Also, the term "American" is already flawed when used to refer to U.S. citizens, since America is actually two continents and not one country.
Well, the USA is the only nation on any of the American continents that actually has "America" in its name, so it's somewhat justified.
That and you'd be hard pressed to find someone from Central or South America (or Canada) who referred to themselves as such instead of Mexican, Brazilian, etc.
One of my gaming friends just reconnected with me on Facebook. Unfortunately he is eyeball deep in the conspiracy realm of the left (Monsanto, evil oil, vaccines = autism)... I don't know what to do.
One of my gaming friends just reconnected with me on Facebook. Unfortunately he is eyeball deep in the conspiracy realm of the left (Monsanto, evil oil, vaccines = autism)... I don't know what to do.
Two options. Option one is to ignore. Option two is to only every interact for gaming purposes. I am acquaintances with a lot of people that I only see at gaming meetups and cons. I never get close to those people or discuss anything with them besides gaming. They could all have craziness, but I would never know it, nor do I want to.
Also, there was recently this great video that I hope helps fight against some of the Monsanto/food conspiracies.
One of my gaming friends just reconnected with me on Facebook. Unfortunately he is eyeball deep in the conspiracy realm of the left (Monsanto, evil oil, vaccines = autism)... I don't know what to do.
Monsanto is pretty evil (or at least pretty dickish, anyway, given how they treat farmers), the other stuff is definitely tin foil hat territory.
Sadly, the loony left can be just as bad as the ridiculous right -- only their pet conspiracy theories differ.
Edit: Assuming he's fun to game with, I'd go with Scott's option 2. Generally, that's my rule for dealing with wacko people in general who I enjoy some social interactions with -- just limit my interactions to the social ones I enjoy.
Yes. Just look at that thread about crazy political emails. Scojo is always complaining and laughing at his crazy dad. But in all the years and times I've met and spoken with his dad, not once has he revealed his craziness to me because I do not have discussions with him on those topics.
I have another friend who has fallen deep into the predatory anti-GM foods world of con artists. She buys the books, goes to the conferences and everything. She has cut back a bit on spouting her conspiracy theories on FB lately so I can only hope she is waking up.
Yes, Monsanto has some evil business practices but the conspiracies I see on FB about them being evil circulate with a different crowd than the ones about how they are the Illuminati and using GM foods to destroy the world. The "evil corp" people are generally sane while the anti-GMF types, not so much.
Monsanto is pretty evil (or at least pretty dickish, anyway, given how they treat farmers), the other stuff is definitely tin foil hat territory.
Are you referring to the plants not making seeds so that farmers have to keep buying them? It's actually addressed somewhat well in that video. I still think there's some evil pantent-ness going on in there, but reading some science lately is moving my mind the other way.
Monsanto is pretty evil (or at least pretty dickish, anyway, given how they treat farmers), the other stuff is definitely tin foil hat territory.
Are you referring to the plants not making seeds so that farmers have to keep buying them? It's actually addressed somewhat well in that video. I still think there's some evil pantent-ness going on in there, but reading some science lately is moving my mind the other way.
That's part of it, but that's not the whole story. There have also been documented cases of Monsanto suing farmers whose non-Monsanto crops somehow got inadvertently crossbred (insect or wind driven pollination, that sort of thing) with Monsanto crops and carried their patented genes in them.
Monsanto is pretty evil (or at least pretty dickish, anyway, given how they treat farmers), the other stuff is definitely tin foil hat territory.
Are you referring to the plants not making seeds so that farmers have to keep buying them? It's actually addressed somewhat well in that video. I still think there's some evil pantent-ness going on in there, but reading some science lately is moving my mind the other way.
That's part of it, but that's not the whole story. There have also been documented cases of Monsanto suing farmers whose non-Monsanto crops somehow got inadvertently crossbred (insect or wind driven pollination, that sort of thing) with Monsanto crops and carried their patented genes in them.
