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Everyone loves Littel Feat. They are a true American rock and roll band with a southern rock dixie land twist. Little Feat was formed in Los Angeles in 1969 by lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne. Over the years, Little Feat has released numerous albums, including notable ones such as “Dixie Chicken” (1973) and “Waiting for Columbus” (1978), which is often hailed as one of the greatest live albums of all time. Throughout their career, they have experienced several lineup changes and two significant hiatuses but have remained a beloved fixture in the rock music scene. The post Complete List Of Little Feat Band Members appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

Andriana Green captures the unique patterns and colors of the human iris before transforming the results into beautiful works of art. Stunning macro images show the ‘windows of the soul’ looking like other-worldly planets, as a yin and yang and also connected as wheels on a bike. The colorful new photography trend has increasingly seen […] The post Photographer Creates Stunning Artwork by Taking Close-up Images of Eyes–Each One Is Unique appeared first on Good News Network.

The post Creating Outdoor Spaces for Indoor Cats: Dr Karyn’s Catio by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles. As you may be aware, I am originally from Australia, but have been living in the UK for just over a decade. Growing up in Australia, I always had cats, and when I was young, those cats always lived mostly outdoors. By the mid 1990s, it was becoming more and more evident just how devastating an impact cats were having on Australian wildlife. Cats were first introduced in the early 1800’s, into an ecosystem that did not previously contain a predator of their caliber. The feral cat population is estimated to fluctuate between one and four million, and kills around six million native animals per day, threatening the survival of over 100 animal species. And we’re not just talking about stray cats here; these are wild, compact killing machines.  By the time I was in my late teens, letting your cat roam outside, particularly at night, had become highly frowned upon, and there is legislation regarding cat curfews being implemented in most states of Australia. So for me, keeping my cats safely indoors became normal practice; I invested in an outdoor cat enclosure to allow my cats to safely have a taste of the great outdoors, protecting them from the hazards of life in suburban Queensland, whilst keeping the wildlife safe. My two cats grew up knowing that a harness and lead were just a normal part of going exploring, and it was easy to find a wide range of equipment and accessories to accommodate their restricted outdoor excursions. My homemade catio: not a bad setup! When I moved to the UK, I was therefore a bit taken aback when I was informed by many cat owners that keeping cats indoors was considered “cruel.” In England, cats have been part of the ecosystem for at least a millennia, if not longer, so the issues faced in Australia do not apply. Still, the number of injuries from dog attacks, cat fights, and road traffic accidents I saw in practice, not to mention the number of cats that don’t survive being hit by a car, was enough to convince me that an outdoor lifestyle in built up areas was not the safest option for my feline family members. When it comes to looking after cats, a large part of that responsibility is keeping them safe. A cat might want to go running to the field they can see from the window, but they are likely unaware of the busy roads, large dogs, and multitude of cats that stand between it and them.  In veterinary practice, I see many cats suffering from stress-induced Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD), and I believe that feline population density is largely to blame. In crowded suburbs, you often have dozens of households with cats, all occupying a pretty small area, meaning there is a lot of competition for territory. This invariably leads to fighting and stress. So despite it being unpopular in this country, I have elected to keep my five felines safely indoors, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t get to go outside… Most cat lovers will be aware of the importance of environmental enrichment; providing scratching posts, cat trees etc to allow cats to jump, climb, and observe from on high, and there are plenty of those in my home. What was more difficult to find, however, were cat enclosures. Although there are plenty of people that share my view about keeping cats safely indoors, we are a minority enough that there are few items available to buy in the UK. And so, my husband and I stopped looking to buy a cat enclosure, and built one instead. Using panels from a chicken pen, we have built an enclosure that runs down the side of our house, making use of an area that was otherwise a waste of space. There is a large secure door at one end, but the cats’ access is through a cat door strategically tucked behind one of the lounge chairs. The comings and goings through this feline portal was of great interest to our two chihuahuas initially, but they seem to have accepted the sound of the cat flap as part of the normal soundscape of home. Clutch making use of the cat door. Our catio has a translucent roof that keeps the rain out but allows sunshine in. There is a scratching post, access to cat grass, and a number of bedding options. I have hung a few little planters containing some Nepeta sp. (aka Catnip plant) and some Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa sp.). This is a cat-safe grass that has soft green leaves that most cats will enjoy munching on. There are lots of different grasses you can offer your cats, but make sure you know which species you are using, and don’t let them over-indulge, as too much grass can cause stomach upset. I have strategically placed the hanging