Re: CRAP Poll: My Mouse Is...

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> looked up from reading the
entrails of the porn spammer to utter  "The Augury is good, the signs
say:

On Sun, 2 Jun 2024 19:10:05 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07
<candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> wrote:
>

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote at 20:57 this Friday (GMT):

On Thu, 30 May 2024 14:23:11 -0400, Xocyll <Xocyll@gmx.com> wrote:
>

Steven Thomsen-Jones <pika.banyan7805@eagereverest.com> looked up from
reading the entrails of the porn spammer to utter  "The Augury is good,
the signs say:
>
<snip>

*I understand the correct pluralisation of mouse for computers is
'mouses' rather than mice, as that only applies to the animal. Not sure
anyone cares about that though :D

>
Next up, someone will insist it's really Mousii.

>
I always call them 'mooses'. One mouse, many mooses. No, it doesnt'
really make much sense. But I'm odd that way. ;-)

>
>
Neat. I don't think I've ever seen a moose before.

>
We're getting a bit far afield from the topic (but what the hell, how
much can you actually talk about computing pointing devices anyway?
;-) but moose are really a sight to see. Typically the word 'majestic'
is used in regard to elk, but I don't think it really applies. They
gawky, ungainly, and sort of silly looking animals.

Elk are just funny looking Deer.  The Moose on the other hand is the
Clint Eastwood of animals, you know just by looking, "do not mess with".

I still remember a canoe/camping trip where we had to idle offshore for
about an hour cause there was a moose, right at the entry to the portage

But damn, if they
aren't BIG! Not so much in terms of mass but, rather, it's surprising
how tall they are. They aren't, actually, much taller than people but
they have such long, skinny legs that a lot of their body is held up
much higher above the ground than other, similar ungulants like deer
or horses. It makes them FEEL much larger and taller than they really
are.

And it also means if you hit one with a car, you DIE, period, since
those skinny legs snap easily and that massive body comes in your
windshield.

In my (admittedly limited) experience, they're also incredibly shy
creatures which, given their size, feels weird and uncharacteristic.
You'd think a creature that big would be more aggressive and less
self-effacing! That behavior, combined with their long faces and
almost rabbit-like ears, is why they seem so amusing in nature. Still,
I wouldn't want to be on the bad side of one of those critters.
>
But beyond that first impression, moose aren't really that
interesting. They're essentially deer, except without the fun flighty
nature. They move ponderously (although they can get up to a
not-insignicant speed eventually, and all that mass moving at thirty
kmh isn't anything to laugh at. They'll wreck your car if you hit
one... or they hit you!).

A funny store I collected from another newsgroup many years back, mostly
about a wolverine, but there was a moose too:

"A friend was deployed to the Philippines some years ago, was somewhat
concerned about jungles full of poisonous snakes, and happened to
mention this concern in the hearing of a local, who was shocked that my
friend wasn't *happy* to be out of those dangerous Canadian woods and
into some nice safe jungles.

This fellow had apparently been present some time earlier when three
donated animals had been taken by ferry to a zoo on another island
there;
a moose and a wolverine were arriving from Canada, and a Bengal tiger
was arriving from wherever they come from.  The locals knew about
building bamboo shipping cages that'd safely hold a tiger, and had built
two more, one extra large, for the others.

Apparently the wolverine got seasick, decided it wanted out, ripped away
one of the bamboo bars with its teeth, got out, fell overboard, was
fished out and recaged, then the tiger made the error of growling at the
wolverine, at which point it ripped through both cages and partway into
the tiger.  At this point they got out the trank gun and stopped the
wolverine.  Meanwhile, the moose got caught up in all this excitement
and burst out of its cage, attacking some of the cars on the ferry.

With a fair bit of veterinary care, they were able to save the tiger.
These people now *fear* Canadian wildlife."

Xocyll