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Some people like to think that they're wiser than others. But even Socrates, one of history's greatest philosophers, doubted his omniscience and famously said, "All I know is that I know nothing."

So let's remind ourselves that learning is a never-ending endeavor in this world, shall we? There's a Reddit post that's perfect for this task. Created by user u/TikiTC, it asked everyone on the platform "What's a little-known but obvious fact that will immediately make all of us feel stupid?"

Folks came through with plenty of insightful replies from a variety of topics, ranging from basic physics to human anatomy. Here are some of the most interesting ones.

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier Cats, dogs, and other similar animals can't see directly below their faces.

Because their snout gets in the way.

(That's why you have to point out the treat a million times, they're not stupid, the damn thing is just in their blind spot)

tinyhatonapumpkin , Ioan-Dan Plesa Report

Final score:
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#2

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier If you touch a baby bird, the mother will not reject it. I don’t even know who came up with it.

anon , Pixabay Report

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Mingey
Mingey
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It was started so adults and kids wouldn't go interfering with nature!!!!!!!!

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#3

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier Baby porcupines are called porcupettes.

rampantfreak , California Department of Fish and Wildlife Report

Final score:
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#4

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier Percentages are reversible. 8% of 25 is the same as 25% of 8 and one of them is much easier to do in your head.

wlwlvr , Mikhail Nilov Report

Final score:
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Take me to dinner first
Take me to dinner first
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Okay I don't usually take things personally here because I just laugh it off, but this whole downvoting thing is getting annoying as hell. Bored Panda used to be a place where people had fun and would only downvote trolls or offensive stuff, now we're getting downvotes for commenting how we are dumb enough to not understand math. I won't erase my comment because I genuinely don't think I said something that deserved to be hidden, I just wish some people here remembered this is not like/dislike. Anyway, I'm just venting...

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#5

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier 911 operators have no f*****g clue where you are instantly unless you're on a landline.

You HAVE to say where you are. It's not our fault movies made you think we have a spy level video of you in your car.

Know your location.

BeardsuptheWazoo , Kindel Media Report

Final score:
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Allison Riley
Allison Riley
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, amen 1000% . I do not know where you are when I'm dispatching unless you call from an old school landline. Sometimes if you call a lot I can guess where you may be by looking through old calls but that takes time. If you are in an emergency you do not want me taking my time.

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#6

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier Most cats are like super lactose intolerant, and drinking milk is really really bad for them.

jordanstevenson1134 , steve p2008 Report

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#7

you don't give a person free REIGN, you give them free REIN.

a queen REIGNS over her queendom, but you REIN in a horse, which is where this comes from.

i see this mistake constantly, even in professional journalism, and it drives me nuts.

hjartatjuv Report

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Id row
Id row
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The one that irritates me the most is lose and loose. 90% of the time people use it wrong.

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#8

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier Words that are spelled the same but pronounced with emphasis on different syllables is actually indicative of the part of speech it is.
Stress on the first syllable is a noun. Stress on the last syllable is a verb.
Examples: CON-tract and con-TRACT. The former is a noun ( sign this contract) whereas the latter is a verb (the muscles contract).
Same with record, address, impact, object, and a few others.

Verlonica , Christina Morillo Report

Final score:
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Ace
Ace
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A couple of examples given, but there are many others that don't behave like this. Even with those they're not consistent. Address is only stressed on the first symbol in American English, most of the rest of the world doesn't pronounce it differently whether used as a verb or a noun, same in reverse with impact.

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#9

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier Just like humans, British cows moo in regional accents.

anon , Klaus Hollederer Report

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#10

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier It was never mentioned that Humpty-Dumpty was an egg.

YummyMango124 , Library of Congress Report

Final score:
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Shyla Bouche
Shyla Bouche
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, but he had a lousy summer.

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#11

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier Pufferfish are filled with water, not air. It wouldn’t even make sense, yet a lot of people are like *what??*

__adrenaline__ , Phil Maher Report

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#12

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier Covered bridges are designed with roofs to protect and preserve the wooden structure from the elements. Without the cover they'd last about 20 years, with the cover they can last up to 100. They're not built that way just to look charming.

ghostofhenryvii , Bonnie Moreland Report

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#13

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier Antisocial means that you are hostile or harmful to organized society. As in being or marked by behavior deviating sharply from the social norm.

