The thing is, Eric wouldn't be wrong so often (and it wouldn't be nearly so much fun pointing it out when he is), if he didn't stubbornly insist he was right over every little thing.
Tonight while we were watching ice-skating finals we were waiting for the last skater's scores. She needed a score of 138+ to medal.
"She'll get 136," Eric stated matter-of-factly.
"Really?" I countered, "I didn't think it was that good. I would guess 130-131 at the highest--maybe not even that."
"Okay," he schemed, "so if she gets a 134 or higher then I'm right and I win. If she get's a 133.9 or lower, you win." He paused for a moment before finishing with, "And I guess if she scores in between that we tie."
"Okay," I shrugged.
The score came out at 126.
"Dang it!" he lamented than begrudgingly mumbled a quick "you're right and I'm wrong."
Final skater's score above 134--busted!
* * *
Several minutes later the medal ceremony began and we laughed when the bronze medalist skated to the rear of the podium and almost mounted on the silver side before realizing her error. Then the silver medalist was announced and she glided across the floor and hugged the third-place winner before stepping up to her side of the podium.
"Huh," I observed, "she just climbed on up from the front."
"So?"
"I think usually the athletes come from the rear of the podium. Oh--but she did it too!" I exclaimed as the gold medalist also stepped up into place from the front of the podium.
"What's the difference? The sides are the same."
"Really? I thought there were steps in the back."
"Noooo," Eric said as if that was the most ludicrous suggestion he had ever heard, they just use the bronze or silver sides to step up to gold if they need to."
"Oh, okay. I don't know, I just was thinking I'd seen them step up from a step in the back."
"Let's see. If there are no steps I'm right, if there are any steps at all you're right." He spit the words out quickly, trying to set up the stakes of our game before a camera pan concluded it.
"Okay," I shrugged again.
The camera panned back revealing a nice step behind the center of the platform. "Look--a step!," I laughed.
This was too much losing in one night for Eric. "No, that's just part of the design," he grumbled. But I knew he knew.
No steps behind olympic podiums--busted!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Lotus vs. Flamingo
Tonight Eric and I were watching the womens' olympic figure skating competition. One of the ladies did a lovely Biellmann spin (click here for example) and I, not knowing the proper term for the move, said "I love it when they do that lotus spin."
"The lotus spin?" Eric inquired.
"That's just my name for it," I explained.
"I would call it the pink flamingo spin."
"Nah, it's shaped more like a lotus than a flamingo." (For clarification, I was referring to a closed lotus, not one in full bloom.)
"Whatever," Eric muttered, "they're basically the same animal." At my laugh he glanced over sheepishly. "Wait, a lotus *is* an animal, isn't it?"
"No, it's a flower."
"Oh, knew it was one or the other, so I figured I had a 50/50 chance."
Oh Eric. Better to let us think you're a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. :)
Lotus=animal--busted!
"The lotus spin?" Eric inquired.
"That's just my name for it," I explained.
"I would call it the pink flamingo spin."
"Nah, it's shaped more like a lotus than a flamingo." (For clarification, I was referring to a closed lotus, not one in full bloom.)
"Whatever," Eric muttered, "they're basically the same animal." At my laugh he glanced over sheepishly. "Wait, a lotus *is* an animal, isn't it?"
"No, it's a flower."
"Oh, knew it was one or the other, so I figured I had a 50/50 chance."
Oh Eric. Better to let us think you're a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. :)
Lotus=animal--busted!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Advantageous
Eric was talking about his paper on God's will. "If God gives us wisdom, and he expects us to use it to choose the most spiritually advantageous course of action, then to not do so would be to sin. But who can do that all the time?"
"Advantageous," I corrected.
"Really?"
"Yep."
"So, who could possibly do that all the time?"
Advantageous--busted!
"Advantageous," I corrected.
"Really?"
"Yep."
"So, who could possibly do that all the time?"
Advantageous--busted!
Friday, December 11, 2009
My Fair Lady
I was listening to Eric and Tracy discuss the bridge while I was putting the ham in the oven. I began to sing, "London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down...London bridge is falling down, my fair lady."
"Who is 'my fair lady,' anyway?" I called to the living-room siblings.
"It's the Statue of Liberty," answered Eric.
"No....that doesn't make any sense. What does she have to do with the London Bridge? And why would they take a key and lock her up?" I countered.
"Well," he insisted, "she's on an island! You can't get more locked up than being surrounded on all sides by water."
