Aug 19 2023 - In the Pink with Barbie

Since the Barbie Movie launched into our foreground, we've been treated to PINK.  To a specific Barbie Pink:   "The colour barbie pink (Pantone) using hexadecimal colour code #e0218a is a colour of magenta-pink. In the RGB colour model #e0218a is constituted of 87.84% crimson, 12.94% green and 54.12% blue." While Barbie came about in 1959, the pink signature colour came about in the 1970s. There is so much pink used in the movie that a global shortage of pink paint resulted. Barbie Pink has power over supply and demand. Lots of fun and low controversy in the Barbie colour realm.   But look!  That nose on the horizon!  There are accusations of "Jewface" in the headlines over Bradley Cooper's prosthetic and hugely prominent nose (according to reporters) to represent Leonard Bernstein. The press is ignoring this more than whether a straight actor can take on a gay role, as Leonard Bernstein was gay as is represented in the movie.  But that prosthetic nose is far more compelling than whether non-gays should play gay roles, and so on.  Leonard Bernstein's children defend Bradley Cooper endlessly in the headlines.  Barbie Pink is good fun.  Leonard Bernstein's nose is juicy stuff. This Sakura watercolour was combined into a montage with a textured image.  I don't see any Barbie Pink in this image - I just overlaid #e0218a and it is vividly magenta. Actually screamingly magenta - like a big prosthetic nose.

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May 5th 2023 - Nothing Today

 

When someone asks you if there's something your schedule today.  Don't you sometimes say "Nothing" - as though we could do nothing for a day. I wondered if we celebrate "nothing" given our propensity to celebrate things.  Yes we do.   National Nothing Day is an "un-event" proposed in 1972 by columnist Harold Pullman Coffin, and observed in the United States annually on January 16 since 1973, when it was added to Chase's Calendar of Events.   The unofficial holiday aims to provide people “with a day where they can just sit without celebrating, observing, or honouring anything. But it is honouring something and its nature makes this hard to do.  For example, here's advice for nothing day: Say nothing.  Take a day-long vow of silence, and don't say a word to anyone. Just carry your phone with an open web page like this one, and flash the explanation when your friends are confused. Here's another answer for the Do nothing day:  What is it called when you do nothing all day? Merriam-Webster's answer: sluggard. lazybones. couch potato. good-for-nothing. delayer. This day goes along with Un-Brithday and Buy National Nothing Day.  There must be more of these "not" days.  It is just hard to find them. Today, I'm just gonna do nothing... My friend replied: "But, you did nothing yesterday too!!"   Yeah, I know. I haven't finished it yet. When we see typos and do nothing the errorists win My feet were killing me yesterday. I bought some in-soles thinking they'd probably do nothing to help. Today I stand corrected. I can't believe I was arrested for impersonating politicians I was literally in my office doing nothing... A new prisoner in the gulag is asked..... "So how long are you in for?" He replies, "Twenty years." The veteran prisoner is surprised: "Twenty?? What on earth could you have done?" The new man replies indignantly, "I did nothing, comrade! Honest!"  The veteran says, "But the sentence for doing nothing is only ten years."   So when someone asks you what are you doing today, and there's nothing on your schedule - the response might be "having a national nothing day today." Graceful branches of Niagara blossoms today.  Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

May 1 2023 - Throuples it is

 

The New York Times had a headline on the right way for a throuple to break up.  What is a throuple?  Spellcheck, like me, doesn't know - it thinks it is throttle or trouble.  I figured that was a good guess. Taylor offers this definition: “A throuple is a relationship between three people who have all unanimously agreed to be in a romantic, loving, relationship together with the consent of all people involved.” You may also hear a throuple referred to as a three-way relationship, triad, or closed triad. This is where those Frequently Asked Questions come in handy: What are the rules of a throuple? Do throuples sleep in the same bed? What's the difference between polyamory and throuple? Is it illegal to have a throuple? Can a throuple have a baby? I actually don't want all the answers, or even most of the answers.  There are full guide books to throuple relationships, as though a how-to book is needed.  Maybe that's because the answer to "How common are throuples?" is this:  one in six people express interest and one in nine have engaged in it at some point. That explains all the articles on stars who've been in throuples - there are so many that Cosmopolitan had an article on 11 celebrities who've "opened up about non-monogamy".  Those are the ones who want to talk about it. There are the "hottest celebrity throuples", "famous throuples in history", famous throuples on tiktok". So now that I am aware of this form of relationship, I look back at how I got here.  What got my attention was the word itself - a portmanteau word - blending two or more words.  Somehow throuple doesn't show up in the list on grammary.com HERE.   The word that did get attention and was fun is threepeat (three + repeat) – a situation or event with the same outcome three times, typically in reference to a sporting event, like a championship. So a person could have a threepeat throuple. This orchard is in Jordan and if you look at the far end - that's the QEW with trucks racing by.  I  stopped for some pictures because the trees were such interesting shapes.

