NZ giant parrot! not anthro but archeo - [bbc.com]

Druvius comments on Aug 7, 2019:

"Polly want a finger!"

We're here for the cats.... [amazon.com]

Druvius comments on Aug 6, 2019:

Already on my Xmas list. :)

Presented this to Christians many times only answers i get are god works in mysterious ways or all ...

Druvius comments on Aug 5, 2019:

This is an argument against Biblical literalism, not Christianity. In the US only about 30% of Christians are Biblical literalists.

Can a one off act be called terrorism?

Druvius comments on Aug 5, 2019:

Terrorism is deliberately targeting civilians for political purposes, the El Paso shooter's manifesto makes it a slam dunk that this was an act of terrorism.

I will drop this picture here...

Druvius comments on Aug 5, 2019:

If Obama did it, he undoes it. It's like having a vindictive 8 year in the White House.

Best thrift store find recently?

Druvius comments on Aug 4, 2019:

I just got a new set of dishes. They give me great pleasure, it's the simple things that make life good. :)

[smithsonianmag.

Druvius comments on Aug 4, 2019:

TIGHAR is a scam from beginning to end, this is just another publicity stunt on their part. No, they won't find it, because she never got anywhere near Nikumaroro.

To Understand Fossils, These Paleontologists Are Making Faux-ssils [paleontologyworld.com]

Druvius comments on Aug 4, 2019:

So now there's a lizard with only three feet running around. That's so sad.

The Cambrian Explosion Wasn't Necessarily So Explosive [theatlantic.com]

Druvius comments on Aug 4, 2019:

Yeah, the Cambrian Explosion has been exaggerated in the popular press. To the Evolution deniers it's even been used as a "proof" that falsifies evolution. Sigh.

My dad needs a walking stick. Any suggestions of where to look and some fun ones?

Druvius comments on Aug 4, 2019:

Depends on where he lives. I had one of these in the CA Bay area, people LOVED it, I had a lady stop her car to tell me how much she liked my cane. In rural Iowa, didn't go over as well. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Carex-Derby-Designer-U-S-Flag-Walking-Cane/17215623?wmlspartner=wlpa=22222222227014439418==g=c=40753457912=pla-78606285152=9017979====pla=8175035=online=17215623=sem=Cj0KCQjwhJrqBRDZARIsALhp1WQell4jGKMb7czxWo9qJkoRqgqrFz4HRs7YmaU7JCY7RzNGQ4CMCz8aArZnEALw_wcB

Texas Police officer fatally shoots woman while firing at unleashed dog | TheHill

Druvius comments on Aug 3, 2019:

A well trained cop no doubt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_dDNBP7sgE

America has a Cancer.... Shooting in a Mall in Texas... [cnn.com] [foxnews.com]

Druvius comments on Aug 3, 2019:

I used to hang out at that mall. :(

If I spread out a newspaper or read a book, Zoe lies down on the page.

Druvius comments on Aug 2, 2019:

It's a scientific fact that cats read with their bellies, she's just joining you in your activity.

This is what you call hypocrites: Google summit on climate change attended by stars in private ...

Druvius comments on Aug 2, 2019:

What does this have to do with climate change? Nothing, so it's an ad hominem attack on global warming. Tiresome really, the deniers been harping on this forever, as if it were relevant to the issue.

When you see it with your unaided eye, Omega Centauri looks like a fuzzy, faint star.

Druvius comments on Aug 1, 2019:

Average distance between stars, .1 LY. Night skies would be spectacularly bright, but nothing outside the cluster would be very visible.

Do you believe Russian interference aided Donald Trump in winning the 2016 presidential election?

Druvius comments on Aug 1, 2019:

Facts aren't determined by polls. And so far the "evidence" for Russian interference doesn't pass the laugh test. Brilliant propaganda on the DNC's part though.

Do you think that some things are unforgivable or do you think that some people should be given a ...

