More amicable than Egypt, Rhodesia and Ireland.

While frenemy would be a good good descriptor, I need something more formal to use in an essay.

rival

I guess I can use rival. Cordial rivals perhaps.

'Rival' is just plain wrong, with the possible exception of India (rivals compete with each other, by definition) - you need something to communicate 'countries which share, to varying extents, a historical and cultural affinity which very rarely makes a difference to what they actually do'.

I was searching on wikipedia for a woman ruler of a caliphate.
And I found one:Sitt al-Mulk of the Fatimid Caliphate.
I was wondering:How do you call a female caliph?
Would it be calipha,as in sultana,emira and sheikha?

That sounds reasonable to me.

I was searching on wikipedia for a woman ruler of a caliphate.
And I found one:Sitt al-Mulk of the Fatimid Caliphate.
I was wondering:How do you call a female caliph?
Would it be calipha,as in sultana,emira and sheikha?
Since "khalifa" is not only a masculine word, but a name for male children in Arabic, that would be awfully silly.

There actually is no feminine form of the word. Same with imam.

Is it safe to say that BF3 is more graphically advanced than Crysis? [I haven't played either]

Which Crysis?

I currently have a prepaid Verizon phone, and I'm looking to get an LG Optimus V on Virgin Mobile. I've grown used to my current number, and everyone has it in their contacts. Is there a way I could transfer that number to my new phone?

I'm an idiot.

If you upgrade you can keep your old phone number, like I did.
From Verizon to Virgin Mobile?

From Verizon to Virgin Mobile?

Derp.

From Verizon to Virgin Mobile?

According to Virgin's cite, one can, as long as they keep the same area code. The question is will Verizon release it? Best bet is to ask when one buys the phone.

[What are your views on Sufism, and the Dervishes?
I honestly have no idea why I posted this here. I am very tired after a hard week. Now I know it was @ Dachs

edit: just realised this is the Random thread! zzzzzz Tsk!

What is the best way to clean out a clogged drain if you aren't able to use one of those snake-things to get to the drain trap because of a plastic crossbar in the drain? The clog in question is just hair.

Assuming it's a minor clog and not a major one, about 1/2 cup of baking soda followed by a 1/2 cup vinegar will help. Do it a couple times.

Hair is going to be really tough to unclog without physically removing it, though.

EDIT: you could also try a used guitar string or a bent coat-hanger. If you can attach some velcro to the end of it it should grab onto the hair and pull it out.

What is the best way to clean out a clogged drain if you aren't able to use one of those snake-things to get to the drain trap because of a plastic crossbar in the drain? The clog in question is just hair.

Are you talking about the heavy duty metal snake or have you tried one of those 2 dollar superbendy plastic snakes with the hooks on it yet? Those can usually navigate past a crossbar.

You could probably remove the crossbar if you get desperate but that is pretty annoying.

4) The casing does not determine how dirty the cartridge burns when fired. That is a combination of powder and primer.

True, but if the casing is not sealing tightly it can determine how dirty your chamber gets. That would have to be pretty loose. I don't know, haven't personally fired the two to compare.

What is the best way to clean out a clogged drain if you aren't able to use one of those snake-things to get to the drain trap because of a plastic crossbar in the drain? The clog in question is just hair.

If you have a wire coathanger try unbending it. Its very difficult to do that (least for me...) but very useful for a lot of things and might be thin enough to get through. I actually used to keep one in my room for various things until my mom accidentally threw it out.

Can't you just melt it with NaOH?

..and how are you gonna get sodium hydroxide brah?

Caustic drain cleaners will damage the pipes over time. Be careful and rinse it out really well afterwards if you do use one.

The ideal way to remove a hair clog is with one of those mini-snakes with the velcro strap at the end. It should get around the cross-bar no problem. You should be able to get one for a dollar or two at any hardware.

Why do people get angry when I mention something called "the game"? Im just trying to figure out what it is.

Why do people get angry when I mention something called "the game"? Im just trying to figure out what it is.

Are you referring to the "mating game?" I think you lost me.

i.e. "Don't hate the playa, hate the game?"

Why do people get angry when I mention something called "the game"? Im just trying to figure out what it is.

Know Your Meme (http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/the-game)

Know Your Meme (http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/the-game)

That is ... a rather stupid game.

Agreed.

What is the best way to clean out a clogged drain if you aren't able to use one of those snake-things to get to the drain trap because of a plastic crossbar in the drain? The clog in question is just hair.


Just what kind of a drain is this? Like others said, for some drains you can use a piece of wire instead of a snake up to a point. Where the clog is matters for that. For the standard modern American bath tub, taking off the overflow/plug lever cover gives you good access to where tubs often tend to clog.

Why do people get angry when I mention something called "the game"? Im just trying to figure out what it is.
It's a Michael Douglas film with a twist so contrived that people snap when reminded of it.

That is ... a rather stupid game.
Good god, girl. :rolleyes:

Get off your high horse and stop calling everything that isn't TP "stupid." :rolleyes:

Good god, girl. :rolleyes:

Get off your high horse and stop calling everything that isn't TP "stupid." :rolleyes:

I think she's justified in this regard! :lol:

Get off your high horse and stop calling everything that isn't TP "stupid." :rolleyes:

And if nobody had unsociable posting habits, we'd all do much better.

Good god, girl. :rolleyes:

Get off your high horse and stop calling everything that isn't TP "stupid." :rolleyes:

Well the game is stupid. What is even the point of it.

Well the game is stupid. What is even the point of it.
So true. The stupid "game" is stupid, and it would be stupid to not call the stupid "game" stupid.

Why do people get angry when I mention something called "the game"? Im just trying to figure out what it is.

May I have the permission to be angry now :mad:


:p

Well I didnt mean to do that.

