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AskReddit/cdbigrb
|
1qcgcg
|
What was the stupidest rule in school?
|
In 1970, while in 10th grade, I was called into the principals office for wearing pants to school. Girls were not allowed to wear pants at that time in many public schools. I asked the principal, " Why? ". So did my Dad, who came to school when they called him to take me home. After that silly discussion I continued to wear pants and the school withdrew their archaic rule. Thank goodness for the enlightenment over the past 40-50 years.
| 3 |
AskReddit/c7whgeq
|
16j1e8
|
How can I get over my fear of drowning?
|
Well for starters pools have lifeguards that'll keep you from drowning, to follow up you could pay for private lessons, and third of all you could bring water wings to the pool so you can explain to people you're doing it as a joke, if they ask you to take them off say you have to pee or something and when you come back stay where your feet can touch the water until you have the chance to slip then on again or leave
| 2 |
AskReddit/ccq13uc
|
1o9mc9
|
What should a first time apartment renter know?
|
BEFORE RENTING: See the actual apartment you'd be renting. Not the one next door, not a model - the one you'd be living in. You have no idea how good or bad you could have it. Drop by unannounced to the apartment/building and ask questions: is the landlord fair? Do repairs happen in a timely manner? How good is trash/snow removal (if applicable)? How much are utilities? Check what's around. Is it close to where you will spend lots of time/is there good transit/is the commute tolerable? Will going for groceries be a chore? Decide what you can realistically afford, and don't look for apartments outside your range. Rank amenities such as AC, laundry, or a patio from most to least important. You will likely not get everything you want. Choose what would be nice and what's non-negotiable. Find out what the landlord requires to sign a lease. They'll need a deposit, but how much is it? What about first and or last months rent? Pet fees? What if you need to move out early? MOVING IN Take pictures/video of the empty apartment. Document anything you think you might get charged for when you leave. Set up utilities such as power and cable at least two weeks in advance to make sure you have them on day one. Introduce yourselves to your neighbors. Let them know they can talk to you if they have issues with loud noise/smell/etc and you'll take care of it. Give them your number so they can call/text. If this is a college complex, at least invite them to the first party you throw. Unless it's critical, don't complain to your neighbors for the first two weeks. You need to figure out whether the party on Tuesday night is an anomaly or a horrible annoying pattern. It also lets them know you're chill. MOVING OUT Fix as many damages as you can. Fill nail/screw holes with putty. A can of paint to fix a small patch or a spill will cost way less than the landlord will charge you. Know what time you need to be out by on the last day of your lease. Some landlords charge by the hour, or a full extra week. Don't get screwed. The last 20% of packing/moving/cleaning will take at least twice as long as you think it will, because everybody is tired, and all that's left is random stuff that doesn't make sense to pack together. Plan accordingly. Do your best to get it as clean as t was when you got it. Cleaning eats away at a larger chunk of your deposit than most repairs. Take pics/video of the empty apartment before locking it for the last time. Save them until you get your deposit back. Know when your landlord must return your deposit to you by law. They probably know and will have it back to you in a timely manner, but that timely manner varies by law from state to state. Know your rights. Enjoy your first place!
| 3 |
AskReddit/d5sm0vz
|
4usz8o
|
What took you way too long in life to figure out?
|
That the special sauce on a big Mac can be purchased at any grocery store however if you can figure out how to perfect the KFC chicken skin at home you can pretty do anything in life.
| 2 |
AskReddit/eelankx
|
ai5l15
|
How close to the speed of light could humans realistically get with some kind of futuristic tech?
|
Provided we could orbit a black hole to study the distortion of space, technically we can speedup and slow down the speed at which any energy can travel. So if we could slow down the speed of light, we could potentially get faster than it actually. It would have devastating affects on the time in which we perceive however.
| 2 |
askscience/c1lzafi
|
g9t4c
|
Why do our finger nails grow faster than our toe nails?
|
More wild speculation here, but are you sure they do grow faster? I, too, trim my toenails much less frequently than my fingernails, but I also let they grow to a much longer length before I trim them. They may grow at the same rate but long fingernails are more problematic than long toenails so you simply trim them more often.
| 3 |
AskReddit/dpfa5as
|
7b51bo
|
Why don't you use your turn signal?
|
I lived in New Jersey for a long time, and I got out of the habit for using it to signal a lane change, because, up there, if you signal a lane change people speed up to close the gap. I still use it for turns, but to this day my instinct is not to telegraph the lane change.
| 3 |
AskReddit/cmof8x5
|
2om29o
|
What is the best thing to do during a home invasion?
|
Keep a gun about 3 feet away from your bed, and easily accessible. People can debate on what the best kind to use are, so I won't make any specific recommendations. Make sure you're using home defense rounds, though. Make sure you know how to use the gun. Don't just buy it and assume your collection of 24 on dvd will get you through it. Have someone show you how to shoot, and get comfortable with it. Have a plan. What will you do if someone comes in the front door? The living room window? The bedroom window? Know the layout of your house. Remember bullets travel through things, so go over in your head on where it's safe and unsafe to shoot. Now, if someone is breaking into your house, do what you have to do. If you live in a state that actually respects your rights, shoot them, and try to kill them. Don't shoot them excessively. Call the police, then call a lawyer. If you live in a state that respects the rights of the criminal more than yours. I honestly don't know. Consult with law enforcement in your state to see what you can and can't do. States with a "castle doctrine" or "stand your ground" laws usually let you kill anyone who enters your property illegally. It puts the responsibility on them. It is still a homicide, though- and will be investigated as such. States without this will still let you use self-defense, but in a more limited manner.
| 3 |
explainlikeimfive/dpqhtat
|
7ck0or
|
Where do all the leaves eventually go after Autumn?
|
In the wild they just pile up and eventually rot away into mud. It can take some time for this to occur, and the floor of a largely deciduous forest can be pretty well coated with discarded leaves from the last few years. On your lawn they'll get mulched by the lawnmower in spring if you don't rake them up.
| 4 |
askscience/c3kcvsk
|
ovfw1
|
Can someone explain how something be created from nothing according to quantum theory?
|
The problem with interpreting physics using common sense is that common sense is not adept at dealing with questions of such a realm. Even in framing you question, you betray your humanity and the fact that you are accustomed to reasoning within the constraints of this world as we commonly know it: "The universe started from nothing". Well, off the bat, I have to impress upon you the fact that modern cosmological theories posit that time and space itself "began" at the birth of the universe. The standard assumptions of "the start of the universe" usually accompany thoughts of "before the universe". There is no before. You can't have "before" without time. Asking what's before the start of the universe is like asking which way is north at the north pole. There isn't. it's all south from the north pole. A similar reason applies to "something" and "nothing". Are you sitting "outside" the universe, "seeing" nothing? Do you see "something" "come into" "existence". There is no outside - at least not in any conventional sense (multiverse mumble mumble not what you think it is). Space itself "began" with the big bang. I keep using the word "began" because my grasp of English betrays me, preventing me from consistently expressing the fact that there is no "start" while still not being grammatically obtuse or incorrect. Now you may say "Well, ok smarty pants - thanks for being pedantic but you know what I meant." Let me clarify that the question you may want to ask is, at the beginning of time, was there a net positive energy? If so why? I'm not qualified to answer that question - I don't know the latest cosmological models and whether we have formulated the universe to start from zero energy. But one thing is for sure. The result will not be something "intuitive" or "common" or obvious (except for the physicists studying it perhaps). It will fall out of a complex but perhaps elegant mathematical model that summarizes our understanding of how the universe works. Common sense will struggle to cope with the result, but we'll all live and science will march on. TL;DR Physics is weird and yes it is quantum black magic.
