John Dirks Jr Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 I am wondering why they didn't just remove the spider. I took this with my cell phone. Suppose she hatches little babies that migrate towards the house that is 10 yards away? The house where the little children live. Image Insert: 59.1 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonOfSwamp Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 Originally posted by AHI I am wondering why they didn't just remove the spider. I took this with my cell phone. Suppose she hatches little babies that migrate towards the house that is 10 yards away? The house where the little children live. Image Insert: 59.1 KB Killing and/or moving bugs has no meaningful effect. Cecil Adams, author of The Straight Dope, explains here: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_022.html WJid="blue"> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepefrio Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 When I saw the subject line, I thought you were PMing my wife..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 Walter, Where do you find this stuff. The piece has words that I've not seen lately on inspector forums! Good stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonOfSwamp Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Originally posted by Les Walter, Where do you find this stuff. The piece has words that I've not seen lately on inspector forums! Good stuff. Thanks. If co-inspector Rick were here, he'd tell you that I am a fountain of useless-but-fascinating information. Poor Rick spent 14 years with me, often explaining to people (while I'm out of earshot) that, yes, I'm like that all the time, no, he doesn't know where I get this stuff, but I do seem to have an inexhaustible supply of it. As you know, I've been writing for an alternative paper for more than 12 years. (I think I'm now the Scene's longest-lasting columnist.) Anyhow, if I'm going to invent a story a week, I must spend several hours a day tracking down the incongruent, the dissonant, the repugnant and the inspiring. FYI, I have cited Cecil Adams many times, especially when dealing with HI customers. It helped my HI career, I think, to explain to people that there are certain conditions -- Sisyphusean tasks -- that overcome all human or superhuman effort to change them. I've given the "fly supply" speech many times. And then there's the, "Everything at your house will last about as long as a dog," speech. I'm also blessed by the counsel of people who are way smarter than me. One day, you ought to meet my smarty-pants lawyer (SPL) Jean. She translated Dante's Inferno into English, just for kicks. If Jean and Pete Engle got into a staring contest, I think the universe might implode. Doncha love thread drift, WJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHI in AR Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Originally posted by Walter ...I must spend several hours a day tracking down the incongruent, the dissonant, the repugnant and the inspiring. WJ Hours a day? Why? Seems to me ya got it all right here... OK, maybe it's a little light on the inspiring part. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 I've given the "fly supply" speech many times. While the number of baby maggots is big, my cursory running of the data suggests that Cecil did not remember that flies die. So the actual number of flies should end up being roughly 1/12 of his prediction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 That's why Chad is an inspector. Still more flies than I want in my ointment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonOfSwamp Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Originally posted by Chad Fabry I've given the "fly supply" speech many times. While the number of baby maggots is big, my cursory running of the data suggests that Cecil did not remember that flies die. So the actual number of flies should end up being roughly 1/12 of his prediction. OK. But his final verdict was that at any given time, there are about as many flies as there can be. As flies die, so shall they be born. It's kinda the inverse of the monkey/typewriters/Shakespeare thing. WJid="blue"> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisprickett Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 I once ate a hamburger that was full of maggots. Probably killed about 200. In case you're wondering, I just assumed I was eating a Lipton's Onion Soup Burger, until I felt the squirming in my mouth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric B Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 I'm quite sure that if I ever met Cecil our conversation would be exceptionally brief. One of us would be on a completely different wave length than the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonOfSwamp Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Originally posted by Eric B I'm quite sure that if I ever met Cecil our conversation would be exceptionally brief. One of us would be on a completely different wave length than the other. True that. In my humble experience, HIs and professional humorists are not simpatico. Most of the HIs can't write a lick, and the humorists can't change a light bulb. Present company excepted, of course... WJid="blue"> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dirks Jr Posted January 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Doncha love thread drift, I'm happy to provide the platform[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erby Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Dry, dry, dry, but some funny stuff, if you get it! Wonder if that's why the human population is still increasing. Kinda dispiriting to know there's still room for more morons! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian G Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 If I may harken back to the original topic, I have to agree with John. I don't believe you can reasonably compare house flies to black widows, either in terms of the treat presented or the natural population threshold. Flies are absolutely everywhere and they multiply like mad; black widows, not so much. I'd kill that spider, and any like it I found in or around my house. Silly me. [:-dunce] Brian G. Poisonous Spider Bad! [:-propell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dirks Jr Posted January 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 I used to never kill spiders untill I saw results of bites from critters such as the brown recluse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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