The Lounge

so yeah, i left these forums a few months ago unannounced. i don't know why, but i go through phases of wanting to think and not wanting to think, and i think it correlates with the school year. well, i'm back, for a while anyway. sorry for leaving without saying anything... oh well

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." George W. Bush, at the signing ceremony for a $417 billion defense spending bill, 8/5/04.

Great article at Aerospace America Online about SpaceShipOne. Lots of technical detail, which I've found to be generally hard to find, about the ship's unique design (even the Wikipedia article is skimpy). http://www.aiaa.org/aerospace/Article.cfm?issuetocid=446&ArchiveIssueID=46 It's interesting to compare how remarkably different their flight profiles are from, say, the early Mercury suborbital missions. Rutan & Co'ss choices have been so astonishingly different from conventional wisdom that they could be said to be completely re-writing the way in which we think about space travel. Just to give some examples of that, let's start with the fligh…

Can you reccomend any news tickers that run in a browser? I got Sage for FF but it takes up a lot of space on the side of the screen...

Sorry if you have already seen this but this is jokes: The US government has a new website aimed at preparing its citizens for terrorist attacks. It's another attempt at scare-mongering in the style of the old "duck and cover" advice of WWII. The funny thing is that these pictures are so ambiguous they could mean anything! Here are a few interpretations... If you have set yourself on fire, do not run... If you spot terrorism, blow your anti-terrorism whistle. If you are Vin Diesel, yell really loud. If you spot a terrorist arrow, pin it against the wall with your shoulder If you are sprayed with an unknown substance, s…

Post your favorite expressions that have caused international confusion. The cousin whom I am about to visit is a clone of Hyacinthe on "Keeping Up Appearances". (and you ask why I am only staying a week). One time when I had broken my hand, she sent me a note in which she told me to "Keep my pecker up." I couldn't believe what I was reading from Miss Prim and Proper, 'cause in American slang a "pecker" refers to a strictly male appendage, located below the waist. I wrote her back and said, "Sheesh Liz, I would if I had one." She was quick to inform me that in England, it refers to one's chin. Anybody got any others to contribute?

In police chases you watch on the television machine-- the car is driving very fast away from the police. The car is being reckless------ why? As long as you stay within the main flow of traffic, there's nothing they can do to safely stop you, so why be more unsafe than neccisary? Plus it wastes gas to go so fast. Why speed away? Why not just drive away? And if such a humorous event does occur how long would it take to end it? till the gas runs out? If such a thing has not ever been done, i intend to do it within my lifetime. Easy to instigate--- just cut off a cop, then do stupid crap right in front of him. Once he turns on his lights, start driving safe and nor…

wow i have just heard that you could buy guns on ebay how bad is that one came with a silencer, thats bad they also can be sold to under 18's you buy say a bag and you get a free prizes which is a gun

BOO

I have an interview friday in Arizona! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

anything but, nothing less/more than etc. I would like to know why the following phrases have such meanings: [Maybe it is difficult to explain though :roll: It would be very grateful if you can try to explain] - anything but (= definitely not) Does "anything" mean "everything" here? But anything is used with not, like "I don't have anything". So it seems to mean nothing. I know "But" here is served to mean an exception. - no/nothing less than (=competely, exactly, surely) - no/nothing more than (=only, just) - more often than not (=very usually) Thanks a lot for your help.

Take, get, board, alight (transport) Please correct me if I am wrong. ============================= Usage relating to going into/out of a transport: If going into a public transport Take a bus/taxi Get on [NOT into] a bus/lift; Get into a taxi Board a bus/taxi If going out of a transport Take off a bus/taxi Get off [NOT out of] a bus/lift. Get out of a taxi Alight a bus/taxi ============================= If all are correct, please send a message to confirm. If any mistake, it would be very grateful if you can point it out.

Ten reasons that Hurricane Season is like Christmas: 10. Decorating the house (boarding up windows) 9. Dragging out boxes that haven't been used since last season (camping gear, flashlights) 8. Last minute shopping in crowded stores 7. Regular TV shows are pre-empted for "specials" 6. Family coming to stay with you 5. Family and friends from out-of-state calling 4. Buying food you don't normally buy ... and in large quantities 3. Days off from work 2. Candles And the number one reason Hurricane Season is like Christmas ... 1. At some point you know you're going to have a tree in your house!

I watched a documentary on this Jason fella on the Discovery channel this morning. He was in crypto zoology and was chasing a cabriosaurus I think it was called. I was just wondering if anybody else happened to see this same documentary and if anybody else is interested in crypto zoology?

If you have a good horror story, post it. I'll start: Bush is president.

Do you accept? Encrypted

Hello, I have a question: What is gmail? Encrypted

you said : Encrypted __________________ 32.22.7.11.2.9.42.31.22< and challenge us to decode it ) how about if you read it bacwards and use simple letter numbering reversal too, like Z-1 Y=2 etc... 22= E 22 occurs twice as does the letter E in your nick, but in reverse order, the letter Y is second from the end of the alphabet (hence 2). am I getting close? LOL ) oh yeah, and the letter count adds up too

What are some cool career options in biology? how do i get into them? Evolutionary study of some type is something i'd be specifically interested in, but whatever suggestions you got, i wanna hear

Does anyone have an extra gmail invite they would like to give me please?

What is your favorite source for research? Not just science information, but anything.

Hi, I just would like to know if anyone here has Halo PC. If you do what are you called on multiplayer. I am called abc, thunk! and [M] [)eadly. Pomlom

I started this thread because I have been doing some research on a lot of different PDAs and different handheld computers. I really like the Mac iPods even though it is not technically a nahdheld computer. I have found that Mac only ships to U.S. and that really pisses me off. But anyways I was wondering what type of PDA or handheld some people would reccomend with these features: Task List, Pocket Word, Internet Browser, E-mail, mp3 capability, good amount of max memory, color screen,pocket excel,calender,world clock or just normal clock and alarm,no less then 8 hours of average battery life,contact list and decent processor. Thats about it for now until I think of s…

this is a tangent from this thread: http://www.scienceforums.net/forums/showthread.php?p=85223#post85223 if you move to a country, should you learn the language?

Hello all! I don't know if this is the right place for this tread...(if not the moderator can always move it to the right one!) I created it as a place where we can suggest books of all sciences. For example as I study European and International relations, I'm not familiar with any science but I really feel that I would like to get to know the basics of some (eg. Neuroscience, Phychiatry, Chemistry). Therefore I need some help in order to get to know them! So where do I begin? Is there any book that you would suggest to someone who is just starting her journey in sciences? My suggestion would be the book "The selfish gene" by Richard Dawkins Any o…