OT ~ Welcome to Saturday!

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 03/24/2018 - 2:14am

Sit-a-while
on swinging porch
where tin-dippers and
sweet water
in cool touches
meet lips
from hand dug wells.

Good morning good people!

"All true feeling is in reality untranslatable. To express it is to betray it. But to translate it is to dissimulate it… That is why an image, an allegory, a figure that masks what it would reveal have more significance for the spirit than the lucidities of speech and its analytics." ~ Antonin Artaud

Leading with this in hopes of briefly describing how it rolls down through generations for my first introduction to Artaud came at Chapel Hill, mixed with large doses of American playwrights, Miller, Tennessee, O'Neill, Greene, Wilder, some Greeks and so on, but Artaud's books moved me and my imagination and--given today's news--the Theatre of Cruelty and Theatre of the Absurd beat in the recesses of my mind.

Artaud's "organized anarchy," hasn't lost it's appeal. Nor can we deny his impact on Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot or other absurd contributors, Eugene Ionesco, Jean Genet or that Pinter, Stoppard, Albee and Peter Weiss' cells weren't informed by Artaud's DNA; hell, everyone's was.

Peter Weiss gets me closer to how Artaud rolls: following university in London, where the masters moved between schools; especially at the federation of top schools at the time, and some were in residence, usually spending mornings at one drama school and their afternoons at another. We wannabe thespians attended acting, voice, fencing and movement classes all day, then after a break and visit to the corner pub, we rehearsed or hit the boards each evening playing to live audiences. Master coaches, including Cicely Berry, Williams Hobbs, and John Broome and others grounded and famous for their work with the Royal Shakespeare Company mesmerized our young souls while rooting down our voices and tuning our growing bodies.

Those masters worked with Peter Brook, John choreographing his famous Midsummer's Night Dream (actors as acrobats), and after a long period of peacefully relaxing first using Alexander's Technique, we danced to John's one-hand-drum following a cadence of expression and consuming each breath of his experience.

Brook's RSC production of Weiss' Marat/Sade by the RSC and on film with mostly the same cast
still stirs imaginations...

The photo of the puppet arm beating the actor comes from Cruaute, a 2013 joint production of A.R.T.O Theater and the Meyerhold Center in Moscow.
From a review of Cruaute: "A curious thing happens as this wildly exaggerated, and finely tuned, performance begins unfolding live again back on stage. Even while mocking everyone mercilessly, including his actor and himself, Roshchin actually makes his case for a theater of commitment and zeal. By the time a giant cut-out puppet begins attacking Volkov's actor, beating him down every time he tries to stand, we have come to feel a kinship with the battle he fights." ~ https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/roshchin-criticizes-moscow-theater-i...

That's what i remember, a theatre, a commitment to revolt, to live.

Spin the eddies of the sky inside these black petals.
Shadows have covered the earth that bears us.
Open a pathway to the plough amongst your stars.
Enlighten us, escort us with your host,
Silver legions, on the mortal course
Which we strive towards at the core of night.

~ Antonin Artaud

“A day spent without the sight or sound of beauty, the contemplation of mystery, or the search of truth is a poverty-stricken day; and a succession of such days is fatal to human life.”
~ Lewis Mumford

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Submitted by mimi on Sat, 03/24/2018 - 4:43am

looks good, doesn't it?

seen in a German online weekly.
The march is supposed to be on Saturday night EST. Oh well ... you do what you can ... I guess.

—

https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 03/24/2018 - 6:44am

Looks good, indeed, mimi, good day to you and

@mimi
thanks for bringing this good news of today. Instead of greeting our young people, Congress, the leadership and president have skipped town; that should leave an impression, sadly.

May the wind be at their backs and the sun brighten our children's horizons.

Submitted by mimi on Sat, 03/24/2018 - 6:08am

sounds good too, right?

March for Our Lives Protestors Duped Into Advocating for Police State Power Grab.

[video:https://youtu.be/2FiNWvkUuQw]

I am nothing too, Sane Progressive. Done with labeling and blaming and apologizing.

—

https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by The Aspie Corner on Sat, 03/24/2018 - 10:32am

Everything that can turn to shit, will.

@mimi [video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmi9PaCxUmY]

—

Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.

Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.

