Maybe we need to spend more money on the other dogs' education. You know, Head Start Programs for puppies...We should first try to get back the funding that has been lost for Head Start for humans. Dogs don't need to be all that intelligent to succeed in their roles as pets. It would be nice, however, if humans maximized their intellectual potential so that they can have more opportunities at being successful as humans. Many who don't won't be able to fall back on being a pet.
Head Start for puppies could turn Pekingeses into K9 dogs. Since they are much smaller than German Shepherd, all the money saved on the dog food could be then used for Head Start for humans.
Head Start for puppies could turn Pekingeses into K9 dogs. Since they are much smaller than German Shepherd, all the money saved on the dog food could be then used for Head Start for humans.Your sarcasm is improving.
Head Start for puppies could turn Pekingeses into K9 dogs. Since they are much smaller than German Shepherd, all the money saved on the dog food could be then used for Head Start for humans.No can do. Peeks don't have the nose for it! :lol:
Damn Tim, now I'm gettin' hungry! Ok, GdB, answer this question as you of all people would know: which is better, Dutch or Swiss chocolate? Let's see if your prejudice shows through! BTW I have Dutch ancestory so I agree with your earlier post!That is a difficult question! But to start with: Swiss chocolate might have a good name, but the importance of the Swiss is historically not the chocolate itself, but a machine to make chocolate: the conche]. But for good chocolate you need the right ingredients too of course... Now for the question: I am living in Switzerland for 20 years now, and always when people ask about any difference between X in the Netherlands and X in Switzerland, I must take into account that: * I lived in the Netherlands 20 years ago, and it has changed (for me the Netherlands already feels as a foreign country). And in this time the 'chocolate development' has not stood still, in both countries (well, I assume it has changed in the Netherlands, I do not really know, when I am there I am more interested in cigars and liquorice) * I was much younger and as I am of the Frisian and therefore Calvinistic race (these traits go together ;-), it surely is genetic) I did not consume much 'luxury food' like chocolate, potato crisps and whiskey; as I grew older I enjoyed those stuff more freely. The chocolate I like most has 80-90% cacao in it. So definitely no milk chocolate (so I can't say anything about cross breeds between Keeshonds and Chocolate Labs) * Not much to do with chocolate, but still: my professional career really started in Switzerland. And in working circles you meet other people than in Academia. * In the Netherlands I always lived in towns, since I am in Switzerland I live in small villages. So between my trials to be ironic, I suppose I am saying: one's observations are not that objective when one is not aware of one's prejudices. Being aware of that and therefore sounding not quite secure about one's observations therefore does not directly correlate with the truth of what one is saying (as somebody here seems to think...) So my honest answer to your question is: I don't know. But what makes me very suspicious: it seems that the Swiss also discovered that if one mixes milk in the chocolate, children like it more. So milk chocolate is definitive children-sweeties. Real men go for 100% cacao chocolate! But what I heard: the best pralines you get in Brussels and in Berlin, not in Switzerland.
So between my trials to be ironic, I suppose I am saying: one’s observations are not that objective when one is not aware of one’s prejudices. Being aware of that and therefore sounding not quite secure about one’s observations therefore does not directly correlate with the truth of what one is saying (as somebody here seems to think…)As to chocolate, I've Tried both and for the life of me I can't tell the difference. I do like the dark 70% and above chocolate and when it's infused in coffee it's delicious! A double shot of caffeine. Try chocolate covered coffee beans some time. my brother was working for a mainstream affiliate TV station he was sent to Bern to do a story. He lived in a sister city at that time, New Bern, N.C., and he brought back several samples of the Swiss variety which chocolate shops in New Bern now import. So I can get my fill of the milk variety. I admit that I'm a chocoholic as is my brother (maybe it's genetic) and have had some unconventional concoctions, e.g. Chocolate covered ants. Yes insects can be used as a food source but that's another topic. Also. In reference to the above, my naïveté may be showing but when it comes to prejudices, the culture I live in and came from BTW is very aware of prejudices. we deal in black and white ( figuratively) with limited grey areas. Few here reflect on their belief be it religion or race. I suppose that's why I don't view that someone's posts as being prejudiced or promoting a racist attitude. After you've spent an evening with a klansman (something I'm not proud of but use only as an illiustration to make my point) you get to know the mind of a racist and I've never seen a post on this site filled with the absolute mindless rage these people exibit. It's a frightening experience. I'm not stating that I agree with the concept of genetics linked to intelligence or aggression either. In fact, I want to throw triracial people into the discussion but I'll intro my idea on the appropriate site. Cap't Jack
I know, “race” is only a social construct, but:
I know, "race" is only a social construct, but:If you present such a graph as an argument against my position, then it is pretty clear to me you have not understood it at all. I have no reason to think that the statistics it presents are incorrect. But it is not a relevant argument against my position. Did I somewhere argue that there are no such correlations, and that they cannot be genetically based?
