The 'wondering about stuff' thread

[Lemonade]

They can't even get a number one, in this day and age. Total bollocks. ITV 2 has an hour long show every week about them. o_O

That's embarassing really, especially since 2 of them were in S Club Juniors. That, plus their own TV show should be enough publicity to get anyone a number 1. Even Cleopatra got a number 1.

[Guest Gladstone]

I never understand when you watch something like the X-Factor and a boy band turns up to audition. Why the fucking hell would anyone voluntarily want to be part of a boyband? There's something peculiar about a guy in his twenties wanting to be adored by a bunch of 13 year old girls.

I had this exact conversation with my wife last week. She was watching the X Factor auditions (I wasn't, you understand. It was forced upon me, against my will.).

I don't get it.

My point was kind of this: I don't know any guys, and have never known any guys who are into that kind of music. You know, the Boyzone / Westlife pap. Pap music. That's what it should be officially called. Yet, anytime I've seen X Factor auditions, there are always fucking loads of these boy band wannabes. It makes me think that they're just trying to get famous, which I know isn't much of a revelation. I really can't imagine those guys were going out and buying Westlife, Boyzone, whatever CDs and getting inspired by them to create similar music. I reckon they just found out they could sing and thought it would be a good way to get on TV.

The thing that really gets me thinking though, is how the fuck do they form a band? I just can't imagine standing in the pub and my mate turning round and saying: "Guys, how about forming a vocal harmony group?"

It's a similar phenomenon to roping people in to committing murder or other heinous crimes. "Hey, mate. Do you fancy going on a killing spree round Aberdeen?"

How the fuck do you bring that sort of thing into conversation? (Not that I actually want to bring it up in conversation, just wondering how folk get roped into it!)

[waltz]

and none of them are even tidy.

Are you fucking mental?!

You must be mental.

Kind regards,

Euan

[Guest Gladstone]

That's embarassing really, especially since 2 of them were in S Club Juniors. That, plus their own TV show should be enough publicity to get anyone a number 1. Even Cleopatra got a number 1.

S Club Juniors.

I once got the guy from Aberdeen's autograph on a bit of cardboard when I served him in Schuh (for my young niece who was obsessed with them).

His name was Calvin or Kelvin, can't remember which. Very nice young chap actually. He was with his disabled little brother, and he was helping him try on trainers and stuff - being a good big brother.

COOL STORY BRO

[Bigsby]

I had this exact conversation with my wife last week. She was watching the X Factor auditions (I wasn't, you understand. It was forced upon me, against my will.).

I don't get it.

My point was kind of this: I don't know any guys, and have never known any guys who are into that kind of music. You know, the Boyzone / Westlife pap. Pap music. That's what it should be officially called. Yet, anytime I've seen X Factor auditions, there are always fucking loads of these boy band wannabes. It makes me think that they're just trying to get famous, which I know isn't much of a revelation. I really can't imagine those guys were going out and buying Westlife, Boyzone, whatever CDs and getting inspired by them to create similar music. I reckon they just found out they could sing and thought it would be a good way to get on TV.

The thing that really gets me thinking though, is how the fuck do they form a band? I just can't imagine standing in the pub and my mate turning round and saying: "Guys, how about forming a vocal harmony group?"

It's a similar phenomenon to roping people in to committing murder or other heinous crimes. "Hey, mate. Do you fancy going on a killing spree round Aberdeen?"

How the fuck do you bring that sort of thing into conversation? (Not that I actually want to bring it up in conversation, just wondering how folk get roped into it!)

[Bigsby]

Are you fucking mental?!

You must be mental.

Kind regards,

Euan

I honestly don't think they're that nice. I mean I would, obvuiously, because I'm desperate, but by pop-star standards they're really not up to much.

[Guest idol_wild]

As a geologist, I thought this was a cool WTF moment.

Racetrack Playa in Death Valley, California has a phenomena called the Sliding Stones:

Some of these rocks are hundreds of kilograms in weight, yet are apparently moved by natural forces. Question is, how?

Many neighbouring rocks, often of very different size, follow congruent paths i.e. they begin moving, and end moving at the same point e.g:

Some even turn sharp corners e.g.:

A few facts about Death Valley......it is extremely hot and dry (< 2" of annual rainfall on average), but when it rains, it rains hard. The playa is almost perfectly flat, but is surrounded by mountains. Annual temperature maxes out at >50degC, but can go sub-zero during the winter.

See if you can guess how this happens, without the use of Google. Fact is, nobody really knows how this happens.

I think this is cool as fuck.

Could the rock be moving, seemingly unaided, due to vibrations in the ground? Perhaps the area is rife for earthquakes or seismic shifts, thus gently vibrating the ground and shuffling the rock along?

I dunno. Nature is more fucked up than Joey Barton.

[Surfer_Rosa]

Are you fucking mental?!

You must be mental.

Kind regards,

Euan

Quoted for absolute fucking truth

[ca_gere]

Quoted for absolute fucking truth

Seconded. That Frankie bird is Rachel Stevens mk II.

[Adam Easy Wishes]

Seconded. That Frankie bird is Rachel Stevens mk II.

Third-ed. Petition?

[Monster Zero]

Which one of The Saturdays in that pic is Frankie? I know there is one called Frankie. Why do I know that? Is she going out with someone else who is marginally famous?

[Adam Easy Wishes]

Wearing blue, furthest left.

[ca_gere]

Why do I know that?

Were you an S club Juniors fan?

[Monster Zero]

They look like a bunch of schoolgirls off to a disco in that pic. Plus the one in the middle looks like Mary Kate and/or Ashley after an intensive period on the smack.

[Monster Zero]

Were you an S club Juniors fan?

I don't think so, what song(s) - (s) added for benefit of the doubt purposes - did they do?

[Guest idol_wild]

They look like a bunch of schoolgirls off to a disco in that pic. Plus the one in the middle looks like Mary Kate and/or Ashley after an intensive period on the smack.

I know. It's great, isn't it?

[Monster Zero]

I know. It's great, isn't it?

What the schoolgirls bit or the smack bit? Or both? You've changed man. I guess Princes Street probably offers up the best of both worlds. As does Union Street I suppose.

[Guest idol_wild]

What the schoolgirls bit or the smack bit? Or both? You've changed man. I guess Princes Street probably offers up the best of both worlds. As does Union Street I suppose.

Both.

Which is evidence that I really haven'tchanged.

[Monster Zero]

Both.

Which is evidence that I really haven'tchanged.

I obviously didn't get to know you well enough

So anyway does Frankie go out with someone well known?

[soundian]

I think the idea is that the ground is submerged following a flash flood, and only the surface of the floodwater freezes over. The ground itself is basically unfrozen, wet, slippery clay.

I still don't like that idea. In the same picture you see two tracks that appear to be converging, then diverging. Maybe it's an optical illusion. If it isn't it's not the sort of behaviour I would expect from two objects frozen in the same ice sheet.

[waltz]

So in summary, The Saturdays are a good thing.

[Adam Easy Wishes]

So anyway does Frankie go out with someone well known?

She definitely used to go out with Dougie from McFly but I hear that's a bit on/off.

[/smashHits]

[Scootray]

One of the lads from McFly I think.

[Monster Zero]

I like the contrasting lines of conversation here. Apparently static objects that move about and bits of rock in the desert.

[Bigsby]

There's a lassie at my work who has the same hairstyle as Frankie and therefore looks a bit like her, but is much, much, much hotter. Therefore Frankie don't impress me much.