#scaffolding kent

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[stargoose-photo]

Reculver, Herne Bay, Kent, June 2023.

[bstscaffolding]

Scaffolds are a life-saving platform for construction workers, especially those working in high-rise projects. What if the scaffold turns from a lifesaver to a lifetaker? Ensuring the safety of scaffold constructions during every season is a necessity.

[lostinhistory]

Heritage News of the Week: Holiday Edition

Archaeology had a massive 2024. Discoveries abounded—from ever-multiplying Pompeii frescos to dinosaur fossils in Iowa—as ancient histories continued to be rethought, fought over, and, in some cases, debunked.

This year, we learned that our Neanderthal cousins were a lot like us, despite treading their own path that ended in extinction.

World heritage is rarely exempt from war, as 2024 proved in the cases of Israel and its enemies in the Middle East, and Ukraine and Russia. Amid each clash, monuments, religious landmarks, and ancient ruins—cultural property defined by the Hague as “immovable” sites with immense value to history—were variably threatened, damaged, or outright destroyed. That is to say, UNESCO, the cultural arm of the United Nations, had a busy year.

This past year was an exciting one for archaeology, with scientists using cutting-edge technology to learn about humans and our close extinct relatives.

Discoveries!

A spectacular sixth-century sword has been unearthed from an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in rural Kent, to the astonishment of archaeologists. The weapon is in an exceptional state of preservation and is being likened to the sword found at Sutton Hoo, the Anglo-Saxon burial in Suffolk.

1,800-year-old gold ring with 'Venus the Victorious' carving discovered in France

Archaeologists in France have discovered an 1,800-year-old gold ring with a chiseled portrait of Venus, a Roman goddess associated with victory in battle, in addition to a handful of coins from a much later era, when the Carolingian Empire ruled the region.

Archaeologists find a rare ceramic lamp with symbols of the Temple menorah

Archaeologists excavating near the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem have discovered a rare ceramic lamp from the Late Roman period, decorated with symbols of the Temple menorah.

Ho Ho Ho! Archaeologists unveil the original resting place of Saint Nicholas

The Church of St. Nicholas in Antalya, Türkiye has long been believed to be the burial site of Saint Nicholas, but recent excavations have finally unearthed a sarcophagus which archaeologists believe may have belonged to the saint who inspired Santa.

Museums

The restoration lasted over a year, and in that time the cathedral was turned into a bit of a building site, with a maze of scaffolds set up on the altar and transept.

One artifact at a time, this museum in northern Alberta is preserving Canada's military history

Wood Buffalo Military Museum in Fort McMurray cares for thousands of fragile items

Florence’s secret Vasari Corridor opens to the public after €11 million restoration

The Uffizi’s hidden Medici passageway has opened to the public for the first time following an eight-year restoration.

Heritage at risk

UNESCO, the cultural arm of the United Nations, has granted “provisional enhanced protection” to two Ukrainian heritage sites, the Odessa Literary Museum and the National Historical and Memorial Reserve Babyn Yar, as the Russia’s war on Ukraine approaches its three-year anniversary.

Odds and ends

Some Christmas traditions mirror pre-Christian festivities, but some pagan influences may have been overstated.

Christopher Nolan’s next film announced as ‘mythic action epic’ The Odyssey

The Oppenheimer director’s adaptation of Homer is scheduled for release in the summer of 2026, and will feature Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Zendaya

Baby mammoth preserved for 50,000 years is unveiled in Russia’s Siberia

The 50,000-year-old remains of a baby mammoth uncovered by melting permafrost have been unveiled to the public by researchers in Russia’s Siberia region who call it the best-preserved mammoth body ever found.

[shrub-jay]

The New Arrival (Danny Kent)

CW: Body horror, teeth

TL;DR: The Kents take in another alien.

-------

The American Southwest has some of the highest found-meteorite density regions. New Mexico has a found meteorite rate of 1.9 per 1,000 square miles. Kansas trails with 1.8. A single farm in Smallville, Kansas, at just under 800 acres, has reported 23. One Dr. Kent reported iron meteorities landing in June, following northwesterly winds and a low chance of precipitation, over the course of several decades. It was an idle curiosity among Kansas meteorologists. A bizarre coincidence.  