| 9 |
AskReddit/ej0dj22
|
b3l4uv
|
What is the most disappointing thing your parents have ever done to you?
|
My mom kidnapped me when I was 12. Both of my parents are pos and everything they’ve done has disappointed me. I don’t have contact with either one or their new families. My Nanny and Papa raises me and for all I’m concerned they are my parents
| 3 |
AskReddit/d4p85xh
|
4q0g17
|
How has ice cream saved your life?
|
I am on the keto diet and make my own ice cream that contains very little carbs. (heavy whipping cream, coconut cream, and truvia). I found the keto diet to be extremely hard, but at least this little treat makes it bearable.
| 2 |
AskReddit/cgs7ktb
|
230kz0
|
What is the craziest thing you've ever seen while you were driving?
|
Craziest thing was coming back along the Nullarbor in the middle of the night. Hundreds of kangaroos, literally hundreds of them lined up along and jumping across the road. They were literally everywhere. I was so paranoid I was going to hit one I was doing 40kmph for about 200k's. But the road-trains just go straight over them, the road was painted red in parts. Would hate to have to clean those trucks.
| 2 |
askscience/c4d5p4j
|
sdi7x
|
Why does light move at the same speed relative to everything else?
|
>But why does light always move at this speed Amarkov gave a good classical answer. If you assume Maxwell's equations, out pops a constant, reference-frame independent speed at which electromagnetic radiation propagates. An alternative perspective is that it's geometric. As presented in the theory of relativity, space and time are connected in a certain way. It turns out that this relationship can be expressed by the velocity relationship: v^2 + c^2 s^2 = c^2. In all cases, 'v' represents the speed of the particle as measured by you and 'c' is a conversion factor between units of space and time. Importantly, it also has units of speed. That leaves 's'. For massive particles, 's' must always be positive and can be interpreted as the number of seconds that you see passing for the particle for each one second that passes for you. For massless particles, s is zero. Thus, the above equation incorporates three key features: (1) A massive particle can never reach the speed of light. If v = c, then s = 0 and we said s has to be positive for massive particles. (2) If something is moving relative to you, you see time passing more slowly for that object. This is time-dilation. (3) For massless particles, like light, the equation reduces to v = c. I want to stress that this is all a consequence of the geometric relationship between space and time. If you assume space and time have the relationship they appear to have in our universe, the above equation and its consequences follow. In short, there are a few ways to approach the problem. You can assume Maxwell's equations are valid, which predicts a constant speed of light. You can assume a certain relationship between space and time, which predicts a constant speed of light. Or you can assume a constant speed of light and predict the relationship between space and time (this is how the relationship was originally determined). But, in any case, it's important to note that a theoretical prediction of a constant speed of light doesn't guarantee a constant speed of light. Maxwell's equations might have been in need of modification, or there could have been some preferred reference frame in which they were implicitly being solved.
| 13 |
AskReddit/cd9jiqi
|
1q4lp0
|
Is it possible for an animal to evolve to a human level of intelligence while we still exist?
|
Absolutely. Look into orca whales or even dolphins. They have more complex emotions than we do. Socially are more evolved and incredible apex predators. No natural enemies and have been proven to language as complex as ours. Even with variation in different places! Sometimes I feel that as humans we think we're above everything else because of our technological advances and lack of understanding of other intelligent creatures.
| 2 |
AskReddit/eel0a92
|
ai4i0u
|
How do r/AskReddit posts blow up?
|
It asks something of people that they want to share. Most people like talking about their experiences and ideas and hearing others, so if you post a question that a lot of people can and want to answer and also look at other answers, then your post might blow up
| 2 |
askscience/ddcr5xb
|
5s3zuw
|
Is there a theoretical limit to the number of chemical elements that could exist in the universe?
|
I think the answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. Theoretically there should be no limit, you keep smashing nuclei together to form higher and higher number elements which will decay faster than we would ever hope to detect them. A more appropriate question would be, would we still consider it to be an element if it didn't stick around long enough to be detected, measured etc. for example if you scattered a proton off a Pb atom, for the fraction of a second which the proton interacts with the Pb nucleus (through elastic/inelastic scattering), would you consider it to be a Bi isotope or just a proton scattering off a Pb nucleus?
| 35 |
AskReddit/dr4a4m8
|
7j7kcq
|
Why does the number ten become a double digit, is there any reason that there couldn’t be 11, 12, 13 etc. single digit numbers?
|
Because we use the Hindu–Arabic numeral system, which is base 10. Computers use binary(base 2), in which 2 becomes a 2 digit number so it goes 0, 1, 10, 11,100,etc The Babylonians used a base 12 system, which you can see on your clock. A bunch of competing systems in ancient history were combined, resulting in a base 60 system. You can also see that on your clock. Computer programmers often find base 2 to be cumbersome, so they use a compromise and use a base 16 system(hexadecimal). So they count 8,9,a,b,c,d,e,f, 10, 11, etc.
| 3 |
AskReddit/dpp6q2t
|
7cdq1d
|
What’s a memory you have that is completely useless, but impossible to forget?
|
When I was in daycare (probably about 5 or 6), the lady who ran the daycare let me and another girl eat our lunch outside while the younger kids took a nap. She has a huge wooded backyard. Before we went out there, her son told us this really fabricated story about a huge black snake that went around eating kids. Being young and stupid, we believed him and didn't want to go outside because we were scared, but we were basically kind of pushed out the door. We sat out there for about two minutes before we panicked and ran back inside. Totally useless memory, but it's so vivid.
| 2 |
AskHistorians/ccqbmh5
|
1o92y5
|
Why was Roman identity in modern day Romania preserved even when the Roman presence in Dacia was relatively short and the area suffered from successive invasions by Germanic, Slavic and Magyar groups?
|
It is a much-debated question whether Rumanian identity as such existed back then, and if it did was it actually preserved in the territory of today's Rumania. This question is extremely politicized, as both Hungarians and Rumanians seek to justify their claims on Transylvania by their completely different theories on "who was there first". I personally would argue that Rumanian identity as such is the product of the late medieval period and it is not the same with Dacian identity.
| 2 |
Ask_Politics/cc60gk4
|
1m5gid
|
How did the US get involved in Syria in the first place?
|
Okay, first we aren't really engaged in much at the moment. Iraq is largely done and Afghanistan is slowing down. So we now have a large military with not much to do. Second, the US is involved for two reasons. First, we really don't like people to use ABC weapons. Frankly no one does, but countries still use the chemical part of ABC. There is also a treaty which bans the use of chemical weapons. We still have them, but we're actively destroying them. Same with Russia as far as we can tell. Now Assad is kind of a douche and opened fire on his own people who were protesting. This is pretty standard stuff for an authoritarian leader. Assad is also besties with Putin. So there is the second reason, this is essentially the proxy cold war. We really don't like Syria because of this relationship, nor are they crazy enough to isolate themselves like Iran does. So we really want Assad out and have been helping the rebels to do this for a while. The only problem is we have learned nothing from Iran. The enemy of my enemy is not my friend when they are my enemy too. Which is the case with many of the rebel factions. But I digress. So Obama didn't really want to just jump in on this ousting Assad thing because he wanted to appear more balanced than that, so he drew a red line in the sand, no chemical weapons. He knew that once the line had been he could be justified in attacking. H however, the reality isn't that clear and we have no idea where the chemical weapons came from. .
| 4 |
AskReddit/diiz4m2
|
6fl06h
|
What's a good thing about Twitter?
