[Doc HM]

Originally Posted by andi*pandi 

Expensive.

Or unobtainable. (again) in the UK, once you're flooded that's it for about 50 years. NO flood insurance.

The government here has had to create a central insurance scheme that the insurance companies pay into which allows them to offer insurance at somewhat affordable rates, it took a while though. And I guess in America this kind of socialiased government scheme would be shouted down.

[ghporter]

The current round of flooding is massively beyond what has been experienced there in decades, perhaps in generations. I know people with family in that area; neighborhoods OUTSIDE of any recognized flood plane area were hit extremely hard. It's not about being unaware of flood dangers, but rather about how changes in drainage (due to higher water tables, and maybe even higher sea levels) have outpaced the ability of anyone to predict flooding.

This isn't like living on the slopes of Vesuvius, where you KNOW the lava is going to wipe out your place on the side of the volcano.

[subego]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

This isn't like living on the slopes of Vesuvius, where you KNOW the lava is going to wipe out your place on the side of the volcano.

Phun Phact™: before getting buried under lava, you get to suffocate from the rolling cloud of poison gas.

[BadKosh]

Why do so many SUV drivers drive like DICKS? Passing on the right shoulder, no turn signals, left turns on red while going through the people in the walkway, n stuff. I've seen about enough of this shit in the last 3 weeks. ALWAYS a MARYLAND DRIVER.

[subego]

It was a long time ago, but when I lived in Boston, turn signals were clearly optional on all sizes of cars.

Maybe it's a New England thing.

[mindwaves]

Originally Posted by mindwaves 

I am transitioning from shipping at Gap to H&M. I have never bought long pants from HM before, only shirts. I went there to buy long pants and could only find them in skinny and slim styles. Why? I'm not skinny enough to fit in one of those comfortably and I'm not that fat either. Some regular fit jeans would fit me just fine. And even if I was that skinny enough, I wouldn't want something that clings to my skin.

Ok, went to GAP and 80% of their pants are also the slim/skinny style!!! Argh!! I decided to buy one slim pants and one straight cut pants and the slim pants are not as bad as I had expected. They are made of some different material. I actually want some pants that is between a slim and straight (straight makes me look fat, haha) made out of a material that the slim pants are made of.

[mindwaves]

Been watching a lot of rural Indians (as in India) cooking food using traditional methods. Of course, they eat with their hands with a lot of rice.

Question: Do Indians in other countries (such as in the US) eat at home (or in an Indian restaurant) with their hands?

[ajprice]

Why does the sound of running water make you want to pee?

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by BadKosh 

Why do so many SUV drivers drive like DICKS? Passing on the right shoulder, no turn signals, left turns on red while going through the people in the walkway, n stuff. I've seen about enough of this shit in the last 3 weeks. ALWAYS a MARYLAND DRIVER.

SOME SUV (and large truck) drivers appear to believe that their large vehicles give them license to do stupid stuff "because they can." I personally believe that many of them purchase such large vehicles because their own "vehicle" (as it were ) is insufficient. (On that note, I've been a Honda driver for decades... And my own SUV is a BMW X3 that seems to be way too small in the eyes of those large vehicle drivers.)

Like bad bicyclists, these bad LVDs (Large Vehicle Drivers) get our attention and generate the impression that "all" LVDs are alike. Which is wrong. But the bad ones are very effective at generating this impression.

There's another group of LVDs that needs attention: small females. They seem to drive such vehicles "because they're safer," but unfortunately they demonstrate pretty poor driving skills. And the impression that larger vehicles are "safer" is merely misinterpreting the data: larger vehicles are involved in MORE accidents in urban/suburban traffic (maybe due to sheer numbers), and in those accidents, they simply come out less borked up than the cars they impact.

Related note:

[subego]

I hate cyclists way more than drivers.

But I hate drivers too... and pedestrians for that matter.

[andi*pandi]

Originally Posted by mindwaves 

Been watching a lot of rural Indians (as in India) cooking food using traditional methods. Of course, they eat with their hands with a lot of rice.

Question: Do Indians in other countries (such as in the US) eat at home (or in an Indian restaurant) with their hands?

I don't have a lot of experience, but a friend of a friend did eat using the naan as sort of a utensil, and her fingers.

[Doc HM]

Originally Posted by subego 

It was a long time ago, but when I lived in Boston, turn signals were clearly optional on all sizes of cars.

