“No one is better than you, because no one else is you.” — Megan Bannen, The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam
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Posts Tagged ‘#365Ways’
You’re Number One!
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, Thoughts, unique on September 20, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Pearls of Wisdom
Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, clues, discovery, history, science, Thoughts, treasure hunt, writing on September 19, 2026| 3 Comments »
I think this application of language to science is really cool, and speaks to the layered memories that are built by each successive generation, if only we know where to look.
Lost oyster beds rediscovered thanks to Gaelic and Scots language
“We thought that as native oysters are now really rare throughout Europe, is there a way to look where they used to be, using people’s memory and understanding – that can come through place names.”
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An Extra Bit of Wonder
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, inspiration, NASA, space flight, still special, Thoughts, transportation on September 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Every single crewed mission to space — on one definitive map – Big Think
Future space cowboys and girls, stick this on your wall as you beat a path to the stars. This poster is a snapshot of humanity’s loftiest enterprise so far: making it off-planet. It maps Earth’s main spaceports, the landing sites on the Moon, the highest and farthest orbits traveled by us humans, and the spectacular array of suits and vehicles that got us there.
This poster is a thing that the site sells, but I’m not promoting it as such and you don’t have to buy it to get a look. If you click through to the article above, you’ll see something that I found pretty dramatic: every crewed space mission fits in one little graphic.
There’s a lot going on in this one image, but compared to any other form of human transportation, it really brings home how different space is.
Imagine a visual history of all US train rides since the driving of the Golden Spike in 1869, for example. Or even yesterday.
For me, that realization brings an extra bit of wonder to space flight.
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Fiction and Empathy
Posted in Entertainment, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, Fiction, television, Thoughts, writing on September 17, 2026| 1 Comment »
Today I’m thinking about the last two minutes of the Reacher season 4 finale. I won’t spoil it for anyone, but Jesus. I’m going to go donate to our local food bank and think about the contribution of fiction to the many dimensions of empathy.
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As Someone Who Pays Quarterly Taxes (Due Yesterday), This Resonates
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, education, public education, taxes, teachers, Thoughts on September 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »
“Public education does not exist for the benefit of students or the benefit of their parents. It exists for the benefit of the social order.
We have discovered as a species that it is useful to have an educated population. You do not need to be a student or have a child who is a student to benefit from public education. Every second of every day of your life, you benefit from public education.
So let me explain why I like to pay taxes for schools, even though I don’t personally have a kid in school: It’s because I don’t like living in a country with a bunch of stupid people.”
― John Green
Here’s to public schools, teachers, and the futures they help us all build.
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The Topsy-Turvy World of Trade
Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, Fiction, inspiration, interdependence, Thoughts, world trade, Writers, writing on September 15, 2026| Leave a Comment »
For dinner-related reasons, Mr Man and I were recently discussing the humble fish finger. What were they like in childhood, which were the best now, and how does a “fish finger” get made, anyway? Imagine my surprise when I ran across this article on that exact topic. It’s interesting and full of supply-chain related surprises (that “30,000 mile” bit isn’t a typo!).
The 30,000-mile fish finger – by Ed Conway – Material World
This journey, a journey about which most people tucking into their fish fingers today are almost completely oblivious, tells you rather a lot about the way the modern world – what I like to call the Trade World – really works.
I find stories like this fascinating, and they’re also an interesting window into ideas for fictional worlds. If your fantasy kingdom has been around for a couple of centuries, it’s probably part of an international trading network. And that network would be rife with all kinds of history and conflict, complications and opportunities, legal and otherwise.
Just a thought!
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How to Start a Novel
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, fiction editors, Thoughts, Writers, writing, writing advice on September 14, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Some writing advice from agents, via Chuck Sambuchino:
What NOT to Do When Beginning Your Novel: Advice from Literary Agents
Just as important as knowing how to begin your novel is knowing what not to do.
In case you’re interested in some professional perspectives!
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On and On and On
Posted in Other, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, Mars, NASA, perseverance, technology on September 13, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Here’s a good use for self-driving technology (just on another planet):
The first self-driving vehicle on Mars has proven to be a smashing success
Much like self-driving cars on Earth, Perseverance has sophisticated onboard cameras that image the surrounding terrain, and these images are then processed algorithmically by an onboard computer to calculate the safest route. Terrestrial vehicles have some advantages of course, like clearly defined maps, street signs, lanes, and more. Additionally there are plenty of “road” hazards on Mars, from large boulders to sandy slopes. But at least Perseverance does not have to contend with other traffic and bad drivers.
Here’s how far the little rover has come:
Perseverance Mars Rover Drive Path Animation – YouTube
Want to know where Perseverance is now? Here’s the Perseverance Rover Location Map.
Scroll and pan around this map to see the rover’s latest location and traverse path, as it seeks signs of ancient life and collects samples of Mars rock and regolith (broken rock and dust) for potential future return to Earth.
Here’s to Perseverance!
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Just Start
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, inspiration, persistence, Thoughts, write anyway, Writers, writing on September 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »
“Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it.” — Madeleine L’Engle
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Boldly Go!
Posted in Entertainment, Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, diversity, fandom, inspiration, NASA, science fiction, star trek, television, Thoughts, Writers on September 11, 2026| 1 Comment »
This week marked the 60th anniversary of Star Trek (it was Tuesday, actually, but alas! I was distracted by the whole “return to work” thing). And the show almost didn’t make it at all.
How ‘Star Trek’ almost failed to launch
“The Cage” – a complicated story about alien mind-control – was an ambitious pilot. When Roddenberry presented it to NBC, the programming executives were blown away. But the sales and marketing department wasn’t convinced. Not enough action, they thought. It would be hard to promote. Pass.
“Star Trek,” it seemed, was dead.
Fortunately, there’s more to that story, and the show not only got off the ground but became the entertainment juggernaut it is today.
I wasn’t a Trek fan growing up, in large part, I think, because my parents had made the conscious decision not to have a television. Now that I’m all grown up and have a TV of my own, though, I appreciate the ideals and more behind the sometimes campy but always fun franchise. So inspiring, and not just for everyday fans.
When it premiered in 1966, no one could have predicted that it would lead to more than a dozen spinoff shows, more than a dozen movies and one of the most enduring fandoms in popular culture.
“Star Trek” is also unusual for its close connections to NASA, both in its storylines and in the real world. Decades of “Star Trek” adventures have ignited a love of spaceflight across generations, inspiring many who now work as space professionals.
Let’s hear it for the real-world powers of fiction. And now, in life and the imagination, go boldly!
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