On 4/7/23 1:01 PM, Stephen Guerin wrote:
Your human response (as in call and response) to the machine brought
to mind this letter written on this day in history dealing with
similar themes.
April 7, 1901
Honorable Governor Miguel Antonio Otero II,
Office of the Governor,
New Mexico Territory
Dear Governor Otero,
... more below ...
I see Strangelove has been lampooning us again
<http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/>...
I expect to see a mashup of a Theramin and the Player Piano next?
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6KbEnGnymk>
amazing rendition of "somewhere over the rainbow" btw!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6KbEnGnymk
maybe some bullet-dancing
<https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BulletDancing> just to
juxtapose the lunacy of gun-culture V music?
April 7, 1901
Honorable Governor Miguel Antonio Otero II,
Office of the Governor,
New Mexico Territory
Dear Governor Otero,
I trust this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. My name
is Charles Fletcher Lummis, and you might know me from my time as
editor of the Los Angeles Times. I write to you today from New Mexico,
where I have been recuperating from paralysis and rediscovering the
beauty of this enchanting land.
Just the other day, I found myself in a dusty saloon, seeking respite
from the heat of the day. As I sat there, a copy of The New York Sun
in hand, I was captivated by the story of the legendary John Henry.
The sound of a cowboy pianist, with a virtuosity rivaling anything I
had heard in the hallowed halls of Cambridge, filled the room as I
read about the struggle between man and machine.
In that very same saloon, the night before, I had witnessed the stark
contrast between human artistry and mechanical efficiency: a player
piano, cranking out tunes devoid of the emotional resonance that
imbued the cowboy pianist's performance. This juxtaposition brought to
light the dangers of such technology, threatening to displace the true
artists who breathe life into music.
As someone who has dedicated his life to the preservation of culture
and authentic expression, I am deeply concerned by the implications of
these mechanical devices. Player pianos may bring music to the masses,
but they do so at the expense of the human touch that makes music
truly resonate. I fear that if we allow these contraptions to take
root, we risk losing the essence of creativity that defines our art.
Furthermore, as a journalist, I can't help but contemplate the wider
ramifications of mechanization. Today, it is the player piano that
threatens to replace the skilled musician; tomorrow, it could be an
artificial device that churns out fabricated news stories,
indistinguishable from the truth. If we do not take a stand against
this encroachment now, we may be complicit in eroding the very
foundations of truth, creativity, and human expression that have long
been pillars of our society.
I implore you, Governor Otero, to consider the potential consequences
of this new technology and take action to preserve the sanctity of
human creativity in all its forms. Let us not allow the tale of John
Henry to be a harbinger of a world devoid of the beauty that springs
from the human spirit.
In closing, I beseech you to use your esteemed position to foster a
culture that values and supports the development of human talent in
music, journalism, and beyond. By doing so, we can ensure that our
society remains vibrant and alive for generations to come.
Yours sincerely,
Charles Fletcher Lummis
Former Editor, Los Angeles Times
Advocate for Cultural Preservation
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