Did I really just hear that? [Archive] - Straight Dope Message Board

CherryBomb

02-18-2010, 05:26 PM

Or, man reaffirms the stupidity of the general public!

I was at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science last night with my hubby for a members night of fine dining (well, actually, pasta and salad buffet but it was quite tasty) and after hours exhibit exploration.

While perusing the seals, sea lions, elephant seals, etc wildlife areas, I happened to overhear a pair that was quickly strolling past each display. She commented something along the lines of how the seals looked funny and out of proportion (I had only caught the tail end of what she had said as they approached). The ever-so-charming gentleman accompanying her blurts out with this little gem.

"Maybe they just stuffed them wrong or something."

:eek:

That is an exact quote. I think my jaw not only hit the floor, but possibly bounced a couple times with the momentum it gained while falling. I looked over at them, they were a normal enough looking pair, in their late teens or very early twenties if I had to guess, possibly siblings, dressed rather conservatively. Old enough to have been able to see a seal previously though, either on tv, in an ad or at school. Something!

This was right after a father was observed dragging his questioning child away from the elephant seals saying, "Yeah, honey, that's a walrus!" :smack:

Hubby found me muttering to myself and was equally gobsmacked when I relayed my story.

Taking longer than we thought, indeed.

Push You Down

02-18-2010, 05:53 PM

........so what's the issue here? I don't get it.

Is it that they aren't actually stuffed seals? Or that they weren't looking at seals but thought they were seals?

FairyChatMom

02-18-2010, 06:00 PM

Reminds me of a visit to the zoo years ago. At the giraffe compound, one woman remarked to another "They'd make great basketball players!" Um, no, they don't have hands... :rolleyes:

Yeah, I know, she wasn't being literal. But it still irritated me for some reason. Maybe I was PMS-ing...

needscoffee

02-18-2010, 06:05 PM

Usually in movies and TV programs when they show seals, they're really showing sea lions. They were probably used to seeing those, instead.

fubbleskag

02-18-2010, 06:20 PM

Rigamarole

02-18-2010, 06:23 PM

DiosaBellissima

02-18-2010, 06:35 PM

Freudian Slit

02-18-2010, 06:41 PM

I don't get it either. I'm trying to decipher your post and assuming that either the seals were not actually stuffed but made of wax or some other material, or they weren't seals at all. Either way it doesn't seem like an egregious mistake.

I had the same reaction. Not sure why it's such a big mistake. I've been to the Natural History Museum in NYC and often had the reaction that some look a bit off. Though when you're looking at taxidermied stuff in general you get into that uncanny valley realm...especially stuff that's this old.

CherryBomb

02-18-2010, 06:42 PM

I don't get it either. I'm trying to decipher your post and assuming that either the seals were not actually stuffed but made of wax or some other material, or they weren't seals at all. Either way it doesn't seem like an egregious mistake.

The seals were formerly live specimens, that had been stuffed and put on display in alcoves that contain features of their natural environment, so that you can see the true size/color/shapes of the animals and plant life.

I was confused to how they could think someone incorrectly stuffed the animals and was wondering if they had never actually seen a picture of a seal before going to the museum. Anyone who knows what a seal looks like could not have made a statement about whether or not they were accurately displayed. Sometimes they're not in the best of shape (bones visible in their flippers), but they're not misrepresentations of the animals. I've seen seals in real life, they look just like the ones in the museum. Well, except for that whole being dead thing.

CherryBomb

02-18-2010, 06:50 PM

Like I said, I win.

Wow. Great parenting she's got going on there! You win overhearing the stupid, for sure!

hajario

02-18-2010, 06:55 PM

1. The Vatican Museum in the area where they have the Egyptian antiquities. A woman is video taping and giving commentary with her husband along side.

Woman: You can tell how rich the Church is because they were able to afford to buy all of this stuff.
Husband: Oh, Honey. they didn't buy it. It was donated.

2. Amsterdam. In line to see the Anne Frank house.

Young woman: I don't get it. Why were they hiding?

DiosaBellissima

02-18-2010, 06:57 PM

Wow. Great parenting she's got going on there! You win overhearing the stupid, for sure!

