doodlebird

that's awesome.

almost as good as the inventor of the bra: "otto titsling"
don't know if it's true, but it's funny.

edit: not true. i got it from trivial pursuit. it has since been corrected.
http://www.snopes.com/business/origins/bra.asp

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xoxo
doodle

MSD

It is listed in the Oxford English Dictionary as appropriate for informal use.

skinnymofo

im sorry i shouldve been more clear in that a biker who doesnt just swoop in and out of traffic, leisurely ride their bike in the center of a road where the speed limit is 30 and up so you cannot get around them, or come up on the side of you and whip by with inches to spare and you having no clue they were there (motorcyclists do this as well)
a regular biker who is putting up reasonable effort to keep traffic moving and not being a dick gets full and complete respect from me.
Its also much safer to be on the sidewalk and i have never once been ticketed or even had a talking to by any person of the law.

fhqwhgads

Hmmm... when I originally started this thread, I meant it for a place to share those things that you think other should know, because it would improve your life, or their lives... like corrections to misconceptions (such as the "one phonecall" police rule) or safety tips (like pulling to the right). I honestly didn't mean for this to be a discussion about those points, or a place to post trivia... I'm not trying to bitch, just trying to veer the thread back on course...

That being said:

Next time you move, or you do one of those cleanings where you actually move stuff around, take out a sheet of notebook paper. On all your electronics / tools / valuables, write down three things. The make, the model, and the serial number. With that information, if any of your things get stolen, I can enter the details into NCIC (National Crime Information Center), and that item can be tracked across the nation. Without that information, it's hard to tell your JVC DVD player from the other tens of thousands that were made... so even if we recover one, how do we prove it's yours?

Also, if you live in a state where your driver's license number is NOT your social security number, you can engrave your DL number and the state abbreviation on your items. I've recovered items before and was able to track the owner (before she even knew it was stolen) with that information.

ShaniFaye

oh...I didnt know it was supposed to be a "help with life thing" Im sorry!!!

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I want the diabetic plan that comes with rollover carbs. I dont like the unused one expiring at midnite!!

SirLance

The poor don't have to, there are programs that pay for them. If you want to start another thread to discuss this, I'd be game. Obviously, we disagree, and I think it would be interesting.

Not so common knowledge:

It took three years of constant printing to complete Johann Gutenberg's famous Bible, which appeared in 1455 in two volumes, and had 1,284 pages. He reportedly printed 200 Bibles, of which 47 still exist.

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DEMOCRACY is where your vote counts, FEUDALISM is where your count votes.

muckluck

The BMW blue and bhite circle is a propeller spinning. I found that interesting and had to post it here

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skinnymofo

back on topic
there are metals that "remember" similar to the sleep comfort beds.
One will bend back automatically, another will keep its bended shape (say like a spiral) until touched by hot water in which it will then return to form.
i believe the second one is Ni on the periodic table

politicophile

Here are some facts about my home state of Maine:

Maine is the only state with a one syllable name.

Maine is the only state that borders exactly one other state. (NH)

Contrary to popular belief, Maine does not have the most lighthouses of any state: Michigan takes that title.

Fortunately, the most photographed lighthouse in the world, Portland Head Light, is in Maine.

Sugarloaf/USA, Maine's largest ski resort, has the most vertical drop of any U.S. ski mountain east of the Mississippi river.

That's all for now...

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The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error. ~John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

SirLance

Before she met Popeye, Olive Oyl went out with Ham Gravy.

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DEMOCRACY is where your vote counts, FEUDALISM is where your count votes.

BadNick

I'm suprised you didn't mention the "Sahara of Maine" ...I figured Mainians would be proud of that too I know when I was driving thru Maine and saw sign after sign alerting me to the upcoming Sahara of Maine, I made time and went out of my way to see it.

fhqwhgads

Anyone have any information that they wished people knew, not because they find it quaint trivia, but because it would improve your life or the lives of others?

noodle

Great point! Someone jumped in the back of my car when I got t-boned and held my head still for me. Had he tried to move me, he could have worsened the broken pelvis and possibly fractured my neck.

