Aug 3 2024 - Dilbert Now

 

Poor Dilbert.  He got erased from all our newspapers for strange and  racist remarks.  And hasn't been allowed back.  There's no "paying the price" and getting to return.   As I looked through the most popular of his comics, the office context seems out of style now.  COVID upended all that.  I went looking to see what Dilbert was up to. In 2024, he went onto Rumble - a right-wing online video platform that says it is immune to cancel culture.  Because it is subscription-based, we seemed to have lost touch with him.  He is still producing comics that we can find.     I found these from February 2024 and then April.   What do you think of the 2024 Dilbert?  Would we be looking forward to it each day in the newspaper?  Maybe it is like Superman - where he might not get "old" but it gets old to us.   It is butterfly and cicada time in the garden.

Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

May 25 2023 - Cecropias and Lunas

 

Yesterday was a day full of activities.  The most unusual one was heading to Niagara Falls to pick up a parcel for my brother.  It was 20 Cecropia cocoons and 80 Luna moth eggs.   Cecropia moths are big, beautiful and boldly coloured.  They are silk moths with reddish bodies and black to brown wings surrounded by bands of white, red, and tan. With a wingspan of five to seven inches (13 to 18 centimeters), the cecropia moth is the largest moth found in North America. Of course, it is a moth, so it is nocturnal.  Being native to our area, the larvae eat ash, birch, box elder, alder, elm, maple, whip cherry, plum, willow apple and lilac.  They are very big, so you can hear them eating.  While this is not my picture, it may be that one will be showing up soon.  And what about the Luna moth?  It is a large, silk moth,(Actuals luna)  like the Cecropia, and is a bright green, with red edges, and a white body.  It has huge feathery antennae and a white body. Its caterpillars are also green. Its typical wingspan is roughly 114 mm (4.5 in), but wingspans can exceed 178 mm (7.0 in), ranking the species as one of the larger moths in North America. Across Canada, it has one generation per year, with the winged adults appearing in late May or early June, whereas farther south it will have two or even three generations per year, the first appearance as early as March in southern parts of the United States.   If you want to attract Lunas to create a moth garden, grow these:  American beech, American chestnut, black cherry, black walnut, hickory, paper birch, red maple, smooth sumac, sweetgum, white oak and willow.   The Cecropias will be coming out of their cocoons in the next few days.  The Lunas will hatch out in 14 days.   And our picture comes from the Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory - look at the dozen butterflies on this side of the tree trunk. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

May 6 2022 - It's legal in California - May the Fourth!

 

There's a time and date website with the "Fun Holidays on May 6" - Surprisingly, after yesterday taking a look at pants, they say that No Pants Day is one of today's holidays.  Is that a don't wear anything over your underwear day?  I can't tell at all. We just passed the milestone of May the Fourth Be With You Day.  In the news, California became the first governing body to officially recognize May 4 as Star Wars Day.  There were many U.S. festivals that made the news this week.  On the other hand, perhaps it is when Disney bought Lucas Films that the promotional possibilities of this phrase took flight.  It became a big day at Disney parks.  There's $14 million in tax revenue each year to Anaheim. Reader's Digest claims that it was the Tory party in England that launched the pun on May 4 1070 with a newspaper ad that said: “May the Fourth be with you, Maggie. Congratulations.” Reader's Digest attributes Newsweek with the original story.  Reader's Digest says it crossed into mainstream pop culture in the early 2000s. The first big organized event was the Toronto Underground Cinema in 2011, with screenings of the movies and a celebrity judged costume contest.  Look at the Niagara cherry tree closely with me.  Do you see the cocoon/chrysalis?  The pictures of butterflies on weeping cherry trees shows Swallowtails. Edith Smith seems to be the photographer of Swallowtails, and this could easily be such a chrysalis when I look at her photographs.  Hers are of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.  Have you seen butterflies yet?  I've seen cabbage butterflies and something mid-size with brown colourings.  Does anyone know the early spring butterflies? Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Facebook Twitter Website Email Share Tweet Forward

