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Little things we wonder about


HAPe4me
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I thought it would be fun to post questions about little things we wonder about as we comer across them in our daily life. They can be serious or silly. Maybe this will go somewhere and maybe it won't. Feel free to post your own questions or answers. The answers can also be serious or silly, but if you know for a fact the answer, it would be sweet to be told such an answer.

My first question is about the Oval office at the Whitehouse,, but is NOT meant to be a political inquiry, and by no means is meant to set a focus for the thread.

In looking at pictures of President Obama's first day in office I was struck by the pictures of him on the phone. Both phones I saw in use in the Oval office pictures were CORDED phones. You know, the ones with that twisty, always-getting-tangled, pain in the neck, possible hazard to young children, type cord. I haven't used one of those in ages.

Is this a security thing to prevent over the air broadcast of conversations? Is it just an overlooked yet-to-be-updated technology thing? It just surprised me, and I wondered about it. that's all, not exactly a life issue, but sometimes we just have to ask.

Maybe Rumrunner can tell us, or whoever it was whose daughter worked in the Whitehouse?

~HAP

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I thought it would be fun to post questions about little things we wonder about as we comer across them in our daily life. They can be serious or silly. Maybe this will go somewhere and maybe it won't. Feel free to post your own questions or answers. The answers can also be serious or silly, but if you know for a fact the answer, it would be sweet to be told such an answer.

My first question is about the Oval office at the Whitehouse,, but is NOT meant to be a political inquiry, and by no means is meant to set a focus for the thread.

In looking at pictures of President Obama's first day in office I was struck by the pictures of him on the phone. Both phones I saw in use in the Oval office pictures were CORDED phones. You know, the ones with that twisty, always-getting-tangled, pain in the neck, possible hazard to young children, type cord. I haven't used one of those in ages.

Is this a security thing to prevent over the air broadcast of conversations? Is it just an overlooked yet-to-be-updated technology thing? It just surprised me, and I wondered about it. that's all, not exactly a life issue, but sometimes we just have to ask.

Maybe Rumrunner can tell us, or whoever it was whose daughter worked in the Whitehouse?

~HAP

I think its a security thing. I think the best over the counter scrambling system is still spread spectrum, but even with that, there is enough technology out there to decode a call, if ya got the right tools and conditions. I heard some time ago that the red phone, the one to the russia is a basic phone..so, ya, I am thinking security...and I have been around the scrambling phones, still corded models and those around, expensive...while working at Siemens....

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Just go look up Tempest or EMPRESS - 'nuff said

I think its a security thing. I think the best over the counter scrambling system is still spread spectrum, but even with that, there is enough technology out there to decode a call, if ya got the right tools and conditions. I heard some time ago that the red phone, the one to the russia is a basic phone..so, ya, I am thinking security...and I have been around the scrambling phones, still corded models and those around, expensive...while working at Siemens....
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Just go look up Tempest or EMPRESS - 'nuff said

Ah, I didn't see anything with those key words..got another one or two?

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I have often wondered the logic in ordering a triple cheese el-deluxo cheesy cheese three quarter pound burger with extra mayo, the super duper sized fries and a diet soda pop.

maybe to keep the teeth from rotting? I wonderred something similar to you, when I saw a rather large person order a triple cheeseburger "hold the bun".

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1. The national debt...who do we owe?

2. Park on the driveway & drive on the parkway?

3. Cigarettes are bad then why is the tax money good???

4. A sign at a pick-up counter in a restaurant read, "Pick up food hear"

(absolutely not related to the topic, just thought it was funny)

5. Because I said so...ok? (Shellon, maybe you can elaborate on this one)

6. Blow on your hands in the winter to make them warm...blow on your soup/coffee to cool it off?

Ok. this is getting too silly...my apologies to all, I'll get back to work :wave:

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5. Because I said so...ok? (Shellon, maybe you can elaborate on this one)

:) oilfield, how are you? I'm not sure if I can elaborate on this one, but my mind first went to parenting. "Cuz I'm the mom" kinda thing. It doesn't usually work but it makes the grown up sound so grown up doesn't it?

Maybe it's like the stuff we ask them such as "do you want a spanking?" Ummm, yeah, can I have three, the kid might let fall out.

Or asking a 3 year old 'how many times have I told you to quit poking your sister in the eye with the screwdriver'. Even the parent asking that has no idea how many times. Once was plenty past enough times, if ya ask me, but it's a stupid question regardless.

Why are some warnings on products? We're told not to use a curling iron internally. I assume it's because some fool did and sued the company for the excessive damage to their unmentionables, so now they have to cover their own.

And the White House has to use corded phones for security reasons, yes. Baby monitors and such can't pick up the convo on a corded one, for example. And if there is a power outage, the corded one is still gonna work, too. Not to mention it doesn't have to be charged when the damn charger is no where to be found.

I'm curious about so many things, as well. Why are hotdog buns in packages of 10 and the hotdogs are in packages of 8.

:unsure:

www.shellonnorth.com

Edited by Shellon
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:) oilfield, how are you? I'm not sure if I can elaborate on this one, but my mind first went to parenting. "Cuz I'm the mom" kinda thing. It doesn't usually work but it makes the grown up sound so grown up doesn't it?

Maybe it's like the stuff we ask them such as "do you want a spanking?" Ummm, yeah, can I have three, the kid might let fall out.

