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I believe the fact that video games reduce violence is fairly simple to see for anyone who has access to the data.

Look at it like this. The first console generation began in 1972. Prior to that, we had a GREAT DEAL more wars than after that. In fact, a vast majority of wars (including the horrors of WWI and WWII) occurred *before* the first video game was even conceived!

How can anyone, anyone at all, argue that video games *increase* violence when the numbers show that conflicts following video game production are, proportionally, less than a fraction of a fraction of a percent of all conflicts prior to the invention of video games? Further, considering how much larger our population is now, each conflict should be considered to be even *less* due to being a far smaller portion of the total population as opposed to conflicts which occurred when the population of the world was in the millions.

The numbers don't lie here people. Video games decrease wars. Also the lack of pirates contributes to global warming.

Since we're all about correlation here, and there is a direct correlation between kids being addicted to video games and kids with mental problems, I'd like to propose that, conversely, children who have mental problems become addicted to video games. ...I might also remind us all of the horrible danger the lack of pirates in the world represents.

Here's a little verse I wrote while out duck hunting with a judge (quack):

Fuck you very much, the TSA,
for exposing everybody's T & A.
Your security's a joke, you haven't got a clue,
the screener has a brain cell and his boss's count is two.
Now Pistole wants to strip search all the metro workers too,
so fuck you all so very much.

(With apologies to Eric Idle.)

For example, here's another perfectly true collection of facts: http://www.seanbonner.com/blog/archives/piratesarecool.jpg

I'm not sure if you're reading that Graph right. The way it is it seems to perfectly show that there's Global Warming going on since the 1860s. It has Temperature on the y-Axis and time on the x-Axis, temperature steadily rising over time. Why on Earth they wrote arbitrary numbers of Pirates under the x-Axis is puzzling me, though.

Just because you have a collection of facts does not mean that you are guaranteed to be correct about what they mean. For example, here's another perfectly true collection of facts:

http://www.seanbonner.com/blog/archives/piratesarecool.jpg

The fact is, even the best climate "models" are woefully inadequate - they have a hard enough time explaining the data we already have, let alone predicting what values we might expect in the future. They're also remarkably incomplete. Yes, I know they're "only models" and that means that they're simpler than real life. But do you know what they're modeling? The whole fucking globe, which is a complex fucking system. There's only so much simplification you can get away with, and to be perfectly frank, present models are missing too much.

Look at earlier models - with their 100 foot deep "oceans," and all the other completely completely ignored confounding factors. Do current models fix some of those flaws? Sure, but there are plenty of flaws they haven't fixed. Find me a climate model that accurately accounts for the effects of clouds. What about all the biomatter at the bottom of the ocean, which, by the way, we've barely even studied?

Yet for DECADES, these folks have been claiming that they know they're right, they know why, and we should engage in some kind of large scale terraforming project on the basis of their half-assed models.

Do humans have an effect on the environment? Undoubtedly. Do we know what kind of effect, and how much, and why? Not yet.

Funny Stat correlation: http://www.seanbonner.com/blog/archives/piratesarecool.jpg

If we kill all the Pirates, then global warming is going to go up even faster!

http://seanbonner.com/blog/archives/001857.php

Actually, you should thank the Somali pirates. Now, I think we can all agree that, based on overwhelming evidence, piracy prevents global warming. There's UNDENIABLE PROOF for that. I mean, if you can't tell that correlation equals causation, well, you're just in denial, or being paid off. With the recent surges in piracy, how can that ice not grow? It is simple logic, stupid! Now, I know that the mainstream media will probably call them thieves and killers (because they are obviously in the pocket of Al Gore and Big Carbon Credit), but I'm going to call them what they really are: Heroes, righteous environmental crusaders, examples for all of us to follow. Somali pirates, I salute you!

But when you compare to real pirates... http://www.seanbonner.com/blog/archives/piratesarecool.jpg

Has there been a fluctuation in the number of pirates? That could explain it too....

Correlation DOES mean there is a link

Not necessarily true.

Correlation merely means correlation.

Unless of course pirates absorb greenhouse gases

You forgot the link: http://www.seanbonner.com/blog/archives/001857.php

Here's a no-hype view from the global warming perspective.

Looks like we clearly need more pirates. What could possibly go wrong?

...comment offtopic?

