tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8720272418532914452024-03-05T01:36:14.843-05:00Scaly DistractionsWilliam D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.comBlogger338125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-90210202594498500192024-02-10T17:11:00.003-05:002024-02-10T17:11:51.897-05:00I Read Somewhere that Blog Posts About the Super Bowl Get Lots of Views<p> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">If the Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl, will they pour Gatorade on Taylor Swift?</span></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-17934462624716844552024-01-29T22:00:00.000-05:002024-01-29T22:00:23.897-05:00A Procrastinated Halloween Picture<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSZsuyS4Wf4mrB5qpzOgBKrHb8qhsRG3taTeX33onRRN6gxz_pafsaOPiSwCef9j93Ci2VMEhaL3G8GWWWsjKrCVL9rBMhcgU59CtPEz2VNWY9CH30jNyx4m0-NgO03amRgRW_Q3YgxGufMDwliuUgmNxxG2HiRvZ96yAvSgtCNDuGHubGGRWmqeAYec/s868/ghostface%20guitar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="868" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSZsuyS4Wf4mrB5qpzOgBKrHb8qhsRG3taTeX33onRRN6gxz_pafsaOPiSwCef9j93Ci2VMEhaL3G8GWWWsjKrCVL9rBMhcgU59CtPEz2VNWY9CH30jNyx4m0-NgO03amRgRW_Q3YgxGufMDwliuUgmNxxG2HiRvZ96yAvSgtCNDuGHubGGRWmqeAYec/s320/ghostface%20guitar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I don’t normally take pictures of people, and I definitely don’t post pictures of people on this blog, because I don’t want to have to deal with indignant people who don’t want their pictures taken. </p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>But I have to assume that this guy <span style="text-decoration: underline;">wanted</span> to have his picture taken.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> He was playing heavy metal guitar while wearing a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghostface_(identity)">Ghostface</a> mask in a park by the Potomac in Old Town on the Saturday before Halloween. </p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Of course, his vibe is somewhat undercut by the fact that his guitar is pink . . . </p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>. . . and (for those who know about metal) by the fact that it’s a Strat. </p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p><br /></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-9255524488987739442024-01-28T01:32:00.001-05:002024-01-28T01:32:34.233-05:00Fetch<p> </p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In honor of the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11762114/">new</a> <i>Mean Girls</i> movie, my browser apparently tried to make fetch happen. </p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJ0vVntj1-0OEXKNbEDuQRA_5nR2ig9I0QLN9iVjC_lCKOArv3_GjsQjSc9tdfmCFwWibqS94w-53peA20dyZbgl3O6voRyUhbEJecQ7OuzPiV4nqkKNsq4biq09eq3qZKBGO0hSHj3FceSmXdWJqxtCvURT1FFKv3kvcVgHkE1A0L94BQMNIkBV-PKk/s481/fetch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="481" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJ0vVntj1-0OEXKNbEDuQRA_5nR2ig9I0QLN9iVjC_lCKOArv3_GjsQjSc9tdfmCFwWibqS94w-53peA20dyZbgl3O6voRyUhbEJecQ7OuzPiV4nqkKNsq4biq09eq3qZKBGO0hSHj3FceSmXdWJqxtCvURT1FFKv3kvcVgHkE1A0L94BQMNIkBV-PKk/s320/fetch.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And, of course, my browser failed. </p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>(I have to admit that I never saw the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377092/">original</a> <i>Mean Girls</i>, and thus I am not 100% sure of what “fetch” is, or what would be required to make it happen.)