The "This Might Be A Stupid Question, But...." Thread

[Slartibartfast]

Stupid question but I feel stupider for not knowing: when a transgender person talks about his/her childhood (i.e. the period of their life they lived as their biological gender), do they use their current preferred pronoun, or the former one?  E.g. would someone who grew up a girl and is now living as a man say "When I was a boy" or "When I was a girl?"  Or does this vary person to person?

The topic came up tonight at a family Christmas gathering (one of SIL's good friends is trans) and I wasn't sure how to address it.  I asked SIL, but she doesn't really know either, just said she talks about her friend as "she" before his surgery and "he" after because that's how she knew her friend from before.

[Dazi]

Stupid question but I feel stupider for not knowing: when a transgender person talks about his/her childhood (i.e. the period of their life they lived as their biological gender), do they use their current preferred pronoun, or the former one?  E.g. would someone who grew up a girl and is now living as a man say "When I was a boy" or "When I was a girl?"  Or does this vary person to person?

The topic came up tonight at a family Christmas gathering (one of SIL's good friends is trans) and I wasn't sure how to address it.  I asked SIL, but she doesn't really know either, just said she talks about her friend as "she" before his surgery and "he" after because that's how she knew her friend from before.

The  few  people  I know who are  TG have always stuck with "when I was  a child,  kid, teenager,  younger".  To be fair, most everyone I know goes with some version of that.   I don't  think  I've ever heard  any one but my  GP say "when I was a lad/boy".

[Diane AKA Traska]

Stupid question but I feel stupider for not knowing: when a transgender person talks about his/her childhood (i.e. the period of their life they lived as their biological gender), do they use their current preferred pronoun, or the former one?  E.g. would someone who grew up a girl and is now living as a man say "When I was a boy" or "When I was a girl?"  Or does this vary person to person?

The topic came up tonight at a family Christmas gathering (one of SIL's good friends is trans) and I wasn't sure how to address it.  I asked SIL, but she doesn't really know either, just said she talks about her friend as "she" before his surgery and "he" after because that's how she knew her friend from before.

The  few  people  I know who are  TG have always stuck with "when I was  a child,  kid, teenager,  younger".  To be fair, most everyone I know goes with some version of that.   I don't  think  I've ever heard  any one but my  GP say "when I was a lad/boy".

Pretty much this. 

(And there's no honest question about TG issues that's stupid... any chance to enlighten is A-OK!)

[Virg]

jpcher wrote:

"Does the device (heater/grill) burn more of the gas if the tank's valve is open all the way?"

No.  The tank valve is to allow you to disengage the tank from the feed line and to provide a safety cutoff valve in case the device's valve assembly fails to close when it's not using the fuel.  Once it's firmly attached, you should open the tank valve all the way.  The device itself will have a regulator and its own operating valve, and that regulation unit will be expecting full line pressure.  If you use the tank valve to restrict the fuel supply, the device won't work correctly (and depending on the regulator on the device, it may not work at all).  It'll use less fuel, but it won't do what it's supposed to do.  To use your example of a gas grill, closing off the tank valve will cut down on propane usage, but it'll also prevent the grill from heating to its full capacity.  For your heater, it won't generate enough heat to keep the room at the thermostat setting.

Virg

[cwm]

Stupid question but I feel stupider for not knowing: when a transgender person talks about his/her childhood (i.e. the period of their life they lived as their biological gender), do they use their current preferred pronoun, or the former one?  E.g. would someone who grew up a girl and is now living as a man say "When I was a boy" or "When I was a girl?"  Or does this vary person to person?

The topic came up tonight at a family Christmas gathering (one of SIL's good friends is trans) and I wasn't sure how to address it.  I asked SIL, but she doesn't really know either, just said she talks about her friend as "she" before his surgery and "he" after because that's how she knew her friend from before.

The  few  people  I know who are  TG have always stuck with "when I was  a child,  kid, teenager,  younger".  To be fair, most everyone I know goes with some version of that.   I don't  think  I've ever heard  any one but my  GP say "when I was a lad/boy".

Pretty much this. 

(And there's no honest question about TG issues that's stupid... any chance to enlighten is A-OK!)

I have one genderfluid acquaintance. I never know one meeting to the next what gender s/he will be identifying as that day. When history gets brought up, both terms are used nearly interchangably when one is required.

I love that friend. S/he's so nice, and every time we get together we have a good time, no matter what names or pronouns are used.

