Black ether

A young ballet dancer, in white petal-pleated dress, bejeweled about the middle with hair done up and head slightly bowed, on the toes of her left foot she faced the flames and smoke. Her arms were straight outstretched so that she framed from top to bottom the soldier in the fire, left hand pointing to his feet [sic.] and right the top of his head, thereby forming as it were the sides of a not-quite right isosceles triangle and he the hypotenuse. She floated in a black void as if she, illustrating a point, or on the cusp of some magic, would  command release of the solder from his peril.

The soldier stood straight suspended in fire and as if at his guard post before the change at an appointed hour, smartly dressed in red jacket and blue pants and a musket with bayonet at his side all uniformly at attention. He stood without expression. His feet must have been cooking and his head must have been swirling like the flames and smoke that surrounded him bottom to top. Would he awake from dutiful unquestioning with the redeeming life form holding him in her arms?

It seems neither beauty nor art nor some magical intervention can break the spell of those so dutiful and consumed unawares in a moment of, I don't hesitate to say, unconscious catastrophe.

But all this is mere speculation on an imagined image made lifeless and external on a printed page.

What draws one is the two figures in the order presented all consumed by the blackest of black ether and the perfect paisley patterns of smoke that reveal what we are viewing is not real, at least not of this world. The life the picture creates is in our minds, as well as the comparisons and comments we would make about what we see. What we experience may be far different from that which you see.

Thus, lifeless it is not.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Steadfast_Tin_Soldier

Perps hidin' out

I got this email today in response to mine, which I agree was a bit harsh. The reference is to a "joke" circulating on the Internet having to do with who will pay for Mrs. Obama's high school reunion, with supposed picture of her classmates. Mr. Hass was one of those who forwarded the material to others which eventually got to me. My final thoughts below.

[BEGIN MESSAGE]

Fred Hass
Today at 9:12 PM
To K. Mactavish

It isn't a joke.
It is the truth.
Painful isn't it?
Also, I did not send you an email.
And, as usual, with no rational argument, one resorts to name-calling.

ORIGINAL MESSAGE

From: "K. Mactavish"
To: fredhass@comcast.net
Sent: Sunday, December 8, 2013 11:04:03 AM
Subject: bs from lesser beings

I am a recipient of an email "joke" titled THE NEXT THING...

For even considering sending this picture and comment, or creating them, you are among the saddest miscreants and racists I have ever received a message from. Not funny. Seems like you never learned anything in life or school about civil behavior and getting along with people who are different from you. And you are different in a way that says that many of us do not want your crappy thoughts or sense of humor. Try putting the shoes on of the other and walking two baby steps forward instead of back into bigotry and the mists of ignorance.

Sincerely,
an offended party of one, and there may be more

[END MESSAGE]

I guess I should apologize for calling Fred a lesser being, but it appears he is if he believes the joke is not intended to get a laugh, or a grunt like, "Hey, real clever, dude." But I won't. If he believes in this "truth" as he claims, let him. He is beyond saving or talking to.

Eugene Murphy replied this way.

[BEGIN MESSAGE]

Eugene Murphy
Today at 8:36 PM
To K. Mactavish
I didn't send you an Email.

[END MESSAGE]

Sorry, Gene baby, you are not primarily responsible for my getting a copy of the message you forwarded. And that surely exonerates you?

Final thoughts. It does seem to me that spreading the word is spreading the word, and in this case--negative and disrespectful words with illustration--does not help the world become a better one. Thoughtless, I say. Plus, it appears Fred and Eugene can't read very well. My original message from the first words were that you email-forwarders did more than consider "sending this picture and comment" on to others. You actually did. The original message I got attests to your role in the chain.

Some of these enlightened baby boomers--I'm pretty sure this label fits these guys--need to slip silently out of any circle of influence they may be muttering around in. The world has heard enough from them.

Okay, okay. I didn't need to start this battle. But per earlier posts here, I think racism and like-stupid attitudes tiresome. I want to say, "Grow up, get a brain, and a heart."

Have I exposed--oops--some perps hiding in, I think, California? Perhaps I shouldn't have . . . nah. Too much fun smokin' 'em out.

http://www.zdnet.com/mapping-racist-tweets-where-post-election-hate-came-from-7000007202/

Later.

Brutally direct messages in reply to brutish behavior don't work. I admit my defeat--these guys just don't see their part in the mischief of forwarding email messages. Which brings up a practical response.

Getting a message sent or forwarded to you is your private business. Forwarding a message to some people you want to read or see it, you  enter public space, a message now conceivably viewable by anyone with email in the world. Forward a message without editing it, at least deleting other names and addresses of people who already got it, you are doing a disservice.

All this should be obvious, but the unwitting reveal themselves to be who they are.