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

[MrsJWine]

Does anyone ever actually just "flip a coin" to help them make an important decision? I know I've been tempted to in the past, but I don't anyone who's ever actually done it.

Not quite, but I knew someone who flipped a coin to help decide whether to accept a marriage proposal or not

In reality, she couldn't decide, so another friend suggested that she pick "Heads, yes, tails, no" and flip a coin. The logic was that if she felt disappointed by the result she would gain insight into her feelings.

I've done this sort of thing with a few decisions, though not major ones (more things like, "What movie should we go to?" or, "What restaurant for lunch?"). It's funny how it's hard to know your own mind sometimes until the option you really want is not the one chosen for you.

[AfleetAlex]

I cannot tell you the number of times I've been faced with a long drive (sometimes in inclement weather) and wished heartily for a transporter. 

Yes, but then I remember that the only realistic way for a transporter to operate as seen in Star Trek would be for them to kill you by dissolving you into atoms, analyse your residue, and then make an exact copy of you elsewhere. And then I remember that this is a *government issue* transporter. And then I decide I'd rather drive 

Oooh, yeah, under those requirements, I'll drive. 

[Dazi]

How did Nena's 99 Luftballons end up being played with US Christmas songs? It's always baffled me.

[dawnfire]

How did Nena's 99 Luftballons end up being played with US Christmas songs? It's always baffled me.

that would baffle me too!   

[Onyx_TKD]

How did Nena's 99 Luftballons end up being played with US Christmas songs? It's always baffled me.

that would baffle me too!   

Me, too. Was it the German version or the English one? All I can imagine is that someone found out the title meant "99 balloons" and assumed it was a song about toys without bothering to figure out what the rest of the lyrics were. *

*Don't ask me why "song about toys" would automatically be "Christmas song" or why they'd decide to insert a foreign language song about toys when there are so very many actual Christmas songs. My hypothesis breaks down at that point.

[Dazi]

How did Nena's 99 Luftballons end up being played with US Christmas songs? It's always baffled me.

that would baffle me too!   

Me, too. Was it the German version or the English one? All I can imagine is that someone found out the title meant "99 balloons" and assumed it was a song about toys without bothering to figure out what the rest of the lyrics were. *

*Don't ask me why "song about toys" would automatically be "Christmas song" or why they'd decide to insert a foreign language song about toys when there are so very many actual Christmas songs. My hypothesis breaks down at that point.

The first time I heard it was in the mid-80's and was the original German version.  I remember asking my GM and Great Aunt why the radio was playing it with the Christmas songs marathon because I knew enough German that I knew it shouldn't be played with the Christmas songs, but not enough to know what all the lyrics meant.

The English version is played very frequently with the round the clock Christmas stations every year.  I can only assume and hope they don't know it is a protest song about stupid ways wars are started.

ETA: political changed to protest....stupid spell check

[Diane AKA Traska]

How did Nena's 99 Luftballons end up being played with US Christmas songs? It's always baffled me.

that would baffle me too!   

Me, too. Was it the German version or the English one? All I can imagine is that someone found out the title meant "99 balloons" and assumed it was a song about toys without bothering to figure out what the rest of the lyrics were. *

*Don't ask me why "song about toys" would automatically be "Christmas song" or why they'd decide to insert a foreign language song about toys when there are so very many actual Christmas songs. My hypothesis breaks down at that point.

The first time I heard it was in the mid-80's and was the original German version.  I remember asking my GM and Great Aunt why the radio was playing it with the Christmas songs marathon because I knew enough German that I knew it shouldn't be played with the Christmas songs, but not enough to know what all the lyrics meant.

The English version is played very frequently with the round the clock Christmas stations every year.  I can only assume and hope they don't know it is a protest song about stupid ways wars are started.

ETA: political changed to protest....stupid spell check

I have an idea on that.  It's a song protesting war, which makes it a song about peace.  Isn't Christmas *about* peace on Earth, goodwill toward Man?

[GreenHall]

How did Nena's 99 Luftballons end up being played with US Christmas songs? It's always baffled me.

I don't know this song, but the discussion on it made me think of my Christmas play list, with Joy to the World...by Three Dog Night....In my case, it makes me grin whenever it comes up.

[Thipu1]

How did Nena's 99 Luftballons end up being played with US Christmas songs? It's always baffled me.

Happily, we've been spared that. 

The idea of 99 Luftballoons as a holiday song is a puzzler.  Everything about it is wrong.  The tune doesn't sound particularly cheerful and the words, in German or English, are not holiday appropriate.  May as well play 'I Ain't Marchin' Anymore'.     

[Onyx_TKD]

How did Nena's 99 Luftballons end up being played with US Christmas songs? It's always baffled me.

that would baffle me too!   

Me, too. Was it the German version or the English one? All I can imagine is that someone found out the title meant "99 balloons" and assumed it was a song about toys without bothering to figure out what the rest of the lyrics were. *

*Don't ask me why "song about toys" would automatically be "Christmas song" or why they'd decide to insert a foreign language song about toys when there are so very many actual Christmas songs. My hypothesis breaks down at that point.

