Day 4398: Trailblazing Paralympianand, and a Perfectly balanced ecosystem

"Anger": junk collage

     

 

  

Want music?

    

Click : Tom Misch, South of the River.

 

  

 

 

2GN2S

Trailblazing Paralympian

Matt Stutzman and the armless archers following in his path.  Stutzman is one of very few Paralympians who compete in archery without arms. Seated, he holds the bow with one foot and pulls the string back using his jaw. Then, he lets the arrow fly. Despite his physical differences, his aim is stunningly accurate: After scoring a perfect 10 — bullseye — in his final shot, he won a gold medal at this year's Paralympic Games. Stutzman has set the standard for archers without arms: There are three other armless Paralympic archers at the Games this year, including his mentee Sheetal Devi of India, who won bronze this year at age 17 and became the first woman archer without arms to medal at the Paralympics.

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In 1960, David Latimer planted a tiny garden inside of a large glass bottle and sealed it shut. He opened the bottle 12 years later in 1972 to add some water and then sealed it for good. The self contained ecosystem has flourished for nearly 60 years.

For those who are wondering how this is even possible: the garden is a perfectly balanced and self-sufficient ecosystem. The bacteria in the compost eats the dead plants and breaks down the oxygen that is released by the plants, turning it into carbon dioxide, which is needed for photosynthesis. The bottle is essentially a microcosm of earth.

 

  

 

A 3+ minute video, The Elevator,  here

 

 

 

  

 

Just because ...

  

Puffin

 

  

 

Monday's Smiles ...