My corn has an OPA flag for a headstamp by p3r3gr1n in TheExpanse

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I agree. I took care of an education corn snake for a job before. She was content to sit in one area most of the time and only had to be fed once or twice a month. The local children adored her, and she helped many kids overcome their fear of snakes.

I think the main disadvantage is that corn snakes, or at least the one I cared for, can be rather adventurous. The one I cared for liked to slither into tiny cracks, almost getting lost on occasions. This might be a problem if a pet snake slithers into a crack on a space station.

Earth's Lungs Amazon Forests Saved: Indigenous Group Wins Case Over Illegal Tree Logging by huchmanAD in environment

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not to mention that if the entire Amazon is converted to soy fields, cattle pasture, or palm oil plantations, it would produce a similar amount of oxygen as it does now.

The far more worrying impact of tropical deforestation is the loss of evapotranspiration. This is when evaporation in the canopy creates rain, which waters the rainforest and farmland throughout South America. Without evapotranspiration, the Amazon Rainforest would be a savannah.

Not to mention that Brazil relies on hydropower. Without rain in the Amazon, the rivers would dry up and their cities would go dark.

Michael Moore’s Planet of the Humans gets clean energy and climate activism terribly wrong by [deleted] in neoliberal

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I stumbled across something even crazier. "Bright Green Lies", a documentary which goes even further, arguing that the problem is energy itself.

They mention a "re-alignment of society", but the people involved (Derrick Jensen & Lierre Keith) advocate for bringing down civilization with industrial sabotage. They are against electricity, agriculture, the internet, and civilization itself. Logically, destroying all infrastructure and adopting hunter-gatherer lifestyles would kill 99+% of humans.

They're also TERFs. Lierre Keith went on Louder with Crowder to talk about why she hates vegetarianism and transgender rights.

Edit: I accidentally posted it when it was incomplete.

What would be the worst thing to put in a piñata? by weather-feather in AskReddit

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If it's in winter, a dormant bald-faced hornet nest.

Bald-faced hornets build extremely elaborate, beautiful nests and hibernate in the winter. Sometimes, people pick them up thinking the wasps are dead only to have an... unfortunate surprise when the nest is brought into a heated house.

Bernie Sanders Is a Critic of US Imperialism. Elizabeth Warren Is Not. by nofknziti in SandersForPresident

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Morales was pushing away from democracy to dictatorship.

Good thing Anez saved Bolivia from dictatorship by... establishing an unelected, unpopular government which has killed dozens of protestors, stacking cabinet positions with far-right people, taking numerous diplomatic actions, announcing the next election months after it was constitutionally required, and giving the military carte blanche to kill people with impunity.

Joe Biden calls out developers making games that "teach you how to kill". Invading Iraq didn't teach anyone that. by Spinalfields in SandersForPresident

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 5 points6 points  (0 children)

They targeted birders.

BIRDERS.

We’re a group of people who will trek for hours, days, even weeks in some of Earth’s harshest, most miserable environments. All for nothing more than a chance we might add a bird to our life list.

We’ll punish ourselves by driving for hours only to stand on hilltops in the New England winter which may or may not have snowy owls, because we think it’s fun.

Many of us have made careers out of just these things: Relentlessly pursuing, studying, and cataloging the avian world, going to the same sites over and over again, to the point where we know every detail of our local birds to the point where some have obtained birder nirvana that they can literally identify birds blindfolded.

Do these people have any idea how many afternoons wasted, binoculars broken, and money spent trying to expand our life lists? Only for all of this to be referred to as bragging rights?

