Wow, A blog

Imagine this, Ratty now has a blog! I never really thought that I would. Actually, I did entertain the thought for awhile but gave it up when I realised that there is really no way that I could be relied upon to ever post, ever. Basically I'm like that. I have to say, this is kind of intimidating. The format of this post-creating makes it appear that I'm just writing an innocent email message, when really I'm composing a set of words that is about to be broadcast to THE ENTIRE WORLD. What a concept. Really.

I picked up a book from the MRC library called Mediated, which is all about media and how it shapes our realities. It is facinating. If you ever have the chance to read anything media studies, do it. I've only read a wee bit of the book but aspects of it keep popping into my mind. Like right now, I'm thinking of this part that discusses how the opposite of reality is not false, it's option. The thing that is furthest from being real is having a choice. He gives the example of having your car break down in the middle of nowhere in Saskatchewan without a map or a cell phone or anything to do but sit and wait. Looking around you and suddenly realising with surprise that everything just so happens to be there, and none of it is for you. The grass, the bugs, those hills in the distance, the sky overhead, all just so happen to be there, have always been there and will continue to be there until we-can't-even-think-when, and you have no choice but to simply be there too. And suddenly you realise that this is real. This is the absolute apex of reality, when you are not the centre of anything, nothing is directed at you, you are an itty bitty part of an enormous whole that has no interest in you whatsoever, and the only choice you have is to be a part of it. So if you really think about it, this here, typing on this humming machine about my little snippet of life is about the furthest from reality that I can get. Directing my thoughts out into the constructed void of virtual technology, placing these words, heck, I don't even know where, thinking that maybe someone will happen to stumble upon them while cruising the information highwayof the e-web (perhaps the most infinite example of our western world's ability to choose, find, read, buy, hear, tell, see anything). (okay, I really didn't do the theory justice. I'd say, try finding the book yourself, it's by Thomas de Zengotita. Or don't. Whatever.)

So now that that's out there, to all you 'in the woods' gang, I can pretty much assure you that this is not going to be a frequently-updated mechanism of communication, because you all know me and you all know that I have no ability to manage my time to the point of committing to anyone or anything (which you must know is a source of great guilt, whenever I think about it). So I'm just going to apologise in advance now and not worry about apologising on each subsequent post, which we know will be invariably long-awaited. But maybe I'll get to posting a couple of times a week, or once a week, or once a month, but one way or another more often then you'd hear from me through any other channel :). Oh Ratty, why do you still have friends? Anywhom, for any interested parties, what I am procrastinating on at the moment (since you all know that I must be procrastinating on something if I'm actually doing this), is a model UN resolution that I need to have done for my PoliSci class tomorrow. It requires a tonne o' research that I get weary of mighty quick, and I really don't want to go back to doing it *whimper*. Sigh. Well. Here I go...