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See the original image at news.com.au —

Scientists Say it's OK to Hook up With Your Hot Cousin..

news.com.au — Western Australia scientists are challenging the myth that inbreeding always leads to unhealthy babies. “In Western culture there is a general belief that first cousin marriages lead to negative genetic outcomes, yet a large majority of children born to first cousins are healthy,” scientists say.

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  • lucidguru, on 06/04/2008, -45/+12The effects of inbreeding on cognitive performance or intelligence is detrimental. If you want a stupid kid, have children with your first cousin.
    • xsuite, on 06/04/2008, -7/+37Not really.

      Think of the people who typically inbreed. Poor hicks in isolated appalachian valleys. There arent many females around, nor outlets for education. Rarely do poor people in situation where inbreeding is necessary seek accessory education.

      Their cognitive performance has little to do with their parents being related, rather all to do with the microculture they are born into.
      • Gabberwok, on 06/05/2008, -0/+5Really not true. You start to see a lot of signs of hereditary dementia in isolated communities with a large amount of inbreeding. Not to mention immune disorders. You are however right that there is often a cultural lack of education that goes along with it.
        • luet, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2Genetic "stupidity" and the inbreeding that continues it is perhaps caused by generations upon generations of misuse of the brain?
    • eltrev, on 06/05/2008, -1/+21That is not correct.

      Yes, the baby I gave my sister is a bit slow in the head. But - the baby I had with cousin Tina is as clever as a cartload of monkeys.
      • Gabberwok, on 06/05/2008, -1/+13I'm guessing the cartload of monkeys are also your offspring?
        • worldchanger, on 06/05/2008, -2/+1zing!
        • ventura7, on 06/05/2008, -0/+3You took the joke as reality. We have an in-breeder!
        • ventura7, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2worldchanger - you took the joke as reality .... scary! (please don't screw your relatives, it's bad)
        • ventura7, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2I FAIL. ***** caching, and the way Digg's comment upgrade despises it.

          digg me down.
        • tracer9, on 06/05/2008, -3/+2What do you mean? Digg's comment upgrade is brokennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
          nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
          nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn ....

          .....? Really? it doesn't work all the time?

          (woops, I broke Digg)
    • Fooord, on 06/05/2008, -3/+5You sir, are sick. My first cousin is a male!!!
      • hmunkey, on 06/05/2008, -0/+4Then you can't exactly "inbreed."
        • VinceNoir, on 06/05/2008, -0/+4Probably won't keep 'em from trying though.
    • giantsfan134, on 06/05/2008, -7/+1It only becomes a problem if people have incest with first cousins over multiple generations, but one generation is not going to harm anything - not to say that you SHOULD do it, because it is still pretty ***** up.
    • KiraDnote, on 06/05/2008, -3/+3First cousin marriages are legal in about half of the states in the US. It really can't be too bad. Einstein married his first cousin, and he was kind of intelligent.
    • Math, on 06/05/2008, -1/+3Having a child with your first cousin runs similar genetic defect risks as a 42 year old mother having a child.

      It is only when inbreeding happens repeatedly over generations, that it becomes a big problem.
  • jonnyuoit, on 06/04/2008, -21/+256If you are trying to justify hooking up with your cousin, you've got bigger problems imo.
    • lebruf, on 06/05/2008, -5/+62I'm no southerner, but if my cousin was super hot, and nobody knew she was my cousin, I would consider this good news... for at least a few moments. Don't lie! You would too.
    • Mootabolife, on 06/05/2008, -2/+37Probably trying to reason through why the family tree is a ladder.
    • leffunov, on 06/05/2008, -0/+27You haven't seen my cousin
      • cowsgonemadd3, on 06/05/2008, -0/+12Show us...we would like to see.
    • morphinapg, on 06/05/2008, -3/+11Supposedly the closer someone is in the family, the more likely they are your "type"

      So if there's nothing wrong with it I don't see a reason why not.
    • Spudster, on 06/05/2008, -1/+10Is it ok to hook up with your step sister if the only relation is through marriage? Because that nearly happened to me and I started wondering whether that would have been considered "acceptable."
      • MizuhoChan, on 06/05/2008, -0/+19Of course, you've never met her before, so why not? Unless she's your step-sister AND your cousin. Then I think it gets a bit weird.
        • howardh, on 06/05/2008, -0/+9wouldn't that make your parents brother and sister?
        • sienar, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2nah, i could marry my sister-in-law if my brother died or divorced her. and then my child and my nephew become step siblings and still blood cousins. my wife wouldn't be my sister by blood, but she was by marriage.

