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 Blame the left.......... handers.
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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard

3192 Posts

Posted - 12/14/2004 :  06:53:57  Show Profile Send BigPapaSmurf a Private Message
http://economist.com/science/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3471297

Neat story, their hypothesis: Soceities with more hand to hand violence with have a higher percentage of left handers. Because the primary natural advantage of left handedness is superior fighting skills.

"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History

"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini

Siberia
SFN Addict

Brazil
2322 Posts

Posted - 12/14/2004 :  08:03:57   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Siberia's Homepage  Send Siberia an AOL message  Send Siberia a Yahoo! Message Send Siberia a Private Message
Uh... I'm left handed, and I've yet to hurt/kill someone

"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa

"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard

3192 Posts

Posted - 12/14/2004 :  08:49:47   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send BigPapaSmurf a Private Message
No, sorry the title was a joke, play on words is all.

Really it means that lefties have a natural advantage when fighting righties because, Righties rarely come up against south paws and south paws always fight righties. So in societies where fighting can help determine breeding potential lefties will increase over time due to the natural advantage, which is what the preliminary data corroborated.

The implication that south paws are more violent was poor judgement on my part.

"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History

"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini
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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard

3192 Posts

Posted - 12/14/2004 :  08:53:39   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send BigPapaSmurf a Private Message
To highjack my own thread here... I was thinking that even though Siberia probably knew it was a joke that perhaps I should not be doing that sort of thing anyway. With Data Miners and folks like Verlch running around do folks like myself and the dedicated skeptics have a responsibility to present things properly? Clearly Im going overboard, but some part of me doesnt think so.

"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History

"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini
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Siberia
SFN Addict

Brazil
2322 Posts

Posted - 12/14/2004 :  09:12:43   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Siberia's Homepage  Send Siberia an AOL message  Send Siberia a Yahoo! Message Send Siberia a Private Message
I knew it, sweetie I was being silly.

"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa

"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
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astropin
SFN Regular

USA
970 Posts

Posted - 12/14/2004 :  11:18:09   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send astropin a Private Message
Hey, I'm a leftie, and I absolutely kick the SH!* out of people

Actually, it has been more of an advantage than a hindrance. It always seemed to give me an edge in sports and I can't recall it ever being a problem. Except I did have to learn to cut right-handed, those left-handed scissors sucked. Oh, and Papa keep posting like you do, I love a good play on words.

I would rather face a cold reality than delude myself with comforting fantasies.

You are free to believe what you want to believe and I am free to ridicule you for it.

Atheism:
The result of an unbiased and rational search for the truth.

Infinitus est numerus stultorum
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Wendy
SFN Regular

USA
614 Posts

Posted - 12/14/2004 :  11:39:54   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Send Wendy a Yahoo! Message Send Wendy a Private Message
Aw, man! My son, my ex-husband, my boss, and my best friend are all lefties! Does that make me a masochist?

Millions long for immortality who don't know what to do on a rainy afternoon.
-- Susan Ertz
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend

Sweden
9687 Posts

Posted - 12/14/2004 :  19:39:41   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Send Dr. Mabuse an ICQ Message Send Dr. Mabuse a Private Message
I'm neither truly left-handed or right-handed.

I hold the pen in my left hand when writing, the spoon in my right when eating, but I hold the tennis racket in my right. I have the knife in my left hand when I'm eating, but the carving knife in my right hand when I'm out in the forest, or cutting bread.
When playing hockey or indoor bandy, I'm holding the end of the stick with my left hand, as is usual for a lefthanded guy. When I play football, I kick with my right. I swing my baseball bat from my right to my left.

Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3

"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse

Support American Troops in Iraq:
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Collateralmurder.
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@tomic
Administrator

USA
4607 Posts

Posted - 12/14/2004 :  19:46:51   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit @tomic's Homepage Send @tomic a Private Message
I am a southpaw.

@

Gravity, not just a good idea...it's the law!

Sportsbettingacumen.com: The science of sports betting
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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard

3192 Posts

Posted - 12/15/2004 :  06:11:38   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send BigPapaSmurf a Private Message
The end of the hockey stick is held in the left hand for a right hander fyi. unless of course you mean the blade end.

"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History

"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend

Sweden
9687 Posts

Posted - 12/15/2004 :  08:26:50   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Send Dr. Mabuse an ICQ Message Send Dr. Mabuse a Private Message
quote:
Originally posted by BigPapaSmurf

The end of the hockey stick is held in the left hand for a right hander fyi. unless of course you mean the blade end.

Are you implying that 90% of all hockey-players are lefthanded?

Edit: My reasoning: The most common way to hold the stick is holding the end of the stick with the right hand. This puts the blade of the stick on the players left side, and when shooting, the player sweeps the stick from left to right. This is what, 90% of all players?
Since something like 90% of the population is right-handed, I see a definite correlation here.

Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3

"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse

Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder.
Edited by - Dr. Mabuse on 12/15/2004 08:32:35
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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard

3192 Posts

Posted - 12/15/2004 :  09:07:33   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send BigPapaSmurf a Private Message
Man I guess Im just backwards, Im a right hander and I guess I play hockey left handed - of course I havent played since I was 11 or so. It just doesnt seem comfortable playing that way, probably why I sucked so bad at it.

"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History

"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini
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Dave W.
Info Junkie

USA
26020 Posts

Posted - 12/16/2004 :  21:55:46   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Dave W.'s Homepage Send Dave W. a Private Message
quote:
Originally posted by BigPapaSmurf

Really it means that lefties have a natural advantage when fighting righties...
If only this were true in politics...

- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too.
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Baxter
Skeptic Friend

USA
131 Posts

Posted - 12/17/2004 :  00:24:03   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Baxter a Private Message
I eat and write w/ my left. I bowl, hold hockey stick, and punch w/ my right. I guess that's normal.

Whatever hand is closest to the blade is the one that is considered.

So yes, the majority is left-handed in hockey.

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Starman
SFN Regular

Sweden
1613 Posts

Posted - 12/17/2004 :  02:34:44   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Starman a Private Message
The hand closest to the blade adds the needed extra strength and control, but it is the upper one that is the main one. So right handers (like me) therefore usually play left.

The few times when you hold the stick in one hand it is always the upper one, your main hand.


Having a broken rib keeping me from playing pisses me off.

Almost able to sneeze again...
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