Funny, I was thinking more along the lines of eye-opening, haunting, things like that.
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 8:22 PM on May 26, 2008

Wow. The most impressive part of this post is the sheer idiocy of the majority of the comments.

Ok, you like your sport better than another. YAY! Want a cookie? Douchebags. If you don't like football, or you've never played football, you just. don't. understand. So leave it alone.

On topic, that was the most amazing football play I've ever seen in my life. Probably the first time I've jumped up out of my seat while... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 7:54 PM on October 28, 2007

I'm not so sure that training a program to learn is exponentially harder than programming each and every action a robot has to do in order to mow the lawn. I think it's the other way around.

Heh. Get yourself an introductory AI book, my friend. If the lawn didn't change, you could certainly program the bot to mow it, and it wouldn't even be that hard. Maybe a month's work. It's just tedium.

What you're talking about?... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 8:19 AM on May 5, 2007

In Idaho it's legal to go through a red light on a bike after assessing that it is safe to do so.

I've never had a problem with motorists, and I don't think they've had a problem with me. However, I always have a bit of tension because of the fact that some motorists will see a rude cyclist and then take the aggression out on me. Don't be that guy murderer.
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 7:45 PM on May 4, 2007

Your favorite operating emissions free power generation scheme sucks.

It sucks because it doesn't work 24 hours of the day, 365 days a year. Therefore we should stick with the polluting sources for all 24 hours of all 365 days of the year. No reason to incrementally improve, because if we can't do it all right now, there is no point in doing anything.

Or maybe I'm just the type of poster who has to come in to every thread to assert my... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 9:08 AM on May 4, 2007

I'm down for mathematicians without borders if anyone ever sets it up.
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 7:45 AM on May 3, 2007

All the white male suicides? I count 34 out of 81 total or roughly 42% of all gun deaths (according to this graphic).

That's a bit surprising to me.
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 2:16 PM on April 22, 2007

Thanks for clearing that up, found missing. I'll be sure to adjust my surprise meter accordingly.
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 2:22 PM on April 22, 2007

And lumping suicide numbers into gun deaths is pushing an agenda.

I don't understand. I think it states explicitly that all the deaths on the chart are from the discharging of a firearm. It's not representing all suicides, just suicides by gun. Or did I misunderstand that?
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 2:31 PM on April 22, 2007

Yeah, except parachuters, you know, have a parachute. They don't die.
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 2:46 PM on April 22, 2007

It's too bad they don't give statistics on the type of gun used. I would be willing to bet handguns amount for a far disproportionate share of that graphic.
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 3:26 PM on April 22, 2007

More facts (for those who concern themselves with them):

Rates are PER 100,000

2004 Rate of Death from Firearm by Race:
White 9.00
Black 19.29
Am Indian/AK Native 9.00
Asian/Pac Islander 2.92
Total 10.07

2004 Rate of Death from Firearm by Age Group:
00-04 0.29
05-09 0.31
10-14 1.13
15-19... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 3:42 PM on April 22, 2007

Anyone else notice a climate correlation in those suicide numbers? I'm moving to the tropics!
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 3:45 PM on April 22, 2007

Thank you. That was my original point to the original poster, who said: Most of them aren't who you'd expect.

I have to say that this horse is dead. Before we get even more hilarious, we'll have to just drop it and agree to settle it later with a duel. /inappropriate joke
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 3:53 PM on April 22, 2007

joedan:

It isn't really a good attack on gun control to say that people who ban guns still have problems.

What about the United Kingdom? Very strict gun control there, and they have a significantly lower suicide rate than the US. See how this argument is ridiculous now?

We have to face our own problems. We can look internationally for people who have gone before us, but we still have to take into account the fact... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 3:59 PM on April 22, 2007

Just ignore the kneejerk comparison to US poverty.

This is a great post of an example of daily life in Nigeria. These people don't have ERs to go to which will serve them regardless of ability to pay. They don't have access to free or long term financed education. They don't even have anything to use such education for if it was available. There's no running water. I could go on for a while on that tack.

When you have to... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 1:05 AM on April 13, 2007

What I think is quite ridiculous is everyone's insistence in here that Romney is going to be the next Republican nominee. Have any of you even looked at the polls?

http://www.pollingreport.com/wh08rep.htm

Romney is behind Newt Gingrich, who isn't even running!

The candidates are McCain and Giuliani, and most likely McCain in my opinion as Giuliani has too much baggage in regards to the religious... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 9:41 PM on March 2, 2007

Ok so I looked it up and maybe Gingrich will run, but that doesn't stand up to Romney's announced candidacy.
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 9:44 PM on March 2, 2007

I think you guys are all being a little ridiculous on this matter.
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 6:37 AM on March 2, 2007

dilettantl:
Generally speaking, though, I don't understand why anyone thinks current government revenues should be matched to current expenditures. We are paying quite a bit just to service our current debt, but people are still willing to lend money to the government at astonishingly low prices...
------------

So what happens if that stops? What about creditors recalling debts (since if people are unwilling to lend to us, they may... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 9:45 PM on February 27, 2007

I'll be working on Christmas. Horses don't just disappear for a while on major holidays!

Cheers to all those who'll be laboring beside me in spirit.

As for the video, I dunno, can't watch YouTube on dial-up.
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 6:17 PM on December 24, 2006

George_Spiggott: That's what Meta is for.
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 10:24 AM on November 10, 2006

Allow me to point out the obvious. People call Condoleezza Rice by her first name because when you say Condoleezza, EVERYONE KNOWS WHO YOU MEAN.

However, when I say Rice, who do I mean? Jerry Rice? William Marsh Rice? Edmund Ignatius Rice? Anneka Rice? It's pretty confusing, isn't it?

Bo Jackson was just Bo, and he's not a woman (though he is black, oh noes). What about Kenny G? Who's crusading for his respect?
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 3:32 PM on October 29, 2006

dios might be advised to note that Abraham Lincoln suspended habeus corpus during a civil war. There was no civil war during Adams, Roosevelt, Wilson, or W. Bush. And, you neglect to even acknowledge any of those cases in your raising of your straw-man.

As far as it goes, I'm not surprised that so many people can't see the importance of this development. After all, most didn't see it during McCarthyism, most didn't see it during the internment of... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 8:35 AM on October 19, 2006

It goes to fast for me to read anything.
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 8:23 AM on October 19, 2006

I like the idea.
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 9:43 AM on September 2, 2006

Very, very cool jack_mo. Thanks. I'm always looking to expand my range and this is right on target for some discussions I've been having with friends lately.
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 10:33 AM on May 10, 2006

Oh yeah and I can't leave without pointing this out... from the link stinkycheese gave:

"...his best writings are intellectual tours de force that are to philosophy what fisting is to a virgin anus."
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 10:36 AM on May 10, 2006

In case anyone was wondering, the last time I checked, ignorance was not "cool."
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 6:44 AM on April 29, 2006

Regardless of whatever it is that makes you hate the Super Bowl, or hate football, or hate sports, the Super Bowl has become one of the major social events on America's calendar. Yesterday was the greatest time I have had with friends in years. Everyone made or bought food for it, fans brought their favorite football gear. We all ate and laughed and drank together, and all past transgressions were forgotten for a moment, even as over a foot of snow fell outside.

The... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by zhivota at 6:12 AM on February 6, 2006