Druvius comments on Aug 1, 2019:

"If you can't forgive your friends when they wrong you, how can you tell them from your enemies?" That being said, some things are unforgivable.

Man Finds Authentic Egon Schiele Drawing in New York City Thrift Store

Druvius comments on Jul 31, 2019:

Cool, always liked his work. Some of his landscapes in particular. His death was so tragic, he might well have gone on to much greater things.

Ancient Bones And Teeth Found In A Philippine Cave May Rewrite Human History [npr.org]

Druvius comments on Jul 31, 2019:

Assinine clickbait title aside, a sign of the times, interesting find. We live in a golden age of such discoveries, curious to see if we will ever make sense of it all. I suspect until underwater archeology is far beyond where we are today, we won't ever get a full picture. Because migrating humans would have preferentially stuck to coastlines, and they are all underwater because we live in an interglacial period.

I posted this as a reply to another issue concerning the shooter in the Garlic Festival's buying his...

Druvius comments on Jul 30, 2019:

Just a point of fact, in DC vs Heller 2008 the SCOTUS ruled that the second amendment is an individual right, so the militia etc debate is over. That being said, just means outright gun bans are unconstitutional, they can still be regulated. And frankly magazine loaded semi-automatics like the one used in Gilroy really don't belong in civilian hands. Certainly not widely and easily available like they are.

The Troubling Origins of the Skeletons in a New York Museum [newyorker.com]

Druvius comments on Jul 29, 2019:

Not limited to this Museum, lots of museums have stuff with troubled origins. At least efforts are now being made to repatriate articles and remains to the people they were stolen from.

"Biases aren't forever"? [scientificamerican.com]

Druvius comments on Jul 28, 2019:

"Behaviour changes attitude." This has been known for a long time. Hell, I was a bigot as a young man. So there is hope the species might grow up someday. :)

War has one distinct and practical use.

Druvius comments on Jul 27, 2019:

War's effect on population control is trivial except in local areas. Partly because in the greater scheme of things it's only a few percent at most of human mortality, and partly because wars create refugees. And refugees have tremendous birthrates. No, development is our only home, as countries become developed and their populations get educated, their birthrate plummets. And oh, FUCK the Catholic Church who has run a tremendously effective global campaign for decades to deny women access to sex education, birth control, and abortion. In any event, overpopulation is complicated: https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-overpopulation-hubbub/

Waiter slammed for secretly serving virgin drinks to possibly pregnant woman who wanted alcohol...

Druvius comments on Jul 26, 2019:

Some mens' entitlement to womens' bodies knows no bounds. He has a future in the GOP.

Mueller Unravels! Cringe Worthy Testimony Exposes Russiagate Hoax! - YouTube

Druvius comments on Jul 26, 2019:

The first round of indictments showed Russiagate was nothinggate. It's been downhill since. And I think Trump is a terrible president, but the Dems seem determined to get him reelected. go figure.

'In God We Trust' Signs Go Up In South Dakota Public Schools, As Required By Law : NPR

Druvius comments on Jul 25, 2019:

Boy, talk about being insecure in one's faith.

Federal government resuming executions after 2 decades, names first 5 people to be killed - ABC News

Druvius comments on Jul 25, 2019:

I'll pull the lever on the local guy myself.

Joshua A.

Druvius comments on Jul 25, 2019:

Meuller's opinions mean nothing. So Russiagate is still nothinggate, except possibly the Dem plan to get Trump reelected.

They burned that cup of sugar or gave it to a Russian oligarch.

Druvius comments on Jul 24, 2019:

In politics, they are exactly the same.

QUESTION RE GOBECKLI TEPE: The 14 12,000 year-old temples at Gobeckli Tepe in Turkey have smaller,...

Druvius comments on Jul 24, 2019:

I made it through part of the National Geo video. Surprise, surprise, it claims it's a slam dunk it's temples, depictions of Gods, etc. Basically BS. https://drmsh.com/the-myth-of-gobekli-tepe-what-the-archaeological-fringe-isnt-telling-you/ It's a shame, National Geo was once a great organization, now it's a front for evangelicals.