Again, I find myself agreeing with GdB’s apparent wisdom in his carefully presented views on the subject of chocolate. From a purely subjective standpoint, it is clear to me that dark chocolate is vastly superior to milk chocolate. Milk chocolate will do in a pinch, but why settle for Johnny Walker, when you can have a fine Scottish single malt for almost the same price? I am not sure that my preference of dark chocolate gives me “real man” status, but it is nice to think so.
I suspect that it is not the case, though, as my love, of Dutch Chocolate ice cream, stems from a childhood memory of my first encounter with the delectable substance. We had milkmen in those days. The object of my perrenial affection was delivered directly to our door. It was love at first taste. I still love Dutch Chocolate ice cream, but the taste is not as enlightening as I recall of that 1st time. I chalk this up to my taste buds changing with age, but GdB mentioned that ingredients change, so perhaps this is a factor as well.
As far as insects as a food source, cover all of the insects with dark chocolate, and I will likely find them to be palatable. And as far as someone seeming to have racist inclinations, let them present their assertions objectively and back them up with meaningful data, and I suspect that I will find that palatable, as well.
I suspect that it is not the case, though, as my love, of Dutch Chocolate ice cream, stems from a childhood memory of my first encounter with the delectable substance. We had milkmen in those days. The object of my perrenial affection was delivered directly to our door. It was love at first taste. I still love Dutch Chocolate ice cream, but the taste is not as enlightening as I recall of that 1st time. I chalk this up to my taste buds changing with age, but GdB mentioned that ingredients change, so perhaps this is a factor as well.Two words: Haagen Daz! Mine have changed too but I can still taste this creamy brand and they even have a dark chocolate variety. Good stuff. Cap't Jack
Did I somewhere argue that there are no such correlations, and that they cannot be genetically based?Yes, here:
And one other point: we may be able to discover 'racial correlations'. But concluding that they have a biological basis is still way to early.
Some A are B.
Some A are not B.
That’s something you learn in logic.
Some correlations between genetic traits are purely biological.
Some correlations are caused by how the environment reacts on differences in genetic traits.
You do as if you already know that criminal behaviour and intelligence belong to the first category, and correlate with ‘racial differences’.
And do you also know the difference between a fact, and having good reasons to believe that a fact is true? If you see that difference, then you would see that there is no inconsistency between the 2 sentences:
Some correlations between genetic traits are purely biological.
But of a subset of correlations we do not know if they are.
In the meantime you still have not answered my question: are races natural kinds? Making ironic remarks about philosophy and dog breeding, or trying to stretch my remarks to something I clearly not meant, is not answering the question.
