December 8, 2023

Overview for this week.

1. We start by looking at two more ancient Middle East civilizations. First, the Akkadians, the successors to the Sumerians. We also get a primer on the people of the land of Canaan.

2. Next I have a story that shows the impact that one Brazilian couple had on the environment by planting 2 million trees on their land in the span of 20 years.

3. Rattlesnakes are still active even though it's gotten colder out. Make sure you keep your house sealed up tight, so they don't venture in to find a warm spot to spend the winter.

4. I look at upcoming Hanukkah events in Tucson over the next week.

5. Next, we preview some of the best spots to enjoy the holiday lights around town.

6. Over the next week, it will be dark enough at night to see the Andromeda Galaxy without a telescope. We'll show you where to look.

7. The Winter Solstice is coming December 21st, and with it the first official day of winter.

8. I ran across the Wildlife and Northern Lights Photographer of the Year entrants and link to them here.

9. Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is being presented in Tucson and other cities around the country through the end of the year.

10. I would like to congratulate marathon runner Kenenisa Bekele for setting a new masters world record at the age of 41 with a time of 2:04:19.

11. In Wellness I look at new research showing that wasabi benefits shot term and long term memory.

Now, to this week's Flock.

map: Dbachmann and Cush at en.wikipedia

Last week we started our series on the ancient civilizations of the Middle East by looking at the Sumerians, one of the first great civilizations to emerge in the region. This week we are looking at their successors, the Akkadian Empire, which grew to dominate most of the Middle East from the levant to the Persian Gulf, and south to the Arabian Peninsula. We are also going to look at the people of Canaan, who inhabited the land that would one day become modern Israel, Jordan an Lebanon.

From Wikipedia

The Akkadian Empire was the first ancient empire of Mesopotamia, succeeding the long-lived civilization of Sumer. Centered on the city of Akkad and its surrounding region, the empire would unite Akkadian and Sumerian speakers under one rule and exercised significant influence across Mesopotamia, the Levant, and Anatolia, sending military expeditions as far south as Dilmun and Magan (modern Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman) in the Arabian Peninsula.

The Akkadian Empire reached its political peak between the 24th and 22nd centuries BC, following the conquests by its founder Sargon of Akkad. Under Sargon and his successors, the Akkadian language was briefly imposed on neighboring conquered states such as Elam and Gutium.

Who were the Canaanites? (The Land of Canaan, Geography, People and History)

This is the story of a Brazilian photojournalist and his wife's efforts over the past 20 years to bring back the lush forests that had disappeared from his family’s land. It is truly inspiring to see the impact we can have on our environment. 

From: Good News Network, By: Andy Corbley, November 30, 2023

In 2001, the legendary photojournalist Sebastião Salgado had a dream of restoring the forest near his home in the state of Minas Gerais. Now 20 years later, his family property is a biodiverse paradise.

His work over long years saw him, his wife Lélia, and volunteers plant 20 million trees from 290 different species across over 1,500 acres of desiccated hillsides, recreating a natural forest ecosystem into which rare animals have now come to live.

When he came home in 1998 after reporting on the exodus of the Rwandans into the Congo, the land around his family home had been completely destroyed.

“Only about 0.5% of the land was covered in trees. Then my wife had a fabulous idea to replant this forest. And when we began to do that, then all the insects and birds and fish returned and, thanks to this increase of the trees I, too, was reborn – this was the most important moment.”

Even though it is winter now and temperatures have cooled down, you still need to watch for rattlesnakes here in Arizona. I still frequently see them frequently on my early evening walks.

From: 12 News, By: Kevin Reagan, December 1, 2023

The snake expert needed a small ladder to be able to reach up into a small crawl space where the snake had likely found a nice cozy spot to stay safe during the winter months.

After the snake was pulled from the area between the basement and ground levels, it was placed in a bucket and Rattlesnake Solutions prepared to relocate the snake into the desert. 

But then the resident noticed another snake hiding in the same spot. 

The snake expert then removed a second rattlesnake from the same area and proceeded to transport both serpents to a new location where they won't interfere with any more home renovations.

2 Rattlesnakes Found in the Bathroom Ceiling

From: boingboing, By: David Pescovitz, December 6, 2023

Texas resident Brett Ingram was reveling in the holiday wonder of her artificial Christmas tree—white-frosted fronds and all—when she heard an unfamiliar sneeze from the vicinity.

"I look over and around the tree a little bit and didn't see anything and figured it was just one of my animals," Ingram said. "I continued to work but then I heard it again, louder, along with some other animal-like noises."

Texas family's Christmas tree decoration takes unexpected turn with sneezing possum

Hanukkah started this year on Thursday, December 7th and will continue through Friday, December 15th. Whether you spell it Hanukkah or Chanukah (both are correct,) there is still time to participate in some Hanukkah events around town.

Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center

Sunday, December 10th, 4:00-5:30 p.m.

Enjoy live Klezmer music, decorate suffganiyot, create holiday crafts, and light Hanukkah candles in community! You’ll also have the opportunity to tour a locally-funded Magen David Adom ambulance before it heads to Israel.

This event is free but pre-registrartion is required. 

Sunday, December17, 7:30-11:00 a.m.

Tucson jewish community Center

The Tucson Jewish Community Center (the J or the Tucson J) welcomes people of all ages, abilities, and faiths to share in the warmth and joy of Hanukkah Sunday, December 17 from 7:30am-11am with the 7th Annual Hanukkah Hot Cocoa Run sponsored by Tucson Medical Center (TMC) and in partnership with the Southern Arizona Roadrunners (as a SAR Good Neighbor Race) and Southwest Endurance Training (SWET).

Purple Heart Park

9800 E Rita Rd, Tucson, AZ

Sunday, December 10th, 5:00 -6:00 p.m.

Join a grand Chanukah Celebration. We will light the menorah, eat donuts and latkes. And enjoy a first ever “Chocolate Gelt Drop” from the top of an extended fire truck ladder. You and your kids will surely enjoy!

Tucson has many opportunities to take in holiday light displays this season.

Saturday, December 2 - 23, 2023

Encore Nights: December 26-30 and January 2-7, 2024

Ready, Set, Glow! ZooLights: Holiday Magic, presented by Tucson Electric Power, returns with thousands of enchanting lights, mesmerizing light shows, and displays and holly jolly fun for all ages. Stop in for a photo opp and a visit with St. Nick who will be hearing wishes each evening through December 23. Experience falling snow in the Arctic Zone, listen to festive music, or savor a hot cup of cocoa from the Zoo Café or carts as you travel through a colorful wild wonderland in this Tucson holiday tradition.

Tucson Botanical Gardens

6 nights a week, Tuesday – Sunday

6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Designed by nationally known public garden landscape architect Tres Fromme, the Gardens transforms into a carefully curated and artfully sequenced series of illuminated experiences. Thousands of LED lights illuminate each tree, and custom-built, oversized structures delight the senses. These include the light tunnel, dancing cypress-inspired spindle trees, traditional punched-tin stars & trees, light curtains (great for photo-ops), and a dazzling display of luminarias like you’ve never seen before. All of these create an unforgettable holiday experience unlike any other in southern Arizona!

The 74th Annual Winterhaven Festival of Lights will take place December 9th – 25th, 2023 from 6:00pm – 10:00pm every evening!

A beloved Tucson tradition, this event celebrates the holiday season and is visited by people from all across Southern Arizona. The festival is free to attend, but attendees are encouraged to bring a donation of non-perishable food or money for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. Make a donation today!

From: Space.com, By: Joe Rao, November 30, 2023

In 1976, Janet and I signed up for an 'astronomy cruise' to Bermuda. We were on deck one night where Fred Hess, a planetarium expert, pointed out the star patterns visible to the naked eye. Janet used her binoculars to look at the objects described, and the high point came when we saw the Andromeda Galaxy for the first time. If the cruise had ended at that point, we would have had our money's worth."

 — Isaac Asimov, from "In Joy Still Felt" (Doubleday & Company, 1980)

There was a good reason why the famed science writer Isaac Asimov and his wife Janet were jubilant on that night at sea. For they had just had their very first look at the most distant object that can be glimpsed with the unaided eye: the Andromeda Galaxy.

And this week, with the bright moon having left our evening sky, you too will have a chance to see this most amazing of deep sky objects, which will be passing almost directly overhead between 7:30 and 8 p.m. local time.

The Andromeda Galaxy

From: Britannica, November 16, 2023

Winter solstice, the two moments during the year when the path of the Sun in the sky is farthest south in the Northern Hemisphere (December 21 or 22) and farthest north in the Southern Hemisphere (June 20 or 21). At the winter solstice the Sun travels the shortest path through the sky, and that day therefore has the least daylight and the longest night.

When the winter solstice happens in the Northern Hemisphere, the North Pole is tilted about 23.4° (23°27′) away from the Sun. Because the Sun’s rays are shifted southward from the Equator by the same amount, the vertical noon rays are directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn (23°27′ S). Six months later the South Pole is inclined about 23.4° away from the Sun. On this day of the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, the Sun’s vertical overhead rays progress to their northernmost position, the Tropic of Cancer (23°27′ N).

A mudskipper fiercely defends its territory from a trespassing crab in Roebuck Bay, Australia.

(Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023: Ofer Levy)

From ABC News, By: Velvet Winter, December 2, 2023

Two Australian photographers have made it to the finalists list for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023 People's Choice award. 

A team of judges and the London Natural History Museum have shortlisted 25 images to compete for the People's Choice title.

The public is invited to vote on photos with the winner announced on Feb. 7. 

Sydney-based photographer Ofer Levy captured a lively challenge between a very territorial mudskipper and a trespassing crab in Western Australia's Roebuck Bay.

Mudskippers are notoriously serious about keeping others out of their space and will open their mouths and raise their dorsal fin to keep out any unwanted guests.

‘Lost Who I Want to Be’ by Jordan McInally

From:PetaPixel, By: Jeremy Gray, December 5, 2023

Capture the Atlas is a popular travel and photography blog that offers resources to help photographers capture better photos, primarily landscape and astrophotography shots.

“There aren’t many events as moving as seeing the Aurora Borealis paint the sky with hues of green and violet. Under this awe-inspiring phenomenon, each location becomes magical when the Aurora shines across the night sky,” writes Capture the Atlas.

In this year’s Northern Lights Photographer of the Year, the blog’s sixth edition of the contest, Capture the Atlas has selected the 25 best northern lights photos, ranging from remote boreal forests in the Arctic to the stunning southern landscapes of Australia and New Zealand.

From Theater Mania

Have you ever dreamt of stepping into a painting? Take an awe-inspiring journey into the incomparable universe of Van Gogh, one of the greatest artistic geniuses of the 19th century. Explore his life, his work, and his secrets as never before through cutting-edge 360-degree digital projections, a one-of-a-kind VR experience, and a uniquely atmospheric light and sound show. This impactful experience has already thrilled visitors in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Seattle, and Miami. Become completely immersed in the works of art around you, and feel the shift in reality as you dive deep into the world created by Van Gogh’s brush strokes. 

From: Runner's World, by: Laura Ratliff, December 5, 2023

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Kenenisa Bekele, 41, set a new masters world record of 2:04:19 during the Valencia Marathon on Sunday. Bekele was 20 seconds behind the lead group at the halfway mark, then worked his way up the pack to claim fourth place in the men’s field. His time surpasses Tadesse Abraham’s masters record of 2:05:10, which he ran at the Berlin Marathon in September.

But it wasn’t just Bekele setting records—the marathon itself smashed its own previous record of the most runners to finish under three hours. By the end of the race, 5,281 runners, including 4,975 men and 306 women, finished with a sub-three-hour time, besting last year’s 3,985 runners to finish with a time under three hours.

From: CBS News, By: Lucy Craft, December 7, 2023

A study conducted in Japan suggests there's more to sushi than just a healthy dose of fish and seaweed. Researchers at Tohoku University found that wasabi, that spicy green condiment traditionally dabbed on the raw fish dish, improves both short- and long-term memory.

Rui Nouchi, the study's lead researcher and an associate professor at the school's Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, told CBS News the results, while based on a limited sample of subjects without preexisting health conditions, exceeded their expectations.

"We knew from earlier animal studies that wasabi conferred health benefits," he said in an interview from his office in northeast Japan. "But what really surprised us was the dramatic change. The improvement was really substantial."

The main active component of Japanese wasabi is a biochemical called 6-MSITC, a known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory known to exist in only trace amounts elsewhere throughout the plant kingdom, Nouchi said. The double-blind, randomized study involved 72 healthy subjects, aged 60 to 80. Half of them took 100 milligrams of wasabi extract at bedtime, with the rest receiving a placebo.

From: byFood, By: Lucy Baker, August 25, 2023

So, let’s get into it: really, what is wasabi? Either going by the scientific name of Wasabia japonica or Eutrema japonicum, wasabi is the spicy horseradish condiment from Japan that’s best known as an accompaniment for sushi, sashimi, Japanese noodle dishes (like udon), and more.

Also known as "Japanese horseradish", real wasabi comes from a plant that belongs to the Brassicaceae family, which typically encompasses other types of radishes, horseradishes, and mustard plants. More like a root vegetable than a spice, real wasabi is made from the rhizome of a wasabi plant, which is the underground stem part of it. This underground stem is grated finely to create real wasabi paste. This is kind of like how ginger can be grated, although wasabi is a bit less fibrous. 

Japanese horseradish is not the same as European horseradish, though both plants are in the same family.

Lionesses groom one of the pride’s five cubs in Kenya’s Maasai Mara.(Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023: Mark Boyd)

Don't Be Shy: Share Your Stories!

I'm looking forward to sharing more of your personal stories - oral, written, or otherwise, as we enter our second year. I'd so love to present them to The Flock, hit a mailbox below to share your story.

Holualoa Ed Fit Wellness & Culture 2

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