Random Thoughts

[JoePCool14]

Imagine the conspiracy theories if Earth Wind and Fire had chosen a date 10 days earlier. "Do you remember..." paired with "Never forget".

See the thing is, Earth Wind and Fire knew, which is precisely why they didn't choose September 11th. /s

[formulanone]

Imagine the conspiracy theories if Earth Wind and Fire had chosen a date 10 days earlier. "Do you remember..." paired with "Never forget".

I always figured they intentionally chose a date right around the autumnal equinox.

[hotdogPi]

It doesn't get cold in the UK... it gets could instead.

[D-Dey65]

I have some dirt in my driveway that has washed down from my neighbor which could be useful if Hernando County wants to provide more dirt for sandbags in response to Hurricane Ian, or any future hurricanes if they come this year.

Speaking of which, I'll be evacuating at a friend of the family tomorrow, but I don't know how long I'll be out. I'd like to say that I'll be able to get home on Thursday night to watch the Season 6 premiere of "Young Sheldon," but I'm not holding out too much hope for that.

[interstatefan990]

If you could teleport anywhere in the world at any time, but each time you do so, you lose a month off the end of your life, would you? If so, how many times?

[hotdogPi]

@Bruce, jakeroot (yes, I know pings don't work here), or anyone else:

In my area, the male:female ratio for bicycles is an abysmal 7:1 or so based on personal experience. (There are articles on the internet explaining why this is.) However, it's quite balanced for scooters, 1.5:1 at worst. For those of you living in areas where bicycles are common and scooters are at least occasional, does your experience match mine?

[JayhawkCO]

@Bruce, jakeroot (yes, I know pings don't work here), or anyone else:

In my area, the male:female ratio for bicycles is an abysmal 7:1 or so based on personal experience. (There are articles on the internet explaining why this is.) However, it's quite balanced for scooters, 1.5:1 at worst. For those of you living in areas where bicycles are common and scooters are at least occasional, does your experience match mine?

In Colorado, I would say bicycle male:female ratio is about 3:1. Assuming for scooters you mean the "rent-a-razor"s and not things like Vespas, I'd say it skews a bit female, maybe 1.5:1.

[Scott5114]

If you could teleport anywhere in the world at any time, but each time you do so, you lose a month off the end of your life, would you? If so, how many times?

I probably wouldn't do it at all–after all, we already have a "fast travel" option in the form of airplanes, and I don't even use that. I'd rather drive.

[Max Rockatansky]

If you could teleport anywhere in the world at any time, but each time you do so, you lose a month off the end of your life, would you? If so, how many times?

I probably wouldn't do it at all–after all, we already have a "fast travel" option in the form of airplanes, and I don't even use that. I'd rather drive.

I probably would several times.  My observation regarding end of life elderliness is that it might worth sacrificing even if it means early death.  Nobody in my immediate family seems to have been able to stay fully competent/self reliant beyond their mid-70s.  I've reflected upon the scenario enough that I think that rather just be dead because my travel days are basically likely done.

[kphoger]

Interesting take:  perhaps knocking those months off the end of your life could be a feature, not a bug.  I actually think I might agree with you on that.

[kkt]

But we don't know.  Maybe I'm fated to die in an accident in 2 years, and giving up 6 months might have been a pretty fine 6 months.  My grandmother lived to 89, living on her own for the last 5 years, and fully capable.

[webny99]

But we don't know.  Maybe I'm fated to die in an accident in 2 years, and giving up 6 months might have been a pretty fine 6 months.  My grandmother lived to 89, living on her own for the last 5 years, and fully capable.

I was thinking along these lines too. Who's to say when that month will be, and what your life would be like at that point? It's impossible to answer without knowing when life ends.

[Max Rockatansky]

But we don't know.  Maybe I'm fated to die in an accident in 2 years, and giving up 6 months might have been a pretty fine 6 months.  My grandmother lived to 89, living on her own for the last 5 years, and fully capable.

I was thinking along these lines too. Who's to say when that month will be, and what your life would be like at that point? It's impossible to answer without knowing when life ends.

