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General Discussion => Welcome and General Discussion => Topic started by: Sayonara925 on May 13, 2018, 09:29:14 AM

Title: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sayonara925 on May 13, 2018, 09:29:14 AM
Ever find yourself wondering why others give importance to something in terms of time/money/effort/energy/etc, but you can't quite understand why?

If so, tell us about it here.  Feel free to rant (or defend).  Like...
 
Harry Potter...I don't get it.
Spending hours each day on FaceBook...I don't get it.
This thread...I don't get it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RWD on May 13, 2018, 10:32:12 AM
Football...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Khaetra on May 13, 2018, 10:35:28 AM
I don't get why it bothers some people what others do, especially if it has no impact on their life in any way.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: PizzaSteve on May 13, 2018, 10:46:49 AM
Smoking tobacco.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ExitViaTheCashRamp on May 13, 2018, 11:26:12 AM
My relative - £75,000 per year is not enough, they urgently needs to change job from a good, considerate employer as they need more money... to save for their daughters wedding. The daughter is 5.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on May 13, 2018, 11:46:51 AM
Keurigs.  The waste and expense is mind boggling.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: jlcnuke on May 13, 2018, 11:55:07 AM
Getting upset that other people don't believe the same things you do about [insert almost any topic here].
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Zikoris on May 13, 2018, 11:58:16 AM
Television just baffles me. It just seems... boring and stupid? And I hate commercials. I'm not great at sitting still for that long either with nothing occupying me. And then you see these things in the news about how the average person watches 3, 4, 5 hours a DAY of it? I just don't get how people can watch it that much and not lose their minds.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Kott308 on May 13, 2018, 12:12:17 PM
A diehard allegiance to a college football team. . . especially a college that you didn’t attend
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Miss Piggy on May 13, 2018, 12:46:42 PM
Smoking tobacco.

I don't care if someone smokes. What I don't get is using the entire world as their ashtray and/or trashcan for the cigarette butts. Do smokers think those things biodegrade quickly, or are they just stupid and uncaring?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: chloes1 on May 13, 2018, 12:47:40 PM
This was meant to be in reply to the Keurig comment.  Sorry. 


My father gifted me with one.  I promptly went and procured several of the reusable cups, so it's not such a profligate waste.

Still, I must go through a pot a day, and making a pot in the morning takes very little time.

Getting upset that other people don't believe the same things you do about [insert almost any topic here].
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BlueMR2 on May 13, 2018, 12:50:36 PM
Watching other people play sports.  Doubly, if paying to do so...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: MissNancyPryor on May 13, 2018, 12:51:18 PM
I don't get virtue signaling. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Miss Piggy on May 13, 2018, 12:56:07 PM
I don't get virtue signaling.

I don't even know what this is.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on May 13, 2018, 01:02:25 PM
I don't get virtue signaling.

I don't even know what this is.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=%22virtue%20signaling%22
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SwordGuy on May 13, 2018, 01:04:21 PM
The part I don't get about high school, college and professional sports isn't that people enjoy watching it.   Or learning about it.   

It's not to my taste, but that's ok.   To each their own.  Live and let live.

I totally get rooting for a team that's got someone on it whom you know.

The first part that really annoys me is all the men I know who clearly feel like "more of a real man" when their team wins a game.

I find that to be totally pathetic.   If their sense of self worth is tied to how well one group of strangers carries a piece of dead pig across a field versus another group of strangers, that's truly sad.  And yet I've known a lot of over-aged boy children who are exactly like that.  Same mentality that causes folks to drive grossly big pickup trucks they don't need so they'll be thought to be manly.   

If you enjoy sports and you're not like that, then there's no need to take it personal.

If you are like that, well, if the shoe fits, you're the one who bought it and put it on. 


The second part that annoys me is that our government caters to this infantilism by subsidizing sports stadiums for millions and millions of dollars.   We "can't afford" to pay teachers but we can "afford" a $33,000,000 to $40,000,000 baseball stadium.   That's right, our community will be spending upwards of $40,000,000 so we can watch men play with their balls in public.  It's ludicrous.   The highest paid government officials in most states are football or basketball coaches.  That's ludicrous.     Was looking at tuition and fees cost for a local state university a couple of weeks ago.  Students will be paying $740 per year for athletic fees.    That's ludicrous.   It's bad enough college costs are so high, but to force students to subsidize football and basketball teams  -- whose culture is often the very antithesis of what an academic culture should be -- with that kind of money is horrible.

We should switch to intra-mural sports that are inexpensive and use the savings to drive down college costs.   Or let those who want to major in sports pay the extra fees.   

You asked, I answered.   


Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: MissNancyPryor on May 13, 2018, 01:50:11 PM
I don't get virtue signaling.

I don't even know what this is.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=%22virtue%20signaling%22

Might find a few examples in this thread.  Just saying, something made me think of it.  Cough. Cough. 

I mentioned something I didn't get on another thread and got jumped on big time.  Personally, I dig a thread like this where you can rag and nag on something without having to worry about getting called out as being judgy.  This is the interweb for crap sake, where anonymous rants are a fun past time. 

Carry on.   
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: pbkmaine on May 13, 2018, 02:20:26 PM
Running. Not good for the body. I am 61 and all my runner friends are having joints replaced. Cut it out, people.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on May 13, 2018, 02:36:45 PM
Running. Not good for the body. I am 61 and all my runner friends are having joints replaced. Cut it out, people.
Previous research I've done on this didn't seem to indicate that was true and that running can actually strengthen joints.  Having said that, I haven't done much running in in the last 15 years.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Slow2FIRE on May 13, 2018, 02:51:32 PM
I don't get why people think its okay to put a nice ding in your car door and not even leave a simple note that says "sorry".

I don't get why people always have to be "first" in line on the highway, even if it means making dangerous driving decisions to get your "pole position".

I don't get why someone would think it is no problem to let their dog crap on the hiking trails, sidewalks, people's yards, public parks, etc and not pick it up.  Especially when the dog craps less than 10 feet away from a dog poop trash can and poop bag dispenser stuffed with disposable bags.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sojourner on May 13, 2018, 03:38:55 PM
I don't get why people think its okay to put a nice ding in your car door and not even leave a simple note that says "sorry".

Agree.  This just happened to me this morning.  And it was my next door neighbor.  Red car, car door directly in line with the red ding.  Still pondering how to handle this.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on May 13, 2018, 03:40:32 PM
I don't get why people think its okay to put a nice ding in your car door and not even leave a simple note that says "sorry".

Yeah, or do even worse damage and just take off.

Quote
I don't get why someone would think it is no problem to let their dog crap on the hiking trails, sidewalks, people's yards, public parks, etc and not pick it up.  Especially when the dog craps less than 10 feet away from a dog poop trash can and poop bag dispenser stuffed with disposable bags.

This brings back memories of this thread:
https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/weird-situation-poop-anger-children-swearing-dogs-awful-people/
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on May 13, 2018, 04:07:55 PM
Same mentality that causes folks to drive grossly big pickup trucks they don't need so they'll be thought to be manly.   


There have been studies showing women are more attracted to men with trucks, especially nice black trucks.  Extra points for larger size.  Google it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: EngineeringFI on May 13, 2018, 04:08:09 PM
I don't get tattoos.

They're expensive, and almost guaranteed to create buyer's remorse at some point in the future. If they're visible, they can affect one's career path due to other's subconscious biases. And of course there is still the risk of contracting hepatitis C from getting one, although I believe this has been greatly reduced recent years.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: undercover on May 13, 2018, 05:15:18 PM
Television just baffles me. It just seems... boring and stupid? And I hate commercials. I'm not great at sitting still for that long either with nothing occupying me. And then you see these things in the news about how the average person watches 3, 4, 5 hours a DAY of it? I just don't get how people can watch it that much and not lose their minds.

I’m general I agree but some series are worth watching like Game of Thrones, Westworld, Breaking Bad, etc. I’m very selective and only watch if it’s already regarded as incredible. But we’re talking the equivalent of a very good movie. A very good movie/series can rival a very good book.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on May 13, 2018, 05:32:54 PM
Television just baffles me. It just seems... boring and stupid? And I hate commercials. I'm not great at sitting still for that long either with nothing occupying me. And then you see these things in the news about how the average person watches 3, 4, 5 hours a DAY of it? I just don't get how people can watch it that much and not lose their minds.

I’m general I agree but some series are worth watching like Game of Thrones, Westworld, Breaking Bad, etc.

That's just one person's rant and opinion, so don't let it bother you that someone else feels differently than you do.  I think TV / movies at home are a very efficient low cost form of entertainment, particularly if you have an antenna and get TV for free and a source for low cost movies.   I have an HTPC for time shifting, so I don't have to watch or wait for commercials and only watch a few different things with any regularity.  I wouldn't want to give it up completely.  Breaking bad was ok, I binge watched the whole series not long after it ended.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Carrie on May 13, 2018, 06:05:59 PM
I don't understand people who don't read books, and who seem to be proud of it.
And yes, I personally know people like this.
The question they ask  isn't "what're you reading?" It's "what're you reading for?"

I also don't get vocal Christian folks who still stand behind & defend Trump. Often the same people I mentioned above.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Tris Prior on May 13, 2018, 06:30:22 PM
Boyfriend doesn't seem proud of not being a reader, he's just matter of fact about it.... but I really just don't understand not liking reading books. He doesn't have a disability that makes reading difficult. He just doesn't enjoy it - which, whatever, we're all different, but sometimes I find myself really wanting to understand what he finds so distasteful about reading books, you know?

The part I don't get about high school, college and professional sports isn't that people enjoy watching it.   Or learning about it.   

It's not to my taste, but that's ok.   To each their own.  Live and let live.

I totally get rooting for a team that's got someone on it whom you know.

The first part that really annoys me is all the men I know who clearly feel like "more of a real man" when their team wins a game.

I agree with this. This, and the fact that, in my city, watching sports, particularly the Cubs, also seems to largely involve getting blind drunk, sexually harassing people, and otherwise misbehaving. I am a lifelong Chicagoan. For some time, I lived in Wrigleyville. I should've known I was signing up for drunk assholes screaming the names of Cubs players in front of my building at all hours of the night on work nights, or peeing and/or vomiting on the front lawn of my building. I moved out of that neighborhood years ago but still have to deal with blind drunk fans riding the same train line I need to use to get to and from work. My feeling is, if people enjoy watching grown men hit a ball with a stick, have at it - but do they need to get completely shitfaced every time they do so?
 
And, like Swordguy, disclaimer: yes, I know that not all sports fans are like this. I'm reporting what I saw a lot of in 7 years of living near Wrigley Field and now riding the train daily with folks going (staggering?) to and from the games.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Pizzabrewer on May 13, 2018, 06:42:51 PM
My workplace is in a mall.  Not far away is a Michael Kors store.  Each window has 3 perfectly positioned purses on display.

Granted I'm not a woman.  Regardless I have no idea how a company like this stays in business, much less sells a single item.  Yet there are always people in the store.



Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: bluebelle on May 13, 2018, 07:07:55 PM
I don't get people who aren't intensely curious about the world around them.....we have the scope of the world's knowledge at our finger tips (what a smart phone IS good for), yet I know so many people that will say "mmmm, that's interesting, I don't know", and leave it at that.  Origins of expressions, spellings of words, how to do anything (I'm sure there's a youtube video for it, no matter what it is).....I'm not nosey, I'm not talking about needing to know what people are doing or saying, I'm talking about the WHY and the HOW of the world.  Who gives a crap about what you had for breakfast and posted on facebook, when I could look up how to make something....

It's okay not to know something, but it's not okay to not what to find out the answer once you figure out you don't know something.   Phones are smarter, people are dumber.

thanks for the rant, I feel better now.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Awesomeness on May 13, 2018, 07:11:01 PM
Nascar
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on May 13, 2018, 08:02:04 PM
Wanting to have kids.

Soccer - so boring, give me some NFL football!

Disliking your own state's professional sports team while being a fan of a team from a state you've never lived in and located further away.

Going out to movies.  Just watch a movie at home and avoid the bed bugs and higher costs.

Reading fiction - give me a multi-sensory experience instead of flipping through pieces of paper with words on them.

Smoking / drugs for "entertainment" purposes.

Tattoos

Americans who "get off" on continuously making personal attacks against the president of their country while he helps makes them rich.

Retired neighbors who always wait until I'm home from work to mow their lawns.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: calimom on May 13, 2018, 09:00:14 PM
Adults who love love LOVE All Things Disney.

I get wanting to take the kids there for a blow out weekend (though I've never done this) I'm talking about fully grown adults who choose to go to Disney-something for their wedding, weeks' long honeymoon, every vacation for 20 years. To have lunch with Goofy. Even those who 'hack' it with points or miles or park passes or whatever. Eschewing Paris, London, Bali, autumn leaves in New England, the beaches of Hawaii, the mountains of Colorado. Really? You'd rather have manufactured fun at a theme park at age 40 or 50? Seriously?

Ditto on the dog poop. And how come people on horses on hiking trails can freely let the horses shit wherever? Sure, it's mostly hay,and the steaming mound is obvious, but who wants to step in it?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: MrDelane on May 13, 2018, 09:33:49 PM
The question they ask  isn't "what're you reading?" It's "what're you reading for?"

Looks like we got ourselves a reader.

Bill Hicks fan, by chance?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: LearnTo on May 14, 2018, 02:02:08 AM
I don't get why people think its okay to put a nice ding in your car door and not even leave a simple note that says "sorry".

Agree.  This just happened to me this morning.  And it was my next door neighbor.  Red car, car door directly in line with the red ding.  Still pondering how to handle this.

When I had had my last car, I had an enormous dent, much more than just a ding, that happened anonymously at a Walmart.  When I asked them to pull any security footage, their policy is to refuse unless requested by the police.  OK, fine, file a police report and they'll get to it long after the security footage is erased, or in my case, NEVER.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Forever Wednesday on May 14, 2018, 02:19:42 AM
Obsession with home ownership in the UK.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Rightflyer on May 14, 2018, 02:47:18 AM
I don't get why it bothers some people what others do, especially if it has no impact on their life in any way.

Leafblowers (and most 2-stroke powered devices in general).

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dances With Fire on May 14, 2018, 03:56:26 AM
35-40 year old men playing video games for hours...Don't get it, I have never been a gamer, however most of my nephews are. I really feel bad for the wives and the kids, unless they are spending time with them playing together? I would rather be on the beach, out on the water, or in the mountains. Generational thing I guess.

Related...Movies that all look the same to me. Most seem to look like one big video game...?

Reality T.V. What a waste of time.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Maenad on May 14, 2018, 05:25:56 AM
"Rolling coal" - you're spending wasting a bunch of extra money to modify your truck, just to piss someone else off. Some who you assume is judging you from the driver's seat of their Prius.

Really?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: driftwood on May 14, 2018, 05:35:56 AM
Starting drinking late in the evening, when you plan to drink/socialize for hours. Usual result is you lose the next day because of a hangover/sleeping in.

Why not start drinking at noon on a Sat? Drink and party/socialize all day with friends. Stop at 9 or 10, go home, get a full night's rest and sleep off the alcohol. Then you still get Sunday as a usable weekend day.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: swampwiz on May 14, 2018, 06:28:20 AM
A diehard allegiance to a college football team. . . especially a college that you didn’t attend

As an alumnus of my state's flagship university, I always like to comment on my Facebook Friends who didn't attend there but post about my alma mater's sports teams: "I always like to see folks who did not attend the U of ... supporting it" - as a subtle dig.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: swampwiz on May 14, 2018, 06:30:27 AM
Smoking tobacco.

I don't care if someone smokes. What I don't get is using the entire world as their ashtray and/or trashcan for the cigarette butts. Do smokers think those things biodegrade quickly, or are they just stupid and uncaring?

I can remember making a snarky comment to some guy that asked me if I had a cigarette (I'm not sure if that is a pickup line in the homosexual community or what, but I digress) that it's a good thing that some folks so smoke so that our Social Security taxes are lower.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Khaetra on May 14, 2018, 07:15:16 AM
I don't get why it bothers some people what others do, especially if it has no impact on their life in any way.

Leafblowers (and most 2-stroke powered devices in general).

True, those and things like rolling coal do impact others (and can be dangerous/deadly).  I meant more long the lines of who goes to Disney, video games (I am over 50 and play Fortnight and got God of War for Mother's Day..beautiful game!), sports, etc.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Rightflyer on May 14, 2018, 07:33:26 AM
I don't get why it bothers some people what others do, especially if it has no impact on their life in any way.

Leafblowers (and most 2-stroke powered devices in general).

True, those and things like rolling coal do impact others (and can be dangerous/deadly).  I meant more long the lines of who goes to Disney, video games (I am over 50 and play Fortnight and got God of War for Mother's Day..beautiful game!), sports, etc.

I do see what you are saying.
The problem is a lot of people who make a lot of noise have no clue that they are impacting other's lives.
Lack of self-awareness I suspect.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: CindyBS on May 14, 2018, 07:55:15 AM
The majority of things associated with holidays, with the exception of getting together with people you love.

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving for this reason - you share a lovely meal with loved ones. 

The majority of the other crap - Christmas decorations, gifts, cards, etc. - that is more stress than anything else. Some of it is downright ridiculous IMO.  My kids are 1/16th Irish.  I'm not making them green frosting cupcakes for St. Patrick's day with little gold chocolates.  I don't want insanely overpriced flowers for Valentine's Day.  I don't even particularly like birthday cake.  Why does have it be cake?  Can't it be a dessert I enjoy more like brownies or pie?  (Yes I know it can, but I share a birthday party with my mom and she wants cake so I do cake). 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dude on May 14, 2018, 08:12:49 AM
A diehard allegiance to a college football team. . . especially a college that you didn’t attend

As an alumnus of my state's flagship university, I always like to comment on my Facebook Friends who didn't attend there but post about my alma mater's sports teams: "I always like to see folks who did not attend the U of ... supporting it" - as a subtle dig.

From your handle, I'm guessing Florida?

What I don't get is haters. People who feel they have to bring others down to lift themselves up. Or raise a stink about something someone else has that they don't but wish they did, with the intent to deprive the other person of the thing that they (the hater) covets. For example, I work in a place where my particular office is remote -- just a few miles -- from the main place of business. As a result, we dress casually here every day, and I've brought my dog to work on many occasions. And invariably, somebody has bitched about one thing or the other, even though my situation in no way affects them one iota. Ah, but the envy -- the idea that someone else could be enjoying something they themselves don't get to enjoy -- it burns them up; they HAVE to make an issue out of it, by god. Fortunately for me, my boss doesn't give a fuck what they think, so their complaints fall on deaf ears. :-)  Fuck the haters.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Nurse_Nash on May 14, 2018, 08:46:08 AM
The majority of things associated with holidays, with the exception of getting together with people you love.

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving for this reason - you share a lovely meal with loved ones. 

The majority of the other crap - Christmas decorations, gifts, cards, etc. - that is more stress than anything else. Some of it is downright ridiculous IMO.  My kids are 1/16th Irish.  I'm not making them green frosting cupcakes for St. Patrick's day with little gold chocolates.  I don't want insanely overpriced flowers for Valentine's Day.  I don't even particularly like birthday cake.  Why does have it be cake?  Can't it be a dessert I enjoy more like brownies or pie?  (Yes I know it can, but I share a birthday party with my mom and she wants cake so I do cake).

I agree with this. We celebrate Christmas the same way we do Thanksgiving - Family and amazing food, sharing stories and experiences. I havent had a Christmas tree (fire hazard) in years and I haven't purchased "Christmas presents" in just as long when I broke away from consumerism.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mm1970 on May 14, 2018, 08:53:53 AM
Watching other people play sports.  Doubly, if paying to do so...
I don't do this often but...

My husband and I had our first date playing volleyball.  We played a lot together when younger.

So for awhile, years later, it was a fun thing for us to go to a college game when he was in grad school.  Mostly women's games because the rallies lasted longer.  But we recently had a date night, spent $70 on babysitting and $20 on a men's volleyball game.  It was fun to watch, especially when it's a sport that you (used to) play (mediocre-ly).

Likewise, my big kid plays baseball, though I think he finally decided he's done. So, we go to his games (obv) and it's fun to watch.  Though those are free.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FreshPrincess on May 14, 2018, 09:46:08 AM
People who suffer with migraines and/or stomach problems and are unwilling to alter their diets to try and help because it seems 'too extreme'... but are all too willing to pop pills like they're candy and hook themselves up to treatment machines.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: NV Teacher on May 14, 2018, 10:14:03 AM
I don't get people that have children and then don't seem to want to parent them.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FireHiker on May 14, 2018, 10:14:53 AM
People who suffer with migraines and/or stomach problems and are unwilling to alter their diets to try and help because it seems 'too extreme'... but are all too willing to pop pills like they're candy and hook themselves up to treatment machines.

No kidding; I altered my diet (MSG was my biggest trigger, though it took awhile to identify) and went from having 30+ bad migraines a year to maybe 3 or 4 moderate ones. Sure, it won't work for some people if their migraines are triggered by something else, but isn't it at least worth trying to change your diet/keeping a food diary as opposed to spending $$$ on pills right off the bat? I was willing to try almost anything before resorting to pills and I'm so happy that I was able to mostly alleviate mine with dietary changes. I still get a few due to weather changes or hormones, but eliminating 90% of them was well worth saying no to Chick Fil A, for instance.

My rant: I don't get people hiking in the wilderness blaring music. If you want to listen to music, fine, wear a fucking earbud. If I'm 10,000 feet up a mountain backpacking (yesterday, in fact) I don't want to hear your music. I want to be in freaking nature.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ketchup on May 14, 2018, 10:15:25 AM
Holidays.  Mostly they're just deadlines and excuses for excess.  My most tolerable holiday is probably Halloween, as it seems very socially acceptable to be anywhere from the 0% to 100% spectrum in participating, it has an emphasis on creativity, and zero gift expectations, though it does still encourage gluttony quite a bit.

Sports.  I can understand the enjoyment of playing sports, or watching sports in the general sense.  It can be enjoyable to watch professionals of any kind demonstrate their prowess.  It's not my thing, fine.  But the sort of ethos that leads to die-hard fans of a given team and the Super Bowl being essentially a national holiday is baffling to me.

Consuming significant personal resources to impress people.  I know a guy I work with (NOT a "car guy") that bought a new Dodge Challenger to impress his step-father that he doesn't like.  This guy also has a literal leaky roof in his house that is "too expensive" to fix.  He and his house always smell like a swamp.

Similar: significant disparity on spending relative to the value something provides you.  My grandpa that sends 3-4 emails a week, reads the news, and does literally nothing else with his computer last year bought a $2000 Dell gaming computer "because [he] wanted a good one."  He plugs it into his tiny shitty 2004-era LCD monitor that he likes because it has built-in speakers that barely get used unless someone sends him a video.

I'm sure I've got more...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Rightflyer on May 14, 2018, 10:27:51 AM
The majority of things associated with holidays, with the exception of getting together with people you love.

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving for this reason - you share a lovely meal with loved ones. 

The majority of the other crap - Christmas decorations, gifts, cards, etc. - that is more stress than anything else. Some of it is downright ridiculous IMO.  My kids are 1/16th Irish.  I'm not making them green frosting cupcakes for St. Patrick's day with little gold chocolates.  I don't want insanely overpriced flowers for Valentine's Day.  I don't even particularly like birthday cake.  Why does have it be cake?  Can't it be a dessert I enjoy more like brownies or pie?  (Yes I know it can, but I share a birthday party with my mom and she wants cake so I do cake).


I agree with this. We celebrate Christmas the same way we do Thanksgiving - Family and amazing food, sharing stories and experiences. I havent had a Christmas tree (fire hazard) in years and I haven't purchased "Christmas presents" in just as long when I broke away from consumerism.

Last Christmas we bought a small evergreen in a pot at the local grocery store.
Planted it in the garden last weekend.
I think that is a win-win?

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: AZDude on May 14, 2018, 11:17:46 AM
People who do not plan out anything in advance. Even the simple things like "what is the most efficient, easiest way to get from my home to the grocery store", and instead take some bizarre route involving multiple left turns, none of which happen at a traffic light, construction zones, etc...

Just take a moment before you back out of your driveway to think about how to get where you are going.

People who hate sports and make comments like "its just men playing with their balls", as if their preferred activities are altruistic and universally loved. Don't like sports, cool, but no need to attack other people just because you don't understand something. I would never want to run a marathon or go bungee jumping or sew my own clothes, but there is no need for me to mercilessly mock the people who do.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SwordGuy on May 14, 2018, 11:46:37 AM
People who hate sports and make comments like "its just men playing with their balls", as if their preferred activities are altruistic and universally loved. Don't like sports, cool, but no need to attack other people just because you don't understand something. I would never want to run a marathon or go bungee jumping or sew my own clothes, but there is no need for me to mercilessly mock the people who do.

If you go back and read my comments in full, with attention, you'll find my objections in that particular section are having our community taxed for $30,000,000 for that "privilege" (a sum that represents EIGHTEEN PERCENT OF OUR CITY'S ANNUAL GROSS REVENUE), forcing other people to subsidize their enjoyment, and ludicrously thinking they are real men because their team won.   

I have no problem with people who just enjoy watching or playing sports.  Hope they have a wonderful time doing so.   I don't even mind paying taxes for modest facilities in city parks so citizens have a place to play one another.   That's a great use of tax dollars.   

If someone put forward a case study in which they spent EIGHTEEN PERCENT of their gross income on JUST ONE OF MANY sports activities, and yet had serious financial issues in their life and claimed they couldn't afford to deal with the others, we would all be merciless in our disdain of their choices.    That's where I am on my city's boondoggle of a stadium.
And, having seen this scenario play out over and over and over and over all across my country the last 5 decades, I'm just over being polite about it.   It's ludicrous that the highest paid state officials in most states are coaches.   Simply ludicrous.  So, yes, we going millions of dollars into debt so people can watch men play with their balls in public.   

People who enjoy the tax dollars squandered on the sports industrial complex aren't used to being held accountable for the foolishness of that use of our scarce public resources.   I think they should be.   Given that there's always someone's brother-in-law who'll make a killing on the land deal for a stadium, and on another deal to build the stadium, and by the news media who get income from advertising and covering these activities, and the politicians who will get votes for providing these facilities, surely my little voice of scorn can be ignored by sports enthusiasts.  It will certainly be ignored by anyone in power.


Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BookLoverL on May 14, 2018, 12:03:10 PM
I don't get how people are happy to do the same thing all day all the time. Not just with jobs, but with hobbies too - I know a fair few people who seem to spend 80% at least of their free time on THE SAME HOBBY EVERY DAY. Like, it's probably good that this type of person exists. They're of course at liberty to do whatever they want with their time. But, it's just: how are they not really bored?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Carrie on May 14, 2018, 12:11:33 PM
I don't get why people read rant posts and then find themselves offended at rants.  Like, it's just your opinion, man.

I don't get why people frequent a message board that discusses something in particular and then 1.doesn't believe it works and says that loudly, every post  2. Finds many reasons why it doesn't work for them, for the majority, whatever, and then disparage those who do subscribe to the method/belief. I've seen this on multiple boards, not just this board in particular. 

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Schaefer Light on May 14, 2018, 12:27:22 PM
I don't get how people are happy to do the same thing all day all the time. Not just with jobs, but with hobbies too - I know a fair few people who seem to spend 80% at least of their free time on THE SAME HOBBY EVERY DAY. Like, it's probably good that this type of person exists. They're of course at liberty to do whatever they want with their time. But, it's just: how are they not really bored?

I think it's because practicing for thousands of hours is how you get really good at something.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sui generis on May 14, 2018, 12:30:47 PM
Boyfriend doesn't seem proud of not being a reader, he's just matter of fact about it.... but I really just don't understand not liking reading books. He doesn't have a disability that makes reading difficult. He just doesn't enjoy it - which, whatever, we're all different, but sometimes I find myself really wanting to understand what he finds so distasteful about reading books, you know?

Are you sure he can read?  Totally not meant to be insulting, I was just listening to a story the other day told by a woman who, something like 5 years into her relationship with a guy finally learned he was illiterate.  She couldn't believe how she could miss something like that that would seem like it would be obvious.  She spent a lot of time trying to reconstruct how she didn't notice.  One thing she related was that when she wrote poetry and wanted him to read it, he would ask her to read it to him because he liked hearing her works in her own voice.  But it was still a mystery in a thousand little ways that she could have possibly not found out.  So yeah, it's terribly unlikely you've missed this, but I just don't get it with her story.  Shocking.

Other things I don't get:  also running.  I only do that when someone's chasing me and I'm terrified (luckily never happened, but I at least envision I would run in that situation), or if I want to catch a bus that I would otherwise miss.  And even then, I consider whether I should just wait  for the next one.  I just don't get doing it for fun.

I don't get people who don't vote.  Or maybe I don't get why it's so easy for me to vote.  I didn't grow up in a family that talked politics or took me to the polling place when they voted.  I literally don't remember any of my 4 parents once talking about voting when I was a kid.  Not only in my family, but my community, my school.  Totally unremarked upon.  But somehow, the day I turned 18, I registered and have voted every time since.  Since it took so little to get me to do it, and it takes so little to keep doing it, it just seems like it would be harder to avoid doing it and I don't get how other people do all that hard work of avoiding it all the time!  I mean, the ROI for me (suspecting my vote makes a difference) barely has to exist at all because it's just something I do without thinking, like brushing my teeth every day.  But at least I know I was taught that and that's how that became a habit.  So there is a big disconnect there for me - I realize it's not the same for a lot of other people, and that's just the way the world is whether I'll ever truly understand it or not.  But I still wish I could be in their heads sometime so I could get it in my gut.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: AZDude on May 14, 2018, 12:45:04 PM
People who hate sports and make comments like "its just men playing with their balls", as if their preferred activities are altruistic and universally loved. Don't like sports, cool, but no need to attack other people just because you don't understand something. I would never want to run a marathon or go bungee jumping or sew my own clothes, but there is no need for me to mercilessly mock the people who do.

If you go back and read my comments in full, with attention, you'll find my objections in that particular section are having our community taxed for $30,000,000 for that "privilege" (a sum that represents EIGHTEEN PERCENT OF OUR CITY'S ANNUAL GROSS REVENUE), forcing other people to subsidize their enjoyment, and ludicrously thinking they are real men because their team won.   

I have no problem with people who just enjoy watching or playing sports.  Hope they have a wonderful time doing so.   I don't even mind paying taxes for modest facilities in city parks so citizens have a place to play one another.   That's a great use of tax dollars.   

If someone put forward a case study in which they spent EIGHTEEN PERCENT of their gross income on JUST ONE OF MANY sports activities, and yet had serious financial issues in their life and claimed they couldn't afford to deal with the others, we would all be merciless in our disdain of their choices.    That's where I am on my city's boondoggle of a stadium.
And, having seen this scenario play out over and over and over and over all across my country the last 5 decades, I'm just over being polite about it.   It's ludicrous that the highest paid state officials in most states are coaches.   Simply ludicrous.  So, yes, we going millions of dollars into debt so people can watch men play with their balls in public.   

People who enjoy the tax dollars squandered on the sports industrial complex aren't used to being held accountable for the foolishness of that use of our scarce public resources.   I think they should be.   Given that there's always someone's brother-in-law who'll make a killing on the land deal for a stadium, and on another deal to build the stadium, and by the news media who get income from advertising and covering these activities, and the politicians who will get votes for providing these facilities, surely my little voice of scorn can be ignored by sports enthusiasts.  It will certainly be ignored by anyone in power.

I have never been in favor of subsidized sports stadiums for pro teams. College is different, but even then I would never be in favor of the type of stadiums being built.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: robartsd on May 14, 2018, 12:47:28 PM
Soccer - so boring, give me some NFL football!
I once knew a soccer mom and her kids who liked to tease Dad about how much time in football is between plays - as the team would get out of a huddle they'd say something like "O look they're about to DO something". I can't speak much myself, because I do sometimes enjoy watching baseball where most of the game is played with one guy trying to hit the ball with a bat while another guy throws a ball past him - just about everyone else is standing around in case the batter is successful at putting the ball in play (100's of pitches each game but usually only a few dozen plays).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RWD on May 14, 2018, 12:56:00 PM
Soccer - so boring, give me some NFL football!
I once knew a soccer mom and her kids who liked to tease Dad about how much time in football is between plays - as the team would get out of a huddle they'd say something like "O look they're about to DO something". I can't speak much myself, because I do sometimes enjoy watching baseball where most of the game is played with one guy trying to hit the ball with a bat while another guy throws a ball past him - just about everyone else is standing around in case the batter is successful at putting the ball in play (100's of pitches each game but usually only a few dozen plays).
An average NFL football game is only 6% playing:
(http://i.imgur.com/i3OtXsk.png)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on May 14, 2018, 01:01:46 PM
The majority of things associated with holidays, with the exception of getting together with people you love.

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving for this reason - you share a lovely meal with loved ones. 

The majority of the other crap - Christmas decorations, gifts, cards, etc. - that is more stress than anything else. Some of it is downright ridiculous IMO.  My kids are 1/16th Irish.  I'm not making them green frosting cupcakes for St. Patrick's day with little gold chocolates.  I don't want insanely overpriced flowers for Valentine's Day.  I don't even particularly like birthday cake.  Why does have it be cake?  Can't it be a dessert I enjoy more like brownies or pie?  (Yes I know it can, but I share a birthday party with my mom and she wants cake so I do cake).

I've taken to calling most holidays "Hallmark event number (blank)."  Regardless of the reason the holiday was created, it now exists to sell stuff.  If it isn't Hallmark, then it's your local furniture store or car dealership.  Christmas is the only exception because EVERYTHING is for sale.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on May 14, 2018, 01:02:32 PM
Obsession with home ownership in the UK.

Why is this an issue? High cost?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BookLoverL on May 14, 2018, 01:22:29 PM
I don't get how people are happy to do the same thing all day all the time. Not just with jobs, but with hobbies too - I know a fair few people who seem to spend 80% at least of their free time on THE SAME HOBBY EVERY DAY. Like, it's probably good that this type of person exists. They're of course at liberty to do whatever they want with their time. But, it's just: how are they not really bored?

I think it's because practicing for thousands of hours is how you get really good at something.

I know practising stuff is how you get good at it. I just don't understand how they can actually get their brains to stick to the same project for ages without looking at something else and going "Oooh, shiny!" and ending up splitting their time between at least 5 different things or something.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: jlcnuke on May 14, 2018, 01:34:54 PM
People who are proud that they vote, but can't answer basic questions about the people they voted for (often those who just show up to vote their party line, or who know they want to vote for "that one guy" so they then just pick people they don't have any clue about to vote for at the same time). They are often the ones posting on Facebook et al about how "you can't say anything if you didn't vote" etc.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DS on May 14, 2018, 01:39:03 PM
I don't get not getting it
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: simonsez on May 14, 2018, 01:54:56 PM
People who hate sports and make comments like "its just men playing with their balls", as if their preferred activities are altruistic and universally loved. Don't like sports, cool, but no need to attack other people just because you don't understand something. I would never want to run a marathon or go bungee jumping or sew my own clothes, but there is no need for me to mercilessly mock the people who do.

If you go back and read my comments in full, with attention, you'll find my objections in that particular section are having our community taxed for $30,000,000 for that "privilege" (a sum that represents EIGHTEEN PERCENT OF OUR CITY'S ANNUAL GROSS REVENUE), forcing other people to subsidize their enjoyment, and ludicrously thinking they are real men because their team won.   

I have no problem with people who just enjoy watching or playing sports.  Hope they have a wonderful time doing so.   I don't even mind paying taxes for modest facilities in city parks so citizens have a place to play one another.   That's a great use of tax dollars.   

If someone put forward a case study in which they spent EIGHTEEN PERCENT of their gross income on JUST ONE OF MANY sports activities, and yet had serious financial issues in their life and claimed they couldn't afford to deal with the others, we would all be merciless in our disdain of their choices.    That's where I am on my city's boondoggle of a stadium.
And, having seen this scenario play out over and over and over and over all across my country the last 5 decades, I'm just over being polite about it.   It's ludicrous that the highest paid state officials in most states are coaches.   Simply ludicrous.  So, yes, we going millions of dollars into debt so people can watch men play with their balls in public.   

People who enjoy the tax dollars squandered on the sports industrial complex aren't used to being held accountable for the foolishness of that use of our scarce public resources.   I think they should be.   Given that there's always someone's brother-in-law who'll make a killing on the land deal for a stadium, and on another deal to build the stadium, and by the news media who get income from advertising and covering these activities, and the politicians who will get votes for providing these facilities, surely my little voice of scorn can be ignored by sports enthusiasts.  It will certainly be ignored by anyone in power.

I have never been in favor of subsidized sports stadiums for pro teams. College is different, but even then I would never be in favor of the type of stadiums being built.
Wait, don't cities/municipalities vote on this?  The owner of a team can voice their opinion about wanting a certain type of stadium or an update or a location that will offer blah blah.  A city commission puts together a plan.  If the city votes 'Yes', the plan is put to the owner and if they green light the project then you get a huge stadium that can cost millions of taxpayer dollars.  If the city votes 'No', however, it won't spend money on it.  An owner holding a city hostage to build the billionaire their stadium is beside the point, if the city didn't want to play ball metaphorically, then no ball would be played literally.

If cities didn't want the professional franchises or at least didn't want to subsidize the venues to such an extent, they would vote 'No'.  If voting in your city is limited to those at City Hall, maybe next time vote for some people that will align with your interests.  Either way, if delegates or the whole city is voting to spend taxpayer dollars on something, it sounds like democracy is working.

As for states' highest paid "employees" all being collegiate coaches, a lot of this is driven by simple economics*.  Look at the revenues and costs of each sport.  At many universities, especially in the South, football makes so much money (including paying the ludicrous coaching staff salaries) that it is able to pay for the other sports that pretty much all lose money (basketball is usually about a break-even with a few schools in the black).  If Bryant-Denny didn't have 110,000 people in it and say only 30000, I bet Nick Saban wouldn't be making his current salary.  The link below shows Bama football made 45 million in PROFIT in 2017.  The net profit for the entire athletic department was 15 million.  That means all other sports were able to operate at a negative 30 million clip and the athletic department still made money and did not have to touch monies that have to do with education.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/report-alabama-athletics-reports-over-174-million-in-revenue-in-2017/

* So are teacher/educator salaries.  I agree they are low for the service that is provided to our children and communities ignoring supply and demand for a second, but each year thousands of 22/23 year olds are willing to work for these low salaries.  The supply is too high.  Public education will continue to erode until taxpayers are willing to pay more (increased demand) and/or standards for entry to the field are raised higher (limiting supply).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Curmudgeon on May 14, 2018, 02:05:38 PM
Why is there such a strong correlation between what political party you identify with, and your belief in climate change?  I mean, do democrats and republicans have different opinions on what constitutes dark matter, or what the speed of light in a vacuum is?  I don't get why climate is a political issue, rather than a scientific one.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on May 14, 2018, 02:16:46 PM
Why is there such a strong correlation between what political party you identify with, and your belief in climate change?  I mean, do democrats and republicans have different opinions on what constitutes dark matter, or what the speed of light in a vacuum is?  I don't get why climate is a political issue, rather than a scientific one.

Because denying climate change is much more politically expedient than saying, "I believe in climate change, but I care more about pro-business policies than the environment."

(and I'm a Republican).

I don't get - People who complain about things but aren't motivated enough to do anything about it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on May 14, 2018, 02:20:45 PM
Why is there such a strong correlation between what political party you identify with, and your belief in climate change?  I mean, do democrats and republicans have different opinions on what constitutes dark matter, or what the speed of light in a vacuum is?  I don't get why climate is a political issue, rather than a scientific one.

Reductions in pollution requires government regulations or changes to business models which cost money. Costing businesses money = key Republican issue.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Stachless on May 14, 2018, 02:45:09 PM
People who hate sports and make comments like "its just men playing with their balls", as if their preferred activities are altruistic and universally loved. Don't like sports, cool, but no need to attack other people just because you don't understand something. I would never want to run a marathon or go bungee jumping or sew my own clothes, but there is no need for me to mercilessly mock the people who do.

If you go back and read my comments in full, with attention, you'll find my objections in that particular section are having our community taxed for $30,000,000 for that "privilege" (a sum that represents EIGHTEEN PERCENT OF OUR CITY'S ANNUAL GROSS REVENUE), forcing other people to subsidize their enjoyment, and ludicrously thinking they are real men because their team won.   

I have no problem with people who just enjoy watching or playing sports.  Hope they have a wonderful time doing so.   I don't even mind paying taxes for modest facilities in city parks so citizens have a place to play one another.   That's a great use of tax dollars.   

If someone put forward a case study in which they spent EIGHTEEN PERCENT of their gross income on JUST ONE OF MANY sports activities, and yet had serious financial issues in their life and claimed they couldn't afford to deal with the others, we would all be merciless in our disdain of their choices.    That's where I am on my city's boondoggle of a stadium.
And, having seen this scenario play out over and over and over and over all across my country the last 5 decades, I'm just over being polite about it.   It's ludicrous that the highest paid state officials in most states are coaches.   Simply ludicrous.  So, yes, we going millions of dollars into debt so people can watch men play with their balls in public.   

People who enjoy the tax dollars squandered on the sports industrial complex aren't used to being held accountable for the foolishness of that use of our scarce public resources.   I think they should be.   Given that there's always someone's brother-in-law who'll make a killing on the land deal for a stadium, and on another deal to build the stadium, and by the news media who get income from advertising and covering these activities, and the politicians who will get votes for providing these facilities, surely my little voice of scorn can be ignored by sports enthusiasts.  It will certainly be ignored by anyone in power.

Have you given any thought to the Revenue side of this equation?  Perhaps a giant stadium will require some jobs (they do not build and run themselves after all) that expands your city's tax base in addition to a host of other benefits?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on May 14, 2018, 02:55:47 PM
People who suffer with migraines and/or stomach problems and are unwilling to alter their diets to try and help because it seems 'too extreme'... but are all too willing to pop pills like they're candy and hook themselves up to treatment machines.

What I don't get is people giving out all kinds of medical advice out to strangers who didn't ask for your opinion.
I happen to have both an auto-immune disease and frequent migraines and you won't believe the kind of crazy advice I get on an almost daily basis. Even when their intentions are good, I'd rather take the advice of doctors who've spent years studying medicine.
That said, I totally agree that popping pills, especially pain killers, should be avoided as much as possible.

( no offence meant, but there is no link between migraines and food at all. This has been proven wrong a long time ago. Migraine is a brain disease and symptoms start in your brain days before the patient gets a migraine. Because of these developments you get tired / stressed  / crave foods, but it's because of the migraine, not causing it.  Or in the words of my neurologist: "chocolate causes migraines like pickles cause pregnancy". ) 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hedge_87 on May 14, 2018, 03:04:00 PM
People who hate sports and make comments like "its just men playing with their balls", as if their preferred activities are altruistic and universally loved. Don't like sports, cool, but no need to attack other people just because you don't understand something. I would never want to run a marathon or go bungee jumping or sew my own clothes, but there is no need for me to mercilessly mock the people who do.

If you go back and read my comments in full, with attention, you'll find my objections in that particular section are having our community taxed for $30,000,000 for that "privilege" (a sum that represents EIGHTEEN PERCENT OF OUR CITY'S ANNUAL GROSS REVENUE), forcing other people to subsidize their enjoyment, and ludicrously thinking they are real men because their team won.   

I have no problem with people who just enjoy watching or playing sports.  Hope they have a wonderful time doing so.   I don't even mind paying taxes for modest facilities in city parks so citizens have a place to play one another.   That's a great use of tax dollars.   

If someone put forward a case study in which they spent EIGHTEEN PERCENT of their gross income on JUST ONE OF MANY sports activities, and yet had serious financial issues in their life and claimed they couldn't afford to deal with the others, we would all be merciless in our disdain of their choices.    That's where I am on my city's boondoggle of a stadium.
And, having seen this scenario play out over and over and over and over all across my country the last 5 decades, I'm just over being polite about it.   It's ludicrous that the highest paid state officials in most states are coaches.   Simply ludicrous.  So, yes, we going millions of dollars into debt so people can watch men play with their balls in public.   

People who enjoy the tax dollars squandered on the sports industrial complex aren't used to being held accountable for the foolishness of that use of our scarce public resources.   I think they should be.   Given that there's always someone's brother-in-law who'll make a killing on the land deal for a stadium, and on another deal to build the stadium, and by the news media who get income from advertising and covering these activities, and the politicians who will get votes for providing these facilities, surely my little voice of scorn can be ignored by sports enthusiasts.  It will certainly be ignored by anyone in power.

Have you given any thought to the Revenue side of this equation?  Perhaps a giant stadium will require some jobs (they do not build and run themselves after all) that expands your city's tax base in addition to a host of other benefits?

This.

Same reason why a city would want to give tax breaks to any big businesses. You get a lot of money coming into your city from outside sources (hotels, restaurants, etc). I live in a very small community that worked really hard to host state little league baseball for this reason. Our hotel was booked all weekend all of our restaurants had a waiting line and the grocery store parking lot was full all weekend. Even our camp grounds where full. I know for a bigger town this would be a drop in a bucket but you could see how it would scale.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Jouer on May 14, 2018, 03:06:23 PM
People who hate sports and make comments like "its just men playing with their balls", as if their preferred activities are altruistic and universally loved. Don't like sports, cool, but no need to attack other people just because you don't understand something. I would never want to run a marathon or go bungee jumping or sew my own clothes, but there is no need for me to mercilessly mock the people who do.

If you go back and read my comments in full, with attention, you'll find my objections in that particular section are having our community taxed for $30,000,000 for that "privilege" (a sum that represents EIGHTEEN PERCENT OF OUR CITY'S ANNUAL GROSS REVENUE), forcing other people to subsidize their enjoyment, and ludicrously thinking they are real men because their team won.   

I have no problem with people who just enjoy watching or playing sports.  Hope they have a wonderful time doing so.   I don't even mind paying taxes for modest facilities in city parks so citizens have a place to play one another.   That's a great use of tax dollars.   

If someone put forward a case study in which they spent EIGHTEEN PERCENT of their gross income on JUST ONE OF MANY sports activities, and yet had serious financial issues in their life and claimed they couldn't afford to deal with the others, we would all be merciless in our disdain of their choices.    That's where I am on my city's boondoggle of a stadium.
And, having seen this scenario play out over and over and over and over all across my country the last 5 decades, I'm just over being polite about it.   It's ludicrous that the highest paid state officials in most states are coaches.   Simply ludicrous.  So, yes, we going millions of dollars into debt so people can watch men play with their balls in public.   

People who enjoy the tax dollars squandered on the sports industrial complex aren't used to being held accountable for the foolishness of that use of our scarce public resources.   I think they should be.   Given that there's always someone's brother-in-law who'll make a killing on the land deal for a stadium, and on another deal to build the stadium, and by the news media who get income from advertising and covering these activities, and the politicians who will get votes for providing these facilities, surely my little voice of scorn can be ignored by sports enthusiasts.  It will certainly be ignored by anyone in power.

Have you given any thought to the Revenue side of this equation?  Perhaps a giant stadium will require some jobs (they do not build and run themselves after all) that expands your city's tax base in addition to a host of other benefits?

Research has shown that economically, tax funded sports stadiums are a net-negative overall. (Don't have that in front of me right now)

I'm a huge sports fan but I am against paying for billionaire's private company assets.  I wasn't always....until I saw the report (that I don't have in front of me to share).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on May 14, 2018, 03:21:43 PM
I don't get running marathons.  Shorter runs I can understand but marathons just seem miserable for everyone involved. 

I also don't get religion, since we're being honest here.  I try to understand religious people and I'm tolerant of their beliefs but I just don't get how people can believe all that stuff.

And same with watching sports.  My husband watches all kinds of sports on TV but I just don't get the fascination with it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sui generis on May 14, 2018, 03:32:18 PM
People who hate sports and make comments like "its just men playing with their balls", as if their preferred activities are altruistic and universally loved. Don't like sports, cool, but no need to attack other people just because you don't understand something. I would never want to run a marathon or go bungee jumping or sew my own clothes, but there is no need for me to mercilessly mock the people who do.

If you go back and read my comments in full, with attention, you'll find my objections in that particular section are having our community taxed for $30,000,000 for that "privilege" (a sum that represents EIGHTEEN PERCENT OF OUR CITY'S ANNUAL GROSS REVENUE), forcing other people to subsidize their enjoyment, and ludicrously thinking they are real men because their team won.   

I have no problem with people who just enjoy watching or playing sports.  Hope they have a wonderful time doing so.   I don't even mind paying taxes for modest facilities in city parks so citizens have a place to play one another.   That's a great use of tax dollars.   

If someone put forward a case study in which they spent EIGHTEEN PERCENT of their gross income on JUST ONE OF MANY sports activities, and yet had serious financial issues in their life and claimed they couldn't afford to deal with the others, we would all be merciless in our disdain of their choices.    That's where I am on my city's boondoggle of a stadium.
And, having seen this scenario play out over and over and over and over all across my country the last 5 decades, I'm just over being polite about it.   It's ludicrous that the highest paid state officials in most states are coaches.   Simply ludicrous.  So, yes, we going millions of dollars into debt so people can watch men play with their balls in public.   

People who enjoy the tax dollars squandered on the sports industrial complex aren't used to being held accountable for the foolishness of that use of our scarce public resources.   I think they should be.   Given that there's always someone's brother-in-law who'll make a killing on the land deal for a stadium, and on another deal to build the stadium, and by the news media who get income from advertising and covering these activities, and the politicians who will get votes for providing these facilities, surely my little voice of scorn can be ignored by sports enthusiasts.  It will certainly be ignored by anyone in power.

Have you given any thought to the Revenue side of this equation?  Perhaps a giant stadium will require some jobs (they do not build and run themselves after all) that expands your city's tax base in addition to a host of other benefits?

Research has shown that economically, tax funded sports stadiums are a net-negative overall. (Don't have that in front of me right now)

I'm a huge sports fan but I am against paying for billionaire's private company assets.  I wasn't always....until I saw the report (that I don't have in front of me to share).

So much this.  I not only have read that study, but I lived it.  And I was grossed out by every minute of it.  And yet it continues to happen and the rich owners and boosters keep getting to pretend the public benefits and no one (successfully) calls them out on it.  It's horrifying to see.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: robartsd on May 14, 2018, 03:38:56 PM
Research has shown that economically, tax funded sports stadiums are a net-negative overall. (Don't have that in front of me right now)

I'm a huge sports fan but I am against paying for billionaire's private company assets.  I wasn't always....until I saw the report (that I don't have in front of me to share).
Here's a Forbes article (https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffreydorfman/2015/01/31/publicly-financed-sports-stadiums-are-a-game-that-taxpayers-lose/#72a6327b4f07) on the topic.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on May 14, 2018, 03:43:57 PM
People who suffer with migraines and/or stomach problems and are unwilling to alter their diets to try and help because it seems 'too extreme'... but are all too willing to pop pills like they're candy and hook themselves up to treatment machines.

No kidding; I altered my diet (MSG was my biggest trigger, though it took awhile to identify) and went from having 30+ bad migraines a year to maybe 3 or 4 moderate ones. Sure, it won't work for some people if their migraines are triggered by something else, but isn't it at least worth trying to change your diet/keeping a food diary as opposed to spending $$$ on pills right off the bat? I was willing to try almost anything before resorting to pills and I'm so happy that I was able to mostly alleviate mine with dietary changes. I still get a few due to weather changes or hormones, but eliminating 90% of them was well worth saying no to Chick Fil A, for instance.

YES. I have celiac disease. I gave up gluten immediately because it was worth it not to have debilitating migraines and GI pain. People seem really confused by this and claim that they "could never do that!" So basically, they're telling me that if they were diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that could be completely treated just by diet, they wouldn't bother. I don't get it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on May 14, 2018, 03:48:35 PM
I don't get how people are happy to do the same thing all day all the time. Not just with jobs, but with hobbies too - I know a fair few people who seem to spend 80% at least of their free time on THE SAME HOBBY EVERY DAY. Like, it's probably good that this type of person exists. They're of course at liberty to do whatever they want with their time. But, it's just: how are they not really bored?

I think it's because practicing for thousands of hours is how you get really good at something.

Yes. I sing and cook and knit. Fifteen years ago, I was at best mediocre at all three. Now I sing with small audition-only choirs, cook from scratch most days, and knit my own clothing.

Honestly, I don't get how normal, healthy people are ever bored. The last time I was bored was back in January, when I had the flu and was too sick to concentrate on TV or a book but couldn't sleep. Laying on the sofa with absolutely no energy is boring, for sure. Otherwise, I can always find something at least moderately interesting to do.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hedge_87 on May 14, 2018, 04:42:14 PM
People who hate sports and make comments like "its just men playing with their balls", as if their preferred activities are altruistic and universally loved. Don't like sports, cool, but no need to attack other people just because you don't understand something. I would never want to run a marathon or go bungee jumping or sew my own clothes, but there is no need for me to mercilessly mock the people who do.

If you go back and read my comments in full, with attention, you'll find my objections in that particular section are having our community taxed for $30,000,000 for that "privilege" (a sum that represents EIGHTEEN PERCENT OF OUR CITY'S ANNUAL GROSS REVENUE), forcing other people to subsidize their enjoyment, and ludicrously thinking they are real men because their team won.   

I have no problem with people who just enjoy watching or playing sports.  Hope they have a wonderful time doing so.   I don't even mind paying taxes for modest facilities in city parks so citizens have a place to play one another.   That's a great use of tax dollars.   

If someone put forward a case study in which they spent EIGHTEEN PERCENT of their gross income on JUST ONE OF MANY sports activities, and yet had serious financial issues in their life and claimed they couldn't afford to deal with the others, we would all be merciless in our disdain of their choices.    That's where I am on my city's boondoggle of a stadium.
And, having seen this scenario play out over and over and over and over all across my country the last 5 decades, I'm just over being polite about it.   It's ludicrous that the highest paid state officials in most states are coaches.   Simply ludicrous.  So, yes, we going millions of dollars into debt so people can watch men play with their balls in public.   

People who enjoy the tax dollars squandered on the sports industrial complex aren't used to being held accountable for the foolishness of that use of our scarce public resources.   I think they should be.   Given that there's always someone's brother-in-law who'll make a killing on the land deal for a stadium, and on another deal to build the stadium, and by the news media who get income from advertising and covering these activities, and the politicians who will get votes for providing these facilities, surely my little voice of scorn can be ignored by sports enthusiasts.  It will certainly be ignored by anyone in power.

Have you given any thought to the Revenue side of this equation?  Perhaps a giant stadium will require some jobs (they do not build and run themselves after all) that expands your city's tax base in addition to a host of other benefits?

Research has shown that economically, tax funded sports stadiums are a net-negative overall. (Don't have that in front of me right now)

I'm a huge sports fan but I am against paying for billionaire's private company assets.  I wasn't always....until I saw the report (that I don't have in front of me to share).

So much this.  I not only have read that study, but I lived it.  And I was grossed out by every minute of it.  And yet it continues to happen and the rich owners and boosters keep getting to pretend the public benefits and no one (successfully) calls them out on it.  It's horrifying to see.

Interesting I stand corrected. I'll have to see if I can find the study. Always interested in learning something new.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Tris Prior on May 14, 2018, 06:41:08 PM
Are you sure he can read?  Totally not meant to be insulting, I was just listening to a story the other day told by a woman who, something like 5 years into her relationship with a guy finally learned he was illiterate.  She couldn't believe how she could miss something like that that would seem like it would be obvious.  She spent a lot of time trying to reconstruct how she didn't notice.  One thing she related was that when she wrote poetry and wanted him to read it, he would ask her to read it to him because he liked hearing her works in her own voice.  But it was still a mystery in a thousand little ways that she could have possibly not found out.  So yeah, it's terribly unlikely you've missed this, but I just don't get it with her story.  Shocking.

Oh yes, he can read fine. He reads comics. He reads social media and websites. Just is not into books.

I just thought of another one: board games and card games. We have friends who are really into this stuff and always want to pull out a game when we get together. And I'm just like.... meh? I'll participate now and then to be social, but I don't understand why it's fun. To me it feels like work - having to learn and follow rules. I mean, I do that all day long at my job, you know?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: APowers on May 14, 2018, 07:30:25 PM
Are you sure he can read?  Totally not meant to be insulting, I was just listening to a story the other day told by a woman who, something like 5 years into her relationship with a guy finally learned he was illiterate.  She couldn't believe how she could miss something like that that would seem like it would be obvious.  She spent a lot of time trying to reconstruct how she didn't notice.  One thing she related was that when she wrote poetry and wanted him to read it, he would ask her to read it to him because he liked hearing her works in her own voice.  But it was still a mystery in a thousand little ways that she could have possibly not found out.  So yeah, it's terribly unlikely you've missed this, but I just don't get it with her story.  Shocking.

Oh yes, he can read fine. He reads comics. He reads social media and websites. Just is not into books.

I just thought of another one: board games and card games. We have friends who are really into this stuff and always want to pull out a game when we get together. And I'm just like.... meh? I'll participate now and then to be social, but I don't understand why it's fun. To me it feels like work - having to learn and follow rules. I mean, I do that all day long at my job, you know?

Some of us LOVE rules, and probably should have been lawyers. Also, arguing over the semantics of the rules in margin situations is one of the best parts of playing board games, imo. On the other hand, nobody wants to play Scattergories with me, due to this, so YMMV.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on May 14, 2018, 08:13:43 PM
Soccer - so boring, give me some NFL football!
I once knew a soccer mom and her kids who liked to tease Dad about how much time in football is between plays - as the team would get out of a huddle they'd say something like "O look they're about to DO something". I can't speak much myself, because I do sometimes enjoy watching baseball where most of the game is played with one guy trying to hit the ball with a bat while another guy throws a ball past him - just about everyone else is standing around in case the batter is successful at putting the ball in play (100's of pitches each game but usually only a few dozen plays).

I watched soccer and know the rules.  I watched the U.S. women's team win some huge games.  But even then, I couldn't bear to watch all of it and jumped forward quite a bit and would reverse if I missed a score (the only good action.  lol).   With football, I don't want to miss a play, as each play is concentrated with heavy action, and will sometime reverse my DVR to watch a play again prior to the replays.  People who don't like it probably don't understand the game and sucked really bad at football themselves.  lol  The only part I really dislike would be the commercials and timeouts (injuries, extended reviews, etc.), but I time-shift every game by at least 30 minutes, so it makes it easy peasy to jump through those in a flash so I'm only watching the good stuff.

I watched the Cubs win the World Series a couple years ago, but other than that, I have a tough time watching much baseball, even with time-shifting and jumping forward to the next pitch.  But it sure as heck beats soccer.  I feel about the same way about hockey as I do soccer.

I basically avoid all college sports.

Teachers are paid very well in many areas when you factor in salary, pension, and the fact that they only work about 9 months a year.   Pro teams are a major benefit for a larger city that isn't realized simply by counting ticket revenue.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: calimom on May 14, 2018, 08:34:48 PM
I don't get the obsession of so many Americans' fascination with the Royal Family, most specifically the upcoming Royal Wedding. Sure, it's of some cultural and historic cultural note, but the seemingly endless news stories dissecting it and actual people planning to get up at 4 AM wearing bathrobes and cheap tiaras drinking tea while watching it on television is a curious phenomenon.


Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dee on May 14, 2018, 08:38:29 PM
I don't get how some people appear to think that prostitution is wrong but that participating is pornographic films is less wrong or substantially different. Basically, I don't get why someone would think these two types of sex work are deserving of different levels of judgment.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on May 14, 2018, 08:42:30 PM
I don't get the obsession of so many Americans' fascination with the Royal Family,

I don't get it, either.  And I'm bombarded with that soap opera crap in the news all the time and jump forward with the DVR to avoid it, but it's never ending.  This American couldn't care less about any of it.  I guess that gives something for the non-sports people to do.  lol
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sojourner on May 14, 2018, 09:25:30 PM
Soccer - so boring, give me some NFL football!
I once knew a soccer mom and her kids who liked to tease Dad about how much time in football is between plays - as the team would get out of a huddle they'd say something like "O look they're about to DO something". I can't speak much myself, because I do sometimes enjoy watching baseball where most of the game is played with one guy trying to hit the ball with a bat while another guy throws a ball past him - just about everyone else is standing around in case the batter is successful at putting the ball in play (100's of pitches each game but usually only a few dozen plays).

I watched soccer and know the rules.  I watched the U.S. women's team win some huge games.  But even then, I couldn't bear to watch all of it and jumped forward quite a bit and would reverse if I missed a score (the only good action.  lol).   With football, I don't want to miss a play, as each play is concentrated with heavy action, and will sometime reverse my DVR to watch a play again prior to the replays.  People who don't like it probably don't understand the game and sucked really bad at football themselves.  lol  The only part I really dislike would be the commercials and timeouts (injuries, extended reviews, etc.), but I time-shift every game by at least 30 minutes, so it makes it easy peasy to jump through those in a flash so I'm only watching the good stuff.

I watched the Cubs win the World Series a couple years ago, but other than that, I have a tough time watching much baseball, even with time-shifting and jumping forward to the next pitch.  But it sure as heck beats soccer.  I feel about the same way about hockey as I do soccer.

I basically avoid all college sports.

Teachers are paid very well in many areas when you factor in salary, pension, and the fact that they only work about 9 months a year.   Pro teams are a major benefit for a larger city that isn't realized simply by counting ticket revenue.
It's like I wrote this myself.  I get it.  All the way down to time shifting the DVR exactly.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Tris Prior on May 14, 2018, 09:45:32 PM
I don't get the obsession of so many Americans' fascination with the Royal Family,

I don't get it, either.  And I'm bombarded with that soap opera crap in the news all the time and jump forward with the DVR to avoid it, but it's never ending.  This American couldn't care less about any of it.  I guess that gives something for the non-sports people to do.  lol

+1. I happened to be in London last month when the new royal baby was born. My friend (American, like me) messaged me and was all "OMG OMG you're in London and the royal baby is RIGHT THERE, you have to go see the baby!!" Um, OK? Yep, it's a baby all right.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sojourner on May 14, 2018, 10:49:35 PM
Country music twang.  Sounds artificial.  Is that really necessary?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BookLoverL on May 15, 2018, 01:12:32 AM
I don't get how people are happy to do the same thing all day all the time. Not just with jobs, but with hobbies too - I know a fair few people who seem to spend 80% at least of their free time on THE SAME HOBBY EVERY DAY. Like, it's probably good that this type of person exists. They're of course at liberty to do whatever they want with their time. But, it's just: how are they not really bored?

I think it's because practicing for thousands of hours is how you get really good at something.

Yes. I sing and cook and knit. Fifteen years ago, I was at best mediocre at all three. Now I sing with small audition-only choirs, cook from scratch most days, and knit my own clothing.

Honestly, I don't get how normal, healthy people are ever bored. The last time I was bored was back in January, when I had the flu and was too sick to concentrate on TV or a book but couldn't sleep. Laying on the sofa with absolutely no energy is boring, for sure. Otherwise, I can always find something at least moderately interesting to do.

Oh, I'm rarely bored. But I also switch which hobby I'm mainly doing something between every few days and every two weeks. I mean, they come back around cyclically, but, for example, my (retired in her 50s) mum literally spends 80% of her free time knitting and has done for the past couple of years. I understand she gets enjoyment from it, so I encourage her at it, but I could never spend that much time on one hobby for such a length of time. I know this has probably affected my skill level in various things...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: kei te pai on May 15, 2018, 02:55:34 AM
Guns.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FreshPrincess on May 15, 2018, 04:49:01 AM
No offense taken.  I'm not giving medical advice :-)

My point is... why wouldn't someone try it?  And bullocks on the "food doesn't cause migraines." Maybe it's not the food itself CAUSING the migraine, but it can be a reaction by my body trying to process said food.  Like when someone has Celiac Disease, which I have.  And you know when I get my migraine?  2-3 days after I ingest something I shouldn't. I'm no stranger to unsolicited medical advice - I don't give that either.  Only when solicited or someone's whining and that's when I get the "oh, I couldn't cut out <insert XXX food here>".

I had migraines 4 times a week and for awhile they thought I had a brain tumor.  The doctors put me on Topomax and Maxalt and sent me for blood tests and brain scans.  Know what it was?  I'm a Celiac and really needed to stop eating the crap I was eating.  I stopped... and so did the migraines.  I wish my doctors would have told me about potential inflammation in my body because not every body processes every food the same.  I also had a multitude of other symptoms that definitely should have helped them draw the conclusion of diet, but they didn't.  And I was young and trusted them.

My sister has 6-8 migraines a month.  She takes Maxalt like candy.  She refuses to try cutting out some basic things that may be affecting her.  Shoot, at this point I'd just get Botox if I were her.  My sister-in-law has Celiac's and Crohn's.  She also refuses to try cutting out basic things that are known to cause inflammation.  She instead hooks herself up to a Remicade machine once a month for her treatments.

But, no. I don't think that changing your diet is a cure-all.  I do think it's worth it to try.  If it doesn't work, try something else.  I'm all for #betterlivingthroughchemistry when it's necessary.  So, long story short... I don't get people who won't TRY.

People who suffer with migraines and/or stomach problems and are unwilling to alter their diets to try and help because it seems 'too extreme'... but are all too willing to pop pills like they're candy and hook themselves up to treatment machines.

What I don't get is people giving out all kinds of medical advice out to strangers who didn't ask for your opinion.
I happen to have both an auto-immune disease and frequent migraines and you won't believe the kind of crazy advice I get on an almost daily basis. Even when their intentions are good, I'd rather take the advice of doctors who've spent years studying medicine.
That said, I totally agree that popping pills, especially pain killers, should be avoided as much as possible.

( no offence meant, but there is no link between migraines and food at all. This has been proven wrong a long time ago. Migraine is a brain disease and symptoms start in your brain days before the patient gets a migraine. Because of these developments you get tired / stressed  / crave foods, but it's because of the migraine, not causing it.  Or in the words of my neurologist: "chocolate causes migraines like pickles cause pregnancy". )
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SweetTPi on May 15, 2018, 12:18:17 PM
YES. I have celiac disease. I gave up gluten immediately because it was worth it not to have debilitating migraines and GI pain. People seem really confused by this and claim that they "could never do that!" So basically, they're telling me that if they were diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that could be completely treated just by diet, they wouldn't bother. I don't get it.

Yes, I've gotten this reaction before.  I mean, I get where they're coming from, because before I would have said "that'd be really hard" in regards to giving up all things with gluten.  Let me tell you, having recently developed DH (dermatitis herpetiformis, an itchy rash due to gluten allergy), it's suddenly not that hard at all.  The hard part is figuring out what's safe to eat if you're not the one cooking it (eg eating out), and people seem to think that cooking their own food is just too difficult to manage.

Also, I don't get why they put wheat/gluten into f*ing everything.  I mean, some brands of soy sauce (SOY sauce!) have wheat in them.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: terran on May 15, 2018, 12:46:35 PM
My rant: I don't get people hiking in the wilderness blaring music. If you want to listen to music, fine, wear a fucking earbud. If I'm 10,000 feet up a mountain backpacking (yesterday, in fact) I don't want to hear your music. I want to be in freaking nature.

The fact that that's becoming acceptable ANYWHERE, let alone up a mountain, is ridiculous.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sui generis on May 15, 2018, 01:14:15 PM
My rant: I don't get people hiking in the wilderness blaring music. If you want to listen to music, fine, wear a fucking earbud. If I'm 10,000 feet up a mountain backpacking (yesterday, in fact) I don't want to hear your music. I want to be in freaking nature.

The fact that that's becoming acceptable ANYWHERE, let alone up a mountain, is ridiculous.
Yeah, this one makes me sad.  I kind of get it.  People like listening to music and if they are in a group, they want to all hear it and they are not concerned about (some may even thrill at) the violation of norms and the encroachment on others' enjoyment that they bet no one will speak up about.  But it's still depressing.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: profnot on May 15, 2018, 02:27:09 PM
People who go on and on and on about a topic in which I have no interest at all.  These people don't even check in with others to see if any one is interested.  They just talk and talk and talk.

The salt in the wound is when they are complaining.


A joke I made up:
One difference between an extrovert and an introvert is the extrovert assumes you are interested in whatever topic he is talking about.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on May 15, 2018, 02:30:41 PM
YES. I have celiac disease. I gave up gluten immediately because it was worth it not to have debilitating migraines and GI pain. People seem really confused by this and claim that they "could never do that!" So basically, they're telling me that if they were diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that could be completely treated just by diet, they wouldn't bother. I don't get it.

Yes, I've gotten this reaction before.  I mean, I get where they're coming from, because before I would have said "that'd be really hard" in regards to giving up all things with gluten.  Let me tell you, having recently developed DH (dermatitis herpetiformis, an itchy rash due to gluten allergy), it's suddenly not that hard at all.  The hard part is figuring out what's safe to eat if you're not the one cooking it (eg eating out), and people seem to think that cooking their own food is just too difficult to manage.

Also, I don't get why they put wheat/gluten into f*ing everything.  I mean, some brands of soy sauce (SOY sauce!) have wheat in them.

I totally get the “that’d be really hard” reaction. It was hard. The first time I went to the grocery store after my diagnosis, I ended up crying in the health food aisle because it felt like most of the store was poison (ITA about the soy sauce. When we went to Japan, I packed my own GF soy sauce). I don’t get the people who are diagnosed and refuse to change their diets.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: driftwood on May 15, 2018, 03:46:35 PM

I don't get people who don't vote.   I don't get how other people do all that hard work of avoiding it all the time!

What do you mean by doing "all the hard work of avoiding it all the time"?  It takes no work to not vote. You literally don't change anything about your typical day, on a voting day, and poof! you've not voted!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Psychstache on May 15, 2018, 04:05:54 PM
I don't get virtue signaling.

I don't even know what this is.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=%22virtue%20signaling%22
You're doing God's work, sir.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on May 16, 2018, 03:09:52 AM
35-40 year old men playing video games for hours...Don't get it, I have never been a gamer, however most of my nephews are. I really feel bad for the wives and the kids, unless they are spending time with them playing together? I would rather be on the beach, out on the water, or in the mountains. Generational thing I guess.

Related...Movies that all look the same to me. Most seem to look like one big video game...?

Reality T.V. What a waste of time.

Gaming puts you in a flow state. People enjoy flow state. You can get it from exercise, work, anything really. That's why gaming is behaviourally addictive. It's kind of sad that some people haven't found another activity that puts them in a flow state, though. Most people have several, and a bit more productive ones than gaming. Although I qualify that by saying that I really enjoy gaming! I'm a grownup, however, so I prioritise work and family over bloody gaming.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on May 16, 2018, 03:19:56 AM
I don't get politics. Ok, I live in NZ, and this is a place where politicians don't do things like start wars or drop bombs or engage in corruption. It's an easy thing to have no interest in, in NZ. The only other place I've lived is Canada for several years. Similar situation. I might get politics if I lived somewhere else, but currently I don't get politics.

I don't get sport. It's all so frickin tedious. I did have a conversation with someone about why they like sport, though, and they talked about strategies and gameplay. I'm willing to accept that I might just not understand sport.

I don't get organised religion. Totally happy to accept anyone's individual beliefs, as long as they don't try to apply them to me. Seems like it should be an individual relationship with your god.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: merlin7676 on May 16, 2018, 08:58:22 AM
Running. Not good for the body. I am 61 and all my runner friends are having joints replaced. Cut it out, people.
Previous research I've done on this didn't seem to indicate that was true and that running can actually strengthen joints.  Having said that, I haven't done much running in in the last 15 years.

Home sapiens evolved to be runners. We aren't fast, or camouflaged, or secrete poison. But we are evolved to run for a long time at long distanced. So when we were chasing down that antelope on the savanna, it ran faster but eventually tired and we would come along and catch it
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FireHiker on May 16, 2018, 09:36:08 AM
Home sapiens evolved to be runners. We aren't fast, or camouflaged, or secrete poison. But we are evolved to run for a long time at long distanced. So when we were chasing down that antelope on the savanna, it ran faster but eventually tired and we would come along and catch it

I just finished reading Born to Run, which you've basically summed up here. I never "got" running either, until I started doing it this year. I get it now. I used to mostly get into the "flow" state that Anna describes by cross stitching, but I get it from running too. If you'd told me six months ago that I would be planning to run a half marathon in a couple weeks and feeling pretty good about it, I never would have believed it. My brother does ultras and I'm intrigued...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: honeybbq on May 16, 2018, 10:02:02 AM
Agree with the running conversation that is happening.

I used to have a lot of problems running. That was because I thought I could just go run and I'd get better at it. That wasn't the case. Even though I was athletic (soccer, skiing, hockey, etc) none really set the stage for long distance running. I always like low profile shoes, so the Born to Run theory worked for me as well.

Seeing a PT, learning where I was weak - working on some specialized exercises, getting a run gait analysis, and working on it made me a decent long distance runner. I did my first marathon on a very challenging course in 4:10 last year. This year I'm aiming to break 4 which shouldn't be hard considering I picked a flat course.


But back on topic:
I don't get fancy purses. I'm on other boards where women will literally be gleeful that a bag is on sale from 3k down to 2k. What?? I just don't understand. These are not heirlooms. These are leather bags that get dirty, sit on the floor, have crayons and lipstick in them, etc.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on May 16, 2018, 12:18:43 PM
I don't get tattoos.

They're expensive, and almost guaranteed to create buyer's remorse at some point in the future. If they're visible, they can affect one's career path due to other's subconscious biases. And of course there is still the risk of contracting hepatitis C from getting one, although I believe this has been greatly reduced recent years.


Ditto.

And why are most of them ugly? 

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dances With Fire on May 16, 2018, 12:26:43 PM
35-40 year old men playing video games for hours...Don't get it, I have never been a gamer, however most of my nephews are. I really feel bad for the wives and the kids, unless they are spending time with them playing together? I would rather be on the beach, out on the water, or in the mountains. Generational thing I guess.

Related...Movies that all look the same to me. Most seem to look like one big video game...?

Reality T.V. What a waste of time.

Gaming puts you in a flow state. People enjoy flow state. You can get it from exercise, work, anything really. That's why gaming is behaviourally addictive. It's kind of sad that some people haven't found another activity that puts them in a flow state, though. Most people have several, and a bit more productive ones than gaming. Although I qualify that by saying that I really enjoy gaming! I'm a grownup, however, so I prioritise work and family over bloody gaming.

Anna, actually thanks for your follow-up post. No one has explained this to me as a non-gamer quite the way you did. I too see this as very addictive and that is why I may be too critical towards the amount of time spent playing...

I DO get "the flow" that you speak of, some would call this as being in "the zone" in sports, running, etc. I am a (former) ice hockey player and snow skier...Yes, the rush, the flow (rhythm) of skates on ice or skis on snow...Other hockey players and skiers will "get this" others may not...Cheers.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on May 16, 2018, 12:27:51 PM
I don't get tattoos.

They're expensive, and almost guaranteed to create buyer's remorse at some point in the future. If they're visible, they can affect one's career path due to other's subconscious biases. And of course there is still the risk of contracting hepatitis C from getting one, although I believe this has been greatly reduced recent years.


Ditto.

And why are most of them ugly?
Same here tattoos.  Most are hideous and even the non-hideous ones become hideous after 10+ years.  Also I can't imagine choosing something now and then having to 'wear' it forever.  I look back on my fashion sense 20 years ago and cringe.  Lucky I didn't get a tattoo.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DrumAllDay on May 16, 2018, 12:51:56 PM
Luxury pick-up trucks. I don't really get luxury vehicles in general but especially when they are giant pick-up trucks hauling nothing but themselves; an urban cowboy/girl in their business suite commuting to work driving like a jack ass, thinking they own the road.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: simonsez on May 16, 2018, 01:56:32 PM
Expensive paintings (for simplicity, let's say anything 7 figures or higher), especially Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock artwork and the value some of their pieces* fetch.

*- Their individual bios are interesting, as I think are most that devote themselves to art's various forms - but 3 different colors with horizontal lines or some paint dripped shouldn't be worth 9 figures.  And I don't blame Rothko or Pollock, it's not them driving their own prices up directly.

If a painting really moves you, buy the poster and have it framed for less than $200.  Save the millions for additional enterprises or charity/scientific development.  If it's an ego thing, they'll name a wing after you (side note, I LOVE the "The Anonymous Donor" episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, classic!).

At least with a pissing contest for the nicest house, boat, car, clothing, etc. - all of those things have tangible function provided you live in it or drive it or wear it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Scandium on May 16, 2018, 02:07:46 PM
Home sapiens evolved to be runners. We aren't fast, or camouflaged, or secrete poison. But we are evolved to run for a long time at long distanced. So when we were chasing down that antelope on the savanna, it ran faster but eventually tired and we would come along and catch it

I just finished reading Born to Run, which you've basically summed up here. I never "got" running either, until I started doing it this year. I get it now. I used to mostly get into the "flow" state that Anna describes by cross stitching, but I get it from running too. If you'd told me six months ago that I would be planning to run a half marathon in a couple weeks and feeling pretty good about it, I never would have believed it. My brother does ultras and I'm intrigued...

"Runners live longer, but by less than the time spent running. So they really have to love running"

[some doctor]
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on May 16, 2018, 02:51:53 PM
I don't get tattoos.

They're expensive, and almost guaranteed to create buyer's remorse at some point in the future. If they're visible, they can affect one's career path due to other's subconscious biases. And of course there is still the risk of contracting hepatitis C from getting one, although I believe this has been greatly reduced recent years.
Ditto.

And why are most of them ugly?
Same here tattoos.  Most are hideous and even the non-hideous ones become hideous after 10+ years.  Also I can't imagine choosing something now and then having to 'wear' it forever.  I look back on my fashion sense 20 years ago and cringe.  Lucky I didn't get a tattoo.
I once saw a very pregnant young woman in a store. She had a strand of bright green ivy tattooed all the way around her belly and was wearing a crop top to show it off. I couldn't help but wonder if she'd actually had it done while pregnant, and what those vines were going to look like post baby or after possible future babies. It was so weird and it must have been expensive. I had to bite my tongue and just walk in another direction. The tattoo actually wasn't ugly but it didn't look like it would stand the test of time.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mm1970 on May 16, 2018, 04:56:50 PM
Agree with the running conversation that is happening.

I used to have a lot of problems running. That was because I thought I could just go run and I'd get better at it. That wasn't the case. Even though I was athletic (soccer, skiing, hockey, etc) none really set the stage for long distance running. I always like low profile shoes, so the Born to Run theory worked for me as well.

Seeing a PT, learning where I was weak - working on some specialized exercises, getting a run gait analysis, and working on it made me a decent long distance runner. I did my first marathon on a very challenging course in 4:10 last year. This year I'm aiming to break 4 which shouldn't be hard considering I picked a flat course.


But back on topic:
I don't get fancy purses. I'm on other boards where women will literally be gleeful that a bag is on sale from 3k down to 2k. What?? I just don't understand. These are not heirlooms. These are leather bags that get dirty, sit on the floor, have crayons and lipstick in them, etc.

I ran my first 2 half marathons 8-9 years ago.  I'm short and stocky and not "built" for running.  I got injured but managed a 10:00 pace for the second one.  But the injuries sidelined me for years.

So I started running again a couple of years ago.  I've done 3 more half marathons (though I kinda think I'm done.  I'm almost 48, and I'm not built for running, and 13 miles is too. effing. long.) I started working with a running coach last year, and I've found that with exercises to build my hip and core, and work on my turnover and stride (more turnover, shorter stride), that I'm running without injury.

Of course, I'm running a lot slower.  I was thrilled to beat 2:30 on my half last weekend, didn't think it was even possible - not close to my PR and slower than even my first half.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: pbkmaine on May 16, 2018, 05:56:59 PM
I don't get tattoos.

They're expensive, and almost guaranteed to create buyer's remorse at some point in the future. If they're visible, they can affect one's career path due to other's subconscious biases. And of course there is still the risk of contracting hepatitis C from getting one, although I believe this has been greatly reduced recent years.


Ditto.

And why are most of them ugly?
Same here tattoos.  Most are hideous and even the non-hideous ones become hideous after 10+ years.  Also I can't imagine choosing something now and then having to 'wear' it forever.  I look back on my fashion sense 20 years ago and cringe.  Lucky I didn't get a tattoo.

I don’t generally like tattoos, but one of my sorority sisters got a lovely floral design across her reconstructed breast after cancer surgery. Completely covers the scars and looks great. Makes her feel edgy and beautiful, too.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on May 17, 2018, 12:16:46 AM
35-40 year old men playing video games for hours...Don't get it, I have never been a gamer, however most of my nephews are. I really feel bad for the wives and the kids, unless they are spending time with them playing together? I would rather be on the beach, out on the water, or in the mountains. Generational thing I guess.

Related...Movies that all look the same to me. Most seem to look like one big video game...?

Reality T.V. What a waste of time.

Gaming puts you in a flow state. People enjoy flow state. You can get it from exercise, work, anything really. That's why gaming is behaviourally addictive. It's kind of sad that some people haven't found another activity that puts them in a flow state, though. Most people have several, and a bit more productive ones than gaming. Although I qualify that by saying that I really enjoy gaming! I'm a grownup, however, so I prioritise work and family over bloody gaming.

Anna, actually thanks for your follow-up post. No one has explained this to me as a non-gamer quite the way you did. I too see this as very addictive and that is why I may be too critical towards the amount of time spent playing...

I DO get "the flow" that you speak of, some would call this as being in "the zone" in sports, running, etc. I am a (former) ice hockey player and snow skier...Yes, the rush, the flow (rhythm) of skates on ice or skis on snow...Other hockey players and skiers will "get this" others may not...Cheers.

Gaming suffers from a weird bias. I mean, reading is just as solitary, inactive, pointless and escapist, but if you spend all day reading you won't get the same response from people as you do talking about gaming. Meh, I say people should just enjoy what they enjoy.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on May 17, 2018, 12:21:49 AM
Running. Not good for the body. I am 61 and all my runner friends are having joints replaced. Cut it out, people.
Previous research I've done on this didn't seem to indicate that was true and that running can actually strengthen joints.  Having said that, I haven't done much running in in the last 15 years.

Home sapiens evolved to be runners. We aren't fast, or camouflaged, or secrete poison. But we are evolved to run for a long time at long distanced. So when we were chasing down that antelope on the savanna, it ran faster but eventually tired and we would come along and catch it

We did not evolve to run antelope down. That antelope would be so far ahead of you, it's forgotten you exist. We evolved to solve problems and make things like traps - even as simple a trap as herding those antelope off a cliff. And then we problem solved by learning to dry and preserve meat. We can process cause and effect, we can imagine things that don't currently exist and we can imagine future events. That's our talent. We are problem solvers.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: runbikerun on May 17, 2018, 12:58:43 AM
We absolutely did evolve to run down antelope: humans are absolute garbage at every aspect of physical prowess except distance running. A human in good condition and hot weather can cover more distance in a day than any other land animal. We're hairless and sweaty because it lets us cool more effectively than other animals, and our stride when running is fabulously economical. Other animals are faster over short distances, but we are the kings and queens of endurance. An antelope can put several hundred metres between it and a human, but not every ninety seconds: eventually its body gives up and it's caught.

We are the remorseless, unstoppable horror film monsters of the animal kingdom.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: runbikerun on May 17, 2018, 01:08:40 AM
There's actually a hypothesis that our intelligence was an evolutionary side effect: switching to a vertical stance for running meant we ended up with babies born very early in gestation compared to other primates' gestation periods. Because human babies were so comparatively helpless from the start, selecting the right mate became crucial to maximise the chances of reproductive success, and so intelligence emerged as a way of spotting the right long term partner.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Rightflyer on May 17, 2018, 02:55:45 AM
We absolutely did evolve to run down antelope: humans are absolute garbage at every aspect of physical prowess except distance running. A human in good condition and hot weather can cover more distance in a day than any other land animal. We're hairless and sweaty because it lets us cool more effectively than other animals, and our stride when running is fabulously economical. Other animals are faster over short distances, but we are the kings and queens of endurance. An antelope can put several hundred metres between it and a human, but not every ninety seconds: eventually its body gives up and it's caught.

We are the remorseless, unstoppable horror film monsters of the animal kingdom.

...Along with wolves. Which may go some way to explaining our affinity with them (and their descendants).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: MrThatsDifferent on May 17, 2018, 04:24:39 AM
People who have their heads stuck in smartphones while walking across the street! I don’t get it!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on May 17, 2018, 05:20:57 AM
I don't think anybody's mentioned vaping yet.  I think there are almost as many vape shops around here as mattress stores.  Btw, are mattress stores a front for something?  How many mattresses do they really sell?  "Something" has to be going on, right?

Getting back to vaping, what's the huge puff of smoke that we see pouring out of cars & from dudes vaping down the sidewalks?  It looks like something from a cartoon.  Is it steam or something?  Sure doesn't "look" like a healthy alternative to smoking.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on May 17, 2018, 05:27:57 AM

Speaking of video gaming, I don't get "watching" other people play video games.  When I was younger, I always hated that part and couldn't wait until it was my turn to play again.  But now, "watching" is a thing.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sojourner on May 17, 2018, 06:29:17 AM
Coincidentally, I was contacted by a sibling last evening, asking if I knew of any job their son could do.  His gaming thing is getting out of hand and all he seems to want, when he's not being kept busy with something else, is park himself in front of the computer with earphones and smack those buttons...for crazy amounts of hours.

I fear this sort of thing is not uncommon.  I'd rather see him running down antelope or pretty much anything else that's even slightly more productive.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on May 17, 2018, 06:44:37 AM
We absolutely did evolve to run down antelope: humans are absolute garbage at every aspect of physical prowess except distance running. A human in good condition and hot weather can cover more distance in a day than any other land animal. We're hairless and sweaty because it lets us cool more effectively than other animals, and our stride when running is fabulously economical. Other animals are faster over short distances, but we are the kings and queens of endurance. An antelope can put several hundred metres between it and a human, but not every ninety seconds: eventually its body gives up and it's caught.

We are the remorseless, unstoppable horror film monsters of the animal kingdom.

I'm not well-enough educated on the subject to say whether this is true or not.  What I *do* know, is that I'm thankful I can walk, at any pace I choose, into a grocery store and buy a steak.  Running may be in our evolutionary history, but that doesn't mean we have to play ball.  We're beyond that now.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ketchup on May 17, 2018, 08:23:43 AM
I think there are almost as many vape shops around here as mattress stores.  Btw, are mattress stores a front for something?  How many mattresses do they really sell?  "Something" has to be going on, right?
I really don't get this one.  Last year I walked past a Mattress Firm across the street from .... a Mattress Firm.  I did a double-take.

Vape shops at least make a little sense (people have to keep buying the consumables) but the ubiquity of mattress stores is just bizarre.  Aren't all the best/best value mattresses online now anyway?  I'm not super educated on the market, as we bought our mattress used about five years ago.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: slappy on May 17, 2018, 08:36:51 AM
Coincidentally, I was contacted by a sibling last evening, asking if I knew of any job their son could do.  His gaming thing is getting out of hand and all he seems to want, when he's not being kept busy with something else, is park himself in front of the computer with earphones and smack those buttons...for crazy amounts of hours.

I fear this sort of thing is not uncommon.  I'd rather see him running down antelope or pretty much anything else that's even slightly more productive.

My brother was like this. He ended up at the local recruiter's office. Now he flies Blackhawks.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: honeybbq on May 17, 2018, 10:05:20 AM
Agree with the running conversation that is happening.

I used to have a lot of problems running. That was because I thought I could just go run and I'd get better at it. That wasn't the case. Even though I was athletic (soccer, skiing, hockey, etc) none really set the stage for long distance running. I always like low profile shoes, so the Born to Run theory worked for me as well.

Seeing a PT, learning where I was weak - working on some specialized exercises, getting a run gait analysis, and working on it made me a decent long distance runner. I did my first marathon on a very challenging course in 4:10 last year. This year I'm aiming to break 4 which shouldn't be hard considering I picked a flat course.


But back on topic:
I don't get fancy purses. I'm on other boards where women will literally be gleeful that a bag is on sale from 3k down to 2k. What?? I just don't understand. These are not heirlooms. These are leather bags that get dirty, sit on the floor, have crayons and lipstick in them, etc.

I ran my first 2 half marathons 8-9 years ago.  I'm short and stocky and not "built" for running.  I got injured but managed a 10:00 pace for the second one.  But the injuries sidelined me for years.

So I started running again a couple of years ago.  I've done 3 more half marathons (though I kinda think I'm done.  I'm almost 48, and I'm not built for running, and 13 miles is too. effing. long.) I started working with a running coach last year, and I've found that with exercises to build my hip and core, and work on my turnover and stride (more turnover, shorter stride), that I'm running without injury.

Of course, I'm running a lot slower.  I was thrilled to beat 2:30 on my half last weekend, didn't think it was even possible - not close to my PR and slower than even my first half.

Good job! I know we all focus on speed and times, but there is a lot of good things happening even when you aren't chasing a PR.

In one of my running magazines, there was an article about how 5ks and 10ks are a great distance for "non" runners, if you will. It gets you off the couch enough to keep you in shape, doesn't take you away from your family for too long, and you still get benefits of being active without as much risk for injury. 20 minutes a night is what my PT said, to keep those stabilization and minor muscles strong enough to keep you running without pain.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Schaefer Light on May 17, 2018, 10:27:01 AM
People who have their heads stuck in smartphones while walking across the street! I don’t get it!
Natural selection may eventually take care of that ;).  Couldn't resist with the evolutionary posts just above yours.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on May 17, 2018, 10:34:27 AM

Speaking of video gaming, I don't get "watching" other people play video games.  When I was younger, I always hated that part and couldn't wait until it was my turn to play again.  But now, "watching" is a thing.

I don't watch gaming on youtube, but when I was a kid there was one ninetndo for a neighborhood group of 8 kids. I wasn't one of the oldest, nor one of the owners, so I never got to play- I watched. Now as an adult, I prefer to spend time with my husband watching him play than play myself. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on May 17, 2018, 10:48:27 AM
People who have their heads stuck in smartphones while walking across the street! I don’t get it!
Natural selection may eventually take care of that ;).  Couldn't resist with the evolutionary posts just above yours.

Between staring at smartphones or living with earbuds jammed in, I'm amazed the streets aren't littered with bodies of the mugged and vehicular manslaughters.  There is a 50 yard stretch of my bicycle commute that I must be on the sidewalk.  It is narrow and often has one or two pedestrians that I overtake from behind. I will shout "excuse me!" at a volume that would be considered rude and aggressive, but if they're "plugged in" they don't notice me at all. I'll shout this from 5 feet away without them flinching. Yesterday a guy who was paying attention nearly jumped out of his shoes and I had to explain why I was so loud.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on May 17, 2018, 11:06:00 AM
Bottled water (when tap water is typically better quality).  Swiffers (instead of a mop/broom).  Leaf blowers (when rakes exist).  Car alarms (when left to go off on a near daily basis, how effective do you really believe that they are?).  Tying your self worth/feelings of masculinity to the vehicle you drive.  Not paying off a credit card each month.

WTF people, you can do better!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: slackmax on May 17, 2018, 12:50:41 PM
I don't get why people remodel a perfectly good kitchen, etc. just because they are tired of the old stuff, which functions perfectly well, and can anyone really give a **** what kind of countertop you have???  I would possibly get it if it weren't so outrageously expensive. I would possibly get it if you are addicted to carpentry and you want it to be a DIY project.     
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: driftwood on May 17, 2018, 12:55:38 PM
Leaf blowers (when rakes exist).

If you live where you need to clear debris like leaves from gravelly areas, the leaf blower is a hugely valuable tool.  The rake takes the rocks along with the leaves. Also really efficient way of getting leaves and other kind of debris in one place to be picked/scooped up for disposal, especially on large properties and parking lots. I don't know enough about grass to say definitively, but it's probably also better for the yard plants than a rake would be. When I've raked lawns I end up taking a large portion of the grass with the leaves. It's one of the few powered tools where I begrudgingly recognize their value.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Curmudgeon on May 17, 2018, 01:43:12 PM
Similar to what someone else said, but... I don't get people who go camping, but bring along their stereos, TVs with satellite dish, microwave, A/C etc.  And then, leave the area trashed when they go.  If you want all the comforts of home, why not stay home?  If you enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, why do you leave all your trash behind?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on May 17, 2018, 01:57:02 PM
Leaf blowers (when rakes exist).

If you live where you need to clear debris like leaves from gravelly areas, the leaf blower is a hugely valuable tool.  The rake takes the rocks along with the leaves. Also really efficient way of getting leaves and other kind of debris in one place to be picked/scooped up for disposal, especially on large properties and parking lots. I don't know enough about grass to say definitively, but it's probably also better for the yard plants than a rake would be. When I've raked lawns I end up taking a large portion of the grass with the leaves. It's one of the few powered tools where I begrudgingly recognize their value.

Truth be told, I'm not entirely convinced there's much reason to rake leaves ever.  Why waste so much of your life trying to prevent leaves from doing what they're designed to do by nature?  If you hate seeing leaves on a lawn, cut down all the nearby trees.  (Not sure why anyone would be hellbent on raking gravel either.)

:P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Zikoris on May 17, 2018, 03:38:22 PM
I like watching my boyfriend play video games because I can tell him what to do :) I don't have the reflexes to play most action games myself (though more and more companies are implementing "story mode" or "super duper easy mode" for people like me), but I'm really good at figuring out puzzles and maps and stuff. My boyfriend is awful at that stuff - I think he's gotten lost in pretty much every game he's ever played alone until I rescue him. But he has good reflexes and doesn't get killed constantly, unlike me. So it turns into a bit of a joint effort.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on May 17, 2018, 06:34:15 PM
I like watching my boyfriend play video games because I can tell him what to do :) I don't have the reflexes to play most action games myself (though more and more companies are implementing "story mode" or "super duper easy mode" for people like me), but I'm really good at figuring out puzzles and maps and stuff. My boyfriend is awful at that stuff - I think he's gotten lost in pretty much every game he's ever played alone until I rescue him. But he has good reflexes and doesn't get killed constantly, unlike me. So it turns into a bit of a joint effort.

That makes sense.  I was actually thinking about the people who make big money on youtube with videos of playing video games because of the people who enjoy watching - there's no engagement at all in those cases.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dave1442397 on May 17, 2018, 06:41:20 PM
Leaf blowers (when rakes exist).

If you live where you need to clear debris like leaves from gravelly areas, the leaf blower is a hugely valuable tool.  The rake takes the rocks along with the leaves. Also really efficient way of getting leaves and other kind of debris in one place to be picked/scooped up for disposal, especially on large properties and parking lots. I don't know enough about grass to say definitively, but it's probably also better for the yard plants than a rake would be. When I've raked lawns I end up taking a large portion of the grass with the leaves. It's one of the few powered tools where I begrudgingly recognize their value.

Truth be told, I'm not entirely convinced there's much reason to rake leaves ever.  Why waste so much of your life trying to prevent leaves from doing what they're designed to do by nature?  If you hate seeing leaves on a lawn, cut down all the nearby trees.  (Not sure why anyone would be hellbent on raking gravel either.)

:P

It takes me a good 16 hours to blow leaves every year (I usually do it twice, 8 hours each time). That's just the front yard and maybe an 8 foot swathe around the house. I do the front because it looks like crap with leaves all over, plus they mostly blow down the driveway and into the garage if I don't take care of them. I blow them away from the foundation around the house to avoid trapping water all winter. I leave the back yard alone, so the leaves do their thing and disappear around this time of the year.

We tried raking leaves the first year we lived here, and after spending a weekend without making an appreciable difference, I bought a RedMax EB7001, which has served faithfully for the past 16 years.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Rightflyer on May 18, 2018, 12:44:34 AM
Leaf blowers (when rakes exist).

If you live where you need to clear debris like leaves from gravelly areas, the leaf blower is a hugely valuable tool.  The rake takes the rocks along with the leaves. Also really efficient way of getting leaves and other kind of debris in one place to be picked/scooped up for disposal, especially on large properties and parking lots. I don't know enough about grass to say definitively, but it's probably also better for the yard plants than a rake would be. When I've raked lawns I end up taking a large portion of the grass with the leaves. It's one of the few powered tools where I begrudgingly recognize their value.

Truth be told, I'm not entirely convinced there's much reason to rake leaves ever.  Why waste so much of your life trying to prevent leaves from doing what they're designed to do by nature?  If you hate seeing leaves on a lawn, cut down all the nearby trees.  (Not sure why anyone would be hellbent on raking gravel either.)

:P

It takes me a good 16 hours to blow leaves every year (I usually do it twice, 8 hours each time). That's just the front yard and maybe an 8 foot swathe around the house. I do the front because it looks like crap with leaves all over, plus they mostly blow down the driveway and into the garage if I don't take care of them. I blow them away from the foundation around the house to avoid trapping water all winter. I leave the back yard alone, so the leaves do their thing and disappear around this time of the year.

We tried raking leaves the first year we lived here, and after spending a weekend without making an appreciable difference, I bought a RedMax EB7001, which has served faithfully for the past 16 years.

Your neighbours must love you.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dave1442397 on May 18, 2018, 05:07:27 AM
Leaf blowers (when rakes exist).

If you live where you need to clear debris like leaves from gravelly areas, the leaf blower is a hugely valuable tool.  The rake takes the rocks along with the leaves. Also really efficient way of getting leaves and other kind of debris in one place to be picked/scooped up for disposal, especially on large properties and parking lots. I don't know enough about grass to say definitively, but it's probably also better for the yard plants than a rake would be. When I've raked lawns I end up taking a large portion of the grass with the leaves. It's one of the few powered tools where I begrudgingly recognize their value.

Truth be told, I'm not entirely convinced there's much reason to rake leaves ever.  Why waste so much of your life trying to prevent leaves from doing what they're designed to do by nature?  If you hate seeing leaves on a lawn, cut down all the nearby trees.  (Not sure why anyone would be hellbent on raking gravel either.)

:P

It takes me a good 16 hours to blow leaves every year (I usually do it twice, 8 hours each time). That's just the front yard and maybe an 8 foot swathe around the house. I do the front because it looks like crap with leaves all over, plus they mostly blow down the driveway and into the garage if I don't take care of them. I blow them away from the foundation around the house to avoid trapping water all winter. I leave the back yard alone, so the leaves do their thing and disappear around this time of the year.

We tried raking leaves the first year we lived here, and after spending a weekend without making an appreciable difference, I bought a RedMax EB7001, which has served faithfully for the past 16 years.

Your neighbours must love you.

My neighbors have just as many leaves, and both next door neighbors also use backpack blowers. When you live in a 60-year-old development with this many trees, you're going to hear plenty of yard equipment in the fall. I must have well over 100 trees on my property alone.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: somers515 on May 18, 2018, 05:13:33 AM
Leaf blowers (when rakes exist).

If you live where you need to clear debris like leaves from gravelly areas, the leaf blower is a hugely valuable tool.  The rake takes the rocks along with the leaves. Also really efficient way of getting leaves and other kind of debris in one place to be picked/scooped up for disposal, especially on large properties and parking lots. I don't know enough about grass to say definitively, but it's probably also better for the yard plants than a rake would be. When I've raked lawns I end up taking a large portion of the grass with the leaves. It's one of the few powered tools where I begrudgingly recognize their value.

Truth be told, I'm not entirely convinced there's much reason to rake leaves ever.  Why waste so much of your life trying to prevent leaves from doing what they're designed to do by nature?  If you hate seeing leaves on a lawn, cut down all the nearby trees.  (Not sure why anyone would be hellbent on raking gravel either.)

:P

It takes me a good 16 hours to blow leaves every year (I usually do it twice, 8 hours each time). That's just the front yard and maybe an 8 foot swathe around the house. I do the front because it looks like crap with leaves all over, plus they mostly blow down the driveway and into the garage if I don't take care of them. I blow them away from the foundation around the house to avoid trapping water all winter. I leave the back yard alone, so the leaves do their thing and disappear around this time of the year.

We tried raking leaves the first year we lived here, and after spending a weekend without making an appreciable difference, I bought a RedMax EB7001, which has served faithfully for the past 16 years.

Your neighbours must love you.

My neighbors have just as many leaves, and both next door neighbors also use backpack blowers. When you live in a 60-year-old development with this many trees, you're going to hear plenty of yard equipment in the fall. I must have well over 100 trees on my property alone.

Sounds like someone should spend less time blowing leaves and more time reading MMM: http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/12/05/muscle-over-motor/
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dave1442397 on May 18, 2018, 07:06:24 AM
Leaf blowers (when rakes exist).

If you live where you need to clear debris like leaves from gravelly areas, the leaf blower is a hugely valuable tool.  The rake takes the rocks along with the leaves. Also really efficient way of getting leaves and other kind of debris in one place to be picked/scooped up for disposal, especially on large properties and parking lots. I don't know enough about grass to say definitively, but it's probably also better for the yard plants than a rake would be. When I've raked lawns I end up taking a large portion of the grass with the leaves. It's one of the few powered tools where I begrudgingly recognize their value.

Truth be told, I'm not entirely convinced there's much reason to rake leaves ever.  Why waste so much of your life trying to prevent leaves from doing what they're designed to do by nature?  If you hate seeing leaves on a lawn, cut down all the nearby trees.  (Not sure why anyone would be hellbent on raking gravel either.)

:P

It takes me a good 16 hours to blow leaves every year (I usually do it twice, 8 hours each time). That's just the front yard and maybe an 8 foot swathe around the house. I do the front because it looks like crap with leaves all over, plus they mostly blow down the driveway and into the garage if I don't take care of them. I blow them away from the foundation around the house to avoid trapping water all winter. I leave the back yard alone, so the leaves do their thing and disappear around this time of the year.

We tried raking leaves the first year we lived here, and after spending a weekend without making an appreciable difference, I bought a RedMax EB7001, which has served faithfully for the past 16 years.

Your neighbours must love you.

My neighbors have just as many leaves, and both next door neighbors also use backpack blowers. When you live in a 60-year-old development with this many trees, you're going to hear plenty of yard equipment in the fall. I must have well over 100 trees on my property alone.

Sounds like someone should spend less time blowing leaves and more time reading MMM: http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/12/05/muscle-over-motor/

Mmm, nope. I'm not wasting 80+ hours raking leaves. I can ride my bike 1600 miles in 80 hours - that['s my exercise.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dignam on May 18, 2018, 07:25:19 AM
35-40 year old men playing video games for hours...Don't get it, I have never been a gamer, however most of my nephews are. I really feel bad for the wives and the kids, unless they are spending time with them playing together? I would rather be on the beach, out on the water, or in the mountains. Generational thing I guess.

Related...Movies that all look the same to me. Most seem to look like one big video game...?

Reality T.V. What a waste of time.

Gaming puts you in a flow state. People enjoy flow state. You can get it from exercise, work, anything really. That's why gaming is behaviourally addictive. It's kind of sad that some people haven't found another activity that puts them in a flow state, though. Most people have several, and a bit more productive ones than gaming. Although I qualify that by saying that I really enjoy gaming! I'm a grownup, however, so I prioritise work and family over bloody gaming.

Anna, actually thanks for your follow-up post. No one has explained this to me as a non-gamer quite the way you did. I too see this as very addictive and that is why I may be too critical towards the amount of time spent playing...

I DO get "the flow" that you speak of, some would call this as being in "the zone" in sports, running, etc. I am a (former) ice hockey player and snow skier...Yes, the rush, the flow (rhythm) of skates on ice or skis on snow...Other hockey players and skiers will "get this" others may not...Cheers.

Gaming suffers from a weird bias. I mean, reading is just as solitary, inactive, pointless and escapist, but if you spend all day reading you won't get the same response from people as you do talking about gaming. Meh, I say people should just enjoy what they enjoy.

This.  There is a stigma applied to gamers that should also be applied to people who read all the time.  Hell, even people who watch TV all the time are generally given a pass.  But nope, not gamers.  At least you're actually working toward something/interacting (sometimes even with other people), which you cannot generally say with watching TV.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dude on May 18, 2018, 07:38:20 AM
Football...

As in, the game itself? Or the peculiar phenomenon of people gluing themselves to TV sets every fall weekend (the best time of year to be outdoors) to watch the game?

Because the game -- man, I tell you, I loved it more than anything when I was playing it in my youth. It's hard to describe that feeling of walking out onto the field under the lights on a Friday night with everyone cheering, or the high of dominating your opponent in a physical contest of wills, of smashing somebody in the mouth to make that touchdown-saving tackle. It was the greatest feeling in my life, seriously. And I learned a lot about fighting through adversity, teamwork, hard work, showing up on time, commitment, etc, etc. Life lessons that still impact me to this day.

Of course, I get that in today's world with what we now know about CTE and its lasting impacts, it's hard to feel the same way about the game. I probably wouldn't let my kids play if I had kids, and that's hard for me to say, because there was a time in my life when I dreamed of having kids who would be gridiron warriors I could cheer on from the sidelines.

Anyone else here have the same experience?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: driftwood on May 18, 2018, 07:59:38 AM
Leaf blowers (when rakes exist).

If you live where you need to clear debris like leaves from gravelly areas, the leaf blower is a hugely valuable tool.  The rake takes the rocks along with the leaves. Also really efficient way of getting leaves and other kind of debris in one place to be picked/scooped up for disposal, especially on large properties and parking lots. I don't know enough about grass to say definitively, but it's probably also better for the yard plants than a rake would be. When I've raked lawns I end up taking a large portion of the grass with the leaves. It's one of the few powered tools where I begrudgingly recognize their value.

Truth be told, I'm not entirely convinced there's much reason to rake leaves ever.  Why waste so much of your life trying to prevent leaves from doing what they're designed to do by nature?  If you hate seeing leaves on a lawn, cut down all the nearby trees.  (Not sure why anyone would be hellbent on raking gravel either.)

:P

I don't, anymore. It was a chore I had as a kid and teen, which I did again when I owned my first house, and then again when I rented and was legally responsible to keep the lawn tidy. I don't even 'believe in' grass anymore. Grow a plant to cut the plant, but you can't eat the plant?  Then add threes for shade but they drop leaves to kill the grass and monopolize nutrients for themselves, so you gotta rake up those leaves too, but be careful you don't kill the grass!  You wouldn't want it to die and leave you without mowing responsibilities. Next place I rent yard maintenance will be in the lease as a responsibility of the owner.  I don't give a shit about maintaining a frail, fake ecosystem for a landlord.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: chloes1 on May 18, 2018, 07:59:58 AM
If you ever figure it out, let me know -- please?

My son would do just that all day if I let him!


I like watching my boyfriend play video games because I can tell him what to do :) I don't have the reflexes to play most action games myself (though more and more companies are implementing "story mode" or "super duper easy mode" for people like me), but I'm really good at figuring out puzzles and maps and stuff. My boyfriend is awful at that stuff - I think he's gotten lost in pretty much every game he's ever played alone until I rescue him. But he has good reflexes and doesn't get killed constantly, unlike me. So it turns into a bit of a joint effort.

That makes sense.  I was actually thinking about the people who make big money on youtube with videos of playing video games because of the people who enjoy watching - there's no engagement at all in those cases.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on May 18, 2018, 08:47:10 AM
Is it any different than watching a TV show really?
Like a cooking show when you have no intention of making the dish yourself?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Chris22 on May 18, 2018, 08:56:42 AM
Leaf blowers (when rakes exist).

If you live where you need to clear debris like leaves from gravelly areas, the leaf blower is a hugely valuable tool.  The rake takes the rocks along with the leaves. Also really efficient way of getting leaves and other kind of debris in one place to be picked/scooped up for disposal, especially on large properties and parking lots. I don't know enough about grass to say definitively, but it's probably also better for the yard plants than a rake would be. When I've raked lawns I end up taking a large portion of the grass with the leaves. It's one of the few powered tools where I begrudgingly recognize their value.

Truth be told, I'm not entirely convinced there's much reason to rake leaves ever.  Why waste so much of your life trying to prevent leaves from doing what they're designed to do by nature?  If you hate seeing leaves on a lawn, cut down all the nearby trees.  (Not sure why anyone would be hellbent on raking gravel either.)

:P

I don't, anymore. It was a chore I had as a kid and teen, which I did again when I owned my first house, and then again when I rented and was legally responsible to keep the lawn tidy. I don't even 'believe in' grass anymore. Grow a plant to cut the plant, but you can't eat the plant?  Then add threes for shade but they drop leaves to kill the grass and monopolize nutrients for themselves, so you gotta rake up those leaves too, but be careful you don't kill the grass!  You wouldn't want it to die and leave you without mowing responsibilities. Next place I rent yard maintenance will be in the lease as a responsibility of the owner.  I don't give a shit about maintaining a frail, fake ecosystem for a landlord.

Aside from being aesthetically pleasing to most people, a healthy lawn will keep soil from eroding due to rain and creating runoff, will help absorb water and keep your yard from being a muddy mess, keeps out other invasive weeds, and provides an excellent place to play for kids or for sports for adults. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SachaFiscal on May 18, 2018, 09:10:47 AM
I don't get why people think its okay to put a nice ding in your car door and not even leave a simple note that says "sorry".

Agree.  This just happened to me this morning.  And it was my next door neighbor.  Red car, car door directly in line with the red ding.  Still pondering how to handle this.

I miss the days when people just kept dogs in their backyards and that's where they pooped.  I never sit on grass in public parks anymore because chances are there was poop there.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ChpBstrd on May 18, 2018, 10:00:14 AM
1) Lawns
2) Dogs
3) People who get pissed at the neighbors whose dogs contribute natural compost to their lawns EVEN THOUGH their own dogs can contribute natural compost there, as if it's a territorial thing or the shit is somehow different.
4) People described under #3 who encourage me to "adopt" a dog even as they make life miserable and degrading for dog owners.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Chris22 on May 18, 2018, 10:06:12 AM
1) Lawns
2) Dogs
3) People who get pissed at the neighbors whose dogs contribute natural compost to their lawns EVEN THOUGH their own dogs can contribute natural compost there, as if it's a territorial thing or the shit is somehow different.
4) People described under #3 who encourage me to "adopt" a dog even as they make life miserable and degrading for dog owners.

I have a 10lb dog.  An 80lb dog's shit IS different.

Also, my dog shits only in the backyard (it's fenced, he doesn't go in the unfenced front).  I know to watch for shit there.  If someone else's dog shits in the front yard, I (and others in my household) am/are not expecting it. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on May 18, 2018, 10:32:09 AM
Is it any different than watching a TV show really?
Like a cooking show when you have no intention of making the dish yourself?

I suppose with a cooking show you might pick up a more real-world applicable skill set in the process. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on May 18, 2018, 10:33:19 AM
1) Lawns
2) Dogs
3) People who get pissed at the neighbors whose dogs contribute natural compost to their lawns EVEN THOUGH their own dogs can contribute natural compost there, as if it's a territorial thing or the shit is somehow different.
4) People described under #3 who encourage me to "adopt" a dog even as they make life miserable and degrading for dog owners.

I have a 10lb dog.  An 80lb dog's shit IS different.

Also, my dog shits only in the backyard (it's fenced, he doesn't go in the unfenced front).  I know to watch for shit there.  If someone else's dog shits in the front yard, I (and others in my household) am/are not expecting it.

Yep. I don't have dogs. Somehow, I ended up needing to scrape and clean a rather large quantity of fairly fresh dog shit off of my workboot last fall after working in my own yard.

I don't have dogs because I don't want to deal with dog shit in my yard (among other reasons). I certainly don't want to deal with shit from other peoples' dogs.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on May 18, 2018, 10:34:42 AM
Football...

As in, the game itself? Or the peculiar phenomenon of people gluing themselves to TV sets every fall weekend (the best time of year to be outdoors) to watch the game?

Because the game -- man, I tell you, I loved it more than anything when I was playing it in my youth. It's hard to describe that feeling of walking out onto the field under the lights on a Friday night with everyone cheering, or the high of dominating your opponent in a physical contest of wills, of smashing somebody in the mouth to make that touchdown-saving tackle. It was the greatest feeling in my life, seriously. And I learned a lot about fighting through adversity, teamwork, hard work, showing up on time, commitment, etc, etc. Life lessons that still impact me to this day.

Of course, I get that in today's world with what we now know about CTE and it's lasting impacts, it's hard to feel the same way about the game. I probably wouldn't let my kids play if I had kids, and that's hard for me to say, because there was a time in my life when I dreamed of having kids who would be gridiron warriors I could cheer on from the sidelines.

Anyone else here have the same experience?

Why Americans love football vs other sports.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIkqNiBASfI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIkqNiBASfI)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RWD on May 18, 2018, 11:54:09 AM
Football...

As in, the game itself? Or the peculiar phenomenon of people gluing themselves to TV sets every fall weekend (the best time of year to be outdoors) to watch the game?

Because the game -- man, I tell you, I loved it more than anything when I was playing it in my youth. It's hard to describe that feeling of walking out onto the field under the lights on a Friday night with everyone cheering, or the high of dominating your opponent in a physical contest of wills, of smashing somebody in the mouth to make that touchdown-saving tackle. It was the greatest feeling in my life, seriously. And I learned a lot about fighting through adversity, teamwork, hard work, showing up on time, commitment, etc, etc. Life lessons that still impact me to this day.

Of course, I get that in today's world with what we now know about CTE and it's lasting impacts, it's hard to feel the same way about the game. I probably wouldn't let my kids play if I had kids, and that's hard for me to say, because there was a time in my life when I dreamed of having kids who would be gridiron warriors I could cheer on from the sidelines.

Anyone else here have the same experience?

I get the appeal of the game itself. I typically enjoy watching it. There's a nice combination of strategy, athleticism, and teamwork. I'm sure it's fun to play too (when you aren't getting injured and CTE). What I don't get is the ridiculous amounts of time and resources that are devoted to the game. The gigantic stadiums, the numerous staff, the paraphernalia, the time spent traveling to games and watching games, etc. Everything is excessive for what boils down to just another competitive sport.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on May 18, 2018, 12:26:57 PM
1) Lawns
2) Dogs
3) People who get pissed at the neighbors whose dogs contribute natural compost to their lawns EVEN THOUGH their own dogs can contribute natural compost there, as if it's a territorial thing or the shit is somehow different.
4) People described under #3 who encourage me to "adopt" a dog even as they make life miserable and degrading for dog owners.

I have a 10lb dog.  An 80lb dog's shit IS different.

Also, my dog shits only in the backyard (it's fenced, he doesn't go in the unfenced front).  I know to watch for shit there.  If someone else's dog shits in the front yard, I (and others in my household) am/are not expecting it.

Yep. I don't have dogs. Somehow, I ended up needing to scrape and clean a rather large quantity of fairly fresh dog shit off of my workboot last fall after working in my own yard.

I don't have dogs because I don't want to deal with dog shit in my yard (among other reasons). I certainly don't want to deal with shit from other peoples' dogs.

I've personally witnessed squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, skunks, deer, a black bear, and a fox defecate in yards I've lived at over the years.  You might be placing unwarranted blame.  :P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on May 18, 2018, 12:35:48 PM
1) Lawns
2) Dogs
3) People who get pissed at the neighbors whose dogs contribute natural compost to their lawns EVEN THOUGH their own dogs can contribute natural compost there, as if it's a territorial thing or the shit is somehow different.
4) People described under #3 who encourage me to "adopt" a dog even as they make life miserable and degrading for dog owners.

I have a 10lb dog.  An 80lb dog's shit IS different.

Also, my dog shits only in the backyard (it's fenced, he doesn't go in the unfenced front).  I know to watch for shit there.  If someone else's dog shits in the front yard, I (and others in my household) am/are not expecting it.

Yep. I don't have dogs. Somehow, I ended up needing to scrape and clean a rather large quantity of fairly fresh dog shit off of my workboot last fall after working in my own yard.

I don't have dogs because I don't want to deal with dog shit in my yard (among other reasons). I certainly don't want to deal with shit from other peoples' dogs.

I've personally witnessed squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, skunks, deer, a black bear, and a fox defecate in yards I've lived at over the years.  You might be placing unwarranted blame.  :P

I'm sure it's possible, although the amount and consistency of the shit ruled out the first four, I've never seen a deer or fox in our inner-ring suburban neighborhood (at least not during the last 15 years that we've lived here), and we don't have bears in the area. We do, however, have some neighbors who fail to properly secure their dogs and others who don't clean up droppings on a regular basis. Occam's razor, although I suppose it could also have been cats or other humans.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ChpBstrd on May 18, 2018, 12:36:09 PM
1) Lawns
2) Dogs
3) People who get pissed at the neighbors whose dogs contribute natural compost to their lawns EVEN THOUGH their own dogs can contribute natural compost there, as if it's a territorial thing or the shit is somehow different.
4) People described under #3 who encourage me to "adopt" a dog even as they make life miserable and degrading for dog owners.

I have a 10lb dog.  An 80lb dog's shit IS different.

Also, my dog shits only in the backyard (it's fenced, he doesn't go in the unfenced front).  I know to watch for shit there.  If someone else's dog shits in the front yard, I (and others in my household) am/are not expecting it.

Yep. I don't have dogs. Somehow, I ended up needing to scrape and clean a rather large quantity of fairly fresh dog shit off of my workboot last fall after working in my own yard.

I don't have dogs because I don't want to deal with dog shit in my yard (among other reasons). I certainly don't want to deal with shit from other peoples' dogs.
The interesting thing about lawns is that they compel us to blame other people and animals for the poop rather than the presence of the lawn itself. I.e. we tend to neglect that another solution to the problem (and many other problems) is to not have a lawn, or at least not expect them to be sterile play surfaces and have our day ruined when reality intrudes upon this illusion. Will we end up shaking our fists in the air at the birds dropping poop on our grass? Earthworms are shitting all over the place just beneath the surface. Topsoil itself is composed of decomposing organic matter, including poop. Even blue ribbon lawns are full of bacteria, fungi, molds, alge, viruses, and parasites for various species.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on May 18, 2018, 12:38:01 PM
1) Lawns
2) Dogs
3) People who get pissed at the neighbors whose dogs contribute natural compost to their lawns EVEN THOUGH their own dogs can contribute natural compost there, as if it's a territorial thing or the shit is somehow different.
4) People described under #3 who encourage me to "adopt" a dog even as they make life miserable and degrading for dog owners.

I have a 10lb dog.  An 80lb dog's shit IS different.

Also, my dog shits only in the backyard (it's fenced, he doesn't go in the unfenced front).  I know to watch for shit there.  If someone else's dog shits in the front yard, I (and others in my household) am/are not expecting it.

Yep. I don't have dogs. Somehow, I ended up needing to scrape and clean a rather large quantity of fairly fresh dog shit off of my workboot last fall after working in my own yard.

I don't have dogs because I don't want to deal with dog shit in my yard (among other reasons). I certainly don't want to deal with shit from other peoples' dogs.
The interesting thing about lawns is that they compel us to blame other people and animals for the poop rather than the presence of the lawn itself. I.e. we tend to neglect that another solution to the problem (and many other problems) is to not have a lawn, or at least not expect them to be sterile play surfaces and have our day ruined when reality intrudes upon this illusion. Will we end up shaking our fists in the air at the birds dropping poop on our grass? Earthworms are shitting all over the place just beneath the surface. Topsoil itself is composed of decomposing organic matter, including poop. Even blue ribbon lawns are full of bacteria, fungi, molds, alge, viruses, and parasites for various species.

I feel like this is being deliberately obtuse. I live in a community where people are expected to control and clean up after their pets (i.e., the animals for which they have consciously assumed responsibility, not the natural fauna) per city ordinances. If one doesn't want to do that, perhaps one should live elsewhere.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Jouer on May 18, 2018, 12:41:05 PM
1) Lawns
2) Dogs
3) People who get pissed at the neighbors whose dogs contribute natural compost to their lawns EVEN THOUGH their own dogs can contribute natural compost there, as if it's a territorial thing or the shit is somehow different.
4) People described under #3 who encourage me to "adopt" a dog even as they make life miserable and degrading for dog owners.

I have a 10lb dog.  An 80lb dog's shit IS different.

Also, my dog shits only in the backyard (it's fenced, he doesn't go in the unfenced front).  I know to watch for shit there.  If someone else's dog shits in the front yard, I (and others in my household) am/are not expecting it.

Yep. I don't have dogs. Somehow, I ended up needing to scrape and clean a rather large quantity of fairly fresh dog shit off of my workboot last fall after working in my own yard.

I don't have dogs because I don't want to deal with dog shit in my yard (among other reasons). I certainly don't want to deal with shit from other peoples' dogs.
The interesting thing about lawns is that they compel us to blame other people and animals for the poop rather than the presence of the lawn itself. I.e. we tend to neglect that another solution to the problem (and many other problems) is to not have a lawn, or at least not expect them to be sterile play surfaces and have our day ruined when reality intrudes upon this illusion. Will we end up shaking our fists in the air at the birds dropping poop on our grass? Earthworms are shitting all over the place just beneath the surface. Topsoil itself is composed of decomposing organic matter, including poop. Even blue ribbon lawns are full of bacteria, fungi, molds, alge, viruses, and parasites for various species.

