Ansible Interview

James Wynn · 28 Jan 2009, 02:55 · from 2009-January.txt.gz

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From: crushtv at gmail.com (James Wynn)
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:55:51 -0600
Subject: (urth) Ansible Interview
References: <60016944C0A74B77B9BDFC5E98C39B25@GATEWAY><497CFDE6.2090104 at doubtfulpalace.com><D9DA56007C5846C9A0A33DA17DB4B3B0@GATEWAY><39ed084f0901252206n4b735e9ax284ba02febad5be2 at mail.gmail.com><497D9B92.5010708 at io.com><39ed084f0901260741k52c49b8csc93ef26cfed2dce9 at mail.gmail.com><273409710901270919g5b0e3156rb0990890a5723af7 at mail.gmail.com><173801176.20090127204427 at poczta.fm><8B2EC916FB8F42869E239BA9CB43FFE5@GATEWAY>
	<39ed084f0901271806o310b5a43v31482b4c74590fd5 at mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <8871E985E4864FC0991FAFEE5D04553C@GATEWAY>

Wolfe said:
"Where is the difficulty, unless all the valleys run
parallel to the Long Sun? Naturally they don't. "

>In Wolfe's vision, it seems to be the case
> that valleys running at an angle to the long sun can somehow, at least
> sometimes, be filled with "vast black shadows" during the day.  That
> is, if the long dimension of the valley, where the river would be,
> runs north-south, then it can be dark in the valley.  I have to admit
> I'm still having trouble seeing how that is possible.

It never occurred to me to read this as a river valley, probably because it 
would make no sense that way. Any depression near a steep precipice would 
look like a valley from the other side of Whorl. I have always understood 
"run parallel" to mean "on a plane that is in congruence with the line Long 
Sun" such that it was perpendicular to the light coming from the Long 
Sun...which is the only way there could be shadows.

But there definitely *could* be shadows, and my experience with the 
imperfections human constructions in extreme topography tells me there would 
be: for the same reason that there are few straightaways in highways through 
mountains.

J

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