Jessie Newburn – Page 23 – Jessie Newburn Writer

A drug-dealer’s lackey?

Stories big and smallMay 8, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

There was a time--a very specific time--in my life when I almost became a drug dealer's lackey. Spoiler alert: I didn't, but how I found myself facing this decision -- to be, or not to be -- is one of those fun memories from back in the day. See, I was 20 years old. A month shy…

Mesmerized by a mouthy bird

NatureMay 8, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

I, unexpectedly, spent an unexpected amount of time watching--and listening to--this unexpectedly fascinating series of videos of a rescued-at-10-days-old starling bird (now eight years old, I believe) and his vocalizations. Fascinating. Starlings have mimicking capacities and this one--living in a human's house, and a home filled with animals (you can hear the purrs)--has quite a range.…

Sexy sounds

MemoriesMay 8, 2023956Views 0Likes 0Comments

I've been doing some "inventorying" of my life: going back, looking back, making lists. Where did I live when? Where did I work, when? What pets did I have? What drugs have I tried? What places have I traveled? Those sorts of things. I thought I'd inventoried all the places I've worked. Turns out I hadn't.…

Besties

CultchaMay 2, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

I love how Martha Stewart has emerged from her "fall from grace" and reinvented herself in way that embraces her experience. She has transformed to a whole new level, which includes a bit of FU to those who needed her to be something else in some box they might have put her in before. The love-friendship-energy…

I will survive!

Stories big and smallApril 27, 20231KViews 1Like 0Comments

Back, back, back in the days of early cable internet and faster-than-dial-up connection--and almost a decade before YouTube--I came across this animated, creative, delightful and giggle-inducing version of Gloria Gaynor's amazing song, I Will Survive. I watched this "Alien Song" (as it was titled by the creator) again and again ... and again and again. It…

Negroid, mongoloid, caucasoid

MemoriesApril 27, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

In my half-unconscious grab for my phone to check on various social media feeds this morning, my eyes lit on this AI-generated race-swap of various currently famous folk. (There are more images here in this link and more images at the bottom of this post.) As I scrolled through the images, my mind went to a…

Yes, yes, yes!

CultchaApril 26, 2023934Views 0Likes 0Comments

Oh, Grogu! How fortunate are we to live in an era of such wonderful entertainment, story-telling, creativity, fun and adventure. What brilliance in combining The Mandalorian with a baby Jedi such as Grogu. The level of communication that delightful micro-hero creates with his coos and babbles, his ever-moving eyes and ears, and his earnest and honest…

First try

ExperiencesApril 25, 2023958Views 0Likes 0Comments

I made, earlier this afternoon, some lilac simple syrup. Seemed a lovely idea. Lilacs are in season. Simple syrups are insanely quick and easy to make. And floral hints in drinks, punches and mocktails can be quite delicate and wonderful. Alas, I didn't think this one through, and while it's true the lilac flowers infused into…

Charlotte

Little BitsApril 24, 2023911Views 0Likes 0Comments

I just re-acquired that college standard, Strunk & White's "The Elements of Style." In reading the latest version with a new foreword, I have discovered something wonderful: E.B. White (of the Strunk & White masterpiece) is the E.B. White of "Charlotte's Web"! Strunk & White, back in college and my early professional days was quite the…

Is it real or is it Memorex?

CultchaApril 21, 2023983Views 0Likes 0Comments

In the manner of things inter-webby, I found myself staring at this image. Curiosity on full alert! Is this real? Can it be real? It's so realistic, it has to be real. It can't be real; it's probably AI, says my brain at first glance. I mean ... it's so odd. The clothing, the look, the…

Adapting

Tips for an Orderly LifeApril 20, 2023863Views 0Likes 0Comments

I'm nearing 59 now, but when I was in my 20s, for some reason, I would think often on "adaptive clothing." I didn't have a name for what that type of clothing was then; I just knew it was important--really important --that people of all abilities (and especially those with physical limitations) be able to…

Listen to me!

CultchaApril 19, 2023155KViews 0Likes 0Comments

I was scanning the WaPo headlines yesterday, as I do most days, when this headline grabbed my attention: "Opinion: Why reports of period weirdness after covid shots were ignored." Super-quick article summary: a woman started noticing her period flow increased significantly after receiving the Covid-19 vaccination; she contacted a former professor who had written a book…