The very many questions-not-worth-their-own-thread question thread XXII

[ShahJahanII]

Kronos/Cronus was the youngest of the Titans, who castrated his father Ouranos/Uranus with an obsidian sickle and then threw his testicles into the sea, from which it is said that Aphrodite arose from the resulting sea-foam. His name means 'time' in Greek and he was associated with Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture, but Cronus was 'only' a Titan and had no specific mastery over the flow of time itself.

I learned that Aphrodite was born when Zeus castrated Kronos.

 

[PlutonianEmpire]

At the very least, the antics of all the deities out there make for good, juicy gossip amongst their peers, as well us mortals.

Question for the grammar nazis: Which way of wording the above comment is better, using "amongst" or "for"?

 

[timtofly]

Uranus told him that his children would overthrow him like Cronus had, so Cronus ate all his children until Zeus escaped and forced him to vomit them up. Then they fought a war and the Titans were supplanted by the Olympians.

Greek gods > Monotheism

It is all just a metaphor for the end of the year swallowing up the new year over time.

 

[cardgame]

At the very least, the antics of all the deities out there make for good, juicy gossip amongst their peers, and amongst us mortals as well.

Question for the grammar nazis: Which way of wording the above comment is better, using "amongst" or "for"?

I would say

At the very least, the antics of all the deities out there make for good, juicy gossip amongst their peers, as well as us mortals.

 

[Borachio]

We mortals, and the gods themselves, like to gossip lubriciously about their antics.

(No. That's not it, I can see.)

But "amongst" is a better word than "for" in the given context, imo.

 

[PlutonianEmpire]

I would say

At the very least, the antics of all the deities out there make for good, juicy gossip amongst their peers, as well as us mortals.

Cool, thanks.

 

[Chukchi Husky]

Why don't people use coal anymore?

 

[hobbsyoyo]

They do?

 

[Chukchi Husky]

It's a question that keeps coming up, after saying how people who are trying to find alternative forms of energy to replace oil are wasting their time, and instead should go back to using coal.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Remember, your friends are stupid.

Coal is far and away the dominant natural resource used to generate electricity from (and do other things like make steel) on the planet.

 

[timtofly]

They are shipping more than 30 train cars (at a time) full of coal through my town on a regular basis.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Worldwide power generation by source.
World Coal Association

Seriously, you deserve better friends.

 

[Chukchi Husky]

I think they meant the use of coal in Britain, and they said there's a 300 year coal reserve that isn't being used for some reason. I don't think using it for steel doesn't count as "Britain has no industry".

 

[hobbsyoyo]

By 2004, total electricity production stood at 382.7 TWh (up 23.7% compared to 309.4 TWh in 1990), generated from the following sources:[18]
gas – 39.93% (0.05% in 1990)
coal – 33.08% (67.22% in 1990)
nuclear – 19.26% (18.97% in 1990)
renewables – 3.55% (0% in 1990)
hydroelectric – 1.10% (2.55% in 1990)
imports – 1.96% (3.85% in 1990)
oil – 1.12% (6.82% in 1990)
wikipedia

If your friends think that the falling share of coal power generation is bad because reasons, ask them why they don't live next to a coal plant.

 

[Chukchi Husky]

I think the nearest power station to where I live is nuclear, which they don't like. They also don't believe in air pollution.

 

[sophie]

I think the nearest power station to where I live is nuclear, which they don't like. They also don't believe in air pollution.

To the former: why?

To the latter: tell them to fly down to LA, Mexico DF, or Beijing, then ask them how they feel.

 

[Chukchi Husky]

To the former: why?

Because radiation is bad.

To the latter: tell them to fly down to LA, Mexico DF, or Beijing, then ask them how they feel.

They have no plans to leave the country, as the rest of the world doesn't have anything to offer except for food.

 

[W|M]

You really need better friends.

 

[sophie]

Because radiation is bad.

Modern nuclear facilities have safety precautions that make meltdown risks and radiation negligible.

They have no plans to leave the country, as the rest of the world doesn't have anything to offer except for food.

Well a) That's really lame. I think everyone should go out and see other parts of the world at some point in their lives, lest they end up close-minded nobs with no empathy beyond those in their own front yard.

b) Tell them they should probably stop using any and all electronic devices, stop wearing clothes, shoes, and stop reading any literature not written by a Brit.

and c) If they won't travel there, show them some pictures of Beijing or México DF

 

[The_J]

What type of food could be at the same time considered American and German?
Hamburger and everything barbecue related to be excluded, it's too cold for that.
EDIT: Needs to be a main meal.