Pando

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pando_%28tree%29

How did I not know about this? All those classes about biology, all those Childcraft books, all that random reading about strange facts, and watching of nature shows about odd animals and plants, why in all of this did NOBODY ever tell me that aspens clone? I remember reading about the clone system that trees have on Sphynx in the Honor Harrington books and thinking it was a very neat alien touch! But it's not all that alien if trees on earth do it! I knew lots of herbacious plants did this, but I had no idea that trees did.

Does the fact that I think it's totally awesome that groves of aspens are often just one aspen cloning itself makes me too much of a geek? But it is! You're standing in the middle of a bunch of trees, but they're all one tree! Like standing in the middle of a bunch of clone troopers. Only trees.

(And it's from Utah! I'm from Utah! I used to live within reasonable driving distance of Pando, and I didn't even know it! Heck, I've been to aspen groves that were probably clone colonies, and I had no idea! Clones!)

Inquiry

Moderating. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it. Lately I feel as though a couple of places I'm on are over-moderated. Or over zealously moderated, or something. In fact I've left one board over it, because getting your posts locked and deleted any time you dare actually have a disagreement with somebody gets old really fast.

But I'm curious to know if this is just me, or if others agree that you can have too much modding as well as too little. So! Poll time.

[Poll #923538]

It's a sticky situation. But I'll tell you that from my own point of view, getting your posts deleted is FRUSTRAING. Especially when you didn't mean to say anything that was offensive at all. In the latest case the mod did contact me and let me know why my post was deleted, which was good, but I would have MUCH preferred being contacted and asked to edit it myself, rahter that just having it summarily removed.

If I didn't spend time on the internet...

...I would quit getting into arguments with people.

...I would quit getting hurt by the assumptions of those I hardly know and who hardly know me, but judge me based on a few lines of text.

...I wouldn't be betrayed by those I thought of as friends, who then prove to be otherwise.

...I would get a lot more work done!

But if I didn't spend time on the internet...

...I wouldn't have discussions with people at all.

...I wouldn't have the chance to share my opinions.

...I wouldn't have met most of the friends I do have.

...I wouldn't have a business, so there would be no work to get done.

Damned if I do, damned if I don't, I guess.

A little humor.

Since I hate posting nothing but woe and depression. I didn't make this one up, I just pass it along, as I know some of you reading will appreciate it.

Why technical people get paid less than managers.
Engineers, Scientists, and Technicians almost never make as much money as business executives.

Let’s see a rigorous mathematical proof that explains why this is true:

Postulate 1: Knowledge is Power.

Postulate 2: Time is Money.

As every engineer knows, Power = Work/Time

Since Knowledge = Power, and Time = Money, we have Knowledge = Work/Money

Solving for Money, we get: Money = Work/Knowledge

Thus, as Knowledge approaches zero, Money approaches infinity regardless of the Work done.

Conclusion: The Less you Know, The More you Make.