The Lounge

So recently, a neighbor's tree blew down and fell onto our fence on the south side of our farm. We found out about it late the next day as we went and checked to see if the fences were ok (as we do after every storm). They didn't call to inform us, nor did they offer even the slightest bit of help with removal of the tree. Legally, we had to remove the tree as it fell on our land. Now, I understand that not everyone can use a chainsaw without getting it stuck, nor do most people know how to properly hitch things to a truck, but anybody can throw limbs and branches out of the way. So, my question to you all is: Would you have helped us move the tree? I hope my po…

This made me laugh. So true:

What type of pen does Nash use when he is writing on the windows throughout the movie? Thanks.

Hi everyone, I'm bored so I just thought I would say so!!! haha:D

Yep, the world will end in 2012 and i have concrete(well plastic actually) proof! mankind was not meant to harness this kind of power, surely we will destroy ourselves and the world in the upcoming spork wars. I for one welcome our new utensil overlords and hope that i can serve them in ways which do not require them to end my life. make the most of the last few earthly years you have.

Nowadays on news we hear about the Iraqi War, swine flu, murders, etc. However we rarely hear about the catastrophe of nuclear weapons. With as many as 30,000 nuclear bombs in the world, how could we sit back and rest? About 30% of nuclear weapons in the world are possessed by the United States. Those numbers must be decreased promptly as possible. Our President Barack Obama has said the following: “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” I believe that the United States should take an action immediately and lead the world. Unfortunately our ancestors are th…

could you explain to me the qualities of carbon nanotubes/

There's been a lot of media attention recently about Jenny McCarthy appearing on Oprah to spread pseudoscience about vaccines to the nation. Well, Amanda Peet has come out against her: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AutismNews/Story?id=5483159&page=1 ...and well, she's so rational and articulate, not to mention well-researched! When the interviewer asks for her opinion on a complex scientific matter, she says "don't ask me, ask the experts!". There's an incredibly lulzy scene with Jenny McCarthy where she cites some numbers (which Peet at least claims are wrong) and then *bam* correlation = causation! I can understand McCarthy's frustration with having an…

According to the article below, 20% of US households now have only cell phones and no "land line". The rate of disconnection has apparently increased, possibly spurred by household cost-cutting reflecting the current economic crisis. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hy364yHuEwLK2alU6lD7DOoYhWtgD98122LO1 I was just curious how many folks here have cut their land lines, or perhaps never had them in the first place.

is it possible to record a set of math equations and turn it to brain waves and imprint it to the brain? i know this might sound crazy but i thought at least if you can't turn it into like sound that the brain can just pick up, can you maybe listen to like something for like a month and after your brain just automatically picks up the information when your sleeping, with a set of headphones. Sorry if this sounds totally crazy hehe i like to think outside of the box.. so inputs on this would be great ?..

Hi there, This thread is similar to one that's been posted already in that I have a website, and am currently looking to fill it with content. The goal behind the site is to allow people to share the knowledge they've gained through their experiences with the world. Most of them are a couple sentences long, and they describe some phenomenon, fallacy, misconception, etymology, or otherwise rare, interesting piece of knowledge. Here's an example from the site: So, I'd like you to post any of yours here. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. If you're having trouble thinking of good examples, just try to think of something that would blow someo…

Any general advice for giving a short scientific/mathematical talk at a conference/meeting etc? I have a 20min talk coming up next week and I have decided to use a mix of Beamer and chalk board. Any words based on experiences welcome. Any good or bad personal experiences giving or listening to a talk? Cheers

Ok, if you're like me, you're inside all day. And with the cost of living skyrocketing, it's becomming harder and more expensive to cool your home in the summer. I have come up with a simple (so simple you'll say "why didn't I think of that") and easy way to remedy this for your room if it's small enough and you have a few dollars to spare. All you need to do is take an aquarium pump and some aquarium tubing from a pet store or big conglomerate store (walmart), and a 6-volt battery if you get the kind that uses batteries like I am. Get a deep bowl, a flower vase works well. Fill the vase with water, and add a tray of ice cubes, just guess, the more ice you use the…

