Marilyn's Photos - July 25 2025 - Blone Hair Huge Black Eyebrows

 

Blonde hair, huge black eyebrows.  What is that about? Don't you look at something and see it as though it is the first time you've seen this?  And then wonder what it is? "A bushy brow renaissance" is an expression in a Vogue article on blonde hair, black eyebrows. And: "The distinct contrast of light and dark renders caterpillar-like arches even more expressive, providing a delicate face with a high-impact frame." Did it start with Eva Peron or earlier than that?  Evita the perennial musical made it even more popular and gave it persistence as various stars mimickws the startling look.  And who stands out among them? Madonna is the notable one. "To get the look of Perón, Madonna sported wigs, prosthetic teeth, and contacts to get her character's look just right. When doing press for "Evita," Madonna channeled Perón's demure late '40s and early '50s looks. She attended the film's Los Angeles premiere wearing a red floral hat with a veil designed by Givenchy. Madonna's throwback glamor was so marketable that her looks in the film inspired retailers to jump on the glamor bandwagon. Bloomingdale's opened "Evita" boutiques and Estée Lauder sold "The Face of Evita" makeup pallets." Along the way, I saw this article on Madonna and her many "looks" as she matured and aged - she's now 68.  Here's another "for the first time" experience:  What a shocking set of images - to see them one after the other - HERE - the Evolution of Madonna's face.  Remember the recent obituary of the woman who had the most facial surgery? That's what one of the last picturea of Madonna looks like. And the final picture returns to something almost acceptable with her at the Met Gala where she's in a shiny white men's suit with her boyfriend, Akeem Morris, who is 29 .  And it all starts with blonde hair and bushy black eyebrows.

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Marilyn's Photos - July 17 2025 - Whilst

 

What do you think of the word "whilst"?  Or do you think about it?  Cathal Kelly started his column with this word today.  That's in the Sports section.  It is about The Open.  It isn't about the British Open.  Or The British Open.  It is about The Open.  So much said with upper case and no adjectives - the point of his article.  Whilst is getting hard to find in the search engine controlled by Google's AI, so I went onto Duck A Go Go even though it also has an AI search component that prefaces all retrievals with its "answer."   The story goes that while and whilst mean the same when we use them as conjunctions. They both mean ‘during the time that something else happens’, or ‘in contrast with something else’.  And the obvious: While is much more common than whilst, and whilst sounds more formal: From writing explained.org: Whilst is an old word. It originates from Middle English, and like many words from this era, was first used in the 14th century. Whilst is common in formal British English, but in American English, you rarely see this word, even in the most formal occasion. Whilst and while are two spellings of the same word, which can be used as a conjunction or an adverb. It means at the same time or whereas. The article by Cathal Kelly in today's globe is:  "At The British Open, establishing linguistic supremacy is the name of the game." I sought out more quotes from Kelly, as he is very humorous in his sports writing. I found this one from his book:  “(Umbert Eco) told a story about his library, which contained ten thousand volumes. (Someone) asked if he’d read all of them... « Of course I haven’t read them all. If I had, why would I keep them? » That line hit me like a lighting bolt. That was the purpose of life. Not accumulating knowledge, or rounding out an area of expertise or building a collection. But recognizing that for some people who come to it early and without being forced, LIFE IS A LONG SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT BOOK.” ― Cathal Kelly, Boy Wonders: A memoir

Model layouts and contest entries from narrow gauge conventions past. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Nov 22 2023 - Black Friday Scams

 

I continue with Black Friday confusion.  Isn't it coming up this weekend?  The Toronto Sun news reads:  More than 2 million Canadian scammed on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  that story was yesterday.   The article goes on to say this has happened in the past.  So I guess we can add something new to the big deals and best prices of the year event.  There are more articles today on scamming on Black Friday.  From Consumer Affairs comes the headline:  Hold on, that Black Friday deal on a Rolex may be a scam.  This article found an increase of 66% of scamming urls in the US.  There are so many scams that they are listed by subject: Travel - an increase of 133% in things like fake Airbnb pages Walmart - get a deal on a QLED TV iCloud survey - Apple storage is full Spotify - newel problems HR department phishing - check the staff termination list Here are 9 scams to avoid according to Aura.com.  The 9 Latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday Scams You Need To Avoid: Fake or spoofed online stores  Social media ads for “too-good-to-be-true” deals Fake order confirmation emails Fraudulent delivery notifications Fake charity and fundraiser scams Gift card scams  Bogus coupon and voucher websites Non-delivery scams Sellers asking for non-traditional payment options Maybe Black Friday is going to become more famous for how much is stolen on that single day rather than how much is purchased.   It is this Friday, isn't it? Or is there a scan over when Black Friday actually occurs? Isn't this an incredible model!

