Dumbos and flapjacks

 

There are dumbo octopuses and there are a variety of octopuses called flapjack octopuses. They are both very cute and very unique.

Recently, scientists from Australia described a new variety of the flapjack, which is called the Carnarvon flapjack octopus. It's not very big, according to their description, which they recently announced -- only about 4 cm in diameter.

As I said before, there are still discoveries to be made in this world.

'Rare and unusual' deep-sea 'pancake' creature discovered by scientists in Australia

The following is a more scientific description of the discovery.

New species of octopus discovered in a deep-sea canyon
The Carnarvon Flapjack Octopus is a small, gelatinous deep-sea octopus that grows to around 4 centimetres diameter.

Learn some more about it:

• The Carnarvon Flapjack Octopus is a small, gelatinous deep-sea octopus that grows to around 4 centimetres diameter, but little is known about its ecology or lifestyle.

• Flapjack octopuses are a type of cirrate or ‘dumbo’ octopus and there are approximately 50 described species of dumbo octopuses worldwide, with 15 species recorded from Australian waters.

• The flapjack octopus is a deep-sea shape shifter with the ability to flatten its body to resemble a pancake – or flapjack, hence its name – or to pull itself up to look like a tiny gelatinous umbrella.

• Flapjack octopuses have large eyes relative to their body size, enhancing their ability to detect prey in the dimly lit depths that they live. They eat worms and small crustaceans, using their tentacles to capture and consume their prey.

• The specimens used to describe the new species were collected from depths of 1044-1510 metres in and around the Carnarvon Canyon and Gascoyne Marine Parks in Western Australia.

Here are two pictures of flapjack octopuses, with one of them showing how it earned the name.

Lighthouse of the Week, July 27 - August 2, 2025: Phare du Titan, France

 

Somewhat by accident, I'm on a streak of featuring lighthouses on small islands in the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas.  This one showed up in a search for something else, but I thought it worth featuring.

It's on one of three islands in the Mediterranean Sea, just around a bend of coastline from Marseille. The islands are called the " Îles d'Hyères " or Golden Islands. The island that the lighthouse is on is Levant Island.  It's an interesting island;  about 90% of it is a military installation (including where the lighthouse is); the other 10% is one of the best naturist (i.e., living without clothing) locations in France.  

The island is also in an important location, because if one is coming eastward toward Marseille and staying near the coast, the lighthouse guards the entrance to the passage inward of the islands.  (You still have to avoid the Giens Peninsula, though.) So, fortunately, it's an active lighthouse.

This is what the Lighthouse Directory says about it:

"1893 (station established 1837). Active; focal plane 70 m (230 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story stone keeper's house. Centered on the roof of the house is a square tower that originally carried the lantern. Lighthouse painted white with unpainted stone trim; lantern painted black. The present light tower was added in 1893 because the original tower was not large enough to carry a 1st order lantern. This historic lighthouse marks the eastern end of the Îles d'Hyères, making it a very important light for westbound shipping. Built at the eastern tip of the Île du Levant, it is located in a restricted military zone not accessible to the public in the past; the 2023 photo and other recent photos suggest this may be changing. Site status unknown, tower closed."

There aren't a lot of pictures of this one, given that tourists can't visit there, whether or not they're wearing anything.

So here are three.

What's the iconic landmark in YOUR state?

 

I'm always curious about these"best in your state" posts. I like to see if I've interacted with what's postulated to be the best, whether it be a museum, a restaurant, a tourist attraction, a state park, or a host of other things. 

In this case, it's the "most iconic landmark". 

The Most Iconic Landmark in Every State

OK, so two states I've visited are Florida and Arizona. (I've been to a pretty good percentage of the 50.) And I live in Maryland. So here's a listing of the most iconic landmark, according to the website, for those three states.

Arizona:  The Grand Canyon.  Yes, I've been there.

Florida:  Walt Disney World.  Yes, I've been there.

Maryland:  Fort McHenry National Monument.  Actually, I haven't been there, but I have driven close to it numerous times.

