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

[Virg]

dawnfire wrote:

"When we are introduced to the the trill race in the next gen episode "The Host" we are told that trills cannot use the transporter as it injures the symbiont, yet in DS9 DAX uses the transporter with no ill effect. Why?"

There's this pretty cool piece of technology in the Star Trek universe called the "ret-con".  They used it on the transporters when they introduced Jadzia Dax, and it made the transporter safe for Trills to use.

Virg

[clio917]

If I'm making a personal sale (not back to Amazon) of a Kindle, Should I de-register it? 
(Seems, obvious, but want to double check).

I do plan to default back to factory blank, or whatever it will let me do.

I would de-register it, then do a factory re-set if needed.

[Iris]

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 

[Girlie]

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.

[Diane AKA Traska]

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 

The bonus is, the copy doesn't know it's been disintegrated, so the next time it goes to use the transporter, it gets vaporized and *another* copy is spawned...

Yes, Starfleet is an organization of serial killers. 

[Outdoor Girl]

Girlie, I do!  One guy I work with was offered both positions that he'd interviewed for in our office.  He'd done contract work in both sections so he knew what each job was about.  They both had pros and cons and he just couldn't make up his mind so he flipped a coin to decide which job to take.

[Iris]

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.

[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.