“How big you think this one’s gonna be?” Jonathan Kent mused as he eyed the streak of green in the sky, leaning on a pitchfork. The still-young corn crop rustled in the breeze. 

“Not too big, or Clark would already be here,” his wife, Martha, mused from the porch. She looked up from Bubble Wubble Blast 2 on her phone. “Sweetie, you’ve gotta stop holding the pitchfork like that. I’m not ready for people to start comparing us to American Gothic.” Jonathan grumbled before leaning it against the porch railing, whistling sharply. 

“Shelby! Come here, girl!” A rambunctious golden retriever mix trotted around the corner, tail wagging. The streak in the sky had faded, disappearing behind the barn.  “Shelbs and I are going to go check it out on the four wheeler.” Martha perked up.

“And don’t forget to–”

“Log the coordinates, you’ve taught me well,” Jonathan finished, waving his hand dismissively and sending her a smile. The ATV engine roared to life, and he was off. It rumbled to a stop in front of a smoking crater. A head popped up, and two large eyes blinked back. Jonathan’s phone flash went off as he snapped a picture.

The figure recoiled, hissing. Ghostly white hair flickered around their face like fire, and a green sheen swirled across the wet surface of their eyes like rainbows on the surface of a bubble. Green tinged skin stretched across their features, and huge, wrinkled ears angled themselves back cautiously. Their dark nose twitched as Shelby approached the edge of the crater. A series of clicking noises rang out before their long, slender limbs collapsed beneath them like scaffolding.

Shelby darted forward.

“Woah girl, you don’t want to scare ‘em,” Jonathan whisper-shouted, hastily dismounting. It was too late. Shelby was already weaving joyfully between the new arrival’s arms, tail going a mile a minute. They obliged the dog with gentle scratches, and Jonathan smiled. “Looks like Clark might be getting a new sibling.”

It wasn’t hard to get them to follow. It was disconcertingly easy, in fact. Jonathan texted Martha to scrounge up some of the leftovers from their early dinner. He wasn’t sure if their new charge ate, given that he hadn’t seen a mouth. Perhaps they could photosynthesize like Clark, if the green hued skin was a clue. 

“How do you think they eat? If they eat at all?” Martha murmured, leaning forward on an elbow. Their guest prodded inquisitively at a gently warmed plate of food. The skin beneath their nose was taut and seamless. “I can never believe how lucky we got with Clark.” 

“Hell if I know,” Jonathan responded, tucking into his own plate of food. The smell of shepherd’s pie always whet his appetite. Their company watched him carefully. Jonathan gestured with his fork with ‘cheers’ motion before relishing the forkful of luscious potato, mouth already watering from the well browned beef. 

Jonathan Kent was a man who sometimes wondered if the point of life was to hear food sizzle while cooking. Cracking fresh eggs and wiping freshly minced garlic from the slightly tacky blade of a knife were simple tasks and simple joys. He wondered if Clark was eating well. 

He was pulled from his thoughts by a sharp crack and a soft gasp. The figure’s pointed chin had lowered, the muscles of a jaw straining into visibility. Where their mouth would be, the skin stretched tighter still, before caving in like the hollow of a cheek. They emitted a high pitched, painful whine, eerie as a theremin, limbs tangling around their head like a self imposed cage. Martha lurched forward in concern.

The skin began to split. Fibrous layers burst forth, as if they had only been held together by tension. Their face bloomed like a roll of tissue shredded by a cat's claws. Pieces began to flake and fall off, and the whine intensified as something began to protrude. 

A tooth. A startlingly human looking incisor. Jonathan’s fork clattered onto his plate, and he winced in commiseration. They began to claw at the flaking skin, slowly excavating a set of pearly whites. When they finished, piles of white flakes littered the room. They sneezed, shaking their head, rubbery ears slapping against their face.

They gnashed their newly grown pair of human teeth with apparent glee. 

“It seems like they might be able to fit in just fine.”

[skylarmoon71]

Amazon (Smallville) : Short Story - Chapter 4

The weekends are nice.

