Jump to content

The WTF Thread


Recommended Posts

Didn't know where to post this, so decided we need a new thread for life's weirdities.

Alex was looking out the kitchen window the other day and noticed something odd sticking out of our lawn.  I went out to investigate and found an arrow.  :huh:

Our first guess was that it might have come from the people next door (about 100 yards/meters away), but although we often see (and hear) them doing target practice with their rifle, we have never, ever seen them with a bow.

Besides, this isn't a target arrow (those have plain conical tips); it's clearly some sort of hunting arrow, though I've not been able to find anything like it online.  The tip is about an inch long and shaped something like a trident with the middle prong shorter than the other two.  It's very sharp.

Plus it could not have been shot at a target.  I found it sticking straight up out of the lawn, into which the point had embedded itself several inches.  So it had fallen more or less straight down from a significant height, meaning it had been shot *up* (rather than across as in target practice).  So it could have come from significantly further away than next door.

This leaves me with two theories:  1)  Some yahoo shot it into the sky just for kicks, the way some people will fire a gun into the air in the apparent belief that the bullet/arrow will reach its apex and then evaporate.  Or 2) someone was shooting at a bird, probably a large one such as a goose or duck, judging by the size of that arrow tip; in which case the good news is, they missed.  Oh, I suppose it could have been 3) somebody walked into our yard and jabbed the arrow into the ground, but that seems least likely.

We're currently chalking this up as a fluke, but if it happens again we may consider calling the sheriff.  Dunno whether they'd be able to do a blessed thing, but it sure wouldn't hurt to give them the information.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeesh. Be careful out there!

Do you have bow hunting season where you are? We do here, I have no idea how popular it is. I know we used to see hunters with rifles in the woods across the street from us, but never bowmen. But all that land has since been subdivided and chased them all off (one good thing about development, at least! :smile: )

At any rate, there's been reports of people finding arrows (and bullets) in their yards, and it's usually attributed, rightly or wrongly, to hunters straying too far from the hunting grounds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are bow-hunting seasons here, yes, and I've heard one or two reports of people bow-hunting in a farm field not far from our place (maybe 1000 feet / 300 meters away).  And according to the Department of Natural Resources web site, the day we found that arrow was during or shortly after a few of those seasons.

Alex and I were just talking about this possibility earlier this evening.  Right now, it seems the most likely one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Errrrr... I'm not sure whether I'm more fascinated by the arrow or the fact that your neighbor is 100 meters away, or that you have sheriff (I know I know it's just that I've always associate the term with movie, or cowboy movies specifically.) :P

I don't have WTF story on top of my head now, but this evil looking thingy is Magnolia seeds

Smart-Select-20190302-085906-Chrome.jpg

Or this

Smart-Select-20190201-214225-Chrome.jpg

 

 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

I'm not sure whether I'm more fascinated by the arrow or the fact that your neighbor is 100 meters away, or that you have sheriff (... I've always associate the term with ... cowboy movies ....)

Would it help if I said we got our sheriff from Nottingham?  :P  In most states of the US, there are state police (who have jurisdiction over state and federal highways and certain crimes, statewide), city / town police (who have jurisdiction within the city / town limits), and county sheriffs (who have jurisdiction over any part of the county that is not within a city or town).  And we live in the boonies.

Are you saying that "next door" in our neighborhood is further than you're used to?  As I said, we're out in the middle of nowhere.  If we lived on a farm, we'd be even further from our nearest neighbors.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Carol the Dabbler said:

Would it help if I said we got our sheriff from Nottingham?

Not really. It sounds familiar though, ...robin hood??

Anyway, those you have.. Are..are they sporting big cowboy hat, bushy moustache and walk like they have groin problem?

Yes, 100 meter is definitelyyyyy further than I used to. It sounds nice though, very.

