Monthly Archives: June 2025

Day 4543: Assumptions

Posted on June 10, 2025 by Ann Koplow

One of my assumptions is that assumptions are often wrong, and yet I keep making assumptions.

Yesterday, my wrong assumptions included the following:

Bluetooth wasn’t working on my new phone,
I couldn’t use my old phone to blog (or do anything I need besides using it as an actual phone to make and receive calls),
My new combination-lock locker at work wouldn’t work,
Every day that I eat healthy and exercise I would lose a little weight, and
The people in control of the USA government couldn’t get any more heinous than they already were.

My assumptions include the assumption that I will keep making assumptions. I will keep working to remain open to the fact that many of my assumptions are wrong.

Do you see any assumptions in my images for today?

My assumption is that my cat would be embarrassed if I put clothes on her.

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

That TED talk supported many of my assumptions.

Thanks to all who are here for my assumptions, including YOU!

Categories: life in the USA, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: Boston, cats, June 10 2025, Kevin Weijers TED talk “Why Challenging Assumptions is the Way to Go”, L.A. protests, phones, public speaking, salmon dish, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter and Bluesky | 13 Comments

Day 4542: Throw the guilt away

Posted on June 9, 2025 by Ann Koplow

Do you ever notice how people who commit nefarious deeds never seem to feel guilt while the rest of us need to throw the guilt away over and over again?

That’s why I started writing lyrics to a song called “Throw the Guilt Away” months ago, which I shared yesterday.

I’m going to throw the guilt away about not completing that song as I share some people’s responses to it on Twitter (and I’m going to throw the guilt away about being on a platform owned by the nefarious Mr. Musk).

Yesterday, I threw the guilt away as I took up some valuable time of the fabulous singer-songwriter Rose White, who gave me invaluable tips about navigating the music business.

Here is a YouTube video of the amazingly wonderful Rose:

After talking to Rose, I threw the guilt away as I threw away my faithful iPhone 8 and replaced it with the iPhone 16. Everything is working okay on the new phone except the app that monitors my cardiac pacemaker and the app for Twitter.

I’m going to throw the guilt away for not mentioning the pacemaker monitoring app on Twitter as I share some responses to that post.

I’m going to throw the guilt away as I share the rest of my images for today without explanation.

On Writers’ Rights Day, I am throwing the guilt away about considering myself a writer!

Thanks to Rose White, my friends on Twitter, and all who are here for this throw-the-guilt-away post, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: adjusting to change, “Stronger”, chicken quesadillas, iPhones, June 9 2025, letting go of guilt, Rose White, The Age of Nefarious, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter, Writers’ Rights Day | 4 Comments

Day 4541: Daring Greatly

Posted on June 8, 2025 by Ann Koplow

Thanks to a recommendation by someone who reads this blog, I’ve been listening to Daring Greatly by Brené Brown.

Here’s a partial list of the chapters in Daring Greatly:

The book is helping me let go of shame and embrace my vulnerability as I am daring greatly to share my music with others, despite my inexperience in this arena.

Do you see anyone daring greatly in my images for today?

Today I’ll be daring greatly by (1) speaking to another musician I recently met about next steps and (2) looking into getting a new phone.

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

Thanks to all who are daring greatly every day, including YOU!

Categories: Book, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: 9Natree, art, Brené Brown, Dim Sum, gratitude lists, letting go of shame, The Singing Therapist, the South Shore of Boston, Twitter, vulnerability | 4 Comments

Day 4540: Self care

Posted on June 7, 2025 by Ann Koplow

There are many ways to practice self care.

Lately, I’ve been walking more, eating healthier, and only paying attention to the news when it seems to be giving some joy to others.

My husband Michael, who has been practicing self care since the November election by avoiding the news completely, was open to hearing yesterday about the epic breakup between Trump and Musk. It felt like old times and self care as we talked about the news briefly during our usual Friday night routine of getting sushi and walking around looking for rabbits.