Just what kind of a drain is this? Like others said, for some drains you can use a piece of wire instead of a snake up to a point. Where the clog is matters for that. For the standard modern American bath tub, taking off the overflow/plug lever cover gives you good access to where tubs often tend to clog.
It is a sink drain. I have lots of extra coathangers from getting my suit dry cleaned so I'll try that.

Well I didnt mean to do that.

I know that ;) unfortunately The game doesn't make a distinction for that. :(

I don't blame you though :)

It is a sink drain. I have lots of extra coathangers from getting my suit dry cleaned so I'll try that.

On most sinks the trap comes off pretty easy for access if you can't clear it any other way.

If it's a sink rather than a tub it's likely just crap in the pea trap. Take off the trap after you put a bucket under it. Probably don't need a coat hanger. Will want rubber gloves.

If pipes are metal rather than plastic you may need a roll of teflon plumbers tape to get it to reseal when you put it back together. It costs like a buck or two.

What's the meaning behind Jesus' middle initial H when people shout "Jesus H. Christ!"? Is it just a random joke on middle initials?

What's the meaning behind Jesus' middle initial H when people shout "Jesus H. Christ!"? Is it just a random joke on middle initials?
Extension of Jesus Christ with a fantastical middle initial, perhaps derived from a reading of ΙΗΣ, a Greek-alphabet abbreviation for Jesus (ΙΗΣΟΥΣ) as three initials in Latin letters. See "Christogram" at Wikipedia.

- Wikitonary

A common joke is that it stands for Harold and comes from a mispronunciation when doing the Lord's prayer: "Our father, who art in heaven, Harold be thy name". I don't know if that's the actual origin of it though.

Haha, intesting. The latter theory would also explain why it only comes up in English ;) Thanks.

I had always thought the initial was added to imply it was a different Jesus Christ, and not taking to Lord's name in vain. That would still need an explanaton of the H, though.

On most sinks the trap comes off pretty easy for access if you can't clear it any other way.
The coathanger-turned-drain snake worked like a charm.

Also, there is no way I'm taking the sink apart as it is in a dorm room and school property!

What's the meaning behind Jesus' middle initial H when people shout "Jesus H. Christ!"? Is it just a random joke on middle initials?

I thought it stood for 'holy' as in "Jesus Holy Christ!"?

The coathanger-turned-drain snake worked like a charm.

Also, there is no way I'm taking the sink apart as it is in a dorm room and school property!


Then the school has a maintenance department to call to handle those things :p

Then the school has a maintenance department to call to handle those things :p
It took them six months to fix a broken toilet and over seven months to fix a broken shower head. I lack faith in the ability of plant maintnence to come to my aid quickly.

I for one am opposed to hair-clog abortions with coat hangers.

The coathanger-turned-drain snake worked like a charm.

Also, there is no way I'm taking the sink apart as it is in a dorm room and school property!

I think it is probably preferable to learn on somebody else's sink now than your own sink later!

I had a good chance to talk to a girl today that I really am quite fond of, but circumstances got in the way of allowing that to happen. I'd waited for the moment all day so I was a bit disappointed when it never actually happened. But never mind, I should see her again before the week is out, so I can try again.

My question is, however, is it even worth initiating conversation with someone when I'm not even sure they like me? We're in the same class together, and a few weeks ago I noticed that she was glancing at me quite a lot. Since then, though, she hasn't really noticed me. I really hope my 'ship hasn't sailed' so to speak, because I've convinced myself that to get over my previous girlfriend I must not be held back and grab any opportunities that arise. I don't want to let her disappear without even having tried talking to her.

I had a good chance to talk to a girl today that I really am quite fond of, but circumstances got in the way of allowing that to happen. I'd waited for the moment all day so I was a bit disappointed when it never actually happened. But never mind, I should see her again before the week is out, so I can try again.

My question is, however, is it even worth initiating conversation with someone when I'm not even sure they like me? We're in the same class together, and a few weeks ago I noticed that she was glancing at me quite a lot. Since then, though, she hasn't really noticed me. I really hope my 'ship hasn't sailed' so to speak, because I've convinced myself that to get over my previous girlfriend I must not be held back and grab any opportunities that arise. I don't want to let her disappear without even having tried talking to her.

There's no harm in initiating a conversation. She may potentially turn to be a great compatible person for you to be friends with or, as you want, a potential mate. If not, oh well. No loss.

The worst that can happen is that she shuts you down cold and tells you what a useless boyfriend you'll make to any girl alive.

Anything else is a positive. :D

If not, oh well. No loss.

Her loss. :lol:

The worst that can happen is that she shuts you down cold and tells you what a useless boyfriend you'll make to any girl alive.

Anything else is a positive. :D

That, or I could get the immediate impression she wants to get away from me as fast as humanly possible. :p

Anyone know of a good supplemental text for a physical chemistry class? (note: I'm not looking for a hulking textbook, but a nice sized review of the material)

Sino- is to China as to Anglo is to England as to _____ is to America.
Complete the sentence.

Sino- is to China as to Anglo is to England as to _____ is to America.
Complete the sentence.

I think the only fit is "American", which is a different pattern, I know. But I can't think of anything else in use.

"Yanko-".

"Amero-".

I think the only fit is "American", which is a different pattern, I know. But I can't think of anything else in use.

There needs to an issued list of standard prefixes from a dictionary or something!

"Amero-".

That's what I though too, but apparently it doesn't exist, except as a theoretical union currency.

I guess I'll stick with that.

We don't need it, because we're so awesome that whenever we get into a war or whatnot we freely place our name on the second half of it's title.

USA #1

Why is "Congo" two nations and not just one?

Why is "Congo" two nations and not just one?

The same reason why Belgium is one nation instead of two. Incredibly arbitrary borders and names created for the benefit of other nations.

Sino- is to China as to Anglo is to England as to _____ is to America.
Complete the sentence.

-American

eg: 'Mexican-American War'.

Why is "Congo" two nations and not just one?

