From Birth
Friday, January 10, 2025
From Birth
My part of this blog is mainly about energy, which might as well be the meaning of life, the universe, and everything.
My part of this blog is mainly about energy, but sometimes music distracts me. Often, it’s country music that sets me off. Today the country in question is Italy, and the song is about your birth and your life.
“What’s he singing about?” I hear you say. It’s possible I’m hallucinating. But it seems to be about this:
From the day you were born
Life is music and fantasy
You gave a face to my life
And now it's yours
The world is music and fantasy
This is important and the rest is a lie
That is told to those who have no irony
In one’s life
Life is music and fantasy
Keep this in mind and you won’t get lost
You’ll see, as you grow you'll understand
You’ll understand
Life is music and fantasy
But if you get lost, what do you want it to be
It will be enough to live it with irony
It will be enough to live it
Secret now
Soon you will become
What you want
For me you are
You are everything
For me you are
You are everything
You are music
You are fantasy
You are everything
And your hugs are the most beautiful in the world
And your eyes are the most sincere
And inside the heart a true love
Bigger than the sky
Your hugs are the most beautiful in the world
And your eyes are the most sincere
And in the heart a love true
Since the day you were born
Thus said the Google translation foo.
Bonus points: Read this essay from Joan Didion. It is relevant to today’s news and events. Thanks to Tyler Cowen for the link.
Have a nice day.
Today's special animal friend is the Neuse River Waterdog, Necturus lewisi. This salamander, also known as the Carolina Mudpuppy, is found only in the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico River basins in North Carolina. It is speculated that the salamander's head looks somewhat like a dog's, but I don't see it. Another theory regarding the name is that some other kinds of salamanders make squeaky puppy sounds when handled, and this trait led to the name of species that don't make sounds. *shrug*
The average length of an adult waterdog is 6 to 9 inches. The largest one measured was 11 inches long. They have elongated, flat heads with a squared nose and rather thick, almost cylindrical bodies. Their tails are flattened and have fins top and bottom. They have four little legs with four-toed feet. Their smooth, slimy skin is medium brown on the back and light brown underneath, with dark brown or black spots. A distinguishing feature is the three red, feather-like gills on each side of their necks in their adult form. Many salamanders do not have visible gills as adults.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJy6ZeBr3Jc
Unlike some salamanders, waterdogs are permanently aquatic. They live in rivers and larger streams, where they lurk in leaf beds in quiet water. They prefer cooler temperatures and will rest under leaves and detritus during the summer. They are carnivorous predators, hunting mainly at night for crustaceans, other invertebrates, and small fish. They also eat dead stuff.
In the spring, waterdogs move to faster-moving, well-oxygenated water, where they excavate breeding areas or "retreats" under cover of a stream bank or rock. They will move small rocks around using their mouths to prepare their territory. Both sexes defend their territories with displays such as head gestures and gill-fluttering. They will bite competitors, usually on the tail, if the displays are not respected. Males cosy up to females, who will accept a globular, gelatinous spermatophore if they like the guy. The females fertilize their eggs, 30 to 50 at a time, and attach them to the underside of rocks.
The female guards the eggs until they hatch during summer. Newly hatched larvae are about one inch long and look a lot like tadpoles. They eat small arthropods such as insect larvae. They take about six years to mature, gradually growing larger and taking on an adult appearance. Waterdogs are estimated to live ten to twenty years.
Neuse River Waterdogs are considered Near Threatened by IUCN and Threatened by the state of North Carolina. The main threat is habitat deterioration. Salamanders are very sensitive to water pollution, including sedimentation and excess nutrients. The macroinvertebrates on which the larvae feed can also be affected by water quality. It is assumed that some fish eat both the larvae and adult waterdogs, but this has not been observed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJcJrJJAvjk
Good morning. I'm going to view this with irony.