mddm (2): learned english dog

[lorentzen-nicklaus]

(thanks to everybody contributing, especially to dave monroe: the hardest 
working man on this list)


the dog, the sow & all these birds ... animals, it has been noted here more than 
once, are very important to pynchon ... adorno wrote some things about animals 
in art. the following quote - i'll give you a translation in a minute - is from 
page 182 of the posthumously published "ästhetische theorie", 1970:

"nicht so durchaus ist der gattung mensch die verdrängung ihrer tierähnlichkeit 
gelungen, dass sie diese nicht jäh wiedererkennen könnte und dabei von glück 
überflutet wird; die sprache der kleinen kinder und der tiere scheint eine. in 
der tierähnlichkeit der clowns zündet die menschenähnlichkeit der affen; die 
konstellation tier/narr/clown ist eine von den grundschichten der kunst."

the human species was not so successful in repressing its likeness-to-animals 
that we could not, on a sudden, recognize this likeness while being overflown 
with happiness; the language of small children and of animals seems to be one. 
in the likeness-to-animals of clowns the likeness-to-humans of apes is catching 
fire; the constellation animal/fool/clown is one of art's basic layers.   

but the l.e.d., david morris pointed this out, is also, anachronistically, 
connected to modern computer technology. so perhaps we should take a look at 
animal-robots? in part 3 ("bio logical", pp. 84-121) of "robo sapiens. evolution 
of a new species" (mit press) by peter menzel and faith d'aluisio, there are 
robots of crabs, apes, geckos, roaches, spiders, bugs, fish, and even flying 
dinosaurs ... but no dog! anyone for a real dog-robot?


                                                         kai frederik