</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>(I also have to admit that I don’t know very much about computers, as not only do I not understand what a “backend fetch” is, but I also have no idea why the error message involves “guru meditation” and “varnish”.) </p><div><br /></div><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-73325290573250411722023-12-28T23:25:00.002-05:002023-12-28T23:25:52.990-05:00Blurry Rabbit, Trix Are for Kids<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHk3aw8r09LtdjHASHUENMtUiuufieW_6ZtnUoPTjwSV3N5Mz1Jhfw8ZKL3tVbuuQYuMDNJMl4ZNXNH2tVZvGypC77cVUZBG1erIPu3EijBIbH8eP40ENQYMIB7jDlfyBgc3gK3Kw4WHGCYrsT5ImqRJ7ikhwBs054U_f1nOkKUZMSPhHdr50L_Bqo9c/s976/rabbit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="976" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHk3aw8r09LtdjHASHUENMtUiuufieW_6ZtnUoPTjwSV3N5Mz1Jhfw8ZKL3tVbuuQYuMDNJMl4ZNXNH2tVZvGypC77cVUZBG1erIPu3EijBIbH8eP40ENQYMIB7jDlfyBgc3gK3Kw4WHGCYrsT5ImqRJ7ikhwBs054U_f1nOkKUZMSPhHdr50L_Bqo9c/s320/rabbit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-91348014484257201542023-12-24T23:35:00.002-05:002023-12-28T23:28:25.224-05:00A Small Amount of Tinsel<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-X1XKJG0jl8Z_NUzltXdbL42Q5SolhxKHMDxMGwWhx3blE2fHIzi5R-_Akd_0rRbaRYTFxfLqi4WxDcLJaWyu1tAtIf7kLMgkBZWiwpQv0xCDDwe2321r5Mn4q9DlnndEUBkYSbuqYdqhXaDYTKjBWDLENBNKTt-RXHmrAuoFicn6jd9tLFEaWgoeOw/s978/tinsel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="978" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-X1XKJG0jl8Z_NUzltXdbL42Q5SolhxKHMDxMGwWhx3blE2fHIzi5R-_Akd_0rRbaRYTFxfLqi4WxDcLJaWyu1tAtIf7kLMgkBZWiwpQv0xCDDwe2321r5Mn4q9DlnndEUBkYSbuqYdqhXaDYTKjBWDLENBNKTt-RXHmrAuoFicn6jd9tLFEaWgoeOw/s320/tinsel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">UPDATE 12/28—This was supposed to be my Christmas photo, but looking at it now I realize that it is not at all Christmassy. </p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-50798377667421877122023-11-30T01:46:00.001-05:002023-11-30T01:46:55.934-05:00Mushrooms in the Grass<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXYDMEWdRfg5YsFQCKinFfcfsrxEJ3_FzklXF9NESWb0UhFDBhBb_wPDHyPT-I2v0GkrzPU5VQaU8kqwSYIF-6V7-zHHRW6eQR2DBE6oYrRL1ys7kEvbWSU9zfoPloyy49DJXImuuSLLRrUBLGBiU6FOh9bWE0h3rbeXaNUyj1Q1rTGDPdq8NzUdILEs/s976/mushrooms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="976" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXYDMEWdRfg5YsFQCKinFfcfsrxEJ3_FzklXF9NESWb0UhFDBhBb_wPDHyPT-I2v0GkrzPU5VQaU8kqwSYIF-6V7-zHHRW6eQR2DBE6oYrRL1ys7kEvbWSU9zfoPloyy49DJXImuuSLLRrUBLGBiU6FOh9bWE0h3rbeXaNUyj1Q1rTGDPdq8NzUdILEs/s320/mushrooms.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-73253582349007427622023-10-30T20:52:00.000-04:002023-10-30T20:52:47.907-04:00Halloween Listening IV<p> </p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We have time for one more song that brings the spookiness, “John Barleycorn”, which is actually a modern arrangement of a traditional English folk song by Traffic (which, for the uninitiated, was one of Steve Winwood’s bands before his solo career):</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p>
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LdI057Rs3wY" width="320" youtube-src-id="LdI057Rs3wY"></iframe></div><br /><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-72202690565363204552023-10-29T23:27:00.003-04:002023-10-29T23:27:50.952-04:00Halloween Listening III<p> </p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And, speaking of the Mellotron (as I did in my last post), I can’t leave out King Crimson, whose first album is my <a href="https://scalydistractions.blogspot.com/2011/12/more-belated-halloween-blogging.html">traditional late-night Halloween listening</a>.</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The album might not be scary, but it’s definitely otherworldly. (Pete Townshend called it “an uncanny masterpiece”.)</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Here is the album’s epic conclusion, “The Court of the Crimson King”:</p><p>
