Big Guns

It's the end of a long weekend of academic conference immersion. I have a few really exciting, completely engaging observations:

First, when a term like dialectic(s) is so ill-defined that the preeminent expert on it(them) in the English-speaking world needs to write more books on it(them) and lead seminars on it(them) with one of the major lefty think tanks and you still haven't arrived at a working definition, how does that really make you feel about the term itself? For me, skeptical. But then, it occurs to me that perhaps I'm locked in a hopelessly analytical approach and I really ought to think more dialectically (what's the plural of that? Dialecticsally?)

Second, everyone likes them some Foucault, as witnessed by the amazing cast of characters summoned to the Humanities Lecture Hangar this weekend. But you'd best be careful if you start runnin' your fool mouth about Foucault, Deleuze, and something as vague as "new media and politics," because the next thing you know, Paul Rabinow comes out of nowhere and takes you down, like a damn trapdoor spider! Ouch!

Third, I'm really pleased that we had some leftover beer and wine lying around the apartment. I feel better.

Fourth, and last, I'd like to mention that my friends here in the SC are beautiful, cuddly people, as witnessed by the Flight of the Conchords fiesta we had here the other evening.*

* Hey, did you know that Mel has a blog?

P.S. It turns out that Hayden White is a hilariously crotchety curmudgeon. Definitely the highlight of the Foucault conference.