Diana is away doing her little trips and conferences, so you’re left to entertain yourself this time around. That’s why when Clark invited you over to have lunch with his family you were glad to go.

Mostly for Mrs. Kent’s great cooking.

The second you step in you get a whiff of her pie and you can feel your mouth watering. You knock on the door and Clark opens it, smiling at the eager look in your eyes.

“Mom made the pie just for you. It looks like you’re ready to dig in.”

You nod, stepping inside and Martha smiles at you.

“Make yourself at home sweetheart. Clark, would you go call your father, he’s out by the windmill.”

“Is it still broken?”

Martha nods.

“He’s been trying to fix it all week. I told him he should hire some help but you know your father.”

He’s always been a bit stubborn. Clark knows he’ll have to grow and drag him away from it. He means to head over, but he catches the look you wear.

You’re just staring at him expectantly.

“Do..do you want to come?”

You nod, and Martha hides a smile when she catches the interaction.

Clark leads you out to the farm and you follow, taking in the expense of grass and animals.

“I suppose it’s easy to mask super strength when you work in an area that requires so much manual labor.”

Clark smiles at the observation.

“It is.”

You continue down your path and as you get closer to the field, you can make out Mr. Kent’s form. He’s on a scaffolding pretty high up. There’s a bunch of tools next to his feet and you can hear him physically fighting with the metal structure.

“Damn thing..”

He’s grumbling loudly and Clark smiles.

“Dad, lunch is ready!!”

“I’ll be there in a bit, Clark.”

From Clark’s expression he expected the response.

“Come on, maybe mom can get him to come down.”

Clark turns away and you mean to follow, but your eyes are fixated on the shaky structure. It makes you a little weary. Jonathan has a tool in his hand and he’s pulling at some part inside the open part of the metal. He makes a particular tug that disrupts his balance. The yell alerts Clark and when he begins falling backwards, you jump to try and catch him.

At least you attempt to.

Your body pivots in the air and you do catch him.

Clark’s steps stop right under the both of you when he realizes.

You fully expected your body to drop with gravity. He weighs practically nothing. However, you’re all in awe, because you’re just hovering in place.

“(Y/N)...”

Your hands are secured around Jonathan’s back and slowly you can feel yourself lowering to the ground. Both your feet touch the ground and you release, still a bit astonished.

Jonathan is clearly speechless. You take a step back, looking down at your legs as if they’ll answer the mystery of what the hell just happened.

“I can fly..”

Your knowledge of the amazons might not be as extensive as the others who have lived hundreds years before you, but you know for a fact that the only one who has powers such as this is Diana.

You swallow.

“I…I have to go..”

You looked confused, angry…lost.

Clark isn’t even offered a chance to say much because your expression hardens as you shoot off into the sky.

~~

“Ms. Prince, you have a visitor.”

The attendant gestured towards the entrance and Diana was a bit surprised to see you there in Central City. When she asked you to join earlier that day you seemed content with just staying at home. Now there’s a level of urgency on your face as you stand at the entrance. Diana nodded, excusing herself from the conversation. She paced over to you, a bit worried by your expression.

“(Y/N), what’s wrong?”

She guided you away from the crowd to a more secluded area right outside the atrium.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

Diana was clearly confused.

“Tell you what?”

You appeared to be searching for the words.

Right ones.

“That we are the same.”

Learning that you could literally fly, it seemed to be the only explanation.

You can see the regret on her face, and now it makes sense. You weren’t crazy. There’s a possibility that you are the offspring of a god. That Diana might be your actual family. All those years after your mother passed you thought that you were alone.

Misunderstood.

Now it appears there was an explanation for everything.

“I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner. You were in pain when your mother died. I wanted to protect you.”

You should be furious.

This seems like a very big detail to omit about your life.

Yet, you can’t truly be mad. She could have easily left you there. After hearing about the truth of her origins, you finally understand how she felt when she herself found out she was a demigod.

“I suppose this explains my short temper. I must be the offspring of hades.”

A little smile breaks out on Diana’s face, and she steps over, pulling you into a hug.

