Are you a muggle?

 Feel free to respond to my previous post, but this is concerning.

I have to put this into context

The other day I was having a conversation with an aquaintance who is a POC. He was telling me in confidence that he plans to move back because he's giving up. Some of our conversation was in French. I speak several languages.

A few hours later I was waiting outside for someone who was late. A man in his seventies holding a cup of coffee asked me a question in a foreign language. I looked at him indicating that I didn't understand.

Oh did I get the wrong one? 

What language was it, Iasked.

He wouldn't answer. I'm interested in languages, he said.

So am I, I said.

He asks me something in Turkish then farsi. (Which I don't speak, but recognize). He didn't speak them, but had picked up a couple of sentences and asked me to guess what the language was.

I asked if he could identify xiuxiu. He guessed middle east. Wrong phonetics I said. Shisha? he tried.

Something feels wrong

Usually when I get drawn into these conversations, it's by people who have a genuine interest in linguistics or networking. I've met a climate scientist from Australia, a postgraduate student researching linguistics in computer models, a grandma whose son is a researcher at CERN, all because of our accents. We both come away enriched.

How did you become interested in languages? I asked. Oh, I have 10 children with the same wife, they live all over.

Not credible.

Then he asked how I knew the poc guy, was it a friend, was I related.

Xiexie means thank you in mandarin chinese, I replied.

Then he told me that he can trace his ancestry back 200 years and that he is Arian. He started asking me personal questions. Weird, because I'm tall blonde and blue-eyed. I was extremely uncomfortable and told him that it was none of his business.

This is the second time in the last week that this has happened. I'm assuming it's trending? I don't know how to interpret what he was after.

H.O.P.E. The power of words

  

H.O.P.E. The power of this season

 This is a powerful season. Always has been. It is a season that fights the darkness with light and hope. I saw an interesting acronym;

H.O.P.E.: Hang on. Pain Ends.

I was looking for some good quotes and images for this post, but gargle gave me mostly trite kitsch. While trying to find a transcript of the simple but effective text only speech of King Charles, I was inundated with ads. (If anyone has the patience to find a text only version I'd appreciate it).

His Christmas 2025 speech can be viewed here:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ciqg2W0T-8c

The history of the poster below is on Wikipedia.

During world War Two the Brits accomplished the impossible and won. The government put out various posters to motivate and encourage with the now ubiquitous Keep calm and carry on posters. Those type of subliminal messages address our subconscious and do work.

King Charles alluded to some of this history in his speech, speaking of the literal and figurative "journey" of our lives and geographic displacement. Whether he merely reiterated key words based on what he hears from the public I do not know.

Hope, courage, resilience, bravery, compassion and Respect (which he mentioned at least twice) are the key words for 2026. Words matter, but become meaningless if there is no action. 

We will have to give eachother light through deeds. Help eachother and offer more than meaningless words. Step out of our own communities and give light, because it is no longer Christmas business as usual. We've done it for hundred thousands of years during the winter months. That is the power of this season.

I wrote this prior to Christmas or whatever people celebrate because it applies throughout the winter season and will apply in 2026.

I have come across social media posts where people complain that these are just meaningless words. I agree; actions speak louder than words. Speeches may show intent, but can lose their power.

But so do the words spoken and written by people who harm others. They are also just words, aren't they? And yet they have the power to incite physical and mental harm to others.

But words can also 'incite' to do something good. Words will matter in 2026.

As always please do not mention or insult any politicians.

Greeting cards, they are more than the thought that counts, much more

Pop Up Card

 Sometimes helping someone get through a difficult time can be as small as a card.

In high school, word got around that I could draw really well, I was asked to draw a card for a teacher who was quite ill. I drew a perfect Blue Jay handed it to the person collecting them. Too young (and stupid) to ask if I could give it to him myself.

I often included my cards in the gifts I gave to friends and family. I was very selective. Uncle creepy or Aunt Gossip queen got a store bought one as did anyone where I felt a professional boundary may be crossed. They were wildlife and flowers so the theme doesn't really fit Christmas nor was I going to handraw/paint 30 cards.