Also, I’m forgiving myself for my inevitable mistakes and hesitations when I do something new, like getting one of my songs on Spotify.

It also felt like self care to create my first playlist on Spotify of protest songs, including my own!

This weekend, I’m going to practice self care by taking it easy and talking to another singer-songwriter about what she’s learned about getting her music out there.

Do you see self care in my images for today?

On National Play Outside Day, I’m going to practice self care by playing outside with my lifelong friend Barbara.

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

Thanks to all who help me practice self care every day, including YOU!

Categories: original song, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: animals and nature, “Self Care: What It Really Is” TED talk by Susannah Winters, “You Don’t Scare Me”, June 7 2025, Play Outside Day, protest song playlist, Spotify, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, Twitter | 10 Comments

Day 4539: Delusions

Posted on June 6, 2025 by Ann Koplow

As a psychotherapist, I’ve been trained to recognize delusions and work with people who have them.

Personally, I have never seen so many people operating under so many delusions at the same time. In the USA, this seems to the Age of Delusion and I wonder when (and if!) millions of people are going to be de-delusioned.

What delusions can you find in my images for today?

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for delusions:

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

Categories: life in the USA, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: 6 Types of Delusions in Delusional Disorder, cats, chicken and potato salad, Dr. Tracey Marks, June 6 2025, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The Festival of Popular Delusions Day, the South Shore of Boston, turkeys, Twitter | 10 Comments

Day 4538: Titles

Posted on June 5, 2025 by Ann Koplow

When I was on the train to NYC, I shared some of my song titles with people I’d just met. They told me they did NOT like my title “I’d Like to Win the Grammy for Best New Artist.” When I sang them the song, they changed their minds.

Here’s the song with that title:

The title of yesterday’s blog post was “Decisions, decisions.” One of the decisions, decisions I’ve been struggling with for over a year is whether the audio from that song (and all the other songs I performed at the venue with the title “Lilypad”) are good enough for release to Spotify or whether I need to record them again.

Title me “Unsure” and “Ambivalent.”

In the meantime, I started writing a new song yesterday with the title “What’s Wrong with Looking Older?”

I wonder what people are going to think about that title and that song.

My friend Janet’s new book has an interesting title.

I wrote Janet yesterday that her title was particularly apt because that volume really vanished: the wind had blown the delivery package under our Japanese Maple where it lay hidden for days. Janet replied, “Wow! I should’ve called it Gone With the Wind.”

How might you title my other images for today?

Title me grateful yesterday, today, and tomorrow for wonderful people like YOU.

Categories: original song, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: "Cheese", “The Vanishing Volume”, “What’s Wrong with Looking Older?”, cats, chicken dish, I’d like to win the Grammy for best new artist, Janet Raye Stevens, June 5 2025, releasing music to Spotify, The Daily Bitch Calendar | 14 Comments

Day 4537: Decisions, decisions

Posted on June 4, 2025 by Ann Koplow

I know I’ve written before about how I can struggle with decisions, decisions. When there are too many options, I can worry about not having the information I need to make the “right” choice.

When I’ve spoken to people in therapy about their worries about making decisions, decisions, I’ve pointed out that our all-or-nothing thinking brains tend to think in extreme terms of wrong or right, upping the stakes on decisions, decisions we need to make. Also, we forget that if we make a decision, decisions we regret, we can also make further decisions, decisions in the future to help the situation.

Right now, I’m considering a decision, decision to get a new phone. Many people have suggested that my decision, decision to hold on to my iPhone 8 for years, years might not have been the best decision, decision (although I had a fun conversation recently with an IT specialist about how he has done the same with his iPhone 8).

Why is getting a new phone such a scary, scary decision, decision for me? Because I am happy with my current phone, even if it’s slow and limited in its capabilities. The familiar, familiar often feels safer than the unknown phone.