The issue with dog poop for me isn't seeing dog poop. It's the people being so inconsiderate that they didn't pick it up when they saw their dog do it. I have a dog. I love dogs. I don't like people who don't clean up their shit. I see it as no different than tossing a cigarette butt or garbage on the ground. Be better than that people, for Christ sakes!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Chris22 on May 18, 2018, 12:55:23 PM
1) Lawns
2) Dogs
3) People who get pissed at the neighbors whose dogs contribute natural compost to their lawns EVEN THOUGH their own dogs can contribute natural compost there, as if it's a territorial thing or the shit is somehow different.
4) People described under #3 who encourage me to "adopt" a dog even as they make life miserable and degrading for dog owners.

I have a 10lb dog.  An 80lb dog's shit IS different.

Also, my dog shits only in the backyard (it's fenced, he doesn't go in the unfenced front).  I know to watch for shit there.  If someone else's dog shits in the front yard, I (and others in my household) am/are not expecting it.

Yep. I don't have dogs. Somehow, I ended up needing to scrape and clean a rather large quantity of fairly fresh dog shit off of my workboot last fall after working in my own yard.

I don't have dogs because I don't want to deal with dog shit in my yard (among other reasons). I certainly don't want to deal with shit from other peoples' dogs.

I've personally witnessed squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, skunks, deer, a black bear, and a fox defecate in yards I've lived at over the years.  You might be placing unwarranted blame.  :P

Which one of those animals takes a dump the size of a large breed dog?  Frankly, the guy up the street with the little schnauzer can let it crap in my yard, I don't really care.  The guy across the street with the husky or the guy down the block with the giant whatever it is?  Please no. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: profnot on May 18, 2018, 01:41:42 PM
Re gaming -

There are some VERY funny videos made by women who got fed up with their gamer boyfriends.

In the search area, type Girlfriend smashes Xbox and you'll see lots.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on May 18, 2018, 02:02:50 PM
1) Lawns
2) Dogs
3) People who get pissed at the neighbors whose dogs contribute natural compost to their lawns EVEN THOUGH their own dogs can contribute natural compost there, as if it's a territorial thing or the shit is somehow different.
4) People described under #3 who encourage me to "adopt" a dog even as they make life miserable and degrading for dog owners.

I have a 10lb dog.  An 80lb dog's shit IS different.

Also, my dog shits only in the backyard (it's fenced, he doesn't go in the unfenced front).  I know to watch for shit there.  If someone else's dog shits in the front yard, I (and others in my household) am/are not expecting it.

Yep. I don't have dogs. Somehow, I ended up needing to scrape and clean a rather large quantity of fairly fresh dog shit off of my workboot last fall after working in my own yard.

I don't have dogs because I don't want to deal with dog shit in my yard (among other reasons). I certainly don't want to deal with shit from other peoples' dogs.

I've personally witnessed squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, skunks, deer, a black bear, and a fox defecate in yards I've lived at over the years.  You might be placing unwarranted blame.  :P

Which one of those animals takes a dump the size of a large breed dog?  Frankly, the guy up the street with the little schnauzer can let it crap in my yard, I don't really care.  The guy across the street with the husky or the guy down the block with the giant whatever it is?  Please no.

I remember the bear poop took several shovels to clear.  :P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on May 18, 2018, 02:16:43 PM
1) Lawns
2) Dogs
3) People who get pissed at the neighbors whose dogs contribute natural compost to their lawns EVEN THOUGH their own dogs can contribute natural compost there, as if it's a territorial thing or the shit is somehow different.
4) People described under #3 who encourage me to "adopt" a dog even as they make life miserable and degrading for dog owners.

I have a 10lb dog.  An 80lb dog's shit IS different.

Also, my dog shits only in the backyard (it's fenced, he doesn't go in the unfenced front).  I know to watch for shit there.  If someone else's dog shits in the front yard, I (and others in my household) am/are not expecting it.

Yep. I don't have dogs. Somehow, I ended up needing to scrape and clean a rather large quantity of fairly fresh dog shit off of my workboot last fall after working in my own yard.

I don't have dogs because I don't want to deal with dog shit in my yard (among other reasons). I certainly don't want to deal with shit from other peoples' dogs.
The interesting thing about lawns is that they compel us to blame other people and animals for the poop rather than the presence of the lawn itself. I.e. we tend to neglect that another solution to the problem (and many other problems) is to not have a lawn, or at least not expect them to be sterile play surfaces and have our day ruined when reality intrudes upon this illusion. Will we end up shaking our fists in the air at the birds dropping poop on our grass? Earthworms are shitting all over the place just beneath the surface. Topsoil itself is composed of decomposing organic matter, including poop. Even blue ribbon lawns are full of bacteria, fungi, molds, alge, viruses, and parasites for various species.

I feel like this is being deliberately obtuse. I live in a community where people are expected to control and clean up after their pets (i.e., the animals for which they have consciously assumed responsibility, not the natural fauna) per city ordinances. If one doesn't want to do that, perhaps one should live elsewhere.

I agree.  I'm not getting some of these people who aren't getting.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on May 18, 2018, 02:41:43 PM
This thread has turned to shit. 

Come on folks, you've got to have more important things to bitch about than dog poo.  This is like a Southpark episode. 

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on May 18, 2018, 08:51:05 PM
Lol, we replaced our lawn with slate chips. Dogs don't poop there any more and our Redwood trees don't kill the grass any more either, for the win. Here's what I don't get: our house is surrounded by Redwoods. Therefore, we are not good candidates for solar technology as it currently exists. WHY do the phone calls from people trying to sell us solar never stop?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sojourner on May 18, 2018, 09:10:29 PM
Lol, we replaced our lawn with slate chips. Dogs don't poop there any more and our Redwood trees don't kill the grass any more either, for the win. Here's what I don't get: our house is surrounded by Redwoods. Therefore, we are not good candidates for solar technology as it currently exists. WHY do the phone calls from people trying to sell us solar never stop?

Wonder what happens in this case to Californians building new buildings where it's now required they install solar.  What if it doesn't make sense in their particular location?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on May 18, 2018, 09:27:39 PM
Lol, we replaced our lawn with slate chips. Dogs don't poop there any more and our Redwood trees don't kill the grass any more either, for the win. Here's what I don't get: our house is surrounded by Redwoods. Therefore, we are not good candidates for solar technology as it currently exists. WHY do the phone calls from people trying to sell us solar never stop?

Wonder what happens in this case to Californians building new buildings where it's now required they install solar.  What if it doesn't make sense in their particular location?
Best guess: New Builds = No Trees Yet. Also, for scratch built projects, they might pay a little more attention to site topography and  building orientation. When it comes to CA building codes, particularly municipal building codes, sense has nothing to do with it. For more on this topic, go see my friend Johnny over at Granola Shotgun. Love that guy! Fair warning: it's a helluva rabbit hole!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on May 19, 2018, 09:30:14 AM
Waiters who don't give you all of your change, assuming that you don't care about the coins.  It would be fine if they rounded the bill down in the customers' favor, but they usually round the bill up. 

Also, when did the response to "thank you" become "no problem"?  When I thank a waiter I'd like a "you're welcome" or "it's my pleasure" in reply.  Maybe I'm getting old...

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on May 19, 2018, 09:42:36 AM
Waiters who don't give you all of your change, assuming that you don't care about the coins.  It would be fine if they rounded the bill down in the customers' favor, but they usually round the bill up. 

Also, when did the response to "thank you" become "no problem"?  When I thank a waiter I'd like a "you're welcome" or "it's my pleasure" in reply.  Maybe I'm getting old...

Another is, "you bet."  I find myself using "no problem" and "you bet" sometimes.  I don't think about it - it's automatic.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Spiffy on May 19, 2018, 07:26:41 PM
I don't get people who park "backwards". How is it better to back up into a tiny parking space than to back out into open space when you are ready to drive away. Do people need to justify their backup cameras? Are you Batman and need to drive away very quickly? Why?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: undercover on May 19, 2018, 09:08:16 PM
I don't get people who park "backwards". How is it better to back up into a tiny parking space than to back out into open space when you are ready to drive away. Do people need to justify their backup cameras? Are you Batman and need to drive away very quickly? Why?

I don't think it's always better...but I do it sometimes because I feel like I'm more mentally aware of my surroundings when I back into a parking spot than when I'm backing out into the aisle when I'm leaving. Not sure which is statistically better in terms of fewer overall accidents but at minimum it's the same amount of effort/damage done. At best it's same effort and maybe slight safer?

It could also be a psychological thing of wanting to tackle a problem as soon as it arrives rather than waiting until you have to.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RWD on May 19, 2018, 10:20:38 PM
I don't get people who park "backwards". How is it better to back up into a tiny parking space than to back out into open space when you are ready to drive away. Do people need to justify their backup cameras? Are you Batman and need to drive away very quickly? Why?

I don't think it's always better...but I do it sometimes because I feel like I'm more mentally aware of my surroundings when I back into a parking spot than when I'm backing out into the aisle when I'm leaving. Not sure which is statistically better in terms of fewer overall accidents but at minimum it's the same amount of effort/damage done. At best it's same effort and maybe slight safer?

It could also be a psychological thing of wanting to tackle a problem as soon as it arrives rather than waiting until you have to.

Yeah, it's a situational awareness thing. When backing into a spot you only have to worry about stationary cars. When backing out it may be difficult to see the other cars moving through the parking lot.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on May 19, 2018, 10:20:51 PM
I don't get people who park "backwards". How is it better to back up into a tiny parking space than to back out into open space when you are ready to drive away. Do people need to justify their backup cameras? Are you Batman and need to drive away very quickly? Why?

I see this a lot with pickup trucks.  I think it has something to do with how the tires are spread out in relation to the rest of the vehicle. it affects the truck's turning ability in such a way that it's easier to back up into a spot and drive out than parking "normally."
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Morning Glory on May 20, 2018, 06:46:53 AM
I don't get people who park "backwards". How is it better to back up into a tiny parking space than to back out into open space when you are ready to drive away. Do people need to justify their backup cameras? Are you Batman and need to drive away very quickly? Why?

I see this a lot with pickup trucks.  I think it has something to do with how the tires are spread out in relation to the rest of the vehicle. it affects the truck's turning ability in such a way that it's easier to back up into a spot and drive out than parking "normally."

I think it's a show-off thing. I ask to get out first if I am the passenger and the driver wants to park backwards because it gives me motion sickness.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SweetTPi on May 20, 2018, 07:40:30 AM
I don't get people who park "backwards". How is it better to back up into a tiny parking space than to back out into open space when you are ready to drive away. Do people need to justify their backup cameras? Are you Batman and need to drive away very quickly? Why?

I don't think it's always better...but I do it sometimes because I feel like I'm more mentally aware of my surroundings when I back into a parking spot than when I'm backing out into the aisle when I'm leaving. Not sure which is statistically better in terms of fewer overall accidents but at minimum it's the same amount of effort/damage done. At best it's same effort and maybe slight safer?

It could also be a psychological thing of wanting to tackle a problem as soon as it arrives rather than waiting until you have to.

Yeah, it's a situational awareness thing. When backing into a spot you only have to worry about stationary cars. When backing out it may be difficult to see the other cars moving through the parking lot.

This, plus it can also be a habit.  In some of the areas where I worked, companies would train/require guys driving the company trucks to back into the spots, and so they just got used to doing it.  They were working long hours, so anything to make things safer at the end was a good idea.  Also, I heard that it's easier and faster to GTFO if something goes bad. (Oilfields)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: PoutineLover on May 20, 2018, 09:01:08 AM
I don't get people who park "backwards". How is it better to back up into a tiny parking space than to back out into open space when you are ready to drive away. Do people need to justify their backup cameras? Are you Batman and need to drive away very quickly? Why?

I don't think it's always better...but I do it sometimes because I feel like I'm more mentally aware of my surroundings when I back into a parking spot than when I'm backing out into the aisle when I'm leaving. Not sure which is statistically better in terms of fewer overall accidents but at minimum it's the same amount of effort/damage done. At best it's same effort and maybe slight safer?

It could also be a psychological thing of wanting to tackle a problem as soon as it arrives rather than waiting until you have to.

Yeah, it's a situational awareness thing. When backing into a spot you only have to worry about stationary cars. When backing out it may be difficult to see the other cars moving through the parking lot.
This is exactly the reason I always back in instead of out. Unless I can drive through instead.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on May 20, 2018, 10:06:21 AM
I don't get people who park "backwards". How is it better to back up into a tiny parking space than to back out into open space when you are ready to drive away. Do people need to justify their backup cameras? Are you Batman and need to drive away very quickly? Why?

I don't think it's always better...but I do it sometimes because I feel like I'm more mentally aware of my surroundings when I back into a parking spot than when I'm backing out into the aisle when I'm leaving. Not sure which is statistically better in terms of fewer overall accidents but at minimum it's the same amount of effort/damage done. At best it's same effort and maybe slight safer?

It could also be a psychological thing of wanting to tackle a problem as soon as it arrives rather than waiting until you have to.

Yeah, it's a situational awareness thing. When backing into a spot you only have to worry about stationary cars. When backing out it may be difficult to see the other cars moving through the parking lot.

This, plus it can also be a habit.  In some of the areas where I worked, companies would train/require guys driving the company trucks to back into the spots, and so they just got used to doing it.  They were working long hours, so anything to make things safer at the end was a good idea.  Also, I heard that it's easier and faster to GTFO if something goes bad. (Oilfields)

In the military we're trained to back into every parking space, even if we have a trailer.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: wenchsenior on May 20, 2018, 10:36:13 AM
I don't get people who park "backwards". How is it better to back up into a tiny parking space than to back out into open space when you are ready to drive away. Do people need to justify their backup cameras? Are you Batman and need to drive away very quickly? Why?

I don't think it's always better...but I do it sometimes because I feel like I'm more mentally aware of my surroundings when I back into a parking spot than when I'm backing out into the aisle when I'm leaving. Not sure which is statistically better in terms of fewer overall accidents but at minimum it's the same amount of effort/damage done. At best it's same effort and maybe slight safer?

It could also be a psychological thing of wanting to tackle a problem as soon as it arrives rather than waiting until you have to.

Yeah, it's a situational awareness thing. When backing into a spot you only have to worry about stationary cars. When backing out it may be difficult to see the other cars moving through the parking lot.
This is exactly the reason I always back in instead of out. Unless I can drive through instead.

Yes.  People drive like complete morons in parking lots.  They don't pay attention, they cut across lanes, and they speed. Twice I have seen people drive right over pedestrians in parking lots.  So it is a lot easier to see clearly what is happening with said morons when you back into a slot, and pull out of a slot.  Or, as you said, drive through to an opposite slot, which is my preference.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BookLoverL on May 20, 2018, 12:57:36 PM
I like to drive in and back out of parking spaces, but to be fair the car parks I usually frequent aren't really that busy. And if I go to a bigger car park I find a space that I can drive right through. Definitely for me I'd worry far more about backing into the car in the next parking space than I would about failing to notice a car manoeuvring in a nearby section of the car park.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on May 20, 2018, 06:50:27 PM
Backing into the place you park is almost always safer.  There's no through traffic to watch out for in the parking spot.

(Of course, the ideal way to park is to drive through a double empty spot.  No backing up involved at all coming or going.)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BookLoverL on May 21, 2018, 01:40:15 AM
Well, the places where I don't look for a spot I can drive through are generally places such as my local village hall, where there actually is no traffic unless you happen to be there at the exact moment one of the classes that takes place there lets out.

On another parking-related note, I hate parallel parking and I've forgotten how to do it. I have a very small car and I don't really get how people with giant cars manage to park at all.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on May 21, 2018, 04:58:45 AM

On another parking-related note, I hate parallel parking and I've forgotten how to do it. I have a very small car and I don't really get how people with giant cars manage to park at all.


It's probably harder in England because you're steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car and you're also driving on the wrong side of the street.  Oh, and you know that all the cameras are watching you screw it up.  ;) 

I find parallel parking is a bit easier after a few beers, but they don't want us drinking and driving these days.  Damned government takes the fun out'a everything. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: goatmom on May 21, 2018, 05:19:43 AM
I don't get gambling.  I've been to Vegas and Atlantic City.  I find it incredibly boring and icky at the same time.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: NoraLenderbee on May 21, 2018, 02:24:33 PM

Also, when did the response to "thank you" become "no problem"?  When I thank a waiter I'd like a "you're welcome" or "it's my pleasure" in reply.  Maybe I'm getting old...

About 40 years ago, near as I can recall.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: slappy on May 21, 2018, 02:30:26 PM
Waiters who don't give you all of your change, assuming that you don't care about the coins.  It would be fine if they rounded the bill down in the customers' favor, but they usually round the bill up. 

Also, when did the response to "thank you" become "no problem"?  When I thank a waiter I'd like a "you're welcome" or "it's my pleasure" in reply.  Maybe I'm getting old...

I always say "you're welcome" or "my pleasure", especially when i was a waitress.  My customer service training that me that "no problem" was not a good way to respond. I don't recall the reasoning.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Davnasty on May 21, 2018, 03:00:33 PM
Waiters who don't give you all of your change, assuming that you don't care about the coins.  It would be fine if they rounded the bill down in the customers' favor, but they usually round the bill up. 

Also, when did the response to "thank you" become "no problem"?  When I thank a waiter I'd like a "you're welcome" or "it's my pleasure" in reply.  Maybe I'm getting old...

I always say "you're welcome" or "my pleasure", especially when i was a waitress.  My customer service training that me that "no problem" was not a good way to respond. I don't recall the reasoning.

I've heard it's because it uses negative words. Seems plausible. I still prefer to use "no problem" at work or with people I'm more acquainted with.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: wageslave23 on May 21, 2018, 03:12:20 PM
Starting drinking late in the evening, when you plan to drink/socialize for hours. Usual result is you lose the next day because of a hangover/sleeping in.

Why not start drinking at noon on a Sat? Drink and party/socialize all day with friends. Stop at 9 or 10, go home, get a full night's rest and sleep off the alcohol. Then you still get Sunday as a usable weekend day.

Yes 100X!  I remember in college having nothing to do after 3pm on Friday and people saying lets meetup to pregame at 8pm before going to a party at 9.  Why not start drinking at 3pm, party from 4-9:30, and be home in bed sleeping at 10pm (or having sex, since that was always the goal if rarely achieved).

Even now someone will ask me if I want to go see a band. 
I'm like yeah sounds good what time to they play? 
9pm on Tuesday.
So I'm supposed to dick around for 3 hrs waiting until 9, stay up until 12pm and be miserable the next day just so some people can feel "cool"?  No one lives at home anymore with a curfew, staying out late is not rebellious its just dumb. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on May 21, 2018, 03:18:51 PM
Waiters who don't give you all of your change, assuming that you don't care about the coins.  It would be fine if they rounded the bill down in the customers' favor, but they usually round the bill up. 

Also, when did the response to "thank you" become "no problem"?  When I thank a waiter I'd like a "you're welcome" or "it's my pleasure" in reply.  Maybe I'm getting old...

I always say "you're welcome" or "my pleasure", especially when i was a waitress.  My customer service training that me that "no problem" was not a good way to respond. I don't recall the reasoning.

I was trained to say "at your service" (well, the literal translation of that in my language).  "No problem" is not a good way to respond, because it is obviously no problem for you to help someone when it's your job that you get paid to do. "No problem" sounds like you're doing someone a favour instead of doing your duty.

No problem has taken over in this country too. I'm not really bothered by that particular sentence, but I don't get why so many customer service people are so overly friendly and informal. I always prefer to keep a polite distance when working with clients, both now and back in my customer service days.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Xlar on May 21, 2018, 03:22:59 PM
Backing into the place you park is almost always safer.  There's no through traffic to watch out for in the parking spot.

(Of course, the ideal way to park is to drive through a double empty spot.  No backing up involved at all coming or going.)

This is why I always back in as well. It is the same amount of effort but much safer.

When you back in you have driven past the spot and know for sure that there is nothing there. When you pull out you do not need to go very far to see down the lane to see any speeding cars. Plus people (especially children) are obvious in front of you and you will not run them over. Much, much safer for everyone!

Here is an article on the topic: https://www.vox.com/2016/8/1/11926596/safer-back-into-parking-spaces (https://www.vox.com/2016/8/1/11926596/safer-back-into-parking-spaces)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on May 21, 2018, 04:18:02 PM
Starting drinking late in the evening, when you plan to drink/socialize for hours. Usual result is you lose the next day because of a hangover/sleeping in.

Why not start drinking at noon on a Sat? Drink and party/socialize all day with friends. Stop at 9 or 10, go home, get a full night's rest and sleep off the alcohol. Then you still get Sunday as a usable weekend day.

Yes 100X!  I remember in college having nothing to do after 3pm on Friday and people saying lets meetup to pregame at 8pm before going to a party at 9.  Why not start drinking at 3pm, party from 4-9:30, and be home in bed sleeping at 10pm (or having sex, since that was always the goal if rarely achieved).

Even now someone will ask me if I want to go see a band. 
I'm like yeah sounds good what time to they play? 
9pm on Tuesday.
So I'm supposed to dick around for 3 hrs waiting until 9, stay up until 12pm and be miserable the next day just so some people can feel "cool"?  No one lives at home anymore with a curfew, staying out late is not rebellious its just dumb.

My next door neighbors made it a point to do their heavy drinking on the evening prior to a federal holiday so they could spend their paid day off recovering rather than go back to work with a hangover.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on May 21, 2018, 04:43:58 PM
Backing into the place you park is almost always safer.  There's no through traffic to watch out for in the parking spot.

(Of course, the ideal way to park is to drive through a double empty spot.  No backing up involved at all coming or going.)

Yes, I have nearly been hit by a few of those idiots coming through a parking spot from the next row over into the spot I'm just turning into that is in MY row of traffic.  I don't get these people.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Miss Piggy on May 21, 2018, 06:51:30 PM
Backing into the place you park is almost always safer.  There's no through traffic to watch out for in the parking spot.

(Of course, the ideal way to park is to drive through a double empty spot.
No backing up involved at all coming or going.)

For the life of me, I cannot figure out what you mean here. The two bolded sentences seem to contradict each other to me.

Aside from that, if someone wants to back into a spot, fine...but don't make me wait to get by while it takes you 8 attempts to get it right. (Not you personally, GuitarStv.)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sojourner on May 21, 2018, 07:59:33 PM
Backing into the place you park is almost always safer.  There's no through traffic to watch out for in the parking spot.

(Of course, the ideal way to park is to drive through a double empty spot.
No backing up involved at all coming or going.)

For the life of me, I cannot figure out what you mean here. The two bolded sentences seem to contradict each other to me.

Aside from that, if someone wants to back into a spot, fine...but don't make me wait to get by while it takes you 8 attempts to get it right. (Not you personally, GuitarStv.)

I thought he meant...when someone is facing forward in a parking space (parked normally), when they exit the space they will need to back out semi-blindly into a thru-traffic lane where there are potential hazards such as moving vehicles (also pedestrians/shopping carts).  But if that person instead backs into the space, when he backs into that stall, the stall itself has no traffic he needs to be concerned with (hence, "There's no through traffic to watch out for in the parking spot.")

Ideally, rather than having to back into a parking space, it is far easier if you can simply pull forward into that space from the space that is normally accessed from the next lane over (hence, "double-empty spot").  If that's still not clear, imagine pulling forward into a parking space normally, but then you notice the one immediately in front of you is also empty, so you simply pull forward another 20ft or so into that space instead, so now you are facing forward such that when you exit, you can pull out forward instead of backward.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on May 21, 2018, 08:01:30 PM
Backing into the place you park is almost always safer.  There's no through traffic to watch out for in the parking spot.

(Of course, the ideal way to park is to drive through a double empty spot.
No backing up involved at all coming or going.)

For the life of me, I cannot figure out what you mean here. The two bolded sentences seem to contradict each other to me.

Aside from that, if someone wants to back into a spot, fine...but don't make me wait to get by while it takes you 8 attempts to get it right. (Not you personally, GuitarStv.)

That's the thing.  They are contradictory because they are referring to two different things.  If you back into a parking spot,  and stop to park, you're not driving through it.  If you pull into a parking spot and continue to drive through to the parking spot facing it, then you are facing out of the facing parking spot, which is what I was referring to in my last post.  You wouldn't be able to do that if there were cement dividers between the rows, but we don't have those where I work, so I've had some near accidents due to those people driving through parking spots into parking spots a row over.

Edit:  Sojourner was posting the same time I was - describes it well.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Miss Piggy on May 21, 2018, 09:01:41 PM
Backing into the place you park is almost always safer.  There's no through traffic to watch out for in the parking spot.

(Of course, the ideal way to park is to drive through a double empty spot.
No backing up involved at all coming or going.)

For the life of me, I cannot figure out what you mean here. The two bolded sentences seem to contradict each other to me.

Aside from that, if someone wants to back into a spot, fine...but don't make me wait to get by while it takes you 8 attempts to get it right. (Not you personally, GuitarStv.)

I thought he meant...when someone is facing forward in a parking space (parked normally), when they exit the space they will need to back out semi-blindly into a thru-traffic lane where there are potential hazards such as moving vehicles (also pedestrians/shopping carts).  But if that person instead backs into the space, when he backs into that stall, the stall itself has no traffic he needs to be concerned with (hence, "There's no through traffic to watch out for in the parking spot.")

Ideally, rather than having to back into a parking space, it is far easier if you can simply pull forward into that space from the space that is normally accessed from the next lane over (hence, "double-empty spot").  If that's still not clear, imagine pulling forward into a parking space normally, but then you notice the one immediately in front of you is also empty, so you simply pull forward another 20ft or so into that space instead, so now you are facing forward such that when you exit, you can pull out forward instead of backward.

Yes, that explanation makes sense. I was thinking of the "parking" aspect and not the "pulling out to leave" aspect, so the two statements, in that context, were contradictory to me (because the "pulling through to the forward spot" creates "through traffic" and precludes someone else from backing into same spot).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 21, 2018, 11:42:33 PM
religion
bad music blaring (why do so many people have deplorable taste in music?)
expensive jewelry/watches
trendy clothing
timeshares
people in general
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Nudelkopf on May 22, 2018, 02:20:36 PM
bad music blaring (why do so many people have deplorable taste in music?)
I don't get music at all. Or ipods. Who wants to listen to sounds all the time?? I don't like sounds for no reason.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Morning Glory on May 22, 2018, 09:56:41 PM
I sort of get sports but I don't understand how people decide which team to like, especially when choosing a team that isn't the most local for them.  They all seem the same to me.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: nnls on May 22, 2018, 10:09:49 PM
I sort of get sports but I don't understand how people decide which team to like, especially when choosing a team that isn't the most local for them.  They all seem the same to me.

I chose my team at age 7 based on the fact they had the colour purple as a team colour. My mum and dad both wanted me to choose their team as mine, and up until about 7 I just supported their teams.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Bro-mero on May 22, 2018, 11:33:55 PM
bad music blaring (why do so many people have deplorable taste in music?)
I don't get music at all. Or ipods. Who wants to listen to sounds all the time?? I don't like sounds for no reason.

I am quite the opposite. My favorite musical artists have had an incredible impact on my life. I couldn't imagine my life without music
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 22, 2018, 11:57:48 PM
bad music blaring (why do so many people have deplorable taste in music?)
I don't get music at all. Or ipods. Who wants to listen to sounds all the time?? I don't like sounds for no reason.

Oh I love music, growing up playing the piano since I was 4.  Guess I just don't understand bad music, which seems very abundant.  I'm a music snob I guess.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SwordGuy on May 23, 2018, 12:30:53 AM
In the military we're trained to back into every parking space, even if we have a trailer.

Was visiting a military installation in my area and drove my sedan behind a pickup truck  into a parking lot.  The pickup truck turned left into the first empty parking spot and I turned right into the first empty spot (which happened to be across from where the truck now was).   I'm not one to dawdle, so I got out of my sedan and started towards the building.

Found out later that driver was mad as hell at me because they were going to back into the spot I used.   I found it out from her husband, whom I knew.

That's how I learned about that custom. :)



Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: TartanTallulah on May 23, 2018, 12:43:40 AM

On another parking-related note, I hate parallel parking and I've forgotten how to do it. I have a very small car and I don't really get how people with giant cars manage to park at all.


It's probably harder in England because you're steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car and you're also driving on the wrong side of the street. 

Yes! I once commented to my husband that although I'm not normally skilled at parallel parking I can perform the manoeuvre inch-perfect in my workplace car park, a single line of cars on the right hand side of the driveway. He pointed out the obvious explanation.

Other things I don't get. People evangelising about the merits of slimming diets on which they, personally, appear to be getting fatter and fatter. Reality check, folks. You're not weak, lazy or greedy, the diet sucks.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Jouer on May 23, 2018, 07:45:08 AM
bad music blaring (why do so many people have deplorable taste in music?)
I don't get music at all. Or ipods. Who wants to listen to sounds all the time?? I don't like sounds for no reason.

Oh I love music, growing up playing the piano since I was 4.  Guess I just don't understand bad music, which seems very abundant.  I'm a music snob I guess.

Nobody likes music they don't like.  ;-)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dude on May 23, 2018, 08:18:00 AM
religion
bad music blaring (why do so many people have deplorable taste in music?)
expensive jewelry/watches
trendy clothing
timeshares
people in general

Good god, timeshares!!  Yes, that is one I'll NEVER get!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on May 23, 2018, 08:18:56 AM
bad music blaring (why do so many people have deplorable taste in music?)
I don't get music at all. Or ipods. Who wants to listen to sounds all the time?? I don't like sounds for no reason.

Oh I love music, growing up playing the piano since I was 4.  Guess I just don't understand bad music, which seems very abundant.  I'm a music snob I guess.

I'm not sure that 'bad music' as such really exists.

As a rule, I don't like most modern R&B (classic R&B and funk are fantastic though), an awful lot of rap (although there are certainly some great artists in the field, the genre as a whole doesn't tend to excite me too much), modern country (which seems to be rock with an accent, and maybe a slide guitar in the background), classical, most big band style jazz.  That said, I can almost always find something in a recorded song to focus on that's interesting, well crafted, or just sounds good.  Maybe the drum loop, lyrical rhythm, or samples in a rap song . . . maybe there's a complex build up or nice harmony in a classical tune, maybe the vibrato in the R&B singer's voice is excellent.

Re-listening to things that I loved as a child can be quite eye opening.  Stuff that I didn't really get can open up into a whole new world.  Stuff that I was crazy about can turn out to be kinda hackneyed thirty years later.  There's no bad music, just music that does or doesn't work for you at a particular time in your life.  (This can be frustrating when it seems that few other people listen to the music that most excites you though.)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Adam Zapple on May 23, 2018, 08:26:09 AM
I don't get people who park "backwards". How is it better to back up into a tiny parking space than to back out into open space when you are ready to drive away. Do people need to justify their backup cameras? Are you Batman and need to drive away very quickly? Why?

It is much easier to back into a tight parking space than it is to pull in forward.  I can't explain the physics at the moment but it just is.  It also saves you from blindly backing out of a space when you leave after a big SUV or van parks next to you.  I'm always afraid to back over some little kid or something when my view is blocked on both sides and I'm trying to navigate my way out of a space backward.  When you back OUT of a space you need to pull your car like 2/3 or 3/4 of the way out before you have a full view of oncoming cars or pedestrians.  When you back into a space you have a good view of what is behind you because you just surveyed the area as you pulled forward past the space.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 23, 2018, 09:18:00 AM


Nobody likes music they don't like.  ;-)

Well yes, but it seems to me that 99% of music is of bad quality, but I'm in bizzarro world where everyone loves this bad stuff.  It's sorta like everyone around me has decided on Wendy's for every meal.  To be fair, I think the same exists in art as well, it's just that people are afraid to call bad art for what it is.  We live in an age where it's looked down upon to judge.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Chris22 on May 23, 2018, 09:46:18 AM
I sort of get sports but I don't understand how people decide which team to like, especially when choosing a team that isn't the most local for them.  They all seem the same to me.

Oftentimes it's because they saw something at an impressionable age.  My dad grew up in NOLA, and due to the quirks of broadcasting (and before they had the Saints), they got all of the Green Bay games on TV.  The first game he remembers watching was the Ice Bowl (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_NFL_Championship_Game) and he got hooked, was a GB fan ever since. 

Same with me, I was a casual football fan, but my freshman year of college my roommate was a big Patriots fan, and we saw the Cinderella story of Drew Bledsoe going down and Tom Brady stepping up and taking the team to a super bowl win, and it stuck with me and I got bigger into Patriots football (or jumped on the bandwagon, if you like). 

My other sport, college basketball, growing up in CT EVERYONE is a college basketball fan because UCONN has always been so dominant (women) and in the 90s (men), plus Big East basketball is huge, almost like football to the SEC.  Then I ended up going to another Big East school, and obviously then had a connection and have been a huge fan/supporter of my alma mater's team ever since. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on May 23, 2018, 10:35:47 AM
I sort of get sports but I don't understand how people decide which team to like, especially when choosing a team that isn't the most local for them.  They all seem the same to me.

Oftentimes it's because they saw something at an impressionable age.  My dad grew up in NOLA, and due to the quirks of broadcasting (and before they had the Saints), they got all of the Green Bay games on TV.  The first game he remembers watching was the Ice Bowl (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_NFL_Championship_Game) and he got hooked, was a GB fan ever since. 

Same with me, I was a casual football fan, but my freshman year of college my roommate was a big Patriots fan, and we saw the Cinderella story of Drew Bledsoe going down and Tom Brady stepping up and taking the team to a super bowl win, and it stuck with me and I got bigger into Patriots football (or jumped on the bandwagon, if you like). 

My other sport, college basketball, growing up in CT EVERYONE is a college basketball fan because UCONN has always been so dominant (women) and in the 90s (men), plus Big East basketball is huge, almost like football to the SEC.  Then I ended up going to another Big East school, and obviously then had a connection and have been a huge fan/supporter of my alma mater's team ever since.

My best friend lives in Sacramento, but likes the Dodgers and the Cowboys.  He has a very loose personal connection to Los Angeles, but absolutely nothing tying him to Texas. Maybe he just likes the color blue?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Chris22 on May 23, 2018, 10:54:00 AM
I sort of get sports but I don't understand how people decide which team to like, especially when choosing a team that isn't the most local for them.  They all seem the same to me.

Oftentimes it's because they saw something at an impressionable age.  My dad grew up in NOLA, and due to the quirks of broadcasting (and before they had the Saints), they got all of the Green Bay games on TV.  The first game he remembers watching was the Ice Bowl (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_NFL_Championship_Game) and he got hooked, was a GB fan ever since. 

Same with me, I was a casual football fan, but my freshman year of college my roommate was a big Patriots fan, and we saw the Cinderella story of Drew Bledsoe going down and Tom Brady stepping up and taking the team to a super bowl win, and it stuck with me and I got bigger into Patriots football (or jumped on the bandwagon, if you like). 

My other sport, college basketball, growing up in CT EVERYONE is a college basketball fan because UCONN has always been so dominant (women) and in the 90s (men), plus Big East basketball is huge, almost like football to the SEC.  Then I ended up going to another Big East school, and obviously then had a connection and have been a huge fan/supporter of my alma mater's team ever since.

My best friend lives in Sacramento, but likes the Dodgers and the Cowboys.  He has a very loose personal connection to Los Angeles, but absolutely nothing tying him to Texas. Maybe he just likes the color blue?

Who knows?  There's also the key player thing; lots of Bulls fans because they liked Jordan, etc.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on May 23, 2018, 11:30:00 AM


Nobody likes music they don't like.  ;-)

Well yes, but it seems to me that 99% of music is of bad quality, but I'm in bizzarro world where everyone loves this bad stuff.  It's sorta like everyone around me has decided on Wendy's for every meal.  To be fair, I think the same exists in art as well, it's just that people are afraid to call bad art for what it is.  We live in an age where it's looked down upon to judge.

It's for this reason that I'm happy I know nothing about music.  I have absolutely no ability to judge "good" from "bad".  I can only react to what I like.  I am certain that much/most/all? of what I like might be terrible, but I just don't care.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on May 23, 2018, 01:11:24 PM


Nobody likes music they don't like.  ;-)

Well yes, but it seems to me that 99% of music is of bad quality, but I'm in bizzarro world where everyone loves this bad stuff.  It's sorta like everyone around me has decided on Wendy's for every meal.  To be fair, I think the same exists in art as well, it's just that people are afraid to call bad art for what it is.  We live in an age where it's looked down upon to judge.

It's for this reason that I'm happy I know nothing about music.  I have absolutely no ability to judge "good" from "bad".  I can only react to what I like.  I am certain that much/most/all? of what I like might be terrible, but I just don't care.

I've been a choral musician for 25 years (including as a founding member of a chamber choir). Music, like all art, is subjective. I know what I like and don't like. Someone else's tastes may be completely opposite from mine. I may not understand WHY someone likes something that I despise, but the music isn't objectively bad just because I don't like it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 23, 2018, 01:25:14 PM
While I agree there is some subjectivity to music and art, there is absolutely a difference between good and bad art/music. The more extreme the difference, the easier it is to tell.  If I draw a little landscape, that art is not as good as an example by Monet.  Even if my mom looks at it and loves it as if it's the best thing ever, it isn’t better.  It is worse.  It’s OK for my mom to like it more; that is her subjective opinion.  But it would be silly of her to try to objectively claim it was better.  It isn’t.  That is a fact.   I don’t know how to draw.  Every technical aspect would be worse.  Every creative aspect would be worse.  Is my mom stupid for liking mine more?  No.  Do I look down on her?  No.  Absolutely not.  And if I write a piece of music with 3 notes, it isn't going to be better than a piece by Mozart.  There is absolutely an objectivity to art and music, and that's why great examples stand the test of time.  Quality art and quality music is recognized regardless of culture or background and is recognized through all ages and holds up regardless of current trends. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on May 23, 2018, 01:31:58 PM
While I agree there is some subjectivity to music and art, there is absolutely a difference between good and bad art/music. The more extreme the difference, the easier it is to tell.  If I draw a little cartoon, that cartoon is not as good as a piece by Monet.  Even if my mom looks at it and loves it as if it's the best thing ever, it isn’t better.  It is worse.  It’s OK for my mom to like it more; that is her subjective opinion.  But it would be silly of her to try to objectively claim it was better.  It isn’t.  That is a fact.   I don’t know how to draw.  Every technical aspect would be worse.  Every creative aspect would be worse.  Is my mom stupid for liking mine more?  No.  Do I look down on her?  No.  Absolutely not.  And if I write a piece of music with 3 notes, it isn't going to be better than a piece by Mozart.  There is absolutely an objectivity to art and music, and that's why great examples stand the test of time.

Ah, I didn't know we were comparing kindergarten-level noodling on a piano to the Met opera. I assumed your 99% of "bad" music referred to the music available in concert halls and conservatories and on the radio.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 23, 2018, 01:33:36 PM



Ah, I didn't know we were comparing kindergarten-level noodling on a piano to the Met opera. I assumed your 99% of "bad" music referred to the music available in concert halls and conservatories and on the radio.

That's why I said the more extreme the example, the easier it is to tell.  However, even with less drastic comparisons the same holds true.  This also applies to literature and other forms of art.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on May 23, 2018, 01:36:20 PM



Ah, I didn't know we were comparing kindergarten-level noodling on a piano to the Met opera. I assumed your 99% of "bad" music referred to the music available in concert halls and conservatories and on the radio.

That's why I said the more extreme the example, the easier it is to tell.  However, even with less drastic comparisons the same holds true.  This also applies to literature and other forms of art.

Hmm. I know people who love Vaughn Williams' "A Sea Symphony" but hate Handel's "Messiah". Is one objectively better than the other? Why?

I also know people who love "Jane Eyre" but hate "Wuthering Heights". Again, is one objectively better? Why?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 23, 2018, 01:37:32 PM
I think the true test of art is how well it holds up over very long periods of time (as in centuries) and across all cultures.  Only over time can we really recognize something that's great in my opinion.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on May 23, 2018, 01:40:18 PM
I think the true test of art is how well it holds up over very long periods of time (as in centuries) and across all cultures.  Only over time can we really recognize something that's great in my opinion.

YMMV, I guess. I'm content to enjoy non-greatness.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 23, 2018, 01:40:52 PM
My only point is that it bugs me when people say “It’s all subjective.”  No, it isn’t.  Your enjoyment is, obviously.  But I’d like to think real quality art is a bit more than a fleeting “I like this so that means its good.”
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on May 23, 2018, 01:43:39 PM
Punk music is objectively worse than opera in every measurable way.  The guitarist usually can't play more than a power chord, the singer can't hold a tune, the drummer (while fast) is usually unable to hold a steady beat, and the bass player is barely able to keep up plucking his single notes.  Yet, I'd rather listen to the Ramones than Pavarotti any day of the week. 

Cobain was a terrible guitarist with a mediocre voice . . . but the music he created is still popular, years after his death.  Bob Dylan was a terrible singer.  There's a tremendous amount of good music that's written with just three or four chords.

Technical skill (and virtuosity) is well and good, and can be objectively critiqued . . . but I'm not sure you can say that it makes music 'better'.  Is every classically trained pianist a better performer than every grizzled bluesman who can't even read music?

The more that you go back into the history of music, the more that you see that what we like is largely dependent upon where we grew up and what we're used to hearing.  Chinese opera sounds like cats being tortured to me.  Listening to a sitar is painful.  My background is western music, which follows different tonal rules.

Play someone from the 14th century a rock or blues guitar solo from today and they would likely hate it.  The common minor scale being played over a major progression (and especially bending up to the b5) that blues brought us just wouldn't make sense to their ears because they don't have the cultural context for it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on May 23, 2018, 01:45:55 PM
My only point is that it bugs me when people say “It’s all subjective.”  No, it isn’t.  Your enjoyment is, obviously.  But I’d like to think real quality art is a bit more than a fleeting “I like this so that means its good.”

Okay. And it bothers me when people declare an extremely high percentage (e.g., 99%) of art to be "bad". Somehow that doesn't seem like an objective assessment.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 23, 2018, 01:47:38 PM
My only point is that it bugs me when people say “It’s all subjective.”  No, it isn’t.  Your enjoyment is, obviously.  But I’d like to think real quality art is a bit more than a fleeting “I like this so that means its good.”

Okay. And it bothers me when people declare an extremely high percentage (e.g., 99%) of art to be "bad". Somehow that doesn't seem like an objective assessment.

Well thats just my opinion.  I also think most books written are bad.  There is a lot of mediocrity in our world.  My high expectations allow me to enjoy something of real quality more.  By being discerning, I enjoy the good stuff more (just my thing).  Same goes for food.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ketchup on May 23, 2018, 01:48:46 PM
My only point is that it bugs me when people say “It’s all subjective.”  No, it isn’t.  Your enjoyment is, obviously.  But I’d like to think real quality art is a bit more than a fleeting “I like this so that means its good.”
So far this has consisted of the "Mad Men is better than Jersey Shore" type of comparisons.  What about things that some may consider to otherwise be on the same "level"?  Is Mozart better than Bach?  Who gets to decide?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on May 23, 2018, 01:51:06 PM
My only point is that it bugs me when people say “It’s all subjective.”  No, it isn’t.  Your enjoyment is, obviously.  But I’d like to think real quality art is a bit more than a fleeting “I like this so that means its good.”
So far this has consisted of the "Mad Men is better than Jersey Shore" type of comparisons.  What about things that some may consider to otherwise be on the same "level"?  Is Mozart better than Bach?  Who gets to decide?

Exactly my point, thank you!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 23, 2018, 01:51:52 PM

So far this has consisted of the "Mad Men is better than Jersey Shore" type of comparisons.  What about things that some may consider to otherwise be on the same "level"?  Is Mozart better than Bach?  Who gets to decide?

I don't think it's about who decides which is better.  One is objectively better quality.  Being able to recognize why something is better is the hard part.  In the case of Mozart/Bach, there is no need to compare them as they both produced extremely high quality (and different) works.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dollar Slice on May 23, 2018, 01:56:28 PM
Bob Dylan was a terrible singer.

He still is, last time I checked ;-)

I can't help but think someone who thinks 99% of music is bad doesn't actually like music very much. :-/  Reminds me of my dad, who likes fairly specific categories of classical music and a few show tunes, and thinks most everything else is awful. (P.S. Get off his lawn!)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 23, 2018, 01:58:26 PM


I can't help but think someone who thinks 99% of music is bad doesn't actually like music very much.

Quite the contrary, I LOVE music!  It's a huge part of my life, I grew up in an extremely musical family (we all began learning to play the piano before we could walk).  I also love food, but not bad food which unfortunately there is also a lot of!

I guess I'm just weird, which is why I'm putting this on the "I don't get It" thread.  There are lots of things I don't get that everyone else seems to think is totally normal.  This all explains why I don't relate to most people.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on May 23, 2018, 02:02:45 PM
Can you tell me which food is objectively better, sweet or spicy?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 23, 2018, 02:03:48 PM
Can you tell me which food is objectively better, sweet or spicy?

Haha, good one.  I'd say both can be high quality depending on what the food is and the skill level of the chef!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ketchup on May 23, 2018, 02:05:42 PM
Can you tell me which food is objectively better, sweet or spicy?

Haha, good one.  I'd say both can be high quality depending on what the food is and the skill level of the chef!
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/5704d653e50a7a053144b5b9981db547/tumblr_n6im04vzhO1txn6jeo1_250.gif)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 23, 2018, 02:06:23 PM
Grizzly.  Obviously.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dollar Slice on May 23, 2018, 02:14:06 PM
Polar!

I can't help but think someone who thinks 99% of music is bad doesn't actually like music very much.

Quite the contrary, I LOVE music!  It's a huge part of my life, I grew up in an extremely musical family (we all began learning to play the piano before we could walk).  I also love food, but not bad food which unfortunately there is also a lot of!

I guess I'm just weird, which is why I'm putting this on the "I don't get It" thread.  There are lots of things I don't get that everyone else seems to think is totally normal.  This all explains why I don't relate to most people.

I guess I will put you down as my "I don't get it" then :-)  Maybe there is a better word for what you are, like a "music connoisseur." When I think of people who love something it tends to be a lot more all-encompassing. Like if someone says they love kids, and then says "but 99% of kids are bad" you would find that weird, wouldn't you? Or "I love hiking but 99% of forest trails objectively suck"?

I dunno. I guess we all have internal definitions of words that don't always match other people.


P.S. I think that is the first time in my life I ever spelled "connoisseur" right on my first try. Only took 40 years.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 23, 2018, 02:17:18 PM
Like if someone says they love kids, and then says "but 99% of kids are bad" you would find that weird, wouldn't you?



I don't think that's a good example.  I use food as an example.  Is all food good?  Hell no!  Think of how discerning a chef is when it comes to food, only a very small percentage qualifies as really good. But that chef definitely loves food more than most people do!

Really good music (imo) is very difficult to create!  Which is why there is so much bad out there.  Again, just my opinion.

Or someone who enjoys watching high level sports.  They would probably like to watch the best compete rather than low level amateurs.

One of my hobbies is playing tournament-level competitive bridge.  When I was learning the game, I enjoyed playing at the local clubs.  Not so much anymore, because the level of the play is so bad its uninteresting and doesn't provide the intellectual stimulation I'm looking for in competing.  I think this is similar.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on May 23, 2018, 02:18:24 PM
P.S. I think that is the first time in my life I ever spelled "connoisseur" right on my first try. Only took 40 years.

Congratulations! I'm still working on "maintenance". I'm up to about a 50% correct rate on the first try (for a word that I type out at least once per day). Topic: I don't get why I have so much trouble remembering the correct spelling of that word.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dollar Slice on May 23, 2018, 02:25:41 PM
I don't think that's a good example.  I use food as an example.  Is all food good?  Hell no!  Think of how discerning a chef is when it comes to food, only a very small percentage qualifies as really good. But that chef definitely loves food more than most people do!

Or someone who enjoys watching high level sports.  They would probably like to watch the best compete rather than low level amateurs.

I think it's the exact opposite. I don't really like sports, and the only games I ever watch are the best of the best (Olympics, X Games, World Series, etc.) because I think they're more exciting than regular games. My co-worker who is a superfan of basketball loved watching the NBA, college ball, women's basketball, Olympic basketball, her kid's high school games, etc. etc. My brother, who loves baseball, will go to triple-A games and have a great time. And he'll watch his team play any chance he gets on TV or in person.

I love pizza, and can definitely appreciate the finer points (I've been to Italy and tried different places in Naples etc.) but I also just... love pizza, and will eat it on a weekly basis at a variety of local places. There's a difference between loving food and being a foodie. I bet most chefs will go out and eat greasy fried crap at 3AM after they get off their shift...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 23, 2018, 02:28:43 PM
I bet most chefs will go out and eat greasy fried crap at 3AM after they get off their shift...

Oh they will, but they will go for the good stuff!  I know a couple chefs that love street food in NYC for example.  But they are still discerning about what is good and what isn't.  There is absolutely a quality difference even when it comes to the greasy stuff!  In my opinion this ability to tell the difference in quality is what allows you to enjoy it more!   I'm not looking to just eat anything, I want the good stuff (whether it be street food, or a hole in the wall, Italian, Indian, Sushi, etc).  Bad music grates the ears in a way just like horrible food grates on the tongue.  There is a harmonization that good quality has, and when it isn't there it's like someone scratching a chalk board with their nails.  Just because I don't like Panda Express or KFC doesn't mean I don't love food lol.  And most of the music out there right now, in my opinion, is like KFC and Panda Express -- utter commercialized Justin Bieber type crap, created for the sole purpose of making $ instead of good art.  From my perspective, the person who doesn't love food is the one who will just eat anything.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on May 23, 2018, 02:50:54 PM
I bet most chefs will go out and eat greasy fried crap at 3AM after they get off their shift...

Oh they will, but they will go for the good stuff!  I know a couple chefs that love street food in NYC for example.  But they are still discerning about what is good and what isn't.  There is absolutely a quality difference even when it comes to the greasy stuff!  In my opinion this ability to tell the difference in quality is what allows you to enjoy it more!   I'm not looking to just eat anything, I want the good stuff (whether it be street food, or a hole in the wall, Italian, Indian, Sushi, etc).  Bad music grates the ears in a way just like horrible food grates on the tongue.  There is a harmonization that good quality has, and when it isn't there it's like someone scratching a chalk board with their nails.

It's just a difference in outlook maybe.

I've found though, that your mindset can powerfully change the way you experience the same thing.

While I'm not looking to eat crappy food, or listen to crappy music, or view crappy pieces of art.  Yet, I can get as much (or more) enjoyment from a grilled cheese sandwich as much as a truffle stuffed lobster.  I'd even argue that the former with friends will always be better than the latter alone, regardless of quality of preparation.  I try not to create expectations before an experience because they can sometimes get in the way of enjoyment of that experience.  You get too caught up thinking about what something could be and forget to be in the moment and enjoy it for what it is.

Back to your music example, if you're looking for a particular harmonization in music you're going to miss out on rhythmically complex music with little harmonization.  You're going to miss out on music that doesn't fit the western music theory that your ear is used to hearing.  That ends up with you as an ouroboros, constantly chasing your tail in a search for endless sameness . . . which seems kinda miserable to me.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 23, 2018, 02:53:21 PM

Back to your music example, if you're looking for a particular harmonization in music you're going to miss out on rhythmically complex music with little harmonization.  You're going to miss out on music that doesn't fit the western music theory that your ear is used to hearing.  That ends up with you as an ouroboros, constantly chasing your tail in a search for endless sameness . . . which seems kinda miserable to me.

Definitely agree it's important to experience different types of music.  And art.  100%.  But even with different types of music/art I think there is a massive difference in quality.  Usually with time the good stuff stands.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Proud Foot on May 23, 2018, 03:20:27 PM
Can you tell me which food is objectively better, sweet or spicy?

Haha, good one.  I'd say both can be high quality depending on what the food is and the skill level of the chef!
(https://78.media.tumblr.com/5704d653e50a7a053144b5b9981db547/tumblr_n6im04vzhO1txn6jeo1_250.gif)

Grizzly.  Obviously.


False, Black Bear (https://www.quotes.net/show-quote/62027)

On the topic of music, I really do not understand why mumble rap is so poplular. You can barely understand any of the words they are saying and the ones you can understand is because they repeat it over and over again.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 23, 2018, 03:32:27 PM

On the topic of music, I really do not understand why mumble rap is so poplular. You can barely understand any of the words they are saying and the ones you can understand is because they repeat it over and over again.

Can’t judge!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: WranglerBowman on May 23, 2018, 03:49:14 PM
Starting drinking late in the evening, when you plan to drink/socialize for hours. Usual result is you lose the next day because of a hangover/sleeping in.

Why not start drinking at noon on a Sat? Drink and party/socialize all day with friends. Stop at 9 or 10, go home, get a full night's rest and sleep off the alcohol. Then you still get Sunday as a usable weekend day.

Amen.  It has to be a group effort though so the parties over at the same time.  I used to start drinking early, thinking I would then be asleep by 9 or 10.  The next morning I would be curious why I'm still tired if I went to sleep around 10...then one of my friends would say "we shut the bar down last night", after going to 3 other bars that I had no recollection of...#earlydrinkingblackout
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on May 23, 2018, 04:16:41 PM
Starting drinking late in the evening, when you plan to drink/socialize for hours. Usual result is you lose the next day because of a hangover/sleeping in.

Why not start drinking at noon on a Sat? Drink and party/socialize all day with friends. Stop at 9 or 10, go home, get a full night's rest and sleep off the alcohol. Then you still get Sunday as a usable weekend day.

Amen.  It has to be a group effort though so the parties over at the same time.  I used to start drinking early, thinking I would then be asleep by 9 or 10.  The next morning I would be curious why I'm still tired if I went to sleep around 10...then one of my friends would say "we shut the bar down last night", after going to 3 other bars that I had no recollection of...#earlydrinkingblackout

I don't get: people who drink to the point of not remembering that night and being proud of it - and wanting to do it again.

I was in my technical school with a guy who could only hold a conversation that consisted of how much he had to drink the night before.  It was obvious he never slept enough and would just blurt out in random conversation that he was going to get lit up again that night.  This was a Monday-Saturday thing.  I was 19, he was 21, and the 30 year old "old men" in our class finally had enough and asked if being drunk and lethargic was his ambition in life since it was all he did or talked about.  Thanksgiving weekend was spent out on the town which (surprise, surprise) he was drunk or asleep for most of it.  I had to drive his date home at the end of the evening because he passed out at 8pm at the party.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: WranglerBowman on May 23, 2018, 04:19:26 PM
I don't get why just about every neighbor tells you how you should keep your yard/house...if you want to pay my mortgage I'll keep my yard/house any way you want.
I don't get how people can do the exact same routine every...single...day and be perfectly content.
I don't get being overweight and doing nothing about it. 
I don't get 98.32% of people as a whole, they're the absolute worst.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on May 23, 2018, 04:54:55 PM


Nobody likes music they don't like.  ;-)

Well yes, but it seems to me that 99% of music is of bad quality, but I'm in bizzarro world where everyone loves this bad stuff.  It's sorta like everyone around me has decided on Wendy's for every meal.  To be fair, I think the same exists in art as well, it's just that people are afraid to call bad art for what it is.  We live in an age where it's looked down upon to judge.

Yeah, most music is crap that I don't like to listen to, but sometimes you're subjected to it just by being out in public.  It seems like everyone likes to judge and speak out on things, and this forum is a good example.  I definitely don't agree with many opinions expressed here, just as with the greater public.  So I agree with some commenters that I don't get most people in general.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: MDfive21 on May 24, 2018, 10:28:13 AM
here's what i don't get.  not really $$ related, but neither are the 50 posts about art and music ;)

WHY do people who live in Houston have large, cold-weather, long-haired dogs??

your huskie is sweating his ass off and looks like he's going to keel over.  your tibetan mastiff is going to have a heat stroke.  your bernese mountain dog is not supposed to be at sea level in 90+ weather and that's not even counting the 90% humidity.  your dogs are giving me this look as if to say 'send me back to the land of my people!'

at the very least, shave your freaking dog so he can have a little relief.  would you wear a thick furry winter coat in Houston in June??

WTF!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on May 24, 2018, 11:12:27 AM
Starting drinking late in the evening, when you plan to drink/socialize for hours. Usual result is you lose the next day because of a hangover/sleeping in.

Why not start drinking at noon on a Sat? Drink and party/socialize all day with friends. Stop at 9 or 10, go home, get a full night's rest and sleep off the alcohol. Then you still get Sunday as a usable weekend day.

Amen.  It has to be a group effort though so the parties over at the same time.  I used to start drinking early, thinking I would then be asleep by 9 or 10.  The next morning I would be curious why I'm still tired if I went to sleep around 10...then one of my friends would say "we shut the bar down last night", after going to 3 other bars that I had no recollection of...#earlydrinkingblackout

I don't get: people who drink to the point of not remembering that night and being proud of it - and wanting to do it again.


Yes, this! As a non-drinker it's difficult for me to understand hard-drinking people. I get drinking a few glasses if you really like the taste ( I can't stand it). But the desire to get completely drunk is just extremely difficult for me to understand. Why does a grown adult want to degenerate into a barely conscious adult baby barely able to walk and talk? And do it again the next time - on purpose?

I especially don't get it when it happens at gigs and festivals. You pay €200 for a ticket to see your favourite bands, and €3,50 per drink, and you don't even remember it the next day? Might as well stay at home, play their CD and drink cheap booze. You could camp in the backyard on a half-inflated airbed to get the true festival experience.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Morning Glory on May 24, 2018, 11:16:25 AM
Whether music is good or bad, it becomes annoying to hear the same thing again and again. I don't get why radio stations don't have longer playlists or more variety.

Also, why do baby clothes have pockets?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on May 24, 2018, 11:24:57 AM
Starting drinking late in the evening, when you plan to drink/socialize for hours. Usual result is you lose the next day because of a hangover/sleeping in.

Why not start drinking at noon on a Sat? Drink and party/socialize all day with friends. Stop at 9 or 10, go home, get a full night's rest and sleep off the alcohol. Then you still get Sunday as a usable weekend day.

Amen.  It has to be a group effort though so the parties over at the same time.  I used to start drinking early, thinking I would then be asleep by 9 or 10.  The next morning I would be curious why I'm still tired if I went to sleep around 10...then one of my friends would say "we shut the bar down last night", after going to 3 other bars that I had no recollection of...#earlydrinkingblackout

I don't get: people who drink to the point of not remembering that night and being proud of it - and wanting to do it again.


Yes, this! As a non-drinker it's difficult for me to understand hard-drinking people. I get drinking a few glasses if you really like the taste ( I can't stand it). But the desire to get completely drunk is just extremely difficult for me to understand. Why does a grown adult want to degenerate into a barely conscious adult baby barely able to walk and talk? And do it again the next time - on purpose?

I am a drinker, and I don't get it either. I enjoy a glass or two of wine or a good cocktail (or good scotch or tequila), but getting brown-out drunk once or twice in college was more than enough for me to learn my limits and stick to them. And besides the real health and safety risks, it's expensive!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on May 24, 2018, 12:12:05 PM
Also, why do baby clothes have pockets?

To train parents to pay attention to the small details and keep them on their toes. :)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: PoutineLover on May 24, 2018, 12:19:17 PM
Also, why do baby clothes have pockets?
Wait a sec, BABIES clothes have pockets and women's don't?!

I don't get it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on May 24, 2018, 02:12:03 PM
Alcoholism is considered an addiction.  I also think a lot of heavy drinkers have something that they're trying to forget or escape from.  It's a social drug that is legal, and that is its main attraction as far as I can tell. 

I think it allows people to act in all kinds of inappropriate ways and feel likes it's okay because they were drunk.  Sort of like going to confession and your sins are forgiven & forgotten as if they didn't happen. 

Drinking can also be like quicksand since the first drink tends to encourage the second, then the third, etc.  You have a drink which loosens you up and begin having fun.  That felt good, so "why not have another"? 

Then you also have drinkers tend to hang out with other drinkers.  It's their thing, so they automatically are going to drink whenever they're together. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: teen persuasion on May 24, 2018, 08:07:11 PM
Quote
Drinking can also be like quicksand since the first drink tends to encourage the second, then the third, etc.  You have a drink which loosens you up and begin having fun.  That felt good, so "why not have another"?   

This is the part I don't get - first drink encourages the second?  Um, first drink encourages me to curl up and take a nap.  It doesn't loosen me up, or make me more social, it makes it seriously difficult to even pay attention to what's going on let alone have fun.

I can't fathom the appeal of alcohol for others.  For me it's definitely "why bother?".
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Morning Glory on May 24, 2018, 09:43:30 PM
Also, why do baby clothes have pockets?
Wait a sec, BABIES clothes have pockets and women's don't?!

I don't get it.

Teeny tiny pockets, so small that anything that would fit in there would be a choking hazard. I guess it's maybe for fashion, but I think they would look just as cute with no pockets or with fake pockets, so why the real ones?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on May 24, 2018, 09:58:27 PM
Starting drinking late in the evening, when you plan to drink/socialize for hours. Usual result is you lose the next day because of a hangover/sleeping in.

Why not start drinking at noon on a Sat? Drink and party/socialize all day with friends. Stop at 9 or 10, go home, get a full night's rest and sleep off the alcohol. Then you still get Sunday as a usable weekend day.

Amen.  It has to be a group effort though so the parties over at the same time.  I used to start drinking early, thinking I would then be asleep by 9 or 10.  The next morning I would be curious why I'm still tired if I went to sleep around 10...then one of my friends would say "we shut the bar down last night", after going to 3 other bars that I had no recollection of...#earlydrinkingblackout

I don't get: people who drink to the point of not remembering that night and being proud of it - and wanting to do it again.


Yes, this! As a non-drinker it's difficult for me to understand hard-drinking people. I get drinking a few glasses if you really like the taste ( I can't stand it). But the desire to get completely drunk is just extremely difficult for me to understand. Why does a grown adult want to degenerate into a barely conscious adult baby barely able to walk and talk? And do it again the next time - on purpose?

I especially don't get it when it happens at gigs and festivals. You pay €200 for a ticket to see your favourite bands, and €3,50 per drink, and you don't even remember it the next day? Might as well stay at home, play their CD and drink cheap booze. You could camp in the backyard on a half-inflated airbed to get the true festival experience.
Imma, I coulda written every word of this. Amen, sister!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sui generis on May 24, 2018, 10:08:31 PM
Also, why do baby clothes have pockets?
Wait a sec, BABIES clothes have pockets and women's don't?!

I don't get it.

Teeny tiny pockets, so small that anything that would fit in there would be a choking hazard. I guess it's maybe for fashion, but I think they would look just as cute with no pockets or with fake pockets, so why the real ones?

Wait are you talking about the baby pockets or women's pockets?  Because I feel like that's how the pockets are on all MY clothes and I really don't need to be protected from choking hazards.

I would really like to have real pockets on some of my pants.  Like, even my hiking pants' pockets barely fit my phone. In the meantime, my boyfriend barely needs to carry a backpack because he's got everything he owns in his pockets.  They are like Mary Poppins' carryall bag and I'm over here trying to see if I can sneak one tube of lip balm in mine.  Women's pants are preposterous.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Schaefer Light on May 25, 2018, 06:52:43 AM
Alcoholism is considered an addiction.  I also think a lot of heavy drinkers have something that they're trying to forget or escape from.  It's a social drug that is legal, and that is its main attraction as far as I can tell. 

I think it allows people to act in all kinds of inappropriate ways and feel likes it's okay because they were drunk.  Sort of like going to confession and your sins are forgiven & forgotten as if they didn't happen. 

Drinking can also be like quicksand since the first drink tends to encourage the second, then the third, etc.  You have a drink which loosens you up and begin having fun.  That felt good, so "why not have another"? 

Then you also have drinkers tend to hang out with other drinkers.  It's their thing, so they automatically are going to drink whenever they're together.
You hit the nail on the head here.  I think most drinkers are using it as a form of escapism.  I know I did.  Life is boring, so have a beer (or 12 ;) and it will be less boring.  Life is stressful, so have a few drinks and the stress goes away.  I've got to go to a party where I don't really know anyone, so I'll have a few beers and my shyness will disappear.  In all of these situations, it's about getting away from something - be it boredom, stress, social anxiety, or any form of unpleasantness you may be dealing with.  Whatever you want to get away from, you can likely do it (at least temporarily) with enough alcohol.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on May 25, 2018, 12:11:19 PM
Alcoholism is considered an addiction.  I also think a lot of heavy drinkers have something that they're trying to forget or escape from.  It's a social drug that is legal, and that is its main attraction as far as I can tell. 

I think it allows people to act in all kinds of inappropriate ways and feel likes it's okay because they were drunk.  Sort of like going to confession and your sins are forgiven & forgotten as if they didn't happen. 

Drinking can also be like quicksand since the first drink tends to encourage the second, then the third, etc.  You have a drink which loosens you up and begin having fun.  That felt good, so "why not have another"? 

Then you also have drinkers tend to hang out with other drinkers.  It's their thing, so they automatically are going to drink whenever they're together.
You hit the nail on the head here.  I think most drinkers are using it as a form of escapism.  I know I did.  Life is boring, so have a beer (or 12 ;) and it will be less boring.  Life is stressful, so have a few drinks and the stress goes away.  I've got to go to a party where I don't really know anyone, so I'll have a few beers and my shyness will disappear.  In all of these situations, it's about getting away from something - be it boredom,
stress, social anxiety, or any form of unpleasantness you may be dealing with.  Whatever you want to get away from, you can likely do it (at least temporarily) with enough alcohol.



I know a number of alcoholics TOO well.  There are always deeper issues besides the drinking.  Booze is the wrong drug, but easily available and socially acceptable.  Personally, the side effects aren't worth the pleasure.  Also, it's a depressant.  Who needs that?  It's like watching a bad movie, over and over.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mm1970 on May 25, 2018, 01:39:14 PM
Alcoholism is considered an addiction.  I also think a lot of heavy drinkers have something that they're trying to forget or escape from.  It's a social drug that is legal, and that is its main attraction as far as I can tell. 

I think it allows people to act in all kinds of inappropriate ways and feel likes it's okay because they were drunk.  Sort of like going to confession and your sins are forgiven & forgotten as if they didn't happen. 

Drinking can also be like quicksand since the first drink tends to encourage the second, then the third, etc.  You have a drink which loosens you up and begin having fun.  That felt good, so "why not have another"? 

Then you also have drinkers tend to hang out with other drinkers.  It's their thing, so they automatically are going to drink whenever they're together.
You hit the nail on the head here.  I think most drinkers are using it as a form of escapism.  I know I did.  Life is boring, so have a beer (or 12 ;) and it will be less boring.  Life is stressful, so have a few drinks and the stress goes away.  I've got to go to a party where I don't really know anyone, so I'll have a few beers and my shyness will disappear.  In all of these situations, it's about getting away from something - be it boredom, stress, social anxiety, or any form of unpleasantness you may be dealing with.  Whatever you want to get away from, you can likely do it (at least temporarily) with enough alcohol.

This is true.  My mother was an alcoholic, and it eventually killed her.

I like wine.  I live in wine country.  Wine is popular here.  Now that I'm older, I see that people younger than me are drinking...a lot.  And, it's the kind of drinking you'd expect to see 20-somethings do, but they are 30-something.  I guess they are still single or don't have kids so...

I enjoy a glass of wine.  It's relaxing to go to the winery, sit in a comfy chair, and sip.  I've almost completely stopped drinking at home though, because it became a crutch when dealing with stress.  Also: it interferes with my sleep.  Even a couple of ounces of wine (less than half a drink) with dinner will cause me to sleep like crap.  So it's not something I can do often - I need my sleep!  So now, I take the wine that I get from my wine clubs to my neighborhood potlucks.  I have a glass, or two, and that's it for the week.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SweetLife on May 26, 2018, 10:47:29 PM
Television just baffles me. It just seems... boring and stupid? And I hate commercials. I'm not great at sitting still for that long either with nothing occupying me. And then you see these things in the news about how the average person watches 3, 4, 5 hours a DAY of it? I just don't get how people can watch it that much and not lose their minds.

This .... me too! I haven't watch TV in so many years ... and I don't miss it. Occasionally I find something I enjoy on Netflix (like a series) but very rarely and I prefer to hang out with my family rather than watch TV.
I also don't get video games ... guys at work play for HOURS ... like 6 or 8 hours of their life!!!!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Penn42 on May 28, 2018, 11:43:50 AM
Television just baffles me. It just seems... boring and stupid? And I hate commercials. I'm not great at sitting still for that long either with nothing occupying me. And then you see these things in the news about how the average person watches 3, 4, 5 hours a DAY of it? I just don't get how people can watch it that much and not lose their minds.

This .... me too! I haven't watch TV in so many years ... and I don't miss it. Occasionally I find something I enjoy on Netflix (like a series) but very rarely and I prefer to hang out with my family rather than watch TV.
I also don't get video games ... guys at work play for HOURS ... like 6 or 8 hours of their life!!!!

This is me.  I'll watch TV if there is something I want to watch and when I decide to watch it.  Making the decision to spend some time enjoying something one finds enjoyable is one thing...  Having the TV on as a default or "binging" dozens of episodes because you're too lazy to come up with anything else to do makes no sense to me.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on May 28, 2018, 01:10:33 PM
Same here.  I don't watch TV but I do watch the occasional Netflix series that I really enjoy.  I just finished Wild, Wild Country which was great.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Adam Zapple on May 29, 2018, 05:22:39 AM
I don't get the whole bicycling ensemble with the tights and all that stuff.  Is it so you are not mistaken for a poor person with no car?  I get the idea behind it but I feel like there should be a practical option for everyday riding to work etc.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on May 29, 2018, 06:02:47 AM
I don't get why people use a dryer in fantastic weather.

It's 30C  / 86F outside, sunny and dry atm and early in the afternoon. I just witnessed my neighbour turning on her dryer, while she is home and has a garden. It would take her less than 5 minutes to put her laundry on the line outside and it would dry just as quick, smell better, lower her electricity bill and her environmental impact.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: davisgang90 on May 29, 2018, 06:32:44 AM
Golf.

I have several friends who play several times a week.

Closest I have come is driving the cart/drinking beer for mandatory fun when i was in command.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on May 29, 2018, 07:44:48 AM
I don't get the whole bicycling ensemble with the tights and all that stuff.  Is it so you are not mistaken for a poor person with no car?  I get the idea behind it but I feel like there should be a practical option for everyday riding to work etc.

I started riding to work on a too small for me mountain bike, wearing regular shorts, sneakers, and a cotton t-shirt.  (Maybe sweatpants and a sweater when it was cold.)  I currently wear bike shorts and a tight fitting cycling jersey on my road bike when riding to work.

My ride is 13 miles each way.  When it was hot in the summer, I'd get chafing on my inner thighs with regular shorts that would prevent me from riding as much as I wanted to.  The cotton shirt would soak through with sweat half way through the ride and be heavy/itchy until I got to my destination.  When you're cycling quickly, your clothing makes a ton of noise as it whips around in the wind . . . and it kinda acts like a parachute slowing you down.  When wearing sweatpants, I'd need to wear a band around my leg or tuck them into a sock to prevent them from catching in the chain.  If it rained, I'd be soaked wet and then get chilled very quickly (even though I had fenders).

Every one of these problems is solved by wearing proper bike clothing.  Yes, you'll have to embrace looking a bit goofy . . . but they make riding a bike much more comfortable.  Regular clothing is not practical on a bike unless you're cycling very short distances, very slowly, in nice weather.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: wenchsenior on May 29, 2018, 08:17:27 AM
I don't get why people use a dryer in fantastic weather.

It's 30C  / 86F outside, sunny and dry atm and early in the afternoon. I just witnessed my neighbour turning on her dryer, while she is home and has a garden. It would take her less than 5 minutes to put her laundry on the line outside and it would dry just as quick, smell better, lower her electricity bill and her environmental impact.

In our case, it's the incredible amount of dust in the air down here, especially in the spring/early summer.  We live in the center of about a 100 mile radius of flat, barren dirt fields saturated with pesticides.  The dust storms look like something from a movie, and anything more than a light breeze is full of dust.

 I would like to try this if we ever move, though.  Or even here in the late summer/early fall (least dusty season) if we had room to put up a line where the clothes wouldn't immediately be covered with bird-shit.

But I think it never crosses my mind b/c I associate line drying with field work, and unbelievably skunky clothing that you can't fully wash but have to wear for weeks (in one case, so stinky that black vultures kept stealing it off the line LOL).

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on May 29, 2018, 08:45:06 AM
I don't get why people use a dryer in fantastic weather.

It's 30C  / 86F outside, sunny and dry atm and early in the afternoon. I just witnessed my neighbour turning on her dryer, while she is home and has a garden. It would take her less than 5 minutes to put her laundry on the line outside and it would dry just as quick, smell better, lower her electricity bill and her environmental impact.

In our case, it's the incredible amount of dust in the air down here, especially in the spring/early summer.  We live in the center of about a 100 mile radius of flat, barren dirt fields saturated with pesticides.  The dust storms look like something from a movie, and anything more than a light breeze is full of dust.

 I would like to try this if we ever move, though.  Or even here in the late summer/early fall (least dusty season) if we had room to put up a line where the clothes wouldn't immediately be covered with bird-shit.

We must live in similar places. The cars and pretty much any outdoor surface are currently covered in tree pollen. We have birds everywhere, and they aren't shy about using everything in our yard as their toilet. This is also a high-humidity area, so sometimes things just don't dry in the air.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on May 29, 2018, 09:02:20 AM
I don't get why people use a dryer in fantastic weather.

It's 30C  / 86F outside, sunny and dry atm and early in the afternoon. I just witnessed my neighbour turning on her dryer, while she is home and has a garden. It would take her less than 5 minutes to put her laundry on the line outside and it would dry just as quick, smell better, lower her electricity bill and her environmental impact.

In our case, it's the incredible amount of dust in the air down here, especially in the spring/early summer.  We live in the center of about a 100 mile radius of flat, barren dirt fields saturated with pesticides.  The dust storms look like something from a movie, and anything more than a light breeze is full of dust.

 I would like to try this if we ever move, though.  Or even here in the late summer/early fall (least dusty season) if we had room to put up a line where the clothes wouldn't immediately be covered with bird-shit.

We must live in similar places. The cars and pretty much any outdoor surface are currently covered in tree pollen. We have birds everywhere, and they aren't shy about using everything in our yard as their toilet. This is also a high-humidity area, so sometimes things just don't dry in the air.

I get it when you live in a place where climate / surroundings don't allow for line drying, but I know for certain my neighbour lives in the perfect place for line drying. Our climate is not humid at all, and I only get birdshit on my laundry about once a year. Dust and pollution are not issues here either. I dried some white sheets outside today and the only way to get them this crisp and fresh and white is by drying them outside in the bright sunlight.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on May 29, 2018, 09:07:56 AM
I do not understand the phrase "break the internet".

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on May 29, 2018, 10:02:18 AM
I don't get why people use a dryer in fantastic weather.

It's 30C  / 86F outside, sunny and dry atm and early in the afternoon. I just witnessed my neighbour turning on her dryer, while she is home and has a garden. It would take her less than 5 minutes to put her laundry on the line outside and it would dry just as quick, smell better, lower her electricity bill and her environmental impact.

I agree.  I live in an apartment with no balcony but we still line dry all year long (no one has dryers here in Italy).  There are special dedicated clothes lines on the roof of our building - it currently takes less than 2 hours to dry heavy towels.  And when it rains, we just dry everything on a clothes horse type thing inside.  Mustachian and environmentally friendly.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: kanga1622 on May 29, 2018, 11:58:58 AM
I don't get why people use a dryer in fantastic weather.

It's 30C  / 86F outside, sunny and dry atm and early in the afternoon. I just witnessed my neighbour turning on her dryer, while she is home and has a garden. It would take her less than 5 minutes to put her laundry on the line outside and it would dry just as quick, smell better, lower her electricity bill and her environmental impact.

I use my dryer because drying clothes outside would cause most of my family to be feeling like garbage if they touched/wore any of those items. My allergies are TERRIBLE and my list of items is super long. My youngest also appears to have a lot of allergies based on his symptoms. Just easier to use a dryer than to make sure I don't touch/sleep on/wear any items that have grass, pine, pollen, mold, or dirt particles.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: runbikerun on May 30, 2018, 12:51:40 AM
I don't get the whole bicycling ensemble with the tights and all that stuff.  Is it so you are not mistaken for a poor person with no car?  I get the idea behind it but I feel like there should be a practical option for everyday riding to work etc.

I started riding to work on a too small for me mountain bike, wearing regular shorts, sneakers, and a cotton t-shirt.  (Maybe sweatpants and a sweater when it was cold.)  I currently wear bike shorts and a tight fitting cycling jersey on my road bike when riding to work.

My ride is 13 miles each way.  When it was hot in the summer, I'd get chafing on my inner thighs with regular shorts that would prevent me from riding as much as I wanted to.  The cotton shirt would soak through with sweat half way through the ride and be heavy/itchy until I got to my destination.  When you're cycling quickly, your clothing makes a ton of noise as it whips around in the wind . . . and it kinda acts like a parachute slowing you down.  When wearing sweatpants, I'd need to wear a band around my leg or tuck them into a sock to prevent them from catching in the chain.  If it rained, I'd be soaked wet and then get chilled very quickly (even though I had fenders).

Every one of these problems is solved by wearing proper bike clothing.  Yes, you'll have to embrace looking a bit goofy . . . but they make riding a bike much more comfortable.  Regular clothing is not practical on a bike unless you're cycling very short distances, very slowly, in nice weather.

A thousand times this. Proper cycling gear ensures you cool down faster in hot weather, and is faster than ordinary clothing by a serious margin - we're talking in minutes rather than seconds for a ten mile ride. If you ride ten miles each way to work, proper gear could save you five to ten minutes each day.

There's also the factor for a lot of people that they're effectively training or exercising while riding, and so want to be properly equipped. And the vanity factor may come into play - I worked hard for these legs, and I'm not about to hide them under baggy shorts!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 30, 2018, 09:55:01 AM


A thousand times this. Proper cycling gear ensures you cool down faster in hot weather, and is faster than ordinary clothing by a serious margin - we're talking in minutes rather than seconds for a ten mile ride. If you ride ten miles each way to work, proper gear could save you five to ten minutes each day.



I'm all for proper gear, but really, shave MINUTES off a 10 mile ride?  Any data to support this?  You're really telling me by putting on tight cycling clothing instead of my baggy underarmour shorts I'm going to shave minutes from my ride?  Sorry, this is super hard for me to buy into without seeing some actual supporting data.

Quote from: CyclingWeekly
Cycling Weekly’s own tests show that an aerosuit can save around five watts of energy compared to a close-fitting jersey and short combination and 10 watts over loose-fitting clothing, equating to time savings of 45 seconds or more over 25 miles.

Not exactly a massive time savings, and this is for top tier cyclers.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on May 30, 2018, 10:05:34 AM


A thousand times this. Proper cycling gear ensures you cool down faster in hot weather, and is faster than ordinary clothing by a serious margin - we're talking in minutes rather than seconds for a ten mile ride. If you ride ten miles each way to work, proper gear could save you five to ten minutes each day.



I'm all for proper gear, but really, shave MINUTES off a 10 mile ride?  Any data to support this?  You're really telling me by putting on tight cycling clothing instead of my baggy underarmour shorts I'm going to shave minutes from my ride?  Sorry, this is super hard for me to buy into without seeing some actual supporting data.

This wind tunnel testing showed the difference between a slightly baggy fit cycling jersey and a tight fitting one:  http://www.stickybottle.com/uncategorized/video-loose-vs-tighter-jerseys-tested-in-a-wind-tunnel-energy-saved-time-gained-is-huge/ (http://www.stickybottle.com/uncategorized/video-loose-vs-tighter-jerseys-tested-in-a-wind-tunnel-energy-saved-time-gained-is-huge/).  It came to 91 seconds over 24 miles for a short sleeve jersey.  If you add in the drag of baggy shorts and your typical (even baggier) t-shirt, I wouldn't be surprised to see a greater time differential.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 30, 2018, 10:07:47 AM
Yes, as I mentioned, Cycling Weekly found something similar (45 seconds saved).  Keep in mind, this is a top level cyclist and over 25 miles.  Not exactly a drastic difference unless you're in a race.

Quote from: CyclingWeekly
Cycling Weekly’s own tests show that an aerosuit can save around five watts of energy compared to a close-fitting jersey and short combination and 10 watts over loose-fitting clothing, equating to time savings of 45 seconds or more over 25 miles.

And the difference is for an actual aerosuit, not just standard close fitting cycling clothing.  And this is for 25 miles, big difference betweeen that and a 10 mile ride.  When all is said and done, Tom might be able to shave 10 seconds off his 10 mile ride wearing a jersey/short combo.  Not exactly drastic for riding to work.  But yeah, if you're a racer, of course that's beneficial.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: acroy on May 30, 2018, 10:15:36 AM
This wind tunnel testing showed the difference between a slightly baggy fit cycling jersey and a tight fitting one:  http://www.stickybottle.com/uncategorized/video-loose-vs-tighter-jerseys-tested-in-a-wind-tunnel-energy-saved-time-gained-is-huge/ (http://www.stickybottle.com/uncategorized/video-loose-vs-tighter-jerseys-tested-in-a-wind-tunnel-energy-saved-time-gained-is-huge/).  It came to 91 seconds over 24 miles for a short sleeve jersey.  If you add in the drag of baggy shorts and your typical (even baggier) t-shirt, I wouldn't be surprised to see a greater time differential.

I ride to burn calories, so I ride in baggy shorts + cotton t-shirts :) projected to be upper 90's / low 100's all week, bring it!
Actually I tried cycling gear but can't stand the looks/cost/feel for daily use. I have 1 set of 'cycling' shorts/jersey for use on centuries

Something "I don't get": older kids (and adults!) obsessed with Legos. Seems rather infantile in addition to the crazy high price and how uncomfortable they are to step on!!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on May 30, 2018, 10:19:14 AM
Yes, as I mentioned, Cycling Weekly found something similar (45 seconds saved).  Keep in mind, this is a top level cyclist and over 25 miles.  Not exactly a drastic difference unless you're in a race.

Quote from: CyclingWeekly
Cycling Weekly’s own tests show that an aerosuit can save around five watts of energy compared to a close-fitting jersey and short combination and 10 watts over loose-fitting clothing, equating to time savings of 45 seconds or more over 25 miles.

And the difference is for an actual aerosuit, not just standard close fitting cycling clothing.  And this is for 25 miles, big difference betweeen that and a 10 mile ride.  When all is said and done, you might be able to shave 10 seconds off your 10 mile ride wearing a jersey/short combo.  Not exactly drastic for riding to work.

Slower cyclists actually save more time via aerodynamics than faster cyclists, (https://flocycling.com/slower-athletes-save-more-time.php (https://flocycling.com/slower-athletes-save-more-time.php)) but yeah you're probably not going to notice much on a 10 mile ride.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on May 30, 2018, 10:39:42 AM
I don't get the whole bicycling ensemble with the tights and all that stuff.  Is it so you are not mistaken for a poor person with no car?  I get the idea behind it but I feel like there should be a practical option for everyday riding to work etc.

I started riding to work on a too small for me mountain bike, wearing regular shorts, sneakers, and a cotton t-shirt.  (Maybe sweatpants and a sweater when it was cold.)  I currently wear bike shorts and a tight fitting cycling jersey on my road bike when riding to work.

My ride is 13 miles each way.  When it was hot in the summer, I'd get chafing on my inner thighs with regular shorts that would prevent me from riding as much as I wanted to.  The cotton shirt would soak through with sweat half way through the ride and be heavy/itchy until I got to my destination.  When you're cycling quickly, your clothing makes a ton of noise as it whips around in the wind . . . and it kinda acts like a parachute slowing you down.  When wearing sweatpants, I'd need to wear a band around my leg or tuck them into a sock to prevent them from catching in the chain.  If it rained, I'd be soaked wet and then get chilled very quickly (even though I had fenders).

Every one of these problems is solved by wearing proper bike clothing.  Yes, you'll have to embrace looking a bit goofy . . . but they make riding a bike much more comfortable.  Regular clothing is not practical on a bike unless you're cycling very short distances, very slowly, in nice weather.

A thousand times this. Proper cycling gear ensures you cool down faster in hot weather, and is faster than ordinary clothing by a serious margin - we're talking in minutes rather than seconds for a ten mile ride. If you ride ten miles each way to work, proper gear could save you five to ten minutes each day.

There's also the factor for a lot of people that they're effectively training or exercising while riding, and so want to be properly equipped. And the vanity factor may come into play - I worked hard for these legs, and I'm not about to hide them under baggy shorts!

I commute by bike 100% of the time, I have never owned a car. I've also never owned cycling gear and never missed it. The only thing I do is wear thermal leggings and woolen socks underneath my regular jeans during the winter, or the wind will blow right through them. My daily commute has never been longer than about 15 km one way though. I imagine if you're cycling really long distances you might want some extra gear - I don't have to ride very fast so I don't sweat.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on May 30, 2018, 12:31:33 PM
Yes, as I mentioned, Cycling Weekly found something similar (45 seconds saved).  Keep in mind, this is a top level cyclist and over 25 miles.  Not exactly a drastic difference unless you're in a race.

Quote from: CyclingWeekly
Cycling Weekly’s own tests show that an aerosuit can save around five watts of energy compared to a close-fitting jersey and short combination and 10 watts over loose-fitting clothing, equating to time savings of 45 seconds or more over 25 miles.
And the difference is for an actual aerosuit, not just standard close fitting cycling clothing.  And this is for 25 miles, big difference betweeen that and a 10 mile ride.  When all is said and done, you might be able to shave 10 seconds off your 10 mile ride wearing a jersey/short combo.  Not exactly drastic for riding to work.

Slower cyclists actually save more time via aerodynamics than faster cyclists, (https://flocycling.com/slower-athletes-save-more-time.php (https://flocycling.com/slower-athletes-save-more-time.php)) but yeah you're probably not going to notice much on a 10 mile ride.

That "funny looking" specialty gear actually makes cycling safer* and far more comfortable, which makes the likelihood of riding one's bike much greater, which results in real savings. The dollar kind, which is far more impactful than a little bit of time.

*As anyone who's ever gotten a pants leg caught in a chain can testify.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ChpBstrd on May 30, 2018, 12:54:03 PM
1) Lawns
2) Dogs
3) People who get pissed at the neighbors whose dogs contribute natural compost to their lawns EVEN THOUGH their own dogs can contribute natural compost there, as if it's a territorial thing or the shit is somehow different.
4) People described under #3 who encourage me to "adopt" a dog even as they make life miserable and degrading for dog owners.

I have a 10lb dog.  An 80lb dog's shit IS different.

Also, my dog shits only in the backyard (it's fenced, he doesn't go in the unfenced front).  I know to watch for shit there.  If someone else's dog shits in the front yard, I (and others in my household) am/are not expecting it.

Yep. I don't have dogs. Somehow, I ended up needing to scrape and clean a rather large quantity of fairly fresh dog shit off of my workboot last fall after working in my own yard.

I don't have dogs because I don't want to deal with dog shit in my yard (among other reasons). I certainly don't want to deal with shit from other peoples' dogs.
The interesting thing about lawns is that they compel us to blame other people and animals for the poop rather than the presence of the lawn itself. I.e. we tend to neglect that another solution to the problem (and many other problems) is to not have a lawn, or at least not expect them to be sterile play surfaces and have our day ruined when reality intrudes upon this illusion. Will we end up shaking our fists in the air at the birds dropping poop on our grass? Earthworms are shitting all over the place just beneath the surface. Topsoil itself is composed of decomposing organic matter, including poop. Even blue ribbon lawns are full of bacteria, fungi, molds, alge, viruses, and parasites for various species.

The issue with dog poop for me isn't seeing dog poop. It's the people being so inconsiderate that they didn't pick it up when they saw their dog do it. I have a dog. I love dogs. I don't like people who don't clean up their shit. I see it as no different than tossing a cigarette butt or garbage on the ground. Be better than that people, for Christ sakes!

The point, in a nutshell, is that it's illogical to both like dogs and to like pristine lawns. You cannot have a pristine lawn in a neighborhood with lots of dogs. It's a fantasy. It's the equivalent of deciding keep a dog indoors, and then getting pissed off every time you see hair on the floor and furniture. Well, actually your incompatible desires led you to this point of frustration. It was inevitable. What I don't get is why people don't realize they are imposing this agitation upon themselves.

The next closest parallel to this cognitive dissonance is wanting to have six-pack abs and also wanting to eat Hardees double-baconator-whatever burgers for dinner every night. Yes, the freedom to choose is hard for us grown-ups, but to blame others for the impossibility of one's ideals (i.e. dogs that don't shit or shed) is simply being unaccountable.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: MrSeven on May 30, 2018, 12:55:32 PM
No offense taken.  I'm not giving medical advice :-)

My point is... why wouldn't someone try it?  And bullocks on the "food doesn't cause migraines." Maybe it's not the food itself CAUSING the migraine, but it can be a reaction by my body trying to process said food.  Like when someone has Celiac Disease, which I have.  And you know when I get my migraine?  2-3 days after I ingest something I shouldn't. I'm no stranger to unsolicited medical advice - I don't give that either.  Only when solicited or someone's whining and that's when I get the "oh, I couldn't cut out <insert XXX food here>".

I had migraines 4 times a week and for awhile they thought I had a brain tumor.  The doctors put me on Topomax and Maxalt and sent me for blood tests and brain scans.  Know what it was?  I'm a Celiac and really needed to stop eating the crap I was eating.  I stopped... and so did the migraines.  I wish my doctors would have told me about potential inflammation in my body because not every body processes every food the same.  I also had a multitude of other symptoms that definitely should have helped them draw the conclusion of diet, but they didn't.  And I was young and trusted them.

My sister has 6-8 migraines a month.  She takes Maxalt like candy.  She refuses to try cutting out some basic things that may be affecting her.  Shoot, at this point I'd just get Botox if I were her.  My sister-in-law has Celiac's and Crohn's.  She also refuses to try cutting out basic things that are known to cause inflammation.  She instead hooks herself up to a Remicade machine once a month for her treatments.

But, no. I don't think that changing your diet is a cure-all.  I do think it's worth it to try.  If it doesn't work, try something else.  I'm all for #betterlivingthroughchemistry when it's necessary.  So, long story short... I don't get people who won't TRY.

People who suffer with migraines and/or stomach problems and are unwilling to alter their diets to try and help because it seems 'too extreme'... but are all too willing to pop pills like they're candy and hook themselves up to treatment machines.

What I don't get is people giving out all kinds of medical advice out to strangers who didn't ask for your opinion.
I happen to have both an auto-immune disease and frequent migraines and you won't believe the kind of crazy advice I get on an almost daily basis. Even when their intentions are good, I'd rather take the advice of doctors who've spent years studying medicine.
That said, I totally agree that popping pills, especially pain killers, should be avoided as much as possible.

( no offence meant, but there is no link between migraines and food at all. This has been proven wrong a long time ago. Migraine is a brain disease and symptoms start in your brain days before the patient gets a migraine. Because of these developments you get tired / stressed  / crave foods, but it's because of the migraine, not causing it.  Or in the words of my neurologist: "chocolate causes migraines like pickles cause pregnancy". )

My wife use to have severe migraines about once every month (or two)... tried a lot of different things to help lower the occurrences. Went to the neurologist and tried many things (hated imitrex) and finally decided to give up chocolate. The migraines pretty much stopped... maybe once a year now. Who knows if was the chocolate or not, but its been working for about 8 years now. She had a cupcake a couple years back that she thought didn't have chocolate in it, but did and got a migraine 2 days later. Call it coincidence, but we are both sold that giving up chocolate did help. Also stopped canned pumpkin as well - go figure. I also have perfected the non-chocolate chip cookie... so good with toffee and walnuts!

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Nicholas Carter on May 30, 2018, 01:36:43 PM
Whether music is good or bad, it becomes annoying to hear the same thing again and again. I don't get why radio stations don't have longer playlists or more variety.
So there are two things happening here. One is that, according to some industry research, the average car trip is only about 15 minutes long. So after 5 songs and a commercial break most people are out of their cars at their destination. It's wasted variety to have a song cycle that's more than about 10 songs.
The other thing is that people's tolerance for variety in music is on a very broad spectrum: most people are fine with hearing the same song 2 or 3 times in 8 hours. I personally listen to the same song about 3 times in a listening session (just put 1 10 minute long song on repeat for my whole 40 minute car ride).

Starting drinking late in the evening, when you plan to drink/socialize for hours. Usual result is you lose the next day because of a hangover/sleeping in.

Why not start drinking at noon on a Sat? Drink and party/socialize all day with friends. Stop at 9 or 10, go home, get a full night's rest and sleep off the alcohol. Then you still get Sunday as a usable weekend day.

Amen.  It has to be a group effort though so the parties over at the same time.  I used to start drinking early, thinking I would then be asleep by 9 or 10.  The next morning I would be curious why I'm still tired if I went to sleep around 10...then one of my friends would say "we shut the bar down last night", after going to 3 other bars that I had no recollection of...#earlydrinkingblackout

I don't get: people who drink to the point of not remembering that night and being proud of it - and wanting to do it again.


Yes, this! As a non-drinker it's difficult for me to understand hard-drinking people. I get drinking a few glasses if you really like the taste ( I can't stand it). But the desire to get completely drunk is just extremely difficult for me to understand. Why does a grown adult want to degenerate into a barely conscious adult baby barely able to walk and talk? And do it again the next time - on purpose?

I am a drinker, and I don't get it either. I enjoy a glass or two of wine or a good cocktail (or good scotch or tequila), but getting brown-out drunk once or twice in college was more than enough for me to learn my limits and stick to them. And besides the real health and safety risks, it's expensive!
When I drink my personality changes. Not just my feelings about the moment, but my whole disposition toward my life and community. It's like there's an entire other person inside of me that I've only learned how to be when I'm intoxicated. And I like that guy, so I let him out from time to time to get a little air, stretch our legs.
That guy likes being me a bit less than I like being him, so once I'm in this altered head space I make an effort to be "safe" from any late night sobriety, getting just a bit more drunk than is functional, so that my vibe is not disrupted by any tendrils of clear thought while waiting on my next drink.

I don't get why people use a dryer in fantastic weather.
Perhaps I've merely done it wrong, but I can always tell immediately when cloth has been hang dried. It's tolerable when I'm using a towel (I'm already wet) but for anything that is supposed to go on my dry skin, I'd rather go to work stark naked than wear line-dried shirts and slacks.

I do not understand the phrase "break the internet".
The phrase dates to a claim that a photograph of kim kardashian was so popular that every major social media and news website froze, so quickly were people trying to download and share the image. For about half of all people using it, the internet was, literally, broken for about an hour.

Something "I don't get": older kids (and adults!) obsessed with Legos. Seems rather infantile in addition to the crazy high price and how uncomfortable they are to step on!!
Legos are 3-dimensional art for people who are bad at sculpting. They are recombinable, not sticky, and cheap. They are basically the perfect amusement for people who are interested in the concept of making quilts, but not interested in pushing out a few months years of crappy piece works to get their needle skills up to par.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: NoraLenderbee on May 30, 2018, 02:37:30 PM
The point, in a nutshell, is that it's illogical to both like dogs and to like pristine lawns. You cannot have a pristine lawn in a neighborhood with lots of dogs. It's a fantasy. It's the equivalent of deciding keep a dog indoors, and then getting pissed off every time you see hair on the floor and furniture. Well, actually your incompatible desires led you to this point of frustration. It was inevitable. What I don't get is why people don't realize they are imposing this agitation upon themselves.

The next closest parallel to this cognitive dissonance is wanting to have six-pack abs and also wanting to eat Hardees double-baconator-whatever burgers for dinner every night. Yes, the freedom to choose is hard for us grown-ups, but to blame others for the impossibility of one's ideals (i.e. dogs that don't shit or shed) is simply being unaccountable.

It isn't illogical to like or to want incompatible things. It's only illogical to expect that you can have both at the same time.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on May 30, 2018, 02:50:07 PM

I do not understand the phrase "break the internet".
The phrase dates to a claim that a photograph of kim kardashian was so popular that every major social media and news website froze, so quickly were people trying to download and share the image. For about half of all people using it, the internet was, literally, broken for about an hour.


I know where the phrase comes from. I think it is stupid. Social media is not 'the internet', neither is news websites.  And the vast majority of things now listing as "breaking the internet" don't even get errors on all of those websites- the phrase is so overused from. 

People who use it tell me they have a vast misunderstanding of what the internet it and how vast its offerings are.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: wxdevil on May 30, 2018, 03:27:19 PM
Pop music, and by extension, celebrity worship.

With all the amazing, creative art/music in the world, why would someone willingly listen to the likes of Katy Perry or most modern rap? I get having music to throw on in the background or let loose too, but having that be the extent of your musical catalog is pretty sad.

Celebrity worship is an order of magnitude worse. It's one thing to admire an artist or celebrity for achievements or lifestyle, but it's another to idolize a celebrity and border-line worship them. What does that say about your own life?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Chris22 on May 30, 2018, 03:40:13 PM
Something "I don't get": older kids (and adults!) obsessed with Legos. Seems rather infantile in addition to the crazy high price and how uncomfortable they are to step on!!

Love me some Legos.  I'm not obsessed by any stretch, but I threw a $100 car Lego set on my Amazon wish list and my mother in law bought it for me as a Christmas gift, because she didn't know what else to get.  It was perfect.  I had fun putting it together, and now it sits on display on my dresser.  And I love elbowing my 6y/o daughter out of the way so I can assemble the Legos she gets for gifts.  I love to give Legos as gifts, they're generally played with more and better built/designed than so much other of the plastic crap that passes for toys these days. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on May 30, 2018, 04:24:23 PM
I don't get why people use a dryer in fantastic weather.
Perhaps I've merely done it wrong, but I can always tell immediately when cloth has been hang dried. It's tolerable when I'm using a towel (I'm already wet) but for anything that is supposed to go on my dry skin, I'd rather go to work stark naked than wear line-dried shirts and slacks.

How does it feel different? I don't own a dryer, so I don't know. I have a very dry and sensitive skin as well, but I've never had any trouble wearing line dried clothes. I have used machine dried towels when staying over at other people's places and the only major difference I've noticed is that line dried towels smell like fresh air and machine dried towels don't.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 30, 2018, 04:26:26 PM


I know where the phrase comes from. I think it is stupid. Social media is not 'the internet', neither is news websites. 

It's just a joke and not meant to be taken literally.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: nnls on May 30, 2018, 04:27:21 PM
I don't get why people use a dryer in fantastic weather.
Perhaps I've merely done it wrong, but I can always tell immediately when cloth has been hang dried. It's tolerable when I'm using a towel (I'm already wet) but for anything that is supposed to go on my dry skin, I'd rather go to work stark naked than wear line-dried shirts and slacks.

How does it feel different? I don't own a dryer, so I don't know. I have a very dry and sensitive skin as well, but I've never had any trouble wearing line dried clothes. I have used machine dried towels when staying over at other people's places and the only major difference I've noticed is that line dried towels smell like fresh air and machine dried towels don't.

I was going to ask the same thing, I have never owned a dryer, but I cant imagine it would feel that different
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on May 30, 2018, 04:32:26 PM
I don't get why people use a dryer in fantastic weather.
Perhaps I've merely done it wrong, but I can always tell immediately when cloth has been hang dried. It's tolerable when I'm using a towel (I'm already wet) but for anything that is supposed to go on my dry skin, I'd rather go to work stark naked than wear line-dried shirts and slacks.

How does it feel different? I don't own a dryer, so I don't know. I have a very dry and sensitive skin as well, but I've never had any trouble wearing line dried clothes. I have used machine dried towels when staying over at other people's places and the only major difference I've noticed is that line dried towels smell like fresh air and machine dried towels don't.

I was going to ask the same thing, I have never owned a dryer, but I cant imagine it would feel that different

In my experience, it depends on the fabric (and this may be due to our somewhat hard water). Synthetics and wool are fine if they're fully line or flat dried, but cotton always feels stiff and crunchy unless it's tumbled in the dryer for at least a few minutes.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on May 30, 2018, 06:12:42 PM
I don't get why people use a dryer in fantastic weather.
Perhaps I've merely done it wrong, but I can always tell immediately when cloth has been hang dried. It's tolerable when I'm using a towel (I'm already wet) but for anything that is supposed to go on my dry skin, I'd rather go to work stark naked than wear line-dried shirts and slacks.

How does it feel different? I don't own a dryer, so I don't know. I have a very dry and sensitive skin as well, but I've never had any trouble wearing line dried clothes. I have used machine dried towels when staying over at other people's places and the only major difference I've noticed is that line dried towels smell like fresh air and machine dried towels don't.

I was going to ask the same thing, I have never owned a dryer, but I cant imagine it would feel that different

In my experience, it depends on the fabric (and this may be due to our somewhat hard water). Synthetics and wool are fine if they're fully line or flat dried, but cotton always feels stiff and crunchy unless it's tumbled in the dryer for at least a few minutes.

If you take the cotton clothing off the drying rack and give them a couple snaps in the air you'll find that most of the stiff/crunchy feeling goes away.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Awesomeness on May 30, 2018, 07:22:09 PM
Starting drinking late in the evening, when you plan to drink/socialize for hours. Usual result is you lose the next day because of a hangover/sleeping in.

Why not start drinking at noon on a Sat? Drink and party/socialize all day with friends. Stop at 9 or 10, go home, get a full night's rest and sleep off the alcohol. Then you still get Sunday as a usable weekend day.

Amen.  It has to be a group effort though so the parties over at the same time.  I used to start drinking early, thinking I would then be asleep by 9 or 10.  The next morning I would be curious why I'm still tired if I went to sleep around 10...then one of my friends would say "we shut the bar down last night", after going to 3 other bars that I had no recollection of...#earlydrinkingblackout

I don't get: people who drink to the point of not remembering that night and being proud of it - and wanting to do it again.


Yes, this! As a non-drinker it's difficult for me to understand hard-drinking people. I get drinking a few glasses if you really like the taste ( I can't stand it). But the desire to get completely drunk is just extremely difficult for me to understand. Why does a grown adult want to degenerate into a barely conscious adult baby barely able to walk and talk? And do it again the next time - on purpose?

I am a drinker, and I don't get it either. I enjoy a glass or two of wine or a good cocktail (or good scotch or tequila), but getting brown-out drunk once or twice in college was more than enough for me to learn my limits and stick to them. And besides the real health and safety risks, it's expensive!


My ex was an alcoholic and since I never really cared for drinking I especially avoided it because of him. I’ve been divorced now for 8 months. Just attended a party with some good friends. We started food and drinks at four and by eleven that night everyone was gone and we were the ones left cleaning up a bit. Asleep by midnight.

I had 4 margaritas and my first ever shot. My ex would flip shit if he saw the Facebook pics, alcoholics love other drinkers and he hated that I didn’t drink.  I’m 47 and never in my life have I had more than one drink.  This was over the whole day and I was just fine. Snacking on good food a lot too. A couple people got loud and silly but no one was wasted. It was nice to be around normal drinkers.  I can see why people like to do this. It was something I could never do because of who I was married too.

At most I felt one with my chair, so relaxed but not drunk at all. It was such a harmless good time and I sure wish my ex was able to do something like this but nope.  He would have carried on past  everyone then woken me up to tell me what a piece of crap I was, crying, puking, happy, furious etc.  then apologizing the next day for doing something he couldn’t remember but knew it wasn’t good. It’s tragic and so destructive. He never got help and I have no doubt it will be the death of him, I did everything I could to help him. When I discovered he was a cheater too i got out ASAP.  He’s out of my life and I don’t check on him.

I thought I’d hate alcohol forever and never touch it but now I drink Aldi wine and at this moment I’m having some special tropical drink they have, it’s really strong so I’ve got some ice with it. Still rarely drink anything but it doesn’t trigger me anymore.



Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: The Fake Cheap on May 30, 2018, 08:19:13 PM
I don't get adults who get sunburned...I mean a bad sunburn.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on May 31, 2018, 01:31:36 AM
I don't get why people use a dryer in fantastic weather.
Perhaps I've merely done it wrong, but I can always tell immediately when cloth has been hang dried. It's tolerable when I'm using a towel (I'm already wet) but for anything that is supposed to go on my dry skin, I'd rather go to work stark naked than wear line-dried shirts and slacks.

How does it feel different? I don't own a dryer, so I don't know. I have a very dry and sensitive skin as well, but I've never had any trouble wearing line dried clothes. I have used machine dried towels when staying over at other people's places and the only major difference I've noticed is that line dried towels smell like fresh air and machine dried towels don't.

I was going to ask the same thing, I have never owned a dryer, but I cant imagine it would feel that different

In my experience, it depends on the fabric (and this may be due to our somewhat hard water). Synthetics and wool are fine if they're fully line or flat dried, but cotton always feels stiff and crunchy unless it's tumbled in the dryer for at least a few minutes.

If you take the cotton clothing off the drying rack and give them a couple snaps in the air you'll find that most of the stiff/crunchy feeling goes away.

This slight stiffness sometimes happens when I dry indoors on the drying rack in the middle of winter, when laundry takes a bit longer to dry. It's because of lack of movement, which is probably why a short tumble in the dryer is one solution. It doesn't happen when you dry laundry outside on the line, because the clothes are blowing in the wind while drying.

Giving them a couple of snaps in the air is a way to get rid of the stiffness, ironing is another solution. But if your clothes get really stiff all the time, you're probably using way too much laundry detergent or your machine doesn't properly rinse clothing after washing. We have hard water too, so I often add a bit of vinegar.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on May 31, 2018, 06:33:19 AM
I don't get why people use a dryer in fantastic weather.
Perhaps I've merely done it wrong, but I can always tell immediately when cloth has been hang dried. It's tolerable when I'm using a towel (I'm already wet) but for anything that is supposed to go on my dry skin, I'd rather go to work stark naked than wear line-dried shirts and slacks.

How does it feel different? I don't own a dryer, so I don't know. I have a very dry and sensitive skin as well, but I've never had any trouble wearing line dried clothes. I have used machine dried towels when staying over at other people's places and the only major difference I've noticed is that line dried towels smell like fresh air and machine dried towels don't.

I was going to ask the same thing, I have never owned a dryer, but I cant imagine it would feel that different

In my experience, it depends on the fabric (and this may be due to our somewhat hard water). Synthetics and wool are fine if they're fully line or flat dried, but cotton always feels stiff and crunchy unless it's tumbled in the dryer for at least a few minutes.

If you take the cotton clothing off the drying rack and give them a couple snaps in the air you'll find that most of the stiff/crunchy feeling goes away.

This slight stiffness sometimes happens when I dry indoors on the drying rack in the middle of winter, when laundry takes a bit longer to dry. It's because of lack of movement, which is probably why a short tumble in the dryer is one solution. It doesn't happen when you dry laundry outside on the line, because the clothes are blowing in the wind while drying.

Giving them a couple of snaps in the air is a way to get rid of the stiffness, ironing is another solution. But if your clothes get really stiff all the time, you're probably using way too much laundry detergent or your machine doesn't properly rinse clothing after washing. We have hard water too, so I often add a bit of vinegar.

That’s exactly when the stiffness happens, so I think you’re right that it’s a lack of motion. I already use a bit less than the instructed amount of detergent and do sometimes add vinegar. :-) I’ll try a few good snaps next time I wash/air dry my cotton sweaters.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: markbike528CBX on May 31, 2018, 07:28:47 AM
Rant on Putin that I was going to put at https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/modern-day-slavery/100/
This is the better thread.

I don't get, and despise the way Putin is glorified ( good or bad).


Yes Putin (Russia) has nuclear weapons to saber rattle and has a seat on the UN Security council.
But:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_%28United_Nations%29
Russia is 9th after Bangladesh:
Do you glorify/fear/know who is, the head of state of Bangladesh?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29
Russia is 13th after Australia
Do you glorify/fear/know who is, the the head of state of Australia?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29_per_capita
Russia is 70th after Equatorial Guinea (wholly crap, I was not expecting that).
Do you glorify/fear/know who is, the the head of state of Equatorial Guinea?

That said:  Putin is not someone I'd want to meet in a dark (or lit)alleyway, or across a negotiating table.
Putin is the obvious leader of Russia, able to swim in the dangerous currents of Russian politics (Po-210 anyone?)

When Putin passes from the scene (a "cold" like old Soviet leaders) the succession crisis should be interesting, as most high grade successors are likely "minimized".
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: MrSeven on May 31, 2018, 09:13:21 AM
watching TV commercials - with DVRs and Netflix, I don't understand why people still watch TV commercials
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Nicholas Carter on May 31, 2018, 09:40:46 AM
With all the amazing, creative art/music in the world, why would someone willingly listen to the likes of Katy Perry or most modern rap? I get having music to throw on in the background or let loose too, but having that be the extent of your musical catalog is pretty sad.
Pop music is good for basically all the same reasons that a ham and cheese melt is good. It isn't particularly challenging, but it's optimized to hit an emotion/experience note that's pleasant even when it's predictable, the experience is clear even if you don't focus on it completely, and it's covered in melted cheddar.
(BTW, Katy Perry's best work is "driving on a highway with the windows slightly cracked while the sun is out and there is no traffic." and contemporary rap is some combination of "taking a shower when you have somewhere to be but you're not really in a hurry", "driving when there's traffic and you're less than 5 minutes late to work", "the five minutes immediately before stepping into a boxing ring", and "the kind of sex you have in the dark when the ac isn't working". It's a wide genre.)

This slight stiffness sometimes happens when I dry indoors on the drying rack in the middle of winter, when laundry takes a bit longer to dry. It's because of lack of movement, which is probably why a short tumble in the dryer is one solution. It doesn't happen when you dry laundry outside on the line, because the clothes are blowing in the wind while drying.
Alright, this makes sense. I've always thought the secret sauce to hanging clothes was the sunlight, so I haven't bothered to hand clothes where there's adequate wind movement. At my last house, for example, the line was put in before the trees in the yard got large enough to form a windbreak, and I never realized the windbreak would be an issue.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on May 31, 2018, 11:58:05 AM
Rant on Putin that I was going to put at https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/modern-day-slavery/100/
This is the better thread.

I don't get, and despise the way Putin is glorified ( good or bad).


Yes Putin (Russia) has nuclear weapons to saber rattle and has a seat on the UN Security council.
But:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_%28United_Nations%29
Russia is 9th after Bangladesh:
Do you glorify/fear/know who is, the head of state of Bangladesh?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29
Russia is 13th after Australia
Do you glorify/fear/know who is, the the head of state of Australia?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29_per_capita
Russia is 70th after Equatorial Guinea (wholly crap, I was not expecting that).
Do you glorify/fear/know who is, the the head of state of Equatorial Guinea?

That said:  Putin is not someone I'd want to meet in a dark (or lit)alleyway, or across a negotiating table.
Putin is the obvious leader of Russia, able to swim in the dangerous currents of Russian politics (Po-210 anyone?)

When Putin passes from the scene (a "cold" like old Soviet leaders) the succession crisis should be interesting, as most high grade successors are likely "minimized".

One word answer: 'Energy'

"The Russian Federation supplies a significant volume of fossil fuels and is the largest exporter of oil and natural gas to the European Union. In 2007, the European Union imported from Russia 185 million tonnes of crude oil, which accounted for 32.6% of total oil import, and 100.7 million tonnes of oil equivalent of natural gas, which accounted 38.7% of total gas import.[1]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia_in_the_European_energy_sector

This + NATO / EU.

In many countries there is a large minority of people with Russian heritage, because those countries were under Russian influence for a long time. Russia maintains a territorial claim to these areas and has already invaded one place that they feel should be under the Russian influence. Ukraine was not part of the EU or NATO and nobody feels that area is important enough to risk real war. He was testing us and he got away with it.

But Russia has the same claim to the Baltic states. The Baltic states are EU and NATO members and historically have strong anti-Russian sentiments. If Russia would invade there, those countries would certainly ask for support against Russia. The Russian threat to their territory is why they joined NATO in the first place. This request would likely divide the EU and NATO and severely disrupt the stability of the EU and the single market/euro. The EU is trying to stay afloat, but 10 years after the first crisis happened it is still very fragile.

Whatever you think about Putin, he's a clever man and a strategic thinker. Is he interested in an all-out war with NATO? Of course not. He has very little to gain from that. But he's interested in power and money, and that's exactly what he's gaining now. He's getting involved in international conflicts, enough to divide and confuse his enemies. Whether or not he actually did try to influence the US elections, the Trump presidency has certainly been weakened by these claims, which in turn damages the relationship between the US and Europe. He's meddling in Syria both to to expand Russia's influence and crush the Chechens there, and also to show off his military power. Our economic dependence on Russia gives Putin power.

The scary part about guys like Putin and Erdogan, or any illiberal democracy, is that unlike true authoritarian regimes, they have a strong popular support and get a certain legitimacy because of it. They then use this to get rid of things like free press, free elections and opposition leaders, but there is no doubt that they maintain a strong fanbase, their domestic popularity is not just based on fear. We used to believe that slowly, all countries would progress to liberal democracies and then we would have world peace. It seems the other way round: democratic countries are slowly corrupted and become illiberal democracies.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: markbike528CBX on May 31, 2018, 12:32:40 PM
Liberty Stash and Imma,

Energy and USSR/Imperial Russia history/ toward Europe definitely answers my question.
As an American I had forgotten the euro energy thing. The Saudi oil kings play a similar role in the US.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on May 31, 2018, 12:33:52 PM
Rant on Putin that I was going to put at https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/modern-day-slavery/100/
This is the better thread.

I don't get, and despise the way Putin is glorified ( good or bad).


Yes Putin (Russia) has nuclear weapons to saber rattle and has a seat on the UN Security council.
But:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_%28United_Nations%29
Russia is 9th after Bangladesh:
Do you glorify/fear/know who is, the head of state of Bangladesh?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29
Russia is 13th after Australia
Do you glorify/fear/know who is, the the head of state of Australia?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29_per_capita
Russia is 70th after Equatorial Guinea (wholly crap, I was not expecting that).
Do you glorify/fear/know who is, the the head of state of Equatorial Guinea?

That said:  Putin is not someone I'd want to meet in a dark (or lit)alleyway, or across a negotiating table.
Putin is the obvious leader of Russia, able to swim in the dangerous currents of Russian politics (Po-210 anyone?)

When Putin passes from the scene (a "cold" like old Soviet leaders) the succession crisis should be interesting, as most high grade successors are likely "minimized".

One word answer: 'Energy'

"The Russian Federation supplies a significant volume of fossil fuels and is the largest exporter of oil and natural gas to the European Union. In 2007, the European Union imported from Russia 185 million tonnes of crude oil, which accounted for 32.6% of total oil import, and 100.7 million tonnes of oil equivalent of natural gas, which accounted 38.7% of total gas import.[1]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia_in_the_European_energy_sector

This + NATO / EU.

In many countries there is a large minority of people with Russian heritage, because those countries were under Russian influence for a long time. Russia maintains a territorial claim to these areas and has already invaded one place that they feel should be under the Russian influence. Ukraine was not part of the EU or NATO and nobody feels that area is important enough to risk real war. He was testing us and he got away with it.

But Russia has the same claim to the Baltic states. The Baltic states are EU and NATO members and historically have strong anti-Russian sentiments. If Russia would invade there, those countries would certainly ask for support against Russia. The Russian threat to their territory is why they joined NATO in the first place. This request would likely divide the EU and NATO and severely disrupt the stability of the EU and the single market/euro. The EU is trying to stay afloat, but 10 years after the first crisis happened it is still very fragile.

Go to Google Maps and zoom in on the Polish/Latvian border.  You'll notice a couple things. One is that the border is very narrow. The other is that there is a little province to the west that is technically Russia and Mother Russia acts very protective about that slice of land.  It's difficult to defend an ally (Poland and all three Baltic states are NATO members) under such circumstances.  Our allies up there are a little nervous given what Russia has done to Georgia and Ukraine in the last decade and Putin has never liked how friendly we've become with former Soviet countries.  Russia flexed it's fossil fuel powers before and gave western Europe a very cold winter when there was a dispute. An economic crisis combined with another territorial crisis involving an EU/NATO member on the European periphery might make other nations choose one membership over the other.

Also, I don't understand using Bangladesh, Australia, and Equatorial Guinea as comparisons to Russia. One is an ally and the other two are too poor or small for anyone to notice while Russia has been an enemy/rival/concern for much of the last century.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: markbike528CBX on May 31, 2018, 12:54:33 PM
...snip.....
Also, I don't understand using Bangladesh, Australia, and Equatorial Guinea as comparisons to Russia. One is an ally and the other two are too poor or small for anyone to notice while Russia has been an enemy/rival/concern for much of the last century.

The comparison was the main point.   By GDP per capita Russia should have to sit at the little kids table, not with the big boys.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on May 31, 2018, 01:20:34 PM
A guy I know doesn't believe in global warming. He's also strongly against lefties and clean energy initiatives and looks down on non-western cultures. He dislikes Arabs and Russians particularly (he loves SE-Asians though).

We have some fossil fuel resources in our own country, but the government is trying to stop drilling because of the earthquakes it's causing. This guy was ranting about how there's nothing wrong with fossil fuels and clean energy was a hoax and actually much worse for the environment than fossil fuels. Then I asked him 'when fossil make us dependent on Arabs and Russians, doesn't that mean transitioning to renewable, local sources should be our main priority?' He then switched to a different subject ....

What I don't get about this is that first of all, no logical thinking person doesn't believe in global warming, but even if you believe fossil fuels don't cause global warming, they still make us dependent on shady regimes and we're going to run out at some point, so developing renewable sources of energy should still be a big priority.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on May 31, 2018, 02:57:23 PM
...snip.....
Also, I don't understand using Bangladesh, Australia, and Equatorial Guinea as comparisons to Russia. One is an ally and the other two are too poor or small for anyone to notice while Russia has been an enemy/rival/concern for much of the last century.

The comparison was the main point.   By GDP per capita Russia should have to sit at the little kids table, not with the big boys.

Got it.  Aside from everything discussed above, Russia helped build the big kid's table and the rules don't let us vote them off the island.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: fuzzy math on May 31, 2018, 05:25:02 PM
Lawns. They're awful, expensive and largely pointless. Buy chemicals, water, mow. All for the privilege of having y9ur neighbors critique how well you use chemicals, water and mow.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on May 31, 2018, 07:48:10 PM
Lawns. They're awful, expensive and largely pointless. Buy chemicals, water, mow. All for the privilege of having y9ur neighbors critique how well you use chemicals, water and mow.
We replaced our lawn with slate chips last year. It looks awesome, and it wasn't terribly expensive, especially compared to other non-grass options.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Chris22 on May 31, 2018, 08:12:05 PM
Lawns. They're awful, expensive and largely pointless. Buy chemicals, water, mow. All for the privilege of having y9ur neighbors critique how well you use chemicals, water and mow.

What’s this expensive noise?  I spent a grand total of $35 this year, $10 for some fertilizer and $25 for a little seed to fill in some bare spots. That’s it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 31, 2018, 08:22:20 PM
Lawns. They're awful, expensive and largely pointless. Buy chemicals, water, mow. All for the privilege of having y9ur neighbors critique how well you use chemicals, water and mow.

What’s this expensive noise?  I spent a grand total of $35 this year, $10 for some fertilizer and $25 for a little seed to fill in some bare spots. That’s it.

you don't water or mow it?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Morning Glory on May 31, 2018, 09:07:22 PM
I don't get ABATE. If you are going to take a political stance against something, why helmets? Aren't there more important causes out there?
Title: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: pbkmaine on May 31, 2018, 09:49:02 PM


A thousand times this. Proper cycling gear ensures you cool down faster in hot weather, and is faster than ordinary clothing by a serious margin - we're talking in minutes rather than seconds for a ten mile ride. If you ride ten miles each way to work, proper gear could save you five to ten minutes each day.



I'm all for proper gear, but really, shave MINUTES off a 10 mile ride?  Any data to support this?  You're really telling me by putting on tight cycling clothing instead of my baggy underarmour shorts I'm going to shave minutes from my ride?  Sorry, this is super hard for me to buy into without seeing some actual supporting data.

Quote from: CyclingWeekly
Cycling Weekly’s own tests show that an aerosuit can save around five watts of energy compared to a close-fitting jersey and short combination and 10 watts over loose-fitting clothing, equating to time savings of 45 seconds or more over 25 miles.

Not exactly a massive time savings, and this is for top tier cyclers.

Our European friends find it hilarious that Americans need special clothes for riding bicycles. Unless we are trying out for the Tour de France.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on May 31, 2018, 10:01:47 PM


Our European friends find it hilarious that Americans need special clothes for riding bicycles. Unless we are trying out for the Tour de France.

Yeah I could see that.  Tell them we find their tight speedos hilarious too :D.  That is, unless they're trying out for the olympics haha.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Chris22 on May 31, 2018, 10:23:21 PM
Lawns. They're awful, expensive and largely pointless. Buy chemicals, water, mow. All for the privilege of having y9ur neighbors critique how well you use chemicals, water and mow.

What’s this expensive noise?  I spent a grand total of $35 this year, $10 for some fertilizer and $25 for a little seed to fill in some bare spots. That’s it.

you don't water or mow it?

Water,  no, we get plenty of rain.

