Well, it ain't because I'm an early riser—I didn't go to sleep last night

[sovay]

Okay, I feel like hell, so here are three things that have improved my evening.

1. A rare photograph of J. Robert Oppenheimer (plus other people) in color. Oppie's the one on the left with the good eyebrows:



2. Odetta singing "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right." I've heard eight or nine versions of this song over the years—I grew up on Joan Baez's—and while most of them at least play with the idea that the narrator is trying to convince themselves as much as their ex-object of desire, Odetta's is sauntering, breezy, and genuinely could not care less. We never did too much talking anyway, so don't think twice—it's all right.

3. The way this post (courtesy of moon_custafer) provides a great deal of scientific information about the toxins and mechanics of the cone snail while also devolving/ascending into a paean to its apocalyptic glories.

In conclusion, Autolycus thinks it is time for bed and I should probably agree with him.

Comments

[asakiyume]

Oh, and in honor of interesting mollusks, this article on in today's Boston Globe: "Scientists find giant, elusive clam known as 'the unicorn of mollusks.'"

It's the giant shipworm:

In a thoroughly modern twist on the age-old hunt for rare creatures, the first break in the search for the giant shipworm came from a student at the University of the Philippines who was looking on YouTube, Distel said. The student, Distel said, happened upon a video of a Philippine news program that showed giant shipworms growing like carrots in a shallow lagoon.

The shells are as long as baseball bats: here you can see them taking the worm out of the shell (.... I wonder if this kills the creature... I hope not)

[sovay]

Oh, and in honor of interesting mollusks, this article on in today's Boston Globe: "Scientists find giant, elusive clam known as 'the unicorn of mollusks.'"

I saw the news in the Guardian, but nobody called it "the unicorn of mollusks"! That's excellent.

(.... I wonder if this kills the creature... I hope not)

Especially if it's rare, I would hope not!

[alexxkay]

Have you read Rosemary Kirstein's _Steerswoman_ books? One of them features some impressively dangerous snails, though not due to poison.

[sovay]

One of them features some impressively dangerous snails, though not due to poison.

I have not read these books. Are they very large snails or what?

[alexxkay]

It's a spoiler :-)

These books are among my very favorites. Which is not a guarantee that *you* will like them, but our tastes seem more than slightly similar. Here's a review that I think was beyterbwritten than my own: http://siderea.dreamwidth.org/598703.html