ANAL GLANDS OF CIVETS

Published September 12, 2022 by Nan Mykel

HAD YOUR BARF TODAY?

The anal glands of civets open under the tail into a large pouch in which a greasy, musklike secretion accumulates. This secretion, known as civet, is used by the animals in marking territories. The secretion of the small Indian civet, or rasse (Viverricula indica), and of the Oriental civets (Viverra) is employed commercially in the manufacture of perfume. In addition, coffee beans fermented within and excreted from the digestive tracts of civets in the Philippines and Indonesia are sometimes used to enhance the taste of coffee.

This article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty, Editor.

(Photo via Dreamstine)

Encyclopaedia Britannica’s editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree….

This article was most recently revised and updated BY John P. Rafferty, Editor. Encyclopaedia Britannica’s editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree….

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Already off-center after reading how civet excretion adds pleasure to our lives, I began surreptitiously reading in Colin Wilson’s Alien Dawn–surreptitiously so as not to model questionable behavior for my children. On page 233 I came across a description of Ebe, the extraterrestrial biological entity. “They have been visiting Earth for 25,000 years…They have been manipulating DNA, and aiding human evolution. It was also stated that Jesus was an extraterrestrial, created by the aliens, placed on earth to teach men about love and nonviolence.”

JUST THOUGHT YOU’D LIKE TO KNOW

Art Is Dead, Dude…!?

Published September 11, 2022 by Nan Mykel

Jason Allen’s work, “Theatre D’Opera Spatial,” took home the blue ribbon in a Colorado fair’s contest for digital artists, becoming one of the first A.I.-generated pieces to win such a prize. It set off a fierce backlash from artists….

Mr. Allen, the blue-ribbon winner, said he empathized with artists who were scared that A.I. tools would put them out of work. But he said their anger should be directed not at individuals who use DALL-E 2 or Midjourney to make art but at companies that choose to replace human artists with A.I. tools.

“It shouldn’t be an indictment of the technology itself,” he said. “The ethics isn’t in the technology. It’s in the people.”

And he urged artists to overcome their objections to A.I., even if only as a coping strategy.

“This isn’t going to stop,” Mr. Allen said. “Art is dead, dude. It’s over. A.I. won. Humans lost.”

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Kevin Roose is a technology columnist and the author of “Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation.” @kevinroose • Facebook A version of this article appears in print on Sept. 3, 2022, Section B, Page 1 of the New York Times

On Creativity

Published September 8, 2022 by Nan Mykel

CREATIVITY VS RACISM

What could be more creative

than painting different colors

on different folks?

Tan, pink, black, beige,

red and yellow

maybe God was

a joyful fellow.

Perhaps one paint brush

unites us all?

Nan 9-8-22

I can’t help it….

Published September 6, 2022 by Nan Mykel

OBSERVATION – If you want to get ideas for your post, lie awake for an hour after opening your eyes first thing in the morning. Or better not, if you’re prone to drowning in them. –Not great ideas. mind you, and not really manic. So they won’t flood into the next morning, rather than bore readers with too many posts, I have started bundling them together under one heading—“I can’t help it…” Today I’ll pick the following:

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MATURING – Oh, I could write an entire book on the topic. But don’t worry, I won.t. Meditations about aging: I’m gratified for re-discovering my ankles. If that doesn’t ring a bell then you’re not old enough.

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AGING CAN BE FUN…if you’re don’t mind dying. If you live long enough dying is seen as restful and pain free, if you have been good and aren’t afraid of hell.

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LET’S HEAR IT for dark humor! Nothing wrong with laughing, and it lets your endorphins flow…Maybe I told you that I woke up the other day to find three people in my bedroom, checking to see if I was dead. (I don’t sleep with my hearing aids on)

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THIS ISN’T FUNNY AT ALL and maybe I told you already: When time changed recently (it was recent, wasn;t it?} I wasn’t informed, and missed my scheduled local old folks ride. The next time, I missed my ride home from Walmart because the machine kept rejecting my charge card too often for me to catch the ride home. I walked around Walmart asking strangers “Are you a driver?” thinking maybe my driver was looking for me. I TAKE THAT BACK–I guess it IS funny if looked at the right way, else I wouldn’t have included it. I do have the fortuitous habit of laughing at myself when I drop things (often I’m laughing all day because of it). Anyway, apparently the two-dollar ride folks have had enough of my standing them up. It’s more difficult to get them to pick me up for my every other Tuesday poetry group meeting at the Library now. But I’m laughing at the spectacle and telling you about it, aren’t I? They were glad to give me the phone number for the local bus, but I learned that the bus folks have canceled morning pickups due to driver shortage. Now where’s the humor in that? (Maybe acknowledging that I shouldn’t have run into the back of that other car several years ago and given up my own car to the towing man.) Smile. (I still don’t believe their turn signals were working.)

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MY GRANDMOTHER used to say, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” Ain’t that the truth! (Smile).

