tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post8588643398263700550..comments2024-03-29T06:26:52.163-05:00Comments on Althouse: "Malaria is spread by mosquitoes. I brought some. Here, I'll let them roam around – there is no reason only poor people should be infected."Ann Althousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01630636239933008807noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-40945445181254572152009-02-06T11:56:00.000-06:002009-02-06T11:56:00.000-06:00"Methadras said... The largest mosquitoes I've eve...<I>"Methadras said... <BR/>The largest mosquitoes I've ever seen was when I was in Minnesota. Jesus they are huge. Huge, I tell you."</I><BR/><I><BR/>"Jess said... <BR/>Heh. I have a large belt buckle with a relief sculpture of a mosquito the size of a California Condor swiping some fisherman's catch. The legend on the buckle: Alaskan State Bird."</I><BR/><BR/>I feel the need to further derail things :). I once heard a joke from a Floridian: "There are two types of mosquitos around here. Ones small enough to squeeze under a screen door, and ones big enough to open them." <BR/><BR/>LOL... nothing like the State Mosquito Hyperbole Pissing Contest to liven the day. :DTiborehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07360541843865827271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-78178941348915438112009-02-06T10:22:00.000-06:002009-02-06T10:22:00.000-06:00Michael H.... I've got nothing against the man's c...Michael H.... I've got nothing against the man's company. I've been a Microsoft customer for a long time (though I think some of their practices have been monopolistic).<BR/><BR/>And I acknowledge, certainly, that the Gates Foundation has spent a lot of money trying to do good things.<BR/><BR/>But that still doesn't give a man who lives the kind of luxury and consumes the amount of resources Bill Gates consumes the right to chastise or criticize others for not sufficiently understanding the plight of poor people.<BR/><BR/>I didn't mock him for the work of his Foundation, I criticized him for his arrogance and self-righteousness.PatHMVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15542719040606654134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-51157875602359445522009-02-06T00:38:00.001-06:002009-02-06T00:38:00.001-06:00Blogger rhhardin said... Mrs. Gates keeps her f...Blogger rhhardin said...<BR/><BR/> Mrs. Gates keeps her fingers busy knitting for the Poles.<BR/> 4:49 PM <BR/><BR/>is it Poles? PerhapsNichevohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12591460407621898458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-996261366655394892009-02-06T00:38:00.000-06:002009-02-06T00:38:00.000-06:00I'd say that was at least a three-shoe offense.I'd say that was at least a three-shoe offense.Nichevohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12591460407621898458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-74205999747942269362009-02-05T22:04:00.000-06:002009-02-05T22:04:00.000-06:00LOL Wussy America has definitely arrived."Omigod, ...LOL Wussy America has definitely arrived.<BR/><BR/>"Omigod, mosquitos! AHHHH!"Freeman Hunthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16202310075717963694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-31116118718553128252009-02-05T21:58:00.000-06:002009-02-05T21:58:00.000-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.Freeman Hunthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16202310075717963694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-27097576874938433022009-02-05T21:29:00.000-06:002009-02-05T21:29:00.000-06:00material richness totally screws the mind.putz.material richness totally screws the mind.<BR/><BR/>putz.Patmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17884455503379229264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-13196617886788864212009-02-05T21:26:00.000-06:002009-02-05T21:26:00.000-06:00And people say software engineers can lack social ...And people say software engineers can lack social skills!<BR/><BR/>Sort of o/t, but I find the biology of malaria absolutely fascinating. I try to imagine how plasmodium figured out how to live the way it did. And the human response (sickle cell): equally fascinating.MadisonManhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01212179466758420208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-73918734670010609932009-02-05T21:18:00.000-06:002009-02-05T21:18:00.000-06:00Franco wins this thread. Screens! LMAO!Franco wins this thread. Screens! LMAO!Donna B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16771075314473811594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-54086951389210397902009-02-05T20:06:00.000-06:002009-02-05T20:06:00.000-06:00How is this so different from:1 - saying "Rich whi...How is this so different from:<BR/><BR/>1 - saying "Rich white men don't have to worry about gun violence.<BR/><BR/>2 - pulling out a handgun<BR/><BR/>3 - pointing it at the audience<BR/><BR/>4 - firing blanks<BR/><BR/>5 - telling people: "LOL JK it was just blanks don't be a drama queen"<BR/><BR/>???<BR/><BR/>This was an intentional tort. Punitive damages. Based on his net worth. Bill Gates' net worth.<BR/><BR/>I'm touching myself just thinking about it.Darylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10538069201622292752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-25524016242968643182009-02-05T19:36:00.000-06:002009-02-05T19:36:00.000-06:00Methadras a écrit: The largest mosquitoes I've eve...Methadras a écrit:<BR/><I> The largest mosquitoes I've ever seen was when I was in Minnesota. Jesus they are huge. Huge, I tell you.</I><BR/><BR/>-<BR/>Heh. I have a large belt buckle with a relief sculpture of a mosquito the size of a California Condor swiping some fisherman's catch. The legend on the buckle: Alaskan State Bird.Jesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11674810900156471453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-25465164141753287592009-02-05T19:28:00.000-06:002009-02-05T19:28:00.000-06:00When he starts living in a 3BR, 2BA house in a nor...<I>When he starts living in a 3BR, 2BA house in a normal suburb, then he can lecture the rest of us about selfishness.</I><BR/><BR/>By all accounts, the Gates Foundation has done wonderful and generous things for people around the world, especially those who suffer from preventable disease and those without safe drinking water. Mock Gates, if you will, for all things Microsoft, but to ridicule him for the work his foundation does is nonsense.<BR/><BR/>Gates's point in releasing the mosquitoes was simple and elegantly made. We take for granted the conditions in which we live, conditions not available to people in the poorest parts of the world. <BR/><BR/>And frankly, he was poking at the insane ban against using DDT to kill mosquitoes and reduce or end malaria in parts of Africa and South America because of 'envrionmentalist' activism. It's a safe bet most of those who fought for the DDT ban have never been, and never will be, in parts of the world where prevention of malaria is a way to save lives.