Aren’t banks supposed to check every penny that comes in and comes out ? Yesterday afternoon I went to my bank ( I have been client of it for 13 years ) and I withdrew £ 200. I received 10 notes of £20.Then I took 5 of these notes and I added pocket small change in order to pay my Visa debt ( £ 104 ) in the same bank and then I kept the remaining 5 notes. During the night I went to the mall to buy food. The amount was £ 63.75 and I gave 4 notes of £20 to the cashier. She found out that one of the notes was false and I had to replace it ! I really feel outraged! It is the first time in my entire life that a bank gave me false money ! Since my knowledge on …

Last fall the house next to mine changed hands so now I have new neighbors. They have no children and I would guess they are in their late twenties. They have a cat. This cat has decided that my fenced (7ft tall cedar) back yard, particularly my raised vegetable garden makes a great latrine. So now my back yard is constantly fouled with cat crap. By the way cats do not always burry the crap. I find it on my grass, on top of the dirt, and partially buried. My understanding, confirmed by my local health department, that I shouldn't eat vegetables from a garden where cats crap, so I guess it is flowers this year. For those of you that do not know, cat…

For those interested in music, this is a refreshing perspective. Otherwise, it will probably bore you. For some reason, this almost made me cry. I'm not a fraction of the musician this guy is, but I aspire to be as he writes here: http://www.bostonconservatory.edu/s/940/Bio.aspx?sid=940&gid=1&pgid=1241 An excerpt:

Moderators, I hope you will let this run for a short while here since many of my post are here. Thanks I received a PM from a new member (I will not name) and he said: --------- "Hello, I find you avatar to be annoying. It bothers me. It makes me sick. Could you change it for something really positive, please? I need positive emotions, not irritation. Thanks." --------- I do not want to make anyone sick or annoyed. I thought it was funny and now I am just used to it and my post are easy to find. Is it time to step on the ant?

if you keep scratiching an itch would that mean you have some sort of skin iritation

Anyone?

Hey - has anybody else heard of this? is it for real? Belarusian military develops faster-than-light communications 7 Apr, 05:33 PM Military scientists have held a seminar at the Belarusian Military Academy on the defensive uses of torsion waves including the possibility of sending military information faster than the speed of light, the http://www.mosnews.com reports, citing the Belarusian Defense Ministry press service. Attendees discussed the theoretical application of torsion waves, as well as results of experimentation in that field and the possibility of creating a torsion field generator.

http://thesciencenetwork.org/programs/beyond-belief-candles-in-the-dark/sam-harris-1 In the video, Sam Harris makes the argument that science can be utilized to determine right from wrong, to determine modes of thought that will be a maximum for human flourishing. Do you think that science will someday be able to determine the best moral codes for human societies?

I must admit that I find that people use these words interchangeably and I am not trying to be pedantic but I just wondered when people get confused about the words: "loose" and "lose"? This is not the same as the words "practice" and "practise" which are pronounced in the same way. Any other examples where folks get a bit "discombobulated?" Oh hell! I'm competing with a Thread about sex...I guess I'll just return to the "Pedantic Review"

Allergists (also called spammers) are medical doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of swollen wallets. They treat people with conditions such as gullibility, naivete, rube syndrome, sniffles, and stupidity. manhattan allergist are specialize in treating just these certain types of conditions, such as inflated bank accounts, or they may specialize in treating people in certain age groups, such as geriatric allergists, who rip off old people. As more is misunderstood about immune system disorders, allergists scam a broader range of conditions caused by playing on a patient's fears.

New contest, First Person to Lock this Topic Wins!!!!

Ok I was just wondering if Muhammad Ali (G.O.A.T) ever fought Rocky Marciano (The Brockton Blockbuster), both at their peaks, who would have come out victorious? Muhammad Ali Career: Total fights 61 Wins 56 Wins by KO 37 Losses 5 Draws 0 No contests 0 (Source: Wikipedia) Rocky Marciano Career: Total fights 49 Wins 49 Wins by KO 43 Losses 0 Draws 0 No contests 0 (Source: Wikipedia) I personally think that Ali would have owned Marciano, He was fast, he was ring intellegent and he would have psyched out marciano before he had even entered the ring with…