Comments for The Third Ray http://www.thethirdray.com Art, Sustainability, Environment - a blog by Joe Zammit-Lucia Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:10:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Comment on Beauty or Garbage? by Garbage and Landscape Beauty – the work of Yao Lu « The Third Ray http://www.thethirdray.com/photography/beauty-or-garbage/comment-page-1/#comment-1040 Garbage and Landscape Beauty – the work of Yao Lu « The Third Ray Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:10:30 +0000 http://thethirdray.com/?p=66#comment-1040 [...] For a different take on the relationship between beauty and garbage, see the work of Edward Burtynsky. [...] [...] For a different take on the relationship between beauty and garbage, see the work of Edward Burtynsky. [...]

]]> Comment on Worth A Read – Ian McEwan’s “Solar” by Joe Zammit-Lucia http://www.thethirdray.com/literature/ian-mcewan-solar/comment-page-1/#comment-1032 Joe Zammit-Lucia Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:46:53 +0000 http://www.thethirdray.com/?p=284#comment-1032 Ransom, thank you for this comment. I agree that Stephen Hawking's and others' books have tremendous popularity - and that's what I buy when I want to learn some physics in an accessible way. I would not buy a McEwan novel. To my mind, the inclusion of technical information of this sort in a novel reaches a point beyond which it ceases to add to the flow and starts to come across as the author earnestly showing us that he's done his homework. Both in "Solar" and in "Saturday" McEwan, in my opinion, goes well beyond this point. To me, McEwan's skills come across best in his simple but striking novels such as "On Chesil Beach", "In The Company of Strangers", "Atonement" and others. His ability to get to the heart of human motivation in these works is truly remarkable. This is a much rarer talent than learning and then regurgitating a bunch of scientific technicalities - something a trained monkey can do. Ransom, thank you for this comment. I agree that Stephen Hawking’s and others’ books have tremendous popularity – and that’s what I buy when I want to learn some physics in an accessible way. I would not buy a McEwan novel. To my mind, the inclusion of technical information of this sort in a novel reaches a point beyond which it ceases to add to the flow and starts to come across as the author earnestly showing us that he’s done his homework. Both in “Solar” and in “Saturday” McEwan, in my opinion, goes well beyond this point. To me, McEwan’s skills come across best in his simple but striking novels such as “On Chesil Beach”, “In The Company of Strangers”, “Atonement” and others. His ability to get to the heart of human motivation in these works is truly remarkable. This is a much rarer talent than learning and then regurgitating a bunch of scientific technicalities – something a trained monkey can do.

]]> Comment on Worth A Read – Ian McEwan’s “Solar” by Ransom Stephens http://www.thethirdray.com/literature/ian-mcewan-solar/comment-page-1/#comment-1029 Ransom Stephens Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:35:40 +0000 http://www.thethirdray.com/?p=284#comment-1029 It should comfort you then, that he, or the publisher, bungled the Dirac Equation on Page 42. A more pertinent comment on your review, though: if people don't like the intricacies of particle physics, then why do Steven Hawking and Brian Greene do so well? And isn't it a value-add when you actually learn something from a novel? (to be sure, throwing out jargon like the sentence you quote isn't going to teach anyone anything - no value there, but what would you say if he had provided some level of instruction?) A related point is that lit-fiction books like Solar assume a reasonably well educated readership. (He used the word "repointed" on page one. I truly thought it was a typo. After looking it up in the OED... I think it was typo, albeit a fortunate one.) Anyway, the point is that a well educated readership clearly assumes a freshmen level comfort with history, philosophy, etc so shouldn't it also assume a hand waving knowledge of freshman-level mathematics and science? It should comfort you then, that he, or the publisher, bungled the Dirac Equation on Page 42. A more pertinent comment on your review, though: if people don’t like the intricacies of particle physics, then why do Steven Hawking and Brian Greene do so well? And isn’t it a value-add when you actually learn something from a novel? (to be sure, throwing out jargon like the sentence you quote isn’t going to teach anyone anything – no value there, but what would you say if he had provided some level of instruction?)
A related point is that lit-fiction books like Solar assume a reasonably well educated readership. (He used the word “repointed” on page one. I truly thought it was a typo. After looking it up in the OED… I think it was typo, albeit a fortunate one.) Anyway, the point is that a well educated readership clearly assumes a freshmen level comfort with history, philosophy, etc so shouldn’t it also assume a hand waving knowledge of freshman-level mathematics and science?

]]> Comment on Good Advice For Environmentalists by Not Great – Ian McEwan’s “Solar” « The Third Ray http://www.thethirdray.com/literature/good-advice-for-environmentalists/comment-page-1/#comment-1025 Not Great – Ian McEwan’s “Solar” « The Third Ray Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:48:08 +0000 http://thethirdray.com/?p=60#comment-1025 [...] a previous post I mentioned that I was excited by the upcoming publication of a novel by Ian McEwan that was [...] [...] a previous post I mentioned that I was excited by the upcoming publication of a novel by Ian McEwan that was [...]

]]> Comment on Trees In Concrete – David Brooks at MOMA PS1 by Florencia http://www.thethirdray.com/conceptual-art/trees-in-concrete-david-brooks-at-moma-ps1/comment-page-1/#comment-837 Florencia Fri, 04 Jun 2010 23:09:14 +0000 http://www.thethirdray.com/?p=267#comment-837 Spayed trees with concrete?? This is the way the artist is protesting? by killing even more trees??? Great idea! I just hope that if he disagree about how the world is treating kids he doesn't spray them with concrete too. Florencia Martinez Spayed trees with concrete?? This is the way the artist is protesting? by killing even more trees??? Great idea! I just hope that if he disagree about how the world is treating kids he doesn’t spray them with concrete too.