[jpcher]

jpcher wrote:

"Does the device (heater/grill) burn more of the gas if the tank's valve is open all the way?"

No.  The tank valve is to allow you to disengage the tank from the feed line and to provide a safety cutoff valve in case the device's valve assembly fails to close when it's not using the fuel.  Once it's firmly attached, you should open the tank valve all the way.  The device itself will have a regulator and its own operating valve, and that regulation unit will be expecting full line pressure.  If you use the tank valve to restrict the fuel supply, the device won't work correctly (and depending on the regulator on the device, it may not work at all).  It'll use less fuel, but it won't do what it's supposed to do.  To use your example of a gas grill, closing off the tank valve will cut down on propane usage, but it'll also prevent the grill from heating to its full capacity.  For your heater, it won't generate enough heat to keep the room at the thermostat setting.

Virg

Thanks, Virg. I knew I could count on you!

The bold above, especially, opened my eyes as in "Oh, yeah, that makes complete sense now." I truly appreciate the way you explain things so that a person like me can understand how things work.

[Kiwichick]

I have one that's been bothering me for years:

How come "aunt" is pronounced "ant"?

Back when I first started learning English, I just naturally assumed the "au" was pronounced the same way as in "taunt" or "flaunt" but I've never heard it actually said that way...

Where did you learn English? Because the pronunciation of "aunt" varies depending on where you are.

In the US, in New England, a lot of people do pronounce it with the same sound as "taunt" instead of "ant." Especially in the Greater Boston area, there are many similarities in speech with the English spoken in parts of the UK.

I was recently watching a TV show (can't remember off hand what it was) and most of the actors were saying "ant," but one or two were "aunt" all the way. It struck me as odd, because all the characters were supposed to be members of the same family. And you'd think they would all learn the same pronunciation.

I have 4 siblings and we all have different accents.  My dad was in the army and we moved around the world a lot when we were kids.

I have a broad Kiwi accent since we moved to NZ when I was about 6 or 7, my oldest brother never lost his Scots accent.  My other brother has a broad Aussie accent and my sisters have slight Kiwi/Scots accents.

[kherbert05]

Why did the Pilgrams set sail for the New Word, so that they landed so late in the year? I mean leaving in September and landing in November seems like a group attempt at Darwinism. (Note I'm looking at materials for lower elementary). Does it have something to do with the currents and winds that time of year - but it was at the tail end of hurricane season, though they were pretty far north for hurricanes?

Wouldn't it make more sense to sail early spring before huricane season and so they could plant when they landed?

I guess I'm comparing it to the Oregon Trail story where there was a definate window for leaving  and check point along the trail that you had to reach by certain dates, so you didn't get caught in snowstorms in the Rockies.

[Dazi]

Why did the Pilgrams set sail for the New Word, so that they landed so late in the year? I mean leaving in September and landing in November seems like a group attempt at Darwinism. (Note I'm looking at materials for lower elementary). Does it have something to do with the currents and winds that time of year - but it was at the tail end of hurricane season, though they were pretty far north for hurricanes?

Wouldn't it make more sense to sail early spring before huricane season and so they could plant when they landed?

I guess I'm comparing it to the Oregon Trail story where there was a definate window for leaving  and check point along the trail that you had to reach by certain dates, so you didn't get caught in snowstorms in the Rockies.

They were originally on a different ship, the Speedwell, that sailed out of England somewhere around the end of July or early August.  There was some problem with the vessel leaking that forced it back to England twice.

They ended up on the Mayflower at that point, sailing out in September.  There was some weather issues that forced them to take refuge in Cape Cod.  It was another month before they found a suitable settlement area.

[Softly Spoken]

Why did the Pilgrams set sail for the New Word, so that they landed so late in the year? I mean leaving in September and landing in November seems like a group attempt at Darwinism. (Note I'm looking at materials for lower elementary). Does it have something to do with the currents and winds that time of year - but it was at the tail end of hurricane season, though they were pretty far north for hurricanes?

Wouldn't it make more sense to sail early spring before hurricane season and so they could plant when they landed?

I guess I'm comparing it to the Oregon Trail story where there was a definite window for leaving  and check point along the trail that you had to reach by certain dates, so you didn't get caught in snowstorms in the Rockies.