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Oct 10 2023 - Keyboard Quirks

 

I coul5dn't5 sign into my comput5er5 this mor5ning.  My passwor5d didn't se5em to wor5k.  You can't5 se5e5 your5 passwor5d.   So then what? If I could, this is what I would have seen - all of these fives showing up in between the letters being pressed.   So I pressed the five key and things have returned to normal.   What will happen if I press it again?  There was a warning problem yesterday.  The keyboard would not capitalize T with the shift key.  So my workaround was to put caps lock on and then off after the T was pressed.   My last keyboard problem was a key cap that fell off and wouldn't go back on permanently - it had stopped making contact as well. I find out that there are lots of other issues that can happen.  "This can happen due to spills, drops, dust, or wear and tear. Some signs of hardware issues are keys that are stuck, loose, or missing, or keys that produce the wrong characters or no response at all. To fix hardware issues, you may need to clean, replace, or repair the keyboard, depending on the extent of the damage." There are software sorts of problems such as input source.  And when Baxter and Millie lie on the keyboard, they can change settings.  Baxter is the more talented at this activity.  Given this was the backup keyboard - that last one couldn't be repaired, I guess there's a new keyboard in the works.  Model layout day today. Love the red tub tacks on the bridge.

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June 27 2023 - Olivia Chow vs 101 candidates

 

From the last day of school to the first day of Toronto's new mayor.  What an excellent headline this morning.  She's the first progressive mayor since David Miller.  She's the first Chinese-Canadian mayor and the third female mayor.  Her presence brings back memories of Jack Layton, a much-beloved NDP politician who died from cancer in 2011.  That was a significant loss to the political scene.  Jack Layton's predecessors were politicians and activities - his great-granduncle William Steeves was a Father of Confederation.  And the family business was Layton Bros. Pianos. That seems a good combination.  Olivia Chow was born in British Hong Kong and emigrated with her parents in 1970. While her parents were schoolteachers and a school superintendent in Hong Kong, in Canada they worked at odd jobs. She was an artist and sculptor in her early career.  She moved into politics in 1986 motivated by indigents of harassment and sexual discrimination. The voting was much higher for this election than the last one. It was about 40 percent of the eligible votes vs 29 percent in the fall election.   Perhaps there was more at stake this time - rejuvenation was needed rather than conservatism.  She promises affordable housing, improved transit,  that Gardiner Expressway revamp at ground level, and says there will be modest increased taxes to pay for the initiatives.  This is different than John Tory's conservative keep taxes low and reduce services strategy. Who is the biggest detractor of Chow?  Doug Ford. What a quote:  "While we're not always going to agree on everything..."   I wonder if there is something or anything to agree on - his initiatives include building houses on the Greenbelt and building a highway across the Greenbelt in Toronto's northern suburbs that will cost billions.   It seems like there will be contention between Ford's highways and Chow's transit plans.   That makes me think off our transit from more than a century ago - from before the dominance of the automobile.   The rail yard is full of activity on this layout.     Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Nune 9 2023 - Summer Time Travelling

 

Our air quality has improved, allowing people to get outdoors again.  Let's go for a drive.   Look out, though.  There are 44 closures in Toronto alone on June 9 2023 for roadwork - these are planned.  Highway 400, 401, 404, 427 and the Queen Elizabeth Way.  That covers the majority of the major roads in the Toronto area.  Seems like a lot of hiccups along the road. The events closures are ramping up too.  All those cycling fundraisers, runs and walks, and then festivals.  There's Portugal Day, Grilled Cheese Challenge festival and the RBC Open - which ironically has caused closures. Combine that with reductions in subway service for construction and reductions in GO train service. That is followed by an encouragement for residents and visitors to take public transit as a greener, faster and more affordable way of getting around.  Summer can get complicated when it comes to travelling around. What about steam train travel?  Here's a model layout.   Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

May 27 2023 - Listverse

 