Submitted by mimi on Sun, 03/25/2018 - 3:03am

no shit, really /nt

@The Aspie Corner

—

https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by Arrow on Sat, 03/24/2018 - 7:30am

Morning Smiley7 and everyone

Just checking in.
Still very much laid up. Getting better slowly tho.
Seeing lots of Doctors. But, that gets me out and about.
I plan to have a wonderful day anf everyone should also.

To the point about the Doctors:

—

I want a Pony!

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 03/24/2018 - 8:04am

Great to see you, Arrow!

@Arrow
May i offer some advice about those whitecoats, when they ask what's your pain level between zero and ten, scream ten.

So happy to hear you are on the mend, been missing you. Do take especial care as time heals, too, sending hugs!

And cheers for one of the greatest songs of our times..."following you, i climb the mountains."

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Sat, 03/24/2018 - 9:30am

Good morning, smiley7. Most interesting topic. I read deeply

of the absurdists and dadaists, but skipped Artaud. Perhaps I need to correct that. After a one day hiatus, the rain is back. This is playing havoc with the chores and trip prep. Ah well, such is life.

—

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 --

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 03/24/2018 - 10:20am

Good morning, el. Beautiful snow falling, expecting

@enhydra lutris @enhydra lutris
around 8 inches before the ice storm begins; forecast to last into tomorrow. This wet Spring snow with ice on top will make for treacherous roads in a short while. Started a beef stew.

Glad you find today's OT interesting; other have suggested i write more about the theatre and the memories.

Enjoy your day!

Submitted by randtntx on Sat, 03/24/2018 - 11:03am

That is an amazing Judy Collins piece

I've never heard it before.
I'm saving your essay to read later when I have more time. It looks so interesting. I don't think I will get to it before Wednesday but I'm looking forward to it. I'm using it as a reward for what looks to be shaping up to be a bad week. Here's to us all getting through our respective difficult times.

I meant to post this on your last OT on the 17th. In celebration of the Irish.

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 03/24/2018 - 12:10pm

Good Morning, Randtntx. Presently watching and listening to

@randtntx @randtntx March for Our Lives, young people's speeches; bringing tears.

Seems as though we've enough hard times to go around. These beautiful alive youth need a world of peace...may it begin to happen!

Wow, Lisa Hannigan; thanks for sharing and hoping you clear sailing through anticipated muddy waters.

Submitted by eyo on Sat, 03/24/2018 - 2:41pm

protests against school shootings-growth of the class struggle

Happy Saturday. Good (long) article over at world socialists, hope others enjoy it too:
The protests against school shootings and the growth of the class struggle

Working-class youth today face conditions far worse than their parents, who are themselves confronting a historic reversal in their conditions of life. The median earnings of young people are 43 percent lower than in 1995. Average student debt has increased to $37,712, from $24,000 in 2008. Nearly one in five children in the US under the age of 18 live in poverty, while more than 40 percent live in low-income households that make less than twice the official federal poverty level.

The growth of a political movement of young people is coming amidst an expanding wave of working-class struggle throughout the United States and internationally. The strike by West Virginia teachers in February-March has been followed by a one-day strike by New Jersey teachers and calls and plans for walkouts in Oklahoma, Arizona, Kentucky, Tennessee and other states. Internationally, protests of teachers and educators have erupted in Kenya, Nigeria, Argentina, Jamaica, the Netherlands, the UK, Slovenia, Canada and other countries.

The opposition among teachers is an expression of a broader anger in the entire working class over record social inequality. On Thursday, tens of thousands of train drivers, teachers, nurses, air traffic controllers and other public-sector workers in France went on strike against President Emmanuel Macron’s right-wing labor reforms.

The simultaneous development of a movement among workers and student youth portends a major eruption of social and class conflict.

--- plastic water pipe toxic meltdown
What about the watershed? "She can't take any more captain!"
More benzene found in Santa Rosa water tests after Sonoma County fires

A forensic chemist analyzing the results has helped the city rule out one possible source. None of the samples have shown any isooctane, suggesting the contamination source is not from a petroleum product like gasoline, Horenstein said. As a result, the city believes the contamination was not caused by a leaky underground storage tank, he said.

The most likely cause is heat damage to high-density polyethylene service lines or other plastic components in the water system, Burke said.

Tests detecting vinyl chloride in some of the samples indicate “constituents that are evidence of combustion or melting plastic of some sort,” Burke said.

