L: The medium is the message.

This post's title comes from the theories of Marshall McLuhan. Mitrovica actually gave us something interesting to read up on this week in J-History. McLuhan & Innis had some interesting theories on the various media. If only they'd survived to analyze the internet. If this blog is the medium, then how does that affect the message? The net has reduced what was once a great distance into a dense cluster of computers and information. The medium is something that you've sat down and decided to read, the message must be that information is needed to be gathered quickly. If stone tablets were meant to stand for time, and paper was to cover a great distance, then the internet must be to get as much information as possible as quickly as possible. I suppose that lessens society's tendancy toward depth and insight.

But that's enough homework for tonight. Maybe I'll bring it up in discussion tomorrow. Probably not, though.

Having a really good day, inexplicably. I don't want to say I expected to be depressed today, but you know how it is when you feel things are not going your way. Even after last night's noteworthy engagement of hanging out, I expected I'd wake up and go the other way. And I was a little down early in the morning. For like the third day in a row the weather was dreary, I was just kinda wiped from work, and I was not interested in the Adobe Illustrator lesson.

Then I snuck into Rosser's class, at Chris & Lauren's request, to watch their Midsummer Night's Dream presentation. And I got to be there when Rosser told them about Docudrama, which made me feel good and kinda nostalgic ("nostalgia is death," - Bob Dylan; never forget that quote!) because we talked about Columbine (the presentation, not so much the actual shooting,) and Charlie Manson, and I wistfully noted that that was one of my favourite drama projects ever. That, Night Sessions, the Commedia with Chris/Vanessa/Janessa... and Try Again Eugene. I also kinda liked the duologue, just because I loved the challenge of embodying two characters.

Then something happened that really made my day. I went to Writing for Newspapers and Stephen admitted he was wrong about the "feeling bad/badly" note he had given me, and that I was right. Well of course I was right, I was channelling Guthrie! As much respect as I have for several of my instructors, I don't think any of them will ever trump the Guth. If Guthrie said it, it's got more credibility than any other person could give. And if he says "feeling bad" not "feeling badly," then damnit you'll feel bad when you try to tell me otherwise!

Then I came home, had a good dinner, got all my reading done (in an uncharacteristic show of studiousness,) and managed to have a few good conversations, including a rather brief (yet enjoyable) one with an ever-elusive old friend I was surprised to catch. I know it's weird, but I'm a total mark for* (fan of) a good conversation. When I can use gather my wits and entertain someone through words composed on the spot, and they can reciprocate, there's not better feeling. That's why I loved improv. Damn did I love improv.

And "I am the Walrus" just came on. That's one of the only songs I know taht is a universe unto itself. A symphony of nonsense that is pointless to try and interpret. "Man you should'a seen them kickin' Edgar Allen Poe?" Genius lunacy.

I've posted a rever-survey on my Mindsay (aka backup blog where short useless thoughts are posted,) and I'm going to put the most interesting responses up for posterity on Interneta. In case you're not a Mindsay person (can't say I blame you,) it's also on my rarely-seen LiveJournal. (In case you were wondering, I only use those to view other peoples', but this is one is special.)

Well, that's the world tonight. It's exciting stuff, I know, so try not to get too wound up. I know I'm not. I'm feelin' good.

Keep on rockin'
-Scott A. Williams