Ancient Astronaut Theorists Missed This November 27, 2017
Posted by voolavex in Social Issues.add a comment
I love the UFO station – Discovery, I guess and I absolutely LOVE Hairguy. And even though they have many reruns – it’s not a subject (if you are intrigued) you can opt out casually, just in case someone reveals something that starts you thinking. I notice many of the commentators are Ph.Ds from real universities and I actually believe many astrophysicists are primed for that AHA moment too. It’s just as plausible as religion – I say if you have a place for Occam’s Razor – sharpen it and think outside the sphere.
I happened to flipping stations and Hairguy was on an episode about “Secrets”. (They are all about secrets actually )but the astrodocs and their colleagues were expounding on the images of “star beings” in so much of ancient art and on the similarities. Which I find fascinating. Of course the came in on the dreaded Akhenaten – misshapen and heretical – but I started to look not at him – although he is mesmerizing – but at the tomb art. Especially the 18th Dynasty’s radical changes . I love the art itself, but it is strange. I once knew someone who could decipher the glyphs (with the help of Wallis Budge) and it’s meanings were hard for me to fathom. (Assuming the Rosetta Stone was a true translation.) However what caught my brain was their immediate comparisons to Aztec and Mayan, Chinese, Sanskrit Inuit, Viking (etc) art that -carried a common theme and seemed to be saying the same thing in other “languages”. Which led me not to think that “ancient aliens” made a round the world tour but essentially told the same story in (maybe) holographic visits and the art of the cultures were more like directions. or a Fodor Guide. “How to” manuals with arrows and pictures and directions on just what they had to say and wanted done. Not art. But information translated into the vernacular of these various cultures so they could absorb and use it. And not too long after, whole peoples disappeared and in some cases left no trace of anything. And some died and got the full Monty of funerals, but it happened world wide. Assuming (and of course ancient astronaut theorists assume this) these visiting travellers had the ways and means to figure out there was a here here, surely they had some powers that were – well – other wordly and far more advanced After all, why make the trip if you weren’t going to either kill us all or share the info. Sightseeing came later. So if you think then about our attempts to rove Mars or photograph Saturn or go to the moon; how is this any different – except for us, it’s on a far less advanced scale. But we buy it.
So many discoveries and we continue to hold onto our position of “no this can’t be”; we know the only way it could be. What have we missed by not viewing the “art” as something far different that just religious scribbles. And consider this – we didn’t figure out the Double Helix until 1952 – anyone dropping by thousands of years ago could have done anything to us. Maybe what we swab is not ours at all. Science has developed CRISPR and bionic and genetic engineering. Maybe all we are just late to the table. The simplest answer is usually the right one – being married to science is wonderful and necessary for some – but Carl Sagan thought further; Neil Tyson may, the rumblings of Asimov, Arthur C, Clarke, even Gene Rodenberry have evolved into reality and who knows – maybe that whoosh through the wormhole will have us believing ancient astronaut theorists. Open minds work best. They really do.
Vocabulary Constabulary: Part One Newspeak is Annoying. November 7, 2017
Posted by voolavex in New Speak, Social Issues.Tags: cockney, curate, ferrets, Man Booker, Mr. Otis Regrets, parakeet, Pets, Posh, recycle, slang, trash, words
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Each generation and culture adds words to our languages. And that’s to the good mostly. English, though, is really taking a beating. I blame, to some degree, social media, but other villains are at work. Who are they? Poseurs, snobs, wannabes, politically correct or just pretentious. Maybe you know someone like that? Off the top of my head these are a start – as this will be posted in installments.
When you select or choose a group of things – you do not become a curator automatically. I think the term robs real curators of their skills and education. If I want to display a group of “stuff” and I publish a photo – I did not curate it. I lumped it all together and snapped.
When you wrap up a token of esteem or affection or obligation and hand it to the recipient – this is not gifting. And if they rewrap it and palm it off on someone else – that is neither repurposing nor regifting. It’s getting rid of it in a nicer way than the trash . You may be cheap, or hate the gift or already have one – but that’s another gripe.
I have two cats who are pets. I adore them both and they are my constant company. I do not regard them as animal companions – the actual difference is in the definition of the word . It suggests cherishing. Mothers call babies pet; spouses and aunts and uncles do too. Grammies use it a lot. When I hear the word pet, I think of special and important and cuddling. An animal companion has all the warmth of the crossing sign lady at grade school. It would not be wise for me to elucidate on my feelings about service animal companions. Everyone is miserable somewhere along the line – it has been pretty much established that pets can alleviate or banish those feelings. Seeing eye dogs are service animals and those animals that perform therapeutic acts for the truly disabled. So far I don’t think ferrets have made the grade, but they are cute little scamps and probably make their owners very happy. That is more a gift than a service.
Do you separate your trash? Recycle that which can be recycled. Compost? Good for you. So do I. Do you find other uses for things with specific names (funnel, sieve, jars, pretty box that held candy or cards)? So do I. Do you regard it as repurposing. I tend to think – “I wonder what I can do with that; it’s too good to trash”. For example – a friend sticks you with her parakeet and you are too nice to say no. You don’t really want it but now it’s yours. Can you repurpose it to be an alarm clock? (Birds are smart and easy to train I hear) Would you? It would become either a pet or a pass along to a friend who liked birds. Saying this could useful for something else is okay. Figuring out what can be, may be a problem.
Posh words from posh Britain are floating like jetsam across the pond. I admit to using some but I have also lived there (among the posh and titled – doncha’ know) and have many wonderful UK friends (though not mates – that’s sort of a guy word and also makes me think of soccer hooligans). I do use a lot of nasty Britslang. Strange bedfellows make for acquired habits quite often. Cockney rhyming slang is used by the posh because it is fun. It also allows you to call out people in code. But I am talking about everyday use. Suddenly (after eons of use in the Empire) we now have co-opted the word shortlist. When I see it -much more frequently – I am always looking for the Man Booker. I am always cheesed off when it isn’t . Elevators are widely called lifts (something I am quite sure Mr. Otis Regrets) and we tuck in for eating. I have whole books of this slang but it’s work to find the whole book. Bollocks! Feel free to add to this one. It shows no sign of ending and consider this: the Brits use bad language with a marvelous accent and can say almost anything still sound Belgravian.
I invite suggestions, comments and I shall make this post Installment 1. It will be occasional unless there are many suggestions. Players are welcome to participate. Free admission.
Voolavex 