Page 29 of 280
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2016 3:34 pm
by Lowpe
Here is one of my favorite birds from the backyard feeder.
Brood parasitic. [X(]
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2016 3:43 pm
by Lowpe
ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
ORIGINAL: Lowpe
You haven't convinced me it isn't a Carolina...my Black Capped are much more buff around the breast currently. Read that however you want to.[:D]
Hummm - gymnasium, or implants?
I was wondering how long it would take for a comment like that...[;)]
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2016 3:49 pm
by geofflambert
Yes, I have pics of cowbirds from my backyard. Similar to the cuckoo (various species) they do not raise their young, but lay the eggs in the nests of other species so that they raise them. Some of the smarter "victims" recognize the imposter eggs and eject them or destroy them. Something in dispute is whether or not the young, like the young of the cuckoo, eject the eggs or hatched nestlings they find themselves with. I'm inclined to seek proof that they ever do, and I've seen evidence that at least they don't always do that.
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2016 3:52 pm
by geofflambert
ORIGINAL: Lowpe
Here is one of my favorite birds from the backyard feeder.
Brood parasitic. [X(]
That, by the way, is a male Cowbird. I suppose it should be called a Bullbird. Here's a pic of the female of the species.
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2016 3:55 pm
by geofflambert
Here's another
If I'm not mistaken, they got that name because they ride on the backs of cows (and horses, etc.) watching for insect prey (like horseflies, and hooray for the cowbird for that). If you've ever had a chunk of your hide removed by the bite of a horsefly, you know what I mean. They also prey on the flies attracted to the cow manure and the resulting maggots.
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2016 4:00 pm
by Lowpe
ORIGINAL: geofflambert
That, by the way, is a male Cowbird. I suppose it should be called a Bullbird. Here's a pic of the female of the species.
She looks to be nagging a little.[;)]
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2016 4:06 pm
by geofflambert
ORIGINAL: Lowpe
ORIGINAL: geofflambert
That, by the way, is a male Cowbird. I suppose it should be called a Bullbird. Here's a pic of the female of the species.
She looks to be nagging a little.[;)]
We can do without the misogyny, I think. [;)] By the way, I've thought of doing an AAR where I lie my derriere off about what's actually happening. I was going to title it "Britches in Heat".
Remember, Matrix Games would frown on any remarks about pantsuits here. So don't do it.
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2016 4:49 pm
by geofflambert
Totally OT but I've been having big problems with Google Maps lately. Is Google Maps trying to use Apple Maps to answer my requests? Here's an example.
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 7:52 am
by geofflambert
Here is the text of an email I sent to a couple of friends who would understand it. I'm posting it here because I realize that my existence is finite and that I have a finite number of people to communicate with. The meaning of it will likely not be clear to many of you unless you do a little digging. I'm thinking Hemingway would be proud of me. The reference to "Tyson" is to Neil deGrasse Tyson.
The thought:
-----Original Message-----
I just stumbled into Carmichael Numbers. Had never heard of them before. I remember in school being taught that we might be living in a "saddle-shaped" universe. I couldn't understand how the universe could have a shape, saddle or otherwise, without an outside point of reference. How to construct a wall (limit) between that which is and that which isn't? What would it be made of? I recently heard Tyson say out loud and unequivocally that the universe was infinite and that the "Big Bang" was just a large black hole exploding. I had thought this for a very long time but nobody would say that the Earth wasn't flat. I was thinking, and I'm just talking about the unwashed masses including myself, that we have treated infinity as though it was imaginary. It is inevitable and inescapable. There is nowhere to hide from it. What is imaginary and will always remain so is any idea of finity.
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 10:58 am
by Lecivius
ORIGINAL: geofflambert
Totally OT but I've been having big problems with Google Maps lately.
How can you be Off Topic in an Off Topic thread about things that are Off Topic?
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 12:38 pm
by BBfanboy
ORIGINAL: geofflambert
Here is the text of an email I sent to a couple of friends who would understand it. I'm posting it here because I realize that my existence is finite and that I have a finite number of people to communicate with. The meaning of it will likely not be clear to many of you unless you do a little digging. I'm thinking Hemingway would be proud of me. The reference to "Tyson" is to Neil deGrasse Tyson.
