USA & Iran - Finally two adult presidents

[RgrF]

It is.

The growth of the internet and cable political networks can enable people to never see a view they don't agree with.

[OWC Jamie]

kd wrote:
Wow, it's amazing to me how differently people perceive the world. It's almost like we live in parallel universes with different histories and realities. Is this what happens when we are all able to cluster with like-minded folk, to the point that we hardly even have a basis for rational discussion with "outsiders" anymore?

Flock behavior
Sheep are flock animals and strongly gregarious; much sheep behavior can be understood on the basis of these tendencies. The dominance hierarchy of sheep and their natural inclination to follow a leader to new pastures were the pivotal factors in sheep being one of the first domesticated livestock species.[47] Furthermore, in contrast to the red deer and gazelle (two other ungulates of primary importance to meat production in prehistoric times), sheep do not defend territories although they do form home ranges.[48] All sheep have a tendency to congregate close to other members of a flock, although this behavior varies with breed,[13] and sheep can become stressed when separated from their flock members.[7] During flocking, sheep have a strong tendency to follow and a leader may simply be the first individual to move. Relationships in flocks tend to be closest among related sheep: in mixed-breed flocks, subgroups of the same breed tend to form, and a ewe and her direct descendants often move as a unit within large flocks.[6] Sheep can become hefted to one particular local pasture (heft) so they do not roam freely in unfenced landscapes. Lambs learn the heft from ewes and if whole flocks are culled it must be retaught to the replacement animals.[7][49]
Flock behaviour in sheep is generally only exhibited in groups of four or more sheep; fewer sheep may not react as expected when alone or with few other sheep.[6] Being a prey species, the primary defense mechanism of sheep is to flee from danger when their flight zone is entered. Cornered sheep may charge and butt, or threaten by hoof stamping and adopting an aggressive posture. This is particularly true for ewes with newborn lambs.[6]
In regions where sheep have no natural predators, none of the native breeds of sheep exhibit a strong flocking behavior.[12]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheep

[kd]

billb wrote:
Flock behavior [...]

Ha, interesting perspective on the issue. I always thought of it as a tribal thing.