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About This Author
My name is Joy, and I love to write.
Why poetry, here? Because poetry uplifts its writer, and if she is lucky enough, her readers, too. Around us, so many objects abound to write about. Once a poet starts with a smallest, most trivial object, he shall discover that his pen will spill out what is most delicate or most majestic hidden inside him. Since the classics sometimes dealt with lofty subjects with a lofty language, a person with poetry in his soul may incline to emulate that. That is understandable. Poetry does that to a person: it enlarges the soul and gives it wings. Yet, to really soar, a poet needs to take off from the ground.
 
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Everyday Canvas
"Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself."
CHARLIE CHAPLIN
Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness
to learn
anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.
David Whyte
This is my supplementary blog in which I will post entries written for prompts.
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Prompt: " There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness and truth." Leo Tolstoy
Write about this quote in your Blog entry today.
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No offense to Tolstoy, but who really knows what true greatness is! Truth is, I do like Tolstoy's novels a lot, since they were favorites of mine, after Dostoyevski's work, during my adoration of the Russian literature period when I was quite young. Looking at this quote and Tolstoy's other writings, I now wonder what he has said had anything to do with, probably, his denial or dislike of his own aristocratic background.
Getting back to the quote, simplicity, goodness and truth are certainly fine attributes as they suggest, honesty, clarity, commitment to reality, and being true and kind to oneself and others. Still, where goodness is concerned, I bet everyone has a personal definition of it in their minds that may differ from other people's definition of it. Just think of the expression of "Oh, My Goodness!" and how its meaning varies from person to person and from situation to situation.
Then, for me, of those greatness elements of Tolstoy's, simplicity is the most doable. The others do not fall far behind either, but in my opinion, the better values we embody usually start with or have something to do with simplicity, for simplicity encourages a humble, ethical, and authentic approach to life. It may also be a sign of the vision of a kind of greatness that transcends fake, temporary, or superficial achievements. This is, as long as the word simplicity doesn't suggest being brainless and empty, as some may believe.
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Prompt:
Think about a place inside or outside of your home where you feel most at peace or happy at this time in your life. What makes it special to you?
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I don't think it is so much of a place that has an effect on how I feel. This is because my feeling at peace or happy has more to do with the mood I'm in. Years ago, when I was much younger, my painting teacher's studio, our then garden and house, and the library used to be the places where I felt very good. I also used to love taking long nature walks and working in the garden with plants and flowers, but it was then.
Since, nowadays, I am more of a stay-at-home person, I have some cozy nooks inside the house. One of them is a Lazy-Boy armchair with a side table by the porch door in the living room. Every once in a while, I sit and read there. Its close proximity to my computer and the kitchen makes it even more inviting to me.
Another spot is a bedroom rocking chair by a sliding door that opens to the porch and the backyard. Daylight is excellent in that spot and I use it mostly in the afternoons for reading a book or playing around with my cell or the pad, while sipping some tea.
My favorite spot, yet, is the top of my bed. As soon as I eat my early dinner, I sit, cushioned around, on the top of the bed, turn on the lamp on the side table, and read, play games on the pad, or message back and forth with friends. This unwinds me and gets me ready for a good night's sleep.
Some people I know love their kitchen and another friend adores her bathtub, especially because she lights up candles, puts on soft music, and relaxes in the warm water. I could never get into that kind of a relaxation, not that I haven't tried. I only tried it because she insisted that I do; however, it felt weird to me when I did. It just wasn't me. I probably like and enjoy my kitchen much, much more than the bathtub. At least, something gets cooked there. 
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Prompt: Pride in Achievements
What are some of the things that would make you or people in general proud of doing them? How do you think they feel after they accomplish it?
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Most of us may feel proud when we participate in different activities, especially when they are based on our personal values, goals, and experiences. Just like us bloggers. I bet some of the bloggers, if they are like me, also keep a personal private journal. Mine is a notebook in which I write longhand without thinking too much about what I am writing. 
Such a journal can be a gift because when writing it, I feel free to include anything and everything that pops up in my mind or whatever happens to me. This is being sincere about myself to myself.
Pride is a funny thing. One may feel it but sometimes, no one knows what to do with that feeling. Usually, most people may feel proud of their various achievements. These may include graduations, job promotions, or personal goals such as overcoming health issues, running a marathon, and creative achievements in the artistic fields.