pots at heights and locations that the cats can reach but not easily sit on – I don’t want them turning them into a toilet! The addition of some stones on top of the soil also helps with this, and makes them look pretty! Clutch loves grass. Initially, only Clutch was brave enough to explore the outdoor sanctuary, but over time, Zelda and Cyril have become regular visitors (though I was a bit worried for a moment that Cyril would struggle to fit through the tunnel), and Alex and Zazzles are becoming more and more interested in the magic portal behind the sofa. What surprised me most is how often Clutch and Zelda would spend time in the catio during winter, seemingly unperturbed by the chilly temperatures! Even if you can’t find the perfect cat enclosure, there are lots of different ways to make the space you have, and the equipment you can find, work for you and your home. Whether you share your home with a feline or five, keeping them safe should be your top priority. But it’s nice to know that if you keep your cat indoors, they can still enjoy a taste of the outside world.  The post Creating Outdoor Spaces for Indoor Cats: Dr Karyn’s Catio by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Books Jo Walton Reads Jo Walton’s Reading List: April 2024 By Jo Walton | Published on May 10, 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share April was a very busy month, I was in Chicago the whole time helping Ada Palmer run the Papal Election of 1492. We elected a terrible pope, had a terrible war, imposed another terrible pope, and generally had a great time. However, I had barely any time to read anything except papal election letters; I also wrote a lot of papal election letters (and, as patrons of my Patreon already know, papal election poetry) and read only four books—this is normal when the only time I read is when I read myself to sleep. Escape to Florence — Kat Devereaux (2023) Romance novel set in Italy, with a contemporary romance and another story set during the Italian period of resistance to fascism at the end of WWII. It’s hard to keep these things in balance and make the pacing work right, and the book doesn’t, really: the WWII material is so much darker that none of the modern-day problems seem like problems—and indeed they dissolve very easily. Having said that, the historical story might have been too dark to take without the modern story buoying it up. The details of Florence and of Italian bureaucracy were very well done. I enjoyed this and thought about it and the balance and connection of the two stories more than I usually would with a book like this. It’s a first novel, and I’ll keep an eye on the author. The Land Where Lemons Grow — Helena Attlee (2014) A non-fiction book about citrus in Italy, looking at the historical and present-day cultivation of lemons, oranges, bergamot, and citrons in different parts of Italy. This was weirdly interesting and full of information and anecdotes. It’s a combination history and food and travel memoir, and there are occasional recipes. It’s well written and surprisingly varied. I had no idea bergamot was cultivated for anything but Earl Grey tea, but it turns out to be a major constituent of a lot of perfumes. I also knew nothing about the fussy requirements of cultivation of citrons for Sukkot. If you’re interested in citrus fruit you probably know all this already, but if you’re wanting to learn about a new thing that’s kind of cool and intersects with a lot of other things, this is an engaging read. Family Gathering — Elizabeth Cadell (1979) Cadell wrote light fiction, some of it genre romance and some of it not, and she was very good at atmosphere and characters (especially children) and very bad at romance. (Indeed, I had to make up a race of aliens to fix Bridal Array because humans just don’t work in that plot.) Family Gathering is set immediately after WWII, in 1948 or 1949, and it’s about a kind of character you almost never see in fiction, and when you do you absolutely never see them treated sympathetically. Natalie Rome is a weak, spineless woman who finds it hard to make up her mind and impossible to argue with stronger-willed people, so she is pushed around. Her stepdaughter Lucille is the same way. Her daughter Helen has become a bully from the need to parent her mother since her father died. The universe of this novel requires that Helen learn to submit and not dominate, which is decidedly uncomfortable to read. However, it’s fascinating reading Natalie being treated as sympathetic and central. The book is very funny in some parts, and although some of the characters are caricatures, and although it is a series of set pieces rather than a real plot, it overall works better than it deserves. I would not call this a good book, and I would not exactly recommend it, but I’m not at all sorry I read it. Ash — Malinda Lo (2009) Dark YA lesbian retelling of Cinderella that is precisely written and observed. This is a weird book, actually. It has great worldbuilding that feels really solid, and then it does very little with the greenwitches and philosophers that it has established so well. The faery elements are terrific, the whole way the wood and the magic and the faeries are done is solid and excellent, but in the way it’s used it leans into the angsty dark boyfriend a little too much. Similarly, the threat and power of the stepmother is conveniently present or absent for plot reasons. And we just won’t think about the economics of the world. It’s very atmospheric, but after the other, better, later written, Lo I have read, this was a little disappointing. She was already a really good writer when she wrote this, and I’m glad she went with her strengths of writing family and character in real researchable worlds where the solid background details that real history provides can give support to the things she does so well. [end-mark] The post Jo Walton’s Reading List: April 2024 appeared first on Reactor.

