At Last the Spread of Things Has Erased My Particulars
Rest in Peace, Robert Coover. You don't need to read Robert Coover's 1966 novel *Origin of the Brunists* to be astonished by 2014's *Brunist Day of Wrath* but you DO need to read *Brunist Day of Wrath,* the most American novel I've ever read, it's fourth read this coming 25 summer, might need to push up. I also recommend *Gerald's Party*, *John's Wife*, *Universal Baseball Association*, and of course *Public Burning.* But Brunists, both of them, but if only one, and only one Coover, *Brunist Day of Wrath*, best novel for explaining the United States of Assholes 2024. I'll even buy a copy for you if we're digibuds (or real life buds) if you ask nice. Here's the finished Headshot Hexjeff from the post below this one
More here. This getting-old shit. Besides all the long or recently dead musicians on the soundtrack of the formative years of my life, of the novelists of the formative years of my life - Barth, Elkin, Fowles, Gaddis, Gass, now Coover - only Pynchon still alive. Hinkiest year of my life, far hinkier than I thought it would be 50 years ago when I first read Coover at fifteen. Rest of monologue in grid, per usual. Been on a Lambchop binge, when am I not on a Lambchop binge?
Hinkiest wucking far ever, dum-de-dum, BLAMMO! crickets
"every day the White House invents new ways to offend Arab voters. They have their top scientists working around the clock, coming up with innovative, cutting edge ways to lose Michigan"
Hinkiest war of my lifetime, everything's fuckstrange
Inside the State Department’s Weapons Pipeline to Israel
☝
"Leaked cables and emails show how the agency’s top officers dismissed internal evidence of Israelis misusing American-made bombs and worked around the clock to rush more out while the Gaza death toll mounted"
☝
For Netanyahu, Eradicating the Palestinians Is Still "Job 1"
"The cops chose to assault protesters rather than shut down the illegal land sale, which is being held in violation of U.S. civil rights laws, Biden’s executive order on the West Bank of 2/1/24, and 20 some additional state, federal, and international laws. Nassau County police swiftly arrested a protester for wearing a mask, all while ignoring the both domestically and internationally illegal sale happening in their own jurisdiction, right under their noses. Their selective enforcement of the “law” underscores a troubling double standard and their continuous efforts to protect domestic Zionist terrorists, thereby further facilitating Palestinian land theft, occupation, and Gazan genocide in the belly of the beast"
1/prominent place on the grid of links is given to levitin's new book about music - another recent book by him is "Successful Ageing: Getting the Most Out of the Rest of Your Life" published in 2020 - the paperback edition of 2021 is titled "The Changing Mind: A Neuroscientist's Guide to Ageing Well" - apparently a changing title might also be a way of softcovering well
the relationship to knott's poem - coincidence, or something more?
2/from Gemini, google's chatbot:
MICFiC is likely an acronym for Military-Industrial-Financial-Intelligence Complex. It's a term often used to describe the close relationship between the military, defense industry, financial institutions, and intelligence agencies.
2.1/a correspondent of mine said this was better than the urban dictionary's definition
2.2/I pointed out that gemini's version of the phrase leaves the first C as an orphan - the original phrasing includes Congressional as a central nexus in the warandmoney game
2.3/but i agreed that naming the "intelligence" complex is important - in the last dozen years my understanding has grown - the spies are the the principal channels of satan's will
3/grammarphobia the blog wrote 16 years ago 'it’s worth noting that the OED has an entry for “hink,” an old and obscure Scots noun meaning a hesitation or a misgiving; a separate verb form means to limp or falter.'
speaking of particulars, as the poem by knott does, this morning i came across the assertion “All media exist to invest our lives with artificial perceptions and arbitrary values.”
google's chatbot confirmed it was written by Marshall McLuhan, and stated "He was a Canadian philosopher, cultural theorist, and media critic who is widely considered one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century.
McLuhan often explored the relationship between technology and society, arguing that media not only convey information but also shape the way we perceive the world. This quote is a central tenet of his work, suggesting that media can manipulate our understanding of reality and impose certain values upon us.
