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Pocket's most read articles in 2022

12/20/2022

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Get your daily dose of English here.

52 things Tom Whitwell learned in 2022

12/14/2022

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I especially like this one:
20. If you want a question answered on the Internet, post a wrong answer first.

52 things

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New Yorker: The Beautiful, Brutal World of Bonsai

11/30/2022

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Some years ago I received an exquisite bonzai as a birthday present. I was quite pleased and started talking about it to my friends. Quite quickly I noticed that when referring to their bonsai, everyone used a nostalgic past tense, i.e. "I had a bonsai once..." That was my first clue as to the challenges that awaited me.

Bonsai article

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Recipes to die for?

11/23/2022

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Unbeknownst to me prior to reading about it in the press, there is a "longstanding tradition" of etching recipes on gravestones. As I bake a lot, this is something to think about!

read me

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Amazing trees

11/8/2022

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From Moss and Fog Magazine: There are more than 60,000 species of trees in the world. They range from diminutive to absolutely colossal. Their unique forms and shapes are incredibly varied, and they inspire us, and our love for the planet. Here are a collection of remarkable trees, from marvelous to strange, throughout the world.

Moss and Fog article

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Busload of Books travels to all 50 US states

10/25/2022

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This tale of a family travelling around the US to spread their love of reading inspires me; it also strikes me as being very American.

Busload of books article

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Now for an important question:

9/25/2022

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What's the better way to cut a sandwich? For the answer, click on the link. But warning: I stopped pretty quickly to make myself a grilled cheese sandwich. Yumm.

Triangles or Rectangles?

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Untrained passenger lands Florida plane after pilot falls ill

8/15/2022

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Could you land a small airplane if your pilot passed out? I'm not sure I could!

details here

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I'm not the only one taking a break

7/22/2022

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Scientist finds professor who supported her love for bugs when she was 4

6/15/2022

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This little girl knew what she wanted, and luckily an adult encouraged her.

WaPo article

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Hot dogs are serious business in the US

5/18/2022

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Does this slide show tempt you? Read all about it.

click

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The surprising afterlife of used hotel soap

4/23/2022

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Did you ever wonder where that little sliver goes? Here is one answer.

The Hustle article

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181 Writing Prompts

3/15/2022

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Do you want to practice writing? or maybe inspire your kids to try their hand at it? Here are 181 writing prompts that can also be used as discussion questions, even around the family dinner table.

181

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Wordle comic

2/27/2022

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All the Superbowl ads together

2/9/2022

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hit me

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How travelling by train ushered in the era of time zones

1/12/2022

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Quick - in what year were international time zones set up in the US? Read this fascinating account of how travelling by train ushered in the era of time zones. (The answer is 1884.)

Time zones

Intern'l Meridian Conference

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52 things one guy learned in 2021

12/29/2021

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OK, so I'm a sucker for these kinds of lists. This one is called "52 things I learned in 2021", written by an innovation consultant and "reformed journalist" based in London. Still I think you will find at least one entry interesting, or quite possibly more. If you like this list, you can read what the guy learned in 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014. Let me know!

Medium.com article + list

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British Teenager Finds Bronze Age Hoard of Artifacts with a Metal Detector

12/22/2021

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Using her metal detector for just the third time, 13-year-old Milly Hardwick from Suffolk in the UK found 65 artifacts dating back to 1300 BCE.

3,000-year-old ax +

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How Chicago's neighborhoods got their names

12/8/2021

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Here is a bit of history about my home town, Chicago.

article

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2021 Comedy Wildlife Photography contest

11/24/2021

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read me 2021

2020

2019

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Lost Colorado hiker ignored rescuers' calls because the hiker didn't recognize the phone number, officials say

10/27/2021

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really! (read about it here)

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The Science of Biscuits

10/4/2021

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There are so many recipes for biscuits it's hard to know which one to try. This enterprising baker first determined the basics that change from one recipe to the next. Then he made batches varying only one thing at a time to assess what matters. Butter or shortening? Milk or buttermilk? How much baking powder? Is overkneading really a thing? I haven't made these yet, but it won't be long. How about you?

yumm

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7 Years and 21 Self-improvement Experiments (not mine!)

9/15/2021

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I came across this blog post by accident, found it interesting, and think you might too. Has everyone tried something along the vein of a "self-improvement exercise"? This blogger writes about what changed him and what didn't. Food for thought.

blog article