Inara: You don't have to die alone. Mal: Everybody dies alone.

'Out Of Gas'


Natter 67: Overriding Vetoes  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, nail polish, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


Allyson - Mar 22, 2011 8:55:37 am PDT #29573 of 30001
Wait, is this real-world child support, where the money goes to buy food for the kids, or MRA fantasyland child support where the women just buy Ferraris and cocaine? -Jessica

I'm trying to find the origin of this legend:

Once upon a time, there was a big truck stuck under a bridge. It was too big to clear the bridge, and woe, the traffic backed up for miles as engineers of great expertise tried in vain to find a way to raise the bridge.

And then, a tiny voice emerges from the back of a station wagon, and a five year old child asks, "Why not just let the air out of the tires?"

And the moral of the story is engineers are stupid. I think.

Has everyone heard this? Where does it come from? Google is being bitchy about giving me any clue.


§ ita § - Mar 22, 2011 8:56:51 am PDT #29574 of 30001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

"See? Eating all those vegetables will kill you!"

I am feeling pretty vindicated about my life choices right about now, to be honest.


Connie Neil - Mar 22, 2011 8:57:09 am PDT #29575 of 30001
brillig

I've heard that story, but it's not a cute, wise child that comes up with the answer, it's an engineer who comes up with it. With the moral being that "smart people will get it fixed when everyone else is standing around with slack jaws."


Polter-Cow - Mar 22, 2011 8:57:30 am PDT #29576 of 30001
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!

And then, a tiny voice emerges from the back of a station wagon, and a five year old child asks, "Why not just let the air out of the tires?"

I've heard this as a brainteaser, I think.


Ginger - Mar 22, 2011 8:57:52 am PDT #29577 of 30001
"It didn't taste good. It tasted soooo horrible. It tasted like....a vodka martini." - Matilda

I probably do eat about that much spinach in a year.

Even if you did and it was all contaminated, that would mean you had the exposure that is safe for plant workers to receive every year, year after year, and nuclear plant workers on average live somewhat longer than the general population. (That's probably because of the selection process of needing to be fairly bright and physically active, not because of the magic of radiation.)


Burrell - Mar 22, 2011 8:57:58 am PDT #29578 of 30001
Why did Darth Vader cross the road? To get to the Dark Side!

Run. My mother spent the last eight years or so of my father's life getting up at 4 a.m.; changing the sheets; changing his diapers; moving him to his chair; and setting up lunch and drinks for him. Then she worked for 8 hours; came home; changed his diapers; made dinner; and washed his clothes and the sheets. She was hurt more than once trying to support his weight to get him from room to room in the house and to doctor appointments.

Hmm, not sure if this comment was directed at me or at Suela, but since you're quoting me, I will just say I don't need your mother's experience to go by, I can go by my own. I took care of my own mother for 7 years along with my husband and my brother. And it was much like you describe above, minus the bad temper as my mother was the sweetest dementia patient the world has ever known. Seriously.


Tom Scola - Mar 22, 2011 8:58:26 am PDT #29579 of 30001
Mr. Scola’s wardrobe by Botany 500

Has everyone heard this?

It was a cliche when I was in grade school.


Polter-Cow - Mar 22, 2011 8:59:12 am PDT #29580 of 30001
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!

To reach the exposure allowed annually for power plant workers, you'd have to eat 41 pounds of spinach.

So that's where Popeye's superpowers come from.


Jesse - Mar 22, 2011 9:00:53 am PDT #29581 of 30001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

Have I talked here about The Poisoner's Handbook? It's a crazy book about, um, poison, but one of my favorite things is how nearly any newly-discovered poison got turned into a beauty treatment, before they realized it was poison. Radioactive stuff was supposed to be good for you! And give your skin a luminous glow. Um, OK. Also, Marie Curie carried radium around in her skirt pocket! And died of radiation poisoning...


Ginger - Mar 22, 2011 9:03:21 am PDT #29582 of 30001
"It didn't taste good. It tasted soooo horrible. It tasted like....a vodka martini." - Matilda

Burrell, I was thinking generally and certainly don't want to minimize anyone's experience. I don't think I could do what you did or my mother did and I'm in awe of people like you.