Mr Darwin would be 207 years old today.
How are you planning to celebrate? I’m going to spend all day teaching and grading and in meetings, and then late this afternoon I’ll hitch-hike to the nearest ocean, convince a cranky sea captain to let me aboard his brig-sloop, and then spend 5 years sailing around the world. So if you don’t hear anything from me after today, I’m just chasin’ the dream.
Oh, to pursue this dream… unfortunately, I have no sea legs. I do have a mermaid’s tail, of course, but it’s such a hassle to get it on, and you have to do a deal with an evil octopus lady in order to take it off again – not worth the trouble.
I think I’m going to celebrate by leaving for the day at lunch time, and then visiting the local maritime museum for an hour or so before heading off to see Dad’s Army at Vue… which is totally not what I was already planning to do today anyway before I realised what day it was, no sir!
I’m going to be enjoying a day off not launching Astro-H after all. Stupid weather. High winds, which is dangerous for the technicians who have to work at height to prepare the rocket when it rolls out, they said. Hmph I say. I bet Darwin didn’t put his whole mission on hold just because the winds were high enough that people climbing about in the mast might get blown clean off and plummet to their deaths. Nobody really appreciates a good plummet these days.
Anyway, anyone who wants to watch the launch of the best X-ray astronomy satellite EVAH (once they decide when to attempt another launch) can follow along here.
Happy b-day, Chuckster!
Spent the day reading Carrol’s Endless Forms Most Beautiful… When I discovered what evo-devo was, I realized it was what had always been missing in my life.
I’m at a local elementary school with my science methods students. What better way to “celebrate” than ensuring some good science is done today with the most receptive audience you can have, elementary school kiddos!
@2 Johnny Vector
The start of the Beagle’s voyage was delayed for several weeks due to wind.
I’m enjoying the sun, and watching dinosaurs.
I’m celebrating with this song.
I am quietly lying in bed while my imunity is fighting of some mild influenza virus. If it were not for that I would be at work testing and measuring and getting angry with managers all day.
Packing for 合宿 and hoping I haven’t forgotten anything.
Me:
Oh, and it’s mostly finches! Been finch festival outside for a few days. Saw my first orange variant (House Finch, Carpodacus mexicanus) yesterday!
I’ll be standing outside of churches nagging members of the congregation “Do you have a moment to talk about the book of Charles?” Well, actually I won’t. But it is a giddy thought.
I took the day off work and had a lie-in, have played Scrabble, watched a film and read a book. All of it exactly what I’d intended to do before finding out it was Darwin’s birthday, funnily enough.
Just think, if he was a Galapagos tortoise, he’d still be alive. if not hunted to extinction, anyway.
The real question is, could a tortoise write a book that would revolutionize biology?
Finch Festival. First time I’ve had the timing right.
Caine @ 15:
Nice! I really like the last shot: “I see you seeing me.”
Jimb @ 16:
Thanks! Oh, finches have a tremendous amount of spine for such little birds. They notice everything, and don’t much care, as long as you don’t get between them and sunseeds.
@karpad, 14
What? You’re thinking the lack of opposable thumbs would be an impediment? Pfft. Ghost writers, dude!
Fun fact! I found out today that “turtle” is not just the term for a sea-going relative of the tortoise. All tortoises are turtles, but “turtle” is the common name for the order that tortoises fall into, so a turtle could be any one of those adorable (and slightly scary) shelled reptiles with retractable extremities.
#ThingsNobodyAskedAboutAndEveryoneProbablyAlreadyKnew
@Caine
Ditto on liking those shots. Beautiful bird, well snapped!
I, too, am celebrating by feeding the dinosaurs (including C. mexicanus, a “cousin” of the Galapagos Finches). Lots of chickadees and MODOs (doves) coming in as well.
P.S. Caine – had a look at the “Friday Feathers” – v. nice shots! We have no siskins at all this year, I feel right gripped off, as the mad Brits say.
Athywren, thanks!
“The”:
Oooh, nice assortment. Chickadees have been showing in force here, too. They’re always around, but I don’t always see them at the feeders, fast little buggers. Oh, siskins! I haven’t seen them much for ages, and that little one surprised the hell out of me – I walked right up to him, and he didn’t care at all. I was amazed.
Darwin & Wallace
if only he wasn’t assassinated by the new world order he would still be here to celebrate with us…