Bill W

Some male orb-weaver spiders castrate themselves by detaching their penis-like pedipalps after mating. A male spider has two sperm-transferring organs called pedipalps, and he often leaves one or both of them behind in the female's reproductive tract to serve as a "genital plug". The practice, sometimes called the "eunuch phenomenon," provides several advantages for the male and his offspring: Continued insemination: In certain species, the detached pedipalp continues to transfer sperm into the female for an extended period, maximizing the male's paternity. Prevention of remarriage: The severed palp or parts of it can effectively block the female's reproductive opening, preventing her from mating again with rival males. Enhanced defense: Some "eunuch" males who survive the mating process become more agile and aggressive fighters without the weight of their pedipalps. This helps them fend off other males and defend the female to protect his investment. Increased mating success: In some cases, the male will sever his own pedipalp to end copulation with a cannibalistic female and escape being eaten. A high-risk mating strategy This "gloves-off" strategy is not without peril. In many orb-weaver species, males risk being eaten by the much larger female during or after copulation. The detachable pedipalps, which are used only for mating, allow the male to invest completely in a single reproductive event, even if it means sacrificing his body. It is important to remember that not all orb-weaver species engage in this extreme behavior. Mating strategies and outcomes vary greatly across the many types of spiders.

Yikes! Do it grow a new one or is that it for the sex?

Proponent comes from Latin proponere "put forth, set forth, lay out, display, expose to view," figuratively "set before the mind; resolve; intend, design," from pro "before" + ponere "to put". According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the word "proponent" was first used in English in 1588 in the writings of Abraham Fraunce, a poet and lawyer. Example of "proponent" in a sentence: "She is the most high-profile proponent of a theory that video games have the power to heal." "Is becoming an Eagle Scout a waste of time and energy? Not at all, say its proponents." "He was a leading proponent of a rational, sensible approach." "There, he was an early proponent of the armed attack helicopter." "The mayor is a strong proponent of recycling."

Atrocious comes from Latin atrox, atroc- ‘fierce, savage, or cruel’ + the suffix "-ious". According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest evidence for the word "atrocious" in English dates to 1669 in the writings of Andrew Honyman. Another source notes had an earlier date of 1604, but there was no source material to tie it to.. Examples of "atrocious" used in a sentence: "In practice, this meant all but the most atrocious offenses got mere wrist slaps." "The people who are committing these atrocious acts are few, but they are mainly foreigners." "The food here is atrocious." "The judge said he had committed atrocious crimes against women." "The treatment of the prisoners by their captors is atrocious and breaks all international laws.

Platycryptus undatus Tan jumping spiders can be identified by their mottled tan coloration, thin bodies and chevron patterning on their abdomens. The tan jumping spider's thin body allows them to hide themselves under the loosened bark of trees and in other tight places. The prominent chevron-like pattern on their abdomens serves to break up their visual profile and make them more difficult to distinguish on mottled surfaces.[3][2] Females of this species are between 10 and 13 mm in body length, and males range from 8.5 to 9.5 mm.[2] Tan jumping spiders, like many jumping spider species, prefer to hunt on vertical surfaces and can frequently be found on the trunks of trees or on the walls of buildings. These spiders are not inclined to bite, though they can deliver a defensive bite if they are pinched or squeezed. Eggs are laid and hatch during the summer, and adults and other stages overwinter in their individual silken shelters. Although the shelters are built separately and keep the spiders out of direct contact with each other, Kaston reports that as many as fifty spiders may crowd their shelters for hibernation together, so tightly that they form a continuous blanket under the loose bark of a standing tree.[4] Distribution Adult male Platycryptus undatus can be found in North and Central America. The distribution of this species ranges from the Eastern States and adjacent Canada, to Texas and Wisconsin.[5][page needed] This species is also found in northern Mexico.[citation needed]

That's because I didn't know Myr was going to post this today. I was just trying to be thorough.

Not quite: yesterday was complement with an e, and today's word is compliment with an i.

Compliment comes from French compliment (noun), complimenter (verb), or it may have come from the Italian word complimento, or the Spanish word complimento. both meaning a courteous greeting or an expression of respect and admiration. All three were derived from Latin complementum, ‘completion, fulfillment’. The English word compliment, meaning an expression of praise or admiration, was first recorded between 1570 and 1580. However, it was initially spelled and often conflated with its sibling word, complement. However, according to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the distinct spelling of the noun "compliment" first appeared in English around 1655 in the writings of Harmond L'Estrange, and the verb form first appeared around 1663 in the work of Abraham Crowlley. Examples of "compliment" used in a sentence: "He has never paid me a compliment. "I try to graciously accept both compliments and criticism." "They complimented me on the way I looked each time they saw me." "Firstly I compliment you on most of your excellent Spring issue of 'Triangle'. "On the one hand, I got a nice compliment from a reader." "You can also compliment your loved one on how smart he or she is." "They all would make comments to compliment my outfit of the day." "Ask yourself what people tend to compliment you on the most." Don't forget: complement with an e means to enhance, while compliment with an i means in praise of.

