How Fireflies Glow -- And What Signals They're Sending

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How Fireflies Glow -- And What Signals They're Sending

You might not really be sure you saw what you think you saw when the first one shows up. But you stare in the direction of the flicker of light and there it is again – the first firefly of the evening. If you are in good firefly habitat, soon there are dozens, or even hundreds, of the insects flying about, flashing their mysterious signals.

Fireflies – alternatively known as lightning bugs in much of the United States – are neither flies nor bugs. They’re soft-winged beetles, related to click beetles and others. The most dramatic aspect of their biology is that they can produce light; this ability in a living organism, called bioluminescence, is relatively rare.

I’m an entomologist who does research on, and teaches about, the ecology and biology of insects. Recently, I’ve been trying to understand the diversity and ecology of fireflies in my home state of North Carolina. Fireflies are found widely across North America, including many places in the west, but they are most abundant and diverse in the eastern half of the continent, from Florida to southern Canada.

Bernie Sanders Campaign Should Stop The White Women's Privilege Lectures

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Bernie Sanders Campaign Should Stop The White Women's Privilege Lectures

Last February Jennifer Wright addressed Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders’ problem with women, writing Bernie Sanders’ Sexism Problem for Harper’s Bazaar.

“We have got to look at candidates, you know, not by the color of their skin, not by their sexual orientation or their gender and not by their age. I mean, I think we have got to try to move us toward a non-discriminatory society which looks at people based on their abilities, based on what they stand for.” Vermont Public Radio, Feb. 2019

Many women and people of color view that statement as a reaffirmation of the “let white men rule, we’re better at it” theory of political governance. Wright perfects her roast of Sanders, and I encourage to read her piece, while I pull out a few highlights that still simmer in my conscious as a super active person in the Hillary Clinton campaign.

There was a bit of poetic justice when women who worked for Bernie in his 2016 primary campaign came forward to discuss how they were paid less and experienced sexual harassment. You see, with rare exceptions — finally hiring Symone Sanders who served as his national press secretary until late June 2016 — Bernie couldn’t really find many good women of any skin color to hire at a high level. His campaign was run by white men — a feature that he has fixed in his current 2020 run for the Democratic nomination.

Still, when women working in the field and as organizers complained about both wages and fending off sexual advances from male staffers, Bernie grabbed his mop of white hair and defended his inaction saying initially “I was a little bit busy running around the country”. After all, Bernie Sanders said that “women’s issues were a distraction” and Planned Parenthood — who is getting the crap kicked out of them by the Trump administration — is “the establishment”.

Sara Van Der Hoek's Pattern Frenzy By Katelijne Vergruggen For Marie Claire Netherlands

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Sara Van Der Hoek's Pattern Frenzy By Katelijne Vergruggen For Marie Claire Netherlands

Model Sara Van Der Hoek is styled by Anna Sokolowska in bold, summer 2019 designs lensed by Katelijne Verbruggen for Marie Claire Netherlands. / Hair and makeup by Magdalena Loza

Birgit Kos Poses In 'Fearless Fall' Fashion By Matthew Sprout For InStyle USA August 2019

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Birgit Kos Poses In 'Fearless Fall' Fashion By Matthew Sprout For InStyle USA August 2019

Dutch model Birgit Kos is styled by Julie Pelipas in ‘Fearless Fall’, lensed by Matthew Sprout for InStyle USA August 2019. / Hair by Shinya Nakagawa; makeup by Lisa Houghton

Nora Attal Shares Her Moroccan Roots in Oliver Hadlee Pearch Images For Vogue Italia July 2019

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Nora Attal Shares Her Moroccan Roots in Oliver Hadlee Pearch Images For Vogue Italia July 2019

Rising model Nora Attal shares her family story and Moroccan origins, posing with them in the July 2019 issue of Vogue Italia. Nora travels to her family home in Larache, located in north-western Morocco about 100 miles south of Gibraltar.

Dutch Actor Sylvia Hoeks Is Lensed By Daniel Bouquet For Vogue Netherlands July/August 2019

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Dutch Actor Sylvia Hoeks Is Lensed By Daniel Bouquet For Vogue Netherlands July/August 2019

Dutch actor and model Sylvia Hoeks, currently playing opposite Claire Foy in ‘The Girl in the Spider’s Web’ covers the July/August issue of Vogue Netherlands, dedicated to looking good and doing good. Fashion editor Dimphy Den Otter styles Hoeks in simple pieces from Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Prada, Saint Laurent, The Row and more for images by Daniel Bouquet. / Hair and makeup by Irena Ruben

Kate Moss In Alexander McQueen Fall 2019 Ode to English Tailoring Campaign By Steven Meisel

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Kate Moss In Alexander McQueen Fall 2019 Ode to English Tailoring Campaign By Steven Meisel

Supermodel Kate Moss is styled by Camilla Nickerson in Alexander McQueen’s Fall 2019 Ad Campaign, lensed by Jamie Hawkesworth./ Hair by Guido Palau; makeup by Dick Page

