Marilyn's Photos - May 15 2026 - 6 Billion Watching

I feel left out.  Six billion people will watch the upcoming World Cup.  That's almost 3/4 of the world's population.  I don't imagine that 3/4 of the world is really interested in the World Cup. And how many people will have access to viewing the Games on TVs, screens, etc?  Even in-person numbers are impressive. There are 104 matches in 16 cities and 5 million people are expected to attend in person.  That's a lot of people.   The counting of the six billion is a massive undertaking.  It will combine traditional TV ratings, digital streaming analytics, social media data and consumer surveys.  They have people meters - homes equipped with devices that log what channel is on and who is watching.  There is data from cable and satellite providers used to track viewership.  There are methods to track viewers on apps and websites, on YouTube and Facebook.  There is direct tracking for the networks that broadcast the games.  And there are public screens and public spaces that are tracked.  There are gaps to fill in where surveys are used to ask people which matches they watched. Somehow it all comes together. What qualifies for having viewed the games - total viewers who watched at least one minute of coverage. That seems like an overly generous definition of "watching a game".   On the other hand, that might mean I won't be left out and will have qualified to be one of the six billion.     Here's a model of Toronto that was at City Hall.  You can see the CN Tower front and centre. I wonder how many people will fit into those streets during the FIFA Games?

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Marilyn's Photos - May 14 2026 - Biblical Eating

 

Follow the Gourd!  Follow the Sandal!  Follow the Bible for what you eat.  That's the latest trend in the Make America Healthy Again movement.  Eat what is in the Bible.  I shouldn't be surprised, we are transfixed with food and why not source it from the Bible? What is referenced in the Bible? Here's a start at the very beginning: Gen. 14:18 - Bread Gen. 25:34 - Lentils Deuteronomy 8:8 - Wheat Ruth 1:22 - Barley 2 Samuel 17:28 - Beans That's just for staples and grains.  The list goes on to fruits and nuts, vegetables and herbs, proteins and dairy, and other things like honey, olive oil, vinegar and salt.   And when were these things eaten in the Bible?  For the Passover meal, the Last Supper and the Miracle of the loaves and fishes.  Someone has put together the list HERE.  There is the inclusion of unusual and supernatural foods referenced in the Bible - bread baked over human excrement, angel cakes, and of course, manna from heaven.   Further referencing the bible, here are recommendations for biblical meals: 1. Jacob's Lentil Pottage (stew) from Genesis 25:34 is listed as one of the most famous meals in the Bible - lentils, onion, garlic, olive oil, cumin, coriander and thyme.   2. Roasted fish with herbs and lemon as prepared by Jesus for his disciples by the Sea of Galilee - John 21:9 - whole fish, olive oil, lemon, parsley and garlic. 3. Ezekiel's 6-Grain bread - Ezekiel 4:9 - wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt.  And there's much more in The Bible Cookbook...Not just recipes HERE.  Angels heralding the meal...

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Marilyn's Photos - May 13 2026 - Tales of Chaucer

 

First year English in University included Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.  I know why.  He is considered the "father of English literature" even though it is written in pre-English which is quaintly referred to Middle English (1150-1500AD). That means it is not as old as Old English (450-110AD).   One should start university with the start of English Literature...I guess.  If we started with something in Old English it is unrecognizable to modern speakers.  Middle English evolved through French influence so is closer to modern English. At the time, I was confused that we would study something that needed deciphering with much effort to even get the words translated.   I hadn't realized that Chaucer 's "words" have posed problems for a long time. A headline says a tiny typo may explain a mystery about Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" and "Troilus and Criseyde."   The article in Smithsonian Magazine about the "Typo" says this: “Lots of very smart people have torn their hair out over the spelling, punctuation, literal translation, meaning and context of a few lines of text,” James Wade, a literary scholar at the University of Cambridge..." His breakthrough is that he thinks there are typos when a sermon referring to Chaucer's The Song of Wade was scribed. In a study published in the journal The Review of English Studies, the researchers argue that the modern English translation of the poem from the sermon contains a typo.  This is described in the article HERE.   Much discussion continues... It brings back memories of "way back when" in University.   This picture was taken at Brock University's most recent addition - the Performing Arts Centre.  A Flaming Pear Filter to get the black and white effects. I added the saying.