I imagine running around like crazy and jumping on grass ball and hopping on tree. Maybe that's why I'm sucker for nature because I don't have it on my yard. At least I have 'some' tiny yard now, used to have just couple of potted plants when I used to stay at apartments.

Is this WTF moment: my dog always have problem with Golden Retriever, he dislikes them and always tries to scare them away. I assume it's because they like to charge into our personal space since they are very friendly. Lately, he tolerates them better, as the result, two huge goldens jumped on me when I was a knee deep in the sea, super enthusiastic and it almost knocked me down a couple of times, luckily I was using those drybag and wore dark colored clothes because I'm drenched all the same. Hence, he chased them away again. So he is my tiny dear protector!! P.S. I don't mind doggy assault though, it's just that sometimes it feels like my life is flashing before my eyes. 😝

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you guys know about manchineel tree?

I've just found out about it recently, this is the most dangerous tree in the world. All parts of it are extremely poisonous. The sap oozes out of everything and could cause severe blisters when in contact. Even standing under the tree while raining is dangerous, because the diluted sap could still burn severely. 

  • Sad 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nope, never heard of them before.  But thank goodness they don't grow around here!  According to Wikipedia, they're native to the Caribbean area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Yup. They are found in Caribbean and if I remember correctly, there are efforts to put sign around the trees that have been identified.

 

Another WTF topic that have been in my mind lately; why do you guys think those WTF theories actually find some grounds, even have avid believers?

I'm talking about Flat-Earther and Anti-Vax. Is it actually the syndrome of lackluster or developed society?  This doesn't seem like the case of under-informed, especially on this age of technology we are living on, unlike back then when they developed geocentricsm theory.

FE and AV seem more like cases of pseudoscience, with people jumping o the bandwagon because they just believe what they want to believe with probably more hard to explain motives behind it. I hate to say could this also be one of the impact of social medias? Where people blindly believe their peers or even the desire to be different and bold regardless what the reality is? I'd like to believe that people are not that dumb, but when I actually look at the essence of social media, there are some dumbest and loud people we probably would never had a chance to hear publicly back then.

What do you guys think? 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are still flat-earthers?  I don't believe I've ever met any.

On the other hand, if "anti-vax" means people who don't trust vaccinations, I do know some of those, so I assume they're more numerous.  And I can't really say they're wrong.  The medical establishment tends to ignore any negative evidence as long as possible, until it becomes impossible to ignore.  (Right now, they're finally starting to question the necessity or advisability of taking statin drugs, for example.)  I've seen some pretty believable evidence that vaccinations can sometimes cause certain problems.  I still get my tetanus shots, though.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know for a fact that some vaccinations cause problems but this is true of any medication. A small percentage will always have side effects. It's unfortunate, however the good for all is worth the risk I believe. Anti-vax people should go around with hats saying "Let's Make Polio Great Again!" When I was at school we had our jabs at school and if we missed the day then we had to provide proof that we got them from a doctor. I think my mum may even still have my vaccination card.

As for flat-earthers, morons one and all.

  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, it's pretty idiotic to think about the impact. We were almost there to eradicate polio. Now towns, school etc started to ban anti-vaccine to try to minimise new measles outbreak, chicken pox etc.

It's like the brains of many can't keep up with medical advancement. And all those efforts would be compromised greatly.

 

As for flat-earthers, it was in the news (sigh) that there is a planned expedition for them to go Antartica and..wait for it...... to touch the wall, as in the edge of the world. It is very suspicious to me that the spoke person or whatever, is probably just a media wh*re (no Janine, not you) who hitchhikes on the society, that unfortunately, exists. So, if I remember correctly, the earth is actually contained in some kind of dome, their wall as the edge and end of the world. The sun and moon are inside this dome, well it's a HUGE DOME!

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re Vaccines: I think we've been living without pests for too long. Losing a child to one of those diseases is much too rare. A mother who lost a kid or two to polio and co., wouldn't think about risks of vaccination. I'm just patiently waiting for the first death case from measles that has its big comeback around the world.

