Send questions, comments, and mail to unnamedplanet@mailcity.com. We won't post your e-mail address or send you any junk-mail. We promise.
Q:
Hello,
I had some thoughts on the editorial that you wrote at your site a little
while ago (The World is Full of Stupid People). I agree with you about a lot of things (especially the idea of
people putting 911 on their speed dial). About the cigarette smoking, I
agree that it's rather pointless for manufactures to print a warning on the
label but from what I understand they do this simply for legal reasons. I
remember once hearing about a woman in the United States who had been
smoking for years and was recently diagnosed with cancer. She attempted to
sue the tobacco company for the cost of her treatment and also for "pain and
suffering." Her entire case was based on the fact that when she started
smoking (quite some time ago) no one informed her that smoking was at all
dangerous. Unfortunately I did not follow the case closely at all so I'm not
sure who won the court battle in the end, but the fact that she had a case
at all made me realize that the Tobacco industry's only protection against
this type of thing was to print the warning on the label. I think the same
goes for warnings on sunscreens for your car. Apparently (as unbelievable as
it sounds) people have actually driven with the sunscreen in place. From
what I understand that is why they came up with the warning. I remember
seeing the same type of thing on a container of lipstick when a child had
once been poisoned from consuming it.
I was thinking a bit about the bicycle helmet issue that you talked about.
It is interesting that they had to force people to wear a helmet but I can
remember when I was younger I always found it rather difficult to see with a
helmet on. Often while I was riding in heavy traffic I would take it off
just so that I could turn my head and see if a car was coming up beside me.
It was dangerous but I thought at the time that visibility was more
important.
That's all I have for now. Thanks for your time and keep up the great work,
I'll visit your site often.
A.R.
A:
Glad you our little spot on the information superparkinglot! You're quite right about the warning labels being there for legal reasons. That's actually what I find so disturbing. Legally, people are allowed to be as stupid as they like and it's the smart person's responsibility to make sure they don't get in trouble. One thing I would like to add to my previous comments on cigarette warning labels is that I believe it's quite understandable how people could start and think it's not addictive. However, if a person can take a drag on a cigarette, nearly cough their lung up, and think it's not dangerous, that's just stupidity. (Note: as a general rule, folks, setting anything on fire and inhaling the fumes is not a good idea. This especially applies to anything you buy in an aromatherapy shop.) As for the bicycle helmets being uncomfortable, those old helmets were pretty darned bulky and were about as comfortable and practical as wearing a spaghetti pot on your head. Nowadays, though, they've got these sleek, aerodynamic thingies with air scoops and cooling vents and fancy colours that are more comfortable than a baseball cap. Speaking of helmets, one of the staff here at The Unnamed Planet spotted a helmet with a MIRROR FINISH! Some dolt actually thought wearing this thing on a sunny day was a way to make the roads safer. Instead, the Cylon wannabe was blinding everyone on the road. Just goes to show that no safety measure is idiot-proof.
Q:
Hey, what's with this webpage, anyway? You have, like, some major issues, don't you?
Janey51
A:
Yes, as a mattter of fact I do have a lot of issues. Mainly back-issues. Popular Science, Mole-Men of the South Pacific, Samurai Worm, and some major issues like the holo-cover issue of some Marvel comic. I don't know exactly which one because it's sealed in a plastic bag and the guy at the comic shop told me it would be worth a fortune if I kept it sealed in the bag.
Q:
WANT CASH?? MAKE MONEY WHILE DOING NOTHING!!! ABSOLUTELY NO RISK L@@K!!!!!====>(URL withheld)
$$$MONEYMAN$$$
A:
Moneyman, I think I see the problem. Hit your "Caps Lock" key one(1) time and never touch it again. Also, remember to stop pushing the Q-tip into your ear when you feel resistance. Also note that "look" is spelled with two "O"'s. "@" is not a letter.
Q:
I'm trying to finish my homework. Quick, what's the capital of utah?
Ken
A:
The capital of Utah is U. Here's a tip: The first letter in every state's name is the capital. If you meant the capital city, it's Salt Lake City.
