source: john atkinson
Friday, November 7, 2025
''black cat' definitions
*** partly erroneous even though witty as metaphysics is considered a branch of philosophy ***
source: the science post
Saturday, November 1, 2025
Monday, October 20, 2025
close encounter of the tiger kind...
we returned 2 nights ago from a short trip to the satpura forest.
tthis tiger reserve is a stunning ecosystem with the denwa river flowing past its madhai gate entrance, which has to be crossed to access the jungle. even though our visit was way too early in the season, with a few paths still submerged, it added to the charm of the forest.
our encounter with shankara - the featured tiger walking on a narrow path was luck combined with great timing. for over 22 minutes we kept him company with the jeep in reverse and then behind him till he finally disappeared in the bush. as a bonus about 20 minutes later we saw a female briefly, cutting across, apparently following shankara's trail.
my pre-birthday trip (my birthday was on the 19th) was further enhanced with a surprise lunch and cake planned by my daughter. all in all it was a lovely celebration in the wilderness.
Saturday, October 4, 2025
'edgy' view of things
out on the edge
you see all kinds of things
you can’t see from the center
kurt vonnegut
_______________________________________
both extremes are e(d)gocentric...
birds eye view may be more ed(g)ifying...
in the midst of things...just edgy!
CAT©
__________________________________________
i love kurt vonnegut for his black humour and his digs at science and
life via his powerful sci-fi novels... let me add here that in astronomy
you are taught that to see the faintest stars best you look at them
using your side vision, our eye is designed
that way... for example, your reaction to some idiot driver trying to
overtake from the wrong side is much faster... were it not all of us
would have perished long ago !
Max
___________________________
about averted view...high resolution, full color viewing is best done
with the central region of the eye ...in bright daylight but we use the
ultra sensitive peripheral vision for low resolution but monochrome
viewing ...the dim objects in the sky.
like applying lateral thinking when there is less clarity on the subject?
CAT
________________________________________
based on an old facebook post and its responses
Thursday, September 25, 2025
three stories
The Turtles
A turtle family decided to go on a picnic. The turtles, being naturally slow about things, took seven years to prepare for their outing. Finally the turtle family left home looking for a suitable place. During the second year of their journey they found a place ideal for them at last!
For about six months they cleaned the area, unpacked the picnic basket, and completed the arrangements. Then they discovered they had forgotten the salt. A picnic without salt would be a disaster, they all agreed. After a lengthy discussion, the youngest turtle was chosen to retrieve the salt from home. Although he was the fastest of the slow moving turtles, the little turtle whined, cried, and wobbled in his shell. He agreed to go on one condition: that no one would eat until he returned. The family consented and the little turtle left.
Three years passed and the little turtle had not returned. Five years...six years... then on the seventh year of his absence, the oldest turtle could no longer contain his hunger. He announced that he was going to eat and begun to unwrap a sandwich. At that point the little turtle suddenly popped out from behind a tree shouting, 'See! I knew you wouldn't wait. Now I am not going to go get the salt.'
[Some of us waste our time waiting for people to live up to our expectations. We are so concerned about what others are doing that we do not do anything ourselves.]
A turtle family decided to go on a picnic. The turtles, being naturally slow about things, took seven years to prepare for their outing. Finally the turtle family left home looking for a suitable place. During the second year of their journey they found a place ideal for them at last!
For about six months they cleaned the area, unpacked the picnic basket, and completed the arrangements. Then they discovered they had forgotten the salt. A picnic without salt would be a disaster, they all agreed. After a lengthy discussion, the youngest turtle was chosen to retrieve the salt from home. Although he was the fastest of the slow moving turtles, the little turtle whined, cried, and wobbled in his shell. He agreed to go on one condition: that no one would eat until he returned. The family consented and the little turtle left.
Three years passed and the little turtle had not returned. Five years...six years... then on the seventh year of his absence, the oldest turtle could no longer contain his hunger. He announced that he was going to eat and begun to unwrap a sandwich. At that point the little turtle suddenly popped out from behind a tree shouting, 'See! I knew you wouldn't wait. Now I am not going to go get the salt.'
