The Black Hole is probably my favorite Disney movie - It's like a version of Event Horizon that I can watch with my kid. Also, I think the droids are supposed to be obsolete and basically worthless, otherwise the bot Maximilian wouldn't seem like such a menacing, insurmountable opponent.

It's true that crustaceans and other invertebrates are neurologically wired differently than we are, but that is not a solid basis for maintaining the argument that they do not feel pain. After all, their eyes have evolved differently than ours and are anatomically distinct, yet achieve the same function. This same argument was once used to justify the vivisection of live dogs to study their circulatory system while it was still functioning. The argument originates with voltaire and I believe is primarily employed to excuse our conscious when we conduct beastly studies or otherwise harm animals. Pain and emotions are strongly tied to the limbic system, which is one of the most basal portions of the brain and is certainly present in all tetrapods. Instances of maternal care, fear, jealousy, anger, and other behaviors that seem to have a 'pseudo-emotional' origin can be found in invertebrates across many different taxa Whether limbic analogs exist in these taxa is purely speculation. To be dead set in a stance one way or the other remains bad science until further research has been conducted. I myself am an eager carnivore and I have participated in the death of a number of creatures (both vertebrate and invertebrate) for reasons of scientific inquiry. However, I don't feel the need to delude myself with the belief that my food/subject did not suffer. I feel this gives me a greater respect for the creatures that die to support my diet/research. The stance that these animals do not suffer is anthropocentric - we humans/mammals are separate and superior due to our emotions. The argument seems to insist that emotions magically appeared in our species. I feel, however, that something as complex as emotion must surely have evolved in the same manner as any other complex system.

The nigerian police should really consider proposing a grant to outfit the force with spirit sticks and dew collected by the light of the full moon. It would aid in the capture of these mystic-carjackers.

I've worked on and off for various state & county parks for years and I can tell you that most are constantly dealing with idiotic legal battles. One park I worked at was (unsuccessfully) sued because someone took 12+ grade-school aged kids camping (1 chaperon for over a dozen young kids in the wilderness)and lost one when he allowed them to go swimming in a rapid creek during a rainstorm. Many parks have catch-all warnings posted like 'beware of natural hazards' to head off these sorts of law-suits.

I think of vegetarianism as a form of zoocentricism. Animals are more similar to us than to plants, therefore we can empathize with them more readily. Just because your guru told you that you may be reborn as a cow, don't assume you won't be reborn as cauliflower. Sure, science suggests that plants don't have emotions, but guess what, science suggests that animals don't have emotions either (albeit this position is changing). We have evolved to eat meat. If you doubt this, try to get a sufficient compliment of B-12 (necessary to produce hemoglobin)from beans and pasta. If people weren't so against genetic engineering, we could be growing meat that could be eaten without slaughter, without suffering. Also, I would like to point out that maintaining fields for agriculture kills a lot of animals, and destroys the ecological system that was in place prior to cultivation.

So, after decapitation it creates an overhead effect making you appear to be squatting on your cat's neck? It's too bad I already bought my wife a x-mas present.

So, do you nessecarily become a zombie if you eat a zombie's brain? The previous post regarding frightening physicians has icepick lobotomy on my mind, which tends to make me hungry.

Interesting article, though I think it is too apt to dismiss climate change as a factor. The (albeit poor) climatological records we have of this age show shifts in weather patterns that correspond to Viking activity. The hypothesis suggests that colder weather would drive cod populations into more southerly waters. Cod was a staple in the diet of vikings as well as European militias as it could be stored for over a year without spoilage if dried properly. Pursuing cod that migrated away from iceland and scandinavia, the vikings would come into contact with other Europeans. Pursuing cod south from Greenland would lead to the discovery of America. Though a shortage of lovin' would certainly be motivation enough for viking exploits, it need not be considered the only factor.