QUESTION RE GOBECKLI TEPE: The 14 12,000 year-old temples at Gobeckli Tepe in Turkey have smaller,...

Druvius comments on Jul 24, 2019:

Not yet, though am dismayed that the woo merchants have claimed Gobekli Tepe for their own and searches related to it require BS detection.

RIP Rutger Hauer. 75 years old [youtube.com]

Druvius comments on Jul 24, 2019:

Best death scene ever, RIP Rutger.

Who knows anything about cable companies, their program offers, or their outrageous prices?

Druvius comments on Jul 23, 2019:

I subscribe to Netflix and Hulu, and sometimes use Redbox. Works for me.

Body found in grocery store after 10 years.

Druvius comments on Jul 23, 2019:

Skinny guy, cool dry space, intact body. Might well have mummified with minimal smell.

Last call finds us all

Druvius comments on Jul 22, 2019:

Do you have statistics to back this up? Because spreading FALSE stories about deathbed conversions has been a Christian trope for centuries at least. I suspect it's far fewer than Christian apologists would have us believe, people generally get wiser as they get older, not more superstitious.

[newsmax.

Druvius comments on Jul 22, 2019:

Yes, the American public has been falling for Cold War nonsense for decades, and no matter how ridiculous it is, they just keep falling for it. @@

Did you believe in ghosts ?

Druvius comments on Jul 22, 2019:

No. And I've seen one, lol.

Those who can think free teach others to do the same...

Druvius comments on Jul 21, 2019:

If that was a solution to humanity's problems, beggars would ride. Reality is quite a bit messier.

Star Trek: Picard Trailer Reveals Data, Seven of Nine Will Return [msn.

Druvius comments on Jul 21, 2019:

Trailer looks good, got a kick out of the fact they filmed at the Vasques Rocks, lol. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasquez_Rocks

Is Russia headed to a civil war?

Druvius comments on Jul 20, 2019:

The number of protesters is trivial. So no, no Civil War.

Words from a wise man

Druvius comments on Jul 20, 2019:

The last president we had who was trying to do the right thing for all. Hope we get another, but at this point, seems unlikely.

I admit to the following as precursors to the below question: I stopped following the news over a ...

Druvius comments on Jul 20, 2019:

A hate crime is an action against a person or property. Racial slurs don't pass that bar. So no, not an impeachable offense. Assuming that a hate crime even passed that bar, which is questionable. Would depend on the actual crime I suppose.

Josh and Shannon Harris separation: The author of abstinence book I Kissed Dating Goodbye is ending ...

Druvius comments on Jul 20, 2019:

Abstaining from sex before marriage is like buying a car without test driving it.

Religion is the most hideous invention in the history of Mankind.

Druvius comments on Jul 20, 2019:

Plenty of people are religious without believing in magic skybuddies.

Interesting perspective... [youtube.com]

Druvius comments on Jul 20, 2019:

Only lasted a few moments before the screaming idiocy was too painful to watch. The sad thing is their are people who fall for this nonsense.

Just get Trump out - the rest will happen later - [usatoday.com]

Druvius comments on Jul 20, 2019:

The last president we had who tried to do the right thing for the American people was Carter, before that Johnson. I'm not sure any of the current crop of candidates pass that bar. And if we get another faux progressive in service of big bank etc, nothing will change aside from window dressing. Also, decades of the Dems insisting that anyone is better than the GOP while ignoring the issues destroying the Middle Class is how we got in this mess in the first place. So not impressed by a Republican urging Dems to do what has won so many elections for the GOP.

115,000-Year-Old Engraved Bones Found in China [sci-news.com]

Druvius comments on Jul 20, 2019:

Interesting, hard to attribute it to anything but human type cognition, chimps do nothing of the kind.

This is going to be a long post, with math .

