Friday, April 20, 2012

Stasis



Watching: the recorder, the lover,  goddess as part

as time goes on the past looks quaint
but the present will look quaint to the future
the progression of life must be viewed as a flow
yet we are here in the present trying to understand
 maybe help from the observers?

Chagall  "Red Roofs" 1954   from:   poets





Sleeping lady in peace







                                                          Click to embiggen


 I couldn't help but add this to my post.  This is my grandmother and her sister (on the right) in a pre-1915 REO -- I think.  Notice the position of the steering wheel on the right side.  I am told that, until 1915 they were placed such to allow the driver to avoid the ditch on the side of the road and keep the car on solid ground.  Also note the wooden wheels, and lantern which could be taken off to guide one to the house after dark.  This would have been Sandstone, Minnesota I am guessing since that's where she lived.

 Why do old photos and films seem simpler and more basic in their honesty?

31 comments:

  1. Why do old photos and films seem simpler and more basic in their honesty?

    Because in all honesty I believe people these days are disconnected from reality and want to portray an image to others instead of their real selves. The funny thing is that I believe they portray this fake image to others to convince themselves they are something they are not in real life.

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  2. Of course, I am a curmudgeon in training so what do I know?

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  3. The sorcery of progress, building one technique or adapting a new upon the back of the old. Though I do not pine away for the days of film and negatives I also am not looking forward to the holograms and 20G imaging (whatever that may be.

    We adapt though.

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  4. Hi, Goat man.

    For the first time have accessed your blog, and liked it. any how I am writting to you in responce to your comments below to Iamnasra.

    Sir. it is has nothing to do with what ever we may try to put into. it is all about the religion which which in any case will not be changed. caltures do get negatively influanced by media hence gets transformation to something new. But not a religion.

    These seem cultural leanings: here businessman must wear tie and suitcoat and woman must shave her legs and armpits. Else they will not get work or might get looked upon poorly. Seems to me that abaya may be a holdover from the past when men ruled and woman had to be kept hidden and speak little. That is getting over now as we become more a planet of people who must live together and be free of the cultural bonds.
    But it may take awhile.

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  5. The quaint will always be with us...

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  6. it is a river and we just a stone skip across its surface as it stretches back and forward....

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  7. I think because there was less pressure to be cool. (Wasn't that just the coolest comment?....aren't you impressed?....look at me, look at me!!!!!!)

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  8. I think you must first question the presumption that more simple = more honest ..... not necessarily in my book.

    Then again, I'm the only one reading my book :)

    xxx

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  9. life always seems simple seen backwards.. remember how simple and carefree our childhood seems to us!!

    http://sushmita-smile.blogspot.in/

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  10. Red,
    I don't know about simple not being honest at the same time..When dishonesty enters the picture it seems it always is accompanied by complication in an effort to pass muster and not seem haywire.
    Lydia,
    Your comment made me think of how everyone used to dress up in their Sunday best for the photos -- not many action shots. Nowadays its anything goes as to how people dress in most group photos. Which is cool?

    Star,
    Indeed! Is it that we tend to forget the bad things of the past (unless they were really bad) and wish to remember only the good?
    Probably, it's human nature I guess.

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  11. in old times people would try to spend life.in current situation we are afraid of life yet want to live it.
    this approach makes every simple move very intrigue.

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  12. They are smarter too. The people in them mostly are not stupid and you don't have to yell at them as you are watching.

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  13. i can't imagine any scenario in which i would be able to sleep -or sit- peacefully in that position!

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  14. I think that also when I look at old photos, but know realistically in my heart that every generation says that. Notice that people aren't holding cellphones and texting in the old photos and films, lol. I wonder how quaint a photo of us at our laptops would be? Sometimes I imagine living in an earlier, more "quaint" time. I probably would have been beheaded, giggle. Have a great day!

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  15. Thank you for always inspiring me. I lost my uncle on 23b of April. Seemed the world taken another dimension ... You are brave and you smile through your words assures me that all can be overcome

    Appreciation

    Nasra

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  16. Good one. I love looking at my kids pictures but so much about my childhood photos.
    Agree about honesty and simplicity. Think about it, during my college days I could repair and fix things with camera and all stuff, today everything is made my machines and microscopic robots.
    Metaphor, like a kid raised away from you and kid you raised? The bonding, true care, affection and love determines the simplicity and honesty?

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  17. Every morning I wake up and the first thing I do, is to check 2 Blogs (Iamnasra ; Prety moonbean)for new postings and comments,I also give visits during the day,doing this it just make my day.