I guess I better visit Fort McHenry!

I wish more people participated in my blog, because I'd be curious about disputes with what's posted here. Thinking about Florida, Walt Disney World sure is famous, but is it really a landmark evocative of Florida -- a place known for sunshine and beaches?   As an alternative, I'd nominate the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, or Miami's South Beach.  See below for a pic of the latter.

We've reached a new lower level

 

Emil Bove, formerly President Trump's lawyer, was confirmed as an appellate court judge today, July 29. 

This is a benchmark of how low the President has brought this country. Because we now have an appeals court judge who advocated ignoring court orders when he was (briefly) in the Department of Justice.

Just remember -- we can, and probably will, go even lower than this.

Trump picks top Justice Dept. official who was his lawyer to be a judge
Emil Bove, who steered the effort to drop criminal charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, was nominated for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

Senate confirms controversial Trump nominee Emil Bove as federal judge
Bove, a former lawyer for Donald Trump and current top Justice Department official, was the target of three whistleblower complaints.

"Bove has played a central role in the Trump administration’s efforts to fire career prosecutors and in crafting its legal strategy on immigration. Two whistleblowers accused him of telling subordinates in a March meeting that they may need to ignore court orders that would hamper Trump’s campaign to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. One of them, Erez Reuveni, who was fired from the Justice Department in April, went public with his account."

 

There are still new discoveries to be made

 

It may be a small article, but it's a big thing when a new vertebrate species is discovered.

Plus, it's comforting, a bit, that the natural world can still be explored and provide the chance to make discoveries like that.

So, researchers/explorers found a new poison dart frog in the Amazon River basin, specifically in the  Juruá River basin, which is here.

New 'striking blue' species discovered in the Amazon

"In 2023, Evan Koch — a postdoctoral researcher at the National Museum of the Czech Republic — led a team through the Juruá River basin forests of Brazil on an expedition.

In their travels, they stumbled across a new species of Ranitomeya (a genus of poison dart frogs) that they dubbed “an Amazonian hidden gem.”

The color of the amphibian was so striking that the researchers decided to name it Ranitomeya aquamarina."

Striking, it is indeed.

Hot women (?) under water

 

For some reason I seem to be stuck on the east (Adriatic) coast of Italy right now.  In this case, I encountered the enchanting "Fountain of Sirens" (Fontana delle Sirene) in the coastal enclave of Cattolica, which is up the coast (northwest) of the lighthouse from last week's Lighthouse of the Week, and down the coast (southeast) from Venice and Ravenna.  If you're in Cattolica, you can find it here.

From this site, I acquired this information:

"The fountain was installed in the central city square in 1928. In the 19th century, a hospital with a health resort where the soldiers of the local garrison were treated used to stand in the same spot. The fountain project was carried out by the sculptor from Forli Giuseppe Casalini. This was a real flight of imagination. The main pool of the fountain was shaped to be round, 4 sculptures of turtles with streams of water coming from their mouths were placed on its edge. In the center of the bowl, there is also a sculpture. The plinth is decorated with bas-reliefs of seashells and fish, which let out trickles of water as well. On the pedestal there are 3 sirens, supporting the round bowl with a small fountain in it. Interestingly the sculptor used his daughter Francesca as a model while sculpturing mermaids."

I think, based on the fountain, that Francesca was a good-looking woman. However, the women depicted in the fountain might not actually be women, which is the reason for the question mark -- they're sirens.

Judge for yourself:

Selling the seashell solution

 

Seashells (and bones) have some structural similarities that can be useful for preventing and reducing damage from hard impacts. In this case, mimicry is a good thing.

Seashell-Inspired Materials Use Their Layers To Boost Impact Absorption

" “This work was born out of a discussion with my collaborator, Professor Sigmund, about how we already can achieve some very extreme behaviors, but there’s always a physical limit or upper bound that single materials can achieve, even with programming,” Zhang said. “That led us to consider what kind of engineering could enable some of the crazy material behaviors needed in real life. For example, extreme buckling behaviors could help dissipate energy for things like car bumpers.”

