Bits of "common sense" that need to die

[New Octopucta]

Also, that tennis is somehow a less athletic sport than the others (football and soccer for instance).

As a competitive sailor, hell yes.

Where do you live that there is competitive sailing? I know some counties that are closer to the coast have rowing competitions, I've never heard of competitive sailing.

[MariVelasca]

- That weed is only enjoyed by hippies.
- That moonshine is only enjoyed by rednecks.
- That white guys that date black girls pay for everything, or is a 'wigger.'

I have more, but aye...I'm lazy.

[Salandriagado]

As a competitive sailor, hell yes.

Where do you live that there is competitive sailing? I know some counties that are closer to the coast have rowing competitions, I've never heard of competitive sailing.

This is the problem, you see? It's one of the most tightly competitive sports going, with events happening everywhere. There are literally hundreds of lakes dotted around the place that people race on, plus the coasts. Seriously, we're one of the founding Olympic sports.


Incidentally, about as far from the coast as you can be and still be in the UK.

[Thalam]

if people evolved from monkeys then why are there still monkeys

[Trotskylvania]

Where do you live that there is competitive sailing? I know some counties that are closer to the coast have rowing competitions, I've never heard of competitive sailing.

This is the problem, you see? It's one of the most tightly competitive sports going, with events happening everywhere. There are literally hundreds of lakes dotted around the place that people race on, plus the coasts. Seriously, we're one of the founding Olympic sports.


Incidentally, about as far from the coast as you can be and still be in the UK.

It doesn't help that it's one of the most expensive sports in the world, and requires a very complicated skill set that has basically no use beyond recreation.

[Coccygia]

if people evolved from monkeys then why are there still monkeys

Because then you wouldn't be here.

But srsly folks...the answer to this question (I assume, Thalam, you are giving this as an example of a notion deserving of death, which it is) is that why shouldn't the monkeys still be here? All tetrapods (land vertebrates) evolved from fish - and fish are still here. All animals ultimately evolved from sponges (no kidding - pace Spongebob) - and sponges are still here. All multicellular organisms evolved from single-celled ones - and ditto. And everything ultimately evolved from bacteria* - and, unfortunately†, they too are still here.


*And don't give me any guff about the Archaea, OK?
†I'm only referring to pathogens here, OK? I know most bacteria are harmless, beneficial, or necessary. It's just a few bad apples like anthrax that make it tough for all prokaryotes. Figures.

[Salandriagado]

This is the problem, you see? It's one of the most tightly competitive sports going, with events happening everywhere. There are literally hundreds of lakes dotted around the place that people race on, plus the coasts. Seriously, we're one of the founding Olympic sports.


Incidentally, about as far from the coast as you can be and still be in the UK.

It doesn't help that it's one of the most expensive sports in the world, and requires a very complicated skill set that has basically no use beyond recreation.

It really isn't expensive. A competitive boat cost me all of £400 to buy the boat and fit it out, and has lasted me for years, and will continue to last me for years. Each year, events and membership of things and training and things costs me all of £100-200. Try to do competitive football or anything else for that price. The skill set really isn't that complicated (as demonstrated by the irritating 6-8 year olds who keep thrashing me), we can teach people to sail in a matter of 2-4 days. Fair enough it'll take a lot longer to be competitive, but try taking on a premiership footballer, you'll be just as unable to keep up. And frankly, beyond recreation, there aren't many sports that have any use. Running/motor racing is about as close as it gets to being useful.

[Aethyopea]

...that all Swedes are called Sven, Lars and Inga

Most Swedes are called Bjorn and Helga instead. The Norwegians however *nods*

That Holland and the Netherlands are the same thing.

Technically, they are the same thing in Flemish. There "nen Hollander" can mean both a person who lives in Holland and a person who lives in the Netherlands.

[EvilDarkMagicians]

That penises are keys and vaginas are locks.

Fuck that shit.

[Coccygia]

That penises are keys and vaginas are locks.

Is that what causes vaginismus*?


*When the muscles of the vagina spasm and clamp onto the penis and won't let go, so the guy is stuck like a rat in a glue trap. Nurse! WD-40! Stat!

[The Blaatschapen]

Most Swedes are called Bjorn and Helga instead. The Norwegians however *nods*

That Holland and the Netherlands are the same thing.

Technically, they are the same thing in Flemish. There "nen Hollander" can mean both a person who lives in Holland and a person who lives in the Netherlands.

And if I don't know the Flemish person he just might get a punch in the face. Or a comment about how he's a Walloon.

[Shinjitai]

Everyone around me seems to think that: Right handed= smart/Left handed= creative.

Quite true, Bach was left handed, Da Vinci was left handed, MichealAngelo was left handed, oh so many people are left handed, just search on youtube: Famous Left handed People,
notice how most of them are creative,

[New Octopucta]

Everyone around me seems to think that: Right handed= smart/Left handed= creative.

