Random Thoughts

[Roadgeekteen]

What's below the Earth??

Nothing is "below" it as Earth is a 3d ball in space.

[kphoger]

Are other countries confused when we call ourselves "America"?

Confused?  No.

Irritated?  Yes.

[kenarmy]

Well, I guess they should be. ^
Why can't unicorns be real? Sounds more realistic than an animal with a 6 foot neck
Do you really only live once if you are always living, until you die once?
Oranges weren't and still aren't naturally orange, how did it get that name?
Everyone that sees this is going to die 
Tall people are expected to use their reach to help shorter people, but if a tall person asked a short person to hand them something they dropped on the floor it'd be insulting.
Aliens invaded the moon. Didn't I already say this?
Britney Spears is richer than you.
How do you know that the borders are correct?
Tobacco companies kill their best customers and condom companies kill their future customers.

[webny99]

Tall people are expected to use their reach to help shorter people, but if a tall person asked a short person to hand them something they dropped on the floor it'd be insulting.

As a tall guy, yes! LOL!

[kurumi]

If life exists on Mars, they are watching their planet being slowly invaded by robots.

My astrological sign is Sol... that star has an outsize effect on my day to day life.

Could a Möbius beltway serve twice the traffic on half the ROW?

[I-55]

Could a Möbius beltway serve twice the traffic on half the ROW?

Only if everyone's car got equipped with that Mario Kart 8 DLC package

[Scott5114]

Are other countries confused when we call ourselves "America"?

Confused?  No.

Irritated?  Yes.

I've also heard secondhand that the residents of los Estados Unidos Mexicanos also get irritated when we go by "the United States".

But "The United States of America" is so long. We need something shorter. Maybe something ending in -land to show that we're a country, since a lot of other countries do that. Possibly combined with someone's given name? I like the sound of Scottland, but that's taken already. Hm, maybe Kyleland? That's nice and short, since "Kyle" is only four letters...I wonder if there are any other short names that have a ring to them...

[interstatefan990]

Society and advanced civilization is merely a distraction. A distraction from the endless universe, vast cosmos, and how infinitely small and short human existence is. So we can live in our own little world and think about things other than how truly insignificant we actually are.

[Scott5114]

I don't know about that. I think if we didn't have society we'd be all so busy finding food and shelter and sex we wouldn't even have time to even stop and consider whether we're significant or not.

[interstatefan990]

I don't know about that. I think if we didn't have society we'd be all so busy finding food and shelter and sex we wouldn't even have time to even stop and consider whether we're significant or not.

That's basically what society is today. Except we have laws, inventions, and things not necessary for human life. Paradoxically, if we didn't have society, we wouldn't have ever discovered how insignificant we are in the first place.

[kphoger]

Do you really only live once if you are always living, until you die once?

Oranges weren't and still aren't naturally orange, how did it get that name?

The name of the fruit came first.  The name of the color came later.

Are other countries confused when we call ourselves "America"?

Confused?  No.

Irritated?  Yes.

I've also heard secondhand that the residents of los Estados Unidos Mexicanos also get irritated when we go by "the United States".

But "The United States of America" is so long. We need something shorter. Maybe something ending in -land to show that we're a country, since a lot of other countries do that. Possibly combined with someone's given name? I like the sound of Scottland, but that's taken already. Hm, maybe Kyleland? That's nice and short, since "Kyle" is only four letters...I wonder if there are any other short names that have a ring to them...

1.  Spanish already has a one-word term for "of/from the United States of America":  estadounidense.  Note that the "America" part is nowhere in there, so it still leaves open the ambiguity as to its referring to the Estados Unidos de América or the Estados Unidos Mexicanos.

2.  I've personally been referred to as los americanos in Mexico by more than one person, so the chip on the shoulder might be overblown.  However, that could be because there's no better term.  After all, los estadounidenses is rather cumbersome, and some folks might need to take a breath halfway through that word [j/k].  Technically, it's only one syllable longer, but it just makes one's mouth do extra gymnastics to say it.

3.  My favorite over the last few years has been to refer to myself as gringo, which is a fairly common informal term in Mexico.  (I was once stopped at a military checkpoint while approaching Saltillo from the west.  The guard was dressed in full camo, with face mask and rifle and everything.  While she was walking back to her vehicle with my papers, I heard her say "Gringos..." to the other guards and, for a second, I was a little worried.  But when she handed my papers back, she told me to have a good day–in English–with a smile showing through the face mask.)  However, Mexicans seem to be embarrassed about using the term.  They realize it's kind of racist, and they generally want to be polite and respectful.  So, when I simply refer to myself and my companions as gringos, they half-smile at it, seem uncomfortable for two or three seconds, and then the ice breaks and all is well.

