Babel

Babel

It is sung in a noise of earth

that once upon a time mankind

joined in perfect chorus to raise

a monstrous song to heaven from the land.

It did not sound.

As stony silence fell upon the singers

they were thrown into different speech

in tongues no one of them could understand.

It is sung in a noise of earth....


(copyright EAC)

Just War

A: So tell me, my friend, do you support the war?

B: Indeed, most enthusiastically. As long as no one gets killed or injured.

A: But that is absurd, friend. How can there be war with no one being killed or injured?

B: You mean to say there has never been a war in which no one was killed or injured?

A: Not that I know of. Which war would that be?

B: The only kind of war I support.

A: Once more--that’s absurd.

B: But war itself is absurd, isn't it?

A: You mean there are no just wars?

B: Naturally. A just war is a war in which no one is killed or injured.

A: I am not following you. Why would you be pro-war if you want no one killed or injured?

B: Because war is absurd, and folks need a degree of absurdity in their lives. It's healthy. Keeps the blood running. It adds excitement, and a sense of the unknown. They say generals die in bed. So I say make everyone a general. Then everyone gets a shot at medals and glory, all the acclaim and admiration, just so long as no one is killed or maimed.

A: And everyone dies in bed?

B: Sure. Why not?

A: Well, if you are pro-war you certainly support the troops.

B: No. I don't support the troops.

A: You're pro-war but you don't support the troops? How can you be pro-war and not support the troops that fight it?

B: Because it's just war.

A: You mean because you support just wars, and in just wars no one gets killed and maimed.

B: That's right. Why would they need support? In fact, why have troops? It's just war.

A: Just war?

B: Well, because everyone's a general and no one gets killed or maimed, and they....

A: All die in bed.

B: You got it. Easy as pie.

A: As pie?

B: Just war. Easy as pie.

A: In bed?

B: You got it.

A: I see.

[EAC copyright]

El Rotochromodrome

"Why, for instance, do we not, like the Hopi, use a different way of expressing the relation of channel of sensation (seeing) to result in consciousness, as between 'I see that it is red' and 'I see that it is new'. We fuse the two quite different types of relationship into a vague sort of connection expressed by 'that', whereas the Hopi indicates that in the first case seeing presents a sensation 'red', and in the second that seeing presents unspecificed evidence from which is drawn the inference of newness. If we change the form to 'I hear that it is red' or 'I hear that it is new', we European speakers still cling to our lame 'that', but the Hopi now uses still another relater and makes no distinction between 'red' and 'new', since, in either case, the significant presentation to consciousness is that of a verbal report, and neither a sensation per se nor inferential evidence...."

[Benjamin Lee Whorf]

Rosebud

"The fish trap exists because of the fish; once you've gotten the fish, you can forget the trap. The rabbit snare exists because of the rabbit; once you have gotten the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words exist because of meaning; once you have gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can have a word with him?"
[Chuang Tzu tr. Watson]

Lucianesque (2)

Adam: You talked to a tree?

Eve: Well, not quite the tree itself. A snake in the tree.

Adam: A snake? What's a snake?

Eve: Well, a little like what you have there [points and giggles] and I don't.

Adam: What did the snake say?

Eve: The snake said this place is a garden.

Adam: Really?

Eve: Really.

Adam: What's a garden?

Eve: What's a garden? Well, the snake said....

Adam: The snake said what?

Eve: Well, the snake said a garden is a little like a bush.

Adam: Really?

Eve: Really.

Adam: A bush? What's a bush?

Eve: Well, it's a little like [points to herself and giggles] what I have here.

Adam: That's a bush?

Eve: Well, Adam, like a bush.

Adam: Really?

Eve: Really.

Adam: Oh.


[copyright EAC January 2008]

Incognito (Animated Anaglyph)

"Of the same sort was what Count Ludovico said to a man who wished to travel incognito through a certain dangerous place and did not know how to disguise himself; and the Count, being asked about it, replied: 'Dress like a doctor or some other man of learning.'"

[Baldesar Castiglione tr. S. Singleton]



An animated anaglyph, designed to be viewed with 3D glasses--Blue right, Red left.

Transmission Two Double Aught Seven