A RESOLUTION AND STUFF

Published September 5, 2022 by Nan Mykel

WASH OUT HER MOUTH WITH SOAP — Marjorie Taylor Greene will never be mentioned in my post again, nor will Scott Perry, Brian Fitzpatrick, Paul Gosar, Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, Madison Cawthorn, Kevin McCarthy, Lindsey Graham and I’ll try really hard not to mention the FPOTUS, I promise. This site will be safe to visit without giving them publicity.

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A paragraph in dianeravitch’s post: Republican candidates up and down the November ballot reject the legitimate outcome of the last election — and are making it easier to reject the will of the voters in the next. Violent anti-government rhetoric from party leaders targets the FBI, the Justice Department and the IRS. A systemic campaign of disinformation makes their supporters feel victimized by shadowy “elites.”

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QUOTE from The Mind Tree, by Tito, severely auistic and nearly nonverbal youth–

“Many things can happen in a minute. This or that; some of this and some of that; all of this and none of that; or all of that and none of this. It depends on which you consider inportant, this or that.” [I know what you mean…]

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I USED TO PLAY TENNIS, at least I was Number One on the Miami Jackson High School tennis team long, long ago, and this week a metaphor related to tennis occurred to me: the angle of the face of the tennis racket is crucial for both sides to hear and be heard in a dialogue, if it is to be successful. If the reciever’s racket is tilted down the ball simply impacts negatively. If its face is tilted up the player loses some power to correctly place the shot. Holding the face of the racket steady and straight enables a return that’s both direct and well-received, if the opponent’s racket is likewise flat. I know this sounds crazy but during a verbal exchange recently it became clear to me that how a statement is heard depends almost entirely on how the reciever is holding his racket–up, down or straight on.

The utilization of this metaphor in today’s culture speaks to dialogues between individuals with different backgrounds, parties or beliefs. Maybe I should just settle for the word “attitude.” I can live with that–it’s just that the metaphor flashed to mind when there was a mismatch between giving and receiving. I had a lot of assertiveness training during college (how to hit the ball straight on), but still struggle to hold my ground rationally and return the ball straight on. Your Perfect Right by Michael Emmons and Robert E. Alberti was, and is in my opinion the font of wisdom on the topic of non-assertiveness, assertiveness and aggressiveness. Although the book was first pblished in the 1970’s, it ranked 5th among all self-help books in a national survey of psychologists reported in American Journal of Psychotherapy, Psychology Today, and The New York Times.

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MEMORIES

Published September 4, 2022 by Nan Mykel

I won’t say I’m old any more. I’ll say “well-seasoned”. Well, in my state of being well-seasoned my mind continues to pop up ancient jingles. Sometimes they are followed by memories associated with them. For instance, the phrase “would you rather be a mule?” Thanks to Google, I found the line to be from a 1944 Bing Crosby song, “Swinging On A Star”:

Would you like to swing on a star

Carry moonbeams home in a jarAnd be better off than you areOr would you rather be a mule… https://www.youtube.com ›

The phrase reignited an early school memory. In my mind’s eye I was in the first grade, but if it was really 1944 then it must have been in the fourth grade. Somehow I was singing (aloud) to myself in the classroom and sang “Or would you rather be a queer?”

For some reason there was an indrawn breath and the voice of my teacher said reassuringly, “she doesn’t even know what that means.”

She was right, and I didn’t find out until much later, but the memory hung on. That happens often–something that doesn’t hang together much has a spot in my head avaiable for correct construction years later (as in well-seasoned).

Another re-visited edifying memory involves an occasion when my immediate family were living on Austin Drive in Charlotte. (You need to know my mother was as bad a housekeeper as I am), and I remember the four of us standing outside on the front porch of the the 2-bedroomed asbestos-covered house greeting a visiting couple who stayed at the bottom of the front steps. My folks remained standing on the front porrch while greeting them, and the couple stayed on the front walk.

After a very brief time the couple left and I asked, “Who was that?

My father answered “just some social climbers”, a puzzling remark until recently, when I realized that was a joke….

I’M GOING TO TRY…

Published September 3, 2022 by Nan Mykel

AND DO SOMETHING USEFUL – Although I tend to make promises and renege on them due to one thing or another, I’m going to try and dedicate one day a week to a climate change update, headed How’s Mother Earth Doing? I’m telling you now at the age of 86-going on-87-that I’m still a computer newbie and have resigned myself to that fact. (I quit d’verse because it became too challenging for me when they made a little change in directions several years ago). Which means that I will be lifting facts from resources listed under Google, and cannot mess with all the ways to frame them, for the most part. Everyone can use Google or other “search engines,” I think they’re called. I hope to start today, so will hope to feature my new post every Saturday….How challenging and scary! ….

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The last day of the month found Pakistan in big trouble. as deadly floods devastated Pakistan. Much of Pakistan is underwater and more than 1,100 have perished as bridges have been washed out, crops drowned and roads wiped out.

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In the United Arab Emigrates they’re salting clouds, seeking more rain, and in Saudi Arabia and Iran they’re considering following suit.