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ukgraQ-xkp4" width="320" youtube-src-id="ukgraQ-xkp4"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><br /><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-26083899590058627602023-10-29T01:59:00.001-04:002023-10-29T01:59:39.374-04:00Halloween Listening II<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We move on from the Doors to another of my favorite bands, Genesis, who have a few potential candidates for Halloween music.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The only time that I have actually been scared listening to music is the first time that I heard Phil Collins laugh in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0Zso2zx6Tk">“Mama”</a>.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEb9f5U71FM&list=RDyEb9f5U71FM&start_radio=1">“Home by the Sea/Second Home by the Sea”</a> is the story of a burglar who breaks into a house, only to be taken capture and held forever by the ghosts who live there, yet the music itself isn’t really all that scary (though it is some of their greatest instrumental work).</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Ultimately my pick for the best Genesis Halloween song would be “Entangled”. It starts out merely a little bit eerie, but the ending, featuring a quavering synthesizer solo underlain by a sinister Mellotron choir, moves into decidedly ominous and unsettling territory:</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LLKIKVOdW7c" width="320" youtube-src-id="LLKIKVOdW7c"></iframe></div><br /> <p></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-56725728561133458132023-10-27T23:12:00.000-04:002023-10-27T23:12:35.774-04:00Halloween Listening I<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It’s the Halloween season, which means that radios and the piped-in music systems of supermarkets are giving us endless repetitions of “Thriller” and the theme from <i>Ghostbusters</i>. I want something a little different, though. I’ve always preferred songs for Halloween where the music itself sets a scary mood, and not just pop songs that happen to mention something supernatural. </p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Many years ago, when I wrote blog items for Marc Brush’s now-defunct Wandering Army site, I addressed the topic. (You can read that post <a href="http://wanderingarchives.blogspot.com/2013/10/bills-second-blog-originally-published.html">here</a>, on <a href="http://wanderingarchives.blogspot.com">my other blog</a>, where I put up some of my old Wandering Army writings.)</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I’m returning to that subject here, using the magic of YouTube video embedding, to recommend a few specific songs for your listening pleasure, or perhaps your listening terror, or at least vague listening unease.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We’ll start with one of a my favorite bands, a band known for their mastery of musical darkness, the Doors. They have a lot of strong Halloween contenders, like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G2-FPlvY58">“Riders on the Storm”</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHOK87ozcho">“Strange Days”</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO6ouK39mf8">“End of the Night”</a>.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>But my vote for their scariest (and one of the scariest of all time) is “Not to Touch the Earth”, which is like listening to someone’s nightmare unfolding in real time:</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aAqx8y6mOFY" width="320" youtube-src-id="aAqx8y6mOFY"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><br /><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p> </p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-57822898668249711622023-10-23T23:27:00.001-04:002023-10-23T23:27:25.809-04:00It’s Happened Again<p> </p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I <a href="https://scalydistractions.blogspot.com/2023/07/whats-going-on-with-this-blog.html">noted earlier</a> how this blog had mysteriously gotten 8,670 views for the month of June, which is probably 8,600 more than it would normally get.