Have an excellent weekend. See you bright and early Monday morning. August here we come.
Friday, July 31, 2026
Thursday, July 30, 2026
Rain
From AI Gemini:
The Albany New York area has just experienced a historic, "once-in-a-millennium" rain event.
Rainfall Totals and Timing
The heavy rain fell over a period of approximately 36 hours, beginning late Tuesday afternoon (July 28) and continuing through Wednesday night (July 29), 2026.
- Albany Total: Approximately 7 inches of rain fell in Albany during the storm.
- Daily Record: On Wednesday, July 29, alone, Albany received 5.45 inches of rain. This set a record for the date and stands as the city's second-wettest calendar day on record.
- Regional Impact: Nearby communities saw even higher totals, with 11.79 inches in Schodack and 11.47 inches in Kinderhook.
Context for the Event
Meteorologists have described this as a 1-in-1,000-year event, meaning there is statistically less than a 0.1% chance of such rainfall occurring in any given year. The deluge resulted in severe, widespread flooding across the Capital Region, causing road closures, water rescues, and states of emergency in several communities.
The intensity of the storm meant that some areas received several times their normal rainfall for the entire month of July in little more than a single day.
The Albany New York area has just experienced a historic, "once-in-a-millennium" rain event.
Rainfall Totals and Timing
The heavy rain fell over a period of approximately 36 hours, beginning late Tuesday afternoon (July 28) and continuing through Wednesday night (July 29), 2026.
- Albany Total: Approximately 7 inches of rain fell in Albany during the storm.
- Daily Record: On Wednesday, July 29, alone, Albany received 5.45 inches of rain. This set a record for the date and stands as the city's second-wettest calendar day on record.
- Regional Impact: Nearby communities saw even higher totals, with 11.79 inches in Schodack and 11.47 inches in Kinderhook.
Context for the Event
Meteorologists have described this as a 1-in-1,000-year event, meaning there is statistically less than a 0.1% chance of such rainfall occurring in any given year. The deluge resulted in severe, widespread flooding across the Capital Region, causing road closures, water rescues, and states of emergency in several communities.
The intensity of the storm meant that some areas received several times their normal rainfall for the entire month of July in little more than a single day.
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Assault
The world has gotten a bit more messed up lately.
"Online forums praised perpetrators for being “low inhibition” or “low inhib”, and users contributing to the discussion said they wished they could summon the same fearlessness in themselves."
L7 - 'Shitlist'
I became aware of this band, L7, only very recently. Unfortunately this happened because I saw a notice that L7's bassist, Jennifer Finch, died of brain cancer at age 59. That's sad, for many reasons as we know, it's a very harsh disease.
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
On Bullies
"To do injustice is more miserable than to be its victim." - Socrates
"Mankind are naturally interconnected... A man cannot do good or evil to others without doing it to himself." - Marcus Aurelius
"Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured." - Mark Twain
"The executioner's block can only kill the body; the cruelty of the executioner kills his own soul." - C.S. Lewis
"Cruelty proceeds from weakness." - Roman philosopher Seneca
"Mankind are naturally interconnected... A man cannot do good or evil to others without doing it to himself." - Marcus Aurelius
"Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured." - Mark Twain
"The executioner's block can only kill the body; the cruelty of the executioner kills his own soul." - C.S. Lewis
"Cruelty proceeds from weakness." - Roman philosopher Seneca
Monday, July 27, 2026
Cues
Not sure if this is true or not, just throwing it out there because it did seem to have some validity with my experience observing a political leader.
Our Mental Health: 15 Common Non-Verbal Cues of Narcissists
Seven
Continuing with a seven sentence micro-story writing practice -
We walk into the depths of the forest. The deer appear tame and do not move as we walk by. If I could speak the language of animals, I would have thousands of friends. After twenty minutes the tension of existence melts with the simplicity of being in the woods; pressures release, and a sensibility of openness reemerges. Desire continues into the advanced years, it shifts and is slightly more realistic. Loneliness fills many, overwhelmed in the face of a cold harsh culture which cultivates dead objectivity and dispassion.
We walk into the depths of the forest. The deer appear tame and do not move as we walk by. If I could speak the language of animals, I would have thousands of friends. After twenty minutes the tension of existence melts with the simplicity of being in the woods; pressures release, and a sensibility of openness reemerges. Desire continues into the advanced years, it shifts and is slightly more realistic. Loneliness fills many, overwhelmed in the face of a cold harsh culture which cultivates dead objectivity and dispassion.
Yoshitoshi
Artwork by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 1839–1892 - from his series 'One Hundred Aspects of the Moon' 1885-1892
Cleaner Fish
From AI Gemini:
A cleaner fish is any fish species that provides a removal service to other aquatic animals (called "clients") by eating their dead skin, mucus, and ectoparasites (parasites that live on the outside of the host).
This behavior is a prime example of mutualism — a biological partnership where both parties win: the cleaner gets an easy meal, and the client gets a health checkup.
Key Characteristics
- "Cleaning Stations": They set up shop at specific locations on a reef. Client fish—even large predators like sharks or groupers—will line up at these stations and strike distinct poses to signal they are ready to be cleaned and won't eat the cleaner.
- Bright Advertising: Many cleaner fish, like the Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse, sport bright, high-contrast colors (often electric blue and yellow stripe patterns). This serves as a uniform so clients can instantly tell them apart from potential prey.
