tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post2604700918855469165..comments2024-03-18T19:39:32.100-06:00Comments on Gus Van Horn: 5-21-11 HodgepodgeGus Van Hornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-69263098431928935542011-05-24T03:24:44.636-06:002011-05-24T03:24:44.636-06:00For a variety of reasons -- less assertive then, s...For a variety of reasons -- less assertive then, strongly doubted I'd get anywhere, was very concerned it would get me kicked out of the program I was in -- I didn't press the issue. I wish I had, even though I doubt I would have gotten your result.Gus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-17067815934306425002011-05-23T20:27:02.404-06:002011-05-23T20:27:02.404-06:00When I was doing basic training in the Canadian mi...When I was doing basic training in the Canadian military, I too was presented with a similar Catholic vs. Protestant "choice". I had to make quite a fuss to get out of it but I still had go to church but I could sit outside. I was by myself but I was quite proud of what I had accomplished.<br /><br />One factor was probably the greater degree of flexibility in Canada for this kind of thing. I have not been in the US military so I can't comment from personal experience but I'm pretty sure Canadians are not as hung up e.g. you can be openly homosexual in the Canadian military without any issue.Amlanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10189322060664903779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-10105020367228261672011-05-21T10:08:56.495-06:002011-05-21T10:08:56.495-06:00Oh, and one more thing. If parrots were capable of...Oh, and one more thing. If parrots were capable of, say, "picking up" human language very easily (i.e., without a huge amount of training), there would be strong evidence of that. For example, it might be common for owners to be able to ask simple questions and get reliable answers. I don't specialize in avian intelligence, nor do I even own a parrot, but it says something that it ISN'T common knowledge that parrots and their owners have conversations of any kind, no matter how simple.Gus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-65054482788075039562011-05-21T09:59:27.178-06:002011-05-21T09:59:27.178-06:00No, but from a quick look at Wikipedia, the findin...No, but from a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_%28parrot%29" rel="nofollow">quick look</a> at <i>Wikipedia</i>, the findings sound similar to things I've heard about regarding other bird species, <a href="http://gusvanhorn.blogspot.com/2007/04/avian-intelligence.html" rel="nofollow">such as ravens</a>.<br /><br />I don't have much trouble with the idea that a bird could understand a small vocabulary and use it to communicate very simple things, but this is still a far cry from what even school-aged children can do.<br /><br />Also, assuming for the sake of argument that Alex is as smart as advertised, it's important to remember that most parrots are NOT given the kind of training he was when they are taught to imitate something somebody has said: They're STILL just imitating a string of meaningless (to them) sounds.Gus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-89269620932333882412011-05-21T08:04:41.725-06:002011-05-21T08:04:41.725-06:00On parrots, are you familiar with "Alex"...On parrots, are you familiar with <a href="" rel="nofollow">"Alex", the parrot</a> who seemed to actually understand stuff, at least according to his researcher? (Critics claim it was not so.)Objectivism Onlinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01601995780672999824noreply@blogger.com