Transcript of Arthur Sullivan's message to Edison upon introduction to the
phonograph:

"...For myself, I can only say that I am astonished and somewhat terrified
at the result of this evening's experiment--astonished at the wonderful
power you have developed, and terrified at the thought that so much hideous
and bad music may be put on record forever. But all the same, I think it
is the most wonderful thing that I have ever experienced, and I congratulate
you with all my heart on this wonderful discovery."

http://www.gutenberg.net/etext/10310

I like this statement. It sorta fits in with the theory of devolution to which I have alluded elsewhere on this forum regarding the degeneration of the English language and our difficulty with Shakespeare. I believe Tennesee Williams was thinking of devolution in "A Streetcar Named Desire." For all our technological "progress" we have become a world of Stanley Kowalskis.

Regarding devolution, I like George Orwell's essay titled Politics and the English Language. It's always refreshing to read Orwell, no matter what it is exactly.

The mutilation of the English language and a general inability to think abstractly is fairly evident today. I'm a living testament to devolution having been "educated" via the public school system in L.A.

I'm annoyed with Shakespeare because that's all most amateur theater groups perform. What do they think Oscar Wilde is? Chopped liver? Clichéd...I know...sorry, Orwell.