- Trust and Tactile Stimulation: Cleaners often "dance" or flutter their fins against the client fish. This physical touch reduces the client's stress and builds trust, making them less likely to snap their jaws shut.
- The "Cheating" Element: Sometimes, cleaner fish prefer nutritious client mucus over actual parasites. If they bite too much mucus, the client fish will jolt in pain and swim away, forcing the cleaner to maintain good "customer service" to keep their business.
Photo from Wikipedia Commons. A dragon wrasse, Novaculichthys taeniourus is being cleaned by Rainbow cleaner wrasses, Labroides phthirophagus on a reef in Hawaii.
Friday, July 24, 2026
Angelou
Come and Be My Baby by Maya Angelou
The highway is full of big cars
going nowhere fast
And folks is smoking anything that'll burn
Some people wrap their lives around a cocktail glass
And you sit wondering
where you're going to turn.
I got it.
Come. And be my baby.
Some prophets say the world is gonna end tomorrow
But others say we've got a week or two
The paper is full of every kind of blooming horror
And you sit wondering
What you're gonna do.
I got it.
Come. And be my baby.
The highway is full of big cars
going nowhere fast
And folks is smoking anything that'll burn
Some people wrap their lives around a cocktail glass
And you sit wondering
where you're going to turn.
I got it.
Come. And be my baby.
Some prophets say the world is gonna end tomorrow
But others say we've got a week or two
The paper is full of every kind of blooming horror
And you sit wondering
What you're gonna do.
I got it.
Come. And be my baby.
Thursday, July 23, 2026
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
The Universe
From Neil deGrasse Tyson’s ‘Take Me To Your Leader’
"We know the size of the observable universe - more than 90 billion light-years across. We know the age of the universe - 13.8 billion years. We know how many galaxies it contains - as many as a trillion. We know how many stars populate those galaxies - approximately 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (ten sextillion), give or take a few."
"We know the size of the observable universe - more than 90 billion light-years across. We know the age of the universe - 13.8 billion years. We know how many galaxies it contains - as many as a trillion. We know how many stars populate those galaxies - approximately 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (ten sextillion), give or take a few."
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
Weight
I know someone who is doing this.
From AI Gemini:
A man age 73, lifting 150 lbs at a bodyweight of 147 lbs is performing at an elite, highly impressive level.
To put this achievement into perspective, a few key metrics highlight just how remarkable it is:
The Bodyweight Ratio
The most impressive aspect of this lift is the strength-to-weight ratio. Pressing 150 lbs at 147 lbs means he is benching over 1.0x his own bodyweight.
For an average adult man in his 20s or 30s, benching 1.0x bodyweight is considered a solid, intermediate-to-advanced milestone that requires consistent training.
By age 60 and older, the average man's strength standard typically drops to around 0.65x to 0.70 of his bodyweight. Benching over 1.0x bodyweight at age 73 completely bypasses the standard age-related decline.
How It Ranks Globally
When adjusting standard strength data (like the ExRx or Strength Level indices) for both weight and age, a 150 lb bench press puts him in the top 1% to 5% of men his age worldwide. Most men in their 70s who do not actively strength train can typically lift closer to 60–80 lbs.
Competitive Context
To look at it through a competitive lens: in formal drug-tested powerlifting federations (like USA Powerlifting), the raw state and national bench press records for the Men's Masters 70–74 age division in the 148 lb weight class often hover right around 143 to 148 lbs.
Because he is doing this "regularly"—implying it is a standard part of his training routine rather than a absolute, one-time maximum effort—he is essentially training with weights that mirror competitive state records. It shows exceptional muscle density, joint integrity, and neurological efficiency for a lifetime of fitness.
From AI Gemini:
A man age 73, lifting 150 lbs at a bodyweight of 147 lbs is performing at an elite, highly impressive level.
To put this achievement into perspective, a few key metrics highlight just how remarkable it is:
The Bodyweight Ratio
The most impressive aspect of this lift is the strength-to-weight ratio. Pressing 150 lbs at 147 lbs means he is benching over 1.0x his own bodyweight.
For an average adult man in his 20s or 30s, benching 1.0x bodyweight is considered a solid, intermediate-to-advanced milestone that requires consistent training.
By age 60 and older, the average man's strength standard typically drops to around 0.65x to 0.70 of his bodyweight. Benching over 1.0x bodyweight at age 73 completely bypasses the standard age-related decline.
How It Ranks Globally
When adjusting standard strength data (like the ExRx or Strength Level indices) for both weight and age, a 150 lb bench press puts him in the top 1% to 5% of men his age worldwide. Most men in their 70s who do not actively strength train can typically lift closer to 60–80 lbs.
Competitive Context
To look at it through a competitive lens: in formal drug-tested powerlifting federations (like USA Powerlifting), the raw state and national bench press records for the Men's Masters 70–74 age division in the 148 lb weight class often hover right around 143 to 148 lbs.
Because he is doing this "regularly"—implying it is a standard part of his training routine rather than a absolute, one-time maximum effort—he is essentially training with weights that mirror competitive state records. It shows exceptional muscle density, joint integrity, and neurological efficiency for a lifetime of fitness.
