Did you know there is a British territory, a peninsula, connected to Spain via a sandy isthmus (which mostly holds an airport)? It is known as Gibraltar (Arabic: Jabal Tariq) and the bulk of the terrain is a giant rock, aptly named “the rock of Gibraltar”, with a smaller area of low, flat land surrounding the rock, which is where most of the houses, hotels, shops, and restaurants are, as well as the ports, obviously. Gibraltar generates most of its revenue through the UK military, tourism, as well as the shipping industry that brings in exports and such – but I’m not an economist, so this is the least interesting thing about Gibraltar to me.
Continue reading Travel: A Giant Rock and a Mix of Cultures, but also MonkeysCategory Archives: Nature & Garden
Silence of the Swallowtail
“It’s easier to run down the mountain than to walk it!” my partner shouted to me as we were descending Humpback Rock. Except, he wasn’t the one carrying the backpack with our waters and half-eaten charcuterie box from the day before (precariously wrapped in a cup and some napkins).
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After Virtue, After Invasion
Continue reading After Virtue, After Invasion“Imagine that the natural sciences were to suffer the effects of a catastrophe. A series of environmental disasters are blamed by the general public on the scientists. Widespread riots occur, laboratories are burnt down, physicists are lynched, books and instruments are destroyed. Finally a Know-Nothing political movement takes power and successfully abolishes science teaching in schools and universities, imprisoning and executing the remaining scientists.”
A Bit of Whimsy for the Week
Here are some things I captured this week
First, Butterflies and bees have serious substance abuse issues, just like humans. These butterfly bushes (not planted by me) are sugary sweet and boy do they love it! [Research: substance abuse in non-human animals]
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Influenza and Zoonosis
In my last post I used a photo of an old (positive) test result for COVID (this is also an old photo of my sweet baby, hence the grainy appearance) and I noticed it included Influenza A and B as possible results as well, which got me thinking about the flu and wondering how much people know what the flu even is. The question also ties into vaccines and how experts decide on which “strain” to use – and do people even know what they mean by strain?!
Ok, that’s a LOT to cover, so I’ll try to keep it all simple. First, let’s define what zoonosis is – this is a hot topic for One Health.
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F*ck. Does This Mean I’m Getting COVID This Year?
Now that our Department of Health and Human Services (D-HHS) is being run by someone with no scientific background or training and touts pseudoscience and fringe ideas, we are facing a potential health crisis.
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“Artivism”
UPDATED: I was floundering in one of my unfocussed days, typing a million disparate thoughts, unable to make them meld properly. This is, perhaps, partly to do with the inherent abstract nature of art and the subjectivity surrounding it. I want to say something, but I am unable to find the right words in the right order. I’ve not rewritten, but I’ve tweeked a few lines to make them more cohesive.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how we use art in activism lately. We create signs for protests, write songs and stories, make documentaries…. City streets are littered with graffiti – everything from murals depicting a civil rights event to simple written messages.
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What is Public Broadcasting?
I thought I knew – but it seems I’ve opened up a can of worms that is taking way more effort to digest and understand. I thought “hey, let’s help spread the word about the importance of public broadcasting!” Now I need to figure out how we communicate across the nation. Either way, let’s also see if we can figure out what this administration just cut funding for, shall we?
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A Haggis Hiatus
Hi, everyone! How have you been?
I just returned from my vacation in the UK (all around Scotland and then a stint to London) and decided to disconnect while I was gone, hence my silence over the past two weeks..
Can’t say I’m super thrilled to be back – the second we touched down in D.C., reality pelted us hard, right upside the head like a noxious smell you weren’t expecting. One sad or embarrassing story after another about the happenings in the grand U.S. of A. came flooding into our phones and I realized coming back was a terrible idea.
Sigh.
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I Think We Are Being Invaded by Aliens
First there was one pile. Then a second. A third, fourth, fifth….I’ve lost count. I’ve stopped paying attention to how many piles I am finding, and have grown more interested in the color changes this life form is experiencing. From yellow to orangish to white. This extra terrestrial looking creature seems to bleach in the sun like coral in the reefs. It even looks like coral – well, up close it does. When you see it splattered about in a pile when it first appears, it definitely brings to mind the look of bile and foam that’s just been hacked up by your canine companion. The species: colloquially known as Dog Vomit Slime Mold.
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