Facing the music...
Saturday, May 10, 2025. It's the Satyr's day . . . The weatherfeather indicates moderate Northerlies for TulseyTown, remaining today into tomorrow with mixed sun and clouds. Today mid 70's, tomorrow low 80's. A lovely Mother's Day weekend.
Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable. – Mary Oliver
What Soviet-American nuclear arms control was to world stability since the 1970s, U.S.-Chinese A.I. collaboration to make sure we effectively control the rapidly advancing A.I. systems will be for the stability of tomorrow’s world....There is a growing consensus...that full-on A.G.I. is coming faster than most anyone thought — “very soon — probably in 2026 or 2027 but possibly as soon as this year.” – Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times opinion.
Without agreed upon guard rails, such as “do no harm to living species” we could face consequences beyond even a human polymath might imagine.
Perhaps appropo on this day before Sunday, today is the birth day of theologian Karl Barth. The author of The Epistles to the Romans, he was born in 1886, Basil, Switzerland. Barth rejected the idea that the state could have power over the Church, or that the Church could have power over the true essence of Christianity.
Today is the birth day of Bel Kaufman. The 65 week NYTimes best seller for Up the Down Staircase,” was born in 1911 Berlin. In 2010, at the age of 99, she was hired as a lecturer in literature by Hunter College in NY. She died at the age of 103.
And, Hollywood's free dancing phenomenon Fred Astaire was born in 1899 Omaha, Nebraska.
I do everything he does, only backwards and in high heels – Ginger Rogers
Imagine: Peter Pan
Friday, May 9, 2025. It's Freya's day . . . Moderate Northerlies continue mixing sun and clouds over TulseyTown today. The weatherfeather says the rains have departed for the week, at least until this weekend. Low 80's are in the forecast.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. – Albert Einstein, in The Saturday Evening Post October 26, 1929.
MAGA is already pissed off at Pope Leo, one day after his selection by the Conclave, having already distinguished himself from Trump and embracing Francis' rebuke of J.D. Vance. – Heather Cox Richardson, in Letters From An American.
A subpoena for the White House? Joyce Vance thinks so in Civil Discourse.
In case you missed it: Garrison Keillor is calling out loud for Trump's impeachment. Preceding his declaration, Garrison reminded us of what “delight” and “joy” used to mean. That was only the first paragraph before stating his case as simply as possible.
“The piano man” Billy Joel turns 76 today. The singer, pianist, and songwriter was born in 1949, Bronx, New York.
And, today is the 165th birth anniversary of the creator of Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up, J.M. Barrie. The Scottish dramatist and novelist was born in 1860, Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland.
Anticipating communication with aliens is a stretch to the farthest reaches of human imagination. – Nikhil Mahan, Aeon 5.9.25.
Imagine: Putting out the fire.Pants on Fire
Right words sound wrong – Lao Tzu
How many thousands of years
have we ignored Aristotle?
Words can lie in the mouth of liars.
That's a fact, like it or not.
Calling a fact false
is just noise.
Some people don't
like the sound of rain.
They say it shouldn't be raining.
These people
never read Aristotle.
Nor Lao Tzu.
They can't imagine
putting out a fire with anything
other than gasoline.
— jab
Returning to our senses . . .
Thursday, May 8, 2025. It's Thor's day . . . Easy Northerlies are to bring a mix of sun, clouds, mid 70's and 50-50% of on/off/on rain chances to TulseyTown today.
Without memory, history's greatest crimes never happened. – Paul Ricœur, Memory, History, Forgetting, University of Chicago Press, 2004. Translated by Kathleen Blamey and David Pellauer.
David Attenborough turns 99 today. The English broadcaster, writer, and naturalist was born in 1926, London, England.
Today is VE Day, marking the end of World War II in Europe with the surrender of Germany.
Delight is a necessity, our sanity depends on it. – Garrison Keillor, The Column 5.7.25.
Describing Trees
A tree, like the rose we were told,
is a tree. But,
when it becomes a delight,
it’s not a “tree.”
It has become “light,”
which, for all intent and purpose
for a poet is rather beyond measure,
but may return us to our senses.
– jab