|
If you follow the right people then it's a good way to get news and information in one scroll. For example, when I was a music teacher I followed a lot of education journals, music education researchers, educational resource sites as well as education specific news. I also follow a lot of local businesses and can see when they have deals on, what's going on around my city etc On my morning commute I don't have to go searching for articles to read, I can just click on a twitter link. A lot of social media is what you make of it. People put it down because they think it's for girls to post a bunch of selfies and people to spout their views - which it can be - but it can also be really useful. Follow who you want to follow, and you can ignore the rest.
| 2 |
AskReddit/dw6f3qg
|
86nj9f
|
How’d you meet your best friend?
|
I met my best friend, Aspen, when I was 13 years old. We had an art class together, and when I sat next to her she kinda just looked at me with this weird expression. Like I was a ghost or something! It took her another couple of days to talk to me, but we soon became inseparable. Our art teacher hated us because we would talk more than draw. Fast forward a year or so, she tells me why she acted the way she did when we first met. It's kinda cool and kinda like, what? Turns out she had had a dream a week before we met, and she dreamt about me, sitting next to her in a classroom with my owl book. (I did in fact have an owl book that day) crazy! We have been best friends ever since!
| 3 |
AskReddit/evdz347
|
cjku1j
|
What’s your biggest regret in life?
|
not realizing that when my best friend gave me a hug on the last day before spring break that something was wrong. this kid never ever hugged anybody. not even on special occasions. he was never the one to say "I love you" cause with him you just knew. I wish I had asked him if something was wrong that day. instead, on the day back to school from break we found out he was in critical condition in the hospital after a suicide attempt. he died a couple days later on April 25th after his family pulled the plug. definitely one of my biggest regrets.
| 2 |
AskReddit/dtdfeed
|
7tlezy
|
What was the shortest time someone lasted at your work?
|
I hired a guy that lasted only three days before being told not to bother coming in again, because he showed up late for work all three of those days. That wouldn't be particularly egregious, if I hadn't selected him in part because I could look out the window from my desk and see the condo building he lived in, immediately across the street.
| 7 |
AskReddit/eh58qiz
|
au34ls
|
Has anyone ever actually been to a high school party like you see in movies/shows?
|
Of course. Parties are a big part of high school. Parties at the rich kids house when his parents are out of town. Parties in the woods. Parties at the lake.
| 3 |
AskReddit/efxort2
|
ao2d2c
|
What is it that you thought of inventing that’s been already invented you didn’t know?
|
I invented something called the Save-A-Brush. It's a device you put wet paint brushes inside during a painting project so you don't have to clean them after each use. It's fairly fancy using vacuum evacuation to eliminate curing. One day I went to home Depot to buy something and someone had already patented a similar idea and it was for sale right beside the checkout lane. I was absolutely devastated. Now granted, their patent was cheap and not as sophisticated but it still served the same purpose.
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/d53nx92
|
4rryni
|
What is leading to the continuous generational increase in accumulation of college debt?
|
There's a ton of factors. But a big one is who is going to college. In your grandfather's college day (eatly 1950s), you didn't need a college degree. So many people who couldn't afford to go, simply didn't, but they got good jobs and went on with a fine middle class life. Others often came from backgrounds who didn't need to take on debt to go. They just paid the tuition. Either by working, or having parents who saved. Fast forward to today. Yes, college tuition has climbed astronomically, but also, pretty much every has to go to get even an outside shot in life these days. People are going with no savings, and who can't afford it. As such, they take out loans.
| 5 |
AskReddit/caevpm9
|
1fxyu7
|
Who are the people today who make more than they should?
|
Everybody makes close to what they should ie. market prices. If the market didn't support it they wouldn't be making it. But often the are restrictions or bottlenecks that help shape these prices in unseemly ways. Personally, I'd say that anybody making over 120k ie 3x median salary (base income from job) is making too much. People usually don't fall much beyond 3 st dev from the mean in skill sets. I should add that 3x is a bit arbitrary and in production some people's decisions have leveraged effects, such that they effect many persons - and may have a 10x effect. But in my world, I'd pay top talent 3x for their worth and not necessarily productive worth.
| 2 |
AskReddit/eeohzw8
|
aikw29
|
What have your friends & people you used to know from school ended up doing with their lives?
|
One landed a job at an expanding auto parts distributor. One died of cancer of the everything. Another one is in a fairly successful local band. One is formally military and got a job as a miner. One lost all his teeth to bone infection and got divorced. His brother left his wife for another brothers fiance. The family tree has some common branches. One of them thinks he is raising his son, but it's actually his brother. The mother is his wife. Tldr choose your friends wisely
| 2 |
AskReddit/coydmkm
|
2x9ldc
|
What Game, on any platform, Do You Regret Buying?
|
Outlast on the PC. I regret buying that game for a few reasons. I am not wanting to rant. I just want to say why I do not like the game. I do not scared of the "Asylum" theme. If you are not afraid of the asylum theme you will not enjoy the game. With the Overwhelmingly Positive votes on Steam, it already has a high standard of what they might expect. Word of mouth says that it "redefines the horror genre". Unless you get scared easily, it does nothing. All AI are the same. Once you learn how to maneuver around them, they are easy to outsmart and ruin the experience. As the game progresses, the experience in the beginning loses its luster and becomes more frustrating rather than scary. The view bobbing is nauseating people who are sensitive to it. There is no way to remove the view bobbing. There are repetitive points in the game where you have to retrieve items to advance. (Fuses, keys, generators, etc.) Which has one AI that tries to get you. The story isn't really straight forward as you advance. The player is really interested to find the documents and notes in the beginning. Later, in my experience, the player doesn't care about it anymore. They just want to get past the objective. I am sure that the Developers, Red Barrels, like to see praise for their product. I am sure that they would like to see criticism of the game, too. I hope that second game will be better. Edit: Rewording a few sentences.
| 3 |
AskReddit/cdr1h8b
|
1rulw6
|
What's the most pain you've ever felt that wasn't physical?
|
Leaving the hospital with my wife and going home to the nursery without our baby boy. He was in the morgue instead. We felt robbed. Robbed of a beautiful baby and that he was robbed of a long amazing life. Helplessness
| 5 |
AskReddit/c7hvsbo
|
14zieq
|
What is the best party you have ever thrown?
|
Not one that I threw, but an ex-girlfriend's 19th (legal drinking age in my neck of the woods) birthday party took place at her house. She had dinosaur decorations, candy, pop, chips, pizza, etc. No alcohol. No drugs. It was essentially a five year old boy's birthday party. It was both awesome and refreshing.
| 2 |
AskReddit/des6rfv
|
5yqogv
|
What's the WORST book that you were forced to read for English class?
|
Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. Read it for 11th grade. I'm a huge reader, I was actually the top of the school when I was in Middle school, but that book was horrible.
| 2 |
AskReddit/cdmqh7b
|
1rfkj1
|
What is the scariest thing that has happened to you while you were in a foreign country?
|
My appendix burst after a long day in Amsterdam. I'm an american and was going to uni in the Scotland. I was heading over for the first year and had a long layover in Amsterdam so I went and got some Absinthe and spent the day just hanging about enjoying the city. I got on the plane still tipsy and when I got the the UK thought I had the worst hangover of my life. I went to my flat for the first time and tried to sleep it off. Woke up the next day and thought I was dying. I had no phone or computer or friends, no knowledge of the city, nothing. Spent a couple days going to orientation stuff constantly in the most pain I've ever been in (or close to it anyways). After 4 days of this I went to the student clinic where they told me to go to the hospital before I died. Got there and the next day had it removed, spent the next couple days in a room with a glaswegian guy that talked to me all day long but I never understood a word of it. Really scary getting surgery by yourself in another country without even a phone to call anyone or a friend to talk to.