That is when the team turned their attention to biological materials with multiple layers serving a different purpose, and how they could fabricate a synthetic material and use internal, microscale programming and optimization to control its response to mechanical stress and strain.

“We landed on the idea to design multilayered materials with each layer being capable of exhibiting different properties and behaviors,” Zhang said."

You can read the science below.

Zhao Z, Kundu RD, Sigmund O, Zhang XS. Extreme nonlinearity by layered materials through inverse design. Sci Adv. 2025;11(20):eadr6925. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adr6925.

The structure of the seashell nacre is pretty, and also pretty amazing.

Lighthouse of the Week, July 20-26, 2025: Punta del Diavolo, Isole Tremiti, Italy

 

Somehow last week and this week I've featured lighthouses on less-known and far-flung islands that are a part of Italy nonetheless.  This one is in the Adriatic Sea, on one of the islands of the Isole Tremiti, which is constituted of five islands located north of the Parco Nazionale del Gargano. I believe that the eastern coast of Italy on the Adriatic, way way south of Venice, is one of the least known and less populated regions of Italy. I think I've seen that some of the villages here are offering homes for free (or for the low low purchase price of about 1 Euro) to get people to move there and prop up the economy. Certainly if you look at the map, which you can do using the link below, the names of the larger domiciles:  Pescara, Termoli, Vieste, Foggia -- aren't real familiar.  But they do look pretty and appealing.

So, this week's lighthouse is the Punta del Diavolo light, which has an old lighthouse building and a new light.  I got the name from Lightphotos.net (World of Lighthouses); the Lighthouse Directory provides this guidance:

"1905. Inactive since 1987. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) octagonal cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery centered on the roof of a 1-story masonry keeper's house. The lighthouse was probably painted white, but it is unpainted today. ... The lighthouse was heavily damaged by an explosion in 1987 and remains in a very dilapidated condition. The property was for sale in 2005 but it did not sell." (I wonder what caused the explosion?)

About the new light (the one that works):

"2021. Active; focal plane 48 m (157 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 9 m (30 ft) round white metal tower. ... Located next to the historic lighthouse."

There aren't a lot of pictures of this lighthouse pair; three are below. The first is from World of Lighthouses.

 

How to make a bomb out of a black hole

 

It's been portrayed in books, Star Trek movies, superhero movies, and probably in other media.  Ostensibly, if one could create a black hole on Earth, it would constitute a pretty powerful weapon.

Two articles, sourced to the same study, discuss how to do this. It's not something that should be tried at home. Because apparently, like in good schlocky sci-fi movies, things actually do explode in the lab.

Key word here:  superradiance. Sounds like the red beams that come out of Superman's and Supergirl's eyes, but it is actually defined as "Directional and coherent radiation pulses that result from an ensemble of coherently prepared states in an optical medium."

or

Superradiance is defined as the phenomenon where an ensemble of identical two-level systems, when arranged at specific intervals, emits radiation collectively, leading to an increase in the radiative decay rate and polarization decay compared to an isolated system. This effect arises from constructive interference of emitted fields among the resonances."

(Of course.)

How to Build a Black Hole Bomb (Scientific American)

" “This work shows that a ‘black hole bomb’ can actually be built in the laboratory,” says physicist Vitor Cardoso of the Niels Bohr Institute in Denmark, who was not involved in the study. “It thus provides a solid basis for studying the entire physics of black holes.” ...

"The team then turned its attention to electromagnetic superradiance. “The experimental setup itself is quite simple: it consists of a rotating cylinder and the stator coils of a commercially available induction motor, combined with some capacitors and resistors,” Cromb says. These devices were placed around the metal cylinder to generate a magnetic field inside it, which produced electromagnetic radiation. At the same time, these devices also served as mirrors because they reflected the electromagnetic waves back toward the cylinder.

