Burritos

¡No más!

I finally have to admit that all my burrito photos look pretty much the same. This could be due to a failure of imagination or that once they are rolled up it is next to impossible to know what is inside. In any event, this should be my last post to social media for those which I make at home. Those that I eat in restaurants may still be fair game. (See below) 

One of these is not like the others:

All writing and images ©Cliff Hutson unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.

Reading Log: November 2020

 The books that I read in the month of November 2020

November 2020 Books: photo by Cliff Hutson

"The Law of Innocence," Michael Connelly


"The Drunken Botanist: the Plants that Create the World's Great Drinks," Amy Stewart


"Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man," Emmanuel Acho 

"Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist," Tim Federle

Life in the Time of Corona

Bad Moon Rising: photo by Cliff Hutson

Times are strange

Times are strange, and, I am locked in tight and I'm out of range.  When this "shelter-in-place", "safer-at-home", or "self-quarantine" thing started so many weeks (months?) ago I did not think that it would be much of a problem.  I am very used to living alone and am very much the introvert.  However, not being able to come and go as I please has proved to more than a bit taxing.

Some people seemed to have put this time to good use.  But, I like many others trapped indoors as a deadly pandemic rages, turned to watching films that confront the practicalities and horrors involved with some sort of now all-too-familiar apocalypse. Not just those that suddenly seem timely, like the viral thriller turned convincing docudrama Contagion, but also those that cover similar global panic and ultimately togetherness in the face of natural disasters, alien invasion and other earth-shaking events.

Then it came to mind that I might enjoy something about being alone and decided to watch Cast Away, the Tom Hanks film from 2000, for the second time, in nearly twenty years. I really enjoyed it.  

One of the things that I found most intriguing was that in the film Wilson, a volleyball, serves as Chuck Noland's friend and only companion during the four years that Noland spends alone on the deserted island.     This led me to ask two questions: 1) What became of Wilson? 2) What if I had a "Wilson" of my own?  

Wilson

Wilson the Volleyball: photo by Cliff Hutson

Some say that Wilson was irretrievably lost at sea, never to be seen again. Others say that, much like Chuck Noland, he was eventually picked up by a passing ship. But, the reality is that he was an actor playing a role.

One of the original volleyball props was sold at auction for $18,500 to the ex-CEO of FedEx Office, Ken May. However, it turned out that I could have one of my own, for a whole lot less, by buying it directly from Wilson Sporting Goods. I was very disappointed that he arrived via UPS instead of FedEx.

We will have to see how our friendship develops.

Covers

Bedding: photo by Cliff Hutson

The Bottle Boys:

This is worth another listen:

Betty IPA: photo by Cliff Hutson

Something Completely Different:

Leo Moracchioli feat. Mary Spender

Birth of the Cool: photo by Cliff Hutson

National Chocolate Candy Day

Chocolate Candy

Chocolate Candy: photo by Cliff Hutson

National Chocolate Candy Day is observed annually on December 28 in the USA.

Some say that eating chocolate can improve overall health and lower the risk of heart disease. Candy may not be the best form in which to consume it. But, taken in moderation, how bad could it be?

“Like that movie "Touch of Evil" I got the Orson Wells, Marlene Dietrich blues

Where Orson walks in to the whore house and

Marlene says "Man, you look like hell"

And Orson's chewing on a chocolate bar

As the lights go on in the old Blue Star hotel

"Read my future" says old Orson, "down inside the tea leaves of your cup"

And she says "You ain't got no future, Hank,

I believe your future's all used up””

 - Tom Russell

Dessert and Sex

Carrot Cake: photo by Cliff Hutson

Most men my age probably do not follow posts on BuzzFeed as much as I do. We are not their target demographic. My excuse is that my granddaughter works for them as a Social Media Strategist. And, it can be greatly amusing.

Cookies: photo by Cliff Hutson

Dessert Test Will Determine How Sexy You Are

Last night I took a quiz that is supposed to determine one's sex appeal based on their choice of a cake, cookie, candy, and pie.

Candy Bar: photo by Cliff Hutson

I can say that never before have been likened to a molten lava cake. It seems my choice of desserts outstrips my actual life, by far. Why not try it and see how you do.

Pie: photo by Cliff Hutson

By the way, as to my age, let's just say that I am no longer a sexagenarian. (See what I did there.)

SaveSaveSaveSave

Another Milestone

Over a Million Views

Basil: photo by Cliff Hutson

Last week while I was at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, observing a major milestone in my life; a minor event occurred as well. My Flickr account (where I am known as "The Marmot") received  its one millionth view.

I joined Flickr in 2005, and am not certain if reaching this number was all that timely or not. But, it is what it is. My most viewed viewed photograph over the majority of the intervening years was of a sprig of basil my late wife grew in her garden back in July 2007. It was linked to quite a bit as a definition of the plant, and to illustrate articles on herbs and the Mediterranean diet.

May 2014 Books: photo by Cliff Hutson

November 2014 Books: photo by Cliff Hutson

However, it has been greatly overtaken by photos of books I read in May 2014 and November 2014. This surprises me. They are both decent photos, but I think that there are many stronger ones in my photo stream. But, one them has been linked to, and they both have both appeared on Flickriver; I guess that helps. 

Field Notes: photo by Cliff Hutson

The fact that the Field Notes Mixed Three Pack has also surpassed the basil is less of an anomaly. There are a lot of Field Notes fans out there, and it has also received some links.

Field Notes, Too: photo by Cliff Hutson

The photo I call "Field Notes, Too" has a chance of moving into the top four. It is currently my favorite of the photographs that have been viewed in five figure numbers, fond as I am of the basil. I clearly put some work into the composition. And, think that it demonstrates my odd sense of humor as well.

The Books I Read in 2014

The idea for a monthly photographic record of what books I read was inspired by the work of David Allen, a columnist for my local paper. But, it did not hit me until I was well into February and by then January was lost in the fog of time.  Therefore, this starts with the books I use all year long either on my rambles or as a resource for the "Plant of the Month" article I write for the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden publication Oak Notes.

I also decided, taking a page from Kenton Nelson, not to describe each book. The reader of this blog can decide what to think about me or my choices. 

Reference

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

The Cute Cat Theory of Digital Activism

From ETech to Where 2.0: Disaster Tech and Activist Mapping - O'Reilly Radar

Part of my interest in the internet and blogging is they way that they can be used to reach people for a variety of reasons. I blog, mostly, for the fun of it, but I fascinated by the concept of public journalism.

A story from the Center for Social Media had this to say about public media: “Over at the O’Reilly Radar site, Where 2.0 conference chair Brady Forest reports on an interesting principle that Ethan Zuckerman of Global Voices is proposing, called the “cute cat theory of activism.” Basically, the more people who use a platform to post content about their charming pets, the less likely it is to be shut down. So if you like public media, start snapping those LOLcats shots!”

The basic theory is that ‘every time you force a government to block a web 2.0 site - cutting off people’s access to cute cats - you spend political capital’. The job of online advocates is to raise that cost of censorship as high as possible.

If I am about anything, I am about cute cats. So if any body needs to borrow some photos, you can find them here and here.