Mow, yeah, you’re right, I’ve gone through about one $3 gallon of gas this year.  $38, my bad.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: runbikerun on June 01, 2018, 02:33:50 AM


A thousand times this. Proper cycling gear ensures you cool down faster in hot weather, and is faster than ordinary clothing by a serious margin - we're talking in minutes rather than seconds for a ten mile ride. If you ride ten miles each way to work, proper gear could save you five to ten minutes each day.



I'm all for proper gear, but really, shave MINUTES off a 10 mile ride?  Any data to support this?  You're really telling me by putting on tight cycling clothing instead of my baggy underarmour shorts I'm going to shave minutes from my ride?  Sorry, this is super hard for me to buy into without seeing some actual supporting data.

Quote from: CyclingWeekly
Cycling Weekly’s own tests show that an aerosuit can save around five watts of energy compared to a close-fitting jersey and short combination and 10 watts over loose-fitting clothing, equating to time savings of 45 seconds or more over 25 miles.

Not exactly a massive time savings, and this is for top tier cyclers.

Our European friends find it hilarious that Americans need special clothes for riding bicycles. Unless we are trying out for the Tour de France.

I'll just note here that I'm European rather than American. And if you're cycling more than about four miles or so, you're probably going to need to change into fresh clothes when you get to your destination - so you may as well opt for the useful stuff.

On the aero benefits: I think what's being referred to is the difference between skinsuits, tight-fitting jersey-and-shorts combos, and regular fit jerseys and shorts. In other words, you get 45 seconds over 25 miles when you go from "already pretty tight" to "cartoonishly tight". Comparisons to a T-shirt and chinos would, I suspect, produce a vastly larger figure. If I had the time and the patience, and a power meter, I'd head down to my local open air velodrome and do a few laps in different gear to get some hard numbers.

All of this, however, is a bit off topic, so apologies.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on June 01, 2018, 04:00:29 AM
Lawns. They're awful, expensive and largely pointless. Buy chemicals, water, mow. All for the privilege of having y9ur neighbors critique how well you use chemicals, water and mow.

What’s this expensive noise?  I spent a grand total of $35 this year, $10 for some fertilizer and $25 for a little seed to fill in some bare spots. That’s it.

you don't water or mow it?

My total spend this year was €20 for some seed. I don't water, rain does that for me, and mowing doesn't cost money, as long as you do it yourself. I haven't mowed this year yet, but I should do it this week.

I have never had a lawn before and I'm really looking forward to having one so I can picknick outside in my own backyard and have BBQs.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hirondelle on June 01, 2018, 04:07:29 AM


A thousand times this. Proper cycling gear ensures you cool down faster in hot weather, and is faster than ordinary clothing by a serious margin - we're talking in minutes rather than seconds for a ten mile ride. If you ride ten miles each way to work, proper gear could save you five to ten minutes each day.



I'm all for proper gear, but really, shave MINUTES off a 10 mile ride?  Any data to support this?  You're really telling me by putting on tight cycling clothing instead of my baggy underarmour shorts I'm going to shave minutes from my ride?  Sorry, this is super hard for me to buy into without seeing some actual supporting data.

Quote from: CyclingWeekly
Cycling Weekly’s own tests show that an aerosuit can save around five watts of energy compared to a close-fitting jersey and short combination and 10 watts over loose-fitting clothing, equating to time savings of 45 seconds or more over 25 miles.

Not exactly a massive time savings, and this is for top tier cyclers.

Our European friends find it hilarious that Americans need special clothes for riding bicycles. Unless we are trying out for the Tour de France.

I'll just note here that I'm European rather than American. And if you're cycling more than about four miles or so, you're probably going to need to change into fresh clothes when you get to your destination - so you may as well opt for the useful stuff.


Fellow European here and I don't get why I would need to change into something fresh after 4 mils (25 mins approx)? Unless you're biking on hilly terrain, at a high speed (>20 km/h I'd say) or in very hot/humid weather I don't see how biking would get me more sweaty than walking. Would you also change into something fresh after a 30 min walk?

Now I have to note that I'm Dutch, so the weather and landscape are both bike friendly. And we also think helmets are unnecessary so yeah, maybe we just don't know how to bike properly ;)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: PC2K on June 01, 2018, 05:52:58 AM
Other Dutch person here. Cycle to work (and supermarket, city centre, gym, pool); i do not change clothing. I do put on some lycra while roadbiking or MTB ing.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Schaefer Light on June 01, 2018, 05:55:12 AM
Lawns. They're awful, expensive and largely pointless. Buy chemicals, water, mow. All for the privilege of having y9ur neighbors critique how well you use chemicals, water and mow.

I enjoy mowing.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Davnasty on June 01, 2018, 06:24:03 AM
Lawns. They're awful, expensive and largely pointless. Buy chemicals, water, mow. All for the privilege of having y9ur neighbors critique how well you use chemicals, water and mow.

What’s this expensive noise?  I spent a grand total of $35 this year, $10 for some fertilizer and $25 for a little seed to fill in some bare spots. That’s it.

you don't water or mow it?

Water,  no, we get plenty of rain.

Mow, yeah, you’re right, I’ve gone through about one $3 gallon of gas this year.  $38, my bad.

You're also forgetting annual cost of the mower, mower maintenance, and opportunity cost for all of those monies :)



Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: slappy on June 01, 2018, 06:25:59 AM
Lawns. They're awful, expensive and largely pointless. Buy chemicals, water, mow. All for the privilege of having y9ur neighbors critique how well you use chemicals, water and mow.

I love my lawn. I love to watch my 4 and 2 year old just wander around the lawn exploring. We have a backyard full of stuff for them, sandbox (hubby built), swingset (free), kozy coupe car (free) and they do play with that as well. But sometimes they just wander exploring the lawn, dandelions and trees at the edge of the yard. Its fun to watch them and wander what their little minds are thinking.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: slappy on June 01, 2018, 06:26:45 AM
Lawns. They're awful, expensive and largely pointless. Buy chemicals, water, mow. All for the privilege of having y9ur neighbors critique how well you use chemicals, water and mow.

What’s this expensive noise?  I spent a grand total of $35 this year, $10 for some fertilizer and $25 for a little seed to fill in some bare spots. That’s it.

you don't water or mow it?

Water,  no, we get plenty of rain.

Mow, yeah, you’re right, I’ve gone through about one $3 gallon of gas this year.  $38, my bad.

You're also forgetting annual cost of the mower, mower maintenance, and opportunity cost for all of those monies :)

Our mower was $25 used and we replace the blade occasionally ($10?). 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 01, 2018, 06:53:23 AM
I am still ridiculously happy to have discovered that the previous owner of our latest flip project left behind a new-ish push mower. It came with the $725k house, so...free? I guess that will depend on if we make money on the house, right?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Chris22 on June 01, 2018, 08:38:41 AM
Lawns. They're awful, expensive and largely pointless. Buy chemicals, water, mow. All for the privilege of having y9ur neighbors critique how well you use chemicals, water and mow.

What’s this expensive noise?  I spent a grand total of $35 this year, $10 for some fertilizer and $25 for a little seed to fill in some bare spots. That’s it.

you don't water or mow it?

Water,  no, we get plenty of rain.

Mow, yeah, you’re right, I’ve gone through about one $3 gallon of gas this year.  $38, my bad.

You're also forgetting annual cost of the mower, mower maintenance, and opportunity cost for all of those monies :)

10 years ago I received the mower as a housewarming gift from my inlaws. It cost $320 or so. Every year I pay Ace $10 to sharpen the blade.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: fuzzy math on June 01, 2018, 08:46:58 AM
Lawns. They're awful, expensive and largely pointless. Buy chemicals, water, mow. All for the privilege of having y9ur neighbors critique how well you use chemicals, water and mow.

What’s this expensive noise?  I spent a grand total of $35 this year, $10 for some fertilizer and $25 for a little seed to fill in some bare spots. That’s it.

That's fabulous that you have a few bare spots. Most of my lawn is a bare spot and we've seeded twice. So yeah that gets time consuming and costly. I also have terrible grass allergies and my husband had surgery so I get to do all the lawn tasks this summer. Turns out he bought the wrong type of seed (fine feskew) and our lawn is going to die again next month and then I will have to re-seed a 3rd time in the fall.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Chris22 on June 01, 2018, 08:49:54 AM
Lawns. They're awful, expensive and largely pointless. Buy chemicals, water, mow. All for the privilege of having y9ur neighbors critique how well you use chemicals, water and mow.

What’s this expensive noise?  I spent a grand total of $35 this year, $10 for some fertilizer and $25 for a little seed to fill in some bare spots. That’s it.

That's fabulous that you have a few bare spots. Most of my lawn is a bare spot and we've seeded twice. So yeah that gets time consuming and costly. I also have terrible grass allergies and my husband had surgery so I get to do all the lawn tasks this summer. Turns out he bought the wrong type of seed (fine feskew) and our lawn is going to die again next month and then I will have to re-seed a 3rd time in the fall.

So I get FOR YOU why a lawn is bad and expensive, but can you se that isn’t the case for most people?  If they don’t share your highly specific circumstances the downsides aren’t the same?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 01, 2018, 08:54:42 AM
My Hub has the solution. He would like to concrete the whole yard and paint it green. Then he wants to cut down all the trees too so there will be no leaves to deal with in the fall.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 01, 2018, 08:58:27 AM
My Hub has the solution. He would like to concrete the whole yard and paint it green. Then he wants to cut down all the trees too so there will be no leaves to deal with in the fall.
Pave paradise and put up a parking lot?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 on June 01, 2018, 09:04:29 AM
I don't get lawns either. I'm very much in favor of a low maintenance wooded lot.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 01, 2018, 09:19:45 AM
My Hub has the solution. He would like to concrete the whole yard and paint it green. Then he wants to cut down all the trees too so there will be no leaves to deal with in the fall.
Pave paradise and put up a parking lot?

We wouldn't have enough money to pave the yard considering we are on an acre, but he likes to dream!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ChpBstrd on June 01, 2018, 09:46:26 AM
Lawns became a part of the housing landscape when dog ownership became more common and the "greatest" generation was nostalgic about the "simpler" times when most people were small-time farmers. The market's solution to these emotions was to create fake mini-farms where the crop is grass and the livestock is a dog. People could then cultivate the grass and raise dogs while living a good distance from each other. Suburbs also served the function of maintaining racial segregation - which was otherwise breaking down by the 1950s and 60s - because at the time only the privledged classes could afford the large plots of land and high transportation costs associated with living this way. Being a fake mini farmer became a mark of class distinction - an exclusive club with a high fee at the door. Paying that cost is what people have been working for for decades.

That's where lawns came from.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 01, 2018, 09:55:53 AM
Sand and cactus yards sound desirable. Plus, I would like to have the entire inside of the house made of concrete, stainless steel with drains in the floor so all of it could be hosed down with water and the dirty water would swirl down the drain.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on June 01, 2018, 09:59:01 AM
Sand and cactus yards sound desirable. Plus, I would like to have the entire inside of the house made of concrete, stainless steel with drains in the floor so all of it could be hosed down with water and the dirty water would swirl down the drain.

You sound like my long-lost sister. Everyone else looks at me like I'm nuts when I say that I wish I could just hose down my entire house rather than fussing with dustcloths, brooms, mops, etc.

My parents have a small yard and replaced the entire back lawn with a patio and landscaping and half of the front yard with landscaping about 10 years ago. It takes my dad about 5 minutes to mow the front yard, and both parents spend hours tending flowers and enjoying the patio. It's pretty great.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on June 01, 2018, 10:02:42 AM
Lawns became a part of the housing landscape when dog ownership became more common and the "greatest" generation was nostalgic about the "simpler" times when most people were small-time farmers. The market's solution to these emotions was to create fake mini-farms where the crop is grass and the livestock is a dog. People could then cultivate the grass and raise dogs while living a good distance from each other. Suburbs also served the function of maintaining racial segregation - which was otherwise breaking down by the 1950s and 60s - because at the time only the privledged classes could afford the large plots of land and high transportation costs associated with living this way. Being a fake mini farmer became a mark of class distinction - an exclusive club with a high fee at the door. Paying that cost is what people have been working for for decades.

That's where lawns came from.

Actually lawns have been around in Europe since the 16th century.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RWD on June 01, 2018, 10:08:29 AM
https://earther.com/lawns-are-an-ecological-disaster-1826070720
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Proud Foot on June 01, 2018, 10:11:30 AM
Lawns became a part of the housing landscape when dog ownership became more common and the "greatest" generation was nostalgic about the "simpler" times when most people were small-time farmers. The market's solution to these emotions was to create fake mini-farms where the crop is grass and the livestock is a dog. People could then cultivate the grass and raise dogs while living a good distance from each other. Suburbs also served the function of maintaining racial segregation - which was otherwise breaking down by the 1950s and 60s - because at the time only the privledged classes could afford the large plots of land and high transportation costs associated with living this way. Being a fake mini farmer became a mark of class distinction - an exclusive club with a high fee at the door. Paying that cost is what people have been working for for decades.

That's where lawns came from.

Actually lawns have been around in Europe since the 16th century.

So funny the discussion on lawns is going on.  Freakonomics did a rebroadcast yesterday of their podcast How Stupid Is Our Obsession With Lawns  (http://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-stupid-is-our-obsession-with-lawns-rebroadcast/)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 01, 2018, 10:18:04 AM
https://earther.com/lawns-are-an-ecological-disaster-1826070720

We don't water or fertilize the lawn, or use pesticides or herbicides on it.  It's certainly never been seeded or aerated in the eight years where we've been living at our home.  I'd have to guess that it's pretty close to entirely native grasses at this point . . . or at least is composed of grasses that are perfectly adapted to the conditions we live in (there's a patch of it that is clover in one corner of the yard, and another patch that is mostly escaped chives/green onions in the other corner).  The lawn grows pretty quickly in the spring and fall and needs to be mowed once a week.  In the summer it can go two or three weeks between mowing depending on the heat and rain.  My lawn looks fine (although it's greener in the spring/fall and goes kinda brownish when we've got a particularly hot summer)

My point being that lawns don't have to be particularly high maintenance, expensive, or bad for the environment.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 01, 2018, 10:20:27 AM
Sand and cactus yards sound desirable. Plus, I would like to have the entire inside of the house made of concrete, stainless steel with drains in the floor so all of it could be hosed down with water and the dirty water would swirl down the drain.

You sound like my long-lost sister. Everyone else looks at me like I'm nuts when I say that I wish I could just hose down my entire house rather than fussing with dustcloths, brooms, mops, etc.

My parents have a small yard and replaced the entire back lawn with a patio and landscaping and half of the front yard with landscaping about 10 years ago. It takes my dad about 5 minutes to mow the front yard, and both parents spend hours tending flowers and enjoying the patio. It's pretty great.

Hahaha, OtherJen, we are soul sisters of the hosey house! Bring it on!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on June 01, 2018, 10:26:55 AM
(there's a patch of it that is clover in one corner of the yard, and another patch that is mostly escaped chives/green onions in the other corner). 

We planted a small clump of chives about 10 years ago. I'm pretty sure that about 20% of the backyard "grass" is now chives. It's an interesting smell when mixed with standard mowed grass aroma.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 01, 2018, 10:35:00 AM
My policy is that if it's green, and underfoot it's lawn.  :P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on June 01, 2018, 10:39:23 AM
My policy is that if it's green, and underfoot it's lawn.  :P

Pretty much. Our yard is also infested with wild violets, but the leaves get mowed just like grass and occasionally we get a burst of pretty purple flowers. I'm okay with it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on June 01, 2018, 11:30:35 AM
Lawns. They're awful, expensive and largely pointless. Buy chemicals, water, mow. All for the privilege of having y9ur neighbors critique how well you use chemicals, water and mow.

What’s this expensive noise?  I spent a grand total of $35 this year, $10 for some fertilizer and $25 for a little seed to fill in some bare spots. That’s it.

That's fabulous that you have a few bare spots. Most of my lawn is a bare spot and we've seeded twice. So yeah that gets time consuming and costly. I also have terrible grass allergies and my husband had surgery so I get to do all the lawn tasks this summer. Turns out he bought the wrong type of seed (fine feskew) and our lawn is going to die again next month and then I will have to re-seed a 3rd time in the fall.

So I get FOR YOU why a lawn is bad and expensive, but can you se that isn’t the case for most people?  If they don’t share your highly specific circumstances the downsides aren’t the same?

I just moved from CO, live currently in the Phoenix area, and Los Angeles is just across the border. NONE of these places should have lawns, yet there they are in significant quantities sucking up external sources of expensive water.  If you live in a place that gets a good amount of water year 'round and grass can grow naturally, then this complaint doesn't apply to you.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: jinga nation on June 01, 2018, 12:23:05 PM
Something "I don't get": older kids (and adults!) obsessed with Legos. Seems rather infantile in addition to the crazy high price and how uncomfortable they are to step on!!

Love me some Legos.  I'm not obsessed by any stretch, but I threw a $100 car Lego set on my Amazon wish list and my mother in law bought it for me as a Christmas gift, because she didn't know what else to get.  It was perfect.  I had fun putting it together, and now it sits on display on my dresser.  And I love elbowing my 6y/o daughter out of the way so I can assemble the Legos she gets for gifts.  I love to give Legos as gifts, they're generally played with more and better built/designed than so much other of the plastic crap that passes for toys these days.

+1. My kids and I fight for the Lego pail. I had Lego Technic as a kid. I still play with Lego as it keeps my mind busy. Sometimes I end up resolving work technical issues in my head while fiddling with Lego. It's a productive time passer, promotes creativity and thinking and planning ahead. And can be used and re-used, break down a build, start a new one.

If you get a chance, see Nathan Sawaya's work. http://www.brickartist.com/about-exhibition.html. I went to see "The Art of the Brick" exhibition last year when it was in town. Stupendous!

What I don't get is adults obsessed with going to baseball games, having ball-park food, and then sleeping most of the game. But then I didn't grow up with baseball, so what would I know?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Davnasty on June 01, 2018, 01:13:47 PM
My policy is that if it's green, and underfoot it's lawn.  :P

Pretty much. Our yard is also infested with wild violets, but the leaves get mowed just like grass and occasionally we get a burst of pretty purple flowers. I'm okay with it.

I've always thought of the manicured plots made for looking at as "lawns" and the grassy areas full of dandelions and onions that are good for playing sports and running around in as "yards". I don't know what the official designations are and there's certainly some overlap but that's how I use the words.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ChpBstrd on June 01, 2018, 03:04:10 PM
https://earther.com/lawns-are-an-ecological-disaster-1826070720

We don't water or fertilize the lawn, or use pesticides or herbicides on it.  It's certainly never been seeded or aerated in the eight years where we've been living at our home.  I'd have to guess that it's pretty close to entirely native grasses at this point . . . or at least is composed of grasses that are perfectly adapted to the conditions we live in (there's a patch of it that is clover in one corner of the yard, and another patch that is mostly escaped chives/green onions in the other corner).  The lawn grows pretty quickly in the spring and fall and needs to be mowed once a week.  In the summer it can go two or three weeks between mowing depending on the heat and rain.  My lawn looks fine (although it's greener in the spring/fall and goes kinda brownish when we've got a particularly hot summer)

My point being that lawns don't have to be particularly high maintenance, expensive, or bad for the environment.
Same here, except mowers emit more noxious fumes than a modern car. Start a mower inside a closed garage and you could be dead in 5 minutes. The earth works the same way, it just takes longer.

The new $400 battery mowers are supposed to resolve this, but how much diesel was burned to mine the battery metals?

Now if you're using a reel mower, I bow down.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: pbkmaine on June 01, 2018, 06:29:08 PM
My Hub has the solution. He would like to concrete the whole yard and paint it green. Then he wants to cut down all the trees too so there will be no leaves to deal with in the fall.
Pave paradise and put up a parking lot?

With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swinging hot spot?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Carrie on June 01, 2018, 06:49:23 PM
Our lawn serves a purpose by controlling erosion on our slopes but I like the  ground cover better. Greenery is nice for absorption of rainwater, less heat island effect, and playing/picnicking. Wish we didn't have to mow so often, but at least it's a workout.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: fuzzy math on June 01, 2018, 08:12:11 PM
Lawns. They're awful, expensive and largely pointless. Buy chemicals, water, mow. All for the privilege of having y9ur neighbors critique how well you use chemicals, water and mow.

What’s this expensive noise?  I spent a grand total of $35 this year, $10 for some fertilizer and $25 for a little seed to fill in some bare spots. That’s it.

That's fabulous that you have a few bare spots. Most of my lawn is a bare spot and we've seeded twice. So yeah that gets time consuming and costly. I also have terrible grass allergies and my husband had surgery so I get to do all the lawn tasks this summer. Turns out he bought the wrong type of seed (fine feskew) and our lawn is going to die again next month and then I will have to re-seed a 3rd time in the fall.

So I get FOR YOU why a lawn is bad and expensive, but can you se that isn’t the case for most people?  If they don’t share your highly specific circumstances the downsides aren’t the same?

Dude, it's a rant. This is the I don't get it thread. If you get off from lawn maintenance more power to you, but I despise it. Its the epitome of keeping up with the Joneses.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on June 01, 2018, 09:28:46 PM
I mow to keep the snakes away from the house. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 01, 2018, 11:48:29 PM
My Hub has the solution. He would like to concrete the whole yard and paint it green. Then he wants to cut down all the trees too so there will be no leaves to deal with in the fall.
Pave paradise and put up a parking lot?

With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swinging hot spot?
Don't it always seem to go...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: pbkmaine on June 02, 2018, 07:56:06 AM
My Hub has the solution. He would like to concrete the whole yard and paint it green. Then he wants to cut down all the trees too so there will be no leaves to deal with in the fall.
Pave paradise and put up a parking lot?

With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swinging hot spot?
Don't it always seem to go...

...that you don’t know what you want till it’s gone.

Love that song.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: PoutineLover on June 02, 2018, 09:40:20 AM
My Hub has the solution. He would like to concrete the whole yard and paint it green. Then he wants to cut down all the trees too so there will be no leaves to deal with in the fall.
Pave paradise and put up a parking lot?

With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swinging hot spot?
Don't it always seem to go...

...that you don’t know what you want till it’s gone.

Love that song.
My mom has been singing that song all week, so funny that it would come up here too. Love it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 02, 2018, 10:18:34 AM
My Hub has the solution. He would like to concrete the whole yard and paint it green. Then he wants to cut down all the trees too so there will be no leaves to deal with in the fall.
Pave paradise and put up a parking lot?

With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swinging hot spot?
Don't it always seem to go...

...that you don’t know what you want till it’s gone.

Love that song.
My mom has been singing that song all week, so funny that it would come up here too. Love it.
<3
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: NorCal on June 02, 2018, 10:36:00 AM
I don't get people that take politics super-seriously or choose their friends based on politics.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Adam Zapple on June 02, 2018, 11:20:35 AM
I don't get people that take politics super-seriously or choose their friends based on politics.

I also don't understand how some people seem to agree with every position those on their "side" take.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on June 03, 2018, 07:45:02 AM
https://earther.com/lawns-are-an-ecological-disaster-1826070720

If this article is true, I'm really curious what American lawns look like. Because I have never seen anything like this article describes in real life.

In my area, the local governments are pleading with people to replace paved yards with grass, because the amount of rain is increasing and with all these modern paved backyards the rain has nowhere to go. Obviously it's insane to try to grow a lawn in the desert, but that's a different problem.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 03, 2018, 08:12:20 AM
Things I don't get:

Why do people tailgate? Don't they know it is dangerous not to mention STUPID?

Why do people purposely run a red light  when they have plenty of time to stop? Don't they realize they could kill someone OR get killed?

Why do people have to go from one lane to another passing one car at a time to try to beat the traffic when it is practically bumper to bumper and could cause an accident OR get killed.

Why do people HAVE to talk on their cell phones as soon as they get behind the wheel? They are swerving all over the place and in the opposite lane and almost smashing into other cars head on.

Doesn't anyone follow any rules of the road anymore?


Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sojourner on June 03, 2018, 09:44:10 AM
Things I don't get:

Why do people tailgate? Don't they know it is dangerous not to mention STUPID?

Why do people purposely run a red light  when they have plenty of time to stop? Don't they realize they could kill someone OR get killed?

Why do people have from one lane to another passing one car at a time to try to beat the traffic when it is practically bumper to bumper and could cause an accident OR get killed.

Why do people HAVE to talk on their cell phones as soon as they get behind the wheel? They are swerving all over the place and in the opposite lane and almost smashing into other cars head on.

Doesn't anyone follow any rules of the road anymore?

I agree with your list.  The people that drive like this, tailgating, no turn signals, cutting off, speeding up to the next car then doing it again and again...I think they drive like this all the time, never realizing the only reason they can do this is because most others are not.  What if everyone drove this way?  The highways would be an undriveable blood bath.  How much earlier are they actually arriving at their destination having endangered all those other people, a few minutes?

Here, cell phone use while driving is illegal.  You can't even use it while stopped at a traffic light.  Yet, I'd estimate about half of people are on the phone.  Often, blatantly.   They are being stared at, honked at, but they seem oblivious.  The accident rate has risen 35% I recall hearing.  They do things like drift into other lanes, or travel at 40mph while others are going 65.  Or sit at green lights oblivious to what's going on around them.

The other day while visiting a relative in the hospital, they transferred in a young woman into the next bed over, who had been in the ICU for a month, according to the nurses.  She had driven right off an overpass, jumped the guardrail and smashed into the ground below.  There was also her child in the car who I think survived.  Texting.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 03, 2018, 10:24:44 AM
Things I don't get:

Why do people tailgate? Don't they know it is dangerous not to mention STUPID?

Why do people purposely run a red light  when they have plenty of time to stop? Don't they realize they could kill someone OR get killed?

Why do people have to go from one lane to another passing one car at a time to try to beat the traffic when it is practically bumper to bumper and could cause an accident OR get killed.

Why do people HAVE to talk on their cell phones as soon as they get behind the wheel? They are swerving all over the place and in the opposite lane and almost smashing into other cars head on.

Doesn't anyone follow any rules of the road anymore?


There isn't one time I leave the house to go anywhere that something on this list doesn't happen. One day I was in the right lane stopped at a red light and had been there for several seconds when a car came flying by probably 60 MPH in the left lane thru the red light. He had no intention of stopping. In my state it is also against the law to use the cell phone while driving but seems just about everyone is on them. WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT that they can't pull over off the road and talk then get off of the phone and resume driving. Is the end of the world going to occur if they can't fondle their phones every second of the day?

As far as tailgating goes, WHY??? Driving is dangerous to begin with. Why would you want to tailgate. It must take great skill to be two inches from a person's bumper and not crash. Why can't they just turn on some music and chill out and stay back where they belong.

I live on a road that the speed limit is 30 MPH. There is one part it goes up to 35 MPH. Almost no one goes 30 but if you are going 35 or 38 and someone is tailgating, how fast do they want you to go? You are already exceeding the speed limit.

Another thing, where are the cops when all this crap is happening? Never, ever see one pulling anyone over for this stuff.

I am almost looking forward to cars that drive themselves and that scares me to death!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sojourner on June 03, 2018, 11:12:58 AM
Regarding tailgating...

Decades ago I used to participate on a forum with topic fancypants German sports cars.  I once brought up the problem of tailgating.  Why do people feel the need.  I was promptly scolded by apparent habitual tailgaters.  They argued they do it to pressure the driver ahead, including flashing their headlights, to get out of their way.  Well, I'm already speeding in this lane, and it's not like I can just readily move over because of traffic, so why are you still on my ass?  They piled on saying I was the problem.  They are more special than the rest of us, you see.  You are just borrowing THEIR highway.  They have places to go and people to see.

That mentality I don't get.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 03, 2018, 11:36:51 AM
Regarding tailgating...

Decades ago I used to participate on a forum with topic fancypants German sports cars.  I once brought up the problem of tailgating.  Why do people feel the need.  I was promptly scolded by apparent habitual tailgaters.  They argued they do it to pressure the driver ahead, including flashing their headlights, to get out of their way.  Well, I'm already speeding in this lane, and it's not like I can just readily move over because of traffic, so why are you still on my ass?  They piled on saying I was the problem.  They are more special than the rest of us, you see.  You are just borrowing THEIR highway.  They have places to go and people to see.

That mentality I don't get.


That mentality I don't get either.

One day on the road I live on I was headed over to another town about 7 miles down the road. This road is a state road and is very well maintained but is a country road and extremely windy and hilly. So, I am on my way back home on this road and there is one passing zone on a straight section. This person passes me and I am happy about that, however, this road I mentioned is 30 MPH and this person had to be going at least 60 MPH! This road is very dangerous and only two lanes. Full of hills and bad curves. I have no idea how this jerk drove that fast and was out of sight in no time. A lot of people's driveways go right into this road. There is no way the jerk could have stopped. Plus, years ago, they used to herd cows down this road and they have the right of way. I could just see this maniac plowing into the herd and cows flying in the air.

Funny, in the driving manual I used to take my driving license it didn't mention to tailgate and flash headlights to alert the driver in the front of you to get out of the way.

Another thing that must be a NEW thing is that when my Spouse was still working he went on the interstate every day. Well, several times he would be driving in the wee hours of the morning and all of a sudden would hear something. Well, the something was a car on the interstate with no headlights on when it was pitch black. How STUPID is that?

Please tell me what is wrong with people? Have they all turned into zombies and their brains rotted out of their skulls?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: iluvzbeach on June 03, 2018, 12:21:06 PM
Lawns. They're awful, expensive and largely pointless. Buy chemicals, water, mow. All for the privilege of having y9ur neighbors critique how well you use chemicals, water and mow.
We replaced our lawn with slate chips last year. It looks awesome, and it wasn't terribly expensive, especially compared to other non-grass options.

@Dicey I would love to see a pic of the slate chips. Any chance you can PM one to me? We’re trying to get rid of bark mulch because of the fire risk. Thx.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: jimmyshutter on June 03, 2018, 01:10:54 PM
Facebook although I kind of get it.

I had an account about 6 years ago and it was fun for about 3 months until I realized what a waste of time it was for me. I see some uses for it but I also see people who are on it for hours and hours and I just don't get it. lol
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BikeFanatic on June 03, 2018, 01:16:56 PM
Slate chips < I too want to see a pic.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 03, 2018, 03:39:32 PM
Regarding tailgating...

Decades ago I used to participate on a forum with topic fancypants German sports cars.  I once brought up the problem of tailgating.  Why do people feel the need.  I was promptly scolded by apparent habitual tailgaters.  They argued they do it to pressure the driver ahead, including flashing their headlights, to get out of their way.  Well, I'm already speeding in this lane, and it's not like I can just readily move over because of traffic, so why are you still on my ass?  They piled on saying I was the problem.  They are more special than the rest of us, you see.  You are just borrowing THEIR highway.  They have places to go and people to see.

That mentality I don't get.

If someone's tailgating you, just let your foot off the accelerator and wait a few seconds.  The person will invariably pass you in a huff.  They get to feel like they showed you who was boss, you get to go on your way safely.  Everyone wins.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 03, 2018, 03:48:11 PM
When I get tailgated I usually slow down but they never seem to pass me. Then when I approach my driveway I slow down a long way before I reach the driveway and go like 5 MPH in a 30 MPH limit.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: EricL on June 03, 2018, 03:55:48 PM
It occurred to me when I still had a car I couldn’t remember the last asshole thing somebody did to me on the road for longer than a year.  Not a singe detail about what they looked like or their car make, model, or color.   Even after a couple months it became fuzzy.  That went a long way to curing my road rage.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sojourner on June 03, 2018, 05:18:32 PM
Regarding tailgating...

Decades ago I used to participate on a forum with topic fancypants German sports cars.  I once brought up the problem of tailgating.  Why do people feel the need.  I was promptly scolded by apparent habitual tailgaters.  They argued they do it to pressure the driver ahead, including flashing their headlights, to get out of their way.  Well, I'm already speeding in this lane, and it's not like I can just readily move over because of traffic, so why are you still on my ass?  They piled on saying I was the problem.  They are more special than the rest of us, you see.  You are just borrowing THEIR highway.  They have places to go and people to see.

That mentality I don't get.

If someone's tailgating you, just let your foot off the accelerator and wait a few seconds.  The person will invariably pass you in a huff.  They get to feel like they showed you who was boss, you get to go on your way safely.  Everyone wins.

At this point in my long driving career (zero tickets/accidents...knock on wood), I don't even antagonize by slowing, I just move over when I can.  Put my turn signal to let them know I'm yielding way when it's safe.  I've done all the other stuff out of frustration like decelerating, braking, the middle finger, waiting for them to pass and then speeding up so they encounter the next car over and realize they have to return to the original lane (these people will maneuver unsafely just to gain a car length), etc.   No more of that.  I see them coming and just let them do their thing that makes them happy, then watch as they do the same to the next car, then the next...and just SMH wondering what could possibly be up their ass that makes them drive this way.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 04, 2018, 04:31:25 AM
Regarding tailgating...

Decades ago I used to participate on a forum with topic fancypants German sports cars.  I once brought up the problem of tailgating.  Why do people feel the need.  I was promptly scolded by apparent habitual tailgaters.  They argued they do it to pressure the driver ahead, including flashing their headlights, to get out of their way.  Well, I'm already speeding in this lane, and it's not like I can just readily move over because of traffic, so why are you still on my ass?  They piled on saying I was the problem.  They are more special than the rest of us, you see.  You are just borrowing THEIR highway.  They have places to go and people to see.

That mentality I don't get.

If someone's tailgating you, just let your foot off the accelerator and wait a few seconds.  The person will invariably pass you in a huff.  They get to feel like they showed you who was boss, you get to go on your way safely.  Everyone wins.

At this point in my long driving career (zero tickets/accidents...knock on wood), I don't even antagonize by slowing, I just move over when I can.  Put my turn signal to let them know I'm yielding way when it's safe.  I've done all the other stuff out of frustration like decelerating, braking, the middle finger, waiting for them to pass and then speeding up so they encounter the next car over and realize they have to return to the original lane (these people will maneuver unsafely just to gain a car length), etc.   No more of that.  I see them coming and just let them do their thing that makes them happy, then watch as they do the same to the next car, then the next...and just SMH wondering what could possibly be up their ass that makes them drive this way.


You are so right. I have done all that you have mentioned. It gets you nowhere. I would like to know these people's problems! Then when they have an accident we are supposed to feel sorry for them getting in a tragic accident. Nope, not me. I feel sorry for the other person the tailgater hit.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Davnasty on June 04, 2018, 06:44:43 AM
Regarding tailgating...

Decades ago I used to participate on a forum with topic fancypants German sports cars.  I once brought up the problem of tailgating.  Why do people feel the need.  I was promptly scolded by apparent habitual tailgaters.  They argued they do it to pressure the driver ahead, including flashing their headlights, to get out of their way.  Well, I'm already speeding in this lane, and it's not like I can just readily move over because of traffic, so why are you still on my ass?  They piled on saying I was the problem.  They are more special than the rest of us, you see.  You are just borrowing THEIR highway.  They have places to go and people to see.

That mentality I don't get.

If someone's tailgating you, just let your foot off the accelerator and wait a few seconds.  The person will invariably pass you in a huff.  They get to feel like they showed you who was boss, you get to go on your way safely.  Everyone wins.

At this point in my long driving career (zero tickets/accidents...knock on wood), I don't even antagonize by slowing, I just move over when I can.  Put my turn signal to let them know I'm yielding way when it's safe.  I've done all the other stuff out of frustration like decelerating, braking, the middle finger, waiting for them to pass and then speeding up so they encounter the next car over and realize they have to return to the original lane (these people will maneuver unsafely just to gain a car length), etc.   No more of that.  I see them coming and just let them do their thing that makes them happy, then watch as they do the same to the next car, then the next...and just SMH wondering what could possibly be up their ass that makes them drive this way.

You mentioned German sports cars, were some of these people perhaps German? I've heard (from someone who lived in Germany maybe 30 years ago) that the norm on German roads is to always be in the right lane unless you're actively passing. Tailgating and flashing stills seems like a bit much but maybe they view the offense as more egregious?

Sucking it up is probably the safest thing. When I first started driving I thought it was funny to put on my turning signal, wait until they back off a bit, then turn it back off. Then one night I did this to someone in a jeep who was super aggressive, right on top of me going 60mph on back roads with no one else around, and surprise surprise, that made it worse. They got on me again and followed me home. They pulled up beside me a few times, maybe to make hand gestures but I never looked. Stands to reason that anyone who tailgates is more likely than average to also have road rage issues.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dignam on June 04, 2018, 06:59:37 AM
Regarding tailgating...

Decades ago I used to participate on a forum with topic fancypants German sports cars.  I once brought up the problem of tailgating.  Why do people feel the need.  I was promptly scolded by apparent habitual tailgaters.  They argued they do it to pressure the driver ahead, including flashing their headlights, to get out of their way.  Well, I'm already speeding in this lane, and it's not like I can just readily move over because of traffic, so why are you still on my ass?  They piled on saying I was the problem.  They are more special than the rest of us, you see.  You are just borrowing THEIR highway.  They have places to go and people to see.

That mentality I don't get.

At the risk of turning this into a driving rant thread; what those said to you may have a point (although I can't say for sure because obviously I've never seen you drive). 

Just because you're already speeding doesn't mean you aren't impeding traffic flow.  The USA has an epidemic of people who do not use lane etiquette.  The left lane is NOT the "fast" lane.  It's the passing lane.  "Fast" is entirely subjective; one person's 5 mph over the limit may seem fast, but may be a crawl to the line of cars behind them.  If you are not actively passing someone while in the left lane, you are the problem.  Once finished, move over.  Admittedly I drive 10-12 mph over the limit on the highway (school zones, res areas I do the limit, no more).  I still move over after passing; there's always someone who goes faster than me.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 04, 2018, 07:34:08 AM
Regarding tailgating...

Decades ago I used to participate on a forum with topic fancypants German sports cars.  I once brought up the problem of tailgating.  Why do people feel the need.  I was promptly scolded by apparent habitual tailgaters.  They argued they do it to pressure the driver ahead, including flashing their headlights, to get out of their way.  Well, I'm already speeding in this lane, and it's not like I can just readily move over because of traffic, so why are you still on my ass?  They piled on saying I was the problem.  They are more special than the rest of us, you see.  You are just borrowing THEIR highway.  They have places to go and people to see.

That mentality I don't get.

If someone's tailgating you, just let your foot off the accelerator and wait a few seconds.  The person will invariably pass you in a huff.  They get to feel like they showed you who was boss, you get to go on your way safely.  Everyone wins.

At this point in my long driving career (zero tickets/accidents...knock on wood), I don't even antagonize by slowing, I just move over when I can.  Put my turn signal to let them know I'm yielding way when it's safe.  I've done all the other stuff out of frustration like decelerating, braking, the middle finger, waiting for them to pass and then speeding up so they encounter the next car over and realize they have to return to the original lane (these people will maneuver unsafely just to gain a car length), etc.   No more of that.  I see them coming and just let them do their thing that makes them happy, then watch as they do the same to the next car, then the next...and just SMH wondering what could possibly be up their ass that makes them drive this way.

What I mentioned isn't done to antagonize.  It's done to create a safer driving situation when you're driving safely in the right hand lane.  I want to make it as easy as possible for the person tailgating to get out of my life.  You're supposed to drive on the right hand side of the road unless passing, so it goes without saying that your action should always be to 'move over when you can' regardless of what any vehicles behind you are doing.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SwordGuy on June 04, 2018, 07:42:43 AM
I don't get people that take politics super-seriously or choose their friends based on politics.

I understand people who take police brutality seriously because they are far more likely to be shot by police for doing nothing at all.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can end up going to jail (or being shot by police) simply for waiting for a friend at a Starbucks, or cooking at the grill in a public park, or doing their job at their place of work, or asking directions from someone, or just opening their front door.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can't get promoted because of their gender, or get sexually harassed because, as Trump Jr put it so very clearly, if you can't stand being sexually harassed in the workplace, you should stay at home.  Or they have to learn at age 10 to go to the bathroom in groups so they won't get groped by some guy while they are away from their friends.  (You did know that's why girls do that?)   As one coworker put it, again so very clearly, when I brought up Trump's video self-confession to being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care?  It's not like it's bad for the economy!"


Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.


What I can't get is people who have no damn empathy for folks in that situation and can't be bothered to give a damn about the injustice of it.  Because, after all, it's not affecting them, so why should they care?   
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mm1970 on June 04, 2018, 08:11:55 AM
I don't get people that take politics super-seriously or choose their friends based on politics.

I understand people who take police brutality seriously because they are far more likely to be shot by police for doing nothing at all.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can end up going to jail (or being shot by police) simply for waiting for a friend at a Starbucks, or cooking at the grill in a public park, or doing their job at their place of work, or asking directions from someone, or just opening their front door.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can't get promoted because of their gender, or get sexually harassed because, as Trump Jr put it so very clearly, if you can't stand being sexually harassed in the workplace, you should stay at home.  Or they have to learn at age 10 to go to the bathroom in groups so they won't get groped by some guy while they are away from their friends.  (You did know that's why girls do that?)   As one coworker put it, again so very clearly, when I brought up Trump's video self-confession to being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care?  It's not like it's bad for the economy!"


Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.


What I can't get is people who have no damn empathy for folks in that situation and can't be bothered to give a damn about the injustice of it.  Because, after all, it's not affecting them, so why should they care?
I think a lot of people are unable (unwilling?) to put themselves in other people's shoes.  They are either sheltered enough, or self-absorbed enough, or inexperienced enough that it doesn't occur to them.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dances With Fire on June 04, 2018, 09:10:42 AM
Things I don't get:

Why do people tailgate? Don't they know it is dangerous not to mention STUPID?

Why do people purposely run a red light  when they have plenty of time to stop? Don't they realize they could kill someone OR get killed?

Why do people have to go from one lane to another passing one car at a time to try to beat the traffic when it is practically bumper to bumper and could cause an accident OR get killed.

Why do people HAVE to talk on their cell phones as soon as they get behind the wheel? They are swerving all over the place and in the opposite lane and almost smashing into other cars head on.

Doesn't anyone follow any rules of the road anymore?

+1 I too wish drivers would be a bit more courteous, respectful, and safer towards each other.

Recent studies have shown that the longer the commute, the more unhappy people have become. More people, more traffic, more time on the road, less time for family and other activities.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 on June 04, 2018, 09:32:41 AM
I would like to address the other side of the driving spectrum. The people who are clearly afraid to be driving on the highway. They refuse to drive in the right lane because they don't want to have to merge with others getting on and off the highway. All of this while driving well below the speed limit. Why don't they just take an alternate route? I don't get it.

Also, I spent two weeks in Germany a few years ago. If you are driving slowly in the left lane of a highway with no speed limit, you are a major safety hazard. That car coming up behind you at 150 mph isn't going to have time to safely slow down behind you. Also, Germans by nature are strict rule followers. They will certainly be annoyed by your lack of lane discipline and not using your turn signal. This is something I absolutely do get. I am of German descent however...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 04, 2018, 09:39:32 AM
I would like to address the other side of the driving spectrum. The people who are clearly afraid to be driving on the highway. They refuse to drive in the right lane because they don't want to have to merge with others getting on and off the highway. All of this while driving well below the speed limit. Why don't they just take an alternate route? I don't get it.



I do agree with you that there are overly cautious drivers, and that the passing lane should be used for passing . . . not just hanging around in mile after mile.

One part of your post though:
Also, I spent two weeks in Germany a few years ago. If you are driving slowly in the left lane of a highway with no speed limit, you are a major safety hazard. That car coming up behind you at 150 mph isn't going to have time to safely slow down behind you. Also, Germans by nature are strict rule followers. They will certainly be annoyed by your lack of lane discipline and not using your turn signal. This is something I absolutely do get. I am of German descent however...

If a driver is operating a vehicle beyond his ability to do so safely, he is the one who is driving unsafely.  Unexpected events happen on roads.  Trees fall, landslides happen, mud and snow covers lanes, vehicles stall, etc.  If a car is driving at 150 mph and doesn't have time to slow down for a vehicle in front (much less come to a complete stop as would be necessary for many situations) that driver is pretty clearly not in control of his vehicle.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sojourner on June 04, 2018, 09:41:29 AM
Regarding tailgating...

Decades ago I used to participate on a forum with topic fancypants German sports cars.  I once brought up the problem of tailgating.  Why do people feel the need.  I was promptly scolded by apparent habitual tailgaters.  They argued they do it to pressure the driver ahead, including flashing their headlights, to get out of their way.  Well, I'm already speeding in this lane, and it's not like I can just readily move over because of traffic, so why are you still on my ass?  They piled on saying I was the problem.  They are more special than the rest of us, you see.  You are just borrowing THEIR highway.  They have places to go and people to see.

That mentality I don't get.

At the risk of turning this into a driving rant thread; what those said to you may have a point (although I can't say for sure because obviously I've never seen you drive). 

Just because you're already speeding doesn't mean you aren't impeding traffic flow.  The USA has an epidemic of people who do not use lane etiquette.  The left lane is NOT the "fast" lane.  It's the passing lane.  "Fast" is entirely subjective; one person's 5 mph over the limit may seem fast, but may be a crawl to the line of cars behind them.  If you are not actively passing someone while in the left lane, you are the problem.  Once finished, move over.  Admittedly I drive 10-12 mph over the limit on the highway (school zones, res areas I do the limit, no more).  I still move over after passing; there's always someone who goes faster than me.

Umm...yeah, I know about etiquette, traffic flow, and what passing lanes and right lanes are for.  But thanks for the driving lesson.

Also, taking your foot off the accelerator while someone is on your bumper, regardless of what lane you're in, whether they are German or otherwise, will typically antagonize them regardless of whether your intent is to put them "in a huff" to "create a safer driving situation", as Guitarstv says.  These people are likely prone to road rage, as someone mentioned.  Whatever the thing up their ass is (e.g., "I drive XX mph over the speed limit unless I'm in a school zone"), it's usually best to just safely avoid them.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ChpBstrd on June 04, 2018, 12:34:12 PM
Regarding tailgating...

Decades ago I used to participate on a forum with topic fancypants German sports cars.  I once brought up the problem of tailgating.  Why do people feel the need.  I was promptly scolded by apparent habitual tailgaters.  They argued they do it to pressure the driver ahead, including flashing their headlights, to get out of their way.  Well, I'm already speeding in this lane, and it's not like I can just readily move over because of traffic, so why are you still on my ass?  They piled on saying I was the problem.  They are more special than the rest of us, you see.  You are just borrowing THEIR highway.  They have places to go and people to see.

That mentality I don't get.

At the risk of turning this into a driving rant thread; what those said to you may have a point (although I can't say for sure because obviously I've never seen you drive). 

Just because you're already speeding doesn't mean you aren't impeding traffic flow.  The USA has an epidemic of people who do not use lane etiquette.  The left lane is NOT the "fast" lane.  It's the passing lane.  "Fast" is entirely subjective; one person's 5 mph over the limit may seem fast, but may be a crawl to the line of cars behind them.  If you are not actively passing someone while in the left lane, you are the problem.  Once finished, move over.  Admittedly I drive 10-12 mph over the limit on the highway (school zones, res areas I do the limit, no more).  I still move over after passing; there's always someone who goes faster than me.

Umm...yeah, I know about etiquette, traffic flow, and what passing lanes and right lanes are for.  But thanks for the driving lesson.

Also, taking your foot off the accelerator while someone is on your bumper, regardless of what lane you're in, whether they are German or otherwise, will typically antagonize them regardless of whether your intent is to put them "in a huff" to "create a safer driving situation", as Guitarstv says.  These people are likely prone to road rage, as someone mentioned.  Whatever the thing up their ass is (e.g., "I drive XX mph over the speed limit unless I'm in a school zone"), it's usually best to just safely avoid them.
So, speeding is a crime that routinely results in dead people.

Why exactly should I help someone commit a potentially deadly crime?

Suppose I'm in a bank, and a bank employee sees someone walking across the parking lot with a gun. Thinking quickly, they lock the door. I walk over and unlock the door, letting the bank robber in. Am I aiding the bank robber in the commission of a crime that might result in the deaths of bystanders?

How is enabling speeding any different? Why encourage illegal tailgating by breaking the speed limit yourself?

I drive just over the speed limit unless I'm slowing down for tailgaters. F'em.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 on June 04, 2018, 12:40:20 PM
Changing lanes is statistically more dangerous than speeding. The person driving slowly in the left lane, which forces others to change lanes to pass them, is the one causing the accidents.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 on June 04, 2018, 12:43:08 PM
I would like to address the other side of the driving spectrum. The people who are clearly afraid to be driving on the highway. They refuse to drive in the right lane because they don't want to have to merge with others getting on and off the highway. All of this while driving well below the speed limit. Why don't they just take an alternate route? I don't get it.



I do agree with you that there are overly cautious drivers, and that the passing lane should be used for passing . . . not just hanging around in mile after mile.

One part of your post though:
Also, I spent two weeks in Germany a few years ago. If you are driving slowly in the left lane of a highway with no speed limit, you are a major safety hazard. That car coming up behind you at 150 mph isn't going to have time to safely slow down behind you. Also, Germans by nature are strict rule followers. They will certainly be annoyed by your lack of lane discipline and not using your turn signal. This is something I absolutely do get. I am of German descent however...

If a driver is operating a vehicle beyond his ability to do so safely, he is the one who is driving unsafely.  Unexpected events happen on roads.  Trees fall, landslides happen, mud and snow covers lanes, vehicles stall, etc.  If a car is driving at 150 mph and doesn't have time to slow down for a vehicle in front (much less come to a complete stop as would be necessary for many situations) that driver is pretty clearly not in control of his vehicle.

Couldn't these things happen at virtually any speed though? I guess you are really just making an argument for speed limits in general as opposed to defending the person driving too slow in the left lane?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: PoutineLover on June 04, 2018, 12:51:16 PM
Speaking of terrible drivers, I also hate the ones who pull into intersections when they can't leave the other side due to traffic. Where do they think they are they going? How did they get so entitled that they will block an entire light cycle for cross traffic so they can be 5 feet further ahead and still not be any closer to their destination? I don't get it.
And also, left lane is for passing only! I even got docked on my driving test for making a left turn into the left lane and not moving over to the right as soon as I could.  I don't care if you don't like changing lanes, if you can't do it safely you probably shouldn't be driving. Tailgaters are shitty, and they deserve whatever speeding tickets they get, but you disrupt the whole flow of traffic when you hog the left lane.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RWD on June 04, 2018, 12:59:02 PM
Traffic simulator (move the "Right Bias Cars" slider to the left to simulate slow drivers in the passing lane):
http://www.traffic-simulation.de/index.html
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on June 04, 2018, 01:06:08 PM

So, speeding is a crime that routinely results in dead people.


I think this is one of the biggest exaggerations I've ever read.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 04, 2018, 01:29:44 PM
I would like to address the other side of the driving spectrum. The people who are clearly afraid to be driving on the highway. They refuse to drive in the right lane because they don't want to have to merge with others getting on and off the highway. All of this while driving well below the speed limit. Why don't they just take an alternate route? I don't get it.



I do agree with you that there are overly cautious drivers, and that the passing lane should be used for passing . . . not just hanging around in mile after mile.

One part of your post though:
Also, I spent two weeks in Germany a few years ago. If you are driving slowly in the left lane of a highway with no speed limit, you are a major safety hazard. That car coming up behind you at 150 mph isn't going to have time to safely slow down behind you. Also, Germans by nature are strict rule followers. They will certainly be annoyed by your lack of lane discipline and not using your turn signal. This is something I absolutely do get. I am of German descent however...

If a driver is operating a vehicle beyond his ability to do so safely, he is the one who is driving unsafely.  Unexpected events happen on roads.  Trees fall, landslides happen, mud and snow covers lanes, vehicles stall, etc.  If a car is driving at 150 mph and doesn't have time to slow down for a vehicle in front (much less come to a complete stop as would be necessary for many situations) that driver is pretty clearly not in control of his vehicle.

Couldn't these things happen at virtually any speed though?


Yes.  You could come to a tree fallen across the road when you're travelling at any speed.  As the operator of an automobile it is your responsibility to drive in such a manner that you would be able to avoid this obstacle safely.



I guess you are really just making an argument for speed limits in general

No, not at all.  I have no problem with people speeding.  My argument is that you should never drive unsafely.  If you come around a corner and can't see what's on the other side, then it's up to you as a responsible operator to reduce your speed to the point that you could safely stop in case of an emergency.  If you are driving so quickly that you cannot safely control your vehicle when encountering slower moving traffic is on the road, then you are unable to control your vehicle at that speed.  Speed if you want, but don't drive beyond your ability.

Speed itself is not the problem, it's speeding in combination with unsafe driving.


as opposed to defending the person driving too slow in the left lane?

I'm not defending anyone driving too slow in the left . . . nobody should be driving in the left lane unless he or she is passing someone going even slower in the right.  Being in the left lane and going slower than traffic in the right should be a ticketable offense.

Here's how things should work on a four lane (two in each direction) highway:
1 - Driver A is moving along in the right lane at 5 over the speed limit.
2 - Driver B is moving along in the right lane ahead of driver A at the speed limit.
3 - Driver A moves over to the left lane when it's safe to do so, accelerates slightly, and passes driver B.
4 - Driver A moves back to the right lane ahead of Driver B.

That's it.

If Driver C is zipping along the at 10 over the speed limit he should be in the right hand lane except to pass.  If Driver C approaches slow moving B while A iis n the left hand lane, then C needs to change lanes safely, and then reduce speed to proceed safely . . . and should pass A once A has completed his pass.  This isn't rocket science.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: NoraLenderbee on June 04, 2018, 01:57:05 PM
When I'm being tailgated, I tap the brake pedal 3 times. That usually gets the tailgater to back off or change lanes without any horn honking or middle fingers.

I don't get this fixation on going at the highest possible speed--or rather, on the "injustice" of not being able to go as fast as possible in the left lane. There is no God-given right to go as fast as you can. The speed limit is not a minimum speed. 

Changing lanes is statistically more dangerous than speeding. The person driving slowly in the left lane, which forces others to change lanes to pass them, is the one causing the accidents.

Oh, bullshit. The drivers who choose to make an unsafe pass are the ones causing the accident. They are responsible for their behavior, even when they are provoked by some little old lady driving slowly in her Cadillac.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dignam on June 04, 2018, 01:58:33 PM
Regarding tailgating...

Decades ago I used to participate on a forum with topic fancypants German sports cars.  I once brought up the problem of tailgating.  Why do people feel the need.  I was promptly scolded by apparent habitual tailgaters.  They argued they do it to pressure the driver ahead, including flashing their headlights, to get out of their way.  Well, I'm already speeding in this lane, and it's not like I can just readily move over because of traffic, so why are you still on my ass?  They piled on saying I was the problem.  They are more special than the rest of us, you see.  You are just borrowing THEIR highway.  They have places to go and people to see.

That mentality I don't get.

At the risk of turning this into a driving rant thread; what those said to you may have a point (although I can't say for sure because obviously I've never seen you drive). 

Just because you're already speeding doesn't mean you aren't impeding traffic flow.  The USA has an epidemic of people who do not use lane etiquette.  The left lane is NOT the "fast" lane.  It's the passing lane.  "Fast" is entirely subjective; one person's 5 mph over the limit may seem fast, but may be a crawl to the line of cars behind them.  If you are not actively passing someone while in the left lane, you are the problem.  Once finished, move over.  Admittedly I drive 10-12 mph over the limit on the highway (school zones, res areas I do the limit, no more).  I still move over after passing; there's always someone who goes faster than me.

Umm...yeah, I know about etiquette, traffic flow, and what passing lanes and right lanes are for.  But thanks for the driving lesson.

Also, taking your foot off the accelerator while someone is on your bumper, regardless of what lane you're in, whether they are German or otherwise, will typically antagonize them regardless of whether your intent is to put them "in a huff" to "create a safer driving situation", as Guitarstv says.  These people are likely prone to road rage, as someone mentioned.  Whatever the thing up their ass is (e.g., "I drive XX mph over the speed limit unless I'm in a school zone"), it's usually best to just safely avoid them.

It wasn't specifically directed at you, but you're welcome.

Lane changes are by far more hazardous than speeding.  Slow drivers in the left lane force lane changes and unsafe passing on the right.  It is not your responsibility to enforce the law by driving slowly in the left lane, there are cops for that (note again I am not specifically directing this at you, this is a rant thread).  I, and the majority of drivers risk a ticket each time we drive 1mph over the limit. 

I will agree though that tailgating is almost always dangerous and stupid.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BookLoverL on June 04, 2018, 02:00:48 PM
My thoughts on tailgating/speeding:

Being tailgated is no fun because it puts you under pressure and means that you're more likely to make mistakes, simply because this other driver is up your bum.
Unless you are an ambulance driver or something, you have no need to tailgate/go a huge amount faster than the speed limit anyway, because, well, whatever is at the other end of your journey is really not that vital.
HOWEVER, in the interests of practicality, if you are being tailgated then it's best to allow the tailgater to pass you at a relatively safe point, because then they are Far Away From You and whatever accident they cause won't involve you.

Breaking the arbitrary speed limits set by the law is not inherently bad or idiotic, but when you decide what speed to go at, you should consider these things:

a) How fast are the cars around you driving? Drive 10mph slower than everyone else, especially on a road without many lanes, and you'll become the head of a queue of increasingly frustrated cars that might try to overtake you dangerously. Drive too fast and you'll just have to pull up short a quarter mile further up the road.

b) What is your safe stopping distance? Preferably without having to jam the brakes on and give everyone in your car whiplash. Regardless of the speed limit, it's incredibly foolish to drive so fast that if a hazard (kid/cow/bicycle in road, somebody else crashed up ahead, portal to a parallel dimension appeared, whatever) appeared at the farthest away point that you can see, you could not stop before you reach it. This is why it is much safer to drive at 80mph on a wide, straight motorway/highway than on some tiny rural back road that's incredibly narrow with tall hedges and 6513515 twists and turns. I drive at 20mph on the second of those, even though most of them are technically national speed limit here in England. (For those of you that don't know what that means, that means I could TECHNICALLY legally go at 60mph on the road I live off, despite it being a steep slope with a large number of blind bends that occasionally features horses, cyclists, wide vehicles coming the other way, and even the occasional deer. Legal =/= sensible when it comes to driving.)

c) How efficient is it to go at that speed? I think it's actually more fuel efficient to travel at 55mph than at 70mph, and if you're coming up to some traffic lights (stoplights?), then if you slow down gradually and smoothly from further away, they might have changed by the time you get there and you won't even have to stop, whereas if you whiz up to the line while they're on red then you'll have to brake hard and go right down to first gear.

So yeah, I don't get why the tailgating types need to go quite so fast. But ultimately, how I respond to them is nothing to do with being right or making them have a particular feeling, but is instead to do with making sure I am safe from their idiotic behaviour.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 04, 2018, 02:07:01 PM
My thoughts on tailgating/speeding:

Being tailgated is no fun because it puts you under pressure and means that you're more likely to make mistakes, simply because this other driver is up your bum.
Unless you are an ambulance driver or something, you have no need to tailgate/go a huge amount faster than the speed limit anyway, because, well, whatever is at the other end of your journey is really not that vital.
HOWEVER, in the interests of practicality, if you are being tailgated then it's best to allow the tailgater to pass you at a relatively safe point, because then they are Far Away From You and whatever accident they cause won't involve you.

Breaking the arbitrary speed limits set by the law is not inherently bad or idiotic, but when you decide what speed to go at, you should consider these things:

a) How fast are the cars around you driving? Drive 10mph slower than everyone else, especially on a road without many lanes, and you'll become the head of a queue of increasingly frustrated cars that might try to overtake you dangerously. Drive too fast and you'll just have to pull up short a quarter mile further up the road.

b) What is your safe stopping distance? Preferably without having to jam the brakes on and give everyone in your car whiplash. Regardless of the speed limit, it's incredibly foolish to drive so fast that if a hazard (kid/cow/bicycle in road, somebody else crashed up ahead, portal to a parallel dimension appeared, whatever) appeared at the farthest away point that you can see, you could not stop before you reach it. This is why it is much safer to drive at 80mph on a wide, straight motorway/highway than on some tiny rural back road that's incredibly narrow with tall hedges and 6513515 twists and turns. I drive at 20mph on the second of those, even though most of them are technically national speed limit here in England. (For those of you that don't know what that means, that means I could TECHNICALLY legally go at 60mph on the road I live off, despite it being a steep slope with a large number of blind bends that occasionally features horses, cyclists, wide vehicles coming the other way, and even the occasional deer. Legal =/= sensible when it comes to driving.)

c) How efficient is it to go at that speed? I think it's actually more fuel efficient to travel at 55mph than at 70mph, and if you're coming up to some traffic lights (stoplights?), then if you slow down gradually and smoothly from further away, they might have changed by the time you get there and you won't even have to stop, whereas if you whiz up to the line while they're on red then you'll have to brake hard and go right down to first gear.

So yeah, I don't get why the tailgating types need to go quite so fast. But ultimately, how I respond to them is nothing to do with being right or making them have a particular feeling, but is instead to do with making sure I am safe from their idiotic behaviour.

+1 on pretty much all points.

That's why I mentioned letting off the accelerator when you're being tailgated.  You're driving safely, so you're in the right hand lane.  By gradually reducing your speed you're guaranteeing that this person will pass you and be out of your life.  No need for brake checking him (dangerous), or getting nervous/upset.  Just gradually reduce the pressure of the situation until it goes away.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 on June 04, 2018, 02:11:02 PM
When I'm being tailgated, I tap the brake pedal 3 times. That usually gets the tailgater to back off or change lanes without any horn honking or middle fingers.

I don't get this fixation on going at the highest possible speed--or rather, on the "injustice" of not being able to go as fast as possible in the left lane. There is no God-given right to go as fast as you can. The speed limit is not a minimum speed. 

Changing lanes is statistically more dangerous than speeding. The person driving slowly in the left lane, which forces others to change lanes to pass them, is the one causing the accidents.

Oh, bullshit. The drivers who choose to make an unsafe pass are the ones causing the accident. They are responsible for their behavior, even when they are provoked by some little old lady driving slowly in her Cadillac.

It is okay if you don't see the injustice of people wanting you to get out of the way because you are disrupting the flow of traffic, but in many cases you would be in violation of the law enacted by democratically elected officials.

https://www.vox.com/2014/6/16/5804590/why-you-shouldnt-drive-slowly-in-the-left-lane

Perhaps a grassroots campaign to overturn these unjust laws is in order? Can't wait to hear the slogans.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dignam on June 04, 2018, 02:11:39 PM
One more point - Germany seems to have figured out the unrestricted speed thing pretty well.  IIRC, there are only a few US states with lower accident rates than Germany's Autobahn.  Granted part of it is much more strict licensing and inspection, which I am 100% in favor for in the states.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 04, 2018, 02:15:38 PM
I live on a two lane State road with a 30 MPH speed limit. I personally don't mind people going somewhat faster than the speed limit, but I do despise tailgating. We also have deer, bears, wild turkeys and an occasional cow that gets loose from a pasture sometimes. My road is considered a 'scenic' road and motorcycles drive on this road spring, summer and fall. Most times they are loud and annoying but then there are the rogue drivers that have to be going 70 miles and hour. I always wonder what they would do if they encountered some wildlife while going so fast. I read in the news that last weekend a motorcycle driver and passenger had an encounter with a bear. The motorcycle wiped out and had to be towed away. The driver and passenger had to be taken to the hospital. They weren't on my road but nearby.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 04, 2018, 02:19:59 PM
One more point - Germany seems to have figured out the unrestricted speed thing pretty well.  IIRC, there are only a few US states with lower accident rates than Germany's Autobahn.  Granted part of it is much more strict licensing and inspection, which I am 100% in favor for in the states.

Didn't Montana have no speed limit for the longest time?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RWD on June 04, 2018, 02:29:50 PM
One more point - Germany seems to have figured out the unrestricted speed thing pretty well.  IIRC, there are only a few US states with lower accident rates than Germany's Autobahn.  Granted part of it is much more strict licensing and inspection, which I am 100% in favor for in the states.

Didn't Montana have no speed limit for the longest time?

Yes, until 1999 (though you could still get a ticket for speeding):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_the_United_States_by_jurisdiction#Reasonable_and_prudent

See also, on safety:
http://staged.mediatrackers.org/2014/12/02/montanas-speed-limit-make-highways-safer/
Quote
“The [NMA] study shows the safest period on Montana’s Interstate highways was when there were no daytime speed limits or enforceable speed laws,” NMA stated in 2001. “The doubling of fatal accidents occurred after Montana implemented its new safety program; complete with federal funding, artificially low speed limits and full enforcement.”
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ChpBstrd on June 04, 2018, 02:36:07 PM
How many of you who believe the left lane (in the U.S. not the autobahn) is for passing only have explained to a police officer that there is actually no speed limit in the left lane because that lane is for passing all those cars doing the speed limit? How did it go?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on June 04, 2018, 02:40:08 PM
How many of you who believe the left lane (in the U.S. not the autobahn) is for passing only have explained to a police officer that there is actually no speed limit in the left lane because that lane is for passing all those cars doing the speed limit? How did it go?

I was given a warning for driving (not speeding) exclusively in the left lane on the interstate in the US.  Pulled over and the cop told me I could not drive in the left lane only because it was only to be used for passing.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ChpBstrd on June 04, 2018, 02:49:42 PM
How many of you who believe the left lane (in the U.S. not the autobahn) is for passing only have explained to a police officer that there is actually no speed limit in the left lane because that lane is for passing all those cars doing the speed limit? How did it go?

I was given a warning for driving (not speeding) exclusively in the left lane on the interstate in the US.  Pulled over and the cop told me I could not drive in the left lane only because it was only to be used for passing.

If I was getting a warning, I'd probably keep my smart mouth shut too. But still I wonder what the cop would have answered if you had asked him what the speed limit is in the left lane, or why there is no minimum speed posted on a per lane basis.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on June 04, 2018, 02:51:01 PM
How many of you who believe the left lane (in the U.S. not the autobahn) is for passing only have explained to a police officer that there is actually no speed limit in the left lane because that lane is for passing all those cars doing the speed limit? How did it go?

I was given a warning for driving (not speeding) exclusively in the left lane on the interstate in the US.  Pulled over and the cop told me I could not drive in the left lane only because it was only to be used for passing.

If I was getting a warning, I'd probably keep my smart mouth shut too. But still I wonder what the cop would have answered if you had asked him what the speed limit is in the left lane, or why there is no minimum speed posted on a per lane basis.

Nobody here is literally arguing that there is no speed limit in the left lane...I mean that's nonsense.  Of course there's a speed limit.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 04, 2018, 03:27:18 PM
I don't get people that take politics super-seriously or choose their friends based on politics.

I understand people who take police brutality seriously because they are far more likely to be shot by police for doing nothing at all.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can end up going to jail (or being shot by police) simply for waiting for a friend at a Starbucks, or cooking at the grill in a public park, or doing their job at their place of work, or asking directions from someone, or just opening their front door.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can't get promoted because of their gender, or get sexually harassed because, as Trump Jr put it so very clearly, if you can't stand being sexually harassed in the workplace, you should stay at home.  Or they have to learn at age 10 to go to the bathroom in groups so they won't get groped by some guy while they are away from their friends.  (You did know that's why girls do that?)   As one coworker put it, again so very clearly, when I brought up Trump's video self-confession to being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care?  It's not like it's bad for the economy!"


Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.


What I can't get is people who have no damn empathy for folks in that situation and can't be bothered to give a damn about the injustice of it.  Because, after all, it's not affecting them, so why should they care?
This is a beautiful post. If it isn't there yet, I'm going to post it to the Best Thing... thread.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ChpBstrd on June 04, 2018, 03:31:23 PM
How many of you who believe the left lane (in the U.S. not the autobahn) is for passing only have explained to a police officer that there is actually no speed limit in the left lane because that lane is for passing all those cars doing the speed limit? How did it go?

I was given a warning for driving (not speeding) exclusively in the left lane on the interstate in the US.  Pulled over and the cop told me I could not drive in the left lane only because it was only to be used for passing.

If I was getting a warning, I'd probably keep my smart mouth shut too. But still I wonder what the cop would have answered if you had asked him what the speed limit is in the left lane, or why there is no minimum speed posted on a per lane basis.

Nobody here is literally arguing that there is no speed limit in the left lane...I mean that's nonsense.  Of course there's a speed limit.

What is the speed limit in the left lane then? Suppose for the sake of example the sign says the speed limit is 65 mph.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on June 04, 2018, 03:46:02 PM
I don't get people that take politics super-seriously or choose their friends based on politics.

I also don't understand how some people seem to agree with every position those on their "side" take.

I agree with both of the above points.  I also don't get the people that can't get over their candidate losing and continuously whine about it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ixtap on June 04, 2018, 03:58:11 PM
I don't get people that take politics super-seriously or choose their friends based on politics.

I also don't understand how some people seem to agree with every position those on their "side" take.

I agree with both of the above points.  I also don't get the people that can't get over their candidate losing and continuously whine about it.

I don't get people who continue to complain about the losing candidate years after the election
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mm1970 on June 04, 2018, 04:51:30 PM
How many of you who believe the left lane (in the U.S. not the autobahn) is for passing only have explained to a police officer that there is actually no speed limit in the left lane because that lane is for passing all those cars doing the speed limit? How did it go?

I was given a warning for driving (not speeding) exclusively in the left lane on the interstate in the US.  Pulled over and the cop told me I could not drive in the left lane only because it was only to be used for passing.

If I was getting a warning, I'd probably keep my smart mouth shut too. But still I wonder what the cop would have answered if you had asked him what the speed limit is in the left lane, or why there is no minimum speed posted on a per lane basis.

Nobody here is literally arguing that there is no speed limit in the left lane...I mean that's nonsense.  Of course there's a speed limit.

What is the speed limit in the left lane then? Suppose for the sake of example the sign says the speed limit is 65 mph.
In California there are multiple laws governing the speed of traffic.

Yes, the speed limit on our local highway is 65 mph.

However, there is also a law that you are not to impede traffic.  Meaning, if the speed of the rest of traffic is 72 mph, and you are going 65 mph, you can get a ticket for driving less than the prevailing speed in the left lane.

https://jalopnik.com/5501615/left-lane-passing-laws-a-state-by-state-map
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Adam Zapple on June 04, 2018, 06:01:52 PM
I don't get people that take politics super-seriously or choose their friends based on politics.

I understand people who take police brutality seriously because they are far more likely to be shot by police for doing nothing at all.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can end up going to jail (or being shot by police) simply for waiting for a friend at a Starbucks, or cooking at the grill in a public park, or doing their job at their place of work, or asking directions from someone, or just opening their front door.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can't get promoted because of their gender, or get sexually harassed because, as Trump Jr put it so very clearly, if you can't stand being sexually harassed in the workplace, you should stay at home.  Or they have to learn at age 10 to go to the bathroom in groups so they won't get groped by some guy while they are away from their friends.  (You did know that's why girls do that?)   As one coworker put it, again so very clearly, when I brought up Trump's video self-confession to being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care?  It's not like it's bad for the economy!"


Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.


What I can't get is people who have no damn empathy for folks in that situation and can't be bothered to give a damn about the injustice of it.  Because, after all, it's not affecting them, so why should they care?
This is a beautiful post. If it isn't there yet, I'm going to post it to the Best Thing... thread.

One person's beautiful is another person's ridiculous
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 04, 2018, 06:21:41 PM
I don't get people that take politics super-seriously or choose their friends based on politics.

I understand people who take police brutality seriously because they are far more likely to be shot by police for doing nothing at all.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can end up going to jail (or being shot by police) simply for waiting for a friend at a Starbucks, or cooking at the grill in a public park, or doing their job at their place of work, or asking directions from someone, or just opening their front door.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can't get promoted because of their gender, or get sexually harassed because, as Trump Jr put it so very clearly, if you can't stand being sexually harassed in the workplace, you should stay at home.  Or they have to learn at age 10 to go to the bathroom in groups so they won't get groped by some guy while they are away from their friends.  (You did know that's why girls do that?)   As one coworker put it, again so very clearly, when I brought up Trump's video self-confession to being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care?  It's not like it's bad for the economy!"


Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.


What I can't get is people who have no damn empathy for folks in that situation and can't be bothered to give a damn about the injustice of it.  Because, after all, it's not affecting them, so why should they care?
This is a beautiful post. If it isn't there yet, I'm going to post it to the Best Thing... thread.

One person's beautiful is another person's ridiculous
If lack of empathy is the requirement to join your club, AZ, I think I'll pass.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: calimom on June 04, 2018, 06:41:37 PM
I don't get picking and choosing who you wish to provide services for in a public accommodation business. Say, for example, the cake baker in Colorado who refused to make a wedding cake for a couple celebrating a same sex marriage.

And I don't get the Supreme Court for thinking that's fully acceptable.

I don't get why we don't have an Equal Rights Amendment that ensures full parity to all citizens.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on June 04, 2018, 08:03:49 PM
I don't get picking and choosing who you wish to provide services for in a public accommodation business. Say, for example, the cake baker in Colorado who refused to make a wedding cake for a couple celebrating a same sex marriage.

And I don't get the Supreme Court for thinking that's fully acceptable.

Actually, I get that.  And the majority of SCOTUS gets it, too.  The cake maker has his own rights as well.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: nessness on June 04, 2018, 09:25:07 PM
I don't get people that take politics super-seriously or choose their friends based on politics.

I understand people who take police brutality seriously because they are far more likely to be shot by police for doing nothing at all.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can end up going to jail (or being shot by police) simply for waiting for a friend at a Starbucks, or cooking at the grill in a public park, or doing their job at their place of work, or asking directions from someone, or just opening their front door.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can't get promoted because of their gender, or get sexually harassed because, as Trump Jr put it so very clearly, if you can't stand being sexually harassed in the workplace, you should stay at home.  Or they have to learn at age 10 to go to the bathroom in groups so they won't get groped by some guy while they are away from their friends.  (You did know that's why girls do that?)   As one coworker put it, again so very clearly, when I brought up Trump's video self-confession to being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care?  It's not like it's bad for the economy!"


Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.


What I can't get is people who have no damn empathy for folks in that situation and can't be bothered to give a damn about the injustice of it.  Because, after all, it's not affecting them, so why should they care?
Thank you for this. I can't imagine the amount of willful ignorance it must take to say "it's just politics!" in this day and age.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: NorCal on June 04, 2018, 09:35:59 PM
I don't get people that take politics super-seriously or choose their friends based on politics.

I understand people who take police brutality seriously because they are far more likely to be shot by police for doing nothing at all.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can end up going to jail (or being shot by police) simply for waiting for a friend at a Starbucks, or cooking at the grill in a public park, or doing their job at their place of work, or asking directions from someone, or just opening their front door.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can't get promoted because of their gender, or get sexually harassed because, as Trump Jr put it so very clearly, if you can't stand being sexually harassed in the workplace, you should stay at home.  Or they have to learn at age 10 to go to the bathroom in groups so they won't get groped by some guy while they are away from their friends.  (You did know that's why girls do that?)   As one coworker put it, again so very clearly, when I brought up Trump's video self-confession to being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care?  It's not like it's bad for the economy!"


Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.


What I can't get is people who have no damn empathy for folks in that situation and can't be bothered to give a damn about the injustice of it.  Because, after all, it's not affecting them, so why should they care?
Thank you for this. I can't imagine the amount of willful ignorance it must take to say "it's just politics!" in this day and age.

Yep, I still don't get it.  My reaction to over-dramatized politics is a big eye-roll.

No disrespect to you personally.  I just don't understand the mentality.

Also, if you MUST MUST MUST respond with political opinions, can you please start another thread? 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on June 05, 2018, 06:26:57 AM
How many of you who believe the left lane (in the U.S. not the autobahn) is for passing only have explained to a police officer that there is actually no speed limit in the left lane because that lane is for passing all those cars doing the speed limit? How did it go?

I was given a warning for driving (not speeding) exclusively in the left lane on the interstate in the US.  Pulled over and the cop told me I could not drive in the left lane only because it was only to be used for passing.

If I was getting a warning, I'd probably keep my smart mouth shut too. But still I wonder what the cop would have answered if you had asked him what the speed limit is in the left lane, or why there is no minimum speed posted on a per lane basis.

Nobody here is literally arguing that there is no speed limit in the left lane...I mean that's nonsense.  Of course there's a speed limit.

What is the speed limit in the left lane then? Suppose for the sake of example the sign says the speed limit is 65 mph.

Technically or practically?

Technically the speed limit is whatever is posted, regardless of lane.

Practically, I don't think anyone is getting pulled over if they're within 5-7 mph of the posted limit.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dignam on June 05, 2018, 06:40:46 AM
How many of you who believe the left lane (in the U.S. not the autobahn) is for passing only have explained to a police officer that there is actually no speed limit in the left lane because that lane is for passing all those cars doing the speed limit? How did it go?

I was given a warning for driving (not speeding) exclusively in the left lane on the interstate in the US.  Pulled over and the cop told me I could not drive in the left lane only because it was only to be used for passing.

If I was getting a warning, I'd probably keep my smart mouth shut too. But still I wonder what the cop would have answered if you had asked him what the speed limit is in the left lane, or why there is no minimum speed posted on a per lane basis.

Nobody here is literally arguing that there is no speed limit in the left lane...I mean that's nonsense.  Of course there's a speed limit.

What is the speed limit in the left lane then? Suppose for the sake of example the sign says the speed limit is 65 mph.

Technically or practically?

Technically the speed limit is whatever is posted, regardless of lane.

Practically, I don't think anyone is getting pulled over if they're within 5-7 mph of the posted limit.

This.  Most cops (emphasis most) care about overall safety vs. strictly enforcing posted limits.  At the end of the day, it's about safety anyway. 

We need more cops like this guy (try to ignore the obnoxious talking):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZhdvl_P1Zc
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Adam Zapple on June 05, 2018, 06:58:59 AM
I don't get people that take politics super-seriously or choose their friends based on politics.

I understand people who take police brutality seriously because they are far more likely to be shot by police for doing nothing at all.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can end up going to jail (or being shot by police) simply for waiting for a friend at a Starbucks, or cooking at the grill in a public park, or doing their job at their place of work, or asking directions from someone, or just opening their front door.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can't get promoted because of their gender, or get sexually harassed because, as Trump Jr put it so very clearly, if you can't stand being sexually harassed in the workplace, you should stay at home.  Or they have to learn at age 10 to go to the bathroom in groups so they won't get groped by some guy while they are away from their friends.  (You did know that's why girls do that?)   As one coworker put it, again so very clearly, when I brought up Trump's video self-confession to being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care?  It's not like it's bad for the economy!"


Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.


What I can't get is people who have no damn empathy for folks in that situation and can't be bothered to give a damn about the injustice of it.  Because, after all, it's not affecting them, so why should they care?
Thank you for this. I can't imagine the amount of willful ignorance it must take to say "it's just politics!" in this day and age.

Yep, I still don't get it.  My reaction to over-dramatized politics is a big eye-roll.

No disrespect to you personally.  I just don't understand the mentality.

Also, if you MUST MUST MUST respond with political opinions, can you please start another thread?

I completely agree.  I couldn't imagine a life of sitting around and waiting for the television to tell me what I should be mad about. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SwordGuy on June 05, 2018, 07:04:48 AM
I don't get people that take politics super-seriously or choose their friends based on politics.

I understand people who take police brutality seriously because they are far more likely to be shot by police for doing nothing at all.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can end up going to jail (or being shot by police) simply for waiting for a friend at a Starbucks, or cooking at the grill in a public park, or doing their job at their place of work, or asking directions from someone, or just opening their front door.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can't get promoted because of their gender, or get sexually harassed because, as Trump Jr put it so very clearly, if you can't stand being sexually harassed in the workplace, you should stay at home.  Or they have to learn at age 10 to go to the bathroom in groups so they won't get groped by some guy while they are away from their friends.  (You did know that's why girls do that?)   As one coworker put it, again so very clearly, when I brought up Trump's video self-confession to being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care?  It's not like it's bad for the economy!"


Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.


What I can't get is people who have no damn empathy for folks in that situation and can't be bothered to give a damn about the injustice of it.  Because, after all, it's not affecting them, so why should they care?
Thank you for this. I can't imagine the amount of willful ignorance it must take to say "it's just politics!" in this day and age.

Yep, I still don't get it.  My reaction to over-dramatized politics is a big eye-roll.

No disrespect to you personally.  I just don't understand the mentality.

Also, if you MUST MUST MUST respond with political opinions, can you please start another thread?

It's a ranting thread.

We're ranting because that's what this thread is about.

People who want to stay in their little bubble of privileged ignorance will have to find some other way to do so.   

I sure as hell have zero intention of making that easier for them.

I've watched video of an unarmed black man get shot by police.  The unarmed black man was lying on the street on his back in broad daylight with his empty hands in the air.   Lying on the street -- on his back -- in broad daylight -- with his empty hands in the air.   He was next to an autistic boy who had run away from his group home.  They boy was sitting on the road playing with a toy truck.    The police were concerned that the boy had a gun.

The black man explained to the cops -- you can hear it on the video -- that he worked in a group home and that the boy was autistic, the boy was NOT armed, the boy had a toy truck.  Other witnesses told the police it was a toy truck.

So, because the white autistic boy might have a gun, the police shot the black guy.   Because, well, tradition!

And the police authorities then said the police officer that shot the black man did nothing wrong.   Because, well, tradition!

Now, the police union representative came flat out and said that the black man was completely in the right, that he had correctly done everything that one could expect anyone to do.   When your union representative throws you under the bus like that it's time to recognize you screwed up.

It took a couple of years before it worked its way thru the courts and the police officer got in trouble.

Look it up for yourself.  Charles Kinsey.  You can find videos of the situation on youtube.   You can find newspaper accounts of the trial.

But what if there had been no video?

It would have been covered up, just like it's been covered up by countless cops and local governments for over a hundred years.   

Some police officer shooting a black man because, well, why not?    I think that police officer "over dramatized" the situation, not the folks who are mad as hell about it.

So, what am I ranting about?

People who are so willfully ignorant and so self-absorbed in their own privileged space that they don't give a damn about life and death injustices around them.   

That's my rant for the morning.


Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SwordGuy on June 05, 2018, 07:29:28 AM

The same jackass at work who made the comment about Trump's video self-confession of being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care? It's not like it's bad for the economy!"  was always bitching about black NFL players quietly kneeling in protest during the national anthem.

I always wondered why he cared so much.  After all, it wasn't bad for the economy, so why should he care?

Always wondered why uppitty black men bothered him more than women getting sexually assaulted.   

I think he -- and a veritable shit-ton of others -- have their priorities bass-ackwards.

I wonder if he would change his tune if someone sexually assaulted his wife or daughters?    I wonder if he could actually manage to find some empathy for folks in that situation then?   Or if he would continue to focus on uppity black men quietly kneeling as something to get more upset about?

I thought it was a shame that his wife and daughters didn't come to the company picnic that summer.  I was going to ask them if they thought it was ok for men to sexually assault women as long as it didn't hurt the economy.    I was curious to see if their empathy-meter was stuck on zero as well, or whether self-interest might have unstuck it.   

I would have been relatively nice about it.  I wouldn't have directly quoted their husband / father by name.  But I would definitely have let him squirm a bit, wondering if I would do so.   Who knows, might have awakened in him a sudden burst of empathy for folks on the shit end of other people's actions.

Or not.

Personally, I think that would have been some awesome political drama.   FU money is a useful thing in many ways.





Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on June 05, 2018, 07:44:41 AM
I don't get picking and choosing who you wish to provide services for in a public accommodation business. Say, for example, the cake baker in Colorado who refused to make a wedding cake for a couple celebrating a same sex marriage.

And I don't get the Supreme Court for thinking that's fully acceptable.

Actually, I get that.  And the majority of SCOTUS gets it, too.  The cake maker has his own rights as well.

So, if you can refuse to serve gay customers, can you also put up a sign saying 'whites only' or 'no irish need apply?'. If the baker had been a white supremacist, should they be allowed to refuse black customers? If the baker was a Protestant, should they be allowed to refuse a First Communion cake? After all, bakers have rights, too. ( full disclosure: I have a degree in law and constitutional law was always my favourite subject, but I know very little about the US Constitution. In my country horizontal effects of fundamental rights is not a topic that has been explored much, but I think it's very interesting).

I just looked up that Charles Kinsey case and it's one of the saddest things I've read in quite a while :( That guy did absolutely everything right. He was lying on the floor, hands in the air, fully cooperating with officers and in constant communication with the officers, explaining the situation, trying to save his patient. The officer who shot him can't even explain why he did it and is apparantly still employed, although he's finally facing criminal charges now.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 05, 2018, 07:49:48 AM
I don't get people that take politics super-seriously or choose their friends based on politics.

I understand people who take police brutality seriously because they are far more likely to be shot by police for doing nothing at all.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can end up going to jail (or being shot by police) simply for waiting for a friend at a Starbucks, or cooking at the grill in a public park, or doing their job at their place of work, or asking directions from someone, or just opening their front door.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can't get promoted because of their gender, or get sexually harassed because, as Trump Jr put it so very clearly, if you can't stand being sexually harassed in the workplace, you should stay at home.  Or they have to learn at age 10 to go to the bathroom in groups so they won't get groped by some guy while they are away from their friends.  (You did know that's why girls do that?)   As one coworker put it, again so very clearly, when I brought up Trump's video self-confession to being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care?  It's not like it's bad for the economy!"

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

What I can't get is people who have no damn empathy for folks in that situation and can't be bothered to give a damn about the injustice of it.  Because, after all, it's not affecting them, so why should they care?
Thank you for this. I can't imagine the amount of willful ignorance it must take to say "it's just politics!" in this day and age.

Yep, I still don't get it.  My reaction to over-dramatized politics is a big eye-roll.

No disrespect to you personally.  I just don't understand the mentality.

Also, if you MUST MUST MUST respond with political opinions, can you please start another thread?
This is a RANT thread. Why the hell does anyone think police brutality and gender inequality can be characterized as "over-dramatized politics" or "poltical opinions"? Do you give a flying fuck what is happening to other human beings or does it not matter because it's not you don't see it happening in your own personal bubble? These are a human rights/dignity issues, not politics. FUCK!

ETA: I see I've basically said what SwordGuy said, but far less eloquently. I'm going to let my comments stand, because there cannot be too few voices of reason in the room. Reading his post about just that one of countless shootings makes me sick to my stomach.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Chris22 on June 05, 2018, 07:58:12 AM

So, if you can refuse to serve gay customers, can you also put up a sign saying 'whites only' or 'no irish need apply?'. If the baker had been a white supremacist, should they be allowed to refuse black customers? If the baker was a Protestant, should they be allowed to refuse a First Communion cake? After all, bakers have rights, too. ( full disclosure: I have a degree in law and constitutional law was always my favourite subject, but I know very little about the US Constitution. In my country horizontal effects of fundamental rights is not a topic that has been explored much, but I think it's very interesting).

The bolded is not what happened.  He did not refuse to serve gay customers, he said he'd happily make them a birthday cake, but he didn't want to make them a wedding cake because he didn't believe in gay marriage.  It's like, I dunno, demanding that your local Jewish deli make you a Christmas something or other. 

Is the baker an asshole?  Probably.  But should he be compelled to make something he doesn't want to make?  I don't think so, and neither does SCOTUS. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ormaybemidgets on June 05, 2018, 08:01:06 AM
I don't get picking and choosing who you wish to provide services for in a public accommodation business. Say, for example, the cake baker in Colorado who refused to make a wedding cake for a couple celebrating a same sex marriage.

And I don't get the Supreme Court for thinking that's fully acceptable.

Actually, I get that.  And the majority of SCOTUS gets it, too.  The cake maker has his own rights as well.

So, if you can refuse to serve gay customers, can you also put up a sign saying 'whites only' or 'no irish need apply?'. If the baker had been a white supremacist, should they be allowed to refuse black customers? If the baker was a Protestant, should they be allowed to refuse a First Communion cake? After all, bakers have rights, too. ( full disclosure: I have a degree in law and constitutional law was always my favourite subject, but I know very little about the US Constitution. In my country horizontal effects of fundamental rights is not a topic that has been explored much, but I think it's very interesting).

No, the SCOTUS decision was based on the lower court (actually, Civil Rights Commission) being inappropriate: [the cake maker] “was entitled to a neutral decisionmaker who would give full and fair consideration to his religious objection as he sought to assert it in all of the circumstances in which this case was presented, considered, and decided.” Because he did not have such a proceeding, the commission’s order “must be set aside.”

That's my rant. SCOTUS does not do any of the things people generally accuse it of - the court did NOT say that the cake maker was reasonable, the court did NOT say that the cake maker had his own rights so they trump or are equal to others' rights, the court did NOT say that a cake baker can't be "compelled" (Chris22's word) to make this cake. The court said that prior proceedings should have been held fairly. You might take from that opinion that the court is "for" cake bakers who refuse to make cakes for gay couples, but that is not what the court said. The court is not for or against anything. In fact, they specifically said that without a "hostile" prior proceeding, a case like this would not have come out the same way. And let's not forget, when all this happened same-sex marriage was not legal in Colorado, and Colorado had other laws that allowed service providers to deny other kinds of requested services. You cannot boil down an opinion to a pithy one-liner.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Adam Zapple on June 05, 2018, 08:05:56 AM
Internet ranting or water-cooler chat does not make someone any more empathetic than someone who does nothing, nor does it accomplish anything.  I don't want to speak for @NorCal but I assume that is their point.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: TheAnonOne on June 05, 2018, 08:15:34 AM
Back on the speed limit topics, I don't actually understand speed limits on freeways AT ALL.

Speed limits on freeways are ultimately pointless.

A. When there is traffic, noone is going the speed limit.
B. When the road is open, everyone is speeding.

It is a law that is basically followed 0% of the time. Roads should maybe have a variable limit, if its sunny and clear the limit should be very high, maybe 90 to 110 MPH.

If the road is wet, maybe much lower 65MPH, or if it's dark it could be 55MPH.


Set speed limits on freeways are pointless, and limits are WAAYYYY too low for good conditions.



NOTE1: (I know I started this off saying limits are pointless, and then advocated for variable limits, I do see a benefit in getting all cars going one speed, though, I would argue that probably happens on it's own anyway)

NOTE2: (I swear I saw data showing that the actual speed traveling basically had 0 effect on accident rates, I will try to find this. *FOLLOWUP* Jury seems to be semi-out on this topic, seems like the number does not increase but crashes are higher speeds are worse, which seems obvious)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 05, 2018, 08:29:59 AM

So, if you can refuse to serve gay customers, can you also put up a sign saying 'whites only' or 'no irish need apply?'. If the baker had been a white supremacist, should they be allowed to refuse black customers? If the baker was a Protestant, should they be allowed to refuse a First Communion cake? After all, bakers have rights, too. ( full disclosure: I have a degree in law and constitutional law was always my favourite subject, but I know very little about the US Constitution. In my country horizontal effects of fundamental rights is not a topic that has been explored much, but I think it's very interesting).

The bolded is not what happened.  He did not refuse to serve gay customers, he said he'd happily make them a birthday cake, but he didn't want to make them a wedding cake because he didn't believe in gay marriage.  It's like, I dunno, demanding that your local Jewish deli make you a Christmas something or other.

No, your example is poor.  It's not like asking a Jewish deli to make something that they don't already make.  If the Jewish deli made pastrami sandwiches and pickles, and refused to serve pastrami to anyone who wasn't Jewish (but will serve the goy's pickles) . . . that would be a closer example.

The baker makes wedding cakes, he just refuses to make wedding cakes for a class of people he is prejudiced against.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Chris22 on June 05, 2018, 08:32:40 AM
Back on the speed limit topics, I don't actually understand speed limits on freeways AT ALL.

Speed limits on freeways are ultimately pointless.

A. When there is traffic, noone is going the speed limit.
B. When the road is open, everyone is speeding.

It is a law that is basically followed 0% of the time. Roads should maybe have a variable limit, if its sunny and clear the limit should be very high, maybe 90 to 110 MPH.

If the road is wet, maybe much lower 65MPH, or if it's dark it could be 55MPH.


Set speed limits on freeways are pointless, and limits are WAAYYYY too low for good conditions.



NOTE1: (I know I started this off saying limits are pointless, and then advocated for variable limits, I do see a benefit in getting all cars going one speed, though, I would argue that probably happens on it's own anyway)

NOTE2: (I swear I saw data showing that the actual speed traveling basically had 0 effect on accident rates, I will try to find this. *FOLLOWUP* Jury seems to be semi-out on this topic, seems like the number does not increase but crashes are higher speeds are worse, which seems obvious)

Speed limits basically serve three purposes: 1) cash grab by municipalities to tax behavior people are going to do anyways, 2) serve as a way for cops to pull people over whenever they want (manufactured probable cause) and 3) kowtowing to the insurance industry who want the ability to penalize people who get speeding tickets with higher premiums.

What is actually dangerous on highways is not absolute speed, it's speed differentials.  If you make the speed limit 80 and everyone goes 80 +/-, it's safer than making the speed like 55 and half the people go 80, 45% go 70, and 5% follow the 55 limit.  THAT is dangerous. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Chris22 on June 05, 2018, 08:33:44 AM

So, if you can refuse to serve gay customers, can you also put up a sign saying 'whites only' or 'no irish need apply?'. If the baker had been a white supremacist, should they be allowed to refuse black customers? If the baker was a Protestant, should they be allowed to refuse a First Communion cake? After all, bakers have rights, too. ( full disclosure: I have a degree in law and constitutional law was always my favourite subject, but I know very little about the US Constitution. In my country horizontal effects of fundamental rights is not a topic that has been explored much, but I think it's very interesting).

The bolded is not what happened.  He did not refuse to serve gay customers, he said he'd happily make them a birthday cake, but he didn't want to make them a wedding cake because he didn't believe in gay marriage.  It's like, I dunno, demanding that your local Jewish deli make you a Christmas something or other.

No, your example is poor.  It's not like asking a Jewish deli to make something that they don't already make.  If the Jewish deli made pastrami sandwiches and pickles, and refused to serve pastrami to anyone who wasn't Jewish (but will serve the goy's pickles) . . . that would be a closer example.

The baker makes wedding cakes, he just refuses to make wedding cakes for a class of people he is prejudiced against.

It depends on whether or not you believe there is a difference between "wedding cakes" and "gay wedding cakes".  I don't know the answer to that.  But the baker doesn't make "gay wedding cakes" for anyone, whether they are gay or straight. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on June 05, 2018, 08:40:34 AM
I'd have thought that it would be easy to find gay bakers. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on June 05, 2018, 08:43:14 AM
I'd like to see variable speed limits, depending on how you score on the driving test.  ;)

Low scoring crappy drivers should be banned from the passing lane. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Jouer on June 05, 2018, 09:02:37 AM

So, if you can refuse to serve gay customers, can you also put up a sign saying 'whites only' or 'no irish need apply?'. If the baker had been a white supremacist, should they be allowed to refuse black customers? If the baker was a Protestant, should they be allowed to refuse a First Communion cake? After all, bakers have rights, too. ( full disclosure: I have a degree in law and constitutional law was always my favourite subject, but I know very little about the US Constitution. In my country horizontal effects of fundamental rights is not a topic that has been explored much, but I think it's very interesting).

The bolded is not what happened.  He did not refuse to serve gay customers, he said he'd happily make them a birthday cake, but he didn't want to make them a wedding cake because he didn't believe in gay marriage.  It's like, I dunno, demanding that your local Jewish deli make you a Christmas something or other.

No, your example is poor.  It's not like asking a Jewish deli to make something that they don't already make.  If the Jewish deli made pastrami sandwiches and pickles, and refused to serve pastrami to anyone who wasn't Jewish (but will serve the goy's pickles) . . . that would be a closer example.

The baker makes wedding cakes, he just refuses to make wedding cakes for a class of people he is prejudiced against.

It depends on whether or not you believe there is a difference between "wedding cakes" and "gay wedding cakes".  I don't know the answer to that.  But the baker doesn't make "gay wedding cakes" for anyone, whether they are gay or straight.


Under true equal rights, a wedding cake is a wedding cake. If we (well, you) are still seeing straight wedding cakes and gay wedding cakes, there is not true equal rights.

And don't give me any constitution bullshit talk here. I'm going beyond the bare minimum and talking about people stopping being assholes to other demographics because they do not "like their kind".

And yes there is a difference between doing this to a gay person and a white supremist. The white supremist wants to keep another group down while the gay person just wants to get a fucking cake to celebrate the love between themselves and a another human being.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sherr on June 05, 2018, 09:05:19 AM
It depends on whether or not you believe there is a difference between "wedding cakes" and "gay wedding cakes".  I don't know the answer to that.  But the baker doesn't make "gay wedding cakes" for anyone, whether they are gay or straight.

For what it's worth that's what Gorsuch argued (and Thomas agreed with); that the object of disagreement is a "gay wedding cake" and the baker has a right to refuse to make "gay wedding cakes". Pretty much all the other justices disagree here and say that the object was a "wedding cake" and that gay people have the right to not be discriminated against under Colorado law, but enough other judges agreed that the baker was treated unfairly by the Civil Rights Commission to find for him in this specific case.

If you actually bother to read the opinions, which people should because they are written in easy-to-follow English (even if longwinded), it seems likely that the line that will be drawn in the future general case is that you have to make a cake but you don't have to write any specific messages on it that you disagree with. Which seems entirely reasonable to me. Note that in this case there was no request to write any message.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on June 05, 2018, 09:07:14 AM

So, if you can refuse to serve gay customers, can you also put up a sign saying 'whites only' or 'no irish need apply?'. If the baker had been a white supremacist, should they be allowed to refuse black customers? If the baker was a Protestant, should they be allowed to refuse a First Communion cake? After all, bakers have rights, too. ( full disclosure: I have a degree in law and constitutional law was always my favourite subject, but I know very little about the US Constitution. In my country horizontal effects of fundamental rights is not a topic that has been explored much, but I think it's very interesting).

The bolded is not what happened.  He did not refuse to serve gay customers, he said he'd happily make them a birthday cake, but he didn't want to make them a wedding cake because he didn't believe in gay marriage.  It's like, I dunno, demanding that your local Jewish deli make you a Christmas something or other.

No, your example is poor.  It's not like asking a Jewish deli to make something that they don't already make.  If the Jewish deli made pastrami sandwiches and pickles, and refused to serve pastrami to anyone who wasn't Jewish (but will serve the goy's pickles) . . . that would be a closer example.

The baker makes wedding cakes, he just refuses to make wedding cakes for a class of people he is prejudiced against.

It depends on whether or not you believe there is a difference between "wedding cakes" and "gay wedding cakes".  I don't know the answer to that.  But the baker doesn't make "gay wedding cakes" for anyone, whether they are gay or straight.


Under true equal rights, a wedding cake is a wedding cake. If we (well, you) are still seeing straight wedding cakes and gay wedding cakes, there is not true equal rights.

And don't give me any constitution bullshit talk here. I'm going beyond the bare minimum and talking about people stopping being assholes to other demographics because they do not "like their kind".

And yes there is a difference between doing this to a gay person and a white supremist. The white supremist wants to keep another group down while the gay person just wants to get a fucking cake to celebrate the love between themselves and a another human being.

So where do you draw the line at allowing free expression of religious beliefs?  Can a fundamental Christian pastor refuse to marry a gay couple? 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sherr on June 05, 2018, 09:09:29 AM
So where do you draw the line at allowing free expression of religious beliefs?  Can a fundamental Christian pastor refuse to marry a gay couple?

Yes, pastors and religious organizations in general are always given special deference to practice their religion the way they see fit as long as they're not sacrificing virgins or something. Bakeries are not religious organizations.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: PoutineLover on June 05, 2018, 09:10:33 AM

So, if you can refuse to serve gay customers, can you also put up a sign saying 'whites only' or 'no irish need apply?'. If the baker had been a white supremacist, should they be allowed to refuse black customers? If the baker was a Protestant, should they be allowed to refuse a First Communion cake? After all, bakers have rights, too. ( full disclosure: I have a degree in law and constitutional law was always my favourite subject, but I know very little about the US Constitution. In my country horizontal effects of fundamental rights is not a topic that has been explored much, but I think it's very interesting).

The bolded is not what happened.  He did not refuse to serve gay customers, he said he'd happily make them a birthday cake, but he didn't want to make them a wedding cake because he didn't believe in gay marriage.  It's like, I dunno, demanding that your local Jewish deli make you a Christmas something or other.

No, your example is poor.  It's not like asking a Jewish deli to make something that they don't already make.  If the Jewish deli made pastrami sandwiches and pickles, and refused to serve pastrami to anyone who wasn't Jewish (but will serve the goy's pickles) . . . that would be a closer example.

The baker makes wedding cakes, he just refuses to make wedding cakes for a class of people he is prejudiced against.

It depends on whether or not you believe there is a difference between "wedding cakes" and "gay wedding cakes".  I don't know the answer to that.  But the baker doesn't make "gay wedding cakes" for anyone, whether they are gay or straight.
This is why I like to send specific cards to people getting married. How else will we know if it's a wedding or a gay wedding??
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on June 05, 2018, 09:11:37 AM

So, if you can refuse to serve gay customers, can you also put up a sign saying 'whites only' or 'no irish need apply?'. If the baker had been a white supremacist, should they be allowed to refuse black customers? If the baker was a Protestant, should they be allowed to refuse a First Communion cake? After all, bakers have rights, too. ( full disclosure: I have a degree in law and constitutional law was always my favourite subject, but I know very little about the US Constitution. In my country horizontal effects of fundamental rights is not a topic that has been explored much, but I think it's very interesting).

The bolded is not what happened.  He did not refuse to serve gay customers, he said he'd happily make them a birthday cake, but he didn't want to make them a wedding cake because he didn't believe in gay marriage.  It's like, I dunno, demanding that your local Jewish deli make you a Christmas something or other.

No, your example is poor.  It's not like asking a Jewish deli to make something that they don't already make.  If the Jewish deli made pastrami sandwiches and pickles, and refused to serve pastrami to anyone who wasn't Jewish (but will serve the goy's pickles) . . . that would be a closer example.

The baker makes wedding cakes, he just refuses to make wedding cakes for a class of people he is prejudiced against.

It depends on whether or not you believe there is a difference between "wedding cakes" and "gay wedding cakes".  I don't know the answer to that.  But the baker doesn't make "gay wedding cakes" for anyone, whether they are gay or straight.


Under true equal rights, a wedding cake is a wedding cake. If we (well, you) are still seeing straight wedding cakes and gay wedding cakes, there is not true equal rights.

And don't give me any constitution bullshit talk here. I'm going beyond the bare minimum and talking about people stopping being assholes to other demographics because they do not "like their kind".

And yes there is a difference between doing this to a gay person and a white supremist. The white supremist wants to keep another group down while the gay person just wants to get a fucking cake to celebrate the love between themselves and a another human being.

So where do you draw the line at allowing free expression of religious beliefs?  Can a fundamental Christian pastor refuse to marry a gay couple?

Not an equivalent comparison (see Sherr’s response). Rather, can an Evangelical Christian physician refuse to treat a Catholic or Muslim patient?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Chris22 on June 05, 2018, 09:16:34 AM
Under true equal rights, a wedding cake is a wedding cake. If we (well, you) are still seeing straight wedding cakes and gay wedding cakes, there is not true equal rights.

And don't give me any constitution bullshit talk here. I'm going beyond the bare minimum and talking about people stopping being assholes to other demographics because they do not "like their kind".

And yes there is a difference between doing this to a gay person and a white supremist. The white supremist wants to keep another group down while the gay person just wants to get a fucking cake to celebrate the love between themselves and a another human being.

So don't give you any legal facts, just let you rant on and feel the way you want to feel.  Got it.

You'll note that in my original post on this topic, I called the baker an asshole.  I think he is an asshole.  But there's being an asshole, and not following the law.  They aren't the same. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on June 05, 2018, 09:16:38 AM

So, if you can refuse to serve gay customers, can you also put up a sign saying 'whites only' or 'no irish need apply?'. If the baker had been a white supremacist, should they be allowed to refuse black customers? If the baker was a Protestant, should they be allowed to refuse a First Communion cake? After all, bakers have rights, too. ( full disclosure: I have a degree in law and constitutional law was always my favourite subject, but I know very little about the US Constitution. In my country horizontal effects of fundamental rights is not a topic that has been explored much, but I think it's very interesting).

The bolded is not what happened.  He did not refuse to serve gay customers, he said he'd happily make them a birthday cake, but he didn't want to make them a wedding cake because he didn't believe in gay marriage.  It's like, I dunno, demanding that your local Jewish deli make you a Christmas something or other.

No, your example is poor.  It's not like asking a Jewish deli to make something that they don't already make.  If the Jewish deli made pastrami sandwiches and pickles, and refused to serve pastrami to anyone who wasn't Jewish (but will serve the goy's pickles) . . . that would be a closer example.

The baker makes wedding cakes, he just refuses to make wedding cakes for a class of people he is prejudiced against.

It depends on whether or not you believe there is a difference between "wedding cakes" and "gay wedding cakes".  I don't know the answer to that.  But the baker doesn't make "gay wedding cakes" for anyone, whether they are gay or straight.


Under true equal rights, a wedding cake is a wedding cake. If we (well, you) are still seeing straight wedding cakes and gay wedding cakes, there is not true equal rights.

And don't give me any constitution bullshit talk here. I'm going beyond the bare minimum and talking about people stopping being assholes to other demographics because they do not "like their kind".

And yes there is a difference between doing this to a gay person and a white supremist. The white supremist wants to keep another group down while the gay person just wants to get a fucking cake to celebrate the love between themselves and a another human being.

So where do you draw the line at allowing free expression of religious beliefs?  Can a fundamental Christian pastor refuse to marry a gay couple?

Not an equivalent comparison (see Sherr’s response). Rather, can an Evangelical Christian physician refuse to treat a Catholic or Muslim patient?

I agree with you, but I'm curious if jouer agrees with you, or believes that the pastors should be forced to perform gay weddings.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Jouer on June 05, 2018, 09:27:45 AM
Under true equal rights, a wedding cake is a wedding cake. If we (well, you) are still seeing straight wedding cakes and gay wedding cakes, there is not true equal rights.

And don't give me any constitution bullshit talk here. I'm going beyond the bare minimum and talking about people stopping being assholes to other demographics because they do not "like their kind".

And yes there is a difference between doing this to a gay person and a white supremist. The white supremist wants to keep another group down while the gay person just wants to get a fucking cake to celebrate the love between themselves and a another human being.

So don't give you any legal facts, just let you rant on and feel the way you want to feel.  Got it.

You'll note that in my original post on this topic, I called the baker an asshole.  I think he is an asshole.  But there's being an asshole, and not following the law.  They aren't the same.

My point about constitutional bullshit was me saying: if the law is unjust, we must change the law. Arguing what is law or not is moot - we should be arguing about what is just.

I quoted you but I was really talking to everyone.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: carolina822 on June 05, 2018, 09:27:58 AM
I don't think anyone (with any sense) believes pastors should be forced to perform gay weddings. They don't have to perform straight weddings of their own faith if they for whatever reason don't feel comfortable joining the couple in matrimony. The judge down at the courthouse does, but pastors can do or not do whatever wedding they want. I'm no fan of religion, but I'm fine with that exemption.

Pharmacists and doctors who push their beliefs on patients can get bent.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Jouer on June 05, 2018, 09:33:43 AM

So, if you can refuse to serve gay customers, can you also put up a sign saying 'whites only' or 'no irish need apply?'. If the baker had been a white supremacist, should they be allowed to refuse black customers? If the baker was a Protestant, should they be allowed to refuse a First Communion cake? After all, bakers have rights, too. ( full disclosure: I have a degree in law and constitutional law was always my favourite subject, but I know very little about the US Constitution. In my country horizontal effects of fundamental rights is not a topic that has been explored much, but I think it's very interesting).

The bolded is not what happened.  He did not refuse to serve gay customers, he said he'd happily make them a birthday cake, but he didn't want to make them a wedding cake because he didn't believe in gay marriage.  It's like, I dunno, demanding that your local Jewish deli make you a Christmas something or other.

No, your example is poor.  It's not like asking a Jewish deli to make something that they don't already make.  If the Jewish deli made pastrami sandwiches and pickles, and refused to serve pastrami to anyone who wasn't Jewish (but will serve the goy's pickles) . . . that would be a closer example.

The baker makes wedding cakes, he just refuses to make wedding cakes for a class of people he is prejudiced against.

It depends on whether or not you believe there is a difference between "wedding cakes" and "gay wedding cakes".  I don't know the answer to that.  But the baker doesn't make "gay wedding cakes" for anyone, whether they are gay or straight.


Under true equal rights, a wedding cake is a wedding cake. If we (well, you) are still seeing straight wedding cakes and gay wedding cakes, there is not true equal rights.

And don't give me any constitution bullshit talk here. I'm going beyond the bare minimum and talking about people stopping being assholes to other demographics because they do not "like their kind".

And yes there is a difference between doing this to a gay person and a white supremist. The white supremist wants to keep another group down while the gay person just wants to get a fucking cake to celebrate the love between themselves and a another human being.

So where do you draw the line at allowing free expression of religious beliefs?  Can a fundamental Christian pastor refuse to marry a gay couple?

Not an equivalent comparison (see Sherr’s response). Rather, can an Evangelical Christian physician refuse to treat a Catholic or Muslim patient?

I agree with you, but I'm curious if jouer agrees with you, or believes that the pastors should be forced to perform gay weddings.

Nope, Sherr nailed it. So did OtherJen (I think) who said it wasn't an equivalent comparison.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sherr on June 05, 2018, 09:39:31 AM
Hooray we all agree! Problem resolved forever!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sojourner on June 05, 2018, 10:57:34 AM
I'd have thought that it would be easy to find gay bakers.

Favorite comment on this sub topic :D
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dividend on June 05, 2018, 11:38:07 AM

So, if you can refuse to serve gay customers, can you also put up a sign saying 'whites only' or 'no irish need apply?'. If the baker had been a white supremacist, should they be allowed to refuse black customers? If the baker was a Protestant, should they be allowed to refuse a First Communion cake? After all, bakers have rights, too. ( full disclosure: I have a degree in law and constitutional law was always my favourite subject, but I know very little about the US Constitution. In my country horizontal effects of fundamental rights is not a topic that has been explored much, but I think it's very interesting).

The bolded is not what happened.  He did not refuse to serve gay customers, he said he'd happily make them a birthday cake, but he didn't want to make them a wedding cake because he didn't believe in gay marriage.  It's like, I dunno, demanding that your local Jewish deli make you a Christmas something or other.

No, your example is poor.  It's not like asking a Jewish deli to make something that they don't already make.  If the Jewish deli made pastrami sandwiches and pickles, and refused to serve pastrami to anyone who wasn't Jewish (but will serve the goy's pickles) . . . that would be a closer example.

The baker makes wedding cakes, he just refuses to make wedding cakes for a class of people he is prejudiced against.

It depends on whether or not you believe there is a difference between "wedding cakes" and "gay wedding cakes".  I don't know the answer to that.  But the baker doesn't make "gay wedding cakes" for anyone, whether they are gay or straight.


Under true equal rights, a wedding cake is a wedding cake. If we (well, you) are still seeing straight wedding cakes and gay wedding cakes, there is not true equal rights.

And don't give me any constitution bullshit talk here. I'm going beyond the bare minimum and talking about people stopping being assholes to other demographics because they do not "like their kind".

And yes there is a difference between doing this to a gay person and a white supremist. The white supremist wants to keep another group down while the gay person just wants to get a fucking cake to celebrate the love between themselves and a another human being.

So where do you draw the line at allowing free expression of religious beliefs?  Can a fundamental Christian pastor refuse to marry a gay couple?

Not an equivalent comparison (see Sherr’s response). Rather, can an Evangelical Christian physician refuse to treat a Catholic or Muslim patient?

They can certainly refuse to perform abortions.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sherr on June 05, 2018, 11:45:58 AM
Not an equivalent comparison (see Sherr’s response). Rather, can an Evangelical Christian physician refuse to treat a Catholic or Muslim patient?

They can certainly refuse to perform abortions.

Sure, but they could not choose to perform abortions for straight people and refuse gays (in Colorado). Or white / black. Or Christians / Muslims.

Honestly the fact that no one can come up with a reasonable comparison to defend refusing to bake cakes for a protected class of people should tell you something.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on June 05, 2018, 11:51:06 AM
Not an equivalent comparison (see Sherr’s response). Rather, can an Evangelical Christian physician refuse to treat a Catholic or Muslim patient?

They can certainly refuse to perform abortions.

Sure, but they could not choose to perform abortions for straight people and refuse gays (in Colorado). Or white / black. Or Christians / Muslims.

Honestly the fact that no one can come up with a reasonable comparison to defend refusing to bake cakes for a protected class of people should tell you something.

Could a baker refuse to sell a "congrats on your abortion" cake?  Or a "congrats on your divorce" cake?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 05, 2018, 11:53:39 AM
Not an equivalent comparison (see Sherr’s response). Rather, can an Evangelical Christian physician refuse to treat a Catholic or Muslim patient?

They can certainly refuse to perform abortions.

Sure, but they could not choose to perform abortions for straight people and refuse gays (in Colorado). Or white / black. Or Christians / Muslims.

Honestly the fact that no one can come up with a reasonable comparison to defend refusing to bake cakes for a protected class of people should tell you something.

Could a baker refuse to sell a "congrats on your abortion" cake?  Or a "congrats on your divorce" cake?

Sure.

An abortion or divorce are not exclusive to a single protected class of people.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sherr on June 05, 2018, 11:56:25 AM
Not an equivalent comparison (see Sherr’s response). Rather, can an Evangelical Christian physician refuse to treat a Catholic or Muslim patient?

They can certainly refuse to perform abortions.

Sure, but they could not choose to perform abortions for straight people and refuse gays (in Colorado). Or white / black. Or Christians / Muslims.

Honestly the fact that no one can come up with a reasonable comparison to defend refusing to bake cakes for a protected class of people should tell you something.

Could a baker refuse to sell a "congrats on your abortion" cake?  Or a "congrats on your divorce" cake?

"Probably fine" since those are not protected classes of people. To answer the broader question you're getting at I'll just quote myself:

If you actually bother to read the opinions, which people should because they are written in easy-to-follow English (even if longwinded), it seems likely that the line that will be drawn in the future general case is that you have to make a cake but you don't have to write any specific messages on it that you disagree with. Which seems entirely reasonable to me. Note that in this case there was no request to write any message.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Schaefer Light on June 05, 2018, 12:09:04 PM
I don't get the unwritten (or in some cases documented) rule that says a salaried employee has to be in the office from 8-5 every day.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ChpBstrd on June 05, 2018, 01:08:41 PM
How many of you who believe the left lane (in the U.S. not the autobahn) is for passing only have explained to a police officer that there is actually no speed limit in the left lane because that lane is for passing all those cars doing the speed limit? How did it go?

I was given a warning for driving (not speeding) exclusively in the left lane on the interstate in the US.  Pulled over and the cop told me I could not drive in the left lane only because it was only to be used for passing.

If I was getting a warning, I'd probably keep my smart mouth shut too. But still I wonder what the cop would have answered if you had asked him what the speed limit is in the left lane, or why there is no minimum speed posted on a per lane basis.

Nobody here is literally arguing that there is no speed limit in the left lane...I mean that's nonsense.  Of course there's a speed limit.

What is the speed limit in the left lane then? Suppose for the sake of example the sign says the speed limit is 65 mph.

Technically or practically?

Technically the speed limit is whatever is posted, regardless of lane.

Practically, I don't think anyone is getting pulled over if they're within 5-7 mph of the posted limit.

This.  Most cops (emphasis most) care about overall safety vs. strictly enforcing posted limits.  At the end of the day, it's about safety anyway. 

We need more cops like this guy (try to ignore the obnoxious talking):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZhdvl_P1Zc

So the speed limit is subjective?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on June 05, 2018, 01:33:59 PM
How many of you who believe the left lane (in the U.S. not the autobahn) is for passing only have explained to a police officer that there is actually no speed limit in the left lane because that lane is for passing all those cars doing the speed limit? How did it go?

I was given a warning for driving (not speeding) exclusively in the left lane on the interstate in the US.  Pulled over and the cop told me I could not drive in the left lane only because it was only to be used for passing.

If I was getting a warning, I'd probably keep my smart mouth shut too. But still I wonder what the cop would have answered if you had asked him what the speed limit is in the left lane, or why there is no minimum speed posted on a per lane basis.

Nobody here is literally arguing that there is no speed limit in the left lane...I mean that's nonsense.  Of course there's a speed limit.

What is the speed limit in the left lane then? Suppose for the sake of example the sign says the speed limit is 65 mph.

Technically or practically?

Technically the speed limit is whatever is posted, regardless of lane.

Practically, I don't think anyone is getting pulled over if they're within 5-7 mph of the posted limit.

This.  Most cops (emphasis most) care about overall safety vs. strictly enforcing posted limits.  At the end of the day, it's about safety anyway. 

We need more cops like this guy (try to ignore the obnoxious talking):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZhdvl_P1Zc

So the speed limit is subjective?

Nope, but the enforcement of it is certainly discretionary on the part of the police. 

By the letter of the law, I speed at least 75% of the time, but I have only been pulled over once in the last decade.  Staying within 5-7 MPH of the legal limit is typically ignored.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Jouer on June 05, 2018, 01:35:53 PM
How many of you who believe the left lane (in the U.S. not the autobahn) is for passing only have explained to a police officer that there is actually no speed limit in the left lane because that lane is for passing all those cars doing the speed limit? How did it go?

I was given a warning for driving (not speeding) exclusively in the left lane on the interstate in the US.  Pulled over and the cop told me I could not drive in the left lane only because it was only to be used for passing.

If I was getting a warning, I'd probably keep my smart mouth shut too. But still I wonder what the cop would have answered if you had asked him what the speed limit is in the left lane, or why there is no minimum speed posted on a per lane basis.

Nobody here is literally arguing that there is no speed limit in the left lane...I mean that's nonsense.  Of course there's a speed limit.

What is the speed limit in the left lane then? Suppose for the sake of example the sign says the speed limit is 65 mph.

Technically or practically?

Technically the speed limit is whatever is posted, regardless of lane.

Practically, I don't think anyone is getting pulled over if they're within 5-7 mph of the posted limit.

This.  Most cops (emphasis most) care about overall safety vs. strictly enforcing posted limits.  At the end of the day, it's about safety anyway. 

We need more cops like this guy (try to ignore the obnoxious talking):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZhdvl_P1Zc

So the speed limit is subjective?

Yes.

The world isn't always black and white....sometimes it's good to live in the grey.

What I don't get: buzzword / marketing phrases. (even though I just used one above)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on June 05, 2018, 01:36:35 PM
I'd have thought that it would be easy to find gay bakers.

Favorite comment on this sub topic :D

Thank you.

I was beginning to rant about being ignored.  ;) You saved me from such petty behavior. 

I'm getting tired of reading about gay wedding cakes anyway.   I find transgenders much more interesting and am still trying to figure them out.  Talk about gay rights has been around for years, but the trans acknowledgment is relatively new in public conversation. 

Are they getting married & buying cakes?  Do they marry other trans people, or can they marry straight and gay people too?  Can they have kids?  I guess I'm "trans-curious"... 

Hmm?  I wonder if the percentage of tailgaters is same among the various gender preferences?  And does the percentage of tailgaters differ in legal marijuana states?  Does it vary between genders and races?  Are there any studies and stats available?  Do Uber drivers tend to tailgate more or less? 

That reminds me, I am not normally a tailgater, but after following a pickup for miles & miles in the left lane & not passing I found myself tailgating him.  He squirt windshield washer water on my car! (which I was really impressed with).  I was eventually able to pass him from the right lane.  He wasn't a "clueless" jerk. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Chris22 on June 05, 2018, 01:45:33 PM

So the speed limit is subjective?

Is it shocking that one number for day/night, all weather conditions, all traffic conditions, etc, isn't a one-size-fits-all solution?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dollar Slice on June 05, 2018, 02:02:36 PM
Are they getting married & buying cakes?  Do they marry other trans people, or can they marry straight and gay people too?  Can they have kids?  I guess I'm "trans-curious"... 

The answer to all of these things is "yes." Source: my trans buddy, who has done pretty much all of those things. Married a straight dude way back when, had kids, divorced, dated gay, bi, and straight people, now is about to marry a trans woman and they are getting a fancy wedding cake. I've been wondering if that baker would bake them a cake, since it's a man and a woman getting married, just like they insist upon.

Transgender people are just people. They are all different, and so are their relationships and circumstances. Just like everyone else.

/will do anything to stop this thread from going on and on about driving
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SunshineAZ on June 05, 2018, 02:12:01 PM
I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can't get promoted because of their gender, or get sexually harassed because, as Trump Jr put it so very clearly, if you can't stand being sexually harassed in the workplace, you should stay at home.  Or they have to learn at age 10 to go to the bathroom in groups so they won't get groped by some guy while they are away from their friends.  (You did know that's why girls do that?)   As one coworker put it, again so very clearly, when I brought up Trump's video self-confession to being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care?  It's not like it's bad for the economy!"


