In general, I believe there are a few exceptions at family level.

Why is the vile government of China refusing to grant Tibet independence?
Or why does China thinks they are the legitimate ruler of Tibet?
Tibet was 2000 years independent of China and just 50 years not!
At one point Tibet almost conquered China!
It's all the fault of that Mao Zedong the Terrible who ruined Tibet's culture and killed innocent people.
Dead to Mao Zedong,long live His Holiness the Dalai lama!
Accept it China,or I hate your government!
The world hates China's government,even it's own people hate their government and there are people in the goverment who hate the government!
Conclusion "China has the worst goverment of the world."
Free Tibet!
Bod Gyal lo!

Accept it China,or I hate your government!

And here we have a classic demonstration of the use of bargaining power...

Why is the vile government of China refusing to grant Tibet independence?
Or why does China thinks they are the legitimate ruler of Tibet?
Tibet was 2000 years independent of China and just 50 years not!
At one point Tibet almost conquered China!
It's all the fault of that Mao Zedong the Terrible who ruined Tibet's culture and killed innocent people.
Dead to Mao Zedong,long live His Holiness the Dalai lama!
Accept it China,or I hate your government!
The world hates China's government,even it's own people hate their government and there are people in the goverment who hate the government!
Conclusion "China has the worst goverment of the world."
Free Tibet!
Bod Gyal lo!
That is not a question.

Why is the vile government of China refusing to grant Tibet independence?
Or why does China thinks they are the legitimate ruler of Tibet?

This are questions.

Why is the vile government of Belgium refusing to grant Flanders independence?
Or why does Belgium think they are the legitimate ruler of Flanders?

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!)


Uh, I'm not going to Canada any time soon...

Why is the vile government of China refusing to grant Tibet independence?
Geopolitics, mineral resources, unwillingness to set a precedent for other majority non-Han regions.

Or why does China thinks they are the legitimate ruler of Tibet?
They believe themselves to have inherited the legitimate claim from the (pre-civil war) Republic of China, who themselves claimed to have inherited it from the Chinese Empire, who won it in a poker game gained control over the region during the Qing dynasty period.

Uh, I'm not going to Canada any time soon...

Uh, there were 3 unrelated kids with the last name 'Wong' in my elementary school class of 25 kids in the city, I think you'll be okay.

Why is the vile government of Belgium refusing to grant Flanders independence?
Or why does Belgium think they are the legitimate ruler of Flanders?
I don't know,the Flemish and the Walloons are "enemies" and do no want to work together.
We even had a record for longest-time for not having a government (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2%80%932011_Belgian_government_formation).
Personally,I am a supporter of a Republic of Flanders.
Because the Walloons benefit of our richness and we need to learn French,but do they need to learn Dutch?
That's a good question,actually!

Uh, I'm not going to Canada any time soon...

There are only minor pockets of racist communities around here, don't worry :lol:

As long as you stay away from Grey County in Ontario you should be alright. The only foreign people I've seen stay here for more than a year are the convenience store owners, and that's only because nobody else is willing to run one.

Though I will say that as the place has become more urban than 10 years ago, there is much less racism. City folk are starting to fill the streets and they're used to see foreigners everywhere.

As long as you stay away from Grey County in Ontario you should be alright.
Really? I lived in Walkerton and Hanover and there was never that much of a problem. I was friends with a black guy in high school (the black guy in the school) and he never had a problem (in fact his biggest issue were people pretending it was a problem, and he told off a few teachers for that) and known a number of other minority people none of whom ever had a problem.

I would expect being a "fat kid with no friends" would bring on a lot more negative attention than being foreign.

Really? I lived in Walkerton and Hanover and there was never that much of a problem. I was friends with a black guy in high school (the black guy in the school) and he never had a problem (in fact his biggest issue were people pretending it was a problem, and he told off a few teachers for that) and known a number of other minority people none of whom ever had a problem.

I would expect being a "fat kid with no friends" would bring on a lot more negative attention than being foreign.

Probably. I don't have much experience in Hanover and Walkerton, only going to Hanover every couple times a month for a tech lab in the 7th/8th grade. I suppose I should have been more specific and stated Markdale, Flesherton, Dundalk but I never expected someone would have lived in Grey County from here :lol:

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.

Well, that would have been a suitable piece of advice if it was given way back at the time I was bullied harshly years ago. But I am referring to now a days on how to heal the scars that remains after the events have long passed. Not sure how it would apply now, even after a decade or two has passed.

Well, that would have been a suitable piece of advice if it was given way back at the time I was bullied harshly years ago. But I am referring to now a days on how to heal the scars that remains after the events have long passed. Not sure how it would apply now, even after a decade or two has passed.

Mental scars like that are healed through your own way. Get out in the world, force yourself into social situations, etc. It's different for every person. Some people don't ever heal. The stronger you are mentally, the easier it will be I guess (or harder, depending on the circumstances).

Why is the vile government of Belgium refusing to grant Flanders independence?
Or why does Belgium think they are the legitimate ruler of Flanders?

This does imply that most Flemish people want Flemish independence. I do not, as an example.

Just give back Artois and Picardie back to the French and return to the old name of Flanders. King Albert can even return to being a Count-regnant if he likes. :D

This does imply that most Flemish people want Flemish independence. I do not, as an example.

So you want to be part of The Netherlands. understandable ;)

Just give back Artois and Picardie back to the French and return to the old name of Flanders. King Albert can even return to being a Count-regnant if he likes. :D
Artois and Picardie already belong to France.

Do they? I had a suspicion that you'd pick me up on that.

Yeah, Louis XIV conquered them way back in the day and France has had them ever since.

Silly frogs. Always buggering up history. :D

Cmon Arakhor I thought you played Paradox Games. :p

Walloonia is like, Hainuit, Liege, and stuff.
Flanders is like Vlaaderen, Ghent, Antwerpen.

I do, but the latest one is EU III. I even know most of the German states by their German provinces from playing EU III so much. :)

How did 'bohemian' come to mean unconventional?

It was once mistakenly believed that Gypsies originated in Bohemia. Bohemian was used to describe those with gypsy-like habits in the 1848 novel Vanity Fair, and caught on after that.

Does anyone know of any good revision techniques? The exam season has started and I want to try and do some different things to see if things will stick in my head. I'm getting a bit bored of the usual taking notes, drawing diagrams approach. Sometimes I like to do my revision off the computer by finding images and annotating them or writing documents in Word with tables and pictures. I was wondering if CFC users would have any of their own techniques.

Find as many exam papers / problem sets as you can and complete them.
After you done one mark it and then you can see which bits you do not completely understand and you can focus revison on that area. Typically (i don't know what kind of course your doing) there is some sort of computational questions which always crop up and if you do enough of them they always sink in and that is guaranteed marks. With essay questions it's a different matter, there is more thinking on your feet and the best way you can prepare for that is knowing your entire cirriculum:P

Unfortunately I've done most of the past papers available. :lol: I like to do them alongside note taking.

Well you seem quite prepared. As a top-up I recommend writing a summary of a lecture or a topic written as detailed as possible wholly from memory.

@salty mud, have you tried discussing the curriculum with a classmate, max 2 classmates?
Concept is really straightforward. Sit down somewhere you can easily talk without being disturbed and agree to talk about a subject for a minimal amount of time.
In my experience this technique can be applied for all subjects but that it works best for the less beta subjects. With this you can discuss your insights, views, your extra curriculum knowledge on the subject etc. This way all participants leave with a more complete knowledge about the curriculum.

also from experience; this technique is very fun to do with a cute girl (especially if you meet in the room of one of you :groucho:)

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.

