Clio2

@clio2.bsky.social

3065 Followers 1468 Following

Observer of #polycrisis; excursions into history, nature, oddments. Degrees: philosophy, history of science. Former teacher, writer, editor, spokesperson, contract researcher, journalist. Occasional fictioneer. NB. No LLMs/other AI need apply. :-)

In 2017, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (from left), Saudi King Salman and President Trump attend a ceremonial launch of the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology. Photo: AP/Saudi Press Agency
A form of Vishnu, "Narasimha is...a fierce protector who destroys evil and safeguards his devotees. He is most widely known for protecting his devotee Prahlada and for slaying the tyrannical demon king Hiranyakashipu." --Wikipedia Here he has a toothy, monkey-like face, a grinz and a tall crown,l in shape between a bell and a wedding-cake. Of his 16 arms, 12 hold weapons and other objects. He has the demon trapped across his knee, while the loyal devotee looks up at him from the side.
Maine state flag with motto. The design includes figures representing a historic farmer and sailor, plus the North Star and a moose resting under a pine tree.
St. Joan of Arc depicted in golden armor on a white horse.A tall feather on her helmet, a scarlet banner over her shoulder. In the background, elaborate castellated buildings. Miniature by Jean Pichot, 1504. Wikimedia Commons.
Maine state flag. On a blue field, a gold-bordered heraldic shield depicts a moose resting under a pine tree. The shield is flanked by figures of a farmer and a sailor. Overhead, the north star appears in gold, surrounded by rays composing a pentagon, together with the motto: DIRIGO ("I lead"). Beneath, on a blue scroll or ribbon, MAINE.
Painted drawing of Ouroboros dragon biting its own tail. Very scaly. Four tiny legs, unhappy expression. Detail from Fol. 279 of Codex Parisinus graecus 2327, a copy (made by Theodoros Pelecanos (Pelekanos) of Corfu in Khandak, Iraklio, Crete in 1478) of a lost manuscript of an early medieval tract which was attributed to Synosius (Synesius) of Cyrene (d. 412). Via Wikimedia Commons.
Lone man faces down tanks in Tiananmin Square. Photo: AP
Gloved hand pouring bright green antifreeze through a funnel perched in the engine of an auto. Credit: familyhandyman.com
Book cover: The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood. Image is of a crudely woman-shaped frosted cake on a platter. Also, a cup of tea and a fork resting on a dessert plate.
Meme with storm clouds and a rainbow over rolling grassland reads: "I Survived Another Appointment Give Me a Sticker."
Closeup of suit-wearing Black man, with small, neat beard and vampire teeth, under an an umbrella. In the background another suited young man, also holding an umbrella, consults his phone. Smooth paved area surrounded by posts and chain swags, with green grassy space, trees, and a glimpse of water beyond. Description: Members of the "Boston Direct Action Project" dressed as vampires impersonate public relations associates of the World Bank, Washington DC. Source: The Photographer Photographer: Matt Osborn Taken: April 2005 License: CC-by-2.0
Tweet from X by Robert Downen, photo of three grim-looking men in suits centering former U.S. Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino. Text: "Over the weekend the former head of Trump's Border Patrol attended a summit with fascists from around the world who are calling for 'Weimar solutions' and it for some reason has received alnost no press coverage." Photo credit: theredoubt.net
A student and a member of the Nazi SA examine books stolen from the library of the Institute for sexual Science, Berlin, May 6, 1933. Per Wikimedia Commons.
Lucy pulls the football away just as Charlie Brown kicks it. He is upside down in the air yelling AAUGH!
Earth from space. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Reto Stöckli, Nazmi El Saleous, and Marit Jentoft-Nilsen
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Blanche
Approximayely 50-year-old white man with a tall, square-topped forehead, greasy-looking short light-brown hair, blank blue-gray eyes, lengthy upper lip that is pointed in the center, wide downturned line of a mouth, and short lower jaw with prominent chin. Dark suit coat with subtle check, bright white shirt, tie matches the eyes. Posed in front of portion of an American flag and light blue-graybackground.
Tenniel pen-and-ink illustration of the Mad Tea Party: Alice, the March Hare, the Dormouse, the Mad Hatter
Book cover, How To Lie With Statistics By Darrell Huff. Features a cartoon of a man with a broom, sweeping some numbers under a rug.
Sea lion on a rock at the edge of the sea, in profile against a hazy sky. Credit: Rhododendrites, via Wikipedia