I don't know where you got the impression that women go to the bathroom in groups because they are afraid of being groped while alone, but, as a female, I can tell you that is complete BS.  (And I find it offensive that you think we are all such cowards.)  I have asked 3 other women here at work if they are afraid of being groped just walking to a bathroom, and all of them said no.  And no woman has ever mentioned having that fear to me.  I cannot say that I have not been groped or harassed, but certainly not so much that I am afraid to walk alone to a public bathroom.  What country are you in?  I grew up in So Cal and went to a lot of clubs and parties in my younger days and this is just not a huge issue.  And I was fairly attractive and did get male attention, but I don't consider men hitting on me as being groped or harassed. 

I guess my rant is I don't get people who assume women are delicate little flowers who can't walk to the bathroom without backup.   
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: PoutineLover on June 05, 2018, 02:19:16 PM
I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can't get promoted because of their gender, or get sexually harassed because, as Trump Jr put it so very clearly, if you can't stand being sexually harassed in the workplace, you should stay at home.  Or they have to learn at age 10 to go to the bathroom in groups so they won't get groped by some guy while they are away from their friends.  (You did know that's why girls do that?)   As one coworker put it, again so very clearly, when I brought up Trump's video self-confession to being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care?  It's not like it's bad for the economy!"


I don't know where you got the impression that women go to the bathroom in groups because they are afraid of being groped while alone, but, as a female, I can tell you that is complete BS.  (And I find it offensive that you think we are all such cowards.)  I have asked 3 other women here at work if they are afraid of being groped just walking to a bathroom, and all of them said no.  And no woman has ever mentioned having that fear to me.  I cannot say that I have not been groped or harassed, but certainly not so much that I am afraid to walk alone to a public bathroom.  What country are you in?  I grew up in So Cal and went to a lot of clubs and parties in my younger days and this is just not a huge issue.  And I was fairly attractive and did get male attention, but I don't consider men hitting on me as being groped or harassed. 

I guess my rant is I don't get people who assume women are delicate little flowers who can't walk to the bathroom without backup.   
Just because it hasn't happened to you or three random women doesn't mean it doesn't happen to anyone. Some frat guy kissed me without my consent in a bathroom once while his friends held the door closed. And I have friend who was raped in a bathroom. I still go to the bathroom alone, but I can see why some women might not feel comfortable doing so.
I've also been groped and harrassed in clubs many times, and that's one reason why I don't go anymore. Shitty music, overpriced drinks and cover charges being the other main reasons.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Davnasty on June 05, 2018, 02:23:46 PM
I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can't get promoted because of their gender, or get sexually harassed because, as Trump Jr put it so very clearly, if you can't stand being sexually harassed in the workplace, you should stay at home.  Or they have to learn at age 10 to go to the bathroom in groups so they won't get groped by some guy while they are away from their friends.  (You did know that's why girls do that?)   As one coworker put it, again so very clearly, when I brought up Trump's video self-confession to being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care?  It's not like it's bad for the economy!"


I don't know where you got the impression that women go to the bathroom in groups because they are afraid of being groped while alone, but, as a female, I can tell you that is complete BS.  (And I find it offensive that you think we are all such cowards.)  I have asked 3 other women here at work if they are afraid of being groped just walking to a bathroom, and all of them said no.  And no woman has ever mentioned having that fear to me.  I cannot say that I have not been groped or harassed, but certainly not so much that I am afraid to walk alone to a public bathroom.  What country are you in?  I grew up in So Cal and went to a lot of clubs and parties in my younger days and this is just not a huge issue.  And I was fairly attractive and did get male attention, but I don't consider men hitting on me as being groped or harassed. 

I guess my rant is I don't get people who assume women are delicate little flowers who can't walk to the bathroom without backup.   

Thanks for elaborating on this. It sounded plausible but I was surprised that I had never heard anyone give that reason for women going together. I would imagine that at least in some cases safety does have something to do with it but it's always seemed like a primarily social thing to me.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SimpleCycle on June 05, 2018, 03:41:27 PM
Just remember when you are talking about "constitutional rights" and asserting the Supreme Court said things about gay rights they didn't actually say, you are talking about something that some of us actually live day to day.  It's not always just a thought experiment.

I actually think the SCOTUS ruling was right, but if you read Kennedy's majority opinion, he's pretty clear that if they'd been ruling on whether the baker needed to bake the cake, SCOTUS would have applied public accommodation laws to wedding cakes.  Instead, they were ruling on whether the baker had gotten a fair hearing from the Civil Rights Commission, and a fair ruling from the lower court.  They clearly left the door open for a different ruling in a case with different specifics.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on June 05, 2018, 03:52:25 PM

So, if you can refuse to serve gay customers, can you also put up a sign saying 'whites only' or 'no irish need apply?'. If the baker had been a white supremacist, should they be allowed to refuse black customers? If the baker was a Protestant, should they be allowed to refuse a First Communion cake? After all, bakers have rights, too. ( full disclosure: I have a degree in law and constitutional law was always my favourite subject, but I know very little about the US Constitution. In my country horizontal effects of fundamental rights is not a topic that has been explored much, but I think it's very interesting).

The bolded is not what happened.  He did not refuse to serve gay customers, he said he'd happily make them a birthday cake, but he didn't want to make them a wedding cake because he didn't believe in gay marriage.  It's like, I dunno, demanding that your local Jewish deli make you a Christmas something or other.

No, your example is poor.  It's not like asking a Jewish deli to make something that they don't already make.  If the Jewish deli made pastrami sandwiches and pickles, and refused to serve pastrami to anyone who wasn't Jewish (but will serve the goy's pickles) . . . that would be a closer example.

The baker makes wedding cakes, he just refuses to make wedding cakes for a class of people he is prejudiced against.

It depends on whether or not you believe there is a difference between "wedding cakes" and "gay wedding cakes".  I don't know the answer to that.  But the baker doesn't make "gay wedding cakes" for anyone, whether they are gay or straight.


Under true equal rights, a wedding cake is a wedding cake. If we (well, you) are still seeing straight wedding cakes and gay wedding cakes, there is not true equal rights.

And don't give me any constitution bullshit talk here. I'm going beyond the bare minimum and talking about people stopping being assholes to other demographics because they do not "like their kind".

And yes there is a difference between doing this to a gay person and a white supremist. The white supremist wants to keep another group down while the gay person just wants to get a fucking cake to celebrate the love between themselves and a another human being.

So where do you draw the line at allowing free expression of religious beliefs?  Can a fundamental Christian pastor refuse to marry a gay couple?

Not an equivalent comparison (see Sherr’s response). Rather, can an Evangelical Christian physician refuse to treat a Catholic or Muslim patient?

Actually, that's no where near equivalent, either.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: NoraLenderbee on June 05, 2018, 04:06:41 PM
When I'm being tailgated, I tap the brake pedal 3 times. That usually gets the tailgater to back off or change lanes without any horn honking or middle fingers.

I don't get this fixation on going at the highest possible speed--or rather, on the "injustice" of not being able to go as fast as possible in the left lane. There is no God-given right to go as fast as you can. The speed limit is not a minimum speed. 

Changing lanes is statistically more dangerous than speeding. The person driving slowly in the left lane, which forces others to change lanes to pass them, is the one causing the accidents.

Oh, bullshit. The drivers who choose to make an unsafe pass are the ones causing the accident. They are responsible for their behavior, even when they are provoked by some little old lady driving slowly in her Cadillac.

It is okay if you don't see the injustice of people wanting you to get out of the way because you are disrupting the flow of traffic, but in many cases you would be in violation of the law enacted by democratically elected officials.


Inconvenience is not the same as injustice.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on June 05, 2018, 04:10:08 PM
I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can't get promoted because of their gender, or get sexually harassed because, as Trump Jr put it so very clearly, if you can't stand being sexually harassed in the workplace, you should stay at home.  Or they have to learn at age 10 to go to the bathroom in groups so they won't get groped by some guy while they are away from their friends.  (You did know that's why girls do that?)   As one coworker put it, again so very clearly, when I brought up Trump's video self-confession to being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care?  It's not like it's bad for the economy!"


I don't know where you got the impression that women go to the bathroom in groups because they are afraid of being groped while alone, but, as a female, I can tell you that is complete BS.  (And I find it offensive that you think we are all such cowards.)  I have asked 3 other women here at work if they are afraid of being groped just walking to a bathroom, and all of them said no.  And no woman has ever mentioned having that fear to me.  I cannot say that I have not been groped or harassed, but certainly not so much that I am afraid to walk alone to a public bathroom.  What country are you in?  I grew up in So Cal and went to a lot of clubs and parties in my younger days and this is just not a huge issue.  And I was fairly attractive and did get male attention, but I don't consider men hitting on me as being groped or harassed. 

I guess my rant is I don't get people who assume women are delicate little flowers who can't walk to the bathroom without backup.   

Thanks for elaborating on this. It sounded plausible but I was surprised that I had never heard anyone give that reason for women going together. I would imagine that at least in some cases safety does have something to do with it but it's always seemed like a primarily social thing to me.

It's both, I guess. I'm not a delicate little flower who can't go anywhere on my own. I have no problems being outside in street on my own at night, I'm never scared when I'm home alone. Still, I went to a festival last weekend with a group of people and when a guy wanders off, you let him walk away and he'll be back in a while. Women go to the bathroom or the bar together or agree to meet in a certain place at a certain time. Women stick together much more than men do and while that's partially just a social custom, I'm sure that behaviour pattern developed because of safety reasons.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: markbike528CBX on June 05, 2018, 10:44:53 PM
I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can't get promoted because of their gender, or get sexually harassed because, as Trump Jr put it so very clearly, if you can't stand being sexually harassed in the workplace, you should stay at home.  Or they have to learn at age 10 to go to the bathroom in groups so they won't get groped by some guy while they are away from their friends.  (You did know that's why girls do that?)   As one coworker put it, again so very clearly, when I brought up Trump's video self-confession to being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care?  It's not like it's bad for the economy!"


I don't know where you got the impression that women go to the bathroom in groups because they are afraid of being groped while alone, but, as a female, I can tell you that is complete BS.  (And I find it offensive that you think we are all such cowards.)  I have asked 3 other women here at work if they are afraid of being groped just walking to a bathroom, and all of them said no.  And no woman has ever mentioned having that fear to me.  I cannot say that I have not been groped or harassed, but certainly not so much that I am afraid to walk alone to a public bathroom.  What country are you in?  I grew up in So Cal and went to a lot of clubs and parties in my younger days and this is just not a huge issue.  And I was fairly attractive and did get male attention, but I don't consider men hitting on me as being groped or harassed. 

I guess my rant is I don't get people who assume women are delicate little flowers who can't walk to the bathroom without backup.   

Thanks for elaborating on this. It sounded plausible but I was surprised that I had never heard anyone give that reason for women going together. I would imagine that at least in some cases safety does have something to do with it but it's always seemed like a primarily social thing to me.

It's both, I guess. I'm not a delicate little flower who can't go anywhere on my own. I have no problems being outside in street on my own at night, I'm never scared when I'm home alone. Still, I went to a festival last weekend with a group of people and when a guy wanders off, you let him walk away and he'll be back in a while. Women go to the bathroom or the bar together or agree to meet in a certain place at a certain time. Women stick together much more than men do and while that's partially just a social custom, I'm sure that behaviour pattern developed because of safety reasons.

If hetero-straight men went to to the bathroom together, one might assume it was for protection. The social aspect is not there, especially, as such behavior might be interpreted as feminine ( and thereby sort of gay). 
Hetero-straight men might be projecting their reasoning on the behaviors of others. 

As a hetero-straight man, I've become aware of some of the unwritten rules, like
   never go or be in to the toilet/urinal together with any male conversation partner
   never choose the adjoining toilet/urinal to another man if there is any choice in the matter
     urinal troughs are a particularly difficult situation, like how far away is far enough.
   
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: MoseyingAlong on June 05, 2018, 10:55:04 PM
I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can't get promoted because of their gender, or get sexually harassed because, as Trump Jr put it so very clearly, if you can't stand being sexually harassed in the workplace, you should stay at home.  Or they have to learn at age 10 to go to the bathroom in groups so they won't get groped by some guy while they are away from their friends.  (You did know that's why girls do that?)   As one coworker put it, again so very clearly, when I brought up Trump's video self-confession to being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care?  It's not like it's bad for the economy!"


I don't know where you got the impression that women go to the bathroom in groups because they are afraid of being groped while alone, but, as a female, I can tell you that is complete BS.  (And I find it offensive that you think we are all such cowards.)  I have asked 3 other women here at work if they are afraid of being groped just walking to a bathroom, and all of them said no.  And no woman has ever mentioned having that fear to me.  I cannot say that I have not been groped or harassed, but certainly not so much that I am afraid to walk alone to a public bathroom.  What country are you in?  I grew up in So Cal and went to a lot of clubs and parties in my younger days and this is just not a huge issue.  And I was fairly attractive and did get male attention, but I don't consider men hitting on me as being groped or harassed. 

I guess my rant is I don't get people who assume women are delicate little flowers who can't walk to the bathroom without backup.   

I thought SwordGuy was talking about why girls, as in young girls, are sent off with a friend by their parents. And that, in my experience, is definitely a safety precaution. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ixtap on June 05, 2018, 11:18:00 PM
It is quite possible that the custom started from a safety perspective, evolving out of the chaperone tradition. And yes, the safety in that case includes being saved from her own desires.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SwordGuy on June 06, 2018, 07:57:12 AM
It is quite possible that the custom started from a safety perspective, evolving out of the chaperone tradition. And yes, the safety in that case includes being saved from her own desires.

That's my belief.   

The world is full of things that were determined or strongly influenced by choices made long ago, choices that have been forgotten.   The "social aspect" of the custom is one thing that has kept it alive long after many people have forgotten the original reasons.  But the custom still serves its purpose.

And for those women who proudly say, "I go by myself," good for you.   You might be aware of something called "survivor bias".   It crops up in a lot of endeavors in life.   The women who got raped by some frat boy or sports team member when they went off alone to the bathroom often don't end up as fiercely independent.  They tend to be more cautious, and for good reason.

It's the same reason why any young woman who has a clue won't leave their drink unattended at a party or club.  They keep it in their hand or under direct observation so some male won't slip something into the drink when they aren't looking.   This has good tips to follow.

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/relationships/a19932071/the-cup-that-detects-roofies/ (https://www.womenshealthmag.com/relationships/a19932071/the-cup-that-detects-roofies/)

The fact that a google search shows up gobs of articles on this topic is something that should shame every man and their parents.

And since this is a rant thread...

Our culture condones a lot of sexual assault behavior by males  Just read an article about a situation in a Memphis school.   A boy attempted to raise a girl's skirt to expose her in public.  She grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed him.

Fox headline was "Teen stabbed with scissors after pulling student's dress up at Memphis school, police say."

One person made this observation:

That's a weird way to say "Sexual assault victim uses self-defense to escape her attacker."'

The article went on to make comments about the fact that the girl made several attempts to stab the boy.   If someone broke into my home at night and I shot them with my pistol, no one would bat an eye if my first 4 shots missed my attacker and the 5th one hit home.  The focus would be on "Homeowner defends family from robber."   

FYI, the girl has been charged.   At least the boy got charged, too.  20-1 he gets a gentle slap on the hand and she gets in more trouble than he does.

If someone stole my car and was being tried for the crime, I would be unlikely to hear a lawyer say, "Well, the car owner had it coming, they shouldn't have painted their car such an attractive color."   I wouldn't be likely to hear a judge say, while sentencing a guilty car thief, "Well, a tough sentence would really be bad for this thief.  Sentence is 6 months in jail, with half that off for good behavior."   That was male rapist Brock Turner's sentence because he's white, his parents are rich, and he's on a sports team.   F that shit.   And Brock's parents comment was that their son shouldn't be punished for life for a few minutes of action.   If justice was served, that parent would be found floating dead in the river with their personal parts shoved in their mouth, as an example for other parents.  "Pour encourager les autres" as the French put it so aptly.   It wouldn't be the law, but it would be justice.




Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Chris22 on June 06, 2018, 08:37:26 AM
The article went on to make comments about the fact that the girl made several attempts to stab the boy.   If someone broke into my home at night and I shot them with my pistol, no one would bat an eye if my first 4 shots missed my attacker and the 5th one hit home.  The focus would be on "Homeowner defends family from robber."   

It depends.  If you want to use the strict lethal force guidance, if the first stab at the guy caused him to stop assaulting her, the continued stabs were not technically justified.  You are only authorized to use lethal force to stop the threat, once the threat stops you can't keep using lethal force just because.  To use your example, if someone tried to break into your house, and you fired at him and missed, and he ran away, and you continued to fire and hit him in the back and killed him in the middle of your yard running away from your house, absolutely you could be charged with murder.   (Source: hold several weapons permits and used to teach lethal force training in the military)

All that being said, if the girl was my daughter, I'd be reassuring her she did the right thing.  My kid was at her grandparents' (my inlaws) house recently (she's 5) and went to the bathroom.  Her cousin (2 months younger) tried to follow her in, and she slammed the door on him hurting his hand in the process.  Apparently my inlaws gave her a hard time about it, and I told her in front of everyone there that she was just fine and if anyone got her trying to follow her into the bathroom that was their fault, not hers, and next time slam the door harder on him to make sure he remembered.  I got the side eye but no one had the balls to say anything to me. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BookLoverL on June 06, 2018, 09:44:19 AM
I don't get litterers.

These days it seems like everywhere you go there is litter. Even on a more rural road like where I live, there's litter. And if you go somewhere more urban, like where my grandma is, there is litter everywhere.

Do the people who drop it have no respect for the planet? For wildlife? Do they have no respect for themselves?

That's the only reason I can possibly think that they might do something which objectively makes things worse for wildlife AND makes the world uglier, while also not actually being that hard to avoid on account of how there are PUBLIC BINS EVERYWHERE (and even if there weren't, it wouldn't be that hard to carry their sweet wrapper or drinks can back to their own bin...)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 06, 2018, 09:53:50 AM
 One time years ago when I was only about 19 years old this other woman and I went in her car and went for a ride down the road to eat our bagged lunches. It was summer and the car windows were down. On the way back, all of a sudden she threw out her empty lunch bag right in front of my face (passenger side). I was totally shocked and her response was "always throw your trash out on a rich persons lawn; you know it will get picked up".
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SwordGuy on June 06, 2018, 10:00:12 AM
The article went on to make comments about the fact that the girl made several attempts to stab the boy.   If someone broke into my home at night and I shot them with my pistol, no one would bat an eye if my first 4 shots missed my attacker and the 5th one hit home.  The focus would be on "Homeowner defends family from robber."   

It depends.  If you want to use the strict lethal force guidance, if the first stab at the guy caused him to stop assaulting her, the continued stabs were not technically justified.  You are only authorized to use lethal force to stop the threat, once the threat stops you can't keep using lethal force just because.  To use your example, if someone tried to break into your house, and you fired at him and missed, and he ran away, and you continued to fire and hit him in the back and killed him in the middle of your yard running away from your house, absolutely you could be charged with murder.   (Source: hold several weapons permits and used to teach lethal force training in the military)

Fair points.   And "helpful" police might just guide a person into saying exactly the right thing to be left alone by the law.   You know it's happened.  Particularly if the person doing the shooting is white and the person doing the breaking in isn't.

All that being said, if the girl was my daughter, I'd be reassuring her she did the right thing.  My kid was at her grandparents' (my inlaws) house recently (she's 5) and went to the bathroom.  Her cousin (2 months younger) tried to follow her in, and she slammed the door on him hurting his hand in the process.  Apparently my inlaws gave her a hard time about it, and I told her in front of everyone there that she was just fine and if anyone got her trying to follow her into the bathroom that was their fault, not hers, and next time slam the door harder on him to make sure he remembered.  I got the side eye but no one had the balls to say anything to me.

Good for you.     If I were there, I would chime in to support you and her, too.   
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: goldensam on June 06, 2018, 10:21:18 AM
I don't get people that take politics super-seriously or choose their friends based on politics.

I understand people who take police brutality seriously because they are far more likely to be shot by police for doing nothing at all.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can end up going to jail (or being shot by police) simply for waiting for a friend at a Starbucks, or cooking at the grill in a public park, or doing their job at their place of work, or asking directions from someone, or just opening their front door.

Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.

I understand people who take oppression seriously because they can't get promoted because of their gender, or get sexually harassed because, as Trump Jr put it so very clearly, if you can't stand being sexually harassed in the workplace, you should stay at home.  Or they have to learn at age 10 to go to the bathroom in groups so they won't get groped by some guy while they are away from their friends.  (You did know that's why girls do that?)   As one coworker put it, again so very clearly, when I brought up Trump's video self-confession to being a serial sexual assaulter, "Why should I care?  It's not like it's bad for the economy!"


Maybe your demographic doesn't have that problem.


What I can't get is people who have no damn empathy for folks in that situation and can't be bothered to give a damn about the injustice of it.  Because, after all, it's not affecting them, so why should they care?

+1
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 06, 2018, 10:23:34 AM
I don't get litterers.

These days it seems like everywhere you go there is litter. Even on a more rural road like where I live, there's litter. And if you go somewhere more urban, like where my grandma is, there is litter everywhere.

Do the people who drop it have no respect for the planet? For wildlife? Do they have no respect for themselves?

That's the only reason I can possibly think that they might do something which objectively makes things worse for wildlife AND makes the world uglier, while also not actually being that hard to avoid on account of how there are PUBLIC BINS EVERYWHERE (and even if there weren't, it wouldn't be that hard to carry their sweet wrapper or drinks can back to their own bin...)

Yes.  This really bothers me too.  I walk by a bus stop every day, that is strewn with garbage and cigarette butts.  The thing is . . . there's a fricking garbage can right there!   You almost have to go out of your way not to use the garbage can.  Gaaahh.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Schaefer Light on June 06, 2018, 10:26:33 AM
To use your example, if someone tried to break into your house, and you fired at him and missed, and he ran away, and you continued to fire and hit him in the back and killed him in the middle of your yard running away from your house, absolutely you could be charged with murder.   (Source: hold several weapons permits and used to teach lethal force training in the military)
My take.  Make sure you hit him with the first shot ;).  Not always easy to do with a pistol in the dark, though.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sui generis on June 06, 2018, 10:44:20 AM
That was male rapist Brock Turner's sentence because he's white, his parents are rich, and he's on a sports team.   F that shit.   And Brock's parents comment was that their son shouldn't be punished for life for a few minutes of action.   If justice was served, that parent would be found floating dead in the river with their personal parts shoved in their mouth, as an example for other parents.  "Pour encourager les autres" as the French put it so aptly.   It wouldn't be the law, but it would be justice.
A different kind of justice was served last night, as the judge that gave that lenient sentence to Turner was recalled.  The first to be so recalled in CA since 1932.  And it wasn't just vengeance for that one light sentence.  He had a history of bias toward wealthy white men and against female victims in cases of sexual violence.  I'm not generally in favor of recalling (or electing) judges, but this seems to have been well-justified.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 06, 2018, 12:53:30 PM
That was male rapist Brock Turner's sentence because he's white, his parents are rich, and he's on a sports team.   F that shit.   And Brock's parents comment was that their son shouldn't be punished for life for a few minutes of action.   If justice was served, that parent would be found floating dead in the river with their personal parts shoved in their mouth, as an example for other parents.  "Pour encourager les autres" as the French put it so aptly.   It wouldn't be the law, but it would be justice.
A different kind of justice was served last night, as the judge that gave that lenient sentence to Turner was recalled.  The first to be so recalled in CA since 1932.  And it wasn't just vengeance for that one light sentence.  He had a history of bias toward wealthy white men and against female victims in cases of sexual violence.  I'm not generally in favor of recalling (or electing) judges, but this seems to have been well-justified.
Amen! I was so happy to read those results today. It's difficult to eject a sitting judge. Yes! [Insert fist pump here.]
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sojourner on June 08, 2018, 10:08:29 AM
Say a person has achieved and surpassed their FIRE number.  By all measures/simulations they can "retire" (leave corporate/workaday life to pursue whatever).  For example, has beyond 25X expenses stashed, also some soc sec coming up plus perhaps other means to provide further cushion.

At this point, they're aware they have free choice what to do with their time each day.  Yet they still choose to wake up to an early morning alarm, put on clothes they ironed and set out the night before to comply with dress code, drive in rush hour traffic, do tasks all day as assigned and scrutinized by someone else, then return home in same congested traffic just to repeat the cycle next day. (or similar scenario)

I think this is fairly common.  That's something I don't get.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Chris22 on June 08, 2018, 10:28:22 AM
Say a person has achieved and surpassed their FIRE number.  By all measures/simulations they can "retire" (leave corporate/workaday life to pursue whatever).  For example, has beyond 25X expenses stashed, also some soc sec coming up plus perhaps other means to provide further cushion.

At this point, they're aware they have free choice what to do with their time each day.  Yet they still choose to wake up to an early morning alarm, put on clothes they ironed and set out the night before to comply with dress code, drive in rush hour traffic, do tasks all day as assigned and scrutinized by someone else, then return home in same congested traffic just to repeat the cycle next day. (or similar scenario)

I think this is fairly common.  That's something I don't get.

1.  Not everyone hates their job.  Some find it interesting and challenging and they like doing it.

2.  Some people want more than to just cover their expenses.  I might be able to sit in my house all day and cover my mortgage and food and other expenses, but it may not leave me enough to do things I want to do, like travel or pay for home renovation projects or work on old cars or whatever else I want to do to fill my time. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: MilesTeg on June 08, 2018, 11:30:28 AM
Say a person has achieved and surpassed their FIRE number.  By all measures/simulations they can "retire" (leave corporate/workaday life to pursue whatever).  For example, has beyond 25X expenses stashed, also some soc sec coming up plus perhaps other means to provide further cushion.

At this point, they're aware they have free choice what to do with their time each day.  Yet they still choose to wake up to an early morning alarm, put on clothes they ironed and set out the night before to comply with dress code, drive in rush hour traffic, do tasks all day as assigned and scrutinized by someone else, then return home in same congested traffic just to repeat the cycle next day. (or similar scenario)

I think this is fairly common.  That's something I don't get.

Some people enjoy their jobs; count me among them. Some of us worked very hard, as young people, to put themselves in a position where they doing something they both enjoy and can make a good living at and have worked hard enough to not have to deal with annoying things like early mornings, strict dress codes and annoying bosses.

It's sort of like mustacianism applied a different way.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HipGnosis on June 08, 2018, 11:35:30 AM
Man buns
Or, as I call them; WTF flags
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Jouer on June 08, 2018, 12:15:16 PM
Also, some people like structure. Some even crave it and don't feel themselves without it. (I am not one of those people....but I do know some like it)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on June 08, 2018, 12:55:17 PM
Man buns
Or, as I call them; WTF flags

I think man buns are hot.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dividend on June 08, 2018, 12:58:48 PM
Here's something simple I don't get - cold brew coffee makers.  Why are those a thing people pay money for?  To make cold brew, you let ground coffee and water steep for a long time and then filter it.  I do this all summer long, in my french press that I already have for hot coffee, and even in quart sized mason jars.  So when one of my best friends told me all excitedly that she had bought a cold brew maker, I asked "What does it do?"  She explained, and I said, "I don't understand what it does that you couldn't do with a big mason jar and a strainer?"  No answer except irritation at me. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Davnasty on June 08, 2018, 01:07:21 PM
Here's something simple I don't get - cold brew coffee makers.  Why are those a thing people pay money for?  To make cold brew, you let ground coffee and water steep for a long time and then filter it.  I do this all summer long, in my french press that I already have for hot coffee, and even in quart sized mason jars.  So when one of my best friends told me all excitedly that she had bought a cold brew maker, I asked "What does it do?"  She explained, and I said, "I don't understand what it does that you couldn't do with a big mason jar and a strainer?"  No answer except irritation at me.

I had a coworker explain how awesome their new cold brew contraption after I mentioned I liked iced coffee. She went through the whole process and the asked, "and how do you make iced coffee?" I said I put ice... in coffee.

I get that cold brew is different, I make that in mason jars too.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mm1970 on June 08, 2018, 01:12:32 PM
Man buns
Or, as I call them; WTF flags

I think man buns are hot.
On the right man?  Totally
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on June 08, 2018, 03:13:42 PM
My country has a monarchy. I'm a republican personally and I think our current King lacks the common sense, constitutional awareness and good judgement his mother has.

His wife's sister tragically passed away from suicide this week. Of course the media are very respectful of the King and his family during this difficult time, but irl I have heard so many people say nasty things about her being a little snowflake, a spoilt rich kid, We The People are probably paying for the trip to the Queen's native Argentina to bury her sister, etc etc etc.

I don't get why people would be so extremely insensitive. I don't believe we should have a King at all, but I sincerely feel very sorry for him and his family. I can't imagine their pain, they were known to be close and apparantly she'd struggled for a while. They're human beings with real feelings and personal lives.

I was also extremely annoyed when a few weeks ago some new official portraits of the royal family were published and people were fatshaming the oldest princess all over the internet. The 14 year old Crown Princess is clearly developing from a girl into a woman and she's a little more curvy now then she used to be as a child. Growing up is difficult enough when you're a totally average highschool girl, and this poor girl has been in the spotlight since birth. She will have no freedom of choice in any aspect of her life ever. You're a pretty pathetic person if you're going to call her out on the internet for simply existing as a non-rail thin person.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ChpBstrd on June 08, 2018, 04:05:58 PM
I'm starting to not get the internet.

This thing that was supposed to instantly bring useful information to our fingertips in an instant is full of propaganda, ads, misinformation, flame wars, and memes.

This thing that was supposed to break dictators' stranglehold on speech and dissent has become a tool of mass manipulation and coincided with the collapse of democracies worldwide.

This thing that was supposed to help us study has instead shortened our attention span, preventing us from even being able to solve problems.

This thing that was supposed to make us money has become another utility bill for most people - oh and using it gets you fired at work.

This thing that was supposed to let regular people debate and dialogue with one another has instead shifted our entire culture toward incivility. We expect trolling behavior from our leaders now.

This thing we worked so hard to make fast wastes so much of our time.

This thing that was supposed to prevent waste burns gigawatts of electricity for the sake of Facebook and the mining of fake cryptocurrencies, and results in piles of highly toxic electronic waste because the equipment only lasts a couple years.

I wonder to what extent it would still be possible to go back, ditch the smartphone and the broadband bill, read physical books, pay bills with checks, exercise focus and attention span, and be mentally present for people instead of staring into an addictive toy that does nothing tangible for me but take our money and make us believe falsehoods? Who ever imagined their idea of a good life to be spent staring into a phone like old people stare at television, making money for tech billionaires.

I wonder if a new lifestyle/group will emerge soon of the "real worlders" who find ways to avoid blowing more and more of their time, mental health, and wealth on the internet. Or maybe we're all too far gone.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sojourner on June 08, 2018, 06:45:22 PM

I'm starting to not get the internet.

This thing that was supposed to...

I wonder to what extent it would still be possible to go back, ditch the smartphone and the broadband bill, read physical books, pay bills with checks, exercise focus and attention span, and be mentally present for people instead of staring into an addictive toy that does nothing tangible for me but take our money and make us believe falsehoods? Who ever imagined their idea of a good life to be spent staring into a phone like old people stare at television, making money for tech billionaires.

I wonder if a new lifestyle/group will emerge soon of the "real worlders" who find ways to avoid blowing more and more of their time, mental health, and wealth on the internet. Or maybe we're all too far gone.

Yep.  Past the point of no return.

Great post, BTW.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 08, 2018, 07:18:02 PM
In the early days of the internet you were required to prove a baseline level of intelligence before you could connect.  You needed to install a modem, configure it, connect to the internet, debug the inevitable issues, then figure out how to search the random BBS's for whatever you were looking for.  All this without being able to google anything.  Assholes could make it past all that, but the truly stupid didn't.

Today you have the same proportion of assholes, but we've removed the intelligence barrier from accessing to the internet . . . so we're drowning in stupid.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Adam Zapple on June 09, 2018, 06:28:24 AM
In the early days of the internet you were required to prove a baseline level of intelligence before you could connect.  You needed to install a modem, configure it, connect to the internet, debug the inevitable issues, then figure out how to search the random BBS's for whatever you were looking for.  All this without being able to google anything.  Assholes could make it past all that, but the truly stupid didn't.

Today you have the same proportion of assholes, but we've removed the intelligence barrier from accessing to the internet . . . so we're drowning in stupid.

This is a great point.  There's also virtually no barrier to providing content on the internet.  If you want proof, just read Yahoo! news daily like I do (for some reason.) "Articles" are just twitter re-posts or poorly written with zero journalistic integrity, zero research, zero proofreading etc.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SunshineAZ on June 11, 2018, 09:17:40 AM
In the early days of the internet you were required to prove a baseline level of intelligence before you could connect.  You needed to install a modem, configure it, connect to the internet, debug the inevitable issues, then figure out how to search the random BBS's for whatever you were looking for.  All this without being able to google anything.  Assholes could make it past all that, but the truly stupid didn't.

Today you have the same proportion of assholes, but we've removed the intelligence barrier from accessing to the internet . . . so we're drowning in stupid.

LOL QFT! 

/Now, get off my internet!!  :P

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: EricL on June 11, 2018, 10:41:18 AM
In the early days of the internet you were required to prove a baseline level of intelligence before you could connect.  You needed to install a modem, configure it, connect to the internet, debug the inevitable issues, then figure out how to search the random BBS's for whatever you were looking for.  All this without being able to google anything.  Assholes could make it past all that, but the truly stupid didn't.

Today you have the same proportion of assholes, but we've removed the intelligence barrier from accessing to the internet . . . so we're drowning in stupid.

That’s OK.  Net Neutrality ends today.  So in the future we’ll only be exposed to the stupid people who happen to be rich. And state supported trolls, of course.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 11, 2018, 11:30:48 AM
In the early days of the internet you were required to prove a baseline level of intelligence before you could connect.  You needed to install a modem, configure it, connect to the internet, debug the inevitable issues, then figure out how to search the random BBS's for whatever you were looking for.  All this without being able to google anything.  Assholes could make it past all that, but the truly stupid didn't.

Today you have the same proportion of assholes, but we've removed the intelligence barrier from accessing to the internet . . . so we're drowning in stupid.

That’s OK.  Net Neutrality ends today.  So in the future we’ll only be exposed to the stupid people who happen to be rich. And state supported trolls, of course.

Gah.  Was that today?

 . . . speaking of things I don't understand . . . how can you possibly make the argument that ending Net Neutrality will be anything but bad for most consumers?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 on June 11, 2018, 11:36:11 AM
In the early days of the internet you were required to prove a baseline level of intelligence before you could connect.  You needed to install a modem, configure it, connect to the internet, debug the inevitable issues, then figure out how to search the random BBS's for whatever you were looking for.  All this without being able to google anything.  Assholes could make it past all that, but the truly stupid didn't.

Today you have the same proportion of assholes, but we've removed the intelligence barrier from accessing to the internet . . . so we're drowning in stupid.

That’s OK.  Net Neutrality ends today.  So in the future we’ll only be exposed to the stupid people who happen to be rich. And state supported trolls, of course.

Gah.  Was that today?

 . . . speaking of things I don't understand . . . how can you possibly make the argument that ending Net Neutrality will be anything but bad for most consumers?

I feel like the internet is already slower today. Is that really possible?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: EricL on June 11, 2018, 12:12:23 PM
In the early days of the internet you were required to prove a baseline level of intelligence before you could connect.  You needed to install a modem, configure it, connect to the internet, debug the inevitable issues, then figure out how to search the random BBS's for whatever you were looking for.  All this without being able to google anything.  Assholes could make it past all that, but the truly stupid didn't.

Today you have the same proportion of assholes, but we've removed the intelligence barrier from accessing to the internet . . . so we're drowning in stupid.

That’s OK.  Net Neutrality ends today.  So in the future we’ll only be exposed to the stupid people who happen to be rich. And state supported trolls, of course.

Gah.  Was that today?

 . . . speaking of things I don't understand . . . how can you possibly make the argument that ending Net Neutrality will be anything but bad for most consumers?

Your original statement was true but has an elitist air to it.  But, yeah, the end of Net Neutrality is definitely elitist in a different sort of way. And definitely not good for consumers in general. I’d hoped my sarcasm was evident.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on June 12, 2018, 10:13:17 AM
"Such and Such ruined my childhood!" 

I get it that something you fondly remember has been rebooted and looks terrible by comparison, but that hardly "ruined" the memories of your childhood.  Unless you're really susceptible to marketing and the power of suggestion.  It sucks that our children will form their memories of the subject around this inferior reboot, but if it matters to you that much I'm sure you can figure out a way to show them the original version that is so damn important to you.

Tangentially to this, I've seen a lot of "Netflix sucks now and I'm cancelling my subscription!" comments on my social media feeds as the service comes out with more original programming that these folks apparently don't enjoy.  Do these people realize that Netflix started out as a content library?  I didn't subscribe to Netflix for it's original programming when it came out (they didn't have any yet) and I still don't use it for that purpose.  If I don't want to watch their own programming, I don't have to. They offer plenty of other things to watch.  It's like going to an ice cream shop for it's blue flavor then boycotting it for serving red. It still sells blue, so what's your problem?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 12, 2018, 10:33:31 AM
"Such and Such ruined my childhood!" 

I get it that something you fondly remember has been rebooted and looks terrible by comparison, but that hardly "ruined" the memories of your childhood.  Unless you're really susceptible to marketing and the power of suggestion.  It sucks that our children will form their memories of the subject around this inferior reboot, but if it matters to you that much I'm sure you can figure out a way to show them the original version that is so damn important to you.

While he didn't ruin memories of the original, George Lucas has done his damndest to make it difficult to find a copy of the original Star Wars movies.  The one that you probably watched in your childhood, without the ridiculous and nonsensical changes (Han shooting first, the unnecessary added scene with Han talking to Jabba, changing the song in Jabba's place, ruining the climax of return of the Jedi by sticking in a  NOOOOOO by Darth Vader, all the strange changes made at the victory celebration, etc.) by refusing to allow the release of the originals.

George Lucas is a dick for trying his best to ruin the original Star Wars movies.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sui generis on June 12, 2018, 10:41:53 AM

Tangentially to this, I've seen a lot of "Netflix sucks now and I'm cancelling my subscription!" comments on my social media feeds as the service comes out with more original programming that these folks apparently don't enjoy.  Do these people realize that Netflix started out as a content library?  I didn't subscribe to Netflix for it's original programming when it came out (they didn't have any yet) and I still don't use it for that purpose.  If I don't want to watch their own programming, I don't have to. They offer plenty of other things to watch.  It's like going to an ice cream shop for it's blue flavor then boycotting it for serving red. It still sells blue, so what's your problem?

Mmmm, but it only sells two scoops of blue nowadays and the blue is often gone by the time I arrive.  Whereas they used to have a lot of blue, because they really focused on blue, but now they only care about red and producing gallons and gallons of red! 

Yeah, the analogy is hard to carry through, but the point is, they used to spend time and energy on cultivating their content library but now they don't pursue/renew digital rights, so very few things I am looking for are streaming.  So I quit streaming to go back to DVD only, figuring that I could especially find a lot of older stuff still on DVD...and I couldn't find a lot of things there either (i.e. they aren't replacing broken/unusable DVDs anymore?).  So their focus on original content is really to the detriment of being a content library.  I mean, I haven't complained about it and don't go around telling people how much it sucks or anything.  But it is a very different service than it used to be, so I did cancel my subscription.  I don't have time to get sucked into their original content, no matter how awesome it is, at this particular time, but wish I still had access to all the great content they used to have that were more like one-off movies, miniseries or short TV series that are old and ended.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Nicholas Carter on June 13, 2018, 08:52:50 AM
Man buns
Or, as I call them; WTF flags
Long hair is mostly advantageous, but occasionally annoying. So I grow my hair long, then put it up when I'm not using it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on June 13, 2018, 09:09:07 AM
Gigantic tires on pickup trucks and the bubble tires on small cars that are canted out and scrub the fenders.  And the exhaust pipes on 4 cylinder cars that make them really loud. 

None of the above should even be street legal, and are definitely stupid to do to a vehicle.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 13, 2018, 09:23:39 AM
Motorcycles that are ridiculously loud. Really, what is the point? Just noise pollution and stupid.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on June 13, 2018, 09:50:55 AM

Long hair is mostly advantageous

Whats advantageous about it?  Might get some work posing for romance novels?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 13, 2018, 09:56:33 AM
I used to know a handsome guy that had long hair and he mostly had it pulled back. He was going hiking and decided to cut it off for easier maintenance and it was a major OMG! His hair was super curly and he looked like bozo the clown. Not a good improvement at all! LOL! Keep it long, keep it neat.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 13, 2018, 09:59:35 AM
Motorcycles that are ridiculously loud. Really, what is the point? Just noise pollution and stupid.
DH pointed out that they do that so car drivers will be alerted to their presence. Huh. I say they make a choice when they hop on a bike (obv. the wrong kind) and breaking the law to protect their decision is ridiculous. Everyone KNOWS that cars don't see motorcycles. If you're scared of that fact, don't fucking ride one. And if you choose to anyway, for Pete's sake, wear a certified helmet and stop bitching about those, too./end of rant
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 13, 2018, 10:47:51 AM
Motorcycles that are ridiculously loud. Really, what is the point? Just noise pollution and stupid.
DH pointed out that they do that so car drivers will be alerted to their presence. Huh. I say they make a choice when they hop on a bike (obv. the wrong kind) and breaking the law to protect their decision is ridiculous. Everyone KNOWS that cars don't see motorcycles. If you're scared of that fact, don't fucking ride one. And if you choose to anyway, for Pete's sake, wear a certified helmet and stop bitching about those, too./end of rant

If motorcyclists made their bikes loud so that cars would be alerted to their presence, the pipes would all point forwards.  The vehicles behind you can see you and know where you are.  It's the ones in front of you that you've got to be concerned about.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ysette9 on June 13, 2018, 11:03:42 AM
I have a deep-seated primal fear of loud noises. Apparently this goes back to in utero according to my mother. I Can’t Stand loud motorcycles (in looking at you, dumb-ass Harleys). Sure, they are obnoxious and anti-social and juvenile and dumb, but they also scare me like crazy. My oldest seems to also hate loud noises. She once threw a massive fit and refused to go into a public toilet with me because of the unpredictable and loud flushes and hand dryers. I get it. Whenever possible I try to find a family restroom so at least there is only one toilet and I can, hopefully, control when it flushes. This gives us time to cover our ears. The water-saving toilets rely on a massive sucking action to be effective and that is REALLY loud.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 13, 2018, 11:07:41 AM
I live on what is considered a scenic road and is a well maintained two lane State road. It is hilly and windy and pretty dangerous. Every single weekend from spring to late fall we have herds of motorcycle riders who swarm this scenic road making it like a race arena. So disturbingly noisy and it goes on all day long up and down the hills. Why do people come from out of town to have fun disturbing the people who live there? I wouldn't care if they had normal sounding vehicles but they are beyond obnoxious and noisy.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on June 13, 2018, 11:11:51 AM
I have a deep-seated primal fear of loud noises. Apparently this goes back to in utero according to my mother. I Can’t Stand loud motorcycles (in looking at you, dumb-ass Harleys). Sure, they are obnoxious and anti-social and juvenile and dumb, but they also scare me like crazy. My oldest seems to also hate loud noises. She once threw a massive fit and refused to go into a public toilet with me because of the unpredictable and loud flushes and hand dryers. I get it. Whenever possible I try to find a family restroom so at least there is only one toilet and I can, hopefully, control when it flushes. This gives us time to cover our ears. The water-saving toilets rely on a massive sucking action to be effective and that is REALLY loud.

Are you an introvert by any chance?  This is common among introverts.  Extreme sensitivity to stimuli.   I too hate loud noises.  Particularly poor music, which is in abundance.  Along these lines, I never understood concerts or music gatherings where the music is too loud to enjoy. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ysette9 on June 13, 2018, 11:15:31 AM
Yup, an introvert. I get overwhelmed by noise after a period of time. I find modern life to be stressfully noisy. Music in restaurants is loud enough that it is hard to hear someone talking at the other end of the table. Coffee shop music is now front and center instead of being background. Movies require earplugs to avoid hearing loss. No one seems to think quiet is acceptable.

Wow. I sound like I am 40 years older than I am. Now get off of my lawn! (But walk quietly please)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on June 13, 2018, 11:17:52 AM
Yup, an introvert. I get overwhelmed by noise after a period of time. I find modern life to be stressfully noisy. Music in restaurants is loud enough that it is hard to hear someone talking at the other end of the table. Coffee shop music is now front and center instead of being background. Movies require earplugs to avoid hearing loss. No one seems to think quiet is acceptable.

Wow. I sound like I am 40 years older than I am. Now get off of my lawn! (But walk quietly please)

Agreed!  Nothing worse than a restaurant where it's too loud to have a decent conversation.  And people seem to enjoy it, I find it very perplexing.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 13, 2018, 11:30:43 AM
Okay, here is another thing that pisses me off. I know younger people don't agree. It used to be you would buy a ticket to a concert and be assigned a seat. Now people stand during the whole concert even though they have a seat to sit in. So, even if you want to sit and enjoy the music you can't because the people in front of you are standing and you can't see anything. The last concert I went to we had really good seats close to the stage. Didn't matter, we had to stand during the whole thing. I told the Hub that I never want to go to a concert again. What is the point of paying for seats you can't sit in? Seems very rude to me. What about the older people or handicapped people or short people?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ysette9 on June 13, 2018, 11:34:33 AM
As a short person I agree with you. However I don’t go to concerts much as they are too loud. ;-) Maybe you need to cultivate an appreciation for the symphony or jazz something where it is standard for people to remain seated?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: PoutineLover on June 13, 2018, 11:38:50 AM
Okay, here is another thing that pisses me off. I know younger people don't agree. It used to be you would buy a ticket to a concert and be assigned a seat. Now people stand during the whole concert even though they have a seat to sit in. So, even if you want to sit and enjoy the music you can't because the people in front of you are standing and you can see anything. The last concert I went to we had really good seats close to the stage. Didn't matter, we had to stand during the whole thing. I told the Hub that I never want to go to a concert again. What is the point of paying for seats you can't sit in? Seems very rude to me. What about the older people or handicapped people or short people?
I like being able to dance at concerts, so if possible standing room tickets are perfect. But it may be a case of everyone having to do it even though they don't want to, because it's the only way to see once the front row stands up. Or for better selfie angles :P
That's kinda like what happens on planes sometimes. I don't like to recline because it takes away someone else's space, and I don't like it when people recline on me, but if I lose my space, I pretty much need to recline too. I've always wished reclining made your own seat go forward at the same time, so if you do it you lose your own legroom, instead of taking away someone else's. Then it's a purely personal trade off instead of pushing the annoyance further down the line.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RWD on June 13, 2018, 11:41:22 AM
Yup, an introvert. I get overwhelmed by noise after a period of time. I find modern life to be stressfully noisy. Music in restaurants is loud enough that it is hard to hear someone talking at the other end of the table. Coffee shop music is now front and center instead of being background. Movies require earplugs to avoid hearing loss. No one seems to think quiet is acceptable.

Wow. I sound like I am 40 years older than I am. Now get off of my lawn! (But walk quietly please)

Agreed!  Nothing worse than a restaurant where it's too loud to have a decent conversation.  And people seem to enjoy it, I find it very perplexing.

I was at a restaurant seated outdoors with my wife and in-laws and there was live music playing way too loud. My wife and I asked to be re-seated indoors and when the manager (or whoever) came to reseat us they thought it was my in-laws that were bothered by the noise!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 13, 2018, 11:43:07 AM
No, not interested in jazz or symphony. Somewhere down the line things changed. We used to go to Oakdale Theater in Wallingford CT and everyone used to sit down. Then we went to other venues where people stand up the whole time. Years ago we went to Myrtle beach and went to those theaters and everyone sat. No more concerts for me! NOPE!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dollar Slice on June 13, 2018, 11:52:53 AM
Okay, here is another thing that pisses me off. I know younger people don't agree. It used to be you would buy a ticket to a concert and be assigned a seat. Now people stand during the whole concert even though they have a seat to sit in. So, even if you want to sit and enjoy the music you can't because the people in front of you are standing and you can see anything.

This annoys the hell out of me, as I am a huge live music fan and have a medical issue that makes it painful to stand for long periods. And the kind of show where this happens? Almost always very expensive tickets at big fancy venues. If I go to a show where this happens, that artist is immediately on my list of artists I'll never see again. If your fans want to dance, play a venue where that's possible, and the can't-dance contingent can go do something else that we'll enjoy. 

One time I was with a friend who has a more serious disability at a standing-up rock club, and he'd arranged in advance for us to sit in a special section for handicapped people. They sat us (and a bunch of fans in wheelchairs, etc.) BEHIND the people who were standing. So we were just staring at people's asses the whole time. $90 tickets.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on June 13, 2018, 11:59:13 AM
Yup, an introvert. I get overwhelmed by noise after a period of time. I find modern life to be stressfully noisy. Music in restaurants is loud enough that it is hard to hear someone talking at the other end of the table. Coffee shop music is now front and center instead of being background. Movies require earplugs to avoid hearing loss. No one seems to think quiet is acceptable.

Wow. I sound like I am 40 years older than I am. Now get off of my lawn! (But walk quietly please)
Oh my goodness, this has been a pet peeve of mine for years.  Seriously, if I have to nearly shout in order for DW to hear me across the table, the music is too loud.  And this isn't like a bar or nightclub.  This is in a casual dining restaurant.  It seems to bother me a lot more than it bothers DW.  I also have a harder time distinguishing conversation from all the background noise than DW does, even though my hearing tests better than hers.

I have a deep-seated primal fear of loud noises. Apparently this goes back to in utero according to my mother. I Can’t Stand loud motorcycles (in looking at you, dumb-ass Harleys). Sure, they are obnoxious and anti-social and juvenile and dumb, but they also scare me like crazy. My oldest seems to also hate loud noises. She once threw a massive fit and refused to go into a public toilet with me because of the unpredictable and loud flushes and hand dryers. I get it. Whenever possible I try to find a family restroom so at least there is only one toilet and I can, hopefully, control when it flushes. This gives us time to cover our ears. The water-saving toilets rely on a massive sucking action to be effective and that is REALLY loud.
That's really interesting--my oldest son used to have the same reaction when he was younger.  We always chalked it up to overstimulus, tied to his Autism.

To contribute my own thing I don't get:  Large cell phones.  And by "large" I mean anything over 130mm in height.  The big screens are hard to reach across, hard to fit in your pocket, more expensive, more battery hungry, and more CPU/RAM hungry.  They're a bit easier to read stuff on, but not *that* much better.  I loved my Galaxy Light, with its small footprint and large-radius curves (super comfy to hold).

Now I'll rant a bit more:  There is exactly one company that makes small phones with decent internals (at least 2GB RAM) for the US market:  Sony.  And they have only one model in that size.  Or at least, they used to.  The latest iteration, the Xperia XZ2 Compact ballooned up to 135mm tall, only 3mm less than an iPhone.  You'd think that budget phones, like the Moto G6, would have a smaller screen, but no, all the phone manufacturers are caught up in the screen size arms race.  Samsung had a Mini version of their flagships up through the Galaxy S4 mini, but cancelled the Galaxy S5 mini and haven't looked back.

Call me picky, but my ideal phone simply doesn't exist.  All I want is a phone that works in the US with 2GB+ RAM, a good CPU, a body no larger than 130mm, a headphone jack, a user-replaceable battery, an SD card slot, and an unlocked bootloader (with good ROM support).  Such a device apparently doesn't exist.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 13, 2018, 12:05:19 PM
Dollar Slice, know where you are coming from and it is even worse for those with disabilities. I think these bands encourage people to stand up and dance. The last time we went to a concert to see Shania Twain and had excellent seats. We paid a LOT for the tickets because we were close to the stage. Didn't matter, the rows in front of us stood the whole time. If we didn't stand, all we would have seen is asses.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 13, 2018, 12:18:31 PM
Okay, here is another thing that pisses me off. I know younger people don't agree. It used to be you would buy a ticket to a concert and be assigned a seat. Now people stand during the whole concert even though they have a seat to sit in. So, even if you want to sit and enjoy the music you can't because the people in front of you are standing and you can see anything.

This annoys the hell out of me, as I am a huge live music fan and have a medical issue that makes it painful to stand for long periods. And the kind of show where this happens? Almost always very expensive tickets at big fancy venues. If I go to a show where this happens, that artist is immediately on my list of artists I'll never see again. If your fans want to dance, play a venue where that's possible, and the can't-dance contingent can go do something else that we'll enjoy. 

One time I was with a friend who has a more serious disability at a standing-up rock club, and he'd arranged in advance for us to sit in a special section for handicapped people. They sat us (and a bunch of fans in wheelchairs, etc.) BEHIND the people who were standing. So we were just staring at people's asses the whole time. $90 tickets.

The last concert that I went to this happened.  It kinda drove me nuts.  I wanted to sit and listen to the music . . . but literally everyone in the venue decided to stand up three songs in, and remain standing for the next two hours.  WTF.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 13, 2018, 12:29:27 PM
Just say NO to live concerts!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 on June 13, 2018, 12:32:41 PM
Okay, here is another thing that pisses me off. I know younger people don't agree. It used to be you would buy a ticket to a concert and be assigned a seat. Now people stand during the whole concert even though they have a seat to sit in. So, even if you want to sit and enjoy the music you can't because the people in front of you are standing and you can see anything. The last concert I went to we had really good seats close to the stage. Didn't matter, we had to stand during the whole thing. I told the Hub that I never want to go to a concert again. What is the point of paying for seats you can't sit in? Seems very rude to me. What about the older people or handicapped people or short people?
I like being able to dance at concerts, so if possible standing room tickets are perfect. But it may be a case of everyone having to do it even though they don't want to, because it's the only way to see once the front row stands up. Or for better selfie angles :P
That's kinda like what happens on planes sometimes. I don't like to recline because it takes away someone else's space, and I don't like it when people recline on me, but if I lose my space, I pretty much need to recline too. I've always wished reclining made your own seat go forward at the same time, so if you do it you lose your own legroom, instead of taking away someone else's. Then it's a purely personal trade off instead of pushing the annoyance further down the line.

This is brilliant!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dollar Slice on June 13, 2018, 12:38:37 PM
Just say NO to live concerts!

Ack, don't say that! :-)

Live concerts aren't the problem. This probably happens at 1% of the shows I go to. It's just a certain kind of fan/artist/venue where this happens. It is pretty dire if you are mainly a fan of that kind of music, of course...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on June 13, 2018, 12:49:32 PM
Here's an "I don't get it".

FB algorithm feed results.  Since when is Facebook better at deciding what I want to view?

How about you just give me what my friends are posting in the order it's posted, much like a forum?

Or at least offer that as a setting to the user, so they can decide what they want to view.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on June 13, 2018, 01:00:23 PM

Call me picky, but my ideal phone simply doesn't exist.  All I want is a phone that works in the US with 2GB+ RAM, a good CPU, a body no larger than 130mm, a headphone jack, a user-replaceable battery, an SD card slot, and an unlocked bootloader (with good ROM support).  Such a device apparently doesn't exist.

No SD Slot (hard to find that these days), but the Iphone SE is a good phone with small dimensions.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on June 13, 2018, 01:06:12 PM

Call me picky, but my ideal phone simply doesn't exist.  All I want is a phone that works in the US with 2GB+ RAM, a good CPU, a body no larger than 130mm, a headphone jack, a user-replaceable battery, an SD card slot, and an unlocked bootloader (with good ROM support).  Such a device apparently doesn't exist.

No SD Slot (hard to find that these days), but the Iphone SE is a good phone with small dimensions.
Yes, it meets those two criteria.  But it doesn't have an SD card slot, doesn't have an unlocked bootloader, and only sorta has a user-replaceable battery.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: markbike528CBX on June 13, 2018, 01:37:04 PM
Okay, here is another thing that pisses me off. I know younger people don't agree. It used to be you would buy a ticket to a concert and be assigned a seat. Now people stand during the whole concert even though they have a seat to sit in. So, even if you want to sit and enjoy the music you can't because the people in front of you are standing and you can see anything. The last concert I went to we had really good seats close to the stage. Didn't matter, we had to stand during the whole thing. I told the Hub that I never want to go to a concert again. What is the point of paying for seats you can't sit in? Seems very rude to me. What about the older people or handicapped people or short people?

the older people or handicapped people or short people?   
Sit in upper deck, balcony?
the only time this applied to me  is when I blew out a knee, on crutches, snuck into the VIP section (only a few reserved tables).  If that had not been an option, a spot off the mosh pit would have been acceptable.  Sonics/Mudhoney

As a shorter, near sighted person, I usually get as close as I can get, either just back of the mosh pit or squashed against the stage.

What I don't get is people who want the mosh/dancing crowd to sit down at a Bo Diddly show (free,outside). Really?  If I can't move to A Bo Diddly beat, then there is a good chance I might be dead.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on June 13, 2018, 02:21:07 PM
Okay, here is another thing that pisses me off. I know younger people don't agree. It used to be you would buy a ticket to a concert and be assigned a seat. Now people stand during the whole concert even though they have a seat to sit in. So, even if you want to sit and enjoy the music you can't because the people in front of you are standing and you can see anything. The last concert I went to we had really good seats close to the stage. Didn't matter, we had to stand during the whole thing. I told the Hub that I never want to go to a concert again. What is the point of paying for seats you can't sit in? Seems very rude to me. What about the older people or handicapped people or short people?

I'm 40+, so definitely not "younger"...I don't recall ever going to a concert and sitting down.  You're talking about rock concerts I assume, and not something like the symphony right?  I wouldn't even consider sitting down as an option at a rock concert.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dollar Slice on June 13, 2018, 02:52:36 PM
I'm 40+, so definitely not "younger"...I don't recall ever going to a concert and sitting down.  You're talking about rock concerts I assume, and not something like the symphony right?  I wouldn't even consider sitting down as an option at a rock concert.

I think the problem comes when different people have different ideas and expectations about the same music. It's not nearly as simple as rock=yes/no? For example, I consider Jason Isbell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClugMhMbrRg) a singer-songwriter, and would not ever think to dance to his music, but apparently 99% of his fans think his music is stand-up-and-fist-pump rock-and-roll-or-maybe-country. This was disappointing when I had an expensive 2nd row seat to see him at a fancy seated venue and everyone in front of me stood up and rhythmically pointed at him all night. (Another thing I don't get: why do people, almost always men, do that thing where they point at bands?)  OTOH, if you take me to see the Cubanos Postizos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjGaenxaeV0), I will happily take painkillers and dance as hard as I am able. To me, that's high-energy dance music. But when I went to see them in a seated theater, no one stood up. It's hard to predict, and people can be disappointed when they guessed wrong.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 13, 2018, 03:07:06 PM
Okay, here is another thing that pisses me off. I know younger people don't agree. It used to be you would buy a ticket to a concert and be assigned a seat. Now people stand during the whole concert even though they have a seat to sit in. So, even if you want to sit and enjoy the music you can't because the people in front of you are standing and you can see anything. The last concert I went to we had really good seats close to the stage. Didn't matter, we had to stand during the whole thing. I told the Hub that I never want to go to a concert again. What is the point of paying for seats you can't sit in? Seems very rude to me. What about the older people or handicapped people or short people?

I'm 40+, so definitely not "younger"...I don't recall ever going to a concert and sitting down.  You're talking about rock concerts I assume, and not something like the symphony right?  I wouldn't even consider sitting down as an option at a rock concert.

Not exactly talking rock concerts, more like country music. Did you ever wonder why there are seats there? Did you ever think some older people can't stand the entire concert or someone short can't see over you? If you need to dance go to a club. This discussion is like what came first, the chicken or the egg. No one has the answer. I say if you buy a ticket and there are seats, people should sit. If there are no seats then stand.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on June 13, 2018, 03:15:57 PM
I say if you buy a ticket and there are seats, people should sit. If there are no seats then stand.

Amen.  Roadrunner for president.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Mezzie on June 13, 2018, 06:42:47 PM
Okay, here is another thing that pisses me off. I know younger people don't agree. It used to be you would buy a ticket to a concert and be assigned a seat. Now people stand during the whole concert even though they have a seat to sit in. So, even if you want to sit and enjoy the music you can't because the people in front of you are standing and you can see anything.

This annoys the hell out of me, as I am a huge live music fan and have a medical issue that makes it painful to stand for long periods. And the kind of show where this happens? Almost always very expensive tickets at big fancy venues. If I go to a show where this happens, that artist is immediately on my list of artists I'll never see again. If your fans want to dance, play a venue where that's possible, and the can't-dance contingent can go do something else that we'll enjoy. 

One time I was with a friend who has a more serious disability at a standing-up rock club, and he'd arranged in advance for us to sit in a special section for handicapped people. They sat us (and a bunch of fans in wheelchairs, etc.) BEHIND the people who were standing. So we were just staring at people's asses the whole time. $90 tickets.

The last concert that I went to this happened.  It kinda drove me nuts.  I wanted to sit and listen to the music . . . but literally everyone in the venue decided to stand up three songs in, and remain standing for the next two hours.  WTF.

One of my favorite bands (and most if its fans) has grown older with me. At their last concert, people started standing up during the first song. The audience as a whole was NOT having it and yelled at the people standing to sit down. My kind of crowd. :)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Miss Piggy on June 13, 2018, 07:20:05 PM
This stand up/sit down debate is interesting to me. I firmly believe the artists WANT people to stand and dance and show they are having a good time. So it seems...I don't know...disrespectful or something to just sit the whole time.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: one piece at a time on June 13, 2018, 07:30:33 PM
Motorcycles that are ridiculously loud. Really, what is the point? Just noise pollution and stupid.
DH pointed out that they do that so car drivers will be alerted to their presence. Huh. I say they make a choice when they hop on a bike (obv. the wrong kind) and breaking the law to protect their decision is ridiculous. Everyone KNOWS that cars don't see motorcycles. If you're scared of that fact, don't fucking ride one. And if you choose to anyway, for Pete's sake, wear a certified helmet and stop bitching about those, too./end of rant

Two points;
1) The certification process increases prices and reduces options available. Safety is compromised as fewer fit options get created, as each fit option would have to be certified separately.
2) drivers choose not to comprehend the image that they see (which includes a motorcyclist) because they are in a crazy clown car and don't register the rider as a threat. Loud pipes are there to inform the driver that the rider is in fact the sort of person who will follow you home and give you a good kicking if you cut him off.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dollar Slice on June 13, 2018, 07:32:43 PM
This stand up/sit down debate is interesting to me. I firmly believe the artists WANT people to stand and dance and show they are having a good time. So it seems...I don't know...disrespectful or something to just sit the whole time.

Why play at a seated venue if you want people to stand and dance? There are lots of venues with open dance floors... they should play there. It's kind of a bait and switch to sell a ticket for an assigned seat, and when you show up "oh, but we didn't mean for you to USE that seat, ha!" I need to be clear before I buy the ticket on whether or not I can sit during the show. For medical reasons. I don't think that's a lot to ask.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: EricL on June 13, 2018, 07:42:49 PM
Man buns, top knots, whatever they’re called.  I want to shoot guys who wear them. Instead I take solace guys who wear them have photos of themselves and their god awful choice immortalized on the internet for their ex-wives and children to mock forever. Much like my father’s polyester shirts and bell bottom trousers.

[MOD NOTE:  I get how this thread is a little ranty, but let's keep things a little bit civil, here.]
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: MandalayVA on June 13, 2018, 07:46:29 PM
This stand up/sit down debate is interesting to me. I firmly believe the artists WANT people to stand and dance and show they are having a good time. So it seems...I don't know...disrespectful or something to just sit the whole time.

The only time I remember sitting down at a rock concert for the whole show was when I saw Jethro Tull in the late eighties.  Nobody even stood during "Aqualung."  It wasn't a fun crowd.  I don't even remember why I went since I've never particularly liked Jethro Tull.  Oh, well.

If a venue offers seating, I generally sit for the slower songs or the ones I don't like.  What drives me insane at concerts is not sitting vs. standing, but people holding up their phones filming the show.  I didn't pay fifty bucks to watch your iPhone screen.


Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Miss Piggy on June 13, 2018, 07:55:37 PM
This stand up/sit down debate is interesting to me. I firmly believe the artists WANT people to stand and dance and show they are having a good time. So it seems...I don't know...disrespectful or something to just sit the whole time.

Why play at a seated venue if you want people to stand and dance? There are lots of venues with open dance floors... they should play there.

I get what you're saying, but I can't think of any large (that's the key, especially for major musicians) concert venue in my area that only has a dance floor and doesn't have seats. Maybe that's not what you're suggesting.

Honestly, I think everyone should be accommodated. Make half the venue a sit-down area and the other half a stand up/dance area. Offer tickets accordingly. Or the lower level is sit, the higher levels are stand (or vice-versa).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dollar Slice on June 13, 2018, 08:05:44 PM
This stand up/sit down debate is interesting to me. I firmly believe the artists WANT people to stand and dance and show they are having a good time. So it seems...I don't know...disrespectful or something to just sit the whole time.

Why play at a seated venue if you want people to stand and dance? There are lots of venues with open dance floors... they should play there.

I get what you're saying, but I can't think of any large (that's the key, especially for major musicians) concert venue in my area that only has a dance floor and doesn't have seats. Maybe that's not what you're suggesting.

Right, those venues are ideal. What the rest of us are complaining about is being at a 100% seated theater where you are assigned a seat, and then folks stand the whole time so you can't see. You're fooled into thinking it's a seated event, but then everyone stands anyway.

I've been to over a thousand concerts and there are really not a lot of situations where this happens. But when it does, it's very annoying...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on June 13, 2018, 08:31:02 PM

Call me picky, but my ideal phone simply doesn't exist.  All I want is a phone that works in the US with 2GB+ RAM, a good CPU, a body no larger than 130mm, a headphone jack, a user-replaceable battery, an SD card slot, and an unlocked bootloader (with good ROM support).  Such a device apparently doesn't exist.

No SD Slot (hard to find that these days), but the Iphone SE is a good phone with small dimensions.
Yes, it meets those two criteria.  But it doesn't have an SD card slot, doesn't have an unlocked bootloader, and only sorta has a user-replaceable battery.

I need a new phone. I'm just as frustrated for similar reasons.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on June 13, 2018, 10:16:23 PM

Call me picky, but my ideal phone simply doesn't exist.  All I want is a phone that works in the US with 2GB+ RAM, a good CPU, a body no larger than 130mm, a headphone jack, a user-replaceable battery, an SD card slot, and an unlocked bootloader (with good ROM support).  Such a device apparently doesn't exist.

No SD Slot (hard to find that these days), but the Iphone SE is a good phone with small dimensions.
Yes, it meets those two criteria.  But it doesn't have an SD card slot, doesn't have an unlocked bootloader, and only sorta has a user-replaceable battery.

I need a new phone. I'm just as frustrated for similar reasons.
The best I've found is the earlier versions of Sony's Xperia Lineup. I settled on a used Z3 compact, which has everything except the replaceable battery, and even that can be done with a bit of work. And it was relatively cheap, since it came out in 2014 and I bought it a month ago. The Z5 compact is almost exactly the same phone, just with a faster CPU.

While we are on the subject of phone annoyances, I'll add "glass back" to the list. Look, manufacturers, I get that you don't want metal, since you want NFC. But there's this other material you can use which, although not as "premium" or scratch -resistant as glass, is more durable, cheaper, and easier to form. It's called "plastic," and it's a perfectly acceptable material.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Nicholas Carter on June 14, 2018, 07:16:54 AM

If motorcyclists made their bikes loud so that cars would be alerted to their presence, the pipes would all point forwards.  The vehicles behind you can see you and know where you are.  It's the ones in front of you that you've got to be concerned about.
I don't think that's true. Because the cyclist knows where the cars in front of them are and can avoid driving into the back of them. 2/3 of all cycle involved accidents are caused by the car/truck operator behind or beside the motorcycle failing to look where the fuck they are going, and either merging into the side of a bike or running over a bike in front of them.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Nicholas Carter on June 14, 2018, 07:27:38 AM
Man buns, top knots, whatever they’re called.  I want to shoot guys who wear them. 
Any day of the week fuck face. I'll buy your plane ticket.

[MOD NOTE:  Yes, he was out of line, but let's go back to being civil now.]
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 14, 2018, 07:34:59 AM
Motorcycles that are ridiculously loud. Really, what is the point? Just noise pollution and stupid.
DH pointed out that they do that so car drivers will be alerted to their presence. Huh. I say they make a choice when they hop on a bike (obv. the wrong kind) and breaking the law to protect their decision is ridiculous. Everyone KNOWS that cars don't see motorcycles. If you're scared of that fact, don't fucking ride one. And if you choose to anyway, for Pete's sake, wear a certified helmet and stop bitching about those, too./end of rant

If motorcyclists made their bikes loud so that cars would be alerted to their presence, the pipes would all point forwards.  The vehicles behind you can see you and know where you are.  It's the ones in front of you that you've got to be concerned about.
You know that and I know that, but they figure the louder the overall noise, the better their chances are. I guess pissing people off is one way of alerting them to your, uh, presence.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 14, 2018, 07:58:20 AM
Motorcycle owners jack up the noise on their machines to be 'cool' be 'noticed'. First of all it is not cool and no one cares! Why not dial back the noise. We have enough pollution and more noise is not desirable. I would be more impressed with a sleek machine that purred like a kitten.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 14, 2018, 08:03:53 AM
Motorcycles that are ridiculously loud. Really, what is the point? Just noise pollution and stupid.
DH pointed out that they do that so car drivers will be alerted to their presence. Huh. I say they make a choice when they hop on a bike (obv. the wrong kind) and breaking the law to protect their decision is ridiculous. Everyone KNOWS that cars don't see motorcycles. If you're scared of that fact, don't fucking ride one. And if you choose to anyway, for Pete's sake, wear a certified helmet and stop bitching about those, too./end of rant

If motorcyclists made their bikes loud so that cars would be alerted to their presence, the pipes would all point forwards.  The vehicles behind you can see you and know where you are.  It's the ones in front of you that you've got to be concerned about.
You know that and I know that, but they figure the louder the overall noise, the better their chances are. I guess pissing people off is one way of alerting them to your, uh, presence.

I always figured that they just liked the VROOOM VROOM sounds.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: wenchsenior on June 14, 2018, 08:25:41 AM
Motorcycles that are ridiculously loud. Really, what is the point? Just noise pollution and stupid.
DH pointed out that they do that so car drivers will be alerted to their presence. Huh. I say they make a choice when they hop on a bike (obv. the wrong kind) and breaking the law to protect their decision is ridiculous. Everyone KNOWS that cars don't see motorcycles. If you're scared of that fact, don't fucking ride one. And if you choose to anyway, for Pete's sake, wear a certified helmet and stop bitching about those, too./end of rant

If motorcyclists made their bikes loud so that cars would be alerted to their presence, the pipes would all point forwards.  The vehicles behind you can see you and know where you are.  It's the ones in front of you that you've got to be concerned about.
You know that and I know that, but they figure the louder the overall noise, the better their chances are. I guess pissing people off is one way of alerting them to your, uh, presence.

I always figured that they just liked the VROOOM VROOM sounds.

I have always figured they are getting a sexual thrill from the prostate stimulation.

I despise loud vehicles. Jet skis are the worst, but they all suck.  My instantaneous thought when I hear a loud vehicle is "douchebag."
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ysette9 on June 14, 2018, 08:38:20 AM
Man buns, top knots, whatever they’re called.  I want to shoot guys who wear them. 
Any day of the week fuck face. I'll buy your plane ticket.

[MOD NOTE:  Yes, he was out of line, but let's go back to being civil now.]

I actually kind of like man buns, and I normally find long hair on men to be very unattractive. The stereotypical long-haired man on the front of a romance novel is gag-inducing to me.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 14, 2018, 08:46:08 AM
Some states have maximum decibel limits, some have no rules at all. How would a cop stop a motorcycle and test for decibels anyway?

http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/motorcycle-noise-limits/

I wish they would have a decibel station around where I live and make them all pull over for testing.

But it doesn't look like cops do much decibel testing...

https://patch.com/california/berkeley/ask-a-cop-why-deafeningly-loud-motorcycles-not-cited
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 14, 2018, 08:47:50 AM
I don't get why shaving legs isn't a socially acceptable thing for men, but shaving your face is.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 14, 2018, 08:55:45 AM
Go ahead and shave your legs if you want to! However, men are lucky that they don't have to shave their legs! YUK! You shave your legs today and tomorrow there is stubble. Then your legs get dry big time in the winter months when the humidity is low. I tried wax one time and it was hell on earth! I have tried the cream hair removal and it is inefficient and burns a bit and smells terrible.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sojourner on June 14, 2018, 08:57:28 AM
This talk of loud motorcycles reminds me of an unannouced visit from my BIL, who never visits, lives about 5 miles away.

His dad had passed away and left inheritance in the $100k - $200K range, not sure.  Not long after the toys started showing up, including BMW and a new Harley.  He showed up at my door one day saying he was in the neighborhood riding his new bike around.  So, of course I felt obligated to ooh and ahh the thing, gold metallic flake paint, flashy (gaudy IMO).

Said he was scheduled to get some dealer accessories.  Was showing me with hand gestures the new add-ons so I could imagine them since they hadn't been installed yet.  It was also to be fitted with louder exhaust.  I asked why.  He said, for example, like recently when he pulled up to a traffic light and a guy on another Harley looked over, without the louder exhaust he was embarrassed his bike wasn't loud enough.  Didn't mention anything about safety.  Now that his bike is louder, his manhood is more intact I guess.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Davnasty on June 14, 2018, 08:59:29 AM
I don't get why shaving legs isn't a socially acceptable thing for men, but shaving your face is.

Because men like to make fun of each other for anything that seems remotely feminine. I don't think I would notice if a man shaved his legs.

And what's wrong with men wearing makeup. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm 100% against it and I'll make fun of my friends if they do, but why :?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Davnasty on June 14, 2018, 09:02:42 AM
This talk of loud motorcycles reminds me of an unannouced visit from my BIL, who never visits, lives about 5 miles away.

His dad had passed away and left inheritance in the $100k - $200K range, not sure.  Not long after the toys started showing up, including BMW and a new Harley.  He showed up at my door one day saying he was in the neighborhood riding his new bike around.  So, of course I felt obligated to ooh and ahh the thing, gold metallic flake paint, flashy (gaudy IMO).

Said he was scheduled to get some dealer accessories.  Was showing me with hand gestures the new add-ons so I could imagine them since they hadn't been installed yet.  It was also to be fitted with louder exhaust.  I asked why.  He said, for example, like recently when he pulled up to a traffic light and a guy on another Harley looked over, without the louder exhaust he was embarrassed his bike wasn't loud enough.  Didn't mention anything about safety.  Now that his bike is louder, his manhood is more intact I guess.

Did he at least chuckle when he said this, or was it straight faced serious?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dave1442397 on June 14, 2018, 09:05:25 AM
Here's an "I don't get it".

FB algorithm feed results.  Since when is Facebook better at deciding what I want to view?

How about you just give me what my friends are posting in the order it's posted, much like a forum?

Or at least offer that as a setting to the user, so they can decide what they want to view.

That drove me nuts too. I added Social Fixer to my Chrome browser, and set my FB feed to display posts in descending order by time posted. I also filter out 'suggested' posts, political posts, and other crap that I don't want to see. Here's a link to the software on CNET, but if you use the Chrome browser it's just an add-on.

https://download.cnet.com/Social-Fixer/3000-33362_4-75180680.html
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on June 14, 2018, 09:55:22 AM



That drove me nuts too. I added Social Fixer to my Chrome browser, and set my FB feed to display posts in descending order by time posted. I also filter out 'suggested' posts, political posts, and other crap that I don't want to see. Here's a link to the software on CNET, but if you use the Chrome browser it's just an add-on.

https://download.cnet.com/Social-Fixer/3000-33362_4-75180680.html

Awesome, didn't know this existed -- thanks!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on June 14, 2018, 10:12:20 AM
F.B. Purity is another extension that's worth trying out.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I Want to Believe on June 15, 2018, 08:30:52 AM
Something I don't get, Vanity Plates on vehicles!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on June 15, 2018, 09:18:21 AM
Something I don't get, Vanity Plates on vehicles!

Ditto.

Also, why do people block their plates when posting pics of vehicles online?  Can you get their address or other info from a license plate number?  I mean we all see hundreds of them on the roads every day.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 15, 2018, 09:42:25 AM
I don't get why people throw their garbage on the ground. People like to go to beautiful parks and clean downtown areas, beaches. People like to eat in clean restaurants. Why do people act like animals? There are plenty of garbage cans to use. People throw out beer cans and booze bottles out in our front lawn all the time. It is always a pleasure to step on broken glass, rusted can lids at the beach or step on a hypodermic needle. No better way to ruin a day out than spending it in the clinic getting your foot sewn up or worrying about getting AIDS.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on June 15, 2018, 09:50:53 AM
Something I don't get, Vanity Plates on vehicles!

Ditto.

Also, why do people block their plates when posting pics of vehicles online?  Can you get their address or other info from a license plate number?  I mean we all see hundreds of them on the roads every day.

I just searched online for my own license plate number and quickly found the VIN.  With the VIN, I quickly found a company that offered to sell me a complete report on the vehicle owner with name, address, and phone number -- for $2.95. 

If companies are selling those reports that cheap, I think there is probably a way to do it yourself online for free . . .
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on June 15, 2018, 10:50:23 AM
I don't get why people throw their garbage on the ground. People like to go to beautiful parks and clean downtown areas, beaches. People like to eat in clean restaurants. Why do people act like animals? There are plenty of garbage cans to use. People throw out beer cans and booze bottles out in our front lawn all the time. It is always a pleasure to step on broken glass, rusted can lids at the beach or step on a hypodermic needle. No better way to ruin a day out than spending it in the clinic getting your foot sewn up or worrying about getting AIDS.

This morning on the way to work I saw a woman throw a cigarette on the sidewalk and then walk into a church I'm assuming to pray.  Maybe she went in there to confess her littering sins.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: NoraLenderbee on June 15, 2018, 01:24:54 PM
I don't get why shaving legs isn't a socially acceptable thing for men, but shaving your face is.

It's definitely acceptable among bicyclists. Shaved legs show off the muscles really well.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on June 15, 2018, 03:10:02 PM
I don't get why shaving legs isn't a socially acceptable thing for men, but shaving your face is.

It's definitely acceptable among bicyclists. Shaved legs show off the muscles really well.

It seems more socially acceptable for men if they have a functional reason for doing so.  I see shaved legs on male runners and swimmers a lot.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on June 15, 2018, 03:38:11 PM
Speaking of male shaving customs, I have often wondered why more men don't shave their underarms.  (Or maybe they do, and I just don't know about it.)

I've had both hairy and shaved underarms, and shaved is more comfortable. It feels cooler, and I stink less.   
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on June 15, 2018, 04:20:19 PM
I've been shaving my pits so the deodorant works better.  Otherwise, it gets wasted & doesn't work very well.

I'm old enough to not care about what anybody thinks. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shinn497 on June 15, 2018, 04:34:11 PM
I don't get why people get so excited about kids.

They are load, emit a bunch of gross fluids, cost a ton of money, require a ton of time, and are stressful. I mean human capital is important and all but I just don't see the draw.

I have a poo poo dating life, but if I ever had a gf, I would want to spend my time going on amazing dates and being able to enjoy each other rather than raising a kid but hey that is me.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ysette9 on June 15, 2018, 05:43:55 PM
I don't get why people get so excited about kids.

They are load, emit a bunch of gross fluids, cost a ton of money, require a ton of time, and are stressful. I mean human capital is important and all but I just don't see the draw.

I have a poo poo dating life, but if I ever had a gf, I would want to spend my time going on amazing dates and being able to enjoy each other rather than raising a kid but hey that is me.
To sum up succinctly: because we are programmed by evolution to have a deep-seated desire to reproduce, as that is the very definition of life. Maybe that isn’t true for everyone on the individual level, but as a population it certainly is. As rational as you can be about it (and I don’t disagree with your assessment), when the brain kicks in and says “I need a baby” it is an incredibly intense siren call.

Side note; My kids do produce loads, but they tend to be loud, not load. :)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shinn497 on June 15, 2018, 05:52:28 PM
I don't get why people get so excited about kids.

They are load, emit a bunch of gross fluids, cost a ton of money, require a ton of time, and are stressful. I mean human capital is important and all but I just don't see the draw.

I have a poo poo dating life, but if I ever had a gf, I would want to spend my time going on amazing dates and being able to enjoy each other rather than raising a kid but hey that is me.
To sum up succinctly: because we are programmed by evolution to have a deep-seated desire to reproduce, as that is the very definition of life. Maybe that isn’t true for everyone on the individual level, but as a population it certainly is. As rational as you can be about it (and I don’t disagree with your assessment), when the brain kicks in and says “I need a baby” it is an incredibly intense siren call.

Side note; My kids do produce loads, but they tend to be loud, not load. :)

The thing that got is is somewhere along the line a baby went from being a burden (as a teenager) to a blessing. Personally I think I'm still a teenager, so everytime a friend has a baby I freak out a bit then remember that its something to be happy about.

I also wonder if it makes sense when you are in a relationship for a long time? Because I'm 31 and not feeling it at all.

Also maybe you guys can understand this a bit more here. How, really now, how expensive are kids really? MMM convinced me they are not. However, some of my peers seem to always blame their money problems on their kids. And then they tell me "I'll understand when I have kids." and I'm like really?

That makes me a bit salty since dating has always been so emotional and difficult for me. And they just seem to ignore that. Like I've missed out on decades of love and happiness, and it honestly feels like I'm going to die alone most days,  and that is just something that others seem to think I can change like tommorow.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: NV Teacher on June 15, 2018, 08:24:00 PM
I belong to a couple of Facebook yard sale type groups.  I’d say at least five times a week I see people selling kid stuff on there that blows my mind.  Just today there was a post selling 17 pair of toddler shoes.  I’m a grown person with a professional career and a few hobbies and I don’t own 17 pairs of shoes.  The one that really blew my mind was the lady selling over 100 pieces of baby clothes sized newborn to 6 months.  I don’t get it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FenderBender on June 15, 2018, 08:48:26 PM
i don't get paying hugely for disneyland and the like then waiting in hour(s) long lines for a ride that lasts 2 minutes?

and what i really don't get is seemingly smart people spending lots of time typing out long detailed responses on forums talking about super trival dumb a s s s h i t.  if you have more than 300 posts on a forum, you should consider a hobby that burns calories, but maybe it doesn't matter since many are burning their employer's time on forums while at the same time  saying how high their pay is and how great they are at their job and that they are just so much better than their peers at work.   

i come here about every 3 months just to see with thread titles are any better.  ya want to meet perfect people just read a forum.  funny.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on June 16, 2018, 02:06:07 AM
I belong to a couple of Facebook yard sale type groups.  I’d say at least five times a week I see people selling kid stuff on there that blows my mind.  Just today there was a post selling 17 pair of toddler shoes.  I’m a grown person with a professional career and a few hobbies and I don’t own 17 pairs of shoes.  The one that really blew my mind was the lady selling over 100 pieces of baby clothes sized newborn to 6 months.  I don’t get it.

That is indeed nuts.  OTOH, my younger daughter has received a ton of really nice hand me downs from her older sister's friends, who are mostly only children or have little brothers.  She loves fashion so it's great for her as she can change outfits every day.  But I could definitely see myself having to offload 10 pairs off shoes at a time most of which were hand me downs.  I would give them away not sell them though as I think it's kind of cheap to sell clothes you received as hand me downs from friends.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on June 16, 2018, 03:23:39 AM
I belong to a couple of Facebook yard sale type groups.  I’d say at least five times a week I see people selling kid stuff on there that blows my mind.  Just today there was a post selling 17 pair of toddler shoes.  I’m a grown person with a professional career and a few hobbies and I don’t own 17 pairs of shoes.  The one that really blew my mind was the lady selling over 100 pieces of baby clothes sized newborn to 6 months.  I don’t get it.

That is indeed nuts.  OTOH, my younger daughter has received a ton of really nice hand me downs from her older sister's friends, who are mostly only children or have little brothers.  She loves fashion so it's great for her as she can change outfits every day.  But I could definitely see myself having to offload 10 pairs off shoes at a time most of which were hand me downs.  I would give them away not sell them though as I think it's kind of cheap to sell clothes you received as hand me downs from friends.

I'm currently selling 60 items of newborn clothing on eBay. Just newborn size. Because every time someone comes to see my baby they bring us Stuff (new stuff, no less); and my friend with an older baby gave us a bag of old clothes; and I bought a bundle of babygros on eBay before the torrent started because it only began after he was born and he needed to not be naked in the hospital.

I have spent £20 max on baby clothes and I will be surprised if we have to buy anything at all until he's in size 9 months plus (which at the rate he's growing will be well before he's actually nine months old). But I only know one other person with a baby of the right age and apparently they are also drowning under a torrent of newborn clothes. I'm sure a lot of it won't sell (99p bundles of 3-5 items) because EVERYONE with a baby is drowning. I'll relist anything that doesn't as one giant bundle and odds on it'll go for 99p or not at all. Then I'll list it on trashnothing and *maybe* someone will come and pick it up for free. Because why leave the house when people bring this stuff to you unasked?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hirondelle on June 16, 2018, 04:44:58 AM
I belong to a couple of Facebook yard sale type groups.  I’d say at least five times a week I see people selling kid stuff on there that blows my mind.  Just today there was a post selling 17 pair of toddler shoes.  I’m a grown person with a professional career and a few hobbies and I don’t own 17 pairs of shoes.  The one that really blew my mind was the lady selling over 100 pieces of baby clothes sized newborn to 6 months.  I don’t get it.

That is indeed nuts.  OTOH, my younger daughter has received a ton of really nice hand me downs from her older sister's friends, who are mostly only children or have little brothers.  She loves fashion so it's great for her as she can change outfits every day.  But I could definitely see myself having to offload 10 pairs off shoes at a time most of which were hand me downs.  I would give them away not sell them though as I think it's kind of cheap to sell clothes you received as hand me downs from friends.

I'm currently selling 60 items of newborn clothing on eBay. Just newborn size. Because every time someone comes to see my baby they bring us Stuff (new stuff, no less); and my friend with an older baby gave us a bag of old clothes; and I bought a bundle of babygros on eBay before the torrent started because it only began after he was born and he needed to not be naked in the hospital.

I have spent £20 max on baby clothes and I will be surprised if we have to buy anything at all until he's in size 9 months plus (which at the rate he's growing will be well before he's actually nine months old). But I only know one other person with a baby of the right age and apparently they are also drowning under a torrent of newborn clothes. I'm sure a lot of it won't sell (99p bundles of 3-5 items) because EVERYONE with a baby is drowning. I'll relist anything that doesn't as one giant bundle and odds on it'll go for 99p or not at all. Then I'll list it on trashnothing and *maybe* someone will come and pick it up for free. Because why leave the house when people bring this stuff to you unasked?

I once got the advice to bring clothes for a slightly older age. So now whenever I have to go to see a newborn (like, that's maybe happened 3x over my lifetime) I bring clothes in the 9 mon - 1 year size. Also good if people turn out to have a large baby that won't even fit in the 1000s of newborn clothes.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: NorCal on June 16, 2018, 07:19:55 AM
I belong to a couple of Facebook yard sale type groups.  I’d say at least five times a week I see people selling kid stuff on there that blows my mind.  Just today there was a post selling 17 pair of toddler shoes.  I’m a grown person with a professional career and a few hobbies and I don’t own 17 pairs of shoes.  The one that really blew my mind was the lady selling over 100 pieces of baby clothes sized newborn to 6 months.  I don’t get it.

That is indeed nuts.  OTOH, my younger daughter has received a ton of really nice hand me downs from her older sister's friends, who are mostly only children or have little brothers.  She loves fashion so it's great for her as she can change outfits every day.  But I could definitely see myself having to offload 10 pairs off shoes at a time most of which were hand me downs.  I would give them away not sell them though as I think it's kind of cheap to sell clothes you received as hand me downs from friends.

I'm currently selling 60 items of newborn clothing on eBay. Just newborn size. Because every time someone comes to see my baby they bring us Stuff (new stuff, no less); and my friend with an older baby gave us a bag of old clothes; and I bought a bundle of babygros on eBay before the torrent started because it only began after he was born and he needed to not be naked in the hospital.

I have spent £20 max on baby clothes and I will be surprised if we have to buy anything at all until he's in size 9 months plus (which at the rate he's growing will be well before he's actually nine months old). But I only know one other person with a baby of the right age and apparently they are also drowning under a torrent of newborn clothes. I'm sure a lot of it won't sell (99p bundles of 3-5 items) because EVERYONE with a baby is drowning. I'll relist anything that doesn't as one giant bundle and odds on it'll go for 99p or not at all. Then I'll list it on trashnothing and *maybe* someone will come and pick it up for free. Because why leave the house when people bring this stuff to you unasked?

I'm in the same boat.  The culture in my neighborhood is that if you say "yes" to hand me downs, you get everything the other child has ever worn.  I consider this a MPP.  We love the hand me downs, but there is SO MUCH of it.  We literally have bags of the stuff we have never opened.

I want to give the stuff away, but most of my friends with younger kids haven't wanted it.  I'd probably have better luck selling it at a garage sale.

On a related note, anyone in the SF Bay Area want some baby clothes or toys for the 0 - 12 month range?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: wenchsenior on June 16, 2018, 08:54:29 AM
I don't get why people get so excited about kids.

They are load, emit a bunch of gross fluids, cost a ton of money, require a ton of time, and are stressful. I mean human capital is important and all but I just don't see the draw.

I have a poo poo dating life, but if I ever had a gf, I would want to spend my time going on amazing dates and being able to enjoy each other rather than raising a kid but hey that is me.
To sum up succinctly: because we are programmed by evolution to have a deep-seated desire to reproduce, as that is the very definition of life. Maybe that isn’t true for everyone on the individual level, but as a population it certainly is. As rational as you can be about it (and I don’t disagree with your assessment), when the brain kicks in and says “I need a baby” it is an incredibly intense siren call.




I also wonder if it makes sense when you are in a relationship for a long time? Because I'm 31 and not feeling it at all.



That makes me a bit salty since dating has always been so emotional and difficult for me. And they just seem to ignore that. Like I've missed out on decades of love and happiness, and it honestly feels like I'm going to die alone most days,  and that is just something that others seem to think I can change like tommorow.

Meh...  There are a surprising number of people that are just not wired for the parenting urge. I have a 'care-taking/nurturing' urge, but it has never been focused on kids.  And I've been in a happy, stable relationship for :pauses to count: 28 years, so that made no difference, either.  This biological clock thing?  Never had the slightest inkling.  Many of my friends and family are either similar, or have slightly more interest in kids than I do (are attracted to babies, or like to interact with little kids), but not enough to make a big effort to have them.

It's not actually that uncommon, and my impression is it has become much more culturally acceptable in the past 20 years to express no interest.  I've never had any notable push-back about being disinterested in parenting (that I remember, anyway).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on June 16, 2018, 09:11:54 AM
I don't get why people get so excited about kids.

They are load, emit a bunch of gross fluids, cost a ton of money, require a ton of time, and are stressful. I mean human capital is important and all but I just don't see the draw.

I have a poo poo dating life, but if I ever had a gf, I would want to spend my time going on amazing dates and being able to enjoy each other rather than raising a kid but hey that is me.

I've never been interested in kids, either.  I don't even like to be around a bunch of noisy kids.  But being single, I pay higher  taxes to subsidize couples and kids, so I'm basically paying for them anyway.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sojourner on June 16, 2018, 09:24:23 AM
I don't get why people get so excited about kids.

They are load, emit a bunch of gross fluids, cost a ton of money, require a ton of time, and are stressful. I mean human capital is important and all but I just don't see the draw.

I have a poo poo dating life, but if I ever had a gf, I would want to spend my time going on amazing dates and being able to enjoy each other rather than raising a kid but hey that is me.

I've never been interested in kids, either.  I don't even like to be around a bunch of noisy kids.  But being single, I pay higher  taxes to subsidize couples and kids, so I'm basically paying for them anyway.

Ditto.  I wish the tax system (local and federal...income/property) was more fair about this.  If you have kids, you are a larger burden on society/environment, use more resources, increase the need for schools/infrastructure, etc.   You should pay more taxes.  I don't get why everything is the opposite of what is fair.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 16, 2018, 09:32:00 AM
i don't get paying hugely for disneyland and the like then waiting in hour(s) long lines for a ride that lasts 2 minutes?
OMG, could not agree more!

and what i really don't get is seemingly smart people spending lots of time typing out long detailed responses on forums talking about super trival dumb a s s s h i t.  if you have more than 300 posts on a forum, you should consider a hobby that burns calories, but maybe it doesn't matter since many are burning their employer's time on forums while at the same time  saying how high their pay is and how great they are at their job and that they are just so much better than their peers at work.   

I found MMM at the beginning and stumbled the forum shortly after it started. I was closer to FIRE than I realized, but I had been slogging it out alone for many years before this method of communication existed. This community got me over the finish line. I am so grateful. Five years post-FIRE, I am still here. Not because I'm the unintelligent loser you mock, but because I have a strong desire to make the journey easier for others, especially single women. I have hobbies that burn calories, and I like helping people. For the record, I have a rewarding life and over 300 posts. Lots of people here do. You don't have to be one of them and everything will be just fine.

i come here about every 3 months just to see with thread titles are any better.  ya want to meet perfect people just read a forum.  funny.
Hmmm, I've got nothing here, except maybe...see you again in three months?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on June 16, 2018, 09:39:30 AM
I don't get why people get so excited about kids.

They are load, emit a bunch of gross fluids, cost a ton of money, require a ton of time, and are stressful. I mean human capital is important and all but I just don't see the draw.

I have a poo poo dating life, but if I ever had a gf, I would want to spend my time going on amazing dates and being able to enjoy each other rather than raising a kid but hey that is me.

I've never been interested in kids, either.  I don't even like to be around a bunch of noisy kids.  But being single, I pay higher  taxes to subsidize couples and kids, so I'm basically paying for them anyway.

Ditto.  I wish the tax system (local and federal...income/property) was more fair about this.  If you have kids, you are a larger burden on society/environment, use more resources, increase the need for schools/infrastructure, etc.   You should pay more taxes.  I don't get why everything is the opposite of what is fair.

Duh, that's the point of taxes! Everyone bands together and pays into a communal pot to:
1. Pay for things that it's difficult to pay for piecemeal (like roads)
2. Spread the risk of life. You don't know if you're going to be the one to spend some time unemployed or become disabled or have some children who need educating.

It's partly "enforced charity" and partly hedging your bets about what life will hand you. Sure, a crystal ball to know exactly how much you'll cash out so you can adjust what you pay in would be great, but  it's:
1. Not available.
2. Would screw up the whole "communal pot" idea.

If you hate taxes that much, why not try to get an exemption like the Amish?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Cranky on June 16, 2018, 09:52:01 AM
I figure we're all better off in a society where kids go to school, so I'm happy to chip in. Heck, I pay taxes that go for roads, and you don't see me driving!

This has been a very entertaining thread.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sui generis on June 16, 2018, 09:54:45 AM
I don't get why people get so excited about kids.

They are load, emit a bunch of gross fluids, cost a ton of money, require a ton of time, and are stressful. I mean human capital is important and all but I just don't see the draw.

I have a poo poo dating life, but if I ever had a gf, I would want to spend my time going on amazing dates and being able to enjoy each other rather than raising a kid but hey that is me.

I've never been interested in kids, either.  I don't even like to be around a bunch of noisy kids.  But being single, I pay higher  taxes to subsidize couples and kids, so I'm basically paying for them anyway.

Ditto.  I wish the tax system (local and federal...income/property) was more fair about this.  If you have kids, you are a larger burden on society/environment, use more resources, increase the need for schools/infrastructure, etc.   You should pay more taxes.  I don't get why everything is the opposite of what is fair.

Duh, that's the point of taxes! Everyone bands together and pays into a communal pot to:
1. Pay for things that it's difficult to pay for piecemeal (like roads)
2. Spread the risk of life. You don't know if you're going to be the one to spend some time unemployed or become disabled or have some children who need educating.

It's partly "enforced charity" and partly hedging your bets about what life will hand you. Sure, a crystal ball to know exactly how much you'll cash out so you can adjust what you pay in would be great, but  it's:
1. Not available.
2. Would screw up the whole "communal pot" idea.

If you hate taxes that much, why not try to get an exemption like the Amish?

As another person who really is not a fan of children, I couldn't agree more here. Taxes have very indirect benefits as well as direct. I'm happy to pay for the education system that I'll never make use of, because it makes my life better to be surrounded by people that are educated and have the opportunity to prosper. So it is with every other thing my taxes pay for but that I will never directly use or need. We're trying to have a society here! Taxes aren't just about having a middleman to buy the things for you that you personally need to use!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sherr on June 16, 2018, 10:02:11 AM
Ditto.  I wish the tax system (local and federal...income/property) was more fair about this.  If you have kids, you are a larger burden on society/environment, use more resources, increase the need for schools/infrastructure, etc.   You should pay more taxes.  I don't get why everything is the opposite of what is fair.

People with kids do pay more taxes, in the form of higher property taxes (larger house) and more sales taxes (buy more stuff). That's literally the logic of having those forms of taxes instead of just having solely income tax; you pay in proportion to what you consume.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sailor Sam on June 16, 2018, 10:09:28 AM
I don't get why people get so excited about kids.

They are load, emit a bunch of gross fluids, cost a ton of money, require a ton of time, and are stressful. I mean human capital is important and all but I just don't see the draw.

I have a poo poo dating life, but if I ever had a gf, I would want to spend my time going on amazing dates and being able to enjoy each other rather than raising a kid but hey that is me.

I've never been interested in kids, either.  I don't even like to be around a bunch of noisy kids.  But being single, I pay higher  taxes to subsidize couples and kids, so I'm basically paying for them anyway.

Ditto.  I wish the tax system (local and federal...income/property) was more fair about this.  If you have kids, you are a larger burden on society/environment, use more resources, increase the need for schools/infrastructure, etc.   You should pay more taxes.  I don't get why everything is the opposite of what is fair.

If you'd like, you can imagine your full tax burden being shunted over to supporting me. I live entirely at the largess of the government teat. Housing, food, healthcare, nose tip to toenails

I suppose I keep (some) drugs from hitting the US coastline, and I've saved a few lives of generally stupid people who really should have known better. But as for service in exchange for your support, I'm almost 40 years old and my ACL alone cost the taxpayers $40k to repair. My steel ocean steed costs upwards of 4 million per year to maintain an fuel. The kids will give you a much better ROI. Go for the kids, I say.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on June 16, 2018, 10:12:46 AM
Quote
education system that I'll never make use of

Did it not educate you? You got your education first and get taxed to pay for it later. (Correlation between good education and high earnings means fair to pay more taxes if higher income?) Alas for the tax-haters, you can't demand not to have been educated in order to not pay for it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sojourner on June 16, 2018, 10:13:41 AM
I don't get why people get so excited about kids.

They are load, emit a bunch of gross fluids, cost a ton of money, require a ton of time, and are stressful. I mean human capital is important and all but I just don't see the draw.

I have a poo poo dating life, but if I ever had a gf, I would want to spend my time going on amazing dates and being able to enjoy each other rather than raising a kid but hey that is me.

I've never been interested in kids, either.  I don't even like to be around a bunch of noisy kids.  But being single, I pay higher  taxes to subsidize couples and kids, so I'm basically paying for them anyway.

Ditto.  I wish the tax system (local and federal...income/property) was more fair about this.  If you have kids, you are a larger burden on society/environment, use more resources, increase the need for schools/infrastructure, etc.   You should pay more taxes.  I don't get why everything is the opposite of what is fair.

Duh, that's the point of taxes! Everyone bands together and pays into a communal pot to:
1. Pay for things that it's difficult to pay for piecemeal (like roads)
2. Spread the risk of life. You don't know if you're going to be the one to spend some time unemployed or become disabled or have some children who need educating.

It's partly "enforced charity" and partly hedging your bets about what life will hand you. Sure, a crystal ball to know exactly how much you'll cash out so you can adjust what you pay in would be great, but  it's:
1. Not available.
2. Would screw up the whole "communal pot" idea.

If you hate taxes that much, why not try to get an exemption like the Amish?

Duh, I never said I don't see the value in paying taxes.  Where in there was it stated I hate taxes?...duh.   Read more carefully next time.  I said people with kids should pay more, not less.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sui generis on June 16, 2018, 10:21:38 AM
Quote
education system that I'll never make use of

Did it not educate you? You got your education first and get taxed to pay for it later. (Correlation between good education and high earnings means fair to pay more taxes if higher income?) Alas for the tax-haters, you can't demand not to have been educated in order to not pay for it.

I'm not sure why you quoted me to make a point about tax haters, since I said I'd rather pay more.  But, I also think your framing is not productive.  When thinking about the value of paying taxes, we shouldn't frame it (just) about how it benefits us personally, and that's the only justification for taxes ("I pay later for the benefit I got earlier").  I personally think it's *really, really* important to instill a culture where we know taxes pay for *our society* to benefit and believe that's the right thing to do.  If we keep propping up the idea that taxes are only legitimate to the extent they have a direct and measurable benefit on my personal life, we are going to have the spiraling effect of what's already happening in America and what the childless poster above promotes.  If every single tax has to have a direct nexus to an individual benefit for every taxpayer than we can have no taxes.  We need a culture that acknowledges, and even celebrates, that we pay for things that have no direct impact on us, but only indirect benefits that make society as a whole better off.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sojourner on June 16, 2018, 10:22:46 AM
Ditto.  I wish the tax system (local and federal...income/property) was more fair about this.  If you have kids, you are a larger burden on society/environment, use more resources, increase the need for schools/infrastructure, etc.   You should pay more taxes.  I don't get why everything is the opposite of what is fair.

People with kids do pay more taxes, in the form of higher property taxes (larger house) and more sales taxes (buy more stuff). That's literally the logic of having those forms of taxes instead of just having solely income tax; you pay in proportion to what you consume.

I wish.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on June 16, 2018, 10:28:32 AM
Meh...  There are a surprising number of people that are just not wired for the parenting urge. I have a 'care-taking/nurturing' urge, but it has never been focused on kids.  And I've been in a happy, stable relationship for :pauses to count: 28 years, so that made no difference, either.  This biological clock thing?  Never had the slightest inkling.  Many of my friends and family are either similar, or have slightly more interest in kids than I do (are attracted to babies, or like to interact with little kids), but not enough to make a big effort to have them.

It's not actually that uncommon, and my impression is it has become much more culturally acceptable in the past 20 years to express no interest.  I've never had any notable push-back about being disinterested in parenting (that I remember, anyway).

It has definitely become more acceptable. When I was in single-digit ages (30-ish years ago) and swore up and down that I never wanted to be a mommy, adults would laugh and tell me I would certainly change my mind and that everyone should have kids because what else would you do with your life? As a teenager (20-ish years ago), I heard all about how selfish and irresponsible it would be not to have kids. Now, very few people bat an eye. Recently, I think only one person has made a rude comment to the effect that a person can't become a responsible adult until they have kids. Given the source, I just chuckled.

I'm 40. Been married to the same man for 15 years. Still waiting to hear that clock ticking. We like other people's kids, but that hasn't translated to an urge to have our own.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on June 16, 2018, 10:59:02 AM
I'm going to duck out of this tax conversation and blame my baby* for my crankiness and my inability to do reading right now. (Please see my sig!) Sorry, folks!

*Aware of kid-related irony.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 16, 2018, 11:18:33 AM
Meh...  There are a surprising number of people that are just not wired for the parenting urge. I have a 'care-taking/nurturing' urge, but it has never been focused on kids.  And I've been in a happy, stable relationship for :pauses to count: 28 years, so that made no difference, either.  This biological clock thing?  Never had the slightest inkling.  Many of my friends and family are either similar, or have slightly more interest in kids than I do (are attracted to babies, or like to interact with little kids), but not enough to make a big effort to have them.

It's not actually that uncommon, and my impression is it has become much more culturally acceptable in the past 20 years to express no interest.  I've never had any notable push-back about being disinterested in parenting (that I remember, anyway).

Me too OtherJen, no tick tock of the biological clock. Now I am too old.

It has definitely become more acceptable. When I was in single-digit ages (30-ish years ago) and swore up and down that I never wanted to be a mommy, adults would laugh and tell me I would certainly change my mind and that everyone should have kids because what else would you do with your life? As a teenager (20-ish years ago), I heard all about how selfish and irresponsible it would be not to have kids. Now, very few people bat an eye. Recently, I think only one person has made a rude comment to the effect that a person can't become a responsible adult until they have kids. Given the source, I just chuckled.

I'm 40. Been married to the same man for 15 years. Still waiting to hear that clock ticking. We like other people's kids, but that hasn't translated to an urge to have our own.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on June 16, 2018, 01:10:14 PM
I don't get why people get so excited about kids.

They are load, emit a bunch of gross fluids, cost a ton of money, require a ton of time, and are stressful. I mean human capital is important and all but I just don't see the draw.

I have a poo poo dating life, but if I ever had a gf, I would want to spend my time going on amazing dates and being able to enjoy each other rather than raising a kid but hey that is me.

I've never been interested in kids, either.  I don't even like to be around a bunch of noisy kids.  But being single, I pay higher  taxes to subsidize couples and kids, so I'm basically paying for them anyway.

Ditto.  I wish the tax system (local and federal...income/property) was more fair about this.  If you have kids, you are a larger burden on society/environment, use more resources, increase the need for schools/infrastructure, etc.   You should pay more taxes.  I don't get why everything is the opposite of what is fair.

Duh, that's the point of taxes! Everyone bands together and pays into a communal pot to:
1. Pay for things that it's difficult to pay for piecemeal (like roads)
2. Spread the risk of life. You don't know if you're going to be the one to spend some time unemployed or become disabled or have some children who need educating.

It's partly "enforced charity" and partly hedging your bets about what life will hand you. Sure, a crystal ball to know exactly how much you'll cash out so you can adjust what you pay in would be great, but  it's:
1. Not available.
2. Would screw up the whole "communal pot" idea.

If you hate taxes that much, why not try to get an exemption like the Amish?

Duh, I never said I don't see the value in paying taxes.  Where in there was it stated I hate taxes?...duh.   Read more carefully next time.  I said people with kids should pay more, not less.

Exactly.  I was surprised to see some of the other responses that missed the point that it wasn't about paying taxes in general, but unfair share of the tax burden for those that use the most resources compared to those who use less.

I posted this in a previous thread as an example, and it applies here and should clarify what my original comment was referring to when I stated I was subsidizing families with kids.

Here are some figures I calculated with the Dinkytown 2018 tax calculator using a simple comparison:

Household income of single woman with no kids $70,000
Total federal income tax $8700

Household income of married couple with 2 kids $70,000
Total federal income tax $1139
Federal income tax per person $284.75

The single woman household pays over 7 1/2 times as much tax in this example.  She is subsidizing the family with kids by paying many more times in federal income taxes despite the family utilizing far more $ in public resources.  If you divide the tax by each person in the household, the difference in tax burden per household member is even more stark at over 30X!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on June 16, 2018, 04:50:31 PM
I don't have children, but I understand that raising children is very expensive and we should subsidize that cost.  It's important for economic growth to make it more affordable to raise the future of our country.  With the birthrate at a current all time low (in the US), this is going to negatively impact our economy.  Now would be a bad time to make it harder on those who decide to have children.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on June 16, 2018, 05:47:52 PM
I don't have children, but I understand that raising children is very expensive and we should subsidize that cost.  It's important for economic growth to make it more affordable to raise the future of our country.  With the birthrate at a current all time low (in the US), this is going to negatively impact our economy.  Now would be a bad time to make it harder on those who decide to have children.
That hardly justifies the considerably higher taxes on single people as mentioned in my last post and shown in the example.  7 1/2 X the taxes while using far less resources than the family of 4.

My view is that having children is something a married couple "chooses" to do, and they should pay for their own kids (a choice they made), not expect me to pay far more taxes than them because I chose not to make that same choice that they did.  People shouldn't be rewarded or penalized for having vs. not having kids.  If we drop the incomes in the example some more, the family pays $0 federal income taxes while the single person still pays thousands of dollars.  This is the unfairness that is being spoken of.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on June 16, 2018, 05:50:40 PM
It ultimately comes down to the goals of the country.  Selfishly, I don't think it's fair.  But it benefits the economic goals of the country to provide these tax breaks.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FireEngineer on June 16, 2018, 06:11:38 PM
I don't get why people get so excited about kids.

They are load, emit a bunch of gross fluids, cost a ton of money, require a ton of time, and are stressful. I mean human capital is important and all but I just don't see the draw.

I have a poo poo dating life, but if I ever had a gf, I would want to spend my time going on amazing dates and being able to enjoy each other rather than raising a kid but hey that is me.

I've never been interested in kids, either.  I don't even like to be around a bunch of noisy kids.  But being single, I pay higher  taxes to subsidize couples and kids, so I'm basically paying for them anyway.

Ditto.  I wish the tax system (local and federal...income/property) was more fair about this.  If you have kids, you are a larger burden on society/environment, use more resources, increase the need for schools/infrastructure, etc.   You should pay more taxes.  I don't get why everything is the opposite of what is fair.

Duh, that's the point of taxes! Everyone bands together and pays into a communal pot to:
1. Pay for things that it's difficult to pay for piecemeal (like roads)
2. Spread the risk of life. You don't know if you're going to be the one to spend some time unemployed or become disabled or have some children who need educating.

It's partly "enforced charity" and partly hedging your bets about what life will hand you. Sure, a crystal ball to know exactly how much you'll cash out so you can adjust what you pay in would be great, but  it's:
1. Not available.
2. Would screw up the whole "communal pot" idea.

If you hate taxes that much, why not try to get an exemption like the Amish?

Duh, I never said I don't see the value in paying taxes.  Where in there was it stated I hate taxes?...duh.   Read more carefully next time.  I said people with kids should pay more, not less.

Exactly.  I was surprised to see some of the other responses that missed the point that it wasn't about paying taxes in general, but unfair share of the tax burden for those that use the most resources compared to those who use less.

I posted this in a previous thread as an example, and it applies here and should clarify what my original comment was referring to when I stated I was subsidizing families with kids.

Here are some figures I calculated with the Dinkytown 2018 tax calculator using a simple comparison:

Household income of single woman with no kids $70,000
Total federal income tax $8700

Household income of married couple with 2 kids $70,000
Total federal income tax $1139
Federal income tax per person $284.75

The single woman household pays over 7 1/2 times as much tax in this example.  She is subsidizing the family with kids by paying many more times in federal income taxes despite the family utilizing far more $ in public resources.  If you divide the tax by each person in the household, the difference in tax burden per household member is even more stark at over 30X!

The comparison you are making seems unjust. You should either compare a 70k income individual to a 140k income household or compare a 35k income individual to the 70k household income.

ETA
Since the 4 person household has 2 potential income earners.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on June 16, 2018, 08:27:02 PM
Kid's are an investment in our future.  If you don't want to contribute by having children, then get out your checkbook.  ;) 

Peace and quiet aren't cheap.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on June 17, 2018, 02:47:46 AM
Everybody has got to give and take. For the good of society, some people need to have children so we all have a younger generation. That younger generation needs food and healthcare and education to grow into adults that in turn will be a part of society. I don't personally drive a car, but some of my hard earned money is still going towards the building of roads through taxes. I don't live in an area where flooding is a risk, but some of my tax money is used to make flood-risk areas safer.

It's true that some people proportionally pay more taxes than others, but that's the nature of tax deductions. The only way to make that "fair" is to abolish tax deductions completely, which still feels "unfair" to many people. Mortgage interest is deductible, which benefits people with high incomes and high mortgages most of all.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on June 17, 2018, 02:57:51 AM
Everybody has got to give and take. For the good of society, some people need to have children so we all have a younger generation. That younger generation needs food and healthcare and education to grow into adults that in turn will be a part of society. I don't personally drive a car, but some of my hard earned money is still going towards the building of roads through taxes. I don't live in an area where flooding is a risk, but some of my tax money is used to make flood-risk areas safer.

It's true that some people proportionally pay more taxes than others, but that's the nature of tax deductions. The only way to make that "fair" is to abolish tax deductions completely, which still feels "unfair" to many people. Mortgage interest is deductible, which benefits people with high incomes and high mortgages most of all.

Yes - this.  Whether you have children or not, you have to acknowledge that raising children is worrk that's importannt to thw whole of society.  You may not like children while they are little but they're going to grow up to be the people who will pay the taxes to support you (even if not you individually as you probably have lots of savings - others of your generation who are not so fortunate) in your old age and keep the economy afloat.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: fuzzy math on June 17, 2018, 06:09:07 AM


My view is that having children is something a married couple "chooses" to do, and they should pay for their own kids (a choice they made), not expect me to pay far more taxes than them because I chose not to make that same choice that they did.  People shouldn't be rewarded or penalized for having vs. not having kids.  If we drop the incomes in the example some more, the family pays $0 federal income taxes while the single person still pays thousands of dollars.  This is the unfairness that is being spoken of.

It's only really in the last 50 years that the couple has been able to "choose" to have kids. If you think about it, choosing not to have kids is generally the more active choice.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: pbkmaine on June 17, 2018, 06:51:12 AM
I don't get why people get so excited about kids.

They are load, emit a bunch of gross fluids, cost a ton of money, require a ton of time, and are stressful. I mean human capital is important and all but I just don't see the draw.

I have a poo poo dating life, but if I ever had a gf, I would want to spend my time going on amazing dates and being able to enjoy each other rather than raising a kid but hey that is me.
To sum up succinctly: because we are programmed by evolution to have a deep-seated desire to reproduce, as that is the very definition of life. Maybe that isn’t true for everyone on the individual level, but as a population it certainly is. As rational as you can be about it (and I don’t disagree with your assessment), when the brain kicks in and says “I need a baby” it is an incredibly intense siren call.

Side note; My kids do produce loads, but they tend to be loud, not load. :)

The thing that got is is somewhere along the line a baby went from being a burden (as a teenager) to a blessing. Personally I think I'm still a teenager, so everytime a friend has a baby I freak out a bit then remember that its something to be happy about.

I also wonder if it makes sense when you are in a relationship for a long time? Because I'm 31 and not feeling it at all.

Also maybe you guys can understand this a bit more here. How, really now, how expensive are kids really? MMM convinced me they are not. However, some of my peers seem to always blame their money problems on their kids. And then they tell me "I'll understand when I have kids." and I'm like really?

That makes me a bit salty since dating has always been so emotional and difficult for me. And they just seem to ignore that. Like I've missed out on decades of love and happiness, and it honestly feels like I'm going to die alone most days,  and that is just something that others seem to think I can change like tommorow.

If dating is hard for you, why not ask for help here? This forum is filled with introverts who had similar issues and overcame them with help.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on June 17, 2018, 08:11:26 AM
Others have pointed out the need for a rising generation, but I'll be a bit more specific as to the reasons why.  We're all working towards (or already in) retirement, and depend on returns from index funds or pensions or rental income or Social Security to support ourselves.  All of those depend on the next generation in order to produce returns.  Companies won't be profitable without productive workers (and consumers!).  Pensions are similarly dependent on market returns.  Someone's gotta rent your property, and someone has to pay into Social Security.

So think of the taxes a single person pays as an...investment to help make sure there *is* a generation after us to support us in our retirement! :)

It's also worth pointing out that federal income tax is only one of the many types of taxes we are subject to, and is really the only one that exhibits the type of unfairness that you point out.  All the other taxes are more proportional--FICA, gas tax, sales tax, property tax, etc.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 17, 2018, 08:28:10 AM
Others have pointed out the need for a rising generation, but I'll be a bit more specific as to the reasons why.  We're all working towards (or already in) retirement, and depend on returns from index funds or pensions or rental income or Social Security to support ourselves.  All of those depend on the next generation in order to produce returns.  Companies won't be profitable without productive workers (and consumers!).  Pensions are similarly dependent on market returns.  Someone's gotta rent your property, and someone has to pay into Social Security.

So think of the taxes a single person pays as an...investment to help make sure there *is* a generation after us to support us in our retirement! :)

It's also worth pointing out that federal income tax is only one of the many types of taxes we are subject to, and is really the only one that exhibits the type of unfairness that you point out.  All the other taxes are more proportional--FICA, gas tax, sales tax, property tax, etc.

Good points!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Fomerly known as something on June 17, 2018, 08:36:08 AM
Okay, here is another thing that pisses me off. I know younger people don't agree. It used to be you would buy a ticket to a concert and be assigned a seat. Now people stand during the whole concert even though they have a seat to sit in. So, even if you want to sit and enjoy the music you can't because the people in front of you are standing and you can see anything. The last concert I went to we had really good seats close to the stage. Didn't matter, we had to stand during the whole thing. I told the Hub that I never want to go to a concert again. What is the point of paying for seats you can't sit in? Seems very rude to me. What about the older people or handicapped people or short people?
I like being able to dance at concerts, so if possible standing room tickets are perfect. But it may be a case of everyone having to do it even though they don't want to, because it's the only way to see once the front row stands up. Or for better selfie angles :P
That's kinda like what happens on planes sometimes. I don't like to recline because it takes away someone else's space, and I don't like it when people recline on me, but if I lose my space, I pretty much need to recline too. I've always wished reclining made your own seat go forward at the same time, so if you do it you lose your own legroom, instead of taking away someone else's. Then it's a purely personal trade off instead of pushing the annoyance further down the line.

This is brilliant!

Cathy Pacific's seat do this at least in 2011,  Instead of reclining they kind of slide to the front. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mrcheese on June 19, 2018, 01:59:46 AM

Call me picky, but my ideal phone simply doesn't exist.  All I want is a phone that works in the US with 2GB+ RAM, a good CPU, a body no larger than 130mm, a headphone jack, a user-replaceable battery, an SD card slot, and an unlocked bootloader (with good ROM support).  Such a device apparently doesn't exist.

No SD Slot (hard to find that these days), but the Iphone SE is a good phone with small dimensions.
Yes, it meets those two criteria.  But it doesn't have an SD card slot, doesn't have an unlocked bootloader, and only sorta has a user-replaceable battery.
I got a Samsung A3 from Hong Kong. Couldn't tell you if it has an unlocked bootloader but roughly speaking the A series are the new galaxy minis
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on June 19, 2018, 07:52:56 AM

Call me picky, but my ideal phone simply doesn't exist.  All I want is a phone that works in the US with 2GB+ RAM, a good CPU, a body no larger than 130mm, a headphone jack, a user-replaceable battery, an SD card slot, and an unlocked bootloader (with good ROM support).  Such a device apparently doesn't exist.

No SD Slot (hard to find that these days), but the Iphone SE is a good phone with small dimensions.
Yes, it meets those two criteria.  But it doesn't have an SD card slot, doesn't have an unlocked bootloader, and only sorta has a user-replaceable battery.
I got a Samsung A3 from Hong Kong. Couldn't tell you if it has an unlocked bootloader but roughly speaking the A series are the new galaxy minis
Hmmm, very interesting, although the battery isn't (easily) replaceable, and it's still too big (just 1/8" smaller than an iphone 7).

Grrr, I hate the glass-backed phone trend.  Sure, let's make the product more slippery and shatter-prone in the name of making it look "premium"!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: carolina822 on June 19, 2018, 10:30:59 AM

And what's wrong with men wearing makeup. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm 100% against it and I'll make fun of my friends if they do, but why :?

I consider myself about as progressive as they come, and while I cannot logically come up with an actual reason why not, something about seeing men in makeup gives me the uber-creeps. I'm not proud of that, but it's there.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hirondelle on June 19, 2018, 10:41:20 AM

And what's wrong with men wearing makeup. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm 100% against it and I'll make fun of my friends if they do, but why :?

I consider myself about as progressive as they come, and while I cannot logically come up with an actual reason why not, something about seeing men in makeup gives me the uber-creeps. I'm not proud of that, but it's there.

I do know some guys that wear make up and I don't see the problem, though I really had to get used of it before it felt 'normal' to look at a heavily make-upped guy. All of those guys are gay/queer though, so it does seem to come with a certain stereotype.

I bet there's quite a bunch of guys out there who put some very light concealer or foundation on to hide spots/acne. Expressive make up like eyeshadow and lipstick, yeah probably not much.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Warlord1986 on June 19, 2018, 10:44:43 AM

And what's wrong with men wearing makeup. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm 100% against it and I'll make fun of my friends if they do, but why :?

I consider myself about as progressive as they come, and while I cannot logically come up with an actual reason why not, something about seeing men in makeup gives me the uber-creeps. I'm not proud of that, but it's there.

Honestly, it's probably just what you're used to. Very few people grew up seeing men in make-up, and sometimes new things can be jarring. If you saw it more often, you would probably get used to it, and the uber-creeps would go away.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on June 19, 2018, 11:28:12 AM

And what's wrong with men wearing makeup. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm 100% against it and I'll make fun of my friends if they do, but why :?

I consider myself about as progressive as they come, and while I cannot logically come up with an actual reason why not, something about seeing men in makeup gives me the uber-creeps. I'm not proud of that, but it's there.

I do know some guys that wear make up and I don't see the problem, though I really had to get used of it before it felt 'normal' to look at a heavily make-upped guy. All of those guys are gay/queer though, so it does seem to come with a certain stereotype.

I bet there's quite a bunch of guys out there who put some very light concealer or foundation on to hide spots/acne. Expressive make up like eyeshadow and lipstick, yeah probably not much.