It was in you from the start, you just didn't know it.

also from experience; this technique is very fun to do with a cute girl

Not for me. I doubt I would get much learning done.

It was in you from the start, you just didn't know it.

Hahahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahah ahahaha.

Is it so hard to believe humans are made differently from one another? Sure, you were able to rise above your situation and assert yourself, but not everyone is made like that. If people can assert themselves, they almost certainly will (for who likes to be bullied?), just like you did. Unfortunately, that's not always an option. Some people get so nervous they can't assert themselves, and some feel faint at the idea of even talking to people. How can they escape bullying if their life is so? All humans are born with different capacities; some just can't do what we would do, no matter their mental and moral conviction.

Is it so hard to believe humans are made differently from one another? Sure, you were able to rise above your situation and assert yourself, but not everyone is made like that. If people can assert themselves, they almost certainly will (for who likes to be bullied?), just like you did. Unfortunately, that's not always an option. Some people get so nervous they can't assert themselves, and some feel faint at the idea of even talking to people. How can they escape bullying if their life is so? All humans are born with different capacities; some just can't do what we would do, no matter their mental and moral conviction.

That's the point of growing up. If everyone stayed how they were as they began, pretty much everybody would be a blundering fool that hides behind the nearest object when spoken to by a stranger.

There's this little concept called maturing. This can apply to both your physical form and your mental state.

Consequently, it's yet another reason I'm against distribution of wealth.
You want everyone to become self-sufficient peasants?

That's the point of growing up. If everyone stayed how they were as they began, pretty much everybody would be a blundering fool that hides behind the nearest object when spoken to by a stranger.

There's this little concept called maturing. This can apply to both your physical form and your mental state.

What if someone can't mature like the rest of us? And even if they can mature, what if that doesn't matter when it comes to their problems?

What if someone can't mature like the rest of us? And even if they can mature, what if that doesn't matter when it comes to their problems?

If they can't, there is no point in asking how they can.

If they can't, there is no point in asking how they can.

So if some people can't mature properly, and yet you can, how is Disgustapated's proposition so laughable? How is your ability to matue not something within you?

So if some people can't mature properly, and yet you can, how is Disgustapated's proposition so laughable? How is your ability to matue not something within you?

The only way you can't mature is if you think you can't.

As I said, it's all on you. Unless you are entirely mentally crippled, maturation is an ongoing process throughout your whole life. Social anxiety can be overcome.

The assumption that you can't change is why you can't change.

Is the assumption that I can't fly why I can't fly?

@ Synsensa

That's assuming everyone is the same. Why can't we have differentiations in humanity?

And isn't thinking you can't mature, whether an assumption or no, a mental problem in itself if you really can? You obviously didn't adhere to that assumption, at least not at the end. However, why can't someone have it in them to not be able to believe they can't mature, and subsequently, don't? That's assuming, of course, that one can only mature if they think they can, an assumption I don't hold.

If you keep on asserting that everyone is the same I'll end this discussion because it's pointless.

If you legally own copies of each song, is it legal to burn your own compilation disc for yourself?

Yes, as long as you don't make any money from it (there's also the good old law of Nobody Will Know in play)

Is the assumption that I can't fly why I can't fly?

A physical capability is not relevant to a mental capability.

@ Synsensa

That's assuming everyone is the same. Why can't we have differentiations in humanity?

And isn't thinking you can't mature, whether an assumption or no, a mental problem in itself if you really can? You obviously didn't adhere to that assumption, at least not at the end. However, why can't someone have it in them to not be able to believe they can't mature, and subsequently, don't? That's assuming, of course, that one can only mature if they think they can, an assumption I don't hold.

If you keep on asserting that everyone is the same I'll end this discussion because it's pointless.

Everyone is different, but a lot of problems people are faced with mentally can be solved with self determination. I do not expect everyone to succeed in it, nor do I expect anyone to instantly switch from bullied to CEO. I do not like, however, seeing people imply that they are stuck in a bullied position or are incapable of changing their social issues. I didn't go from "hide behind mom's leg and get pushed around" to "not caring and simply resisting any attempts at bullying" because my genetics told me so. I made the change through three years of changing myself slowly because I actively tried to.

A lot of people think there is some specific instruction set to getting out of this rut, but it is entirely dependent on the amount of effort you are willing to put behind it.

The only people exempt from that are ones that are forced to be that way due to a mental disorder/syndrome.

I feel that I am really not explaining this well enough/making myself seem ignorant, but ah well.

How exactly do pirates in speedboats manage to board more massive ships that can travel at decent speeds? It seems all the latter needs to do is not stop, leaving the pirates empty-handed.

A physical capability is not relevant to a mental capability.



Everyone is different, but a lot of problems people are faced with mentally can be solved with self determination. I do not expect everyone to succeed in it, nor do I expect anyone to instantly switch from bullied to CEO. I do not like, however, seeing people imply that they are stuck in a bullied position or are incapable of changing their social issues. I didn't go from "hide behind mom's leg and get pushed around" to "not caring and simply resisting any attempts at bullying" because my genetics told me so. I made the change through three years of changing myself slowly because I actively tried to.

A lot of people think there is some specific instruction set to getting out of this rut, but it is entirely dependent on the amount of effort you are willing to put behind it.

The only people exempt from that are ones that are forced to be that way due to a mental disorder/syndrome.

I feel that I am really not explaining this well enough/making myself seem ignorant, but ah well.

For what it's worth I do agree with you

How exactly do pirates in speedboats manage to board more massive ships that can travel at decent speeds? It seems all the latter needs to do is not stop, leaving the pirates empty-handed.

I think tiny speedboats tend to be faster than giant container ships and ilk.

Not sure though.

I think tiny speedboats tend to be faster than giant container ships and ilk.

Not sure though.


Cruising speed of large commercial ships is probably rarely more than 20 knots. 25 would be high speeds for such ships.

If you legally own copies of each song, is it legal to burn your own compilation disc for yourself?

Yup. You own it. In as many ways as you like, subject to non commercial usage, with the inexplicable exception of usage on oil rigs. International ip law does not really except "non transferable" or "limited instillation" or such jazz in meaningful ways.

Cruising speed of large commercial ships is probably rarely more than 20 knots. 25 would be high speeds for such ships.

Can they board at such speeds? Also, the ship has more fuel.

Can they board at such speeds? Also, the ship has more fuel.

They manage it somehow. :p

Can they board at such speeds? Also, the ship has more fuel.
The speedboats aren't going to be chasing them all the way to Suez. Fuel doesn't really matter much.

They manage it somehow. :p

Not enough detail.

Not enough detail.

:dunno: You shoot enough guns, they may be frightened into stopping. You throw a rope over the rail, you may be able to climb up. It's dangerous, but it has happened enough times that they must have worked out something that works. If ships could just ignore them and keep going, they would. Ships have pretty thin hulls, an RPG can put a hole in it.

Yeah, if I am riding what is essentially a giant bomb and some guys with machine guns and RPGs show up I would be tempted to stop. From what I have read, the vast majority of crews are ransomed by the ship's owners and get away alive and I would bet that every captain knows that.

Ships have pretty thin hulls, an RPG can put a hole in it.
There we go. I wonder if anyone has called the pirate's bluff though.

Yeah, if I am riding what is essentially a giant bomb and some guys with machine guns and RPGs show up I would be tempted to stop. From what I have read, the vast majority of crews are ransomed by the ship's owners and get away alive and I would bet that every captain knows that.

