Catch-22

 

Yossarian looked at him soberly and tried another approach. "Is Orr crazy?"

"He sure is," Doc Daneeka said. 

"Can you ground him?" 

"I sure can. But first he has to ask me to. That's part of the rule." 

"Then why doesn't he ask you to?" 

"Because he's crazy," Doc Daneeka said. "He has to be crazy to keep flying combat missions after all the close calls he's had. Sure, I can ground Orr. But first he has to ask me to." 

"That's all he has to do to be grounded?" 

"That's all. Let him ask me." 

"And then you can ground him?" Yossarian asked. 

"No. Then I can't ground him." 

"You mean there's a catch?" 

"Sure there's a catch," Doc Daneeka replied. "Catch-22. Anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't really crazy." 

There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. 

"That's some catch, that Catch-22," he observed. 

"It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka agreed. 

- Joseph Heller, Catch-22 

Joseph Heller (1923-1999), novelist and playwright, is today best remembered for his satirical novel (and my fav book) Catch-22. Note that the book title is spelt with a hyphen. Himself aware of living in the shadow of that book, he said in later years “When I read something saying I've not done anything as good as Catch-22 I'm tempted to reply, ‘Who has?’ “ 

Catch 22 – a paradox in which the attempt to escape makes escape impossible – has developed an extended meaning so that it now refers generally to a no-win situation. Even in the book it is used in various situations to enforce authority and to take advantage of helpless weaker people: 

"Catch-22 states that agents enforcing Catch-22 need not prove that Catch-22 actually contains whatever provision the accused violator is accused of violating." 

"Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing." 

Yossarian, the main character, eventually comes to realise that Catch 22 does not actually exist, but that people believe it does because more powerful people say so.   Insofar as it does not exist it can’t be repealed.

Catch-22 was written in 1955 and published in 1961. A chapter was published in 1955 under the title Catch-18. 

That title was changed to Catch-22 after numerous alternatives were rejected: 

• Heller’s agent felt that Catch-18 would be confused with a WW2 novel published at that time, Leon Uris’s Mila 18. 

• Catch-11 was suggested but it was thought that this might be confused with the 1960 movie Oceans Eleven. 

• Catch-17 was rejected as being too similar to the movie Stalag 17. 

• Catch-14 was rejected by the publisher as not being a funny number. 

• Catch-22 was selected as having the right syllables and because it sounded repetitive, reflecting repetition which occurs in the book.

An example of catch 22:

Sagaki Keita

I have previously written about the origin of the term “doodle”, that it was invented for the film Mr Deeds Goes to Town, that it describes the casual simple drawing of objects and shapes, and its connection with Yankee Doodle: 

http://bytesdaily.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/doodles.html

One artist has drawn copies of famous art works using only doodles.  Truly amazing. 

The artist is Sagaki Keita and he sometimes takes months to complete a work. He doesn’t draft it or lay it out first, just goes to work with his pen. The Last Supper above took 10 months to complete.

According to the artist: 

It was only when I was around 20 years old that I became interested in art. However, I have liked comics since I was a child - I've probably been drawing comic book pictures since I was seven. I loved to draw cartoons and graffiti from a young age, and I get inspiration from rock music or sometimes even novels.

Check out some of his works, starting with one of the more controversial, a detail from the Last Supper.  The closeup of the face of Jesus shows a doodle of a naked woman (the more you move back from the screen, the more the picture as a whole comes into focus):

Presidents, Polls and people

  

As the US prepares to go to the polls to elect a leader, it would seem appropriate to present from time to time, some comments about the presidency and the American political process, and some quotations by presidents. 

First, however, a quote by a Vice President about the Vice Presidency. 

 

“The vice presidency isn’t worth a pitcher of warm piss.” 

- John Nance Garner, Vice President 1933-1941 

(The above comment, when quoted, was changed to the euphemism “a pitcher of warm spit” for many years) 

From Wikipedia: 

John Nance Garner IV (22 November 1868 – 7 November 1967), was an American Democratic politician and lawyer from Texas. He was a state representative from 1898 to 1902, and US Representative from 1903 to 1933. He was the 44th Speaker ofr the House in 1931–1933. In 1932, he was elected the 32nd Vice President of the United States, serving from 1933 to 1941. A conservative Southerner, Garner opposed the sit-down strikes of the labor unions and the New Deal’s 's deficit spending. He broke with President Franklin D Roosevelt in early 1937 over the issue of enlarging the Supreme Court, and helped defeat it on the grounds that it centralized too much power in the President's hands. Otherwise he played a minor role in politics while Vice President. 