I've always figured that the best makeup isn't really noticible . . . so maybe the men you've noticed with it on just don't really know what they're doing?  There are certainly a fair share of scary looking heavily made-up women too.   :P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 on June 19, 2018, 11:37:14 AM
I'm not a fan of women with a lot of makeup on either. I did see a lot of "nude makeup" being advertised at the mall today though. I like that trend.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ChpBstrd on June 19, 2018, 02:21:29 PM
If clowns are now scary, why is heavy makeup still considered stylish?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HBFIRE on June 19, 2018, 03:15:01 PM

And what's wrong with men wearing makeup. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm 100% against it and I'll make fun of my friends if they do, but why :?

I consider myself about as progressive as they come, and while I cannot logically come up with an actual reason why not, something about seeing men in makeup gives me the uber-creeps. I'm not proud of that, but it's there.

Ha, yeah.  This goes further for me.  I consider all makeup pretty creepy and fake.  It's essentially no different than wearing a mask. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: asauer on June 20, 2018, 05:39:03 AM
I don't get family portraits.  So many of my friends and neighbors are spending bunches of money on them this summer.  I get that they want pictures of their family.  I just find portraits to be inauthentic and a waste of $.  My kids are very animated and on the go.  So are my hubby and I.  Having a photo of us all sitting down with medium smiles and head tilts just seems wrong.  The photos I take with my phone and camera while we're on a hike or out in the yard are much better reflections of us as a family.  And those are the ones I send to Walmart to be enlarged for $15 and hung on the wall.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: kanga1622 on June 20, 2018, 06:50:44 AM
I don't get family portraits.  So many of my friends and neighbors are spending bunches of money on them this summer.  I get that they want pictures of their family.  I just find portraits to be inauthentic and a waste of $.  My kids are very animated and on the go.  So are my hubby and I.  Having a photo of us all sitting down with medium smiles and head tilts just seems wrong.  The photos I take with my phone and camera while we're on a hike or out in the yard are much better reflections of us as a family.  And those are the ones I send to Walmart to be enlarged for $15 and hung on the wall.

My problem is I actually want to be IN the photos with my family. I take a ton of photos of my kids an my husband is often in them but every year when I make our photo books I realize that I'm only in a handful of pictures for the year. The yearly photo album might have 350 photos and I am probably in about 5. I'd like my kids to remember what I looked like and that I participated in their life when I am gone. :) We are trying to figure out a time my brother or his wife could take some pictures of us at a park or some outside venue to update our "family picture" on our wall.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on June 20, 2018, 07:08:12 AM
I don't get pancake mix.  I make pancakes every Sunday morning for my family and it's one of the simplest and easiest recipes I know.  Just one step above making scrambled eggs.  In fact, my almost 10 year old sometimes makes the batter herself.  It's a couple of eggs, some milk, some flour, salt and a teaspoon of baking powder.  Why on earth would someone buy a mix for something that simple?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hirondelle on June 20, 2018, 07:09:37 AM
I don't get pancake mix.  I make pancakes every Sunday morning for my family and it's one of the simplest and easiest recipes I know.  Just one step above making scrambled eggs.  In fact, my almost 10 year old sometimes makes the batter herself.  It's a couple of eggs, some milk, some flour, salt and a teaspoon of baking powder.  Why on earth would someone buy a mix for something that simple?

I have the same feeling about several baking/cake mixes! The recipes are sooo easy by themselves and the mixes are full of additional unnecessary ingredients.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: plainjane on June 20, 2018, 07:27:29 AM
I don't get family portraits.  So many of my friends and neighbors are spending bunches of money on them this summer.  I get that they want pictures of their family.  I just find portraits to be inauthentic and a waste of $.  My kids are very animated and on the go.  So are my hubby and I.  Having a photo of us all sitting down with medium smiles and head tilts just seems wrong.  The photos I take with my phone and camera while we're on a hike or out in the yard are much better reflections of us as a family.  And those are the ones I send to Walmart to be enlarged for $15 and hung on the wall.

I've been finding my friends are doing family portraits that are specifically set up to not be sitting and smiling, but instead are what I'd characterize as Instagramish posed action photos. So the kids in the front making a sand castle, while the parents are behind them out of focus & kissing. Or everyone on swings, etc.  Though it still feels very performative and external presentation focused. I don't really get it either.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 20, 2018, 07:39:48 AM
I don't get family portraits.  So many of my friends and neighbors are spending bunches of money on them this summer.  I get that they want pictures of their family.  I just find portraits to be inauthentic and a waste of $.  My kids are very animated and on the go.  So are my hubby and I.  Having a photo of us all sitting down with medium smiles and head tilts just seems wrong.  The photos I take with my phone and camera while we're on a hike or out in the yard are much better reflections of us as a family.  And those are the ones I send to Walmart to be enlarged for $15 and hung on the wall.

I've been finding my friends are doing family portraits that are specifically set up to not be sitting and smiling, but instead are what I'd characterize as Instagramish posed action photos. So the kids in the front making a sand castle, while the parents are behind them out of focus & kissing. Or everyone on swings, etc.  Though it still feels very performative and external presentation focused. I don't really get it either.
OMG, you nailed it!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on June 20, 2018, 07:44:53 AM
I don't get family portraits.  So many of my friends and neighbors are spending bunches of money on them this summer.  I get that they want pictures of their family.  I just find portraits to be inauthentic and a waste of $.  My kids are very animated and on the go.  So are my hubby and I.  Having a photo of us all sitting down with medium smiles and head tilts just seems wrong.  The photos I take with my phone and camera while we're on a hike or out in the yard are much better reflections of us as a family.  And those are the ones I send to Walmart to be enlarged for $15 and hung on the wall.

I've been finding my friends are doing family portraits that are specifically set up to not be sitting and smiling, but instead are what I'd characterize as Instagramish posed action photos. So the kids in the front making a sand castle, while the parents are behind them out of focus & kissing. Or everyone on swings, etc.  Though it still feels very performative and external presentation focused. I don't really get it either.

I believe that most professional photographers take pictures that are so much better than you can take on your iPhone that this might be worth it.

I also believe that people who claim that their home cooked meals are better than restaurants are completely full of it, so take my opinion for what it's worth.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 on June 20, 2018, 07:50:16 AM
I don't get family portraits.  So many of my friends and neighbors are spending bunches of money on them this summer.  I get that they want pictures of their family.  I just find portraits to be inauthentic and a waste of $.  My kids are very animated and on the go.  So are my hubby and I.  Having a photo of us all sitting down with medium smiles and head tilts just seems wrong.  The photos I take with my phone and camera while we're on a hike or out in the yard are much better reflections of us as a family.  And those are the ones I send to Walmart to be enlarged for $15 and hung on the wall.

My problem is I actually want to be IN the photos with my family. I take a ton of photos of my kids an my husband is often in them but every year when I make our photo books I realize that I'm only in a handful of pictures for the year. The yearly photo album might have 350 photos and I am probably in about 5. I'd like my kids to remember what I looked like and that I participated in their life when I am gone. :) We are trying to figure out a time my brother or his wife could take some pictures of us at a park or some outside venue to update our "family picture" on our wall.
The family selfie is the solution to your problem. We have one of those big frames with like 10 smaller pictures in them. I would guess that about 8 of them are selfies. Also, I'm always amazed by how many random strangers will offer to take a picture for me.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 on June 20, 2018, 08:50:41 AM
I don't get people that demand apologies.

Some jerk does something jerky and someone demands an apology from the jerk as if that changes anything.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: MDfive21 on June 20, 2018, 10:39:42 AM
"Such and Such ruined my childhood!" 

I get it that something you fondly remember has been rebooted and looks terrible by comparison, but that hardly "ruined" the memories of your childhood.  Unless you're really susceptible to marketing and the power of suggestion.  It sucks that our children will form their memories of the subject around this inferior reboot, but if it matters to you that much I'm sure you can figure out a way to show them the original version that is so damn important to you.

While he didn't ruin memories of the original, George Lucas has done his damndest to make it difficult to find a copy of the original Star Wars movies.  The one that you probably watched in your childhood, without the ridiculous and nonsensical changes (Han shooting first, the unnecessary added scene with Han talking to Jabba, changing the song in Jabba's place, ruining the climax of return of the Jedi by sticking in a  NOOOOOO by Darth Vader, all the strange changes made at the victory celebration, etc.) by refusing to allow the release of the originals.

George Lucas is a dick for trying his best to ruin the original Star Wars movies.

i agree that the 'special' versions are terrible.  look for the despecialized versions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmy%27s_Despecialized_Edition

torrents are your friend, though i think some sites have them for download.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: EricL on June 20, 2018, 04:01:17 PM
Allegedly progressive democrat Miguel Santiago votes to gut net neutrality.  This clown is supposedly slightly left of Fidel Castro.  But when it's crunch time, he takes AT&T's money and runs. 

https://mashable.com/2018/06/20/net-neutrality-california-miguel-santiago/#7l5lc8E47mq2

I called his office.  I was not polite.  I called the California State Democratic Party when I was calm enough to be polite.  The guy who answered should go to the Republican Party as poster boy when they claim Democrats are "dismissive and arrogant."  After him hanging up on me 3 times I finally got my displeasure across.  Surprisingly without profanity.  Not that it helped.  I knew I was barking up the wrong tree. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on June 20, 2018, 04:19:25 PM
I don't get pancake mix.  I make pancakes every Sunday morning for my family and it's one of the simplest and easiest recipes I know.  Just one step above making scrambled eggs.  In fact, my almost 10 year old sometimes makes the batter herself.  It's a couple of eggs, some milk, some flour, salt and a teaspoon of baking powder.  Why on earth would someone buy a mix for something that simple?

What a hassle.  I never even considered making pancake mix.  I actually prefer getting a similar breakfast just by toasting an Eggo and avoiding having to mix anything.  But I don't have those often, either.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Morning Glory on June 21, 2018, 03:45:12 AM
I don't get family portraits.  So many of my friends and neighbors are spending bunches of money on them this summer.  I get that they want pictures of their family.  I just find portraits to be inauthentic and a waste of $.  My kids are very animated and on the go.  So are my hubby and I.  Having a photo of us all sitting down with medium smiles and head tilts just seems wrong.  The photos I take with my phone and camera while we're on a hike or out in the yard are much better reflections of us as a family.  And those are the ones I send to Walmart to be enlarged for $15 and hung on the wall.

I've been finding my friends are doing family portraits that are specifically set up to not be sitting and smiling, but instead are what I'd characterize as Instagramish posed action photos. So the kids in the front making a sand castle, while the parents are behind them out of focus & kissing. Or everyone on swings, etc.  Though it still feels very performative and external presentation focused. I don't really get it either.
OMG, you nailed it!

Newborn photography has gone too far also. I saw some people at the park putting a poor little baby into a metal bucket, right in the middle of the bike path, presumably for photography purposes. Baby was naked and the adults were wearing jackets. I've had some pretty bad experiences with wedding photography too.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on June 21, 2018, 07:20:01 AM
My coworker does family photos twice a year. It seems excessive to me - though I love the idea every 3 or 4 years.
We don't have any good photos of my husband, my daughter, and me; so I see the appeal of professional photos. 

My husband did amazing newborn and monthly first year photos of our daughter. The lighting and backdrop were a small fraction of what a newborn session would have cost.


What I -really- don't get is maternity photos.  Do people really hang half naked photos of themselves with a pregnant belly?  I mean, once you have the baby- don't you mostly just want pictures of the baby? 
I've been pregnant  twice and never felt the urge to run through a field with a flower crown wrapped in organza.  What do people DO with those pictures?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Sailor Sam on June 21, 2018, 07:46:07 AM
I realize this is rant thread, and rebuttals aren't necessarily necessary or welcome. Think of this as a public service announcement instead. Get some sort of photo with the full family, because even children aren't immortal.

My brother died when he was 18. My mum was dutiful about purchasing school portraits each year, and there are pictures in may combinations of parent+kid(s). There are zero pictures with us as a full, unbroken, pre-damage family. I grieve the missing presence of that photo.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 21, 2018, 08:35:12 AM
Way back when camera's came into existence but hardly anyone owned one, when a family member died they sometimes hired a photographer to pose and take pictures of the dead person. They would have special set ups to have the person standing or sitting in a favorite chair. Or in the case of a baby they would sometimes have it in its mothers arms or in a crib or cradle. https://www.buzzfeed.com/leonoraepstein/haunting-post-mortem-photography?utm_term=.cume4mLmq#.fxNmP696G
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Schaefer Light on June 21, 2018, 08:35:39 AM
What do photo lovers do when there's a divorce in the family?  Do you throw them all away?  Cut one person out of the picture? ;)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 on June 21, 2018, 08:44:07 AM
Way back when camera's came into existence but hardly anyone owned one, when a family member died they sometimes hired a photographer to pose and take pictures of the dead person. They would have special set ups to have the person standing or sitting in a favorite chair. Or in the case of a baby they would sometimes have it in its mothers arms or in a crib or cradle. https://www.buzzfeed.com/leonoraepstein/haunting-post-mortem-photography?utm_term=.cume4mLmq#.fxNmP696G
I've seen something like this before. Death was certainly treated differently in the past than it is today. I think in the past, death was much more common and felt closer to most people. Meaning, it wasn't all that rare to see a dead person and it didn't feel out of place to touch one. Look at those pictures of people posing in the town square after a public hanging. I really don't get that!

I guess what I'm getting at, is that I've never seen a dead person outside of a funeral and I'm not up for touching any dead people. I know it is much different for first responders of course.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on June 21, 2018, 09:32:30 AM
I realize this is rant thread, and rebuttals aren't necessarily necessary or welcome. Think of this as a public service announcement instead. Get some sort of photo with the full family, because even children aren't immortal.

My brother died when he was 18. My mum was dutiful about purchasing school portraits each year, and there are pictures in may combinations of parent+kid(s). There are zero pictures with us as a full, unbroken, pre-damage family. I grieve the missing presence of that photo.

Not having that photo is really hard. I'm sorry.

I always grieve that the only photo I have with my son (he was stillborn) is truly awful. The place where I gave birth didn't work with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep or other trained bereavement photographers, so I have only a really poorly light snapshot. I see other women's photos and am truly jealous. I have a photo of his face, but it is extraordinarily difficult to look at because he was so deformed. The doctor who took the picture apparently didn't think to do the classic "newborn baby feet" photo, as his feet were perfect. I wish I had that one.

I guess what I'm getting at, is that I've never seen a dead person outside of a funeral and I'm not up for touching any dead people. I know it is much different for first responders of course.

I volunteer with a non-profit organization that raises money for, among other things, "cuddle cots" in hospitals.  These are chilled bassinets that help keep a deceased baby/toddler's body from decomposing. Apparently, for up to 2 weeks (in some countries they get sent home with families to spend time with their loved one, in the US, it is usually just to extend the time by a few hours that a family can stay with the baby).  I was telling my Mother about this, and she was so grossed out about it, she just thought anything more than a minute or two was too much. I got about 10-15 minutes with my son, I know a few people whose toddlers were taken from them after just minutes to get an autopsy started. But the Moms I know who had their children in the room with them for a few hours speak so fondly of that time they got with them.  Something like that would have been amazing- to not feel like you have to hand the baby off so quickly.

Other than my son, I don't think I've seen a dead person outside of a funeral.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on June 21, 2018, 10:16:40 AM

<snip>


Thanks for this @i'm a red panda.  I have never heard of cuddle cots, but I think it is an absolutely beautiful idea. 

My mom died at home with family at her side, and we didn't call the funeral home for about an hour or so.  It was very meaningful to all of us to have that last time with her before her body was taken away.  I can imagine it would be even more so when grieving the death of a child.  I often think that as a society we are too distanced from dying and death. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sonjak on June 21, 2018, 06:53:53 PM
I'm so sorry you had that experience, Red Panda.  I think it's neat that you're helping soften that memory by helping others. 

I recently read Caitlin Doughty's "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes."  It's a memoir about a woman who works in a crematorium/funeral home and deals with the issues raised in these two recent posts.  She talks a lot about how paranoid/freaked we are about death and as Trifele says, distanced from it, and dispels many myths.

She created a youtube channel "Ask a Mortician" which is pretty entertaining and informative:
https://www.youtube.com/user/OrderoftheGoodDeath/featured

I cared for my mom the weeks when she was sick and was there when she died and was grateful to have that experience.  I had a similar experience, Trifele.  She was able to die peacefully at home, I cared for her body before it was taken for cremation, etc.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on June 22, 2018, 07:27:43 AM
I realize this is rant thread, and rebuttals aren't necessarily necessary or welcome. Think of this as a public service announcement instead. Get some sort of photo with the full family, because even children aren't immortal.

My brother died when he was 18. My mum was dutiful about purchasing school portraits each year, and there are pictures in may combinations of parent+kid(s). There are zero pictures with us as a full, unbroken, pre-damage family. I grieve the missing presence of that photo.

Not having that photo is really hard. I'm sorry.

I always grieve that the only photo I have with my son (he was stillborn) is truly awful. The place where I gave birth didn't work with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep or other trained bereavement photographers, so I have only a really poorly light snapshot. I see other women's photos and am truly jealous. I have a photo of his face, but it is extraordinarily difficult to look at because he was so deformed. The doctor who took the picture apparently didn't think to do the classic "newborn baby feet" photo, as his feet were perfect. I wish I had that one.

I guess what I'm getting at, is that I've never seen a dead person outside of a funeral and I'm not up for touching any dead people. I know it is much different for first responders of course.

I volunteer with a non-profit organization that raises money for, among other things, "cuddle cots" in hospitals.  These are chilled bassinets that help keep a deceased baby/toddler's body from decomposing. Apparently, for up to 2 weeks (in some countries they get sent home with families to spend time with their loved one, in the US, it is usually just to extend the time by a few hours that a family can stay with the baby).  I was telling my Mother about this, and she was so grossed out about it, she just thought anything more than a minute or two was too much. I got about 10-15 minutes with my son, I know a few people whose toddlers were taken from them after just minutes to get an autopsy started. But the Moms I know who had their children in the room with them for a few hours speak so fondly of that time they got with them.  Something like that would have been amazing- to not feel like you have to hand the baby off so quickly.

Other than my son, I don't think I've seen a dead person outside of a funeral.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Red Panda. I worked in funeral services for a while and I know that in my country most parents choose to take home their child and spend a few days with them before the funeral. I believe spending time with a loved one's body is an important part of the grieving process.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on June 22, 2018, 07:41:09 AM
What do photo lovers do when there's a divorce in the family?  Do you throw them all away?  Cut one person out of the picture? ;)

This is a huge issue for me. I did not grow up in a happy family and it's hard for me to look through those pictures. In the end my parents were married for more than 25 years before they finally divorced. Looking back now, the clues were there decades earlier, not just in my head, but in the physical evidence. There are very few pictures that include both of my parents and if they are in one picture, they try to keep each other literally at an arm's length. This physical distance started very early in their marriage. We haven't thrown away the pictures yet (one of my parents is actually pushing me to frame a few of the "happy" pictures) but sometimes I wish we would.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on June 22, 2018, 07:47:34 AM
What do photo lovers do when there's a divorce in the family?  Do you throw them all away?  Cut one person out of the picture? ;)

This is a huge issue for me. I did not grow up in a happy family and it's hard for me to look through those pictures. In the end my parents were married for more than 25 years before they finally divorced. Looking back now, the clues were there decades earlier, not just in my head, but in the physical evidence. There are very few pictures that include both of my parents and if they are in one picture, they try to keep each other literally at an arm's length. This physical distance started very early in their marriage. We haven't thrown away the pictures yet (one of my parents is actually pushing me to frame a few of the "happy" pictures) but sometimes I wish we would.

If it was genuinely unhappy the whole time, I understand.  My situation is similar (parents divorced after 28 years of marriage), but I still have many happy memories from childhood.  Going back through those old pictures is still a positive undertaking.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Schaefer Light on June 22, 2018, 08:18:26 AM
What do photo lovers do when there's a divorce in the family?  Do you throw them all away?  Cut one person out of the picture? ;)

This is a huge issue for me. I did not grow up in a happy family and it's hard for me to look through those pictures. In the end my parents were married for more than 25 years before they finally divorced. Looking back now, the clues were there decades earlier, not just in my head, but in the physical evidence. There are very few pictures that include both of my parents and if they are in one picture, they try to keep each other literally at an arm's length. This physical distance started very early in their marriage. We haven't thrown away the pictures yet (one of my parents is actually pushing me to frame a few of the "happy" pictures) but sometimes I wish we would.
That's tough.  I imagine it would be difficult for the child of a divorced couple.  My experience with this has been that of a spouse going through divorce.  Once I realized my wife wasn't coming back, I got rid of literally every photo I was in that was taken over the past 8 years (because every time I was in a picture, so was my wife).  There will be no photo evidence that the last 8 years of my life even happened.  Luckily, there were no kids involved. 

I don't enjoy having my picture taken, but looking through the photos might have been the most emotionally challenging aspect of the whole divorce process.  You ask yourself some gut-wrenching questions when you're looking at pictures of the happy couple that you used to be a part of.  I am glad that we both seemed to be genuinely happy in all of our photos together.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 22, 2018, 08:41:32 AM
I don't get sizes on women's clothes. I have two pairs of jeans from Dress Barn. They are both Westport brand. Both are the same size. Each have some embellishment on them. However, One fits very well and the other the waist is like 6 inches smaller. I order a top from one company and I order another the same size from another company. One is too small one is too big or if I am lucky it fits just right. Why isn't there some kind of standard in sizes? I do a lot of ordering on line and I also send back a lot of stuff due to sizing issues. Why isn't there some law that makes clothing sizes standard?

I know a lady who was shopping for a party dress and ordered it on line. She bought 3 different sizes (same dress) knowing that two wouldn't fit right. She tried them on and got one that fit and sent two dresses back. How stupid are these sizes?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 on June 22, 2018, 08:50:04 AM
I don't get sizes on women's clothes. I have two pairs of jeans from Dress Barn. They are both Westport brand. Both are the same size. Each have some embellishment on them. However, One fits very well and the other the waist is like 6 inches smaller. I order a top from one company and I order another the same size from another company. One is too small one is too big or if I am lucky it fits just right. Why isn't there some kind of standard in sizes? I do a lot of ordering on line and I also send back a lot of stuff due to sizing issues. Why isn't there some law that makes clothing sizes standard?

I know a lady who was shopping for a party dress and ordered it on line. She bought 3 different sizes (same dress) knowing that two wouldn't fit right. She tried them on and got one that fit and sent two dresses back. How stupid are these sizes?
Most companies have a sizing chart that you can reference when purchasing online.

As for two of the same sized items not being the same? That is a product of mass production. They stack up a bunch of fabric and try to cut it all at once. Ever try to cut a straight line on like 20 sheets of paper at once. It just doesn't work. I think higher quality brands do a better job at, well, maintaining that quality.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FindingFI on June 22, 2018, 08:55:20 AM
I don't understand excessive follow-up and status updates on the same topic in a very short timeframe.  I have a coworker that will send half a dozen emails on the same topic within an hour, then leave me a voicemail further explaining the emails, and drop by my desk to discuss before I've managed to even get through all of the previous communication on the topic, never mind look at the issue at hand!  How am I supposed to answer your question if you won't stop bombarding me with correspondence?!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 22, 2018, 09:28:51 AM
I don't get sizes on women's clothes. I have two pairs of jeans from Dress Barn. They are both Westport brand. Both are the same size. Each have some embellishment on them. However, One fits very well and the other the waist is like 6 inches smaller. I order a top from one company and I order another the same size from another company. One is too small one is too big or if I am lucky it fits just right. Why isn't there some kind of standard in sizes? I do a lot of ordering on line and I also send back a lot of stuff due to sizing issues. Why isn't there some law that makes clothing sizes standard?

I know a lady who was shopping for a party dress and ordered it on line. She bought 3 different sizes (same dress) knowing that two wouldn't fit right. She tried them on and got one that fit and sent two dresses back. How stupid are these sizes?
Most companies have a sizing chart that you can reference when purchasing online.

Yes, they do have sizing charts but they do no good when you order the same size in two different styles and one fits and the other doesn't. Six inch difference in waistline is way off the charts. There needs to be quality control if they can't cut the patterns correctly. This Westport brand seems to be better quality but everything is junk today. Annoying!

As for two of the same sized items not being the same? That is a product of mass production. They stack up a bunch of fabric and try to cut it all at once. Ever try to cut a straight line on like 20 sheets of paper at once. It just doesn't work. I think higher quality brands do a better job at, well, maintaining that quality.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Schaefer Light on June 22, 2018, 10:38:48 AM
I don't get sizes on women's clothes. I have two pairs of jeans from Dress Barn. They are both Westport brand. Both are the same size. Each have some embellishment on them. However, One fits very well and the other the waist is like 6 inches smaller. I order a top from one company and I order another the same size from another company. One is too small one is too big or if I am lucky it fits just right. Why isn't there some kind of standard in sizes? I do a lot of ordering on line and I also send back a lot of stuff due to sizing issues. Why isn't there some law that makes clothing sizes standard?

I know a lady who was shopping for a party dress and ordered it on line. She bought 3 different sizes (same dress) knowing that two wouldn't fit right. She tried them on and got one that fit and sent two dresses back. How stupid are these sizes?
It's not just women's clothes.  I have the same trouble with men's clothes.  I bought a pair of pants that was the same size, make, and model as a pair I already owned and they were about 2 inches bigger in the waist than the pair I already had.  My other complaint is that the sizes aren't accurate.  I bought a pair of pants recently with a 32" waist.  When I tried them on, they were waaaaaay too big.  So I measured them and they had a 36" waistband.  I guess I should have been looking for pants in a 28" waist size.  Is that done to make me feel skinny?  I'm an engineer and it makes no sense to me.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Morning Glory on June 22, 2018, 10:55:06 AM
I don't understand excessive follow-up and status updates on the same topic in a very short timeframe.  I have a coworker that will send half a dozen emails on the same topic within an hour, then leave me a voicemail further explaining the emails, and drop by my desk to discuss before I've managed to even get through all of the previous communication on the topic, never mind look at the issue at hand!  How am I supposed to answer your question if you won't stop bombarding me with correspondence?!
When people do this I see it as a form of micromanaging
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: EricL on June 22, 2018, 03:10:51 PM
I don't understand excessive follow-up and status updates on the same topic in a very short timeframe.  I have a coworker that will send half a dozen emails on the same topic within an hour, then leave me a voicemail further explaining the emails, and drop by my desk to discuss before I've managed to even get through all of the previous communication on the topic, never mind look at the issue at hand!  How am I supposed to answer your question if you won't stop bombarding me with correspondence?!
When people do this I see it as a form of micromanaging

It is.  And it's usually based in the manager's personal fear plus a distrust in subordinates.  This is very common in the military, where subordinates often spend as much time writing reports, SITREPS, and updates to soothe the big chickens at their higher HQ as they do actually doing the mission, if not more.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Bird In Hand on June 22, 2018, 03:39:11 PM
I don't understand excessive follow-up and status updates on the same topic in a very short timeframe.  I have a coworker that will send half a dozen emails on the same topic within an hour, then leave me a voicemail further explaining the emails, and drop by my desk to discuss before I've managed to even get through all of the previous communication on the topic, never mind look at the issue at hand!  How am I supposed to answer your question if you won't stop bombarding me with correspondence?!
When people do this I see it as a form of micromanaging

Or...it could just be a person who has trouble focusing and lacks the patience to think completely through an issue before firing off a half-baked e-mail (and another, and another as they think through the problem and dump excessive information on you in a stream-of-consciousness manner).  I've worked with a handful of people like this, and I don't think it was micromanaging so much as high energy + ADHD and/or ASD.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FindingFI on June 23, 2018, 02:53:43 PM
I don't understand excessive follow-up and status updates on the same topic in a very short timeframe.  I have a coworker that will send half a dozen emails on the same topic within an hour, then leave me a voicemail further explaining the emails, and drop by my desk to discuss before I've managed to even get through all of the previous communication on the topic, never mind look at the issue at hand!  How am I supposed to answer your question if you won't stop bombarding me with correspondence?!
When people do this I see it as a form of micromanaging

Or...it could just be a person who has trouble focusing and lacks the patience to think completely through an issue before firing off a half-baked e-mail (and another, and another as they think through the problem and dump excessive information on you in a stream-of-consciousness manner).  I've worked with a handful of people like this, and I don't think it was micromanaging so much as high energy + ADHD and/or ASD.

This may be what's going on since it's either work I have assigned to him or a project on which we are equals, rather than work he has assigned to me.  I get unrequested play-by-play updates rather than thoughtful communication at milestones.  It may also be a bit of insecurity since he usually wants my input before making decisions or when the questions are tough. My style is way more hands-off, and I find the flood of information to be highly distracting.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on June 23, 2018, 09:31:40 PM
I don't get people who think carbon emissions are the only form of environmental impact. Yes, it's helpful to try to compare apples to apples, but there are loads more ways we can fuck up the planet. For example, nappies. Everyone says, "Oh, but you use energy washing cloth!" like that's some kind of magic free pass to make disposables fine. Er... Landfill?!?!! A nappy can take centuries to break down. The torrent of filth streaming into open pits bothers me way more than a bit of electricity and water which we CAN renew.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BookLoverL on June 24, 2018, 02:24:32 AM
I don't get people who think carbon emissions are the only form of environmental impact. Yes, it's helpful to try to compare apples to apples, but there are loads more ways we can fuck up the planet. For example, nappies. Everyone says, "Oh, but you use energy washing cloth!" like that's some kind of magic free pass to make disposables fine. Er... Landfill?!?!! A nappy can take centuries to break down. The torrent of filth streaming into open pits bothers me way more than a bit of electricity and water which we CAN renew.

I agree. Like, carbon emissions are important, but there are also the many many tons of plastic waste everywhere, the depletion of various non-carbon non-renewable resources, pollution, pesticides, shrinking amounts of wilderness, etc... People act like they can do something and if they offset the carbon emissions it'll all be fine, but they forget about all these other aspects.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on June 24, 2018, 02:39:17 AM
I don't get people who think carbon emissions are the only form of environmental impact. Yes, it's helpful to try to compare apples to apples, but there are loads more ways we can fuck up the planet. For example, nappies. Everyone says, "Oh, but you use energy washing cloth!" like that's some kind of magic free pass to make disposables fine. Er... Landfill?!?!! A nappy can take centuries to break down. The torrent of filth streaming into open pits bothers me way more than a bit of electricity and water which we CAN renew.

I agree. Like, carbon emissions are important, but there are also the many many tons of plastic waste everywhere, the depletion of various non-carbon non-renewable resources, pollution, pesticides, shrinking amounts of wilderness, etc... People act like they can do something and if they offset the carbon emissions it'll all be fine, but they forget about all these other aspects.

I agree.  We cloth nappied/diapered both our kids and most people thought we were batshit crazy.  And, unfortunately, they refused to use cloth at daycare so we had to sent plastic disposable diapers with them to daycare.  The cloth diaper thing was really no big deal.  My husband was kind of against it at first but once he realized how easy it was he was totally fine with it.  We used the most old fashioned option (Indian prefolds bought on Ebay) as they were the simplest and hardest to ruin in the wash.  Washed around once every 2-3 days and hung them in the sun or on the heater to dry. 


Anyway, I had friends who are way more 'crunchy hippy' than me who used disposables.  The disposable diaper companies have really convinced people that cloth nappies are incredibly difficult.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 24, 2018, 04:20:10 AM
I don't get the straw issue.  Do people realize that Starbucks' paper cups are plastic coated and therefore cannot be recycled? SB generates So. Much. Trash. Straws are the tip of the iceberg.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on June 24, 2018, 04:31:08 AM
I don't get the straw issue.  Do people realize that Starbucks' paper cups are plastic coated and therefore cannot be recycled? SB generates So. Much. Trash. Straws are the tip of the iceberg.

I agree.  Same with all those plastic take out containers and endless plastic bottles.  Also packaging.  I'm trying my best to cut down by buying bar shampoo and soap, not buying plastic water bottles, using reusable bags at the markets etc. but it just feels pointless when I look at all the plastic we recycle - plastic milk bottles, plastic yoghurt containers, plastic bags for rice, beans, plastic meat containers....

We don't get take out apart from pizza that comes in cardboard boxes and I drink all coffee either at the coffee bar or at home

Do you know if tetrapaks are just as bad for the environment as plastic bottles?  I suspect the answer is yes.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 24, 2018, 04:43:41 AM
I don't get the straw issue.  Do people realize that Starbucks' paper cups are plastic coated and therefore cannot be recycled? SB generates So. Much. Trash. Straws are the tip of the iceberg.

I agree.  Same with all those plastic take out containers and endless plastic bottles.  Also packaging.  I'm trying my best to cut down by buying bar shampoo and soap, not buying plastic water bottles, using reusable bags at the markets etc. but it just feels pointless when I look at all the plastic we recycle - plastic milk bottles, plastic yoghurt containers, plastic bags for rice, beans, plastic meat containers....

We don't get take out apart from pizza that comes in cardboard boxes and I drink all coffee either at the coffee bar or at home

Do you know if tetrapaks are just as bad for the environment as plastic bottles?  I suspect the answer is yes.


Yes, I believe the Tetra Packs are bad too. They are layered in plastic and foil material. I don't think they are recyclable at all.

The Government should have strict regulations on packaging materials. When I was a kid there was very little plastic. We used wax bags for sandwiches, thermos bottles for milk or soup. No plastic soda bottles, they were glass and there is nothing more awesome to drink soda from a cold bottle on a hot, humid day! There is no incentive or real punishment for companies to use earth friendly packaging. The bottom line is cost. Bring the cost of the packaging down no matter what it takes. Have some of you noticed that buy 16oz bottles of water is that they basically cut the size of the cap horizontally making it very hard to twist off. Another cost cutting measure. Plus, now the plastic on the bottles is so thin, when you open the bottle water gushes out due to the thin sides and pressure opening the bottle. GRRRRR!!!! The only good thing is that they are recyclable.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Cranky on June 24, 2018, 08:45:49 AM
You can still buy wax sandwich bags, btw. Or a reusable sandwich container.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hirondelle on June 24, 2018, 08:51:46 AM
I don't get the straw issue.  Do people realize that Starbucks' paper cups are plastic coated and therefore cannot be recycled? SB generates So. Much. Trash. Straws are the tip of the iceberg.

I think originally it was more meant as an awareness thing. It's also that straws are per definition unnecessary (except for certain disabled people) while the cups at least serve a more useful purpose. If restaurants/cafes/coffeeshops would stop serving straws it wouldn't solve the plastic soup by any means, but it would be a step in the right direction :)

Unfortunately I do believe that now people feel good about doing minor things like refusing a straw while ignoring the "big impact" items.

Note; guilty myself too. Plane ticket anyone?!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on June 24, 2018, 08:57:14 AM
Yeah, I pat myself on the back for not owning a car while booking 4 plane tickets back to the US every summer for the family. 

I bought a whole bunch of reusable, washable zippable sandwich bags on Amazon last time I was in the US - they are great.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on June 24, 2018, 09:08:47 AM
You can still buy wax sandwich bags, btw. Or a reusable sandwich container.

Yep. And insulated stainless steel or glass bottles in various sizes.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 24, 2018, 11:52:18 AM
I found a glass milk bottle at a thrift store. I buy milk at Costco and was having trouble with the last half of the second gallon going off. Now I pour half of the gallon into the glass bottle and the rest stays in the garage fridge that gets opened once a day or less, so it lasts longer out there, and the second gallon isn't spoiling any more. Bonus: OMG it's so much colder from the glass bottle, yum! My biggest fear is dropping the bottle...

I did have to buy plastic lids for the milk bottle, which I expect to use as long as possible. My kid ordered them for me, using his Prime account. Alas, I'm sure they came from China, sigh.

P.S. Yes, I know I can freeze it or make yogurt. It was becoming a space issue.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on June 24, 2018, 03:26:53 PM
You can recycle tetrapaks where we live in London.

I thought of it because we're eight weeks in and still haven't transitioned to cloth nappies even though I have all the stuff. It was just too overwhelming with everything else going on. But I'm going to do another trial day on Tuesday and I think it might stick this time. I feel worse and worse every time I look at the bin overflowing with disposables. The goal is cloth for day, disposables for night unless night time wakings suddenly improve.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: accolay on June 24, 2018, 04:02:07 PM
I don't get why there are still so many people texting and driving.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on June 25, 2018, 05:23:55 PM
I found a glass milk bottle at a thrift store. I buy milk at Costco and was having trouble with the last half of the second gallon going off. Now I pour half of the gallon into the glass bottle and the rest stays in the garage fridge that gets opened once a day or less, so it lasts longer out there, and the second gallon isn't spoiling any more. Bonus: OMG it's so much colder from the glass bottle, yum! My biggest fear is dropping the bottle...

I did have to buy plastic lids for the milk bottle, which I expect to use as long as possible. My kid ordered them for me, using his Prime account. Alas, I'm sure they came from China, sigh.

P.S. Yes, I know I can freeze it or make yogurt. It was becoming a space issue.


My alcoholic father used to swear that a shot of vodka added to a gallon of milk made it last a lot longer.  But he drank White Russians all day long, so I'm not sure how long a gallon needed to last anyway. 

He also claimed a pinch of salt would make it last longer too.  That must have been before he discovered the vodka trick.  ;)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 25, 2018, 11:31:18 PM
I found a glass milk bottle at a thrift store. I buy milk at Costco and was having trouble with the last half of the second gallon going off. Now I pour half of the gallon into the glass bottle and the rest stays in the garage fridge that gets opened once a day or less, so it lasts longer out there, and the second gallon isn't spoiling any more. Bonus: OMG it's so much colder from the glass bottle, yum! My biggest fear is dropping the bottle...

I did have to buy plastic lids for the milk bottle, which I expect to use as long as possible. My kid ordered them for me, using his Prime account. Alas, I'm sure they came from China, sigh.

P.S. Yes, I know I can freeze it or make yogurt. It was becoming a space issue.


My alcoholic father used to swear that a shot of vodka added to a gallon of milk made it last a lot longer.  But he drank White Russians all day long, so I'm not sure how long a gallon needed to last anyway. 

He also claimed a pinch of salt would make it last longer too.  That must have been before he discovered the vodka trick.  ;)
I make vanilla by the 1.75 liter, thanks to the magic of Costco. I put a slug of it in DH's oatmeal every morning. I think I'll keep making vanilla instead of befouling the milk. As a child of a functional alcoholic, I feel your pain.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 26, 2018, 05:54:15 AM
I don't get why there are still so many people texting and driving.


What is so important that texting can't wait till it is safe? People need to grow up and drive without texting. There should be harsher punishment by law than these wimpy $200 fines IF they get caught. Maybe two weeks in jail and they have to pay the cost of the jail stay.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Bird In Hand on June 26, 2018, 10:52:25 AM
I know I'm going to step on some toes with this one, and maybe it's already come up earlier in the thread, but...

#1  Owning pets in most cases.  I can understand the purpose of service dogs, companion animals for lonely elders, etc.  But otherwise pet ownership for the ostensible purpose of holding an animal captive to bring you joy* -- that's something I really have trouble wrapping my head around.  The cost, smell, mess, time commitment, restriction on travel (gotta find airlines/hotels/etc. that can accommodate Fido and/or get a pet sitter), and so on...seem like a very steep price to pay for whatever benefit people feel they get from the pet.

*I do understand that some animals like dogs have a symbiotic evolutionary relationship with humans.  The other points remain, however.  Plus, I feel particularly uncharitable toward dogs/dog ownership simply due to the fact that other people's dogs are a recurring daily nuisance in my life.  The barking, stepping on dog poop in my yard, the holes dug in my gardens, the dead spots in my grass from dog urine, and the fear of another family member being bit by a dog (again) has made me completely unsympathetic toward dogs or their thoughtless, lazy owners.  I do acknowledge that some dog owners are conscientious about cleaning up after their dogs, keeping them on a leash while walking, not letting them bark endlessly, etc.  I appreciate these people, and on the rare occasion I encounter one, I let them know it!

I've had pets before.  When I was a kid we had multiple dogs, cats, birds, fish, chameleons, snakes, rats, mice, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, a tarantula, and I'm probably forgetting a few.  As a young kid, it was a fun novelty to show off to my friends.  But eventually I became at least peripherally aware of all the work involved, and the expense.  I was acutely aware of certain aspects, like having to pick up dog poop in our yard every week (and step on it while playing in the yard), the stench of the catbox and the unpleasant daily task of cleaning it out, ALWAYS having cat hair all over my clothing, the annoying feeling of bird seed underfoot, and the embarrassment of having guests come over to our house and clearly reading on their faces the disgust at the smell of the various animals.

At some age I also started to feel that it was cruel to keep creatures in tiny little cages for our amusement.  I was glad every time our bull snake escaped into the house, because at least it was free to move around and not sit in a little glass box waiting to be fed frozen baby mice.  Watching any rodent run on a hamster wheel because it has nothing else to do or nowhere to go is really depressing to me.  It's right up there with caged birds that sit on their perches all day and don't even know how to fly, or goldfish swimming in circles in a bowl.

Full disclosure: as a young adult I owned two cats.  I grieved when one of them died, and didn't feel much when the other one died -- it was always half feral and didn't like us much anyway.  Now that they are both dead and buried in the yard, I frequently thank them for reminding me what a pain in the butt pet ownership is.

#2  People who think of/talk about their pets as their 'children', and especially equate pet ownership with (human) child rearing.  I've owned pets and raised children, and IMO this is complete nonsense, bordering on idiocy.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: HipGnosis on June 26, 2018, 11:08:34 AM
Minor rant;
I have an Amazon credit card, that I use for... buying things... on Amazon.
I REALLY wish my statement (bill) listed what I bought for each charge!!!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: zing12 on June 26, 2018, 11:50:32 AM
^^ Pets are costly and interfere with your freedom.  I like both cats and dogs, but I don't think I could deal with "I need to be home by 9 so I can let the dog out." At least human children eventually grow up :D
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on June 26, 2018, 01:50:06 PM
^^ Pets are costly and interfere with your freedom.  I like both cats and dogs, but I don't think I could deal with "I need to be home by 9 so I can let the dog out." At least human children eventually grow up :D

Yes - this.  I had lots of cats growing up and was quite attached to them but not getting a cat now, no matter how much my kids plead with me.  Our house is messy enough without cat fur everywhere and cat litter to change.  Not to mention, we love to travel and pets seriously restrict this.

Apart from the fact that kids eventually grow up (and even at 6 and almost 10 my kids are pretty good conversationalists a lot of the time and quite independent) you can also take kids with you when you travel.  My mother has a cat and finding someone to feed it when she travels is a huge pain.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: jeninco on June 26, 2018, 03:39:47 PM
Meh, I work at home and having small furry independent beings around keeps me from getting too lonely when the kids are in school. It gets pretty quiet around here, really. Also, I like that my kids get some hands-on experience with non-human animals who have their own agenda.

(Yeah, I do get out some, but it's nice having someone else in the house during the day. Plus, I like the cats better then lots of people...)

We're definitely not getting a dog until the kids are out of the house and after we've done quite a bit of traveling, however.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dave1442397 on June 26, 2018, 03:47:48 PM
I'll say one thing for having a dog - I've walked at least 5,000 miles in the past eight years that I wouldn't have otherwise.

Pets can be so hit-or-miss. We had a cat that was psychotic (my wife got it as a kitten from a co-worker). I was the only human it ever bonded with, and its last year wasn't good - we had to rip out carpet and throw out the couch in one room due to cat pee.

Right now we just have the dog, and yes, it can be a pain finding inexpensive sitters while we're away. He's a rescue, and based on the vet's opinion, probably around twelve years old now. Once he's gone I think we're done with pets for a few years. I'd get another cat at some point, but it would be an adult rescue with a stable personality :)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Cranky on June 26, 2018, 03:55:24 PM
Cats are so, so much easier - and cheaper - than teenagers.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 26, 2018, 04:50:36 PM
I have two dogs and love them like children. I have had other dogs over the years and they were the best companions ever. I would rather have dogs than associate with most people. They are kind and gentle. They give unconditional love. They hardly ask for anything other than food, water, love and walks. What human can you say that about? I just spent $4,200 in the last week to help my one dog. He has cancer and he has had two surgeries so far and will have chemo soon. Yes, it is a lot and I could just let him go without treatment. But I can afford it and if it helps him live a few more years,  it is worth it to me. This dog is kind and gentle and oozes love. So each of us has reasons or not to have animals and invest in their health or not. Some people go the extra mile because they can and some won't spend the money because they can't. There is no right or wrong.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: snapperdude on June 26, 2018, 07:06:52 PM
Plus, I feel particularly uncharitable toward dogs/dog ownership simply due to the fact that other people's dogs are a recurring daily nuisance in my life. 

I think many pet owners feel largely the same way about children. Oh, I'm sure yours were little angels though. Never annoyed anyone.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ChpBstrd on June 26, 2018, 07:11:47 PM
Plus, I feel particularly uncharitable toward dogs/dog ownership simply due to the fact that other people's dogs are a recurring daily nuisance in my life. 

I think many pet owners feel largely the same way about children. Oh, I'm sure yours were little angels though. Never annoyed anyone.

Other people's kids have never kept me up all night barking, but then again other people's dogs have never toilet papered my house.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 26, 2018, 08:32:00 PM
Minor rant;
I have an Amazon credit card, that I use for... buying things... on Amazon.
I REALLY wish my statement (bill) listed what I bought for each charge!!!
They don't? It doesn't? How is that even legal? That would definitely make me nuts!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RWD on June 26, 2018, 09:52:52 PM
Minor rant;
I have an Amazon credit card, that I use for... buying things... on Amazon.
I REALLY wish my statement (bill) listed what I bought for each charge!!!
They don't? It doesn't? How is that even legal? That would definitely make me nuts!
I have one too. Every transaction made through Amazon says either: "AMAZON MKTPLACE PMTS" or "Amazon.com". I'm fine with this though, I prefer when I buy something that the exact item(s) isn't reported to the credit card company (Chase in this case). And I can just check my order history myself on Amazon directly if I forget what a purchase was. I've just gotten into the habit of entering Amazon purchases into my accounting software (GnuCash) immediately so that I don't have to look it up for categorization later.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on June 26, 2018, 10:11:54 PM
Minor rant;
I have an Amazon credit card, that I use for... buying things... on Amazon.
I REALLY wish my statement (bill) listed what I bought for each charge!!!
They don't? It doesn't? How is that even legal? That would definitely make me nuts!
I have one too. Every transaction made through Amazon says either: "AMAZON MKTPLACE PMTS" or "Amazon.com". I'm fine with this though, I prefer when I buy something that the exact item(s) isn't reported to the credit card company (Chase in this case). And I can just check my order history myself on Amazon directly if I forget what a purchase was. I've just gotten into the habit of entering Amazon purchases into my accounting software (GnuCash) immediately so that I don't have to look it up for categorization later.

My Costco Visa (Citibank) doesn’t itemize my purchases at Costco, either. Like you, I’m fine with Citi not getting that info.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 27, 2018, 01:08:39 AM
Minor rant;
I have an Amazon credit card, that I use for... buying things... on Amazon.
I REALLY wish my statement (bill) listed what I bought for each charge!!!
They don't? It doesn't? How is that even legal? That would definitely make me nuts!
I have one too. Every transaction made through Amazon says either: "AMAZON MKTPLACE PMTS" or "Amazon.com". I'm fine with this though, I prefer when I buy something that the exact item(s) isn't reported to the credit card company (Chase in this case). And I can just check my order history myself on Amazon directly if I forget what a purchase was. I've just gotten into the habit of entering Amazon purchases into my accounting software (GnuCash) immediately so that I don't have to look it up for categorization later.

My Costco Visa (Citibank) doesn’t itemize my purchases at Costco, either. Like you, I’m fine with Citi not getting that info.
I'm confused. Costco is a single vendor. Their bills do distinguish warehouse vs. gas purchases,  for example. But Amazon pulls from a huge number of vendors. Is there no way to tell if you ordered a garage door opener or a par of shoes or some lids for mason jars, all from different sources?  How would one know if the were under/over charged or what, exactly you were being billed for?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sherr on June 27, 2018, 04:55:04 AM
My Costco Visa (Citibank) doesn’t itemize my purchases at Costco, either. Like you, I’m fine with Citi not getting that info.
I'm confused. Costco is a single vendor. Their bills do distinguish warehouse vs. gas purchases,  for example. But Amazon pulls from a huge number of vendors.

Well sort of. It's a mix of the two, as far as the Credit Card Company is concerned all payments are processed by Amazon. It has no idea if Amazon shipped you something directly or if Amazon sent a portion of that payment over to some 3rd party and they shipped you something out of their garage.

Is there no way to tell if you ordered a garage door opener or a par of shoes or some lids for mason jars, all from different sources?  How would one know if the were under/over charged or what, exactly you were being billed for?

Sure, go to your Amazon account and look at your past orders.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on June 27, 2018, 05:00:34 AM
Plus, I feel particularly uncharitable toward dogs/dog ownership simply due to the fact that other people's dogs are a recurring daily nuisance in my life. 

I think many pet owners feel largely the same way about children. Oh, I'm sure yours were little angels though. Never annoyed anyone.

Other people's kids have never kept me up all night barking, but then again other people's dogs have never toilet papered my house.

I also am feeling very uncharitable toward dogs and their owners . . . We went on a hike yesterday with our kids and encountered three dogs with their owners.  None of the three were on a leash, one of them tried to jump on us, and one of them growled at us.  (Our youngest kid is terrified of dogs because of an attack when he was two.)   Dogs are required to be on leashes in this area, and all three of the owners acted clueless, like it just doesn't apply to them or something.  WTF?  I feel like some dog owners are out in la la land.  It's really pretty simple -- Keep the god damn dogs out of our personal space and on a leash.   Otherwise, please stay at home.

I swear, the next dog that tries to jump on me is going to get a good hard kick.  Rant over. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on June 27, 2018, 06:14:29 AM
Minor rant;
I have an Amazon credit card, that I use for... buying things... on Amazon.
I REALLY wish my statement (bill) listed what I bought for each charge!!!
They don't? It doesn't? How is that even legal? That would definitely make me nuts!

I've never heard of ANY store credit card that does this.  When I use my Victoria Secret's card at VS- I don't get a list of what I bought on the statement; my Target card at Target I don't get a list of what I bought.

WHAT you bought goes on a -reciept-.  How much you spent at a specific vendor goes on the credit card statement.

It is 100% normal that the credit card says $24.99 Amazon; because you spent $24.99 at Amazon.  Your order confirmation, packing slip, order history, etc are all places you can look to see what specific items you bought.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: slackmax on June 28, 2018, 07:31:37 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? 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Bird In Hand on June 28, 2018, 08:04:56 AM
Plus, I feel particularly uncharitable toward dogs/dog ownership simply due to the fact that other people's dogs are a recurring daily nuisance in my life. 

I think many pet owners feel largely the same way about children. Oh, I'm sure yours were little angels though. Never annoyed anyone.

Most human children, even the annoying ones, will eventually get a job and start paying your social security benefits (or equivalent in non-US countries).  Many of these will become experts in their fields.  Some of them will help find cures for horrible diseases, pioneer breakthroughs in crop genetics that will prevent millions of people from starving, create enduring works of art that will be cherished by millions for generations, design your next computer, develop strategies to protect endangered species, or contribute to technologies that will allow us to discover or even spread life to planets in other solar systems.  Or maybe they'll stock shelves, bag your groceries or answer the phone when you call a 1-800 number.  Most will do some combination of creating goods and services, and creating demand for goods and services, both of which can grow the economy and ultimately enable you to FIRE.

Granted, some will be a net burden on others, commit petty or horrific crimes, or generally be of no use to anyone.  Pretty hard to determine that in advance when they're still kids though.

Dogs (as pets) delight their owners by wagging their tails, fetching a stick (some can even leap up into the air and catch a frisbee), or licking their butts and genitals followed by licking their owner's faces.  Some will piss on the rug, bite a jogger, or maul a baby to death.

Although I generally eschew snuffing out life if I can avoid it, I have no problem squishing or poisoning carpenter ants if they get into my house.  While I wouldn't physically attack my neighbor's dog even though it is driving me insane with its incessant barking, I do fantasize about it wandering away and getting lost, or getting hit by one of the many cars it chases down the road, or being eaten by a bear.  I often find other people's children to be extremely annoying (my own too, for that matter), but it would never occur to me to wish them harm.

I give human children more leeway than dogs when it comes to being annoying, simply because I think humans are far more valuable than dogs.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 28, 2018, 08:37:37 AM
Plus, I feel particularly uncharitable toward dogs/dog ownership simply due to the fact that other people's dogs are a recurring daily nuisance in my life. 

I think many pet owners feel largely the same way about children. Oh, I'm sure yours were little angels though. Never annoyed anyone.

Most human children, even the annoying ones, will eventually get a job and start paying your social security benefits (or equivalent in non-US countries).  Many of these will become experts in their fields.  Some of them will help find cures for horrible diseases, pioneer breakthroughs in crop genetics that will prevent millions of people from starving, create enduring works of art that will be cherished by millions for generations, design your next computer, develop strategies to protect endangered species, or contribute to technologies that will allow us to discover or even spread life to planets in other solar systems.  Or maybe they'll stock shelves, bag your groceries or answer the phone when you call a 1-800 number.  Most will do some combination of creating goods and services, and creating demand for goods and services, both of which can grow the economy and ultimately enable you to FIRE.

Granted, some will be a net burden on others, commit petty or horrific crimes, or generally be of no use to anyone.  Pretty hard to determine that in advance when they're still kids though.

Dogs (as pets) delight their owners by wagging their tails, fetching a stick (some can even leap up into the air and catch a frisbee), or licking their butts and genitals followed by licking their owner's faces.  Some will piss on the rug, bite a jogger, or maul a baby to death.

Although I generally eschew snuffing out life if I can avoid it, I have no problem squishing or poisoning carpenter ants if they get into my house.  While I wouldn't physically attack my neighbor's dog even though it is driving me insane with its incessant barking, I do fantasize about it wandering away and getting lost, or getting hit by one of the many cars it chases down the road, or being eaten by a bear.  I often find other people's children to be extremely annoying (my own too, for that matter), but it would never occur to me to wish them harm.

I give human children more leeway than dogs when it comes to being annoying, simply because I think humans are far more valuable than dogs.

You can thank your stupid, ignorant neighbors for letting the dog bark or for leaving it outside all day while they work. They are the problem, not the dog. The dog could be hot or cold or hungry or even sick. Maybe they want in the house and that is there only way to communicate. I would call animal control and tell them the issue. I have two house dogs and they do bark a little but when they start I put a stop to it. I do not want to listen to anyone's barking dog including mine. I do think dogs have the right to bark a little but not all day long or for hours at a time. When my dogs bark it is usually for a reason. They see a stranger walking down the road. They want to go out and do their business and not pee on the carpet. They are hungry for dinner. They are excited when a family member comes home. These are normal reasons to bark. Why do people have dogs if they are going to chain them outside day and night? What is the point?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SunshineAZ on June 28, 2018, 09:15:24 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?

I can't speak for everyone, but the windows in our house are all sizes that you cannot just buy at Home Depot or Lowes.  When we moved into our house I searched all over for blinds and eventually just ended up ordering them online.  It worked out great, I ordered samples of the material in different colors and then once I found one that matched, I measured all the windows and ordered them.  They all fit perfect and 10 years later they still look great.  They weren't all that expensive, and there was a lot more to choose from than at the local stores. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Bird In Hand on June 28, 2018, 10:37:18 AM
You can thank your stupid, ignorant neighbors for letting the dog bark or for leaving it outside all day while they work.

I "thank" them with four letter words...though mostly muttered under my breath because I want to avoid an all-out neighbor war.  Another neighbor confronted them over the dog repeatedly getting into their trash cans and making a huge mess, and the dog owners became extremely defensive and angry.  Now the same-aged kids in the two families don't even play together anymore.  It's ugly, and I want to avoid any part of that.

Quote
They are the problem, not the dog. The dog could be hot or cold or hungry or even sick. Maybe they want in the house and that is there only way to communicate.

From my perspective they're both the problem, which is what makes pet ownership (especially dog ownership) unique.  I would argue that dogs have inherently annoying behaviors like barking, biting, and digging.  So do many wild animals, but those animals are not intentionally kept within close proximity to humans, thus the impact of those behaviors are limited.  Agreed that it's selfish and stupid dog owners who tacitly condone and enable the annoying behavior to impact others.  Were it a feral dog, one could more easily (and legally) justify ending the annoying behavior with lethal means.

Quote
I would call animal control and tell them the issue.

Hah.  We've done it, and other neighbors have done it.  Totally ineffective, both in my personal experience and in talking with many others who have tried this approach.  Animal control around here seems more interested in making sure poor Fido finds his way safely home, and less interested in making sure that dog owners keep their dogs from being a danger or nuisance to others.  My wife was bit by a dog down the road while jogging.  She called animal control, who told her to call the police.  The police shrugged and said they won't do anything unless she wanted to press charges, in which case she would have to provide proof that this particular dog bit her.  They also suggested that she run on a different road.

Quote
Why do people have dogs if they are going to chain them outside day and night? What is the point?

That's a good question, but who said anything about chaining up dogs?  My neighbors presumably keep their dog in the house sometimes, but much of the time it roams free lately.  Including overnight.  Yes, I recently discovered that they leave their dog out at night to roam where it pleases.  No fences.  Bears in the woods.  A highway within roaming distance.  Arg, some people are almost as stupid as dogs.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on June 28, 2018, 10:56:45 AM
I still say the owners are ignorant ass clowns and dogs can't learn if not taught correct behaviors. Leaving the dog to roam at night or any time of the day is  illegal in my town.

I also had an ass clown neighbor years ago who would let their dog roam. I had shouting matches with them. The man was one of those know it all types that could have stood out in the yard 24 hours a day and argued the sky was purple and the grass was blue. He thought he was always right and he did damn well what he wanted. That included not licensing his dog, letting his dog roam and crap in my yard and other neighbors, and his dog had been hit by a car a few times. No biggie to these people. I called Animal Control and they told me to call the next time the dog was out roaming and I did. They went right to the house and demanded to see the dog and they tried to lie and say the dog was in the house and it wasn't. They got fined something like $95 for unlicensed dog and no tags and shots not up to date. I had to sign the complaint. It still didn't stop this behavior but it slowed it a bit. Finally these JERKS moved after they were foreclosed on their house. Mr. Smarty Pants lived in that house for over 35 years and lost it. You'd think since he was so smart he would have paid it off by then.

Well behaved dogs do not miraculously happen when you have idiot jerks for owners.

You obviously are not a dog owner or lover but I am and know good dogs don't train themselves. Why this JERK wanted a dog that he didn't take care of is beyond me. I am SO glad he lost his house and was forced to move.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: The 585 on June 29, 2018, 08:44:40 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 30, 2018, 02:05:20 AM
My Costco Visa (Citibank) doesn’t itemize my purchases at Costco, either. Like you, I’m fine with Citi not getting that info.
I'm confused. Costco is a single vendor. Their bills do distinguish warehouse vs. gas purchases,  for example. But Amazon pulls from a huge number of vendors.

Well sort of. It's a mix of the two, as far as the Credit Card Company is concerned all payments are processed by Amazon. It has no idea if Amazon shipped you something directly or if Amazon sent a portion of that payment over to some 3rd party and they shipped you something out of their garage.

Is there no way to tell if you ordered a garage door opener or a par of shoes or some lids for mason jars, all from different sources?  How would one know if the were under/over charged or what, exactly you were being billed for?

Sure, go to your Amazon account and look at your past orders.
Ah, that's it! I haven't got one. If i need something (which isn't often), my bonus kid has student prime. Boom.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on June 30, 2018, 09:09:35 AM
I don't get people who pierce their babies' ears. A needless expense and hassle, a big commitment to keeping it clean, and surely easy for them to hurt themselves. And you've committed your BABY to have holes in its ears for life!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on June 30, 2018, 09:19:06 AM
I don't get people who pierce their babies' ears. A needless expense and hassle, a big commitment to keeping it clean, and surely easy for them to hurt themselves. And you've committed your BABY to have holes in its ears for life!

I agree -- it seems odd to me too.  I believe it is customary in some cultures though.  I have a friend who's Peruvian, but she gave birth to her daughter here in a US hospital.  She says took it for granted that the hospital would pierce the baby's ears before they left.  (Kind of like in some cultures, some people just automatically have their son's foreskin cut off before he leaves the hospital).  My friend says she was surprised when the nurses told her "We don't do that here." 


Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GreenSheep on June 30, 2018, 09:59:10 AM
I don't get people who pierce their babies' ears. A needless expense and hassle, a big commitment to keeping it clean, and surely easy for them to hurt themselves. And you've committed your BABY to have holes in its ears for life!

I agree -- it seems odd to me too.  I believe it is customary in some cultures though.  I have a friend who's Peruvian, but she gave birth to her daughter here in a US hospital.  She says took it for granted that the hospital would pierce the baby's ears before they left.  (Kind of like in some cultures, for some people, you just automatically have your son's foreskin cut off before he leaves the hospital).  My friend says she was surprised when the nurses told her "We don't do that here."

I wish my parents had known her when I was a kid! They made me wait till the ripe old age (and maturity level...) of FIVE to get my ears pierced. Now that I've grown up, though, it does seem that this sort of decision should be left until the owner of the ears is able to make his/her own well-considered decision. I haven't worn earrings in years... so all that hassle was for nothing.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on June 30, 2018, 10:04:23 AM
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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on June 30, 2018, 10:49:00 AM
I don't get people who pierce their babies' ears. A needless expense and hassle, a big commitment to keeping it clean, and surely easy for them to hurt themselves. And you've committed your BABY to have holes in its ears for life!

I agree -- it seems odd to me too.  I believe it is customary in some cultures though.  I have a friend who's Peruvian, but she gave birth to her daughter here in a US hospital.  She says took it for granted that the hospital would pierce the baby's ears before they left.  (Kind of like in some cultures, for some people, you just automatically have your son's foreskin cut off before he leaves the hospital).  My friend says she was surprised when the nurses told her "We don't do that here."

I wish my parents had known her when I was a kid! They made me wait till the ripe old age (and maturity level...) of FIVE to get my ears pierced. Now that I've grown up, though, it does seem that this sort of decision should be left until the owner of the ears is able to make his/her own well-considered decision. I haven't worn earrings in years... so all that hassle was for nothing.

I got them around the age of 7, after nagging my mum about it for what seemed like years. Although I rarely wear earrings these days, I never regretted getting them. I vividly remember wanting them for a long time and I was so happy when I got them. I really felt like a Big Girl and until my mid-teens I always wore them. There's a little visible hole on my earlobe when I don't wear earrings, but it doesn't bother me at all.

That doesn't mean I get people piercing very young children's ears though. Lots of people around here do it and I've been told they prefer to do it in newborns because they're so young they're not touching their ears during the healing process. If you wait until the babies are a little older, they start pulling their earrings. Still that's a really bad reason to pierce a young baby's ears. My fiance and I have agreed that we won't pierce our kid's ears until they start asking for it and are aware of the consequences. We have agreed that we'll treat boys and girls equally, which is important to us, but I secretly hate earrings in little boys.... so I hope they'll never ask. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: PoutineLover on June 30, 2018, 10:53:05 AM
I really wanted my ears pierced around 7 or so but I was scared, so my uncle brought me and got his pierced too. It was a fun bonding experience. I would never pierce a baby's ears, it should be their choice. I'd also never circumcise a baby unless it was medically necessary either. Tradition or religion aren't sufficient reasons for me.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on June 30, 2018, 12:18:38 PM
I wish my parents had known her when I was a kid! They made me wait till the ripe old age (and maturity level...) of FIVE to get my ears pierced. Now that I've grown up, though, it does seem that this sort of decision should be left until the owner of the ears is able to make his/her own well-considered decision. I haven't worn earrings in years... so all that hassle was for nothing.

My parents didn't even mention it around me until I was old enough to want it done, which was when I was 5 and my best friend had just had hers done. We had a little talk about what it would mean to keep the piercings clean and not take out the studs, and then I had it done. My only memory of the procedure was picking out studs with little pink stones, which was fun. I'm still using those piercings 35 years later, whereas the second set I had done at age 14 had closed up by my 16th birthday (although I'm thinking of having them redone).

Babies flail and fuss so much that I can't imagine trying to keep those piercings clean (especially if you have a baby who spits up frequently, as that goes everywhere).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Antonn Park on June 30, 2018, 04:51:38 PM
Avocado toast
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on June 30, 2018, 05:57:53 PM
Avocado toast

Yeah, I love avocado but I would much rather slice it and stuff it in a tortilla with scrambled egg and salsa.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Cranky on June 30, 2018, 06:50:15 PM
I don't get people who pierce their babies' ears. A needless expense and hassle, a big commitment to keeping it clean, and surely easy for them to hurt themselves. And you've committed your BABY to have holes in its ears for life!

So we were living in Miami when my first was born, and I'm pretty sure that at the time EVERY baby girl in Dade County had her ears pierced. Some of them were possibly born with them already pierced. ;-) Everybody we met asked, "When are you getting her ears pierced??"

So, I figured, what the heck. We had them pierced by the pediatrician, and I swear to you that she complained because I held her hands still, but did not so much as flinch when the piercing was done (and she was generally a screamer.)

She didn't mess with them and they healed up fine, and her ears are still pierced 30 years later.

However, I did not enjoy trying to change earrings in little girls' ears, and so my other two girls had to wait until they were 10yo for pierced ears.

I am sure that part of my decision was that my own mother wouldn't let me get my ears pierced on the grounds that she thought it looked "trashy", and I was a bit bitter. ;-)

Anyway, another perspective - it really was no big deal from the baby's point of view.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on June 30, 2018, 06:58:51 PM
I had to wait until I was 12. We spent summers in Mexico, so I had it done at the hospital for tourists. IIRC, one of my sibs was getting something stitched up. My mom asked if they pierced ears, they said yes and quoted a very nominal price, like five bucks. I had to pay for it out of my alllowance, which was fine with me.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: penguintroopers on June 30, 2018, 07:33:32 PM
I hate it when I’m shopping online and I click on a picture to make it bigger and the “enlarged” picture is smaller than the orginal photo I was looking at.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Proud Foot on July 01, 2018, 10:33:05 AM
Avocado toast

Which part don't you get? I really like avocado toast, good multigrain bread, avocado, fried egg, and topped with sauteed onion and bell pepper. I don't get paying $10 for it at a restaurant though!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BookLoverL on July 01, 2018, 02:37:56 PM
I don't really like avocados at all myself, but I think that's because here in England, due to them having to be shipped from wherever hot place it is they actually grow, the progression of an avocado in your cupboard generally goes something like this: unripe -> unripe -> unripe -> unripe -> ripe and edible for one moment that you inevitably miss because you weren't paying attention and you went out or were asleep or something -> black.

Maybe I'd get avocados if I tried one in a place where they actually grow, and are therefore freshly picked at just the right time.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on July 01, 2018, 03:23:42 PM
Yum - I love avocadoes.  I agree that you have to avoid the out of season ones that go from rock hard to too mushy in half a day.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on July 01, 2018, 06:46:18 PM
I don't really like avocados at all myself, but I think that's because here in England, due to them having to be shipped from wherever hot place it is they actually grow, the progression of an avocado in your cupboard generally goes something like this: unripe -> unripe -> unripe -> unripe -> ripe and edible for one moment that you inevitably miss because you weren't paying attention and you went out or were asleep or something -> black.

Maybe I'd get avocados if I tried one in a place where they actually grow, and are therefore freshly picked at just the right time.
Nope, avocados don't work that way. They are rock-hard when they're picked and must be left to ripen on the counter, typically at home. I did just learn that they can be refrigerated once they get soft, which will hold them for another couple of days. They will not ripen if refrigerated, so it makes sense that refrigerating them stops the ripening process. Ah, but a perfectly ripe avo is a little slice of heaven!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: runbikerun on July 02, 2018, 02:46:14 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on July 02, 2018, 05:51:18 AM
Peaches can be the same way.  It must be how they're handling them in the grocery stores or in shipping. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 02, 2018, 06:56:00 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: wenchsenior 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Helvegen on July 02, 2018, 08:05:43 AM
I don't  get smoothies.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on July 02, 2018, 12:07:09 PM
I don't  get smoothies.

Have you tried avocado smoothies?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Bendigirl 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle 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
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar 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
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: funobtainium 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Morning Glory 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Just Joe 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-
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Just Joe 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...")
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Raymond Reddington 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey 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!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma 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...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Miss Piggy 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog 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. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog 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.  ;)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: bluebelle 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
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Raymond Reddington 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar 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
(https://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/c711730402cc3beb_4-1875/home-design.jpg)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen 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
(https://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/c711730402cc3beb_4-1875/home-design.jpg)

I like the look of that, but wouldn't want a whole fence. A single wall as a design feature seems reasonable.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma 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.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Miss Piggy 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?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey 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?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: highplainsdrifter 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle 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.     
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Adam Zapple 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Brother Esau on July 10, 2018, 08:08:36 AM
I don't get why people don't understand and do this.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: wenchsenior 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. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SweetTPi 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Raymond Reddington 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar 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
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: APowers 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog 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! 

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Nicholas Carter 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Bird In Hand 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).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Raenia 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle 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.  :)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle 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?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 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?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog 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.  :) 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Bird In Hand 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.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Bird In Hand on July 11, 2018, 08:50:09 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.

Understood that you don't want the bugs in your house.  I might shed a tear for the death of the useful spider who gallantly captures and eats the other pests (including spiders! :D ), but I admit I can't really abide stink bugs inside my house either.  They seem to reproduce in very large numbers, and I consider them an unacceptable nuisance indoors.

FYI carpenter bees are almost completely harmless to your health -- but unfortunately they can be destructive to your home/porch/deck.  The males have aggressive behavior, but no stinger.  The females have stingers but only seem to use them as a last resort when you attempt to mess with their nests.  I have plans to mess with the cavities they're trying to drill in my porch, and if this means I have to kill some, so be it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on July 11, 2018, 09:10:06 AM
When will Americans realize that cemeteries are not sustainable?
I think it's happening, at least on the West Coast. However, my aunt was buried in the Family Plot at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, MA last year. Amazing place with a fascinating history. Worth a Google search.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: wenchsenior on July 11, 2018, 09:11:37 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.

Understood that you don't want the bugs in your house.  I might shed a tear for the death of the useful spider who gallantly captures and eats the other pests (including spiders! :D ), but I admit I can't really abide stink bugs inside my house either.  They seem to reproduce in very large numbers, and I consider them an unacceptable nuisance indoors.

FYI carpenter bees are almost completely harmless to your health -- but unfortunately they can be destructive to your home/porch/deck.  The males have aggressive behavior, but no stinger.  The females have stingers but only seem to use them as a last resort when you attempt to mess with their nests.  I have plans to mess with the cavities they're trying to drill in my porch, and if this means I have to kill some, so be it.

Not to mention that bees are incredibly important as pollinators, and bee populations have been in very big trouble in the past decade.  Please let the bees alone unless you have a life threatening allergy.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 11, 2018, 09:29:41 AM
Carpenter bees are destructive and hover around your body/head. I don't think they are great pollinators. We do not bother the normal bees. Wasps, yes if they will not stop buzzing us. We also had some kind of ground hornets. We had a mason doing some work and he got stung. He sprayed them with wasp spray and burned the ground. No, not playing little games with these nasties.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Bird In Hand on July 11, 2018, 10:30:16 AM
Not to mention that bees are incredibly important as pollinators, and bee populations have been in very big trouble in the past decade.  Please let the bees alone unless you have a life threatening allergy or they are causing significant property damage.

FTFY  :P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on July 11, 2018, 10:42:15 AM
I operate a "people live inside, animals live outside" policy. I also have what I would describe as an excessively exaggerated startle reaction. There is something about sudden movements, especially flapping, that flicks some kind of primal fear switch inside my head. I am happy in principle for someone else to catch and release anything (except gross flies) inside the house, but I just cannot attempt to catch anything that is flapping or scuttling without totally freaking out. It's embarrassing. The most I can manage is to drop a heavy book on it or bludgeon it to death with a large newspaper while screaming.

I remember calling a neighbour in our old flat because a pigeon somehow got in through a slightly-open window. All I had to do was to open all the windows wide and retreat until it flew out but every time it flapped my lizard brain kicked in and I suddenly found myself screaming and running out the door. Then I would turn into a grownup woman again, regroup, and plan to go in and open just one of the many windows. OH NO IT'S FLAPPING RUN RUN RUN oh wait I'm outside again and the windows are still closed. So I got our neighbour and he brought a box to catch it in. I thought he was insane. But he just walked calmly over to it, opened the window it was sitting next to (it flapped and I ran out the room) and it flew away. I was very very embarrassed. He was very very kind about it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on July 11, 2018, 10:49:33 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 don't get cemeteries either. Growing up my Mom always told me "the land is for the living".

We need to decide what to do with my son's ashes. I feel like it is weird to have an urn on my husband's bedside table for the next 40+ years. But it also it hurts to think about getting rid of them.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Retyrebye50 on July 11, 2018, 10:50:54 AM
I don't get:

Not using a turn signal

Tailgating someone when you can clearly see the posted speed limit

A front license plate in Ohio, no front license plates in other states

Tattoos

Large ear lobe hole prepping (not sure how to explain that one)

Not cleaning up after your pet in someone elses yard

Black Friday

Store sales on Thanksgiving

People of Walmart

Not listening to your parents

Not respecting your elders

Facebooking all day

The hole in a donut or bagel

Extreme volume blaring from your automobile



Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 11, 2018, 10:52:50 AM
I operate a "people live inside, animals live outside" policy. I also have what I would describe as an excessively exaggerated startle reaction. There is something about sudden movements, especially flapping, that flicks some kind of primal fear switch inside my head. I am happy in principle for someone else to catch and release anything (except gross flies) inside the house, but I just cannot attempt to catch anything that is flapping or scuttling without totally freaking out. It's embarrassing. The most I can manage is to drop a heavy book on it or bludgeon it to death with a large newspaper while screaming.

I remember calling a neighbour in our old flat because a pigeon somehow got in through a slightly-open window. All I had to do was to open all the windows wide and retreat until it flew out but every time it flapped my lizard brain kicked in and I suddenly found myself screaming and running out the door. Then I would turn into a grownup woman again, regroup, and plan to go in and open just one of the many windows. OH NO IT'S FLAPPING RUN RUN RUN oh wait I'm outside again and the windows are still closed. So I got our neighbour and he brought a box to catch it in. I thought he was insane. But he just walked calmly over to it, opened the window it was sitting next to (it flapped and I ran out the room) and it flew away. I was very very embarrassed. He was very very kind about it.

Do cats and dogs fit into the category of animals belong outside. Because that is one thing I don't get is why people have animals only to subject them to excessive heat, excessive cold, rain, fleas, ticks and a life of total discomfort and suffering. What is the point of animal ownership/companionship if you leave them outside to suffer?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RWD on July 11, 2018, 11:00:07 AM
A front license plate in Ohio, no front license plates in other states

The majority of states (31) require a front license plate. I also really don't like it, though thankfully the last two states we've lived in didn't require it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Raenia on July 11, 2018, 11:02:45 AM
I don't get:

The hole in a donut or bagel

I was told the hole in a bagel originated because bagel sellers would carry them on sticks.  A quick google shows that is probably not the case, though.

Quote
As to why the hole in the first place: It allows the bagel to cook faster, since there is a greater surface area for the volume of dough. It also means that you get more crust for the same amount of dough. And then there is the intrinsic attraction of the ring shape. It’s a draw for children, both because it is easy to grasp and because you can play with it.
https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/02/answers-about-the-history-of-the-bagel/
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on July 11, 2018, 11:07:43 AM
I operate a "people live inside, animals live outside" policy. I also have what I would describe as an excessively exaggerated startle reaction. There is something about sudden movements, especially flapping, that flicks some kind of primal fear switch inside my head. I am happy in principle for someone else to catch and release anything (except gross flies) inside the house, but I just cannot attempt to catch anything that is flapping or scuttling without totally freaking out. It's embarrassing. The most I can manage is to drop a heavy book on it or bludgeon it to death with a large newspaper while screaming.

I remember calling a neighbour in our old flat because a pigeon somehow got in through a slightly-open window. All I had to do was to open all the windows wide and retreat until it flew out but every time it flapped my lizard brain kicked in and I suddenly found myself screaming and running out the door. Then I would turn into a grownup woman again, regroup, and plan to go in and open just one of the many windows. OH NO IT'S FLAPPING RUN RUN RUN oh wait I'm outside again and the windows are still closed. So I got our neighbour and he brought a box to catch it in. I thought he was insane. But he just walked calmly over to it, opened the window it was sitting next to (it flapped and I ran out the room) and it flew away. I was very very embarrassed. He was very very kind about it.

Do cats and dogs fit into the category of animals belong outside. Because that is one thing I don't get is why people have animals only to subject them to excessive heat, excessive cold, rain, fleas, ticks and a life of total discomfort and suffering. What is the point of animal ownership/companionship if you leave them outside to suffer?

Pets are graciously upgraded from animals to honorary people.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on July 11, 2018, 11:36:28 AM

Do cats and dogs fit into the category of animals belong outside. Because that is one thing I don't get is why people have animals only to subject them to excessive heat, excessive cold, rain, fleas, ticks and a life of total discomfort and suffering. What is the point of animal ownership/companionship if you leave them outside to suffer?

Curious why you make the assumption that animals that evolved to live outside are "suffering" when you....allow them to live outside.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Raenia on July 11, 2018, 12:08:20 PM

Do cats and dogs fit into the category of animals belong outside. Because that is one thing I don't get is why people have animals only to subject them to excessive heat, excessive cold, rain, fleas, ticks and a life of total discomfort and suffering. What is the point of animal ownership/companionship if you leave them outside to suffer?

Curious why you make the assumption that animals that evolved to live outside are "suffering" when you....allow them to live outside.

Pretty sure Corgis, Yorkie-poos, etc were not evolved to live outside.  They were selectively bred, by humans, to be 'adorable' and significantly less capable of surviving without human protection.  Cats are closer to the line, but I've seen plenty of long hair breeds that are incapable of grooming themselves without human assistance.

On topic, I do not understand 'designer dogs.'
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Davnasty on July 11, 2018, 12:12:14 PM

Do cats and dogs fit into the category of animals belong outside. Because that is one thing I don't get is why people have animals only to subject them to excessive heat, excessive cold, rain, fleas, ticks and a life of total discomfort and suffering. What is the point of animal ownership/companionship if you leave them outside to suffer?

Curious why you make the assumption that animals that evolved to live outside are "suffering" when you....allow them to live outside.
As long as they can access shelter, shade, and water outside, they're fine. I think indoor cats suffer more than outdoor, mentally that is.  I can't imagine my whole world being a few rooms.

Not that I think either is that bad. As long as you give the indoor ones enough attention they seem pretty happy to eat, sleep, and play.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 11, 2018, 12:41:03 PM
But what is the point of having a dog chained to a dog house 24 hours a day. Why would anyone want that? I don't think any animal can adapt to living in the blazing sun or freezing snow. Most people have animals for companionship and enjoyment not to be forgotten in the back yard.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on July 11, 2018, 12:49:42 PM
But what is the point of having a dog chained to a dog house 24 hours a day. Why would anyone want that? I don't think any animal can adapt to living in the blazing sun or freezing snow. Most people have animals for companionship and enjoyment not to be forgotten in the back yard.

Why do you make an assumption that a dog kept outside is forgotten? 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 11, 2018, 01:06:04 PM
Seen plenty of dogs chained to dog houses 24 hours a day and no humans around. Dogs pace and pace all day and howl from lack of companionship, discomfort, boredom.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on July 11, 2018, 01:07:09 PM
Seen plenty of dogs chained to dog houses 24 hours a day and no humans around. Dogs pace and pace all day and howl from lack of companionship, discomfort, boredom.

I've seen plenty of dogs that live outside with loving owners who spend plenty of times with them.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 11, 2018, 01:08:38 PM
Very rare to see that. Contact your local Animal Welfare and see how many dogs are not so lucky.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Davnasty on July 11, 2018, 02:27:41 PM
Very rare to see that. Contact your local Animal Welfare and see how many dogs are not so lucky.

"I don't get it." What?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ChpBstrd on July 11, 2018, 09:02:32 PM
Explanations of Benefits - not a final settlement, not a bill, no action to take, not even worth filing because the information is useless. Just an extra couple dollars added to the cost of each and every healthcare service.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on July 12, 2018, 04:24:25 AM
Explanations of Benefits - not a final settlement, not a bill, no action to take, not even worth filing because the information is useless. Just an extra couple dollars added to the cost of each and every healthcare service.

Amen.  I work in health care, and the theory with EOBs is that they keep the insurer accountable to the subscriber/patient -- i.e. you can check to see that they paid what they were supposed to on a claim.  But the insurers aren't required to make them readable and easy to understand, so they don't.  (As a cynic, I could add that it is in the interest of a commercial insurance company to keep its subscribers in the dark).  The average EOB is useless to 99% of us.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Anon in Alaska on July 12, 2018, 06:14:05 AM
I don't get:

The hole in a donut or bagel

The hole is there so the middle is not raw. It's a heat transfer during baking issue.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Bearblastbeats on July 12, 2018, 06:43:15 AM
I don't get tattoos.

They're expensive, and almost guaranteed to create buyer's remorse at some point in the future. If they're visible, they can affect one's career path due to other's subconscious biases. And of course there is still the risk of contracting hepatitis C from getting one, although I believe this has been greatly reduced recent years.


Ditto.

And why are most of them ugly?
Same here tattoos.  Most are hideous and even the non-hideous ones become hideous after 10+ years.  Also I can't imagine choosing something now and then having to 'wear' it forever.  I look back on my fashion sense 20 years ago and cringe.  Lucky I didn't get a tattoo.

I'm covered in tattoos. Think of it this way.

I spent most of my 20's getting tattoos as mementos for things I was going through in life. I can look at them and remember where I was, and who I was then, and look forward to the person I became/becoming. They are not bad jail tattoos or anything, most of them are from actual famed artists. one of my sleeves is the cover art work from a progressive rock band named Mastodon, the album is called Leviathan and pictorially shows Moby Dick and Captain Ahab, and some other creatures. It represents the hunt and hunger for adventure, how we chase our dreams in life. I chase my dreams of music and engineering, Ahab chased the great white whale. Another tattoo I have is a antiquated hammer with "MOM" written in the head of the hammer. Sometimes I joke when people ask what it means by saying my mom just liked to get hammered, but in actuality the hammer represents strength in England, my mother who was English, was the strongest and most intelligent woman I've ever known. She passed ten years ago to stage 4 brain cancer and this was my tribute to her, for being a tough hardcore woman.

I could have spent the same amount of money, maybe more, maybe less, and bought a framed picture of them and hung them on my wall. They would sit there, collect dust, and eventually be damaged or replaced or just not be visible to anyone outside my house. Or, I could carry them everywhere I go, and when I pass they go with me.

I do agree some tattoos look terrible and dumb people get dumb tattoos but when you immerse yourself in the subculture and appreciate the artwork and talent from it its more than just wasting money.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BuildingFrugalHabits on July 12, 2018, 06:56:52 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.



I will usually go out of my way to avoid killing if I can i.e. moving a spider outside, using non-lethal mousetraps etc. 

My turn: I don't get using disposal plates, cups and utensils at dine-in establishments.  Is it really more efficient to manage all the waste generated by single use vs. throwing it in a dishwasher and reusing it?

Waste aside, I'd rather use a metal fork and real plate vs. plastic and styrofoam. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on July 12, 2018, 06:58:28 AM
I operate a "people live inside, animals live outside" policy. I also have what I would describe as an excessively exaggerated startle reaction. There is something about sudden movements, especially flapping, that flicks some kind of primal fear switch inside my head. I am happy in principle for someone else to catch and release anything (except gross flies) inside the house, but I just cannot attempt to catch anything that is flapping or scuttling without totally freaking out. It's embarrassing. The most I can manage is to drop a heavy book on it or bludgeon it to death with a large newspaper while screaming.

I remember calling a neighbour in our old flat because a pigeon somehow got in through a slightly-open window. All I had to do was to open all the windows wide and retreat until it flew out but every time it flapped my lizard brain kicked in and I suddenly found myself screaming and running out the door. Then I would turn into a grownup woman again, regroup, and plan to go in and open just one of the many windows. OH NO IT'S FLAPPING RUN RUN RUN oh wait I'm outside again and the windows are still closed. So I got our neighbour and he brought a box to catch it in. I thought he was insane. But he just walked calmly over to it, opened the window it was sitting next to (it flapped and I ran out the room) and it flew away. I was very very embarrassed. He was very very kind about it.

Thank you for this, @shelivesthedream.   I don't have that same fear response, but might act exactly the same way if I did.  You did a great job describing it, and this helps me understand some behaviors that are otherwise puzzling.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Warlord1986 on July 12, 2018, 07:47:51 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.  :)

You're my kinda guy. My will will have a stipulation that my heirs must throw a party with mead drunk from horn cups.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Morning Glory on July 12, 2018, 08:42:55 AM
Explanations of Benefits - not a final settlement, not a bill, no action to take, not even worth filing because the information is useless. Just an extra couple dollars added to the cost of each and every healthcare service.

Amen.  I work in health care, and the theory with EOBs is that they keep the insurer accountable to the subscriber/patient -- i.e. you can check to see that they paid what they were supposed to on a claim.  But the insurers aren't required to make them readable and easy to understand, so they don't.  (As a cynic, I could add that it is in the interest of a commercial insurance company to keep its subscribers in the dark).  The average EOB is useless to 99% of us.

I actually need them to submit for FSA reimbursement. I actually have to wait for the EOB, take a screenshot of it, and submit it with my form to a different sections of THE SAME INSURANCE COMPANY's website.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Proud Foot on July 12, 2018, 10:00:26 AM
Explanations of Benefits - not a final settlement, not a bill, no action to take, not even worth filing because the information is useless. Just an extra couple dollars added to the cost of each and every healthcare service.

Amen.  I work in health care, and the theory with EOBs is that they keep the insurer accountable to the subscriber/patient -- i.e. you can check to see that they paid what they were supposed to on a claim.  But the insurers aren't required to make them readable and easy to understand, so they don't.  (As a cynic, I could add that it is in the interest of a commercial insurance company to keep its subscribers in the dark).  The average EOB is useless to 99% of us.

I actually need them to submit for FSA reimbursement. I actually have to wait for the EOB, take a screenshot of it, and submit it with my form to a different sections of THE SAME INSURANCE COMPANY's website.

Talk with your HR department about this and ask for them to allow claims crossover. (not sure if this is the term your insurance will use, it is what my work calls it)  My work has this option but you have to sign up for it during our annual enrollment period. We are given the option to sign up for it so anytime there is an EOB through our insurance it will automatically be sent to the FSA and paid out if there are funds available in my FSA. I believe this restriction and requirement to opt in has to do with HIPAA.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on July 12, 2018, 11:44:30 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.  :)

I have actually read research that claimed cremation was actually less sustainable than burial because of the CO2 released through the cremation process (used to work in the funeral business). I think it would have a big environmental impact if Americans stopped embalming their dead. That's a bunch of nasty chemicals you're putting in the ground or the air.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on July 12, 2018, 11:51:48 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.  :)

I have actually read research that claimed cremation was actually less sustainable than burial because of the CO2 released through the cremation process (used to work in the funeral business). I think it would have a big environmental impact if Americans stopped embalming their dead. That's a bunch of nasty chemicals you're putting in the ground or the air.

Not to mention the other burial costs . . .
- casket materials/energy
- tombstone/grave marker materials/energy
- land wasted by burying people in it
- energy wasted maintaining land with people buried
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Proud Foot on July 12, 2018, 01:04:07 PM
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.  :)

I have actually read research that claimed cremation was actually less sustainable than burial because of the CO2 released through the cremation process (used to work in the funeral business). I think it would have a big environmental impact if Americans stopped embalming their dead. That's a bunch of nasty chemicals you're putting in the ground or the air.

Not to mention the other burial costs . . .
- casket materials/energy
- tombstone/grave marker materials/energy
- land wasted by burying people in it
- energy wasted maintaining land with people buried

I personally like the idea of  natural burial (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_burial).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on July 12, 2018, 02:35:25 PM
In all honesty, the whole concept of being embalmed is something I don't really get.  When you're dead, why don't you want to return to the natural cycle of things on Earth as soon as possible?  I want bugs to eat me, flowers to use me as fertilizer, and my dust to blow across the fields . . . not being pumped full of poisons in a hermetically sealed box so that I can dry rot.

People are often pretty weird in general, but burial customs are particularly strange.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Davnasty on July 12, 2018, 02:49:19 PM
In all honesty, the whole concept of being embalmed is something I don't really get.  When you're dead, why don't you want to return to the natural cycle of things on Earth as soon as possible?  I want bugs to eat me, flowers to use me as fertilizer, and my dust to blow across the fields . . . not being pumped full of poisons in a hermetically sealed box so that I can dry rot.

People are often pretty weird in general, but burial customs are particularly strange.

You might prefer a Tibetan sky burial. The deceased is placed on a mountaintop to be taken away by scavenging birds.

Be careful if you search for videos, they're a bit graphic.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on July 12, 2018, 04:14:08 PM
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.  :)

I have actually read research that claimed cremation was actually less sustainable than burial because of the CO2 released through the cremation process (used to work in the funeral business). I think it would have a big environmental impact if Americans stopped embalming their dead. That's a bunch of nasty chemicals you're putting in the ground or the air.

Nothing is sustainable.  The universe will eventually die a heat death.  Viking funerals for all.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on July 12, 2018, 06:02:07 PM
Why are Americans embalmed?! To me that's either movie star, zombie or mummy territory.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Raymond Reddington on July 12, 2018, 10:04:12 PM
People with craptastic cars with custom exhausts. Nothing wrong with saving money by getting a crappy car, but why waste money on a stupid custom exhaust so it "sounds cool?" It's still a Honda Civic, just embrace the Civic experience in all its drab, compact glory, and save your money for something else.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on July 13, 2018, 07:17:13 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.  :)

I have actually read research that claimed cremation was actually less sustainable than burial because of the CO2 released through the cremation process (used to work in the funeral business). I think it would have a big environmental impact if Americans stopped embalming their dead. That's a bunch of nasty chemicals you're putting in the ground or the air.

Nothing is sustainable.  The universe will eventually die a heat death.  Viking funerals for all.

Heat death means that there's not going to be enough energy for a funeral pyre.  :(
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on July 13, 2018, 07:28:02 AM
Why are Americans embalmed?! To me that's either movie star, zombie or mummy territory.

I assume for open casket funerals?

Do they still do it if there isn't a viewing?  But are there not viewings in other countries? And they don't embalm there?

I'm so confused.

I have cremation in my will. I guess I need to specify no embalming?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Miss Piggy on July 13, 2018, 08:34:35 AM
People with craptastic cars with custom exhausts. Nothing wrong with saving money by getting a crappy car, but why waste money on a stupid custom exhaust so it "sounds cool?" It's still a Honda Civic, just embrace the Civic experience in all its drab, compact glory, and save your money for something else.

OMG...have you seen the website shittycarmods?  Well, I thought I remembered it as a website, but I just googled it, and it looks like it might be a reddit page. Some really great shitty mods on there! WTF are some people thinking?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Raymond Reddington on July 13, 2018, 11:35:49 AM
People with craptastic cars with custom exhausts. Nothing wrong with saving money by getting a crappy car, but why waste money on a stupid custom exhaust so it "sounds cool?" It's still a Honda Civic, just embrace the Civic experience in all its drab, compact glory, and save your money for something else.

OMG...have you seen the website shittycarmods?  Well, I thought I remembered it as a website, but I just googled it, and it looks like it might be a reddit page. Some really great shitty mods on there! WTF are some people thinking?

YES! Highly entertaining, for sure.

The stupidest things I've seen around here (thankfully) are antlers on cars around the holidays, and women who buy eyelashes for their headlights and lips for their front bumper. And of course the usual complement of awful vanity plates. One of my all time favorite vanity plates is the girl with Dave Matthews Band decals all over her car, who was clearly such a fan she had to buy the custom vanity plate DMBGRL. Didn't read the way she thought it did!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on July 13, 2018, 02:44:09 PM
People with craptastic cars with custom exhausts. Nothing wrong with saving money by getting a crappy car, but why waste money on a stupid custom exhaust so it "sounds cool?" It's still a Honda Civic, just embrace the Civic experience in all its drab, compact glory, and save your money for something else.

There's a Dodge Charger whose owner must work a few blocks from my office since I see/hear it all the time driving through here.  It's entertaining to watch and hear the driver gun that engine through downtown and never break 30mph.  I'm sure he tears up the highway once he gets there, but it seems like such a waste when he rolls by here.  How much extra does it cost for your car to make deafening noises?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: NorCal on July 13, 2018, 04:44:49 PM
People with craptastic cars with custom exhausts. Nothing wrong with saving money by getting a crappy car, but why waste money on a stupid custom exhaust so it "sounds cool?" It's still a Honda Civic, just embrace the Civic experience in all its drab, compact glory, and save your money for something else.

There's a Dodge Charger whose owner must work a few blocks from my office since I see/hear it all the time driving through here.  It's entertaining to watch and hear the driver gun that engine through downtown and never break 30mph.  I'm sure he tears up the highway once he gets there, but it seems like such a waste when he rolls by here.  How much extra does it cost for your car to make deafening noises?

It's even worse better here in Silicon Valley.  We get to sit in 5mph traffic with the $300K Ferrari's, McLaren's, and Audi R8's.  I had a coworker who was incredibly proud of cutting off Larry Elison's R8 while going 15mph on the 101.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Raymond Reddington on July 13, 2018, 06:35:20 PM
Reminds me of the year I ran a house painting company and just narrowly lost an impromptu race (less than 300 feet) in my 1980s Chevy G10 van to a guy in a Pontiac Firebird through moderate traffic on a 10 mile stretch of I-95. (Hint: it wasn't all about top speed). I still laugh when I think about that...I had to replace the tires that year, and they actually cost almost as much as the van did, but I couldn't afford to lose work buying a new one in a private sale and subsequently sitting at the DMV for a whole day. #600DollarCar #AllThoseYearsOfIceHockeyAndAvoidingMovingObjectsPaidOff #Iwas19
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: jeninco on July 13, 2018, 09:37:12 PM
People with craptastic cars with custom exhausts. Nothing wrong with saving money by getting a crappy car, but why waste money on a stupid custom exhaust so it "sounds cool?" It's still a Honda Civic, just embrace the Civic experience in all its drab, compact glory, and save your money for something else.

There's a Dodge Charger whose owner must work a few blocks from my office since I see/hear it all the time driving through here.  It's entertaining to watch and hear the driver gun that engine through downtown and never break 30mph.  I'm sure he tears up the highway once he gets there, but it seems like such a waste when he rolls by here.  How much extra does it cost for your car to make deafening noises?

It's even worse better here in Silicon Valley.  We get to sit in 5mph traffic with the $300K Ferrari's, McLaren's, and Audi R8's.  I had a coworker who was incredibly proud of cutting off Larry Elison's R8 while going 15mph on the 101.

My kid had a great story about passing a lovely yellow Ferrari Testarossa. While he was on his bike, and it was stuck in traffic :^)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: runbikerun on July 14, 2018, 12:46:05 AM
People with craptastic cars with custom exhausts. Nothing wrong with saving money by getting a crappy car, but why waste money on a stupid custom exhaust so it "sounds cool?" It's still a Honda Civic, just embrace the Civic experience in all its drab, compact glory, and save your money for something else.

There's a Dodge Charger whose owner must work a few blocks from my office since I see/hear it all the time driving through here.  It's entertaining to watch and hear the driver gun that engine through downtown and never break 30mph.  I'm sure he tears up the highway once he gets there, but it seems like such a waste when he rolls by here.  How much extra does it cost for your car to make deafening noises?

It's even worse better here in Silicon Valley.  We get to sit in 5mph traffic with the $300K Ferrari's, McLaren's, and Audi R8's.  I had a coworker who was incredibly proud of cutting off Larry Elison's R8 while going 15mph on the 101.

My kid had a great story about passing a lovely yellow Ferrari Testarossa. While he was on his bike, and it was stuck in traffic :^)

I used to pass an Aston Martin DB9 at the same time every day on the way home from work. It usually took half the journey home for the car to catch me and pass me out.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: iluvzbeach on July 15, 2018, 07:57:19 AM
I don’t get people who complain and complain and complain, but won’t either do anything on their own or take advice to do anything that would help them address their woes.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on July 15, 2018, 11:20:31 AM
I don’t get people who complain and complain and complain, but won’t either do anything on their own or take advice to do anything that would help them address their woes.
Complaining isn’t doing something?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: EricL on July 15, 2018, 09:40:47 PM
I don’t get people who complain and complain and complain, but won’t either do anything on their own or take advice to do anything that would help them address their woes.
Complaining isn’t doing something?

Nothing constructive.  It wastes a lot of energy that could be better spent and self conditions you to be a victim.  If you can do something about a problem, do it and expend your energy there.  If you can't, suck it up until you can find a solution or an out. 

- former complaintmeister
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: iluvzbeach on July 15, 2018, 09:58:24 PM
I don’t get people who complain and complain and complain, but won’t either do anything on their own or take advice to do anything that would help them address their woes.
Complaining isn’t doing something?

Nothing constructive.  It wastes a lot of energy that could be better spent and self conditions you to be a victim.  If you can do something about a problem, do it and expend your energy there.  If you can't, suck it up until you can find a solution or an out. 

- former complaintmeister

@EricL My point exactly. Thank you for adding detail to make it more clear to someone who didn’t “get it.”
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on July 15, 2018, 10:09:12 PM
I don’t get people who complain and complain and complain, but won’t either do anything on their own or take advice to do anything that would help them address their woes.
Complaining isn’t doing something?

Nothing constructive.  It wastes a lot of energy that could be better spent and self conditions you to be a victim.  If you can do something about a problem, do it and expend your energy there.  If you can't, suck it up until you can find a solution or an out. 

- former complaintmeister

@EricL My point exactly. Thank you for adding detail to make it more clear to someone who didn’t “get it.”

Complaining is great mental relief.  I can't tell you how many times complaining has saved a life
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on July 16, 2018, 12:51:46 AM
I don’t get people who complain and complain and complain, but won’t either do anything on their own or take advice to do anything that would help them address their woes.
Complaining isn’t doing something?

Nothing constructive.  It wastes a lot of energy that could be better spent and self conditions you to be a victim.  If you can do something about a problem, do it and expend your energy there.  If you can't, suck it up until you can find a solution or an out. 

- former complaintmeister

@EricL My point exactly. Thank you for adding detail to make it more clear to someone who didn’t “get it.”

Complaining is great mental relief.  I can't tell you how many times complaining has saved a life

Agreed. The anti-complainers are the same folk that come out with gems like 'only boring people are bored' and 'a tidy desk shows a tidy mind'.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BookLoverL on July 16, 2018, 02:47:50 AM
I don’t get people who complain and complain and complain, but won’t either do anything on their own or take advice to do anything that would help them address their woes.
Complaining isn’t doing something?

Nothing constructive.  It wastes a lot of energy that could be better spent and self conditions you to be a victim.  If you can do something about a problem, do it and expend your energy there.  If you can't, suck it up until you can find a solution or an out. 

- former complaintmeister

@EricL My point exactly. Thank you for adding detail to make it more clear to someone who didn’t “get it.”

Complaining is great mental relief.  I can't tell you how many times complaining has saved a life

Agreed. The anti-complainers are the same folk that come out with gems like 'only boring people are bored' and 'a tidy desk shows a tidy mind'.

I have been prone to complaining on occasion in the past, and I think the understanding that I've come to is that if you're going to complain, you should carefully choose who you are going to complain to (rather than choosing "everyone who will listen") and you should make sure you are not always complaining when you talk to them. If possible, you should take action to resolve the thing you are complaining about, but depending what it is, there might not always be an obvious action. If that's the case, it's good to spend some time thinking about possible courses of action. But action and complaining are not mutually exclusive, and the occasional complaint that's not acted on probably won't hurt anyone.

Regarding the topic of burial from a couple of pages ago, I always thought I'd like to be buried under a tree or something, rather than have a permanent gravestone. Not sure if that's allowed or not by the authorities. Certainly I don't want to be embalmed - I want to return to the earth in a natural way.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on July 16, 2018, 03:56:51 AM
I don’t get people who complain and complain and complain, but won’t either do anything on their own or take advice to do anything that would help them address their woes.
Complaining isn’t doing something?

Nothing constructive.  It wastes a lot of energy that could be better spent and self conditions you to be a victim.  If you can do something about a problem, do it and expend your energy there.  If you can't, suck it up until you can find a solution or an out. 

- former complaintmeister

@EricL My point exactly. Thank you for adding detail to make it more clear to someone who didn’t “get it.”

Complaining is great mental relief.  I can't tell you how many times complaining has saved a life

Agreed. The anti-complainers are the same folk that come out with gems like 'only boring people are bored' and 'a tidy desk shows a tidy mind'.

I have been prone to complaining on occasion in the past, and I think the understanding that I've come to is that if you're going to complain, you should carefully choose who you are going to complain to (rather than choosing "everyone who will listen") and you should make sure you are not always complaining when you talk to them. If possible, you should take action to resolve the thing you are complaining about, but depending what it is, there might not always be an obvious action. If that's the case, it's good to spend some time thinking about possible courses of action. But action and complaining are not mutually exclusive, and the occasional complaint that's not acted on probably won't hurt anyone.

Regarding the topic of burial from a couple of pages ago, I always thought I'd like to be buried under a tree or something, rather than have a permanent gravestone. Not sure if that's allowed or not by the authorities. Certainly I don't want to be embalmed - I want to return to the earth in a natural way.

I have a free rant policy in my office. Come in and have a giant bitch whenever you like, no judgement. Fantastic for finding out what's bugging people, fantastic for morale and it makes people think I care way more than I do. And I get to head situations off at the pass, before they get to crisis. I actually think complaining makes people more proactive, also. It's a way of de-stressing and talking through solutions. 9 times out of 10, all I do is listen and sympathise, and they come up with a solution themselves.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: EricL on July 16, 2018, 03:27:30 PM
I don’t get people who complain and complain and complain, but won’t either do anything on their own or take advice to do anything that would help them address their woes.
Complaining isn’t doing something?

Nothing constructive.  It wastes a lot of energy that could be better spent and self conditions you to be a victim.  If you can do something about a problem, do it and expend your energy there.  If you can't, suck it up until you can find a solution or an out. 

- former complaintmeister

@EricL My point exactly. Thank you for adding detail to make it more clear to someone who didn’t “get it.”

Complaining is great mental relief.  I can't tell you how many times complaining has saved a life

Agreed. The anti-complainers are the same folk that come out with gems like 'only boring people are bored' and 'a tidy desk shows a tidy mind'.

I have been prone to complaining on occasion in the past, and I think the understanding that I've come to is that if you're going to complain, you should carefully choose who you are going to complain to (rather than choosing "everyone who will listen") and you should make sure you are not always complaining when you talk to them. If possible, you should take action to resolve the thing you are complaining about, but depending what it is, there might not always be an obvious action. If that's the case, it's good to spend some time thinking about possible courses of action. But action and complaining are not mutually exclusive, and the occasional complaint that's not acted on probably won't hurt anyone.

Regarding the topic of burial from a couple of pages ago, I always thought I'd like to be buried under a tree or something, rather than have a permanent gravestone. Not sure if that's allowed or not by the authorities. Certainly I don't want to be embalmed - I want to return to the earth in a natural way.

I have a free rant policy in my office. Come in and have a giant bitch whenever you like, no judgement. Fantastic for finding out what's bugging people, fantastic for morale and it makes people think I care way more than I do. And I get to head situations off at the pass, before they get to crisis. I actually think complaining makes people more proactive, also. It's a way of de-stressing and talking through solutions. 9 times out of 10, all I do is listen and sympathise, and they come up with a solution themselves.

I'll concede if you're complaining out loud and the verbal diarrhea concludes with workable solutions, it serves a purpose.  But I rarely hear that.  And in personal experience complaining relieved stress but the trade off was I could defy "the man" by venting and the dubious benefit of staying exactly where I was with no actual improvement.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on July 16, 2018, 05:20:47 PM
I have found that "tone" is very important when complaining.  Using the wrong tone when complaining is just "bitching", and nobody wants to listen to it.


The opposite tone can turn complaints into comedy, and everybody loves a great comedian.


Complaining in the form of critical analysis can be quite productive, assuming the topic is something that your audience shares an interest in.  It can lead to creative solutions for all kinds of things.  I've found that as I've gotten older I am getting better at this.


Asking somebody that "bitches" a lot for ideas about improving the issue can be a positive way to change their tone.  There are some people that we have to deal with, because they're family or workmates, and it helps if we can change their bitching into something that's at least less offensive and less tiring.  Learning to do this can be a quite valuable skill.  Bitchy people, naturally, don't have many friends, so they're usually pretty grateful when they realize you can handle them.  Mean dogs are the same way.  They want attention, but scare everybody else away. ;) 





Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: calimom on July 16, 2018, 10:59:09 PM
Ranting seems like a good outlet for observing people taking two parking spaces when one will do, texting while shopping or questioning the current state of health care in the US.

Complaining seems the provenance of the perpetually dissatisfied. It's too hot. It's too cold. A crappy job situation is of course the fault of your greedy boss. You don't like like your apartment because your landlord is a dick. And then there's the ex. And don't get me started on the mother, all roads lead to the mother. It's all her fault. Plus there is too much gluten, which you're powerless to resist.  Nothing is your fault. Ever. You're off the hook.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: jinga nation on July 17, 2018, 06:05:53 AM
Federal/State government employees and military (armed force and National Guard) homeschool their kids stating they don't want the offspring to be state stooges and brainwashed. Meanwhile parents follow state orders and collect.

I don't get it. WTF.

It's becoming more and more prevalent in my area, to the point that public schools are reducing teachers and classrooms. (5 teachers and 3-4 classrooms in my kid's elementary school, just this year).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 on July 18, 2018, 09:19:18 AM
Federal/State government employees and military (armed force and National Guard) homeschool their kids stating they don't want the offspring to be state stooges and brainwashed. Meanwhile parents follow state orders and collect.

I don't get it. WTF.

It's becoming more and more prevalent in my area, to the point that public schools are reducing teachers and classrooms. (5 teachers and 3-4 classrooms in my kid's elementary school, just this year).
Maybe because they have such intimate insider knowledge?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on July 18, 2018, 10:06:39 AM
Federal/State government employees and military (armed force and National Guard) homeschool their kids stating they don't want the offspring to be state stooges and brainwashed. Meanwhile parents follow state orders and collect.

I don't get it. WTF.

It's becoming more and more prevalent in my area, to the point that public schools are reducing teachers and classrooms. (5 teachers and 3-4 classrooms in my kid's elementary school, just this year).
Maybe because they have such intimate insider knowledge?

Deep state secrets
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on July 18, 2018, 11:40:22 AM
Why are Americans embalmed?! To me that's either movie star, zombie or mummy territory.

I assume for open casket funerals?

Do they still do it if there isn't a viewing?  But are there not viewings in other countries? And they don't embalm there?

I'm so confused.

I have cremation in my will. I guess I need to specify no embalming?

In other parts of the world, people still have viewings and open casket funerals and outside of the USA, embalming is not standard practice, as far as I know. These days, morgue technicians are very skilled at making a deceased person look as good as possible, and bodies are stored at a low temperature before the funeral. If the funeral takes place within a reasonable period of time, embalming is absolutely not necessary in most cases.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SwordGuy on July 18, 2018, 02:11:13 PM
How hard can it be to take an order for a hamburger and cook it to order, especially if you're the only customer in the store.

Me:  I want a cheeseburger.  I want mustard, lettuce, tomato and cheese on it.   Just a little mustard, don't slather it on by the bucketfull.

Clerk:  (Rolls eyes about the slathering comment, so I know she heard it.)



I take a bite of the burger.   Doesn't taste right.   Open it up and find it has mayo instead of mustard.


I take it back to the clerk.  "This sandwich isn't right, it has mayo on it."


Clerk: "You don't want mayo on it?"


Me: "No, that's why I ordered one with mustard, lettuce, tomato and cheese."


I get a new burger.  Take a bite.   It's not right.  I open it up and it's covered in ketchup.


Me: "Does this loook like mustard?  It's not mustard, it's ketchup."


Clerk: "But I saw him put just a little mustard on it?"


Me:  "Then why is there ketchup on it?   I didn't ask for ketchup!"


Jeesh.



Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: solon on July 18, 2018, 02:14:32 PM
How hard can it be to take an order for a hamburger and cook it to order, especially if you're the only customer in the store.

Me:  I want a cheeseburger.  I want mustard, lettuce, tomato and cheese on it.   Just a little mustard, don't slather it on by the bucketfull.

Clerk:  (Rolls eyes about the slathering comment, so I know she heard it.)



I take a bite of the burger.   Doesn't taste right.   Open it up and find it has mayo instead of mustard.


I take it back to the clerk.  "This sandwich isn't right, it has mayo on it."


Clerk: "You don't want mayo on it?"


Me: "No, that's why I ordered one with mustard, lettuce, tomato and cheese."


I get a new burger.  Take a bite.   It's not right.  I open it up and it's covered in ketchup.


Me: "Does this loook like mustard?  It's not mustard, it's ketchup."


Clerk: "But I saw him put just a little mustard on it?"


Me:  "Then why is there ketchup on it?   I didn't ask for ketchup!"


Jeesh.

Ooh. You're the customer from hell. I hated serving customers like you!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 on July 18, 2018, 02:19:42 PM
You should go to Five Guys. They have that stuff all figured out.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: EricL on July 18, 2018, 08:52:47 PM
How hard can it be to take an order for a hamburger and cook it to order, especially if you're the only customer in the store.

Me:  I want a cheeseburger.  I want mustard, lettuce, tomato and cheese on it.   Just a little mustard, don't slather it on by the bucketfull.

Clerk:  (Rolls eyes about the slathering comment, so I know she heard it.)



I take a bite of the burger.   Doesn't taste right.   Open it up and find it has mayo instead of mustard.


I take it back to the clerk.  "This sandwich isn't right, it has mayo on it."


Clerk: "You don't want mayo on it?"


Me: "No, that's why I ordered one with mustard, lettuce, tomato and cheese."


I get a new burger.  Take a bite.   It's not right.  I open it up and it's covered in ketchup.


Me: "Does this loook like mustard?  It's not mustard, it's ketchup."


Clerk: "But I saw him put just a little mustard on it?"


Me:  "Then why is there ketchup on it?   I didn't ask for ketchup!"


Jeesh.

Ooh. You're the customer from hell. I hated serving customers like you!

Nah.  The customer from hell does that when the joint is crowded and the staff is barely keeping up.  And persists and persists.  The employee eye roll should be the customer's trigger to do an about face and walk out if they need anything more than basic goods or services. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: carolina822 on July 18, 2018, 09:47:26 PM
Explanations of Benefits - not a final settlement, not a bill, no action to take, not even worth filing because the information is useless. Just an extra couple dollars added to the cost of each and every healthcare service.

I got one denying payment for a mammogram because I wasn't 40 yet (even though I called first specifically to ask if it would be covered.)

Denial Code - BS

Yep, that explained it perfectly.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Raymond Reddington on July 18, 2018, 10:21:44 PM
How hard can it be to take an order for a hamburger and cook it to order, especially if you're the only customer in the store.

Me:  I want a cheeseburger.  I want mustard, lettuce, tomato and cheese on it.   Just a little mustard, don't slather it on by the bucketfull.

Clerk:  (Rolls eyes about the slathering comment, so I know she heard it.)



I take a bite of the burger.   Doesn't taste right.   Open it up and find it has mayo instead of mustard.


I take it back to the clerk.  "This sandwich isn't right, it has mayo on it."


Clerk: "You don't want mayo on it?"


Me: "No, that's why I ordered one with mustard, lettuce, tomato and cheese."


I get a new burger.  Take a bite.   It's not right.  I open it up and it's covered in ketchup.


Me: "Does this loook like mustard?  It's not mustard, it's ketchup."


Clerk: "But I saw him put just a little mustard on it?"


Me:  "Then why is there ketchup on it?   I didn't ask for ketchup!"


Jeesh.

Ooh. You're the customer from hell. I hated serving customers like you!

Nah.  The customer from hell does that when the joint is crowded and the staff is barely keeping up.  And persists and persists.  The employee eye roll should be the customer's trigger to do an about face and walk out if they need anything more than basic goods or services.

My burger pet peeve is when I occasionally go to McDonald's, I'll order cheeseburgers off the value menu - PLAIN.

Meaning: meat, cheese, bun

And I'll get something with no cheese on it. Of course, if I had wanted that, I'd have asked for plain hamburgers.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Nicholas Carter on July 19, 2018, 11:08:47 AM
Why are Americans embalmed?! To me that's either movie star, zombie or mummy territory.

I assume for open casket funerals?

Do they still do it if there isn't a viewing?  But are there not viewings in other countries? And they don't embalm there?

I'm so confused.

I have cremation in my will. I guess I need to specify no embalming?

In other parts of the world, people still have viewings and open casket funerals and outside of the USA, embalming is not standard practice, as far as I know. These days, morgue technicians are very skilled at making a deceased person look as good as possible, and bodies are stored at a low temperature before the funeral. If the funeral takes place within a reasonable period of time, embalming is absolutely not necessary in most cases.
Legally mandated in several parts of the US if you want an open casket funeral. I don't know why.

How hard can it be to take an order for a hamburger and cook it to order, especially if you're the only customer in the store.

Me:  I want a cheeseburger.  I want mustard, lettuce, tomato and cheese on it.   Just a little mustard, don't slather it on by the bucketfull.

Clerk:  (Rolls eyes about the slathering comment, so I know she heard it.)
...
Clerk: "But I saw him put just a little mustard on it?"
This sounds intentional.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 19, 2018, 11:44:35 AM
My aunt died this week and she needed to be transported from one state to another to go back to her home state where she will be buried. It was a state law she had to be embalmed before her body could be transported across state lines.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on July 19, 2018, 12:01:49 PM
Well, if that's the law in many places I understand why embalming is so popular over there. Maybe the law stems from the days before cooled storage etc?

I can imagine embalming is useful when people need to be transported over long distances. Obviously that is something that is much more common in a massive country like the US than it is in my country (that is slightly bigger than the state of Maryland). A relative of mine had to be repatriated home to Europe from an African country where embalming services were not available at the time and that was not a pretty sight for the family member who had to officially identify him.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OurTown on July 19, 2018, 12:04:31 PM
The burger stories are pretty amusing.  I order mine with no bun.  That's always entertaining, I think it must be hard to find a button that says "no bun."  I always get "you want wut?"  "No bun."  "No bun?  How you gonna eat it?"

My other rant is tea.  Here in the South, you have to order "unsweet" if you want unsweetened.  You can't say "Unsweetened."  "Wut?"  You have to say "unsweet."  Which, in a noisy place, sounds a lot like "sweet." 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on July 19, 2018, 12:23:48 PM
The burger stories are pretty amusing.  I order mine with no bun.  That's always entertaining, I think it must be hard to find a button that says "no bun."  I always get "you want wut?"  "No bun."  "No bun?  How you gonna eat it?"

My other rant is tea.  Here in the South, you have to order "unsweet" if you want unsweetened.  You can't say "Unsweetened."  "Wut?"  You have to say "unsweet."  Which, in a noisy place, sounds a lot like "sweet."

Haha, it was definitely a culture shock to visit Nashville, order tea at breakfast, and be given a glass of sweet tea. In fact, I received sweet tea at most meals, whether I asked for tea or not.

In my area, Five Guys and the local halal burger joints are good about asking "allergy or preference" when I ask for no bun. It's the former, so I'm grateful.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on July 19, 2018, 12:34:48 PM
The burger stories are pretty amusing.  I order mine with no bun.  That's always entertaining, I think it must be hard to find a button that says "no bun."  I always get "you want wut?"  "No bun."  "No bun?  How you gonna eat it?"

My other rant is tea.  Here in the South, you have to order "unsweet" if you want unsweetened.  You can't say "Unsweetened."  "Wut?"  You have to say "unsweet."  Which, in a noisy place, sounds a lot like "sweet."

Totally different here.  Everyone know what you mean when you say no bun and they usually offer to do a lettuce wrap.

I though the south was supposed to be all about hospitality?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on July 19, 2018, 11:10:32 PM
Well, if that's the law in many places I understand why embalming is so popular over there. Maybe the law stems from the days before cooled storage etc?

I can imagine embalming is useful when people need to be transported over long distances. Obviously that is something that is much more common in a massive country like the US than it is in my country (that is slightly bigger than the state of Maryland). A relative of mine had to be repatriated home to Europe from an African country where embalming services were not available at the time and that was not a pretty sight for the family member who had to officially identify him.

It might also have to do with climate.  Here in Italy, when someone dies the funeral is usually the next day or, at the latest, two days after the death.  Bodies are usually cremated.  This was a surprise to me as in the US a funeral is usually several days later, giving friends and family a bit of time to travel to the funeral and make time in their schedules.    Here, we have a hot climate and before refrigeration I guess they had to funerals the next day for obvious reasons.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on July 20, 2018, 12:23:09 AM
My brother went to somewhere in the southern US earlier this year and had such trauma getting a cup of tea.

"Could I have a cup of tea, please?" Gets a glass of cold tea with a pile of sugar.
"Um, no, not iced tea. Just tea."

Eventually he worked out he had to ask specifically for HOT tea, with absolutely zero sugar in it. Literally none. Then it came swimming with milk! #verybritishproblems
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: soccerluvof4 on July 20, 2018, 03:18:20 PM
I dont understand while so many of our friends with older kids be it in High School or early college are building bigger new house then they lived in. And the costs are not cheap. These people are in the there mid 40's early 50's building 500-1,000,000 homes almost as a reward to themselves that the kids are out?! I just dont get it. Everyone of them is going to lose money when i do the math for sure where I live.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on July 20, 2018, 09:48:35 PM
My brother went to somewhere in the southern US earlier this year and had such trauma getting a cup of tea.

"Could I have a cup of tea, please?" Gets a glass of cold tea with a pile of sugar.
"Um, no, not iced tea. Just tea."

Eventually he worked out he had to ask specifically for HOT tea, with absolutely zero sugar in it. Literally none. Then it came swimming with milk! #verybritishproblems

And the bag they gave you to put in the water was probably "orange" or "brown" or some other nondescript flavor rather than a proper named tea leaf.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hirondelle on July 21, 2018, 01:25:10 AM
My brother went to somewhere in the southern US earlier this year and had such trauma getting a cup of tea.

"Could I have a cup of tea, please?" Gets a glass of cold tea with a pile of sugar.
"Um, no, not iced tea. Just tea."

Eventually he worked out he had to ask specifically for HOT tea, with absolutely zero sugar in it. Literally none. Then it came swimming with milk! #verybritishproblems

Ohhhh this makes me think about my time in SE-Asia.

Could I have a tea, please?
- Gets some pee-colored substance full of ice cubes.

Could I have a coffee with milk, please?
- Gets coffee with condensed milk and ice cubes.

After a while I started to appreciate the ice-cube and condensed milk and even the dirt cheap weird ice tea ($0.10-0.20 while a normal tea is more like $1-2) but ohh the shock the first few times.

Also beer often wasn't stocked in a fridge and came with ice cubes. Oh well.. one can get used to anything.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on July 21, 2018, 02:04:20 AM
This reminds me of visiting countries outside of Italy with my husband.  He has stopped drinking coffee now but back in the day was addicted to espresso.  The problem is that outside of Italy, espresso pretty much universally tastes bitter and horrible and they give you three times as much liquid as you'd get here in Italy. I remember a particularly difficult episode at Café Nero in London and similarly horrible experiences at Starbucks in the US.

 In the end, he started just drinking milky coffee (cappuccino, caffe latte or caffe au lait) outside Italy as he discovered that non-Italian coffee needs milk in it to make it even vaguely drinkable.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on July 21, 2018, 04:39:20 AM
My brother went to somewhere in the southern US earlier this year and had such trauma getting a cup of tea.

"Could I have a cup of tea, please?" Gets a glass of cold tea with a pile of sugar.
"Um, no, not iced tea. Just tea."

Eventually he worked out he had to ask specifically for HOT tea, with absolutely zero sugar in it. Literally none. Then it came swimming with milk! #verybritishproblems

And the bag they gave you to put in the water was probably "orange" or "brown" or some other nondescript flavor rather than a proper named tea leaf.

We do recognise a kind of teabag called "ordinary", which creates a to-me-unpleasant but nonetheless recognisable beverage. My brother will happily drink ordinary tea...if it turns up looking like tea!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on July 21, 2018, 08:10:53 AM
Personally, at home, we have what we refer to as the Tea Temple, full of leaf teas in glass jars and bags of herbal tisanes. However, it is not reasonable to expect such bounty everywhere one goes.

