Nov 20 2024 - Succumbing to Black Friday

 

This is the first year that I've noticed the Black Friday ads justify themselves so far in advance of the actual Black Friday.  It works as it gets my attention. Then I wonder the worst case scenario.  Will it ever end? Will it continue after American Thanksgiving has come and gone?  I wonder these things.  It has already been successful in turning all of November into Black Friday month for Canadian shoppers. Maybe it will drift into December, too. Black Friday in Canada is "a significant cultural and retail event that kickstarts the holiday shopping season, reshaping the way Canadians shop and interact with retailers"  Really? That appears to be an opinion-piece statement.  It has lots off advertisements, so I guess that's the real purpose.   All the articles seem to be this way - they all have lots of ads on the best gifts and best deals.    So I took a look through what the National Post wants you to click through to.  It is HERE.   It is very entertaining. The site is lifehacks.com  and these are crazy things like a smart ring, the vital flex core (military method to lose weight). VI shift revolutionary glasses, fluffy zen pillow, the Ramona fire blanket (You see in ads everywhere)...   Wait there's one for me:  the pocket hose copper bullet - step up your gardening game!  And another that got my attention - see below the picture of a dog and a little four-wheeled vehicle.  It is a robot dog walker.  Can you see Millie dragging it along as she chases leaves?   Maybe it delivers parcels and walks the dog.

Here's my Black Friday picture.  Graffiti on a wall.

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

Nov 5 2024 - Tipping Point Politics

 

"Tipping Point Pennsylvania".  Can you imagine that as a tourist slogan?  What about us in Canada?  Do we have anything as drastic as this?   This from Eric Grenier in 2021:  "The concept is pretty simple: line-up all 338 ridings according to how likely a party is to win them, and the one that sits at the 170th spot is the tipping point seat needed for a majority government...it gives us an idea of the kind of seat each party needs to win the election. How that seat shifts around gives us an indication of how the electoral map is shifting around."  There are four seats on his 2021 chart.  That article was 2021 so I wonder if those tipping point seats can change over time. His article outlines swings within weeks - not at all like Pennsylvania which seems to score as the champion as the tipping point state in the US elections.   Our tipping points are individual seats - that was in 2021. In comparison to the U.S., this is a simple chart with the details HERE.  I expect our tipping point ridings shift about over time.  I guess Eric Grenier will give us an update when our next election comes.  He always has a current view of political parties now that we have an election in the near future. So many charts. We are locked onto politics in this moment-by-moment analysis. Was I not paying attention in the past?  What happened?  We know the answer.  Our sense of the United States election might be compared to California tumbling into the ocean from the big earthquake. How far will the tidal wave go? How long will it last?  Compelling but cataclysmic.  And of course:  more news with pictures at 10:00.

Here's an image that is a thought for Election Day USA.

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

June 14 2023 - That Old Television Set

 

Isn't that so nostalgic?  It looks like a colour image from the 1960s, doesn't it? Everything sort of pinky and blue. Switching to color wasn’t as easy as flipping a switch. Jack Chertok, producer of My Favorite Martian, told Broadcasting magazine in August of 1965 that there would be problems with some of the special effects used in the series: “Many of them depend on wires which we’ve kept hidden from viewers by using black wires against a black background. Now we’ll have to use colors matching the colored backgrounds."   I seem to remember Bonanza was a very colourful show.  And that they colourized the grass and other parts of the scenery to make it vibrant.  Certainly Bonanza was called the "Color television trailblazer".  Such a long-running show, there are lots of facts about it. Alas, I didn't find any colour-painting facts. Colour TV was a vast success.  In January of 1968, TVB found that households with color television sets were watching between 40 and 70 more minutes of television on a daily basis than households with black-and-white sets Here's some peeling paint on a transport truck - it seems surreal it is so colourful.  And isn't it so curious that one can find a landscape scene somewhere in the mess of peeling paint and plastic. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Apr 8 2023 - Sliding In

 

Did changing the baseball rules get the results they wanted?  There were dozens of articles on what the rule changes are so I became very familiar with what was about to transpire.   I thought I'd find out what the results are and found one article - from Sports Illustrated on the results.  Given they are the sports source, it was a great article. And they say the new rules make the game more exciting.  Which is what they wanted. The first benefit was that the Dodgers and Angels game took just over two hours instead of three hours. The pitch timer cut 25 minutes of dead time out of minor league games.  And another big question?  Would they sell less in concession sales with those big dollar beers?  They had no significant decline.  Fans had already been leaving the game early before the end.  Now the game is ending on time. There were more good results from the changes, too. The article says that the game has returned to its aesthetic best - that was in the 198os. The article is HERE.  I have to think there might be hope in America - if baseball can make changes, think what might be possible next!   This is a bit of scuffed and scraped street curb and I have it a spring colour makeover. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Facebook Twitter Website Email Share Tweet Forward

