Seven (7) Quick Takes

Coming to you live(ish) from New England, which is currently wound up tighter than a two-dollar watch due to the impending WINTER STORM NEMO (#nemo) !!!!!!1111!!!!!!!!!!!1!!
(more on that in a later take)

1.

The good folks at Aleteia have asked me to write a weekly column for them about the intersection of current events and family life.  I thought I'd write my inaugural piece about Beyonce.

Yes, yes, I know.  Soooooo last Sunday's news.  And the fine ladies at Patheos have already written thoughtful, insightful pieces about it.  What's left to say?

But then someone brought this article to my attention, and I realized that there may be more to say about it (and all I have to say about the Marshall post is, St. Mary Magdalen, pray for us).

So here it is, "When Beyonce is Beyonce".  And before you ask, no I don't know why anyone would want to catch flies in the first place.

2.

Used without Housewifespice's permission.

This week's Theme Thursday had even more fantastic photography than last week.  If you haven't had a chance to link up yet, please do.  And if you haven't had a chance to read Housewifespice's walk-throughs, click away from here right now and go do it.  I'm going to have her start running the linkup, because I've learned more about photography from her Theme Thursday posts than by myself in the two years I've had my DSLR.

Also, she's hilarious.
Also, Ken's rolling his eyes that I now insist I need a 50mm prime lens.  Thanks, HWS!



3.
The next theme is:

Leaves or trees.  Interpret that how you will.  Please consider linking up.  If you don't have a blog, post the picture to the Clan Donaldson Facebook page.  All camera types welcomed.  All skill levels welcomed.  More hilarious and instructive tutorials from Housewifespice welcomed.

4.
Ok, WINTER STORM NEMO (#nemo) !!!!!!1111!!!!!!!!!!!1!!  
The meteorological entities around here have been increasingly hysterical about this one.  And whoever thought to slap a hashtag on it needs to have their social media privileges revoked for a week.   This precise location was estimated to have 4.1 inches, then 8.3, then 11.1.  Last night they'd giddily upped the number all the way to 17.1 before taking a more conservative 15.3 this morning.

Here's what we've got right now:

Don't you worry.  I have a tripod set out on the deck and will be taking hourly pictures for you.  So come back throughout the day to see what we've got.  I may have gotten the focus issue resolved by the 9 a.m. post (we have to miss the 8 a.m. picture, since my camera battery is charging.  But it looks exactly like the one above)

5.
I plan on Tweeting annoying #nemo updates all day.  You won't want to miss them.  They'll start as soon as my phone battery charges.

Yes.  I forget to charge my electronics all the time.  How nice of you to notice.

6.
Have you seen this?  Ken showed it to me the other day with the preamble: "You'll love this.  Me, I can't even watch it.  But I know you.  You won't be able to look away."

Dangit if that man doesn't know me.

WARNING:  Ken just saw that I was linking this video, and he would like to say "You can't unsee this.  Why are you subjecting people to this?"
And, "Hey.  It's you at the grocery store!"
However, Gabriel REALLY likes this video and is currently begging me to let him watch it again.

So you're warned.

EDIT:  Ken's saying the mobile version of the blog is showing the wrong video.  If you're seeing a clip of two hamster/gerbil things, it's the wrong video.  If you're getting the stupid hamsters  follow this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYo_AgNvS2I&feature=share&list=UUdHVtMD1eyV5yXjAL5gv4sw



Right?  RIGHT?  It's like a sunburnt, peeling back.  Disgusting, but you have. to. peel.
Anyway, those things covering the bigger bug are "phoretic mites".  They're hitching a ride to a food source, and are not, in fact, eating the bug.  They're in what Wikipedia informs me is a "commensalistic" relationship with the bigger bug.  This is a "relationship between two organisms where one organism benefits without affecting the other" (though I don't think this mob of mites got the message, because they seem to be affecting the hell out of that big fella).  A commensal relationship is different from a mutualistic relationship, where both organisms benefit, or a parasitic relationship where one benefits while the other is harmed.

This and a Bigfoot documentary were science class yesterday.  Don't you want to come to our school?

7.
Congrats to Jen on a successful run for "Minor Revisions" and I gather that there's congratulations in order for her book, too.  I didn't get to see the last episode of her show last night (we were finishing up the aforementioned Bigfoot doc.), but I did see a lot of happy book-related tweets.
Go visit Jen yourself for more QuickTakes and less science lessons.