What is mind boggling to you?

religion, global warming and general science denial, creationism, ayn randism

It is mind boggling to me how the middle and lower classes in America buy into all the radical right-wing bullshit, support Red State platforms, echo it whenever they get a chance, and, in effect, work against their own interests when there are social democracies, like those in Scandinavia and Germany, that are not only less sensitive to worldwide economic downturns, as we have recently experienced, but produce much healthier, better educated, and happier populations within more accessible democracies. (catches breath) But this requires that these peoples’ tax money be returned to them in the form of investment back into their societies in the form of health care and education, which, for some reason, is interpreted the root of all evil -Socialism—in America. This very likely shows that the American education policies combined with the coalescence of corporate mass media of the past few decades are succeeding wonderfully.

- The reason why China is so aggressive: to set the world order in the same way as it used to be thousand years ago, when China still partly ruled the world. We kind of repeatedly crushed that ambition, that’s why they hate us.

- The belief that “if you pray hard teddy bears will appear”.

…And @ragingloli fires one across the bow.

Mankind’s seeming hate of itself. Those that would vote for those who would wish to limit my options. People that support the counterfeit goods industry.

How people will readily form an opinion about something despite knowing nothing about the subject. Usually the less they know the stronger their opinions.

Alzheimer’s
Parkinson’s
Nuns/Priests
Donald Trump’s hair
Ladyboys
Clowns

Yeah I remember when Kevbo asked this back then. My answer is the same: Plastic. The amount of plastic that we use and make things from. Think about it. Everything from construction materials (vinyl siding for example), bathroom stalls, almost everything in fast food restaurants, polyurethane and similar coatings, bottles for food, electronics like computers, TV’s, cell phones, sewing machines, appliances like coffee makers, blenders, kitchen ware like bowls, plates, plus coffee cups, etc. The list goes on and on.

Climate change denial

@jca, haha! Yup, for me it’s still tires and how they keep us from flying off the road.

Also, that there is enough food to feed everyone, which always strikes me when I travel to a city bigger than mine. As in, “how do they get chicken to all these people?”

Today it’s how many people on the fitness forum I frequent don’t know the difference between “loose” and “lose.” If one more person types, “I want to loose 50 lbs,” I might scream. It amazes me that the school system failed these people so horribly – or that they failed themselves so horribly. And then when you try to politely correct them, they either get defensive or laugh it off, saying “sorry, I’m not good at grammar.” Oy!

@livelaughlove21 On here too.

Women… with a capital “W”.

Life, the reason we are born and die. Can’t figure this visit to Earth out, very disturbing.

My mind still boggles when I think that men have walked on the moon, the only other solar body Earthlings have ever visited in person, traveling 241,000 miles each way in a tiny box guided by a computer with less power than some of today’s toys.

If you find out the meaning of life I’d really like to know too.

Maybe they’re those laxative bulimics and they want to loose 50 lbs through their stool.

Facebook and Twitter. Do we really have to know everything you think say and do?

@flutherother: “How people will readily form an opinion about something despite knowing nothing about the subject. Usually the less they know the stronger their opinions.”

This.

“I know that there are scientists who have been studying this stuff every day for years, but I read an article once I’m pretty sure I understand more than all of them combined.”

“There are uncomfirmed reports that…”

Some take this as 100% verifiable truth.

In physics, the Double Slit Experiment

In everyday life, which now includes diabetes for me, chilling potatoes and other foods. A cooked potato has 100 grams of carbohydrates, which is far too much for a diabetic to eat in one meal (you want to stay near 60). But, if you cool that potato, the potato starches change, and they have fewer carbs! That means I can’t have a baked potato or french fries, but I can have potato salad.
The same thing applies to rice. No hot rice, but cool it and I can have a good sized bowl.
I cannot have white bread, but if I stick it in the freezer for 30 days, then allow it to thaw, I can.

This shit is just weird.

