Confection 3/27/08

“Powder keg” – all pictures © by Kirk Jordan

I’m running a tad late. Today’s Mighty Work features more of our March 7th snow, in Little Rock, Arkansas, and a snow of another kind, a week later. (Some snow comes from above, some snow comes from within.)

The top Snow pics are taken just off of interstate 430, near the Maumelle exit ramp. Final two pictures are of a Bradford Pear, near a Kroger Store parking lot in Conway, Arkansas.

Master Blaster 03/11/08

White out (c) by Kirk Jordan mightyworks@conwaycorp.net

All pics, Friday, March 7, 2008 Arkansas State Capitol, Little Rock. Around the lunch hour.

Contrary to appearances, this is not the "Capitol Works Project" - its just where I happen to be when a lot of cool stuff happens.

Several days ago I posted a body of photos from this same location with a slightly lighter snow. I called it a "one hit wonder" because, within a day we were back to short sleeves. But Arkansas is not known for uniformity. So two days after short sleeves we braced again for another round. And today -- short sleeve warm!

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Photo buff stuff: Falling snow is something of a trick, for the reason that it is white, and tends to fall through whited skies. I was able to pull out some of the flakes with flash, or capture the flakes against a darker backdrop. Even so, its hard to catch the magnitude of a fall in process.

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As is, the early blooming Japanese Magnolia are now pretty much bruised, but there are several trees (of a slightly different variety) that have yet to open and should be good for a show.


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The Mighty Works Project exists to join the flakes, ride the wind, and have a blast.


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Still in development, but feel free to tour

http://startledbyexistence.squarespace.com/

Duster Bluster 03/05/08

One hit wonder (c) by Kirk Jordan (mightyworks@conwaycorp.net)

All Pics, March 4, 2008 Little Rock, AR

Two days ago it was short sleeves and powder blue skies. And today, after a strong snow dust (with big accumulations an hour or so west of Little Rock), its all drip and dry again. The snow flashed, stayed around an hour or two, then seeped wettily away.

As is, the Japanese Magnolias just started opening this weekend. Though some blooms will be lost, the temperatures never went so low or so long, that the majority of blooms should be lost.

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the Mighty Works Project exists to savor the temporal, even as we hunger for that which does not fade.

Courtley Love: 021408 (reissue 042506)

In honor of Valentines day, a post from the past.

All illustrations (c) by Kayla J.

Today's Mighty Work showcases the artistry of our first born - Kayla J., now 17 (most of these were created by her in 2004 or 2005)

And while we like to think that we establish a climate for artistic development... Kids seem to come "downloaded" from above. These works range in size from a few inches high -(number 2) to the larger illustration at the bottom, about 24 inches high. Kayla starts with pencil, then adds pen as she goes. The final work employs graphite powder which she rubbed into the mix.

In keeping with today's theme, I am posting some of my favorite verse celebrating romantic love. (see my "poetry site" for appropriate verse:)

http://startledbyexistence.squarespace.com/to-wife-to-wife-lchai-im/2008/2/6/marrital-bliss-collage.html

The Mighty Works Project exists to celebrate the startling act of seeing your children apprehend, master, or acquire what you haven't taught them.

Allegory of the Cave: 1/28/08

Shadow Play, all images (c) by Kirk Jordan

First Image, January 08, all others November 07 from a University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Home-Coming Parade.

(In case you haven't figured it out, Images 1,3,5,and 6 are inverted.)

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Some of you may wonder about the title "Allegory of the Cave." It borrowed from an essay by the Greek Philosopher -- Plato (found within his work THE REPUBLIC), in which Plato seems to suggest that the physical world that we are part of "shadows" a greater -- or transcendent reality.

To read the essay for yourself - or savor its implications, see: http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/platoscave.html

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Bunny trail.

Over the years, I have heard both positive and critical interpretations of Plato's thought, and the way it may have impacted early Christianity.

On the plus side, is the very notion that many of the things we experience on earth are but weak representations of some greater reality. Every flower on earth is but a shadow of some heavenly flower. Every boy and girl, is but diluted presentation of the ideal form of the masculine and feminine, .... And Arkansas is but a shadow of Heaven (or something like that.) Or... On the flip side, I guess you might say that war, really is a shadow of perdition.