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Marilyn's Photos - May 12 2926 - Stacey vs Becky

 

All these headlines each day - particularly the many wars - with events and up-to-the-minute updates.  Yet it seems to me that the most stories are about the  "incursion" of AI in our social lives. Today's story is how AI enhancements by Grok are transforming women's faces to appeal to the manosphere communities.  A "Stacey" denotes the most attractive tier of women with attributes that include big eyes, high cheekbones, low BMI, upturned nose and full lips.  Without those, a woman is an average "Becky".  Can you imagine the rest of us?   The story continues that there are two methods of modifying appearances - hardmaxxing is the term for medical procedures.  Softmaxxing is the term for makeup and grooming.   It seems to me that the one that is gaining most momentum is  a "tuned" appearance using an AI filter.  This means that the person never actually goes outside into the real world.  It is possible so I guess it is probable.    The Florida Dogwoods are starting to bloom in the garden.

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Marilyn's Photos - May 11 2026 - What's in a Font?

 

Sugar has come in the same paper bag with the Redpath name/logo since I can remember.  The Redpath logo is derived from originator John Redpath's own script.  It is Canada's oldest continuously used food product trademark.  Is there a font that is similar?  Calgary Script, Galanthia, Modern Symphony, Freehand and Vegan are identified as close alternatives. While I looked at them, I don't see the similarities and don't have the expertise to figure things out.  Another site says it is similar to Cooper Black.  A similar story is the Campbell's Soup script.  It isn't a font either, but it is hand engraved and is very similar to Joseph Campbell's own signature.  To get a "Campbell's Soup" effect, the Quincho Script is considered similar.  Spencerian is the Coca-Cola script.   It was custom-designed in 1885 based on the Spencerian script, a popular form of American handwriting in the late 19th century.   Want to know the scripts of all the major brands?  Here's the story HERE.  And the most famous font inventor?  Max Miedinger created Helvetica in 1957, achieving fame for what is considered the world's most-seen typeface.    This is Sugar Beach in Toronto.

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Mairlyn's Photos - May 10 2026 - Favourite Says

 

The New York Times has a free daily news summary.  On the weekends, it includes social topics.  You can join here:  Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.  Today is Mother's Day sayings. ‘It’ll quilt out.’ Mom was a quilter, as am I. If there was a small mistake in a quilt project, once the final stitches were in and the project was washed, no one would ever see the problem. Most things just don’t have to be perfect. — Laura Falk, 57, St. Louis, Missouri ‘All people bring joy: some by coming, some by going!’ It’s such a lighthearted way to reframe interactions with difficult people. Always makes me laugh! — Michelle Pauk, 42, Franklin, Tennessee ‘少吃, 多滋味’ “Eat less, taste more.” At a time of scarcity of food during the war, mother used to say her motto to us at meal time. — Christa Shih, 92, New York City ‘Knock with your elbows.’ It meant show up at a friend’s place burdened with contributions for the party. — Natalie Serber, 64, Portland, Oregon ‘Better to wear out than rust out.’ Having had polio, my mother’s inclination was toward motion, in which she often was a blur. She could best her three daughters in sports and accomplish more in a day than all of us combined. — Catherine R. Seeley, 78, Easton, Maryland ‘A man riding by on a fast horse would never notice.’ She used to say this whenever I complained that something wasn’t perfect. It taught me to always remember that “good enough” is good enough. — Susan Moxon, 81, San Diego, California ‘Tout passe et tout s’efface, sauf les souvenirs.’ “Everything passes and everything fades away, except memories.” I find myself using my Haitian mom’s saying whenever someone frets over something of little importance. — Babette Wainwright, 73, Madison, Wisconsin ‘Don’t push the river.’ Now I say this to friends — stop striving and forcing outcomes, trust the natural flow of life, let go and stay present. — Julie Merrick, 56, Olympia, Washington ‘Sing out, Louise!’ To my mom, this line from the musical “Gypsy” meant always let your presence be known. Make a choice, be specific and carpe diem. “Curtain up, light the lights!” — Jonathan Cobrda, 35, New York City ‘Never pass up an opportunity to pee.’ It’s very true, especially on road trips, but it also has a deeper meaning in my life: Take care of something when you get the chance. — Cari Stoltz, 42, Richland Center, Wisconsin ‘I’m in your pocket.’ Mom always said this to me, and it made me feel safe. Now that she is gone, I hear her in my mind’s ear and know she is still always with me. — Julie Lewis, 70, Providence, Rhode Island Here's a favourite Mother's Day card.

