RenoVous

  Studies have found that barn owls with white plumage hunt better when the moon is full, which confused researchers because that would mean the bird is more visible to prey. But that may be their secret weapon.  A team of biologists in Lausanne, Switzerland believe that the sight of such a phantom actually stuns animals such as rodents, who have a natural aversion to bright light. Using non-invasive GPS systems, they found that not only did brown owls have less success in the moonlight, but the white owls seemed to prefer facing the moon, so the light shines directly on them. Reproduced in a laboratory, the researchers found that voles would freeze in the presence of any predator, but the time of inaction varied.  They remain in shock much longer when the moon is full and the owl is white. While we're on the subject, I've been meaning to check in with some nests. From what I gather, there are 3 owlets about 50 days old, and one is clearly youngest. IFL Science

  Inspired!  Not my garden, per se, but in our yard.  :-) She slept beneath a tree Remembered but by me. I touched her cradle mute; She recognized the foot, Put on her carmine suit, And see! -Emily Dickinson, "The Tulip." Oh, tiptoe from the garden By the garden of the willow tree And tiptoe through the tulips with me. Knee deep in flowers we'll stray We'll keep the showers away And if I kiss you in the garden, in the moonlight Will you pardon me? And tiptoe through the tulips with me. -Al Dubin  (Written as a song for a movie, then used by singer Tiny Tim).

  Six years ago I saved this photo of Earth, as seen between the rings of Saturn, from the Cassini Spacecraft. It captured over 4,400 images but this one really gives me a sense of perspective. We are but a speck in the universe, and yet that tiny light holds so much.... Cassini's mission ended September 15, 2017 when it dove into Saturn's atmosphere.  It was launched nearly 20 years prior, on October 15, 1997.  It arrived in the Saturn system in June 2004, and dropped the Huygens probe on the moon, Titan, in January 2005. Images

A lot of old homes still have phone nooks, but most of them don't have phones anymore. I remember as a kid, I had this old style phone my mom let me use for playing House, and I was always particular about where and how I set up the area.  I wanted a comfortable setting, a quiet place.  I would consider how I'd have the phone in my own home someday. Alas, hardly anyone has a landline anymore.  You can barely find a payphone.  I used to have a desk phone for work, but now that we're working from home, it's an app on my cellphone. Times have changed. The day isn't just about nostalgia though, it's to encourage young inventors in STEM fields. Alexander Graham Bell was 29 years old when he submitted his patent, and his father had developed "Visible Speech," a system used to teach speaking to the deaf. But Bell wasn't the only one on this track - Elisha Gray filed his patent the same day, and in Italy, Antonio Meucci had been unable to file a patent due...

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  After decades of work, scientists have managed to produce MRI scans of a mouse brain that are 64 million times sharper than previously achieved, providing new levels of detail to help us visualize conditions affecting the brain. Research was led by a team at the Center for In Vivo Microscopy at Duke University.  They used a much more powerful magnet within the scanner (9.4 Tesla versus 3), and gradient coils 100 times stronger than those in a normal MRI machine. The gradient coils produce the deliberate vibrations in the magnetic field, which permits localization of image slices as well as phase and frequency encoding. When using the new technique on a mouse brain, they also imaged the tissue using a complementary method called light sheet microscopy.  Overlaying these images allowed the team to see internal wiring and connections within the brain. The authors are especially interested in aging, and have documented changes in the connectivity across the brain as the mou...

  Local grow and dispensary in Washoe Valley.  They threw a 420 party one year when it fell on a weekend, and they will be the first location in Nevada to receive a consumption lounge license.  They have a lovely balcony that I look forward to partaking on. Sol on Instagram There is no one explanation for why pot smokers celebrate the day. One theory comes from a group of teenagers in California who would gather at 4:20pm to toke up.  One of those kids then became a roadie for The Grateful Dead, and at one show in 1990, they handed out flyers to meet on 4/20 at 4:20. One recipient was Steven Bloom, reporter for  High Times , a marijuana magazine.  Once they printed the date, it became part of the culture. The magazine was founded in 1974. Other 420 theories refer to a California police code and a Bob Dylan song: Rainy Day Women #12 and 35 12x35=420 and the lyrics state, "everybody must get stoned." Nowadays, there are many ways to get stoned.  Edibles ...

