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Tag: Marine Biology

Avatar 3: Inadequately Imaginative

twp Na'vi people from "Avatar" sitting in theater seats with popcorn
January 7, 2026January 7, 2026 ~ Kana Smith ~ 21 Comments

We went to the movies last night, to see "Avatar: Fire & Ash." It's the second time in a month that we've been to the movies, which is mostly noteworthy because we usually don't see the inside of a theater above twice a year. For the most part we prefer the comforts of our own … Continue reading Avatar 3: Inadequately Imaginative

A Safe Bet

the writer at 18, setting up for certification dives
November 24, 2025November 24, 2025 ~ Kana Smith ~ 13 Comments

Writing yesterday about the canoe trip my dad and I took together got me thinking about the other road-trip he and I took, five years later... The first thing I signed up for, when I hit college, was a course to get certified as a Scuba diver, because I planned to study Marine Biology. I … Continue reading A Safe Bet

A Virtual Sit-Down with Author Dan Beachy-Quick

writer in a whaleboat with a book, drifting on a calm ocean
November 20, 2025November 20, 2025 ~ Kana Smith ~ 4 Comments

Usually, when you read a book, it's easy to tell how far along you are, and how much you have left. Not so with Dan Beachy-Quick's A Whaler's Dictionary---at least, not if you follow its instructions. Usually, when you read a book, you don't need instructions, but this one comes with a "How to Use … Continue reading A Virtual Sit-Down with Author Dan Beachy-Quick

In Which Kana is Delighted by a New Toy

AI-generated picture of a cat zooming around a room with a bonkers expression on his face
October 22, 2025October 23, 2025 ~ Kana Smith ~ 8 Comments

I've been playing. It was another blogger, The AI Grandad, whose post about "falling down the AI rabbit hole" led me to exploring MidJourney, an AI program that produces images from the written prompts you give it. This rabbit hole runs deep! For a start, I managed to create a pretty good approximation of Yoda-cat's … Continue reading In Which Kana is Delighted by a New Toy

To Life, and Courage (and DuoLingo)

whale tail
October 16, 2025October 23, 2025 ~ Kana Smith ~ 30 Comments

"Pearls Before Swine" by Stephen Pastis I never realized that John Steinbeck was a biologist. It's not what he's known for, certainly, and it's not what he was educated for, but it's what he did, for a time. Actually, with regard to education, he left even his English degree incomplete... not that its lack held … Continue reading To Life, and Courage (and DuoLingo)

The Turtle-Shell Autobiography

drawing of a sea turtle
October 15, 2025October 23, 2025 ~ Kana Smith ~ 1 Comment

Baby green sea turtles hatch on the beaches of Baja California on the Sea of Cortez, hump their way toward the water, and vanish in the surf. They vanish for five years, before they return to those beaches to lay their own eggs. In his achingly lyrical Telling Our Way to the Sea, Aaron Hirsch … Continue reading The Turtle-Shell Autobiography

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"As for me, I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote. I love to sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts."

~ Herman Melville, Moby-Dick

  1. Kana Smith's avatar
    Kana Smith on In Which We Don’t Sail Into the SunsetJanuary 29, 2026

    My "teal phase" has lasted four decades, and shows no sign of waning. ;)

  2. Kana Smith's avatar
    Kana Smith on In Which We Don’t Sail Into the SunsetJanuary 29, 2026

    Exactly true!

  3. Kana Smith's avatar
    Kana Smith on Cross My HeartJanuary 29, 2026

    It's satisfying, isn't it?

  4. Kana Smith's avatar
    Kana Smith on Avatar 3: Inadequately ImaginativeJanuary 29, 2026

    Could be...

  5. Jimena's avatar
    Jimena on In Which We Don’t Sail Into the SunsetJanuary 27, 2026

    You're a strong woman, Kana! When you get to enjoy that you can't really control or make plans, life gets…

"It is not down on any map; true places never are"

~ Herman Melville, Moby-Dick

What is WRONG With People? A Pain in the Neck If the Present is a Gift, so is the Past Cow Physiology 101 The “Year in Books” On the Palm Tree as an Antidepressant Untitled Dragon Biography The Christmas-Tree Trade-In
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  • One of My Very Bad Habits

"Not all those who wander are lost."

~J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

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