Useless Facts

@EstherMayRose OMG. I love to talk to strangers (I'm an ex-Yank!) but I don't strike up conversations with them deliberately on public transport, because they may not want to talk at all. I also very much like to be left alone on public transportation. That being said, I've had some great conversations with people on long trips. It's kinda fun, and can be surprisingly intimate, as you know you'll never see them again. But it's got to come about spontaneously, for it to be fun for both parties.

If some guy sitting next to me said 'choose 3 topics and I'll choose 3 and we'll talk all the way to our destination' I would probably laugh, and I MIGHT even take him up on it. Depending on whether or not he seemed to have a good sense of humour, was interesting, and I was in the mood. Otherwise I'd just say, 'No, sorry, I've got something else I want to think about, and I was looking forward to doing it on my own, on this journey.' And take it from there.

Of course what you could do, if you really don't want a conversation, is to plug the earphones in at the start of the voyage. You don't even have to turn them on.

 

Off topic
"ick"
A word game we started on a whitewater rafting trip in gold country.
Try to think of a word ending in -ic: medic, psychic... that's it.
It lasted two more vacations, and when in Yosemite and Grand Canyon, all the people on the bus eventually joined in!
We got on the return bus the next day with a new crowd, and I overheard a couple people in the crowd. "Hey what about physics?" "Nah, that's got an 'S' at the end."
I wonder how far east it went. Florida?

 

I am drinking coffee.

@jannert — I’m a Yank myself, but I don’t like talking to strangers all that much. I’m an extreme introvert.

 

I don't try to talk to orcas, so you're safe! Actually, I never mastered the art of talking underwater. It always sounds as if I'm talking underwater. Garble barble blooble blub...

 

You are learning well, human.

 

Try gargle-ing while under water!
Try saying the word 'gargle' while gargle-ing!
Try screaming the word 'gargle' while gargle-ing!
(C'mon, you know you want to try it)

 

During Prohibition, alcohol was available with a doctor's prescription.

 

What about demigorgon? Organ?

 

Demogorgonist!

Picture that!

 

The largest group of Welsh speakers outside of Wales is in Patagonia, Argentina.

 

It's the only other culture that speaks Welsh. Kind of cool.

 

I'm addicted to history podcasts.

 

These are our evolutionary buddies. Rodents and rabbits. Whodathunkit?

 

Makes sense rodents and rabbits are fairly social and intelligent.

 

The top three causes of accidental death in the US are:

Unintentional falls.
Although really, who actually plans to deliberately fall over?

Motor vehicle traffic deaths.
Now I see why it's a Hollywood cliche.

Unintentional poisoning deaths.
Wait, what? How does that happen?!

 

Possibly Joseph Levitch.

 

you should watch 1000 Ways To Die. So many accidental poisonings!
one episode was talking about a group of friends who went out into the desert to smoke pot. they ran out of weed and decided to smoke some cacti. Well, the cactus they picked was poisonous, and they smoked it, and died.

Another was food poisoned (if that counts), by some bad snails. This guy wanted to cook a Valentines dinner for his girlfriend and he knew she loved Paris. he couldn't afford Escargot, so he FOUND snails, cooked them up and served them. they both died.

 

"Ouch! my leg! I'm suing you, [insert company name] for physical AND emotional pain!" - That American guy.

 

Vaping is actually more bad for your health than
traditional smoking. From batteries exploding
in your face, to toxic gasses and chemically burned
lungs, good old fire and tobacco doesn't suffer such
crazy things. Mind you it is still a health risk, albeit
much less likely to kill you faster than vaping.

 

Kinda hard to sue if you're dead though. Unless that's a new service now?

 

So really, the cause of death was idiocy, not garden snails or cacti.