The amount of cardio and strength training I do is a direct reflection of what scares me about what I saw my parents and grandparents become from my age onwards.  The jury remains out if it will actually mean a difference for me.  Regardless of the age, if I'm not longer capable of taking care of myself or being able to do the things I want to do than I think it might be better just to be dead.  I see no point in existing for the sake existing if I already know it won't make me happy.

[J N Winkler]

If you could teleport anywhere in the world at any time, but each time you do so, you lose a month off the end of your life, would you? If so, how many times?

My answer would be "No" unless no-brainer constraints apply (e.g., perfect certainty that the month reduction in lifespan will be limited to time lived in debility).

Edit:

The amount of cardio and strength training I do is a direct reflection of what scares me about what I saw my parents and grandparents become from my age onwards.  The jury remains out if it will actually mean a difference for me.  Regardless of the age, if I'm not longer capable of taking care of myself or being able to do the things I want to do than I think it might be better just to be dead.  I see no point in existing for the sake existing if I already know it won't make me happy.

Using one's own family members to predict one's own lifespan can be fraught with problems.  Take this example from my family history, featuring two sisters who married two brothers, so the three children from each marriage were double first cousins of the offspring from the other marriage:

*  Generation 1 (the parents of each couple):  ages at death of 86 (pneumonia), 48 (cancer), 75 (congestive heart failure), 98 (gangrene of left leg and foot)

*  Generation 2 (Kansas side, mine):  ages at death of 62 (pulmonary embolism), 92 (self-starving in nursing home after five years with fractured hip)

*  Generation 2 (Texas side):  ages at death of 58 (heart attack), 72 (diabetes and heart attack)

*  Generation 3 (Kansas side):  ages at death of 81 (sudden cardiac death), 92 (sudden cardiac death), and 69 (stroke)

*  Generation 3 (Texas side):  ages at death of 51, 46, and 44 (all heart attacks)

For the third generation, that's a startling difference in average age of death between the Kansas and Texas sides--80 versus 47--despite their all having had the same grandparents (average age of death of 77).  The difference for the second generation--77 versus 65--is also pretty large.

In terms of senescence, the distaff line that ends with my grandmother gives an idea of how quality of life can change with advances in medicine:

*  About 1821-1920, died aged 98 of "senile decay," was not living independently at the end

*  1852-1951, died aged 98 after spending eight years with a fractured hip, was boarded with a nursing care provider from probably 1947 onward

*  1890-1982, died aged 92, spent five years with a fractured hip and was in a nursing home (the classic 1970's horror complete with old-age stink) for nearly all of that time (my grandmother suspected the two fractures resulted from bone embrittlement due to lack of Vitamin E)

*  1919-2011, died aged 92, was living independently in her own home; had just driven to the grocery store and gotten out of her parked car when she collapsed

[interstatefan990]

These are all interesting responses. Personally, I would use this ability, but probably no more than 25 times. It comes down to a "years in your life" vs. "life in your years" thing. I'd much rather see many of the places in the world I've always wanted to go than have an extra year or two in my deathbed. Even if I'm destined to leave the world before the whole getting-old and end-of-life-care thing, it still makes the time I've lost that much more worth it IMO. It's certainly made more complex by not knowing when you'll pass, but it's not like it increases your risk of death anyway.

I probably wouldn't do it at all–after all, we already have a "fast travel" option in the form of airplanes, and I don't even use that. I'd rather drive.

Think about the constraints of that though, like time, money, effort, preselected destinations, etc. Planes have their limitations, and if air travel was really as easy and efficient as hopping on a plane and hopping off, I'm sure a lot more people would use it. Teleporting removes virtually all of those and would make the world that much more accessible.

[Scott5114]

I probably wouldn't do it at all–after all, we already have a "fast travel" option in the form of airplanes, and I don't even use that. I'd rather drive.

Think about the constraints of that though, like time, money, effort, preselected destinations, etc. Planes have their limitations, and if air travel was really as easy and efficient as hopping on a plane and hopping off, I'm sure a lot more people would use it. Teleporting removes virtually all of those and would make the world that much more accessible.