Maybe it's a New England thing.

So when in the UK did undertaking on the motorway stop being a dick move. Because it sure seems to be almost universally practised now!

Originally Posted by subego 

and pedestrians for that matter.

Even when they're sitting down...?

[mindwaves]

Ok, I work often travel to a foreign country where there are many women who are Muslims who wear the "traditional Muslim garb." By that, I mean jeans or a dress with some headscarf and some sort of hair bang.

And forgive my ignorance, but it was my understanding that women must/want to wear it because it is more conservative? I see the same women wear hot pink scarfs, many sparkling trinkets in their headscarfs, and high heels, and even stilettos (saw once). So I suppose they just need to cover up, but can adorn themselves with whatever they want?

[Waragainstsleep]

Originally Posted by mindwaves 

Ok, I work often travel to a foreign country where there are many women who are Muslims who wear the "traditional Muslim garb." By that, I mean jeans or a dress with some headscarf and some sort of hair bang.

And forgive my ignorance, but it was my understanding that women must/want to wear it because it is more conservative? I see the same women wear hot pink scarfs, many sparkling trinkets in their headscarfs, and high heels, and even stilettos (saw once). So I suppose they just need to cover up, but can adorn themselves with whatever they want?

I think it depends what their husbands or fathers or church leaders will let them get away with, but essentially as long as they cover up I think they are often allowed lots of leeway with accessories.

[P]

There is about as much variation in traditions between different Muslim communities as there is between different Christian communities. In countries like Iran there are laws about it, but many other Muslim-majority countries let people do as they wish. In many cases, the old habits have developed gradually with some influences from Western fashion into what you see now - more or less the same way ankle-length skirts got shorter over time.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by mindwaves 

And forgive my ignorance, but it was my understanding that women must/want to wear it because it is more conservative? I see the same women wear hot pink scarfs, many sparkling trinkets in their headscarfs, and high heels, and even stilettos (saw once). So I suppose they just need to cover up, but can adorn themselves with whatever they want?

It's more about covering the hair than it is about appearing conservative.

[mindwaves]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

It's more about covering the hair than it is about appearing conservative.

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I suppose that this is the case.

[Waragainstsleep]

Yes, its about covering up. Because muslim men can't help but rape a woman if they see her hair or ankles. Anything except eyes and hands in fact. And even then she should probably have a bodyguard if she wants to leave the house.

[el chupacabra]

Whats with this new age trend to wear bright colored shoes that clash with the rest of your clothes? I see people wearing these shoes looking like they were spray painted with 80's neon paint. Is it just a new way to get noticed in an ever more crowded world, like a coral reef fish?

[sek929]

80s nostalgia shit is huge right now, personally i hate those garish shoes.

[mindwaves]

Not sure if I've seen that before, but I like seeing a lady wearing a plain dress with bright red or blue flats.

[Waragainstsleep]

High waisted, late 80s trousers are back with a vengeance too.

[mindwaves]

Random, interesting link:

Too much heat in the kitchen increases risk of heart disease - CNN.com

[subego]

Do languages which read right to left have timelines which go right to left?

[Waragainstsleep]

And were they invented by left handed people?

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Originally Posted by subego 

Do languages which read right to left have timelines which go right to left?

Yes for Hebrew. Would assume others are the same....

[el chupacabra]

I was reminded of a gay conundrum recently; I saw 2 gay women, one was the "husband" who had cut her hair short and you could tell was sort of a bodybuilder, trying to look like a man. Nothing unusual there. So the question is, why would a gay woman want a woman who tries to look like a man? Why not just go for the real thing? Isnt the whole point that you're not attracted to men and are attracted to women?

[osiris]

Originally Posted by el chupacabra 

I was reminded of a gay conundrum recently; I saw 2 gay women, one was the "husband" who had cut her hair short and you could tell was sort of a bodybuilder, trying to look like a man. Nothing unusual there. So the question is, why would a gay woman want a woman who tries to look like a man? Why not just go for the real thing? Isnt the whole point that you're not attracted to men and are attracted to women?

I think lesbians just don't care for the penisy part, and I guess our personalities. Underneath that gay woman's tough exterior is still a woman fwiw

[subego]

Most lesbians seem fine with proxy wieners.

