QUESTIONS THREAD — post lifelong questions here in hopes they might be answered one day.

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

My first question:
Why do zippers have holes?
Sure, on one side, you need a hole to attach the zipper handle to the zipper teeth, but the other side always has a hole, regardless of how tiny the zipper is! I assume it has something to do with the machinery that grips the zipper or something.

― Scaredy Cat, Friday, 11 July 2003 15:34 (twenty-two years ago)

It's for if you have arthritis, you can tie a string to it so that it's not so painful to unzip that you figure you're better wetting yourself.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 11 July 2003 15:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Why do fools fall in love?
Who wrote the book of love?
Why must I be a teenager in love?
What's love got to do with it?
Who let the dogs out?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 11 July 2003 15:38 (twenty-two years ago)

So, it's less painful to tie a string to a tiny hole than to simply close between thumb and forefinger? Surely, you are lying.

― Scaredy cat, Friday, 11 July 2003 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

why did the us elect a dim witted coke head as a president?

― Chris V. (Chris V), Friday, 11 July 2003 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Q: Why do fools fall in love?
A: Because Love is a sucker's game.
Q: Who wrote the book of love?
A: Your mom, while I dictated.
Q: Why must I be a teenager in love?
A: See above.
Q: What's love got to do with it?
A: It helps you sleep at night.
Q: Who let the dogs out?
A: Ally.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 11 July 2003 15:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Who put the bomp in the bomp-bah-bomp-bah-bomp?

― C J (C J), Friday, 11 July 2003 15:41 (twenty-two years ago)

So, it's less painful to tie a string to a tiny hole than to simply close between thumb and forefinger? Surely, you are lying.
You can get someone else to that for you while you're not wearing the trou. Or while you are, if there's someone special in your life.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 11 July 2003 15:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Who are the mystery girls?

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 11 July 2003 15:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Why do fools fall in love? A: Because falling in love is easier for under-developed minds.
Who wrote the book of love? A: Jill Conner Browne
Why must I be a teenager in love? A: Teenagers are fools.
What's love got to do with it? A: Nothing. This is a question from a mind beginning to develop.
Who let the dogs out? A: Depends on which dogs we're talking about.

― Scaredy Cat, Friday, 11 July 2003 15:47 (twenty-two years ago)

What happens to alcohol when it evaporates? Does it just turn into gas form, like alcohol steam (I mean of course it does, that's what happens when something evaporates, but does manifest as a mist or something)? If enough alcohol evaporated would it rain booze?

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 11 July 2003 15:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Why can't we find Osama Bin Laden?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 11 July 2003 15:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Why do men have nipples?

― Chris V. (Chris V), Friday, 11 July 2003 15:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm just gonna say "Ally" to all the questions.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 11 July 2003 15:49 (twenty-two years ago)

especially that one Chris

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 11 July 2003 15:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Why did ancient Peruvians draw giant illustrations of animals on the Nazcal Plane that can only be properly viewed from several thousands of feet in the thin empty air?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 11 July 2003 15:49 (twenty-two years ago)

For funny

― s1utsky (slutsky), Friday, 11 July 2003 15:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Why did ancient Peruvians draw giant illustrations of animals on the Nazcal Plane that can only be properly viewed from several thousands of feet in the thin empty air?

They were possibly giant processional paths - if you look they're often drawn with a single continuous line, so you could walk all the way along the outline if you wanted.

(Processional mazes were also traditionally very popular in European history, in both pagan and Christian contexts. In Britain they're usually called 'Troy towns'.)

― caitlin (caitlin), Friday, 11 July 2003 15:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Who do you have to fuck to get some service around here?

― NA. (Nick A.), Friday, 11 July 2003 15:55 (twenty-two years ago)

What's that blue thing doing here?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 11 July 2003 16:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Why is Horace so high school?

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 11 July 2003 16:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, and Jimmy Fallon: why won't he marry me?

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 11 July 2003 16:29 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.iowa-city.k12.ia.us/Schools/Mann/photos/Welcome.jpg

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 11 July 2003 16:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Wow.

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 11 July 2003 16:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I think that school is in Worcester here..

― Chris V. (Chris V), Friday, 11 July 2003 16:36 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.horacemannalumni.org/images/title_slogan.gif

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 11 July 2003 16:38 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.myhoracemann.com/welcome.jpg

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 11 July 2003 16:39 (twenty-two years ago)

"Horace Mann Alumni" - is that some euphemism for girls you've had sex with or something?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 11 July 2003 16:42 (twenty-two years ago)

yes, both of them have gotten together

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 11 July 2003 16:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Why do boys spit, when it isn't necessary for girls to?

― Layna Andersen (Layna Andersen), Friday, 11 July 2003 17:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Cuz boys have stuff in their body that really needs to not be in there?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 11 July 2003 17:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Dan to thread etc.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 11 July 2003 17:05 (twenty-two years ago)

That's a lie, boys are made out of the same substances as girls.

