Topic: Thought for today!!

[Panzergranate]

It is safe for intelligent people to occasionally think ing that they are stupid.

But there is much danger when stupid people think they are intelligent.

Panzergranate.

[Nemesis]

In my experience intelligent people often think they did something stupid

Stupid people rarely think what they did was stupid even with abundant evidence that it was.

Stupdity does not equal low IQ.  As an example of stupid the literal Rocket Scientist who had a drug lab on the side.  That was not inherently stupid as he did have explanations for how he could legitimately have and use most of the equipment.  He didn't have an explanation for the documentary he made of his drug lab and how he used it.   High IQ but dumb as a rock. 

[Panzergranate]

I subscribe to the Darwin Awards Newsletter.

I statistically typical Darwin Award candidate is apparently a mid 30's Red Neck who's been drinking wiith friends, usually after or on a hunting trip and the incident will involve firearms somehow.

In the US in 2006 seven people from the Deep South died whilst playing Russiian Roulette with an AUTOMATIC pistol. All were drunk and with friends. Six actually suggested the game and wanted to go first!!

If playing the game with a shotgun then the game is called Irish Roulette.

Stupid people and guns do not mix well.

Just check out the Darwin Awards website for tales of immence stupidity.

[Sirgod]

Generalize much?

Being a Redneck does not mean we are stupid. I know of quite a few rednecks here, that have degrees in Physics, Chemical Engineering, etc. Personaly, I'll take Common sense over IQ anyday.

Stephen

[Panzergranate]

Beer and alcohol eliminate common sense in one hit. Certain things such as  motor vehicles, firearms and explosives don't miss with alcohol.

It just seems, statistaclly, that acts of stupidity focus on certain areas in all countries. Certain attitudes breed stupidity. Over here, in the UK, we have the Chav culture whose members are openly proud to display their inate stupidity and ignorance.

Like all stupid, people the world over, think that taking drugs is cool!!

As people of once high IQ ratings, become drug addicts, then your case for common sense being more important than IQ holds true. Anyone with common sense knows that taking drugs is stupid with a capital S.

[Sirgod]

Beer and alcohol eliminate common sense in one hit. Certain things such as  motor vehicles, firearms and explosives don't miss with alcohol.

It just seems, statistaclly, that acts of stupidity focus on certain areas in all countries. Certain attitudes breed stupidity. Over here, in the UK, we have the Chav culture whose members are openly proud to display their inate stupidity and ignorance.

Like all stupid, people the world over, think that taking drugs is cool!!

As people of once high IQ ratings, become drug addicts, then your case for common sense being more important than IQ holds true. Anyone with common sense knows that taking drugs is stupid with a capital S.

I can't argue with you on the effects of Alcohol. My problem, was that all the explosives, firearms , are in the south. This is not true My friend. Look at Philly, huge amounts of explosives up there, as It was, or at least used to be a major Coal state. Hunting in Upper New york is something that everyone should look into, as Besides the Grand views, There is a differance in the flavor of Venison; Just between NY and OK.

I think you will find alot of people from the south, and Midwest even, Have a love of guns, but we also preach responcibility. Like the Darwin awards you mentioned, People that would put a gun to there head should not breed anyways. I do wonder though, how did they get hold of a fully automatic handgun?

Stephen

[Nemesis]

Personaly, I'll take Common sense over IQ anyday.

Stephen

I once worked with a guy with a 158 IQ and a degree from Yale.  He was incredibly arrogant never double checked any of his work and was totally incompetent.  He knew his IQ meant he was "smarter" than the majority of people around him and mistakenly assumed that he didn't actually need to think.  He has since emigrated to the U.S. - my condolences.

Another guy has an IQ closer to 85 (my guess) but he uses it constantly and rarely makes a mistake and usually catches it himself when he does.  I'd much rather work with him than "Mr. Genius".

[Sirgod]

Personaly, I'll take Common sense over IQ anyday.

Stephen

I once worked with a guy with a 158 IQ and a degree from Yale.  He was incredibly arrogant never double checked any of his work and was totally incompetent.  He knew his IQ meant he was "smarter" than the majority of people around him and mistakenly assumed that he didn't actually need to think.  He has since emigrated to the U.S. - my condolences.

