Wait long enough in a mangrove swamp and you’ll see something magical. In this case, a small school of golden cownose rays. 

The Top 7 Best News of Last Week - August 8, 2022

🐶 - The story of a dog which was stolen 5 years ago and was found this week made me tear up :')

1. Coral makes comeback on Great Barrier Reef

Coral cover has bounced back across two thirds of the Great Barrier Reef.

The northern and central sections of the reef have the highest levels of coral cover recorded in 36 years of monitoring by the Australian Institute of Marine Science. While the reef has suffered negative effects from mass coral bleaching events in 2020 and again this summer, they weren't anywhere near as deadly for coral as the ones in 2016 and 2017.

The reef has also benefited from a few years without being battered by cyclones.

2. Emerald green hummingbird, feared to be extinct, has been spotted in Colombia

After years of attempts to find one of the world’s 10 most wanted bird species, the Santa Marta sabrewing has been unexpectedly rediscovered deep in the mountains of Colombia.

The tiny hummingbird had only been officially spotted twice: once when it was discovered in 1946 and again in 2010 when it landed serendipitously in a researcher’s mist net. Since then, it has been presumed by many to be extinct. “It’s so incredible to see photos and video of the Santa Marta sabrewing,” said John Mittermeier, director of threatened species outreach at the American Bird Conservancy, in a press release. “It’s like seeing a phantom.”

3. For 1st time since war began, Ukrainian grain ship leaves Odesa, bound for Lebanon

The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni, carrying Ukrainian grain, leaves the port in Odesa, Ukraine, on Monday.

More ships are expected to leave from Ukraine's ports through the safe corridors. At Odesa, 16 more vessels, all blocked since Russia's invasion on Feb. 24, were waiting their turn, with others to follow, Ukrainian authorities said.

4. Mother, daughter both pilot Southwest flight: 'It's been a dream come true'

Flying the friendly skies could not have been more touching for Southwest Airlines passengers en route from Denver, Colorado, to St. Louis, Missouri, last Saturday. 

Their pilots were Captain Holly Petitt and her daughter First Officer Keely Petitt, a mother-daughter duo in what the company calls a first for its flights. 

How nice for them! I can't help but smile :)

5. Iguanas reproducing on Galapagos island, more than a century after disappearing

Iguanas populated the island in vast numbers when Charles Darwin visited in the 1830s. Scientists believe the iguana disappeared from the island in the early 20th century, but now A land iguana is reproducing naturally following its reintroduction there.

In 2019, the Galapagos National Park authority reintroduced more than 3,000 iguanas from a nearby island to restore the natural ecosystem of Santiago, which lies at the centre of the Pacific archipelago.

6. Baytown family stunned their stolen dog 'Sheba' was found 5 years later

A Baytown family is stunned after receiving a message that their dog who was stolen five years ago was found more than 600 miles away. The Malmstrom family still can't get over the video that recently arrived on their phones.

"We were all crying," Stephanie Malmstrom recalled. "Me and my girls were just boohooing."

My dogs are my life and if they went missing that would be awful, so happy for this family!

7. Senate approves bill to aid vets exposed to toxic burn pits

A bill enhancing health care and disability benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits won final approval in the Senate on Tuesday, ending a brief stalemate over the measure that had infuriated advocates and inspired some to camp outside the Capitol.

The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 86-11. It now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. Biden described the legislation as the biggest expansion of benefits for service-connected health issues in 30 years and the largest single bill ever to address exposure to burn pits.

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That's it for this week. This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/08/03/long-lost-iguana-born-again-on-galapagos-island-after-nearly-two-centuries-of-extinction

A lost species of iguana has been ‘born again’ on the Galápagos Islands for the first time in nearly 200 years.

The Galápagos Island land iguana was last spotted on Santiago Island more than 187 years ago. Ecologists determined that the reptiles were locally extinct.

But three years ago, thousands of the creatures were reintroduced to the islands - and new images prove that the lizard is breeding once again.

"Two centuries later, land iguanas are born again on Santiago Island,” a Galápagos National Park spokesperson said.

What is the Galapagos Land Iguana?

The Galápagos Islands used to teem with reptiles.

Located 1000 km west of Ecuador, the archipelago was made famous by English naturalist Charles Darwin’s 1835 expedition.

When Darwin visited, he recorded a massive number of land iguanas. However, they had disappeared by the early 20th century, with local populations decimated by feral pigs and dogs.

The lizards survived on nearby islands, but in small numbers. They are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

To help protect the species, the Galápagos National Park authority decided to reintroduce them to Santiago island.

In 2019, they released more than 3000 of the reptiles on Santiago - a process that Galápagos National Park director Danny Rueda Cordova has described as a “great success.”

"187 years later we witness again a healthy population of land iguanas, with adults, juveniles and neonates on Santiago Island,” he said.

"This is a major conservation achievement and strengthens our hopes of restoring islands that have been severely affected by introduced species.”

