The questions-not-worth-their-own-thread question thread XI

[Cutlass]

Things are warming up around here and I have a pond outside my bedroom. That said, I have a gnat problem, no matter how many I swat there are more. What's a good way to debug a room or deter these little devils?

You could try encouraging bats to nest near your house. Build some bat houses.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Question: What exactly is a "vanilla envelope"? I hear people talking about it a bit. I googled it but I got some random stuff.

 

[holy king]

a blank standard envelope?

 

[Cutlass]

Possibly "manila" envelope? http://www.amazon.com/Coin-Envelope-Manila-Kraft-Open/dp/B002AGLZ3S

 

[Heretic_Cata]

working out is as good against depression as smoking opium, which means it doesnt solve the underlying problem in any way but doesnt do any harm either.

Fixed that for you.

 

[Takhisis]

Actully, if your depression comes from your considering yourself a weakling, then, yes, working out does solve the problem.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

Question: What exactly is a "vanilla envelope"? I hear people talking about it a bit. I googled it but I got some random stuff.

Listen better next time--

Possibly "manila" envelope? http://www.amazon.com/Coin-Envelope-Manila-Kraft-Open/dp/B002AGLZ3S

--because Cutlass is correct, it's probably manilla envelope.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Thanks.

Question: What should you do if termites eat your homework? (I'm not joking. Termites infested the house and before we found the stuff to kill them they ate the paper that I had laying on the kitchen table.)

 

[Whomp]

If I were a teacher I would say that's highly implausible so you should do your homework over again.

 

[PeteAtoms]

How are termites able to climb onto your kitchen table without you noticing? If this were the case, I imagine you went to get termite poison for them right away, so that's maybe at most an hour long errand (I'm being very generous). And when you got back, they had consumed your piece of paper to the point it was illegible or reduced to nothing?

You should think of a better excuse. Tell your teacher that you are being abused at home by your mother and couldn't get the homework done. She'll call CPS and you'll solve two problems at once.

You're welcome.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

There was a huge amount of them. Now, my mom says she's not quite sure if they were termites. She says they may have been "paper bugs." (When I looked it up, I got some crafts. It's got to be a name for something else.)

Also, the entire thing isn't gone, but a significant chunk of it is, maybe 1/3 - 1/2 of the page. I'll take in the remainders to show the teacher.

 

[Takhisis]

Oh, so you have some remains of the paper? Then show it to the teacher. She won't have a choice then.

 

[PlutonianEmpire]

Does getting fat cause diabetes?

 

[Annex]

Does getting fat cause diabetes?

No, being Wilford Brimley causes diabetes.

 

[Cutlass]

Does getting fat cause diabetes?

No. But it raises the risks.

 

[Brighteye]

Does exercise really help with depression?

Does getting fat cause diabetes?

Yes and yes. Depression is excess cortisol in your body (and some psychological issues for which you need a therapist or friend). Exercise is an acute stressor (cortisol is a stress signal), but exercise training reduces cortisol levels directly and, most importantly, reduces the systemic inflammation that also causes cortisol secretion.

Getting fat does cause diabetes. Being overweight accounts for a staggering proportion of all cases of type II diabetes. It's a complex system of hormonal interactions that causes it, but endless studies show the link, and not only that, but that insulin resistance decreases when people lose weight again.

Being overweight also contributes, incidentally, to depression, and vice versa. As well as atherosclerosis, stroke, heart disease, various cancers, overall cancer morbidity and mortality, ageing, Alzheimer's (although an obese person probably won't survive that long), liver damage and kidney failure.

All these risks, plus little inconveniences such as being more susceptible to minor infections, delayed wound healing times, longer bouts of cold sores etc., can be reduced by one simple lifestyle choice: exercise.

If I knew all this and didn't exercise (but could), I'd be pretty depressed with myself.

 

[PlutonianEmpire]

How and why is having a fantasy life necessarily a 'sad' thing?

 

[Takhisis]

Define 'fantasy life' and 'sad'.

 

[PlutonianEmpire]

You know damn well what I'm talking about.

 

[Qpla]

When you wish to imply envy for a person, would you rather say "I am jealous to him/her" or " I am jealous of him/her"?