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geodeticman.5 · 07-25-2008, 11:16 PM

PeterBro and RM:

Sorry for the tangent I went off on there..... man that picture is hard to reconcile with my mental image of Iowa.... that is so sad... and how quickly we forget some things like this. As in - the gulf coast, New Orleans, whole urban areas relocated around to the SW, and _most_ of us start to forget...

It is admirable there are those among us at any given time who are cognizant of the bigger picture going on. I like how the Denver Rocky Mtn News refers to the natural phenomenon/disasters: "Earth Diary" - a daily column that speaks of immense forces of nature around the planet....entire peoples being rendered homeless, whole regional agricultural season's work washed/blown/torn away ., etc... at least brings it to our attention daily....all in a little 4" x 4" column...

Beside it will be a half page article on the cultural aspects of the food festival in downtown Denver..., which, while important, in relative terms overshadowing a whole city being washed or blown away in the little column by it....suggests we need a paradim shift, or at least talking of it for a few minutes every day in schools, etc... not that the cultural aspect of food festivals is not important....

Thank you for reminding us of what, a long days drive away from me, is disaster that ought have more attention paid. I'm embarrassed..... but applaud you for keeping the subject on the table.. I may have missed your mentioning it earlier, but if your wife is in Iowa versus Illinois taking pictures - is she a journalist/photographer, or in insurance or FEMA, etc. ? Is she professionally involved in it , in any event ? I do not mean to ask too personal of questions, only curiosity.

Thank you for reminding me of this...its so easy to loe site of that bigger picture some times. Then again, if we did not cut up, here and there, listen to some Lightfoot, and speak of life's little pleasures or troubles, what a sad world it would be as well. All things in balance.

I am trying to think of the right GL song and/or verse that encapsulates part of this balance of the big and little both warranting attention.... can't bring it to mind... somebody help me here...

Maybe in Don Quixote, looking just at the societal extremes coexisting minutes apart would fit some of this dichotomy: "see the Gentry in the country riding off to take the air..., (only Lightfoot can paint that kind of picture lyrically and musically to me), see the children wake to find the table bare" I thing that is how it goes by memory.

Thanks P-Bro
~geo steve

07-25-2008, 11:16 PM	#46
geodeticman.5 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Eastern Slope urban corridor, Colo. USA Posts: 1,007	Re: Midwest flooding PeterBro and RM: Sorry for the tangent I went off on there..... man that picture is hard to reconcile with my mental image of Iowa.... that is so sad... and how quickly we forget some things like this. As in - the gulf coast, New Orleans, whole urban areas relocated around to the SW, and _most_ of us start to forget... It is admirable there are those among us at any given time who are cognizant of the bigger picture going on. I like how the Denver Rocky Mtn News refers to the natural phenomenon/disasters: "Earth Diary" - a daily column that speaks of immense forces of nature around the planet....entire peoples being rendered homeless, whole regional agricultural season's work washed/blown/torn away ., etc... at least brings it to our attention daily....all in a little 4" x 4" column... Beside it will be a half page article on the cultural aspects of the food festival in downtown Denver..., which, while important, in relative terms overshadowing a whole city being washed or blown away in the little column by it....suggests we need a paradim shift, or at least talking of it for a few minutes every day in schools, etc... not that the cultural aspect of food festivals is not important.... Thank you for reminding us of what, a long days drive away from me, is disaster that ought have more attention paid. I'm embarrassed..... but applaud you for keeping the subject on the table.. I may have missed your mentioning it earlier, but if your wife is in Iowa versus Illinois taking pictures - is she a journalist/photographer, or in insurance or FEMA, etc. ? Is she professionally involved in it , in any event ? I do not mean to ask too personal of questions, only curiosity. Thank you for reminding me of this...its so easy to loe site of that bigger picture some times. Then again, if we did not cut up, here and there, listen to some Lightfoot, and speak of life's little pleasures or troubles, what a sad world it would be as well. All things in balance. I am trying to think of the right GL song and/or verse that encapsulates part of this balance of the big and little both warranting attention.... can't bring it to mind... somebody help me here... Maybe in Don Quixote, looking just at the societal extremes coexisting minutes apart would fit some of this dichotomy: "see the Gentry in the country riding off to take the air..., (only Lightfoot can paint that kind of picture lyrically and musically to me), see the children wake to find the table bare" I thing that is how it goes by memory. Thanks P-Bro ~geo steve Last edited by geodeticman.5; 07-26-2008 at 01:48 AM.