Not every commercial ship is an oil tanker.

There we go. I wonder if anyone has called the pirate's bluff though.



That won't sink the ship though. But it might frighten the crew enough to give up.

Just wondering what exactly "fangirling" means. And if its supposed to be a good or bad thing. I know what a fangirl is. But what is fangirling.

Verbification?

Just wondering what exactly "fangirling" means. And if its supposed to be a good or bad thing. I know what a fangirl is. But what is fangirling.

Doing stuff a fangirl does I assume. So as an avowed Aimee fan, if I get very excited to see you posting here again, I am fanboying.

Verbification?

Verbing weirds language.

Doing stuff a fangirl does I assume. So as an avowed Aimee fan, if I get very excited to see you posting here again, I am fanboying.

Does this mean you were excited to see me posting here. I've been around. Just quiet. I've been working on some stuff.

Does this mean you were excited to see me posting here. I've been around. Just quiet. I've been working on some stuff.

Absolutely :)

A physical capability is not relevant to a mental capability.

I do agree with some of what you are saying. You are correct in stating that your results will be the result of the amount of effort you put into it.

But as for that quote, mental capability does have its limitations. I can't just will myself to be as smart as Einstein or Hawking. I can't come up with the Theory of Everything no matter how hard I try.

I do believe some people are mentally stronger than others. It's why we have people at the bottom collecting welfare unable to work. Or collecting disability because they are too fat to work. Although by your idea, maybe if we forced them to improve themselves, they would. Which would require eliminated disability, unemployment, and welfare. But there are some people who still would be unable to improve themselves. And they end up homeless.

Homeless people are proof some people are unable to improve themselves mentally even if they are forced to by their circumstances.

Not everyone is born with the same mental capabilities. We aren't even born with the same size brain. And some people's brains never mature due to abuse at home, malnutrition, or other things.

And finally, I just want to state that it is a physical problem because bullies are physically stronger than me. No matter how hard I try, I cannot kick their ass. But I was lucky to not be bullied too much outside of elementary school. Although I was bullied by the preppie kids mentally in junior high school because I was poor compared to them.

But as for that quote, mental capability does have its limitations. I can't just will myself to be as smart as Einstein or Hawking. I can't come up with the Theory of Everything no matter how hard I try.

While this would be usually a good point to bring up, intelligence is also not relevant to mental strength. Some of the strongest people in the mind are dumb as a bat, and vice versa.

I do believe some people are mentally stronger than others. It's why we have people at the bottom collecting welfare unable to work. Or collecting disability because they are too fat to work. Although by your idea, maybe if we forced them to improve themselves, they would. Which would require eliminated disability, unemployment, and welfare. But there are some people who still would be unable to improve themselves. And they end up homeless.

I thought you had something good going on in the first sentence until you brought up the second and third sentence. A lot of people are on welfare due to poor circumstances and bad luck. There are the bottom feeders, but they are like that due to upbringing, not because they're somehow mentally weak.

Forced assistance from an early age would be incredibly beneficial to most folks. There will be, of course, the ones that stand out as rotten apples but you will always have those on every tree.

Unfortunately for us, welfare is not really a good way to get back on your feet. There are some programs here in Canada that have re-education courses and work seeking consultants but even those are rather poor at helping people. You can improve yourself mentally all you want, it doesn't change the situation you're in. You losing your job or falling into a bad rut is not caused by your mental capability.

Homeless people are proof some people are unable to improve themselves mentally even if they are forced to by their circumstances.

See above.

Not everyone is born with the same mental capabilities. We aren't even born with the same size brain. And some people's brains never mature due to abuse at home, malnutrition, or other things.

There are outside factors that disallow you to mature properly or in a correct manner. That is not your fault and it shouldn't be happening anyways but alas the world is not perfect. As a victim of malnutrition and abuse, I am perfectly aware of the mental ramifications.

And finally, I just want to state that it is a physical problem because bullies are physically stronger than me. No matter how hard I try, I cannot kick their ass. But I was lucky to not be bullied too much outside of elementary school. Although I was bullied by the preppie kids mentally in junior high school because I was poor compared to them.

I suppose your problem is that you feel you need to be better than them for the problem to go away. If your body type doesn't allow you to become strong enough to physically fight back, simply not caring about what they say or agreeing with them will most of the time get them to "stfu" so to speak.

Before I began working out, I halved my bullying problem by agreeing with every insult they threw at me. For example, this one particular bully would always be quick to tell me that I am a "fat, useless Belgian that will go nowhere in Canada", though he said it in a more vulgar manner. My response was to simply say, "Yeah, I agree."

It angered them enough to stop doing it. The first couple months they'd get mildly pissed and punch me in the face, but you get used to that. Then they snap and simply never speak to you again, not even to insult you. A few fists to the face seem worth it if the person in question will forever leave you alone, but I guess that's my opinion.

It's risky, but anything in pre-adulthood is :lol:

How do you pronounce "trope" (as in TV Tropes). Is it pronounced the way it looks.

It is, yeah.

Thanks

When asking a girl out, should one take the 'casual' approach ("Why don't you come with me for some drinks on Saturday night?") or the more 'serious' approach ("I feel we've grown quite close and I would like to further our relationship...")? I'm thinking the former.

Which leads me to a further question - could a girl genuinely believe they are being asked out purely on a friendship basis if the casual approach is taken?

The first sounds like asking somebody out for a date. The second sounds like a proposal. Go with the first.

Second question, yes - some could. Some things should help remind a girl that you are romantically interested while keeping it fun. 1st, obviously, don't bring along anyone else. Make it the two of you. 2nd, if it's dinner/drinks, make it one step fancier than usual. If you have a usual spot you go with friends(and her), go someplace else. 3rd, pay for her. If you pay for her and she later claims she didn't know what was going on she's either oblivious or using ya.

Did I mention keep it fun? Dating should be fun. When it's going well, it is.

Not that I am a guru, I was pretty bad at dating, but the above seemed to work for me when I did it.

Well I've never been out with her before, it's more of a get to know each other better type of thing. So maybe the first option is even more applicable.

Pay for her? I guess that puts unemployed people at a disadvantage, especially if they have no money coming in.

Pay for her? I guess that puts unemployed people at a disadvantage, especially if they have no money coming in.

I was under the impression that this was the normal thing to do?

When asking a girl out, should one take the 'casual' approach ("Why don't you come with me for some drinks on Saturday night?") or the more 'serious' approach ("I feel we've grown quite close and I would like to further our relationship...")? I'm thinking the former.

Yes, DEFINITELY not the latter, unless you want her to vomit on your shoes.

Which leads me to a further question - could a girl genuinely believe they are being asked out purely on a friendship basis if the casual approach is taken?

No. She knows what it means. The "thinking it was as friends" thing is what she'll fall back on afterwards if she decides she doesn't like you.

Pay for her? I guess that puts unemployed people at a disadvantage, especially if they have no money coming in.

Disadvantage? Yes. Insurmountable? No. If you are short on cash you have to be more creative. Which, unfortunately, means you have to know what she likes and what she will find lame. Part of the fun of dating I suppose.

Go fly kites in a public park? One of the most enjoyable dates I ever had. Had friends with kites, was free. :) You could cook for both of you, if it's too early to invite her over go for a picnic? Does your city throw any fee/inexpensive concerts or theatre? Any local Universities that would do so?

What sort of socks are appropriate to wear with Converse? Just your basic, original design. Short socks? Tall socks? Invisible socks?

You wouldn't want to ask me, I only wear tall socks. Superior comfort and warmth ftw.

