Official Off Topic Discussion Thread #1

[Cal Amari]

I have been a lifelong fan of Sir David, and his shows still account for probably half of my tv viewing. I am very familiar with his non interference principle, however the underlying reason I have always attributed to them being documentaries, and it's not truly documenting if you're interfering or manipulating the situation. I never thought it was part of his naturalist code. I could be wrong, just has always been my perception.

Maxims and ultimatums are really only good for speeches, not real life, and as in most other things I believe in moderation, compassion, and sympathy. I also believe every man should spend more time considering his own actions than others, and every man has to justify them to himself. For my part I have helped injured birds, removed baby rabbits from inside the fenced backyard where the dog runs free, remove slow moving or non biting insects from the house to the garden without squashing them etc, but have never risked more than a few scratches or small bites to help an animal. And I will still trap, kill, poison, or otherwise dispatch mice, spiders, centipedes, and other such invaders in my home with no particular malice or heartbreak.

 

[skjl47]

After that the birds started nesting in the newly exposed roof joists outside of where the cat can get at them.

Hello; I made a mistake in the above comment. Should be where the cat cannot get at the birds. Since i removed the soffit covers and blocked the gap between the roof joists the Robins can nest in safety.

 

[skjl47]

Auditors submitted 24 fake applications for subsidized health insurance. Only 1 was denied.

Government auditors tried to enroll 24 fictional people in health insurance plans offered via the Affordable Care Act exchanges. All but one was successful.

reason.com

Hello; Not a good read if you want things to stay as they have been. An extremely disturbing read if rampant fraud bothers you at all. Seems the GAO put in fake applications and all but one were approved. This in only one state. We are $38,000,000,000,000 in debt. Rating agencies have lowered the USA bonds in the last few years.

The border is closed for now. DOGE put a small dent in some areas of waste. May be that my SS will no longer be taxed but that remains to be seen. I could live with the tax on my SS since i have been doing such for 12 years if the monies went to pay down the debt. I get there are some things to question of late, tariffs being one, but there are so many positive things to be pleased about.
Saw yesterday that the onerous EPA MPG standards on ICE are to be rolled back to something doable. Gotta hope the no ICE sales mandates due in 2030 come to an end. I do hope stupid things such as cylinder deactivation can be removed from ICE engines.

 

[skjl47]

MSN

Hello; Afraid another fatal dog mauling. This time in TN but not close to my area. A grandfather and an infant killed, apparently by family dogs.

I do not have any conjecture as to what triggered the family dogs. I begin to have a theory connecting having too many dogs to the point they become a pack. I have never had more than two dogs at any one time. Usually only one.
My newest neighbor college student has three dogs. From time to time her mom visits bringing two more. Four of the five are large dogs. Golden retrievers & a lab. I have noted a change when all five are together. One retriever (moms dog) tends to growl at me sometimes when I am around the fence. The others tend to join in a bit.
I like to think the three who are around all the time would not join in an attack, but do not know for sure. When mom's dogs are gone the others show no sign of aggression.
Likely nothing will happen as the dogs do not try to get out of the fenced in yard and usually one of the owners is around. I take extra precautions anyway.