#bee whistler creations

[bee-whistler]

Hey, I know I don’t get much traction here with my original posts unless someone bigger reblogs me, but would anyone be interested in occasion craft tutorials? I’d lean toward what I consider easy ones (because “easy” is very much in the eye of the beholder). And I favor inexpensive as well.

I thought we could all use some occupational therapy, and inexpensive gift ideas are timely.

I’d probably start with this lil guy:

Simple crochet jellyfish.

[ccc-sarahjaneseddon]

Whakapapa is Genealogy. Among New Zealand Māori, such knowledge is encoded and recorded in a mental construct called whakapapa. Whakapapa functions as a genealogical table or family pedigree in which lineages connect to each papa or layer(a metaphorical reference to each generation of a family.) Māori use of whakapapa and narrative creates a “metaphysical gestalt” or whole, integrated pattern for oral communication of knowledge. In this example of reading it is based off plant and animal whakapapa, to understand plant and animal whakapapa requires knowledge. Also mentioned in this reading is that whakapapa is a key focus of many Māori concerns about GOM. The case study of the kūmara demonstrates that whakapapa and narrative serve important and legitimate cultural functions, such as making sense of a complex world, imparting moral guidance and concerning risk-taking activities and their consequences, and reaffirming deeply held cultural beliefs. A case study of the kūmara whakapapa shows that the Kūmara is thought to have originated in south America(whistler 1991, 52). Kūmara has also been mentioned in Māori Mythology, we traditionally link back to our knowledge of Māori mythology in whakapapa. We use ancestral knowledge in dicovering whakapapa. Whakapapa provides a cognitive template of great utility in an oral society. Whakapapa thus enable a wealth of knowledge to be conveniently situated, memoriesed, recalled and transmitted. This information provides the necessary sources of meaning and understanding required for variety of different purposes. It is possible for decedents alive today to recite from memory their whakapapa back to a canoe ancestor. All three whakapapa - of Kūmura, aruhe, and ti - demonstrate the importance of pragmatic as well as cultural considerations in their creation. There are some intriguing similarities and differences between both plant/animal and human whakapapa and modern scientific classifications based on the concept of phylogeny. All three share a similar concern with attempting to identify descent from a common ancestor or ancestors. But the human whakapapa involved only single species and therefore are more closely allied in terms of their underlying philosophy to modern phylogenetic classifications in their presumptions of relationships based on genetically. Inherited characteristics; Plant and animal whakapapa are specific to place, vary from region to region depending on, among other things, climate and biophysical Whakapapa can claim to bee genealogies in the sense that all things they encompass a closely shared genetic inheritance.

Short definition of Whakapapa:

Whakapapa is Genealogy. Whakapapa can be through the connection of plants and animals as well as humans by using ancestral knowledge and Mātauraunga Māori. For example, cosmological knowledge, ancestral knowledge, Mythology and narratives to determine the whakapapa. Case studies also have demonstrated Whakapapa, for example using Kūmara to clarify the rationale for the groupings and implied relationships included in this whakapapa. (pg 2) Kūmara case study has also been mentioned in Māori Mythology, we traditionally link back to our knowledge of Māori mythology in whakapapa.  Overall Whakapapa functions as a genealogical table or family pedigree in which lineages connect to each papa or layer(a metaphorical reference to each generation of a family.(pg1)

Roberts, Mere (Ngāti Apakura, Ngāti Hikairo), et al. "Whakapapa as a Māori mental construct: Some implications for the debate over genetic modification of organisms". The Contemporary Pacific 16.1, 2004, 1-28.

[auskultu]

New Singles including The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Buffalo Springfield

Nick Jones, Melody Maker, 18 November 1967

A GREY Monday morning, EMI House. Looking out at the square through the window. Here goes and on goes ‘Hello, Goodbye’ by the Beatles. So what’s it going to be? Another hit?

