wwp@yahoogroups.com:
Re: the next theme
Bo 2004-Aug-12 21:28:00
Bridges = GREAT
Do we sign up for a particular area again this time or just go hit
it hard. (smile)
Though, Bridges is somewhat sparse out towards Palm Springs... But
there gotta be something cool in the mountains. Not counting the
infamous London Bridge in Havasu.
Bo
--- In #removed#, G. Donald Bain <#removed#> wrote:
> As you may have noticed I have been in and out of contact a lot in
> recent weeks, participating in discussions some days, then
> disappearing. Landis is on the road continuously for a while now,
so we
> hear from him also only intermittently.
>
> But it is time to move on - the Equinox is only six weeks away. A
> theme needs to be determined so we can organize our lives around
this
> event!
>
> There have been many good suggestions, and we have at least a
couple of
> years of excellent themes to work on.
>
> My concern right now is to be as inclusive as possible - we need
to
> keep building the base of participants. We don't want a theme that
will
> be a problem for anyone, or too difficult. This is certainly a
> challenge, considering the range of cultures, climates, and
> personalities we have to work with.
>
> Here's my proposal:
>
> BRIDGES -- A World Wide Panorama -- September 18-22, 2004
>
> Every place on earth has bridges, from heroic suspension spans to
> graceful arches over the canals of Venice. There are scary
swinging
> bridges, busy bridges over urban rivers, high arched bridges in
> Japanese gardens, picturesque covered bridges in the countryside,
> bridges that open for shipping, floating bridges, Roman bridges
still
> in use, ancient bridges in China.
>
> Bridges are interesting, in their engineering, their materials,
their
> setting, their history. They are important, providing vital access
> across rivers and to islands. Some carry huge volumes of traffic,
> others cross international boundaries. Bridges can be short but
> complicated, the soaring loops of a freeway interchange, or
immensely
> long like the causeway connecting the Florida Keys. Some cross
deep
> narrow gorges in the mountains, others span turbulent tidal
channels.
> They can be symbolic, like a Chinese nine-turn bridge, or strictly
> utilitarian, like the ubiquitous Bailey bridges.
>
> Bridges can be beautiful, in and of themselves. From the classic
spans
> of ancient times, to the bravado of the industrial revolution, to
> dramatic new shapes by Santiago Calatrava. Bridges sometimes
provide
> the grace-note to a dramatic scene, the focal point of a
landscape.
> Bridges over lakes and streams in gardens and parks are often
works of
> art, carefully designed for visual effect as well as utility.
>
> Many bridges are famous: the Golden Gate Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge,
> London Bridge (in Arizona) and Tower Bridge (still in London), the
> Bridge of Sighs in Venice, Sydney Harbor Bridge, the Eads Bridge
over
> the Mississippi, the new bridges over the Inland Sea in Japan, the
> Tagus River Bridge in Lisbon, the Firth of Forth bridges in
Scotland.
>
> Taken metaphorically, bridges can be anything that helps us to
progress
> from one place to another, spanning barriers and obstacles. There
are
> social and cultural bridges, economic and business bridges,
emotional
> and psychological bridges.
>
> So, I think we can all find something exciting to contribute on
the
> theme of BRIDGES.
>
> More information later.
>
> Don
> ----------
> G. Donald Bain
> Director, Geography Computing Facility
> University of California, Berkeley