RenoVous

 My shot from the Seymour Marine Discovery Center in Santa Cruz. I've always been intrigued by sea anemone but never quite sure of what's going on, so that's our direction today. While they largely stay in one place, they are predatory.  Their tentacles contain nematocysts, or stinging cells, that paralyze prey.  The venom is harmless to humans though. And you may know that clownfish are able to withstand these stings so they like to hang out for protection and they clean the anemones of parasites. My shot from Mattole, Pacific Coast. The giant green anemone is intertidal, seen here in a tide pool. They feed on crabs, mussels, small fishes, and sea urchins.  We did see it try to grab something it thought might be food.  And we saw what it would've liked on the shore nearby.

  Born on this day in 1939, the Prince of Soul, Marvin Gaye. But there's also some horror to this story - the day before his 45th birthday, he was shot by his own father. Tensions had long existed between father and son - Senior was a strict Christian minister, who openly cross-dressed in the neighborhood, something Junior would be ridiculed for.  Dad disagreed with Marvin's career choice, and grew jealous as he became the breadwinner of the family. During a stay at his parent's house in 1983, caring for his mother as she recovered from kidney surgery, his father called the police to remove him from the property.  For Christmas that year, Marvin gave his father a .38 Special. Alberta Gaye would attest that her husband charged into her son's bedroom to verbally attack her when Marvin shoved his father out and started kicking and punching him.  She would explain that her husband had made it very clear that if any of his children dared strike him, he would murder them. ...

  Othello I'm not sure if I'll be able to start today, but tomorrow for sure. And my sister will be reading along with me as well this time! Online Source Summary and Analysis The play has recently been revived on Broadway, with Denzel Washington in the lead role. Playbill So we'll check in mid-month to touch base around Act III.

  Cynthia Erivo Paulina Chavez Sofia Carson Jenna Ortega Naomi Watts Catherine O'Hara Sasheer Zamata Viola Davis Emmett Scanlan Doechii

  There are numerous articles, from Nature  to The Economist, about scientists being driven out of the United States with Trump's anti-science rhetoric and actions. This is a form of anti-intellectualism which we've seen in pretty recent history, used in totalitarian governments to repress political dissent. Research funding has been slashed, but there is one thing moving forward - a federal study of immunizations and autism.  It's already terrifying that RFK Jr. is the Secretary of Health and Human Services, but he's tapped David Geier, an antivaxxer and once disciplined for practicing medicine without a license, to lead the study. So yeah. This in the midst of measles outbreaks across the country. SUPPORT SCIENCE!

It is National Acoustic Soul Day, which is a celebration of India Arie's album but also the warmth and authenticity that acoustic music embodies. The day stands as an invitation to explore music that brings calmness, emotional richness, and a touch of spirituality to our lives. Soul singing is often rooted in African American gospel and blues traditions. The album was released 24 years ago today.