Gary 8/22 I'll pass on the Grape Koolaid

Postmodernism.....cool word. Did the person who coined it decide when and where postmodernism began? The opening lecture was great, but it left me with many questions. Is our super high speed, best of the best society really postmodern, or is the beginning of something on a much larger scale?
Many laugh at the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's, but didn't our culture experience significant change during these periods also? Were the building blocks placed into position to create what we have today? If we are living in the "post", when did the modern begin? Was the invention of television, the Chevrolet V-8, the turbine jet engine, the Boeing 747, the hybrid engine the beginning of the "postmodern" era? Each past generation may feel that their contributions or intellect may have started or fueled what we have today.
I'll ask this under the protection of a "no flaming" blog site....Is postmodernism really that bad? Every year our science becomes further advanced and we begin to prevent problems rather than scramble for a cure. Is it better to sit and wait for avian flu, or should we proactively develop a plan in case it reaches our country? Paranoia overcomes our society, but is that a reason to shut our eyes to a serious problem, or is it a cry for better education?
The solution is not to slow down postmodern ideology, but to mold and refine it into a valuable tool for everyone's benefit. Why would we want to stifle creativity? Should we encourage our scientists and research centers to back off or slowdown, or should we guide them in the right direction while we support their zest and creativity? My ideas may differ from many others, but that is what I cherish about this country; the right to express my ideas on this tool of the postmodern society-the blog page.
I love TIVO, high speed data, satellite and the ability to view sixteen football games at the same time. I love the technology that extends the life of my car well beyond 200K miles, and the ability to speed through a tollbooth at eighty mph with my speedpass. Give me my cell phone, my IM, my PM, whatever....as long as it gets the job done quicker and more efficient. If this is postmodernism....bring it on. I'll take my micro-brew, my microwave popcorn and my laptop......but no koolaid for me Jim Jones.