“My Strangest Relative”
(an exercise from recent creative writing class)

My strangest relative is the sea tulip, also known as a sea squirt, tunicate, and ascidian. I see hundreds of them cast up on the seashore after a big blow on the Southern ocean. It was only when I enrolled in a biology class at Massey University that I discovered we were related. This is pretty amazing to me as they look rather like a wrinkly potato with a rope attached. As it turns out, they have a primitive sort of backbone called a notochord. Well at least the baby does. Like a tadpole, it metamorphoses later into the strange body I see on the seashore.

Talking of tadpoles, it turns out that you and I - everyone - has gone through a stage when we had something like a tail. In the human case it is re-absorbed into the vertebrae after about four weeks.

Indeed if you look at comparative images of early development of animals - from my cousin the sea tulip, through fishes, to salamanders, pigs and humans, - you couldn’t tell them apart.

The other strange aspect of the sea tulip is that its outer layer is made of cellulose, heavy and leathery, rarely encountered in animals. One more odd thing: the blood of some species contains large amounts of vanadium, up to 10 million times the concentration in the ocean. Vanadium is a metallic element we use in the hardening of steel. No-one knows yet why sea squirts have it.

They also drink a lot more than I do. My textbook relates a specimen was recorded circulating 173 litres of water in 24 hours. I can manage maybe 3, if I include tea, coffee and wine.

Apart from these oddities, the tunicate is just like us. It has an entry point for food, an exit point for waste, a digestive system with stomach and intestine, and gonads. Oddly, the heart periodically reverses the flow of blood. It doesn’t seem to need a brain though it does have a nervous system.

You’d think this distant cousin of mine couldn’t teach us humans much, but it is still a mystery how and why it collects vanadium in its blood. Given that we use a lot of this metal we have at least one avenue of enquiry.

I doubt that we have any reciprocal use to them.

CJM July 2012

Five songs: a creative writing challenge.

Today’s blog topic is Playlist - Choose five songs that mean something to you and tell us why. (from 2013, sorry!)
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I just found out about the 30 day Blog challenge and it's already end of Day One.. so I won't go trying to find the music itself.. maybe later... (hums)... the task, to choose five songs, out of all the possibles.. wow..

It was in a nostalgic mood in 2011 that I put some songs on an mp3, which gets played about once in six months.. eg Nina Simone, husky warbly tones 'I get along without you very well', crikey what a gift she had. I went nuts about her way back in London party days too.

I have rediscovered Nana Mouskouri, the warmth of her voice is uplifting. My dad thought she was great. 'Amazing Grace' is an example, and it is remarkable how YouTube sounds through my computer. Superb!

Elvis remains a favourite.. no-one sounds remotely like he did. 'In the Ghetto' is a sad, telling song about life in city badlands of USA.. I don't think much has changed since. If you saw a recent film 'Searching for Sugarman' you'd see the back streets of Detroit as they are now.. truly sad, hideous.

Just to come back up to the recent century, I'll choose Waka Waka (This time for Africa ) a song played at my zumba class and every time I hear it in a supermarket the wiggle comes on. I'm a terrible Africa bore at the best of times. Oops I'll rephrase that.. I love to talk about and listen and look at East Africa!

One more to choose.. agony.. here's another African connection  Paul Simon with Ladysmith Black Mambazo singing 'Diamonds on the soles of her feet'. Grandson James and I have danced to that since long before he could walk.



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If you'd like to join the challenge go to http://sonyacole.com/2013/04/30/30-day-blog-challenge/ . You can also like this on Facebook.. https://www.facebook.com/cuesocialmedia?hc_location=stream

Catlins Great Escape Coastal Walk No 4 is on 6 April 2013

It's from Purakaunui Bay to Papatowai.. about 15 km on the rugged
Catlins Coast. These walks are one-off opportunities to see normally
inaccessible coastline. Cost is $50 pp with profits to local search
and rescue volunteer group.

Contact details here:

I plan to go.. you'll see me at the tail end, puffing along.

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Sunshine continues

View over the ocean this morning so calm, blue, lovely as Lloyd set off exploring the reefs at low tide.. some great phone calls,  then discussion group outing over the neighbour's picturesque and healthy dairy farm. I took a mountain bike ride later and got puffed out, dog laughin' at me. Two beers with family on their deck and that's about my day. Oh.. Edendale was the subject of 'my town' on National Radio.. I learned stuff.  

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Edinburgh University reunion 1960s

Taking place right now in southern NZ.. :~)) 

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from European Environment Report - just one of dozens of scary maps of the future

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Perth, WA

WA has been a wonderful experience for us, enjoying Carolyn's cheerful company and lovely sights of Perth City and the SW corner which is my fav part of Oz. I was also able to attend a 2 day conference for the Kenya diaspora here.. about 15000 Kenyans are in Australia, approx. About $120m USD is remitted on average, every MONTH,to Kenya from the diaspora worldwide. This is huge. There are lots of issues about citizenship and voting in elections, about inward investment, about how to harness the skills of those living at a distance..I enjoyed meeting as many as possible.. a great vibe.