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This article first appeared in Issue 19 of our digital magazine CURIOUS. It’s a busy Saturday morning in the local New Age store. Everywhere I walk, I have to maneuver around islands of individuals and families eagerly examining everything from candles and Tarot cards, to dream catchers and incense (I had no idea there were so many things to burn and smell). It seems the new year is the perfect time to stock up on your supernaturally charged knick-knacks. But at the back of the store, I find what I’m looking for: two (locked) display cabinets filled with multicolored, iridescent, and, admittedly, beautiful crystals and gemstones. The objects are of various sizes and prices, some are small and fixed into jewelry, while others are enormous structures that look as though they have just been hewn from the naked earth.Then there are the novelty pieces, amethyst in the shape of coffins, obelisks, and quartz crystal in the shape of mushrooms (I think they are mushrooms, some look suspiciously like they could be used in the bedroom). Humans have a long and complex relationship with these naturally occurring minerals or fossilized resins, but today this is big business – and it’s not just because the crystals on display are pretty.The modern enthusiasm for crystals is driven by the belief that they hold healing properties, a concept that has been endorsed by various high-profile individuals. In this context, crystal healing forms part of the growing wellness culture offering a range of alternative therapies with mystical and/or pseudoscientific festoonery. Despite there being no evidential basis for their claims – and there have been plenty of studies – the world of crystal healing continues to grow in popularity. So, what’s going on here?Rose quartz, a soft pink crystal, purportedly promotes love and restores harmony and trust in a relationship (which feels like a lot of pressure to put on a mineral).It's all about energy or something…According to their advocates, crystals and other gemstones can promote physical, emotional, and spiritual “healing”. Although the supposed mechanisms for this vary depending on who you speak to, the most common explanation is that crystals somehow interact with the body’s “natural” energy fields, or “vibrational energy”, and help redirect it to clear blockages or disruptions. In this respect, the modern expression of crystal healing blends ideas from multiple Asian cultures, such as chi or qi, the concept of life energy in Chinese traditions, and the concept of chakras, specific energy points distributed through the body, from Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. But the power of crystal healing is a broad category, as a casual glimpse of the description cards accompanying the crystals in the local New Age store informs me. For instance, hematite, a heavy and hard oxide mineral with a black sheen, is apparently effective for memory and increasing focus. Amethyst, a classically purple or lilac colored variety of quartz, can supposedly improve motivation and makes you achieve more “realistic goals in life”, while rose quartz, a soft pink crystal, purportedly promotes love and restores harmony and trust in a relationship (which feels like a lot of pressure to put on a mineral). And then there is the star of this show, the simple clear quartz crystal, which is referred to as “the master healer”. Healing how and what?Today, advocates of crystal healing will refer to the medical or magical traditions of various past cultures, such as in Mesopotamian medical remedies or Ancient Egyptian religious devotion and funerary rites, as a way to add a veneer of historical prestige to their claims (another example of how “old” seems to be shorthand for “authentic”). To the Greek physician, Dioscorides, lapis lazuli was only useful for “healing” when it was ground up and ingested as part of a treatment for scorpion stings (don’t try this at home).However, these claims tend to assume that the appearance of a crystal or gemstone in a given culture automatically means past people shared the same beliefs about the nature of these objects, how they worked and what they could do, and, more importantly, that this is the same as today. In fact, some New Age websites overtly project modern language onto these past examples and talk about “energy” and “healing” in ways that would have been completely alien at the time, all in an attempt to tidy an otherwise messy and textured history.What do I mean by this? Well, today a practitioner of crystal healing may tell you that lapis lazuli, a popular gemstone among the Ancient Egyptians, can encourage “self-awareness” and “reveal inner truth”. But to the Greek physician, Dioscorides, lapis lazuli was only useful for “healing” when it was ground up and ingested as part of a treatment for scorpion stings (don’t try this at home).This does not mean there were no “magic” associations at the time. Dioscorides also described the idea that jasper is effective for warding off evil and promotes a speedy birth, as well as selenite, which was given to those with epilepsy in powdered form, and was also worn as an amulet for