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Walking on foot brings you down to the very stark, naked core of existence. We travel too much in airplanes and cars. It’s an existential quality that we are losing. It’s almost like a credo of religion that we should walk.
There is, of course, something inherently romantic—if not heroic—about the extreme solitary explorer enveloped by nature. The very image of Herzog on foot recalls the iconic 19th-century paintings of Caspar David Friedrich, especially his Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, with its lone figure staring out at the wide vista above the clouds.
'Truth itself wanders through the forests,' Herzog writes near the end. Yet here he embroiders his memories for effect: The vast swath of geography between Munich and Paris is littered with industrial towns and cities.
Once he comes out on the other end, traversing the deforested Champs-Élysées (“We were close to what they call the breath of danger”), Herzog emerges victorious.
― Of Walking in Ice: (Munich-Paris, 23 November–14 December 1974)
by Werner Herzog
020
FORTUNE Brainstorm Health 2022
Los Angeles, CA
Wednesday, May 11th, 2022
9:15 AM
EXISTENTIAL THREATS: PREPARING FOR THE NEXT GLOBAL HEALTH CRISIS
In a hyperconnected world rife with virulent pathogens, preparedness is our best defense. After Ebola roared through West Africa and the novel coronavirus brought the world to its knees, the most pressing question for the safety of the global population is this: What have we learned—and how can we better prepare for the next hyper-contagious disease?
Dr. Sandro Galea, Dean and Robert A. Knox Professor, Boston University School of Public Health
Dr. Angela Rasmussen, Virologist, Department of Vaccine and Infectious Disease, University of Saskatchewan
Moderator: Clifton Leaf, Former FORTUNE Editor-in-Chief and Founder, Fortune Brainstorm Health
Photograph by Stuart Isett/Fortune
Recently, I've had a slight existential crisis. I used to paint a lot - in fact, it used to be my job.
But now I have a very different job, and though I do love what I do, things have been crazy busy for so, so long now. I've barely painted in months. Dolls and sewing are a bit easier - I do bits on the train in the morning, or in an hour or two in the evening. Painting takes more commitment, though; I hate leaving a picture in a state that I'm not happy with, and sometimes this means I will paint until 5am, and it's in a state I can accept. Obviously, that's not really compatible with a full-time job and a vile commute.
It was making me a bit sad, though, that I wasn't painting; it was like I'd abandoned this really important part of myself. I've still been drawing a lot though, and I actually think my ability to draw from life has improved. So I decided to test myself with a little painting. This is pretty small, about 15 x 20cm, I think, and I've been trying to work directly from life - just me and the mirror, with no photographic reference. It went through an inevitable 'ugh' phase, but I quite like where this is heading. Got an awful crick in the neck from looking sideways for three straight hours, though.
Fingers crossed for more painting time in the months ahead...
Walking on foot brings you down to the very stark, naked core of existence. We travel too much in airplanes and cars. It’s an existential quality that we are losing. It’s almost like a credo of religion that we should walk.
There is, of course, something inherently romantic—if not heroic—about the extreme solitary explorer enveloped by nature. The very image of Herzog on foot recalls the iconic 19th-century paintings of Caspar David Friedrich, especially his Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, with its lone figure staring out at the wide vista above the clouds.
'Truth itself wanders through the forests,' Herzog writes near the end. Yet here he embroiders his memories for effect: The vast swath of geography between Munich and Paris is littered with industrial towns and cities.
Once he comes out on the other end, traversing the deforested Champs-Élysées (“We were close to what they call the breath of danger”), Herzog emerges victorious.
― Of Walking in Ice: (Munich-Paris, 23 November–14 December 1974)
by Werner Herzog
Thanks to Käty Tarkpea for alerting me to this border curiosity
Valga, or Valka as it is known in Latvia, has more than its fair share of existential challenges. Between 1298 and 1558 it was invaded and burnt to the ground or destroyed six times. It has been colonized or occupied by Sweden and then Russia and Germany twice. Finally, from at least 1920, the town was split into two pieces and divided between Latvia and Estonia. The fences and border gates finally came down in 2009 but the town remains divided by two very different languages, one Nordic and similar to Finnish, the other one of only two still-spoken Baltic languages. As a result it is hard for people from the two sides of town to communicate and Russian is often used as the common language for those that speak it.
