Open Thread - 01-03-25 - The Vultures Are Circling
Inspiration is a fickled thing, many times elusive, often low keyed, sometimes soaring, always subjective. The inspiration for this piece is of the soaring variety, as imaginative as the large kettle of vultures circling high in the sky as I watch out the window. Something about their graceful flight triggered the flow of a Thursday afternoon muse meandering.
The vultures are circling. That's an age worn trope generally thought to mean that they are about to descend on some unfortunate terra firma bound, deceased meal. When in reality they're circling because they have found a favorable thermal that allows them to effortlessly stay aloft without much wing flapping. All the while searching for something dead to eat.
There are various types of vultures, the real ones which are abundant here in Texas, and then there are the metaphorical human examples, also abundant here in Texas as well as the other states. This vulture analogy is nothing new under the sun, which coincidentally creates the thermals, so I suppose one could say that was a double entendre, as are both types of vultures as they feed upon the carrion, both real and analogous.
Have you ever noticed a wake of vultures gathered around a fetid lump that was once a living creature? Have you noticed when you approach them while they're enjoying their meal in the middle of the road, that they know exactly when to fly off to avoid being hit by your vehicle? That takes depth perception and timing to avoid themselves becoming the next carrion meal. How do vultures acquire that knowledge? Are they born with it or is it developed over time by experience, or is it political instinct?
As I sit at my desk and watch the kettle floating on the warm updraft, I wonder much the same about the carcass craving human detritus that walk among us. Those that gain nourishment from the unfortunate souls that catch their interest. Vultures have keen eyesight, some of the best in the animal kingdom. Their eyesight helps them home in on a meal from far above, and on a dollar hanging out of a wallet.
Oh, by the way, you may be considered a tasty meal, by both types. My advice is to keep moving, don't look dead.
From the movie The Vulture (1967)
There's a new kettle of human vultures soaring the thermals, created by their own hot air, looking for dead carcasses to feed on as it grunts and hisses its way to January 20. It should have no problem finding food as its policies are likely to cause the demise of what's left of the middle class, what's left of it after the last vulture wake fed upon it, anyway. The lower class is already alongside the road barely hanging on.
This kettle promises to be different. It preens its feathers as it watches every move you make, intently. They sit on tree limbs in large numbers ready to swoop down at any minute. They spread their wings, not to warm up or dry off like their raptor cousins, but to sit in pompous judgement of their fellow man. They promise to remake their vulture hierarchy into a leaner carcass eating machine, and to rid the landscape of the previous vulture's nest. There's too many potential carcasses that have arrived from afar, so they say, so many that they out number the human vultures, causing an imbalance, so they must go back to where they've came from. The human vulture is a picky sort.
That is the way of the vulture. The bird variety has a symbiotic relationship with nature, what it takes it gives back, unlike the human variety that buries its head in the body politic, consuming what it can, and then moves on to the next carcass.
For your own sake, keep moving, don't look dead.
1:36
Comments
Good morning Free Rangers...
I've got a bad, bad feeling.
I was initially optimistic about the next administration. I felt like the Democrats had gotten so damn crazy that we needed a change even if it's a bad rerun. But, deep in my gut I have a bad feeling, much like I did early on in the Obama presidency.
My gut has been pretty good to me over the years, I listen when it tells me something's not right.
I hope I'm wrong, I really do.
Hey there
Perhaps it is best to trust your gut
and prepare for whatever. Instincts are
useful. Ignore at potential peril.
Hang in there bud.
Happy Birthday Stephen Stills 80 today.
~
question everything
Just trying...
to sound the alarm. If I'm wrong I'll gladly eat my words, even if my gut doesn't abide.
When
EF Huttonmy gut talks,peopleI listen.Happy birthday, Stephen!
What brought the movie...
The Vulture to mind?
In 1967 when The Vulture premiered my best friend and I went to see it. I was 13 at the time. We both had sting ray bikes with banana seats back then. For some reason that I don't recall my bike was down so I rode for several blocks to the theater on the back of my friends bike.
This movie is pretty cheezily done, but back in the 60s cheezy movies were much the norm. Anyway, the movie, especially the idea of a giant half man and half vulture suddenly dropping from the sky and carrying people away scared the shit out of us.
It was dark when we left to go home after the show. In retrospect the ride was pretty comical as we both kept looking over our shoulders for a giant vulture swooping down to carry us of to its nest to make a meal of us.
