What does "Blue Alert" mean?

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jarkko
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What does "Blue Alert" mean?

Post by jarkko »

Here is one attempt to explain it :P
Caffeine Free: Blue Light Makes People Alert at Night

By LiveScience Staff

posted: 01 February 2006
09:29 am ET

There's much more than meets the eye to how we perceive light, researchers have learned in recent years. The latest revelation: blue light helps fend off drowsiness in the middle of the night.

A small study of 16 volunteers found that exposure to short-wavelength light, or blue light, perked them up immediately.

"Light exposure to this system, particularly blue light, directly reduces sleepiness,” said Steven Lockley of the Brigham and Women's Hospital. “Subjects exposed to blue light were able to sustain a high level of alertness during the night when people usually feel most sleepy, and these results suggest that light may be a powerful countermeasure for the negative effects of fatigue for people who work at night."

The study, sponsored by National Space Biomedical Research Institute, is detailed in the Feb. 1 issue of the journal Sleep.

"The effects lasted as long as the blue light was on, which was 6.5 hours," Lockley told LiveScience. "I expect it would last at least for a few hours more if we extended the light exposure for longer although not ad infinitum. We hope to do studies with longer exposures shortly."

The work adds to other evidence that the human eye sees things we're not consciously aware of. Other research has shown that the eye's hidden perceptive abilities help control our 24-hour internal clock, so we know when to sleep and when to wake.

"These findings add to the body of evidence that illustrates that there is a novel photoreceptor system that exists in the human eye in addition to that used for sight," Lockley said.

Eventually the finding could lead to ways to improve alertness in nighttime drivers, shift workers, pilots or astronauts, said Lockley, who is also an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School.

More work needs to be done, however. Blue light in the wrong doses can be dangerous to the eye.
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A'af
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Post by A'af »

"Blue Alert" to me is like the last alert before no alert anymore...
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Post by Simon »

There is also the Star Trek Blue Alert.

I doubt that it's where the album's title comes from but interestingly the article says that the Blue Alert is called «Before entering a celestial body's atmosphere» The album surely could be said to be celestial from what I've heard of it so far...

Blue Alert is also the name of a caffeine stimulant in capsule. (Is he still doing drugs?)

It is also the name of a flower described as «Easily fertile both ways», whatever that may mean.

So we recognize his fondness for multi-layered symbolism or references.
Cohen is the koan
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lizzytysh
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Post by lizzytysh »

It is also the name of a flower described as «Easily fertile both ways», whatever that may mean.
Maybe that means that particular flower has both male and female capabilities in propagation.
. . . says that the Blue Alert is called «Before entering a celestial body's atmosphere»
I like this interpretation/application of the name. I agree with you on why.

~ Lizzy
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tomsakic
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Post by tomsakic »

Star Trek, flower and coffeine pill have all been brought to Leonard's attentiion and wareness. Nothing of those is the answer. Also, all those three references aren't common (ST level of alert shows only very late, in few 1990s episodes. Flower is grown and develpoed only by one private garden at Florida. That pill isn't in wide use.)

Blue only sets the mood. But not only the mood of melancholy, but... as we heard in clips:
Written and arranged by Anjani and Leonard Cohen and produced by Cohen, Blue Alert melds haunting melodies with exquisite lyrical imagery leading us gently along the erotic landscape with stories of desire and despair.
From http://www.anjani-music.com/music.html

So, why blue... Maybe: http://ask.yahoo.com/20031003.html
vern.silver
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Post by vern.silver »

In Ontario, "Blue alert" in hospitals (some use code blue) signifies a cardiac emergency. Where I work (in corrections) a Blue alert is an emergency or incident involving 'inmates' requiring all available staff to respond.

I don't know if whether of these explains the choice of the title, not having heard it yet, but the reference to a heart condition might work?
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Post by Tchocolatl »

That would answer the traditional question "Why the sky is blue?" (A questino to answer to a question without answer).

Sun and blue sky put people on - did we need "science" to understand that? no. Not at all. But. They have to justify their salary. Gray sky and cold temperature put us to sleep, also. This is really strange (wink) but we seems to responds perfectly to our environment, when we are conscious about us being alive within a living world and in close relationship with all that is alive vs. rationalizing everything and using it for "work", "economy", "money" "golden calf".