Raising children and building good relationship with family also could be a source of pride as well as volunteering, charity and community work, and helping others in very many ways. Then, depending on one's industry, project, and profession, innovating, contributing, and working in that business are also reasons to be proud of.
In addition, overcoming fears in different areas and learning continuously can be a source of pride.
Yet, what if I did this or that, and I'm proud of myself? Personally, I'd say to myself, "Okay, you did that! So what! That was good for your own self. You felt good afterwards and that feeling is the only prize you should get. Now, go on with your life and keep at it without boasting or even thinking of boasting about any achievements."
You see, it helps to talk to myself just to set me straight.
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Prompt:
Which one of these cliche comments annoys you the most and why--
1.“Back in my day…” 2, “You’re so lucky you don’t have to work.” 3, “Oh, you’re still doing that?” 4, “We never did things that way.” 5, “Are you sure you want to eat that?” 6. “That’s not how we raised our children.” 7. “I just want what’s best for you.” 8, “I was just joking!”
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Number 7, for sure. “I just want what’s best for you.” I grew up hearing that! And obviously, only I can know (after God) what's best for me.
People who kept saying or meaning that, in fact, meant "I mean me, me, me, me. I'm only doing this for me." To begin with, someone who does something for anyone won't even mention it, unless they have to.
Anyhow, I've grown old now and if a meaningless comment, cliché or not, happens to show up my way, I just shrug it off or laugh at it.
Clichés, especially when overused, can be detrimental to relationships and communication for they show a lack of originality, plus the meaning and clarity in them are reduced over time. When directed at a person, me as a child--for example, they imply emotional disconnection and an uncaring attitude. In addition, they are neither believable nor persuasive.
People who use clichés all the time and for everything show that they lack creative thinking and expression and they bore the listeners, even if the listeners are in a lower status than them, the users of clichés. Moreover, when used frequently and haphazardly clichés erode the speaker's credibility.
Good communication needs the usage of language that is clear, original, and specifically tailored to the incident or occasion, so it can lead to better understanding and emotional connection. Although I picked number 7--due to my own experience with it--over the given clichés above, all known and overused clichés come across as unoriginal and uninspired.
Having said that, I don't mind someone using a cliché expression, maybe rarely or maybe once or twice, if it fits the topic of a conversation. Especially, in direct talk, a cliché expression used only once can be helpful to clear a meaning or to add a lighter tone. As long as they fit the situation and point to a specific action or idea...and they are not used for manipulation.
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Prompt:
Already, things are happening at the Olympics. Food shortages among the athletes, and accusations about spying and the games haven't officially began yet. Russia is banned because of its action in the Ukraine. Individual Russian athletes who have been allowed to compete as neutrals in qualifying events can apply for entry to the Olympics. Is this typical for the Olympics or are things becoming more and more controversial between the politics and the expectations placed upon the host country? Your thoughts?
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To begin with Olympics should not be politicized in any shape or form. It is the one positive thing all nations have in common. Also, you cannot ban one aggressive country and leave out the other aggressive ones. Even if you could, how much aggression would be considered aggression? Who is going to determine that fine line?
One thing that binds the whole world together, Olympics, is thus messed up with. It is a pity and it is an insult to our world's peace.
As to the problems that have come up like food shortages and such, those glitches can be handled through cooperation. The French government is already taking measures in public places and is limiting the live audiences to the games. In addition, there are the suspicions of the games themselves being attacked by the terrorist groups worldwide. I'm not sure if that fear can be a reality, but chances are, cyberattacks are more likely, especially with the new Ai thing that people in most companies do not really know how to use it effectively.
Plus, I heard something about a Russian chef/spy living in France, although I can't say to what degree such individual people can be threats. Then, maybe rightfully so, the French authorities are banning the hicab, but they are also alienating the Islamic attendees. This is not a positive, either, even if it is an understandable safety measure.
On the other hand, who'd really want to be in that actual viewing audience with all these possible threats and with Covid-19 not yet out of the picture! Not me. Thank you. I'm not even going to watch the Olympics live on TV, in case something nasty happens and I'm unnerved once again in my old age. I'm chicken that way.
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Prompt:
What is your favorite planet? Write about it in your Blog entry today.
