Thursday Open Thread 5-31-2018
Good Morning -
Breaking out of our regular thought patterns and daily habits is not an easy task. Travel is one method. If unable to travel learning about ancient cultures and food is another way to break out of modern politics and way of life.
The Book of Songs is one of the Ancient texts of China compiled by Confucius.
In the same way that Homer’s epics took hold within the West, The Book of Songs played a role in spheres far beyond literature, with a lasting influence on Chinese civilisation. The collection had an impact on education, politics and communal life: in antiquity, the Songs were quoted and recited as coded communication in diplomatic exchange; invoked as proof to cap a philosophical argument; read as commentary – satirical more often than not – on historical circumstances; and taught for the purposes of moral edification. It has continued to affect Chinese society since then, both through what the Songs say and the form they take.
....
These hymns, all of them rather short, were performed in sacrifices to the Zhou royal ancestors: multimedia performances containing the aromatic offerings of meat, grain and alcohol; ritual music on drums and bells, wind and string instruments; dance to re-enact the military conquest of the previous Shang dynasty; and the solemn hymns by which the Zhou king praised his ancestors and requested their blessings in return. In short, Chinese poetry begins in religious ritual.
The I Ching is used as an oracle to give guidance to an individual by many students of the ancient text. In the Willhelm/Baynes translation it is only one of the four suggested ways shown to use the ancient text.
the Book of Changes contains fourfold tao of the holy sages. In speaking we should be guided by its judgements; in action, we should be guided by its changes; in making objects, we should be guided by its images; in seeking an oracle, we should be guided by its pronouncements.
A different view point is using I ching as a blueprint for societal patterns.
[video:https://youtu.be/1EeS0OUQG6E?t=25]
China documentary created shortly after Tienanmen Square is still a look back in time.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjH9lsgkqR4]
Modern China is advancing quickly, current estimates are it will be the largest economy in the world by 2032.
Farm Report
Nest in the tree was empty when I was turning on a hose. Felt eyes watching me from behind.
a couple of the marmots in the rock pile they are allowed to use.
There are magic spots we each have in life and one step in any direction breaks the spell.
The locust trees and roses are buzzing with bees, water is bubbling across the rocks. The air is filled with the sweet scent of black locust blooms to the south and spice rose fragrance from the north.
Reward for walking up the hill to clean debris at the headgate. Mt Hood spotlighted by the setting sun.
Comments
Good morning SoE and c99ers
More wet weather here in the SE. About 4 inches in the last few days. Looks like spring has sprung in your neck of the woods SoE. My buddies in FL gave the following garden report...
Here in NE AL we are far behind their season with lettuce just playing out and young tomatoes set. I enjoy the turning of the seasons...especially when they don't involve drought. For everything there is a season, turn turn turn. It is kinda like travel that you mentioned, but it is the world and year traveling with you staying put observing the changes. This year the wood thrush are back with us. I awake to their lovely flute like calls. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_Thrush/sounds The summer tanager is nesting around us too. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Summer_Tanager/sounds
After the folk festival with its busy activities and lots of people, it is nice to be home in the peace and quiet on this corner of Lookout Mt. Constant noise like smell is blocked by our brains, but provides a level of stress none the less. I'm fortunate to live where our main source of noise pollution is air traffic, and birds provide the primary chorus. Looks like you have a similar situation.
Here's wishing you all a lovely last day of May!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Time and seasons the travel we cannot avoid,
Memories to take us backwards and dreams imagining the future.
wish I had the memory of songs they flit in and out of my mind.
enjoyed the link
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKP4cfU28vM]
The trees and shrubs we brought from my parents homestead gave the birds a home. Which I enjoy everyday.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
Good morning, SoE, cheers for the morning magic.
Back online with a temporary fix to computer problems with thanks to c99 members, a local friend and Apple Support, who spent three days on the phone with me, one day working from morning until 9pm, that's service. Won't bore you with the details.
Dog-sitting and the washing machine, new one, won't cooperate, i'm apparently not doing something right in choosing cycle options i guess.
Oh well for a laugh: in arriving at this temporary fix on computer i had purchased a wifi mouse at wallyworld on Monday and after the Apple consult ended at 9pm Tuesday night, i reached for the external mouse package i had opened in the morning, the tiny wifi plug-in was missing, though pictured on the package; proceeded to look everywhere, even on hands and knees, no plug in, presumed the dogs or cat--which jumps on table--had eaten it or i put in a place of safe-keeping...
Its challenging being old some-days; yesterday i rode into town, 17 miles, and stopped by Staples to get another mouse; had the mouse i got from wallyworld and it's package in hand, told the young assistant that i had lost the wifi plug-in and he smiled, reached for the package, took out the mouse and opened the back and pulled out the plug-in.
