Not dead yet

Yes, I'm worried about Hurricane Katrina and what it may do to New Orleans, but it's discouraging and odd to be reading all these posts that seem to be coming from a future in which the city is completely gone.

Cities can recover from a lot, but it helps to believe in them.

Not dead yet

Yes, I'm worried about Hurricane Katrina and what it may do to New Orleans, but it's discouraging and odd to be reading all these posts that seem to be coming from a future in which the city is completely gone.

Cities can recover from a lot, but it helps to believe in them.

Museum coelacanths

After a slow morning, cattitude and I went down to the Museum of Natural History, just to wander around. (There's a new dinosaur exhibit, but it requires tickets, at an extra charge, and was probably jammed--I'll go on a weekday if possible.) We spent a bunch of time in the Hall of Ocean Life, starting with an exhibit (turn left as you enter, it's the first or second area on the wall) with a coelacanth near the upper right. It's a nice specimen, bluish, and the computerized label/information device has reasonable information about it. Then we looked at the rest of that hall, and I briefly explained what tube worms are to a couple of other visitors, and pointed to the label, which was not visible from the side of that exhibit they weere standing at. On the way out, Cattitude suggested another look at the coelacanth--and I spotted another coelacanth by itself against a different wall.

This one is an Indonesian coelacanth (brown), displayed so I could stand under it and get a good look at its belly, and a better look generally than at the Comoros coelacanth we were examining first. They have nice complex markings.

Thence, we went down to the cafeteria because I needed tea, looked at a few other things, and headed home--I had less energy than I'd hoped or expected, so it's as well we didn't try for the zoo. Cattitude made sure I got a look at the mosaic coelacanth on the subway platform as the A train pulled in.

Also, when I talked to my mother this morning, I briefly told her about coelacanths, and provided the dinofish web link. I think she'd rather I not do this--not because of the specific image, just because it's another tattoo--but she didn't try to talk me out of it, of which I'm glad. (It wouldn't have worked--there are two people, maybe three, who could have talked me out of this image, and they both say it's cool--and I'm glad not to have had an argument over it.)

Museum coelacanths

After a slow morning, cattitude and I went down to the Museum of Natural History, just to wander around. (There's a new dinosaur exhibit, but it requires tickets, at an extra charge, and was probably jammed--I'll go on a weekday if possible.) We spent a bunch of time in the Hall of Ocean Life, starting with an exhibit (turn left as you enter, it's the first or second area on the wall) with a coelacanth near the upper right. It's a nice specimen, bluish, and the computerized label/information device has reasonable information about it. Then we looked at the rest of that hall, and I briefly explained what tube worms are to a couple of other visitors, and pointed to the label, which was not visible from the side of that exhibit they weere standing at. On the way out, Cattitude suggested another look at the coelacanth--and I spotted another coelacanth by itself against a different wall.

This one is an Indonesian coelacanth (brown), displayed so I could stand under it and get a good look at its belly, and a better look generally than at the Comoros coelacanth we were examining first. They have nice complex markings.

Thence, we went down to the cafeteria because I needed tea, looked at a few other things, and headed home--I had less energy than I'd hoped or expected, so it's as well we didn't try for the zoo. Cattitude made sure I got a look at the mosaic coelacanth on the subway platform as the A train pulled in.

Also, when I talked to my mother this morning, I briefly told her about coelacanths, and provided the dinofish web link. I think she'd rather I not do this--not because of the specific image, just because it's another tattoo--but she didn't try to talk me out of it, of which I'm glad. (It wouldn't have worked--there are two people, maybe three, who could have talked me out of this image, and they both say it's cool--and I'm glad not to have had an argument over it.)

ouch

I just slammed my right index finger in the closet door while preparing to do exercises with an elastic. Not only is the bruise already visible--right at the base of the nail--and likely to be ugly for weeks, I howled loudly enough that julian_tiger came in, slowly, with his tail puffed all the way up, and I had to assure him that he was safe. (This was after I'd run cold water on it.)

P.S. Having run cold water on it a few times, and waited a few minutes, I was able to do all but one of the exercises with the elastic: the one where I'm moving my hand to the right, away from the center of the body, I had to use the finger and that wasn't good. I also did the usual stretches, with only slight modifications. And Julian's tail is back to normal, but he's still looking a bit cautious.

ouch

I just slammed my right index finger in the closet door while preparing to do exercises with an elastic. Not only is the bruise already visible--right at the base of the nail--and likely to be ugly for weeks, I howled loudly enough that julian_tiger came in, slowly, with his tail puffed all the way up, and I had to assure him that he was safe. (This was after I'd run cold water on it.)

P.S. Having run cold water on it a few times, and waited a few minutes, I was able to do all but one of the exercises with the elastic: the one where I'm moving my hand to the right, away from the center of the body, I had to use the finger and that wasn't good. I also did the usual stretches, with only slight modifications. And Julian's tail is back to normal, but he's still looking a bit cautious.