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Tuesday, Apr. 1, 2025

7:41pm EDT

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Carrion Luggage

by Robert Waltz

Rated: 18+ · Book · Opinion · #2336646

Items to fit into your overhead compartment

Carrion Luggage

Native to the Americas, the turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) travels widely in search of sustenance. While usually foraging alone, it relies on other individuals of its species for companionship and mutual protection. Sometimes misunderstood, sometimes feared, sometimes shunned, it nevertheless performs an important role in the ecosystem.

This scavenger bird is a marvel of efficiency. Rather than expend energy flapping its wings, it instead locates uplifting columns of air, and spirals within them in order to glide to greater heights. This behavior has been mistaken for opportunism, interpreted as if it is circling doomed terrestrial animals destined to be its next meal. In truth, the vulture takes advantage of these thermals to gain the altitude needed glide longer distances, flying not out of necessity, but for the joy of it.

It also avoids the exertion necessary to capture live prey, preferring instead to feast upon that which is already dead. In this behavior, it resembles many humans.

It is not what most of us would consider to be a pretty bird. While its habits are often off-putting, or even disgusting, to members of more fastidious species, the turkey vulture helps to keep the environment from being clogged with detritus. Hence its Latin binomial, which translates to English as "golden purifier."

I rarely know where the winds will take me next, or what I might find there. The journey is the destination.

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

tj wanderlust-words-in-motion

about 3 hours ago
In response to "Study A Broad"

I think a big part of the problem is that old "See no evil.. speak no evil" which was cute with the three monkeys, but unfortunately too many people took it to heart. They don't see what's happening, they don't hear what's happening, and even when they do, they don't speak out.

2 Like

Quilli ☕

about 9 hours ago
In response to "Study A Broad"

What a great post! I appreciate your commentary on the article. At this point, I think we have stayed stateside since we believe our kids* still need us nearby. They had a meltdown when we mentioned we are considering moving to Georgia when my husband retires.

*son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters
(collectively and lovingly referred to as "our kids".)

2 Like

Elisa, Stik of Clubs

about 23 hours ago
In response to "Perhaps Pursuit"

As soon as I saw the author's name and how he was introduced, I thought This sounds familiar. Indeed, it was, and I can say that the book in question is less self help and more philosophical in approach. So of course I have some thoughts on this one.

Consequently, I wouldn't interpret that as general advice for everyone with depression. If the shrink was as good as the author says, then presumably, they reached that conclusion after some sessions.

Who says they didn't?

And, like I said, what makes someone else happy won't necessarily make you happy.

This one tends to piss me off when people try to emphasize that happiness is rooted in community and family rather than, say, work. As someone who struggles with finding a space in any community and has a rather ambivalent relationship with family, I get real annoyed when people scoff at the notion of work being happy and fulfilling. Yo, for some of us, it really is.

And although Americans spend more time and money chasing after happiness than any other country in the world, we’re still one of the most anxious and least happy of all the developed nations.

Lately I've seen multiple figures online state influencers are the catalyst for these feelings and behavior. I feel a strong compulsion to push back on that, given that this was a problem even before influencers were a thing. TO me, influencers are really a variation on a theme. That theme is not discussed enough, although it could be that it's been a tough endeavor truly wrapping our hands around it. Even I have struggled with this, myself.

A pessimist can only be pleasantly surprised; if they're not surprised, then they were right, and that feels good, too.

The older I get, the more I realize that constantly leaning into pessimism is a very easy path to nihilism, and that I find incredibly worrying. To me, pessimism often discourages action. We really cannot afford that in large quantities these days.

1 Like

Aiva Raine

a day ago
In response to "Perhaps Pursuit"

LOL- LOVE and totally agree with, "how about the joys of pessimism and schadenfreude? A pessimist can only be pleasantly surprised; if they're not surprised, then they were right, and that feels good, too"

1 Like

tj wanderlust-words-in-motion

a day ago
In response to "Moonstruck"

At our last full moon, with a clear sky, our Husky happened to look out the patio doors. He sat down, lifted his head, and let out the most beautiful howl. After, he listened (we could tell by the way he focused his "Batman" ears in various directions. I suppose he was waiting for an answering howl. When none came, he retired to the couch and went to sleep.

1 Like

BIG BAD WOLF is Merry

a day ago
In response to "Moonstruck"

haha

1 Like

Robert Waltz

a day ago
In response to "Moonstruck"

BIG BAD WOLF is Merry

- Oh. I meant to mention that, and forgot. No. The Moon's a bit past its New phase. I think if you look at the western horizon just after sunset (assuming it's not cloudy, which it will be here), you'll be treated to the sight of a nice crescent moon.

These articles get saved and then come up at random, so they're not always related to current events.

1 Like

BIG BAD WOLF is Merry

a day ago
In response to "Moonstruck"

So, is there a full moon today?

1 Like

dogpack saving 4premium+

Mar 30, 2025 at 10:12am
In response to "Pushing the Envelope"

Interesting historical story because I didn't think about the origins of the large yellowish envelopes and their history. We should remember history so we have a heritage and know from whence we have come and gone. I wonder what if? What if these envelopes were not invented? How would history be changed? I know there's a story about this somewhere even if it's in my head or someone else's head.

1 Like

Cubby~On the Road to Home

Mar 30, 2025 at 10:10am
In response to "Pushing the Envelope"

How interesting! Loved the joke, too. 😂

2 Like

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