Life's great mysteries (things that make NO sense)

[phinds]

 

[Ivan Seeking]

338 people in the US died preventable [or mostly preventable] deaths from Covid yesterday.

 

[phinds]

338 people in the US died preventable deaths from Covid yesterday.

But apparently that makes perfectly good sense to the tens of millions of anti-vaxers in the US. As Ron White says, "you can't fix stupid"

On the other hand:

 

[Ivan Seeking]

But apparently that makes perfectly good sense to the tens of millions of anti-vaxers in the US. As Ron White says, "you can't fix stupid"

On the other hand:
View attachment 286050

For the last 5+ years I've felt like Dorothy: "Toto, ... we're not in Kansas anymore"

 

[Twigg]

Today in life's great mysteries:

Am I just a fool with a ground loop, or does the vacuum field oscillate at 60Hz?

 

[phinds]

Today in life's great mysteries:

Am I just a fool with a ground loop, or does the vacuum field oscillate at 60Hz?

SO ... you think that in the entire universe for all time the vacuum field is set to what in very recent times we humans decided to use as the frequency for our AC power? Sure. Just go with that.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

or does the vacuum field oscillate at 60Hz?

Now THAT would be funny!

 

[sysprog]

If they have cheesed me off, I mail the reply envelope back, empty.

When I was a grad student, a bank literally littered thousands of credit cars apps on the campus. Some other students and I picked them all up, and mailed all the BRMs back to them. It must have cost them thousands.

Abbie Hoffman in his '71 book "Steal This Book" advocated attaching any BRM envelope or card to a brick or whatever heavy thing and mailing that to inflict punitive mailing costs.

 

[Twigg]

SO ... you think that in the entire universe for all time the vacuum field is set to what in very recent times we humans decided to use as the frequency for our AC power? Sure. Just go with that.

This reminds me of a quote. Some atomic physicist said the rubidium atom was "God's gift to atomic physics" because there's a major transition at 780nm, and 780nm diode lasers are widely available because they were used to read CD's. Hmmmm...

 

[Keith_McClary]

The potentillas in the "hedge" were bought from a nursery. The one in the foreground just grew there.

 

[Leo Liu]

I'll open with this: Touch screens in cars.

Who decided that this was a good idea? Particularly when the touch screen also controls the radio?

Come on, nowadays even the panels in spaceships have touchscreens.

 

[phinds]

Come on, nowadays even the panels in spaceships have touchscreens.

How often does the spaceship in front of you slam on its brakes all of a sudden?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

How often does the spaceship in front of you slam on its breaks all of a sudden?

You have to watch the ones with the warning on the bumper: Caution! Student Astronaut.

 

[Tom.G]

Touch screens in cars.

Come on, nowadays even the panels in spaceships have touchscreens.

How often does the spaceship in front of you slam on its breaks all of a sudden?

(bold added)

Slightly strange wording but...Perfect!

 

[phinds]

Slightly strange wording but...Perfect!

Fixed. Thanks. When typing on my computer, autocomplete is my worse enema.

 

[Tom.G]

Fixed. Thanks.

Spoil sport!

 

[Stephen Tashi]

This is an open discussion for people to voice their thoughts on things which just make no sense to them. And for others to possibly elucidate for them to help them understand.

Why is wood filler sold in tubs whose tops don't seal well?

 

[phinds]

Why is wood filler sold in tubs whose tops don't seal well?

So you'll have to buy more sooner.

 

[Keith_McClary]

Why is wood filler sold in tubs whose tops don't seal well?

They used to be, but they had complaints from people who had trouble opening or re-closing them.

 

[jack action]

How often does the spaceship in front of you slam on its brakes all of a sudden?

I see someone has been watching Spaceballs:

​

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Every time I hear someone in a movie or TV program refer to time-space I have to cringe. Who did that??

It is space-time not time-space

Time-Space is a time share in Florida.