“Our fathers are not our legacy. You are your own person. I have faith in you.”

You relax in the embrace.

“Thank you, Diana.”

If nothing else, you’re grateful.

~Clark’s Loft~

“That’s how the conversation went.”

Sitting on the couch, you're filling Clark in.

“I can’t imagine what that’s like.”

It seems you learn more about yourself everyday.

“Thank you Clark.”

It’s nice to have someone to confide in. You both might be different, but you share a lot of similarities.

“For what?”

If anything he should be thanking you.

“For being a good friend. I know that I’m not the most open, or expressive. I’m not the best when it comes to people, but it’s easier with you. I guess in a lot of ways I’m glad you turned out to be a kryptonian. I’m grateful to have another person I can confide in. ”

He means to say that it’s nothing. He enjoys your company. Your time.

Your presence.

The words don’t get out, because you’re wearing a soft expression.

Any words he intends to form falls off. Your expression begins to drop when you realize how intensely Clark is staring. You find yourself swallowing, and when he starts leaning in, you seem to follow the action. You both meet in the middle and a soft sigh escapes when his lips press to your own. Clark reaches over and places a hand on your cheek, deepening the kiss.

It’s that particular move that has you pulling back hurriedly. You stumble to your feet, covering your lips.

“I-I’m sorry!”

Clark moves back, shaking his head frantically.

“N-No it was my fault. I’m sorry.”

You’re both at a distance now, and you look down at your lap.

You have no idea where that came from.

Moving to the open window, you just jump out.

Clark stares as you disappear into the sky.

He wonders if that’s something he’s going to have to worry about.

You seem to be constantly flying away from him. 

[ao3feed-superbat]

Despite All My Rage

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/pbBNGch by HollowSr In a time travel mishap, a feral and reckless training era Bruce Wayne falls into the future. The league can handle seeing their leader impulsive, cocky, blood hungry. Flirty is... flirty is something they're unprepared for. Also the amount of villains he is close friends with seems... improbably high. Damian's just excited to be at a higher rank in the league than him. ... Clark whipped around, seconds away from catching whatever was flying at him before remembering he was currently Clark Kent. He stumbled, allowing the projectile, a sharpened piece of metal from the warehouse, to just barely brush past him. "Are you aware your prescription is fake?" A hunched figure dropped down from the scaffolding. Lithe and quiet, his eyes down and stance alert like a wild animal. "I'm sorry?" The man stepped forward. The boy? The young man "They're fake.” The young man repeated, “Is it a fashion choice or are you just a liar?" Words: 1914, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Justice League - All Media Types, Batman - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types, DCeased (DC Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: M/M, Multi Characters: Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Jim Gordon, Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), Jason Todd, Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne, Barbara Gordon, Diana (Wonder Woman), Roman Sionis, J'onn J'onzz, Alfred Pennyworth, Lucius Fox, Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake, Oliver Queen, Black Canary (DCU), Victor Fries, Gorilla Grodd, Lois Lane Relationships: Bruce Wayne & Everyone, Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) & Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent & Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, Hal Jordan (Green Lantern)/Bruce Wayne, J'onn J'onzz/Bruce Wayne, Roman Sionis/Bruce Wayne Additional Tags: Time Travel, Young Bruce Wayne, Age Regression/De-Aging, Age Difference, Flirting, Bruce is in his like 20s, But just want to heads up on the age difference flirting and tropes read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/pbBNGch

[intriguingpeoplebyangelafloyd]

ANNE BOLEYN

ANNE BOLEYN

c.1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536

            Anne Boleyn was the daughter of Thomas Boleyn and Elizabeth Howard, the sister of George and Mary. The family lived in Hever Castle in Kent. She was educated in the Netherlands and France. She returned to England in 1522 and became maid-of-honor to King Henry VIII’s wife Catherine of Aragon. Henry VIII fell in love with Boleyn, she refused to become his mistress as her sister had once been. Henry VIII turned against Catholic Rome, his marriage to Catherine was declared null and void and he married Boleyn in 1533.

