Random Off-Topic

It's also a slippery slope way of thinking that I doubt you've brought to its conclusion Shakie. The concept you introduced is: that any resource used selfishly in lieu of sharing with someone in need is wrong. However, unless you've personally given to those in need (I have and have been on the receiving end as well) you're already on shaky ground. And even assuming you're charitable think of this:
Every bite of food you didn't finish OR did finish after you were full is just as selfish. The money that paid for the internet to post that comment could have been donated to feed someone. Same goes for the device you used to type it. You don't need the internet etc but they need food. The electricity you used to read this (and all electricity you use is a luxury) could be used to run hospitals or plants to make food/medicine. The simple fact that a person is here is strong evidence that they have more than they need while others go without basics. We're all in the lap of luxury from someone's perspective and the pumpkins used for decoration for Halloween and the candy that kids collect is, in my estimation, one of the least egregious misuses of resources in the modern world

And the 100 million pumpkis would be less than one meal per person in africa. Africa needs infrastructure and industry, not food handouts. The food may save a few lives, proper government and revenue generation/distribution (ie business and jobs) would save millions.

(slippery slope is not a valid argument, nor the argument he used, for the record. Not that its valid outside a hypothetical communist utopia, because its not, but that's not my point.)

Forum Pirate wrote:Africa needs infrastructure and industry, not food handouts.

Gotta agree with this. It's the reason I don't really like charities. No point in giving them food or farming gear if it won't change anything in the long run.

reim0027 wrote:

Shakie666 wrote:You know what I hate most about halloween? The fact that hundreds of millions of pumpkins are wasted every year when they could've instead fed starving children in Africa.

The self-entitled fat kids that come round to beg for more crap that does nothing other than make them even fatter are almost as bad.

I find those statements ignorant, offensive, and categorically false.

100 million pumpkins that could have been fed to starving children in Africa?  Who is going to take 100 million pumpkins to Africa?  If there wasn't the demand, they wouldn't have been grown.

Self-entitled fat kids begging for crap?  What a load of bollocks.  Not only that, but you do realize that our members here have children who go trick-or-treating.  

Well, if I offended anyone/everyone, i'm sorry. That was not my intention. However, it is my view that halloween is a holiday we could really do without.

I concede that no-one is going to take millions of pumpkins to Africa. However, the land used to grow said pumpkins could be better used for other things; for example, growing staple crops such as wheat. Given that droughts are becoming more common with global warming, it seems like a waste of perfectly good farmland when we need it most. Second, with child obesity on the rise I think they could really do without a few bagfuls of candy. Admittedly, it only happens once a year, but I wouldn't be surprised if this led to increased sugar consumption during other times of the year as well. There is credible evidence to suggest that sugar is addictive, especially to youngsters whose bodies are still developing.

Again, I apologize if I offended anyone with my rant (I was on a bad mood when I wrote it). This is just my opinion, you're free to disagree with it. I just hope that you understand where i'm coming from in not liking halloween.

you know pumpkin is incredibly good for you and can be used in a remarkable number of ways? you know that americas primary export is wheat, meaning we produce far, far more than we need and sell a great deal of it to other countries? you know that 40% of america is farmland? we grow far and away more food than necessary to feed our country for many years excluding the possibility of famine. you know that a lack of exercise is just as much or more of a factor in childhood obesity? you know that quite litterally everything is psychologicaly and/or physicallyaddictive?

the reasons you provide are all provably false or smaller pecies of a much larger issue or can be applied to any substance.

you are free to dislike holloween. i would ask that before you go on self rightious tirades however, you gather facts and make sure the basis for your dislke is well founded, so as to avoid offending people and so i don't have to do this again.

Forum Pirate wrote:you know pumpkin is incredibly good for you and can be used in a remarkable number of ways? you know that americas primary export is wheat, meaning we produce far, far more than we need and sell a great deal of it to other countries? you know that 40% of america is farmland? we grow far and away more food than necessary to feed our country for many years excluding the possibility of famine. you know that a lack of exercise is just as much or more of a factor in childhood obesity? you know that quite litterally everything is psychologicaly and/or physicallyaddictive?

the reasons you provide are all provably false or smaller pecies of a much larger issue or can be applied to any substance.

you are free to dislike holloween. i would ask that before you go on self rightious tirades however, you gather facts and make sure the basis for your dislke is well founded, so as to avoid offending people and so i don't have to do this again.