More in theme with what your OP is about- when I went to the much over hyped King Tut exhibit in LA, I heard some amazing gems. The best was probably the woman looking at what was a small (like, 2 ft high) version of the famous sarcophagus. I think it was just a display, but it was a while ago now. Point is, the thing was like, 2 feet high.

Kid asks mom about it and mom says, "Yup, that's the real one. Why is it so small? People were shorter back then, sweetie.":smack:

Morbo

02-18-2010, 07:09 PM

Poseur dude with dreadlocks on our snorkeling boat in Maui, talking like he's been a Haole his whole life. Me quietly listening to this guy try to impress two young ladies on our trip:

Guy: "Yah, bra - dis is dakine spot right here, da bugga!"
Girl: "Oh, are you from Hawaii?"
Guy: "Nah, bra - but I'm from the Channel Islands originally."
Girls: "Oh, cool!"

Me: "So...you're from LA? I'm from Ouemessourita, but now I live amongst the Ohlone on Yerba Buena."

(I didn't actually say that, but I did start laughing like Colonel Landa when he hears that story about Mountain climbing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m-jVpj2bH4#t=01m04s))

FriarTed

02-18-2010, 07:20 PM

More in theme with what your OP is about- when I went to the much over hyped King Tut exhibit in LA, I heard some amazing gems. The best was probably the woman looking at what was a small (like, 2 ft high) version of the famous sarcophagus. I think it was just a display, but it was a while ago now. Point is, the thing was like, 2 feet high.

Kid asks mom about it and mom says, "Yup, that's the real one. Why is it so small? People were shorter back then, sweetie.":smack:

I think it was a real miniature included among the treaures- but NOT the actual burial one!LOL

Rigamarole

02-19-2010, 12:13 AM

I was confused to how they could think someone incorrectly stuffed the animals and was wondering if they had never actually seen a picture of a seal before going to the museum. Anyone who knows what a seal looks like could not have made a statement about whether or not they were accurately displayed.

Erm, it's the other way around. A person can't make a comment about whether a seal was accurately displayed unless they have seen one before. If they'd never seen one, how would they know that it looked a bit "off"?

There could have been many reasons she said that - maybe the lighting of the exhibit or the angle she viewed it at skewed her perception of it, or it's been a while since she saw a picture of one and is misremembering how it looked, or as needscoffee suggests, she had it confused with a similar animal such as a sea lion.

But there's really nothing weird or shocking about the comment at all. I find your reaction to it much more curious than the comment itself.

Freudian Slit

02-19-2010, 12:40 AM

I was confused to how they could think someone incorrectly stuffed the animals and was wondering if they had never actually seen a picture of a seal before going to the museum. Anyone who knows what a seal looks like could not have made a statement about whether or not they were accurately displayed. Sometimes they're not in the best of shape (bones visible in their flippers), but they're not misrepresentations of the animals. I've seen seals in real life, they look just like the ones in the museum. Well, except for that whole being dead thing.

Are you sure he was saying that they were misrepresentations? You yourself said that you only caught the tail end of the conversation. Maybe the woman meant they looked odd because it was a weird stuffing job and the man was commenting on that.

panache45

02-19-2010, 12:40 AM

2. Amsterdam. In line to see the Anne Frank house.

Young woman: I don't get it. Why were they hiding?

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: You win!

CairoCarol

02-19-2010, 12:47 AM

talking like he's been a Haole his whole life

The only meaning I know for "haole" is "white person". How would someone not be a "haole" for their whole life?

The Bith Shuffle

02-19-2010, 01:09 AM

I've heard dumber statements in scheduled talks. I was at this event (http://dailyuw.com/2008/1/10/Chess_grandmaster/) when I was just eighteen and a newcomer to the chess club. We were somewhat excited to see Susan Polgar, who is a big deal. We knew that she was going to talk mostly about things we weren't all that interested in (like the way chess can encourage people and strengthen them and strengthen communities, etc), but we didn't mind.

