Look up “lack of curiosity” (or “willfull ignorance”) in the dictionary. There will be big ole’ picture of my in-laws. I just don’t get it.
I disagree with your position in that thread, specifically regarding expected value in a single trial:
That’s incorrect. I’ll give you a one-time-only wager where you win 75% of the time. If you win, I give you a dollar. If you lose, you give me $100. Based on your position in that thread, you would take that bet. If you opted not, the only reason would be because, in this single trial, expected value overwhelmed the likely outcome. Therefore, expected value is meaningful for a single trial.
This is all in the abstract. With regards to the specific lottery example, I agree with you. Any logic that reduces money thrown away on the lottery is good logic in my book.
Btw, I recently learned of “post tags”, which allow selecting a specific post in a thread you’re quoting. Get the Post ID by hovering over the “Reply with Quote” button, and looking for the 7-digit number in the status bar. Then link by using post tags. For example, [post=5797126]I quoted this post[/post**]** will result in [post=5797126]I quoted this post[/post].
Whoa, hey now. Let’s not get crazy.
Zeppelin ROCKS!!! \m/ \m/
I agree with so many of these… anti gay stuff (and prohibitionism in general) particularly.
Having something expensive rather than something less expensive, simply because it’s more expensive. My girlfriend’s mum has a watch worth £10,000. My watch cost £50, and it tells the time just as well. And when the battery runs out, I can have a new one replaced by going to a department store, paying £5 and waiting 5 minutes. I don’t have to send it to Italy and wait 5 weeks. For £10,000 you could buy my car 3 times over (and it has a clock in it).
My girlfriend’s dad had a matching £10,000 watch - it got stolen. If my watch gets stolen, I’ll be annoyed, but I won’t be £10,000 down on the deal. For the same reason, I don’t get expensive phones, or people who get a new phone every 6 months.
People who aren’t prepared to learn something (particularly, how to use computers).
Double Standards are something I really don’t understand. How can something possibly not be ok for me but be ok for you? Why do you get so upset if I criticise your music tastes, after you’ve just rubbished mine?
I don’t see how some people think some things in a relationship should be unfair. Why should I be obliged to pay for our dates because you’re a woman? Why should I have to send you flowers, arrange surprise weekends away etc, if you don’t have to do the same for me? (I’m fine with doing it, but it shouldn’t be expected).
Why should our wedding be arranged around what your parents want? They can do whatever they like for their wedding, we’ll do whatever we want for ours. They’ve already had theirs? Well, should’ve got it right first time.
Obsessing over celebrities - just doesn’t make sense to me.
Spending time on holiday in places with strict dress codes and etiquette. I go to work and dress smart and mind my p’s and q’s - when I’m on holiday, I want to be able to wear my jeans and dip my bread in my soup, if I want.
Sponges.
People take a small piece of absorbant material get it wet and let it sit there filling with bacteria. Then, when it’s the dirtiest thing in the house by far, they use it to wipe down all the surfaces they prepare food on. WTF?
Yes, well, I’m not going to go down that argument road again. I think you’re wrong, but we’ll just have to agree to disagree. Or at least I’ll agree to disagree; you can not agree to disagree, but you won’t get me into the argument again.
A few Automotive Things I Don’t Get
[ul]
[li]People who think driving is fun.[/li][li]People who buy stick-shift cars when they could get an automatic. It just makes driving more effort.[/li][li]People who criticize cars like the Honda Civic for being “dull” or “uninspiring”. All I want is a car that will get me to and from work every day without breaking down.[/li][li]Why minivans are supposedly the epitome of uncool cars[/li][li]Why some cars have the gas cap on the driver’s side, and some have it on the passenger’s side. I got my new car a year ago, and I still occasionally catch myself driving up to the wrong side of the gas pump, because my old car fueled on the other side. Why can’t everyone put the gas cap on the same side? [/li][/ul]
I can sort of understand that.
The problem is, if you learn something new (for example, how to use computers), you will be expected to do it. You won’t have an excuse for not doing it any more. Some of us are just lazy and would rather have people do stuff for us, particularly difficult stuff, than do it ourselves 
I don’t get why food products marketed at children have to be blue or slimy or something. I was in the grocery store tonight and saw a package of “slimed” goldfish crackers that promised to turn your tongue green. Why the hell would anyone want their food associated with mucus? I didn’t see any “turdy” goldfish crackers that would turn your tongue brown…what’s the difference?
My throat is clenching just writing this post. I’m so glad I was a kid back when food wasn’t purposely nasty.
Oh boy, you’d just LOVE this candy we used to get called ‘SNOT’ which resembled, you guessed it, snot. In fact the resemblence was so close we used to gross people out by putting the liquid candy on tissue paper, acting like we blew our noses, then licking the stuff off the tissue. We were disgusting as kids.
I just don’t get people who don’t like dogs and cats. I can understand having a preference for one over the other, and I can understand not having pets if you’re horribly allergic or if your lease doesn’t allow them, or if your job would not be conducive to taking care of a pet (if you travel a lot or work long hours), but those people who just hate dogs and cats for no apparent reason… I just don’t get it.