I wasn't trying to be self-righteous. My intent in the original post was to comment on the wastefulness of carving pumpkins, but I let it get out of hand. I've said i'm sorry. Can we move the topic on please?

Also Pirate: what's the difference between physical & psychological addiction? I thought things were addictive when they altered your brain chemistry to make you crave them even more.

the craving is psychological addiction. it's caused by a substance or activity being associated with specific desirable emotions or experiences. it may or may not be paired with physical addiction. people who drink because it makes them happy (while they're not) have a psychological addiction.

physically addiction is to substances, like nicotine. the body (nervous system)  gets used to running with them in its system, and has to make an unpleasant adjustment back to normal. people who drink because not drinking gives them headaches have a physical addiction.

the first type is arguably more dangerous. a physical addiction fades so long as it isn't aggravated. a psychological addiction can and will flare up at most any opportunity, and a surprising number of people are incredibly weak willed and so resume destructive habits when it does.

I, and I think I may be wrong here, is that what you're describing, the "brain chemistry" is the physical addiction, while the psychological addiction isn't exactly that, but you're making yourself dependant?

Videogames is a psychological addiction, I think, while for example an addiction to LSD is physical. You can grow psychologically addicted to anything, I suppose.

I may be completely wrong, I apologize for that if that is the case, though I hopefully answered the question

Edit: Oh dear, seems I was too slow, but I'mma let this stay

an easy example is gambling. gambling addiction is very real and purely psychological.

meth on the other hand is physically addictive. doing it can mean experiencing withdrawals and needing more to stop them, even if said person actually hated the experience.

Help solve a house debate for me. Storing leftover food in a cardboard container in the oven long-term. Smart thing to do or stupid thing to do, and why?

If you want to food poison someone, it's a great idea. Otherwise not such a good idea.

By long term I assume you mean at least a day or two:

VERY stupid thing to do in my opinion.  First off it's not being refrigerated so unless it's honey or some other food with inherent antimicrobial properties that's an issue.  Since it's "leftover" it implies that it's not a sealed container and there's the possibility of existing contamination via biting the food, utensil use or even just putting it on the counter before. Those aren't issues in and of themselves as almost all leftover food is contaminated in some way but the lack of refrigeration is exacerbated by it being leftover.  

Now assuming it's leftover honey, which has a shelf life of near forever, without refrigeration it's still a bad idea.  The first thing I do when baking food is a step known as "turn on the oven."  Which means that the person who placed it in there is now getting baked food whether they like it or not.  Of course assuming that the cardboard doesn't become an issue (like a fire)

It's pizza, in its original box.

Those are both great points. Leaving out the fact that it's storing something flammable in an appliance whose sole purpose is simulating fire.

On top of the fact that ovens don't seal when you close them. The bottoms have several openings, as do the backs, meaning leftover food is going to attract insects, or even better, rodents.

His solution was to leave a note on the fridge that says "Check the oven before use," because the last time he did this our other roommate walked in and set the oven to preheat, like any normal individual would that's making food, and then left the room. But evidently it lacks logic to not check the oven for flammable materials before turning it on. The whole leaving flammable stuff in there in the first place is apparently totally logical.

His answer, verbatim, when I confronted him about the last time, when our oven was set on fire was "I thought other people would use common sense and check the oven before they used it." I'm not making that up.

You'll have mould within a day or two on the dough, don't even get me started on the meat and cheese. My advice buy some soft toilet roll and book the jacks for a day or 2.

IF I keep leftovers, I put them is a platic box and put them in the fridge

I always make too much food if at all possible so I can freeze it or fridge it and have an easier night cooking at a later date. Standard student life realy ain't it?

I know exactly what you mean Serious. Unfortunately I was never any good at cooking, meaning it took forever and I was starving afterwards. Luckily i'm in catered accomodation this year.

I found a naked picture of an other forum goer.

No Masks ? Seriously ?
That sucks . How can you have a costume without a Mask ?

We don't really celebrate Halloween in Germany .

Also, who the f*cl is keep on up-repping me ? I wasn't able to find the last 3 up votes ( in non-offtopic sections of course), it's driving me nuts

I never dressed up for Halloween at school, I'm too self-conscious for that...  

Marino. wrote:Also, who the f*cl is keep on up-repping me ? I wasn't able to find the last 3 up votes ( in non-offtopic sections of course), it's driving me nuts

Illiterate people.  

It is my last year in high school I want to be weird and out there at least three times nya~ =0w0=

Can't you just do normal senior sh*t and swirlie or dumpster stuff a freshie?