# Things You Were Surprised People Could Be So Passionate About **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 19, 2018, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409 "2018-06-19T22:58:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/101 "2018-06-21T21:55:22Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Oil. The kind of oil you use in a car engine. > > If you are a car person never go onto a car related site and ask, “What brand of oil should I be using?” You will find religious levels of commitment to a particular brand, witnessing, and after several pages a mod will have to lock the thread and refer you to the multiple previous threads on the same subject. > > What kind of oil should you be using in your engine? Clean oil. That meets your cars specs. That’s about it. Hah! I have an account over at BITOG, and it always amazes me how these guys will nitpick spec sheets and theorize about all these things, when in reality you can use any oil that meets your car’s specifications, and as long as you change it and the filter on the proper schedule, the rest of the car will disintegrate around the engine. And **Max Torque** the whole flip once thing is geared around getting the best looking patties, not the best cooked. Most good cooking resources say that frequent flipping does exactly what you say. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/102 "2018-06-21T22:17:56Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Hah! I have an account over at BITOG, and it always amazes me how these guys will nitpick spec sheets and theorize about all these things, when in reality you can use any oil that meets your car’s specifications, and as long as you change it and the filter on the proper schedule, the rest of the car will disintegrate around the engine. > > And **Max Torque** the whole flip once thing is geared around getting the best looking patties, not the best cooked. Most good cooking resources say that frequent flipping does exactly what you say. I spent 2 years after high school on a steak and hamburger grill. Flipping just once is important! Several cuts of steak need to be treated the same way. Each time you flip you loose a considerable amount of fat. 2 flips and you have lost most of it. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/103 "2018-06-21T23:34:55Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > [“Abortion isn’t a necessary evil. It’s great.” (article)](http://inthesetimes.com/article/17216/abortion_isnt_necessary_evil_its_great_pro_choice) > > Lena Dunham:[I wish I’d had an abortion](https://www.thecut.com/2016/12/lena-dunham-i-havent-had-an-abortion-but-i-wish-i-had.html) > > [“My abortion was fabulous, thanks”](https://www.facebook.com/4000yearsforchoice/photos/a.363544075459.209083.363410660459/10152170537315460/?type=3&theater) > > Some [“I love abortion” merchandise and artwork](https://www.google.com/search?q=i+love+abortion&client=firefox-b-ab&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwipw9PCxOXbAhUPSq0KHcPPB6sQ_AUICigB&biw=1536&bih=750) > > An [“I love abortion” article](https://rewire.news/article/2012/03/14/choice-words-about-abortion-0/) Context can be tricky to ascertain in headlines. Perhaps reading those links will make it clearer. None of those are pro-abortion. Neither do they refute **RTFirefly** ’s point that nobody wants to have an abortion (or wants to force women into having an abortion), therefor pro-abortion is a lousy descriptor for what is, for all intents and purposes, a pro-choice position. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/104 "2018-06-22T00:17:27Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Another one I’m surprised nobody has mentioned yet: newborn male circumcision. I get why people are passionate about this. You’ve got the intersection of religion, cultural traditions, sexuality, child welfare, personal identity, medicine… Those are all issues that people get pretty passionate about. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/105 "2018-06-22T01:15:57Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Yeah, I never understood the level of concern/interest/obsession that some people have about fonts/typefaces. > > I mean some “fun” fonts like Comic Sans or Broadway may be more or less unprofessional if you’re using them on something like a RFP or other more formal document, but outside of that, who cares? And even within more formal documents, it just really doesn’t matter one bit if you use Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Cambria, Bookman Old Style, Tahoma, Trebuchet MS, Verdana, etc… They all look decently professional and none are “fun” fonts. What do you think about Papyrus? I’m a library volunteer, and we can spot self-published books a mile away because the cover is almost always in that font, and sometimes the text too. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/106 "2018-06-22T02:22:24Z")
Guns So you’ve got a gun for protection or for hunting. You’re a responsible adult and nobody wants to take your gun from you. Why is this the most important issue for you? ---
**Author:** ![SOJA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@SOJA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SOJA)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/107 "2018-06-22T02:48:39Z")
Beer. I like good craft beer, but now you have snooty asses who are worse than the wine people. Oh the humanity. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/108 "2018-06-22T03:16:58Z")
Whether or not chili is supposed to contain beans. I don’t care for chili, but I once intervened (tongue-in-cheek) in a thread somewhere else, saying obviously (to me) the word means a different thing in different places. I did get a couple of swear words thrown at me. I was amused but also surprised I got any. ---
