Recent Comments

1. 1 day ago on Frazz

   Canoes are harder to lift on top of a car. Ours has been gathering dust in the garage.

2. 1 day ago on Frazz

   One huge disadvantage: leg cramps.

3. 2 days ago on PreTeena

   That’s one reason my daughters and I don’t wear bikinis.

4. 4 days ago on Dilbert Classics

   Tell him NoSQL is the wave of the future. Then hand him some random XML.

5. 4 days ago on Calvin and Hobbes

   When our eldest was in middle school, we paid her a set amount for making honor roll each semester, plus a bonus for every ‘A’. It was a mistake. It did what we wanted, which was to get her to care about doing her homework. Unfortunately, it also gave her a lot of issues with perfectionism, anxiety, and an all-or-nothing mentality. We’ll have to find a better approach now that our youngest is in middle school.

6. 4 days ago on FoxTrot Classics

   I put my daughter’s pet rats under her blankets sometimes. It worked, kind of. She woke up, but playing with the ratties was more fun than getting up.

7. 5 days ago on Cathy

   Oh, and the above-the-knee boots are mostly for fashion purposes. They were popular in Europe for male riders in the 15th to 19th centuries for the same reason as chaps. They are still used in some cavalry units for tradition.

8. 5 days ago on Cathy

   The short answer is that the difference benefits the rider, not the horse. The long answer (below) is that the differences are due to differences between English and Western riding.

   The equestrian boots are for the English style of riding, while cowboy boots are used in Western riding. The saddle styles are different between English and Western riding, and so are the riding disciplines. Tall boots protect the leg from pinching and chafing from the saddle leathers and stirrups, but at a cost of flexibility. The cowboy boot allows more flexibility than the English riding boot, which is essential for many Western-style riding disciplines. English riding is generally more formal.

   Western saddles usually have long fenders which protect the upper calf from pinching against the stirrup leathers. English saddles are lighter and have much shorter flaps. Jeans are also more sturdy than English riding pants. Some riders also use low paddock boots or jodhpurs. They maximize flexibility, but can lead to chafing if worn without chaps.

   Historically, cowboys also needed the stiff and sturdy upper part of their boots to protect from brambles and snakebites. Most also wore chaps to protect their legs from tall brush (the inner calf was also protected). English riding boots have thinner leather for their more formal environment. Modern Western riding is usually restricted to the arena and well-groomed trails, but snake-proof boots and chaps are still available.

9. 5 days ago on Arlo and Janis

   It seems to be widespread information. National Geographic and WildCatsSanctuary.org say the same thing. According to them, “In big cats- – lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars- – a length of tough cartilage runs up the hyoid bones to the skull. This feature prevents purring but also gives the larynx enough flexibility to produce a full- throated roar.” Mountain lions and cheetahs can purr, so they are not classified as big cats.

   There is apparently some scientific debate about whether larger cats can purr. The leopard in the video is only making a purring sound when it exhales, while smaller cats purr on both inhale and exhale. https://www.sciencealert.com/these-are-the-largest-cats-known-to-purr

10. 5 days ago on Sarah's Scribbles

    Tough, strong, and brittle apparently.