Physical Distancing With History-inspired Headwear

(Benoit Tessier/Reuters)

Artists wear colourful "deconfinement hats," made of paper maché and inspired by Chinese Song dynasty headwear, for physical distancing at an art gallery in Paris as it prepared to reopen this week. The first Song emperor is said to have ordered his officials to wear winged hats so that they could not gossip without being heard. "Back in the day, these were worn to prevent public officials from whispering," artist Dominique Pouzol, who created the coronavirus version of the hats, told Reuters.

CBC/Reuters

Astonishing News Alert

I apologize for a title that may be described as 'Click Bait'.

Today, I conducted an essential 'CoviD-19 Grocery Run'.

One item considered 'essential' was a jar of Nutella.  This was (believe me) the first time ever.  As with most new items, I sat down with my magnifying glass to read the 'small print'.

I looked for the expiry date ... and was flabbergasted !

BEST BEFORE:  2021 NOV 14

WHAT !

REALLY ?

I need some honest advice.  Because I'm sure that it'll be gone before then, probably, two days !  What then ?  Am I permitted to buy another one ?

What Is The Question ?

Before she died,Gertrude Stein asked, "What is the answer ?"  When no answer came, she laughed and asked, "In that case, what is the question ?"  Then she died.

G.S.

"To ask the hard question is simple."

W. H. Auden

Today, as we concern ourselves with an extraordinary coronavirus, there is a formidable question;  When 90% of the decision-makers believe that they are well qualified, could there be something equally commendable about the remaining 10% ?

No Words Needed

I hope that using this Blog as my scrapbook suits the "any subject" phrase in the Introductory statement.

 A performer plays traditional guqin music for visitors at a classical garden in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China. Photograph: China Daily/Reuters

Walking

I noticed this topically beautiful piece in Maclean's this morning and felt a need to share it:

"Walking is a combination of movement, humility, balance, curiosity, smell, sound, light, inner silence and—if you walk far enough—longing. A feeling which reaches for something, without finding it. The Portuguese, Cape Verdeans and Brazilians have an untranslatable word for this longing: saudade. It is a word that encompasses love, pain and happiness. It can be the thought of something joyful that disturbs you, or something disturbing that brings you plenitude."

Erling Kagge  -  Norwegian explorer