Not a surprise, but she can still have a career

 

Canadian professional tennis player Eugenie Bouchard has announced she's retiring from the sport.

As I noted in the title, that's not a surprise. She has not been competitive for quite awhile. She was a Wimbledon finalist in 2014, and made the semifinals at both the French and Australian Open that year too, but never reached those heights again. 

Obviously, one less to tennis is the aspect that she's one of the prettiest players ever to play the game. The Daily Mail does not have difficulty noting that.

Wimbledon finalist and tennis glamour girl Eugenie Bouchard makes shock retirement at age of 31

" 'She has been one of the most important figures in the history of our sport in Canada and a trailblazer who redefined what Canadian tennis could be,' said Valerie Tetreault, the National Bank Open tournament director. 'We are proud of everything she has done, as a player and role model, and we can't wait to see her in action one last time at IGA Stadium this summer.' "

OK, so first a picture from her tennis career.

 

Now, I believe she could probably have a career as a tennis commentator or coach. But of course, she has other career options, too.

I admit, I am impressed

 

Singer Ellie Goulding is in fine form.

Ellie Goulding shows off her sensational figure in a triangle bikini during Italian holiday after heading to Tracey Emin exhibition in Florence

As demonstrated:

Let's remember, she's 38 (which is slightly astonishing), and has a child.  Good effort, Ellie.

For more, you could also read this:

Ellie Goulding shows off her gym-honed figure in black lacy lingerie as she shares sizzling selection of snaps

With guano you get clouds

 

A darned interesting and slightly disgusting story about how penguin droppings (guano, poop, etc.) contribute enough ammonia to the Antarctic atmosphere to induce cloud formation.

Having experienced the pungent penguin output downwind from a large colony, I can attest to its vaporous effects.  It certainly brought tears to my eyes.  I can see how it might induce extra condensation in the marine atmosphere.

Penguin poop could be driving Antarctic cloud formation

Ammonia gas from the birds’ feces sets off a reaction that potentially blunts some local effects of climate change

"When scientists measured ammonia levels in the air near Marambio Base, a research station on the Antarctic Peninsula operated by Argentina, they found that the concentration skyrocketed when wind blew from the direction of a nearby Adélie penguin colony. Even when the birds migrated away, the feces left behind continued to emit large amounts of the gas."

It could even help with climate change (in the Antarctic region).

Penguin guano is an important source of climate-relevant aerosol particles in Antarctica (this is the actual research paper)

"Don't look at me, I didn't make these clouds."

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."