| 21 |
AskReddit/d7ymzwh
|
543pbj
|
What's the best book you've ever read?
|
Fight club hands down (edit: for me). The way the author describes insomnia was really important to me. As someone who is scrolling through Reddit because I've been awake for over 30+ hours, it really hit home and he did such a detailed/great job. I've never connected with literature like that before. It also did an incredible job of bringing up the topic of mental health and psychological disorders given the fact that it was written in the 90's. In my opinion mental health hasn't been talked about publicly like that on a larger scale until the mid 2000's. Very well researched, VERY well written, and just badass in general. I don't read often and I don't enjoy reading but that book was one that I couldn't put down. (My opinionated rant is finished now)
| 2 |
AskReddit/cf0o236
|
1wcef0
|
What songs make you reflect on life whenever you listen to them?
|
You're Gonna Miss This - Trace Adkins Especially as a student in college, I know I want to grow up, get a job, and become successful in the real world. At the same time, this song makes me realize that the "carefree" days are almost over. Soon I won't be able to walk down the hall and play Minecraft with friends or go to the gym and play racquetball all the time. It makes me prioritize the good things in life.
| 3 |
explainlikeimfive/d87cf5l
|
5541jk
|
How were copies of Lincoln's conspirators' wanted poster created if they used pictures?
|
Halftone printing technology was invented in the 1830s. It was compatible with the ink printing presses used for newspapers and handbills like wanted posters. Photocopiers are a 1930s invention, 100 years later.
| 6 |
AskReddit/d7wficv
|
53uvyl
|
Who is one person you have never forgiven, and what did they do?
|
I'm a pretty easygoing person (especially considering my anxiety disorder) but I've never been able to forgive the man who sexually abused me as a child. Because how do you intentionally traumatize a little kid for years and then have the nerve to pretend it didn't happen?
| 2 |
AskHistorians/d91eqg2
|
58jhit
|
Is it normal to feel depressed when you study history?
|
Preface: This post is entirely based upon my views, my experiences, and my extensive reading into human violence. It may not be for everybody, and it's not very 'academic', but it's my view on this matter. In my studies I read and think a lot about killing in battle, which is one thing, but I also am forced (for the sake of completeness and academic rigor) to look closely into other depressingly routine aspects of violence in the ancient world. Mass rape, enslavement, the killing of prisoners, the butchering of civilians, and countless and constant more 'isolated' cases of such conduct by soldiers is absolutely the norm throughout the period I study. My reading of secondary sources, and general knowledge of the huge scale of violence against 'innocents' in basically all periods of human history, especially the 20th century, has led personally to the conclusion that this sort of conduct is an inalienable aspect of human nature. It is also in my view, even more unfortunately, not simply 'evil' but 'normal' human violence that in many cases seems to be the only way to solve problems between individuals and states and has been a dominant factor in human interactions with relatively few exceptions ever since pre-historic humans starting living in small communities. We are fortunate enough to live in a time of peace, of which there have been many throughout history, giving us all a more pacific view of human nature. The high advancement of Western society in terms of strength of institutions, rule of law, and their disproportionate military dominance over the rest of the world (for now) restrains, at least in our corners of the world, these natural behaviours. That such a thing is possible gives hope for the future, but it is the product of stable, advanced states and institutions, stable political systems, no significant external threats and a relatively settled 'world order' in most places. This can change in the future, and it is important to remember that maintaining peace can take as much resolve and constant effort as war does. This, unfortunately, is the reality of the world we live in even today. The fact that we are rarely faced with violence, (and never on more than the individual scale aside from terrorist attacks) in Western societies means we are not particularly well adapted to coping psychologically with the violent realities of human nature. I work in a vaguely violent occupation (security in a mental health institution/emergency department with a toxicology speciality) and so I witness, am the victim of, and even inflict just enough minor violence that reading about this stuff all the time does not bother me so much, as I can understand it at least in the weakest sense. But many people who know me think my perspective is warped and unhealthy. However it helps me cope more easily with the unfortunate aspects of human nature and conduct throughout history. That said, it routinely bothers me. I am especially sensitive to rape, which was a horribly routine (even glorified) fact of life and war in the ancient world: you can see rape heavily implied in the way soldiers physically assault women in visual depictions all over Roman victory columns such as that of Marcus Aurelius. Sometimes I have to go read about something else. I also have to accept that human nature is not as simple as 'good' or 'evil', and the same people that do great deeds can also do very terrible deeds. A modern example might be a soldier who has won great decorations for his service to his country and would be willing to die for the people he is fighting for, which is a noble thing, but the same soldier might also execute prisoners of war on the battlefield. This is a somewhat common if simplified example. The 'duality of man', as Joker puts it in Full Metal Jacket, is a reality in all of us. Our environment and physical circumstances drastically shape the balance of this 'duality', but life is and has always been a violent affair. With this in mind, take some inspiration from the incredible achievements of the post-WWII world in maintaining peace in most parts of the world. Those parts of the world that are not peaceful have a long way to go, but their development is a painful and gradual process that you cannot personally affect. Likewise, you cannot do anything about individual crimes that occur in our society, other than to help maintain the general societal disapproval for violent acts. I would suggest that phenomena such as Unit 731 are not typical acts of violence for any period of human history, but are examples of particular sadism. Take comfort in knowing that even among violent people and in violent periods such as war between states, even in the ancient world such sadism is and was not the norm. A fascination with the macabre tends to draw us to the most terrible examples of human conduct throughout history, but the good qualities of humans are just as prominent in all periods of history even if they don't get the attention they deserve. The same men raping and pillaging in the legions would die for their city, die for their country, and give everything they have to ensure their community prospers. Try not to focus entirely on the negative aspects of human behaviour, because if you look at the other side of our 'duality' you'll see just as many positive aspects to how humans behave. I might also suggest however that you use your knowledge of the commonness of violence among humans to be thankful for the peaceful society you live in, and let it put in perspective many of the troubles of your life. We tend to have a belief that we should be able to change things and fix things, and this is part of the reason soldiers who go overseas to fight come back traumatised when they witness terrible things that they had no power (or legal justification) to prevent. However, we usually can't stop bad things from happening. They are, unfortunately, mostly beyond our control. Think about it, but in the end try to be thankful for what you have. It's your responsibility to yourself. Try also to treat other people with respect: the most direct impact you can have on the world around you is your interaction with the members of your society. Try not to make anyone's life harder, try to help people when the opportunity arises, and you've done basically all you can to make the world a better place.
| 21 |
AskReddit/e8eywq8
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9r8i4e
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What is a song you listened to once and hated but heard again a few weeks/months later and instantly loved?
|
Redbone by Childish Gambino, at first I thought it was just some old woman soul singer singing over a beat that he made, when I found out it was him singing my mind was blown and I heard the song in a whole new way and loved it.
| 2 |
AskReddit/c2mfil3
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kqrur
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What are, to you, the most important issues in the world nowadays?
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I know you said no newspaper headlines, but to me the most important issue today is the American economy. I will be finishing school soon and I am going to need a new job. I honestly am scared that if Republicans keep winning elections that I might not have much of a future.
| 2 |
AskReddit/cpcixal
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2yskoe
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What did love doing when you were younger that you don't enjoy at all anymore?
