What's on your mind?

[Count Chocula]

3 hours ago, porkybork said:

It’s interesting how being cute is an actual survival strategy in some animal species. Like, I can’t imagine pandas and koalas still being around if humans didn’t think they were cute.

Didn't save dodos, so I'm dubious about your notion. Or were dodos too smelly to be cute, because they were birds?

[porkybork]

9 hours ago, Grey Cloud said:

A strategy presupposes the ability to plan for the future. How do you know that the Chinese and the Himalayas and the Australian aborigines think that the two pandas and the koala are cute. Typically, humans only hunt to extinction those animals which pose a threat.

I wasn't being all that serious with my initial comment, just something I was thinking about after watching something funny on YouTube. That said, "survival strategy" is a biological term typically used to describe an organisms' responses to its environment in order to survive and reproduce.

Spoiler

https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/pdf/10.5555/20043108382

 

https://www.scienceworld.ca/resource/survival-strategies/

 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33373690/

And I know that Chinese and Australians think that pandas and koalas are cute, respectively, because "pandas and koalas are cute, but they're really dumb" is a really common opinion, especially when people learn more about those animals.

 

8 hours ago, chocula said:

Didn't save dodos, so I'm dubious about your notion. Or were dodos too smelly to be cute, because they were birds?

Dodos, unfortunately, carried a bad mix of traits. They had no natural predators, weren't innately afraid of humans, and couldn't compete with the newly introduced animals (namely pigs and rats) brought over by Dutch sailors. Funnily enough, dodo meat was described as being really tough and gross, so they gained a reputation for being shitty animals.

[Grey Cloud]

3 hours ago, porkybork said:

watching something funny on YouTube. That said, "survival strategy" is a biological term typically used to describe an organisms' responses to its environment in order to survive and reproduce.

Well, if it was on YT . . .

'Mechanism' would be a better word. Of course the creature would have to be aware of the concept of 'cute'.

 

3 hours ago, porkybork said:

And I know that Chinese and Australians think that pandas and koalas are cute, respectively, because "pandas and koalas are cute, but they're really dumb" is a really common opinion, especially when people learn more about those animals.

Even if that nonsense is true now was it true a thousand years ago or ten thousand years ago?

Edited April 26, 2025 by Grey Cloud

[Count Chocula]

13 hours ago, porkybork said:

Dodos, unfortunately, carried a bad mix of traits. They had no natural predators, weren't innately afraid of humans, and couldn't compete with the newly introduced animals (namely pigs and rats) brought over by Dutch sailors. Funnily enough, dodo meat was described as being really tough and gross, so they gained a reputation for being shitty animals.

You're avoiding addressing their cuteness. Maybe you think they were not cute.

[porkybork]

6 hours ago, chocula said:

You're avoiding addressing their cuteness. Maybe you think they were not cute.

I mean, I don't lol. Dodos are like the shoebill stork to me in that they look like they ignored the asteroid that annihilated all the other dinosaurs. Seriously, look at these things.

 

Spoiler

Dodo

 

Shoebill

These are the most prehistoric looking birds I've ever seen. Doesn't mean I think they should go extinct though.

[Guest]

> This is true all over the globe

 

> And this is exactly what we are teaching our children.

Edited April 29, 2025 by Evaloves4

[Count Chocula]

On 4/26/2025 at 10:02 PM, porkybork said:

I mean, I don't lol. Dodos are like the shoebill stork to me in that they look like they ignored the asteroid that annihilated all the other dinosaurs. Seriously, look at these things

 

If you don't think they were cute, then what else is there to say? Other than to ask "Are adult koalas cute?"

[porkybork]

4 minutes ago, chocula said:

If you don't think they were cute, then what else is there to say? Other than to ask "Are adult koalas cute?"

Yes.

 

But not when they’re wet.

[Count Chocula]

3 minutes ago, porkybork said:

Yes.

But not when they’re wet.

 

I think the second image is not a koala, it's actually a drop bear.

[porkybork]

1 hour ago, chocula said:

I think the second image is not a koala, it's actually a drop bear.

The most realistic cryptid.

[Count Chocula]

3 hours ago, porkybork said:

The most realistic cryptid.

Sure, since it's basically just a ferocious koala. No wings or horns or poison-injecting fangs. Unless I'm wrong. We need an Aussie to step in to confirm or deny.

[DrunkenCow]

On 4/22/2025 at 11:19 AM, Raven 54 said:

I had to have one so my only choice was Ebay, Chinese seller, 300 dollars.

 

No you-pick junkyards open?   

[Darkpig]

That moment when you manage to annoy a god of chaos aka your DM in a Dungeons and Dragons session. Should I feel proud for managing to annoy a god of chaos or should I be ashamed for annoying my DM?

[RitualClarity]

34 minutes ago, Darkpig said:

That moment when you manage to annoy a god of chaos aka your DM in a Dungeons and Dragons session. Should I feel proud for managing to annoy a god of chaos or should I be ashamed for annoying my DM?

Annoying, a great DM is good if it is epic and extremely creative and exciting. If you are annoying your DM with poor choices and such then no.

[Grey Cloud]

Koalas 30-25 Ma

Homo 2.8-2.0 Ma

 

So were koalas cute even before Homo arrived or did they evolve cuteness in response to the arrival of Homo? And while we are here, when did Homo gain the concept of 'he number one cute fella. Me no eat'?

[Ijakor2]

 

 

[Darkpig]

3 hours ago, RitualClarity said:

Annoying, a great DM is good if it is epic and extremely creative and exciting. If you are annoying your DM with poor choices and such then no.

Ah. I knew that. Or did I?

 

Thank you

[RitualClarity]

3 hours ago, Darkpig said:

Ah. I knew that. Or did I?

 

Thank you

I'm sure you did.  

 

The problem is many people (not including you) think their ideas and such that derail the DM is AWESOME but in reality it is really annoying.

 

 

[Darkpig]

3 hours ago, RitualClarity said:

I'm sure you did.  

 

The problem is many people (not including you) think their ideas and such that derail the DM is AWESOME but in reality it is really annoying.

Hard to tell. My insight isn’t high enough to tell if they’re faking it.😉😉😉

[Darkpig]

I kinda wish all RPGs allowed you to pickpocket clothes off of people.

[DrunkenCow]

How is Electronic Arts still in business with a stock price just $50 less than Apple?  Are their live-service whales that loaded?

[Darkpig]

5 minutes ago, DrunkenCow said:

How is Electronic Arts still in business with a stock price just $50 less than Apple?  Are their live-service whales that loaded?

I’d imagine the big bad from the movie Robots saying their catchy line only replace the word upgrades with the word layoffs and you’ve got, “Layoffs, people, layoffs”.

[ExSimmer]

That Im just now reminded on how much sheogorath loves his fucking cheese thanks to @Darkpig

[RitualClarity]

21 hours ago, Darkpig said:

Hard to tell. My insight isn’t high enough to tell if they’re faking it.😉😉😉

🤣

Try rolling with advantage.

[DrunkenCow]

10 hours ago, Darkpig said:

I’d imagine the big bad from the movie Robots saying their catchy line only replace the word upgrades with the word layoffs and you’ve got, “Layoffs, people, layoffs”.

 

I think layoffs only work when you are producing something people want and aren't actively preventing people from using software they've bought a license to. 

 

Also that recent article written by the ambulance chaser about their "investigation" into possible securities fraud wouldn't have dropped their price $25 if they had anything but a house of cards.