Hmmm. That churns the stomach. I think repetition of "strip of camphorated nitrocellulose coated with an emulsion of silver halide salts" really accentuates it. Not only do you have the repulsion of disembowelment, bloody butterflies, birthing and hunting but you have to read a tiresomely long expression for film. Sounds like there should be a projector involved here too.
I was fascinated with the pictures of my brother's birth when I was a kid (they were graphic), though I haven't looked at them lately. It is only recently that I have consciously really experienced stomach churning. I alternate between strong repulsion and morbid fascination now; usually initially strong repulsion and after I have had a bit of time for the feeling to dissipate, I have to go back and look again. I liked the picture of the flower blowing in the wind. I ran into a bunch of youtube videos of flowers blowing in the wind a few months ago. They really appealed to me because they were just flowers, no music, nothing else. Unusual for YouTube and in general (who would see something like that on TV? It would generally be considered boring and it isn't like other media could accomodate such a thing in the past (unless it was an ECOLOG version of classic arts showcase). Home video cameras are the only place I can think of where one would see that and it would not reach as large an audience as youtube, and hence would miss me.) Flowers! This one grows in southern California: Achillea millefolium and nature sounds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UENMGm-vbjY&feature=related http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achillea_millefolium Though portions are over exposed, you can see the ray and disk flowers clearly at the end. White clover: Trifolium repens (white) and a blue scrophulariaceous flower (Figwort=snapdragon family) Scutellaria galericulata http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0-bPraYdKU&NR=1 Does the Scutellaria have opposite, decussate phyllotaxy? Common grape hyacinth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8rA4nLC998&feature=channel Sleutelbloemen - Primula http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4OBFiwp8xs&feature=channel The Bermuda Buttercup and Shepherd's Purse that grew throughout our yard as I was growing up wasn't fake. They were considered weeds, but I thought they were beautiful. Even though the 94 year old retired citrus packer who lived in the house behind us thought they were dreadful, I adored her too. I would make bouquets of shepherd's purse, bermuda buttercup and grass flowers (from what ever grass formed our lawn - I imagined it looked like baby's breath). That was how I learned that she didn't like bermuda buttercup; some of the bouquets went over to Helen with apricots from our tree (she wouldn't touch citrus either). I also loved her for such straight-forward, frank expressions. -Jennifer Jones Edelweiss with music (for those that want music) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEtb06tv9CE&feature=related On Mon, Sep 27, 2010 at 8:37 AM, Chalfant, Brian <[email protected]> wrote: > Okay, so a human, a strip of camphorated nitrocellulose coated with an > emulsion of silver halide salts, and nature walk into a bar... > > human: "strip of camphorated nitrocellulose coated with an emulsion of > silver halide salts, i've been doing human things all day and require > diversion, show me nature." > strip of camphorated nitrocellulose coated with an emulsion of silver halide > salts: "okay." (shows a still image of six manatee spleens to the human. > nature laughs.) > human: "what's that?" > strip of camphorated nitrocellulose coated with an emulsion of silver halide > salts: "that's nature." > human: "no it's not. it's not even moving." (nature makes overly intense > but effective eye contact with another nubile nature at the other end of the > bar.) > strip of camphorated nitrocellulose coated with an emulsion of silver halide > salts: (to human) "but it's beautiful." > human: "c'mon, show me something natural." > nature: "i'll be right back." > strip of camphorated nitrocellulose coated with an emulsion of silver halide > salts: (to human) "fine." (shows a flower blowing in what appears to be > wind.) > human: "that's nice." > strip of camphorated nitrocellulose coated with an emulsion of silver halide > salts: "but it's not real." > human: "what?" > strip of camphorated nitrocellulose coated with an emulsion of silver halide > salts: "it's a cyclorama. i made it. the wind is me breathing off-screen." > human: (disappointedly) "oh..." (starts to expect something.) > strip of camphorated nitrocellulose coated with an emulsion of silver halide > salts: "i know what you want..." (shows butterflies boxing. the contest > appears to have been particularly brutal to this point; both contenders are > sweating profusely and covered in blood. the butterfly in the yellow trunks > with black trim knocks out the champ with a devastating uppercut.) > human: "wow. but..." > strip of camphorated nitrocellulose coated with an emulsion of silver halide > salts: "you're right, that was ridiculous and untrue. how about this..." > (shows a closeup of anything being born.) > human: "gross..." > strip of camphorated nitrocellulose coated with an emulsion of silver halide > salts: (quickly changes the image to something previously nearly-symmetrical > being eaten alive by something vicious and hungry in an effort to maintain > it's own near-symmetry.) > human: (emits pathos.) > strip of camphorated nitrocellulose coated with an emulsion of silver halide > salts: (shows the human expecting nature to appear in the strip of > camphorated nitrocellulose coated with an emulsion of silver halide salts) > human: "ummm..." > > THE END > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Wayne Tyson > Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2010 11:42 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Naturefaking in media > > > Bill and Ecolog: > > Again, I'm with you on the subjectivity hang-up problem. These things are > hard to generalize about; maybe we should start looking harder and nature > films and try to sort out priorities and degrees of fakery and whether the > "fakery" adds to or detracts from the truth. > > I'm also with you on fuzzy logic. In fact, my farewell talk to SERCAL was on > that very subject. It wasn't published in the proceedings, but the essence > of the message is here: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol5/iss2/art5/ > > WT > > PS: Hostility is usually defensive, and is best ignored whilst sticking to > the substance of the issue. We can't help it if there are so many insecure > folks out there scrambling up some imaginary pyramid. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "William Silvert" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2010 1:29 PM > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Naturefaking in media > > >>I thank Dave for his posting, which addresses the controversial topic >>of subjectivity in science. Many scientists condemn any hint of >>subjectivity even though it is always present. I have run into this a >>lot because I have been advocating the use of fuzzy logic, which is >>often rejected out of hand >> because of the overtones of subjectivity. >> >> It is intersting that reference to paradigms does not generate the >> same hostility, even though the concept implies that the whole field >> is prone to subjective bias! >> >> Bill Silvert >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "David M. Lawrence" <[email protected]> >> To: <[email protected]> >> Sent: domingo, 26 de Setembro de 2010 17:02 >> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Naturefaking in media >> >> >>> Scientists do "story selection" all the time, though they may be >>> reluctant to admit it. They (we) select the hypotheses to be tested, >>> then select the subjects, data to be collected, field and analytical >>> methods, presentation methods, etc. It's not much different than >>> what documentary filmmakers or journalists do. All are choices >>> driven by the need to make the best use of the medium you are >>> communicating in. >>> >>> Scientists shouldn't be so blind to the "subjectivity" that goes into >>> their work. Such blindness, as we have seen in the scientific >>> controversy over the past few years, has helped feed the erosion of >>> credibility that many institutions in our society have felt. >>> >>> Dave > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.445 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3160 - Release Date: 09/26/10 > 07:01:00 >
