Notices by Minoru Saba (minorusaba@toad.social), page 11

Finding it infuriating that news clips often omit important details, such as
how the eggs were identified as those of redback spiders and by whom; i.e. was it a passing arachnophile, entomologist or Crocodile Dundee?

"Redbacks lay four to ten smooth round egg sacs that resemble polystyrene beads, suspended in the web. They are white or sometimes yellowish, and each can contain 250 eggs."
https://professionalpestmanager.com/pest-control-spiders/spider-eggs-and-egg-sacs/

If you haven’t heard Singapore’s #violin prodigy Chloe Chua, you’re in for a real treat. Chua, who is 18 now, was a Yahudi Menuhin competition winner. She followed that up as the ‘Artist in Residence’ at the #Singapore Symphony Orchestra 2023-2024. Her tone and technique are masterful at such a young age. Here she is playing an Astor Piazzolla #Tango - a duet with one of the best guitarists I’ve ever heard. Be ready to be moved by this emotional performance. #music #MusicVideo #ChloeChua #prodigy #MusicalProdigy

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Orp7IfOkTbg&si=LL-sTH3l_T6t5MeV

@photography

Finalist – monochrome: Transpiration

‘While driving home from a pre-dawn shoot in the Meander Valley, I stopped to admire the dawn breaking behind a young Blackwood tree. Its silhouette struck a beautiful contrast as the sun warmed its transpiring leaves, with the evaporating water droplets rising from the branches to mingle with the surrounding mist.’ Tommeginne country, Deloraine, #Tasmania.

Photograph: Joy Kachina

#photography
#trees
#monochrome
#mist

@photography

Winner – astrophotography: Oberon Kenobi

‘An amphitheatre of pandani watch on as the galactic core, swathed in airglow, rises over an alpine lake, nestled in a rugged Tassie mountain range. Lady Aurora dances under the Magellanic Clouds. This image was captured on a crisp night in one of Tasmania’s more rugged and majestic multi-day walks.’ Loinnekumme country, South-west national park, Tasmania.

Photograph: Marley Butler

#astrophotography
#Tasmania
#MilkyWay
#aurora

@mainichi
UN General Assemby voting results for the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution:

In favor: 142

Against: 10
(Argentina, Hungary, Israel, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay,Tonga, USA)

Abstain: 12
(Albania, Cameroon, Czechia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Guatemala, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Samoa, South Sudan)

https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/09/1165835

"Osaka Kansai Expo organizers issued a warning about redback spiders after... eggs was discovered on a table used by visitors on Sept. 9"
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/16025699
🔸Had always thought セアカゴケグモ (se-aka-goke-gumo) translated to "black widow spider".
TIL today, it's called a "redback spider" but "...also known as the Australian black widow"[1] presumably to distinguish it from all the other "black widows"[2]😱

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redback_spider
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_widow
#OsakaExpo #venomous #spiders

Recent events brought the inept and awkward character of Mr. Bean to mind, but "...Mr. Bean’s true essence is rooted in curiosity rather than malice", i.e. a real-life Mr. Bean would probably be an exasperating nuisance rather than a true menace to all and sundry.
https://mindpsychiatrist.com/is-mr-bean-a-psychopath/
#MrBean #JohnnyEnglish

Random memories of breakfast cereals probably arising from being axed as "non-essentials" from shopping list.
Remembered thinking Kellogg's Variety Pack portions were too small, but also having not seen them in Japan.
Found that Kellogg's had split into WK Kellogg Co. and Kellanova in 2023.
Not sure if the latter was inspired by Casanova and/or Terra Nova nor how it is related to snacks.
Vaguely recalling taste of cornflakes, shredded wheat, and weetabix.
Long time ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellogg's

Infection status
Released Sep 12, 2025.
- As of period from Sep 1 - Sep 7, 2025 -

No. of patients per medical facility (nationwide) 8.12
Change from prev. week -0.25
[Source: Health-Labor-Welfare Ministry weekly report]
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/001561543.pdf
🔸2nd decrease after 10 weeks of increases (13th wave)
Saga at 10.92, Tokyo at 3.98, Akita at 9.08, Hokkaido at 4.81, Okinawa at 5.49, #Miyazaki at 17.29

#Influenza (nationwide) at 0.5
Okinawa at 3.16
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/001561613.pdf
#CovidIsNotOver #Japan

Pre-harvest rice and various bird countermeasures #japan #NaganoPerfecture #SakakiTown #坂城町 🌾

@RoboticistDuck Have often wondered how effective these are, like the water-filled plastic bottles strategically placed around properties to "deter" cats🙄
https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/things-to-do/tokyo-q-a-why-are-there-bottles-on-the-streets-in-tokyo

"The Chinese govt has announced a plan to establish a national nature reserve in the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, which lies within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone"
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20250911_29/
🔸News commentator in Japan noted that China's ruse of setting up a maritime nature reserve might be a test of global reaction for when it does the same for taking over Taiwan and/or Senkaku Islands.
#ScarboroughShoal #Philippines #Taiwan #Japan #WhatIsYoursIsMine

About half an hour ago my house shook. It sounded like something hit it, and I wondered if there'd been a small earthquake nearby.

Apparently, across the Tamar River, about 8 km's as the crow flies, a power station was being demolished, and we felt the shock here!

😱

Have almost subconsciously substituted rice with bread, pasta & noodles as prices rose. Snacks & chocolate have largely disappeared from the shopping list. Fish, meat, eggs & dairy products seem to be heading the same way.
Tofu is hanging in there.
Finding soup is a great extender of limited resources!

"Rice production in 13 of Japan's 47 prefectures in 2025 is expected to exceed that of the previous year and remain mostly unchanged in 29 prefectures..."
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20250829/p2g/00m/0na/057000c
🔸Saw 5kg bags of newly harvested rice at local supermarket a couple of days ago all priced well above 4,000 yen (incl. tax). Noticed bags of California & Taiwan rice (which remained after all else had been sold a couple of weeks ago) had disappeared, probably to be used in the supermarket onigiri & bento offerings.

Andy Timmons | Todi @ Experimental Vim 2025

#music #guitar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gcTKfvD3mQ

@FlockOfCats
"As long as you can get past the sensation of the fuzzy skin of a peach on your tongue and in your mouth, it is a perfectly safe thing to eat."
https://www.thehealthyapron.com/eating-peach-skin/
🔸Had thought this practice was peculiarly British, but seems to be more widespread.😱
Was OK with shining apples on a sleeve in the UK before taking a bite, but peaches...😬

This morning I learned the spam can is a perfect punch down for the sushi rice slab.

Recently saw an elderly woman valiantly working the pedals of what at first appeared to be a tricycle but turned out to have 4 wheels.
Found on the web e-bike versions of the quadricycle.
Probably more stable than 2 or 3-wheelers, but with a price tag in the range of an used kei-car...
Definitely not an impulse purchase.

After Mum was rushed to hospital on Saturday we found she had merged her health insurance certificate with her "mynumbercard" digital ID (as urged by govt). Couldn't find the "Certificate of Eligibility" paper backup for the merged "mynumbercard" in her flat, so anticipated a wee payment problem if Mum couldn't use the PIN or face recognition for obvious reasons.
Fortunately she seems to have pulled through this time and told us where she stashed the "most likely" PIN🙁
https://www.digital.go.jp/en/policies/mynumber/insurance-card#utilize-text