November - the Month of Black Fridays

 

I wonder now about how many days there are to Black Friday?  Is November the month of Black Fridays where every day is a Black Friday sale day?  I have to think this might be causing us to be more depressed in November than in previous years and decades.  It used to be for 24 hours on the day after Thanksgiving,  but it is November 13th today and Michael's tells me they have Black Friday Blow-out deals.   It has turned out that Black Friday is at least a whole week or even two weeks.   Google says it can run all of November and beyond.   Yesterday in the Best Buy store, it had signs to say it is Black Friday Month.  It looks like we've moved on from "can" to "does extend a whole month".  That's how we've gotten to Early Black Friday.  Is there a Late Black Friday - no we have Cyber Monday?  And what beyond that? Can you imagine celebrating a sale day based on two people who caused a market crash:  That's the origin of the name Black Friday?  The term "Black Friday" was first coined in 1869 when two investors, Jay Gould, and Jim Fisk, caused a market crash by driving up the price of gold. As a result, the stock market dropped 20%, foreign trade stopped, and farmers witnessed a huge drop in corn and wheat value.  That's the origins. The other story is that  the day after Thanksgiving is  "Black Friday" because stores would go from operating at a loss or being "in the red," to earning a profit or being "in the black."  That came along in the 1980s, and is the one that stuck.  Black Friday has become Brawl Friday - where shoppers become so excited over these supposed discount prices that they fight and brawl.  The Black Friday jokes mostly involve this activity.  And rightly so as there is a Black Friday death count HERE.   It says 17 deaths and 125 injuries.  That seems to be recorded in the news counting. So expect macabre humour in the jokes section: What do Black Friday shoppers and the Thanksgiving turkey have in common? They know what it’s like to be stuffed and jammed into a small space. Black Friday: Because only in America do people trample others for sales exactly one day after being thankful for what they already have. Every year on Black Friday I make sure I wake up extra early.  To go on the internet to see all the fights. Looks like our picture of the day is about "Old News".  I am likely very slow in catching up to Black Friday Month. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Sep 15 2022 - That Happy Little Cloud

 

Wake Up on the Bright Side      This comes from Weird Facts on Bored Panda.  These are compelling one-line stories.  You can page through all 50 of the stories HERE.  I include the link because this is a  Is this one true?  I haven't found out.  The treasure trove of Bob Ross's life is reward enough.   Bob Ross's biography has many more events that are stranger than this one.  For example,  he was never paid for his PBS series show.  Another fact:  his 30,000 paintings and the Bob Ross brand and name went to his partners after his death - Walt and Anne Kowalski, and not to his son and brother.  A Netflix documentary tracks the legal battles over the rights to the Ross name after his death at 52.   The Kowalskis had a painting supplies company in partnership with him and they backed his PBS show.  They won the rights to his likeness and name squeezing out his son - even from painting for a period of time.   And then there are all the plush toys and similar products. "Ross painted an estimated 30,000 paintings during his lifetime. Despite the unusually high supply of original paintings, Bob Ross original paintings are scarce on the art market, with sale prices of the paintings averaging in the thousands of dollars and frequently topping $10,000. The major auction houses have never sold any of Ross's paintings, and Bob Ross Inc. continues to own many of the ones he painted for The Joy of Painting, as Ross himself was opposed to having his work turned into financial instruments. In contrast to more traditionally famous artists, Ross's work, described by an art appraisal service as a cross between "fine art" and "entertainment memorabilia" — is most highly sought after by common fans of The Joy of Painting, as opposed to wealthy collectors. The artwork circulating among collectors is largely from Ross's work from before he launched the television show." And remember Bob Ross's voice?  It had a calm, soothing tone.  "Twitch streams created a new interest in Ross and caused his popularity to grow. His videos subsequently became popular with devotees of ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response). ASMR refers to a pleasant form of paresthesia, or tingling, often brought about by specific visual or auditory stimuli. Many viewers found that listening to Ross triggered an ASMR response. According to Joan Kowalski, the president of Bob Ross Inc.: "He's sort of the godfather of ASMR.  People were into him for ASMR reasons before there even was an ASMR." This is repeated in another article:  "Even today, Ross has become an ASMR star...  A video of Ross painting a mountain has a staggering 7.7 million views, with others regularly surpassing 2 or 3 million views." A few of Bob Ross's words are notable and quotable:    We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents. “There's nothing wrong with having a tree as a friend. “I guess I'm a little weird.  “Let's get crazy.” “Lets build a happy little cloud. Lets build some happy little trees.”