What sort of socks are appropriate to wear with Converse? Just your basic, original design. Short socks? Tall socks? Invisible socks?

Ankle socks would look best, especially if you're not wearing long pants.

Yeah, I've been wearing shorts with normal socks pulled up as high as they go with my Converse the past few weeks, and have only just been informed today that it doesn't look good unless you play basketball. Which I don't.

Simple answer: don't wear Chucks. It ain't the 90s anymore.

Scrap trainers. I wear proper shoes now.

Simple answer: don't wear Chucks. It ain't the 90s anymore.
People have been wearing Chucks since the '50s.

Scrap trainers. I wear proper shoes now.
But it's too hot for Docs in the summer. :(

That is a good point, if possible and if you can pull it off a switch to flip flops. Not sandals.
:D

I have to clean my oven as part of my tenancy agreement. It hasn't been cleaned for almost 1 year. It is filthy. I've got two options and two questions.

How do I clean a filthy, filthy oven?

How much is a professional oven cleaner (:lol:)?

Have you tried Mr Muscle or the equivalent?

I think you'll need something more powerful, like Sodium Hydroxide.

Simple answer: don't wear Chucks. It ain't the 90s anymore.



http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs24/f/2007/361/9/4/_slap__revamp_by_CookiemagiK.gif At least they aren't the trendy sheeple shoes that masquerade as sneakers these days.

Wait, so what are they then?

Wait, so what are they then?



http://jeremyfreese.blogspot.com/chucks_futon.jpg

http://jeremyfreese.blogspot.com/chucks_futon.jpg
He was saying that yes, Chucks are trendy sheeple shoes that masquerade as sneakers, and he's confused that you think that they're not. Or at least they used to be. Now they're outdated sheeple shoes that blah blah blah.

Bottles of oven cleaner aren't too spendy, should be less than 10 bucks. It's evil evil stuff, make sure you have good ventilation and rubber gloves. Don't hurt yourself. Lots of scrubbing ahead. Not fun.

Are sex lovers (people who enjoy sex) persecuted? Are sex (again, people who enjoy sex) lovers oppressed?

What kind of sex are we talking here? As a general rule, people are expected to enjoy sex.

What kind of sex are we talking here? As a general rule, people are expected to enjoy sex.

Sex with minors, animals, against one's will, etc.

EDIT: I mean to say sex in general, not the nasty stuff.

uhhh why would it be?

uhhh why would it be?
Don't some religious texts claim sex is evil or sinning or something?

People are almost universally expected to enjoy sexual activity with consenting adults of the opposite sex, and in fact may undergo varying degrees of persecution or oppression for deviating from this standard depending on the society in question.

Don't some religious texts claim sex is evil or sinning or something?
Not to my awareness. Maintaining a religion based on such texts would be difficult, since religion is typically spread primarily from parents to children. (See: The Shakers) A few theologians have claimed that when sex happens you really oughtn't enjoy it, but their ideas have never been popular enough for any society to enforce them for some reason.

Don't some religious texts claim sex is evil or sinning or something?

religion and law have no direct correlation. i though this was obvious.

Are sex lovers (people who enjoy sex) persecuted? Are sex (again, people who enjoy sex) lovers oppressed?

I feel oppressed by the history of hot chicks unwilling to engage is such activity with me, so yes.

People are almost universally expected to enjoy sexual activity with consenting adults of the opposite sex, and in fact may undergo varying degrees of persecution or oppression for deviating from this standard depending on the society in question.


Not to my awareness. Maintaining a religion based on such texts would be difficult, since religion is typically spread primarily from parents to children. (See: The Shakers) A few theologians have claimed that when sex happens you really oughtn't enjoy it, but their ideas have never been popular enough for any society to enforce them for some reason.

religion and law have no direct correlation. i though this was obvious.
Ah, makes sense then. Thanks. :)

I feel oppressed by the history of hot chicks unwilling to engage is such activity with me, so yes.
:lmao:

I see your point. Again, thanks. :)

What the hell are Chucks?

Converse all-stars (shoes).

And they are very nice.

<--trendy.

What the hell are Chucks?
Dude, when I lived in Missouri, I knew what Chucks were, and I was in freakin Fort Leonard Wood, on the edge of the Ozarks. You got no excuse.

To be fair, pretty much nobody calls them that in some places. "Converses" is a lot more popular here.

Converses? Good God no man, Converse is the singular and plural.

I've never heard them called chucks before. Converse is more popular terminology.

Converses? Good God no man, Converse is the singular and plural.

You may be correct, but ParadigmShifter's math thread taught me never to trust an Englishman on matters of pluralization.

Yall do know their full name is 'Chuck Taylor All-Stars' right? Hence, Chucks.

Converse.

They are a shoe manufacturer. They make more than Chucks.

I've never heard them called chucks before.

Chucks: About 14,300,000 results (0.24 seconds)

Converse: About 206,000,000 results (0.19 seconds)

To be fair, "converse" probably gets a lot more use in non-shoe related contexts.

To be fair, "converse" probably gets a lot more use in non-shoe related contexts.

Again.

They are a shoe manufacturer. They make more than Chucks.

Image search.

Converse: About 74,600,000 results (0.19 seconds)

http://cdn.babble.com/famecrawler/files/2011/06/converse2.jpg

Chucks: About 15,200,000 results (0.21 seconds)

http://images.askmen.com/fashion/apparel/converse-chuck-taylor-all-stars_1.jpg

Images are all but identical in both cases.

What would happen if the Queen, through completely natural means, just randomly died during her jubilee? Has she still been jubileed?

What would happen if the Queen, through completely natural means, just randomly died during her jubilee? Has she still been jubileed?

Sure. There was a party, she went to it. Having her walk away is not part of the requirement.

Does anyone else think Mick Jagger kinda looks like Luke Skywalker?

Maybe if you microwaved him.

Image search.

Converse: About 74,600,000 results (0.19 seconds)

http://cdn.babble.com/famecrawler/files/2011/06/converse2.jpg

Chucks: About 15,200,000 results (0.21 seconds)

http://images.askmen.com/fashion/apparel/converse-chuck-taylor-all-stars_1.jpg

Images are all but identical in both cases.

I love how Google has become the supreme arbiter for CFC debates.

Try all debates. The heated drunken argument between friends is a thing of the past. There is always someone with a smartphone just dying to "Google it"

My friends and I refuse to purchase and pay for smart phone plans partially because of this. We don't really like the notion of crowd sourcing that much of our thought processes. Plus, the world is more fun when it has some mystery and delayed satisfaction going on. Mostly it's the money though. It can't be that we don't want to be that accessible to our wives when we actually manage to go golfing. No, it can't be that at all. :D

Am I the only one to use Simple English Wikipedia on a regular basis for complicated topics? Does this mean Im stupid?

No and no :)

My friends and I refuse to purchase and pay for smart phone plans partially because of this. We don't really like the notion of crowd sourcing that much of our thought processes. Plus, the world is more fun when it has some mystery and delayed satisfaction going on. Mostly it's the money though. It can't be that we don't want to be that accessible to our wives when we actually manage to go golfing. No, it can't be that at all. :D

I pay $35 for my 300 minutes, unlimited text and data(sorta) smartphone plan from Virgin Mobile.

I clear unlimited calling and home internet for $65 for both myself and my wife. Just not that interested in carrying a cell phone. We had a cell-phone-only house for about 4 years. <shrugs> I guess it also just doesn't provide additional value to me. I appreciate the tip, though, should we someday re-evaluate! :)

Part of it is probably also the fact that I want everyone who has ever been in an accident while driving and talking on the phone locked up like we do to drunk drivers.

