Standing Into Danger
Friday, March 22, 2024
Four Hundred Five Years ~ For the Love of History
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Thursday, March 14, 2024
Kitty Heaven
The first time I walked into the International Market Place in Waikiki this year,
I stumbled upon Kitty Heaven.
I stumbled upon Kitty Heaven.
Pretty Kitty Through the Window
NAO ~ Ragamuffin
Cat Café MOFF
International Market Place, Waikiki
Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii, USA
LAKI ~ Scottish Fold
Cat Café MoFF
March 5, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
There was a new business on the second level of the IMP: Cat Café MOFF.
I had never heard of such a thing before, and I was delighted!
ULU ~ Scottish Fold
Cat Café MoFF
March 5, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
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AO ~ Russian Blue
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LULU ~ Ragdoll
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
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Customers and Staff
Kitties: Anela (top), Ao (middle) and Piko (bottom)
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
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I dearly love cats, but Terry doesn't like them.
Of course, cats love him and run to him purring!
Here was a place I could spend some quality time with kitties.
$23.00 for 30 Minutes
and a Drink (pop, juice, or water)!
What a Deal!
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
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MALU~ Selkirk Rex
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PIKO~ Minuet
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PUNA ~ Persian
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I ran to tell Terry the awesome news.
"23 bucks to sit with a bunch of cats?
Just watch them through the window!" he said.
"That includes a drink," I offered.
"You could have a nice mai tai at the Hideout for much cheaper than that!
This is what I call "bait and switch" from Terry.
He tries to distract me from one thing by dangling another.
The Hideout is my favorite bar and restaurant in Honolulu.
KOA ~ American Shorthair
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
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Cats Being Cats
Kitties: Ao (left) and Lulu
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MAHINA ~ Scottish Fold
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Playing with the Cats
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
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Terry surveyed his pickleball friends.
Many of his pickleball friends' wives and other players
had looked at the cats through the window.
Only one wife had visited the cats inside the café.
Terry rested his case. "Save the money and look through the window."
Hanging Out
Kitties: Malu (left) and Koa
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
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PIKO on the Run
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
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Nap Time (Couldn't Find This Cat's Name)
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
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Foot Traffic and LULU in a Box
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
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As you probably have figured out, Terry lost that go round!
I really love kitties. I had several beautiful cats when I was growing up.
You could get the cats' favorite treat for $5.00.
What do you think: Did I spend that $5.00?
The cats knew that lots of guests bought treats, and they swarmed any with them.
Yes, please!!!
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Boxes are so much fun!
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
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Kitties Galore
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
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NAO ~ Ragamuffin
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
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Thirty minutes goes so fast! I loved every second!
I was so engrossed that I forgot to have someone take a photo of me with the kitties.
I'll fix that next year!
And the one I'd take home?
Little Laki, the Scottish Fold cat.
She looks remarkably like my favorite kitty
in a cat puzzle I completed before the Pandemic.
Actually, I'd take any of them home!
I don't apologize for having so many photos.
As I said earlier in the post, I dearly love kitties!
I'm linking to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date, Nicole's Friday Face Off,
and Tom's Aloha Friday.
I had so much fun in Hawaii!
Hawaii '21 and '22 were challenging. I was so sick because of my thyroid.
This time I had lots of fun doing the things I love with the friends I love!
Terry's and My Royal Grove Friend Janeth
Liliha Bakery, International Market Place
March 7, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
My Royal Grove Hula Friends and Me
Marianne, Carolyn, Me, and Cindy
First Time We Were All Together Since Before the Pandemic
Starbucks at Seaside and Kuhio, Waikiki
March 7, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Have a great weekend! 🌺 Aloha!!! 🌺
Friday, March 8, 2024
Flying!
Aloha!
Waikiki and Diamond Head, O'ahu, Hawai'i
November 13, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Today Terry and I are flying home after saying "Aloha" to the lovely island of O'ahu.
I'll be back next Friday with a new post.
Have a happy, healthy, and creative week!
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
IWSG: Wednesday, March 6, 2024 ~ AI and Creative Writing
It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.
To visit the IWSG website, click here.
To become a member of the IWSG, click here.
Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are Kristina Kelly,
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are Kristina Kelly,
I hope you have a chance to visit today's hosts and thank them for co-hosting.
I'm sure they would appreciate a visit and an encouraging comment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Every month the IWSG announces a question that members can answer
with advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.
Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.
Remember the question is optional.
This month's featured question is:
Have you "played" with AI to write those nasty synopses,
or do you refuse to go that route?
How do you feel about AI's impact on creative writing?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aloha Everyone!
I hope that February has been good to you and that you enjoyed love and friendship.
We are flying home to Colorado on Friday after a wonderful time in Hawai'i.
I'm not ready to leave this beautiful island; I never am!
Baby Makapu'u Beach
Looking Toward Makai Research Pier
Waimānalo, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, United States
March 3, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Regarding this month's AI questions, I'm very clear about where I stand.
I have not "played" with AI to help me write anything.
I've been "tempted," but I know that using AI to help me write
would result in something that was not my creation.
AI is a science that makes machines to think like humans,
but machines do not have souls or emotions or feelings,
so they can't create like humans.
They can imitate someone's writing, but they can't experience
the author's experiences and how they color his or her creativity.
AI machines lack nuance.
Therefore, as I see it, machines cannot write creatively.
Only I can create my writing.
Polemonium or Jacob's ladders
Baby Makapu'u Beach
Waimānalo, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, United States
March 3, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
For example, AI could scan a document or manuscript
for errors in typing, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Or, AI could be used in writing bibliographies
or supplementary notes that don't belong in the main text,
especially to ensure that the format is consistent and follows conventions.
These are not creative activities and are not creative writing.
Some people might label me a luddite for my position on AI,
but my guiding principle is that I create my own writing, whatever the genre.
Terry with Our Friends Kathy and Bruce
Baby Makapu'u Beach
Waimānalo, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, United States
March 3, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Sadly, I can foresee AI being used to pump out mass-market,
plot-driven "novels" in many genres purely to make money.
I hope there will always be a place for good authors to publish their creative writing.
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