Nov 1 2022 - Miniature Stuff,

 

Hardly anyone came for Halloween - it was raining here.  But I did buy cute little candies - little gummy Minions and tiny Kinder chocolates.  They seemed irresistable to buy as compared to eat. Why do miniature things fascinate us?  This is reported to be part of the "psychology of cuteness".  And I had no idea that this has been a topic of research for more than 70 years.   Konrad Lorenz, the German ethologist introduced the concept of the baby schema ("Kindchenschema") in 1943. The "baby schema" is the theory that certain physical features that are typically associated with babies—like a round face and big eyes—are so irresistibly cute to humans they will prompt us to feel a delightful desire to take care of someone or something.  I guess that goes for puppies and kittens, too. Lots has happened since then, and research says these are also factors: they bring back the comforts of childhood, that we experience awe and wonder, that tiny things are nice and non-threatening, and symbolic of stand-ins for the real thing.  How many tiny and miniature things are there that you can actually use?  A lot of things. I like the Miniature Mixer - $43. How tiny is it? 2" x 1.2" x 2.2" Don’t relegate this battery-powered mixer to the dollhouse — or at least know that you can break it out for non-pretend baking needs, too. It’s a working kitchen tool that can be used to whip up undersized baked goods for people who are into the tiny food craze.  The Leaf Blower which is $13 from Pottery Barn  How tiny is it? 6" x 2.5" x 2" You won’t get far using this teensy leaf blower in the yard, but it delivers a stronger-than-expected gust of air that will do away with dust that’s settled on keyboards, bookshelves, and other small and overlooked spaces. The Bob Ross By The Numbers Mini Paint Kit $10 from Target How tiny is it? 3" x 3.75" x 2" This minute art kit includes three paint-by-number canvases (two landscapes and one portrait of iconic TV painter Bob Ross), along with art supplies and, of course, a petite easel on which to display your work.  There are more crazy things HERE.  Our November Calendar reminds us that November is not as dreary as we think.  These pictures of the Willow at Charles Daley park are taken mid-November.  And Japanese Maples also keep their beautiful colours well past the middle of November.     Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

May 31 2022 - The "DLE" Rush

 

Now I am thinking that after Wordle and Heardle, we are in for the realm of "DLEs".  There are many opportunities - I did a screen capture from the scrabble entry - it arranges everything by the number of letters - from 4-letter words - idle to 12-letter words timberdoodle.  The12-letter word with DLE - timberdoodle - that is the American woodcock - a bird.    So I got to making up some uses for all these good words. Griddle - I can guess that griddle will be an app that tells you where the gridlock is in the roads in your town or highways.   Tweedle - wouldn't that be finding some sort of Tweet in the vast ocean of Tweets that happen each day based on clues?  Maybe there already is. Enkindle - find the book on Kindle with these clues. Reddle - with all those Reddit posts, I am sure there is a game to find the one that matches the clues. There already are "Oodles of Dles" games.  I found is a listing of 10 games like Wordle.  Here is one list.  Names like Nerdle, Quordle, Framed, Waffle, Crosswordle, Dungleon, Squareword, Squabble, so many fun choices. Another article has 16 games, and then another with 14, and another with 22, and so it goes. The possibilities are numerous, to say the least.  I see one called Absurdle - that sounds just right - find what is absurd in your life with these clues. Our June Calendar encourages  a visit to those blossom trees in fruit.  Here are some wonderful cherries. This is last year's crop - we think this year's will be sparse. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

March 30 2022 - Dollarama Deals or Not

 

