Fish for Friday

In 2014, three huge Antarctic glaciers
showed "irreversible decline"

Edited by Morris Dean

[Anonymous selections from recent correspondence]

The great picture of the breaking ice field in the West Atlantic of the Antarctic is among those worth mentioning: "The 12 most important moments in science in 2014." One of my personal favorites:

The deep-sea octopus that sat on its eggs for more than four years

Brace yourself. The most anti-environment Senate EVER will be sworn in just weeks from now.
    First up on its to-do list? Fast-tracking oil drilling in the Arctic.
    Majestic polar bears barely hanging on may not survive. Because drilling always brings industrialization, pollution and of course — toxic oil spills,

A polar bear’s life is intertwined with the ocean. These majestic bears spend much of their time on floating ice, waiting for their prey to swim by. But oily, polluted waters make hunting nearly impossible.
    Polar bears are already struggling with the loss of ice — an oil spill in the Arctic would make it even harder for them to find food. But Shell is still moving forward on its plans to drill in polar bear habitat.

My thanks for the fish last week about Audubon's Flight Map. I started playing with it yesterday, and after several squandered hours flew down the Colorado River from Palisade, CO, to Moab (with a side trip up to the headwaters of the Rio Dolores), down Stillwater Canyon and Cataract Canyon, over Glen Canyon Dam and down the Grand Canyon, on to the Sea of Cortez, and onward to La Paz, Cabo, and my favorite Surf Scum beach at Todos Santos.
    What a wonderful Christmas toy!

Have you seen the NY Times's slideshow, "The Year in Pictures"?
    By count of images, the "top stories" might have been Ebola, Michael Brown (& Eric Garner), immigrants/refugees, sectarian violence....I was surprised at how many items of art were included, and how many of sport.

Did you read about Pope Francis berating the Vatican's officials? "Pope Francis: Christmas greetings to Curia." Excerpt:

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the heads and other senior officials of the departments of the Roman Curia on Monday, in their traditional exchange of Christmas greetings. In remarks prepared for the occasion and delivered Monday morning, the Holy Father focused on the need for those who serve in the curia – especially those in positions of power and authority – to remember and cultivate an attitude and a spirit of service.
    “Sometimes,” said Pope Francis, “[Officials of the Curia] feel themselves ‘lords of the manor’ [It. padroni] – superior to everyone and everything,” forgetting that the spirit, which should animate them in their lives of service to the universal Church, is one of humility and generosity, especially in view of the fact that none of us will live forever on this earth.

20 Years of Harp & Piano at the American University in Bulgaria:


"Buying the farm": A synonym for dying.
    During WW1 soldiers were given life insurance policies worth $5,000. This was about the price of an average farm so if you died you "bought the farm" for your survivors.

And are you sure Albert Einstein wasn't a vegetarian? He was smart enough to be one.

On the editorial page of the Sueddeutsche Zeitung – Germany's Guardian or NY Times – it is argued that Europe should take George Bush, Dick Cheney, and others who ordered torture to a European court, and when found guilty jail them, because in America they are and will remain scott-free! ["Europa muss anklagen" (Europe must accuse)]

Mountain-flanked road: Karakoram Highway, China/Pakistan:

    The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is the highest paved international road in the world. It connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass, at an elevation of 4,693 m/15,397 ft. It connects China’s Xinjiang region with Pakistan’s Gilgit–Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions and also serves as a popular tourist attraction. Due to its high elevation and the difficult conditions in which it was constructed, it is also referred to as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” The Karakorum Highway is known informally as the KKH, and — within Pakistan — officially as the N-35; within China, officially as China National Highway 314 (G314).

"Mandy Rice-Davies, Figure in Britain’s Profumo Affair, Dies at 70." A memorable Mandy Rice-Davis quote:

My life has been one long decent into respectability.

I promise you'll like this. Please watch! And note the subtitles in Spanish:


I was a little shocked by these pictures of the Queen of England, but then it penetrated my brain just how long she's been around. She gives new meaning to the phrase "Long Live the Queen":

A Sandpoint [Idaho] Christmas:

Christmas frolic in the air
Snow falling gently everywhere
    With last minute shopping
And tonight's tree topping
There will be no stopping – I declare!
    Cooking and baking – calories forsaking
Making them right – for this perfect night
    Tis time to gather, hug and cheer
As Christmas eve is drawing near
    With red candles glowing and hearths
Bright embers – Hark – the arrival of Family members!
    Soon children playing, old folks praying
Enfolding a night for everyone's delight
    A breath of air on this cold winter night
Reveals a scene of natures might
    The lake has frozen on a night God's chosen
To mirror the light of a Star so bright

A Downton Abbey Christmas:

Mother Teresa advised:

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is life, fight for it.

A note of interest concerning Jesus's eyes and the book Heaven Is for Real, by Pastor Todd Burpo[, on which the movie of the same name was based]: Pastor Burpo's son claimed that Jesus, who he said had appeared to him during emergency surgery, had beautiful blue-green eyes. After looking at many pictures of Jesus, the boy would say, "No, didn't look like that." Then when he saw the blue-green-eyed portrait of Jesus that Akiane Kramarik had painted when she was 8 (Akiane claims she has visions of Jesus and heaven), he said that was who he saw.
    In my opinion, Jesus's eyes are blue, not Semitic brown, because he did not have an earthly father. God made Him unique!

It's time for carols and for snow,
    Time for being on the go,
So take a moment here and there
    To see the beauty everywhere,
    To take delight in all the fun
And spread the warmth to everyone.
    Enjoy the season while it's here –
    The memories may not last all year.

Limerick of the week:

'Tis the kitschiest time of year perennially;
'twould spare much glitz if Christmas came quadrennially;
    ​and so much more we could be spared
    if the calendar could be pared
to schedule Christmas to occur centennially.

Copyright © 2014 by Morris Dean