Because one was a former French colony, and the other a former Belgian colony.

They just both happened to take the same name upon independence in 1960, with the larger Congo eventually tacking on "Democratic" to their name to help distinguish it from the smaller one.

Which puts less strain on my eyes: having the laptop screen on low brightness, or having it on high brightness?

Low. Though contrast matters, and not everyone's eyes are the same.

Is low or high contrast better?

Generally low. That is, if things are bothering your eyes. But everyone's eyes are different, and you may need to play around a bit. Have you tried playing with the forum styles? I personally find the Dark Blue one very easy on the eyes. What I appreciate is that the black text on the blue field is a lot less glaring than black on white, or white on a dark background. I do something similar in Windows, except using gray. So with a little work you can reduce contrast with theme settings instead of just making things brighter or dimmer.

I have an LED backlit and I had to turn the brightness down. It was so bright it was giving me a headache. It was like looking into a flourescent light bulb.

If you're in a poorly lit room, always have the brightness down near the bottom. I have issues with glare as a result of years and years of staring at bright screens in dark rooms.

The whole "Godwyn" thing that is referenced here . Please explain ?

Hmm. Now you have me puzzled. You don't mean Godwin's Law, do you?

For Godwyn, it could be all sorts of stuff, e.g Godwyn pattern bolter. :deeppuzzlement:

Godwin's Law.

Godwyn pattern bolter.

You are correct , it's one of the above . Hint...one is referenced more often than the other on CFC

You mean this?
Godwin's law; "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1."

Oh . Haha , I never considered googling it as I thought it related to Godwyn the poster . Thanks .

Why just online? :p

"I'm not going to be intimidated by a bunch of bull****."
—

WVa Senatorial candidate John Raese, rejecting criticism for his comparing smoking regulations with Hitler's treatment of Jews

This isn't a personal thing, though curiously I notice a user has the username 1889, but what's the significance of 1889? The only things that stand out from Wiki are the Johnstone Flood and the founding of the Nintendo company. Though of course other things did happen that year.

You should ask that person directly by PM.

Well, I would but I don't like to get personal so I was trying to be oblique. Plainly not oblique enough.

Why are women such a wonderful distraction?

Umm....I give up....what's the answer?

you are supposed to tell me. I wouldn't ask the question if I already knew the answer. :)

You might. For a joke, or something. :)

Why are women such a wonderful distraction?

Do you look at the stars and ask that ? Or a sunset ? Or a thunderstorm?

Women(physically) are the pinnacle of nature. To be appreciated without query.

Yet interestingly , they are extremely bad at throwing . Which leads to our next question not worthy of a thread .

Oh. I know the answer to that one. Or I did. I heard someone talking about it on the Radio. But I was distracted and didn't think it worth while remembering. Silly me!

Why are women such a wonderful distraction?

Because biology and culture.

I'm a teen, feeling a little sick today, and I had a fever of 101.1 but I haven't puked or anything, just coughed some. Anyways, I had a headache, so my Dad gave me two little Aspirins, and I took them, but then I realized about the Reye's Syndrome thing. Should I be worried?

Considering you haven't had "persistent, heavy vomiting that is not relieved by not eating", I think you'll probably be fine.

is "c'est ne pas l'Afrique" the correct translation for this is not Africa? (french -> English)

I am making a spoof of the artwork ceci c'est ne pas une pipe. I want it written the same but Africa instead of pipe

I can't see how that doesn't work.

Ceci, c'est ne pas l'Afrique.

Looks good to me.

I'm not an expert on French, but I seem to remember that proper nouns of countries aren't capitalized. If my memory holds true, does this apply to Africa as well?

Try looking at this (http://french.about.com/library/writing/bl-capitalization.htm).

Would you guys consider a laz-e-boy recliner a couch or a chair?

Chair, no doubt.

I'd go with chouch.

Chair, no doubt.

This all day . Chair for one , couch for more regardless of extra abilities .

A small not very comfortable bed. But easy to get out of.

Chair. Couches are designed to allow two people to sit comfortably on it.

Chair. Couches are designed to allow two people to sit comfortably on it.

So what would you call a couch with two recliners built in to it?

So what would you call a couch with two recliners built in to it?

Uncomfortable for use as anything other than 2 recliners. :p

So what would you call a couch with two recliners built in to it?
A bad idea?

A together-apart couch?

A bad idea?

Not especially. They're pretty awesome.
http://sofaslipcoverphotos.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Dual-Reclining-Sofa-Photo.jpg

That is the ugliest item of furniture I have ever seen.

Not especially. They're pretty awesome.
http://sofaslipcoverphotos.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Dual-Reclining-Sofa-Photo.jpg
http://images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2009/9/24/128983190583160644.jpg

You people seriously don't have those? We have one like it, and it's remarkably comfortable and not especially displeasing aesthetically.

I don't particularly care what a couch looks like so long as it is comfortable when I plop my fat rear in it.

That is the ugliest item of furniture I have ever seen.
I'm more concerned about her...huge tracts of land being different sizes.

I'm more concerned about her...huge tracts of land being different sizes.

Bonus points for the Python reference.

Baby Joey preferred lefty last time around. Happens all the time!

I understand that observant Muslims may not handle pork without 'cleansing' themselves afterwards. What exactly does 'cleansing' in this sense entail? I assume it means more than just washing your hands well.

Prayer, I think.

Bathroom dilemma .

I knock off work at 5.30pm and often around 5pm I feel like going to the bathroom for a crap . Now I live 5-8 minutes from work so I have a 2 choices .

I can go at work and get that bizarre satisfaction from going to the bathroom on company time , getting paid for it and maximizing my leisure time at home .....BUT

If I wait , I get to go on home turf which I find much better than a shared bathroom at work . So it's a better experience , but the cost being personal leisure time .

Thoughts ?

Good lord, man, how long does it take you to expel faecal matter?

