The Flight of Ducks

April 20, 2003 1:22 AM

The Flight of Ducks. An 'online documentary' about a 1933 expedition to Central Australia (containing culturally sensitive material).
What are songlines? 'Songlines, or Yiri in the Walpiri language, are tracks across the landscape created by Mythical Aboriginal ancestors when they rose out of the dark Earth and travelled, creating mountains, valleys, waterholes - all the physical features of the land ... '
Songlines art.
New York Songlines. Walking tours of Manhattan streets.
posted by plep (12 comments total)

The Flight of Ducks was mentioned in passing in a previous discussion, but I think it's good enough to get its own FPP...
posted by plep at 1:24 AM on April 20, 2003

Yes indeed, plep, specially considering the fascinating songline links. Anyone who has been lucky enough to read Bruce Chatwin's Songlines - some brief extracts here - is truly moved forever.*

After I read it I see songlines everywhere!

*Looking for a quote or two, I came across this rather interesting Authors In Departures website.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 2:03 AM on April 20, 2003

The flight of ducks is a wonderful site. The photos (if only bigger) and journals are fascinating.

And the songlines are even better. I wonder if there are Seoul songlines?

Thanks plep.
posted by hama7 at 3:20 AM on April 20, 2003

Check out the side-bar adverts for some cultural cringe action!
'Literally singing the world into existence', an analogue of concious naration?
With our thoughts we make the world.

Haven't read songlines yet, but it is on the list.
posted by asok at 4:45 AM on April 20, 2003

GMTA.

Kinda sorta (but not really) a self-link.
posted by adamgreenfield at 5:11 AM on April 20, 2003

Thanks for that link, adamgreenfield. That is interesting.

What is psychogeography?

Iain Sinclair at the Complete Review. (The Complete Review also has a pretty good weblog).

Streets of San Francisco: A Personal Geography. This is interesting, too.

Disused London Underground Stations, Forgotten NY, Abandoned NY Subway Stations ... Here's a thread with links to many urban exploration sites.
posted by plep at 7:08 AM on April 20, 2003

(You're right, though. Aboriginal beliefs and contemporary urban psychogeography are very different things).
posted by plep at 7:14 AM on April 20, 2003

GMTA.

I was able to find out what this means through Googling ("great minds think alike," to save others the trouble) but I'm getting pretty tired of the endless, ever more recondite parade of 133t abbreviations. Whenever you're tempted to toss them into your comments, people, remember: Matt doesn't even like "FPP."
posted by languagehat at 7:40 AM on April 20, 2003

languagehat, much as I respect you, I must remind you that "GMTA" has been part of the popular culture for decades. It predates the Internet, and is sufficiently non-recondite that it was used as the title of an Australian childrens' television show.
posted by adamgreenfield at 8:10 AM on April 20, 2003

Well, let's learn a new tag, shall we?

Please hover over the acronym below. If your browser doesn't suck it will display what the acronym stands for.

GMTA

Now isn't that fun? And the syntax is simple! Look:

<acronym title="Great Minds Think Alike">GMTA</acronym>
posted by botono9 at 3:19 PM on April 20, 2003

this is simply wonderful plep, thanks!
posted by madamjujujive at 9:42 PM on April 20, 2003

Well, great, now I went to the NYC Songlines & I'm craving a pastrami sandwich at 1 a.m. in Indiana...

& as far as acronyms go, don't forget the Google glossary
posted by Zurishaddai at 10:50 PM on April 20, 2003