Metaverse is a trend in words that have verse in them.  I recently found a site named Listverse.com - it is full of lists. How do you keep someone scrolling through lists?  They have to have interesting topics, and there needs to be variety so that you continue to read through them.  The list of lists itself needs to be interesting.  There are subject areas - movies and tv, weird stuff, our world, travel, history, creepy, technology, humans, crime. In the Weird Stuff area, one list is 10 male leaders who had surprisingly high-pitched voices.  They include George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  Here's the entry of Adoph Hitler:   When it comes to “shrill-voiced speakers,” a lot of people’s minds probably wander to Adolph Hitler. Hitler’s speeches were characterized by his shrill, angry, maniacal tone as he sought to rile up the crowds and keep them enthralled in his Nazi ideology. He is basically the embodiment of the “screaming dictator” trope. However, Hitler had a secret. He was very careful about making sure that no one recorded him speaking in his normal voice. Despite this, there exists a single known recording of Hitler speaking in a conversational voice. The recording in question involves Hitler speaking to Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, the military leader of Finland, in 1942. The recording was made in secret by a Finnish broadcasting engineer. When Hitler’s guards realized he was being secretly recorded, they surprisingly did not demand the tape be destroyed. They instead demanded it be “hidden away, never to be opened.”  The tape was kept from the public for nearly 15 years but was finally released in 1957. In contrast to his crazed, high-pitched voice when speaking to a crowd, Hitler’s conversational voice is deep, even, and almost smooth. Above, you can hear Adolph Hitler’s normal, rarely-heard speaking voice   Wouldn't they have high-pitched voices on a model railroad?  Everything in scale. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

 

Where does Irony come from?  That's a question one finds on google.  As a question, it seem odd - how could a word come from something or a place as though it is a person.   And there is a definition where irony as an adjective means "of or resembling iron" - that's from the late 14th century. Wikipedia's entry is the most quoted: " The term irony has its roots in the Greek comic character Eiron, a clever underdog who by his wit repeatedly triumphs over the boastful character Alazon."  The meaning is: "figure of speech in which the intended meaning is the opposite of the literal meaning" (usually covert sarcasm under a serious or friendly pretense), c. 1500, from Latin ironia, from Greek eironeia "dissimulation, assumed ignorance," Irony is much beloved by critical literature authors.  There are many articles on its history and the types of irony.  Irony is beloved by everyone. One article is titled irony - the opposite of wrinkly.   I thought there might be history's great examples of irony. And there are lots.  Here's 135 of the most ironic things that have happened - the list was compiled by BoredPanda voters up-voting the entries, and is based on pictures.  Some are most enjoyable.  Click on the link HERE.   Some ironies for the day: What's ironic about the Bible?  It is the most shoplifted book in America. Charlie Chaplin once entered a "charlie Chaplin walk" contest and came in 20thy. Researchers say that duct tape should never be used for sealing ducts.   I am looking through the archives for a particular picture and found the train layout from near Portland.  A big building completely full of trains, planes, and various models.  It was quite the experience. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Mar 11 2023 - Summer Time coming before Spring Time is here

 

Daily Savings Time is here this weekend.  It seems the change of time is to make summer more enjoyable/productive/save energy/ and sorts of "tangible" benefits.  All these benefits seems to have driven it to start earlier. Long summer evenings aren't arriving for another few months.  It used to be in April, but the US Department of Energy had the idea that there were would energy conservation so moved it to March for more savings.  That seems likely to be a theoretical wish rather than a real gain.   When did it originally start? On July 1, 1908, the residents of Port Arthur, Ontario, today's Thunder Bay, turned their clocks forward by 1 hour to start the world's first DST period. Other locations in Canada soon followed suit. On April 23, 1914, Regina in Saskatchewan implemented DST. The cities of Winnipeg and Brandon in Manitoba did so on April 24, 1916. It is up to the legislation in each municipality in Canada to decide on the use of DST. As a result, there are some locations don't follow the DST schedule of their in provinces and territories. For example, while British Columbia uses DST, some locations in the province do not. Since 2007, all provinces, territories, and locations in Canada using DST follow the same start and end dates as the United States. And that's how we got to changing the clocks so much earlier.  I wondered if there was any news on Scott Adams and Dilbert. There's no news.  He is on the Locals website.  It is Coffee with Scott Adams Community...open-minded people who like to learn about persuasion, politics and the operating code for reality while having some laughs. It is here.  You get to see a preview as it is a member only site. We are ignoring all the snow today and concentrating on trains instead. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Jan 5 2023 - Boat vs Building

 