          wouldn't happen though, my sister-in-law is too damn annoying
    • remccain, on 06/05/2008, -2/+4uncouth idiots.
      http://www.cousincouples.com

    • Ezxen, on 06/05/2008, -0/+9the Question is not "Is it ok to hook up with your hot cousin ", but rather "would she want to hook up with you?"
    • timusca, on 06/05/2008, -10/+5But will it blend?
    • rentmitchum, on 06/05/2008, -0/+4This is one of those submissions that shows how a good title can make the article popular.. lol
    • foofightrs777, on 06/05/2008, -1/+8Maebe tonight?
    • frooo, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1As a West Australian - this is sad sad sad news.

      :(
  • jonesin, on 06/04/2008, -5/+111“In reality there are over 1000 million people worldwide that live in regions where 20 – 50 per cent of marriages are between blood relatives.”

    WTF?
    • atdigg, on 06/04/2008, -1/+13Pakistan for example...
    • beerncheese, on 06/04/2008, -1/+36 I have a Pakistani friend whose parents are first cousins. He's a doctor.
    • weatherman5000, on 06/05/2008, -9/+791000 million? Why not just say 1 billion?
      • BECoole, on 06/05/2008, -2/+47Because a billion doesn't mean 1000 million in Commonwealth countries.
        • Terr01, on 06/05/2008, -2/+24Perhaps the one way America is closer to a metric ideal than the Commonwealth :P
        • Salmar, on 06/05/2008, -0/+8Exactly. There's a comparison here...
          http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/large.html
        • expert01, on 06/05/2008, -3/+44Then what does 1 billion mean, 1024 million?
        • DephexTwin, on 06/05/2008, -9/+8No, 1 billion means a million millions.
        • mrsteveman1, on 06/05/2008, -1/+16Only in Seagateland
        • Schmich, on 06/05/2008, -0/+3Why are you digging DephexTwin down? It's different depending on where you live. In some places a million millions is correct.
        • dorkdork777, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2Actually, in Britain, I've never seen 'milliard' or 'billiard' in use. Kids are taught a thousand millions make a billion, and a thousand billions make a trillion. That's what it is nowadays.
      • exomni, on 06/05/2008, -0/+12A billion means a trillion there. I think a billion there is like a mallard or something... or maybe it was a gaggle.
        • MasterGrief, on 06/05/2008, -1/+4The American Quadrillion is, to Europeans, a Billiard.

          And I like that.
        • ChillEnt, on 06/05/2008, -0/+3mallard?
          Like a duck?
        • exomni, on 06/05/2008, -0/+4@ ChillEnt

          Actually it's milliard, I was just trying to be funny.
      • moo2u2, on 06/05/2008, -0/+5I think the word is milliard (thousand million), and a billion would be a million million
    • raynar, on 06/05/2008, -2/+69but my cousin is a dude...and so am i....
      • anarchyx34, on 06/05/2008, -2/+40So go for it!
      • ChillEnt, on 06/05/2008, -1/+75...just be careful not to catch the gay...
      • weaselfingers, on 06/05/2008, -0/+61I'm fairly certain that your chances of having healthy children are quite low, sorry. :(
      • blankoboy, on 06/05/2008, -1/+3Yeah, but is he HOT? lol
      • VinceNoir, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1Just move to SanFran and have Sister Mary Boom Boom officiate.
      • Darkhacker, on 06/05/2008, -2/+3Kind of funny you would mention this. I was at my best friends graduation party last Saturday and my friend is only so-so with looks; very nerdy looking actually. I met his cousin though and holy *****. Beautiful face, nice long hair, and a rock-hard body. I was in love.

