# Westom, you're either an idiot or insane
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [March 3, 2012, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627 "2012-03-03T06:28:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/1 "2012-03-03T06:28:14Z")
I rarely pit, but the [clown](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php) in this [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=643892) is either being willfully ignorant or is simply insane. Based on the bizarre asides and general odd affect, I’m going with “insane.”
That being said, it takes a special bit of arrogance to repeatedly accuse others of being ignorant of “high school physics” while being simultaneously so ignorant himself. This even after being corrected by numerous people, including physics luminaries such as **Chronos**.
Also, there are these gems from the thread in question:
> [@Tale of two cars (Physics question)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tale-of-two-cars-physics-question/614543/67):
>
> …Why do politicians so easily manipulate the naive? The naive forget to define a problem before answering the question - as we have here. Or have brain pain rather than learn how to do the work. Always define a problem long before trying to answer it. Always. Otherwise scammers and politicians seek you out.
> [@Tale of two cars (Physics question)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tale-of-two-cars-physics-question/614543/96):
>
> Scary that so many do not even know simple high school physics. …Everyone here should know that. Otherwise scammers and politicians make money and get elected because the public is uneducated and naive. These fundamental facts are taught to everyone in high school to make dishonesty and scams difficult.
>
> …Irishman - if you know that is wrong, then you have posted numbers and equations that says so. Subjective claim or denial suggests outright lying or lack of basic high school education.
>
> …A point I make often because scammers and politicians can only exists when numbers are replaced by subjective denials (also called hearsay or junk science).
>
> …But then every high school graduate is required to know this. Otherwise jobs must go overseas to those who did learn what is critically important – the numbers. Show me your numbers or withdrawal subjective (empty) denials.
It’s his latest post, however, where he goes completely out to la-la land:
> [@Tale of two cars (Physics question)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tale-of-two-cars-physics-question/614543/120):
>
> …When did sleight of hand become part of physics?
>
> …Where is your conservation of momentum?
>
> …Where is conservation of momentum?
>
> …Your own numbers demonstrate that conservation of momentum does not exist.
>
> …I aggressively asked for numbers in every post from every poster. Now that you did, identified is where your numbers only make sense when conservation of momentum is disposed.
>
> …Using your own numbers, if a crash absorbs energy, then momentum is not conserved. …If velocity decreases, then conservation of momentum does not exist. We intentionally design cars to make inelastic collisions. To not conserve momentum.
>
> …What happened to your conservation of momentum? When did 1000 kg times 100 kg/hr become 2000 times 70.7 km/hr? It didn’t. Why. Conservation of momentum here is bogus. Conservation of energy says so.
>
> …But again, using your numbers. Everything works as long as conservation of momentum is bogus. You cannot have it both ways. Either you believe in conservation of energy. Or you believe in conservation of momentum. Both cannot exist – as demonstrated by your numbers.
>
> …Now that you have provided the numbers - finally - I can use your numbers to expose mistakes.
You can finally use my numbers to “expose mistakes”? OK, buddy, knock yourself out. :rolleyes:
---
### Author:  [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/2 "2012-03-03T06:42:35Z")
A few years ago I took a course from human resources about how to interview people. One of the pieces of advice that has stayed with me from that course is. Only try three times to ask a question or make your point. If there is no communication after three tries you are just wasting time and should move on. Threads like to one you mention illustrate this point. You are entirely correct he is willfully ignorant. But there is nothing you can do about it. For your sanity you should move on.
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### Author:  [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/3 "2012-03-03T06:44:38Z")
Here’s another gem:
> [@Tale of two cars (Physics question)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tale-of-two-cars-physics-question/614543/125):
>
> …BTW, I am trying to get you to deal with energy numbers. Once you apply those numbers properly, then conservation of momentum applies. None of this was possible until your every post including the underlying numbers. Without numbers, only lies, propaganda, anger, miscommunication, myths, and even pagan religions occur.
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### Author:  [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/4 "2012-03-03T06:51:04Z")
> [@gazpacho](#):
>
> A few years ago I took a course from human resources about how to interview people. One of the pieces of advice that has stayed with me from that course is. Only try three times to ask a question or make your point. If there is no communication after three tries you are just wasting time and should move on. Threads like to one you mention illustrate this point. You are entirely correct he is willfully ignorant. But there is nothing you can do about it. For your sanity you should move on.
You know, I think you’re right. I’ve wasted hours of my day on this today. :smack: I’m going to bed.
