2935  All V-Frames Great and Small (Blind Men and the Elephant)

Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 11:08:58 -0600
From: Brian Dunn <brian@DANCEOFTHEHEART.COM>
Subject: All V-Frames Great and Small (Blind Men and the Elephant)

Dear List,

In the whole V-Frame discussion, it seems we've found another "Blind men and
the elephant" topic, which consume so many keystrokes on this list every so
often. There are big V's, smaller V's, open V's and closed V's. There are
vanishingly tiny V's. Unless I can SEE you demonstrate what you mean by a
V-Frame, the odds of misunderstanding you are very high.

Lack of easy support for photos in Tango-L messages renders us all
effectively blind. Maybe the bunch of us who are going to meet in BsAs next
month can observe together, and reach consensus on some common "frame" of
reference (!), and report back to the list as a whole.

All the best,
Brian Dunn
Dance of the Heart
Boulder, Colorado USA
www.danceoftheheart.com

PS:
For your enjoyment, here is John Godfrey Saxe's retelling of the original
Indian fable:

It was six men of Indostan / To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant / (Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation / Might satisfy his mind

The First approached the Elephant, / And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side, / At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the Elephant / Is very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk, / Cried, "Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?/ To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant / Is very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal, / And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands, / Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant / Is very like a snake!"

The Fourth reached out an eager hand, / And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like / Is mighty plain," quoth he;
" 'Tis clear enough the Elephant / Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear, / Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most; / Deny the fact who can
This marvel of an Elephant / Is very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun / About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail / That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant / Is very like a rope!"

And so these men of Indostan / Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion / Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right, / And all were in the wrong!

Moral:
So oft in theologic wars, / The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance / Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant / Not one of them has seen!

Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 13:37:05 -0400
From: John Gleeson <john.gleeson@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: All V-Frames Great and Small (Blind Men and the Elephant)

> PS:
> For your enjoyment, here is John Godfrey Saxe's retelling of the original
> Indian fable:

Thank you Brian for this wonderful poem/fable. Of course, this
refers to blind men who have never seen an elephant. How does
this apply to the Tango discussions since all/most of us have seen
the dance with our own two eyes - and with everybody else's, and
danced it with our own two feet - and with everybody else's?
Therefore, by definition, we are now all experts in the subject.


Only kidding - it's a joke - honest :<)

John G.