        Thankfully they're both straight. If they were gay or that guy was my cousin... hot damn there would be some incest going on. Yes, I know, I'm a terrible person, but admit it, if you had a hot cousin (or brother/sister/etc) the thought would cross your mind at least once; even if you'd never actually do anything.
    • ICSU, on 06/05/2008, -8/+4Deep South
    • jamesallen74, on 06/05/2008, -0/+6It makes you wonder how many people you meet are 2nd or 3rd cousins, that you don't know about.
    • Frailhymn, on 06/05/2008, -3/+1those 1000 million people are savages.
    • ajkrik, on 06/05/2008, -1/+2My parents are second cousins. That makes me my own third cousin. I am also often my own lover, which is the real definition of *****-sexual. My daughter is my 2nd cousin once-removed and she laughs pretty hard at that when she isn't flapping around in her bed like a fish out of water . . . at least I THINK she's laughing . . . she lacks a lower jaw and ears. But she is SO cute. I think lineage will probably stop with her.
  • fluidfoundation, on 06/04/2008, -44/+5This coming from a country where a dude kept his family locked in a cellar for years so he could have sex with them? Eh.... I'll pass on this advice.
    • nihility, on 06/04/2008, -2/+33You may be confusing Austria with Australia
      • fluidfoundation, on 06/04/2008, -24/+3False.
        • deathfix, on 06/05/2008, -0/+9............................................________
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      • fluidfoundation, on 06/04/2008, -20/+3http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-2348076 ...
      • jaznova, on 06/04/2008, -1/+17Are your parents cousins? Can you read the link you provided?
    • jks139, on 06/04/2008, -2/+15You're thinking of the guy from Austria.
    • dvsbastard, on 06/05/2008, -1/+2Why pass on the advice?! It appears your parents are brother and sister and you turned out just fine!

      (Hint: Austria != Australia)
    • worldchanger, on 06/05/2008, -0/+5epic. fail.
  • fudged71, on 06/04/2008, -23/+3GROSS !!!!!!!!!!

    in before "incest is best"
    • Ymeg, on 06/05/2008, -1/+14Incest is the best, put your cousin to the test.
    • ChronicColonic, on 06/05/2008, -0/+9Incest...the game the whole family can play!
      • VinceNoir, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1The family that lays together, stays together. (Saw that in an old underground comic from the 1970s)
    • MizuhoChan, on 06/05/2008, -1/+1Loli is best.
  • zombird, on 06/04/2008, -15/+115This is good news for rural Arkansas.
    • thepretext, on 06/05/2008, -4/+33You got a pretty mouth, boy.
    • rald84, on 06/05/2008, -7/+28and west virginia

      /dick
    • leffunov, on 06/05/2008, -2/+8What do you mean news? I'm pretty sure they figured this out years ago. How do you think that small tribes survive to this day?
    • triont, on 06/05/2008, -5/+7HEY! That's Tennessee not Arkansas. Get your facts straight.
      • diggcommentguy, on 06/05/2008, -1/+2HEY! I live in Tennessee and only 17/18 of my relatives are otherwise related. Get your facts straight.
    • krinthekuz, on 09/16/2008, -2/+1i was going to post a comment of "cue jokes about tennessee" but you guys seem to have beat me to it.
    • plnegative1, on 06/05/2008, -1/+4you guys are so ignorant it's not even funny.
  • czeman, on 06/04/2008, -7/+178The scientists performing this study probably just want to ***** their hot cousins.
    • whatthefu, on 06/05/2008, -1/+50Do scientists who study animal mating want to ***** animals?
      • Jambi, on 06/05/2008, -0/+48Obviously.
      • MeatPlow, on 06/05/2008, -0/+28If I have sex with the Thanksgiving turkey is that beastiality or necrophelia, or just a hell of a good time
      • keviniskool, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1Probably furries in disguise
    • AWBoy666, on 06/05/2008, -1/+11Dude, when I was younger, two of my cousins were the hottest chicks I'd ever met......I would never have done anything with them, but if they hadn't been my cousins I would have been ALL OVER IT.

