Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id WAA28993 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 13 Apr 2001 22:48:33 +0100 Message-ID: <3AD77072.2C4443B7@clara.co.uk> Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2001 22:32:36 +0100 From: Douglas Brooker <dbrooker@clara.co.uk> Organization: University of London X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.5 [en] (Win95; I) X-Accept-Language: en To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: taboos References: <E14j0vU-000GsE-00@gaea> <002901c0bbb0$f2000660$b902bed4@default><3AC8E1B1.33BCD878@clara.co.uk> <001101c0bc77$1fa65b20$0307bed4@default><3ACA3B58.F9D77350@clara.co.uk> <002101c0bd40$443d5280$820abed4@default><001101c0be06$a97a0000$1908bed4@default> <3ACEC8A4.5444C707@clara.co.uk><000d01c0c03a$1398efc0$5508bed4@default> <3AD0D14F.7C39909F@clara.co.uk> <000701c0c44f$e5139460$3203bed4@default> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Hi Kenneth
Thanks very much for those references, they look very interesting and are
helpful. And also thanks for the information about the 1990 24 hour abdication
crisis, its fascinating, that might be relevant to the conventions project. Is
the King the only force that keeps Belgium a single country? Could you describe
Belgium as a case of entrapment into nationhood?
Kenneth Van Oost wrote:
> << I said it in my last post, though, but I feel I have to correct this,
> it is more complex but also more... how would I desribes this.... more
> laughable, more like I said surrealistic. This is the example I was talking
> about earlier,
The Belgian I know best is Jacques Brel. "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and
Living in Paris" was a very popular stage show and LP when I was a teenager.
Still know alot of the songs.
> This " blow- up " effect of minor accidents and faits divers is IMO
> anti- intellectual and works deformation and decay in hand.
> This effect is also visible the other way round, where serious fundamentals,
> satisfactory solutions and specialized frameworks are needed, the public,
> but also the " specialists " creates doubts everywhere.
> Solutions to discrease the number of deaths among cyclists ran over by
> trucks when those turn off right, were laughed away; were pinded down;
> were seen as reasons for a discrease in the firms their competitive
> position,
> .....and nothing happens.
>
> And maybe memetics, in my quasi- clinical approach of the concept, is
> not the most conductive to come to any solution, but it is IMO the most
> satisfactory I got for the moment to explore and to try to understand
> situations like describes above.
> And for what I have written down about the subject, I think memetics
> as the framework as I see it, gives me a great deal of delight and under-
> standing.
From what you say I get a better sense of your interest in the memetic approach,
the quasi-clincial approach is a plus, for the way it objectifies the
behaviour. But the way you tell your stories makes you sound like a medic, on
the front line, stretchers everywhere - you're in the thick of it. While the
approach takes it out of the cultural arena and makes it neutral data, your
engagement returns it. A nice turn. What you describe also sounds a bit
Russian, conjuring up a kind of collective Oblomovism a great lethargy, despite
alot of frenetic activity. "Nothing happens" - also makes me think of the crash
scenes in Le Weekend - did you see this? Or Godard's Sauve qui peut, la vie?
Not sure if any of this will make sense.
Best wishes,
Douglas
>
> Best,
>
> Kenneth
>
> ( I am, because we are) better
>
> ===============================================================
> This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
> Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
> For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
> see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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