Absolute BS!
Domestic cats are well known predators of rodents, birds and bats!
https://www.felineresearch.org/post/issue-brief-wildlife-impacts-of-outdoor-cats
https://www.birdspot.co.uk/garden-birds-and-cats/cats-and-the-decline-of-garden-birds
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/14/cats-kill-birds-wildlife-keep-indoors
I need the text highlighted please, I’ve no idea what anyone is talking about…
Living standards have improved for many, but at the expense of others through exploitation. Like you say, an age old story. We’re just incredibly lucky to catch a period in the history of mankind where the improvements have benefitted more than just the rich/elite.
Success in business (profit) requires exploitation, which requires few or very select morals to reach the very top. Those people you describe sound a perfect fit!
Dick Dasterdly approves of this style!
Not a big user of condiments so the only one I’ve come up with, and therefore technically a favourite - egg yolk and ketchup. I make it when I have a fried egg so, whatever cooked breakfast combo I’ve also made with it.
Are you conflicted about finding someone you rationality don’t find attracted to, attractive? Does it feel like you’d loose your life as you currently know it, should you end up in a relationship with them because they’re so different, resulting in you loosing those other people you refer to?
You sound like you understand the differences between both people well so that’s good. Our hormones are crazy things that throw all sorts of emtions at us! Maybe try to see this as an exercise in finding/securing what you want in life, what people etc. You clearly see this other person as not your type ultimately, but they still have that ‘thing’ that makes you a bit giddy! Enjoy it for its silliness, safe that you know you’re highly unlikely to actually choose them! :)
The comma, the horror! Couldn’t help but focus on that myself!
I spent two months or so travelling around the north and south islands and barely saw any sheep! Far more cows strangely. I didn’t feel like I had missed anything and wasn’t actively looking gor them, but it was surprising!
I certainly agree that a fact simply is, noting your lack of belief, however communication is only possible through description so I suspect some somantics here. My point was that within an arguement, opinions can be extrapolated from known facts to suggest unkown/unproven facts, if only so to the individuals involved. Essentially this is that basis of any argument - to exchange ideas/possibilities etc to reach the ultimate goal of determining what is a fact.
Though, as you say, many discussions and arguments, especially in a casual scenario, are taken as exercises in ‘winning’ rather than with the aforementioned aim. I agree this is frustrating and understand your stance.
Re respect. If you respect a person (your approach being much the same as my own), does that not preculde that you respect what they say?, at least in most instances, even if they are mistaken or incorrect? Though I think there may be two points here, one re emotional beliefs & one re fact-based beliefs. The latter being more what I’ve been refering to. Emotional beliefs are much closer to pure opinion than facts.
I don’t think in terms of respect about something like this as this leans towards some kind of snobbery or predudice. Either I agree or don’t. Regardless of any perceived level of knowledge or intelligence behind an argument, I’ll respond as a point of advancing shared knowledge rather than trying to ‘win’.
Unfortunately there are many subjects where all the facts aren’t known, therefore opinions must be discussed to advance the understanding and ultimately help to establish future facts. Also, one person’s believed facts may be a misunderstanding, for example, hence why discussions and arguments may happen.
As such, there is (nearly) always a point to it!
Alas, I’ll never be able to afford Airwolf!
I understand clearly that you think domestic cats are a natural part of the ecosystem, which they are not. Just because they were introduced a long time ago that doesn’t make them natural predators, and just becsuse their impact on native wildlife started a long time ago, that only makes it all the more damaging.
Yes we have wildcats, but like any animal, they have a natural niche. Domestic cats are simply everywhere and their populations are sustained by humans far far above any possible natural population numbers.
Therefore it is completely relevant to keep domestic cats indoors. I don’t know about the US approach you’re referring to, but I expect that domestic cats can have a similar impact there as anywhere.
There is simply nothing natural about domestic cats in natural ecosystems. I presented four peices of evidence and you still don’t see it!
The say the UK lacks predators, you clearly seem to have read one thing about it (I’m guessing about wolves, and therefore large predators, which have a completely different ecological niche to small cats, wild or domestic) and extrapolate that to equate this idea of yours!
You’ve simply got it wrong.