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So how exactly did I end up this way?

A few days ago I listened to the new RadioLab episode " Song of the Cerebellum ", and I had a shocking moment of revelation. The episode is structured around young woman who had a stroke centered in her cerebellum, and it closes with a description of how she is different from she was before. This self-description of the changes in her mind struck home deeply. She could have been describing my experience of the world. She describes being laughing too loudly, and her social interactions being a bit off. She finds it harder to sing. She is off the beat. When she sings the notes don't go from her brain to her voice. Her hand writing sucks. Her experience of the world doesn't flow any more. This is a description of my existence. I have a defective cerebellum, or defective wiring between the cerebellum and the higher portions of my brain. This is something of a relief. I understand more about who I am.
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What dodo's actually looked like

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 This is a painting of a dodo made by Cornelis Saftleven in 1638. I've always thought that dodo pictures didn't look like real birds. They look cartoonish and just bizarre. This looks like a real animal that actually existed. I don't quite understand why this picture isn't the one that we're shown.
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 So, I read a great saying about building houses today, "Build one for your enemy, then build one for your friend, and then build your own one".  I have no idea what language this comes from.
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A questiona bout the Czech langauge...

 Does anyone know which invader stole all their vowels?
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What DEI programs actually do

 Someone summed up what DEI programs are about, and I think it bares repeating: DEI programs are about hiring qualified women and minorities rather than hiring lesser qualified white men.
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The Christmas Guard Hypothesis

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 In the United States the holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving are bulwarks against the invasion of Christmas. Without them, Christmas would invade October, just like it has in Germany.
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Everything Eats Meat

Many animal that we thought of as pure vegetarians will eat meat when given the opportunity. When deer find bird's nests they will eat the nestlings, and tortoises will gleefully hunt birds. The birds get their turn though. It turns out that German Peacocks eat sausage, so the next time you're in Germany, and you visit Pfaueninsel (Peacock Island), please guard your sausage. If you don't, then it may not not be there when you turn around.
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