#43: A man, a plan, a cat, a canal: Panama!
Simply reacting to the breaking news of the day, the well named “Panama Papers” affair.
For those lagging behind the news: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Papers
What else is there to say, apart from the fact that this is another pathetic illustration of the inadequacy of the capitalistic model to best run human affairs.
This reminds me of this inspired passage of the Gospel of James (James 5)
5 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
A man, a plan, a cat, a canal: Panama!
This palindrome (if you did not notice yet) first appeared in 1948, but it is believed that it must have been discovered before this, in its simplest form:
A man, a plan, a canal: Panama!
In 1983, Jim Saxe added a cat to the list, creating:
A man, a plan, a cat, a canal – Panama!
A yak (a kind of ox) and a yam (a potato-like tuber) can be inserted, lengthening it to:
A man, a plan, a cam, a yak, a yam, a canal – Panama!
Guy Jacobson found two more items that could be added to this extended Panama palindrome, making the 17-word:
A man, a plan, a cat, a ham, a yak, a yam, a hat, a canal – Panama!
The following fantastic version was produced by Guy Steele in 1983. It has 49 words.
A man, a plan, a canoe, pasta, heros, rajahs, a coloratura, maps, snipe, percale, macaroni, a gag, a banana bag, a tan, a tag, a banana bag again (or a camel), a crepe, pins, Spam, a rut, a Rolo, cash, a jar, sore hats, a peon, a canal – Panama!
Techniques: Pixelmator, Pixplant
Making of: This is a pure digital collage, and it was really fun!
