Bug breakthrough

 

Get infected by bacteria to beat cancer?  Might work.

Bacteria Developed To Deliver Cancer-Fighting Drugs Directly to Tumors

"The team has been finetuning the development of non-toxic, genetically engineered strains of Salmonella to target tumors and then control the release of cancer-fighting drugs inside cancer cells. In addition to sparing healthy tissue from damage, this cancer treatment platform is able to deliver orders of magnitude more therapy than the administered dose because the simple-to-manufacture bacteria grow exponentially in tumors.

“We were focusing on how to make this strain really safe and user friendly,” Raman says. “The genetic engineering steps we took made this strain at least 100 times safer than anything that’s been tried in the past.”

According to the article, bacteria are very good at infecting tumors, and once these special bugs are in the system, they go after tumors, where they reproduce, making even more tumor-fighting drugs right inside of it.

Brilliant -- if it works. Trials are set to start in 2027.

What it might look like:

You may hear more like this

 

Given the massive political divisions in this country, GOP vs. Democrat, red vs. blue, right wing vs. left wing, liberals vs. conservatives, MAGA vs. sane people, anti-vaxxers vs. normal healthy people, climate change denialists vs. knowledgeable folk, it isn't surprising that a very conservative rural part of one state with a big liberal city would want to secede from that state and join up with the very conservative state one border over.

That's the case with southern Illinois (pretty much everything south and west of Joliet) and Indiana. Do you think I'm kidding? 

Seriously, that's what they want to do. Seriously stupid, and it would take a lot of work, but it's under discussion.

Rural Midwesterners fight to split 'failed' blue state in two after years of Democrat chaos

"Their mantra is: 'Leave Illinois without moving.'

American history is littered with examples of states and counties trying to redraw maps — and most often they're doomed.

But Illinois' separatists have the wind in their sails after winning nonbinding ballot resolutions in 33 of the state's 102 counties.

Neighboring Indiana has taken notice, offering to shift its western border and absorb disgruntled parts of Illinois.

G.H. Merritt, chairman of New Illinois State, says she expects Illinois to soon 'crash and burn' due to the progressive tax-and-spend policies of Chicago's political elite."

I wouldn't put it past them, but the main problem I see is balance. There'd be two more nearly-certain Republican Senate seats, but possibly two nearly-certain Democratic seats as well. I'd have to see the change in the House representation, too. 

Lighthouse of the Week, February 23 - March 1, 2025: Lynde Point Lighthouse, Connecticut, USA

 

Connecticut isn't as famous as Maine or Massachusetts or North Carolina for lighthouses, but it has a few very historic ones. This one isn't as famous, but it's noteworthy for both location and preservation value (and that has been debated a bit, apparently).  So let's take a look at the Lynde Point Lighthouse.

First of all, here is where it is. It's near Old Saybrook and Old Lyme, and as you will see if you look at the map, it's permanently closed. 

So maybe the Lighthouse Directory can comment on that.

"1839 (station established 1803). Active; focal plane 71 ft (21.5 m); continuous white light. 65 ft (20 m) octagonal brownstone tower with lantern and gallery, 5th order Fresnel lens (1890). Tower and lantern painted white, roof of lantern red. The historic keeper's house (1858) was demolished in 1966 and replaced with modern Coast Guard housing. ... In summer 2002 the lighthouse was repainted by the crew of the Coast Guard icebreaker Penobscot Bay. In 2023 the lighthouse became available for transfer under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act (NHLPA); the New London Maritime Society and the Borough of Fenwick applied for it but promised to work together if either is selected. The lighthouse is adjacent to a neighborhood of large homes. Located at the landward end of the Saybrook breakwater at Lynde Point in Old Saybrook, the west side of the Connecticut River entrance."

There are several websites about it; here are a couple.

Lynde Point (Saybrook Inner), CT  (Lighthouse Friends)

Lynde Point Lighthouse (New England Lighthouses)

Lynde Point Light (NE Lights)

Three pictures are below; it isn't hard to find more.

Just a simple place to be

 

The remarkable Ekaterina Kostenko provided some photographs on her Instagram account of her recent vacation trip to Bali.

