# What were you THINKING? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 13, 2023, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532 "2023-10-13T19:36:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 277
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2025, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5823 "2025-11-20T04:26:44Z")
Hey! Fungus are fascinating, incredibly varied, and serve a useful purpose in helping to break down decaying vegetation. They’re as cool and helpful to the ecology as slime molds, which are also fascinatingly variegated (although you need a high-powered lens to see that). ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2025, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5824 "2025-11-20T04:41:20Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > Hey! Fungus are fascinating, incredibly varied, and serve a useful purpose in helping to break down decaying vegetation. So are worms, but you don’t want those in your brain, either. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2025, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5825 "2025-11-20T10:37:23Z")
But what will the fungus have for a food source if there aren’t dead worms in there? ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2025, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5826 "2025-11-22T14:54:27Z")
Ok, so I consider this an appropriate entry, because I don’t see **Great\_Antibob** as troll, racist, or other unsavory character, but I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong. That said, on the subject of the ethnic makeup of the population of Haiti, from the thread **Two guys from Texas plan to conquer and enslave their own sex island** : `https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-guys-from-texas-plan-to-conquer-and-enslave-their-own-sex-island/1025033` > [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > > [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > > > There is historical precedent, of course: a small number of spanish invaders were able to conquor or dominate populous south american civilzations, temporaily at least. > > Well, yes, but nearly all the population of Gonâve, rather than these two clowns, are descended from those invaders > [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > > > Um…the conquistadors were Africans enslaved by the French? > > Are you claiming the people currently living on Hispaniola are descended purely from African slaves? None at all from the French or Spanish (who did most of the enslaving) who were also there at the time they achieved independence? Or the native population who lived there before them? > > While their ancestry may be predominantly African for the most part, it’s not exclusively so. Though I would have little pity for anybody who actually thought they could roll in and treat the current residents as primitive natives to be exploited. Maybe I’d even enjoy a bit of schadenfreude at the welcome they’d likely receive WTF, man? You made a stupid\* quip about the population of Haiti, and you got called out correctly for missing the fact that, unlike large swathes populations of much of Central, South, and North America, the people of Haiti are descended primarily not from colonizers, but the enslaved victims of colonizers. Who then engaged in a self-led and highly successful slave uprising, and won their independence through righteous violence, rather than having it given to them by white men (as the un-masked KKK fascists at PragerU would have us believe). Because the people of Haiti, over two centuries ago, did that, white supremacists elsewhere in the world have never forgiven them. Which is to say, its present status as an independent nation descended largely from a population of enslaved africans is an important part of its national identity. Not only internally, but how its been treated (or rather mistreated) from abroad. To say they are descended from the people who enslaved them—let alone that they can be expected to derive some superior\* abilities from such ancestry—is hardly a compliment. Now, technically, the present population does have some level of mixed African and European ancestry. But the European contribution to the genetic makeup of the population ranges from minuscule (about 5%) in some areas to still very small (about %25) in others… > **[Demographics of Haiti](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Haiti)** > > Haiti is the 83rd most populous country in the world, with an estimated population of 11,123,178 as of July 2018. The last national census in Haiti was done in 2003. Although much of that data has not been released, the population recorded was 8,812,245. > According to population DNA tests,\[which?\] approximately 80% of the population of Haiti is Afro-Haitian.\[citation needed\] Within Black Haitian DNA, according to a study, the composition is approximately 88% African, the rest are European or m... \*But here’s the really fucking ugly part. Stupid and ugly. Even to the extent there might be some fig leaf of truth to your assertion—just enough to be pedantic and claim “Well, technically…”, what you’re essentially suggesting is genetic determinism. That because, in your estimation, they were descended from conquerers, they will necessarily be superior and conquerers themselves. I’m sure you didn’t consciously mean this, but what you have essentially argued for is the supremacy of white (or at least Spanish) European genes. It boggles the mind, why you would want to double down on something like that. I mean, if you were going to make such an awful argument why couldn’t you have at least made a historically literate argument based on how these people of predominantly _African_ descent cast off their white supremacist colonial oppressors before and damn well ought to be able to do it again? Anyway, now I can go back to ignoring **xtenkfarpl**. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2025, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5827 "2025-11-22T15:05:50Z")
He also pretends that Hispaniola is the same thing as Haiti. Really bad faith goalpost moving there, ---
**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:** [November 23, 2025, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5828 "2025-11-23T07:33:44Z")
What’s up with @Elendil_s_Heir bumping years-or even decades-old threads? I’ve spotted this twice recently. Just make a new thread with a link to the old one. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5829 "2025-11-23T07:44:08Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > What’s up with @Elendil_s_Heir bumping years-or even decades-old threads? He mostly does it when what he wants to add isn’t really worth an entirely new thread. I seem to recall that he’s asked the mods about it, and they said it’s okay to bump the old threads. ---
