Let's Make Some Art, Dammit

November 28, 2021. It's winter in Warwick Forest, though some berries - like this one - and grapes and bright green leaves are still holdovers from fall. I finished off several more talks for my course today and am ready to move on to the next module in a timely fashion. Except for short walks like this - only 3 km - my focus has been almost solely on my course. https://flic.kr/p/2mME91Q

November 27, 2021. This is the result of the snow we had yesterday a couple of inches covering everything and weighing down the weeds in the back yard. Today I spent a full day working on the course, recording and uploading a number of presentations. I know, it's too much content, but my objective here is to put it out there, and people can follow along or not at their own pace. I need to do it this way because if I don't, the work will never get done, and I'll have another half-finished product to add to my repertoire. https://flic.kr/p/2mMAXTQ

November 26, 2021. I came downstairs during a break in my meeting to find Andrea stuck in this situation, witting with a plate in her had and a cat wrapped around her neck, fast asleep. In addition to the meetings, I finished my slides on the duty of care and began recording presentations. https://flic.kr/p/2mME46K

November 25, 2021. This is the first goldfinch we've seen on the goldfinch feeder - it uses a fine mesh so only birds with tiny feet can land on it and eat the food. We also had a female cardinal spend quite a bit of time on the (other) feeder. I spent the entire day working on the care ethics presentations. I should be ready to start recording videos tomorrow. https://flic.kr/p/2mLVNRZ

November 24, 2021. View from the entrance of M-55 at the NRC campus. I had to go into Ottawa today for fingerprints and photos, part of my security screening. It is updated once every ten years, and this was the first time they did fingerprints. I didn't get my new badge, so this means a return trip. It doesn't feel urgent, though. Spent the rest of the day working on ethics of care. https://flic.kr/p/2mLVN5Z

November 23, 2021. This is Lexi enjoying a drink at the tap. We haven't trained the kittens to drink from the tap (Andrea is a fan) but Julia has been trying and trying to figure out why Lexi always goes up there. No luck yet. Meanwhile, I created and recorded a presentation on the Duty of Care in law and business. Next up: the big set of presentations on the ethics of care. https://flic.kr/p/2mLZR1p

November 22, 2021. This is Sid Seixeiro from CITY TV's Breakfast Television @breakfasttelevision, easily one of the best morning shows I've ever watched. I wake up with BT. I watch it on my computer every morning when I get up. The diverse and easy-going cast wends their way through news and set pieces focused mostly on the good and the enlightening. I especially want to note how the show treats the cast with respect, instead of tarting them up and treating them like objects. https://flic.kr/p/2mLsmNR

November 21, 2021. We're back from Montreal - Andrea stopped at the Holt, then we discovered highway 20 was completely closed, then we arrived home and I spent time preparing the photos. This is a Montreal sparrow in a cedar. https://flic.kr/p/2mLcfmM

November 20, 2021. Nothing like live comedy on a Saturday night in Montreal. This is Mike Wilmot, who delivered quite a nice set tonight as the headliner. The Comedy Nest is a great venue and we'll be back.We also went for a walk during the day through Chinatown and Old Montreal. Fun day, still basking in the glow of yesterday's football win. https://flic.kr/p/2mL7mTu

November 19, 2021. We decided to take a mini-vacation to Montreal, so after wrapping up the week's work we drove up, checked in, and then went to the RedBlacks-Alouettes football game. It was cold, to be sure, but it was a lot of fun, especially the last minute win for the usually luckless RedBlacks. https://flic.kr/p/2mKYoj9

November 18, 2021. This is Charlemagne viewed through a tube. It's an evening bit of creativity following another day focused on the course, including what I thought was a good video on meta-ethics. Also added variable line widths to the graph diagrams. https://flic.kr/p/2mKZrnC

November 16, 2021. This us Julia in one of her favourite spots on the back of a chair. From there she can jump up to the shelf, or escape to the floor in a hurry. Today was the Day of Five Meetings. They were as productive as meetings can be, but they took up most of the day. https://flic.kr/p/2mKAtnP

November 17, 2021. The cardinal and finch in the photo have discovered the relocated feeder, which means I can almost get a decent photo of them with my phone. Almost. But this winter I expect some much better bird photos. Today I spent the day working on a video on Social Contracts, missing a couple of meetings in the process (um, sorry...?). https://flic.kr/p/2mKz7nh

November 15, 2021. The geese were right! Yesterday we saw thousands and thousands of them leaving the area, and today we have our first dusting of snow. With the decision to extend Module 5 over two weeks I was able to rest a bit more easily today. This, though, will allow me to catch up - but not move ahead. https://flic.kr/p/2mK9Ga7