It would be nice to take a trip like that with a woman like her. In reality, I'll just sigh and wish her well. Even though she doesn't show a companion on this and other trips, I'm pretty sure she has an accompanying companion, and if their relationship is what I think it is, I wish them both well.

Z is for Zavaritskii

 

Scientists always enjoy solving a mystery. In this case, the mystery was a year of cooler weather in 1831, similar to what followed the massive eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815 that caused the ensuing "Year Without a Summer".

The problem was, no documentation or reports of a massive eruption that year (or the year prior) existed. 

So the scientists (geologists, volcanologists) kept looking, and they finally found evidence of an eruption at the right time. The volcano, as you might surmise, is named Zavaritskii.

The Mystery of the 1831 Volcanic Eruption Solved

"Dr Hutchison and his team were able to accurately date and match the ice core deposits to Zavaritskii volcano on the remote, uninhabited island of Simushir, part of the Kuril Islands. The islands are a disputed territory between Russia and Japan. Currently controlled by Russia, they operate as a strategic military outpost. During the Cold War, in a plotline reminiscent of a Bond film, the Soviets used Simushir as a secret nuclear submarine base, docking vessels in a flooded volcanic crater.

“We analysed the chemistry of the ice at a very high temporal resolution. This allowed us to pinpoint the precise timing of the eruption to spring-summer 1831, confirm that it was highly explosive, and then extract the tiny shards of ash. Finding the match took a long time and required extensive collaboration with colleagues from Japan and Russia, who sent us samples collected from these remote volcanoes decades ago.

“The moment in the lab when we analysed the two ashes together, one from the volcano and one from the ice core, was a genuine eureka moment. I couldn’t believe the numbers were identical. After this, I spent a lot of time delving into the age and size of the eruption in Kuril records to truly convince myself that the match was real.”

Like a lighthouse, here's the location of Zavaritskii.

Two pictures, one from space and one from the ground, are shown below. It looks like a remarkable place to visit, and that's not a visit that very many people get to make. 

At what point do we laugh uproariously?

 

Serious people can disagree. I seriously disagree with this. 

Lara Trump reveals the personal reason why women should trust father-in-law Donald

" 'This is a man who cares about women,' Lara, who is married to Trump's son Eric, reassured the New York Post." 

I agree with that. He cares about them not suing him for doing the many things that he said he's done to them. 

A Fifth Teen Beauty Queen Says Trump Visited Dressing Room

I guess he also cares about whether or not they call him a creep (and many do). 

That'll leave a mark (and it did)

 

When an incoming meteor became a meteorite upon impact on a patio on Canada's Prince Edward Island, the doorbell camera recorded the sound and a video of the impact. 

Well, that's the first time that ever happened (probably). 

P.E.I. homeowner captures sound and video of meteorite strike on camera, and scientists believe it's a first

Here's more about it, including a very cool image showing incoming and impact:

First meteorite ever found in P.E.I. arrived with a literal bang

Oh, and here's the mark:

It'll be awhile, though

 

It's somewhat daunting, yet amazing, to have lived through enough history that past events and past individuals who influenced those events are now historical, and thus eligible for commemoration. 

That's the case with past Presidents of the United States. And given that Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are historical, they are going to get new aircraft carriers named after them.

(That is, if the U.S. military exists in the same or similar form to how it exists now, which given the current catastrophic changes happening in the military and the United States in general, isn't guaranteed.)

Yet anyhow, here is the article about what could happen (note that it was published before the current resident of the White House took office and started besmirching everything):

White House: Next Two Aircraft Carriers Named for Bill Clinton, George W. Bush

" “The future USS William J. Clinton and the future USS George W. Bush will serve as lasting tributes to each leader’s legacy in service of the United States,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a news release. 

“Like their namesakes, these two future carriers, and the crews who sail them, will work to safeguard our national security, remind us of our history, and inspire others to serve our great republic.” "

Eat different for better memory

 

This one caught my eye; eating the Mediterranean diet (which I somewhat tend to do given my own dietary tastes and preferences) can improve memory.

(Diet example:)

Because it alters the gut bacteria. That's somewhat mind-blowing, but let's see if there's a reason why.