4.  Kyle is difficult for them to say.  Believe me, I know.  In years past, several people misunderstood my name as Caillou, like the cartoon character.  I've also had Latin American friends and coworkers take to simply pronouncing my name in Spanish:  KEE-lay.  But for years now, I've simply gone by the name Cayito or Callito (identical pronunciation) when I'm in Mexico, which is sort of a contrived diminutive form of Kyle.  I've never written it out, so I occasionally ask people which way they think it should be spelled.  The former would be a small key (the geographical kind, not the kind that opens doors).  The latter would be a small callus.  Most people tell me they think the former, which accords with the aforementioned politeness and respect of the Mexican people.  I personally think the latter, as I am rather insignificant but still mildly annoying.

[TravelingBethelite]

Society and advanced civilization is merely a distraction. A distraction from the endless universe, vast cosmos, and how infinitely small and short human existence is. So we can live in our own little world and think about things other than how truly insignificant we actually are.

Is that a problem? Does mankind really need to worry about its insignificance? There is so much work left to do to improve life on earth that it doesn't need to matter if we are insignificant in the universe. I'd rather spend my life going about my own business and contributing in any small part to improving the life of my fellow man than to worry if we matter or not. (Saves me the existential grief.) Nothing matters to the universe, so ultimately what matters is up to us. Worrying about how little we are in the grand scheme doesn't do anything to make earth a cleaner place or to feed the hungry.

[Max Rockatansky]

Society and advanced civilization is merely a distraction. A distraction from the endless universe, vast cosmos, and how infinitely small and short human existence is. So we can live in our own little world and think about things other than how truly insignificant we actually are.

Is that a problem? Does mankind really need to worry about its insignificance? There is so much work left to do to improve life on earth that it doesn't need to matter if we are insignificant in the universe. I'd rather spend my life going about my own business and contributing in any small part to improving the life of my fellow man than to worry if we matter or not. (Saves me the existential grief.) Nothing matters to the universe, so ultimately what matters is up to us. Worrying about how little we are in the grand scheme doesn't do anything to make earth a cleaner place or to feed the hungry.

A lot of people could use a serious reality check with how unimportant pretty much all of us are.  None of us are anywhere as special or significant as we think we are.   That doesn't mean life isn't important, but does certainly put it in perspective when compared to things of cosmic scale.  I kind of prefer the reality check sometimes, it certainly helps me tune out a lot of background noise in my own life.  Then again the older the get the less I care about ideals and other things that are really just were a burden (example; politics and following sports too closely).  I kind of dig the simplicity of knowing that I'm not of any real significance and I should focus on what makes me happy. 

[kenarmy]

What's the difference in partly cloudy and partly sunny?
I think I already said this, but plants are really farming us, giving us oxygen until we eventually die and turn into mulch which they can consume  .
Somebody has your dream job, and they hate it.
Millions of people have what you want.
There will always be somebody hotter, richer, smarter, more talented, educated, and wiser than you.
How do you know you don't have a twin?
How do *you* know your actual age?
How are people that rely on braille alerted not to touch something?
What if there was a website that paired people by search history. That could be brilliant or terrifying..
We stick kids in classrooms 7 hours a day, give them another few hours for homework, actively discourage them from playing outside, and then wonder why kids today are out of shape. 
When did the first history class occur?

[I-55]

We stick kids in classrooms 7 hours a day, give them another few hours for homework, actively discourage them from playing outside, and then wonder why kids today are out of shape. 

Ironically in my experience these are the same kids who never do their homework.

[Scott5114]

What's the difference in partly cloudy and partly sunny?

At the start of my track meet it was mostly cloudy, windy, and 73. Now, a few hours later, it is clear.

Is there a difference between "Partly Sunny" and "Mostly Cloudy"? I have found that the NWS forecasts use the same image for both.

There is. "Partly sunny" is sunnier than "mostly cloudy".

If you're curious, the official NWS public forecast definitions are:
-Sunny: less than 1/8 of sky covered by clouds (at night: clear)
-Mostly sunny: 1/8 to 2/8 of sky covered by clouds (at night: mostly clear)
-Partly sunny: 3/8 to 5/8 of sky covered by clouds (at night: partly cloudy)
-Mostly cloudy: 6/8 to 7/8 of sky covered by clouds
-Cloudy: more than 7/8 of sky covered by clouds

[TravelingBethelite]

Society and advanced civilization is merely a distraction. A distraction from the endless universe, vast cosmos, and how infinitely small and short human existence is. So we can live in our own little world and think about things other than how truly insignificant we actually are.

