Virtual Brush Box

Awareness of the outside world. Fun fact courtesy of our guest contributor. In 1861 France invaded and conquered (most of) Mexico, and installed an Austrian archduke as Emperor of Mexico! This … random act of senseless colonialism … did not last long, and did not end well for the archduke in question (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Mexican_Empire#Fall_of_the_Empire). Who, ironically, despite being supported by arch-conservative Catholic/monarchist elements inside Mexico, was himself quite liberal! As a result, Mexican history now apparently treats him with considerable nuance rather than as a colonial villain. Anyway! If you’re ever asked at trivia night “What is the only castle in North America ever used as a monarch’s official abode?”, the answer is “Chapultepec Castle, in lovely Chapultepec Park, in Mexico City.

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Friend Jon was in Mexico City. He was kind enough to keep an eye out for an equine related photo op. Welcome Jon! Author website, Jon Evans. Most recent book, Exadelic.

Pegasus
Palacio de Bellas Artes
Mexico City

Statues by Agustí Querol Subirats
Photos by Jon Evans

PdBA: Recorrido virtual gives an 360o view of the square where the pegasi are housed.

Wiki: Statues of Pegasus, Mexico City

I was this many years old when I learned CDMX refers to Mexico City. The name of the city in Spanish is Ciudad de México, hence the acronym.

Photos as taken by the photographer. I added watermarks & borders.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. BBC: Planetary alignment 2025: This is what it really means when seven planets line up in the sky, O’Callaghan, 19 January 2025.

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It’s cold.

Again.

I am so over this.

Below freezing several times this week. High teens tonight. Yes, it’s colder elsewhere. A family member (waves hi!) is having sequential snowstorms and single-digit lows. The thing is, down here, the buildings aren’t made for it and the beings aren’t adjusted to it.

Rodney is fine. As long as he has chow & blankets, he’ll deal. The things that bother him are not weather related.

Milton is more acutely upset by storms and rain. He doesn’t mind cold, right up until he does, in a dramatic fashion. [When Weekends Go Wrong, Spa Stay]

This last fact makes the humans twitchy.

We be cold.

We be over it.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Posted my last FB message yesterday. “I’m out. The algorithm has decreed that I need to see utterly horrible pet rescue videos. Hiding them does not help. Contact me via blog, email, or text. I read Bluesky & others but rarely post in those places. Ciao.” The politics did not help. The horrid images pushed me out the door. YMMV.

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Milestone!

Truck odometer earlier this month.

Truck arrived in February 2017. [Milton’s Chariot]

With less than 10 miles. [Between The Rear-View Mirrors]

100K miles in 8 years for an annual mileage of 12,500 mpy.

US average in 2022 was ~14,000 mpy, Kelley Blue Book: Average Miles Driven Per Year: Why It Is Important, Hardesty 2024.

My state average is over 17,000 mpy, ibid, Each State’s Average Annual Mileage.

Internet says 16 mpg is low for a truck, but average for towing.

Procedure

I noticed the mileage with less than 100 miles to go. Kept an eye on it. Knew that I would need to arrange the driving so that I ended up in a parking lot at the right time. Didn’t want the odometer to turn while I was in traffic. The numbers worked out so that I arrived at MAKEbhm with less that two miles to go. Avondale Park was less than half a mile away. [Making The Materials]

After class, I drove around the block until I got close. Then drove around the park’s parking lot until the photo op.

Processing the image, I see that was too caught up in the moment to put it in park. Fortunately, I was alone on idle tarmac.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Why is the leader of the USA called President? Happy Scribe: What’s a snollygoster? A short lesson in political speak | Mark Forsyth, TED Talks Daily, 2020. This is a semi-repeat. Last year was the video; this year, the transcript as well. In other news, I have thoughts on this President’s Day, but I do not drag out the soapbox when other folks appear on the blog. Enjoy the etymology. [A New Shirt]

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Both horses got a bodywork tuneup from the knowledgeable hands of the ladies of Robin Hood Therapy. Short sessions of MagnaWave and massage. Don’t need bodywork when one’s body is not in work.

Rodney had a few tight spots here and there. Mostly from being oversized and hauling his big self around.

Milton was a little stiff in the shoulder and neck, probably a carryover from from being sick and hunching forward to take the weight away from a sore gut. He is definitely the type of individual to hang on to an issue rather than letting go and moving on.