            Boleyn gave birth to Elizabeth and went on to have numerous miscarriages, which disappointed Henry whom wanted a male heir. In 1536, Henry was in love with Jane Seymour and wanted out of his marriage to Boleyn.

            Boleyn was arrested and sent to the Tower of London on charges for treason, being accused of adultery, incest, and witchcraft. She was tried and was found guilty even though there was little to no evidence.

            Boleyn was beheaded on Friday morning 19 May, within the Tower on a scaffold north of the White Tower. Before her execution she made a speech, she kneeled down and one of her ladies tied a blindfold over her eyes. Boleyn started praying and her lips were still moving after her head was struck off by the French swordsman. Execution by a sword was more humane than to be beheaded by an axe. She was buried in an unmarked grave in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula.

#anneboleyn #HenryVIII

[goldbiz]

❛ don’t be a wuss, you’re not gonna fall. ❜  – from oliver

prompts:  don’t be a wuss, you’re not gonna fall.   //   young justice  sentence starters // @ourcharade

the wind whipped across the rooftop of a towering metropolis. 40 stories up to be exact. there was a scaffold beneath their soles that michael was quite certain was going to cave in under their matched weight. ( talk about a justice league training drill going sideways, huh? ) it wasn't exactly a training drill, it was more of a stakeout but given the lowstakes, michael saw it as one anyway. the trust wasn't there yet among them for him to partake in true hero work so here he was, committing to bird watching of all things. looking out for some tech mogul's penthouse for any signs of pilfering that watchtower had flagged as low priority but nonetheless an annoyance. the world wasn't ending, no irregular time rifts to take care of. it was just him, robin hood over here and a #booster branded thermos kent had managed to whip up with strong coffee as a personalised favour.

❛ a wuss? ❜ michael suddenly shot back at oliver queen's sudden poking of the bear. his voice immediately climbing with a blend of defiance and internalised disgruntlement. he puffs out his chest like he was staring down a linebacker instead of the plunge below. ❛ listen up, hoodlum--- i'm booster freakin' gold ! not some rookie who needs a pep talk from a guy dressing as robin hood every night ! ❜

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[cassowary-rapture]

Last day of Poulenc!

I am very tired and not sure how much more of his music I'll get through; I don't feel like I can really pay attention to it. I will probably get a second wind soon, but otherwise I might focus on learning more about him. Les Six, working with Satie and Jean Cocteau, living and composing in Nazi-occupied France...it's all very interesting!

Speaking of his music, though, I am VERY into "Salve Regina" from Dialogues des Carmélites and have spent around four hours total just listening to it over and over again. I guess I would get obsessed with a song where people are being decapitated. I was listening to it in the car earlier and turned it up and got chills when I realized it had gotten quieter because I was about two-thirds of the way through, by which point most of the nuns are dead and no longer singing

Knowing the context probably helps, but even without that, I think it might have the same emotional impact. It's certainly not a piece you can listen to without realizing that something terrible is happening. The sense of hopelessness, helplessness, and resignation in the face of an awful fate

I especially like how the first death, the first guillotine sound, at around 1:24 in both the video I posted earlier and the audio I've been listening to (Kent Nagano with the Orchestre de l'Opéra de Lyon) is startling and their singing immediately becomes more intense while future deaths, aside from the last one, which is still substantially less dramatic than the first, almost blend into the music. No noticeable response from the singers. They sing over it, or it seemingly happens in the middle of a line or between lines, during a natural pause, or it's followed by silence from the singers but not in a way that feels like it means anything -- not like it's suggesting that that death was particularly noteworthy

If he had kept up the pattern of the first death, highlighting each one, it might feel like a bit much. But he didn't and it's so good. It's underway. It's inescapable. All they can do is wait their turn to be swept away by it

And yeah, the tipping point where you realize it's gotten quieter and why

And this, from the Wiki page:

At the place of execution, one nun after another stands and slowly processes toward the guillotine, as all sing the "Salve Regina" ("Hail, Holy Queen"). At the last moment, Blanche appears, to Constance's joy, to join her condemned sisters. Having seen all the other nuns executed, as she mounts the scaffold, Blanche sings the final stanza of the "Veni Creator Spiritus," "Deo Patri sit gloria…", the Catholic hymn traditionally used when taking vows in a religious community and offering one's life to God.

