Measles Outbreak.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

That impetus comes from societal and religious pressure.

It also depends on geographic location. The only people I've known who have been like that were all transplants from the Midwest. New Englanders don't seek out reproduction.

[Disco Pickle]

That impetus comes from societal and religious pressure.

It also depends on geographic location. The only people I've known who have been like that were all transplants from the Midwest. New Englanders don't seek out reproduction.

Are you sure about that?

http://www-958.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/manyeyes/visualizations/us-birth-rate-by-state-map

http://www.mapofusa.net/us-population-density-map.htm

[Don Coyote]

@dp
first a clarification. the "they" refers to animals.
second, in your example of people you know wanting to make babies, it is not a biological imperitive, buta conscious choice on their part.

like twid said, there are cultural and religious factors.  

[Nephew Twiddleton]

That impetus comes from societal and religious pressure.

It also depends on geographic location. The only people I've known who have been like that were all transplants from the Midwest. New Englanders don't seek out reproduction.

Are you sure about that?

http://www-958.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/manyeyes/visualizations/us-birth-rate-by-state-map

http://www.mapofusa.net/us-population-density-map.htm

Well, naturally we have to reproduce at some point, and the Northeast contains a quarter of the US population. But we don't have the mindset that we have to have children. And we certainly don't feel like we have to have them anytime in our 20s. Sure, I know 20 something parents, but usually that's because they feel as if they've hit the apex of their careers.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

ETA: Families in the Northeast these days also tend to be smaller than they were than in my mother's generation. Why? Because we laugh at the Pope when he tells us not to use condoms these days.

Also adding: Population density does not equal birth rate.

[The Rev]

I appreciate hearing different viewpoints, but I will mock them if they're totally stupid. I find the "Why, when I was a kid we had polio, rocky mountain spotted fever, and spinal meningitis all rolled into one... half of us survived, I don't see what the big deal is" rhetoric painfully similar to the hipster malaise of refusing to be shocked or disturbed by anything. Being jaded and desensitized to suffering isn't a virtue.

I agree to that last...I'm not sure Hawk meant to imply that, but he can speak for himself.

I think my own husband has some issues in that aspect, that he has a litmus for "true suffering" that really makes me cringe.  Because like I said in another thread--how can we categorize anyone else's suffering other than our own?  It's a sketchy business at best.

I don't have to explain a fucking thing to that aggressive bitch, or any other motherfucker that wants to read things that I didn't say into my fucking words.

fwiw, I didn't read anything into your posts.

I appreciate that.

[Kai]

You are still only addressing symptoms of a greater problem and not the solution.

I'm addressing the problem that /bad science is going on, and people believe it/. Okay? You can have your misanthropy, but that isn't relevant to MY interest. My interest is that one of the greatest achievements of humans is being derided because people are being intentionally mislead by bad science and fabricated data. I'm pissed off about it in the same way that moon hoaxers drive me nuts. This is about science.

[Jenne]

I appreciate hearing different viewpoints, but I will mock them if they're totally stupid. I find the "Why, when I was a kid we had polio, rocky mountain spotted fever, and spinal meningitis all rolled into one... half of us survived, I don't see what the big deal is" rhetoric painfully similar to the hipster malaise of refusing to be shocked or disturbed by anything. Being jaded and desensitized to suffering isn't a virtue.

I agree to that last...I'm not sure Hawk meant to imply that, but he can speak for himself.

I think my own husband has some issues in that aspect, that he has a litmus for "true suffering" that really makes me cringe.  Because like I said in another thread--how can we categorize anyone else's suffering other than our own?  It's a sketchy business at best.

I don't have to explain a fucking thing to that aggressive bitch, or any other motherfucker that wants to read things that I didn't say into my fucking words.

Totally agree, man.    Just didn't want to mischaracterize your words myself, is all. 

[Jenne]

I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of the chickenpox vaccine, though. It seems less effective than contracting the disease and you have to get regular boosters. Granted, I had an epic case of the pox when I was 5, and when the nurse last year saw my titer test, she was like...damn, you had the disease, huh?