With a prepaid dumbphone I get 1000 minutes for $100 and it takes me about 8 months to go through them. That's a cheaper alternative for someone who doesn't use the cellphone a lot.

My elderly mother has recently been asking for a cell phone. What's the most basic, dumbest cell phone still being sold? Ideally I want something for her without text messages and all those stupid sub-menus she'll never use and become horribly confused by. Something extremely basic.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7189/6945596561_fd48d3f215_z.jpg

Basic and indestructible. Perfect. Should the need arise, it could serve as a replacement hip.

You know, my first cell phone was like that, and it was superior to the 2 crappy ones I've had since then - do they still make them or am I going to have to search around for a used one?

Will this do? (http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Nokia-3310-Unlocked-Cellular-Phone--/99988145?_refkw=nokia+3310&_pcatid=801&_pcategid=9355&_dmpt=Cell_Phones)

I'm thinking something along those lines... I guess it doesn't get anymore basic without reverting to those brick-sized cells from Saved by the Bell. :lol:

How about this?

http://www.snyder7hills.org/units/ss/ch3/images/phone%20old%20cell.jpg

I'll keep it in mind if she ever needs to call in an airstrike. :p

"Nothing is forever."

Does that include the current march of progress towards greater social equality, freedom, scientific advancement, etc?

A lot of people, even here, seem to presume that the march of progress is forever. Am I right?

"Nothing is forever."

Does that include the current march of progress towards greater social equality, freedom, scientific advancement, etc?

A lot of people, even here, seem to presume that the march of progress is forever. Am I right?

No, just endless. meaning that if it ever stopped so would the economy.

"Nothing is forever."

Does that include the current march of progress towards greater social equality, freedom, scientific advancement, etc?

A lot of people, even here, seem to presume that the march of progress is forever. Am I right?
Would you find it more or less comforting if I pointed out that the "march of progress" is a self-congratulatory fiction, and so not something that we're actually in a position to lose?

Is there a way to block someone from texting you?

Is there a way to block someone from texting you?

I think so. I know this one guy who got mad at me because I texted him in Advisory/Homeroom. He claimed to block my number but it turns out he just ignored my texts.

I'd talk to your provider, they could tell you for sure.

Is there a way to block someone from texting you?

Oh c'mon.......you'd unblock them in 48 hours anyway out of sheer curiosity.

Never mind, I just figured it out with a little google exploration. thanks anyway, guys.

Can you damage yourself if you swallow whole a tablet (quarter-sized about) meant to be chewed up.

It sounds like you have just done it. If you are not experiencing any pain, then no. It will only be digested once reaching your stomach anyway.

It might be less efficient or effective as it will be absorbed more slowly and potentially not entirely absorbed entirely. But I don't see any actually problems arising.

Aside from any issues of just swallowing something really big and choking.

Sometimes, I see references to death panels allegedly being in operation here in the US. What exactly are they, allegedly? And what is the truth compared to the allegations?

Sometimes, I see references to death panels allegedly being in operation here in the US. What exactly are they, allegedly? And what is the truth compared to the allegations?


The Death Panel argument is that any government involvement with health care will inevitably have these panels of government bureaucrats who decide who lives and who dies based on the costs of medical treatments for them.

The reality: Private insurance companies already do that to the extent that the law allows them to. Which is more than you would think. Whereas the government's health care, which is around half the total, and most of the elderly care, is more of a spend whatever it takes and not worry about the costs.

So more government death panels and less private sector would actually mean a decrease in preventable deaths.

Hear hear Cutlass! Nicely put.

I have a question. I was recently watching an old TV show, and the time period was around 1905. In it, there was a German talking about the Fatherland taking the Netherlands into her empire.

What gets me is the Fatherland and her empire. Is that truly the proper way to say it? Was this a mistake on the TV show's part? Or is it just something that just doesn't translate well.

Countries are grammatically feminine in a lot of languages, and this is occasionally transferred to English when people want to sound pretensious.

In British English, it's reasonably common - 'Britain and her Colonies', for example.

I have a question. I was recently watching an old TV show, and the time period was around 1905. In it, there was a German talking about the Fatherland taking the Netherlands into her empire.

What gets me is the Fatherland and her empire. Is that truly the proper way to say it? Was this a mistake on the TV show's part? Or is it just something that just doesn't translate well.

Germany is sometimes solely known as the "fatherland", much as Russia is known as the "motherland".

The point is the discrepancy between fatherland and her empire - it's a bit odd, but 'Fatherland and his empire' would have been totally wrong.

The point is the discrepancy between fatherland and her empire - it's a bit odd, but 'Fatherland and his empire' would have been totally wrong.

Would the answer be that "Fatherland" is "land of fathers" while the land remains feminine, or is the direct translation that the land itself is the "father?"

It sounds like you have just done it. If you are not experiencing any pain, then no. It will only be digested once reaching your stomach anyway.

It might be less efficient or effective as it will be absorbed more slowly and potentially not entirely absorbed entirely. But I don't see any actually problems arising.

Aside from any issues of just swallowing something really big and choking.

It hurt for a while but then it went away so I assumed it passed through.

I'm so used to swallowing medications whole that I forgot that a chewy tablet didnt work that way

The German word for fatherland is neuter by the way.

I know that in Latin father land is Patria, which is really just a feminine adjective describing something as belonging to one's paternal ancestors. It is usually implied that the feminine thing it describes is terra, meaning the land, but the adjective could be used for other things.

Using a feminine pronoun for fatherland seems right to me.

The German word for fatherland is neuter by the way.

For somebody with no understanding of German does fatherland just translate poorly from its native form?

"Father-land" in English could either the "land of fathers" in which case "land" would probably default to it's default feminine pronoun, or would it be "land that fathered" in which case the default pronoun becomes awkward(accepting that the English male pronoun can be neuter, "father" would still be odd), or none of the above? :)

I know that in Latin father land is Patria, which is really just a feminine adjective describing something as belonging to one's paternal ancestors. It is usually implied that the feminine thing it describes is terra, meaning the land, but the adjective could be used for other things.

Using a feminine pronoun for fatherland seems right to me.

Ah, interesting - similar to the Taffs with their 'land of my fathers'.

For somebody with no understanding of German does fatherland just translate poorly from its native form?

"Father-land" in English could either the "land of fathers" in which case "land" would probably default to it's default feminine pronoun, or would it be "land that fathered" in which case the default pronoun becomes awkward(accepting that the English male pronoun can be neuter, "father" would still be odd), or none of the above? :)
No, it's really completely analogous to English ("Vaterland") with the same ambiguity and implications.

For somebody with no understanding of German does fatherland just translate poorly from its native form?

"Father-land" in English could either the "land of fathers" in which case "land" would probably default to it's default feminine pronoun, or would it be "land that fathered" in which case the default pronoun becomes awkward(accepting that the English male pronoun can be neuter, "father" would still be odd), or none of the above? :)

In my experience it tends to be taken as the second, the "German fatherland" would be the "land that fathered the Germans" and "Russian motherland" the same.

I think another part is that Germany tends to be viewed as a fairly masculine country, most heavily associated with industry and war without any well known personification (the most recognizable would be World War propaganda), like Britannia that gives Britain a feminine quality that Germany lacks. Of course, in North America it is standard to use femine pronouns when personifying an inanimate object (i.e. cars and ships are almost always "she").
This is all speaking from a Canadian perspective.

