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

[squeakers]

Where does the term "latchkey kid" come from?  Why "latchkey"?

Aside from general civility, do we all get along on this forum because we all watch the same TV shows, read the same web sites and comics?  I've noticed a lot of similarities from other peoples' posts.

Frog

"a key  for releasing a latch  or springlock, especially on an outer door." http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/latchkey

Kids going home to empty houses because their parents have to work have to have a way to get inside so are given keys to get in.  I didn't get a house key until I was about 15 years old because with my mother home there was never a reason to have one before then (she went back to work). OTOH my kids have house keys because if I do have to go somewhere during the day it can take an hour or more for me to get home to let them in if they were to get home from school early.

The reason we get along so well is because this is an etiquette forum and we do have wonderful moderators who help keep our tone civil on those occasions when dissenting opinions get out of hand.

I don't watch much TV*, read a variety of boring sites (unless one is into that specific book/game/art) but don't read much in the comic department.  Since there are a couple thousand active EHellions I am guessing at least one or two of them will have similar tastes to me for every subject under the sun.  And a couple hundred will like just 1 thing I like. And the same for not liking what I like or liking what I dislike.

*I'm just now getting caught up on 80's TV series on Netflix LOL

I was wondering the other day why we have so many librarians here.  It's not a bad thing, quite the opposite, but it made me wonder.

Probably because most librarians like to read (which is the main thing we do here unless one actually *gasps" responds  ).  And this forum is much like a library in that it it is neatly divided into categories and has so many subjects that one can get lost for hours in the "stacks". Throw in the idea that it is a relatively quiet place with chaos not tolerated and it feels like a good fit. (Unlike some forums where the trolls are either running rampant or control the forum.)

[Virg]

Frog24 wrote:

"Where does the term "latchkey kid" come from?  Why "latchkey"?"

As Luci45 wrote, a latchkey is just an older term for a house key.  The reason why that particular nomenclature was chosen was because the people putting forward the idea of "latchkey kid syndrome" as a descriptive term for kids who developed problems because both parents worked tended to be older, more conservative people.  Even my parents, who grew up in the '50s, found the term to be a bit dated.

"Aside from general civility, do we all get along on this forum because we all watch the same TV shows, read the same web sites and comics?"

I suspect it's mostly because people who gravitate toward etiquette discussions tend to be more concerned with civility than the general public.  I agree with others that there's a lot more diversity in likes and dislikes than you'd think at first blush, because as the others said, posters tend to self-sort so when you enter a thread about a particular show/book/whatever, you're going to see posts from other fans and those who aren't interested will just skip it.

Virg

[Slartibartfast]

I was wondering the other day why we have so many librarians here.  It's not a bad thing, quite the opposite, but it made me wonder.

I suspect there's a pretty big demographic overlap, too - eHell is disproportionately women and disproportionately middle-aged (compared to the rest of the internet), which applies to librarians as well.  Librarians are also pretty much required to be good with computers and with communication nowadays, both of which select for people who are likely to be comfortable connecting with strangers over the internet 

[Doll Fiend]

New question
How do you serve butter every day?

At an event or party, I know to set it out in plenty of time.  But what about every day?  I'd love to have soft creamy butter on toast for breakfast but there isn't time for it to soften.  Also, there are times in the day when I'd love to have a quick snack that includes soft butter but it's sitting there cold in the refrigerator.  How long can butter sit out before you need to throw it away?  I'm always rather cautious about that. (My home temp is usually around 68F)

There are only two of us in our home so it takes a while to go through a whole stick.  Am I supposed to only put a half or a quarter stick in the butter dish?  Would that look strange?  Even then it would take a while to thaw.

Is there some trick to get the butter to quickly soften without it only getting soft on the outside and still hard in the middle?  Am I supposed to heat the lid of the butter dish or something?  What am I missing?

You soften up an amount of butter ahead of time (I do a whole pound at a time - 2 cups).  Put it into the mixing bowl and whip it up with an equal amount of olive oil (again, 2 cups).  Pour the very liquid mix into pretty bowls, and keep in the fridge.

Voila!  Spreadable-from-the-fridge butter without added water (which is what you pay for when you buy whipped butter in the store).
And it's good for cooking, too, unlike whipped butter that you get in the store.

Note:  This spreadable mix will become liquid again if left out of the fridge overnight.  Voice of experience, here. 

I will so have to try this! Would be a good opportunity to mix in a little honey, or garlic, or cinnamon and sugar..... probably need to reduce the volume of oil a touch for the honey, though. Now to experiment...... *muttering under my breath about hot rolls and honey butter.....*

There is a good eats episode that goes over this. A Case for Butter. Lots of different types of mixed butters.

Of COURSE AB has covered it. That man is a food god. And I hear he's in my neck of the woods (Atlanta area) now - hmmm....