And whatever you do Never, Ever remove the helmet of a downed motorcyclist. Don't touch him/her unless they can move unassisted. Numerous Good Samaritans have paralyzed a rider by removing a helmet when the neck was fractured. Cagers frequently don't realize how supremely dangerous it can be for the rider after he goes down.

If you're a biker, put the "In case of emergency, DO NOT REMOVE HELMET" sticker above your visor and wear dog tags with your emergency contact info, blood type, etc. The emergency people may not be able to get to a wallet quickly if it's buried in the pockets of gear or ripped out of a back pocket of pants 200 feet behind the bike.

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Johnny Pyro

Did you know that after smoking weed, if you smoke cigarettes it gets you a tad bit higher.

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"From delusion lead me to truth, from darkness lead me to light, from death lead me to eternal life. - Sheriff John Wydell

Slavakion

How about this:

When changing lanes, make sure you actually turn your head so that you can see if there are any cars in your blind spot. This week I've almost been hit twice by people who either didn't check their blind spot or didn't look at all.

You don't say "If you have any questions, ask either John or myself." It's "John or me." If you disagree, you probably paid more attention to celebrities trying to sound intelligent than your English teacher.

I could actually post a lot of grammar issues, but I'll save them in case the thread drifts off into trivia again. (grammar isn't trivia!)

SirLance

This one is especially for the ladies;

When walking to your car, have your car keys in your fist (right if you are right-handed, left if you're a southpaw), with the keys prodruding through your fingers, sort of like brass knuckles.

If you are attacked, hit your attacker in the eyes as hard as you can with your fistfull of keys. It'll hurt a little, but it'll hurt your assailant a lot, and you'll be able to get away with relative ease. Mostly because your assailant will be blind, bleeding, and probably screaming.

When approaching your car, approach from the rear and look through the rear window, then the passenger side, then the drivers side windows to make sure no one has concealed themselves inside.

If you are attacked, scream "FIRE" instead of "HELP" or "RAPE". People will ignore the latter, but "FIRE" gets everyone's attention.

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DEMOCRACY is where your vote counts, FEUDALISM is where your count votes.

astrahl

Most diarrhea and other ills are caused by your own cleanliness - or lack thereof. Wash your hands <i>every</i> time you go to the bathroom.

Every scar has a story - a person whose body is without scars is a boring person.

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Maybe it was over when she chucked me out the Rover at full speed.
Maybe Maybe...
~a-Ha

Gilda

Cars:

Read your car's owner's manual and follow the maintenance schedule listed there.

You'll find that you very likely don't need to change your oil more often than every 5000 or 7500 miles.

Use the recommended grade of gasoline. Regular is fine for most cars. Unless your owner's manual says to use premium, or your engine is knocking, higher grades offer no benefit whatsoever.

The correct inflation pressure for the stock tires on your car is the one recommended by your car's manufacturer, not the maximum listed on the tire, and is usually found on a sticker inside the driver's side door or glove compartment.

How to check tire pressure:

Best way:

Get a good tier guage. Check tire pressure cold, at home, before leaving to go to where you add air. Make note of the pressure. Driving the car heats up the tires and subsequently the air inside, which increases the pressure; this is supposed to happen. When you reach the air station, check the tire pressure again before adding air. If it has increased, note the difference between the current pressure and the cold pressure reading you got at home. Add this number to the desired cold pressure, and adjust pressure as needed. After the car has sufficiently cooled, check the pressure again. If it's still a bit high, let out some air.

For example:

The sticker inside your door says 33 psi. You check the tire pressure, and find it is 27psi. After driving to the air station, it reads 29psi or 27 + 2. Adding that extra two psi to your goal of 33, you get 35, which is the pressure to which you would add air. When your tires have cooled, you'll very likely find that they're at the correct 33 psi.

Simple way:

Stop at air station. Inflate to about 2-3 pounds over what you want the actual pressure to be. Park the car and let the tires cool, say at work. Check the tires again, and release any excess pressure.

If you change your oil yourself, you need to take the used oil to a proper disposal station; it should never go in a storm drain or dumpster. Just about any oil change place or garage can dispose of it for a small fee.

