New kitty book by Lewis Blackwell coming out October 1.
“As good as Blackwell’s text is (and it’s quite good—an approachable, informative, and appreciative study of cats of all breeds), the true appeal of the book is the stunning images.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
I was interested to read Why, Because Science’s recent post on awesome minerals. I also had a geological experience just last weekend. I attended a blingie bead trunk show with a friend, but was seduced by the beads that were fashioned from rocks and minerals. Being struck helpless, I was forced to buy several specimens for my collection and they are:
From the left
Sardonyx – this really has a very nice chevron pattern that is difficult (impossible) to see in this photo
Gray Brecciated Jasper – with some quartz crystal inclusions
Lapis
Petrified Wood Jasper
African Turqoise – I may turn this into a necklace – I really like it
Labradorite – this one shows a nice play of colors known as labradorescence
These are all beads and are drilled along the long axis, but I wanted them for my rock and mineral collection. The largest pieces are 30 x 40 mm.
This beautiful video is by John Eklund. I saw it first at Lights in the Dark’s Twitter site and wanted to share. I could get lost in this video.
Seen on PopSci, the robot cheetah, developed by Boston Dynamics, set a new land speed record of 28.3 miles per hour –
The article also says that while the Cheetah runs tethered to an external power supply, they are about to launch the Wildcat which needs no external support. I have included the photos of the real cheetahs because this is Sappy Cat Blogging.
photo credit: Smithsonian
We often talk about the Dog Days of Summer, but August 17 marks the beginning of Cat Nights, which come with wonderful stories about witches and their cunning ways.
The Farmer’s Almanac describes Cat Nights:
The term “Cat Nights” harks back to a rather obscure old Irish legend concerning witches and the belief that a witch could turn herself into a cat eight times, but on the ninth time (August 17), she couldn’t regain her human form. This bit of folklore also gives us the saying, “A cat has nine lives.” Because August is a yowly time for cats, this may have prompted the speculation about witches on the prowl in the first place.
In addition, there are a number of feline constellations in the night sky at this time – Leo Major, Leo Minor and the Lynx all appear. More here at space.com.
Leo Major
Oh, yeah, my cats need this. More here at designer Seungji Mun’s website.
I found this cool chart of cat colors. Not new, but I found it interesting.
I came across this video in a reference on Why. Because Science. And it features my favorite astrophysicist. It also features Larry Krause and Richard Feynman.
I remember hearing this concept for the first time (for me) from Carl (Billions and Billions) Sagan on Cosmos.
Enjoy.
Firearms, fibers, any news or behaviors that make me say, "hmm, let me take another look at this."
I still miss my man, but my aim is getting better.
Gunsmoke and Knitting 