DAILY PHOTO: Shivajinagar by Night, Bangalore
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PROMPT: Physical Exercise
What is your favorite form of physical exercise?
I’m a big fan of them all. I like to move it, move it.
Each in its time.
Though the less special equipment I need access to, the better. I’m a firm believer that one needs only the body and mind to keep a fit body. It’s all a matter of how, how often, how intensely, and how safely one moves one’s body. Gadgety fitness can become too fetishist, and not build integration of the body as much as is ideal.
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DAILY PHOTO: Diwali Night, Agartala
PROMPT: Moon
Nothing. My philosophy is that if I need technology to function flawlessly every second to keep me alive, I don’t need to be in that place.
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Duck Raft [Haiku]
a raft of ducks
glides as a dense pack --
then one goes solo.
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Sunrise Fisher [Haiku]
weary fisherman
paddles sunrise-tinged lake
to cast nets.
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DAILY PHOTO: Gedu Mia Mosque, Agartala
BOOK: “Tell My Horse” by Zora Neale Hurston
Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica by Zora Neale HurstonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Author’s Book Site — Zora Neale Hurston Trust
This is a beautifully written and fascinating look at Jamaica, Haiti, Voodoo, Zombies, and the sinews that run between them. The first half of the book reads largely like a travelogue of, and introduction to, Jamaica and Haiti, respectively. In this half, Voodoo is only mentioned here and there as an aside. There is much more discussion of culture, race, and politics, notably the disheartening politics of Haiti. (I should point out for those unfamiliar with Harlem Renaissance figures, this book dates to the 1930’s — so current affairs are not addressed, but — unfortunately — Haiti has a long history of troubles.) The second half of the book delves much more intensely into Voodoo and the supernormal happenings broadly connected to it. Hurston’s exploration is neither as a tried-and-true believer, nor as a hardcore sceptic; rather she takes a more journalistic objectivity.
The language of this book is splendid, and Hurston produces many a quotable line. It is true that the subject matter, Voodoo, is extremely compelling, but this book is more than just a collection of tales of magic, superstition, and the weird. It also offers depth of insight into the cultures of these countries and their peoples. Hurston frequently mentions the differences between classes on the matter of Voodoo, the upper-class rejecting it as mere superstition and the lower classes often engaging with it as a way of life.
I’d highly recommend this book, not only for those interested in learning more about Caribbean Voodoo practices, but also for travelers with an intense curiosity about culture.
View all my reviews
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PROMPT: Alternative Career Path
What alternative career paths have you considered or are interested in?
At this point, it would need to be something AI / robots won’t possibly be able to do better, faster, cheaper in the near term. This leaves jobs for which one’s humanity is a central part of the job. Unfortunately, I suck at many aspects of being a human. Maybe I’ll become a robot and beat them at their own game.
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Hermit’s Face [Haiku]
hermit's face forms
amid river ripples:
fades like dream remnant.