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Marilyn's Photos - May 9 2026 - Retro Parenting

 

Parent like it's: 1950s, 1970s and 1990s - here is what they  have in common: Free-range play Home-cooked meals Reading aloud Gardening together Board game nights Handmade crafts Family storytelling Picnic outings Neighbourhood gatherings Nature walks Traditional celebrations Looks good to me, but then what is different today?  One article says that play has evolved from free-range to finely-tuned - parents driving all over the place picking up children from highly organized, time-defined activities does seem to be the norm now. We know what's happened to home cooked meals by walking up the middle aisles of a grocery store. And search for home-cooked meals and you will find that they can be delivered directly to your home. Some of these others seem suspect: who gardened together in the past - children had garden chores.   As I look at that list a bit more, these things seem like a hundred years ago.  Picnic outings, for example.  What does a picnic look like today?  AI has an answer for me - a blend of rustic charm and modern aesthetics. There is only one page of picnic articles, including the information that Picnic day is in March, an odd time of year for a picnic.   Then the "picnic" topic turns to what Prince Archie looks like now, Steven Kwan's future, what the iPhone 18 Pro looks like and May Day Italy 2026.  Picnics are not much of a 2026 activity.  What if this is one of those filler ideas that is fun to read? It does have a nostalgic sense for those of us who were children in that nuclear family of the 1950s to the 1970s.  A little nostalgia has made its way into the retro parenting topic.    I have three bee houses for native bees.  I put one of them on the top shelf of the potting bench to keep it out of the rain.  I now share the potting bench with the bees who come and go.  These aren't honey bees who have a hive to defend and would sting.  Our native stinging bee - the bumble bee - is too big to fit into any of the holes.

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Marilyn's Photos - May 8 2026 - Life of a Camera

 

If you were to calculate your camera's life in terms of shutter time, it would be a few minutes at 1/100 second shutter speed.   Here's another calculation: "If converted to time, a professional camera with a 300,000-shot lifespan used to take one photo every 10 seconds for 8 hours a day would last roughly 2 years." Modern mirrorless cameras have a mechanical shutter with a lifespan of infinity, as there are no moving parts.  There is now imaging technology where "a camera can capture light in super slow motion, effectively moving at the speed of light.  These cameras can record at a rate of one trillion frames per second, allowing them to capture light pulses moving at 600 million miles per hour in super slow motion.  Scientists are able to observe light in unprecedented detail." It is called T-CUP: The single-shot 10 trillion-frames-per second "compressed ultrafast photography" camera.  The article in evolving science is HERE.  The video of light passing through a bottle is HERE. The unit they talk about is a femtosecond.  "A femtosecond is an SI unit of time equal to \(10^{-15}\) seconds (one quadrillionth of a second). It is used to measure ultra-fast processes, such as molecular vibrations in chemistry and light traversing a human hair, which takes roughly 100 femtoseconds. Femtosecond lasers are widely applied in high-precision, non-thermal industrial processing and medical procedures like LASIK." Good thing they tell us it is a camera as the picture of it doesn't resemble any cameras that we know.   Another exotic Trillium in Marion Jarvie's garden.

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Marilyn's Photos - May 7 2026 - What's Real?

 

Update from yesterday on the question: Will there be actual 'real-time' people in the future? The answer is trending towards "no" with news from South Korea that a Robot Buddhist Monk took precept vows at Buddhist temple.  Looks like there's a daily quiz:  is this real?  Let's play.  Is that dog real or fake? What do you think? The next picture of the child jumping on the seats?  Real or fake video? And the answers?  The dog is real.  And the breed? American Bully - a breed known for its muscular build, broad chest and clipped ears.  it is a mix of the American Pit Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier that was bred between the 1980s and 1990s. Is it as dangerous as the image implies?  They were responsible for approximately 75% of fatal dog attacks between 2021 and 2023 in the U.K. while making up less than 1% of the dog population.  It is now illegal to own an XL Bully in the U.K.  Makes you wish the picture was fake. The jumping child picture/video was a real one too - out of many more that are fake. Should airlines do something about screaming, jumping and kicking children?  Maybe treat them as XL Bullies and ban them?  They are talking about creating "quiet zones." as these videos are everywhere.  The videos are the intro to articles giving advice on how to handle the jumping child behind you.  In comparison, there also are articles directed to the parents - things like be calm:  "if a neighbour complains, stay polite and empathetic."  The topic attracts headlines like: Man Teaches Lesson to Seat-Kicking Kid and Mom Mom Instructs Son to Keep Kicking Man's Seat... In-flight Karma:  Mischievous Boy's antics meet hilarious ... Annoying Seat-Kicking Boy Learns a Lesson on Plane ... I vote for the "quiet plane" - no children flights - like the advertisements for no children cruises.   It is time for a New Moon.

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