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Sorry to disappoint but I don't have a favorite planet. This may be because the only planet I know and have experienced a bit is earth and my appreciation of its inhabitants, in their totality, is not very flattering. But I'm not talking about its wildlife or plant life or atmosphere or any such thing. I am mainly talking about its warring, battling, and not-very-happy humans that create all the negative hoopla, especially when they separate themselves from others in conflicted cliques or, shall I say, parties.
Yet, since I cannot write favorably about the only planet I am sort of familiar with, why don't I create an imaginary planet instead! I think I'll call my planet, Planet Harmony. How about that?
Let's see what planet Harmony is like. Planet Harmony is in our galaxy as well but in the farther section of it. It orbits a twin-star system with much gentler rays than our sun. This situation provides the planet with an ideal mix of oxygen and other beneficial gases for life. Because of that, the planet has vast oceans, lush forests, and towering mountain ranges. In fact, it is a visual masterpiece of natural beauty.
Its inhabitants, the Harmonites, have evolved a lot and do keep evolving for the better as they are born with an intrinsic understanding of cooperation and mutual respect. They have built all their societies on the principle of cooperation, collaboration, empathy, and sustainable planet life. There is no aggression and domination whatsoever. When they don't see eye to eye, they talk about mutually effective solutions and not one unit or society pushes itself above the others. In fact, any such attempt would make the inhabitants send the nay-sayers and fighters out of their planet, not to another planet, but to another galaxy.
As such, their governing systems have councils that value the democratic process by hearing every Harmonite's voice. Since the planet is lush and is not taken over by the greedy, the economies are based on abundance and advanced technologies. Sustainable practices are there to make sure that the natural world remains vibrant and healthy for future generations. With such measures, the global unity is exemplary in the planet Harmony with mutually beneficial cultural exchanges due to the inhabitants' shared purposes.
As to their personal beliefs, Harmonites practice mindfulness, cooperation, and sharing. This causes inner peace and a deep sense of belonging to the creation. Their philosophy emphasizes living in harmony with nature and each other and striving for balance and unity in all aspects of life.
Now that, I have created my personally favorite planet, maybe I'll find a way to go there. That is, if I can shake off my earthly negatives. I think I'd love to live in Harmony.
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Prompt: Stars in the sky.
Write about stars in the sky for your Blog entry today.
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Stars are fascinating. If they weren't there except for our sun, we would be looking at a blank black space over us at night, but then, this thought is absurd, too. The sky is like a multi-layered scale with each galaxy of stars holding it in place and our sun depends on other heavenly objects in order to exist.
Leaving my faulty assumptions alone, stars were always regarded, by us humans, as magnificent, intriguing, but far-away lights. The earliest ideas I can think of came from Pythagoras and Plato who contemplated their significance in the cosmos. Other older civilizations just worshipped them. I guess worshipping stuff we don't know much about comes easier to us humans.
Today, in our time, stars have given way to scientific thought and inquiry and existential reflection. That must be why Carl Sagan said, "We are made of star-stuff."
Maybe so. A star, just like us, is born as a nebula, which collapses and forms a protostar. during this pre-star period, when its center's nuclear fusion reaches 10 million degrees Celcius (Thank you Wikipedia), it ignites and goes into several following sequences of becoming a star.
Then again, just like us, stars live out their lives until they die. This is because their births and deaths are essential for the evolution of universe. In a similar fashion, the presence of the stars connects us directly to the universe, creating a sense of unity in all things, accompanied by awe.
Immanuel Kant speaks of this awe, in his "Critique of Pure Reason," by pointing to the “starry heavens above” as one of the two things that fill the mind with reverence and admiration. For the same reason, stars are often metaphors in poetry as they are always so inspirational.
As far back as I could go, In Aeneid, book 5, Virgil says, "the shining orb of the moon and the Titan sun, the stars://an inner spirit feeds them, coursing through all their limbs,//mind stirs the mass and their fusion brings the world to birth."
Then, Omar Khayyam finds meaning in the sky in his Rubaiyyat. "Wake! For the Sun, who scattered into flight//The Stars before him from the Field of Night,//Drives Night along with them from Heav’n and strikes//The Sultán’s Turret with a Shaft of Light."
Some has seen the stars as unreachable, like some loves and ideals, as in the lines of a 1939 poem titled Stars by Keith Douglas. "...Yes, we look up with pain//at distant comrades and plains we cannot tread."
