[spectre] full disclosure

[Michael Benson]

>How can one write providing references...  Weather (ref. anonym. since
>Aristotle On metereology) in Croatia (inv. Zvonimir, ref. Pavelic, ref.
>Tudjman) is sublime (inv Aristotle, ref/bold. Kant, ref Bataille...) today
>(ref. fuck who invented today?), rain (ref God?, ref Aristotle ibid) falls
>(ref. Archimed, ref Newton...), writing (ref Arabians) to you (ref.
Syndicat
>e) an e-mail (ref. ref. ref. ref.....).
>Deep Europe? Deep troubles! Andreas vs "Anna", Syndicate vs (Syndicate) vs
>((((Syndicate, ref (((Syndicate), ref ((Syndicate) ref (Syndicate))).

Ah, that lonely ping into outer space, the reflected 'sound' coming back
with a load of code. Very moving -- and I'm not being ironic. Who the fuck
invented today, indeed...

In the spirit of full disclosure, I want to state openly that very
occasionally, but nonetheless sometimes, I have used the parenthetical term:
"(cough)" -- for example, as a way to register disbelief and the resulting
inability to comment further on something. So, for example, I might once
have said (only I didn't) that "So-and-so actually wrote that all creativity
comes from the East. (Cough.)" 

Well, I got that one from Ted Byfield. He used it a few times, in a few
mails. It was a nice rhetorical device. I liked it. I admit it: I picked it
up from Byfield. Sometimes I still use it. As far as I know, the copyright
-- sorry, the coinage -- goes to Ted. Unless he got it from somewhere else.
..

There's another thing. Occasionally I've used the term "in deep thought."
So, for example, I might have used the term (only I didn't) as follows:
"Unfortunately, the decision to unsubscribe from syndicate after five years
didn't take much deep thought." 

I can't say for sure if the buzz-phrase "Deep Europe" subliminally triggered
the use of this other phrase about thinking deeply (it could've been Rodin,
ref. 'The Thinker," or maybe also that excellently circular graffiti in
downtown Ljubljana, viz: 'Cogito, Ergo Cogito'). But since I can't promise
not to use the phrase "in deep thought" occasionally, I want openly to state
that there is a slight possibility that at least part of the origin of the
phrase originated in Anna Balint's term from the mid-90's. (Cough.)

Probably there're a lot of other things. Definitely there must be many other
things. Once you start yanking at the threads of a rug, you can end up with
dyed yarn all over the floor and no place to put your feet.

Greetings,
MB