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Wednesday, March 27, 2024
These days...
Michael Calvanese sent over a very interesting piece on fear and the amygdala from Delancey Place.
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*Season of the Hawk
I saw one baby red tailed hawk head this morning. The technical word for the hatchling is eyass or eyas. It is difficult to know exactly how many babies are in the nest for a couple weeks. I always get fooled.
I took these shots when it was still pretty dark this morning, 10,000 iso. The new denoise tools in lightroom are pretty remarkable.Should be pretty fun in the weeks ahead.
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Keeping it in perspective
Joel sent me this, I think it was floating around the internet. I have not fact checked it but it may very well be accurate. It's not.
The population of Earth is around 7.8 Billion.
For most people, it is a significant figure. However, if you condensed 7.8 billion into 100 persons, and then into various percentage statistics, the resulting analysis is relatively much easier to comprehend.
Out of 100:
11 are in Europe
5 are in North America
9 are in South America
15 are in Africa
60 are in Asia
49 live in the countryside
51 live in a city.
75 have mobile phones
25 do not.
30 have internet access
70 do not have the availability to go online.
83 can read
17 are illiterate.
33 are Christians
22 are Muslims
14 are Hindus
7 are Buddhists
12 are other religions
12 have no religious beliefs.
26 live less than 14 years
66 died between 15 - 64 years of age
8 are over 65 years old.
If you have your own home, eat full meals & drink clean water, have a mobile phone, can surf the internet, and have gone to college, you are in the minuscule privileged lot. (in the less than 7% category)
Amongst 100 persons in the world, only eight live or exceed the age of 65! If you are over 65 years old, be content & grateful. Cherish life. Grasp the moment.
If you did not leave this world before the age of 64, like the 92 persons who have gone before you, you are already the blessed amongst humankind.
Take good care of your health. Cherish every remaining moment.
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I decided to fact check one thing that didn't square with me.
Contrary to the meme, about 85% of the world's population now owns a smartphone. World literacy rate is also a bit higher than the meme although I have no idea when it was actually written.
Sunday, March 24, 2024
Harry Nilsson
New residents
Leslie and I drove by the red tailed hawk nest Friday evening and both parents were there. There was a lot of activity and mom flew away with half a rabbit in the frenetic moment we shared.
I told her that I had a premonition that we would see babies the next day.
Yesterday I drove by the nest in the rain and mom was feeding.
Wouldn't you know? I can just see the tops of little white heads. Took a few shots and she went back to her job keeping the hatch warm.
Won't be long. Will put my good lens in the car and wait. Happy time for me every year.
By the way, more rain in the forecast for next weekend. It just doesn't stop this year. Which is good.
Saturday, March 23, 2024
Whodunit?
I am on Linked In, for some unknown reason. Every once in a while you get a message showing you who has been looking at your profile. The other day I saw that one of the 34 searchers was the Metropolitan Police.
As in Scotland Yard.
Friday, March 22, 2024
Friday Crossfire
Jerry Hall sent this over - Men who bake.
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Peter sent this interesting article by Jeff Jacoby, The slashing of Balfour's portrait.
And a Trump description from across the pond.
Joel sent this over. How true.
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Andor Legos
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Was Cream misunderstood? Disraeli Gears.
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Say what you want about Democrats. You rarely hear them seriously considering executing their elected officials. We sort of grin and bear it. It is amazing to think about what is happening in North Carolina, from the Governor's race to this nutcase.
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I haven't worked out in years. I have to tell you, I am really loving yoga. Feel so much better, every day!
Doody Call
I saw this comment on NextDoor, worth pondering.
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I heard we had a 100,000 extra immigrants in San Diego county, not sure if it is true. There is certainly a homeless epidemic.
Somebody had a beer party behind my store last night and once again, left all their trash back there. Don't say call the sheriff, they do nothing around here for this sort of thing. It is our problem.
And honestly, I can deal with a little trash.Fucking assholes.
Day in the life
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Leslie and I spent a day together in San Diego this week.
We dropped off a painting or two at a clients, then went out to Chinese food at Spicy City, her favorite place on Convoy.
Then we went to Swamis to look at the garden and the ocean.
We left Swamis and decided to cap the day off by walking out to the pier in Oceanside.
Were thinking about the new fish and chips place but it was a little too pricey.
Then back home!All good.
Thursday, March 21, 2024
The Kinks - Nothin' In the World
Dreams
Ever have a dream where you are in the periphery of your familiar turf and then are suddenly catapulted into an entirely foreign world that existed right at the fringe?
That is what this dream was like for me.
Buzz was 16 months younger than me, my best friend. We talked every day of our lives, practically. I miss him so much.
It was nice to see him again even if it was only a dream.
The dream then morphed into my recurring dream where I am naked or in my underwear at a terrible antique show and everybody is trying not to notice.
Hmmm.
Foodish
Unfortunately, it will not share but this article I found is fairly comprehensive.
For the record, the Scot teas shortbread with sugar sprinkles (which was discontinued in 1980) was my absolute favorite but I can eat a box or two of thin mints no problem.
Honestly, I never liked the do-si-dos, the peanut butter cookie, but I don't like many peanut butter cookies.
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I murdered the Peruvian shrimp dish I tried. Pretty horrible. I blame both me and a horrific recipe.I should have known. Read it again.
Notice it says grapefruit but doesn't tell you what to do with it. Same with the pasta. Very vague. The ml to ounces conversion was difficult. But the worst part is that maybe a Peruvian could eat 100 grams of the Aji Amarillo paste but it was way too much for me and I love spicy food. Maybe two tablespoons, not seven. I added lime, uncalled for, but something I had seen in other similar recipes and it was too sharp.
Live and learn.
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Our refuge
I was walking around the garden, pre bake on Sunday and just enjoyed the sunlight and views, lots of cross shadows but also lovely light.