DoubleAgent XV

Friends, the Miami Seaquarium was a facility with a horrific animal welfare record. I will not miss it.

But it shutting down is absolutely not "a huge milestone win for ocean conservation." Words mean things. Conservation refers to species or populations not going extinct.

Did you know that whales breathe backwards? They exhale first and then inhale in a fast and powerful breath that allows them to exchange around 90% of the air in their lungs! In comparison, humans can do about 60% if they are trying REALLY hard.

A tired ferret slowly crawling out of a warm, red blanket to see what I'm doing. She is so sleepy she can barely keep her eyes open.

When you played too hard, can barely keep your eyes open, and just want to nap in a warm blanket... but can't turn down the curiosity dial.

I'm holding up a blonde ferret who has dirt on his nose, paws, and belly because he got into a plant and dug it up.

Someone is REALLY happy we had to bring our plants in last night.

Four ferrets cuddled together and sleeping in a way that it makes it hard to tell who is who.

Just four ferrets cuddling during a midday nap.

The brothers were being cute and were going to snuggle up on the chair for a nap until I had to ruin it by taking video evidence that they actually like each other.

For women, the increase of AI use in the workplace may affect their careers: Harvard study Women are using AI significantly less then men and it’s going to have a major impact on their careers, according to extensive research on the topic.

Every. Single. Story. about women not using AI as much as men portray it as bad for their future career prospects (without a shred of evidence) and a result of women being fearful little ladies rather than looking at AI's output and saying "this sucks, it's not going to help me."

A Google AI overview that contradicts itself, saying male elephant seals are both larger and smaller than females. Because it's stupid.

Search engines using AI are now just disinformation machines spewing nonsense.

What Ocean Ramsey does is not shark science or conservation: some brief thoughts on “the Shark Whisperer” documentary Netflix has a new (sarcastic air quotes) “documentary” out about Ocean Ramsey, who longtime readers and followers know is a serial wildlife harasser who also coordinates massive online …

Enough of you asked me about this that I wrote some brief thoughts on Ocean Ramsey's particular brand of pseudoscientific nonsense. I believe this addresses almost all of the frequently asked questions I receive, but as always I am happy to answer serious questions asked in good faith.

🧪🦑🌎🦈

A small female ferret, with a freckled nose and dark eye mask, peeks put from under a red blanket with her head on a pillow that says, "I love my ferret."

Shay, our rescued ferret, is thinking about sleeping under a blanket on our couch next to a fitting pillow.

A rescued ferret with large eyes and a pink nose looks at the camera while sitting in my lap.

This is Shay. She is a rescued ferret from a research lab. While she looks sweet and timid here, that is far from the truth. She is fierce, feisty, and rules the house like a queen. Often bossing around our boys who are twice her size. Her nickname is Lady Shay. We are her loyal subjects.

Happy World Otter Day Everyone!

This is @kpassionate.bsky.social 's video. Did you ask her for permission to use it?

Information that literally no one asked for.

Three ferrets are face first in a near empty treat bag, happily eating the crumbs.

When there's just crumbs left in the treat bag.

If you want actual info about whales and threats to them, please ask actual whale scientists and policy advocates. Because “wind” is a whole lotta steps below ship strikes, fishing gear entanglement and climate change. 🌎🪸🐙🌊

A tired ferret, with dark fur and a dark nose, lays down on a comfy couch.

Today's mood...

No, Offshore Wind Isn’t What’s Killing Whales Politicians and nonprofit groups have blamed offshore wind turbines for whale deaths, but the science doesn’t support those claims—at all

Posting this again, for reasons. 🧪

They…turned off…National Institutes of Health grants? That’s nearly $50 billion of scientific research.

Something orange that isn’t evil…

A southern sea otter grooms her face with her eyes closed.

Sea otters are the largest weasel, fyi.

A tired ferret sleeping in a bed with her little arms splayed out.

Show me a picture on your phone that has your energy that isn't a selfie (2024).

A blond ferret naps on the couch under a cozy, blue blanket.

Today's mood.

Fisher is a ferret with dark fur, dark nose, and dark mask with a milk mouth and chin. Fisher the ferret is seen her sleeping in the comforter of a bed with the sum shining through a window behind him.

Fisher would like to remind you that you don't have to get out of bed if you don't want to. Especially in the winter.

Yeah, FACT is great! We adopted Shay in 2022. I don't remember the name they gave her, but I don't think it was any of those. It started with an S. Our other rescue from there wasn't a labbie. She was found abandoned outside.

Ferret Association of Connecticut. Two of ours came through them.

Shay slowly wakes up in our desk drawer. Shay a rescued ferret who was deemed surplus at a research lab. Thankfully, the lab's vet turned her over to a rescue center who then adopted her out to us.

Port wine in Porto.

Two ferrets sleeping underneath a bookshelf.

Today's a good day to just hang out under a bookshelf.

An Osprey perched atop a tree with blue skies in the background.

Osprey, my favorite raptor, seen on my morning walk.