Author Topic: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.  (Read 204963 times)

wenchsenior

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #700 on: July 02, 2018, 07:39:30 AM »
We have the same problem with avocados: they remain hard as iron for days on end, then we have a window of about three hours when they're perfect, before becoming inedible mush. It must be something about the islands of the northeastern Atlantic. I swear I've left for work before with an avocado sitting on the counter that I could use to hammer nails into wood, and come home that evening to a semi-liquid ball of disappointment.

We eat avocados 3 or 4 times/week, so I had to get good at picking them.

The trick with avocados (if not perfect and used the day they are bought) is to buy them when the flesh is just starting to give, store them overnight, then put them in the fridge. They last more than a week that way and develop brown much slower.

I'm a red panda

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #701 on: July 02, 2018, 07:42:29 AM »
Yes, my belief with lots of fruits and veggies is that they refrigerate them to transport them and that stops the normal ripening process. When it does start to get soft it is really going from hard unripe to rotten, not ripe. I can almost never get peaches to ripen, they are as hard as rocks and I despise that.

My husband and I talk fondly about bananas in Mexico. They are the most delicious fruits ever. Absolutely nothing like what bananas are here.
I suspect it is because they are picked when ripe, not picked pre-ripe, shipped, then ripened in bins in the supermarket.

Helvegen

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #702 on: July 02, 2018, 08:05:43 AM »
I don't  get smoothies.

Hula Hoop

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #703 on: July 02, 2018, 08:16:21 AM »
We eat avocados 3 or 4 times/week, so I had to get good at picking them.

The trick with avocados (if not perfect and used the day they are bought) is to buy them when the flesh is just starting to give, store them overnight, then put them in the fridge. They last more than a week that way and develop brown much slower.

This probably only applies to avocadoes here in Italy - many of which are imported from Africa - but I've noticed that the larger green ones are never good.  The smaller black ones usually ripen really well though.  And I usually go to several market stalls until I find ones that are slightly mushy like you describe.

GuitarStv

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #704 on: July 02, 2018, 11:07:56 AM »
I don't  get smoothies.

Pre-chewed food is a good way to prepare yourself for extreme old age.

dragoncar

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #705 on: July 02, 2018, 12:07:09 PM »
I don't  get smoothies.

Have you tried avocado smoothies?

Bendigirl

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #706 on: July 05, 2018, 04:56:58 PM »
This makes me crazy....it’s the shopping cart prop up....you know, when people can’t seem to shop without supporting their body weight on the cart.  Stand up!  Your spine is not made of jello.

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #707 on: July 05, 2018, 05:24:47 PM »
This makes me crazy....it’s the shopping cart prop up....you know, when people can’t seem to shop without supporting their body weight on the cart.  Stand up!  Your spine is not made of jello.

Sometimes it's a balance issue.  My dad (fit athletic old guy) had back surgery last year, and for a couple of months after than when he shopped he really needed the cart for balance purposes

dragoncar

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #708 on: July 05, 2018, 07:50:16 PM »
This makes me crazy....it’s the shopping cart prop up....you know, when people can’t seem to shop without supporting their body weight on the cart.  Stand up!  Your spine is not made of jello.

Sometimes it's a balance issue.  My dad (fit athletic old guy) had back surgery last year, and for a couple of months after than when he shopped he really needed the cart for balance purposes

You need to lean on the cart pretty hard to get it going fast enough to jump on and make it across the parking lot

funobtainium

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #709 on: July 07, 2018, 05:04:03 AM »
I don't get why anyone would be stupid and gullible enough to pay hundreds of dollars to order blinds by mail. Can't you buy blinds at Home Depot or Lowe's for like $10 each ?? Or maybe $19.99 nowadays with inflation?  Remove old blinds, toss out. Put up new blinds in their place. Done. What's the problem?

The $10 ones are probably vinyl and don't last very long.

I used to sell blinds (and curtains and shades) and windows can be all sorts of weird sizes. (Also, bless people who spent $1k a window on wood blinds and curtains -- I worked on commission.) Now, I prefer curtains, and of course I would never spend that much -- World Market, thanks!