It was a testament to the power of a movie on an impressionable 13 year old's mind.
Ha, remember the sting ray bikes
little brother had one with the banana seat
cool ride for the times
Velvet Underground
appreciate the alarm
perhaps the bells are ringing early?
The turkey vultures are scary critters.
question everything
It's never too early...
to get ahead of the vultures.
Vultures indeed...
Preying on the resources of the countries we've left in chaos.
The Trumpeteers are way too optimistic of what the Don can accomplish...very much like the Obummer supporters. The deep and wide dark state is so entrenched that redemption seems impossible even IF we were to try.
Looks like y'all might get a snow next week. I love the quiet after a nice snow. We might catch one too. We'll see.
Take care and thanks for the OT!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Like a keen eyesighted vulture...
I'm keeping a close watch on how the immigration thing is going to be run. If they ask for everyone to have a digital ID to be able to find all of the immigrants then I know it's on like Donkey Kong, as in We the People giving up more of our rights in the name of national security.
I come from the land of ice and snow (Northern Illinois), so let the games begin. Texans are a riot to watch with snow on the ground. It looks like the best chance is Sunday night with temps to dip down to 27 degrees. There's a 90% chance of rain that day and so far no mention of snow, but I wont count it out.
I bet snow in the holler is a pretty sight.
While looking to find the now deleted tweet that Snoopy posted
I came across this and it seems to represent Texas drivers in the winter.
Good example...
but to be fair, even up north in cold climates, ice on the road is impossible to stop on, experienced drivers or not.
If the little flashing ball on the Texas map is correct it looks like it's northern Texas up around Dallas. They get snow and ice more often that we do down here near Houston. I'm just hoping we don't get a rerun of the bad winter storm we had in 2021. That was the second winter after I moved there, of course being a Yankee I was accused of bringing it with me.
That winter, 2021, after we had about 6 inches of snow, it was like the world stopped here. I put on my coveralls and boots and off I went in the truck. My tire tracks were the first on most of the road I drove on. I was back in my elements.
Good morning all, thanks for the OT, Johnny. A word, if I may -
This is a picture of a long time good friend of mine, now deceased:
Like all of her kind, she was part of mother nature's clean up crew, without which we would all be knee deep in offal all of the time. Just sayin' FWIW, traditionally classified as Falconiformes, their own special category, the new world vultures are now considered by be an offshoot of the family of storks and cranes. The red headed Turkey Vultures lack meaningful talons and have somewhat puny bills as well, with the result that they cannot pierce the hide of larger prey animals without the assistance of other predators or scavengers to serve as can-openers. My friend, pictured, bit me more than once, but was only able to raise a blood blister.
Those other, featherless "vultures" perform no public service and do no good whatsoever. I have mostly been able to avid very close contact with them and hope to continue so doing.
Meanwhile, more rain here. No pruning today.
be well and have a good one
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 --
She's much better looking...
than many of her human cohorts, and their political bites can be much more severe than a blood blister. You do well to avoid close contact with them although they try their damnest to reach out and touch us all.
It's a beautiful 70 degrees here with a bluebird sky, until this weekend when the polar vortex reaches as far as south Texas.
Have a good one compadre.
Vultures are admirable
They even named a form of capitalism in their honor. If you look closely the eagle Biden just elevated to our national bird, it's really a vulture in drag. Unfortunately while vultures are attracted to dead meat, they won't touch politicians. So, we have to, somehow, clean up the mess.
Speaking of cleaning up... https://epic.uchicago.edu/insights/when-vultures-natures-sanitation-serv...
Heh. The Bald Eagle, aka American Eagle has much
in common with vulture capitalist and other human vultures, but almost nothing in common with avian vultures.
The new world vultures are pretty much obligate scavengers, while the American Eagle is only an opportunistic scavenger. It is also an opportunistic klepto-parasite and an opportunistic predator of terrestrial animals. It is, however, very much a fish-eagle, much like the African Fish Eagle, which i somewhat resembles visually. The fact that it is so seriously opportunistic is something it has very much in common with vulture capitalists, other capitalists and other human vultures.
be well and have a good one
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 --
Benjamin Franklin...
joked about making the Turkey Vulture the national bird. Little did he know that some 200 years or so later that they inhabit all of DC. Well, on second thought he probably did know, even back then.
I'd like to see them stretched out on a rock like Prometheus, but I think you're right, it would be beneath a vulture to eat a dead politician.
Well spoken, my friend.
