Questions you want answered.

Minarchist wrote:

I've been pondering this quite a bit myself, lately (so much so that my wife leaves the room whenever I mention it...or maybe that isn't related). I think we may have to create a new word to express what the modern colloquial lexicon describes as "irony".

ironic??

mystrymaster wrote:
Minarchist wrote:

I've been pondering this quite a bit myself, lately (so much so that my wife leaves the room whenever I mention it...or maybe that isn't related). I think we may have to create a new word to express what the modern colloquial lexicon describes as "irony".

ironic?? :)

Nah, she pretty much leaves the room whenever I start talking...I think it's a Pavlovian response I've conditioned in her.

I happened upon some TV show this morning that was asking people to send text messages to a specific number to respond to a poll. The question was something about whether or not we should disarm North Korea. You could text a 1 for yes, 2 for no or a 3 for "i don't know".

At the time I saw it, 28% of the people had voted "I don't know".

MY question is; who does that? Who sits down and actively decides to spend their time and money answering a TV poll with "I don't know"? If you don't have an opinion, why would you take the time to make sure that everyone else knows that?

Because 28% of people who can be bothered to answer telephone polls are sarcastic asses.

Minarchist wrote:
mystrymaster wrote:
Minarchist wrote:

I've been pondering this quite a bit myself, lately (so much so that my wife leaves the room whenever I mention it...or maybe that isn't related). I think we may have to create a new word to express what the modern colloquial lexicon describes as "irony".

ironic?? :)

Nah, she pretty much leaves the room whenever I start talking...I think it's a Pavlovian response I've conditioned in her. :lol:

LOL I need to work on that

Serengeti wrote:

I happened upon some TV show this morning that was asking people to send text messages to a specific number to respond to a poll. The question was something about whether or not we should disarm North Korea. You could text a 1 for yes, 2 for no or a 3 for "i don't know".

At the time I saw it, 28% of the people had voted "I don't know".

MY question is; who does that? Who sits down and actively decides to spend their time and money answering a TV poll with "I don't know"? If you don't have an opinion, why would you take the time to make sure that everyone else knows that?

joiners :dunno:

Serengeti wrote:

MY question is; who does that? Who sits down and actively decides to spend their time and money answering a TV poll with "I don't know"? If you don't have an opinion, why would you take the time to make sure that everyone else knows that?

Bored housewives, in between stints of, uh, "compensating" the poolboy?

It could just be that we've conditioned people to feel like it's their civic duty to vote, regardless of if they're well-informed or not (God help us...). Maybe that spilling over into more mundane questions.

Minarchist wrote:
Serengeti wrote:

MY question is; who does that? Who sits down and actively decides to spend their time and money answering a TV poll with "I don't know"? If you don't have an opinion, why would you take the time to make sure that everyone else knows that?

Bored housewives, in between stints of, uh, "compensating" the poolboy?

It could just be that we've conditioned people to feel like it's their civic duty to vote, regardless of if they're well-informed or not (God help us...). Maybe that spilling over into more mundane questions.

I'm a special and unique snowflake. My thoughts count, regardless of whether or not I actually managed to actually think. Now count my lack of thought!
/sarcasm

RedJen wrote:

I'm a special and unique snowflake. My thoughts count, regardless of whether or not I actually managed to actually think. Now count my lack of thought!
/sarcasm

This is sadly, more or less accurate. Some people just want to feel included even if they have no idea what is going on.

I don't understand what you guys are talking about.

Alright so my question,

Why is it that on days I am ready to work, not just get by, I have nothing to do, but Days I am not really in the mood to go balls deep, I am swallowed by work.

**Puns intended**

mystrymaster wrote:

Alright so my question,

Why is it that on days I am ready to work, not just get by, I have nothing to do, but Days I am not really in the mood to go balls deep, I am swallowed by work.

**Puns intended**

Sounds like you're working the wrong street corner?

LobsterMobster wrote:

We are frequently reminded that people misuse the word "irony." Alanis Morrisette's "Ironic" song contains a string of unfortunate coincidences, and none of them are actually ironic. This abuse of the word formed a running gag in an episode of Futurama. The generally accepted definition of irony is a statement or situation in which there is a disconnect between the explicit and implicit meaning; what is said is not what is meant. It gets kind of murky when you get into dramatic/cosmic/situational irony, in which the nature of a situation is other than it would seem.

So my question is, what word do you use for those particularly fitting, unexpected events? When we misuse "ironic," what word should we be using? I've heard recommendations of "coincidence," and "hypocrisy," and even just general "misfortune," but it strikes me that if any of these words were adequate we wouldn't have needed to usurp "ironic."

Sometimes it's poetic justice. Sometimes it's karma. Sometimes the universe has a sense of humor.

muttonchop wrote:

I don't understand what you guys are talking about.

Irony?

Quintin_Stone wrote:
LobsterMobster wrote:

We are frequently reminded that people misuse the word "irony." Alanis Morrisette's "Ironic" song contains a string of unfortunate coincidences, and none of them are actually ironic. This abuse of the word formed a running gag in an episode of Futurama. The generally accepted definition of irony is a statement or situation in which there is a disconnect between the explicit and implicit meaning; what is said is not what is meant. It gets kind of murky when you get into dramatic/cosmic/situational irony, in which the nature of a situation is other than it would seem.