Honeycomb shades (the folding fabric kind with air pockets between the front and back) are really good insulators. You can also take them down and wash them with soap and water in a bathtub (or with a hose if you want to) and they come out as good as new. I was so happy that these came with the house we bought. They're probably 20 years old and look/work perfectly.

GuitarStv

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #710 on: July 07, 2018, 12:36:19 PM »
I don't get why anyone would be stupid and gullible enough to pay hundreds of dollars to order blinds by mail. Can't you buy blinds at Home Depot or Lowe's for like $10 each ?? Or maybe $19.99 nowadays with inflation?  Remove old blinds, toss out. Put up new blinds in their place. Done. What's the problem?

The $10 ones are probably vinyl and don't last very long.

I used to sell blinds (and curtains and shades) and windows can be all sorts of weird sizes. (Also, bless people who spent $1k a window on wood blinds and curtains -- I worked on commission.) Now, I prefer curtains, and of course I would never spend that much -- World Market, thanks!

Honeycomb shades (the folding fabric kind with air pockets between the front and back) are really good insulators. You can also take them down and wash them with soap and water in a bathtub (or with a hose if you want to) and they come out as good as new. I was so happy that these came with the house we bought. They're probably 20 years old and look/work perfectly.

+1 on the honeycomb shades.  We've got 'em on most of the windows in the house, and they keep it cool in the hottest parts of summer, and warm in the coldest parts of winter.

Dancin'Dog

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #711 on: July 08, 2018, 07:37:17 PM »
I hate when waiters don't give me all of my change when I pay with cash.  They seem to think it's okay to steal the coins due.  I'm normally a good tipper, but I don't mind shorting them to compensate for their lazy math.

Morning Glory

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #712 on: July 08, 2018, 08:35:38 PM »
Grown men riding children's bikes. Usually you only see this in poorer neighborhoods, and it's only men, never women, and always on the sidewalk. Why are they riding them? They usually aren't going any faster than walking speed. I get biking and I get poverty but an adult size bike doesn't cost much more.

Just Joe

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #713 on: July 08, 2018, 09:08:46 PM »
I don't get it when people choose to live 50+ miles from their workplace and then constantly complain about how long their commute is and how bad traffic is. What'd you expect?! Pretty common here in the DC area.
Not to mention the extra gas and miles on the car.

And OMG gas went up ten cents!! Someone call the local news! I won't be able to pay my bills this month... -eyes rolling-

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #714 on: July 08, 2018, 09:23:46 PM »
What I don't get is: New homes and new SUVs and all new stuff inside leading to great debt. I visited one such neighborhood recently where I wondered whether I was witnessing prosperity or debt. (Whispering to myself: "I see debt everywhere...")
« Last Edit: July 09, 2018, 11:21:37 AM by Just Joe »

shelivesthedream

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #715 on: July 08, 2018, 09:51:49 PM »
I hate when waiters don't give me all of my change when I pay with cash.  They seem to think it's okay to steal the coins due.  I'm normally a good tipper, but I don't mind shorting them to compensate for their lazy math.
This thread is for things you don't understand, not just things you hate.

Raymond Reddington

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #716 on: July 08, 2018, 11:09:21 PM »
I don't get why people think this style of fence looks good:

https://miscellaneousmusingsofamiddleagedmind.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/dsc_49381.jpg
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/63768722.jpg

It is ostentatious, gaudy, and ugly, and everyone seems to be redoing their fence this way of late.

Dicey

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #717 on: July 09, 2018, 03:15:48 AM »
I don't get why people think this style of fence looks good:

https://miscellaneousmusingsofamiddleagedmind.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/dsc_49381.jpg
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/63768722.jpg

It is ostentatious, gaudy, and ugly, and everyone seems to be redoing their fence this way of late.
OMG, thank goodness that craze hasn't come my way. Hope it never does. Ugh!

Dicey

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #718 on: July 09, 2018, 03:18:02 AM »
I hate when waiters don't give me all of my change when I pay with cash.  They seem to think it's okay to steal the coins due.  I'm normally a good tipper, but I don't mind shorting them to compensate for their lazy math.
Works both ways. I've had waiters make up the difference themselves because it's faster/easier than handling change.