    Thank you Goatman, and thank you Nasra for being good part of my day to day life.

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  18. waiting for new colorful post from your side

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  19. anonymous,
    You should start your blog so we could see your expression.
    Thanks for the nice complement. I don't post much since I try to develop an idea before doing it, but it usually works out. . .

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  20. Love the old car and the ladies ... (oh my the hats!) quite daring for the age those ladies in a car all by themselves! i wonder who took the photograph?

    xxx

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  21. I didn't even notice that they had hats . . . but everyone had a hat on back then.
    I still can't figure out what that thing is on the left side rear next to the girl there. Looks like a pitchfork but tubular with bigger prongs? Some kind of instrument perhaps.

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  22. I looked at those big prongs ... I bet if I forwarded the photo to Soubry he'd have it figured out in no time! To me they look like part of the car - like a canopy that would stretch up and over the seats for shelter - the prongs look like they are attached and would, when lifted upright, support the canvas canopy ...???

    xxx

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  23. Thanks for your visit to my blog. You have raised some interesting questions here. I think there is always a nostalgia for "the past," whatever that means to us. I don't think it's a particular time period, just a notion of something simpler and less chaotic than our own lives feel to us. I think every generation feels this to some extent.

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  24. red: I am not sure if Soub reads my blog although I sometimes comment on his; but you may be right with the support structure for some kind of canopy. I was tending toward that same idea.
    lola: "the past" is an interesting exploration, especially our own familys'. We can put any kind of thought onto it that we wish and dream away at the best of times.

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  25. Oh dear. A bunch of wild women in a convertible! :-P

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  26. I love that old photo and spent a lot of time looking at it. The lady in the middle with the smile...your aunt?...makes me happy...she's got a twinkle in her eye. And the driver...another strong personality who looks very capable...in fact, they all look very strong minded!

    We hide ourselves behind a facade these days...makeup, props, fancy stuff. I don't think we're anywhere near as honest and forthright and truthful as these ladies were. There are too many distractions today to hide behind...xx

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  27. Maybe because the times were more simple and not so complicated. Things you saw at face value really were not a scam. A handshake sealed the deal. BTW- I LOVE your playlist. xoxo

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  28. Neat photo of your grandma and that old car!

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  29. Curious observation about the right hand drive, makes sense even though their were ditches on both sides of the road. Personally I think it was the ruts that kept the car on the road more than the driver.

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  30. Why do old photos and films seem simpler and more basic in their honesty?

    well, every generation think the next generation is more complex and life is/was simpler in their childhood :)

    http://sushmita-smile.blogspot.in

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  31. I want to be the Sleeping lady in "peace"!

    I used to collect old vintage photos I found at antique stores...mostly portraits of a woman or man or a family portrait. At times I would find a worn out written journal book with the photos inside them. I am not sue why I used to do this so much, somehow I felt a connection to them, people I never knew and were no longer alive. Somewhere in time movie is one of my favs..maybe because I've always thought I belong from that era..many have told me this to that know me.

    When I lived in Japan in the early 70's I used to drive this little tiny car, when I was married to an air traffic controller in the Air Force. The steering wheel was on the right side and I liked it much better that way. I remember when I returned back to the U.S. I accidently drove my car on the wrong side of the road a few times! Oops!

    And yes Goatman you are right Melanie's version of "Purple Haze" by Hendrix totally sucked! I have it on one of her late 90's cd's..I only liked a view of the songs on that cd. But looking at her whole body of work (and it continues)is awesome to know she continues on and will never stop traveling and singing all over the world.

    Hope your doing well...hope so! I'm hanging in there..having some strange times of late. Cat had surgery not sure if she will be around much longer and trying to "make friends" with my former BF. It's a work in process, as I am working on healing hurt, anger and resentment, as I am sure we all try to.

    Well, it's Memorial day and it makes me so sad. Thinking of all the soldiers who sacrificed and died for this horrendous war we got ourselves into overseas. I try to think it wasn't for nothing. But I really don't think this war in Aftganistan and the one over in Iraq never should have even or ever started long ago. When the war in Iraq first started and G.W. Bush said "mission accomplished", I remember way back then thinking to myself "no it's just the beginning and now the terrorist will come over to Iraq because the American soldiers are over there"! When will we ever learn?? Not sure. I am sure you probably agree with me. So sad. Useless and for nothing but so many lost lives, here and over there..so much pain over there and here in the U.S. for something that never should have even happened.

    Well, I've written enough for the day. Be good good to yourself and say "hi" to the ducks for me.

    Love,

    Rhi

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