A child safety seat must fit your car and be properly installed to be fully effective. If you're not sure which seats are appropriate or how to install them, go to the closest dealership for your make of car. They should have seats custom matched to your car and will usually install them for you. If not, many fire stations would be happy to inspect your car's child seat installation and teach you how to do it properly.

Children too large for a car seat may still need a booster seat or belt clip. A shoulder strap that crosses the neck is dangerous.

Always wear your seatbelt, even when in the front seat with an air bag. In an accident. a person not wearing their seatbelt can submarine, or slide under the air bag and end up severely injured as a result.

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I'm against ending blackness. I believe that everyone has a right to be black, it's a choice, and I support that.

~Steven Colbert

Jinn

Got a source? Most forms of diarrhea are in fact due to certain foods and especially cheeses and meats incorrectly prepared. The possibility of rotavirus or other diarrhea causing bacteria remaning on the hands being re-ingested are very slim.

VERY untrue. Mechanics and people with the longest running cars (200,000+ miles) recommend checking your oil every 500 miles or less. It is the most important fluid in your engine, and changing it early can be very necessary. I live on all dirt roads, and the excess dirt that I stir up when driving easily gets into my oil -- turning it BLACK in under 2000 miles. Oil is not supposed to be black.

Important to note -- STOCK. Unless you're using the tires provided with a new car from a dealership, odds are that they are not the stock tires. Only these are properly measured for weight distribution of your car, and new tires can see dramatic performance increaes or decreases if you do not use the tire's recommended pressures.


My tip:

Never disclose your credit card information when using a cell phone or cordless phone. If you need to send your information, due so over a landline telephone to another landline telephone. Doing otherwise can put you at a higher risk for identity theft. If I got 1 dollar for everytime a cell phone came up on my commercial scanner, I'd be rich!

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"I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel

astrahl

I was not referring to acute or chronic diarrhea or dysentery, but rather the "run of the mill" (no pun intended) kind that most people experience occasionally.

http://www.ehproject.org/Pubs/Global...lthArticle.htm
http://my.webmd.com/hw/health_guide_...navbar=hw87220
http://www.jhsph.edu/Refugee/Publica.../diarrhea4.pdf

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Maybe it was over when she chucked me out the Rover at full speed.
Maybe Maybe...
~a-Ha

fhqwhgads

If there is a traffic light that is out, which usually happens during a storm/power failure, the intersection becomes a 4 WAY STOP. Treat it the same as you would an intersection with stop signs. We had a pretty good storm here yesterday, and I almost got hit twice by people that were driving straight through the intersection because the light was out.

GeePeeS'r

Ok, I will have to jump in here. You are so far off, it has to be corrected. The original statement about your cars reccomendation should be followed. Most are 5000 miles or greater. And if you change it every 500 miles, you are not only wasting your money, but you are wasting oil. I am a hobbyist mechanic - took some classes for it before I went to school to be an engineer. And I DO have a car that has 210,000 miles on it. Change the oil every 5000 miles and it looks spotless inside - I had the oilpan off it 2 weeks ago.
And if you get dirt in your oil, you have a serious problem somewhere. The engine and oil is a closed system. Even if any dirt or dust was fine enough to get through your airfilter, it will be fine enough to get blown out the exhaust as well.
The only reason for changing the oil on shorter intervals is if you are driving the car hard - it has nothing to do with the dirt or dust in the air. Heat is the cause for increased viscosity in oil. If you spend all day during the heat in stop and go traffic, and floor it between lights, or actually race your car, then maybe go to 4000 or 3000 miles. But normal daily driving conditions will get you 6000-7000 miles before the oil begins to break down.

Gilda

A few years ago Consumer Reports tested various oil brands, weights, and frequency of changes. They installed identical newly rebuilt engines in NYC taxicabs and then ran them for two years, averaging over 60,000 miles each. Two different schedules were used, 3000 and 6000 miles.

At the end, they removed the engines, broke them down and compared them for wear on parts lubricated by the engine oil, and found no difference whatsoever provided by the more frequent oil changes (or for that matter, different brands).

The point was that many people tend to look at the pressure on the tire and assume that that is the proper pressure for that tire. It isn't, it's the MAXIMUM, which could actually be dangerous, and a lesser pressure if it is within the tire's safe range won't cause any damage.

