Google AI Overview

Henri Cartier-Bresson’s “Decisive Moment” is the exact fraction of a second when the significance of an event and the precise organization of forms in a scene perfectly align to create a powerful and meaningful photograph. It requires a photographer to have patience, sharp observation, and quick reflexes to capture the moment where elements of chaos come together in spontaneous harmony, resulting in a powerful and unified composition.  

Key aspects of the Decisive Moment:

• Simultaneous recognition: The photographer recognizes both the importance of the event and the visual harmony of its elements all at once. 
• Precise organization of forms: This refers to the composition, framing, and the interplay of lines, shapes, and movement that give the event its proper expression. 
• Timing and spontaneity: It’s about capturing a fleeting instant, not about arranging the scene, which requires the photographer to be constantly ready to seize the opportune moment. 
• Anticipation and reflexes: The ability to anticipate an important event and react quickly with the camera is crucial. 
• In-camera composition: Cartier-Bresson believed in composing the shot carefully in the viewfinder, arguing that cropping in the darkroom can damage the image’s integrity and balance. 

How it works in practice:

• A photographer observes the continuous flow of life, looking for moments of potential visual harmony. 
• When moving objects and elements in the scene align naturally and create a balanced composition, the photographer presses the shutter to freeze that perfect, fleeting moment. 
• The resulting photograph is seen as a powerful testament to the photographer’s vision and their ability to see the extraordinary within the ordinary. 

AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more

(Image from Birgraphy.com)

Henri Cartier-Bresson (August 22, 1908 – August 3, 2004) was a French humanist photographer, and also an artist. He was considered a master of candid photography, and was an early user of 35mm film. He pioneered the genre of street photography and viewed capturing what he named the decisive moment as the essence of the very best pictures. Wikipedia

(Image from Wikipedia.org)

“Hate speech does not exist legally in America. There’s ugly speech. There’s gross speech. There’s evil speech. And ALL of it is protected by the First Amendment. Keep America free.”

–Charlie Kirk on X

Charles James Kirk (October 15, 1993 – September 10, 2025) was an American right-wing political activist, author, and media personality. He co-founded the conservative organization Turning Point USA in 2012 and was its executive director. He published a range of books and hosted The Charlie Kirk Show, a talk radio program. Wikipedia

he Monomachy of Prince Mstislav the Daring and Prince Rededia of the Adyghes, 1812. Art: Andrey Ivanovich Ivanov

A.Word.A.Daywith Anu Garg

monomachy

PRONUNCIATION:

(muh-NOM-uh-kee) 

MEANING:

noun: A fight between two people or forces.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Greek mono- (one) + -machy (battle). Earliest documented use: 1582.

NOTES:

If a monomachy is a fight between two people, what’s a duomachy? Also a fight between two people. Best not to spar with the English language. Don’t duel with a language, any language. Here’s how it works: mono here refers to the number of contests, not the number of contestants. In some battles, one champion from each army engaged in a duel and the outcome is taken as if the whole army fought. Saves a lot of casualties, though not much confusion for the etymologist.

“The call of death is a call of love. Death can be sweet if we answer it in the affirmative, if we accept it as one of the great eternal forms of life and transformation.”

~ Hesse

Hermann Karl Hesse (July 2, 1877 – August 9, 1962) was a German-Swiss poet and novelist, and the 1946 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His interest in Eastern religious, spiritual, and philosophical traditions, combined with his involvement with Jungian analysis, helped to shape his literary work. Wikipedia

“All suffering is caused by ignorance.  People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their own happiness or satisfaction.” Buddha (563-483 BC) Indian Religious Leader

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DAILY REFLECTION BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE SCHOOL OF PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY

By Gary Snyder

“The modern Tribesman…is the most relevant type in contemporary society. Nationalism, warfare, heavy industry and consumership, are already outdated and useless. The next great step of mankind is to step into the nature of his own mind—the real question is “just what is consciousness?”—and we must make the most intelligent and creative use of science in exploring these questions. The man of wide international experience, much learning and leisure—luxurious product of our long and sophisticated history—may with good reason wish to live simply, with few tools and minimal clothes, close to nature.The Revolution has ceased to be an ideological concern. Instead, people are trying it out right now. How do they recognize each other? Not always by beards, long hair, bare feet or beads. The signal is a bright and tender look; calmness and gentleness, freshness and ease of manner. Men, women and children—all of whom together hope to follow the timeless path of love and wisdom, in affectionate company with the sky, winds, clouds, trees, waters, animals and grasses—this is the tribe.”

