That's Gneiss! #162 ~ Mysteries of the deep sea
Plus: The blanket - REVEALED! And monkey content...
It looks like the sunny days have left us for a while now. It’s hard not to start feeling glum these days. The UK is going to start vaccinating people on Tuesday, and Australia has essentially eliminated the virus and life has returned to a relatively normal state of being. How did they do this? THEY DID THE HARD WORK.
Which folks here in this country seem completely unwilling to do. I was going to rant more about the neighbors who went away for a couple of nights this week, presumably to their favorite Ocean Shores spot. I will spare you, and this sums up my mood in a much more humorous way (click here for video).
We all want it to be over, but it takes effort instead of selfishness. The feeling of having no control is maddening.
So let’s talk about freaky fish with see-through heads instead!
Recently I subscribed to a newsletter called Salad Days, primarily because the author includes an update about the activities of her Sims in each issue. Nolan and I used to play The Sims on his PS2 back in the day. It was nothing but comical disasters, and it turns out if you let things go for a long time it can get quite amusing. Anyhow, the last issue also had a review of the Pacific barreleye fish…
Deep-sea fish have adapted to their pitch-black environment in a variety of amazing ways. Several species of deep-water fishes in the family Opisthoproctidae are called “barreleyes” because their eyes are tubular in shape. Barreleyes typically live near the depth where sunlight from the surface fades to complete blackness. They use their ultra-sensitive tubular eyes to search for the faint silhouettes of prey overhead. (source)
The deepest realms of the ocean are amazing, and full of such strange creatures. Not much is known about these fish, but the Monterey Bay Aquarium caught one on film with their research vessel.
Christmas Decor Report
We had hopes that the folks with the endless inflatable collection might have a change of heart and go with a more subdued look this year. A couple of days after Thanksgiving their house looked like this - very nice!
But no, soon they were out filling up the yard with an assortment of Santas, snowmen, and other hissing figures. We walked by as they were working, and Rowland was mostly intrigued by the woman up on the roof.
Then, for two nights everything remained dark and deflated.
It’s a bit eerie walking past all the limp reindeer carcasses.
I think their power bill must have been astronomical last year, because they’re pulling the plug almost every night instead of leaving the neighborhood lit up. I know this, because I can see part of the display from the very room where I’m writing to you now.
My eyes!!!
Hey! They left some open lawn there on the end of the house. I’m disappointed in their lack of effort.
Oh - I SEE. The grubby snowmen have been shunned to the side of the house.
Tidbits
You think it gets cold where you live? Not even close to this!
Best of 2020: Top 19 Creative Projects Made During the COVID-19 Crisis
5G Truthers Bought Faraday Cages to Protect Their Routers. They're Mad They Worked - oops!
“My Man on the Side” - excellent flash fiction by Lilly Schneider
Why are Chicago Public Libraries Still Open Amid Soaring Covid Rates? - this is horrifying.
Mason jars - their history, and why they’re hoarded (really interesting!)
Making: THE BLANKET IS FINISHED! A big thank you to Michael for holding it up for the photo, and helping me randomize each set of the eight colors through a very secretive process conducted by he and Rowland in his lab. Here’s the pattern: Cosy Strip Blanket
Reading: I finished The Only Good Indians, which was excellent but not for the squeamish. Now working on Nature Obscura: A City's Hidden Natural World.
Art Zone
Carla Shen is a philanthropist and art collector who likes to match her outfits with art. Clever and whimsical. Enjoy!
#CarlasCamo: Her Matching-Outfits-with-Artworks Hobby
Videos of the Week
The freaky fish was going to be the video of the week, but then I learned about George the monkey who loves to unbox packages from Baffling Cyclops. I have spent way too much time watching George the last couple of days. If you like George, you can watch him on just about any platform you please. There is little information available about George’s history, but I believe he’s a rescue.
George is very serious about reading instruction manuals. Click here to watch the video (Instagram videos no longer automatically play, I guess).
George is also very clever, and watching him is an exercise in considering how close we humans are to other primates. He figures this gift out very quickly (click here for video).
Current Temperature: 52.0F (11.1 C)
Current Humidity: 86%
Wind (max gust): 14.8 mph
Precipitation: 0.0 in
Air Quality Index: 23 (green)
Great blanket!!! I was also very delighted with the mason jar article.
1. The barreled fish is fascinating! How cool is it that Monterey Bay Aquarium caught it on video? 2. Your blanket turned out great. 3. I love Carla Shen's art! The polka dots and blackboard-y photos are my favorites of the three you shared. 4. George the unpacking monkey is adorable and clever.