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Apr 26 2023 - Those Three Words

 

Are you the subject of sarcasm?  There's nothing like a "Harvard-trained etiquette expert" to guide you on how to reply.  What is Harvard doing training people in etiquette?  That's Sara Jane Ho's bio. It turns out her Harvard degree is an MBA.  She then went on to a Swiss finishing school.  And then on to an English degree, and now on to a Netflix series - Mind Your Manners.   So she's travelling in the professional realm that Emily Post made famous in the 1920s.  But there's no comparison between Emily Post and Sara Jane Ho to be found. There is lots written on her as she's quite the celebrity material. "Ms. Ho lives and runs Institute Sarita, the charm school she founded in 2012. With a curriculum that includes courses with names like “British Afternoon Tea,” “Pronunciation of Foreign Luxury Brands” and “Introduction to Expensive Sports,” Ms. Ho initially catered to nouveau riche Chinese interested in learning Western-style snobbery."   She's made a big impression in the U.S. with lots of coverage in the news.  What are those three words to reply to an insult?  They are:  "Are you okay?" Comparing her to Emily Post is possible as there is an Emily Post Institute with lots of advice:  "It’s OK to stand up to rude behavior as long as you don’t respond unkindly. Staying cool is the best way to make a point, and perhaps your good manners will be contagious. Here are some guidelines for responding to rude behavior—or not: Give the offender the benefit of the doubt Size up your announances Set a good example Encourage a positive response Laugh it off What I did notice at the Emily Post website is that one can get a signed copy of the NEW Emily Post's Etiquette Centennial edition.  Emily Post died in 1960.  More Cherry tree pictures today.   Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.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

June 21 2021 - Hindustan Times Summer Solstice on International Yoga Day

 

It is International Yoga Day.  Is this the reason that the number 1 hit on first day of summer search is the Hindustan Times? Here's their lead paragraph: "Summer Solstice 2021: On the occasion, Union petroleum and steel minister Dharmendra Pradhan said he hopes the rising sun would lead to disease-free earth. Last year, the day witnessed an annular solar eclipse, which was visible in many parts of the world including India." But what does it mean: union petroleum and steel minister?  Wikipedia gives me a different title: He is is an Indian politician who is the Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel in the Government of India.  His role is also referenced as the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural gas. That Union word really captures my attention, so a bit more reading is required. I find that the Union Cabinet is one of the federal government executive bodies.  It is "the supreme decision-making body in India".  So Union is explained, and now I know a tiny bit more about India's government structure. But I am drawn into the terminology that governments use to self-describe.  I guess that is a much longer investigation.  And looking at the news today, what could be right up there in importance -  that is, after it being Summer Solstice and International Yoga Day? And even more important than the Coronavirus update?  It is "Who's getting sued:  June 21, 2021 - a listing of filings with the BC Supreme Court.    Searching is a game of Google "Get Lucky." Surprises pop up every time.  Did the BC Supreme Court pay to have its placement this high in the search queue?  These are curious times. We are entering Cherry Season.  I took pictures on Saturday:  look at the number of cherries on these trees.  I wonder why some trees are more ripe than others?  Or are they two different varieties? How many varieties of sour cherries are there? There are Montmorency and Morello sour cherries. These ripen earlier than the  much darker sweet eating cherries.  But there are yellow sweet cherries, too.  To not know the answer, it is clear that I didn't steal any cherries in the making of these pictures.

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Spring Blossoms on the Way

It may be snowing right now in Grimsby...yet this beautiful Japanese Cherry tree in the Royal Botanical Gardens Cherry Grove, will be blooming in a few weeks.  

The signs of spring are here:  Canada Blooms starts this week on Friday March 15, 2013 in Toronto, and there's an opening of my floral and marvelling the mushroom works at the Toronto Botanical Gardens March 14 - June 13.