Agree, the vultures are circling!
In Africa, vultures were your friends. They would circle but when found a kill, they descended down to enjoy. They are fascinating to watch the power play among the various groups of vultures that arrived at a kill. The hyenas were even respectful as well as the jackals.
The lappet-faced vulture was the king of them all. When he landed, others moved away and then moved in once he was happy where he was.
Jamie Dimon is concerned about hedge funds borrowing money from outside the banks where there are few guardrails. Of course, he has some money invested in various hedge funds. The article also mentioned that the hedge funds are using money from some of their investments like teacher retirement funds. So,, you bet I am concerned. Trying to find the article.
Have a good day. There are more vultures circling in this new administration/.
Life is what you make it, so make it something worthwhile.
This ain't no dress rehearsal!
Heh...
you just described the halls of power in Washington DC:
If a remake of the movie The Vulture is ever made, Jamie Dimon would be perfect for the part of the half man and half vulture.
You are correct in keeping an eye on the teacher retirement funds, they ultimately want it all, retirement funds and social security. That is the essence of human vulturism.
Thanks jb, you have a good day as well.
you post scared me so much that I am already half dead
so, will I be eaten ?
https://www.euronews.com/live
just keep moving
it will bore the vultures
they prefer their carrion
still, not 1/2 dead
question everything
Well, I'm sorry to say...
that we all have been gnawed on by the human vultures most of our lives, the animal variety only gets to us after we've been sucked dry by the human version.
Keep on keeping on mimi, it irritates both varieties of vultures.
Was Tim McVeigh another patsy?
And was the Oklahoma bombing a false flag?
Why did the Vegas bomber shoot himself in the head before he blew up the truck? And isn’t interesting to see that his passport survived with selective burns that kept the name intact?
Why did the FBI let a reporter into the Orleans people runner downer’s house and then they sent the bomb squad back in?
Well that’s weird. I can view the video on the twit, but it doesn’t come through here. Clicking on the link goes to a tweet that doesn’t exist.
Try clicking on the tweet embedded.
I managed to sign in to X
but the tweet video had already been removed.
Dammit it.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Yeah when I went back to watch it
it only showed the link but no video even though I didn’t close the tab.
Now my tweet says not found. Good thing Elon has restored free speech on the twitter.
It showed lots of things that were never actually done. And apparently there were 2 more bombs that went off from inside the building. And then there was a bomb truck before the explosion.
Also someone reported that the building blew up before it actually did.
I’m saying it was a false flag. Oh and Tim was apparently targeting the ATF, but they were absent that day. Reminds me of all the people who were told to stay home on 9/11 and to quit flying in June.
i get the same...
"Not Found".
If I remember correctly, there has been false flag rumors about McVeigh ever since the incident.
So many questions, so few answers. That's the way they want it, to keep us confused and guessing, it keeps us on our heels and off our toes.
Full spectrum dominance is the nature of their game, and I think we're there.
Thanks snoops.
His kingdom short lived
Saw this interesting poem on International Theme Travel a South Korean travelogue. The host, a South Korean expert on Chinese history and culture, can recite some of these old Chinese poems from memory. They go by too fast for me to get the meaning but I've always been interested in the subject of peasant rebellions since college days in the Vietnam era. So I took this screen shot. Koreans call Huang Chao, Huang So.
黃巢之亂 Huang Chao's peasant rebellion weakened the declining Tang Dynasty but ultimately failed. This is poem he wrote symbolizing his experience. I interpreted it from the Korean but in the process tried to understand the traditional Chinese as well.
Perhaps someone here with better knowledge of botany or flowers will have some greater insight into this poem.
題菊花(제국화) Concerning Chrysanthemum
국화에 부치다
黃巢(황소)/당 Huang Chao
颯颯西風滿院栽(삽삽서풍만원재) 소슬한 가을 바람이 정원의 분재에 가득한데 A chilling autumn wind fills the planted field
蕊寒香冷蝶難來(예한향냉접난래) 찬 꽃술에 향기도 차니 나비가 오기 어렵구나 In the cold, the flowers' fragrance won't draw butterflies
他年我若爲靑帝(타년아약위청제) 내가 만약에 다른 해에 봄을 맡은 신이 된다면 If I became the spirit of spring in some other year
報與桃花一處開(보여도화일처개) 복숭아 꽃과 더불어 한 곳에 피라고 여쭈리라 I'd ask that peach blossoms grow together in this same place
* Huang Chao [Huang So, 820 ?~884]: He is the main culprit in the Huang Chao Rebellion, which was the decisive factor in the downfall of the Tang Dynasty. The image of chrysanthemums that he looked at feels somewhat alienating. As a figure who led a peasant rebellion, is it a hint of his ambitious spirit to properly take care of all the marginalized? Or is it a cry of self-consolation to relieve his resentment at not being able to meet his destiny?
