Holy Sh*t here come the Nintendogs!

[Zhon]

This will appeal to those who also like the Sims - I didn't find any appeal in that game either, but who am I in the face of the tens of millions.

[iatneH]

Guess you were just joking around though... :roll:

Only half-joking. But that means I'm half serious, doesn't it?

I just get rather annoyed at dogs that bite my pants cuffs just for walking by, and crap all over the grass in parks. Because half of the dog crap on bike tires doesn't stay on the bike tires for more than a few revolutions, it ends up on my back and in my face. ****ING NASTYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!! Makes me want to he-bitch man slap the owners for not keeping noticing when their dogs are squatting in a certain way... and I also want to man whore bitch slap those damn dogs for not crapping in the obvious places, like next to poles and stuff...

[Specineff]

You know, I'd rather invest the money I'd spend on a DS and the game in getting a puppy out of a shelter and raising him/her to be a true friend and companion. Don't believe me? Give a dog something as despicable as a piece of already-chewed gum, and he'll kiss the ground you stand on. Sure. There's the cleaning, the housebreaking, the barking. Not too different from taking care of a baby. And the dog will always come and greet you when you return from work. (I'm a sucker for german shepherds)

*looks at his avatar and sig*

I think I should stay away from the humans VS nature debacle.

[sethsez]

I think I should stay away from the humans VS nature debacle.

I'm an animal lover. I've owned three dogs and eleven cats. I'm not even going to count fish.

I just think that people tend to downplay our good aspects a bit too often in this debate (we're really one of the only species capable of empathy toward other species).

[Specineff]

Agreed. Though I said it referring to my involvement with the furry fandom. You know all that crap regarding animals with human characteristics and stuff.

[iatneH]

Agreed. Though I said it referring to my involvement with the furry fandom. You know all that crap regarding animals with human characteristics and stuff.

I thought it was the other way around? Humans with animal characteristics?
So how furry does one need actually need to be, to be classed as furry?

Also, I have been harsh in my last posts, but I have mentioned some good things about dogs too, namely the usefulness of seeing-eye dogs. The ONE time that a dog was allowed in my house was one of a family friend, whose dog was in training to be a seeing-eye dog, and she was incredibly well-behaved.

But I also remember when two dog owners were walking opposite ways on a sidewalk, and when they crossed, one dog immediately tried to hump the other, and looked to be on the verge of becoming vicious when the owners had to forcefully separate them... (although it would have been something if the owners started humping each other on the spot)

[Turrican]

Ducks practice gang-rape rather routinely, cats like to kill things just to play with them, and the female praying mantis eats the male after (or during) mating. And an insane number of species make a habit of eating their own young (including dolphins, the cute little buggers).

Nature ain't some wonderful, glorious thing where all life exists together in perfect harmony. It's just easier to observe the good and bad sides of humanity because that's the society we exist in. We don't really get a regular, intimate, lifelong look at the structure of an ant colony.

[...]

I just think that people tend to downplay our good aspects a bit too often in this debate (we're really one of the only species capable of empathy toward other species).

Do you realize that humans are also the only dumbasses that "think", "judge" and see duck gang-rape as something "evil", right? Nature is wonderful in all those aspects you mentioned above.

[sven666]

I think I should stay away from the humans VS nature debacle.

I'm an animal lover. I've owned three dogs and eleven cats. I'm not even going to count fish.

hehe what did you do with them? make a fur?

[CMoon]

Only humans are the most dispicable animal species there is!

Ducks practice gang-rape rather routinely, cats like to kill things just to play with them, and the female praying mantis eats the male after (or during) mating. And an insane number of species make a habit of eating their own young (including dolphins, the cute little buggers).

Nature ain't some wonderful, glorious thing where all life exists together in perfect harmony. It's just easier to observe the good and bad sides of humanity because that's the society we exist in. We don't really get a regular, intimate, lifelong look at the structure of an ant colony.

Yeah, but as we learned in the movie Aliens, we don't see them fucking each other over for a dollar. Yeah, I mean an actual dollar. They really don't give a shit about little green pieces of paper.


Regarding Nintendogs, apparently you can trade puppies with other DS owners, but I don't think you can customize them...

Also, I want to know if you can throw the ball *at* the puppies, refuse to feed or clean up after them, etc...

[ST Dragon]

Interesting.
But what's the point on getting something which you can experience better with real puppies?

[Diabollokus]

I love it when animals make mistakes, like a cat trying to walk on water or a dolphin swimming through a pod of killer whales, probably some other animal nearby yelling Don't go there!


Didn't know dolphins ate their young, thought they were ment to be smart aswell as good tasting! hey maybe those dolphin parents have brought a way to replace the tuna industry

[Turrican]

Interesting.
But what's the point on getting something which you can experience better with real puppies?

