[Powderworks] Bash...meaning of an emasculated Milky Way
Kate Adams
kate@dnki.net
Sun, 20 Oct 2002 20:45:20 -0400
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I'd bet you are right on that Jim.
I was appalled by how little of the Milky Way is visible when I moved to
Massachusetts, having been raised in both extremely rural and urban areas
of Oregon and always having it near at eye.
My six-year-old son froze in his tracks on the way to the restroom in the
middle of the night while camping last August. We were in an area of
central Oregon with generally dry air and two-hundred fifty miles from any
significant light source. Even though there were still clouds present
after a rare rain, we could see the milky way through them.
Such is the power of extreme haze of light and particulate
pollution. Emasculated indeed.
At 05:23 PM 10/20/02 -0700, you wrote:
>I think the meaning is fairly straightforward.
>
>"The Milky Way is emasculated" seems to mean simply that it's blocked by
>all the air
>pollution of the city. It's vigor, it's strength is blocked by exhaust
>fumes (it's
>been castrated, in a sense), and one might add light pollution and
>everything else
>which chops off the strength and virility of the great Milky Way.
>
>I never knew that the Milky Way band was visible until I was 19 years old
>and went
>West for the first time. Even in the Ohio countryside where I grew up, it
>wasn't
>visible at night because of the air pollution. But, when you see it for
>the first
>time, it's an awesome experience, and you begin to wonder what about the
>city lights
>and mountains of concrete has been lost, has always been missing without even
>knowing it's gone.
>
>"Emasculated" is a male metaphor, and typically the sky in most
>mythologies is seen
>as male whereas anything earthly is female. The union of the female earth
>to the
>male sky has been torn apart by the dirty air, the sky's strength blocked
>by it. (I
>think that's what they mean).
>
>And, I think the metaphor is very apt, if a little unclear at
>first. "Concrete" is
>probably my favorite song on the Redneck Wonderland album in part because
>I can
>relate very well to much of the loss in considering industrialized culture.
>
>I can't speak for the band, but that's my best guess what they mean.
>
>Jim Macdonald
>http://www.yellowstone-online.com
>
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I'd bet you are right on that Jim.<br>
<br>
I was appalled by how little of the Milky Way is visible when I moved to
Massachusetts, having been raised in both extremely rural and urban areas
of Oregon and always having it near at eye.<br>
<br>
My six-year-old son froze in his tracks on the way to the restroom in the
middle of the night while camping last August. We were in an area
of central Oregon with generally dry air and two-hundred fifty miles from
any significant light source. Even though there were still clouds
present after a rare rain, <i>we could see the milky way through
them</i>. <br>
<br>
Such is the power of extreme haze of light and particulate
pollution. Emasculated indeed.<br>
<br>
At 05:23 PM 10/20/02 -0700, you wrote:<br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>I think the meaning is fairly
straightforward.<br>
<br>
"The Milky Way is emasculated" seems to mean simply that it's
blocked by all the air<br>
pollution of the city. It's vigor, it's strength is blocked by
exhaust fumes (it's<br>
been castrated, in a sense), and one might add light pollution and
everything else<br>
which chops off the strength and virility of the great Milky Way.<br>
<br>
I never knew that the Milky Way band was visible until I was 19 years old
and went<br>
West for the first time. Even in the Ohio countryside where I grew
up, it wasn't<br>
visible at night because of the air pollution. But, when you see it
for the first<br>
time, it's an awesome experience, and you begin to wonder what about the
city lights<br>
and mountains of concrete has been lost, has always been missing without
even<br>
knowing it's gone.<br>
<br>
"Emasculated" is a male metaphor, and typically the sky in most
mythologies is seen<br>
as male whereas anything earthly is female. The union of the female
earth to the<br>
male sky has been torn apart by the dirty air, the sky's strength blocked
by it. (I<br>
think that's what they mean).<br>
<br>
And, I think the metaphor is very apt, if a little unclear at
first. "Concrete" is<br>
probably my favorite song on the Redneck Wonderland album in part because
I can<br>
relate very well to much of the loss in considering industrialized
culture.<br>
<br>
I can't speak for the band, but that's my best guess what they
mean.<br>
<br>
Jim Macdonald<br>
<a href="http://www.yellowstone-online.com/" eudora="autourl">http://www.yellowstone-online.com</a><br>
<br>
__________________________________________________<br>
Do you Yahoo!?<br>
Y! Web Hosting - Let the expert host your web site<br>
<a href="http://webhosting.yahoo.com/" eudora="autourl">http://webhosting.yahoo.com/</a><br>
_______________________________________________<br>
Powderworks mailing list<br>
Powderworks@cs.colorado.edu<br>
<a href="http://www.cs.colorado.edu/mailman/listinfo/powderworks" eudora="autourl">http://www.cs.colorado.edu/mailman/listinfo/powderworks</a>
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