It seems like Dollar Stores such as Dollarama have been with us a long time.  The first all-dollar store began in Montreal in 1910.  Salim Rassy (later Rossy) was the founder. His son George took over in 1937 and then grandson Larry assumed the lead after George's death in 1973.  The first store with the Dollarama name happened in 1992 and has grown to over 1400 stores in Canada.  We have the most in Ontario. I have a notion that Dollarama products are significantly lower quality than their counterparts in traditional retail and grocery stores.  Things like detergent - is the product watered down? Do the products follow our food and safety standards?  I decide to find out what the situation is. This is one of the sorts of internet topics that many people have weighed in on. From Reader's Digest to Bob Villa.  Here's what they say about Dollarama (we're excluding Dollar Tree in the US).  This is what not to buy: Electronics - PVC content Plastic cooking utensils - BFRs Canned goods - BPA in the lining Toys - untested for consumer safety Tools - poor quality Knives - poor quality, i.e. not sharp Batteries - poor quality Back-to-school - poor quality Pet food or treats - pet safety due to expiry and ingredients Makeup, toiletries, medicine - expiration dates, contents  What might the good deals be?  Household products and cleaning supplies  Party supplies Seasonal decor Brand name candy Notebooks, colouring books Home storage and organizing supplies Vases and decorative bowls Greeting cards So I am safe on the vast amounts of Christmas decorations (for the Fantasy of Trees), the greeting cards, and all those plastic containers storing the decorations. I had previously questioned how Dollarama could sell name brand items at big discounts. A MacLean's article from 2017 HERE outlines their knock-off practices which infringe on patents.  The contents or quality of these products cannot be assured.  Dollarama says it is not trying to "trick customers".  So much for some of the "good deals". Today's image is our April calendar - a multiple exposure picture of the garden around the corner at the end of April last year.  These multiple image pictures are created in the camera which has a setting for this.  Somehow when they are merged in the camera they appear more abstract than if 6 images were taken separately and merged in Photoshop.  It seems like magic to me.

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Feb 1 2022 - Red Tape and Valentines

 

February is the month where the colour red is dominant.  We distract ourselves from winter with Valentine's Day - the contrast of red for Valentines with the white of winter.   There's a headline in the New York Times about red states having red tape with regards to COVID regulations.  What is red tape? Wikipedia comes to the front of the line, as usual:  "It is generally believed that the term originated with the Spanish administration of Charles V, King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, in the early 16th century, who started to use red tape in an effort to modernize the administration that was running his vast empire. The red tape was used to bind the most important administrative dossiers that required immediate discussion by the Council of State, and separate them from issues that were treated in an ordinary administrative way, which were bound with ordinary string." Red tape has become known as excessive, rigid, redundant rules or standards, usually implemented by governments, corporations and other large organizations.  A bureaucracy is needed to administer these - paper work, licenses, multiple people or committees approving a decision, and so on.   Cutting red tape is the expression for reducing the burden of regulations.  This seems like an "opening up" of processes and ways of doing things. We've missed it slightly as it was celebrated from January 25th to January 29th in Canada.   There is far less concern in the U.S. on red tape.  No red tape week or reduction initiatives.  The U.S. ranks # 6 on ease of doing business, whereas Canada ranks #23.  Both are classified as "very easy", but the U.S. is right near the top. Wikipedia has the survey HERE.  Where is it easiest?  New Zealand. What the N.Y. Times briefing this morning says is interesting:  that the coronavirus vaccine mandate has red tape consequences in states like Florida and Texas where there are low taxes and light regulation.  These companies are now dealing with lots of red tape when it comes to COVID policies and are not able to implement any mandates. How curious things seem to be in reverse of what one would think. Here's our February calendar - this is a macro of tree bark.  To me it looks like an Arctic abstract without actually having snow in the picture.

