Monthly Archives: November 2024

Day 4351: Listening

Listening to others is my job. I believe that listening is a skill that takes practice.

Rather than listening to the voices of lying and greedy politicians lately, I’ve been listening to music, audiobooks, sounds of nature, and the voices of those I love.

Since August 2023, I’ve been listening to very annoying crackling noises whenever I speak; miraculously, I’ve been listening to fewer of those distracting sounds since Wednesday.

Here’s Joan listening and responding:

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On TikTok, people would rather be listening to that video than this one, when I finished my verse.

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During Thanksgiving, I was listening to my husband Michael’s twin brother Steve, who suggested that I’d get more views on my YouTube channel if I used certain words in the descriptions of my songs. After listening to Steve, I tried this:

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I’m also listening to somebody on the Bluesky social media site who suggested I write more in my YouTube description of my live performances of my songs:

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Also, I wonder if anyone is listening to this new video from that performance that I posted on YouTube yesterday.

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Is there anything worth listening to in my images for today?

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During troubling times when I might like to say “screw you” to abusive people, I’ve sustained myself by listening to Paul Simon’s The Rhythm of the Saints.

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I especially love listening to these words:

To overcome an obstacle or an enemy

To glide away from the razor or the knife

To overcome an obstacle or an enemy

To dominate the impossible in your life.

What have you been listening to?

Many thanks to all who are listening here, including YOU.

Categories: 2024 USA elections, original song, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Day 4350: Better Than Expected

As I discussed with my like-minded in-laws yesterday during Thanksgiving get-togethers, I really hope the future turns out better than expected. It very well might, because our expectations are very low right now.

As my husband Michael says, “It’s never what you expect,” so why not focus on the things that turn out better than expected instead of the negative? For example, our adopted cat Joan, who had unexpected medical issues which resisted treatment for many months, turned out better than expected. My health also turned out better than expected: despite being born with a rare and serious heart problem, I’m still working full-time and loving my work at age 71!

Do you see anything that’s better than expected in my images for today?

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Because the USA election did not turn out better than expected, I’ve also been talking a lot of shit and crying. Yesterday morning, I cried when I watched the Muppet Movie and the evil, greedy oil billionaire villain almost won. I really don’t understand how people can recognize villains in movies but not in real life.

Here’s what I find when I look for “better than expected” on YouTube.

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That video was even better than I expected and I hope that you watch it.

Thanks to all who are here for this better-than-expected post, including YOU!

Categories: 2024 USA elections, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Day 4349: I give thanks

It’s Thanksgiving here and I give thanks.

I give thanks for all the wonderful people and cats in my life.

I give thanks for my incredibly fulfilling work as a group therapist.

I give thanks for the doctors and the medical devices that have kept me alive, against all odds, for so many years.

I give thanks for the opportunity to give thanks every day in this blog.

I give thanks for my phone, which captured all of the images in this thankful post.

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Here’s what I find when I search for “I give thanks” on YouTube.

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Of course, I give thanks for YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Day 4348: Today

Today, I’m facilitating a Coping and Healing group. In yesterday’s group, we did a mindfulness exercise from this book, which I may also use today.

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Today, in order to relax, I’m going to try to avoid the news, but chances are that it will seep into my consciousness and affect me today.

Today, on What Do You Love About America Day, I’m having a hard time identifying what I love about America.

Here are the images I have to share for today.

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Here’s what I find when I search for “today” on YouTube:

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Today, I am now aware there are still things to love about our world.

Thanks to all who are here today, including YOU!

Categories: life in the USA, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Day 4347: Just Keep Going

Yesterday, as I was going on my way to work where people talk about how to just keep going no matter what, I saw this:

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Let’s just keep going through my other images from yesterday.

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Sometimes, Michael’s delicious food helps me just keep going. Also blogging, songwriting, people I love, and Joan.

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Here’s what I find when I search for “just keep going” on YouTube.

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Thanks to all who help me just keep going, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Day 4346: Unique talents

Yesterday was Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day. My talents include daily blogging, taking pictures, and asking questions.

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The Daily Bitch has many unique talents.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “unique talents.”

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Thanks to all with unique talents, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Day 4345: Musicals

Because I’ve been feeling so out of tune with USA politics, I’ve been immersing myself in musicals. Within the last few days, I’ve watched Guys and Dolls, Passion, The Young Girls of Rochefort, a sing-along version of Hamilton, and the just-released and spectacular movie Wicked.

Since I was a little girl, I’ve wished that life could be more like a musical. Maybe that’s why I sometimes break out into song for no reason.

Last night, I asked this question about musicals:

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Do you see musicals in any of my other images for today?

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Maybe I’ll celebrate my unique talent today and work on writing a musical. Here’s my song “Other People’s Anger” which I just uploaded to YouTube:

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Also, here’s a sing-along from Wicked!

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Thanks to all who are here for this Musicals post, including YOU!

Categories: original song, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Day 4344: Countries

Yesterday, when I was feeling bad about my country, it comforted me to think about all the other countries that exist in the world.

After the results of our latest election, I know some people who are considering moving away from my country to other countries. For now, I have no plans to leave my country. For one thing, I want to keep facilitating therapy groups in the USA.

In a Coping and Healing group this week, I said that each person is like a separate country with our own traditions, history, and language, and that it takes work for us to understand and communicate with each other. I saw the other “countries” in the group nod their heads in agreement.

I’m looking forward to visiting another country next year with some dear friends from film school.

What countries do you see in my blog post for today?

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Here’s what I find when I search for “countries” on YouTube.

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Thank to all who are reading this countries post, including YOU!

Categories: 2024 USA elections, group therapy, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Day 4343: Anniversary

Today is November 22, the 61st anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination and of my first heart surgery to get a cardiac pacemaker, which has kept me alive for many anniversaries. It’s also the twelfth anniversary of me blogging about this anniversary here.

Last night, I asked this question about anniversaries:

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On the day before today’s anniversary (i.e., yesterday), I was able to return to songwriting for the first time since the November election. I wrote new lyrics for my song “There’s No One I Like Better Than My Cat.”

©️ Ann Koplow, 2024

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Here are the rest of my images for this anniversary post, 11/22/24.

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Start Your Own Country Day sounds good to me on this particular anniversary.

For some reason, this “Wicked” performance shows up when I search for “anniversary” on YouTube:

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I’m looking forward to seeing the movie version of Wicked, opening today on this anniversary.

Thanks to all who helped me create this anniversary post, including YOU!

Categories: original song, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Day 4342: Worried

Even though I often invite others to let go of worries, I’ve been worried since the USA election.

I honestly believe that being worried doesn’t help anything or anybody, but worried seems to be my default state these days.

I am wearied by being worried and I know that I am not alone.

I’m not worried about sharing these images with you.

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On World Television Day, I’m worried about the ascendancy of right-wing television stations and how they are influencing elections.

Here’s what I find when I search for “worried” on YouTube.

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While that was a very helpful video, I’m still worried.

Thanks to all who are here for this worried post, including YOU.

Categories: 2024 USA elections, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

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