“The biggest difficulty was that things were constantly exploding,” Cromb says. “It was a balancing act between measuring a reasonable signal and overloading the system. When the current through the coils became too high, the resistors in the circuit exceeded their rated voltage and burned out. This interrupted the electrical circuit, thus destroying the ‘mirror.’”

"The researchers initially feared that these overloads would prevent any observation of superradiance. But they were lucky. “The reinforcement was large enough to overcome the loss and enter the area of instability,” Cromb says. In fact, the team was able to show that the voltage in their structure increased exponentially, as predicted by Zel’dovich. This underpins the researchers’ claim of the first-ever lab-based demonstration of an electromagnetic version of a black hole bomb."

Physicists create 'black hole bomb' for first time on Earth, validating decades-old theory (Live Science)

"In their new research, the scientists harnessed the Zel'dovich effect to create their experiment. They took an aluminum cylinder rotated by an electric motor and surrounded it with three layers of metal coils. The coils created and reflected a magnetic field back to the cylinder, acting as a mirror.

As the team directed a weak magnetic field at the cylinder, they observed that the field the cylinder reflected was even stronger, demonstrating superradiance.

Next, they removed the coils' initial weak magnetic field. The circuit, however, generated its own waves, which the spinning cylinder amplified, causing the coils to amass energy. Between the cylinder's rotational speed and amplified magnetic field, the Zel'dovich effect was in full swing. Zel'dovich had also predicted that a rotating absorber — like the cylinder — would change from absorption to amplification if its surface moves faster than the incoming wave, which the experiment verified.

"Our work brings this prediction fully into the lab, demonstrating not only amplification but also the transition to instability and spontaneous wave generation," study co-author Maria Chiara Braidotti, a physics research associate at the University of Glasgow, told Live Science in an email.

"We sometimes pushed the system so hard that circuit components exploded," study co-author Marion Cromb, a researcher at the University of Southampton, told Live Science in an email. "That was both thrilling and a real experimental challenge!"

Obviously I think the exploding circuits is the most exciting part of this research. The prospect of destroying the entire Solar System and every living thing in it ... well, this is about black holes, right?

Michelle Keegan has a cover up for the beach

 

As the title says, Michelle Keegan is now offering a cover-up (actually referred to as a sarong) for the beach to go with her swimsuit-of-many-variations, and by wearing it, she sells it well.

If you want it, the page with it links here.

If you want Michelle, unfortunately, she's taken. 

An impressive peak in Turkey

 

I knew Turkey was the location of famous Mount Ararat, but I accidentally saw Mount Erciyes in the background of a picture of Cappadocia, and realized I had not heard of it before. So here's what I found out about it. 

First of all, as I do for lighthouses, here is the location of this ancient volcanic peak. It is on the outskirts of the city of Kayseri (Caesarea), the ancient capital of Cappadocia. In fact, the picture was of Kayseri when I first spotted Mount Erciyes.

The Mountain Field Guide has a good basic summary, from which I extracted the information below.

Fast Facts

Country: Turkey

State/Province: Kayseri

Mountain Range: Anatolia

Elevation: 12,851 feet / 3,917 meters

Prominence: 7,936 feet / 2,419 meters

Isolation: 342.56 miles / 551.29 kilometers

"Mount Erciyes, with its imposing height of 3,917 meters (12,851 feet), is the crown jewel of the Erciyes Massif. Born from fiery volcanic activity millions of years ago, this stratovolcano now slumbers peacefully, its snow-capped peak a striking contrast to the surrounding landscape.

The mountain’s geological features are a geologist’s dream come true. Lava domes, ash deposits, and unique rock formations tell the story of its explosive past. As you hike up its slopes, you’ll encounter:

Glacial valleys: Carved by ancient ice, these U-shaped wonders are a testament to the mountain’s long history.
Volcanic caves: Hidden gems that offer a glimpse into the mountain’s inner workings.
Hot springs: Nature’s own spa treatment, courtesy of the mountain’s residual volcanic activity."

