# Take you opinion, your skepticism, and your tragic excuse for reason and shove em. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 9, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187 "2009-06-09T05:12:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/101 "2009-06-09T20:05:22Z")
> [@jimpatro](#): > > …As I mentioned in the other thread, that doesn’t prove he was lying. That’s merely him recounting what he thinks happened in the heat of battle. He doesn’t have to lie about shooting first. It’s not breaking any law and it’s what you do to win a gun battle. Being hit by his own casings may have caused him to think he was grazed by a bullet. No. That’s actually him inventing a whole new script for a movie where he plays a John Wayne/Clint Eastwood type of heroic character (his two favorite actors, had you bothered to read the provided link about his mental state). Too bad that the real one, were he empties a gun into the gut of an unarmed and listless assailant, was _already_ on tape. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/102 "2009-06-09T20:05:50Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Show _us_ your tits. The ignorant imbecile is never alone. Even when he is. Hence the vernacular. True, true. I apologize to ignorant imbeciles everywhere for misquoting them. No doubt it’s because I’m a filthy liberal. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/103 "2009-06-09T20:06:14Z")
> [@jimpatro](#): > > When you say “more or less likely” you are comparing two situations. \*\*woodstockbirdybird \*\*did it already, but let me try. I was comparing the likelihood of winning the lottery to winning the lottery \*\*plus \*\*those other things I mentioned. So I guess you can say that I was comparing two situations if you want, but you don’t get to decide which two situations I was comparing; specifically, as **woody** noted, that “winning the lottery and all of those other things happening on the same day [situation one] is much less likely than winning the lottery alone. [situation two] Being in a highly unlikely category doesn’t mean that other highly unlikely things suddenly become more likely.” I suppose I could have been more clear, but since reading it the other way does nothing to support my point, it seems odd that you would insist that I intended the meaning you stated. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/104 "2009-06-09T20:08:06Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > Because apparently he believes that if a story is outrageous, it becomes more plausible the more outrageous it gets. > > If I win the lottery (highly unlikely) > **That’s one scenario** > is it more or less likely > > **Here comes the second scenario** > that a relative would die, leaving me a large inheritance, Elizabeth Banks would bump into me at the mall and fall madly in love, and my terminal cancer go into spontaneous remission, _all on the same day_? Get it? You’re comparing the two. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/105 "2009-06-09T20:10:34Z")
> [@jimpatro](#): > > Get it? You’re comparing the two. Jesus Fucking Christ. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/106 "2009-06-09T20:13:07Z")
> [@jimpatro](#): > > The fact that you believe that says a whole lot about you. _blink_ _blink, blink_ I do not comprehend. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/107 "2009-06-09T20:14:00Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > Jesus Fucking Christ. Not worth it, dude. You’d have better luck explaining your post to a Pet Rock. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/108 "2009-06-09T20:16:36Z")
> [@RedFury](#): > > Not worth it, dude. You’d have better luck explaining your post to a Pet Rock. I think the stock answer to anything **jimpatro** says at this point should be a simple “Moooooooooo”. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/109 "2009-06-09T20:18:04Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > Jesus Fucking Christ. I was going by what you wrote. I’ll grant you that you didn’t mean exactly that. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/110 "2009-06-09T20:19:33Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > I think the stock answer to anything **jimpatro** says at this point should be a simple “Moooooooooo”. Why insult the bovine brethren like that? ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/111 "2009-06-09T20:21:55Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Why insult the bovine brethren like that? You’re right. Cows are pretty zen, and they don’t, as a rule, buy into urban legends. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/112 "2009-06-09T20:25:47Z")
I just want to say that was a beautiful story, **Jester**. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/113 "2009-06-09T20:30:23Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > I just want to say that was a beautiful story, **Jester**. Agreed - a damn good rebuttal there, **Jester**. Sorry some of us let this thread get hijacked. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/114 "2009-06-09T20:35:49Z")
[quote=“DrDeth, post:16, topic:499187”] > [@cosmosdan](#): > > Umm, you can Google events quite some times ago. In fact, if you had just the name of the city where it occurred, then you could easily Google it “_city name_, Howard Johnson’s, murder, rape” and then add “birthday”, “skylight”, etc. You have plenty of details, if he can’t give you the name of the city, then it’s bullshit. Okay. So I have been trying to find a story from years ago on Google and have failed miserably. It was a party boat capsizing in the ocean off of Rio de Janeiro on New Year’s Eve in which a famous Brazilian actress, among dozens of others, was killed. This happened when I was 10 years old, I think, so I guess in 1988. Can’t find a word of it. I try to find it because I was supposed to be on that boat, but when we got to the harbor it was too full and we decided to go on another one. Do you not believe me just because I can’t find a link? ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/115 "2009-06-09T20:40:02Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > I just want to say that was a beautiful story, **Jester**. And no one has gone for the easy joke. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/116 "2009-06-09T20:40:33Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > Okay. So I have been trying to find a story from years ago on Google and have failed miserably. It was a party boat capsizing in the ocean off of Rio de Janeiro on New Year’s Eve in which a famous Brazilian actress, among dozens of others, was killed. This happened when I was 10 years old, I think, so I guess in 1988. Can’t find a word of it. I try to find it because I was supposed to be on that boat, but when we got to the harbor it was too full and we decided to go on another one. > > Do you not believe me just because I can’t find a link? I found it very easily, on my first attempt of just Googling “Brazilian actress capsize”; a [New York Times article](http://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/02/world/at-least-51-die-as-party-vessel-capsizes-off-rio.html) was on the first page. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/117 "2009-06-09T20:45:23Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > I found it very easily, on my first attempt of just Googling “Brazilian actress capsize”; a [New York Times article](http://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/02/world/at-least-51-die-as-party-vessel-capsizes-off-rio.html) was on the first page. Ouch. ETA: Ouch. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/118 "2009-06-09T20:45:31Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > Okay. So I have been trying to find a story from years ago on Google and have failed miserably. It was a party boat capsizing in the ocean off of Rio de Janeiro on New Year’s Eve in which a famous Brazilian actress, among dozens of others, was killed. This happened when I was 10 years old, I think, so I guess in 1988. Can’t find a word of it. I try to find it because I was supposed to be on that boat, but when we got to the harbor it was too full and we decided to go on another one. > > Do you not believe me just because I can’t find a link? No, but I do think your google-fu sucks ass. I googled **party boat capsize rio** and [the first hit](http://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/02/world/at-least-51-die-as-party-vessel-capsizes-off-rio.html) is: > [@](#): > > At Least 51 Die As Party Vessel Capsizes Off Rio > [@](#): > > By this evening, 51 bodies had been recovered, 34 of which were identified. Among the victims were Yara Amaral, a well-known Brazilian television actress, and the wife of a former Planning Minister, Anibal Teixeira. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/119 "2009-06-09T20:48:35Z")
AH HA! That was in 1989, when \*\*Drain Bead \*\*was 11. A certain pedantic poster here will be along shortly to taunt you. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187/120 "2009-06-09T20:50:27Z")
In defense of **Drain Bead** ’s memory, the disaster occurred at about 11:50 PM on New Year’s Eve of 1988… 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-you-opinion-your-skepticism-and-your-tragic-excuse-for-reason-and-shove-em/499187.md?page=7)