“Statues are torn down, buildings with people’s names on them erode. The world is in constant change. The only legacy I recognize is doing good. I’m human, with my terrible faults, but I’m an admirer of good deeds.” — William Shatner
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Posted in Other | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, do good things, inspiration, legacy, quotes, Thoughts | Leave a Comment »
I may have mentioned before that I had a transformative encounter with a scary movie as a child (and still don’t like Dutch Colonial architecture) and don’t enjoy horror. I don’t often read it or write it, at least not on purpose, but my sleeping mind sometimes forgets that.
I woke this morning with a six-word story in my head.
Go away! We buried you yesterday.
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Posted in Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, #YesIt'sZombiesAndYesIt'sScary!, creativity, dreams, horror, six-word story, Writers, writing | 1 Comment »
Before MacKenzie Scott became one of the world’s most generous philanthropists, she was a novelist. Turns out she still is.
MacKenzie Scott has given away $26B. Now she’s releasing a novel—but you won’t find it on Amazon
Scott is releasing her new novel piece by piece, having dropped the title, epigraph, personae, and contents on Saturday, the prologue on Sunday, and the first chapter called “Monday” on Monday. It appears the entire novel will be out by Aug. 31.
Interestingly, the story is being serialized on Substack and is still being released, but this link takes you to the main page.
Start with the August 8th post, “Last Days in Two Nations.”
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Posted in Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, free fiction, literature, MacKenzie Scott, novels, publishing, Writers, writing | Leave a Comment »
Well, this is cool. Robert J. Sawyer, who I believe is still Canada’s most decorated sci-fi author, just won the Aurora Award for Best Novel for The Downloaded 2: Ghosts in the Machine.
Sci-fi author Robert J. Sawyer among winners of the 2026 Aurora Awards | CBC Books
In the book, a starship crew and ex-convict Roscoe Koudoulian upload their digital consciousnesses into cyberspace as an asteroid is about to crash into the earth. While in the digital world, they come face to face with ghosts from their past — and learn that the existence of the human race could soon be destroyed.
I’m looking forward to reading this, and the rest of what looks to be a very promising slate of science fiction and fantasy!
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Posted in Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, #ThankACanadian, Auroras, awards, sci-fi, science fiction, Writers, writing | 1 Comment »
A quick reminder if you are in the path of today’s solar eclipse: it’s almost time! Here are a few interesting and related articles while you wait:)
The four astronauts who rounded Earth’s natural satellite in April got an extremely rare view of the dark lunar disk blocking out the sun.
The ultimate eclipse chase: A Concorde raced against the Moon’s shadow – Ars Technica
Fitted with telescopes, the plane did our longest imaging of the Sun’s corona.
From Solar corona to human emotions: What can we learn from eclipses? (2-4) – France 24
From the Sun’s corona to animal behaviour and human emotions, these rare celestial events continue to provide scientists with valuable insights more than two millennia after they were first observed.
It’s cloudy here right now but I’m still hoping to have clearer skies. Hopefully you will too, but if not, livestream it here! LIVE: Total Solar Eclipse – August 12, 2026
Here are a couple of other fun tools for mapping the eclipse.
2026 Total Solar Eclipse Interactive Map
New eclipse web app tracks real-time Sun coverage from anywhere in the world | Center for Astrophysics (here’s the app: Solar Eclipse 2026)
And tonight, the best meteor shower show of the year!
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Posted in Science! | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, astronomy, eclipse, inspiration, meteor shower, Perseids, space | 1 Comment »
Tomorrow is an interesting day, astronomically speaking. Let me check my list; it’s a long one (and be warned, exclamation marks ahead!).
Let’s see:
- solar eclipse, check
- meteor shower, check
- planetary conjunction, check!
The Eclipse
Parts of Western Europe will see a total eclipse, the first visible on mainland Europe in 27 years, but many other places on Earth will have at least a partial version. When and where can you see it? Here’s a look at the timing.
What time is the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026? | Space
While totality will be visible from parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain, millions more people across Europe will experience a dramatic partial solar eclipse. Whether you’re chasing the moon’s shadow in Reykjavik or watching the moon take a ‘bite’ out of the sun from London, Paris, or Berlin, timing is everything.
New York City will only see about 9% totality just before 2pm, for example, but if you happen to be in London at 7:13pm, well, 91% totality for you!