Apparently they left in August and were travelling with/on another ship whose misfortune set their schedule back. They couldn't really turn around and cancel the trip so they had to keep plugging along.
If you trust/value Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower#Voyage
From what I can understand reading the section, Plymouth was neither the start nor the starting point of their journey. They also never intended to land in what would become Plymouth when they reached North America - they had been trying to get to the colony of Virginia further south and the weather conditions made that impossible. It seems the Pilgrims were not necessarily ill-equipped or bad planners, just victims of circumstance. When preparing for their journey, they never accounted for leaving late, being delayed, arriving late and being stuck in the wrong place!

[kherbert05]

Why did the Pilgrams set sail for the New Word, so that they landed so late in the year? I mean leaving in September and landing in November seems like a group attempt at Darwinism. (Note I'm looking at materials for lower elementary). Does it have something to do with the currents and winds that time of year - but it was at the tail end of hurricane season, though they were pretty far north for hurricanes?

Wouldn't it make more sense to sail early spring before huricane season and so they could plant when they landed?

I guess I'm comparing it to the Oregon Trail story where there was a definate window for leaving  and check point along the trail that you had to reach by certain dates, so you didn't get caught in snowstorms in the Rockies.

They were originally on a different ship, the Speedwell, that sailed out of England somewhere around the end of July or early August.  There was some problem with the vessel leaking that forced it back to England twice.

They ended up on the Mayflower at that point, sailing out in September.  There was some weather issues that forced them to take refuge in Cape Cod.  It was another month before they found a suitable settlement area.

Apparently they left in August and were travelling with/on another ship whose misfortune set their schedule back. They couldn't really turn around and cancel the trip so they had to keep plugging along.
If you trust/value Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower#Voyage
From what I can understand reading the section, Plymouth was neither the start nor the starting point of their journey. They also never intended to land in what would become Plymouth when they reached North America - they had been trying to get to the colony of Virginia further south and the weather conditions made that impossible. It seems the Pilgrims were not necessarily ill-equipped or bad planners, just victims of circumstance. When preparing for their journey, they never accounted for leaving late, being delayed, arriving late and being stuck in the wrong place!

Thanks that is going to add to some cool critical thinking activities, I have planned.

[Bexx27]

In the yelling at cats thread, people keep saying that it's unhygienic to allow cats on food prep/eating surfaces such as tables and countertops. But do people really prepare food directly on the countertop or eat directly off the table? I would never consider that hygienic, regardless of cats, unless the surface had just been cleaned. Is it not the norm to always prepare food on cutting boards and to always eat off plates?

[mbbored]

In the yelling at cats thread, people keep saying that it's unhygienic to allow cats on food prep/eating surfaces such as tables and countertops. But do people really prepare food directly on the countertop or eat directly off the table? I would never consider that hygienic, regardless of cats, unless the surface had just been cleaned. Is it not the norm to always prepare food on cutting boards and to always eat off plates?

I generally prepare food on cutting boards and eat off plates, but in between I touch the surrounding surfaces a lot: I lay the vegetables I'm about to chop on the counters, drum my fingers on it while I think, etc, so there's still lots of opportunities for contamination.

My question is, how do I prepare coffee in a pot like this?

http://www.rubylane.com/item/680714-CB303/Fine-Antique-French-Brass-Coffee

My grandmother sent me something less ornate but with the same set up for Christmas: a pot with a long handle and there's a filter on the spout. Can I make coffee in it? If so, how?

[MrsJWine]

I would never prepare food on a countertop without cleaning the counter off first. I clean it after I'm done using it and before. I thought that was just standard practice. However, I don't go to town with bleach or anything. I wipe it down with a warm, soapy, clean dish cloth. I know that doesn't kill all germs, but we rarely get sick, so I don't see the point. With the stuff cats walk around in, I would be much more obsessed with sterility.

[Bexx27]

I would never prepare food on a countertop without cleaning the counter off first. I clean it after I'm done using it and before. I thought that was just standard practice. However, I don't go to town with bleach or anything. I wipe it down with a warm, soapy, clean dish cloth. I know that doesn't kill all germs, but we rarely get sick, so I don't see the point. With the stuff cats walk around in, I would be much more obsessed with sterility.

Interesting. I see nothing wrong with putting food directly on a clean countertop, but I didn't realize people did that. I always use a cutting board so I don't have to clean my counters all the time. I also haven't had much luck keeping my cats from going wherever they want (at least when no one's looking), but they haven't figured out how to open the cabinets where we keep our cutting boards and plates.