Imma

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #719 on: July 09, 2018, 03:38:38 AM »
I don't get why people think this style of fence looks good:

https://miscellaneousmusingsofamiddleagedmind.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/dsc_49381.jpg
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/63768722.jpg

It is ostentatious, gaudy, and ugly, and everyone seems to be redoing their fence this way of late.
OMG, thank goodness that craze hasn't come my way. Hope it never does. Ugh!

Oh, wow, that's ugly :o

In my area, this is the current fashion in fencing:
http://modeltuinenzwanenburg.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/steenschutting-3.jpg
https://www.schutting-info.nl/wp-content/uploads/schanskorven.jpg

I'm sure it's durable, but it does kind of feel like you're in prison, imo...

Miss Piggy

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #720 on: July 09, 2018, 05:28:32 AM »
I don't get why people think this style of fence looks good:

https://miscellaneousmusingsofamiddleagedmind.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/dsc_49381.jpg
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/63768722.jpg

It is ostentatious, gaudy, and ugly, and everyone seems to be redoing their fence this way of late.
OMG, thank goodness that craze hasn't come my way. Hope it never does. Ugh!

Oh, wow, that's ugly :o

In my area, this is the current fashion in fencing:
http://modeltuinenzwanenburg.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/steenschutting-3.jpg
https://www.schutting-info.nl/wp-content/uploads/schanskorven.jpg

I'm sure it's durable, but it does kind of feel like you're in prison, imo...

That first one looks like it's straight out of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" from the 1980s.

The second one...with the rocks...what the hell is that? I've never seen a fence like that in my area. Hope I never do.

Dancin'Dog

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #721 on: July 09, 2018, 05:46:27 AM »
I hate when waiters don't give me all of my change when I pay with cash.  They seem to think it's okay to steal the coins due.  I'm normally a good tipper, but I don't mind shorting them to compensate for their lazy math.
Works both ways. I've had waiters make up the difference themselves because it's faster/easier than handling change.


Seems fair. As they say, "time is money". 

They can round up in $0.25 increments and just use quarters.  It would save them time & money while looking smarter and generous at the same time.  I've had a few waiters do that. 

Dancin'Dog

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #722 on: July 09, 2018, 05:51:52 AM »
I hate when waiters don't give me all of my change when I pay with cash.  They seem to think it's okay to steal the coins due.  I'm normally a good tipper, but I don't mind shorting them to compensate for their lazy math.
This thread is for things you don't understand, not just things you hate.

Okay.

I don't understand why bird shit is white.  ;)

bluebelle

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #723 on: July 09, 2018, 07:51:24 AM »
I don't get people who leave their homes to go get coffee and then go back home.....sipping coffee at home from your favourtie mug seems so much easier.

or the people who pick up coffee on the way to work because they "didn't have time" to make it at home.  WTF - when is it EVER faster to pull into a parking lot, wait in line, pay and then try to pull back out into traffic faster than hitting 'start' on an drip coffee maker (or programming it to be ready in the morning, even the cheap ones have timers)

*fixed sentence structure
« Last Edit: July 09, 2018, 09:33:11 AM by bluebelle »

Raymond Reddington

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #724 on: July 09, 2018, 09:16:05 AM »
I don't get why people think this style of fence looks good:

https://miscellaneousmusingsofamiddleagedmind.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/dsc_49381.jpg
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/63768722.jpg

It is ostentatious, gaudy, and ugly, and everyone seems to be redoing their fence this way of late.
OMG, thank goodness that craze hasn't come my way. Hope it never does. Ugh!

Oh, wow, that's ugly :o

In my area, this is the current fashion in fencing:
http://modeltuinenzwanenburg.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/steenschutting-3.jpg
https://www.schutting-info.nl/wp-content/uploads/schanskorven.jpg

I'm sure it's durable, but it does kind of feel like you're in prison, imo...

Yikes, that's bad.

dragoncar

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #725 on: July 09, 2018, 09:51:30 AM »
I don't get why people think this style of fence looks good:

https://miscellaneousmusingsofamiddleagedmind.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/dsc_49381.jpg
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/63768722.jpg

It is ostentatious, gaudy, and ugly, and everyone seems to be redoing their fence this way of late.
OMG, thank goodness that craze hasn't come my way. Hope it never does. Ugh!