Check your facts! -> http://www.seanbonner.com/blog/archives/001857.php

Actually it is supposed to be the other way around:

http://www.seanbonner.com/blog/archives/001857.php

Pirates and global warming are inversely related. :)

They'll have a hard time refuting this study!

um, in the statistics courses I took, a p less than .05 was needed to show a meaningful correlation, and p less than .01 was needed for a strong correlation.

and of course decreasing numbers of pirates directly correlate to global warming. http://www.seanbonner.com/blog/archives/001857.php

or how about the one where driving drunk gives a higher probability of surviving in a an accident versus a non-drunk person in the same situation. (yes I know that the drinking may increase your chances of getting in an accident at all which could nullify the benefits of being drunk in that accident, but that goes to how how people can misuse statistics)

and how do we get less than signs in out posts?

but which way does the causality if any run? :P

just like pirates cause global cooling... ;)
http://www.seanbonner.com/blog/archives/001857.php

Global Average Temperature Vs. Number of Pirates http://www.seanbonner.com/blog/archives/001857.php /

Human CO2 output doesn't "dwarf" natural emissions, but it is a major part of the total - roughly a third, cf: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4803460. stm

If you believe correlation implies causation, here's a website you may be interested in: http://www.seanbonner.com/blog/archives/001857.php We need more pirates!!

There's no proof that some people have more need of a low-carb diet than other people. Our body is physiologically built to handle large amounts of carbs, and anything else we eat are converted to carbs, for internal fuel. Other nutrients, like vitamins and the like, we get from fat and protein. The body CAN surely live from fat and protein alone, converting it to carbohydrates internally. But then again, why put vodka in your truck when you can give it gasoline? Surely not because it's good for the motor... Perhaps people eat less when they can only eat meat and butter, but most everyone agree that on the long run, it's not very healthy, even though they loose weight. The most healthy diet is still the food pyramid, especially when combined with Mediterranean diet. That means a lot of vegetables, bread rich in fiber, olive oil, and less processed meat. Somehow they don't have heart diseases on Crete...

And your anecdotes are, as you suggest, worth nothing. I respond very well to McDonald's food too, as I'm usually happy after eating it. I respond well to chocolate, as I've eaten a lot of chocolate my whole life and I am very lean. Global warming is also a direct consequence of the dwindling number of sea pirates... http://www.seanbonner.com/blog/archives/001857.php

But eat what makes you happy! I still eat my chocolate, and I know it's not healthy, but who gives a sh*t?!

Reminds me of a study that concluded that global warming was caused by a decrease in the number of pirates http://www.seanbonner.com/blog/archives/001857.php

There is only one solution to Global Warming and that is we must increase the number of pirates immediately! I mean just look at this graph, it obviously shows the correlation.

Maybe I need to put together a power point presentation, or something...

Enough about Second Life. It's quite dull. Their PR department gets them press everywhere, but compared to the 6 million people in WoW, it's a miniscule world.

The same story over and over about the same people making money in Second Life. Here's a good post about how dull it is.

The "omfgwtfbbq people are making money off of virutal gold" is a stale story with it going back to Ultima Online and Everquest in the late 90s. In 2006, this kind of story is nothing more than marketing hype.

He hinted that it was in their interessed to create such absurd cases so their "hunt for pirates" stayed in the news. If nothing like that happens, people will forget the whole thing and start downloading again, as the papers will not print headlines "RIAA still hunting!" a few month after the first anouncements.

http://www.seanbonner.com/blog/archives/001857.php

Interesting exchange at Sean Bonner's blog.

From http://www.seanbonner.com/blog/archives/001718.php :

"Scam" is a pretty powerful allegation....there's no fraud at work here....just a lot of people contributing time and energy to something that you're RACING to trash any which way possible.

Yes, we ARE part of the Contagious Media Showdown.

NO, it isn't a "hoax"....any more than Metroblogging is a local media hoax. Blogebrity is launching a full blog/magazine site, complete with a variety of rich interactive content about bloggers. There will be plenty of value/interest (beyond sheer ego) for those interested in bloggers and blogging.

Why are you so down on the idea of engaging in a conversation with the very community that you and Metroblogging are trying to profit from? We felt there was a great opportunity to use the Contagious Media platform to start a large discussion with bloggers about their own pursuits, passions, and blog experiences.

The only thing that changed, from one day ago, is that you discovered we're NOT a commercial outfit, trying to make $$$ exploiting bloggers as an advertising platform. Instead, we're just trying to use a high-profile opportunity to start a conversation, for the good of the community at large.

Perhaps we'd all be better off with videos of us crying over a bowl of Apple Jacks.

Blogebrity is one of the entries in that stupid viral-marketing contest. And it's not like I'm the one who broke this story, either. Aren't there any press releases to post today?

they did not want a weather vane in the White house

I agree with your basic point that most people in the U.S. are perfectly capable of sound decision-making but please don't try and suggest that Bush doesn't change his mind with at least the frequency of Mr. Kerry.

Oh and this is fricken well done.

I suppose it's fitting that there's at least one blogging who's blogging the event here.