Log24

Monday, February 16, 2015

Witch Ball

Filed under: General — m759 @ 10:00 pm

In memory of singer-songwriter Lesley Gore,
May 2, 1946 – February 16, 2015

“Her wall is filled with pictures
— Sweet Little Sixteen

Two posts from Gore’s birthday last year:

It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to.” — Lesley Gore

Friday, May 2, 2014

From the Witch Ball

Filed under: General — Tags: , — m759 @ 7:00 pm

IMAGE- Arcade Fire to headline the 2014 Oslo 'Norwegian Wood' festival at Frognerparken

See also, in this journal, Arcade Fire and Witch Ball.

This post was suggested by remarks today of mathematician
Peter J. Cameron, who seems to enjoy playing the role of
Lord Summerisle (from The Wicker Man , a 1973 horror classic).

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Natural History

Filed under: General — m759 @ 10:10 pm

Copyrighted images, intended only for scholarly personal use.

See also Witch Ball and City of Bones .

Sunday, May 11, 2014

For the Perplexed

Filed under: General — m759 @ 9:48 pm

From a New York Times  obituary by Bruce Weber tonight—

Charles Marowitz, Director and Playwright, Dies at 82

“There are two kinds of bafflement in the theater: the kind that fascinates as it perplexes, and the kind that just perplexes,” he wrote in The Times in 1969 in an essay about Mr. Shepard’s play “La Turista,” which had recently opened in London. “If a play doesn’t make quick sense, but enters into some kind of dialogue with our subconscious, we tend to admit it to that lounge where we entertain interesting-albeit-unfamiliar strangers.

“If it only baffles, there are several courses open to us: we can assume it is ‘above our heads’ or directed ‘to some other kind of person,’ or regretfully conclude that it confuses us because it is itself confused. However, the fear of being proved wrong is so great today that almost every new work which isn’t patently drivel gets the benefit of the doubt.”

 Another play by Sam Shepard mentioned in the obituary suggests a review of…

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Gray Space

Filed under: General,Geometry — Tags: — m759 @ 9:00 am

Or: Three Shades of Gray

(Continued from previous Gray Space posts.)

Cube subdivided into 8 subcubes by planes through the center

Click the above image for some related mathematics.

Those who prefer “magic” approaches to mathematics*
may consult the works of Robert J. Stewart and his
mentor William G. Gray.

Robert J. Stewart (left) and a pentagram photo posted yesterday evening
by Oslo artist Josefine Lyche. See also Lyche in this journal.

* See the April 2014 banners displayed at the websites
of the American Mathematical Society and of  the
Mathematical Association of America, as well as
a mathematician’s remarks linked to here last evening.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Review

Filed under: General — m759 @ 7:28 am

Some background for a recent photo
by Josefine Lyche:

The Boys from Uruguay and Witch Ball.

The photo:

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Taormina Dualism

Filed under: General — m759 @ 7:23 pm

"At some point in Greek history, it was noticed that the capital upsilon—Y—
looked like a path branching left and right. The comparison, like so much
traditional material, was ascribed to the Pythagoreans, in accordance with
the dualism just mentioned; our earliest source for it, however, is as late as
the Roman poet Persius (Satires, 3.56)." 

— "The Garden of Forking Paths" in the weblog
   Varieties of Unreligious Experience, Nov. 21, 2006

Amy Adams at the Lancia Café in Taormina, Sicily, on June 15, 2013.
Adams was in Taormina for the Italian premiere of her Superman film.

See also this  journal on that date— June 15, 2013.

Posts related to the Garden of Forking Paths:  Witch Ball (Jan. 24, 2013),
Sermon for Harvard (Sept. 19, 2010), and Amy Adams + Craft.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Object Lesson

Filed under: General — Tags: , — m759 @ 7:59 pm

Suggested by yesterday's Garden Path

Commentary by Trish Mayo on a photo at Flickr:

Gazing Globe

These beautiful garden ornaments have a long history, beginning in the 13th century when they were made in Venice, Italy of hand-blown glass. They have been called by many names: Gazing Globe, Garden Globe, Witch Ball, Butler Globe and Globe of Happiness.

Legends formed about the mysterious powers of the globes. They were said to bring happiness, good luck and prosperity to those who owned it, known to ward off evil spirits, misfortune, illness and witches!

Some say the ball should be placed near the entrance to a house so that if a witch came by she would not be able to get past her reflection as she cannot tear herself away from her own image. Other accounts say a witch cannot bear to see her own reflection so she will not come near a "witch’s ball". A witch cannot sneak up on a person gazing into a globe as he can see if a witch approaches from behind. The smaller ball made of colored glass as opposed to the reflective kind was believed to attract and trap evil spirits.

Spiritually speaking, as one peers into the globe he can experience "oneness" with the universe.

The gazing globes practical purposes included being strategically placed on a path near the front entrance so that you could see when someone was coming for a visit. In Victorian times, the "Butler Ball" served as a mirror for servants to see when guests were needing assistance without staring at them throughout the meal. Another practical use was in the foyer of the home. Parents could keep a close eye on their daughter and her date as he bid her goodnight.

Today the globe is used ornamentally, allowing the whole garden, including the sky, to be viewed with one glance.

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