MSI Press Blog

Carl and Murjan , at table Carl loved food. Not in the way people love snacks or comfort meals. He loved food like a musician loves sound—deeply, reverently, with curiosity and delight. He grilled with precision, plated with flair, and never met a cuisine he didn’t want to explore. Ethiopian injera, Vietnamese pho, Sicilian caponata—he welcomed them all. Food was his passport, his playground, his poetry. Carl didn’t binge. He didn’t eat to numb or escape. He ate because he loved the taste, the textures, the craftsmanship. He ate like some people chase sunsets or symphonies. It was his feel-good stuff. 🍽️ When Passion Meets Physiology Carl’s appetite was joyful, but it was also relentless. Over time, his body bore the weight of his enthusiasm—literally. He developed health complications, including cancer, and his doctors noted that his size played a role. This isn’t a cautionary tale. It’s a complexity tale. Some people eat to soothe emotions. Others eat to chase flavor. Some ...

  Intrepid and Murjan, looking out the sliding door Ever wonder what your cat sees when she stares out the window or pounces on a dust mote? Feline vision is a marvel of adaptation—built for twilight hunting, not color theory. 🔹 Color, but not like us Cats aren’t stuck in black and white. They see muted shades of blue and green, but reds and pinks fade into grayish tones. Think of their world as a cool-toned watercolor—less vibrant, but rich in contrast. 🔹 Night vision ninjas Thanks to a high rod-to-cone ratio in their retinas, cats excel in low light. Their eyes gather ambient light like moonlight collectors, making them stealthy navigators at dawn and dusk. 🔹 Motion over detail Cats don’t see fine detail as sharply as humans, but they’re masters of detecting movement. A twitching tail or fluttering insect grabs their attention faster than a static toy. And then there’s Simone. Blind, but not broken. She maps her world through whiskers, scent, and memory. We’ve learned t...

  Sula's cubby at the Misson Gift Shop On September 5 , we celebrate National White Cat Day , a tribute to the luminous companions whose snowy coats and quiet presence bring light into our lives. Often overlooked in the swirl of feline folklore, white cats carry their own symbolism—purity, wisdom, and spiritual grace—and deserve a day of recognition all their own. 🧬 Beauty with Complexity White cats are more than their coats. Their genetics can carry unique traits, such as increased sensitivity to sunlight or congenital deafness, especially in blue-eyed individuals. These quirks don’t diminish their worth—they deepen it. Caring for a white cat means embracing nuance: shielding delicate ears from sunburn, tuning into nonverbal cues, and honoring their quiet ways of communicating. 🐾 A Different Kind of Mystery While black cats are often cast as mysterious, white cats embody a different kind of enigma. They seem to glow in low light, their movements soft and deliberate. Their p...