My wife and I were listening to old Disney music this evening, when I was reminded of my favorite childhood Disney scene.

All things considered, I suppose this an appropriate choice for me, but probably not for the reasons you may first suspect.  This number is remarkably unlike most anything I have ever seen from Disney.  Immediately following Quasimodo's optimistic number wherein he allows himself to fantasize about a happy life, the mood shifts to the antagonist Frollo who begins praying with his characteristic narcissism but quickly transitions into a desperate plea for his soul.
 
What makes this scene so unusual, aside from its dark and dramatic tone, is its blatant sexual theme.  Disney has been known to throw sexual undertones into their movies (Ariel's first ascension from the water as a human comes to mind), but in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the writers decided to retain from the original work Frollo's carnal obsession with Esmeralda, and it is never more obvious than in this scene.
 
This is only the second time in the movie Frollo is shown doubting himself.  The first instance occurs at the very beginning (another great scene, see right) where his doubt compels him to spare the babe Quasimodo.  Here, his moment of weakness reminds the audience of his humanity, but while the first scene showed his propensity, however small, for mercy, this scene represents a "point of no return" for him where it is made clear his infatuation is now driving him inexorably toward a grim conclusion.  While we as the audience realize Frollo could use this experience to accept his status a mere man, fallible and equal to the ones he has so ruthlessly judged, he instead maintains his claim to righteousness, refuses to accept his humanity, and seems to plunge into insanity.  After this scene, his mannerisms begin a rapid shift away from his powerful, stern demeanor and take on a more sinister and devilish tone.
 
 
Symbolism is used heavily in this number to reflect Frollo's inner turmoil.  Beyond the obvious use of demons, more powerfully the fire is used prominently until it effectively becomes a second character.  At first, the fire represents Frollo's insuperable passion, teasing him with the spritely image of the object of his lust.  While he looks longingly at the flame, the realization of his own convictions descend upon him, and his attraction to the flame quickly turns to terror of imminent hellfire.  The symbol of his desire is then replaced by the handkerchief while the threat of God's judgment is replaced by faceless demons with the fire becoming a purging force, passing over him and reinvigorating his resolve to conquer his lust, causing him to cower before Maria in a tearful appeal, and symbolically destroying the sprite Esmeralda.  Note the artistic use of the chorus at this moment which resembles the cry of an angelic army, emphasizing that Frollo considers his mission a holy and righteous one.  In the final seconds of the number, the fire simultaneously embodies all these motifs: passion, judgment, and cleansing.  These three elements completely displace Frollo's divine motivations and drive him for the remainder of the narrative.

Today at 17:47 UTC (11:47 AM CST) will be the Solstice, a traditional day in many religions. But what exactly is the solstice?

To a scientist, it marks the shortest day in the northern hemisphere and the longest day in the southern [2]. To a TV weatherman, it represents the “first day of winter” [3]. To an astronomer, it marks the low point in the Sun’s apparent travels in the sky, known as the analemma [4,5]. And to some religions, it marks the start of festivities.

In truth, these are all inter-related. The solstice is the point at which the Earth’s tilt and orbital path combine to create the shortest day in the year [6]. Because this is the shortest day in the year, the Sun does not rise as far in the sky and so is at a lower altitude at noon, making this the lowest point in the analemma. And because less sunlight hits the Northern hemisphere, the hemisphere radiates heat away faster than it comes in and cools, creating winter [7]. Though early priest/astronomer/astrologers didn’t know the physical link between the Sun’s travels and the seasons, they were clever enough to understand that there was a link. Thus, the solstice marked the start of festivities in Babylon, Egypt, Rome, and the Olmec and descendant civilizations.

In any case, this is a special day of the year [8]. So go out and enjoy it!

John

[1] Geek points for the reference!
[2] Thereby demonstrating the old adage that each thing contains its opposite.
[3] Thereby demonstrating that a simple untruth has greater staying power than a complex truth. Remember that Midsummer’s day takes place on the summer solstice, thus “Midwinter’s day” should take place on the winter solstice [a].
[4] Or the high point, for those in the Southern hemisphere.
[5] By the way, making an analemma is easy and a fun science project. All you need is a stick and a place to put it [b]. Just go out to the same place once a week at noon and prop the stick up so it is sticking straight up (i.e., makes a right angle with the tangent to the Earth’s surface). Now mark where the shadow of the stick falls. Plot them up over the course of a year, and you’ve made an analemma! Analemmas made closer to the poles will be fatter and more like a Hershey’s kiss in shape; those made nearer to the equator will be skinnier and look more like a figure eight.
[6] NB: This is not the Earth’s closest approach to the Sun; that happens in early January . If the Earth had no tilt, then perihelion and the solstice would take place on the same day, with summer in January and winter in July.
[7] In the Southern hemisphere, more sunlight comes in, so heat builds up, creating summer.
[8] Then again, what day isn’t?
[a] Yes, these are hemisphere-centric terms. My apologies to all who live in the Southern hemisphere; feel free to swap “winter” for “summer” at will throughout this post.
[b] Get your mind out of the gutter!

It is totally flipping cold and dry here. It's kind of neat to see icicles hanging off the banisters and windows, but sheesh, running is brutal. The bricks and sculptures I used for my garden are frozen into the ground. Anything left outdoors cracks and breaks. I'm finally over my sinus problems, though. 

A few days ago we finally broke down and bought some holiday lights. The house was completely dark every year while other houses have a shiny blue and white glow or colorful lights around their trees.  I was browsing some bookstores and ran across some literature about Yule. I was struck by how important warm, glowing lights are this time of year. Fires, candles. Strings of lights and happy snowmen glowing against the bitter ice and snow.

