Althouse: I bring my ice rainbow inside.

January 6, 2008

I bring my ice rainbow inside.

It was melting outside anyway.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...: Damn that is cool.

Hmmm let me guess-did it form around the rain gutter?

From the gutter comes hope?

Dang it this picture, just makes me want a vlog.

Don't you want to vlog?; 1/6/08, 1:15 PM
Anonymous said...: How in the heck did that thing freeze in that shape in the first place?; 1/6/08, 1:24 PM
Ann Althouse said...: It was a mound of ice that formed on the railing under a spot where water had dripped from the eave. Then the weather warmed up, the dripping water stopped freezing and wore away the ice from the top. But why did the center melt out too? And why was there enough of a frozen pool at the bottom to give it stability. It seemed a little miraculous to me. Especially the way it held up so well as it got more and more fragile.

It reminded me of this.

What about that makes you want a vlog? You think watching ice melt is amusing?; 1/6/08, 1:25 PM
Anonymous said...: But why did the center melt out too?

Ok that's going to drive me nuts.

Hopefully you have a commenter that dables in physics..or something.

It reminded me of this.

Utah-ah ha that's how you came up with rainbow.

You think watching ice melt is amusing?

LOL!

Ummm-hmmm Iv'e always loved the vlogs.

Maybe because this is close to where you vlog from-and reminds me of what usually is in the background.

I like the green paint.; 1/6/08, 1:38 PM
Meade said...: The oak tree reflected in the melted ice is nice.; 1/6/08, 1:39 PM
Kirby Olson said...: You asked me yesterday to document the reparations speech of Obama, but then I think you went on. At any rate, your ice bridge reminded me of this. Here's some footage, although it's not the show that I actually saw some six months ago -- on C-Span -- where Obama was talking about some other remedy. You have to load this, and then wait for the first film to run, and then it's the second film. Edwards says he's against reparations, Obama says he's for it, in terms of repairing schools, I think, in what he calls "corridors of shame," and then Kucinich says simply he's gung ho for reparations for black people AND for poor whites. At any rate, your ice rainbow reminded me of the reparations business. I hope people will keep talking about this. I would like to hear clear details on what's being planned by Barack. How much money, how precisely it will be targeted, etc. This little bit is from some earlier debate.

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/edwards-against-reparations-obama-suggest-money-for-education-instead/3126999430; 1/6/08, 1:48 PM
Ruth Anne Adams said...: I'm thinking Pastor Jeff and something archy in St. Louis.; 1/6/08, 1:48 PM
Kirby Olson said...: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/
edwards-against-reparations-obama-suggest-money-for-education-instead/
3126999430; 1/6/08, 1:48 PM
Kirby Olson said...: http://video.aol.com/
video-detail/
edwards-against-reparations
-obama-suggest-money-for-education
-instead/3126999430; 1/6/08, 1:49 PM
reader_iam said...: I've always suspected that there was a 7- or 8-year-old boy there inside you, churning in the mix of personae.

; ) ; ); 1/6/08, 1:54 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Kirby, I'd seen that before. I think he was speaking of general spending on schools that would help the descendants of slaves -- and other poor people. I think this shows skill at refocusing racial politics.; 1/6/08, 1:54 PM
Anonymous said...: kirby-

Link

hopefully this link will work-I think that's what you were trying to do?

"corridors of shame"

He said that? That's powerful imagery.; 1/6/08, 1:57 PM
Ann Althouse said...: I think I've figured it out. I just noticed that the remains of the ice, which I'd put in the sink was taking a very long time to melt. That's really strong ice, I thought. But what made the ice especially strong? Aha! The ice on the top of the mound of ice (described above) grew strong over time as water dripped on it and refroze. So there was a shell of harder ice, with something under it that was perhaps only snow. Originally, there was a heavy snowfall. So the center of the mound was a much more vulnerable material -- as were the sides of the mound that did not receive the hardening dripping.; 1/6/08, 2:02 PM
Anonymous said...: hmmm-

maybe it acted to "insulate" the core?; 1/6/08, 2:05 PM
reader_iam said...: I hope my comment isn't seen as snark. It's just that I've been vastly amused to discover that a certain stereotype of classic boyhood is grounded in truth with regard to my own son. He brings (and has been bringing) stuff inside all of the time, just to figure out how they work or see if they're "different when they're inside that outside," and so forth. Or just because he likes how they look. I mean, it's been an adventure, and lots of fun. (Well, mostly. Sometimes I step on things I'd rather not have encountered unexpectedly, and there have been a few close calls for our wash machine and/or dryer. I'm not so good at remembering to check pockets etc.; what can I say?)