Florencia Martinez

]]> Comment on BP: Belching Petroleum – The Art Of The Oil Spill by Darlene Eschete http://www.thethirdray.com/digital-art/bp-belching-petroleum-the-art-of-the-oil-spill/comment-page-1/#comment-753 Darlene Eschete Tue, 25 May 2010 18:03:22 +0000 http://www.thethirdray.com/?p=254#comment-753 I am an artist, oils, watercolor, sculpture and a wildlife and nature photographer. I've been out there and seen the oil and it's destruction first hand. It is so devastating that I can hardly bring myself to look at photos anymore, especially of the wildlife. I am heartbroken that the wildlife are not being rescued...BP is not allowing agencies to get out there... They are letting the pelicans, terns and gulls, egrets and herons drown in their oily greed. What will it take to wake them up and see they are doing more publicity harm by not taking action to help the wildlife? It is so sad. For one month now, I've stared at my blank canvas and could only see black. I've picked up a brush and had to put it back down many times. Only yesterday did I see something other than black to paint on my canvas. I think that is because I now realize that this catastrophic event is bigger than anything the world has ever had to contend with and I am only a small voice without any clout to get anything done to help save the wildlife. Everywhere I've tried it has been closed doors... My art will reflect my emotions over all the blunt, brutal lack of caring for God's living breathing creatures... I am an artist, oils, watercolor, sculpture and a wildlife and nature photographer. I’ve been out there and seen the oil and it’s destruction first hand. It is so devastating that I can hardly bring myself to look at photos anymore, especially of the wildlife. I am heartbroken that the wildlife are not being rescued…BP is not allowing agencies to get out there… They are letting the pelicans, terns and gulls, egrets and herons drown in their oily greed. What will it take to wake them up and see they are doing more publicity harm by not taking action to help the wildlife? It is so sad. For one month now, I’ve stared at my blank canvas and could only see black. I’ve picked up a brush and had to put it back down many times. Only yesterday did I see something other than black to paint on my canvas. I think that is because I now realize that this catastrophic event is bigger than anything the world has ever had to contend with and I am only a small voice without any clout to get anything done to help save the wildlife. Everywhere I’ve tried it has been closed doors… My art will reflect my emotions over all the blunt, brutal lack of caring for God’s living breathing creatures…

]]> Comment on BP: Belching Petroleum – The Art Of The Oil Spill by Joe Zammit-Lucia http://www.thethirdray.com/digital-art/bp-belching-petroleum-the-art-of-the-oil-spill/comment-page-1/#comment-739 Joe Zammit-Lucia Mon, 24 May 2010 12:26:11 +0000 http://www.thethirdray.com/?p=254#comment-739 Thank you for your comment Alice. This is the last thing Louisiana needs - or anywhere else for that matter. Thank you for your comment Alice. This is the last thing Louisiana needs – or anywhere else for that matter.

]]> Comment on BP: Belching Petroleum – The Art Of The Oil Spill by Alice Henderson http://www.thethirdray.com/digital-art/bp-belching-petroleum-the-art-of-the-oil-spill/comment-page-1/#comment-738 Alice Henderson Mon, 24 May 2010 12:19:13 +0000 http://www.thethirdray.com/?p=254#comment-738 Thanks for the response. I live in New Orleans, we are heartsick at the extent of this disaster. It is killing Louisiana! Thanks for the response. I live in New Orleans, we are heartsick at the extent of this disaster. It is killing Louisiana!

]]> Comment on About by Dan Grifen http://www.thethirdray.com/about-2/comment-page-1/#comment-432 Dan Grifen Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:21:33 +0000 http://thethirdray.wordpress.com/about/#comment-432 Hello, One of the biggest global issues we face today is warming. Subsequent discussion lies on topics like space travel, burning of fossil fuels, and deforestation. A clear rally cry for more prevalent green initiatives has been underway for some time, but who is answering? As Earth Day approaches, I'd like to take a moment to discuss with you and the readers of http://www.thethirdray.com/ how some organizations are performing their green duties. Take a moment to consider this as I'd very much like to contribute a guest piece! Kindly, Dan Hello,

One of the biggest global issues we face today is warming. Subsequent discussion lies on topics like space travel, burning of fossil fuels, and deforestation. A clear rally cry for more prevalent green initiatives has been underway for some time, but who is answering?

As Earth Day approaches, I’d like to take a moment to discuss with you and the readers of http://www.thethirdray.com/ how some organizations are performing their green duties.

Take a moment to consider this as I’d very much like to contribute a guest piece!

Kindly,

Dan

]]> Comment on Sculptures of Living Processes – Jackie Brookner by tom e.h. http://www.thethirdray.com/installation/sculptures-of-living-processes-jackie-brookner/comment-page-1/#comment-405 tom e.h. Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:15:58 +0000 http://www.thethirdray.com/?p=214#comment-405 Wow, these are really cool! Quite a foundation for future thinking, that man and his art need not be destructive of nature. :-) Wow, these are really cool! Quite a foundation for future thinking, that man and his art need not be destructive of nature.
:-)

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