Marilyn's Photos - Oct 21 2026 - The Man Crush

 

Thanks to the New York Times my vocabulary enlarges with alarming words.  "Man Crush" and Trump were together in a headline.  Let's go look! "Trump has a habit of complimenting men's appearances at his rallies, often praising the strength and looks of athletes and service members.  But he's been especially effusive about Republican candidates on his recent campaign tour." Here are some of the headlines that have jumped on the topic: "Trump has always had a 'man crush on Putin' - Yahoo.com "Donald Trump always falls for a handsome man in a suit" Salon.com "A handsome guy, a very handsome guy." The New York Times on Facebook "Trump has crush on me, says Khan as feud restarts" - BBC And the daily beast says:  "Trump, 80 Thirsts Over 'Beautiful' MAGA Men in Bonkers Rant" The quotes showcase rude and crude together:  “He was a great athlete,” Trump began. “I don’t do this with men very often: I started examining his body, because I didn’t know he was a great athlete. And I looked, and I watched up and down, and I looked at his a--… and I looked at the whole… and then I looked at his hands. Look at his hands; he’s got these, like, claws… and I got it, you are a great athlete.” It is ironic that "Man Crush" explicitly excludes any romantic inclinations, whereas "Woman Crush" includes them.  I would say an obvious sense of rigid social rules about masculinity, don't you think? I finally found a picture of the Grand Oak on Victoria Street before I did all the removals of background stuff.  These are from different angles on different years.  How interesting that the trunk looks so much thinner in the second picture.  I'll take a look at it on Saturday when I pick up eggs at Elizabeth's Farm, across the road. Read past POTD's at my Blog: http://blog.marilyncornwell.com Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.com

Marilyn's Photos - Oct 20 2026 - Posture Correction

 

I notice that my posture is a problem.  I am hunched over a lot whether sitting, standing or walking.  I am told it is notable as a senior's dilemma, and contributes to falls.  This probably calls for more exercises. Shoulder blade squeezes, chin tucks, resistance band pull-aparts and gentle stretches.  I bet they want push-ups and planks - that typically is what you'll have to do when you see "core strengthening." What about this alternate path? Posture correctors.  I guess I saw this as a news item in the Globe and Mail on the weekend.  These are weighted vests that provide torso resistance that encourages an upright stance and builds core muscles. I think I've seen these on power walkers.  In the past, I've secretly mocked those walkers who have wrist weights on, so not sure what to think of wearing a weighted vest. We are to look for designs that allow for an adjustable load, with easy closures such as front zippers, and that are comfortable and breathable.  So I popped over to the Canadian designed maker's website.  It is powerwearhouse.com - the first picture is a ProPower Calming Vest for Dogs. They make those as well. Their website is HERE.   So many interesting products these days. While yesterday's picture of Lucy in the Field with Daisies was not very flattering to Lucy, it did have beautiful colours and a lovely field of flowers. SO  I took that screenshot, did some manipulations and created these abstracts.   Now I see Lucy happily floating like a flower in that sunshine field. And today's picture? Doesn't this Koi look like a princess? Read past POTD's at my Blog: http://blog.marilyncornwell.com Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.com

Marilyn's Photos - Oct 19 2026 - The Museum of Bad Art

 

