Oops!!! And then something like that may happen more often than expected. When I sat browsing one of my own previously published books, I found a couple of spellings or typing errors on the first page. Not liking what I saw and which I couldn't do anything about, I made an effort not to focus on those misprints, but I couldn't quite quench my embarrassment at seeing them. Luckily enough, they were not as misleading as the (above) error in The Sentinel, but I didn't like to see them as they were the embarrassing proofs that I hadn't been thorough enough in my proofreading.
Not being "born yesterday" I've experienced the days when there were no computers. Errors were even more annoying at that time, as one had to correct them on what may be several copies. The means of doing so was a sort of white correction fluid, which, as far as I remember, was called "Tipp-Ex" or something like that. Very useful, but tiresome, and not always doing what it was supposed to do, namely obliterating errors in spelling or writing. What was wanted was to make those kinds of blemished go away, to disappear, becoming non-existing proofs of failures as a typist. (Many times in life, one might look in vain for something like this "Tipp-Ex" to blot out errors of all kinds).
Oops, the day of the computer has arrived which means that now the errors are different, substantial and manifold in nature. No "Tipp-Ex" will be needed as it will make no difference. "Delete" will have to do the job, and I must say, that most often it does a good job of it, but not if it's up against one's trigger finger which somehow is connected to the "blind spot" in one's eye.
Yes, that's the new hazard: Someone is looking for errors that might as well be overlooked and forgotten. It's like setting out to catch a criminal or just pretending not to see what he/she has done. Or "don't rock the boat, if you don't appreciate being sent headlong into the filthy water". I don't think it's possible not to make errors in life, typings or not, but I shall not go hunting for them if they aren't of vital interest or impact. The Sentinel error I do find to belong in that category, but not a reasonably non-misleading spelling error, so no more hysterics over that kind of mishaps in my publishing.
What is the logic
of something like the Incel-movement which harbour feelings of extreme
misogyny "because a lot of guys can't have a woman or even get laid"?
Well, as far as I can see, there is no logic in that claim as nothing in nature caters to or is designed for the benefit of the penis and the sexual needs/demands of the male.
However, sadly enough, at some point c. 8,000 years ago, Patriarchy
came into existence with the arise and development of the agriculture.
Women,
being the more versatile gender, found a way to make the system even
work for them, but with time it became more difficult or just less
fulfilling for them. That meant that "the rules of the game" changed
from a sort of implied "contract" to free forms of a female life style
that upset what had been taken as "nature", but never was. Everything in
nature is indicating that what counts is women, and that men are
expendable, except for the upkeep of Patriarchy. That's the crux: Do
women want the Patriarchy in a modern world, and if so, then for how
long????? One generation more, two or maybe three?
All
those men who are dreaming of the women former times seem to forget
that what made it work was that they, then men, had to provide for their
families. When they extoll the women of the 1950s - which somehow seem
to be the dream girls of the incels - they forget that this presumed
wonder setting of the roles of the sexes didn't float around in a social
vacuum. On the contrary ....
What's so intriguing about the incel subcultures of today is that these young guys feel entitled
to sex and a certain way of living, and that what made them feel that
way are ideologies, not social or biological facts. They don't like the
feeling of being without what makes a man a success in the modern world,
including a sexual outlet. Beeing less than a success in what might be
called "maleness" makes them angry and even aggressive. Some/Many of
them give vent to a violent misogyny that doesn't leave out any
suggestions of what "should be done to those damn women".
As
it is, men murdering women over sex has been part of the social setting
for ages. Male sex criminals abound in shocking numbers. To some it
obviously was nothing but a game or a "sport" that gave them the feeling
of being "supermen". That being the case makes it even worse and it
will take some doing - or as I call it some "sexual exorcism" - even to
start a re-establishing of acceptable paths in our society for both
sexes.
I have to admit that I don't know much about cars, so I'm neither for nor against the electric ones. Are they too expensive to buy, and what about the upkeep? Will a car bought in 2025 hold its worth in e.g. 10 years??? Nobody seems to have a fixed answer for that question, so to me, it looks like an unsafe investment - if that's what one is after.
And what about that anti-pollution argument? After all, electricity doesn't make itself, even though many seem to think so. What LOOKS "clean" may not be what it looks.
I like the idea, but I don't trust the information about the product - which may not be fair to the producers, but that's how it is for many people who don't really know the intricacies of the car industry. Also, I admit that the very idea of someone like Elon Musk getting rich on his TESLA model even though it's reputed to have several flaws doesn't do much for my trust in either him or his car.
