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Monday, March 3, 2008

Anonymous Flu Report

Not written by me.

Recent bout with influenza demonstrated to me the variety of moods, views and attitudes the human organism can experience. Some surprising findings while I was ill:

-Lots of semi-hallucinatory episodes, with sensations and impressions harking back to childhood years. In other words, thought about things I haven't thought of in years. Lots of inspiration to grab pen and paper in an attempt to record the mindset (none recorded).

-I couldn't bring myself to read a serious magazine -- yet I enjoyed courtroom shows, which I ordinarily loath. That was really weird.

So much energy -- for example every single political commentary show and publication -- is devoted to trying to convince people to think a certain way. Given the several personalities I inhabited over the past couple weeks, I'm amazed people are able to cooperate as well as they do.

Some people feel the massive, immediate and personal communication enabled by the internet will undermine the behavioral standards promoted by the former, more limited, formal and authoritative communication (schools, churches, TV, newspapers) -- all of which, if you think about it in today's terms, are pretty censored and restrictive. What happens if a bunch of charismatic nuts start gaining audiences, and lots of people start to realize they don't have to work or pay taxes or obey the law? Could be trouble.

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