Things you always wanted to know the answer to [Vol. 4]

[glazbagun]

Hypothetical US question- Obama can't seek election for a third term. Could Biden name him as VP? And should Biden be removed from office, could Obama legally become President for a third term since he never sought reelection?

Also, could Biden run with a Republican VP if he so chose?

[Blib]

Were butterflies originally called flutterbyes?

[Fatboy]

djc206 said:

98elise said:

They also don't always increment by 1. Last time we rented a villa in Florida the numbers incremented by 10.

As above due to distance in some places. If you’re looking for number 982 for example you need to head just under a mile along the road. If the house next door is 992 then the distance from the centre of one plot to the next is roughly 0.01 miles (~53ft) away. That would probably work with the villas right?

In many places in North America the house number is a composite of the street and house number e.g. Calgary:
Address: 5030 21st AVE nw

Would be the 30th house west from 50th Street along 21st avenue

The roads are (predominantly) laid out as a grid, avenues being east west and streets being north south, numbered starting from central Street (running north-south) and Central avenue, according to each quadrant - e.g. there is a 1st avenue (running east to west) North and a 1st avenue South, (either side on central avenue) and a 1st Street West and a 1st Street East, either side of 1st Street...

Makes it easy to find your way around, except for the odd development where they don't follow the grid system properly!!!!

See:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbered_street

[nonsequitur]

psi310398 said:

bigpriest said:

The numbers can get so big, you might as well have the grid reference on your door.

That said, I've met plenty of Americans whose arses alone would qualify for their own grid refs...

Do they avoid the cracks in the pavement / sidewalk, I wonder.

[RizzoTheRat]

gazzarose said:

Antony Moxey said:

Lifeguards: how much, if any, jurisdiction do they have? I ask as at the beach today in Bude the lifeguards were frantically waving flags and honking horns trying to get swimmers to stay within the spare markers. Can the swimmers just tell them to FRO and swim where they like, or do lifeguards have any powers to remove them from the water (or anything else)?

I'd say that in line with the craziness that is modern Britain that if "Karens" little darlings want to swim in the dangerous bits, she'll demand that the lifeguards let them, then one will will drown and "Karens" sad face will be in the Mail saying "Why didn't the lifegaurds stop them". Regardless of what actual authority a lifeguard may have, they should be listened to. They're not trying to stop you go in certain places just because they're spoil sports. Especially given that whilst some/most lifeguards are paid, some are volunteers that have got better things to do that be fannying about trying to stop people going into marked dangerous places just because people "know their rights".

Having just re-read my post it sounds a bit confrontational, and I'm sorry if it comes across that way. But the modern attitude of questioning anyone with any authority, especially the whole "f**k the police lot, really annoys me.

2 deaths in separate incidents in my local beach yesterday, despite red flags, they even used the emergency phone system to send a message saying don't go beyond kneed depth due to dangerous currents because there were still so many people swimming. 167 people rescued and 4 deaths along this stretch of coast in one afternoon

[kowalski655]

glazbagun said:

Hypothetical US question- Obama can't seek election for a third term. Could Biden name him as VP? And should Biden be removed from office, could Obama legally become President for a third term since he never sought reelection?
Also, could Biden run with a Republican VP if he so chose?

I dont believe so-A VP has to be eligible to serve as POTUS, & Obama isnt
I think he could chose a Republican but with politics being so polarised,I cant imagine the hassle! IIRC the VP used to be the defeated candidate who was supposed to put aside party politics for the good of the country.Can you imagine Trump doing that?

[Frank7]

glazbagun said:

Hypothetical US question- Obama can't seek election for a third term. Could Biden name him as VP? And should Biden be removed from office, could Obama legally become President for a third term since he never sought reelection?

Also, could Biden run with a Republican VP if he so chose?

Emailed an attorney friend in NYC on this, she said that any VP nominated must qualify to be able to serve as President.
Obama, having served two terms, would be unable to serve, as per the 22nd Amendment.
This said that no one could serve as President again after serving two terms.
She also said that while there was nothing to prevent a Republican choosing a Democrat running mate, or vice versa for a Democrat candidate, it would be political suicide.
She added, imagine Boris Johnson campaigning for election and saying that if he won, he’d choose Jeremy Corbyn for Foreign Secretary.

[psgcarey]

jet_noise said:

BigBen said:

The Mad Monk said:

Jonboy_t said:

Why are American house numbers so large? Can’t recall ever seeing one that’s not at least 4-digits?!

Because their streets were created and then had to be named. Similar situation with many of their towns. "What shall we call it - Georgetown - George ville - Mary something?"

Our streets evolved. - High street, what shall we call the next bit that leads into the market - I know Market Street, and so it went on. London Road etc, etc.

Of course, they must have low numbers, probably 999 which are shorter than 4 digits.

I think it is also a result of the block system that is prevalent, the numbers increment to the next 100 each block even if there are not 100 properties in the preceding block. So you would start from 1 - 100 then the next block 101 - 200 even if only say 1 - 15 were used in the first block.

Some numbers are based on distance (from road start) rather than property e.g. 1500 could be 1.5miles from whichever end of the road is defined as its beginning.

My parents' house number, in France, is based on the distance from the start of the road. Makes it easier for emergency services to get to a property quickly, especially when in the middle of nowhere.

Edited by psgcarey on Tuesday 11th August 11:35

Edited by psgcarey on Tuesday 11th August 11:35

[Clockwork Cupcake]

Frank7 said:

She added, imagine Boris Johnson campaigning for election and saying that if he won, he’d choose Jeremy Corbyn for Foreign Secretary.

That wouldn't be possible under our party system. In the UK, the electorate chooses the party that will form a government and then the party appoints members of the party to positions of power, including Prime Minister. That's why it was so ridiculous people going on about Gordon Brown being "the unelected Prime Minister" because no PM is elected.

[Scrump]

Continued over here:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...