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Strange questions that sometimes need answering (or not asking in the first place really).

You know me and the odd big word Matt...
Consanguinity.
Very common in some cultures...

Local inbreeding is a common taboo, it causes genetic deformities, and is often a source of humour.
It happens.
High six to the Tractor Boys.
 
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BSwiss said:
1st cousin - no.
2nd cousin - yes, unless your families are so close there are picture of you in the bath together as toddlers.
3rd cousin+ - yes
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You see, 2nd cousins are an interesting one! On my maternal grandmother’s side, my 2nd cousins once removed (so if they had kids, their kids would actually be my 3rd cousins) are people I grew up relatively close to and now go to a quiz once a month with along with my grandparents and my nan’s cousin, so in that case, they feel like close family.

But on my maternal grandfather’s side, my 2nd cousins are people I met once at a family wedding when I was 10… and I couldn’t even tell you who any of my 2nd cousins are on my paternal side! So they, while technically being closer biological relatives than the people above, do not feel like family to me.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve increasingly realised that either my paternal family are oddly distant, or my maternal family are oddly tight-knit… on my maternal grandmother’s side, there are relatives I’ve grown up being somewhat close to where I’d have to have a proper think about what their actual biological relation is to me! Whereas on my paternal side, I couldn’t even name their equivalents, or even say if there are equivalents…
 
Good one.
On a couple of occasions recently, awake in the night due to noisy arseholes next door, I have realised that I am the only member online...
I can't find the switch to turn the lights off though when leaving.
I feel bad.
 
Picture yourself as a critter. Or maybe a pre-vocal child.
.... How does one think without language? Presumably we all did it at some point.
 
I don't think in words... thoughts just... appear... not in a language, it's abstract.

I don't think the sentence "I fancy a cuppa"... I just feel I want one.
 
So what I'm hearing, is that I am the weirdo who can't turn off their internal monologue, while most people can just switch their brain off at will.

Plausible.

.....
This is why sobriety has terrified me for the last two decades.
 
rob666 said:
Good one.
On a couple of occasions recently, awake in the night due to noisy arseholes next door, I have realised that I am the only member online...
I can't find the switch to turn the lights off though when leaving.
I feel bad.
Click to expand...
Feeling your pain right now mate. ;)
 
Here's one for you: Do you think it would be possible for a park to build a "surprise coaster"?

For example, let's say Universal were to open a new ride in a huge show building. No track is visible on the outside, and they've somehow kept all the plans and construction secret. (This is clearly hypothetical already).
When you get to the station, whatever the ride vehicles are, they don't look like any coaster train we've ever seen, more like a dark ride. Even the restraints are unfamiliar (probably some kind of individual lap bar, just not obviously made by N company). The cars bunch up in the station, so you can't even see any track to give the game away.

The ride starts, and for the first few minutes, you believe it is a generic dark ride. Then, at the opportune moment, boom.

Sure, rides like this kinda exist already. But do you think it could ever be done is such a way that the coaster portion of the ride would be a genuine surprise? And I don't mean to the everyday tourist, I mean to us geeks. What kind of crazy, unnecessary lengths would they have to go to?
 
DiogoJ42 said:
Here's one for you: Do you think it would be possible for a park to build a "surprise coaster"?

For example, let's say Universal were to open a new ride in a huge show building. No track is visible on the outside, and they've somehow kept all the plans and construction secret. (This is clearly hypothetical already).
When you get to the station, whatever the ride vehicles are, they don't look like any coaster train we've ever seen, more like a dark ride. Even the restraints are unfamiliar (probably some kind of individual lap bar, just not obviously made by N company). The cars bunch up in the station, so you can't even see any track to give the game away.

The ride starts, and for the first few minutes, you believe it is a generic dark ride. Then, at the opportune moment, boom.

Sure, rides like this kinda exist already. But do you think it could ever be done is such a way that the coaster portion of the ride would be a genuine surprise? And I don't mean to the everyday tourist, I mean to us geeks. What kind of crazy, unnecessary lengths would they have to go to?
Click to expand...