Then came commissions by galleries and museums. I discovered a place were I could color print them onto cardstock. The exposure was great, but at 50% profit per card through the gallery, simply not worth my time. The materials cost me a few dollars per card, I would have been fine selling them for ten each, despite the fact that each took me half an hour to glue, and calligraphy (verb?). I also couldn't mass produce them, this was merely a hobby at the professional level.

My contract was always the same, the gift shops had to buy them outright, then pay me the difference of what was sold. All of them always did, but when a botanical garden gift shop also wanted me to provide little plastic sleeves against the humidity (they also sold plants), I thought four bucks per card simply wasn't worth the time.

Hand made cards weren't valued, but when I walked past a window display there were intricate pop up cards selling for 25 to 40 a piece. I hoped to get some, but they were sold out before they went on sale.

When I discussed it with my father, ever the business man, he told me:"waste of your talent"

Around 2008 the postal service was struggling, artists and crafters created artists trading cards. It turned into a movement, with so many participants that the media noticed.

Back to greeting cards. Some of the friends I gave them to, gave me no feedback. One of my friends had no interest in art. Then why did I bother, if they meant nothing? All that time and care to get him through a difficult time, and the cards were part of that, had no value. I was getting e greeting cards back.

We lost touch, but reconnected. Somehow art came up. "But you were never interested in art," I  said. "I liked your cards. They're beautiful. My mother thought God was guiding them. That you were a guardian angel. I kept them all. Framed one of them. They helped."

Stunned silence.

When I went through my father's things, I found a box. Many, many years of my hand painted cards, tied with a ribbon. Every.Single.One. Well worn from being looked at. One would have to know my father to understand how significant that was.

It mattered and was appreciated more than I was told. It lifted mood and allowed people to hang on to something in difficult times.

Encounter with a squirrel

 

Penguin biscuits 

I was in London and had an important decision to make. At the meeting they had handed out some Penguin chocolate wafers. I'd never heard of them.

I decided to make my decision by walking through Hyde Park. As I walked along the Serpentine, I stopped to eat my uninspired sandwich and remembered the wafer. I opened the wafer, bit into it and immediately noticed that there was nothing chocolate about it. Just the synthetic flavor.

On the rim of the garbage bin sat a corpulent squirrel, watching me. When she sat up it was quite obvious that she was preggers. I looked at the ingredients on the wrapper (squirrels should not eat chocolate) but this was safe. Mostly various fats and sugar.

I had some experience with wildlife rescue centers. Squirrels are actually omnivores. They are fed nuts fruit  veggies while being rehabilitated and even mealworms especially when they have a litter. Those that do not migrate away for the winter need the calories. Grey urban squirrels had displaced the red one, because they had adapted to a different diet.

Here's a tame squirrel stealing some candy.

https://www.reddit.com/r/FunnyAnimals/comments/11iox8d/candy_thief/?share_id=OaYQciY94aBuMbZvQS7JZ&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1

I broke off a piece and handed it to her between thumb and index finger. She daintily grabbed it and polished it off. She looked at me for more.She simply sat there, her paws tucked in waiting to be fed. I broke off another little piece. Again, she gently took it from my fingers and nibbled away.

A woman had stopped to watch us. "It's lovely to see", she said. I nodded.

I was having a moment of interspecies mutual trust with lady squirrel. Nature had tapped me on my shoulder as a fellow blogger had taught me. As I continued on my thinking walk, I was in a better mood, because of this gentle encounter. Made my decision, which turned out to be the right one.

Funny moments with strangers

 Overheard in public places

1. A couple and their teen daughter were walking toward me. Mother is recounting a story. Teen gets distracted by an ice cream place, husband trails behind. Mother exasperated to me:" This one walks off in one direction that one in another. Who the hell am I telling my story to?"

2. Couple is walking their young Labrador in the evening. Dog let's out a deep bark and starts going after something. Her:"We are the only couple with a dog who barks at a shoe."

3. Sitting on the patio of a restaurant. Guest next to me asks the waiter: "Do you have any dessert?" Waiter comes back with the menu. What is this? 

It's cashew paste with mint cream, says the waiter. Guest makes a face" Do you have anything else?" No.

Guest: It's like Russia. You have a choice, but there is only one.

4. Sitting in a park with a playground. Father brings in his toddler. She starts wobble running toward the playground. Father: "OK, honey amuse yourself. I'll come pick you up in two hours."

