Apr 23 2023 - A Regular Guy

 

It turns out that every expression is used up - take the expression "a regular guy."  It is a novel by Mona Simpson.  It is about Tom Owens, actually,  Steve Jobs.  That's her late brother. They were orphans separated by adoption who later found each other.  There was no "regular" childhood for them.  "The Urban Dictionary defines a regular guy as “a guy who is humble, down-to-earth, open and honest, easy to get along with, and generally well-versed about all the usual things people do. Someone who isn’t power-hungry, arrogant, super competitive, insecure, or egotistical. A guy you’d want to have a conversation with about things like sports, fishing, camping, hard work, relationships, home repair, music, cars, movies, power tools, etc. A guy who will never embarrass you or cause problems socially and has nothing to prove.” Given that mythical sort of definition, one wonders about the title of the book. I wouldn't use "guy" around him or about him at all, in fact.  And definitely not "regular." So it isn't surprising that the book is considered a "scathing expose... Mona changed the names and sold the book as fiction, but the world knew better." I guess a deceitful pretense needs an expression that matches.  I say that as this expression seems to be targeted to white North American men.  Romcom movies seem to be about regular guys.  Ask the question:  Ask it for different countries.  Are there regular guys in France?  And the answers are about dating, stereotypes and demographics.   Regular guys in Germany?  It is about height, then dating, and then demographics. Regular guys in China?  It is about why they are the most single in the world, then average height.   Now this is interesting.  The myth vs. the reality.  All good fun.

What a rain day yesterday!  We were back to the Niagara Street cherry tree and then on Stewart Road where this orchard had just been trimmed.  I've added the rainbow to the bleak sky.  Today looks like a blue sky day.  But those fallen branches will be wilted by today.

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Apr 23 2023 - Dominion Voting vs Robodies

 

Which headline has your attention today?  Dominion Voting, the Canadian company battling with Fox News?  Or might it be Devanthro's Robodies at a fair this week - "building robots as agile, dexterous and elegant as the human body, but without its fragility - so that one day, we can live as these nobodies and stay curious indefinitely." Both are creepy.  But which one seems creepiest - the known or the unknown? The case for the known: The U.S. defamation lawsuit has to prove there was intentional malice in reporting the false claims, not just reckless spreading of lies. Baseless doesn't seem to be the issue in the U.S. court system here.  The high bar of the first amendment is actual malice.  It is creepy and compelling to experience the moment when the United States spirals into chaos because the pathways for misinformation, disinformation and clear lies are opened wide.  That's the scenario if Fox doesn't lose. Do the Robodies seem creepier?  Yes to me they are personally and individually creepy which is even worse.  "Robodies are Humanoid Robotic Avatars that teleport your senses, action and presence anywhere on the planet. Combining robotics, AI, AR, 5G into one technology, they’re the closest thing to teleportation."  The company is DEVANTHRO, The Nobody Company. "They will allow 1.5 billion baby boomers age with dignity.  The Robody is named 10xNurse - a care-giver who remotely cares by embodying robodies   in elderlies homes. Nurses care for many patients at once, by teleporting between them, when needed. Take a look at the website HERE.  You can see all the presentations promoting the nobodies in Germany.  Evening smiling and hugging the Robot.  I can't help thinking it is a person in a robot suit.  But no this is me in a robot body - it is the opposite.  If only it was a train wreck ahead and not a nuclear explosion. Here's our Cherry tree on Niagara Street in St. Catharines.  The first image is multiple in-camera exposures. The second is a panorama to get the whole tree in the image.  Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Apr 15 2023 - High Park Vancouver

 

Bing's main page picture is of ancient cherry blossom trees and it says Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival but the picture it  shows says High Park.  Our Toronto High Park Cherry Blossoms should be blooming soon - we can go to highparknaturecentre.com HERE to get the current status and it is called Stage 3 right now.   The "blossom florets are deep pink and the buds extending out.  So that means not yet - likely 12 days away. But who knows with such war m weather.  It will be a vehicle-free blooming experience - so you can imagine the grid lock around the park this year.  It is quite contentious that there are plans to reduce vehicular lanes and parking. Here are the blossom stages: Stage One: Green Colour in Buds: Cherry blossoms emerge before the leaves on the tree. The first sign of their impending arrival are fat, round green buds on the branches of the tree. Stage Two: Florets Visible: About 14 days before peak bloom, the buds swell and the florets (small flowers) start to become visible. Stage Three: Extension of Florets: Approximately 12 days before peak bloom, the florets (deep pink at this stage) start to extend out of the buds. Stage Four: Peduncle Elongation: 6-10 days before peak bloom, the peduncles (flower stems) get longer and the individual blossoms can be clearly seen. Blossoms are very vulnerable to frost at this stage. Stage Five: Fluffy White: 4-6 days before peak bloom, the fluffy white Sakura blossoms begin to open. Each flower opens at different times. Stage Six: Peak Bloom: “Peak bloom” starts when at least 70% of the blossoms are open. Once open, flowers last from 4-10 days, depending on weather conditions. Cool, calm weather can extend the bloom period, while warm, unsettled weather can shorten it. Let's head out to our own vast weeping cherry tree on Niagara Street just north of Carlton, across from Laura Secord High School.  We'll do the stage assessment - maybe in bloom.   Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