*sigh* I have almost every episode on my laptop. I am a bit of a fan of the man. Would die to meet him.

[Virg]

Doll Fiend wrote:

"*sigh* I have almost every episode on my laptop. I am a bit of a fan of the man. Would die to meet him."

If you have a copy of the Kung Fu Panda DVD, hes in a short on the special features.  Just found that one myself a week ago.

Virg

[Doll Fiend]

Doll Fiend wrote:

"*sigh* I have almost every episode on my laptop. I am a bit of a fan of the man. Would die to meet him."

If you have a copy of the Kung Fu Panda DVD, hes in a short on the special features.  Just found that one myself a week ago.

Virg

Wait. . . What!?!?

*Goes to watch the DVD*

[Thipu1]

I was wondering the other day why we have so many librarians here.  It's not a bad thing, quite the opposite, but it made me wonder.

I suspect there's a pretty big demographic overlap, too - eHell is disproportionately women and disproportionately middle-aged (compared to the rest of the internet), which applies to librarians as well.  Librarians are also pretty much required to be good with computers and with communication nowadays, both of which select for people who are likely to be comfortable connecting with strangers over the internet 

Right you are, Slartibartfast. 

I would also add that Librarians are likely recognize a 'safe' place on the Internet.  E-Hell is a safe and fun, informative place to be.

[Madam Pansy]

I have a new question- why do my flip flops get so slippy when it's raining? I fell three times last week when it was raining, ending up with a large bruse by my elbow for a few days.

I always thought they would have a better grip because they are rubber.

[Outdoor Girl]

There is absolutely no tread on them so when it is wet, it's like walking on ice.  After I fell down my deck stairs, all of mine went in the garbage.

[kareng57]

Where does the term "latchkey kid" come from?  Why "latchkey"?

Aside from general civility, do we all get along on this forum because we all watch the same TV shows, read the same web sites and comics?  I've noticed a lot of similarities from other peoples' posts.

Frog

When I was a kid, house keys were often called 'latchkeys'. Most moms I knew were stay at home moms who worked until they had children and sometimes went back to work after they were raised. (1950s)

We seem to respect our different views as a learning situation rather than something to revile someone about.

Is that 'general civility'?

We don't all watch the same show, but as there are thousands of us, there is going to be a lot of overlap. For example, I really hate most reality shows, but when people talks about Dancing with the Stars I just ignore it or if it is in the context of something I am interested in, I just respect it and pay attention. It's sometimes interesting.

I think it's also true that, in its heyday for the term, "latchkey kids" tended to wear the key on a string around their necks.  That made them pretty identifiable.  Kids just didn't have backpacks or other containers at that time - and mothers probably didn't trust pockets, they could develop holes that could cause the keys to be lost.

And, at that time, my guess is that many parents of kids who were 8 or so figured they'd be okay for a couple of hours after school till one parent came home.  Please, I am not trying to start any kind of argument here.

[EmmaJ.]

<snip>

*sigh* I have almost every episode on my laptop. I am a bit of a fan of the man. Would die to meet him.

I did!  Several years ago, Alton Brown was having a cooking demo and book signing down in Orlando.  Half my family and I made the trip, watched the demonstration, purchased the cookbook and had him sign it.  He even took the time to pose for photos with us! 

Such a nice guy.

[Thipu1]

There is absolutely no tread on them so when it is wet, it's like walking on ice.  After I fell down my deck stairs, all of mine went in the garbage.

Also, because flip-flops 'flip-flop', water gets on the upper soles when worn in the rain. This can produce a double-whammy of no tread on the pavement and slippery soles directly under the feet.   

[bopper]

I have a question about children and toys.

Lots of toys and games have small pieces that would be a choking hazard to a small child and toys have labels on them recommending age limits for playing with the toy.  So what do you do if you have children of different ages?  Say, for example, you have a two year old and a six year old.  If the six year old is capable of playing safely with a particular toy that would not be safe for the two year old, how do you manage this?

Instead of putting the baby in the playpen so s/he can't get to the toys, put the six year old and the toys in the playpen.

[bopper]

I was wondering the other day why we have so many librarians here.  It's not a bad thing, quite the opposite, but it made me wonder.

I suspect there's a pretty big demographic overlap, too - eHell is disproportionately women and disproportionately middle-aged (compared to the rest of the internet), which applies to librarians as well.  Librarians are also pretty much required to be good with computers and with communication nowadays, both of which select for people who are likely to be comfortable connecting with strangers over the internet 

Also I think that this group attracts introverts...people who like to discuss things but do it at their own pace. That may also overlap librarians.

[rose red]

This is a question for librarians.  Is it OK to return materials a few days (or even the next day) after borrowing?  I'm a fast reader and watch movies quickly or sometimes just know I won't enjoy a book after a few pages.  Is it annoying or bothersome to return them way before the due date?