# Things that the SDMB made blindingly obvious to you. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 9, 2007, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302 "2007-03-09T19:45:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Subway\_Prophet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Subway\_Prophet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subway_Prophet)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/1 "2007-03-09T19:45:29Z")
…Like, did you know there’s an ARROW in the Fed Ex logo? A freaking arrow. It’s the perfect graphic for a delivery service: it signifies action, direction, motion, speed, accuracy. And it’s just sitting right there in “FedEX”, between the E and the X. I never saw it until it was casually mentioned here. It’s impossible for me to ignore now. And it’s totally obvious; how could you NOT put an arrow between the E and the X? Or how about this: when you flush the toilet, and the seat is up, you eject a fine spray of dirty toilet water up into the air. I mean, of course, how could you not, it’s a lot of water splashing around inside a small confined space. (I hope you cover your toothbrushes and your contact lens solution bottles!) So what did the Dope point out for you, that is blindingly obvious in hindsight? ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/2 "2007-03-09T19:57:17Z")
There are no stupid questions, just stupid people. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/3 "2007-03-09T20:18:41Z")
I learned that Colombus was a big crackpot. He didn’t know where he was headed and he never did figure out where he had been despite going there 4 times. My big :dubious: was when people confirmed that he never visited what is now the U.S. and only possibly visited North America through a brief stay in Southern Mexico. He mainly just liked to take Carribean vacations like on the Love Boat except without women and much crappier food. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/4 "2007-03-09T20:28:13Z")
[QUOTE=Autolycus] There are no stupid questions, just stupid people. [/QUOTE] I knew that one long before the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Cowboy8467](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Cowboy8467](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowboy8467)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/5 "2007-03-09T20:40:54Z")
[QUOTE=Subway Prophet] …Like, did you know there’s an ARROW in the Fed Ex logo? A freaking arrow. It’s the perfect graphic for a delivery service: it signifies action, direction, motion, speed, accuracy. And it’s just sitting right there in “FedEX”, between the E and the X. I never saw it until it was casually mentioned here. It’s impossible for me to ignore now. And it’s totally obvious; how could you NOT put an arrow between the E and the X? Or how about this: when you flush the toilet, and the seat is up, you eject a fine spray of dirty toilet water up into the air. I mean, of course, how could you not, it’s a lot of water splashing around inside a small confined space. (I hope you cover your toothbrushes and your contact lens solution bottles!) So what did the Dope point out for you, that is blindingly obvious in hindsight? [/QUOTE] It took me a looooong time to realize the arrow was in the negative space… ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/6 "2007-03-09T20:42:19Z")
If diplomacy were carried out through message boards, we’d have had global thermonuclear war long ago. Deprived of vocal modulation and body language, people can’t communicate worth beans. > [@Autolycus](#): > > There are no stupid questions, just stupid people. No, there are stupid questions, too. ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/7 "2007-03-09T20:54:47Z")
I just realized the arrow thing based on THIS THREAD! And I occasionally design logos for money. This may be redundant, but [Here](http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/000273.php) is a very interesting article about the FedEx logo and its designer. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/8 "2007-03-09T21:16:23Z")
1960’s…Marianas Trench- 20 minutes… ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/9 "2007-03-09T21:16:36Z")
For all intensive purposes is actually for all intents and purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/10 "2007-03-09T21:25:51Z")
[QUOTE=Cicero] 1960’s…Marianas Trench- 20 minutes… [/QUOTE] Do tell. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/11 "2007-03-09T22:00:10Z")
[QUOTE=kelly5078] No, there are stupid questions, too. [/QUOTE] Like what? ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/12 "2007-03-09T22:08:14Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Like what? Huh? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/13 "2007-03-09T22:16:58Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] Like what? [/QUOTE] Exactly! ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/14 "2007-03-09T22:33:38Z")
If you meet a transgendered person, say, “Hi there.” Use the pronoun corresponding to the gender she introduces herself as, think of her as that gender, move on with your life. There’s no need to get hysterical; it isn’t really that big a deal. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/15 "2007-03-10T00:55:47Z")
That I’m not as smart as I thought I was. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/16 "2007-03-10T01:16:37Z")
That using words like “most” and “many” and “significant” is a popular way to try to make your argument sound learned and weighty–but also a great way to get backed into a corner and revealed for the imprecise, blustering idiot you are. I see this everywhere, but it was the SDMB where I see people (blessedly) get nailed for that kind of posturing. I’m certain that reading this board made me notice it more when people try it. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2007, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/17 "2007-03-10T05:43:20Z")
[QUOTE=Subway Prophet] Or how about this: when you flush the toilet, and the seat is up, you eject a fine spray of dirty toilet water up into the air. I mean, of course, how could you not, it’s a lot of water splashing around inside a small confined space. (I hope you cover your toothbrushes and your contact lens solution bottles!) [/QUOTE] That, while I couldn’t give a flying fuck about germs and toilet spray and that sort of thing, there are apparently lots of people who find those sorts of things so abhorrent that they would never want to step foot inside my house, because i never sanitize anything, leave the seat up when I flush, and keep my toothbrush, comb, etc.. all out in the open. (Oh, and if I remember right, it really doesn’t matte how well covered up it is. People have done studies and shown that pretty much anything outside a sterile enviroment or just recently treated with antiseptic has fecal choloform bacteria on it. Even whatever it is you’re eating right now! Enjoy _that_ thought. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2007, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/18 "2007-03-10T07:15:38Z")
[QUOTE=Ghanima] That I’m not as smart as I thought I was. [/QUOTE] Ditto. And…that mature academic discussions of sensitive subjects actually CAN be had by groups of smart, intelligent people. On the INTERNETS no less! ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2007, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/19 "2007-03-10T07:41:26Z")
[QUOTE=Cyberhwk] Ditto. And…that mature academic discussions of sensitive subjects actually CAN be had by groups of smart, intelligent people. On the INTERNETS no less! [/QUOTE] TEH Internets I think 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2007, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302/20 "2007-03-10T07:53:58Z")
[QUOTE=FisherQueen] If you meet a transgendered person, say, “Hi there.” Use the pronoun corresponding to the gender she introduces herself as, think of her as that gender, move on with your life. There’s no need to get hysterical; it isn’t really that big a deal. [/QUOTE] I don’t follow your logic train. Since when did people introduce themselves as a gender? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-the-sdmb-made-blindingly-obvious-to-you/395302.md?page=2)