Again, thanks for the good vibes in you writing today, much appreciated as it is so good to be back online with friends.
Have a great day all!
Good to hear your voice
Been worried after last week your mentioning the lung function was down so low. I hope some positive action comes your way.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
@smiley7
That's sneaky corporate cheating! Not old age! These young whipper-snappers come preprogrammed with such knowledge but they just don't bother to send us older models the updates!
Glad it worked out, but what a waste of time and gas... you'd think they'd mention this on the insert - and I'll bet this fouls up a lot of people.
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
Hi Ellen,
Yes, in large print.
And a belated thanks for your caring words on Saturday's blog!
That was even sneakier of them, then!
Sending many hugs and healing thought-wishes, in part selfishly, because we need you!
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
Good morning, SOE~~
Thanks for the OT. The weather here has been nice - a bit more windy than I prefer, but it is warm and that makes a difference. We are expecting rain on Sunday - I hope it materializes for we are so very dry and in extreme fire danger.
Have a beautiful day, everyone!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Morning
cold here today. High is only going to be 58. Just spent a few days moving a bunch of rocks in the hotter weather with the sun beating down. My timing is just a bit off.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
I Ching
A bountiful resource I grew up with (spiritually). It was uncanny how many times I would consult the oracle with a question from someone, getting precise advise. Used old round Chinese coins with squares cut out of the middle. Didn't get the hang of yarrow stalks. Wonder where all that stuff is now? Perhaps we could teach the kids those arts instead of computer science?
Cheers
Did not get introduced to the writings until my mid 40's
found it in my great-grandmothers collection of books amongst the various versions of bibles and christian texts. It was intriguing to find a book promising to develop wisdom vs giving instructions how to live a proper life.
When first viewed as an adult who led a software development team it was interesting similar to following flow charts or algorithms to explore possible outcomes of logical paths. Interesting how it has been used at various points in time and cultures.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
I still have a bundle of yarrow
...wrapped in a lavender cloth. And a handful of those Chinese coins. There are many versions of the Book of Change. Some provided better connections to the Tao than others. I had about a dozen different versions and translations. I think it changed me in some essential way.
IMAGINE if you woke up the day after a US Presidential Election and headlines around the the world blared, "The Majority of Americans Refused to Vote in US Presidential Election! What Does this Mean?"
Good morning, Soe. Cool & blustery yesterday & today. One
can use any method of picking a random integer between 0 & 64 inclusive to consult the I Ching to seek its wisdom but not its prophecy. "0" is its own unique wisdom - just sit and be aware. This obviates the need to fixate on a question, issue or problem, or could be considered to be oriented to all of them.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Example:
~$ rand -M 64
8
so, we use hexagram 8
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Zero as a selection
Opens new possibilities of contemplation. Thanks
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
We've reached a utopia
Bigly smile!
it may not be utopia...
...but it seems to be our fate!
These folks - https://www.koinoniafarm.org/ - seem closer to utopia.
Thanks for the Mencken!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Americas number #1
it took us less than a hundred years to perfect democracy.
Thanks for providing another author's writing to explore.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
The Book of Songs appears to be on Gutenberg.org, but
it is in Chinese. That leaves me out. However, a used paperback English translation can be found on Amazon for $8.50 (yes I know they are evil), and on eBay there is a hardcover for $17.99.
Beautiful farm pictures as always.
I harvested about 2/3 of my onions today. Sure am thankful for Dixondale Farms and short day onions. The largest onion I ever harvested before was maybe 1 1/2 inches in diameter. This year I have several 4 inch diameter onions and many others close in size. Amazing!
They are laid out on these shelves to "cure." I have a small fan on them. Trying to follow the Dixondale instructions. If anyone thinks I am doing this incorrectly, please let me know!
Still committing squash bug genocide every morning. Also putting dish soap in the soil/bale where I find them. Harvesting yellow crook neck squash and see other varieties on the vines. Cucuzza is starting to bloom. Tomatoes look like crap, but I have been pruning them, tying them up, and am hopeful. Also put up shades. It was 108 here on Tuesday and tomatoes don't like that. We'll see.
Hope everyone has a great day! Thank for the OT and everyone's comments.
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
Those onions are awe inspiring.
I'm in northern San Diego County. We're experiencing our usual May Gray but it's just warm enough that the tomatoes are setting fruit. I'm hoping to get enough this summer to do some canning. I've always wanted to try it.
Emmet
Good luck to you!
