Chet Chylinski has just sent me this photo that he made of a double rainbow – notice that the order of colors are reversed for the secondary rainbow. If he had been in the aircraft seen in the photo the rainbows would have appeared circular rather than as arches. I replied that I had once seen a triple rainbow over the Grand Canyon, but I lied – I discovered that that is not possible – it was either a supernumerary rainbow or it was the result of light reflecting off a bright surface and creating a new light source in which case the third rainbow would have intersected the other two rather than forming a concentric ring. If a tertiary rainbow actually occurred it would not be visible above the first two but in the opposite side of the sky.
-
It comes as a surprise to me that those who live and work in the real countryside harbor a healthy ambivalence towards their own way of life – John Barlow – Everything but the squeal, 2008 p8-
Its becoming harder and harder to try new places
Its all part of the process of acclimation
Its not that I am content with my routine
It’s that I am familiar with it
Its becoming harder and harder to try new ideas
Its all part of the process of acclimation
Its not that I am content with what I think
Its that it is at least acceptable
But I try not to be too smug about this
Much of the rustic landscape is composed of neatly manicured, picture-postcard villages awash with gleaming BMWs… the rural population moved out years ago, no one knows where they went – John Barlow – Everything but the squeal, 2008 p8
If it can’t be said in a poem
It can’t be said
To be said it first
Must be said in a poem
In a visible world, the invisible does not compete – Mark Slouka – Harpers (Sept 2009) p32
The rainbow as a good omen is the exception, most rainbow supersititutions are signs of bad weather and death:
- Peruvian Indians believe that exposing your teeth to a rainbow will cause them to loosen and rot
- A Saturday rainbow is sure to be followed by a week of rainy weather (Ireland)
- The rainbow is a sign of children’s souls ascending to heaven (a la “It’s a Wonderful Life” and angels getting wings)
- A rainbow over the house means death
- If you point at a rainbow you will be a felon
- Arched over a cemetery it will cause an epidemic (Greek)
- Rainbow in winter mean more snow
- Seen in the middle of water – drought; seen on land – crops will be injured; seen on trees – disease in the land; seen on anthills will result in wars; and if seen at night – ministers will perish (India)
-
It has taken us a century to over come the handicap created by modern medicine – but finally we have the majority of the world’s countries no longer capable of sustaining their populations. There are 64 countries that no longer reproduce at a rate high enough maintain their populations.
-
The foundation myth of modern society is that the trend is towards more equal conditions. Inequalities are accepted, since many goods that were once reserved for the privileged are now widespread, and the luxuries of today will be assessable to all tomorrow - Serge Latouche – The Globe Downshifted (Le Monde dipolmatique, Jan 2006)
What is truth I can’t
Say
I can say this is a book
This is a pencil
This is a piece of paper
These are just words
When the economy’s expansion encroaches too much on the surrounding ecosystem we will begin to sacrifice natural capital… we will then have what I call un-economic growth… - making us poorer, not richer – Herman E Daly – Economics in a Full World (Scientific American Sept 2005) p.100
It has become fashionable to say that where science and technology have created problems, it is only more scientific understanding and better technology that can carry us past them. The cure for bad management is more management – Ivan Illich – Tools of Conviviality, 1973 p9
No comments:
Post a Comment