In England, supermarket tea probably moves at a similar volume to bananas. Tea and toast are pretty much the national staple foods, to the extent that it’s your first post-birth food and drink in hospital.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 21, 2018, 08:25:30 AM
Funny, I usually only have tea when I am sick. This morning my stomach was upset and I had a Lipton Tea bag, hot water, liquid creamer and Splenda. I felt a bit better later on.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: bluebelle on July 21, 2018, 08:32:17 AM
My brother went to somewhere in the southern US earlier this year and had such trauma getting a cup of tea.

"Could I have a cup of tea, please?" Gets a glass of cold tea with a pile of sugar.
"Um, no, not iced tea. Just tea."

Eventually he worked out he had to ask specifically for HOT tea, with absolutely zero sugar in it. Literally none. Then it came swimming with milk! #verybritishproblems
I learned the HOT keyword years ago, what I haven't learned is how to get MILK not cream for my tea.....I ask for milk, they point to the cream on the table, I ask is that milk or cream, they say cream, I say 'that's not milk', alot of folks in the US don't understand the difference.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on July 21, 2018, 08:43:20 AM
I am given to understand there is a thing called creamer, which is like industrial fake milk.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on July 21, 2018, 11:36:12 AM
My brother went to somewhere in the southern US earlier this year and had such trauma getting a cup of tea.

"Could I have a cup of tea, please?" Gets a glass of cold tea with a pile of sugar.
"Um, no, not iced tea. Just tea."

Eventually he worked out he had to ask specifically for HOT tea, with absolutely zero sugar in it. Literally none. Then it came swimming with milk! #verybritishproblems
I learned the HOT keyword years ago, what I haven't learned is how to get MILK not cream for my tea.....I ask for milk, they point to the cream on the table, I ask is that milk or cream, they say cream, I say 'that's not milk', alot of folks in the US don't understand the difference.

The fact that they answered your question with "cream" is a sign they know it's cream, not milk, and that there is a difference.  Everyone I know refers to milk as milk, cream as cream.  I've never seen anyone put milk or cream in tea before.

I like about any tea fine, tea bags at the local grocery work fine for me, just don't add any milk or cream!

But I prefer coffee with creamer and drink far more of that than tea.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 21, 2018, 12:00:06 PM
I put milk in tea but typically Coffee Mate, a non dairy creamer that does not need refrigeration.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on July 21, 2018, 12:39:52 PM
I put milk in tea but typically Coffee Mate, a non dairy creamer that does not need refrigeration.
My Coffee Mate says non-dairy but says keep refrigerated.  I only use it in coffee, though.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 21, 2018, 12:54:09 PM
My Coffee Mate is in individual portions and says no refrigeration. There are different varieties. If you buy it in the refrigerated section it needs refrigeration. Mine were purchased at Costco and are probably for office's and restaurants to keep on the table with the sugar. To get it shelf stable I assume they heat treat it then chill it to sterilize it so it doesn't go bad. Like the Tetra Pack milks and juices.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on July 21, 2018, 01:46:27 PM
I am given to understand there is a thing called creamer, which is like industrial fake milk.

That describes much of the American food industry in a nutshell.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on July 21, 2018, 01:48:02 PM
My Coffee Mate is in individual portions and says no refrigeration. There are different varieties. If you buy it in the refrigerated section it needs refrigeration. Mine were purchased at Costco and are probably for office's and restaurants to keep on the table with the sugar. To get it shelf stable I assume they heat treat it then chill it to sterilize it so it doesn't go bad. Like the Tetra Pack milks and juices.

Ahhh Yeah, we had those same individual creamers at work in our cafeteria.  I quit using them quite a while ago when I took in my own coffee maker.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on July 21, 2018, 05:03:54 PM
Coffee Mate was designed in a lab by leading minds in the free world to be the most scientifically perfect flavour match for coffee imaginable, and is infinitely better than common cow squirtings for that purpose.  I will brook no disdain for the flavour of it.  (The likelihood of the chemicals in it leading to your untimely demise though . . . eh, that's an open question.). :P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on July 21, 2018, 05:39:05 PM
Yes, and booze and meat and coffee and eggs used to be the boogie man. Now red wine, meat and eggs are good.

My grandpa lived to be 110 year old...not kidding. He farmed and was a tobacco farmer for a zillion years. He grew it, dried it, chewed it, spit it and never got mouth cancer. My grandma cooked with lard, they ate bacon and pork when it was not as lean as it is today. She lived to be 91 years old. They did live a pretty organic life and planted a gigantic garden and canned all they could. They used fresh cow manure in the garden too. They did not eat exotic things like special grains. They ate puffed wheat in giant bags, beans, corn bread, oatmeal. Just ordinary stuff and lived long lives.

I don't believe in this junk that this is good and this is bad for you. Yes, if you consume 50 lbs of lard a week you are probably in the danger zone. If you drink 70 cans of soda a week that is probably not good for you. If you are going to drink 5 gallons of whiskey a week that is probably bad for you.

I do think my granny and grandpa lived long lives due to the hard work and eating a lot of beans and oats and organic stuff. They didn't know they were eating organic. It was just the way it was back then. A very hard, hard life on the farm.

Stuff in moderation should not cause problems.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on July 21, 2018, 05:47:17 PM

I'm regularly hearing another story about coffee being good for you.  It's funny, because the first thing I remember hearing about coffee affecting your health was that it could cause cancer.  That was probably 30 years ago.  Everything I've heard since has been good news for coffee drinkers.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on July 21, 2018, 06:45:34 PM

I'm regularly hearing another story about coffee being good for you.  It's funny, because the first thing I remember hearing about coffee affecting your health was that it could cause cancer.  That was probably 30 years ago.  Everything I've heard since has been good news for coffee drinkers.

Coffee does have known carcinogens.  Maybe it slightly increases your risk for one cancer, reduces risk for another cancer, and has other food and bad effects.  Most people want to know if it increases or decreases  life expectancy
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on July 21, 2018, 07:09:10 PM

I'm regularly hearing another story about coffee being good for you.  It's funny, because the first thing I remember hearing about coffee affecting your health was that it could cause cancer.  That was probably 30 years ago.  Everything I've heard since has been good news for coffee drinkers.

Coffee does have known carcinogens.  Maybe it slightly increases your risk for one cancer, reduces risk for another cancer, and has other food and bad effects.  Most people want to know if it increases or decreases  life expectancy

Sorry, I guess I meant to imply that based on the regular good news.  It increases life expectancy for most people.  And typically, they state the benefit is there for decaf as well.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on July 21, 2018, 08:18:28 PM

I'm regularly hearing another story about coffee being good for you.  It's funny, because the first thing I remember hearing about coffee affecting your health was that it could cause cancer.  That was probably 30 years ago.  Everything I've heard since has been good news for coffee drinkers.

The leading cause of cancer in lab mice is cancer research.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BTDretire on July 21, 2018, 09:14:30 PM

I'm regularly hearing another story about coffee being good for you.  It's funny, because the first thing I remember hearing about coffee affecting your health was that it could cause cancer.  That was probably 30 years ago.  Everything I've heard since has been good news for coffee drinkers.

Coffee does have known carcinogens.  Maybe it slightly increases your risk for one cancer, reduces risk for another cancer, and has other food and bad effects.
 Most people want to know if it increases or decreases  life expectancy
I don't know about life expectancy, but my morning seems to drag on, if I don't have my coffee!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on July 21, 2018, 09:19:17 PM

I'm regularly hearing another story about coffee being good for you.  It's funny, because the first thing I remember hearing about coffee affecting your health was that it could cause cancer.  That was probably 30 years ago.  Everything I've heard since has been good news for coffee drinkers.

Coffee does have known carcinogens.  Maybe it slightly increases your risk for one cancer, reduces risk for another cancer, and has other food and bad effects.
 Most people want to know if it increases or decreases  life expectancy
I don't know about life expectancy, but my morning seems to drag on, if I don't have my coffee!

If you're sleepy and about to make a drive, a cup of coffee could make an immediate impact of increasing your lifespan.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Just Joe on July 23, 2018, 09:04:49 AM
Aren't those news articles about this causing cancer and that leading to a longer life just industry funded research to drive sales?

We've seen the same thing in the "debate" for/against green tech and fossil fuels. Some of that reads like propaganda. ;)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 on July 23, 2018, 12:20:50 PM
Aren't those news articles about this causing cancer and that leading to a longer life just industry funded research to drive sales?

We've seen the same thing in the "debate" for/against green tech and fossil fuels. Some of that reads like propaganda. ;)
Yes. Anytime you hear about a new study, all you have to do is look to see who paid for it. With that information, you will know the results without even reading.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on July 23, 2018, 12:54:16 PM
Aren't those news articles about this causing cancer and that leading to a longer life just industry funded research to drive sales?

We've seen the same thing in the "debate" for/against green tech and fossil fuels. Some of that reads like propaganda. ;)

That's why I switched to Starbucks.  For the extra cancer. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hirondelle on July 24, 2018, 02:06:27 AM
Aren't those news articles about this causing cancer and that leading to a longer life just industry funded research to drive sales?

We've seen the same thing in the "debate" for/against green tech and fossil fuels. Some of that reads like propaganda. ;)

Many of those news articles actually completely don't reflect the science that's been done. A while ago there was this example where a certain compound, that occurs in farts, could stop cancer cells growing. I don't remember if they were in petridish or mice-study stages.

What did the news articles make of it? SMELLING OTHERS FARTS CURES CANCER!!!!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: asauer on July 24, 2018, 10:38:27 AM
I dont understand while so many of our friends with older kids be it in High School or early college are building bigger new house then they lived in. And the costs are not cheap. These people are in the there mid 40's early 50's building 500-1,000,000 homes almost as a reward to themselves that the kids are out?! I just dont get it. Everyone of them is going to lose money when i do the math for sure where I live.

I know!  Happening where I live too.  I just do. not. get. it.  My hubs and I have agreed that the second our kids are out of the house, we're putting our 2,800 sqft house up for sale and downsizing.  I want the money (hopefully) and not so much damn house to clean and maintain.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: draculawyer on July 27, 2018, 10:08:07 PM
I don't get the draw of all the "snack sizes" that have come onto the market recently. Trader Joe's sells "mini brie bites" that are 70 calories each and cost $5 for a bag of 5.  TJ's also has Citterio snack packs with about an ounce of sausage and an ounce of cheese, sliced up into small circles, for about $2.95. Then you have your cheaper stuff like the P3 "Protein Packs" that are at Safeway for like $2.50, and all the snacks that are sold in Starbucks now. Hormel makes tortilla/meat/cheese wraps that cost over $3 for less than 3 ounces of food.  I get the surface allure-it's quick, easy, not as many calories as a full meal, you don't have to think, etc. But...that's where your money's going. Your daily $3 Hormel Natural Choice Snack Wrap is standing between you and owning a home, or paying off your student loans. You could totally hemorrhage all your money in snack food alone.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RFAAOATB on July 28, 2018, 08:21:00 AM
My 'I Don't Get It' rant is targeted at the losers of gentrification, those priced out of their neighborhoods when the rent increases beyond their ability to pay.  While I understand the inconvenience, what legitimate claim do they have to their neighborhood compared to landlords and developers?  If they wanted a claim to indefinitely stay in a specific location, they should have bought property instead of taking their chances with a rental.

I also don't get why rent control and affordable housing mandates are a preferable option compared to figuring out a way to make market rate housing affordable for a minimum wage earner.  Single room occupancy buildings may be a solution.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: runbikerun on July 28, 2018, 08:45:41 AM
...they should have bought property instead of taking their chances with a rental.

Generally speaking, gentrification tends to hit populations which are far less likely than the median to be able to access mortgage credit.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: kanga1622 on July 28, 2018, 09:06:10 AM
I don't get the draw of all the "snack sizes" that have come onto the market recently. Trader Joe's sells "mini brie bites" that are 70 calories each and cost $5 for a bag of 5.  TJ's also has Citterio snack packs with about an ounce of sausage and an ounce of cheese, sliced up into small circles, for about $2.95. Then you have your cheaper stuff like the P3 "Protein Packs" that are at Safeway for like $2.50, and all the snacks that are sold in Starbucks now. Hormel makes tortilla/meat/cheese wraps that cost over $3 for less than 3 ounces of food.  I get the surface allure-it's quick, easy, not as many calories as a full meal, you don't have to think, etc. But...that's where your money's going. Your daily $3 Hormel Natural Choice Snack Wrap is standing between you and owning a home, or paying off your student loans. You could totally hemorrhage all your money in snack food alone.

Unfortunately we will be buying a lot more single sized snack purchases over the next couple of years. Having a kid that can’t eat the snack provided by school means we have to provide our own each day. For the afternoon we can just pack our own but the classroom snack must be individually packaged. And must be nut free. I appreciate the options that aren’t simply cookies. And they do come in handy when you are stuck away from home longer than expected with young kids that need a snack. Our oldest loves the cheese and carrot packs that Walmart and Target sell. He gets 1-2 a year so not a huge budget buster but worth it to stop the grumpy attitude when he gets hungry.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on July 28, 2018, 09:14:19 AM
...they should have bought property instead of taking their chances with a rental.

Generally speaking, gentrification tends to hit populations which are far less likely than the median to be able to access mortgage credit.


Exactly.  For many low income people, buying property is not an option.  You make it sound like they had a choice.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on July 28, 2018, 03:36:07 PM
...they should have bought property instead of taking their chances with a rental.

Generally speaking, gentrification tends to hit populations which are far less likely than the median to be able to access mortgage credit.


Exactly.  For many low income people, buying property is not an option.  You make it sound like they had a choice.

I don’t get it.  Why didn’t they just get a better job?  Then they could afford the increasing rent
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RFAAOATB on July 28, 2018, 04:12:41 PM
...they should have bought property instead of taking their chances with a rental.

Generally speaking, gentrification tends to hit populations which are far less likely than the median to be able to access mortgage credit.


Exactly.  For many low income people, buying property is not an option.  You make it sound like they had a choice.

When a place gets hot and rents go up, their choice is to move somewhere cheaper, pay more, or get in a roommate situation to split costs.  I know it's difficult, inconvenient, and unpopular.  What I don't get is why the displaced feel they have a right to a neighborhood at a certain price point.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: marty998 on July 28, 2018, 05:22:15 PM
I don't get the draw of all the "snack sizes" that have come onto the market recently. Trader Joe's sells "mini brie bites" that are 70 calories each and cost $5 for a bag of 5.  TJ's also has Citterio snack packs with about an ounce of sausage and an ounce of cheese, sliced up into small circles, for about $2.95. Then you have your cheaper stuff like the P3 "Protein Packs" that are at Safeway for like $2.50, and all the snacks that are sold in Starbucks now. Hormel makes tortilla/meat/cheese wraps that cost over $3 for less than 3 ounces of food.  I get the surface allure-it's quick, easy, not as many calories as a full meal, you don't have to think, etc. But...that's where your money's going. Your daily $3 Hormel Natural Choice Snack Wrap is standing between you and owning a home, or paying off your student loans. You could totally hemorrhage all your money in snack food alone.

Arrrrrgh the downsizes of all my favourite junk foods really irritates me more than it should.

A can of Pringles has been reduced in size by 30grams, and the size of the chips has been reduced, and the price has gone up!

Maddening.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: merula on July 28, 2018, 06:15:05 PM
A can of Pringles has been reduced in size by 30grams, and the size of the chips has been reduced, and the price has gone up!

Maddening.

At least you can get the good flavors like paprika and Emmental.

I don't get why, given how delicious paprika-flavored potato chips are, you can't find them in the U.S. anywhere.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Raymond Reddington on July 28, 2018, 06:20:12 PM
I don't get why, with how delicious European Orange Fanta is, you can't hardly get it anywhere in the US, except for the odd Euromarket here and there.

The bright orange American version is way too artificially sweet.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SwordGuy on July 28, 2018, 07:18:11 PM
I don't get why, with how delicious European Orange Fanta is, you can't hardly get it anywhere in the US, except for the odd Euromarket here and there.

The bright orange American version is way too artificially sweet.

That would be because few Americans have culture or good taste in, well, almost anything.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on July 28, 2018, 10:41:46 PM
...they should have bought property instead of taking their chances with a rental.

Generally speaking, gentrification tends to hit populations which are far less likely than the median to be able to access mortgage credit.


Exactly.  For many low income people, buying property is not an option.  You make it sound like they had a choice.

When a place gets hot and rents go up, their choice is to move somewhere cheaper, pay more, or get in a roommate situation to split costs.  I know it's difficult, inconvenient, and unpopular.  What I don't get is why the displaced feel they have a right to a neighborhood at a certain price point.

I can't speak for all situations, but for the area I grew up in CA, the folks who are upset at being priced out of neighborhoods they've lived in for a couple generations is that they're being displaced by people outside of the region.  New high paying jobs in or near the Bay Area are causing those workers to find homes further inland. Their high salaries are driving up rents.  I can see how "out of towners" forcing you out of the area you grew up in can be upsetting.  If it was just because the area was seeing a homegrown increase in the market, well that's just life.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: runbikerun on July 29, 2018, 01:48:26 AM
...they should have bought property instead of taking their chances with a rental.

Generally speaking, gentrification tends to hit populations which are far less likely than the median to be able to access mortgage credit.


Exactly.  For many low income people, buying property is not an option.  You make it sound like they had a choice.

When a place gets hot and rents go up, their choice is to move somewhere cheaper, pay more, or get in a roommate situation to split costs.  I know it's difficult, inconvenient, and unpopular.  What I don't get is why the displaced feel they have a right to a neighborhood at a certain price point.

Because they're the ones who made it what it is. Because in a lot of cases, they grew up in that area their whole lives. Because their jobs, their friends and their children's schools are in that area.

Not to mention the fact that gentrification in the western world generally tends to mean an area getting progressively whiter, and an ethnic minority being pushed out to a cheaper location. That's damaging on a broader societal level as well.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on July 29, 2018, 04:58:22 AM
...they should have bought property instead of taking their chances with a rental.

Generally speaking, gentrification tends to hit populations which are far less likely than the median to be able to access mortgage credit.


Exactly.  For many low income people, buying property is not an option.  You make it sound like they had a choice.

I don’t get it.  Why didn’t they just get a better job?  Then they could afford the increasing rent

This is a joke, right?

Why don't poor people just make more money?  I don't get it. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on July 29, 2018, 06:19:34 AM
...they should have bought property instead of taking their chances with a rental.

Generally speaking, gentrification tends to hit populations which are far less likely than the median to be able to access mortgage credit.


Exactly.  For many low income people, buying property is not an option.  You make it sound like they had a choice.

I don’t get it.  Why didn’t they just get a better job?  Then they could afford the increasing rent

This is a joke, right?

Why don't poor people just make more money?  I don't get it.
Of course it's a joke. Dragoncar has been around here forever and is known both for his piercing insight and sense of humor. DC also lives in SF, which is kind of Ground Zero for gentrification and skyrocketing rents.

On a related note, this is a point that rarely comes up in the Rent vs. Buy debate. If you buy in an area that gentrifies and becomes unaffordable, at least you can sell for a large profit. If you rent and get priced out, you're just shit out of luck.

Real life example: DH has a colleague who got divorced and rented an apartment in Oakland because it was cheap, at "only" $1k per month. Just a year later,  it's $1700/month. It is not in a desirable area, nor has it gentrified significantly.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: merula on July 29, 2018, 06:36:22 AM
Because they're the ones who made it what it is. Because in a lot of cases, they grew up in that area their whole lives. Because their jobs, their friends and their children's schools are in that area.

Not to mention the fact that gentrification in the western world generally tends to mean an area getting progressively whiter, and an ethnic minority being pushed out to a cheaper location. That's damaging on a broader societal level as well.

They made the neighborhood what it is. You're absolutely right here, but in a lot of cases (San Francisco in particular), the way they made the neighborhood is the reason that the housing supply is so restricted. Decade upon decade of building height and occupancy restrictions leaves a city with hundreds of thousands fewer housing units than it might have had. Housing units that conceivably could have been a counter to new demand, or an affordable alternative to people who are priced out of their townhouse.

I'm seeing this in my neighborhood. There is a vocal contingent of neighbors who insist that any construction that is not 3-4 bedroom single-family homes is "destroying neighborhood character", and then complain that the sharp rise in house prices and rents is forcing them out.

A 5 or 6 story apartment building can house ~50 people in the same lot as one single-family home. No one is going to replace all of this area's single-family homes, mid-rise apartment buildings have existed in this area since it was originally built (1910-1950), and all that housing supply gives people who want to live here an alternative.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on July 29, 2018, 07:31:14 AM
There are nice things about choosing to live in a rural area.  Most of my neighbors have four legs or wings.  We'll probably be living on other planets before my "neighborhood" gets gentrified. 


We have clean air & water, fiber optic WiFi, but it's a 20 minute drive to groceries & restaurants. 


I like people, but I like being able to get away from people even more.  ;)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on July 29, 2018, 10:35:58 AM
Tagging on to ^this^ thinking is the people who say "It's so expensive now that my kids can't afford to live here." In CA, if you dig a little deeper, you'll find the parents making this statement came from somewhere else themselves. Not everyone wants to live where their parents are. How many examples are there of kids who go to college in another area and never come back? I was so happy to get the fuck out of the place I grew up. I don't know when it became a thing for kids to want to stay and buy the house across the street from the parents. Frankly, I don't think it is. I think it's wishful thinking on the parent's part.

Related: These same parents seem to forget that they typically didn't start in their present home. Their kids expect their "starter" house to be at least as good as what their parents worked their way up to. It's fun to ask the parents if their first house had granite countertops, a full suite of matching SS appliances, dual vanities and walk-in closets.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on July 29, 2018, 12:18:08 PM
I don't get stanced/lowered cars
I don't get the draw of buying brand new flagship cell phones, nor the headlong rush to larger screens and thinner profiles.
I don't understand the draw of expensive watches or jewelry. My 10-year-old $30 Timex still works just as well, Tyvm
I don't get the social rush from one diet or supplement or smoothie fad to the next.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Raymond Reddington on July 29, 2018, 12:22:02 PM
Tagging on to ^this^ thinking is the people who say "It's so expensive now that my kids can't afford to live here." In CA, if you dig a little deeper, you'll find the parents making this statement came from somewhere else themselves. Not everyone wants to live where their parents are. How many examples are there of kids who go to college in another area and never come back? I was so happy to get the fuck out of the place I grew up. I don't know when it became a thing for kids to want to stay and buy the house across the street from the parents. Frankly, I don't think it is. I think it's wishful thinking on the parent's part.

I think this is mainly a symptom of the increased expectations of work and jobs. There is no such thing as a 9-5 job in these major areas that pays a good enough wage for a single earner to support a family anymore. For a single earner to support a household in a HCOL area, either both partners must work, or one partner must work very long hours...at the minimum. Often, both partners must work long hours. This begs the question of, if the family has kids, who drops them off at school, picks them up, etc. With the rise of unconventional schedules, that can also make weekends challenging. It's a juggling act that is benefitted greatly by the presence of parents who can provide free babysitting while the couple deals with the realities of modern employment.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SwordGuy on July 29, 2018, 07:46:58 PM
My 'I Don't Get It' rant is targeted at the losers of gentrification, those priced out of their neighborhoods when the rent increases beyond their ability to pay.  While I understand the inconvenience, what legitimate claim do they have to their neighborhood compared to landlords and developers?  If they wanted a claim to indefinitely stay in a specific location, they should have bought property instead of taking their chances with a rental.

I'm with you on this one.  To me, it's like a man dating a woman for years and years, and even though she wants to get married, he never proposes.  Until one day, Man #2 swoops in, pops the question, and the new couple lives happily ever after.  I'm supposed to be feel bad for Man #1?

Likewise, I'm supposed to have sympathy for the renters who were only "dating" the neighborhood, but who never popped the question?  They should have put a ring on it.

*I acknowledge this isn't the best analogy in the world, but it's also not the worst.  If you've got generations of a family living in a neighborhood, who "made" the neighborhood, but not one family member ever has the means or foresight to purchase?  I think that's nonsense how little agency we're assigning to those people; that's completely infantilizing adults.   As it happens, right now there is another thread where folks are asking the question, "Do you feel sympathy for people who are paying large student loans?" ... and folks are mostly saying, "Well, they are 18... that's life, they should have known."  It's very interesting to me how little sympathy those "adults"there are getting, compared to how much sympathy the folks who are displaced because of gentrification are getting.   

Well, while my white grandparents worked the farm land, they built equity on it, then purchased more farmland.
  Black farmers, however, were not given farm loans, or not given as good a terms (given equal financial circumstances), or driven off their land by a conspiracy of local sheriffs and the local wealthy white folks.   Yeah, it happened.   Don't kid yourself it didn't.


When other white grandparents needed a loan to buy a house in town or start a business, they could get one.  But black neighborhoods were redlined.   The banks didn't extend credit for starting businesses or buying homes in "the wrong part of town."    Yeah, it happened.  It happened a lot.      But it wasn't illegal when the blacks were forced to rent because they couldn't get credit and weren't allowed to have the good jobs, anyway.   Thankfully, that practice is now illegal.   

But it gets better.  If a black run town or area started to do well, whites would drive them out.   I don't mean gentrification.  I mean armed violence, death and destruction.   Check out the Wilmington, NC coup of 1898, when armed whites took over the town government, burned down the black run newspaper, and hung black community leaders.  Then set up their own white-run government in its stead. 

Or when whites rampaged thru Rosewood, Florida and massacred the black inhabitants in 1923.   

Or Tulsa, OK, where the black neighborhood became so prosperous it was referred to as "Black Wall Street".   White folks didn't care for that, so the police rented airplanes and dropped firebombs on the black part of town to burn the blacks out and force them to leave in 1921.

You think job prejudice and disgusting episodes like that didn't -- just a tad -- interfere with intergenerational wealth building in black communities?   Just a little bit?? 

But let's assume for a moment that a black family in our grand parent's day got their act together and tried to improve things.   We've all seen what a TREMENDOUS difference just a 1% financial fee is on wealth building.   Don't you think that all the racist bullshit our country put blacks thru slowed down their wealth building just as much, if not more?


Let's add in piss-poor schools under the separate but (un)equal doctrine, piss poor libraries in black neighborhods, and few wealthy role models to meet, socialize with and learn from.   Think about that for a minute.   Think that might have interfered with the transfer of solid money management skills?   When your daily focus is on getting by without a white guy beating you up or gunning you down because he's bored or frustrated with his life it tends to interfere with long range planning.   


So, while I completely agree with you that too damn many of my fellow Liberals infantalize poor people and refuse to recognize that the poor have (and need to use) agency to improve their situation, your specific example is a piss poor one.


Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on July 29, 2018, 08:14:12 PM
My 'I Don't Get It' rant is targeted at the losers of gentrification, those priced out of their neighborhoods when the rent increases beyond their ability to pay.  While I understand the inconvenience, what legitimate claim do they have to their neighborhood compared to landlords and developers?  If they wanted a claim to indefinitely stay in a specific location, they should have bought property instead of taking their chances with a rental.

I'm with you on this one.  To me, it's like a man dating a woman for years and years, and even though she wants to get married, he never proposes.  Until one day, Man #2 swoops in, pops the question, and the new couple lives happily ever after.  I'm supposed to be feel bad for Man #1?

Likewise, I'm supposed to have sympathy for the renters who were only "dating" the neighborhood, but who never popped the question?  They should have put a ring on it.

*I acknowledge this isn't the best analogy in the world, but it's also not the worst.  If you've got generations of a family living in a neighborhood, who "made" the neighborhood, but not one family member ever has the means or foresight to purchase?  I think that's nonsense how little agency we're assigning to those people; that's completely infantilizing adults.   As it happens, right now there is another thread where folks are asking the question, "Do you feel sympathy for people who are paying large student loans?" ... and folks are mostly saying, "Well, they are 18... that's life, they should have known."  It's very interesting to me how little sympathy those "adults"there are getting, compared to how much sympathy the folks who are displaced because of gentrification are getting.   

Yeah, well said.  I'm one of those that doesn't give them any sympathy.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Davnasty on July 30, 2018, 08:14:32 AM
My 'I Don't Get It' rant is targeted at the losers of gentrification, those priced out of their neighborhoods when the rent increases beyond their ability to pay.  While I understand the inconvenience, what legitimate claim do they have to their neighborhood compared to landlords and developers?  If they wanted a claim to indefinitely stay in a specific location, they should have bought property instead of taking their chances with a rental.

I'm with you on this one.  To me, it's like a man dating a woman for years and years, and even though she wants to get married, he never proposes.  Until one day, Man #2 swoops in, pops the question, and the new couple lives happily ever after.  I'm supposed to be feel bad for Man #1?

Likewise, I'm supposed to have sympathy for the renters who were only "dating" the neighborhood, but who never popped the question?  They should have put a ring on it.

*I acknowledge this isn't the best analogy in the world, but it's also not the worst.  If you've got generations of a family living in a neighborhood, who "made" the neighborhood, but not one family member ever has the means or foresight to purchase?  I think that's nonsense how little agency we're assigning to those people; that's completely infantilizing adults.   As it happens, right now there is another thread where folks are asking the question, "Do you feel sympathy for people who are paying large student loans?" ... and folks are mostly saying, "Well, they are 18... that's life, they should have known."  It's very interesting to me how little sympathy those "adults"there are getting, compared to how much sympathy the folks who are displaced because of gentrification are getting.   

I'm thinking this is a terrible analogy...

Can the renter get down on one knee and ask for the deed? pretty please?

and a pretty weird view of marriage to boot.

"I love you honey but this guy seems alright too and he's willing to enter into a legal contract with the state. Sorry."

ETA: I have no strong opinions about the pros and cons of gentrification. I don't know enough to argue what the government should do to improve the situation or what individuals should do from a moral standpoint but I do have sympathy for those who get pushed out. Swordguy paints a good picture of the unfairness of the racial aspect, which applies to much more than just housing.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SwordGuy on July 30, 2018, 09:18:30 PM
Here, I grabbed some lines from the other thread about 18 year olds who take out big students loans. I'm using these lines to argue that you shouldn't be infantilizing the adults in gentrifying areas who chose to rent instead of to purchase -- in particular, to refute your point that these people are not culpable because they lacked financial mentorship. 

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/do-you-sympathize-with-folks-that-racked-up-huge-debt-for-private-coll-95215/50/

Quote
By the time someone is 18 they should have moved well beyond the stage of not questioning things and just doing whatever people tell them without thinking about it.  And I definitely seriously question the judgment and intelligence of any adult who says thy ended up in a bad financial situation by blindly doing what other people told them to…

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I have a hard time being sympathetic of people who had the information available to make a better decision and didn't.

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The entirety of the internet exists and in that vast information resource it has answers for pretty much any question out there.  If a person is too ignorant to even ask the questions and try to find an answer … then I don't feel sorry for them

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People [that are 18} are not children.

You make very cogent points.   

There are a couple of things that are different between prospective college students and general folks who have grown up in a blighted neighborhood within a culture of poverty.

First of all, someone who is educationally prepared to attend college is way, way ahead of the general populace  in education, reading comprehension, and research skills.   You are dealing with a slice of the population that has more skills than average.  ( Average skills are appalling, by the way.)

Now, if you want to argue, "The general population COULD HAVE better skills if they GOT OFF THEIR ASS AND LEARNED what they are supposed to learn in school.", I would have to agree.   But they don't.  And by the time they need them at 18, they don't have them.    We all know people who had much better skills than dug themselves into a hole before they figured things out.  A lot of them post blogs here.  People with less preparation will learn what they need to at a slower rate, just as those who dug a big debt hole will take longer to dig themselves out.

Second, "How to pay for college?" is a question on the minds of everyone.  For most people this is a non-trivial question.   So, they know they need to figure something out.   There's a lot of info out there (now) that is easily stumbled upon by anyone seriously investigating their options.

How is that different from folks brought up in a culture of poverty?   After all, the information is out there and easily found by those who look for it.
The difference is you don't look for the answer to a question you don't know exists.     I once read that in many cases, poverty is caused by a lack of imagination, i.e., the ability to imagine a situation that would be immensely better and then imagine how to get there.  If you don't realize it's possible (except for music or sports stars), you don't look for how to do it.    In a lot of ghettos, the people who do imagine a way out do just that -- get out.  And then they aren't around to be role models for possibilities.

So, yes, they can find the info they need.   But they don't know to look for it.   That's one reason why I spread the knowledge around.   But, being middle class and at work much of the time, I don't get to meet a lot of poor folks.    Hopefully, as things settle down over the course of the next year, I'll be able to improve on that.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on July 31, 2018, 06:57:51 AM
I was a child at 18.  There was an awful lot of growth between that point and when I was in my mid 20's . . . social, physical, emotional.  I'd argue that mid-20s is where my adulthood really began.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Psychstache on July 31, 2018, 07:20:53 AM
I was a child at 18.  There was an awful lot of growth between that point and when I was in my mid 20's . . . social, physical, emotional.  I'd argue that mid-20s is where my adulthood really began.

From a neurodevelopmental standpoint, the brain becomes fully formed on average around 24-25, so you are correct. Sadly, most politicians and lawmakers are not neuroscientists.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Cranky on July 31, 2018, 07:22:18 AM
I was a child at 18.  There was an awful lot of growth between that point and when I was in my mid 20's . . . social, physical, emotional.  I'd argue that mid-20s is where my adulthood really began.

There's a long "Young Adult" part of life, from about 16 through mid-20's, IMO. I expect people to have some pretty well developed moral principles by then, but it's definitely a time when people should be able to experiment, find themselves, make mistakes. I don't think you should whine about living with the consequences of the mistakes you make, but I don't find it morally reprehensible that you've made those mistakes.

But at 18yo, even kids who have worked at a job, have rarely been responsible for paying rent, buying groceries, scheduling their own dental appointments. It just takes time and practice to get a feel for all of that stuff.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on July 31, 2018, 07:43:19 AM
Here, I grabbed some lines from the other thread about 18 year olds who take out big students loans. I'm using these lines to argue that you shouldn't be infantilizing the adults in gentrifying areas who chose to rent instead of to purchase -- in particular, to refute your point that these people are not culpable because they lacked financial mentorship. 

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/do-you-sympathize-with-folks-that-racked-up-huge-debt-for-private-coll-95215/50/

Quote
By the time someone is 18 they should have moved well beyond the stage of not questioning things and just doing whatever people tell them without thinking about it.  And I definitely seriously question the judgment and intelligence of any adult who says thy ended up in a bad financial situation by blindly doing what other people told them to…

Quote
I have a hard time being sympathetic of people who had the information available to make a better decision and didn't.

Quote
The entirety of the internet exists and in that vast information resource it has answers for pretty much any question out there.  If a person is too ignorant to even ask the questions and try to find an answer … then I don't feel sorry for them

Quote
People [that are 18} are not children.

This thread bugged me for a few reasons.
First- you don't know what you don't know. Often 18-year olds don't even know the questions they should be asking.
Second- it seemed to assume these college seniors had parents who understood the system. Many, many don't. There are many students who do not have an adult to guide them through the process. A first generation college student won't be able to rely on their parent's experience to understand the loan system or the value of degrees from various tiers of universities.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: penguintroopers on July 31, 2018, 11:34:18 AM
Here, I grabbed some lines from the other thread about 18 year olds who take out big students loans. I'm using these lines to argue that you shouldn't be infantilizing the adults in gentrifying areas who chose to rent instead of to purchase -- in particular, to refute your point that these people are not culpable because they lacked financial mentorship. 

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/do-you-sympathize-with-folks-that-racked-up-huge-debt-for-private-coll-95215/50/

Quote
By the time someone is 18 they should have moved well beyond the stage of not questioning things and just doing whatever people tell them without thinking about it.  And I definitely seriously question the judgment and intelligence of any adult who says thy ended up in a bad financial situation by blindly doing what other people told them to…

Quote
I have a hard time being sympathetic of people who had the information available to make a better decision and didn't.

Quote
The entirety of the internet exists and in that vast information resource it has answers for pretty much any question out there.  If a person is too ignorant to even ask the questions and try to find an answer … then I don't feel sorry for them

Quote
People [that are 18} are not children.

This thread bugged me for a few reasons.
First- you don't know what you don't know. Often 18-year olds don't even know the questions they should be asking.
Second- it seemed to assume these college seniors had parents who understood the system. Many, many don't. There are many students who do not have an adult to guide them through the process. A first generation college student won't be able to rely on their parent's experience to understand the loan system or the value of degrees from various tiers of universities.

A THIRD generation college student can still struggle. My grandmother and mother went to school during the same years, but since both of them took out loans it was just assumed I would pay for school via loans/scholarships as well. My mom is still paying on her loans, even though she's been out of school for over 20 years.

The idea that "go to college, you'll end up ahead!" is very perverse and will take awhile to die out. Yes, if your options were $10k debt to get an engineering degree, you will get ahead, but $200k for your art/journalism degree.... you're going to have a bad time. But people don't go that far into detail, and when a 17/18 year old hears all of their trustworthy adults all telling them to do one thing, they're going to do that thing!

I'm grateful the idea that "maybe college isn't for everyone, we still need plumbers/electricians/mechanics as much as we need doctors/engineers/lawyers" is finally taking hold, so at least some people start looking at trade schools rather than a traditional 4 year degree.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on July 31, 2018, 12:18:05 PM
Here, I grabbed some lines from the other thread about 18 year olds who take out big students loans. I'm using these lines to argue that you shouldn't be infantilizing the adults in gentrifying areas who chose to rent instead of to purchase -- in particular, to refute your point that these people are not culpable because they lacked financial mentorship. 

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/do-you-sympathize-with-folks-that-racked-up-huge-debt-for-private-coll-95215/50/

Quote
By the time someone is 18 they should have moved well beyond the stage of not questioning things and just doing whatever people tell them without thinking about it.  And I definitely seriously question the judgment and intelligence of any adult who says thy ended up in a bad financial situation by blindly doing what other people told them to…

Quote
I have a hard time being sympathetic of people who had the information available to make a better decision and didn't.

Quote
The entirety of the internet exists and in that vast information resource it has answers for pretty much any question out there.  If a person is too ignorant to even ask the questions and try to find an answer … then I don't feel sorry for them

Quote
People [that are 18} are not children.

This thread bugged me for a few reasons.
First- you don't know what you don't know. Often 18-year olds don't even know the questions they should be asking.
Second- it seemed to assume these college seniors had parents who understood the system. Many, many don't. There are many students who do not have an adult to guide them through the process. A first generation college student won't be able to rely on their parent's experience to understand the loan system or the value of degrees from various tiers of universities.

A THIRD generation college student can still struggle. My grandmother and mother went to school during the same years, but since both of them took out loans it was just assumed I would pay for school via loans/scholarships as well. My mom is still paying on her loans, even though she's been out of school for over 20 years.

The idea that "go to college, you'll end up ahead!" is very perverse and will take awhile to die out. Yes, if your options were $10k debt to get an engineering degree, you will get ahead, but $200k for your art/journalism degree.... you're going to have a bad time. But people don't go that far into detail, and when a 17/18 year old hears all of their trustworthy adults all telling them to do one thing, they're going to do that thing!

I'm grateful the idea that "maybe college isn't for everyone, we still need plumbers/electricians/mechanics as much as we need doctors/engineers/lawyers" is finally taking hold, so at least some people start looking at trade schools rather than a traditional 4 year degree.

But if your mother is still paying on your loans, surely you had some idea that those loans would last for a long time and not be something that are easily paid off as soon as you got your amazing after-college job, right?  It wasn't a complete unknown?

I totally agree with you that any student who has to take out loans may struggle; but I think some have more opportunity to make informed choices than others.  Of course, at 18 we don't often listen to our parents anymore, but don't necessarily have the cognitive processing to know that maybe we should have.

I had scholarships, so I never had loans, but I do know lots of people who thought "I have $60,000 in loans" my job will pay me $30,000 when I finish school. I'll have these paid off in 2 years.  These were not stupid people; but they completely forgot about, you know, living expenses that people use their salaries for.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: thd7t on July 31, 2018, 01:49:47 PM
My 'I Don't Get It' rant is targeted at the losers of gentrification, those priced out of their neighborhoods when the rent increases beyond their ability to pay.  While I understand the inconvenience, what legitimate claim do they have to their neighborhood compared to landlords and developers?  If they wanted a claim to indefinitely stay in a specific location, they should have bought property instead of taking their chances with a rental.

I also don't get why rent control and affordable housing mandates are a preferable option compared to figuring out a way to make market rate housing affordable for a minimum wage earner.  Single room occupancy buildings may be a solution.
As an example for the gentrification question, older owners on fixed income may not have the flexibility to handle the increase in tax burden that comes with gentrification.  They may have worked hard at a low income, but bought and paid off a home that they believed that they would be able to afford for life, but this could be pulled out from under their feet.  Naturally, this could result in family and community backlash.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Just Joe on August 01, 2018, 11:54:35 AM
I don't get why, with how delicious European Orange Fanta is, you can't hardly get it anywhere in the US, except for the odd Euromarket here and there.

The bright orange American version is way too artificially sweet.

"Mexican Coca-Cola is the same way. Fortunately it is easier to get now in my town but it still looks like it is traveling a long way to get here.

Cane sugar > Corn Syrup
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: merula on August 02, 2018, 05:37:44 AM
On the gentrification issue, I have a question for those who view it as  problem to be solved.  What is the solution?  Price-fixing?  Won't that have the implication of chilling investment and keeping an area poor?

I might not be your target, because I don't think gentrification can be stopped, but I do think we can do things to minimize the impact:
-End restrictive zoning laws that require specific kinds of housing in an area, so that there are more housing options at a variety of price points.
-Allow accessory dwelling units (basement apartments, garage apartments, "granny flats"), which lets lower- and fixed-income homeowners to reap the benefits of their valuable location without selling, and increases in housing supply.
-Increase investment in public transit and remove parking minimums in new construction. ("Free parking" drives up the cost of construction and is a waste of space in urban areas.)
-Offer to trade developers zoning variances (building height, setbacks, etc) for public benefits (dedicated low-income units, green space, etc).

None of these things are individual actions, but they require being involved in local politics, where it is actually surprisingly easy for one person to make a big impact. Generally, really boring-sounding stuff like "District Land Use Committee" are dominated by older homeowners who want to "preserve neighborhood character", and don't recognize that, long-term, that's impossible.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on August 02, 2018, 05:43:18 AM
So, I'm sitting in an airport.  Just had to pay $25 per bag to get my luggage on the damn plane.  I'm surrounded by people that weigh at least 100 lbs more than I do and they're riding for the same rate as me.  Talk about some BS. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dave1442397 on August 02, 2018, 05:56:27 AM
So, I'm sitting in an airport.  Just had to pay $25 per bag to get my luggage on the damn plane.  I'm surrounded by people that weigh at least 100 lbs more than I do and they're riding for the same rate as me.  Talk about some BS.

I feel the same way about that. Put everyone on a scale with their luggage and calculate a fee based on total weight.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hirondelle on August 02, 2018, 06:06:46 AM
So, I'm sitting in an airport.  Just had to pay $25 per bag to get my luggage on the damn plane.  I'm surrounded by people that weigh at least 100 lbs more than I do and they're riding for the same rate as me.  Talk about some BS.

I feel the same way about that. Put everyone on a scale with their luggage and calculate a fee based on total weight.

If those people managed to pack their stuff within the same weight limit you did something wrong tho ;)

(not to be taken too seriously)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: markbike528CBX on August 02, 2018, 06:12:23 AM
On the gentrification issue, I have a question for those who view it as  problem to be solved.  What is the solution?  Price-fixing?  Won't that have the implication of chilling investment and keeping an area poor?

I might not be your target, because I don't think gentrification can be stopped, but I do think we can do things to minimize the impact:
-End restrictive zoning laws that require specific kinds of housing in an area, so that there are more housing options at a variety of price points.
-Allow accessory dwelling units (basement apartments, garage apartments, "granny flats"), which lets lower- and fixed-income homeowners to reap the benefits of their valuable location without selling, and increases in housing supply.
-Increase investment in public transit and remove parking minimums in new construction. ("Free parking" drives up the cost of construction and is a waste of space in urban areas.)
-Offer to trade developers zoning variances (building height, setbacks, etc) for public benefits (dedicated low-income units, green space, etc).

None of these things are individual actions, but they require being involved in local politics, where it is actually surprisingly easy for one person to make a big impact. Generally, really boring-sounding stuff like "District Land Use Committee" are dominated by older homeowners who want to "preserve neighborhood character", and don't recognize that, long-term, that's impossible.
I've thought about joining the city zoning commitiee as a wintertime retirement thingy. I'm just having too much fun during my first summer of lesiure though.   Posting to remember the ideas here.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on August 02, 2018, 07:12:03 AM
So, I'm sitting in an airport.  Just had to pay $25 per bag to get my luggage on the damn plane.  I'm surrounded by people that weigh at least 100 lbs more than I do and they're riding for the same rate as me.  Talk about some BS.

I feel the same way about that. Put everyone on a scale with their luggage and calculate a fee based on total weight.

I weigh 200 lbs, but would agree with you.  Airplane ticket fees should be based upon total passenger + baggage weight (with a stipulation regarding baggage volume so you don't get stupid people bringing 70lbs of light weight foam or something), with a weigh-in just before departure to calculate the final price.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: thd7t on August 02, 2018, 07:17:20 AM
So, I'm sitting in an airport.  Just had to pay $25 per bag to get my luggage on the damn plane.  I'm surrounded by people that weigh at least 100 lbs more than I do and they're riding for the same rate as me.  Talk about some BS.

Doesn't volume seem like it should be a factor?  I don't care if you weigh less than me if you have too much stuff or take up too much room!
I feel the same way about that. Put everyone on a scale with their luggage and calculate a fee based on total weight.

I weigh 200 lbs, but would agree with you.  Airplane ticket fees should be based upon total passenger + baggage weight (with a stipulation regarding baggage volume so you don't get stupid people bringing 70lbs of light weight foam or something), with a weigh-in just before departure to calculate the final price.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SimpleCycle on August 02, 2018, 08:59:23 AM
So, I'm sitting in an airport.  Just had to pay $25 per bag to get my luggage on the damn plane.  I'm surrounded by people that weigh at least 100 lbs more than I do and they're riding for the same rate as me.  Talk about some BS.

It's cute you think prices are based on cost to the airline.  Pricing is based on willingness to pay.  If airlines charged heavier people more, less people would be willing to fly and airlines would make less money.  You depend on those heavy people flying too, to have enough volume to make flying to whatever destination you are flying to worth it for the airline.

If you pack lighter, you can just bring a carry on.  Paying for bags is simply another form of price differentiation among those willing to pay and those not.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BTDretire on August 02, 2018, 09:20:40 AM
My 'I Don't Get It' rant is targeted at the losers of gentrification, those priced out of their neighborhoods when the rent increases beyond their ability to pay.  While I understand the inconvenience, what legitimate claim do they have to their neighborhood compared to landlords and developers?  If they wanted a claim to indefinitely stay in a specific location, they should have bought property instead of taking their chances with a rental.

I also don't get why rent control and affordable housing mandates are a preferable option compared to figuring out a way to make market rate housing affordable for a minimum wage earner.  Single room occupancy buildings may be a solution.
As an example for the gentrification question, older owners on fixed income may not have the flexibility to handle the increase in tax burden that comes with gentrification.  They may have worked hard at a low income, but bought and paid off a home that they believed that they would be able to afford for life, but this could be pulled out from under their feet.  Naturally, this could result in family and community backlash.
Yep, That's why property taxes are my big pet peave.
You never own your house, you must constantly pay rent to the government, and if you
don't they can take it away. And, you are at the whim of the government, they can raise
your assessment and/or raise your millage rate.
Just say NO to property taxes!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on August 02, 2018, 10:43:37 AM
My 'I Don't Get It' rant is targeted at the losers of gentrification, those priced out of their neighborhoods when the rent increases beyond their ability to pay.  While I understand the inconvenience, what legitimate claim do they have to their neighborhood compared to landlords and developers?  If they wanted a claim to indefinitely stay in a specific location, they should have bought property instead of taking their chances with a rental.

I also don't get why rent control and affordable housing mandates are a preferable option compared to figuring out a way to make market rate housing affordable for a minimum wage earner.  Single room occupancy buildings may be a solution.
As an example for the gentrification question, older owners on fixed income may not have the flexibility to handle the increase in tax burden that comes with gentrification.  They may have worked hard at a low income, but bought and paid off a home that they believed that they would be able to afford for life, but this could be pulled out from under their feet.  Naturally, this could result in family and community backlash.
Yep, That's why property taxes are my big pet peave.
You never own your house, you must constantly pay rent to the government, and if you
don't they can take it away. And, you are at the whim of the government, they can raise
your assessment and/or raise your millage rate.
Just say NO to property taxes!

Yeah.  There's no benefit at all from property taxes.

They don't go towards paving the roads that lead up to your house.
They don't go towards providing police and fire protection for your neighbourhood.
They don't go towards waste disposal
Or parks, libraries, schools, community centers, etc.

And even if they did, all of those things suck and have no value.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on August 02, 2018, 11:50:32 AM
On the gentrification issue, I have a question for those who view it as  problem to be solved.  What is the solution?  Price-fixing?  Won't that have the implication of chilling investment and keeping an area poor?

I might not be your target, because I don't think gentrification can be stopped, but I do think we can do things to minimize the impact:
-End restrictive zoning laws that require specific kinds of housing in an area, so that there are more housing options at a variety of price points.
-Allow accessory dwelling units (basement apartments, garage apartments, "granny flats"), which lets lower- and fixed-income homeowners to reap the benefits of their valuable location without selling, and increases in housing supply.
-Increase investment in public transit and remove parking minimums in new construction. ("Free parking" drives up the cost of construction and is a waste of space in urban areas.)
-Offer to trade developers zoning variances (building height, setbacks, etc) for public benefits (dedicated low-income units, green space, etc).

None of these things are individual actions, but they require being involved in local politics, where it is actually surprisingly easy for one person to make a big impact. Generally, really boring-sounding stuff like "District Land Use Committee" are dominated by older homeowners who want to "preserve neighborhood character", and don't recognize that, long-term, that's impossible.

I live in a neighbourhood with a certain reputation that has improved a lot over the last 10-15 years. People who have moved here in recent years are teachers, nurses, social workers etc, educated people with jobs that pay average wages. Having all these people move in has been a lifesaver for the neighbourhood as a whole, but many areas have become too expensive for people on minimum wage. The problem is that we are now out of truly cheap neighbourhoods - even the bad areas have improved so much they are now quite expensive. Except for some very rural areas, in a large part of my country it's become impossible to live comfortably (as a renter or a homeowner) on a lower income. Housing costs have grown much faster than income has over the last half century.

A lot of homes in my neighbourhood are owned by a non-profit housing association (that was formed as a charity 100 years ago) and they sell homes at a discounted rate to people on a lower-than-average income (max 30k) on the condition that they sell the house back to the housing assocation at the same discounted rate. We were able to purchase our house with a 40% discount. We will eventually sell it back to the association for 60% of the value at the date of the sale, but this discount allows us to live cheaply, save money, build up some equity in the property and once we sell it, it will go to another young, hardworking couple that is in need of a break. I personally think this is a great scheme: this way properties go to those in need and not to slum landlords, while improving the neighbourhood.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: merula on August 02, 2018, 01:05:20 PM
Yeah.  There's no benefit at all from property taxes.

They don't go towards paving the roads that lead up to your house.
They don't go towards providing police and fire protection for your neighbourhood.
They don't go towards waste disposal
Or parks, libraries, schools, community centers, etc.

And even if they did, all of those things suck and have no value.

We don't need schools. We need big businesses to decide who they want to hire while those future employees are 3-4 and then invest only in the education of those future employees. Think about it: no wasted knowledge of worthless stuff like astronomy or English Lit for Amazon employees. No employees who can do their own retirement math and maybe choose not to work their entire lives. And best of all, no property taxes.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on August 02, 2018, 01:26:50 PM
Yeah.  There's no benefit at all from property taxes.

They don't go towards paving the roads that lead up to your house.
They don't go towards providing police and fire protection for your neighbourhood.
They don't go towards waste disposal
Or parks, libraries, schools, community centers, etc.

And even if they did, all of those things suck and have no value.

We don't need schools. We need big businesses to decide who they want to hire while those future employees are 3-4 and then invest only in the education of those future employees. Think about it: no wasted knowledge of worthless stuff like astronomy or English Lit for Amazon employees. No employees who can do their own retirement math and maybe choose not to work their entire lives. And best of all, no property taxes.

You'd have a problem where people get the free Amazon education and then don't work for Amazon.  Probably you'd need to keep an accounting of how much each person owes Amazon for their education and they can pay it back as they work it off.  It could all be denominated in AmazonBucks, which can also be used to pay Amazon for maintaining the shipping infrastructure, empty cardboard retrieval, and warehouse fire protection.  I can't wait for the $5000 Amazon Prime memberships.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Jouer on August 03, 2018, 08:07:40 AM
Yeah.  There's no benefit at all from property taxes.

They don't go towards paving the roads that lead up to your house.
They don't go towards providing police and fire protection for your neighbourhood.
They don't go towards waste disposal
Or parks, libraries, schools, community centers, etc.

And even if they did, all of those things suck and have no value.

We don't need schools. We need big businesses to decide who they want to hire while those future employees are 3-4 and then invest only in the education of those future employees. Think about it: no wasted knowledge of worthless stuff like astronomy or English Lit for Amazon employees. No employees who can do their own retirement math and maybe choose not to work their entire lives. And best of all, no property taxes.

You'd have a problem where people get the free Amazon education and then don't work for Amazon.  Probably you'd need to keep an accounting of how much each person owes Amazon for their education and they can pay it back as they work it off.  It could all be denominated in AmazonBucks, which can also be used to pay Amazon for maintaining the shipping infrastructure, empty cardboard retrieval, and warehouse fire protection.  I can't wait for the $5000 Amazon Prime memberships.

Unless it was like Euro soccer. If a company wanted to hire an Amazon student/worker, they'd have to pay a transfer fee to Amazon on top of the salary offered to the student/worker. Younger workers who can't make the starting team of the big firms would be loaned out to smaller firms to get their experience.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: merula on August 03, 2018, 08:28:15 AM
Unless it was like Euro soccer. If a company wanted to hire an Amazon student/worker, they'd have to pay a transfer fee to Amazon on top of the salary offered to the student/worker. Younger workers who can't make the starting team of the big firms would be loaned out to smaller firms to get their experience.

And then you have idiots at Amazon Italy buying a near-retirement middle-manager from Amazon Spain for €100M.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on August 03, 2018, 12:12:23 PM
People who wander out into a busy road when they are less than 20m from a proper crossing.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Miss Piggy on August 03, 2018, 12:21:52 PM
People who wander out into a busy road when they are less than 20m from a proper crossing.

I'll see your "People who wander out into a busy road" and raise you "People who walk or jog on a busy road (on the wrong side, mind you) when there is a perfectly good sidewalk 3 feet away."
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on August 03, 2018, 12:29:21 PM
People who wander out into a busy road when they are less than 20m from a proper crossing.

I'll see your "People who wander out into a busy road" and raise you "People who walk or jog on a busy road (on the wrong side, mind you) when there is a perfectly good sidewalk 3 feet away."

I've occasionally seen this . . . and it's bizarre.  Why run in the middle of the road when there's a sidewalk made for running just three feet to the side?  People are weird.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Miss Piggy on August 03, 2018, 12:31:53 PM
People who wander out into a busy road when they are less than 20m from a proper crossing.

I'll see your "People who wander out into a busy road" and raise you "People who walk or jog on a busy road (on the wrong side, mind you) when there is a perfectly good sidewalk 3 feet away."

I've occasionally seen this . . . and it's bizarre.  Why run in the middle of the road when there's a sidewalk made for running just three feet to the side?  People are weird.

Darwinism, perhaps?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Bird In Hand on August 03, 2018, 12:35:19 PM
People who wander out into a busy road when they are less than 20m from a proper crossing.

I'll see your "People who wander out into a busy road" and raise you "People who walk or jog on a busy road (on the wrong side, mind you) when there is a perfectly good sidewalk 3 feet away."

Running on the wrong side of the road makes perfect sense because it gives the runner a chance to jump out of the road in the case of an inattentive oncoming driver, versus getting run over from behind by an inattentive driver.  Most runners have eyes in the front of their heads, not the back.

However, this is only necessary on roads without sidewalks.  I can't explain why someone would choose to run on the road (with traffic or against traffic) if there is a sidewalk available.  Maybe for the softer road asphalt versus harder sidewalk concrete?  :o
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 on August 03, 2018, 12:36:49 PM
To be fair, some poorly engineered or constructed sidewalks are like a tripping hazard gauntlet of death. Still, better places are often available for running.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Miss Piggy on August 03, 2018, 12:44:50 PM
People who wander out into a busy road when they are less than 20m from a proper crossing.

I'll see your "People who wander out into a busy road" and raise you "People who walk or jog on a busy road (on the wrong side, mind you) when there is a perfectly good sidewalk 3 feet away."

Running on the wrong side of the road makes perfect sense because it gives the runner a chance to jump out of the road in the case of an inattentive oncoming driver, versus getting run over from behind by an inattentive driver.  Most runners have eyes in the front of their heads, not the back.

You're absolutely right. And when I said they were running on the wrong side of the road, I meant they were running WITH traffic instead of against it. Not safe at all.

As you state, for pedestrians (on foot), the correct side of the road is the side that's facing oncoming traffic. Too many people are simply unaware of this safety "rule." If I hadn't run cross country in high school, I, too, likely would have never learned it.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on August 03, 2018, 12:50:13 PM
To be fair, some poorly engineered or constructed sidewalks are like a tripping hazard gauntlet of death. Still, better places are often available for running.

I live in Michigan, with its terrible roads (including side streets; there's a caution marker over an early-stage sinkhole on my block) and in an area with plentiful sidewalks. People still walk/jog/run in the streets. I consider them Darwin award nominees. I regularly hope that I'm not the one who accidentally helps them win said award.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on August 03, 2018, 01:01:46 PM
People who wander out into a busy road when they are less than 20m from a proper crossing.

I'll see your "People who wander out into a busy road" and raise you "People who walk or jog on a busy road (on the wrong side, mind you) when there is a perfectly good sidewalk 3 feet away."

Running on the wrong side of the road makes perfect sense because it gives the runner a chance to jump out of the road in the case of an inattentive oncoming driver, versus getting run over from behind by an inattentive driver.  Most runners have eyes in the front of their heads, not the back.

However, this is only necessary on roads without sidewalks.  I can't explain why someone would choose to run on the road (with traffic or against traffic) if there is a sidewalk available.  Maybe for the softer road asphalt versus harder sidewalk concrete?  :o

I've been trying to figure out if this could be the reason (having run many miles on both concrete and asphalt when I was doing training for boxing) . . . and this article seems to be pretty convincing that they're effectively the same to run on:
https://www.slowtwitch.com/Training/Running/Concrete_or_Asphalt__4793.html (https://www.slowtwitch.com/Training/Running/Concrete_or_Asphalt__4793.html)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: markbike528CBX on August 03, 2018, 03:53:59 PM
People who wander out into a busy road when they are less than 20m from a proper crossing.

I'll see your "People who wander out into a busy road" and raise you "People who walk or jog on a busy road (on the wrong side, mind you) when there is a perfectly good sidewalk 3 feet away."

We have a pretty good sidewalk on our side of the street, lots of jiggers on far side of the street.
The far side of the street abuts a steep bank, making jogger escape iffy.

And we have yet to put up the firebreathing dragon sculpture!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BTDretire on August 03, 2018, 04:28:56 PM
My 'I Don't Get It' rant is targeted at the losers of gentrification, those priced out of their neighborhoods when the rent increases beyond their ability to pay.  While I understand the inconvenience, what legitimate claim do they have to their neighborhood compared to landlords and developers?  If they wanted a claim to indefinitely stay in a specific location, they should have bought property instead of taking their chances with a rental.

I also don't get why rent control and affordable housing mandates are a preferable option compared to figuring out a way to make market rate housing affordable for a minimum wage earner.  Single room occupancy buildings may be a solution.
As an example for the gentrification question, older owners on fixed income may not have the flexibility to handle the increase in tax burden that comes with gentrification.  They may have worked hard at a low income, but bought and paid off a home that they believed that they would be able to afford for life, but this could be pulled out from under their feet.  Naturally, this could result in family and community backlash.
Yep, That's why property taxes are my big pet peave.
You never own your house, you must constantly pay rent to the government, and if you
don't they can take it away. And, you are at the whim of the government, they can raise
your assessment and/or raise your millage rate.
Just say NO to property taxes!

Yeah.  There's no benefit at all from property taxes.

They don't go towards paving the roads that lead up to your house.
They don't go towards providing police and fire protection for your neighbourhood.
They don't go towards waste disposal
Or parks, libraries, schools, community centers, etc.

And even if they did, all of those things suck and have no value.
I did not say we don't need any taxes, I said we don't need a tax on the
the roof over your head, the place your family eats meals and sleeps at night.
Your refuge from the world. The biggest asset that most people will attain in
a 35 year work history.
I just think the government aught to keep their taxes away from your home.

  I said nothing about the importance of roads, police and fire protection, waste disposal,
parks, libraries, schools or community centers. Fake news!

btw, I pay separately for my waste disposal and possibly parks, the city utility* bill will let you
 add $1 for the parks fund.
* water, sewer and garbage.
 
 
 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Bird In Hand on August 03, 2018, 05:43:56 PM
You're absolutely right. And when I said they were running on the wrong side of the road, I meant they were running WITH traffic instead of against it. Not safe at all.

Gotcha, sorry for the misunderstanding!

It's actually kind of funny that "wrong side of the road" can be interpreted in both ways, depending on whether you think the person who is claiming "wrong side" is aware that "wrong side" is actually "the right side", which of course actually means "left side" (at least in countries where people drive on the right side of the road -- which in this case means the side opposite the left side, not the "correct side").  :D
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Davnasty on August 03, 2018, 08:47:00 PM
People who wander out into a busy road when they are less than 20m from a proper crossing.

I'll see your "People who wander out into a busy road" and raise you "People who walk or jog on a busy road (on the wrong side, mind you) when there is a perfectly good sidewalk 3 feet away."

Running on the wrong side of the road makes perfect sense because it gives the runner a chance to jump out of the road in the case of an inattentive oncoming driver, versus getting run over from behind by an inattentive driver.  Most runners have eyes in the front of their heads, not the back.

However, this is only necessary on roads without sidewalks.  I can't explain why someone would choose to run on the road (with traffic or against traffic) if there is a sidewalk available.  Maybe for the softer road asphalt versus harder sidewalk concrete?  :o

I've been trying to figure out if this could be the reason (having run many miles on both concrete and asphalt when I was doing training for boxing) . . . and this article seems to be pretty convincing that they're effectively the same to run on:
https://www.slowtwitch.com/Training/Running/Concrete_or_Asphalt__4793.html (https://www.slowtwitch.com/Training/Running/Concrete_or_Asphalt__4793.html)

This was my first thought as I was told by a doctor (or physical therapist?) when I ran distance to do this when I had shin splints. Maybe it was just in my head, but it seemed to make a difference.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on August 03, 2018, 09:58:39 PM
If you are a fast enough runner, pretty much all the reasons not to ride your bike on the sidewalk apply to running
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on August 04, 2018, 12:14:56 AM
@BTDretire: I've wondered for a while: why do your posts always start new lines randomly in the middle of sentences?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Morning Glory on August 04, 2018, 06:54:15 AM
People who wander out into a busy road when they are less than 20m from a proper crossing.

I'll see your "People who wander out into a busy road" and raise you "People who walk or jog on a busy road (on the wrong side, mind you) when there is a perfectly good sidewalk 3 feet away."

Running on the wrong side of the road makes perfect sense because it gives the runner a chance to jump out of the road in the case of an inattentive oncoming driver, versus getting run over from behind by an inattentive driver.  Most runners have eyes in the front of their heads, not the back.

However, this is only necessary on roads without sidewalks.  I can't explain why someone would choose to run on the road (with traffic or against traffic) if there is a sidewalk available.  Maybe for the softer road asphalt versus harder sidewalk concrete?  :o

I've been trying to figure out if this could be the reason (having run many miles on both concrete and asphalt when I was doing training for boxing) . . . and this article seems to be pretty convincing that they're effectively the same to run on:
https://www.slowtwitch.com/Training/Running/Concrete_or_Asphalt__4793.html (https://www.slowtwitch.com/Training/Running/Concrete_or_Asphalt__4793.html)

This was my first thought as I was told by a doctor (or physical therapist?) when I ran distance to do this when I had shin splints. Maybe it was just in my head, but it seemed to make a difference.

Consistent running on the same side of a graded road can also lead to IT band tightness and pain, so there is a reason to not always run against traffic. Most residential streets are not graded though, and I don't know what is wrong with sidewalks.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on August 04, 2018, 04:52:59 PM
If you are a fast enough runner, pretty much all the reasons not to ride your bike on the sidewalk apply to running

The difference in speed between the sports is pretty significant.  Most slow cyclists average more than 20 kph (12 mph).  Quick ones average around 30 kph (18 mph) for distances of above 100 km, and will regularly hit 60-70 kph (40 mph) for bursts on their rides.  The fastest running speed ever recorded was about 27 mph for the hundred meter, and the fastest marathon speed ever recorded was about 12 mph.

:P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Raymond Reddington on August 04, 2018, 11:14:50 PM
So, I'm sitting in an airport.  Just had to pay $25 per bag to get my luggage on the damn plane.  I'm surrounded by people that weigh at least 100 lbs more than I do and they're riding for the same rate as me.  Talk about some BS.

I think it's BS that you can charge drivers more for being young (even when they're good drivers) but you can't typically charge obese people more for health insurance.

I also think it's BS that large families get the same "family premiums" for health insurance as a couple with one child, or a couple with no children.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: nnls on August 04, 2018, 11:23:00 PM

So, I'm sitting in an airport.  Just had to pay $25 per bag to get my luggage on the damn plane.  I'm surrounded by people that weigh at least 100 lbs more than I do and they're riding for the same rate as me.  Talk about some BS.

I once successfully argued at checkin that I shouldn't be charged for excess baggage. I weighed about 45kg, and my bag was about 10kg over the amount allowed. I pointed out that the standard weight they had for female adults was probably more than 55kg (10kg more than I weighed) so I was still under my overall weight limit. They let me go without charging me extra. They were wanting to charge me about $50 for extra kg.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ChpBstrd on August 05, 2018, 06:51:02 AM
Forums which do not allow one to unfollow a discussion.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RWD on August 05, 2018, 07:53:59 AM
I also think it's BS that large families get the same "family premiums" for health insurance as a couple with one child, or a couple with no children.

Is this common? My company's health insurance has separate "employee + spouse" and "employee + family" plans so it's cheaper for the couple without kids.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Morning Glory on August 05, 2018, 08:08:08 AM
I also think it's BS that large families get the same "family premiums" for health insurance as a couple with one child, or a couple with no children.

Is this common? My company's health insurance has separate "employee + spouse" and "employee + family" plans so it's cheaper for the couple without kids.

Mine too. But the price is the same for one kid or 20 kids.

It's BS that the price of healthcare is going up faster than overall inflation, and insurance is covering less and less every year.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: rantk81 on August 05, 2018, 08:12:15 AM
What I don't get is people who ride their bikes on the sidewalks and then get pissed at you when they come up behind you ringing their little bell and you don't move. Some of us are deaf! Plus it's an f-ing sidewalk. Go ride in.the street.

I really really hate that too.  I've been hit FROM BEHIND by cyclists while I've been walking on the sidewalk.  I think folks who do that should be liable for all of the fines and legal consequences that would have otherwise come with driving an automobile on the sidewalk and hitting folks.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on August 05, 2018, 10:32:27 AM
Having just attended my first mass in a very long time, I don't get organized religion.  The priest was going on and on about believing in God and praising God.  I'm not a believer but I don't really understand why believers need to go on and about it - almost like they are trying to convince themselves.  Surely, if you believe in God there should  be no need to keep repeating over and over again that you believe in him?

Apart from that, I don't get the Catholic church.  Why do priests have to be men?  Why do they have to be celibate?  I know lots of wonderful, competent nuns - why can't they be priests, cardinals and popes?  Seems like the Church is determined to be stuck in ancient times.  No wonder fewer and fewer people here in Italy go to church.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on August 05, 2018, 10:54:06 AM
Having just attended my first mass in a very long time, I don't get organized religion.  The priest was going on and on about believing in God and praising God.  I'm not a believer but I don't really understand why believers need to go on and about it - almost like they are trying to convince themselves.  Surely, if you believe in God there should  be no need to keep repeating over and over again that you believe in him?

Apart from that, I don't get the Catholic church.  Why do priests have to be men?  Why do they have to be celibate?  I know lots of wonderful, competent nuns - why can't they be priests, cardinals and popes?  Seems like the Church is determined to be stuck in ancient times.  No wonder fewer and fewer people here in Italy go to church.

As someone raised in the Catholic church and who only developed the guts to come out as agnostic less than a decade ago, I agree.

Although I still think the Mass is beautiful. I sometimes miss the hymns and the "smells and bells", especially at Christmas and Easter.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on August 05, 2018, 11:14:56 AM
Brief reply:

Even if you believe in God, it's hard to truly place him at the centre of your life as you ought to. There are so many other things competing for your time and energy. Much like Mustachianism, it's easy to be tempted by the easy, fun, right-now thing.

And the thing about church is that it is in the world but not of the world. Once you have accepted the church as the conduit of God's authority, worldly standards just don't apply - so arguing that the church should update and "get with the programme" is poor logic. The world needs to get with the church, not the other way around. It's predicated on a belief in Jesus founding the church as a divine institution, but once you've accepted that* it seems pretty weird to apply the logic of the fallen world to the ideal pattern for the church.

(Obviously it's run by humans so fucks up a lot. But we can still know and strive towards the perfect divine plan for the church in the world.)

*No need to start a big discussion about whether you personally have. But if X then Y should be understandable to non-Christians even if you would argue against X.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on August 05, 2018, 11:50:54 AM
Brief reply:

Even if you believe in God, it's hard to truly place him at the centre of your life as you ought to. There are so many other things competing for your time and energy. Much like Mustachianism, it's easy to be tempted by the easy, fun, right-now thing.

And the thing about church is that it is in the world but not of the world. Once you have accepted the church as the conduit of God's authority, worldly standards just don't apply - so arguing that the church should update and "get with the programme" is poor logic. The world needs to get with the church, not the other way around. It's predicated on a belief in Jesus founding the church as a divine institution, but once you've accepted that* it seems pretty weird to apply the logic of the fallen world to the ideal pattern for the church.

(Obviously it's run by humans so fucks up a lot. But we can still know and strive towards the perfect divine plan for the church in the world.)

*No need to start a big discussion about whether you personally have. But if X then Y should be understandable to non-Christians even if you would argue against X.

Fair point. I actually don't have a problem with churches/mosques/temples/synagogues setting standards of behavior and practice for themselves. I was raised in a religious family and attended Catholic schools. I understand why people believe in God (although I am not one of them). The problem is that in the USA and many other places, those standards increasingly spill over in what should be secular arenas.

I guess what I don't get is why there has to be so much influence of religious belief in secular areas. I don't want to live in a theocracy. Different issue, and you're right that it isn't fair to conflate the two.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ChpBstrd on August 05, 2018, 12:00:09 PM
Why do priests have to be men?  Why do they have to be celibate?  I know lots of wonderful, competent nuns - why can't they be priests, cardinals and popes?  Seems like the Church is determined to be stuck in ancient times.  No wonder fewer and fewer people here in Italy go to church.

To better understand this dynamic, I recommend some books in the emerging field of economics of religion. I recommend A Theory of Religion by Rodney Stark, Acts of Faith by Rodney Stark and Roger Finke, or Rational Choice Theory and Religion, edited by Lawrence Young.

With insights drawn from these sources, I will attempt to answer the questions.

Priests, shamans, and other religious specialists arose as societies formed around farming and herding communities. Their role (or their rationale for consuming resources while not contributing as much productive work, if you prefer) was to facilitate communication with the gods who were responsible for weather, harvests, health, livestock, the outcomes of battles, and other factors humans had little control over. Importantly, these priests claimed they were different than ordinary people - they alone had an ability to communicate with the gods. Also, the gods could be bartered with. So ordinary people would subsidize their priests on the expectation the priests could tell them what kind of sacrifices or behavioral patterns would lead to a successful harvest or pregnancy, for example. To maintain the credibility of this arrangement, priests had to actually be different than ordinary people. Sacrifices made by priests, such as celibacy or living apart from others, served as a conspicuous commitment implying that the priest seriously believed they were intermediaries with gods. This was important because their prescriptions and predictions usually did not occur more often than by chance, and there was always the possibility others would attempt to leave the fields and attempt to usurp the priests. A "legitimate" priest made their own visible and costly sacrifices that they could say were the will of the gods.

Religious leaders were generally male because monotheistic religions almost always assume a male god. In an era when women were somewhere between men and livestock in terms of their dignity, and warrior strong-men ascended to alpha-male status through brutality and strength, it made sense to think of god as the man ranking above the king, who ranks above the generals, who rank above the captains, and so on all the way down to women and slaves at the bottom of the violence-based hierarchy. For the god to support the king (a politically important function), they would need to have some things in common - namely a strong desire to achieve alpha male status through masculine activities such as warfare. To people in such a cultural frame, a female would be the last person able to relate to such a god.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Raymond Reddington on August 05, 2018, 01:43:56 PM
Having just attended my first mass in a very long time, I don't get organized religion.  The priest was going on and on about believing in God and praising God.  I'm not a believer but I don't really understand why believers need to go on and about it - almost like they are trying to convince themselves.  Surely, if you believe in God there should  be no need to keep repeating over and over again that you believe in him?

Apart from that, I don't get the Catholic church.  Why do priests have to be men?  Why do they have to be celibate?  I know lots of wonderful, competent nuns - why can't they be priests, cardinals and popes?  Seems like the Church is determined to be stuck in ancient times.  No wonder fewer and fewer people here in Italy go to church.

I agree completely. Religion presently exists to serve itself. The droning on about God and praising Him and leagues of angels singing his glories eternally. Makes God sound like a real jerk.

I prefer to think of God like this:
(http://i.imgur.com/hutsQJy.jpg)

The sad part is that as religion is dying out in certain parts of the world, the lack of strong social ties among communities is too. This is why cities seem increasingly hostile and less neighborhoody, IMO. I'd really like to see something make up that cultural/community/service difference, with a non-denominational message. Whether it's Rotary International, Freemasonry and Masonic spouses, but something has to fill the void that religion used to fill in terms of creating fellowship among men and women within their communities.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on August 05, 2018, 01:58:17 PM
Aww, I love that little cartoon. It is so different from the concept of god with which I was raised.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on August 05, 2018, 02:02:35 PM
Brief reply:

Even if you believe in God, it's hard to truly place him at the centre of your life as you ought to. There are so many other things competing for your time and energy. Much like Mustachianism, it's easy to be tempted by the easy, fun, right-now thing.

And the thing about church is that it is in the world but not of the world. Once you have accepted the church as the conduit of God's authority, worldly standards just don't apply - so arguing that the church should update and "get with the programme" is poor logic. The world needs to get with the church, not the other way around. It's predicated on a belief in Jesus founding the church as a divine institution, but once you've accepted that* it seems pretty weird to apply the logic of the fallen world to the ideal pattern for the church.

(Obviously it's run by humans so fucks up a lot. But we can still know and strive towards the perfect divine plan for the church in the world.)

*No need to start a big discussion about whether you personally have. But if X then Y should be understandable to non-Christians even if you would argue against X.

Fair point. I actually don't have a problem with churches/mosques/temples/synagogues setting standards of behavior and practice for themselves. I was raised in a religious family and attended Catholic schools. I understand why people believe in God (although I am not one of them). The problem is that in the USA and many other places, those standards increasingly spill over in what should be secular arenas.

I guess what I don't get is why there has to be so much influence of religious belief in secular areas. I don't want to live in a theocracy. Different issue, and you're right that it isn't fair to conflate the two.

My perception (never actually been) is that this is very very different in America to how it is in England - that religion is much more in-yer-face in America, and that people do wave it about all over the place. There's a difference between being proud of your faith and being an interfering knobhead which it seems many people have yet to master.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on August 05, 2018, 02:11:59 PM
Brief reply:

Even if you believe in God, it's hard to truly place him at the centre of your life as you ought to. There are so many other things competing for your time and energy. Much like Mustachianism, it's easy to be tempted by the easy, fun, right-now thing.

And the thing about church is that it is in the world but not of the world. Once you have accepted the church as the conduit of God's authority, worldly standards just don't apply - so arguing that the church should update and "get with the programme" is poor logic. The world needs to get with the church, not the other way around. It's predicated on a belief in Jesus founding the church as a divine institution, but once you've accepted that* it seems pretty weird to apply the logic of the fallen world to the ideal pattern for the church.

(Obviously it's run by humans so fucks up a lot. But we can still know and strive towards the perfect divine plan for the church in the world.)

*No need to start a big discussion about whether you personally have. But if X then Y should be understandable to non-Christians even if you would argue against X.

Fair point. I actually don't have a problem with churches/mosques/temples/synagogues setting standards of behavior and practice for themselves. I was raised in a religious family and attended Catholic schools. I understand why people believe in God (although I am not one of them). The problem is that in the USA and many other places, those standards increasingly spill over in what should be secular arenas.

I guess what I don't get is why there has to be so much influence of religious belief in secular areas. I don't want to live in a theocracy. Different issue, and you're right that it isn't fair to conflate the two.

My perception (never actually been) is that this is very very different in America to how it is in England - that religion is much more in-yer-face in America, and that people do wave it about all over the place. There's a difference between being proud of your faith and being an interfering knobhead which it seems many people have yet to master.

Yep. We have major elections this year, and in most areas of the country public candidates are almost required to express public belief in a certain form of evangelical Christianity. I'm grateful to live in an area with a very large Muslim population. Christians, Muslims, and other religious/non-religious groups in my area tend to be moderate and tolerant because we're all neighbors, co-workers, classmates, friends and, in some cases, family. Unfortunately, that makes my hometown a major target of the right-wing propaganda machine.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FindingFI on August 05, 2018, 08:41:15 PM
People who wander out into a busy road when they are less than 20m from a proper crossing.

I'll see your "People who wander out into a busy road" and raise you "People who walk or jog on a busy road (on the wrong side, mind you) when there is a perfectly good sidewalk 3 feet away."

Another variant: "People who run on windy roads with blind bends and absolutely no shoulder to speak of" especially when there are significantly less dangerous roads nearby.  I am talking line at the edge of the pavement, maybe 6 inches and then roadside brush and trees.  They actually do pop up out of nowhere.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on August 05, 2018, 09:26:42 PM
My perception (never actually been) is that this is very very different in America to how it is in England - that religion is much more in-yer-face in America, and that people do wave it about all over the place. There's a difference between being proud of your faith and being an interfering knobhead which it seems many people have yet to master.

I don't know about England, but I've lived my entire life in the USA, and I've never felt religion was in my face, with perhaps the exception of Christmas, because we always had Christmas trees and decorations in the house growing up, so that would last a month or so, plus so many of the neighbors and people all over town who had decorations out.

A politician simply saying, "God Bless America," or driving by a church doesn't exactly feel "in my face" if that's what you mean.  It's quick, fleeting, and pretty much forgotten.   Of course, there's the whole terrorist angle on religion, which you hear about in the news a lot, but I don't know anyone personally outside of the military that has been directly impacted.  Granted, some people across the country have been directly affected by it and lost their lives as a result.  The problem is even worse overseas.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Raymond Reddington on August 05, 2018, 11:28:50 PM
My perception (never actually been) is that this is very very different in America to how it is in England - that religion is much more in-yer-face in America, and that people do wave it about all over the place. There's a difference between being proud of your faith and being an interfering knobhead which it seems many people have yet to master.

I don't know about England, but I've lived my entire life in the USA, and I've never felt religion was in my face, with perhaps the exception of Christmas, because we always had Christmas trees and decorations in the house growing up, so that would last a month or so, plus so many of the neighbors and people all over town who had decorations out.

A politician simply saying, "God Bless America," or driving by a church doesn't exactly feel "in my face" if that's what you mean.  It's quick, fleeting, and pretty much forgotten.   Of course, there's the whole terrorist angle on religion, which you hear about in the news a lot, but I don't know anyone personally outside of the military that has been directly impacted.  Granted, some people across the country have been directly affected by it and lost their lives as a result.  The problem is even worse overseas.

This country is unique in that religion provides a safe haven for children growing up - bible study groups with access to playgrounds, drug free areas, and youth groups that allow them to make friends, volunteer, and otherwise put down roots in their communities. Probably over 80% of the square footage of the country benefits from these programs in some way. There is an inherent good that comes from this - but the good does not come from the religious aspect of it, it comes from the community aspect.

The failure of religion is when it tries to govern. That's when it's most in your face. And in certain parts of the country, by people who are specifically told to "spread the word of God" who take that rather literally.

The failure of society is that after empowering secularists (of which I am very much one), society has completely failed to replicate the moral grounding and social ties that religious organizations have created through the aforementioned programs. I guess the thinking was along the lines of "the schools will facilitate that," which is utter BS because the schools are not given the leeway to do this, and often suffer from overcrowding/understaffing/lack of authority as it is. This is creating more and more people who just don't give a damn about their society/community anymore. What passes for pop culture anymore certainly doesn't help either. If eventually humans are going to move away from organized religion and towards a secular humanism rooted in a just code of ethics, then the agent of delivery for instilling that code of ethics in our citizens needs to be considered. Because right now it's a free for all, morality is subjective, and basically boils down to "but did you get caught though?" and "but was it worth it though?"
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on August 06, 2018, 01:31:12 AM
Brief reply:

Even if you believe in God, it's hard to truly place him at the centre of your life as you ought to. There are so many other things competing for your time and energy. Much like Mustachianism, it's easy to be tempted by the easy, fun, right-now thing.

And the thing about church is that it is in the world but not of the world. Once you have accepted the church as the conduit of God's authority, worldly standards just don't apply - so arguing that the church should update and "get with the programme" is poor logic. The world needs to get with the church, not the other way around. It's predicated on a belief in Jesus founding the church as a divine institution, but once you've accepted that* it seems pretty weird to apply the logic of the fallen world to the ideal pattern for the church.

(Obviously it's run by humans so fucks up a lot. But we can still know and strive towards the perfect divine plan for the church in the world.)

*No need to start a big discussion about whether you personally have. But if X then Y should be understandable to non-Christians even if you would argue against X.

Fair point. I actually don't have a problem with churches/mosques/temples/synagogues setting standards of behavior and practice for themselves. I was raised in a religious family and attended Catholic schools. I understand why people believe in God (although I am not one of them). The problem is that in the USA and many other places, those standards increasingly spill over in what should be secular arenas.

I guess what I don't get is why there has to be so much influence of religious belief in secular areas. I don't want to live in a theocracy. Different issue, and you're right that it isn't fair to conflate the two.

My perception (never actually been) is that this is very very different in America to how it is in England - that religion is much more in-yer-face in America, and that people do wave it about all over the place. There's a difference between being proud of your faith and being an interfering knobhead which it seems many people have yet to master.

Unfortunately, Italy is like this too.  It's not an officially Catholic country but the Catholic church basically dictates policy on reproductive rights, abortion, divorce, adoption, gay marriage, sterilization as contraception (illegal here), IVF, end of life issues etc.  I always find it ironic that churches here are empty on Sundays yet the Church as an institution has so much political power.  I also think it's very strange that a supposedly Catholic country has one of the world's lowest birth rates.  Obviously, a lot of people aren't following Catholic teachings.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on August 06, 2018, 04:09:15 AM
Brief reply:

Even if you believe in God, it's hard to truly place him at the centre of your life as you ought to. There are so many other things competing for your time and energy. Much like Mustachianism, it's easy to be tempted by the easy, fun, right-now thing.

And the thing about church is that it is in the world but not of the world. Once you have accepted the church as the conduit of God's authority, worldly standards just don't apply - so arguing that the church should update and "get with the programme" is poor logic. The world needs to get with the church, not the other way around. It's predicated on a belief in Jesus founding the church as a divine institution, but once you've accepted that* it seems pretty weird to apply the logic of the fallen world to the ideal pattern for the church.

(Obviously it's run by humans so fucks up a lot. But we can still know and strive towards the perfect divine plan for the church in the world.)

*No need to start a big discussion about whether you personally have. But if X then Y should be understandable to non-Christians even if you would argue against X.

Fair point. I actually don't have a problem with churches/mosques/temples/synagogues setting standards of behavior and practice for themselves. I was raised in a religious family and attended Catholic schools. I understand why people believe in God (although I am not one of them). The problem is that in the USA and many other places, those standards increasingly spill over in what should be secular arenas.

I guess what I don't get is why there has to be so much influence of religious belief in secular areas. I don't want to live in a theocracy. Different issue, and you're right that it isn't fair to conflate the two.

My perception (never actually been) is that this is very very different in America to how it is in England - that religion is much more in-yer-face in America, and that people do wave it about all over the place. There's a difference between being proud of your faith and being an interfering knobhead which it seems many people have yet to master.

Unfortunately, Italy is like this too.  It's not an officially Catholic country but the Catholic church basically dictates policy on reproductive rights, abortion, divorce, adoption, gay marriage, sterilization as contraception (illegal here), IVF, end of life issues etc.  I always find it ironic that churches here are empty on Sundays yet the Church as an institution has so much political power.  I also think it's very strange that a supposedly Catholic country has one of the world's lowest birth rates.  Obviously, a lot of people aren't following Catholic teachings.

When I read this, I'm so glad I'm in western Europe and not in the US or parts of Europe where the church is an important political factor. We have a truly secular society, while at the same time not really restricting religious people in practising their beliefs. For example, parents can choose between secular school and religious schools, both are state funded, as long as they meet certain educational criteria (this includes teaching evolution theory and sex education). This has the additional advantage of limiting the influence of churches on schools, because they are financially independent.   

One consequence of secularisation is that we don't have a lot of moderate churches left. Most people no longer go to church, only the very orthodox still do. When a majority of people go to church, churches are forced to preach moderate views. When only the most devout people still go to church, there's less space for moderate teaching. I grew up in a catholic area and the catholic church is purging moderate priests there. When I grew up (in the 90s, not half a century ago) most people still felt some kind of attachment to chuch, even though they didn't go to Mass every week, and my town's priest was a very wise, moderate man with a lot of informal influence in the town. He was replaced by a hardliner about 15 years ago. A lot of believers left. At the same time, a very tight-knit, hardline conservative church community has originated, with many young members. For the first time since the 60s, there's a growing movement of young people choosing to enter a convent or the priesthood (although it's of course still a very small group).  It seems that the catholic church is actively trying to purge moderates in favour of a smaller group of conservative believers. I understand why they make that choice, but it alienates the church from society.



After another frustrating job interview, one thing I don't get is why it's so difficult for employers to understand people with a disability or chronic illness can be good employees too. I have a good CV, a good degree, I have many different skills, but due to an auto-immune disease I just can't work more than 30 hours a week. Because of my illness I'm great at time management, I have a wealth of life experience, I'm super motivated and I'm not the type of person that calls in sick with a minor illness. I haven't been in hospital for years, I don't need any special treatment from an employer. I get told all the time to apply to the organization's special list of "jobs for disabled people" that always seem to be boring and badly paid jobs. I don't want a special job, I want the job that suits my degree and experience, and I know I can do that job, except I can only be in the office for 4 days a week.

I have a law degree and as a result of not being able to find a job I'm working on setting up my own business,  I already have an appointment with a potential first client this week, but I know that I lack legal experience. I know I will learn this on the job, but when you're dealing with customers who put their trust in your skills, that's a huge responsability. In my current job I'm also the only person with a law degree, but at least I don't own that business, so I don't feel like it's my responsability if things were to go wrong.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on August 06, 2018, 05:18:11 AM
Imma - aren't you in the Netherlands?  I thought that the Netherlands was a paradise of part time work?  I have Italian friends who moved there and marvelled at how short the working hours are generally and how so many people work part time even in professional jobs.

Would it be possible for you to just get a 30 hours a week job and not disclose your health issue?  I have a health issue too but it does not stop me working full time.  However, even so I keep my mouth shut about it at work.  Maybe you could just say that you're looking for a part time lawyer job and not give them a reason why since so many Dutch people work PT?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: EnjoyIt on August 06, 2018, 07:42:32 AM
I don't get how people are looking to retire on corporate profits via the 4% rule while at the same time looking to increase regulations and corporate taxes making them less profitable and 4% withdrawals more risky.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: MDfive21 on August 06, 2018, 08:19:55 AM
People who wander out into a busy road when they are less than 20m from a proper crossing.

I'll see your "People who wander out into a busy road" and raise you "People who walk or jog on a busy road (on the wrong side, mind you) when there is a perfectly good sidewalk 3 feet away."

Running on the wrong side of the road makes perfect sense because it gives the runner a chance to jump out of the road in the case of an inattentive oncoming driver, versus getting run over from behind by an inattentive driver.  Most runners have eyes in the front of their heads, not the back.

However, this is only necessary on roads without sidewalks.  I can't explain why someone would choose to run on the road (with traffic or against traffic) if there is a sidewalk available.  Maybe for the softer road asphalt versus harder sidewalk concrete?  :o

I've been trying to figure out if this could be the reason (having run many miles on both concrete and asphalt when I was doing training for boxing) . . . and this article seems to be pretty convincing that they're effectively the same to run on:
https://www.slowtwitch.com/Training/Running/Concrete_or_Asphalt__4793.html (https://www.slowtwitch.com/Training/Running/Concrete_or_Asphalt__4793.html)

like dragoncar said, if you're a serious runner, running on the sidewalk sucks for the same reasons biking on the sidewalk sucks.  it's not so much about speed, but about the consistency of the road vs the sidewalk.  the road is relatively smooth, with either smooth asphalt or at least large area rectangular blocks of concrete.  the sidewalks in Houston are a total joke, as i'm sure they are in a lot of metros.  do a google image search for 'houston sidewalk' for examples.

even on a nice new sidewalk, you have the little curbs on either side of the driveway, plants overgrown across the sidewalk, bends to go around trees or signs or whatever.  it just makes the experience more like an obstacle course than a relaxing run where you get into your groove and crank out the miles.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: merula on August 06, 2018, 08:25:07 AM
I don't get how people are looking to retire on corporate profits via the 4% rule while at the same time looking to increase regulations and corporate taxes making them less profitable and 4% withdrawals more risky.

Bread and circuses. Keeping the masses happy is cheaper than a revolution.

Or, alternatively, maybe a society that all can benefit from is more important than any one individual's wealth.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on August 06, 2018, 11:24:33 AM
like dragoncar said, if you're a serious runner, running on the sidewalk sucks for the same reasons biking on the sidewalk sucks.  it's not so much about speed, but about the consistency of the road vs the sidewalk.  the road is relatively smooth, with either smooth asphalt or at least large area rectangular blocks of concrete.  the sidewalks in Houston are a total joke, as i'm sure they are in a lot of metros.  do a google image search for 'houston sidewalk' for examples.

I thought this might be location-dependent. I Googled "houston sidewalk" and the photos are indeed terrible. Sidewalks in my area don't look like that at all. However, many of the streets in my neighborhood and pretty much the entire state of Michigan look like this (https://www.google.com/search?q=detroit+roads&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiXyPL899jcAhURPK0KHX1iBfEQ_AUICigB&biw=1440&bih=677).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on August 06, 2018, 12:31:03 PM
Imma - aren't you in the Netherlands?  I thought that the Netherlands was a paradise of part time work?  I have Italian friends who moved there and marvelled at how short the working hours are generally and how so many people work part time even in professional jobs.

Would it be possible for you to just get a 30 hours a week job and not disclose your health issue?  I have a health issue too but it does not stop me working full time.  However, even so I keep my mouth shut about it at work.  Maybe you could just say that you're looking for a part time lawyer job and not give them a reason why since so many Dutch people work PT?

I wish! If that was an option I would certainly do it. But it very much depends on the field and law is notoriously traditional. It's totally accepted (and actually a legal right) to request a switch to parttime once you've worked somewhere for a few years but in a traditional field like law it's very difficult to find jobs that are parttime from the start. Law is also pretty competative. In my case it's hard to not tell anything about my health, because I have a gap in my resume from when I had medical complications that resulted in a cancer scare + operation, a minor stroke and big personal problems, all at the same time. It took me a while to get back on my feet (thankfully I had savings!). In my experience, if you try to brush over a gap like that, without offering an explanation, people will assume the worst.   

In some fields (the ones that are traditionally female like nursing and education) it's the other way round, it can even be hard finding a fulltime job. Right now I work in finance, I have a well paid job that's officially 20 hours (on average about 28 a week with paid overtime) and parttime jobs like these in admin / finance are pretty easy to find. I've worked my way up over the years and in my current position I get to deal with a bit of legal stuff, but the admin part just bores me so much. My employer knows about my condition, but other than that you are right about keeping your mouth shut. I have never told them any details.

I will continue to work parttime in finance / admin as long as necessary to provide me with an income, but I would love to have a side hustle that really challenges me. I'm also working on an article for a scientific journal in my spare time. Even though that's unpaid, it's very challenging and I would be so happy to get it published, and maybe it will improve my chances of getting a job in law.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on August 06, 2018, 01:40:45 PM
Imma - thanks for the explanation.  What a bummer that your field is so traditional.  I didn't realize that it was mostly traditionally 'female' jobs where PT work is so accepted.  Does that mean that more women than men work PT? 

When I was really sick, I was out of work for 4 months. Most of that time I was in hospital.  But I already had a "permanent" full time job to go back to.  I was very fortunate as Italian sick leave is amazing so I was paid my full salary the entire time I was out sick.  I still tend not to talk about my illness.  When I go to the cardiologist (I have heart disease) I just say "I've got a doctor's appointment."
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Antonn Park on August 06, 2018, 05:31:41 PM
I don't get it why Amazon packs small items into large boxes or why some people find it all right to fight in public (I live right in the city).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on August 06, 2018, 06:20:34 PM
I watched a documentary about AI once, and IIRC a computer knows the theoretical dimensions of the object and tells the employee which of the standard sized boxes to pack into. Sometimes it's that the dims are wrong and sometimes that unfortunately just one dimension means it has to go in a bigger box than seems reasonable.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Nicholas Carter on August 07, 2018, 06:14:51 AM
I don't get it why Amazon packs small items into large boxes or why some people find it all right to fight in public (I live right in the city).
It has something to do with the number of packages that is most profitable to move in an Amazon truck. The truck has to be large enough for that number of really big packages to fit, but putting more small packages into the truck doesn't work for some reason, and having the truck half full leads to piles of boxes falling over. So they just add more box, to make the truck full.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on August 07, 2018, 08:09:47 AM
I watched a documentary about AI once, and IIRC a computer knows the theoretical dimensions of the object and tells the employee which of the standard sized boxes to pack into. Sometimes it's that the dims are wrong and sometimes that unfortunately just one dimension means it has to go in a bigger box than seems reasonable.

And sometimes the line is out of a certain size of box, and it makes more sense to keep the line moving so the computer adjusts for the boxes available, rather than stopping the line to replenish the boxes. 

The packers can't make their own decisions. They HAVE to do what the computer tells them to do.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on August 07, 2018, 08:57:37 AM
I don't get people who are obsessed with "optimization".  I'm a firm practicer of the 80/20 rule and believer in the concept that "perfect is the enemy of good enough"
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on August 07, 2018, 10:29:36 AM
Imma - thanks for the explanation.  What a bummer that your field is so traditional.  I didn't realize that it was mostly traditionally 'female' jobs where PT work is so accepted.  Does that mean that more women than men work PT? 

When I was really sick, I was out of work for 4 months. Most of that time I was in hospital.  But I already had a "permanent" full time job to go back to.  I was very fortunate as Italian sick leave is amazing so I was paid my full salary the entire time I was out sick.  I still tend not to talk about my illness.  When I go to the cardiologist (I have heart disease) I just say "I've got a doctor's appointment."

It works like that in here as well. Once you have a permanent job, you keep your job and your full wage for 2 years. After that there's there's social security. I got ill when I was 16, before I had a job, otherwise I wouldn't have had any problems.

In my personal environment, about half of women without kids work parttime, almost no men without kids work parttime, soms dads work parttime and almost every mother works parttime. So no, it's not completely equal. I kind of go back and forth on this issue. One hand hand, there's not enough diversity in the boardroom, in the government, etc and I do think that's a problem. In my field, as much women as men enter the law field, but partners in law firms are often 80% men, and few of the women in those positions have children.
 On the other hand I can totally understand why someone (male or female) would not want a job with a terrible work/life balance. It seems that to many women (and an increasing amount of young men) it's just not worth it. According to statistics, about 70% of college educated women are economically independent from their husbands, but only 25% of women without a degree are. I think the most important goal for all women is to stay economically independent. For some reason our mentality is very liberal and still most couples in the end lead a fairly traditional life, out of choice (or habit?).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FIRE@50 on August 07, 2018, 10:37:51 AM
I don't get it why Amazon packs small items into large boxes or why some people find it all right to fight in public (I live right in the city).
Rule #1 of Fight Club is pretty clear.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on August 07, 2018, 02:48:47 PM
I think the most important goal for all women is to stay economically independent. For some reason our mentality is very liberal and still most couples in the end lead a fairly traditional life, out of choice (or habit?).

Wow that is quite surprising that part time work is so gender imbalanced.  Here in Italy, part time work is very rare.  Maybe it's just the circles I move in but most of the women with kids I know work full time and many of them are the breadwinners like I am.  Italians always think of Northern European countries like the Netherlands as being more enlightened on gender issues but maybe not. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hirondelle on August 07, 2018, 03:00:44 PM
I think the most important goal for all women is to stay economically independent. For some reason our mentality is very liberal and still most couples in the end lead a fairly traditional life, out of choice (or habit?).

Wow that is quite surprising that part time work is so gender imbalanced.  Here in Italy, part time work is very rare.  Maybe it's just the circles I move in but most of the women with kids I know work full time and many of them are the breadwinners like I am.  Italians always think of Northern European countries like the Netherlands as being more enlightened on gender issues but maybe not.

I guess it does depend on what angle you're looking from. If you consider the "old fashioned" way of being a SAHM vs. working fulltime, where most women chose to be a SAHM, parttime work is a great solution that allows women to stay in the workforce while raising a family. However, nowadays in many countries women want to stay in the workforce (either due to financial or personal reasons) which makes us parttime addicts look like we're 'behind' on these issues.

I think it's great that the option for parttime work is so widely accepted. That's it's mostly conducted by women is a cultural habit that might evade over time or not. I am sometimes surprised though at female friends who start a career with parttime hours without any particular reason for it (no kids or health issues) while the boyfriend is working fulltime.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: driftwood on August 07, 2018, 03:17:39 PM
I think the most important goal for all women is to stay economically independent. For some reason our mentality is very liberal and still most couples in the end lead a fairly traditional life, out of choice (or habit?).

I don't understand how this could work... if both men and women had the #1 goal in their life of being economically independent, then you'd have to be FIRE before having kids, if you wanted either parent to stay home with them. If you're going to hire someone for childcare, I guess both could remain economically independent while still having kids.

If either parent is going to give up money-earning hours of their day to be with the kids, that would make them less economically independent. So if a woman's 'most important' goal is to stay economically independent, she'd need to have kids with a man who is willing to be economically dependent on her while he stays home with the kids (Unless one is already FIREd). Isn't part of the family unit concept an interdependence on each other so each can accomplish different things? I do understand that the interdependence leaves one or both vulnerable after a break-up, but that's a risk we take. The alternative is to remain fiercely independent of all others, but you lose some benefits too.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: okonomiyaki on August 07, 2018, 03:30:31 PM
Quote
I guess it does depend on what angle you're looking from. If you consider the "old fashioned" way of being a SAHM vs. working fulltime, where most women chose to be a SAHM, parttime work is a great solution that allows women to stay in the workforce while raising a family. However, nowadays in many countries women want to stay in the workforce (either due to financial or personal reasons) which makes us parttime addicts look like we're 'behind' on these issues.
It’s often a financial decision. Here in Aus, I think only 25% of women with kids work full time, 50% part time, the rest not at all. It’s quite horrible when you have a child, and everyone suddenly expects your career to take a back seat, and schedules school meeting 2pm on a weekday... but then due to the gender pay gap, it IS financially more viable for families to have the mum take the career hit, feminist views out the wiindow...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: driftwood on August 07, 2018, 04:03:22 PM
Quote
I guess it does depend on what angle you're looking from. If you consider the "old fashioned" way of being a SAHM vs. working fulltime, where most women chose to be a SAHM, parttime work is a great solution that allows women to stay in the workforce while raising a family. However, nowadays in many countries women want to stay in the workforce (either due to financial or personal reasons) which makes us parttime addicts look like we're 'behind' on these issues.
It’s often a financial decision. Here in Aus, I think only 25% of women with kids work full time, 50% part time, the rest not at all. It’s quite horrible when you have a child, and everyone suddenly expects your career to take a back seat, and schedules school meeting 2pm on a weekday... but then due to the gender pay gap, it IS financially more viable for families to have the mum take the career hit, feminist views out the wiindow...

+1 on the school meetings. We just moved back to the US and I was looking at getting involved in the PTA. All the meetings are during the work day, not during a time that would work for someone with a job. So I guess PTA isn't for parents, it's for unemployed parents. Grrr.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on August 07, 2018, 04:13:25 PM
I think the most important goal for all women is to stay economically independent. For some reason our mentality is very liberal and still most couples in the end lead a fairly traditional life, out of choice (or habit?).

I don't understand how this could work... if both men and women had the #1 goal in their life of being economically independent, then you'd have to be FIRE before having kids, if you wanted either parent to stay home with them. If you're going to hire someone for childcare, I guess both could remain economically independent while still having kids.

If either parent is going to give up money-earning hours of their day to be with the kids, that would make them less economically independent. So if a woman's 'most important' goal is to stay economically independent, she'd need to have kids with a man who is willing to be economically dependent on her while he stays home with the kids (Unless one is already FIREd). Isn't part of the family unit concept an interdependence on each other so each can accomplish different things? I do understand that the interdependence leaves one or both vulnerable after a break-up, but that's a risk we take. The alternative is to remain fiercely independent of all others, but you lose some benefits too.

You make it sound a bit extreme, I don't think it's that black and white.

I believe both partners should make it a priority to remain economically independent - that means, having a way to support yourself and possible dependants. It doesn't have to mean FI. Yes, it does mean that choosing to stay at home with your kids, without any significant assets to your name, and not doing any activities at all that you can put on your resume, to me, is a very bad idea. Of course, it's not always a choice for someone to not be economically independent, but I do believe it should be a goal.

I think the best case scenario (outside of FIRE)  is for both parents to work parttime. This means that parents will be able to keep their day-care costs low, while they both have a lot of hands-on time with their kid and also stay economically independent. I also believe that going to daycare or having a nanny is good for a child's development (except for very young babies). Having one parent stay at home indefinitely is something people should only do when they already have significant assets + life insurance + preferably the stay at home partner should start a consulting gig or another type of business or enroll in a course to make sure they don't totally ruin their chances on the job market.

Of course, in some situations, one parent bringing in the income and the other one staying at home works perfectly. I don't see a lot of examples of this in my personal life, but I'm sure it happens. But it can lead to awful situations. I know many examples of women trapped in a relationship because they couldn't afford to live on their own, women getting into financial difficulties after their partner dies, breadwinners getting a severe disability, etc etc etc. To me, being part of a family union means that someone has your back when shit hits the fan, but it also means taking responsability. And one very responsible thing to do is to not make your entire family's financial future dependent on one breadwinner.

In my current relationship, we are both financially independent from each other. It means that we both earn enough to live off on our own, if we wanted to. It means that when something happens, I can pack my bag and leave. It means that if my partner would die tomorrow, it would be a huge emotional loss, but it would not affect my financial future - and this happens, a 40-year old lady I know was widowed very recently. You may be surprised to hear that my (male) partner is planning to stay at home if at one point in the future we'd medically be able to have a child. But he will be enrolling in college parttime, will continue his current side hustle and he has assets. Staying at home with a child is important to him, but it's not worth risking everything for.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: swampwiz on August 07, 2018, 04:32:51 PM
So, I'm sitting in an airport.  Just had to pay $25 per bag to get my luggage on the damn plane.  I'm surrounded by people that weigh at least 100 lbs more than I do and they're riding for the same rate as me.  Talk about some BS.

Doesn't volume seem like it should be a factor?  I don't care if you weigh less than me if you have too much stuff or take up too much room!
I feel the same way about that. Put everyone on a scale with their luggage and calculate a fee based on total weight.

I weigh 200 lbs, but would agree with you.  Airplane ticket fees should be based upon total passenger + baggage weight (with a stipulation regarding baggage volume so you don't get stupid people bringing 70lbs of light weight foam or something), with a weigh-in just before departure to calculate the final price.

Have folks pay by the pound?  The Fat Acceptance crowd would be militant!  As for luggage - or any type of shipping - there is weight and volume.  Air lines have a strict rule of 62" (circumference + length) per bag which approximates volume, although can be close when dealing with skis.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mm1970 on August 07, 2018, 05:05:15 PM
Quote
I guess it does depend on what angle you're looking from. If you consider the "old fashioned" way of being a SAHM vs. working fulltime, where most women chose to be a SAHM, parttime work is a great solution that allows women to stay in the workforce while raising a family. However, nowadays in many countries women want to stay in the workforce (either due to financial or personal reasons) which makes us parttime addicts look like we're 'behind' on these issues.
It’s often a financial decision. Here in Aus, I think only 25% of women with kids work full time, 50% part time, the rest not at all. It’s quite horrible when you have a child, and everyone suddenly expects your career to take a back seat, and schedules school meeting 2pm on a weekday... but then due to the gender pay gap, it IS financially more viable for families to have the mum take the career hit, feminist views out the wiindow...

+1 on the school meetings. We just moved back to the US and I was looking at getting involved in the PTA. All the meetings are during the work day, not during a time that would work for someone with a job. So I guess PTA isn't for parents, it's for unemployed parents. Grrr.
Depends on the school demographics.  All of our PTA meetings are at 6 pm - the vast majority of our board is made up of full time working parents.

My time on the board - well, those necessary days like running the school jogathon?  I had to take vacation.  My job is flexible enough that I could help out for 1/2 hour in the morning and head to work late (and work late, or make it up on another day).

There are other schools in our district with much wealthier families with a lot of SAHPs (mostly moms), and they COMPETE to be on the board, so everything is during the daytime.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on August 07, 2018, 05:53:06 PM
So, I'm sitting in an airport.  Just had to pay $25 per bag to get my luggage on the damn plane.  I'm surrounded by people that weigh at least 100 lbs more than I do and they're riding for the same rate as me.  Talk about some BS.

Doesn't volume seem like it should be a factor?  I don't care if you weigh less than me if you have too much stuff or take up too much room!
I feel the same way about that. Put everyone on a scale with their luggage and calculate a fee based on total weight.

I weigh 200 lbs, but would agree with you.  Airplane ticket fees should be based upon total passenger + baggage weight (with a stipulation regarding baggage volume so you don't get stupid people bringing 70lbs of light weight foam or something), with a weigh-in just before departure to calculate the final price.

Have folks pay by the pound?  The Fat Acceptance crowd would be militant!  As for luggage - or any type of shipping - there is weight and volume.  Air lines have a strict rule of 62" (circumference + length) per bag which approximates volume, although can be close when dealing with skis.

I've got a few tricks for cutting weight for wrestling tournaments that would serve me well for airplane weigh ins.  :P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: EnjoyIt on August 07, 2018, 07:06:06 PM
So, I'm sitting in an airport.  Just had to pay $25 per bag to get my luggage on the damn plane.  I'm surrounded by people that weigh at least 100 lbs more than I do and they're riding for the same rate as me.  Talk about some BS.

Doesn't volume seem like it should be a factor?  I don't care if you weigh less than me if you have too much stuff or take up too much room!
I feel the same way about that. Put everyone on a scale with their luggage and calculate a fee based on total weight.

I weigh 200 lbs, but would agree with you.  Airplane ticket fees should be based upon total passenger + baggage weight (with a stipulation regarding baggage volume so you don't get stupid people bringing 70lbs of light weight foam or something), with a weigh-in just before departure to calculate the final price.

Have folks pay by the pound?  The Fat Acceptance crowd would be militant!  As for luggage - or any type of shipping - there is weight and volume.  Air lines have a strict rule of 62" (circumference + length) per bag which approximates volume, although can be close when dealing with skis.

I fully agree.  You buy tickets by dollars/pound brought on the plane.  If one weights 180 pounds and brings 70 pounds of luggage at $1.50 per pound will pay $375 for the ticket.  It costs the airline more money to fly a plane full of football players vs a plane full of swim suit models.  This is the fairest mechanism of charging people for services used. 

As for the fat acceptance crowd.  They are accepted, but they will have to pay their fair share of the costs.  Maybe even incentivize a healthier lifestyle for those who fly frequently.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Raymond Reddington on August 07, 2018, 07:20:36 PM
I fully agree.  You buy tickets by dollars/pound brought on the plane.  If one weights 180 pounds and brings 70 pounds of luggage at $1.50 per pound will pay $375 for the ticket.  It costs the airline more money to fly a plane full of football players vs a plane full of swim suit models.  This is the fairest mechanism of charging people for services used. 

As for the fat acceptance crowd.  They are accepted, but they will have to pay their fair share of the costs.  Maybe even incentivize a healthier lifestyle for those who fly frequently.

Now if only they could do something similar with health insurance. Smokers rates vs. nonsmoker rates, and obese rates vs. non-obese...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: EnjoyIt on August 07, 2018, 07:33:55 PM
I fully agree.  You buy tickets by dollars/pound brought on the plane.  If one weights 180 pounds and brings 70 pounds of luggage at $1.50 per pound will pay $375 for the ticket.  It costs the airline more money to fly a plane full of football players vs a plane full of swim suit models.  This is the fairest mechanism of charging people for services used. 

As for the fat acceptance crowd.  They are accepted, but they will have to pay their fair share of the costs.  Maybe even incentivize a healthier lifestyle for those who fly frequently.

Now if only they could do something similar with health insurance. Smokers rates vs. nonsmoker rates, and obese rates vs. non-obese...

I'm in for that.  I know prior to the ACA maybe 8-10 years ago, one of my relatives had to, or chose to quite smoking prior to getting a blood test because if he was negative the cost of insurance would be lower.  I also remember hearing something about having a gym membership and lowering the cost of health insurance.

I agree that people should be responsible for their own life choices and not burden society with those poor decisions.  Especially if one is educated about those decisions and continues to repeat them. I'm even all for providing help and education.  But after that they are free to do as they choose and those choices have consequences.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on August 07, 2018, 08:11:44 PM
I don't get people who are obsessed with "optimization".  I'm a firm practicer of the 80/20 rule and believer in the concept that "perfect is the enemy of good enough"


Ditto.


"Good enough" and a coat of paint is close enough to "perfect" for me.  ;)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dee on August 07, 2018, 08:16:54 PM
I was in a washroom where there was both paper towels and a hand dryer available. Someone chose to use the hand dryer. I truly do not get it.

I also do not get how loud those contraptions are allowed to be.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on August 08, 2018, 04:42:17 AM
I think the most important goal for all women is to stay economically independent. For some reason our mentality is very liberal and still most couples in the end lead a fairly traditional life, out of choice (or habit?).

I don't understand how this could work... if both men and women had the #1 goal in their life of being economically independent, then you'd have to be FIRE before having kids, if you wanted either parent to stay home with them. If you're going to hire someone for childcare, I guess both could remain economically independent while still having kids.

If either parent is going to give up money-earning hours of their day to be with the kids, that would make them less economically independent. So if a woman's 'most important' goal is to stay economically independent, she'd need to have kids with a man who is willing to be economically dependent on her while he stays home with the kids (Unless one is already FIREd). Isn't part of the family unit concept an interdependence on each other so each can accomplish different things? I do understand that the interdependence leaves one or both vulnerable after a break-up, but that's a risk we take. The alternative is to remain fiercely independent of all others, but you lose some benefits too.
I agree with Imma - obviously,  IF you want one parent to stay home with the kid(s) full time and give up all paid work then economic independence for that parent would be difficult.  However, most parents I know have not chosen this path - and work either full or part time  after having children in order to stay economically independent (and people may have other reasons as well like enjoying their jobs or needing both incomes).  Nowadays, lots of child care options exist besides the SAHP model making this option available to most people. 

I also know several stay at home mothers who are economically independent because they come from wealthy families so obviously, they are not at risk if something were to happen to their marriage.  More power to them - I would probably do the same.  As things are now - my husband and I absolutely see ourselves as an economic unit and we pool our resources.  I bring home more bacon than him but he still brings home enough bacon that he could survive if something happenned to me or our marriage.  But him quitting work is not an option because putting all your eggs in one basket is never a good idea.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on August 08, 2018, 04:49:06 AM
I fully agree.  You buy tickets by dollars/pound brought on the plane.  If one weights 180 pounds and brings 70 pounds of luggage at $1.50 per pound will pay $375 for the ticket.  It costs the airline more money to fly a plane full of football players vs a plane full of swim suit models.  This is the fairest mechanism of charging people for services used. 

As for the fat acceptance crowd.  They are accepted, but they will have to pay their fair share of the costs.  Maybe even incentivize a healthier lifestyle for those who fly frequently.

Now if only they could do something similar with health insurance. Smokers rates vs. nonsmoker rates, and obese rates vs. non-obese...

That's a slippery slope.  I don't even think older people should be discriminated against.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Miss Piggy on August 08, 2018, 05:36:40 AM
I was in a washroom where there was both paper towels and a hand dryer available. Someone chose to use the hand dryer. I truly do not get it.

I also do not get how loud those contraptions are allowed to be.

I'm curious...what bothers you about this choice? Is it the volume/loudness? Or something else?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on August 08, 2018, 06:51:09 AM
I was in a washroom where there was both paper towels and a hand dryer available. Someone chose to use the hand dryer. I truly do not get it.

I also do not get how loud those contraptions are allowed to be.

I'm curious...what bothers you about this choice? Is it the volume/loudness? Or something else?

I'm not Dee, but I think the main reason is the ineffectiveness of most hand dryers compared to towels.  If you have both options available, why would you not choose the more effective method (towels)?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on August 08, 2018, 06:55:30 AM
I was in a washroom where there was both paper towels and a hand dryer available. Someone chose to use the hand dryer. I truly do not get it.

I also do not get how loud those contraptions are allowed to be.

I'm curious...what bothers you about this choice? Is it the volume/loudness? Or something else?

I'm not Dee, but I think the main reason is the ineffectiveness of most hand dryers compared to towels.  If you have both options available, why would you not choose the more effective method (towels)?

Paper towels are wasteful.  Most people use way more than they need to get their hands dry.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Cadman on August 08, 2018, 07:14:48 AM
I was in a washroom where there was both paper towels and a hand dryer available. Someone chose to use the hand dryer. I truly do not get it.

I also do not get how loud those contraptions are allowed to be.

Have you been in a men's bathroom before? 

Sometimes, the paper towel dispenser is wet and disgusting --  and I don't exactly feel like cranking on it with my newly clean hands, in order to get a paper towel. In a case like that, I'd much rather use a hand dryer, which often requires no contact with the machine, or at worst, I can bump the start button with my elbow. 


Sure, but then you'd have to sully your newly clean hands on that door handle. And the number of unwashed hands that have touched that thing is enough to drive me back to option #1.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Bird In Hand on August 08, 2018, 07:20:45 AM
I was in a washroom where there was both paper towels and a hand dryer available. Someone chose to use the hand dryer. I truly do not get it.

I also do not get how loud those contraptions are allowed to be.

I'm curious...what bothers you about this choice? Is it the volume/loudness? Or something else?

I'm not Dee, but I think the main reason is the ineffectiveness of most hand dryers compared to towels.  If you have both options available, why would you not choose the more effective method (towels)?

Paper towels are wasteful.  Most people use way more than they need to get their hands dry.

Apparently electric hand dryers blow fecal bacteria on your hands (https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-bacterial-horror-of-the-hot-air-hand-dryer-2018051113823) and paper towels are more hygienic than electric dryers (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3538484/).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Bird In Hand on August 08, 2018, 07:25:07 AM
Have you been in a men's bathroom before? 

Sometimes, the paper towel dispenser is wet and disgusting --  and I don't exactly feel like cranking on it with my newly clean hands, in order to get a paper towel. In a case like that, I'd much rather use a hand dryer, which often requires no contact with the machine, or at worst, I can bump the start button with my elbow. 


Sure, but then you'd have to sully your newly clean hands on that door handle. And the number of unwashed hands that have touched that thing is enough to drive me back to option #1.

Lol, you're doing it wrong.  Whenever there are paper towels available, I grab a fresh one before exiting and use it to open the door.  If there are no paper towels available, I've been known to use a bit of (clean) toilet paper, or loiter as inconspicuously as possible and wait for someone else to open the door, or use my elbow to pull the door open slightly and then my foot to pull the door open the rest of the way.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Davnasty on August 08, 2018, 07:55:46 AM
You guys are all doing it wrong. A whole sheet of paper just to dry your hands? Ridiculous. And the blow dryers do spread bacteria.

That's why we should be spin drying, as in spin in circles with your hands out until they're dry. Try not to get dizzy.

Seriously though, I just use my hands to wipe each other off and give them a shake. They'll finish drying in another minute or so, maybe wipe them on my shirt if I need to hurry it up. Opening the door, I haven't entirely figured that one out yet. It just depends on what type of door we're talking about.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on August 08, 2018, 08:06:43 AM
I was in a washroom where there was both paper towels and a hand dryer available. Someone chose to use the hand dryer. I truly do not get it.

I also do not get how loud those contraptions are allowed to be.

Have you been in a men's bathroom before? 

Sometimes, the paper towel dispenser is wet and disgusting --  and I don't exactly feel like cranking on it with my newly clean hands, in order to get a paper towel. In a case like that, I'd much rather use a hand dryer, which often requires no contact with the machine, or at worst, I can bump the start button with my elbow. 


Sure, but then you'd have to sully your newly clean hands on that door handle. And the number of unwashed hands that have touched that thing is enough to drive me back to option #1.

After you wipe your hands off on the paper towel, keep the paper towel in your hands.  Open the door by touching the paper towel to the knob/lever.  Hold the door open with your foot and throw your paper towel into the trash can that is always near the door.

You're welcome.   :P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Cadman on August 08, 2018, 08:32:54 AM
I was in a washroom where there was both paper towels and a hand dryer available. Someone chose to use the hand dryer. I truly do not get it.

I also do not get how loud those contraptions are allowed to be.

Have you been in a men's bathroom before? 

Sometimes, the paper towel dispenser is wet and disgusting --  and I don't exactly feel like cranking on it with my newly clean hands, in order to get a paper towel. In a case like that, I'd much rather use a hand dryer, which often requires no contact with the machine, or at worst, I can bump the start button with my elbow. 


Sure, but then you'd have to sully your newly clean hands on that door handle. And the number of unwashed hands that have touched that thing is enough to drive me back to option #1.

After you wipe your hands off on the paper towel, keep the paper towel in your hands.  Open the door by touching the paper towel to the knob/lever.  Hold the door open with your foot and throw your paper towel into the trash can that is always near the door.

You're welcome.   :P

Yep, that's the only way to do it. Though lately megacorp has installed automated handicap door openers on all the restrooms with switches at just the right height to smack with your elbow. The downside is they have no clutch, so the drag on trying to muscle your way in manually is substantial. Or you can hit the button and wait 15 seconds for it to open while getting the side-eye.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Cranky on August 08, 2018, 08:33:54 AM
It all depends on the hand dryer! I'm finding that the turnpike rest stops have all upgraded to very efficient air dryers, often Dyson, and they work well and quickly and cut down on all the paper on the floor. Plus, there are no doors to open, so it's safe!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on August 08, 2018, 08:57:48 AM
It all depends on the hand dryer! I'm finding that the turnpike rest stops have all upgraded to very efficient air dryers, often Dyson, and they work well and quickly and cut down on all the paper on the floor. Plus, there are no doors to open, so it's safe!

I agree that the Dyson ones work perfectly.  I'd use them over towels any day of the week.  I'm not squeamish about touching the door handle...current society's fear of germs is borderline hysterical IMO...I'm just looking for the most effective way to get my hands dry.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on August 08, 2018, 09:38:38 AM
I was in a washroom where there was both paper towels and a hand dryer available. Someone chose to use the hand dryer. I truly do not get it.

I also do not get how loud those contraptions are allowed to be.

Have you been in a men's bathroom before? 

Sometimes, the paper towel dispenser is wet and disgusting --  and I don't exactly feel like cranking on it with my newly clean hands, in order to get a paper towel. In a case like that, I'd much rather use a hand dryer, which often requires no contact with the machine, or at worst, I can bump the start button with my elbow. 


Sure, but then you'd have to sully your newly clean hands on that door handle. And the number of unwashed hands that have touched that thing is enough to drive me back to option #1.

After you wipe your hands off on the paper towel, keep the paper towel in your hands.  Open the door by touching the paper towel to the knob/lever.  Hold the door open with your foot and throw your paper towel into the trash can that is always near the door.