[Some of us waste our time waiting for people to live up to our expectations. We are so concerned about what others are doing that we do not do anything ourselves.]
The Frogs
A farmer came into town and asked the owner of a restaurant if he could use a million frog legs. The restaurant owner was shocked and asked the man where he could get so many frog legs! The farmer replied, 'There is a pond near my house that is full of frogs - millions of them. They all croak all night long and they are about to make me crazy!' So the restaurant owner and the farmer made an agreement that the farmer would deliver frogs to the restaurant, five hundred at a time for the next several weeks.
The first week, the farmer returned to the restaurant looking rather sheepish, with two scrawny little frogs. The restaurant owner said, 'Well... where are all the frogs?' The farmer said, 'I was mistaken. There were only these two frogs in the pond. But they sure were making a lot of noise!'
[ Next time you hear somebody criticizing or making fun of you, remember, it's probably just a couple of noisy frogs. Also remember that problems always seem bigger in the dark. Have you ever laid in your bed at night worrying about things which seem almost overwhelming like a million frogs croaking? Chances are pretty good that when the morning comes, and you take a closer look, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.]
A farmer came into town and asked the owner of a restaurant if he could use a million frog legs. The restaurant owner was shocked and asked the man where he could get so many frog legs! The farmer replied, 'There is a pond near my house that is full of frogs - millions of them. They all croak all night long and they are about to make me crazy!' So the restaurant owner and the farmer made an agreement that the farmer would deliver frogs to the restaurant, five hundred at a time for the next several weeks.
The first week, the farmer returned to the restaurant looking rather sheepish, with two scrawny little frogs. The restaurant owner said, 'Well... where are all the frogs?' The farmer said, 'I was mistaken. There were only these two frogs in the pond. But they sure were making a lot of noise!'
[ Next time you hear somebody criticizing or making fun of you, remember, it's probably just a couple of noisy frogs. Also remember that problems always seem bigger in the dark. Have you ever laid in your bed at night worrying about things which seem almost overwhelming like a million frogs croaking? Chances are pretty good that when the morning comes, and you take a closer look, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.]
The Pretty Lady
Once upon a time a big monk and a little monk were traveling together. They came to the bank of a river and found the bridge was damaged. They had to wade across the river. There was a pretty lady who was stuck at the damaged bridge and couldn't cross the river.
The big monk offered to carry her across the river on his back. The lady accepted. The little monk was shocked by the move of the big monk. 'How can big brother carry a lady when we are supposed to avoid all intimacy with females?' thought the little monk. But he kept quiet... The big monk carried the lady across the river and the small monk followed unhappily. When they crossed the river, the big monk let the lady down and they parted ways with her. All along the way for several miles, the little monk was very unhappy with the act of the big monk. He was making up all kinds of accusations about big monk in his head. This got him madder and madder. But he still kept quiet. And the big monk had no inclination to explain his situation.
Finally, at a rest point many hours later, the little monk could not stand it any further, he burst out angrily at the big monk. 'How can you claim yourself a devout monk, when you seize the first opportunity to touch a female, especially when she is very pretty? All your teachings to me make you a big hypocrite The big monk looked surprised and said, 'I had put down the pretty lady at the river bank many hours ago, how come you are still carrying her along?'
[This very old Chinese Zen story reflects the thinking of many people today. We encounter many unpleasant things in our life, they irritate us and they make us angry. Sometimes, they cause us a lot of hurt, sometimes they cause us to be bitter or jealous .. But like the little monk, we are not willing to let them go away.We keep on carrying the baggage of the 'pretty lady' with us. We let them keep on coming back to hurt us, make us angry, make us bitter and cause us a lot of agony. Why? Simply because we are not willing to put down or let go of the baggage of the 'pretty lady'. We should let go of the pretty lady immediately after crossing the river.]
Once upon a time a big monk and a little monk were traveling together. They came to the bank of a river and found the bridge was damaged. They had to wade across the river. There was a pretty lady who was stuck at the damaged bridge and couldn't cross the river.
