Open Thread – Tues 4 Jan 2022


The Rape of Europa, Francisco de Goya, 1772

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

4.2K Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
January 10, 2022 7:53 am

Horses are the most beautiful, svelte creatures on earth

That is so. They are almost semi-worshipped in France’s wild Camargue country, where a special group of inherited ‘guardians’ take care of the wild palamino cream/white horses there. Wonderful footage of them bounding through waves and over rolling hillsides is available online and I’ve seen it in cinemas.

Mysterious. There is also a demon Bull God who appears in the fogs of the Camargue. Gypsies regularly frequent the town of Saintes-Maries de La Mer, to worship the Black Madonna in the crypt of the Fortress Church there, said to be the place where Mary Magdalene first put foot in France with some others called Mary and her servant girl Sarah. If you wonder why the diminutive of Sarah is Sally, I’d suggest a linguistic transference at work, one that also explains the Black Madonna cults.

Gypsies come originally from India, and I suspect they brought with them some worship of Kali, the Black Goddess, noted in particular as the goddess of The Assassins, a wandering and feared people. Hence the Black Madonna of the Gypsies, in the crypt not really in the church, is in origin, I theorise, really Kali. She is called by a biblical name of Sarah, Mary Magdalene’s maidservant, in the mythology about the Magdalene’s arrival in France. This is not a theory I have ever seen anyone else think of, but I do see it as fairly explanatory of the Black Madonna cult’s origins. The link with the Camargue town and the Gypsy presence and its semi-pagan treatment there makes this explanation particularly enticing.

calli
calli
January 10, 2022 7:53 am

The A is in a friend’s garage, if I remember Arky’s description correctly.

Like my quilts, it would have been the first thing out after humans, pets and photos. It’s the loss of the tools I feel most sorry for. Some of them will have real sentimental value. The Men’s Shed get all sorts of bequests from estates and plenty of double-ups. He may be able to source quality replacements there. Markets are also a possibility.

calli
calli
January 10, 2022 7:54 am

Anyway – new week, fresh thread =>

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
January 10, 2022 7:56 am

Kali readily becomes Sali, and thus Sarah’s diminutive is Salli/Sally. Religous syncretism.
I really should get back to writing up some of this stuff.

Better than stirring up by my mere presence the poppy-cutters here.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
January 10, 2022 7:57 am

Yeay. New fred. Always a fresh start. lol.

Boambee John
Boambee John
January 10, 2022 8:05 am

Dick ‘Ed

Add in an armed Cop with Shoot to Kill Orders and a coupla teams will vax an entire suburb in a fortnite.

Even the corrupted Vicco judicial system might find difficulty swallowing a defence of “I shot her because she was resisting injection with a vaccine of dubious effectiveness Your Honour. It was to save her life Your Honour”.

Get your hand off it Dick.

bespoke
bespoke
January 10, 2022 8:37 am

There are many people here that have achieved and experienced more then you, L that don’t attract that same reaction. You should consider what other don’t do other instead of seeking flimsy excuses.

====

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
January 10, 2022 10:02 am

Australia commits to $3.5 billion tank purchase from the US
Anthony Galloway
By Anthony Galloway
January 10, 2022 — 5.00am

Australia has locked in its purchase of more than 120 tanks and other armoured vehicles from the United States, at a cost of $3.5 billion, as part of a major upgrade of the army’s fleet.

The commitment to buy 75 M1A2 main battle tanks indicates the government is committed to an advanced fleet of armoured vehicles despite the focus in recent years being on other major acquisitions such as submarines, jet fighters and long-range missiles amid the rise of China.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton will confirm the upgrade on Monday after the US government approved the potential purchase last year.

The tanks will replace the army’s 59 abrams M1A1s, which were bought in 2007 but have not seen combat.

South Korean president says his visit has ‘nothing to do with our position over China’

Australia will also commit to 29 assault breacher vehicles, which are used to clear mines and explosives, as well as 17 joint assault bridge vehicles and an additional six armoured recovery vehicles.

“Teamed with the infantry fighting vehicle, combat engineering vehicles, and self-propelled howitzers, the new abrams will give our soldiers the best possibility of success and protection from harm,” Mr Dutton said.