Mediterranean Diet May Boost Memory by Altering Gut Bacteria

And reading the article, it says ... nothing about why changing the gut bacteria would have an effect on memory.

Except that, based on rat testing, it does. 

"The study found that rats fed a Mediterranean-style diet rich in olive oil, fish and fiber over 14 weeks showed increases in four beneficial types of gut bacteria and decreases in five others compared to rats eating a Western diet high in saturated fats. These bacterial changes were linked to improved performance on maze challenges designed to test memory and learning.

Specifically, higher levels of bacteria such as Candidatus Saccharimonas were associated with better cognitive performance, while increased levels of other bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium, correlated with poorer memory function."

OK, so that's great, the diet helps with memory, because the gut bugs are different.

But why?

More research is needed. 

Lighthouses in Door County, Wisconsin

 

I've featured lighthouses in Door County of Wisconsin (the long narrow peninsula that juts out into Lake Michigan and defines Green Bay) before as lighthouses of the week, but I happened to find a good article about them, so I'll add that here.

The 7 Best Door County Lighthouses

This is one of them, the "Birdcage Lighthouse", aka the Old Bailey's Harbor lighthouse:

Lighthouse of the Week, February 16-22, 2025: Faro de Mulegé, Mexico

 

As I stated once before, there are not a lot of lighthouses that are photo- and feature-worthy on the Baja California coast on the Sea of Cortez. There is one -- I actually featured it twice, in 2014 and 2016. (I'm still kind of amazed I keep doing this.)  

So I found a different one, apparently abandoned, but not one I'd seen before. So this is the Faro de Mulegé, which is located here. Amazingly, there's actually a Streetview scene of it too. 

There isn't a lot ot say about it; here's what the Lighthouse Directory has on it:

"Date unknown. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 12 m (39 ft) square white cylindrical concrete tower, with gallery but no lantern, rising from a 1-story keeper's house. ... Located at Punta El Sombrerito atop a large rock marking the entrance to the harbor of Mulegé, a town of about 4000 residents. Accessible by a short hike across the beach followed by a steep climb."

Below, three pictures and an amateur video. The video says it's abandoned, but the LD entry above indicates it's still working.

 

Whatever happened to Liz Cambage?

 

Truly not very long ago, Liz Cambage was one of the WNBA's rising stars. I could say "big stars", because she's pretty big.

Then POOF! -- she seemed to disappear, and the shadows of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese got bigger and longer.  She's still playing ball, but overseas. So her name fell off the domestic sports headlines (even if the WNBA rarely gets on the front page).

So imagine my surprise (I wasn't that surprised) when it turned out she was Only Fansing to maintain her income flow. Actually, she substantially enhanced it.

WNBA All-Star Liz Cambage joins OnlyFans and makes more money in one week than her entire playing career

After she did the cover of the SI Body issue, I figured Only Fans was in her future. And she hasn't been shy elsewhere. She has an impressive body of work. 

It's just medicine, but it works

 

Given the recent events in American politics, the Supreme Court may be feeling somewhat overlooked. I have a feeling that they don't mind.

However, prior to the start of the regime, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case in which a Christian-owned business didn't want to provide a healthcare plan that included drugs to treat or prevent HIV, because that might encourage homosexual behavior.

(Heterosexuals get HIV too.)

Supreme Court to hear case challenging Obamacare’s preventive coverage

At issue is a provision requiring health-care plans to cover no-cost preventive care, including cancer screenings, immunizations and contraception.

Great, right?

"In Becerra v. Braidwood Management Inc., a Christian-owned business and six individuals challenged the preventive-care provision because it requires health-care plans to cover pre-exposure medications intended to prevent the spread of HIV among certain at-risk populations. The plaintiffs argue that the medications “encourage and facilitate homosexual behavior,” which conflicts with their religious beliefs."

Could that be a problem?

"Both the plaintiffs and the government asked the Supreme Court to take up the case, saying the lower court’s rulings could allow other plaintiffs to seek a nationwide ruling that would invalidate the preventive-care provision.

"Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar, who defended the case on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services, warned in court filings that such a decision could be catastrophic, putting preventive care out of reach for many Americans who have come to rely on it.

“Such a remedy would upend healthcare coverage for millions of Americans,” Prelogar wrote."

