out there

i was wondering about the equation 1 picture = 1,000 words last night. i wanted to see what 1 picture that is worth 1,000 words looks like, and i wanted to compare it to 1,000 words. so i looked.

these pictures didn't strike me as particularly valuable. the only one i really like is a vintage postcard that says "the mysterians", which may or may not refer to this japanese film i think i'd like to see.

lacking pictures of worth, i wondered where "1,000 words" alone might take me. nowhere very exciting. drats.

ever persistent, i went looking for the origin of the phrase "a picture is worth 1,000 words". astonishingly, i haven't found it yet. i'll look in my books when i get home later tonight. feel free to elucidate me if you've got something handy.

how utterly unintriguing in its ubiquity is this phrase. the only point of interesting inquiry was my discovery, back in the image search, of this webpage about a course in heraldry. it says "the specialised vocabulary includes 1000 words, amongst them the most frequently used ones. The interest in heraldics lies within the vast poetic nature of the language, but also in the illustrations." i never knew there was a whole heraldic language, and here we find a fitting bridge between words and pictures. i wonder if this language has only 1000 words, and if this explains our phrase. but i doubt it.

it's ever so hard for me to accept not finding what i've been looking for.

so in lieu of nothing, here's an observation i made after searching on ["a picture is worth a 1,000 words"+word origins]: people everywhere are wondering if there is intelligent life out there.

why is the first search return looking for the origin of this phrase a link to this contest: "AlienAlmanac.com is sponsoring your written or artistic depiction of the Neilans and their first six months on Earth."?

why is another search return this very strange thing, which i believe might be called a story, bearing the title: "After Eve [Conte Philosophique] Part One (Chapter One): The First Ballad"? there's atlantis, aliens, gilgamesh and the garden of eden (oh and demigods) waiting for you if you choose to go there.

aliens, once twice and thrice. hmmm.

i like how aliens appear in the song "diner girls" by ill lit. one of my favorite songs by what may be my favorite band. i like this reference because it notes that the "aliens, they're coming for us. and yes, we're aliens, they're only part of us. well, aliens will eat the heart of us, my baby."

exactly my sentiments and perfectly on point with why i've never been particularly concerned with life out there. there's so much intelligent life right here. last time i checked, you were here too. do you understand why i hate it when people say things like "good luck out there"?

Q: am i the only that notices the noticing of loneliness components?
A: thankfully, no.