# 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:** 6
**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 6, 2014, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/101 "2014-08-06T04:00:50Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > They REVERE them. That’s diffo. I’m not seeing any. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/102 "2014-08-06T04:31:38Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > “Hi, I’d like to order two tickets to the Colin Powell - Jesse Jackson debate at \ on \ please.” > > “OK. Is that a band? I’ve never heard of them.” > > :smack: Well, to be fair, that would be one _Kick-Ass_ band! ---
**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, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/103 "2014-08-06T04:46:31Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > I’m not seeing any. Well, there you are. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/104 "2014-08-06T04:55:01Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > During a pub quiz: > > Q: Where is the alimentary canal > > Teammate’s suggestion: Is it Venice? No silly. It runs through the islets of langerhans. Eating with a co-worker in the hospital cafeteria. Medical, not IT co-worker. There was an AIDS patient at one of the other tables. Co-worker, "What’s _HE_ doing in here exposing _US_ to _HIS_ AIDS!? When I was in high school participating in a Physics Olympics competition. A member of one of the other catapult teams asserted that our entry would be disqualified because it used stored energy. ---
**Author:** ![buddy431](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@buddy431](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddy431)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/105 "2014-08-06T04:58:57Z")
People not knowing who current political figures are isn’t that surprising. Not everyone watches the news or reads newspapers. I barely know who Jesse Jackson is, and I consider myself pretty well informed. Not knowing who Uday and Qusay are? Big whoop. I couldn’t tell you who Qaddafi’s son’s are, even though I know he had them and the current Libyans “in charge” don’t like them. You can bitch and complain about this, say that everyone should have a cursory understanding of current events, and I am sympathetic to that view, but it’s not unusual for people to be ignorant. The story I have is in high school, learning about the Opium war, where the British were kicking butt in part due to their steam ships. The teacher made some sort of comment to the effect of “we have steam power now, no more shoveling on the coal”. So of course I pointed out that with a steamship you _would_ be shoveling on the coal, that’s where they got their power. To which she replied, “no, they use water” And it seems stupid, but you realize that if you don’t really know anything about steam power (and there’s little reason for a social studies teacher to), it makes perfect sense. Another example in a similar vein. In the past month, I have been in contact with two different people who were trying to use a window air conditioner to cool a room by putting the unit in the middle of the room and running it. If you have any idea of how an air conditioner works, this is obviously stupid, but if you just think of an air conditioner as something that makes air cold, like a heater but the opposite, well, it’s a very reasonable mistake to make. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/106 "2014-08-06T11:59:01Z")
Coworker long ago had a purebred dog that she had planned to breed and sell the puppies for $$$ (that’s stupid #1.) Her dog was accidentally bred by the neighbor’s mixed breed dog. (stupid #2) Stupid #3? She was _furious_ because she thought that now her dog was “ruined” and could never produce purebred puppies… ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/107 "2014-08-06T12:00:38Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Obviously, a woman in that type of gym wouldn’t be adverse to the weights. Averse. She wouldn’t be _averse_ to weights. [Averse](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/averse?s=t) [Adverse](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/adverse?s=t) ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/108 "2014-08-06T12:40:37Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > 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. The part I have trouble with is them watching/listening to a live news feed while on a flight. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/109 "2014-08-06T13:38:18Z")
> [@kferr](#): > > The part I have trouble with is them watching/listening to a live news feed while on a flight. This was my problem as well. Especially since 2003 was before smart phones and GoGo. And the only news I ever recall a pilot feeding his/her passengers was the final score of the Super Bowl. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/110 "2014-08-06T13:45:08Z")
It sounds like an urban legend, and I say that as a folklorist. The whole point of urban legends is that they are plausible; if they weren’t believable, no one would believe them. It might have happened, but I’m skeptical. I would like to see an original cite from a contemporary newspaper (the messageboard contains a link, suggesting there was one, but it goes to the homepage and I couldn’t find anything on a quick search). Newspapers do sometimes print urban legends as facts, though rarely, so it’s not incontrovertible proof that it happened, but it’s a good step. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/111 "2014-08-06T14:26:48Z")