 

[DaveC426913]

Every time I hear someone in a movie or TV program refer to time-space I have to cringe. Who did that??

It is space-time not time-space

Reported for being spacist.

"In a spacist society, it is not enough to be non-spacist. We must be pro-timeist."

 

[berkeman]

It is space-time not time-space

Well, technically it's still wrong with a hyphen...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacetime

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Well, technically it's still wrong with a hyphen...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacetime

Space-time, in physical science, single concept that recognizes the union of space and time, first proposed by the mathematician Hermann Minkowski in 1908 as a way to reformulate Albert Einstein’s special theory of relativity (1905).
https://www.britannica.com/science/space-time

 

[berkeman]

1908

(1905)

That is so 30 seconds ago...

 

[Ivan Seeking]

That is so 30 seconds ago...

You must be older than I thought...?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Why does a left refrigerator handle go on the right?

 

[Tom.G]

Why does a left refrigerator handle go on the right?

Because that side in unhinged.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I've gone practically unhinged thinking about this, that's for sure.

 

[Twigg]

Why do so many physics departments have excellent machine shops and so few have passable electronics shops? I don't think I know anyone in research who needs mechanical parts more often than they need circuits.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Why do so many physics departments have excellent machine shops and so few have passable electronics shops? I don't think I know anyone in research who needs mechanical parts more often than they need circuits.

They have had an extra 150 years to have machine shops.

 

[Keith_McClary]

Because that side in unhinged.

How do I determine door handing?​

To figure out which handing you need for a handleset with interior lever or non-turning levers, stand outside the door. From this position, the door will open away from you. Now notice where the hinges are. If they’re on the left, you will need a left hand lever. If the hinges are the on the right, you will need a right hand lever.

 

[jtbell]

Have you ever noticed that the people who run college football conferences have apparently forgotten how to count?

My own favorite, the Big Ten, actually has 14 teams, after adding 4 new teams beginning in 1990.

And the Big 12 now has 10 teams, but will drop to 8 after Texas and Oklahoma bolt to the SEC (announced today).

Maybe the Big Ten will steal Iowa State and Kansas from the Big 12. Then they can rebrand themselves as the Sweet Sixteen.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Have you ever noticed that the people who run college football conferences have apparently forgotten how to count?

My own favorite, the Big Ten, actually has 14 teams, after adding 4 new teams beginning in 1990.

Most of them are failed computer science majors. They count in base 14

 

[jrmichler]

I just received a solid steel drill chuck that arrived in a nice plastic container. The label on the front side is self explanatory:

There is another label on the opposite side:

How does a solid steel chuck cause cancer in California? It was not even coated with preservative oil.

 

[phinds]

How does a solid steel chuck cause cancer in California? It was not even coated with preservative oil.

Manufacturers have given up trying to guess what products might run afoul of CA's strict labeling requirements, so everything that is ever sold in CA gets that kind of label. It has become meaningless, as you noticed.

 

[berkeman]

I just received a solid steel drill chuck that arrived in a nice plastic container. The label on the front side is self explanatory:
View attachment 287150
There is another label on the opposite side:
View attachment 287151
How does a solid steel chuck cause cancer in California? It was not even coated with preservative oil.

Maybe the plastic packaging? I have no clue. I do know that we were required to put such notices into our electronics product boxes over the last few years, but I have no clue why.

 

[Mondayman]

Manufacturers have given up trying to guess what products might run afoul of CA's strict labeling requirements, so everything that is ever sold in CA gets that kind of label. It has become meaningless, as you noticed.

I work in a furniture warehouse in Canada. We receive couches made of cows, trees, and perhaps a tad of vinyl from Italy, China, Vietnam, all with "This may cause cancer in California" warnings. Ridiculous.

 

[Keith_McClary]

I just received a solid steel drill chuck that arrived in a nice plastic container. The label on the front side is self explanatory:
View attachment 287150
There is another label on the opposite side:
View attachment 287151
How does a solid steel chuck cause cancer in California? It was not even coated with preservative oil.