As with several other strange or disputed borders in this set, the people of Estonia and Latvia have a Brit to thank for the border running down the middle of their town. In 1920, Colonel S. G. Tallents helped lay out the border with most of the town going to Estonia with the exception of the area surrounding Lugazi Square.
As with other strange borders, the town's unique history has now made it something of a tourist attraction. The Visit Estonia website asks, "Where else could you stand, one foot in one country, holding “jäätis” (ice cream in Estonian) in your left hand and other foot in another country, holding “saldejums” (ice cream in Latvian) in your right hand?"
Sources:
Google Maps
geosite.jankrogh.com/borders/valga_valka.htm
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valga,_Estonia
www.visitestonia.com/en/holiday-destinations-in-estonia/c...
The more I learn about myself, the more I fear myself. I’m told I should remain neutral. A Switzerland of the mind.
Quand novembre s’installe en moi
élagueur des forêts internes
me serrant la gorge comme une asphyxie
d’où me vient ce songe au milieu de la nuit…
Au détour des pages d’un livre rêvé
des annotations de ta main me reviennent
ce sentiment étrange d’une vie dévastée
que j’aurais vécue sans être jamais mienne.
De ma face il dérobe l’air vital
me plonge dans l’effroi
ignorant mon mépris
des regrets et consciences vaines.
Alors, dans un éclair de fausse lucidité
m’apparaît la vacuité de mon existence même
Il faut le pouvoir du jour
à mon nez le baume du tigre
à mon cerveau le café
pour que la vie lentement me revienne.
Enfin, l’angoisse fermant la porte
me laisse la force paradoxale
de ceux qui ont aimé d’amour
une femme aujourd’hui morte
et la clarté qu’une fenêtre apporte.
Zébulon rouge
John Barth - End of the Road
Avon Books T-481, 1960
Cover Artist: unknown
"A savagely candid novel of marriage and infidelity among the moderns..."
APRIL 13, 2023 WASHINGTON DC. WORLD BANK GROUP/ INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND 2023 SPRING MEETINGS.
Accelerating Development in an Age of Global Crisis
The existential threat of climate change, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, persistent high inflation and increased fragility have injected volatility and uncertainty into the global economy – a reality that may continue for a while. The panel of speakers explore central questions around what it will take to address some of the most critical issues of our time including climate change, food insecurity, pandemics, and increasing fragility and poverty.
Axel van Trotsenburg, Senior Managing Director, Development Policy and Partnerships, World Bank Group; Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations; José Antonio Ocampo, Minister of Finance and Public Credit, Colombia; Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Morocco; Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, Acting Director, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Daniel Zelikow, Chair of the Governing Board, Development Finance Institution, J.P. Morgan. Photo: World Bank / Simone D. McCourtie
Gilbert Garcin – deeply original and poetic surreal photo montages; instantly recognizable, a blend of philosophical humor, existential inquiry, and minimalist composition.
His owners are wandering the streets of Highgate, crying out "Why! Why!" Please keep an eye out for the poor little thing.
Ardente avocate de l’existentialisme, elle soulève des questionnements afin de trouver un sens à la vie dans l’absurdité d’un monde dans lequel nous n’avons pas choisi de naître. Associée à celle de Sartre, son œuvre s’en différencie dans la mesure où elle aborde le caractère concret des problèmes, préférant une réflexion directe et ininterrompue sur le vécu.
The expressions on these Highland cattle are a masterclass in stoic bewilderment. They appear to be caught in a state of quiet, existential contemplation, peering at the grill with a mix of mild curiosity and a heavy, unspoken realization. There is no outward anger - just a deep, shaggy-haired confusion as they process the sensory overlap of the lush green pasture they call home and the savory, familiar-yet-foreign aroma wafting from the wooden BBQ. They look less like they’re ready for dinner and more like they’re reconsidering their life choices.
