Humor Random Comments Thread

[Andy44]

I just watched a random youtube video about "don'ts" for foreign visitors traveling to the US (I don't know why; I live here, but whatever) and one of the things the guy said was "Don't tell Americans there are 52 states. The US has 50 states."

So for you guys overseas, is someone teaching you all that there are 52 United States? Where did that idea come from?

 

[Artlav]

So for you guys overseas, is someone teaching you all that there are 52 United States? Where did that idea come from?

Something ambient, i think.
I remember hearing about something being added to the USA making it 51st or 52nd state a couple of times - these sort of sourceless ambient bits of information, perhaps?

In the same way i never learned the names of the states of the US, but can name maybe half of them given some thinking time, coming just from the ambient info like news, movies, books, etc.

 

[Andy44]

The idea of Guam or Puerto Rico applying for statehood is a recurring subject here, and it has a fair, non-zero chance of happening someday, especially Puerto Rico. Also, the District of Columbia frequently sees a statehood movement. But, no, there are only 50, and if another is added, believe me, it will be news.

That said, I am more interested in these types of odd rumors and how they get started, any myths people may carry about other countries in general. For some reason this interests me.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

*giggles*
I don't know why this is so entertaining to watch... but it is.

 

[Notebook]

I got my info from Hawaii 50!
Not sure if that's 50 factorial, or it's 50 and that's final?

N.

 

[jedidia]

So for you guys overseas, is someone teaching you all that there are 52 United States? Where did that idea come from?

I guess it's similar to the half-cantons in Switzerland: Some entities would logically be perceived to be a state by an outsider looking at the map, but legally aren't.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Washington DC gets ideas about statehood every now and again. Same with Puerto Rico. Right now they have several of the benefits without the same amount of taxation (or representation) they have representatives (delegates) but they are non-voting for the most part.

But for the foreseeable future, 50 states.

A few times in my lifetime at least some grumbling from Michigan's Upper Peninsula and there was a short lived movement a few decades ago about the Florida panhandle wanting to fracture and make their own state. There is precedent for this (Tennessee and Kentucky) but all parties have to be in agreement.

 

[Kyle_E]

Orbiter just got more competition!
http://www.terrabuilder.com/TB/fsx-spaceport.html
(Although it's hardly competition when it's between a free simulator and a paid addon for a paid simulator)

 

[jedidia]

One day after I buy Original Sin 2, the witcher 3 is 60% off. daaaaaaaamn!

 

[Quick_Nick]

I just watched a random youtube video about "don'ts" for foreign visitors traveling to the US (I don't know why; I live here, but whatever) and one of the things the guy said was "Don't tell Americans there are 52 states. The US has 50 states."

So for you guys overseas, is someone teaching you all that there are 52 United States? Where did that idea come from?

There's 48 contiguous "plus 2", making 50. Which might get misremembered as 50 plus 2.
Maybe? I don't know, I live here too and never heard that mistake.

 

[Andy44]

A few times in my lifetime at least some grumbling from Michigan's Upper Peninsula and there was a short lived movement a few decades ago about the Florida panhandle wanting to fracture and make their own state. There is precedent for this (Tennessee and Kentucky) but all parties have to be in agreement.

There is also a small secession movement in rural South Jersey who used to make noise about breaking away from urbanized northern New Jersey to form a new state. I think it's probably like 3 guys and a website these days.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

:rofl:

It seems like I remember being taught that "new" states must come in pairs. We got Alaska and Hawaii close together... I know it was a big issue with the slave/non-slave states, but I don't think it's a requirement to get them in pairs anymore... gah! Civics was sooooo very long ago.

 

[tl8]

It seems like I remember being taught that "new" states must come in pairs. We got Alaska and Hawaii close together...

The problem with 51 states is that your new flag becomes an issue. 51 stars just don't look good. Skipping straight to 52 will solve this issue.

 

[Quick_Nick]

The problem with 51 states is that your new flag becomes an issue. 51 stars just don't look good. Skipping straight to 52 will solve this issue.

www.xkcd.com/1902

 

[Thunder Chicken]

The problem with 51 states is that your new flag becomes an issue. 51 stars just don't look good. Skipping straight to 52 will solve this issue.

Looks fine to me:

 

[Andy44]

I had a friend in high school who got in trouble because when we discussed adding a 51st state, he asked, "So where we put the new star, there's no room? On the back maybe?"

The trouble he got into was because this is funny, and laughing is not allowed in Serious Class.

 

[Artlav]

If new stars don't fit, why not enlarge the star-corner?

 

[Andy44]

If new stars don't fit, why not enlarge the star-corner?

They do fit, you just have to make them small enough and arrange them right, as in the above pic. In the 1800s when states were being added often, the US flag went through a bunch of weird changes in the blue field.

If all else fails, we can just go back to putting the stars into rings like we did in the very beginning.

---------- Post added at 01:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:35 AM ----------

The wiki article on the US flag is pretty interesting, actually: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_States

 

[Urwumpe]

What about putting the Stars between the Stripes?

 

[Notebook]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-eng...tionary-car-seat-with-inbuilt-airbag-launched

'Revolutionary' car seat with inbuilt airbag launched

Just waiting for the ejection-seat now.

N.