New Florida’s driver’s license features gator, Space Shuttle, ‘Let Us Alone’ motto – NBC 6 South Florida

Sure, the license represents Florida through the imagery… and of course it has a racist overtone. 

The phrase "Let Us Alone" appeared on a Florida state flag adopted in 1845, symbolizing the state's desire for sovereignty and to be left undisturbed, particularly concerning issues like slavery.

Historical Context

• Florida Statehood: The "Let Us Alone" flag was adopted when Florida became a state in 1845, reflecting a period of significant political tension leading up to the Civil War.

• Sovereignty and States' Rights: the phrase conveyed a message of independence and states' rights. The flag's motto articulated Florida's wish to manage its internal affairs without federal interference.

• Slavery Debate: The phrase was used by Southern states during this era to express their stance on slavery, indicating their desire for the federal government to not interfere with their right to own slaves.

https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/new-floridas-drivers-license-features-gator-space-shuttle-let-us-alone-motto/3866044/

Watch "Your Monthly Dose of Good News | September" on YouTube

Sometimes it's nice to hear some good news.  Here are some articles that another kind soul collected:

https://youtu.be/WSgGE6OLMFE?is=gnxk0ohEiV6wYsCu

When Mariner 4 sent back the first close-up of Mars in 1965, the printer was too slow for the engineers waiting on it, so they pinned the raw numbers to a wall and coloured them in with pastels bought from an art shop down the road

The thing I love about this story is how the engineers came up with a solution to a seemingly trivial problem: how do you keep up with data being sent back from space in a low tech way?

The answer was to simply write down things and pin them onto the wall and color them. 

Sometimes a simple problem requires a simple solution. 

https://spacedaily.com/b-when-mariner-4-sent-back-the-first-close-up-of-mars-in-1965-the-printer-was-too-slow-for-the-engineers-waiting-on-it-so-they-pinned-the-raw-numbers-to-a-wall-and-coloured-them-in-with-pastels-bought/

Amerigo Vespucci: Biography, Explorer, New World

Here is the biography of the man for whom the United States of America is named. 

But … there’s just a little more to the story. He Vespucci is credited with having found Brazil on his travels, and the land was named America in his honor. 

But when it came to making a map some years later, in the later part of the 1500s, the Mercator map (you know, the one that distorts some areas in favor of others for various reasons), called both the South American continent *and* the North American continent (which had been “discovered” by Columbus a few decades before) “America”

https://www.biography.com/history-culture/amerigo-vespucci

And more about the Mercator map:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercator_projection

Wake Shield Facilty Project

Back in the early1990s, scientists looked at the possibility of creating high quality semiconductors in space. They did this by creating a wake behind a satellite and using the vacuum to do so. 

You can read more about the program here

 

https://www.uh.edu/svec/wsfp-desc.html

Or check out this pretty good overview

https://youtu.be/LenEdfclil8?si=2Wi1S635ryIMlVPq

2026 Eco-Hero Arjun Jain | Action For Nature

Mad respect to this young man. He is a true eco hero, even if he only placed third in the competition this year. 

He started growing hydroponic fruits and vegetables, and selling them locally at low prices, to help with food insecurity.

He saw an opportunity and seized on it. Starting off as an individual who wanted to help, and growing that business while encourages others to do similar things. 

Excellent. 

 

https://actionfornature.org/eco-hero-winners/arjun-jain

The Florida Everglades Have a Python Problem. High-Tech Stuffies Are Helping Get Rid of Invasive Snakes

I was reading the attached article about how state officials are using toy rabbits to lure o it pythons, who can be captured and sent to the python afterlife. 

And among the first things I thought of was the Caerbannog rabbit. You know the “killer rabbit” from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 

Because it all kind of weirdly fits. 

https://people.com/florida-everglades-python-problem-bunny-stuffies-helping-rid-invasive-snakes-12136728