I guess the point is the world is filled with hypocrites. They are all "Oh, Puppie!!! SOOO CUUTE!!" but they know well a real dog is a responsibility. You hace to teach him how to behave, how not to use your Radiant Silvergun copy as a freesbee, you have to take him out, feed him, take care of him when you're going to holidays and cannot leave him alone.

With a Nintendog, you can shut the damn thing off as soon as you're bored.

[SheSaidDutch]

I dont think my dog would fit onthe DS screen

[sethsez]

Do you realize that humans are also the only dumbasses that "think", "judge" and see duck gang-rape as something "evil", right? Nature is wonderful in all those aspects you mentioned above.

Yes, that was pretty much my point. Humans aren't any better or worse than any other species on the planet, we're just the only species that gives a shit about topics like this in the first place.

Yeah, but as we learned in the movie Aliens, we don't see them fucking each other over for a dollar. Yeah, I mean an actual dollar. They really don't give a shit about little green pieces of paper.

Many species of birds will do just this when it comes to getting material for building nests. Penguins even have a form of prostitution just so they can get pebbles to build their nests (and some of the more wily female penguins will get the payment first and then run off).

[Vexorg]

As long as we're going to start putting up dog pictures, here's ours (the one on the left, the other one is my sister's dog)

[SheSaidDutch]

As long as we're going to start putting up dog pictures, here's ours (the one on the left, the other one is my sister's dog)

Thats cute man.

I've never seen two dogs in a single basket like that before.

[Vexorg]

That picture is especially amazing if you consider the fact that most of the time when they're together 95% of the time all they do is chase each other around and make all sorts of noise. My guess that they had to be pretty zonked out for that to happen.

[SheSaidDutch]

That picture is especially amazing if you consider the fact that most of the time when they're together 95% of the time all they do is chase each other around and make all sorts of noise. My guess that they had to be pretty zonked out for that to happen.

Heh, What breed is the smaller one?

[CMoon]

Yeah, but as we learned in the movie Aliens, we don't see them fucking each other over for a dollar. Yeah, I mean an actual dollar. They really don't give a shit about little green pieces of paper.

Many species of birds will do just this when it comes to getting material for building nests. Penguins even have a form of prostitution just so they can get pebbles to build their nests (and some of the more wily female penguins will get the payment first and then run off).

You take me seriously. shame on you!

I think this entire argument is summed up by Rilke's 8th Duino elegy (if you must get serious), and there are two sizable camps of philosophy which either do or don't agree with Rilke (I agree). This on the other hand has nothing to do with animals not being red in tooth and claw. They obviously are, but unlike humans, this IS NOT A CHOICE.

But do we have to be serious? I'd rather play nintendogs!

[sethsez]

You take me seriously. shame on you!

I got a chance to mention penguin prostitutes. Why would I turn it down?

I think this entire argument is summed up by Rilke's 8th Duino elegy (if you must get serious), and there are two sizable camps of philosophy which either do or don't agree with Rilke (I agree). This on the other hand has nothing to do with animals not being red in tooth and claw. They obviously are, but unlike humans, this IS NOT A CHOICE.

Depends on how intelligent you really believe us to be, and how much of our lives you believe to really be controlled by instincts and more primal urges. This is, of course, a completely different subject.

[Vexorg]

That picture is especially amazing if you consider the fact that most of the time when they're together 95% of the time all they do is chase each other around and make all sorts of noise. My guess that they had to be pretty zonked out for that to happen.

Heh, What breed is the smaller one?

Both of them are beagles (albeit of different sizes, the younger one isn't quite fully grown yet either.) I don't think their personalities could be any more different though. Monza (the smaller of the two) matches very well the common traits of the breed (barks at just about anything that moves, obsessed with scents, always trying to get into things) while Alpine (the other one) is very quiet, and wants lots of attention.

[CMoon]

I got a chance to mention penguin prostitutes. Why would I turn it down?

True enough. I can't argue with your logic!

Depends on how intelligent you really believe us to be....

Hahaha! A whole 'nother can o' worms...

[SheSaidDutch]

Both of them are beagles (albeit of different sizes, the younger one isn't quite fully grown yet either.) I don't think their personalities could be any more different though. Monza (the smaller of the two) matches very well the common traits of the breed (barks at just about anything that moves, obsessed with scents, always trying to get into things) while Alpine (the other one) is very quiet, and wants lots of attention.

Do they see each other often?

I have a Golden Retriever (inthe image of course) and a Jack Russel and it's funny how the Jack Russel picked up some of the Golden Retrievers habits etc

[dave4shmups]

Guess you were just joking around though...

Only half-joking. But that means I'm half serious, doesn't it?

I just get rather annoyed at dogs that bite my pants cuffs just for walking by, and crap all over the grass in parks. Because half of the dog crap on bike tires doesn't stay on the bike tires for more than a few revolutions, it ends up on my back and in my face. ****ING NASTYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!! Makes me want to he-bitch man slap the owners for not keeping noticing when their dogs are squatting in a certain way... and I also want to man whore bitch slap those damn dogs for not crapping in the obvious places, like next to poles and stuff...

