“As long as truths do not cut into our flesh with knives, we retain a secret contempt for them.”
—Daybreak, §460 (excerpt).
—Daybreak, §460 (excerpt).
Nothing resists, nothing can resist the force that drags man into conflict; an innocent murderer, a passive instrument in a formidable hand, he plunges unseeing into the abyss he himself has dug; he dies without suspecting that it is he himself who has brought about his death.
Thus is worked out, from maggots up to man, the universal law of the violent destruction of living beings. The whole earth, continually steeped in blood, is nothing but an immense altar on which every living thing must be sacrificed without end, without restraint, without respite until the consummation of the world, the extinction of evil, the death of death.
- Joseph de Maistre, St. Petersburg dialogues (1815)
Thus is worked out, from maggots up to man, the universal law of the violent destruction of living beings. The whole earth, continually steeped in blood, is nothing but an immense altar on which every living thing must be sacrificed without end, without restraint, without respite until the consummation of the world, the extinction of evil, the death of death.
- Joseph de Maistre, St. Petersburg dialogues (1815)
Deep in the enchanting woods of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, fireflies perform their mesmerizing light show over a two-week period between mid-May to mid-June. Synchronous fireflies are among the 19 species found in the park. The fireflies sync up their flashing patterns, timing everything like a luminous dance number. They require an extremely dark environment to stay coordinated, and any light that enters the area throws off their whole performance. Their presence beckons to photographers and viewers alike, to explore the Appalachian forests of Tennessee and North Carolina after dark --with eyes peeled for flashing. This image is a combination of close to 100 photos with long exposure. What a magical place this world is, especially with these dazzling beetles.