Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D.
@mdgarfinkel.bsky.social
"Native New Yorker, adoptive Chicagoan, 24-year veteran of being a stranger in a strange land." Drosophila (fly) person. Childless cat man. Cinema buff. "Fascinated by everything except how to dress," as Matt Groening would put it.
It’s #Caturday (still), so here is a #bicolor that I saw wandering the apartment complex earlier today.
There used to be a #cat colony on the grounds, but TNR & attrition depleted it long ago.
This one looks too healthy-looking to be feral or abandoned, but I honestly don’t know.
#catsofbluesky
There used to be a #cat colony on the grounds, but TNR & attrition depleted it long ago.
This one looks too healthy-looking to be feral or abandoned, but I honestly don’t know.
#catsofbluesky
November 9, 2025 at 1:32 AM
It’s #Caturday (still), so here is a #bicolor that I saw wandering the apartment complex earlier today.
There used to be a #cat colony on the grounds, but TNR & attrition depleted it long ago.
This one looks too healthy-looking to be feral or abandoned, but I honestly don’t know.
#catsofbluesky
There used to be a #cat colony on the grounds, but TNR & attrition depleted it long ago.
This one looks too healthy-looking to be feral or abandoned, but I honestly don’t know.
#catsofbluesky
It wouldn't be #Caturday without a #cat in a box... well, in this case, in an otherwise empty wastepaper bin.
"I see you!"
#catsofbluesky
#tabbies
"I see you!"
#catsofbluesky
#tabbies
November 1, 2025 at 3:47 PM
It wouldn't be #Caturday without a #cat in a box... well, in this case, in an otherwise empty wastepaper bin.
"I see you!"
#catsofbluesky
#tabbies
"I see you!"
#catsofbluesky
#tabbies
In honor of #Halloween I point out that #Drosophila has a class of lethal mutations called “Halloween” genes.
This set of genes includes #spook, after which I named one of my #cats…
#catsofbluesky
#noircats
This set of genes includes #spook, after which I named one of my #cats…
#catsofbluesky
#noircats
October 31, 2025 at 5:16 PM
In honor of #Halloween I point out that #Drosophila has a class of lethal mutations called “Halloween” genes.
This set of genes includes #spook, after which I named one of my #cats…
#catsofbluesky
#noircats
This set of genes includes #spook, after which I named one of my #cats…
#catsofbluesky
#noircats
October 25, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Well that’s interesting!
My printed copy of the Sunday 10/19/2025 NYT, home-delivered in Birmingham, Alabama, has different No Kings rally pictures “below the fold” and states the article is inside on page 22.
Where was your copy printed/purchased/delivered?
My printed copy of the Sunday 10/19/2025 NYT, home-delivered in Birmingham, Alabama, has different No Kings rally pictures “below the fold” and states the article is inside on page 22.
Where was your copy printed/purchased/delivered?
October 21, 2025 at 2:19 AM
Well that’s interesting!
My printed copy of the Sunday 10/19/2025 NYT, home-delivered in Birmingham, Alabama, has different No Kings rally pictures “below the fold” and states the article is inside on page 22.
Where was your copy printed/purchased/delivered?
My printed copy of the Sunday 10/19/2025 NYT, home-delivered in Birmingham, Alabama, has different No Kings rally pictures “below the fold” and states the article is inside on page 22.
Where was your copy printed/purchased/delivered?
If you attended #Dros25 back in March, you should recognize this patch of pavement …
Take Exit 3, make a right turn at the end of the ramp, follow signage & turn left into the T&C hotel grounds.
Y’all were there!
The live-fire action on Saturday took place in an area you _know._
#Drosophila
Take Exit 3, make a right turn at the end of the ramp, follow signage & turn left into the T&C hotel grounds.
Y’all were there!
The live-fire action on Saturday took place in an area you _know._
#Drosophila
October 20, 2025 at 6:13 PM
If you attended #Dros25 back in March, you should recognize this patch of pavement …
Take Exit 3, make a right turn at the end of the ramp, follow signage & turn left into the T&C hotel grounds.
Y’all were there!
The live-fire action on Saturday took place in an area you _know._
#Drosophila
Take Exit 3, make a right turn at the end of the ramp, follow signage & turn left into the T&C hotel grounds.
Y’all were there!