      Just sayin that it happens.....
      • jasdf, on 06/05/2008, -0/+9I'm pretty sure that you posting this in this thread still doesn't justify it.
    • worldchanger, on 06/05/2008, -1/+3who knew Australia had rednecks??
    • byah, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1hey cousin jane, i got a doi with your name on it.
    • je12u, on 06/05/2008, -0/+0They could just move to Shellbyville
  • nobullshit, on 06/04/2008, -4/+121why? is your sister busy?
  • DiggLive, on 06/04/2008, -2/+63JACKPOT!
  • shadowspawn, on 06/04/2008, -1/+62Hook up with you 2nd cousin, once removed. Therefore no blood relation. Damn she will be a firecracker in bed too, because there is that "we shouldn't be doing this, so ***** it, lets have as much fun as we can".
    • chrisaug18, on 06/05/2008, -0/+51hmmm, sounds like your saying that from experience
    • ZephyrNinety, on 06/05/2008, -4/+3O_o
    • radish01001, on 06/05/2008, -1/+28See, the problem with this is the word "cousin" is still attached so people still tend to freak out.
      I knew a girl for YEARS and we became "close" ...and long story short, my mom married her GREAT UNCLE, making her my second cousin by marriage? When I told some people, they heard nothing but "cousin."
      (Btw, we hooked up before the marriage to clear that up.)
    • gryphon50, on 06/05/2008, -1/+1how is your second cousin not related to you by blood? It's distant but it's still there...
  • SaltedCashews, on 06/04/2008, -3/+21i don't need a scientist to tell me that
  • protogenxl, on 06/04/2008, -7/+223e-----------------------------------------------------------------I
    B-------------------------0--1--3--1--0-----------------------I
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    • logicalriot, on 06/04/2008, -2/+15Awesome!
    • relic180, on 06/04/2008, -0/+71I don't know how to read tablature (that's what that is, right?), but I really, really want that to be the banjo riff from Deliverance.
    • ZiggyPlayedG, on 06/04/2008, -3/+35I played it and did not recognize it. Care to explain?
    • Weejay, on 06/05/2008, -21/+1I can't play music and I know ***** about it but given the topic, I'd say "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd??
      • Weejay, on 06/05/2008, -1/+1No need to be so harsh, I clearly said I couldn't read music. Sorry for disturbing your banjo circle jerk.
    • Gimpishi, on 06/05/2008, -5/+12It looks like the victory tune from Final Fantasy...
    • neocda, on 06/05/2008, -1/+12Sweetest. Comment. Ever.
    • DoctaLivingston, on 06/05/2008, -0/+84e-----------------------------------------------------------------I
      B------------0--1--3--0--1-----0-----------------------------I
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      • stonewaljacksn, on 06/05/2008, -0/+11ahah THANK YOU
      • fraglessone, on 06/05/2008, -1/+19E-------------------------------------------------------------|
        B-------------------------------------------------------------|
        G-----------------0--0--2--4--0--4--2--------------------|
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      • exomni, on 06/05/2008, -0/+10e-----------------------------------
        B------0-1-3-0-1---0-----------
        G-------------------2---0-2------
        D----------------------------------
        A----------------------------------
        E----------------------------------
      • hakz, on 06/05/2008, -3/+6Am I the only one that doesn't know what these are? ^^
      • truthseeker69, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1that rawked
    • Jo9100, on 06/05/2008, -8/+2G G G A B C D C B
    • cactus476, on 06/05/2008, -0/+6Dueling Banjos

      http://www.cowboylyrics.com/tabs/flatt-and-scruggs ...
    • Mawds, on 06/05/2008, -3/+8D||----------------------------0--------------|
      B||------------------0----1---------1----0--|
      G||---0--0-0----2---------------------------|
      D||--------------------------------------------|
      G||--------------------------------------------|
      • MasterGrief, on 06/05/2008, -0/+4If I could digg you more for replying in banjo-based tabulature, I would.
    • mvirgilio, on 06/05/2008, -0/+7http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esl2NNOtHQE - Keep your eye on the inbred
    • bugerking3, on 06/05/2008, -0/+3
      e-------------------------------0--1--3--1--0----------------I
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    • Owwmykneecap, on 06/05/2008, -4/+1I'm playing that right now, was gonna record the riff and youtube it and link it here, but couldn't be arsed...

      e------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I
      B-------------------------------3------------------------------------------------3-------------------------------I
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      D--------------0-------0-----------------------0-------------------------------------------0--------------------I
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      e--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I
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      D---------------------------------------------------------------------------0---2--p0-----------------------------I
      A--------------------------------------------------------------0--h2---------------------------2------------------I
      E---------------3---0---3------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I
      • southyp, on 06/05/2008, -0/+0There are also some versions on ultimate-guitar and other related sites.

        Coincidentally, I was just playing this song on my guitar before I got on Digg... oh, Digg...
    • Flea08, on 06/05/2008, -1/+4Most genius comment ever, most people would just put a quote
      And it's fun!!
    • MasterGrief, on 06/05/2008, -1/+2I know promotion of one's own digg articles is largely frowned upon, but I wanted to share it here anyway:

      http://digg.com/people/DUELIN_BANJOS

      When I saw this collection of strangers all united under a common cause, I had to take a picture. So I did. :D
    • worldchanger, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1you win the awesome award.
    • gak001, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1I immediately thought of this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=3HPYTqs9pPM

      Pete v Mike... clash of the titans.