       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Nance_Garner

Garner sought to run for President after Roosevelt’s two terms had finished but Roosevelt decided to run again, Garner was bounced from the nomination and he retired, having served 46 years. President Kennedy telephoned him for his birthday in 1963 only hours before the fatal motorcade in Dallas. Garner died on November 7, 1967, at the age of 98 years and 350 days, 15 days before his 99th birthday. 

“Worst damnfool mistake I ever made was letting myself be elected Vice President of the United States. Should have stuck with my old chores as Speaker of the House. I gave up the second most important job in the Government for one that didn't amount to a hill of beans. I spent eight long years as Mr. Roosevelt's spare tire. I might still be Speaker if I didn't let them elect me Vice-President. 

- John Nance Garner

Life

 

New South Wales Coat of Arms and Stuff

  

Ever wondered what the different elements of the New South Wales coat of arms mean

The above depiction is that of the currently used NSW coat of arms, dating from the 1980’s. 

The coat of arms was presented in 1906 and was designed by William Gullick, the NSW Government Printer. 

William Gullick 

Government Printer & Inspector of Stamps William Applegate Gullick, centre, c 1910. The other persons are senior officers of the Government Printing Office. 

The coat of arms of NSW as published in 1906 after approval by the then NSW Premier, Joseph Carruthers

The New South Wales coat of arms is based on the Southern Cross with the British Lion in the centre and symbols of agriculture in the corners. It is supported by the British Lion and the Australian Kangaroo and was formally adopted in 1906. The motto translates to "Newly risen, how brightly you shine". 

Gullick has left explanatory notes about the NSW coat of arms but has not explained why the lion looks like Chewbaca or why it is poking out its tongue. 

Here is an explanation of the various elements of the coat of arms, with Gullick’s comments where relevant: 

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The red cross in the middle of the shield is the cross of St George, an English national and naval emblem. On a white background, it became the badge of NSW in 1869, representing the naval tradition of Captain Cook and the early colonial Governors, who were all naval commanders.

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In 1876 the golden lion and the golden stars were added. The lion running forward whilst looking at the viewer is known as a lion passant guardant. It is taken from the Arms of England which has 3 such lions on a red field. The single lion depicts “the Lion of the South”, the vigorous offspring of the old world.

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The golden stars, placed on the arms of the cross of St George, depict the Southern Cross. 

That group of stars is visible only in the Southern hemisphere and is synonymous with Australia. Used extensively by mariners for navigation, the Southern Cross featured in most earlier, locally designed suggested coats of arms. Those earlier versions usually showed the stars on a white cross on a blue background. It was considered that this would be too difficult to see so that although there is a blue background, the red cross with white border features the gold stars.

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In the quarters of the red and white cross, on the blue background of those quarters, Gullick placed diagonally opposite each other: a golden fleece with a red band (the ‘hanging sheep’) and a garb (the wheatsheaf).

The use of the sheep dates back to the golden fleece of Jason and the Argonauts, the object sought by them to enable Jason to rightfully claim his throne. Historically the hanging of the golden fleece as a sign of nobility and authority has come to be depicted as a whole sheep being suspended by a band. The 1522 sculpture of Charles V shows such a depiction. 

Charles V sculpture, 1522

Detail from sculpture

Its use in heraldry dates back to 1429. 

In the context of NSW it relates both to the NSW sheep and wool industry and to a popular image at the time of NSW being the “Land of the Golden Fleece”, the references alluding to wool and to the discovery of gold. 

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The quarter with the highest status in the above configuration is the upper left. For this reason the golden fleece was given the primary status. 

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The wheatsheaf represents the development of agriculture within NSW, particularly the efforts of James Ruse to establish a wheat industry within the colony, what Gullick referred to as a “yeomanry on the soil.” 