When a dog bounds up to you and gives you his soggy wet tennis ball, and looks at you with his big doggy eyes, and his tongue lolling out of his mouth - what’s not to love?
When a cat winds her way around your legs and purrs, or sits on your lap for hours, kneading away, rubing her head on you - what’s not to love?
Because it’s a lot cheaper to replace a clutch than an entire automatic transmission. At least, that’s why I insist on a stick.
OK, that I can understand.
Anybody besides me mystified by on-line dating? How do you develop a romance with someone before you know if you are physically attracted to them? I’m not talking about how pretty they are, I’m talking about that weird x-factor that makes one person appeal to you and another not. For me, physical attraction is the starting criterion. It doesn’t have to be the most significant, and other criterion are more likely to make or break, but it definitely has to be there to at least some degree.
I also don’t get most poetry. Which makes me feel like an idiot. I like some Robert Frost. I once read a poem about fruit trees going dormant for the winter that I really liked, something about, “goodbye and keep cold” that I’d love someone to identify for me. But all those famous romantic English poets, reading their stuff is about as enjoyable as eating cardboard to me.
Appropriately enough, it’s called Good Bye and Keep Cold.
Oops! Well, I guess that shows how diligently I’ve been searching. All the same, thanks, I appreciate it.
I don’t get intolerant liberals. They’re the ones who preach about being accepting of divergent viewpoints and keeping an open mind. Yet when somebody of a conservative perspective disagrees with them, the ILs call them racist, homophobic, misogynist, and closed-minded. Wait a sec, didn’t you say to TOLERATE differing viewpoints? Not all people who disagree with you are evil warmongering capitalist pigs. You’re just as guilty of intolerance as the ones you rail against, and hypocritical as well.
I don’t get fundies who insist on literal interpretation of their holy book. OK, so you’re afraid you’ll go to hell if you get it wrong. Bear in mind your holy book was passed down through thousands of years of oral telling and retelling because nobody knew how to write yet. The current version is three times removed from the original translation. Ever seen engrish.com? There’s bound to be some hilariously unintentional mistranslations. How are you reacting to the new scrolls that are being discovered and translated that conflict with what’s already been published for years and years? Hey, the Number of the Beast is actually 616, not 666. Whoops, all those poor slobs got it wrong before. They’re all in hell. Sucks to be them.
Paris Hilton. 'nuff said.
Pagans. OK, I can see why you don’t think God or Jesus exist. You don’t buy it. So now you worship Odin, Gaia, “The Goddess,” or whoever’s the flavor of the week. If anything, those deities have less credible writeups than God. How is hanging an ankh around your neck any cooler than hanging a cross? They’re both a couple of lines. How is a crystal any more credible than a burning bush?
Daylight Savings Time. Need more daylight? Get up earlier.
Easter. WHEN THE FUCK IS IT??? WHY CAN’T IT EVER BE ON THE SAME DAY??? WHY IS JESUS CHRIST ON A CROSS AND YOU’RE HIDING COLORED EGGS??? AWWAGWHGAHGWHAGWHGAHWGAHGWAHGWHGHWAWGA
I think I love you. Oh, and the dancing is all the same for every band. I’m pretty convinced that it is the same back up dancers for every gansta act out there.
White Bread: It tears when you try to spread anything on it. It has little nutritional needs and mostly clogs up your colon. And it is Nasty. Whole Wheat is the colon blow for me!
Coke VS. Pepsi and their fanatics. It’s a drink, not a political party.
Ford VS GM VS Chrysler : My car rawks! Yours SUX! who.the.fuck.cares.what.is.a.better.car maker is? It is clear that the Japs and Krauts got their shit together and actually made a better car and have been doing it for years. Ford Tough. Like a Rock. Ram Power. Blow Me.
People who Don’t like a specific dog breed because of one dog. You know the kind. " I was bit by a Schnauzer once…they are all bad." Just like all african-americans are bad and indians are all drunks and the irish cannot control their tempers.* and germans are all anal retenti…oh wait…that one so far is true 
In every case. Every.fcuking.case. that I’ve encountered this bias, when I have asked, " When did that happen?" it was when they were a kid and probably pestering the poor dog until it finally snapped, in more ways than one. I’ve never had anyone say, " I was attacked by a pack of rabid chihuahua’s and that’s why I hate them." that I would understand.
Same goes for people who say, " I hate cats." but have never been attacked or around by one. Wha? It’s animal discrimation!
People who have never taken their dog to obedience courses. and they have a hard time controlling the dog and it is ‘wild or uncontrollable’.No.it’s not. It has never had boundaries set for it and is acting exactly like it is suppose to, duh!
I don’t get that. Why invest in a dog ( whether a pound, rescue or pedigree) if you are not going to be active in making it a member of your family. It’s like having a baby and never teaching it as it grows over to be potty trained. Dogs are work, peoples.
God has self-esteem issues. Needs constant reassurance. God is a clingy, co-dependant God. God surrounds himself with Yes People because He can’t handle the Truth. God had a rotten childhood.
/one ticket, first class.
Ewww! You feelthy little monkey!