Dec 23 2022 - Christmas in the Air

There's definitely a lot of news of what's in the air just at Christmas 2022 - rain and snow.  But how would we know that "Christmas is in the air?"  What would it be?  It means in circulation, in people's thoughts.  Another interpretation is that it is coming very soon.   We're still in the rain here, so await the snow flurries.  Toronto is calling it a "bomb cyclone".  Others called it a "weather bomb".  Now there's a new weather word for me.  Aren't there so many new words all the time?  What is 2022's new expression Goblin mode?  Here's the OED definition:  “a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations”.  It came about first on Twitter in 2009, but burst out of the pack in February 2022.  And then comes Gaslighting:  “manipulating (a person) by psychological means into questioning his or her own sanity”. And the big one is Permacrisis:  “an extended period of instability and insecurity”. CNN's article on the topic found these words peculiar or depressing.  CNN explains that normal words just won't do sometimes.   Here's the proof of that - a  humorous review of the new words of 2022 from Merriam-Webster: Because (conjunction) The new definition of “because” is “by reason of.” It’s often used comedically to explain complicated things vaguely. As in, “the sky is blue because science,” or “I don’t like her because reasons.” TBH (abbreviation) This abbreviation stands for “to be honest.” It’s often used in text conversations, as in “I don’t feel like going out tonight, TBH.” Fluffernutter (n)This word describes a sandwich that entails spreading peanut butter and marshmallow topping on white bread. Yum? Amirite (interjection)This is a combination of three words “am I right.” It’s used conversationally, often humorously. As in, “Writers and their love of words, amirite?” Copypasta (n)This refers to any type of data (including text) that has been copied and spread online. It can range from lighthearted memes to serious political messages.  Deplatform (v) Use this word to refer to taking any sort of speaking platform away from somebody. Specifically, it can refer to kicking someone off of a large communication platform, like social media. Whataboutism (n) This word refers to the act of responding to an accusation by saying that somebody else committed an offense that was the same or worse.  As in “sure, I was late to work but whatabout that guy who didn’t even show up today?” FTW (abbreviation)  These three letters stand for “for the win.” This abbreviation is often used in social media commentary or when stating approval for something. As in “Fridays off FTW.” And this is all copy pasta from me.

Today's picture s are more interpretations of the sculpture walls in front of the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls.

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July 19 2022 - From the Air

 

The first aerial photograph shot in Canada was taken over the Halifax Citadel in 1883, when Captain Henry Elsdale of the Royal Engineers attached a camera to a small balloon and sent it upwards. The camera was fitted with a time-sensitive automatic shutter release which enabled it to work at various heights, and at least one vertical photograph taken that day still exists, showing the Citadel from about 1450 feet. And today? What are we photographing from the air?   "Scientists have discovered that ancient cities really did exist in the Amazon. And while urban ruins remain extremely difficult to find in thick, remote forests, a key technology has helped change the game. Perched in a helicopter some 650 feet up, scientists used light-based remote sensing technology (lidar) to digitally deforest the canopy and identify the ancient ruins of a vast urban settlement around Llanos de Mojos in the Bolivian Amazon that was abandoned some 600 years ago. The new images reveal, in detail, a stronghold of the socially complex Casarabe Culture (500-1400 C.E.) with urban centers boasting monumental platform and pyramid architecture. Raised causeways connected a constellation of suburban-like settlements, which stretched for miles across a landscape that was shaped by a massive water control and distribution system with reservoirs and canals. The site, described this week in Nature, is the most striking discovery to suggest that the Amazon’s rainforest ‘wilderness’ was actually heavily populated, and in places quite urbanized, for many centuries before recorded history of the region began.  From the Smithsonian Those are the professionally curious explorers.   Each of us looks at the passing landscape on an airplane flight,  There's a web app that guides you through the landscape you are flying over. Gregory Dicum, the inventor,  said he's currently working on getting his "Mondo Window" installed on planes so that you can get information about what you're seeing below on your airplane console as you're flying.

There's something special about a formal bench in the woods. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

What has no surface?

I have 2 sales sites - Redbubble and Fine Art America.  You can purchase a diverse range of products on these sites.  There are traditional art prints in paper, canvas, and metal, and then a series of home-based products such as pillows, duvet covers, and more such as clothing.  There are new products with high quality printing coming out all the time. One of the things I enjoy at Redbubble is hosting a few groups.  They are based on themes - gardens, flowers, Canadian artists, etc. The group Surfaces and Textures has an abstract theme - it is 'about' the surface and texture of things around us, with the focus of the image the surface itself.  Today's pictures are the surfaces of wood trunks found in Santa Fe.  These are trees outside the range of our northern forests. I realize we don't have images of air by itself.  It is the great invisible - gasses cannot form a free surface on their own. Can you imagine the thing that is all around us cannot be photographed except in the presence of a liquid or solid?  Images of air on the internet are ,pictures of the sky with clouds, the sun, sunset, etc.  This will make a great challenge for the group - this contest functionality - where I set up a theme with a defined time for submission of entries, then voting on the entries, with a winner and top ten displayed at the end.   I'll keep you posted.