Wyeth
artwork by Andrew Wyeth 1917-2009 - 'House on Limerock Street' watercolor, gouache and pencil on paper
Monday, July 20, 2026
Illuminator
Chooselovemovement.com: Be an Illuminator: The Skill That Changes Everything by Jan Wilmot
The idea was inspired by author David Brooks, who describes “Illuminators” as people who help others feel seen, valued, and understood. They don’t just walk past people, they bring out the best in them.
Home
From AI Gemini:
Pinning down an exact, official number is incredibly difficult because the U.S. Census Bureau and federal housing agencies aren't fully equipped to track people without a permanent physical address. However, according to recent housing data, economic research, and advocacy group tracking, the number is generally estimated to be between 1 million and 1.2 million Americans living full-time in their vehicles out of necessity.
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) notes that "vehicular homelessness"—sleeping in cars, vans, or RVs because housing is completely unaffordable—is the fastest-growing form of unsheltered homelessness in the country.
The data paints a clear picture of who is living on the wheels:
- The "Working Homeless": A massive portion of this population actually works full-time or part-time. Rising rents and stagnant wages mean many retail workers, gig laborers, delivery drivers, and even teachers can afford car payments and insurance, but are completely priced out of standard apartments.
- Seniors on Fixed Incomes: Retirees and elderly Americans represent one of the fastest-growing demographics forced into vehicles. When Social Security doesn't cover a 30% or 40% rent hike, a camper or older RV becomes a last-resort safety net.
- Geographic Hotspots: The crisis is most heavily concentrated in major metropolitan areas with severe housing shortages. For instance, data from major West Coast cities (like Los Angeles, Oakland, and Seattle) shows that people living in vehicles make up anywhere from 28% to over 50 of their total unsheltered homeless populations.
Why the official numbers are so blurry
If you look at the official U.S. Census Bureau's counts, they usually only track a few hundred thousand people living in "alternative structures" (like boats, RVs, and vans). That official count is drastically lower than reality for a couple of reasons:
1. "Stealth Camping" and Invisibility: To avoid being ticketed, harassed, or towed, many people actively hide the fact that they live in their cars. They park in retail lots, industrial areas, or move constantly, making them nearly impossible for census workers or annual "Point-in-Time" homeless counts to find.
2. Mailing Addresses: Many full-time vehicle dwellers use a relative's house, a friend's apartment, or a specialized mail-forwarding service as their legal domicile. On paper, they look like they live in a traditional home, completely masking their day-to-day reality from federal statistics.
Ultimately, what used to be a niche lifestyle choice or an extreme outlier has fundamentally shifted into a mainstream survival strategy for over a million Americans.
Pinning down an exact, official number is incredibly difficult because the U.S. Census Bureau and federal housing agencies aren't fully equipped to track people without a permanent physical address. However, according to recent housing data, economic research, and advocacy group tracking, the number is generally estimated to be between 1 million and 1.2 million Americans living full-time in their vehicles out of necessity.
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) notes that "vehicular homelessness"—sleeping in cars, vans, or RVs because housing is completely unaffordable—is the fastest-growing form of unsheltered homelessness in the country.
The data paints a clear picture of who is living on the wheels:
- The "Working Homeless": A massive portion of this population actually works full-time or part-time. Rising rents and stagnant wages mean many retail workers, gig laborers, delivery drivers, and even teachers can afford car payments and insurance, but are completely priced out of standard apartments.
- Seniors on Fixed Incomes: Retirees and elderly Americans represent one of the fastest-growing demographics forced into vehicles. When Social Security doesn't cover a 30% or 40% rent hike, a camper or older RV becomes a last-resort safety net.
- Geographic Hotspots: The crisis is most heavily concentrated in major metropolitan areas with severe housing shortages. For instance, data from major West Coast cities (like Los Angeles, Oakland, and Seattle) shows that people living in vehicles make up anywhere from 28% to over 50 of their total unsheltered homeless populations.
Why the official numbers are so blurry
If you look at the official U.S. Census Bureau's counts, they usually only track a few hundred thousand people living in "alternative structures" (like boats, RVs, and vans). That official count is drastically lower than reality for a couple of reasons:
1. "Stealth Camping" and Invisibility: To avoid being ticketed, harassed, or towed, many people actively hide the fact that they live in their cars. They park in retail lots, industrial areas, or move constantly, making them nearly impossible for census workers or annual "Point-in-Time" homeless counts to find.
2. Mailing Addresses: Many full-time vehicle dwellers use a relative's house, a friend's apartment, or a specialized mail-forwarding service as their legal domicile. On paper, they look like they live in a traditional home, completely masking their day-to-day reality from federal statistics.
Ultimately, what used to be a niche lifestyle choice or an extreme outlier has fundamentally shifted into a mainstream survival strategy for over a million Americans.
Gaur
"The gaur (Bos gaurus), also called the Indian bison, is the largest living bovine on Earth. Native to South and Southeast Asia, these massive herbivores stand over 6 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh up to 3,300 pounds. They are easily recognized by their dark coats and white "knee socks"."
photo from Wikipedia Commons
Friday, July 17, 2026
Ode
Short Ode to Screwball Women By Rachel Wetzsteon
On sullen nights like these
when my spirit counts its woes like pearls on a string,
you bring me armfuls of spare pantsuits
and clear-eyed hints about the woman
who might kick up her heels in them, flooding rooms
with cunning, air, an almost gaudy vitality.