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Soylent Green is a 1973 American ecological dystopian thriller film, directed by Richard Fleischer, starring Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young and Edward G. Robinson in his final film role. Loosely based on the 1966 science fiction novel Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison, the film combines police procedural and science fiction genres, the investigation into the murder of a wealthy businessman and a dystopian future of dying oceans and year-round humidity, due to the greenhouse effect, resulting in pollution, poverty, overpopulation, euthanasia and depleted resources.^[2] In 1973, it won the Nebula Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film.

The Situation: By 2022,^[3] the cumulative effects of overpopulation, pollution and an apparent climate catastrophe have caused severe worldwide shortages of food, water and housing. In New York City alone, there are 40 million people, and only the city’s elite can afford spacious apartments, clean water, and natural food. The homes of the elite are fortified, with private security and bodyguards for their tenants. Usually, they include concubines (who are referred to as “furniture” and serve the tenants as slaves). The poor live in squalor, haul water from communal spigots, and eat highly processed wafers: “Soylent Red,” “Soylent Yellow,” and the latest product, far more flavorful and nutritious, “Soylent Green.”

It’s kind of too old a movie to require a spoiler alert, but use your imagination: people. I don’t know how difficult it would be to legally arrange things so just the scene of the people before harvesting are allowed to sit in a large dome surrounded by images of MOTHER EARTH the way it used to be, but it would sure be a powerful statement if a national climate change PR outfit could manage a recurring spot on, say facebook, or even Daily Kos, or AlterNet Are there anypopular sites that don’t charge for their ads? It takes toop long to go through the sites that continue in 10 or 12 spurts. I know, beggars can’t be choosers. That powerful scene is the only thing that burned its way into my memory.

That’s all for this week, Folks!

JAW-DROPPING

Published September 1, 2022 by Nan Mykel

TRUST ME — Because I can’t figure out how to reblog Diane Ravitz’s blog today I’ll just cut to the chase and refer you on to her cited reference: TRUST ME, it’s well worth the visit. :

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article264450116.html

(Copy and paste the url)

Van Gogh

Published August 31, 2022 by Nan Mykel

In December, 1888, while with Paul Gaughin, Van Gogh’s left ear was cut off.

Image: Vincent Van Gogh with his bandaged left ear missing. What? The bandage is over his right ear! But it’s a self portrait and he was looking in the mirror, I guess… The artistic genius was a troubled man….

Vincent Vab Gogh’s Biography: Mental Health Source: Hundreds of physicians and psychiatrists have tried to define Van Gogh’s medical conditions over the years. The following are some of the more probable mental and physical diagnoses.

Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Van Gogh suffered from seizures which doctors, including Dr. Felix Rey and Dr. Peyron, believed to be caused by temporal lobe epilepsy. Van Gogh was born with a brain lesion that many doctors believe was aggravated by his prolonged use of absinthe causing his epileptic condition. Dr. Gachet, another of Van Gogh’s physicians, was thought to have treated his epilepsy with digitalis. This prescription drug can cause one to see in yellow or see yellow spots. This may have been one of the reasons why Van Gogh loved this color.

Bipolar disorder

Due to Van Gogh’s extreme enthusiasm and dedication to first religion and then art coupled with the feverish pace of his art production many believe that mania was a prominent condition in Van Gogh’s life. However, these episodes were always followed by exhaustion and depression and ultimately suicide. Therefore, a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or manic depression makes sense with the accounts of these episodes in Van Gogh’s life.

Thujone poisoning

In order to counter act his attacks of epilepsy, anxiety, and depression, Van Gogh drank absinthe, a toxic alcoholic drink popular with many artists at the time. Thujone is the toxin in absinthe. Unfortunately, the Thujone worked against Van Gogh aggravating his epilepsy and manic depression. High doses of thujone can also cause one to see objects in yellow. Various physicians have differing opinions on whether or not this is what caused Van Gogh’s affinity with yellow.

Lead poisoning

Because Van Gogh used lead based paints there are some who believe he suffered from lead poisoning from nibbling at paint chips. It was also noted by Dr. Peyron that during his attacks Van Gogh tried to poison himself by swallowing paint or drinking kerosene. One of the symptoms of lead poisoning is swelling of the retinas which can cause one to see light in circles like halos around objects. This can be seen in paintings like The Starry Night.

Hypergraphia

Hypergraphia is a condition causing one to need to write continuously; this disorder is commonly linked to mania and epilepsy. Some believe that the massive collection of over 800 letters Van Gogh wrote during his lifetime could be attributed to this condition.

Sunstroke

Because Van Gogh strived for realism in his paintings he was often painting outdoors especially during his times in the South of France. Some of his episodes of hostility and the nausea and “bad stomach” he refers to in his letters may have been the effects of sunstroke. From <https://www.vangoghgallery.com/misc/mental.html>

Vincent cut off his left ear on 23 December 1888. It was the first of several serious breakdowns that plagued him until his tragic suicide a year and a half later. We don’t know precisely what his illness was, but it had a huge impact on him.

https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/stories/on-the-verge-of-insanity