But I find it much more preferable to do it on home soil, where you know your toilet meets your own personal standards. And since you live in Australia, you can't be certain if there isn't a hideously large arachnid lurking under company crappers.

Being paid to crap is worth the lower level of comfort.

Being paid to crap is worth the lower level of comfort.

On face value yes , but consider this .

The longer I spend on" the man's" toilet the more I'm getting paid to do so , but the greater the price paid in forgone comfort .

@Salty mud......The presence of arachnids need to be factored into most activities

On face value yes , but consider this .

The longer I spend on" the man's" toilet the more I'm getting paid to do so , but the greater the price paid in forgone comfort .

@Salty mud......The presence of arachnids need to be factored into most activities

Well, I dunno about you, but I try to minimize my time on the toilet regardless.

I don't like using public toilets. I prefer the comfort of my own.

There's no way I'm sitting on a public toilet without taking a blowtorch to my ass afterwards to kill the germs.

Your public toilet seat is almost always cleaner than the doorknobs in your office building/dorm/restaurant/whatever.

It probably seems gross because it's a bathroom but so long as there isn't feces actually strewn about the stall it's almost always cleaner than 100 things you take for granted.

That said, if you have to crap at 5 p.m. crap at 5 p.m. Don't view it as sticking it to the man, view it as a biological necessity. You don't do yourself any favors hauling that baggage around for overtime.

I never sat on a public toilet ever since I use one of those auto-flushing ones. It startled me very badly.

It startled me very badly.

At least you were already in the right place! :D

I need to have a birthday card written in the next 15 minutes.

For:
Female
17
she's having a casual dance.

I know her well enough to be invited. She only invited people she obviously considers her friends.

What should I write?

I need to have a birthday card written in the next 15 minutes.

For:
Female
17
she's having a casual dance.

I know her well enough to be invited. She only invited people she obviously considers her friends.

What should I write?

Posting this, I'm assuming you want romantic undertones. So, I'm thinkin' a bit of a personal message beyond the 'happy birthday soandso'. Something like 'whenever you're free you can come over to my pad ;) xoxox'. (Last part optional)

picture of your penis

^ no, no, someone else's penis. Preferably a black guy's.

...how come?

...how come?

So she'll say, "good lord, look at that! It makes me want Verarde's penis right this very instant!"

Don't you know anything about women?

How often do obviously guilty murderers and other criminals go free because of mistakes the police and prosecutors make, like collecting evidence without a warrant, or using statements that are under privilege?

How often do obviously guilty murderers and other criminals go free because of mistakes the police and prosecutors make, like collecting evidence without a warrant, or using statements that are under privilege?


Probably less often than someone goes to prison despite the mistakes of police and prosecutors. But since so much of it is unproven, accurate statistics don't exist.

What is the name of that Chinese hat/crown that many emperors of the Qin,Han and other dynasties wear?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Qinshihuang.jpg
http://8bitfashionista.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/carina-lau-empress-wu5.jpg?w=640

It's a crown. I can't find the Chinese name for it.

The European crown looks much awesomer. Take the Bosnian one, it has lilies.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Coat_of_Arms_of_the_House_of_Kotromani%C4%87.svg/150px-Coat_of_Arms_of_the_House_of_Kotromani%C4%87.svg.p ng

How often do obviously guilty murderers and other criminals go free because of mistakes the police and prosecutors make, like collecting evidence without a warrant, or using statements that are under privilege?

However much, it's entirely worth it to make sure that no innocent people go to jail because the police screw up, or to make sure that the police does not turn into the Stasi.

The European crown looks much awesomer. Take the Bosnian one, it has lilies.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Coat_of_Arms_of_the_House_of_Kotromani%C4%87.svg/150px-Coat_of_Arms_of_the_House_of_Kotromani%C4%87.svg.p ng
That's no answer of on question.
And I say that the Chinese crown is much awesomer then that puny,little mockery of Great Crowns.
The Chinese crown has pearls that swing when you move!
Look at the better Qin Shi Huang LH in the database!

The Byzantine crown was even more impressive than the Papal crown and deliberately so. :P

The Byzantine crown that Justinian wears is not impressive.
And if you mean another crown,shown me a picture of it.

I have a question. What are some good books on Chinese/Korean/Japanese history? Really, East Asian in general.

I have a question. What are some good books on Chinese/Korean/Japanese history? Really, East Asian in general.

East Asian history is big. Like, really big. You'll have to be specific.

Um, Imperial Chinese. I hope that's specific enough.

Um, Imperial Chinese. I hope that's specific enough.

The book I used for my History class seems like a good detailed starter of the history of Qing China.

http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Modern-China-Immanuel-Hs%C3%AF%C2%BF1/dp/0195125045

It's massively detailed, lots of accounts from European and Chinese sources and covers Qing China society, technology, politics, military and economics, proceeding with it's stagnation and decline, European exploitation, break up and division, Republic and Communist movements, ending off with Maoist China.

When a girl repeatedly (say 3 times now) asks you, in casual conversation, if you have any plans over the weekend... is this a good sign?

It means she wants you to boink her. Don't just stand around, ask her out.

I wish I had such clear signals from women. I never ever got a clear sign from a woman she wanted me to ask her out (maybe because none of them wanted me to ask her out :lol: ). The girl I'm seeing now laughed at my jokes (which aren't very good), so I figured that was as much sign as I'm ever going to get.

Well I'm certainly not ready to boink her, but I'd love to ask her out.

The old 'laughing at unfunny jokes' thing is a very good signal, actually. Sometimes you don't even have to make a joke, just say something and they will laugh. If this is happening to you, you're in luck.

Well I'm certainly not ready to boink her

Yeah you are . It's not like you are marinading a fine cut of meat .

