Wow, Man Is Not Smartest. When You Look At Other Animals, That Would Seem To Be A Foregone Conclusion!

Researchers Claim Man Is Not The Smartest Animal On Earth

By Brian Anderson on December 11, 2013 Subscribe to Brian Anderson's Feed

• Tweet

Ads not by this Site

Researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia make the argument that humans are not at the top of the intellectual pyramid. In a new book called  The Human Dynamic they claim that man is not any smarter than animals, and in many cases dumber.

“For millennia, all kinds of authorities — from religion to eminent scholars — have been repeating the same idea ad nauseam, that humans are exceptional by virtue that they are the smartest in the animal kingdom. However, science tells us that animals can have cognitive faculties that are superior to human beings,” said the book’s co-author Dr. Arthur Saniotis.

What that science is remains to be seen. Clearly mankind has kicked nature’s ass in mastering our domain, but the researchers insist that human intellectual superiority is a man-made fallacy.

“The belief of human cognitive superiority became entrenched in human philosophy and sciences. Even Aristotle, probably the most influential of all thinkers, argued that humans were superior to other animals due to our exclusive ability to reason,” Saniotis said in the statement.

But, reason is only one component of intelligence. Continuing the thought, co-author Dr. Maciej Henneberg says, “The fact that [animals] may not understand us, while we do not understand them, does not mean our ‘intelligences’ are at different levels, they are just of different kinds.”

To bolster their preposterous position, the authors give the following examples of animal “intelligence”:

Some animals leave complex scent markings in their environment to communicate. Humans can’t interpret these markings, but they may be as rich in information as the visual world.

If being able to smell and interpret pee-pee is a sign of intelligence than everyone who rides the New York subway is a genius.

Killer whales share a complex language of their own, and dolphins have individual names based on whistle signals. This means that dolphins have a concept of ‘self’ and special others.

Ads not by this Site

Interestingly enough humans also have a complex language and often name each other.

Elephants grieve their dead and have excellent memories.

We may occasionally forget to do things on the “honey do” list but we generally have good memories. As for grieving, we have elephants beat by a mile. We even grieve minor celebrities that we’ve never met.

Beavers are able to dam rivers and build underground homes.

We built the Hoover Dam and the Catacombs. Chew on that, beavers.

Weaver birds produce intricate, multi-story nests.

I have no idea what a weaver bird is, but I doubt their nests compare to the Empire State Building.

I get the impression that these researchers want us to believe humans are a bunch of Elmer Fudd’s getting outsmarted by the “wascally wabbits” of the animal kingdom, but they don’t seem to be able to support the theory. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if this were a PETA-funded study trying to lay the groundwork for human rights being extended to all animals. There is already a lawsuit in the US to give these rights to a chimpanzee.

FWI: that’s how the whole Planet Of the Apes thing got started. And we won’t have Charlton Heston around to help us fight those “damn dirty apes.”

Humans have the power to reason and genuflect. We have creativity, imagination, introspection, and empathy. Anything resembling these traits in the animal kingdom is an in-born instinct and not a measure of intelligence. Australians willingly accept draconian gun laws and love Vegimite so maybe animals are smarter than they, but I have to give the nod to Americans. Even with low test scores and too many democrats in power, we’re still smarter than monkeys.

Gun Grabbers Just Don't Get It! The Gun Does Nothing Without The Nut Holding It!

LA Times Calls Kalashnikov “Merchant Of Death”

By Brian Anderson on December 24, 2013 Subscribe to Brian Anderson's Feed

In case you hadn’t heard, Mikhail Kalashnikov, the designer of the AK-47, passed away yesterday at the age of 94. Considering the gun control agenda of our media, the news coverage of his death wasn’t terribly disrespectful. At least that what I thought until I read Paul Whitefield’s editorial in the LA Times. Starting the piece with “The merchant of death is dead,” the writer goes on to blame the famed gun designer for virtually every combat death since WWII.

