Thoughts | J.R. Johnson

Posts Tagged ‘Thoughts’

Life, Man

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, appliances, home, Thoughts, writing on February 11, 2023| 2 Comments »

Yesterday, I gave my mother an appliance-related pep talk. Their fridge was making an ugly sound, but they managed to fix it, yay.)

Today, our dryer threw in the towel. Literally, as in, no matter how many times we ran the thing, the towels (and sheets, and shorts, and socks) refused to dry. Ruh-ro.

Enter Mr. Man. Trusty voltmeter in hand, he forged into the depths of the laundry room and after a valiant battle, emerged victorious. (For definitions of “victorious” that involve 3–5 day shipping of replacement parts.) The heating coil had snapped, so it was perhaps unsurprising that it could no longer perform its function.

So it was a no-writing day. Still, while the day was a bit of a wash (heh), it’s looking up!

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*Also, don’t do this. Photo by Thomas Dumortier on Unsplash*

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Nonfictional Fiction

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, creativity, Fiction, genre fiction, inspiration, public policy, science fiction, Thoughts, Writers, writing on February 10, 2023| Leave a Comment »

I started multiple posts today (mackerel? Winnie the Pooh? cracking CIA kiddie codes?) but none seemed quite right. I think I’ll go shovel some snow and see if that gets my mind going.

In the meantime, here’s a piece about the usefulness of science fiction in the nonfictional world.

Connecting Science Fiction to Science Policy by Avital Percher

Science fiction can help the science policy community envision both where we end up as well as how we get there. As our social-technological problems grow ever more complex, we need a range of stories that spans the human experience and even beyond. How will we leverage new tools to improve equity and democracy in society? Science fiction can help us imagine future possibilities, opening not just our minds but our hearts as well.

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Lesson Learned

Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, learning, Thoughts on February 9, 2023| Leave a Comment »

The leading edge of a weather system is overhead, and we’ve been told to expect snow, sleet, a wintry mix, and a heavy dose of freezing rain. Fun, right?

I’m optimistic that our heat and power will hold out, but on the off chance that it does not, I’m going to charge my devices, start the fireplace, and post today’s entry now.

Just in case.

“All you have to do is to pay attention; lessons always arrive when you are ready, and if you can read the signs, you will learn everything you need to know in order to take the next step.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Zahir

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Purrfect Happiness

Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, #ChatGPT, AI, my cat, Thoughts on February 6, 2023| Leave a Comment »

It’s like this: I have a whole folder titled 365, full of interesting and informative ideas for this blog. I even had an idea for the post I wanted to do today, but lo (for various reasons involving day job bureaucracy for both myself and Mr Man), ’tis not to be. Instead, I give you ChatGPT’s idea of “a quote about joy in the voice of my cat.”

“Joy is found in the simple things, like a warm sunbeam, a cozy napping spot, and a good belly rub. Purr-fect happiness is just a whisker’s length away.”
— Your Cat.

Because this is the sort of information that everyone needs.

For more on cats and whiskers:

* You may also know that “chat” is French for cat. So now we know what’s really behind A.I…. that’s right, animal intelligence.

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S.T.T.L.T.E. (And That’s Ok)

Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, Thoughts on February 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Some things take longer than expected. Today’s plan involved a project that was expected to take two hours, and instead took five. And that’s ok. Mr Man was productive, I was social, and a good time was had by all.

In keeping with the theme, we picked up the mail on the way home and found a postcard that had made its way here to Canada from Port Lockroy, in the British Antarctic Territory (how cool is that?). Dated Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2022.

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Cold. White. Quiet.

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, Thoughts, winter, Writers on February 4, 2023| Leave a Comment »

“covered in snow

the trees rest in

winter silence”
― Meeta Ahluwalia

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That’s All

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, just life, Thoughts on February 3, 2023| Leave a Comment »

“You have to pay your own electric bill. You have to be kind. You have to give it all you got. You have to find people who love you truly and love them back with the same truth. But that’s all.”
― Cheryl Strayed

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And Over Again

Posted in Holidays, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, creativity, Fiction, Thoughts, Writers on February 2, 2023| Leave a Comment »

I’m trying to deal with an online renewal and it is taking forever.

Click, load, spinning wheel, error.

Over and over again. It’s like it’s Groundhog Day.

I check the calendar. Wait, it actually is Groundhog Day!

Here’s some holiday history (and a little movie-related fun).

Groundhog Day – Wikipedia

Groundhog Day (Pennsylvania German: Grund’sau dåk, Grundsaudaag, Grundsow Dawg, Murmeltiertag; Nova Scotia: Daks Day)^[1] is a popular North American tradition observed in the United States and Canada on February 2. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from its burrows on this day and sees its shadow due to clear weather, it will retreat to its den and winter will go on for six more weeks; if it does not see its shadow because of cloudiness, spring will arrive early.

While the tradition remains popular in the 21st century, studies have found no consistent association between a groundhog seeing its shadow and the subsequent arrival time of spring-like weather.^[2]

Groundhog Day- the perfect comedy, for ever | Groundhog Day | The Guardian

“What’s so remarkable about it,” Jones observes over a pint in a north London pub, “is that normally when you’re writing a screenplay you try to avoid repetition. And that’s the whole thing here, it’s built on repetition. That’s so bold.”

Whatever is happening in your day, I hope it’s a good one!

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The Green Comet, Redux

Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, look up, science, space, Thoughts on February 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Let’s give one last shoutout to our visitor from outer space. C/2022 E3 (ZTF), the universe’s charismatic invitation to look up and wonder about our past and our future, is at its closest point to Earth today. That means it will be at its brightest. If the world and weather are on your side, you might be able to see it with the naked eye. Look to the north after sunset. Is it fuzzy? Is it green? It might just be a comet!

Green comet C-2022 E3 (ZTF) will be closest to Earth today | Space

During the comet’s perigee, it will come to within a distance of around 26 million miles (42 million kilometers) from our planet, which is equivalent to about 28% of the distance between Earth and the sun. If you’ve been waiting to get a look at C/2022 E3 (ZTF) before it speeds away, now is your best chance. You can also watch the comet live online on Feb. 1 in a free webcast at 11 p.m. EST (0400 GMT) from the Virtual Telescope Project.

If the weather isn’t cooperating where you are or you have a hard time finding it or you just can’t see yourself outside in the cold, there will be a live webcast tonight. Pour a cup of hot cocoa and wave as The Green Comet flies by!

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