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Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Crinoids for Cri-nerds

     We discussed crinoids,
also known as sea "lilies," here at Partial Ellipsis of the Sun in April. This extraordinarily well-preserved Paleozoic crinoid fossil sample (below) inspired another look at this animal that looks like a plant.



      Compare the sample above to the "Smarties" stem pieces we found in northern Arkansas in April. The disarticulated crinoid stems or stalks are relatively common, but the delicate, lacy crown pieces are much rarer.



      Modern day crinoids and the fossil animals are quite similar, hence they are often referred to by the non-scientific term "living fossils."



       The parts of crinoid animals are labelled below, though the terms are quite plant-based:



I guess you could say I'm a bit of a cri-nerd ;-).


     How about you?
     Steph









22 comments:

  1. Here's what the eclipse will look like from points in the US. The longest time of totality is over 2.5 minutes in Goreville, Illinois.

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  2. Replies
    1. They do "move" in the ocean currents, I guess. But, that's just like branches (or answers) blowin' in the wind. . .

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    1. Well, Paul, that was a surprise.

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    2. That was indeed a surprise, the bigger surprise is that they are still alive (partially) and in concert today 40 years after this one hit wonder.

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    3. Surprises everywhere today, including a gentle rain (surprising for us, anyway).

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    1. I've done the squeezed bar of soap fault. Good, clean fun.

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    1. Nor I. Nor Wikipedia, for that matter. Seem similar to shotgun houses or railroad apartments.

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    2. Where are we slotted to put all the CO newcomers, anyway?

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    3. They aren't really shotgun houses or railroad apartments; those are typically very long and skinny, usually on narrow lots. You see these frequently in New Orleans, where the city was laid out with very narrow lots. I'm working on one of these, a 21' x 130' lot, where the local ordinance requires 4' setbacks on the side, so the house will be only 13' wide.

      I'm also working on a "slot home" project right now, though I haven't used that term. Apparently it will be one of the first of that type in Berkeley, though they've been done in LA for a while.

      The slot lots (anagram alert!) are wider, in my case it's 50' wide, and the intent is to squeeze as many units as possible. The ground floor is mostly taken by the parking spaces and drive aisle, and 2 ADA units, and upper floors are 6 more units 20' wide and 30' deep, but unlike rowhouses the 30' is parallel to the street, not perpendicular.

      The little house in my thumbnail image is a kind of hybrid: the lot is only 25' wide, and there was an 8' driveway on the side. Fortunately the original house was built almost to the property line on the other side, so we could keep the original 16'-6" width downstairs. This is fine on the public level, where you don't need a hallway; I cleverly cantilevered part of the upper floor over the driveway, so we could be more efficient with the upstairs bedrooms.

      Side note about population: the Trumpsters talk about immigrants taking jobs. They also create jobs, as they need to be housed, and they buy food and clothing and the other things in life. Without immigrants we would have a declining population, which would be economically destructive.

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    4. eco, thanks for the details about slot homes and slot lots.

      I'd been curious about your new photo so thanks, also, for that scoop.

      Just heard the NPR story on ADUs in Portland.

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    5. Portland was a leader for ADUs 2 decades ago, in large part it grew from the restraints created by their urban growth boundary.

      ADUs are very popular here too, with 2 BR apartments renting for around $2500 the math is pretty easy - roughly 10% return on investment. I've done several, have one in construction right now and a couple on the boards.

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    6. Need I say, I shall bid you ADU? ;-)

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    7. See you in the dark, I leave tomorrow (I hope!).

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    8. Safe travels! Enjoy the dark side.

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    9. Same to you, and don't get too corny.

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  6. New post on "LIDAR, Connecticut Forests, and Iowa Marching Bear Effigy Mounds" is now up.

    There's also an image of Zoƫ celebrating today on her 24th birthday in Ethiopia.:-)

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