      The original: http://youtube.com/watch?v=esl2NNOtHQE
    • DarkDx, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1Am I the only one that prefers old school partitures? (Much more exact in my opinion).
    • professorfurley, on 06/05/2008, -0/+3i totally grabbed my guitar.... then laughed hard. thank you.
    • iLEZ, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1You are a hero sir! We salute you!
    • smokestack, on 06/05/2008, -0/+0you know, I had to grab my guitar and play it to find out.. awesome and diggworthy
    • JKAL, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2dang, gonna hafta get with mah cuhzin, sos ar child can have that extra finger to play that.
  • samoan27, on 06/04/2008, -6/+98George Michael will be pleased to hear this.
    • cpsutcliffe, on 06/04/2008, -22/+1Yeah, 'cos ***** his cousin up the ass would increase the chances of their children being retarded? o.O
    • iPirate, on 06/05/2008, -2/+28To the people digging him down... he's talking about Arrested Development you idiots!
    • quomen, on 06/05/2008, -2/+17You think so? Hmmm...maeby.
    • lebruf, on 06/05/2008, -2/+27Like the show "Arrested Development" itself, your comment went wholly unappreciated.

      George Michael is the character played by Michael Cera on Arrested Development, who is secretly in love with his cousin May Bea. Very funny stuff...
      • exomni, on 06/05/2008, -3/+2Wait... he's in love with Maeby? ...


        .....

        ... Oh! You just taught me a lesson!
        • Soave, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1Man I wish people actually watched this show. Dugg up for the quote.
    • DjArcadian, on 06/05/2008, -1/+3FTW!!!
    • exomni, on 06/05/2008, -0/+11Well, she's not really his cousin. She was made in a cup. Like soup. A $130,000 cup of soup.
      • EmitStop, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1No, Lindsey gave birth to her, but Lindsey was adopted anyway so it's all good.
    • Soave, on 06/05/2008, -0/+3I came to this comment page looking for something about Arrested Development :)
  • scooterbaga, on 06/04/2008, -5/+34There's a HUGE difference between...

    'the ability to produce gentically viable offspring.'
    and
    'It's okay to have sex with your first cousins'.

    "Dude! If we stay here that means we'll be Dr. Orpheus' kids. And that means Triana will be your sister. And that means you two will have extra-retard babies."
    • KMartSheriff, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2Dugg for Venture Bros.
    • comrademikhail, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1Dugg up for the reference to the best show ever.
    • 8randon, on 06/05/2008, -0/+3i don't even think the offspring are genetically viable..

      inbreeding increases the presence of rarer genes (and perhaps diseases) as couples from the same family have a smaller gene pool to select from.

      just look at European royalty and hemophilia. monarchs tended to intermarry to keep the "pure blood", and thus they were mostly all related to each other. although hemophilia was a relatively rarer disease for regular people, royal families in Victorian society had a much higher prevalence for the disease, as the gene pool was kept small

      the article just talks about mortality rates and birth defects in infants.. i bet infants from these intermarried couples have higher rates of deadly diseases that don't necessarily show at a young age (such as hemophilia).
      • hmunkey, on 06/05/2008, -0/+3You're 100% correct. That is a major genetic fear in poor countries, since family members both have the same recessive genes, and when mixed together make a bad combination.
  • CowCow, on 06/04/2008, -0/+41You know what time it is? That's right, it's business time.
  • beerncheese, on 06/04/2008, -3/+86What do scientists say about my smokin' hot sister-in-law?
    • pittpat, on 06/05/2008, -1/+50Fair game!
      • DigitusAnonymus, on 06/05/2008, -1/+7Great. Absolutely great. Made my day.
      • RMoore08, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2So... incest is Scientology doctrine now?
    • TheChunt, on 06/05/2008, -1/+47Fire away sir.
    • BECoole, on 06/05/2008, -0/+39Sister-in-laws are dangerous to your health if your brother finds out.
    • aussieNickuss, on 06/05/2008, -0/+5No blood has been mixed so go for your life!!!
      • LaCamiseta, on 06/05/2008, -0/+4No blood has been mixed until your brother finds out, that is.