So many poems on stars, and in each era of human thought that we know about...Yet, we only have, for now, our earth, which is a very tiny planet in the vast universe. For that reason and maybe because I think of myself as lower-ranked and somewhat humble  , I think I'll end up with Lawrence Ferlinghetti's The world is a beautiful place
"The world is a beautiful place // to be born into // if you don’t mind happiness// not// always being //so very much fun//if you don’t mind a touch of hell//now and then."
Now, am I being world-ly or what!
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Prompt: Memories
Can our memories trigger sudden emotions or insights when we suddenly recall them? If this happens to you, do you feel it in your body somehow? Also, do you resist such memories or do you encourage them?
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*I came up with this prompt after reading Carl Jung's Psyche, and Symbol. Jung's shadow work is used even in our day for healing old and buried troubles. Here is a link for other shadow-work prompts.
https://www.scienceofpeople.com/shadow-work-prompts/
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It may sometimes be a section of a song or a similar landscape or even a person that looks or talks like someone that may trigger an instant recall of a memory buried in the past and long forgotten. Such memories come out of nowhere and have a unique way of surfacing unexpectedly, often bringing back something disturbing.
Yet, this isn't always bad. Sometimes what comes up in the mind due a sudden memory, no matter the trigger, can provide a solution to a current problem. Sometimes, the mind offers a fresh perspective or a forgotten shard of knowledge that seems to solve a present problem.
Those who know blame the hippocampus and the amygdala for such things. Hippocampus, they say, is crucial for forming new memories and connecting them with emotions, while the amygdala processes emotions and attaches them to memories. That may as well be why such sudden memories often come with strong emotional reactions, ideas, and responses.
Sure enough, they are impactful. For example, when my cat got sick recently and I was stroking her, I suddenly recalled another cat a young tabby that was mine when I was thirteen. Having found him suddenly dead in the morning, I had kept stroking him and crying. I guess this was my PTSD coming back. Luckily this time, my cat's doctor saved her and as old as my present cat is, she seems to be okay. In fact, she is now sitting beside me and purring.
Some of such memories--like that of my old cat of about sixty-plus years ago--are called flashbacks or mind-pops. Flashbacks are a common symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans. I recall the mother of a Vietnam veteran telling us how his son would suddenly scream and run about the house in the middle of the night. Then, at daytime, he would be very, very quiet. It is said that combat, witnessing the death and injuries, or other high-stress experiences can result such flashbacks in veterans. Why not us, too, then, when we are subjected to any form of PTSD!
Sometimes, as writers, our sudden memories aid our writing by taking us to our own experiences by creating similar scenes and characters, which brings up this question in my mind: Are we writers writing because we need to make peace with all facets of life and death or are we trying to make peace with our own difficult experiences? What do you think?
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Prompt: Sun
Since it's July and we are being toasted by our star in the sky, what do you think about the metaphors about the sun, such as "a golden globe or a fiery ball..." etc? Or if you wish, please interpret any metaphors of your choice associated with sunrise and sunset.
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As bright and scorching as it is at this time in Florida and as evasive as it can be during the northern winters when it "slips away like a secret," our sun has a profound influence on our thoughts and expressions, reflecting its central role in outer space and through our human imagination. To begin with, our sun has brightness and warmth. It reminds us of happy and positive feelings, especially when we describe a moment or a person as "sunny" and "bringing sunshine" into our lives.
Then, the sun's heat and brightness can be metaphors for intense emotions, particularly passion and desire. Describing someone as having a "fiery temper" or being "as passionate as the sun" signals the intensity and strength of that person's emotions.
While the sun can symbolize intensity, guidance, and direction, it also alludes to our sense of purpose with metaphors such as "following the sun" or "a guiding star." Plus, in mythology, sun gods and deities often embody supreme power and leadership as reflected in the phrases, "the ruler of the sky," "as powerful as the sun," and "a golden chariot racing across the sky."
The sun is powerful by not only being forceful but also by having knowledge, enlightenment, and understanding. The suggestion to this idea is there especially when we recognize or express "a bright idea" or "a ray of insight."
Yet, more solemnly, it can also be a metaphor for the transient nature of time and life. "Fleeting sun," "sunset years," "the sunset of life," and "the dawn of a new era" point to the idea that life goes on despite the impermanence and the inevitable passage of time. When the emperor Marcus Aurelius lay dying he turned to his guard and said, cryptically, “Go to the rising sun; I am already setting.” Was he referring to the cult of sun-worshippers in his time? But then", the metaphor of "sun" is there several times over in his "Meditations."