* Quoted from Daum Blog friend Doljidung (November 12, 2021)
題菊花(제국화)/황소(당)-명시 감상
I'm thinking Chrysanthemum represent the aristocrats who survive under all conditions as opposed to the peasants.
Thanks for the OT JtC.
민불료생(民不聊生) The people are in dire straits. (warring states period)
(edit: corrected cut and paste error in Chinese in third line)
語必忠信 行必正直
do the Chinese eat their own
as in the US?
Somehow it is difficult to picture
Asian cultures as vultures.
question everything
What I get from Dr. Gao's discussions
Is that the classical dynasties go through cycles. The latter phases of decline are characterized by the elites using their social status to advance their own interests and exploit the peasants. As the exploitation and corruption become more egregious, perhaps those truly talented individuals of merit, with perhaps some social handicap as in birth, or not having the right connections in the court, coalesce to right the wrongs of the socially oppressed lower strata. They find a population ready for change, ready to risk it all to improve their desperate conditions.
I don't pretend expertise on Chinese history, but this appears to be what happened in Korea during the neo-Confucian reform from the Koryo to early Chosun period (14th Century). The corruption of the primarily Buddhist oriented adherents at court, appalled the Confucians who believed in reciprocity in social obligations and a society based on merit. One of the entertaining and great Korean historical dramas on this subject of revolution is Six Flying Dragons. A central scholar figure in that transformation laying the foundation of the Choseon dynasty which lasted hundreds of years was
Jeong Dojeon Wiki spells his name Chong Tojon, which frankly I've never seen before.
I think that the Taiping Rebellion in 19th Century China, and the Tonghak rebellion later in the same century in Choseon (Korea) reflected the corrupt exploitation of the peasants characteristic in late dynasty decay in the respective states. These were syncretic movements that borrowed from western religion and ideology. There is also the matter of the fundamental conservatism of the elites resistant to change of any kind, failing to adapt to a new world.
語必忠信 行必正直
resistant to change of any kind
in a nut shell
that is it
thanks
question everything
Yes...
The Taegeuk depicts the harmony between the positive and the negative. Perhaps that explains the dynamic between the oppressed and the oppressors. Down through history power is in flux between those two factions. If only the people can figure out how to implement the yang (positive force) and keep it from the hands of the yin (negative force), forever. But, regrettably that may upset the balance.
Thanks, my friend.
During the closing months of the
.
...first quarter of the 21st century, the US suffered at least three (and probably five) decisive defeats that have turned American ambitions to ashes. People around the world know that these are game changing defeats for the US. By December 26th 2024, the last of the US Tokens of superior power were swept off the global gameboard. (I will explain what those lost powers are, later.)
The US has not said one word about these defeats and how they alter reality, much to the dismay of citizens on every continent, who were hoping to see a "Sputnik" moment, when the US suddenly realized it had lost the exploitable world that the US believed it owned. The US, and its mini-me, Israel would insist: "God promised us that all of this would be our domain. We pledged, 'In God we trust.' We are the chose superior species. We have ancient scrolls, that were dictated by God, granting us this earthly domain to rule, in his name. You must obey or be destroyed."
Yeah.... "No," says the World. "You have shown us that we don't need you. We no longer fear your evil chaos. We have come together as the majority on earth, to create a better world for the People. End your illegal trading sanctions and your blockades that suppress the development of other countries. Remove your military bases and weapons from our lands. Or learn to survive without our natural resources."
So, for sure, something is up. This is the only path forward. It's the only path that contains the evil that we, the duped, have allowed flourish here.
This is a good thing, if you are standing on the side of history.
If you are saying the hegemon is failing
.
.
I totally agree, there is no question.
It is not information available to the common man
thru the MSM but still obvious IMO.
thanks for pointing this out
question everything
Dang, that was good writing...
What a good piece! Thank you! I tend to favor the avian vultures more than the humanoid ones, I have to admit. I keep thinking of the humanoids as rats, but that's unfavorable to rats, isn't it?
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so