You're welcome.   :P

Yep, that's the only way to do it. Though lately megacorp has installed automated handicap door openers on all the restrooms with switches at just the right height to smack with your elbow. The downside is they have no clutch, so the drag on trying to muscle your way in manually is substantial. Or you can hit the button and wait 15 seconds for it to open while getting the side-eye.

I've noticed a lot of bathrooms with a toe grip that allows you to use your shoe to open the door.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dee on August 08, 2018, 08:06:11 PM
A little more explanation about why I don't get picking a hand-dryer over a paper towel in a public washroom where there are other people around to see what you pick:
Either you need your hands to actually be fully dry by the time you are done (like I do because I have sensitive skin around my wrists that gets irritated if I don't dry thoroughly), in which case you would pick the hand towel unless you are willing to spend an extra 2.5 minutes in a public bathroom (length of time it takes me to get hands fully dry with a typical hand dryer) or you don't really need your hands to be all that dry, in which case, why not just give them a shake and get thee out of the public washroom immediately? The implicit assumption I am making is that we all want to get out of the public washroom ASAP. If that isn't so, then I don't get it.

The alternative that has been presented in some recent posts are the new-fangled Dyson hand dryers which are much quicker and more effective. In my experience, the few I have encountered that actually work rather quickly are nonetheless not that quick and are also just way too loud.  But if someone were to pick that over paper towels, I guess I get it, in the sense that other people may not have as much of an aversion to such loud noises as I do. But short of that, I don't get it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on August 08, 2018, 08:21:12 PM

Loud noises aren't my biggest concern when in a public restroom.  The ones I use the most are at work, and they have paper towels with an optical sensor, so you don't have to touch anything.  I don't even think about touching the door handle.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BookLoverL on August 09, 2018, 10:24:16 AM
I don't get why everyone is so concerned with avoiding touching door handles in public loos. I've never worried about it at all, and I never caught anything bad from doing that. As long as it looks visually clean, I'm fine.

Actually, oversterilising everything in general is probably likely to make your immune system worse, since it never gets practice dealing with easy small bugs, so when something more serious comes around it won't know what to do.

It's almost as if we evolved in a world where literally everything is covered in bacteria the whole time... ;)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dollar Slice on August 09, 2018, 10:44:57 AM
I don't get why everyone is so concerned with avoiding touching door handles in public loos. I've never worried about it at all, and I never caught anything bad from doing that. As long as it looks visually clean, I'm fine.

I went through a few years where (for whatever reason - stress, vitamin deficiency, something) my immune system was complete shit and I was getting bugs literally monthly. And many of them were pretty bad, lingering for weeks, occasionally turning to bronchitis, landing me in urgent care, etc. I was sick all the fucking time, and you bet your butt I turned into a germophobe trying to avoid touching door handles and elevator buttons and stuff where everyone's fingers have touched. It's just common sense since hands tend to be a vector for viruses. My immune system is better now, but I have a hard time shaking that habit...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: PoutineLover on August 09, 2018, 10:52:46 AM
I don't get why everyone is so concerned with avoiding touching door handles in public loos. I've never worried about it at all, and I never caught anything bad from doing that. As long as it looks visually clean, I'm fine.

Actually, oversterilising everything in general is probably likely to make your immune system worse, since it never gets practice dealing with easy small bugs, so when something more serious comes around it won't know what to do.

It's almost as if we evolved in a world where literally everything is covered in bacteria the whole time... ;)
I agree with this. I touch all kinds of stuff that could be considered gross: escalator handles, subway and bus poles, bathroom door handles, airplane tray tables, other people's hands. I consider all of it exercise for my immune system. I wash my hands often, but not with antibacterial soap, and I try to avoid touching my face with dirty hands, but otherwise, I don't worry much about germs. I'm fairly healthy and don't have allergies, so I think my approach is working (or I am blessed with healthy genes).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on August 09, 2018, 10:54:54 AM
I don't get why everyone is so concerned with avoiding touching door handles in public loos. I've never worried about it at all, and I never caught anything bad from doing that. As long as it looks visually clean, I'm fine.

Actually, oversterilising everything in general is probably likely to make your immune system worse, since it never gets practice dealing with easy small bugs, so when something more serious comes around it won't know what to do.

It's almost as if we evolved in a world where literally everything is covered in bacteria the whole time... ;)
I agree with this. I touch all kinds of stuff that could be considered gross: escalator handles, subway and bus poles, bathroom door handles, airplane tray tables, other people's hands. I consider all of it exercise for my immune system. I wash my hands often, but not with antibacterial soap, and I try to avoid touching my face with dirty hands, but otherwise, I don't worry much about germs. I'm fairly healthy and don't have allergies, so I think my approach is working (or I am blessed with healthy genes).

I used to feel the same way, until I spent a year and a half sick after my child started kindergarten.  Now I'm a little more careful about touching stuff.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 09, 2018, 11:27:24 AM
I don't get it when people use a public restroom and don't wash their hands after using the urinal or toilet. Restrooms at work or public have sinks with water, soap and ways to dry your hands. Most of us were trained as children to wash our hands after going to the potty. This is how we prevent disease! You can't 'see' this stuff on door knobs or door push plates or anywhere.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on August 09, 2018, 11:45:53 AM
I don't get it when people use a public restroom and don't wash their hands after using the urinal or toilet. Restrooms at work or public have sinks with water, soap and ways to dry your hands. Most of us were trained as children to wash our hands after going to the potty. This is how we prevent disease! You can't 'see' this stuff on door knobs or door push plates or anywhere.

Unless you urinate on your hands, what's the reason for washing them?  Really you should wash first...your hands are probably much dirtier than whatever else you're touching when you go in there to pee.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on August 09, 2018, 11:54:06 AM
I don't get why everyone is so concerned with avoiding touching door handles in public loos. I've never worried about it at all, and I never caught anything bad from doing that. As long as it looks visually clean, I'm fine.

Besides restroom door handles being hotspots for baceteria, there's also a little bit of shit on them, usually not visible.  So if you would like to have that on your hands just before lunch, or any other time, have at it
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on August 09, 2018, 11:55:30 AM
I don't get it when people use a public restroom and don't wash their hands after using the urinal or toilet. Restrooms at work or public have sinks with water, soap and ways to dry your hands. Most of us were trained as children to wash our hands after going to the potty. This is how we prevent disease! You can't 'see' this stuff on door knobs or door push plates or anywhere.

Unless you urinate on your hands, what's the reason for washing them?  Really you should wash first...your hands are probably much dirtier than whatever else you're touching when you go in there to pee.

My dick goes straight from the shower in the morning to my underwear.  It must therefore be the cleanest part of my body since it hasn't touched anything dirty.  :P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on August 09, 2018, 12:04:11 PM
I don't get it when people use a public restroom and don't wash their hands after using the urinal or toilet. Restrooms at work or public have sinks with water, soap and ways to dry your hands. Most of us were trained as children to wash our hands after going to the potty. This is how we prevent disease! You can't 'see' this stuff on door knobs or door push plates or anywhere.

Unless you urinate on your hands, what's the reason for washing them?  Really you should wash first...your hands are probably much dirtier than whatever else you're touching when you go in there to pee.

My dick goes straight from the shower in the morning to my underwear.  It must therefore be the cleanest part of my body since it hasn't touched anything dirty.  :P

precisely my point.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on August 09, 2018, 12:07:34 PM
I don't get it when people use a public restroom and don't wash their hands after using the urinal or toilet. Restrooms at work or public have sinks with water, soap and ways to dry your hands. Most of us were trained as children to wash our hands after going to the potty. This is how we prevent disease! You can't 'see' this stuff on door knobs or door push plates or anywhere.

Unless you urinate on your hands, what's the reason for washing them?  Really you should wash first...your hands are probably much dirtier than whatever else you're touching when you go in there to pee.

My dick goes straight from the shower in the morning to my underwear.  It must therefore be the cleanest part of my body since it hasn't touched anything dirty.  :P

I think you're right that most dicks are probably pretty clean.  Also urine is not dirty, especially compared to feces. Very low levels of bacteria in most people's urine.  I think the way you acquire bacteria in bathrooms when you go in there to pee is by touching door handles, faucets, etc. 

Personally I am not grossed out by a man using a urinal and then not washing his hands. Bonus points if he used his elbow to flush.  (I am however extremely grossed out by people who don't wash their hands after shitting.) 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on August 09, 2018, 12:09:34 PM
@GuitarStv -- I have to ask as I have wondered many times:  What is that picture in your avatar? Thanks.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on August 09, 2018, 12:11:02 PM
I don't get it when people use a public restroom and don't wash their hands after using the urinal or toilet. Restrooms at work or public have sinks with water, soap and ways to dry your hands. Most of us were trained as children to wash our hands after going to the potty. This is how we prevent disease! You can't 'see' this stuff on door knobs or door push plates or anywhere.

Unless you urinate on your hands, what's the reason for washing them?  Really you should wash first...your hands are probably much dirtier than whatever else you're touching when you go in there to pee.

I assume people who wash their hands after they pee must not have washed their genitals in the morning.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on August 09, 2018, 12:23:09 PM
@GuitarStv -- I have to ask as I have wondered many times:  What is that picture in your avatar? Thanks.

It's one of H. R. Geiger's aliens on a time trial bicycle.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on August 09, 2018, 12:28:05 PM
@GuitarStv -- I have to ask as I have wondered many times:  What is that picture in your avatar? Thanks.

It's one of H. R. Geiger's aliens on a time trial bicycle.

That's what I thought!  but then I couldn't enlarge it for a closer look.  I like the Alien movies (just the first three).  Didn't know the name of the creator -- thanks. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on August 09, 2018, 12:31:04 PM
@GuitarStv -- I have to ask as I have wondered many times:  What is that picture in your avatar? Thanks.

It's one of H. R. Geiger's aliens on a time trial bicycle.

That's what I thought!  but then I couldn't enlarge it for a closer look.  I like the Alien movies (just the first three).  Didn't know the name of the creator -- thanks.

Geiger just did the art.  Ridley Scott filmed the movie.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on August 09, 2018, 12:45:46 PM
@GuitarStv -- I have to ask as I have wondered many times:  What is that picture in your avatar? Thanks.

It's one of H. R. Geiger's aliens on a time trial bicycle.

That's what I thought!  but then I couldn't enlarge it for a closer look.  I like the Alien movies (just the first three).  Didn't know the name of the creator -- thanks.

Geiger just did the art.  Ridley Scott filmed the movie.

Yeah that's what I meant -- the alien art
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OurTown on August 09, 2018, 02:24:44 PM
I don't get it when people use a public restroom and don't wash their hands after using the urinal or toilet. Restrooms at work or public have sinks with water, soap and ways to dry your hands. Most of us were trained as children to wash our hands after going to the potty. This is how we prevent disease! You can't 'see' this stuff on door knobs or door push plates or anywhere.

Unless you urinate on your hands, what's the reason for washing them?  Really you should wash first...your hands are probably much dirtier than whatever else you're touching when you go in there to pee.

I assume people who wash their hands after they pee must not have washed their genitals in the morning.

There is some very old joke about "Harvard men" and "Columbia men" the gist of which is "At Harvard, we wash our hands," followed by "At Columbia, we don't piss on them." 

Don't look at me, I went to Duke.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: solon on August 09, 2018, 02:30:46 PM
At flight school I heard:

Pilots wash their hands after going to the bathroom.
Mechanics wash their hands before going to the bathroom.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Davnasty on August 09, 2018, 02:57:20 PM
I don't get it when people use a public restroom and don't wash their hands after using the urinal or toilet. Restrooms at work or public have sinks with water, soap and ways to dry your hands. Most of us were trained as children to wash our hands after going to the potty. This is how we prevent disease! You can't 'see' this stuff on door knobs or door push plates or anywhere.

Unless you urinate on your hands, what's the reason for washing them?  Really you should wash first...your hands are probably much dirtier than whatever else you're touching when you go in there to pee.

I assume people who wash their hands after they pee must not have washed their genitals in the morning.

There is some very old joke about "Harvard men" and "Columbia men" the gist of which is "At Harvard, we wash our hands," followed by "At Columbia, we don't piss on them." 

Don't look at me, I went to Duke.

So you have someone wash your hands for you?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OurTown on August 09, 2018, 02:58:07 PM
LOL.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on August 09, 2018, 03:04:08 PM
(I am however extremely grossed out by people who don't wash their hands after shitting.)

Even worse if it's one of those people that said they were cutting costs by using their hands instead of toilet paper.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: WranglerBowman on August 09, 2018, 04:40:12 PM
I don't get it why Amazon packs small items into large boxes or why some people find it all right to fight in public (I live right in the city).
Rule #1 of Fight Club is pretty clear.
Rule #2 of Fight Club is pretty clear as well.  Also, I don't want to fight in my house because things could get broken.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 10, 2018, 08:01:20 AM
If you feel your hands are so clean because you took a shower and put your wee wee in clean shorts in the morning then peed later and didn't wash your hands because you are so clean, how would you like a surgeon to operate on you with the same thought process? Your hind end is inside your clean shorts and things migrate around down there. Also, think of all the gross things you have touched before you peed and touched yourself and introduced more germs to yourself. You now have other people's bacteria all over you. BLEH!

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Cranky on August 10, 2018, 09:37:11 AM
Well, I've got nothing to add to the Clean Penis Debate, as entertaining as it is, but - washing your hands regularly is a pretty good way to avoid catching every cold and virus that goes around, and standing at the sink in the bathroom seems like a convenient time to do that.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 10, 2018, 09:55:22 AM
Just one more thing to think about. How would you like to use the urinal and standing beside you is the chef in a restaurant you are eating at in a few minutes. He walks out without washing his hands.  You asked for a tossed salad and he tossed the lettuce with his bare hands and added tomatoes and other garnish to the salad. He also touched your plate and other foods on your plate with his unwashed hands. Sounds yummy, doesn't it?

But I guess he took a shower and his wee wee was clean as a whistle! No issues there!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on August 10, 2018, 10:11:46 AM
Just one more thing to think about. How would you like to use the urinal and standing beside you is the chef in a restaurant you are eating at in a few minutes. He walks out without washing his hands.  You asked for a tossed salad and he tossed the lettuce with his bare hands and added tomatoes and other garnish to the salad. He also touched your plate and other foods on your plate with his unwashed hands. Sounds yummy, doesn't it?

But I guess he took a shower and his wee wee was clean as a whistle! No issues there!

From this thread I've learned that it would be cleaner for the chef to toss the salad with his dick (clean since his morning shower) than his hands (super dirty because they are always touching things).

:P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 10, 2018, 10:22:05 AM
Just one more thing to think about. How would you like to use the urinal and standing beside you is the chef in a restaurant you are eating at in a few minutes. He walks out without washing his hands.  You asked for a tossed salad and he tossed the lettuce with his bare hands and added tomatoes and other garnish to the salad. He also touched your plate and other foods on your plate with his unwashed hands. Sounds yummy, doesn't it?

But I guess he took a shower and his wee wee was clean as a whistle! No issues there!

From this thread I've learned that it would be cleaner for the chef to toss the salad with his dick (clean since his morning shower) than his hands (super dirty because they are always touching things).

I agree, probably true. Morale of the story: wash your hands, make your own food, eat at home.

:P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on August 10, 2018, 11:34:28 AM
Just one more thing to think about. How would you like to use the urinal and standing beside you is the chef in a restaurant you are eating at in a few minutes. He walks out without washing his hands.  You asked for a tossed salad and he tossed the lettuce with his bare hands and added tomatoes and other garnish to the salad. He also touched your plate and other foods on your plate with his unwashed hands. Sounds yummy, doesn't it?

But I guess he took a shower and his wee wee was clean as a whistle! No issues there!

From this thread I've learned that it would be cleaner for the chef to toss the salad with his dick (clean since his morning shower) than his hands (super dirty because they are always touching things).

:P

Gross as it sounds, it’s probably true.  Someone with agar do a washed dick culture and an unwashed hand culture and get back to us
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on August 10, 2018, 11:35:11 AM
At flight school I heard:

Pilots wash their hands after going to the bathroom.
Mechanics wash their hands before going to the bathroom.

Dude you forgot the first rule of flight club
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on August 10, 2018, 11:36:57 AM
If you feel your hands are so clean because you took a shower and put your wee wee in clean shorts in the morning then peed later and didn't wash your hands because you are so clean, how would you like a surgeon to operate on you with the same thought process? Your hind end is inside your clean shorts and things migrate around down there. Also, think of all the gross things you have touched before you peed and touched yourself and introduced more germs to yourself. You now have other people's bacteria all over you. BLEH!

Nice straw man.  I wouldn’t want a surgeon using his bare hands, washed or not, touching genitals or not.  There is a reason hygeine standards are higher for surgeons than food prep
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on August 10, 2018, 12:30:55 PM
Just one more thing to think about. How would you like to use the urinal and standing beside you is the chef in a restaurant you are eating at in a few minutes. He walks out without washing his hands.  You asked for a tossed salad and he tossed the lettuce with his bare hands and added tomatoes and other garnish to the salad. He also touched your plate and other foods on your plate with his unwashed hands. Sounds yummy, doesn't it?

But I guess he took a shower and his wee wee was clean as a whistle! No issues there!

From this thread I've learned that it would be cleaner for the chef to toss the salad with his dick (clean since his morning shower) than his hands (super dirty because they are always touching things).

:P

Gross as it sounds, it’s probably true.  Someone with agar do a washed dick culture and an unwashed hand culture and get back to us

It needs to be washed like 5 hours ago, and had just been used to urinate. Not a freshly washed one.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on August 10, 2018, 12:31:31 PM
Just one more thing to think about. How would you like to use the urinal and standing beside you is the chef in a restaurant you are eating at in a few minutes. He walks out without washing his hands.  You asked for a tossed salad and he tossed the lettuce with his bare hands and added tomatoes and other garnish to the salad. He also touched your plate and other foods on your plate with his unwashed hands. Sounds yummy, doesn't it?

But I guess he took a shower and his wee wee was clean as a whistle! No issues there!

From this thread I've learned that it would be cleaner for the chef to toss the salad with his dick (clean since his morning shower) than his hands (super dirty because they are always touching things).

:P

Gross as it sounds, it’s probably true.  Someone with agar do a washed dick culture and an unwashed hand culture and get back to us

This must also be why armpits never smell, right?  I mean they get washed and then just sit there under my shirt . .. untouched by the dirty outer world.

:P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: driftwood on August 10, 2018, 02:11:27 PM
Just one more thing to think about. How would you like to use the urinal and standing beside you is the chef in a restaurant you are eating at in a few minutes. He walks out without washing his hands.  You asked for a tossed salad and he tossed the lettuce with his bare hands and added tomatoes and other garnish to the salad. He also touched your plate and other foods on your plate with his unwashed hands. Sounds yummy, doesn't it?

But I guess he took a shower and his wee wee was clean as a whistle! No issues there!

I don't care if either the chef or the surgeon washed their hands when they used the bathroom. I care that they washed their hands before touching anything in the kitchen, or starting a surgery. When I go to prepare food in my house I wash my hands, so whether I came straight from the bathroom or just sitting on the couch I'm starting with clean hands. I think surgeons work the same way too... scrubbing before a surgery.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sui generis on August 10, 2018, 02:54:16 PM
Just one more thing to think about. How would you like to use the urinal and standing beside you is the chef in a restaurant you are eating at in a few minutes. He walks out without washing his hands.  You asked for a tossed salad and he tossed the lettuce with his bare hands and added tomatoes and other garnish to the salad. He also touched your plate and other foods on your plate with his unwashed hands. Sounds yummy, doesn't it?

But I guess he took a shower and his wee wee was clean as a whistle! No issues there!

I don't care if either the chef or the surgeon washed their hands when they used the bathroom. I care that they washed their hands before touching anything in the kitchen, or starting a surgery. When I go to prepare food in my house I wash my hands, so whether I came straight from the bathroom or just sitting on the couch I'm starting with clean hands. I think surgeons work the same way too... scrubbing before a surgery.
This.  I wash my hands in the bathroom because it is the norm and it is a convenient time, being right there by a sink, to wash and try to maintain some semblence of basic hygiene.  Much less so because of what I did in the bathroom.  But I go more out of my way to wash my hands depending on what I am about to do next.  Like prepping dinner.  Or taking my contacts out of my eyes, etc.  And between all that, I feel like it adds up to a decent amount of handwashing per day to maintain health and reduce the risk of communicable disease. 

I mean, the bathroom is a tiny bit arbitrary - you know that coworker that just walked out of the bathroom without washing her hands, so you were super careful to grab the door handle with a paper towel?  Yeah, she just went straight to the company kitchen to make coffee and open the refrigerator and use that sink. Oh and she sneezed right before she did that as well...is anyone using a paper towel to touch all those things, too?  We all feel like the bathroom is a place to be super germaphobic, but spend the rest of the day touching lots of gross things.  Really, the bathroom is just a convenient place to wash your hands, which you should probably do even if you didn't just use a toilet and even if you don't have to touch a single thing in that bathroom.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Miss Piggy on August 10, 2018, 03:03:52 PM
I mean, the bathroom is a tiny bit arbitrary - you know that coworker that just walked out of the bathroom without washing her hands, so you were super careful to grab the door handle with a paper towel?  Yeah, she just went straight to the company kitchen to make coffee and open the refrigerator and use that sink. Oh and she sneezed right before she did that as well...is anyone using a paper towel to touch all those things, too?  We all feel like the bathroom is a place to be super germaphobic, but spend the rest of the day touching lots of gross things.  Really, the bathroom is just a convenient place to wash your hands, which you should probably do even if you didn't just use a toilet and even if you don't have to touch a single thing in that bathroom.

Germophobe here (but I have a very valid reason to avoid germs, which I won't get into here). I get re-annoyed every morning when I have to touch EIGHT door handles and elevator buttons to get to my desk at work. The elevator buttons are fairly easy to avoid using an elbow if I'm not carrying too much stuff, but the doors are very heavy, and depending on the direction I'm walking through them, I have no choice but to grab the handle. (If I'm walking the other direction, I'll kick it open.)  The good news is that women in my office never leave the restroom without at least a cursory wash. (That said, yes, I still grab the bathroom door handle with a paper towel.)  Ugh. I have issues.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on August 10, 2018, 04:04:24 PM
Just one more thing to think about. How would you like to use the urinal and standing beside you is the chef in a restaurant you are eating at in a few minutes. He walks out without washing his hands.  You asked for a tossed salad and he tossed the lettuce with his bare hands and added tomatoes and other garnish to the salad. He also touched your plate and other foods on your plate with his unwashed hands. Sounds yummy, doesn't it?

But I guess he took a shower and his wee wee was clean as a whistle! No issues there!

From this thread I've learned that it would be cleaner for the chef to toss the salad with his dick (clean since his morning shower) than his hands (super dirty because they are always touching things).

:P

Gross as it sounds, it’s probably true.  Someone with agar do a washed dick culture and an unwashed hand culture and get back to us

This must also be why armpits never smell, right?  I mean they get washed and then just sit there under my shirt . .. untouched by the dirty outer world.

:P

BO bacteria are not harmful.  They are natural body flora.  Again, sounds gross but not going to cause illness
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on August 10, 2018, 06:08:01 PM
There are so many disgusting things to touch that we all have to be careful of. Yes, you washed your pee pee then you went to the grocery store. You go to a grocery store and you grab a cart where some kid crapped his pants and his mother changed the diaper in the seat on the cart. You open the freezer doors to get out some veggies and other junk. Some of the veggies were placed in the freezer by some sick kid who had a cold and sneezed all over his hands while putting junk in the freezer. Then you go to the deli. The guy who is cutting your meat is also sick and coughing while cutting your sliced ham. The cashier is checking you out and she has been touching dirty money and things and touches all your junk you are buying. Then you, who have washed your wiener that was magnificently washed, you now have to pee. You take your wing ding out of your clean shorts and think of all the gross junk you have touched and are now touching your wing ding. UGH! So many germs everywhere.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on August 10, 2018, 06:27:51 PM
There are so many disgusting things to touch that we all have to be careful of. Yes, you washed your pee pee then you went to the grocery store. You go to a grocery store and you grab a cart where some kid crapped his pants and his mother changed the diaper in the seat on the cart. You open the freezer doors to get out some veggies and other junk. Some of the veggies were placed in the freezer by some sick kid who had a cold and sneezed all over his hands while putting junk in the freezer. Then you go to the deli. The guy who is cutting your meat is also sick and coughing while cutting your sliced ham. The cashier is checking you out and she has been touching dirty money and things and touches all your junk you are buying. Then you, who have washed your wiener that was magnificently washed, you now have to pee. You take your wing ding out of your clean shorts and think of all the gross junk you have touched and are now touching your wing ding. UGH! So many germs everywhere.

I prefer to just pull down my pants and aim by pure willpower.  Keep the dick clean
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: solon on August 10, 2018, 07:09:47 PM
There are so many disgusting things to touch that we all have to be careful of. Yes, you washed your pee pee then you went to the grocery store. You go to a grocery store and you grab a cart where some kid crapped his pants and his mother changed the diaper in the seat on the cart. You open the freezer doors to get out some veggies and other junk. Some of the veggies were placed in the freezer by some sick kid who had a cold and sneezed all over his hands while putting junk in the freezer. Then you go to the deli. The guy who is cutting your meat is also sick and coughing while cutting your sliced ham. The cashier is checking you out and she has been touching dirty money and things and touches all your junk you are buying. Then you, who have washed your wiener that was magnificently washed, you now have to pee. You take your wing ding out of your clean shorts and think of all the gross junk you have touched and are now touching your wing ding. UGH! So many germs everywhere.

I hate it when the cashiers are checking me out and then touching all my junk and things.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Primm on August 11, 2018, 12:48:38 AM
If you feel your hands are so clean because you took a shower and put your wee wee in clean shorts in the morning then peed later and didn't wash your hands because you are so clean, how would you like a surgeon to operate on you with the same thought process? Your hind end is inside your clean shorts and things migrate around down there. Also, think of all the gross things you have touched before you peed and touched yourself and introduced more germs to yourself. You now have other people's bacteria all over you. BLEH!

Nice straw man.  I wouldn’t want a surgeon using his bare hands, washed or not, touching genitals or not.  There is a reason hygeine standards are higher for surgeons than food prep

Yep. Surgeons are putting their hands (albeit gloved) into open body cavities. Touching intact skin or things that other people touch with their intact skin is not even close to the same thing.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BookLoverL on August 13, 2018, 01:20:16 AM
Of course I always wash my hands before starting food prep, after using the bathroom, and after taking the litter out. But I really don't see how there are any more germs on a bathroom door handle than in a myriad of other places that you don't think about.

And yes, a surgeon or other hospital worker should have much higher standards of hygiene when at work than anywhere else, which should involve gloves, disinfectants, and thorough washes immediately before starting procedures...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: EricL on August 13, 2018, 01:29:57 AM
I used to work in a hospital.  The management had to remind the staff to constantly wash their hands.  I've heard this is not uncommon.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on August 13, 2018, 11:44:33 AM
I used to work in a hospital.  The management had to remind the staff to constantly wash their hands.  I've heard this is not uncommon.

Hospitals are known to be pretty filthy.  They do a decent job, considering, but it’s still best to be more careful in hospitals and clinics.

Still, I trust that the OR is held to a higher standard than the general premesis.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on August 13, 2018, 12:04:34 PM
I used to work in a hospital.  The management had to remind the staff to constantly wash their hands.  I've heard this is not uncommon.

I was recently in a hospital and had a blood draw that sprayed on a chair that the woman who drew it didn't notice. I pointed it out to the next person who came in (x-ray tech). He got a wet paper towel, wiped it up.
He never put a glove on or washed his hand afterwards.

I wrote a note to the hospital to remind their staff of universal precautions.  I mean, my blood is fine- but uh... it was an ER, they didn't know that.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DirtDiva on August 13, 2018, 08:11:06 PM
1.  Long plastic/fake fingernails, because they are gross and provide a huge crevice for bacteria, and because they effectively make your hands useless.

2.  Tarantula length and thickness eyelashes.  I find it hard to concentrate on what the person is saying because I’m busy wondering if it makes it hard to blink.

I guess I’m more Dirt than Diva.

( of course the previous generation of old codgers looked at my generation of teenagers and wondered why we wore our jeans so tight it was hard to sit down, and so it goes)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: MDfive21 on August 14, 2018, 07:51:42 AM
agree 100% on the eyelashes.  it makes me cringe that women feel they have to do that to look good.  i'm generally anti-makeup to begin with but the eyelashes and heavy makeup are as much a turn off as cigarette smoke.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on August 14, 2018, 08:13:14 AM
agree 100% on the eyelashes.  it makes me cringe that women feel they have to do that to look good.  i'm generally anti-makeup to begin with but the eyelashes and heavy makeup are as much a turn off as cigarette smoke.

Do they do it because they think they have to or because they actually like it?

I don’t enjoy wearing a lot of makeup, but I have friends who do enjoy it and use it as a form of artistic expression. Other female friends don’t wear it at all. Makeup can be fun, though. I enjoy lipstick. When I was little, it was the one product in my mom’s cosmetic bag that I always wanted to wear because I liked the colors, texture, scent, application, etc. My husband generally prefers me without lipstick and I often accommodate his preference, but sometimes I wear it just because I still enjoy it.

I agree that it is sad that some women feel that such things are required.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on August 14, 2018, 11:38:38 AM
The ridiculously long fingernails are a self inflicted impairment.  I can't imagine an employer allowing it.  As a customer I'm insulted by companies that do allow their employees to be less effective at assisting me.  I think I will begin complaining directly to them, since I am the customer and am "always right"!  LOL  ;)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: MDfive21 on August 15, 2018, 12:03:33 PM
agree 100% on the eyelashes.  it makes me cringe that women feel they have to do that to look good.  i'm generally anti-makeup to begin with but the eyelashes and heavy makeup are as much a turn off as cigarette smoke.

Do they do it because they think they have to or because they actually like it?


that would be a very interesting woman-on-the-street survey question! 

i really don't know.  i'm a mid-40s married guy so my current experience is somewhat limited, but i know my wife puts on a 'natural look' amount of makeup because her coworkers and clients do and she doesn't want to be the odd one out that doesn't wear any.  we've talked about it.  she would probably wear some anyway, so with her it's maybe 25/75 choice/peer pressure.

but if makeup use falls along a normal distribution curve, plenty of women only do it out of obligation to social norms.  back in the day i remember having female friends who would complain about having to get made up before they went anywhere.  or 'i would go but i don't have makeup on' or similar comments.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on August 15, 2018, 01:22:32 PM
agree 100% on the eyelashes.  it makes me cringe that women feel they have to do that to look good.  i'm generally anti-makeup to begin with but the eyelashes and heavy makeup are as much a turn off as cigarette smoke.

Do they do it because they think they have to or because they actually like it?


that would be a very interesting woman-on-the-street survey question! 

but if makeup use falls along a normal distribution curve, plenty of women only do it out of obligation to social norms. 

[raises hand] Yep, I'm one.  I hate makeup, but I wear the minimum required to look 'normal' in my workplace. On non workdays I don't wear any at all.  Once I FIRE next year I sooooo look forward to never having to do that again!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Veritasvosliberabit on August 15, 2018, 01:55:56 PM
On the gentrification issue, I have a question for those who view it as  problem to be solved.  What is the solution?  Price-fixing?  Won't that have the implication of chilling investment and keeping an area poor?

I might not be your target, because I don't think gentrification can be stopped, but I do think we can do things to minimize the impact:
-End restrictive zoning laws that require specific kinds of housing in an area, so that there are more housing options at a variety of price points.
-Allow accessory dwelling units (basement apartments, garage apartments, "granny flats"), which lets lower- and fixed-income homeowners to reap the benefits of their valuable location without selling, and increases in housing supply.
-Increase investment in public transit and remove parking minimums in new construction. ("Free parking" drives up the cost of construction and is a waste of space in urban areas.)
-Offer to trade developers zoning variances (building height, setbacks, etc) for public benefits (dedicated low-income units, green space, etc).

None of these things are individual actions, but they require being involved in local politics, where it is actually surprisingly easy for one person to make a big impact. Generally, really boring-sounding stuff like "District Land Use Committee" are dominated by older homeowners who want to "preserve neighborhood character", and don't recognize that, long-term, that's impossible.

I live in a neighbourhood with a certain reputation that has improved a lot over the last 10-15 years. People who have moved here in recent years are teachers, nurses, social workers etc, educated people with jobs that pay average wages. Having all these people move in has been a lifesaver for the neighbourhood as a whole, but many areas have become too expensive for people on minimum wage. The problem is that we are now out of truly cheap neighbourhoods - even the bad areas have improved so much they are now quite expensive. Except for some very rural areas, in a large part of my country it's become impossible to live comfortably (as a renter or a homeowner) on a lower income. Housing costs have grown much faster than income has over the last half century.

A lot of homes in my neighbourhood are owned by a non-profit housing association (that was formed as a charity 100 years ago) and they sell homes at a discounted rate to people on a lower-than-average income (max 30k) on the condition that they sell the house back to the housing assocation at the same discounted rate. We were able to purchase our house with a 40% discount. We will eventually sell it back to the association for 60% of the value at the date of the sale, but this discount allows us to live cheaply, save money, build up some equity in the property and once we sell it, it will go to another young, hardworking couple that is in need of a break. I personally think this is a great scheme: this way properties go to those in need and not to slum landlords, while improving the neighbourhood.

If the neighborhood is too expensive for those making minimum wage they have the option to move to a cheaper location while still making minimum wage.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on August 15, 2018, 04:37:34 PM
On the gentrification issue, I have a question for those who view it as  problem to be solved.  What is the solution?  Price-fixing?  Won't that have the implication of chilling investment and keeping an area poor?

I might not be your target, because I don't think gentrification can be stopped, but I do think we can do things to minimize the impact:
-End restrictive zoning laws that require specific kinds of housing in an area, so that there are more housing options at a variety of price points.
-Allow accessory dwelling units (basement apartments, garage apartments, "granny flats"), which lets lower- and fixed-income homeowners to reap the benefits of their valuable location without selling, and increases in housing supply.
-Increase investment in public transit and remove parking minimums in new construction. ("Free parking" drives up the cost of construction and is a waste of space in urban areas.)
-Offer to trade developers zoning variances (building height, setbacks, etc) for public benefits (dedicated low-income units, green space, etc).

None of these things are individual actions, but they require being involved in local politics, where it is actually surprisingly easy for one person to make a big impact. Generally, really boring-sounding stuff like "District Land Use Committee" are dominated by older homeowners who want to "preserve neighborhood character", and don't recognize that, long-term, that's impossible.

I live in a neighbourhood with a certain reputation that has improved a lot over the last 10-15 years. People who have moved here in recent years are teachers, nurses, social workers etc, educated people with jobs that pay average wages. Having all these people move in has been a lifesaver for the neighbourhood as a whole, but many areas have become too expensive for people on minimum wage. The problem is that we are now out of truly cheap neighbourhoods - even the bad areas have improved so much they are now quite expensive. Except for some very rural areas, in a large part of my country it's become impossible to live comfortably (as a renter or a homeowner) on a lower income. Housing costs have grown much faster than income has over the last half century.

A lot of homes in my neighbourhood are owned by a non-profit housing association (that was formed as a charity 100 years ago) and they sell homes at a discounted rate to people on a lower-than-average income (max 30k) on the condition that they sell the house back to the housing assocation at the same discounted rate. We were able to purchase our house with a 40% discount. We will eventually sell it back to the association for 60% of the value at the date of the sale, but this discount allows us to live cheaply, save money, build up some equity in the property and once we sell it, it will go to another young, hardworking couple that is in need of a break. I personally think this is a great scheme: this way properties go to those in need and not to slum landlords, while improving the neighbourhood.

If the neighborhood is too expensive for those making minimum wage they have the option to move to a cheaper location while still making minimum wage.

Well, no, they don't, because this is still the very cheapest neighbourhood around. There are no even cheaper locations to move to, except for some extremely rural areas with hardly any jobs, which is why no one lives there in the first place. The cheapest homes in the cheapest neighbourhoods will cost someone on minimum wage probably at least half of their income in rent, utilities and local taxes. We are very quickly running out of affordable homes in this country. The average house now costs 4,5 times the average income. (average sales price of house is 288k, average family income is 64k before taxes).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: thd7t on August 16, 2018, 01:59:29 PM
On the gentrification issue, I have a question for those who view it as  problem to be solved.  What is the solution?  Price-fixing?  Won't that have the implication of chilling investment and keeping an area poor?

I might not be your target, because I don't think gentrification can be stopped, but I do think we can do things to minimize the impact:
-End restrictive zoning laws that require specific kinds of housing in an area, so that there are more housing options at a variety of price points.
-Allow accessory dwelling units (basement apartments, garage apartments, "granny flats"), which lets lower- and fixed-income homeowners to reap the benefits of their valuable location without selling, and increases in housing supply.
-Increase investment in public transit and remove parking minimums in new construction. ("Free parking" drives up the cost of construction and is a waste of space in urban areas.)
-Offer to trade developers zoning variances (building height, setbacks, etc) for public benefits (dedicated low-income units, green space, etc).

None of these things are individual actions, but they require being involved in local politics, where it is actually surprisingly easy for one person to make a big impact. Generally, really boring-sounding stuff like "District Land Use Committee" are dominated by older homeowners who want to "preserve neighborhood character", and don't recognize that, long-term, that's impossible.

I live in a neighbourhood with a certain reputation that has improved a lot over the last 10-15 years. People who have moved here in recent years are teachers, nurses, social workers etc, educated people with jobs that pay average wages. Having all these people move in has been a lifesaver for the neighbourhood as a whole, but many areas have become too expensive for people on minimum wage. The problem is that we are now out of truly cheap neighbourhoods - even the bad areas have improved so much they are now quite expensive. Except for some very rural areas, in a large part of my country it's become impossible to live comfortably (as a renter or a homeowner) on a lower income. Housing costs have grown much faster than income has over the last half century.

A lot of homes in my neighbourhood are owned by a non-profit housing association (that was formed as a charity 100 years ago) and they sell homes at a discounted rate to people on a lower-than-average income (max 30k) on the condition that they sell the house back to the housing assocation at the same discounted rate. We were able to purchase our house with a 40% discount. We will eventually sell it back to the association for 60% of the value at the date of the sale, but this discount allows us to live cheaply, save money, build up some equity in the property and once we sell it, it will go to another young, hardworking couple that is in need of a break. I personally think this is a great scheme: this way properties go to those in need and not to slum landlords, while improving the neighbourhood.

If the neighborhood is too expensive for those making minimum wage they have the option to move to a cheaper location while still making minimum wage.
If someone has retired on a fixed income and lives in a paid off house, should they be forced to move if gentrification raises their taxes?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on August 16, 2018, 04:31:18 PM
On the gentrification issue, I have a question for those who view it as  problem to be solved.  What is the solution?  Price-fixing?  Won't that have the implication of chilling investment and keeping an area poor?

I might not be your target, because I don't think gentrification can be stopped, but I do think we can do things to minimize the impact:
-End restrictive zoning laws that require specific kinds of housing in an area, so that there are more housing options at a variety of price points.
-Allow accessory dwelling units (basement apartments, garage apartments, "granny flats"), which lets lower- and fixed-income homeowners to reap the benefits of their valuable location without selling, and increases in housing supply.
-Increase investment in public transit and remove parking minimums in new construction. ("Free parking" drives up the cost of construction and is a waste of space in urban areas.)
-Offer to trade developers zoning variances (building height, setbacks, etc) for public benefits (dedicated low-income units, green space, etc).

None of these things are individual actions, but they require being involved in local politics, where it is actually surprisingly easy for one person to make a big impact. Generally, really boring-sounding stuff like "District Land Use Committee" are dominated by older homeowners who want to "preserve neighborhood character", and don't recognize that, long-term, that's impossible.

I live in a neighbourhood with a certain reputation that has improved a lot over the last 10-15 years. People who have moved here in recent years are teachers, nurses, social workers etc, educated people with jobs that pay average wages. Having all these people move in has been a lifesaver for the neighbourhood as a whole, but many areas have become too expensive for people on minimum wage. The problem is that we are now out of truly cheap neighbourhoods - even the bad areas have improved so much they are now quite expensive. Except for some very rural areas, in a large part of my country it's become impossible to live comfortably (as a renter or a homeowner) on a lower income. Housing costs have grown much faster than income has over the last half century.

A lot of homes in my neighbourhood are owned by a non-profit housing association (that was formed as a charity 100 years ago) and they sell homes at a discounted rate to people on a lower-than-average income (max 30k) on the condition that they sell the house back to the housing assocation at the same discounted rate. We were able to purchase our house with a 40% discount. We will eventually sell it back to the association for 60% of the value at the date of the sale, but this discount allows us to live cheaply, save money, build up some equity in the property and once we sell it, it will go to another young, hardworking couple that is in need of a break. I personally think this is a great scheme: this way properties go to those in need and not to slum landlords, while improving the neighbourhood.

If the neighborhood is too expensive for those making minimum wage they have the option to move to a cheaper location while still making minimum wage.
If someone has retired on a fixed income and lives in a paid off house, should they be forced to move if gentrification raises their taxes?


This is a capitalist country.  Pay up or move on.  That's how it works. 


I don't like it, but that seems to be how things work in the USA.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BTDretire on August 16, 2018, 04:48:39 PM


This is a capitalist country.  Pay up or move on.  That's how it works. 

I don't like it, but that seems to be how things work in the USA.

 Precisely why I think property taxes are the worst tax.
 The largest asset many families ever have and they must continue to rent it from the government.
For the rest of their lives, until the very end, the government says. give me your money or I'll take your house.
 Arrgh!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on August 16, 2018, 09:08:16 PM
This is a capitalist country.  Pay up or move on.  That's how it works. 
I don't like it, but that seems to be how things work in the USA.
Precisely why I think property taxes are the worst tax.
The largest asset many families ever have and they must continue to rent it from the government.
For the rest of their lives, until the very end, the government says. give me your money or I'll take your house.
Arrgh!
All the more reason to amass a shitload of money before prepaying a cheap-ass, fixed rate mortgage. Taxes, insurance, utilities and maintenance always go up. You never truly own your home. Fall behind on your taxes and see how fast you lose your "paid-for" home.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on August 16, 2018, 10:46:44 PM
This is a capitalist country.  Pay up or move on.  That's how it works. 
I don't like it, but that seems to be how things work in the USA.
Precisely why I think property taxes are the worst tax.
The largest asset many families ever have and they must continue to rent it from the government.
For the rest of their lives, until the very end, the government says. give me your money or I'll take your house.
Arrgh!
All the more reason to amass a shitload of money before prepaying a cheap-ass, fixed rate mortgage. Taxes, insurance, utilities and maintenance always go up. You never truly own your home. Fall behind on your taxes and see how fast you lose your "paid-for" home.

This is why I think property taxes are the best tax.  Look back at the chain of title for your land.  There's likely some shady shit there.  While I generally believe in the construct of land ownership for pragmatic purposes, you didn't create the land.  Your improvements are yours, but the earth belongs to the the people at large.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on August 17, 2018, 02:51:45 AM
I don't get why people are so insistent on getting on the Tube before letting everyone else off. Clearly they are in SUCH rush that they just HAVE to storm on the second the doors open, but it creates a huge amount of congestion with people blocking the doors and obstructing other people (as well as being hugely rude) that the train leaves LATER than if everyone had just been allowed to get off and then everyone get on.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: merula on August 17, 2018, 06:12:57 AM
I don't get why people are so insistent on getting on the Tube before letting everyone else off. Clearly they are in SUCH rush that they just HAVE to storm on the second the doors open, but it creates a huge amount of congestion with people blocking the doors and obstructing other people (as well as being hugely rude) that the train leaves LATER than if everyone had just been allowed to get off and then everyone get on.

Of the ~15 metros I've ridden, the majority have people waiting for current riders to exit before entering. The ones I can think of that didn't were London and Hong Kong. (Though to be fair I haven't been to the massively overcrowded ones in Tokyo or anything.)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on August 17, 2018, 07:54:42 AM
I don't get why people are so insistent on getting on the Tube before letting everyone else off. Clearly they are in SUCH rush that they just HAVE to storm on the second the doors open, but it creates a huge amount of congestion with people blocking the doors and obstructing other people (as well as being hugely rude) that the train leaves LATER than if everyone had just been allowed to get off and then everyone get on.

Of the ~15 metros I've ridden, the majority have people waiting for current riders to exit before entering. The ones I can think of that didn't were London and Hong Kong. (Though to be fair I haven't been to the massively overcrowded ones in Tokyo or anything.)

Even during evening rush hour, I didn’t have problems getting on/off of train cars in Tokyo. We were packed in like sardines, but it was somehow orderly.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: accolay on August 26, 2018, 10:38:40 PM
Even during evening rush hour, I didn’t have problems getting on/off of train cars in Tokyo. We were packed in like sardines, but it was somehow orderly.

Singapore's transit was pretty orderly as I recall. They had diagonal lines painted on the ground at a number of stops reminding people to stand to the sides and let people exit before boarding.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Just Joe on August 30, 2018, 07:22:30 AM
A quick return to the bathroom topic: at work I don't always wash in the bathroom if my next destination is my lab/shop area b/c I stock it with better soap and paper towels than the custodial staff puts in the bathrooms. ;)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Fomerly known as something on September 03, 2018, 06:37:11 AM
People who come to a public park and ignore the signs that say all dogs must be on a 6 ft leash.  I'm not even talking about the people who have a leash and the dog is not on it right at that second but I was hiking and it looked like the medium sized dog didn't come to the park with a leash at all.  (no attempt by the owner to put one on as I came toward them on a trail).

I like dogs, I work around working dogs who are incredibly well trained but I know they are dogs.  They are not human and don't reason like humans sometimes their prey drive kicks in when you don't expect it or they get irritated and snap at something espcially something that is not part of their pack.  Too many owners forget that.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on September 03, 2018, 07:48:25 AM
People who come to a public park and ignore the signs that say all dogs must be on a 6 ft leash.  I'm not even talking about the people who have a leash and the dog is not on it right at that second but I was hiking and it looked like the medium sized dog didn't come to the park with a leash at all.  (no attempt by the owner to put one on as I came toward them on a trail).

I like dogs, I work around working dogs who are incredibly well trained but I know they are dogs.  They are not human and don't reason like humans sometimes their prey drive kicks in when you don't expect it or they get irritated and snap at something espcially something that is not part of their pack.  Too many owners forget that.

My dog has been attacked twice by large breed dogs that were off leash.  Both times the owners were yelling "It's OK, he's very friendly" as the their dog was biting my small beagle hard enough to draw blood.  Both times I had to repeatedly kick the attacking dog (and kick it quite hard) to get it to back off because the owner didn't even try to stop the attack.  I really like dogs, and wish I could kick the owners who both never bothered to socialize/train their dog properly and decided not to maintain control of their animal instead of the animal itself.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on September 03, 2018, 08:26:21 AM
People who come to a public park and ignore the signs that say all dogs must be on a 6 ft leash.  I'm not even talking about the people who have a leash and the dog is not on it right at that second but I was hiking and it looked like the medium sized dog didn't come to the park with a leash at all.  (no attempt by the owner to put one on as I came toward them on a trail).

I like dogs, I work around working dogs who are incredibly well trained but I know they are dogs.  They are not human and don't reason like humans sometimes their prey drive kicks in when you don't expect it or they get irritated and snap at something espcially something that is not part of their pack.  Too many owners forget that.

My dog has been attacked twice by large breed dogs that were off leash.  Both times the owners were yelling "It's OK, he's very friendly" as the their dog was biting my small beagle hard enough to draw blood.  Both times I had to repeatedly kick the attacking dog (and kick it quite hard) to get it to back off because the owner didn't even try to stop the attack.  I really like dogs, and wish I could kick the owners who both never bothered to socialize/train their dog properly and decided not to maintain control of their animal instead of the animal itself.

Similar story here.  A few years ago on a trail I had my dog (30 pound beagle mix) on a leash when she was attacked by a much larger dog that was off leash and at least 100 feet away from its owner.  My dog could have been killed if I hadn't repeatedly kicked the attacking dog hard.  The dog's owner didn't try to stop her dog and never apologized.  Wish I could have kicked her.   

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Mezzie on September 03, 2018, 08:36:34 AM
I love dogs I know, but am terrified of dogs I don't know that are off-leash. This stems from having been mauled by a dog as a kid. We have plenty of dog parks and a designated area of beach for dogs to run around freely, so it's pretty frustrating (and terrifying) when I'm at a park and large dogs start loping towards me while the owners jusf laugh.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on September 03, 2018, 09:10:15 AM
I love dogs I know, but am terrified of dogs I don't know that are off-leash. This stems from having been mauled by a dog as a kid. We have plenty of dog parks and a designated area of beach for dogs to run around freely, so it's pretty frustrating (and terrifying) when I'm at a park and large dogs start loping towards me while the owners jusf laugh.

I feel you Mezzie.  Our son was attacked when he was two, and to this day he is terrified of dogs.  It is beyond maddening to see people all the time ignoring leash laws and acting completely clueless.  I like dogs, but people are so f*ing inconsiderate that I think they should lose their privilege to have their dog in a public place the first time they ignore a leash law.  Either that or as a society we should decide that dogs should be banned from public places. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on September 03, 2018, 10:07:08 AM
I love dogs I know, but am terrified of dogs I don't know that are off-leash. This stems from having been mauled by a dog as a kid. We have plenty of dog parks and a designated area of beach for dogs to run around freely, so it's pretty frustrating (and terrifying) when I'm at a park and large dogs start loping towards me while the owners jusf laugh.


It wouldn't be a bad idea to carry a walking stick, like hikers use.  Most dogs respect a big stick.  A rabid looking dog came through once that didn't seem freightened by a stick, but 99% of dogs respect them. 


Mace might be a good thing to carry too.  Most dogs aren't nearly as tough as they think they are.  They're pack animals and if you attack they usually retreat, unless they're in a pack.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on September 03, 2018, 10:28:41 AM
I love dogs I know, but am terrified of dogs I don't know that are off-leash. This stems from having been mauled by a dog as a kid. We have plenty of dog parks and a designated area of beach for dogs to run around freely, so it's pretty frustrating (and terrifying) when I'm at a park and large dogs start loping towards me while the owners jusf laugh.

Same. I have no patience with people who don’t leash their dogs in public areas not designated as dog parks. I don’t know them; why the hell should I trust their assurances that their dogs are friendly?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: markbike528CBX on September 03, 2018, 11:06:09 AM
I love dogs I know, but am terrified of dogs I don't know that are off-leash. This stems from having been mauled by a dog as a kid. We have plenty of dog parks and a designated area of beach for dogs to run around freely, so it's pretty frustrating (and terrifying) when I'm at a park and large dogs start loping towards me while the owners jusf laugh.

Same. I have no patience with people who don’t leash their dogs in public areas not designated as dog parks. I don’t know them; why the hell should I trust their assurances that their dogs are friendly?

Their dog is no threat to them, usually, so how could 130lbs fluffy-wuffy be a threat to anyone?  /sarcasm
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DreamFIRE on September 03, 2018, 11:41:01 AM
I don't get the people that leave their dogs outside barking all the time.

When I had a dog, I only had once incident of someone's loose dog come out to where I was walking my dog on a public sidewalk, but the owner came rushing after it.  There was no fighting, but my dog could hold his own if he had to.

I've had some dogs come rushing out in the street barking at me when riding my bike - I just leave them in the dust.  Some have looked pretty ferocious and got my heartbeat up.  I have some of that pepper spray but have never used it.

I don't get the people that let their dogs shit all over the sidewalk or other people's lawns and don't pick up after their dogs.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BookLoverL on September 04, 2018, 12:01:04 AM
I, too, don't get people bringing their dogs off-leash, in clear contravention of the law, or people who allow their dogs to run out of their front garden and into the street whenever anyone passes by. I enjoy walking, but many a walk of mine has been disturbed by an encounter with a strange dog which got my heart racing. I don't really like dogs, except for ones belonging to my friends which I have had time to grow familiar with, and I don't always understand the difference between what a friendly but overexcited dog and an aggressive dog looks like.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on September 04, 2018, 03:50:35 AM
Same here with the dogs.  I get so sick of dog-owners saying "fluffy is such a friendly dog!" as if that excuses them from keeping her on leash.  And don't get me started on the poo.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 07, 2018, 07:45:51 AM
I don't get when people have dogs AND have a license for it but don't put a collar on the dog WITH the license. So now puppy dog is lost and the owner is in tears. I picked up a dog one time on my way home that was on the side of the road. It had no collar on so of course I couldn't call Town Hall or the owner to fetch the dog. I took it home and was about to call Animal Control and my  Mom called. She told me some neighbor was walking down the road hollering for a dog and my Mom questioned her about what was going on. I told my Mom that I had picked up a dog on my way home and it was with me at the house. She found the woman wandering around outside and told her she thought I had it at my house and the lady called me and she described the dog and I said that it must be her dog. She came to my house to pick it up. I reamed her about not having a collar with ID on it and if it had one I would have called her. I told her twice that she should have a collar on the dog. She knew it and said so. She came up a second time to give me a thank you gift. DUH, put a collar on your dog and if it gets lost, maybe someone can return your dog home. DUH, DUH, DUH!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on September 07, 2018, 08:06:01 AM
A lot of the country people I know with dogs won't let them wear collars outside because it is a hazard if the collar gets caught in something. The dogs are all chipped though.

My dog is chipped and wears an ID tag on the collar. The license is ALSO on the collar, but the license doesn't ID the dog in anyway. Just that we paid the city fee for the dog.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on September 07, 2018, 08:19:43 AM
A lot of the country people I know with dogs won't let them wear collars outside because it is a hazard if the collar gets caught in something. The dogs are all chipped though.

My dog is chipped and wears an ID tag on the collar. The license is ALSO on the collar, but the license doesn't ID the dog in anyway. Just that we paid the city fee for the dog.

If people keep their dogs on a leash or in their yard there should be no problem of the dog getting caught somewhere. The dog license can be used as ID if you call the Town Hall and give them the number so they can identify the owner. Or Animal Control can call Town Hall to get the owners phone number. I love my dogs and do everything possible to keep them from getting lost. They each have a collar with license, their name, our phone number/address, their chip number and phone number for that and they are also chipped. I wish I lived on 50 acres so my dogs could roam free unleashed but that isn't the case and inevitably they would get in trouble running around on 50 acres too.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on September 07, 2018, 10:31:15 AM
The best thing about having a dog in the country is you don't have to be concerned about where they poop.  Oh, and you don't have to walk them either.  I can't wait to be living in the country again.



Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Helvegen on September 21, 2018, 10:09:43 AM
I don't get Jimmy Johns. I've only eaten it incidentally, like it was ordered for a meeting or something at work. But man, I can make such better sandwiches at home. I can't believe how many people at work regularly order from them. It really is not that good and overpriced for what you get. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on September 21, 2018, 10:22:17 AM
I don't get Jimmy Johns. I've only eaten it incidentally, like it was ordered for a meeting or something at work. But man, I can make such better sandwiches at home. I can't believe how many people at work regularly order from them. It really is not that good and overpriced for what you get.

Replace "Jimmy Johns" with any fast food restaurant name and that's pretty much my attitude. I understand the convenience factor, but I don't get why people think the food itself is great.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on September 21, 2018, 01:49:08 PM
I don't get Jimmy Johns. I've only eaten it incidentally, like it was ordered for a meeting or something at work. But man, I can make such better sandwiches at home. I can't believe how many people at work regularly order from them. It really is not that good and overpriced for what you get.

Replace "Jimmy Johns" with any fast food restaurant name and that's pretty much my attitude. I understand the convenience factor, but I don't get why people think the food itself is great.


I'm lazy and hungry, gott'a eat something.  Everything is a ripoff, so Jimmy John's is fine.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on September 21, 2018, 02:00:18 PM
I don't get Jimmy Johns. I've only eaten it incidentally, like it was ordered for a meeting or something at work. But man, I can make such better sandwiches at home. I can't believe how many people at work regularly order from them. It really is not that good and overpriced for what you get.

Jimmy Johns is one of the worst sandwich shops out there, IMO
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: driftwood on September 21, 2018, 02:27:26 PM
I don't get people who send the "Is this available" message on FB marketplace but then ghost after that message. I've been getting a lot of these lately. What is going through their head?

"What a cool mountain bike, I wonder if it's available, or if it was just listed on here as a farce?"
*hits "Is this available button"
*gets my polite reply
"Thank God! I was worried it wasn't available! That's so cool!"
*moves on with their life without ever responding.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on September 21, 2018, 02:58:08 PM
I don't get Jimmy Johns. I've only eaten it incidentally, like it was ordered for a meeting or something at work. But man, I can make such better sandwiches at home. I can't believe how many people at work regularly order from them. It really is not that good and overpriced for what you get.

I only go for the free smells

(https://i.imgur.com/0aVtLnj.jpg)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on September 21, 2018, 11:51:25 PM
I don't get Jimmy Johns. I've only eaten it incidentally, like it was ordered for a meeting or something at work. But man, I can make such better sandwiches at home. I can't believe how many people at work regularly order from them. It really is not that good and overpriced for what you get.

I only go for the free smells

(https://i.imgur.com/0aVtLnj.jpg)
So not worth even that, IMO.
DH and I went to our first (and shoulda been last) JJ's while traveling from Seattle to Spokane. Couldn't believe how bad it was. What? You don't have whole wheat bread? Really?? A year or so later, on another trip, we tried again. Nope, it wasn't a fluke. Just awful.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on September 22, 2018, 01:32:17 AM
I don't get Jimmy Johns. I've only eaten it incidentally, like it was ordered for a meeting or something at work. But man, I can make such better sandwiches at home. I can't believe how many people at work regularly order from them. It really is not that good and overpriced for what you get.

I only go for the free smells

So not worth even that, IMO.
DH and I went to our first (and shoulda been last) JJ's while traveling from Seattle to Spokane. Couldn't believe how bad it was. What? You don't have whole wheat bread? Really?? A year or so later, on another trip, we tried again. Nope, it wasn't a fluke. Just awful.

What you don’t like the smell of cold cuts and mayonnaise wafting through the summer air?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BookLoverL on September 22, 2018, 02:56:56 AM
I don't get Jimmy Johns. I've only eaten it incidentally, like it was ordered for a meeting or something at work. But man, I can make such better sandwiches at home. I can't believe how many people at work regularly order from them. It really is not that good and overpriced for what you get.

I only go for the free smells

So not worth even that, IMO.
DH and I went to our first (and shoulda been last) JJ's while traveling from Seattle to Spokane. Couldn't believe how bad it was. What? You don't have whole wheat bread? Really?? A year or so later, on another trip, we tried again. Nope, it wasn't a fluke. Just awful.

What you don’t like the smell of cold cuts and mayonnaise wafting through the summer air?

I don't know the brand Jimmy Johns, since I'm UK-based. But I have this attitude towards probably 70% of restaurants and other places to eat out at least. Generally, I find home-cooked food to be both tastier AND cheaper than restaurant food. So the only reason I can see for people to have high restaurant expenditure is that they either don't know how to cook, or they don't have any time to cook (in which case restaurants are also inconvenient because you have to wait around while they bring you the food - the quickest way of eating would be to concoct a balanced diet out of things that you can eat cold).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Lookilu on September 22, 2018, 09:27:53 AM
I don't get the concept of the 'birthday month.' I suppose I could understand it for a small child who's just learning about the calendar months of the year, but I recently saw this with a friend of mine.
She's 54.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on September 22, 2018, 12:06:45 PM
I don't get people who want to put their babies/young children to bed late. Isn't it really annoying to have a toddler who goes to bed at 9pm? Toddlers are notorious for waking up with the sun anyway. When do you get any grown up time? We treasure the evening after our baby goes to bed.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ExitViaTheCashRamp on September 22, 2018, 02:41:59 PM
I don't get people who want to put their babies/young children to bed late. Isn't it really annoying to have a toddler who goes to bed at 9pm? Toddlers are notorious for waking up with the sun anyway. When do you get any grown up time? We treasure the evening after our baby goes to bed.

 We put our eldest to bed when he was a toddler at around 7pm. He would get up at 3:45am and would not go back to sleep. So we slowly moved his bedtime later to regain some sanity.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on September 22, 2018, 02:55:59 PM
Our son just didn't sleep for the first three years.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on September 22, 2018, 03:14:18 PM
I don't get the concept of the 'birthday month.' I suppose I could understand it for a small child who's just learning about the calendar months of the year, but I recently saw this with a friend of mine.
She's 54.
A friend of my mom's, who must have been about 65 at the time, gave all of her friends calendars one Christmas. She wrote her birthday in each, but changed the date, spreading it out for a whole month. I have always thought it was a brilliant idea and a great way to stay connected with friends. My mom is long gone, but I still love that she had such fabulous friends.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Cranky on September 22, 2018, 03:29:42 PM
I don't get people who want to put their babies/young children to bed late. Isn't it really annoying to have a toddler who goes to bed at 9pm? Toddlers are notorious for waking up with the sun anyway. When do you get any grown up time? We treasure the evening after our baby goes to bed.

My dh didn’t get home until almost 7 when our kids were little. The kid who fell asleep early only saw him on the weekend.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SwordGuy on September 22, 2018, 08:38:04 PM

I've had some dogs come rushing out in the street barking at me when riding my bike - I just leave them in the dust.  Some have looked pretty ferocious and got my heartbeat up.  I have some of that pepper spray but have never used it.


When I was in junior high a friend had a paper route.  I would substitute for him when he was sick or just needed someone to cover for him. 


One family had a dog that was not secured that would chase me on my bike and try very hard to bite me on the back of my ankle.   I couldn't just ride away because I had a cul-de-sac to deliver papers into and the dog lived at the opening of it.  The dog wouldn't chase me into someone else's yard, just in the street.

I just did the best I could do to avoid it until one day I saw the folks who owned the dog in their front yard.  They were highly amused at my plight.

That's when I decided I didn't want to be nice anymore.  I picked a house with a steep driveway and went up to its top, then turned around and headed back out towards the street.   I picked up speed as fast as I could.   The dog came running across the street to intercept me.  At the last moment I changed my trajectory and kicked the living daylights out of that dog's jaws.  It went staggering around, whimpering and completely stunned.   

The dog never bothered me again.   Bullies are like that, aren't they?


Maybe there was a better way to stop the problem, but given the (lack of) quality in its owners, I doubt it.   I was just a kid and made the best decision I could to save myself from harm, so I don't feel bad about it.



Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on September 22, 2018, 09:19:57 PM
I don't get people who want to put their babies/young children to bed late. Isn't it really annoying to have a toddler who goes to bed at 9pm? Toddlers are notorious for waking up with the sun anyway. When do you get any grown up time? We treasure the evening after our baby goes to bed.

 We put our eldest to bed when he was a toddler at around 7pm. He would get up at 3:45am and would not go back to sleep. So we slowly moved his bedtime later to regain some sanity.

My son has been an early riser since he was a toddler.  His bedtime has shifted from 7:30 as a 2-year old to 9:00 as an 8-year old (which includes 30 minutes of reading).  He still wakes up between 5 and 6am.  Thankfully he's old enough now to get himself started without us in the morning.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on September 22, 2018, 09:27:53 PM
I don't get Jimmy Johns. I've only eaten it incidentally, like it was ordered for a meeting or something at work. But man, I can make such better sandwiches at home. I can't believe how many people at work regularly order from them. It really is not that good and overpriced for what you get.

I only go for the free smells

So not worth even that, IMO.
DH and I went to our first (and shoulda been last) JJ's while traveling from Seattle to Spokane. Couldn't believe how bad it was. What? You don't have whole wheat bread? Really?? A year or so later, on another trip, we tried again. Nope, it wasn't a fluke. Just awful.

What you don’t like the smell of cold cuts and mayonnaise wafting through the summer air?

I don't know the brand Jimmy Johns, since I'm UK-based. But I have this attitude towards probably 70% of restaurants and other places to eat out at least. Generally, I find home-cooked food to be both tastier AND cheaper than restaurant food. So the only reason I can see for people to have high restaurant expenditure is that they either don't know how to cook, or they don't have any time to cook (in which case restaurants are also inconvenient because you have to wait around while they bring you the food - the quickest way of eating would be to concoct a balanced diet out of things that you can eat cold).

Jimmy Johns - large sub sandwiches made very quickly.  Biggest downside is they charge an arm and a leg for extra toppings.  I think the last time I went there I spent $8 on a sandwich and they wanted another $2 to put bacon on it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on September 23, 2018, 12:05:31 PM
I don't get people who want to put their babies/young children to bed late. Isn't it really annoying to have a toddler who goes to bed at 9pm? Toddlers are notorious for waking up with the sun anyway. When do you get any grown up time? We treasure the evening after our baby goes to bed.

 We put our eldest to bed when he was a toddler at around 7pm. He would get up at 3:45am and would not go back to sleep. So we slowly moved his bedtime later to regain some sanity.

My son has been an early riser since he was a toddler.  His bedtime has shifted from 7:30 as a 2-year old to 9:00 as an 8-year old (which includes 30 minutes of reading).  He still wakes up between 5 and 6am.  Thankfully he's old enough now to get himself started without us in the morning.

Same here.  Also, for us, eating as a family is very important and the kids have always eaten the same food as us.  I don't get the people who cook two meals every night and feed their kids 'kid foods' like chicken nuggets and fish sticks. 

I get home from work at around 6.30 and we eat dinner at around 7.30.  6 year old is in bed at around 8.30 and 10 year old at around 9.30.  They are up at 7.45 to get to school by 8.30 (2 blocks from our house).  Our kids go to bed the earliest of anyone we know.  And Italian kids seem fine. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on September 23, 2018, 01:42:02 PM
The "I get home late and want to see my child" explanation makes sense. I'm not really thinking of children of school age - more like a two year old who is frigging exhausting and maybe still waking in the night and literally when do you get five minutes peace (or enough sleep yourself) if they go to bed at 9pm.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mountain mustache on September 23, 2018, 03:07:58 PM
I don't get the babies to bed late thing, either. I have friends with a 1.5 year old, and they've always let her stay up till 9:00pm+. And then they go to bed shortly after that. Like, when do you get to be alone? Also the kid just gets fussier and fussier, but they don't want to put her to bed because "we want to spend time with her, and it's fun to play, and she's so cute"...I'm sorry, but no fussy baby is cute. Not a single one.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Cranky on September 23, 2018, 03:18:41 PM
The "I get home late and want to see my child" explanation makes sense. I'm not really thinking of children of school age - more like a two year old who is frigging exhausting and maybe still waking in the night and literally when do you get five minutes peace (or enough sleep yourself) if they go to bed at 9pm.

We went to bed around 9:30. LOL Dh still does. He pretends that he’s “listening to music” but he’s not.

It was what it was. We had 3 kids, spaced out so that we had a very small child in the house for years and years. Do you know that the elementary school music program repeats every 5 years?

Having little kids is just very intense!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on September 23, 2018, 03:22:30 PM
Do you know that the elementary school music program repeats every 5 years?


That's generous. Here it is always the same. 1st is where the wild things are, 2nd environment, 3rd dinosaurs, 4th nutcracker, and 5th a "we are the future" thing.

For the past 30 years.  I know all the songs and dances. From when I was in school
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Unique User on September 23, 2018, 05:38:18 PM
It's Sunday night and I'm dreading tomorrow.  I'm in my late 40s and only joined corporate America 9 years ago, I can not understand how people my age who have been doing this since they got out of college are not zombies.  My job is soul sucking and pointless and it's really hard to pretend like it's not.   
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: meatgrinder on September 24, 2018, 10:20:34 AM
It's Sunday night and I'm dreading tomorrow.  I'm in my late 40s and only joined corporate America 9 years ago, I can not understand how people my age who have been doing this since they got out of college are not zombies.  My job is soul sucking and pointless and it's really hard to pretend like it's not.   

Have you switched companies? I've been in the corporate workforce for the past 16 years and I've noticed a major difference among the 4 companies I've worked for in terms of culture and how it impacts my mood and general outlook on life.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on September 24, 2018, 11:11:15 AM
It's Sunday night and I'm dreading tomorrow.  I'm in my late 40s and only joined corporate America 9 years ago, I can not understand how people my age who have been doing this since they got out of college are not zombies.  My job is soul sucking and pointless and it's really hard to pretend like it's not.   

Have you switched companies? I've been in the corporate workforce for the past 16 years and I've noticed a major difference among the 4 companies I've worked for in terms of culture and how it impacts my mood and general outlook on life.

This is true. I never hated working in research labs until my last position before leaving to freelance in a different field. I had always had good supervisors and coworkers before that, so it was a shock to end up in a fairly dysfunctional lab run by a micromanager. "Soul-sucking" is a good descriptor.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: golden1 on September 24, 2018, 11:54:23 AM
I can’t agree more on the dog thing.  I was bitten by a dog when I was a kid (my fault, sort of, because I accidentally wandered into someone’s yard, and the dog wasn’t leashed and ran out and bit me) and as a result, I am wary of dogs as an adult, particularly big ones. 

A few times, while out running, I have had an unleashed dog run at me.  Luckily they have all been friendly, but it scared the living daylights out of me.  How hard is it to keep your dog in your own yard?

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: kanga1622 on September 24, 2018, 11:59:59 AM
I don't get people who send the "Is this available" message on FB marketplace but then ghost after that message. I've been getting a lot of these lately. What is going through their head?

"What a cool mountain bike, I wonder if it's available, or if it was just listed on here as a farce?"
*hits "Is this available button"
*gets my polite reply
"Thank God! I was worried it wasn't available! That's so cool!"
*moves on with their life without ever responding.

And it is even better when they do it through Messenger so they seem EXTRA interested before they ghost.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: kanga1622 on September 24, 2018, 12:07:22 PM
Quote
Same here.  Also, for us, eating as a family is very important and the kids have always eaten the same food as us.  I don't get the people who cook two meals every night and feed their kids 'kid foods' like chicken nuggets and fish sticks. 

I get home from work at around 6.30 and we eat dinner at around 7.30.  6 year old is in bed at around 8.30 and 10 year old at around 9.30.  They are up at 7.45 to get to school by 8.30 (2 blocks from our house).  Our kids go to bed the earliest of anyone we know.  And Italian kids seem fine.

Your schedule sounds like it works great for you. We get home about 5:45 and the 5 year old HAS to be in bed with lights out by 7:30. The 8 year old must have lights out by 8:15. I wake the kids up at 6am so we have time to get ready and have breakfast. My kids have horrible behavior if they don't get enough sleep. Honestly, I think the little one should be in bed earlier but he takes a full hour to eat supper so we can't make it work. I still can't figure out how he manages to take that long to eat but it is very clear that he only eats a few bites of lunch as their 20 minute lunch break is not enough for him.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RusticBohemian on September 24, 2018, 06:18:14 PM
I continue to be baffled, and frankly periodically enraged, by people who have ridiculously noisy cars and motorcycles. Why is this not illegal?

Why why would a person choose to own a car like this? What's wrong with them?

They damage the hearing of those they pass, it disturbs whatever area they're traveling through, and I can only assume it's some sort of bizarre compensation thing.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on September 24, 2018, 10:40:59 PM
I continue to be baffled, and frankly periodically enraged, by people who have ridiculously noisy cars and motorcycles. Why is this not illegal?

Why why would a person choose to own a car like this? What's wrong with them?

They damage the hearing of those they pass, it disturbs whatever area they're traveling through, and I can only assume it's some sort of bizarre compensation thing.
I think some of the bikers do it so they will be noticed and not smushed like a bug by an oblivious driver. Still pisses me off though.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: alienbogey on September 24, 2018, 11:11:15 PM
I don't get airline passengers who queue up in long lines waiting to board their flight.  Flying on airlines that assign seats. 

They start lining up half an hour before boarding even starts.  In narrow terminals the crowd swells to the point that people trying to walk by have to weave through the cattle waiting for their gate to open.

People, it's not festival seating.  Read your boarding pass, YOU HAVE AN ASSIGNED SEAT.  No one is going to take if from you.  Furthermore, our airline calls people to board by groups of rows.  Then, you have people actually called to board who have to say, "Excuse me, can I get though?" etc to get through the people who would rather stand there clogging everything.

You really feel the need to stand in a mob for 30+ minutes in order to get to your ASSIGNED SEAT before other people get to THEIR assigned seats? 

Yes, I don't get it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on September 24, 2018, 11:19:20 PM
I don't get airline passengers who queue up in long lines waiting to board their flight.  Flying on airlines that assign seats. 

They start lining up half an hour before boarding even starts.  In narrow terminals the crowd swells to the point that people trying to walk by have to weave through the cattle waiting for their gate to open.

People, it's not festival seating.  Read your boarding pass, YOU HAVE AN ASSIGNED SEAT.  No one is going to take if from you.  Furthermore, our airline calls people to board by groups of rows.  Then, you have people actually called to board who have to say, "Excuse me, can I get though?" etc to get through the people who would rather stand there clogging everything.

You really feel the need to stand in a mob for 30+ minutes in order to get to your ASSIGNED SEAT before other people get to THEIR assigned seats? 

Yes, I don't get it.
They're worried all the bins are going to fill up. Pre-911, I was nearly always the last one to board. Why coop yourself up for one minute longer than necessary?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on September 25, 2018, 03:58:21 AM
I don't get airline passengers who queue up in long lines waiting to board their flight.  Flying on airlines that assign seats. 

They start lining up half an hour before boarding even starts.  In narrow terminals the crowd swells to the point that people trying to walk by have to weave through the cattle waiting for their gate to open.

People, it's not festival seating.  Read your boarding pass, YOU HAVE AN ASSIGNED SEAT.  No one is going to take if from you.  Furthermore, our airline calls people to board by groups of rows.  Then, you have people actually called to board who have to say, "Excuse me, can I get though?" etc to get through the people who would rather stand there clogging everything.

You really feel the need to stand in a mob for 30+ minutes in order to get to your ASSIGNED SEAT before other people get to THEIR assigned seats? 

Yes, I don't get it.

On a full flight luggage space usually runs out before everyone boards. The people trying to get on ASAP don't want to check their carry-on.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: AnswerIs42 on September 25, 2018, 04:41:56 AM
I especially don't get it when people actually pay extra for priority boarding.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on September 25, 2018, 05:43:58 AM
Quote
Same here.  Also, for us, eating as a family is very important and the kids have always eaten the same food as us.  I don't get the people who cook two meals every night and feed their kids 'kid foods' like chicken nuggets and fish sticks. 

I get home from work at around 6.30 and we eat dinner at around 7.30.  6 year old is in bed at around 8.30 and 10 year old at around 9.30.  They are up at 7.45 to get to school by 8.30 (2 blocks from our house).  Our kids go to bed the earliest of anyone we know.  And Italian kids seem fine.

Your schedule sounds like it works great for you. We get home about 5:45 and the 5 year old HAS to be in bed with lights out by 7:30. The 8 year old must have lights out by 8:15. I wake the kids up at 6am so we have time to get ready and have breakfast. My kids have horrible behavior if they don't get enough sleep. Honestly, I think the little one should be in bed earlier but he takes a full hour to eat supper so we can't make it work. I still can't figure out how he manages to take that long to eat but it is very clear that he only eats a few bites of lunch as their 20 minute lunch break is not enough for him.

Sounds like you are morning people.  We're a family of night owls living in a culture of night owls.  The only thing that would get me out of bed before 7 would be having to catch an early plane. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on September 25, 2018, 07:45:53 AM
Quote
Same here.  Also, for us, eating as a family is very important and the kids have always eaten the same food as us.  I don't get the people who cook two meals every night and feed their kids 'kid foods' like chicken nuggets and fish sticks. 

I get home from work at around 6.30 and we eat dinner at around 7.30.  6 year old is in bed at around 8.30 and 10 year old at around 9.30.  They are up at 7.45 to get to school by 8.30 (2 blocks from our house).  Our kids go to bed the earliest of anyone we know.  And Italian kids seem fine.

Your schedule sounds like it works great for you. We get home about 5:45 and the 5 year old HAS to be in bed with lights out by 7:30. The 8 year old must have lights out by 8:15. I wake the kids up at 6am so we have time to get ready and have breakfast. My kids have horrible behavior if they don't get enough sleep. Honestly, I think the little one should be in bed earlier but he takes a full hour to eat supper so we can't make it work. I still can't figure out how he manages to take that long to eat but it is very clear that he only eats a few bites of lunch as their 20 minute lunch break is not enough for him.

Sounds like you are morning people.  We're a family of night owls living in a culture of night owls.  The only thing that would get me out of bed before 7 would be having to catch an early plane.

A culture of night owls sounds heavenly! Husband and I are both night owls and have managed to design a life that is kinder to our circadian rhythms, but it’s been challenging to get others in my life to accept that I am not available for phone calls/texts/emails before 8 am.

There’s another “I don’t get it.” I accept that average people in the USA will not be available to respond to emails or texts after 10 pm and will not want to receive phone calls at those times. Why is it so hard for others to apply the same understanding to those of us who don’t want to deal with non-emergency communications before 8 am?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FindingFI on September 25, 2018, 08:17:30 AM
I don't get airline passengers who queue up in long lines waiting to board their flight.  Flying on airlines that assign seats. 

They start lining up half an hour before boarding even starts.  In narrow terminals the crowd swells to the point that people trying to walk by have to weave through the cattle waiting for their gate to open.

People, it's not festival seating.  Read your boarding pass, YOU HAVE AN ASSIGNED SEAT.  No one is going to take if from you.  Furthermore, our airline calls people to board by groups of rows.  Then, you have people actually called to board who have to say, "Excuse me, can I get though?" etc to get through the people who would rather stand there clogging everything.

You really feel the need to stand in a mob for 30+ minutes in order to get to your ASSIGNED SEAT before other people get to THEIR assigned seats? 

Yes, I don't get it.

On a full flight luggage space usually runs out before everyone boards. The people trying to get on ASAP don't want to check their carry-on.

This is exactly it for us.  It has nothing to do with our seats. We generally travel in carry-ons only for a number of reasons: avoiding the time suck that is baggage claim, protection of anything fragile that we might be traveling with, no risk of lost bags or theft, etc. And having the check our carry-ons because the bins are full is a bummer.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on September 25, 2018, 08:34:02 AM
While we're on the topic of boarding early, I don't get priority boarding for first/business class passengers.  You're in the front of the plane.  Your bins are reserved for you, as is your seat.  If you get on early, you just end up sitting there while all the cattle class bumps their way past you.

In a previous life, I did a fair bit of international flying, always business class.  I would wait until the very last minute to board that 14-hour flight.  There's plenty of time on the plane to do whatever you want, and the airport lounge is more comfortable anyway.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: markbike528CBX on September 25, 2018, 08:54:56 AM
While we're on the topic of boarding early, I don't get priority boarding for first/business class passengers.  You're in the front of the plane.  Your bins are reserved for you, as is your seat.  If you get on early, you just end up sitting there while all the cattle class bumps their way past you.

In a previous life, I did a fair bit of international flying, always business class.  I would wait until the very last minute to board that 14-hour flight.  There's plenty of time on the plane to do whatever you want, and the airport lounge is more comfortable anyway.
Booze before takeoff.  Important to upgrades.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hirondelle on September 25, 2018, 08:59:10 AM
I don't get airline passengers who queue up in long lines waiting to board their flight.  Flying on airlines that assign seats. 

They start lining up half an hour before boarding even starts.  In narrow terminals the crowd swells to the point that people trying to walk by have to weave through the cattle waiting for their gate to open.

People, it's not festival seating.  Read your boarding pass, YOU HAVE AN ASSIGNED SEAT.  No one is going to take if from you.  Furthermore, our airline calls people to board by groups of rows.  Then, you have people actually called to board who have to say, "Excuse me, can I get though?" etc to get through the people who would rather stand there clogging everything.

You really feel the need to stand in a mob for 30+ minutes in order to get to your ASSIGNED SEAT before other people get to THEIR assigned seats? 

Yes, I don't get it.

On a full flight luggage space usually runs out before everyone boards. The people trying to get on ASAP don't want to check their carry-on.

This is exactly it for us.  It has nothing to do with our seats. We generally travel in carry-ons only for a number of reasons: avoiding the time suck that is baggage claim, protection of anything fragile that we might be traveling with, no risk of lost bags or theft, etc. And having the check our carry-ons because the bins are full is a bummer.

If you stick to carry-on luggage that fits under the seat (my 30L backpack fits so it's not that small) you don't have this problem.

To continue on that; I don't get people who fill a full suitcase (23kg) for just a short trip to a sunny place.. I don't think I even have 23kg of clothes - let alone SUMMER clothing only. What do those people bring?!?! 27 books and 6 bottles of shampoo?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FindingFI on September 25, 2018, 09:56:11 AM

If you stick to carry-on luggage that fits under the seat (my 30L backpack fits so it's not that small) you don't have this problem.

To continue on that; I don't get people who fill a full suitcase (23kg) for just a short trip to a sunny place.. I don't think I even have 23kg of clothes - let alone SUMMER clothing only. What do those people bring?!?! 27 books and 6 bottles of shampoo?

We haven't reached that level of packing skill yet, but maybe next trip. We've managed 2 weeks in a 55L packs, so it's possible.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Adam Zapple on September 25, 2018, 11:19:24 AM
My coworkers make fun of my "ghetto" republic wireless phone service.  I try to explain that my phone does exactly the same thing theirs does for 1/3 the cost but their eyes glaze over.  I cannot get my mind around this phenomenon.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DS on September 25, 2018, 12:01:43 PM
My coworkers make fun of my "ghetto" republic wireless phone service.  I try to explain that my phone does exactly the same thing theirs does for 1/3 the cost but their eyes glaze over.  I cannot get my mind around this phenomenon.

I never even try to tell people about Mint. Wouldn't even want to hear the reaction.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: kanga1622 on September 25, 2018, 01:25:08 PM
Quote
Same here.  Also, for us, eating as a family is very important and the kids have always eaten the same food as us.  I don't get the people who cook two meals every night and feed their kids 'kid foods' like chicken nuggets and fish sticks. 

I get home from work at around 6.30 and we eat dinner at around 7.30.  6 year old is in bed at around 8.30 and 10 year old at around 9.30.  They are up at 7.45 to get to school by 8.30 (2 blocks from our house).  Our kids go to bed the earliest of anyone we know.  And Italian kids seem fine.

Your schedule sounds like it works great for you. We get home about 5:45 and the 5 year old HAS to be in bed with lights out by 7:30. The 8 year old must have lights out by 8:15. I wake the kids up at 6am so we have time to get ready and have breakfast. My kids have horrible behavior if they don't get enough sleep. Honestly, I think the little one should be in bed earlier but he takes a full hour to eat supper so we can't make it work. I still can't figure out how he manages to take that long to eat but it is very clear that he only eats a few bites of lunch as their 20 minute lunch break is not enough for him.

Sounds like you are morning people.  We're a family of night owls living in a culture of night owls.  The only thing that would get me out of bed before 7 would be having to catch an early plane.

My oldest is a morning person and I am okay. DH and the little one are NOT early birds. However, we are trying hard to convert the last two to early birds as that is the way life seems to be for schooling. We need to leave the house by 7:30 to make the bus. Between showers and breakfast, it takes us 1.5 hours to get out of the house. :)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on September 25, 2018, 02:04:49 PM
While we're on the topic of boarding early, I don't get priority boarding for first/business class passengers.  You're in the front of the plane.  Your bins are reserved for you, as is your seat.  If you get on early, you just end up sitting there while all the cattle class bumps their way past you.

In a previous life, I did a fair bit of international flying, always business class.  I would wait until the very last minute to board that 14-hour flight.  There's plenty of time on the plane to do whatever you want, and the airport lounge is more comfortable anyway.

I find that it's more comfortable to sit in my first class seat than it is to sit or stand in the often crowded gate area.  That and free booze.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: meatgrinder on September 25, 2018, 04:19:14 PM
While we're on the topic of boarding early, I don't get priority boarding for first/business class passengers.  You're in the front of the plane.  Your bins are reserved for you, as is your seat.  If you get on early, you just end up sitting there while all the cattle class bumps their way past you.

In a previous life, I did a fair bit of international flying, always business class.  I would wait until the very last minute to board that 14-hour flight.  There's plenty of time on the plane to do whatever you want, and the airport lounge is more comfortable anyway.

I find that it's more comfortable to sit in my first class seat than it is to sit or stand in the often crowded gate area.  That and free booze.

If you're not rushing to get booze on the plane, I'm with others and that is best until the final final boarding call especially on international flights to minimize the amount of time on board.  I've gotten stern lectures by gate agents on procrastinating to the last second after they had to page me.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: meatgrinder on September 25, 2018, 04:30:43 PM
SIAP:

1. Drivers who merge at the last minute, passing everyone and causing delays even through they got notices to merge 5 miles ago.  These people should be eliminated!
2. Organic, free range, non-GMO, msg free, gluten free
3. Car accessories that cost more than the car
4. People who pay for tea and coffee when its free at work
2. Bottled water (obvious)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: somers515 on September 25, 2018, 04:35:49 PM
1. Drivers who merge at the last minute, passing everyone and causing delays even through they got notices to merge 5 miles ago.  These people should be eliminated!

Actually the zipper merge method is the most efficient.  https://auto.howstuffworks.com/traffic-lane-zipper-merge.htm

But I think I agree with you on your other points!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on September 25, 2018, 04:46:44 PM
SIAP:

1. Drivers who merge at the last minute, passing everyone and causing delays even through they got notices to merge 5 miles ago.  These people should be eliminated!
2. Organic, free range, non-GMO, msg free, gluten free
3. Car accessories that cost more than the car
4. People who pay for tea and coffee when its free at work
2. Bottled water (obvious)

As someone with celiac disease, I appreciate gluten-free products. I do strongly dislike the fad dieters who make the general population assume that we’re all faking it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ixtap on September 25, 2018, 04:50:51 PM
SIAP:

1. Drivers who merge at the last minute, passing everyone and causing delays even through they got notices to merge 5 miles ago.  These people should be eliminated!
2. Organic, free range, non-GMO, msg free, gluten free
3. Car accessories that cost more than the car
4. People who pay for tea and coffee when its free at work
2. Bottled water (obvious)

As someone with celiac disease, I appreciate gluten-free products. I do strongly dislike the fad dieters who make the general population assume that we’re all faking it.

My husband went wheat free for six months. We bought zero gluten free products in that time. We just ate foods that naturally didn't have wheat in them. Now, to be fair, it was not a gluten intolerance, so we didn't have to worry about whether or not oats had any gluten in them, for example.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on September 25, 2018, 04:59:36 PM
SIAP:

1. Drivers who merge at the last minute, passing everyone and causing delays even through they got notices to merge 5 miles ago.  These people should be eliminated!
2. Organic, free range, non-GMO, msg free, gluten free
3. Car accessories that cost more than the car
4. People who pay for tea and coffee when its free at work
2. Bottled water (obvious)

As someone with celiac disease, I appreciate gluten-free products. I do strongly dislike the fad dieters who make the general population assume that we’re all faking it.

My husband went wheat free for six months. We bought zero gluten free products in that time. We just ate foods that naturally didn't have wheat in them. Now, to be fair, it was not a gluten intolerance, so we didn't have to worry about whether or not oats had any gluten in them, for example.

Yeah, mine’s actually celiac disease so I get to pay extra for certified gluten-free oats, but most of the time we stick with naturally gluten-free foods. Easier and healthier. Dinner tonight is roasted pork loin chops and root vegetables.

I really hate when companies switch recipes or processing methods. Last time I was reminded why gluten is not my friend, it was because I ate a quarter of a chocolate bar from a brand that I’d always been able to trust. About a half-hour later, the migraine and bloating kicked in. Checked the wrapper and sure enough, it had a “processed on lines used to manufacture wheat-containing products”. That was 3 days of hell.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mm1970 on September 25, 2018, 05:01:21 PM
I don't get airline passengers who queue up in long lines waiting to board their flight.  Flying on airlines that assign seats. 

They start lining up half an hour before boarding even starts.  In narrow terminals the crowd swells to the point that people trying to walk by have to weave through the cattle waiting for their gate to open.

People, it's not festival seating.  Read your boarding pass, YOU HAVE AN ASSIGNED SEAT.  No one is going to take if from you.  Furthermore, our airline calls people to board by groups of rows.  Then, you have people actually called to board who have to say, "Excuse me, can I get though?" etc to get through the people who would rather stand there clogging everything.

You really feel the need to stand in a mob for 30+ minutes in order to get to your ASSIGNED SEAT before other people get to THEIR assigned seats? 

Yes, I don't get it.

On a full flight luggage space usually runs out before everyone boards. The people trying to get on ASAP don't want to check their carry-on.
My husband was recently last to board a flight, and they took his bag from him to check it because the bins were full.
Except they weren't - the one above him was completely empty.
And he had a super tight next connection.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mm1970 on September 25, 2018, 05:07:31 PM
Quote
Same here.  Also, for us, eating as a family is very important and the kids have always eaten the same food as us.  I don't get the people who cook two meals every night and feed their kids 'kid foods' like chicken nuggets and fish sticks. 

I get home from work at around 6.30 and we eat dinner at around 7.30.  6 year old is in bed at around 8.30 and 10 year old at around 9.30.  They are up at 7.45 to get to school by 8.30 (2 blocks from our house).  Our kids go to bed the earliest of anyone we know.  And Italian kids seem fine.

Your schedule sounds like it works great for you. We get home about 5:45 and the 5 year old HAS to be in bed with lights out by 7:30. The 8 year old must have lights out by 8:15. I wake the kids up at 6am so we have time to get ready and have breakfast. My kids have horrible behavior if they don't get enough sleep. Honestly, I think the little one should be in bed earlier but he takes a full hour to eat supper so we can't make it work. I still can't figure out how he manages to take that long to eat but it is very clear that he only eats a few bites of lunch as their 20 minute lunch break is not enough for him.

Sounds like you are morning people.  We're a family of night owls living in a culture of night owls.  The only thing that would get me out of bed before 7 would be having to catch an early plane.

A culture of night owls sounds heavenly! Husband and I are both night owls and have managed to design a life that is kinder to our circadian rhythms, but it’s been challenging to get others in my life to accept that I am not available for phone calls/texts/emails before 8 am.

There’s another “I don’t get it.” I accept that average people in the USA will not be available to respond to emails or texts after 10 pm and will not want to receive phone calls at those times. Why is it so hard for others to apply the same understanding to those of us who don’t want to deal with non-emergency communications before 8 am?
Ah ha ha !
I am in bed by 9.
6 yo by 8:45.  12 yo at 9 or 9:15.  Husband more like 11-11:30.
No I never get time alone with him.
Kids are up at 6 or 6:30.

My family members are on the East Coast.  I am in California.  My niece and my sister LOVE to send group texts at 7 am.  Their time.  I am getting MUCH better at snoozing my phone (which is in the living room, but I end up sleeping there half the time) and turning off my watch so I don't get the notifications.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mm1970 on September 25, 2018, 05:13:34 PM
SIAP:

1. Drivers who merge at the last minute, passing everyone and causing delays even through they got notices to merge 5 miles ago.  These people should be eliminated!
2. Organic, free range, non-GMO, msg free, gluten free
3. Car accessories that cost more than the car
4. People who pay for tea and coffee when its free at work
2. Bottled water (obvious)
As was mentioned earlier - zipper merge is actually more efficient.  In fact, I was THRILLED last summer when traveling in my home state of PA.  They had signs about construction ahead, right lane closed and...work with me here... "PLEASE USE BOTH LANES UNTIL THE MERGE POINT".  Otherwise, you've got 5 miles of a single lane instead of 5 miles of 2 lanes (or 2 lanes vs 3, whatever). 

Funny story when my spouse was camping with friends.  They were driving through northern VA and there were signs about a lane closure ahead - for a few miles.  You know, the flashing lights, merge right, etc.  They stayed in the left lane.

The left lane was never closed.  They passed something like 2 or 3 miles of cars going nowhere - someone had forgotten to turn off the signs.

Gluten free is very good for people with celiac. I'm not celiac, but I have a reaction to wheat.  So the GF label is just super easy for me to avoid wheat. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: BTDretire on September 25, 2018, 05:18:00 PM
My coworkers make fun of my "ghetto" republic wireless phone service.  I try to explain that my phone does exactly the same thing theirs does for 1/3 the cost but their eyes glaze over.  I cannot get my mind around this phenomenon.

 We put my wife's phone on Republic wireless, $23 a month. Not really happy, when I call her it takes to long to ring and some dropped calls, I'll be going back to Verizon, even though I hate their customer service.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: meatgrinder on September 25, 2018, 05:29:03 PM

[/quote]
As was mentioned earlier - zipper merge is actually more efficient.  In fact, I was THRILLED last summer when traveling in my home state of PA.  They had signs about construction ahead, right lane closed and...work with me here... "PLEASE USE BOTH LANES UNTIL THE MERGE POINT".  Otherwise, you've got 5 miles of a single lane instead of 5 miles of 2 lanes (or 2 lanes vs 3, whatever). 

Funny story when my spouse was camping with friends.  They were driving through northern VA and there were signs about a lane closure ahead - for a few miles.  You know, the flashing lights, merge right, etc.  They stayed in the left lane.

The left lane was never closed.  They passed something like 2 or 3 miles of cars going nowhere - someone had forgotten to turn off the signs.

Gluten free is very good for people with celiac. I'm not celiac, but I have a reaction to wheat.  So the GF label is just super easy for me to avoid wheat.
[/quote]

Ah!  You've changed my mind in theory...yes, I could see how zipper is most effective if the spacing between cars is there...but it never is!  Lived in Richmond, VA for several years and avoided 95 to DC at all costs.

I understand gluten free is useful for the 1% of the population that have celiac's (even fewer know they have it) but at what point do we start putting warnings for every food allergy that impacts a very small percentage of the population? It seems companies are latching on to the gluten free tag as a marketing slogan at this point with the assumption that its healthier which this is highly debatable.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: magickelly on September 25, 2018, 05:33:36 PM
I don't get airline passengers who queue up in long lines waiting to board their flight.  Flying on airlines that assign seats. 

They start lining up half an hour before boarding even starts.  In narrow terminals the crowd swells to the point that people trying to walk by have to weave through the cattle waiting for their gate to open.

People, it's not festival seating.  Read your boarding pass, YOU HAVE AN ASSIGNED SEAT.  No one is going to take if from you.  Furthermore, our airline calls people to board by groups of rows.  Then, you have people actually called to board who have to say, "Excuse me, can I get though?" etc to get through the people who would rather stand there clogging everything.

You really feel the need to stand in a mob for 30+ minutes in order to get to your ASSIGNED SEAT before other people get to THEIR assigned seats? 

Yes, I don't get it.

On a full flight luggage space usually runs out before everyone boards. The people trying to get on ASAP don't want to check their carry-on.

This is exactly it for us.  It has nothing to do with our seats. We generally travel in carry-ons only for a number of reasons: avoiding the time suck that is baggage claim, protection of anything fragile that we might be traveling with, no risk of lost bags or theft, etc. And having the check our carry-ons because the bins are full is a bummer.

Same here, I only travel with a small wheel bag that fits perfectly in the overhead for every single one of those reasons. And I find it worth every penny to pay for early boarding for that guarantee, especially when just about everything I need for a 2 week international trip is in that one bag. The $30-50 extra is absolutely worth ensuring my bag won't be lost, I'll never have to wait at bag claim and a connection won't be missed, but other than this one essential luxury, I do travel uber-frugally compared to most.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on September 25, 2018, 07:44:13 PM
I don't get airline passengers who queue up in long lines waiting to board their flight.  Flying on airlines that assign seats. 

They start lining up half an hour before boarding even starts.  In narrow terminals the crowd swells to the point that people trying to walk by have to weave through the cattle waiting for their gate to open.

People, it's not festival seating.  Read your boarding pass, YOU HAVE AN ASSIGNED SEAT.  No one is going to take if from you.  Furthermore, our airline calls people to board by groups of rows.  Then, you have people actually called to board who have to say, "Excuse me, can I get though?" etc to get through the people who would rather stand there clogging everything.

You really feel the need to stand in a mob for 30+ minutes in order to get to your ASSIGNED SEAT before other people get to THEIR assigned seats? 

Yes, I don't get it.

On a full flight luggage space usually runs out before everyone boards. The people trying to get on ASAP don't want to check their carry-on.

And more often than not, that thing they're dragging on board is not a carry-on.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ilsy on September 25, 2018, 08:22:26 PM
I don’t get people spending money on a gym and also paying for services to showel their driveway and maw their lawn. Not only you save money by doing everything yourself, but you can exercise while inhailing fresh air. What could be better?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: alienbogey on September 25, 2018, 10:39:09 PM
I don't get airline passengers who queue up in long lines waiting to board their flight.  Flying on airlines that assign seats. 

They start lining up half an hour before boarding even starts.  In narrow terminals the crowd swells to the point that people trying to walk by have to weave through the cattle waiting for their gate to open.

People, it's not festival seating.  Read your boarding pass, YOU HAVE AN ASSIGNED SEAT.  No one is going to take if from you.  Furthermore, our airline calls people to board by groups of rows.  Then, you have people actually called to board who have to say, "Excuse me, can I get though?" etc to get through the people who would rather stand there clogging everything.

You really feel the need to stand in a mob for 30+ minutes in order to get to your ASSIGNED SEAT before other people get to THEIR assigned seats? 

Yes, I don't get it.

On a full flight luggage space usually runs out before everyone boards. The people trying to get on ASAP don't want to check their carry-on.

Yes, and I understand that if you're traveling with a guitar, or something breakable, or have bulky required medicines or something you want your bag to be accessible.  But not every one of the 180 people that get on our flights have such special requirements.

Furthermore, when the airline boards by zones only the people in the last zone boarded need to worry about bins being full, which is nothing to worry about without any special needs such as those noted above.

On our airline if the bins are full they give you an orange tag, take your bag, and put it in the belly last.  When you walk off the airplane your bag will be waiting for you three steps from the aircraft door.  No charge.  Also, no hassles dragging your bag through the aisles trying to avoid clunking people, herniating yourself to lift it into the overhead, trying to avoid dropping it on peoples heads when you take it out, etc. 

My wife and I just remain seated while the herd gathers, wait until the last boarding call, walk up to the agent with no line, and walk aboard the flight.  Not only are our seats still waiting for us, but we're actually hoping that the bins are all full so we won't have the above hassle of dealing with our carry ons.  The nice people will take the for us and have them waiting when we walk off the airplane.

Yeah, standing in a pointless line with hundreds of other people - still don't get it.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Freedomin5 on September 26, 2018, 05:00:50 AM
In China, if someone is using the luggage compartment above my seat, I just take out their luggage and leave it in the middle of the aisle. I then place my own carry on in the slot above my seat. If you are too far to see someone else take your luggage out, then you’ve placed your luggage too far from your seat. If you see me take your luggage out and you yell at me, then I tell you that you should put your own luggage in the compartment above your own seat. If you have too many carry ons because you also bought a buttload of duty free stuff, that’s your problem, not mine. If you say you can’t put anything in the seat in front of you because you need leg room, then you should have upgraded to a better seat. It’s common practice to just move other people’s stuff out of the way, and it’s up to you to keep an eye on your belongings.

I don’t like having my carry on stowed even if it’s waiting for me by the plane door upon landing because I keep medications, wallet, computer, phone, keys, etc. in there and don’t want it out of my sight. Also, I sometimes need my medications while I’m in flight.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on September 26, 2018, 07:28:05 AM
I don't get airline passengers who queue up in long lines waiting to board their flight.  Flying on airlines that assign seats. 

They start lining up half an hour before boarding even starts.  In narrow terminals the crowd swells to the point that people trying to walk by have to weave through the cattle waiting for their gate to open.

People, it's not festival seating.  Read your boarding pass, YOU HAVE AN ASSIGNED SEAT.  No one is going to take if from you.  Furthermore, our airline calls people to board by groups of rows.  Then, you have people actually called to board who have to say, "Excuse me, can I get though?" etc to get through the people who would rather stand there clogging everything.

You really feel the need to stand in a mob for 30+ minutes in order to get to your ASSIGNED SEAT before other people get to THEIR assigned seats? 

Yes, I don't get it.

On a full flight luggage space usually runs out before everyone boards. The people trying to get on ASAP don't want to check their carry-on.

Yes, and I understand that if you're traveling with a guitar, or something breakable, or have bulky required medicines or something you want your bag to be accessible.  But not every one of the 180 people that get on our flights have such special requirements.

Furthermore, when the airline boards by zones only the people in the last zone boarded need to worry about bins being full, which is nothing to worry about without any special needs such as those noted above.

On our airline if the bins are full they give you an orange tag, take your bag, and put it in the belly last.  When you walk off the airplane your bag will be waiting for you three steps from the aircraft door.  No charge.  Also, no hassles dragging your bag through the aisles trying to avoid clunking people, herniating yourself to lift it into the overhead, trying to avoid dropping it on peoples heads when you take it out, etc. 

My wife and I just remain seated while the herd gathers, wait until the last boarding call, walk up to the agent with no line, and walk aboard the flight.  Not only are our seats still waiting for us, but we're actually hoping that the bins are all full so we won't have the above hassle of dealing with our carry ons.  The nice people will take the for us and have them waiting when we walk off the airplane.

Yeah, standing in a pointless line with hundreds of other people - still don't get it.
Clearly you don't work for Southwest. Once they take your bag, it's going to be a trip to baggage claim.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: carolina822 on September 26, 2018, 07:33:31 AM
Quote
Same here.  Also, for us, eating as a family is very important and the kids have always eaten the same food as us.  I don't get the people who cook two meals every night and feed their kids 'kid foods' like chicken nuggets and fish sticks. 

I get home from work at around 6.30 and we eat dinner at around 7.30.  6 year old is in bed at around 8.30 and 10 year old at around 9.30.  They are up at 7.45 to get to school by 8.30 (2 blocks from our house).  Our kids go to bed the earliest of anyone we know.  And Italian kids seem fine.

Your schedule sounds like it works great for you. We get home about 5:45 and the 5 year old HAS to be in bed with lights out by 7:30. The 8 year old must have lights out by 8:15. I wake the kids up at 6am so we have time to get ready and have breakfast. My kids have horrible behavior if they don't get enough sleep. Honestly, I think the little one should be in bed earlier but he takes a full hour to eat supper so we can't make it work. I still can't figure out how he manages to take that long to eat but it is very clear that he only eats a few bites of lunch as their 20 minute lunch break is not enough for him.

Sounds like you are morning people.  We're a family of night owls living in a culture of night owls.  The only thing that would get me out of bed before 7 would be having to catch an early plane.

My oldest is a morning person and I am okay. DH and the little one are NOT early birds. However, we are trying hard to convert the last two to early birds as that is the way life seems to be for schooling. We need to leave the house by 7:30 to make the bus. Between showers and breakfast, it takes us 1.5 hours to get out of the house. :)
I can barely get myself out the door in the morning, so if I had kids, I think I'd just have to plan on the truant officer picking them up for school. ;)

I've been trying to convert to being a morning person for my whole life. I've never even come close, so I just roll into work around 9-9:30 (which is still mildly painful) and am thankful to have a job where I can do that. I firmly believe that circadian rhythms are more hardwired than we give them credit for and while many people can work around them, some of us would be a whole lot better at things if say noon to midnight was our "day".
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on September 26, 2018, 07:54:00 AM

I can barely get myself out the door in the morning, so if I had kids, I think I'd just have to plan on the truant officer picking them up for school. ;)

I've been trying to convert to being a morning person for my whole life. I've never even come close, so I just roll into work around 9-9:30 (which is still mildly painful) and am thankful to have a job where I can do that. I firmly believe that circadian rhythms are more hardwired than we give them credit for and while many people can work around them, some of us would be a whole lot better at things if say noon to midnight was our "day".





You probably just need a Smart alarm clock that turns on some music, starts the coffee, frys some bacon, and gives you a morning massage. 


Or you could get a dog that will pee on the floor at exactly 7 am if you don't let him out by then.  That seems to work pretty well for me.  ;)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on September 26, 2018, 07:56:18 AM
I don't get airline passengers who queue up in long lines waiting to board their flight.  Flying on airlines that assign seats. 

They start lining up half an hour before boarding even starts.  In narrow terminals the crowd swells to the point that people trying to walk by have to weave through the cattle waiting for their gate to open.

People, it's not festival seating.  Read your boarding pass, YOU HAVE AN ASSIGNED SEAT.  No one is going to take if from you.  Furthermore, our airline calls people to board by groups of rows.  Then, you have people actually called to board who have to say, "Excuse me, can I get though?" etc to get through the people who would rather stand there clogging everything.

You really feel the need to stand in a mob for 30+ minutes in order to get to your ASSIGNED SEAT before other people get to THEIR assigned seats? 

Yes, I don't get it.

On a full flight luggage space usually runs out before everyone boards. The people trying to get on ASAP don't want to check their carry-on.

Yes, and I understand that if you're traveling with a guitar, or something breakable, or have bulky required medicines or something you want your bag to be accessible.  But not every one of the 180 people that get on our flights have such special requirements.

Furthermore, when the airline boards by zones only the people in the last zone boarded need to worry about bins being full, which is nothing to worry about without any special needs such as those noted above.

On our airline if the bins are full they give you an orange tag, take your bag, and put it in the belly last.  When you walk off the airplane your bag will be waiting for you three steps from the aircraft door.  No charge.  Also, no hassles dragging your bag through the aisles trying to avoid clunking people, herniating yourself to lift it into the overhead, trying to avoid dropping it on peoples heads when you take it out, etc. 

My wife and I just remain seated while the herd gathers, wait until the last boarding call, walk up to the agent with no line, and walk aboard the flight.  Not only are our seats still waiting for us, but we're actually hoping that the bins are all full so we won't have the above hassle of dealing with our carry ons.  The nice people will take the for us and have them waiting when we walk off the airplane.

Yeah, standing in a pointless line with hundreds of other people - still don't get it.
Clearly you don't work for Southwest. Once they take your bag, it's going to be a trip to baggage claim.

Yes, on the flights I am on most frequently if they take your bag because they ran out of room, they aren't 'valet' checking them -- they are hard checking them for pickup at baggage claim.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sui generis on September 26, 2018, 08:32:52 AM
I don't get airline passengers who queue up in long lines waiting to board their flight.  Flying on airlines that assign seats. 

They start lining up half an hour before boarding even starts.  In narrow terminals the crowd swells to the point that people trying to walk by have to weave through the cattle waiting for their gate to open.

People, it's not festival seating.  Read your boarding pass, YOU HAVE AN ASSIGNED SEAT.  No one is going to take if from you.  Furthermore, our airline calls people to board by groups of rows.  Then, you have people actually called to board who have to say, "Excuse me, can I get though?" etc to get through the people who would rather stand there clogging everything.

You really feel the need to stand in a mob for 30+ minutes in order to get to your ASSIGNED SEAT before other people get to THEIR assigned seats? 

Yes, I don't get it.

On a full flight luggage space usually runs out before everyone boards. The people trying to get on ASAP don't want to check their carry-on.

Yes, and I understand that if you're traveling with a guitar, or something breakable, or have bulky required medicines or something you want your bag to be accessible.  But not every one of the 180 people that get on our flights have such special requirements.

Furthermore, when the airline boards by zones only the people in the last zone boarded need to worry about bins being full, which is nothing to worry about without any special needs such as those noted above.

On our airline if the bins are full they give you an orange tag, take your bag, and put it in the belly last.  When you walk off the airplane your bag will be waiting for you three steps from the aircraft door.  No charge.  Also, no hassles dragging your bag through the aisles trying to avoid clunking people, herniating yourself to lift it into the overhead, trying to avoid dropping it on peoples heads when you take it out, etc. 

My wife and I just remain seated while the herd gathers, wait until the last boarding call, walk up to the agent with no line, and walk aboard the flight.  Not only are our seats still waiting for us, but we're actually hoping that the bins are all full so we won't have the above hassle of dealing with our carry ons.  The nice people will take the for us and have them waiting when we walk off the airplane.

Yeah, standing in a pointless line with hundreds of other people - still don't get it.
Clearly you don't work for Southwest. Once they take your bag, it's going to be a trip to baggage claim.

Yes, on the flights I am on most frequently if they take your bag because they ran out of room, they aren't 'valet' checking them -- they are hard checking them for pickup at baggage claim.

I also used to love to sit and board last.  But now with baggage restrictions and everyone talking as if you are crazy if you ever check a bag, even if you are going on a 3 month trip trekking to the north pole, then surfing in the South Pacific, it's like a death match to get a bag in the overhead bins. Last United flight I was on, they were suggesting people in boarding groups 4-6 (or is it 7?) might have to gate check their bag.  They are overboard of course.  I was in 4 and didn't have to, but they and other airlines I was flying all summer are actively trying to get people to gate check before even boarding, and I think one was offering some kind of small gift or prize?  If they really valet-gate checked, I wouldn't mind, but I haven't seen that in a *long* time.  So, all their extra fees on checking even one bag have created this monster where it takes so much longer to board every flight because people are carrying on all their worldly possessions.

I don't love waiting the extra time to get my checked bags, but esp if you are renting a car (depending on the layout of the airport) you can have on person getting luggage while the other is getting the car and no time wasted.  With Southwest's generous bag policy and easy baggage drop, I check as often as I like.  And the added bonus of not unpacking all my worldly possessions at "Security".  Just a small bag with valuables/flight needs means I get through "security" with the pain.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dragonswan on September 26, 2018, 09:30:34 AM
I always laugh at the folks struggling and jockeying to get their bags in the overhead bins.  At the end of the flight I usually saunter off the plane last and see no less than 50% of the passengers waiting in the jetway or on the mat for their gate checked bag.  I always check my bag (only one medium sized).  Depending on the airline and CC I used, sometimes this is free, sometimes I pay the $25 fee.  For $50 a trip or less I have everything I need for a happy stress free vacation - which includes dress clothes for classy events and a bubble wrap sleeve if I find a great bottle of wine-  may not be optimal money wise, but it allows me to get the best out of the rest of my vacation dollars.

And I'm a morning person.  You only know this by the hour I arrive at work and being early every place else because mood wise I'm always cranky.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on September 26, 2018, 09:45:31 AM
All these people who talk about waiting to be the last off a plane- do you not have connecting flights?

I usually book about an hour to a 2 hour connection, and often due to delays that gets cut to less than 20 minutes to get all the way across an airport. (Regional jets are never in terminals with the planes connecting to larger cities.)  The time it takes to get a gate checked bag can often be the difference between making a flight and missing one.  (I left a gate checked stroller in Dallas, when a 3-hour delay out of Austin made my super long connection into a 10 minute run with a baby.)

If I travel on business, I check a bag- but I have to carry on two bags too- one with the laptop I can't be separated from due to secure materials, and one with my breastpump I can't be separated from because I need to access it every 3 hours without fail.  Gate checking is something we always have to do from my regional airport, so I always pack bags that can go under my seat, but now that I travel  with a breastpump and a laptop bag, I need overhead space too. I can't risk that the flight gets delayed on the tarmac and that pump isn't available to me (and sometimes the flights are long enough I have to pump).  Checking my laptop would get me fired if someone found out.

Airlines created this issue. It was a non-issue when you could check one bag free.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on September 26, 2018, 10:17:52 AM
All these people who talk about waiting to be the last off a plane- do you not have connecting flights?

The time it takes to get a gate checked bag can often be the difference between making a flight and missing one.

Amen.  I travel for work.  I frequently have connections between regional jets and large planes, and it happens at least once a month that I have to sprint to make a connection.  I usually make it, but not always.  The first time I missed a connection because I had to wait for my gate-checked bag I was converted.  Now I only carry on.  And yes -- I try to get on board as soon as I can.  I have a small underseat bag, but depending on the model of small regional jet, it doesn't always fit under the seat, so getting on early is important.

And no I will not check my bag.  For me, the checked baggage fee is not the issue so much as having to wait for it.  And the chance it will be lost.  Been there, done that.   
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on September 26, 2018, 10:52:44 AM
In China, if someone is using the luggage compartment above my seat, I just take out their luggage and leave it in the middle of the aisle. I then place my own carry on in the slot above my seat. If you are too far to see someone else take your luggage out, then you’ve placed your luggage too far from your seat. If you see me take your luggage out and you yell at me, then I tell you that you should put your own luggage in the compartment above your own seat. If you have too many carry ons because you also bought a buttload of duty free stuff, that’s your problem, not mine. If you say you can’t put anything in the seat in front of you because you need leg room, then you should have upgraded to a better seat. It’s common practice to just move other people’s stuff out of the way, and it’s up to you to keep an eye on your belongings.

I don’t like having my carry on stowed even if it’s waiting for me by the plane door upon landing because I keep medications, wallet, computer, phone, keys, etc. in there and don’t want it out of my sight. Also, I sometimes need my medications while I’m in flight.

This is fair, but more direct and confrontational than I prefer to have to be.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on September 26, 2018, 11:12:17 AM
The Chinese norm of owning the space above your seat is also not how it works in the US. Space above your seat does not belong to the seat. Your bag must only be in your cabin.

You have zero right to take someone's bag down in the US.

So while that may work in China, it would not in the US.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: MDfive21 on September 26, 2018, 12:31:12 PM
re: gate checking.. on United commuter flights like the little embraer jets, if you gate check, you get your bag back on the jetway as soon as you leave the plane.  on regular size jets 737 etc, if you gate check, your bag goes to baggage claim.  not sure how other carriers handle this.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dragonswan on September 26, 2018, 01:13:19 PM
All these people who talk about waiting to be the last off a plane- do you not have connecting flights?

I usually book about an hour to a 2 hour connection, and often due to delays that gets cut to less than 20 minutes to get all the way across an airport. (Regional jets are never in terminals with the planes connecting to larger cities.)  The time it takes to get a gate checked bag can often be the difference between making a flight and missing one.  (I left a gate checked stroller in Dallas, when a 3-hour delay out of Austin made my super long connection into a 10 minute run with a baby.)

If I travel on business, I check a bag- but I have to carry on two bags too- one with the laptop I can't be separated from due to secure materials, and one with my breastpump I can't be separated from because I need to access it every 3 hours without fail.  Gate checking is something we always have to do from my regional airport, so I always pack bags that can go under my seat, but now that I travel  with a breastpump and a laptop bag, I need overhead space too. I can't risk that the flight gets delayed on the tarmac and that pump isn't available to me (and sometimes the flights are long enough I have to pump).  Checking my laptop would get me fired if someone found out.

Airlines created this issue. It was a non-issue when you could check one bag free.
Nope, my number one priority is a non stop flight.  Even internationally I try for a non stop, though not always possible.  The flight to my home town is a regional jet and I hear you about the smaller space.   The overhead bins are usually half empty on these flights because the space is so small and regular carry on bags won't fit, so they get gate checked. I only got caught the first time with a bag that wouldn't fit overhead.  Now I carry a tote I can squish and always fits (I can remove my purse from it if need be to make it squish).  The rest gets checked.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on September 27, 2018, 01:39:42 AM

I understand gluten free is useful for the 1% of the population that have celiac's (even fewer know they have it) but at what point do we start putting warnings for every food allergy that impacts a very small percentage of the population? It seems companies are latching on to the gluten free tag as a marketing slogan at this point with the assumption that its healthier which this is highly debatable.

I don't get why people are sorry bothered by someone else's diet. I have a non-celiac GF friend and I've seen her get very ill after eating gluten so I'm quite sure she's not making it up. She avoids eating the disgusting and expensive processed gluten free products though. When we're out somewhere and she asks for GF, she's often interrogated about whether or not she's celiac and when they find out she's not, her request is sometimes ignored.

I don't get why you would ignore someone's food choices on purpose. Even if someone is making it up because they read something online,  it's not my problem they're eating gluten free. And any type of allergen should always be labelled because some niche allergies can actually have very serious consequences.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hula Hoop on September 27, 2018, 01:55:23 AM
Imma - somewhat related to that - my colleague has taken up running and has been on a special healthy diet given to her by a dietician.  Most people at my work don't know that she is a cancer survivor as she is a very private person - but this was her main motivation to change.  I'm very happy for her - not that it's any of my business.  She was never overweight but she has lost a few kilos on this diet and exercise regime and looks fit and healthy. 

However, some of the comments our female colleagues have made since this transformation are just ridiculous.  One colleague said to her "don't lose any more weight as being thin makes you look older".  Other colleagues have criticized her diet and exercise or said that she is 'too skinny'.  I wish that people would just keep their mouths shut about this kind of thing.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dave1442397 on September 27, 2018, 06:25:54 AM
The Chinese norm of owning the space above your seat is also not how it works in the US. Space above your seat does not belong to the seat. Your bag must only be in your cabin.

You have zero right to take someone's bag down in the US.

So while that may work in China, it would not in the US.

Yeah, good luck trying to take someone's bag out of "your" compartment. I've been on Southwest flights where the compartments by our seats were already full by the time we boarded. If I see the compartment is already closed, our bags are going in the first available compartment as we shuffle down the aisle.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on September 27, 2018, 06:40:46 AM
All these people who talk about waiting to be the last off a plane- do you not have connecting flights?

I usually book about an hour to a 2 hour connection, and often due to delays that gets cut to less than 20 minutes to get all the way across an airport. (Regional jets are never in terminals with the planes connecting to larger cities.)  The time it takes to get a gate checked bag can often be the difference between making a flight and missing one.  (I left a gate checked stroller in Dallas, when a 3-hour delay out of Austin made my super long connection into a 10 minute run with a baby.)

If I travel on business, I check a bag- but I have to carry on two bags too- one with the laptop I can't be separated from due to secure materials, and one with my breastpump I can't be separated from because I need to access it every 3 hours without fail.  Gate checking is something we always have to do from my regional airport, so I always pack bags that can go under my seat, but now that I travel  with a breastpump and a laptop bag, I need overhead space too. I can't risk that the flight gets delayed on the tarmac and that pump isn't available to me (and sometimes the flights are long enough I have to pump).  Checking my laptop would get me fired if someone found out.

Airlines created this issue. It was a non-issue when you could check one bag free.
Nope, my number one priority is a non stop flight.  Even internationally I try for a non stop, though not always possible.  The flight to my home town is a regional jet and I hear you about the smaller space.   The overhead bins are usually half empty on these flights because the space is so small and regular carry on bags won't fit, so they get gate checked. I only got caught the first time with a bag that wouldn't fit overhead.  Now I carry a tote I can squish and always fits (I can remove my purse from it if need be to make it squish).  The rest gets checked.

The closest airport with reasonable non-stop flights is 4 hours from me.  From the airport within 1 hour to me I can go non-stop to Chicago, Minnesota, Denver, Dallas, Atlanta and sometime days Detroit or Fort Meyers.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: merula on September 27, 2018, 06:51:07 AM
I don't get why people are sorry bothered by someone else's diet. I have a non-celiac GF friend and I've seen her get very ill after eating gluten so I'm quite sure she's not making it up. She avoids eating the disgusting and expensive processed gluten free products though. When we're out somewhere and she asks for GF, she's often interrogated about whether or not she's celiac and when they find out she's not, her request is sometimes ignored.

I get annoyed when it's expected that I pay more attention to someone's dietary restrictions than they do, and when they insist on their preferred version of accommodating their restrictions for purely optional reasons.

For example, I have a family member who has been diagnosed with celiac. She doesn't "feel" the impact of eating gluten in any GI symptoms; her diagnosis started from trying to identify a failure of mineral absorption. She will rationalize eating things with gluten as "trace amounts" when she wants to eat them, but will throw a fit if there's nothing she wants to eat when she chooses to follow a GF diet. For example, if I'm going to make something with oatmeal, I need to get the expensive certified GF stuff in case she's feeling like following her diet and asks me, but then I get to watch her eat casserole made with bread crumbs.

When we're hosting family meals, I accommodate the GF thing by cooking things that don't have any gluten: curries, stir fries, tacos. But she gets annoyed if there's naan but not GF naan with curries, and also if there's corn tortillas with tacos because she doesn't like corn tortillas, only GF flour tortillas. That is a *preference*, not a requirement for this meal to meet your needs. There are plenty of things family members make for family meals that are not what I like to eat; I just don't eat them and eat something else. As long as I've made sure there's at least meal's worth of food for each person within their diet, I feel like I've done my job as host.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on September 27, 2018, 06:55:00 AM
I don't get why people are sorry bothered by someone else's diet. I have a non-celiac GF friend and I've seen her get very ill after eating gluten so I'm quite sure she's not making it up. She avoids eating the disgusting and expensive processed gluten free products though. When we're out somewhere and she asks for GF, she's often interrogated about whether or not she's celiac and when they find out she's not, her request is sometimes ignored.

I get annoyed when it's expected that I pay more attention to someone's dietary restrictions than they do, and when they insist on their preferred version of accommodating their restrictions for purely optional reasons.

For example, I have a family member who has been diagnosed with celiac. She doesn't "feel" the impact of eating gluten in any GI symptoms; her diagnosis started from trying to identify a failure of mineral absorption. She will rationalize eating things with gluten as "trace amounts" when she wants to eat them, but will throw a fit if there's nothing she wants to eat when she chooses to follow a GF diet. For example, if I'm going to make something with oatmeal, I need to get the expensive certified GF stuff in case she's feeling like following her diet and asks me, but then I get to watch her eat casserole made with bread crumbs.

