Specious Reasons
@speciousreasons.bsky.social
Picked this name to join a skeptics forum over 20 years ago and kept using it because I like a Dad joke. Unhealthy fascination with crap. Likely to post microscope, backyard nature, and pet photos, if infrequently.
Pinned
This is not Cinnamon, but the pedestal for his food bowl is enough of a box for Ahsoka to claim. I had to kick her off to feed the poor dog. #catsinboxes #ragamuffin
November 21, 2025 at 5:36 AM
This is not Cinnamon, but the pedestal for his food bowl is enough of a box for Ahsoka to claim. I had to kick her off to feed the poor dog. #catsinboxes #ragamuffin
I normally hang this from my rearview mirror during October, but I got distracted. I'm rectifying this now.
October 25, 2025 at 10:02 PM
I normally hang this from my rearview mirror during October, but I got distracted. I'm rectifying this now.
@amandamarcotte.bsky.social The "Rock That Doesn't Roll" podcast obliquely references your Salon article in their discussion of the music of the Kirk memorial. As fans of the genre, their opinion is much different.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m...
October 18, 2025 at 5:07 PM
@amandamarcotte.bsky.social The "Rock That Doesn't Roll" podcast obliquely references your Salon article in their discussion of the music of the Kirk memorial. As fans of the genre, their opinion is much different.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m...
Bumper crop of mushrooms in my backyard this weekend. #mushrooms
October 12, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Bumper crop of mushrooms in my backyard this weekend. #mushrooms
Look at this wonderful little flatworm! #Planarian #flatworm
October 9, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Look at this wonderful little flatworm! #Planarian #flatworm
I posted a two new videos! Both are extremely short, audio free, and pretty low effort. One is a boring old rotifer, and the other is this massive ciliate of the Spirostomum genus: youtu.be/sLYNNaYBZUw
#Spirostomum #ciliates
#Spirostomum #ciliates
A ciliate, probably Spirostomum
YouTube video by speciousreasons
youtu.be
September 28, 2025 at 6:57 PM
I posted a two new videos! Both are extremely short, audio free, and pretty low effort. One is a boring old rotifer, and the other is this massive ciliate of the Spirostomum genus: youtu.be/sLYNNaYBZUw
#Spirostomum #ciliates
#Spirostomum #ciliates
Rotifer! I generally avoid taking rotifer pictures because they often don't wind up visually interesting. I think this is an exception. On the left side of the picture, there's the body of a worm with long bristles, probably a Stylaria species.
September 26, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Rotifer! I generally avoid taking rotifer pictures because they often don't wind up visually interesting. I think this is an exception. On the left side of the picture, there's the body of a worm with long bristles, probably a Stylaria species.
Testate amoebas are pretty common in lake water. I was having a lot of trouble capturing the full glory of this in brightfield, so I switched to darkfield and I'm so much happier with the results, even if the background detritus is noisier.
September 26, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Testate amoebas are pretty common in lake water. I was having a lot of trouble capturing the full glory of this in brightfield, so I switched to darkfield and I'm so much happier with the results, even if the background detritus is noisier.
Calrissian sees you beneath her and is not impressed.
September 21, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Calrissian sees you beneath her and is not impressed.
@nathanrabin.bsky.social "Liam Neeson, towering action grandpa" - brilliant!
August 2, 2025 at 8:30 PM
@nathanrabin.bsky.social "Liam Neeson, towering action grandpa" - brilliant!
*looks — I blame holding a kitten while typing.
@genadoesthings.bsky.social In case you're wondering, I got your last two newsletters, and I didn't do shit, so it look like your move to ghost was a success.
July 26, 2025 at 3:51 PM
*looks — I blame holding a kitten while typing.
@genadoesthings.bsky.social In case you're wondering, I got your last two newsletters, and I didn't do shit, so it look like your move to ghost was a success.
July 26, 2025 at 3:49 PM
@genadoesthings.bsky.social In case you're wondering, I got your last two newsletters, and I didn't do shit, so it look like your move to ghost was a success.
Giant house spider. Trying with a handheld 150mm macro lens (manual focus), so the photos didn't come out as I wanted. It's welcome in my office, but don't tell the rest of the family it's here.
June 29, 2025 at 5:23 AM
Giant house spider. Trying with a handheld 150mm macro lens (manual focus), so the photos didn't come out as I wanted. It's welcome in my office, but don't tell the rest of the family it's here.
This made sense to her at the time. #ragamuffin
June 21, 2025 at 1:42 AM
This made sense to her at the time. #ragamuffin
Watched "Friday the 13th Part III" with the @killbykill.bsky.social commentary for my Friday the 13th viewing. Especially with the commentary, this watch was much more amusing than scary.
June 14, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Watched "Friday the 13th Part III" with the @killbykill.bsky.social commentary for my Friday the 13th viewing. Especially with the commentary, this watch was much more amusing than scary.
