The Restory Retreat Centre

Artificial Intelligence   What I'll Miss Should Humanity Fade The Conversation Elements From The Conversation Creative Piece Starting with this week's blog entry, we're adding a new facet - something creative in whatever form, that expresses the theme without words. This week it's the famous painting by Joseph Turner, "The Fighting Temeraire" (1838). An old, glorious wooden warship (the Temeraire, which had fought in the Battle of Trafalgar) is being towed away at sunset by a small, black, smoking steam tug to be broken up. It is probably the most famous visual metaphor for the transition from the old, hand-crafted, wind-powered world to the cold, efficient machine age. The steamboat does not care about the history or beauty of the wooden ship; it is simply efficient. The word Temeraire literally means "the one who dares" or "the fearless one" (from the French téméraire). And the ship repeatedly lived up to her name; at the Battle of Trafa...

Kunsmatige Intelligensie Wat Sal Ek Mis As Menslikheid Sou Vervaag Die Gesprek Elemente Uit Die Gesprek Kreatiewe Stuk Vanaf hierdie week se bloginskrywing bring ons 'n nuwe faset by - iets kreatiefs in watter vorm ook al, wat sonder woorde uitdrukking aan die tema gee. Hierdie week is dit die bekende skildery van Joseph Turner, "The Fighting Temeraire" (1838). ’n Ou, glorieryke hout-oorlogskip (die Temeraire, wat nog in die Slag van Trafalgar geveg het) word teen ’n sonsondergang weggesleep deur ’n klein, swart, rokende stoom-sleepboot om opgebreek te word. Dit is seker die beroemdste visuele metafoor vir die oorgang van die ou, handgemaakte, windgedrewe wêreld na die koue, doeltreffende masjien-era. Die stoomboot gee nie om vir die geskiedenis of die skoonheid van die houtskip nie; dit is bloot doeltreffend. Die woord Temeraire beteken letterlik "die een wat dit waag" of "die onverskrokke een" (van die Franse téméraire). En die skip het haar naam her...

The above picture quote was the last straw. I came across it in the course of the week and the moment I saw it again after so many years, I knew it was time. A number of other quotes all of a sudden came to mind as well. To me, quotes are quite often gateways to meditation. It all forms part of a topic announcing itself again. Not in the sense that it has announced itself before and I’ve ignored it – although I’ve thought about it on previous occasions. More in the sense that I am again entering the time of a certain topic coming to the fore unexpectedly on different occasions. As if to say: “It is my time. Look at me.” As other topics have done in the past. With me and my dad living on the farm, I am constantly confronted with and I am witnessing a person’s struggle to accept old age. My father has been very active all his life. He is a fitter and turner by trade, spent years in engineering workshops, but also repaired cars, built houses and farmed among other things....