Disney Fail...Baby Einstein videos are snake oil, and may have actually had detrimental effects. I'm glad they finally confirmed this. People need to stop thinking there is an easy way to make their kids awesome with no parental involvement.
You mean putting your infant in front of the TV for hours at a time with no other stimuli is not going to make them a genius?! Why I never!
Disney Fail...Baby Einstein videos are snake oil, and may have actually had detrimental effects. I'm glad they finally confirmed this. People need to stop thinking there is an easy way to make their kids awesome with no parental involvement.
You mean putting your infant in front of the TV for hours at a time with no other stimuli is not going to make them a genius?! Why I never!
Personal responsibility be damned! I want a DVD to raise my child to be a genius without any effort on my part! What is Amurika coming to? Harumph harumph harumph!
Well, technically there is a difference between selecting for traits that are already present in the population and splicing genes from other species of plants into the population. Giving plants traits they never had to start with is a tricky business. It can create some problems, e.g. herbicide-resistant plants getting into the wild.
However, as far as any of them being less safe to eat than non-modified foods...well, I have never seen any evidence of that at all. The majority of the genetic modification issues surround competitiveness and balance of nature, not danger to people who might eat them. Not eating GMOs for ethical reasons is a lot different than not eating them because they are presumed unsafe.
Well, technically there is a difference between selecting for traits that are already present in the population and splicing genes from other species of plants into the population. Giving plants traits they never had to start with is a tricky business. It can create some problems, e.g. herbicide-resistant plants getting into the wild.
However, as far as any of them being less safe to eat than non-modified foods...well, I have never seen any evidence of that at all. The majority of the genetic modification issues surround competitiveness and balance of nature, not danger to people who might eat them. Not eating GMOs for ethical reasons is a lot different than not eating them because they are presumed unsafe.
Moreover, genetically engineered foods are tested more vigorously and frequently than "non-engineered" food. As for the moral reasoning, if a person chooses not to eat something for whatever reason, then that is their choice. However, propagating their bias without reason or based on false information and discriminating against those that would eat said food (to me) is offensive. I am not disputing their freedom of speech, I am simply saying I find said speech offensive, harmful, and usually born of ignorance. How dare a starving nation feed itself with the only/most efficient means available?! *eyeroll* There are certainly pros and cons to GMOs; however, these blanket statements based on ignorance are abhorrent.
However, propagating their bias without reason or based on false information and discriminating against those that would eat said food (to me) is offensive. I am not disputing their freedom of speech, I am simply saying I find said speech offensive, harmful, and usually born of ignorance.
I totally agree with you there. It's why when people ask me what I want to do with my life/degree/career, one of my first answers is "educate ignorant hippies." People who proclaim support or opposition to a cause and are unable to articulate valid reasons for their stance (or plans of action that have an actual effect) piss me off to no end, and they usually do more harm than good. It's even worse when they call you a terrible person for not agreeing with them.
Moreover, genetically engineered foods are tested more vigorously and frequently than "non-engineered" food.
By whom? The people who developed them? There are tests that have to be performed in order to demonstrate that the food is safe, but there are no additional testing requirements for genetically-modified foods specified by any food regulatory body that I know. They're all treated the same way.
Moreover, genetically engineered foods are tested more vigorously and frequently than "non-engineered" food. As for the moral reasoning, if a person chooses not to eat something for whatever reason, then that is their choice. However, propagating their bias without reason or based on false information and discriminating against those that would eat said food (to me) is offensive. I am not disputing their freedom of speech, I am simply saying I find said speech offensive, harmful, and usually born of ignorance. How dare a starving nation feed itself with the only/most efficient means available?! *eyeroll* There are certainly pros and cons to GMOs; however, these blanket statements based on ignorance are abhorrent.
People who makes these statements generally take for granted two things:
1) They live in a country where they can say such things. 2) They live in a country with enough extra food that a portion of it can be produced so inefficiently.