“The M1A2 abrams will incorporate the latest developments in Australian sovereign defence capabilities, including command, control, communications, computers and intelligence systems, and benefit from the intended manufacture of tank ammunition in Australia.

“The introduction of the new M1A2 vehicles will take advantage of the existing support infrastructure, with significant investment in Australian industry continuing in the areas of sustainment, simulation and training.”

The purchase has ignited debate in defence circles about the utility of tanks, with some national security experts arguing that heavy armoured vehicles would not be needed in a maritime and air conflict with a major power such as China.

Australia has not deployed a tank in combat since the Vietnam War.

twostix
twostix
January 10, 2022 3:53 pm

Unvaccinated Covid Control Group checking in.

I don’t like posting this because it makes it sound like this is all much more serious that it is, just by posting it. But there’s little info and much lies about all this for unvaccinated people and there’s a little bit of concern when it arrives, so to counter-balance the media hysteria I’ll post.

“Covid” has gone through two sides of my family last week. Whatever is going around, it is very contagious and flew right through my whole family in a week thanks to all the christmas / new year mingling.

Eleven of us are unvaccinated, seven adults and four children. Four are vaccinated – all adults.

It’s a weird cold / light flu. Some get a headache for a day, some were in bed for a few days with aches, sore throat and mild fever, upset stomachs in a couple. Fatigue for a few days after. I personally had a mild fever for a day and that was it, no bed needed. There was never a moment of concern during the illness for anyone, all chests were always clear, breathing was completely unaffected.

We’re all still alive, even the person who takes immune suppressing drugs. I think in total four ended up in bed for a few days, nothing serious, the fatigue demanded sleep for them. A bit of a weird one, but regular panadol easily cut through the ‘worst’ of the sore throat and aches and pains.

The two very youngest got absolutely no symptoms at all. One vaccinated person – a girlfriend outside the family ended up in bed for a few days.

A common thing to hear from vaxxies and unvaccinated who got a light touch of it is “It felt like the day before you get come down with a cold” – just general malaise then a good sleep and you wake up good. You may feel the malaise come back a few days later then go again. But generally feel fine.

So there’s that. Eleven unvaccinated people, now with covid immunity. Not sure about the vaxxies and whatever the hell happens to them and immunity but hopefully that’s the same. And not a hospital bed taken up by anyone.

3/10 on the flu scale.

rosie
rosie
January 10, 2022 4:47 pm

Black Madonnas found in Europe in many cases have had a colour change from candles.
Where they haven’t, depicting Christ’s mother as the same skin colour as the faithful is a worldwide phenomenon.

As for gypsies they adopt the local religions, if the Muslim ones in the Middle East have a Kali your theory might have legs otherwise, snort.
st Sarah de kali has zip to do with Black Madonnas

rosie
rosie
January 10, 2022 4:48 pm

Omicron is generally a highly contagious but mild illness.
News at eleven.

rosie
rosie
January 10, 2022 5:09 pm

Gypsies didn’t arrive in Europe until between 800 and 1000 after Christ.
Seems more like St Sarah was adopted as a patron, more recently, out of a shared common belief that they were Egyptians, like Sarah.

Rockdoctor
Rockdoctor
January 10, 2022 6:43 pm

ZK2A, mate tells me Defence is one of those areas that empires are voraciously built and guarded. Apparently the maritime faction are screaming for more resources, ships etc and worried about losing most favoured status. I’d say that’s why they are squealing.

As for more tanks in our country, makes sense as a deterrent. However we should be keeping the older variants and upskilling the reserve boys on them… Same with the M113’s when they are replaced, back to the ARes Cav units.

1 20 21 22
  1. Thanks to Roger yesterday for providing link to location of today’s “Brisbane” 7 October remembrance event. Location is 200km north…

  2. We’ve never had a war on home soil. Never had to defend ourselves. Although great its also problematic to get…

  3. Ned Kelly has signalled a bit of rebellion in Australia’s history especially those who have held Irish heritage. This image…

  4. as the series shows they got lots of fan mail inside So did Charles Manson. This illustrates – amply -…

4.2K
0
Oh, you think that, do you? Care to put it on record?x
()
x