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When I put up <a href="https://scalydistractions.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-painted-turtle-again.html">my most recent post</a>, I noticed that Scaly Distractions got more than 10,000 views in September, which is pretty good for a blog that no one actually reads. </p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Here is a graph of this blog’s views for roughly the month of September:</p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFqrhjD76Rfv9FhY2dNJ01FmWmq1QdIGL8OmNUqY_AaubFctio3PjBeKeak-L5SUSslxts9_GI_OVJ5zaS9ClCfZw59ivtspgUTMH3r6bX1Gra5VE04Rl-WTJB2Fa_jmYOlzhcRAKG7lXzxNkWx0k4XxLmpxs8PnNGIYUtpKZKyKow6Zm1fv8OKwsFXw/s781/views%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="781" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFqrhjD76Rfv9FhY2dNJ01FmWmq1QdIGL8OmNUqY_AaubFctio3PjBeKeak-L5SUSslxts9_GI_OVJ5zaS9ClCfZw59ivtspgUTMH3r6bX1Gra5VE04Rl-WTJB2Fa_jmYOlzhcRAKG7lXzxNkWx0k4XxLmpxs8PnNGIYUtpKZKyKow6Zm1fv8OKwsFXw/s320/views%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And, for comparison, here is a graph of the blog’s traffic over its entire lifespan:</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNDH_D5VwjcJyQ7Ip2B5nn4ZRY3QcQ87uQ9x66pKv3_fCSEFD0fCZTIQaTzRY6sqobhyU7BIm5m5sAb4S9dKgr7ene8dyd1wEx_VfyCackRJKnHvjdauwJkSFH2oWGF09FaFCsn8GAaxeTY93dHtLvzGkHZvSLzBKDChLgMYstYi-Sx3yZnDrU5Fvitg/s784/views%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="784" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNDH_D5VwjcJyQ7Ip2B5nn4ZRY3QcQ87uQ9x66pKv3_fCSEFD0fCZTIQaTzRY6sqobhyU7BIm5m5sAb4S9dKgr7ene8dyd1wEx_VfyCackRJKnHvjdauwJkSFH2oWGF09FaFCsn8GAaxeTY93dHtLvzGkHZvSLzBKDChLgMYstYi-Sx3yZnDrU5Fvitg/s320/views%203.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In my earlier post I speculated that the culprits were Russian bots, but I read somewhere since then that it could be Chinese bots, searching for a point of access for a cyber-attack. And so maybe this blog is the key to hacking Blogger, or Google, or America, or something.</p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-30203110706676232972023-09-30T23:56:00.004-04:002023-09-30T23:56:54.653-04:00The Painted Turtle Again<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihanFrtPfhAreCFGS2indgBhMUaMVE2bcLjhBEdFiivxlQZyCz6TFlNOp3nHWeSg0n1zDnTlfEJKVMBAW2XFoOI9J9gYMAtQFSFrQdhWyz8ybjeAJjZIyTyLpHrGi4v9ZhVk1Llc6VtGT0RmbupurhXlYq0zYxZTBxsxrUVcRhHTxZ_lsc6RRsM5pFH3A/s1013/Duckweed%20Turtle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="1013" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihanFrtPfhAreCFGS2indgBhMUaMVE2bcLjhBEdFiivxlQZyCz6TFlNOp3nHWeSg0n1zDnTlfEJKVMBAW2XFoOI9J9gYMAtQFSFrQdhWyz8ybjeAJjZIyTyLpHrGi4v9ZhVk1Llc6VtGT0RmbupurhXlYq0zYxZTBxsxrUVcRhHTxZ_lsc6RRsM5pFH3A/s320/Duckweed%20Turtle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It’s the same pond, the same pose, and almost certainly the same turtle as <a href="https://scalydistractions.blogspot.com/2023/04/spring-scene-painted-turtle-in-sun.html">before</a>, but this time with a generous helping of duckweed.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>(The earlier photo is from March, this one is from July.)</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p> </p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-2312921939451369962023-08-19T22:38:00.002-04:002023-08-19T22:38:54.079-04:00This May Be Asking a Bit Much of the UPS Guy<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNI6dRuzrhOYxOd9Sa2igwAHHoO_uWYFs-37pBItIDt0gJSFvmOjVTOf3lmqYKtggK0JVmK50CxIBbOzNZjF7zuNglr5LpWIb8XzGYocaccKpeiMHiK7MR7-px9WISPIGsSbq-HYAANImIU1pIogQDQtJNBNz80fH0_waDHnfx0nXzjdKHQ9dj4taA_s/s984/label.