Could It Be, Satan? Nah, It's Just AI Tyler

 

AI should be judged not by what it replaces, but by the new human capabilities it enables."

~Tom Golway

Amplifying Human Experience Enabling Gain-Of-Function via AI

As I have mentioned before, my new phone is a lot of fun, and it is actually inspiring me to do more with my photographs, even if it's with some of my older photos! Yesterday, I was pretty much in bed all day with a migraine, and photography was not an option, but by the evening I was feeling better, so I did a few new photos of Tyler, and played around with converting some July 4th photos into AI beauties. AI photoshopping will never replace taking and editing my own digital photos, but it's kinda nice to see my photos in a new light. And that cute image above is definitely an accurate depiction of my beautiful pink eared cat, my gorgeous sweet Tyler! I am not sure how I feel about AI in general, I mean I know it will do some damage, and these data centers certainly border on evil. I just know that those centers were born of a musing of Satan, but playing with AI for fun, or to find information quickly is a good thing, I think. I love my cats, and imagining them in a new light is one way I try to help myself out of this depression I have been feeling. And it was fun to ask Alexa the other day, if Simon can have Brussels sprouts. He loves them so much. So, in that respect, thank you AI, now behave yourself!

And The Mighty Simon

Weird, Right?

 

"Don't think of it as dying, said Death.

 Just think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush."

~Terry Pratchett

Weird, right? It wasn't on my bingo card, but okay. I guess more details will come to light in the next few days, but for right now, 1:51 am PST, weird, right?

Ellipsis Weekend Cooking... Twin Peaks Cherry Pie

 

"They got a cherry pie there that'll kill ya."

~Agent Dale Cooper ( Kyle McLachlan )

Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks Cherry Pie - NYT - Recipe

A slice of cherry pie, and "a damn fine cup of coffee", and suddenly you're back at the, RR Diner, in Twin Peaks, Washington! We now know who killed Laura Palmer, and why, so that mystery is over, but what do you suppose is happening there now? Sometimes I wish that ABC, or some other network, would bring back the show, but with the deaths of several creative forces, David Lynch and Peggy Lipton in particular, it means the show would have to change too much, and really, how could Twin Peaks stay the same forever? And I guess that's my point. The town would have moved along as we all did. The Internet and other annoyances would have moved into their strange little world, bringing with it a lot less to imagine. Although I did enjoy the reboot in 2017, but I am glad it was held to a limited run. Anyhoo, I came across this recipe in the New York Times, and I thought I would share it. I am not sure if I will try the recipe right now, or wait until autumn. Autumn is my favorite time to bake, it's the time of year I feel most inspired. So, there is something to look forward to. Autumn is only a couple months away now, and it the perfect time of year to binge Twin Peaks, as I eat this Cherry Pie.

The real life Double RR Diner, is actually, Twede's Diner, located at, 137 W. North Bend Way, North Bend, Washington.

Rigger Tortoise

 

"Absolute power does not corrupt absolutely,

 absolute power attracts the corruptible."

~Frank Herbert

Where's Mitch McConnell?

Several reports say he's deceased, while still others say he's simply in a coma, an irreversible one, but still alive... sorta. Other reports say he has spoken with at least two lawmakers, for 20 minutes each, but Trump says, Mitch? Mitch who? Understand, anyone who reaches the end of their natural life has my respect for the life given them. I will, after all, be at the last moments of my life one day, and I would hope for the same respect. That being said, the American people have a right to know what's happening with McConnell. We need a video or something that proves he's okay, or he needs to step down or be removed before the mid-term elections. The republican party can't hide this situation for long. It will get out. Calls across politics for full disclosure are on the rise. Governor Andy Bashear, and Nancy Mace and Thomas Massie, just to name a few, are demanding answers! You'd think those around McConnell would be smart enough to know that the truth will come to light eventually, so it would serve them to admit to whatever is going on sooner rather than later. But look who I'm talking about! 

It's clear how republican, Thomas Massie, feels about it!

Sure, What Else Is New?

 

I think apologizing is a great thing, but you have to be wrong. I will absolutely apologize hopefully sometime in the distant future, if I'm ever wrong."

~Donald Trump

Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon

2015

Well, big mouth is at it again. The headlines say it all. Oh, but save one thing, Trump is flying back to the United States onboard the original Air Force One. It seems his Qatari jet is going on tour, to two Air Force bases in Europe!

Huh?

Yahoo Finance as of the writing of this blog post. I will update after the closing bell.

Ellipsis Movie Of The Week... Dirty Dancing

 

"Nobody puts baby in a corner."

Johnny Castle ( Patrick Swayze )

Dirty Dancing

I am pretty sure everyone on the planet has seen, Dirty Dancing, but if you haven't, it's the ultimate rom-com, which always makes me sob my eyes out. And for those reasons I won't recap the plot, I will just say, Patrick Swayze was amazing. What a performer, be it dancing, singing, or being impressive as an actor. My two favorite Swayze films are Dirty Dancing, and Too Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar. Jerry Orbach, another lost favorite actor of mine, delivers a heartbreaking turn as the perfect father, who expected perfection from his eldest daughter, Baby.