She came with her husband, Paul Truong. Paul, bless his soul, came across as a dense windbag. At the very least he went on and on for too long. As the session went along, however, his statements about chess became more and more obscure. Evidently, it wasn't enough to exaggerate the benefits of playing chess in the conventional ways (increased intelligence, determination, etc - all probably untrue or minor in significance). I can't remember all of the things he said, but I do recall him saying two things that were just, like, wow:

- First, he said that kids who don't know how to read a map can learn about the coordinate systems used in maps through algebraic chess notation.

- Second, he suggested that chess can be conceptually tied to core parts of school curricula. For example, he said, students could learn about French history through the French Defense. I am not making this up.

Rigamarole

02-19-2010, 01:21 AM

- Second, he suggested that chess can be conceptually tied to core parts of school curricula. For example, he said, students could learn about French history through the French Defense. I am not making this up.

Nah, they would learn about French history through the move known as "forfeit".

Boyo Jim

02-19-2010, 01:26 AM

Bad (http://blog.makezine.com/FMOVCCZQAJEWZMHRAJ.medium.jpg) taxidermy (http://bioephemera.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/awinged_cat.jpg) is (http://www.boingboing.net/images/_ta77XirPVqs8gf8x9Pz1Fucwo1_500.jpg) rampant (http://neatorama.cachefly.net/images/2009-04/computer-mouse-taxidermy.jpg)!

DiosaBellissima

02-19-2010, 01:42 AM

I think it was a real miniature included among the treaures- but NOT the actual burial one!LOL

I think you may be right, actually, now that I think about it.

blondebear

02-19-2010, 09:49 AM

Overheard at the Komodo Dragon exhibit in San Diego, mother to child: "Oh honey, look at this, these are monitoring lizards!"

friedo

02-19-2010, 10:17 AM

At the FDR house eons ago:

Kid: Dad, it says Roosevelt was elected president four times.
Father: That's right.
Kid: But I thought you could only be president twice!
Father: Well he was such a good president they changed the law just for him!

RandMcnally

02-19-2010, 10:18 AM

I have one that I thought was funny:

I was in Borders where I saw this woman (she looked like a trashy bitch) over in the religion section where her daughter comes up to her with a book on the Vatican. A book of pictures or something.

"Mom, I found this book on the Vatican for you."
"[Scoff] I don't believe in the Vatican."
"Mom, the Vatican is a real place. It doesn't matter if you believe in it or not, it's still going to be there."

tdn

02-19-2010, 10:20 AM

Like I said, I win.

I'll thumb wrestle you for the title.

There is a poster-sized photo of Helen Keller with her frind Polly Thompson here. This (http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.everymanfoundation.com/Everyman_Foundation/Everyman_Origins_-_Helen_Keller_Epiphany_files/Helen%2520Keller%2520and%2520Polly%2520Thompson_Karsh.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.everymanfoundation.com/Everyman_Foundation/Everyman_Origins_-_Helen_Keller_Epiphany.html&h=278&w=350&sz=25&tbnid=qWsjIGBnHG73QM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhelen%2Bkeller%2Bpolly%2Bthompson%2Bphoto&hl=en&usg=__wx8hHv0U7Biz2UW3mg8jnpn77oE=&ei=X7l-S8qZCsqttgf8_-jIDw&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=6&ct=image&ved=0CBMQ9QEwBQ) photo, in fact.

"Hey Midge! You have to look at this picture! It's real nice!"

Midge responds "Wow, that is nice! But how come there's two of her? Oh wait, I get it. In one, she's not wearing her glasses."

cjepson

02-19-2010, 10:22 AM

I once attended a talk in which the speaker, among other things, was talking about ancient peoples' knowledge of astronomy. As an example of people tracking the phases of the moon, he showed a slide of something that looked like a calendar. Most of the "days" were blank, but every four weeks, there were a few days with dots, followed by a few days filled in, then another few days with dots.

Unfortunately, I was unable to fight his ignorance, because it wasn't until after I left the talk that I thought back on it and realized that what he really had was a menstrual chart.

smoke

02-19-2010, 10:24 AM

But there's really nothing weird or shocking about the comment at all. I find your reaction to it much more curious than the comment itself.

Agreed. I think the OP sounds like someone who enjoys being oh-so-much-more-clever than everyone around her/him. Think Comic Book Guy.

smoke

02-19-2010, 10:26 AM

...
Midge responds "Wow, that is nice! But how come there's two of her? Oh wait, I get it. In one, she's not wearing her glasses."