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Jan 5 2022 - The Best Corners on Earth

 

Where are the best corners of the Earth?  Fogo Island Inn lays claim to being one of them.  There turn out to be quite a few if you have a driver's point of view.  “Porsche Curves on Circuit De La Sarthe because it’s very hard to master and in an endurance race, racers tend to make mistakes and run off. But these corners are so rewarding once you get them correct!” As suggested by our very own Neil Winn: “Ballagarey at the Isle of Man TT. Incredibly fast, blind and off camber on the exit.” “Fairmont Hairpin in Monaco. The slowest corner in the world (I think).” These are examples from the greatest race track corners at the Carthrottle website HERE.   I hadn't thought about what best might be. It could be fastest, sharpest, most challenging, most number of corners, most dangerous and so on.   There are lots of choices, like a buffet. Everyone agreed on the slowest: the Fairmont Hairpin - Monaco It contains both the slowest corner in Formula One (the Fairmont Hairpin, taken at just 48 km/h or 30 mph). We continue on the manipulated image theme.  I downloaded Studio 5.5 a painting program.  This was one of its manipulations.  Overall, it seems too complicated for me as it requires a foundation of painting techniques and skills.

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Nov 1 2021 - Give Me A Gadget

 

It is November and time to think Christmas presents.  I may be too late, given all the supply chain problems and predictions of shortages this year.  What great gadgets are there?  Here are a few. "Alpha Heater is an innovative heating technology. With PTC convection ceramic heating technology, it uses less power, making it more energy – efficient than other heating solutions. Alpha Heater comes with built-in safety features. It shuts off automatically when it gets too hot or it falls over. You can use it all day and night without worry around your kids, pets, or furniture."  It is priced at $61.88. Find more about it HERE.  There seem to be good reports on this one. What about Miracle Sheets - this is interesting.  These are antibacterial to keep you clean and cool. The special ingredient is antibacterial silver.  There are two brands - Miracle and Silvon.  You can find them on their own sites and Amazon. And Peeps - molecular technology to clean my dirty glasses. I am pretty sure I saw this one last year, so I guess it is time to follow up and get this for my unendingly dirty glasses. A patented invisible carbon formula cleans your glasses safely and easily, leaving your lenses as clear and clean as the day you first got them. Peeps™ utilises soft carbon microfibre pads to eliminate oil and fingerprints instead of smearing.   OlumiRing is an LED ring light that clips to your laptop, tablet or phone….and with the click of a single button, it creates flattering, photoshoot-worthy lighting for video calls and photography. To put it simply, OlumiRing erases shadow – making you look brighter and more like your “real self”.  I got a ring light for Zoom meetings   last year. It works. And this one - BarxBuddy - something to consider as we have "Millie's Moments of barking."  BarxBuddy uses high-pitched tones, not detectable by humans (thank goodness), that specifically target a dog's hearing to disrupts a dog's current activity with ultrasonic sound.  Point at the dog and press the button.   The update on the Betterphoto contest finalists - the picture of the grid with the footprints won second place in the techniques category.  Today it is November's Calendar.  If you would like a copy sent to you, let me know.

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June 30 2021 - Thirty Days Hath September

 

It is July tomorrow. We likely all learned this memonic  verse.  (Good thing I noticed the spellcheck version - demonic verse.)   Thirty days has September, April, June, and November, All the rest have thirty-one, But February's twenty-eight, The leap year, which comes once in four, Gives February one day more. I wondered when it originated.  Wikipedia tells me lots. The first published English version was 1562. It was know as "A Rule to Know How Many Days Every Month in the Here Hath" Thirty dayes hath Nouember, Aprill, Iune and September. February hath xxviij alone, And all the rest have xxxi. Thirty days have November, April, June, and September. February has 28 alone, And all the rest have 31. It is considered one of the most popular and oft-repeated verses in the English language - one that most ordinary citizens know by heart.  And what tidbit does Wikipedia tell us?   Groucho Marx claimed "My favorite poem is the one that starts 'Thirty Days Hath September...', because it actually means something."   We're still pursuing the Diptych theme.  Today's theme is Xs and Ox.

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June 1 - 2021 - The Favourite Month - But Where?

