It's the 29th day of 7th month. We're in our prime!
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Melanin is a natural pigment found in animals; it occurs in mammals, birds, reptiles, and other organisms. However, melanin isn't just about color. Melanin can also strengthen. The melanin in the wingtips of a bird helps to protect the feathers from wear and tear. And it also makes them black. And all this time, I was thinking those black wingtips made us look cool and sophisticated... Now, as a result of this week's reader question, it looks like we've uncovered a lot of fascinating information about gull wings—the stuff future blog posts are made of. Watch this spot! You, too, could have your question featured in an upcoming edition of Fun Fact Friday. Click Comments in the top right corner of this page, and don't forget to say "please!"
To paraphrase the concession speech Richard Nixon gave in 1962, when he failed to unseat Pat Brown for the governorship of California, "You won't have Geo to kick around anymore." It's not that I have been running (or flying) for anything, and then lost. But I do have a terribly sad announcement to make today. I have been diagnosed with Degenerative Adult Dork Syndrome (DADS). And there is no known cure. So I'm afraid this is going to be my last blog post. Please don't cry! APRIL FOOLS! Okay. That's the story of my life—a day late and a punchline that falls short of its mark. Let's go out on a serious note. Today is World Autism Awareness Day. That's what all the blue is about. Musical link by Fats Domino, 1956.
IT'S POPSICLE® STICK RIDDLE SLIDESHOW #4 I admit I lead a very sheltered life (if that's possible on such a windy beach). What I mean is, I miss out on so many cultural phenomena. But I do so on purpose, and with pride.
The musical link is to Weird Al Yankovic's 1985 parody of the Kinks' 1970 "Lola."
And now, ladies and gentlemen, etc. In the public interest, balancing act presents the second edition of a feature that has the potential to become a wildly-popular ongoing award-winning online series (as long as I continue to find discarded Popsicle® sticks): GEO'S SECOND EVER GREATEST POPSICLE® STICK RIDDLES SLIDESHOW ("I Got You," James Brown, 1965)
Ok. Ok. You're right. Yesterday wasn't really Gull Pride Day. I just made it up. Because I noticed some of my brethren were suffering from a post-Christmas slump, and because I have more empathy than I know what to do with, I hatched the idea of a special day for gulls to boost their self-esteem. It made me feel so good, I just might try it again sometime. Now then, what about today? Well, it was on this date in 1973, slightly before my time, that President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law. His own name was added to the endangered list shortly thereafter. Fun Fact: There are no gulls on the official United States list of endangered species. Nor are any gulls listed by the Fish & Wildlife Service as "candidates"—species that are waiting in the wings, so to speak. This is a testament to our flexibility and durability as a species. We will go anywhere and eat anything to survive. It pays to be an omnivore. Some of you may be celebrating Stan Lee's 95th birthday today. He was born Stanley Martin Lieber, and is best known as the creator of comic book legends such as Spider-Man, Captain America, the Fantastic Four, and the Incredible Hulk. But I'm still waiting for the first seagull superhero. Anyway, please save some birthday cake for me. As I was flying home yesterday, I read a saying on a message board outside a hardware store along the highway. I think they ran out of letters, because the spelling left something to be desired. It said:
Your talent is God's gift to U. What U do with it is Ur gift back to God. The sign had the desired result. It made me think. Which tends to give me a headache. And what—you might ask if you hadn't been distracted by another incoming text message—what thoughts did I think in response to the message on the sign (which, by the way and of course was not an original thought, having been borrowed semi-accurately from some guy named Leo Buscaglia)? I'd say it doesn't matter whether your talent has mass appeal or it's just that some little thing that connects you with a limited but very special audience. Each of us has something unique to share. So, what is the great notion behind this balancing act blog, then? I mean, not just today's post, but the daily tracks I leave behind for the surf to sweep away. Well, there is a long tradition of daddies with children sitting on their knees, telling stories, reading poems, cracking jokes, slowly turning into grandpas with grandchildren on the same knees. Being a seagull, my knees are more figurative than literal, but I have helped hatch my share of fledgling gulls, and I have no idea how many of my grandchildren are scattered up and down the Pacific coast and maybe even hanging out overseas somewhere. We get around. Of course, Mrs. Seagull is a big part of this story, but she wants no part of this blog. Back, then, to the daddy half of the story. I'll give you a little family perspective. My papa was the practical type. He found a use for everything. He could put things together, take them apart, and put them back together again. He also had strong opinions about a lot of things, and he needed an outlet for those opinions. When he found an old typewriter buried in the trash, Dad fixed it up and figured out how to hunt and peck on it. Then he begin pecking out long, obtuse, opinionated, highly pragmatic letters to the editor, which appeared regularly in the local newspaper. He had put together a number of his talents, even if he was the only one who really appreciated his efforts in the long run. At least he got to vent. To make a long story even longer, and mercifully in conclusion, I have begun to resemble my dad. I found an unused web page, and I'm using it to make a nuisance of myself. And for those of you who have tuned in to hear the latest about the worldwide war on seagulls, don't despair! Like everyone else, I'm just taking a holiday from my usual squeaking and squawking, and I'll be back on my seagull soapbox soon. After all, it is time for a little peace on earth and goodwill toward men. And seagulls. I have been asked why I don't use Twitter. The answer is simple—I can't tweet. I am a seagull, dontcha know. I can cry and I can squawk, but it's impossible for me to tweet. Some of my relatives are known to laugh (Laughing Gulls), but usually not at my jokes. ![]()
It's Cyber Monday. Does that mean I can go online and get free French fries?
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Meet the AuthorHi. I'm Geo the Seagull.
I'm the distinguished Park Host on South Jetty Beach at Bandon, Oregon, USA. I'm a firm believer in First Principles: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Your Lunch. Archives
August 2018
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