I was looking for winter book suggestions, and wouldn't you know it, the goddess of Ecology was listening. As I wandered the nature aisle I found the most wonderful treasure: the Princeton Encyclopedia of Mammals. I've never seen a book as incredible as this. 934 pages of all-out beauty. Stunning, cutting-edge data on over 5,000 mammal species.

 

 

Some highlights:

Group living of european rabbits in the chalk and dune land warrens

Nonstop motherhood of honey possums

Form and function of the carnivore body plan

Mammals of the middle Eocene

I am in love with this book. I think our lights and this reading will keep me warm all winter. I so recommend this book if you have any interest in mammals. I recommend a latte or a spiced hot chocolate in your local bookstore-cafe while you browse the nature section. On Saturday our bookseller had hired a violin-cello quartet to play holiday music while people browsed and drank coffee. A lovely evening!

 

I was having a laugh with a Botanist friend of mine about the Evolution debate. Although questioned by Creationists,150 years of additional evidence has essentially solidified the Theory of Evolution, even without Darwin. We're finally seeing this same pattern with Global Warming. New evidence is making the theory stronger as time goes on.

 A study of the Himalayas has provided new evidence for anthropogenic-caused climate change. Black soot from diesel engines and coal-fired plants has been found to cause melting glaciers in the Himalayas.

A new poll (of actual scientists, this time) shows that 97% of Climatologists believe that humans are causing climate change. And if you're confused by this cold weather, remember that climate change is not just about warming, it's about extreme patterns. So there it is, the theory is beginning to hold its own.

Thanks to WT for finding this cartoon!

 

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26512112-5003402,00.html

Books prove prayer can cure cancer, says archbishop

TERMINAL illness such as cancer can be cured by prayer, the head of the Catholic Church in Australia said.

I'm up to my ears in chores today [1], so I'm going to make an old quick and dirty favorite of mine for lunch. Because it primarily consists of various things all dumped together, with stunning originality, I call it "Dump Chili". Though it is quick and easy to make, it is reasonably tasty. So, the next time you want something that is both good and fast [2], give this a try!

Ingredients:
One half onion, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can diced tomatoes (Chipotle or chile flavor is good!)
1 bag meat substitute
Chili spices [3]

In a medium pan, sauté the onions in the oil until translucent. While the onions are cooking, open the cans of beans and dump them into a colander; rinse clean [4]. Once the onions are ready, dump in the beans, the meat substitute, and the can of tomatoes. If necessary, add 1/4 can of water. Dump in the spices and stir. Cook over low-medium heat until warmed through (about 15 minutes).

Making a list, checking it twice... How's your holiday shopping going? Who's left on your list?

Just me; I always save the worst for last. (Now where's that anthracite? [1])

John

[1] That's a geology joke, because only us geology-types would think it was cool to get coal for Christmas.

I tweeted this link yesterday about the forgiveness of a family that lost their daughter to a car accident.

 http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/79698172.html?page=1&c=y

Forgiveness is so crucial to healing, both for the person wronged and the person that did the wronging. By holding on to the pain caused by being wronged, illness is created throughout a person’s entire being—biological, psychological, sociological, & spiritual realms. Negative energy is created and emitted, causing further suffering and illness. As a future holistic health practitioner and energy healer, I have learned about the necessity of positive energy in creating and maintaining a healthy person.

The only way to reverse the effects of this is to practice radical  & complete forgiveness. However, one needs to learn how to do this. Forgiveness isn’t simply saying I forgive you. It’s not just words. It is a process of letting go of one’s attachment to the security of their pain.

It is scary to radically and completely forgive someone because it opens you up to be vulnerable. Many people are afraid of being hurt again, and they believe holding on to the pain of being wronged acts as a protective shield. However, the perceived shield only blocks healing love from being both emitted and received.

One needs to let go of their pain. One needs to let go of their fear. One needs to learn how to do this, and there are many ways to figure this out. I use two ways: the example of Jesus Christ as the forgiving healer in the Gospels and mindfulness as practiced by Thich Nhat Hanh. These two have helped me realize the healing power of forgiveness. The negative forces of bitterness, resentment, and anger no longer bind me. If someone wrongs me, I recall the healing power of forgiveness as explained and witnessed by Jesus. I use mindfulness to be awake in the present, which helps me see the wronging for what it is and the reasons for its existence. By seeing the causes and dealing with them, I can let it all go to history, where it no longer emits negative energy.

Thanks for this one, PZ.

Hey, folks.  I have been gone for a little while, and I probably will not be back in the full blogging swing until January, but this article addresses a privacy issue which is, to put it mildly, one of the most absurd things I have ever heard.

A judge in Oklahoma extended on Friday a temporary restraining order on a law that would post information online about women who get abortions in the state.

. . .

The law, passed in May, requires doctors to fill out a 10-page questionnaire for every abortion performed, including asking the woman about her age, marital status, race and years of education. In all, there are 37 questions the women are to answer.

Critics say the act would be harassment and an invasion of privacy.

. . .

One section of the "Individual Abortion Form" says the woman must state her reason for seeking an abortion and answer this checklist. "Having a baby:
• Would dramatically change the life of the mother;
• Would interfere with the education of the mother;
• Would interfere with the job/employment/career of the mother."

The framers of the law state the information posted online would not identify the women, though I find it entirely asinine that women and doctors be lawfully forced to answer an intrusive questionnaire before proceeding with a legal medical operation.