He does the same thing at school, especially with regard to his art class and private art lessons (his teacher is a treasure, I will say, and possessed with a vast and patient sense of humor), in that he's forever dropping oddball things off at the art cottage for later use.

Anyway, this resonated.; 1/6/08, 2:10 PM
reader_iam said...: I'll refrain from sharing what I think about the couple of things he's brought OUTSIDE just because he wanted to know how they'd look/work out there .... sigh.; 1/6/08, 2:19 PM
Paddy O said...: I see a natural arch, a gateway to an undiscovered country. With the melted ice on the table I imagine wee explorers in canoes making their way from the known to the unknown in search of adventure.; 1/6/08, 2:21 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 1/6/08, 2:47 PM
Meade said...: "Aha! The ice on the top of the mound of ice (described above) grew strong over time as water dripped on it and refroze."

Very astute and observant! See, I knew I wouldn't have to get out my icicle sledgehammer for you to understand how a series of freezing/refreezing can create dams of strong ice on a roof that can result in water dripping down through one's dining room ceiling.; 1/6/08, 2:51 PM
Kirby Olson said...: Yes, it does show an ability to reframe a disastrous notion into something that might be acceptable to both sides. I still don't know quite what he means by corridors of shame, and what exactly he intends to spend. Kucinich was much more vague.

Thanks to Madawaskan for the link provided.

I do think we need to make links between these historically divided communities -- so divided that the language in the two groups is almost mutually incomprehensible at points.

Barack seemingly straddles both worlds fairly successfully perhaps thanks to his split parentage.; 1/6/08, 3:11 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Meade, I think we all know about ice dams. The question was always only are you allowed to admire icicles without talking about the problem of ice dams. It's similar to the question whether we can appreciate a warm winter day without talking about global warming. I can't do much about ice dams but hope for a good winter thaw.; 1/6/08, 3:21 PM
Anonymous said...: I see a bridge across the great divide.

Damn is it melting?

And someone from Althouse stuck this song in my head-

wishing; 1/6/08, 3:38 PM
Anonymous said...: I hope my comment isn't seen as snark. It's just that I've been vastly amused to discover that a certain stereotype of classic boyhood is grounded in truth with regard to my own son. He brings (and has been bringing) stuff inside all of the time, just to figure out how they work or see if they're "different when they're inside that outside," and so forth. Or just because he likes how they look. I mean, it's been an adventure, and lots of fun.

I know you weren't directing this at me, but I didn't take that comment as snark. I thought it was flattering and clearly said in a friendly way. There is something wonderful about that boyish fascination with how the universe works, a whimsical curiosity that I think we should try to hold on to as we get older. I guess with age, our mind focuses on more "important" things, but it's a shame if we can't still find time to nurture our inner-explorer. I think Ann's roaming with the camera indicates a similar fascination with and interest in the world around us.; 1/6/08, 3:44 PM
Ron said...: Take a video of it melting, speed it up, and have it behind your head running on a loop during your next bloggingheads visit...just for the arty-ness of it all...; 1/6/08, 3:55 PM
Bissage said...: This might be sort of off topic.

I guess my wandering thought of an ice rainbow of hope, improbable in its existence, melting and brought inside a Japanese garden to reflect the image of a spreading oak from windows that open onto the internet is the best explanation why I’m about to link to this recently discovered, tenderly beautiful pop song.

I hope you like it.

P.S. The song is 6 minutes. The instrumental begins at 2:55, but the build-up/context adds a lot. Again, I hope you like it.; 1/6/08, 5:09 PM
Meade said...: Loved it, Bissage. And your preface was superb.; 1/6/08, 5:32 PM
Trooper York said...: My vagina is open and icy
left all alone like Eleanor Rigby,
melting from neglect and ennui
big enough to house a pygmy.

Apologies to ricpic; 1/6/08, 6:44 PM
Meade said...: Apologies to ricpic?
Troop, it sounds like you're the one with the problematic vagina.
Shouldn't someone be apologizing to you?; 1/6/08, 7:03 PM
Bissage said...: Good.

And thanks, bro.; 1/6/08, 7:57 PM
Ron said...: Rigby/pygmy?

Must remember that one, sez Sir Paul...; 1/6/08, 8:09 PM
blake said...: Sunrise doesn't last all morning
A cloudburst doesn't last all day
Seems my love is up
And has left you without warning
It's not always gonna be this grey

All things must pass
All things must pass away

All things must pass
All things must pass away
--George Harrison; 1/7/08, 3:12 AM