This is the generic "short form" warning:
https://www.p65warnings.ca.gov/warn...h-listed-carcinogen-and-reproductive-toxicant
"By requiring that this information be provided, Proposition 65 enables Californians to make informed decisions about their exposures to these chemicals."

 

[256bits]

I just received a solid steel drill chuck that arrived in a nice plastic container. The label on the front side is self explanatory:
View attachment 287150
There is another label on the opposite side:
View attachment 287151
How does a solid steel chuck cause cancer in California? It was not even coated with preservative oil.

https://www.metalsdepot.com/assets/files/Page-Editor-Files/MetalsDepotSDS-Steel-2018.pdf

Nickel, cobalt, ... realistically its the contamination from additives that are in steel.
Not the iron or carbon that should be fairly safe to chew on.
But these compounds iron for example can be toxic to fish .

 

[Tom.G]

..."informed decisions"...

Living in California, I must say that many (most?) such labels are decidedly lacking in the "info" aspect.

I work in a furniture warehouse in Canada. We receive couches made of cows, trees, and perhaps a tad of vinyl from Italy, China, Vietnam, all with "This may cause cancer in California" warnings. Ridiculous.

In spite of the above, wood is often treated or processed with some nasty stuff, especially wood referred to as "wood product."

The vinyl is on the Prop. 65 list as "Vinyl chloride" with the "Type of Toxicity" being "cancer."

The 22 page PDF of the Proposition 65 chemicals is at:
https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/proposition-65/p65list12182020.pdf

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Bystander]

Living in California, I must say that many (most?) such labels are decidedly lacking in the "info" aspect.

Big +1.

 

[jack action]

 

[Mondayman]

In spite of the above, wood is often treated or processed with some nasty stuff, especially wood referred to as "wood product."

The vinyl is on the Prop. 65 list as "Vinyl chloride" with the "Type of Toxicity" being "cancer."

The 22 page PDF of the Proposition 65 chemicals is at:
https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/proposition-65/p65list12182020.pdf

Cheers,
Tom

I know about wood, but I never knew that about vinyl. Makes me fear for my safety. Good thing I'm leaving my job to join the infantry.

 

[berkeman]

The 22 page PDF of the Proposition 65 chemicals is at:
https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/proposition-65/p65list12182020.pdf

Interesting, thanks for the list. Do you know why some of the chemicals have been "Delisted"? Was the original study data that got them listed later discredited or something?

 

[Jarvis323]

I work in a furniture warehouse in Canada. We receive couches made of cows, trees, and perhaps a tad of vinyl from Italy, China, Vietnam, all with "This may cause cancer in California" warnings. Ridiculous.

It's usually the foam, flame retardents, and coatings, that people are concerned with.

https://time.com/4462892/couch-cancer-flame-retardants/

 

[Tom.G]

Interesting, thanks for the list. Do you know why some of the chemicals have been "Delisted"? Was the original study data that got them listed later discredited or something?

Various reasons, for instance:
..original entity classifying as carcinogenic changed their classification;

..Chlorsulfuron was added to the list on May 14, 1999, based on its formal identification by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), an authoritative body2, as causing reproductive toxicity. On November 18, 2013, U.S. EPA concluded that there is no compelling evidence of reproductive toxicity for chlorsulfuron3.

List of 768 delisted items and the reason for each is at:
https://oehha.ca.gov/serp?search=delisted

Have fun reading them,
Tom

 

[Hornbein]

A guide service sold trips to the top of K2 in winter. Winter was unpopular so to attract climbers the trips were half price.

You can guess what subsequently happened.

 

[Bystander]

The "Watchman" ad, barefoot gallop along a dock/pier by an elderly gent barely missing rusty, badly driven crooked nail-heads.

..., and, now with an elderly female; got to stay woke...same crooked, rusty nail-heads.

 

[SimplePrimate]

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