True strength lies in admitting weakness, and then working to fix it.
* * *
Archive for the ‘Other’ Category
Aim Higher
Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, Thoughts, Writers on July 22, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Living a Life
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, another Hank Green quote, human existence, Thoughts on July 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »
People things are the hardest work, but also often the most important work. Orient yourself not just toward the construction and acquisition of new tools, but to the needs of people, and that include you, it includes your friends and your family. I think we can sometimes feel so powerful and like the world is so big that throwing a birthday party or making a playlist for a friend can seem too insignificant when placed against the enormity of Al and climate change and the erosion of democracy. But those thoughts alienate you from the reality of human existence, from your place as a builder not just of tools, but of meaning. And that’s not just about impact and productivity and problem solving, it is about living a life.
— Hank Green
* * *
Wishing You Charming Gardeners
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, Thoughts on July 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
— Marcel Proust
* * *
Take Heart
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, Thoughts on July 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Now, I Think
Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, action, creativity, inspiration, procrastination, Thoughts, writing on July 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »
There is no perfect moment to begin.
— Seth Godin
* * *
Lunch, Olde Time Edition
Posted in Food and..., Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, better now, FDA, food, olden times, regulations, Writers on July 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Let’s call this post the latest in my “actually, some things are very definitely better, thankfully!” series.
What was food like before the FDA? | Popular Science
Short answer? Not good!
Read the article for more on formaldehyde, brick dust, lead and other things you never thought would be mentioned in a story about food. (There’s also a shout-out to Upton Sinclair’s classic novel The Jungle, which, among other things, helped publicize the unsavory conditions inside Chicago’s meatpacking plants.)
Now I’m off to have a Plaster of Paris-free sandwich, yum!
* * *
Some Day Is Today
Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, creativity, Thoughts, Writers on July 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Not getting everything done you’d hoped? Life intruding into your carefully made plans? It happens. Some days are weird.
And some days you just need to give yourself a break.
* * *
Happier For It
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, Thoughts, yay on July 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »
For reasons known only to the universe, we know a surprising number of people who were born today. That means it’s an excellent chance for me to cheer them on.
Not everyone wants a big to do, but whether you love your birthday, loathe it, or struggle to remember how old you are, the day is also an opportunity for the rest of us to appreciate you.
You’re here. And we’re happier for it.
* * *
The Side of Kindness
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, kindness, Thoughts on July 6, 2025| Leave a Comment »
We recently had something of a family emergency. We’re okay and I’m mentioning it now not for sympathy, but because it reminded me that no matter what it looks like from the outside, you never really know what a person is going through.
When you can, err on the side of kindness.
* * *
Enjoy the Ride
Posted in Other, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, aphelion, astronomy, science, space on July 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Whoops, I forgot to mention a recent solar system milestone. Two days ago, the Earth (that’s you and that’s me!) reached aphelion, or the point in our orbit at which we’re the farthest distance away from the Sun. That puts us at approximately (give or take the distance we’ve traveled in the past two days) about 3 million miles farther away from the sun than we are at perihelion.
It also raises a funny question:
Aphelion: Earth is as far away from the sun as it ever gets. So why is it so hot?
This happens every year in early July, which might sound backward. If we’re farthest from the sun, shouldn’t it be cooler?
The answer lies in the fact that the Earth gets closer to and farther away from the Sun, but it’s also tilted.
Our planet spins at an angle — about 23.5 degrees — which means different parts of the globe receive more (or less) sunlight depending on the time of year. In July, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, bringing longer days and higher sun angles that lead to more direct sunlight — all of which produce summer-like heat.
And as this Space.com article details, we’re also moving at our slowest:
Since Kepler’s laws of motion dictate that celestial bodies orbit more slowly when farther from the sun, we are now moving at our slowest pace in orbit, slightly less than 18 miles per second (29 kilometers per second) compared to just over 19 at perihelion.
Given that, today might be a good time to relax, and enjoy the ride.
* * *
-
Recent Posts
She Said, He Said
-
-
Favorite Posts
Archives
Categories
It’s All So Random
What I’m Reading
You must be logged in to post a comment.