in the beginning ,,,

Scottie Bowman (rbowman@indigo.ie)
Tue, 19 Oct 1999 09:25:22 +0100 

    '... How can you imagine anything without using 
    the linguistic signs that make possible the activity 
    we call "imagining"? It should be noted that by 
    "language" I mean anything predicated on the pricipal 
    of difference ...'

    I hesitate to write this since I must be missing something 
    so obvious as to leave my stupidity naked & vulnerable 
    to the world.  Still.  What the hell.  Everyone knows 
    I'm really, really clever where it really, really, counts.

    On those days when none of my concubines happen 
    to be available I put myself to sleep with a recurring 
    & deeply satisfying problem: the various mechanical 
    & hydraulic arrangements that could be devised to 
    retract aircraft undercarriages.  (And, for once, we can 
    do without the weary contributions from the symbol 
    merchants on the significance of levers & pistons.)

    The wheels can be retracted outwards & upwards into 
    the wing as in the Spitfire & Me109; or inwards as in 
    the Hurricane; or backwards with a ninety degree 
    rotation as in the Curtis Hawks; or - really brilliantly - 
    with all kinds of kinky wheezes as in, for example, 
    the Grumman Avenger.  The positioning of the fulcrum; 
    the mechanical advantages; the forces required, 
    whether mechanical, hydraulic or electrical; 
    how it will all look; & so on.  One can consider 
    the possibilities all night long or until sleep intervenes.

    If I were sufficiently adept at computer graphics 
    I could make a film to demonstrate the various solutions 
    & it would, presumably, be as *satisfyingly real* to 
    a like minded aeroplane-nut as to myself.  The 'meaning' 
    would be crystal clear & so far as I can see nothing 
    that any reasonable person could call a linguistic item 
    would be employed.  Unless you include the visual 
    images of real items in my head as such.  Is that what
    you mean?  What balls.

    I've obviously get hold of the wrong end of the stick 
    with regard to the word 'language'.   Don't cackle 
    too vulgarly.  

    Meanwhile, I shall sit here whistling very loudly, 
    on key & with such panache as to make all my listeners 
    want to dance, the theme & variations from the Trout quintet.

    Scottie B.