Ask questions here that you have always wanted to ask!

[Bouncy Ball]

As in, stuff that you just never got around to learning about, or things that have had you scratching your head lately, etc. Hopefully someone in the lounge will know about that subject and be able to answer you!

I'll post my two in separate responses to this so as to keep a spot for answers to each question.

[TroubleMan]

1. Okay....

If you're really drunk and have and extremely high blood alcohol level. Then a mosquito bites you and sucks your blood....Does the mosquito get drunk, too?

[Bouncy Ball]

2. Here's my first one:

Can someone please just give me a brief rundown on what the deal is with the Israelis and the Palestinians? Yes, I know, I should KNOW these things, I've been hearing about it since time out of mind. But well...I never really got around to figuring the whole thing out.

Here's what you should assume I know:

1. Israelis are Jews (though I do know most are secular Jews, at least that's what I am told)

2. The Palestinians are Muslim.

3. It involves land.

I VERY tentatively ask this question because I know flame wars erupt over it, so I'd appreciate a nice non-emotional academic BASIC response if I could get it!

Thanks!

[Zomby Woof]

8. to begin with

Not all Israelis are Jews.

Not all Palestinians are Muslim.

It involves water rights as well as land, and of course, the control of Jerusalem, an important home to all 3 of the major monotheistic faiths. Religion, land, water, ethnic hatred, and BOOM!

[Bouncy Ball]

10. ...

:cry:

Ok, teach, lemme see if I can summarize it back to you to see if I have it straight:

Both groups want the land and water rights, both groups want control of Jerusalem, and both groups happen to be opposing religions so that has caused a lot of strife (to make an understatement).

How did I do?

By the way, when did this start?

[Zomby Woof]

14. Started 3-4,000 years ago

You're close enough... let's just say that those criteria I listed overlap, but do not apply to all of the parties involved. Some are only concerned with their religion prevailing. Others concerned with their land being controlled or settled upon only by them. Others a combination of any or all. To various degrees.

I also left things out, because it is easy to overlook some factors with this complicated mess.

But certainly, it began when they were nomadic tribes, circa the Bronze Age (aka The Old Testament).

[Bouncy Ball]

15. ..

I thought it officially started after WWII when the Israelis got Israel as their homeland. Though I did know the clash goes WAY back before that.

Anywho, thanks. To a completely neutral outsider looking in (me) it just always looks like both sides have blood on their hands and I want them to have peace, but dammit.

[Zomby Woof]

19. Ah yes

The modern conflict as we know it (strictly Israel/Palestine) did begin in 1948 with the creation of Israel by UN charter, as a homeland for the Jews (so yes, the vast majority of Israelis are Jews, but exceptions occur here and there). This was tied into providing security for those who survived the Holocaust and their cohorts and descendants worldwide.

I was thinking in ethno-religious terms, but in the modern context, you are correct.

I also appreciate your wisdom in keeping neutral and level-headed about it where such rational behavior is difficult to maintain.

If you can locate a copy of Noam Chomsky's "The Fateful Triangle", that is a good a place as any to start, or his more recent "World Orders, Old and New". :hi:

[Bouncy Ball]

23. Ooo, I love book recommendations!

Thanks! :toast:

On edit, I only knew about the end of WWII/UN thing because I used to teach a HUGE Holocaust/Anne Frank unit to high school kids and we went all the way to that point in history (started with WWI).

[saltpoint]

3. My question is,

Was my 7th grade math teacher actually the shadowy figure on the grassy knoll in Dallas?

I've long suspected that she was.

[Bouncy Ball]

4. Here's my second one:

How do the Creationists explain dinosaurs? I mean we have WHOLE skeletons, and not just one or two, either. Do they think God created dinosaurs at the same time he created man and the dinosaurs just died out, or what? (The idea of humans and dinosaurs living at the same time made me giggle.)

I mean hell, just go to any natural history museum and the big ol' dinosaur skeletons are RIGHT THERE.

[clydefrand]

16. Creationists think they lived at the same time and even

use footprints found in a riverbed in Texas as proof! Suuuuuuuuure, they did. The prints of the dinosaurs eroded and left partial prints that look similar to a human footprint.

Others think God put the skeletons in the ground to show us that he has a sense of humor! Honest, to God, I had a friend say that to me!

Ignorance is bliss!!! Nothing to worry about with that type of mentality.


Nonthinkers!

[Bouncy Ball]

17. Wow.

I guess cognitive dissonance really IS painful, because they sure as hell avoid it like crazy.

