This kitten is a Ragdoll. I met two of them during my visit to Florida.
Posted on 10/06/2018 2:02:35 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Pentagon research project called "Insect Allies." Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the project involves using gene-editing techniques like CRISPR to infect insects with modified viruses that could help make America's crops more resilient. If a cornfield were hit by an unexpected drought or suddenly exposed to a pathogen, for example, Insect Allies might deploy an army of aphids carrying a genetically modified virus to slow the corn plant's growth rate.
According to the DARPA website, these "targeted therapies" could take effect in a single growing season, potentially protecting the American crop system from food security threats like disease, flooding, frost and even "threats introduced by state or non-state actors.
… Insect Allies, is less concerned. "Anytime you're developing a new and revolutionary technology, there is that potential for [both offensive and defensive] capability," Bextine told The Washington Post. "But that is not what we are doing. We are delivering positive traits to plants… We want to make sure we ensure food security, because food security is national security in our eyes."
Insect Allies is still in the early stages of development, and at least four U.S. colleges (Boyce Thompson Institute, Penn State University, The Ohio State University and the University of Texas at Austin)have received funding to carry out research. Bextine told The Washington Post that the project recently achieved its first milestone — testing whether an aphid could infect a stalk of corn with a designer virus that caused fluorescence. According to the Washington Post, "the corn glowed."
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
Flooding isn’t really a surprise when one lives near water.
The Cub Scouts are going to do potato printing tonight. It promises to be messy!
I feel bad for the people in Alabama, too. First a tornado, and then the press going nuts over the President agreeing to sign their Bibles.
As if a natural disaster isn’t enough to have to put up with.
How else does one guarantee that the Cubs have fun?
They have fun when there’s a risk of serious injury, too.
Since I was already out in the back I wandered the back perimeter of the (mowed) property and noted that the 'pond' that is closest to the was-a-barn is now full, the outflow of the 'pond' is flowing rapidly downstream toward the county ditch which parallels the road that forms the 'south' edge of the property, and the normal barely discernible rivulet is now a brookling babble, er something like that. I say 'back perimeter of the (mowed) property' because there are 78 acres here and the house, barn, outbuildings, and grassy part only constitute about 5 acres of that.
I also looked for indications of the presence of the latest cat that has shown up here. It is a tom, gray/black tabby with white undercarriage. I have to assume it has been hiding for a while because for at least the last two weeks our in/outdoor cats have been acting 'strange' when they go out. The last time they acted in this manner it turned out that Charlie Marmalade was on the property. Whether he was tossed out on a drive-by (which happens a lot out here) or is a neighbor's cat that is seeking to expand its territory we don't know but he is not a kitten. I'd say he is at least two years old maybe more. Size wise he's the same size as our in/outdoor males. This cat showed itself about two nights ago by confronting one of our in/outdoor crew as he made his way from the house to pass through the was-a-barn. Our cat and New Cat had a loud discussion about territory and New Cat retreated to the treeline toward the North field with our cat in pursuit. There are no indications that New Cat has taken up residence in any of the several shelters we have about the property, and it is doubtful that New Cat has found food (other than rodents) here since we don't leave food outside such that our place could be mistaken for a diner.
Since we aren't giving him any encouragement to live here we are waiting to see if New Cat shows up again. After all we already DO have our Resident Feral, Thomas T. Tomcat that we intentionally feed. But he belongs here..
This kitten is a Ragdoll. I met two of them during my visit to Florida.
Supposedly very chatty kitties.
Good morning. I’m sure the Guest Cat finds plenty of prey.
No, if I lived in Flagstaff, the time wouldn’t change. However, my daughter said she had an extra Light Box and “would dig it out” Saturday and send it to me. I’ll look for it long about November. We all (family) suffer from SAD to one degree or another. I’m sure mine started in Alaska when I was a toddler. Or younger. I’ve never been able to function well on gray days, either. But it is what it is.
The Morning Floof is very floofable.
Good morning. I fell asleep by 1615 yesterday and woke up coughing about 2230. I was up until a little after midnight with a breathing treatment, a cup of teas and a cough drop and slept until 0400. Wow. My morning is gone.
I don’t think there’s much on my agenda today except to see if I can straighten up the clutter a bit. It was probably my trip out yesterday after doing the laundry that caused the extreme fatigue. On top of the relapse that makes me very tired anyway.
I hope you have a low-stress day! I’d like to have some quality time with Jake, but I don’t expect it.
See tagline ...
*tagline*
I need to go to Walmart and pick up my prescriptions, but that will have to wait for the usual reasons. It’s probably a good thing because I might get sicker if I try it. My friend will be gone today, or she could do it for me. And I could pay her back whenever.
The brain doesn’t want to function. I need to go make my bed...
*sheesh*
It looks like Jake will get a sunbeam today. I just started sneezing again. Time to go on a quest for an antihistamine.
Can’t argue with that.
And it’s morning again. Good morning to one and all.
Spring is really trying to make its push into our world. It’s chilly and damp but the highs are 50-ish until the rain starts again later this week.
And you can stop worrying about Global Climate Change. Mayor Putz has determined that he can save the planet by giving the local schoolchildren meatless Mondays so we can all relax.
Take *that*, AlGore.
Two things I’m wondering why the politicos don’t notice and take advantage of.
1) Are we trying to say that the reason we can do Socialism and Venezuela can’t is because whites are inherently better at things than Latinos? Or because Venezuela is a s**thole country? What say you, AOC?
2) Do the liberal Jews remember a time in Jewish history government decided it was OK to allow infants to just die on the table because they were unwanted? Is the Senate vote similarly anti-Semitic?
I totally don’t believe in the climate.
Thank you! I think our big cat is part Ragdoll. He loves being held.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.