There have been some architectural oddities announced in 2022 and one that got my attention is the floating city shaped like a swimming turtle.  The architect has estimated a cost in the range of US $8 billion (or $12 billion in other articles).  It is called a terayacht.  "Described as a Terayacht by Lazzarini, (the architect), the Pangeos is named after the Pangea (or Pangaea) supercontinentthat existed hundreds of millions of years ago. It would make even the largest of the current crop of megayachts look like mere dinghies, with a length of 550 m (roughly 1,800 ft) and a maximum width of 610 m (2,000 ft)." "The hull would be built from steel and would feature a turtle-shaped base topped by an oval structure that supports a maximum of 60,000 people, with hotels, shopping centers, parks, both ship and aircraft ports, luxury villas, clubs, and everything else needed to maintain a floating community in the middle of the ocean." "Naturally, a vessel this size would require some hardcore propulsion and the Pangeos would be equipped with nine massive cutting-edge HTS (high-temperature superconducting) motors, each of which would be electric and capable of producing the equivalent of 16,800 horsepower, allowing it to cruise at a stately 5 knots (5.75 mph). The power to run the floating city would come from solar panels, plus electricity would be produced using its large flipper-like structures, which would harness energy from the sea with some kind of wave energy generator system, allowing the ship to cruise indefinitely." Is it a mobile island, perhaps?   Today we go back in the time machine to trains.  Like our turtle yacht, these are models. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Nov 3 2022 - Selling the Haunted House

 

Halloween themed stories abounded last week, and one of them was how to know if the house you are interested in buying is considered "haunted".  According to various surveys from 20% to 60% of North Americans believe in ghosts.  And one in 10 Canadians say they have seen ghosts.  Selling haunted houses is relatively easy.  There is no requirement in Canada to indicate such a "state'. No tick box  titled haunted house?  So it is buyer beware and if the purchaser is worried about this, then they have to put the clause in the contract about ghosts and hauntings.   There's an entry in Wikipedia about "stigmatized property".  You can imagine how many these there are.   Hauntings come under the "Phenomena stigma". Are haunted houses popular to buy? There are lots of articles on how and why to buy a haunted house.  And then there are lots on how to avoid buying a haunted house.  Haunted houses are a great topic.   I tried to find a video of a ghost in a haunted house.  I tried.  I found this story about the Amityville house:  "Famous homes, such as those used in television productions or filmmaking, can also be stigmatized by increased traffic from fans wanting to see the house in person. One example is the house at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York where Ronald DeFeo, Jr. murdered his family, later made famous by best-selling book The Amityville Horror and numerous film adaptations. The Lutz family claimed the house was haunted by evil spirits who drove them out. Their claims are supported by paranormal investigators such as Ed and Lorraine Warren and Hans Holzer, but dismissed as fraudulent by skeptics such as Robert Carroll. Since the film's release, the house has been renovated and the address changed in an attempt to prevent sightseers from disturbing the neighborhood." And I found these funny haunted house jokes.  Q: What do young ghosts sell on the front lawn of their haunted houses? A: They have a demonade stand. Q: Why did the haunted house scream? A: From window pain. Q: Who greets you at the door of an old haunted house? A: The ghost host. Q: Why didn’t the 10 ghosts let any more ghosts live in the haunted house? A: It was their terror-tory. Q: Why are haunted houses so tall? A: They have hundreds of horror stories. Q: How do you open the door to a haunted house? A: With a skeleton key. It is time for railroad stories today.  Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

March 24 2022 - National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day

 

Which do you choose to celebrate today?   1. National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day 2. World Tuberculosis Day And for the month of March? 1. National Women's History Month 2. National Umbrella Month USA Today published an article on March 14 2020 where the author proclaimed:  "If someone ever wanted to completely waste their whole life but didn’t know how, they could simply strive to devote themselves to the careful observation of every single day of inane celebration and inadequate awareness." "In response, I propose that we create a “National Day Against National Days” to raise awareness and protest bad and unnecessary “national days” for one day every year. Please use #NationalDayAgainstNationalDays on social media and observe how national days are ruining not only our timelines but our lives." This nationally published plea did not work as there are only two posts for the hashtag and the latest is this article.  So there must be a lot of people with a stake in one or some of those nearly 1,500 National Days, National Weeks and National Months.   There are massive financial implications in these days. Consuming the products being celebrated is the main activity so increased sales is the goal.  The company that runs the National Day Calendar website receives 20,000 applications a year for new celebrations.  Only 25 applications are accepted.  I don't know what makes them limit the number.  It seems that people want more opportunities to talk about silly and inconsequential things.  Avocados turned out to be very popular as a national day. The two days that have been astonishingly successful are Amazon Prime Day in the U.S. and Singles Day in China.  They generated $17 billion in sales.   And there's the draw in these days.  Mostly it is fun and inconsequential things that take the centre stage for a day, with a few monumental celebrations sprinkled in.  Today's?  March 24th 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacillus that causes tuberculosis (TB). And our pictures today are part of the lead-up to our next celebration of National Model Railroad Month on Tuesday, November 1st 2022.

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