Perhaps a most able representative of this form of Platonic thought is CS Lewis, who in his stylized old world myth "Till We Have Faces" -- suggested that we too (For much better of for much worse) are but of a shadow of what we will be -- when we get faces!

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Critical interpretations of Plato's thought usually begin with the idea, that in holding high the sacred (or the ideal), the temporal world may be inappropriately debased. We speak of Platonic love, when that love is emptied of physical attributes. And while a platonic relationship might work for friends, to describe married love as "Platonic" would be tragedy.

Likewise, there have been plenty of times within the history of the church in which the material world, or the pleasures associated with that world were associated with a "corrupted" physical realm. This form of Platonic thought led some persons to deny the physical nature of Christ - or to shun holy things -- (like marriage), in favor of some higher ascetic calling. Only problem, such systems often end up calling what is good - evil, or find themselves promoting an emasculated and defective spirituality.

In the end, I do not see the Bible promoting the Spiritual in opposition to the Physical (though it may be in opposition to the carnal), but rather, Biblical vision calls for the Holy completing, fulfilling and transformation of the world of physical experience.


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The Mighty Works Project waits in expectation of shadow-completion.

Christmas Leftovers: 01/05/08

AR state Capitol with "P E A C E" and Warp Speed Swoosh (c) Kirk Jordan

Sorry folks, to throw yet another state capitol pic and odd self -portrait at you in several weeks - but these were just too much fun. The "Warp Speed" pictures are accomplished by zooming a zoom lens during the course of a longer exposure. (You may even find a stylized angel in the image of the tunnel swoosh.)


I have been basking in the wonder of a much need two-week vacation, including a trip to Tulsa to see Mom, brother Tien with family, and friends. (Tulsa was hit with a devastating ice storm in the weeks before Christmas, leaving my mom without electricity for some eleven days -- and also leaving her with a yard full of huge limbs and branches -- and now with a curb side stick-stack the size of a moving van!

The Mighty Works project exists to thank the Father - "from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name" -- and all those of you who have made my last year so rich.

Half Dome: 121907

Dome Zone and "Moment" poem (c) by Kirk Jordan

Today's Mighty Work features the back side of the Arkansas State Capitol, photographed chronologically from early November to mid December, with the Maples in the first frame giving way to the late falling Bradford Pear in the latter. With exception of the storm pic, each photo depicts the glow of the setting sun, as cast upon the western face.

As is, Christmas time is a special high use time for the Capitol, as thousands upon thousands of school children come and offer gifts of choral song. And while I have gotten a bit used to it, there are those moments (like the one referenced below ) in which the seasonal mill gives way to the truly awe inspiring.



Moment. 11/30/2001, 12:61PM


Today

The planets stood in line
like a key in a lock
and the stars spelled out
fantastical words.

Today, for one brief moment,
no one bled, and the dailies
all fell silent as the bullets shimmied
backward up the barrels.

Today, on my lunch break
a choir of
local teenage angels from the Benton High-school choral
sang
to a crowd of five,
lifting splendiferous voices like
some organic pipe-organ
into the dome,
and singing:

Oh, come let us adore Him.

Today there
was an extra minute
on the clock.

Unrecorded,
Borrowed from

Tomorrow.

Avian Flew: 12/06/07

Suspended animation (c) by Kirk Jordan


Pics One through Four - Great Blue Heron in flight. White River fishing Trip, October 07.

Pic Five. Egret in flight, Lake Conway overflow arena next to old Highway, just outside of Conway. November 07. (Orange cast on the water is that of reflecting fall foliage. The black squiggle marks are the dried stems of Lily-pads. -- Can you find the ducks in the photo?


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Some quick thoughts on the General Theory of Evolution (In contradistinction to the Special Theory of Evolution.)





To his credit, Charles Darwin offered a number of criteria by which his speculations concerning comprehensive (or Macro) Evolution might be found wanting. In Origin of Species, Darwin writes: "If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down." (Origin of Species.)

As is, there are any number of organs and structures evidenced in living things that provide just such a challenge. For example, the feathered wing of a bird. It is hard to conceive of anything short of a full-blown working wing that would be anything but a hindrance to its bearer. And here is the irony. "Natural Selection" - Darwin's great guiding principle, would itself render a creature with a something like a part wing, less fit to survive.