Yes, any smart store owner would have used a dollar sign ($) and placed a decimal and two zeros after the amount ($1500.00) he was asking for the card, so there was no confusion. The store owner should have lost any legal action he'd taken against the young buyer, because it wasn't his fault that neither he or the young store clerk made that mistake. The same thing would have been true for any legal action the store owner's might have taken the teenage employee who'd accidentally sold it for $15.00 as well, due to his careless marking of the amount.

Yes, Lee, there are all sorts of possibilities with the baseball cards and I'm researching the various scenarios to see what I might decide to go with. It's an interesting trip down memory lane for me, since I was collecting baseball cards during that same time period, Unfortunately, the two shoeboxes that contained my baseball card collection got damaged and tossed out without my knowledge, due to severe water damage and mold. Yes, it's difficult to take a lifetime of accumulating objects and collecting things with you when you move. That situation is aggravated when you're moving to a location that very far away from your current home, so many cherished memories are either sold, given away, or tossed out when you weed down what you bring with you. I've moved several times and it's never easy, but it's also not feasible, for various reasons, to take it all. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

Maybe there were more spiders around the back of the fridge.

The word "complement" comes from the Latin word complementum, meaning "that which fills up or completes". It derives from complere ("to fill up"), itself from the intensive prefix com- and the verb plere ("to fill"), ultimately stemming from the PIE root pele- meaning "to fill". Complement (with an "e") is a noun for something that completes or enhances another, or a verb meaning to complete or enhance. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the noun complement was first used in English in the Middle English period (1150-1500) with the earliest evidence from 1398 in a translation by John Trevisa. The entry notes that the earliest recorded use for the verb complement was in 1617. Examples of "complement" in a sentence: "The wine complements the meal very nicely." "Nicky and Kai complement each other well when they work as a team." "Abdul's technical knowledge complemented Sarah's writing skills." "Following the recent recruitment drive, we now have a full complement of staff." "The buzz she enjoyed inside the classroom was complemented by her love of sport, especially in combat." "Overnight, grassroots efforts that once complemented federal work have taken on outsized urgency." "We complemented each other along the way," she said. Don't confuse complement (with an "e") with compliment (with an "i")! Complement (with an "e") is a noun for something that completes or enhances another, or a verb meaning to complete or enhance. Compliment (with an "i") is a noun for praise or admiration, or a verb for expressing praise. Remember: Complement with an "e" means "enhance", and compliment with an "i" means "in praise".

Whatever happens to Atsa may take a while. If you remember how long it took to train Mac, we may find it takes even more time to remove the evil traits and give him the positive traits. I don't think Pops is in constant communication with the shaman, and I doubt he travels there very often, and smoke signals may take a while to get from New Mexico to Colorado. 🤪 However, I'm sure we'll find out about Atsa at some point. I'm sure the transition from an evil skinwalker to a good skinwalker won't be an easy or quick transition, so we may have to wait a while longer before we learn his fate. 🥵

That's an interesting prospect, but the boys don't always seem to react the way we predict, so we'll wait and see what they do with them.

Man, you guys are ripping me apart for my naive characters today. 🤪

Yes, Mr. Doggy, the boys have a chance to be financially set, not only for this life, but the one that follows as well.

Chapter 21 – Home for the Holidays After we left the dog park and returned to the house, Devin and I grabbed our duffle bags and carried them out to his SUV, and then we went back inside to get the chest and the boards to take back with us as well. Gramps was going to follow us most of the way, but he would keep going when we turned to go to my house. It’s because Devin was planning on spending a few days with us before he drove to the cabin, and since he’d be leaving before noon, Gramps

The verb emission comes from Middle French émission, which comes from the Latin word emissio, meaning "a sending out" or "a letting go." It is the noun form of the verb ēmittere. meaning "to send out." It's itself formed from ex ("out") and mittere ("to send"). The English word "emission" first appeared in the early 15th century, initially referring to "something sent forth" and later, from the 1610s, to the act of emitting or giving off something. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the noun emission was first used in English in the early 1600s, with the earliest known evidence from 1607 in the writing of clergyman and author Edward Topsell. Examples of "emission" used in a sentence: "Human emissions of greenhoulse gases are causing the Earth to warm." "Sulfur emissions from steel mills become acid rain." "The emission of gases such as carbon dioxide should be stabilized at their present level."

A touching tale about multiple pendants, with each one symbolizing a gift of love. This short story should be high on your reading list, so do yourself a favor and read it today, if you haven't previously done so. It won't take you very long, and you'll be glad you took this advice.

An enchanting coming out tale. During this story there is the giving of multiple pendants, and each pendant symbolizes a gift of love. Do yourself a favor and read the wonderful and heartwarming short story.