Steven Meisel Eyes Anok, Bente, Kaia+ Yassine In Versace Fall 2019 Campaign

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Steven Meisel Eyes Anok, Bente, Kaia+ Yassine In Versace Fall 2019 Campaign

Models Anok Yai, Bente Oort, Hang Yu, Huang Shixin, Ilja Sizov, Kaia Gerber, Maike Inga, Paul Hameline, and Yassine Jaajoui.star in Versace’s Fall 2019 Ad Campaign. Fashion photographer Steven Meisel is behind the lens with creative direction by Ferdinando Verderi. Jacob K styles the models in this first release of campaign images.. / Set design by Mary Howard; makeup by Pat McGrath; hair by Guido Palau

Vogue Japan Spotlights 10 Models on 15 Key Fashion Trend Covers For September 2019

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Vogue Japan Spotlights 10 Models on 15 Key Fashion Trend Covers For September 2019

Vogue Japan kicks off the Fall 2019 fashion season, releasing a major parade of model covers styled by Anna Dello Russo. Photographers Luigi & Iango are behind the lens bringing 10 top models front and center. They include Adut Akech, Anok Yai, Fran Summers, Hikari Mori, Kris Grikaite, Primrose Archer, Rebecca Leigh Longendyke, Remington Williams, Signe Veiteberg and Ugbad.

On a side note, many of fashion’s most articulate voices — Naomi Campbell to name one — are watching this year of models of color on the march. Personally, I think we’re entering a period of continued ascendancy for models of color, who are being propelled forward in the culture from politics to Hollywood and beyond.

I’m one of the people who is counting, tracking, observing any sign of the fashion industry falling back into old bad habits (which is a nice way of describing past reality.) If Vogue Japan is an indication, this new, beautiful and inspiring reality is going strong into Fall 2019. Our foot is on the pedal, and we’re not letting up on the drive for women of color to finally bloom in all their glory. We want to kick that door wide open and bolt it to the wall, so that it never closes on them again. Ever. ~ Anne

Zoe Ghertner Captures Vogue US 'The Present Is Female': Designers Behind Fashion Revolution

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Zoe Ghertner Captures Vogue US 'The Present Is Female': Designers Behind Fashion Revolution

Sarah Mower is the first person voice behind Vogue’s August 2019 in-depth ‘The Present Is Female: The Designers Behind a Fashion Revolution.’

A FEMALE CULTURE runs far and wide across the landscape of 21st-century fashion. It’s there at the top of the canopy, in major Parisian houses; it pervades the uprising of young, self-made independents and generations of established entrepreneurs: a multifaceted critical mass of women steadily working to change an industry for the better. What’s remarkable is the way they talk about feeling, their agile ability to intuit the time we live in, and their quiet but steady turning of the fashion world toward the overthrow of bad and old institutional behaviors.

Artist Dewey Crumpler Opposes Destroying 'Life of Washington' Mural For Very Good Reasons

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Artist Dewey Crumpler Opposes Destroying 'Life of Washington' Mural For Very Good Reasons

The firestorm over destroying the California New Deal-era George Washington Mural by Victor Arnautoff has hit Politico today. I've shared 2-3 earlier updates on AOC. For a refresher, Politico summarized the situation:

"The San Francisco Board of Education voted unanimously last month to paint over all 13 panels of the 1600 sq. ft. mural “Life of Washington,’’ a historic work commissioned during the New Deal that depicts George Washington as a slave owner. The move came after several vocal protesters demanded the move at a public meeting, saying their children were “traumatized” by depictions of the nation’s first president standing over the images of dead Native Americans."

Well, California Dems are so angry at the San Francisco school board that they sent out an emergency email alert seeking support for an effort to back a voter’s ballot measure to save the murals.

Dubbed the Coalition to Protect Public Art, the initiative aims to protect this art, “and perhaps other New Deal art in San Francisco’’ which may also be targeted.

Rep. Lauren Underwood (D) Introduces Bill To Standardize Health Care Screenings At US Border

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Rep. Lauren Underwood (D) Introduces Bill To Standardize Health Care Screenings At US Border

In the cage match between Trump and the Squad, it's easy to miss enlightened comments about the Mexico border migrant crisis like the one Democratic Congresswoman Lauren Underwood just delivered on 'Morning Joe'.

Congresswoman Underwood introduced The U.S. Border Patrol Medical Screening and Standards Act, which would standardized processes and training to ensure consistent medical screenings for migrants in US custody at the Mexico border, according to a news release.

"We progressive women aren't going anywhere," was her final statement. Underwood never embraced all of the Squad's positions or style; not did she try to separate herself from them. But as a Democratic woman of color who defeated a Republican in Illinois’s 14th congressional district in 2018, she's in that camp derided by our most left-wing voices. As if 'she' is the problem in executing the Democratic agenda and not Republicans!

Diet Prada Takes Victoria's Secret To Task For Ripping Off Fleur du Mal Lingerie

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In May 2019, Fast Company profiled the highly-influential Diet Prada’s work calling out copycat fashion designers and championing new ones. Diet Prada cofounders Tony Liu and Lindsey Schuyler are among Fast Company’s Most Creative People of 2019.