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 11 July 2003 18:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Let's ask the expert.

http://www.michiganhistorymagazine.com/extra/images/robinson1.gif
You take sugar and spice
Everything nice
And you got a little girl, yeah, yeah
You take snakes and snails
Some puppy dog tails
And you got a little boy, yeah, yeah
That’s what love is made of
That’s what love is made of
Snakes, snails, puppy dog tails
Sugar and spice, everything nice
Yeah, yeah, all right
Something else to do

You take a walk by the sea
Two hearts on a tree
And you got a little gladness, yeah, yeah
Blue eyes cry
Two hearts say goodbye
And you got a little sadness, yeah, yeah
That’s what love is made of
That’s what love is made of
Hearts say goodbye
Eyes start to cry
Hearts on a tree
Walk by a sea
Snakes, snails, puppy dog tails
Sugar and spice, everything nice
Yeah, yeah, all right

One more thing
You take a cruel word spoken
Pride gets broken
And you got a little break up, yeah, yeah
You take a little bit of soul
Sweet words being told
And you got a little make up, yeah, yeah
That’s what love is made of
That’s what love is made of

Words being told
With a little bit of soul
Pride gets broken
Cruel words spoken
Hearts say goodbye
Eyes start to cry
Hearts on a tree
Walk by the sea
Snakes, snails, puppy dog tails
Sugar and spice, everything nice
Yeah, yeah, all right

Listen everybody
Yeah, yeah, all right

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 11 July 2003 18:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I can answer your question, Scaredy Cat! There are many zippers that do not have holes on the pulling side. Find some and play with them, and you'll notice that they all have something in common: they suck. If the pulling side is just a smooth metal surface, just imagine what happens when your fingers are a little sweaty: you spend forever trying to get a good grip on this slippery little thing and yank it up.

So the hole is for traction. The pads of your fingers sort of squish through and then you've got a good steady grip and ZIP ZIP ZOOP.

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 11 July 2003 18:34 (twenty-two years ago)

That's so weird! I've never seen a thread without zippers, but the idea of traction did pop in my head; I just thought, "Feh. How's that going to help?" If I had first-hand experience, I guess it would soon become obvious that w/o holes sucks. Thanks for confirming that there are some w/o holes and that there is a purpose.

― Scaredy Cat, Friday, 11 July 2003 18:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never seen a thread without zippers

That's my favorite type-o I've ever made so far. I meant "I've never seen a zipper handle without a hole".

― Scaredy Cat, Friday, 11 July 2003 18:45 (twenty-two years ago)

well that's basically the same thing as I what I said: for pulling.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 11 July 2003 18:50 (twenty-two years ago)

... yeah, by a string!

― Scaredy Cat, Friday, 11 July 2003 18:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, pulling. Sometimes on really small zippers for dainty feminine things -- purses, some jackets with small pockets -- they'll use these zipper-pulls that are just tiny little teardrop shapes. These things are a fucking bitch to pull, because obviously they just slip right through your fingers.

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 11 July 2003 18:57 (twenty-two years ago)

It always drives me nuts when I snatch a purse with the dainty-ass zipper. It's almost not worth it.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 11 July 2003 18:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Why can't we find Osama Bin Laden?

i've always been fascinated by the implications of what might happen if he was found...frankly they do not strike me as at all desirable potentially - a sense of justice being done would be compounded by a) endless arguments that no punishment is too harsh (with 'mere' execution failing to satisfy many people's desire for true atonement), b) his subsequent 'martyrdom' prompting further terrorist 'tribute'/revenge attacks, c) Al-Qaeda being debased/destabilised splitting up into smaller but more chaotic pieces probably just as hellbent on attacking their enemies as before

but that could just be incredibly pessimistic of me.

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 11 July 2003 19:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I believe the raised edges of zippers serve the same purpose, like ridges on tires. Also if you have even slightly long fingernails you can kind of hook the little hole in the zipper for extra grip.

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 11 July 2003 19:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I have had zips without holes. Both the tiny flat sort and the kind of pendant shaped ones.

― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 11 July 2003 19:05 (twenty-two years ago)

six months pass...

What is under Oak Island?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 12 January 2004 15:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Why do I have a mole on the bottom of my foot?

― Bryan (Bryan), Monday, 12 January 2004 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

Are Trife and Ethan the same person?

(I'm being absolutely serious. Can someone tell me?)

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 29 July 2005 23:58 (twenty years ago)

trife is a posting name and persona that ethan used to use when younger and more radical

ethan if you read this i got that yr new name wz you in two or three i think (the burns pic)

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 30 July 2005 00:03 (twenty years ago)

curtis is the first time we ever actually dialogued? we have both been here forever!!

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 30 July 2005 00:04 (twenty years ago)

We can no longer contain our mutual passions.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 30 July 2005 00:07 (twenty years ago)

Why do men have nipples?
-- Chris V. (formerlypoopsmcge...), July 11th, 2003.

Because men are actually women for a large part of their fetal development and only veer into penile enlargement as an afterthought.

Basically, a fetus is prepared to swing both ways until the Y chromosome snaps into action. Hence, the rare, but real phenonomenon of hermaphrodites. Man titties are just deflated girl titties waiting forlornly for a pubescent tits-out signals that never arrives.

― Aimless (Aimless), Saturday, 30 July 2005 00:26 (twenty years ago)

Why does God hate me?

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Saturday, 30 July 2005 00:41 (twenty years ago)

I think there might be other equally good ways of giving zippers enough grip (rough surface, raised edge, etc.) but probably the real reason why the hole is used is that it saves a little metal, and therefore a little cost, which really adds up for such a high volume, low margin item.

Now isn't that much more interesting than stuff about nipples and God?

― I know some come from the reality (wetmink), Saturday, 30 July 2005 00:47 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

I was really looking for the thread where Alba answers ILX0Rs questions, but I can't seem to find it so this will have to do. What is the title of the French film that was out a couple of months ago about marriage?

― youn (youn), Saturday, 28 October 2006 00:53 (nineteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.