The cordyceps fungus infects spiders by taking over their nervous system, transforming the arachnid into a "zombie". The fungus forces the infected spider to a specific location, usually on a plant or cave wall, where it then dies. After the spider's death, a mushroom-like structure sprouts from its body, releasing spores to start the infection cycle with new hosts. How it Works 1. Infection: The fungus infects the spider, often through spores that penetrate the body. 2. Control: The fungus gradually takes over the spider's nervous system, controlling its movement and behavior. 3. Behavior Manipulation: The fungus manipulates the spider to leave its home and climb to a specific, often exposed, location where spores can be dispersed more effectively. 4. Death: The spider dies in this new, strategic position. 5. Spore Dispersal: After the spider's death, the fungal body emerges from its corpse, and the spores are released to infect other spiders or invertebrates. Key Characteristics Zombie Fungus: This parasitic relationship has earned it the nickname "zombie fungus" due to the mind-controlling nature of the fungus. Host Manipulation: The fungus's goal is to ensure the survival and dispersal of its spores. Targeting Invertebrates: Cordyceps fungi primarily infect invertebrates, including insects and spiders. Human Safety: The cordyceps fungus that infects spiders and other invertebrates cannot infect humans.

The noun "omission" comes from Latin, derived from the verb omitto ("to let go, disregard"). It entered English via Old French (omission) (in the form of the Anglo-French omissioun), into Middle English (omissioun) in the mid-14th century. The Latin omissio is an action noun formed from the past participle stem of omitto, literally meaning "a letting fall". According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the noun omission was first used in English around 1400 during the Middle English period (1150-1500), appearing in works such as Rolle's Form of Living. Examples of "omission" used in a sentence: "it was an omission on our part" "He has lied large and small, directly and by omission." "There are a few omissions in the list." "The police officer was reprimanded for the omission of his duty to inform the suspect of his rights." "Her omission from the team was surprising." Don't confuse omission (leaving something out or excluding something) with emission (the production and discharge of something, especially gas or radiation).

You Canadians and Brits must get paid by the letter, because you're always adding letters to words like labor and color, which you use the 'our', and pediatric, which you spell paediatric, and dialog, which you spell dialogue. I pity your pour students when they're going through elementary school. 😂 The temps are gradually changing here in Georgia, since we're in the low to mid 80s during the day and mid to low 60s at night. Fall will soon be upon us, with winter not far behind. 🙃 Steve, I'm glad you had a week to get away and relax a bit, and I hope you didn't spend all of your money on beer. 😜

The word "odyssey" comes from Ancient Greek Odysseia, meaning "the story of Odysseus". Odysseus was the hero of Homer's epic poem The Odyssey, which recounts his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War. The English word "odyssey" was adopted around 1600 from the poem's title, and its figurative sense of a "long, adventurous journey" emerged later, by 1889. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the first recorded use of the noun "odyssey" (with a lowercase 'o') used in English referring to a long, adventurous journey was in 1886, appearing in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Kidnapped. Before this, the term was primarily used to refer to the ancient Greek epic poem by Homer. However, the word "Odyssey" (with an upper case 'O') was first used to describe Homer's epic poem in a translated English test around the early 17th century, with George Chapman producing the first complete English translation of the epic in 1614–1615. Examples of "odyssey" used in a sentence: "The story is about the emotional odyssey experienced by a teenage girl." "Once free of the camp, the greatest threats of their odyssey were hunger and men." "This book is about his odyssey to walk the entire length of the chasm with a friend." "To reach the location on the edge of town is an odyssey." "My twenty-year odyssey in the army allowed me to visit eighteen countries." "After enduring a messy divorce, Jill left the country and embarked on an emotional odyssey to rediscover herself."

The word ironic comes from French ironique or late Latin ironicus, from Greek eironikos ‘dissembling, feigning ignorance’, from eironeia 'simulated ignorance', which came from the Greek eiron 'dissembler'. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the adjective "ironic" first appeared in English in the early 1600s, with the earliest known evidence found in 1614 in the writings of William Cowper. The Oxford English Dictionary records its earliest use of the noun "irony" in 1502, in the book Ordynarye of Crysten Men. The adverb "ironically" is first recorded in the 1530s and the adjective "ironical" in the 1570s. Examples of "ironic" used in a sentence: "At the most solemn moments he will flash a mocking smile or make an ironic remark." "People used to call me Mr Popularity at high school, but they were being ironic." "I find it ironic that after all the motorbike accidents he has had, he should, in the end, die in his bed." "Our sense of gratitude added a strangely ironic twist to the ordeal." "Or perhaps that was just a little ironic joke that went over my head." "It is ironic to think that, in later years, the police would require help themselves." "As part of Nana's torment, in a bitterly ironic twist, she has been taken to a nursing home with suspected dementia."