While a good chunk of my aversion to flying is the hassles of being there at a pre-defined time (I worked for a second-pinching employer for 10 years, and it's traumatized me to the point that if anyone expects me to be at a place at a certain time anymore I'm just as soon to not show up at all) and deal with security theater, I still wouldn't fly even without those problems.

My main reason for not flying is that it is really hard to look at road signs while doing so, and counties passed over in a plane don't count.

[JayhawkCO]

If you could teleport anywhere in the world at any time, but each time you do so, you lose a month off the end of your life, would you? If so, how many times?

Probably at least once. I'd go into the somewhat distant future and found out how I died. If I could fix it, then I could teleport there again. If it was just cancer or something and I was suffering for x amount of months, I'd probably do it x amount of times then.

[interstatefan990]

If you could teleport anywhere in the world at any time, but each time you do so, you lose a month off the end of your life, would you? If so, how many times?

Probably at least once. I'd go into the somewhat distant future and found out how I died. If I could fix it, then I could teleport there again. If it was just cancer or something and I was suffering for x amount of months, I'd probably do it x amount of times then.

My definition of teleporting is purely location-based and doesn't include time travel. Does it mean something different in your book?

[JayhawkCO]

If you could teleport anywhere in the world at any time, but each time you do so, you lose a month off the end of your life, would you? If so, how many times?

Probably at least once. I'd go into the somewhat distant future and found out how I died. If I could fix it, then I could teleport there again. If it was just cancer or something and I was suffering for x amount of months, I'd probably do it x amount of times then.

My definition of teleporting is purely location-based and doesn't include time travel. Does it mean something different in your book?

Nope. Sure doesn't. I just misread the "at any time" as "to any time". 

Nevermind. I retract my answer. I like flying and I like getting to places that take a lot of effort to get to (i.e. when I climb mountains). The journey is as much fun as the destination and often more so.

[interstatefan990]

If you could teleport anywhere in the world at any time, but each time you do so, you lose a month off the end of your life, would you? If so, how many times?

Probably at least once. I'd go into the somewhat distant future and found out how I died. If I could fix it, then I could teleport there again. If it was just cancer or something and I was suffering for x amount of months, I'd probably do it x amount of times then.

My definition of teleporting is purely location-based and doesn't include time travel. Does it mean something different in your book?

I like flying...The journey is as much fun as the destination and often more so.

Spirit Airlines customers would like a say!

[JayhawkCO]

If you could teleport anywhere in the world at any time, but each time you do so, you lose a month off the end of your life, would you? If so, how many times?

Probably at least once. I'd go into the somewhat distant future and found out how I died. If I could fix it, then I could teleport there again. If it was just cancer or something and I was suffering for x amount of months, I'd probably do it x amount of times then.

My definition of teleporting is purely location-based and doesn't include time travel. Does it mean something different in your book?

I like flying...The journey is as much fun as the destination and often more so.

Spirit Airlines customers would like a say!

I have taken 526 flights in my life on 60 different airlines. Not a single one of them is on Spirit for a reason.

[interstatefan990]

I have taken 526 flights in my life on 60 different airlines. Not a single one of them is on Spirit for a reason.

Interesting that you kept track.

[JayhawkCO]

I have taken 526 flights in my life on 60 different airlines. Not a single one of them is on Spirit for a reason.

Interesting that you kept track.

See the link in my signature.

[interstatefan990]

I have taken 526 flights in my life on 60 different airlines. Not a single one of them is on Spirit for a reason.

Interesting that you kept track.

See the link in my signature.

Wow. But you're 40, what about the flights before this website existed? Wrote those down on paper?

[JayhawkCO]

I have taken 526 flights in my life on 60 different airlines. Not a single one of them is on Spirit for a reason.

Interesting that you kept track.

See the link in my signature.

Wow. But you're 40, what about the flights before this website existed? Wrote those down on paper?

Most of the flights are after I was 25, and the website existed then. For ones before, I just have a really good memory and know every flight I took (which weren't that many) before then. I ballparked the dates for the early ones, but I only took maybe 15 flights before I was 18, and only two before I was in high school. So, it wasn't too hard to remember the airlines I flew and the connecting airports I passed through.