# It's Just Not That Difficult **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 5, 2003, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164 "2003-05-05T12:48:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Rue\_DeDay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Rue\_DeDay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rue_DeDay)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/101 "2003-05-08T16:19:23Z")
See **Elle** n, it’s a good thing you linked that. “Crass”? We don’t know the meaning of the word “crass”. A few of us don’t know the meanings of a lot more words. And then some of us can’t even spell the words said person does know the meanings thereof. So all in all, it’s good. You can get your posting license revoked for PWI **Ex**? I don’t think so. If you could, there’d be about four people left and they’d all be little girls. While you can’t eat “formerly living things” **El** , can you eat, like, eggs and milk? Or things made with eggs and/or milk like bread? That would suck not being able to eat bread. Oh, how about Klingon Gahh? Can you eat that? It’s not “formerly living”. But it is a Klingon worm and I don’t figger they’d be too appetizing. -Rue. (just checking) ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/102 "2003-05-08T19:26:00Z")
Giant INFLATE Palm Tree. Sorry **Elle** n, I’ve got it now. I must have copyedited that ad in my head or something. I can be a real dipstick like that from time to time. You should be nice to me anyway, or I’ll start talking about mathematics again. So you’ll eat Klingon space worms but not Terrestrial sea worms then, **Rue**? Or is it just a “alive and wriggling or fried and crispy only” gatstronomic aesthetic? I’m kinda’ confused, but then that’s normal. At least I didn’t start ranting about monkey butlers. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/103 "2003-05-08T22:32:55Z")
Rue Oh, I’m not sad now. That face was the result of a hellacious migraine last night. No radishes involved. swampbear You and my sister would get along swimmingly (ha!). She’s got pink flamingo-itis in a bad way. Or good way. I forget. Ellen Cool! You’re, like, almost famous or something now. Neato. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/104 "2003-05-08T23:42:02Z")
Hey, **dwyr**. I feel like I should apologize to you specifically, because I can see where you might have taken that post I made last night personally, and gotten offended. I really didn’t mean any harm. I already apologized (sorta, but not really) in general, but this is just for you. I screwed up, and I’d hate for there to be hard feelings. I’m sorry. Of course, if your sister has a frilly bathing suit, a big floppy hat, and Hollywood sunglasses, she’ll end up lounging beside **FairyChatMom** by the pool while the rest of us get all sweaty helping **Angel Pants** decorate his flamingoes. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/105 "2003-05-09T00:08:59Z")
Hey Ex No offense taken. 🙂 Oh my sister is definitely the lounging type. She’ll be real good at supervising your work as well. She’d look much nicer beside the pool than I would besides, what with her being a long-legged, blue-eyed, redhead. (Her husband’s not as pretty.) ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/106 "2003-05-09T00:26:11Z")
I’m glad we’re cool. Have some chocolate. As long as you’re here, could you please make sure that we don’t get anywhere near the water while we string the lights shaped like jalopenos? Unshielded wiring and swimming pools are a bad mix. ---
**Author:** ![Copper\_moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@Copper\_moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Copper_moon)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/107 "2003-05-09T01:16:11Z")
I can’t tell you who to have a crush on, **Swampy** but as for me, I’m looking. I just don’t know now. I’ll have to think about it after I get over you. I’m vulnerable right now. I am on the rebound after all. Count me in as a hater of beady eyed shrimp/crab/lobster and all other slimy, briney critters. Ick, ick, ick. Ya’ll can have my share. You’re welcome. So what music are we listening to? We gotta have tunes. Me, I’m for old rock. A little Eagles, Lynard Skynard, maybe some CCR. You’re name makes me think you would like CCR, **Swampbear**. Do ya, huh? Pass me a beer. Are we gonna play games or are we just gonna gab all night? I’m up for either. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/108 "2003-05-09T12:23:43Z")
**Cooper\_moon** you’re the first doper whose heart I broke. Eagles, Lynard Skynard, CCR, all jake! Grab a beer, boogie, chill, do whatever ya like (well, within reason. We don’t need the vice squad showing up). Me I like chillin’, lounging, talkin’ and general carryin’ ons. But we could set up some bad minton or maybe croquet out in the yard if you like. ---
**Author:** ![Rue\_DeDay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Rue\_DeDay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rue_DeDay)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/109 "2003-05-09T13:22:11Z")
Lynard Skynard? Let me know when you’re going to put… that… on so I can be out in the yard playing croquet or something. Do you have boccé? That’s fun too. (Trivia: I took a badminton class in college for a “gym” credit.) -Rue. (music snob) P.S. Even though it’s your pool party **Swampy** , there will be NO “Freebird”. My thread, my rule. ---
**Author:** ![Copper\_moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@Copper\_moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Copper_moon)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/110 "2003-05-09T14:05:31Z")
Well okay, **music snob** , I can forgo Lynard Skynard. Just for you. But what music would you have at a pool party? Something with voilins and oboes? Maybe we could choreograph a doper synchronized swimming number. Badminton and croquet, huh? I could go for that or even some volleyball. In the pool or out. But what I really had in mind was things like dominos, cards, Quiddler (my fave) or even Taboo. I have to warn you, though, I have all the Taboo cards memorized. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/111 "2003-05-09T16:20:08Z")