**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:** [June 22, 2018, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/109 "2018-06-22T03:38:16Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > You’re a responsible adult and nobody wants to take your gun from you. Why is this the most important issue for you? Not a gun owner here, but there are a significant number of people who DO want a widespread gun-confiscation campaign. That’s not a straw man built by NRA-ers; some folks do, in fact, want to take their guns. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/110 "2018-06-22T04:37:18Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Not a gun owner here, but there are a significant number of people who DO want a widespread gun-confiscation campaign. That’s not a straw man built by NRA-ers; some folks do, in fact, want to take their guns. Indeed, and they are sneaky about it. This is not a secret. Now, sure the problem isnt as bad as many single issue gun owners think (Obama was not coming for their guns), but if the far left gun grabbers would just cut it out and shut the fuck up, we could get some reasonable gun control laws and maybe get those voters to stop being single issue. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/111 "2018-06-22T04:49:17Z")
Look, the whole reason Heller came about is that Wash DC imposed a total ban on handguns, and that any other gun had to be kept dissembled and locked up. Chicago also banned handguns and other firearms, and demanded every other gun be registered and re-registered every year with a fee of $100. If you accidentally lapsed, you could never register that gun again. The sale of all guns was prohibited, as was any transfer of ammo. SCOTUS struck all these down. In fact the whole Heller dec was because these crazy gun bans. SCOTUS had traditionally left gun control laws alone. So, yes, gun owners do have the right to think that some areas might take their guns away. They are not crazy or paranoid. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/112 "2018-06-22T04:49:54Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > World of Warcraft. To be fair it’s a pretty good game. I’ve been playing for 12 years and the nerds who quibble annoy me too. > [@Busy\_Scissors](#): > > Find wrestling fandom hard to relate to - don’t understand it, so am baffled how grown men can actively take a passionate interest in it. Seems like something you’d take your 8yo kid to go and watch. > > I can see the nostalgia angle, if it was a cool, fun thing when you were growing up. And it seems to have a lot of history in the US - the sort of thing people used to go and watch in the midwest in the old times, when there was literally fuck all to do all day. But there’s a decent fanbase in the UK, which is a headscratcher. It’s Soap Operas for guys. Drama! Drama! Drama! ---
**Author:** ![HowSoonIsThen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@HowSoonIsThen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HowSoonIsThen)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/113 "2018-06-22T05:10:26Z")
I think the issue people have with changing Harry Potter isn’t just that they’re localising it. I mean, no one would care if they changed certain details of a British book to make it more palatable to certain Asian or African audiences, for example. I think the problem is that people in the English speaking world are bombarded with American pop culture every day and pretty much forced to accept it. And I’m ok with that because the average person is perfectly capable of interpreting what it means either through context or by looking it up (something which could be done long before the internet). But if the UK or Ireland or Australia or New Zealand makes something, it seems like they need to make sure those poor Americans will understand what the hell is being talked about. I know Americans get a bad rep worldwide, but I believe they’d be smart enough to deal with non-American references in books/film/tv. And, as others have said, Sorcerer’s stone doesn’t make any more sense than Philosopher’s Stone. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/114 "2018-06-22T09:52:21Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Ultralight hiking. I get wanting a lighter pack when hiking, but the picayune obsession over every last gram is silly. Some cyclists are the same way. Tthere are those that have to have the absolute lightest shoes, pedals, crank arms, derailleurs, shifters, … I stopped paying attention to the weight of my bicycle years ago and don’t care what everything weighs as long as it’s not outrageously heavy. Personally, give me the most robust stuff, parts that will last the longest before they break or wear out. A passion that really surprises me is the whole Pluto/planet thing. Who’d a thunk people would get so excited about what classification we assign to an iceball that’s 7.5 billion kilometers away? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/115 "2018-06-22T12:22:56Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > What do you think about Papyrus? If it’s good enough for[James Cameron](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b0/Avatar-Teaser-Poster.jpg), it’s good enough for my D’nD handouts. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/116 "2018-06-22T13:07:25Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Castrol is a popular brand. But if you are going to be a purist, it has to be German Castrol. I’d have figured a purist would want Cuban Castrol. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/117 "2018-06-22T13:32:32Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Look, the whole reason Heller came about is that Wash DC imposed a total ban on handguns, and that any other gun had to be kept dissembled and locked up. > > Chicago also banned handguns and other firearms, and demanded every other gun be registered and re-registered every year with a fee of $100. If you accidentally lapsed, you could never register that gun again. The sale of all guns was prohibited, as was any transfer of ammo. > > SCOTUS struck all these down. In fact the whole Heller dec was because these crazy gun bans. SCOTUS had traditionally left gun control laws alone. > > So, yes, gun owners do have the right to think that some areas might take their guns away. They are not crazy or paranoid. I guess my passion is clarity in debate. Here, as an example of the desire of some people to confiscate other people’s guns, you present a program that, from your description, confiscates NO guns. Sure, it drastically restricted what guns could be owned, and put onerous requirements on the owning of those. But the thing absent from your description of this program is any mention of its confiscating any guns. “Gun grabbers” apparently grab no guns, but you’re upset about it anyway. Similarly **Velocity** ’s claim that “there are a significant number of people who DO want a widespread gun-confiscation campaign.” So significant that they’ve got how much representation in Congress? Please list the Representatives and Senators that have come out, not for restrictions on what guns may be sold in the future, but for taking actual guns away from actual law-abiding gun owners. And please identify the specific legislation they’ve authored or co-sponsored. Mind you, **I** am a ‘gun grabber.’ But it’s a recent thing: I finally said the heck with it, if pro-gun people are going to call me a ‘gun grabber,’ then fuck it, I’ll advocate for the confiscation of guns and other weapons that only belong on battlefields. What are you going to call me _now_, huh? You’ve already used up ‘gun grabber’ on me when I _wasn’t_ one. At any rate, I see essentially NO political support for my position in favor of confiscation of certain classes of guns. The notion that “there are a significant number of people who DO want a widespread gun-confiscation campaign” is bullshit, though I devoutly wish **Velocity** was right. I’ve got my torch and pitchfork ready, but I’m not seeing the rest of my mob. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/118 "2018-06-22T13:52:51Z")
> [@HowSoonIsThen](#): > > I think the issue people have with changing Harry Potter isn’t just that they’re localising it. I mean, no one would care if they changed certain details of a British book to make it more palatable to certain Asian or African audiences, for example. I think the problem is that people in the English speaking world are bombarded with American pop culture every day and pretty much forced to accept it. And I’m ok with that because the average person is perfectly capable of interpreting what it means either through context or by looking it up (something which could be done long before the internet). But if the UK or Ireland or Australia or New Zealand makes something, it seems like they need to make sure those poor Americans will understand what the hell is being talked about. > > I know Americans get a bad rep worldwide, but I believe they’d be smart enough to deal with non-American references in books/film/tv. And, as others have said, Sorcerer’s stone doesn’t make any more sense than Philosopher’s Stone. I get the complaints against American Cultural Imperialism, but I don’t think that’s what’s happening here. Last I looked, the British title of the book is still …_Philosopher’s Stone_. And indeed, the kids say “Philosopher’s Stone” in the British editions of the movies. From a marketing standpoint, Philosopher’s Stone made slightly less sense than Sorcerer’s Stone. Keep in mind that American kids are likely unfamiliar with the concept, whereas European kids are probably more likely to be familiar with it than American ones. Bemoan the state of American education all you want, but it is what it is. Now immediately I see two benefits for changing the title. 1) To an American kid not familiar with the Philosopher’s stone, the word “Philosopher” suggests an old man sitting in his study, pontificating about his grandiose ideas, where “Sorcerer” suggests an evil practitioner of magic. 2) It’s a bit of nice alliteration. Whether or not grave injustices were committed against Ms. Rowling, and indeed Language Itself, I’ll leave to another thread. But likely Ms. Rowling cried all the way to the bank. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/119 "2018-06-22T13:55:41Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I spent 2 years after high school on a steak and hamburger grill. Flipping just once is important! Several cuts of steak need to be treated the same way. Each time you flip you loose a considerable amount of fat. 2 flips and you have lost most of it. Not to start some kind of huge argument, but that’s not what the science says. I’ll put my faith in Harold McGee, Kenji Lopez-Alt, Heston Blumenthal and Nathan Myhrvold, instead of silly old wives’ tales. > **[What's A Proper Sear And Why Grill Marks Are Overrated](https://amazingribs.com/more-technique-and-science/more-cooking-science/mythbusting-grill-marks/)** > > Stop trying to get perfect grill marks! Yes, grill marks make us drool, but they are a sign of lost potential. Fact: the most flavorful meat has the most browning across its entire surface, not just a few browned stripes. Let's bust that myth. Read... > **[Flip Your Steaks Multiple Times for Better Results | The Food Lab](https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-flip-your-steaks-and-burgers-multiple-times-for-better-results)** > > Let's start this post with the most basic of statements: Flipping your steak often during grilling or pan-searing will result in the best, most evenly cooked meat. Okay, it's probably not a big spoiler to anyone around here anymore. But it's the why... > **[How Many Times Should You Really Be Flipping Your Steak?](https://www.thekitchn.com/how-many-times-should-you-really-be-flipping-your-steak-240341)** > > You may want to forget what you've previously heard. [https://www.everdurebyheston.com/cooking\_tips\_details/all/the\_flipping\_method](https://www.everdurebyheston.com/cooking_tips_details/all/the_flipping_method) ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409/120 "2018-06-22T14:47:03Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I spent 2 years after high school on a steak and hamburger grill. Flipping just once is important! Several cuts of steak need to be treated the same way. Each time you flip you loose a considerable amount of fat. 2 flips and you have lost most of it. Behold. If you’re pressing on the meat, which is a bad idea, you are correct. Otherwise, you’re going to have to explain the physics to me, because I’m not seeing it. [7 Old Wives Tales About Cooking Steak](https://www.seriouseats.com/2013/06/the-food-lab-7-old-wives-tales-about-cooking-steak.html). Number 4 is the single flip. The author says: > [@](#): > > Perhaps it’s an extension of the “searing locks in juices” myth and the belief that one must form a tight seal on the first side so that they can then cook the second side without any juices leaking out the top. Perhaps it’s the belief that a better crust can be formed by letting the meat sit longer on one side, or perhaps that the insides of the steak will cook more evenly. > … > The reality is that multiple flipping will not only get your steak to cook faster—up to 30% faster!—but will actually cause it to cook more evenly, as well. He does list two advantages to the single flip: pretty grill marks, and less hassle if you’re cooking a lot of meat. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-were-surprised-people-could-be-so-passionate-about/816409.md?page=7)