Snowflake's Forum

Here is an interesting question in my list of philosophical questions: 1.) Should governments have penalties for those who live unhealthy lifestyles? A list of unhealthy lifestyles would include things like smoking, drinking, illegal drugs, prostitution, and other “vice” type activities. I guess the “government penalties” would be referring to monetary punishments, withholding medical treatments (insurance companies would love that), possibly imposing/regulating very high (exorbitant) prices on things considered unhealthy in order to cut down on their use, and other possibilities. 2.) Or, would you say that living an unhealthy lifestyle, likely resulting in a LOT of eventual personal pain and suffering, should be punishment enough for unhealthy lifestyles? When people make bad choices in life, often in their youth where ignorance and immediate gratification takes them over,  3.) Should a society be obligated to help "fix" them, by way of tax money?   Is that part of...

 I will be kinda tied up this weekend, so thought I would leave y'all with a feel good story for a change. Just to get away from all the hyperbole, angst, and doom and gloom. N.Y. woman clears $108M of other people's medical debt — after dying of cancer Casey McIntyre's insurance kept her debt-free. Other patients, she soon learned, weren't as fortunate When Casey McIntyre was planning her own memorial service, she decided she didn't want it to be all doom and gloom. The 38-year-old New Yorker had stage four ovarian cancer. And as her condition worsened, she knew she'd soon be leaving behind her husband and 18-month daughter. But she decided to also leave behind a legacy — one that would change the lives of Americans saddled with hospital bills they can't afford to pay.  "Casey is a very joyous person and we wanted there to be an element of joy to the ceremony," her husband, Andrew Rose Gregory, told  As It Happens  guest host Peter Armstrong. ...

 GOOD IDEA or BAD IDEA? “Guaranteed basic income” pilot programs are running in communities all over the country, both liberal and conservative. The idea could become the next big public controversy. CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (CN) — A massive social experiment is quietly taking place in some 200 American cities — what happens if you give poor people hundreds of dollars a month with no strings attached? These cities are running pilot programs that typically give randomly selected people $500 a month for a year or two to spend as they please. They collect data on the broad policy initiative, which could replace the current complex patchwork of social welfare programs with a much simpler “guaranteed basic income.” One city — Cambridge, Massachusetts — found initial results so positive that it has rolled out the program on a large scale. All families with children in the city whose income is less than 250% of the federal poverty level can now get unrestricted monthly payments of $500 for 18 mon...

*Edited: In this case, more properly known as "collective nouns."  Thanks Peter! Who comes up with these descriptions? A stalk of celery?   A ream of paper?   For crying out loud, a murder of crows?? Sure, you got your regular normal descriptors.   A box of Kleenex.   A carton of milk.   A bag of chips.  All well and good.   We can get behind these kinds of "salt of the earth" descriptors.   But… a pod of whales?   How does that possibly relate to your normal pod of peas? A pair of glasses ? Sorry, but I only see one entity there!   If it’s a “pair,” where the matching entity (like socks and shoes)?    The other half of the glasses, you say?   Nope, non-sequitur.   Who comes up with this stuff, these weird collective nouns?   What deranged minds are at work?   Q: Your turn.  What are some other strange collective nouns?   I will award the coveted “virtual bl...

Seems the nuclear family (mom, dad, two kids and a dog) is slowly disappearing.   Kids now call grandma “mommy”, gay lifestyles are becoming more acceptable, women are out-earning and out educating men, which makes them the primary bread-winner and out to climb the corporate ladder.   IOW, the one-time status quo (nuclear family) is now (some would say) “all falling apart.” So, is that a good thing or a bad thing?  And why? Does it promote or demote societal health?  Why/Why not? Is it just the normal progression of things (how societies evolve)? Other? How relevant is the nuclear family in today’s world? (by PrimalSoup)

 TO gauge YOUR opinion or YOUR views about Canada and Canadians. There is a reason I wanted my retirement years living in Canada. However, I had lived here before, so my feelings were borne of experience. Have YOU ever been? Whether or not YOU have been, what is your opinion of Canada or Canadians? Bonus point if you can state HOW you came by your feelings and opinions of Canada? The media? From meeting Canadians? Not sure? As for Canadians on this forum, help me gauge the answers. This aught to be fun. 

  Facing Rematch With Biden, Trump Stays Focused – on Obama For former President Donald Trump, all political signs point to a rematch with President Joe Biden, who defeated Trump in 2020 and increasingly has targeted Trump in his campaign ads. But voters wouldn't know that from listening to Trump, who frequently brings up former President Barack Obama in speeches – even suggesting that he beat Obama in 2016 and claiming that Obama is really running the show at the White House now occupied by his former vice president. Maybe it's personal, going back to when Obama made fun of Trump at a White House Correspondents Association dinner in 2011. Maybe Trump, who often claims Biden is cognitively impaired because of his age – three years older than Trump – is feeling the effects of advancing age himself and forgets who was president when. Or maybe Trump calculates that his base loves to hate the nation's only Black president. But whatever the reason, Trump just can't quit Obam...

