Jan Van Huysum 1697-1749, 'Study of a Poppy'
Friday, March 06, 2026
Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg 1925–2008 - 'Untitled' 1953 - gold leaf on fabric and glue on Masonite
Thursday, March 05, 2026
Youtube
Greetings. If you are unable to view Youtube videos on this blog, it could be for one of several reasons.
1. Blocking "Cross-Site Tracking": YouTube wants to see a Google cookie in the visitor's browser to prove they are a real person. If your blog visitors (or you) have "Block third-party cookies" enabled in browser settings, YouTube can't "see" that they are logged into Google, so it assumes they are a bot.
2. VPNs & Cloud Privacy: If you or your readers use a VPN or Apple’s "iCloud Private Relay," YouTube often flags those IP addresses as "suspicious" and blocks the embedded player.
Basically, Youtube is at war with AI and bots. They want to make sure that a real person is viewing their videos. If you have an ad blocker or one of the above settings, you're not going to be able to see the Youtube videos here. I can't view these videos on my Firefox browser for these reasons, but I can see them on my Chrome browser. I'm sorry about that.
1. Blocking "Cross-Site Tracking": YouTube wants to see a Google cookie in the visitor's browser to prove they are a real person. If your blog visitors (or you) have "Block third-party cookies" enabled in browser settings, YouTube can't "see" that they are logged into Google, so it assumes they are a bot.
2. VPNs & Cloud Privacy: If you or your readers use a VPN or Apple’s "iCloud Private Relay," YouTube often flags those IP addresses as "suspicious" and blocks the embedded player.
Basically, Youtube is at war with AI and bots. They want to make sure that a real person is viewing their videos. If you have an ad blocker or one of the above settings, you're not going to be able to see the Youtube videos here. I can't view these videos on my Firefox browser for these reasons, but I can see them on my Chrome browser. I'm sorry about that.
Oliver
'White-Eyes' by Mary Oliver
In winter
all the singing is in
the tops of the trees
where the wind-bird
with its white eyes
shoves and pushes
among the branches.
Like any of us
he wants to go to sleep,
but he's restless—
he has an idea,
and slowly it unfolds
from under his beating wings
as long as he stays awake.
But his big, round music, after all,
is too breathy to last.
So, it's over.
In the pine-crown
he makes his nest,
he's done all he can.
I don't know the name of this bird,
I only imagine his glittering beak
tucked in a white wing
while the clouds—
which he has summoned
from the north—
which he has taught
to be mild, and silent—
thicken, and begin to fall
into the world below
like stars, or the feathers
of some unimaginable bird
that loves us,
that is asleep now, and silent—
that has turned itself
into snow.
In winter
all the singing is in
the tops of the trees
where the wind-bird
with its white eyes
shoves and pushes
among the branches.
Like any of us
he wants to go to sleep,
but he's restless—
he has an idea,
and slowly it unfolds
from under his beating wings
as long as he stays awake.
But his big, round music, after all,
is too breathy to last.
So, it's over.
In the pine-crown
he makes his nest,
he's done all he can.
I don't know the name of this bird,
I only imagine his glittering beak
tucked in a white wing
while the clouds—
which he has summoned
from the north—
which he has taught
to be mild, and silent—
thicken, and begin to fall
into the world below
like stars, or the feathers
of some unimaginable bird
that loves us,
that is asleep now, and silent—
that has turned itself
into snow.
Wednesday, March 04, 2026
Rumi
'Time’s Knife' by Rumi
Time’s knife slides from the sheath, as a fish from where it swims.
Being closer and closer is the desire of the body.
Don’t wish for union.
There’s a closeness beyond that.
Fall in love in such a way that it frees you from any connecting.
Fall in love in such a way that it frees you from any connecting.
Love is the soul’s light, the taste of morning.
No me, no we, no claim of being.
These words are the smoke the fire gives off as it absolves its defects.
As eyes in silence, tears face.
Love cannot be said.”
Time’s knife slides from the sheath, as a fish from where it swims.
Being closer and closer is the desire of the body.
Don’t wish for union.
There’s a closeness beyond that.
Fall in love in such a way that it frees you from any connecting.
Fall in love in such a way that it frees you from any connecting.
Love is the soul’s light, the taste of morning.
No me, no we, no claim of being.
These words are the smoke the fire gives off as it absolves its defects.
As eyes in silence, tears face.
Love cannot be said.”
Tuesday, March 03, 2026
Shark
From AI Gemini:
Tiger sharks are famous for having the most diverse diet of any shark species. While they typically hunt fish, seals, and turtles, they are also notorious scavengers. Their stomachs have revealed a bizarre array of man-made objects, including:
- License plates and tires
- Suit armor and fur coats
- Drums and even unexploded munitions
Because of their incredibly strong stomach acid, they can digest things that would be fatal to almost any other marine creature.
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
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Cave
from Rabih Alameddine - "Bison cave painting, La grotte de Marsoulas, Haute-Garonne, Pyrénées, France possibly 20,000 years old. Discovered in 1897"
Monday, March 02, 2026
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