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Thu, Oct 30, 2025

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Carrion Luggage

by Waltz in the Lonesome October

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:

GrueSum1

46 minutes ago
In response to "Un-Holey"

I think some of the best bagels in Bloomington are at 2 places. Jewel-Osco grocery store, and our Einstein's Brothers Bagels. No, I'm not a connoisseur, I just know what I like here in town. If we were out of town, we'd have to find another place then, huh!

1 Like

Battywyn🎶Prep!

about an hour ago
In response to "Un-Holey"

When I played at Potbelly back in the 2000's (ack), I got a discounted sandwich every day I played, and for quite a few years, that was six days a week. I always ordered a "skinny" roast beef with provolone, toasted. It wasn't on the menu, but other skinny versions of sandwiches were. They consisted of 2/3 of the meat and cheese of the regular versions, and the bread was scooped (though I didn't know the word for it until your blog post.) They cut it out with a knife, and they used the discarded part to make croutons for salads. I can appreciate the efficiency, but also, the meat & cheese to bread ratio was much tastier.

On a bagel, I think it would depend on what I'm piling on top of it. The bread-to-cream-cheese ratio is perfect in a non-scooped bagel. As a diabetic, I need to watch my carbs, but I can do that by eating half a bagel instead of changing the soft-middle-to-crust ratio of my bagel.

Damn it. Now I want a bagel.

1 Like

🌝 HuntersMoon

about 10 hours ago
In response to "Flick of the Risk"

There is no such thing as "zero-risk." Yeah, you said it but it bears repeating.

@ Annette It depends. If you live in a gingerbread house, then, yes!

1 Like

tj says Boris sent me

about 20 hours ago
In response to "Naturally"

When I first read the title, I thought "chemophobe" was a person with a deep fear of chemotherapy. I fear each coming infusion, know the effects, but it's not a phobia:

As for: “I should really get the organic peaches,” I say yes, the plastic and wax ones are terrible.

As for Twinkies, I've heard that they have been found in the tombs of pharaohs along with honey, both of which were still good!

2 Like

Annette

about 21 hours ago
In response to "Naturally"

I remember when bags of gummy bears were advertised as 99% fat free.

That's when I gave up on "free from something something" claims.

If a product is known to be one thing (sugar and colors) and I've agreed to eat it because it's fun and I enjoy it, then telling me a random factoid usually puts me off.

But I'm the kind of person who understands that I AGREE with the ingredients in prepared foods if I choose to buy and eat them.

The chemophobes are a sad group of people who need to go back to second grade reading and comprehension class.

3 Like

Spudy Specter👻

about 22 hours ago
In response to "Naturally"

I ate Cheetos and peppermint patties while reading this.

4 Like

Battywyn🎶Prep!

about 23 hours ago
In response to "Naturally"

You already know you and I are sympatico on this topic. Don't even get me started on GMOs. But I did want to thank you for the (ridiculously punny) apple article. I shall keep that up my sleeve for future arguments debates, since the article is probably nicer than I am when the topic of "chemicals" comes up.

3 Like

🌝 HuntersMoon

about 23 hours ago
In response to "Naturally"

Hey! What's wrong with Twinkies?

OK, if you actually read labels you'd never eat again. As you point out, most of the "chemicals" are found in nature. Few people are sitting in a lab, beakers boiling, creating the next wonder food.

Until something is shown to be harmful, just consider yourself part of the long term study and enjoy.

3 Like

tj says Boris sent me

a day ago
In response to "Flick of the Risk"

Unfortunately, fear, whether justified or not, has been used to influence people since the dawn of humanity. As for natural and unnatural, if it comes from nature, it's natural; if it's created by wizardry and magic, it's unnatural. It may be a very simple explanation, but it works for me.

2 Like

Annette

a day ago
In response to "Flick of the Risk"

Waltz in the Lonesome October

- I was aware that apples are a poor example of something natural because of all the GMO. As of now at least, they still grow on trees. We don't manufacture them by baking sugar and coating it with sugar. (yet?)

I wonder if a Twinkie tree would look good in my front yard.

3 Like

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