@livelaughlove21 “Loose” and “lose” are good examples of confused words, but I see far more people confuse “breath” and “breathe”. If I see one more “I can’t breath”, I might blow a gasket…

People are mentioning climate change denial, but it’s not mind boggling to me because I understand that it’s 100% political and has nothing to do with science.

Astronomy is mind-boggling to me. Temperatures of 27,000,000 degrees, distances of millions of lightyears, stars that we see at night that have long since been extinguished—that’s just nuts.

@DominicX I catch myself writing breath instead of breathe all the time. Actually, I don’t catch it enough.

The mass appeal of Star Trek
Cheerleaders
Green cars
People with webbed toes (Patrick Duffy freaky foot)

Some of @ragingloli‘s answers!

@ucme Racing green? Like forest green? I love that color on some cars. My husband hates it.

British racing green is tolerable, but green is such a crap colour on a car

Why the hell do I pay 500 dollars for a next generation console when all their Japanese role playing games are inferior pieces of cow dung, and some old, weak machine like the Super Nintendo still has some of the most jaw dropping Japanese role playing games, ever.
You’d think with how powerful the new consoles are, they could blow Chrono Trigger out of the water, but so far most of the modern JRPG’s I play are really inferior, inferior to even mediocre American games.

Maybe I’m just getting old. Or Japan sucks at making games now.

Or Chrono Trigger is just that fucking awesome. And Final Fantasy VI. And Earthbound. And…yeah. Fuck Time and Eternity.

console peasants.

@ragingloli Hey! Super Nintendo is awesome. :p

The absurdity of the human brain.

My mother in law has been visiting for the past few days. She lived through a burst aneurysm in 1988 that left her with, basically, an ice-cream scoop taken out of her brain, and epilepsy and bonkers short-term memory retention, and now at 65 years old has the beginnings of dementia as well.

She can remember the name of the guy she dated twice before he got drafted to Vietnam in 1967, yet I’ve been married to her son for seven years and she cannot remember my name. She can quote Joyce Meyer’s television show all day long but has told me the same story 800 times in three days. She remembers that my sister in law took all of her money (the $300 she came to town with), but doesn’t remember how to play Go Fish. She remembers one – only one – of the twin brothers that lived in the commune my husband was born in.

Brains are funny. I want to read more about memory and how it works (and doesn’t).

The fact that Karl Rove thinks Hillary Clinton is “old and stale”.

Students who go to college but hate to learn. I’m boggled by them!

I saw that 60 Minutes episode, too.

Trying to think beyond my great-great grandfather, and make the connections, starts twisting my mind. So does thinking about eternity. I mean, it almost physically hurts!

“The fact that Karl Rove thinks Hillary Clinton is “old and stale”.

What is the left offering us now that is any different from what they were promising decades ago?

“I keep voting Democrat. Why am I still poor?”

“I was told America is the greatest country in the world. Why are there no jobs, no affordable housing, and no healthcare?”

We don’t have a “left” here. We have a fascist religious right and a tiny voice begging them to use a little KY when they fuck us up the ass.

@Symbeline Games in general are getting dumber in my opinion. But there are still some really badass Japanese games out there, especially visual novels. And Japanese games’ soundtrack is pretty pleasant to listen to.

Well, there’s definitely a world of difference between old and modern games, which all have their charms…but I can’t believe some of the stuff they try and sell us sometimes lol. And will they STOP with the FPS’s, GOD lol.
Man I just wish they would re release old RPG’s, and add trophies to earn in them.

I finally took @ragingloli‘s advice and downloaded a PS2 emulator. I’m almost done with Final Fantasy X, and will start on X-2 right after. Nice to get caught up on the stuff I had no money for ten years ago.

How did you like FFX?

The beginning is ssssssslllllllllllooooooooowww. It really felt like the first five hours the game play was a vehicle to get you from cinema scene to cinema scene. But it picks up. I miss the FFVIII junction system. They do this weird sphere thing that looks like Circular Gallifreyan in order to level up, and you can never get the special spheres you need when you actually need them.