So long as the replacement tires are the same size as the stock tires, the manufacturer's recommended pressure is still best, and will very likely be within the safe range for the tire.

Cite
Cite
Cite

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I'm against ending blackness. I believe that everyone has a right to be black, it's a choice, and I support that.

~Steven Colbert

Marvelous Marv

For wives and girlfriends:

Don't rub the lamp if you don't want the genie to come out.

ngdawg

I was told that tip about holding the keys(i hold them like a small blade protruding between the fingers of my fist) by a black belt in 3 martial arts-he also said to strike in an upward motion if at all possible-throat is always good for key-stabbing and try to slash across...so to visualize you would be making a 'T' starting from the bottom. The reasoning is that an upward, forceful motion is harder to stop, easier to break the attackers grip from. If they come from behind, just stab behind you hard as you can or stab the hand that grabs you.

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Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.

ngdawg

1)Pour boiling water into an anthill to eradicate at least some.
Boiling water is also good for killing weeds. Once you've 'cooked' them, pull them out and put a good drop of vegetable oil there. It will prevent the weed from growing back.
2)Hairspray will kill an insect as well as bug spray.
3)If you find yourself getting sleepy about two hours after lunch everyday, try not having carbohydrates for lunch. Especially if you are at work, it can really affect your performance.
4) ( I mentioned this elsewhere, but it's a great thing to know) Ketchup makes an excellent tarnish remover. Smear it on, let it sit a couple of minutes, then rinse. Shines up jewelry really well and makes those copper-bottomed pots look new(on those, a scouring pad after the ketchup has been rinsed off shines them even more)

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Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.

Martian

Keep a basic emergency kit in the trunk of your car at all times. This includes blankets, snacks, road flares, a working flashlight and optionally some form of Call Police sign or something similar. Also add a bag of sand or kitty litter, a small shovel and some booster cables if you're in a cold climate. In the event of a breakdown you want to be prepared and while cel phone coverage seems to be expanding by the day there are still a lot of rural areas where you may not get a signal.

Rule of thumb on the road : Predictability saves lives, yours and others. Signal all turns and lane changes well in advance, don't slam on your brakes if you can avoid it. If somebody's tailgating you, do not touch the brake pedal. They know they're tailgating. Instead, let up on the accelerator and allow the car to coast a bit, reducing speed gradually until the tailgater passes you. If somebody is driving in what you believe to be an unsafe or unpredictable manner, the best place to have them is in front of you with a good space cushion, as that's the area around your car that you have the most control over.

When making a left turn at a busy intersection (ie, having to pause for through traffic), pull out into the middle of the intersection and wait for an opening with your wheels straight. If you get rear ended, it's safer for you and everyone around you if you roll forward instead of into oncoming traffic.

If somebody is ahead of you waiting to make a left turn, wait for that person to execute their turn outside of the intersection and don't try to follow them through, especially if the light is yellow. With that person there you can't see what's coming and a gap that's big enough for them may not be big enough for both of you (or in the event of a yellow light, you may not see that last car trying to squeeze through before the light turns red). Better to wait a minute for the lights to cycle than move without being able to see what's coming.

These are the small things that have kept me accident-free to date. I don't follow all traffic laws religiously, but I do try to practice 'see and be seen'. Knowing where I am in relation to others, being able to accurately predict what they're going to do and allowing them to accurately predict my moves is what keeps me out of those fender benders.

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I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

JumpinJesus

I saw this in the paper yesterday and it seems like a good idea.

In your cell phone contact list, type ICE next to family members' numbers. ICE stands for In Case of Emergency and allows emergency workers to contact family members more quickly if you are in an accident or some other unfortunate situation where you cannot make the call yourself.

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"I can normally tell how intelligent a man is by how stupid he thinks I am" - Cormac McCarthy, All The Pretty Horses

fhqwhgads

Keeping with this train of thought, it's also a good idea to have an emergency contact listed inside your home or office, near the phone.

I had a burglary a few years ago where the people were at work, and someone had kicked in their front door. We had no way of getting a hold of the residents, because even though we knew their names, we had no idea where they worked or how to get a hold of them.

