The World Economic Forum is calling for more direct action to end the pending food crisis. Amazing how that is timed with Oregon and Idaho water restrictions and Michigan Avian Flu crisis. Want fries with the grasshopper burger?
Thank You To Demi of Starfire Codes
Thanks To Dave Wise for Giving Me The Idea For Tonight’s Episode – Check Dave out At Dave Wise (Neoteric Wood Art) On Substack
Discover Old Tools and Instruments
What is a nyckelharpa?
The modern chromatic nyckelharpa has 16 strings: 3 melody strings, one drone string, and 12 sympathetic vibration (or resonance) strings. It has about 37 wooden keys arranged to slide under the strings. Each key has a tangent that reaches up and stops (frets) a string to make a particular note. The player uses a short bow with the right hand, and pushes on the keys with the left. It has a 3 octave range (from the same low “G” as a fiddle’s 4th string) and sounds something like a fiddle, only with lots more resonance. Earlier forms of the nyckelharpa had fewer keys, fewer (or no) sympathetic strings, and fewer melody strings, but often made more use of drone strings.
In Swedish, “nyckel” means key, and “harpa”, well, it’s a bit harder to translate. I’ve heard older people (my grandmother’s generation) refer to guitars and fiddles as “harpa”. I think it used to be a generic word for “stringed instrument” (which makes sense if you think of the most generic or basic instrument — some open strings on a box, a harp). The nyckelharpa has historically been called “nyckelgiga”, “nyckelspel” and “nyckel-lira” as well. “Giga” and “lira” are both generic words referring to instruments (c.f. lira -> lyre like harpa -> harp) and “spel” means “play”. Sometimes people call it the Swedish key-fiddle, but nyckelharpa isn’t that hard to pronounce (see the first sound link below).
Nyckelharpa History
- Narly died out in early 1900s
- 1350 Two Person Instrument
The oldest “evidence” of nyckelharpa use is a relief (left picture) on one of the gates to Källunge church on Gotland from about 1350 depicting two nyckelharpa players. There are three surviving examples of the medieval nyckelharpa: one found in the town of Mora in Dalarna, Sweden (2rd picture); one found in Vefsen, Norway (3nd picture, it hangs in the Musik Museum in Stockholm, where the last picture was taken [i.e. that’s a reproduction of the Moraharpa in the last picture]); and one found in Esse, Finland (4th picture)
The End of History?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_History_and_the_Last_Man
- End of Ideological Progression: Fukuyama claims that the ideological evolution of humanity has culminated in liberal democracy, which he positions as the “last” form of government because no viable alternative systems remain in contention.
- Hegelian Influence: The thesis draws on the philosophy of G.W.F. Hegel, who viewed history as a linear process of ideological progression. Fukuyama adopts Hegel’s idea that history has a direction and purpose, and asserts that history, understood as a contest among major ideological alternatives, is now over; liberal democracy is the synthesis
- Characteristics of Liberal Democracy: Fukuyama highlights the spread of institutions like freedom of speech, free and fair elections, and separation of powers as hallmarks of this final system. While not necessarily tied to American-style democracy, he suggests that forms of parliamentary democracy, representative government, and market economies are converging globally
- Not a Utopia or End of Events: He emphasizes that his thesis does not mean all problems are solved or that liberal democracy is perfect, but rather that—despite flaws and challenges—it represents the “least-worst” form of governance, with no alternative ideology offering a fundamentally superior framework for organizing society
Recognition and Human Identity: Building on Hegel, Fukuyama also discusses the human need for recognition as a driver of historical change, suggesting that the spread of liberal democracy fulfills this universal human longing
“Everyone has plan until the get in the boxing ring.” Famous words of Mike Tyson. Life is about jumping in, and yeah, you can go where you want instead of where you should. But you may have to answer for mistakes.
Part of life is embracing that gift. Part of life is recognizing that people insisting on process are merely Lucy guiding you until she pulls the football away.
“Fail to plan and you plan to fail”. That mantra has lead us to worship at the alter of over-credentialed hair brains. Yes, project managers and the administrative cast with LETTERS after there names denoting some type of inerrant expertise.
They Live By The Tyranny Of The Plan
All work must stop in order for the “administrator” to reset the plan, because they have completed a top down estimate WITHOUT consulting those who are involved in the WORKFLOW.
No work proceeds until the plan is adjusted, otherwise you fail.
But what about the days PRIOR to Gantt Charts?
The Empire State Building Was Built in 13 Months
Yes. 13 months, managed on one sheet of paper. 85 floors completed, wired, safe, ready for leasing. And it was under 18% budget.
https://chrisgagne.com/1255/mary-poppendiecks-the-tyranny-of-the-plan/
How?
So now 85 years later they still have the big electrical boxes, but guess what: they got the building up faster because of it. Here I think is the critical thing. The schedule was not laid out based on the details of the building design. They didn’t design the building and then create the schedule. They created the schedule and then created the design to fit in the schedule. The building was designed based on the constraints of the situation.
