Tempest Prognosticator

The Tempest Prognosticator, also known as the Leech Barometer, is an invention by George Merryweather in which leeches are used in a barometer. The twelve leeches are kept in small bottles inside the device; when they become agitated by an approaching storm they attempt to climb out of the bottles and trigger a small hammer which strikes a bell. The likelihood of a storm is indicated by the number of times the bell is struck.

Dr. Merryweather, honorary curator of the Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society's Museum, detailed the sensitivity that medicinal leeches displayed in reaction to electrical conditions in the atmosphere. He was inspired by two lines from Edward Jenner's poem Signs of Rain: "The leech disturbed is newly risen; Quite to the summit of his prison."[1] Merryweather spent much of 1850 developing his ideas and came up with six designs for what he originally referred to as "An Atmospheric Electromagnetic Telegraph, conducted by Animal Instinct". On 27 February 1851 he gave a near three-hour essay to members of the Philosophical Society entitled "Essay explanatory of the Tempest Prognosticator in the building of the Great Exhibition for the Works of Industry of All Nations". Merryweather referred to the leeches as his "jury of philosophical councilors" and also noted other features of the design, including the fact that the leeches were placed in glass bottles placed in a circle to prevent them from feeling "the affliction of solitary confinement".

Lucien Freud

Look at these like you look at your own work.

Jenny Haniver

Cryptozoology: Fearsome Critters

Splintercat: The splintercat is a nocturnal feline animal of great ferocity. It flies through the air with terrific speed and when it hits a large tree, it knocks the branches off, withers the trunk and leaves it standing like a silvery ghost. You can see these dead snags in many parts of the Pacific Northwest. The splinter cat performs this feat that it is named after to expose bees and honey to eat. However, the act of breaking open trees with its head leaves it with a constant headache, which causes it always to be in a foul mood. Accordingly, one is advised to never approach a splintercat.

Axehandle Hound: Overall, it resembles a dog with a roughly axelike shape. Its head is shaped like an axe blade, while its body, carried on short stubby legs, resembles an axe handle. It eats axe handles which have been left unattended.

Hoop Snake: The distinguishing feature of a hoop snake is that it can grasp its tail in its jaws and roll after its prey like a wheel. The snake straightens out at the last second, skewering its victim with its venomous tail. The only escape is to hide behind a tree which receives the deadly blow instead and promptly dies from the poison.

Hidebound: Hidebound is a creature that a human may spot in the corner of their eye, but disappears upon further inspection.

Argopelter: The Argopelter is rarely seen, and no distinct description exists. However, it is said to inhabit hollow tree trunks in the forest. From this vantage point the creature will await any unwary person and hurl wooden splinters and branches at him or her. Although the human could sustain serious injury, there is no record of assault past this initial bombardment.

Drop Bear: Drop Bears are unusually large, vicious, carnivorous koalas that inhabit treetops and attack their prey by dropping onto their heads from above.

Giant Penguin: This huge bird is over 15 feet tall and has alligator-like feet.

Hodag: It is covered with black fur, and has spikes along its back and two horns on its head. News reports from the time of its discovery claimed the hodag had "the head of a bull, the grinning face of a giant man, thick short legs set off by huge claws, the back of a dinosaur, and a long tail with a spear at the end". A variety, the Cave Hodag, has at least three glowing eyes.

Invisible, Imaginary Fish

I went to this link ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Fictional_fish ) expecting to find fish invented by explorers, fantastical beasts and mystical minnows. Instead, with the exception of the fur-bearing trout, all of these fish come from books, are mascots of businesses, or are pokemon. I am disapointed.

Through my own investigation I found another hirsute creature, though not a fish, and not imaginary:


Later I will report on fearsome critters.

I never read my library books very well, if at all. Perhaps this comes from my lack of commitment to them: if I have not wrangled internally over spending money then I am gleefully free to flip through them in service to my consumption of empty whimsies. It's not that I have to make myself read books I do buy, I just read them, that's all. But I am resolving here and now to read, really read books from the library. Give them space to breathe and hours.

I happened into the aisle where books are titled "The Unbound Prometheus", "The White Man's Burden", "The Road to Hell", "One with Ninevah", and "The Agony of Mammon". The apocalypse is at the library. Who knew?

Cy Twombly

Twombly should mean something in the english language so I can say it more often. Like, she saw her son singing to himself in the yard and she went twombly all over.

Squares

I find myself just as socially contrary as ever, just now I am square square square.

Baba Yaga, eat me up!

Chicken Hut, Chicken Cup!

I need to admit that I almost never want to cook for very long, but I do love food. Food that is easy and good:

Hardboiled eggs with salt and pepper.
BLTs.
Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches especially with weird jelly like mint and ginger and halepino.
Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches.
Oatmeal, especially with salt and butter.
Apples and cheese, especially goat and cheddar.
Cheddar cheesetoast.
Tea.
Chicken Tofu Soup.
Basic Miso.
Grape Juice.
Frozen Cherries.
Tomato Soup.

Sedlec Ossuary

She says, come live in my bone house and be my chickadee.

Begin my litany

First things first:
Couroc Plates are a worth-while novelty and frankly we all deserve them.








These plates are the prettiest