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Here's an interesting video about a person who figured out the recipe for Yves Klein blue.
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I need to forward this to Troy because he has let me know that he likes my rants.
It has been suggested that the decline in manners both on planes and at the airport has declined and if customers would go back to dressing up when they travel that would generate better manners.
What about the fact that passengers are being squeezed in like sardines? I would never wear my nicer clothes on a plane. I've often considered wearing something that I could just throw away after I reached my destination. If I traveled overseas, I would absolutely wear something that I could throw away which. would free up space to buy one or two new items.
I'm not saying that the airlines are to blame for the decline in manners. But, telling your customers that they are rude and poorly dressed isn't going to help matters.
I'm a pleasant person when I travel and I've seen a few people who were not on their best behavior. But, a blanket statement telling people to dress differently clearly rubs me the wrong way. I actually enjoy some of the kooky get ups. I was disappointed one time - when I couldn't stop and take a picture of an older, long haired, bearded gentleman who was also a size that would have inched into my space if we would have been seated in the same row. He was wearing bib overall cut-offs and a big cowboy hat and cowboy boots.
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It's a little embarrassing to *out* myself as someone who will respond to click-bait that looks like this.
Once again, his goal is to use only what he has on hand. It is almost 19 minutes long and there is a very interesting part (from 7:48 to 13:27) where he keeps layering and layering until he is happy with the outcome. It did not look promising for quite a while - so I really enjoyed what he used to pull it together. And even better - all the projects relate to each other. The things he builds relate to how the garden is coming together.
From that project he goes into the one where he utters our beloved phrase - deeply regret. It happens at 14:30. I agree with him that it is a regrettable move. Once again - he layers - and resolves the situation.
LINK to potting shed made out of trash
Chuck sent me the link to the Smithsonian Postal Museum. I had been to their site a few years ago and then forgot about it. It's been fun to revisit it and find a ton of new information.
The first fun item - was when I clicked on the Dead Letter Album. While scrolling through interesting mail that ended up in the museum, I found this one which was addressed to someone in Perry, Iowa which is one of my favorite small towns that is not too far from DSM.
For 6-cents the USPS would transport a letter from Hawaii to Perry, Iowa and that's all they needed - a name/city/state.
Here's the caption:
Private John R. Rion inadvertently left a mark on postal history by mailing an envelope from Honolulu, Hawaii, postmarked on December 7, 1941, the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.
On December 6, 1941, Rion dropped an oversize envelope at the Honolulu post office, destined for a friend back home in Perry, Iowa with whom Rion owned a barber shop. The next morning, the Honolulu post office cancelled Rion’s envelope at 8 a.m., the exact time that Japanese torpedo planes struck nearby Pearl Harbor and the unprepared U.S. Navy battleship force.
Here is a LINK to the Smithsonian Postal Museum website Its to the Dead Letter Album - not the home page - which is probably where you need to go if you feel like surfing.
LINK to USPS deciphering squad a video by a journalist who got to go behind the scenes....which makes me want to become a journalist..... do you think my minor in Journalism from 1972 would open any doors. LOL
When we talked about the Camera Lucida and The Lucy - the devices for transferring a drawing to paper or a canvas, I mentioned that a person could also transfer a photograph - and raised the question of when is it cheating to use photography for the under-drawing of your painting.
A few people are born with the ability to render what they see without any aids. It's like perfect pitch. Most of us have seen articles about people who have significant impairment along one of those *spectrums* which causes them to have some challenges with typical day-to-day stuff - but they can easily make very accurate drawn images.
Once again, I have no idea where I am going with this. Maybe it's just another reminder to make stuff and if you think you have to come up with something 100% original that has never been done - you need to amend that thought.
I hesitate to get much deeper into the topic because it is so subjective. What I find cringy might look wonderful to someone else. And some of the stuff I like will most likely look idiotic to others.
Right before Xmas, my son asked me to draw some *tickets* to a Phish festival - to be presented as a gift. Nobody uses actual tickets anymore. Wow! I thought I could just pull up some images and make some cute (or clever) tickets. All of the images were so weird that I couldn't find a single thing that was fun to draw. Just very weird stuff. He was fine with what I provided. I would have liked to do something better - but - that Phish/Grateful Dead style is beyond me.
I'm not sure what my point is. Maybe it's that you need to find the things that you like to draw before you learn to draw. Of course - if you are in classes and forced to draw everything, whether you like it or not, you'll at least learn what you like to draw.
Tomorrow we'll talk about working from photos.
P.S. It also occurred to me that if someone said they would pay me $500 to draw some cool faux Phish tickets, I would definitely be able to do it - and probably enjoy the experience - or maybe it would take $1,000.
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Does anyone remember that I posted a spacial reasoning test (on Dec 9th)? I invited readers to take the test and let me know how they did. Eventually, I heard from one person who scored 100% on the test and had an additional comment that I found very interesting. Here's the comment:
I took that spatial test you posted the link to. I had a perfect score, but at the same time it made me feel irritated taking the test. Wonder what that says about me?