Sorry for posting here a lot; I've got more questions on my mind than usual... :blush:

1. What happens if the US defaults? Is a default a good thing or a bad thing?

2. I vaguely recall hearing that Scientology regularly murders people to cover stuff up. Is there any truth to that? Either way, what shenanigans might it be up to that it is allegedly up to? And, does merely asking about this make me a target for their murderers? :scared: (It's late at night and I'm feeling a lot more paranoid than I normally am right now. :scared: )

Sorry for posting here a lot; I've got more questions on my mind than usual... :blush:

1. What happens if the US defaults? Is a default a good thing or a bad thing?

2. I vaguely recall hearing that Scientology regularly murders people to cover stuff up. Is there any truth to that? Either way, what shenanigans might it be up to that it is allegedly up to? And, does merely asking about this make me a target for their murderers? :scared: (It's late at night and I'm feeling a lot more paranoid than I normally am right now. :scared: )


1. If the US defaults, then the costs of borrowing go way the hell up. For everyone. It would fundamentally take safety out of the global financial system. US Treasury bonds have been standard for investment safety for decades. Without that, the risk to everything, and so the costs to everything, goes up. Economic growth would slow everywhere as a result. In short, it would be a global economic disaster.


2. I've never heard of Scientology killing anyone. But they have successfully threatened and blackmailed people. Or so the story goes.

I think another part is that Germany tends to be viewed as a fairly masculine country, most heavily associated with industry and war without any well known personification (the most recognizable would be World War propaganda), like Britannia that gives Britain a feminine quality that Germany lacks. Of course, in North America it is standard to use femine pronouns when personifying an inanimate object (i.e. cars and ships are almost always "she").
There's Germania:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Image_Germania_%28painting%29.jpg/157px-Image_Germania_%28painting%29.jpg

Here seen while making out with Italia:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Friedrich_Overbeck_008.jpg/267px-Friedrich_Overbeck_008.jpg

But I think it's simply applying the standard female treatment of Britain to another country in this case.

There's Germania:
I said "well known" for a reason. people around here would tend to recognize Britannia, but not Germania.

This may be somewhat particular to Canada where (mainly in the 19th century, but you can still see evidence in places) the portayal was Mother Britannia and Uncle Sam playing their game with little Canada caught in the middle.

Like I said, anything lacking gender (objects, countries, etc) tend to be referred to as "she" even in the case of male pets it is not uncommon for the owner to use the wrong pronoun.

I have a question. I was recently watching an old TV show, and the time period was around 1905. In it, there was a German talking about the Fatherland taking the Netherlands into her empire.

What gets me is the Fatherland and her empire. Is that truly the proper way to say it? Was this a mistake on the TV show's part? Or is it just something that just doesn't translate well.
*sigh*
I feel the short debate trying to address this is inadequate. So i will give it a go.

Spoilered in order to avoid messing up the visual impression of the thread:
Countries are grammatically feminine in a lot of languages, and this is occasionally transferred to English when people want to sound pretensious.
Countries are feminine in a lot of languages but they are typically not in German, even though some exeptions are.
Broadly speaking countries are neutral in German. So technically it is:
das Deutschland
das Dänemark
das Frankreich
das England
etc.

Note that this defies German principle regarding grammatical gender in some cases. It is "das Land", so those make sense, but it is also "die Mark". We would never get the idea to call it "die Dänemark" though.
However since we find this sounds a bit odd we refer to all those countries (some 90% of all countries probably) without using the article roughly 99% of the time.
There are exceptions though, countries that are either feminine or (even rarer) maskuline (and with those we usually do use the article):
die Türkei
die Ukraine
der Sudan
der Kongo
The whole thing get's even weirder once you get into regions and other geogrphical phenomena rather than nation states.
There is actually (at least some :mischief:) etymological sense to this, but getting into this would make this long answer even longer and i couldn't do it of the top of my head but would have to read up on it to a fair extent and we can't have that, can we?

Anyway... countries in German: Usually not feminine but neutral.

(Btw: "Die Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika" are plural in German and there is ab-so-lute-ly no way to make them singular, not even when using the acronym.
That's the reason why some of us (i am sooo guilty) keep referring to them in plural when speaking or writing in English even though we know that Americans typically refer to them as singular.)
In British English, it's reasonably common - 'Britain and her Colonies', for example.
In German we would say:
Britannien and seine Kolonien (-> das Britannien, n.)
There are personifications of nations though and it's technically possible to use those in that context.
You could say:
Britannia und ihre Kolonien. (-> die Britannia (via Latin), f.)

The problem is: You wouldn't. Unless you are a very snooty person stepping out of a time machine from the nineteenhundreds.
The point is the discrepancy between fatherland and her empire - it's a bit odd, but 'Fatherland and his empire' would have been totally wrong.
That is the point.
In German it would be - grammatically - the fatherland [takes stuff] into its empire. But nobody would ever say the original sentence that sparked the question.
There are phrases where it is possible to use it as the subject of an active sentence, but that's somewhat atypical.
People would typically not say "so the fatherland invaded that other place" even though it's possible to do so. It just sounds odd.
Would the answer be that "Fatherland" is "land of fathers" while the land remains feminine, or is the direct translation that the land itself is the "father?"
In todays German that is ambiguous. Technically it is neither of the above but an entirely new word. Etymologically the idea once was "the father's land" as in the land your father owned, had husbandry of, lived in or whatever.
Today the word is pregnant with all the possibilities you speculated about, though.
I know that in Latin father land is Patria, which is really just a feminine adjective describing something as belonging to one's paternal ancestors. It is usually implied that the feminine thing it describes is terra, meaning the land, but the adjective could be used for other things.

Using a feminine pronoun for fatherland seems right to me.
Believe me: German grammatical gender has extremely little to do with what feels right to you, at least as long you base your feeling on Latin.
We do have inherited some tendencies for applying grammatical Gender from Latin, like most immaterial concepts being feminine (die Freiheit, die Würde etc.). But for the most part grammatical gender in German works remarkably different than in romance languages.
I think another part is that Germany tends to be viewed as a fairly masculine country, most heavily associated with industry and war without any well known personification (the most recognizable would be World War propaganda), like Britannia that gives Britain a feminine quality that Germany lacks. Of course, in North America it is standard to use femine pronouns when personifying an inanimate object (i.e. cars and ships are almost always "she").
This is all speaking from a Canadian perspective.
Well, we do have (or at least had - it's a bit out of use by now) such a personification.
Germania - of course.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germania_%28personification%29

That doesn't entirely preclude the somewhat masculine character that you diagnosed. I mean, really, those...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Germania_figur.jpg/423px-Germania_figur.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/F_A_von_Kaulbach_Germania_1914.jpg/452px-F_A_von_Kaulbach_Germania_1914.jpg
...do look a bit... let's say more dykeish than the one's Leoreth posted.

Anywho...bottom line regarding the original question:
"...the Fatherland taking the Netherlands into her empire."
I very much doubt any German ever said that (in German). It's probably bogus entirely made up on the English side of the equasion, either because it's an English show in the first place or because it's a very, very, very loose translation.
Besides: The implication of that phrase is that the Netherlands were part of the fatherland in some way, which i doubt anybody believed in 1905.

But I think it's simply applying the standard female treatment of Britain to another country in this case.
Or this for short.
Me and my knack for pointless effort.

edit:nevermind

Does anybody know the modulus of elasticity of spring steel?

EDIT: Actually, if I could just be walked through beam deflection, that would be great.

You're taking statics or something? :crazyeye:

Are scientists douchebags?