The book I used for my History class seems like a good detailed starter of the history of Qing China.

http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Modern-China-Immanuel-Hs%C3%AF%C2%BF1/dp/0195125045

It's massively detailed, lots of accounts from European and Chinese sources and covers Qing China society, technology, politics, military and economics, proceeding with it's stagnation and decline, European exploitation, break up and division, Republic and Communist movements, ending off with Maoist China.

Wow, thanks a lot! It looks amazing. I was trying to read another book, and parts of it were good, but a lot of it was just confusing and not the best. With such great reviews, I'm sure this book is excellent.

When a girl repeatedly (say 3 times now) asks you, in casual conversation, if you have any plans over the weekend... is this a good sign?

It's a good sign if you want closer relations with her. If you want nothing to do with her and she keeps asking, it's a really bad sign.

Yeah you are . It's not like you are marinading a fine cut of meat .

Eh, it's not for everybody, but the super old-school dating -> marry -> bonk thing does work out pretty nice now and then. :)

Eh, it's not for everybody, but the super old-school dating -> marry -> bonk thing does work out pretty nice now and then. :)

As a way of life ? Totally agree . However it definitely is lacking in terms of titillating details to post about on CFC . I can hardly say "Dude , take your time and slowly woo her and be sure to avail us of the details"

Now I know why CFCers have such problems attracting girls. :lol:

Wow, thanks a lot! It looks amazing. I was trying to read another book, and parts of it were good, but a lot of it was just confusing and not the best. With such great reviews, I'm sure this book is excellent.
If you don't want to wade through the sheer immensity of Hsu, you could always go with the late Jonathan Spence's Search for Modern China, which is given as one of the suggestions on that Amazon page; it's shorter, better-edited, cheaper, and is not noticeably incorrect.

I might've gone with that, but I ordered the first book yesterday. Besides, I've read most of a book about China already, so I'm familiar with the basics, and I want something deeper.

What happened to some users on this forums that suddenly "disappeared" withouth leaving a message and never returned?

What happened to some users on this forums that suddenly "disappeared" withouth leaving a message and never returned?

Like who?

I knew that you would ask that question...
For example C.Roland who "disappeared" since 25-10-2010 and cybrxkhan who "disappeared" since 15-02-2012.
It's really sad to see such loss of talent and we will never know why they did not returned (unless they return)

What happened to some users on this forums that suddenly "disappeared" withouth leaving a message and never returned?

They have been swallowed by CFC and are currently residing in the nethersite. It is said, that if you listen closely, you can hear them type about their miseries. However you will never see a post by them because every time they hit 'Submit reply' all they typed disappears.

When was the last time any of you recall a thread being locked ?

Can we discuss that?

About a week ago, though I believe it was reopened later.

I knew that you would ask that question...
For example C.Roland who "disappeared" since 25-10-2010 and cybrxkhan who "disappeared" since 15-02-2012.
It's really sad to see such loss of talent and we will never know why they did not returned (unless they return)

Real life happens.

Can we discuss that?

Technically, this is a question and answer thread, discussions are for other threads. Answering the question is ok. Discussing "why" a thread is locked, is not allowed in any thread.

I tried playing Civ V a few months back with a Nvidia 94000 and 2gb of RAM. It never ran very well, but was somewhat acceptable for most of the game. If I upgraded my RAM would it be any better?

Probably. But without knowing more there's no way to be certain that that was your problem.

I tried playing Civ V a few months back with a Nvidia 94000 and 2gb of RAM. It never ran very well, but was somewhat acceptable for most of the game. If I upgraded my RAM would it be any better?

Fire it up again, alt-tab out of the game, go the task manager and see how much RAM is being used up. If it's at 100%, upgrading your RAM would probably help. If it isn't, then it may be your video card, or your CPU.

I tried playing Civ V a few months back with a Nvidia 94000 and 2gb of RAM. It never ran very well, but was somewhat acceptable for most of the game. If I upgraded my RAM would it be any better?

Upgrading it would make it run faster in certain areas. When you say most of the game though, it sounds like the end game became a nightmare. The only way to "fix" the end game is to have an i7 with 8 cores and 8gig of ramm under vista or windows 7. That is what worked for me. I have the Nvidea 550M. This is in a laptop and still over heats the GPU, and CPU unless I use a 22 inch fan to cool it down.

Now there may be a lower spec computer that will work, but this is the factual state of things for me, and I do not have the means to test other combinations.

I do know that there are a lot of complaints from people using the Nvidea 560, but not sure why, since no one in the tech section has reported one working and how they fixed it.

If you are not having graphical issues perse, but just slow turn times and after the 60th city even going into the city screens takes major seconds, then the ramm would be the first thing to try. Having a lot of processing power, memory to spare, and decent graphics should provide a decent game for you though.

They have been swallowed by CFC and are currently residing in the nethersite.
Apolyton?:eek:

Now that's a scary fate.

For any economists out there,

For the global macroeconomy, does the world's balance of trade equal zero? Conventional logic seems to say "yes", but I was wondering if there's any hidden principles at play.

For any economists out there,

For the global macroeconomy, does the world's balance of trade equal zero? Conventional logic seems to say "yes", but I was wondering if there's any hidden principles at play.

Depends what you're measuring - trade is not a zero-sum game, so if you're measuring 'happiness points' (which is in my view the fundamental end of economics, although some people would disagree) the world as a whole is richer through trade. Essentially this comes about through what's called the Consumer Surplus - say you go to buy a pizza priced £10, you might want the pizza enough that it's worth £12 to you, but the shopkeeper might only have paid £5 for it and so it's only worth that much to him. Accordingly when you give him £10 for the pizza, you 'gain' £2 and he 'gains' £5.

Well, if you only look at purchase price for your number you figure it might add up to zero. Trade enables wealth creation in further steps though. Say you have a very small, very densely populated urban country. The dollar amount of the food imported may be zero sum inflow/outflow, but the commerce supported by the inhabitants of said country surpasses skews the overall end value. 1 + 1 can = 3 To be layman about it.