I, too, wonder. Maybe it means that a person can have a skill and they can put it to use - but that doesn't mean that the skill provides any positive feeling. It reminded me that, as a kid, all I ever wanted to do was write and draw.... but mostly write. Later I learned to draw - but not just anything. We'll talk about that tomorrow.
The comment that *it made me feel irritated* was so interesting. We can force ourselves to do things that are irritating. I don't think I feel irritated by spacial reasoning tests. I think they just feel like puzzles. I also remember when I was going through a whole day long series of tests to pin point exactly where my brain damage was located - that during some tests I would become irritated. I think I mentioned that to the person giving the test.
Sometimes, when I gave feed back, the tester would stop - and pull out a different test - and we'd test something else.
All I learned was that it's complicated - and that if you like to make art you should definitely do that.
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Some of the old-timers who read the blog might remember the Lucy. It was a device that would project an image so that you could trace it onto your paper or canvas or wall. The first ones were invented over 400 years ago and were called a Camera Lucida. When I first learned about them (70s-80s) they were big and clunky. There are a couple new ones on the market that are very compact. I won't be needing one - but if you are young and you like to draw but you don't want to go through the process of doing it *by eye* - you might be interested.
Non-artists think that artists who draw representational subject matter just *draw.* Some people can do that - but ever since lenses were invented, people have been working on devices where you could project your image onto a surface to get the basic outline. If you study art, you learn how to draw using just your eyes - but - it's one of those things that can feel tedious - especially after you find out that there is a *helper.* To me - it was more about liking the feel of paint and brushes. I needed to get the drawing on the canvas - and that wasn't the fun part. I'd already made a drawing on my own - but I just needed it larger on the canvas - so it wasn't cheating.
Some people think it is cheating to take a photo - and project the image from the photo onto your paper or canvas - and then paint it. Whether or not this is cheating is a much longer topic - which we may or may not revisit.
The camera obscura was an earlier device that did not have a lens. It had just a pinhole - but it still projected an image.
Rate Your Letter
Appearance
Is each page of the letter framed nicely by margins on all sides?
Does the letter look easy to read?
Are there at least two paragraphs per page?
Is the typing free of obvious erasers and crossings out?
Are there any ink blocks or crossing out?
Is the letter clean to look at?
Does the handwriting look neat and orderly?
Is the letter folded neatly and squarely?
Are your illustrations neat, effective, clear?
Are your name and address printed clearly somewhere?
Is the form of the letter correct?
Subject matter
Have you written about appropriate and appealing subjects?
Can any of your subjects offend your penpal?
Have you thought of your penpals emotional needs are the things you want to say definite, concrete, exact?
Will your penpal get all the shades of meaning you intend?
Would you say in a conversation with your penpal the things you wrote in your letter?
Does the letter sound as if you know what you are talking about?
Did you provide all the information necessary?
Have you stimulated your penpal to think further about some question?
Are your questions clear and pertinent are your statements, clear, complete, convincing, logical, fair?
Is there anything you want to send with your letter?
Tone
Is the letter free of sarcasm, ridicule, anger, complaints, despair, pessimism, unpleasant criticism?
Does the letter sound true, natural, sincere?
Does the letter contain hints of ulterior motives, rationalized, self interest, subtle hypocrisy?
Is the letter consistent in tone, approach, attitudes, point of view?
Will your penpal like you better because of the letter?
Interest
Is the letter personal enough to make it human?
Today's regular post is a repeat - but I have something fun and new as a bonus.
Mia sent it - and it's so good. I hope the link works. Blogger has been temperamental lately.
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DSp5qDkCWa5/
If the link doesn't work - try to copy and paste and see if that works.
Oops this is a repeat. But, I have an announcement below.
If we had an end of year recognition ceremony for excellence, this one would be recognized. Because it is a serious rule breaker - that might surprise people that it earned the designation of *excellent.* Most people know that I'm a stickler for scanner friendly envelopes. I'm just happy that it made it through. As much as I love this one, I'm not finding specific words to express why I like it so much. I guess it just speaks to me on a variety of levels. Grids and neutrals - that sorta screams *jean*
I can't remember if I put architectural lettering on my list of styles in the style/tool *thing* we are doing this year. I don't even know where I put the list. Grrrrr - let's try Notes - and see if it's there. I don't even remember what we are calling the *thing* that I am referring to. Grrrr
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OK - I found it. I called it a Style/Tool Project. There was one list in Notes and then a longer list in a Word doc. Here it is for anyone who is interested - I've added architectural lettering.