Druvius comments on Jul 19, 2019:

Well, I stopped reading at "religitards," since in my experience name calling is the first and last resort of those who can't construct a logical argument. Good luck and God Bless though!

Sorry,but I'm thinking there's too much hate here. .

Druvius comments on Jul 19, 2019:

Me too, but options for getting off planet are still very limited. :(

Any Trump supporters on here?

Druvius comments on Jul 19, 2019:

There's a Conservative Atheists group in here. Pretty much full blown Trump supporters. Why he has plenty of supporters is something for a sociologist to explain, but people tend to agree with what their friends and families think. And Trump may be a lot of horrible things, but he's a gifted self promoter.

House wants Pentagon IG to examine whether U.S. weaponized ticks

Druvius comments on Jul 18, 2019:

Anything is possible, likelihood varies. In this case, not terribly likely. Ticks would be an easily defended against vector. And Lyme disease is easily treatable, not contagious, and not debilitating. And how would they have created this disease in the early 70s? I'll wait for evidence, until then it's just another tiresome conspiracy theory.

Good on them. Perhaps atheists and agnostics could do likewise! [independent.co.uk]

Druvius comments on Jul 18, 2019:

Yeah, there are plenty of good Christians. You look into people who risked/lost their lives opposing Hitler and saving their Jewish friends/neighbours, and usually their religion, often Catholicism, was a huge motivator. Human society is complicated, if there were simple answers, we would all live in peace and harmony now. :(

What would you do?

Druvius comments on Jul 18, 2019:

5. Not give a rat's ass. :)

These Democrats are as deplorable as Republicans.

Druvius comments on Jul 18, 2019:

Yes, but unlike some of the horrible stuff the GOP passes, this is both constitutional and a good idea. So I don't see it as particularly comparable to some of the nightmare bills passed by the GOP.

Trump impeachment bid crushed in the Democrat Controlled House of Representatives We Democrats ...

Druvius comments on Jul 18, 2019:

And what were the grounds for impeachment? And moreover, what was the point???

House orders Pentagon to review if it exposed Americans to weaponised ticks | US news | The Guardian

Druvius comments on Jul 17, 2019:

Maybe. I'll go with conspiracy theory until evidence shows up.

Voynich manuscript deciphered!?!

Druvius comments on Jul 17, 2019:

Like so many things, bad reporting and sensationalism result in a lot of science being poorly represented to the public. The Voynich manuscript is almost certainly what the historical record suggests, an elaborate fake to part a credulous ruler from his money with. I could be wrong, but I wouldn't make any bets on it being solved. https://www.realclearscience.com/articles/2019/06/28/the_voynich_manuscript_is_probably_a_hoax_but_the_media_loves_covering_it_111021.html

Voynich manuscript deciphered!?!

Druvius comments on Jul 17, 2019:

We'll see. I still think it's a hoax.

I wonder what he found.

Druvius comments on Jul 17, 2019:

Someone seems to think Stargate SG1 was a documentary. @@

[dailykos.

Druvius comments on Jul 15, 2019:

If by some strange twist of fate Trump is impeached, what do we get? Pence, arguably much more dangerous than Trump, and a GOP base hyper enraged and determined to vote in 2020. I don't see how that is an improvement.

I didn't fact check this. But it sounds legitimate:

Druvius comments on Jul 15, 2019:

Then move to Mexico if you like it so much, this is AMERICA.

[dailykos.

Druvius comments on Jul 15, 2019:

Dream on.

Deal-breakers and Red Flags are often discussed here - this is the opposite. Not a bad start?

Druvius comments on Jul 15, 2019:

--- Has a cat. ;)

Hungry for human touch - [vice.

