“We’re not born creative or destructive. Each one of us has the ability to create or destroy, to leave the world better than we found it, or worse.”
— Yo-Yo Ma
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“Imagination is the highest kite one can fly.”
— Lauren Bacall
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Posted in Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, creativity, quoteandaprettypicture, Thoughts, Writers, writing | Leave a Comment »
Today the sun will reach its northernmost latitude. It will sit above the Tropic of Cancer, which means that today is the longest day in the northern hemisphere, and the shortest day in the southern hemisphere.
On this Summer Solstice, will you have one longest day or two? – The Weather Network
This marks the start of astronomical summer for the northern hemisphere for this year.
And in parts of Canada, we have a bit of added fun.
The entire country will experience the longest day of the year on Friday the 20th.
However, if you live anywhere from northern and eastern Ontario to the Atlantic coast, Saturday the 21st will be the exact same length as the 20th, down to the second. This includes Timmins, North Bay, Ottawa, and Bainsville in Ontario, plus everywhere to the east — all of Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Check out the rest of the article for more on the astronomy of it all, where the name comes from, and what a solargraphy is (pretty, that’s what).
I hope you enjoy the solstice, no matter where you are. And if you (like me) get two, even better!
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Posted in Holidays, Science! | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, inspiration, solstice | Leave a Comment »
Happy Juneteenth, everyone! Today’s holiday marks the day Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger entered Galveston, Texas in 1865 and issued General Order No. 3. In essence, it said “The war’s over, and the Emancipation Proclamation ending slavery is the law of the land.”
I’ve written about the holiday before:
Our Newest Federal Holiday (and my Confederate great great grandfather)
As Dr. Shane Bolles Wash said, “It immediately changed the game for 250,000 people.”
“You can’t hold a man down without staying down with him.”
― Booker T. Washington
Here’s to freedom, for us all.
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Posted in Holidays | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025 | Leave a Comment »
First let me make clear that what I’m about to share is 100% not safe for work. Or delicate ears. I mean, yeah, there’s a lot of swearing. That said, the subject matter is one of those topics that almost requires strong language.
This series of videos pairs climate scientists with comedians who translate for us regular folks.
Again, there’s definitely swearing!
Here’s an article about what they’re doing and why with a link to the main site.
And here’s an example:
David Cross Meets Prof Michael Oppenheimer | NSFW – YouTube
Watch Emmy Award-winning comedian David Cross and Professor Michael Oppenheimer pretty much fix the climate crisis between them, in the first US pilot of the hit “Climate Science Translated” series. What’s the gist? Most Americans (74%) actually want more climate action from government. What no one wants is sky-high insurance bills, a home destroyed by extreme weather, or to pass on a ruined planet to their kids.
The films use humor (and profuse swearing) to translate the urgency of the problem, and bring it back down to Earth.
For more, check out the playlist. They even made PG versions, if that’s your thing!
And yes, climate change is something to cry about. But we can laugh too.
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Posted in Science! | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, climate change, climate communication, comedy, creativity, humor, science, Thoughts | Leave a Comment »
I’ve been too focused on work lately. Mr Man had to remind me that the Nebula Award winners were announced earlier this month. Thanks, Mr Man!
Here’s the announcement: 2024 – The Nebula Awards®, and Locus has the list with online links for free-to-read stories.
As usual, the Nebulas provide a slate of interesting material for my reading list. I’m also happy to say that Canadian authors are well-represented in this year’s awards.
Canadian sci-fi scribes among the winners for this year’s Nebula Awards
The winners’ roster also includes an interactive game that sounds like something I very much want to check out:
A Death in Hyperspace (via Stewart C Baker)
As an embodied ship Intelligence and fugitive former warship, you’ve faced many challenges.
But when your captain dies suspiciously halfway through a hyperspace transit, you know you’re in trouble. Not because you need a captain — you can pilot yourself just fine — but because, as an aficionado of mysteries and detective stories, you know there’s only one explanation: murder most foul.
Investigate your rooms.
Interrogate your crew and passengers.
Solve the mystery.
Will you find your way back to reality — or be stuck in hyperspace forever?
It beat out big names like Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and it’s free to play online? Sounds excellent!
Way to go, everyone!
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Posted in Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, #TeamCanada, awards, inspiration, Nebula Awards, Writers, writing | Leave a Comment »
An interview with a sci-fi author about a series that sounds good:
‘For anybody who could use a break’: A Q&A with sci-fi author Becky Chambers
So, my goal with these books was to create something that hit that same note, of: “You can just be comfy here for a while. You can just be safe. Nothing’s gonna jump at you, nothing’s gonna stress you out. But I am going to speak to you as a fellow adult. I’m going to talk to you about things that are relevant to you in your adult life.”
Sounds fun, and I’ve enjoyed other Becky Chambers books, so I’m adding the Monk & Robot series to my list.
“One of the things I aim for is just to say, hey, it doesn’t have to be this way. I think that’s the key goal of science fiction in general, whether it’s a positive future, a negative future, somewhere in between. It doesn’t have to be like this.”
— Becky Chambers
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Posted in Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, authors, climate fiction, creativity, inspiration, interviews, sci-fi, to read, Writers, writing | Leave a Comment »
Just some of the things my father passed on:
- be kind
- listen to others’ opinions, even if you don’t always agree
- money is a useful thing, but not the most important thing
- read to your children
- a warm kitchen makes a home
- a good chef’s knife is important
- a good library is critical, and
- you can always do more than you think you can.
To the man who introduced me to Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, good food, good music, and good writing, Happy Father’s Day!
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Posted in Holidays | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, Father's Day, inspiration, thanks Dad, Thoughts | Leave a Comment »
“It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end… because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing… this shadow. Even darkness must pass.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers
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Posted in Other | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, challenging times, Thoughts | Leave a Comment »
I’m behind and my to do list is calling, but I’ve managed to sneak in some of the things that really matter. Like a little writing, food for the birds, and making Mr Man laugh.
“Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.”
― Roy T. Bennett
Hope your day is a good one!
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Posted in Other, Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, inspiration, quotes, Thoughts | Leave a Comment »
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