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

Sep 13 2022 - Mending Bridges

 

Can you imagine?  The original bridge crossing the Niagara River in Niagara Falls, named the Honeymoon Bridge collapsed in 1938 due to an ice jam on the river.   Massive chunks of ice began to accumulate below the bridge on January 23rd, 1938. This was precipitated by a powerful wind storm that blew ice from Lake Erie down the Niagara River and over the Horseshoe and the American Falls.  It was the bridge's close proximity to the water level that was the problem..   "During the fateful week in 1938, the Niagara river bed rose to 9 feet high, thus engulfing the Maid of the Mist docks and everything else around it. Suddenly the abutments of the Honeymoon Bridge were encased with ice. Knowing that the bridge would collapse on any given day, all vehicle traffic was ceased to a halt the day prior to the Niagara Falls Bridge Collapse on January 26th."  There was film footage of this at the time.  It is HERE.   Thousands of spectators watched from both sides as the collapse occurred. I went looking for images of the construction of the new arch, started in 1940 and completed in 1941.  "The bridge is a hingeless steel arch, and when it was first built was reportedly the longest hingeless steel arch ever constructed. The bridge's steel is composed of built-up beams that are riveted together. The bridge appears to retain good historic integrity with no major alterations to the superstructure noted. The bridge's solid rib arch and minimal bracing give this bridge an appearance that is quite modern in comparison to other bridges built during this time."   Here in the definitive article on its construction - August 28, 1941 Engineering News-Record describes of the method of erection.    And when the bridge opened November 1st 1941, which dignitaries were on hand? I found only one reference, but an excellent one.  It is an original Toronto Star caption: "The rainbow bridge at Niagara Falls was formally opened during the week-end. A rainbow made its appearance shortly afterward. Hoisting the Canadian flag is Hon. T. B. McQuesten; and on his LEFT are Dr. Norman V. Leslie of Hamilton and C. Elliston Kauymeyer; bridge manager." I wondered if it would have been the Prime Minister or Premier of Ontario as it was considered one of the most significant bridges of its time.  But that was a thought only. The Toronto Public Library archives has numerous historical pictures of construction HERE.  This picture makes everything look so tidy and neat, but it was a huge site, full of construction equipment as the second image shows better.

Abstract image today reminding me of the bridge structure.   Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Aug 11 - Zero and One

 

For people who live in the computer age, we don't know binary code, a base-two numerical system.   Binary code is a two-symbol system, using the binary digits 0 and 1 to represent a letter, digit, or other character in a computer or other electronic device. Let's jump to what it might look like. How To Write  “I Love You” In Binary Code It is fun to express your love to your special one with binary code. Here is the binary code of “I Love You”: 01101001 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 The following is the meaning of every translation: 01101001 – I  01100111 – L  01001111 – O  01010110 – V  01000101 – E  01111001 – Y  01001111 – O  01010101 – U A binary joke, with explanation: There are only 10 types of people in the world - those who understand binary, and those who don't. "The pun is that the binary translation for decimal digit 2 is ‘10’. Not decimal TEN, but a binary one-zero. Only people who understand binary code would know that, everyone else would be thinking there is a mistake in the joke." There are lots of more these jokes.

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

Jan 10 2022 - Snopestionary Wisdom

 

I see so many of those offers of deals, advice, and similar things.  Here's a question of the week that Snopes is answering for us:  Should an Empty Toilet Paper Roll or Red Cup Be Placed Under the Toilet Seat at Night?   Online advertisements promised what appeared to be a handy bathroom trick.  I can't imagine what kind of trick this might be.  And that is the hook, isn't it? The picture of the toilet and roll has been around for a few years.  What could the punch line possibly be? I find out from Snopes that there is no punchline.   Snopes tells us this trick is False.  They say that there is no reason given for putting an empty toilet paper roll or red cup there. Jordan Liles posted this  Snopes investigation in July 2021.   He went through all 41 slides.  He reveals some of what's in them: "Ever looked forward to cleaning the house? We didn’t think so! But when it absolutely, positively has to be done – when your bathroom’s looking a little grubby, for instance – we’re here to help." "These 40 incredible hacks will make sprucing up your home an absolute breeze. And you just won’t believe what you can do with a cardboard bathroom tissue roll…" "The article contained several odd household tricks. One claimed it would be good to put hairbrushes in the dishwasher. Another advised about pouring various liquids down the drain, which we covered in two previous fact checks about dish soap and salt. We also found a questionable oven cleaning tip, plus purported bread uses, which we also covered in the past." Here's the Snopes' list of current investigations: Does Video show vaxed heads exploding due to 5G in Israel? Is Daryl Hannah pregnant at age 61? Did Oprah Winfrey endorse Whoopie Goldberg's CBD line? There are so many strange headlines. Don't you start to wonder about them and want to know where they come from and what kind of true fact might be there? The iS a path through all this - stay in touch with Snopes.  And to catch up on 2021 read their list of 2021 stories found to be True HERE.   Here's a picture that has been manipulated by Flexifly, and then by Filter Forge.

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