# United States of Gullible



## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

I'm beginning to realize that my intelligence is being threatened by the 'Share' button of social media. It must be true because thousands of people have shared or liked something that has no substance. A friend on Facebook shared a post that I informed her was incorrect and delivered proof that it was false. Not a political post, it had to do with science. Immediately was deleted by her to save face. No "thank you, good to know" which would have been nice. Not the first time this has happened, multiple people.

Nobody reads information and confirms or compares the matter from a reputable source. I'm beginning to believe this has contributed to the lack of qualified candidates for President this time around. Naturally people vote for their ilk, idiots vote idiots into office. Trump's an idiot, Clinton is an idiot, Cruz is an idiot, Sanders is an idiot. Problem is the best candidates are not at the forefront because they are not as well known because meme generators have monopolized the well known idiots.

I actually know I would make a great President but it wouldn't be worth the effort to run. I'm not an egotistical limelight grabbing ninny. I do separate emotion from my vote, I believe in God, but I leave the Bible at home. I understand my way of doing things are not the same as others and I would not infringe on their beliefs. I just wish they would quit pushing me while I keep voting so they have the freedoms they desire. Don't worry most people see my occupation and lack of lavish spending as a sign that I'm stupid. I just hate voting for the smartest idiot, what a paradox.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Pretty much the same here. The latest thing spreading around is that Jean Stapleton has just died, yea she died alright, 3 1/2 years ago, seen that 2 or 3 times in the last day or two. People just Share crap without ever checking it out. It amazes me at some of the crap people post on FaceBook. Had a friend of mine check in that she was in line at visitation at a funeral home, I was like WT. Same person posted the other day that her first 4 patients, she's a nurse, had a combined weight of about 1000 lbs. Now mind you this individual is actually running for public office this Fall. I posted something like, "wow coming from someone that's running for office this might not look too good down the road if their opponent got ahold of it". Man she came to her senses, temporarily, and deleted that whole thing real quick. I mean so what if 4 people weigh 1000 lbs., heck I'm 6'1" and weigh 220 so I'm close to being one quarter of that. I do enjoy some of the tractor, woodworking, woodcarving groups and stuff on Facebook and post quite a few things but before I share something if it seems the least bit odd I check it out, some people share some of the stupidest crap.

I especially like the ones that say, "Hey we're going on vacation for a week". Like a guy told me why not just put sign in your dang yard and say "Hey I'm gone help yourself to whatever you want".


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## steve IN (Jan 13, 2010)

The lack of qualified candidates, in my opinion, is because good people do not want to put their family through all the crap they get from the media. Stories on social media, like the internet are taken as gospel. It is easy to just push a button instead of checking out the postings of someone you have never heard of. One of the worst things about this is the anonymity. It is so easy to create a fictional page and then spout ignorance without having to be held accountable. I have told both of my daughters that their actions from the past will always be remembered at the wrong times, same goes for what they post on social media. In this age of technology, which moves way too fast for me, nothing is ever deleted or forgotten.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

No facebook for me.....I can understand being dragged into FB if you have a business....it is a necessary evil for many businesses today. But just for everyday use for a individual..... I have absolutely no use for it....it's a social network for the legions of the miserable. I actually have a real life with real life problems, events, and pleasures.....I do not need fantasy land.

Regards, Mike


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Vol said:


> No facebook for me.....I can understand being dragged into FB if you have a business....it is a necessary evil for many businesses today. But just for everyday use for a individual..... I have absolutely no use for it....it's a social network for the legions of the miserable. I actually have a real life with real life problems, events, and pleasures.....I do not need fantasy land.
> 
> Regards, Mike


Amen....don't do FaceVine either. Wife does tho.....with kids (younguns) you absolutely must have it, you are being negligent as a parent if you don't have it.....


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Vol said:


> No facebook for me.....I can understand being dragged into FB if you have a business....it is a necessary evil for many businesses today. But just for everyday use for a individual..... I have absolutely no use for it....it's a social network for the legions of the miserable. I actually have a real life with real life problems, events, and pleasures.....I do not need fantasy land.
> 
> Regards, Mike


FB is what you make of it.If you don't like what someone posts or their drama you can de friend them or click on ignore,they still think you are a friend but won't get their stupid posts.

It sure is nice to see pictures of family and friends in an instant from them.And they can send it to all their friends and family in a click of the button.Or they can send them privately to you or a select a few people to send to via the private Messenger

One thing about FB is that it is very user friendly for posting pictures which is a drawback of some forums like haytalk.

I do agree some are engrossed in it and have to look at it every 5 minutes.And need to post there every move.