I love the idea of Blanche's solo being a sort of vow renewal, rededicating herself to both God and her fellow nuns in the brief period between her sudden return and her execution

It's such a beautiful, devastating piece. And a very stark contrast to the chaotic, playful music I started the week with. It's hard to believe that the same person was responsible for all of it, and I kind of feel like I need to reevaluate his instrumental music now

Like when I first listened to it, the lighter moments in the first movement of his Organ Concerto felt more "him," while the darker, more intense moments felt kind of shallow; I couldn't reconcile them with what I'd already heard at the time. But now...yeah

Ah. I read about his best friend dying and it prompting his return to Catholicism, but I somehow missed the fact that the friend was decapitated

From here:

Francis Poulenc’s closest friend was the affable and gregarious Pierre-Octave Ferroud (1900-1936); together they co-founded and directed the Triton contemporary chamber music group from 1932-1936. Among the younger generation of French composers, Ferroud had begun to be acclaimed for his colorful and dense orchestrations, with compositions admired and advocated by both Prokofiev and Ravel. In August 1936, while Francis Poulenc was vacationing in southwestern France, he learned that Ferroud had been beheaded in a car crash while walking along a road in Debrecen, Hungary. Immediately after hearing the news, Poulenc went to the ancient monastery Notre Dame de Rocamadour, in the Lot River Valley, with its revered “black” statue of the Virgin, a common pilgrimage destination. That night he began his first religious work, the Litanies of the Black Virgin, based on pilgrims’ prayers. At the same time, Poulenc began to examine his own religious beliefs: through a number of sacred works written over the next 25 years, he developed a unique religious musical style, both confirming and questioning the significance of faith. The violence of Ferroud’s death haunted Poulenc for years, prompting a new seriousness and depth of expression in his music—and eventually finding its grotesque echo in the celebrated guillotine finale of opera Dialogues.

Anyway

I've been meaning to listen to some of his sonatas, but I think I'll end with his Sept repons des tenebres (Seven Tenebrae Responses), which this page describes as "one of the darkest, most anguished works he ever wrote"

[composeroftheweek]

This week's composer: Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)

Member of Les Six and mentee of Satie until they had some sort of falling out, possibly due to Poulenc becoming friends with one of Satie's (seemingly many) enemies

Day 1

This is so lively and fun! The first movement alone cured me of the lingering effects of Bruckner week

It reminds me of when it finally warms up and you peel all of your layers off and can stretch out vs. bracing yourself for the cold

Day 5

Poulenc with Wanda Landowska!

He composed his Concert champêtre harpsichord concerto for her and she was the soloist at its premiere

There is also a recording of Poulenc playing a solo piano version of it

I haven't had the energy to spend much time on Poulenc this week, which is frustrating but also feels like good timing. Everything I've listened to has been interesting; I haven't had to spend hours digging through his catalogue to find music I like

I did not want to watch an entire three-hour opera for this, but I read good things about the final song of Dialogues des Carmélites, so I figured I'd at least check that out. It is quite chilling!

Listened to a crackly recording of Concert champêtre with Wanda Landowska playing the harpsichord, Les biches (ballet), Les animaux modéles (ballet), Trois mouvements perpétuels (solo piano), and a solo piano version of Suite française, the last two played by Poulenc himself

Day 7

I am very tired and not sure how much more of his music I'll get through; I don't feel like I can really pay attention to it. I will probably get a second wind soon, but otherwise I might focus on learning more about him. Les Six, working with Satie and Jean Cocteau, living and composing in Nazi-occupied France...it's all very interesting!

