work somewhere world famous
plus,
fries.
—
“there is this power that comes with being famous.”
-rod stewart
Nov30
Category Archives: Life
Nov26
only 30 more.
Santa speaking to crowd in front of J.L. Hudson department store
during the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade-1942
only 30 more sleeps!
—
“to celebrate a festival means;
to live out, for some special occasion and in an uncommon manner
the universal assent to the world as a whole.”
-josef pieper
Nov25
the beginner.
The holidays are here and the barrage of advertisements has begun, but one brand is standing above the rest for their powerful message this season.
U.K. retailer John Lewis & Partners, known for their imaginative Christmas advertisements, is instead putting a spotlight on an important cause for 2022.
In this year’s highly anticipated ad, the brand has launched “The Beginner” which shares the story of a family preparing to welcome a child in foster care — but the viewer doesn’t know that at first.
As the 90-second ad begins, a man is seen buckling on a helmet and attempting to learn — unsuccessfully — to skateboard.
A cover of Blink 182’s “All The Small Things” by Mike Geier begins to play as the man’s efforts progress through more falls and skateboard-related injuries through the Christmas season.
At the end of the video, the family is seen opening the door to a social worker and a girl, who is holding her skateboard. “I skate a bit too,” the man says pointing to his own battered board.
The ad ends with a frame sharing that there are more than 108,000 children and young people in the U.K.’s care system.
In the United States, according to a 2021 report by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 391,000 children are in foster care.
In just 24 hours since being shared, the ad has amassed more than 2.2 million views.
“As someone who’s been in the care system myself as a child, this really feels close to home … It does make you think about how powerful adverts can be, even if they are simple and basic,” one user wrote.
Another added, “This hits home really hard, as a former foster kid who was in the system for 11 years. It’s really heartwarming to see this.”
—
“there will come a time when you believe everything is finished. yet that will be the beginning.”
-louis l’amour
—
credits: today show, kait hanson, john lewis and partners
Nov22
getting ready.
as we prepare to gather together in a few days
often with all kinds of people
often anticipating how it will go
often happily surprised.
—
“it’s never the differences between people that surprise us.
it’s the things, that against all odds, we have in common.”
-jodi picoult
—
photo credit: muppets.disney.com
Nov18
lots of years plus one.
yesterday i went to sleep being lots of years old
today i woke up being lots of years plus one more year old
i’ll begin by sharing the day with my kinder
who love to celebrate most everything.
—
“do not grow old, not matter how long you live.
never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born.”
-albert einstein
—
image/cartoon credit: gary larson, the far side
Nov15
on the road to discovery.
when the problem is that
you have to drive and carry all of your equipment
it calls for an unconventional solution.
—
“the intellect has little to do on the road to discovery.
there comes a leap in consciousness,
call it intuition or what you will,
the solution comes to you and you don’t know how or why.”
-albert einstein
Nov14
what to do?
how to spend a beautiful fall day
when you love music?
meet up with people who love it too
and make music where you are.
a lovely surprise concert i enjoyed when walking in the park.
—
“music always has the answer”
-wordporn
Nov10
carry on.
trying to piece the world back together
Warehouse giant Costco likes to do everything big, from super-sized bottles of ketchup to barrels full of Jack Daniel’s whiskey. Their latest exclusive offering: A jigsaw puzzle with 60,000 pieces that may take up an entire room when it’s finished.
The sprawling What a Wonderful World puzzle is actually 60 interconnected 1000-piece puzzles to make assembly (somewhat) feasible. Each features a painting from the Dowdle Art Studio of a fascinating landmark from different parts of the world, including The Great Wall of China and The Eiffel Tower.
Once each section is completed, it can be connected to the larger canvas. When finished, the puzzle measures 8 feet tall and 29 feet wide. An included legend helps you keep track of which puzzle goes where in the literal bigger picture of things. Costco has declared it the world’s largest jigsaw puzzle, and that’s likely to be true. The What a Wonderful World puzzle retails for $599.
—
“the world is like a dropped pie most of the time.
don’t kill yourself trying to put it back together.
just grab a fork and eat some of it off the floor. then carry on.”
-elizabeth gilbert
—
credits: penn news, chris hopkins, jake rosin, mental floss,
Nov9
*concert!
“Tonight! A big forest concert under the direction of Musical Director Woodpecker!”
*(just because we all need a fluffy forest concert break about now)
—
“i’m afraid concerts spoil people for everyday life.”
-l.m. montgomery, anne of green gables
—
image credit: Peter Gray’s Delightful vintage art, from an old German children’s book
Nov5
beach donkey.
A plucky penguin at the New England Aquarium has a new bounce in her step after being fitted with a pair of custom orthopedic sandals. The 24-year-old African penguin, named Beach Donkey, was diagnosed with a chronic foot condition common among avian species, and the sandals were crafted as part of her treatment plan. But getting her to happily wear them required some buttering up by the people who know her best.
“Field trips” around the aquarium served as incentives: The little bird enjoyed “novel views” as she strolled through the facility, allowing trainers to work with her feet in a more hands-on manner. “She has always been a curious bird and seemed to really like the opportunity to explore the aquarium, outside of her exhibit space. Of course, our staff also loved when she would make appearances in unexpected places,” said Senior Penguin Trainer Amanda Barr.
In addition to caring for Beach Donkey and her fellow penguins, the New England Aquarium participates in a program called African Penguin SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction), which supports conservation efforts and breeding programs to increase the birds’ presence in the wild.
*i can so identify with beach donkey,
as i began wearing birkenstock sandals
when my feet (and my doc)
rebelled against me going barefoot any longer
changed my world
and i have my own cool name too – peaches
we are almost twins.
—
photo credit: new england aquarium, nice news
I didn't have my glasses on.... 