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="984" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNI6dRuzrhOYxOd9Sa2igwAHHoO_uWYFs-37pBItIDt0gJSFvmOjVTOf3lmqYKtggK0JVmK50CxIBbOzNZjF7zuNglr5LpWIb8XzGYocaccKpeiMHiK7MR7-px9WISPIGsSbq-HYAANImIU1pIogQDQtJNBNz80fH0_waDHnfx0nXzjdKHQ9dj4taA_s/s320/label.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-81310351675469854392023-07-31T23:25:00.001-04:002023-07-31T23:25:52.777-04:00What’s Going on With This Blog?<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This blog is not the sort of thing that many people would read. Recently I have only had time to post once a month, and mostly I’ve been posting decidedly non-spectacular photographs. I only expect it to be read by my family and friends . . . and only when I specifically ask them to read it . . . and I haven’t done that in a while. </p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Rarely I may get as many as twenty views per day, but usually it’s closer to zero. </p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>But at the end of last month, when I posted my last entry, I checked the statistics, and found that Scaly Distractions had gotten over 8,000 views for the month of June. (I haven’t checked the statistics for this month yet.)</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Here it is in graph form:</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCqWWTOrrp44Q2Ow9VdzDWDNtpg5sdbCP2x2DErndrEL0Ip7zwIsscAyFAmxyE8Hy2Da3Me0W-xHV83iJBvV3t4yjWlFOj9-D0z5KSD5Ml8CtGXuLxHEuii19DhPZGKqOi4s7hcRnC2r-FVWd7GJ0_NLaZhe5uEbmQyOudkWGGgGEmu7QKf0WF06YZUw/s800/views.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="800" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCqWWTOrrp44Q2Ow9VdzDWDNtpg5sdbCP2x2DErndrEL0Ip7zwIsscAyFAmxyE8Hy2Da3Me0W-xHV83iJBvV3t4yjWlFOj9-D0z5KSD5Ml8CtGXuLxHEuii19DhPZGKqOi4s7hcRnC2r-FVWd7GJ0_NLaZhe5uEbmQyOudkWGGgGEmu7QKf0WF06YZUw/s320/views.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What happened?</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I have no idea. </p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The standard explanation in situations like this would be “Russian bots”, but I don’t know what even Russian bots would want with this blog. </p><p>
</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-32645545754459231072023-06-30T23:29:00.004-04:002023-06-30T23:29:42.256-04:00Spring Scene: Male Mallard<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWntSdIaijsVzgpLVittfwVhpRqBSQyM0_AA0jEq31aoyLQ5Olo1J5WSfW1-NRsFjIXphqPTCHLRF9JpxCMKHp5gngZ-JTUqEbd9FL0nMGzswaRQEKZRuJMxNIPbpMYEIJ-Z_x_xYjeX1IPSr7mYO7l26xl8zec5oqUVDoLbB2NhuOiFgpkFmAf3Ax16s/s1014/mallard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="1014" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWntSdIaijsVzgpLVittfwVhpRqBSQyM0_AA0jEq31aoyLQ5Olo1J5WSfW1-NRsFjIXphqPTCHLRF9JpxCMKHp5gngZ-JTUqEbd9FL0nMGzswaRQEKZRuJMxNIPbpMYEIJ-Z_x_xYjeX1IPSr7mYO7l26xl8zec5oqUVDoLbB2NhuOiFgpkFmAf3Ax16s/s320/mallard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It is the end of June, so technically it is too late for a spring scene. </p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>But then again, this picture is from late February, so it is too early for a spring scene.</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>(The Wood Frog and Painted Turtle are from early March, the Osprey is from May.)</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p>
