Re: Food Prices

Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> wrote:

On 31 May 2025 19:12:16 GMT, Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
 

Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com> wrote:

On 31 May 2025 12:18:43 GMT, Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
 

I remember having a conversation with a colleague who was from Ugandan
originally who was going though citizenship and that folks knowledge of
Ugandan so I asked her to tell me about the Brecon Beacons or the Welsh
Valleys, or maybe the Welsh knot? To her credit she accepted that despite
living only 2hrs away she had no idea of Wales which as she said was tad
embarrassing.

 
That's typical.  Test yourself and see how well you remember.  I'll
trust you not to cheat or peek.

 
Ah I should of been clearer, unless you’ve lived in Wales the Welsh Valleys
as an area is just unknown after all bar the Levels, all of Wales is hills
and Valleys, the Beacons yes I expect that she might at least of heard of
it, but little more, the Welsh knot (which children had to wear if they
spoke Welsh) it was unlikely she would know of.
 
In short if you don’t live in Wales its cultures and history are quite
different and certainly not something anyone living in England would
commonly know of, which shows a lack of curiosity personally!

 
- Name a few (about 5) local elected officials and their positions.
- How many steps do you climb before entering your house?

1

- What are the first few letters on the bottom row of a QWERTY
keyboard?

 
Despite being trained as touch typists that escaped me!
 

- Point in the direction of true north and compare with true north on
a map.

 
I think UK are much less concerned with compass directions for navigating,
compared to the US.
 

- How many points (or grooves) on a Torx driver?

 
8/9

 
Wrong.  Please count them.
 

- Is the LEFT bicycle pedal spindle LR or RH thread?

 
I always have to check though pedals last though the bearings do go now and
then.

 
The crank arms are usually properly threaded, so it's difficult to
make a mistake.  However, if I don't have some crank arms available
for reference, I sometimes get confused.  The same thing has happened
to me with older automobile lug nuts.
<https://lugnutguys.com/collections/lug-nuts-left-hand-thread-1-2-20-lh>
 

- Calculator and telephone keyboards are different.  For each type, is
the "0" key in the top row or bottom row of the keyboard?
- How much dirt is in a hole 2 x 2 x 2 meters (or 2 x 2 x 2 yards)?
- What is the current cost of a first class US postage stamp? (US
only)
- How many barlycorns in 1 inch? (UK only)

 
Not a clue not even heard of a Barlycorn I’m guessing it’s a one of the pre
imperial measurements that, was intended to be replaced by a more logical
measurement!

 
1 inch = 3 barleycorns.  It's still in use (somewhere) for shoe sizes.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe_size#United_Kingdom>
I ran into when I bought some used shoes at a local thrift shop.
 

- Who is on the front of a US $10 bill?  (US only)
- What is on the back of a US $10 bill?  (US only)
- Home doors open inward or outward?

 
Most in but the French windows open out.

 
Nope.  Residential doors open inward.  That's because they usually
have screen doors which open outward.  If they were reversed, with the
screen door on the inside, all the insects and flying bugs would end
up inside the house when the screen door is opened.
 
However, there are exceptions:
<https://www.uswindow-door.com/faq/can-front-doors-open-outwards>
"Because of hurricane-force winds, Florida communities are now seeing
the concept of outward opening doors as an advantage."

Don’t have screen doors in uk, I have French or patio doors that open into
the garden, and they open into the garden as is common, and indeed as do
back doors into gardens it’s not uncommon for that, my folks don’t but it’s
a rural area.

 
When I replaced the two outside doors on my house, I hung them so that
they open outward.  The floor space gained by inward swinging doors
made the effort worthwhile.  Instead of a screen door, I have a "wire
mesh curtain screen", that rolls up like roller shades.  The curtain
screen has magnets around the edges to provide a bug tight seal.
 

- Commercial building doors open inward or outward?

 
That rather depends on the building type and history in my experience.

 
Nope.  In the US, they usually open outward.  That's for fire safety
and is inscribed in the fire code.  There have been incidents in
theaters and public buildings, where the doors become jammed shut by
the crush of people trying to escape the building.  Like residential
doors, there are exceptions.  Currently, code requires a "crash bar"
that automatically unlocks the door if it detects a crush or stampede.

Does depend on the building in uk, the doors at the sorting office opens
out, and similar places like a shed maybe stuff in way of the door if you
try to open it into the space, or some have roller doors and so on, uk
doesn’t do building codes or zones in the same way.

 

- From memory, itemize the larger items in your refrigerator.

 
Not a lot!

 
I was introduced to this effect by being asked to make a rough drawing
of the inside of my refrigerator highlighting the various
compartments.  I then was asked to list what items are in the fridge
and where they are likely to be hiding.  This was just after everyone
was asked to get something out of their fridge.  I don't want to dive
into details but the test did expose some interesting clues as to how
we organize a grocery expedition to replenish the fridge.
 

That should be sufficient.  These are common things that we deal with
daily, yet typically do NOT remember when asked.  We hardly ever think
about the more commonplace items that don't require much attention.
Visitors to my area frequently ask for directions.  I've been living
here about 50 years and still can't remember the names of the local
roads:
<https://www.learnbydestroying.com/jeffl/crud/1540-Jackson-Ave.jpg>
 
I could probably add some more examples after the phone decides to
stop ringing. 
<https://photos.app.goo.gl/jWG5iNb8hKWa9QJu6>
(I couldn't resist and bought this yesterday at a local auto parts
store).
 
 
 

Roger Merriman
 

Roger Merriman