Blue Alert was the topic? ExcuuUUuuuuse mEEee. I see this as Blue like music and Alert like oxymoron. Blues is usually a round music to the ears, an Alert, no. Very Sharp like a knife.
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jarkko
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Post by jarkko »

Image

Daylily Blue Alert
P. Stamile 2002
(Little Sensation x Sdlg.)


http://www.daylilies.net/BlueAlert.htm
Description: Blue Alert introduced by G. Stamile in 2002. 2 7/8" inch blooms on 18 inch scapes with 3 way branching. 15 buds. "Grace has been working on her blue eyes and "white faces" for several years now and she has been quite successful in creating a line with a wonderful lavender blue cast. Blue Alert is one of these with an overall cream color and triangular violet blue eye. As is usual, her conscientious devotion to a complete plant in complete proportion is the case with this little charmer." Easily fertile both ways.
Ploidy: Diploid
Foliage Habit: Semi-evergreen
Flower Size: 2 7/8" Height: 18"
Bloom Season: Mid season
Repeat Bloomer: yes
Tchocolatl
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Post by Tchocolatl »

Ey! What a nice bouquet with the dear heather :

Image

http://www.workingforwildlife.org.uk/ed ... eather.htm
Tchocolatl
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Post by Tchocolatl »

This without talking about the well-discussed-here morning glory.

Image

http://www.erowid.org/plants/morning_gl ... lory.shtml



Now, I imagine some fans beginning to do some gardening accordingly. There were Monet's gardens, then.... ? :D

I just love flowers. 'Wonder if there is many like that I have not seen before. :roll: Let see...
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Post by Simon »

Tchocolatl wrote:I just love flowers.
Not to mention the Lily of the Mohawks

Catherine Tekakwitha

By Eliza Allen Starr

The sweet-briar rose of summer glades
We lay upon another shrine;
The lily of the Mohawk woods,
O dusky maiden! shall be thine.

One pendent flower, upon a stem
With leaves enfolded, pearly white;
Itself, its eaves, its very stalk
Like frost-work set in summer light.

Though swaying to the lightest breeze,
No fibre gives it earthly hold;
A miracle of beauty, seen
Upspringing from the forest mould.

And thus, in innocence of soul,
A Mohawk maiden, orphaned, shy,
Grew up within a cabin's shade,
Almost apart from human eye.

Left at her birth to warlike kin,
A stranger to all gentle care,
Death gave to her an unseen shield-
Her Christian mother's dying prayer.

The April airs, though long delayed,
Are not so welcome to the fir,
Nor through the wind-flower's slender stem
So swift a sense of gladness stir,

As Heaven's full message, sent, at length,
Through Christian teachers to the maid;
Which found her, waiting still, within
A Mohawk cabin's humble shade.

Thenceforth the Bread, thenceforth the Wine
"Which springs forth virgins" was her food
"Oh! who will show me," still she cried,
"The perfect way, the highest good?"
As new-fledged eagles seek the sun,
Her soul to joys mysterious soared;
the Sovereign Beauty claimed His spouse;
She loved where she had first adored.

The lonely cross which marks her grave,
The Old World's pilgrim oft has stayed;
The wandering hunter, from the lakes,
Still pauses here to ask her aid.

The foaming torrents hoarsely chant
Her virgin praises, year by year;
And Indian maidens love to bring
Their griefs their joys, their wishes, here.

Then, let the rose of summer glades
Be laid upon another shrine;
The lily of the Mohawk woods;
O dusky maiden! shall be thine.
---------------------------------------------------
Maybe the topic of flowers in LC's work should deserve a thread in itself. Lovely theme to tame spring time fever.
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Post by Simon »

Image

Just wondering actually if the Lily of the Mohawks is the Iris Versicolor, which is now the floral emblem of Québec.
Cohen is the koan
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Post by Simon »

«The Madonna lily was Quebec’s flower for 36 years. It looks like the heraldic fleur-de-lis on Quebec’s flag. The Madonna lily is the symbol of French culture in France and Québec, but it does not grow naturally in the province. Therefore, in 1999 Quebec chose a new flower that grows throughout the province: the blue flag iris (iris versicolor).»

At the time of Catherine Tekakwitha Lily of the Mohawks probably refered to the Madonna Lily, not purple blue, but virginal white... even though the two colors symbolise the Virgin Mary.


Image
Cohen is the koan
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Post by Tchocolatl »

Just great! Now! Somebody must - absolutely - create a flower named Leonard Cohen or have someone created it.

Simon, Jean-Pierre Ferland a bien sa rose, lui.
Diane

Post by Diane »

Your pic of the Morning Glory, Tchoc, reminded me that Walt Whitman's exuberant poem, "Song of Myself" has a line in it,

"The morning glory at my window moves me more than the metaphysics of books."

The line reminds me a little of Leonard's words, "No words this time?...Oh the morning glory!"

Diane

Lots of pretty flowers here 8) .
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