# 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:** 296
**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:** [January 9, 2026, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6228 "2026-01-09T16:51:13Z")
I agree šŸ˜ I kid you @LSLGuy. You seem perfectly reasonable to me. And, @Reply good job. Itā€™s very hard to explain yourself here if you have a dissenting opinion or a odd thought about things. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4bbf92/32.png) [@Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Hamsandwich)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2026, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6229 "2026-01-09T21:10:52Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Itā€™s very hard to explain yourself here if you have a dissenting opinion or a odd thought about things. Oā€™Brien thought the same, tooā€¦ (I kid, I kid šŸ™‚ ). A thoughtful, well-reasoned response, **Reply.** ---
**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:** [January 9, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6230 "2026-01-09T22:01:05Z")
It helps to be very explicit about what youā€™re doing. In the leadup to trumpā€™s first election I was sure he was going to win. Not that I favored that outcome. I was careful to state explicitly that this was what I predicted, not what I desired. Folks still missed the distinction. In a sufficiently partisan universe you _must_ believe your desired outcome will occur. The alternative just does not compute for lotta folks. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6231 "2026-01-10T10:17:58Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > This time it seems the ā€œjokeā€ is on me. Iā€™m the one who pulled the stupid by getting the ā€œseemingā€ part of @Replyā€™s words all wrong. And Iā€™ve been set straight in the best manner possible. I have to agree that both of you handled this really well!! ---
**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:** [January 11, 2026, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6232 "2026-01-11T17:48:52Z")
23 posts were split to a new topic: [Trying to understand why the country I lived in for the last two decades suddenly turned onto such a violent and hateful trajectory](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-understand-why-the-country-i-lived-in-for-the-last-two-decades-suddenly-turned-onto-such-a-violent-and-hateful-trajectory/1026567) ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2026, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6235 "2026-01-11T13:01:05Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Ayn Rand? Thatā€™s the one that wrote about orcs or something? Roarks. Not orcs. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2026, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6258 "2026-01-11T19:35:47Z")
As a general comment for both the ā€œmovie we all likeā€ and ā€œsong we all likeā€ threads, I would like to note that it is legitimately possible to say ā€œI donā€™t like thisā€ without disparaging the movie/song, the genre they fit in, or those that like that movie/song which you do not like. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6259 "2026-01-12T00:39:36Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > We can debate your interpretation of events in the other thread. Here, Iā€™m just going to suggest you look at the words youā€™re using to describe it and the certainly you seem to feel based on viewing one video. @TroutMan , Iā€™m only now getting to this. Iā€™ve been on vacation. Yeah I agree, the words I chose to use were poor choices, inflammatory and out of line ā€” this was several days ago, so itā€™s pretty much history by now. Iā€™ve been offline for most of the past week or three. I should have stepped it back. I struggle with how to disagree in a civil way. Maybe that means I have an anger management issue. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6260 "2026-01-12T01:30:11Z")
Thanks for the response. I donā€™t think you have anger management issues, I just think you didnā€™t put your usual thought into the argument you were making. No worries, we all do that sometimes. Weā€™re good. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6261 "2026-01-12T21:08:49Z")
Thank you for this! It means a lot, especially since you didnā€™t owe me anything of the sort ā€” it was a totally understandable position to have taken, not knowing all of this background beforehand. I wasnā€™t offended or upset, mind you; just wanted to clarify the situation because it looked like a misunderstanding. And for my part, I really need to better consider the tone with which I say certain things. The Dope is usually so good at separating factual disagreements from personal ones, but once in a while an especially sensitive topic comes up and, wellā€¦ weā€™re only human, still, and itā€™s not always easy to divine context over posts. We do the best with the limited information we have and sometimes the extrapolation goes awry šŸ™‚ Anyway, I truly appreciate the response. Thank you. Looks like I have some catching up to do, tooā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6262 "2026-01-12T21:24:59Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > and itā€™s not always easy to divine context over posts. Donā€™t divine too much, and youā€™re good at this board. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6263 "2026-01-12T23:01:40Z")
Not good. Divine! ---
**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:** [January 12, 2026, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6264 "2026-01-12T23:19:30Z")
[![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzFmOWI3YzUtZDBkOC00OTNkLTk5NzAtNGJlYzdhYTUzMjlhXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg) ](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzFmOWI3YzUtZDBkOC00OTNkLTk5NzAtNGJlYzdhYTUzMjlhXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6265 "2026-01-12T23:46:08Z")
Hard Magic is a good song. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6266 "2026-01-15T01:22:32Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > I swear, this thread may be a candidate for ā€œmost spun off threads everā€. I reckon so. I knew of this thread as Iā€™d been @tā€™d to it. We smoothed things out, and I called it a quasi-pit thread for fairly minor grievances that didnā€™t rise to the level of a PIT. Then I wrote a post about how I was not going to take any more from Dr.Dez (as Iā€™ve heard him referred to) and he has his own Pit thread, but that went off on a couple tangents and thus more pit theads - deservedly as their topic was way off. So I feel for the mods who have to decide when a simple ā€œThis guy was wrongā€, the guy shows up, does not debate the point, and hopes things are cool. and when a mini-thread becomes multiple threads. It would take a lot for me to pit someone, and Iā€™d like to think Iā€™m so charming that no one will pit me. Iā€™d like this thread to exist for the minor grievances angle. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2026, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6267 "2026-01-17T01:39:05Z")
Didnā€™t know where else to post this, so this seems appropriate. The many legged soft mollusk hasnā€™t been on my radar for a long time and I had almost forgot what a hive mind we have here. Then, the tentacles resurfaced and heā€™s now claiming Trump is no big deal, itā€™s really China we should be afraid of. All the while, Trump is directly making China more important on the world stage. But, itā€™s not Trump to fret about, itā€™s China. What a maroon. ---
**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:** [January 17, 2026, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6268 "2026-01-17T04:02:06Z")
Octopus does have his own pit thread, though he and it have been rather quiet for some time. > [@Octopus here's your own thread to shit all over](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-heres-your-own-thread-to-shit-all-over/815550): > > Octopus is very, very good at his occupation. He trolls relentlessly until the entire thread is about him, then he whines about how mean people are, and wonā€™t someone think of the children. I am fully sympathetic to the desire to vent pent-up Octopus-punting needs (symbolically, of course) and hereby present this thread for that purpose. Bonus points if you can earn these phrases from our honoree: Potty mouth You kiss your mother with that mouth My children see this Why do the mods allow tā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2026, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6269 "2026-01-17T12:52:42Z")
He gets bored sometimes and pops up to see what pots he can stir. Not worth giving attention to. ---
**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:** [January 17, 2026, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6270 "2026-01-17T13:21:20Z")
With 8 spoons he can get several stirring at once. Most efficient. ---
**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:** [January 17, 2026, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6271 "2026-01-17T18:10:34Z")
Oh, I miss @Sunny_Daze. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532.md?page=295) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532.md?page=297)