It's a pity there isn't a measure of "habitable" land, as I suspect the Netherlands would mostly qualify, whereas we have much more in the way of mountains, so our population density is probably closer to their's than the statistics suggest, we just get more "scenery" to visit.

A couple of years ago, I took a bus tour of England, and didn't really have the impression of overcrowding. Scotland, the Lakes Country, Wales - there always seemed to be miles of beautiful pastoral scenerey.

The trouble with population control is that it's always the wrong part of the population that gets controlled. The intelligent, thoughtful, socially-responsible people are limiting their families to 1 or 2 children, while the blockheads who never got the word still have 10. These children will be raised by blockheads to become blockheads themselves. Germany, France, and (just recently) Italy are all concerned about dwindling birthrates. China's big problem is that they have successfully limited the number of children per family, but everyone wants male children, leading to a situation where a whole generation will have a slim chance of finding wives.

hmmmm... let me think here.... did he just call me or my family a bunch of blockheads .... or something inbetween? ..... hmmmm... well, whatever. It's a good thing I don't have a short temper or raw sensitive nerves right now. ;)

Minn - If you come from a large family of enlightened people, I salute you. You've done your bit for our side :)

There are no blockheads on the Forum, since to participate you'd have to be able to read (and type, sort of).

Well that leaves me out.

:D

Cause I can only sort of read, sort of write and sort of type.

(joking)

Sometimes it's Jim's turn to say the things that many of us feel but don't have the chutzpah to say. :)

Sorry for the rant, but it's a pet peeve of mine - blockheads causing the end of civilization. My wife is a Labor & Delivery nurse at a County hospital and nearly every one of her patients is a gang-member's girlfiend. 19 years old, third baby. On welfare, of course, so I'm paying to bring a new blockhead into the world and raise it until it becomes a fully-functioning gang member. When the blockheads only constituted 10% of the population, life was still livable for the rest of us. When they reach 90%, nobody's going to be having any fun.

And then the blockheads grow up and become gang members or worse, politicians! :)

Um, okay - but on the subject of an aquarium with a 3D background, moving plants and fish that move in groups can I just say I like the aquarium in my new apartment. (That's in the computer game Vampire: Bloodlines when you get a downtown apartment.) Not quite MA but I'm impressed the game programmers put in the effort. (The game is in the "holding my interest" but not "captivating me" category so far.)

The game "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines" uses Valve's Source engine, the same engine behind Half-Life 2. ;)

Alas, as much as it might brighten my ego to be considered one of the enlightened ones, afraid I cannot accept that title. I still put foot in mouth, judge my fellow beings, and feel superior/inferior to others. Afraid I'm still very much a WIP (work-in-process). :) I did enjoy bathing in the light for a little bit before responding. :D

Welcome to the human race.

Living in a section of the country where what Jim speaks of is all too prevalent I am inclined to ponder on the solution, and I see none. None as long as we accept this type of behavior without enforcing responsibility and how do we go about that. And I say no more.

Minn - if you wonder if you are enlightened, then you are. The idea would never cross the "mind" of a blockhead.

Marian,
Loved your "only sort of..." post. Made my morning. :)