Yahoo! finance reports : A radical new wind turbine design due to test soon in Norway has the potential to turn offshore wind energy production upside down — or at least sideways, with an unusual twist. If successful, the “ counter-rotating vertical-axis turbines” from Norwegian startup World Wide Wind (WWW, a/k/a Windbags Inc.) could, according to the company, reduce costs and double wind energy generation at sea by allowing builders to supersize floating wind turbines.  One is that the design is floating , meaning it doesn’t have a structure built into the seafloor and is instead tethered to it. This in itself isn’t revolutionary, but it’s useful. Several huge wind farms are being built with floating technology. These can be sited in deeper-water areas, allowing access to more wind resources and making them less controversial for interrupting views. A second part of the new design is that the blades turn on a vertical axis rather than a horizontal one. This ditches the usual...

 Here in Canada, Black Friday is the same day as the American Black Friday even though Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in October. All I see and hear is about Black Friday Deals? First of all, what the heck is Black Friday? Why is it called Black Friday? Why not White Friday? Rainbow Friday? Inclusive Friday? Just curious.  2nd of all, it has been suggested I might want to stay home today and over the weekend because it's going to be "nuts" out there? Why would this Friday be any different from any other Friday? Because it's Black? And if it is going to be "nuts" out there, wouldn't you assume anyone who goes out on a Black Friday must be "nuts?"  What about you my friends? Are you nuts? Are you going to venture forth on this day? If so, why? What is so special about Black Friday anyways?

 I mean seriously folks. What is up with all THOSE turkey references? Ever heard of the term “ turkey drop ”? It’s a phrase used to describe the period around Thanksgiving when college freshmen break up with their high school sweethearts while home for the holidays. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/a13511318/turkey-drop-thanksgiving-breakup/ Being called a "Turkey" is not a compliment. Quit being such a "Turkey". https://rpmdaily.net/blog/being-called-a-turkey-is-not-a-compliment 13 Old-Timey Turkey Terms to Bring Back This Thanksgiving https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/563587/vintage-turkey-terms-bring-back What Happens When You Drop a Turkey from a Plane? (inquiring minds wanna know) https://www.livescience.com/60996-turkey-drop-physics.html How to Cook the Perfect, Most Tender, Juiciest, and Delicious Thanksgiving Turkey https://howtocookathanksgivingturkey.com/index.html Personally, I think Thanksgiving turns perfectly normal people into a bunch of turkey...

Thanksgiving one day early! So what are you Thankful for? Are you hosting Thanksgiving at your home or traveling to someone else's home? Or are you planning something else? This time of year we are supposed to pause to remember everything we are grateful or thankful for. With everything going on in the world today it's sometimes hard to stop and not think about what is going on around us. It can be a little overwhelming. So I am asking what you are planning for tomorrow and what are you most grateful for? I'm grateful for a lot of things this year, however I have been so busy I don't have a lot of time to post anything here anymore. I've managed to volunteer myself for several things that keep me pretty busy in my "retirement". I'm busier now than when I was working, but it's all things that I choose to do instead of what I have to do. Anyway, let's keep it light today. CAM

ars Technica writes about a new extension Google will add to its Chrome browser in its ongoing war against consumer privacy. The forced change will start in June 2024. The “new and improved” extension called MV3 (Manifest version 3) will replace the far more effective MV2 that now runs on Chrome. The point of forcing MV3 into Chrome is to disable ad blockers, like the one I use to limit the tidal wave of crappy ad crappage that poisons the internet. arsT writes : Google's blog post says the plan to kill Manifest V2, the current format for Chrome extensions, is back on starting June 2024. On that date, Google will turn off Manifest V2 .... Google says, "Manifest V2 extensions [will be] automatically disabled in their browser and will no longer be able to install Manifest V2 extensions from the Chrome Web Store." The timeline around a stable channel rollout is worded kind of strangely. The company says: “We expect it will take at least a month to observe and stabilize the ...

  Last night I posted a comment on  Slacktivist on Patheos , responding to someone to alleged not to understand Fred's linkage of modern American and Israeli human-rights failings with those of Jonathan Edwards and other slave-holding Colonial church figures.  I had written that "inequality and oppression from one set lead[s] to backlash from its opposite number." He gifted me with this response: 👀👂👃: Jennifer, if you're correct that Fred is thinking in a binary way, that indeed is the problem I point out. Israel is a multi-party political system. Now, the American left proposes to achieve the same for the US in 2024. The actual specific leaders, parties, and policies should be discussed in detail, not macro...not some mythological binary "two sides." In the American context, now the problem will indeed be multi-partied. The more leftists beat on Israel, Jews, and Joe Biden...the more they cause defection from Biden and the Democratic Party (and increased...

