Christine Malec

For the first time in my life on Masto, I read alt text that made me wish the person hadn’t bothered. After a wordy post, they wrote in the alt text field something like, “I don’t really want to write alt text and train the AI for free, but okay, person holding a computer.” I’m going to assume they didn’t think about what a slap in the face this was to me, and possibly to anyone else who relies on alt text. 3 Times I started an acerbic reply and deleted it, but I’m still seething, so I’m asking anyone who is so disingenuous to just not bother; you’ll create less hard feelings that way.

One in 20 times when I play “Log Driver’s Walz" while busking, I get some heartfelt feedback from a middle-aged lady who clearly has good associations with the song. Today at Bay station, A transit worker popped out of a door in the wall I didn’t know was there, which must lead into some inner sanctum of the station, gave a little clap, and let me know in the most heartfelt way that he loves the song, and that hearing it triggered great memories of Saturday morning TV, where the song was popularized with an animation. Of course I remember that too, as do many Canadians of my age. I said what I love most about the song is that it’s so clearly about female lust. He agreed, if a bit bemusedly. He seemed a bit young to have such memories, and definitely didn’t fit the typical profile, which made me very pleased. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDlPtJw0vQE

Today I was trying to learn and memorize the stars in the Summer Triangle, and asterism visible in the northern hemosphere in the summer. They are Deneb, Vega, and Altair. In trying to find content to act as hooks, I realized that all 3 have figured in sci-fi content that I've watched or read, then it was easy; they already had associations, and now their names fit and I'll remember them. Thanks for a lifetime of reading sci-fi!

Dear #CBCHourlyNews, Why, why, why, when covering Middle-East crises, do you always start with audio and reports from Isreal, even when they're the instigator? In this case, wouldn't it have made sense to lead with what you ended with, which is something from Iran, currently the primary target?

I just got what might be the sweetest idea I've ever had. Reasonably often I find foreign coins in my guitar case when I busk. About 1/3 of them are Euro coins. I collect them all cause I think it's just cool. In a few weeks I'm heading to Austria, France and Amsterdam. I'm bringing all my Euro coins with me and ... wait for it ... I'm going to give them to buskers. The stories of how things like foreign coins arive in my case are ones I can never know. And when I bring my other foreign coins along, and drop one from the United Arab Emirates into someone's case in Paris, they, like I, will never know the trajectory that coin is on. Does the perfection of this idea not make you want to weep?

Looking for feedback on these amaryllis seedlings, I've only ever grown from bulbs. They've been taking their time since planting in mid-October last year. They're growing faster now but they seem so spindly and weak, but too fragile to transplant. Any insights?

Late at night I often feel like a little kid who's overtired but won't go to sleep, but instead of a tantrum I just experience restless ennui.

I'm going to be in Paris and Amsterdam in late March. Can anyone point me toward multi-sensory friendly stuff Blind people might enjoy? Also welcoming recommendations for music venues, especially small ones with long-standing regular performers or events, like, "Oh it's Bluegrass night at the X." Any personal connections in local Blindness community similarly welcome, or just a fellow Mastodonion who'd enjoy meeting some friendly Canadians.

Well, ordering groceries took my mind off that depressing, soul-destroying, sort of insulting work meeting that filled me with foreboding. the promise of baby corn and chocolate is healing. Not together or anything, just two of my favourite things in food.

🎧 “An Afternoon At the Café,” an original historical fiction story in audio
Written and told by me, this is a story about Maria Theresia Paradis, an 18th century Austrian pianist, composer and singer, friend to Mozart and Hayden, who was Blind, and who I’ve been studying with my colleague Michelle Coon, with the generous support of a research grant from the Canada Counsel for the Arts. Set in 1785 in Vienna, this is a glimpse into the vibrant café scene of the 18th century, and the norms that governed and failed to govern women’s lives. https://www.patreon.com/posts/afternoon-at-in-150365964?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

🎧 👀, Dulon Von Paradis Project: An Intimate House Concert, the recording, video and audio on YouTube.
In this one-hour performance, Listen to my colleague Michelle Coon and her duet partner play flute duets that possibly haven’t been heard by human ears in over a century. She’s been digging in archives and bringing the music of this Blind 18th century performer and composer back to us. Between pieces, you can hear an original historical fiction story about the Blind pianist, composer and singer Maria Theresia Paradis, told by me. I don’t recommend missing the music but if you want to skip ahead to the story it starts at around 9:00.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhXbpWZ_yyo&list=PLWwDr8Y0-O_s33E3mPdtF-U2JLU3rJdf3&index=10

I was listening to a song by Bad Cop Bad Cop, a band I highly recommend by the way, and it had a pub vibe at the end where you could hear lots of conversations but absolutely no actual words. I was struck by how easy it was to detect emotions, excitement, defensiveness, amusement, enthusiasm, the flow of someone telling an animated story, even when you couldn't hear any words.

I hope continuous blooming of a succulent plant isn't a sign of distress cause this one just keeps flowering. #BloomScrolling #BloomBoasting

@checkervest@laserdisc.party Lovely! And thank you for the alt text, it's not a subject that gets described very often. I remember reading a few years ago that detailed study of the hand prints determined that many are women's hands, challenging the caveman idea that the only ones hunting or painting in ancient societies were men. Tengentially, Beckie Chambers the sci-fi writer does something equally beautiful with generations of hand prints on walls of multi-generation ships that leave Earth, a wonderful connection between ancient past and distant future.