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Maths. I genuinely enjoyed it as a kid, it was like an adventure learning how different concepts within mathematics were connected and how you could solve real world problems. At university you just memorise proofs and methods and if you try stuff your own way you lose marks. Made my love turn into a hate.
| 2 |
AskReddit/dmzdos8
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7003mb
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Why do some people have the ability to sleep until 12?
|
People's bodies are all different.and sometimes there's other things going on. I can basically sleep until someone or something wakes me. Today I slept until noon and laid in bed until one. I can easily sleep 10-12 hours on weekends (could go longer). I also have Narcolepsy. We're all different.
| 2 |
AskReddit/e7k3tvs
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9n6hy6
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What are some helpful ways to gain weight?
|
This where I shine haha. Cheapest way? Gallon of milk a day. Start at skim, then 1%, 2%, Whole, Chocolate. That’s 128g of protein for roughly $2. Olive oil is also easy to add to most anything and good. Switch to fattier cuts of meat. Bring baggies of nuts with you to snack on. Cheese goes well with most every meal. The big thing is tracking your calories. Almost all of my skinny friends I’ve helped gain weight have sworn up and down that they eat everything in sight. When in reality they may have one big meal a day and then snack a little. Start at body weight by 15, if after two weeks you’re not gaining weight add 250 calories to that. Aim for 1g of protein per pound (ie if you want to weigh 225lbs, eat 225g of protein). The other calories don’t matter as much so long as you’re not going over your allotted calories. If you’re not very good with tracking calories, aim for a dozen eggs, a gallon of milk, and a pound of beef a day. Split that up into your meals however you see fit.
| 2 |
explainlikeimfive/dnc8pf1
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71n1dg
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Why do many people get easily spooked by small animals that don't actually pose a thread?
|
a)They are not life threatening but they can still hurt you. And no one wants to get hurt. b)People get startled because they're not expecting. Jump scare doesn't need a scary object. A gust of wind blowing a door shut can still startle you when you're not expecting. And animals aren't predictable when you're not familiar with them. Same reason why people are scare of and stay away from mental disfunctional people (sorry, I actually don't know what to call this, basically crazy people) in public because you don't know what to expect.
| 7 |
explainlikeimfive/cc4mdhi
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1m0kla
|
How does someone own a level in a building?
|
You have an agreement that gives you a space in a building. This agreement means that the 'real' owner can't just demolish the building out from under you. How does that count as really owning the place? When you buy land from the government they still don't allow you to do illegal things on your land, all property purchases are just an agreement with a higher authority. A huge lot of people own condos, it's the same idea. You buy a unit under an agreement that provides you with a degree of power over the building as a whole, and the building's management with certain powers to disallow you being a danger or nuisance and obliging you to pay some amount for maintenance fees and services to the buildings.
| 3 |
AskReddit/e874iaa
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9q6xr4
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Why is simply stating facts to parents during an argument automatically seen as "disrespectful"?
|
It's all about how you state them. If it's "You're wrong and this is right," that's disrespectful in most contexts. There's really not a good way to tell someone they're wrong when they're angry, so usually it's best to just turn the other cheek and approach the issue when everybody is calmer.
| 2 |
AskReddit/c2qlmlg
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l8e69
|
Why don't Mexicans just cross the border with a passport?
|
It's not that simple. Mexican citizens need both a visa (which costs $100 to apply for) and an entry permit if going past the immediate border area. And when those items expire, you're back to illegal.
| 7 |
AskReddit/cgpin15
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22qyoq
|
What's the worst way you've gotten yourself out of a situation?
|
A homeless person approached a car with my friends and I in it, and asked for money saying he lived in his car and needed money for gas. I immediately pretended to have a learning disability by talking with an accent that a person with down syndrome would have and asked why he didn't have a home He responded with "because I made some bad choices" to which I said "at least you had a choice" then I made a sad face and he left. This is by far the worst thing I've ever done in my entire life.
| 4 |
explainlikeimfive/cj1p5qm
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2b4f9g
|
How is it that practiced martial artists are able to break seemingly hard things with seemingly no injury?
|
Tons of training. These martial artists repeatedly strike hard objects causing micro fractures in the bone. The body heals these tiny fractures by depositing calcium and making them stronger and more dense. It also deadens the nerves in that area allowing them to strike harder. Add in proper form and you have a brick breaking maniac on the loose.
| 8 |
explainlikeimfive/d5jnnpy
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4trmfz
|
What is currency manipulation or currency rigging?
|
Currency manipulation means a bunch on different things depending on context. In this case, what they are talking about is financial institution rigging foreign exchange (forex) rates to cheat their clients: > Johnson, who works between London and New York, is being charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving front-running client orders, according to the complaint. "Front-running client orders" means a bank/broker placing orders on their own behalf based on knowledge of pending orders from their clients, so as to profit off the clients. For example, let's say I'm a broker, and you're my client--you put in an order to exchange a large amount of USD into Euros. When I put that order through on your behalf, the price of Euros is going to go up a little (since the market sees that demand for Euros is going up). So, if I were unethical, I could buy some Euros myself before putting your order through. That way, I profit from how the market moves because of your order. Hope that is clear enough
| 3 |
AskReddit/cgrpzqy
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22yt88
|
To those that have had a part of their body removed during surgery, do you have phantom pains/feelings?
|
Hate to be that guy but I'll say it anyways; Not me but my great uncle had his leg amputated towards the end of his life and the very next day after the surgery he said he went to itch his leg and couldn't because it wasn't there. He also had to take some sort of medication for getting pain in his "leg" which was no longer there.
| 2 |
AskReddit/cls6dlg
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2l7jw9
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Are there any precautions to not getting mugged while traveling?
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Take your wallet and put it in a pocket that's not the normal pocket. Since you aren't used to the pressure against your leg, you will immedately realize if it has been missing or not due to pickpockets. As to not getting mugged, act crazier than them.
| 2 |
AskReddit/euoybc5
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ch483m
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What’s the meanest thing you saw someone do to their teacher?
|
In junior high a kid kept playing dumb to a substitute teacher who had been a sub for decades, even my mom had him, to a point where the sub threw a book down on the table and bounced up and barely touched the kid, who obviously played it like it it was chucked at him and fell to the floor. Then the teacher wasn’t allowed back in the school district. And in high school there was a Mandarin class and the teacher was pretty racist and sexist and we’d caught her giving A’s to Asian girls no matter what they turned in and overharshly and even downgrading anyone else. So one day we just kept pretending to cough and sneeze and making noises until she started getting aggressive and threatened a kid who had a lawyer mom, and he stood up and yelled right back that she was an awful person and if she didn’t stfu he’d make her lose her job. Apparently she was crying at lunch and didn’t return for the next year. It was rough to watch but she was being unfair so.
| 3 |
askscience/c1ykwy5
|
huyhv
|
How does something like Chantix NOT produce withdrawals/nicotine cravings if it binds to nicotine receptors?