Quite true, Bach was left handed, Da Vinci was left handed, MichealAngelo was left handed, oh so many people are left handed, just search on youtube: Famous Left handed People,
notice how most of them are creative,

Good job missing the point.

[The Matthew Islands]

It's just a few bad apples like anthrax that make it tough for all prokaryotes. Figures.

Anthrax "The Invisible Victim"

I dunno if its 'common sense' but some of things on here are hardly sense.

Every child with a behavioural problem is from a broken family.

[The Matthew Islands]

Quite true, Bach was left handed, Da Vinci was left handed, MichealAngelo was left handed, oh so many people are left handed, just search on youtube: Famous Left handed People,
notice how most of them are creative,

Good job missing the point.

I think its meant to disagree with your point.

[Ovisterra]

"The adult is right in an argument, even if they have no idea what they are talking about"

The amount of times I've heard this...

[Coccygia]

That Holland and the Netherlands are the same thing.

I thought they were? What we call Holland the Dutch call the Netherlands, right? I know historically the Netherlands included Holland, Flanders, and Luxembourg (I think) but aren't the Holland and the Netherlands currently, at least in English usage, the same.

I'd rather not even get into why in English we refer to the people of the Netherlands as Dutch (that is, Germans!)

[Zanarkenisia]

That penises are keys and vaginas are locks.

Fuck that shit.

How is that a bad analogy?

[The Merchant Republics]

That fascism is free market economically
(It's usually because of the confusion of right-wing, but any good fascist will tell you their centrist at best, they just hate socialism)

That social market economies are "socialist"
(Social Markets are still very much capitalist)

That communism is "good on paper"
(Understandably, it's an opinion but the ridiculous over use of the phrase bothers me)

That third world sweatshops are what make people poor
(No doubt that sweatshops are bad, but they're a symptom of poverty not the ailment)

That the Industrial Revolution invented the concept of child labour
(Indeed, paradoxically it was the eventual increase in Industrial Revolution which first really introduced the concept of childhood being a time for education and play not work at least for the poor)

Stemming from that, that the Industrial Revolution made people poor.
(You get this from faux-socialists that haven't done their reading, the Satanic Mills were bad, but you can't bet it was better than the miserable existence of the pre-industrial farmer)

That libertarians are corporate shills.
(Mind you, reasonable arguments can be made, arising from the confusion and comparison of the current market and the ideal free market, I'm not arguing that, but the fact is that we don't by and large support corporations nor their actions in the current market)

[Ovisterra]

That Holland and the Netherlands are the same thing.

I thought they were? What we call Holland the Dutch call the Netherlands, right? I know historically the Netherlands included Holland, Flanders, and Luxembourg (I think) but aren't the Holland and the Netherlands currently, at least in English usage, the same.

I'd rather not even get into why in English we refer to the people of the Netherlands as Dutch (that is, Germans!)

Holland is a province of the Netherlands (I think. Correct me if I'm not. )

[Trotskylvania]

That penises are keys and vaginas are locks.

Fuck that shit.

Indeed. Whoever came up with that misogynistic saying needs to be burned alive.

[Salandriagado]

I thought they were? What we call Holland the Dutch call the Netherlands, right? I know historically the Netherlands included Holland, Flanders, and Luxembourg (I think) but aren't the Holland and the Netherlands currently, at least in English usage, the same.

I'd rather not even get into why in English we refer to the people of the Netherlands as Dutch (that is, Germans!)

Holland is a province of the Netherlands (I think. Correct me if I'm not. )

Yes, it is. Two provinces, I believe.

[The Merchant Republics]

Everyone around me seems to think that: Right handed= smart/Left handed= creative.

Quite true, Bach was left handed, Da Vinci was left handed, MichealAngelo was left handed, oh so many people are left handed, just search on youtube: Famous Left handed People,
notice how most of them are creative,

I'm considered extraordinarily creative by my peers. Not to compare myself to those sorts of masters of the arts. But I'm creative and I'm right-handed, I was early on in my years ambidextrous, but I can't right more than chicken scratch now.

The Left/Right divide simply doesn't exist.

[Ovisterra]

The "common sense" that we only use 10% of their brain.
The "common sense" that girls are inherently less interested in math/science/sport/etc.

People who use the first are just being stupid and should be saved. People who use the second are being sexist and should be shunned/slapped.

[Ovisterra]

Quite true, Bach was left handed, Da Vinci was left handed, MichealAngelo was left handed, oh so many people are left handed, just search on youtube: Famous Left handed People,
notice how most of them are creative,

I'm considered extraordinarily creative by my peers. Not to compare myself to those sorts of masters of the arts. But I'm creative and I'm right-handed, I was early on in my years ambidextrous, but I can't right more than chicken scratch now.

The Left/Right divide simply doesn't exist.

Plus Da Vinci was smart and creative, but not ambidextrous.