Annoying Questions I'd Like Answered...

hyzmarca · Post by **hyzmarca** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 11:49 pm

Is the plural of Batman Batmen or Batmans?

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 11:50 pm

Batmen.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Sun Jul 28, 2013 11:52 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batmen_of_All_Nations

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 1:03 am

hyzmarca wrote:Is the plural of Batman Batmen or Batmans?

My son and I were just discussing this yesterday. We decided that if it's a proper noun, it's Batmans. If it's not, it's batmen.

Of course, the whole thing might actually just be dependent upon your age.

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 2:53 am

Given how Batman's proper title is "The Batman", it seems like "the batmen" would be more appropriate.

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 3:50 am

Well, comic books have already decided what they wanted it to be, so my opinion means fuck all, but... If, in order to pluralize a name, you end up changing the name, it just seems kind of wrong (think of the two Kansas Citys).

Sigil · Post by **Sigil** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 6:50 am

Could always have it me like buffalo, "How many batman were there?"

RobbyPants · Post by **RobbyPants** » Wed Jul 31, 2013 3:32 pm

A few days ago, I started to notice an odd smell in my car when I'd first get in. It smell vaguely of rot, which makes me think it's some sort of spoiling trash or a small, dead animal. I only notice it when I first get in, and after half a minute with the windows down, I stop noticing it (this makes sense. From what I understand, your nose stops smelling persistent smells after a while).

What has me baffled is that every now and then, the smell is completely absent when I get in the car. It's not even whether-dependent. One day, it was quite hot and sunny, and I expected the smell to be over powering, yet it was gone (only to come back later that night). Another day, it was rainy when I didn't notice it.

That being said, what might it be? Trash or an animal still make sense, but I don't understand why the smell would just go away randomly.

Orca · Post by **Orca** » Wed Jul 31, 2013 11:43 pm

Something smelly blocking the air filter but not fixed in place? When the air filter is fully blocked no air comes in and so you get no or very little smell. When it's partially blocked, the smell will come back.

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 12:33 am

Have you tried correlating it with whether or not you leave the heater/defroster/AC on when you turn off your car?

erik · Post by **erik** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 2:22 am

Googling "rotten smell in car comes and goes" suggested it may be the battery leaking sulfuric acid or transmission fluid leaking n' burnin.

It also suggested you may be eating stinky food.

RobbyPants · Post by **RobbyPants** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 2:06 pm

It could be in the air system and related to when I do and don't use the AC. When I run the AC, I set the vent to recirculate, and when I turn it off, I open it to outside air.

I can take a peek at the battery. The car is a manual, so it wouldn't have an automatic transmission.

LeadPal · Post by **LeadPal** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:42 am

RobbyPants wrote:It could be in the air system and related to when I do and don't use the AC. When I run the AC, I set the vent to recirculate, and when I turn it off, I open it to outside air.

I'm pretty sure this is the issue. My last vehicle also had a rotting smell that appeared at random--it turned out to be mould in the vents. Blasting the AC at least once a drive took care of it.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 8:48 am

So over Christmas-New Year I was in hospital having rocks taken out of me, and as a result I haven't been in constant pain. Indeed, I've suffered very little pain over the last six months, and haven't been on pain medication.

Which brings me to my question: what do people not off their face on narcotics do when they're unwell? I literally cannot recall a time when I've been sick but haven't already been taking pills like tic-tacs thus basically not noticing it.

Stahlseele · Post by **Stahlseele** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 8:52 am

moan, bitch, complain, whine, take some pills and lay down.
the only difference is that the medicine isn't always there really.

Chamomile · Post by **Chamomile** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 7:50 pm

Take less potent pills.

Shrapnel · Post by **Shrapnel** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 10:14 pm

Koumei wrote:So over Christmas-New Year I was in hospital having rocks taken out of me, and as a result I haven't been in constant pain. Indeed, I've suffered very little pain over the last six months, and haven't been on pain medication.

Which brings me to my question: what do people not off their face on narcotics do when they're unwell? I literally cannot recall a time when I've been sick but haven't already been taking pills like tic-tacs thus basically not noticing it.

I mostly just swear a lot. And sometimes scream. Or yell. Occasionally, I'll throw in some shouting, aggressive voice raising, and bribery. However, ailments don't seem to be corruptible, so mostly I'm stuck with inventing newer and more exciting combinations of swears from various languages.

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Fri Aug 02, 2013 10:38 pm

Take a lot of over-the-counter pills, then be sick (as in: vomit) because of the overdosing.