Speaking for myself, I especially love the ideas of life, vitality, hope, and new beginnings when they are associated with the sun. "A new dawn," "The sun will rise again," "a new day dawning," "the sun of life," or "the sun of someone's life." I should know because I had numerous suns in my life, although most of them have set and gone on to possibly enlighten other universes.
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Prompt:
Write about the moon in your entry today on the =55th anniversary of man's first step on the moon.
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Under the silvery veil of the moon, dreams take flight with the impossible becoming possible. Maybe that was why Neil Armstrong took that giant leap when Apollo 11 landed on the moon's surface. Maybe he was making sure that dreams can become tangible realities.
Those images of that barren landscape captured all our imaginations. At that moment, on our old Minolta, we also captured our older son's image holding on to our old-time console TV as he gazed at the black and white screen. Our son, was nine-months old then, and he had recently taken his first wobbly steps, just like Neil Armstrong. In that way, the moon also became a cradle of dreams for me whenever I look back to that time of so many years ago.
Emotions aside, the moon, that day, became a symbol of our space exploration and a reminder of our place in the universe. The craters and valleys on the moon tell a story of cosmic collisions and ancient impacts, and the moon itself contains the history of space written in the language of the stars.
In 1969, therefore, we finally grasped the fact that the moon was not only the subject of myth and legend, but also a living entity that probably connected humanity to the rest of the creation, and possibly to the divine. In short, the moon is enchanting, magical, mystical, but at the same time, so very natural.
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Prompt: Have fun with these words in your entry: rabbit, visible, breeze, bomber, perceive, statement, brother, and censorship.
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D-Day
on those fields now
*rabbits hop and
*censorship hides
old truths with ease
and a *visible shadow
tries to stop what
I hear and *perceive
in the *breeze
a deadly *statement
as *bombers roar and
I hear and weep over
my *brothers' fears
of long ago, on D-day
at the Normandy shore,
on the fields now
where *rabbits hop
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Prompt: Lighthouses.
Have you ever visited a lighthouse? Write about lighthouses in your Blog entry today.
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It must have been on an early summer day in some year possibly during the late nineteen seventies or early eighties--I can't recall the exact year--that we took our two young sons to the northern tip of Long Island, NY, and visited the Montauk Point Lighthouse. At the time, the surrounding area was uninhabited and, except for a few boats lurking in the distance at sea, there was only the lighthouse there with a small place nearby for its keeper. We did go in and looked up the steep circling stairs and decided against climbing to the top. Anyhow, our sons weren't impressed at all and they wondered why we would take them to such a "nothing place." So we got out and walked about the surrounding area and drove back home.
Yet, Montauk Point lighthouse has very important historical ties. Their website says, "The Montauk Point Lighthouse, commissioned by President George Washington in 1792, is one of the best-known and most-beloved icons of Long Island. It was the first lighthouse to be built in New York, and is the fourth-oldest working lighthouse in the nation. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 2012, one of only 12 lighthouses to be so honored."
Since we visited the place, this lighthouse has been refurbished with its tiny building enlarged and is made more visitor-friendly. Now, it even has a webcam so people can take a virtual tour.
https://montaukhistoricalsociety.org/montauk-point-lighthouse/
Not only the Montauk lighthouse but all lighthouses have some romanticism attached to them as cultural icons, and no wonder, because they have inspired art, literature, and folklore. Although their initial primary purpose had been to guide sailors on treacherous seas and during stormy weather, today they keep on serving us not only as inspiration for all kinds of art but also they help us with other important purposes such as hosting equipment for environmental research and weather monitoring.
I believe the significance of a lighthouse extends beyond its role in history and reaches beyond its practical functions in our day. After all, isn't a lighthouse always a welcome sight on any landscape for representing guidance, hope, and human resilience?
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Prompt: Storms. Tornado warnings. Power outages. Have you experienced these this summer? Write about this in your Blog entry today.
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No, not this summer...yet! Except for scorching hot weather that killed a few plants around the neighborhood, no matter how people have tried to water them. But, I'm not foreign to storms and tornados as I live in a hurricane zone, which can be much worse as the tornados within a hurricane are deadly and totally destructive. Then, each year this time, we are on edge, watching the tropics if a hurricane or a threat of it is forming.