---
### Author:  [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/5 "2012-03-03T06:58:50Z")
That was a riot to read. Thank you for alerting me to westom’s delicately flavored idiocy.
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### Author:  [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/6 "2012-03-03T09:28:10Z")
It’s pretty clear that the **weston** would be correct in that thread only if the cars in question were on a treadmill…
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### Author:  [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/7 "2012-03-03T10:59:33Z")
A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing.
The funniest part of that was Westom telling us how scary it is that folks don’t know high school physics. He’s a guy who can do some math, but doesn’t understand how it all works. You don’t need a stitch of math to explain how it works.
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### Author:  [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/8 "2012-03-03T11:00:57Z")
> [@robby](#):
>
> You know, I think you’re right. I’ve wasted hours of my day on this today. :smack: I’m going to bed.
Good choice. I’d also recommend not going back to that mess, it’s better for the blood pressure.
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### Author:  [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/9 "2012-03-03T11:19:45Z")
Well, thanks for answering the question anyway. I’m still confused about KE and frames of reference, so I was going to ask a follow-up question if people aren’t completely sick of the subject…
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### Author:  [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/10 "2012-03-03T12:52:40Z")
If you look at his search history, he has only responded to a handful of threads usually using that same know-nothing-know-it-all, insulting style. He really is an ass.
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### Author:  [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/11 "2012-03-03T13:05:25Z")
I would point out that “Scammers And Politicians” would make a capital username.
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/12 "2012-03-03T13:25:42Z")
I gave up before this latest batch of nonsense. He’s clearly emotionally invested in his wrong answer and you’re not going to convince him otherwise. You can’t reason someone out of a position they didn’t use reason to get into.
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### Author:  [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/13 "2012-03-03T14:02:18Z")
Robby you did an excellent job, but this is why it’s a bit easier to be a physics teacher in a classroom than a physics teacher to a moron on the internet: in the classroom we can fail them and be done with it. 🆒
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### Author:  [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/14 "2012-03-03T14:21:25Z")
> [@gazpacho](#):
>
> A few years ago I took a course from human resources about how to interview people. One of the pieces of advice that has stayed with me from that course is. Only try three times to ask a question or make your point. If there is no communication after three tries you are just wasting time and should move on. Threads like to one you mention illustrate this point. You are entirely correct he is willfully ignorant. But there is nothing you can do about it. For your sanity you should move on.
I’ve bookmarked your post. Then I can just quote it when I get to three.
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### Author:  [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/15 "2012-03-03T14:21:26Z")
I never took high school animal science but it’s clear that he’s a jackass.
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### Author:  [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/16 "2012-03-03T14:41:48Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#):
>
> I would point out that “Scammers And Politicians” would make a capital username.
or the title of a Dream Theater album.
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### Author:  [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/17 "2012-03-03T15:24:22Z")
Now I think it’s more likely that he’s just a troll. Nobody is that ignorant.
> [@Tale of two cars (Physics question)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tale-of-two-cars-physics-question/614543/126):
>
> Any decent and honest person post corrections with numbers and equations. Such subjective sentences exist only from extremists, liars, junk scientists, and the least educated. You know the answer has errors? Good. So do I as I was originally hinting at in an earliest post. Now finish what was necessary and not found in your first posts - the numbers and equations. Stop posting subjectively. Stop posting emotions. Post the corrected equations. Explain what happens with all 2,500,000 and 5,000,000 kg km2/hr2. Explain it with numbers; not subjective (junk science) attacks and denials.
He’s also very insulting for a GQ thread, and it’s [not the first time](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=596065).
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### Author:  [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/18 "2012-03-03T15:41:49Z")
> [@robby](#):
>
> Now I think it’s more likely that he’s just a troll. Nobody is that ignorant.
> He’s also very insulting for a GQ thread, and it’s [not the first time](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=596065).
can’t discount the possibility of trolling, but I think it’s probably more a fundamental misunderstanding combined with arrogance and lack of self-awareness. He doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. those people can be dangerous, just like the politicians he claims to detest.
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### Author:  [@santorum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/santorum)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/19 "2012-03-03T15:55:27Z")
Robby, Thank you for your explanation (as well as FinnAgain and Tangent). I was the OP in that thread, but I won’t respond there as I want it to die.
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### Author:  [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westom-youre-either-an-idiot-or-insane/614627/20 "2012-03-03T17:10:14Z")
After reading this [post,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14831975&postcount=127) I really wish **Tangent** had been my HS physics teacher. Well done sir.
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