Ahsoka is a photogenic cat when she’s willing to stay still. #caturday #ragamuffin
May 10, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Ahsoka is a photogenic cat when she’s willing to stay still. #caturday #ragamuffin
I fumbled these lichen (maybe Cladonia cariosa, but probably a Cladonia species) and got a bunch of detritus on the cover glass, ruining a whole bunch of photos, but I may be able to fix some of it. In the meantime, these picture didn't suck. #microscope #microphotography #lichen
March 15, 2025 at 8:47 PM
I fumbled these lichen (maybe Cladonia cariosa, but probably a Cladonia species) and got a bunch of detritus on the cover glass, ruining a whole bunch of photos, but I may be able to fix some of it. In the meantime, these picture didn't suck. #microscope #microphotography #lichen
Even if I don't always go to the show, I always pledge enough to #rifftrax to get the shorts, it's been a rather good deal.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/rif...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/rif...
RiffTrax Live 2025: TIMECOP! In theaters August 14 and 19!
RiffTrax (the stars of MST3K) will riff the Van Damme film before a live audience, then broadcast it to hundreds of cinemas nationwide!
www.kickstarter.com
March 5, 2025 at 5:09 AM
Even if I don't always go to the show, I always pledge enough to #rifftrax to get the shorts, it's been a rather good deal.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/rif...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/rif...
It took me a while to catch up with Flop House TV season 2, but @dankmccoy.bsky.social 's "Special Report on Scotland" during the Highlander 2 episode is the funniest thing I've seen in while. Made me want to drink too much Scotch.
February 22, 2025 at 4:30 PM
It took me a while to catch up with Flop House TV season 2, but @dankmccoy.bsky.social 's "Special Report on Scotland" during the Highlander 2 episode is the funniest thing I've seen in while. Made me want to drink too much Scotch.
Posting this picture for no particular reason:
February 19, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Posting this picture for no particular reason:
Reposted by Specious Reasons
Melanin is the most common pigment in the animal kingdom, but plants, bacteria and fungi also contain versions of melanin – in fact, the brown color of over-ripe bananas is due to melanin produced by oxidation in the skin. Share if you learned something new!
February 11, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Melanin is the most common pigment in the animal kingdom, but plants, bacteria and fungi also contain versions of melanin – in fact, the brown color of over-ripe bananas is due to melanin produced by oxidation in the skin. Share if you learned something new!
How I planned it, how it really looks:
The top 2 cyanotype prints are from @whalefern.bsky.social, the lower 2 prints are from Crystal Worl and Hallie Packard, and the centerpiece is from Stephanie Krimmel.
The top 2 cyanotype prints are from @whalefern.bsky.social, the lower 2 prints are from Crystal Worl and Hallie Packard, and the centerpiece is from Stephanie Krimmel.
January 24, 2025 at 12:54 AM
How I planned it, how it really looks:
The top 2 cyanotype prints are from @whalefern.bsky.social, the lower 2 prints are from Crystal Worl and Hallie Packard, and the centerpiece is from Stephanie Krimmel.
The top 2 cyanotype prints are from @whalefern.bsky.social, the lower 2 prints are from Crystal Worl and Hallie Packard, and the centerpiece is from Stephanie Krimmel.
Reposted by Specious Reasons
🥁 Announcing the Public Domain Image Archive! 🥁
We are v excited to share our new sister-project, the Public Domain Image Archive (PDIA), a curated collection of 10k+ out-of-copyright historical images, all free to explore and reuse: pdimagearchive.org @pdimagearchive
We are v excited to share our new sister-project, the Public Domain Image Archive (PDIA), a curated collection of 10k+ out-of-copyright historical images, all free to explore and reuse: pdimagearchive.org @pdimagearchive
January 8, 2025 at 5:02 PM
🥁 Announcing the Public Domain Image Archive! 🥁
We are v excited to share our new sister-project, the Public Domain Image Archive (PDIA), a curated collection of 10k+ out-of-copyright historical images, all free to explore and reuse: pdimagearchive.org @pdimagearchive
We are v excited to share our new sister-project, the Public Domain Image Archive (PDIA), a curated collection of 10k+ out-of-copyright historical images, all free to explore and reuse: pdimagearchive.org @pdimagearchive
My favorite The Far Side comic of all time: www.thefarside.com/2025/01/02/3
The Far Side comic strip by Gary Larson from Thursday, January 2, 2025 | TheFarSide.com
A cartoon from The Far Side® comic strip by Gary Larson from Thursday, January 2, 2025 | Transcript: I wonder if she knows I exist. … Should I call her? Maybe she doesn’t even know I exist? Well, mayb...
www.thefarside.com
January 2, 2025 at 3:19 PM
My favorite The Far Side comic of all time: www.thefarside.com/2025/01/02/3
Reposted by Specious Reasons
Due to the Texas abortion ban, newborns are being abandoned to die in dumpsters.
Republicans could take measures to prevent this, even without legalizing abortion. They refuse to do so.
They would rather arrest women than save babies.
www.salon.com/2025/01/02/n...
Republicans could take measures to prevent this, even without legalizing abortion. They refuse to do so.
They would rather arrest women than save babies.
www.salon.com/2025/01/02/n...
Newborns are being left in dumpsters in Texas, but Republicans don't care
The GOP would rather arrest women than save their babies
www.salon.com
January 2, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Due to the Texas abortion ban, newborns are being abandoned to die in dumpsters.
Republicans could take measures to prevent this, even without legalizing abortion. They refuse to do so.
They would rather arrest women than save babies.
www.salon.com/2025/01/02/n...
Republicans could take measures to prevent this, even without legalizing abortion. They refuse to do so.
They would rather arrest women than save babies.
www.salon.com/2025/01/02/n...