Gaudy but sober: when your wayward husband
courted the heiress, you stormed her gates
disguised as a floozy—and asked the butler
to serve you gingerale. It was life
you’d rather be drunk on, roaring life
that told you there is no time for spirits
of dark staircases, only lightning ruses
that not only leave no bruises but give
all parties their wish: rinsed vision and second chances.
Losing a boot heel and giddily claiming
I was born on the side of a hill is easy.
For every such moment there are ten
when my ideal snags midflight, a bag caught in branches.
But a girl can dream, can realize, high
on heroines, that she is mortal
and therefore fearless; that sanity
supplies the ground bass to the wildest singing;
that breezes made visible make the finest winds.
On sullen nights like these
when my spirit counts its woes like pearls on a string,
you bring me armfuls of spare pantsuits
and clear-eyed hints about the woman
who might kick up her heels in them, flooding rooms
with cunning, air, an almost gaudy vitality.
Gaudy but sober: when your wayward husband
courted the heiress, you stormed her gates
disguised as a floozy—and asked the butler
to serve you gingerale. It was life
you’d rather be drunk on, roaring life
that told you there is no time for spirits
of dark staircases, only lightning ruses
that not only leave no bruises but give
all parties their wish: rinsed vision and second chances.
Losing a boot heel and giddily claiming
I was born on the side of a hill is easy.
For every such moment there are ten
when my ideal snags midflight, a bag caught in branches.
But a girl can dream, can realize, high
on heroines, that she is mortal
and therefore fearless; that sanity
supplies the ground bass to the wildest singing;
that breezes made visible make the finest winds.
Yellow
"Yellow journalism is a style of news reporting that heavily relies on sensationalism, hyperbole, and eye-catching headlines to increase sales. It frequently prioritizes dramatic and often unverified stories over objective facts, using tactics similar to modern "clickbait" or "fake news"."
Thursday, July 16, 2026
Birthday Quotes
"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." Abraham Lincoln
"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." Mark Twain
"Be happy in the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more." Mother Teresa
"To know how to grow old is the master work of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living." Herman Melville
"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." Mark Twain
"Be happy in the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more." Mother Teresa
"To know how to grow old is the master work of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living." Herman Melville
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Chair
Chair for sale in a local box store, perfect for family gatherings, cookouts, camping, and strategizing with Beelzebub.
NY
If you're in New York like I am and you're wondering why the sky is orange and hazy, it's because Canadian wildfires are sending smoke in our direction. And yes, it totally blows, no pun intended.
Sea
From AI Gemini:
The coastal sea wolf (often just called the sea wolf or island wolf) is a fascinating, distinct population of the gray wolf (Canis lupus) found living along the wild, rugged coast of British Columbia, particularly on Vancouver Island and the Great Bear Rainforest.
What makes them incredible is how tightly their lives are intertwined with the ocean. While we usually think of wolves as apex land predators chasing deer or elk, sea wolves are highly adapted marine-oriented foragers.
---
What Makes Sea Wolves Unique?
- A Seafood Diet: DNA studies have shown that up to 90% of their diet comes directly from the ocean. They are excellent beachcombers, eating barnacles, clams, crabs, washed-up whale carcasses, and beach-spawned herring eggs.
- The Salmon Run: During the autumn, they depend heavily on spawning salmon, catching them in shallow rivers much like grizzly bears do.
- Incredible Swimmers: Sea wolves are physically smaller than their inland cousins and have highly efficient swimming gaits. They routinely swim miles across open ocean water between island groups to hunt, navigating strong tides and cold swells with ease.
- Genetic Distinction: Because they are geographically separated from interior wolves by the massive coastal mountain ranges, they have distinct genetic differences, unique vocalization patterns, and a slightly different reddish-brown and gray coat color suited to the damp coastal rainforests.
They essentially live a semi-aquatic lifestyle, perfectly adapting to a place where the rainforest meets the Pacific Ocean.
The coastal sea wolf (often just called the sea wolf or island wolf) is a fascinating, distinct population of the gray wolf (Canis lupus) found living along the wild, rugged coast of British Columbia, particularly on Vancouver Island and the Great Bear Rainforest.
What makes them incredible is how tightly their lives are intertwined with the ocean. While we usually think of wolves as apex land predators chasing deer or elk, sea wolves are highly adapted marine-oriented foragers.
---
What Makes Sea Wolves Unique?
- A Seafood Diet: DNA studies have shown that up to 90% of their diet comes directly from the ocean. They are excellent beachcombers, eating barnacles, clams, crabs, washed-up whale carcasses, and beach-spawned herring eggs.
- The Salmon Run: During the autumn, they depend heavily on spawning salmon, catching them in shallow rivers much like grizzly bears do.
- Incredible Swimmers: Sea wolves are physically smaller than their inland cousins and have highly efficient swimming gaits. They routinely swim miles across open ocean water between island groups to hunt, navigating strong tides and cold swells with ease.
- Genetic Distinction: Because they are geographically separated from interior wolves by the massive coastal mountain ranges, they have distinct genetic differences, unique vocalization patterns, and a slightly different reddish-brown and gray coat color suited to the damp coastal rainforests.
They essentially live a semi-aquatic lifestyle, perfectly adapting to a place where the rainforest meets the Pacific Ocean.
