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CAT Tracks for November 6, 2011
2011: A SPACE ODYSSEY |
For the past three months, regular readers of CAT Tracks have followed this homey's epic odyssey to document the expanding space in downtown Cairo.
Visual proof...
...that Cairoites could show the Greeks a thing or two about tragedy!
After I posted the tribute to Ronnie and Jeannine Woods on Friday, I delved into my old CHS yearbooks to see which of my in-laws went to school with Ronnie and might want to read the article. (Some retirees remember that sort of thing. Me...not so much.)
I did remember that Ronnie was a freshman in 1969-70, because I was too - a brand spanking newbie teacher. Ronnie was a member of my very first 1st hour class. (I had the good fortune of having Ronnie as a student in five classes during his four years at Cairo High School...four years of math, along with U.S. History. Ahhh...the good ol' days!)
Anyway...
When opening the 1972 Egypti, it fell upon the page below.
When my eyes focused on the scene, my mind did an immediate flashback to a famous quote from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Excerpt from the plot summary:
He decides to go out in one of the extra-vehicular pods to make a closer inspection of the monolith. Programmed for just such an occurrence, the monolith reveals its true purpose as a star gate when it opens and pulls in Bowman's pod. Before he vanishes, mission control hears him proclaim: "The thing's hollow - it goes on forever - and - oh my God - it's full of stars!"
Instead of a doorway to the future, my portal revealed 8th Street in Cairo, Illinois, circa 1972.
So, with apologies to Arthur C. Clarke and Dave Bowman...
...my paraphrased exclamation was:
Bowman spends months on the ship, alone, slowly approaching Japetus. A return to Earth is now out of the question, as Hal's sudden decompression of Discovery severely damaged the ship's air filtration system, leaving Bowman with far less breathable air than either returning to Earth or waiting for a rescue ship would require, and hibernation is impossible without Hal to monitor it. During his long approach, he gradually notices a small black spot on the surface of Japetus. When he gets closer, he realizes that this is an immense black monolith, identical in shape to TMA-1, only much larger. The scientists back on Earth name this monolith "TMA-2," which Bowman points out is a double misnomer because it is not in the Tycho moon crater and gives off no magnetic anomaly whatsoever.
"Oh my God...it's full of cars!"
DISCLAIMER:
Gallows humor, pure and simple...in keeping with the theory that it's better to laugh than cry.
Trust me on this...these pictures sadden me, depress me as much as anyone.
Unfortunately, it is what it is...
FOOTNOTE:
Speaking of science fiction...
...time travel.
As my finger hovered over the enter key to launch this missive into cyberspace, I glanced at my computer clock and noted that it was 1:59 a.m. Before my very eyes...BAM...it's now 1 a.m.
I wish all my clocks were smart clocks!
Oh, well...
At least I've got another hour to reset my dumb and dumber clocks.
Hmmm...wonder if the time change erased this edition of CAT Tracks? Do I need to type/send it again?
