Wen Z

@wenz.bsky.social

1614 Followers 284 Following

​​Editor, sometimes. Avocational choral singer, weekly.​ Wannabe other things​, usually. ​Fan of pets, wordplay, and diagramless crossword puzzles. Grew up in Chicagoland; now living in NYC. Banner pic: Pine Meadow Lake, Harriman State Park, NY. Ahhhhh.

A long-haired cat with cream-, gray-, and latte-colored fur is lying in his person's lap and snuggling his face into her leg. His white-mitted feet are treading the air, and he is purring.
Two Wordle players' games with identical patterns are adjacent to each other in a thread.
Two players' identical games of Wordle happened to show up consecutively in a thread.
The solution to a recent New York Times "Connections" puzzle: Create four groups of four! PARTS OF A SPEAKER: CABINET, CONE, MAGNET, WOOFER. OLD TIMEY TROUBLEMAKERS: MISCREANT, ROGUE, RUFFIAN, SCOUNDREL. CONSUME WITH GUSTO: CRUSH, GUZZLE, INHALE, SNARF. ENDING IN PARTS OF A TREE: EMBARK, GROOT, NUDIBRANCH, STRUNK. View Results.
"Belshazzar's Feast," at The National Gallery, London. An excerpt from the website: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/rembrandt-belshazzar-s-feast "In his great dramatic painting, Rembrandt tells a story from the Old Testament (Daniel 5: 1–5, 25–8). The man in the gold cloak, enormous turban and tiny crown is Belshazzar, King of Babylon. His father had robbed the Temple of Jerusalem of all its sacred vessels. Using these to serve food at a feast, as Belshazzar does here, was seen as sacrilege. "In the middle of the party, a clap of thunder came as a warning. God’s hand appeared from a cloud and wrote in Hebrew script: ‘You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.’ Within hours, Belshazzar was dead."
Getty, @GettyMuseum, posted on March 25, 2020: We challenge you to re-create a work of art with objects (and people) in your home. — Choose your favorite artwork. — Find three things lying around your house. — Re-create the artwork with those items. — And share with us.
Two consecutive replies to a post by @coolhand.bsky.social. The first says, "Thanks, I hate it," with an emoji that's laughing so hard that it's crying. The second says, "Thanks! I love it!"
In a ​black-and-white photo​ from many, many years ago​, a teenage girl ​in a wooded area is ​presumably u​sing a pitchwork to get mulch from a pile into a whee​lbarrow. One might wonder why she isn't using a shovel, and where the wheelbarrow is, but memory fails, and possibly, whoever has staged the picture failed as well. S​aid girl — who's looking very industrious — has long dark hair, and she's wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt with the Youth Conservation Corps logo; jeans with patches on the knees; and a hard hat with a YCC sticker on the front. ​This is an action shot, so one of her arms and part of the pitchfork handle are just a little blurry.
An example of a question related to my search, which Google has distorted in an amusing and/or confusing way by miscapitalizing and mispunctuating it. People also ask: Why is "did not" called MPD anymore?
Notify NYC 3:52 PM NYC Ferry Disruptions - 6/8 Due to US Coast Guard security restrictions​ surrounding the Wall Street Heliport, expect​ potential disruptions and/or a temporary​ suspension of service between 6:20 PM-7:45 PM today, 6/8. These times are subject to unexpected changes at the discretion of the US Coast Guard. Consider alternate routes and allow for additional travel time. For more information, please visit https://www.ferry.nyc/service-alerts/
Come In. As I came to the edge of the woods, Thrush music — hark! Now if it was dusk outside, Inside it was dark. Too dark in the woods for a bird By sleight of wing To better its perch for the night, Though it still could sing. The last of the light of the sun That had died in the west Still lived for one song more In a thrush's breast. Far in the pillared dark Thrush music went — Almost like a call to come in To the dark and lament. But no, I was out for stars; I would not come in. I meant not even if asked; And I hadn't been. Robert Frost.
Isannah, a long-haired brown tabby cat. ​Her lower body is cradled in the top level of a cat tree, but her upper body and her head are draped over the side and pointed down, with her front legs stretched out and her white-mitted feet supported on the second-highest level of the tree. ​Maine coon Isannah and her littermate Henry were given to me as kittens. Best gift ever!
A sunset over the Pacific Ocean. A bright yellow-and-orange glow, low on the horizon, lights up the underside of swirling white-edged gray clouds above. Below, dark-blue water, tinged in spots with orange light, stretches far into the distance. Close to shore, small waves lap at a number of irregular black rocks rising out of the sea.
A long-haired cat with cream- and latte-colored fur, gray face mask and ears, and pale blue eyes has just executed a diving roll onto a recliner. He's seated with his white back legs in the air in a V shape, and his front legs are nowhere in sight.