**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:** [November 23, 2025, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5830 "2025-11-23T07:51:16Z")
Just because it’s not against the rules doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. He’s _not_ really adding anything of earth-shaking value to them with his bumps, (at least, the rail and disintegrating city ones which caught my eye) and old threads are a real pain to read. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5831 "2025-11-23T18:36:24Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > What’s up with @Elendil_s_Heir bumping years-or even decades-old threads? I’ve spotted this twice recently. [ He’s been doing that forever](https://boards.straightdope.com/search?context=user&context_id=elendil_s_heir&q=bumped%20order%3Alatest&skip_context=false). Hundreds and hundreds of times. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5832 "2025-11-23T18:42:00Z")
And it is allowed and he has one nudge from the mods about not bumping heated threads. Seems really minor to complain about when we have active posters whose bad joke attempts to real posts are about 19:1. I enjoy some of the bumps myself. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5833 "2025-11-23T18:56:22Z")
I definitely do not mind it. The old threads are usually pretty entertaining. Every thing under the sun has been discussed, anyway. I’m of the opinion all we ever do, in RL, is re-discussion. We love to complain and expound on our pet subjects. Sometimes with my adult children, who yammer their heads off, _all the time!_ they rarely come up with new subject. They just re-hash. Repeatedly. So, Old Zombie threads are not an inconvenience at all. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5834 "2025-11-23T19:06:24Z")
He also got a nudge for posting links without a summary. Not a major crime but a pet peeve of mine. “And then there’s this…” 🙄 ---
**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:** [November 23, 2025, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5835 "2025-11-23T19:07:50Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Seems really minor to complain about This is the thread for minor complaints about otherwise fine posters, isn’t it? > [@What\_Exit](#): > > I enjoy some of the bumps myself. I did not enjoy seeing “new” threads on topics I’m particularly interested in, only to find they’re zombies with just EH posting some link - _22 years later._, in one case - to bump them to the top. All the _old_ conversation is nigh unreadable because of formatting changes and broken links, and he’s functionally replying to the Army of the Banned in any case. And for some of them, he’s not bumping the most recent thread on them, either - we’ve had “how long does it take for a city to break down” threads more recently than 15 years ago. Hell, he’s posted the same _The World Without Us_ rec in [some](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-electricity-tv-etc-keep-going-if-all-people-disappeared/641037/7) of those:. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5836 "2025-11-23T19:09:16Z")
I have a slightly different perspective. A lot of those old threads show some behavior/attitudes that have been changed and mitigated over the years (despite reactionaries like MAGA) for the better. Those can be wince-inducing, or ruefully amusing. Some are perennial opinions/arguments like @Beckdawrek suggests, and nothing wrong with the nth argument on some food, movie or what have you. And the ones I really LIKE is that someone brought up a subject 10-20 years ago (true crime, tv show, book or the like) and someone, even a blow-in poster, has FOUND it, or changing science/investigation has found the answer! Those blow my mind in a good way. The ones where someone pops in to offer a spare thought on a 10+ year old thread range from “oh, okay” to “-sigh-” in my internal response. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5837 "2025-11-23T19:33:20Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > have a slightly different perspective. A lot of those old threads show some behavior/attitudes that have been changed and mitigated over the years Yeah. I have multiple times started to reach for the report function and then stopped to look at the date of the post. By now it’s almost automatic — currently seriously out of line post, especially with several following posters not reacting or even joining in? Check the date! But I often didn’t see the old threads the first time; and often find them interesting. And if there’s genuinely new information, it makes at least as much sense to me, sometimes more, to add on to an old thread as to start a new one. (If the old one was mostly a couple hundred posts of a couple of long-gone posters arguing about the same point, not so much.) > [@ParallelLines](#): > > And the ones I really LIKE is that someone brought up a subject 10-20 years ago (true crime, tv show, book or the like) and someone, even a blow-in poster, has FOUND it, or changing science/investigation has found the answer! Those blow my mind in a good way. Those are great. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5838 "2025-11-23T19:35:07Z")
I mean there is never enough information about Stewart Sandwiches 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5839 "2025-11-23T19:39:34Z")
Thanks, all, for your feedback. I always check to see if there’s already a thread on a topic about which a recent article has caught my eye, and which I think may be interesting to other Dopers. If I haven’t bumped the very most recent thread, it’s typically because the one I didn’t post to didn’t have the most descriptive thread title. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5840 "2025-11-23T19:44:34Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Thanks, all, for your feedback. And now we’re having a reasonable discussion complete with hugs in the Pit. What sort of _monsters_ are we? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5841 "2025-11-23T19:45:45Z")
Fuck all you fuckers for fucking up the Pit with civility. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/5842 "2025-11-23T20:13:54Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [He’s been doing that forever](https://boards.straightdope.com/search?context=user&context_id=elendil_s_heir&q=bumped%20order%3Alatest&skip_context=false). Hundreds and hundreds of times. I notice that one of the first on that list is the “Bump This Thread!” thread. > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > > [@ParallelLines](#): > > > > And the ones I really LIKE is that someone brought up a subject 10-20 years ago (true crime, tv show, book or the like) and someone, even a blow-in poster, has FOUND it, or changing science/investigation has found the answer! Those blow my mind in a good way. > > Those are great. Yeah, I don’t have a blanket opinion on the bumping of old threads, but sometimes it’s appropriate and welcome. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532.md?page=276) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532.md?page=278)