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Comment Re:So.... (Score 1) 265

Two things.

1. A different possibly worse mosquito species may take over. We have all sorts of weird species from other continents introduced into the southern USA. If this attempt is to kill invasive species without introducing a new invasive species, maybe it is fine, as long as a worse species won't take over. If it is to kill native species, then it's a bad idea for certain.

2. Mosquitoes pollinate flowers. Nowadays everybody knows that only the females bite... and they only do so right before laying eggs. The rest of the time mosquitoes are busy pollinating flowers to plants everybody, human and animal, needs to survive. I'm not sure I'd want to see a huge change in pollination. Remember all the scares about honeybees dying out and all sorts of possible problems with pollination? Well mosquitoes are a huge part of the ecosystem in many places, like Florida. What are the risks?

Comment When can we use the word "dies" again? (Score 2) 73

Very sorry to hear that anyone dies, but death is part of life after all and there should be no shame in saying the word "dies". It bothers me that nobody likes to use the word "dies" or "dead" anymore, in U.S. pop culture at least. To me at least it seems like ever since that cheesy Crossing over with John Edwards show, everybody started using the word "passed" instead of "died". I know it's a terrible time for people close to those who die, but "passed" just sounds like an insult to the dead. At least say "passed away", which has dignity. "Passed" sounds like he passed gas, or drove by a diner on the highway, or something not at all sad or profound or dignified. Rant over.

Comment Video Games with Your Kids = Good Times (Score 1) 222

This guy didn't force his kid to do anything he didn't want to do... rtfa please. Instead, he is doing what I have done, to a much lesser degree, but just as pre-determined. I have seen if my two kids like video games, one particular does, and I let him try the older video games first. Space Invaders was his first game, like my own! I don't force him to play anything, but I slowly introduce him to old games that I liked, and normally he loves them. Castlevania is his new game this week! I help him out, discuss tactics, and generally bond with my kid. My daughter, who likes to watch video games but not so much plays, also enjoys joining in on the discussion and research in particular. My kids are 5 and 7. My son also enjoys some new video games, but I expressly avoid getting into any long time eating video games that seem unhealthy or generally "bad" for little kids. Both of my kids are also extremely athletic, social, and smart as can be, if I do say so myself. Video gaming is not screwing them up, thank you very much! But it does provide common ground and fun times!

Comment Re:I'm sorry (Score 1) 415

Yeah, screw renting hardware or software. Renting pretty much is a bad deal, always has been forever and ever ago and still is. Some people argue that big corporations lease plenty of things and it makes sense... yeah it makes sense when you just want short term profits and you are out the door when things go to hell. But yeah, Microsoft can kiss my ass over renting anything.

Comment Fonts that don't put bars on uppercase I and J (Score 1) 370

Any of these just really piss me off grandly. When you are typing one, two, and three word phrases, things are unclear. Passwords, unclear.

I
1
|
l

What did I just type at a quick glance? i, one, verticle bar, and L. Why not make this obvious in your damn font people?!

The J is just a pet peeve. What about "Z" or "E" or "F" or "5"? Just save time and get rid of that top bar, who needs it!

Comment Big Dinos Probably all had Scales (Score 1) 139

What's their definition of "most dinosaurs"? Maybe most as in, there was this one tiny feathered dinosaur that bred like rabbits and was everywhere? And do they mean "had feathers" as in had 3 tiny feathers on the top of a big lizardy dino head? Big dinos almost always had scales from what I've read. And perhaps size is part of is as is seen in recent animals and animals today... larger mammals have far far less fur except during the times of ice ages.

I found a couple of links that show scales, no feathers, of big dinosaurs. All this feather business is just hype.

http://blogs.discovermagazine....

The scale-like structures you see on dinosaur skin are known as called tubercles, and resemble the polygonal desiccation cracks that you might see on a dried up mud flat (because we all investigate sedimentary structures

http://www.amnh.org/exhibition...

Very little dinosaur skin fossilized, so what we know about sauropod skin comes from impressions made when it pressed into mud or sand that then hardened and turned to stone. These impressions show that sauropod skin had small bumps and scales that didn't overlap. Some sauropods had bony growths in the skin called osteoderms. But no sauropods had hair or feathers.

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