 

And so our favourite months begin at this point where we move from Spring to Summer.  June is distinguished as the month of roses, one of the most beloved flowers throughout all history.  It brings consistent warmer temperatures here in Canada.  That isn't the case all over the world.  There are many different experiences of the favourite month(s). Considering the northernmost countries like Norway, the favourite months would be July and August.  Wouldn't that make sense - the daylight is 16 - 19 hours in Oslo and the average temperature is 10 to 20 degrees Celsius.  In Britain, they don't seem to have rated their favourite months by formal surveys.  But they do list their top events - June is by far the most festivals. There is everything from Royal Ascot, to Wimbledon Tennis, the Cotswold Olympicks - which includes shin kicking, and the Meltdown Festival.  I would think the Northern Hemisphere has a similar pattern of favourite and least favourite months. In India where there are 3 seasons - March to May is summer, June to September is Monsoon, and winter is October to March.  The dry months from October to April are considered the best in India.  Who would think the seasons could be so different?  Australia? September and October are their spring months with sunny days and cool nights, and Jacarandas in bloom. They have summer from December to February, Autumn from March to May, Winter from June to August, and Spring from September to November. Then they consider the wet season from November to April and the dry season from May to October in the north of the continent. South America, has summer from November to February and winter from June to August.  Peru has a rainy season from January to March. So the driest months are considered the best - May to October. July and August are considered tourist season. But then Peru is a narrow, long country and there is coastal weather vs inland weather.   Chile is even longer than Peru - it has seven major climatic subtypes.  It would be difficult to ask Chileans their favourite month.  When did we start to wonder about our favourite season and take polls and surveys?  My guess is that we started asking social preference questions is the 20th century with the rise of consumerism.  What do you think? This is one of my favourite garden pictures  - taken many years ago. It is the trellis decoration on the wall at Frank Kershaw's - providing a beautiful background for his woodland garden.

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Feb 1 2021 - Tomorrow Is...

 

Our quote yesterday feels like a Christmas story ending::   "Everybody will get their mittens" The beloved Bernie Sanders' mittens have a manufacturer. 18,000 pairs have been requested so far.  And today we're looking ahead to a big day tomorrow. Which day would you say is more significant?  World Play Your Ukulele Day?  Groundhog Day?  It has to be Groundhog Day! You can scroll through countless quotes from the movie.  I've chosen a few for today. Phil Connors: Do you want to throw up here or in the car?  Ralph: I think both. Phil Connors: (to the groundhog) "Don't drive angry! Don't drive angry!" Phil: "This is pitiful. A thousand people freezing their butts off waiting to worship a rat. What a hype. Groundhog Day used to mean something in this town. They used to pull the hog out, and they used to eat it. You're hypocrites, all of you!" Phil: “This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather.” “Phil: Do you ever have déjà vu, Mrs. Lancaster? Mrs. Lancaster: I don't think so, but I could check with the kitchen.” This last one is my favourite. Here's our February railroad calendar. Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Jan 31 2021 - Turn the Page

 