I know that it's not so much as as the chickenpox that's scary, but the side effects. Obviously you'll be susceptible to getting shingles when you're older since, because varicella is a form of herp-a-derp, it never leaves your body, but contracting true chickenpox as an adult is fucking scary once the shots wear off. I wasn't thrilled with having to get that fucking DTaP and the Hep B series, myself, but I still did it. I'd much rather get chickenpox again than Hep B. 

I had chickenpox and shingles. Granny taped socks on my hands so I wouldn't scratch with chickenpox because that's what scars so bad. Shingles came when I was 30 or so and I wouldn't wish that shit on anybody, it was the worst pain I have ever experienced.

I've heard it's horrible.  And you can have outbreaks at any time, like Herpes...though I'm sure they've come out with an immunosuppressant that suppresses the outbreaks like they have for Herpes as well.

[Jenne]

Well, those that want the population to diminish, they should applaud this, as one of the side effects of these diseases is sterlization...

Again, I think the blase attitude would change if someone passed around pictures like how they did in Health class back in the old says--you see a series of syphillitic, pustulant dicks and vages, and you REALLY start to think you don't mind the jimmy-hat so much.

I was under the impression that sentiment runs very high on the board. 

Which has always confused me a little, considering a few other ideas that are popular here. 

But then, I'm frequently wrong and or misinterpret these sorts of things.

Yeah, it was a tongue-in-cheek response on my part, to be sure.

[Suu]

ETA: Families in the Northeast these days also tend to be smaller than they were than in my mother's generation. Why? Because we laugh at the Pope when he tells us not to use condoms these days.

Also adding: Population density does not equal birth rate.

I want to say that this is pretty true. If I compare the family demographics of my friends here in the Northeast versus my friend in Florida, there's a vast difference. I wouldn't call my friends in Florida uneducated, either, they just decided that they wanted children whereas my friends up here did not (though I disagree with a lot of their circumstances). Cost has a lot to do with it too. The standard of living up here feels like it's twice what it is down there. When my single friends down there decided it's okay to bring the product of a one-night-stand into the world, it doesn't require them to sell their car to buy groceries. It's also a LOT harder to get assistance up here because of the competitive population.

The Greater Tampa Bay area is bigger and more populated than the entire state of Rhode Island, but when compared to overall density in the state, Rhode Island wins (almost 2 million people in 60 square miles...). Getting unemployment and any sort of temporary benefit up here is like pulling teeth, and I can't describe what my boss is going through to get WIC just to make ends meet with her family. It makes it not worth the hassle, IMO. Wait until you can afford to support yourself comfortably before attempting to have a kid. I'm so glad that Herbert and I decided to not go through with it, aside from the divorce, it would have royally fucked us financially.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Is there an official name for the fallacy of "criticism of A is invalid, because B is so much worse"?

This is the most hurtful post you have ever made towards me.

Charlie, I literally had to read your post 3 times before I could clearly say to myself "He's not using the Dawkins argument. He's saying that some problems stem from systemic issues which aren't readily apparent if looking at acute issues." Course, it did help that I hallucinated Kai's avatar whispering 'Emergence' into my ear at the time.


I'd seriously chalk it up to misunderstanding and lack of clarification on both sides...

Yeah, but saying "That's not what I meant, let me explain" is a lot simpler and more effective than ""BLEAGGHAHGAHSFHGFJAGJFAJ YOU BITCH FUCK YOU", so it's not really an option for him.

[Jenne]

I'm going to test a theory:



compared to
Map of adults 25years+ who completed h.s. 2005-2009 data sample (from here) (edited this portion to be more accurate.)

[Don Coyote]

I'm going to test a theory:



compared to
Map of adults 25years+ who completed h.s. (from here) (edited this portion to be more accurate.

i wonder how that compares to population density as well.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Population density isn't directly relevant unless your theory is that density affects births per capita.