Jan 22 2022 - Snowflakes vs Raindrops

 

Snowflakes vs raindrops. Snow is gusting past our front garden in little clouds.  Rain doesn't do that very often.  It makes me think how light snow is compared to rain.  I found a wonderful article Raindrops and Snowflakes by Dr. Orville Boyd Jenkins - these are excerpts: "The observed behaviour of rain as it falls fits the event referred to by the common verb "fall."  Rather than rain drops "dropping," we actually say rain falls.  Since the "drops" are discrete bits of falling water, we call them rain drops, but we still say the rain falls.  "Raindrops keep falling on my head."  We don't say raindrops are dropping on my head. Likewise, I believe you'll hear the same usage for frozen bits like sleet or freezing rain (which is a mix of frozen and unfrozen bits of H2O).  As the snow "falls" it is a fluffy, irregularly shaped particle.  The noun "drop" applies only to liquids. Thus the action pictured by "dropping" is not appropriate for snow.  The infinitely variable shape is referred to as a flake, due to the generally flat shape and individuality of the particles.  Like a "flake" of something sliced off the larger part, like a flake of soap. Upon arrival, each snowflake just nestles in among its mates, while waiting the arrival of more falling flakes.  The snowflake, likewise, is caught by drafts of air, and thus gravity acts differently than upon a solid compact bit of water or frozen water.  Think of a snowflake as a wind surfer that gradually comes to ground to rest. We don't say rain drops from the sky, but it falls. Note also that in the same way we do not say snow flakes from the sky, but the snow also falls. Thus the nouns for the physical form of the water in these cases, is not the same word as for the verb used in the action." from Raindrops and Snowflakes by Dr. Orville Boyd Jenkins I went in search of some funny snowflake jokes, and instead found many insulting political American jokes in which snowflake is a derogatory metaphor for a liberal.  They are easily distinguished by their hatefulness.      I find that GQ.com gives us the recent origin of this - a derisive term used in the movie Fight Club (You are not special.  You are not beautiful and unique snowflakes...).  The article indicates that the actual origins are the 1860s as a person who was opposed to the abolition of slavery.  Today the meaning has swapped and been taken on by the far right:  From cartoonist Ben Garrison:  "The special snowflake is a whining millennial who protests instead of getting a “real job” and cries sexism because she’s upset men don’t find her attractive enough. She believed the liberal arts teacher who told her being unique is a good thing. Have I mentioned that she’s unattractive?" And GQ's conclusion:  “snowflake” has become the go-to for enemies on the left. There is not a single political point a liberal can make on the Internet for which “You triggered, snowflake?” cannot be the comeback. It’s purpose is dismissing liberalism as something effeminate, and also infantile, an outgrowth of the lessons you were taught in kindergarten. “Sharing is caring”? Communism. “Feelings are good”? Facts over feelings. “Everyone is special and unique”? Shut up, snowflake. When I first looked through the snowflake jokes, I found one rebuttal joke: Republicans are the true snowflakes...they're white, they're cold, and if you put enough of them together they'll shut down public schools   Here are some birch bark macros I revisited yesterday.

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Jan 28 2021 - Lucifer's the Name

 

Yesterday, Bernie Sander's big mittens crocheted doll raised over $40,000 U.S. and as of last night, the mittens and memes have raised $1.8 million for charity.  What might the final total be? And in the opposite direction: What about the Devil?  I find out it is mostly associated with Christianity  - in modern biblical translations, the Devil is the adversary of God and God’s people.   History.com tells me: It is common Christian belief that the Devil was once a beautiful angel named Lucifer who defied God and fell from grace. This assumption that he is a fallen angel is referenced to the book of Isaiah which says, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations.” Other biblical scholars, however, claimed Lucifer isn’t a proper name but a descriptive phrase meaning “morning star.” Still, the name stuck and the Devil is often referred to as Lucifer. From Wikipedia: Lucifer is the name of various mythological and religious figures associated with the planet Venus. Due to the unique movements and discontinuous appearances of Venus in the sky, mythology surrounding these figures often involved a fall from the heavens to earth or the underworld.  Interpretations of a similar term in the Hebrew Bible, translated in the King James Version as the proper name "Lucifer", led to a Christian tradition of applying the name Lucifer, and its associated stories of a fall from heaven, to Satan, but modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passage (Isaiah 14:12) as "morning star" or "shining one" rather than as a proper name, "Lucifer".  Present day translations have reverted back to morning star. I wonder what it is to be a Biblical scholar.  Is that the job? To take short passages and interpret them into large, expansive meanings?   And I haven't even gotten near to finding out about  making a deal with the Devil or selling one's soul to the Devil. That is my topic I wanted to research today... Another time. This week's assignment is montages - putting two images together to create something new, using Photoshop's "Blending modes".  Here are the results so far that have worked. Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Seeking Raindrops on Roses

Our photo theme today is "Raindrops on Roses."  The song "My Favourite Things" was written in 1959 for the musical The Sound of Music.  Mary Martin starred on Broadway, and Julie Andrews performed the song on the Christmas special for the Garry Moore Show in 1961, and was the star of the film in 1965.  After Julie Andrews, the person most associated with this song is John Coltrane, who did an extended fourteen minute version in his 1961 album with the same name.   Raindrops on Roses has taken on many uses over the year: 21443 Paint - Benjamin Moore A Paper Collection Free flower delivery Heartfelt creations Topsail Island Rental Nature News Etsy items The Raindrops on Roses Necklace Pecksniffs Fine Fragrances Mother Earth - aromatherapy and natural healers Hydrating tonic Felting Weekly photo challenge