        (Or possibly sister in California and Massachusetts, but that opens up a completely different can of worms)
    • SqlByte, on 06/05/2008, -0/+6I'd say hit it !
    • santamanno, on 06/05/2008, -0/+4Go, go, go! As long as you wash her first...
    • ligyron, on 06/05/2008, -2/+4Fine as long as balls aren't touching
    • iLEZ, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1You can have her after me.
  • Haydio, on 06/04/2008, -0/+6Why did this article have to come from WA and not Tasmania :(
    • joshcxa, on 06/05/2008, -1/+2looks like we have to change the stereotype
    • skywake, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1This is not representative of WA science..... just Murdock. I think that says more then enough. :P
  • BigManOnCampus, on 06/04/2008, -0/+15I have no hot cousins, so this doesn't apply to me.
  • JusticeFriend, on 06/04/2008, -2/+5ITS PARTY TIME!
  • wonderchemist, on 06/04/2008, -7/+26Really, explain West Virginia then?
    • ravamp3, on 06/05/2008, -1/+16Cheney, is that you?
    • jp12380, on 06/05/2008, -2/+11Duh West Virginia is where siblings marry, not cousins.

      No offense to all you west Virginia's
      • peestandingup, on 06/05/2008, -0/+14"No offense to all you west Virginia's"

        Its OK. None of them have the internet.
        • worldchanger, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2zing!
        • PyrotekNX, on 06/05/2008, -0/+3Some of them do have the Internet. Unfortunately they don't know how to read.
  • dafunkmonster, on 06/04/2008, -0/+9WHEW...I'm off the hook.
  • badwithcomputer, on 06/04/2008, -4/+64Michael: That cousin of yours is a smart girl... Its too bad you can't date her.

    George Michael Bluth: No, I was talk... You mean, you wouldn't have a problem with that?

    [Michael looks at him funny]

    George Michael Bluth: ...Nothing.
    • DesignNerd, on 06/05/2008, -1/+27"Maybe we should kiss again to teach them a lesson!"
      • dsgamer, on 06/05/2008, -1/+15"How would that teach them a lesson?"
        • DesignNerd, on 06/05/2008, -1/+15"Oh, I mean to freak them out."

          "Isn't that what makes it funny? I'm laughing...
          Go FISH!...UNO... I gotta finish this drink."
    • NecroSexy, on 06/05/2008, -0/+4(After Michael assigns Maeby to work with George Michael to the banana stand)

      Michael: You stay on top of her buddy. Do not be afraid to ride her...hard.
  • ravamp3, on 06/05/2008, -11/+4WE DO IT LIVE!
    • bob12321, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2That meme is getting old. It also does not fit with this story well.
  • pittpat, on 06/05/2008, -1/+2Well this just opened some things up!
  • jp12380, on 06/05/2008, -2/+12Gigity
  • Noah0504, on 06/05/2008, -2/+14You had me at "it's OK to hook up with your hot cousin."
  • ZephyrNinety, on 06/05/2008, -14/+33
    e|-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
    B|--------3---------------3----|----------------------------------|
    G|----------2--------------0---|--------0--0----------------2/0|
    D|--0--0------0------------0--|-------------------0-2/0--------|
    A|--------------3(0)3----------|--------------0/2--------2------|
    E|-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
    • chrisaug18, on 06/05/2008, -0/+33allow me to translate do do do doo doo dooo doooo ... doooo do do doo doo dooo doooo
    • XenoSNK, on 06/05/2008, -3/+13You ruined a perfectly original comment.
    • NOFXY, on 06/05/2008, -1/+11sweet home alabama for anyone without a guitar/too lazy to pick it up
    • kyle415, on 06/05/2008, -1/+3dugg for making me break out my guitar!
  • dudefaceguyman, on 06/05/2008, -11/+6I'd digg this if I wouldn't feel incredibly dirty and gross for merely giving a thumbs up and approving this.... Especially when my family is so close and my cousins (actually second cousins or w/e you call it) are practically brothers/sisters to me..

    So...

    Yayy for science. BOO for banging cousins.
    • numb, on 06/05/2008, -0/+3"practically brothers/sisters to me"

      yeah, you just opened up a can of worms there man...
      • dudefaceguyman, on 06/05/2008, -1/+1Wait I may of worded that wrong somehow as I'm kinda loopy right on painkillers at the moment. (wooo vicodin for my back. Thank you Mr. Doctor man.) But you should get what I mean. The mere thought of this just makes me sick.
        • numb, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1Don't let it ruin your buzz dude. I know that's not how you meant it :)
    • moo2u2, on 06/05/2008, -1/+1lol it's not saying you _have_ to hit that, just that you can.

