Saturday, June 07, 2025
Change It
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Martin Luther King Jr.
"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." Maya Angelou
"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." Maya Angelou
Friday, June 06, 2025
Love
"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." Dr. Seuss
_L'Acrobate,_ou_La_Roue_-_1916_-_Suzanne_Valadon_HsT.jpg)
Waltz
My Papa’s Waltz by Theodore Roethke 1908 – 1963
The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.
We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother’s countenance
Could not unfrown itself.
The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.
You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.
The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.
We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother’s countenance
Could not unfrown itself.
The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.
You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.
Thursday, June 05, 2025
Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest - Cam 1
This live feed of a mom eagle and her two now grown chicks, comes to us from California. Watch it for a bit and you'll get the idea right away. Soon they will start taking short flying trips.
"Age Progression in Bald Eagles - It takes an approximate five-year progression of molts and physical changes to mature from a small, gray three-ounce hatchling to a three-foot adult with an approximate wingspan of six feet."
"Age Progression in Bald Eagles - It takes an approximate five-year progression of molts and physical changes to mature from a small, gray three-ounce hatchling to a three-foot adult with an approximate wingspan of six feet."
Bruit
bruit - transitive verb
- To spread news of; repeat. (to spread a rumor)
- To report; to noise abroad.
bruit - noun
- An abnormal sound heard in auscultation.
- To spread news of; repeat. (to spread a rumor)
- To report; to noise abroad.
bruit - noun
- An abnormal sound heard in auscultation.
Life
"We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep." Shakespeare from 'The Tempest'
Wednesday, June 04, 2025
Hercules
From Ai Gemini
- The Hercules Beetle (Dynastes hercules): While not necessarily "unusual" in shape like some others, the sheer size and strength of the Hercules beetle are incredible. It's one of the largest insects in the world and can lift an astounding 850 times its own body weight!
image from Wikipedia Commons
Soil
From Ai Gemini:
The single most important point I would make to a home gardener is: Focus on soil health above all else.
Healthy soil is the foundation for everything good in a garden. It leads to:
- Stronger, more resilient plants: Plants grown in healthy soil are better able to resist pests, diseases, and environmental stresses like drought or heat.
- Better nutrient uptake: Healthy soil teems with microorganisms that make nutrients available to plants, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.
- Improved water retention and drainage: Good soil structure helps retain moisture during dry spells while allowing excess water to drain away, preventing waterlogging.
- Increased biodiversity: A healthy soil ecosystem supports a wide range of beneficial organisms, from earthworms to mycorrhizal fungi.
You can achieve healthy soil through practices like:
- Adding organic matter: Compost, well-rotted manure, and other organic materials enrich the soil.
- Minimizing disturbance: Reduce tilling and compaction.
- Cover cropping: Planting cover crops protects the soil and adds organic matter.
- Mulching: Mulch conserves moisture, suppresses weeds, and breaks down to enrich the soil.
If a gardener prioritizes their soil, many other gardening challenges will naturally diminish, and their plants will thrive.
The single most important point I would make to a home gardener is: Focus on soil health above all else.
Healthy soil is the foundation for everything good in a garden. It leads to:
- Stronger, more resilient plants: Plants grown in healthy soil are better able to resist pests, diseases, and environmental stresses like drought or heat.
- Better nutrient uptake: Healthy soil teems with microorganisms that make nutrients available to plants, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.
- Improved water retention and drainage: Good soil structure helps retain moisture during dry spells while allowing excess water to drain away, preventing waterlogging.
- Increased biodiversity: A healthy soil ecosystem supports a wide range of beneficial organisms, from earthworms to mycorrhizal fungi.
You can achieve healthy soil through practices like:
- Adding organic matter: Compost, well-rotted manure, and other organic materials enrich the soil.
- Minimizing disturbance: Reduce tilling and compaction.
- Cover cropping: Planting cover crops protects the soil and adds organic matter.