Another guy has an IQ closer to 85 (my guess) but he uses it constantly and rarely makes a mistake and usually catches it himself when he does.  I'd much rather work with him than "Mr. Genius".

I hear that Nem. I'm just smart enough, to know I'm not that smart. Well unless it comes to Math, I love Math. But I agree with you.

I remember while homeschooling my kids, My daughter, once asked me , " What is the 32 nd number In the Prime sequence."

She spent a day finding it, and yes, I was correct.

Those guys who do a gazzillion digits, man they are genius.

Stephen

[Nemesis]

I hear that Nem. I'm just smart enough, to know I'm not that smart.

Stephen

The first sign of Wisdom in my book.

[Panzergranate]

Ah.... some states allow any idot with a trigger finger to own a gun!!

This may crack you up, but here in he UK one cannot leagally own a hand gun, as there is no licencing for this any more. Rifles and shotguns are allowed but these are seen as "work related and sport (nunting) firearms. BUT if one want to own a fully functional artillery piece, one needs to apply and be granted an Ordinace lLicence!!

Yep, here in the UK you can own aworking firld gun and fire it!!

I'm not to sure how the "Mentally Competent and Sane" part is interpreted here when applying, but for dealing with intruders a field gun loaded with CASE anti-helicoptor shot (or a 20mm. FF gun) sure beats a shotgun!!

I think that that only folks of a Sledge Hammer mentality would avtually go down this road!!

New York?? Don't you mean Detroit??!!

At least guns in the South are primarily a tool used for hunting and sport, not for crime and defence against crime as in the North and Weat Coast.

Anyway, the rest of the US (and the world) seems to cull themsleves in DIY accidents, stupid drunk stunts and other incredibily dumb stunts.  Australia seems to be another pool of stupidity related deaths, usually involving beer and fishing.

Me, depite a high IQ, I'm always paranoid that something I haven't seen yet is going wrong (Murphy's 8th Law!!)

IQ measures how quick one is at understanding a new thing or information. A stone age man could have an IQ of 200 but wouldn't know how to use a Coke Machine. However, with an IQ of 200 he would figure out how it works very quickly.

I figure the guy you're talking about, "Mr. Conceited", obviously wasn't a team player then??!! I've never met one in electronics engineering as this is a profession base on experience and on guy's experience and expertise in one field, can also have a huge blank black hole in another. Anyone trying to be arogant nd conceited would have to bluff to their colleagues about their knowledge of something, and come unstuck pretty soon afterwards.

Like medicine, no doctor can specialise in everything.

What did this guy do for a living?? Lemme guess.... IT??!!

I had to explain to an senior IT technician guy last year what a Dual Core processor s. I lost him somewhere about when I reached he point of explaining how the second ALU comes into play whenever a branch instuction is executed in a programme, thus removing the need to stack in memory and thus speeding up code execution times.

I then had to explain what and ALU was, stacks, machine code basics, branch instructions, etc.

On the inverse, I know very little about networking computers outside designing and building parts to allow this. The guy has a vast knowledge of this that I used to tap into whenever a LAN problem came up at home and when I was building a home LAN, for playing SFC games on with friends.

Someone who is really smart is always keen to learn and find out new things, to explore new concepts, etc.

Your guy doesn't seem that smart really.

[Sirgod]

Well, then consider me dumb as a post.

I'm just an Okie. One who while in the line of duty was shot three times. I've taken lives, and saved lives, as a fireman.


I've done the best I can with the kids, and Grandkids. I've had broken bones, and have stood up to Praise, the US, let alone the police. I was scared to death at one point, about a Flesh eating Desease, Thank god, I didn't have it. Later , I had my shoulder blade cracked, training police officers.

Just a few months ago, I rushed a robber, drawing down, firing upon me.

I have seen death in all it's Suffering. I have taken life with my bare hands, and been exonerated in a court of law. I'v ebeen bitten by two copperheads, had a punch across the jaw, and yeah , It hurt.

But after all of that, I will always, and forever stick with a Fellow american, and esp. Anyone who would have words with Frey, Bring it on. The same goes with my wife.

Do You know what it is like to sleep well? Denise my wife does so, even right now. She is sleeping the sleep of saints, Simply because she knows I am there.