Tesla cars may look smart, but ....
I remember reading about the horror of ordinary people when the first cars were launched, and they saw them move without horses. We may laugh at those people, but are they difficult to understand? I don't think so.
No horses, no anything - sheer (demonic) MAGIC!!!!
For fifty years, China was in fact led by a truly remarkable woman, namely Cixi (1835-1908). She was born a noblewoman, who became one of the Xianfeng emperor’s low-ranking concubines. However, after giving birth to the emperor's only son, the Tongzhi emperor (reigned 1861-1875), in 1856 and adopted mother of the Guangxu emperor (reigned 1875-1908) she attained an impressive power together with the Xianfeng’s former senior consort, Ci'an. The two of them orchestrated a coup with Kung Quinwang (Prince Gong), the former emperor’s brother, and the regency was transferred to Cixi and Ci’an. Gong became the prince counsellor until he fell out with Cixi who, of course, resented his urge for power.
Prince Kung
For the first 20 years of her reign, she worked together with Ci'an, but when she died suddenly in 1881 she kept her power for another 27 years.
In 1889 when the young Guangxu emperor formally assumed power Cixi nominally relinquished her control over China to retire. However, after the so-called "100 Days of Reform" by the new emperor she regained power. Upon her death in 1908, death rites were
observed for a year, after which she was laid to rest in the Eastern
Qing tombs northwest of Beijing.
The day before Cixi died, the death of the emperor Guangxu was announced. It was generally believed that he had been poisoned, but that suspicion wasn't substantiated until 2008 when a report was issued by Chinese researchers and police
officials which confirmed that the emperor had been deliberately poisoned
with arsenic. Although the report did not address who may have ordered
his death, and there never has been any hard evidence of
culpability, suspicion long has pointed toward Cixi. One thing is for sure, those were confusing times in China, but even so, the former concubine kept her power ....
Empress Dowager Cixi and women of the American legation. Holding her hand is Sarah Pike Conger, the wife of U.S. Ambassador Edwin H. Conger
Three criminals if ever there were any!I bet they thought they would get away with their crime, and when that didn't happen, that people would understand and maybe even shrug off what they had done. However, nobody, sane of mind, would go with them instead of their victim, little, innocent Brianna Lopez.
Brianna
was a beautiful, little girl when her Mom, Stephanie Lopez, gave birth to her in 2002. However, when she died five months after her birth, she was a sad sight. Her life and death is one of the worst instances of child abuse we know about. Sadly enough, the cruel abuse she was subjected to, and which started when she was born, was her only life experience. Was she an unwanted child; did her Mom want an abortion, but didn't get one?
Anyway, both her Mom, Dad and an uncle abused her in any way possible. Daily she was bitten, raped and beaten by these three sad excuses for human beings.
When her parents brought her to a hospital because she "had fallen down from the high stool for babies, it was too late to do anything for her. She was too injured by being used as a ball by her Dad and uncle. They found it so very funny to see how she fell when she was thrown up to the ceiling in a free fall landing.
The hospital found two fractures of the skull, several fractured ribs and one fractured arm besides 15 wounds after bites all over the body. Also, there were evidence of sex abuse by her Dad and uncle. One of their "games" was to put various objects up in her vagina, which had led to severe damage of her abdomen. The perversities of these two male monsters included endless series of rapes, and it's unfathomable that the mother of the child didn't stop the madness, but no, she only stopped the screams of the baby by putting a sock in her mouth.
Stephanie Lopez was sentenced to 27 years of prison, but was released before that because of her "good behavior". I suppose that's an indication that she is considered "redeemed" in what, even today, is deemed the worst case of child abuse ever.
I must admit that that's something I would NEVER have expected to happen, especially as we day by day see more and more "clowns" perform on television. However, some of the most adept ones are in the habit of calling themselves something else, thus indicating that not they, but we, are the true clowns, namely those who ARE instead of just acting as clowns.
Well, a lot of them are born out of the politics of today, and they are more like "weeping starters" than anything else, but still, we laugh at them because we can't find words for the deep sadness and worry they make us feel. That kind of jokes also often may make us snigger with sheer embarrassment.
Some families not only are clownish, but genuine clowns: They may make a living that way for generations, especially if they become politicians, e.g. in a country which is set up to be "free" without really being anything like that.