[Chongo]

Originally Posted by el chupacabra 

I was reminded of a gay conundrum recently; I saw 2 gay women, one was the "husband" who had cut her hair short and you could tell was sort of a bodybuilder, trying to look like a man. Nothing unusual there. So the question is, why would a gay woman want a woman who tries to look like a man? Why not just go for the real thing? Isnt the whole point that you're not attracted to men and are attracted to women?

Originally Posted by osiris 

I think lesbians just don't care for the penisy part, and I guess our personalities. Underneath that gay woman's tough exterior is still a woman fwiw

Originally Posted by subego 

Most lesbians seem fine with proxy wieners.

Jenner said "no interest in men" That sound like the guy I saw on Sally Jesse Raphael who claims he had a sex change so he could be a lesbian.

[subego]

Where does my coffee can of nails end up after I'm dead?

[mindwaves]

Why are you many men's urinals so close to the floor as opposed to close to the waist? It presents many splashing opportunities... It isn't that hard to make a urinal. It is one of the simplest things to make.

[Waragainstsleep]

Originally Posted by subego 

Where does my coffee can of nails end up after I'm dead?

In your coffin to make sure you can't get out.

[osiris]

Originally Posted by subego 

Where does my coffee can of nails end up after I'm dead?

All coffee cans of nails go to heaven.

[subego]

Originally Posted by mindwaves 

Why are you many men's urinals so close to the floor as opposed to close to the waist? It presents many splashing opportunities... It isn't that hard to make a urinal. It is one of the simplest things to make.

Short people.

[Cap'n Tightpants]

^^ "... got no reason to live?"

I guess they're expected to use the tall ones as fountains?

[subego]

Face bidet.

[Demonhood]

Originally Posted by el chupacabra 

I was reminded of a gay conundrum recently; I saw 2 gay women, one was the "husband" who had cut her hair short and you could tell was sort of a bodybuilder, trying to look like a man. Nothing unusual there. So the question is, why would a gay woman want a woman who tries to look like a man? Why not just go for the real thing? Isnt the whole point that you're not attracted to men and are attracted to women?

It doesn't quite work that way. You're framing it in traditional husband/wife terms. If a woman has short hair and a muscular build, it doesn't mean she wants to look like a man. Nor does it mean she wants to be a man. She could be genderqueer. Maybe she just wants to look however the hell she wants, without preconceptions about gender. It's dangerous to apply our "well, a woman looks THIS way" bias and not come across poorly.

And just because she's with another woman, doesn't mean she's what people might traditionally think of as gay. People are attracted to what they're attracted to. Sometimes its a strong personality, regardless of gender.

[osiris]

Originally Posted by subego 

Face bidet.

AKA water fountain in the bathroom

[el chupacabra]

What does it mean if you cant focus on a particular color? I cant see writing very well when it's in red. Especially when on a white background, red writing on a white background looks chinese to me. I cant read it. Is this normal?

[Paco500]

Originally Posted by el chupacabra 

What does it mean if you cant focus on a particular color? I cant see writing very well when it's in red. Especially when on a white background, red writing on a white background looks chinese to me. I cant read it. Is this normal?

Not normal at all. You probably have cancer.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by mindwaves 

Why are you many men's urinals so close to the floor as opposed to close to the waist? It presents many splashing opportunities... It isn't that hard to make a urinal. It is one of the simplest things to make.

Kids.

[Waragainstsleep]

Actually having urinals higher up can cause more splashing but it tends to be a very fine mist and goes unseen against the most common backdrops of white or stainless steel. Hold a sheet of tissue paper up nearby and you'll see what I mean. When the stream has a downward trajectory, the splash angle gives far less horizontal momentum to the splash back so the vast majority of it hits the floor or your shoes before it splashes back far enough to reach your trousers.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

I don't even

[el chupacabra]

Originally Posted by Paco500 

Not normal at all. You probably have cancer.

Heh, you wish. Although it's probably coming for me sooner or later w the amount of drugs I ingest.
I've heard from a news camera man that red conflicts in some filming settings, I wonder if it's related.

[subego]

Originally Posted by el chupacabra 

What does it mean if you cant focus on a particular color? I cant see writing very well when it's in red. Especially when on a white background, red writing on a white background looks chinese to me. I cant read it. Is this normal?

Has it always been that way?

[el chupacabra]

Si Si

[subego]

That might actually be mild dyslexia.

[mindwaves]

How to the people in the Middle East, those that wear the really white robes and sit on the ground or a mat on the ground, keep their clothes so clean? I would think that white would not be a good choice....