But there’s a whole side-game you’d probably like that I still haven’t even figured out the controls on. It’s like a weird underwater soccer/Quiddich hybrid. I’m sure you get special shit if you win but I’ve never done it, haha.

I like the anti-religious sentiment in the storyline. Makes me giggle quite a bit.

I want Lulu’s costume. A lot. I’m going to start trolling thrift stores for belts.

Also, can anyone confirm that they change the appearance of the characters from Japan to America?

The version I’m playing is a demo, and some of the cinema scenes are in Japanese. I can almost swear that Tidus and Yuna look different in the Japanese scenes than they do in the English ones. Higher cheekbones, darker skin on him, lighter skin on her, darker hair on her, stuff like that.

Yeah I’ve played it, and you’re right I love Blitzball lol. I spent a great deal of the game looking for players to build my team. If you ever find it fun and want to build a team, don’t pick any ronsos. They may be strong, but they’re slow as hell.
And yeah, I always got a kick out of Wakka and Rikku having religious debates and shit. It’s a good game, but like you I do prefer the junction system in VIII. Or the materia from VII, although that is a little too simplistic. :/ But if you get used to the sphere system and like it, I recommend you try out FFXII next. Well after X2 anyways. Both systems are kinda similar. (as you can never get the shit you want until way late in the game when you don’t need it anymore XD)

One thing that kind turned me off about this game is how every character is good against some type of enemy…Wakka against flying shit, Rikku for machines, Auron for big buggers…takes a bit out of making a strategy, but eventually it picks up, as I’m sure you must be figuring out.

I have no idea about the Japanese version VS the American one though…

I hated X.I hated the main character, and I hated Blitzball, especially that big dumb guy that fought with a ball.

Lots of technology boggles my mind. Sending a fax is still pretty incredible to me. The infrastructure for some technology is overwhelming. From the old landline phone systems, especially calling another continent, to the Internet now, and even cable TV. Just laying down all the wire, setting up the transfer stations, or whatever they are called. Even cooperating with the other governments. Just thinking that big and making it happen is amazing.

If you go to the Ford museum in MI and see all the amazing engineering creations (not just cars) it is incredible how people had the foresight and the fortitude to realize their passion and take on and take risks for such large endeavors.

What I find most mind boggling of all is that things exist. There are amazing things; galaxies, black holes, sunsets, cities but there is nothing more amazing than a speck of dust. Why should it exist rather than nothingness. Once you have that speck of dust everything else follows naturally but why should it be there to begin with?

How fast technology has moved just in my lifetime, which is not really that long. How we went from television, to the answering machine and VCR when I was a teen, and that was pretty wonderful. The phone had a wire attached to the wall.

Then cell phones, which started as big brick phones that only doctors, chauffeurs and drug dealers had. Many people had beepers in the 80’s and if you listen to old rap songs, they talk about beepers and “Motorola two way pager.” Then wireless technology got more sophisticated, and now there are wireless printers.

We used to listen to albums, and cassettes. Now there’s so many choices for music listening.

I’m sure if I was a mechanic, I would be able to talk about the difference between cars in the 70’s and 80’s and cars now.

Forget the internet and smart phone technology with apps – so incredible and mind boggling what some apps can do. So incredible how when I was a kid (again, not really that long ago, 1970’s), we would research stuff at the library. Now I research stuff all day by googling. Any time I hear about something that is interesting, I google it and I can learn more instantly.

My daughter, who is almost 7, will take all this for granted, I’m sure, but to have grown up in a time without it, I don’t take it for granted.

The blatant hypocrisy of radical Conservatives.