When we're hosting family meals, I accommodate the GF thing by cooking things that don't have any gluten: curries, stir fries, tacos. But she gets annoyed if there's naan but not GF naan with curries, and also if there's corn tortillas with tacos because she doesn't like corn tortillas, only GF flour tortillas. That is a *preference*, not a requirement for this meal to meet your needs. There are plenty of things family members make for family meals that are not what I like to eat; I just don't eat them and eat something else. As long as I've made sure there's at least meal's worth of food for each person within their diet, I feel like I've done my job as host.

Oh, your family member sounds like such a brat! She can bring her own GF bread if it’s that important. It’s not going to kill her to eat taco meat on lettuce. Also, she’s slowly poisoning herself and is going to pay for that later.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RWD on September 27, 2018, 07:38:18 AM
All these people who talk about waiting to be the last off a plane- do you not have connecting flights?

I usually book about an hour to a 2 hour connection, and often due to delays that gets cut to less than 20 minutes to get all the way across an airport. (Regional jets are never in terminals with the planes connecting to larger cities.)  The time it takes to get a gate checked bag can often be the difference between making a flight and missing one.  (I left a gate checked stroller in Dallas, when a 3-hour delay out of Austin made my super long connection into a 10 minute run with a baby.)
Nope, my number one priority is a non stop flight.  Even internationally I try for a non stop, though not always possible.  The flight to my home town is a regional jet and I hear you about the smaller space.   The overhead bins are usually half empty on these flights because the space is so small and regular carry on bags won't fit, so they get gate checked. I only got caught the first time with a bag that wouldn't fit overhead.  Now I carry a tote I can squish and always fits (I can remove my purse from it if need be to make it squish).  The rest gets checked.
The closest airport with reasonable non-stop flights is 4 hours from me.  From the airport within 1 hour to me I can go non-stop to Chicago, Minnesota, Denver, Dallas, Atlanta and sometime days Detroit or Fort Meyers.
Man, I wish we had those options. Our only airport within an hour drive only flies to Atlanta. It takes us three flights to get just about anywhere in the country.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on September 27, 2018, 07:49:24 AM
All these people who talk about waiting to be the last off a plane- do you not have connecting flights?

I usually book about an hour to a 2 hour connection, and often due to delays that gets cut to less than 20 minutes to get all the way across an airport. (Regional jets are never in terminals with the planes connecting to larger cities.)  The time it takes to get a gate checked bag can often be the difference between making a flight and missing one.  (I left a gate checked stroller in Dallas, when a 3-hour delay out of Austin made my super long connection into a 10 minute run with a baby.)
Nope, my number one priority is a non stop flight.  Even internationally I try for a non stop, though not always possible.  The flight to my home town is a regional jet and I hear you about the smaller space.   The overhead bins are usually half empty on these flights because the space is so small and regular carry on bags won't fit, so they get gate checked. I only got caught the first time with a bag that wouldn't fit overhead.  Now I carry a tote I can squish and always fits (I can remove my purse from it if need be to make it squish).  The rest gets checked.
The closest airport with reasonable non-stop flights is 4 hours from me.  From the airport within 1 hour to me I can go non-stop to Chicago, Minnesota, Denver, Dallas, Atlanta and sometime days Detroit or Fort Meyers.
Man, I wish we had those options. Our only airport within an hour drive only flies to Atlanta. It takes us three flights to get just about anywhere in the country.

The struggle is real. I'm surprised Atlanta can't get you to more places that you need 3 flights!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RWD on September 27, 2018, 08:03:50 AM
The closest airport with reasonable non-stop flights is 4 hours from me.  From the airport within 1 hour to me I can go non-stop to Chicago, Minnesota, Denver, Dallas, Atlanta and sometime days Detroit or Fort Meyers.
Man, I wish we had those options. Our only airport within an hour drive only flies to Atlanta. It takes us three flights to get just about anywhere in the country.
The struggle is real. I'm surprised Atlanta can't get you to more places that you need 3 flights!
I just double checked and there are some two-flight options to locations we fly, but they are locations you'd usually expect to have non-stop options for (Portland, Phoenix, San Francisco, Charlotte, etc.). In addition, some of them require overnight stays in Atlanta to line up with the second leg... Any destination city smaller than maybe half a million people will require three flights. My parents live in a medium sized city (big enough to have direct flights to Denver) and we can't get there without taking three flights or driving 2.5 hours to a bigger airport.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on September 27, 2018, 08:10:14 AM
haha- I'd never expect to get to any of those places you named non-stop :) 

I HATE when you end up needing overnight flights. Basically anything coming home from the west coast tries to pull that.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Unique User on September 27, 2018, 08:35:28 AM
It's Sunday night and I'm dreading tomorrow.  I'm in my late 40s and only joined corporate America 9 years ago, I can not understand how people my age who have been doing this since they got out of college are not zombies.  My job is soul sucking and pointless and it's really hard to pretend like it's not.   

Have you switched companies? I've been in the corporate workforce for the past 16 years and I've noticed a major difference among the 4 companies I've worked for in terms of culture and how it impacts my mood and general outlook on life.

The original company I joined has been sold twice and this last sale to a offshore company is hell.  I'd leave in an instant and am actively in the job search but I'm struggling with a couple things - I only have 18 months before I quit, I currently work from home and we'd need a vehicle if I took an office job. My job has changed several times and the current iteration is annoying, so I'd like to do something different, but realize that might be unrealistic without a salary cut. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: LearnTo on September 27, 2018, 11:29:56 AM
While we're on the topic of boarding early, I don't get priority boarding for first/business class passengers.  You're in the front of the plane.  Your bins are reserved for you, as is your seat.  If you get on early, you just end up sitting there while all the cattle class bumps their way past you.

In a previous life, I did a fair bit of international flying, always business class.  I would wait until the very last minute to board that 14-hour flight.  There's plenty of time on the plane to do whatever you want, and the airport lounge is more comfortable anyway.



I find that it's more comfortable to sit in my first class seat than it is to sit or stand in the often crowded gate area.  That and free booze.

And many airport lounges are overcrowded these days, just like the gate area.  I would rather get settled in my seat with a drink and start reading.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Proud Foot on September 27, 2018, 12:39:27 PM
re: gate checking.. on United commuter flights like the little embraer jets, if you gate check, you get your bag back on the jetway as soon as you leave the plane.  on regular size jets 737 etc, if you gate check, your bag goes to baggage claim.  not sure how other carriers handle this.

I have never had this issue. Every time I have gate checked a bag I have gotten it back on the jetway after getting off the plane. The only exception has been when the flight was the last flight of the day. I had one situation where I had a bag gate checked and if I had not checked the jetway after we landed my bag would have gotten left. The next leg of my flight was on the same plane and since it was a quick turnaround they let those of us who were on the next flight stay on the plane.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on September 27, 2018, 12:46:01 PM
re: gate checking.. on United commuter flights like the little embraer jets, if you gate check, you get your bag back on the jetway as soon as you leave the plane.  on regular size jets 737 etc, if you gate check, your bag goes to baggage claim.  not sure how other carriers handle this.

I have never had this issue. Every time I have gate checked a bag I have gotten it back on the jetway after getting off the plane. The only exception has been when the flight was the last flight of the day. I had one situation where I had a bag gate checked and if I had not checked the jetway after we landed my bag would have gotten left. The next leg of my flight was on the same plane and since it was a quick turnaround they let those of us who were on the next flight stay on the plane.

I've often heard "there is not enough room in the overhead luggage compartments. You can check your bag for free and you can oick it up at your destination".  It's checked at the gate but not "gate checked".
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ixtap on September 27, 2018, 01:03:51 PM
re: gate checking.. on United commuter flights like the little embraer jets, if you gate check, you get your bag back on the jetway as soon as you leave the plane.  on regular size jets 737 etc, if you gate check, your bag goes to baggage claim.  not sure how other carriers handle this.

I have never had this issue. Every time I have gate checked a bag I have gotten it back on the jetway after getting off the plane. The only exception has been when the flight was the last flight of the day. I had one situation where I had a bag gate checked and if I had not checked the jetway after we landed my bag would have gotten left. The next leg of my flight was on the same plane and since it was a quick turnaround they let those of us who were on the next flight stay on the plane.

Me too, but only because I listen closely to the announcements. Some make it very clear that they mean it will be checked, you will have to find it at baggage claim.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mm1970 on September 27, 2018, 01:11:18 PM

I understand gluten free is useful for the 1% of the population that have celiac's (even fewer know they have it) but at what point do we start putting warnings for every food allergy that impacts a very small percentage of the population? It seems companies are latching on to the gluten free tag as a marketing slogan at this point with the assumption that its healthier which this is highly debatable.

I don't get why people are sorry bothered by someone else's diet. I have a non-celiac GF friend and I've seen her get very ill after eating gluten so I'm quite sure she's not making it up. She avoids eating the disgusting and expensive processed gluten free products though. When we're out somewhere and she asks for GF, she's often interrogated about whether or not she's celiac and when they find out she's not, her request is sometimes ignored.

I don't get why you would ignore someone's food choices on purpose. Even if someone is making it up because they read something online,  it's not my problem they're eating gluten free. And any type of allergen should always be labelled because some niche allergies can actually have very serious consequences.

Quote
Imma - somewhat related to that - my colleague has taken up running and has been on a special healthy diet given to her by a dietician.  Most people at my work don't know that she is a cancer survivor as she is a very private person - but this was her main motivation to change.  I'm very happy for her - not that it's any of my business.  She was never overweight but she has lost a few kilos on this diet and exercise regime and looks fit and healthy. 

However, some of the comments our female colleagues have made since this transformation are just ridiculous.  One colleague said to her "don't lose any more weight as being thin makes you look older".  Other colleagues have criticized her diet and exercise or said that she is 'too skinny'.  I wish that people would just keep their mouths shut about this kind of thing.

I agree.  I stopped eating wheat a little over a year ago because it was not agreeing with me.  I have friends and relatives who are celiac, or who have other allergies.  The importance to being open about allergies in foods is so that people who are celiac or allergic to something can eat it.  If something is processed on the same equipment as wheat, then it's not certified GF, and a celiac cannot eat it.  Thus, if a company wants to sell things to celiacs, they have to be certified, and they might as well list it as such.

I am not so sensitive to cross contamination (I eat regular rolled oats). However, the GF label is useful to me on things like sauces.  So I don't have to read the labels and look for wheat.  I recently ate some BBQ sauce that was in a bowl at a party, and I was pretty miserable after (many BBQ sauces have wheat).

Just like friends who are deathly allergic to peanuts or almonds or...?  They have to make sure they buy items that are not made on shared equipment, hence the label.


In the last year, since giving up wheat, I've lost 12 unintended lbs.  I feel like I was fine before.  Of course now, at my age - it's making me look old.  I can see the wrinkles much more easily.  Well, I guess I'm in my late 40's, at some point I'm not going to pass for 35 anymore.  That's ok.  Some neighbors have made comments on how thin I'm looking, but it's not on purpose or anything.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mm1970 on September 27, 2018, 01:13:22 PM
All these people who talk about waiting to be the last off a plane- do you not have connecting flights?

I usually book about an hour to a 2 hour connection, and often due to delays that gets cut to less than 20 minutes to get all the way across an airport. (Regional jets are never in terminals with the planes connecting to larger cities.)  The time it takes to get a gate checked bag can often be the difference between making a flight and missing one.  (I left a gate checked stroller in Dallas, when a 3-hour delay out of Austin made my super long connection into a 10 minute run with a baby.)
Nope, my number one priority is a non stop flight.  Even internationally I try for a non stop, though not always possible.  The flight to my home town is a regional jet and I hear you about the smaller space.   The overhead bins are usually half empty on these flights because the space is so small and regular carry on bags won't fit, so they get gate checked. I only got caught the first time with a bag that wouldn't fit overhead.  Now I carry a tote I can squish and always fits (I can remove my purse from it if need be to make it squish).  The rest gets checked.
The closest airport with reasonable non-stop flights is 4 hours from me.  From the airport within 1 hour to me I can go non-stop to Chicago, Minnesota, Denver, Dallas, Atlanta and sometime days Detroit or Fort Meyers.
Man, I wish we had those options. Our only airport within an hour drive only flies to Atlanta. It takes us three flights to get just about anywhere in the country.

Yep, we gave up and now we just drive to LAX for all of our flights.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Miss Piggy on September 27, 2018, 05:12:28 PM
I don't get spray sunscreen. Especially, but certainly not limited to, on a windy day. Honestly, I think it should be outlawed.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: APowers on September 27, 2018, 09:10:43 PM
I don't get spray sunscreen. Especially, but certainly not limited to, on a windy day. Honestly, I think it should be outlawed.

If it means I don't have to smear the greasy stuff with my hands, I am down for spray sunscreen. I DETEST the way it leaves my hands feeling greasy. Even the ones that advertise "NON-GREASY" in giant letters...they're greasy feeling too. Just Ick.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on September 27, 2018, 09:20:20 PM
I don't get spray sunscreen. Especially, but certainly not limited to, on a windy day. Honestly, I think it should be outlawed.

If it means I don't have to smear the greasy stuff with my hands, I am down for spray sunscreen. I DETEST the way it leaves my hands feeling greasy. Even the ones that advertise "NON-GREASY" in giant letters...they're greasy feeling too. Just Ick.

No, even the spray stuff has to be rubbed in
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Stoic on FIRE on September 27, 2018, 09:24:00 PM
I don't get spray sunscreen. Especially, but certainly not limited to, on a windy day. Honestly, I think it should be outlawed.

If it means I don't have to smear the greasy stuff with my hands, I am down for spray sunscreen. I DETEST the way it leaves my hands feeling greasy. Even the ones that advertise "NON-GREASY" in giant letters...they're greasy feeling too. Just Ick.

No, even the spray stuff has to be rubbed in

So true. I had a "buddy" offer to "help" me using spray sunscreen on my back instead of the rub on sunscreen I brought when I went snorkeling. Needless to say I had the worst sunburn on my back I've had in my life. I could not sleep well for three days and three years later you can still see the difference in the skin where I could reach and where I was sprayed with sunscreen.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ilsy on September 27, 2018, 10:38:06 PM
I don’t get people spending money on a gym and also paying for services to showel their driveway and maw their lawn. Not only you save money by doing everything yourself, but you can exercise while inhailing fresh air. What could be better?

...because I need the 3 feet of snow removed overnight so that I can go to work in the morning and then removed again while I’m at work so that I can get back into my parking spot without blocking the lane way for an hour while I dig it out???
Maybe your comment was meant about people who live in regions without serious snow.

That said, I don’t pay for a gym membership, and I still shovel A LOT of snow.

People with serious snow don't shovel, they have snow blowers. I have a snow blower, but I won't argue that some places might get more snow than I do (though each winter is different). On the other hand, when we do get a ton of snow, work usually takes that into account, schools get closed, most places are closed for services. Even if I do get my driveway cleaned from snow on time during heavy snow days, the main roads are so backed up, there is no way I can get to work on time. And anyways, my Subaru can make it to and from my garage even if I don't shower, or blow snow.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: stahi on September 27, 2018, 11:48:29 PM
So, I'm sitting in an airport.  Just had to pay $25 per bag to get my luggage on the damn plane.  I'm surrounded by people that weigh at least 100 lbs more than I do and they're riding for the same rate as me.  Talk about some BS.

Doesn't volume seem like it should be a factor?  I don't care if you weigh less than me if you have too much stuff or take up too much room!
I feel the same way about that. Put everyone on a scale with their luggage and calculate a fee based on total weight.

I weigh 200 lbs, but would agree with you.  Airplane ticket fees should be based upon total passenger + baggage weight (with a stipulation regarding baggage volume so you don't get stupid people bringing 70lbs of light weight foam or something), with a weigh-in just before departure to calculate the final price.

Have folks pay by the pound?  The Fat Acceptance crowd would be militant!  As for luggage - or any type of shipping - there is weight and volume.  Air lines have a strict rule of 62" (circumference + length) per bag which approximates volume, although can be close when dealing with skis.

I really don’t understand this. so much so that i had stop my lurking and create an account to answer.

lets assume 2 people travelling from near here Turku to London via Helsinki.

Passenger A (100 kg) shows his ticket at the gate and walks in with no luggage. changes planes in Helsinki and arrives in London.  people involved were the gate personnel and flight crew.

Person B (50kg) arrives at the airport with his 50 kg of clothes packed in several bags.  he hands them to a person 1 who is on standby just for this purpose, he tags them with the appropriate information.  a conveyer belt built for luggage takes them to a sorting area for luggage, where person 2 sorts them out. person 3 takes them with a car to the plane where Peron 4 loads them in with conveyer belt car.

arriving in Helsinki persons 5 and 6 unload and transport the luggage using 2 vehicles. person 7 sorts them again and hands them to person 8 and 9 who load them to a new plane.

in London persons 10 and 11 unload and transport the luggage. person 12 moves it to conveyer belt to the luggage claim area that’s built just for luggage.

and on their way out of the plane passenger B comments that it’s an outrage that he had to pay 20 euros to have 12 people move his luggage using 6 vehicles and several conveyer belts and several areas built just for this purpose in the airports. and really passenger A should pay for all that because he is fat.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on September 28, 2018, 12:24:05 AM
So, I'm sitting in an airport.  Just had to pay $25 per bag to get my luggage on the damn plane.  I'm surrounded by people that weigh at least 100 lbs more than I do and they're riding for the same rate as me.  Talk about some BS.

Doesn't volume seem like it should be a factor?  I don't care if you weigh less than me if you have too much stuff or take up too much room!
I feel the same way about that. Put everyone on a scale with their luggage and calculate a fee based on total weight.

I weigh 200 lbs, but would agree with you.  Airplane ticket fees should be based upon total passenger + baggage weight (with a stipulation regarding baggage volume so you don't get stupid people bringing 70lbs of light weight foam or something), with a weigh-in just before departure to calculate the final price.

Have folks pay by the pound?  The Fat Acceptance crowd would be militant!  As for luggage - or any type of shipping - there is weight and volume.  Air lines have a strict rule of 62" (circumference + length) per bag which approximates volume, although can be close when dealing with skis.

I really don’t understand this. so much so that i had stop my lurking and create an account to answer.

lets assume 2 people travelling from near here Turku to London via Helsinki.

Passenger A (100 kg) shows his ticket at the gate and walks in with no luggage. changes planes in Helsinki and arrives in London.  people involved were the gate personnel and flight crew.

Person B (50kg) arrives at the airport with his 50 kg of clothes packed in several bags.  he hands them to a person 1 who is on standby just for this purpose, he tags them with the appropriate information.  a conveyer belt built for luggage takes them to a sorting area for luggage, where person 2 sorts them out. person 3 takes them with a car to the plane where Peron 4 loads them in with conveyer belt car.

arriving in Helsinki persons 5 and 6 unload and transport the luggage using 2 vehicles. person 7 sorts them again and hands them to person 8 and 9 who load them to a new plane.

in London persons 10 and 11 unload and transport the luggage. person 12 moves it to conveyer belt to the luggage claim area that’s built just for luggage.

and on their way out of the plane passenger B comments that it’s an outrage that he had to pay 20 euros to have 12 people move his luggage using 6 vehicles and several conveyer belts and several areas built just for this purpose in the airports. and really passenger A should pay for all that because he is fat.

Sure, cargo costs the airline slightly more per pound than passenger weight, even though the marginal cost on one extra bag is tiny compared to the fuel costs.  But that doesn’t mean passengers shouldn’t have to pay at all for additional weight, merely that they should pay less per pound.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: stahi on September 28, 2018, 02:00:30 AM

this article ( https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/urban-expeditions/transportation/urban-expeditions-graphic-V21/ ) says that adding a 50lbs bag into the plane for a whole year will increase the fuel cost by 1545 usd.  or roughly 4,2 usd per day.   

i dont have any hard data, but i would think that the equipment, salaries and space for luggage handling is not a tiny part of the cost.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: driftwood on September 28, 2018, 07:51:30 AM
I don't get spray sunscreen. Especially, but certainly not limited to, on a windy day. Honestly, I think it should be outlawed.

If it means I don't have to smear the greasy stuff with my hands, I am down for spray sunscreen. I DETEST the way it leaves my hands feeling greasy. Even the ones that advertise "NON-GREASY" in giant letters...they're greasy feeling too. Just Ick.

No, even the spray stuff has to be rubbed in

Spray or put on sunscreen at home. Rub in in real good. Wash hands. Go enjoy life without sunscreen hands. If you have to re-apply, do it during a bathroom break and wash your hands again.  Most sunscreens recommend you put them on 30min before sun exposure anyways, so if you're putting it on at the beach/trailhead you're already behind the curve.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on September 28, 2018, 07:53:34 AM
I don't get spray sunscreen. Especially, but certainly not limited to, on a windy day. Honestly, I think it should be outlawed.

If it means I don't have to smear the greasy stuff with my hands, I am down for spray sunscreen. I DETEST the way it leaves my hands feeling greasy. Even the ones that advertise "NON-GREASY" in giant letters...they're greasy feeling too. Just Ick.

No, even the spray stuff has to be rubbed in

Except on my face, I never rub the spray sunscreen in.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on September 28, 2018, 07:54:50 AM
I don’t get people spending money on a gym and also paying for services to showel their driveway and maw their lawn. Not only you save money by doing everything yourself, but you can exercise while inhailing fresh air. What could be better?

...because I need the 3 feet of snow removed overnight so that I can go to work in the morning and then removed again while I’m at work so that I can get back into my parking spot without blocking the lane way for an hour while I dig it out???
Maybe your comment was meant about people who live in regions without serious snow.

That said, I don’t pay for a gym membership, and I still shovel A LOT of snow.

People with serious snow don't shovel, they have snow blowers. I have a snow blower, but I won't argue that some places might get more snow than I do (though each winter is different). On the other hand, when we do get a ton of snow, work usually takes that into account, schools get closed, most places are closed for services. Even if I do get my driveway cleaned from snow on time during heavy snow days, the main roads are so backed up, there is no way I can get to work on time. And anyways, my Subaru can make it to and from my garage even if I don't shower, or blow snow.

I lived in Northern Ontario for my whole childhood, and had a 60 ft long single car wide gravel driveway.  Most winters we would get 10 - 15 ft of snow.  Our family didn't ever own a snow blower.  We did occasionally get up as a family to clear the snow from the driveway if it was deep first thing in the morning, but most shoveling was done by me on my own from the age of 10 on.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on September 28, 2018, 08:59:31 AM
I don’t get people spending money on a gym and also paying for services to showel their driveway and maw their lawn. Not only you save money by doing everything yourself, but you can exercise while inhailing fresh air. What could be better?

...because I need the 3 feet of snow removed overnight so that I can go to work in the morning and then removed again while I’m at work so that I can get back into my parking spot without blocking the lane way for an hour while I dig it out???
Maybe your comment was meant about people who live in regions without serious snow.

That said, I don’t pay for a gym membership, and I still shovel A LOT of snow.

People with serious snow don't shovel, they have snow blowers. I have a snow blower, but I won't argue that some places might get more snow than I do (though each winter is different). On the other hand, when we do get a ton of snow, work usually takes that into account, schools get closed, most places are closed for services. Even if I do get my driveway cleaned from snow on time during heavy snow days, the main roads are so backed up, there is no way I can get to work on time. And anyways, my Subaru can make it to and from my garage even if I don't shower, or blow snow.

I lived in Northern Ontario for my whole childhood, and had a 60 ft long single car wide gravel driveway.  Most winters we would get 10 - 15 ft of snow.  Our family didn't ever own a snow blower.  We did occasionally get up as a family to clear the snow from the driveway if it was deep first thing in the morning, but most shoveling was done by me on my own from the age of 10 on.

We only get a few snows of more than 3 feet a year; but here snowblowers are for the elite.  Most houses do not have them. People shovel.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mm1970 on September 28, 2018, 09:19:52 AM
I don’t get people spending money on a gym and also paying for services to showel their driveway and maw their lawn. Not only you save money by doing everything yourself, but you can exercise while inhailing fresh air. What could be better?

...because I need the 3 feet of snow removed overnight so that I can go to work in the morning and then removed again while I’m at work so that I can get back into my parking spot without blocking the lane way for an hour while I dig it out???
Maybe your comment was meant about people who live in regions without serious snow.

That said, I don’t pay for a gym membership, and I still shovel A LOT of snow.

People with serious snow don't shovel, they have snow blowers. I have a snow blower, but I won't argue that some places might get more snow than I do (though each winter is different). On the other hand, when we do get a ton of snow, work usually takes that into account, schools get closed, most places are closed for services. Even if I do get my driveway cleaned from snow on time during heavy snow days, the main roads are so backed up, there is no way I can get to work on time. And anyways, my Subaru can make it to and from my garage even if I don't shower, or blow snow.

I lived in Northern Ontario for my whole childhood, and had a 60 ft long single car wide gravel driveway.  Most winters we would get 10 - 15 ft of snow.  Our family didn't ever own a snow blower.  We did occasionally get up as a family to clear the snow from the driveway if it was deep first thing in the morning, but most shoveling was done by me on my own from the age of 10 on.
I think my in-laws got a snowblower when they hit their 60s.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on September 28, 2018, 10:06:18 AM
I think my in-laws got a snowblower when they hit their 60s.
My parents hired a plowing service when their youngest (me) left the house.  They were likewise in their 60's
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on September 28, 2018, 10:25:15 AM
I don’t get people spending money on a gym and also paying for services to showel their driveway and maw their lawn. Not only you save money by doing everything yourself, but you can exercise while inhailing fresh air. What could be better?

...because I need the 3 feet of snow removed overnight so that I can go to work in the morning and then removed again while I’m at work so that I can get back into my parking spot without blocking the lane way for an hour while I dig it out???
Maybe your comment was meant about people who live in regions without serious snow.

That said, I don’t pay for a gym membership, and I still shovel A LOT of snow.

People with serious snow don't shovel, they have snow blowers. I have a snow blower, but I won't argue that some places might get more snow than I do (though each winter is different). On the other hand, when we do get a ton of snow, work usually takes that into account, schools get closed, most places are closed for services. Even if I do get my driveway cleaned from snow on time during heavy snow days, the main roads are so backed up, there is no way I can get to work on time. And anyways, my Subaru can make it to and from my garage even if I don't shower, or blow snow.

I lived in Northern Ontario for my whole childhood, and had a 60 ft long single car wide gravel driveway.  Most winters we would get 10 - 15 ft of snow.  Our family didn't ever own a snow blower.  We did occasionally get up as a family to clear the snow from the driveway if it was deep first thing in the morning, but most shoveling was done by me on my own from the age of 10 on.
I think my in-laws got a snowblower when they hit their 60s.

I'm reasonably certain that my parents had me for the sole purpose of shoveling their driveway.  :P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on September 28, 2018, 11:20:42 AM
I don’t get people spending money on a gym and also paying for services to showel their driveway and maw their lawn. Not only you save money by doing everything yourself, but you can exercise while inhailing fresh air. What could be better?

...because I need the 3 feet of snow removed overnight so that I can go to work in the morning and then removed again while I’m at work so that I can get back into my parking spot without blocking the lane way for an hour while I dig it out???
Maybe your comment was meant about people who live in regions without serious snow.

That said, I don’t pay for a gym membership, and I still shovel A LOT of snow.

People with serious snow don't shovel, they have snow blowers. I have a snow blower, but I won't argue that some places might get more snow than I do (though each winter is different). On the other hand, when we do get a ton of snow, work usually takes that into account, schools get closed, most places are closed for services. Even if I do get my driveway cleaned from snow on time during heavy snow days, the main roads are so backed up, there is no way I can get to work on time. And anyways, my Subaru can make it to and from my garage even if I don't shower, or blow snow.

I lived in Northern Ontario for my whole childhood, and had a 60 ft long single car wide gravel driveway.  Most winters we would get 10 - 15 ft of snow.  Our family didn't ever own a snow blower.  We did occasionally get up as a family to clear the snow from the driveway if it was deep first thing in the morning, but most shoveling was done by me on my own from the age of 10 on.
I think my in-laws got a snowblower when they hit their 60s.

I'm reasonably certain that my parents had me for the sole purpose of shoveling their driveway.  :P

Damn.  You people are tougher than we were.  We lived 18 years in the snow belt of upstate NY.  When we were first married -- young and poor -- we shoveled the endless inches of heavy wet snow.  As soon as we could afford it, we got a snow blower.

I do see the attraction of having your kids do it, if they are strong enough.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RWD on September 28, 2018, 11:30:20 AM
I'm reasonably certain that my parents had me for the sole purpose of shoveling their driveway.  :P
I do see the attraction of having your kids do it, if they are strong enough.
(https://assets.amuniversal.com/f6334f20dec9013171a6005056a9545d) (https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/01/02)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dcheesi on September 28, 2018, 11:44:09 AM
I don't get spray sunscreen. Especially, but certainly not limited to, on a windy day. Honestly, I think it should be outlawed.

If it means I don't have to smear the greasy stuff with my hands, I am down for spray sunscreen. I DETEST the way it leaves my hands feeling greasy. Even the ones that advertise "NON-GREASY" in giant letters...they're greasy feeling too. Just Ick.

No, even the spray stuff has to be rubbed in

Except on my face, I never rub the spray sunscreen in.
I never used to, but then I had a couple of incidents where I was outside all day, and the couple of spots that I missed (or is that mist? ;) wound up very burnt. Now I try to rub it in just to reduce the changes of completely missing a spot.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Fomerly known as something on September 28, 2018, 11:51:04 AM
1. Drivers who merge at the last minute, passing everyone and causing delays even through they got notices to merge 5 miles ago.  These people should be eliminated!

Actually the zipper merge method is the most efficient.  https://auto.howstuffworks.com/traffic-lane-zipper-merge.htm

But I think I agree with you on your other points!

I was going to say people who don't understand the zipper merge.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Jouer on September 28, 2018, 12:24:10 PM
Someone mentioned shoveling and mowing the lawn isn't a real workout. I agree 100% about mowing the lawn but shoveling snow is absolutely a great workout.

I use a wide push shovel to push the snow onto my lawn. It's a great workout, especially legs (while pushing) and shoulders/chest/arms (while extending at the end of the push over a snow bank).

btw, I'm mid-40s and live in Canada.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: driftwood on September 28, 2018, 01:31:01 PM
1. Drivers who merge at the last minute, passing everyone and causing delays even through they got notices to merge 5 miles ago.  These people should be eliminated!

Actually the zipper merge method is the most efficient.  https://auto.howstuffworks.com/traffic-lane-zipper-merge.htm

But I think I agree with you on your other points!

I was going to say people who don't understand the zipper merge.

I didn't understand it until now. I wonder if they'll ever get drivers 'retrained' because I live in one of those states and I haven't seen any kind of retraining...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on September 28, 2018, 01:42:22 PM
1. Drivers who merge at the last minute, passing everyone and causing delays even through they got notices to merge 5 miles ago.  These people should be eliminated!

Actually the zipper merge method is the most efficient.  https://auto.howstuffworks.com/traffic-lane-zipper-merge.htm

But I think I agree with you on your other points!

I was going to say people who don't understand the zipper merge.

I didn't understand it until now. I wonder if they'll ever get drivers 'retrained' because I live in one of those states and I haven't seen any kind of retraining...

We actually have signs up now that say "do not merge yet"  "do not merge yet".  "Merge now" "Take turns" "Be NICE"
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on September 28, 2018, 02:34:03 PM
People who aren't critical thinkers, or who can't step back & evaluate a situation outside of their bubble. I get it. We all have biases. Some of us work to try & understand our own biases, asks questions, find multiple sources for news, ask hard questions, ensure data matches up with theories, etc. . . There's an entire group of people out there missing critical thinking skills. My rant is less about them (that's an entirely separate rant, obviously), and more about the people who insist on debating them, with reason, logic & data to back up their argument. If the person has shown even a modicum of interest, great, have at that. If the person is unable to have a reasoned debate, please save yourself the trouble & walk away. Dad* on Facebook, love you, but it's time to walk away & give up people who blindly follow without the ability to live in reality.

*It should be noted that my father has fantastic critical thinking skills, but is somehow unable to realize he's debating with those who do not possess said skills.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on September 28, 2018, 06:00:52 PM

this article ( https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/urban-expeditions/transportation/urban-expeditions-graphic-V21/ ) says that adding a 50lbs bag into the plane for a whole year will increase the fuel cost by 1545 usd.  or roughly 4,2 usd per day.   

i dont have any hard data, but i would think that the equipment, salaries and space for luggage handling is not a tiny part of the cost.

I'm sure those guys are smart, but calculating fuel cost per year is a really strange way to do it, and it really doesn't line up with the numbers I've seen.  Here's a back of the envelope calculation:

A fully loaded 747 weighs 910000 pounds, burns 1 gallon of fuel per second, and operates an average of 8 hours per day.  Assume fuel costs $5/gallon.  Cost per day for 50 pound bag = 8*3600*$5*50/910000 = 'bout $8. 

Now I don't have any hard data on handling costs, but my guy tells me one additional bag adds only a minute or two of actual handling time to normal operations, say 50 cents in wages.  Those baggage carts and conveyors can handle a lot of bags, and typically look ancient, so I don't think the depreciation from an additional bag is going to be anywhere near dollars per day.  So yeah my guy tells me that, even at a $4/day figure, fuel is the overriding cost.  But I guess my gut can agree to disagree with your gut since I really don't feel like digging into airline SEC filings for this disagreement :-P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on September 28, 2018, 06:28:06 PM
People who aren't critical thinkers, or who can't step back & evaluate a situation outside of their bubble. I get it. We all have biases. Some of us work to try & understand our own biases, asks questions, find multiple sources for news, ask hard questions, ensure data matches up with theories, etc. . . There's an entire group of people out there missing critical thinking skills. My rant is less about them (that's an entirely separate rant, obviously), and more about the people who insist on debating them, with reason, logic & data to back up their argument. If the person has shown even a modicum of interest, great, have at that. If the person is unable to have a reasoned debate, please save yourself the trouble & walk away. Dad* on Facebook, love you, but it's time to walk away & give up people who blindly follow without the ability to live in reality.

*It should be noted that my father has fantastic critical thinking skills, but is somehow unable to realize he's debating with those who do not possess said skills.

But . . . sometimes those people on the internet are wrong!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: markbike528CBX on September 29, 2018, 10:25:43 AM
People who aren't critical thinkers, or who can't step back & evaluate a situation outside of their bubble. I get it. We all have biases. Some of us work to try & understand our own biases, asks questions, find multiple sources for news, ask hard questions, ensure data matches up with theories, etc. . . There's an entire group of people out there missing critical thinking skills. My rant is less about them (that's an entirely separate rant, obviously), and more about the people who insist on debating them, with reason, logic & data to back up their argument. If the person has shown even a modicum of interest, great, have at that. If the person is unable to have a reasoned debate, please save yourself the trouble & walk away. Dad* on Facebook, love you, but it's time to walk away & give up people who blindly follow without the ability to live in reality.

*It should be noted that my father has fantastic critical thinking skills, but is somehow unable to realize he's debating with those who do not possess said skills.

But . . . sometimes those people on the internet are wrong!
Or sometimes we're ALWAYS right. No need for critical thinking skills or to step back and evaluate a situation when you know you are always right.

My rant....people who always think they are right ;-).

Yep there are xkcd's for that.

https://xkcd.com/386/           someone is wrong on the Internet
https://xkcd.com/2051/          finding bad opinions to get worked up about
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: stahi on October 01, 2018, 02:13:49 AM

this article ( https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/urban-expeditions/transportation/urban-expeditions-graphic-V21/ ) says that adding a 50lbs bag into the plane for a whole year will increase the fuel cost by 1545 usd.  or roughly 4,2 usd per day.   

i dont have any hard data, but i would think that the equipment, salaries and space for luggage handling is not a tiny part of the cost.

I'm sure those guys are smart, but calculating fuel cost per year is a really strange way to do it, and it really doesn't line up with the numbers I've seen.  Here's a back of the envelope calculation:

A fully loaded 747 weighs 910000 pounds, burns 1 gallon of fuel per second, and operates an average of 8 hours per day.  Assume fuel costs $5/gallon.  Cost per day for 50 pound bag = 8*3600*$5*50/910000 = 'bout $8. 

Now I don't have any hard data on handling costs, but my guy tells me one additional bag adds only a minute or two of actual handling time to normal operations, say 50 cents in wages.  Those baggage carts and conveyors can handle a lot of bags, and typically look ancient, so I don't think the depreciation from an additional bag is going to be anywhere near dollars per day.  So yeah my guy tells me that, even at a $4/day figure, fuel is the overriding cost.  But I guess my gut can agree to disagree with your gut since I really don't feel like digging into airline SEC filings for this disagreement :-P

yes this might be true for a massive plane that loads up once and then flies for 8+ hours.  i have no idea how much they charge for extra luggage in those cases. but in my example the planes would be much smaller and flights would be maybe 30min+2hours and the bags would be processed 3 times, loaded and unloaded 2 times each.

with labour cost going from 30+ eur/hour even on a weekday working hours, i would expect it to be much more then 50 cents. but i guess we will have  to agree that the cost will vary wildly accosding to circumstances.

and yes i think digging up the information needed isnt really worth it for this = )
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ketchup on October 01, 2018, 11:14:45 AM
I'll defend some of the people scrambling to get on the plane first.  My girlfriend flies for work a lot, and she's a photographer.  She travels with her gear in a Pelican 1510 case, and there is no way in hell she will check it.  If it was delayed, she'd be screwed and unable to do the work she flew out for.  And if it was permanently lost, insurance via credit card only covers like $3k in value (her gear is about $10-12k total these days).  She always gets on the plane as early as possible, and if she's way at the back of the boarding groups, she will pay for a priority boarding upgrade if the flight is full.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on October 01, 2018, 11:28:30 AM
I'll defend some of the people scrambling to get on the plane first.  My girlfriend flies for work a lot, and she's a photographer.  She travels with her gear in a Pelican 1510 case, and there is no way in hell she will check it.  If it was delayed, she'd be screwed and unable to do the work she flew out for.  And if it was permanently lost, insurance via credit card only covers like $3k in value (her gear is about $10-12k total these days).  She always gets on the plane as early as possible, and if she's way at the back of the boarding groups, she will pay for a priority boarding upgrade if the flight is full.

She should consider airline credit cards. Almost all give you "group 1" (or whatever number it is after 900 different elite groups board).  I've never not gotten overhead space with group 1 boarding.

(I can't use my airline cards for work travel. I hate getting stuck in group 5 when I travel for work. Boo.)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ketchup on October 01, 2018, 11:33:06 AM
I'll defend some of the people scrambling to get on the plane first.  My girlfriend flies for work a lot, and she's a photographer.  She travels with her gear in a Pelican 1510 case, and there is no way in hell she will check it.  If it was delayed, she'd be screwed and unable to do the work she flew out for.  And if it was permanently lost, insurance via credit card only covers like $3k in value (her gear is about $10-12k total these days).  She always gets on the plane as early as possible, and if she's way at the back of the boarding groups, she will pay for a priority boarding upgrade if the flight is full.

She should consider airline credit cards. Almost all give you "group 1" (or whatever number it is after 900 different elite groups board).  I've never not gotten overhead space with group 1 boarding.

(I can't use my airline cards for work travel. I hate getting stuck in group 5 when I travel for work. Boo.)
99% of her flights are United, American, or Southwest.  She has an AA card, so that helps her there, but we're both way too far over 5/24 to qualify for United or SW cards. :)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Jouer on October 01, 2018, 11:59:58 AM
I'll defend some of the people scrambling to get on the plane first.  My girlfriend flies for work a lot, and she's a photographer.  She travels with her gear in a Pelican 1510 case, and there is no way in hell she will check it.  If it was delayed, she'd be screwed and unable to do the work she flew out for.  And if it was permanently lost, insurance via credit card only covers like $3k in value (her gear is about $10-12k total these days).  She always gets on the plane as early as possible, and if she's way at the back of the boarding groups, she will pay for a priority boarding upgrade if the flight is full.

She should consider airline credit cards. Almost all give you "group 1" (or whatever number it is after 900 different elite groups board).  I've never not gotten overhead space with group 1 boarding.

(I can't use my airline cards for work travel. I hate getting stuck in group 5 when I travel for work. Boo.)
99% of her flights are United, American, or Southwest.  She has an AA card, so that helps her there, but we're both way too far over 5/24 to qualify for United or SW cards. :)

It's not just credit cards that get you into the higher groups. Being part of airlines' loyalty programs is the way to get higher priority.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ketchup on October 01, 2018, 12:16:56 PM
I'll defend some of the people scrambling to get on the plane first.  My girlfriend flies for work a lot, and she's a photographer.  She travels with her gear in a Pelican 1510 case, and there is no way in hell she will check it.  If it was delayed, she'd be screwed and unable to do the work she flew out for.  And if it was permanently lost, insurance via credit card only covers like $3k in value (her gear is about $10-12k total these days).  She always gets on the plane as early as possible, and if she's way at the back of the boarding groups, she will pay for a priority boarding upgrade if the flight is full.

She should consider airline credit cards. Almost all give you "group 1" (or whatever number it is after 900 different elite groups board).  I've never not gotten overhead space with group 1 boarding.

(I can't use my airline cards for work travel. I hate getting stuck in group 5 when I travel for work. Boo.)
99% of her flights are United, American, or Southwest.  She has an AA card, so that helps her there, but we're both way too far over 5/24 to qualify for United or SW cards. :)

It's not just credit cards that get you into the higher groups. Being part of airlines' loyalty programs is the way to get higher priority.
She's definitely a member of both United and Southwest's frequent flier program, but I didn't know there was anything specific that gave you unless you do a billion flights a year.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Trifle on October 01, 2018, 12:19:49 PM
I'll defend some of the people scrambling to get on the plane first.  My girlfriend flies for work a lot, and she's a photographer.  She travels with her gear in a Pelican 1510 case, and there is no way in hell she will check it.  If it was delayed, she'd be screwed and unable to do the work she flew out for.  And if it was permanently lost, insurance via credit card only covers like $3k in value (her gear is about $10-12k total these days).  She always gets on the plane as early as possible, and if she's way at the back of the boarding groups, she will pay for a priority boarding upgrade if the flight is full.

She should consider airline credit cards. Almost all give you "group 1" (or whatever number it is after 900 different elite groups board).  I've never not gotten overhead space with group 1 boarding.

(I can't use my airline cards for work travel. I hate getting stuck in group 5 when I travel for work. Boo.)
99% of her flights are United, American, or Southwest.  She has an AA card, so that helps her there, but we're both way too far over 5/24 to qualify for United or SW cards. :)

It's not just credit cards that get you into the higher groups. Being part of airlines' loyalty programs is the way to get higher priority.
She's definitely a member of both United and Southwest's frequent flier program, but I didn't know there was anything specific that gave you unless you do a billion flights a year.

I think you're right -- membership gets you nothing (as far as I know) it's the miles/number of segments you fly
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Just Joe on October 01, 2018, 12:21:31 PM
The best thing about having a dog in the country is you don't have to be concerned about where they poop.  Oh, and you don't have to walk them either.  I can't wait to be living in the country again.

HEAR! HEAR!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Just Joe on October 01, 2018, 12:31:04 PM
Jimmy Johns - large sub sandwiches made very quickly.  Biggest downside is they charge an arm and a leg for extra toppings.  I think the last time I went there I spent $8 on a sandwich and they wanted another $2 to put bacon on it.

I tried JJ's twice and neither times were the sandwiches very flavorful. Nearby is Bellacino's which has a great grinder. Also nearby is Firehouse Subs (really good IMO), Jersey Mike's (good) and Subway sandwich shops all over town (not as tasty but tastier than JJ's). Basically anything but JJ's at this point.

That said - I like a good sandwich (home or out) vs the endless hamburger joints our town has. Probably a dozen places or more to choose from. I love a good hamburger but I want more choices than just hamburgers.

Some people prefer food that is more bland. We have a Mediterranean place in town that we give a chance every few years. Every time - bland. We love Med foods. I also know someone who prefers bland foods. No toppings, not sauces, no seasoning.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dragonswan on October 01, 2018, 03:29:58 PM
haha- I'd never expect to get to any of those places you named non-stop :) 

I HATE when you end up needing overnight flights. Basically anything coming home from the west coast tries to pull that.

Yes I hate that all international flights from US East Coast to Europe are overnight and I'm expected to sleep in a tiny seat and be refreshed and ready to tour the next morning. And of course the flight attendants love to make you feel guilty if you don't want to sleep and require they actually do their job during the flight. One time I actually had the person sitting next to me turn off my in-seat screen because he thought I was sleeping and the glow of the screen bothered him.  I already sacrificed natural sunlight and the reading light in the name of letting others sleep, but this was an accommodation too far.

But coming back is a decent morning or afternoon flight with no expectation that I will need to sleep.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Hirondelle on October 01, 2018, 11:49:56 PM
I'm always so envious of people who just fall asleep straight away on a flight. On my last trip (13h) the guy next to me started sleeping even before take-off. I'm usually completely sleepless, with the only advantage that it messes me up so much that the tiredness overrules the jet lag and that one night of decent sleep is sufficient to catapult me into the new rhytm. Sometimes I get lucky though and the seat next to me is free. When that happens, I lay down in some folded up position that exactly fits within the two seats and that's just comfortable enough for some 1-2 hour naps in between watching movies.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on October 01, 2018, 11:58:27 PM
Jimmy Johns - large sub sandwiches made very quickly.  Biggest downside is they charge an arm and a leg for extra toppings.  I think the last time I went there I spent $8 on a sandwich and they wanted another $2 to put bacon on it.

I tried JJ's twice and neither times were the sandwiches very flavorful. Nearby is Bellacino's which has a great grinder. Also nearby is Firehouse Subs (really good IMO), Jersey Mike's (good) and Subway sandwich shops all over town (not as tasty but tastier than JJ's). Basically anything but JJ's at this point.

That said - I like a good sandwich (home or out) vs the endless hamburger joints our town has. Probably a dozen places or more to choose from. I love a good hamburger but I want more choices than just hamburgers.

Some people prefer food that is more bland. We have a Mediterranean place in town that we give a chance every few years. Every time - bland. We love Med foods. I also know someone who prefers bland foods. No toppings, not sauces, no seasoning.
Damn, we have great Mediterranean food in our area! We don't eat out often, but it's one of our favorites for birthdays and special occasions. I've had them cater a couple of events and their food always gets raves. Not bland at all and we're a spice lovin' family.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: nnls on October 02, 2018, 12:17:38 AM
I'm always so envious of people who just fall asleep straight away on a flight. On my last trip (13h) the guy next to me started sleeping even before take-off. I'm usually completely sleepless, with the only advantage that it messes me up so much that the tiredness overrules the jet lag and that one night of decent sleep is sufficient to catapult me into the new rhytm. Sometimes I get lucky though and the seat next to me is free. When that happens, I lay down in some folded up position that exactly fits within the two seats and that's just comfortable enough for some 1-2 hour naps in between watching movies.

I can usually fall asleep before we take off . If I have a window seat I dont until we have taken off and I can put the blind down so the light doesn't shine in and annoy other passengers. I was pleasantly surprised in the USA they let us have the blind down even for take off and landing so I could lower it and fall asleep as soon as I sat down
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on October 02, 2018, 06:47:38 AM
Jimmy Johns - large sub sandwiches made very quickly.  Biggest downside is they charge an arm and a leg for extra toppings.  I think the last time I went there I spent $8 on a sandwich and they wanted another $2 to put bacon on it.

I tried JJ's twice and neither times were the sandwiches very flavorful. Nearby is Bellacino's which has a great grinder. Also nearby is Firehouse Subs (really good IMO), Jersey Mike's (good) and Subway sandwich shops all over town (not as tasty but tastier than JJ's). Basically anything but JJ's at this point.

That said - I like a good sandwich (home or out) vs the endless hamburger joints our town has. Probably a dozen places or more to choose from. I love a good hamburger but I want more choices than just hamburgers.

Some people prefer food that is more bland. We have a Mediterranean place in town that we give a chance every few years. Every time - bland. We love Med foods. I also know someone who prefers bland foods. No toppings, not sauces, no seasoning.
Damn, we have great Mediterranean food in our area! We don't eat out often, but it's one of our favorites for birthdays and special occasions. I've had them cater a couple of events and their food always gets raves. Not bland at all and we're a spice lovin' family.

Same! We have fantastic Lebanese, Yemeni, Syrian, and Iraqi restaurants in our area. The food is definitely not bland.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Jouer on October 02, 2018, 11:10:46 AM
I'll defend some of the people scrambling to get on the plane first.  My girlfriend flies for work a lot, and she's a photographer.  She travels with her gear in a Pelican 1510 case, and there is no way in hell she will check it.  If it was delayed, she'd be screwed and unable to do the work she flew out for.  And if it was permanently lost, insurance via credit card only covers like $3k in value (her gear is about $10-12k total these days).  She always gets on the plane as early as possible, and if she's way at the back of the boarding groups, she will pay for a priority boarding upgrade if the flight is full.

She should consider airline credit cards. Almost all give you "group 1" (or whatever number it is after 900 different elite groups board).  I've never not gotten overhead space with group 1 boarding.

(I can't use my airline cards for work travel. I hate getting stuck in group 5 when I travel for work. Boo.)
99% of her flights are United, American, or Southwest.  She has an AA card, so that helps her there, but we're both way too far over 5/24 to qualify for United or SW cards. :)

It's not just credit cards that get you into the higher groups. Being part of airlines' loyalty programs is the way to get higher priority.
She's definitely a member of both United and Southwest's frequent flier program, but I didn't know there was anything specific that gave you unless you do a billion flights a year.

I think you're right -- membership gets you nothing (as far as I know) it's the miles/number of segments you fly

Right but didn't you say she flies a lot for work? Always use the same 1 or 2 airlines and you get your segments in pretty easily. At least to get out of zones 4 and 5.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: carolina822 on October 02, 2018, 02:35:42 PM
and on their way out of the plane passenger B comments that it’s an outrage that he had to pay 20 euros to have 12 people move his luggage using 6 vehicles and several conveyer belts and several areas built just for this purpose in the airports. and really passenger A should pay for all that because he is fat.

But then you wouldn't get that chance to ridicule people for not being as perfect as you. What's the fun in that?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on October 02, 2018, 10:39:49 PM
The best thing about having a dog in the country is you don't have to be concerned about where they poop.  Oh, and you don't have to walk them either.  I can't wait to be living in the country again.

HEAR! HEAR!

I understand that you don't "have" to walk them, but I certainly hope you do.  It's a great time and healthy for you.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on October 02, 2018, 10:41:59 PM
I'll defend some of the people scrambling to get on the plane first.  My girlfriend flies for work a lot, and she's a photographer.  She travels with her gear in a Pelican 1510 case, and there is no way in hell she will check it.  If it was delayed, she'd be screwed and unable to do the work she flew out for.  And if it was permanently lost, insurance via credit card only covers like $3k in value (her gear is about $10-12k total these days).  She always gets on the plane as early as possible, and if she's way at the back of the boarding groups, she will pay for a priority boarding upgrade if the flight is full.

Oh, there are certainly people with good reasons.  But I still think the vast majority of line jockeys don't have as a reason like your GF.  Most people don't want to check their hairdryer or are just straight up entitled (same people who cut off lines of cars)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dancin'Dog on October 03, 2018, 06:44:07 AM
The best thing about having a dog in the country is you don't have to be concerned about where they poop.  Oh, and you don't have to walk them either.  I can't wait to be living in the country again.

HEAR! HEAR!

I understand that you don't "have" to walk them, but I certainly hope you do.  It's a great time and healthy for you.


We get plenty of exercise up here without needing to walk them.  When they were younger I used to take them along on my atv trails rides.  They were happy running for 4-5 hours chasing me across the mountains, probably 25+ miles every week or two.  I'd stop at creek crossings for them to drink & rest a few minutes, and they'd get breaks while I cleared fallen trees from the trails. 
They also got plenty of exercise chasing rabbits, deer, and coyote out of our yard & through the woods.  Dogs have it made out in the country, especially in the mountains.  :)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ilsy on November 24, 2018, 07:52:42 PM
Someone mentioned shoveling and mowing the lawn isn't a real workout. I agree 100% about mowing the lawn
Well, may be if you have a riding lawn mower, that is true. But try to mow with a push mower (even self propelled one) on a steep hill when it's 97F outside an area more than quater acre, and then say it's "not a real workout." I prefer shoveling my driveway, than mowing at high 90s F. First, my driveway is not close to half an acre, and second, I can loose a few layers when I get warm showeling, but there isn't much to loose at 97F. We do hit triple digits, but I don't mow at above 99F.

Just another note, everyone I know, my neighbors,  friends,  co-workers own a snow blower. We don't get to use it every time it snows, but it's better to have it and not use it, then the other way around. The only people who don't own it, are the ones who pay services to clean the snow.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SwordGuy on November 24, 2018, 09:02:15 PM
People who aren't critical thinkers, or who can't step back & evaluate a situation outside of their bubble. I get it. We all have biases. Some of us work to try & understand our own biases, asks questions, find multiple sources for news, ask hard questions, ensure data matches up with theories, etc. . . There's an entire group of people out there missing critical thinking skills. My rant is less about them (that's an entirely separate rant, obviously), and more about the people who insist on debating them, with reason, logic & data to back up their argument. If the person has shown even a modicum of interest, great, have at that. If the person is unable to have a reasoned debate, please save yourself the trouble & walk away. Dad* on Facebook, love you, but it's time to walk away & give up people who blindly follow without the ability to live in reality.

*It should be noted that my father has fantastic critical thinking skills, but is somehow unable to realize he's debating with those who do not possess said skills.

I debate with people like that.

I have little expectation that they will change their mind on the subject being debated and ZERO expectation that they will change their behavior regardless.

I debate those people for the benefit of others who may be listening in.  Other people who actually are amenable to learning something and making decisions that are fact-based.

Maybe your dad is, too.

If not, watch "Man of La Mancha" with Peter O'Toole and the incomparable Sophia Loren.   Maybe you'll learn to understand and appreciate what he does.   When people are silent in the presence of injustice or hatred or violence, injustice, hatred and violence flourish.  Give him a hug for me.  https://www.amazon.com/Man-Mancha-Peter-OToole/dp/B000W4SE0W/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1543118379&sr=1-1&keywords=man+of+la+mancha+peter+o%27toole
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on November 27, 2018, 01:25:19 AM
Someone mentioned shoveling and mowing the lawn isn't a real workout. I agree 100% about mowing the lawn

Just mow more lawns, and faster.  Mine's available if you want a "real workout"
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: soccerluvof4 on November 27, 2018, 02:42:42 AM
Someone mentioned shoveling and mowing the lawn isn't a real workout. I agree 100% about mowing the lawn

Just mow more lawns, and faster.  Mine's available if you want a "real workout"




Where I live shoveling is a hell of a workout. And a back breaker. I finally got my snowblower fixed for this year as last winter I was killing myself. Guess it depends on how much people have to shovel.  I workout everyday and doesnt get you in shape for shoveling.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Jouer on November 27, 2018, 06:35:43 AM
Someone mentioned shoveling and mowing the lawn isn't a real workout. I agree 100% about mowing the lawn

Just mow more lawns, and faster.  Mine's available if you want a "real workout"
haha...sure. I'd be happy to do it for about $150k a year and a green card.   ;-)

I wasn't saying you should get a service to cut your grass because mowing yourself isn't a workout. Just that mowing my suburban lawn isn't a workout for me. I get hot, yes. I need a beer after, yes. But I would never consider it a workout. I wouldn't if my lawn was twice as big.

But shoveling knee-high snow is absolutely a workout for me. My 4-car driveway has way smaller surface area than my front and back yards but it's still a much, much stronger workout. Size doesn't matter when comparing the two activities.

(I'm replying to a few people here at once, not just dragoncar)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on November 27, 2018, 07:08:07 AM
But I would never consider it a workout. I wouldn't if my lawn was twice as big.

But shoveling knee-high snow is absolutely a workout for me. My 4-car driveway has way smaller surface area than my front and back yards but it's still a much, much stronger workout. Size doesn't matter when comparing the two activities.


Your lawn must lack the hills mine has.  I think mowing is way harder than shoveling, except for the absolute heaviest snow.
That's why husband mows and I shovel. 

(We have a 1/3 acre lot, but a big house on it. Driveway for 3 car garage, but only about 3 cars deep.) 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on November 27, 2018, 07:20:50 AM
My Boston grandfather had a heart attack and died whilst shoveling snow, which was part of his son's decision to move to CA, for which I am eternally grateful.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dcheesi on November 27, 2018, 07:54:13 AM
Yeah, a big part of the problem with shoveling, and to a lesser extent mowing, is that even if it's a great workout, it doesn't happen often enough to really be beneficial. Instead, you're setting yourself up for injury or over-exertion since your body isn't used to it.

Just my personal experience: moving into a 4th-floor walk-up apartment, and taking the stairs at my new office, has done far more for my health & fitness than all of the previous years of mowing and trimming every week or two (or three, or four...). IME a little bit of activity every day is much more effective than more intense activity on a less frequent basis.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Jouer on November 27, 2018, 11:22:21 AM
But I would never consider it a workout. I wouldn't if my lawn was twice as big.

But shoveling knee-high snow is absolutely a workout for me. My 4-car driveway has way smaller surface area than my front and back yards but it's still a much, much stronger workout. Size doesn't matter when comparing the two activities.


Your lawn must lack the hills mine has.  I think mowing is way harder than shoveling, except for the absolute heaviest snow.
That's why husband mows and I shovel. 

(We have a 1/3 acre lot, but a big house on it. Driveway for 3 car garage, but only about 3 cars deep.)

Maybe the difference is climate/location related. Around here the snowbank covering my lawn is over my head by mid-January.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: remizidae on November 27, 2018, 07:54:27 PM
Yeah, a big part of the problem with shoveling, and to a lesser extent mowing, is that even if it's a great workout, it doesn't happen often enough to really be beneficial. Instead, you're setting yourself up for injury or over-exertion since your body isn't used to it.

That's not a "problem with shoveling," it's a problem with being sedentary. Almost everyone should be exercising almost every day. I do it, and I have three jobs...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on November 27, 2018, 11:42:42 PM
Yeah, a big part of the problem with shoveling, and to a lesser extent mowing, is that even if it's a great workout, it doesn't happen often enough to really be beneficial. Instead, you're setting yourself up for injury or over-exertion since your body isn't used to it.

That's not a "problem with shoveling," it's a problem with being sedentary. Almost everyone should be exercising almost every day. I do it, and I have three jobs...

On days it doesn't snow, shovel dirt or gravel.  You'll be in prime shape for the snow.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on November 28, 2018, 06:37:12 AM
But I would never consider it a workout. I wouldn't if my lawn was twice as big.

But shoveling knee-high snow is absolutely a workout for me. My 4-car driveway has way smaller surface area than my front and back yards but it's still a much, much stronger workout. Size doesn't matter when comparing the two activities.


Your lawn must lack the hills mine has.  I think mowing is way harder than shoveling, except for the absolute heaviest snow.
That's why husband mows and I shovel. 

(We have a 1/3 acre lot, but a big house on it. Driveway for 3 car garage, but only about 3 cars deep.)

Maybe the difference is climate/location related. Around here the snowbank covering my lawn is over my head by mid-January.

We get pretty regular snow; some is light, some is very heavy. The snow piles from shoveling usually get about 8 feet tall; but the yard probably doesn't end up with more than 3-4 feet, as we often have days of melt throughout the winter.

But I don't have to shovel hills. So a little at a time is all it takes.  It's hard for me to push the mower.  With the shovel, I got a kids shovel that won't carry as much at once- I just do a lot more passes with less snow.  It takes a lot more time than my husband who carries 5x as much snow as once, but makes it much more manageable for me. 

There is no cheat for the lawn.  (I mean a self-propelled or riding mower; but that's an entirely different chore.)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: DS on November 28, 2018, 08:10:07 AM
Yeah, a big part of the problem with shoveling, and to a lesser extent mowing, is that even if it's a great workout, it doesn't happen often enough to really be beneficial. Instead, you're setting yourself up for injury or over-exertion since your body isn't used to it.

That's not a "problem with shoveling," it's a problem with being sedentary. Almost everyone should be exercising almost every day. I do it, and I have three jobs...

On days it doesn't snow, shovel dirt or gravel.  You'll be in prime shape for the snow.

Snow shoveling shape is a mindset!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: soccerluvof4 on November 28, 2018, 08:44:49 AM
Tired of hearing all the Stupid shit GM does. They make shit cars and are late to the part realizing that people don't want cars anymore. To shut 5 plants and layoff all those people right before the holidays despite making 3 Billion if I heard right last quarter is just plain wrong. The company is just not forward thinking so here we go again on the GM merry go round which is why I will never by there crap.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Cranky on November 28, 2018, 09:21:41 AM
A few years ago, gas prices were high and Lordstown was running 3 shifts to make enough small cars. They've been cutting down there for years, so the aren't slow realizing that they don't sell now that gas prices are so low. They just don't want to spend the money to retool.

People have short memories, though.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: soccerluvof4 on November 28, 2018, 09:43:06 AM
A few years ago, gas prices were high and Lordstown was running 3 shifts to make enough small cars. They've been cutting down there for years, so the aren't slow realizing that they don't sell now that gas prices are so low. They just don't want to spend the money to retool.

People have short memories, though.



Oh yea, gas prices go down , big car sales go up. Up and down. How many times have we seen this. Add to that these 72 month car loans? yikes.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on November 28, 2018, 09:48:27 AM
A few years ago, gas prices were high and Lordstown was running 3 shifts to make enough small cars. They've been cutting down there for years, so the aren't slow realizing that they don't sell now that gas prices are so low. They just don't want to spend the money to retool.

People have short memories, though.
It took five years for auto sales to recover to pre-recession levels, and in that time, we've seen a big shift in consumer demand away from sedans/hatchbacks and towards crossovers.  It makes little logical sense, since crossovers have little-to-no advantages over the sedans they're replacing, but that's the way the market is moving.

You're right--back in the mid-2000's, when oil prices spiked up to $150/barrel, there was a huge surge in demand for more efficient cars.  And then oil prices fell back to $60 and consumers collectively went back to SUVs.  And I don't see gas prices increasing dramatically any time soon given the move toward electric vehicles and the USA's increased oil production.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 28, 2018, 10:03:21 AM
Anyone remember gas rationing in the 1970's?

You could only get gas on odd and even days depending on your license plate. Then you were only allowed about $3 worth of gas.

This is how far back this gas situation goes back. We flip flop on gas guzzlers and fuel efficient cars. Oil will run out one day. What is the answer?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on November 28, 2018, 10:10:22 AM
Tired of hearing all the Stupid shit GM does. They make shit cars and are late to the part realizing that people don't want cars anymore. To shut 5 plants and layoff all those people right before the holidays despite making 3 Billion if I heard right last quarter is just plain wrong. The company is just not forward thinking so here we go again on the GM merry go round which is why I will never by there crap.

I still want a small car (I don't like driving trucks and don't need a SUV) but GM cars have never appealed to me. And 10 years after the last round of GM fiasco, here we go again. It's ridiculous.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on November 28, 2018, 10:54:37 AM
Something about driving on the highways in a small car when a tractor trailer truck is bearing down on you going 80 mph doesn't sit well with me. Seems a SUV could be a bit safer in an accident.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on November 28, 2018, 11:04:25 AM
Something about driving on the highways in a small car when a tractor trailer truck is bearing down on you going 80 mph doesn't sit well with me. Seems a SUV could be a bit safer in an accident.

*shrugs* To each their own. I've never felt the need for a larger car in the city. I don't drive enough in rural areas to be worried about collisions with deer.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Cranky on November 28, 2018, 11:22:59 AM
Honestly, no one here is that shocked. GM has been buying people out for the last few years.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: merula on November 28, 2018, 12:36:42 PM
Something about driving on the highways in a small car when a tractor trailer truck is bearing down on you going 80 mph doesn't sit well with me. Seems a SUV could be a bit safer in an accident.

*shrugs* To each their own. I've never felt the need for a larger car in the city. I don't drive enough in rural areas to be worried about collisions with deer.

There's no significant safety difference between large and small cars. Basic physics F=ma would tilt the scales in favor of larger cars, but the rollover potential basically mitigates that.

Source: Insurance professional. Also, I just read a claim wherein a driver in a Civic caused an accident killing both himself and the driver of a fully-loaded semi. Interesting anecdata.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: thd7t on November 28, 2018, 12:56:31 PM
Something about driving on the highways in a small car when a tractor trailer truck is bearing down on you going 80 mph doesn't sit well with me. Seems a SUV could be a bit safer in an accident.

*shrugs* To each their own. I've never felt the need for a larger car in the city. I don't drive enough in rural areas to be worried about collisions with deer.

There's no significant safety difference between large and small cars. Basic physics F=ma would tilt the scales in favor of larger cars, but the rollover potential basically mitigates that.

Source: Insurance professional. Also, I just read a claim wherein a driver in a Civic caused an accident killing both himself and the driver of a fully-loaded semi. Interesting anecdata.
A couple of years ago I was doing a lot of work with IIHS.  That year, mid-sized sedans had the lowest accident fatality rates.  I think SUVs were pretty close to compacts.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Blueberries on November 28, 2018, 01:43:47 PM
The obsession with perfect, poisoned lawns.  You use water to help the lawn grow.  You poison the earth to have a "weed"-free lawn that grows greener and faster.  Now that it's right where you want it, you spend more time and more money cutting that perfect, poisoned lawn.  Rinse and repeat.  Very odd.



There's no significant safety difference between large and small cars. Basic physics F=ma would tilt the scales in favor of larger cars, but the rollover potential basically mitigates that.

Source: Insurance professional. Also, I just read a claim wherein a driver in a Civic caused an accident killing both himself and the driver of a fully-loaded semi. Interesting anecdata.

I recently researched cars vs. SUVs due to a discussion with family and found that newer, small cars are safer than ever, but SUVs are statistically safer.  In terms of sub-compact vs. sedans, I haven't done much research on that. 

https://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/desktopnews/new-crash-tests-demonstrate-the-influence-of-vehicle-size-and-weight-on-safety-in-crashes-results-are-relevant-to-fuel-economy-policies

https://www.edmunds.com/car-safety/are-smaller-cars-as-safe-as-large-cars.html

https://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/vehicle-size-and-weight/fatalityfacts/passenger-vehicles

https://www.randolphassociates.com/blog/2017/11/whats-safer-in-a-crash-suvs-or-sedans.shtml



Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on November 28, 2018, 03:50:45 PM
This is how far back this gas situation goes back. We flip flop on gas guzzlers and fuel efficient cars. Oil will run out one day. What is the answer?
Oil won't just "run out" suddenly.  As reserves are sucked dry, the production cost per barrel will gradually rise, and gas prices with it.  Higher prices mean that more economically-marginal oil fields will become worthwhile to drill, which will slow the rise in prices.  This will happen on a time span measured in decades.*  With the USA's production ramping up (and Venezuela collapsing), OPEC doesn't have the power it once wielded. 

* This also assumes zero technological advancements in enhanced production.  "Peak oil" has been a concern for how long?  Then fracking came along, and all of a sudden we're seeing oil back down around $60/barrel and the US is now a net exporter
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ilsy on November 28, 2018, 10:47:18 PM
Yeah, a big part of the problem with shoveling, and to a lesser extent mowing, is that even if it's a great workout, it doesn't happen often enough to really be beneficial. Instead, you're setting yourself up for injury or over-exertion since your body isn't used to it.

That's not a "problem with shoveling," it's a problem with being sedentary. Almost everyone should be exercising almost every day. I do it, and I have three jobs...
Couldn't agree more. One of most common excuses for being sedentary is being convinced that the tasks you do don't help you anyways. If it's a great workout or not won't affect my decision to spend time outside instead of laying on a couch and waste my money on services.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: PhrugalPhan on November 29, 2018, 11:59:41 AM
I'm reasonably certain that my parents had me for the sole purpose of shoveling their driveway.  :P
My mother had a Beauty Shop built on to the side of our house when I was 10, and with it came a 3 wide driveway that can hold 10 cars.  Every morning with snow I had to get up an extra 90 minutes early to shovel off the whole thing.  Oh fun times.  But unlike you wimps, I also had to hand hang outside all of the wash from the house and the beauty shop (think 2-3 towels used for every customer) in all temperature, even below freezing, because she refused to buy a clothes dryer.  She suddenly bought one after I left for college.  Can't imagine why...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: soccerluvof4 on November 30, 2018, 03:29:20 AM
I'm reasonably certain that my parents had me for the sole purpose of shoveling their driveway.  :P
My mother had a Beauty Shop built on to the side of our house when I was 10, and with it came a 3 wide driveway that can hold 10 cars.  Every morning with snow I had to get up an extra 90 minutes early to shovel off the whole thing.  Oh fun times.  But unlike you wimps, I also had to hand hang outside all of the wash from the house and the beauty shop (think 2-3 towels used for every customer) in all temperature, even below freezing, because she refused to buy a clothes dryer.  She suddenly bought one after I left for college.  Can't imagine why...




When I was young I would wait for the snow just so I could go around and shovel peoples driveways for 10$ a pop. And these were not small driveways. Do two or 3 in middle school age and I was rich back then but deservedly exhausted!.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on November 30, 2018, 06:22:32 AM
I'm reasonably certain that my parents had me for the sole purpose of shoveling their driveway.  :P
My mother had a Beauty Shop built on to the side of our house when I was 10, and with it came a 3 wide driveway that can hold 10 cars.  Every morning with snow I had to get up an extra 90 minutes early to shovel off the whole thing.  Oh fun times.  But unlike you wimps, I also had to hand hang outside all of the wash from the house and the beauty shop (think 2-3 towels used for every customer) in all temperature, even below freezing, because she refused to buy a clothes dryer.  She suddenly bought one after I left for college.  Can't imagine why...


The kids in our neighborhood want $80 for our driveway.  Which is maybe a fair rate, but it only takes about an hour with a snowblower...  (And they don't do a great job...)

When I was young I would wait for the snow just so I could go around and shovel peoples driveways for 10$ a pop. And these were not small driveways. Do two or 3 in middle school age and I was rich back then but deservedly exhausted!.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on November 30, 2018, 08:29:52 AM
The kids in our neighborhood want $80 for our driveway.  Which is maybe a fair rate, but it only takes about an hour with a snowblower...  (And they don't do a great job...)
$80 for an hour of work?  Yeesh, I'm in the wrong line of work!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on November 30, 2018, 08:51:15 AM
I would shovel your driveway for 80$
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on November 30, 2018, 08:51:53 AM
The kids in our neighborhood want $80 for our driveway.  Which is maybe a fair rate, but it only takes about an hour with a snowblower...  (And they don't do a great job...)
$80 for an hour of work?  Yeesh, I'm in the wrong line of work!

Well, they have shovels. It takes them forever.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Nicholas Carter on November 30, 2018, 09:34:43 AM
* This also assumes zero technological advancements in enhanced production.  "Peak oil" has been a concern for how long?  Then fracking came along, and all of a sudden we're seeing oil back down around $60/barrel and the US is now a net exporter.
In 2017 dollars, oil's annual average was below $30/barrel every year until 1974, and didn't fall below 30 again until the Clinton Administration, then rose back above 30 for the last 18 years.
Still in 2017 dollars, the only time oil has been above 60/barrel annual average was from 79-85 and from 2005-2015.
The reason this happened is because hydrofracturing has actually been a known technology for about 40 years, but the price-point at which the extra effort is justified has been known just as long: it's profitable to frack around 52/barrel/2017. Other drilling technologies also exist, but their function isn't to make 60/b oil cost 30, it's to make 200/b oil cost 70. When the stable price of oil rises above whatever price those techs bring those fields down to, those fields will be activated. But using those techs on active fields is like using a grabber-claw to hold something on your lap.
The reason the US became an exporter is actually refreshingly mustachian: Since the 90's, per-capita oil consumption in the US has just gone down. We live within our means better, and so we have some extra to sell.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: SwordGuy on November 30, 2018, 10:55:35 AM
Anyone remember gas rationing in the 1970's?

You could only get gas on odd and even days depending on your license plate. Then you were only allowed about $3 worth of gas.

This is how far back this gas situation goes back. We flip flop on gas guzzlers and fuel efficient cars.

I was a kid running my own yard business back then.  Gas doubled in price overnight.   You bet I noticed!  Gas was my biggest expense!

The difference is that I, unlike the majority of my fellow Americans, remembered this.  I've never bought a gas guzzling vehicle.   I've watched people piss and moan about high gas prices over and over and over, every time they go up.   And they just don't seem to learn.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on November 30, 2018, 01:27:16 PM
A few years ago, gas prices were high and Lordstown was running 3 shifts to make enough small cars. They've been cutting down there for years, so the aren't slow realizing that they don't sell now that gas prices are so low. They just don't want to spend the money to retool.

People have short memories, though.



Oh yea, gas prices go down , big car sales go up. Up and down. How many times have we seen this. Add to that these 72 month car loans? yikes.

Just do what I do - own one giant SUV and one compact econobox.  Switch between them as gas prices fluctuate.  That way you can pretty much spend a constant amount monthly on gas, which everyone knows is the #1 budgeting goal.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on November 30, 2018, 01:46:13 PM
Just do what I do - own one giant SUV and one compact econobox.  Switch between them as gas prices fluctuate.  That way you can pretty much spend a constant amount monthly on gas, which everyone knows is the #1 budgeting goal.
Let me guess--you're either work for the government or a very large corporation! :P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Travis on November 30, 2018, 04:06:25 PM
Something about driving on the highways in a small car when a tractor trailer truck is bearing down on you going 80 mph doesn't sit well with me. Seems a SUV could be a bit safer in an accident.

When a tractor trailer is bearing down on you at 80 mph (assuming you're stationary), it makes not a bit of difference what you're driving unless you're driving this:

(http://www.esacademic.com/pictures/eswiki/49/1BFV01.jpg)

And that might still be a dice roll.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Cranky on November 30, 2018, 05:02:37 PM
The kids in our neighborhood want $80 for our driveway.  Which is maybe a fair rate, but it only takes about an hour with a snowblower...  (And they don't do a great job...)
$80 for an hour of work?  Yeesh, I'm in the wrong line of work!

Well, they have shovels. It takes them forever.

If it takes an hour to clear your driveway with a snowblower, you’ve got a big driveway.

I’ve paid roving snowshovelers a couple of times and they’ve never done a very good job so it’s not worth it to me.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dragonswan on December 03, 2018, 03:10:21 PM
It's the compacted snow trying to turn to rock and ice at the bottom of the driveway after the plow comes through that I'm really paying for.  The rest is easy.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: EricL on December 03, 2018, 05:17:59 PM
I hated shoveling snow from my driveway when I lived in Germany.  But by German law if the postal guy (or anyone else really) slips and breaks his ass, it's your ass that's in hock for it.  A reasonable position, all things considered though it didn't make me warmer or less vexed.  Sometimes it meant shoveling for 30 minutes each time at 6 AM, Noon, and 6 PM every day. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: sui generis on December 03, 2018, 06:17:58 PM
I hated shoveling snow from my driveway when I lived in Germany.  But by German law if the postal guy (or anyone else really) slips and breaks his ass, it's your ass that's in hock for it.  A reasonable position, all things considered though it didn't make me warmer or less vexed.  Sometimes it meant shoveling for 30 minutes each time at 6 AM, Noon, and 6 PM every day.

As someone who has never lived more than a few dozen miles from a California beach, this is always shocking to me to hear.  I don't know where people get the extra time to do all this work in the winter!  To bring this back to the "I don't get it" topic of the thread...I really don't get it!  What kinds of things do you all have to give up doing in winter to have time to shovel driveways, scrape windshields, etc.? 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on December 03, 2018, 06:22:27 PM
I hated shoveling snow from my driveway when I lived in Germany.  But by German law if the postal guy (or anyone else really) slips and breaks his ass, it's your ass that's in hock for it.  A reasonable position, all things considered though it didn't make me warmer or less vexed.  Sometimes it meant shoveling for 30 minutes each time at 6 AM, Noon, and 6 PM every day.

As someone who has never lived more than a few dozen miles from a California beach, this is always shocking to me to hear.  I don't know where people get the extra time to do all this work in the winter!  To bring this back to the "I don't get it" topic of the thread...I really don't get it!  What kinds of things do you all have to give up doing in winter to have time to shovel driveways, scrape windshields, etc.?

The surfing takes much less of our time in a northern winter, so we've got oodles of free time.  :P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ilsy on December 03, 2018, 11:09:49 PM
I hated shoveling snow from my driveway when I lived in Germany.  But by German law if the postal guy (or anyone else really) slips and breaks his ass, it's your ass that's in hock for it.  A reasonable position, all things considered though it didn't make me warmer or less vexed.  Sometimes it meant shoveling for 30 minutes each time at 6 AM, Noon, and 6 PM every day.

As someone who has never lived more than a few dozen miles from a California beach, this is always shocking to me to hear.  I don't know where people get the extra time to do all this work in the winter!  To bring this back to the "I don't get it" topic of the thread...I really don't get it!  What kinds of things do you all have to give up doing in winter to have time to shovel driveways, scrape windshields, etc.?

The surfing takes much less of our time in a northern winter, so we've got oodles of free time.  :P
+1.
We only have lakes and for some reason I don't like fishing in winter, or tanning outside, plus, there is no need to mow my lawn or fertilize it, or take care of weeds and plant flowers outside, trim bushes, or trim grass with weed eater along my fence line and driveway, cut branches, blow leaves, clean gutters, spread mulch (I feel I'm forgetting something). It takes me personally longer to mow than shovel my driveway. And since I own only one mower and 7 shovels, when my kids help me mow it still takes an hour and 15 min if we move fast to mow, but only 30 min to shovel even 6 inches of wet snow (as was demonstrated yesterday).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 04, 2018, 06:45:30 AM
I hated shoveling snow from my driveway when I lived in Germany.  But by German law if the postal guy (or anyone else really) slips and breaks his ass, it's your ass that's in hock for it.  A reasonable position, all things considered though it didn't make me warmer or less vexed.  Sometimes it meant shoveling for 30 minutes each time at 6 AM, Noon, and 6 PM every day.

As someone who has never lived more than a few dozen miles from a California beach, this is always shocking to me to hear.  I don't know where people get the extra time to do all this work in the winter!  To bring this back to the "I don't get it" topic of the thread...I really don't get it!  What kinds of things do you all have to give up doing in winter to have time to shovel driveways, scrape windshields, etc.?

I would like to ask the question what do you do that takes up so much of your time that you wouldn't have time to shovel and clean cars off of snow if you had it? What busy things are you doing?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mak1277 on December 04, 2018, 08:35:17 AM
I hated shoveling snow from my driveway when I lived in Germany.  But by German law if the postal guy (or anyone else really) slips and breaks his ass, it's your ass that's in hock for it.  A reasonable position, all things considered though it didn't make me warmer or less vexed.  Sometimes it meant shoveling for 30 minutes each time at 6 AM, Noon, and 6 PM every day.

As someone who has never lived more than a few dozen miles from a California beach, this is always shocking to me to hear.  I don't know where people get the extra time to do all this work in the winter!  To bring this back to the "I don't get it" topic of the thread...I really don't get it!  What kinds of things do you all have to give up doing in winter to have time to shovel driveways, scrape windshields, etc.?

For me it's just time taken away from being at the office. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: EricL on December 04, 2018, 09:06:16 AM
I hated shoveling snow from my driveway when I lived in Germany.  But by German law if the postal guy (or anyone else really) slips and breaks his ass, it's your ass that's in hock for it.  A reasonable position, all things considered though it didn't make me warmer or less vexed.  Sometimes it meant shoveling for 30 minutes each time at 6 AM, Noon, and 6 PM every day.

As someone who has never lived more than a few dozen miles from a California beach, this is always shocking to me to hear.  I don't know where people get the extra time to do all this work in the winter!  To bring this back to the "I don't get it" topic of the thread...I really don't get it!  What kinds of things do you all have to give up doing in winter to have time to shovel driveways, scrape windshields, etc.?

I would like to ask the question what do you do that takes up so much of your time that you wouldn't have time to shovel and clean cars off of snow if you had it? What busy things are you doing?

I was in the Army working 100 hour weeks so 1 1/2 hours subtracted from the day hurt. (60 was more common but it was a difficult tour.) Even so, anything you don’t enjoy doing that doesn’t directly profit you or someone you love can be pretty tiresome. Or is at least easy to be seen as such. 

Even something you love doing can become tedious by becoming a requirement and repetition.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on December 04, 2018, 09:36:35 AM
I hated shoveling snow from my driveway when I lived in Germany.  But by German law if the postal guy (or anyone else really) slips and breaks his ass, it's your ass that's in hock for it.  A reasonable position, all things considered though it didn't make me warmer or less vexed.  Sometimes it meant shoveling for 30 minutes each time at 6 AM, Noon, and 6 PM every day.

As someone who has never lived more than a few dozen miles from a California beach, this is always shocking to me to hear.  I don't know where people get the extra time to do all this work in the winter!  To bring this back to the "I don't get it" topic of the thread...I really don't get it!  What kinds of things do you all have to give up doing in winter to have time to shovel driveways, scrape windshields, etc.?

I would like to ask the question what do you do that takes up so much of your time that you wouldn't have time to shovel and clean cars off of snow if you had it? What busy things are you doing?

Well, often just sleeping...  I have to be at work by 7:00, and daycare drop off by 6:30-6:45. I need to wake up in time to get myself, and my children ready for the day.
To wake up to shovel the driveway, assuming I knew it was going to snow, means waking up an hour or more early.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 04, 2018, 09:38:20 AM
I don't think we are talking about people who work 100 hours a week. Yes, adding more onto that would be a burden.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on December 04, 2018, 09:41:46 AM
I hated shoveling snow from my driveway when I lived in Germany.  But by German law if the postal guy (or anyone else really) slips and breaks his ass, it's your ass that's in hock for it.  A reasonable position, all things considered though it didn't make me warmer or less vexed.  Sometimes it meant shoveling for 30 minutes each time at 6 AM, Noon, and 6 PM every day.

As someone who has never lived more than a few dozen miles from a California beach, this is always shocking to me to hear.  I don't know where people get the extra time to do all this work in the winter!  To bring this back to the "I don't get it" topic of the thread...I really don't get it!  What kinds of things do you all have to give up doing in winter to have time to shovel driveways, scrape windshields, etc.?

I would like to ask the question what do you do that takes up so much of your time that you wouldn't have time to shovel and clean cars off of snow if you had it? What busy things are you doing?

Well, often just sleeping...  I have to be at work by 7:00, and daycare drop off by 6:30-6:45. I need to wake up in time to get myself, and my children ready for the day.
To wake up to shovel the driveway, assuming I knew it was going to snow, means waking up an hour or more early.

If you live where it snows and drive anywhere, you always know if it's going to snow the next day . . . because it can mean the difference between a 30 minute drive and an hour and a half drive.  :P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 04, 2018, 10:16:59 AM
I hated shoveling snow from my driveway when I lived in Germany.  But by German law if the postal guy (or anyone else really) slips and breaks his ass, it's your ass that's in hock for it.  A reasonable position, all things considered though it didn't make me warmer or less vexed.  Sometimes it meant shoveling for 30 minutes each time at 6 AM, Noon, and 6 PM every day.

As someone who has never lived more than a few dozen miles from a California beach, this is always shocking to me to hear.  I don't know where people get the extra time to do all this work in the winter!  To bring this back to the "I don't get it" topic of the thread...I really don't get it!  What kinds of things do you all have to give up doing in winter to have time to shovel driveways, scrape windshields, etc.?

I would like to ask the question what do you do that takes up so much of your time that you wouldn't have time to shovel and clean cars off of snow if you had it? What busy things are you doing?

Well, often just sleeping...  I have to be at work by 7:00, and daycare drop off by 6:30-6:45. I need to wake up in time to get myself, and my children ready for the day.
To wake up to shovel the driveway, assuming I knew it was going to snow, means waking up an hour or more early.

Well, if you live in a location where it snows you listen to the weather report the evening before you go to bed and YES you do get up earlier to dig out. We are a tough bunch and get it done. Snow is pretty much nothing unless we get several feet but the ice (Freezing rain and ice storms) is a killer. You have no control of your car at all. On those days, just stay home.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: FindingFI on December 04, 2018, 10:20:55 AM
I hated shoveling snow from my driveway when I lived in Germany.  But by German law if the postal guy (or anyone else really) slips and breaks his ass, it's your ass that's in hock for it.  A reasonable position, all things considered though it didn't make me warmer or less vexed.  Sometimes it meant shoveling for 30 minutes each time at 6 AM, Noon, and 6 PM every day.

As someone who has never lived more than a few dozen miles from a California beach, this is always shocking to me to hear.  I don't know where people get the extra time to do all this work in the winter!  To bring this back to the "I don't get it" topic of the thread...I really don't get it!  What kinds of things do you all have to give up doing in winter to have time to shovel driveways, scrape windshields, etc.?

I would like to ask the question what do you do that takes up so much of your time that you wouldn't have time to shovel and clean cars off of snow if you had it? What busy things are you doing?

Well, often just sleeping...  I have to be at work by 7:00, and daycare drop off by 6:30-6:45. I need to wake up in time to get myself, and my children ready for the day.
To wake up to shovel the driveway, assuming I knew it was going to snow, means waking up an hour or more early.

If you live where it snows and drive anywhere, you always know if it's going to snow the next day . . . because it can mean the difference between a 30 minute drive and an hour and a half drive.  :P

And that difference is the primary reason why having the option to work from home is fantastic! Dealing with the snow on the driveway and cars doesn't take any "extra" time, it just replaces normal commuting time. Any time there's more than a couple inches of snow forecasted, my boss known he's getting a work from home request from me.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 04, 2018, 02:04:34 PM
I have a cousin that lives in TN and they might get an inch of snow and totally freak out! You would think they had a major earthquake. They don't have plow trucks or trucks that spread sand. They have gotten some bad ice where they couldn't move for days. That is understandable. But it makes me laugh when they get one inch and freak out! LOL, one inch is nothing! I am still wearing flip flops! What also makes me laugh when we do have a storm on the way, people run to the stores and stock up on milk and bread! People stock up on other things too.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: RWD on December 04, 2018, 02:17:36 PM
I have a cousin that lives in TN and they might get an inch of snow and totally freak out! You would think they had a major earthquake. They don't have plow trucks or trucks that spread sand. They have gotten some bad ice where they couldn't move for days. That is understandable. But it makes me laugh when they get one inch and freak out! LOL, one inch is nothing! I am still wearing flip flops! What also makes me laugh when we do have a storm on the way, people run to the stores and stock up on milk and bread! People stock up on other things too.

It doesn't really matter how many inches of snow you get if the roads freeze. Snow is easy to drive on. Ice is deadly.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: EricL on December 04, 2018, 03:31:30 PM
I don't think we are talking about people who work 100 hours a week. Yes, adding more onto that would be a burden.

I kind of think shoveling snow 1 1/2 hours a day would be seen as a time theft even for a person working 40 hours a week.  Especially considering some of the jobs I hear people trying to get FIRE'd from around here.

In the end part of it will be due to taste.  Some things people bitch about here I enjoy, others I think aren't big enough a deal to post about, and some I'm in total agreement they suck.   Likewise snow shoveling.  By the sounds of it there's at least one poster here that'll gladly shovel their entire neighborhood 3 times a day just for shits and giggles.  Not gonna judge.  Plus, I can't deny it can provide a good work out and catch up time for podcasts or an opportunity for the mind to STFU.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ormaybemidgets on December 04, 2018, 03:33:16 PM
What also makes me laugh when we do have a storm on the way, people run to the stores and stock up on milk and bread!

We call it a French Toast Emergency.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on December 04, 2018, 04:54:09 PM
What also makes me laugh when we do have a storm on the way, people run to the stores and stock up on milk and bread!

We call it a French Toast Emergency.

I remember my parents panicking about milk and bread before snowstorms. It always perplexed me because there were only three people in the house, the pantry and fridge were stocked, and none of us drank much milk anyway. I blame baby boomer conditioning.

Whenever we have a predicted big snowstorm, I might make a quick trip to the grocery store if we’re out of things and I had already been planning to shop. Otherwise, we’ve had some cozy and memorable snowstorm meals entirely from our fridge and pantry, including a beautiful roast pork and apples when we got 16 inches of snow in 24 hours a couple of years ago and crab cakes, rice pilaf, and edamame last Christmas Eve (7 inches of snow in 6 hours, which cancelled all alternate plans).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ilsy on December 04, 2018, 06:18:27 PM

On those days, just stay home.
.... or you drive slowly. I love driving on empty streets after it was broadcasted everywhere that everyone should refrain from driving.
There are also winter tires and chains on tires available.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ilsy on December 04, 2018, 06:54:48 PM
A few weeks ago, that Friday before the Veterans day, we had a snow storm with a bit of blizzard. It was a bit hard to see, so everyone was driving very slow, almost crawling. When I checked my phone, it said 45 min delay, well, yes it took me an hour to get to work, when usually it's a 10-15 min drive. The funniest thing on the road were 4 different cars, all SUVs, they stopped in the middle of the road and refused to move forward or to the curb. They just stopped in the middle, 4 different cars on a stretch of 30 blocks and the rest of us sloooowly drove around them. I am convinced those were drivers from warmer states in a state of shock.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: mountain mustache on December 04, 2018, 08:57:21 PM

On those days, just stay home.
.... or you drive slowly. I love driving on empty streets after it was broadcasted everywhere that everyone should refrain from driving.
There are also winter tires and chains on tires available.

This. Almost any snowy/icy road is drivable if you go the speed that the conditions dictate. People get upset because they can't go the speed limit, but those limits are made for optimal (read: dry) conditions. Also, snow tires are everything.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: soccerluvof4 on December 05, 2018, 03:03:24 AM
speaking of roads- Rubber Necking as we call it here. Someone goes off the road or on the side and everyone has to look to see whats going on. Keep the traffic moving people. Sometimes this seems to cause the biggest delays!
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Cranky on December 05, 2018, 05:18:52 AM
Also, I wouldn't count on having my driveway plowed out by 6 AM - most of the services deal with commercial lots first, and then get to residential customers.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on December 05, 2018, 06:52:51 AM
I hated shoveling snow from my driveway when I lived in Germany.  But by German law if the postal guy (or anyone else really) slips and breaks his ass, it's your ass that's in hock for it.  A reasonable position, all things considered though it didn't make me warmer or less vexed.  Sometimes it meant shoveling for 30 minutes each time at 6 AM, Noon, and 6 PM every day.

As someone who has never lived more than a few dozen miles from a California beach, this is always shocking to me to hear.  I don't know where people get the extra time to do all this work in the winter!  To bring this back to the "I don't get it" topic of the thread...I really don't get it!  What kinds of things do you all have to give up doing in winter to have time to shovel driveways, scrape windshields, etc.?

I would like to ask the question what do you do that takes up so much of your time that you wouldn't have time to shovel and clean cars off of snow if you had it? What busy things are you doing?

Well, often just sleeping...  I have to be at work by 7:00, and daycare drop off by 6:30-6:45. I need to wake up in time to get myself, and my children ready for the day.
To wake up to shovel the driveway, assuming I knew it was going to snow, means waking up an hour or more early.

If you live where it snows and drive anywhere, you always know if it's going to snow the next day . . . because it can mean the difference between a 30 minute drive and an hour and a half drive.  :P

Certainly I know when snow is forecasted- but I've been surprised by 6+ inches of snow when they forecast 1/2". 
I don't plan to wake up to shovel when less than 2 inches is in the forecast. I just drive over that.

So, no, I don't "always" know if it's going to snow.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: zolotiyeruki on December 05, 2018, 07:15:41 AM
Certainly I know when snow is forecasted- but I've been surprised by 6+ inches of snow when they forecast 1/2". 
I don't plan to wake up to shovel when less than 2 inches is in the forecast. I just drive over that.

So, no, I don't "always" know if it's going to snow.
That's interesting, because I don't think I've ever seen the forecasters underestimate the quantity of snow.  It's always "snowmageddon" or "blizzapacolypse" and we end up with an inch or two.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on December 05, 2018, 07:47:52 AM
Certainly I know when snow is forecasted- but I've been surprised by 6+ inches of snow when they forecast 1/2". 
I don't plan to wake up to shovel when less than 2 inches is in the forecast. I just drive over that.

So, no, I don't "always" know if it's going to snow.
That's interesting, because I don't think I've ever seen the forecasters underestimate the quantity of snow.  It's always "snowmageddon" or "blizzapacolypse" and we end up with an inch or two.

Happened to us last Christmas Eve. We were expecting an inch or two. Got seven in a six-hour period, with whiteout conditions part of the time.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: soccerluvof4 on December 05, 2018, 07:51:48 AM
Certainly I know when snow is forecasted- but I've been surprised by 6+ inches of snow when they forecast 1/2". 
I don't plan to wake up to shovel when less than 2 inches is in the forecast. I just drive over that.

So, no, I don't "always" know if it's going to snow.
That's interesting, because I don't think I've ever seen the forecasters underestimate the quantity of snow.  It's always "snowmageddon" or "blizzapacolypse" and we end up with an inch or two.

Happened to us last Christmas Eve. We were expecting an inch or two. Got seven in a six-hour period, with whiteout conditions part of the time.




We just had the opposite happen last week. We were suppose to get 3-6" + and we got a flake or two. Storm shifted a tad south and 20 miles south of us they got 11". 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on December 05, 2018, 07:57:34 AM
Certainly I know when snow is forecasted- but I've been surprised by 6+ inches of snow when they forecast 1/2". 
I don't plan to wake up to shovel when less than 2 inches is in the forecast. I just drive over that.

So, no, I don't "always" know if it's going to snow.
That's interesting, because I don't think I've ever seen the forecasters underestimate the quantity of snow.  It's always "snowmageddon" or "blizzapacolypse" and we end up with an inch or two.

Happened to us last Christmas Eve. We were expecting an inch or two. Got seven in a six-hour period, with whiteout conditions part of the time.




We just had the opposite happen last week. We were suppose to get 3-6" + and we got a flake or two. Storm shifted a tad south and 20 miles south of us they got 11".

The underestimation happens a lot. (Which is also a pain when you wake up to shovel and nothing is there! No sleeping in the winter.... )

We had a storm last week that was so striated my office mate who lives 5 miles from me got 8" and I got about 1".
She worked from home. 
(Sadly, work from home is not an option for me, because you are not allowed to do so with children present. So if I have no child care, I get a PTO day instead.)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: NoraLenderbee on December 05, 2018, 01:05:34 PM

What kinds of things do you all have to give up doing in winter to have time to shovel driveways, scrape windshields, etc.?

Gardening and mowing the lawn.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Tris Prior on December 08, 2018, 03:46:28 PM

We had a storm last week that was so striated my office mate who lives 5 miles from me got 8" and I got about 1".
She worked from home. 
(Sadly, work from home is not an option for me, because you are not allowed to do so with children present. So if I have no child care, I get a PTO day instead.)

Yeah, they actually closed our office the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend because of a blizzard. I didn't see the notification until I was already dressed and ready to go. I looked outside, saw a couple inches, shrugged, wondered why we'd closed, and figured that if the trains were running I'd go in since I had deadlines and our 5 other offices were still open. The trains in the city were fine. Apparently, once you get a little bit away from the lakefront (where I live and where my work is), people got up to a foot! (And a lot of people at my work live out that way).

I don't get live Christmas trees. I mean, I get the theory. They look nice. They smell like pine, which, if that's a thing you're into, is probably enjoyable and Christmasy.

But, OMG, I can't believe how expensive they are! I've never had one. Today I walked through a Christmas tree lot near me while taking a shortcut home, and got sticker shock. The highest price one I saw was $270! Most were in the $75 to $100 range. They had some "value trees" for $40-$50. So out of curiosity I went and found those; they were less than 3 feet tall and looked kind of like the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree.

So, let me get this straight - people buy one of these things every year, drag it home tied to the top of their car, then you have to water it and take care of it, keep your pets (and small children, I assume, I'm not a parent) away from it and make sure they don't drink the tree water, it's going to drop pine needles which you then get in your feet (and possibly in your pets' feet and kids' feet).... and then you toss it. (At least here you can get it composted - for a price.) And do that all again next year, and the next. Yikes.

I think I'll stick to my fake tree, which has lasted many years, requires no care, and cost me maybe $40.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on December 08, 2018, 04:33:30 PM
My dad and I wandered into the woods and cut down a tree every year when I was a kid.  70$ for a tree is ridiculous.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: ilsy on December 08, 2018, 07:26:05 PM
Certainly I know when snow is forecasted- but I've been surprised by 6+ inches of snow when they forecast 1/2". 
I don't plan to wake up to shovel when less than 2 inches is in the forecast. I just drive over that.

So, no, I don't "always" know if it's going to snow.
It's always "snowmageddon" or "blizzapacolypse" and we end up with an inch or two.
+1 to chelovek zolotiyeruki
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Imma on December 09, 2018, 03:52:40 AM

We had a storm last week that was so striated my office mate who lives 5 miles from me got 8" and I got about 1".
She worked from home. 
(Sadly, work from home is not an option for me, because you are not allowed to do so with children present. So if I have no child care, I get a PTO day instead.)


I don't get live Christmas trees. I mean, I get the theory. They look nice. They smell like pine, which, if that's a thing you're into, is probably enjoyable and Christmasy.

But, OMG, I can't believe how expensive they are! I've never had one. Today I walked through a Christmas tree lot near me while taking a shortcut home, and got sticker shock. The highest price one I saw was $270! Most were in the $75 to $100 range. They had some "value trees" for $40-$50. So out of curiosity I went and found those; they were less than 3 feet tall and looked kind of like the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree.

So, let me get this straight - people buy one of these things every year, drag it home tied to the top of their car, then you have to water it and take care of it, keep your pets (and small children, I assume, I'm not a parent) away from it and make sure they don't drink the tree water, it's going to drop pine needles which you then get in your feet (and possibly in your pets' feet and kids' feet).... and then you toss it. (At least here you can get it composted - for a price.) And do that all again next year, and the next. Yikes.

I think I'll stick to my fake tree, which has lasted many years, requires no care, and cost me maybe $40.

Wow, why are they so expensive over there? You will find trees in the €10-€15 price range where I live. There are trees that are a bit more expensive, but those are massive and most people don't live in a mansion, so they won't need a tree that large. My main problem with fake trees is that they come in a big box that needs to be stored somewhere. I don't have the space to store a big box like that year-round.

We don't have a tree most years, but when we do it's a live one. We don't have kids or animals, watering the tree is not more complicated than watering any other plants in the home and I sweep around the tree every few days to get rid of the needles. The smell is amazing.

When I lived at home, we'd plant the tree in the garden after Christmas and bring it back in the next year, until it grew so big it couldn't be brought indoors anymore.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Cranky on December 09, 2018, 04:48:46 AM
I think the last time we went out to the tree farm, the tree was around $40 - and you got a horse drawn wagon ride and hot cocoa, so it was an excursion, not just the tree. And every single tree was perfect.

But it’s either incredibly cold or really muddy in December, so I’m not cutting down any more Christmas trees now that the kids are grown.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Just Joe on December 10, 2018, 09:26:28 AM
For several years we'd buy a "ball tree", a tree with a root ball. After Christmas was over we'd haul it outside and plant it on the property line. That was at a previous house. We drove by that house recently and those Christmas trees were taller than the house.They were doing what we wanted them to do - a visual break for the property line.

Previous threads:

SUVs: sedans are fine but their fuel economy advantage is disappearing. When a person can buy an SUV that gets 30 mpg vs a sedan that gets 40 mpg, the SUV can look pretty good. True its more expensive but it could have AWD and has that station wagon body which is far more useful than a sedan trunk for my family anyhow. If I was buying a vehicle to go long distances with it would likely be a low wagon. IRL though we make alot of short trips around town and the SUV is easier to get in and out and to shop with. We bought a smaller SUV (a CUV) so its still easy to drive and park.

The 2020 Toyota Tacoma turbo diesel hybrid 4WD. 40+ mpg in a 4WD truck I hear...

I have nothing against tiny cars. We own one. it is best for running around town by myself or needing to park in some urban place. But in many parts of the world there is no advantage to tiny cars. In fact they are limited in every category but MPG. I don't need the MPG b/c we drive so little most weeks. Instead like someone said up thread - own one comfortable vehicle and one gas sipper choose based on fuel economy. We focus on the TCO so MPG is only part of the equation.

I'm convinced that the average consumer wants a mid-1930s sedan whether they know it or not. That is very much what a CUV is if the off-road styling cues were dropped. Do a Google Image search for "1935 fordor sedan". There is the higher upright seating position, plenty of leg room, reasonably compact CUV footprint, not like a late 50s car which is a mile long and 3/4 of a mile wide, etc. Just lacks the tailgate. I for one don't value sitting close to the floor like a modern sedan as I get older. Okay, the seating position is okay, just not as easy getting in and out. 

Med food - I wasn't clear. DW and I love foods of all sorts - especially Mediterranean foods. The options around here for really flavorful Mediterranean food has been somewhat limited. The restaurants that have thrived are the ones that don't focus on exotic spices too much. We have a couple that do and we frequent them as we are able. A new option has opened but we haven't tried them yet. Also we have a new Indian restaurant to try.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on December 10, 2018, 11:54:38 PM
My dad and I wandered into the woods and cut down a tree every year when I was a kid.  70$ for a tree is ridiculous.

With your bare hands? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTKpKBzd7jg)
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on December 11, 2018, 07:39:29 AM
My dad and I wandered into the woods and cut down a tree every year when I was a kid.  70$ for a tree is ridiculous.

With your bare hands? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTKpKBzd7jg)

That whole movie is disturbingly close to what my childhood Christmases were like.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Awesomeness on December 11, 2018, 09:06:54 AM
My dad and I wandered into the woods and cut down a tree every year when I was a kid.  70$ for a tree is ridiculous.

With your bare hands? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTKpKBzd7jg)

That whole movie is disturbingly close to what my childhood Christmases were like.

Recognize Russ? That’s Johnny Glaecki, Leonard from Big Bang Theory. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on December 11, 2018, 09:21:17 AM
My dad and I wandered into the woods and cut down a tree every year when I was a kid.  70$ for a tree is ridiculous.

With your bare hands? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTKpKBzd7jg)

That whole movie is disturbingly close to what my childhood Christmases were like.

Recognize Russ? That’s Johnny Glaecki, Leonard from Big Bang Theory.

I've never watched Big Bang Theory.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on December 12, 2018, 12:07:53 AM
My dad and I wandered into the woods and cut down a tree every year when I was a kid.  70$ for a tree is ridiculous.

With your bare hands? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTKpKBzd7jg)

That whole movie is disturbingly close to what my childhood Christmases were like.

Recognize Russ? That’s Johnny Glaecki, Leonard from Big Bang Theory.

I've never watched Big Bang Theory.

Did you watch Roseanne? 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on December 12, 2018, 07:27:25 AM
My dad and I wandered into the woods and cut down a tree every year when I was a kid.  70$ for a tree is ridiculous.

With your bare hands? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTKpKBzd7jg)

That whole movie is disturbingly close to what my childhood Christmases were like.

Recognize Russ? That’s Johnny Glaecki, Leonard from Big Bang Theory.

I've never watched Big Bang Theory.

Did you watch Roseanne?

Also no.  I could tolerate Seinfeld, Fraiser, and Community . . . other sitcoms not so much.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Jouer on December 12, 2018, 02:16:26 PM
It's the compacted snow trying to turn to rock and ice at the bottom of the driveway after the plow comes through that I'm really paying for.  The rest is easy.

I'm like a ninja getting out there to shovel that shit as soon as the plow comes by. Get rid of it before it turns too hard.

The worst is when the plow comes by at 3:00 am and I have to wait until I wake up to shovel.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on December 12, 2018, 02:21:20 PM
It's the compacted snow trying to turn to rock and ice at the bottom of the driveway after the plow comes through that I'm really paying for.  The rest is easy.

I'm like a ninja getting out there to shovel that shit as soon as the plow comes by. Get rid of it before it turns too hard.

The worst is when the plow comes by at 3:00 am and I have to wait until I wake up to shovel.

Around here it doesn't matter how early you get out to shovel the snow.  The plow will blast the end of your driveway with heavy compacted snow every time it passes.  Even shoveling the first four feet in front of your driveway doesn't prevent this.  :P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on December 17, 2018, 03:28:51 AM
Why learner car drivers have to be in a car with a competent adult at all times, but learners motorcyclists can apparently get jobs and zoom around London with wild abandon. Please, genuinely, what is the thinking on this? How is it legal to employ a learner for a job that involves driving?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: OtherJen on December 17, 2018, 05:55:33 AM
It's the compacted snow trying to turn to rock and ice at the bottom of the driveway after the plow comes through that I'm really paying for.  The rest is easy.

I'm like a ninja getting out there to shovel that shit as soon as the plow comes by. Get rid of it before it turns too hard.

The worst is when the plow comes by at 3:00 am and I have to wait until I wake up to shovel.

Around here it doesn't matter how early you get out to shovel the snow.  The plow will blast the end of your driveway with heavy compacted snow every time it passes.  Even shoveling the first four feet in front of your driveway doesn't prevent this.  :P

Truth. And that driveway iceberg doesn't melt until March, at least.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: thd7t on December 17, 2018, 06:42:25 AM
Why learner car drivers have to be in a car with a competent adult at all times, but learners motorcyclists can apparently get jobs and zoom around London with wild abandon. Please, genuinely, what is the thinking on this? How is it legal to employ a learner for a job that involves driving?
This one is pretty simple.  The amount of damage a motorcycle can do to others and property is far lower than a car.  Similarly, motorcycle insurance is far less expensive than car insurance (in the US).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Jouer on December 17, 2018, 07:41:16 AM
It's the compacted snow trying to turn to rock and ice at the bottom of the driveway after the plow comes through that I'm really paying for.  The rest is easy.

I'm like a ninja getting out there to shovel that shit as soon as the plow comes by. Get rid of it before it turns too hard.

The worst is when the plow comes by at 3:00 am and I have to wait until I wake up to shovel.

Around here it doesn't matter how early you get out to shovel the snow.  The plow will blast the end of your driveway with heavy compacted snow every time it passes.  Even shoveling the first four feet in front of your driveway doesn't prevent this.  :P

Right but the earlier you get out there after the plow comes by, the easier it is to shovel. It's hard/compacted from the plow but it will get harder/more compacted the longer it sits there before you shovel.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: I'm a red panda on December 17, 2018, 08:03:13 AM
It's the compacted snow trying to turn to rock and ice at the bottom of the driveway after the plow comes through that I'm really paying for.  The rest is easy.

I'm like a ninja getting out there to shovel that shit as soon as the plow comes by. Get rid of it before it turns too hard.

The worst is when the plow comes by at 3:00 am and I have to wait until I wake up to shovel.

Around here it doesn't matter how early you get out to shovel the snow.  The plow will blast the end of your driveway with heavy compacted snow every time it passes.  Even shoveling the first four feet in front of your driveway doesn't prevent this.  :P

Truth. And that driveway iceberg doesn't melt until March, at least.

At our old house, because of how the curve of the street worked, we had to put a hold on our mail starting in January, and pick it up from the post office every 2-3 weeks.  There was no possible way to clear the ice boulders in front of our mailbox, and if the USPS truck couldn't come to the curb, with 4 feet on either side of the mailbox they would not deliver mail.  (Note that our curb was not even 4 feet long, much less 4 feet on either side.) We found if we put a "vacation hold" on it, they wouldn't return it to sender.

Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: shelivesthedream on December 17, 2018, 08:28:04 AM
Why learner car drivers have to be in a car with a competent adult at all times, but learners motorcyclists can apparently get jobs and zoom around London with wild abandon. Please, genuinely, what is the thinking on this? How is it legal to employ a learner for a job that involves driving?
This one is pretty simple.  The amount of damage a motorcycle can do to others and property is far lower than a car.  Similarly, motorcycle insurance is far less expensive than car insurance (in the US).

But there is literally a sign on the bike that basically says "Hi, I'm not yet competent to be on the roads!" How can they get a JOB like that??
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: thd7t on December 17, 2018, 09:12:36 AM
Why learner car drivers have to be in a car with a competent adult at all times, but learners motorcyclists can apparently get jobs and zoom around London with wild abandon. Please, genuinely, what is the thinking on this? How is it legal to employ a learner for a job that involves driving?
This one is pretty simple.  The amount of damage a motorcycle can do to others and property is far lower than a car.  Similarly, motorcycle insurance is far less expensive than car insurance (in the US).

But there is literally a sign on the bike that basically says "Hi, I'm not yet competent to be on the roads!" How can they get a JOB like that??
Now, that's a real "I don't get it!"  They definitely shouldn't be able to get a job then.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Just Joe on December 20, 2018, 03:43:16 PM
Why learner car drivers have to be in a car with a competent adult at all times, but learners motorcyclists can apparently get jobs and zoom around London with wild abandon. Please, genuinely, what is the thinking on this? How is it legal to employ a learner for a job that involves driving?
This one is pretty simple.  The amount of damage a motorcycle can do to others and property is far lower than a car.  Similarly, motorcycle insurance is far less expensive than car insurance (in the US).

Go fast enough and a motorcycle will BURY itself into the side of a car killing everyone in the car and on the bike.

https://motorbikewriter.com/should-bikes-have-auto-indicators/

Haven't read the article, just using the picture to illustrate my point. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Roadrunner53 on December 20, 2018, 04:04:14 PM
It doesn't matter. People drive like maniacs with no regard to the rules set by the State they drive in.

People disregard the speed limit at all times.
People tailgate like there is a magnet on the front of their vehicles...must tailgate at all times.
People don't turn on headlights when it is raining. Sometimes at night they don't turn them on while driving on the interstate when it is pitch black...why?
People don't clear off the snow on the top of their vehicles which can cause a serious accident when it turns into an ice slab.
People pass in no passing zones.
People travel slow in the fast lane and won't move over.
In my state is is illegal to use the cell phone when driving. Do you think that stops anyone? What is so important that people can't put down the phone for a short period of time? Did their kid get kidnapped and they are on the way to drop off some ransom money?

It is endless. People behind the wheel are stupid and beyond rude.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on December 21, 2018, 08:15:02 AM
It doesn't matter. People drive like maniacs with no regard to the rules set by the State they drive in.

People disregard the speed limit at all times.
People tailgate like there is a magnet on the front of their vehicles...must tailgate at all times.
People don't turn on headlights when it is raining. Sometimes at night they don't turn them on while driving on the interstate when it is pitch black...why?
People don't clear off the snow on the top of their vehicles which can cause a serious accident when it turns into an ice slab.
People pass in no passing zones.
People travel slow in the fast lane and won't move over.
In my state is is illegal to use the cell phone when driving. Do you think that stops anyone? What is so important that people can't put down the phone for a short period of time? Did their kid get kidnapped and they are on the way to drop off some ransom money?

It is endless. People behind the wheel are stupid and beyond rude.

You can't make it perfect, but there exist ways to fix many of these problems.  Collectively we have decided that the deaths from automobile "accidents" aren't worth the effort.

If you want people to drive more slowly, don't make straight, wide roads.  People naturally slow down when they have to make many turns and when roads are narrower because they don't feel as safe driving at high speeds.  Make a cell phone signal jammer mandatory equipment that is tied to the starter of every car (and make testing for them a regular part of traffic stops with a heafty fine if it's not working/disabled).  They're quite cheap and wouldn't be hard to manufacture.  Make the head-lighting system in cars come on when the vehicle is put into gear.  Automated cameras around red lights and in passing zones along with hefty fines would help to reduce much of the bad behaviour related to people knowing that there's a low possibility of getting caught.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: slackmax on December 21, 2018, 08:43:23 AM
My dad and I wandered into the woods and cut down a tree every year when I was a kid.  70$ for a tree is ridiculous.

With your bare hands? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTKpKBzd7jg)

That whole movie is disturbingly close to what my childhood Christmases were like.

Recognize Russ? That’s Johnny Glaecki, Leonard from Big Bang Theory.

You mean the ugly guy with no self confidence,  in Big Bang Theory who, of course, like so many other sitcoms,  dates the beautiful self confident blonde?     

 That's a thing I don't get.  Why does the ugly guy always get attractive women in sitcoms?  So all us ugly guys can live vicariously?    OK, just kidding, lol, but am I right ?  Same thing with George Costanza in Seinfeld.     

 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on December 21, 2018, 10:10:42 AM
My dad and I wandered into the woods and cut down a tree every year when I was a kid.  70$ for a tree is ridiculous.

With your bare hands? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTKpKBzd7jg)

That whole movie is disturbingly close to what my childhood Christmases were like.

Recognize Russ? That’s Johnny Glaecki, Leonard from Big Bang Theory.

You mean the ugly guy with no self confidence,  in Big Bang Theory who, of course, like so many other sitcoms,  dates the beautiful self confident blonde?     

 That's a thing I don't get.  Why does the ugly guy always get attractive women in sitcoms?  So all us ugly guys can live vicariously?    OK, just kidding, lol, but am I right ?  Same thing with George Costanza in Seinfeld.   

Men get to see an ugly guy like them dating an attractive women like they wish they did.  Women get to see an ugly guy like their significant other dating an attractive women like them.  Everyone is happy.  :P
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: markbike528CBX on December 21, 2018, 11:49:59 AM
My dad and I wandered into the woods and cut down a tree every year when I was a kid.  70$ for a tree is ridiculous.

With your bare hands? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTKpKBzd7jg)

That whole movie is disturbingly close to what my childhood Christmases were like.

Recognize Russ? That’s Johnny Glaecki, Leonard from Big Bang Theory.

You mean the ugly guy with no self confidence,  in Big Bang Theory who, of course, like so many other sitcoms,  dates the beautiful self confident blonde?     

 That's a thing I don't get.  Why does the ugly guy always get attractive women in sitcoms?  So all us ugly guys can live vicariously?    OK, just kidding, lol, but am I right ?  Same thing with George Costanza in Seinfeld.   

Men get to see an ugly guy like them dating an attractive women like they wish they did.  Women get to see an ugly guy like their significant other dating an attractive women like them.  Everyone is happy.  :P

Johnny Glaecki, Leonard from Big Bang Theory, and David from Rosanne ('80's),  Sara Gilbert, Leslie Winkle in Big Bang Theory  is Darlene Conner.  Oddly enough the characters  "hook up" in both shows, the actors  apparently dated early.    We now leave "Peephole" magazine and return you to your serious MMM forum thread.   Agree with GuitarStv, never thought of the woman's version (obviously, but hoping it is true).
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: nnls on December 21, 2018, 03:34:24 PM
My dad and I wandered into the woods and cut down a tree every year when I was a kid.  70$ for a tree is ridiculous.

With your bare hands? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTKpKBzd7jg)

That whole movie is disturbingly close to what my childhood Christmases were like.

Recognize Russ? That’s Johnny Glaecki, Leonard from Big Bang Theory.

You mean the ugly guy with no self confidence,  in Big Bang Theory who, of course, like so many other sitcoms,  dates the beautiful self confident blonde?     

 That's a thing I don't get.  Why does the ugly guy always get attractive women in sitcoms?  So all us ugly guys can live vicariously?    OK, just kidding, lol, but am I right ?  Same thing with George Costanza in Seinfeld.   

Cause men write shows.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: GuitarStv on December 21, 2018, 06:14:15 PM
Cause men write shows.

You believe that women would prefer to watch shows with ugly women who have smoking hot boyfriends?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: nnls on December 21, 2018, 06:34:35 PM
Cause men write shows.

You believe that women would prefer to watch shows with ugly women who have smoking hot boyfriends?

No. I just think generally in society people are with people who are a similar level of attractiveness to them. This doesnt apply to every relationship obviously.

But when some men write shows they will have the "geeky" guy get the hot girl or a guy who looks like them get a girl who in real life probably wouldn't be interested. 
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: APowers on December 21, 2018, 10:07:13 PM
My dad and I wandered into the woods and cut down a tree every year when I was a kid.  70$ for a tree is ridiculous.

With your bare hands? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTKpKBzd7jg)

That whole movie is disturbingly close to what my childhood Christmases were like.

Recognize Russ? That’s Johnny Glaecki, Leonard from Big Bang Theory.

You mean the ugly guy with no self confidence,  in Big Bang Theory who, of course, like so many other sitcoms,  dates the beautiful self confident blonde?     

 That's a thing I don't get.  Why does the ugly guy always get attractive women in sitcoms?  So all us ugly guys can live vicariously?    OK, just kidding, lol, but am I right ?  Same thing with George Costanza in Seinfeld.   

Men get to see an ugly guy like them dating an attractive women like they wish they did.  Women get to see an ugly guy like their significant other dating an attractive women like them.  Everyone is happy.  :P

Johnny Glaecki, Leonard from Big Bang Theory, and David from Rosanne ('80's),  Sara Gilbert, Leslie Winkle in Big Bang Theory  is Darlene Conner.  Oddly enough the characters  "hook up" in both shows, the actors  apparently dated early.    We now leave "Peephole" magazine and return you to your serious MMM forum thread.   Agree with GuitarStv, never thought of the woman's version (obviously, but hoping it is true).

Or.....hear me out here....IT'S COMEDY. The ugly guy gets a hot girlfriend precisely because it's an unlikely match-up, and therefore can lead to more comedic situations. I mean, that's why they're called sit[uational]com[edie]s, right?
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: dragoncar on December 21, 2018, 10:36:18 PM
These people are “Hollywood ugly” aka not really ugly.  Just let them put their hair down, take off their glasses and suddenly the ugly librarian is smokin hot
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: soccerluvof4 on December 22, 2018, 03:36:15 AM
Why it seems no matter when I am sitting at a busy intersection trying to turn, all the cars I am waiting to pass end up turning onto my road and dont put there blinker on. Ugghhh.....
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: soccerluvof4 on December 22, 2018, 03:39:59 AM
It's the compacted snow trying to turn to rock and ice at the bottom of the driveway after the plow comes through that I'm really paying for.  The rest is easy.

I'm like a ninja getting out there to shovel that shit as soon as the plow comes by. Get rid of it before it turns too hard.

The worst is when the plow comes by at 3:00 am and I have to wait until I wake up to shovel.

Around here it doesn't matter how early you get out to shovel the snow.  The plow will blast the end of your driveway with heavy compacted snow every time it passes.  Even shoveling the first four feet in front of your driveway doesn't prevent this.  :P



I think I personally attract the plow. I so over shovel down the road so when he comes by i get as little as possible and stand there watching to see if I can see a sniker on his face...
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: soccerluvof4 on December 22, 2018, 03:44:03 AM
These people are “Hollywood ugly” aka not really ugly.  Just let them put their hair down, take off their glasses and suddenly the ugly librarian is smokin hot



So true. With the make up people they have they can really dazzle a person up or really make them look awful.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: slackmax on December 22, 2018, 09:48:19 AM
My dad and I wandered into the woods and cut down a tree every year when I was a kid.  70$ for a tree is ridiculous.

With your bare hands? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTKpKBzd7jg)

That whole movie is disturbingly close to what my childhood Christmases were like.

Recognize Russ? That’s Johnny Glaecki, Leonard from Big Bang Theory.

You mean the ugly guy with no self confidence,  in Big Bang Theory who, of course, like so many other sitcoms,  dates the beautiful self confident blonde?     

 That's a thing I don't get.  Why does the ugly guy always get attractive women in sitcoms?  So all us ugly guys can live vicariously?    OK, just kidding, lol, but am I right ?  Same thing with George Costanza in Seinfeld.   

Men get to see an ugly guy like them dating an attractive women like they wish they did.  Women get to see an ugly guy like their significant other dating an attractive women like them.  Everyone is happy.  :P

Johnny Glaecki, Leonard from Big Bang Theory, and David from Rosanne ('80's),  Sara Gilbert, Leslie Winkle in Big Bang Theory  is Darlene Conner.  Oddly enough the characters  "hook up" in both shows, the actors  apparently dated early.    We now leave "Peephole" magazine and return you to your serious MMM forum thread.   Agree with GuitarStv, never thought of the woman's version (obviously, but hoping it is true).

Or.....hear me out here....IT'S COMEDY. The ugly guy gets a hot girlfriend precisely because it's an unlikely match-up, and therefore can lead to more comedic situations. I mean, that's why they're called sit[uational]com[edie]s, right?

What I like about Big Bang Theory is that the characters actually talk about the fact that ugly Leonard is so lucky to have Penny (hot blonde). They don't act like it's normal.

However, the Seinfeld show acknowledges that Costanza is indeed unattractive and undesirable, yet every date he has is with a hot female, and they act like it's normal (when it's NOT!)     

Back to Big Bang Theory, I'd say the matchup between the supergeeks (the tall thin guy and the geeky brunette female) is pretty believable.
Title: Re: The 'I Don't Get It' thread. Rants accepted.
Post by: Dicey on December 22, 2018, 02:58:02 PM
These people are “Hollywood ugly” aka not really ugly.  Just let them put their hair down, take off their glasses and suddenly the ugly librarian is smokin hot
"Hollywod Ugly" - love it! So when I'm feeling like crap and running to the drugstore in my old, ratty clothes with my stringy hair in a messy ponytail, can I cust tell myself I'm Hollywood ugly? Yes, yes, I think I will. Thanks for a new delusion, @dragoncar!