The quote is likely from his book Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, published in 1964. This work is a seminal text in media theory and has had a profound impact on fields such as sociology, cultural studies, and communication studies.
I asked is "artificial" correct here - couldn't one say "expanded beyond one's own limited perceptions"? and "arbitrary" has a negative connotation - what if one says "chosen according to a system of values" -wouldn't that be just as accurate?
the chatbot replied: You raise some valid points.
The terms "artificial" and "arbitrary" are strong, and their use might be debated.
"Artificial": While McLuhan might have argued that media create a perception of reality that is not entirely "natural" or "organic," the term "expanded beyond one's own limited perceptions" could indeed be a more nuanced way to express this idea.
"Arbitrary": The term "arbitrary" implies a lack of reason or justification. However, McLuhan might have argued that media often impose values that are not necessarily grounded in individual experience or personal choice. While "chosen according to a system of values" is more neutral, it might not capture the idea that these values can be imposed rather than freely chosen.
Ultimately, the interpretation of these terms depends on one's understanding of McLuhan's broader argument. He was known for using provocative language to challenge conventional thinking, and his use of "artificial" and "arbitrary" may have been intended to provoke thought and debate.
1/prominent place on the grid of links is given to levitin's new book about music - another recent book by him is "Successful Ageing: Getting the Most Out of the Rest of Your Life" published in 2020 - the paperback edition of 2021 is titled "The Changing Mind: A Neuroscientist's Guide to Ageing Well" - apparently a changing title might also be a way of softcovering well
ReplyDeletethe relationship to knott's poem - coincidence, or something more?
2/from Gemini, google's chatbot:
MICFiC is likely an acronym for Military-Industrial-Financial-Intelligence Complex. It's a term often used to describe the close relationship between the military, defense industry, financial institutions, and intelligence agencies.
2.1/a correspondent of mine said this was better than the urban dictionary's definition
2.2/I pointed out that gemini's version of the phrase leaves the first C as an orphan - the original phrasing includes Congressional as a central nexus in the warandmoney game
2.3/but i agreed that naming the "intelligence" complex is important - in the last dozen years my understanding has grown - the spies are the the principal channels of satan's will
3/grammarphobia the blog wrote 16 years ago 'it’s worth noting that the OED has an entry for “hink,” an old and obscure Scots noun meaning a hesitation or a misgiving; a separate verb form means to limp or falter.'
speaking of particulars, as the poem by knott does, this morning i came across the assertion “All media exist to invest our lives with artificial perceptions and arbitrary values.”
ReplyDeletegoogle's chatbot confirmed it was written by Marshall McLuhan, and stated "He was a Canadian philosopher, cultural theorist, and media critic who is widely considered one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century.
McLuhan often explored the relationship between technology and society, arguing that media not only convey information but also shape the way we perceive the world. This quote is a central tenet of his work, suggesting that media can manipulate our understanding of reality and impose certain values upon us.
The quote is likely from his book Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, published in 1964. This work is a seminal text in media theory and has had a profound impact on fields such as sociology, cultural studies, and communication studies.
I asked is "artificial" correct here - couldn't one say "expanded beyond one's own limited perceptions"? and "arbitrary" has a negative connotation - what if one says "chosen according to a system of values" -wouldn't that be just as accurate?
the chatbot replied: You raise some valid points.
The terms "artificial" and "arbitrary" are strong, and their use might be debated.
"Artificial": While McLuhan might have argued that media create a perception of reality that is not entirely "natural" or "organic," the term "expanded beyond one's own limited perceptions" could indeed be a more nuanced way to express this idea.
"Arbitrary": The term "arbitrary" implies a lack of reason or justification. However, McLuhan might have argued that media often impose values that are not necessarily grounded in individual experience or personal choice. While "chosen according to a system of values" is more neutral, it might not capture the idea that these values can be imposed rather than freely chosen.
Ultimately, the interpretation of these terms depends on one's understanding of McLuhan's broader argument. He was known for using provocative language to challenge conventional thinking, and his use of "artificial" and "arbitrary" may have been intended to provoke thought and debate.
As I consider McLuhan's use of media to convey his message, I am reminded of our host's oft cited use of the liar paradox in Star Trek.
Delete