Monday, February 21, 2005

To Dr Gonzo: You've touched many; you'll be missed...

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro...
...though perhaps even the most professionally weird burn out.

Strange and sad times in this foul year of our lord, 2005...

Freaks of all generations have been dealt a swift and forceful blow...Thompson took his life last night at his Colorado compound... As many have commented, this comes as a surprise... Thompson was a character larger than life, some sort of strange singular mutant, if you will...

I'm not entirely sure how to comment on the death of Hunter S Thompson (1937-2005)...honestly, I didn't personally know the man and it's only been a few short years since I was introduced to him first-hand by reading his classic Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas...I can say that I, like many, have been affected by that "introduction..."

Though from reading his espn.com page2 column, he definitely appeared to be aging...My thoughts are that it finally caught up with him. Not the guns, fast cars, boozing and such, but what was behind it all, the work to stay out of the norm... His writing grew tired, more so after this past election. Maybe, "They" finally broke him.

Which brings me to my inability to decide how to look at his suicide: is it yet another example of bitching-out and hiding from the world, more permanent than a mountain ranch or a Riviera dream home? Or is it furtherance for the argument of sustainability?

Thank you for touching our lives, Doc. Sorry to see you go...

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

On Language

Given the significance that Language has, the blatant and tacit ways in which it influences and is shaped by human thought and life, it is a futile undertaking to try and condense an argument for even its definition into three printed pages. I ask the reader to overlook any minor holes.

As tends to be its effect (if not intent), science has called into question most previously held conventions regarding languages. As Chomsky illustrates with his paradox, languages are indefinite objects, thus he suggests that linguistics is actually “the study of grammars.” By abstracting away the untidiness of human speech acts and the associated tangles of culture and sociopolitics, linguists are able to better tease out their true goal of a Universal Grammar. Much like the difference between the simple trajectory formula and data collected from a test trajectory, however, abstracting too much from a language to reach its grammar risks accuracy in a study’s interpretation of the true nature of the event, the active use of a language. Beyond this, a strictly formal conception of the linguistic object possesses ambiguity in itself: —how are other forms of symbolic thought and behavior not part of Universal Grammar; and how are they to be separated? Or to be slightly heavy-handed, how is it not absurd to separate the human element out of a human technology?

I suggest that a synthesis is needed, in which the subjective human variable is taken as a major part of Language and its study. This can be done by taking a broader anthropological approach, which defines languages in cultural terms as social artifacts (in the Durkheim sense) that are bound to a specific group, time, space, and history. By maintaining the ideology of cultural relativism, which is based on the same intuition that there exists an underlying system, linguistics could search for the Universal Grammar, not as an abstraction, but as a real system. Thus studying languages - —systems of vocalized symbolic expression - —as systems interrelating with other human symbolic thought and action could lead to a systematic description which is rigorous and malleable enough to fulfill the requirements of both formal linguistic investigation and sociolinguistic evaluation. To support this claim regarding synthesis, I will appeal to three unorthodox, subjective, figurative sources, with the hope of formulating a definition of Language which is more in-tune with the larger common “human condition.” With this in mind, I must point out the potential for “global west” bias, given that I and my three sources are part of “Western” popular culture, though perhaps not exactly the mainstream.

I will appeal to three songs - —“Keep Talking” by Pink Floyd, “Humble Mumble” by Outkast, and “Schism” by Tool - —as support for developing a definition of Language. The use of musicians to gather insight into the nature of Language presents interesting opportunities, since recorded music can be seen as a combination of both oral and literate traditions. With regard to concision, however, there is the risk of easily taking tangential paths due to fact that context is needed to present the songs as complete messages and interpret their meaning accurately (since, as McLuhan has asserted, "“the medium is the message”").