Oh, wow, that's ugly :o

In my area, this is the current fashion in fencing:
http://modeltuinenzwanenburg.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/steenschutting-3.jpg
https://www.schutting-info.nl/wp-content/uploads/schanskorven.jpg

I'm sure it's durable, but it does kind of feel like you're in prison, imo...

That first one looks like it's straight out of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" from the 1980s.

The second one...with the rocks...what the hell is that? I've never seen a fence like that in my area. Hope I never do.

They care called gabions, often used for retaining walls. Can be relatively cheap if you put local rocks in a wire basket.  I personally like the look, but wouldn’t use it just for a fence.  I like rocks tho
« Last Edit: July 09, 2018, 09:55:10 AM by dragoncar »

OtherJen

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #726 on: July 09, 2018, 10:34:19 AM »
I don't get why people think this style of fence looks good:

https://miscellaneousmusingsofamiddleagedmind.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/dsc_49381.jpg
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/63768722.jpg

It is ostentatious, gaudy, and ugly, and everyone seems to be redoing their fence this way of late.
OMG, thank goodness that craze hasn't come my way. Hope it never does. Ugh!

Oh, wow, that's ugly :o

In my area, this is the current fashion in fencing:
http://modeltuinenzwanenburg.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/steenschutting-3.jpg
https://www.schutting-info.nl/wp-content/uploads/schanskorven.jpg

I'm sure it's durable, but it does kind of feel like you're in prison, imo...

That first one looks like it's straight out of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" from the 1980s.

The second one...with the rocks...what the hell is that? I've never seen a fence like that in my area. Hope I never do.

They care called gabions, often used for retaining walls. Can be relatively cheap if you put local rocks in a wire basket.  I personally like the look, but wouldn’t use it just for a fence.  I like rocks tho


I like the look of that, but wouldn't want a whole fence. A single wall as a design feature seems reasonable.

Imma

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #727 on: July 09, 2018, 10:55:55 AM »
I like the one with the different types of rock a lot more. I think people choose this type of fence because it's cheap, durable, doesn't require maintenance and goes well with the industrial design style that people like these days.

That's another thing I don't get: industrial style. Incorporating some industrial elements in your interior can turn out nicely, but someone I know has a bare concrete floor in their home ... that just can't be comfortable. Especially the combination industrial / minimalist feels very unwelcoming to me.


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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #728 on: July 09, 2018, 10:57:00 AM »
I don't get it when somebody posts a long, informative original post to get a thread started, then the first person to reply copies/quotes the OP's ENTIRE post into their reply. As if there was any question about what the person was replying to?

Dicey

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #729 on: July 09, 2018, 11:11:02 PM »
I don't get it when somebody posts a long, informative original post to get a thread started, then the first person to reply copies/quotes the OP's ENTIRE post into their reply. As if there was any question about what the person was replying to?
Dunno, some of these threads get really long. What the hell were we ranting about, anyway?

highplainsdrifter

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #730 on: July 10, 2018, 06:30:29 AM »
Holiday decorations. What a waste of time and money to purchase decorative crap that sits in a box 3/4 of the year and have to constantly rotate into and out of display.

Trifle

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #731 on: July 10, 2018, 07:38:34 AM »
I don't understand people who think all snakes need to be killed.  I understand and respect that some people have a phobia and don't want to go near them, but what's with the killing?  I had dinner last night with some co-workers, and had to listen to a long story about how one of them found a black snake in their yard (oh the horror!!) and how brave her husband was to kill it. 

Are you kidding me?  These snakes are large but nonpoisonous, totally harmless to humans, and eat mice and rats.  They are extremely docile.  When we encounter them on our property we sometimes have to move them (to continue on with whatever we are doing), and we just pick them up and do so.  We have never once been bitten.  They are well known as the "farmer's friend." 

I tried to gently educate this coworker about different types of snakes and what they are like, but I doubt it will stick.  I guess I don't understand people who are so disconnected from nature, and so quick to jump to "let's just kill them all."  Makes me sad.     

