19+ hour, 44+ min ago  (337+ words) I've got some seeds and seed pods for you today. The pictures of seed pods were taken on a walk around the block last January before the plants were in bloom: Crape Myrtle (Lagersrtoemia "Natchez') is usually known by its…...

1+ day, 16+ hour ago  (903+ words) Now we are told by Trump and others that we're close to peace for our time in Iran; here's Trump's announcement, bereft of details, from Truth Social: It doesn't say much about Israel except Trump had a "very good call…...

1+ day, 19+ hour ago  (1566+ words) Welcome to Sunday, May 24; the Sabbath that was made for gentile cats, and Asparagus Day." And here's the answer to everyone's question about asparagus (and yes, I am one of the victims): It's also Brother's Day (but which individual brother…...

2+ day, 20+ hour ago  (278+ words) Welcome to Saturday, May 23, 2026. Posting will probably be limited to this very short Hili today; I am dispirited because the brood of nine mallards (plus mom) that I rescued yesterday was driven out of the pond area by aggressive mallards....

3+ day, 21+ hour ago  (1772+ words) We have made it through the work week intact: it's Friday, May 22, 2026 and World Paloma Day, celebrating a cocktail that I haven't had, much less heard of." It sounds good: a mixture of tequila, lime, and either grapefruit soda like…...

4+ day, 15+ hour ago  (1245+ words) Chiropractic" (a name that in my mind should really be chiropracty") is a form of treatment for various disorders in which the cure supposedly comes from mechanical manipulation of the body, especially the spine. It is considered alternative medicine," and,…...

4+ day, 18+ hour ago  (211+ words) A reader sent me this "paper" and asked me if I really wrote it. It is not only garbage, but, in parts, complete gibberish. I'll use this space to assert that NO, THIS IS A FAKE." The "Journal of Evolutionary…...

5+ day, 20+ hour ago  (1793+ words) Welcome to a Hump Day (" " in Punjabi): it's Wednesday, May 20, 2026 and National Pick Strawberries Day. Here's the world's heaviest strawberry as certified by Guinness. It was grown in Israel and weighed over ten ounces: Ariel Chahi (Israel) has grown a…...

6+ day, 17+ hour ago  (944+ words) If you're getting weary of the endless but necessary attacks on Nicholas Kristof for his misleading and almost antisemitic column about Israel's "policy" of sexually assaulting Palestinian prisoners, Roy K. Altman has written in the Free Press the definitive critique of…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago  (353+ words) I did one of my favorite shopping expeditions today, stocking up on groceries in Chinatown. A giant supermarket opened there in the last couple of years, and it has everything one would want for Chinese food, including the hoisin sauce,…...