General Discussion Thread

[Laufey]

They do...jump? If that's what you're asking? XD
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_jumper_ant

Jumping ants?!?! What is this nightmare?

[Mélusine]

One hour to my Swedish exam, probably shouldn't still be on the forum...
*checks another thread*
It'll be juuust fiiine

*Pats pats*

[Fenris]

Happy Independence Day Finland
Now I kind of wish they'd make a version of the movie Independence Day with the exact same plot but set in Finland in stead of the US.

That could actually work quite well... Just replace Apple with Nokia and aliens with Russians, with the whole thing resolved by a smartass Finn and a smart Finnish-Swede beating up Putin with an old Nokia.

[OrigamiOwl]

Happy Independence Day Finland
Now I kind of wish they'd make a version of the movie Independence Day with the exact same plot but set in Finland in stead of the US.

That could actually work quite well... 

I haven't seen the movie, but I'd totally watch that version!

[Purple Wyrm]

Jumping ants?!?! What is this nightmare?

We call it "Australia"

[Róisín]

Yeah, jack-jumpers do jump. They look like a large really aggressive bullant, except they leap onto you and attack, and since they both bite and sting, and allergy to the venom is fairly common, they can be a danger.  I've been damaged by them several times, including one bite near the navel when one of them got inside the waistband of my trousers - as I said, they are one of the few insects I will actively kill. However, since a bite will just hurt and make me sick, and the bug spray will have me swelling in welts and unable to breathe, I have to resort to several kettles of boiling water down the nest. Cruel but needful.

My youngest son once jumped down from a fence right into the middle of a nest, and had to be rescued. . He was a mess!

[Auleliel]

Yeah, jack-jumpers do jump. They look like a large really aggressive bullant, except they leap onto you and attack, and since they both bite and sting, and allergy to the venom is fairly common, they can be a danger.  I've been damaged by them several times, including one bite near the navel when one of them got inside the waistband of my trousers - as I said, they are one of the few insects I will actively kill. However, since a bite will just hurt and make me sick, and the bug spray will have me swelling in welts and unable to breathe, I have to resort to several kettles of boiling water down the nest. Cruel but needful.

My youngest son once jumped down from a fence right into the middle of a nest, and had to be rescued. . He was a mess!

I have a phobia of ants and was attacked by fire ants as a child. I sometimes have nightmares about ants devouring the universe.
Congratulations on providing me with worse nightmare fuel than today's page...

[Rabbit]

We call it "Australia"

Occasionally I get an urge to travel to Australia.
Then I talk to Australians o_o

* Rabbit cuddles Auleliel close and shhhs

[Róisín]

Sorry, Auleliel! I didn't mean to give you grief. But I live in country Australia, as does Origami Owl and as do a few of the other forumites, and here those little horrors are just part of the landscape, as are snakes and bushfires and cyclones. We tend to forget how our landscape seems to persons of more delicate sensibilities! Again, I'm sorry! If you've been attacked by fire ants, I can perfectly understand a phobia. For me it's aggresive dogs. I deal with them as I must, but I was badly savaged as a small child, and accordingly have a similar horror of such. To each their own horror, I guess.

[SectoBoss]

Sectoboss: good luck! Just talk like Emil.....

*Pats pats*

Thanks! Unfortunately it got cancelled at the last minute because our Swedish teacher's been hospitalised (no-one knows why, I hope she's okay...). I'm now waiting on an email to tell me when it's been put back to.

Also all this talk of jumping ants (which sound interesting to observe, from behind strong glass) has reminded me of something I've been wondering for a while now. Is Australian wildlife really as dangerous as parts of the internet and popular culture make it out to be, and if so, does anyone have any idea why?

[Laufey]

Auleliel, Róisín

I find talk of childhood-borne phobias really interesting so can I butt in? Mine would be thunder. I can't even properly remember the storm that caused it but going by my mum's story it was the worst thunderstorm she's ever been to. I was a small child and we were together alone in my grandparents' house with the storm right on top. The electricity went almost right away and for some reason the landline phone gave an eerie little ~pingg~ sound right before each new lightning strike and there were a lot of them, she says it was almost non-stop lightning accompanied by loud crashes for a long, long time. I crawled under the grandparents' bed, which might explain why I still like to hide under things if it's an option... all my gratitude for Iceland almost never having thunder!

[Auleliel]

Sorry, Auleliel! I didn't mean to give you grief. But I live in country Australia, as does Origami Owl and as do a few of the other forumites, and here those little horrors are just part of the landscape, as are snakes and bushfires and cyclones. We tend to forget how our landscape seems to persons of more delicate sensibilities! Again, I'm sorry! If you've been attacked by fire ants, I can perfectly understand a phobia. For me it's aggresive dogs. I deal with them as I must, but I was badly savaged as a small child, and accordingly have a similar horror of such. To each their own horror, I guess.

Snakes, bushfires, and cyclones, I'm okay with. Sharks and jellyfish and bats and spiders, no problem. Wandering in the desert or jungle and having to eat bugs, sign me up. Demon ants from the seventh circle of hell, get me outa there, pronto!

[Adrai Thell]

I find talk of childhood-borne phobias really interesting so can I butt in? Mine would be thunder. I can't even properly remember the storm that caused it but going by my mum's story it was the worst thunderstorm she's ever been to. I was a small child and we were together alone in my grandparents' house with the storm right on top. The electricity went almost right away and for some reason the landline phone gave an eerie little ~pingg~ sound right before each new lightning strike and there were a lot of them, she says it was almost non-stop lightning accompanied by loud crashes for a long, long time. I crawled under the grandparents' bed, which might explain why I still like to hide under things if it's an option... all my gratitude for Iceland almost never having thunder!

Woof, that sounds really scary!

I developed a childhood fear of deep water thanks to a swimming class, of all things. It was run by college kids who honestly ought not to have been there... the only thing I remember even learning in it was "how to splash like a duck", and one of the teachers came over and pushed me under the water. And if that wasn't trauma enough, then came the final test: little kids lined up on the edge of the deep pool, with a hose strapped to them, and told to swim out to a teacher and back. I don't remember much of this, but apparently I was nervous, so the teacher shoved me in. Hose caught, I snapped back and hit the wall, cue unconscious child underwater. I still can't swim.

[Auleliel]

Laufey and Adrai Thell, those sound like very scary experiences!

[viola]

I have been to Australia and survived! \o/

On the subject of childhood fears. I was deathly deathly afraid of fire. I used to have horrible nightmares about it as a child and wake up terrified.