Every actual scientist, and those in school studying to be one, I have come across on the internet, including here on CFC, have turned out to be HUGE jerks, are quite rude, and quite self-righteous. One of the guys on the Celestia forum, who is an actual scientist, is also a huge douche.

So, again, are scientists douchebags?

Not necessarily, no.

Cmon when's the last time that 'are all X necessarily Y?' was true?

SS-18 is a pretty cool guy, eh posts on forums logically and doesn't afraid of anything.

Contre and Bill3000 kick a good assortment of ass too.

EDIT: Nvm. I'm an idiot. :wallbash:

EDIT: Nvm. I'm an idiot. :wallbash:

Well actually you're not. It's also proven that not all people who come up with I'll conceived questions in the heat of the moment are idiots. You're in the clear man :)

Well actually you're not. It's also proven that not all people who come up with I'll conceived questions in the heat of the moment are idiots. You're in the clear man :)
Thanks. :)

They are building a big building in town and it went overbudget because the price of steel increased during construction. Why didnt they just buy all the materials they needed at the beginning and put it somewhere safe until it was needed? That would've saved a lot of money.

It is possible that their suppliers could not fill such a large order at once, but their is probably not the main reason.

It would cost money to store all the materials needed at every stage of construction. Projects generally run on borrowed money, so it would cost more in interest to borrow all of it at once than to borrow what is needed when it is needed. (If they were not depending on borrowed money they might have had t tied up in other investments or at least earning a small amount on interest in a bank account.)

I believe that the futures market exists so that those in such a situation can lock in prices ahead of time, but then there is a risk that they could loose out if the price drops.

Because finding places to store such huge quantities of steel isn't easy, and could be expensive too.

They figured that buying the steel in stages was more cost effective then a bulk buy. Of course they probably considered a random rise in the price of steel but probably deemed it too unlikely to happen so went with the first option. They took a calculated risk to minimise costs and it ended up biting them on the arse, then again it could still be cheaper then buying it in bulk in the first place:P

There was a rumour I heard from someone and he asked if I knew if it was true or not, but I didn't know the answer.

Are Microsoft products like Windows and the Xbox 360 banned in Germany?

There is an injunction issued by a German judge over a patent suit filed by Motorola. But I believe there is a separate injunction preventing Motorola from getting it enforced until the ongoing US suit is concluded. What I have read seems to indicate that the Xbox 360 has a legitimate chance of not being available for sale in the US or Germany (a judge with the US International Trade Commission has said that the Xbox 360 should be banned). As for Windows 7, it was included in the German injunction, but I don't know it's status in the US suits.

What I have read seems to indicate that the Xbox 360 has a legitimate chance of not being available for sale in the US or Germany (a judge with the US International Trade Commission has said that the Xbox 360 should be banned).
:dubious: Did he say why? I never even heard about a proposal to ban the Xbox 360 from the US.... :dubious:

EDITED IN LATER: Is it normal for my facial hair underneath my chin and/or on the lower portion of my chin to curl forward? I just never noticed it until recently...

It's all based on a patent suit.

I think I wordeded my previous poorly. As I understand the judge was not really involved in the case, but the statement was more that if the patent suit ends in favour of Motorola (and a very similar suit has in the Germany) that trade and other factors that the US ITC would consider (such as that there will still be competition in the market) support a full ban.

EDITED IN LATER: Is it normal for my facial hair underneath my chin and/or on the lower portion of my chin to curl forward? I just never noticed it until recently...

Trying to describe the vagaries of male hair in terms of normal/ not normal is a fruitless exercise

Trying to describe the vagaries of male hair in terms of normal/ not normal is a fruitless exercise

Indeed. Some people get a lot of facial hair, some don't get quite so much. Some grows fast, some grows slowly. Some is thick, some is thin. Some people's may be curly while others may be straight. If you have curly facial hair, just show it off to teh wiminz.

My Xbox 360 has been turning itself on all night and it's continuing this morning. I live alone so it's not someone pranking me. What would cause this to happen?

EDIT: Unplugging the controller has stopped it.

Possibly a power button not working correctly. Put the thing on a power strip and kill the power to the whole thing.

The central button an an Xbox turns it on if held. Sounds like the source of the problem is that.

My Xbox 360 has been turning itself on all night and it's continuing this morning. I live alone so it's not someone pranking me. What would cause this to happen?

EDIT: Unplugging the controller has stopped it.

This used to happen to my computer every night. It would start and stop seemingly at random and I never did find out what caused it to turn on in the middle of the night.

This used to happen to my computer every night. It would start and stop seemingly at random and I never did find out what caused it to turn on in the middle of the night.

This happened to me too, though I found out it was something wacky with the internet that was causing my computer to come back from sleep, as well as an oversensitive mouse.

So I switched it to the internet to not being able to wake up my computer, and also so that the on button on the tower was the only way to wake up the computer from sleep.

Worked like a charm.

'Nother one. :lol:

Why is it that, when I'm utterly pissed off, and start screaming, and, especially when I increase the volume of my voice over the course of a sentence, when I reach or get close to the maximum possible volume my body can muster, something bleeps up, and my voice almost completely cuts off, with my voice being at only 1% of the intended volume?

All it does is make me even more pissed off. :lol:

If a hard drive had to be invented to store the Internet, how big would it have to be?

A few thousand teraflops or more.

Half a Zettabyte, or 500 million Terabytes.

If a hard drive had to be invented to store the Internet, how big would it have to be?

What would be a lot a lot a lot of porn.

'Nother one.

Why is it that, when I'm utterly pissed off, and start screaming, and, especially when I increase the volume of my voice over the course of a sentence, when I reach or get close to the maximum possible volume my body can muster, something bleeps up, and my voice almost completely cuts off, with my voice being at only 1% of the intended volume?

All it does is make me even more pissed off.

I haven't got that problem.

I've got another problem though: when I was young, I shouted too much and had to go to a voice therapist to learn to shout in the 'right' way. Now I have an extremely booming voice and am not able to shout any more.

A few thousand teraflops or more.

When did flops become a unit of harddrive space?

'Nother one. :lol:

Why is it that, when I'm utterly pissed off, and start screaming, and, especially when I increase the volume of my voice over the course of a sentence, when I reach or get close to the maximum possible volume my body can muster, something bleeps up, and my voice almost completely cuts off, with my voice being at only 1% of the intended volume?

All it does is make me even more pissed off. :lol:

If you are really approaching the maximum volume your lungs and diaphragm can push through your vocal chords you are probably going to get something inflamed or out of position. How long does your reduced volume last?

I think he is shouting for so long he forgets to inhale and just runs out of air to talk :P

The central button an an Xbox turns it on if held. Sounds like the source of the problem is that.

After doing some testing, the controller is completely screwed. It's randomly sending the signal as though the "start" button has been pushed (no buttons are actually pressed nor are they stuck). I think the wire is damaged, but who knows. No longer under warranty, going to get a new one.

If you are really approaching the maximum volume your lungs and diaphragm can push through your vocal chords you are probably going to get something inflamed or out of position. How long does your reduced volume last?
Until the end of the sentence.... which probably means....
I think he is shouting for so long he forgets to inhale and just runs out of air to talk :P
this, perhaps.

I know I started realizing Quackers' suggestion a year ago, and I've already started to try to remember to inhale deeply before shouting, although I still forget to do that a lot.

Cuz, you know, angry people don't think at all. :mischief:

However, even when I do remember to inhale deeply, it doesn't always succeed at preventing my voice from cutting out. :undecide:

Why don't you just stop shouting.