Druvius comments on Jul 14, 2019:

We're all different. :)

Another bloody weekend in America. 8 shot in Philly neighborhood, no suspects [mcall.com]

Druvius comments on Jul 14, 2019:

Clearly self defense. @@

Redneck humor

Druvius comments on Jul 14, 2019:

I came home one day for lunch and the landlord was tying his bumper to a huge clump of Pampus Grass. Being familiar with that sort of thing, I told him it wasn't going to work. He dismissed my concerns. When I left for work shortly thereafter, he was trying to untie the rope tied to his now badly bent bumper. He didn't want to talk about it. The Pampus Grass was unfazed.

There are basically two types of agnosticism: the first one takes place and participates in the ...

Druvius comments on Jul 13, 2019:

And then there's the ignostics. We don't participate in the debate either, because the word God is undefined.

Elementary Education Has Gone Terribly Wrong in the US.

Druvius comments on Jul 12, 2019:

I knew it was bad, and it's worse than I feared.

[yahoo.

Druvius comments on Jul 11, 2019:

Good, it's best all around if local police don't work with ICE. It just makes the issue worse.

Here’s a huffpost article on a study about religion and war: [google.

Druvius comments on Jul 10, 2019:

Yes, historically less than 10% of wars are primarily about religion. And very few in the past couple of hundred years. It's complicated though, the European conquest of the world (Discovery and colonization for the apologists) destroyed entire civilizations, but wasn't technically a religious war. The role Christianity played in the mindset of people who thought God wanted them to "claim" the whole effing planet is obviously central. Hell, still plays a role today in westerner's attitude toward the non-Christian world. And of course religion has been a huge force in motivating people to fight in wars now and throughout history. Basically saying "religion causes wars" is like saying "politics causes wars." Both statements might be technically true, but they are neither helpful nor informative, human history is much more complicated.

US Border Patrol, out of control and not even at the border. [thefreethoughtproject.com]

Druvius comments on Jul 10, 2019:

Yeah, a decade ago I was in a train, nowhere near the border, not heading for the border ... and the Border Patrol went through the train checking papers. Scary, not the sort of thing one associates with a free country.

They're done, but can we still salvage the planet? [newsweek.com]

Druvius comments on Jul 9, 2019:

Well, interesting speculation to be sure. The article is preaching to the converted though (Or deconverted I guess,) and makes free use of logical fallacies. Hope so, but they are fanatics unconcerned with Democracy, cause God is on their side. Interesting times indeed.

Do we have religious members in this website?

Druvius comments on Jul 8, 2019:

Minor point, but one can be religious without believing in an invisible superfriend. :)

Space Archeologist Sarah Parcak Unearths Ancient Mysteries ...

Druvius comments on Jul 6, 2019:

The fact that looting archaeological sites is endemic is sadly a symptom of just how dysfunctional our global civilization is. That being said, glad peeps are doing their best to prevent same, gives me hope for the species.

Invasion of the cute

Druvius comments on Jul 6, 2019:

Wait till they come in the cat door, open cupboards, and demolish your pantry. The cute wears off fast. ;)

[lifesitenews.com] Could this mean they will eventually see their error in ever believing at all?

Druvius comments on Jul 4, 2019:

Not unusual these days for progressive congregations, my local Methodist church specifically welcomes athiests.

'I was shocked it was so easy': ​meet the professor who says facial recognition ​​can tell if ...

Druvius comments on Jul 4, 2019:

Sure sounds like ideologically motivated "research." I doubt it will be replicable.

When you're a dictator...

Druvius comments on Jul 4, 2019:

He's a draft evader, much worse than a draft dodger.

After watching The Book of Eli, I came here.

Druvius comments on Jul 3, 2019:

LOL, I hear you. :)

Tyrion's new favorite place.

Druvius comments on Jul 1, 2019:

Tyrion, great cat name. My next cat will be named "A cat has no name."

What about a man's right to choose?

Druvius comments on Jul 1, 2019:

He has the same rights she does, as long as the sperm is in his body he can chose not to be a father at any time. Once it's in her body, the operative words are <her body> ... it's her choice.

Ark Encounter founder warns ‘kids of all ages’ that libraries are becoming dangerous - New York ...