"Hmmm...." I reentered the living room and opened the laptop up again. A quick search revealed theories on the origins and meaning of the London Bridge lyrics. I read to them about the "Viking Attack Theory," the "Child Sacrifice Theory," and various guesses as to who the "fair lady" may be: Matilda of Scotland, Eleanor of Provence, or an unnamed member of the Leigh family.
"Nothing about the Statue of Liberty!" I announced triumphantly.
Eric didn't trust my research. "Search for 'my fair lady statue of liberty london bridge,'" he instructed. Unfortunately [for him], the only results we found were sites that just happened to contain comments on the London Bridge and the Statue of Liberty on the same page--no where in the universe could we find evidence of a single other person who believed the fair lady of London Bridge was referring to Lady Liberty.
My Fair Lady Liberty--busted!
"Who is 'my fair lady,' anyway?" I called to the living-room siblings.
"It's the Statue of Liberty," answered Eric.
"No....that doesn't make any sense. What does she have to do with the London Bridge? And why would they take a key and lock her up?" I countered.
"Well," he insisted, "she's on an island! You can't get more locked up than being surrounded on all sides by water."
"Hmmm...." I reentered the living room and opened the laptop up again. A quick search revealed theories on the origins and meaning of the London Bridge lyrics. I read to them about the "Viking Attack Theory," the "Child Sacrifice Theory," and various guesses as to who the "fair lady" may be: Matilda of Scotland, Eleanor of Provence, or an unnamed member of the Leigh family.
"Nothing about the Statue of Liberty!" I announced triumphantly.
Eric didn't trust my research. "Search for 'my fair lady statue of liberty london bridge,'" he instructed. Unfortunately [for him], the only results we found were sites that just happened to contain comments on the London Bridge and the Statue of Liberty on the same page--no where in the universe could we find evidence of a single other person who believed the fair lady of London Bridge was referring to Lady Liberty.
My Fair Lady Liberty--busted!
London Bridge
I was putting a ham in the oven. Tracy and Eric were watching a Blazer game on my tv and during a time-out the network showed a picture of Blazer fans on the Tower Bridge. Eric said it was the London Bridge. Tracy disagreed. The broadcaster announced that it was the Tower Bridge.
London Bridge--busted!
London Bridge--busted!
Uncanny
Eric and Tracy are at my house. We were comparing photos of Richard Pryor with a Multnomah professor. Really, Richard Pryor could be a black twin of Ray Lubeck. They look so similar. "It's uncanny!" I exclaimed.
"It's uncanning," Eric corrected.
"No, the word is 'uncanny,'" I insisted.
"I've always heard it said 'uncanning.'"
Tracy waved an olive branch between us: "I think it actually is 'uncanny' but people always say 'uncanning.'"
I was already pulling out my laptop. I quickly opened up google and typed "Define: uncanny" into the search field. Several definitions popped up and I swiveled the screen to show Eric.
"See," I said smugly.
"Now type 'uncanning,'" he insisted.
I sighed, but complied. "No definitions found for 'uncanning,'" replied Google.
"HA!"
Uncanning---busted!
"It's uncanning," Eric corrected.
"No, the word is 'uncanny,'" I insisted.
"I've always heard it said 'uncanning.'"
Tracy waved an olive branch between us: "I think it actually is 'uncanny' but people always say 'uncanning.'"
I was already pulling out my laptop. I quickly opened up google and typed "Define: uncanny" into the search field. Several definitions popped up and I swiveled the screen to show Eric.
"See," I said smugly.
"Now type 'uncanning,'" he insisted.
I sighed, but complied. "No definitions found for 'uncanning,'" replied Google.
"HA!"
Uncanning---busted!
Eric Is Wrong
That is the premise of this blog. He's wrong all the time about little things and medium things and big things.
Yes I realize that we are all wrong about things from time to time. But Eric is always so adamant about everything, that there is a particular pleasure that comes from busting his theories.
So I decided to start this blog to chronicle all the ways that Eric's ideas, attitudes, perceptions and beliefs are wrong. Incorrect. False. Debunked. BUSTED!
Yes I realize that we are all wrong about things from time to time. But Eric is always so adamant about everything, that there is a particular pleasure that comes from busting his theories.
So I decided to start this blog to chronicle all the ways that Eric's ideas, attitudes, perceptions and beliefs are wrong. Incorrect. False. Debunked. BUSTED!
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