Nathan Ackroyd

I recently learned about Needle Ice, and thought you should know about it too

John Mastodon is still alive

My back deck gazebo does this fun thing when the sun shines on the snow. Icicles form, and the snow melts and slides over the edge.

When the balance is right, instead of breaking and falling off, the icicles curve inward. The changing angle changes where the dripping water re-freezes, and the icicles start to curve, like sabertooth tiger fangs.

When the angle changes enough, new icicles start to form form, but they point downwards, creating rows of dagger-like teeth.

It makes me think of Agrajag, the character from "Hitchhikers Guide" whose final form had so many mismatched teeth that it cut up its own face whenever it tried to talk.

My kids sumply say that the gazebo mimic is hungry.

I've always been more than usually sensitive to fragrances, but in the past year things have become much much worse. A lot of my daily decision-making energy is used up in trying to avoid smelling anybody.

I've had to start avoiding in-person gatherings, and avoid moving around campus at certain times of day. I have class policies in my syllabus and on my course websites asking students to avoid scenting themselves on days when we meet and I've had to tell students that they can't come in my office to ask their questions - I'll answer their questions from the hallway.

I recently was asked to do a peer teaching evaluation for a pre-tenure colleague, and had to bail because someone in the class was wearing perfume and it would have made me sick for at least three days.

I get headaches, fatigue, insomnia, and I end up with a raised overnight stress level and lowered HRV after exposure.

Last weekend I went to a short Toxicology conference, and came out feeling ill after a morning of talks.

#fragrance