The first time I heard it was in the mid-80's and was the original German version.  I remember asking my GM and Great Aunt why the radio was playing it with the Christmas songs marathon because I knew enough German that I knew it shouldn't be played with the Christmas songs, but not enough to know what all the lyrics meant.

The English version is played very frequently with the round the clock Christmas stations every year.  I can only assume and hope they don't know it is a protest song about stupid ways wars are started.

ETA: political changed to protest....stupid spell check

I have an idea on that.  It's a song protesting war, which makes it a song about peace.  Isn't Christmas *about* peace on Earth, goodwill toward Man?

I think the "peace on earth" generally associated with Christmas is the idea of people choosing to be peaceful and get along with their fellow humans. The "peace" described at the end of 99 Luftballons occurs because people have engaged in senseless warfare for so long that pretty much everyone is dead and the world is in ruins (and the last act described in the song is releasing another balloon, so if anyone else is still alive and capable of engaging in war...well, let's just hope the singer isn't the only person who realizes what started the war in the song).

[Diane AKA Traska]

How did Nena's 99 Luftballons end up being played with US Christmas songs? It's always baffled me.

that would baffle me too!   

Me, too. Was it the German version or the English one? All I can imagine is that someone found out the title meant "99 balloons" and assumed it was a song about toys without bothering to figure out what the rest of the lyrics were. *

*Don't ask me why "song about toys" would automatically be "Christmas song" or why they'd decide to insert a foreign language song about toys when there are so very many actual Christmas songs. My hypothesis breaks down at that point.

The first time I heard it was in the mid-80's and was the original German version.  I remember asking my GM and Great Aunt why the radio was playing it with the Christmas songs marathon because I knew enough German that I knew it shouldn't be played with the Christmas songs, but not enough to know what all the lyrics meant.

The English version is played very frequently with the round the clock Christmas stations every year.  I can only assume and hope they don't know it is a protest song about stupid ways wars are started.

ETA: political changed to protest....stupid spell check

I have an idea on that.  It's a song protesting war, which makes it a song about peace.  Isn't Christmas *about* peace on Earth, goodwill toward Man?

I think the "peace on earth" generally associated with Christmas is the idea of people choosing to be peaceful and get along with their fellow humans. The "peace" described at the end of 99 Luftballons occurs because people have engaged in senseless warfare for so long that pretty much everyone is dead and the world is in ruins (and the last act described in the song is releasing another balloon, so if anyone else is still alive and capable of engaging in war...well, let's just hope the singer isn't the only person who realizes what started the war in the song).

The point I was trying to make is that's exactly what they're protesting... which means they're promoting the cessation of such.

[Softly Spoken]

ARRRRRRRGH!
Okay, I did a search and couldn't find the answer/too many results: what is the trick for inserting a hyperlink into a post?
I know about the 'insert link' button but I just don't have the HTML in the right place or I didn't type something I was supposed to ...
I thought there was a tutorial for this kind of thing up in the top section of the board but I guess not...

Memory refresh please?

[jpcher]

ARRRRRRRGH!
Okay, I did a search and couldn't find the answer/too many results: what is the trick for inserting a hyperlink into a post?
I know about the 'insert link' button but I just don't have the HTML in the right place or I didn't type something I was supposed to ...
I thought there was a tutorial for this kind of thing up in the top section of the board but I guess not...

Memory refresh please?

I don't know about the 'insert link' button . . .

What I do is copy the URL address (in the address bar) from the website page that I want to link to and paste it into my reply.

Now, posting photos is a different story . . . I have no clue how to do that.

[Softly Spoken]

ARRRRRRRGH!
Okay, I did a search and couldn't find the answer/too many results: what is the trick for inserting a hyperlink into a post?
I know about the 'insert link' button but I just don't have the HTML in the right place or I didn't type something I was supposed to ...
I thought there was a tutorial for this kind of thing up in the top section of the board but I guess not...

Memory refresh please?

I don't know about the 'insert link' button . . .

What I do is copy the URL address (in the address bar) from the website page that I want to link to and paste it into my reply.

Now, posting photos is a different story . . . I have no clue how to do that.

Yeah I'm looking for that space-saving trick of having blue underlined text you can mouse over.

[Adelaide]

I was just talking to my mother about tips at restaurants. I know we've talked about the percentage on here, but that's not my question is about. My question is why do you tip? Is there a standard, agreed-upon reason? My impression is that you tip nothing if your service is terrible, a standard amount (again, not trying to discuss exact amounts) if your service is good/decent, and then more if your service is great.

I treat tips like a commentary on the quality of service. However, my mother was just talking about a notorious, awful dinner we had a year ago. The servers were bored and listless the whole time and some were actually rude. I told my mom "Well, I guess they didn't get tipped!" and she said no, they got tipped the standard amount. When I asked why (the service was truly, extraordinarily bad) she replied "Well, that's how these people make their living." She and my father are of the same mindset, that you tip "just because", so I was wondering if I had the wrong (or an odd) idea about why you tip.