The big monk offered to carry her across the river on his back. The lady accepted. The little monk was shocked by the move of the big monk. 'How can big brother carry a lady when we are supposed to avoid all intimacy with females?' thought the little monk. But he kept quiet... The big monk carried the lady across the river and the small monk followed unhappily. When they crossed the river, the big monk let the lady down and they parted ways with her. All along the way for several miles, the little monk was very unhappy with the act of the big monk. He was making up all kinds of accusations about big monk in his head. This got him madder and madder. But he still kept quiet. And the big monk had no inclination to explain his situation.
Finally, at a rest point many hours later, the little monk could not stand it any further, he burst out angrily at the big monk. 'How can you claim yourself a devout monk, when you seize the first opportunity to touch a female, especially when she is very pretty? All your teachings to me make you a big hypocrite The big monk looked surprised and said, 'I had put down the pretty lady at the river bank many hours ago, how come you are still carrying her along?'
[This very old Chinese Zen story reflects the thinking of many people today. We encounter many unpleasant things in our life, they irritate us and they make us angry. Sometimes, they cause us a lot of hurt, sometimes they cause us to be bitter or jealous .. But like the little monk, we are not willing to let them go away.We keep on carrying the baggage of the 'pretty lady' with us. We let them keep on coming back to hurt us, make us angry, make us bitter and cause us a lot of agony. Why? Simply because we are not willing to put down or let go of the baggage of the 'pretty lady'. We should let go of the pretty lady immediately after crossing the river.]
PS: do not remember from where this has been sourced. apologies..
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Friday, September 12, 2025
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
Buffaloa buffalon Buffaloa buffalon buffalov buffalov Buffaloa buffalon.
When grouped syntactically, this is equivalent to: [(Buffalonian bison) (Buffalonian bison intimidate)] intimidate (Buffalonian bison).
An expanded form of the sentence that preserves the original word order is: "Buffalo bison that other Buffalo bison bully also bully Buffalo bison."
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
the dictionary of obscure sorrows
ÉNOUEMENT
n. the bitter sweetness of having arrived here in the future,
finally learning the answers to how things turned out but being unable
to tell your past self.
french énouer, to pluck defective bits from a stretch of cloth + dénouement, the final part of a story, in which all the threads of the plot are drawn together and everything is explained. pronounced “ey-noo-mahn.”
ÉNOUEMENT along with other brilliant and delicious concoctions can be found in john koenig's 'dictionary of obscure sorrows'.
these assembled words convey a something that you yearned for or a feeling or a thought which was there somewhere in your subconscious awaiting to be released and articulated.
whats more, you can submit words in your own voice here..
Thursday, September 4, 2025
'a velocity of being'
got my hands on the book finally...pick up any page at random or sequentially, anything works...some pages lead you to other interesting books. recommend to all book-loving individuals.
//this is a collection of original letters to the children of today and tomorrow about why we read and what books do for the human spirit, composed by 121 of the most interesting and inspiring humans in our world: jane goodall, yo-yo ma, jacqueline woodson, ursula k. le guin, mary oliver, neil gaiman, amanda palmer, rebecca solnit, elizabeth gilbert, shonda rhimes, alain de botton, james gleick, anne lamott, diane ackerman, judy blume, eve ensler, david byrne, sylvia earle, richard branson, daniel handler, marina abramović, regina spektor, elizabeth alexander, adam gopnik, debbie millman, dani shapiro, tim ferriss, ann patchett, a 98-year-old holocaust survivor, italy’s first woman in space, and many more immensely accomplished and largehearted artists, writers, scientists, philosophers, entrepreneurs, musicians, and adventurers whose character has been shaped by a life of reading. accompanying each letter is an original illustration by a prominent artist in response to the text. //
courtesy themarginalian.org
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
modern torture devices
how does one even wear and move around with circled ''heel-less ankle strap peep-toe platform'' ??
