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

[DottyG]

Why does my cat, who is neutered, do the spraying motion with his tail?  As in, he will actually back up to a piece of furniture, lift his tail and shake it and his booty as if he is marking his territory.  Praise heaven, nothing ever comes out so we don't have to deal with it but is this normal in male cats to still do this even if fixed?

Actually, he could still be spraying, so be careful.

Growing up, we had male (neutered) cats who did that. And, after a while, there was a pitted ring at that level on our walls. I don't know what was coming out of them, but it destroyed our walls.

[LadyPekoe]

What does fennel taste like?

(Great idea for a thread, by the way.)

Sort of like black licorice or anise.  Fennel (the spice) is traditionally used in a lot of Italian sausage products.

[DottyG]

Oh how funny! I was just eating some crackers. There was a flavor that I recognized but couldn't place. I looked at the lable. Fennel! What a coincidence!

Don't know how I'd describe it. It's, just, ........ fennel tasting!

[Kaora]

This came up while reading another thread, but where is it the line "I Am Spartacus!" comes from?

The only thing I know of is Home Improvement, and Tim on the show shouting it back and forth between himself. 

[DottyG]

This came up while reading another thread, but where is it the line "I Am Spartacus!" comes from?

The only thing I know of is Home Improvement, and Tim on the show shouting it back and forth between himself.  

It's from the Kirk Douglas movie, "Sparticus."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8h_v_our_Q&feature=youtube_gdata_player

ETA: I found this - it might help, too. "In the climactic scene, recaptured slaves are asked to identify Spartacus in exchange for leniency; instead, each slave proclaims himself to be Spartacus, thus sharing his fate."

[stargazer]

Why does my cat, who is neutered, do the spraying motion with his tail?  As in, he will actually back up to a piece of furniture, lift his tail and shake it and his booty as if he is marking his territory.  Praise heaven, nothing ever comes out so we don't have to deal with it but is this normal in male cats to still do this even if fixed?

Actually, he could still be spraying, so be careful.

Growing up, we had male (neutered) cats who did that. And, after a while, there was a pitted ring at that level on our walls. I don't know what was coming out of them, but it destroyed our walls.

Yeah, I was paranoid about this, because he actually does it against the cabinets a lot, but I checked very carefully and there was nothing there after. 

He was about 4-5 months when fixed so didn't think he would have it ingrained in him, but I AM extremely thankful he is just making the motions and not actually doing it!

[Cyradis]

what a great thread!!!


i've always wondered about body washes.  do you use them instead of soap or as well as soap? 

I use it as well as soap. Soap first then body wash.

In Victorian society ladies maids would lace and pull their mistresses into their corsets to give them fashionably tiny waists. But who laced the maids into their own corsets?  Could a maid pull her own stays tightly enough?

[StarDrifter]

Cyradis- I always assumed that the maids would live in shared quarters and would help each other into their corsets in the morning- plus, most maids wouldn't be able to afford whaleboned corsets so theirs wouldn't have been nearly as tight. Also, if a maid was a nanny who was in her forties, then she may not have worn a corset at all!

[Iris]

^ Also maids could not possibly have had corsets laced as tightly as the ladies of the house because they precluded much physical activity. Hard to scrub the stairs in a tightly laced corset! And if I understand correctly, it really wasn't looked upon kindly if maids were too attractive anyway, for obvious reasons.

[hkkatie]

I'm not breastfeeding currently, but hope to be getting pregnant again in the near future. My question is about storing breastmilk and reheating it when it's needed.  How do I do that? I've looked for the answer before, but never found anything very straightforward.

[Vall]

Why do most people use cold water to brush their teeth?  In other things (our bodies, laundry, dishes, etc.) we use warm or hot water to get things cleaner.  Why don't most people use warm or hot water when cleaning their teeth too?  Is toothpaste formulated to work better with cold water?

I've usually worked in factories.  Proper lifting for us is to spread your feet apart (for better balance), squat down, lift the object, then stand up while keeping your back straight.  What's the common office procedure for a woman in a skirt to lift something (like a box of files) off the floor?  Our way of lifting doesn't seem very lady-like.  How do you do it?  I have no idea of how I'd lift a box off the floor if I were wearing a dress or skirt.

[petal]

Why do most people use cold water to brush their teeth?  In other things (our bodies, laundry, dishes, etc.) we use warm or hot water to get things cleaner.  Why don't most people use warm or hot water when cleaning their teeth too?  Is toothpaste formulated to work better with cold water?
snip

i used to brush my teeth over the bathroom sink but for the past 15 or so years ive brushed my teeth while standing in the shower  so im using warm/hot water

the cold tends to jar my sensitive teeth  but the warm doesnt

[pharmagal]

Why do most people use cold water to brush their teeth?  In other things (our bodies, laundry, dishes, etc.) we use warm or hot water to get things cleaner.  Why don't most people use warm or hot water when cleaning their teeth too?  Is toothpaste formulated to work better with cold water?
snip

i used to brush my teeth over the bathroom sink but for the past 15 or so years ive brushed my teeth while standing in the shower  so im using warm/hot water

the cold tends to jar my sensitive teeth  but the warm doesnt

petal = try the new Sensitive Pro relief from Colgate.  My dh tried it and can't stop singing it's praises.  Worked almost instantly and he got a small tube for about $5.  He got it at Coles, but I know Woolies and IGA have it too.

[petal]

Why do most people use cold water to brush their teeth?  In other things (our bodies, laundry, dishes, etc.) we use warm or hot water to get things cleaner.  Why don't most people use warm or hot water when cleaning their teeth too?  Is toothpaste formulated to work better with cold water?
snip

i used to brush my teeth over the bathroom sink but for the past 15 or so years ive brushed my teeth while standing in the shower  so im using warm/hot water

the cold tends to jar my sensitive teeth  but the warm doesnt

petal = try the new Sensitive Pro relief from Colgate.  My dh tried it and can't stop singing it's praises.  Worked almost instantly and he got a small tube for about $5.  He got it at Coles, but I know Woolies and IGA have it too.

lol

i actually have that and use it occassionally but i use it in the shower too  !!!

[MadMadge43]

What does fennel taste like?

(Great idea for a thread, by the way.)
 

My DF says it has a licorice taste. I told him I could only taste the bile in the back of my throat when I eat it, so I may not be much help.