Mar 3 2022 - Waste in Nature

 

Is waste a natural part of the ecosystem?  It says there is no waste in nature.  Plants grow in soil, animals eat plants, dung replenishes soil.  The sense of "garbage" does not exist in nature.   There are some interesting examples of this cyclical system.   Dead wood-eating beetles are considered the insect world's best decomposers. Along with lichens, mushrooms, sow bugs and earthworms, these insects spend their time turning dead plants and animals back into usable nutrients.  Birds are considered nature's greatest recyclers.  The Bowerbird from New Guinea and Australia constructs elaborate "bowers" consisting of colourful human trash.  Hermit crabs salvage shells abandoned by other sea life, usually from sea snails.  They've used glass bottles and cans. If you have a pet hermit crab, you can get artificial shells for them. Orb-web spiers decorate their webs with debris such as leaves and twigs. They often make a new web each day. And dung beetles live to collect and repurpose poop.  They build their homes out of feces, they eat feces, and lay their eggs in it.  They roll excrement into balls and offer it to a female.  Then they happily roll it away together... into the sunset. The Octopus builds shelters out of discarded debris - from cracked coconut shells, to sea shells, glass jars, and other containers.  And what is special about monarch butterflies? Monarch caterpillars eat their old homes once they've exited. Here's our latest Monarch Wreath - it has already gone to a new home.

Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Feb 23 2022 - Puzzle Media

 

I didn't realize that there is a "puzzle media".   There definitely is a puzzle king in the U.S. It would be Will Shortz.  He has been the New York Times Puzzle Editor since 1993 and the NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle Master since 1987.  He is the only person known to hold a college degree in enigmatology, the study of puzzles.   He has been publishing puzzles since he was 16 years old.  He has said that his favorite crossword of all time is the Election Day crossword of November 5, 1996, designed by Jeremiah Farrell. It had two correct solutions with the same set of clues, one saying that the "Lead story in tomorrow's newspaper" would be "BOB DOLE ELECTED", and the other correct solution saying "CLINTON ELECTED". His favorite individual clue is "It might turn into a different story" (whose solution is SPIRAL STAIRCASE). Here is Wikipedia's list of more puzzle makers: David Steinberg Brendan Emmett Quigley Francis Heaney Peter Gordon Trip Payne Stan Newman Tyler Hinman   What does Will Shortz think of Wordle? “What’s nice about Wordle is how simple, pleasant and attractive the computer interface is,” Will Shortz, editor of the New York Times Crossword, said. Limiting players to six guesses per day and rationing out one puzzle per day adds excitement to the solving process, he said. “It’s a great puzzle, and it doesn’t take long to play, which makes it perfect for our age when people have short attention spans.”

Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Feb 22 2022 - It is Twosday Today

 

Here we are at 02 22 2022 or 22 02 2022  or 22 02 22.  It is our 22nd day of the 2nd month of the year 2022.  And it is a Tuesday, which could be 2sday, aka 2s day, twosday, and so on. This is Google's entry for the day:  What is 2s day? Today isn't just a Tuesday — it is Twosday and the term is trending on social media given it is Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. As a five digit date, that's 2, 22, 22. The occurrence of such a date is rare.  And we need a lot of distractions from the pandemic, the Russian invasion headlines and the Convoy denouement (we hope). The news headlines say that Tuesday 22 February 2022 is being called an ‘unprecedented milestone’.  The date is noted for its palindromic pattern as it reads the same forwards as it does backwards, but also as it falls on a Tuesday.  This has only happened twice before with 1/11/11 and 11/11/11, and the next one will occur in 11 years, as threesday - 3/3/33 - but there’s no weekday to match it. The article says there is no historical significance nor any cosmic message.  It is just a fun pun.  Can you imagine having to give that caution.  That can only mean that somewhere there is someone making this "significant".   The secular celebration of the day, according to news articles, has been to give honour to people who sport the number 2 in basketball, football, baseball, etc.  But the "caution" reference is to numerology.  In numerology, 2/22/22 marks as an angel number - one that contains repetition or patterns.  So you might be on the look-out today for insights and wisdom from the spiritual universe, and see what social media brings forth as "the sign".