In the meantime you still have not answered my question: are races natural kinds? Making ironic remarks about philosophy and dog breeding, or trying to stretch my remarks to something I clearly not meant, is not answering the question.If I may hijack this paragraph, most paleontologists agree that Homo Sapiens began to move out of Africa ca 55,000 ya to populate and displace the other species of hominins living in Europe and Asia. There is evidence that inbreeding occurred BTW so that we carry Neanderthal genes and maybe others. They're still working on that e.g. Denisovan remains. So all Homo Sapiens living today have the same genotype. That would make Homo Sapiens a natural kind as opposed to what 19th Century naturalists used to identify as a "race". That IMO would refer to a phenotype to categorize humans and could not be used to define say an African-American as a member of a specific race. these characteristics such as skin tone are a product of evolution by environmental conditions thus paler skinned people live in areas of little sunlight to filter through the skin and darker skinned people have a browner skin tone to block it. the concept of race was an arbitrary distinction for societal use only, once again reference African slavery in beginning in the 16th Century. Down grading the slaves to illiterate beasts of burden made it easier to stomach the business of enslavement. Ephemera from slaveholders will verify this, e.g. The song "Amazing Grace" was written by a contrite slaver. As a matter of fact, the whole concept of race categorization is being blurred by miscegenation now allowed here since 1967. Race mixing is on the rise World wide and soon the World Chess Federation will be alive with darker skinned chess masters whose parents are mixed. Once again, an anecdote for what it's worth. In the late 70's my wife and I worked with an ethnologist from Ohio State who had just published a book on the mixed blood people of Appalachia. He focused on a group called the Mulungeons who many believe to be triracial. Recent DNA tests revealed them to be predominately biracial but evidence exists that native peoples in the area also intermarried with Europeans as far back as the late 18th Century and formed small pockets of communities throughout the area. We visited with and collected info on a group Called the Carmelites, a mixed group near my grandmother's ancestral home. This is only one of several groups in the US. The point is that race mixing as some still call it is becoming a World wide phenomenon. I'll admit that the growth is slow but with legal hurdles out of the way and cultural acceptance it will become the norm. It seems that we as a species are coming together once again. With a blending of these groups (the US government has expanded it's classifications for census purposes) on the rise IMO the criteria for categorization of people will blur then disapear. That doesn't mean that the societal conditions leading to economic classifications will be altered, but it may have some positive effect. it's too early to tell. It's only been forty six years since laws prohibiting African-Americans and European-Americans to marry We're stricken down. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiracial Cap't Jack
Your statement re: "soon the World Chess Federation will be alive with darker skinned chess masters whose parents are mixed. " prompted me to look these up–
http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/11/brooklyn_teen_on_track_to_become_first_black_female_chess_master.html
These kids are all from New York. Could it be that something about their environmental development that lead to their excellence in this highly intellectual sport? Could regular $100 an hour lessons have helped them to achieve this? Surely not. Or perhaps they are just genetically pre-disposed to becoming chess masters. But wait, how could that be? They are black! They don’t even appear to be of particularly mixed heritage. How is it that their genetic make-up has allowed them to achieve this. George, help me reconcile this mystifying phenomenon.
I see no reason why an African American couldn’t become a chess master or a president.
I see no reason why an African American couldn’t become a chess master or a president.You stole my thunder George, I was going to mention President Obama as a superlative example of a mixed race success story. And as to chess, I will concede that the World's greatest chess master, Gary Kasparov, had Jewish ancestory. But how do we account for that fact? Is it cultural, Jewish people just play more chess and their parents encourage the game? There were many other grand masters who had no Jewish ancestory as well, e.g. Paul Morphy who contributed to the modern version of the game. Cap't Jack
No, it’s not cultural. Jews have very high average IQ. One of the theories is that they have been selected for higher intelligence during the Middle Ages. Jews were not allowed to farm and Chritians were prohibited from charging interest. Jews, then, could only work in the finances and only the children of those who had what it took cognetively could have made it. Look it up. There is a talk about it by Pinker on YouTube.
Jews doing well at chess goes much further than that. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jewish_chess_players I suspect George is right about this and think people only seriously doubt in cases in which they don't like the consequences. StephenI see no reason why an African American couldn’t become a chess master or a president.You stole my thunder George, I was going to mention President Obama as a superlative example of a mixed race success story. And as to chess, I will concede that the World's greatest chess master, Gary Kasparov, had Jewish ancestory.
Jews doing well at chess goes much further than that. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jewish_chess_players I suspect George is right about this and think people only seriously doubt in cases in which they don't like the consequences. Stephen They are also more likely to be from Russia. Figure that out if you can. Like violinists from Odessa. LoisI see no reason why an African American couldn’t become a chess master or a president.You stole my thunder George, I was going to mention President Obama as a superlative example of a mixed race success story. And as to chess, I will concede that the World's greatest chess master, Gary Kasparov, had Jewish ancestory.