Wikipedia has a full history of it's volcanism.  And I have three pictures.

We could hope that Trump finally does this

 

Robert Reich wrote this back in May. What he said could happen hasn't happened yet. One wonders if all the shadow docket decisions in favor of the Trump administration, allowing them to go forward while matters are "still being litigated" -- somewhat like allowing a person to go ahead and crack the eggs to make an omelette while you're still deciding if you want that or just a couple slices of toast -- are their way of avoiding a direct confrontation.

A showdown unleashed by Trump's outrage is coming

"Trump’s outrage has three unfortunate consequences.

It establishes that Trump and the nation’s highest court are on a collision course on what Trump considers a central goal of his regime — what he “was elected to do.”

It also increases the possibility that Trump will do what JD Vance and others in the White House have urged him to do all along — announce that he will not be bound by the court’s rulings.

This would be momentous. If enough Americans (and their constituents) are horrified by this — as we should be — it could spell the end of Trump. Openly defying a Supreme Court decision is surely enough to warrant an impeachment in the House and conviction in the Senate. [My comment: With this Congress? Is it really enough? Would anything be enough? Would murder be enough?]

The third consequence of Trump’s rage is to expose the nine justices — and the judiciary in general — to even more harassment, including death threats. Online threats toward judges and justices are growing."

The administration is continuing to do things that are against the law, and occasionally judges call them on it.  We haven't reached the point yet where someone acts in direct defiance of the court (but they've come close).  I think Reich is right -- the showdown is still looming.  Sadly, Trump will probably dominate them, because they really don't want to have a constitutional crisis on their watch.

So what has Casey Boonstra been up to lately?

 

According to her Instagram page, Casey Boonstra is:

"Australian made; living in LA; TV Host; Travel; Stunts; Actress; and a 5 x @maximmag cover model"

So recently she was at a gala:

And she went to Monaco (right about the time she had her 32nd birthday)

And yes, she had a birthday.  Note the cake and candle. I admit that those weren't the first things I noticed in the picture.

Furthermore, I confirmed she was on the cover of Maxim, and when I did that, I confirmed that there are pictures of her from Maxim that are very eye-catching.

If you like these selections, she has all the social media covered. Just look around.

So let's go to to Pantelleria

 

Now, I'm not going to write a whole lot about Pantelleria here; I'm going to excerpt some writing about Pantelleria here.  As I noted, I just found out this place exists a few days ago (as I write this). I did know that Malta exists, but this one escaped my knowledge for all my years, which are getting lengthier.

Descriptions of Pantelleria:

The Travelling Light -- Pantelleria: A Down-to-Earth Guide

"Riding on the back of our scooter from the airport to our Airbnb, I see the extraterrestrial landscape up-close for the first time: black volcanic rocks sprout sun-bleached wildflowers from their crevices, dried brown and yellow bushes cover the earth and even the most verdant plants are faded to a washed-out green.

Being on Pantelleria is an immersion in nature you can’t really escape. As a volcanic island, hot springs dot the ocean floor and steam seeps from cracks in the earth in places making natural saunas and fumaroles in the island’s rocky centre.

Strong winds batter Pantelleria regularly, so much so that planes often have a hard time landing and taking off. Grape vines are grown low to the ground to keep out of the path of the forceful gales.

On our holiday in late June though, the heat and strength of the sun is what gets to us, bouncing back from every surface, our only respite the cool, clear water surrounding the island."

So Close to Sicily, So Far From the Crowds (New York Times)

"  “We always tell newbies that you will either love it or hate it,” said the fashion stylist Sciascia Gambaccini, who has owned a vacation home on the island for 33 years. “This is not Capri. We don’t have Chanel. There aren’t fancy resort hotels. There is constant wind. The beauty is in the slow pace and the wild landscape.”