</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-42569346456282191722023-05-31T23:29:00.001-04:002023-05-31T23:29:23.794-04:00Spring Scene: Osprey at Its Nest<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9qoHV7mkGGzzTjYwDop8-VAZPkAqECfFda0HdwAdHbGLoeUvjMChc8h2-A2_H52Sy5lKth0F4PGBHCs8OsaEoLUTNjyiMjHC63nhK7fdrnMljMR7o5lGeqsWUKoaU8vs5HueLjw1-cDBcXP_ovd3_F_nCMO_CvT6nTnWF7qqaHzSsyJf825lIFQY/s982/Osprey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="982" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9qoHV7mkGGzzTjYwDop8-VAZPkAqECfFda0HdwAdHbGLoeUvjMChc8h2-A2_H52Sy5lKth0F4PGBHCs8OsaEoLUTNjyiMjHC63nhK7fdrnMljMR7o5lGeqsWUKoaU8vs5HueLjw1-cDBcXP_ovd3_F_nCMO_CvT6nTnWF7qqaHzSsyJf825lIFQY/s320/Osprey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-90665161762270319542023-05-30T23:23:00.001-04:002023-05-30T23:23:41.522-04:00Spring Scene: Wood Frog and Eggs<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRS3Y9vypbzsUQ1c1MguptL9WZ48OkQRPvpgv22QB6_v2TkwTXWZjoMWZwSOb1nj8lV7i1D10y_hVv_BWDONbLoAV1d83TCfYWsF3Fa9JYTCoDucNsVrMfW73xfwbO9RtP9cSwfqYTp3xrIz0zBf9nW78LycuvG-1DF3VyyXRuFnGErfshPsgjBoMp/s986/Wood%20Frog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="986" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRS3Y9vypbzsUQ1c1MguptL9WZ48OkQRPvpgv22QB6_v2TkwTXWZjoMWZwSOb1nj8lV7i1D10y_hVv_BWDONbLoAV1d83TCfYWsF3Fa9JYTCoDucNsVrMfW73xfwbO9RtP9cSwfqYTp3xrIz0zBf9nW78LycuvG-1DF3VyyXRuFnGErfshPsgjBoMp/s320/Wood%20Frog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJrMNQ9IvFSeIJoMwyJ34XyHsHdjmhHA5cqeXcPuPiqU9qRflEnymbK_s6U3KmALpiCGOmIeyJzb5Tw645kHCYgFWyS7Te3LcDjVDZISqKM2jrvjAsgc-PGRHSkWGHYOixY3tVZGRfEzwy_Uoo6OzpgueDHFOGOJZ1uPc2P2BwZ4Io3EV0U_H0eY5/s979/Wood%20Frog%20eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="979" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJrMNQ9IvFSeIJoMwyJ34XyHsHdjmhHA5cqeXcPuPiqU9qRflEnymbK_s6U3KmALpiCGOmIeyJzb5Tw645kHCYgFWyS7Te3LcDjVDZISqKM2jrvjAsgc-PGRHSkWGHYOixY3tVZGRfEzwy_Uoo6OzpgueDHFOGOJZ1uPc2P2BwZ4Io3EV0U_H0eY5/s320/Wood%20Frog%20eggs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-22400411762594113642023-04-30T21:39:00.002-04:002023-04-30T21:39:49.089-04:00Spring Scene: Painted Turtle in the Sun<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK327Clyy6SamrQreqWTFbWvK0dX3_6Z4Z1kV6H8OgKNPf8cWBA3QP1VGJ0EqYArzM_QgP2W44nAI7bcA1rTI_vR8lF3IBtT3MIdyKv6Uzjak5DI9RXipJvWTRWcoyBaVYGRSFwgAYSS2FPlHGonGFSINqp87dX_jjEHa3pL1NuqSkqPlm37EVlNtP/s990/Painted%20Turtle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="990" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK327Clyy6SamrQreqWTFbWvK0dX3_6Z4Z1kV6H8OgKNPf8cWBA3QP1VGJ0EqYArzM_QgP2W44nAI7bcA1rTI_vR8lF3IBtT3MIdyKv6Uzjak5DI9RXipJvWTRWcoyBaVYGRSFwgAYSS2FPlHGonGFSINqp87dX_jjEHa3pL1NuqSkqPlm37EVlNtP/s320/Painted%20Turtle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-26722760512410873772023-03-31T22:53:00.000-04:002023-03-31T22:53:02.652-04:00Starling, Plus Geometric Shapes<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPxrjCK4riq8am6UMklW2B6itRXG4_xp8Un24o9zuLqA8Qg1NKnjr0mv0iVEMo8EPnHAzT6BUcyU0p5RPL24bbzWlzyHFVkxnaRmJTeWYq69PXd0AIkZhqY0b8BkYgr3b7bZLawwJ7cKAZpkP9A0dJEzt_bWKZC13p_ottItWNC1HX9u7M30CrdyY/s980/starling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="980" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPxrjCK4riq8am6UMklW2B6itRXG4_xp8Un24o9zuLqA8Qg1NKnjr0mv0iVEMo8EPnHAzT6BUcyU0p5RPL24bbzWlzyHFVkxnaRmJTeWYq69PXd0AIkZhqY0b8BkYgr3b7bZLawwJ7cKAZpkP9A0dJEzt_bWKZC13p_ottItWNC1HX9u7M30CrdyY/s320/starling.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-52637670764349030032023-02-28T01:40:00.002-05:002023-02-28T01:40:49.222-05:00Orange Dragonfly From Last Summer<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJnpWRMeUdc1MLecRItRsU5zr9V5xAa_ZRM2st9x2nqrhYPoiuzyxtuToV43wfyKZjTZM6v00zvpChr_uK71ZTSCWl8x54NemTFLiZItVEOefYr9i8mRIp2HM3pMn79-4h7seQX1ss_l23YusqhfNuHkzdspYjStVdWs6NNJeNwokgV_u_U8bKhzl/s1076/orange%20dragonfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="1076" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJnpWRMeUdc1MLecRItRsU5zr9V5xAa_ZRM2st9x2nqrhYPoiuzyxtuToV43wfyKZjTZM6v00zvpChr_uK71ZTSCWl8x54NemTFLiZItVEOefYr9i8mRIp2HM3pMn79-4h7seQX1ss_l23YusqhfNuHkzdspYjStVdWs6NNJeNwokgV_u_U8bKhzl/s320/orange%20dragonfly.