The increasing confidence that components in the city’s own water delivery system may have been compromised by the fire is driving the more aggressive testing plan, Horenstein said.

Where does the benzene go?

Unlike Fountaingrove, which experienced sharp drops in water pressure during and following the Tubbs fire, “Coffey Park is tied to the aqueduct, so you’re never going to run out of water,” he said.

Jeff Okrepkie, chairman of the Coffey Strong neighborhood group, said the city told his organization about benzene showing up in a water test in Coffey Park.

But officials assured neighbors that the chemical disappeared after the water lines were cleaned.

“They told us they flushed it and it goes away,” he said.

Goes away where? What? Benzene is a carcinogen, does mother nature just eat it up and poop out rainbows or what? I guess PartsPerMillion don't matter at all if you're "never going to run out of water"!" This is California, just keep flushing.

bigly

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 03/24/2018 - 5:13pm

Mind-boggling stats today from multiple sources, eyo,

@eyo thanks for adding to the info with the linked articles. Truly; our children face uphill battles on many fronts.

Benzene has been found in well water around these parts, too. Once was told by a county manager to drop an inquiry about reports of water pollution, he said "not to drag up old problems." Never forgotten that exchange.

Have a good evening!

Happy Saturday. Good (long) article over at world socialists, hope others enjoy it too: The protests against school shootings and the growth of the class struggle Working-class youth today face conditions far worse than their parents, who are themselves confronting a historic reversal in their conditions of life. The median earnings of young people are 43 percent lower than in 1995. Average student debt has increased to $37,712, from $24,000 in 2008. Nearly one in five children in the US under the age of 18 live in poverty, while more than 40 percent live in low-income households that make less than twice the official federal poverty level. The growth of a political movement of young people is coming amidst an expanding wave of working-class struggle throughout the United States and internationally. The strike by West Virginia teachers in February-March has been followed by a one-day strike by New Jersey teachers and calls and plans for walkouts in Oklahoma, Arizona, Kentucky, Tennessee and other states. Internationally, protests of teachers and educators have erupted in Kenya, Nigeria, Argentina, Jamaica, the Netherlands, the UK, Slovenia, Canada and other countries. The opposition among teachers is an expression of a broader anger in the entire working class over record social inequality. On Thursday, tens of thousands of train drivers, teachers, nurses, air traffic controllers and other public-sector workers in France went on strike against President Emmanuel Macron’s right-wing labor reforms. The simultaneous development of a movement among workers and student youth portends a major eruption of social and class conflict. --- plastic water pipe toxic meltdown What about the watershed? "She can't take any more captain!" More benzene found in Santa Rosa water tests after Sonoma County fires A forensic chemist analyzing the results has helped the city rule out one possible source. None of the samples have shown any isooctane, suggesting the contamination source is not from a petroleum product like gasoline, Horenstein said. As a result, the city believes the contamination was not caused by a leaky underground storage tank, he said. The most likely cause is heat damage to high-density polyethylene service lines or other plastic components in the water system, Burke said. Tests detecting vinyl chloride in some of the samples indicate “constituents that are evidence of combustion or melting plastic of some sort,” Burke said. The increasing confidence that components in the city’s own water delivery system may have been compromised by the fire is driving the more aggressive testing plan, Horenstein said. Where does the benzene go? Unlike Fountaingrove, which experienced sharp drops in water pressure during and following the Tubbs fire, “Coffey Park is tied to the aqueduct, so you’re never going to run out of water,” he said. Jeff Okrepkie, chairman of the Coffey Strong neighborhood group, said the city told his organization about benzene showing up in a water test in Coffey Park. But officials assured neighbors that the chemical disappeared after the water lines were cleaned. “They told us they flushed it and it goes away,” he said. Goes away where? What? Benzene is a carcinogen, does mother nature just eat it up and poop out rainbows or what? I guess PartsPerMillion don't matter at all if you're "never going to run out of water"!" This is California, just keep flushing. bigly

Submitted by mhagle on Sat, 03/24/2018 - 2:53pm

Thanks smiley and all

Been outside gardening all day. Nice to come and read your OT.

—

Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

Submitted by smiley7 on Sat, 03/24/2018 - 5:17pm

Gardening, yeah, a little jealous, here :)

@mhagle
good to see you, Marilyn; looking forward to your garden reports.
Have a good evening!