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Obsequious
obsequious /ŏb-sē′kwē-əs, əb-/ adjective
1. Full of or exhibiting servile compliance; fawning.
2. Promptly obedient, or submissive, to the will of another; compliant; yielding to the desires of another; devoted.
3. Servilely or meanly attentive; compliant to excess; cringing; fawning.
1. Full of or exhibiting servile compliance; fawning.
2. Promptly obedient, or submissive, to the will of another; compliant; yielding to the desires of another; devoted.
3. Servilely or meanly attentive; compliant to excess; cringing; fawning.
Matisse
"The Matisse cut-out period (1941–1954) represents the spectacular final chapter of Henri Matisse’s career, during which he shifted from traditional oil painting to a revolutionary technique he called "drawing with scissors". Confined mostly to a wheelchair or bed following a severe surgery for abdominal cancer, the aging artist adapted to his physical limitations by carving directly into vibrant, gouache-painted sheets of paper to create simple yet monumental masterpieces."
Monday, July 13, 2026
Cyclospora
BTW - New York is one of the hardest hit states.
From AI Gemini:
There is currently a significant multi-state Cyclospora outbreak expanding across the country, with thousands of cases reported.
Public health officials (including the CDC and state health departments) have recently flagged lettuce and salad greens as a primary potential source for this specific spike. Because the parasite is microscopic and clings tightly to surfaces, normal washing isn't always enough to remove it completely.
If you want to minimize your risk right now, here are the main foods to approach with caution or avoid entirely in their raw state:
High-Risk Foods to Avoid Raw
- Bagged Salad Mixes and Pre-Cut Greens: Pre-cut lettuce blends (romaine, iceberg, spinach, etc.) are highly susceptible to cross-contamination during processing.
- Fresh Raspberries: Their bumpy, delicate texture creates tiny crevices where the parasite can easily hide, making them incredibly difficult to wash effectively.
- Fresh Herbs (Cilantro and Basil): These are historically common culprits in Cyclospora outbreaks and are almost always consumed completely raw.
- Snow Peas and Green Onions (Scallions): Both have been explicitly flagged by health departments during this outbreak as higher-risk when raw.
---
How to Safely Handle Produce Right Now
You don't have to give up veggies entirely, but changing how you buy and prepare them makes a huge difference:
- Buy Whole Heads Instead of Bags: If you want salad, buy whole heads of lettuce. Peel off and discard the outer 2 to 3 layers of leaves entirely, then thoroughly wash the inner leaves under clean, running water.
- Cook It If You Can: The single most effective way to protect yourself is heat. Heating food or herbs to 158°F (70°C) completely destroys the Cyclospora parasite. Cooking your greens, snow peas, and green onions makes them completely safe.
- Be Diligent with Firm Produce: For raw items like cucumbers or melons, scrub them vigorously with a clean produce brush under running water, and cut away any bruised or damaged areas where bacteria or parasites might pool.
- Skip the Fragile Raw Fruits: Consider swapping fresh raspberries for frozen ones temporarily, or only use them in cooked applications like jams, pies, or baked goods.
Symptoms of cyclosporiasis—like watery, explosive diarrhea, severe fatigue, and stomach cramps—can take anywhere from 2 to 14 days to show up after eating contaminated food. If you or anyone in your household starts experiencing persistent stomach issues, be sure to mention Cyclospora explicitly to a doctor, as it often requires a specific test and targeted antibiotics to clear up.
Neal K. Shah - Explosive Diarrhea Parasite Spreads Across The U.S. - What You Need To Know To Protect Yourself
"Since washing does not reliably remove the parasite, cooking produce is the most effective safety measure during an outbreak (16:44). Favor whole heads of lettuce over bagged mixes and always sanitize kitchen surfaces (17:31)."
Lincoln
"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battle-field, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearth-stone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Proxima Centauri
From AI Gemini:
The closest star to Earth after the Sun is Proxima Centauri.
Here are a few key facts about our nearest stellar neighbor:
- Distance: It is located about 4.25 light-years away from us (roughly 25 trillion miles).
- The System: Proxima Centauri is part of a triple-star system called the Alpha Centauri system. While the two larger, brighter stars (Alpha Centauri A and B) orbit closely together, Proxima Centauri is a small red dwarf star that orbits the main pair from a much further distance, currently placing it the closest of the three to Earth.
- Visibility: Despite being the closest star, you cannot see Proxima Centauri with the naked eye. Because it is a red dwarf, it is much smaller and dimmer than our Sun, requiring a telescope to view.
(Jim here) It would take 4.25 years for light from Proxima Centauri to reach Earth.
The closest star to Earth after the Sun is Proxima Centauri.
Here are a few key facts about our nearest stellar neighbor:
- Distance: It is located about 4.25 light-years away from us (roughly 25 trillion miles).
- The System: Proxima Centauri is part of a triple-star system called the Alpha Centauri system. While the two larger, brighter stars (Alpha Centauri A and B) orbit closely together, Proxima Centauri is a small red dwarf star that orbits the main pair from a much further distance, currently placing it the closest of the three to Earth.
- Visibility: Despite being the closest star, you cannot see Proxima Centauri with the naked eye. Because it is a red dwarf, it is much smaller and dimmer than our Sun, requiring a telescope to view.
(Jim here) It would take 4.25 years for light from Proxima Centauri to reach Earth.
Friday, July 10, 2026
Stress
From AI Gemini:
(Here is) a highly effective, science-backed way to instantly drop your body's stress levels.
