# Oh, Wow, This Is Powerful Stupid
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [October 11, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574 "2004-10-11T04:13:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/1 "2004-10-11T04:13:06Z")
I just got an email _f_rom the frie_n_d wh_o_ inspi_r_e_d_ [this rant.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=248519) Apparently, he spent the weekend hanging with Bart Sibrel and Michael Moore at Sibrel’s place! Now, I don’t care what you think about Moore, but Bart “I Got My Ass Kicked By A 70 Year Old Man” Sibrel? What the fucking fuck?
I mean, my friend is/was a space_f_light fa_n_atic at _o_ne point in time, and claimed to **hate** Sib_r_el! So why the hell is he hanging out with him? Muchless bragging about it? I _d_on’t understand!
And why the _f_uck would Moore be ha_n_ging _o_ut with Sib_r_el? Is Moore such a me_d_ia whore that he’ll schmooze with **anybody** who says the government is an evil entity and has been lying to us all along?
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### Author:  [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/2 "2004-10-11T04:47:58Z")
Perhaps your friend’s pronouncements regarding the company he keeps are as accurate as those about vapour trails…
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### Author:  [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/3 "2004-10-11T04:51:17Z")
Who the fuck is Bart Sibrel?
Oh, hang on, I just looked him up on Google. That Bart Sibrel.
OK, so don’t leave us hanging: is it at all plausible that your apparently slightly deranged friend actually may have ‘hung out’ with this pair, or are you reporting that he seems to have gone delusional?
By the way, when I went over there to look him up, I had a momentary brain fart and typed in ‘Google’ rather than ‘Bart Sibrel’. I am pleased to report that the entire space-time continuum was NOT sucked down into a wormhole due to my accidently asking Google to reference itself.
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### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/4 "2004-10-11T04:57:15Z")
He’s pining for the fnords.
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### Author:  [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/5 "2004-10-11T05:40:00Z")
Maybe the party never happened and the gov’ment came in and filmed it all up fakewise?
You know, even on the Dope, I would wager there are a good lot of people who don’t know who the fuck Bart Sibrel is off the top of their heads. Not due to being stupid, just due to having other interests. Since one of my main interests is anything space science related, I knew who he is. If it were some thing he was “famous” for, I may not have a clue. So, do us a favor next time and explain references a little more clearly, okay?
BS believes the Us government faked the Moon missions, y’all.
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### Author:  [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/6 "2004-10-11T05:42:01Z")
I left out other between some and thing. And had between have and a.
;j
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/7 "2004-10-11T15:54:56Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#):
>
> Maybe the party never happened and the gov’ment came in and filmed it all up fakewise?
>
> You know, even on the Dope, I would wager there are a good lot of people who don’t know who the fuck Bart Sibrel is off the top of their heads. Not due to being stupid, just due to having other interests. Since one of my main interests is anything space science related, I knew who he is. If it were some thing he was “famous” for, I may not have a clue. So, do us a favor next time and explain references a little more clearly, okay?
>
> BS believes the Us government faked the Moon missions, y’all.
Yes, and I believe the 70 year old ass-kicker who **Tuckerefan** refers to is Buzz Aldrin, who was being relentlessly hounded by Sibel. I don’t normally approve of punching people but BS had it coming.
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### Author:  [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/8 "2004-10-11T16:58:23Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#):
>
> Bart “I Got My Ass Kicked By A 70 Year Old Man” Sibrel?
I’m reasonably sure Buzz Aldrin could kick both our asses, **Tuckerfan**.
–CLiffy
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### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/9 "2004-10-11T17:23:31Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#):
>
> Perhaps your friend’s pronouncements regarding the company he keeps are as accurate as those about vapour trails…
That’s a possibility, but highly doubtful, because we’ve got mutual friends who know BS, and both BS and Moore gave “lectures” at the same venue this weekend.
**Cliffy** , no doubt you’re right, but let’s face it, anyone who picks on a 70 year old is an idiot, and if that 70 year old can _easily_ wallop the shit out of them, well, then, all I’ve got to say is, “Go grand pa!”
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### Author:  [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/10 "2004-10-11T17:26:50Z")
Am I the only one who read this thread title and heard an inner, _Kung Fu_-style voice saying something along the lines of “This stupid is powerful, grasshopper”?
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### Author:  [@PussyCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PussyCow)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/11 "2004-10-11T19:19:24Z")
**Tuckerfan** , what’s up with the italisized letters? It’s buggin’ me out.
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### Author:  [@Leonard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leonard)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/12 "2004-10-11T20:03:14Z")
> [@PussyCow](#):
>
> **Tuckerfan** , what’s up with the italisized letters? It’s buggin’ me out.
:Gasp: It really works.
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### Author:  [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/13 "2004-10-11T20:11:25Z")
The bolded letters in his sig spell out fnord
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### Author:  [@PussyCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PussyCow)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/14 "2004-10-11T20:14:34Z")
Oh, _I_ get it.
**frond** - like a palm frond.
Ok, sure. All makes sense now.
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### Author:  [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/15 "2004-10-11T20:17:14Z")
No, fnord as in
_ **fnord!** _
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/16 "2004-10-11T20:21:26Z")
I wish someone would respond–what’s the deal with the italicized letters?
Man, this thread is making me angry! Angry, and suspicious.
Think I’ll go buy something.
Daniel
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### Author:  [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/17 "2004-10-11T20:22:41Z")
> [@PussyCow](#):
>
> **Tuckerfan** , what’s up with the italisized letters? It’s buggin’ me out.
Oh, thank Og! I kept staring at my monitor for several minutes, trying to figure out if I was insane, or there really were random italicised letters.
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### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/18 "2004-10-11T21:33:05Z")
> [@PussyCow](#):
>
> **Tuckerfan** , what’s up with the italisized letters? It’s buggin’ me out.
What italisized letters? 😉
In the book \*\*\*[Illuminatus!\*\*\*](http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=2U74DK2VNA&isbn=0440539811&itm=1) by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson, “fnord” is a word which the conscious mind can’t read, but the subconscious picks up on it and feels fear, so to help control folks, the Illuminati work the word into things like newspaper articles.
(BTW, _ **Illuminatus!** _ is a pretty entertaining read, even if it is all BS and has inspired innumerable nutjobs.)
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### Author:  [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/19 "2004-10-11T21:41:28Z")
[Fnord](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fnord).
(or, what **Tuckerfan** said!)
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2004, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-wow-this-is-powerful-stupid/268574/20 "2004-10-11T21:47:11Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#):
>
> What italisized letters? 😉
>
> In the book \*\*\*[Illuminatus!\*\*\*](http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=2U74DK2VNA&isbn=0440539811&itm=1) by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson, “fnord” is a word which the conscious mind can’t read, but the subconscious picks up on it and feels fear, so to help control folks, the Illuminati work the word into things like newspaper articles.
>
> (BTW, _ **Illuminatus!** _ is a pretty entertaining read, even if it is all BS and has inspired innumerable nutjobs.)
Is _Illuminatus!_ a parody, or do the authors really believe that stuff?
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