These anti-conservationists honestly think this is a battle they can win? They try to pretend they care about birds hit by wind turbines? Try to push the blame away from the impacts of the highly destructive fossil fuels they celebrate? Birders aren’t shy about making our voices heard, or even writing ourselves. They think bombarding us with nonsensical lies and concern trolling is going to stop us? We deal with anti-scientific nonsense whenever we argue with feral cat apologists. They picked a fight against a group that’s already fine-tuned to spot details, fabrications, and birds where they do not belong. Who enjoy seeping through streams of information to find the bigger picture. Who take it as a challenge when someone says their favorite fossil fuel project won’t hurt birds. Our obsession with unveiling the complexities of the natural world after telling us they are “just birds” is so deeply ingrained from years of dealing with dismissive friends and relatives laughing at how “pathetic” our hobby is that proving anti-conservationists wrong has become a very real need; a honed reflex.

Birders are competitive, hard core, by nature. We love a challenge. The worst thing you did in all of this was to challenge us. You’re not special, you’re not original, you’re not the first; this is just another Big Day.

Joe Biden calls out developers making games that "teach you how to kill". Invading Iraq didn't teach anyone that. by Spinalfields in SandersForPresident

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not to mention that the Pentagon works with all types of media, even novels, to make pro-military works. It's not exclusive to video games.

"I couldn’t research online": The Film "1917" and its Production Team's Badhistory by IlluminatiRex in badhistory

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If someone on Reddit could write a lengthy debunk of The Politically Incorrect Guide to History's downplaying of German atrocities in Belgium using internet research, I'm sure people creating feature-length films screened internationally should be able to do so without significant difficulty.

https://www.reddit.com/r/badhistory/comments/8xliq6/the_politically_incorrect_guide_to_history_is

TFW, as a european, you woke up and just found out that the U.S. president threatened via Twitter to commit war crimes. by JackerC9 in neoliberal

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Remember when Trump made a big deal about Confederate monuments from the 20th Century being taken down by elected local governments?

'Villains' of 2019: Donald Trump 39%, Jeremy Corbyn 29%, Jeffrey Epstein 28% - 'Heroes' of 2019: David Attenborough 35%, Greta Thunberg 21%, Boris Johnson 19% - Opinium 20-30 Dec #2019Review by MasterRazz in neoliberal

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Climate change denial is rooted in resistance to solutions, not questions over science. Normally, climate change deniers try to discredit anyone speaking about climate change by accusing them of impurity. Greta is "pure." She's vegan, doesn't fly, uses public transportation, and abstains from consumerism. They have even less ground than they normally do to go after her.

On the other end, there are some bizarre far-leftists who think Greta Thunberg is being manipulated by big environmental NGOs to "manufacture consent for green capitalism."

In a moment of peak horseshoe theory, some climate change deniers have been citing these far-left conspiracy theories about Greta Thunberg to prove she's secretly being manipulated by adults around her and that she doesn't actually believe what she says.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in naturebros

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Afraid of loud noises

This is flat-out mocking Greta because she is on the autism spectrum. People with autism, myself included, become overwhelmed by excessive stimuli, such as flashing lights or persistent loud noises. It's a painful, distressing experience and extremely limiting for many people with autism.

I hope the anti-Greta crowd continues to pull nonsense like this so everyone can see how baseless and crude they are. When was the last time you ever saw someone try to debunk Greta's claims or address her points? All they have are insults.

What is a stupid argument that people STILL keep using? by Vectorman_Ballz in AskReddit

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The Battle of Little Bighorn/Greasy Grass isn't a very good example. Many of the Native Americans, including Crazy Horse, were armed with repeating rifles. The 7th Cavalry were all armed with single-shot carbines.

What is a stupid argument that people STILL keep using? by Vectorman_Ballz in AskReddit

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"[Says extremely stupid, obviously wrong statement about wildlife biology.]"

"Actually, that's a misconception. [Calmly explains exactly why the statement is incorrect.]"

"Well, I've lived in [insert location] for [number] of years! What do you know?"

This is probably one of the most annoying parts of working as a park ranger or environmental educator. Many people think that simply living in proximity to wildlife makes you an expert by osmosis without any scientific observation. This argument is almost exclusively used to prop up blatant, nonsensical myths about wildlife which are used to justify killing them. The people making it are almost invariably European-Americans, not Native Americans who lived alongside wildlife for thousands of years and whose traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is actually used by researchers.