Well, of course. “You say goodbye, I say hello; you say stop and I say go,” sings Paul through a straight heavy thumping beat and the echoing voices of George and John backing him up. Superficially it’s a very “ordinary” Beatles record without cascading sitars, and the involved, weaving hallucinogenic sounds that we’ve grown to love so much. However, all the Beatles soul and feeling is shining through and with the strong repetitive lyric punctuated occasionally by a searing guitar note or a chugging piano riff you’ve got a nice, “sing-along” new Beatles single, which eventually fades and ska-beat’s back into a stronger, louder, and generally more positive ending.

The flip, ‘I Am A Walrus’ features John “I am the egg man” Lennon waiting in an English country garden for the sun. The song comes from the Magical Mystery Tour film and the scene is set with whining, sad blue strings giving John a soft coasting background.

Again not such a complex sound as a lot of previous Beatles stuff but it builds nicely to a chattering, spinning cacophony of electricity and hissing gongs behind a barely audible “conversation.” It’s gentle Beatles this time, with their new Christmas number one, keeping the realms of pop within the boundaries of insanity, being as witty, and as subtle as ever. No doubt the more times you hear ‘Hello, Goodbye’, and ‘I Am A Walrus’ the more the subtleties come to light. KEITH WEST: ‘Sam’ (From A “Teenage Opera”) (Parlophone): 
A deep lung full of cool fresh air from the Teenage Opera again must put Keith on the right track for another smash hit. A magnificently, carefully, and majestically executed pop single, over five minutes long, vividly painting another beautiful fantasy picture of Grocer Jack land. An all-enveloping, radiating kaleidoscope of changing mood music, built with Mark Wirtz’s flowing, flying 80-piece orchestra is certainly a stimulating and inspired creation. Look thoughtfully into this tale of engine driver Sam and his steam machine for many jewels can be discovered embedded in the landscape as it hurtles by.

BEE GEES: ‘World’ (Polydor): 
Not so much to say about a good record. This tremendous new Bee Gees’ single will soar after ‘Massachusetts’ up the chart and could well give the Beatles a hello and a goodbye. With rolling, swaying piano, a hard screeching guitar plus waterfalls of harps and that buzzing, electrifying string sound the Bee Gees have come up with a truly beautiful, and stunning sound. Soulful and powerful lyrically and musically it’s good to know that, at last, the Bee Gees have arrive to give us all.

THE BEACH BOYS: ‘Wild Honey’ (Capitol): 
A strange kind of thin and weak Beach Boys single here, certainly slightly changed from their usual direction. Rocking along with organ and bongoes and a high urgent screeching vocal it’s much freer, good-time kind of Beach Boy party material. With ‘Good Vibrations’ electronic whistlers whizzing away and a good strong swinging tempo this should make the chart—but not in a big way. It certainly doesn’t have the beautiful Brian Wilson production edge but the number grows on you like wild honey the more you hear it.

THE PINK FLOYD: ‘Apples And Oranges’ (Columbia): 
A new Syd Barrett composition for the Floyd is an easier but heavily electronic number swinging in tinkling, whirring electricity. The Floyd’s music is always vibrant energy-laden stuff but this particular number is pretty difficult to get hold of, and a number more like the flip, ‘Paint Box’ with its hollow ‘Day In The Life’ feel is a more interesting and hard hitting, “commercial”—even—thing. A good record, with some exciting sounds but I think it’ll go over a few people’s heads, and will certainly freak-out Jimmy Young, ‘cos he’s too old.

THE SOCIETIE: ‘Bird Has Flown’ (Deram): 
First single from this new group produced by Allan Clarke for the Hollies Recording Co. It’s a big clanking sound, with some beautiful distant yet predominant piano and a high hard vocal sound, not unlike the Hollies themselves. Still find the lyric line hard to follow in the big sound but the number works to a powerful and penetrating finale. Nice first one but think the material will have to be more striking to put the Societie into the chart. They’ve an original sound; couple that with a powerful number and it should click.

COUNTRY JOE AND THE FISH: ‘Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine’ (Fontana): 
Personally I find this West Coast sound a gas but that probably won’t apply to people who automatically disregard anything supposedly hip because it’s a bit different. Country Joe and the Fish have in fact split up recently, Joe to make it on his own and the group to now go out separately as the Incredible Fish. However this is a cut from theirElectric Music For the Mind and Body album, a fine album, and it features a grooving rocker from the group packed with blues inflections plus nice humour in a hip vein. In the States this kind of blues that has expanded into lyrical, electronic stuff, is called acid-rock—but it’s also very nice.

BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD: ‘Rock ’N’ Roll Woman’ (Atlantic): 
A truly beautiful group who have for some while made great records, including ‘For What It’s Worth’, now come up with another Rocking Stephen Stills composition about the rock ’n’ roll woman we all should love. With some flowing guitar work and a really beautiful, chanting chorus this might just be one of those American discs to catch on. The sound never lets up and it builds its repetitive ear-buzzing chorus up to a great finale. Yes a real fave rave, buy one today, and listen to a good record!

THE GENTLE POWER OF SONG: ‘Constant Penelope’ (Polydor): 
What a bring down this turned out to be! It seems in fact the Gentle Power Of Song is a session set-up and that they don’t seem to realise where the gentle power of song in fact lies. The answer is not in ‘Penny Lane’ trumpet or stiff-upper lip vocals singing in straight operatic voices, “She is always on my mind.” No sorry, you’re trying to put us on.

THE PEEP SHOW: ‘Esprit De Corps’ (Polydor): 
Following their almost successful ‘Your Servant, Stephen’ comes another lyrically very strong cut from the Peep Show. The vocal is a little too over powering for such a powerful lyric; it should really have been delivered with gentle cynicism, but the folky rolling guitar and sighing harmonies are really nice. It’s a strong anti-war song sandwiched between the sinister sirens of fifty years ago and the more people saying things like this the better—but more people need to listen.

[rachelcarsoncenter]

This is the second installment on mosquitoes to coincide with the Rachel Carson Legacy Symposium “Mosquitopia? The Place of Pests in a Healthy World” being held this weekend (24–27 October 2019). Here, the authors summarize some of the main arguments against trying to rid the world of mosquitoes. This special feature is part of our ongoing blog series “Silent Spring Continued: A World without Insects.”

*Feature image: Pictorial Monograph of Birds (1885) by Numata Kashu (1838-1901). Digitally enhanced by Rawpixel Ltd, CC BY-NC 4.0.

By Marcus Hall and Dan Tamir

Far from a complete list, below we highlight some of the main arguments for saving mosquitoes.

Strategic: We must remind ourselves that we are ultimately battling disease, not mosquitoes, and that there may be more effective, more economical, more ethical ways to do this than mosquito control. Malaria once emanated from swamps and bad air, though with more evidence it became clear that mosquitoes were the vectors of this disease. Should we be putting greater efforts into battling the plasmodia pathogens rather than the carriers of them? Should we be focusing at still smaller levels, such as on the chemicals set in motion by the pathogens? Zoologist Marston Bates once called DDT the “sledge-hammer approach to mosquito control” since DDT caused so much collateral damage to other living things, from birds and fish to desirable insects such as bees.[1] Early anti-malarial medications such as Atrabrine was itself a sledge-hammer approach in human blood streams, since people felt pretty nauseous after taking this medication. Because there are pros and cons to every remedy, we need to return to cost-benefit analyses before marching forward with any one solution.

Mosquito administering vaccine. (Image modified, via pngimg, CC BY-NC 4.0)

Medical: Another issue focuses on the importance of maintaining discrete, residual levels of pathogens in a population so as to maintain an epidemiologic signal that our bodies can react to and maintain resistance against. When malaria was largely eradicated from parts of Madagascar, only to return five years later, it returned with atypically dangerous virulence. Maintaining some mosquitoes and so the disease, means that human physiologies would not become naively adapted to a malaria-free environment. A related issue is that certain kinds of less dangerous malaria can provide protection from more dangerous malaria: a person infected by Plasmodium vivax is given some protection from being infected by more dangerous Plasmodium falciparum. As a protective measure, humans could theoretically be artificially inoculated with P. vivax, yet mosquitoes will inoculate them for free.