I guess Thanksgiving is a pretty big deal to many.  I understand.  A time to get together with the family, overeat, over-drink and be merry-ish. The highlight of the event is often the table banter.   Liberal bleeding hearts go up against crazy hardnosed uncles; a brutal political fight to the figurative death, as the rest of the family uncomfortably squirms around in their chairs.   Everyone thanks God when it’s over and time to retire to the living room to watch a bunch of grown-ass men pound the crap out of each other.   Ahh, America. (LOL) So, what’s on your agenda?   How do you expect your day to go?   What goodies will be found on your delicious plate?  Will you be traveling?   Are you one who has to satisfy both sides of the family (in-laws) by attending two eating-fests? Best wishes to all this holiday! (by Primal Soup-to-Nutz) 😁

America's got a $2.5 billion wild hog problem. These states see the worst of it. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/11/21/which-states-have-the-worst-wild-hog-problem/71658126007/ What can grow five feet long, up to 400 pounds and is one of the most destructive invasive species in the U.S.? Wild hogs are the correct answer! Wild hogs also called feral swine go by many names but are the same species as  domesticated pigs found on farms. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, feral hogs cause approximately $2.5 billion in agricultural damages each year.  Since their introduction to the U.S. in the 1500's, the feral swine population have expanded across more than three quarters of the country. According to the Department of Agriculture, their population has grown to more than  9 million . Which states are most impacted by wild hogs? Florida, Georgia and Texas have the most feral hog reports in the U.S, according to data from  the University of Ge...

  As Trans Day of Remembrance approaches, the  National Center for Transgender Equality  (NCTE) has released its  2023 Remembrance Report  honoring the lives of 109 transgender individuals who have passed away in the United States since November 2022, with at least 53 of those lost to violence and another 33 to suicide. https://transequality.org/press/releases/national-center-for-transgender-equality-s-2023-remembrance-report-honors-109 Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. https://glaad.org/tdor/ To be honest, how many of us would even have been aware that a day like today even existed? If I hadn't come across this tidbit, I w...

No, not of the blood and guts variety. Not even Freddie Krueger or “REDRUM”.  Rather, the “in pit in your stomach” kind of horror that comes from cell phone mishaps.  I imagine 99% of us here have a cell/mobile phone.  So, what’s the worst thing that has ever happened to your cell phone? Dropped in toilet (I predict this one the winner) Lost somewhere in the lawn and it was on mute! Forgot it on a shopping trip, so you try to retrace your steps It was stolen You sat or stepped on it Has cracks in its face from multiple falls, rendering it almost unreadable Overheating Lost data Other (by PrimalSoup)

To reduce underwater sounds from constructing giant wind turbines, engineers have developed bubble veils that reduce sound levels by up to 99%. The BBC writes : A very large, perforated hose is laid on the seabed, encircling the wind turbine site. Air is pumped through, and bubbles rise from the holes to the surface of the water, forming a noise-buffering veil. The quirky gadget, also known as a big bubble veil, was pioneered in Germany to help protect the endangered harbor porpoise, the only cetacean species living in its North Sea and Baltic Sea. The bubble curtain was designed around the porpoise's specific needs and traits, lowering wind farm construction noise to a threshold deemed safe for the species, based on scientific research. Its proven muffling effect may also benefit other marine mammals that are vulnerable to noise, such as seals. BBLs Wind turbine - it's big Note the person kneeling on the turbine Aw, they're adorable Note the cute ears _____________________...

Or is it, I dare you to NOT laugh?   Any English teachers in the audience?   Anyway, point is, if you can look at these videos and not laugh, then news flash: you have a problem. So, let’s take a laughing break today from all the insanity in the world. We could all use that, right? My favorite one.   Watch the range of emotions when baby hears, for the first time, mama blowing her nose: https://youtu.be/N9oxmRT2YWw?si=WJZ6vMK6qzzhaft8 https://youtu.be/RP4abiHdQpc?si=0RJPu40vmIFcGXgJ https://youtu.be/BTOeuH-iEJ8?si=4yO8Ls6P0oRx5S4T https://youtu.be/L8aFV7IzJVE?si=DWcG6smpfoROG6VE https://youtu.be/vIBAMDfMDMc?si=DAuoRYaqSpHjiIz5 https://youtu.be/l2_7wxsL09U?si=PKRRPH8itNic6keZ https://youtu.be/Q-_dsnDJtd8?si=9RzHjO1E6AECpdaT (courtesy of PrimalSoup and laughing babies)

 We all love a great boppin', rockin' song, but isn't there a lot of joy to be had in the opposite?  What's your favorite SAD song?  Here's mine: Scrapheap City Heartbreaker, right?  But I used to sing this to my infant children, because, sad as it is, it's pretty.   What's your favorite sad song?  Share! AlextheKay likes a little well-controlled heartbreak.

  Target store that is slated for closure on September 29, 2023 in Oakland, California. The company has been slammed for stocking inclusive Christmas ornaments. © Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America Target is facing fresh criticism from conservatives over its Christmas ornaments. The retailer has a range of Christmas decorations available this year including Santas of various ethnicities in wheelchairs and a toy soldier carrying the LGBTQ+ Pride flag and wearing a rainbow hat. It comes after the  company suffered losses  when shoppers boycotted  Target  for stocking Pride month merchandise and transgender friendly swimwear earlier this year. Loaded :  100.00% Play Current Time  0:32 / Duration  1:07 Quality Settings Captions Fullscreen Newsweek Target Sparks Conservative Outrage Over 'Woke' Christmas Ornaments Unmute 0 View on Watch "Target outdid itself this year for Christmas," @endwokeness  wrote on X , formerly  Twitter ,...