version

Well-known member
"Out of the trunk, the branches grow; out of them, the twigs. So, in productive subjects, grow the chapters."

-- Moby-Dick, Chapter 63: The Crotch
 

catalog

Well-known member
Good essay. It's that link from Hinduism, to Blake, to Greek myths, particularly the Minotaur story, that make it very compelling. I've just been reading about the Minotaur in FW and in Graves' White Goddess. Wanna track down the original story in its most complete form. The way he tells it, Pasiphae becomes obsessed with wanting to shag this beautiful bull. Why? Where does that kind of desire come from?

I've never read Calasso, Grapejuice is making him sound very appealing.

There's also an interesting comment about the idea of language, how for example Joyce is using it in FW, as something that is before, or more, than just communication. Or a different sort of communication. Secrets and nonsense.

And this idea around metamorphosis, actual change from one kind of physical matter to another, how its the main issue between religion and magic, its where they clash. Why does it keep coming up as something that has happened? Throughout different histories and cultures, the notion that you can turn from one thing into another, literally.

I feel like it's connected to this idea of Gods vs Poet-seers and its the main differential between them. The Gods can actually change forms, but crucially, that change can also be imagined by the Poet-seers. It happens in our heads. And what we're now doing with our screens, and what we've done throughout history with our art, is to make those changes manifest.

Cos it's a good laugh.
 

version

Well-known member
Good essay. It's that link from Hinduism, to Blake, to Greek myths, particularly the Minotaur story, that make it very compelling. I've just been reading about the Minotaur in FW and in Graves' White Goddess. Wanna track down the original story in its most complete form. The way he tells it, Pasiphae becomes obsessed with wanting to shag this beautiful bull. Why? Where does that kind of desire come from?
Borges' story from the perspective of the Minotaur's one of his best,

"What will my redeemer be like? I ask myself. Will he be a bull or a man? Will he perhaps be a bull with the face of a man? Or will he be like me?"

 
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version

Well-known member
And this idea around metamorphosis, actual change from one kind of physical matter to another, how its the main issue between religion and magic, its where they clash. Why does it keep coming up as something that has happened? Throughout different histories and cultures, the notion that you can turn from one thing into another, literally.
You ever seen or heard of that liquid armour that solidifies on impact?
 

catalog

Well-known member
No I've not.

I watched that intelligent trees documentary last night, its good.

One of the things they talk about is this idea that most tree activity is below ground, soil is composed of root fibres.

Those mulchy forest floors, they're alive. I suppose it's an obvious thought, but at the same time quite startling. It makes that aboriginal idea of living stones seem much more realistic.
 

version

Well-known member
Those mulchy forest floors, they're alive. I suppose it's an obvious thought, but at the same time quite startling. It makes that aboriginal idea of living stones seem much more realistic.
Interesting to think about re: "earthing" too, when people make a point of walking in nature in bare feet, pressing their skin to the ground.
 

catalog

Well-known member
the way they've done the visuals on that tree doc, to show the "intelligence" and "communication" is kinda interesting, sort of like an AR type vibe. A mix of styles though.

Like this one of the webs of roots under the forest floor

forestfloor.png


These two showing mushrooms in the same way - one of the points made by this German guy in the film is about how mushrooms are the "fruit" we see, but the important spore activity is underground

fungicomms.png


fungispores.png


So these are all shown as white. There's then this different blue vibe to show the communication pulses between trees.

treecomms.png


And then later on, we get red hexagons to demo the warning systems

treewarning2.png


There's also these animated diagrams, to demo trees passing nutrients to one another via the mushrooms

treefungicomms.png


And finally these "maps" showing the "intelligence" - the activity looks like brain activity or neural networks. They start by showing bluish circles over a blurred forest outline

treeneuralnets.png


Then it becomes a more abstracted image with more colours

treeneuralnets3.png


And finally

treeneuralnets2.png
 

catalog

Well-known member
The other interesting thing about that doco is that the German guy was saying how trees like to go slow, like that's their preferred method.

And the managed plantation forests are all about speed growing.
 

DLaurent

Well-known member
Not a tree but when out on the rivers I have to watch out for Giant Hogweed. If you touch it the sap can leave you with burns and inflammation for several years and will blind you if it gets in your eyes.
 

sus

Well-known member
Red sun grey sky. The aquatic stadium beautiful with lilypads, pink flowers. Food trucks with kettle corn, bubblegum, cheese curds. The way the announcer said "saws" sounded like "swords."
 
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