Do you see decisions, decisions in my images for today?

So I finally made the decision, decision to go with the music distribution platform LANDR after previously making the wrong decision about how to distribute my original songs. Here’s the protest song that will be appearing soon on Spotify and elsewhere!

https://on.soundcloud.com/ooZW9mXaQWXN7EMs5J

I wonder if I’ve the right decisions, decisions about that recording? Oh well, time will tell.

Thanks to all who have made the decision, decision to read this blog post until the end, including YOU!

Categories: original song, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: all or nothing thinking, “You Don’t Scare Me”, cats, cod and acorn squash dish, iPhones, June 4 2025, LANDR, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter | 8 Comments

Day 4536: The Best

Posted on June 3, 2025 by Ann Koplow

I don’t think you need to be the best in this world. It’s the best if you can give yourself credit for being good enough.

At the same time, I felt great when two bartenders at last night’s Open Mic in Cambridge told me that I was “the best.”

My new small, windowless shared office at work is definitely not the best, but I can still do good enough therapy there. Plus, my Monday therapy group continues to meet in the best location in the building, which is comfortably roomy with windows.

What’s the best you can see in my images for today?

On Repeat Day, I’ll repeat that it’s the best if you can give yourself credit for being good enough.

I wonder if anybody will ever play my song “Everybody’s Somebody’s Asshole” on repeat, because that would be the best.

Last night, one of the other Open Mic-ers said about that song, “I need to cover that song with my band and scream through the whole thing!” although I don’t know if that’s the best way to get my song out there.

I just finished two audiobooks by the indomitable and honest comedian Kathy Griffin, which were the best things for me to listen to right now. I’m trying to decide what’s the best audiobook to explore next.

Thanks to everyone who is the best in my book, including YOU!

Categories: group therapy, original song, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: "Everybody's Somebody's Asshole", audiobooks, cats, Central Square in Cambridge, ice cream, June 3 2025, Kathy Griffin, Repeat Day, the Cantab Lounge, The Daily Bitch Calendar | 6 Comments

Day 4535: Something nice

Posted on June 2, 2025 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, on Say Something Nice Day, I encouraged people to say something nice on Twitter/X (which isn’t known for being something nice).

I love when people say something nice sincerely.

Do you see something nice in my other images for today?

I always have something nice to say about my dentist, because for me every day is I Love My Dentist Day.

I hope I’ll have something nice to say today about the new floor where I’ll be working at the hospital and I hope people will have something nice to say at tonight’s Open Mic, where I plan to perform my original song “Triggers.”

It’s easy for me to say something nice about nice people like YOU!

Categories: original song, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, Dr. Luis Del Castillo, I Love My Dentist Day, June 2 2025, Say Something Nice Day, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, triggers, Twitter | 11 Comments

Day 4534: How to get more views

Posted on June 1, 2025 by Ann Koplow

Even though I’ve been blogging, posting on social media, and sharing my original songs for years, I still seem to have no idea about how to get more views. That’s why I like to consult with people who seem to know how to get more views.

However, when I think of how to get more views, I often remember the late, great screenwriter William Goldman’s statement about the movie business: “Nobody knows anything.”

For example, yesterday I guessed that these two tweets would get similar amounts of views:

Nope. One of those tweets got over twenty times more views and responses than the other one (and is still going strong).

So if I tried to translate that into how to get more views, I guess I should tap into people’s anger more often than their positive memories.

I don’t know if I can apply that to how to get more views in the future. I seem to be less motivated by and focused on how to get more views than on connecting with others in an authentic and helpful way.

I don’t know if the other images in today’s post provide any guidance on how to get more views, but here they are.

A very recent memory that makes me smile is our friends Megan and Paul responding to my husband Michael’s previous story about how he tried to take a shortcut from using fresh garlic with jarred garlic (and how totally unacceptable that was) by giving him this gift last night at one of our favorite restaurants.