My qualms with a lot of GMOs stem primarily from the Bt-producing varieties. It's basically the whole "treat all sickness with antibiotics" issue, but with pesticides and insects. Farmers are producing huge biomes which artificially select for things resistant to the most potent and human-harmless pesticide we have. We also ship this seed to needy nations, which is great (I am of course in favor of feeding the hungry), until resistance among insects occurs in those nations and they are faced with unstoppable famine caused by the side-effects of said crops.
I'm all in favor of supercrops that withstand any virus, or things like golden rice, which can save the eyesight of the hungry. I just think that pesticide-producing crops are a bad, bad idea.
EDIT: My fail of the day--Waited an hour for an antibiotic prescription to be filled, only to have said prescription never come in. Walked 30 minutes home through cold wind and rain, and got in my door, whereupon I was immediately informed by text that the prescription was filled. By the time I noticed the text, however, it was too late to walk back, as the pharmacy would close as I got there. Now I'm stuck with another night of muffled hearing and mild ear infection pain. Also, a sore throat. And it's still raining. Fail.
I remember during high school Social Studies one year that we were going over various issues with opposing viewpoints, one of which was GMOs vs. non-GMO/organic produce. We were given a simple assignment: each student was to go out and do some research on the GMO issue, decide where they stood on it, and come back to the class to state their positions and the evidence they felt supported them. After seeing a preliminary info video on the issue and doing the required research, it looked like the GMO side was the clear winner. Scientific evidence was in its favour for the most part, and at the very least, the points against it didn't trump the practice entirely.
I came back to the class under the assumption that most people would have come to similar conclusions, since the evidence seemed clear to me. I was honestly baffled when it turned out that only one other person besides me had taken the pro-GMO side. The rest of the students had sided with all-natural/organics. That wouldn't have bothered me so much if their reasons hadn't mostly just seemed like pat, "feel good" answers that one might expect to hear in some kind of environmentalism cartoon for kids, where anything with the word "natural" in it is automatically good and anything associated with scientists is automatically bad. Some just sounded as though the Greenpeace website had been their only source of information. That the teacher seemed satisfied with this when the assignment was about assessing evidence in controversial current issues baffled me more.
Yeah, I was a bit naive at the time, expecting a higher standard of fact-checking from high school students. (Especially in a Catholic high school.)
Well, drove down to RIT today to hang out with friends. When I got there, turns out they are all busy with homework. So, I thought I'd go to the corner store and spend some of my fake money, before the quarter runs out (and I lose it). Corner store is packed. So, I thought I'd just drive to the cafe. Cafe closed early. Now I'm back at home, and my gas tank is empty.
Well, drove down to RIT today to hang out with friends. When I got there, turns out they are all busy with homework. So, I thought I'd go to the corner store and spend some of my fake money, before the quarter runs out (and I lose it). Corner store is packed. So, I thought I'd just drive to the cafe. Cafe closed early. Now I'm back at home, and my gas tank is empty.
Gah, I hate wasted nights like that. "Unsatisfying" can't even begin to describe the feeling.
Woke up from a nap to a strange twinge in my jaw. One of my wisdom teeth (they're coming in straight and are going to straighten out and close any gaps in my other teeth, so it's fine) started to cut while I was sleeping. I now have some lingering gum pain and the most unnerving sensation that there's a bit of excess soft tissue hanging from my gums. Only a relatively minor inconvenience (this is definitely better than having to get them out and get braces), but its still painful and weird.
I've recently discovered that I have a medical condition that causes me to be sick almost constantly. The treatment should make it so I don't really have problems anymore, but I just started the medication a few days ago and I'm having major side effects. While the ridiculous immediate reaction should go away within a week or so, for the moment I spend most of my day curled up with horrible cramps and a fever or in a crazy state of loopyness. Fortunately, I'm not angry or depressed like the predicted side effects were, but it's still very hard to think straight or have conversations that actually make sense. So far I've told at least three people that they have strange noses, one person that their eyebrows are weird, and called various friends by various bizarre names such as "scubacat". When I finally have some time when I feel mostly lucid, I realize "Ohhey, this medicine is making me talk nonsense." My options are crazy and sick for now or sick all the time, so I pretty much have no other choice but to weather through the meds making me insane for about a week.