The same thing goes for Frey, Storm, others.

Once a friend, always a friend to me. Panz, I hope we can have that same friendship also. Your an Intelligent guy.

Rememeber though, I have nothing to loose. My wife will live after all thats happened to her, Me, well today I took a 10-22 Rugur, and still plinked asprins like most people do Skeet.

Stephen

[Panzergranate]

I was shot in the foot/ankle at a range of few feet by a friend who didn't understand why a short cartridge 0.22" Webley Rifle has a saety catch!! It was 1985, we were poaching deer and I was the "Lamper". Luckily I was hit by a cross head, which just splated against the bone. I was lucky it hit the thicest part of the bone too!! However we were 2 miles from the truck in hill country and it was raining heavily. Being both Ex- Army suddenly came in handy when it came first aid.

As, on removing my boot back at the truck, the spend round was stuck out through my skin still, I pulled it out with a pair of pliers, stopped the bleeding with some clean engine oil (blood clots on contact with any oil (Olive oil is best to use!!) and went home.

I just see guns as anothert tool and just don't seem to ableto achieve that, "I'm special because I'm holding a gun" rush. I've seen the life drain out of someone in an accident. To be there and witness someone just "stopping" liike a toy who's batteries ahve given out, that momnet of death, leaves a bad taste in the soul for a long time.

I've shot guns,  can keyhole targets with 0.303" SMLE Mk5 rifle, well used to 20 years ago, and last fired a hand gun in 1992 on a range and it was a Spanish 9mm. Star. I remember the day bbecause the guy next to me blew the top off of his Browning 9mm. when he stupidly used CZ high power SMG 9mm. Parabellum ammo. Luckily it was at arms length when it blew the slide and barrel off!!

Numerous people had read the ammo box instructions including the "For feck's sake DON'T use this in a pistol" part, to which he replied, "It'll be all right!!"
 
Yep, I've been in close proximity to stupidity with firearms!!

[Nemesis]

Well, then consider me dumb as a post.

No.

Just a few months ago, I rushed a robber, drawing down, firing upon me.

Stephen

If you had turned and run what would have happened?  Shot in the back?  Sometimes the greatest wisdom is to seek danger now to avoid destruction later.  Consider Chamberlain "Peace in our time".  If instead he had made it clear that he would FIGHT then WWII might not have happened.  Who was wise?  You for attacking and winning or Chamberlain for accepting "peace"? 

I've never faced the dangers you have but have learned that when threatened with violence conceding only brings more violence.  Facing your attacker and fighting can bring peace even if you lose.  A paradox of human nature.  The bully appears to seek violence but he really is after power, power gained by his reputation.  Actually fighting risks losing or being badly battered.  Either one can destroy the bullies reputation and therefore his power.   A bully lives in fear of losing his reputation as he has nothing else.  To fight a bully without surrendering (winning of course is better) is the best defence against other bullies as they will fear to fight you and lose their power.

All this amounts to seeking violence can be foolish.  Avoiding it can be idiocy.

[Sirgod]

I agree there Nemesis. My life has been Interesting , to say the least. There's been more then a few times, I've leaned on People like Frey, Stoney, heck even yourself, when I was feeling kinda low, But  I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything. In the End, I always felt I was doing the right thing.

Going back to something that Panzer said, It's kinda funny, I don't force anyone to carry a gun, but they would ban me owning one, I don't force people to eat meat or hunt, But they would ban me from eating meat or hunting. I don't force anyone from smoking, but they want to ban smoking (actually I don't smoke, maybe a cigar once a month). Etc, etc.

We need to get this guy in hot and spicy. I think we could have quite a few good discussions with him.

stephen

[Nemesis]

Going back to something that Panzer said, It's kinda funny, I don't force anyone to carry a gun, but they would ban me owning one, I don't force people to eat meat or hunt, But they would ban me from eating meat or hunting. I don't force anyone from smoking, but they want to ban smoking (actually I don't smoke, maybe a cigar once a month). Etc, etc.

stephen

Actually this topic should really be in Ten Forward and we come close to risking Hot and Spicy.  So I won't address the motivation of the anti gun an anti smoker and their differences. 