But wait, there's more!

"The plaintiffs wrote in their filing to the Supreme Court that they also objected to mandates in the preventive-care provision requiring plans to cover all Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptive methods, including contraception that the plaintiffs contend induces abortions."

Of course they did. But, if you reduce the availability of contraceptives, there could be more unplanned pregnancies, leading to more abortions. Did they even think about that?

As the article notes, the position of the Trump administration was unclear prior to the change in administration.

But The Hill had a comment:

Our nation’s hard-fought right to preventive care is at risk

"Access to preventive care is a cornerstone of an equitable healthcare system. Without the mandate, under-resourced populations — including low-income families, racial and ethnic minorities, and rural communities — would face significant obstacles to care. Health inequities, already pervasive in the U.S., would deepen as financial barriers force individuals to forgo preventive services."

Somehow I don't think that health inequities really both our new overseers much.

Speaking of swimsuit modeling

 

A couple of posts ago, I mentioned swimsuit modeling in my post about St. Vincent's Dark View Falls. In fact, that post was inspired by a lovely and courageous model. See below.

So, here I've visually noted the remarkable Jocelyn Binder demonstrating how to do great swimsuit modeling.

FLIP will still flip (probably)

 

The somewhat iconic oceanographic research vessel FLIP (FLoating Instrument Platform) was innovative, and it served science for a long time. I seem to remember pictures of it in science books back to my high school days, and that goes back more than just a few years. 

But FLIP had aged, and it was officially retired, and it appeared for awhile that it was going to be sold and turned into scrap metal.

But that changed recently.

Flipping Ship FLIP Freed from Fateful Trip

"FLIP, formerly owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, was in service from 1962 to 2017. The vessel can flip from a long, horizontal platform to a vertical one. Submerging 90 meters (300 feet) of its baseball bat–shaped hull provided a remarkably stable platform from which scientific instruments could gather data without the interference of ocean waves. Over FLIP’s lifetime as a research vessel, it hosted scientists working in a wide array of scientific fields, from meteorology to geophysics to physical oceanography."

"News of FLIP’s retirement was a disappointment to a scientific community that cherished the vessel, Ortiz-Suslow said. Leadership at DEEP shared the sentiment, said Tom Hutton, mission planning and execution lead at DEEP. The company decided that obtaining FLIP aligned with DEEP’s plans to develop ocean research technology and intervened, purchasing FLIP and towing it away from the scrapyard in Mexico."

So it's not over for FLIP yet.  Get ready for FLIP2. 

The video provided below shows FLIP flipping. 

Beautiful views, not so dark

 

I really like discoveries of beautiful scenic places that I have not heard about before. That's the case with Dark View Falls on the island of St. Vincent.  Until two weeks ago I had no clue it existed. And now I know it does, and that it is a really scenic destination (and the tourists to the island know that too). 

So, as I do for each of the Lighthouses of the Week, I'll first provide a location map. 

And then I'll provide pictures; both of the approach and the falls themselves.

The highlight of the approach:

The falls themselves (with columnar basalt):

It is also a very good location for swimsuit modeling:

Lighthouse of the Week, February 9-14, 2025: Puno Lighthouse, Peru

 

It's probably not news to a lot of you that Lake Titicaca is the largest high alpine lake in the world. It might be news to you (as it was to me) that Lake Titicaca is large enough to have a lighthouse. In fact, it has a couple of them.

This one, the most lighthousey of the lights on the lake, is the Puno lighthouse. Apparently, Puno is a somewhat touristy destination for those interested in the traditional lifestyle and crafts of the indigenous population, such as reed boats. 

You may know where Peru is, and where Lake Titicaca is in Peru, but this map shows where the lighthouse is on the lake in Peru. 

And the Lighthouse Directory describes it like this:

"Date unknown. Active (privately maintained and unofficial); focal plane 10 m (33 ft); white light, pattern unknown. 9 m (30 ft) round metal tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a round stone base. Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands."

That's pretty simple. The pictures will confirm the above is an accurate description.

 

Might not seem like much

 

Back in January, before the Trump Disastriministration, the U.S. government completed a very important transaction with the state of Wyoming.  They bought the 'Kelly Parcel' for $100 million dollars. It was only 640 acres, not much, but it was in a pretty notable location.

