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Post your funny pictures here!!! part Deux

Started by Nam, July 26, 2014, 08:19:18 PM

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Cassia

Quote from: Hydra009 on July 07, 2022, 05:03:02 AMAnd we're gonna put about 40 feet of sidewalk along its 2-mile length, just like God intended.
It is incredible how ugly most of the developed and even rural parts of the US really are. People throng to theme parks and national parks just to escape it.

I hired a builder for my previous house, and he immediately was gonna clear cut the lot, plant water hungry sod and a few dinky trees. I was like, no way.. I'm gonna tie a yellow ribbon around all these old oak trees that I think we can save. He had a fit and wanted to charge me extra just to work around these trees a bit. I told him it was non-negotiable and btw you can keep your standard "landscape package" of two twiggy trees and a few bushes, LOL.

GSOgymrat

In my neighborhood, there was a 1.5-acre lot never developed with large oak and poplar trees. I was surprised and disappointed when the new owner clear-cut the entire property to build a house and then planted two 5-foot trees. It was completely unnecessary to raze the entire lot. Not only did the owner pay thousands to have the trees removed but they devalued the property, as people pay more for mature landscapes. Such a waste.

Hydra009

#10712
Quote from: Cassia on July 07, 2022, 09:06:08 AMIt is incredible how ugly most of the developed and even rural parts of the US really are. People throng to theme parks and national parks just to escape it.
I've been looking into it, and apparently there's some sort of core urban planning philosophy adopted by both the USA and Canada that stands in stark contrast with most of the rest of the world.

Consider streets and roads:

Streets are usually 2-lane, slow moving, and next to residential areas or dense urban areas.  You know, people's homes or downtown businesses.  Lots of pedestrians, bikes, etc.

Roads are super fast, 4-6 lane, essentially highways, zero pedestrians/bikes.  No one stops to turn, that's done with on-ramps and off-ramps.

If you're going somewhere, you pull out of your garage to a street, then one or more roads, then a street, then you park at your destination.

Simple.  Easy.  Effecient.  Safe.

In the US and Canada, we have street-road hybrids (aka stroads) everywhere.  These are 45mph+ roads full of stop-and-go traffic due to people constantly pulling in and out, you have to be on the lookout for pedestrians (people often walk in the street because of poor sidewalk coverage), biking is possible but it's so dangerous that it's essentially a death sentence.

You will get in a wreck, and the prevailing wisdom will be that it's your personal fault for not "paying attention" and nothing to do with the horrendous road design.

If you're a pedestrian, any businesses on the other side of the stroad might as well be on the moon, cause you're taking your life into your own hands every time you try to cross these monstrosities.

To get somewhere, you pull out onto a stroad, then another stroad, then maybe an actual road (highway), then a couple more stroads, and finally, possibly an actual street (or another stroad) before you reach your destination.

Complex.  Difficult.  Inffecient.  Dangerous.

Hydra009

I learned that some places in Europe, like the Netherlands, have bike paths decoupled from roads.  Essentially, paved trails just for bikes and pedestrians.  Thst blew my mind.

If we did something like that in the States, waaay more people would bike or walk.

Over here, you can't get anywhere without a car.  The whole city is designed around it.

Blackleaf

Quote from: Hydra009 on July 06, 2022, 03:49:22 PM

Today I learned that sailors in rough seas don't need to eat.

Also, animals don't need to eat for a while but were fed somehow by God anyway. 🤦

But let's not get caught up in that unvirtuous logic stuff, let's just clap our lands if we believe!

Noah wasn't stuck on the Ark for 40 days. He was stuck there for 150 days.
"Oh, wearisome condition of humanity,
Born under one law, to another bound;
Vainly begot, and yet forbidden vanity,
Created sick, commanded to be sound."
--Fulke Greville--