And my phone chose right now, after being perfectly fine with no problems since early 2007, to freak out and refuse to work properly. I turn it on and the waking up noise plays, but the screen is just white. Still makes calls, but I can't see the display or use any of the menus or anything. Guess it's time for a new phone.
Absolute facepalm today. Some time ago my favorite hockey team, the Philadelphia Flyers, waived Randy Jones, a very replaceable player with too much of a salary. Essentially it was a dump to make room under the cap. Nobody claimed him, so they sent him to the farm team. Salary off the books, everybody's happy (except for Jones of course).
Now we suffered some injuries, and actually the big one is to a forward. So what does General Manager Paul Holmgren? Call Jones back up who automatically goes on re-entry waivers. He now got claimed by the LA Kings which now has the Flyers stuck without Jones but half his salary on an already cap-strapped team. Pure fucking genius.
After only a couple months of semi-frequent use (meaning I usually only visit four days a week), I'm already having dreams about visiting this forum. WTF? Subconscious fail.
Comments
To avoid confusion; I was counting below the belt as one area. It's also all over my face.
Ugh. Some people need to shut their gobs.
Stupid people, you can't make this stuff up if you tried. :P
Technological advancement < Original method + Made up reason.
However, as far as any of them being less safe to eat than non-modified foods...well, I have never seen any evidence of that at all. The majority of the genetic modification issues surround competitiveness and balance of nature, not danger to people who might eat them. Not eating GMOs for ethical reasons is a lot different than not eating them because they are presumed unsafe.
As for the moral reasoning, if a person chooses not to eat something for whatever reason, then that is their choice. However, propagating their bias without reason or based on false information and discriminating against those that would eat said food (to me) is offensive. I am not disputing their freedom of speech, I am simply saying I find said speech offensive, harmful, and usually born of ignorance. How dare a starving nation feed itself with the only/most efficient means available?! *eyeroll*
There are certainly pros and cons to GMOs; however, these blanket statements based on ignorance are abhorrent.
1) They live in a country where they can say such things.
2) They live in a country with enough extra food that a portion of it can be produced so inefficiently.
I'm all in favor of supercrops that withstand any virus, or things like golden rice, which can save the eyesight of the hungry. I just think that pesticide-producing crops are a bad, bad idea.
EDIT: My fail of the day--Waited an hour for an antibiotic prescription to be filled, only to have said prescription never come in. Walked 30 minutes home through cold wind and rain, and got in my door, whereupon I was immediately informed by text that the prescription was filled. By the time I noticed the text, however, it was too late to walk back, as the pharmacy would close as I got there. Now I'm stuck with another night of muffled hearing and mild ear infection pain. Also, a sore throat. And it's still raining. Fail.
I came back to the class under the assumption that most people would have come to similar conclusions, since the evidence seemed clear to me. I was honestly baffled when it turned out that only one other person besides me had taken the pro-GMO side. The rest of the students had sided with all-natural/organics. That wouldn't have bothered me so much if their reasons hadn't mostly just seemed like pat, "feel good" answers that one might expect to hear in some kind of environmentalism cartoon for kids, where anything with the word "natural" in it is automatically good and anything associated with scientists is automatically bad. Some just sounded as though the Greenpeace website had been their only source of information. That the teacher seemed satisfied with this when the assignment was about assessing evidence in controversial current issues baffled me more.
Yeah, I was a bit naive at the time, expecting a higher standard of fact-checking from high school students. (Especially in a Catholic high school.)
Worst week of college yet.
And my phone chose right now, after being perfectly fine with no problems since early 2007, to freak out and refuse to work properly. I turn it on and the waking up noise plays, but the screen is just white. Still makes calls, but I can't see the display or use any of the menus or anything. Guess it's time for a new phone.
Now we suffered some injuries, and actually the big one is to a forward. So what does General Manager Paul Holmgren? Call Jones back up who automatically goes on re-entry waivers. He now got claimed by the LA Kings which now has the Flyers stuck without Jones but half his salary on an already cap-strapped team. Pure fucking genius.
Time to check stubhub.