Definition on compelling content on Twitter

Question from Darren Rowse (@problogger on Twitter): What is Compelling Content to You?

My answer on july 27th, 2009:

At first I think “compelling content” is highly personal. Dependent on mood, balance between work and sparetime, situation at home and the way you think, feel and act in life (e.g. Maslows hierarchy of needs).

What’s NOT compelling? RT too much newsfeeder kind of stuff.

Compelling?

1. Things that make me think and reconsider my points of views in life, concerning history or the “others” in general.

2. New killer app kind of stuff.

3. Pointing at interesting people (not necessary twitters). To be a guide in the world with all it’s wonders and triviality.

4. Max of 6 tweets a day!

Epicurus on happiness: escape from hunger, thirst and cold

Epicurus: "The cry of the flesh bids us escape from hunger, thirst, and cold; for he who is free of these and expects to remain so might vie in happiness even with Zeus."

This quote of Epicurus (341-270 BCE) is my favourite definition on happiness. Simple. Easy. It's something all of us (better: I) sometimes seem to forget.

Anyone read 'The Pursuit of Happiness' by Darrin McMahon? Why should you? Because it tells all of us that the definition on "being happy" changed a few times through history. It's only a definition, it's not a natural law of the human species.

Question: What's your definition of happiness?

Kate Bush. Mystic on 'Aerial'. Invitation to be nondualistic

To be honest - I always feel a bit uncomfortable sharing this side of me - I think Kate Bush is a mystic. Someone who knows by direct experience that the world is 1 and nondualistic.

When I listen to her CD 'Aerial' and look at the booklet and CD-itself I know she is a mystic. Why? Because every song is an invitation to us to look and see that the world is not (a) black or (b) white but ... something in between.

DETAILS

(a) CD - SEA OF HONEY

1. King of the mountain. Elvis (a) dead or (b) alive.

2. Pi. Putting (a) a number to it every time or (b) infinity.

3. Bertie. ?

4. Mrs Bartolozzi. Your (a) shirt on washing line or the (b) real you.

5. How to be invisible. (a) Visible or (b) being invisible.

6. Joanni. Joan of Arc (a) married woman or (b) god inspired woman with no ring on her finger; who is that girl? (a2) Joan of Arc in song or (b2) Kate Bush in picture.

7. A coral room. (a) Above the water or (b) underwater; Bermuda traingle (a1) crashed planes and everybody drowned or (b2) living underwater in a different world.

(b) CD - SKY OF HONEY

1. Prelude. Songs of birds that sounds like (a) soundwaves or (b) words.

2. Prologue. ?

3. An architect's dream. (a) Accident/ mistake in a painting that becomes the (b) best mistake.

4. The painter's link. (a) Painting that runs beause of the rain and becomes (b) wonderful sunset.

5. Sunset. (a) Sea or (b) Sky of honey.

6. Aerial. (a) Song of a blackbird or (b) is he/ she talking.

7. Somewhere in between. In between (a1) talk about what happened to 'we' or (b1) be silent about it; (a2) day or (b2) night; (a3) waxing or (b3) waning wave; (a4) singing a song or (b4) what the silence says; etc sleep-waking up, breathing in or out, night-morning.

8. Nocturn. (a) sea or (b) sky; (a2) dreaming or (b2) waking.

9. Aerial tal. I can't (a) hear a word you're (b) saying in your language.

BOOKLET
In the booklet the boat named 'Aerial' is literally in between the lyrics of (a) Sea of honey and (b) Sky of honey.

CD itself
When you look at the cover of the CD itself  (a) picture of cloths on a washing line. When the CD starts the picture becomes (b) one white dot as if it's in a washing machine.

Somewhere in between: invitation to be nondualistic
Well ... lots of duo's. Lots of things that seem black or white at first site but that become something in between when you "..." For me the key to the 'Aerial' CD is the song 'Somewhere in between'. "We" stand on the top of the highest hill and there we had "...". The 3 dot's represent enlightenment, a direct experience of unity or oneness of the world. The 3 dot's represent "that" what cannot be expressed in words. "That" what we should be silent about. "That" what is so beautiful. What does all that mean to us (better: me). What do you feel when you put your hand over the side of the boat (named 'aerial'), when you are literally in between the sky and under water? Then you are living your life in a boat. You can fly into the sky. You can dive into the sea. Whatever you do it's OK. Live life!

For me new. KT with 'This woman's work'

More on Kate Bush.

Today I checked out katebushnews and wikipedia concerning KT. I'm overwhelmed by all the details, all the links etc. Lots of songs I never heard of. So much I never read before and never realized before. There is a whole universe behind the music I listen to now and then. A world of "fans" who like this or that, who are hungry for an answer of their hero or goddess, who live in a world where Kate is the alpha and omega of the universe.

Well all that's my observation. It's the world of the "others". It's OK!

How about me? I'm hungry too but only for a while. Just lurking a bit. Listen to KT music. Feel and observe what it does to my emotions and thoughts. I loved this song: This Woman's Work. Never heard (of) before. I'm so greatfull of having found this! Thank you!

Venice: beauty born from death, greed and triviality

Translation from dutch into english of article 'Death in Venice' by Louise Fresco. Source: NRC Handelsblad 21-07-2009, page 7.

Death in Venice

(...) At the height of the epidemic, in 1576, the then Doge promised that there would be a church built in honor of Christ the Savior, Il Redentore, on the island of La Giudecca. (...) We can not imagine how bad the plague has been. The disease, which by trade ships from the Far East was brought and spread throughout Europe, was alone in Venice more than 50,000 casualties in less than two years. In total, one third of the population of the city wiped out. (...) Our civilization is like a Gothic church before the girders were invented: beautiful but inherently fragile, threatened, but not hopeless. Not over-estimate and artistic pretensions to great civilizations, but technically perseverance. In the light of the unknown future, common sense and foresight ultimately our best option. And thus we can estimate the value of Venice: beauty born from death, greed and triviality.

Music "fan": Kate was my first

Well ... what to say? I love music. It makes me laugh, smile and gives me tears. Only sometimes. Most of the time it just blows away ... while living my life. I love lots of music. My first love in music was Kate Bush. How I loved her when I heard her first two elpees when I was 16 or 17. I can't remember which songs I liked best back then. Now I like 'Symphony in blue' and 'Feel it'  best.

I'm not a "fan"! I grew up together with her. I love(d) her voice. Some emotions and lines of her became mine too. Did I got them from her or did I find the emotions underneath it myself living my life? I can't tell anymore. Most important: does it really care? I love and loved her because what she gave. I'm very very gratefull. Music? Life is more than music on a CD - thanks to Ana Carolina.