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chantix is a partial agonist, which means it binds to the same receptors, but doesn't elicit as strong a response. the response is weak enough that it doesn't lead to a lot of dopamine release downstream, so it won't really have withdrawal effects.
| 8 |
AskHistorians/c8cwdku
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1893f8
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What is the largest topographical change that humans have ever made to the Earth?
|
The construction of dams has permanently changed massive areas of the Earth. Large open cut mines would probably be up there somewhere too. One of my geology lecturers demonstrated that the material moved by humans was equal to that of natural erosion over the entire surface of the earth.
| 3 |
explainlikeimfive/c6ese81
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10mp4v
|
Why do I have a lisp?
|
I'm not qualified to answer this question, but it's reddit, so here is your answer: It's your tongue being too far forward. Practice enunciating words with your tongue hitting the top of your mouth, not your teeth on "esses" and other sounds you lisp on.
| 3 |
AskReddit/cf5pswb
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1wv3vj
|
Why is it that only homogeneous white societies are pushed to be more diverse, yet no one pushes for African, Japanese, Indian, Muslim etc societies to be diversified?
|
This is just my opinion (and I don't want to think that I'm either right or wrong) but "homogeneous white societies" have that standard set for them because they have never been at the short end of the stick in any period of time. They are never marginalized or the ones we see as "at the bottom". Look at all the other races you described and see how unfortunate other races are (in certainly varying aspects) in comparison to this "homogeneous white race". So, I guess my answer is that they are pushed to diversify because they have everything else going for them. They are at the top in comparison to other races who don't have as many struggles to face.
| 2 |
AskReddit/do62mta
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75h2t3
|
Where are the “trashiest” vacation destinations?
|
In Sweden, basically Ullared. It's a supermarket full of low priced stuff. I'm inclined to include everyone who goes on vacation to supermarkets no matter what country or location is trashy.
| 5 |
AskReddit/c0u208m
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cogyq
|
What city surprised you the most when you visited it for the first time, and why?
|
Winnipeg surprised me a lot in many ways I could never have predicted. I had never experienced a place so cold, so sprawled out for such a small population, with such absurd roadways, so much racism, and such a negative mentality.
| 4 |
AskReddit/cz5260y
|
41tpev
|
Why are human babies born so functionally dependent on parents for several years, yet many animal babies can walk and eat by themselves in just a few days, if not immediately?
|
Typically, the slower the speed of physical development into reproductive age, the greater capacity of intelligence. That being said, the faster you develop into reproductive age, the dumber you are and more likely are going to die/be eaten quickly - so you mature quickly to pop out offspring before your stupidity causes you to bite the dust. Those animal babies that can walk and eat by themselves in just a few days, are also the exact same animals that hurl themselves into oncoming vehicles. Or be eaten by a fox immediately after birth.
| 2 |
AskReddit/dpybw2k
|
7c02wi
|
Why is your best friend, your best friend?
|
Because she's genuinely just an incredible person. She truly cares about not only her friends, but all the people around her. Being around her really puts you at ease, it's hard to describe but her existence makes you start to believe that the world is a better place (sorry it's really hard to put into words.) Her intelligence is also wonderful, she's very perceptive and catches onto things really quickly. You can talk to her for hours and hours straight and it will feel like you just started. She really is amazing, it's all thanks to our friendship and her influence that I was able to grow and better myself as a person over the past year. When I first started talking to her I used to joke that she was my hero, little did I know that one day I was going to look up to her and that she was actually going to become my hero.
| 3 |
AskReddit/cx4dy15
|
3t9zwp
|
What's the worst teacher you've ever had?
|
My high school home ec. teacher. She was in charge of FCCLA (an organization mainly dedicated to homemaking, at least that's all I understood of it) and acted like she had so much on her plate 24/7. My freshman year we had to do a poster board project. Another girl, Courtney, had been sick with the flu and out of school for a week. At the beginning of the period she asked the teacher if she could work on her project at home. The teacher wouldn't let her since we were using magazine clippings and it might rain and wrinkle the clippings. Later that period all of us were asking her for help. She was never good at explaining how she wanted us to do things or giving us examples to look at. She expected us to figure it out. Any who, she was frustrated at us for not doing what she wanted and began to rant to the whole class. She was upset that none of us were working on our projects in our free time or asking to take our projects home. Courtney then says that she had asked to take hers home and the teacher said no. The teacher then takes her into the hallway and yells at courtney loud enough that we could all hear. After, we were still asking for help. The teacher then begins to cry and tell us to leave her alone because she just had a student disrespect her and we just need to figure out things for ourselves. I've got plenty more examples if anyone is interested.
| 2 |
AskReddit/c0swlbl
|
ciz68
|
Why do people hate BMW drivers ?
|
I can say that I have been more threatened by the owners of these cars more than any brand owners when I am on my bike. More often than not, it is one of those guys that will try to race me, invade my space, obstruct me when splitting lanes, and/or tailgate. Thanks to people like them, I wear horse spurs on my boots to give them a nice racing stripe souvenir when they decide to do something that threatens my life. Although, not all BMW people are like that, those are the cars that I see the most often threatening bikers lives.
| 3 |
AskReddit/dew5adz
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5z8nqx
|
What's the stupidest reason you've ever been fired from a job?
|
It's the only job I've been fired from but it was pretty stupid as well as super illegal. Anyways I was "shadowing" for 2 weeks, basically working without being paid, worked the next week, got paid straight from the register, no taxes taken out or anything. Ended up getting "let go" the next day for no reason whatsoever, and I realized like a minute afterwards that all I was to them was free labor. FeelsBadMan
| 4 |
explainlikeimfive/eu6paw8
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cf1xxp
|
Do memories occupy a physical space in the brain?
|
Memories are pretty much connections between nerve cells, the more numerous (edit: and stronger) the connections the better you can remember something. Since this is a physical connection, theoretically there is a limit to how much we can remember. However we dont know how much of our brain is available to store memories so we really cant determine what that limit is.
| 8,522 |
AskReddit/dlwaf7p
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6uy54b
|
What's the 'Bitcoin-ten-years-ago' of today?
|
Honestly I'd say Nvidia stock. With a increased demand for bitcoin mining, the PC gaming industry, and their hand in the business tech market as well I see them becoming extremely extremely popular. Also, take a look at their stock price now compared from three years ago if you don't believe me.
| 2 |
AskHistorians/cjv13gc
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2e0jod
|
Were there many historically significant battlefields in WWI and WWII?
|
There was quite a sizeable battle in Verdun in 1792. A better example might be Metz where there was a big battle in both the Franco Prussian war and the second world war. Besides that, it wouldn't be too hard to find battlefields in Belgium or northern France whereseveral battles could have taken places.
| 2 |
AskReddit/d07p9wt
|
46tb3y
|
What event made you realize your friendship was ending?
|
High school graduation. I wasn't close friends with anyone, so I knew my friendships were pretty much over. Luckily, I made new friends in college who I hope to stay friends with for a long time.
| 2 |
AskReddit/dcwaqq1
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5q4s8v
|
Why did you get punched in the face?
|
I tend to get punched in the face for stupid reasons. Here are two examples: In Boston, someone drunk at a bar must have heard my New York accident, yelled "Yankees suck", and punched me in the face. I'm a Mets fan. Also in Boston, I was at a bar with a few friends. A guy who we weren't with was hitting on one of the girls we were with. My friend started making fun of him and they had a verbal altercation back and forth. The girl didn't want to deal with the drama so she walked outside and we all went outside as well. The argument between them escalated. I was on the phone with someone, not really paying attention. The guy who we weren't with (that was hitting on the girl) went up to me and sucker punched me in the head instead of fighting my friend who was arguing with him. No idea why he punched me.
| 3 |
AskReddit/ek9pt4b
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ba8gdu
|
Why don't majority people care about the environment and the planet?
|
I don't think it's that they don't care at all. They just don't care about it as much as they care about maintaining their current lifestyle. And I'd be willing to bet you don't either. When living in an environmentally responsible manner is substantially more expensive than the way the vast majority of people currently do, changes aren't likely to happen. This also likely explains why people want so badly to believe that all the science behind climate change is fake or exaggerated or that it can be explained by natural phenomena. For the record, I eat meat, own a car, get power primarily from coal, use disposable diapers, etc. I'm by no means an environmentalist. The hard part for me (and probably most people) is that if my entire country (Canada) wiped out our carbon footprint, it would make absolutely no difference. So why increase my cost of living significantly when there is little to nothing to gain?
| 3 |
askscience/cblqqwb
|
1k5g1d
|
Could radio waves be combined in such a way that a wave with increased frequency is created?
