Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, #ThisDigitalAge, #yoursoulwasdelicious, rights, Thoughts, tl;dr, TOS, tricksy on October 25, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Installing new software? Want to make sure you aren’t giving away the rights to your immortal soul in the process? You may want to stop by Terms of Service; Didn’t Read.
This free service distills all that obscure fine print into a list of the least favorable terms and a letter grade so that you at least have some idea what you’re signing onto.
Your soul will thank you.
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, #alittlesadtoday, adulting, cats, home, pets, Thoughts on October 20, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Let’s be honest, a lot of adulting is actually pretty ok.
Example:
Mr. Man: “Hey honey, want to have breakfast for dinner tonight followed by ice cream?”
Me: “Yes, yes I do.”
But other parts are not as much fun.
Example:
Dr. Vet: “I’m so sorry, but it looks like your cat has about two months to live.”
oof
Time to make sure those two months are as close to breakfast for dinner as possible.
Because that’s something else adults can do.
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Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, #adventure, Malibu, memories, Thoughts, writing on October 17, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Sunday
Malibu HotelThe sun just broke through the morning clouds bringing warmth and new life to the ocean. Not that it needs it. Birds are everywhere, their presence indicating a basically healthy ecosystem. It also tells me that despite not seeing much in the water, there’s a great deal of life in the ocean. None of this is familiar, from the crash of waves on a choppy day to the glint of sun off water or the gulls floating above the shore. I am here to attend a wedding but right now, that’s the least memorable thing about this trip.
On the way down to breakfast yesterday I passed an old photograph of Malibu Colony. It was taken from the north looking down toward the Adams House and beyond to LA. The houses were small then and pressed close to the beach, low against the wind. A two-lane highway separated the houses from a bit of farmland, a road house that is still there, and a series of empty fields that says all that’s needed about land values in those days.
It was a very different place and yet the ocean still dominates, the hills still face the water. The narrow road still provides a winding lifeline to the city, although it’s less adequate than it was a hundred years ago. Life is easier here now, if only because the residents have discovered, and packaged, the true value of the land. These rows and rows of pink houses, mansions on the bluff, and motels of all stripes exist because we enjoy the beauty of this place, but also because we love to walk to the edge, lean over as far as we can, and wonder what’s out there.
In my mind, this town at the edge of the continent is an outpost, our leaping-off point into the unknown. What an appropriate place to start a marriage, at the edge of the familiar, loved ones sending you off with well-wishes and heartfelt blessings.
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We met for brunch at a café down the road from the hotel and I was treated to my first insider glimpse of Malibu life. Despite its unprepossessing location on the strip the parking lot was full of Mercedes. This is a mall, and it is treated with respect.
Squinting against the summer glare, I thought I’d stumbled into a supernova. Instead I was surrounded by women with blindingly white hair, their helmets and war paint and sleek-fitting uniforms overwhelming. Perfect hair, boobs, makeup and noses all packed into bodies at various stages of preservation. I let them pass.
Hands grip the boat’s side
golden skin on the water
summer sets so fast.
Posted in Likes, Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, environment, inspiration, remix on October 15, 2021| Leave a Comment »
You know how sometimes you see a thing and it sets off little creative sparkles in your brain parts? Well, that’s what happened when I spotted this striking piece of art:
Giant “Faucet” Spewing Single-Use Plastic Urges Us To Reconsider Our Plastic Use
When I saw this my first thought (after “Ok, that’s insanely cool”) was “How can I do that?
Lucky me (and you, if you’re so inclined), the artist has not only created this installation* but turned it into an interactive opportunity. Just as I was visualizing the steps needed to trim a tap like that and build a fountain of plastics, I spotted this:
If you are an artist or creative that would like to participate, join us in creating a remix of the Giant Plastic Tap
— This three story tall giant art installation is leaking plastics into different environments – Von Wong Blog
Don’t mind if I do! If you want to join the fun, all files needed to remix your very own giant plastic tap are available here:
Remix the Giant Plastic Tap – Photoshop Challenge! – Dropbox Paper
Check out this post for more details on usage.
* * *
I’m practicing new photo processing techniques and thought this was a good place to start. Lots to learn (ugh, lighting and color balance! I was in a hurry, but still) and this challenge is a great way to do it.
* Von Wong’s mind-bending original project was sponsored by the Embassy of Canada in France. Because Canadians are awesome. Every single one!
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, space, star trek, Thoughts on October 13, 2021| Leave a Comment »
William Shatner, the 90-year-old perhaps best known for playing Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek, flew 100km up into space in a Blue Origin rocket today. He and the other crew members returned safely to Earth ten minutes later.
In completely unrelated news, all those planning to zap Jeff Bezos with a phaser are asked to please stand down.
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, family, fun, Mark Twain, quotes, Samuel Clemens, Thoughts, Writers, writing on October 4, 2021| Leave a Comment »
A long-time family friend always says goodbye by saying “Be good!” My father always answers the same way: “Have fun!”
You can see which side Samuel Clemens occupied.
I at least try to split the difference.
Posted in Holidays, Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, history, Indigenous art, inspiration, progress, Thoughts on September 30, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Today is Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
It’s good to see at least some progress on long-overdue Indigenous issues, but it also raises a question. How do we deal with difficult topics? Expression, sharing, recognition, and dialog are constructive options, and art plays a fundamental role in each of these elements.
9 Indigenous musicians reflect on what truth and reconciliation means to them | CBC News
This article interviews Indigenous creators, about their art and their thoughts on reconciliation, and also includes links to their work. I particularly like this quote from Inuk singer-songwriter and filmmaker Elisapie:
“Like I always say, this is our story. But this is definitely your story, too. So get on with it and discuss and face those uncomfortable questions and try to find the answers, too, right?”
* * *
I also like this quote from Murray Sinclair:
“I did say … at the end of the TRC report that we will not achieve reconciliation in my lifetime. We will probably not achieve it in the lifetime of my children. We may not even achieve it in the lifetime of my grandchildren,” Sinclair, a former senator and chief commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), told Unreserved host Rosanna Deerchild.
“But if we make a concerted effort … then eventually we will be able, some day, to wake up and, to our surprise, find that we are treating each other in a way that was intended when contact was first made.”
— National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is 1 step on a long journey, says Murray Sinclair | CBC Radio
So here’s to what’s hard getting easier. And to waking up.
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Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, action, inspiration, quotes, Thoughts, work on September 27, 2021| Leave a Comment »
“You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.”
― Carl Gustav Jung
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, stupid Covid, Thoughts, weather maps on September 26, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Out of an abundance of caution we went in for a Covid test today (yes, another one). Drive-through this time, plus they had us hum through the probing. So that was new and interesting.
And… I think I’m pretty much done for the afternoon. Instead of a new recipe, or my thoughts on freezing herbs or the new Space Force uniforms or the pain of slogging through a book only to realize that it really does lack all redeeming qualities, here’s an excellent visualization of global wind patterns.
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I find watching these globe-spanning rivers of air quite soothing. It’s beautiful, and helps make any problems I might be having feel small.
And now it’s time for a frosty adult beverage!
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, cat, home, obligatory capitalizations on September 24, 2021| Leave a Comment »
The cat made it through her Vet Experience* and is now home, spending most of her time sleeping off the anesthesia.
Health-wise, it looks like she’s doing pretty ok (especially for a cat her age). In case you were wondering!
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* She informs me that this should be capitalized, because I have No Idea How Terrible It Was.
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