Dominoes, spades, hearts. We could do some volleyball. I don’t know from Quiddler and ain’t never played Taboo. Heck, if y’all want we’ll shoot craps even. Looks like we might need somebody in charge of the CD player, so as to avoid fights over the music. I want to play some Manhattan Transfer. That ok with everybody? We could charge admission for the doper synchronized swimming number. 😃 **Rue** I took an angling class for credit in college. In winter. We stood in the gym from 8:00 - 9:00 AM, two days a week, and practiced casting flyrods at paper fish targets spread out on center court. The archery class was fun too. We practiced shooting arrows at targets placed strategically **in front of** a parking lot. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Copper\_moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@Copper\_moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Copper_moon)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/112 "2003-05-09T17:15:45Z")
**Swampy** Boy are you collecting sig lines or what? So tell us what the last addition to the ollection means. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/113 "2003-05-09T17:19:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by **swampbear** > > We could charge admission for the doper synchronized swimming number. I think we’d make more money if we let people in for free and charged them to leave. ---
**Author:** ![Kn\_ckers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/96bed5/32.png) [@Kn\_ckers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kn_ckers)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/114 "2003-05-09T17:24:28Z")
Ooh, I’d totally be up for a game of Hearts. And, **Angel Pants** , I think you’d asked about lime Tostitos - indeed, they do exist, and they are a wondrous thing to behold (and even wondrouser to eat), if there should happen to be any around here… Yay for music! I don’t much care what kind, so whatever you all settle on will make me happy. re: gym credits: I highly recommend fencing. I took it in college, and it was the funnest damn thing EVER. Like a cross between dance, chess, and violence. Plus you get to wear those supercool alien spacesuits. It was also fun to confuse people by being a lefty, which sort of makes up ofr all the years spent struggling with scissors and spiral-bound notebooks. ---
**Author:** ![lightingtool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lightingtool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightingtool)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/115 "2003-05-09T17:55:26Z")
**Platypus Update!** I was watching the terrific _Life of Mammals_ on the borderline terrific Discovery channel last night, and the supremely terrific Sir David Attenborough dedicated a whole segment to Australia, and we all know what that means. Platypuses! Whoo-hoo. For the first time ever on TV, we actually looked inside the nest of the mighty platypus. Talk about gross. But anyway, here are some interesting facts: The beak is actually soft and rubbery. It has thousands of tiny pores on the beak that allow it to sense the electrical charges of its prey, so it can track them with amazing accuracy. Think of the military uses! While underwater, the eyes and ears retract, leaving the platypus deaf and blind. I should have put this first, as now would be a good time to point out the amazing pores on the beak. Oh well. Not once did they mention any kind of poison on any part of the platypus. Government cover-up or just an oversight by the most acclaimed documentary maker in the history of television? You be the judge. Check this link out for more fun facts: [http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/lifeofmammals/lifeofmammals.html](http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/lifeofmammals/lifeofmammals.html) ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/116 "2003-05-09T21:48:40Z")
**lightningtool** , I saw the same program! You didn’t mention the echidnas!! It was very educational. Then my husband turned on a rerun of Law and Order and the educational value in the boat dropped like a rock. Oh yeah, I’m in Baltimore as I write this. It’s drizzly and chilly, so I’m not in a pool party frame of mind. But when I get back to hot, sweaty Jacksonville, I’ll be ready to whoop it up! With shrimps. And lobsters. And whatever else floats by my floaty lounge. And **swampbear** , I LOVE Manhattan Transfer!!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/117 "2003-05-10T00:04:53Z")
I swear I was sure that platypuses had venomous spurs. I still think they do, and I’m clinging to that until I’m proven wrong. 'Cause if they don’t, I look like an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![lightingtool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lightingtool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightingtool)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/118 "2003-05-10T01:09:57Z")
**Exgineer** , it’s your lucky day. > [@](#): > > TOXIC SPUR > The male Platypus has a sharp, hollow, horny spur about 15 millimetres long on the inside of both hind leg ankles. This is connected to a venom gland which produces a very strong toxin. The spur can be used in defence against predators (the venom can cause excruciating pain in humans and is strong enough to kill a dog.) but the fact that it is restricted to the male - and that the gland reaches its greatest development in the mating season - suggests that it is normally employed in aggressive encounters between males. From [http://home.mira.net/~areadman/plat.htm](http://home.mira.net/~areadman/plat.htm) Yes, I really am that bored at work today. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164/119 "2003-05-10T15:18:16Z")
That’s a relief. Now people are going to have to come up with completely different reasons to think I’m an idiot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-just-not-that-difficult/173164.md?page=5)