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Iāve told so many people about the Guano Island Act and how there were actually multiple wars fought over guano islands (at least two in South America) and thatās why we had such a strong Pacific fleet (US navy is required by that act to defend any rock with birdshit on it) that Japan had to do Pearl Harbor and draw us into WWII.
They all kinda just think Iām batshit crazy. But itās all true. Historyās crazy fun like that. Sometimes, the reasons for major world-changing events are literally just piles of shit.
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Iām pretty sure most of those small island deposits are birdshit, not batshit.
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E.g., COVID and Drumpf.
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Bats are a pretty important ecological consideration. Iām not going to claim that birds are less impacted by guano mining activities, but
Cave ecosystems, in particular, are often wholly dependent on bats to provide nutrients via their guano, which supports bacteria, fungi, invertebrates, and vertebrates. The loss of bats from a cave can result in the extinction of species that rely on their guano. Guano also has a role in shaping caves, as its high acidity results in erosion.
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There was a film about it in the 90sā¦
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I watched that recently. Okay, last year. I liked it.
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Something I learned today. Little Richard modeled his persona on this guy:
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Mind blown.
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Yeah, itās a good movieā¦ Lily Taylor is great as Solanas.
You might not guess it based on its central desert location, but the cultural/political/historical/navigational significance of Uluru is all about rainfall and water.
The rock is a giant water catcher, concentrator and preserver. Everywhere around it the rare rain disappears into the dust; at Uluru, it persists.
The Mutitjulu waterhole is the most reliable water supply in the region; you pretty much have to go there if youāre crossing the centre on foot.
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āThe more technological the world becomes, the greater is the danger. As the former minister in charge of a highly developed armaments economy, it is my last duty to state: A new great war will end with the destruction of human culture and civilization. There is nothing to stop unleashed technology and science from completing its work of destroying man, which it has so terribly begun in this war. The nightmare shared by many people that someday the nations of the world my be dominated by technology --that nightmare was very nearly made a reality under Hitlerās authoritarian system. Every country in the world faces the danger of being terrorized by technology, but in a modern dictatorship, this seems to me to be unavoidable. Therefore, the more technological the world becomes, the more essential will be the demand for individual freedom and the self-awareness of the human being as a counterpoise to technology.ā - Albert Speer, in his closing speech to the tribunal at Nuremburg, where he was tried for crimes against humanity committed during WWII.
Thatās Nazi thought in a (long winded, self pitying) nutshell. Blame the nerds.
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He was one of the nerds, too.
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Iām trying to find out whom was worse at being a human being, Buddy Rich or Artie Shaw, and I came upon the above.
What started my search was the mention of Mr. Rich by Mr. Brooks somewhere around the 45:00 mark in this interview.
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A moderately dramatic crash (nobody injured), but Iām posting it because the bit of camerawork around the 2:50 mark is spectacular.
Cued a bit before that to give context.
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