Snowflake's Forum

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjN7Sp-DwQ4 I came across this video on things you should not do in foreign countries, and it reminded me of something that happened when I was in my late teens. I had studied French in high school, and I had the opportunity to visit there and stay with the families of some of the foreign exchange students we had hosted. I spent a few weeks in Caen (Normandy) and my host family took me sight-seeing almost every day (they were teachers and had the summer off). We stopped at this restaurant in the absolutely gorgeous countryside. We had eaten our meal, and I was stuffed. Then they served desert, which was some candied fig dish. But I was so full I turned it down.  We were sitting there talking and finishing up when the chef came storming out of the kitchen shouting “Qui n’aime pas mes figues??” (not sure of the spelling there). I mean, he was furious! My hosts explained to him that I was from America and meant no disrespect. He stopped shouting ...

 So....got any scars? No, not him!   THIS kind of scar: Just about everybody has some scarring.  It's part of life.  A knee scrape that left grit embedded in the skin.  A visit to the doctor that called for stitches.   That time you got so high you fell down the steps and lay at the foot of the bottom step, giggling.  That kind of scar. My most prominent scar is from brain surgery (okay, snarky remarks will follow, I know).  I had been diagnosed with a pituitary adenoma, which is, as you might guess, a tumor on the pituitary gland.  Not a small problem;  if left alone, such a tumor will eventually snap the optic nerve, leaving you blind.  Oh, and eventually, it'll kill you, too.  Fun times! The doctor explained that it could be removed through the nose.  They go groping up your nostrils, cut into the sack surrounding your gray matter, and dissect the little bastard.  But, my doctor warned, sometimes your sch...

 I finally got my first vaccine earlier this week (Moderna), and the only side-effect I had was a sore arm for a couple of days. I am scheduled to go back to the clinic in August for shot #2. My partner had her shot in March, and she didn't have even a sore arm. What strikes me, is that feeling of PHEW - such relief. We aren't getting cocky and being careless, we still behave in the same fashion as before but I had no idea how much of an emotional impact getting the vaccine can have on your sense of well-being. That is why I can't understand those who don't get the vaccine. Many of them fear the vaccine more than the fear getting Covid, but they must surely be seeing people around them getting the vaccine without negative consequence. BUT - consequences DO happen, like this story: Quebec reports first death due to blood clot after AstraZeneca vaccine, experts stress 0.001 % likelihood https://globalnews.ca/news/7812813/quebec-covid19-april-27-2021/ In fact, to be honest...

Arp 271 pair galaxies The two galaxies are known individually as NGC 5426 and NGC 5427, and morphologically, both are spiral galaxies. The two galaxies have nearly identical imasses, at 34 and 31 trillion solar masses respectively. Thus, the pair falls into the category of “twin galaxies”. The only difference between the two, is that NGC 5427 is a Seyfert II galaxy. Optical images have revealed the presence of a bridge-like structure that connects the two galaxies that consists of ionized gas and stars. This region displays a higher emission and a higher rate of star formation when compared with the galactic disks of the Arp 271 galaxies.  According to data analysis and based on the properties of the H II regions within the bridge, it has been suggested that this structure is associated with NGC 5426. Finally, it should be mentioned that according to observations, it is still not clear if the galaxies will eventually merge. Their interaction will continue for sure over the next mil...

   Think back.  Schooldays, marvelous old schooldays, when we were innocent and green, our eager minds ready to take in new experiences, new knowledge and old books.  Some of the books were terrific.  Some were merely good.   And some, let's be straightforward here, some were utter crap. "But it's a classic!"  Yeah, well, into every life a classic must fall.  And some of those books that spoke to millions had nothing to say to me.   The book that made me want to scream for surcease from boredom started and ended with a goddamn turtle. This turtle was obstinate!  Never gave up!  No matter what happened, this little sumbitch was gonna cross that road! Plenty of other stuff happened in this venerable, lovely, inspiring and goddamnunbelievably BORING  classic, but what sticks with me is the freaking stupid turtle!  Yaaaargh! Yes, of course, I am talking about  The Grapes of Wrath  by John Steinbeck.  A...

  David Brooks: https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/opinion/columns/more-voices/2021/04/24/david-brooks-republican-party-becoming-more-radicalized/7348579002/ Those of us who had hoped America would calm down when we no longer had Donald Trump spewing poison from the Oval Office have been sadly disabused. There are increasing signs that the Trumpian base is radicalizing. My Republican friends report vicious divisions in their churches and families. Republican politicians who don’t toe the Trump line are speaking of death threats and menacing verbal attacks. It’s as if the Trump base felt some security when their man was at the top, and that’s now gone. Maybe Trump was the restraining force. What’s happening can only be called a venomous panic attack. Since the election, large swaths of the Trumpian right have decided America is facing a crisis like never before and they are the small army of warriors fighting with Alamo-level desperation to ensure the survival of the country as the...

The flowers are blooming and the critters are out and about. Wild mouse with cute stuffed cheekpouches Mildred Virginia epiphyllium Photos by Germaine

Highly Invasive Jumping Worms Have Spread to 15 States The invertebrate depletes topsoil of nutrients and makes it difficult for fungi and plants to grow The invasive jumping worm will thrash and snap its body when touched.  ( University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum ) The highly invasive jumping worm, a genus introduced from eastern Asia, now writhes within the topsoil of more than a dozen states in the Midwest. After jumping worms feed their insatiable appetites, they leave behind loose, granular soil the texture of coffee grounds. This altered soil can no longer retain moisture, lacks nutrients and quickly erodes, jeopardizing gardens and forest ecosystems, reports Will Cushman for  PBS Wisconsin . The  jumping worms  may have been brought to North America in the 19th century with plants and other imported horticultural and agricultural materials. Since then, the worms have spread. As of 2021, the invaders can be found in Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Minn...

  …have a successful relationship* with another?   Granted, the “other” could involve lots of different (various and sundry) people.   It might be your spouse, your significant other, your friend, your enemy, your family, your boss, your workmates, … Q1: Generally speaking, what, to you, is the most important aspect/quality of any successful relationship?   Is it: Trust Unwavering Love Honesty Compatible philosophies on life (political, religious, other) Equality Understanding Tolerance Patience Good times Other  If you can't pick out one, maybe try ranking them. Q2: Do you see each kind of relationship differently, as far as what qualities are most important?   If no, you are done here.   If yes, tell us about what it takes regarding each different relationship (e.g., with family it takes patience; with spouse it takes undying love, etc). Q3: Who, in your life, has the most successful relationship with you and why (e.g., spouse, family, wo...

  Dallas, TX  — In what supporters call a “great day for liberty and even a greater day for the Republic of Texas,” pro-activists have managed to pass a pilot bill through the state legislature legalizing smoking in select cities. According to the bylaws of Texans for Liberty, a coalition of Pro-Texas groups joined forces last year in a twofold effort to “liberate Texas from the influence of Washington D.C. and  California ,” according to the bylaws of  Texans for Liberty . The organization was sponsored by several conservative and libertarian groups, including A mericans for Prosperity Texas ,  Empower Texans , and uncreatively named anti-California group  The Anti-California Group . “Like all Texans, we don’t appreciate outsiders meddling in our affairs,” said  Texans for Liberty  spokeswoman Bethany Millbright. “In Texas, it’s important that citizens make decisions that impact their lives. Not some government bureaucrat in some far off place li...