Romans
Foundational
Architectural lettering
Runes
Uncial
Carolingian
Blackletter/Gothic/OldEnglish - Batarde, Gothisized Italic, Fractur
Italic
Neuland
French Roundhand
Copperplate
Spencerian
Penmanship/Cursive/Handwriting
Versals
Brush script - pointed brush
Brush script - flat brush
Ben Shahn
Peter Thornton’s Button Alphabet
Jacqueline Svaren’s Bone
Gwen Weaver’s WeaverWriting +
Loredana Zaga’s Flame
Carol DuBosch’s Jubilee
MishMash
Arts&Crafts styles
Fonts - this category has an infinite number of styles - it will include all the styles where the letters are drawn and there are many alternatives to how to make particular letters. This would include all the styles where the letters are actually little pictures.
And then we have Asemic writing - which is scribbling that seems like it might be writing but it isn’t.
Christmas Eve dinner was just the three of us. I made a card for our little postal worker using one of his childhood drawings on the front. I have a stack of the kids' artwork that I saved and have been taking photos of it and tossing it. I'm putting the images on the blogs I have for each of them which I am making instead of scrapbooks. This was something that Hunter drew when he clearly thought that being a third kid was not fair.
This is the wording with his spelling: I think unfar is when my brother and sister get evreything they want. And I get nothing. no no no!!!
I hear from Valerie once a year - in Dec or Jan - when she sends a bookmark with the moons of the upcoming year. Her envelopes are delightful and this year I even figured out that she has an IG - and was happy to see more of her work. She also sends a post card - which you can see in the second photo. She must do all this digitally. I saw on her IG a photo of a past mailing and it looked like she sends out about 50 of these.
I suppose Valerie found my address through Pinterest. She is not an envelope exchanger but she has a lot in common with those of us who like nature, astronomy, the moon, stars, collage, sewing, quilting, paper, etc.
Here's a LINK to her IG
Effective December 24, 2025, the United States Postal Service (USPS) Postmarks and Postal Possession rule clarifies how postmarks are applied, which may affect how the timing of mailed charitable gifts is determined. Under this rule, machine-applied postmarks are now generated at regional USPS processing centers rather than at a local post office. Historically, a postmark served as proof of when a gift was mailed. With this change, the postmark date may be applied several days after mail is dropped off locally and is no longer a reliable indicator of the mailing date. As a result, this change could affect whether certain mailed gifts qualify for a 2025 income tax deduction. To help ensure timely end-of-year giving, donors are encouraged to visit a USPS counter and request one of the following: |
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Please note that self-service kiosks and third-party mailing services do not guarantee compliance for charitable contributions. *** My 2-cents This notice is directed at the people who want to document that they made a charitable donation by the end of the year. Apparently, the date of the donation depends on when you mailed the check rather than when the check cleared. So, all you have to do is go to the counter and ask for one of the 3 ways to document when the letter was mailed. There are other times when people may need to prove that something was mailed by a certain date - but, I imagine those situations come up less often now that most documentation is done through email and eSigning. In the past, I know from my son working for the USPS - that it was a very big deal that every single piece of mail that was dropped in the box at the main post office - by the 7:00 pm deadline - would get a postmark on that day. They understood that sometimes the date on a postmark was important. This new notice - that the only way to assure your mail will get postmarked on the day you mail it - is to have it postmarked by hand - in person. I think it's going to be really hard for the USPS to explain what's going on with these new processing centers. Personally, I understand it - and it's complicated - but - I'm going to go ahead and give it a whirl. It is affecting people who live where the mail had always been processed in their town - but now all their mail is sent to a different town (or city) and it's taking longer for local mail to be delivered - back to the original location where it was mailed. My son has worked on machines that are old and becoming difficult to maintain - and which will be replaced at some point. He's talked to people who have been to the new improved regional processing centers that are gradually replacing the old centers all over the country. The people who have seen the new centers are very impressed. They are huge. They are efficient. They are shiny and new. They are almost space age. They will run for many years - but they too will have a lifespan....just as the current machines which are out dated are being replaced. The cost of the new improved processing centers has made it necessary to consolidate some of the regions. For example, Wyoming and Montana have so few people - the USPS probably can't justify giving each of those two states their own new improved processing center. They are probably going to put a processing center in one of the states - and the other state will have their mail sent to the first state for processing - and then returned. To some people, that seems absurd. But, I can see how the USPS tracks the amount of mail they handle in all the different regions - so - they're going to draw lines that make sense for efficiency - and those lines have nothing to do with state lines. My son has even heard that the new improved regional processing center where Des Moines' mail will be processed might not be in Des Moines. If that happens - I know people will think the USPS is bonkers - but, I totally see how that could happen. So, that's my explanation. If you find out that your mail is going to some place that is far from where you live - you might think that's bonkers - or you might consider that the USPS has been chugging along for 250 years - and they might be doing a decent job of handling mail and packages at a cost that is less than UPS/FedEx and now Amazon --- who is trying to be the new way to *mail* things. We can't predict the future - but for now, it is probably safe to say that the changes will be coming gradually and while we may not like them - we'll figure out a way to adapt. |