What other Galápagos Islands animals are threatened?

The mission to restore the Galápagos Islands is not over.

According to the World Wildlife fund, their unique ecosystems are threatened by illegal fishing, non-native species, and more than 160,000 tourists every year.

However, recent months have seen positive developments on the island. In 2019, scientists spotted the chelonoidis phantasticus - ‘fantastic giant tortoise’ - for the first time in more than a century.

The last known specimen was found in 1906.

"The finding of one alive specimen gives hope and also opens up new questions, as many mysteries still remain," said researcher Adalgisa Caccone.

Last week, scientists discovered two flamingo nests in an isolated lagoon. The birds had not been spotted for more than 20 years.

Leaving (Again)

Over 6 months ago I quit my job and had a few going away events before leaving for Nova Scotia to join the tallship Picton Castle. This was to be the ship’s 8th and final world voyage, circumnavigation the entirety of the earth. 30,000 nautical miles & 20 ports—Panama, Galapagos, months across the South Pacific, Bali, South Africa, the Caribbean, and back to Nova Scotia. All in a traditional 3-masted ship, operated by a bunch of hobos (under the direction of people who know what they’re doing). Pre-COVID, the trip consisting of 4 legs was to take about a year—which I signed up for all of. After countless departure delays due to the world shutting down, the green light came for October of 2022. A fall departure (versus spring as originally planned), and new COVID protocols in South Pacific ports meant the trip would now be 18 months and 5 legs. And cost more. I decided to stick to my one year commitment, which would get me to Bali in October of 2023. I figured I could spend a few months in SE Asia. If I loved the ship life, I could see if staying on for additional legs was possible. Options are good!

After arriving in Lunenburg, we were rapidly thrown in ship maintenance work. Because borders had been shut down for years, the ship has not received much attention. There’s a lot of steel that can rust, especially in the Nova Scotia climate. It was honestly quite exhausting, and because our cook had visa related delays we also had to cook for 40 very hungry people in our watch days. It was good to be active though, and see the ship transform over a pretty short time period. Everyone was nice, jolly, and very motivated to make this trip FINALLY happen. The last requirement before loading up the ship and training, was a few days in dry dock for hull scraping/painting, replacing a few underwater parts, and an inspection to seal the deal to embark ‘round the world. The ship motored about 80 miles down the coast and got pulled out of the water in Shelburne. During this time the 25ish of us that stayed behind in Lunenburg were living a 100 year old dock house, in bunks fashioned from 2x4’s and sail canvas. This was fine for a short period, but that many people living in one open room was not ideal. The cold was also very much arriving.

Work went quickly on dry dock and everything looked good. The ship was to come down after 5 days or so. But then it didn’t. A mishap occurred when the shipyard attempted to pull another ship out of the water for a quick emergency leak repair. The massive winch, capable of pulling >500,000 ton vessels had been destroyed. Nearly pulled out of the ground. This type of thing “doesn’t happen.” Ever. But it did. While the Picton Castle was fine, it was stuck on the platform (cradle) until the winch could be fixed. Considering its age, and the fact that many parts were produced by a now defunct foundry, repairing wasn’t an option. The entire system needed to be replaced; a huuuuge fucking job. We were given an estimate of 8 weeks to get the new winch installed. That was 5 months ago…

I and many others decided to skip town vs waiting it out in Nova Scotia. Lunenburg is a super cute town, a rare “urban” UNESCO heritage site even. It’s main income comes from tourism though, and that’s exclusively during the relatively short summer. By October most of the shops close and the population contracts drastically. Bowling and the bar are pretty much the wintertime attractions (curling too?). I’m lucky to have an easy time getting home to Philadelphia, and a home to come to. That’s not the case for the people who sold their houses or were renting them out during the nearly 2 year time away. Or the Australians & Europeans. I visited California folks and my Dad & stepmom in Florida (twice), saw Hamilton and Book of Mormon on Broadway, Gorilla Biscuits (lifelong goal!), and got to spend time with some of my favorite people. It wasn’t all that bad.

I was home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, for the arrival of 2023 and my cousin’s little baby Sonja. Also for Siobhan’s birthday. The first instances of holidays without Siobhan were mostly unreal. There were some years she wouldn’t come East from LA for Thanksgiving or Christmas, so it almost seemed like just another one of those years. These marked the second holidays without her, and the reality of her being gone was cemented. It was really hard. I’m glad I got to be with my mom and family. We were both having a hard time, and went to a Jewish diner for lunch rather than try to celebrate. Unfortunately her birthday was even worse for me, which I did not at all anticipate. It’s weird not knowing what will set off a spiral. It makes coming out of it harder too.

Being idle for so long isn’t good, and I had way too much time on my hands and in my head. I made the decision to head back to Lunenburg in hopes it wouldn’t be much longer till the ship came down. The crew that stuck around were staying in a rented house, and had been taking on various projects through the winter. I’d join the commune, and hopefully get involved in some useful work. A schedule, being productive, feeling like I have some purpose to my days would be beneficial methinks. As it turns out, the shipyard announced the winch is just about done! After 5 months stuck out of the water the Picton Castle will finally be lowered. My timing was good, but maybe I should have came back earlier?!

