What's your most controversial, non-political opinion?

skribs

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I disagree with a bit of this. First the physically demanding jobs-there are still jobs that aren't replaced by robots, and I don't know that all of them eventually will. Things like construction require physical ability, but I can't see a robot doing it. There's also smaller things too-bringing a heavy package into a house, running so that you're not late for a class or a meeting, things like that.

A lot of the physical activity that you do in jobs like construction is at the very least being aided by machines. Power tools (whether powered by electricity or air) and heavy machinery do a lot of the work for you.

And on the cruder side, sex. Having better stamina definitely improves sex, and there are some positions you can't do without either strength or flexibility. That's obviously not necessary for the modern world, but it helps.

I've seen some definitely unfit people who have kids. While it might be more enjoyable with better stamina and flexibility, neither of those are a requirement to pass on your genes.

Then for health-the world average might be 72 years old, but I know people who have died of a heart attack in their 50s. Most of the people I know above 85 tend to be (or at least were for most of their life) on the healthier side of things. So that's 30 more years of life that the guys who died in their 50s could have had in their 80s.

50s is still better than the life expentency 100 years ago, when the worldwide average was in the 30s.

An extra thing you didn't mention-attractiveness. You did say that, but it still holds a need not for society at large but for individuals. There is evidence, for instance, that if you're more attractive, you're more likely to get a job.

"An extra thing you didn't mention...you did say that."

I've been consistently employed for the last 16 years of my life (ever since I was a teenager). There was a single month when I was on furlough. I think that proves that attractiveness is not a requirement for employment. In fact, with only a couple of exceptions, what rejects me on job applications is the computer. I've had a very good success rate if I get past the computer.
 
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Steve

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I disagree with a bit of this. First the physically demanding jobs-there are still jobs that aren't replaced by robots, and I don't know that all of them eventually will. Things like construction require physical ability, but I can't see a robot doing it. There's also smaller things too-bringing a heavy package into a house, running so that you're not late for a class or a meeting, things like that.
i agree. For example, professional sports athletes are physically fit. Fire fighters tend to be very fit. Soldiers are generally quite fit. Cops... well, some cops are fit. ;)
Then for health-the world average might be 72 years old, but I know people who have died of a heart attack in their 50s. Most of the people I know above 85 tend to be (or at least were for most of their life) on the healthier side of things. So that's 30 more years of life that the guys who died in their 50s could have had in their 80s.
I think there have always been a lot of old people. Infant mortality skews the average life span by quite a bit. But if you think about it, 2000 years ago, the minimum age to serve on the Spartan senate was 60. If people didn't routinely live that long (and much longer) and old people were rare, the minimum age would be much lower. Wouldn't it?
 

Tames D

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OVERRATED ;)

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dvcochran

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i agree. For example, professional sports athletes are physically fit. Fire fighters tend to be very fit. Soldiers are generally quite fit. Cops... well, some cops are fit. ;)
I think there have always been a lot of old people. Infant mortality skews the average life span by quite a bit. But if you think about it, 2000 years ago, the minimum age to serve on the Spartan senate was 60. If people didn't routinely live that long (and much longer) and old people were rare, the minimum age would be much lower. Wouldn't it?

Much of it is analogous to your SD argument. To a large degree physical fitness is dependent on what a person does or needs to be fit at. I have always said in terms of overall fitness male gymnasts are by far the strongest/fittest people I have ever met. They are strong in every dimension and have great power regardless of angular stresses, gravity, or leverage.
So, yes, fire fighters should be fit for their craft. Front line soldiers, yes. Careered desk jockey, likely to a lesser degree. The same can be said for LEO for the most part. There are the donut shop cops (in all your examples) but they are the exception not the rule. However, these are the ones usually compared as the standard model which is incorrect.
LEO is such an underappreciated, underpaid job. Two of the reasons I no longer do it. A job were you can be right 99.99% of the time and it still not be good enough, to the point people die. Yet very few people understand this fact and only want to bash when the .01% happens to be a LEO stopping for a donut after a 14 hour midnight shift where 3 people died in an accident.
My last two years as a LEO I was the defensive tactics and accident reconstruction trainer. Accident reconstruction is taught in a 40 hour classroom environment. DT is a regular part of 2-week in-service plus 2 hours each week. All hands on. So two very different training models.
Proficiency had to be shown (yes, to industry standards). Even so, I can think of on the job occurrences where even though the officer knew what to do other stressors (fear, etc...) affected their ability. This falls in the 'some people just should not be LEO' category for me.
This is an excellent example of something @Tony Dismukes said about practicing material under various and unexpected scenarios. It is the best case practice scenario. And while we tried to do this as much as possible, using many different scenarios, unknown people, always being very hands on, etc... there are/were still unforeseen variables.

The strongest tool we have is our mental strength. Strength can overcome skill in many ways but the guy who is mentally strong enough to keep going, keep working when the first/second/third thing does not work is going to win.
Until you have been outside the theory dimension you will not understand this. Even being in competition is rules bound so still limited scope.
The LEO on a domestic call alone who is 5 foot nothing and has to stand down an crowd of young, drunk, angry males in a housing development. That takes skill, and great big cahonies. As well as some great mental attitude.
 