Government buys Grand Teton National Park land for $100 million to protect from developers

The Department of Interior provided $62.4 million for the purchase and the Grand Teton National Park Foundation raised the remaining $37.6 million through private donations.

"As for the Kelly Parcel specifically, there had been discussions in the past of opening up the land for public auction, which would have allowed private developers to buy it."

"The Kelly Parcel is a state trust land, which means that assets from the land generate income for Wyoming public schools, as stated in the state's constitution. The parcel, according to the Grand Teton National Park Foundation, currently obtained about $2,800 annual through various permits.The sale of the Kelly Parcel will return approximately $69.6 million into Wyoming's Common School Permanent Fund within the first 10 years, according to the Grand Teton National Park Foundation."

So where was the Kelly Parcel? (Actually, where it still is, but it won't be separate from the national park anymore.)

It's the yellow box in the map below. The concern was that while it was still state-held, it could get sold, and a few wealthy people with nothing better to do could build palaces on it with a view of the Tetons. So selling it to the U.S. government was a great idea.  I'm glad it got done.

Another place I haven't been to

 

I just recently found out about Chimney Bluffs State Park in New York.  (Map link)

I've never been there. If I somehow ended up near there (for which I have no plans at this time), I might stop by. It's about equidistant from Rochester and Syracuse. 

One thing that strikes me about it -- the formations that give the place its name seem both very accessible and somewhat fragile. That seems to invite the possibility of either benign erosional pressure or actual vandalism.  See if you agree.

I hope neither occurs, until I get a chance to visit.

Also, I wonder what it looks like buried in lake-effect snow.  But that I can find.

Not enough snow

 

A famous ski location in Alberta, Canada, has closed.

Canadian Ski Hill Closes For Good

"The effects of climate change on winter have claimed another victim, in this case, a community ski hill in Canada. ...

Located just northeast of Drayton Valley, The Drayton Valley Brazeau Snow Club has been in operation since 1965. The family-oriented resort was a staple of the community with a T-bar, two rope tows, a handle tow, and terrain options for all types of skiers. ...

Alongside difficulties with insurance, [Snow Club President] Beckett also stated that “mother nature has not been kind to us, in any way, over the last 10 years.” The Club lost their $14,000 insurance premium with the Rural Municipalities of Alberta in 2022. Beckett obtained a new policy in 2023, but the hill was unable to open for the entire season due to poor conditions. Of the last seven ski seasons, the hill has only been able to open for three."

Click on this to see where it was.   It was southwest of Edmonton. And remember, Alberta is where tar sands oil is exported from. There's a lesson to be learned here, if those that need to learn it are paying attention. (By and large, they aren't.)

What it looked like with snow:

Did you ever hear of Chaudière Falls?

 

I had never heard of Chaudière Falls, in my entire life. But I happened to see an aerial (or drone, I'm not sure, it was definitely in the air, though) view of Ottawa, Canada, and there was a big waterfall going over rocks, with a dam right next to it.

I figured that it was something significant. I think that turned out to be correct.

This is what it looks like in Google Maps satellite view:

And this is what it looks like from the viewing area:

So what is happening here?

Experience Chaudière Falls.

And from this section:  

Learn more about Chaudière Falls

the following summary is provided:

"Chaudière Falls is a captivating destination, steeped in Indigenous history and tales of early exploration. The falls have witnessed centuries of change, making them not only a natural wonder but also a cultural and historical landmark.

Home to Canada’s oldest hydroelectric station still in operation, Chaudière Falls was responsible for lighting Ottawa’s streets with electricity and fuelled the industrial explosion of the mid-1800s by providing water power for the vast complex of lumber mills that once occupied the shoreline of the Ottawa River. Elements of the city’s industrial past remain today, including two of the site’s oldest buildings, which survived the Great Fire of 1900.

Today, a new, modern generating station exemplifies responsible hydroelectric generation with minimal to zero impact on the visual, natural and aquatic environments and serves as a tourist attraction – offering safe viewing platforms, a bridge across the intake canal, and stunning views."