It’ll still be a few weeks of intense work getting everything loaded on the ship, getting all the running rigging and and sails up, and training us on how to not sink immediately. After being delayed for nearly 3 years because of COVID, another 5 month delay was both ridiculous yet not surprising. We’ll see what goes wrong next…

RNZ Pacific 1229 30 Aug 2022

7245Khz 1144 30 AUG 2022 - RNZ PACIFIC (NEW ZEALAND) in ENGLISH from RANGITAIKI. SINPO = 55445. English, music until pips and news @1200z anchored by Todd Zehner. The government intends to charge GST on fees paid on KiwiSaver accounts from April 2026, potentially netting it hundreds of millions more in taxes. Simplicity fund manager Sam Stubbs said a tax on KiwiSaver fees amounted to a wealth tax. The new national health organisation is being accused of secrecy and spin - and keeping too much behind closed doors. Before Te Whatu Ora was created in July, the 20 district health boards it replaced held monthly meetings, with open agendas, that anyone could attend. A New Zealand aid worker preparing to return to Ukraine has come across one former New Zealand Defence force worker in his time in the invaded country. The Defence Force is still unable to rule out the possibility of any of its staff being in Ukraine, after Corporal Dominic Abelen was killed while fighting there on leave without pay. Two former commanders of Central Command believe the United States is less safe now following the military's withdrawal from Afghanistan nearly a year ago. Palmerston North has a poo problem thanks to the spectacular daily flight of thousands of starlings, which swoop on the inner city to spend the night. Ecuador has launched an investigation into the killing of four Galapagos giant tortoises, which prosecutors fear were hunted and eaten. @1204z trailer for RNZ "9 to Noon". @1205z Weather Forecast: fine with clouds and isolated showers. @1206z "All Night Programme" anchored by Todd Zehner. Peter McIlwaine is taking 4 week vacation. Backyard fence antenna, Etón e1XM. 100kW, beamAz 325°, bearing 240°. Received at Plymouth, United States, 12912KM from transmitter at Rangitaiki. Local time: 0644.

A Guide to Exploring the Galapagos on a Reasonable Budget

The Galapagos is one of the best destinations for nature lovers nowadays. When you visit the place, you can explore the untouched islands and undisturbed nature in your surroundings. Many people know Galapagos as the destination to enjoy luxury cruise rides which is the best way to get to know the Galapagos Islands. While searching for the best Galapagos cruises, you will realize that trip to the Galapagos Islands with a reasonable budget.

The Cost of Reaching the Galapagos Islands

Flights to Galapagos are available from Quito or Guayaquil. Travelers should purchase a Galapagos Transit Card at the airport. Typically, the card costs around $20 a person. Once you arrive at the Galapagos Islands, you must pay $100 for the Galapagos Entrance Fee. You can take a taxi from the airport to the Itabaca channel, here you will get a water taxi to reach Santa Cruz.

You can get a shared bus from the airport to Baltra if you seek a more budget-friendly option. Nevertheless, the shared water taxi ticket from Baltra to Santa Cruz comes at only $2 per person. It is also the cheapest way of reaching Santa Cruz, the most popular destination for beginning Galapagos Islands cruise vacations.

Exploring Santa Cruz on a Low Budget

You can spend an entire week in Santa Cruz, as it offers beautiful beaches for spending relaxed time with your partner. Since the place has become a popular tourist destination, you can find both budget-friendly and posh accommodations.

The cheapest way to explore the small islands is by enjoying bike rides, and you can find many bike rental services here. Information about the Galapagos Islands is incomplete without mentioning adventure activities. You can enjoy the land excursion and all-day snorkeling with a budget ranging from $45 to $95.

Trip to Isla Daphne

You can find affordable Galapagos Islands cruise boats to explore the mesmerizing Daphne Island. The calm and crystal blue water will bring much-needed refreshment to your life. Moreover, you can spot various types of birds on this island.

Lava Tunnel–a Must-Visit

Since lava rocks have created the tunnels, they are known as “Lava Tunnels.” You can scroll through the narrow tunnels, and the overall experience is thrilling. A taxi ride from Santa Cruz will take you to the Lava Tunnels, and the overall cost of exploring the place is low.

You need to keep your eyes on the Galapagos last minute deals to save your money on the next Galapagos vacation. Finding a good tour operator is crucial for making the itinerary hassle-free and budget-friendly.

To get the latest updates visit our blog and follow us on Facebook, Instagram.