Several mice in early 1800s dress dance to the music of a flute, while a pig tries unsuccessfully to poke its nose through the very small window. Watercolor illustration by Beatrix Potter.
Historical (1616) cover image of published playscript, "The Tragicall History of the Life and and Death of Doctor Faustus," by Christopher Marlowe. The robed magiciwn stands inside a circle marked with mystical symbols, while a horned demon rises through the floor.
Tarot card, major arcana XVI: The Tower. Two figures, one crowned, fall from a tower that is struck by lightning and bursting into flames. The crown-top of the tower, also is falling.
Reddish brown frog wirh golden eyes
Reddish-brown frog with golden eyes
Walter Raleigh, very dressed up
Heraldic shield with three gold crowns on a red triangle pointing downward, background of horizontal blue and white waves. Surrounded with blue and white curlicues and topped by a helmet, whose crest is a hand holding a yellow trident, its prongs entwined by a green eel. The wrist is tattood with a knot motif.
Book cover. "The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap" by Stephabie Coontz.
Book cover, "The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap," by Stephanie Koontz
Monochrome photo of lovely young Founder of the Foursquare Church, Aimee Semple McPherson, in a drapey, full-length white gown with huge batwing sleeves. Hands clasped behind her neatly coiffed light-colored hair, she gazes upward and off to her left. Directly behind her hangs a long, undecorated mirror with an arched top, bright with reflected light, creating a halo effect. The wall is also white.
Farage, seated in an armchair, holding microphone, with letterbox type of grin. Credit: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons
Trump with Lavrov and Kislyak on Oval Office. Looks like they're sharing a good joke.
Pen-and-ink sketch of "purse seine" type fishing net being drawn up by a fishing vessel. The top edge of the circular net, supported by floats, is pulled shut like a drawstring, forcing the fish to the center, and then the whole net is lifted from the water.
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Screen shot, red Arabic lettering w/ small Roman letters, "Taiz Time."
"Blue Meanie" a fascist-style monster from the animated Beatles film, Yellow Submarine. Source: Wikipedia
16th or 17th-century mechanical "devil" torso with a bat-eared moveable head designed to emit smoke from the mouth. Hand cranked.
Gentleman in a padded and quilted white silk doublet with elaborate pearl buttons. Small folding collar. Trunk-hose are black, embroidered in silver lines with pearls between. Draped over left shoulder: fur-collared black cloak embroidered with several broad silver rays ending in clustered pearls. Pommel of a s blade, barely visible under the cloak. High forehead with hair receding slightly, neat mustach snd small pointed beard. Large double-pearl earring in left ear. Watchful and guarded expression.
Hindu goddess Durga riding on a tiger. She wears a red sari and s crown, and she holds a different weapon or religious symbol in each of her 12 hands. "She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars; her legends center around combating evils and demonic forces that threaten peace, dharma and cosmic order, representing the power of good over evil." (Wikipedia) She is especially known for slaying the demon Mahishasura, who was too powerful for all the other gods.
King Louis XV of France, purported source of the saying, in extravagant royal robes.
King Louis XV of France, purported source of the saying. In extravagant royal robes.
Donald Trump meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, next to Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergei Kislyak at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, May 10, 2017.
"Blue Meanie" cartoon character from animated Beatle's film, _Yellow Submarine_. Points fingers of right hand very much like Trump on the photo below. Blue color echoes Trump's blue suit. Wikipedia.
Social media post by "Richard Ward for District 21 Bangor" dated Feb. 17. Photo of Graham Platner, candidate in Maine primary for Senate seat, apparently at a fair, in front of his campaign booth, with tattooed man in Tshirt bearing the number "88," which is recognized right-wing numeric code for "Heil (you-know-who)." Ward's text begins, "Graham Platner is the only candidate to stand against the J3ew$ and Israel, fighting tirelessly against their control over our government...." Platner is not looking directly at the individual in the "88" shirt and it's unclear if he approves or wants the person's attention.
Nazi celebration with vertical banners fronting a building. Credit: Life Magazine, 1939