Sense of humor??? :crazy:

[OhioBlue]

21. I can only offer two ideas that have been relayed to me...

1. my ex's born-again extreme father told me that actually for every so called scientific discovery, there is actually evidence to disprove it as in the carbon dating is not accurate, etc.

2. A world religions professor who was a devout Christian but very tolerant and gained my respect, stated that he believes the bible should not be interpreted literally, that one should read it as they do poetry and that he understands the statement that G_d created the world in 7 days not to be taken as 7 24 hour days as we know them.

[barackmyworld]

27. one reason I heard

is that god put them there to test people's faith :eyes:

[Bouncy Ball]

30. Oh my gosh, I've heard that one, too!

It was several years ago but I remember now.

The mental gymnastics they have to go through is amazing.

[Cuban_Liberal]

5. Why did they try to improve on Coke@ with 'New Coke'?

Did someone's brain leak out of their ears, or what?

:wtf:

[Joe Power]

6. What's the difference between a duck?

[GOPisEvil]

7. Why DO we park on driveways and drive on parkways?

:shrug:

[Bouncy Ball]

13. This guy named Bob,

well, he named them wrong. He was drunk. That was before drug tests and stuff at work.

[Solly Mack]

9. Why do some people preface comments regarding GLBT issues with

"I'm not gay"...(but)

Why not just voice the comment without the preface?


"I support GLBT civil rights" instead of "I'm not gay BUT...."

[Bouncy Ball]

12. Could be a couple of things:

1. Unconscious fear of being thought of as gay

2. Need to show that straights support GLBT rights, too.

Maybe there are other reasons?

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bronco69]

18. Why is a birthday called a birthday?

You only have one birthday and that is the day of your birth. Shouldn't the rest of them be called birth anniversaries? When someone gets married it's his/her wedding day, but they don't go around celebrating their 5th wedding day, they celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary. Maybe I just think too much. :-)

[Bouncy Ball]

24. Yeah

maybe it's just too much to say. Heck I've seen it spelled b-day!

But that's a damn good question.

[Mountainman]

20. Why does water in the toilets of people in the Southern hemisphere rotate

in the opposite direction of water in the toilets of people in the Northern hemisphere?

[Bok_Tukalo]

22. I think that is a myth

The Coriolis Effect will not influence a small system.

[Bouncy Ball]

25. I didn't think it was a myth...

damn, now I am going to have to find out....need to check ticket prices to Sydney on travelocity.

[Hans Delbrook]

38. Urban Legend

http://www.snopes.com/science/coriolis.htm

[barackmyworld]

28. yeah it would only work in perfect conditions

like if you had a bathtub with no air moving over it, where the plug would dissapear. It's because of the rotation of the earth or the tilt or something.

[Amaya]

26. Where do the people who work in toll booths park?

[barackmyworld]

29. and how do they go to the bathroom

you can't just leave if there's a line of people there!

edit: like a moran, I used a 1 instead of !

[slutticus]

31. You're purdy.

:loveya:

Oh wait...that's not a question!

*sorry*

[Bouncy Ball]

32. Thanks!

[yellowdogintexas]

33. Hi Bouncy! Do you listen to Glen Mitchell too? LOL

If you do, then you know exactly why I am asking this question

My favorite radio show

[Bouncy Ball]

34. No, I don't.

Who is he?

[yellowdogintexas]

36. local talk show host on our NPR station, KERA

every Friday he does a show called "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know"

The listeners call in with questions about what ever is bugging them and the listeners call in with answers to the questions. (or email, actually)

Glen's motto: "All questions answered,all bets settled, all secrets revealed"

If it doesn't get answered in that day's show, he will open the show the next week with the unanswered questions

Oh, yeah the show is on from noon to 2 Mon through Fri, and he interviews authors, celebreties. local movers and shakers, politicians,
anyone he thinks would be interesting or fun for the listeners.

streamable on the website, too. He is always getting emails from people who are"listening on the sly at work", both locally and in other cities.

Fun show, great host!

Have Jesus, Mary and bad boy Joseph been put back in the attic yet?

[baby_mouse]

35. What's your super power? n/t

.

[yellowdogintexas]

37. tongue burning, mouth searing, sinus clearing, nose running, eyeball

watering home made chili that is deadly serious

[doc03]

39. The creationists claim God created the universe something like

6000 years ago. If a star is a million light years away, how can we see it?

[doc03]

40. Something else I have noticed recently is LLC or LLP after a company

name, what does this stand for?