For any economists out there,

For the global macroeconomy, does the world's balance of trade equal zero? Conventional logic seems to say "yes", but I was wondering if there's any hidden principles at play.

If also look at marginal cost and opportunity costs, stuff like comparative advantage means that -1 + 1 != 0.

For any economists out there,

For the global macroeconomy, does the world's balance of trade equal zero? Conventional logic seems to say "yes", but I was wondering if there's any hidden principles at play.


The balance of trade is like any accounting ledger. The other guys are talking about the benefits of trade, not the balance. The balance is you spend one dollar on foreign goods, you get one dollar of foreign goods (excluding transportation costs). So yes, in the long run it all balances.

Psch. You and correct terminology.

What parts of the world still participate in the caste system? I know a part of India still does but that is about how far my knowledge goes.

Besides the medieval advantage the caste system had, are there any modern advantages or is it pretty much just detrimental to our society at this point?

"Advantage"? In what sense? :huh:

Well, it certainly advantages certain minorities at the top.

if you hate freedom, yes.

"Advantage"? In what sense? :huh:

I am not in the mood for having a discussion about this. If you feel that you have no answer for my question, do not answer it.

I am not in the mood for having a discussion about this. If you feel that you have no answer for my question, do not answer it.
How can you expect people to answer your question, if it is posed in obscure terms that you refuse to define? :confused:

I'm not intending to be critical, you understand, I'm genuinely unsure what you mean by "advantage" and "detriment". It seems to suggest some sort of corporatist conception of society, but that's too vague to actually suggest a framework for the sort of comparisons you seem to be after.

How can you expect people to answer your question, if it is posed in obscure terms that you refuse to define? :confused:

I'm not intending to be critical, you understand, I'm genuinely unsure what you mean by "advantage" and "detriment". It seems to suggest some sort of corporatist conception of society, but that's too vague to actually suggest a framework for the sort of comparisons you seem to be after.

The advantage of the early caste system is that there were not very many occupations back then, and the caste system ensured that people were experts in their field and are born to do it.

The detriment is that there are too many occupations now and many jobs are no longer dependent on expertise.

But as I do not know much about the caste system, I am unsure as to if there are any more advantages/detriments.

The advantage of the early caste system is that there were not very many occupations back then, and the caste system ensured that people were experts in their field and are born to do it.
Not really. Castes could be as broad as "peasant", "merchant" and "noble", it didn't necessarily imply narrow occupational delineations. And even if it did, it's not obvious that would make much difference, because a fairly stable of division labour was present in plenty of pre-modern societies that lacked a caste system. In Western Europe, for example, people professionalised because it was economically necessary, despite the fact that the fact that the closest thing they had to a caste system was the broad and relatively porous Estates. Whatever efficiency was lost by people jumping between professions was probably compensated for by the room it made for a very limited meritocracy. (Observe the merchant-turned-royal functionary Geoffrey Chaucer, who's writings would not likely have come down to us if a rigid caste system had confined him to his fathers occupation of vintnery.)

Am I the only one that has a fear of that I am actually compeletly insane but that I don't realise it. Kind of like a beautiful mind or fightclub?

Am I the only one that has a fear of that I am actually compeletly insane but that I don't realise it. Kind of like a beautiful mind or fightclub?

No, enough said.

Am I the only one that has a fear of that I am actually compeletly insane but that I don't realise it. Kind of like a beautiful mind or fightclub?

I am way ahead of you there, I acknowledge I am crazy.

So i recently read an article saying how Burma had elected the famous democratic activist Aung San Suu Kyi - what the hell has happened in the past few years which has led to this?!!!?!?!?!? And why>!

Well, I heard the talking heads on BBC News suggesting the increase in political freedoms are an attempt to end the sanctions against them, and to lessen the influence of China. I've also heard speculation it could be a ruse.

Why do people irrationally dislike - to the point of hatred - that which they do not understand?

Why not try to understand, without making derogatory assumptions and then acting on them without rational basis?

Am I the only one that has a fear of that I am actually compeletly insane but that I don't realise it. Kind of like a beautiful mind or fightclub?
Yeah, black people aren't really a thing. You can chillax now.

Are there, or have there been, any widespread memes that originated on CFC and flowed across the web?

I highly doubt it.

Why do people irrationally dislike - to the point of hatred - that which they do not understand?

Why not try to understand, without making derogatory assumptions and then acting on them without rational basis?

Because we are hairless apes. Why does our survival instinct trigger much faster when seeing a friendly dog then when seeing a car speeding towards us? Fear and paranoia are pretty good survivalist traits. They were passed down. It's an uphill struggle to civilize ourselves, at least in some ways.

Why do people irrationally dislike - to the point of hatred - that which they do not understand?

Why not try to understand, without making derogatory assumptions and then acting on them without rational basis?

They - we - don't want to admit that they are wrong.

If a woman asks a man out, is it wrong for the man to assume that the woman will plan the date? (Even if the man still pays for it.)

Yes. The opposite is also wrong. And also everything in between.

If a woman asks a man out, is it wrong for the man to assume that the woman will plan the date? (Even if the man still pays for it.)

just assume that you got it wrong by not asking first... then proceed as if you did ask her out...

What is the average height of a person?

Before you say "Google it", I want the number I'm looking for to encompass BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, ACROSS THE ENTIRE PLANET!

All Google does is give bullcrap separate numbers for each gender that are also separated by country. I want the grand total average of all of them.

Resistance is futile. :trouble:

So Google all the numbers, add them all up and divide by the number of results you received in the first place. Voila - you have the arithmetic mean height of all people in the world.

What happens if a ship on international water doesn't stop to help people on a sinking ship? Can they be prosecuted?

If a woman asks a man out, is it wrong for the man to assume that the woman will plan the date? (Even if the man still pays for it.)

