Hodgepodge: All things that don't fit on-going threads

[Tintin]

A phobian solar eclipse: Mars' moon Phobos filmed from the NASA Perseverance rover:

Source: https://x.com/wow_facts2050/status/2015935382848971116

[norman]

The Nuns of Zanskar: Life at 3,500 Meters
Nov 3, 2025

Nestled 3,500 meters high in the ancient Himalayan kingdom, India’s Zanskar valley has stayed isolated for centuries. But at the end of a perilous and icy road, a beautiful village opens its doors. It is home to a community of nuns whose joy and extraordinary generosity contrast with the hardness of their land. 15 years after her first journey there, director Caroline Riegel returns to visit these women, and shares their daily life over the course of one winter. She captures a moving testimony of a unique place where times seems to stand still.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=lgD-HWxMqPQ

The world of the Amish - Between tradition and temptation | DW Documentary
Jan 28, 2026


The Amish still live as they did in the 17th century: without electricity, phones or cars. While many continue to resist the temptations of the modern world, others are breaking away from the group.

For the Amish community in the USA, only the word of the Lord counts. They follow biblical principles to the letter, and believe in traditional gender roles.

But younger members of the Christian communit in particular are questioning the extreme rules that guide their lives. Amish life places Christian faith above all else, rejects technological progress and sees a woman's place as being in the home. How long can this world view hold out?

This film offers a rare insight into this community: After months of reflection, three generations of Amish agreed to open their doors to the camera. They share their daily lives, which they live according to the centuries-old rules of a Swiss Mennonite preacher. Today, they live in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin. Most families are farmers and adhere to a strict interpretation of the Bible. However, there are some tentative concessions to the modern world.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=0_9Li81FPo8

Inside Scotland's Vanishing Villages
RocaNews - Jan 3, 2026


The Scottish Highlands are known around the world as a land of rugged land of beauty and tradition. We went to understand what was left of this traditional Scottish culture – only to learn that it’s almost gone, taken over by a group of outsiders. So why’s that happening? What’s left of the Highlands culture? Come with us to the Highlands to find out

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=APatqC53gu0

Reviving Swiss mountain communities - Is there a future for these isolated regions? | DW Documentary


Only about 650 people live year-round in the Onsernone Valley in Switzerland. Surrounded by picturesque but rugged nature, life here is not easy for the inhabitants. And one of the top priorities is ensuring the availability of medical care.

The road through the valley winds its way for 28 kilometers through narrow hairpin bends. Much of the area can only be reached on foot, and with considerable physical effort. There is no supermarket.

Above all, medical care must be guaranteed so that the valley remains attractive — for older people, but also for young families.

Josef "Beppe" Savary-Borioli, 72 years old and the valley's long-time doctor, faces the difficult task of finding a successor. He develops a "doctor sharing" model, in which several doctors could share the care of the villagers. For a few months, the experienced mountain doctor is accompanied by young assistant from Locarno — will he be his successor?

There are young families looking for a slower pace of life who are happy to take on the challenges. But living space is scarce, as most of the approximately 1,200 houses in the valley are only used by their owners as vacation homes for a few weeks a year. Mike Keller, who was born in the valley, has returned with a mission: to find new families for the empty vacation homes.

Shaman Daniela Huber has moved to Berzona with her four-year-old son Atticus and his father Adrian to live in her grandmother's house. She spent her summers here as a child. Berzona is one of the most beautiful villages in the Onsernone Valley, but outside the summer season Daniela feels lonely there. Together with Mike, she’s now trying to encourage like-minded individuals to follow her example, in a bid to revive the village

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=FwBZPhJrNec

[norman]

Regina Meredith - How Do We Tell Truth From Fiction?
22 minutes - Aug 22, 2025

Show notes
A few decades ago, my soul group guides told me that I would live to see a time in which people were no longer able to tell truth from fiction. That time has arrived. We are like cats chasing laser beams. Who controls the laser? What are the implications? How do we claim our own truth again? These are the questions we look at in this commentary. We begin with looking inside, and we end with looking inside - everything else is a distraction, but it's not as easy as it sounds. Stay tuned and let's see what we can do together.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=n4wvNk-coBM