Life's Questions

I have a lot of questions. Recently, I have decided to start asking them, which is the first step to getting them answered.

Here they are (the ones I can think of right now, anyway):
1. What do the solid white lines mean on the streets?
2. Are there Costa Vida's outside of Provo?
3. Can lovehandles be gotten rid of?
4. What causes hiccups?

1A.
--SOLID WHITE LINES are used on the right of roadway edge.
–SOLID WHITE LINES separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction. Crossing a solid white line requires special care and is discouraged.
–Solid white or yellow lines are sometimes used to channel traffic around a hazard. –A double solid white line prohibits lane changing.
(Source: "Traffic Signals and Pavement Markings," CyberDriveIllinois.com)

I have noticed that solid white lines are used for bike lanes and the car pool lane on the freeway. Sometimes, it is broken white lines and I suppose this is the time when you are encouraged to cross, if needed. The other day I was confused because there was a huge shoulder, big enough for a lane. I thought it was a lane. I was driving in it. It wasn't a lane. (Moral lesson learned: the car pool lane is an anomaly. Don't cross the solid white lines unless necessary.)

2A. Costa Vida's are all over the country, including in AZ, CA, CO, ID, NM, ME (Maine), TN, TX, and UT. It did start in Utah. In fact, the first location was Layton, UT, in 2003 (source: costavida.net).It was Costa Azul then, as I remember. (To think, my hometown!) I thought it was a crappy restaurant because it was right next to the movie theater. Not that the name change had anything to do with it, but it is interesting to note that I didn't start enjoying the restaurant until it became Costa Vida. Now it's pretty much an addiction.

Costa: coast
Vida: life
Azul: blue

3A. Exercise doesn't burn fat from specific areas of the body. The reason that it may be helpful to tone the muscles in your abdomen, though, is when you do reduce your overall body fat, the more toned areas will have a nicer appearance. But there is no way to get rid of lovehandles specifically, or fat from any other area of the body. And it seems to me that the places fat goes is up to your body type, often, althoughApparently, fat in the lovehandle area for men is due to heredity. I also read that lovehandles are more common in men because the midsection is the area of the body where men tend to gain weight. I read somewhere that sodium (from salt) causes water retention in your body, and that "The amount of too much salt in your diet is responsible for around 80% of love handles." I don't think that statistic is backed.

4A. Wikipedia says this about hiccups: "While many cases develop spontaneously, hiccups are known to develop often in specific situations, such as eating too quickly, taking a cold drink while eating a hot meal, eating very hot or spicy food, laughing vigorously or coughing, drinking an alcoholic beverage to excess, crying out loud (sobbing causes air to enter the stomach), some smoking situations where abnormal inhalation can occur (in tobacco or other smoke like cannabis, perhaps triggered by precursors to coughing), or electrolyte imbalance. Hiccups may be caused by pressure to the phrenic nerve by other anatomical structures, or rarely by tumors and certain kidney disease. It is reported that 30% of chemotherapy patients suffer singultus as a side effect of treatment."

I get hiccups all the time. I wonder if, in my case, it is an indication of a more serious medical problem. "Some illnesses for which continuing hiccups may be a symptom include: pleurisy of the diaphragm, pneumonia, uremia, alcoholism, disorders of the stomach or esophagus, and bowel diseases. Hiccups may also be associated with pancreatitis, pregnancy, bladder irritation, liver cancer or hepatitis. Surgery, tumors, and lesions may also cause persistent hiccups." I don't think I have any of these diseases.

In Russia, I got the hiccups practically every time I ate. I don't as much anymore.