Is that a problem? Does mankind really need to worry about its insignificance? There is so much work left to do to improve life on earth that it doesn't need to matter if we are insignificant in the universe. I'd rather spend my life going about my own business and contributing in any small part to improving the life of my fellow man than to worry if we matter or not. (Saves me the existential grief.) Nothing matters to the universe, so ultimately what matters is up to us. Worrying about how little we are in the grand scheme doesn't do anything to make earth a cleaner place or to feed the hungry.

A lot of people could use a serious reality check with how unimportant pretty much all of us are.  None of us are anywhere as special or significant as we think we are.   That doesn't mean life isn't important, but does certainly put it in perspective when compared to things of cosmic scale.  I kind of prefer the reality check sometimes, it certainly helps me tune out a lot of background noise in my own life.  Then again the older the get the less I care about ideals and other things that are really just were a burden (example; politics and following sports too closely).  I kind of dig the simplicity of knowing that I'm not of any real significance and I should focus on what makes me happy.

I can vibe with that. I prefer to "live on Earth" so to speak but that point of view helps me to see my problems as smaller and more manageable, or so petty as to be just about ignorable (like politics and sports as you mentioned). That said, an existential bout is good every once in a while to keep on track but I can't stand to live life thinking like a philosopher. Thinking like that for too long drives me into a "everything's meaningless and we all die" funk where very little of what I have to do to stay afloat actually gets done. In that case, I'll happily nest in my petty problems. Ignorance is bliss.

[GenExpwy]

Are other countries confused when we call ourselves "America"?

Confused?  No.

Irritated?  Yes.

By the exact same logic, are Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Swaziland eSwatini irritated when their neighbor calls itself South Africa? (They're in "south Africa" , too.)

[kenarmy]

^^ So what are we supposed to call ourselves instead of Americans?
Its 2021, why are people still entertaining Fritzowl's absurd plans?
Why does christmas feel like more of a deadline than a holiday?
Why is it birthday and not birthdate?
What if the stranger you saw last week died?
Someone you passed by once could be fantasizing about you right now.
How do we explain US 412 to aliens? Weren't all those other US routes basically turned into interstates as well?
Why tf do we have to take *years* of algebra? Is y=mx+b gonna help us in a situation?
I feel dumb af and heartbroken when you guys don't respond to my threads 
You get up, and pound all of your weight on the ground everyday repeatedly until it eventually wears you down and you die.

[Scott5114]

"Take me to your leader–but first, what's the deal with US 412? We can't figure it out. Normally, we wouldn't care, but you named part of it after Owen K. Garriott, so it kind of caught our eye."

[CoreySamson]

Why is it birthday and not birthdate?

On a another note, why do we measure our age from our birthday and not from our conception? My birthday is in June 2003, but technically, I started living in October 2002.

But that's probably not true either. We all started living in our grandmothers on our mom's side when they were pregnant with our moms (because the egg cell that became us existed in our mom's womb, which was in our grandma's womb) Isn't that a strange thought?

[Scott5114]

Why is it birthday and not birthdate?

Around here, I see "birthdate" used to mean the day and year of birth. So my birthday would be February 2 but my birthdate February 2, 1990.

On a another note, why do we measure our age from our birthday and not from our conception? My birthday is in June 2003, but technically, I started living in October 2002.

Do you want to know the exact date that your mom got laid? Cos I wouldn't.

[jmacswimmer]

Its 2021, why are people still entertaining Fritzowl's absurd plans?

Can't speak for everyone on the forum, but IMHO the answer is in the question...I, personally, entertain them because of how absurd they are

(Although you bring up an interesting point...what would happen if everyone stopped replying to his thread? My guess is he'd keep on posting his plans as if nothing had happened.)

[SkyPesos]

This reminds me: Why do so many countries use a comma to separate digits in a price number? It makes no sense. A decimal looks much cleaner, and commas already have a separate meaning in sentence structure. I read "$2,50" as "This item is 2...(awkward pause)....50."

$2.50

$2,50

You tell me which one looks better.

I'm late to this discussion, but I've seen some EU countries also have the euro symbol in place of the decimal, like 2€50. Looks weird at first glance, but I actually like it as a way for noting prices.

[hbelkins]

Why is it birthday and not birthdate?

On a another note, why do we measure our age from our birthday and not from our conception? My birthday is in June 2003, but technically, I started living in October 2002.

Probably because it's impossible to narrow down exactly what date one was conceived, unless the parents had sex just once and a pregnancy resulted. Not all gestational periods are the same.