Feb 11
Bored@School commented on Why We Keep Cats.
Cats have co-evolved in a symbiotic relationship with a a parasitic protist that causes toxoplasmosis. One of the side effects from exposure to, inhalation or consumption of cat feces is the protist can alter behavioral patterns by increasing dopamine production. What once caused fear among rodents, now causes pleasure, and causes them to seek out cats. They are a microscopic Pied Piper, leading the rodents to their death.
Humans can be affected as well (granted, pregnant mothers can get sick and die, or miscarry as a result of infection). But many people who once hated cats can come to love them simply because their brain has been tricked by a parasite into feeling joy and pleasure instead of revulsion.
Humans can be affected as well (granted, pregnant mothers can get sick and die, or miscarry as a result of infection). But many people who once hated cats can come to love them simply because their brain has been tricked by a parasite into feeling joy and pleasure instead of revulsion.
Jan 31
Bored@School commented on The Drunken Left Hand of Medical Science.
@2 I remember playing that game when I was younger. I definitely took every single patient into surgery and ended up hacking them up because I had no clue as to what I was doing.
X-Ray indicates kidney stones? Time for surgery!
That game was basically a torture simulator.
Anyone else remember that game and what it was called?
X-Ray indicates kidney stones? Time for surgery!
That game was basically a torture simulator.
Anyone else remember that game and what it was called?
Jan 21
Bored@School commented on Gun Ownership Is 21st Century America's "Peculiar Institution".
I was called a traitor, a moron, a first-class idiot, and had wished upon me a violent death with no way to defend myself for saying something less radical (though I do agree with you) on a former friend's' Facebook page by her family.
All I suggested was that Obama was not comin to take anyone's guns, that even if the ban passed In Congress that it would not be a call to turn in currently owned assault weapons.
For this I was personally attacked.
These people are batshit insane. They do not want to talk about this issue, their gunshots will be their retort to reasoned debate. Abrupt, terse, loud, and effective. That is their voice, the voice of their gun. It will say everything for them.
Comparing, in any way, gun-ownership to slavery (even by qualifying it that you mean it only in the sense of HOW it is discussed, and not comparing the morality of the two) will not sway them. It will only further enrage them, because in their eyes, they are the slaves, and their guns are their freedom papers. To them, gun-control is slavery.
No need for critical thinking when you can mow down those who voice disagreement with your opinion.
More...
All I suggested was that Obama was not comin to take anyone's guns, that even if the ban passed In Congress that it would not be a call to turn in currently owned assault weapons.
For this I was personally attacked.
These people are batshit insane. They do not want to talk about this issue, their gunshots will be their retort to reasoned debate. Abrupt, terse, loud, and effective. That is their voice, the voice of their gun. It will say everything for them.
Comparing, in any way, gun-ownership to slavery (even by qualifying it that you mean it only in the sense of HOW it is discussed, and not comparing the morality of the two) will not sway them. It will only further enrage them, because in their eyes, they are the slaves, and their guns are their freedom papers. To them, gun-control is slavery.
No need for critical thinking when you can mow down those who voice disagreement with your opinion.
Jan 14
Bored@School commented on Mars Hill Church: Now Conveniently Closer to All the AIDS.
@22 Dan, there's a 3rd option, similar to "Gay[lady deers]" but you don't draw it out as much. It's terse, and more befitting "Gay[single use of a drug]." As in, they're about to get a dose of gay... and probably AIDS and cancer and hell-fire and [insert God's punishment for your unrepentant sins here].
Jan 13
Bored@School commented on Isn't It a Little Early for Football?.
Paul has taken a beginner lesson in trolling. Last week's football post yielded him a lot of comments; so, rinse and repeat.
Jan 9
Bored@School commented on Today in GAAAHH!!! GIANT SQUID!!.
@5 Aren't most giant squid discovered dead and rotting? Isn't ammonia a byproduct of decomposition?
I'm not saying you're wrong, because I don't know enough about giant squid; but considering this is the first video they have of a living giant squid, I can't imagine there's been a lot of opportunity to study and/or eat recently killed giant squid.
I'm not saying you're wrong, because I don't know enough about giant squid; but considering this is the first video they have of a living giant squid, I can't imagine there's been a lot of opportunity to study and/or eat recently killed giant squid.
Dec 13, 2012
Bored@School commented on When States' Rights Are Good for Liberals.
So, back to the states rights argument we were having before we all bit on some troll bait...
I understand WHY this comes off like a good reason for states rights arguments, but I completely disagree for many of the same reasons already mentioned: I'm not a fan of "So long as I've got mine, I could care less what everyone else's situation is like," I don't want to have to make civil rights concessions when travelling or moving from one state to another, and I don't support ideologies that allow for systematic discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religious affiliation, immigration status, ethnicity, etc.
