I think that, at this point, most of us have stopped doing the readings for my Theories of Media class. We'll be assigned 60 pages of theory and get to class to find that the work won't be discussed that day at all, or it will come up, but in the form of a dozen or so bullet points.

Not that the readings, or the class, aren't interesting at times. Charles Peirce's taxonomy of signs has got me thinking that I should expand my narratology card game to include semiotics. In fact, why not include all sorts of theory people?

Good god, this pretend Illuminati spinoff is starting to sound like a great idea. I'd play Literati in a heartbeat.

Now to come up with a few good primary control groups...

And some alignments. Good god, I need to get out more.

Today's more or less random lesson included an overview of primitive writing systems, with probably the worst pronunciation of Ojibwa since someone came up with "Chippewa."

I think it went something like "Oh-heeb-way." It was like they were from Mexico or something. In fact, from the way the prof jumped to a discussion of primitive writing in the American Southwest, it wasn't clear to me that he knew where the Ojibwa were from.

(Fun fact: Supposedly one of the meeting places for the local Ojibwa was a huge, very old tree in what is now my parents' frontyard. Though that may have just been something the realtor made up, I suppose.)

Also, our prof mentioned, offhand, that "the Tasmanians were systematically exterminated" by white settlers. Now, having read War of the Worlds and this New Criterion article casting doubt on the Tasmanian "genocide," I'm a bit skeptical that it was Mr. White in the Conservatory with the Rifle. At the very least, one should tread lightly when entering the History Wars.

But these aren't the kind of mistakes you just raise your hand to "correct." Not here, and not me.

I'm not that guy. I'm the guy who goes and blogs about the incident.

And yes, I am a hero.