Tuesday Open Thread 29 DEC 20
“For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.”
― T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets
Welcome to a new version of the Tuesday Open Thread. Many thanks to Anja for hosting with her great stories and recipes. Wishing her good luck in her new venture!
“Water does not resist. Water flows...
...When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.”
― Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad
and
“The man who is swimming against the stream knows the strength of it.”
― Woodrow Wilson Books on Water
and
How Like the Sea
Ella Wheeler Wilcox - 1850-1919
How like the sea, the myriad-minded sea,
Is this large love of ours: so vast, so deep,
So full of myseries! it, too, can keep
Its secrets, like the ocean; and is free,
Free, as the boundless main. Now it may be
Calm like the brow of some sweet child asleep;
Again its seething billows surge and leap
And break in fulness of their ecstasy.
Each wave so like the wave which came before,
Yet never two the same! Imperative
And then persuasive as the cooing dove,
Encroaching ever on the yielding shore—
Ready to take; yet readier still to give—
How like the myriad-minded sea, is love.
Use this space to share your gems of wisdom,
initiate discussions and/or generally vent 
Sculpture by Daniel Popper, Society Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale
Comments
Welcome!
Thanks for the thoughts and musings. I always find that being near water like waves, waterfalls, rivers running over rocks seems to restore my soul. Have a beautiful day. Off to Roman errands early before the crowds begin.
Life is what you make it, so make it something worthwhile.
This ain't no dress rehearsal!
Good morning...
A lovely day here. Headed to 60 degrees.
After the high winds around Xmas I'm going around and picking up limbs. Made a quick walk through trade day this AM but didn't buy a thing. Did take my buddy a big bag of greens and some left over bones for his hound dogs.
I liked your fluid OT Q. Be like water...
If you go into the natural world, and observe water or you experiment with it, water reveals its qualities:
https://www.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com/tao-and-water/
Enjoy the day!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Water...applies constant force until it is free.
Would that we could be like water
in this regard.
Thanks for commenting!
question everything
Love the living sculpture and poetry, QMS,
thank you.
How quickly the sun rises, yet, comes to stay the day.
Yes, Las Olas is a very artistic area.
They had an annual spring art fair there when I was around.
Looks much more upscale now, from the pictures I've seen.
Here is another Daniel Popper in Croatia.
Have you landed any edible fish yet?
Cheers!
question everything
Yes, two dinners of spots and one
of Carolina Blue Crabs, but no others. Did have a cold spell, may leave in a few to try an inlet as it's a beautiful day.
Thanks QMS
for the art, music, and poetry.
More musings on the sea;
"Ocean: A body of water occupying two-thirds of a world made for man - who has no gills."
Ambrose Bierce
"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea."
Isak Dinesen
“There was a single blue line of crayon drawn across every wall in the house. What does it mean? I asked. A pirate needs the sight of the sea, he said and then he pulled his eye patch down and turned and sailed away.”
― Brian Andreas
The Ocean of Life
Life, an open ocean on which all men sail. From the poverty, to the opulence, every boat sails silently across it’s glistening waves. The opulent, sailing through the ocean on giant ships, built for the likes of kings and businessmen, look down upon the ocean as a blissful, blue painting, painted solely for their liking, and the waves as entertainment from their protected towers. While the poor sail in their skips, bashed about by not-so-blissful waves, and tossed around by the paintings of the rich. To them, the waves are deadly, and one poorly placed crash could destroy their boats and end their lives. The poor watch in awe as opulent kings and rockstars jump from their protected towers into the waves, ending their opulence. They vow to fight, to never sink into the waves and be crushed. For many a brilliant mind lives among them. Many who, with a little push, could change the sea for everyone. But instead they are left to sink down into the raging seas. While the ignorant, opulent fools steer their boats aground and chase each other off the edge in droves. There is no breaking the deadly cycle of waves.
From The Vitaenaut --The musings of a young composer, poet and musician.
Thanks for the great musings randa!
https://thevitaenaut.wordpress.com/2013/05/10/the-ocean-of-life/
question everything
Good morning QMS. A perfect column for the post & pre
holiday hiatus.
Aside: Water, for all of its fluidity and Tao and its ability to slowly wear away almost anything still has explosive power at both temperature extremes, as steam and ice. Within living memory ice has been used for shattering rock for human projects and endeavors in areas of difficult access and really cold winters. Many somewhat deep holes were drilled with good old fashioned star drills and filled with water to await the next really hard freeze. Many, many boulders and rock formations were split in this fashion.
That said, I prefer warmer, flowing water. I also find that I cannot live too far from it for too long, I was a coastal brat and find that I still am.
Thanks tons for the column, the art, music, poetry, theme and mood.
be well and have a good one
edited to mix my typos
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 --
Like you, the calmer and warmer
aspects of water have more serenity value in my life.
Although, coupling ones life with this element opens
the door to the other, more confrontational aspects.
Let's hope the 'new wave' brings positive change.
Best your way!
question everything
Good morning, QMS ~
As you live your life, be the water.
Enjoy the day!