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
i love the smell of rain
damn,this has taken the romance/charm out of 'i love the smell of rain'!
"The
chemical structure of geosmin, the compound behind the smell of the
Earth after rain, which itself is known as petrichor. Geosmin is a
compound released by certain soil bacteria called Actinomycetes, and
falling rains cause it to be released into the air. We are sensitive to
10 parts per trillion, or one drop in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
here are more details on petrichor and what causes the earthy smell after rain.
more gyan: petrichor is absorbed best in clay soil. it is the built up chemical/oil released by plants into dry soil/in
drought conditions to inhibit seeds from germinating. these are absorbed
by certain soils and rocks. once it rains, the oil and the accompanying
scent is released into the air: time for growth phase of plant life cycles to begin!
and if you want this smell bottled note that: "Several perfumers try to recreate that complex smell of the forest
floor; upturned, a little decayed, yet at the same time fresh, cooling, a
sort of clean all the same. Great vetiver fragrances, such as Guerlain's classic Vetiver and Vetiver pour Elle, Route du Vetiver by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier , Chanel's Sycomore, Lalique Encre Noire or F.Malle's Vetiver Extraordinaire mingle that particular freshness that the exotic grass root of vetiver possesses alongside a smokier, mustier background which brings on a crepuscular tinge. Some patchouli fragrances, notably Voleur de Roses by L'Artisan Parfumeur utilize the more wine-like facets of the rose and the Indian leaf material to render a scent that approximates well a garden after the rain. Herbal accents and iris notes alongside grassy-musty ingredients (such as vetiver, angelica, wormwood or oakmoss) also produce this effect as in Roadster by Cartier, L'Artisan Parfumeur Timbuktu, the stupendous Derby by Guerlain, Angeliques sous la Pluie (F.Malle) and Dior Homme.".
for more details on the above...
Monday, August 25, 2025
first book of jazz by langston hughes
"Prolific
poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist Langston
Hughes is considered one of the fathers of jazz poetry, a literary art
form that emerged in the 1920s and eventually became the foundation for
modern hip-hop.
In 1954, the 42-year-old Hughes decided to channel his
love of jazz into a sort-of-children’s book that educated young readers
about the culture he so loved. The First Book of Jazz was born, taking
on the ambitious task of being the first-ever children’s book to review
American music, and to this day arguably the best.
Hughes covered every
notable aspect of jazz, from the evolution of its eras to its most
celebrated icons to its geography and sub-genres, and made a special
point of highlighting the essential role of African-American musicians
in the genre’s coming of age. Hughes even covered the technicalities of
jazz — rhythm, percussion, improvisation, syncopation,blue notes,
harmony — with remarkable eloquence that, rather than overwhelming the
young reader, exudes the genuine joy of playing."
the above description is courtesy the marginalian.org
You can read the full First Book of Jazz at Winter’s Flickr, where he has posted scans of every page.
the entire book You can read the full First Book of Jazz at Winter’s Flickr, where he has posted scans of every page.
can be read at ariel winter's flickr page where he has posted scans of each page.You can read the full First Book of Jazz at Winter’s Flickr, where he has posted scans of every page.
You can read the full First Book of Jazz at Winter’s Flickr, where he has posted scans of every page.
You can read the full First Book of Jazz at Winter’s Flickr, where he has posted scans of every page.
new math
New Math lived from 2008 - 2014 as a stand alone site.
The design for the site was done by the unbelievably talented David Mikula.
It was updated weekly until 2010.
It was updated weekly until 2010.
The content in its entirety can be accessed by clicking on the image below.
(once you access the website, click on the image to see the entire content)
Sunday, August 24, 2025
nice sounds
reproducing this from an old facebook post. the first 10 additions are by me. the remaining are comments from various friends. feel free to add in the comments..
