Drowning in information…
…thirsting for knowledge. What does that mean, exactly? It’s a nice aphorism, but like most aphorisms, it gets squirrelly under scrutiny. From dictionary.com:
“Synonyms:
[...] 2. Information, knowledge, wisdom are terms for human acquirements through reading, study, and practical experience. Information applies to facts told, read, or communicated that may be unorganized and even unrelated: to pick up useful information. Knowledge is an organized body of information, or the comprehension and understanding consequent on having acquired and organized a body of facts: a knowledge of chemistry. Wisdom is a knowledge of people, life, and conduct, with the facts so thoroughly assimilated as to have produced sagacity, judgment, and insight: to use wisdom in handling people.”
So, knowledge is organized information? And wisdom is lived knowledge? But the first definitions of “information” in most dictionaries describe info as a form of knowledge… how about etymology:
“Information
“Knowledge” is formed from the root “know” plus a suffix that might originally mean “to lock”:
- “know
- O.E. cnawan (class VII strong verb; past tense cneow, pp. cnawen), from P.Gmc. *knoeanan (cf. O.H.G. bi-chnaan, ir-chnaan “to know”), from PIE base *gno- “to know” (cf. O.Pers. xšnasatiy “he shall know;” O.C.S. znati, Rus. znat “to know;” L. gnoscere; Gk. *gno-, as in gignoskein; Skt. jna- “know”). Once widespread in Gmc., this form is now retained only in Eng., where however it has widespread application, covering meanings that require two or more verbs in other languages (e.g. Ger. wissen, kennen, erkennen and in part können; Fr. connaître, savoir; L. novisse, cognoscire, scire; O.C.S. znaja, vemi). The Anglo-Saxons used two distinct words for this, witan (see wit) and cnawan. Meaning “to have sexual intercourse with” is attested from c.1200, from the O.T. To not know one’s ass from one’s elbow is from 1930. To know better “to have learned from experience” is from 1704. You know as a parenthetical filler is from 1712, but it has roots in 14c. M.E. Know-how “technical expertise” first recorded 1838 in Amer.Eng. Know-nothing “ignoramus” is from 1827; as a U.S. nativist political party, active 1853-56, the name refers to the secret society at the core of the party, about which members were instructed to answer, if asked about it, that they “know nothing.” The party merged into the Republican Party.”
Most folks use this aphorism to suggest: 1) We are inefficient because we lack direction, a plan (the corporate-speak version; or 2) We are spiritually, morally, and ethically adrift because we are lost in a swirl of media imagery that lack substance. So, to gain knowledge, you should have a plan, and learn to ignore the white noise of the media, only selecting what you need… not sure I buy that, but anyhow: CDs!
169) Robert Randolph and the Family Band: Unclassified
Randolph and his various relatives put on a great live show, three pedal steels blasting away over a gospelly funk mix that falls just on the right side of jam band… but whenever a band is that good live, the recorded material almost always pales in comparison, as is the case here; if I never saw them live, the experience of listening to the CD might not be quite so unsatisfying.
170) Danzig: Thrall: Demonsweatlive
Bought this baby at a garage sale because it was anachronistic: chipped hummelware, Vegas shot glasses, and a Danzig CD for 50 cents. Turns out, this baby is worth about 23 cents.
171) Housemartins: The Best of the Housemartins
Somehow, I think the Housemartins would kick Danzig’s ass is a brawl. Hull City A.F.C.!
172) Atrium Musicae de Madrid: Greece: Musique de la Grece Antique
A classical/ancient music ensemble that makes music both archaic and danceable in the modern sense, which is rare indeed. Musique Arabo-Andalouse is more vigorous, this one a bit more meditative, but both are great and worth owning.