I have been in enough hurricanes in the past but nothing too destructive to our house, except for the outside structures, soffits under and around the eaves, porches, and trees...so far. A couple of decades ago, a friend in Miami lost his entire house that was lifted off from its foundation by a tornado within a hurricane, and it was a brand-new house built according to the Miami-Dade code, which means the building had the strongest structure. Luckily, he and family were in his mother's house, braving out the weather and waiting for the hurricane to pass.
What worries me the most is we never know just where and when a hurricane will hit the hardest. During the later years, hurricanes have been targeting the entire state but their fury is usually on one or two towns. Each summer and especially the first two months of fall, my area becomes the bull's eye and each year we are on edge, watching the tropics like hawks in front of the TV weather reports. And now on high alert, I'm crossing my fingers for this year...
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Prompt: Scammers and Hackers
What do you think of today's scammers and hackers? As species, are we losing our moral hold on life? And/or write about a time you or someone you love was scammed.
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Scammers and hackers are the black death of the digital age we're in. I see them as persistent threats to the way we live, work, and do just about anything. It is inevitable that this threat will only become greater, something much worse than Covid, to do away with our way of living and civilization in general, unless extreme measures are taken.
We take some of those measures already as individuals and companies, but I think much stronger and more effective laws are needed. To begin with, how about death sentences to those who break into our medical, hospital, trade, and government offices' data?
My cell has pretty good stoppers for such crimes, but the landline phone doesn't. Shame on AT&T! With the high cost they attach to their services, blocking unwanted calls should be included. They didn't even have such a technology until recently, to the best of my knowledge, and now, they want extra monthly fee for such services.
Granted, when people become victims to scams, it is because they were fooled by phishing, dating sites, investment fraud, lottery and prize offerings. Some of the elderly where I live have lost their life savings due to scams. Still, one can say that people fall victim to such stuff due to their greed and ignorance. Yet, who is really to blame here?
Then, what about the hackers we as individuals have no control over when they mess with us regular people, groups, and public or private companies by stealing data, demanding ransom payments, and manipulating people and systems into revealing confidential information or right out stealing such data! The result is financial losses, data breaches, disruption of services, and damage to the reputations of good legitimate businesses.
And yes, I think as species we have lost our moral hold on decency. I know quite a few people who have fallen victim to scams and such; although, so far, I haven't fallen for dumb emails and phone calls like "Grandma! I'm in trouble and need money" or sweepstakes enticements and such. One of my cousins almost lost everything in her bank account though, if someone alert hadn't intervened just in the nick of time.
During the last few months, even usernames and passwords are being done away with while other systems are replacing them; however, these new systems and special security apps can lose out in time, also. Unfortunately, companies, groups, and individuals can do only so much. Some serious government intervention is needed, not only for our country, but with a worldwide agreement by every country on earth.
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Prompt: Memorable Places
Which places in this world hold your strongest memories? Are these places still around? Or have they been torn down and made into something new?
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It was just a side trip. We were only visiting San Francisco at the time. And who knew, we decided to take a tour to a place, I hope, will remain till the end of time. And yes, the woods, Muir Woods, I'm going to write about still stand, although it has been at least four decades since. Thank God for this favor!
Muir Woods are on high hills to the north of San Francisco. Although we only took a day tour and the ride was about 10 to 14 miles from our hotel at the coast, I was mesmerized by these taller and thinner Sequoias than those trees huge-in-diameter at the Sequoia park. The plaque at the entrance said that the park was established by the naturalist John Muir. I can only recall the numbers of acres they are on approximately, which I think are 500 some.
Most trees are at least one thousand years old and they are very tall, forming a fantastic shade for those under them. Also, woodpeckers and owls and deer, chipmunks, all kinds of birds have their homes in them. I didn't see any savage and dangerous wildlife there, neither were we told that such animals existed, except for some invasive insects and snakes and plants that had started to show up.
The people who took care of these woods must have been doing a fantastic job for maintaining the trails, although some of them looped and twisted a little too much. As we were with a tour group, we didn't do much hiking, anyway. Even though it has been quite some time that we were there, I'll always remember the scenic Muir Woods for their serene beauty and feel calmer and well-protected by those tall and magnificent Sequoias.