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The rising sun had been a popular motif in local coats of arms in the past, denoting newness. Apart from the allusions to the phrase “rise and shine” and a common description of NSW at the time as “sunny New South Wales”, Gullick specifically quoted a 19th century poem, Australasia, by William Wentworth who wrote in praise of Australia as the successor in the south to Britain: 

“May all thy glories, in another sphere, 

Relume and shine more brightly still than here!” 

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The theme of NSW being the successor of England in the new world of the south is echoed in the use of the lion and the kangaroo supporters. The lion holding the shield, Chewbacca, is standing up, looking confidently at the viewer. In heraldry this is known as a lion rampant guardant. It represents the new nation derived from its parent, Britain, and Gullick again quotes Wentworth in that regard: 

“May this, thy last-born daughter, then arise, 

To glad thy heart, and greet thy parent eyes; 

And Australasia float, with flag unfurled, 

A new Britannia in another world!” 

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The kangaroo is emblematic of Australia. It was Gullick’s opinion that NSW, as the first state, had the greatest claim on the use of that emblem. He was against the use of the emu in that it looked too much like the ostrich, which was in use in the Cape Colony Arms in South Africa. 

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The motto “Orta recens quam pura nites”,meaning “Newly risen, how brightly you shine””, was first devised by Dr. Badham, Dean of Arts at Sydney University in the 1870s. It was chosen by Gullick as the NSW motto for being “representative of our rising position in the rank of nations. ….we are but as yesterday inscribed on the roll of nations, and may sincerely hope that most of our history has yet to be written”. 

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Some other New South Wales emblems: 

The New South Wales flag 

The New South Wales State Flag has been in use since 1876. It includes the Union Jack and the NSW badge. 

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NSW badge 

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NSW colour 

The NSW colour is sky blue 

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NSW floral emblem 

The Waratah is the floral emblem of New South Wales, a large (10-12cm across) and spectacular scarlet flower growing in the bush in clumps of tall stems. The Waratah is protected by law. 

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NSW Government logo 

The NSW Government logo was adopted in 2009 and is an artistic representation of the Waratah, the floral emblem of New South Wales. The NSW Government logo is used to represent all NSW Government Agencies and their associated representatives. 

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NSW bird emblem 

The Kookaburra is the bird emblem of New South Wales. Sometimes called a 'laughing jackass' because of its distinctive territorial laughing call, it eats meat, hunts snakes, lizards, fish and insects and lives at forest edges, in clearings. 

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NSW animal emblem 

The Platypus is the animal emblem of New South Wales. It is a furry creature, about 30cm - 38cm long, has webbed feet and a large duck-like bill which it uses to gather its food from the bottom of rivers. 

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NSW fish emblem 

The Blue Groper was proclaimed the State fish of New South Wales in 1998. A friendly but powerful coastal fish that often follows divers, it can be up to a metre long and weigh between 2 and 15kg, though some specimens may reach 40kg or more. 

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NSW gemstone emblem 

The Black Opal was proclaimed the State gemstone of New South Wales in 2008. It is the most rare and valuable type of opal.

Punch and Judy

At our weekly trivia night recently a question was asked: "What is the common link for Gilligan’s Island, a university and a Punch and Judy Show?"  We knew that both Gilligan’s Island and universities have “professor” in common but we couldn’t work out what that had to do with Punch and Judy. It turns out that the puppeteer inside the booth who manipulates the Punch and Judy puppets has been known since Victorian times as “Professor”. He is also known as “Punchman”. 

What’s also of interest is that my son, aged 23, asked “What’s a Punch and Judy Show?” 

That shows once again that as new knowledge is gathered, older knowledge is forgotten or left behind. Each time a new generation grows up, an older generation of the family is eventually forgotten. Yiour parents knew their parents and grandparents.  How much do you know of ancestors earlier than your grandparents?

So let’s remember Punch and Judy . . . 

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Punch and Judy is a traditional, puppet show that features the violent Mr Punch and his wife, Judy. 

See a Punch and Judy show at: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyLsO6LpLSI 

and a potted history of Punch and Judy at:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM4sYxH_o4g&feature=related

(That clip is preceded by the disclaimer: “Warning: This video contains scenes of infanticide, domestic violence and aggravated assault against officers of the law.”  I am not sure whether it is tongue in cheek or serious.) 

