I do believe in spooks!
I’m sure you remember the famous line from the Wizard of Oz, as the Cowardly Lion grabs his tail and wails, ‘I do believe in spooks. I do believe in spooks. I do, I do, I do, I do, I …
Category: General Interest
Fateful days – it was serendipity
Watching Rick Beato this morning made me think of fateful days that changed the course of my life. Most seemed inconsequential at the time but led to amazing things. For Rick, it was the dates 11-15-94 and 12-15-25. Insignificant then, but due to stopping off to call a friend in Atlanta and then later posting an innocent one-minute video on FB regarding his son’s perfect pitch, well… here he is today with 5 million subscribers, with me being one of them.
What were some of the events in your life that altered history for you? Where were you? What did you do or didn’t do that changed the road you were on? For me, it was being coerced into attending a party that a friend was hosting in the apartment building on campus at the University of Eastern Michigan. It was a Saturday night, and after a long week of classes and studying, I was burnt out. The only thing I wanted to do was listen to music and chill. I had already informed my buddies on the first floor that I was being a no-show. “Oh, c’mon, it will be fun. We got a keg and…” Sorry, guys, maybe another time…
Myth of the Victorian Waist
Have you ever looked at a photograph from the Victorian era and wondered how people looked so “perfect?” Perhaps you observed slim figures. One of the biggest myths that circulate in social and fashion history today.
A common myth was that “everyone was skinnier back then.” We might think this when we see photographs and museum exhibits that feature small-waisted garments. With many examples of small-figured people, we might think that body diversity wasn’t around. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Body diversity did exist. There are surviving clothing items throughout history with waist sizes from 25 to 50” to prove it.
But the myth still persists. There are many reasons why it’s still prominent, from museum collecting biases to visual aids such as photographs, advertisements, and portraiture. Today’s blog post examines mid-to-late Victorian era photography and how photo editing skills feed into the myth.
Even though we think of photo-shopping as a recent invention, you’ll be surprised to know that they were using this practice (although on a much more primitive level) in various publications.
The Victorians manipulated negatives using pencil markings and scraping techniques to draw, erase, and touch up perceived beauty flaws. Period books, such as The Art of Retouching Photographic Negatives (1898), provide methods for altering the bust, neck, arms, mouth, hair, eyes, and dress.
Semantic and Orthographic Satiation
I’m certain most of us have experienced this. Say a word repeatedly and soon it loses its meaning. What? What? What? What? What? What? What? WHAat? Whattt? Waaaaat? Whaaat? Whaaaat??
Did the word just kind of disintegrate before your eyes? Become strange, incomprehensible, or a meaningless string of letters? If so, what just happened to you is nothing new. The phenomenon was first described in The American Journal of Psychology in 1907. It was the research topic and dissertation of Dr Leon James in 1962. He demonstrated through several linked experiments that when people repeat a word over and over the word loses meaning. He was able to trace this effect in several areas including verbal learning, problem solving, bilingualism, popular songs, advertising, and stuttering…
Losing Your Focus…
Where is your cell phone right now? If you’re working, creating, or relaxing, it shouldn’t be nearby unless you actually need it. I’m writing my May 2nd blog, so my phone is in the family room—out of sight, out of mind, and no interruptions.
Your cell phone is a distraction. Period. It robs you of your focus. How often do you think about it, even if it’s not currently ringing or pinging for your attention? Maybe I should check it right now, right? Do you pick it up to see if anyone has texted you? Ah, now it has your full attention. So, you turn it over and put it down. Damn, you’ve lost your train of thought. The sad thing is, how many times during the day does this occur? Add all those up, and you’ll soon discover how much time you’ve lost. You’re trying to multitask, and guess what? It doesn’t work.
Actions Speak Louder than Words
For the last several years, a close friend has repeatedly held her tongue, never sharing how she feels with her husband, and others around her. How do I know this? Because of what she tells me.
A typical recent conversation, ensued…