Or asking a 3 year old 'how many times have I told you to quit poking your sister in the eye with the screwdriver'. Even the parent asking that has no idea how many times. Once was plenty past enough times, if ya ask me, but it's a stupid question regardless.

Why are some warnings on products? We're told not to use a curling iron internally. I assume it's because some fool did and sued the company for the excessive damage to their unmentionables, so now they have to cover their own.

And the White House has to use corded phones for security reasons, yes. Baby monitors and such can't pick up the convo on a corded one, for example. And if there is a power outage, the corded one is still gonna work, too. Not to mention it doesn't have to be charged when the damn charger is no where to be found.

I'm curious about so many things, as well. Why are hotdog buns in packages of 10 and the hotdogs are in packages of 8.

:unsure:

www.shellonnorth.com

One part of your post, about warnings, is liability issues, sort of the gravy train for some Attorneys. Without a warning label, maybe you figure your curling iron is supposed to be used as a device to warm your bath water...you know, "this device is to be used as an iron to curl your hair, it is not intended for anyother purpose....."

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Personally I love those warnings on products... I read them and then I try to think of what on earth the idiot who sued the company was doing .. or for that matter thinking when they injured themselves.

Really now how idiotic do you have to be to put a hot cup of coffee you were just handed between your legs and drive off in your car and then get mad because you spill it on your tender skin. How rude of McDonalds to sell you Hot coffee.

We need labels on people .. This person is too stupid to live do not sell them any of your product.

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About 1977 I was driving with a bunch of people through the desert in Arizona. I picked up some guy hitching and drve him for a few hours to a crossroad where he wanted to get out.

It was pretty bleak out there--like the moon--no cars, no buildings, no signs of civilization...

I let him out and drove off --about 3, 4 maybe 5 miles down the road I rode through a pack of wild dogs-about 50 or 60 of them that were sort of jogging in that direction. It was a fairly sinister looking sight that I had never seen before....all those dogs.... I got outvoted on turning around---It would have been a pretty good hike for those dogs to reach him. I dont even know the guys name but Ive always wondered if that guy was OK--Hope so

I wonder what hes doing now.

Every once in awhile I wonder about these people who I crossed paths with just once and where they went

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I heard and I even believe I saw a photo of this. On the topic, now...little things we wonder about.... I heard and I believe I saw a photo of the front and back of a "claymore mine", the ones that came about in Nam, as in Vietnam....anyway, isn't there on one side "Face Toward Enemy", and there wasn't there something about "Do not eat" on it....or have I just had one to many Mojito's?

Found it:

do not necessarily discount everything that comes from the government. I remember from my time in Southeast Asia that every once in a while, our tax dollars fund government studies of inestimable worth. For example, the folks in the Defense Dept. researched issues related to protecting our troops while at the same time, providing the enemy the maximum opportunity to give his life for his country. From one of those studies came the Claymore mine.

The Claymore mine is a device designed to spray an area with many, many steel ball bearings of approximately .32 caliber at a velocity approaching 19,000 feet per second. The device consists of a small sheet of C-4 plastic explosive, one side of which is covered with the steel balls. It is deployed with the ball side facing the enemy, and is detonated by means of an electrical charge transmitted to a blasting cap that is inserted into the C-4. The entire package is encased in a plastic cover that keeps everything intact until the moment of detonation.

The wonder of this device is not its destructive force (which is considerable). No, the wonder is the message that came with each Claymore, to alert its users to the danger it posed. I know, you're probably thinking of messages like, "Danger! High Exposive!" or the like. No, the warning is much more personal than that. On the back of the mine, in letters embossed upon the olive green plastic, were these words:

"Do not eat."

Sage advice, that. But I've never been quite comfortable with the notion of entrusting a Claymore mine to someone who could actually benefit from this advice.

Edited by mchud11
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I heard and I even believe I saw a photo of this. On the topic, now...little things we wonder about.... I heard and I believe I saw a photo of the front and back of a "claymore mine", the ones that came about in Nam, as in Vietnam....anyway, isn't there on one side "Face Toward Enemy", and there wasn't there something about "Do not eat" on it....or have I just had one to many Mojito's?

claymore-thumb.jpg

1-1-610_2.jpg

Usmc_improvised_claymore_mine.jpg

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I wonder how can nearly 2 million blacks get into Washington DC in sub zero temps in 1 day when 200,000 couldn't get out of New Orleans at 85 degrees with four days notice?

Perhaps you should pose that question to the government agencies who dropped the ball in New Orleans.

Make sure to include the racist overtones.

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Sign over Mervyn's store - Now hiring - Uhh Now hiring Mervyns's?????? Sounds like discrimination to me

I actually saw this on a sign in front of a jewelry store in Newport, RI:

"Ears pierced while you wait."

As opposed to what? Dropping them off and picking them up later?

:biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh:

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Perhaps you should pose that question to the government agencies who dropped the ball in New Orleans.

Make sure to include the racist overtones.

They seemed to be able to get to the party all by their lonesome so I guess ir had nothing to do with the goverment when they wanted to.

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I always wonder how plants know which way to grow when they sprout.

Even if bulbs get put in the ground upside down they will grow down and then turn right around and head up to the surface.

How do they know which way to grow?

They are buried in dirt.

And -- when you (or I) are under water, how is it that we instinctively know which way is up, eh?? <_<

Can you say -- some things are subject to *natural law*???

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