Ask Grandstander

[JoseA]

What time do you go to bed each night?

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by JoseA

What time do you go to bed each night?

5 pm.

[phenweigh]

Are you interested in the Tour de France?

[bedir than average]

Why does the typical can of soup have a serving size of 2.5?

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by phenweigh

Are you interested in the Tour de France?

My complaints about bicycle racing are these:
1) It is a single action event with a single skill being exhibited. Person rides bike, person rides bike some more.
2) That skill is not especially evident while watching it being practiced. Eyeballing bike riders in motion, one's superiority over another is not detectable.
3) That skill is not at all interesting to watch while being performed. Too common, most everyone can ride a bike.
4) The winner is determined by totals over a great period of time and there is no real perception of competition while watching the riders.
5) It's an endurance contest with non complex strategy.

I am unable to detect any reason at all to pay attention to this sport or this event. I am unable to imagine what makes it interesting to those who do find it absorbing, so I leave it to them.

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by bedir than average

Why does the typical can of soup have a serving size of 2.5?

Serves Mom, Dad and the little one.

[phenweigh]

Do you or have you gambled on sporting events?

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by phenweigh

Do you or have you gambled on sporting events?

I have, nothing ever serious. Gambling isn't a big attraction to me and I've never been especially lucky when I have put up money. I don't really enjoy collecting from others and I enjoy even less, having others collecting from me. Casino games are boring, it's just waiting around for random events and when you are aware of the percentages against you while you wait, it certainly seems foolish to be doing business with folks who have a guaranteed advantage over you at all times.

The least dull form is horse racing in that you can study the program, weigh all the factors and then have your guess feel like it was your smarts when you win and poor luck when you lose, at least you have the illusion that your brain had something to do with the outcome, as opposed to simply selecting a random number. I used to go to Golden Gate Fields about twice a year over the course of eight or nine years. The most I ever won was 34 bucks and the most I ever lost was 14. I lost more than I won over time.

I prefer board games because no matter how complex they make them, they are still controlled by finite, identifiable odds. You figure out those odds while your opponent has not thought to do this, and you become the casino. Also, the more you unravel the m.o. of the game, the easier it becomes to figure out ways to cheat.

[phenweigh]

Ever regret not being a mobster?

[TexasSports22]

Is the correct term Fanhomers, Fanhomies, Fanhomites, anti-Scoutaterians, the people of GS, or is it like sheep and moose, where Fanhome is the plural as well?

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by phenweigh

Ever regret not being a mobster?

I don't think that I would have made a good gangster, I lack nearly all the proper qualities. I'm notoriously slack about trying to collect money owed to me, no one in my immediate family was any good at all in arguing over money, I grew up thinking of that as an undignified activity. I've mentioned in the past that I view revenge as the most ignoble possible cause. Nightclubbing, jewelry, expensive clothes, expensive restaurants, gambling and hanging out all day with 6th grade dropouts, none of these things are part of my world.

Most importantly, my family ethic was one where no one was permitted to reveal undisguised ambition or greed, it always had to be masked and indirect. If you wanted something, you figured out a way to quietly manupulate the others into wanting you to have it, the opposite of strongarm. I doubt that our m.o. would be effective in getting local merchants to pay protection money.

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by TexasSports22

Is the correct term Fanhomers, Fanhomies, Fanhomites, anti-Scoutaterians, the people of GS, or is it like sheep and moose, where Fanhome is the plural as well?

There is no force compelling it to be anything, so I believe this to be a case where we may make the decision ourselves. You should open up a poll thread, submit the nominations and then live with the tyrany of the majority. You suggested:
Fanhomers
Fanhomies
Fanhomites

We should also consider:
Fanhomians
Fanhomerians
Fanhomvians
Phan-Ho's
Dorks

[vtred]

Weekly "what if" fight match-up:

Harry Potter vs. John Wooden?

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by vtred

Weekly "what if" fight match-up:

Harry Potter vs. John Wooden?

There have been numerous claimants to the title of "Wizard." The Wizard of Oz" is the most famous, referencing the Emerald City lord, not the Cardinal shortstop who was also sometimes addressed by that name. Then you have Thomas Edison who was the Wizard of Menlo Park. "The Wizard" of the David Seville song, the Pinball Wizard from "Tommy", the Imperial Wizard of the KKK, Don Herbert who was "Mr. Wizard" on the tv kiddie science show, and of course Potter and Wooden more recently.

After study of the issues, I have decided to declare only one real Wizard and that's the original, Merlin of the Arthur legends.

[Nighthawk]

We're leaving for the 'big' cruise on Wednesday (four days to Cozumel). Any advice?