In the spring of 2012, I went to the airport to rescue my mispriced parcel and got one hell of a headache on the way back. I couldn't think straight, I couldn't sit in place. I just curled into a ball on the floor and begged the bus driver to stop the bus somewhere so that I can buy some meds. The bus driver ignored me, and I had to endure the pain all the way back to the city.

There wasn't a single pharmacy near the subway station, and I decided to not waste any time more looking around, got in and rode home, which took another half hour of HOLY FUCK I WISH I DIED RIGHT NOW.

I made it to the pharmacy, asked for headache... meds please... dunno... whatever you have. The lady punched in a blister of pills and a bottle of mineral water. I took one pill, then another, and as I was digging in the bag for the card, the pain subsided and was utterly gone in like five minutes.

And a couple of months later, in June 2012, the pills were banned from over-the-counter sale. Turns out they contained codeine and phenobarbital. When I heard about the impending ban and went to a pharmacy to buy a couple of blisters for emergencies, the pills had been long since sold out to actual junkies.

Now, you may think, restricting access to dangerous meds is good. And you'd be probably right if I weren't talking about Russia. Doctor visits are either super expensive or super time consuming here, and if you're not paying per-visit, you shouldn't expect ANY cooperation. As in:

Osgood-Shlatter's and you can't even get off a chair without using hands anymore? Why, I won't allow a young lady get unattractive scars, the magic of magnets will cure that!

Spinal stenosis? I hereby pronounce you healthy because fuck you, but write down the suggested treatment in your own handwriting, what do you mean you can't inject your own ass, don't you have hands, you retarded cripple?

Risk of ovarian cancer? No, don't get tested, don't even think of getting tested, thinking about disease attracts it! People who get cancer should only blame themselves! Think positive thoughts instead!

Bouts of severe headache? How about a relaxing massage, and think positive th... did you say meds? Get the fuck out of here, you fucking junkie whore.

A tooth causing you trouble? AWESOME LET'S PREEMPTIVELY TEAR OUT ALL THE TEETH AND IMPLANT THREE ROWS OF DIAMOND ENCRUSTED PEARLS. (Because insurance doesn't cover dental, duh.)

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 12:29 am

On the occasions I'm sick, I mainly manage the symptoms (about the only thing that gets me is a stomach virus), and endure it. Read a lot. Try to maintain the fluid and nutrient levels in my body. It's amazing what sipping a cup of Sprite and eating some crackers can do to perk you up.

erik · Post by **erik** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 1:07 am

Koumei wrote:what do people not off their face on narcotics do when they're unwell? I literally cannot recall a time when I've been sick but haven't already been taking pills like tic-tacs thus basically not noticing it.

Be in a temporary state of misery for a brief while and then get over it.

If I don't get over it quickly then I have a good indication that it is sers bsnus and seek medical care. Pain can be a useful indicator.

A few years ago I had some unfun pain for several hours and eventually pissed out a tiny, tiny stone (which if I had any say in it, would have been even tinier, but hey). I reckon if it was any worse and didn't resolve I woulda gone to the hospital and that would have been the proper move. If I were able to ignore the pain then I might have made a wrong call.

Usually other than headaches, sickness doesn't rear its face as pain for me, but rather some other form of discomfort (nausea, cough, fever, drainage, pressure).

For headaches I'll take mild stuff or nothing. I used to get headaches daily, for years as a kid. I'd heard that you can build up a tolerance to aspirin and such so I resolved to only rarely take pills when I needed a clear head, like before chess tourneys and such, or in case I ever got one of my rare shit-your-eyes-out-with-pain migraines. I don't think aspirin ever helped with migraines anyway, but I was at least hoping for a placebo effect.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 1:51 am

I ended up having some Coke for the burning numbness it causes the throat, then sleeping for a very long time. The dogs made sure to lie nearby, soaking up the excess heatguarding me and threatening to bite any bacteria that headed my way.

Meikle641 · Post by **Meikle641** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 2:56 am

Starmaker, Russian doctors sound like my family doctor. It's uncanny.

ishy · Post by **ishy** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 8:46 am

Koumei wrote:I ended up having some Coke

Coke is legal in Australia?

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 9:22 am

I used the capital letter specifically so people would realise I am using the proper noun for a brand-name product (Coca Cola), and not just the abbreviation of cocaine.

Had I taken some cocaine, I imagine that would have dealt with the symptoms completely, though I understand it has its own problems.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sat Aug 03, 2013 11:33 am

I'm not sure that the abbreviation of cocaine isn't capitalized.

edit: checking dictionary.com apparently it's not, never mind.