Ecological: There are many ecological arguments that point to the beneficial role of mosquitoes in ecosystems. Metric tons of flying biomass certainly alter natural processes, whether as foodstuff for other organisms or modifiers of animal behavior, as in the case of caribou and Homo sapiens who move to avoid them. There are the parasites and pathogens carried by mosquitoes, which infect not only humans, but also many other mammals, as well birds and reptiles. Microbes transmitted by mosquitoes to bats help control bat numbers, and thereby also control the spread of human diseases propagated by bats. Some mosquitoes even control other species of mosquito, since adults of certain species feed on the larvae of others.[2] These mosquito-borne benefits are therefore good reasons for maintaining mosquitoes in ecosystems, or bringing them back if overly controlled.

Evolutionary: Parasites and hosts coevolve, sometimes with beneficial results for both, as each generally becomes more tolerant of the other through time. Or at least this is Joshua Lederberg’s argument for why the virulence of parasites can diminish over time.[3] Cautious, hands-off approaches to vector control therefore allow nature to take its course, with harmful results balanced increasingly by beneficial ones. In short, there are crucial long-term roles for our bodily symbionts, and human interferences in their transmission may produce more harm than good.

Man on mountain, via pixabay (public domain).

Ethical & Social: On a more fundamental level, do humans have the right to kill, or exterminate other creatures—even the right to transform or disrupt whole ecosystems? Is it justifiable to act when we are still quite unsure about how all the pieces of an ecosystem fit together? If we are placing ourselves at the top of the pyramid of creation, what does that tell us about ourselves and our place in the future? We have, to date, never been able to rid the earth of mosquitoes, despite dogged efforts to do so. What makes us think we can do so now? Hubris has been the rule and not the exception in the history of humanity. Yet is it even thinkable that humans have the right not to seek every means possible to control and curtail disease-spreading organisms? Can it be fair to pay more attention to insects than to humans made sick by them? And is it right to rely on expert opinion, when the individuals directly affected by anti-mosquito treatments have different viewpoints?

Economic: Millions of funds and thousands of individuals are now dedicated to vector control and related research. In terms of spending efficiency, should these limited resources be dedicated to other measures, such as bed nets, tighter houses, better-equipped hospitals, and health education? Mosquito control is one of many health measures, and perhaps one of lesser priority depending on circumstances. An ongoing challenge is to focus on effective resource allocation, which may change by the year. Another economic issue focuses on the potential utility of mosquitoes to science or medicine; for example, mosquitoes can detect miniscule quantities of C02, and produce amazing anti-coagulants, with both traits suggesting entrepreneurial opportunities, unless these are curtailed by exterminators.

Aesthetic: Insects in general and mosquitoes in particular, are exquisitely engineered organisms, marvelously adapted to their various roles, and elegantly effective in carrying them out. We cannot help but admire them, even paint them, sculpt them, and marvel at their buzzes. Mosquitoes manage to pair with each other by harmonizing the frequencies of their beating wings, and artists can amplify and project these harmonic sounds.[4]

John Singer Sargent’s “The Mosquito Net,” 1912. Public Domain.

Man at Table beneath Mosquito Net. James Abbott McNeill Whistler, 1854-55. Public domain, via wikimedia commons.

Mosquito art: mosquitoes near a flood light. Walid Mahfoudh, via flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0.

[1] Marston Bates in J. Logan, The Sardinian Project (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins U. Press, 1954), x.

[2] O. Roux and V. Robert, “Larval predation in malaria vectors and its potential implication in malaria transmission: an overlooked ecosystem service?,” Parasites & Vectors 12: 217.

[3] Joshua Lederberg [1993] quoted at Pierre-Olivier Méthot, “Why do Parasites Harm Their Host? On the Origin and Legacy of Theobald Smith’s ‘Law of Declining Virulence’,” History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences 34 (2012): 567.

[4] University College London, “Built-in sound amplifier helps male mosquitoes find females,” Science Daily (2018), 25 September 2018. Available at https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180925110014.htm. See also: http://robinmeier.net/?p=38 (thanks to Peter Coates for alerting me to this source).

Mosquitopia Part 2: A few Reasons for Saving Mosquitoes This is the second installment on mosquitoes to coincide with the Rachel Carson Legacy Symposium "

[bee-whistler]

Feesh.

[bee-whistler]

This is just a test for a component of something I’m trying and I already love so much.