To be blunt, letting them see the BBQ is probably a bit "medium-rare" on the scale of good ideas. While cattle aren't exactly known for their deep understanding of human culinary arts, the visual irony here is undeniably macabre. It’s the ultimate social faux pas - like inviting a computer to watch a hardware recycling plant. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, it creates a vibe that is less "peaceful afternoon in the meadow" and more "grim foreshadowing," making for a scene that is as hilariously awkward as it is slightly dark.
Ultimately, this image captures the bizarre logic that only AI can produce, where the majesty of nature meets the stark reality of the food chain in the most literal way possible. While the cattle themselves seem relatively chill about the whole ordeal, the scene serves as a tongue-in-cheek reminder of the disconnect between the pasture and the plate. For the sake of the cows' peace of mind - and to keep the mood of the picnic a bit lighter - it’s probably best to keep the livestock and the grill in separate zip codes next time.
To walk through the American West half-Chinese, half American dressed in rags with a floppy hat and a bedroll is the dream of the Kung-Fu Wanna Be. But he can't pursue his wanderlust because he's "addicted to his paycheck"* and must return to the office soon.
*I found this concept online and am trying to resurrect the source for you. Delete Comment
Contemplating the meaning of life, and other important questions. Chitabe/Chobe in Okavango Delta, Botswana. July, 2015. Unedited
Gleetings. To you, personally. I mean that most sincerely.
Well, so, Superman has got Existential Ennui real bad, and he calls in Svenpsychiatrist Troll for guidance.
You see, being a mild mannered junior reporter is quite boring and not at all rock and roll, which is what Superman longs for, in his water and his bones.
"It is all in the hair, my lad !" suggests Svenpsychiatrist.
"You mean...my cow-lick ?"
"Exactly that !"
"I am...the spiritual heir of..of...Elvis !"
"Warm, warm..."
"Little RICHARD ! Oh, wow, oh,.."
"Think of..shooting stars...in the night sky.."
Yes, Superman will have two secret identities, and will report faithfully on world affairs during the day, but at night...go, cat, go.
Deep in his heart of hearts Svenpsychiatrist longs to sing French chansons in a strangely masculine voice in a lounge, not necessarily in France, mind, and he cries himself to sleep, wishing, and hoping.
Well, that's the way the croissant crumbles, life's a minestrone after all.
Walk Tall !
OP-ED
Commemorating World TB Day 2022
Dr Ghulam Nabi Kazi
MARCH 23, 2022
World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is here again to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the discovery of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis as TB’s causative agent by Heinrich Hermann Robert Koch. Having been associated with the program in Pakistan since 1998 or 1999 when we seriously initiated an inter-provincial dialogue on the need for a proper mechanism to adopt the World Health Organization’s DOTS strategy, this may be an excellent time to recount the successes and challenges that TB control programs have encountered in nearly a quarter-century. But let us take a broader view of things.
Neither Robert Koch nor those who invented the appropriate drugs and/or diagnostics replicable on national scales would be happy had they been alive to see the disease still prospering today in developing countries. The reasons for these are multifarious – some are fragile states with weak health systems, others have existential threats, some have not prioritized TB as a major health threat, but they all have one thing in common; they are not spending enough to control or eliminate the disease. As a result, multi-drug resistant strains of TB are appearing in the richest nations with the strongest health systems. But let me add that the emergence of COVID-19 has revealed that no health system in the world is really strong, particularly in terms of communicable disease control. The proverbial “Captain of Death,” as TB was once called, continues to wreak its havoc globally. In 2020, around 10 million, including 3.3. million women and 1.1 million children, fell ill with TB while 1.5 million died from it, many more than the new pandemic.
n Pakistan, we seem to have relied too much for too long solely on a medical solution to the social problem of TB.
Returning to Pakistan, it is fifth on the list of high-burden TB countries after India, China, Indonesia and the Philippines, with 600,000 new people getting the disease and 44,000 dying annually from it. The national and provincial programs took off in a big way from 2000 onwards and on March 24, 2001, TB was declared a national emergency. However, that sense of urgency seems to have diluted since 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a significant lowering in case notifications as well as the expenditure on controlling TB.