If it involves a woman, the man is always wrong for some reason :p

Depends on the question - 'we ought to have dinner sometime' is best answered with 'I agree, The Ivy on Thursday, pick you up at seven?', but 'would you like to come to dinner with me at the Ivy?' is best answered with 'yes' and then accepting 'excellent, see you there at half seven on Thursday'. A woman asking a man out is probably less traditionally-minded and may well take offence if her gentleman assumes the lead in planning 'her' date.

Why not just make it a joint decision rather than a singular choice?

What happens if a ship on international water doesn't stop to help people on a sinking ship? Can they be prosecuted?
I suppose the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Tribunal_for_the_Law_of_the_Sea) can judge you. The English wiki article is not very informative but in the German it is mentioned that they can regulate between states, organizations and even individuals.

What happens if a ship on international water doesn't stop to help people on a sinking ship? Can they be prosecuted?

The California was "investigated" for not helping the Titanic as she sank, but I don't think anything came of it.

So Google all the numbers, add them all up and divide by the number of results you received in the first place. Voila - you have the arithmetic mean height of all people in the world.
No. :p

I am lazy. Someone other than me should do it. :p

Good luck. :)

You all know the girl of whom I often speak of in Random Raves. Tonight, she asked me via text to call her. It was a short, five minute conversation, but we really just wanted to hear the other's voice. Anyway, is it a good sign that she had to ask me to call her, or should I have been more forward?

No, that's fine, you shouldn't be more forward. I'm not joking BTW. You don't want to make it obvious you like her until you're ready to make your move. Let her pursue you - it's to your advantage.

Cool. Btw, she knows I like her, and I know she likes me. And it's not just like. It's pretty...developed.

Tell us when you talk for three hours straight :p

Anyway, best of luck in that department, and yeah, what shadowplay said.

Just do what we all know you want to and bend her over the kitchen sink.

excuse me, I'm not usually that crude

How do people overcome scars of being bullied and picked on?

How do people overcome scars of being bullied and picked on?

Hold head high, don't give a bugger, put aside the past, carry on and continue to be awesome.

How do people overcome scars of being bullied and picked on?

By becoming lawyers. :p

How do people overcome scars of being bullied and picked on?

By not focusing on them.

If a person is living alone in their own home, and that person dies of natural causes, what happens to the house, generally?

Wouldn't their will go into effect?

After the windows are opened and some really powerful fans are brought in, the heirs as specified in the will typically sell the house and share the profit.

EDIT: uh, I thought you meant if they actually died in the home and weren't found for a while. My bad.

If a person is living alone in their own home, and that person dies of natural causes, what happens to the house, generally?

Same thing that happens if they are living with someone else and they die of natural causes. If there is a will it is disposed of according to that, if there is no will your local jurisdictions laws on inheritance apply (in common law countries, generally meaning assets are distributed among deceadent's family, which may require a sale in order to split the value). If there are no heirs, then it generally goes to the state to dispose of however it wishes.

Of course this assumes that the estate can pay off its debts, or the house will need to be used to pay them off.

Same thing that happens if they are living with someone else and they die of natural causes. If there is a will it is disposed of according to that, if there is no will your local jurisdictions laws on inheritance apply (in common law countries, generally meaning assets are distributed among deceadent's family, which may require a sale in order to split the value). If there are no heirs, then it generally goes to the state to dispose of however it wishes.

Of course this assumes that the estate can pay off its debts, or the house will need to be used to pay them off.
What do you mean by "dispose of"? Demolish the house or something else?

Probably the wrong term to use, but I would expect in most cases it would be sold as the govenrment generally doesn't have a lot of use for some random houses.

If a person is living alone in their own home, and that person dies of natural causes, what happens to the house, generally?
Do they have a will?

Do they have a will?
My question included both cases of dying with a will and dying without a will.

As I said, if it is included in a valid will, exactly what the will says. If there are eligable heirs (i.e. family members) still alive it goes to them, you will have to look into your jurisdiction's laws to see how exactly property is distributed and who is eligable where you live. If there are no heirs it goes to the state.

How do people overcome scars of being bullied and picked on?

By learning how to stand up for yourself.

By learning how to stand up for yourself.

I cannot stress how much I agree with this. People will always mock you no matter what, even if you're a "cool guy". But bullying is something that is instantly stopped the moment you do these things:

1. Not care anymore.
2. Stand up for yourself. This doesn't mean insult them back, but if they push you, push back. They insult you, laugh and agree or tell them to f**k off.
3. Some people will stand up to that challenge/get even more pissed off, be sure you have some way of defending yourself, even if you have to be a "wuss" and carry a knife or pepper spray.

Anyone have any tips for grilling venison?

Anyone have any tips for grilling venison?

Grill it like any other meat.

Remember to remove the arrowhead before serving it.

Remember to remove the arrowhead before serving it.

But then how will you know who has to wash up?

even if you have to be a "wuss" and carry a knife or pepper spray

Carrying a knife isn't a good idea. It was always standard in riot training not to bring to bear one's weapon until absolutely neccessary - one of my instructors put it that 'once you've done that, you've got two choices, and they're both bad ones'. Leaving aside the legal issues (good luck convincing anyone that you weren't escalating the fight by doing so, or saying that any injury you inflict was proportionate), there's always the chance that your friendly neighbourhood thug looking for a punch-up will decide to pull his own knife and have much fewer qualms about using it than you.

Carrying a knife isn't a good idea. It was always standard in riot training not to bring to bear one's weapon until absolutely neccessary - one of my instructors put it that 'once you've done that, you've got two choices, and they're both bad ones'. Leaving aside the legal issues (good luck convincing anyone that you weren't escalating the fight by doing so, or saying that any injury you inflict was proportionate), there's always the chance that your friendly neighbourhood thug looking for a punch-up will decide to pull his own knife and have much fewer qualms about using it than you.

Perhaps, but most casual bullies will stand down if there is a legitimate threat.

