The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language by Mark Forsyth My rating: 5 of 5 stars Consider this one if you’ve thought about reading an etymology book for fun but never got around to it. I admit I’m weird and keep a copy of a ragged, old, red AmericanContinue reading “The Etymologicaon”
Category Archives: The Wisdom of Loki (Biology Non-Fiction by Ptera Hunter)
Parasitic Birds Blend into Their Nests
Be they protists, worms, or vertebrates, parasites depend on their ability to deceive. The nest parasites, like the cowbird and cuckoo, mimic the offspring of their host birds. Their eggs often look like the eggs of a host bird (at least within the visual world of the host), and when they hatch they imitate theContinue reading “Parasitic Birds Blend into Their Nests”
Kudos to a Great Graphic Artist Rubin Bolling: Alternative MAUS Hits Home
-by Ptera Hunter Among the best responses that I have seen to date about the recent mashugana decision by the Tennessee School Board to ban a book about the holocaust (because a cartoon mouse shows a breast) comes from graphic artist Ruben Bolling (a.k.a., Tom the Dancing Bug.) One of Mr. Bolling’s most recent parodies,Continue reading “Kudos to a Great Graphic Artist Rubin Bolling: Alternative MAUS Hits Home”
Tennessee School Board Bans MAUS Over a Naked Mouse.
an editorial by our writer, Circa24, author of Silent Consent Now, in 2022, the Tennessee school board wishes to ban Maus by Art Spiegelman (1980). It claims that it doesn’t mind people learning about the Shoah, as long as it’s sanitized! “A naked” picture in the Pulitzer-winning graphic novel Maus displays one character after herContinue reading “Tennessee School Board Bans MAUS Over a Naked Mouse.”
Snake in the Hole, Harding Co., SD.
Camouflaged racer snake peers outward to the world. It tries to blend into its surroundings—mimicking its background rather than a dangerous predator.
Dinner and a Date with a Twist
Organisms lie, exaggerate, and scam their way to food, to territory and to sex. In one species of firefly, females can dine on the males of another species if they send a phony mating signal. The duped male becomes dinner rather than a date. Because of this threat, males will approach females with caution. SometimesContinue reading “Dinner and a Date with a Twist”
Hate That Look
Cow Pox and the Propaganda of the 19th Century’s Anti-Vaccine Society
In June 1802, James Gillray published the Cow-Pock or “The Wonderful Effects of the New Inoculation!” a publication of the Anti-vaccine Society. It used bald-faced lies and misinformation to discourage people from taking the first vaccine in European medicine. In his classic propaganda cartoon, he implied that vaccinations would cause people to become more bovine,Continue reading “Cow Pox and the Propaganda of the 19th Century’s Anti-Vaccine Society”
Tough-Guy Elk
Many species of animals use deception to gain an advantage. The elk that signals dominance with a long bray needs to fight less often than the elk that does not signal a tough-guy attitude. With a good bluff, he can usually avoid a costly fight. Learn more about the art of lying in the naturalContinue reading “Tough-Guy Elk”
The Lying Fiddler
Everything lies. For virtually every species, lying and lie detection are essential survival skills. Fiddler crabs that have lost a claw will re-grow a bigger but weaker claw. When challenged by a smaller crab, the weak-clawed fiddler will bluff. It will display a fighting stance that tells the smaller crab that a confrontation would beContinue reading “The Lying Fiddler”
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