries in Western Europe and the United States.

To tell the bees, the head of the household or the "goodwife" would approach the hives, gently knock to get the bees' attention, and then softly murmur the news in a solemn tone. This ritual was believed to keep the bees informed and prevent them from leaving the hive or dying. The custom underscores the deep connection and respect that people historically had for bees, viewing them as integral members of the household and community.

[Mik]

[Mik]

Tasmania has some interesting place names.

[Mik]

Sodium Citrate is the secret ingredient to make any cheese into smooth, creamy nacho cheese sauce. Coincidentally, Sodium Citrate's chemical formula is Na₃C₆H₅O₇.

[taiwan_girl]

Because of the goofiness of the English language, there are very few "spelling bees" in other countries in their native language.

(For example, Bhasa Indonesian - every letter is pronounced and every letter always has the same sound)

[mark]

@Copper said in Mildly interesting:

I bought one of these today. The old one was about 20 years old, very old for a lawn tractor.

Now they come with a hose attachment that blows water on the blades to clean out the blade housing. I had never seen that before, a great idea.

Don't use that unless you want your deck to rust faster than it should.

[Mik]

That’s a whole lot easier than turning a tractor on its side. Good idea.

[Copper]

@mark said in Mildly interesting:

Don't use that unless you want your deck to rust faster than it should.

I will probably not use it too much, since it takes a little work to get it going.

I mentioned it to a few guys who have this device, and said, good idea, but after a few uses you'll get lazy.

[Mik]

If it’s a mulcher you shouldn’t get much up there.

[Axtremus]

@jon-nyc said in Mildly interesting:

Vaguely recall there was a project in AT&T where they tried to turn some of their public telephone booths into Wi-Fi hotspots. Don't know what happened to it and too lazy to look it up.

[Axtremus]

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/23/style/pussy-bow-blouse-tie-neck.html

Never seen the terminology before, but apparent there is such a thing as a "pussy-bow blouse", and it makes sense.

[Jolly]

Link to video

[jon-nyc]

[Horace]

Everywhere I've ever lived is red.

With the blood of my enemies.

[jon-nyc]

I lived in blue squares in OH and IN as a kid and a college student. The rest all red.

[jon-nyc]

Air Traffic Control zones.

[Copper]

I've talked to 9 of them

[Mik]

Giovanni Battista Bugatti, the official executioner for the Papal States from 1796 to 1864, executed over 500 people during his 68-year tenure.

Bugatti’s tools and clothing became historical artifacts, reflecting the period’s harsh justice system. His execution methods included beheading and garroting, and he retired with honor at the age of 85.

[George K]

@Mik

In fairness, he probably didn't have a set of goggles, but...

[jon-nyc]

@Copper said in Mildly interesting:

I've talked to 9 of them

Let me guess- Houston, FW, Memphis, Atlanta, and the 5 coastal regions.