Even if they did as soon as someone had ridden it everyone would know about it so the only way for it to work would be a final drop into a bottomless pit ensuring no witnesses... The return of the Euthanasia Coaster!
 
I feel like the only realistic way in which this would happen on an individual level is if you never research other parks before visiting.

Not a perfect example, but if Catapult Falls was enclosed, that launch would surprise the hell out of me.

I suppose that's just a surprise element though... which is pretty common I guess.
 
There’s only so long that “surprise” elements can be a surprise for, though.

At this point, many people know about even Thirteen’s drop track, for example.

On a completely unrelated note, I have a strange question of my own.

As someone currently looking at job listings (not too formally, as my MSc hasn’t yet finished, but I’m certainly keeping an eye on things), I’d be intrigued to know; do people think it normally bodes well or badly for salary if the employer is vague about it?

Lots of job postings I’ve seen either don’t list the salary or refer to it as “competitive”, and seeing as lots of other job postings list an exact salary figure, I’m not sure whether this is a good or bad sign, or whether it’s just the employer choosing to be more secretive…
 
DiogoJ42 said:
When you get to the station, whatever the ride vehicles are, they don't look like any coaster train we've ever seen, more like a dark ride. Even the restraints are unfamiliar (probably some kind of individual lap bar, just not obviously made by N company). The cars bunch up in the station, so you can't even see any track to give the game away.
Click to expand...
This was the original X No Way Out with the lift doors so you didn't know it was about to go backwards.

Alton Towers managed to keep the number of inversions on the Smiler secret for a long time of course and the drop on Thirteen.

One of the main issues too now is parks spoiling the surprises in their own advertising. Thirteen showed journalists on-ride from day one ruining the surprises.
 
Matt N said:
There’s only so long that “surprise” elements can be a surprise for, though.

At this point, many people know about even Thirteen’s drop track, for example.
Click to expand...

This is one of the things i love about taking my family to new theme parks, they have no idea what to expect.

Their reactions to both Thirteen and The Flying Dutchman are treasured memories.

Pretty much everything at Disneyland is great too what with it all being indoors. In fact add Tower of Terror to that list. Surprise is an under-appreciated element of theme parks.

Really excited to return to Efteling for Danse Macabre as they'll have no idea. I've not watched any on-ride videos so will be nice for me too but obviously i know what the ride is whereas i won't tell them anything.

The Mummy at Universal Singapore was probably the closest i've come to it as an enthusiast. I knew generally what the ride was but not the specifics so was lots of fun.

Do sometimes mourn for the loss of my theme park innocence.
 
Matt N said:
On a completely unrelated note, I have a strange question of my own.

As someone currently looking at job listings (not too formally, as my MSc hasn’t yet finished, but I’m certainly keeping an eye on things), I’d be intrigued to know; do people think it normally bodes well or badly for salary if the employer is vague about it?

Lots of job postings I’ve seen either don’t list the salary or refer to it as “competitive”, and seeing as lots of other job postings list an exact salary figure, I’m not sure whether this is a good or bad sign, or whether it’s just the employer choosing to be more secretive…
Click to expand...
I absolutely loathe when companies put the salary for jobs as 'competitive'. It just doesn't send off the right signals for me at all.
 
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OK, hear me out here... Has anyone else ever experienced this?
A certain piece of music plays. Every hair on your body stands on end instantly. (It was a very special euphoric trace number that always brings back memories of a simpler time)

Is this an "ASMR" thing? Because I need to know I should kill myself. I'm no prevert.
 
DiogoJ42 said:
OK, hear me out here... Has anyone else ever experienced this?
A certain piece of music plays. Every hair on your body stands on end instantly. (It was a very special euphoric trace number that always brings back memories of a simpler time)

Is this an "ASMR" thing? Because I need to know I should kill myself. I'm no prevert.
Click to expand...

Of course! I even referenced it in the Glastonbury thread today in regards to Ian McKellens appearance. Music can trigger powerful emotional responses… especially when certain stimulants are involved.
 
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