Blog source: https://www.tiptopcruises.com/2022/07/a-guide-to-exploring-the-galapagos-on-a-reasonable-budget/

PROGRAMMER’S NOTES: JAZZ SPECTRUM, WGTE TOLEDO PUBLIC RADIO, 2 JULY 2022

The host, my friend for over 60 years, needed to record three shows this past week, so he asked if I had ideas, suggestions, even a whole show. Well, sure I did. This one—save for one substitution and sets seven and nine—is mine. I did have a Song of the Week and five other sets, but I didn’t plan it as a whole show as such. “Just some sets to use over the three weeks,”Fri(end), along with a set of blues by Kansas City connected musicians (and there are some amazing jazzers from our shared home town) for next week when I will be there to see my sister. The July 16 show is probably mine as it takes off from Ornette Coleman’s Free Jazz.

Here, with interspersed commentary, is the playlist:

Set 1

Herbie Hancock, Maiden Voyage, "Dolphin Dance" (9:16)

Grachan Moncur III, Evolution, "Evolution" (12:24)

Renee Rosnes, Written in the Rocks, "Galapagos" (7:14)

I discovered GM3’s Evolution through my recent listening project of listening to the vibraphone instead of piano as a bed for horns. His collaborations with Jackie McLean are even edgier than Dave Holland’s brilliant quintet with the same instrumentation. GM3 died in the middle of that excursion, so this tune is in order.

Of course, I would like a tune called Evolution, but it’s an impressive composition. So is Rosnes’s Galapagos which shares an inspiration. Dolphin Dance is always good to hear and is at least vaguely related.

Set 2

Milt Jackson and the Thelonious Monk Quintet, Milt Jackson and the Thelonious Monk Quintet, "I Mean You" (2:47)

Fred Hersch Trio, Alive at the Village Vanguard, "Dream of Monk" (6:10)

Eric Dolphy, Out to Lunch, "Hat and Beard," (8:25)

Grachan Moncur III, Evolution, "Monk in Wonderland" (7:54)

Milt Jackson and the Thelonious Monk Quintet, Milt Jackson and the Thelonious Monk Quintet, "Mistrioso" (3:24)

We kid ourselves that every show should have some Ellington/Strayhorn and some Monk. Bags was part of the vibraphone journey so he frames three tributes/pastiches by some worthy acolytes, including GM3.

Set 3

Miles Davis, Round Midnight, “Round Midnight” (5:58)

Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane, Live at Carnegie Hall, “Monk’s Mood” (7:52)

Ornette Coleman, New York Is Now, “Broadway Blues” (8:40)

Pat Metheny, 80;/81, “The Bat”  (6:05)

A bit more Monk, but this set and the next was to see how sidemen sounded with different leaders. So John Coltrane with Miles and Monk, then Dewey Redman and Charlie Haden with Ornette and Pat Metheny. Here is where the substitution was as I had a tune by Keith Jarrett’s American quartet. I have no objections to this choice, but Jarrett was more familiar to me and that band has always intrigued me for what it synthesized. But Metheny does the same thing and 80/81 is a more significant album. It may be a bit more Ornette influenced though.

Set 4

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Africaine, “Lester Left Town” (7:57)

Miles Davis, Miles Smiles, “Footprints” (9:46)

Ornette Coleman, The Art of the Improvisers, “The Alchemy of Scott LaFaro” (9:53)

Here it’s Wayne Shorter and his tunes with the Messengers and Miles before Scott LaFaro with Ornette and, at least by plan, THE Bill Evans Trio. That he played with both is illuminating about all three of them. It may be that he’s more out there with Evans.

Set 5–Song of The Week

Invitation has shown up on my streams and intrigued me, but I heard the Webster Jazz Faculty do it at a program that also featured tunes from the 1957 Monk/Coltrane Carnegie Hall concert. There it got fixed in my mind that it was written by Bronislau Caper who also gave us On Green Dolphin Street.

I do poorly with singers but Sarah Vaughn, Tony Bennet, and Dinah Washington are safe, right? Jackson, Joe Henderson, Lee Konitz, and John Coltrane too make for illuminating improvisational juxtapositions.

Les Brown and His Band of Renown, The Les Brown Story, “Invitation” (3:16)

Milt Jackson Sextet, Invitation, “Invitation” (3:55)

Joe Henderson, Live at the Lighthouse, “Invitation” (7:34)

Sarah Vaughn, You’re Mine You, “Invitation” 2:16)

Set 6

Tony Bennet, The Good Things in Life, “Invitation” (3:14)

Lee Konitz Trio, Oleo, “Invitation” 4:38

Dinah Washington, I Wanna Be Loved, “Invitation” (2:39)

John Coltrane, Standard Coltrane, “Invitation”  (10:22)

Set 7

Walt Dickerson, To My Queen, “To My Queen”.

