Breakable Crate » animals do the darndest things http://breakablecrate.com Sat, 12 Jun 2010 17:42:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Big Ideas – Going ‘flex’ http://breakablecrate.com/2010/05/18/big-ideas-going-flex/ http://breakablecrate.com/2010/05/18/big-ideas-going-flex/#comments Tue, 18 May 2010 16:06:42 +0000 cardinal fang http://breakablecrate.com/?p=827 Despite working closely with animal welfare researchers for many years, watching many 'food' documentaries, and even performing scientific experiments on poor, defenceless animals, I was never really persuaded to 'go' vegetarian. But, recently, I was listening to one of TVO's Big Ideas podcasts (Steeve Joordens' Best Lecture submission, below), and was gobsmacked. It was a lecture on what it takes to get people to change their beliefs. Essentially the 'lesson' was that it is really difficult to persuade people of a position that goes against their norms (cultural, societal, etc.), even when the argument is rational and logically sound. To drive home his point, Joordens made the case that there are very few reasons to eat meat (1. it tastes good), but many good reasons to not eat meat. And, you know, he is right. Yet, for some reason, I've been immune to that argument for a long time. For no good reason.

So, here's the outcome. I'm going to start to eat 'flexitarian'. Yes, I appreciate that it is a problematic position, and true 'veggies' hate the term. However, I'm not prepared to go 'cold turkey' as it were, just yet. I'm going to start by eating vegetarian at home, reserving any meat eating for restaurants and other people's houses. We'll see how that goes, then re-evaluate.

Steve Joordens on Critical Thinking

Here's a concise take: becoming a 'weekday vegetarian'

]]> http://breakablecrate.com/2010/05/18/big-ideas-going-flex/feed/ 0 BigDog = creepy goat/deer robot http://breakablecrate.com/2008/03/18/bigdog-creepy-goatdeer-robot/ http://breakablecrate.com/2008/03/18/bigdog-creepy-goatdeer-robot/#comments Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:28:44 +0000 cardinal fang http://breakablecrate.com/2008/03/18/bigdog-creepy-goatdeer-robot/

Click here to view the embedded video.

IEEE Automaton via Gizmodo 

Seriously, this robot steps clearly from the realm of amusing and awkward to amazingly adept and creepy. Watch as it is kicked and regains the ability to stand upright! Watch as it slips on patch of ice, and manages to find its footing! Watch as it hops about and clears an obstacle in a single bound! Watch as its back-mounted guns cut down a throng of protesters!

(Ok, so that last one didn't happen. yet.)

]]> http://breakablecrate.com/2008/03/18/bigdog-creepy-goatdeer-robot/feed/ 4 angry cat wants a cloudbook http://breakablecrate.com/2008/02/18/angry-cat-wants-a-cloudbook/ http://breakablecrate.com/2008/02/18/angry-cat-wants-a-cloudbook/#comments Tue, 19 Feb 2008 03:41:37 +0000 cardinal fang http://breakablecrate.com/?p=233 cloudbook

Yes. I made this.

[Update: The verdicts are coming in now, and the cloudbook is perhaps not all it was cracked up to be. The main flaws appear to be a strange trackpad-mousebutton layout, and slow load times and poorly thought out/installed software. This kind of ultra-portable internet-toaster still has merit, though, and I think can be done right. I guess I can wait for the 2.0 version.]

]]> http://breakablecrate.com/2008/02/18/angry-cat-wants-a-cloudbook/feed/ 2 My Daemon http://breakablecrate.com/2007/08/15/my-daemon/ http://breakablecrate.com/2007/08/15/my-daemon/#comments Thu, 16 Aug 2007 01:00:10 +0000 cardinal fang http://breakablecrate.com/?p=173 In The Golden Compass, every human has an animal daemon, which is something like the embodiment of the soul, physically. Below, is my daemon, Sophistra. (Formerly a chimp.) You, my friends, can have a hand in deciding if my daemon matches my personality, for the next 11 days, before it becomes permanent.


From www.goldencompassmovie.com via outsidecat.com

]]> http://breakablecrate.com/2007/08/15/my-daemon/feed/ 0 cute! :) :) !!:)1! http://breakablecrate.com/2007/08/15/cute-1/ http://breakablecrate.com/2007/08/15/cute-1/#comments Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:37:19 +0000 cardinal fang http://breakablecrate.com/?p=172 cute!

Cute! Overload!

]]> http://breakablecrate.com/2007/08/15/cute-1/feed/ 0 “Animal Behaviourists agree…” http://breakablecrate.com/2007/06/16/animal-behaviourists-agree/ http://breakablecrate.com/2007/06/16/animal-behaviourists-agree/#comments Sat, 16 Jun 2007 21:00:23 +0000 cardinal fang http://breakablecrate.com/?p=144 This one's for you, Sarah.

The Onion

Vacationing Woman Thinks Cats Miss Her

VERO BEACH, FL-Annette Davrian, a 45-year-old Cedar Rapids, IA, bank teller, is spending her vacation time in a delusional haze this week, somehow managing to convince herself that her cats actually miss her.

]]> http://breakablecrate.com/2007/06/16/animal-behaviourists-agree/feed/ 4 I’m in ur blog, stealin ur posts http://breakablecrate.com/2007/04/24/im-in-ur-blog-stealin-ur-posts/ http://breakablecrate.com/2007/04/24/im-in-ur-blog-stealin-ur-posts/#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2007 13:55:16 +0000 cardinal fang http://breakablecrate.com/?p=85 I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself.

bigger_mat_please.jpg

]]> http://breakablecrate.com/2007/04/24/im-in-ur-blog-stealin-ur-posts/feed/ 2 The cat ate my homework http://breakablecrate.com/2007/04/10/the-cat-ate-my-homework/ http://breakablecrate.com/2007/04/10/the-cat-ate-my-homework/#comments Tue, 10 Apr 2007 23:25:55 +0000 cardinal fang http://breakablecrate.com/?p=66 I can't embed the video, so you'll have to go watch it yourself

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