"Pantelleria’s topography completely shifts as you move from one part of the 32-square-mile island to another. As I zipped along the narrow main road and unpaved side routes, the scenery moved from lush caldera-formed valleys to barren plateaus tufted in Mediterranean scrub to hilltop villages festooned in pink bougainvillea, and up to woodsy mountains. Flowering cactuses and caper bushes with purple stamens grow with abandon, as do herbs. When the wind blows, it smells of wild oregano."

"The island’s largest hot spring, Specchio di Venere (Mirror of Venus), is an aquamarine-colored lake that sits in a volcanic crater bordered by mountains and vineyards. On top of gurgling 104 degree water, the draw is a therapeutic (and stinky) mud that bathers slather all over their bodies. Does it work? Well, the heat rash on my arms and chest stopped itching, and my travel-tight back relaxed."

The Specchio di Venere:

PANTELLERIA: The Reflection of Venus  (Sicily Review - this is a very good basic guide)

"Pantelleria, an exotic gem nestled between Sicily and Tunisia, boasts a rugged beauty shaped by volcanic activity and Mediterranean charm. Explore its dramatic coastline adorned with hidden coves and crystal-clear waters, perfect for snorkeling and diving adventures.

Discover ancient sites like the prehistoric village of Sesi, showcasing the island's rich history and archaeological treasures. Relax in natural thermal springs or indulge in the island's renowned Passito wine, cultivated in ancient terraced vineyards. Experience the unique culture and cuisine influenced by North African and Sicilian traditions, sampling local delicacies like couscous and capers. Pantelleria offers an enchanting blend of natural wonders and cultural heritage amidst the azure sea."

Below, a selection of pictures.

This resort also has a webcam. 

Port and town of Pantelleria.

Famous arch shaped like a drinking elephant.

The view from space;  it IS volcanic.

Lighthouse of the Week, July 13-19, 2025: Punta Spadillo, Italy (Pantelleria)

 

In my next post I'm going to write more about the island this lighthouse is located on, which only came to my attention very recently.

First of all, I will show the location, which will reveal the uniqueness of this place. It is a part of Italy, but when you see where it is, you might question that.  

This is where it is on the island.  

This is where the island is.

And this is what the Lighthouse Directory says about it. Though it doesn't say it, it appears to have a Fresnel lens.

"1884. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 21 m (69 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 2-story masonry keeper's house. Entire lighthouse painted white. ... Most photos indicate that the lighthouse has been in rather poor condition but the 2023 photo at right shows improved conditions. Located on the northeast side of the island, about 7 km (4.5 mi) east of the town of Pantelleria."

I acquired several pictures. You will note that the island is volcanic.

A very unique place to stay

 

I learned about this place because Cristy Ren stayed here.

Our Habitas Alula

It appears that there are actually (though I'm not sure of this) a few different resorts here. Maybe I'll sort that out later.  Anyway, one of the resorts (at least) has unique pools.

The main pool is pretty cool, too (and I hope it's cooled, because Saudi Arabia is HOT).

This is what a "room" looks like.

And this is what Cristy looked like there. Natural wonders abound.

It's not natural, but it's notable

 

Above the Mississippi River city of Winona, Minnesota, there's a landmark. Now, the landmark has been shaped by human activities, so as the title says, it's not natural.  But it's hard to miss. So it's on the National Register of Historic Places.

I'll provide context and illustration.  Context; the Wikipedia entry:  Sugar Loaf (Winona, Minnesota)

Illustrations:

Sadly, though I've been in the area, I don't remember seeing this.  But when I discovered it, I thought about the fact that there are many "Sugar Loaf" mountains, hills, domes, etc., around the world.  So I thought it would be a good idea to research why.  

Here's why, with context, and illustration.  Context; the Wikipedia entry: Sugarloaf

Illustration:

That's why so many mountains, hills, peaks, etc. are named "Sugar Loaf".  Because they look like that.

A taste of summer

 

Tan lines; a sign of summer. Or the tropics. Or both.

How to lie with facts

 

The Yale Climate Connection has a very instructive article from Jeff Masters.  And it shows who's correct about climate change, and who isn't -- and who tries to lie with the actual reality.