When I was in high school my father was going to teach me to shoot and hunt.  I went through the whole requirement to get a hunting license.  I paid for (but my father bought due to my age) a rifle.  We never hunted because of what happened when he took me to teach me to shoot. 

He forgot that I was into archery for years and had fired various "toy" guns such as BB guns and pellet guns and had actually listened to him as well as reading about guns.  I forgot that he is a terrible loser.  He set up a can as target at about 50 yards and loaded the brand new rifle and fired off the clip.  All but the last one went high and to the left in exactly the same spot, then he bulls eyed it.  He reloaded and gave me the gun.  I bulls eyed each one.  Not because I'm a better shot than he but because I recognized what he was doing, checking the sight for accuracy.  The gun was sighted off and you needed to aim low and to the right to compensate, which he did with his last shot and I did with them all. 

As I apparently "outshot" him that ended it.  Never again did he take me shooting and never did we go hunting.  Very unfortunate.  If I had missed on purpose and let him "teach" me we might have had some enjoyable hunts together.  But I still didn't understand how different from me he is when it comes to win vs lose.  I like to meet someone who can beat me in something that interests me as I can learn much more from them than I can from someone who always loses to me.  I'm also obsessive about fairplay.  I've been told that I like to teach as well and one on one I do - if the other wishes to learn.

[Sirgod]

That's a shame really. I always want my boys to out do me, Of course, I'll never tell them that, but I take pride when they succeed. I get tickled with my Daughter Melanie. Her idea of camping out was a hotel next to a lake. But when I started talking with Storm, and Mush, about doing some prospecting, She over heard me.

I guess she's willing to rough it, if It means getting some gems with the old farts.

Still, I think us as parents, have to teach the young ones those skills, even If we don't like the skill set ourselves. Even if they don't like the skills, It's a good thing that they learn to survive, in case anything should happen.

Stephen thinking maybe we should move this one to Ten Forward.

[Panzergranate]

H'mmmmmm, er, wasn't the orde,r back in the days of muskets and muzzle loaders, to, "Aim at your mark!!" rather than aim at the targets?? I've always found out where the shot goes at various ranges for a rifle and aim according to the sight offset. It saves a hell of a lot of time fidling and faffing around with the Backsight or Leaf sight.

I'm not "Anti-Gun" but figure that there should be some dort of instruction and compentensy test before someone is allowed to own one. Pilots have to be tested and over here in the UK, road users have to be tested before holding a licence.

At the moment the only people with hand guns are wannabe  gansta idiots who listen to (C)rap music. This week there was a cycle by shooting of an 11 year old school boy in one of our cities. Kids think that owning a hand gun makes them cool and important. Anyone with a mindset like that should never be near firearms.

As for bulies, well they like to be in control of a situation. If the situation starts to move out of their control, then they start to panic.

I was taught in the British Army that, quote, "Combat is not a sport. It is about not loosing a fight, not winning." The other one was that, "Only children use their fists, adults use weapons". This was refering to anything blunt one could use to bludgeon your opponent until he/she was "Neutralised".

I've never had to fight anyone since July 1984!! That's not from backing down or running away from bullies, etc. Rather from standing my ground and escalting things until the other party starts looking for a way out of the incident that they started in the first place.

For instance a few years ago some complete dickhead, with hs little mate for moral support, decided that he wanted to have a punch up with me. OK I didn't know this guy from Adam, but he was determined to start an arguement and so he had his wish. He then stated that I'd upset him and that he would sort me out in the car park, if I wasn't too chicken. OK here's where the escalation part comes in. There was a pile of old metal pipes and I saide, "Fine. But I'm a Biker and Bikers fights with weapons, not fists like children in a playgorund!!" I threw him a steel pipe and said, "Let's go!!"

Guess what, he didn't want to fight as he probally figured that I was prepared to bust his skull open and was problaly well experienced enough to do so too.

I was told that I was "F**king Crazy" and he stomped off, never to be seen again.

To quote Tsung Szu, "To deter an enemy one must not only show that one is prepared to fight, but to show that one is prepared to fight and will win!!"

Bullies are all Sociopathes in that they need to be in control of people to feel good about themselves.