Adam Zapple

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #732 on: July 10, 2018, 07:44:55 AM »
I don't get why people think this style of fence looks good:

https://miscellaneousmusingsofamiddleagedmind.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/dsc_49381.jpg
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/63768722.jpg

It is ostentatious, gaudy, and ugly, and everyone seems to be redoing their fence this way of late.

That fence is the 'shiny spinning hubcap' of fences.  Awful.  Has not hit my area of the country.

Brother Esau

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #733 on: July 10, 2018, 08:08:36 AM »
I don't get why people don't understand and do this.

wenchsenior

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #734 on: July 10, 2018, 09:01:39 AM »
I don't understand people who think all snakes need to be killed.  I understand and respect that some people have a phobia and don't want to go near them, but what's with the killing?  I had dinner last night with some co-workers, and had to listen to a long story about how one of them found a black snake in their yard (oh the horror!!) and how brave her husband was to kill it. 

Are you kidding me?  These snakes are large but nonpoisonous, totally harmless to humans, and eat mice and rats.  They are extremely docile.  When we encounter them on our property we sometimes have to move them (to continue on with whatever we are doing), and we just pick them up and do so.  We have never once been bitten.  They are well known as the "farmer's friend." 

I tried to gently educate this coworker about different types of snakes and what they are like, but I doubt it will stick.  I guess I don't understand people who are so disconnected from nature, and so quick to jump to "let's just kill them all."  Makes me sad.   

Because most people are ignorant, troglodyte, assholes when it comes to wildlife and the natural world. 

SweetTPi

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #735 on: July 10, 2018, 11:27:45 AM »
I don't understand people who think all snakes need to be killed.  I understand and respect that some people have a phobia and don't want to go near them, but what's with the killing?  I had dinner last night with some co-workers, and had to listen to a long story about how one of them found a black snake in their yard (oh the horror!!) and how brave her husband was to kill it. 

Are you kidding me?  These snakes are large but nonpoisonous, totally harmless to humans, and eat mice and rats.  They are extremely docile.  When we encounter them on our property we sometimes have to move them (to continue on with whatever we are doing), and we just pick them up and do so.  We have never once been bitten.  They are well known as the "farmer's friend." 

I tried to gently educate this coworker about different types of snakes and what they are like, but I doubt it will stick.  I guess I don't understand people who are so disconnected from nature, and so quick to jump to "let's just kill them all."  Makes me sad.   

Because most people are ignorant, troglodyte, assholes when it comes to wildlife and the natural world.

If you live in an area with ticks, you can tell your coworker about how brave of the husband to increase the likelihood of lyme and other tick-borne illnesses!  Because one thing about snakes that people don't realize is that when snakes eat mice and rats, it helps keep down the tick population by removing tick hosts.  Whoo, terrible infections for everyone!  How brave indeed.

Raymond Reddington

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #736 on: July 10, 2018, 12:01:19 PM »
While we're at it, lawn decorations (Note: other than useful furniture, which definitely does enhance outdoor living).

Cuz nothing says I'm making the most of my outdoor space more than a creepy gnome in the corner or a bunch of faded out of season holiday decorations strewn all over the place taking up square footage.

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #737 on: July 10, 2018, 12:35:49 PM »
Holiday decorations. What a waste of time and money to purchase decorative crap that sits in a box 3/4 of the year and have to constantly rotate into and out of display.

I'm also a grinch

APowers

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #738 on: July 10, 2018, 10:17:07 PM »
I don't get why people don't understand and do this.

Because merging is more dangerous than staying in a single lane. If you're a slow driver (i.e. below the speed limit), then yes, please stay in the right lane and/or use the available turnouts.

If I'm driving at or above the speed limit, I (generally, not rigidly) stay in the left lane unless it is patently safe to move right. I also try to make sure that I'm tending to keep my speed generally a tad higher than the right hand lane. If someone is tailgating me, and I'm already going 7-10mph over the limit, I don't really care. I will usually move right, but only if _I_ think it is safe and/or prudent to do so.

Dancin'Dog

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #739 on: July 11, 2018, 05:43:40 AM »
I don't get why people don't understand and do this.