So I'll finish with a video.  It's impressive; it would probably have been more impressive if all the dams and mills hadn't been build around it. But that's progress for ya.

More cheating is allowed now

 

This goes back to December 2024, but the IRS keeps getting the budget increase it got to catch more cheating cut. So the cheating will continue.

Congress stripped IRS of another $20 billion in government shutdown fight

"Congress revoked an additional $20 billion from the Internal Revenue Service last week when lawmakers averted a government shutdown, a cut that may undo many of President Joe Biden’s efforts to improve customer service at the tax agency and train fresh scrutiny on wealthy tax cheats.

Biden and congressional Democrats gave the IRS $80 billion in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, but Congress rescinded $20 billion as part of a 2023 budget deal. Shortly afterward, Republicans vowed they’d be back for more IRS cuts.

And because of the way lawmakers extended government funding into March, an additional $20 billion in cuts came automatically."

What's the effect?

"But Biden administration officials said the additional cuts would add $140 billion to the national debt over the next decade by hamstringing the agency’s ability to audit wealthy individuals and large corporations."

Not exactly cost-saving if that turns out to be accurate.

Problems in the water

 

Inside Climate News has a story about threats to the drinking water supply of New York City. It's something that has been happening around the world. It doesn't really qualify as climate change, though climate change may help in some circumstances.  Put it more broadly, it's ecosystem change.

Invasive Species Spell Trouble for New York’s Beloved Tap Water 

Zebra mussels, hydrilla and now a waterflea have made their homes in New Croton Reservoir.

Yes, there are invasive species in the water; so what can they do to it?

In the case of the zebra mussels:

"The mollusks were eventually washed into the reservoir due to extreme precipitation events. These zebra mussels are filter feeders, which means they take in water and feed on plankton within the water column. This reduces the food available to small fish and native mussels, thus disrupting the natural food web. They can also latch on to native mussels, surrounding them and hindering their ability to feed or reproduce, sometimes causing death.

Their ability to accumulate on surfaces can also clog water supply systems, which has happened at the Croton Reservoir. ... Their presence can also influence water chemistry. Zebra mussels feed on specific types of algae and discard others, releasing byproducts in their feces. This can be a breeding ground for cyanobacteria, which is a type of algae that, when found in high concentrations, can create a “bloom.”

These blooms sit on the surface of the water, impeding fishing and boating, often emitting an unpleasant odor which can translate to the water supply, and reducing the amount of oxygen in the water, which affects the survival of native fish in the water body. It can even carry harmful toxins."

In the case of the hydrilla:

"The presence of hydrilla in the reservoir can have implications for not just the marine ecosystem, but also the water quality and the survival of local birds. Hydrilla is also known to harbor cyanobacteria, which can turn into a toxin–Aetokthonos hydrillicola. This type of harmful algae can kill waterfowl and bald eagles, and has the potential to harm human health.

“It’s a neurotoxin, so in places where Aetokthonos is found on hydrilla, lots of wildlife have died from brain lesions,” said White. “So fish have died, reptiles, like turtles, have died, waterfowl that eat the hydrilla, and then the predators of those waterfowl as well.”

Climate change leads to warmer weather in the fall and more extreme precipitation events which move sediments around in the water column. This creates better conditions for the spread of hydrilla, of cyanobacteria blooms, and, by proxy, of these toxins. Their presence has not been confirmed in New York state, though the Department of Environmental Protection is sampling for it."

And how about the water flea?

 

 

"The fishhook waterflea was found in the reservoir last year. The novelty of its arrival means that the Department of Environmental Protection officials have not seen adverse impacts on the marine ecosystem yet, and its wider implications for the food chain are unknown. The waterflea can impact water quality by eating large quantities of zooplankton, which creates better conditions for the growth of harmful algae blooms. Taylor believes it was likely transferred through fishing gear because the waterflea’s eggs can survive drying out for long periods of time."

So that's what they can do. And once change gets started in one direction, it's hard to stop. 

Lighthouse of the Week, February 2-8, 2025: Farol de Itapuã, Brazil

 

For this week's Lighthouse of the Week, I looked at Brazil, which has a lot of coastline, and many lighthouses, which are in a variety of conditions. Some are in great shape, functioning, and tourist attractions, and others aren't in such great shape.  It's a big variety.