The live-fire action on Saturday took place in an area you _know._
#Drosophila
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) would have benefited from reading & contemplating this sign at the #Birmingham #Alabama #NoKings rally…
October 20, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) would have benefited from reading & contemplating this sign at the #Birmingham #Alabama #NoKings rally…
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) would have benefited from this sign at the #Birmingham #Alabama #NoKings rally…
October 20, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) would have benefited from this sign at the #Birmingham #Alabama #NoKings rally…
If you live in #Birmingham #Alabama and are so inclined come to the #NoKings rally this Saturday. Make your voice heard — clearly, loudly, peaceably — with millions others around the nation and world.
October 16, 2025 at 11:28 PM
If you live in #Birmingham #Alabama and are so inclined come to the #NoKings rally this Saturday. Make your voice heard — clearly, loudly, peaceably — with millions others around the nation and world.
October 11, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Watching _All That Jazz_ on #TCM for the umteenth time...
...and it's #Caturday night...
"You know what's underneath? The dreadful fear that you're ordinary, not special."
Streeter & Raleigh beg to differ. "We ARE extraordinary!"
#tabbies #orangecats #catsofbluesky
...and it's #Caturday night...
"You know what's underneath? The dreadful fear that you're ordinary, not special."
Streeter & Raleigh beg to differ. "We ARE extraordinary!"
#tabbies #orangecats #catsofbluesky
October 5, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Watching _All That Jazz_ on #TCM for the umteenth time...
...and it's #Caturday night...
"You know what's underneath? The dreadful fear that you're ordinary, not special."
Streeter & Raleigh beg to differ. "We ARE extraordinary!"
#tabbies #orangecats #catsofbluesky
...and it's #Caturday night...
"You know what's underneath? The dreadful fear that you're ordinary, not special."
Streeter & Raleigh beg to differ. "We ARE extraordinary!"
#tabbies #orangecats #catsofbluesky
September 27, 2025 at 6:05 PM
#Caturday night's alright for flying, let's get a little action in!
#orangecats #tabby #catfishing #acrocats #cats #catsky #catsofbsky
#orangecats #tabby #catfishing #acrocats #cats #catsky #catsofbsky
September 13, 2025 at 3:31 AM
#Caturday night's alright for flying, let's get a little action in!
#orangecats #tabby #catfishing #acrocats #cats #catsky #catsofbsky
#orangecats #tabby #catfishing #acrocats #cats #catsky #catsofbsky
It's #Caturday...
Here are two now-departed members of the "Tabby Cabal" trio who moved from Chicago to Birmingham in 2001.
The grey tabby is the Turkish immigrant I've mentioned before.
His head-licking property-marking behavior extended to _me_ as well. (Don't ask; there are no pictures.)
Here are two now-departed members of the "Tabby Cabal" trio who moved from Chicago to Birmingham in 2001.
The grey tabby is the Turkish immigrant I've mentioned before.
His head-licking property-marking behavior extended to _me_ as well. (Don't ask; there are no pictures.)
July 26, 2025 at 4:11 AM
It's #Caturday...
Here are two now-departed members of the "Tabby Cabal" trio who moved from Chicago to Birmingham in 2001.
The grey tabby is the Turkish immigrant I've mentioned before.
His head-licking property-marking behavior extended to _me_ as well. (Don't ask; there are no pictures.)
Here are two now-departed members of the "Tabby Cabal" trio who moved from Chicago to Birmingham in 2001.
The grey tabby is the Turkish immigrant I've mentioned before.
His head-licking property-marking behavior extended to _me_ as well. (Don't ask; there are no pictures.)
It's already #Caturday somewhere, so here goes:
This #orange #piebald #nonagouti #kitten entered my life on New Year's Day 2000, when he was 8 weeks old & wandering in the very cold snowy alley behind my Chicago apartment.
The color balance is off; never shoot tungsten 35mm film in ordinary light.
This #orange #piebald #nonagouti #kitten entered my life on New Year's Day 2000, when he was 8 weeks old & wandering in the very cold snowy alley behind my Chicago apartment.
The color balance is off; never shoot tungsten 35mm film in ordinary light.
June 28, 2025 at 2:03 AM
It's already #Caturday somewhere, so here goes:
This #orange #piebald #nonagouti #kitten entered my life on New Year's Day 2000, when he was 8 weeks old & wandering in the very cold snowy alley behind my Chicago apartment.
The color balance is off; never shoot tungsten 35mm film in ordinary light.
This #orange #piebald #nonagouti #kitten entered my life on New Year's Day 2000, when he was 8 weeks old & wandering in the very cold snowy alley behind my Chicago apartment.
The color balance is off; never shoot tungsten 35mm film in ordinary light.
He was, according to lore, born in Istanbul & smuggled into the US as an infant. Only 8 weeks old, he was offered for adoption in the classifieds of the Chicago Tribune. That was in 1998. Shown here in this #Caturday picture, he was 4 years old. He talked _a lot._ His soul transmigrated in 2014.
June 14, 2025 at 5:29 AM
He was, according to lore, born in Istanbul & smuggled into the US as an infant. Only 8 weeks old, he was offered for adoption in the classifieds of the Chicago Tribune. That was in 1998. Shown here in this #Caturday picture, he was 4 years old. He talked _a lot._ His soul transmigrated in 2014.
Somewhere in the world it's already #Caturday ... and so here's my offering for 7 June 2025.
The kitten-on-a-bookshelf whose picture I posted a couple of months ago grew up into a very scholarly cat. Shown here, at age 13, she is reading _Sky & Telescope_ magazine.
The kitten-on-a-bookshelf whose picture I posted a couple of months ago grew up into a very scholarly cat. Shown here, at age 13, she is reading _Sky & Telescope_ magazine.
June 7, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Somewhere in the world it's already #Caturday ... and so here's my offering for 7 June 2025.
The kitten-on-a-bookshelf whose picture I posted a couple of months ago grew up into a very scholarly cat. Shown here, at age 13, she is reading _Sky & Telescope_ magazine.
The kitten-on-a-bookshelf whose picture I posted a couple of months ago grew up into a very scholarly cat. Shown here, at age 13, she is reading _Sky & Telescope_ magazine.
I have a problem that @flybase.bsky.social should be able to solve for me (and others too).
I get error messages when I try to use the jbrowse "visual display of RNA-Seq signals" function available at the "home page" for a particular gene. See attached screenshot.
I get error messages when I try to use the jbrowse "visual display of RNA-Seq signals" function available at the "home page" for a particular gene. See attached screenshot.
May 12, 2025 at 3:38 PM
I have a problem that @flybase.bsky.social should be able to solve for me (and others too).
I get error messages when I try to use the jbrowse "visual display of RNA-Seq signals" function available at the "home page" for a particular gene. See attached screenshot.
I get error messages when I try to use the jbrowse "visual display of RNA-Seq signals" function available at the "home page" for a particular gene. See attached screenshot.
May 4, 2025 at 1:01 AM
You don't need to read or speak any dialect of French to understand this _Le Journal de Montréal_ newspaper cover from early February 2025...
April 29, 2025 at 3:44 AM
You don't need to read or speak any dialect of French to understand this _Le Journal de Montréal_ newspaper cover from early February 2025...
In honor with #Caturday, here is a closely cropped picture of my then-very-young first cat, which was taken in early 1989.
Brownie points to any #Drosophila people who can identify the scientific journals on the bookshelf below. @genetics-gsa.bsky.social & @cshlnews.bsky.social folk are ineligible.
Brownie points to any #Drosophila people who can identify the scientific journals on the bookshelf below. @genetics-gsa.bsky.social & @cshlnews.bsky.social folk are ineligible.
April 26, 2025 at 9:54 PM
In honor with #Caturday, here is a closely cropped picture of my then-very-young first cat, which was taken in early 1989.
Brownie points to any #Drosophila people who can identify the scientific journals on the bookshelf below. @genetics-gsa.bsky.social & @cshlnews.bsky.social folk are ineligible.
Brownie points to any #Drosophila people who can identify the scientific journals on the bookshelf below. @genetics-gsa.bsky.social & @cshlnews.bsky.social folk are ineligible.
There is something deliciously ironic in reading about Trump Media Technology Group calling for a SEC investigation into short-selling of DJT stock when Trump-DOGE is eviscerating that agency.
Because we don't need Federal regulators protecting consumers & enforcing rules that control free markets.
Because we don't need Federal regulators protecting consumers & enforcing rules that control free markets.
April 22, 2025 at 1:37 AM
There is something deliciously ironic in reading about Trump Media Technology Group calling for a SEC investigation into short-selling of DJT stock when Trump-DOGE is eviscerating that agency.
Because we don't need Federal regulators protecting consumers & enforcing rules that control free markets.
Because we don't need Federal regulators protecting consumers & enforcing rules that control free markets.