"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
Trying to live in the moment
noticing too many opportunities for contact missed lately
Thanks RA
question everything
Good morning!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
That's fun!
a sailors dream...
somewhere beyond the horizon
good morning back to you
question everything
Have another one!
This is the rev up for adventure song we listen to around here.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Thanks for that tune, great musicians inspire
a bit off topic, but since you are a Texan
one of my favorites...
question everything
ha! Good one!
Open threads are subject to free for alls!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
The FAA has been working with drone companies
to fix it so that they can legally deploy drones over US cities. For what purpose you ask? Why to catch speeders which will retire all police helicopters by 2025 leaving them instead with military drones which will remain unarmed for awhile.
I perchance ran across an article from 2017 on how the drone companies were eager to sell drones, but could not fly them because the rules were still against it. Since then the FAA has been working side by side with Raytheon, Boeing and one small company that has been asking for the bulk of the contracts. This article is spreading happy clap that this move will finally allow Amazon, UPS, Fed Ex and others to deliver items and food to our doors with these amazing drones. I am hoping to see some one in the comments see this for what it is.
Comments:
Let me know if you're interested in the article and I will try to digit up.
Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.
a God given right to privacy
what gawd gives, google takes away to the bank
question everything
Hola snoops - very, very true
They gotta let ya party, however, with balloons and kites for the kiddies. Now once upon a time thee was this thing called a barrage balloon, and before that things called French War Kites. There must be an altitude where airplanes are banned, there is in built up areas, so below that, I would think, might be arguably free-for-all.
edit: put quoted material in blockquotes
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 --
That will help with situations of the Portland kind
Why use troops when you can modernize and monetize the surveilance? And more ...
Thanks for catching this, SNDG; your reading and analysis are invaluable.
Good Morning, QMS, beautiful poetry,
to me water heals, looking at the ocean's water and waves from the coast line, swimming and bathing in water, gliding on the water, all of it feels like it heals one's body and soul. I always would seek a place near the ocean coast line.
Well, I will go on and dream a bit about being near the perfect coastal beach, watching the waves and thinking about nothing. Paradise it is to stop thinking and not worrying. My son does that to heal. Very much needed.
Have a good one and thanks for the OT.
PS Could you say something to the image you posted?
https://www.euronews.com/live
water of life
Yes, are you wanting to learn more about the sculpture at the top of the post?
thanks, mimi
question everything
yes, I don't know what it is, but I can't turn my eyes
away from the woman's expression and gesture. Where does it stand, who made it ?
https://www.euronews.com/live
Yes, it is very striking.
Made by a guy from South Africa by the name of Daniel Popper.
It is outside in a breezeway at a residential complex in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A section of town called Las Olas.
He has several installations around the world. Creates a fiber -stone
structure, then plants ferns and other plants inside.
See above for his work in Croatioa
Another shot
see more of his work here --
https://www.danielpopper.com
question everything
you are a treasure, amazing art, wow, I love it.
thanks for all the information. I wandered around the links before and just can't quite believe what I see.
But the one you posted hits the ball out of the park, so to speak. As I said before, I can't turn my eyes away from it.
Thanks again.
https://www.euronews.com/live
This one is in Tulum, Mexico
question everything
Just a thought:
Remember when "Keep Calm and Carry On" signs were all the rage?
That was a few years ago; what happened??? It's almost as if we have all the right ideas, but never when and where we really need them.
We need a common ethos of sangfroid now more than ever (accompanied by heavy stigmatization of its opposite), and yet it's become almost a crime to suggest people keep their negativity to themselves (or maybe it's just some people and some negativity).
Fuck glasnost, that's what I say; when it undermined perestroika in Gorbachev's USSR, it was an honest accident (of course, I've heard it argued that the USSR was already doomed by the time Gorbachev came along); this time around, it seems like glasnost (of the sort pushed by social media) is being intentionally weaponized against perestroika.
In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.
Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!
Fascism, ushered in by those who portray themselves as saving us
from the Trump presidency’s supposed fascism…
https://greenwald.substack.com/p/the-threat-of-authoritarianism-in
And:
Mass media propaganda is enemy #1: Notes from the Edge of the Narrative Matrix
The author seems to lean in a right-wing-prepper sort of direction, intentionally or unintentionally sharing use of the phrase “Notes from the Edge of the Narrative Matrix” in common with Caitlin Johnstone.
He also appears to know a lot about raising chickens.
Wonderful water theme QMS
and a nice flow into a new tuesday open thread.
By the Sea
I started early, took my dog,
And visited the sea;
The mermaids in the basement
Came out to look at me,
And frigates in the upper floor
Extended hempen hands,
Presuming me to be a mouse
Aground, upon the sands.
But no man moved me till the tide
Went past my simple shoe,
And past my apron and my belt,
And past my bodice too,
And made as he would eat me up
As wholly as a dew
Upon a dandelion's sleeve —
And then I started too.
And he — he followed close behind;
I felt his silver heel
Upon my ankle, — then my shoes
Would overflow with pearl.
Until we met the solid town,
No man he seemed to know;
And bowing with a mighty look
At me, the sea withdrew.
Emily Dickinson