When you expose your face to cold water while holding your breath, you trigger a built-in survival mechanism called the mammalian dive reflex.
How It Works
Your body essentially thinks you are diving deep underwater and immediately goes into a "power-saving mode" to conserve oxygen. It forces a rapid shift from your sympathetic nervous system (the "fight-or-flight" stress state) to your parasympathetic nervous system (the "rest-and-digest" relaxation state).
The physiological chain reaction happens in seconds:
- Vagus Nerve Activation: The cold shock hits the trigeminal nerve receptors around your eyes, nose, and cheekbones. This instantly signals your brainstem to fire up the vagus nerve—the main highway of your relaxation system.
- Diving Bradycardia: Your heart rate rapidly slows down, often dropping by 10% to 25% within just 10 to 30 seconds.
- Blood Shunting: Blood vessels in your extremities constrict, redirecting oxygen-rich blood away from your limbs and focusing it entirely on your brain and vital organs.
The Psychological Result
Because your mind and body are constantly in a two-way conversation, a pounding heart signals to your brain that you should feel anxious or panicked. By using cold water to forcefully drop your heart rate, you send an immediate counter-signal to your brain: "The physical emergency is over. We can calm down now."
It acts like a physiological reset button, which is why it is frequently used as a distress tolerance technique to interrupt intense anxiety, panic attacks, or racing thoughts.
Pro-Tip for Maximum Effect: Splashing water works, but actually submerging your face in a bowl of icy water (focusing on the area just below your eyes and above your cheekbones) while holding your breath for 20 to 30 seconds triggers a much stronger, more reliable reflex.
(Here is) a highly effective, science-backed way to instantly drop your body's stress levels.
When you expose your face to cold water while holding your breath, you trigger a built-in survival mechanism called the mammalian dive reflex.
How It Works
Your body essentially thinks you are diving deep underwater and immediately goes into a "power-saving mode" to conserve oxygen. It forces a rapid shift from your sympathetic nervous system (the "fight-or-flight" stress state) to your parasympathetic nervous system (the "rest-and-digest" relaxation state).
The physiological chain reaction happens in seconds:
- Vagus Nerve Activation: The cold shock hits the trigeminal nerve receptors around your eyes, nose, and cheekbones. This instantly signals your brainstem to fire up the vagus nerve—the main highway of your relaxation system.
- Diving Bradycardia: Your heart rate rapidly slows down, often dropping by 10% to 25% within just 10 to 30 seconds.
- Blood Shunting: Blood vessels in your extremities constrict, redirecting oxygen-rich blood away from your limbs and focusing it entirely on your brain and vital organs.
The Psychological Result
Because your mind and body are constantly in a two-way conversation, a pounding heart signals to your brain that you should feel anxious or panicked. By using cold water to forcefully drop your heart rate, you send an immediate counter-signal to your brain: "The physical emergency is over. We can calm down now."
It acts like a physiological reset button, which is why it is frequently used as a distress tolerance technique to interrupt intense anxiety, panic attacks, or racing thoughts.
Pro-Tip for Maximum Effect: Splashing water works, but actually submerging your face in a bowl of icy water (focusing on the area just below your eyes and above your cheekbones) while holding your breath for 20 to 30 seconds triggers a much stronger, more reliable reflex.
Thursday, July 09, 2026
Quotes
"Dear future generations: Please accept our apologies. We were roaring drunk on petroleum." - Kurt Vonnegut
"We're developing a new citizenry. One that will be very selective about cereals and automobiles, but won't be able to think." - Rod Serling
"Every Superstate has one iron rule: logic is an enemy and the truth is a menace." - Rod Serling
"We're developing a new citizenry. One that will be very selective about cereals and automobiles, but won't be able to think." - Rod Serling
"Every Superstate has one iron rule: logic is an enemy and the truth is a menace." - Rod Serling
Wednesday, July 08, 2026
Seven Lines
Extreme time commitments over the last year in many directions, has caused me to lose touch with an activity that I had been cultivating over the last few years. That would be creative writing. With a little more time available lately, I began to write quick seven line stories each day, just to get my feet re-wet and to hopefully reestablish a habit that I enjoy. Here's one such seven line story. It's mundane, I admit it. But, consider trying this as a simple writing exercise, seven lines, keep it simple.
His job was to retrieve the shopping carts out in the parking lot. It was a necessary job in 2026 and all preceding years, for as long as there have been supermarkets, shopping carts, and parking lots. Somewhere, an historian has calculated that x number of people have worked this particular job and out of those people, y number have successfully advanced on to higher paying work. But today he did this task in an unhurried and yet diligent way. Someone viewing some camera from somewhere was likely keeping an eye on him. As long as there were shopping carts in the store itself, management was happy enough. At three in the afternoon, he walked by a truck in the parking lot that had on the driver’s cab rear window glass, a bumper sticker that read “Bad Ass Girls - Bad Ass Toys”, and that sticker was the cause of an all too infrequent grin.
His job was to retrieve the shopping carts out in the parking lot. It was a necessary job in 2026 and all preceding years, for as long as there have been supermarkets, shopping carts, and parking lots. Somewhere, an historian has calculated that x number of people have worked this particular job and out of those people, y number have successfully advanced on to higher paying work. But today he did this task in an unhurried and yet diligent way. Someone viewing some camera from somewhere was likely keeping an eye on him. As long as there were shopping carts in the store itself, management was happy enough. At three in the afternoon, he walked by a truck in the parking lot that had on the driver’s cab rear window glass, a bumper sticker that read “Bad Ass Girls - Bad Ass Toys”, and that sticker was the cause of an all too infrequent grin.
