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[Dr. Casey]

I have nightmares involving spiders on a regular basis (say once every fortnight, teehee I'm British), check under the rug and every other nook and cranny to make sure there's no spiders around before taking a shower, wear gloves whenever I handle boxes because the idea of a spider touching my skin is more terrifying than it touching an article of clothing, use a small blanket for my bed to reduce the risk of the blanket hanging off the edge of the bed and having a spider crawl up, and whenever I'm outside I jog or jump through patches of tall grass to minimize my time in Spider Land/seek out any patches of bare ground to minimize the chances of spiders sneaking up. Is my fear severe enough to qualify as a phobia or am I just a normal guy who doesn't like spiders.

[GundamFan0083]

Originally Posted by kyp275

Lol yea, when I saw that I was like "wtf does that even mean?"

Also calling BS on him staying in for 43 years as an E8 - which reminds me, he should go back to bootcamp and learn how to properly spell his rank.

Actually, I'll just call BS on his entire military credential period.

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Well since it is my blog you can draw whatever conclusions you like about my political opinions.

Oh, well then, allow me to compliment you on it.

As for Gallup, I have come to trust them less and less, especially after their poor performance in the 2012 election. (I have some articles about that on my blog as well.) Gallup's sample for the November election skewed older and whiter than the actual electorate, and both of those are characteristics that correlate with gun ownership. Just today I was reading a piece by John Sides that uses the YouGov surveys which report an ownership figure of 35%, much closer to the 33% that the 2010 General Social Survey reports. YouGov's polling was much pretty much on target in the 2012 election. I've been thinking about writing a piece that compares different estimates of gun ownership rates. I would not be surprised to discover that Gallup is an outlier in the positive direction.

While it is certainly possible that Gallup is wrong, looking at the article you linked to and checking YouGov's website, I couldn't find the demographic information for the article.
Personally I have come to view most polling data as being to politicized to be trusted anymore.
It seems as of late that all polling sources are skewing their results towards a predetermined outcome through creative questioning.

Take the YouGov sampling from the article.
45,000 interviews sounds impressive, but even using a low figure of 33% of the population, that's still 103,300,000 individuals (or if you use only adults, 80-90,000,000). Thus an interview of 45,000 persons, 59% of which were not gun owners, to judge the views of gun owners is flawed from the onset.
How many of these people don't own a gun because they do not agree with gun ownership?
How many of these people are afraid of firearms?
How many of them view the Brady Campaign favorably?
How many of them favor repeal of the 2nd amendment?
These are questions I have that such a broad study should answer.
Because if you interview a group of Hoplophobes you're going to get the bulk of them to answer in favor of infringement on the 2nd amendment.

By that same token, if say Rasmussen were to interview 45,000 individuals that were Hoplophiles, you'd get results that favor repeal of every gun law on the books.

Gallup at least attempts to have evenly weighted samples in their polling process and thus does answer these questions, so I think I'll side with them as imperfect as they are.
They are more trust worthy IMHO, and I don't always agree with them.

I don't care how accurate YouGov is supposed to be with voting, that can be gauged easily by checking voter registrations and calling individuals to acquire a decent sample.
However, gun ownership is an entirely different subject matter due to the volitility of the issue.
Their own polling done on January 14th 2013 on this subject looks schizophrenic. The results are all over the place and contradict the article you posted.
So no, these polls should never be used to make policy, they are becoming worthless.

NORC conducts in-home interviews for the General Social Survey and draws its sample using multi-stage geographic methods that are the norm in academic survey research. I'd trust them over most telephone-based surveys any day. The GSS is seen as the "gold standard" for measurement of gun ownership rates by most serious researchers in the field.

David Hemmenway is part of that study and I've read his work.
He is funded by the Joyce Foundation which is tied directly to the Brady Campaign, and I dismiss anything with his name attached to it since I know he has an agenda.End of story.

I also think that respondents are more willing to tell the truth than you seem to believe.

Then you don't know gun owners and ought not to be speaking about them since the data you are showing me doesn't account for the fact that many of them will not take surveys nor divulge they own firearms.
Especially since Obama was elected.

Anyway, we're derailing this thread and should probably stop.

Tough questions follow Al Gore book tour

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/0...03.html?hp=l12

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by Dr. Casey

Is my fear severe enough to qualify as a phobia or am I just a normal guy who doesn't like spiders.

I am not qualified to give a certified explanation, but seems to me your fear is not normal yet it still does not seem like a phobia. Your description of your behavior seems to indicate that in your mind spiders are on the level of poop, but having a recurrent dreams about them seems to indicate spiders are a representation of something else that causes you constant anguish. A quick google tells me this, no need to reply, I am not trying to pry into your personal life, just giving an opinion.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Dr. Casey

I have nightmares involving spiders on a regular basis (say once every fortnight, teehee I'm British), check under the rug and every other nook and cranny to make sure there's no spiders around before taking a shower, wear gloves whenever I handle boxes because the idea of a spider touching my skin is more terrifying than it touching an article of clothing, use a small blanket for my bed to reduce the risk of the blanket hanging off the edge of the bed and having a spider crawl up, and whenever I'm outside I jog or jump through patches of tall grass to minimize my time in Spider Land/seek out any patches of bare ground to minimize the chances of spiders sneaking up. Is my fear severe enough to qualify as a phobia or am I just a normal guy who doesn't like spiders.

I think it is normal for a human being to have a irrational fear of some sort; I myself do actually have this phobia of seeing girls cry. Spiders? Nah, just meet the sole of my shoe.