@ragingloli The big dumb guy is Wakka. Heh I thought he was the most entertaining character in the game. He’s not ’‘big’’ though.
But dude, did you try XII? The story is a bit more traditional, and also darker. You might enjoy that.
Also they have an HD remake of FFX now…I don’t have it, but it has some online shit…it would be cool if you could fight other players in Blitzball.

I thought I was going to really like Seymour, but he became a really whiny bitch really quickly.

The aeons suck. All of them.

And what’s the friggin’ deal with all the shit I had to go through to get Demi for Lulu, and it doesn’t even work on anything except random encounters you don’t need it for?

Yeah, Seymour really isn’t…one of the most impressive antagonists out there. And his fucking hair. Ever since Sephiroth, they always give villains outrageous hair.

As for the aeons, I like Yojimbo. Not that he’s all that useful, plus using him costs money…but I think he looks so cool haha.

I’ve found giving him 2 gil does exactly the same as 1000, but for some reason he likes getting 666 gil. It does slightly more damage that way.

It boggles my mind that most people have ten fingers and ten toes.
Ever take a genetics class?

@fluthernutter Or watch actual cell division from an embryo. One cell to an organism? Insane.

How the price of a concert has gone up so much. When I was about 20, a concert was about $12.50. I’m talking good concerts – the Rolling Stones, stuff like that. Now a concert is at least $150.

@jca GA. It is ridiculous! Also, tickets for sports events.

I did go to see the Florida Orchestra Sunday and the cheap tickets were $15 and they were awesome! The expensive ones were $45, still not bad.

@jca GA too! It happens in my country too. But you know, there is something even more ridiculous than that: no matter how high the price is, crazy fans will do anything to get the tickets for the concerts of their idols. And how they get the money… well, there are some… “excellent” methods like “Mom, if you don’t give me the money I will commit suicide!” I just can’t understand. Not seeing your idols face-to-face means you’re dead?

@JLeslie: Yeah, Yankee Stadium is just ridiculous. I remember once, at a Yankee game, sitting behind a dad and his kid. I remember adding up in my head what the dad spent, because the kid had a hot dog, soda, the dad had a beer, the kid had the baseball cap and the program. I remember it came to about $150. I was thinking 150 for a baseball game. That did not include tickets. I was thinking this is not something that a lot of people can afford.

@jca Around Christmas, the Baseball Hall of Fame has a bring a food donation for the food bank and get in for free. We usually take a bag full.

When people find out I’m a vegetarian and they say, “Wow! How do you get enough protein, what do you eat?” or my favorite, “But you do eat chicken and fish, right?”

@Kardamom – I was a vegetarian (lacto-ovo) for 9 years. There were at least 5 people who said, “Cool, I am a vegetarian too. I eat very little red meat these days. I mostly eat chicken and fish…and maybe a little pork.”

^^ Yep.

One of my co-workers, who claims to be a vegetarian is always telling me about the wonderful dinners she’s had, such as cioppino, sushi, grilled salmon, or paella. I just smile and say it sounds delish!

@Kardamom I hear the fish question, but I don’t think I have ever heard chicken when people say vegetarian. In fact, do they ask when you say vegetarian, or when you say you don’t eat meat? It’s two different things to some people. The Catholics don’t think of fish as meat. You know, no meat Friday.

@JLeslie I almost always say that I am a vegetarian, first, rather than just saying that I don’t eat meat. Or I say I don’t eat meat because I’m a vegetarian. It seems rather self explanatory.

It gets rather silly/tricky if I use the alternative, which is I don’t eat animals. But then they say, “But you eat eggs and milk right?” Then I have to explain that milk and eggs come from animals, but they are not animals and you’re not killing anything. Then they say, “But eggs are baby chickens!” and then I have to say that unfertilized chicken eggs are no more chickens, than my own eggs are human beings. Then they usually get a look of befuddlement.

I’ve also heard people say that fish are not animals and they are not meat. Go figure.

@Kardamom: “Then they say, “But eggs are baby chickens!””

