“we must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact
that each moment is a miracle and mystery.”
-h.g. wells
—
on daylight savings time day once again – fall back
—
image credit: ‘fir forest’ painting by gustav klimt
Nov6
Nov5
beach donkey.
A plucky penguin at the New England Aquarium has a new bounce in her step after being fitted with a pair of custom orthopedic sandals. The 24-year-old African penguin, named Beach Donkey, was diagnosed with a chronic foot condition common among avian species, and the sandals were crafted as part of her treatment plan. But getting her to happily wear them required some buttering up by the people who know her best.
“Field trips” around the aquarium served as incentives: The little bird enjoyed “novel views” as she strolled through the facility, allowing trainers to work with her feet in a more hands-on manner. “She has always been a curious bird and seemed to really like the opportunity to explore the aquarium, outside of her exhibit space. Of course, our staff also loved when she would make appearances in unexpected places,” said Senior Penguin Trainer Amanda Barr.
In addition to caring for Beach Donkey and her fellow penguins, the New England Aquarium participates in a program called African Penguin SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction), which supports conservation efforts and breeding programs to increase the birds’ presence in the wild.
*i can so identify with beach donkey,
as i began wearing birkenstock sandals
when my feet (and my doc)
rebelled against me going barefoot any longer
changed my world
and i have my own cool name too – peaches
we are almost twins.
—
photo credit: new england aquarium, nice news
Nov4
gifted.
after 3 days of conferences with parents
sharing stories of each child’s gifts
i’m all talked out
but really loved the conversations.
—
“we are all gifted, that is our inheritance.”
-ethel waters
—
photo credit: bbc earth
Nov3
q and a.
back in my advertising days
i often had to find answers to odd questions of all kinds
as there was no google then
when i exhausted all possible avenues
(asking 2 or 3 random people in my office)
i knew there was a place i could go to find someone
who would unfailingly find an answer to my questions
i dialed up the local phone number
of the woman sitting at a desk in the detroit public library
who held the very interesting and important position of
‘chief and brilliant question answerer/researcher’
(or some such title as i imagined it to be)
she answered my call
when i asked in all seriousness:
“did gumby (of gumby and pokey fame), have a nose?”
she did not waver or judge and said she would research it and get back to me asap
true to her word she returned my call within the hour with this report:
she could confirm
that gumby did indeed, have a nose
brilliant
client crisis averted
just another moment in her day and i wish this position still existed.
—
“i used to think i knew all the answers.
then i thought knew maybe a few of the answers.
now I’m not even sure I understand the questions.
nobody knows anything.”
― p
Nov2
go fish!
The Paris Aquarium Is Home to a Massive Rescued Goldfish Sanctuary
The future rarely looks bright for an unloved goldfish. Its owner may confine it to a small bowl and deprive it of the space or stimulation it needs, or worse, flush it down the toilet while it’s still alive. But the Paris Aquarium is offering regretful pet owners a better solution: Any unwanted fish that are brought there will be cared for and given a new home in a massive tank, The Nation reports.
The French aquarium launched its goldfish rescue program two years ago, and it houses roughly 600 rescued fish today. Many of the pets that are handed over arrive in poor health. Each specimen is given medical care, including antibiotics and anti-parasite treatments, and kept in quarantine for a month before transitioning to the tank with the rest of the fish. Some goldfish don’t survive the move, but those that do often thrive, growing up to a foot in length.
People have different reasons for taking advantage of the aquarium’s service. For some, it’s a convenient—and eco-friendly—way to get rid of a pet they no longer want. When fish are disposed of in sewage systems, they face almost certain death, and when they’re released directly into a pond or river, they can grow to monstrous proportions and wreak havoc on the local ecosystem.
In other cases, pet owners see that the aquarium can provide a better life for their fish than they ever could. Goldfish can suffer from depression when they’re kept in a small, empty environment, and goldfish bowls have even been banned in some parts of the world for being inhumane. The fish sanctuary is open to members of the public to view—including anyone wishing to check up on a former pet.
—
“a goldfish is reason enough for living, if someone needs a reason.”
-martin cooley
—
credits: michelle debczak, mental floss, the nation
Nov1
already?
“i can’t believe it’s november already, it feels like halloween was just yesterday.”
-author unknown
—
photo credit: pinterest
Oct31
hot stuff.
i loved wearing the costumes of my childhood era
and happily ‘suffered for my art.’
recent neighborhood nextdoor comments on the halloween costumes are wonderful:
They were so ugly but if you made your own costume, it wasn’t cool. We had to buy these things…jumpsuit tore easily, and elastic snapped off mask. And the sweat…and trying to breathe through the tiny mouth hole!
Those masks were so HOT! Didn’t hold us back tho! Was so safe then and went out by ourselves.
You couldn’t see out of them, sometimes the parts that touched your face were sharp, the elastic that held it on got tangled in hair. It is a wonder we survived Halloween in these masks!
then the elastic broke so your mom tied it and was even tighter and hotter!
and tangled it whatever hair was still left!
I’m surprised there weren’t thunderstorms inside the mask with all the condensation from breathing too. My favorite was my Hot Stuff costume. I still have a picture of me in it!
I totally had one of these costume with the mask…but this…this looks like a Pink Floyd video.
It was miserable wearing those masks, but we didn’t care, we wanted that candy !!
Looking back at those costumes, they were actually a little creepy!!
How about the little tiny slit near the mouth so that you could attempt to get air? Your parents couldn’t understand why you had to take it off before you went up the steps of the next house. Your face would be drenched with sweat but you would wipe it off and keep going.
Made of suffocating plastic but we loved them anyway.
happy halloween!
—
“when you’re wearing an animal costume and something bad happens,
your facial expression doesn’t change. the animal is deadpan the whole time.
if you’re skiing in a gorilla suit and you fall, you just see a gorilla who has no emotion.
it’s just a stoic gorilla wildly falling down a hill, out of control.”
-dimitiri martin
—
photo credit: vintage pinterest
Oct30
go blue day.
a go blue day in michigan:
morning- governor whitmer and obama (blue state rally)
evening- university of michigan vs. michigan state rivalry football game (go blue!)
“on a good day everybody can beat everybody.”
-chris hughton
—
photo credit: michigan stadium, fox sports
Oct29
creeping.
Creep into the Halloween weekend with this patent model from the Smithsonian National Museum of History.
It’s George Pemberton Clarke’s 1871 “Natural Creeping Baby Doll.”
The original patent office tag is still attached with red tape.
—
“Well, that’s just all kinds of creepy,” Puck muttered at my side, giving the doll a look of alarm.
“If you see any clowns, do me a favor and don’t point them out, okay? i’d rather live without the nightmares.”
–Julie Kagawa
–Julie Kagawa
—
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Oct28
a barn, a cow, and his penguin.
somehow a cow
always manages to find its way back to the barn
(along with his sidekick penguin, of course).
—
“build the barn before you buy the cow.”
-serbian proverb
