# Stupidity you have heard **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 4, 2014, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761 "2014-08-04T05:07:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/81 "2014-08-05T22:50:35Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > My Holy Roller grandmother hated Catholics because they pray to idols. I was raised Catholic, and I have trouble disagreeing with this. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/82 "2014-08-05T23:02:36Z")
Overheard at work: “I don’t eat pork because I don’t want to catch Ebola” “You don’t get Ebola from pork. You get it from chicken. That’s why they call it Ebola.” From my Air Force days: I once witnessed a two hour long discussion about the meaning of the phrase “12 month period”. These were all much higher ranking people than I. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/83 "2014-08-05T23:24:56Z")
A number of years ago, the Aurora Borealis was going to be highly visible where I lived (it normally isn’t). I was with some friends, and before the display, we were watching a TV newscaster interview an astronomer, or meteorologist (I can’t remember which) on the subject, which was lengthy, and contained the phrase “Northern lights” more than once. At the end, the reporter asked the scientist in regard to the Aurora, “Is there a particular direction we should look?” The guy replied, “Well…North.” ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/84 "2014-08-05T23:45:01Z")
I heard that on the day U.S. Forces killed Uday and Qusay Hussein in Iraq, the New York Mets baseball team was on their chartered plane when they heard the news. A cheer went up from the players and a flight attendant asked one of the players what all the cheering was for. The player replied, “We got Uday and Qusay!” The attendant responded “Oh, well. I really don’t follow baseball.” She apparently thought that Uday and Qusay were players the Mets acquired in a trade. If you remember, they were Saddam Hussein’s sons ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2014, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/85 "2014-08-05T23:52:31Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I heard that on the day U.S. Forces killed Uday and Qusay Hussein in Iraq, the New York Mets baseball team was on their chartered plane when they heard the news. A cheer went up from the players and a flight attendant asked one of the players what all the cheering was for. The player replied, “We got Uday and Qusay!” The attendant responded “Oh, well. I really don’t follow baseball.” She apparently thought that Uday and Qusay were players the Mets acquired in a trade. > > If you remember, they were Saddam Hussein’s sons I don’t believe this story for a number of reasons. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/86 "2014-08-06T00:00:46Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I don’t believe this story for a number of reasons. Elaborate, please? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/87 "2014-08-06T00:08:45Z")
Would a team of professional athletes in 2003 have been aware of Uday and Qusay? A team with probably 25% - 33% Latinos. Why would they have cared enough to let out a spontaneous cheer? I need to see a cite on this one, otherwise I don’t get it at all: that’s it. I don’t remember it being a particularly glorious moment, just another news highlight that most people shrugged off. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/88 "2014-08-06T00:10:12Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Elaborate, please? Actually, believe or disbelieve what you like. According to the New Jersey Star-Ledger, it happened. [http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2003/07/004068.php](http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2003/07/004068.php) [http://www.motownsports.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-10048.html](http://www.motownsports.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-10048.html) ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/89 "2014-08-06T00:13:49Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Actually, believe or disbelieve what you like. According to the New Jersey Star-Ledger, it happened. > > [http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2003/07/004068.php](http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2003/07/004068.php) > > [http://www.motownsports.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-10048.html](http://www.motownsports.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-10048.html) No offense, but neither of your links are cites. They are second or third-hand anecdotes posted to message boards. Not at all proof that anything at all “happened.” Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/90 "2014-08-06T00:15:47Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Actually, believe or disbelieve what you like. According to the New Jersey Star-Ledger, it happened. > > [http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2003/07/004068.php](http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2003/07/004068.php) > > [http://www.motownsports.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-10048.html](http://www.motownsports.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-10048.html) I think you can probably also see that the veracity of a blog and another message board are somewhat specious. I won’t belabor the point, but I still don’t believe it. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/91 "2014-08-06T00:17:30Z")
Maybe the players thought Uday played shortstop. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/92 "2014-08-06T00:19:20Z")
“Oh I don’t lift weights, cause I dont want to get all big and bulky.” I’ve heard this ridiculous misinformation repeated from woman after woman after woman in just about every\* gym ive ever been in. \*All of them except the couple of hardcore lifting gyms I’ve worked out in. Obviously, a woman in that type of gym wouldn’t be adverse to the weights. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/93 "2014-08-06T00:35:02Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > No offense, but neither of your links are cites. They are second or third-hand anecdotes posted to message boards. Not at all proof that anything at all “happened.” Sorry. > [@Leaffan](#): > > I think you can probably also see that the veracity of a blog and another message board are somewhat specious. I won’t belabor the point, but I still don’t believe it. That’s fine. I also remember hearing about it on the radio at the time. And those posts reinforce my memory of what I heard eleven years ago. And one seems to quote directly from the original article, although the link seems to be dead now. But believe or disbelieve as you like. It’s no skin off my nose. I’m still convinced it’s true as I was in 2003. And yes, I believe a team of professional athletes would have heard of Uday and Qusay in 2003. They’re not idiots. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/94 "2014-08-06T00:53:22Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > My Holy Roller grandmother hated Catholics because they pray to idols. They REVERE them. That’s diffo. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/95 "2014-08-06T01:34:57Z")
“Mentally retarded people don’t have emotions.” I should admit that my reply was no better: “No, you mean autistic. Autistic people don’t have emotions.” FWIW, we were both in sixth grade at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/96 "2014-08-06T01:46:15Z")
I once worked in a cafeteria. The head chef gave us instructions to the effect of, “Let the customers know that the baked chicken isn’t vegan because it has bacon bits on top.” We all laughed. To be fair, he wasn’t stupid, just probably very stressed and juggling several tasks at once. He was a great guy. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/97 "2014-08-06T02:42:52Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Would a team of professional athletes in 2003 have been aware of Uday and Qusay? A team with probably 25% - 33% Latinos. Latinos don’t read/watch the news?😕 This was a big deal at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/98 "2014-08-06T02:49:00Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Not that daft really- a lot of bird species normally need a male present to trigger nesting or egg laying, chickens are unusual in their egg laying habits. That’s fair. I grew up knowing it, so it seemed stupid to me that someone wouldn’t know that… but I see your point. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/99 "2014-08-06T03:24:42Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Would a team of professional athletes in 2003 have been aware of Uday and Qusay? A team with probably 25% - 33% Latinos. > [@Ruken](#): > > Latinos don’t read/watch the news?😕 > > This was a big deal at the time. Yes, it was a big deal. And never mind the Latino players. David Cone, Al Leiter, David Weathers, Tom Glavine, Mike Stanton, Steve Trachsel, Mike Piazza, Jay Bell, Tony Clark, Mo Vaughn, Jeromy Burnitz, and Ty Wigginton were all American-born players on the Mets roster in 2003 who would reasonably be expected to have kept current with the news. It’s not inconceivable most of those players would know who Uday and Qusay Saddam were and what U.S. forces were doing in Iraq. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/100 "2014-08-06T03:52:02Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > I worked with one young woman who would not, would not, would not believe that owls are birds. I knew someone who was adamant that penguins are not birds – but she was like \*six \*at the time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761.md?page=6)