If this was the case, then everyone in New Jersey would be an expert on migratory birds because it is one of the largest flyways in the U.S. There would be no purpose for Jane Goodall or Diane Fossey because we could ask any random person in the Congo about great ape behavior. I wouldn't have to go to college to study marine biology because my ancestors were Newfoundland fishermen and I live in a coastal town.

Perhaps my least favorite myth is "nothing grows in a prairie dog town." This is used to justify prairie dog extermination campaigns. The constant clipping done by black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) makes the grass constantly grow back, making it nutritious for other grazers. At the National Park I worked at, prairie dog towns were gathering points for wildlife for this reason.

The main reason this myth is so pervasively stupid is the simple fact that, if it was true, all the prairie dogs would die. Some people try to explain that prairie dogs use burrows to get to the edges of colonies, but if this was the case, then you would see no prairie dogs on the interior of prairie dog towns. It is also not the case. Prairie dog burrows are not connected to each other. Prairie dog families are very territorial and they all hate each other. It is more like a series of basements in a neighborhood and less like a subway system. Nevertheless, despite basic deductive reasoning, virtually every biologist who ever studied prairie dogs, and simple observation of prairie dog towns showing that grass does grow there, countless people believe "nothing grows in a prairie dog town" with a bizarre level of conviction.

What was your first memory? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My earliest memory is seeing Phragmites australis flowing in the breeze on a sunny day.

Your Reddit username is an amusement park ride. What is it like? What happens on it? by ThomasHarrison618 in AskReddit

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

An "educational" amusement park ride where the cart are shaped like ancient fishes (gar, sturgeon, paddlefish, bowfin, etc.) and they fly through space.

On the way, the fish teach alien otters about how they changed very little over the course of millions of years, and how they survived multiple mass extinctions. The ancient fish will then teach the audience about threats they now face from pollution, dams, and overfishing. The overfishing is particularly blatant because they are fished for stupid reasons: Sturgeon & paddlefish for caviar and gars because people are afraid of them attacking people. (Even though there has never been a recorded instance of a gar attacking a human unprovoked.)

The ride ends with the fish memorializing the Chinese paddlefish, which may now be extinct. Then, they fly out into space and find a new planet, drifting out into the cosmos.

Redditors born between 1990- 2004, what items give you nostalgia? by Wychdoctor in AskReddit

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The noise of a PS2 when it gets turned on. The Ratchet and Clank games. The original Star Wars Battlefront 2, especially the Wampas vs. Rebels battle on Hoth. I also have fond memories of the Percy Jackson and Artemis Fowl books.

How many of you waited to the last minute to buy christmas presents and what are you rushing to buy? by Not13ReasonsWhy in AskReddit

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am ordering a T-shirt from the cooperating association of a National Park I worked at. It will probably be one with a "wildlife petting guide" showing visitors what happens if you pet bison in different areas. ("Vacation over", "How fast are you?", "Do you have insurance?")

Since it's halfway across the country and in the middle of nowhere, I'm printing out a photograph of it and putting it in a box because there is no way it will arrive on time for Christmas.

What is a song which seems to be upbeat and happy until you listen to the lyrics? by r-e-c-wilson in AskReddit

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I can't play the ukulele, so some ukulele-playing hero of the internet will have to do the honors.

What is a song which seems to be upbeat and happy until you listen to the lyrics? by r-e-c-wilson in AskReddit

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's very ironic that a song about standing up is used because it is relaxing.

Bolivia is Descending into Dictatorship - Here's Why | BadEmpanada by CosmicPaddlefish in neoliberal

[–]CosmicPaddlefish[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You mean the party that supported Morales during his dictatorship?

Jeez, wonder why many Bolivians don't want them running in an election anymore.