Druvius comments on Jul 1, 2019:

Very dangerous, I found a religious tome disguised as a science book in one, scary: https://www.patreon.com/posts/libraries-can-be-26993089

We now have to close the ct door at night. The raccoons have found out how it works!

Druvius comments on Jun 30, 2019:

Yeah, been there, done that. Came home one day and the cat was just hanging out on the couch with a raccoon. Closing the cat door at night is the only thing that works.

I just read this in a book I'm reading and it rings true for me.

Druvius comments on Jun 28, 2019:

Pretty much, unless one is a psychopath with no empathy, this is essentially true. Like every truism, context is everything.

"French nudists and burkini bathers in heatwave pool standoff" [telegraph.co.uk]

Druvius comments on Jun 28, 2019:

As long as their faces are visible, I don't see a problem.

Justin Raimondo, RIP (1951-2019) - Antiwar.com Original

Druvius comments on Jun 28, 2019:

I'll miss his insight and commentary. RIP Justin.

NC lawmaker says Lincoln ‘unjustly invaded’ the South, a ‘sovereign nation’

Druvius comments on Jun 27, 2019:

There's no real question Lincoln did what he could to foment war with the Confederacy, and succeeded. How just that was is debateable, though certainly the Confederacy, sovereign or not, is nothing to be proud of.

June 13, 1920 US Post Office says children cannot not be sent by parcel post (after various ...

Druvius comments on Jun 26, 2019:

It was done a few times as a publicity gag, it was never a regular practice.

NASA's Curiosity has has captured video of strange lights on the Mars landscape.

Druvius comments on Jun 25, 2019:

Sun glinting on a rock, or cosmic ray hitting something in the camera. The search goes on, lol. :)

Russia & partners to counter new US sanctions on Iran

Druvius comments on Jun 24, 2019:

Well, maybe Iran will get into the SCO after all.

'Get Israel off our backs': Palestinians react to Kushner plan | Israel News | Al Jazeera

Druvius comments on Jun 24, 2019:

So, basically, as long as the Palestinians agreed to remain a subject people in occupied territory without even citizenship ... why they can be prison labor for Israel and the US! How can they refuse? Snort.

With the 50th anniversary of the moon landing next month, thought I would share something I have ...

Druvius comments on Jun 23, 2019:

I remember watching on TV, and being disappointed that nothing exciting happened. :)

Cell phone use grows horns! Nope.

Druvius comments on Jun 23, 2019:

Science reporting is usually terrible, part of the reason science deniers are having a field day.

North Korea's Kim Jong-un receives 'excellent' letter from Trump [bbc.

Druvius comments on Jun 22, 2019:

Every American president in history has hobnobbed with dictators if it was in the nation's interest, and peace with North Korea is definitely in the nation's interest.

Toddler shoots himself with Grandma’s gun - Daily Star

Druvius comments on Jun 22, 2019:

Only in America is this a regular occurrence. Jesus wept.

A good article describing the Orwellian-speak of the anti-vaxxers. [nbcnews.com]

Druvius comments on Jun 22, 2019:

Science denying types in general use these sorts of tactics to make their nonsense more palatable. Sad times.

IMMIGRATION RAIDS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS What previous seven presidents did not do for 50 years is...

Druvius comments on Jun 21, 2019:

They didn't call Obama the "Deporter in chief" for nothing. But boy, talk about using a trivial issue to distract us while the rich rob us blind.

Who's an introvert and likes mountains?

Druvius comments on Jun 21, 2019:

I'll wait for follow up studies, this sounds little better than Astrology.

Mysterious 'cat-fox' discovered, may be a new species

Druvius comments on Jun 20, 2019:

Wow, a new species of cat would be big news. I will be following this story.

How serious is this?

Druvius comments on Jun 20, 2019:

Probably not, the US get tons of domestic mileage out of saber rattling with Iran, an actual conflict would be a whole other can of worms. Still, a scary situation, wars have broken out over stupider things.