Me: I once walked down the street with Christopher Reeve. Listener: Was that before or after his accident? When a lesbian I know was raped and found out she was pregnant, she decided to keep the baby and raise it with her long time partner. I told her to ask some anti-abortion protestors what they thought she should do. The unanimous answer was “Have the baby and give it to a real family.” Said she “What are we? Polyester?” ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/112 "2014-08-06T15:15:49Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Had a coworker recently tell me Obama gave NASA the the Muslims. Told me I’d know if I spent less time on porn web sites. > [@astorian](#): > > “Gave NASA to the Muslims”? Obviously ridiculous. > > Obama DID tell NASA director Charles Bolden that improving the self-esteem of Muslims ranked among NASA’s highest priorities. That strikes me as merely silly, but a lot of conservative commentators found it utterly outrageous, and lashed out at the President for it. It’s probable that some of them exaggerated or distorted what Obama actually said, and that your friend picked up some variation on it. > > [http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2010/07/white-house-nasa-defend-comments-about-nasa-outreach-to-muslim-world-criticized-by-conservatives/](http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2010/07/white-house-nasa-defend-comments-about-nasa-outreach-to-muslim-world-criticized-by-conservatives/) You need to spend more time on porn websites. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/113 "2014-08-06T15:39:38Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > You need to spend more time on porn websites. > > Regards, > Shodan Shhhhh… my wife thinks I’m on Straight Dope! ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/114 "2014-08-06T15:41:06Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > You need to spend more time on porn websites. > > Regards, > Shodan > [@astorian](#): > > Shhhhh… my wife thinks I’m on Straight Dope! Po-Tay-To, Po-Tah-To. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/115 "2014-08-06T16:03:55Z")
> [@saje](#): > > Coworker long ago had a purebred dog that she had planned to breed and sell the puppies for $$$ (that’s stupid #1.) Her dog was accidentally bred by the neighbor’s mixed breed dog. (stupid #2) > > Stupid #3? She was _furious_ because she thought that now her dog was “ruined” and could never produce purebred puppies… I’ve heard of that before - apparently this used to be quite a widespread belief. A vet book (not James Herriot) had two or three separate customers asking for their bitch to be destroyed in the belief that she was now valueless. Also in some antebellum novel that I read years back (as in, set in the Deep South before 1861) a female character lost her virginity to a cousin with a facial deformity. When she subsequently got married and had her first child by her husband, the baby had the same deformity. Same superstition only without the mother ever needing to be pregnant by the “wrong” father. ---
**Author:** ![Lonnie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc79bd/32.png) [@Lonnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lonnie)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/116 "2014-08-06T16:17:00Z")
Then there was the woman who seriously thought the sign ‘deer crossing’ should be moved so the deer would cross at a different place. She had twice hit one there at that spot on the highway. Urban legend or no? ---
**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, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/117 "2014-08-06T16:18:42Z")
> [@Lonnie](#): > > Then there was the woman who seriously thought the sign ‘deer crossing’ should be moved so the deer would cross at a different place. She had twice hit one there at that spot on the highway. > > Urban legend or no? Hey, the deer \* did \* cross there! ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/118 "2014-08-06T16:35:44Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Me: I once walked down the street with Christopher Reeve. > Listener: Was that before or after his accident? That’s actually kind of a legit question, you could be walking beside him while he rolled in his wheelchair. We literally had a list of “stupid customer comments” when I worked in a pet store. Most notable was when I explained to a couple that our “Painted Glass” fish were actually injected with dye to get that neon colour and that it would eventually fade. The girlfriend said “Sooo…when it fades do we have to bring them back to get them re-injected?” ---
**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, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/119 "2014-08-06T16:39:28Z")
> [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > …“Sooo…when it fades do we have to bring them back to get them re-injected?” Why is that a stupid question? ETA: 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761/120 "2014-08-06T16:43:28Z")
One time on the news a male reporter was interviewing a couple of kids (okay, maybe 20-something) who had been in the back of a cube van that rolled. (Bunch of kids coming back from a rave. It was the 90’s.) Reporter: “So what did you guys do when the van started rolling?” Kids: “…? What do you mean?” Reporter: “Well, did you hold hands or something?” Kids: “Umm, no…we were all like…” _they pretend to fall all over each other_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidity-you-have-heard/694761.md?page=7)