The efforts people go through to try to “catch” vegetarians in some contradiction is humiliating – for them. There is nothing more pathetic than seeing someone who feels ethically exposed by simply hearing that another person has chosen not to eat animals. They will lash out in an attempt to ease their conscience. I actually had someone claim that being vegetarian was immoral because it “makes people feel bad”.

@Kardamom LOL. Sometimes I ask vegetarians if they are vegan, to clarify what they eat if I am cooking for them, that sort of things. I think a lot of vegans say vegetarian with strangers, because it is better understood. Usually. Better understood they don’t eat meat anyway. Hopefully. As you have demonstrated many people still are befuddled.

I went to school with a girl whose family would not eat mammals, because they believed mammals were on the same level of the food chain as human beings and that would be wrong.

@hominid I don’t think everyone asks question to catch a contradiction, I think some people are just interested or curious. I understand why vegetarians feel under attack though, and might assume everyone who asks a question has mal intentions. There are too many people who don’t respect other people food choices.

@JLeslie Yeah, sometimes people will ask if I’m a vegan. They are usually relieved when I say no, because it does make eating at their house less stressful, but then again, I always offer to bring something to the party : )

@hominid I’ve had people ask me why I eat fake meat products. They’ll say, “Why do vegetarians want to eat fake meat, if they want meat, why don’t they just eat meat?” I always say, “I never said meat tasted bad. I enjoyed the flavor and texture of meat when I used to eat it 25 years ago, so the fake meat is a tasty alternative. It’s the part about having to kill the animal to get the meat that bothers me.” One guy, then said, “But that doesn’t even make sense! If you like the taste of meat, you should just eat it!” Heavy sigh…

@Kardamom Actually, I can explain that one.

Some claim to be vegetarian even though they still eat white meat. Those who merely don’t eat red meat confuse us, as most of us omnivores see a pig, a chicken, and a cow as equal.

Some won’t eat land animals but seafood is fine, while others see fish as also being animals.

Both of those behaviors are inconsistent since you either don’t eat any animals, or you’re not a vegetarian. Vegetarians don’t eat meat. Animals are made of meat.

Vegan… well, people rarely ask questions of them. Simply be in the same building as one of them and they’ll tell you all about it.

Many see meat as the only real source of protein. They don’t know non-meat ways to get protein. Not all of us are nutritional experts.

With all that diversity and all, can you see how people might have questions?

@hominid “Catch” vegetarians? It sounds to me like you’re trying to play the martyr here simply because you belong to a group with a wide enough range to be self-contradictory. It’s not us being ethically exposed and defensive, it’s us being confused.
But people like you who come across as smugly superior due to your dietary choices are what earns all non-meat-eaters any derision they get. Don’t insult us omnivores by being so condescending, and don’t expose other vegetarians to undeserved ridicule just because you have a huge ego.

@jerv You don’t have to be a nutritional expert to know that there is protein in other foods such as beans and dairy and nuts. I learned that in elementary school.

Also, I know a lot of vegans and most of them keep it to themselves unless it comes up or they are asked about it. Like if they are being invited to someone’s home for Thanksgiving and the person doesn’t know they are a vegan or if they’re at work and someone offers them a piece of chicken in the lunchroom.

I hope you don’t think I’m being smugly superior with my dietary choices. I have had to explain myself to countless people over the years, I don’t think most omnivores get questioned as to why they do eat meat. My answer is, I don’t think it’s right for ME to eat animals. I never suggest to anyone else that they stop eating meat. If you’ve read any of my answers on food threads, people are always asking for recipes for dishes that contain meat. I’ve never ever suggested that anyone should stop eating meat and I try to find recipes that are tasty and delicious. If people ask me why and how I became a vegetarian, I tell them, but I don’t bring it up unless it comes up.

@jerv – I think I may have caught you on an “off” day. You’re usually very level and reasonable.

