Loosely Speaking

By Ciel - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Everything Else

Monday, January 15, 2018

Ancient China some more

Thinking more about the beautiful robes and fabrics, I got to wondering how accurate the colors really are, and did a little research. The warm colors, from bright oranges all the way to deep reds, would have come from a plant called madder. Yellows came from saffron. Blues from indigo and woad, in various shades. Berries, barks and lichens provided browns, greys and sage-greens. Deeper greens came from overdying blues with yellows. So the only color I have doubts about is the bright pale aqua... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Ancient China in 80 episodes

For the past several days I have been immersed in a Chinese production based in Chinese history. KING'S WAR is a single season, according to Netflix, consisting of 80 45-minute episodes. I am up to 63. It is subtitled with original language and voices which is much better than mis-synced not-quite-right voices. More on this topic later. I can't say much about the historical accuracy, though I intend to do some research when this is finished. The major characters are derived from history, the... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

you could do worse than start your day/week/year with this read:

https://www.brainpickings.org/2018/01/01/john-o-donohue-walking-on-the-pastures-of-wonder/?utm_source=Brain+Pickings&utm_campaign=9afe029263-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_01_05&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_179ffa2629-9afe029263-237625185&mc_cid=9afe029263&mc_eid=445b266d6c Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Charlie wrote this about the net neutrality repeal:

It's not just about paying more or less, or slowing down competitors for profit. ISPs will now be implicitly permitted to control 1: The information we are allowed to see. 2: The communications we are allowed to send and receive. 3: The websites we are allowed to visit. They are basically allowed to control our reality beyond what we can physically see. Our connection to the greater world. I am wondering how much of the world this will affect, so much begins with the US. This net neutrality... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

To the Moon and Beyond...!

So, now he wants to make himself look all heroically future-oriented, like another Kennedy, and send us to the Moon and to Mars beyond... How he will do this in a nation of uneducated, science-resisting, knowledge-despising citizens, I can't imagine. Does he think it can be bought, that money alone will accomplish it? President Kennedy had a nation already involved in the race to Space, had a nation of students focusing on the sciences since the Russians put Sputnik into orbit in 1957, five... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, November 30, 2017

The weaponizing of religion

Islamic, Christian, Judaism... any religion by any name: When religious dogma is used to justify making war, whether openly or through terrorism, it departs from holiness and becomes nothing but power-seeking born out of human fears and greeds. When religion becomes an excuse to condemn and tear down non-conforming lives and life choices, it loses all connection with God or Godliness. When anyone anywhere declares that they know what God thinks, what is the Divine Will, the Divine Intent, they... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

The Trump Agenda

It is pretty evident that Trump's agenda is to reserve the US for white supremacists. It begins with the denial of entry to people of color, with the ejection of any person of color who can be ejected as laws stand now, and the elimination of people of color by police and prison. But it won't end there. Next will be those who protest the agenda of white supremacy, and sooner or later those who won't join the Party which is arising under his protection and encouragement. Meanwhile, education in... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Consequences and Corrections

In a few years, when a rational government takes back the goodies this administration is so blithely handing out to its buddies, those 'buddies' who survive will pay through the nose, giving it all back. Those who make the most money off insane exploitations of the Earth will be spending the most in restoring; Those who do the most damage that can't be undone will be paying through the nose in reparations. They will all be the greatest losers in history, and remembered only for their stupidity,... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, November 17, 2017

mysogynistic behavior vs actual mysogyny

A key factor here in this whole confrontation with past sins is that just about everyone has done something equally stupid and inappropriate over their years, especially in times when appropriateness was not considered as it should have been. Some of these are events which likely passed barely noticed by anyone but the victim, because at that time, it was all sheltered under the cover of 'normalcy.' In fact, even the victims' silence was in part due to this 'normalcy' that was part of the wrong,... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Non-coup in Zimbabwe

Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe since the 80s, is much in the habit of being in charge. At 92, he resists giving that up. His wife Grace wants to know why, being his wife, she should not also be Vice-President, replacing the man Robert just fired. There is a difference escaping the notice of many around the world today, between 'governing' and 'ruling.' Our own President seems not to make the distinction. Grace Mugabe is clearly confused. It is the difference between a president and a king,... Sign in to see full entry.

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