Victoria’s Secret can’t seem to stay out of the news. Not only has VS landed on Diet Prada’s front page Instagram for knocking off their former design director, but the post gave Diet Prada the opportunity to slice a bit of VS flesh over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

First, the VS knockoff of Fleur du Mal’s “appliquéd Lily bras and panties, dupes of which unsurprisingly showed up for sale on VS’ website and Instagram two days ago (at half the price),” writes Diet Prada. The Columbus, Ohio-based lingerie company placed a $12,656 web order from Fleur du Mal online. As a former design and fashion director head at VS,

I agree that brand knocked off Fleur du Mal. In fact, with a knock off that literal, who needs a design staff?

I agree that brand knocked off Fleur du Mal. In fact, with a knock off that literal, who needs a design staff?

Having been the VS Design Director from 2008-2011. Jennifer Zuccarini, Fleur du Mal’s founder, who previously co-founded the lingerie brand Kiki de Montparnasse in 2005, perhaps wondered what was happening with an order that size. I’m assuming that multiples were ordered — perhaps even enough for a test in a store or two.

Not only does Victoria’s Secret not need more bad publicity of any kind right now, but Diet Prada took the opportunity to discuss the Victoria’s Secret - Jeffrey Epstein connection.

But their troubles don’t stop there (The Fleur du Mal accusation). The recently exposed ties between L Brands’ CEO Les Wexner and Jeffrey Epstein Epstein, sent stock shares of VS’ parent company tumbling to the lowest they’ve been in nearly a decade. Epstein, a close friend and former financial advisor to Wexner, has of course been making headlines after being indicted on child sex trafficking charges. The day of his arrest last weekend, a trove of naked photos of underage girls was uncovered in his Upper East Side mansion, a home that was formerly owned by Wexner and reportedly transferred over to Epstein for $1. Hella shady and creepy, if we’ve ever seen it. Supermodels, it might be time to really rethink your contracts with Victoria’s Secret. Here’s to L Brands’ shares and VS’ profits tumbling even deeper lol.

I covered the latest Victoria’s Secret Epstein problems on July 12 as well. It’s difficult to process all the negative publicity VS has gotten in the last year. My in-depth comments were attached to the newest VS ad campaign. I just checked one VS Angel’s Instagram and she still hasn’t posted her campaign shots. She’s been out of the country but I say it’s no accident. On the 12th, two of the five models didn’t post the new campaign.

Alasdair McLellan Eyes 'At the Edge of the World' With Fran, Giselle, Nora + Ugbad for Vogue UK

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Alasdair McLellan Eyes 'At the Edge of the World' With Fran, Giselle, Nora + Ugbad for Vogue UK

Models Babacar N’Doye, Fran Summers, Giselle Norman, Leonard Mushiete, Nora Attal, Tom Heyes, and Ugbad Abdi are styled by Kate Phelan for ‘At the Edge of the World’. Photographer Alasdair McLellan captures the luxury-tailored crew in the remote beauty of Dungeness in Kent, England for British Vogue’s August 2019 issue.

The Biblical references are clear, but if this talented cast of multiracial models is headed for America now that Brexit-lover Boris Johnson is poised to become Britain’s Prime Minister, Trump wants to give them a heads-up, America is closed. Read on: Trump officials pressing to slash refugee admissions to zero next year @ Politico.

Sara Sampaio Poses For Marcin Tyszka In Pre-Fall Fashion Trends For Marie Claire Italy

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Sara Sampaio Poses For Marcin Tyszka In Pre-Fall Fashion Trends For Marie Claire Italy

Top model and VS Angel Sara Sampaio wears pre-fall looks from Givenchy, Moschino, Salvatore Ferragamo, Valentino, Versace and more styled by Elisabetta Massari. Photographer Marcin Tyszka is behind the lens for Marie Claire Italia August 2019.

Ellen Rosa Wears Black + White Fashion Architecture by Zoey Grossman for Harper's Bazaar Spain

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Ellen Rosa Wears Black + White Fashion Architecture by Zoey Grossman for Harper's Bazaar Spain

Brazilian model Ellen Rosa wears Burberry, Max Mara, Ralph Lauren, Saint Laurent and Valentino, styled by Joanna Hillman in ‘Nuevas Formas’. Zoey Grossman is behind the lens for Harper’s Bazaar Spain July 2019./ Hair by Sylvia Wheeler; makeup by Sir John

Saskia de Brauw Is Discrete Horse Lover, Lensed By Marcus Ohlsson for S Moda El Pais August 2019

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Saskia de Brauw Is Discrete Horse Lover, Lensed By Marcus Ohlsson for S Moda El Pais August 2019

Dutch model Saskia de Brauw is styled by Natalia Bengoechea as a country woman for La 'top' rara y discreta.' Photographer Marcus Ohlsson is behind the lens for S Moda El Pais August 2019./ Hair by Shingo Shibata; makeup by Linda Gradin