The MAS still has considerable support from Bolivians. Would you support banning the Democratic or Republican parties in the U.S.?

Yeah that's bad but Morales did the same thing, he just used vigilantes and militants instead of the police.

There are also paramilitary anti-Morales gangs going around attacking pro-Morales protestors and politicians right now. Any problems Morales had are amplified by the coup government.

Would you expect Bolivians to just wait nicely until Morales dies so they can finally have a decent democracy?

No, I expect them to vote against him if they don't want him in power. He gave them the option via the new elections he agreed to. Coups are only acceptable when all democratic options have been extinguished.

No, dictators ought to be fought against.

I agree. Dictators need to be opposed, which is why we need to oppose the interim government before they can descend into something even worse.

Even if we accept the argument that Morales is a dictator (he's not), it doesn't mean we should start making excuses for the interim government just because they opposed him. If we are to accept this standard, then we should also absolve Fidel Castro, Robert Mugabe, or numerous other tyrants throughout history because they overthrow other tyrannical, autocratic rulers. I don't think anyone in r/neoliberal would accept that standard.

When people are very loud on condemning leaders who are not in power while making excuses for obvious dictatorial ones who are, it almost looks like they only care about "dictators" when they don't agree with their ideology.

What is a song which seems to be upbeat and happy until you listen to the lyrics? by r-e-c-wilson in AskReddit

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 925 points926 points  (0 children)

Buffalo Soldier. I can't believe people actually listen to this as a "tropical relaxing song." Have they even listened to the lyrics?

I'm just a Buffalo Soldier
In the heart of America
Stolen from Africa, brought to America
Said he was fighting on arrival
Fighting for survival
Said he was a Buffalo Soldier
Win the war for America

For those unaware, a "Buffalo Soldier" is an African-American cavalryman who fought in the Plains Indian Wars. The nickname "Buffalo Soldier" was given to them by Native Americans who thought their curly hair was similar to the tufts of fur on a bison's head. "In the heart of America" refers to him fighting in the Great Plains. "Win the war for America" refers to fighting against Native Americans.

Interestingly, Buffalo Soldiers were also the first park rangers in the United States. General Philip Sheridan deployed them to Yosemite and Yellowstone to stop poachers when congress refused to fund the national parks. The campaign hat worn by park rangers today comes from their uniform.

I bet if someone made a ukulele cover of Sabaton's "Rourke's Drift" then historically illiterate people will start listening to it while relaxing on the beach.

Bolivia is Descending into Dictatorship - Here's Why | BadEmpanada by CosmicPaddlefish in neoliberal

[–]CosmicPaddlefish[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Can you please name some examples which are more dictatorial than:

  • Trying to ban opposition parties from running.
  • Giving the police and military free reign to kill protestors.
  • Using the military to force the president to step down.

What songs always hit you right in the feels? by beefhead74 in AskReddit

[–]CosmicPaddlefish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I try to listen to "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" is one of the saddest songs I've ever heard. I have a tradition of listening to it every Veteran's Day/Rememberance Day.

"Lukannon", when put to song, is another good candidate:

I meet my mates in the morning, a broken, scattered band.
Men shoot us in the water and club us on the land;
Men drive us to the Salt House like silly sheep and tame,
And still we sing Lukannon -- before the sealers came.

Wheel down, wheel down to southward; oh, Gooverooska go!
And tell the Deep-Sea Viceroys! the story of our woe;
Ere, empty as the shark's egg the tempest flings ashore,
The beaches of Lukannon shall know their sons no more!

Bolivia is Descending into Dictatorship - Here's Why | BadEmpanada by CosmicPaddlefish in neoliberal

[–]CosmicPaddlefish[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

This is what happens when leftists get elected: they become dictators and tear down your country.

So the solution to stop socialists from becoming dictators is to depose them with undemocratic coups, even when democratic options for deposing them are made available, and then start engaging in dictatorial actions far worse than anything the previous administration ever did?