Another place that will never ever leave my memory, maybe because my love for it is so personal, is the city of Istanbul. Writing my impression, memories, and feelings about this city would probably take volumes, but here, I'll only just mention a couple of places in it. No way one can visit this city and does not come up with unique, lovely, and sometimes so confusing impressions and memories.
To start with, one should go to the seaside, and possibly take a sight-seeing boat to watch the curvy Bosphorus. It is amazing! For now, I'll skip the Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern because in comparison to the rest of the city, these places are dull and are probably given undue importance by the biased and prejudiced European tourists. If I were to visit any Mosque there, again, I would probably choose the Blue Mosque, with its fantastic blue tiles with tulips and carnations depicted on them. Blue Mosque is in the Sultanahmet area and only steps away from the Hagia Sophia.
What always has impressed me about Istanbul, good or not-so-good, is its liveliness plus its impressive and so different architecture and splendid scenery that one cannot possibly come across elsewhere so easily. What I loved the most were the several trips we took to Princes' Islands off the Bosphorus to the south of the Marmara Sea. The islands are mostly tall and mountain-like in the middle of the sea. Once we were on a horse-drawn carriage that was to take us to the top of the island we were on, I think it was Heybeliada--the second biggest island, and the wheel came off the carriage, but the one-way, curvy road was so narrow that we had difficulty getting off the carriage without slipping and falling into the steep crevice all the way to the sea. Anyway, the coachman, that is the carriage driver, jumped down unleashed the horses and told them to be good and stay where they are. Then, he fixed the wheel and we got on and went our way. To this day, despite our bewilderment and dismay at the time, I was and still am amazed at those horses who listened to the coachman. My husband, afterwards, kept remarking and wondering how the guy trained his horses so well and how we could use that information in dealing with our sons.
I could write about Istanbul forever and ever, as the places I mentioned here can amount only to a drop in a vast ocean. People we know who live there, however, say that the city is not the same as before and it has become overcrowded, due to refugees and such, and should I visit again, I would be so disappointed. Somehow, I have difficulty believing it.
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Prompt:
On this day in 1939, backed by trumpeter Harry James, American singer Frank Sinatra recorded his first single, From the Bottom of My Heart.
What do you know about Franks Sinatra? Do you have any favorite songs of his.? If not tell us about an older singer you like.
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Sinatra was a master. There's no doubt about it in my mind, but although the lyrics in the songs he sang were mostly emotional, he sounded on the dry side "to me", although I really liked I did it My Way. This may be because I like doing things my way, too, and he really sings that song as if each word in that song means something to him personally.
Before Sinatra, I was first awed by Nat King Cole. Autumn Leaves, Nature Boy, Unforgettable, etc., Nat King Cole got the feeling just right for me.
Among the oldies, I also liked Johnny Mathis, although he was overly emotional and stretched his vowels and syllables a bit too long. Then, of course, was Tony Bennett who sounded much better on stage than in LPs. He was such a fantastic singer, too. I say this because, way way back when, my husband (RIP) and I attended a concert of his and we were both mesmerized by his performance.
Among the other singers whose concerts we attended was Kenny Rogers who excelled on stage. In fact, not only him but many other country and folk singers I like the best, even much more than Sinatra and the other oldies of popular music, some of whose names I mentioned above. My favorite folk and country singers are too many to mention, but off the top of my head, here's a partial list, not in any preferential sequence:
Janice Ian, Judy Collins, Simon and Garfunkel (especially Simon), Pete Seeger, Glenn Campbell, John Denver, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson...and many others.
I used to have a huge library of LPs; however, I gave them away. Even the CDs that came later, I've done away with. Luckily, both my sons are appreciative of our collectibles...or "junks" as the newest generation could say. Then, I rarely listen to songs anymore because they make me sad, even if the songs are not sad themselves. This is because oldies like me have memories attached to them.
Nowadays, I mostly listen to classical music, with Beethoven and Chopin on the lead. Music without words has become safer.
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Prompt: Use these random words in your entry today: volatile, desperation. jump, arena, personal, twist, and July.
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"From the Frying Pan into the Fire"
In the sweltering *arena
of my everyday life and
on this *July day with heat
so *volatile, I aim
--in *desperation--
to cope, while
I hope for something
cool and fun, and I *jump
with a *personal *twist
into the pool
almost boiling hot
under the sun.
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Prompt: "You do not just wake up and become the butterfly. Growth is a process."
