Real-Life Weirdness

[William]

In the process of reporting all of the above.

Mane straighteners. Mane straighteners? What are we, spamming for My Little Ponies now?

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by William

In the process of reporting all of the above.

Mane straighteners. Mane straighteners? What are we, spamming for My Little Ponies now?

To those of us balding, anything shoulder length or longer is a fabulous mane. :)
Or
Don't diss the Brony Army. They will love and forgive the sh*t out of you.

[William]

Researchers find that white coats actually give plusses to intellect.

If you wear a white coat that you believe belongs to a doctor, your ability to pay attention increases sharply. But if you wear the same white coat believing it belongs to a painter, you will show no such improvement. ... The effect occurs only if you actually wear the coat and know its symbolic meaning — that physicians tend to be careful, rigorous and good at paying attention.

[jacobmuller]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Has anyone posted about the relatively recent mule offspring?
The one from china is genetically 3/4 donkey 1/4 horse with some features of horse, donkey, and mule.

The one from the U.S. is weirder because the mule mother only passed on her horse half of d.n.a to her donkey sired offspring making it another mule.

Now you can have a "realistic" half-elf from half-elf and human parents.

Weirder: there are identical twins in UK except one is pink and the other isn't. They have the same frizzy mop of hair but one is blonde and the other brunette.
I would have totally disbelieved this but for the recent article on the impossibility of cloning brindle/ tortoiseshell cats: the color codes are randomly activated in the later stages of development; any cells you select to copy will be either black or white but never brindle. Seems there's something in humans too - identical except for skin pigment? Weird.

[Bruno]

More strictly, one is pink and the other is brown. They've got identical features other than pigment, so saying they belong to different races is muddling the issue
(which is already complex). Tabloid magazines and TV do this regularly with the odd set of fraternal twins with the same disparity in pigment (but otherwise very similar mixed-race features).

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Bruno

More strictly, one is pink and the other is brown. They've got identical features other than pigment, so saying they belong to different races is muddling the issue
(which is already complex). Tabloid magazines and TV do this regularly with the odd set of fraternal twins with the same disparity in pigment (but otherwise very similar mixed-race features).

In the U.S., if you have dark skin, you are black regardless of genetic heritage. If you have pink skin, then at best you can call yourself mixed.

In reality, race doesn't exist, or at least doesn't exist as something that can be determined by vision alone.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

In the U.S., if you have dark skin, you are black regardless of genetic heritage. If you have pink skin, then at best you can call yourself mixed.

That particularly uncomfortable political situation was what I was trying not to get into, in order to not turn Roleplaying in General into General Chat. But mainly my point is that America is not The Entire Planet, and it sometimes helps to get out and see how other people look at the situation.

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

In reality, race doesn't exist, or at least doesn't exist as something that can be determined by vision alone.

Race exists, as does class, creed, and funny-hat-club-membership. None of these groups are something directly relevant to biology, but belonging to groups and being able to stuff other people into groups without their consent is clearly pretty darn important to humans.

And I think that's about where this can stop.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Bruno

That particularly uncomfortable political situation was what I was trying not to get into, in order to not turn Roleplaying in General into General Chat. But mainly my point is that America is not The Entire Planet, and it sometimes helps to get out and see how other people look at the situation.
....

I know. I only mentioned it because, you are Canadian and might not know how odd it is here in that respect.
Stating a cultural fact shouldn't be taboo even here. But I'll leave it alone of course.

[Lord Carnifex]

And, leaving that at that...

A series of explosions rattle Eastern Wisconsin, with no readily discernable cause or after effects.

Mi-Go mining projects in progress? FBI and Wisconsin National Guard suppressing a demonic uprising?

[jacobmuller]

Originally Posted by Bruno

More strictly, one is pink and the other is brown. They've got identical features other than pigment, so saying they belong to different races is muddling the issue
(which is already complex). Tabloid magazines and TV do this regularly with the odd set of fraternal twins with the same disparity in pigment (but otherwise very similar mixed-race features).

I've read and re-read my post - I can't see the word "race" in it anywhere. Mind you, I am totally racist - Human Racist: one world, one race*, many minds.
But I've edited it where I think you're referring to.

*that we know of so far...