Speaking of his music, though, I am VERY into "Salve Regina" from Dialogues des Carmélites and have spent around four hours total just listening to it over and over again. I guess I would get obsessed with a song where people are being decapitated. I was listening to it in the car earlier and turned it up and got chills when I realized it had gotten quieter because I was about two-thirds of the way through, by which point most of the nuns are dead and no longer singing

Knowing the context probably helps, but even without that, I think it might have the same emotional impact. It's certainly not a piece you can listen to without realizing that something terrible is happening. The sense of hopelessness, helplessness, and resignation in the face of an awful fate

I especially like how the first death, the first guillotine sound, at around 1:24 in both the video I posted earlier and the audio I've been listening to (Kent Nagano with the Orchestre de l'Opéra de Lyon) is startling and their singing immediately becomes more intense while future deaths, aside from the last one, which is still substantially less dramatic than the first, almost blend into the music. No noticeable response from the singers. They sing over it, or it seemingly happens in the middle of a line or between lines, during a natural pause, or it's followed by silence from the singers but not in a way that feels like it means anything -- not like it's suggesting that that death was particularly noteworthy

If he had kept up the pattern of the first death, highlighting each one, it might feel like a bit much. But he didn't and it's so good. It's underway. It's inescapable. All they can do is wait their turn to be swept away by it

And yeah, the tipping point where you realize it's gotten quieter and why

And this, from the Wiki page:

At the place of execution, one nun after another stands and slowly processes toward the guillotine, as all sing the "Salve Regina" ("Hail, Holy Queen"). At the last moment, Blanche appears, to Constance's joy, to join her condemned sisters. Having seen all the other nuns executed, as she mounts the scaffold, Blanche sings the final stanza of the "Veni Creator Spiritus," "Deo Patri sit gloria…", the Catholic hymn traditionally used when taking vows in a religious community and offering one's life to God.

I love the idea of Blanche's solo being a sort of vow renewal, rededicating herself to both God and her fellow nuns in the brief period between her sudden return and her execution

It's such a beautiful, devastating piece. And a very stark contrast to the chaotic, playful music I started the week with. It's hard to believe that the same person was responsible for all of it, and I kind of feel like I need to reevaluate his instrumental music now

Like when I first listened to it, the lighter moments in the first movement of his Organ Concerto felt more "him," while the darker, more intense moments felt kind of shallow; I couldn't reconcile them with what I'd already heard at the time. But now...yeah

Ah. I read about his best friend dying and it prompting his return to Catholicism, but I somehow missed the fact that the friend was decapitated

From here:

Francis Poulenc’s closest friend was the affable and gregarious Pierre-Octave Ferroud (1900-1936); together they co-founded and directed the Triton contemporary chamber music group from 1932-1936. Among the younger generation of French composers, Ferroud had begun to be acclaimed for his colorful and dense orchestrations, with compositions admired and advocated by both Prokofiev and Ravel. In August 1936, while Francis Poulenc was vacationing in southwestern France, he learned that Ferroud had been beheaded in a car crash while walking along a road in Debrecen, Hungary. Immediately after hearing the news, Poulenc went to the ancient monastery Notre Dame de Rocamadour, in the Lot River Valley, with its revered “black” statue of the Virgin, a common pilgrimage destination. That night he began his first religious work, the Litanies of the Black Virgin, based on pilgrims’ prayers. At the same time, Poulenc began to examine his own religious beliefs: through a number of sacred works written over the next 25 years, he developed a unique religious musical style, both confirming and questioning the significance of faith. The violence of Ferroud’s death haunted Poulenc for years, prompting a new seriousness and depth of expression in his music—and eventually finding its grotesque echo in the celebrated guillotine finale of opera Dialogues.

Anyway

I've been meaning to listen to some of his sonatas, but I think I'll end with his Sept repons des tenebres (Seven Tenebrae Responses), which this page describes as "one of the darkest, most anguished works he ever wrote"

[thescientificperspective]

Dark Matter: The Invisible Mystery of the Universe

The universe is full of mysteries, but few are as perplexing as dark matter. Scientists estimate that dark matter makes up about 27% of the universe, yet it remains completely invisible and undetectable by conventional methods. Despite its elusiveness, dark matter plays a crucial role in shaping galaxies, influencing cosmic expansion, and defining the fundamental structure of the universe. In this blog, we'll explore what dark matter is, how we know it exists, and the ongoing efforts to uncover its true nature.