- Mulching: Mulch conserves moisture, suppresses weeds, and breaks down to enrich the soil.
If a gardener prioritizes their soil, many other gardening challenges will naturally diminish, and their plants will thrive.
Tuesday, June 03, 2025
Jackie Venson - 'Don't Lie To Me' - Live
This woman is brilliant, she plays the living beegeesus out of the guitar.
Fish
I asked Ai Gemini about fish and their sense of smell, yes, they have this. Here's Gemini's reply::
Fish "smell" through a process called chemoreception, which is essentially detecting dissolved chemical compounds in the water. Unlike humans who inhale airborne molecules, fish draw water through their nostrils (nares). This water passes over specialized sensory cells located in a folded structure called the olfactory rosette. These cells have receptors that bind to specific chemical molecules (like amino acids from food, pheromones from other fish, or alarm signals from predators). This binding triggers electrical signals that are then transmitted to the fish's brain, allowing them to interpret the "scent" and react accordingly for navigation, feeding, mating, and avoiding danger.
Fish "smell" through a process called chemoreception, which is essentially detecting dissolved chemical compounds in the water. Unlike humans who inhale airborne molecules, fish draw water through their nostrils (nares). This water passes over specialized sensory cells located in a folded structure called the olfactory rosette. These cells have receptors that bind to specific chemical molecules (like amino acids from food, pheromones from other fish, or alarm signals from predators). This binding triggers electrical signals that are then transmitted to the fish's brain, allowing them to interpret the "scent" and react accordingly for navigation, feeding, mating, and avoiding danger.
Admin
admin - noun
- An administrative assistant.
- A person who has specific controls to a forum/website/etc. that allows them to control the forum/website/etc.
- A person who controls specific network.
- An administrative assistant.
- A person who has specific controls to a forum/website/etc. that allows them to control the forum/website/etc.
- A person who controls specific network.
Monday, June 02, 2025
The Proposed Nautilus Deep Space Observatory
From Ai Gemini:
Yes, there's a good amount of information available on the proposed Nautilus telescope, also known as the Nautilus Deep Space Observatory (NDSO) or Nautilus Array.
Here's a summary of what it is and its key features:
- Goal: The primary goal of Nautilus is to search for biosignatures of life in the atmospheres of exoplanets. It aims to analyze the atmospheres of up to 1,000 Earth-sized exoplanets within 1,000 light-years.
- Revolutionary Technology: Unlike traditional telescopes that use heavy mirrors (like Hubble or James Webb), Nautilus utilizes a novel technology called multiorder diffractive engineered (MODE) lenses. These lenses are significantly lighter, thinner, and less susceptible to misalignment than conventional mirrors.
- Fleet of Telescopes: Nautilus isn't a single large telescope. Instead, it's proposed as a fleet of 35 identical, lightweight space telescopes. Each individual unit would be more powerful than the James Webb Space Telescope.
- Collective Power: When all 35 telescopes are used together, their combined light-collecting power would be equivalent to a massive 50-meter diameter telescope. This immense power is crucial for detecting subtle biosignatures in exoplanet atmospheres.
- Design and Deployment: Each Nautilus unit is designed to be spherical and inflate into a 14-meter (46 ft) diameter Mylar balloon once deployed in space. The 8.5-meter diameter MODE lens would be at its core. They are designed to be packed in stackable form for shared rocket launches, making deployment more cost-effective.
- Advantages:
- Ultralightweight: MODE lenses are 100-1,000 times lighter than conventional mirrors of comparable size.
- Cost-Effective: Their lightweight nature and the ability for mass production through optical molding are expected to significantly lower manufacturing and launch costs.
- Scalability: The technology allows for larger apertures without a corresponding increase in lens thickness.
- Resilience: A fleet of telescopes distributes risk; if one unit fails, the entire mission isn't compromised.