That is hilarious, but mostly because they really DO look a lot alike.

Polycarp

02-19-2010, 10:31 AM

Typical true seal (http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/willow/seal-info0.gif) (Phocid). Typical sea lion (http://static.zsl.org/images/originals/sealion-baby-dom2-2831.jpg) (Otobenid.)

True seals are substantially the more efficient swimmers, but awkward on land. Sea lions (which include 'fur seals') are a compromise group, better able to get around on land but poorer swimmers than true seals. Almost all "seals" in entertainment are sea lions; a properly mounted true seal looks weird to someone not familiar with the difference.

Oh, and Walrus (http://www.discoverlife.org/IM/I_DL/0009/320/Odobenus_rosmarus,_Walrus,I_DL971.jpg). Elephant seals. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/5/57/20070102213759!Elephant_seal_fight_Part-1.jpg)

Freudian Slit

02-19-2010, 10:39 AM

The seals were formerly live specimens, that had been stuffed and put on display in alcoves that contain features of their natural environment, so that you can see the true size/color/shapes of the animals and plant life.

I was confused to how they could think someone incorrectly stuffed the animals and was wondering if they had never actually seen a picture of a seal before going to the museum. Anyone who knows what a seal looks like could not have made a statement about whether or not they were accurately displayed. Sometimes they're not in the best of shape (bones visible in their flippers), but they're not misrepresentations of the animals. I've seen seals in real life, they look just like the ones in the museum. Well, except for that whole being dead thing.

Doesn't that say less about his knowledge of seals and more about his knowledge of taxidermy?

pbbth

02-19-2010, 10:52 AM

I win. While at the grocery store yesterday, a little hellion of a child was screaming his way through the aisles, banging on stuff, and his older siblings and classy lady of a mom were laughing at his antics. I'd say he was about 7, 8, or 9.

Anyway, mom says to calm down and he turns and screams, "Shut up, you FUCKING JEW!"

Older siblings giggle. Mom laughs. Mom then sees the look on my face and pretends to gently correct him, "Oh, where do you learn stuff like that. . ." while giggling. Kid whirls around and says, "Uh, you and Bob say it at home all the time when you're talking about fucking Jews!" Mom laughed, as did the siblings.

Mom mumbled something about being so embarrassed while I just sort of stared at them.

Like I said, I win.

I had a similar experience. I was at the Silk Road exhibit at the AMNH (it was fabulous, btw, for anyone who hasn't seen it yet) and there was a family behind us that started talking about Egypt when we got to the section where they talked about the importance of paper as a trade good and communication tool. The daughter was about 20 and started talking about how they have no Jews in Egypt. You know, because Moses made them leave. And then her father said, "The hotel we stayed at in Egypt was down the street from a synagogue. There are Jews in Egypt, they are just assholes." :confused:

Thinking that I have no place in their conversation I just kept going but they would not stop talking about how horrible Jews are and how they destroy everything. We eventually just stepped aside and let them get a few feet ahead of us so we wouldn't have to listen any longer.

JFLuvly

02-19-2010, 01:30 PM

My eight year old daughter just pointed out that sea lions have ear flaps and seals have holes, so I suppose if they sewed the seal ears shut they would look a bit off.

Cat Whisperer

02-19-2010, 01:38 PM

One of my favourite sites - Overheard Everywhere. (http://www.overheardeverywhere.com/) Really restores your faith in humanity. :D

CherryBomb

02-19-2010, 04:15 PM

Agreed. I think the OP sounds like someone who enjoys being oh-so-much-more-clever than everyone around her/him. Think Comic Book Guy.

Oh, quite the contrary. I will be the first to admit when I'm not the smartest or most clever person in the room. I really don't care one way or the other, actually. I was just genuinely confused over their comments.

freckafree

02-19-2010, 04:51 PM

Oh, and Walrus (http://www.discoverlife.org/IM/I_DL/0009/320/Odobenus_rosmarus,_Walrus,I_DL971.jpg). Elephant seals. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/5/57/20070102213759!Elephant_seal_fight_Part-1.jpg)

I think we can lay the confusion of these two squarely at the flippers of the LOLrus (http://icanhascheezburger.com/2007/01/14/i-has-a-bucket/).