      not everyone's cousins are like brothers and sisters, mine are all overseas and i see them every few years. no hotties tho...
  • dhaugen, on 06/05/2008, -7/+9University of Alabama
    • ChillEnt, on 06/05/2008, -1/+3Wow, my cousin goes to the University of Alabama.
      This is so wrong, but I'm still digging you up.
  • Misinformant, on 06/05/2008, -7/+5Southern states rejoice!
  • DaviDTC, on 06/05/2008, -5/+13Me an my cousin alrede new dat. R sistermom told us.
  • DesignNerd, on 06/05/2008, -6/+34Maybe in Western Australia that kind of stuff works, but West Virginia has been the world's petrie dish on these kinds of studies...

    The results...well...you guys know how West Virginia turned out: http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/3099/hick3ey.jp ...
  • DigitusAnonymus, on 06/05/2008, -7/+8BREAKING NEWS: West Virginians celebrate new study that says inbreeding is good. More at eleven.
    • Fooord, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1In an unrelated story, Dick Cheney is forgiven for earlier remarks he said.
    • JitMaster, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2Interesting how this comes out right after Cheney's PR problem.
  • boardthis, on 06/05/2008, -3/+1what does the picture have to do with anything?
    • DigitusAnonymus, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1It conveys deeper meanings not easily identifiable by our cognitive self meanwhile our subconscious is well aware of the meaning. Now you know.
  • batmanz, on 06/05/2008, -6/+6Great. Now the rural south population is going to double overnight.
  • MadOgre, on 06/05/2008, -4/+3Sure... sure it is.... if you are from West Virginia.
  • brwright, on 06/05/2008, -4/+8Well, then I guess Hillary's supporters have something to be happy about....
  • madmac625, on 06/05/2008, -2/+13Maeby tonight.
  • Misinformant, on 06/05/2008, -1/+1I wonder how they tested this...
  • Awspire, on 06/05/2008, -1/+5Oh Hi, Uncle Bob, uh, I mean Dad.

    Yep, I knew that wouldn't sound awkward.
    • dawglse, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2That would be if a brother/sister had a child.
  • Mononuclear, on 06/05/2008, -4/+6a 4% higher rate of birth defects is still quite a bit. Also the fact that most are healthy doesn't mean that inbreeding doesn't increase your chances that your baby will have problems. Did they also take into account genetic diseases and other health problems that don't manifest themselves until later in life? Do those count as birth defects?

    The simple truth is inbreeding causes more genetic mutations and problems than not inbreeding. It may not be a huge difference but there is still a difference so why inbreed?
    • madroneDorf, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1it depends what the base rate is. If the base rate is 1/100 than 4% more is pretty significant, but if the base rate is one in a million its fairly insignificant
    • remccain, on 06/05/2008, -2/+5Explain why successful animal breeders always inbreed to bring out the best qualities in the lineage?
      • Mononuclear, on 06/05/2008, -0/+8Explain why custom bred animals many times have horrible congenital heart defects and a billion other problems. Inbreeding in animals has long been proven to cause health problems.
    • userperson, on 06/05/2008, -0/+4I don't think it's mandatory.
      You don't have to ... so why are you complaining? Not your risk.
      • Mononuclear, on 06/05/2008, -2/+1that is like saying we should allow people to feed babies crack because it's not mandatory and not my risk. However people with more health and mental problems are my risk. As an employer I have more sick and less capable employees, as an employee I have to cover for others, as a tax payer I have to cover their health care or pay higher insurance rates. It affects me in many ways not to mention unfair to the children who will have to live with said birth defects because their parents wanted to have kids with their cousin. There is no reason for and many reasons against.
        • userperson, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2By this sort of reasoning, sounds like we should all run our decisions by all taxpayers. I understand theft is wrong and I empathize with your plight; charity should voluntary. But using this wrong against, you to micro-managing the lives of other's seems just as evil if not more so.

          "There is no reason for..."
          Cousins who genuinely love each other say '***** You!'. In that regard there is no reason to love who love, you could just as easily love someone else I will select for you.

          I'm going to go to the bathroom later, if that's okay. I know the floors in bathrooms are typically not carpeted, therefore they are slick. I promise I'll be careful to minimize my risk of falling and developing some sort of brain injury, which might me have to go on some sort of public assistance.
          Of course if that's okay with you? Please reply quickly
    • terrix, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2I think the reason its to be avoided is (much like the problems in Amish communities), it was probably common to keep the genetic line in a clan or family together so maybe once is okay, but if you kept doing it over and over (their kids married their respective cousins) and so on the change of genetic defects becoming more common in the genes increases.

