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Archive for the ‘Other’ Category

Of Course, Cuddles

“I’m sorry,” the vet said, “but it looks like Chewie’s teeth are in pretty rough shape.”

Hang on, what? I mean, he had bad nutrition and little care before we got him, but he’s not that old.

“See this line of tartar, and the inflammation in his gums?”

I could indeed see that. That’s why we asked about a cleaning.

“We won’t know how bad it is until we get him under and take x-rays, but it’s possible we may need to remove some teeth.”

Ruh-ro. That sounded not great.

We made an appointment. The day arrived. Today is that day.

/cue dramatic montage of us packing up a cranky cat, delivering said cat, and distractedly working while waiting for word on the cat

The phone rings. 

“He’s fine.”

Phew.

“Only one tooth was very bad so we’ve removed it. He’ll need a couple of weeks with just wet food, pain management, and of course, cuddles.”

That we can do. 

And this, gentle reader, is my cat story for the day. Join me later for the inevitable followup, “Shameless Cat Exploits Injury to Extort Excessive Number of Treats from Family.”

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Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

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I recently had a bit of tax-related drama. I believe I’ve mentioned that I pay taxes in two countries, and that doing said taxes can be a bit of a pain. That’s particularly true when one receives unexpected mail from a tax agency requesting a complicated document within a given time frame. 

All fine and good, except when the request gets stuck in the mail during a postal strike and that deadline is now looming.

I reached out to my accountant in a bit of a panic and heard back from her right away. Not only was she familiar with the form that needed to be filled out, but she could do it that day.

The whole process took about an hour in an otherwise unremarkable afternoon, but it brought home the value of people who are able and willing. 

I wrote a note thanking her for being an absolute treasure.

Accounting is her profession, of course, and maybe this wasn’t a big deal for her. That said, her timely and thoughtful help was a big deal for me.

In a world that is often dark, it’s worth trying to bring a little light.

The nice part? This isn’t about heroism or constant perfection. It’s about doing what you can, where you can. 

If we can do that, we can all be treasures too.

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Photo by Braxton Apana on Unsplash

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“In reality, Little Ones, there are two winters. One made for kids; the other for adults. The one made for adults is always too cold and always too long. The one made for kids is always perfect. A kid winter is an endless and wild snow carnival where all the rides are free.”

— Carew Papritz

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Photo by Kostiantyn Li on Unsplash

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Tonight’s full moon is called the Snow Moon. How appropriate, as we are about to get hit with what people are calling Snowmageddon 2025.

How to see tonight’s full Snow Moon rise with the ‘Heart of the Lion’ before Valentine’s Day

The moon will be officially full at 8:53 a.m. EST on Wednesday (Feb. 12) and will be best seen at dusk at the moment of moonrise where you are. It will be in the constellation Leo, hanging above the bright star Regulus. 

And since we’re talking storms, if you’ve ever wondered why some bring snow while others bring sleet or freezing rain, check this out: Severe Weather 101: Winter Weather Types.

We may not be able to see the moon tonight, if the storm is as dramatic as predicted, but it’s nice to know it’s up there!

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“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”

— Vincent Van Gogh

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Photo by Patrik László on Unsplash

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The forces of chaos are strong this week, especially with our neighbours to the south. Look for what’s good!

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Photo by Nina Strehl on Unsplash

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This one’s for my father, who introduced us to Saturday Night Live and to music.

Questlove’s Fantastic Video Mix of 50 Years of SNL Music

Oh this is just delightful: for the opening of his documentary film on the history of music on SNL he co-directed with Oz Rodriguez, Questlove produced what the NY Times calls “a high-speed, six-minute DJ mix of SNL music highlights”. So. Good.

There’s a link to the video in the article. It’s mostly blurred but the audio is still playable (you can watch the full video on Peacock if you have it; I don’t but the audio was still fun).

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Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

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“To survive, you must tell stories.”

— Umberto Eco

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This is a brief note for any iPhone (or Mac, see note) users out there.

Apple releases iOS 18.3 with AI-powered Apple Intelligence on by default

Apple has kicked off iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and MacOS 15.3 with one significant change affecting AI. Since its debut, Apple Intelligence has required the extra step of actually turning it on or opting in. But with the new versions, Apple’s AI feature is enabled by default for eligible devices.

Sigh. I’m not a Luddite but that doesn’t mean I want AI rummaging around in my phone whenever it wants. If you feel that way too, or just want to extend your battery life, you can disable this new annoying “feature.”

Fortunately, it’s easy to do: How to turn off Apple Intelligence now that it’s on by default

Disable Apple Intelligence by navigating to “Settings” > “Apple Intelligence & Siri” and toggle off the button next to “Apple Intelligence.”

Enjoy your (temporary?) escape from the AI powers that be!

Note: The latest Mac OS (15.3 as of this writing) also defaults Apple Intelligence to *on.* Act accordingly, folks!

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Photo by David Monje on Unsplash

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Today is Holocaust Memorial Day. I do try to emphasize the brighter side of life in this blog and this is not that, but it’s important. Fewer children are taught this history and too many adults act like it never happened (and could never happen again).

As survivors pass on those of us who remain must remember what and how and why. Not only for those who died, but for ourselves and our futures. This is the power of stories.

It is right that those who committed atrocities be held responsible, but remembrance days like this aren’t primarily about blame for past guilt. They are about the political tides that make these events possible. They are about the ordinary people swept up in such times.

Most of all, they are about avoiding future repetition.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day – United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27—the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau—as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a time to remember the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and the millions of other victims of Nazi persecution.

‘New way of bearing witness’: one of biggest Holocaust archives goes online

Announced on Holocaust Memorial Day, the Wiener Holocaust Library’s new online platform includes more than 150,000 items collected over nine decades. Users can view letters, pamphlets and photographs that record the rise of fascism in Britain and Europe.

My grandpa chose not to speak about his Holocaust experiences – but he asked me to tell the world

I’ve been asked why I believe Holocaust education is so important, and I find it hard to verbalise. It seems so obvious to me, as the grandchild of survivors, that these stories must continue to be told – it sounds cliche to quote “those who forget history are doomed to repeat it”, but with every passing year, it’s clear we are continuing to forget the horrors humanity is capable of. Gyuri’s final message was clear: tell the world, so they can learn from it.

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Photo by Jan Huber on Unsplash

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