On Wed, 11 Nov 1998, Niels Radtke wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Just as a last comment from my part who kind of started this question.
> I do not think that the question is necessary or not either. It is being,
> feeling, trying.
>
> As a matter of act I'm happy that this created a certain stop, a little halt
> in this all. because
> we are often too busy to See the forest because of the trees (funny these
> old saying still work) and even if we all are and will stay humans and never
> become a robot nor an AI dancer, it is good to keep this question coming up
> once in a while, just as being a little point of relativity, bringing us
> back to our childhood....
> I would like to thank Michael Klien for his
invitation to his private > presentation, and wish you and all good luck.
> memory is important not speed.
>
> respects,
> Niels Radtke
>
Thank you. I think so many people are so anxious to let computers and
technology do all the remembering for them so that we can just zip along
and mass produce everything. Soon computers might be remembering trees
and grass as well. I guess we always try to make it seem as if we can
live life pleasurably and we're always trying to struggle for that. We
want everything to be easy adn quick so we have more free time, but
then all we do in our free time is get more productive. We also often
acheive that pleasure at the expense of someone
elses. More and more I am starting to think that that is just the way it
is, though. Things are just not fair and equal-not in a world of
progress and devlopment. Some people and things make it and some don't.
That's just the way it is. Usually those who make it are those who keep
the clearest goal in mind and disregard the effects of their struggle to
achieve that goal. It is alway an internal struggle as to whether or not
the final goal or the effects of what is done to acheive that goal are
more important. That's why we have arguements like this, I think.
Everyone wants something different too. I get tired of hearing from
people that it will be fine in the end, that it will work out. I get
tired of people telling everyone to do something about it themselves,
change the way things are. That is such a selfish statement. One cannot
just change things and often other people are to blame. Look at the
tobacco industry, for example. I was a smoker and I still occassionally
smoke. It is very addictive physically and mentally for someone who grew
up with billions of cigarette ads and 'cool people' smoking in front of
them all the time. I know ti is a choice whather or not to smoke now,
but it was not my choice to grow up thinking that smoking was 'cool' and
it really wouldn't hurt you later. Now I see a lot of older people dying
and even young people feeling the effects. This is why it is important
to discuss these things by stepping back and questioning whether or not
it is really beneficial and how it affects the culture or subculture.
I think we have blindy ignored too many problems for too long because we
are always so busy doing things and thinking of how to do better and more
things. There have been many major problems related to most of our so
called improvements in life. Anyway. I just wanted to make sure people
weren't sleeping on it. I am new to this list and I had never really
known there was so much interest in choreographing on a computer. I
would rather not. I could think of more interesting ways to use
technology in costuming or using the body to trigger sound and lighting
or adding atmosphere. Trying to make computers think for us is just
going too far for me. Dancing and choreography is more personal to me
than something I would want my conputer to do. I suppose one could say
that doing laundry, cooking food, etc. used to be to people as well
before things were invented that did that for us quickly. I know people
were dancing before they were using micorwaves or washboards, though, so
I think it has important place. It is part of the necessity of community
ritual by connection to the body. It exemplifies both the possibilities
and the limitations of the human physical presence. Our minds would not
be us without our bodies. When your body dies, your mind does too.
So far, this has been a great introduction to the list for me. It is
very active. Sorry if I bother anyone or seem to provacative or
anything. I really am not here to just blow up the place. I just feel
strongly about what I believe in. Sometimes that changes too, but I
still feel strongly about it.
Cory Bunyard