  Online Source Study Guide I've had a slow start on my end, but from the onset we're dealing with fealty and feelings.  Titus is offered the position of emperor but he declines and aligns with Saturninus against his brother, Bassianus.  When Titus bestows his daughter, Lavinia, to the new Caesar, we learn she was already promised to Bassianus.   S shouldn't be mad though, because he's just fallen for the Goth prisoner, the Queen, Tamora.  But he does hold it against Titus, even after Titus kills his own son, Mutius, for protecting his sister.  He considers his sons treasonous. Tamora calms everyone down though and makes amends.  She quietly tells Saturninus that she will massacre them all, for him, and herself.  She had begged Titus not to kill her son Alarbus, but Lucius gleefully carried out the sentence. By Act II I realized the Moor, Aaron, is Tamora's lover.  Her sons, Chiron and Demetrius, are now in love with Lavinia as well....

 You might assume the origins lie in Mexico or Spain, but the word itself is derived from the Italian pignatta, or "fragile pot."  The tradition arrived in Europe in the 14th century from China, where they would fill designs based on the New Year with five types of seeds. In Spain, "Piñata Sunday" became a part of Lent celebrations.  They originally used a plain clay container before they started decorating with ribbons and colored paper. The European tradition came to Mexico in the 16th century, but the Mayans had one of their own, which included blindfolding the participant.  For them, it was a celebration of Huitzilopochtli's birthday.  The treasures inside would fall to the idol as an offering. Mexican Catholics co-opted this for the Las Posadas tradition, but these days there is very little religious affiliation. You can still find the traditional design of the 7 pointed star though, for the 7 deadly sins. And so now we have a history of Piñata Fails.

 Ken Kelleher is a digital artist, sculptor, and interior designer. On his site, he is currently selling this Rainbow Wave Carpet. He is the creator of "The Wave" in Hangzhou, China. But it was his digital art fashion that stopped me and I decided to share, even if the clothes aren't real. You can order Knit Darth though, for $75K.  Allow 2 months for completion. He did a collaboration with Vespa. We could definitely see that in the pages of Vogue. Site Instagram

  Sea urchins have been noted in the wild and in aquarium settings to use rocks, shells, algae, etc to cover themselves.  Scientists don't entirely understand this behavior, as it may differ for each one.  For some, it's protection and/or camouflage, and for others it may be weight.  Certain objects may be good for carrying additional food as well. So, of course, someone started making tiny hats for them. Aren't they adorable!?

  I came across a local artist who does Aura Art and Interpretation.  She's also a trained therapist, tarot card reader, and has a degree in Transformative Leadership. "My work centers on the cultivation of conscious creative behavior development." -Kelsey Sweet She developed this process while researching neurological implications of aesthetics and consciousness.  She claims to have picked up on diseases, pregnancies, blockages, and trauma.  Sometimes she's picked up on guides, or people your energy is intertwined with. Kelsey refers to experience in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which was developed by a local professor, Steven C. Hayes.  I took his Mindfulness course at UNR. ACT An integration of art and psychology, to understand oneself as part of and distinct from one's thoughts, feelings, memories, etc. KSweet

  It's been a morning at work, and today's topics aren't inspiring me.   So here are my new lilac buds!

 Today is National Barbershop Quartet Day, celebrating the birth of the organized barbershop movement in 1938. Invited by O.C. Cash ("Third Assistant Temporary Vice Chairman") and Rupert Hall ("Royal Keeper of the Minor Keys"), the songfest took place on the roof of the Tulsa Club.  This resulted in what is now known as the Barbershop Harmony Society. Here's a 50's classic. The Society hosts annual competitions - this is last year's winner. I just can't help but smile. And this is hilarious.  What a find.

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