I thought FB was dumb at first and didn't join for a couple yrs after some other friends did.I do sure like it now.I do have a business site and a personal site and keep the business site strictly hay,farm,and business related.

One thing you have to remember some that post stupid shit were stupid before FB ,now it just shows how stupid they are to more people.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I belong to several groups on Facebook, like Outdoor Furnace Owners, Offroad Buy Sell Trade, Oliver Tractor, and Trade for Guns.

It's a generational thing as well, family friends youngest (maybe 30) posts a lot of farming pics and videos, so at least he does a little to educate the city masses as he has a lot of family that's been removed from the farm for a generation or two. I've sold several quarters of beef thru Facebook as well when the original buyer backed out and I didn't want to have to store it.

That and the Invite feature is nice, have attended a lot of barbecues, pool party's, birthday parties, etc. thru invites on FB.

Have all our vacation Photo's from the UK and Normandy on Facebook as well, makes it so all our family can see em without having to take the iPad to every family function.


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

I have a very large extended family (ie lots of people not necessarily weight problems :lol and a group of former co-worker; some of us started of e-mailing to keep in contact. Well the more tech-y ones moved to facebook when it came off the college campus scene. So to keep up with family and friends the rest of us joined the facebook world. For a time it worked very well. The people on my "friends" list are people I'd be glad to see at my front door. That said I truly wish the "share" and "like" buttons did not exist. I do not tolerate bad language and will hide all posts if someone shares garbage with words that I'd walk away from in face to face conversation. I don't have to have those words running through my mind. Facebook has added junk that brings up memories from X number of years ago. It is extremely difficult to sort through what some friends have posted . . . I really don't want to have to decide whether congratulations are in order for the new baby or realize that child is already in school. Among family there are some of us that understand that we must just scroll past one that posts every activity of her pets. That person's excess caused me to totally quit posting an occasional picture of our critters. Can't leave out the recipe 'share this on you timeline to save' that has flooded fb with the same recipes! So the good time frame of being able to keep up with family and close friends through facebook is just about over. Lots of people really aren't thinking about what they're doing with their posts, just like real life. Hmm, may need to get back to just seeing the people in person.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Facebook is just an opportunity to create a fantasy life that doesn't exist.

One guy I know-he was a complete un-athletic dork in his younger years. Now he has joined a gym and makes a post every time he increases his bench press 5lbs. I think he's up to 220 LOL. Posts pictures of himself doing muscle poses at 50 yrs old.

So anyway this clown was at the high school one day (probably looking up high school girl's skirts) and my sophomore son was at the gym lifting weights. He came home laughing and said "Hey dad, Mr. B looked like he was gonna cry when he saw me benching 250 for multiple reps."

We got a good chuckle out of that.

Then there's the town drunk up the street. Cops spend more time at their house than at the police barracks. Lots of substance abuse, too. In fact the we call it "Precinct 31" (their street number is 31). She cant stop posting on facebook how amazing their family life is and how in love she and her husband are. Shes using facebook to create a fantasy life.

I could go on and on. Me and my wife laugh at the ones who suddenly become "tri-athletes" after getting cut from every team they tried out for in high school. Or the ones who get boob jobs then post up provocative pictures of themselves on FB. Then you run into them at a football game and they're all sexied-up. 30 years ago they had a fat ass and coke bottle glasses.

It is fun to watch from a distance, but at the end of the day, you feel sorry for them. I think FB is a chance to "rewrite your life"


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Swmnhay nailed it. It is what you make of it. Haytalk is the same thing just without the family pictures. Just this morning we had a fake article posted that someone thought was true. Best thing to do is spend most of your haytalk time in the hay, tractor, equipment, and truck forums. It's even the same in "real" life too. There are plenty of breakfast or bar hangouts where you wouldn't hear a single word of truth the whole time you were there. It's not that you need to boycott the place. All you need to do is not sit at the counter. It's not that complicated.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

8350HiTech said:


> It is what you make of it.


That can be said of anything.....but for the vast most part, I still contend that FB is basically a source for the legions of the miserable.

Regards, Mike


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Vol said:


> That can be said of anything.....but for the vast most part, I still contend that FB is basically a source for the legions of the miserable.
> 
> Regards, Mike


People gravitate to like-minded people. If you've seen someone's Facebook feed and it's all misery, their solution begins in the mirror.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Vol said:


> That can be said of anything.....but for the vast most part, I still contend that FB is basically a source for the legions of the miserable.
> 
> Regards, Mike


That's a FACT.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

8350HiTech said:


> Swmnhay nailed it. It is what you make of it. Haytalk is the same thing just without the family pictures. Just this morning we had a fake article posted that someone thought was true. Best thing to do is spend most of your haytalk time in the hay, tractor, equipment, and truck forums. It's even the same in "real" life too. There are plenty of breakfast or bar hangouts where you wouldn't hear a single word of truth the whole time you were there. It's not that you need to boycott the place. All you need to do is not sit at the counter. It's not that complicated.