protection. But there is something more “tangible” about the nature of these supposed powers when compared to those promoted by today’s practitioners.In the Middle Ages, people wore gemstones and crystals in amulets to protect them from demons, malevolent forces, disease, or even lighting strikes – threats that were seen to be in the world. Alternatively, if they were used to promote healing, it was for specific ailments and conditions, or to aid natural processes such as giving birth. Moreover, protective amulets were usually marked with sacred names or incantations, as the specific gemstone was not necessarily sufficient on its own. Why do we believe in crystal healing?Today’s enthusiasm for crystal healing largely stems from the New Age spiritual movement of the 1970s, which is eclectic and unsystematic in its purview. It should not be surprising then that the fixation on crystals as modes of healing borrows and blends ideas and sentiments from various traditions.For many practitioners, the New Age movement offers spiritual connection and meaning at a time when organized religion is in decline (in the West at least). But these ideas are also easily accessible to anyone; there is no need for any specialist training.     As Professor Marisa Galvez from Stanford University explained to IFLScience, “We live in a secular age” where people are “grasping for some kind of spiritual practice. And, there's something about crystals that kind of entered into the [current] scene in which it was accessible.”Galvez, who has conducted extensive research into the long history of our fascination with crystals, especially clear quartz crystal, has found that there is an established history of “folk practice” or popular beliefs surrounding crystals that often depart from contemporary orthodox (philosophical or theological) thinking. There is evidence to suggest that all forms of magical thinking tend to increase at both the personal and the societal level at times of stress and uncertainty.“When I look at medieval text”, she explained, the authors are “not necessarily reading Aristotle or Pliny”, who had complex ideas about the physical and metaphysical properties of various minerals. Instead, she says, there’s a kind of popular belief or “local world knowledge” that runs alongside the official thinking “that to me is more connected to this current resurgence of interest in crystals that have certain properties that are accessible to everyone.”In addition, the idea that crystals come from “the earth” adds to a sense of authenticity that, Galvez added, “really speaks to people. At the same time, they can create their own spiritual kind of thing, […] whether it's a meditative practice, whether it's a local knowledge that doesn't require going to school or being part of a religious community.”     It becomes crystal clearBut why is the belief in crystal healing increasing today? Well, in addition to the spiritually flexible nature of New Age philosophy, there are the wider uncertainties within political and economic milieu. “There is evidence to suggest that all forms of magical thinking tend to increase at both the personal and the societal level at times of stress and uncertainty – and most people would agree that the last few years have been the most stressful and uncertain for a very long time,” Christopher French, Emeritus Professor and Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths University, told IFLScience. In addition, there are numerous psychological mechanisms that could allow someone to continue believing in the assumed power of a given crystal, even when confronted by evidence that contradicts it. This is essentially how confirmation bias operates. “Confirmation bias is arguably the most pervasive cognitive bias that affects all of us. It refers to the tendency that we all have to pay more attention to evidence that appears to support what we already believe or would like to be true,” French added.“Thus a believer in crystal healing may pay more attention to those occasions where crystal healing appears to have worked than those where it didn’t. There are numerous ways in which someone might conclude that crystal healing works even if it doesn’t. For example, most ailments clear up on their own without any form of treatment thanks to the body’s natural recuperative powers. But people often attribute any improvement to how they feel to the treatment they tried prior to feeling better.”So, crystal healing may be on the rise in certain circles, but its latest manifestation is very much tied to our current political and cultural moment. Ultimately, the practice is largely harmless, as far as pseudoscience goes; it only becomes an issue if someone starts using gems instead of tried and tested medical treatments for life threating illnesses. But then again, “harm” can be interpreted as broadly as the New Age movement defines “healing”, and things start to look less harmless and certainly less sustainable if you consider the impact the demand for crystals has on the planet. CURIOUS magazine is a digital magazine from IFLScience featuring interviews, experts, deep dives, fun facts, news, book excerpts, and much more. Issue 22 is out now.