Monkey Turned Wolf

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Much of it is analogous to your SD argument. To a large degree physical fitness is dependent on what a person does or needs to be fit at. I have always said in terms of overall fitness male gymnasts are by far the strongest/fittest people I have ever met. They are strong in every dimension and have great power regardless of angular stresses, gravity, or leverage.
So, yes, fire fighters should be fit for their craft. Front line soldiers, yes. Careered desk jockey, likely to a lesser degree. The same can be said for LEO for the most part. There are the donut shop cops (in all your examples) but they are the exception not the rule. However, these are the ones usually compared as the standard model which is incorrect.
LEO is such an underappreciated, underpaid job. Two of the reasons I no longer do it. A job were you can be right 99.99% of the time and it still not be good enough, to the point people die. Yet very few people understand this fact and only want to bash when the .01% happens to be a LEO stopping for a donut after a 14 hour midnight shift where 3 people died in an accident.
My last two years as a LEO I was the defensive tactics and accident reconstruction trainer. Accident reconstruction is taught in a 40 hour classroom environment. DT is a regular part of 2-week in-service plus 2 hours each week. All hands on. So two very different training models.
Proficiency had to be shown (yes, to industry standards). Even so, I can think of on the job occurrences where even though the officer knew what to do other stressors (fear, etc...) affected their ability. This falls in the 'some people just should not be LEO' category for me.
This is an excellent example of something @Tony Dismukes said about practicing material under various and unexpected scenarios. It is the best case practice scenario. And while we tried to do this as much as possible, using many different scenarios, unknown people, always being very hands on, etc... there are/were still unforeseen variables.

The strongest tool we have is our mental strength. Strength can overcome skill in many ways but the guy who is mentally strong enough to keep going, keep working when the first/second/third thing does not work is going to win.
Until you have been outside the theory dimension you will not understand this. Even being in competition is rules bound so still limited scope.
The LEO on a domestic call alone who is 5 foot nothing and has to stand down an crowd of young, drunk, angry males in a housing development. That takes skill, and great big cahonies. As well as some great mental attitude.
I'm guessing this is in response to him saying some cops are fit, unlike professional athletes/soldiers/firefighters where he didn't add the some? If so, a lot of this is unrelated since the conversation wasn't about mental toughness. But from my own experience hanging out in two precincts as a kid and going to a lot of LEO softball games, I would say only about half the LEO's seemed fit. Generally the ones still in their 20's, are the ones 55+. Just my experience, but closer to half of them than .01%.

And in one of the precincts, donuts were actually banned, at least while in uniform. So were bagels-they were deemed too similar to donuts, and could be mistaken as them. Which, in NY, is a very cruel thing to do.

As far as the comparison to the others, I don't know enough firefighters to comment on that. But all the active soldiers I've known were fit while active, and there are only a few sports where you can be an unfit pro athlete.
 

Gyakuto

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My second most non political opinion....the movie It's a Wonderful Life.......sucks.

You're going to love the first.
‘The Bishop’s Wife’ is a much better Christmas film. Cary Grant, David Niven, Loretta Young.
 

Wing Woo Gar

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Wow. That goes beyond your run of the mill dislike of a particular food. I love mushrooms myself.

I imagine you saying to your fiancee, "Hey, could you smoke this cigar to get rid of the mushroom smell on your breath?" :)
Yep exactly that. I love a good cigar. Mushrooms are awful!
 

Gyakuto

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Yep exactly that. I love a good cigar. Mushrooms are awful!
Closed cup, button mushrooms are tasteless and filled with water…chestnut mushrooms are much better. Cep/Procini/Penny bun (Boletus edulis) are heaven-sent (scent). Sliced, sautéed and laid on an omelett…🤤 I suppose they’re perfect for us vegetarians. Truffles, on the other hand, are musty and overrated!
 
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Steve

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Closed cup, button mushrooms are tasteless and filled with water…chestnut mushrooms are much better. Cep/Procini/Penny bun (Boletus edulis) are heaven-sent (scent). Sliced, sautéed and laid on an omelett…🤤 I suppose they’re perfect for us vegetarians. Truffles, on the other hand, are musty and overrated!
I feel like truffles are like bacon. Fine in certain dishes and in moderation, but mostly trendy and overrated.
 

Wing Woo Gar

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Sometime after this pandemic thing is over I think we should all meet up in a central location and just beat the Bejesus out of each other...and then party like the animals we are. I think it should be on Maui....because, you know, it's central.

And I have avocados!
Lillikoi!
 

Monkey Turned Wolf

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Closed cup, button mushrooms are tasteless and filled with water…chestnut mushrooms are much better. Cep/Procini/Penny bun (Boletus edulis) are heaven-sent (scent). Sliced, sautéed and laid on an omelett…🤤 I suppose they’re perfect for us vegetarians. Truffles, on the other hand, are musty and overrated!
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Wing Woo Gar

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There are 200 varieties of avocados grown here, seven of them in my back yard. Unfortunately, due to the winters, they don't grow where you are. You might have never had a fresh one.

They're actually rather tasty. But also an acquired taste.
Butter avo is my personal fave. And apple bananas! Mmm.
 

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