Maybe there's a market for that sign made into a bumper sticker, or better yet, a full-size sticker for larger vehicles. 

The worst offenders are the truckers that "try" to pass other trucks going up long rolling hills, and just blocking the left lane for miles & miles.  I see it all the time on I-85 between Atlanta and Charlotte. 

Another thing that bugs me are the tombstone decorations on the rear windows these days.  "In loving memory of Who Ever Jr.  1975-2017"   And then there are the roadside little DIY wooden crosses & fake flowers, so we know "somebody" died there! 


Nicholas Carter

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #740 on: July 11, 2018, 05:57:33 AM »
Holiday decorations. What a waste of time and money to purchase decorative crap that sits in a box 3/4 of the year and have to constantly rotate into and out of display.
I think what happens is:
Holiday decorations worked very well for my grand-mother, a SAHM on a disability pension who also happened to live in the geographic center of her huge extended family, and thus used her home to hold thrice yearly family gatherings and to let traveling family stay overnight on their way somewhere else. Growing up, my mother's house was always full of parties and stay-overs and these things justified spending a weekend ahead of time pulling all that stuff out, and a weekend after putting it back up.
My mother really liked that aesthetic, and tried to bring it forward into her adult life: But the distribution of the family has shifted, and the children of the last generation are not so close as their parents were. It really makes no sense to use my mother's house as the designated family meeting place, and so the decorations go to waste.

Bird In Hand

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #741 on: July 11, 2018, 06:44:30 AM »
I don't understand people who think all snakes need to be killed.  I understand and respect that some people have a phobia and don't want to go near them, but what's with the killing?  I had dinner last night with some co-workers, and had to listen to a long story about how one of them found a black snake in their yard (oh the horror!!) and how brave her husband was to kill it. 

Are you kidding me?  These snakes are large but nonpoisonous, totally harmless to humans, and eat mice and rats.  They are extremely docile.  When we encounter them on our property we sometimes have to move them (to continue on with whatever we are doing), and we just pick them up and do so.  We have never once been bitten.  They are well known as the "farmer's friend." 

I tried to gently educate this coworker about different types of snakes and what they are like, but I doubt it will stick.  I guess I don't understand people who are so disconnected from nature, and so quick to jump to "let's just kill them all."  Makes me sad.   

Ugh, I'm right there with you.  I've encountered the "ACK!! KILL IT!!" attitude about snakes before and it really baffles me, even taking into consideration possible phobias.

Similarly with spiders.  I get that a lot of people are freaked out by spiders.  I can even understand why some people who are especially afraid of them would choose to kill one found indoors, although that rubs me the wrong way (we practice catch and release at our house  :D ).  But too frequently I encounter people who describe encountering a spider outdoors and immediately stomp on it.  What the WHAT?

I admit I sometimes feel very judgmental toward people who snuff out life in what appears to me to be an indiscriminate manner.  However, what helps for me is to remember that there are some things I also choose to kill for reasons others might mistake for indiscriminate: carpenter ants I find in the house, mice in the garage or shed, cockroaches anywhere in the vicinity of the house, ticks anywhere they are encountered, and last-but-not-least, animals that I eat every single day (the killing isn't typically done personally by me in that case, but I approve of it).

Raenia

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #742 on: July 11, 2018, 07:07:15 AM »
I don't understand people who think all snakes need to be killed.  I understand and respect that some people have a phobia and don't want to go near them, but what's with the killing?  I had dinner last night with some co-workers, and had to listen to a long story about how one of them found a black snake in their yard (oh the horror!!) and how brave her husband was to kill it. 

Are you kidding me?  These snakes are large but nonpoisonous, totally harmless to humans, and eat mice and rats.  They are extremely docile.  When we encounter them on our property we sometimes have to move them (to continue on with whatever we are doing), and we just pick them up and do so.  We have never once been bitten.  They are well known as the "farmer's friend." 

I tried to gently educate this coworker about different types of snakes and what they are like, but I doubt it will stick.  I guess I don't understand people who are so disconnected from nature, and so quick to jump to "let's just kill them all."  Makes me sad.   