When did flops become a unit of harddrive space?

Since I wrote that at 5 AM, that's when.

I just watched the movie 12 Angry Men and I was wondering, were women not on juries in the 1950s in America or was that just a choice the writer made?

I'm fairly certain women were on juries before that. But maybe it was mostly men. Probably just the story.

I just watched the movie 12 Angry Men and I was wondering, were women not on juries in the 1950s in America or was that just a choice the writer made?

"12 Angry Men And Women" doesn't come off the tongue as well.

It doesn't, but it also doesn't answer the question, and an entirely different title could have been used.

Google (http://askville.amazon.com/women-allowed-serve-jury/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=14513860) is your friend. Seems another person who watched the movie in 2008 asked the same question.

Thanks I tried looking it up on google last night but I couldn't find any information.

If, for whatever reason, it turned out that the government really did have contact with aliens, and was covering up its contact with them, and someone leaked the documents of it to WikiLeaks, would WikiLeaks post the leaked documents or delete them?

They would post them, without a doubt.

They would post them, without a doubt.
Are you sure? ;)

The reason I ask, is that I'm sure they have a policy against bogus documents, and my guess is that they probably get bogus documents about space aliens once in a while, and thus delete them, so I was thinking that they might think the real deal documents were also bogus and delete them too or something. :dunno:

They likely cross-reference whatever material they receive in order to make sure it's genuine.
I understand your point though, and it's a good one.

Presumably there's a way to verify such things, at least so that the Government knows it's not a hoax when the files are sent from department to department ("Oh, look, more junk mail about Viagra and aliens").

Are you sure? ;)

The reason I ask, is that I'm sure they have a policy against bogus documents, and my guess is that they probably get bogus documents about space aliens once in a while, and thus delete them, so I was thinking that they might think the real deal documents were also bogus and delete them too or something. :dunno:

http://www.popartuk.com/g/l/lgfp2189+i-want-to-believe-x-files-poster.jpg

I think your a little off the beaten path here though. Assange, of all people, would assist in a government coverup?

http://www.popartuk.com/g/l/lgfp2189+i-want-to-believe-x-files-poster.jpg

I think your a little off the beaten path here though. Assange, of all people, would assist in a government coverup?
I was thinking more along the lines of them inadvertently making a mistake of some sort than assisting in a coverup... :dunno:

EDIT: New one (Yes, I know. :( I know. :( ). How do I find out what commercial airplane flew overhead at a particular time and place in the past?

When Lois Lane is flying around with Superman at slow speeds, why isn't she hanging straight down?

Tactile telekinesis.

The cartoonist has a gravity defying pen. :p

Why does drinking excessive amounts of water (4-5 litres) help combat altitude sickness?

I've never heard of that.

I'd never heard of it either until I saw this:

Thanks for voting! Drinking 4 - 5 Litres of water should prevent altitude sickness.

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/index.php?product=recent_polls&poll_id=1155&action=viewresults

In the newspaper was an ad for one of those gold-buying place-things and my mom (jokingly ... I hope ...) suggested I sell them some of my baby teeth with gold fillings which are still in bags. Could you actually do that? Just curious. (I'm not gonna try. I know they dont actually pay that much.)

Why does drinking excessive amounts of water (4-5 litres) help combat altitude sickness?

Maybe you're too busy worrying about going to the bathroom to be sick?

Well, an officer with whom I used to work is a very keen mountaineer, and he swears by Viagra to prevent altitude sickness - however, it's apparently quite difficult to convince anyone except his regular GP to prescribe him any for that purpose, even though he's my age so would be quite justified in having it for the usual reason!

In the newspaper was an ad for one of those gold-buying place-things and my mom (jokingly ... I hope ...) suggested I sell them some of my baby teeth with gold fillings which are still in bags. Could you actually do that? Just curious. (I'm not gonna try. I know they dont actually pay that much.)


They'll take about any gold. but they won't give you the best price for it unless you get it separate from the teeth.

Well, an officer with whom I used to work is a very keen mountaineer, and he swears by Viagra to prevent altitude sickness - however, it's apparently quite difficult to convince anyone except his regular GP to prescribe him any for that purpose, even though he's my age so would be quite justified in having it for the usual reason!

That actually makes sense, since as I understand it improves blood flow, which would mean better oxygen transfer.

my baby teeth with gold fillings which are still in bags.
:dubious:

Is your mom extremely rich or something?

In the newspaper was an ad for one of those gold-buying place-things and my mom (jokingly ... I hope ...) suggested I sell them some of my baby teeth with gold fillings which are still in bags. Could you actually do that? Just curious. (I'm not gonna try. I know they dont actually pay that much.)

How did you manage to get fillings in your milk teeth? Why were they gold?

:dubious:

Is your mom extremely rich or something?

Are bags pricy where you live?

Are bags pricy where you live?
Gold fillings aren't that expensive?

I'm an idiot. :(

Gold fillings aren't that expensive?

I'm an idiot. :(

I'm just being weird. Canada has free healthcare, so I don't think that would be an issue. Or do they not cover dental? Regardless, fillings shouldn't require lavish wealth.

I wrecked a lot of my teeth when I was little and smashed them on the coffee table. Actually some of them were crowns too, not just fillings. Im not sure why they were gold. My mom just says they are.

EDIT: Dental isnt really covered under the Nova Scotia health system.

Gold is Magneto-proof.

You should use them to run the South Park Tooth Fairy scam (http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s04e02-the-tooth-fairys-tats-2000).

I have noticed many times that after super long distance events I get thirsty for days. Last weekend i bicycled 300 km. I drank tonnes of water while cycling and had clear urine the entire time. When I finished I kept drinking like a Cammel. Yesterday (monday) I continued to drink rediculous amounts and I was peeing incredible volumes. I was consuming fluids that where going straight through me. This lasts for about 48 hours after. This happens everytime. Why?

Which of the following would you put first in an alphabetic list, given 'v' is pronounced 'and' in this context?

'George v Roach' or 'George Hudson Holdings v Rudder'

George v Roach
George Hudson Holdings v Rudde

Does one have to be physically gifted or talented to take up boxing as a hobby? Could any ordinary guy do it or is it more of an acquired thing?

Does one have to be physically gifted or talented to take up boxing as a hobby? Could any ordinary guy do it or is it more of an acquired thing?

Try it, see if you enjoy it, and if so practice the hell out of it. Don't worry about whether it requires natural athletic talent.

And if you are just doing it as a hobby (i.e. non-competitively), you don't need to be too good so long as you can find some people in the same general skill range to fight.

George v Roach
George Hudson Holdings v Rudde

Why? andcl

Does one have to be physically gifted or talented to take up boxing as a hobby? Could any ordinary guy do it or is it more of an acquired thing?

I did it through the Army, and while I was perhaps naturally designed for boxing back then (6'4'' and built like an outhouse) I think it was a great sport for getting all sorts of people together - the boxing team was the designated toughening-up school for anyone with ambitions of advancing to the seriously selective parts of the Army, and so we had all sorts. This meant that there were people in just about every weight class and of every level of experience, so from when I started to when I was eventually captaining the team I never felt that I was an odd one out.

I thought it was "built like a brick outhouse." As in, built more strongly than is necessary. I hate nitpicking on English's myriad idioms, but leaving the bricks out gave me a really odd mental picture of your anatomy in this case. :lol:

"Brick s***house" is the truly correct way of saying it.

Yes - that was the original phrase in my mind - I've always heard just 'outhouse' as well as an actual brick one. Suppose Farm Boy has an etymological point.