Set 8

Out to Dinner, Play On, "Rebecca's Dance" (5:34)

The Stan Getz Quartet, In Paris, "The Knight Rides Again" (10:10)

Sonny Rollins, No Problem, "No Problem" (7:43)

 Melissa Aldana, 12 Stars, “Falling” (6:21)

This set both plays with vibes and guitars, but no pianos, and a tenor sax survey with new favorites, Nicole Glover and Melissa Aldana, each with tenures in the all star band Artemis, framing giants Stan Getz and Sonny Rollins. That’s Glover’s tune with Behn Gellice’s project that uses the Dolphy Out to Lunch instrumentation while Aldana’s Falling kicks off her album with Lage Lund that started me down the sax/guitar project.

The Knight Rides Again with Gary Burton is way edgier than lots of Getz. The Rollins is not as spectacular as he can be, but he is with Bobby Hutcherson and guitarist Bobby Broome. On The Bridge he and Jim Hall opened up spaces and tested the guitar as a substitute for the piano; this is the example I found of him playing with Bobby Hutcherson.

Set 9

Glenn Dickson, Wider Than the Sky, “Brave Shines the Sun”. 9:44

Tomas Fujiwara, March, “Silhouettes in Smoke”. 5:29

John Yao’s Triceratops, Off-Kilter, “Quietly” 6:53

Gordon Grdina Nomad Trio, Boiling Point, “Shibuya”.

Sets 7 and 9 are from the regular host and they are typically interesting. I’m sure I’d learn some new music, but I will do that by other means as I’ll have turned off the radio by then because I’m old enough to have been friends with someone for over 60 years.

2022 / 02

Aperçu of the Week:

"There is no happiness in life."

(Vladimir Putin Last summer after his first personal meeting with Joe Biden)

Bad News of the Week:

The saber has hardly been seen on battlefields since the invention of the musket. However, when it comes to military combat in the political arena, "saber-rattling" is still part of the standard repertoire. A master in this discipline - as in every other political intrigue - is of course Russian President Vladimir Putin. And he is rattling on several fronts at once.

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko holds on to power anyway only thanks to the patronage of his big brother in the east. Without Putin's protective hand, his own police and military forces would have a real option for their loyalty: a ruler with dwindling power or his own people. And Lukashenko would probably have been hounded out of office long ago.

In Kazakhstan, on the other hand, where outrage over increased prices for LPG had unleashed a spiral of violence with over 200 deaths, it was officially the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) military alliance that came to the aid of the beleaguered member state - but given the constellation of forces (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) there can be no doubt who is calling the shots there. And once again, an "insurgent people" was put back in its place; there was an explicit refusal to allow the events to be considered a "color revolution."

And then, of course, there is the ongoing conflict with Ukraine over the Donbas region. The initial situation is pretty much identical to the one that led to the annexation of Crimea in 2014: The majority Russian population in the region is being helped because they feel (at least according to the official interpretation) that they are being disadvantaged by the Ukrainian leadership. We could also discuss the Italian South Tyrol there, but let's not. The past week was dominated by various summits, meetings and negotiations on this situation - sometimes in Geneva, sometimes in Brussels, sometimes online. Sometimes only Russia and the U.S., sometimes NATO, sometimes with or without European participation, Ukraine itself merely as a guest on the fence. There was already a lot of rattling in the run-up to the talks.

On the one hand, Russia immediately issued an ultimatum: withdrawal of all U.S. nuclear weapons from Europe and a pledge to halt NATO's eastward expansion. Alternatives? None. Options? None. Room for negotiation? None. Instead, a clear statement from Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko: "The Europeans should think about how to prevent their continent from becoming the scene of a military confrontation. They have a choice: either they accept our proposals or they expect a military-technical alternative." Boom.

On the other hand, the U.S. threatened "devastating economic consequences," e.g., expulsion from the SWIFT banking system (Piquant fact: SWIFT is a cooperative owned by the banks and subject to EU law). And expected a significant concession from the Russian side so that negotiations would have any chance at all. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in the run-up: "It's hard to see making actual progress as opposed to talking in an atmosphere of escalation with a gun to Ukraine's head."

I guess that's what you call a stalemate. One of the most prominent German political commentators, Gabor Steingart (The Pioneer), already put it in a nutshell at the beginning of the week: "Fulfilling Russia's ultimatum would be tantamount to a self-dissolution of NATO and a global withdrawal of the US. However, if the Russians were to accept America's goings-on in the sensitive security zone around their country, they would degrade themselves to a mediocre regional power. This is the stuff of wars. Or compromises." And at the end of the week? Is the situation unchanged. Stay tuned!

Good News of the Week:

The Galapagos Islands are unique in many ways. Due to their unique location - for example, three ocean currents meet there - and the absent of human settlement for a long time due to a lack of fresh water, a unique diversity of fauna and flora has been preserved there, both on land and in the water. Some species are therefore only found there, the most famous being the Galapagos tortoises.

At some point, however, man came. First very gently and quietly the researchers and explorers, then at some point the tourists with kettledrums and trumpets. The corresponding infrastructure made its way, held in check to some extent by the protection guidelines of UNESCO - after all, the Pacific islands belonging to Ecuador are part of the World Natural Heritage.

