got out yesterday, the first day of something or another, air full of light, dupont state park.

fall forward

a test: i don't think this resuscitation of blog will last. too hard to type, fingers pay, image-play, better that way? yo no se, eg, forget about me trying to remember how to put mantilla over "e": maybe twitter would work better.

here's the test:

...mmm, don't know about yr side, but from mine takes a long time to upload.

the state of the nation state

"A nation-state is a state, or country, that has defined borders and territory. It is additionally a country in which a nation of principally the same type of people exists, organized by either race or cultural background. In the nation-state, generally, everyone would speak the same language, probably practice the same or similar types of religion, and share a set of cultural, “national,” values.

From this strict definition it’s easy to see that the US is not a nation-state. We have multiple ethnicities, numbers of religions practiced, and different cultural norms. Even though citizens of the US share the same borders and territory, we do not, in the sense of the nation-state, share a common nationality."

from wisegeek.comhttp://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-nation-state.htm

personal observations: national sports teams made up of many nationalities. the "failed" state. the creation and demalition of "states" during our lifetimes and continuing.

News Flash

heard a snatch on NPR about the proliferation of night time electric illumination. a recent study concludes that not only does it upset our circadian rhythms  but more specifically may be in some way responsible for the rise in breast-cancer(!), and if i remember correctly, such recent conditions as autism, depression, ADHD etc.  some of these my imagination may have added.

sometime in the past 12 years i think i may have mentioned this possibility. the immensity of this change has always made me wonder what epiphenomena may be at work in today's world.

when i was young and not so young i lived in a number of places with no street lighting, and was continually pulled towards ambling through the dark, no flashlight, and it became sort of a habit, easy and soothing. present day paradise valley, part of phoenix arizona of all places prides itself on no street illumination, and is a relief to wonder into.

the study indicates that bright nighttime light does nothing to deter crime, but much to diminish fear of it. it adds that it is largely a function to attract customers, ie is a function of biz.

crowds

having chosen not to have a TV, i spent an unusual two nights first watching a frontline special online about cruise ships, second with no forethought rented koyannasquatsi, my favorite movie 30 years ago.

the first included stunning visuals of megastructures, moving theme parks, bowling alleys, dance auditoriums, ersatz populux restaurants  escalators  exterior shots of a few thousand souls lined up on five or more stories, like a motel. i was left aghast, wondering why anyone would want to "get away" by spending time in a mall or airport, or any tourist mass.

koyanasquatsi reinforced my initial impression, that it was a new narrative structure that communicated it's message as clearly as a bell thru some of the most beautiful footage ever made, a melding of sight and sound that despite no dialogue is convincing and leaves one quite clear as to why cruise ships, the tourist eco-system and social structure are blips in a fantasy that is totally destructive.