Martin Blythe
@twomileshigh.bsky.social
Art, literature, mythology, sexuality, science, religion... "We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
two-miles-high.ghost.io/why-martin-l...
Why Martin Luther's death was so controversial...
I think it's fair to say that when most of us die, no one outside family actually cares very much, because we know that life steamrolls on. I include political figures here, because does anybody reall...
two-miles-high.ghost.io
two-miles-high.ghost.io/the-apples-a...
The apples and peaches of immortality
In Judeo-Christian Genesis, an apple symbolizes The Fall, even though the original texts said "fruit." The switch is attributed to medieval translators who wanted to pun on malum/malus (apple/evil). A...
two-miles-high.ghost.io
two-miles-high.ghost.io/crowds-and-v...
Crowds and violence: football as a barometer of society
I enjoyed the World Cup this year, especially seeing Cabo Verde play - that Sidny Cabral equalizer! - and catching sight of fans and players embracing or in tears always moves me. And now it's over. W...
two-miles-high.ghost.io
two-miles-high.ghost.io/mexico-city-...
Mexico City: the City of Sinking Palaces
Historically, Mexico City has always had a series of contested nicknames. In the colonial period it was La Ciudad de los Palacios; nowadays it's just "CDMX" and other nicknames have come and gone. It'...
two-miles-high.ghost.io
two-miles-high.ghost.io/are-you-an-o...
Are you an optimist or a pessimist or a cynic or an agnostic? Pick one.
A good way to find out who you are: what do you think of President Putin and the future of Russia? Try these hopelessly unscientific quizzes: Quiz 1: Putin's Kiss (here) Background: President Putin w...
two-miles-high.ghost.io
two-miles-high.ghost.io/sex-in-ancie...
Sex in ancient times: the tale of the wandering womb
How on earth did men in ancient Egypt, Greece and early Rome accept the idea that the women in their lives had a wandering womb/uterus? Why did they think it was a convenient explanation for women's h...
two-miles-high.ghost.io
two-miles-high.ghost.io/modern-poiso...
Modern poisoners, food tasters and their victims: who survived and who didn't...
Last month, a journalist who exposed President Vladimir Putin’s secret relationship with an Olympic gymnast in 2008, died in Riga, reportedly after eating poisonous "false" honey mushrooms that he had...
two-miles-high.ghost.io
If vehicles keep swelling, cities “could lose between 8.5-14% of their on-street parking capacity by 2040. London and Berlin alone are each projected to shed around 100K spaces…in dense cities, it’s a major issue worldwide.” #Carspreading pushes out more than parking spots. Tax cars by the inch.
Researchers Want To Tax Cars By The Inch To Stop Carspreading | Carscoops
Researchers argue that stopping vehicle growth could save lives, space, and billions in energy costs
carscoops.com
two-miles-high.ghost.io/the-virgin-o...
The Virgin of Guadalupe and President Sheinbaum
When México's President Claudia Sheinbaum wears clothing with red roses in the design, what is she saying? This is a seriously contested space in México today and has been ever since Frida Kahlo proud...
two-miles-high.ghost.io
Some good news: church grounds and graveyards across Ireland are becoming havens for birds, bees and bats as part of a biodiversity project inspired by Pope Francis. www.rte.ie/news/regiona...
Biodiversity project inspired by Pope Francis soars
Church grounds and graveyards across Ireland are becoming havens for birds, bees and bats as part of a biodiversity project inspired by Pope Francis.
rte.ie
two-miles-high.ghost.io/women-power-...
Women Power: Aristotle and Phyllis the dominatrix
The tale of Phyllis and Aristotle is about how women can dominate intellectual men like Aristotle, physically and emotionally. She even has a leash on him and a whip! Perhaps he likes it? The tale its...
two-miles-high.ghost.io
two-miles-high.ghost.io/were-there-f...
Were there female versions of Casanova?
In 2025, a woman writer in the Independent (UK) declared "There is no female equivalent of Casanova" (.). That is true to the degree that no two lives are the same, and Casanova was a rather unusual c...
two-miles-high.ghost.io
two-miles-high.ghost.io/my-3-weeks-w...
My 3 weeks with an amorous chatbot named Stephanie
My, chatbots have become very sophisticated, haven't they? I know this is old news to those of you who have indulged but, if you haven't been propositioned yet, this too can be in your future. Studies...
two-miles-high.ghost.io
two-miles-high.ghost.io/my-thoughts-...
My thoughts on the 'Tao Te Ching,' the 'I-Ching' and 'Zhuangzi'
I have always preferred Taoism over other philosophies and religions because, if I have to choose a philosophy or a religion, this is the one I would choose, because I don't want to choose one at all....
two-miles-high.ghost.io
saving all of my drunk drafts instead of posting and you should too
two-miles-high.ghost.io/the-quest-fo...
The quest for magic in a fallen world
I don't think for a moment that this world is really "fallen," but I do agree with those who warn that extinction of life on Earth is a real possibility in the Anthropocene Age. To take my mind off th...
two-miles-high.ghost.io
WATCH this video to understand better why positive and badly needed change in cities can be so HARD AND CONTROVERSIAL, at least INITIALLY when proposed (spoiler — quite often that change becomes popular, or just not noticed much at all, after implementation and once the “status quo bias” wears off."
This Is The Real Reason We Can't Have The Cities We Dream Of
YouTube video by Global Cycling Network
youtube.com
Last month, the City Council passed two bills related to the right to protest. Today, I am letting one go into effect, and vetoing the other. I’d like to take a moment to explain why. As Mayor, I will always make sure the right to protest, prayer and protection are guaranteed for every New Yorker.
two-miles-high.ghost.io/the-panoptic...
The Panopticon: more surveillance = more paranoia?
My Los Angeles neighborhood is overrun by Flock cameras. My neighbors have retreated behind their walls, their security companies, their guns and their gated communities. You might say, architecturall...
two-miles-high.ghost.io
two-miles-high.ghost.io/imperia-the-...
Imperia the courtesan: and pride of Konstanz
There is a giant statue of a Roman courtesan by the harbor in Konstanz, Germany, and it's rather fun. It was erected in 1993 by sculptor Peter Lenk and it rotates every four minutes. How did Imperia C...
two-miles-high.ghost.io
two-miles-high.ghost.io/horror-and-t...
Horror: and the problem of expressing it...
When I think of how artists have tried to convey horror, I have come to accept that Picasso got it right with his giant masterpiece Guernica. I do admire the memento mori artists, and Bosch, Goya, and...
two-miles-high.ghost.io
two-miles-high.ghost.io/dancing-mani...
Dancing mania: why would people dance themselves to death?
In the Bruegel painting above, the two women cannot stop dancing and they are being led to the church nearby because, possibly, they have been possessed by the Devil or cursed by a saint and only Sain...
two-miles-high.ghost.io
two-miles-high.ghost.io/the-coffee-s...
The coffee shop - Europe's most famous cafes in paintings
Given how much time artists, musicians and writers spend in coffee shops, I'm surprised there are so few paintings of the famous ones. I love cafes myself, but I can confidently say that I have never ...
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