Germany, a country with a rich history and diverse landscapes, is characterized by impressive biocultural diversity. From the dense forests of the low mountain ranges to the expansive coastlines of the north, Germany offers a wide range of ecosystems and habitats. The flora is diverse, encompassing a wealth of plant species, including deciduous and coniferous trees in the forests, as well as typical German flowers like the Edelweiss in the Alps. The fauna is also abundant, with a variety of bird species in the forests and wetlands, as well as mammals such as deer, wild boar, and foxes. German culture is closely connected to nature, and the protection and preservation of biocultural diversity play an important role in the country's environmental and conservation movements. Despite urban development and environmental pressures, conserving this diversity remains crucial for Germany's future and the well-being of its residents.
Yesterday, on a rainy summer night, somewhere between kindergarten and cemetery, I met these two friends.😁
The snail is a garden snail (Cornu aspersum). A globally invasive species originally native to the Mediterranean region. It used to be assigned to the Roman snail, but represents a genus of its own. Like the Roman snail, this species is also bred as a food snail. Even to a greater extent than the Roman snail.🐌
The isopod is a common striped woodlouse (Philoscia muscorum). A very widespread species of woodlice in Europe. Because it can run exceptionally fast, it is called the fast woodlouse.💨
Both species have a beautiful eel line.❤️
Looks like the snail is the big boss (Jabba) and the isopod is his nimble sidekick who tells him the latest news from the neighborhood.🤣
Many excuses that at first glance seem like a request for forgiveness are actually so-called nonpologies. It's often said:"I'm sorry." So I apologize to myself. I get rid of the guilt without asking my counterpart: will you accept my apology? The authority to interpret the situation remains with me.
An apology is always appropriate if one would have been able to refrain from hurtful behavior. This should achieve reparation through appreciation. Properly apologizing is an expression of emotional and spiritual maturity. Most empathetic people even ask for forgiveness when they can't help it. Out of compassion!
Each of us has done or received nonpologies. However: Anyone who is not able to apologize at all is behaving toxic. In a relationship this means nothing else than that one person bears all the burdens and the other has all the freedom.
Examples of nonpologies from toxic people:
"I've already said that I'm sorry." (The subject is closed for you. Fine! What about me?)
"I'm sorry for everything I have done or will ever do!" (Is this supposed to be a free ride ticket for acting like a jerk?)
"I'm sorry if I hurt you!" (Really? If? - I just let you know THAT you hurt me!)
"I'm sorry that you feel that way." (It's not about my feelings, for which I don't need pity, by the way, but about your behavior.)
You are worth being treated with respect. Surround yourself with people who are good for you. Those who do not show responsibility for their actions will always continue to behave like this.
It's not difficult for me to forgive. Those who behave toxic have a severe handicap. It is important to accept that you are not the cause of their behaviour. That they are not good for you and that they have no place in your life if you want to be happy.
I wrote about pareidolia for the first time almost exactly a year ago. It was about an image that I generated with DeepDream.
Pareidolia is the tendency to see an object, pattern or meaning where in fact is none.
At one time pareidolia was considered a symptom of psychosis, but it's now seen as a normal human tendency.
Scientists have created convolutional neural networks. Those are computer programs that recognize patterns in the same way as with pareidolia. One example of such a program is DeepDream. But also the reverse image search is based on such a neural network.
I find it stimulating to let my imagination run wild. As I zoomed into the cloudy sky, I was delighted to see a Thalattoarchon hunting its prey. The Thalattoarchon was an ichthyosaur which lived eight million years after the Permian-Triassic extinction event. It's the oldest known marine reptile that has been an apex predator and probably one of the first marine macropredators capable of eating prey similar to its own size.
I also see letters. My attempt to decipher this results in "Jucy Puzy". But I won't go into that in more detail. 😳