Previous visit [A Bout of Bodywork for Both Horses]

Onwards!
Katherine

Books and the outside world. Boilerplate that I came across on a manuscript website, “International social justice movements and the debates that ensued prompted us to start considering the contents of our website from a critical point of view. This has led us to acknowledge that most of the texts in our database are Western-centered. We have asked the authors of our content to be aware of the underlying racial and cultural bias in many scholarly sources, and to try to keep in mind multiple points of view while describing the manuscripts. We also recognize that this is yet a small, first step towards fighting inequality.” Facsimile Finder: Pelplin Gutenberg Bible, on sidebar under Please Read.

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Introduction To Bookmaking
David West
MakeBHM
Thursday 13 February 2025
Class 2 of 4

Painted the covers.

Cut boards, folded pages, & decorated my place card.

Posts

Last year, for comparison, [Preparing The Parts, Book Making Class #2]

Last week, [One More For The Books, Book Making Class #1, Take 2]

In Other News

Preclass snack. Since I usually get whipped cream in my hot chocolate, this maybe my first decorated drink. Easing slowly into the 21st Century.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. “‘In Alaska, it’s Denali,’ Murkowski said in a statement on Thursday. “This isn’t a political issue — Alaskans from every walk of life have long been advocating for this mountain to be recognized by its true name.’ ” Anchorage Daily News: Murkowski introduces bill to keep Denali as the name of North America’s tallest peak, Samuels, February 13, 2025.

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Alaska that is NOT the US state.

Asteroid

19148 Alaska. JPL, Small-Body Database Lookup: 19148 Alaska (1989 YA5). “Asteroid 19148, Alaska, was discovered on December 28, 1989 by Eric W. Elst at Haute Provence Observatory in Saint-Michel-l’Observatoire, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France. It has a period of 5 years, 192 days.” Mark Andrew Holmes: Alaska.

Street in Washington DC

Walk Score: Alaska Avenue Northwest. No one in DC would refer to it that way. They would say “I live on Alaska.” In other news, “Walk Score’s mission is to promote walkable neighborhoods. Walkable neighborhoods are one of the simplest and best solutions for the environment, our health, and our economy.” WS: About. Preach!

Book character

Alaska Young in Looking For Alaska, by John Green (Dutton 2005). Author website, John Green: Looking for Alaska. Book was made into a miniseries, IMDB: Looking For Alaska. Book was banned/challenged in several places by parents who have forgotten they used to be teenagers. Marshall Banned Books 2024 – Looking for Alaska. Note, “Marshall University does not ban books! The information is provided to let people know what has been banned/challenged elsewhere.” ibid. YA book. Have neither read nor watched. The title kept coming up when I was surfing for Alaska books.

Dessert

NPR: Baked Alaska: A Creation Story Shrouded In Mystery, Silver 2016.

“The best guess is that Charles Ranhofer, a Parisian pastry chef working at New York’s famous Delmonico’s restaurant, introduced it circa 1867, either to celebrate or to poke fun at New York senator William H. Seward’s purchase of Alaska from the Russians.” Fine Dining Lovers: A Short History of Baked Alaska 2021.

“Baked Alaska has become a generic term for myriad combinations of ice cream, cake, and meringue served toasted or, for a more dramatic presentation, flambéed.” Tasting Table: The Origin Story Of The Baked Alaska, Matte 2022.

Names

“The SSA data also shows that ALASKA is used as a girl’s name 100% of the time.” MyNameStats.com: First Name ALASKA.

“The state with the most people named ALASKA is Michigan where 29 people have this name.” MyNameStats.com: Last Name ALASKA.

Places

Geotargit: How many places are named Alaska?

Valeria & Valise: The Atlas of Alaska: All the Places Named Alaska in the World 2024.

Other

Geography, People, Arts-entertainment-and-media, Ships, Other-uses: Wiki: Alaska (disambiguation).

Inspiration

Currently ettending UChicago Graham School, Alaska: Indigenous, Russian, American.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. NPR: The dark origins of Valentine’s Day, Seipel 2022.

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Sweet Home Alabama Mural
Artist. Menace Two ☯️ Resa Piece
Birmingham AL USA
October 2024

Video. Instagram, @menaceresa: 08 January, 2024

By the same artists [Heart Of Gold Mural]

Technical Notes

Phone camera.

Onwards!
Katherine