This heritage is now increasingly being preserved and protected, despite all economic interests. One highlight: the conversion of power generation from diesel generators to a hybrid power plant from 100% renewable energy sources (so Siemens can build more than just conventional power plants - is noted). This is a big improvement not only for air quality, but especially for the sea: two large loads of diesel had leaked in recent years during ship transport from the mainland 1,000 kilometers away, polluting the islands' coastline and threatening the fragile ecosystem.

The day before yesterday, another highlight: Ecuador has extended the marine protected area around the Galapagos Islands by another 60,000 square kilometers. "Hermandad" is now the second largest marine protected area in the world and extends to the neighboring islands of Coco (Costa Rica), Coiba (Panama) and Malpelo (Colombia), making it the second largest in the world - after the "Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument" northwest of Hawaii. It's nice that one of the many announcements made at the World Climate Conference in Glasgow two months ago has already been implemented. So things can move a bit quickly if you want them to.

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso commented: ""These islands teach us something about ourselves: What if we didn't act as masters over this earth, but as its protectors?" The oceans, he said, are "important regulators of the world's climate." Protecting them is "not naive idealism, but a vital necessity." Amen.

Personal happy moment of the week:

Actually, for students, school should be "their job". The most important obligation, the goal of motivation, the main occupation. My son obviously sees it differently - probably because lessons are structured in subjects and school hours and not in challenges and levels. Consequently, he let a book presentation on Otfried Preußler's "Krabat" (an exciting novel for young people about friendship, growing up, love, dark magic and ravens), which was due in the first week of school, slide during the Christmas vacations. With the logical consequence of stress for the whole family in the last days. That this is now over - and with a solid B+ also relatively well - makes me very happy. I only hope that dad has also learned from this. And that next time he will apply sufficient pressure earlier and more consistently.

I couldn't care less...

...which party at No. 10 Downing Street British Prime Minister Boris Johnson attended or merely knew about. Bottom line remains that "those up there" themselves do not care about the restrictions they impose on their people. Whereby these themselves were and are often enough erratic. This is how you promote disenchantment with politics. And then to announce just now that the public BBC - a beacon of critical reporting - is to be stripped of all state funding in five years' time demonstrates once again a lack of sensitivity to timing. Or worse, a lack of sensitivity to the value of independent (and yes: even uncomfortable!) media in a constitutional state.

As I write this...

...the songbook of Billy Joel is interrupted every now and then. Our internet connection has been spinning for days. Apparently, the global supply chain crisis does not stop at the digital space.

Post Scriptum:

Rising energy prices are the main driver of current inflation. Since January 2021, gasoline prices have increased by 20 percent, heating oil by 60 percent, and gas by 308 percent (no, that's not a typo, I'm afraid!). The issue is volatile - and not just economically, but politically as well. In Kazakhstan (see above), higher energy prices almost led to a revolt. In France, people are nervously realizing that nuclear power may not be enough for winter heating due to increased energy demand. And Putin's self-confidence is certainly based not least on the fact that the gas storage facilities in Europe are far below average, with a filling level of only 14% in some places. And the new Chancellor Olaf Scholz tells us that in just under 30 years the local chemical industry alone will have the same energy requirements as the entire country, including all industries, today. However, rising demand can hardly have a dampening effect on energy prices. Neither can the CO2 tax that has now been introduced. The fact that the former finance minister, of all people, says nothing about this and the resulting additional burden on the average voter's wallet is remarkable, to say the least.

JOSÉ ROCA

WEEK 9 ARTIST LECTURE

Notes:

Te Whare Hera residency was halted by covid

Bringing Latin + American communities closer

Living in Australia for the last year

Bringing things from himself and others together

Temporary community

Sao Paulo Biennale -> long term residencies - "How to live together"

Jungles and forests

'Acre'

'Completely isolated' - idea he finds interesting

Post colonial history

Artist covered rubber tree with latex -> peeled it off like a mask -> years of tapping visible

citizenship of the Jungle

'isolated' can be positive condition

Rubber tapping history

Look beyond realm of contemporary art

'LARA 2013' - 13 artists responding to Peru, Mexico and Galapagos -> get to know each other and a place and produce work

'tourist footprint'

2012 - not pursue international projects - stay at home and work in Columbia -> relationships between art and nature

Let artists have an experience -> only usually get a short time to understand a place and then make art

Didn't push artists to create -> just learn, talk and experience

Investigating pigments in Amazon jungle -> archiving knowledge that's going to be lost

Ethnobotany

Everything contributes to Biennale contribution

'Don't need to contextualise thing too much'

no wall texts - relied on the art for context

'Weaving water' (Working title) -> proposal for the 23rd Sydney Biennale, José Roca, 2020.

Water and conflict - root of word 'rivalry', rights and voices of nature, rivers having legal voices (can it be in an exhibition? How?)