      Wasn't their a high case of insanity within royalty and nobility not so long ago because they wanted to keep the bloodline pure.
  • Neticule, on 06/05/2008, -0/+5LOL I can't believe this got so many diggs :)
  • mattes5, on 06/05/2008, -4/+3The leading researcher for this has to have a thing for his cousin and is trying to justify it through science
    • opiniastrous, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2Well, science is usually pretty good at justifying things.
  • EmileVictor, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2This would've been golden if it was from the University of Hobart.
  • ChantryChantry, on 06/05/2008, -9/+1WHY IS THIS POPULAR?!
  • smbarnhart, on 06/05/2008, -3/+17Yeah the wedding would be a whole lot cheaper, only one set of family members.
  • wildmXranat, on 06/05/2008, -5/+1So the scientists should be the first to test their theory and see the outcome. Is Australia so low on possible matches that cousins have to be even considered. I know it's a continental island but jeez-louise.
  • kyleabcd, on 06/05/2008, -3/+1Why did it have to be Western Australia :(
    /stab
    • TheRealToma, on 06/05/2008, -0/+3Dont worry, its still just as boring with this piece of news.
      /me goes back to watching the Dockers fail.
    • HUKI365, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1lol I didnt know we had Sandgropers on Digg...
  • Trigeno, on 06/05/2008, -2/+25I have a sneaky suspicion that the original purpose of making a law forbidding relations between close relatives was merely a method (the lowly people) used to break the stranglehold of power held by ruling families and monarchy's. Also it made it more difficult to pass on from generation to generation wealth when you could not just keep the wealth within the family. The genetic problems were merely a coincidental tag along because many of those powerful families had serious problems to begin with that they kept in the family.
    • cadmiumpaint, on 06/05/2008, -1/+2i'm sure it was based in Judeo-Christian Law.
      • remccain, on 06/05/2008, -0/+7The Bible has a great deal to say about cousin marriage, and not once does it say anything negative. To the contrary, all references to cousin marriage in scripture are 100% supportive. In fact, the Catholic Dictionary finds that Christ's parents-- Joseph & Mary-- were first cousins. Protestants come to the same conclusion.

        So go ahead, call Jesus an inbred freak. I dare ya. ;)
        • hitkaiser, on 06/05/2008, -0/+6It gave him super powers... hmm he was onto something!
    • Gabberwok, on 06/05/2008, -0/+6Somehow I don't think that the inbreeding was helping the ruling classes... (Hemophilia anyone?) On top of that, I think that if the peasants ever tried to tell the King who he could and could not have sex with, they would probably find themselves short a head.

      Even the Pope couldn't keep Henry VIII from marrying Anne Boleyn, and just imagine how much sooner he might have split off the Church of England if the Catholic Church forbade him from having sex with anyone he wanted to, much less marry them.
    • Haoie, on 06/05/2008, -1/+4I agree. Arranged marriages among relatives was quite common way back when.

      They didn't want to 'dilute' the bloodline.
      • gwolf, on 06/05/2008, -0/+1I think it's more likely they didn't want to dilute their credit lines. Let's keep it in the Family, is an old saying born of very old economic strategies. It was and is a means to consolidate a family's wealth. Combining assets amongst wealthy family's that both benefit from the alliance was far more important than petty morality or the occasional mentally unstable offspring.

        Genetics is in the long run, however, like investing. It's better to diversify.
    • MaxwellK, on 06/05/2008, -0/+2I think not. First of all, ruling families are RULING families and so THEY make the law. The 'lowly people' have no means of limiting the monarchy's power by creating rules like that.

      Second of all, even if that were the case, marriage tends to bring people into the family, rather than removing them from the family, and so the property remains in the family anyway (at least when dowries aren't being paid, and even if it's a dowry-based system half the time - when the male of the family is getting married - they wouldn't be paid, and even then equivalent dowries would be received for their daughters so there's no real nett loss). So such a system has no basis in keeping property within a given family as there are means of outside-marriage that would still keep the property there.

      I'd say it's likely more likely a social thing amongst the upper classes - pure blood being better blood, and so on - without so much focus on property.
  • Sacstar, on 06/05/2008, -2/+1What do you want to bet that Bush had this report altered just to cover Cheney's ass!
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