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The puppeteer, the professor, operates from a booth. In the past he was often assisted by a front man who was known as the “bottler”. The bottler assisted in the backchat from the audience, played music and collected the money (“the bottle”). There is less use of the bottler today, especially since street shows have given way to paid private engagements. 

Shows usually consist of short sequences, showing an interaction between two or three characters, usually Punch, Judy and sometimes someone else: The Baby, The Constable, Joey the Clown, The Crocodile, The Skeleton, The Doctor. There is usually violence incorporated and audiences are encouraged to yell out to alert a character as to what is happening behind or to warn of a pending threat, for example, "Behind you".

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Punch has a distinctive appearance: 

· brightly coloured jester’s clothing; 

· a sugarloaf hat, a tall tapering hat first worn in medieval times, the name coming from the shape of loaves or moulds in which sugar was formed at that time. 

· a tassel on the hat; 

· a hunchback; 

· a hooked nose that almost meets his hooked curving chin. 

(The sugarloaf is interesting:  sugarloaves were first made in Joirdan from the 12th century and in Europe from the 15th century.  Sugar cane imported from the Caribbean and Brazil went through a process whereby the molasses-rich raw sugar was refined into white sugar, being shaped into loaves shaped as follows -

That image became the sign of a grocer, depicted on his window or trade tokens.  That shape has also given its name to Rio de Janeiro's Sugarloaf  Mountain, a 400m peak overlooking bthe harbour.  It was named in the 16th century.

 

But I digress.

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Punch usually carries a large stick that he uses to hit the other characters. That stick is called a slapstick. 

The term “slapstick” comes from the Italian batacchio or bataccio, two wooden slats used in comedy to produce a loud smacking noise without injuring the performers. The term goes back to the Renaissance and in English was translated to “slapstick”. It has since given its name to a type of exaggerated, boisterous and physical comedy, such as a pie in the face or a fall. 

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Punch speaks in a distinctive squawking voice, produced by a device known as a swazzle, two strips of metal bound around a cotton tape reed. The professor holds the swazzle in his mouth, making it sound like he is speaking through a kazoo. Other characters do not speak through the swazzle, so that the professor has to switch the device back and forth in his mouth as he speaks from character to character. It is argued by purists that unless the swazzle is used, the show cannot be a true Punch and Judy show. 

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Punch and Judy have evolved from the commedia dell’arte, the masked form of theatre which began in the late 16th century in Italy, with the stock character Pulcinella giving rise to the English Punch (originally Punchinello). Pulcinella was dressed in a white outfit and wore a black mask, thereby contrasting life and death. His voice was created with a swazzle. 

Pulcinella 

Samuel Pepys recorded in his diary watching a puppet show with an early version of Punch, performed by an Italian Pietro Gimond, who was also known as Signor Bologna. 

From the mid 18th century, puppet shows in large tents and hired halls began to give way to glove puppet shows from booths, with a controller and a bottler to gather a crowd and collect the money. As the puppet shows became more mobile and able to be performed numerous times in a day, moving from town to town or various locations within a town, the character of Punch evolved from a stringed puppet saying outrageous things to a glove puppet doing outrageous things, including violent acts, to other characters. 

Punch and Judy shows with their striped cloth coverings came to be associated with English seaside towns and resorts. 

Whereas the audiences had originally been adults, with adult and risqué content, the shows evolved into entertainment for children during the late Victorian era. This had the result of inappropriate characters such as The Devil and Punch’s mistress “Pretty Polly” being dropped. 

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The term “pleased as Punch” comes from these shows, Punch often being gleefully self-satisfied. 

Another phrase originating from the shows and still in use today is Punch’s catchcry “That’s the way to do it.” 

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Although political correctness threatened the Punch and Judy shows for a time, there has been a recent resurgence with Punch and Judy even being depicted on 2001 UK postage stamps 

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“...we need to change, and we will change, the way we behave. I'm fed up with the Punch and Judy politics of Westminster, the name calling, backbiting, point scoring, finger pointing.” 

- Prime Minister David Cameron, victory speech 2005 

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