Asocial is rejecting or lacking the capacity for social interaction.

OttoManSatire , ArtHouse Studio Report

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les
les
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i've been called an asocial many times, i thought it was an insult

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#14

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier There's a 'd' in fridge but not in refrigerator. It really bothers me...

keigo199013 , Richard Kelland Report

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#15

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier When a nurse gives you an IV - they aren't leaving the metal needle inside your arm - they actually remove that and only a soft plastic tube remains - so you don't need to keep your arm that straight, relax.

Snakes_for_Bones , Stephen Andrews Report

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White Paper Tsuru
White Paper Tsuru
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But I swear to god, if it's in your acf (front part of your elbow) keep it straight because a kinked hose will make the machine beep at us every time! lol but no. No metal.

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#16

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier You don't actually bite down. You bite up because of your lower jaw.

Random_Weirdo_Girl , Wilson Vitorino Report

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#17

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier The little piggy didn't go to the market for shopping

bradr711 , Alexas Fotos Report

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#18

to 'fast' means to abstain from eating. you do this every night when you go to bed.

The first meal of the day is called 'breakfast' because you're breaking your fast.

bloodectomy Report

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Take me to dinner first
Take me to dinner first
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fake, breakfast is called breakfast because back in the 1600's they had a breakdancing battle before eating and they had to do it fast or they would starve

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#19

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier World Wide Web contains fewer syllables than its intended short form - WWW, thus making the shorter version longer to say.

anon , Pixabay Report

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Annika Traritrara
Annika Traritrara
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah but the short form is intended for writing not for speaking. And in German and probably other languages it's just veh-veh-veh ;)

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#20

Cocunut milk is not the liquid inside the coconut, that's coconut water, coconut milk comes from the white flesh inside. The white flesh is pulped or diced and left to soak in warm water, this pulp is then squeezed through a cloth giving you the milk.

Cary14 Report

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#21

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier The words Laser and Scuba are actually acronyms and they stand for:

Laser- Light Amplification (by) Stimulated Emission (of) Radiation.
Scuba- Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

Gerd-Neek , Pixabay Report

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#22

ATM stands for automated teller machine. So saying ATM Machine is like saying "automated teller machine machine"

Same with your PIN number. PIN stands for personal identification number

nowhereman136 Report

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#23

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier a chipotle pepper isnt its own type of pepper. its just a smoked jalapeno pepper.

hardnormaldaddy , woodleywonderworks Report

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CP
CP
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And I love it when people pronounce it chipoLTe.

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#24

the plural version of cul-de-sac is culs-de-sac

Spiritual-Walrus Report

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#25

Vikings did not wear helmets with decorative horns.

s0nder369thOughts Report

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TotallyNOTaFox
TotallyNOTaFox
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Weren't all berserkers, worked most the time as farmers, craftmen and traders - and according to others were seen a bit as snobs for bathing a lot

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#26

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier Thee and Thou were actually the *informal* forms. The King James Bible used them so that the relationship with God would seem more personal.

kkngs , Church of England Report

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#27

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier Just like a dormitory is a place where you sleep, a laboratory is a place where you labor.

vellyr , Pixabay Report

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#28

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier Tear ducts drain tears, they don't produce them.

Katiesullivan01 Report

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Wheelchair athlete
Wheelchair athlete
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lacrimal glands make the tears that lacrimal (tear) ducts release/drain

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#29

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier My favorite thing to tell people: Penguins swim faster than Michael Phelps. Remember that discovery special that pitted a shark against him to see who was faster? Completely stupid, because even shark FOOD swims faster than he does! (Sharks eat penguins, to clarify)

mushupenguin , Bryan Allison Report

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Chumbo
Chumbo
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

6 MPH (9.7 KPH) for Phelps compared to 22-25 MPH (35-40 KPH) max speeds for the fastest penguin species 😯

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#30

Cold water cleans just as well as warm water does.

When using modern detergent, clothes will be equally clean whether warm or cold water is used. There is one major difference: warm water uses much more energy (about 75 percent of the energy used for a load of laundry comes from warming the water).

whereegosdare84 Report

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Danny Phantom
Danny Phantom
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not entirely true. Warm water can dissolve chemicals faster and with higher solubility. It can also improve enzymatic activity (up to a point specific to the enzymes) which is often in laundry detergent. Fat, for instance, is a lot easier to clean with hot water than with cold water.

