| |
 |
Monday, February 17, 2003 |
NASA Is Held Down by Its Own Bureaucracy. In interviews, a cross-section of experts said that today's NASA has lost its original audacity and status as a technical power. By James Glanz. [New York Times: NYT HomePage]
This is news? Does anyone think of "the right stuff" when thinking of NASA these days? "The right clerks" is more like it. In order to make the shuttle seem safe and everyday (that's what "shuttle" implies), even the astronauts have this aura of bland competence these days. Though they aren't the "men in a can" that NASA tried to turn the original 7 into, the aura certainly seems gone, and has been for a long time. Though in retrospect the risk was certainly there, it sure seems like it was downplayed in the popular press.
10:56:49 PM Permalink
|
|
It seems outside like a freeze
Here's one of Bob Dylan's greatest verses, passed through Google's translator. First, passed from English to Italian, then back to English:
Not it is hardly like the night in order to play makes up when you are tryin ' to be therefore calm?
We are based here stranded, benchè we are all doin ' ours the better thing in order to deny it and Louise holds one manciata of rain, temptin ' you for defy
delicately illuminates the intermittent light from the opposite granary
in this room the just cough of the thermal culverts
the games of the station of music of the country
but us it is not nothing, really nothing to extinguish
just Louise and its lover so as to entwined
and these visions of Johanna that conquer my mind
Now English->German->English:
Isn't it straight like the night for playing cheats, if you are so calm tryin ' to its?
We sit here washed ashore, although we are everything doin ' our best for denying it
and Louise holds a handful of rain, temptin ' you,
around it to provoke light up a flickering of the opposite attic
in this area the straight cough of the heat pipes
the Landmusik Stationspiele softly,
but there is nothing, really nothing, to turn straight
Louise and their loving away thus entwined
and these sights of Johanna, which mean understanding conquer
Ah, what the heck, let's do English->French->English:
Isn't it right as the night to play of the turns when you are tryin ' with being so quiet?
We sit down here failed, although we are all our best doin the ' to deny it
and Louise holds a handle of rain, temptin ' you to defy it
gently lights the flickering of the attic opposed in this room
the cough right of pipes of heat the plays of station of music of country
but there is nothing, really nothing to stop
Louise right and her in love thus enlaceré
and these visions with Johanna who conquer my spirit
Interesting to see what survives in all versions: "nothing, really nothing," which is such a rich phrase, really it's Bob's own, and so powerful. The French retranslation picks up the rhymes better. Some of the phrases are quite nice: "we site here washed ashore," "station of music of country," "the intermittent light from the opposite granary." Ha!
10:33:45 PM Permalink
|
|
The Author as Whiz Kid. For Richard Powers, being considered the country's pre-eminent literary chronicler of the technological age is both an honor and a curse. By Emily Eakin. [New York Times: Books]
"My goal for technology has always been to reach a point where the technological mediation becomes invisible," he said, a touch of wonder in his voice. "Now I can compose the way Wordsworth used to, wandering around the Lake District."
5:32:48 PM Permalink
|
|
© Copyright 2004 Steve Michel.
|
|
|
|
|