If the person bullying you happens to be some buff thug that kills children in his spare time there's not much you can do.

A legitimate threat doesn't have to be a lethal weapon, you know.

Are humans a useless species because we are destroying our own planet and all life on it?
From that standpoint we are the worst,dumb and ridiculous species that ever existed.
We are destroying ecosystems,kill animals,pollute rivers,cap forests,cause global warming etcetera...
To simplify:We are destroying Earth and therefore also ourselves and all life around us.
Does the Earth need humans to survive?

Are humans a useless species because we are destroying our own planet and all life on it?
From that standpoint we are the worst,dumb and ridiculous species that ever existed.
We are destroying ecosystems,kill animals,pollute rivers,cap forests,cause global warming etcetera...
To simplify:We are destroying Earth and therefore also ourselves and all life around us.
Does the Earth need humans to survive?

Not sure if troll.

Humans may be destroying the planet (although it is highly disputable as to how much they are) but they also do a lot of good. We have cured diseases, we have saved species from extinction, people in richer countries live very happy, comfortable lifestyles.

In the grand scheme of things, we are no more useless than any other species on the planet. We'll all die out one day, whether we were born as a field mouse or a human being. I've never seen a field mouse cure a disease, so I'm not sure what you mean by a useless species.

And I honestly don't know what you mean about Earth needing humans to survive. Anatomically modern humans only appeared 200,000 years ago. For the 4 billion years that life has been on Earth, it's an absolutely tiny fraction. The Earth managed just fine without us then.

Other animal species have destroyed their own habitat without realizing it. You'd think humans would have more intelligence, but really we are animals just like many other species. We put our own personal survival above the needs of the environment just like animals.

And I disagree. We aren't destroying our planet. That's a BS liberal argument. Human species can survive warming of the planet. But that's not appropriate discussion for this thread, and needs it's own thread.

Speaking of self defense mentioned above. Is it legal to carry around a stun gun? Obviously the kid in school got suspended for that, so I'm not talking about schools, but public in general.

And what would be a good stun gun to buy for personal protection?

By learning how to stand up for yourself.

generic, meaningless response.

I believe much of it is dictated by genetics. You either have it in you, or you don't. You can't just grow a set of balls. It doesn't work like that.

The best advice is to accept your place in the world. I know I lack the physical power to kick other men's asses, and I accept my position at the bottom of the food chain. The good thing is I make good money, and I can buy everything I need... except love. You just have to make do without love.

In summary: The answer is to become filthy rich and then you can thumb your noses at those SOB's. Consequently, it's yet another reason I'm against distribution of wealth. Then the bullies would truly win.

And I disagree. We aren't destroying our planet. That's a BS liberal argument. Human species can survive warming of the planet. But that's not appropriate discussion for this thread, and needs it's own thread.

The planet is warming anyway, with or without human action. Nothing we can do will stop that. It annoys me greatly when people say that we are the sole cause of the Earth warming up; I doubt we've even had a noticeable impact.

By learning how to stand up for yourself.

generic, meaningless response.

I believe much of it is dictated by genetics. You either have it in you, or you don't. You can't just grow a set of balls. It doesn't work like that.

The best advice is to accept your place in the world. I know I lack the physical power to kick other men's asses, and I accept my position at the bottom of the food chain. The good thing is I make good money, and I can buy everything I need... except love. You just have to make do without love.

In summary: The answer is to become filthy rich and then you can thumb your noses at those SOB's. Consequently, it's yet another reason I'm against distribution of wealth. Then the bullies would truly win.

So in your own way , you have learnt to stand up for yourself

generic, meaningless response.

I believe much of it is dictated by genetics. You either have it in you, or you don't. You can't just grow a set of balls. It doesn't work like that.

The best advice is to accept your place in the world. I know I lack the physical power to kick other men's asses, and I accept my position at the bottom of the food chain. The good thing is I make good money, and I can buy everything I need... except love. You just have to make do without love.

In summary: The answer is to become filthy rich and then you can thumb your noses at those SOB's. Consequently, it's yet another reason I'm against distribution of wealth. Then the bullies would truly win.

Ehm, no. I used to be the fat kid that had no friends and everyone went out of their way to make my life a living hell, especially since my town was incredibly racist (didn't even matter that I was white, I was from Belgium, the horror!)

It took me until grade seven to stand up for myself and begin taking active actions to resist the life I had in the past. I am almost positive my genetics didn't program me to be a fat kid and then program me to suddenly make a choice against douchebags.

It's all you, baby.

Is it possible for a guy to get stretch marks from gaining weight?

Possible and common, particularly around the groin.

Any, preferably Polish, CFCers here who could tell me what is being said, roughly?

QCy68CWDKVE

Ehm, no. I used to be the fat kid that had no friends and everyone went out of their way to make my life a living hell, especially since my town was incredibly racist (didn't even matter that I was white, I was from Belgium, the horror!)

It took me until grade seven to stand up for myself and begin taking active actions to resist the life I had in the past. I am almost positive my genetics didn't program me to be a fat kid and then program me to suddenly make a choice against douchebags.

It's all you, baby.

I've always said that people who say 'it's all down to genetics/upbringing/who you know' tend to be the useless people who couldn't make it with the best start in the world.

Is the forum search broken?

When I click the link that says 'search this forum' nothing happens :confused:


Edit: if I right-click on the link and select 'Open' it works :crazyeye:

Is the forum search broken?

When I click the link that says 'search this forum' nothing happens
I have the same problem

How closely related must animals be to breed together and create offspring? Humans and dogs couldn't breed together successfully, but zebras and horses can. So can donkeys and zebra: a zedonk. I'm thinking that they must be within the same genus; am I correct?

As far as I know this is how genus is determined in the first place, at least in general. Apparently there are also species in one genus that are too far removed to procreate.

I think the problem here is that taxonomy isn't a completely objective field.