Relief
"Lalochezia is the emotional relief gained from using vulgar or foul language, often in response to pain or stress. It has Greek roots, where the first part means 'speech' and the second part means 'to defecate.'"
Fish
This is a repost.
Here is a 'keto' fishcake recipe using haddock and almond flour, based on common practices for low-carb cooking. This recipe is designed to be a keto-friendly alternative to traditional fishcakes, which often use potato or breadcrumbs as a binder.
Keto Haddock Fishcakes
This recipe uses cooked haddock and combines it with a low-carb binder, flavorful additions, and a coating of almond flour for a crispy exterior.
Yields: Approximately 6-8 patties
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients
1 lb (450g) haddock fillets (or other flaky white fish like cod)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (50g) almond flour, plus extra for coating
1/4 cup finely chopped onion or scallions
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 clove minced fresh garlic)
Salt and black pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons avocado oil, coconut oil, or ghee for frying
Instructions
1. Cook the haddock: Pat the haddock fillets dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a pan with a little oil over medium-high heat. Cook the haddock for 2-3 minutes per side, or until it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Transfer the cooked fish to a bowl and let it cool slightly.
2. Prepare the fish mixture: Once the haddock is cool enough to handle, use a fork to flake it into small pieces in the bowl.
3. Mix the ingredients: Add the eggs, 1/2 cup of almond flour, chopped onion/scallions, parsley, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the bowl with the flaked fish. Mix everything together until it is well combined. If the mixture seems too wet and won't hold its shape, you can add another tablespoon or two of almond flour.
4. Form the patties: Scoop out portions of the mixture (about 1/4 cup each) and form them into patties, about 1/2 to 1 inch thick.
5. Coat the patties: Place some additional almond flour on a separate plate. Gently press each fishcake into the almond flour, coating both sides. This will help create a nice, golden-brown crust when you fry them.
6. Chill (optional but recommended): For best results and to help the patties hold their shape, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. This helps firm them up before frying.
7. Fry the fishcakes: Heat the oil or ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, carefully place the fishcakes in the skillet, leaving some space between them.
8. Cook until golden: Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until the exterior is golden brown and crispy and the patties are cooked through. Do not overcrowd the pan; cook in batches if necessary.
9. Serve: Transfer the cooked fishcakes to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain any excess oil. Serve immediately with a keto-friendly tartar sauce or a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Here is a 'keto' fishcake recipe using haddock and almond flour, based on common practices for low-carb cooking. This recipe is designed to be a keto-friendly alternative to traditional fishcakes, which often use potato or breadcrumbs as a binder.
Keto Haddock Fishcakes
This recipe uses cooked haddock and combines it with a low-carb binder, flavorful additions, and a coating of almond flour for a crispy exterior.
Yields: Approximately 6-8 patties
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients
1 lb (450g) haddock fillets (or other flaky white fish like cod)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (50g) almond flour, plus extra for coating
1/4 cup finely chopped onion or scallions
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 clove minced fresh garlic)
Salt and black pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons avocado oil, coconut oil, or ghee for frying
Instructions
1. Cook the haddock: Pat the haddock fillets dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a pan with a little oil over medium-high heat. Cook the haddock for 2-3 minutes per side, or until it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Transfer the cooked fish to a bowl and let it cool slightly.
2. Prepare the fish mixture: Once the haddock is cool enough to handle, use a fork to flake it into small pieces in the bowl.
3. Mix the ingredients: Add the eggs, 1/2 cup of almond flour, chopped onion/scallions, parsley, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the bowl with the flaked fish. Mix everything together until it is well combined. If the mixture seems too wet and won't hold its shape, you can add another tablespoon or two of almond flour.
4. Form the patties: Scoop out portions of the mixture (about 1/4 cup each) and form them into patties, about 1/2 to 1 inch thick.
5. Coat the patties: Place some additional almond flour on a separate plate. Gently press each fishcake into the almond flour, coating both sides. This will help create a nice, golden-brown crust when you fry them.
6. Chill (optional but recommended): For best results and to help the patties hold their shape, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. This helps firm them up before frying.
7. Fry the fishcakes: Heat the oil or ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, carefully place the fishcakes in the skillet, leaving some space between them.
8. Cook until golden: Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until the exterior is golden brown and crispy and the patties are cooked through. Do not overcrowd the pan; cook in batches if necessary.
9. Serve: Transfer the cooked fishcakes to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain any excess oil. Serve immediately with a keto-friendly tartar sauce or a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Tuesday, July 07, 2026
Trammel
trammel /trăm′əl/ noun
1. A shackle used to teach a horse to amble.
2. Something that restricts activity, expression, or progress; a restraint.
3. A vertically set fishing net of three layers, consisting of a finely meshed net between two nets of coarse mesh.
1. A shackle used to teach a horse to amble.
2. Something that restricts activity, expression, or progress; a restraint.
3. A vertically set fishing net of three layers, consisting of a finely meshed net between two nets of coarse mesh.
Monday, July 06, 2026
Friday, July 03, 2026
Sleep
From AI Gemini:
While we usually picture birds tucked safely into tree branches or nest boxes at night, a surprising number of common North American species roost right on the ground. For these birds, staying low is actually a survival strategy—they rely on camouflage, wide-open visibility, or strength in numbers to stay safe from nocturnal predators.