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Dec 3 2021 - Christmas Inventions

 

What might not exist except for Christmas?  Giving Tuesday got me thinking of how we might be thankful for Christmas, despite the ongoing and relentless Christmas songs everywhere we go. My guess is you would immediately volunteer:  Christmas tree tinsel, candy canes, artificial Christmas trees, Christmas cards and string lights.  But this is not very interesting or exciting. Not enough to inspire us to gratitude. So we might turn to inventions that are entertaining: The self-extinguishing Christmas tree - the fire-extinguisher is attached to a pipe and somehow knows when to eject the fire-retardant.  A smoke detection angel - alerts you the tree is in the process of being ruined by the fire. A real Christmas tree watering system (disguised as a present) Device for dispensing tinsel (in the shape of a gun) A supporting actor award might go to this one: Richard Drew developed one of the most useful and practical items ever invented while working at 3M in 1923: adhesive tape.  As legend would have it, the tape fell off a car during a trial run and one frustrated worker told Drew to “take this tape back to those Scotch bosses of yours and tell them to put more adhesive on it!” That was how the world’s first brand of transparent tape – a clever combination of oil, rubber and resins – came to be known as Scotch Tape.  And is there entertainment in what might the next Christmas inventions might look like?   A watch that determines if children are naughty or nice - Child wears "watch", parent wears "watch with behaviour app", parent observes child, parent taps app to award child points for good behaviour, updates child's watch to let them know their current performance level.  A cat receiver collar and wire loop antenna placed around the Christmas tree to dissuade cats from climbing the mountain to the star on top. Santa drone - that seems imminent, even immediate. Augmented reality family - pop on the AR glasses and loved ones from all corners of the globe appear around you. This orchard tree on Greenlane is still with us, but the ancient trees are starting to fall - non-native tender fruit trees are not long-lived typically 40 years, compared to apples which can easily live over 50 years.

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Bees Come Down

I spotted the first blossom trees in Niagara.  But I have to admit I don't know what kind of blossoms they are.  I am thinking apricots.  I remember in 2012 when we had the mildest of winters, Ii saw apricots blossoms in March, and then there was cold weather so the crop didn't develop. I saw these trees across from the United Mennonite Home in Vineland. I went to Cherry Lane on Victoria Street, to see if there was anything blooming there.  Cherry Lane has quite a distinction.  This is a family where the tenth generation is farming.  But that isn't their fame.  What distinguishes their family is the development of the first red peach - Red Haven.  It's the best known one now. They also have a major processing and cherry brining facility. There's an overview of Niagara fruit growers here. Vineyards are showing the pink but at the ground level - this second picture is at Jordan Station. I think the flowers are a wild/weedy form of lamium.  I have a bit in my garden too. And I checked out my favourite weeping cherry tree on Niagara Street (across from Laura Secord High School) in St. Catharines, and the blossoms are showing pink. Have a Happy Easter and Passover Celebration.

Mayday and May Day!

How is it that May Day is a springtime festival and a call for urgent help? As a spring festival it includes dances, singing and cake.  As an emergency procedure it is used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications.  It is used three times in a row to distinguish it as a Mayday call rather than about a message about a Mayday call.  Isn't that the best! Our news headlines today in Quebec also let us know that this is International Workers Day.  There are workers' rights demonstrations planned for Montreal and streets will be closed for the route.  In past years, in Montreal, some May Day demonstrations have ended in violence and mass arrests. Our second picture today is a close-up of a weeping Katsura tree on the grounds where the weeping cherry is located.  What is special about a Katsura in the fall?

Spring Blossoms

This coming Sunday is May 1st.  That means the beginning of a month of flowers, orchard blossoms and when warm weather takes hold. Saturday's weather and skies were perfect for photography.  I have been checking weekly on the weeping Cherry tree at the former Niagara Horticultural Station on Niagara Street in St. Catharines.  It was in full bloom on Saturday - with blue hazy skies.  You can easily tell which photo is Saturday's.  The first photograph was taken on  April 10th 2012 with grey skies.  The blossoms are washed out pink - so pale in the grey skies.   It is amazing to see the differences in how Spring unfolds.  In 2012, there is a carpet of violets under the cherry tree.  This year, they are barely starting to bloom.  In addition, other trees were leafing out in 2012, and this is not the case this year. And wouldn't it be lovely if the weeping branches touching the ground had been allowed to stay.  I guess the tractor mower wins every time.

Spring Experience

I am looking forward to the beautiful cherry trees at Royal Botanical Gardens.  This tree is in the Arboretum and is an ancient Japanese Cherry.  I used Topaz Lens Effects to get the motion blur in the second image.