You can look up your own location here: Total Solar Eclipse on August 12, 2026. For me, the max eclipse will take place at 13:42:42.
Not in the eclipse path? Live stream it here! LIVE: Total Solar Eclipse – August 12, 2026 – YouTube
One Spanish museum is taking an interesting approach to the eclipse, and how changes in the light impact our perceptions of art.
A light touch-up: Madrid’s Prado Museum digitally reimagines solar eclipse masterpieces | Euronews
The project, entitled “The Prado in the light of the eclipse”, proposes a progressive transformation of the lighting applied to some of the most iconic paintings in the celebrated gallery. Through this shift in light, the video shows how small variations in illumination can radically alter the perception of colours, shapes and the atmosphere of the paintings, revealing details and nuances that everyday light leaves hidden.
That’s already a lot, and we haven’t even talked about meteors or other planets!
The Meteors
Perseid Meteor Shower 2026—When, Where, and How to See It
Good news, meteor shower fans: the 2026 Perseids peak on August 12–13, under a New Moon—the ideal lunar phase for watching shooting stars.
Here’s a viewing map: Perseids Meteor Shower 2026
The Planetary Parade
And just before sunrise on the 12th, the planetary parade:
August 12, 2026 Sky Events: Solar Eclipse, Perseids, Planet Parade
The day starts before the Sun comes up. On the morning of August 12, six planets — Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune — will appear spread across the sky.
Do not expect a tight line of bright dots. This is a wide planetary alignment, stretching from the horizon across a large part of the sky. Mars and Saturn will be the easiest planets to spot with the naked eye. Mercury will sit low above the horizon shortly before sunrise. Jupiter will be bright, but very close to the horizon. Uranus and Neptune will need binoculars or a telescope.
Check the link above for times, but for me this would be just after 6am.
It’s going to be a pretty special day, astronomically speaking. Actually, I should have set up this post in terms of time (location dependent, of course!), like so:
- early morning: planet parade
- early afternoon: solar eclipse
- evening: Perseid meteor shower!
If you have a few moments and clear sky, check it out. There’s a lot going on up there!
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Posted in Science! | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, astronomy, conjunction, eclipse, inspiration, meteor shower, Perseids, planets, space | 1 Comment »
To continue yesterday’s theme of literary cartography, here’s a closer look at a map of the locales in classic American literature.
American literature, charted in one monumental map – Big Think
From Stephen King’s Maine to Steinbeck’s California, Big Think’s “A Literary Map of the United States” charts the stories that changed how we see a nation.
They’d love to sell you the map, but there’s also an image you can expand to see the detailed poster, and examples of the stories and the places that shaped them.
Ah, geography!
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Posted in Other, Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, mapping fiiction, maps, writing | 5 Comments »
I like books and I like maps, which is why I was excited to run across this website combining the two:
Reading Maps – Maps & Travel Routes from Books & Films
The site’s tagline is “Journeys from fiction drawn on the real world.” That won’t be much use when it comes to Middle Earth or Star Wars, but is very cool when considering more local stories. Like Homer’s The Odyssey. Or Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Or Little House on the Prairie, which was somehow not where I expected it to be!
They have lots of classic books and also movies (like Raiders:). Have fun!
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Posted in Other, Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, Fiction, fun on the internet, inspiration, mapping fiction, maps, travel, writing | 2 Comments »
“We ought to view ourselves with the same curiosity and openness with which we study a tree, the sky or a thought, because we too are linked to the entire universe.” — Henri Matisse
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Posted in Other | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, curiosity, inspiration, Thoughts, universe, Writers | Leave a Comment »
Maybe you’ve heard of Jimothy, the Seattle native and short-spined raccoon who has captured the hearts and minds of the internets, but if you haven’t, this critter has inspired creatives far and wide.
Art, tattoos and now a video game for Jimothy | KNKX Public Radio
That includes Chris Pirillo, a designer who has created not one, not two, not three, but four ! arcade-style video games starring the adorable little raccoon. If you need a bit of a break today, you can check them out here:
Jimothy: Every Free Game and Toy Starring Seattle’s Raccoon
Have fun, and remember, inspiration is everywhere!
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Posted in Entertainment, Other, Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, designers, games, inspiration, Jimothy, Writers, writing | 1 Comment »
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