In other news, Reddit user shufflingmulligan is a moron. This might be the most useless method to attempt to navigate in the history of the world.

I prefer my arguments to be made in the form of data and to be much more pragmatic than anything a philosopher can typically offer. Also, I don't think I want to read anything by someone who refutes evolution by discussing the Malthusian catastrophe. Seems like the guy was a bit of a putz.

I second this. How did cheese wind up on the list? And if cheese can be on the list, how did we exclude bacon. For that matter, you can make a tomato sandwich. That might deserve a low ranking.

1. You don't need to pass along "your genes". Your genes are most likely the same as your siblings and your parents. You just need to insure the survival of that gene pool. This is why the selfish gene is such a departure from the traditional way of thinking about genetics.

I fail to see your argument. The addition of the serial(or Oxford) comma immediately implies that this is a list. The perceived ambiguity only arises if someone is lazily constructing bad sentences. If you are trying to inform me that Mandela is a demigod you should reword the sentence.

1) There would be a genetic advantage for the genes. The genes are shared with the family. If some members of the group were not breeding, but assisting in child-rearing and the success of the group...that would be justification enough. This isn't just speculation. Many animals that live in groups only promote…

I think the Romans themselves invalidated this argument. The Latin language flourished when they Roman world was connected. The Latin language fragmented when that communication became limited. In a highly connected world, we will always have a need for a pidgin language. English has recently served this purpose…

It isn't entirely irrelevant. The post may be trying to point out a misunderstanding of "selfish genes". We can accept a Dawkins-type model of evolution that still allows for occasionally negative side effects.

I don't fear any consequences. I think we live in a modern dictionary dictatorship. We have decided that languages are rigid and intractable things with strict rules and massive bound volumes of acceptable words. We ignore the fact that the dictionary and the strict rules of grammar are modern inventions. Look at…

My point was that you ignore it in spoken conversation. While certain dialects of English do pronounce the words differently, others are nearly indistinguishable. This doesn't seem to bother most listeners. This is why I made mention of the French language. In French, many pluralization of nouns is not pronounced.…

Homonyms-Two words are homonyms if they are pronounced or spelled the same way but have different meanings

We lose part of our culture? I don't think so. The dictionary dictator culture is a rather recent phenomenon. Read the American Constitution if you want to clearly view how grammar and spelling rules were fluid and dynamic in the past.

Let me think about this....

I am a technical writer. I insist on it. The oxford comma can never be read incorrectly and only serves to clarify a sentence. I say this while denouncing some of the other rigorous rules of language and grammar. I, for one, think that we should eventually start merging the spelling of certain homonyms.

Add it? It is the foundation of my existence!!!

Is TWAT an acronym? Why do you keep capitalizing it? Have a TWAT fetish? I like you fatPipe, strange capitalization aside.

Nope, never.

I believe you are having an argument with a person who agrees with you. I would also point out that statistically you are more likely to accidentally injure someone in a gun accident than shoot an assailant(or topple a dictator) as a gun owner. Given that hunting for your food is entirely a luxury pursuit at this…

However, my comment was on the 2nd amendment. The amendment was at least partially written to insure that state's maintained a modicum of independence. I was trying to express that while the potential for rebellion was at least part of the inspiration, it was probably more influenced by the concept of organized…

But even a flashing "SALE SALE SALE" would cut down the battery substantially. Think about it this way. Kindles are rated not in hours of use but in page turns. Every flash of "SALE" is cutting into the battery because it takes current to change the sign.