Something remains constant. We still 'turn the page' when we read digital books.   But on social media, we can scroll and scroll.  During the pandemic, the summer of Black Lives Matter and the American election, it has been called 'doomscrolling'.   That seems to sum up our figurative meaning for  social media's value.  It is the opposite of the figurative meaning of turn the page - to move on to new involvements or activities, to make a fresh start.  So we literally and figuratively turn the page on a new month tomorrow as we move into February - the month of chocolates and Valentines.  We get to leave Trump doomscrolling behind.  I'm not sure about the Pandemic, though. Let's get out the great 'turn the page' joke.  It goes by a few different titles because it is so good.  Here it is. A prominent orchestra was performing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. At one point in the final movement of the symphony, there is a long stretch--over 20 minutes--where the bass violins don't play a note. So, rather than just sit there, the section leader suggested that they sneak out of the orchestra and go across the street to the tavern. The other bass players agreed that this was a splendid idea, and a few minutes later, the basses were in the bar, knocking back drinks at a prodigious rate.  This went on for some time, with all the bass players becoming rather inebriated. One of them happened to look down at his watch and exclaimed, "We'd better get back to our seats or we're going to miss our cue!"  "Relax," said the section leader, "I've got it all taken care of. You see, before the performance started tonight I anticipated this problem, so I took a piece of string and I tied the conductor's score shut. He won't be able to turn the pages when he gets to that part. He'll have to stop the orchestra for a few minutes so he can get it untied. We'll have plenty of time!"  The other bass players praised his inventiveness with one final round of drinks. Then they made there way back across the street to the concert hall, and staggered drunkenly to their seats. Sure enough, about this time the conductor started to have trouble with his score. He tried to fidget with it, hoping he could solve the problem without having to stop the performance. Unfortunately, he couldn't get the pages to turn, and at last he had to stop the orchestra and spend a few minutes untying the string that held the last section of the score bound. The conductor was clearly annoyed and not a little frazzled.  This, of course, did not go unnoticed by the audience. One woman in the crowd remarked to her husband, "That conductor looks upset and rather nervous." "Of course he's nervous," the husband replied. "It's the bottom of the Ninth, the score is tied, and the basses are loaded."   Here's our February calendar. Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Dec 13 2020 - Weird Christmas Gifts

 

What would be worth giving at Christmas this year to shake things up? Here are this year's ads on Google.  Redbubble prints on socks, so my brother got socks last year printed with his lily hybrid Showtime.  I wouldn't consider them very wearable, though. This year, the optical illusion shirt shows up all the time in ads.  The optical allusion shirt is amazing - here's the link to see the video HERE.   This would work for a Zoom Christmas. I suggest that it be a long-sleeved shirt so that the muscled arms can be included.  There are lots of choices - maybe this will become the 2020 shirt of the year.  Something to represent the crazy year. This is the sky for a normal snow day.  If the sun comes out the wind comes up and the snow flies off the vines.

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Dec 12 2020 - My Infinity is bigger than yours

 

TVO has a series on Mathematics and last night they covered the topic of infinity.  It turns out that there are a lot of answers to the question: "How big is infinity?"   An article that explains this says:  "Infinity is an extremely important concept in mathematics. Infinity shows up almost immediately in dealing with infinitely large sets — collections of numbers that go on forever, like the natural, or counting numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on. Infinite sets are not all created equal, however. There are actually many different sizes or levels of infinity; some infinite sets are vastly larger than other infinite sets." The explanation takes more than this page.  You can read about it HERE. It explains the theory of infinite sets, developed in the late 1900s by Georg Cantor.  He showed that there are many infinites. But this is all a premise to find good infinity jokes:  I was going to tell a joke about infinity But I don't know how it ends. I love the concept of infinity. I could talk about it forever. To the guy who invented infinity. Thanks for everything, Why can’t the Infinity car company trademark ∞ ? The legal battle would be endless. What's infinity minus one? A sideways seven. And here's the best for last: Dictionary namesake Noah Webster's funeral Noah Webster was an important man in the field of lexicography. So when he died his wife, Miriam, decided to have a large funeral. Many people came out. Near the end, after the eulogy, Miriam asked if anyone else wanted to say something about her late husband. A man comes up to her and says, “I would like to say a word if that is acceptable.”  Miriam says, “Of course!” The man goes up and says, “Plethora.” The widow Webster smiles and says, “Thank you, that means a lot.” Another man comes up to her and says, “I, too, would like to say a word if that is acceptable.”  Miriam says, “Of course!” The man goes up and says, “Infinity.” The widow Webster smiles and says, “Thank you, that means more than you can know.” Lastly, a woman comes up to Miriam and says, “I, too, would like to say a word if that is acceptable.”  Miriam says, “Of course!” The woman goes up and says, “Aorta.” The widow Webster smiles and says, “Thank you, that warms my heart.” Here's the start of our 2021 Calendar images.

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