Flat Earthers - I don't know what to say. It's a failure of education systems. Of common sense. Of logic. Of brain cells.
But sometimes it seem to me like an overreaction to a perceived "dictatorship" of education and science. The tendency for overzealous militant religiosity, seeing climate change as a conspiracy of new industries, the adoration for idiocy aka trumpism. Brexit. It all shows that people don't want to hear scientific explanations anymore, they don't want to think and look for facts, they feel like the educated "upper class" have all the control. Which I think is a big, big failure of the education system leaving the less talented/intelligent behind. And maybe the perceived dehumanisation of the political and social systems. Maybe we've done something wrong in the last years. Or maybe it's a natural process of different philosophies fighting for domination.   ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Counter-Enlightenment

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

... if I remember correctly, the earth is actually contained in some kind of dome, their wall as the edge and end of the world. The sun and moon are inside this dome, well it's a HUGE DOME!

That's apparently one variation, but according to the Flat Earth Society's wiki, their current theory is that the Earth is a disk with the North Pole at the center and Antarctica around the edge.  The total diameter of the disk is unknown, due to the uninhabitable region around the edge.  The ice wall (which I'm willing to believe does exist) is a formation on some parts of Antarctica's coastline, so it's merely what might be called the edge of the habitable zone.  The sun and moon are spheres that circle around the North Pole at a far lower altitude than we're accustomed to hearing.

From what little I've read, they seem to have worked up a description that has good internal consistency, with explanations for the usual arguments against.  So it could be thought of as a sort of non-Euclidean geography (unless the ancient Greeks thought of the Earth as flat, in which case I guess we'd be the non-Euclideans).

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/29/2019 at 7:37 AM, Van Buren Supernova said:

Yup. They are found in Caribbean and if I remember correctly, there are efforts to put sign around the trees that have been identified.

 

Another WTF topic that have been in my mind lately; why do you guys think those WTF theories actually find some grounds, even have avid believers?

I'm talking about Flat-Earther and Anti-Vax. Is it actually the syndrome of lackluster or developed society?  This doesn't seem like the case of under-informed, especially on this age of technology we are living on, unlike back then when they developed geocentricsm theory.

FE and AV seem more like cases of pseudoscience, with people jumping o the bandwagon because they just believe what they want to believe with probably more hard to explain motives behind it. I hate to say could this also be one of the impact of social medias? Where people blindly believe their peers or even the desire to be different and bold regardless what the reality is? I'd like to believe that people are not that dumb, but when I actually look at the essence of social media, there are some dumbest and loud people we probably would never had a chance to hear publicly back then.

What do you guys think? 

I think that it's partially a result of us having so much access to so much more information than we can even process that it seems incredibly hard to determine what is actually true and what isn't.

People filter. And because it's absolutely impossible to verify everything for yourself, you always have to rely on trust at some point. And there seems to be growing distrust in established authorities and experts, be they political, scientific, media, etc.

Once a person has settled down inside their own little bubble where life makes sense, it's incredibly hard to reach them there. They are quite literally in another reality. That's why, for example, I think it doesn't matter one bit what investigations do or do not find out about Trump; those people who would believe it would never vote for him anyway and his supporters wouldn't believe any evidence, no matter how sound.

I am not saying that the above mentioned distrust is unwarranted, btw. I went to university long enough to catch more than a glimpse at the ugly side of the scientific community. I am far from happy with the work of most politicians and whenever I have read a media report about something I witnessed first hand I have always been shocked at the inaccuracy of the information.

What I don't understand, however, is why people who won't believe, say, BBC news, think that something they read on Facebook is more credible. Where does this idea come from that because one source is wrong another must be right?

It's all a muddle. Which Dickens character says that? Darn, I have to get back to reading my classics, it's escaped my mind.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, T.o.b.y said:

I think that it's partially a result of us having so much access to so much more information than we can even process that it seems incredibly hard to determine what is actually true and what isn't.