1. What Is Dark Matter?

Dark matter is a form of matter that does not emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it completely invisible to telescopes. Unlike ordinary matter, which consists of atoms, dark matter does not interact with electromagnetic forces, meaning it cannot be seen with any type of radiation (radio waves, infrared, X-rays, etc.).

Scientists believe that dark matter is made up of unknown, exotic particles that interact only through gravity and possibly the weak nuclear force. While its composition remains a mystery, its gravitational effects on visible matter reveal its presence.

2. How Do We Know Dark Matter Exists?

Even though dark matter is invisible, we can observe its gravitational effects on galaxies and cosmic structures. Here are some key pieces of evidence:

a) Galaxy Rotation Curves

In the 1970s, Vera Rubin and Kent Ford discovered that galaxies rotate much faster than expected. According to Newtonian physics, stars at the edges of a galaxy should move slower than those near the center. However, observations showed that outer stars moved at nearly the same speed as inner stars, implying the presence of an unseen mass—dark matter—exerting gravitational influence.

b) Gravitational Lensing

Massive objects, like galaxy clusters, can bend light from distant galaxies behind them, a phenomenon predicted by Einstein’s general relativity. The amount of bending observed in many cases suggests the presence of far more mass than what we can see, reinforcing the existence of dark matter.

c) Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)

The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is the afterglow of the Big Bang. Tiny fluctuations in the CMB, measured by missions like WMAP and Planck, reveal that the universe contains much more mass than visible matter alone can account for, supporting the presence of dark matter.

d) Large-Scale Structure Formation

Dark matter serves as the scaffolding for galaxy formation. Computer simulations show that without dark matter, galaxies and galaxy clusters would not have formed as they appear today. It acts like an invisible glue that holds large cosmic structures together.

3. What Could Dark Matter Be Made Of?

Scientists have proposed several candidates for dark matter, including:

WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles) – These hypothetical particles interact via gravity and the weak nuclear force, making them difficult to detect.

Axions – Extremely light particles that could explain dark matter through their quantum properties.

Sterile Neutrinos – A theoretical type of neutrino that interacts only through gravity.

Modified Gravity Theories – Some alternative theories suggest that our understanding of gravity itself may need revision, potentially eliminating the need for dark matter.

4. How Are Scientists Searching for Dark Matter?

Despite its invisibility, scientists are using various methods to detect dark matter indirectly:

Underground Detectors: Experiments like XENON, LUX, and SuperCDMS are searching for faint interactions between dark matter particles and ordinary matter.

Particle Colliders: The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN attempts to create dark matter particles in high-energy collisions.

Astrophysical Observations: Telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and surveys like DES (Dark Energy Survey) analyze gravitational effects that could hint at dark matter’s presence.

5. The Connection Between Dark Matter and Dark Energy

While dark matter makes up about 27% of the universe, another mysterious component—dark energy—accounts for 68%. Unlike dark matter, which pulls galaxies together through gravity, dark energy pushes the universe apart, driving its accelerated expansion. The relationship between these two unknown forces remains one of the biggest puzzles in cosmology.

6. The Future of Dark Matter Research

The search for dark matter is one of the greatest scientific challenges of the 21st century. Future space missions, particle physics experiments, and improved observational techniques may bring us closer to unlocking this cosmic enigma. If we discover the true nature of dark matter, it could revolutionize our understanding of physics and the universe itself.

Conclusion

Dark matter remains one of the most profound unsolved mysteries in science. Though we cannot see it, its gravitational fingerprints are imprinted across the cosmos. Whether it is made of exotic particles or represents a deeper flaw in our understanding of gravity, one thing is certain unraveling the mystery of dark matter will reshape our view of the universe and our place within it.

What do you think dark matter is? Could it be a completely new form of physics waiting to be discovered? Let’s discuss in the comments!

[willgotahouse]

Got the scaffolding straight up, the day after I got the keys. Andrew from B&N Scaffolding was really helpful. They set up a basic lift mid way up the property all the way round, and with no time limit on the borrow. This needed to be used for: - Roof access to fix broken tiles - Replacing fascia, soffits and guttering - Repointing the first floor wall - Installing first floor windows