<BR/><BR/>I'm not a Gates fan, having suffered through early versions of his software. But I bought it of my own free will when other software would have done just fine. Despite that, I greatly admire hos Gates is using his wealth to make the lives of other people better, rather than spending it on foolish and self-indulgent causes.Michael Hazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14139261384414481528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-40355240590546532472009-02-05T19:24:00.000-06:002009-02-05T19:24:00.000-06:00Imagine what would happen if you went to his palac...Imagine what would happen if you went to his palac..er, home, and released some cockroaches to make some political point.<BR/><BR/>So far this year's theme is "Rich people who don't have a clue." <BR/><BR/>These here are poverty times.George M. Spencerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07818413936028778734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-82358444276735475522009-02-05T19:07:00.000-06:002009-02-05T19:07:00.000-06:00Correction of my earlier statement, that would be ...Correction of my earlier statement, that would be East, not West, African mosquitoes that spread Rift Valley Fever. Back to your regularly scheduled program....Christyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12623422545436294378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-85666057324242010782009-02-05T18:54:00.000-06:002009-02-05T18:54:00.000-06:00Even if they had malaria, it still wouldn't have b...Even if they had malaria, it still wouldn't have been as bad as that time he released <A HREF="http://xkcd.com/528/" REL="nofollow">Windows Vista</A>.Jason (the commenter)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16045360562791361484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-15837957501558946942009-02-05T18:48:00.000-06:002009-02-05T18:48:00.000-06:00in CA, you can't drive into the state without pass...in CA, you can't drive into the state without passing a border crossing manned by the dept of agriculture. they will take any fresh fruit from you to prevent you brining any insects or larvae in that might damage crops or livestock. <BR/><BR/>west nile kills people and horses, a lot of horses. and the people who west nile doesn't kill end up very ill for months, sometimes years. it's devastating.<BR/><BR/>did gates break several laws bringing those squitos in? put him in jail.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-34386559807658912332009-02-05T18:38:00.000-06:002009-02-05T18:38:00.000-06:00Paul Snively said... A jar of mosquitoes? For G...<I>Paul Snively said...<BR/><BR/> A jar of mosquitoes? For God's good sake, if he wants to expose people to mosquitoes, just give 'em tickets to where I from from (southern Indiana) in July or August for a weekend.</I><BR/><BR/>The largest mosquitoes I've ever seen was when I was in Minnesota. Jesus they are huge. Huge, I tell you.Methadrashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07828014989470539375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-24611700649423019452009-02-05T18:23:00.000-06:002009-02-05T18:23:00.000-06:00That really is outrageous.That really is outrageous.reader_iamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17352836883752091339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-72635105209600117172009-02-05T18:15:00.001-06:002009-02-05T18:15:00.001-06:00I don't think any of you lawyer types understand t...I don't think any of you lawyer types understand the geek mind. Which is probably why you weren't at the conference in the first place.chuck b.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00882763861745236443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-10170081271321068842009-02-05T18:15:00.000-06:002009-02-05T18:15:00.000-06:00And we can thank Bill and his buddies who supporte...And we can thank Bill and his buddies who supported all the enviros who campaigned against DDT for all the deaths from malaria over the years. The regular people in the US were never consulted on this. It was the enviros and their buddies who got the bills passed that stopped DDT and now their current groups are complaining about malaria.dickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08976498133597991337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-25668947006573938222009-02-05T18:09:00.000-06:002009-02-05T18:09:00.000-06:00Jeremy: +1Jeremy: +1Bissagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04439910009646381418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-34615047880133150752009-02-05T18:08:00.000-06:002009-02-05T18:08:00.000-06:00Where did the mosquitoes come from? If they were ...Where did the mosquitoes come from? If they were local, that's fine. But did he bring some back on his private jet from Africa? Would that be illegal? It should be. Gates couldn't be that dumb, could he?<BR/><BR/>There are genetic differences in mosquitoes from tropical and subtropical regions that affect their ease in spreading disease. North American mosquitoes fed on infected hamsters in one study I read, for example, didn't pass on the Rift Valley fever virus that their West African cousins do. Last thing we need are a non-native species getting a foothold in California.Christyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12623422545436294378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-29459050426752687572009-02-05T18:04:00.000-06:002009-02-05T18:04:00.000-06:00Exactly, Richard. So Bill is being either disingen...Exactly, Richard. So Bill is being either disingenuous or uninformed when he says, "more money was being spent finding a cure for baldness than developing drugs to combat malaria."<BR/><BR/>We have a way to combat malaria. We just don't want to use it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-81643547093207298132009-02-05T18:00:00.000-06:002009-02-05T18:00:00.000-06:00Yes, class-factotum, DDT does a superb job of kill...Yes, class-factotum, DDT does a superb job of killing mosquitoes. It does so for extended time, even in very small amounts and when applied only to the interior walls of dwellings. When properly used in such manner it won't end up in the soil and water.<BR/><BR/>If we hadn't totally banned its manufacture and use (as contrasted with only banning clearly unsafe uses like crop dusting) malaria might already be eradicated.Richard Faginhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00578733720191838363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-84653175771718583632009-02-05T17:58:00.000-06:002009-02-05T17:58:00.000-06:00Releasing bugs on an unsuspecting public and leavi...Releasing bugs on an unsuspecting public and leaving them vulnerable to viruses is what Gates has been doing his who career.<BR/><BR/>Waka waka waka.Jeremyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14135112906704619414noreply@blogger.com