Another butterfly picture at the Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory on Gerry's birthday last week.   Count the butterflies on the tree. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Facebook Twitter Website Email Share Tweet Forward

Feb 21 2022 - Jubbly Celebrations

 

eing in a Commonwealth country, we can lament the decline of the Queen's English.  It is a daily occurrence to experiencedrastic spelling and grammar errors.    Here's the once in 70 years drastic spelling error - this time the Queen herself is the subject of the error.  It has resulted in thousands of souvenirs marking the following: The Platinum Jubbly of Queen Elizabeth II     The intended celebration is her Platinum Jubilee.   Over 10,000 mugs, tea sets and decorative plates meant to mark the monarch's 70-year reign featured an illustration of the Queen surrounded by images featured in her coat of arms — as well as the misprint. " They come from a Chinese manufacturer.   This is particularly hilarious for fans of Del Boy, who is known for the catchphrase 'lovely bubbly' in a British 1990s television series.  The resellers website has this humorous promotion: "Apart from the obvious gimmick factor, there is an abundance of fantastic things you could do with these: Become an Only Fools and Horses fan and wow your friends with your Lovely Jubbly set! Have a plate smashing contest Take-up plate spinning as a hobby Have a dangerous game of Frisbee." The actual meaning of Jubbly?  It's a jocular exclamation. It means excellent, brilliant, great. It's the sort of thing you'd say when you got some good news or had a stroke of luck, 'ah, lovely jubbly'.

Happy  butterfly pictures from a visit to the Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory on Gerry's birthday last week.   Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Sep 3 2021 - TIFF in Toronto Month

 

TIFF is back this year.  The headlines reveal the A-list stars who will be attending.  Here is TIFF's mission:  TIFF is a charitable cultural organization with a mission to transform the way people see the world, through film.   I wonder how that matches with their list of the "biggest names" you can look out for on the streets of Toronto between September 9 and 18... More likely its purpose is to showcase the glamour of the "festival machine". That explains the hype about visiting Toronto during the beautiful September weather, with the accessible streets, lots of A-list celebrities and big crowds to appreciate them.   Which streets should I go to?  When should I go?  Do I take a chair and sit out and wait?  What do people do who are celebrity watchers and chasers?  I hadn't really thought about this before.   But don't worry, there are answers. One answer comes from One King West - the hotel/residence at King and Yonge.  This is from their website:  "Whether you spot the celebrities at TIFF by rubbing shoulders with them at a screening or are shouting their names along the red carpet, just catching a glimpse of Angelina Jolie, Benedict Cumberbatch, George Clooney or Brie Larson means you had a pretty successful TIFF experience.  In most cases, it’s a matter of being at the right place at the right time."  Their advice?  Attend a film premier, attend red carpet events, and go to the "shops" where the celebrities will shop.  Toronto.com has a comprehensive list of hotels, bars, clubs, restaurants that have had sitings in the past, along with an indication if they are open to the public.  A strategy is needed for lists this long.  And then I would have to become familiar with the celebrities to recognize them.  I am way too far behind for TIFF 2021. Anyway, what is the purpose of TIFF?  Star watching? The consumption of art? The celebration of film? Yes, all those things.  And then the stories of who one spotted - that would be the pinnacle of success. And our picture today is a Monarch wreath we made for the Fantasy of Trees coming in November to Grimsby.  Let's hope COVID has receded a bit more so that people are able to view the trees and wreaths in the Museum in a festival kind of atmosphere.  And the celebrity everyone hopes will come is Santa.

Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca