FIVE SECOND STORIES

We've had mild weather recently-warmish days with cool nights-often overcast skies and a bit of rain. Johnny's oak has finally turned but oak leaves are quite tenacious when it comes to hanging on. Colder weather is coming this coming week and the "s" word is being uttered although no accumulation predicted. 

One bright morning with rain clouds off to the West:

Mr. Purple Finch with his natty purple pink swath on his lower back:

 

Glowy tree behind the Farm Bureau complex:

 

This morning (11/18), the Turkey Bros were hard at it with the foraging:

꩜

 

Adventures in FUBARland 

Roach and his toadies have unleashed a tidal wave of bat-shit crazy ideas and cabinet nominations which seem to be designed in part to severely yank the chain of those "pearl-clutching, woke libtards". Naturally, the result has been creating a large amount of op-eds. That's all well and good but what is needed is a cohesive plan to combat these bastards. And yes, this is gonna be the gutter fight, one that they have wanted and worked towards since the Nixon administration. 

These nominations brought to mind the old Holiday Inn Express ads:

This is the grim reality that we are facing and what I find so disturbing is that these brilliant plans all involve cruelty of some kind, purposely designed to inflict suffering. Is this what people truly voted for or did they think Roach was just being an entertainer akin to the fake WWF? What do they think will happen when all those illegals are yanked outta the Tyson chicken processing factories? Supply will dwindle and the price of anything left will skyrocket. This is fundamental economics, for Christssakes. They'll soon be whining for the good old days when old Joe was around. 

No chicken tenders for you!

 

꩜

 

 ꩜

Speaking of robots, we have begun re-watching Futurama. For those unfamiliar, Futurama was created by Matt Groening who also created The Simpsons. 

A slacker pizza delivery guy who is on a delivery on New Year's Eve 1999 to a cryogenic lab, falls into one of their pods set to be awakened 1000 years later. It's a quite a different world from the one he left-aliens are everywhere and much of the work done is by robots.

We highly recommend this as a pleasant escape-plenty of gags, far out and trippy scenarios, an abundance of "easter eggs" and just plain funny stuff. We're still on season 1 from 1999 and there are astonishingly prescient things such as the character Zapp Brannigan, a starship captain who is a terrible narcissist ( Roachlike, although while thoughtless of others, he is not cruel). Zapp's name points back to the John Wayne character in the film "Brannigan"-a barely legal cop in the Dirty Harry mold. He'll break down a private residence door while saying "knock knock". I wonder if Mad ever did a parody of this film?

 ꩜

Where our solar system is located in the Milky Way Galaxy seen from above:

 

Ayn Ghazel statues:

 

 

From Wiki: The ʿAin Ghazal statues are large-scale lime plaster and reed statues discovered at the archaeological site of 'Ain Ghazal in Amman, Jordan, dating back to approximately 9,000 years ago (made between 7200 BC and 6250 BCE), from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic C period. A total of 15 statues and 15 busts were discovered in 1983 and 1985 in two underground caches, created about 200 years apart.

The statues are among the earliest large-scale representations of the human form and represent remarkable specimens of prehistoric art from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B  or C period. Their purpose remains uncertain, with archaeologists believing they may have been buried just after production, having possibly been made with that intent.

 

None of the statues contain genitalia and in my opinion, this makes them direct ancestors of these two:

 ꩜

Ancient flood stories:

Many ancient cultures across the planet have tales of a giant flood. Some theories point to the end of the last ice age where there was a sudden melting of glaciers. This happened in different parts of the world at different times. Often, it is described as flooding the entire world although what might be meant is their region. The oldest written record comes from Mesopotamia, one of several tales that predate Genesis which is thought to have been written 800-500 BCE.

 

The Sumerian Flood Story:1900-1600 BCE.

A group of gods known as the Divine Assembly decide to destroy the human race with a flood. However, another member of the Assembly feels humans are worthy of living. He tells a trusted and obedient human leader of the plans and instructs him to build an Ark. The floods lasts for 7 days and nights and wipes out all humans except for those on the ark.  In the end, the Assembly reverses their animosity of mankind.

This sounds pretty familiar doesn't it?

A second version comes a bit later. Here, mankind has grown so numerous and noisy that it disturbs the sleep of one of the Divine Assembly. Flood and ark follow. What I found curious about this tale is that the sleep deprived god first tried to wipe out humans with a plague. No luck. Then a drought in order to starve them. (game show buzzer). Finally, a giant flood.

I was astounded: the rule of three from 1200 BCE is already part of our storytelling!

This version seems seems like a satire of the first. Really, do gods need sleep? Well, if humans are made in god's image then if we need sleep, perhaps so does god.

In this vein, one of the foremost questions to this deity from folks across the planet is "if you indeed made us and love us, why do you let us suffer so"? Perhaps, the deity is taking a nap with ear plugs, to catch a few winks. All those prayers! Oy! 

Now the problem here is with time: who can say how long a few winks are for a being whose existence is timeless? From our perspective, it could be a tenth of a second to 3 billion years.

And so here we are, another flood is coming and suffering is sure to be rampant. The faithful send prayers skyward. 

Good luck to us all.

  ꩜

Fun vids:

A nice short from storm chaser Pecos Hank (Hank Schyma) concerning an array of light phenomena:

 

The Great Green Wall-begun in 2007, a plan to plant a wall of trees separating the Sahara Desert from the Sahel:

The Sahel region (brown), proposed Great Green Wall (green), and participating countries (white)

Fabulous AI katters gussied up with a David Attenboroughesque narration:

 

 

The worldwide effects of the volcanic eruption on Thera 3500 years ago:

 

Old school scything-looks like work to me:

 

Cannes Lion Award-Winning "Three Little Pigs advert". This advert for the Guardian's open journalism, screened for the first time on 29 February 2012, imagines how we might cover the story of the three little pigs in print and online:

 

 Longest name place in the world (it's not in Wales):

 Four seasons in less than a minute:

 

NOVEMBER DAYS

11/9-most of the leaves are down with the annual exception of neighbor Johnnie's oak which have begun to turn but probably won't drop until snow arrives. We finally got some decent rain early week of 1.25".

Mr. Molting Redbird having a sip-he seems to be recovering:

Buddy out and about:

We've had some sunny days:

Morning sun catching the treetops in the neighborhood

Turkey Bros across the street

 

Mr. Hawk on Father Birch:

It's dark out now by 6pm, Blossom foraging at the Diner:

We were done watching TV and in the darkness, we noticed something moving behind the honeysuckle on the berm: several deer-their dark, ghostly shapes moving East to West.  

11/10-Wet out this morning-we had received .10":

Turkey Bros at the Diner pecking for seeds as a Freddie stands his ground around the giants. All seem pretty tolerant of each other:

A cold front swung through late in the afternoon clearing the skies and bringing sunshine:

Snug and warm inside-Buddy-roo chillin' in the library:
 

 

A WORD FROM MY CELTIC ANCESTORS

 

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

 

THE VICTOR VICTROLA

In the Greek short film "The Village", there is a scene featuring a Victor Victrola.

They were in production from 1901-1929 carrying the famous logo featuring Nipper:

I remember that my Dad's folks had one in an upstairs bedroom and that my cousins and I played records on it. I thought it curious that it was located in a bedroom-did my Slovak grandparents listen to music in bed? Or, was it re-located from the crowded living room downstairs? Funny, the things one remembers from childhood.

 

THE VILLAGE

From 2010, a stop action short by Greek filmmaker Stelios Polychronakis. 

If you are interested in the translation of Greek found in the beginning and the newspaper article, please give me a holler.

FIVE SECOND STORIES

11/1-Happy Samhain! This is a Gaelic festival that marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. 

 

This symbol was often painted or carved on homes and barns to protect from evil spirits and bad luck. It is also known as Bowen Knot, Gorgons Loop and St. John's Arms.

In Mexico, this is the Día de Muertos or Day of the Dead which is celebrated 11/1-11/2. Orange marigolds aka cempasúchil are a key part of the celebration and are considered the flower of the dead. 

 ꩜

I finally got out and mowed up the leaves in the Back 40 and front. It's been unusually warm and very windy with a forecast of much colder temps and perhaps some rain. These past days meet the criteria of an Indian Summer: a warm and dry period after a hard frost 28° or less.

