5 Things You Think Work, But Actually Don't

Delvo said:
The shoes are an interesting case. Shoes with the convex soles and almost no heel (among other features hidden inside) were invented by MBT for a reason, for which they actually work. But when Reebok jumped on the bandwagon of the design, they changed the claim about what the shoes were for, to something else that they weren't designed for and don't do.

MBT stands for "Masai Barefoot Technoogy". The company was founded by a European guy who had noticed that the Masai don't have various problems that are common in more modern societies with our feet, ankles, knees, and I think even hips and lower back. It's about the stresses from walking on hard flat surfaces instead of natural ground, and the goal of the shoes is just to make it more like walking on natural ground. I can vouch for the fact that they do this, and that the benefit to one's feet and leg-joints from wearing them routinely for weeks or months is real, from personal experience. They also do even make some muscles work more than they would with normal shoes. But that's really just from the knees down, and even there, the effect is too small to detect from the outside.

So the shoes really do work for what they're meant for. It just doesn't have anything to do with what the most well-known company selling them lately says they do or were meant for.
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My understanding of the recent lawsuit against Reebok is not that the shoes don't work, but that the advertisement made it out as though there was no exercise required. A few women who were disappointed that the shoes didn't tone their butts while they were moving between the living room and kitchen to get more bon-bons (a la Peggy Bundy) along with a few other women who were upset that the shoes caused their leg muscles to be exercised (and perhaps sore due to having not been exercised in that way before) decided to file a class-action lawsuit based on false advertising.

Honestly, I'm not quite sure how people expected the shoes to tone their butts if it weren't by exercise and requiring a certain amount of actual walking...but...hey, it wouldn't be the USA if you couldn't claim ignorance and file a class-action lawsuit.

But, again, that's just my understanding of the whole shoe thing. I didn't really look into it all that much.
 
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I tried some knock-off rocker bottom shoes.. felt good, but hurt my knees.
They're at GoodWill now.
 
Delvo said:
When there's no feedback, it's not superstition. You just don't know whether previous input was taken or not. We all know from experience that sometimes pushing some buttons doesn't work at first but does if tried again.
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It's been my experience that this is almost never the case. Doesn't stop me from trying though.


23_Tauri said:
Here's one:

Worrying.

You think it changes stuff, otherwise you wouldn't do it. But it doesn't affect the outcome.
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Untrue on both counts. We don't generally worry because it changes things, any more than many other emotional reactions are done to change things. It's simply a natural reaction of stress due to the situation.

And of course it affects outcomes. Many a sports bet has proven this to me. :)
 
23_Tauri said:
Here's one:

Worrying.

You think it changes stuff, otherwise you wouldn't do it. But it doesn't affect the outcome.
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Not true. Sometimes it helps you make better decisions. I envision a scenario:

George: I don't know, Rummy. Maybe we shouldn't invade Iraq without an exit strategy.

Donald: Meh. We'll figure that out later. Don't worry about it.

George: You're probably right.
 
When I was about 5 or 6 years old I figured out that pressing all the buttons just as you're exiting the elevator actually works to make all the people in the elevator really, really pissed-off.
 
 
Tricky said:
Not true. Sometimes it helps you make better decisions. I envision a scenario:

George: I don't know, Rummy. Maybe we shouldn't invade Iraq without an exit strategy.

Donald: Meh. We'll figure that out later. Don't worry about it.

George: You're probably right.
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Tricky, I can't argue with that. :)

Perhaps it's more true that some of us need to worry less, and those that never worry (like Georgie boy, above) need to take up the habit.
 
23_Tauri said:
Why do elevators (lifts, in my country) have Otis written inside them? Because I don't hear any soul music when I'm travelling in one. :boggled:
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This reminds me:

Years ago I worked for a while in a 7-story office building in Berlin. Floors 5-7 were the company I worked for, on the 1st floor (that's German counting: The first floor up, above ground floor) there were offices of an elevator manufacturer (not Otis).
The Otis elevator had a sign next to the missing 1st floor button, informing users that the elevator company can't be reached by elevator, please use the stairs :D
 
Captain_Swoop said:
Don't you remember the TV Ads when they were first introduced? They explained how to use the button and wait for the green man etc. They also explained the meaning of the 'flashing amber' after red rather than the usual 'Red and Amber' to drivers.

Part of the ad was how the name was derived from the function.

http://youtu.be/SUa7Le0ZrcM

http://youtu.be/tDaEfUUUIk0
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Calm down dears...you're both right. See link below for an explanation.

http://www.cbrd.co.uk/histories/pedestriancrossings/7.shtml

Essentially it started out as a PELICON, but the marketing boys got a hold of it and decided on the hep and swinging PelicAn.

I particularly like the fact that the DoT wanted to get away from 'zoological names', but we've ended up with not only Zebras and Pelicans, but Puffins, Toucans and even Pegasuses (Pegasii?)
 
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Debaser said:
I particularly like the fact that the DoT wanted to get away from 'zoological names', but we've ended up with not only Zebras and Pelicans, but Puffins, Toucans and even Pegasuses (Pegasii?)
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Is that the kind of crossing that a particular local community are campaigning their council to install, but which at present doesn't exist?
 
23_Tauri said:
Here's one:

Worrying.

You think it changes stuff, otherwise you wouldn't do it. But it doesn't affect the outcome.
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Right, like in The Room:

Lisa's Mom: Well, I got the test back from the doctor. I have breast cancer.
Lisa: Don't worry about it. You'll be fine.
 
alfaniner said:
Right, like in The Room:

Lisa's Mom: Well, I got the test back from the doctor. I have breast cancer.
Lisa: Don't worry about it. You'll be fine.
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I really need to clarify the whole "worrying doesn't actually do anything but I think it does" thing. When I worry, I worry about stuff outside of my control. Hence, I don't take any action over it, because I can't. Ergo, the worrying is a pointless exercise, which I can only assume I do at the time because I think it will magically change something.

Worrying about something that you can do something about and then taking action? I wouldn't call that worrying, I'd call that thinking.
 
As near as I can make out, only half of these buttons work:


LiftButtons.jpg
 
Stray Cat said:
Is that the kind of crossing that a particular local community are campaigning their council to install, but which at present doesn't exist?
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Hey, Stray, you're not gonna believe this, because it caught me totally off guard 'n' all...

A Pegasus Crossing:

Pegasuscrossing.jpg


so you and your trusty steed can fly across the road! :)
 
Akhenaten said:
As near as I can make out, only half of these buttons work:


[qimg]http://www.yvonneclaireadams.com/HostedStuff/LiftButtons.jpg[/qimg]​
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Oh man, didn't anyone ever tell you? Never dip your bacon in your coffee, and especially not on Level 10. Nooooooooooooo! :eek:
 
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