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-67036720892693249912023-01-31T22:34:00.000-05:002023-01-31T22:34:04.157-05:00Riverine Scene<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpCFIlzD-nC-lQC8qjw0zXkbrYGs72ySIwSabX0oxwBJE9SiPDwCeXLq8UYw_3aSTYCRVv8DpE5hq17Hy1QhmiZj4J_d9mbr1wdtSl5RJ0lFCZna3Litmg4nsQTUtg6CFfaT2QIEU6D89ScNywla_YGl3QEhDULtx8h3l2-YlnnF3e4nLcWgfSAi4/s978/Riverine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="978" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpCFIlzD-nC-lQC8qjw0zXkbrYGs72ySIwSabX0oxwBJE9SiPDwCeXLq8UYw_3aSTYCRVv8DpE5hq17Hy1QhmiZj4J_d9mbr1wdtSl5RJ0lFCZna3Litmg4nsQTUtg6CFfaT2QIEU6D89ScNywla_YGl3QEhDULtx8h3l2-YlnnF3e4nLcWgfSAi4/s320/Riverine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-49978125555111127392022-12-30T23:19:00.002-05:002022-12-30T23:19:16.494-05:00The End of the Year<p><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I haven’t had time this year to post much more than a few random photos to keep up my personal goal of at least one post per month. </p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I suppose that it’s time to write something to sum up the year, but I don’t know how to do that, so I’ll just put up this close-up of ice in a bird bath. </p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJf7V8OQaG8AjJfwSUevgnBIZ7caFR_dQMZOXlx6ByJOmb21PVqQzkQ6FnPVXkgl2OjvF4dv9tILwdJEPxabu3WUE5vCFveYPQlQWXQsSVCmi_JTcFAbo2lfssVHecyZ_aWT6pgiKf81VJXgiQw9CwdAjiqYesTwqq4EK6u2B23fm2XeyJPCclv4H/s974/birdbath%20ice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="974" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJf7V8OQaG8AjJfwSUevgnBIZ7caFR_dQMZOXlx6ByJOmb21PVqQzkQ6FnPVXkgl2OjvF4dv9tILwdJEPxabu3WUE5vCFveYPQlQWXQsSVCmi_JTcFAbo2lfssVHecyZ_aWT6pgiKf81VJXgiQw9CwdAjiqYesTwqq4EK6u2B23fm2XeyJPCclv4H/s320/birdbath%20ice.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-60800960106560852372022-11-29T23:16:00.000-05:002022-11-29T23:16:53.249-05:00A Saturday Night Coincidence<p><br /></p><p><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Maybe it is too late to bother mentioning this, but in the episode of </span><i style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Saturday Night Live</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> following my <a href="https://scalydistractions.blogspot.com/2022/10/misheard-news.html">earlier post</a>, Bobby Moynihan </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: underline;">did</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> return to the show—not as Anthony Crispino to get “Lee Zeldin” confused with “Led Zeppelin” but rather to reprise his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHr2JqoOqYk">Drunk Uncle</a> character, and his part in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsUmiB30Q8A">David S. Pumpkins</a> sketch with Tom Hanks, who is now 157 years old. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> </span></p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-33135178806103728432022-10-30T23:42:00.000-04:002022-10-30T23:42:10.542-04:00Random Halloween Observations<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Halloween is here again, when the darkness and chill of the evening lead me to expect that I’ll be attacked by werewolves, or something. Ever year Halloween inspires me to blogging. (You can click on the Halloween tag and read all my old Halloween entries. In fact, you probably <span style="text-decoration: underline;">should</span> do that, and give up on whatever else you were planning to do.) But this year, all that I have is a few random observations. </p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>*For a few years I blogged about the anatomical errors in decorative plastic Halloween skeletons. That topic is now exhausted, but I did see a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Skeleton-Halloween-Weenie-Dachshund-Ornaments/dp/B0BD1CHVHL/ref=asc_df_B0BD1CHVHL/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=614701784609&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15943380638464156160&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9061285&hvtargid=pla-1768149481620&psc=1">dachshund skeleton</a> that brings that absurdity of the general <a href="https://scalydistractions.