This one is in good shape, and on a really nice beach. It's in the Bahia province, well north of the most famous locations on the Brazil coast, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. So there are quite a few pictures of it.

It is located here, and you can zoom out to see where that is with respect to the rest of the big country of Brazil. 

Here is what the Lighthouse Directory has about the Farol de Itapuã:

"1873. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 6 s. 21 m (69 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a concrete base and connected to shore by an arched concrete bridge. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands; lantern and gallery are red. ... This is one of nine cast iron lighthouses prefabricated for Brazil by P & W McLellan of Glasgow, Scotland."

A short video and three pictures are provided below.

Have another cup!

 

If you have atrial fibrillation, have another cup of coffee.  In fact, have five.

Drinking Five Cups of Coffee a Day May Stave Off Mental Decline in People With Atrial Fibrillation

“It is known that regular coffee consumption benefits cognitive performance among healthy people. The most frequent cardiac arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, is known to independently increase the risk of dementia,” said Massimo Barbagallo, M.D., lead author of the study and a resident in the neuro intensive care unit at the University Hospital Zürich. “Thus, the question is whether coffee might offset the increased risk of cognitive impairment in people with AFib.”

“Many myths are around, but our study found no reason to discourage or forbid a patient with AFib from drinking coffee. Instead, say, ‘Enjoy, it may even be good for you!’” said Jürg H. Beer, M.D., senior author of the study and professor of medicine and hematology at the University of Zürich in Switzerland.

The study found:

• Overall, higher cognitive test scores were associated with higher coffee consumption. 
• Specifically, scores for processing speed, visuomotor coordination and attention improved significantly by 11% among coffee consumers compared to non-consumers. 
• Cognitive age was calculated to be 6.7 years younger among those who drank the most coffee compared to those who drank the least. 
• Inflammatory markers were more than 20% lower in participants drinking five cups daily than in participants drinking less than one cup daily. 
• Researchers did not find any interaction between age, sex and coffee consumption."

Quite good-looking

 

Every now and then you come across something entirely unexpected and worth the time to contemplate and explore.

That's the case with Inga Sunagatullina.

I can't really show all of her qualities, but they aren't hard to find. Enjoy what I've provided here, and if you agree with me, employ the grand capabilities of web searching. 

Prescient in December

 

As we know now that science (particularly climate change science, but likely epidemiology, environment and pollution, and biomedical research) is under attack by the new and stupid Trump administration, this article from December is so future-predictive it's scary. But it's not like we didn't expect that this was going to happen. 

As Trump escalates war on facts, scientists warn “we are going to get screwed”

"Bennett [director of senior policy at the activist group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)] heard stories from EPA employees across the country during Trump’s first term, detailing how their contributions to scientific knowledge were politicized and ignored. She warned that “every single employee” at the EPA is “at risk” right now. Having worked at the EPA for almost 10 years as wetlands enforcement coordinator in New England, Bennett understands EPA workers’ plight viscerally as well as intellectually. Perhaps that’s why she is unapologetically frank when speaking on behalf of government scientists, especially about the millions of American voters who share Trump’s hostility to science."

And there's this:

"Another EPA official who left during Trump's first term, who requested to remain anonymous, experienced this hostility directly. The official explains that a lot of their work “pretty much stalled” during all four years when Trump was in office. Even though Trump, Musk, Kennedy and others in the MAGA camp characterize themselves as champions of free speech, this official noted a chilling effect against all references to climate change being caused by the fossil fuel industry.

“We kind of had to talk about the work differently,” they told Salon. “No one used the word ‘climate.’ Everybody kind of just talked about, ‘What are the outcomes of climate work?’ and not necessarily name ‘climate’ just as it is, if that makes sense.”

On a practical level, this made it essentially impossible for scientists to do their jobs, all of which require dispassionate analysis of empirical data without regard to any special interest groups their conclusions might offend. Many scientists, who entered the field out of passion for knowledge and a desire to protect nature, became demoralized and quit."

There's a war going on -- against science. As if we didn't know.

This book is slated for July -- if the current fascist government in the United States allows it to be published and distributed.