The article notes that Kalashnikov is a hero to his homeland of Russia, but claims he is a cancer on the rest of the world.

But for humanity, Kalashnikov and his gun have been a tragedy. The AK-47 has spread misery and death to every part of the globe. Remember: More than 36,000 Americans died in the Korean War; more than 58,000 died in the Vietnam War; more than 2,000 in Iraq and more than 4,000 in Afghanistan. How many fell victim to Kalashnikov’s gun?

Because if Kalashnikov hadn’t come up the AK-47, the Soviets wouldn’t have had an infantry rifle and would have simply folded the Red Army. This is one of those ridiculous gun grabber arguments that places all of the blame on the inanimate object. The politicians that started those conflicts should take none of the blame for the deaths: it was the gun’s fault.

And then the article goes for a guilt-by-association thing by pointing out all of the wicked people that favor the AK-47:

To the drug lords of South America, the gangbangers of America’s ghettos, the child soldiers of Africa, the Taliban of Afghanistan and countless others, his gun is the great equalizer.

Whitefield takes it one step further in making Kalashnikov seem worse than Hitler and Stalin combined. He compares him to Robert Openhiemer, the father of the atomic bomb. After witnessing the first explosion of his horrible creation, Openheimer reportedly said, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”

The LA Times scribe likens the two, writing, “In his own way, Kalashnikov also became ‘Death, the destroyer of worlds.’”

But it’s not enough to demonize the gun designer; the writer also feels the need to belittle anyone that uses his guns. He quotes C.J. Chivers who wrote a book about the AK-47. While pointing out how beautifully simple the Kalashnikov design was, the author says:

Together these traits meant that once this weapon was distributed, the small-statured, the mechanically disinclined, the dimwitted and the untrained might be able to wield, with little difficulty or instruction, a lightweight automatic rifle that could push out blistering fire for the lengths of two or three football fields

Whitefield seizes on this, saying, “The dimwitted and the untrained: Great, just the folks you want to have a gun capable of firing hundreds of rounds a minute, right?”

So, not only is Kalashnikov responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, he enabled stupid people to get in on the killing. What a complete crock.

This writer is absolutely giddy that Kalashnikov has died. He might as well be singing, “Ding dong the witch is dead.” His disrespect for a great firearms designer stems from ignorance of the true causes of gun violence. He, like all gun-grabbing libtards, can’t conceive of the idea that people are responsible for their own actions. It’s much easier to blame the gun.

Democratic Mantra--Forget ObamaCrapCare, Concentrate On Income Inequality. Will This Work For Them In 2014?

Democrats Sealing Their Own Doom In 2014

By Brian Anderson on December 20, 2013 Subscribe to Brian Anderson's Feed

The democrat’s mantra for 2014 is: forget ObamaCare; focus on income inequality. While it just makes sense to distance themselves from the disastrous Affordable Care Act, putting all of their eggs in the economy basket is political suicide. By campaigning on their record of job creation, the democrats are gifting both houses of Congress to the Republicans.

The problem for democrats is that they really have no idea how a successful economy works. They think that by expanding federal programs and taxing businesses they can close the income gap. Nothing illustrates this delusion more than Senate Majority Harry Reid’s comments during a Capitol Hill news conference on Thursday.

“There is no greater challenge this country has than income inequality, and we must do something about it,” said Reid as he vowed to pass a $25 billion extension of government benefits.

The “social safety net” or government handouts do not create prosperity; jobs and opportunities do. People caught in this net of reliance upon the government will never improve their station in life. There is no incentive to succeed and they are forever trapped in poverty.

Sen. Chuck Schumer is downright cocky as he predicts that income inequality will be such a powerful campaigning tool that it will nullify the negative aspects of ObamaCare. He said the GOP will get put on notice as he and the democrats roll out expanded government services.

“Issues like job creation, minimum wage, and unemployment insurance are going to weigh on the minds of voters far more than Obamacare by the time the 2014 elections roll around,” said Schumer.