That does sound evil. But is it more evil than Apple vs. Samsung? Seems about on the same level. Yet, Monsanto is demonized far more than Apple.
Monsanto is pretty evil (or at least pretty dickish, anyway, given how they treat farmers), the other stuff is definitely tin foil hat territory.
Are you referring to the plants not making seeds so that farmers have to keep buying them? It's actually addressed somewhat well in that video. I still think there's some evil pantent-ness going on in there, but reading some science lately is moving my mind the other way.
That's part of it, but that's not the whole story. There have also been documented cases of Monsanto suing farmers whose non-Monsanto crops somehow got inadvertently crossbred (insect or wind driven pollination, that sort of thing) with Monsanto crops and carried their patented genes in them.
That does sound evil. But is it more evil than Apple vs. Samsung? Seems about on the same level. Yet, Monsanto is demonized far more than Apple.
Fucking with needs are often criticized harsher than fucking with wants.
Also, we don't really understand a whole lot about regulation of transgenic traits yet, which gives me pause for releasing any transgenic trait into the wild that does something as dangerous as auto-sterilization.
That's part of it, but that's not the whole story. There have also been documented cases of Monsanto suing farmers whose non-Monsanto crops somehow got inadvertently crossbred (insect or wind driven pollination, that sort of thing) with Monsanto crops and carried their patented genes in them.
That does sound evil. But is it more evil than Apple vs. Samsung? Seems about on the same level. Yet, Monsanto is demonized far more than Apple.
I wouldn't say that... Assuming Apple's claims are legitimate (and ignoring the whole legitimacy of patent litigation in general), the Apple vs. Samsung case is one of Samsung purposely stealing Apple's ideas and using them in their products (and there were emails from Samsung execs present as evidence that basically outright said "do exactly what Apple does"). In the case of the farmers, they had no control over how Monsanto's genes ended up in their crops because it was carried by insects or the wind.
Now, personally, I think most of Apple's claims vs. Samsung (at least the patent claims) are bogus, although there may have been some legitimate trade dress claims (such as using nearly identical icons, down to the color selection, for certain functions).
Fucking with needs are often criticized harsher than fucking with wants.
It's not unreasonable to assume that Monsanto is evil, but it's run of the mill "profit obsessed corporation" type evil. The crazy people think it's "Trying to take over the world" evil. Those are two very different types of evil.
Similar descriptions can be applied to "Big Pharma" and "Big Oil".
My problem with this - I'm not sure that's a valid way to use the term "multitasking", considering that driving is inherently a multitasking activity to begin with.
I make no judgement of the study itself, though, I've not read it.
Comments
*grumpy cat*
Also, there was recently this great video that I hope helps fight against some of the Monsanto/food conspiracies.
http://www.npr.org/2013/01/20/169847199/former-anti-gmo-activist-says-science-changed-his-mind
Sadly, the loony left can be just as bad as the ridiculous right -- only their pet conspiracy theories differ.
Edit: Assuming he's fun to game with, I'd go with Scott's option 2. Generally, that's my rule for dealing with wacko people in general who I enjoy some social interactions with -- just limit my interactions to the social ones I enjoy.
I have another friend who has fallen deep into the predatory anti-GM foods world of con artists. She buys the books, goes to the conferences and everything. She has cut back a bit on spouting her conspiracy theories on FB lately so I can only hope she is waking up.
Yes, Monsanto has some evil business practices but the conspiracies I see on FB about them being evil circulate with a different crowd than the ones about how they are the Illuminati and using GM foods to destroy the world. The "evil corp" people are generally sane while the anti-GMF types, not so much.
Now, personally, I think most of Apple's claims vs. Samsung (at least the patent claims) are bogus, although there may have been some legitimate trade dress claims (such as using nearly identical icons, down to the color selection, for certain functions). Also very true.
Similar descriptions can be applied to "Big Pharma" and "Big Oil".
I make no judgement of the study itself, though, I've not read it.