Due to their intensely personal style and perspective, information regarding the members of Pink Floyd is needed to understand their music; however, as with all art, their music and song meaning is approachable without such knowledge. Regarding The Division Bell (1994), it seems that personal context, more so than other albums, helps to put it into perspective. Briefly, this album was the second release by the band since David Gilmore took the creative lead, after the departure of former band mate and childhood friend Roger Waters, who was forced to take the lead when former front man and childhood friend Syd Barrett left the band in the early 60’s due to mental illness (who was also a friend of and replaced by David Gilmore). In the years since Barrett, Pink Floyd’'s music has explored concepts of isolation, especially that which is caused by mental instability and the inability to cope with society. Ironically, these themes and the phenomenon of stardom contributed to the eventual departure of Waters, after recording The Wall and The Final Cut. Thus, having passed middle-age, David Gilmore takes on these themes once again in The Division Bell from a slightly different, more mature, perspective. Focusing on the song “Keep Talking,” two features are worth noting; first, the use of Dr. Hawking’s “voice” (that of his synthesizer) which I will return to, and second, the effect that the call and response has on the listener. The combination of Gilmore’s lyrics (see below), voice, and that of the accompanying vocalist creates the juxtaposition of isolation in speechlessness and estrangement in silence, often caused by communication breakdowns. Both are quite vividly expressed, creating the feeling of that specific aching silence which cannot be described in conventional terms. Returning to Hawking’s “voice” in the song, he "speaks" the introduction and a reply to the call and response (see below). Considering Hawking’s life, disabilities, and his status as a lecturer, his “presence” shifts the attention from the silences to the voice of an individual (perhaps, begging the question of what constitues one's voice). Thus, Pink Floyd seems to be presenting language as a possession of individuals, between individuals, which allows us to connect intimately with each other. Further, Floyd illustrates our yearning for that connection when it is not available.

Outkast, the hip-hop duo of Antwan “"Big Boi"” Patton and Andre “"3000”" Benjamin, presents another aspect of language on Stankonia (2000). This album reveals an evolution of the group from their debut Southernplayalistic (1994). It is an expansion and refinement of their original style which, fitting to their name, has as a core characteristic the “tradition of "offering their fans deep thought provoking social commentary”" (outkast.com) from the perspective of the disenfranchised. This is the case for “Humble Mumble,” in which the two, along with guest vocalist Erykah Badu, make statements (subtle and not-so-subtle) regarding the sociopolitical aspect of language. Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of the song is the near unintelligible speed with which Big Boi and Andre deliver their verses, characteristic of “Dirty South” hip-hop. This somewhat conceals what is being said. Bellow the dazzling stream of words lie several bold contrasts (see below), those of humor and seriousness, laughter and crying, the heard and the unheard. Taken as a whole, this song expresses the notion that a language is a social construct, often times used to differentiate and stratify people, or worse, to discriminate against a group or individual. At the same time, “Humble Mumble” recognizes that speech has the potential to inspire, educate, and reform, thus seeing the positive and negative aspects of a language as a social artifact.

Taking a still broader sense of Language and its significance, Tool expresses the notion that communication holds personal, social, and spiritual importance for many humans in the song “Schism.” As with the other two groups, Tool’'s Lateralus (2001) marks a key point in their development as a band and as individuals. Though Tool has been perhaps one of the most metaphysically challenging popular artist groups since their inception, they seem to have reached a break-through on this album, further developing their questions and investigations into the human species. Lateralus seems to be on the brink of that spiritual enlightenment, promised or sought after by many world religions. This holds true for all of the tracks on this album. In listening to “Schism,” it is easy to recognize the main theme, that communication breakdowns cause pain; however this is almost "Zen-like" in its deceptive simplicity. Further examining the song, one finds allusions to “"deity-speak/word”" creation stories, historical events, specifically the Great Schism, and simple (relatively speaking) inter-human intimacy (see below). Through this use of references, Tool portrays Language, though more importantly its application through communication, as having the potential for humanity'’s greatest possibilities of love, spirituality, and peace; and at its breakdown, our worse characteristics of hate, sin, and war.

A thread which links these three views of Language is that all three express the active nature of Language. Though synchronic rigor is necessary for any scientific study, it must be understood that a diachronic perspective is needed to fully describe the system, as it is, in motion. In his book Language, Bloomfield describes a human without language as being on an equal level with other animals, because ne must rely on nesself, alone, for survival. He continues to write that a language grants each individual the skills and aid of all the other members of a linguistic community, by allowing for group cohesion and cooperation. Therefore, I suggest that Language is Universal Grammar, in that it is the human capacity for communicative speech, and that what is commonly referred to as "“languages"” are simple variations in the realization of the system, due to systematic geographic, historical, and social factors.