Okay, let’s pretend that like that is true. We’ll create a fantasy world where the millions of people getting screwed by the ACA suddenly don’t care about it and are more interested in job creation. Now, let’s look at the democrats record for job creation. Oops, there is none. The only new jobs that have been created since Obama’s reign of terror started 5 years ago are government and fast food jobs. Burger flippers are not going to close the income gap.

“[Income inequality] is growing and the middle class is more frustrated with it. It’s huge. It’s huge. It affects many more people. Seventy-five percent of all people have insurance and they’re basically happy with it. When middle-class incomes decline, it affects the broad majority of Americans,” said Schumer.

It is agreed that declining middle-class incomes affect America, but Schumer seems to be forgetting that liberal policies are responsible for the destruction of the middle-class. Thinking that the people he’s f*cked over for years are suddenly going to vote for more of the same is pure insanity. Plus what’s with that “75%” comment. It seems like an admission that most Americans oppose ObamaCare.

If the democrats were serious about job creation they would be talking about less taxes, less regulations, and better trade agreements. You know, the business-friendly things that promote growth and prosperity. Instead, all they can come up with is bigger government and more handouts. What they are actually banking on for the 2014 elections are more government dependants. They’re hoping that enough people won’t bite the hand that feeds.

Cars May Be More Dangerous (The Kill More People) Than A Gun, However, In California It is Much Easier To Get A Drivers License Than Buying A Weapon. Nuts?

Home / Constitution / 2nd Amendment / California Weighs In On The Cars And Guns Comparison

California Weighs In On The Cars And Guns Comparison

By Brian Anderson on December 9, 2013 Subscribe to Brian Anderson's Feed

Ads not by this Site

Whenever the gun-grabbers want to convince us “heathens” that making it harder for law abiding citizens to own firearms is just commonsense, they go to the tired argument that you need a license and training to drive. They always seem to forget that driving is a privilege and gun ownership is a Constitutionally protected right. Recently I came upon something that sheds a little light on this apples and oranges comparison, but first a little background:

Back in September I was traveling down one of the many fabulous Los Angeles area highways when I was pulled over by the state highway patrol. Never mind the fact that I was in a semi-densely packed group of cars all doing the same speed, the cop wanted me and pulled me over. I have this conspiracy theory that the CHP targets people that are more likely to actually pay a ticket, but that’s for another article.

In any case, I was issued a speeding ticket. I thought about fighting it, but realistically my only chance to beat it would be if the officer failed to show up to court. The CHP is in the business of generating money so I figured it was unlikely he’d be a no-show. I opted instead to pay the ticket and I signed up for traffic school to avoid the points and the hit to my insurance. While completing my on-line safety course I came across this interesting piece of information:

Some people say that a car is just as dangerous as a loaded gun, but the truth is, a loaded gun can’t take out a sidewalk full of pedestrians with one shot, or knock a school bus over a cliff like a car can. An automobile is a dangerous weapon, and must be handled just as carefully and with as much respect as any hair-triggered, high-caliber weapon deserves.

Bear in mind that these materials are approved of and often prepared by the state. So we have the state of California flat out admitting that cars are more dangerous than guns. If you don’t see the hypocrisy in that, you don’t know the Golden State very well.

Ads not by this Site

In California it is quite easy to get a driver’s license. You can take the written test in 31 languages other than English. You can even get one if you’re an illegal alien and you don’t have to prove where you live or provide a social security number. The only real requirement is that you pay all of the taxes and fees. It’s all about making money here. There is no concern for traffic safety; otherwise they might make it a little harder to get on the road.

On the other hand, California has some of the toughest gun laws in the nation. So-called assault rifles are banned and we can only buy handguns that are on a list pre-approved by the state. Normal capacity magazines are banned, limiting them to 10 rounds. We have to pass a test and get a certificate (license) to purchase a handgun, and soon all firearms. We are severely limited in how we transport firearms and how we store them in our homes. Open carry is outlawed and concealed carry is not generally available to average folks.