Ugh, I'm right there with you.  I've encountered the "ACK!! KILL IT!!" attitude about snakes before and it really baffles me, even taking into consideration possible phobias.

Similarly with spiders.  I get that a lot of people are freaked out by spiders.  I can even understand why some people who are especially afraid of them would choose to kill one found indoors, although that rubs me the wrong way (we practice catch and release at our house  :D ).  But too frequently I encounter people who describe encountering a spider outdoors and immediately stomp on it.  What the WHAT?

I admit I sometimes feel very judgmental toward people who snuff out life in what appears to me to be an indiscriminate manner.  However, what helps for me is to remember that there are some things I also choose to kill for reasons others might mistake for indiscriminate: carpenter ants I find in the house, mice in the garage or shed, cockroaches anywhere in the vicinity of the house, ticks anywhere they are encountered, and last-but-not-least, animals that I eat every single day (the killing isn't typically done personally by me in that case, but I approve of it).

I'll confess to being one of those "kill it!" people when I find a spider inside my house - I'm terrified of them.  If DH is home, he can sometimes catch it and take it outside, but if I'm the one dealing with it, it is so dead.  Outside is, of course, a different matter.

With snakes, I think the most common problem (aside from phobias), is that most people are taught that snakes can be dangerous, but they're never taught how to tell if a particular snake is dangerous, so they automatically assume they all are.  If I encountered a snake in the yard, you bet I'd be running for the house as fast as I could, because I'd have no idea if it was venomous or not.  I'd probably start frantically googling snake pictures to see if I needed to call animal control to get rid of it, but then, I'm not afraid of snakes, and have happily held a friend's pet snake.

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #743 on: July 11, 2018, 07:12:16 AM »
I don't understand people who think all snakes need to be killed.  I understand and respect that some people have a phobia and don't want to go near them, but what's with the killing?  I had dinner last night with some co-workers, and had to listen to a long story about how one of them found a black snake in their yard (oh the horror!!) and how brave her husband was to kill it. 

Are you kidding me?  These snakes are large but nonpoisonous, totally harmless to humans, and eat mice and rats.  They are extremely docile.  When we encounter them on our property we sometimes have to move them (to continue on with whatever we are doing), and we just pick them up and do so.  We have never once been bitten.  They are well known as the "farmer's friend." 

I tried to gently educate this coworker about different types of snakes and what they are like, but I doubt it will stick.  I guess I don't understand people who are so disconnected from nature, and so quick to jump to "let's just kill them all."  Makes me sad.   

Because most people are ignorant, troglodyte, assholes when it comes to wildlife and the natural world.

If you live in an area with ticks, you can tell your coworker about how brave of the husband to increase the likelihood of lyme and other tick-borne illnesses!  Because one thing about snakes that people don't realize is that when snakes eat mice and rats, it helps keep down the tick population by removing tick hosts.  Whoo, terrible infections for everyone!  How brave indeed.

That's a really good point @SweetTPie -- I'll add that one to my pro-snake educational arsenal.  Thanks.  :)

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #744 on: July 11, 2018, 07:25:16 AM »

Ugh, I'm right there with you.  I've encountered the "ACK!! KILL IT!!" attitude about snakes before and it really baffles me, even taking into consideration possible phobias.

Similarly with spiders.  I get that a lot of people are freaked out by spiders.  I can even understand why some people who are especially afraid of them would choose to kill one found indoors, although that rubs me the wrong way (we practice catch and release at our house  :D ).  But too frequently I encounter people who describe encountering a spider outdoors and immediately stomp on it.  What the WHAT?

I admit I sometimes feel very judgmental toward people who snuff out life in what appears to me to be an indiscriminate manner.  However, what helps for me is to remember that there are some things I also choose to kill for reasons others might mistake for indiscriminate: carpenter ants I find in the house, mice in the garage or shed, cockroaches anywhere in the vicinity of the house, ticks anywhere they are encountered, and last-but-not-least, animals that I eat every single day (the killing isn't typically done personally by me in that case, but I approve of it).