The fact that there are dogs that crap all over public space is the fault of their owners, who are too damn lazy and selfish not to clean up after their pets, not the dogs. Ask any vet, and he or she will tell you that the majority (please note that I just said "majority"; not "all") of dogs that are over-agressive are that way as the result of mistreatment by their owners.

And animals don't have a sense of morality people; they act on INSTINCT. It is hardly fair to make any comparision, therefore, between ducks that "gang rape" another duck and a bunch of guys that decide to gang rape a woman.

The duck "gang rape" probably does look disgusting, but it may be a necessary part of the duck's lifespan, and the female Praying Mantis who eats her male is probably not even concious of her own existence.

Back on topic; IMO nobody is "supposed to like" ANY video game system. Like which ever system you like, and ignore those who are too emotionally immature to respect your choice. Competition is good for any industry, but comparision is ruinous to any hobby.

[Vexorg]

Both of them are beagles (albeit of different sizes, the younger one isn't quite fully grown yet either.) I don't think their personalities could be any more different though. Monza (the smaller of the two) matches very well the common traits of the breed (barks at just about anything that moves, obsessed with scents, always trying to get into things) while Alpine (the other one) is very quiet, and wants lots of attention.

Do they see each other often?

I have a Golden Retriever (inthe image of course) and a Jack Russel and it's funny how the Jack Russel picked up some of the Golden Retrievers habits etc

They do see each other on a fairly regular basis. In fact, lately they've been going on walks together in the morning, and also spend quite a bit of time together besides that.

[Dartagnan1083]

Part of the ideology that goes behind animals being "better" is that virtually every other sentient life-form on the plannet maintains some semblance of balance wtih their environment.

They never hunt or gather resources around them to extinction. When resources get low, they migrate and let resources in their previous home regenerate themselves.

Human beings will try and get as much as they can from an area and not care if they hopelessly deplete it.
The Sahara desert is expanding thanks to the wandering nomads that cause soil errosion in whatever habitable areas they pass as they head south.

Then again, the animal kingdom is far more brutal and unforgiving (little/no moral sense).

[iatneH]

Non-migratory organisms actually _will_ use up resources past sustainability of the population. And then the population decreases, and continues to cycle through highs and lows.

The Canadian lynx & snow hare population cycle is one of the better known and is a common example in biology textbooks.

My personal take is that at least in developed countries, human population crashes are unacceptable. We can't just let all the homeless curl up and die and release nitrogen into the soil, can we?

[CMoon]

Part of the ideology that goes behind animals being "better" is that virtually every other sentient life-form on the plannet maintains some semblance of balance wtih their environment.

They never hunt or gather resources around them to extinction. When resources get low, they migrate and let resources in their previous home regenerate themselves.

Actually there still are human populations that are self sustaining, but colonialism did a pretty good job at destroying most of these.

And animals don't have a sense of morality people; they act on INSTINCT. It is hardly fair to make any comparision, therefore, between ducks that "gang rape" another duck and a bunch of guys that decide to gang rape a woman.

I don't disagree with what you're saying, only nitpicking: 1) Not everything animals do is instinct. 2) Not everything humans do is the product of rational thought (haha, I probably didn't need to tell you that.)

This whole thing with 'instinct' has led to some pretty ridiculous notions, like animals not being able to learn, think, etc; which is a load of bollocks. I've always felt animals were in general smarter than we give them credit for, while humans are often not as smart as we give them credit for.

[sethsez]

They never hunt or gather resources around them to extinction.

Ooooooh yes they do. Species had gone extinct a long, long time before humans came around, and even today we can see examples of certain species utterly wiping out the local population of animal X, throwing the entire ecosystem there on its ear. When animals do this, it's "the balance of nature." When humans do it, it's "raping the land." Sorry, but I don't buy it.

When resources get low, they migrate and let resources in their previous home regenerate themselves.

Or they die out because their food source is now gone to due overhunting, and they don't migrate. Or they just switch to a new food source. Not all animals migrate.

[CMoon]

Sethsez> This is all true. It is dangerous to be polemic in this regard. Look how Native Americans are treated in our modern PC age (take Dances With Wolves for example); in our NEW AGE OF MODERN GUILT, we too quickly angelicize those who got fucked over. There isn't an innocent group of human beings PERIOD, nor are there animals that aren't red in tooth and claw. That is pure fantasy.

To reduce the argument to one so black and white would be folly. Mice are a pest because they will quickly exceed carrying capacity if not kept in check. I think mice are hella cute, but that doesn't change the fact that they are there to convert plant energy into more readily accessible energy that can be readily consumed by a bunch of other animals (at the cute little mices expense of course).

Really, I find this one pretty simple. Biodiversity is one of the most important resources on this planet. Humans are just another animal, and I'd render the same judgment about any animal that was so costly to the rest of the earth. Seven million of them is just too much!