Marilyn's Photos - June 5 2025 - Remember Susan Boyle

 

Susan Boyle became a celebrity in November 2009 on Britain's Got Talent.  There was a mismatch of expectations, wasn't there?  No fat girl should sing like an angel.  Angels are not fat.  So the underdog story was particularly compelling.  Not that she got onto Britain's Got Talent without being able to sing.   And how fat was she, really? I read an article describing the "reveal" as staged and the story promoted as a modern parable on our judgement of appearances.  Something about this combination was compelling the public.  She continued in and out of the press, and on social media over time.  Every detail off her behaviour, actions was covered.   So it isn't surprising to see headlines over her loss of weight. That's a long time ago - she was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes in 2012.  So when did she lose 50 pounds?  It was in 2016.  But there are before and after pictures with a "princess" having emerged, as though just today.  From 2024:  Susan Boyle is now so thin and looks beautiful! It is a modern-day Grim Fairy Tale.   Iris - the flower with the "sweet grape" scent.

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Mairlyn's Photos - June 5 2025 - Your Favourite Colour?

 

A worldwide study has revealed that blue is the most popular colour.  That's across 10 countries in four continents.  Why are there such big surveys?  Because colour influences our moods, eating habits, who we date, and more.  And the more is the world of marketing. Look at that chart!  Everything in one picture.  Well, except there's no Canada.  Oh well, who would we consider ourselves most like?  Especially these days as we steer away from the U.S.  Would it be Britain, Germany or Australia?   We're considered to have similarities with Australia - British Commonwealth, federal states, constitutional monarchies large landmasses and small population, also with open economies, strong trade ties and a focus on natural resources.  And then we're close to Britain with that shared history, Commonwealth, monarch, parliamentary systems, but we are a diverse geography and culture with an indigenous population and role in government.  Compared to Germany we are considered to be similar in terms of strong economies, generous social systems and environmental awareness.  But we have differences in culture and social customs.  Of course, Norway, Sweden and Denmark are also missing from the chart.  Maybe we're more like them. On the other hand, what is the impact?  The most popular colour is likely to be blue. It is really only when we look at the second most popular colour that the US, China and Thailand stand out as preferring green.  Poor Hong Kong, all alone with purple.     Lots of blue to be found in peeling paint and grunge.

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Marilyn's Photos - June 3 2025 - LOL

 

From boredom to laughter.  The internet acronym "LOL" - laughing out loud - or laugh out loud - came about as an internet slang.  It has been given the origin of the mid-1980s.   Wikipedia says it is attributed to Wayne Pearson who was reportedly the first person to use LOL while responding to a friend's joke in a digital chatroom.  Typically origination requires something verifiable in writing, etc, so the first actually recorded use was in 1989.  But Wayne gets credit in the articles - some with a picture of him smirking, a few others with a picture of him smiling.   Wikipedia says: 'It is one of many initialisms for expressing bodily reactions, in particular laughter, as text, including initialisms for more emphatic expressions of laughter such as LMAO ("laughing my ass off") and ROFL or ROTFL ("rolling on the floor laughing").' May sense is that this  became a meta humour moment.  LOL is "about"  laughing - it isn't laughing.  What might you have really written if you had laughed. Maybe:  this is really funny or this made me laugh.  Writing LOL comes across as superior - as wikipedia says  "a self-reflexive representation of an action." Maybe sarcastic, maybe cynical. LOL is said to be in decline now.  Fox 59 says if you are still using it you are getting old.  Another says people have defaulted to using 'haha' or 'hehe' and emojis. Another says it is a telltale sign that the person typing may be a millennial.  That turns up in articles such as:  'LOL' is the new fake laugh Do people actually laugh a lot after typing LOL? Why so many people type "lol" with a straight face Who could guess the story of laughter would take such a turn on the internet.

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Marilyn's Photos - June 2 2025 - Boring

 

Boring seems to be the same at any age - overwhelmed by choices, lack of clear path, lack of stimulating and engaging activities, and feeling restless or trapped.   So maybe adults should engage in the ways to combat boredom that we consider successful for a 5-year-old: outdoor play and exploration active games and exercise creative activities reading and storytelling musical instruments and sounds social interaction and playdates problem-solving and hobbies quiet time and self-reflection The list is the same for any age.  Something to think about as boredom is increasing.  That's not to say that boredom hasn't been around since we have been around.  The ancient Greeks had a word for it - listlessness. The French built this up a bit with ennui - draining listlessness. In comparison to tedium and monotony?  Boredom is something we think should be dealt with.   Being bored and being boring are different things - jokes about being boring are many.  It is finding a few good jokes that counts: You know that you're a really boring person… when someone steals your identity and then tries to give it back. I now identify as boring. My preferred pronouns are ho/hum. A boring joke I totally understand how batteries feel because I'm rarely ever included in things either.   This is from quite  a few years ago at Longwood.  There are always wedding shoots going on at botanic gardens.

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Marilyn's Photos - June 1 2025 - Another Op'nin', Another Show

 

Another Op'nin', Another Show is the number that opens Kiss Me, Kate.  I saw the start of it on PBS - on Performances.  Written by Cole Porter,Another Op'nin' of Another Show is considered one of the great show business anthem classics - along with No Business Like Show Business, and That's Entertainment. We've heard it so many time, and "American Show Business" is such a vast industry now - the largest in the world worth $649 billion for media and entertainment.  Here are the lyrics: Another op'nin, another show In Philly, Boston, or Baltimo' A chance for stage folks to say hello! Another op'nin of another show. Another job that you hope will last Will make your future forget your past Antoher pain where the ulcers grow Another op'nin of another show. Four weeks, you rehearse and rehearse Three weeks, and it couldn't be worse One week, will it ever be right? Then out of the hat it's that big first night The overture is about to start You cross your fingers and hold your heart It's curtain time and away we go - Another op'nin Just another op'nin of another show! That was 1948 - a world away from here and now.  Such "youthful" and aspiring lyrics then, so much hope for success.   Consider today where the world's richest entertainers are Steven Spielberg, worth $8.3 billion and George Lucas $6.92 billion. The wealthiest actors are listed as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson or Zhao Wei, depending on which articles you read, then Arnold Schwarzenegger, Shah Rukh Khan, Tom Cruise, George Clooney - all of these have at least $500 million to almost $1 billion. It won't be long before we start into the multi-trillions.  And after trillions, what is it? It's Quadrillion.   The beautiful Paulownia trees in blossom at Longwood at the entrance walkway.

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