Doghead's Cosmic Bar

There's also what happens when a person is born with a major disability. If I'd been born into a culture that kills babies who have bad vision, I wouldn't be alive now.

I went to high school with a girl whose bottom half never developed past baby stage. She used a wheelchair most of the time, and you couldn't even see her bottom half because her shirt covered it. Sometimes she'd walk around on her hands, and seeing those little tiny feet with their socks falling off looked so sad to me. Strangely enough, I never heard anyone make fun of her...she had plenty of friends and seemed to enjoy her life more than I enjoyed mine at the time.

As for situational ethics...I think they're less applicable in some situations than others. For instance, intentionally killing someone. Yeah, maybe you killed him out of revenge, but that doesn't make you any better of a person. Maybe he asked you to put him out of his misery, but you still have to live with that the rest of your life. Self-defence or defending someone else I'd agree with, but that definitely depends on the situation. I think there ARE absolutes in some situations, but there's also a lot of gray areas.

FYI: It's chimpanzees, not monkeys, that share 99.8% of their DNA with humans.

In the late 90's there was a big poll held in Denmark about when someone would abort their pregnancy. 19% said they would abort if they knew for sure that their kid would need glasses!

My child would have to be so disformed that it could never possibly enjoy life before I'd want to abort it. When it comes do authism and dawns, I honestly don't know.

A friend of mine has six kids, most of whom needed speech therapy for a while. Two of them have autistic spectrum disorders: Asperger's Syndrome, which is sort of like autism but milder, and Pervasive Development Disorder, which means she freaks out over weird stuff. For instance, pretty much everything she owns has to be red, and everything is in a precise place in her room and can't be moved out of that position. However, the same one with PDD is also highly intelligent--she's in the gifted program.

They wouldn't have survived any type of genetic purge (bah, the very thought!), but they are great kids.

It's such a difficult subject. I don't think I even want to begin to think about it without having to, if you understand what I mean!

I recognize that disorder from a documentary I watched once. The kid was adorable and also very gifted, but was extremely "neurotic" when it came to colours etc.

I don't know if I would be strong enough to handle such a child, but I have a lot of respect for the people who do. And with 6 kids! That's hard even if they're all peacefull little bookworms!

*bot leaves the room and comes back in whereing normal cloths*
The mysteries on the chickens pulling power still elude me LOL. Best stick with the tried and tested methods.
*walks over to the bar*
Hiya Butterfly Dream I must say you are looking rather fetching in that outfit. Why don't we go get a table, I have a few people and drinks I'd like to introduce you to.

My mother-in-law died of colon cancer and was *incredibly* miserable during her last couple of weeks. She begged for it to be over so one day I sent my wife out with the kids, had the nurse leave the morphine accessible after a discussion on how much would be needed and then turn her back while I obliged my mother in laws wishes. I have no regrets and if there is a heaven, I believe she is grateful.

I've also held two cats while they were put down.

The cats were harder to do. Probably because my mother-in-law looked at me with gratitude in her eyes while the cats had that trusting 'I know you're gonna help me' look.

That's heavy. You must be a really strong person.

Euthanasia is mercy in most cases, imo. Feng: Im sorry for the pain that must have incurred, but if its any consolation, I had an uncle who had a brain tumor that because of anti-suicide laws had to live with a drugged-nonexistance, or a hiddeously pained one all the way up until the growth ripped major artieries and he bled to death out of his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth in the arms of his wife. No one should have to go through that, imo, if they do not choose to do so in hopes of a deus ex machnia cure before the end comes.

Also: you are right, the death of long time pets has affected me more than some family members deaths in that they loved me unquestionably, without thought that I would do them harm let alone allow them to be killed. This still hurts me, years later.

My great grandfather died when I was 14. I thought I should cry, but I didn't. He had been sick for so long that we were expecting it. It was more a relief that he was finally at rest than anything else.

When I was 8 I got a cat. I loved him a lot! Last year he had to be put to sleep because he suddanly turned really weird (seemed to be blind, couldn't walk straight). I cried for days and still miss him a lot.

It's bizarre how the death of my cat has effected me so much more than the death of my great grandfather. And feeling that way about my cat makes me scared of how it will make me feel when someone really close to me dies.

Where's the bartender?!?! A round of whiskey on me in memory of our cats!!

Anybody wanna make a toast?

I guess this would be a bad time to mention what we do with cats on my home planet.