@jerv: ”“Catch” vegetarians? It sounds to me like you’re trying to play the martyr here simply because you belong to a group with a wide enough range to be self-contradictory.”

I’m not a vegetarian. In fact, I eat a fair amount of meat. I suspect the “group” I belong to here is…your’s. However, from 1991 to 2000 I was a vegetarian.

@jerv: “It’s not us being ethically exposed and defensive, it’s us being confused.”

This is actually a factually-incorrect statement. I certainly met the confused. But in 9 years, I had met many people who were far from confused about what vegetarianism was.

@jerv: “But people like you who come across as smugly superior due to your dietary choices are what earns all non-meat-eaters any derision they get.”

Wow. I think I see someone struggling a bit here. Let’s try this…

John: “Have a hamburger.”
me: “no thanks.”
John: “C’mon, you’re not going to eat a plate of leaves and shit now, are you?”
me: “I’m good. Thanks.”
John: “So are you some fucking vegetarian or some shit now?”
me: “I’m a vegetarian, sure.”
John: “Ha! You’re a fucking hypocrite. You’re wearing leather sneakers! You people make me sick.”
me: “Ok.”
John: “So, if animals weren’t meant to be eaten, they wouldn’t taste so good. Mmmm…you want a bite, donnnn’t you….”
me:—-
John: “Well, I’m not going to feel bad. We can’t just let these animals in the wild – they’d just die. It’s better to eat them.”
me: “yep”
John: “I bet you drink milk and eat eggs and shit, right?”
me: “yep”
John: “Ha! That’s the thing about vegetarians. They’re all smug and shit, trying to make us feel bad.”

Note: The above conversation is almost word-for-word, and happened many times.

@jerv: “Don’t insult us omnivores by being so condescending, and don’t expose other vegetarians to undeserved ridicule just because you have a huge ego.”

I’m a fucking omnivore. And if you’re ok with your ethical choices, then you shouldn’t be threatened by the existence of those that do not eat meat. It’s way too obvious. Just relax and do what you feel is right. If you feel it’s immoral to not eat meat, then make that case. But if you’re going to pretend that I am being smug because I have relayed an honest account of my experience, I think you might want to meditate and come back to this thread.

Note: I was a reluctant vegetarian and only spoke about it with my good friends. However, over those 9 years, I was called a “faggot” more than a handful of times, had a piece of hamburger shoved into my mouth, called a hypocrite, and watched the external display of internal struggles that people had. When people find out that someone is doing something for ethical reasons, it calls into question everything that they do, and they react with defense. Case in point.

As a meat eater, I am fully aware of the inescapable fact that eating meat is immoral. I am just too damned lazy to change my ways.

@Kardamom I learned many things in elementary school that many adults don’t know. For instance, spelling, basic math, ,etcetera. You and I know non-meat protein sources, but I don’t take for granted that everyone got the same education we did.

@hominid You unwittingly stomped a raw nerve. While most vegetarians I know are cool, I’ve dealt with enough militant ones that I can be a little…touchy. You seemed to be coming across a bit strong, so I reacted.

I’ve tried so many times to be vegetarian. It just doesn’t hold. Maybe it’s because I don’t have a moral opposition to consuming meat, and I only crave the health benefits.

I’m a happy om-nom-nomnivore.

@Seek Just a thought, but maybe the iron in red meats?

@Adirondackwannabe My iron does better usually when I am eating more of the vegetarian sources of iron. You might be surprised by the actual iron in various foods.

I’ll let others figure the first two examples out for themselves.

1) How most people are really miserable with their own lives, at least in some way, but yet reject any suggestions on making living with others better they share this planet with better, even though most people agree with the premises of most of their opponents arguments.

2) How most people repress their desires and wishes while in the company of others, pub-licly, or even among themselves, but yet condemn others who don’t repress their own desires publicly, even though the same people doing the ridiculing many times have the same desires of those they’re criticizing.

3) Information cascades.

This fun fact.