Pains me to say it, but there's some truth to what you say.

I'm sure there's a few members here embellishing what they own (might really belong to dad, etc), what they do, etc. but for the most part, I think the farming brotherhood allows us to speak with honesty to each other.
Facebook is a legion of mostly miserable people looking to rewrite their miserable lives. I obviously like it here, but you'd never find me on* farce*book.


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

I like Facebook for the wide reach to share life with family, former teammates, classmates, and friends along the way. Also it's a great scrapbook for me to revisit memories. I post stuff about the farm, vacations (after I get home), my son's milestones, some news articles, and my occasional opinion (which some people have unfriended me over).

It is the complete absorption that people have that they make their decisions based on Facebook. If it's on the Internet it must be true. The trend I have noticed is people I have always thought were smart. Teachers, professionals, friends, etc. that really have narrow minds. Or the chain post 'like if you believe in God' or 'Share to support Cancer'. I don't like bypassing stuff like that but those posts are traps to get your information. Or the solicitation of advice because someone posts a vague,"Ugh, sometimes you have to start over!"

Haytalk is a little different. When advice is solicited here, it's not drama (even though some of us have been known to throw in something smart aleckie  ). Face it, HAYTALK is OUR coffee shop, of course we are going to talk about stuff that's not ag related. I enjoy this forum a lot more because it's people I don't know that share a common interest. Athough most of you are wrong anyway


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Another nice thing about FB, far as I can tell you get unlimited storage space, I literally have thousands of pictures stored there and all are set to private, so only the wife and I can see them.

They are also stored on a back up drive at home and iCloud, but I'll take advantage of free storage to provide yet another backup source.

My Dads side of the family set a time for Christmas dinner this year by setting up a private group for Lappins only, worked much better than playing phone tag for two weeks.

EDIT: I should ad that my Dad's older sister came up wit the FB ideal.


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

It appears some of us use facebook in a positive way, accepting the opportunity for communication with a select audience and free photo storage. Private (until hacked) messaging is simpler than keeping up with e-mail addresses. Since nothing can be considered private must keep in mind that even if security is breached, we wouldn't be harmed -- just angry. If it has been posted on the world wide web there is always a chance the info will get into the wrong place.

Shelia


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Exactly, no extremely personal photos stored on FB, just a ton of landscape shots from England, Normandy, Scotland, etc.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Sounds like we have here what momma always called a "generation gap"


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

JD3430 said:


> Facebook is just an opportunity to create a fantasy life that doesn't exist.
> One guy I know-he was a complete un-athletic dork in his younger years. Now he has joined a gym and makes a post every time he increases his bench press 5lbs. I think he's up to 220 LOL. Posts pictures of himself doing muscle poses at 50 yrs old.
> So anyway this clown was at the high school one day (probably looking up high school girl's skirts) and my sophomore son was at the gym lifting weights. He came home laughing and said "Hey dad, Mr. B looked like he was gonna cry when he saw me benching 250 for multiple reps."
> We got a good chuckle out of that.
> ...


Two things JD.....do the schools up there make it a habit of letting "civilians" wander around the school......I haven't been to the school weight room (pump house as we call it) since I was in HS, not sure what the 50yr olds business was at the HS weight room? Is there anything wrong with a guy gettin fit at age 50? Or becoming athletic...... I commend him for the effort..... like you, I could care less about knowing it. 
I have never, ever, ever seen a woman that used to have a fat "buttocks" 30 yrs ago to have anything but wider hips 30 yrs later.......


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

somedevildawg said:


> Two things JD.....do the schools up there make it a habit of letting "civilians" wander around the school......I haven't been to the school weight room (pump house as we call it) since I was in HS, not sure what the 50yr olds business was at the HS weight room? Is there anything wrong with a guy gettin fit at age 50? Or becoming athletic...... I commend him for the effort..... like you, I could care less about knowing it.
> I have never, ever, ever seen a woman that used to have a fat "buttocks" 30 yrs ago to have anything but wider hips 30 yrs later.......