TB control is based on the principle of treating and curing the existing pool of persons suffering from the disease to prevent them from infecting others. Thus, we have to identify as many TB patients as possible and cure them mostly with a six-month treatment regimen. Moving towards elimination by the year 2030, Pakistan will also need to provide preventive treatment to a sizable proportion (30-40 per cent) of its population, estimated to have latent TB without symptoms, to prevent them from developing active TB. While there are more than 5,200 public sector health centres providing free TB diagnostic care for 2 decades, we are yet missing 200,000 cases annually due to which the disease incidence is not lowering, despite significant investment from the government and donors, particularly the Global Fund, USAID, WHO and the Stop TB Partnership.
This year’s World TB Day comes around 8 months before the United Nations will review the progress of countries in controlling TB following the powerful 2018 declaration and has the theme: “Invest to End TB. Save Lives.” The message is clear. We have to look beyond COVID-19 and spend more money to control the more deadly pandemic of TB that has haunted us since pre-historic times.
In Pakistan, it seems we have relied too much for too long solely on a medical solution to the social problem of TB, which requires a human rights-based TB response, supported, of course, by good clinical practices. We must bring about a paradigm shift to focus more on the people affected by TB and not just their medical problems. TB is a disease of poverty that is known to perpetuate poverty further. Just the way, the constitution of the WHO calls for attaining the highest standards of health for the entire world population, it is imperative to adopt a rights-based approach that is more gender-sensitive and leverages existing national laws including the right to health, non-discrimination, privacy & confidentiality, information and liberty. This will, in turn, transform the TB response to be more equitable and people-centred making it necessary to target those most at-risk for TB whether due to their social status, peripheral locations or occupational hazards.
More importantly, we have to eliminate the discrimination, which stems from the stigma attached to TB, which is known to be widespread and impinging on employment, education, housing, and even family relations. As pointed out by the President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi at the TB summit on the 18th January 2022, it is this very stigma and discrimination that leads to delayed diagnosis and treatment initiation. The President and First Lady are personally leading the fight against Tuberculosis and Breast Cancer, respectively by reducing the stigma attached to both conditions.
It is also widely known that while fewer women contract TB, they disproportionately bear the brunt of it in terms of personal relationships and diminished social status. Our health facilities may also be failing to provide the right to privacy & confidentiality in avoiding disclosures of personal health information. Although laws in Pakistan safeguard this right, our socio-cultural fabric tends to violate it. Then the right to liberty does not permit us to confine people with TB but rather treat them in domiciliary settings with the necessary precautions. Marginalized groups including the homeless, nomads, refugees, IDPs, migrants, minorities and people with mental health issues often require special attention for their specific needs.
In case Pakistan’s provincial TB programs can incorporate this missing link in their care protocols, we can accelerate the elimination of this disease much more rapidly and hopefully by the targeted date of 2030. It will entail a lot of empathy, adherence to laws, enhanced efforts for better diagnostics and treatment choices, with sharing of human suffering and pain, yet it is a goal we simply have to achieve!
The writer is a senior public health specialist and Editor in Chief of Public Health Action.
It's been a good while since we've treated you to another exciting instalment of 'Other People's Graffiti' so here it goes. As graffiti goes I think this one is quite special as it just goes to show how creative kids can be if you give them a bit of chalk. It would seem most kids have gone for flowers and the like but one rebellious little tyke has gone straight for lettering and next levelled it with 'help i'm trapped'. Aren't we all. If he recognises the existential pain of existence at that age he'll make a great artist...
Cheers
id-iom
One to a common existential question for example
But who will comfort me ?
"My soul is a weary
And beaten down from ...
All my misery
Ah lord ...
who will comfort me ? "
Charité bien ordonnée
Commence par soi meme ...
Well organized charity
Begins with one self ...
It would so appear
:-)
g
Stukely Sud
Québec
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvA30b901Uo&playnext=1&li...