Freudian Slit

02-19-2010, 04:59 PM

Oh, quite the contrary. I will be the first to admit when I'm not the smartest or most clever person in the room. I really don't care one way or the other, actually. I was just genuinely confused over their comments.

But the whole, "They appeared normal enough" and "My jaw nearly dropped" lines come off like you think he's a mouthbreathing cretin for saying such a stupid thing. And to be honest, I still don't get the stupidity. As I posted earlier, if anything, it makes me think he's not sure of how taxidermy works--and I don't think most people know that. Based on my own and others' reactions it's not really all that stupid a think to say so I'm not sure why you're acting as though it was so bizarre/ignorant.

smoke

02-19-2010, 05:09 PM

Right- along with "oh-so-charming gentleman" and the description of how they rushed through the exhibit. Don't back-pedal OP: "Taking longer than we thought, indeed." That's not a sentiment of genuine confusion, that's condescension.

Jragon

02-19-2010, 06:13 PM

2. Amsterdam. In line to see the Anne Frank house.

Young woman: I don't get it. Why were they hiding?

I win. While at the grocery store yesterday, a little hellion of a child was screaming his way through the aisles, banging on stuff, and his older siblings and classy lady of a mom were laughing at his antics. I'd say he was about 7, 8, or 9.

Anyway, mom says to calm down and he turns and screams, "Shut up, you FUCKING JEW!"

Older siblings giggle. Mom laughs. Mom then sees the look on my face and pretends to gently correct him, "Oh, where do you learn stuff like that. . ." while giggling. Kid whirls around and says, "Uh, you and Bob say it at home all the time when you're talking about fucking Jews!" Mom laughed, as did the siblings.

Mom mumbled something about being so embarrassed while I just sort of stared at them.

Like I said, I win.

Any chance we can get these two families together?

(I'm imagining "Why were they hiding?" "THEY WERE FUCKING JEWS!")

NinetyWt

02-19-2010, 08:17 PM

SanVito

02-20-2010, 07:43 AM

So I'm in Rome, standing in St Peter's Square on a Wednesday afternoon, right after the Pope has done his weekly open air service from the steps of St Peter's, and there's like a MILLION nuns wandering around.

Loud, brash (sorry) American gentleman taking pictures, turns to his partner and says in a really loud voice 'Is that a Church?' (italics for his emphasis).

Dear oh dear.

It's now become a catchphrase between my girlfriend and I anytime one of us says something stupid.

Cat Whisperer

02-20-2010, 01:13 PM

I'm not up on international geography, but in Rome, isn't *everything* a church? I understand you can't swing a cat without hitting a church there.

L. G. Butts, Ph.D.

02-20-2010, 01:26 PM

Johnny L.A.

02-20-2010, 01:29 PM

I was at Sears when I was about ten years old, in the TV department. A woman was looking at something-or-other, and the salesman mentioned a 'battery eliminator' (their name for an AC adaptor). The woman said, 'It runs on batteries? I thought it ran on electricity!'.

I knew what she meant; but hey, I was ten. I thought it was funny that her remark gave the appearance that she didn't know batteries stored electricity.

dragoncat

02-20-2010, 02:56 PM

Two Many Cats

02-20-2010, 03:29 PM

When I was at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona not too long ago, I encountered a man wearing a tee-shirt that said "Bring Back Pluto." I asked him about it and he said,

"When I was a kid, Pluto was a planet, so I think it should still be one."

I gotta say, I feel his pain. I was bummed out for days when I heard that Pluto was being demoted to asteroid or demi-planet or whatever those pointy-head types call it now. Pluto was a planet all my life, ya know? Plus one of my favorite Doctor Who episodes is out of sync now.

Lok

02-20-2010, 08:59 PM

So I'm in Rome, standing in St Peter's Square on a Wednesday afternoon, right after the Pope has done his weekly open air service from the steps of St Peter's, and there's like a MILLION nuns wandering around.