So my question is, what word do you use for those particularly fitting, unexpected events? When we misuse "ironic," what word should we be using? I've heard recommendations of "coincidence," and "hypocrisy," and even just general "misfortune," but it strikes me that if any of these words were adequate we wouldn't have needed to usurp "ironic."

Sometimes it's poetic justice. Sometimes it's karma. Sometimes the universe has a sense of humor.

I think "poetic justice" is pretty close to what I'm looking for, except that it's a bit of a clumsy term and sometimes there's no "justice" to it. If you drown in the swimming pool of an ocean liner, for instance.

mystrymaster wrote:

Alright so my question,

Why is it that on days I am ready to work, not just get by, I have nothing to do, but Days I am not really in the mood to go balls deep, I am swallowed by work.

**Puns intended**

It's easier to feel enthusiastic about working when it doesn't require any effort.

Here's my question:

Assuming thugs or thug wannabe's don't like the police or any form of law enforcement; why is it that the police looking cruisers (Crown Vic's & Caprice Classic's) with the spot lights and limo tint are so fashionable here on the east coast?

also:

Are they also in style other places in the country as well, or is this just a regional epidemic?

**note: personally I think they are {ableist slur} (...the cars and the drivers)**

Are they retired cruisers? Lots of police departments are replacing their fleets right now.

Well, I drive an Impala (another traditional police vehicle) and it's a comfortable car with respectable performance. Maybe they're just good cars?

LilCodger wrote:

Are they retired cruisers? Lots of police departments are replacing their fleets right now.

Most likely they are. A lot of older drivers buy those up because they're cheap and reliable. And if there's one place to find old people, it's the east coast.

NSMike wrote:
LilCodger wrote:

Are they retired cruisers? Lots of police departments are replacing their fleets right now.

Most likely they are. A lot of older drivers buy those up because they're cheap and reliable. And if there's one place to find old people, it's the east coast.

True on both points.

It just seems like I have seen so many of these cars and can tell that they've been modified to look similar to a cop car (especially in the hood). Last time I checked the ghetto rulebook, the basic rules were still the same:

1. Mind your own business
2. keep a low profile
3. Don't trust the police (*edited for language purposes)

I dunno, it just doesn't add up...

LobsterMobster wrote:

Well, I drive an Impala (another traditional police vehicle) and it's a comfortable car with respectable performance. Maybe they're just good cars? :)

I can agree with that; I really like Impala's (the SS is sweet!)...It's the whole police look that gets me; I just don't get it. It's entirely possible to have one of the aforementioned vehicle models and it not look like a police car.

I used to see those in LA all the time, and see them on occasion in SF, so I'd say it's not a regional thing. Perhaps they drive them for intimidation-- they know they're powerful cars (more power than civilian counterparts), shady people generally fear the police, and they probably got them on the cheap when the PD was clearing them out. I know you can get some cars for (relatively) super cheap at police auctions and such-- it wouldn't be stretch to find some Impalas and Crown Vics going out on the cheap.

Mike Honcho wrote:

Assuming thugs or thug wannabe's don't like the police or any form of law enforcement; why is it that the police looking cruisers (Crown Vic's & Caprice Classic's) with the spot lights and limo tint are so fashionable here on the east coast

Maybe they're being ironic?

Why is the iTunes desktop software so irritating?

Katy wrote:

Why is the iTunes desktop software so irritating?

The Apple way is the Only way.

Katy wrote:

Why is the iTunes desktop software so irritating?

There are two possibilities, both of them equally likely in my opinion:

1. Developer inexperience. Being in the Apple walled garden has put some blinders on the developers, and thus they may end up using coding techniques more suited to a native Apple environment than a Windows one. But, it runs, so it's good enough.

2. Deliberate sabotage. Apple wants you to use *Apple* products. So iTunes on Windows is much weaker than iTunes on a Mac. They can then blame it on the OS without bothering to optimize their software.

Provided I can find one easily, should I change my avatar to a group shot of the bots from MST3K? I'd want at least Servo and Crow, but getting Gypsy in there would be preferable.

Stengah wrote:

Provided I can find one easily, should I change my avatar to a group shot of the bots from MST3K? I'd want at least Servo and Crow, but getting Gypsy in there would be preferable.

It's still related to your tag to some degree, so you won't really lose the overall theme-- I say go for it!

Why am I seeing live-action shows on Cartoon Network?

Funkenpants wrote:

Why am I seeing live-action shows on Cartoon Network?

Because they are loosely based on cartoons? Besides, the Death Note live-action is awesome, hopefully that is what they are showing.

Funkenpants wrote:

Why am I seeing live-action shows on Cartoon Network?

Because they're showing them.

/ThreadWin!

ukickmydog wrote:

Because they are loosely based on cartoons?

I'm sorry, I can't accept that. If they want to go that route, they should change the name of the network to "The Loosely Based on Cartoons Network"