Mildly interesting

[George K]

The balls...

The Ardblair Stones is a strength feat, where nine reinforced concrete lifting stones of ascending weight are used.[1][2] The 9 stones weigh 18 kg (40 lb), 32 kg (71 lb), 41 kg (90 lb), 50 kg (110 lb), 75 kg (165 lb), 107 kg (236 lb), 118 kg (260 lb), 135 kg (298 lb) and 152 kg (335 lb) respectively.[3] The goal of the competition is to lift each stone sequentially from smallest to largest and place them on top of 4 ft 4 in (52 in) whiskey barrels as quickly as possible. The stones are named for Ardblair Castle located in Blairgowrie, Perthshire in Scotland, close to where they originated.

[Copper]

I pulled several muscles just watching that.

[Horace]

looks like he skips leg day. Props for persistence though. It can't be common to fail a lift five times and get it on the sixth. More common with lifts that require exact technique and balance, I guess.

[Mik]

Kiviak is a traditional Greenlandic dish that involves a unique and intense method of fermentation. To prepare kiviak, whole birds, typically auks, are placed inside a seal skin, which is then sewn shut and left to ferment for several months. The birds undergo fermentation in the seal skin, a process that transforms their flavor and texture, making them safe to eat.
After the fermentation period, the dish is ready to be consumed, often as part of a special feast or celebration. The fermented birds are eaten raw, and the taste is described as strong and pungent, reflecting the bold culinary traditions of Greenland. Kiviak highlights the resourcefulness of indigenous cultures, utilizing local resources in ways that preserve food during the harsh Arctic winters. It’s a dish that may seem unusual to many, but for those in Greenland, it is a valued part of their heritage.

[Copper]

We are used to seeing blackbird flocks, during this time of year, that are miles long.

One flew over the golf course this morning that was at least a few miles long.

There were thousands on the ground and in the air over the 3rd hole.

Ignoring the birds Rick went ahead and hit his ball. The flock was so thick his ball caused a the birds to open a hole/tunnel that allowed the ball to fly through untouched.

It was really weird, like some kind of sci-fi movie.

Something like this:

Link to video

https://www.columbia-audubon.org/birds-in-big-numbers-flocks-of-blackbirds-and-starlings/#:~:text=The term “murmuration” describes sizeable,(YouTube has some examples).

[George K]

@Copper at about 1:23, looked like there was one going the opposite way, LOL.

[George K]

There is a watermark in the shape of the state of Kentucky on the floor at Rupp Arena.

At the bottom left of the watermark, there is a circle which is disconnected from the rest of the watermark.

There is a very small part of Kentucky which is not connected to the rest of the state.

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/state-pride/kentucky/broken-off-piece-of-state-ky

[Mik]

I never knew that. Interesting.

[taiwan_girl]

@George-K That is interesting. There is also a piece of Minnesota that is separate from the of the state and actually inside of Canada!!

"The Angle"

[taiwan_girl]

This post is deleted!

[bachophile]

Where naval powers sailed between 1740-1855 based on 280,000 ship log entries.

[jon-nyc]

Very cool

[Copper]

@bachophile said in Mildly interesting:

Where naval powers sailed between 1740-1855 based on 280,000 ship log entries.

England appears to be sailing through Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana.

[jon-nyc]

They had it coming.

[Mik]

One day around 32,000 years ago, an arctic ground squirrel ate parts of a plant, silene stenophylla, including its seed. The squirrel was digesting it when its life ended.
Its body was recovered from permafrost and examined.
Scientists germinated this plant seed.
This silene stenophylla just bloomed.
It is 32,000 years old.

[jon-nyc]

Wow.

[Horace]

@Mik said in Mildly interesting:

One day around 32,000 years ago, an arctic ground squirrel ate parts of a plant, silene stenophylla, including its seed. The squirrel was digesting it when its life ended.
Its body was recovered from permafrost and examined.
Scientists germinated this plant seed.
This silene stenophylla just bloomed.
It is 32,000 years old.

Scientists hogged all the glory, but they should have let a farmer or a gardener plant the seed.

[jon-nyc]

I’m withholding judgment until I see the list of hobbies of the scientists. They may well be gardeners too.

[jon-nyc]

[jon-nyc]

"World’s largest log cabin" in Portland, Oregon, USA, picture taken in 1938. The cabin was built in 1905, and burned down in 1964.