I know it is not as sustainable, but I have gone to freezing my tomatoes. I have a little food processor that kicks out a quart. I use the slice feature. Don't add any salt, just freeze them. Very good in chili, stew, any cooked application. This works better for me because I can just pick in a few and freeze them. When my parents canned back home, it was a big production. It seems like I am not able to do that. ???
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
Freezing was not a good option if electricity was
unreliable. A problem in the past for some rural areas of the country. Canning is easier with a single large harvest. My mom would haul us to the Willamette valley to a U-pick farm. Harvest 300 pounds of tomatoes and drive home. Next day deliver about half to a friend and can to remainder. The tomatoes she grew were eaten fresh or frozen in small batches. A couple of jars was not enough to haul out the canning supplies. We never did dry them. Climate here is dry enough for efficient drying.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
Book of Songs believe also called Book of Odes or Poetry
and Classics of Poetry - here is a couple of links to add to yours
James Legge translation
L. Cranmer-Byng translation
Depending on the date of translation the name of the book changes. Chinese history is confusing by itself the subject is lo large. Add the different spellings and name changes one can read the same text and think it is two different works.
Great onion harvest.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
Thanks for the links
My mom did a massive canning thing too. The only room in the house with an air conditioner was the kitchen. 100 quarts of everything. But that is what we ate all year. And you don't need electricity.
Doesn't work for me though. Sigh.
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
in the day, Marilyn, communities had canning facilities
situated by convenience of population, i presume. Our old high school building's basement was such a facility in a town of 1500 residents; root in the WPA or older, not sure. The basement area was huge and served everyone, most being dirt farmers with all sized plots of land and gardens. Recalling our trips to the cannery as a little one, an adventure for me.
And grandma had a hand operated canning device as well.
Need assistance, i may recall a few tips. Cheers.
Very interesting!
Community canning. And maybe a model for future civilization.
I own a big pressure cooker and have done some canning, but pretty much sucked at it. My tomatoes turned out OK, but other things, not so much.
I will remember your offer of advice. Thanks!
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
Roseanne Barr has practically eclipsed
Trump in the media. Her punishment has been to send all her TV shows down the memory hole.
Donald Trump wasn’t isolated for all his vitriolic output. Quite to the contrary, every poison comment was breathlessly reported in agonizing detail.
“Roseanne”, whatever the foibles of it’s star, has dealt with subjects near and dear to the hearts of the 99%. I particularly enjoyed a scene from the original show where Roseanne tells off a politician who was touting tax cuts to attract “job creators.” She wasn’t excited about paying taxes for businesses who would pay their workers below union scale wages. I tried to find the clip on YouTube, but all there is is clips about her firing.
Bad as her comment was, I suspect that the real reason behind her firing is political. The NFL isn’t being given the same level of censure for suppressing protests against the murder of black Americans by police. Instead, a comment about a former Obama advisor has resulted in wiping “Roseanne” with its working class message from the face of the earth.
"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"
Too bad that hadn't happened
with any of Hillary's racist and other deplorable comments... oh, right, Hillary's a woman.
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
Unlike Roseanne!?!? It’s so weird. Barr was involved with
the Green Party at one time and apparently has feuded with Jill Stein which kind of explains her vote for Trump. Her past political involvement may explain her being ground into the dust.
"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"
And unlike Jill Stein.
Apparently Hillary had trademarked 'woman' - something to do with the only possible 'first woman President' thing, it seems.
That's interesting... of course, Roseanne made a fortune off her acerbic humour, so I suppose that acerbic bad humour could also be expected.
But there certainly does seem to be a very strong corporate response to whatever the comment she made was. Wonder if there's something else going on there, unless it's 'just' reinforcing the idea that anything which raises official disapproval should be removed entirely, in this phase of ever-increasing censorship joining that of censure-ship.
Roseanne did portray a strong working-class woman in her show... bad example for the proles?
Edit: getting worse, noticed 2 letter-typos after posting, rather than while waiting... must be another, even sneakier, Russian plot!
Actually, while I'm here; on an earlier thread, increased mockery of the lunacy of TPTB, et al, was suggested - RT seems to have begun doing this and I got a good giggle from their video:
https://www.rt.com/uk/428488-icymi-trump-kim-summit/
There are more I have yet to get through, too.
This is a good sign, I think; portray them as the idiots they are and stop their attempts at 'normalization' in their tracks.
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
The slur was directed at
a former Obama advisor. My guess is that combined with Barr’s other political activities may be behind the powerful and swift reaction. Third party plus criticism of DNC leaders may be what doomed her show.
"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"
Bet you're right...
A combination of 'petty' and 'power' makes a bad combination, especially when together with pathology.
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.