A parody by a youthful Wen Z of Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." Frost Bitten Whose words these are I think I know. They sound much less like poems, though, Than poetasting, and, I fear, Their simple tone hides naught below. I cannot help but think it queer That Frost would think we would revere His ostentatious rustic sound With maple syrup for veneer. Poor, unimportant themes abound. Frost’s observations aren’t profound. His self-acknowledged wit is cheap, His patronizing air, unsound. His symbols are not very deep. His rhythms make me fall asleep. His rhyme’s as subtle as a jeep. Ye Mighty, read his works—and weep.
A hasty doodle of blue flowers with green vines and leaves, created by drawing with my index finger on my cellphone screen.
Abundant pale-yellow, fully open blossoms on a magnolia tree, whose branches are extending over a fence at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. There are pink flowers, both light and dark, on other trees that almost fill the background, leaving just a few patches of pale-blue sky peeking out among them.
Masses of pale-yellow flowers and green foliage. In person, the blooms smell of cinnamon and nutmeg and other such deliciousness. The incense rose at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Buster, a female, was once Seattle Aquarium's giant Pacific octopus in residence. She's shown in her tank, dressed in stripey, mottled pinkish red, with some of her arms elegantly twisting so that her white suckers are showing. Behind her is a greenish-brown rock or rock impersonator, bespangled with a few orange starfish.
An image of a television's channel guide. The highlighted show is the movie "Angels in the Outfield," which is rated 2½ stars out of 4. The description reads, in part, "(1994.) The manager (Danny Glover) of the lowly California Angels puts his falth in a boy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who can see an angel."
A grinning emoji with the top half of the face erased.
Pinkish-purple lilac buds are starting to open at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The tree's branches, flowers, and foliage are set against a vivid blue sky, streaked with a few white clouds.
A close-up of the very tufty white hind feet and pink toe pads of a long-haired cat. His legs are raised, and his feet are propped up on his person's body and upper arm.
A long-haired Ragdoll cat is lying on his back on a futon. One gray foreleg is raised, with his white-mitted paw idly treading the air. His other front paw is beneath the corresponding back foot, so when that front paw makes its treading motion, it pulls the back foot toward the cat's body very, very slightly — as though Abner were attempting the world's laziest workout. His fur is various shades of cream, latté, gray, and white; the futon cover is dark green, with pink, blue, and white flowers.
A gray tabby cat, seen from above, is sleeping on a purple yoga mat. Her forelegs are stretched out in front of her — to viewers' left — and her chin is resting on them. Her tail is tucked close to her, but some stripes are nevertheless showing.
The photo in this Twitter/X post shows the shaggy face of an Airedale dog in a car. He's nuzzling the face of his escort/driver, a smiling man with a visor or cap, stubble, and sunglasses. The text: THE HERD HOUSE. 16 Mar 23. #OperationHopScotch. Scotch the Airedale is heading to CANADA!!! @jvonlemon is our 1st driver heading to Ontario, Oregon. One of his clients volunteered to take Scotch from Ontario to Portland to meet his new family. With an overnight on a tiny farm with rescue boxers & horses! **** Huge thanks to the other volunteers. This plan worked out best. Gotcha Day will be on Saturday the 18th. (Sunday for my ANZACFam.) #A2ARESCUE #RescueDog #RescueRun
A Twitter/X post shows a moment from a video in which a barely visible Golden Retriever is splashing into the ocean after jumping off a dock. The text: Gwen Filosa Media Key West. @GwenFilosaMedia. Jun 12, 2022. EXCLUSIVE: Nacho the rescue dog arrived at @TheGoldenRatio4 in the Florida Keys today after a 5-day road trip from his native Idaho. We captured his first time in the ocean and we think it's his first swim. Go, Nacho! #nachodog #dogrescue #florida #GoldenRetrievers #adopteddog
Buster, a female, was once Seattle Aquarium's giant Pacific octopus in residence. She's shown in her tank, dressed in stripey, mottled pinkish red, with some of her arms elegantly twisting so that her white suckers are showing. Behind her is a greenish-brown rock or rock impersonator, bespangled with a few orange starfish.
All four kings from a deck of cards are mounted on a rectangular cardboard protest sign. The two black kings — the king of spades and the king of clubs — are crossed out with big X's made with a red marker. The two red kings — the king of hearts and the king of diamonds — are crossed out in black. Below the kings is a small cloth replica of an American flag.
The face of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the leading cyborg in "The Terminator." The left lens of his dark glasses is illuminated with a red dot — mirroring the brightly lit green left eye that Lucy the Chihuahua appears to have in the post above.