|
Not in any linear way. That is, you can't just have some radio waves out and about, then add them together (like overlapping two beams) and get something with different frequency content than what went in. In fact, by superposition, a wave that is made from two waves is precisely the same thing as the two waves being in the same location. Imagine you had a charged particle in the path of these radio waves. You could either figure out how the particle is going to react by calculating with the superposed wave or by calculating with each of the component waves and then summing the two answers. There may be some weird metamaterials out there that have some frequency shifting properties, but I don't think that's what you're trying to get at. There's also mixing (what we do for AM or FM modulation), but that's a manmade, nonlinear, process.
| 6 |
AskReddit/ddjpche
|
5t2r5k
|
How do you describe the type of person you see in your head when you read witty responses to Reddit posts?
|
Always a man, never a woman. He has nearly perfect computer posture and a slight smirk right above his cleft chin. His wavy, ink black hair as glossy as the rims of his reading glasses. Eyes so kind they could make Shakespeare weep. He chuckles softly as his neatly manicured hands type "This."
| 6 |
AskReddit/dgyxas1
|
68j2bd
|
What is your opinion on tipping waiters/waitresses?
|
If I buy a meal worth $50, tipping 20% would be $10 and hence minimum wage. I would be paying an hour's worth of salary. $50 is the price of two pizzas. We want waiters to receive minimum wage. How do we do this? Are there any petitions we can sign? I know it's obviously not that easy, but is there anything we can do to make a difference so our system is more like Europe's?
| 2 |
AskReddit/dk0aksv
|
6mbav3
|
What is something you were made fun of as a kid?
|
How I dressed. In middle school my family moved from Jerusalem to NYC. My mom thought that the cold winters would get me sick so she always made me dress like I was going on an arctic expedition.
| 3 |
AskReddit/e5mmjmu
|
9e6w8c
|
What's the best way to get over a break up with my lover/best friend of four years?
|
I was in the same situation last year. Granted, our relationship was already deteriorated some months before it ended, so the breakup wasn't too shocking and I was already somewhat "prepared" for it, but I was still pretty sad a few days after it. What made me overcome it was understanding that it's a normal part of life and that was far from being the end of the world. I saw it as an opportunity to start a new life. Plus, I kept in mind the advantages of being single. It turns out breaking up is not too bad. Basically, carry on with life and stay positive. I loved her and she was also my best friend, and though it was at first painful, I'd now say breaking up was not a bad thing, more like an "interesting" experience.
| 2 |
AskReddit/d1ggrao
|
4cahsu
|
What seems funny until it happens to you?
|
Not so much funny as it seems the law of the world but, seeing someone in a sports car get a ticket. When I was young I was like, that's what you get with your mustang. Now I'm constantly looking around at night like fuuuuuuk cops are everywhere. True to form though, I never got speeding tickets in my non performance cars, even when I drive them fast. I've gotten a ticket in my coups for going 8 miles over the limit on uninhibited stretches of road.
| 5 |
AskReddit/erqzr3o
|
c3hh12
|
What’s the weirdest traffic stop you’ve been in?
|
A-6 Spain A Coruña to Madrid in AP-7 There was a wild pig in the middle of the highway and the police stopped the traffic for half an hour but that was hilarious to see haha
| 2 |
AskReddit/e6zuy1k
|
9kl2n2
|
Why is football (the NFL kind) not a popular sport outside of the United States?
|
Even though NFL is explosive when played, it’s actually barely played. There so many breaks and stoppages it becomes a chore to try watch. Rugby in a sense is very similar but slower with constant pressure. Soccer is easy to understand and you can play with a ball and jumpers for goalposts. In loads of places in the UK you can hire a pitch, grab some friends and play some football. Can’t see that happening with NFL/Baseball
| 4 |
AskReddit/ej5lheh
|
b4bis2
|
Who is a perfect modern example of "love the art, not the artist"?
|
Is the 40s considered “modern” because if so then i’d say a good example would be german WW2 military equipment and desings, they are all beautiful and very interesting, but the reason to not love the artist is VERY ovious
| 2 |
AskReddit/cltm8cg
|
2ld3h9
|
What was it like when everyone could freely smoke indoors and on public transportation?
|
The first couple of flights I took as a kid had smoking sections. I don't really remember it being an issue. Public places were different; my local mall was smoking-allowed until I was about 17. It sucked walking past smokers, but the building was big enough and well-ventilated enough that it wasn't really an issue if you weren't right next to them. Restaurants sucked when there was no partition between the smoking and non-smoking sections.
| 2 |
AskReddit/e6ce76c
|
9hjbrz
|
What "serious" movie was unintentionally funny?
|
Pretty sure many people have already mentioned it but The Room is no doubt one of the most unintentionally funny movies in history. The dumb script and terrible acting makes anyone watching it wonder how it ever got to production.
| 1,671 |
AskReddit/dc9gy15
|
5n8gh2
|
Why are Western conservatives often unconditionally pro-Israel, to the extent that Israel can seemingly do no wrong?
|
I am fiscally conservative but socially liberal. Studying history, and the 5 times that combined Arab armies tried to by force drive the Israelis into the sea I side unconditionally with Israel's right to make autonomous decision for themselves. It also doesn't help that Palestine's attitude going into negotiations is entirely wrong. The loser does not dictate the terms; they have no desire to make peace with the victor or at the very least cease their paramilitary action whilst they negotiate.
| 2 |
AskReddit/dulyrjw
|
7z7usk
|
What was your most interesting text from a wrong-number?
|
It was a Merry Christmas text, and when we realized it was a long number, we had a friendly conversation about how silly it is that often people are rude or angry when someone texts them by accident. That was about 8 years ago, we still talk several times a year, and definitely send Merry Christmas texts. Over time we’ve exchanged pictures and realized we went to the same high school, but not at the same time, he’s about 6 years younger.
| 3 |
AskHistorians/ddf33jz
|
5sgzar
|
Has there ever been a "vote of no confidence" in the United States?
|
To my knowledge no. I guess impeachment is as close as it gets to a vote of no confidence in the U.S. In an impeachment scenario, articles of impeachment are brought before the House of Representatives. (A government official can be brought up on charges of impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanors.) Once the articles have been presented to the House it is usually referred to either the Justice Committee or and special committee appointed to handle it. These committees will decide if the charges warrant a vote before the House. If so then the whole House of Representatives votes and a simple majority is all that is needed. Then the House appoints managers to act as the prosecution for the Senate trial. The House informs the Senate that they have approved charges of impeachment and the Senate takes up the trial. In cases not involving the President the Vice President in his or her capacity as President of the Senate presides over the trial as the judge. If the case involves the President then the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides as the judge. The impeachment trial proceeds as a normal trial and when the case is over the Senate debates and then votes to remove the government official from office by a 2/3s majority.
| 3 |
AskReddit/di4p1m6
|
6dqwfv
|
How are illegal immigrants deported if their birth country is unknown?
|
I don't know for sure about all countries, but according to some message board I read, a number of countries in Europe don't deport a person if their home country can't be proven. However, they are apparently arrested from time to time for failing to comply with a nebulous order to leave the country. This is probably a similar situation in most countries, with varying jail time.
| 3 |
AskReddit/c8al3bi
|
180uwi
|
What do you think would be the absolute worst way to die?
|
Alone. I stay in forrest most of life. No one come visit me, no one say hi. I very sad for long time. But meet animals. Shunned animals for long time, they see me sad. Give me companionship, friends. If die without animals, worst way.
| 12 |
explainlikeimfive/cevknc5
|
1vsyds
|
In the Long term, How did the Breakup of AT&Ts Bell System benefit consumers?