Here are the most common North American birds that spend their nights on the ground, grouped by how they live:
1. Shorebirds and Field Birds (The Open-Ground Sleepers)
These birds prefer wide-open spaces like beaches, mudflats, gravel lots, or short-grass fields where trees are scarce and they can spot approaching danger from a distance.
Killdeer: A highly adaptable member of the plover family, Killdeer are famous for nesting and sleeping on the ground—often on gravel driveways, golf courses, or lawns. They rely heavily on their brown-and-white banded camouflage to blend in with the stones.
American Woodcock: These plump, long-billed forest birds spend their nights roosting on the ground in open, scrubby fields or clearings, flying out of the dense woods at dusk to find a safe spot to rest.
---
2. Gamebirds (The Safety-in-Numbers Roosters)
Ground-dwelling gamebirds rarely fly unless startled, so they spend 100% of their lives at ground level. To survive the night, some species use fascinating social behaviors.
Northern Bobwhite (and other Quail): Quail have one of the coolest sleeping arrangements in the bird world. A group (called a covey) will settle into a tight circle on the ground, tail-to-tail and heads facing outward. This "covey circle" serves two purposes: it traps body heat to keep them warm, and it gives them a 360-degree radar view for predators. If a fox or owl gets too close, the entire group explodes upward in a sudden, noisy burst of wings, confusing the predator.
Wild Turkey: While adult turkeys usually fly up into large trees to roost at night, hens with young chicks (poults) are a major exception. Because the young chicks cannot fly for the first few weeks of life, the mother turkey sleeps on the ground, tucked away in dense brush, brooding her chicks beneath her wings to keep them warm and hidden.
---
3. Nightjars (The Cryptic Sleepers)
Nightjars are nocturnal or crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk), meaning they do most of their sleeping during the bright daylight hours rather than at night, but they do it entirely on the ground.
Whip-poor-wills and Common Nighthawks: These birds have mottled gray and brown plumage that looks exactly like dead leaves, tree bark, or gravel. They sit perfectly still on the forest floor or open ground, closing their eyes to narrow slits, completely vanishing into their surroundings.
A Quick Exception: Many common backyard songbirds (like Robins, Cardinals, and Sparrows) will occasionally sleep on the ground only during the brief "fledgling" stage. When they first leave the nest, they can't fly well yet and often spend a few days hiding in low bushes or dense grass on the ground, under the watchful eye of their parents.
While we usually picture birds tucked safely into tree branches or nest boxes at night, a surprising number of common North American species roost right on the ground. For these birds, staying low is actually a survival strategy—they rely on camouflage, wide-open visibility, or strength in numbers to stay safe from nocturnal predators.
Here are the most common North American birds that spend their nights on the ground, grouped by how they live:
1. Shorebirds and Field Birds (The Open-Ground Sleepers)
These birds prefer wide-open spaces like beaches, mudflats, gravel lots, or short-grass fields where trees are scarce and they can spot approaching danger from a distance.
Killdeer: A highly adaptable member of the plover family, Killdeer are famous for nesting and sleeping on the ground—often on gravel driveways, golf courses, or lawns. They rely heavily on their brown-and-white banded camouflage to blend in with the stones.
American Woodcock: These plump, long-billed forest birds spend their nights roosting on the ground in open, scrubby fields or clearings, flying out of the dense woods at dusk to find a safe spot to rest.
---
2. Gamebirds (The Safety-in-Numbers Roosters)
Ground-dwelling gamebirds rarely fly unless startled, so they spend 100% of their lives at ground level. To survive the night, some species use fascinating social behaviors.
Northern Bobwhite (and other Quail): Quail have one of the coolest sleeping arrangements in the bird world. A group (called a covey) will settle into a tight circle on the ground, tail-to-tail and heads facing outward. This "covey circle" serves two purposes: it traps body heat to keep them warm, and it gives them a 360-degree radar view for predators. If a fox or owl gets too close, the entire group explodes upward in a sudden, noisy burst of wings, confusing the predator.
Wild Turkey: While adult turkeys usually fly up into large trees to roost at night, hens with young chicks (poults) are a major exception. Because the young chicks cannot fly for the first few weeks of life, the mother turkey sleeps on the ground, tucked away in dense brush, brooding her chicks beneath her wings to keep them warm and hidden.
---
3. Nightjars (The Cryptic Sleepers)
Nightjars are nocturnal or crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk), meaning they do most of their sleeping during the bright daylight hours rather than at night, but they do it entirely on the ground.
Whip-poor-wills and Common Nighthawks: These birds have mottled gray and brown plumage that looks exactly like dead leaves, tree bark, or gravel. They sit perfectly still on the forest floor or open ground, closing their eyes to narrow slits, completely vanishing into their surroundings.
A Quick Exception: Many common backyard songbirds (like Robins, Cardinals, and Sparrows) will occasionally sleep on the ground only during the brief "fledgling" stage. When they first leave the nest, they can't fly well yet and often spend a few days hiding in low bushes or dense grass on the ground, under the watchful eye of their parents.
Thursday, July 02, 2026
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