The world and world politics

There are two previous posts related to this one. I blame high school for not teaching history properly.

Just a simple overview:

World War 1 took place between 1914 to 1918, which is where a lot of ideas are currently coming from. The Spanish flu was discovered in Spain in 1918 likely brought in through all that movement and the poverty of war.

The Ottoman Empire (ended in 1922) was already declining, leaving room for others to expand. The land that is currently Israel belonged to the Ottoman empire, was conquered and held by the Brits.

Iceland belonged to Denmark and achieved its sovereignty in 1918 and 1944. It is a Nato member, but has no army of any kind. Wikipedia has a decent history on it in which the US played a role. It shows how much territorial reshuffling wars produce.

The recent slip of the tongue at the WEF where he mentioned Iceland several times is probably the intent of repeating a base on Greenland which I think is going to be the agreement.

How important good allyship and friendships are. In 2022 when the pipeline on which Germany is dependendant for 40% of its gas supply was destroyed by the Russia/Ukraine war, Canada quickly repaired one of the giant bombardier turbines that the Germans needed.

When the US ran out of baby formula (also 2022?) due to Covid and supply chain interruption, Europe sent baby formula on military planes. 

Canada along with the Ukraine are the main suppliers of world wheat, but the former is dealing with Tariffs. The later had to let it go to waste.

Then there are very young Turkish people that want the Ottoman Empire back, Iranians who want Persia back and a group of pure bloods who claim Vikings as their ancestry.

Anthropology is a soft and speculative science. involving a lot of hypotheses. Vikings were the warrior tribe of the norsemen, likely mercenary, marauding and exploring, spending a lot of their time on ships and telling tall tales. They didn't really settle anywhere they landed (Greenland and Iceland among it), which they abandoned due to the mini ice age of the middle ages. They were only active for about 150 years.

They were a little taller than the Europeans at the time (around 5'7 or so) probably due to their lifestyle and fish based diet. They ended up integrating and marrying into European culture. Considering the estimate of about only 100,000 of them claiming them as ancestors is silly.

This should make some of the recent comments make more sense.

Currently, Germany wants to repatriate their gold reserves, because it no longer views the US as reliable. It was stored there due to fears that Russia might invade. Ironic, because Russia is expanding.

Troops are being deployed to deal with Iran and rumors have it that Israel is asking the US for restraint.

Of course a lot of propaganda is Russian generated and this is modern warfare, so how much is for show and distraction is anyone's guess.

China has already acquired Hong Kong, which was thriving. Not sure what is currently going on with Taiwan. I could be wrong, but China is mostly interested in intellectual property and selling its goods.

Before people think it's over there, well, it affects all of us with western values.

Here's a very brief commentary on the WEF meeting. I'm still trying to find a non AI transcript of Carneys speech.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=j7CH59Q6ytg

I leave with a Churchill quote:

"Democracy is the worst of all political structures,

except for all the others that have been tried from time to time."

As always, please refrain from insulting politicians. At this point it's much bigger than that.

Self care is not escapism, its a necessity

 I had a good day yesterday. I'm still dealing with long Covssshhh so I decided to take a day off from reality, not watch any news and take a self care day.

I managed to get some groceries, made a healthy meal that according to spouse turned out well and tried not to think about the fact that I had to take naps in between to accomplish that little. 

Then we watched Dungeons and Dragons Honor of Thieves. 

The first DandD movie with Jeremy Irons was probably one of the worst movies I'd ever seen and I remember being embarrassed that I'd convinced a friend to watch it in the theater with me.

This one? Good. In fact very good. Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Hugh Grant in what I can only describe as a fantasy adventure comedy reminiscent of the old Indiana Jones movies, not geared to children.

I'm glad a friend kept insisting that I'd like it. There is no deep meaning, at most reminding audiences that we're all flawed, but that value and virtue still matter. I haven't seen this type of movie in a long time and you don't need to know anything about the board game to enjoy it.

Old fashioned story telling, a reluctant hero's journey, great visuals (Lucasfilm), well paced action sequences, no slow lulls, truly original laugh out loud humor interspersed throughout the movie. (An overweight dragon, seriously?) It's really funny and I finally slept really well. I highly recommend it as a stress reliever.

Oh, Jonarthan.