Lots of questions to answer but here goes;

the 50 yr old guy was picking his son up outside the gym. Theres a waiting area and some windows. Theres also a couple security guys there in case any parents linger a little too long. It's funny, the same guy has a daughter my daughters age. At a social gathering a few years back, he proclaimed to me "your daughter will never make the MS basketball team". Not only did she make the team, but she scored 15 points in a game last week, including the game winning shot in OT. He was in the audience. Couldnt believe his eyes. The expression on his face was priceless. You can tell he's in the "legion of the miserable,,just like Mike so profoundly described. He didnt get the kids he wanted, so he moves on to put down other people's kids. Then he puts a weight bar over his head and posts a picture of it on Farcebook. The guy's a pencil neck geek that sell paper cups for a living.

Nothing wrong w/ 50 YO guy getting fit of course, I just dont need to know about every increase in his lifting ability-and I dont think the rest of the world cares, either. Especially to see the guy with his shirt off, either. Lifting weight I think my wife used to lift...lol

30 years ago, I was a freshman/sophomore in college and yes, there were a number of fat asses on campuses back then. We used to call it "the freshman 10". Maybe its a "northeastern thing" lol.

I think plastic boobs were invented so women with too much "junk in the trunk" could look more "balanced".


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

If he had proclaimed to me that "your daughter won't make the xxxx team" at a social gathering, it probably woulda been the last social gathering he would be attending and I woulda had 3 squares for 24 hours.....
I've seen the type you mention, I prefer to say they are "livin their life through their kids" it's sad to me sometimes but it is human nature, not sure what can be done except to "explain it" to them.....several different methods can be employed but I wouldn't take too kindly to his verbal ignorance......


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

somedevildawg said:


> If he had proclaimed to me that "your daughter won't make the xxxx team" at a social gathering, it probably woulda been the last social gathering he would be attending and I woulda had 3 squares for 24 hours.....
> I've seen the type you mention, I prefer to say they are "livin their life through their kids" it's sad to me sometimes but it is human nature, not sure what can be done except to "explain it" to them.....several different methods can be employed but I wouldn't take too kindly to his verbal ignorance......


In fairness...he didn't say it directly like that.

I was hosting a New Year's eve party. Our daughters were friends at the time. His daughter was hopeless as an athlete. He tried to categorize both our kids as unathletic. He said "neither of our daughters will make the girls school BB team" I told him "don't count my girl out, she's tough (wife is part native American)". He didn't agree and we went our separate ways.

I'm not going to knock someones teeth out at a party enviroment at my house over THAT. My wife would probably knock MY teeth out after party was over if I did that. haha

But please excuse my simplified explanation.....was trying to be brief.

Sorry to get off topic. The guy is a retard on farcebook, though.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Good for him.....good for everyone. I just couldn't be held accountable if it had been presented in the fashion you first described.....

I'm a little on the old fashioned side of things....despite being techno-savvy to some degree, I find little useful about Facebook with the exception being child rearing.....if you aren't on Facebook, you should be......lots of good info to glean from that site


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

My wife informed me I was just unfriended by my buddy's wife because I told her onions do not keep the flu away. The post was about how onions absorb bacteria such as the flu and because onions absorb bacteria that they are toxic and cause food poisoning.

I explained to her that the flu is a virus. That all vegetables have bacteria, that's why we wash or cook them. Bacteria cannot direct itself in flight because of the onions magnetic powers. If this was the case, onions would be all over hospitals, which she works at.

Super Bowl Sunday is going to be awkward for her because I'm just going to be extra nice to her.


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

JD3430 said:


> I think plastic boobs were invented so women with too much "junk in the trunk" could look more "balanced".


If it ain't real, I prefer silicone, much more malleable.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

When people brag on facebook and other social media about how great their lives are and how good they have it. It makes me wonder who they are trying to convince, me or themselves.

I've yet to join the online sensation that is facebook, but years ago was talked into joining myspace. I will say the first 6 months to a year on myspace was kind of fun getting back in touch with old HS friends that I'd lost track of. But there was to much drama and BS that went along with it. Facebook was just catching on and a few friends told me to make the switch to that. I ended up deleting my myspace page and not joing facebook. I do miss out on some extended family news or some social event because I'm not facebook and didn't get the message but oh well if it was that important they should have called. One day maybe I'll get a facebook account, but maybe I won't.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

To many people believe something because its on the internet, TV, or in a magazine. They think its gotta be true. I've always felt that for whatever someone writes an article about you can find another one that is the exact opposite.

I do find the internet to be a wealth of information but there is plenty of BS on it too.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

No doubt about what you fellas are saying....this whole country is about 50% FOS....you cannot avoid it where ever you go. We just notice it so much more now because of the ever burgeoning population.