If you were really standing in St. Peter's Square in Rome, you should have reported the miracle to the church. They would have been properly amazed I am certain. :D

Saint Cad

02-20-2010, 10:07 PM

Another teacher explained to me that the reason we have 24 hours in a day because the circumference of the Earth is 24,000 and at the Equator it travels 1000 mph.

phouka

02-20-2010, 10:10 PM

I was eating dinner at a restaurant, seated about ten feet from a family part when I heard the patriarch explain to his family that the government had determined that President Obama was not a citizen, and therefore, not eligible to be president, but that everyone in the government had decided to go along with it, because otherwise, Vice President Biden would take office as president.

It took everything I had in me not to break into full middle school English teacher mode, march up to him and explain to him - in sequence, possibly with a whiteboard and colored markers - all the ways in which he was wrong.

Rigamarole

02-21-2010, 12:02 AM

Oh, quite the contrary. I will be the first to admit when I'm not the smartest or most clever person in the room. I really don't care one way or the other, actually. I was just genuinely confused over their comments.

Genuinely confused eh? So, you weren't being sanctimonious at all? Let's take another look at your OP (edited for relevant excerpts):

Or, man reaffirms the stupidity of the general public!

The ever-so-charming gentleman accompanying her blurts out with this little gem.

"Maybe they just stuffed them wrong or something."

:eek:

That is an exact quote. I think my jaw not only hit the floor, but possibly bounced a couple times with the momentum it gained while falling. I looked over at them, they were a normal enough looking pair, in their late teens or very early twenties if I had to guess, possibly siblings, dressed rather conservatively. Old enough to have been able to see a seal previously though, either on tv, in an ad or at school. Something!

...

Hubby found me muttering to myself and was equally gobsmacked when I relayed my story.

Taking longer than we thought, indeed.

Yeah, you're not backpedaling out of this one.

Trick Rider

02-21-2010, 12:17 AM

Overheard at the Tyrell Museum in Drumheller. "Look at these dinosaurs, honey." Except they were fossils from THE BURGESS SHALE!!! For reference, she was referring to something like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anomalocaris

chique

02-21-2010, 12:21 AM

I got to hear Margaret Thatcher give a talk a few years ago. She told us that the British invented democracy.

Nah, they would learn about French history through the move known as "forfeit".I know you meant it as a joke but I did a little research a while back and this silly meme is unfair. I am not by any stretch of the imagination a military historian but a couple of years ago I did a little math using stats off of wiki and found that France had more casualties during WWI than the US has had since the Revolution. When the Germans came calling half a generation later I don't for one second blame the French for saying - in effect - "Play through, just don't fuck us over too much".

Chicagojeff

02-21-2010, 12:51 AM

Actually with as much ass as Nap kicked the French are kinda gettin a raw deal..

My contribution was my ex-wife cousin arguing with both of us that if the voting rights act was not renewed (1997?)African-Americans would lose their rights to vote.. At the time she was in her third year of law school..

slalexan

02-21-2010, 12:55 AM

On the subject of Pluto:

Last summer, I had an internship in Washington, D.C. and all the interns and I went into the city nearly every weekend. One Saturday, we were visiting the Smithsonian Museums (which was not as fun as I had hoped because it was absurdly crowded) and in the Air and Space Museum, we were taking silly pictures of all the spaces that Pluto used to be before it was reclassified. My friend overheard a couple of people talking about the absence and it went something like this:

Woman 1: "Hey, this doesn't look very nice! Why are there all these random spaces everywhere? You think they would use the space more efficiently."
Woman 2: "Don't you remember? That's where Pluto used to be."
Woman 1: "Oh yeah! Now I remember that it was in the news. What happened to Pluto, anyway?"
Woman 2: "I think it moved. It isn't part of the solar system anymore."

We didn't know what to say to them.

Nava

02-21-2010, 04:15 AM

I'm not up on international geography, but in Rome, isn't *everything* a church? I understand you can't swing a cat without hitting a church there.

They also have a couple of fountains (http://anothertrip.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/un-monumento-fontana-de-trevi/).

