Useless (Maybe Not) Information

It is quite possible that what I find interesting, in fact fascinating may be usless information to others.  In that case this can be your and my useless information blog.  My latest word "schitzophonia"; a term coined by R. Murray Schafer to describe the splitting of an original sound and its electroacoutic reproduction.  Perhaps the word grabbed my attention because of my previous work and my general interest in words, but what really caught my attention was when the speaker explained the distortion between what you are seeing and what you are hearing that happens when exposed to to much loud, annoying, repetitive sound to often.  Of course as a great enjoyer of silence, boy I guess I am really old, I worry when I observe young people with ear phones who are listening to "music?" that is so loud that I find it loud and I am not wearing the earphones.
There is also something genetic going on.  For a 70 something woman I still have exceptional hearing, a trait that I have passed on to most of children and a few of my grandchildren.  When I was a younger woman my children thought I was somewhat witch like, perhaps I was, and I think my exceptional hearing played a part in that.

I have had friends who are really uncomfortable with silence, I suppose I still do.  Maggie, a friend from many years ago comes to mind immediately.  I can recall her inviting me to lunch and as soon as we walked into her apartment she went directly to the stereo and pushed a button and music flowed out, she also walked to the T.V. and turned that on, with the volume fairly loud.  We never watched T.V.  perhaps it was just habit with her.  She walked in the door and turned on two noise making appliances and then sat down to talk to you.  I like silence, let me change that, I like quiet.  There is no such thing as silence, as I write this, everyone is in bed except me, T.V, video games and radio is off, but the fridge is humming, the furnace is running and I am suffering from a bit of tinnitus, so my ears are ringing.  Part of being 70 something I guess.  I like natural noise.  I like to hear birds, water running in a creek, wind in trees and things like that.  Probably absolute silence would frighten me and quite possibly it doesn't exist.  And perhaps I am just tired as it is now offically tomorrow.  just wanted to share my new word with you.

January 4th/5th, 2011............12:09a.m.