Posted in In my humble opinion...

Morning Dawdler 2-23-23 According to Conscience


Rory has more questions today. Let’s play:

Are you quiet or vocal when watching television, a movie, or a film? Can you sit there with others and watch silently, or are you filled with oohs, ahhs, and other gesture forms?

Surprise! I am extremely vocal. LOL
I most often watch movies and TV alone or with only one or two people who do the same. I realize that doing so is rude in mixed company, so I refrain from being vocal when that situation happens, but my enjoyment becomes limited if I need to be silent.

How many rolls of toilet paper does your household use monthly on average?

I’ve never counted. While I offered childcare in my home, the volume was larger than most households. I bought cheaper brands with lower ply counts during my daycare years to avoid plugged plumbing from kids using it too generously.

Do you believe that if a person takes a life, they destroy a part of themselves – what are your views on this?

What a loaded question!
Cutting down a tree and murdering one’s neighbor each fit the description of “taking a life”.
If someone has no conscience, the taking of a life wouldn’t matter to him.
If the ‘taking of life’ was not foreseen or planned by the ‘destroyer’ (an accident), it might not be diminishing to that person, but people often blame themselves for events that they have no power to change so it’s a personal choice. The human capacity for ‘guilt’ drives many positive and negative outcomes. That ‘feeling’ destroys life as often as it saves it. Exploring human guilt would take volumes. Extremely interesting but too time consuming in this format.


https://earthlycomforts.uk/2023/02/23/a-wild-aloha-to-you-21/

Posted in Book Reviews

A reblog: Book Review: Embrace Your Weird — Dave Williams

Embrace Your Weird: Face Your Fears and Unleash Creativity by Felicia Day I’ll begin this review with a quote from the book’s introduction: “Simply put, this book is about uncovering, unblocking, and letting loose FEELING. And then activating ways to SHARE THAT FEELING.” Simply put, this book is wonderful. It’s not a “how to” book […]

Book Review: Embrace Your Weird — Dave Williams
Posted in Nature Knowledge

NATURE KNOWLEDGE: Hickory Tussock Moth

Aug 2011 033come to me

This fuzzy little guy is a Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar. Most caterpillars are discovered in mid to late summer. Usually, by then, they have reached a noticeable size from eating all season and growing from larva into full caterpillars. Below, is one common variety of Hickory Tussock Moth.

Lophocampa caryae
Lophocampa caryae (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are many varieties of Tussock Moths. Their caterpillars vary in appearance too. All are about 2 inches long and fuzzy/spiky in appearance . They love eating Hickory trees but will settle for Elm, Ash, Oak and Willow trees too. They sometimes can cause the defoliation of these trees.

weird 001The one above, was brought to me by my daughter who had found it so curious looking. Thankfully, she did not handle it directly. I found this warning when making the identification:

“The Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar has poisonous hairs and spines that can cause skin rashes similar to poison ivy. If your child should rub his/her eyes or touches his/her nose after coming into contact with this caterpillar reactions can also include conjunctivitis (eyes), light sensitivity (eyes) and wheezing (nose).”

http://bangordailynews.com/2011/08/30/news/state/entomologists-beware-of-hickory-tussock-caterpillar/

Under a microscope, those little hairs are barbed. Seems these little guys are “armed and dangerous” to most prey. Thankfully, most toads, small snakes and birds don’t mind a bit. We are very fortunate that Mother Nature holds everything in delicate balance!

PS.~ These caterpillars were photographed in New York State and Massachusetts. The link to the warning talks about Maine but they are here too!

Posted in Nature Knowledge

NATURE KNOWLEDGE: Quick ID~ Moth or Butterfly

There a few tips that you can keep in mind in order to quickly distinguish a moth from a butterfly. Although they belong to the same larger group of insects, there are some rules (with, of course, some exceptions) to follow. Directly below there is a Luna moth. Notice the “feathery” antennae. Moth feelers lack a club-like tip too.

Butterflies have more narrow Q-tip-shaped antennae . See the Great Spangled Fritillary  butterfly below for example.

Another tip : If you see the insect in the bright sun of daytime, it is most likely a butterfly. Moths prefer the shadows and night.

Moths are usually drab in color while butterflies have bright colors. There are exceptions though.

Butterflies most often have a slender body with moths generally looking stout and furry.

When moths are at rest, they usually lay their wings flat along the surface of their post. Butterflies usually keep their wings upright and perpendicular to their spot. (see photos)

Butterflies have free hanging translucent “containers” spun from their caterpillars called chrysalises. Moth caterpillars spin cocoons of soft silk for their metamorphism.

These fascinating creatures share their ability to turn from a worm-like caterpillar into a graceful flying wonder. Hope this post adds to your pleasure when viewing Nature.

A butterfly chrysalis
photo credit: Wikipedia

a moth cocoon
photo credit: Wikipedia

Posted in Book Reviews, Sideshows

Book Review~Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

I am reading the book Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. It is the first nonfiction for our book club and I am facilitating it at our June meeting.

Psychology is, in the famous words of Mr. Spock, fascinating. This book is very well written. It is a gripping journey into our instinctual selves. The clip above, kept coming to my mind. If you didn’t know already, in my opinion, everything I need to know about life can be found in Star Trek. I couldn’t find the longer clip that I desired for this post. It goes on to have the Captain tell Spock that he is thrilled that Spock was willing to guess in order to guide the ship home safely. Spock is then told by Dr. McCoy that the captain trusts Spock’s guesses more than most people’s facts.

Many of us have disregarded our instincts in favor of study and contemplation. The book points out that our instincts, even when we cannot explain them, often can guide us better.

There are exceptions, especially when are psyche is drawing upon stereotypes. An interesting chapter deals with racial and gender stereotypes. Overall, the” judging a book by its cover”saying is put to the test over and over.

I have yet to finish the book but already recommend it to anyone who also has an interest in the human experience.