How to deny climate change using the IPCC report
The new Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, claims that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says there has been no increase in the frequency or intensity of hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or droughts – but Wright is wrong.

Let's go to the facts. This is one that numerous climate change deniers with no apparent moral standards frequently try to insist isn't true. As I've argued, it is true, and has been for years.

“We have high confidence that extreme precipitation events are increasing in intensity and frequency and that human actions are playing a substantial role,” [James] Kossin says in the video. Even for drought, where the science is somewhat less certain, “We still have good confidence that drought extremes are increasing and that human actions are playing a role,” Kossin adds."

As the article notes, Kossin is a lead author on the IPCC report.

The article describes the strategies used to mislead and misrepresent using what the IPCC says and what it doesn't say. Wouldn't just being honest be better?

Not for a member of the Trump Disintegration, of course.

So, to summarize:

Believe the experts; they know what they're talking about

Is this a very good idea?

 

The question I ask in the title of this post is easy to answer.  And my answer is:

I sure don't think so.

Sean Duffy and six others with multiple jobs in Trump’s administration

In case you, dear reader, need clarification, it is not a good idea for one person in a Presidential administration to be doing multiple important jobs. But that's what this pathetic excuse for a Presidential administration is doing.

Here's one example:

"In January, David Richardson began working as the assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD). In May, Richardson got a second job: running the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and he told employees there he was unaware the U.S. had a hurricane season. DHS said he was joking. Hurricane season runs from June to November.

Richardson’s move to FEMA came immediately after his predecessor said it should not be abolished, as Trump had urged. The White House has backed away from abolishing FEMA.

“Both of these job tasks are very complicated,” said James Forest, a professor at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and editor in chief of the academic journal Terrorism and Political Violence. FEMA responds to disasters, CWMD is supposed to prevent them, and they both require full-time attention, he said.

Doing both, according to Forest, is like saying, “You’re going to be playing quarterback, but you’re also going to be pitching nine innings.”

Here's an illustration of why this isn't a great idea. Yes, it's possible to do, but you have to be very, very good at doing it, or else -- broken plates.

At the Villa Treville

 

The Daily Mail had an article about Jason Statham, Rosie Huntington-Whitely, and their kids on vacation.  I happened to notice where they were staying. Note that the Daily Mail reports this with an interesting headline.

Braless Rosie Huntington-Whiteley shows off her supermodel figure in a series of stylish holiday looks on Positano getaway with Jason Statham

The caption to the picture below reads "The family-of-four were staying at five-star hotel Villa Treville, which boasts stunning views of the Amalfi Coast".

I've written about the Villa Treville before, at the link below. And thus I'm sure it's a great place for the family to stay. As well as a great place to take a shower, especially after the kids are asleep. 

Is this the World's Greatest Shower?

Read your Shakespeare, Mr. POS, er, POTUS

 

I don't expect that the dunce we have for a President remembers much Shakespeare, if he even studied it.

He probably thinks The Merchant of Venice is somebody he gets his ornate glassware from. 

Because, clearly, he did not know who Shylock was.

Trump responds after sparking outrage for use of 'anti-Semitic term' during tax cuts celebration

So what did he say?

" 'No death tax. No estate tax. No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker — and in some cases, shylocks and bad people,' he said."

 So how did he explain that?

" 'I've never heard it that way,' he told reporters at Joint Base Andrews after his rally.

'The meaning of Shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates. You view it differently. I've never heard that.' "

Well, as the article notes, Shylock was Jewish, and he wasn't a sympathetic character, deliberately. Calling someone (anyone) a shylock is anti-Semitic. As the article notes, Joe Biden did it once, and apologized for doing it.  

Will Trump apologize?

Who are we kidding?  He's not only incompetent, he's unrepentant -- about anything he does that's offensive. 

I'll end this post with Shylock, not Trump. So judge for yourself -- was he depicted as an appealing character here?  Not exactly Romeo Montague, is he?  (And Romeo was a murderer.)