Great thoughtful post @Bird In Hand.  We too practice catch-and-release of all creatures in the house (including spiders) -- with the exception of ticks and yellow jackets -- they die for disease/allergy reasons.  And we too eat meat = sanctioned killing.  I guess what I am really objecting to in the "Ack kill it!" people is the thoughtlessness of their death-dealing.  The fact they don't bother to think about the creature, its life and what role it fills.  And also the general hubris rubs me the wrong way -- the attitude that we humans 'own' the world, instead of just having the privilege of living in it temporarily.  Who the hell do we think we are?

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #745 on: July 11, 2018, 07:38:27 AM »

Another thing that bugs me are the tombstone decorations on the rear windows these days.  "In loving memory of Who Ever Jr.  1975-2017"   And then there are the roadside little DIY wooden crosses & fake flowers, so we know "somebody" died there!

The windshield decorations seem to be very cultural around here. Only a specific group of people seem to do them.

I've never known a time without roadside crosses. They seem to be a reminder to pay attention to your driving, as it is a serious thing. But they represent real people, and to the people bringing the flowers it probably isn't taken lightly that they lost a loved one there.


As for Christmas decorations- I'm a grinch too. But I get very grumpy in the winter, so I understand the thought behind making your house more cheerful during a dreary part of the year.  If we didn't have Christmas lights on in the winter, our house would disappear in the the darkness entirely. I've driven past the driveway before because I missed it in the dark.

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #746 on: July 11, 2018, 07:49:40 AM »
I also don't get the idea of turning car windows into memorials, but I always try to remind myself that everyone grieves in their own way. It is pretty hard for me to find any custom surrounding death that makes logical sense.

When will Americans realize that cemeteries are not sustainable?

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #747 on: July 11, 2018, 08:10:32 AM »
ACK, any spider, stink bug or fly will get crushed in my house. We also have horrible carpenter bees that fly around our deck and they will be killed too. They tend to hover around and are beyond annoying and damn scary too. Like flying golf balls. No thank you to all freaky bugs especially IN my house. They were not invited and are considered invaders. No catch and release here.

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #748 on: July 11, 2018, 08:14:26 AM »
I also don't get the idea of turning car windows into memorials, but I always try to remind myself that everyone grieves in their own way. It is pretty hard for me to find any custom surrounding death that makes logical sense.

When will Americans realize that cemeteries are not sustainable?


I am really attracted to the Viking way of burning the corpse on a raft covered with kindling and lit with a flaming arrow.  Although I'm not a big drinker, I'd also like to have an open bar at my funeral.  And a $100 bill as a token of appreciation of everyone that showed up.  :) 

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Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
« Reply #749 on: July 11, 2018, 08:26:35 AM »
I guess what I am really objecting to in the "Ack kill it!" people is the thoughtlessness of their death-dealing.  The fact they don't bother to think about the creature, its life and what role it fills.

Exactly!  I've also noticed an interesting dichotomy of people who don't seem to mind killing "lesser life forms" and those who are really bothered by it.  The most interesting part of this to me is that (at least in some cases) it appears to be an innate trait.  If you observe a group of young children playing outside in the summer, inevitably they will discover some insect and become fascinated with it.  At least some of the children (in my experience almost always boys) will want to capture, kill, or even maim it by pulling off legs/wings/etc.  Others will be visibly disturbed by this behavior and either attempt to rescue the insect or just leave so they don't have to witness it.

Quote
And also the general hubris rubs me the wrong way -- the attitude that we humans 'own' the world, instead of just having the privilege of living in it temporarily.  Who the hell do we think we are?

This doesn't bother me much.  Humans have taken dominion over the Earth and its inhabitants through superior intelligence and willpower, thanks to evolution.  Of course it's easy to argue that humans have done and continue to do really dumb things to screw up the only home we currently have, but personally I find it reasonable to say that "we own the place", since it's the de facto truth regardless of moral or other considerations.  Survival of the fittest is the rule that every other species plays by, and by those rules humans have ended up on the top of the food chain.  Until/unless another species overtakes us, we've won.

The flip side/silver lining to our destructive capacity is that we also have the capacity to not only fix what we've screwed up, but to propagate intelligent life to other parts of the universe where it might not exist.  That could prove to be super useful in a couple billion years when our own solar system becomes uninhabitable.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!