Regards, Mike


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Vol said:


> No doubt about what you fellas are saying....this whole country is about 50% FOS....you cannot avoid it where ever you go. We just notice it so much more now because of the ever burgeoning population.
> 
> Regards, Mike


And the Information Age.....


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

IHCman said:


> When people brag on facebook and other social media about how great their lives are and how good they have it. It makes me wonder who they are trying to convince, me or themselves.
> 
> I've yet to join the online sensation that is facebook, but years ago was talked into joining myspace. I will say the first 6 months to a year on myspace was kind of fun getting back in touch with old HS friends that I'd lost track of. But there was to much drama and BS that went along with it. Facebook was just catching on and a few friends told me to make the switch to that. I ended up deleting my myspace page and not joing facebook. I do miss out on some extended family news or some social event because I'm not facebook and didn't get the message but oh well if it was that important they should have called. One day maybe I'll get a facebook account, but maybe I won't.


Ooooo but that's the best part, you know who's relationship is rockier than the Rockies. "I love you more muah muah" or "We have been through some ups and downs, look bae we are proving them wrong." At least a dozen times a day (Currently following 7 dramas, including a hottie who's single and her love life sucks *hint: she's crazy and has a lot of blonde moments for a brunette). This is shorthand Days of Our Lives. I've been with my wife for 12 years and our relationship status on FB is friends lol.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Grateful11 said:


> Pretty much the same here. The latest thing spreading around is that Jean Stapleton has just died, yea she died alright, 3 1/2 years ago, seen that 2 or 3 times in the last day or two. People just Share crap without ever checking it out. It amazes me at some of the crap people post on FaceBook. Had a friend of mine check in that she was in line at visitation at a funeral home, I was like WT. Same person posted the other day that her first 4 patients, she's a nurse, had a combined weight of about 1000 lbs. Now mind you this individual is actually running for public office this Fall. I posted something like, "wow coming from someone that's running for office this might not look too good down the road if their opponent got ahold of it". Man she came to her senses, temporarily, and deleted that whole thing real quick. I mean so what if 4 people weigh 1000 lbs., heck I'm 6'1" and weigh 220 so I'm close to being one quarter of that. I do enjoy some of the tractor, woodworking, woodcarving groups and stuff on Facebook and post quite a few things but before I share something if it seems the least bit odd I check it out, some people share some of the stupidest crap.
> 
> I especially like the ones that say, "Hey we're going on vacation for a week". Like a guy told me why not just put sign in your dang yard and say "Hey I'm gone help yourself to whatever you want".


People are stupid...

Wonder if she ever heard of HIPPA?? You know, the fancy-shmancy "health care privacy law" that you have to read and sign and initial about fifteen pages of crap before you can even get into the doctor's office nowdays... Her posting crap like that COULD potentially get her into a LOT of hot water if the wrong person wanted to make an issue of it...

People do a lot of stupid stuff... I was reading this "facebook fails" page that was linked to on "people of Walmart" the other day and was kinda shocked at how stupid some people are...

Look at it this way-- at least you know now who NOT to vote for... LOL

Later! OL J R


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

I don't waste my time with FB... I let my wife waste hers...

If there's anything interesting to see, she tosses me her pad or phone or turns it around so I can see the pictures...

The rest is worthless claptrap... LOL

Later! OL J R


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

luke strawwalker said:


> I don't waste my time with FB... I let my wife waste hers...
> 
> If there's anything interesting to see, she tosses me her pad or phone or turns it around so I can see the pictures...
> 
> ...


Same way here. Kinda funny, if I think about it. I keep track of farm related drama (and show her pics of a Ford that's stuck in the mud with a big ole log  ) and she shows me pics of stupid little wiener dogs dressed up funny and doing funny stuff.

It's all entertainment with knowledge mixed in or the other way around.

73, Mark


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

I can pretty well sum it up. For New Years this was my post;

Happy New Years. Here is to another year of blind share and likes, mindless arguments on FB, politics, save the dogs, whales, wolves, whatever, poor grammar and the folks that call it out, run on sentences like this one, useless attempts at validation of shit careers in an effort to feel better or heroic in some way, and some really cool posts by real people who don't copy and paste. I hope that your year is blessed and that 2016 is better than 2015. I almost forgot the massive attempts at overcompensation via the Ford, Dodge, Chevy "upgrade" pictures and memes. Is there a group that I have left out? Happy New Year.

OTOH, a few weeks ago a pic was posted of some loose horses and mules. It was on a community group. I recognized the brand and critters as being a friend of ours'. I was 500 miles away from home and called to tell her that her horses and mules were out and where they were. She didn't know.

I guess that it is what you make of it and it does serve some purposes well.


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