- Research and Development: The Nautilus concept is being developed by a team at the University of Arizona, led by astronomer Daniel Apai. They have received grants and have been working on prototypes, demonstrating the viability of the MODE lens technology. They are currently focusing on building a 1-meter diameter lens and plan to send a small version to the edge of space on a high-altitude balloon as a next step.
In essence, Nautilus represents a paradigm shift in space telescope design, aiming to overcome the limitations of traditional mirror-based telescopes to enable a comprehensive search for life beyond Earth.
Yes, there's a good amount of information available on the proposed Nautilus telescope, also known as the Nautilus Deep Space Observatory (NDSO) or Nautilus Array.
Here's a summary of what it is and its key features:
- Goal: The primary goal of Nautilus is to search for biosignatures of life in the atmospheres of exoplanets. It aims to analyze the atmospheres of up to 1,000 Earth-sized exoplanets within 1,000 light-years.
- Revolutionary Technology: Unlike traditional telescopes that use heavy mirrors (like Hubble or James Webb), Nautilus utilizes a novel technology called multiorder diffractive engineered (MODE) lenses. These lenses are significantly lighter, thinner, and less susceptible to misalignment than conventional mirrors.
- Fleet of Telescopes: Nautilus isn't a single large telescope. Instead, it's proposed as a fleet of 35 identical, lightweight space telescopes. Each individual unit would be more powerful than the James Webb Space Telescope.
- Collective Power: When all 35 telescopes are used together, their combined light-collecting power would be equivalent to a massive 50-meter diameter telescope. This immense power is crucial for detecting subtle biosignatures in exoplanet atmospheres.
- Design and Deployment: Each Nautilus unit is designed to be spherical and inflate into a 14-meter (46 ft) diameter Mylar balloon once deployed in space. The 8.5-meter diameter MODE lens would be at its core. They are designed to be packed in stackable form for shared rocket launches, making deployment more cost-effective.
- Advantages:
- Ultralightweight: MODE lenses are 100-1,000 times lighter than conventional mirrors of comparable size.
- Cost-Effective: Their lightweight nature and the ability for mass production through optical molding are expected to significantly lower manufacturing and launch costs.
- Scalability: The technology allows for larger apertures without a corresponding increase in lens thickness.
- Resilience: A fleet of telescopes distributes risk; if one unit fails, the entire mission isn't compromised.
- Research and Development: The Nautilus concept is being developed by a team at the University of Arizona, led by astronomer Daniel Apai. They have received grants and have been working on prototypes, demonstrating the viability of the MODE lens technology. They are currently focusing on building a 1-meter diameter lens and plan to send a small version to the edge of space on a high-altitude balloon as a next step.
In essence, Nautilus represents a paradigm shift in space telescope design, aiming to overcome the limitations of traditional mirror-based telescopes to enable a comprehensive search for life beyond Earth.
Compassion In Music - A Conversation With Experimental Composer Jim Sande
About 15 years ago I was fortunate to get some of my music played on NPR's 'All Songs Considered'. The nice thing about that is NPR's reach which is essentially global. Jeremy, who lives many states away from mine, heard the program and liked my work. Over the years he's been in touch and turns out he's also a podcaster. He invited me on his show to do an interview and this is it. He interviewed me on Wednesday May 28th, 2025.
Demi
Demisexuality - Sexual attraction only to people with whom emotional bonds are formed.
Demisexuality is a term used to describe individuals who do not experience primary sexual attraction – a type of attraction that is based on immediately observable characteristics such as appearance or smell, and is experienced immediately after first encounter. A demisexual person can only experience secondary sexual attraction – a type of attraction that occurs after development of an emotional bond. wikipedia
Demisexuality is a term used to describe individuals who do not experience primary sexual attraction – a type of attraction that is based on immediately observable characteristics such as appearance or smell, and is experienced immediately after first encounter. A demisexual person can only experience secondary sexual attraction – a type of attraction that occurs after development of an emotional bond. wikipedia
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