Who will comfort me - Melody Gardot ( live at Abbey Road 2009 )
This is a reference to Henri the Existential Cat. Ever since I met Henri last week, I have been looking at Jester to see if he could look as melancholy as Henri, being an almost black cat. Also, I was thinking that Henri's misery might be a projection triggered by the dolorous French narration and music. But no, Jester is a calm and serene character with not a miserable bone in his body.
If you like cats, or even if you don't, you've got to meet Henri:
- Henri 1
- Henri 2
- Henri 3.
Taken with iPhone 4S.
This costume seemed to cause an existential crisis in Matt. He simiply looked at it and I think said "he's won". And walked away.
APRIL 13, 2023 WASHINGTON DC. WORLD BANK GROUP/ INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND 2023 SPRING MEETINGS.
Accelerating Development in an Age of Global Crisis
The existential threat of climate change, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, persistent high inflation and increased fragility have injected volatility and uncertainty into the global economy – a reality that may continue for a while. The panel of speakers explore central questions around what it will take to address some of the most critical issues of our time including climate change, food insecurity, pandemics, and increasing fragility and poverty.
Axel van Trotsenburg, Senior Managing Director, Development Policy and Partnerships, World Bank Group; Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations; José Antonio Ocampo, Minister of Finance and Public Credit, Colombia; Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Morocco; Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, Acting Director, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Daniel Zelikow, Chair of the Governing Board, Development Finance Institution, J.P. Morgan. Photo: World Bank / Simone D. McCourtie
Walking on foot brings you down to the very stark, naked core of existence. We travel too much in airplanes and cars. It’s an existential quality that we are losing. It’s almost like a credo of religion that we should walk.
There is, of course, something inherently romantic—if not heroic—about the extreme solitary explorer enveloped by nature. The very image of Herzog on foot recalls the iconic 19th-century paintings of Caspar David Friedrich, especially his Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, with its lone figure staring out at the wide vista above the clouds.
'Truth itself wanders through the forests,' Herzog writes near the end. Yet here he embroiders his memories for effect: The vast swath of geography between Munich and Paris is littered with industrial towns and cities.
Once he comes out on the other end, traversing the deforested Champs-Élysées (“We were close to what they call the breath of danger”), Herzog emerges victorious.
― Of Walking in Ice: (Munich-Paris, 23 November–14 December 1974)
by Werner Herzog
I'm not sure if i've ever suffered an existential crisis on the level that this man is currently having to deal with. Sure, I've had some strange notions from time to time but this guy's desperation at his inability to tell his lovely lady that they aren't really lovers and are, in fact, just stencils is somewhat heartbreaking. Life can be tough, can't it?
It's a very different experience painting outside in winter compared to summer. It's freezing cold, wet and windy and you have to finish by 4pm as it's pitch black.
No sooner had we got our stencil up and begun applying the very expensive UV reactive white paint to the boards that the rain sweeps in and washes it all straight off. What fun.
Our idea was to paint the boards up so they'd look good in normal light but would really kick when you put UV light on them. Despite the inclement conditions we eventually prevailed. Albeit a day later than planned...
Cheers
id-iom
The more I learn about myself, the more I fear myself. I’m told I should remain neutral. A Switzerland of the mind.
Walking on foot brings you down to the very stark, naked core of existence. We travel too much in airplanes and cars. It’s an existential quality that we are losing. It’s almost like a credo of religion that we should walk.
There is, of course, something inherently romantic—if not heroic—about the extreme solitary explorer enveloped by nature. The very image of Herzog on foot recalls the iconic 19th-century paintings of Caspar David Friedrich, especially his Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, with its lone figure staring out at the wide vista above the clouds.
'Truth itself wanders through the forests,' Herzog writes near the end. Yet here he embroiders his memories for effect: The vast swath of geography between Munich and Paris is littered with industrial towns and cities.
Once he comes out on the other end, traversing the deforested Champs-Élysées (“We were close to what they call the breath of danger”), Herzog emerges victorious.
― Of Walking in Ice: (Munich-Paris, 23 November–14 December 1974)
by Werner Herzog