Blackleaf

Quote from: Hydra009 on July 07, 2022, 05:19:28 AM

Wouldn't have even take that long for them to turn on Jesus. One look at his tan skin and dark hair, and they'd say he was the Anti-Christ, here to deceive them. Some would probably say he was a Muslim too, because why not? God knows what nonsense Q-Anon would come up with. I know one thing. If the New Testament is to be believed, Jesus coming back would be bad news for a lot of Christians, who care deeply about issues he never talked about (like abortion), but take the complete opposite stance on things he actually did talk about (the rich being unqualified for Heaven, extreme pacifism, selling all of one's possessions and giving them to the poor, etc).
"Oh, wearisome condition of humanity,
Born under one law, to another bound;
Vainly begot, and yet forbidden vanity,
Created sick, commanded to be sound."
--Fulke Greville--

drunkenshoe

#10716
I think the reason that bicycle culture hasn't developed in that way in the US might be that the distances are too long. So it wasn't seen as a good investment? In Europe, people don't cycle for exercise or fun, they travel with it. Dutch live on bicycles. Danish too. Scandinavians, Belgians... Germans. They are all cyclers. I know in the UK it is pretty good too. It's a legit way of transportation. Most people, especially in cities don't need to drive long distances to go work, shopping...etc.

I also think that there is a correlation between transportation with general prosperity and development of culture of a region. I honestly believe that bicycle usage in daily life is a symptom of civilization.

When I've first visited Europe, bicycles in the daily traffic was the first thing I've noticed. No rush, fight or honks. They've just moved with cars in harmony in small central Europe cities. Over here where I live, fucking drivers think the road is only their right. Forget bicycles, motorcycles are in great danger. There is a common hatred towards cycling because people are backward, so incredibly ignorant and bigotic, having a car is a life goal, status more than a vehicle for travel. And by the way, it is not like the US here, there are many sorts of transportation and short distances too.
"science is not about building a body of known 'facts'. ıt is a method for asking awkward questions and subjecting them to a reality-check, thus avoiding the human tendency to believe whatever makes us feel good." - tp

the_antithesis


Hydra009

#10718
Quote from: drunkenshoe on July 07, 2022, 12:32:53 PMI think the reason that bicycle culture hasn't developed in that way in the US might be that the distances are too long.
Where I live, which is a fairly average suburban area, all everyday places are well within biking range.  But I can't because I'd be risking my life every day if I tried.

Ironically, there's a cyclist store not far from here, but it's only accessible through a fast-moving, car-only stroad.

Blackleaf

"Oh, wearisome condition of humanity,
Born under one law, to another bound;
Vainly begot, and yet forbidden vanity,
Created sick, commanded to be sound."
--Fulke Greville--

Gawdzilla Sama

Quote from: Blackleaf on July 07, 2022, 12:13:48 PMNoah wasn't stuck on the Ark for 40 days. He was stuck there for 150 days.
And then the years before there were enough prey animals for the predators to survive.
We 'new atheists' have a reputation for being militant, but make no mistake  we didn't start this war. If you want to place blame put it on the the religious zealots who have been poisoning the minds of the  young for a long long time."
PZ Myers

Cassia

Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on July 07, 2022, 05:12:20 PMAnd then the years before there were enough prey animals for the predators to survive.
If I came up with 5.000 facts that disqualify the Ark story from reality, someone could easily add at least one more reason.

Mike Cl

Quote from: Blackleaf on July 07, 2022, 12:22:05 PMWouldn't have even take that long for them to turn on Jesus. One look at his tan skin and dark hair, and they'd say he was the Anti-Christ, here to deceive them. Some would probably say he was a Muslim too, because why not? God knows what nonsense Q-Anon would come up with. I know one thing. If the New Testament is to be believed, Jesus coming back would be bad news for a lot of Christians, who care deeply about issues he never talked about (like abortion), but take the complete opposite stance on things he actually did talk about (the rich being unqualified for Heaven, extreme pacifism, selling all of one's possessions and giving them to the poor, etc).

Christians seemingly don't follow the biblical jesus.  this is one of the almost universally ignored verses in their bible.
  Matthew 6:1-34 ESV
"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ..."

I have spent many, many hours listening to sermons in my life and I don't remember these verses ever being the subject of any one of them.  It is universally accepted that the true hallmark of a true, faithful, christian is to advertise that faith especially by praying in public.  But then, the true hallmark of a faithful christian is hypocrisy--that is their true god.
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

Hydra009


Sorginak