Originally Posted By Tikiduck Saw it on Youtube a while back, just hit Mitt Romney donut, and it should pop up.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox One of the more interesting theories about Mitt's gaffes and misspeaks concerns the nasty head-on collision he survived while on his mission in France. Some psychology professionals have posited the notion that Mitt is suffering from the residual effects of brain trauma, what is commonly referred to as TBI or traumatic brain injury: <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/17/1121150/-UPDATED-Romney-Residual-Impairments-from-1968-Brain-Injury" target="_blank">http://www.dailykos.com/story/...n-Injury</a> Considering the guy almost died in the car crash and took months to recuperate, this wouldn't surprise me at all. And something like TBI would explain the misspeaks, such as not recognizing a donut: <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/online/mitt-romney-apparently-doesnt-know-what-a-donut-is/" target="_blank">http://www.mediaite.com/online...onut-is/</a> My mom had a massive stroke about five years before she died, and lost some basic functions like addition and subtraction. She stumbled for common words all the time, sometimes even my name, even though she clearly knew who I was. Weird, because she could remember the name of my ex, whom I had been divorced from for over 15 years at that point, but at the same time, couldn't remember my name. Brain injury will definitely do weird stuff like that to you.
Originally Posted By ecdc Okay, rereading the statement, I'm going to defend Mitt Romney. Not a typo. It seems like Mitt's referring to when the plane is on the ground when he talks about opening windows. It jives with what he's saying about there not being any place to go - it's just a one-room cabin. So I think it's possible to read this that way, without too much of a stretch. Hey, maybe he's just that clueless about this, but I don't think so. What's more telling to me is this notion that windows should roll down, whether on the ground or not. It suggests yet another way Mitt is out of touch: The guy's never flown on a commercial airline. Who on earth would trust windows that could open on planes with any old flyer? I've never flown on a private jet in my life; I've only flown commercial and there is no way on earth I'd want the ability to open windows so that the fourteen year old next to me decides to pop it open. In short, another way Mitt could be saying this is "I don't understand why they don't let the six of us flying in this private jet open our windows when we're waiting on the ground."
Originally Posted By SuperDry Some windows on commercial jets DO open: the over-wing emergency exits on some models. Perhaps that's what he was trying to say: why don't private jets have some pop-out emergency exit windows like commercial jets do? BTW, those windows, although operable by the passenger, can't be opened when the cabin is pressurized. It's not that there's a lockout mechanism, but they are "plug"-type hatches, such that the differential air pressure makes them impossible to open at pressurized altitude. So there's no worries about some kid or terrorist opening the window while in flight.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 I think that's possible. There IS a video of this (just saw it) and it's clear he's not joking. So maybe he meant on the ground. Even that would be a bad idea, though, because of that pesky oxygen feeding a fire thing.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<It seems like Mitt's referring to when the plane is on the ground when he talks about opening windows.>> Actually, that's how I took his statement originally. I didn't think he was stupid enough to believe that you couldn't open a window while 30,000 ft in the air. But, someone who's got a university education should be smart enough to realize that jet aircraft have pressurized cabins which necessitate the need for windows that don't open, for obvious safety reasons, plus the less obvious reason of providing greater stability of the cabin frame.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< But, someone who's got a university education should be smart enough to realize that jet aircraft have pressurized cabins which necessitate the need for windows that don't open, for obvious safety reasons, plus the less obvious reason of providing greater stability of the cabin frame. >>> And anyone that's ever flown on a commercial airplane such as a 737, 757, or MD-80 knows that they do in fact have passenger windows that open in the event of an emergency.
Originally Posted By Tikiduck So, let me get this straight, we have a potential President who quite possibly is suffering from the lingering affects of a traumatic brain injury? In all sympathy to his injury, I would think this to be a very significant point for the opposition to exploit. I mean, how is he supposed to remember nuclear strike protocol if he has trouble remembering a doughnut?
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<And anyone that's ever flown on a commercial airplane such as a 737, 757, or MD-80 knows that they do in fact have passenger windows that open in the event of an emergency.>> Nope. Not correct. They are not windows. They are doors. And you cannot open them while in the air, only when on the ground. And I believe, if not mistaken, that the door cannot be opened during certain conditions, such as when a fire alarm has been triggered, for fear of fanning the flames.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< And I believe, if not mistaken, that the door cannot be opened during certain conditions, such as when a fire alarm has been triggered, for fear of fanning the flames. >>> Well, you are mistaken.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox Then please explain to me why this specific form of "passenger window" did not exist on Ann Romney's plane.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox BTW... where exactly are these windows located? I've flown in just about every commercial aircraft made, and don't recall these passenger windows that open.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< TW... where exactly are these windows located? I've flown in just about every commercial aircraft made, and don't recall these passenger windows that open. >>> They are above the wings. Check this out: <a href="http://www.civilaviation.eu/images/Boeing/B737-7_N745SW.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.civilaviation.eu/im...45SW.jpg</a> There are exit doors fore and aft in the cabin, and a window exit that pops out over the wing. They are opened for emergency use only. I guess you could call it a door if you wanted to. They are usually just referred to as "exits" but they are definitely different than the regular doors that you can walk through. My point is that in his moment of anguish over his wife's situation, perhaps Romney was thinking of these.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< Then please explain to me why this specific form of "passenger window" did not exist on Ann Romney's plane. >>> I don't know. Perhaps that was Romney's question as well.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox Those so-called "windows" over the wings are the emergency DOORS. They are DOORS because passengers go through them during emergencies. I've sat next to them enough times to know that they are DOORS.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox If you want to be technical about it, they are emergency escape hatches. But they are not windows. There are windows contained inside of these hatches. But they are not windows in the true sense, like the windows in the cockpit which do open.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< Those so-called "windows" over the wings are the emergency DOORS. >>> Nope. They are called "window exits" or "window-type emergency exits", at least by the government. You may call them DOORS if you like, but that's your own terminology.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox I didn't mean to be snotty, SuperDry... it's just that I know about those exits. I always assumed the flight attendants referred to them as "window exits" so as not to confuse the passengers with regard to the entry doors near the cockpit. They aren't windows, per se. They're just located amongst the passenger windows on the sides of the plane. From what I read online today, you cannot open any of the emergency exits once the fire detection system has been engaged, without some kind of override. That's to prevent extra oxygen from outside the plane coming in and causing a backdraft kind of catastrophe. Makes sense. So even if the passenger windows on the plane were capable of being open, Governor Romney... they would have been in lock down to prevent your wife from being blown up in a rush of oxygen.
Originally Posted By TMI "But they are not windows in the true sense, like the windows in the cockpit which do open" This is getting both silly, AND bizarre. So to qualify as a window, technically they need to be openable? Wouldn't that disqualify almost all glass see-through-thingies in skyscrapers? I think SuperDry was right in the first place. There's this exit thing in the middle of the plane that differs from the front and back doors, and is some sort of a hatch thing that might or might not be a window or a door, or a hatch or an exit of some sort. Which is openable by passengers on the ground. Whew.