I agree.  Used to be, people had too little information, and most of that was third-hand (and six months old) at best.  Now we can see and hear the sources for ourselves, and we're overwhelmed.  Obviously neither situation is ideal, but short of an omniscience pill, I doubt that there's a solution.

Quote

... it doesn't matter one bit what investigations do or do not find out about Trump; those people who would believe it would never vote for him anyway and his supporters wouldn't believe any evidence, no matter how sound.

True, and the same could probably be said for just about anyone who's ever occupied the Oval Office -- but I agree that it's gotten worse since about the turn of the millennium.  My best guess is that because the fall of the Soviet Union deprived us of an identifiable external threat, we've begun demonizing the other side within our own country.  We no longer say "I respect his right to his own opinion, but I disagree;" we say "He knows what I say is true, but he denies it because he's evil."  I'm getting pretty tired of hearing that kinda poison from both sides.

Quote

... there seems to be growing distrust in established authorities and experts, be they political, scientific, media, etc. [....]

I am not saying that the above mentioned distrust is unwarranted, btw. I went to university long enough to catch more than a glimpse at the ugly side of the scientific community. I am far from happy with the work of most politicians and whenever I have read a media report about something I witnessed first hand I have always been shocked at the inaccuracy of the information.

THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH IS MY RESPONSE, THEN THE NEXT ONE IS ANOTHER QUOTE FROM TOBE (YOU MAY NEED TO CLICK THE QUOTE BAR IN ORDER TO READ IT), AND THE FINAL PARAGRAPH IS MY RESPONSE TO THAT.  SURE WISH WE COULD STILL GET AT THE BBCODE!!!

Good heavens, yes!  I worked in a research lab for a number of years.  And I recall reading a newspaper report of a small civil-rights demonstration that I'd taken part in.  We were referred to as "booing" and "chanting."  I was there, and there was absolutely no booing; in fact, when one person suggested doing it, they were immediately told not to stoop to the opposition's level.  As for the "chanting," that reporter should try walking around in a circle in the rain for a couple of hours -- we were singing to keep our spirits up!

 

What I don't understand, however, is why people who won't believe, say, BBC news, think that something they read on Facebook is more credible.

I wonder if it mightn't have something to do with the feeling of "community" online?  And if you can't believe your "friends," then who can you trust?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/2/2019 at 6:30 AM, Carol the Dabbler said:

Didn't know where to post this, so decided we need a new thread for life's weirdities.

Alex was looking out the kitchen window the other day and noticed something odd sticking out of our lawn.  I went out to investigate and found an arrow.  :huh:

Our first guess was that it might have come from the people next door (about 100 yards/meters away), but although we often see (and hear) them doing target practice with their rifle, we have never, ever seen them with a bow.

Besides, this isn't a target arrow (those have plain conical tips); it's clearly some sort of hunting arrow, though I've not been able to find anything like it online.  The tip is about an inch long and shaped something like a trident with the middle prong shorter than the other two.  It's very sharp.

Plus it could not have been shot at a target.  I found it sticking straight up out of the lawn, into which the point had embedded itself several inches.  So it had fallen more or less straight down from a significant height, meaning it had been shot *up* (rather than across as in target practice).  So it could have come from significantly further away than next door.

This leaves me with two theories:  1)  Some yahoo shot it into the sky just for kicks, the way some people will fire a gun into the air in the apparent belief that the bullet/arrow will reach its apex and then evaporate.  Or 2) someone was shooting at a bird, probably a large one such as a goose or duck, judging by the size of that arrow tip; in which case the good news is, they missed.  Oh, I suppose it could have been 3) somebody walked into our yard and jabbed the arrow into the ground, but that seems least likely.

We're currently chalking this up as a fluke, but if it happens again we may consider calling the sheriff.  Dunno whether they'd be able to do a blessed thing, but it sure wouldn't hurt to give them the information.