The same for businesses. If someone breaks out the window in the middle of the night, I need to know who to call to come and attend to the business. Many times I'll just start flipping through the Rolodex and start waking people up at 4 in the morning until I find someone who can respond.

It would make things much easier if, near the phone, you'd write "IN CASE OF EMERGENCY" and put your cell number there.

soccerchamp76

Soaking a penny in Coke will clean it (phosphoric acid) and Coke syrup has to be shipped in special chemical containers (again, due to the strong acidity).

Isopropyl, or ethyl, alcohol is a better antiseptic than hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), although alcohol will sting, so be careful.

Pouring salt into boiling water will raise the boiling point of the water slightly and will cook food faster (noodles, etc.).

If you own a computer, and know nothing about them whatsoever, take a few classes on them. Spending over a $1000 on a machine only to ruin it with viruses/spyware is NOT a smart move.


Battery acid (aka 18M Sulfuric acid) is dangerous but can be a lot of fun to play with!

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Brian Griffin: Ah, if my memory serves me, this is the physics department.
Chris Griffin: That would explain all the gravity.

flstf

I was told a long time ago when I just got my driver's license that when entering a freeway and the traffic is backed up to drive all the way to the end of my lane before slowing or stoping to merge. Something about allowing other cars to enter the freeway behind me and not getting backed up in the intersection.

When you think about it, it makes sense. What's the point of stopping to merge as soon as you enter the on ramp, better for everyone to go to the end and merge every other car.

Stiltzkin

Try not to stare at your screen too long without taking breaks. Occasionally look around or get up and walk around. Staring at your screen for too long can cause eye strain and eventually make you near-sighted.

Slavakion

Isopropanol and ethanol are two different alcohols. The former is C₃H₇OH and the latter is C₂H₅OH. The main difference is that ethanol is somewhat safer to consume, since it is the alcohol in alcoholic drinks.

http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/acid.aspSnopes

yellowchef

fhq, since youre a cop right now Im in a house that has hedges all over the front lawn.. they actually are in the way(but not physically blocking) of my view of traffic, we've ordered those traffic mirrors which will help but how do I alert oncoming traffic to me? Better yet how do I convince the homeowner to remove the fucking hedges? I wish she would its soooooooooooo dangerous...

it is a quaint and rather well signed neighborhood that people are backing out.. strictly residential and all but I know that people still dont pay enough attention. I have a tiny white car making it easily missed. I hate those freakin hedges....

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the voices in your head are not real--but they still have some really great ideas.

always remeber you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family. But..you CAN choose the insane asylum where you have them all put away!

soccerchamp76

Yes, isopropyl and ethyl alcohols are different, hence the different names. However, both of them are better to use as an antiseptic than hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).

I never said Coke was harmful to consume, you may have been confused by the Coke SYRUP. The SYRUP is a concentrated liquid that is mixed with carbonated water to make the soda (i.e. fountain soda). Since Coke is acidic , the concentrated syrup has a high acidity.

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Brian Griffin: Ah, if my memory serves me, this is the physics department.
Chris Griffin: That would explain all the gravity.

Slavakion

The way you worded it, it sounded like you were saying they were the same. Oops.
Do you know how concentrated that is? About 0.03 molar. I would feel comfortable washing my hands with that syrup. It's possible that coke syrup is shipped in special hazardous containers, but I doubt it's necessary.

freeload

If you have a lot of oxidized (black) silverware to clean, fill up the sink with hot water, add (a lot) of salt, put a large sheet of aluminum-foil on the bottom and voilla - just throw (gently ) your silverware in the sink at do something else for a few minutes.

(If it smells like rotten eggs you are doing it right )

Just be careful - this wil remove ANY oxidation on silver, including oxidized patters if you have that!

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The future ain't what it used to be.

Jinn

Likewise with ketchup.

__________________
"I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel

todd

Just curious, how come? Even if it's in neutral?

Tusko

"And forte is pronounced FORT not FORTAY."


i believe that is incorrect.


"forte" as in the feminine version of "fort" is pronounced "fort"... "fort" (masculine), pronounce "for"....


however, the anglicized "forte" is correct in being pronounced "fortay"... why? English bastardization. We do that. It happens with many, many a word.