Baby: "Me? I'm scared of everything. I'm scared of what I saw, I'm scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I'm scare of walking out of this room, and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you."

Trivia: "Hula Hana" was co-written by actress, Julia Brucker, who played Baby's sister, Lisa Housman, and choreographer, Kenny Ortega. 

Watch the movie, and just try to get the song, I've Had The Time Of My Life, out of your head!

Close Encounters Of The Other Kind

 

"Fireworks are skyflowers... dandelions of light.

 They are a visual display of the celebration of life."

~Jarod Kintz

Whenever You're here, I'm Here For You

Last night, the 4th of July, was a lot of fun. The whole day was fun, for that matter. We watched Jaws and Jaws 2. We cooked and baked, and we made Chinese food, ate it from restaurant style boxes we bought for the occasion, and then watched fireworks from the comfort of our bedroom window! Yes, that, bedroom window! I love the pic above, it reminds me of the mothership from, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. It didn't hurt that I could see Venus, while the fireworks were going off, and I spotted more than one Stockton police drone having a look see, to see if anyone was setting off illegal fireworks, which of course, they were, or couldn't have got the photos, or made a new memory with Alan. But when 7 police cars showed up, yep under our window, I am fairly sure it wasn't for illegal fireworks. 

Okay. yes, yes, I know... don't condone bad illegal behavior under any circumstance, but doggone it, I enjoy it once a year. I can watch the skyflowers from the safety of my own home, eat in, and have the occasional glass of wine, without risking anything. The fireworks being put off last night, were far fewer than in other years, but lovely all the same, and for the most part the noise was cut right at midnight. So, at least they were respectful, in their illegal behavior! Now, as for the shitshow, no, not THAT shitshow, the one I speak off is the fact that there was again, police, fire trucks, and an ambulance right under our window! The ambulance wasn't there long, firetruck and the firetruck left too, all that remained was 5 police cars, and officers walking about with flashlights, apparently looking for evidence of... shrug... something. I heard lots of gunfire in the neighborhood last night, which is nothing new at this point, but somehow, I didn't feel anything about it. I guess I am getting used to it!

Anyhoo, lets just enjoy the illegal fireworks, shall we?

Just another Saturday night in Stockton...

Ellipsis Weekend Cooking... 4th Of July Menu

 

"Your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride."

~Anthony Bourdain

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures In The Culinary Underbelly

Happy 4th Of July!🎇

It's a holiday weekend, and what would a holiday weekend be, without trying out new recipes! When I plan marathon events like this, I just have to refer back to the cooking section of the New York Times. Here are a few recipes, with links, to what I think could be a pretty tasty weekend. Enjoy. 

Breakfast

Quiche Lorraine - Recipe

Or...

Lemon Rolls - Recipe

Lunch

Turkey Reuben Sliders - Recipe

Dinner

Make Ahead Fried Chicken - Recipe

French Potato Salad - Recipe

Dessert...

Rustic Apple Streusel Pie - Recipe

Goodies...

S'mores Brownies - Recipe

Please let me know of you make any of these recipes, and let me know what you think. Here is a really great article about food throughout America's history. 

Read, Cook, Enjoy!

New York Times

The pursuit of Hungriness:

 250 Years of American Food Innovation

By Kim Severson

True Patriotism Is Loving Your Neighbor

 

"The land flourished because it was fed from so man sources...

 because it was nourished by so many cultures, and traditions and peoples."

~Lyndon Johnson

At The Statue Of Liberty on 10/3/1965

Ellipsis Movie Of The Week... Skywalkers:A Love Story

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,

 while loving someone deeply gives you courage."

~Lao Tzu 

Love on top of the Empire State Building. Not quite Sleepless in Seattle, but I think it works for them! My husband proposed to me on a carnival ride in Santa Cruz. It was romantic. It was fun. But I suppose it's all in the eye of the beholder. Was this a stunt? Of course! Was it a guy who just wanted to propose like very few have ever done? Sure! Did it cost the fine tax payers of New York City a good bit of change? You bet! But what a cool thing to have tax dollars go to. However, I sincerely hope no one else tries this ever again. These people know what they are doing, they are the daredevils featured in the documentary, Skywalkers: A Love Story. I haven't seen this documentary yet, but I probably will this weekend. It like the idea of living your dreams with someone. I was lucky enough to. I mean, love conquers all. For this couple, love was in the air. Love means never having to say you're sorry. Whatever you call it, it was love, in a New York minute.

Watch the video above, read all about it here, and enjoy all the love and misdemeanors from the rooftop!

The Mighty Simon

 

"In ancient times, cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this!'

~Terry Pratchett

What can I say, he is the Mighty Simon. But he's also, Squishy Face, Squish, Shorty, and just plan Simon. He loves to bite things, but he also loves to snuggle up to you, and allow you to pet him. He loves his brothers, and he very respectful of Joey in particular, and he runs from nothing. He adores brussels sprouts in butter sauce and ice cream. He falls asleep to smooth jazz, and has been known to drag around stuffed animals 4 times his size!

He is the Mighty Simon