Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Heart, Heart
Monday, May 15, 2023
At Least That Is Over
Sunday, May 14, 2023
Sunday Stealing
I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.
Saturday, May 13, 2023
Saturday 9: Mama Said
Friday, May 12, 2023
Thursday, May 11, 2023
Thursday Thirteen
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
WWW.Wednesday
I have never participated in this meme. It asks the same three questions about books every Wednesday. The link to the meme is here, although I'm just using the questions and not actively participating.
1. What are you currently reading?
I am currently reading Out of the Corner, by Jennifer Grey. It is a memoir. It starts out immediately with information about the infamous "nose job" that allegedly derailed her acting career.
I am listening to Holidays on Ice, by David Sedaris. I usually have a book on tape going along with one I am reading. I just started it, but I can already see it covers some material I've heard in other books of his I have listened to.
2. What did you recently finish reading?
I recently finished reading Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Saenz. It is being "challenged" and reviewed for banning at my local library. I wrote a detailed review of the book here. The book did not offend me, nor would I hesitate to let a young person read it if I were the parent.
3. What do you think you’ll read next?
I will probably read or listen to another book that's on the "to be reviewed for banning" list.
Here's the list of books the local library is currently reviewing. I am opposed to book banning, especially if the books are all as harmless as the one I just finished.
• Sex, Puberty, and All That Stuff: A Guide to Growing Up by Jacqui Bailey (nonfiction)
• Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality by Eliot Schrefer (nonfiction)
• Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List: A Novel by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
• Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green
• Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown
• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
• Growing Up LGBTQ by Duchess Harris (nonfiction)
• Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake
• Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler
• Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan
• Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy
• The Every Body Book – Rachel Simon (nonfiction)
There is also a request to review a DVD called Bros.
Tuesday, May 09, 2023
A Brown Raccoon
I grabbed these photos last week, in the middle of the day. I know raccoons are having babies now, so I assume this is a mom in need of grub to keep the kits fed.
The distance to the deer was amazing. She walked very close to them as they lay in the field.
The coloring also confused me. At first, I thought it was a groundhog, then I saw the long tail and the masked face. Raccoons are usually gray. I've never seen a brown one before.
Monday, May 08, 2023
They Are Offended by This?
Sunday, May 07, 2023
Sunday Stealing
Saturday, May 06, 2023
Saturday 9: Come On-A My House
Friday, May 05, 2023
Hollins University Carillon
This is a video of the Hollins University carillon playing. We went to listen to it as it was a special concert, and I hadn't heard the bells ring in a long time. I took video of it, but this is better quality. The wind was blowing so hard that is mostly all you can hear on my phone.
Thursday, May 04, 2023
Thursday Thirteen
- The use of male-coded language in job descriptions and performance evaluations, which may deter or disadvantage women from applying or advancing in certain fields12.
- The perception of women as more communal and less agentic than men, which may undermine their leadership potential and authority13.
- The lack of support and recognition for women’s contributions and achievements, especially in male-dominated environments14.
- The persistence of gender stereotypes and expectations that limit women’s choices and opportunities43.
These biases may affect women’s career satisfaction, motivation, performance, and advancement. They may also create a hostile or unwelcoming workplace culture for women1243. (Bing AI, accessed 05/04/2023)
Wednesday, May 03, 2023
Playing with ChatGPT
Input: Let's write a poem about wind, sunshine, meadows with greening grass and buttercups blooming yellow
ChatGPT (free version)
The sunshine bathes the land in light,
And on the breeze, the wind takes flight,
As buttercups bloom golden bright.
Their petals dance in the gentle breeze,
As if they're whispering secrets to the trees,
And the rustling grass beneath their knees,
Soothes their worries, and puts them at ease.
As they sway and dance, dispelling gloom,
And in this moment, all their worries consume,
As they bask in nature's sweet perfume.
As they lay in the meadow's grassy arms,
And the world around them seems transformed,
As they're lost in the meadow's calming charms.
As the meadow's beauty is truly divine,
And the buttercups, oh so fine,
Remind us of nature's wonder, pure and kind.
Analysis:
This is really a terrible poem. This is the kind of poem I would try to write in free verse, but when I ask ChatGPT to rewrite the poem in free verse, it doesn't. It still writes rhyme, and almost the exact same thing. See below.
ChatGPT
Sunshine streams, a sea of light,
The wind, it blows, takes to flight,
Buttercups bloom, yellow and bright.
Whispering secrets to the trees,
Rustling grass beneath their knees,
Soothes their worries, puts them at ease.
As they dance and sway, their worries spent,
Lost in nature's wonderment,
Basking in the meadow's calm content.
Lying in the meadow's grassy space,
The world transformed, a different place,
Nature's beauty all around, filling every space.
The meadow's wonder, so divine,
Buttercups, a reminder, oh so fine,
Of nature's pure and kind design.