Rupiah Kaur
Write about this in your Blog entry today.
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Yes, personal growth is a continuous cycle, just as butterflies lay eggs, then hatch into caterpillars, and so on. But then, this was etched into their original makeup by the creation.
Unfortunately for me, I wasn't born to become a butterfly in any sense of the word, even if I was born with a basic form of understanding and awareness like most everyone of my species. Then, while I had my opportunities, failures, and successes, I wonder if I will ever emerge from the chrysalis as a butterfly. Did you know some that were created as butterflies never make it to the end? They perish during one of the stages and never make it to next stage.
Maybe this could be because any personal growth is never finished. Then, on the not-so-positive side, although it goes through multiple phases of change and development, the butterfly ends up with a very short life, once it is out of the chrysalis.
At the end, like me, all of us living things also have a limited time on this earth whether we turn into butterflies or not. That we have lived and experienced this weird and fantastic life in this tiny part of the universe is probably the only fulfillment we'll end up with. Even so, I believe that's something to be grateful about.
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Prompt: The little things. The little moments. They aren't little. Write about this in your Blog entry today.
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I woke up this morning to Noche watching me sleep. This is nothing new. This cat often watches me while I'm sleeping. Just what is so interesting about an old woman sleeping! I wonder...
Yet, this morning was special. It was the way she was watching, with her green eyes wide open. Still, she had an air of calm about her. She had lain stretched on her side with her front paws crossed and legs almost elongated. Even if this could be a far out impression, I thought for a split second that her pose was an imitation of my position on the bed. So I smiled at her. She let out a slight mew and a purr, and we kept staring at each other. I so wanted to capture her pose and this moment, but I knew the minute I would be reaching for my phone, she'd move or get up. So I just lay there, taking her in, taking in the joy of it all.
Yes, this was a little moment. But it sort of made my day. I'm still smiling thinking about it. Sometimes a brief connection, a shared moment of love, can brighten one's mood. Many tiny things that we often overlook in the rush of our lives usually have profound emotional impacts on our hearts and minds. For example, although it has been more than fifty years, I still rejoice in the photographic memory of my baby son smiling at me, while feeding, with milk flowing out slowly from the side of his mouth.
Then, in the same vein, I bet Noche, also, was smiling at me this morning while watching me sleep.
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Prompt: Stress
Is stress unavoidable in your life and how do you deal with it? Does it affect Your ability to make good decisions?
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I believe stress is unavoidable in everyone's life and it doesn't exist only in mine. Does knowing this little fact make stress acceptable? No way, but we all have our ways of dealing with it.
Since stress, unfortunately, has that unavoidable nature, even balancing everyday life can be stressful at times. Then show up the unexpected events, such as illness, accidents, or sudden changes in circumstances. Such stuff can introduce some significant stress into any life. When that happens, we need to deal with them the best we can and try to stay positive and healthy, nevertheless.
One of my ways to avoid unnecessary stress is keeping to a daily schedule. It need not be a set schedule but a general, adaptable, changeable one. This keeps me going rather than freezing with worry. Then, if I can stick to my schedule in any way or form, I prioritize the tasks in it. For example, my cat has to be taken care of. I have to eat...etc. In other words, time management puts things in order and lessens stress.
Also, when stressed, most people depend on social support, which is a very good way, if one can find it. I, however, find that I am the one handing out that social support rather than getting it. Maybe I am getting it without being aware of it, which is another thing.
Of course, taking care of my well-being, health issues, balanced diet and sleep must help, too. I believe a positive outlook for everything, if I can muster it, does help. It's like using a hope-for-the-best-and-deal-with-the-worst management in my life.
Also, when push comes to shove, I remind myself of “Don't sweat the small stuff; it's all small stuff” idea. Although, I don't really feel or think everything is small stuff. Then, maybe it is, if I consider that we rarely if ever get the same experience twice and we're all born to die and chances are we won't get to be with the same people we started life with or have met at one time or another in our lives.
As to the question, "Does it affect Your ability to make good decisions?" I would say it must have, although when stressed and a good decision is needed, I take time out--if I can--to pull myself together. If I can't, then I make the best decision under the circumstances with the hope-for-the-best-and-deal-with-the-worst idea kicking in.
I would probably like to finish this entry by saying that "I hope nobody ever gets too stressed," but this isn't possible. The most I can hope for, then, is that we all deal with it the best we can.
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