RenoVous

  Francis Tully found this fossil in the Mazon Creek area of Illinois back in 1955. He took it to the Field Museum of Natural History, but paleontologists were stumped about what it was. It remains an ongoing debate to this day. A 2016 study determined it may be closely related to modern lampreys.  They referred to the presence of a primitive stiffened support rod, called a notochord, and concluded it must be a vertebrate. McCoy et al studied again in 2020 and found that samples from the body contain the decay products of chordate tissues, as opposed to the chitin found in arthropods. But Mikami et al, in 2023, found segmentation extending to the preoptic region, which is very different from vertebrates.  And so, the Tully monster is a genus of one.  Phylum: Incertae sedis, or problematica. An enigma.

  Dance is the heartbeat of Bollywood, serving as a powerful tool for storytelling, emotional expression, and cultural celebration. I found this lovely number from Devdas. The first Bollywood film was released in 1913. Director Dhundiraj Govind Phalke is considered the father of Indian cinema. The story is based on the mythological Hindu king, Harishchandra. But Sholay, from 1975, is considered the most defining movie in Bollywood history. I might need to check out some Hindi horror movies.

  Jack Henry Abbott spent much of his life incarcerated, as a minor at the age of 12 (at a reform school), and then at the age of 18.  While in prison, he killed an inmate and received additional time. He heard that author Norman Mailer was writing about convicted killer, Gary Gilmore.  So he wrote to Mailer claiming Gilmore was a liar and offered to share a more accurate experience, that of a "state-raised convict." Mailer was moved by Abbott's writing, and helped him get released on parole in 1981.  He offered to employ him, and the literary crowd in New York was ready to accept him. Only six weeks later, he got into a fight with a waiter and stabbed him in the chest.  He fled town, and was found in Louisiana, on this day.  He was convicted, but he still had Mailer's support, who advocated for a minimum sentence.  He is quoted as saying, "Culture is worth a little risk." His book, which was published just after his release, became a bestseller. The N...

  The International Rhino Foundation was founded in the early 1990's, in response to intense poaching of the black rhino in Zimbabwe. To date, the population has stabilized, and the foundation continues conservation programs for all species of rhinoceros.  Recovery of the greater one-horned rhino is among their successes as well. White rhinos are the most populous, but still considered near threatened. The Sumatran rhino is critically endangered. The Javan rhino only exists in Indonesia's Ujung Kulon National Park. But that doesn't mean you'll see one if you visit.  They are shy and prefer to stay hidden - it even takes rangers months of planning and weeks of patience to catch a sight of them. Rhinos are considered keystone species, because they have a massive impact on their environment.  They help control plant growth, creating pathways and spreading nutrients and seeds. Help Us Create A World Where Rhinos Thrive in the Wild

 I love this head shot. Anya Taylor-Joy Penelope Cruz Olivia Wilde Chase Infiniti Daisy Edgar-Jones Celine Dion Ayo Edebiri Florence Pugh Esme Creed-Miles Mellody Hobson, with George Lucas

  As I've mentioned here and there, we volunteered to do a Dark Sky Survey for Washoe County last weekend. We purchased the Save Starry Skies license plate to support Friends of Nevada Wilderness. Suffice to say, we believe in protecting the night skies. Not just for our view of the stars, but for the nocturnal species that rely on it. Light pollution impacts the well-being of all animals. Article Article The county wants to use the data from this citizen science project to update current lighting regulations.  The city of Flagstaff in Arizona was the nation's first International Dark Sky Place. In Nevada, we have the Massacre Rim Dark Sky Sanctuary. But from our assigned location in the desert you could still see the light dome of Reno.  The Milky Way could be seen from horizon to horizon, but without a lot of detail.  I used to be able to see that much from the North Valleys, but not anymore.  We scored our home at an 8. Details

  I've started chapter 7. This is one of the weirdest books I think I've ever read, but it's certainly interesting.  I'm very on board with the supernatural elements.  Poor Ivan though. Sous mentioned a Russian movie - I found one that was filmed in 1994, shelved, and finally released in 2011.  And then another movie came out in 2024.  It is scheduled to open in the US tomorrow as a limited release. Even if you're not reading along, it was Book Clubbers that turned me onto this, so thank you!

 Maria Callas Born in 1923, she died on this day in 1977. When she was 13, she left her home in New York City to study in Athens, with the noted soprano Elvira de Hidalgo.  She was 24 when she landed her first major operatic role. Her talent was so strong that it allowed for the revival of 19th century bel canto works by Bellini and others that had not been performed for decades. "Bel canto" simply means "beautiful singing," but it is an operatic style and technique that focuses on smooth phrasing, pure tone, and vocal agility over dramatic expression. In 1954, she made her American debut in Norma. Vicenzo Bellini was born in 1801.  He composed his first opera in 1825.  In the following ten years of his life, he wrote 10 more.  While in Paris, he frequented a political salon, where he met Italian revolutionaries, and one Austrian exile who opposed domination of Italy. The latter would be his final librettist, Count Carlo Pepoli.  For his eight previous work...

  Zendaya Florence Pugh Chase Infiniti Colman Domingo Sarah Snook Selena Gomez Elle Fanning Julianna Margulies Oscar Isaac Host: Mariska Hargitay

  It's our anniversary today. ❤️ 18 years ❤️

  The Survivor Tree at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. A Callery pear tree that was planted in the 70's near WTC Building 5. On September 11, the tree had its root system snapped, its bark severely burned, and its trunk reduced to an 8 foot stump.  Tissues were crushed, starved of water, and exposed to extreme heat. It was found in October under debris, and placed in the care of the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation for rehabilitation. The tree used what's called CODIT - compartmentalization of decay in trees - which walls off the dead wood from living, vascular tissue, channeling nutrients to surviving pathways. Hidden buds beneath the bark produced epicormic shoots, which helps the tree replace lost leaves and make food.  Smooth new limbs began to grow from the gnarled, charred trunk. In 2010, the tree had grown to 30 feet, and was returned to the WTC Plaza, where it became an emblem of resilience and hope.

  We camped in the wide open desert outside of Black Rock City. The pups were curious about the train. The night life at Burning Man begins. The fireworks show. Burn, baby, burn.

  On this day in 1995, one of my favorite songs came out. It dominated the "9 at 9" on local radio, the most requested song for the rest of the year, it seemed. To this day, it's the first song I'll pick for karaoke. Shout-out to my Woman Crush, Michelle Pfeiffer, who starred in the movie this was attached to, Dangerous Minds. Coolio sampled from Stevie Wonder's 1976 song. I spent a few weeks back in 1996 visiting family in Middlebury, Indiana - it is part of an Amish community.  So I had the Weird Al version in my head the whole time. The videos were hot on MTV too, of course.

  Laura Dern Rooney Mara Jonathan Bailey Phoebe Waller-Bridge Nicola Peltz-Beckham Maggie Gyllenhall Pamela Anderson Sydney Sweeney These next two are ALMOST.... Robert Pattinson needed better shoes. And John Malkovich needed a better suit for his collar.