You don’t have any Apaches living nearby do you Carol? Maybe it’s time to circle the wagons.😃

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, HerlockSholmes said:

You don’t have any Apaches living nearby do you Carol? Maybe it’s time to circle the wagons.😃

If we find any more arrows in our yard, I'd sure consider it!

One day at work I heard an odd sound from down the hall, immediately followed by a yelp from a co-worker.  I ran down there and darned if an arrow hadn't come right through her window (screen *and* glass), but fortunately lodged in the curtain.  Again, it was a hunting arrow.  It had obviously just been shot, but there was nobody in sight.  I assume the archer either had fired from a good distance away or else had run away when they realized they'd shot into a building.  I should probably point out that this was some 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) from here, so it's not any kind of localized phenomenon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Carol the Dabbler said:

If we find any more arrows in our yard, I'd sure consider it!

One day at work I heard an odd sound from down the hall, immediately followed by a yelp from a co-worker.  I ran down there and darned if an arrow hadn't come right through her window (screen *and* glass), but fortunately lodged in the curtain.  Again, it was a hunting arrow.  It had obviously just been shot, but there was nobody in sight.  I assume the archer either had fired from a good distance away or else had run away when they realized they'd shot into a building.  I should probably point out that this was some 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) from here, so it's not any kind of localized phenomenon.

You take you’re life in your hands over there Carol. I’m assuming that you’re not next to a forest where incredibly inept archers are known to try and hone their skills?

Its a sobering thought that it might have been some lunatic. At least no one was hurt.

Im off to Nottingham at the weekend. Home of Robin Hood. I’ll watch out for stray arrows.

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, HerlockSholmes said:

You take you’re life in your hands over there Carol. I’m assuming that you’re not next to a forest where incredibly inept archers are known to try and hone their skills?

Its a sobering thought that it might have been some lunatic. At least no one was hurt.

It was presumably just some run-of-the-mill thoughtless goofball with a bow and arrow.  Judging by the vertical angle at which the arrow was sticking into the ground, I'd say it was fired more or less straight up, which could have been from anywhere within a good fraction of a mile.

Neither location is in/near a major forest, but neither is actually in a city either -- both are near wooded areas, and also near unforested open areas.  Plus a number of our current neighborhood's residents are hunters (though we've never seen them with bows, only with rifles and/or shotguns).

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
On 4/2/2019 at 10:09 AM, Carol the Dabbler said:

My best guess is that because the fall of the Soviet Union deprived us of an identifiable external threat, we've begun demonizing the other side within our own country.  

In a larger scale, just like what is being hinted in many scifis, do you think we have better chance for decency to fellow human if we have common enemy, say, aliens invading earth? 

I have noticed, in many situation, when we are forced to co-exist together; classes, study, work place, everyone (well almost) seemed happier and got along better when they had common enemy. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is an effect described in psychology. If you want to keep a group together, you need enemies. Someone said that war (=having and fighting enemies) the best method to make a nation out of a bunch of individuals.

It would be nice if humanity could see climate change or other environmental issues as an enemy-substitute.

 

ETA: It's like nationalism works: first they tell you that your life is terrible and then they tell you who is to blame.

  • Like 3
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yup.  The "need" for an identifiable enemy seems to be an inborn part of our basic nature.  Fear of the "other" may have served a useful purpose back when the tribe next door would as soon kill you as look at you -- though come to think of it, the inborn need for an enemy may very well have been *why* that tribe hated your tribe.

As you say, J.P., a mutual goal could serve just as well.  Maybe someday there will be a global goal (or even a national goal) that everyone can get behind, but I'm not holding my breath.  Meanwhile, we'll each just have to keep doing our best, however we may interpret that.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Who's Online   0 Members, 0 Anonymous, 20 Guests (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of UseWe have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.Privacy PolicyGuidelines.