A Shima-Nishiki tree peony. The flower has lush white petals, abundantly streaked with red, with ruffled edges. The image is from a product page from Breck's. https://www.brecks.com/products/shimanishiki-tree-peony
A photo of a television screen with several "Business Headlines" on NY1. The last headline reads: "NBA announces Spite as league's official soft drink partner."
A screenshot of a snippet of choral music called up in Adobe Acrobat. A message at the top of the screen says: "This appears to be a long document. Save time by reading a summary."
The snow-covered peak of Mount Rainier is seen through a swath of evergreen trees. The pale-blue sky is dominated by patchy, streaky white clouds.
U.S. and Israel-Iran war-language: The Associated Press will use the word "war" to refer to the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, and Iran's retaliation. This decision reflects the scope and intensity of the fighting.
A screenshot from the Merriam-Webster dictionary app, defining a turn of phrase: steal a march on. to gain an advantage on unobserved.
A recent New York Times game of Spelling Bee showing that the array of seven letters can be rearranged to arrive at the pangram "ladybug."
The Herd House's mini-Grinch production for the recent holiday season featured three special-needs dogs in costume. This is cocker spaniel Kiefer Sutherland as The Grinch, Chihuahua Lucille Ball as Cindy Lou Who, and French bulldog James Earl Jones as Max. There are decorated Christmas trees in the background.
A gecko doing a poor job of hiding in a hotel in Cairns, Australia. It's upside-down on the ceiling atop an Exit sign, but its brownish-green tail and its hind toes are sticking out.
This statuette of the Egyptian goddess Bastet in the form of a cat — from The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City — somewhat resembles Justin the black Chihuahua in the pose he's taken in the post above. Part of The Met's online description: "Bastet was a powerful goddess of Lower Egypt, one who was protective and could bring about great prosperity. In zoomorphic form, she was represented as a cat and cats were considered sacred to her." https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/546218
A print ad for Robyn that's posted in an NYC subway car reads, in part: Emotionally intelligent. Deeply human. Say the thing you've been holding in. *Finally.* Let your inside voice out. A passenger has used a blue marker to cross out the beginning of the last line and circle the sentence's final six letters: ice out.
French figure skater Adam Siao Him Fa, arms raised, acknowledges the Olympics crowd from the ice after his free skate. His attire features a close-up of Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam": Adam's hand and the hand of God are extended toward each other, the index fingers nearly touching.
A screenshot of a trivia question and four possible answers, reproduced from an episode of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." Put these Kiefer Sutherland movies in the order they debuted, starting with the earliest. A: Stand By Me. B: A Few Good Men. C: A Time To Kill. D: Flatliners.
A screenshot of a snippet of choral music called up in Acrobat. A message at the top of the screen says: "This appears to be a long document. Save time by reading a summary."
A screenshot of a Chia Pet decorative pottery planter in the form of a puppy, next to its packing box. The planter, having been covered with chia seeds, has sprouted a coat of bright green salvia.
A close-up from Michelangelo's painting of "The Creation of Adam" in the Sistine Chapel. Adam's hand is on the left, with God's hand on the right reaching toward him; their index fingers are almost touching.
A headline for an article that Google decided that I would be interested in reads, "All TV Shows Canceled in January 2026." It was posted one day ago on ComingSoon.net.
A glass plate with four round cookies. The cookies are topped with three "nested" rings of icing, in various shades of blue, centered around a black icing circle.
A grinning man (more or less) from Venus in an episode of "The Twilight Zone" has a third eye in the middle of his forehead.
A blurry early-1980s photo of a fluffy white hamster with tan facial markings. He's standing in his yellow wheel in a white wire cage, with his face turned toward the camera. His cage is equipped with shavings for bedding, a food bowl, and a water bottle.
A dark-toned poster for the movie "Crime 101," which has the tagline "One heist connects them all." The poster shows images of and lists the names of actors Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry.
Attendees at a New York City ICE Out rally, dressed for single-digit RealFeel temperatures and carrying various protest signs, are seen from the back as they watch the speakers who are addressing the throngs. Behind the speakers is a prominent sign in red lettering that says "ICE OUT." ICE Out Everywhere #ICEout
A long-haired cat is snoozing in an armchair. His chin is resting on his right foreleg, which is propped up against one arm of the chair. His left foreleg is below, on the seat of the chair. The cat has cream- and latte-colored fur with a gray face mask and ears, gray legs, and white mitts.
Snow falling as seen through a screened window. There's the back of a white building with windows on the left and a brown building with windows on the right, with bare tree branches in the foreground.
A photo of a tool designed to score cakes and pies into eight equal slices. It consists of a metal knob that acts as a handle, attached to eight metal sawtooth blades, evenly spaced. https://a.co/d/hivQ7kW
A several-inch-wide two-layered piece of paper full of through-and-through tooth holes, rips, and gashes, inflicted by a blue mitted Ragdoll cat.