Pink Floyd: Division Bell-Keep Talking

For millions of years mankind lived just like animals
Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination
We learned to talk

There's a silence surrounding me
I can't seem to think straight
I'll sit in the corner
No one can bother me
I think I should speak now
Why won't you talk to me
I can't seem to speak now
You never talk to me
My words won't come out right
What are you thinking
I feel like I'm drowning
What are you feeling
I'm feeling weak now
Why won't you talk to me
But I can't show my weakness
You never talk to me
I sometimes wonder
What are you thinking
Where do we go from here
What are you feeling

It doesn't have to be like this
All we need to do is make sure we keep talking


Why won't you talk to me
I feel like I'm drowning
You never talk to me
You know I can't breathe now
What are you thinking
We're going nowhere
What are you feeling
We're going nowhere
Why won't you talk to me
You never talk to me
What are you thinking
Where do we go from here

It doesn't have to be like this
All we need to do is make sure we keep talking

Outkast: Stankonia-Humble Mumble(feat Erykah Badu)

[Andre 3000]
Ahhhh I stank I can, I stank I can
The funky engine that could
Oooo oooo yosky, wosky, pisky, wisky
All aboard the Stankonia Express
The underground smell road
Everybody's lookin' for an excuse to let loose
What's your locomotive, the chatter and the choo choo

[Hook:Andre 3000 and Erykah Badu]
Humble as a mumble in the jungle
Of shouts and screams
That's the way the cracker crumbles
So I guess I've got to re-route my dreams
[Repeat]

[Big Boi]
Back on the microphone, your number one controller
I rock the microphone like a blizzard;
I'm so cold I'm tryin' to hold ya
Life is like a great big roller coaster
Everything in life don't happen like it's suppose to
Trials and tribulations make you stronger live longer
You wanna reach the nation nigga start from ya corner
Everything in life don't always happen like you plan it
Demand it; over stand it then you handle it
Fuck wishing you, you missing the ambition on your mission
Now you switching why you quitting 'cause it's heated in the kitchen
Sloppy slipping in your pimping nigga
You either pistol whoop the nigga or you choke the trigger
You've got to follow through, struggle to complete your dreams
"No Weapon Formed Agains Prospers" 54:17
From Isaiah lay a nigga down and spray 'em
If the dealer dealt a fucked up hand of cards you've gotta play 'em

[Hook]

[Andre 3000]
Too Democratic, Republic fuck it
We chicken nugget, we dip in the sauce like mop and bucket
Blue-collar scholars, who'll take your dollar and wipe my ass wit it
You living for the lotto never hit it, I met a critic
I made her shit her draws
She said she tought Hip Hop was only guns and alcohol
I said "Oh hell naw!" but yet it's that too
You can't discrimahate because you done read a book or 2
What if I looked at you in a microscope saw all the dirty organisms
Living in your closet would I stop and would I pause it "whoo"
To put that bitch in slower motion, got the potion and the antidote
And a quote for collision the decision
Is do you want to live or wanna exist
The game changes everyday so obsolete is the fist and marches
Speeches only reaches those who already know about it
This is how we go about it

[Hook]

[Erykah Badu]
I'm wild just like a rock, a stone, a tree
And I'm free, just like the wind the breeze that blows
And I flow, just like a brook, a stream, the rain
And I fly, just like a bird up in the sky
And I'll surely die, just like a flower plucked
And dragged away and thrown away
And then 1 day it turns to clay
It blows away, it finds a ray, it finds its way
And there it lays until the rain and sun
Then I breathe, just like the wind the breeze that blows
And I grow, just like a baby breastfeeding
And it's beautiful, that's life and that's life
And that's life and that's life

[Hook]

[Andre 3000 Speaking]
Humble as a mumble in the jungle
Of shouts and screams
That's the way the cracker crumbles
So I guess I've gotta re-route my dreams
Y'all can't harm me, it's over


Tool: Lateralus-Schism

I know the pieces fit cuz I watched them fall away
mildewed and smoldering, fundamental differing,
pure intention juxtaposed will set two lovers souls in motion
disintegrating as it goes testing our communication
the light that fueled our fire then has burned a hole between us so
we cannot see to reach an end crippling our communication.

I know the pieces fit cuz I watched them tumble down
no fault, none to blame it doesn't mean I don't desire to
point the finger, blame the other, watch the temple topple over.
To bring the pieces back together, rediscover communication.

The poetry that comes from the squaring off between,
And the circling is worth it,
Finding beauty in the dissonance.

There was a time that the pieces fit, but I watched them fall away.
Mildewed and smoldering, strangled by our coveting
I've done the math enough to know the dangers of a second guessing
Doomed to crumble unless we grow, and strengthen our communication

cold silence has a tendency to atrophy any sense of compassion

between supposed lovers
between supposed brothers.

And I know the pieces fit.