dangerousmeta!, the original new mexican miscellany, offering eclectic linkage since 1999.

SciAm: What Makes Spiders Scary.

I had a disturbing dream the other day ... flying tarantula-sized bloodsucking spiders. Hordes of them. With a particular style of orange hair ...

SF New Mexican: Group seeks to restore historic forest fire lookout tower.

“The proposed project would restore this National Historic Place and launch the Santa Fe National Forest’s cabin rental program to share these spectacular views with the public and bring revenue to the forest for maintenance, recreation and future projects.” It’s about time!

SciAm: Antarctic Ozone Hole Is on the Mend.

Good news. A rare thing these days.

Thought Merchants: Kauai and the Nā Pali coast by helicopter.

One of my favorite things I’ve ever done. If you visit Kauai, you HAVE to do it. And spend the extra cash on the longer flight - worth every penny.

DYT: Wedding Photo Shoot Goes Wrong After A Snake Makes A Surprise Appearance.

And you may think you’ve had a bad day. Make your photog walk the area first. Tripods and monopods are particularly good for ‘snake’ attractors, esp. if they’ve been out in the sun for a bit (snakes like to hit hotspots).

Atlas Obscura: Huge New Trove of ‘Life-Saving’ Helium Is Discovered.

Cool. And hot (volcanos).

TPM: SCOTUS Rules 5-3 In Favor Of Abortion Rights In Major Texas Case.

I can’t be impartial here. Once one has seen/experienced the horror of cephalic disorders [nightmare-producing; don’t click if sensitive], one knows the absolute, inviolable necessity of abortion, ‘late term’ abortion, and women’s right to control their own bodies.

Later: This will, of course, turn the volume knob to ‘11’ for conservatives over the Presidential election. Justice choice will become the ‘excuse’ to vote for a miserable, unqualified candidate. Mark my words. At least, for the next couple of weeks.

Atlas Obscura: Scottish Birds Continue Stealing Large Amounts of Underwear.

Jury’s out on whether they’ll still steal domestically-manufactured skivvies.

SFR: Major resources on tap to fight fire that began Thursday in the Santa Fe Watershed.

Pray, people, and put our faith in firefighting skills acquired from years of devastating wildfires.

NMFireInfo: Battleship Fire on Santa Fe National Forest.

Shit. There’s no other word for it. Be safe, firecrews.

APOD: 2016 June 20 - Sunrise Solstice over Stonehenge.

Nice. Could be a PS job, but nice. (One must remain skeptical these days.)

No thanks. Why take the same photo 100 others are taking? I don’t get it.

Mashable: Brutal and prolonged heat wave about to hit the Southwest.

Yeah, we heard. Not wild about it.

Smoke from the Dog Head Fire blankets our area.

I walked out to check the horizon. Can barely see the Jemez Mountains. Sandia Crest is obscured, as are the Manzanos (where the fire actually is).

I couldn’t believe it though - two people jogging, and a couple of bicyclists? Crazy. I stupidly went out during the last days of Las Conchas on my bike, drew enough into my lungs to be hacking up black stuff for a day and a half.

Experience talking - just DON’T.

BBC: Yellowstone National Park - Man dies after falling into hot spring.

I just mentioned this sort of thing the other day. Horrible way to go. Boiled to death, with no way out. Death in Yellowstone is the book I mentioned previously, catalogs these stupidities.

Roads & Kingdoms: A Forest Built By Hand.

“We just let mother nature take care of this. [snip] They get them planted. They come out of dormancy. They start growing. It works out really, really slick.”

New Scientist: Electric eels seen leaping out of water to attack land predators.

That’s a nightmare right there, yessirreebob.

Mama Nature’s being dramatic [photo].

Given all that drama, you’d expect a gullywasher. We’ve still got dry spots! Not fair to tease, Mother Nature.

Phaidon: Animals Are Delicious.

Great!

Portland Press Herald: Hiker’s journal shows she survived for close to a month after getting lost.

“Though Largay’s family and friends described her as an experienced hiker, the wardens’ case file indicated she had a poor sense of direction, and when she made a mistake would become easily flustered.” When we get into trouble, we tend to make one grave mistake early in the process. In my case, anyway. My own mistake, years ago, was misjudging the likelihood of needing water. I suffered, mightily. Almost died for that mistake. I know better now. Mother Nature’s not a fluffy bunny. She likes to yank the rug out from under your feet. If you’re not ready, watch out. RIP. Thanks, Julian Smith on FB.

Vox: Lake Mead helps provide water to 25 million people. And it just hit a record low.

Oucha-magoucha.

Guardian.UK: Yellowstone bison calf euthanized after park visitors picked up animal on road.

“The young bison was released by rangers, only for it to be rejected by its herd following the separation. Yellowstone officials made several attempts to reunite the calf with the herd, to no avail. The calf was then put down by wildlife officials because it was ‘causing a dangerous situation by continually approaching people and cars along the roadway’.” All the harm we humans do. I give up sometimes.

Atlas Obscura: Acorn Woodpeckers Hoard Thousands of Acorns in a Single Tree.

Excellent.

nakedcap: Preparing to Collapse in Place with Permaculture.

“The way to avoid the rush is simple enough: figure out how you will be able to live after the next wave of crisis hits, and to the extent that you can, start living that way now.” Not really a source I’d go to for permaculture advice, but interesting nonetheless.

Mashable: Climate pendulum is swinging rapidly from El Niño to La Niña.

... they remark, drily.