(Contributed by Gwyllm Llwydd)

–

News

Published: March 23, 2018 (TheOnion.com)

VATICAN CITY—Claiming the religion was infringing upon His personality rights, Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, sued the Catholic Church Friday for alleged unlicensed use of His image. “Today, I have filed a lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Church for its unlawful appropriation of my likeness in their branding and promotional material,” said Christ, who in the case of King of Kings and Lord of Lords v. Vatican will argue that He hasn’t seen a cent since the Church started profiting off His image approximately 2,000 years ago. “I never signed off on, nor do I endorse, the sentiments behind any of these candles, plates, statues, paintings—none of it. I don’t want to have my brand devalued by a bunch of people just trying to turn a quick buck by slapping a reproduction of my wounded body on a cross.” At press time, sources confirmed the Church was attempting to reduce its legal exposure by altering its depictions of Jesus so they would instead feature short hair and a neatly trimmed mustache.

Ashley Tysiac

Mon, September 15, 2025 (Yahoo.com)

For years, the strange phenomenon of precognition–an unwavering “gut feeling” that something will happen in the future–has puzzled scientists. The eerie concept may sound far-fetched, but many studies suggest there’s statistical evidence to back up precognition’s existence.

At the center of the research is a mid-1990s study by parapsychologist Dean Radin, Ph.D. that reshaped how we understand our ability to predict the future.

Curious about your consciousness? Dive deeper into the science behind gut feelings and your mind’s brilliant capabilities.

While working at the University of Nevada, Radin, who had studied precognition for years, hypothesized that if consciousness transcended time, reactions to a stimulus would occur before the stimulus actually appeared. So, he put that hypothesis to the test, using an EEG machine to record the brain activity of study participants.

Hooked up to the EEG, the subjects reacted to prompts and images, including positive photos (like a sunrise) and negative pictures (such as a car crash). The EEG measured the subject’s brain activity during the short, five-second span between when they received the prompt and when they saw the image.

The results were astounding. When a subject predicted a positive image, they reacted very little, but they showed a spike in brain activity when they expected to see a negative image. Radin’s findings were statistically significant, and since then, researchers have replicated his study successfully nearly three dozen times.

His work proved influential enough that the CIA declassified its pre-sentiment research in 1995, and statisticians confirmed the effect was statistically reliable.

Still, questions remain about the science behind precognition. Numbers prove it exists, but why? What causes those psychic gut feelings? Is time truly linear? While Radin’s work provided a runway for substantiating precognition, the next step is finding evidence of its mechanism—and perhaps convincing others to let go of their fears of the unknown.

Still mind-boggled by the future-predicting capabilities of your consciousness? Dive deeper into the mysteries of gut feelings and foreseeing the future by reading Pop Mech’s feature on the complexity of precognition.

(Contributed by Janet Cornwell, H.W., m.)

Published: September 15, 2025 (TheOnion.com)

WASHINGTON, UT—As he described a massive backlog of murders that continued to stump the agency he leads, desperate FBI director Kash Patel reportedly asked the family of alleged Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson on Monday if they could solve any other cases. “You showed a real knack for catching criminals when you identified your son in those photos we released, so how about continuing your hot streak by taking a look at these open investigations?” said Patel, who then dumped a large stack of paperwork, fingerprint evidence, and DNA samples out onto the family’s kitchen table, explaining that he had a lot on his plate right now and would really appreciate their help. “I really don’t know how you cracked the Kirk case. Those pictures were so blurry! Did you guys go to school for this or something? I was honestly at the end of my rope. Have you seen the show High Potential ? This is just like that!” At press time, Patel had been spotted dining in a trendy restaurant while the shooter’s family was said to be digging into the Zodiac Killer murders.