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-osteology-of-decorative-plastic_26.html">dog skeleton design</a> to new levels. </p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>*I noticed that supermarkets were displaying candy for Halloween back in August. I assume that the plan is that people will buy their Halloween candy in August, then lose control and eat it before Halloween, and then have to buy more. (And perhaps the cycle will be repeated several times.)</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>*One of the most remarkable features of Halloween in recent years has been the proliferation of various yard decorations, the skeletons, ghosts, spiders, spider webs, etc. Every year the decorations get bigger and crazier and more abundant. I have to think that such displays are only possible because children are no longer free-range. I imagine that back in the Eighties, when at least some kids were allowed out on Halloween night unsupervised, the older, “cooler” kids would have absolutely trashed any ghosts or skeletons in someone’s front yard. </p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p> </p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872027241853291445.post-72897124986077596592022-10-26T23:19:00.000-04:002022-10-26T23:19:51.261-04:00If They Were Alive<p> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Last month saw the release of a <a href="https://mymodernmet.com/alper-yesiltas-as-if-nothing-happened">series of images</a> from photographer (and lawyer)</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Alper Yesiltas, who used artificial intelligence to try to depict what various celebrities who had died young would look like if they were alive today. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> </span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>(They tend to appear rather disheveled, but since many of them were hippies that may be appropriate.)</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I find it astounding that, had he lived, Jimi Hendrix would have turned into Albert Einstein . . . </p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwxw89YOlu5AUCe2DgE9ZFpESiu36KFcfObi2JVM0wJrSnRstzQRYa0vAv2e-lvnTPUa4D6S8c-FQGUaNx4VzlYMGz8UYF7NN08IBjpo5r8u06SrY1PpFWWbT6P-BCJ3aS0ng6DOFn7uU77Itw_wRG8XB96ccm5ZplfogzL4gtVSRqPFXUglSZRLe/s750/alper-yesiltas-ai-portraits-8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwxw89YOlu5AUCe2DgE9ZFpESiu36KFcfObi2JVM0wJrSnRstzQRYa0vAv2e-lvnTPUa4D6S8c-FQGUaNx4VzlYMGz8UYF7NN08IBjpo5r8u06SrY1PpFWWbT6P-BCJ3aS0ng6DOFn7uU77Itw_wRG8XB96ccm5ZplfogzL4gtVSRqPFXUglSZRLe/s320/alper-yesiltas-ai-portraits-8.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> . . . and even more astounding that Michael Jackson would have somehow managed to regrow his original nose. </p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSs8qzBWGqu3tJUtByIx4let7AhMg0wRdjxqSESc3VHtawUDCkN5YS1DOUX2sbZz-TtkeaWMDGa_jJNOtE1rCohCj-jdzPhyCf0M5_BB4CWLRvFm5r_yWdG3rRkkqDU7uej_q6-YQ61ddrU24OqGVQrHc1NOzHFTuKJAmknLPnUtLGICO9qoGI810B/s750/alper-yesiltas-ai-portraits-4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSs8qzBWGqu3tJUtByIx4let7AhMg0wRdjxqSESc3VHtawUDCkN5YS1DOUX2sbZz-TtkeaWMDGa_jJNOtE1rCohCj-jdzPhyCf0M5_BB4CWLRvFm5r_yWdG3rRkkqDU7uej_q6-YQ61ddrU24OqGVQrHc1NOzHFTuKJAmknLPnUtLGICO9qoGI810B/s320/alper-yesiltas-ai-portraits-4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>William D. Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279386068802138821noreply@blogger.com0