[GundamFan0083]

Jobless Claims Go Higher; Income Surges, Spending Up


http://www.cnbc.com/id/100422956


Senators look to extend ban on Internet taxes


Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-va...#ixzz2Jd1EzelX

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by GundamFan0083

Jobless Claims Go Higher; Income Surges, Spending Up


http://www.cnbc.com/id/100422956

That point is.......disturbing.

[Sumeragi]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

I myself do actually have this phobia of seeing girls cry.

New way to torture you.

Myself? Misandry when there are romantic attempts.

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

don't be ridiculous, if it had been that thread, I'd have posted this.



BEST KOREA STRONG!

Wouldn't that just mean DPRK got invaded by McDonalds?

[kyp275]

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

Wouldn't that just mean DPRK got invaded by McDonalds?

Naw, the growth would've all been horizontal if that was the case

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

Wouldn't that just mean DPRK got invaded by McDonalds?

What is McDonald going to invade them with? Overseas business expansion?

Originally Posted by Sumeragi

New way to torture you.

Really? I have built up a certain level of resistance for that. You can't hit that soft spot anymore!

IMO, phobias are described as irrational fears, probably a natural psychological instinct to protect a person's "invisible soft spot". I don't think that there can be any explanation for someone who doesn't fear dying but fears being dishonored.

Myself? Misandry when there are romantic attempts.

Technical translation : Dislike of boys trying to make a move on her.
Interpretation : Hates boys being on trying to get on top her. Prefers to be the aggressor.

Okay that sounds.......dangerous.

[GundamFan0083]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

That point is.......disturbing.

I know...I was like WTF?

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

Wouldn't that just mean DPRK got invaded by McDonalds?

Oh gawd no!
I cannot imagine anybody eating McDonalds' nasty "meat."

In fact, most fast food "meat" is just nasty.
Warning this video does have a few "disturbing" images, so you have been warned.

Spoiler for Shows (briefly) how animals are processed at McDonalds slaughter houses:

Current TV did a great piece on McDonalds that was released January 27th 2013.

McDonalds Fast Food: Toxic Ingredients Include Putty & Cosmetic Petrochemicals


http://current.com/community/9403304...ochemicals.htm

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by GundamFan0083

I know...I was like WTF?

If this site can be believed,, the average debt per American is around $55k per person. And spending going up means it is going to drive up inflation and debt, so how is it going to be a good thing?

[kyp275]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

If this site can be believed,, the average debt per American is around $55k per person. And spending going up means it is going to drive up inflation and debt, so how is it going to be a good thing?

Well, a substantial part of the US economy is based on consumer spending, so you don't necessarily want it to decrease, especially when the economy is still weak. Of course, the question is will the increased spending and economic activity will translate into enough growths in the job market and wages to counter the negative effects.

Meanwhile in China...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-21289321

yikes... that's gotta be a LOT of fireworks in that truck to destroy so much highway...

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by kyp275

Well, a substantial part of the US economy is based on consumer spending, so you don't necessarily want it to decrease, especially when the economy is still weak. Of course, the question is will the increased spending and economic activity will translate into enough growths in the job market and wages to counter the negative effects.

If they are buying Made In America goods, it wouldn't be much of a problem. However most of American goods are rather expensive as compared to the imported ones from Chindia.

I don't think importing and then selling the stuff to your fellow countryman sounds like an opportunity for growth through domestic consumption, because to tie it to GDP means you have to make and consume it in the same country; or at least according to the rule of the money-creation process.

[Ithekro]

Technical translation : Dislike of boys trying to make a move on her.
Interpretation : Hates boys being on trying to get on top her. Prefers to be the aggressor.

But I like women on top. I can admire them more that way.

[ganbaru]

Colorful, Candid New Yorker Who Led City Through Crises
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/02/ny...york-dies.html

Edward I. Koch, the master showman of City Hall, who parlayed shrewd political instincts and plenty of chutzpah into three tumultuous terms as mayor of New York with all the tenacity, zest and combativeness that personified his city of golden dreams, died Friday morning at age 88

[MrTerrorist]

Argentina declines invitation to Falklands meeting
Argentina's foreign minister has turned down a Foreign Office invitation to meet members of the Falkland Islands government in London next week.

Whoa. The moment Britain brings the people of the Falklands into this issue, Argentina pretends they don't exist and they never live there in the first place.

This just proves President Fernandez is only using the Falklands to divert local issues with her fall of popularity with her fellow countrymen.

[Sumeragi]

Not really. Argentina's position has always been that the islands are illegally occupied, so the people on those islands are illegal occupants. Why would you meet with illegal occupants who demand staying?

[MrTerrorist]

Originally Posted by Sumeragi

Not really. Argentina's position has always been that the islands are illegally occupied, so the people on those islands are illegal occupants. Why would you meet with illegal occupants who demand staying?

Except those people are descendants of European and South America settlers who live there before it became a British colony. (Remember, the islands were uninhabited before the settlers came.)

And even if they were illegals (which they aren't since most of them have live there way before Argentina try to claim the islands), to not have them in the discussion is rather rude and undemocratic since their opinions about this issue are being ignored.

[Sumeragi]

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

Except those people are descendants of European and South America settlers who live there before it became a British colony. (Remember, the islands were uninhabited before the settlers came.)

Incorrect. All people on the islands are settlers AFTER the (final) British colony was formed.

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

And even if they were illegals (which they aren't since most of them have live there way before Argentina try to claim the islands), to not have them in the discussion is rather rude and undemocratic since their opinions about this issue are being ignored.

They are illegals, in the eyes of Argentina whose position is that the British occupation is illegal. In addition, because the British government is ultimately the highest authority on the islands, Argentina has the right to only deal with that highest authority. "Rudeness" and "democracy" has no place ultimately in international diplomacy.