Can't talk about sustainability when you're not sustainable

Process: use what's already in place

Sydney as working bare, Curatorium, curatorial advisors, build upon what's already built, continuity, co-production / partnerships

Reduce air travel / freight - local production / reproduction

reduce waste

local dispersal - recycling, repurposing

calculating carbon footprint

Minimal museographic intervention - don't paint, build, use existing partitions, if build then soft

Sustainable/non polluting processes and materials

materials are also projects -> part of biennale

Emissions -> not to be neutral but to be transparent

Rivus = 23rd Biennale 2022.

Here's what it costs to book Disney’s new cruises to Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands

Here’s what it costs to book Disney’s new cruises to Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands

By the end of this year, Disney fans will be able to explore every continent on Earth with the kid-friendly brand. Last week, Adventures by Disney announced the launch of cruises to Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands. The first Antarctica tour is scheduled to depart this year, while the cruises to the Galapagos will begin in 2022. The introduction of “expedition” cruises marks Disney’s third…

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Looking to decarbonize the metal industry, Bill Gates-backed Boston Metal raises $50 million

TipRanks

3 Stocks Trading at Rock-Bottom Prices; Analysts Say ‘Buy’

A new year, a new addition to the stock portfolio – what can make more sense than that? The right time to buy, of course, is when stocks are priced at the bottom. Buying low and selling high may be a bit hackneyed, but it’s true, and truth has staying power.But the markets are up. The NASDAQ rose 43% in 2020, and the S&P 500 showed a gain of 16%. With a market environment like that, finding stocks that are caught in the doldrums is harder than it looks. That’s where the Wall Street pros can lend a hand.We used TipRanks’ database to pinpoint three stocks that fit a profile: a share price that has dropped over 30% in the last 12 months, but with at least double-digit upside potential, according to analysts. Not to mention each has earned a Moderate or Strong Buy consensus rating.Esperion (ESPR)We will start with Esperion, a company that specializes in therapies for the treatment of elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels – a major factor contributing to heart disease. The company’s main product, bempedoic acid, is now available in tablet form under the brand names Nexletol and Nexlizet.In February 2020, both Nexletol and Nexlizet were approved as oral treatments to lower LDL-C. Bempedoic acid remains in clinical trials of its efficacy in risk reduction for cardiovascular disease. The trial, called CLEAR Outcomes, is a large-scale, long-term study, tracking more than 14,000 patients with top-line data expected in the second half of 2022. The study covers 1,400 locations in 32 countries around the world.Esperion shares peaked last February, after the FDA approvals, but since then, the stock has declined. Shares are down 65% since their peak. Along with the drop in share value, the company showed a fall in revenue from Q2 to Q3, with the top line collapsing from $212 million to $3.8 million. Since the Q3 report, Esperion announced pricing on a $250 million offer of senior subordinated notes, at 4%, due in 2025. The offering gives the company a boost in available capital for further work on its development pipeline and its marketing efforts for bempedoic acid.Chad Messer, covering ESPR for Needham, sees the note offering as a net positive for Esperion. “We believe this cash position will be sufficient to support Esperion through 2021 and to profitability in 2022… We believe this financing should help put to rest concerns regarding Esperion’s balance sheet. Despite a challenging launch for NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET, product growth has continued in 3Q against the backdrop of a contracting LDL-C market. This growth trajectory suggests potential for a rapid acceleration when conditions improve,” Messer wrote.To this end, Messer rates ESPR shares a Strong Buy, and his price target, at $158, suggests the stock has room for huge growth this year – up to 481% from current levels. (To watch Messer’s track record, click here)Overall, Esperion has 6 recent reviews on record, with a breakdown of 5 Buys and 1 Hold to give the stock a Strong Buy rating from the analyst consensus. The shares, trading at $27.16, have an average price target of $63.33, implying a one-year upside of 133%. (See ESPR stock analysis on TipRanks)Intercept Pharma (ICPT)Liver disease is a serious health threat, and Intercept Pharma is focused on developing treatments for some of the more dangerous chronic liver conditions, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Intercept has a research pipeline based on FXR, a regulator of bile acid pathways in the hepatic system.FXR’s action affects not just the bile acid metabolism, but also the glucose and lipid metabolisms, and inflammation and fibrosis around the liver. The lead compound, obeticholic acid (OCA), is an analog of the bile acid CDCA, and as such can take a role in the FXR pathways and receptors implicated in chronic liver disease. Treating liver disease through the FXR biology has direct applications for PBC, and is showing promise treating complications from NASH.ICPT shares dropped sharply last summer, when the FDA rejected the company’s application to approve OCA for treatment of NASH-related liver fibrosis. This delays the drug’s potential entry to a lucrative market; there is no current treatment for NASH, and the first drug to win approval will have the lead in reaching a market estimated at $2 billion to $5 billion in potential annual sales. The effect on the stock is still felt, and ICPT remains at its 52-week low point.In reaction, in December of 2020, Intercept announced major changes in top-level management, as CEO and President Mark Pruzanski announced he’s stepping down effective January 1 of this year. He is succeeded by Jerome Durso, formerly the company’s COO, who will also take a post on the Board of Directors. Pruzanski will remain as an advisor, and will hold a director’s position on the company’s Board.Piper Sandler analyst Yasmeen Rahimi takes a deep dive into Intercept’s continuing efforts to expand applications of OCA and to resubmits its New Drug Application to the FDA. She sees the leadership transition as part of these efforts, and writes, “[We] believe that Dr. Pruzanski’s dedication to transform the liver space is still strong, and that he will continue to guide ICPT’s progress as an advisor and Board member. Additionally, we have had the pleasure of working closely with Jerry Durso and believe that he will transform the company and lead ICPT’s success in growing the PBC market and the path to potential approval and commercial launch of OCA in NASH.”Rahimi takes a long-term bullish stance on ICPT, giving the stock an Overweight (i.e. Buy) rating and an $82 price target. This figure indicates an impressive 220% upside for the next 12 months. (To watch Rahimi’s track record, click here)Wall Street is somewhat more divided on the drug maker. ICPT’s Moderate Buy consensus rating is based on 17 reviews, including 8 Buys and 9 Holds. Shares are priced at $25.82, and the average price target of $59.19 suggests an upside potential of 132% for the next 12 months. (See ICPT stock analysis on TipRanks)Gilead Sciences (GILD)Gilead has had a year like a firework – fast up and fast down. The gains came in 1H20, when it appeared that the company’s antiviral drug remdesivir would become a prime treatment for COVID-19. By November, however, even though remdesivir had been approved, the World Health Organization (WHO) was recommending against its use, and the COVID vaccines now on the market have made remdesivir irrelevant to the pandemic.This was only one of Gilead’s recent headwinds. The company has been working, in conjunction with Galapagos (GLPG), on development of filgotinib as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. While the drug received EU and Japanese approval in September 2020, the FDA has withheld approval and Gilead announced in December that it was suspending US development efforts on the drug.Even so, Gilead retains a diverse and active research pipeline, with over 70 research candidates at varying stages of the development and approval process for a wide range of diseases and conditions, including HIV/AIDS, inflammatory & respiratory diseases, cardiovascular disease, and hematology/oncology.On a positive note, Gilead posted Q3 earnings above estimates, with the top line revenue, of $6.58 billion, beating the forecast by 6% and growing 17% year-over-year. The company updated its full-year 2020 guidance on product sales from $23 billion to $23.5 billion.Among the bulls is Oppenheimer analyst Hartaj Singh, who gives GILD shares an Outperform (i.e. Buy) rating and $100 price target. Investors stand to pocket a 69% gain should the analyst’s thesis play out. (To watch Singh’s track record, click here)Backing his stance, Singh writes, “We continue to believe in our thesis of (1) a dependable remdesivir/other medicines business against SARS-CoV flares, (2) a base business (HIV/oncology/HCV) growing low-single digits over the next couple of years, (3) operating leverage providing greater earnings growth, and (4) a 3-4% dividend yield.” What does the rest of the Street think? Looking at the consensus breakdown, opinions from other analysts are more spread out. 10 Buys, 12 Holds and 1 Sell add up to a Moderate Buy consensus. In addition, the $73.94 average price target indicates 25% upside potential from current levels. (See GILD stock analysis on TipRanks)To find good ideas for beaten-down stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