Overheard at the Tyrell Museum in Drumheller. "Look at these dinosaurs, honey." Except they were fossils from THE BURGESS SHALE!!! For reference, she was referring to something like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anomalocaris

Speaking of which, one of my teachers recently corrected me: "no, no, it's not a dinosaur, it's a tyrannosaur." Since she still has to grade me, I didn't point out that "dinosaur" is the generic name, not a species. A tyrannosaur is, indeed, a dinosaur. Plus it was actually a Triceratops, only the clip we'd seen hadn't shown the head...

Did you find any of the gnomes? I have, over the years, found about 4 of them out of (I believe) 7 total. I always enjoy going there and looking for them.

Are those the ones with the 2-foot tall sarcophagi?

Butterscotch

02-21-2010, 07:32 AM

Out in Rome, (Italy, not Georiga...) one day I overheard an American (sorry) woman who had just come out of McDonalds and noticed a big old building opposite her. She turns to her family and says "Oh my gaaawwwwwwwwwwd, that's huge. Do you think it's important?"

Possibly, it's the Pantheon...

That, and tourists asking the rather uppity people in the tourist information kiosk for directions to the Parthenon...

Eliahna

02-21-2010, 08:10 AM

A gentleman - bare-headed, dressed in normal everyday clothing, dark skinned and with what sounded like an Indian accent - brought some documents into work to be photocopied, but required a small, simple alteration to be made to each page first. While I was working on it, my co-worked grumbled at me that he shouldn't have been so lazy and just done it himself. The customer she'd been chatting with (a regular) chimed in to say "They're all lazy. That's why they call them towel heads". Co-worker and customer then had a good laugh together.

Serenata67

02-21-2010, 09:33 AM

Trick Rider

02-21-2010, 03:21 PM

Speaking of which, one of my teachers recently corrected me: "no, no, it's not a dinosaur, it's a tyrannosaur." Since she still has to grade me, I didn't point out that "dinosaur" is the generic name, not a species. A tyrannosaur is, indeed, a dinosaur. Plus it was actually a Triceratops, only the clip we'd seen hadn't shown the head...

This made my day. XD

CherryBomb

02-22-2010, 01:38 PM

Yeah, you're not backpedaling out of this one.

I'm not trying to backpedal out of anything. You and smoke can make whatever character judgments about me that you like. I do appreciate the attempt at determining that I was being sanctimonious, seeing as how you know me so well and were right there with me when it happened. :rolleyes:

I stand by my statements that I don't think they actually knew what a seal actually looked like, and the male in the pair made a ridiculous statement that indicated lack of knowledge (be it of taxidermy or biology).

Either way, whatever. Believe what you please. I'm done with you.

Did you find any of the gnomes?

Really? I had no idea there were any. I will keep an eye out next time we're there!

smoke

02-22-2010, 02:18 PM

Got it- I'd need to know you and personally stand next to you to know you're being sanctimonious.

Freudian Slit

02-22-2010, 02:22 PM

I'm not trying to backpedal out of anything. You and smoke can make whatever character judgments about me that you like. I do appreciate the attempt at determining that I was being sanctimonious, seeing as how you know me so well and were right there with me when it happened. :rolleyes:

I stand by my statements that I don't think they actually knew what a seal actually looked like, and the male in the pair made a ridiculous statement that indicated lack of knowledge (be it of taxidermy or biology).

But why is it so ridiculous to not know about taxidermy? I don't really see why it's so odd to see a bizarre looking animal and think, "Oh, maybe it was stuffed badly." I'd wager that most people don't know anything about taxidermy. It's a fairly obscure topic.

CherryBomb

02-22-2010, 05:01 PM

I don't know if he knows anything of taxidermy or not, but a seal is not a mysterious animal that's rarely seen or lightly documented. It was not stuffed badly or displayed improperly or off in any way. I would not consider a seal to be a bizarre looking animal though.

Rigamarole

02-22-2010, 07:30 PM

... seeing as how you know me so well and were right there with me when it happened. :rolleyes:

You know, you make a good point. I wasn't there, and we're only viewing this through the lens of your experience. How do we know that your perception wasn't the one that was flawed and in fact the seals were incorrectly stuffed, which the other couple picked up on but you did not? I think we are going to need to see photos of the exhibit to make the determination for ourselves.