The thought:
-----Original Message-----
I just stumbled into Carmichael Numbers. Had never heard of them before. I remember in school being taught that we might be living in a "saddle-shaped" universe. I couldn't understand how the universe could have a shape, saddle or otherwise, without an outside point of reference. How to construct a wall (limit) between that which is and that which isn't? What would it be made of? I recently heard Tyson say out loud and unequivocally that the universe was infinite and that the "Big Bang" was just a large black hole exploding. I had thought this for a very long time but nobody would say that the Earth wasn't flat. I was thinking, and I'm just talking about the unwashed masses including myself, that we have treated infinity as though it was imaginary. It is inevitable and inescapable. There is nowhere to hide from it. What is imaginary and will always remain so is any idea of finity.
The map search was for a street view of your home? Clearly you have found the black hole that you crawled out of, so the people saying a black hole is inescapable are wrong! Maybe it's that cool collar/bandolier that you are wearing.
So, can you observe the saddle-shaped universe from your infinitely deep black hole?
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 6:17 pm
by Orm
I wonder if there is different definitions on what the universe is... And if the definition changes with the different creation theories.
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 2:26 am
by BBfanboy
ORIGINAL: Orm
I wonder if there is different definitions on what the universe is... And if the definition changes with the different creation theories.
Not just one universe - some scientists working in the sub-atomic world of quarks have postulated that there could be 11 parallel universes, each dominated by one of the known quarks. Ours is dominated by the gravity particle which makes matter possible.
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 2:40 am
by MuguNiner
My universe is dominated by the IPA particle.
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 2:43 am
by BBfanboy
ORIGINAL: MuguNiner
My universe is dominated by the IPA particle.
[:D]
A golden tasty one then! Must be the heaven universe. Cheers!
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 10:06 am
by geofflambert
So, (I hate it when people start sentences with the word "So", but it is perfectly acceptable for gorns to do so) I have hummingbird feeders in my back yard.
They worked perfectly in the spring but at some point honey bees discovered them. One of them is "bee proof" and indeed, as far as I can see their tongues (or glossi) cannot reach the artificial nectar. But they know it is there and spend some effort trying anyway. The hummingbirds have a very negative view of sharing with honey bees and often just fly off without a feed.
So, (there I go again) I decided to try using bird waterers filled with sugar water to distract them away from the hummingbird feeders. So, that kinda worked, I guess, but attracted a lot more bees. Here is a clip of those bees after they have sucked a waterer free of sugar water.
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 10:17 am
by geofflambert
You can see that there are bees inside the vessel hunting for sugar water. So, anyway, last evening I went out and exchanged the empty vessel with a loaded one. I take a flashlight to make sure there are no bees, but wear gloves anyway because I got stung once.
So, anyway, the dawn hour arrived this a.m. and I could see that the bees were already swarming the waterer. So, what I couldn't see til it got a bit lighter was that they had already drained it completely and there were bees inside the vessel. Nocturnal bees!?! So, who knew that? Not me. We're talking over 8oz of sugar water gone, just like that!
So, anyway, here's a pic of part of my backyard so you can see the setup.
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 11:22 am
by Lecivius
I try to help pollinators myself, but all I draw are wasps [:(]
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 1:22 pm
by geofflambert
Those white Anglo-Saxon people are really pesky. Try floating rotten eggs in a pail of vinegar to ward them off. Did you know that the word vespa which is related to the English word wasp actually refers to hornets, not wasps?
Incidentally, I did not get that tip about the rotten eggs from Martha Stewart.
RE: OT Things to ponder
Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 4:28 pm
by Macclan5
ORIGINAL: Lecivius
I try to help pollinators myself, but all I draw are wasps [:(]
Actually I had issues as well.
We grow lots of wildflowers in and about the yard now. We live near a conservation area where the bee's are being helped and supported by the municipality and some very sincere minded volunteers.
But as i did it I ended getting a lot of Wasps (or Hornets? What is the difference?).
I put up those silly paper "fake" Wasp nests that were inexpensive from i.e. Canadian Tire (perhaps Home Depot or Walmart in USA).
It didn't stop 100% but it was surprisingly effective.
http://reviews.canadiantire.ca/9045/059 ... eviews.htm
Your milage may vary as lots of people say they are a waste of money.