Some clowns are said to make a difference, doing their best to entertain sick children. However, I'm not sure, I would have liked a visit like this one when I was a child.
Naaahhh, in my opinion clowns are less funny than scary, even when not being politicians out to rob their fellow citizens.
Alma Schindler
(1879-1964) was stunning, no doubt about it. She even was called the "most beautiful girl in Wienna". Being such a great beauty she was adored by many men throughout her life. Strangely enough, she, the confirmed anti-semite, who was impressed by Hitler and "his beautiful eyes", had a habit of falling in love with Jews.
Alma, 19 years old
Not only was she beautiful, but she also was talented and made a certain impact in the world of art, music and literature with works of her own.
Her father was a renown landscape painter, Emil Jakob Schindler, and her mother, Anna Sofie, was an opera singer for a few years. When her father died in 1892 her Mom married the painter Carl Moll which means that Alma grew up in an artistic social setting, thus being able to seep in art at an early age. She herself started out as a composer at the young age of 9.
Alma in her early 20ies
When she was 22 years old she met the 19 years older Jewish opera curator, composer and conductor
Gustav Mahler (1860–1911), who fell madly in love with her. Before their wedding, Mahler had her sign some sort of contract that she was to stop composing and devote herself to his art as a (great: Yup, he was great!) composer. At that time she had made c. 100 compositions of her own, but nonetheless she accepted his somewhat weird demand.
Gustav Mahler
They had two daughters, but the first one died in infancy. However, the second one, Anna Justine, grew up and became a renown sculptor. True to her anti-semitic feelings her Mom seems to often have called her some derogatory names like e.g. "crossbreed" or "mongrel" because she, having a Jewish father, was a semi-Jew.
Alma and Gustav Mahler
Well, the marriage of Alma and Gustav did meet with several problems, one of them being her way of flirting with her numerous admirers and lovers. One of these was the architect Walter Gropius whom she married in 1915, four years after Mahler died in 1911. Before their wedding, this new husband had denounced her when he learned that she had had sex with her then husband, Mahler, after their - in his eyes - romantic love affair had started. Something like that was against his notions of true love, and it's obvious that Alma must have been much more down to earth than he was, especially when it comes to sex.
Oskar Kokoschka
Another man whom she made an ever-lasting impression on was the painter Oskar
Kokoschka. He was so besotted that when their love affair ended in 1914 he had an "Alma-doll" made, presumably as a substitute for her as a sexual partner. Now, more than 100 years later, there are sex-dolls of all kinds, also over celebrities, for those who want that, but I doubt there were many back then. However, his commission to make this specific doll was so very descriptive that one may suspect that the woman who was to make it, Hermione Moos, was offended by his detailed and very explicit demands. Anyway, the doll she made most certainly wasn't her best and most impressive work, as it looks rather "clumsy" and not at all mirrors the beautiful Alma.
The Alma-Doll, sitting position
Kokoschka obviously had very set ideas of what he wanted: "Yesterday I sent a life-size drawing of my beloved and I ask you to copy
this most carefully and to transform it into reality. Pay special
attention to the dimensions of the head and neck, to the ribcage, the
rump and the limbs. And take to heart the contours of body, e.g., the
line of the neck to the back, the curve of the belly. Please permit my
sense of touch to take pleasure in those places where layers of fat or
muscle suddenly give way to a sinewy covering of skin. For the first
layer (inside) please use fine, curly horsehair; you must buy an old
sofa or something similar; have the horsehair disinfected. Then, over
that, a layer of pouches stuffed with down, cottonwool for the seat and
breasts. The point of all this for me is an experience which I must be
able to embrace!"
The Alma-doll in a reclining position
It's my opinion that the besotted Kokoschka went too far in a weird sexual exploitation of the woman who had left him to marry her former, but for some time, estranged lover, Walter Gropius. In this marriage she had her third daughter, called Manon (1916-1935). Something which didn't stop her having many love affairs, and in 1920 she left Gropius for the author Franz Werfel (1890-1945), whom she married nine years later.
Franz Werfel- crazy about Alma!!!
Both
Gustav Mahler and many other famous musicians have dedicated their works to Alma. Her personality, charisma and beauty as well as her many love affairs also had a special impact on a modern musician, namely Tom Lehrer. He, who was a more or less venomous singer and entertainer, did his best to give his salty opinion on her sex life: https://youtu.be/QL6KgbrGSKQ?feature=shared
