Child abuse is 40 times more likely when single parents find new partners.

Children living in homes with unrelated adults are nearly 50 times as likely to die of inflicted injuries as children living with two biological parents.

FUUUUUUCK. O_O

Obviously, doing something that raises your child's risk of maltreatment or death is abusive.  But it is not reasonable to order adults to refrain from leaving bad relationships or to abstain from sex/romance after leaving.  I also don't think it's going to be very effective just expecting people to ignore a very potent if subliminal evolutionary drive -- it's quite common for animals to injure or kill unrelated offspring.  If that would work, we wouldn't be seeing these astronomical increases.  

I think the best solution is to build better relationships in the first place.  That is, return to serious courtship.  If you want to screw around, that's fine, but don't make babies while doing it.  First find a partner, then get married and make a home, then have kids.  Today, people often do it backwards.  That's not a great way to make a life, and apparently it's a great deal more dangerous to the kids than expected, beyond the usual heartbreak, upheaval, financial wreckage, and lost fault tolerance.  If people put in the effort to make solid relationships first, that would greatly reduce the number of kids living with unrelated adults, and thus lower the risks.

Tags: community, family skills, news, romance, safety, science
Current Mood: distressed

Today is mild and gray.  My cornelian cherry dogwood is blooming in the streetside yard.  Near the daffodil garden by the parking lot, far from where I had planted any, a dark purple miniature iris is blooming.  Go figure.

I fed the birds.  I saw a female downy woodpecker today.  :D

I planted and mulched 3 blackberry plants at the end of the prairie garden.  I hope to get back out for another round of planting later in the day.

EDIT 4/5/19: I went back out and planted a red oak in the treeline that divides the savanna from the prairie garden.  The old trees there are mulberries and maples, not in good shape, so I'm trying to refresh the treeline with more durable species.

I feel all accomplished now.  \o/

 

Tags: birdfeeding, gardening, illinois, nature, personal, wildlife
Current Mood: accomplished

... can be hard on the human body.  There's a lot of other exciting stuff in the video too.  :D 

Tags: linguistics, nature, networking, science, video, wildlife
Current Mood: busy

Rock-Paper-Scissors is widely known, and Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock (watch original video) is spreading.

Of course, nerds are nerds, and apparently, Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock wasn't nerdy enough. The RPS-101 website details additional versions with 7, 9, 11, 15, 25, and 101 variables. I am in awe. O.O

Now for some observations ...

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Tags: a little slice of terramagne, education, gaming, networking, video
Current Mood: amused