CAT:
1)sound
of waves
2)melodious music playing in the distance
3)pitter patter of
rain
4)sparrows chirping
5)rustling of trees in the gentle breeze
6)giggling of a child
7)sizzling of oil/tadka
8)distant bells
9)crickets
10)hum on a quiet morning/night
SK:
11) Sound of corn on the grill
12)wind thru pine trees
13) crackling Bon fire on a cold night
14) wind in your ears when you are on a swing
15)Gentle waves of an ebbing tide
16)Sound of snow falling (actually a silence)
17)Peaceful breathing of my boys asleep
18)Far off music of an approaching ice-cream truck
AG:
19) a babies laugh
20)Birds singing in the morning
PL:
20)Our
child saying Hi Mamma after coming from school
21)my dog's dancing legs
(making the sound of his nails) after seeing me
22)sound of OM in a group
23)a flowing river, waterfalls
24) rustling of dry leaves in fall
25) Rama
teacher's classical violin
26)a cuckoo in summer mornings
27)a Rooster's crow every morning
NR:
28)the sound of silence.
PV:
29)Sound of a train in the distance, and also when you're riding it. Love to be lulled to sleep by that rhythm!
30)Sound
of someone practicing a musical instrument as you pass by on the
sidewalk (this could become a not-so-nice sound if you linger for a
while
ST:
31)Cackle of a child
SV:
32)The rustle of the dry leaves on the ground as the wind nudges and pushes them on a path and they rasp against each other.
33)a
silent dinner at home or outside where all you can hear is the cutlery
against the crockery. It makes me feel so good and "together"
34)cutlery against crockery'...comfortable silences or imminent storm.
AK:
35)Opening of an envelope or opening folded letter
Sinister Sounds
SV:
1)the sound of the wind entering through a tiny crevice...woooooo
SK :
2)the sound of chalk or nails on it ?
3)My younger son practicing 'Theme from Jaws' when it's really quiet in the house
Served her right .....a duck (cricket variety) !!
(an old post from my facebook account)
A woman brought a very limp duck into a vet's surgery. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, 'I'm so sorry, your duck, 'Cuddles' has passed away.
The distressed owner wailed 'Are you sure ?'
Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead,' he replied.
'How can you be so sure,' she protested. I mean, you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something'
The Vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room, and returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his paws on the table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom.. He then looked at the Vet with sad eyes and shook his head.
The vet patted the dog, and took it out, and returned a few minutes later with a cat. The cat jumped up on the table and also sniffed delicately at the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, mewed softly and strolled out of the room.
The vet looked at the woman and said, 'I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck'. The vet turned to his PC, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman.
The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. '$ 150!', she cried, $ 150 just to tell me my duck is dead!'
The vet just shrugged, and said 'I'm sorry. If you'd taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the 'Lab' report and the 'Cat' scan, it's now $ 150.
Saturday, August 23, 2025
van gogh never
In her Starry Night pop culture series Van Gogh Never, artist Aja Kusick often adds cartoon characters to the iconic scene....
'applied' maths
Three men went into a diner, and each ordered a cup of coffee.
The waitress brought the three cups of coffee and a dish with twelve lumps of sugar.
Each man took an odd number of lumps of sugar, and when they had finished, there was no sugar left.
How many lumps did each man take?
It requires only a few moments to recognize that the sum of three odd numbers must be odd itself, so there must be a trick somewhere.
for the answer scroll down
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
"The first man took one lump, the second man took one lump, and the third man took ten lumps.
“Aha!” you will cry, “ten is not an odd number!”
And then, we slyly inquire, “Do you know anyone who takes ten lumps of sugar in his coffee?”
looking sharp is easy when you haven't done the work
for more of these meme gems, visit demotivators aka reality checks. Aptly named despair, INC ....
to know how demotivators came into being , read the origin story.
Friday, August 22, 2025
go winglet!
GOooooo winglet!!!
it’s a drag without you....
Winglets are the tips or wing tips of an aircraft's wings that reduce the induced drag of flight and thus reduce fuel consumption,
among other things. What does this mean? In simplest terms, a winglet
is an aerodynamic wing angled at the end of an aircraft wing. This photo was clicked in 2019.
GO gone.....
Go Air, the low cost airline filed for bankrupcy in 2023.
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