Thursday, August 08, 2013

Picture incorrectly identified

This picture is widely identified as an ancient bridge in Kolpino, Russia.

Rakotzbrücke (Rakotz Bridge, also called Devil's Bridge) in the Azalea and Rhododendron Park in the district of Kromlau in Goblenz, Germany.

It's actually the Rakotzbrücke (Rakotz Bridge, also called Devil's Bridge) in the Azalea and Rhododendron Park in the district of Kromlau in Goblenz, Germany. It was built as part of the park development and completed in the 1860s. 

Here's what it looks like in Google Maps.

It's also apparent it isn't as huge as it looks in the first picture. It's a semicircular arch, and the stream is about 70 feet wide, so the arch is about 35 feet high.

Sunday, June 30, 2013

"Orwell once wrote" quote in "Fahrenheit 9/11" - actual sources

From Wikiquote:
Michael Moore declares these lines in his film Fahrenheit 9/11 as something "Orwell once wrote". They are nearly identical to a block of narration in the 1984 Richard Burton/John Hurt movie version of 1984 when Winston (Hurt) is reading Goldstein's book. All of the lines are excerpts from various parts of Goldstein's book in part 2, chapter 9 of the novel with some paraphrasing.
I have made a detailed comparison between the "Orwell once wrote" quote, 1984 movie (Burton/Hurt version), and the novel 1984. Link to Google Docs document.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Chesterton re-uses the line.

“I’m rather sorry you take this so lightly,” said Fanshaw to the host; “for the truth is, I’ve brought these friends of mine with the idea of their helping you, as they know a good deal of these things. Don’t you really believe in the family story at all?”
“I don’t believe in anything,” answered Pendragon very briskly, with a bright eye cocked at a red tropical bird. “I’m a man of science.”
The Perishing of the Pendragons, G.K. Chesterton

The media (3)

‘Do you believe in curses?’ asked Smaill curiously.

‘I don’t believe in anything; I’m a journalist,’ answered the melancholy being — ‘Boon, of the Daily Wire. ...'
G.K. Chesterton, The Curse of the Golden Cross

Sunday, April 14, 2013

The media (2)

Here's the original of the newspaper motto "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." Note how taking it out of context has changed the meaning.
Whin annything was wrote about a man 'twas put this way: "We undhershtand on good authority that M-l-chi H---y, Esquire, is on thrile before Judge G---n on an accusation iv l--c-ny. But we don't think it's true."... Th' newspaper does ivrything f'r us. It runs th' polis foorce an' th' banks, commands th' milishy, controls th' ligislachure, baptizes th' young, marries th' foolish, comforts th' afflicted, afflicts th' comfortable, buries th' dead an' roasts thim aftherward. They ain't annything it don't turn its hand to fr'm explainin' th' docthrine iv thransubstantiation to composin' saleratus biskit.
Newspaper Publicity in Observations by Mr. Dooley by Finley Peter Dunne (1902)

Monday, January 21, 2013

"1984": power and suffering

'The real power, the power we have to fight for night and day, is not power over things, but over men.' [O'Brien] paused, and for a moment assumed again his air of a schoolmaster questioning a promising pupil: 'How does one man assert his power over another, Winston?'

Winston thought. 'By making him suffer,' he said.

'Exactly. By making him suffer. Obedience is not enough. Unless he is suffering, how can you be sure that he is obeying your will and not his own? Power is in inflicting pain and humiliation. Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing...'
1984, part 3, chapter 3.