General Semantics On the Air

So, in my previous post, Programming the Korzybski Lecture and Symposium, I went over the events coming up this weekend which include Douglas Rushkoff presenting the 56th Annual Alfred Korzybski Memorial Lecture on the evening of Friday November 14, and a two-day Creating the Future Symposium. And this past summer, I posted a report on my appearance on the Connecticut Public Radio program, Where We Live, hosted by John Dankowsky: Where We Live?

So, put the two together and we get one hell of a broadcast. At least, that's how it seems to me, after taking part in it, and then listening to it over the internet. They gave this episode the title of Language, Symbols and Words... Oh My and you can just click on the title to go to the page, and from there you can listen to the program or download it as an MP3 and listen to it on your computer or iPod. And there's a great picture of Bill Petkanas there. Bill is the new editor of the quarterly journal of the Institute of General Semantics, ETC: A Review of General Semantics, in addition to being a Professor of Communication and department chair at Western Connecticut State University--I know Bill from New York University, where we both studied with Neil Postman, Christine Nystrom, and Terry Moran (who is one of the participants in the symposium) in the good old media ecology program (sadly now defunct). Here's the picture they have of him:


Bill, being nearby, was lucky enough to be able to do the show at their studio, and meet John Dankowsky (I did the show from a studio at WFUV at Fordham University), and also meet the producer of the show, Catie Talarski. I want to say a special word of thanks to Catie for making this all possible. Catie posted an entry on the blog set up for Where We Live on their website (called Where We Blog), under the heading of Generally Confused about Semantics... Click on that link and go check it out.

You see, the marvelous thing about all this, in addition to all the other marvelous things, is that Catie and John weren't exactly sure what the hell we all were going to talk about, or what the episode was going to be like or how it would go. And it turned out to be a really fun and engaging show, with some interesting call-ins, including a few folks who were quite familiar with general semantics. Personally, I found the experience exciting and exhilarating, the more so because I too was not exactly sure how it all would turn out.

But that's just how it seems to me. General semantics suggests that it would be best if you check it out and evaluate it for yourself. Listen, and if you can, come see Doug give the Alfred Korzybski Memorial Lecture on Friday, and come see the stimulating symposium we have planned for Saturday and Sunday.