|
Before the breakup, every telephone in the United States was connected to one company, and one company decided what services that phone would offer and what price you would pay to use those services. The focus of that company were: first - protect its monopoly; second - be incredibly reliable so consumers would have no leverage to agitate for change; third - extract as much profit from the monopoly as possible. After the breakup, consumers were given choices. The phone system was opened to competition in long distance and cellular. Later it was opened to competition in broadband internet. Foreign ownership of parts of the infrastructure was permitted - which in turn gave the United States the moral high ground to argue that other countries should allow US companies to own parts of their systems. The price people paid for phone services collapsed. Long distance, which was once a very profitable business, became essentially free. The kind of phones you could connect to the phone system became unregulated, so that lots of innovative phone features could be marketed and sold. The size, price, speed and availability of cellular phones transformed how we communicate. DSL services pushed aside the telco's original plans for regulated broadband using ISDN, and once the cable companies saw how much money there was to be made in internet services they invested in the technology to deliver it through the cable system as well. It was an absolute, unquestionable success. Consumers today have more choices at lower prices from more providers using services and devices that would never have been made available without it. Data connection speeds have gone from 56 kiloBITS per second to 5 megaBYTES per second, for roughly the same price.
| 2 |
AskHistorians/c86axck
|
17kepg
|
How respected was a surveyor in 18th century Colonial America?
|
Surveyors in those days were highly trained and respected professionals. Their judgment meant success or failure for a lot of landowners. They had to spend days hacking straight lines through wilderness. A surveyor needed a sharp mind and a strong back, and they needed a way with words as well as a musket. They had to fend off squatters, Indians, bears, and attorneys. In short: Very much. Check out Andro Linklater's "Measuring America."
| 13 |
AskReddit/e3zc6sf
|
96bqjk
|
What are things that Hillary Clinton did that shot her in the foot for the presidency back in 2016?
|
Not even campaigning in certain states. That really reinforced the feeling of abandonment that many people feel towards the democratic party. The "deplorable" speech where the guy screamed out "Pepe." She gave Trump more voters with that one. Initially saying that her emails were fake, then all of a sudden they were stolen. You just confirmed that you're a liar with something to hide. Don't conspire with the DNC to make things as hard as possible for Bernie Sanders. She ignored the overlap with Bernie Bros and Trump Supporters. They were both largely against the TPP. Don't run based on identity politics. Run based on your policies, not that you're a woman. I get that you want to be the first woman president, but just being a woman doesn't qualify you. Stop talking to black people like we're stupid. We can tell that you change how you speak when speaking to us. The hot sauce in the bag stuff was just nonsense. If she put on blackface, it would have been a minstrel show. Mind you, I voted for Clinton.
| 6 |
AskReddit/e64s1ar
|
9gkkiw
|
What's the best piece of gossip you've ever heard?
|
I heard once in high school that kids of another class had this big orgy where every hot girl of our calss went. Whats sad is that we used to compare power levels of goku and cell at that age.
| 7 |
AskReddit/dzjxcdh
|
8m0sbd
|
What did the person said to you that made an impact and stuck with you until now?
|
I was in the car with my grandparents, and my grandmother was talking about a guy she didn't like. She asked for my grandfathers opinion, and he said he didn't have one, and that he chose not to spend energy thinking about things, that didn't make him happy. Such a simple notion, but as a young teen, it really stuck with me. Highschool was getting to me and I felt stressed all the time, spread out like an overworked mule. The realization that I get to consciously choose how much something affects me still helps me to this day. It seems almost silly to magnify problems by spending energy to not only solve them, but to stress and worry about them as well. Still, I see people doing it all the time, just like I did.
| 2 |
AskReddit/crxzmwd
|
38upxx
|
How did your final high school score affect your current career?
|
Not at all. I dropped out of high school, ended up going to uni and finishing before anyone from my high school year, then working a cushy job in sales. High school isn't the only road. There are plenty of paths you can take if you're willing to work hard.
| 2 |
AskReddit/ci9mden
|
28cgfq
|
What is something you can never seem to understand regardless of how many times it is explained to you?
|
I love how the topic is "something you can never understand no matter how many times it's explained to you" and yet every top level comment is followed by an explanation. I get it, it's the natural thing to do and it's good for conversation, but it's just going to be forgotten anyway.
| 158 |
AskReddit/doheg30
|
76w6ky
|
If the US split into 50 individual countries, what would be the fate of your state in 5-10 years?
|
Missouri would be a hot mess. First of all, we have a major divide between most of the state - which is rural and deeply conservative. Meanwhile, the two largest cities - Kansas City and Saint Louis - are on opposite sides of the state. On top of that, a chunk of Kansas City is technically part of Kansas, and a chunk of Saint Louis is across the river in Illinois. We'd likely find ourselves immediately in a border conflict with Kansas for control of K.C. We'd probably let IL have East Saint Louis since the Mississippi River is a handy dividing line, and most of the west part of Saint Louis hates the East anyway. Plus, even with the corruption and bankruptcy, we couldn't take IL. Once the border dispute with Kansas was settled - I don't imagine either side would gain or loose much and the State Line in KC would instead become a DMZ between the two nations - we'd actually be in a semi-decent spot. We have enough farm land and industry to support ourselves, and the Mississippi River would give us easy access to trade to the north and south while the Missouri river lets us resume our "Gateway to the West" status. Other states wouldn't be much of a problem for us. We have plenty of states between us and the major powers on the continent - New York, California, Canada, Mexico and Texas wouldn't be close enough to pose a direct threat and wouldn't have reason to, and since we're in the heart of the country overseas powers wouldn't gain much from messing with our internal affairs. Eventually the conflict between the liberal cities and rural farming communities would either blow over due to outside pressure and our ongoing uneasy peace with Kansas, or it would blow up into a second civil war. The only real problem would be Illinois, which would be descending into corruption and bankruptcy as mentioned earlier in this thread. Once their initial government inevitably collapses, we'll have to monitor closely whatever arises from that - because if Illinois becomes expansionist, we'd be their first target. (At least, Saint Louis would be, since if they controlled both part of the city they'd be able to control trade along the Mississippi and the Missouri.) On the other hand, a peaceful Illinois would be a very important ally and probably critical for stability after the 5-10 year mark.
| 288 |
AskReddit/do72slj
|
75ledh
|
What unverified world record are you pretty sure you hold?
|
I am one of the World's best PS3/PS4 players of BAJA Edge of Control. I have never seen a video of someone faster than me. As of today I still have the fastest time ever recorded in the in-game Baja 1000.
| 2 |
AskReddit/epg5qmd
|
buqvtu
|
What's the best way to make money as a teen?
|
Grocery stores hire at a young age, but the work is tough, even for minimum wage. As long as they have you work short shifts, you should be good. The money you make there should be more than enough for your age. But I’d recommend finding different work when you turn 18.
| 2 |
AskReddit/d7lhpso
|
52mpgl
|
What's a video you thought was funny and you showed to your friends who didn't think so?
|
There's a video of a deer getting hit by a racecar and all you see is the deer just shoot straight up in the air and disappear and the car keeps going. It makes me laugh EVERY TIME and whenever I show it to people they don't laugh.
| 2 |
AskReddit/dzlejoz
|
8m73z9
|
What’s the weirdest time you were caught masturbating?
|
One time when I was 10- as a patient at a children’s hospital. Nothing in the hospital really made me want to do it, it was a daily routine that I didn’t quite yet understand the sexual implications of yet. I tried to do it when no one was looking, but then I turned around and saw a staff member looking at me. Not a proud moment for me at all.
| 2 |
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