November 14, 2021. Today's walk was through Ferguson Forest in Kemptville. Bordering the town on the south, Rideau River on the north and Kemptville Creek on the east, this is a good sized stretched of hilly, rocky, and sometimes muddy mixed forest. Thousands and thousands of geese flew over as we walked, which is not a good sign, because the geese don't like to leave until it's definitely winter. I'm really pleased with the photos from today, with their deep rich colours. No work on the course today, which means I'm not going to catch up to the schedule, ever, but it doesn't matter, I'll just be a few days behind. https://flic.kr/p/2mJVhiA

November 13, 2021. Another day spent mostly indoors, though I did manage to sneak around the side of the garage to take this photo of our bird feeder setup. Today's long video was on the subject of consequentialist theories of ethics. I'm really enjoying the course, though I'm falling behind a bit, and I'm not sure everyone shares the same enthusiasm for the way I'm doing it. Oh well. Not stopping now! https://flic.kr/p/2mJNByP

November 12, 2021. This is Charlemagne with the giant paws. He is not only polydactyl, he has unusually large and flexible ties. I was back to making videos today, recording a nice one on the concept of duty. https://flic.kr/p/2mJNAtH

November 11, 2021. This is the nightstand beside my bed showing my CPAP, nose spray and a bubba-sized mug of decaf. It reflects the reality of the day - indeed, the month - as I have been putting in 110% of my time into my course. Yes, this is almost certainly effort that could be better spent elsewhere; the number of active people can be counted as a handful, not thousands. But the course has caught *my* interest, and that's all that matters, really. https://flic.kr/p/2mJhprY

November 10, 2021. This photo of a mourning dove just sunning itself on the deck is today's photo by default as it's the only one I took. I gave myself a day off recording videos, because it's really tiring, but spent all day writing software for a 'matrix grid' system to allow people to draw connections between sets of entities. It took me all day and into the evening. https://flic.kr/p/2mJeSyJ

November 9, 2021. I've started recording TikTok videos of Charlemagne trapped on the ledge because it's so ridiculous and he does it so frequently (though probably only because he gets a free ride back up the stairs). Another day, another video, as I spent the bulk of the day recording on character and virtue. https://flic.kr/p/2mJ6g7z

November 8, 2021. This is goldenrod on our front lawn, pretty much dead after the recent frosts. Today was totally focused on my online course as I did an intro discussion and then recorded the first presentation. We're into what will be a tougher part of the course for me because I don't have the content so well prepared - but that's why I'm doing the course, to force myself to do this content. https://flic.kr/p/2mJamHA

November 7, 2021. normally we would go for a Sunday hike, but we took today off, so instead there's a photo of sundries, specifically, a mug from Sherwood Forest, a mousepad from Naples, and a Buddha from Chiang Mai. I am sensitive that this is at once a casual display of privilege and at the same time evidence of my fondness for (and desire to return to) all three places. With it being an inside day I spent it semi-productively coding Javascript all day, working on a script that will retrieve and automatically analyze documents. Old stuff, I know, but I'm far better prepared to do such things now than in the past. https://flic.kr/p/2mHs1Pu

November 6, 2021. It was the last home game of the year. We lost by a field goal, which actually feels like a win after the season we've had. Still, we're looking at getting season tickets again next year. Other than that, I recorded the final video for the ethical codes week, which means I can turn my attention to the next week on time, instead of a few days late. https://flic.kr/p/2mHc8ut

November 5, 2021. This is mostly a photo of a dirty carpet but if you look closely you'll see a cat ready to pounce on the hanging string. Today wrapped up the 'Ethical Codes' week of the course with a good discussion and some work on the video presentations. I finished working early today - 5:30 instead of the usual 6 or 6:30. https://flic.kr/p/2mHdgkZ

November 4, 2021. I couldn't resist snapping a photo of this artifact at the Trainyards Farm Boy outlet (I have developed a fondness for their fresh soups). Today I worked mostly on summarizing and presenting videos on elements of the ethical codes, including a long one on values and principles. https://flic.kr/p/2mGQWjo

November 3, 2021. It's hard not to like the yellows, reds and browns of fall foliage. Such a contrast with the greens and blues of summer. Today was a coding day as I worked on adding another table to the course - ethical codes - and worked on making them connect and interact with other data. I had a number of really odd coding issues, most of which i couldn't solve, resulting in some long and boring 'Making a MOOC' videos. https://flic.kr/p/2mGYvNR

November 2, 2021. This is milkweed in the back yard. I added an extension to the bird feeder pole and was instantly rewarded with greater interest on the part of the chickadees. Also brought in the Halloween decorations. Recorded a couple more videos for the course (including a long and especially good one on social and cultural issues). Also had meetings. Busy. Happy. https://flic.kr/p/2mGeXGA

Novmver 1, 2021. Yes, it's another photo of Charlemagne on the shelf after having been rescued from the ledge in the basement. Busy day starting up week 4 of the course, recording videos and getting content ready. Had trouble with one video - first I got the video but no audio, then I got the audio but no video, so I'll have to make a replacement video some time soon. https://flic.kr/p/2mGcH4k