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West australia

South coast of wa remains to me the most exciting and enjoyable of the big sandy playground that is oz. amazing seascapes, unique plants incl monster trees...so happy to see again and in company of family...

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Kenya Diaspora Conference in Perth WA 8-9 September

I hope to do lots of networking at this meeting: who else from my groups might be there?  Any others from NZ?  http://www.kenyadiasporaconference.com.au/   

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six Olympians from one school

James Hargest College have six former students in the New Zealand team
competing at the London Olympics.

Rower Nathan Cohen is a contender for gold in the men's double sculls,
alongside Joseph Sullivan, with the duo having won the last two world
championship titles.

The Uru brothers, Storm and Jade, will also be busy out on the waters
of Dorney Lake, with Storm lining up in the lightweight double with
Peter Taylor, and Jade racing in the men's four.

Louise Ayling will be gunning for glory in the women's lightweight
double with partner Julia Edward.

Eddie Dawkins will race in the men's sprint track cycling team, while
swimmer Natalie Wiegersma will compete in the 200m and 400m individual
medley events.

Southland will have a seventh member at the Games with
Christchurch-raised Natasha Hansen riding in the women's sprint and
keirin.

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paradoxi of political leanings

It's so strange that I call myself a 'liberal democrat', and decry the power of the state over the individual, whereas all the 'conservatives' in the west SAY they want LESS government, but SUPPORT government monopoly on information. Witness the case of Julian Assange.  PS Beware of 'labels'!

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Assange - like or loathe what he has done?

quote ' Does Assange terrorise people? Emphatically no. Does he terrify governments and their sponsoring powerful corporations? An unqualified yes – using truth and exposure of their lies. It really is as simple as that. '  from  http://www.noseweek.co.za/article/2769/Code-Breaker 

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Three Gorges Dam is fully operational

World's biggest power generator is finally fully operational  http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2012/07/three-gorges-dam-fully-operati.html 

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Failure of genetically-modified maize in USA

Short video about how Bt corn is failing in USA because - guess what - the pests have already developed immunity, after only about a decade. 

http://aje.me/MbPqOL

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Shortest day in the southern hemisphere

Shortest day for us here in the deep south - havin' a wonderful
domestic time, been to Heard Island, (furthest away spot on planet
earth!) by internet, chatted to Austin Texas on phone, lunched with
family, lit the fire and baked a cake. Also discovered David Brooks of
USA who writes and talks about human interaction in an entertaining
way.

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A critique of Fonterra's plan to set up an NZX listed fund to trade equity.

About the author of the first report:
Dr. Onno van Bekkum (1969) is a cooperative expert resident in the
Netherlands. He has
researched and consulted cooperatives for 17 years, looking
particularly at ownership
issues. His research database covers over 700 agribusiness
cooperatives in about 40
countries worldwide. After 15 years with Rabobank Nederland and
cooperative institute
NICE at Nyenrode Business University, he started his own company called “CO-OP
Champions” in January 2010. Onno lectures cooperative case studies
(including Fonterra)
in three modules of the Executive MBA in Food & Finance at Nyenrode Business
Universiteit.

The second raise many questions to the parliamentary select committee.

Both are worth reading before we vote on this, as Fonterra shareholders.

VanBekkum Fonterra 2nd Vote Report May12 -7-8.pdf Download this file

morrison James report to taf select commee.pdf Download this file

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Joan Maxwell visiting: say hello Fortrose to Fortrose!

We're talking about all our mutual acquaintance - join in n say Hi!

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Visitors from Fortrose Scotland tomorrrow

Hoping Scottish visitors have their brollies for a day tour through The Catlins finishing up at our place.. weather has just broken, into a typical late May scenario.. time to think about the dairy cows' winter holiday....btw there was a workshop in town today called "Hitting Heifer Targets" he he.

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Nepalese New Year

It's 2069 by the Nepal calendar and Invercargill Nepalese celebrated their New Year with song, dance and tasty food - made it a fundraiser for Samata Schools. Most surprising and entertaining was a break-dancing teenager who really set the stage on fire. Great to see people get together and celebrate their connections.

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Invercargill rocks!

Lots of quite big things happened today in Invercargill... well.. big for Invercargill, that is. 

For me, the highlights were:

• Mayor Tim's extraordinary good performance right through to the end of 26 hours' interview. A world record and still going strong at the end!
• The movie 'the best exotic marigold hotel'.. Britain meets Bollywood.. I laughed and cried (it's my age, I think).
• The fabulous Steinway piano at the Civic Theatre resonating to the ceiling with four-handed performance from two Russian pianists of the highest order.  The Liszt Rhapsody no 12 had everyone on their feet.
• Being with friends, the greatest joy, + Turkish apple tea. (the kebab was nothing to write home about so I won't)
•  Met a couple from San Miguel de Allende, that's in the middle of Mexico, where I visited with cousin N in 2004. Not often encountered in Invers!

The weather has broken in a big way, maybe floods tomorrow. 

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