If cars are even more dangerous than guns, why is it so much easier to a driver’s license than to exercise your 2nd Amendment rights in the state of California? Otherwise law-abiding Californians kill almost 10,000 people every year with their cars, while otherwise law-abiding Californian gun owners kill almost nobody annually. That is, if you don’t count the police who tend to open fire on people for completely non-life threatening reasons.

Short of actually respecting the Constitution, it would be nice if the state recognized that drunks and texters are a bigger threat to public safety than responsible gun owners.

For those of you that need closure: I’m out $315 for the speeding ticket plus $15 for the on-line traffic school. I did ace the final exam, going 25 for 25, which ain’t bad considering I was watchingPrison Break on NetFlix the entire 4 hours it took to complete the course.

If You Listen To Joe Biden, You Could Be Arrested. But Could He Be Held Responsible For Giving The Advice? We Think So!

Man Takes Joe Biden’s “Shotgun” Advice, Gets Arrested

By Brian Anderson on November 20, 2013 Subscribe to Brian Anderson's Feed

Last week I joked that the man accused of killing Renisha McBride should use the “Shotgun Joe” defense because from the pictures I saw, it looked like he fired his shotgun through his front door. If you remember, Vice President Joe Biden once said that we should protect our homes from intruders by shooting at them through our doors with shotguns. Of course, this is horrible advice, but it’s not the only bad suggestion the VP has offered for home defense. He also advocates firing warning shots in the air to scare off potential threats.

That’s exactly what Jeffrey Barton did last July when three prowlers were attempting to break into his car. He let loose a shotgun blast to scare the bad guys off and is now charged with illegal discharge of a firearm. Barton claims innocence and has said, “I did what Joe Biden told me to do.”

Barton is referring to an interview Biden gave last February amidst the gun control debate. While trying to say that so-called “assault rifles” were unnecessary for home defense, he offered this tidbit:

“If you want to protect yourself, get a double-barrel shotgun. … I said [to my wife] ‘Jill, if there’s ever a problem, just walk out on the balcony here, walk out, put that double-barrel shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house. I promise you whoever’s coming in is not going to…”

“I was protecting my family. I was within my 2nd Amendment right. I chose not to take a life that night. I fired my gun in the air,” said Barton.

The Washington State resident feels Biden owes him. In fact, during a pre-trial hearing, he was wearing a black t-shirt that read: Joe Biden Owes Me.

“While Vice President Biden was right about scaring off intruders, I’m out over $10,000 and counting for following his professional advice,” said Barton referring to his legal bills.

I’m no big city lawyer, but I’m guessing that taking the advice of a lunatic is not a strong legal defense. It’s funny, but I doubt the precedent exists to help him get a not guilty verdict. What would be interesting though is if Barton decides to sue Biden. The VP’s position as point man on Obama’s gun-control commission establishes him as an expert and authority. Giving poor advice could make him financially responsible for Barton’s loses.

Just in case you are not a gun person and don’t understand how laughably bad Biden’s shotgun advice actually is, let me hook you up:

Firing a gun through a closed front door is a horrible idea because you generally don’t want to shoot at something you can’t see. That’s how tragedies happen. One of the major rules of gun safety is: always know what your target is. Also, you will have a hard time proving self-defense when you are shooting at people outside of your home.

Shooting into the air is a big no-no as well, because what goes up must come down. Rounds fired into the air can and have come down to injure and kill innocent people. In addition, the act of firing a warning shot is an admission that your life is not in danger. If you genuinely fear for your safety, the shot should be directed at your attacker.

Joe Biden is a jack-ass and nearly everything that comes out of his mouth is ridiculous. Here we have an example of how his foot-in-mouth disease has actually had negative consequences. If Obama can apologize for lying about keeping your health insurance policy, surely the VP can say he’s sorry about this. And really, that’s all Jeffery Barton wants. When a reporter asked him what he thought Biden owed him, he simply replied “an apology.”