One of the young forsythia is still blooming:

Sunsets have been glowy:

The Farm Bureau complex to our North.

 The Autumn drought continues with only 2.4" of rain in the past 2 months. Normal is more than twice this amount. Historically, November and December are dry. 

Meanwhile, all our wild neighbors have been busy bulking up for the cold months. My old pals, Stubbs and Freddie have been out and about.

Freddie hiding some treasures.

DHS decided to be rude and dominant the Diner and chased Stubbs up the birch.

Duffy has been a twilight regular at the Diner nearly every evening. Blossom has reappeared and often joins him.

꩜

Fun Stuff:

1950's photo of woman standing next to a Giant Sequoia tree in CA for scale.

 

Hidden in Brussels' historic Cimetière de Laeken is a mausoleum that reveals its secret once a year in a stunning display. Built in 1920 for Léonce Evrard and Louise Flignot, the tomb features a solemn mourner with an arm outstretched toward a blank wall. On June 21, the Summer Solstice, the mausoleum's magic unfolds. At noon, sunlight creates a heart-shaped beam that appears above the mourner’s hand, as if reaching for this glowing symbol of love. This brief yet captivating moment has drawn visitors for decades, symbolizing eternal love.

Pamukkale, located in southwestern Turkey, is one of the country’s most stunning natural attractions. It is known for its unique travertine terraces and ancient calcium-rich thermal pool. 

Marble sculpture by Greek artist Argires Rallis.

 

10th Century Viking skates made of leather and horse bones.

Sir David Attenborough next to femur from a Titanosaur who lived in the Cretaceous period (145-66 million years ago) and were around during the last extinction event.

The colors of petrified wood:

The Shell Grotto of Margate, UK

Located in a cave, it was discovered in 1835 by a farmer in the county of Kent and is believed to contain 4.6 million shells.

Who created the Grotto is unknown with theories including the Knights Templar, the Phoenicians, the Romans and sea witchcraft.

Predjama castle, Slovenia:

A Renaissance era castle built at the mouth of a cave. As seen at night:

The first human to float in space without tether to spacecraft:

NASA

February 7, 1984, Captain Bruce McCandless II USN, left the Space Shuttle Challenger for 82 minutes.

Unusual horns of Kuri cattle:

From Wiki: The Kuri is a breed of the humpless longhorn group of cattle. The humpless longhorn grouping relates them to the N'dama  cattle. They are used for meat, milk and work. They are intolerant of heat, sunlight, and can not stand long periods of drought. They are good swimmers and spend much of their time in Lake Chad located at the junction of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. 

 

Lesser blind mole-rat aka Spalax found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, North Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey and Ukraine:

Gouldian Finch chicks:

They have luminous nodules called papillae on the sides of their beaks and markings on the inside of their mouths. They act as a sort of “beacon” to direct the parents to the hungry mouths of their chicks in dark nest cavities. 

The Spiny Flower Mantis native to southern and eastern Africa with fabulous camo:

Orchid Forest walk in Cikole, Indonesia:

Environmental murals by Brazilian Street Artist Fábio Gomes Trindade:

 

Street architecture in Barcelona, Spain:

The purple house in Sirmione, Italy on Lake Garda with a giant bougainvillea:

Oddities

Who knew? A national study found that Idaho drinks more wine per capita than any other state. 

Hellish concept: a ball of tongues. Also, see below.

Relic of the post-Clinton presidency-from 2007. A must have in any conservative's kitchen. Bill, who can't keep his pants zipped:

 

And his ballbusting wife:

This is wayyyy out there-the Licki:

Want to relate to your kitty in a very personal way? Buy the Licki-a human tongue prosthetic to mimic your furball's licking obsession and truly make it feel loved.  $14.99 on Amazon where it is known as the Lick'em Tongue. Uhhh, I'll pass.

  ꩜ 

One has to wonder about male actors who are part of violent franchises where they kill a lot of people-how do they deal with this in their personal lives? Are they able to just switch those memories off? They must have flashbacks throughout the day and how do they sleep? Charles Bronson, Tom Cruise, Jason Statham, Denzel Washington and Liam Neeson to name a few.