It is Monday so I go to a watercolour painting class. Some people in the group are amazing artists with really beautiful watercolour paintings.  Most of us are not in that group.  On the other hand, we don't paint pictures like the one below, either.  What to think of this very weird and strange painting? It is the prize piece in the Museum of Bad Art, having inspired the Museum's existence. The Museum of Bad Art says the "pieces" in the MOBA collection range from the work of talented artists that have gone awry to works of exuberant, although crude, execution by artists barely in control of the brush.  What they all have in common is a special quality that sets them apart in one way or another from the merely incompetent." Go to Poor Traits and this picture is the one that inspired MOBA.  It turns out that the painting was actually commissioned to remember an aunt who had passed away.  It hung in the living room of her relatives until they sold the house.  It seemed to disappear during the estate clearance. Not much was thought of it by the family.  It turns out that it didn't go directly to the garbage, someone had acquired it and had the painting for 5 years and then did put it in the garbage.  That's when Sott Wilson, OBA's original curator, spotted it and MOBA was "born." Relatives recognized the painting when the museum was written up in a newspaper article5, 5and became charter members of the museum.  They filled in the story of their aunt and the background of the painting.  The description for the next painting is: "Dorothy clicked her heels three times and realized immediately upon opening her eyes that she had returned to an unfamiliar part of Kansas." MOBA has locations in Boston and Quebec City. There could be a location in every single town on the planet, don't you think? The curious and strange website is here.   And today's picture? Doesn't this Koi look like a princess? Read past POTD's at my Blog: http://blog.marilyncornwell.com Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.com

Marilyn's Posts - Oct 18 2026 - And the Latest Dog News

 

Dog news is a great go-to for generally happy ending stories.  The news is smart enough in that regard. But then stories can range a bit when there are celebrities involved.  And we humans like celebrity news.   Here's an interesting headline - All the celebrities who have cloned their dog from Tom Brady to Barbra Streisand.  First up is Tom Brady whose dog died in 2023 and last year he showed off the clone of Lua named June. Barbra Streisand decided on two clones.  And there's Diane von Furstenberg who cloned their late Jack Russell and now has five daughters. (I hope the original was well-behaved - can you imagine 5 bad dogs rather than just one?) The article included her cost - $100,000. Simon Cowell hasn't done it yet but says he's on record that he will clone his dogs.  Finally Paris Hilton cloned her chihuahua and now has two twins. She'll need another purse to put the second one in. Stop there when it comes to Hello News. Stick with the dog stories.  Keep scrolling and the Hello News turns creepy - Mick Jagger's 39-year-old fiancee...Irina Shayk poses topless...Kate Hudson's tiny red bikini... The New York Times had an advice column question a few years ago on this topic.  A couple was breaking up.  She wanted the cloned dog, but he had paid for it - $30,000.  I guess the question itself was there as an entertainment moment given the obvious answer.  Add to that she wanted shared access and had to be told that dogs are property - not people - so aren't subject to custody and access rights.   There's something we're starting to worry about now with AI "tools" - they are not people - they are products so cannot be sued directly. And the organizations owning them cannot be charged with criminal acts - there has to be criminal intent involved.  They can only be the subject of civil lawsuits. No easy advice will be forthcoming from the New York Times.  Do you see a figure at the centre of this paint/wood grunge picture?   Read past POTD's at my Blog: http://blog.marilyncornwell.com Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.com

Marilyn's Photos - Oct 17 2026 - Where to put the refrigerator

 

Things to store in the refrigerator.  And then where should the refrigerator be stored?  The New York Times says there are lots of non-food items that should be stored in the fridge.  One of them is super-glue.  Mostly it is about beauty products.  We already know there are medicines that must be refrigerated.   Queue the revised "beauty" bathroom.  Can you imagine having a BeautiFridge in your bathroom?  Only $1,526.  At the bottom of the line from Walmart the Koolatron Cosmetics Fridge.   Look at these two - the first one is almost $3,000 and the second one looks like a Barbie doll refrigerator.  It doesn't have a price listed as it is sold out.  But there seem to be tons of these pink beauty coolers.   And it all looks so neat inside. So I guess K-beauty has been around for a while.  But it does seem new to me and I am entertained by the articles.   They describe mini skincare fridges in bathrooms to chill temperature-sensitive, water-based, and preservative-free cosmetics to extend shelf life and "amplify soothing effects."  This is the place to put your "chilling Korean beauty sheet masks", your essence-soaked pads, and de-puffing tools in their special place. Today's picture is a close-up of a path in a Japanese garden.  Read past POTD's at my Blog: http://blog.marilyncornwell.com Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.com