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#31

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier Do you get mad that dictionaries add new words like "crunk" or "bling"?

They add them because people use those words and people need to understand what they mean.

That's why they are in a dictionary.

typesett , Pixabay Report

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SCamp
SCamp
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And language evolves, it is never static, that’s how it develops

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#32

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier Oil paint doesn't dry, it hardens. There's virtually no water in it, there's ... well, oil.

BleuDePrusse , Alin Luna Report

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acey-ace16 avatar
Ace
Ace
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oil which evaporates, just like water. So if you think the paint is wet in the first place then it does indeed dry.

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#33

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier The word "helicopter" has two components. They aren't "heli" and "copter". They are "helico" and "pter".

"Helico" (helix) and "pter" (wing, like with "pterodactyl")

kabukistar , Pixabay Report

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️Crystal️
️Crystal️
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Like pterodactyl? Then let's pronounce helicopter with the silent p😃 helicoter

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#34

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier When water boils it is the same temperature no matter how big the bubbles are.

Mcreeper51 , Alabama Extension Report

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#35

The word "alphabet" comes from the first two Greek letters Alpha & Beta.

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Oki
Oki
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Which come from the first two letters of Hebrew (its predecessors but same letters) - Aleph and Beit

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#36

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier The Los Angeles Angels is basically saying "The The Angels Angels" when all in English.

AnxietyDepressedFun , Giovanni Calia Report

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#37

St John's, Canada is closer to Rome than it is to Victoria, Canada

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#38

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier Potatoes didn't arrive in Europe until the 16th century.

It's so ubiquitous, you'd think it would've been a part of English culture since 10,000 BC.

chalkyWubnub , Pixabay Report

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#39

Life is short cosmically but its the longest thing you'll experience

Szoreny Report

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XenoMurph
XenoMurph
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Avatar, The Way of Water was the longest thing I'll experience.

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#40

if you paint your entire room with one can of paint your room is one can of paint smaller

anon Report

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#41

30 On-The-Nose Facts That Many Of Us May Feel Stupid For Not Realizing Earlier The modern keyboard layout is designed to make you type slower. When typewriters were a new thing, they had did the obvious thing and put the most-used letters on the home row. Result? People typed too fast and got the hammers tangled.

You’re not an idiot, learning to type fast IS hard. It’s supposed to be!

dustyrags , cottonbro studio Report

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Matthew Wooller
Matthew Wooller
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not true. The keyboard was designed to ensure that typewriter hammers don't clash and block one-another by separating and spreading out the most frequently used letters... It was therefore designed to allow you to type faster on mechanical typewriters.

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#42

You want to get ketchup out of a glass Heinz bottle? Gently chop the neck where the 57 sticker is. It's designed to pour when it's agitated right there. It sounds stupid, but it works. It's like black magic.

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#43

Discover. It literally means to dis-cover something.

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#44

Most cars have a little arrow on the fuel pump symbol to show which side of the car the filling cap is. (UK at least)

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#45

There is no "n" in the word restaurateur. 

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#46

As you go higher in the atmosphere, you don’t actually get hypoxic (oxygen deficiency) because of lack of oxygen; you get hypoxic due to the decrease in pressure the higher into the atmosphere you go. This pressure is needed to actually allow your body to process the oxygen, oxygen % is relatively constant throughout the lower levels of our atmosphere.

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#47

The saying "it is what it is" can be shortened to the equally correct, but much more confusing, "it's what it's".

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SCamp
SCamp
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A non-English speaking background manager I worked for in a language school did the opposite. He used to put sayings up on the foyer notice board, one of which was ‘Here is to you’ (cheers). It took me a long time to explain to him that no one ever says that, it’s always ‘Here’s to you’ in the short form. He just couldn’t understand it saying ‘but it’s the same thing!’

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#48

It takes 500lbs to crush a human skull and your jaw(your molers) exert 200lbs of force

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XenoMurph
XenoMurph
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

*molar. The rest is also wrong, my jaw cannot lift 90 kgs, so my teeth cannot exert that force

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#49

El Paso TX is closer to San Diego CA than it is to Houston TX

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️Crystal️
️Crystal️
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I HATE THIS. Texas might as well be it's own country, I feel trapped.

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