And then there is the feather itself – a structure of startling beauty and detailed engineering. Until such a feather be fully fashioned, and given to the art of flight, it is hard to envision a benefit of a “less-than-feather.”


Some evolutionists, however have bold imaginations. Consider this example as provided by Gerhard Heilman, from his book "The Origin of Birds (1923)."

From being an terrestrial runner the ((reptile like)) animal now turns an arboreal climber, leaping further and further from branch to branch, from tree to tree and from the trees to the ground. Meanwhile the first toe changes to a hind toe so adapted as to grasp branches. As the hind limbs while running on the ground have abandoned the reptilian position, they are kept closer to the body when leaping takes place, the pressure of the air acting like a stimulus, produces, chiefly on the forelimbs and the tail, a parachutal plane consisting of longish scales developing along the posterior edge of forearms and the side edges of the flattening tail.
By the friction of the air, the other edges of the scales become frayed, the frayings gradually changing into still longer horny processes, which in the course of time become more and more featherlike, until the perfect feather is produced. From wings, tails and flanks, the feathering spreads to the whole body. The lengthening of the penultimate phalanges of the fingers is attained by using the claws for climbing and this elongation has been very propitious to the subsequent development of the wing.
The more intensive use of the arms, however, has also lengthened these, and laid claim to more powerful muscles for the movement of the same: this again has reacted on the breast bone, the two lateral halves of which have coalesced and ossified completely, forming a projecting ridge for the origin of the muscles.
Then accelerated metabolic process, finally, produced an increased caloricity protected the feathering until the warm blooded state was attained.

(Heilman, the Origin of Birds (1926) as quoted by Michael Denton - Evolution, a Theory in Crisis (1985), p 204)




The Mighty Works Project exists to herald "weak" imaginations. (See above.)

Triple Orb: 11/04/07

OF all insects, no one is more wonderful than the spider, especially with respect to their sagacity admirable way of working.....
And what is still more wonderful, I know I have several times seen, in a very calm and serene day at that time of year, standing behind some opaque body that shall just hide the disk of the sun and keep off his dazzling rays from my eye, multitudes of little shining webs and glistening strings of a great length, and at such a height as (that one would think they were tacked to the sky by one end, were it not that they were moving and floating. And there often appears at the end of these webs a spider floating and sailing in the air with them, which I have plainly discerned in those webs that were nearer to my eye. And once [I] saw a very large spider, to my surprise, swimming in the air in this manner, and others have assured me that they often have seen spiders fly.

from : Of Insects by Jonathan Edwards (1723, age 20)

*Ps (I know Spiders are not now called insects, but I suspect the usage has changed since the young Mr. Edwards wrote.)

For the full letter/essay see:
http://www.apuritansmind.com/JonathanEdwards/JonathanEdwards-Scientific-Insects.htm
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Flying Orb (c) by Kirk Jordan
Orb one: Sun
Orb two: Sun on water
Orb three: Orb Spider

Today's Mighty Work features the astonishing first stages of what "will" be a huge orb "wheel" web, as built by an astonishing Orb spider -- This one building on the bank of Spencer Lake in Conway Arkansas (October 2007)
I had the pleasure of watching this Orb for about twenty minutes. It was in the beginning stages of the web, and was working the large outer perimeter, after establishing what appeared to be a three strand "frame." (I understand that the web will become more "visible" as it progresses. After establishing a minimal frame, the spider will go back over the web and give portions greater strength, then add the sticky inner fibers last of all.)
As is, Orbs take to building gigantic webs with visible flourish every Indian Summer in Arkansas. I don't know what these spiders do, or where they hide the rest of the year, but I have seen that there are a few weeks every Fall, usually just before Halloween, in which the Orbs go to town. (More on Orb webs in a future MW edition)

For more on Orb Spiders see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orb-weaver_spider
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/Spiders/Info/Construction_of_a_web.html


The Mighty Works Project exists to join with Jonathan Edwards in praising "the exuberant goodness of the Creator, who hath not only provided for all the necessities, but also for the pleasure and recreation of all sorts of creatures, and even the insects and those that are most despicable."