I voted to legalize marijuana so that we could begin a federal discussion about our drug policies; whether the law gets blocked or not, I could care less, it won't change my habits. I want a national discussion regarding drug policy, our failings, and proper solutions (Federal decriminalization/legalization). That's exactly what we've done in WA and CO. I didn't vote for legalization so I could say to other states, "don't like it being illegal there? Then move."
More...
I understand WHY this comes off like a good reason for states rights arguments, but I completely disagree for many of the same reasons already mentioned: I'm not a fan of "So long as I've got mine, I could care less what everyone else's situation is like," I don't want to have to make civil rights concessions when travelling or moving from one state to another, and I don't support ideologies that allow for systematic discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religious affiliation, immigration status, ethnicity, etc.
I voted to legalize marijuana so that we could begin a federal discussion about our drug policies; whether the law gets blocked or not, I could care less, it won't change my habits. I want a national discussion regarding drug policy, our failings, and proper solutions (Federal decriminalization/legalization). That's exactly what we've done in WA and CO. I didn't vote for legalization so I could say to other states, "don't like it being illegal there? Then move."
Dec 13, 2012
Bored@School commented on When States' Rights Are Good for Liberals.
So, there's this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co…
I'll echo some of the other commenters here by noting that @3 was not saying that the transit system should rob the elderly; only that a blanket policy to discount fares nationwide, regardless of income level, regardless of whether a particular elderly person is still working doesn't help to combat the issue of helping the poor. Even using a rate of 15% of elderly people living in poverty, 100% of them are able to receive a benefit that they may not need. The chart I linked to indicates a rate of 8.9%.
Examining the age structure of the US:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographic…
When you examine 8.9 percent (impoverished) of 12.8 percent (all elderly people in the US) of the population you end up with about 3.5 million elderly living in poverty.
When you look at how many non-elderly are living in poverty, it's 42.8 million people (roughly, the age groups didn't align perfectly). There are more non-elderly poor than their are ALL elderly people.
I'm not saying that the elderly shouldn't receive discounted fares, but I don't think that simply making mention that the blanket policy does little to help the impoverished by focusing on only elderly people warrants being called an asshole, multiple times.
I obviously understand there are other programs that help the poor with discounted bus fares; but the example used by @3 was to highlight the difficulty municipalities run into setting their own rates do to a federal law governing discounted fares for the elderly.
I personally believe that elderly people deserve discounts, they've worked their ass off their whole life (presumably) and should be able to enjoy what little time they may have left with what little money they may have left.
Finally, and honestly, @judybrowni, you're 62; enough with the name-calling.
More...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co…
I'll echo some of the other commenters here by noting that @3 was not saying that the transit system should rob the elderly; only that a blanket policy to discount fares nationwide, regardless of income level, regardless of whether a particular elderly person is still working doesn't help to combat the issue of helping the poor. Even using a rate of 15% of elderly people living in poverty, 100% of them are able to receive a benefit that they may not need. The chart I linked to indicates a rate of 8.9%.
Examining the age structure of the US:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographic…
When you examine 8.9 percent (impoverished) of 12.8 percent (all elderly people in the US) of the population you end up with about 3.5 million elderly living in poverty.
When you look at how many non-elderly are living in poverty, it's 42.8 million people (roughly, the age groups didn't align perfectly). There are more non-elderly poor than their are ALL elderly people.
I'm not saying that the elderly shouldn't receive discounted fares, but I don't think that simply making mention that the blanket policy does little to help the impoverished by focusing on only elderly people warrants being called an asshole, multiple times.
I obviously understand there are other programs that help the poor with discounted bus fares; but the example used by @3 was to highlight the difficulty municipalities run into setting their own rates do to a federal law governing discounted fares for the elderly.
I personally believe that elderly people deserve discounts, they've worked their ass off their whole life (presumably) and should be able to enjoy what little time they may have left with what little money they may have left.
Finally, and honestly, @judybrowni, you're 62; enough with the name-calling.
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles…
There are plenty of things that attract rats, free food being number one. If your neighbor is letting her cats run amok in the neighborhood, they are likely crapping in peoples' veggie gardens, among other areas. Those veggies can come into contact with their feces and spread toxoplasmosis to anyone/anything eating them (if the cat is a carrier, which most are). The thing is, you shouldn't see an increase in rat populations as a result of infection, because they will be less cautious when scavenging, and therefore more likely to be caught/killed by a cat.
Your neighbor is crazy, there are rats in the neighborhood because rats live everywhere.