The weak need to be hekped up, not kept down.

Chamberlan was wrong and Churchill was right about Hitler.

If the Czechs had been allowed to attack Germany over the Sideten Land incursion in 1938, then WW2 would have never happened in Europe. The Pacific war would still have occured however.

Appeasing the beligerant is never a wise move.

[marstone]

I'm not "Anti-Gun" but figure that there should be some dort of instruction and compentensy test before someone is allowed to own one. Pilots have to be tested and over here in the UK, road users have to be tested before holding a licence.

Well, where I live, the ownership of a weapon is a right given by the Constitution, but to be able to drive or fly is a privilege granted to the citizenship. Minor technicality in those.  Everyone has the right to own a weapon but you have to earn the privilege to drive.  Not that I don't worry about nuts with guns, or people who have no clue how to use them.  (The most dangerous gun is the one held my an inexperienced user)  But that falls back to upbringing.  My children both know how to handle and shoot weapons, they know how to be safe and how to keep other people safe around them.  But that is because, my father, brother, and myself have taught them from a young age.  The problem lies in ...  getting into political/social answer so will edit that out ...

At the moment the only people with hand guns are wannabe  gansta idiots who listen to (C)rap music. This week there was a cycle by shooting of an 11 year old school boy in one of our cities. Kids think that owning a hand gun makes them cool and important. Anyone with a mindset like that should never be near firearms.

I will sort of agree with this, handguns are the weapon of choice among miscreants.  What is needed is better enforcement and punishment for the use of firearms in crimes.  A handgun is also the best weapon to carry for self defense, for the same reason the thugs like them.   

Correct me if I am wrong but isn't handguns illegal in your part of the world.  From what I have been able to read from the rest of the world, when you ban weapons, crime seems to get worse.  Australia is the last in a line of countries to find this out.  You take away all weapons from a citizenship, the criminals will still be armed.

[Nemesis]

That's a shame really.

There are other things that we did where I was not able to compete early on and therefore I learned a lot from him.  Fishing, home repairs, woodworking and general mechanics for a few.  The mechanics knowledge has resulted in my boss (who with one of his hats is plant engineer) getting me involved in a lot that is strictly outside my job description as though I am not an Engineer like he is I do understand machinery and often come up with ideas that he missed or help him refine his ideas. 

I do have a penchant for thinking "outside the box" and coming up with solutions that others miss.

[Panzergranate]

You weren't born under the Aqaurius star sign by any chance??

When I was younger, back in the 1980's, the country was going through one of its worst economic disasters in UK history overseen by a government that refused to see that it was causing them. We had over 5 million unemployed out of our 58 million population.

Needless to say, if I wanted anything then I had to build and fix it mayself.

I managed to run a motorcycle on my £22 a week dole money. Other marveled at how Imanaged this but then I regarded maintaining transport more important than drink or cigarettes, which is what others wasted their money on. Because of this I could travlel further for what occasional  jobs came up at what companies were managing to survive or were on their last legs.

I managed to aquire another dead motorcycle and run this as well. I also gained a reputation as a tuner and fixer of bike for folks in a similar hole as myself, but who just couldn't understand mechanics.

The thing is, I still prefer to fix or build everything myself whether computers, CBs, ham radios, bikes, antennae, custom exhaust systems, etc.

I believe that if something is created by a human then I can figure out how it works, why it is wrong and fix it.

So now I own 15 motorcycles and a fair few computers. I've never paid more than £10 for a PC and bought an apparently non-running Gateway P4 for £1 at a car boot sale. It took only an hour to fix hand have up and running. Gateways are just so nice to work on!!

However, having a reputation for being good at fixing things does seem to attract hangers on. You know the type, can afford to have it done in a shop but expect me to fix it for a beer or two out of my own pocket, spares, etc. I fix things for those who have no other options only.

These skills allowed me to have some very interesting jobs in the past in both the defence and civilian sectors.

My view on life is that everyone comes into this world knowing bugger all, and some people choose to leave it, at the end of their lives, still knowing bugger all.

If one guy can learn all about something, then so can you.

I've even managed to explain a joke to a German girlfiend. (Germans do not understand stand up comedy!!) It took several hours but she did finally understand the joke.