Please enjoy this video of what is probably my favorite animal behavior I've ever caught on film. These birds are two juvenile Nazca boobies and as you can see one of them is showing off an extremely impressive ability to toss and catch a small rock/dirt clump with their beak. This behavior is believed to be a form of play in young diving birds that serves to train the finely tuned motor skills they'll need to catch fish once they reach adulthood. Suliform birds are some of the best fishers in the world and after observing this level of skill it's easy to see why!

I caught this magnificent frigatebird chick in the middle of an absolutely enormous yawn but he somehow looks even more ridiculous with his mouth closed

Boobies definitely don’t deserve the unintelligent reputation they’ve been saddled with but I cannot deny there is something highly comical about the way they walk

A male magnificent frigatebird (easily identified by the bright red gular pouch) offers a stick in an attempt to woo a taken female (the bird with the black head and red ring around the eye). The female's mate is clearly annoyed!

The white and black bird with the tan chest that looks on is a juvenile of this species, potentially the pair's chick from a previous nesting!

For my final Galapagos post I wanted to share some of the intimate bird portraits I took in the islands. Can’t even express how amazing it was to see fauna like this up close

1 (Young adult Galapagos penguin)

2 (Male Blue-footed booby)

3 (Female and male magnificent frigatebird)

4 (Galapagos short-eared owl)

5 (Red-footed booby)

6 (Waved albatross)

7 (Courting male and female Nazca booby)

8 (Female magnificent frigatebird and chick)

9 (Galapagos mockingbird)

10 (Large ground finch)