tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post123326007394799183..comments2024-03-18T21:52:45.757-07:00Comments on CONTRARY BRIN: From Religion to Biology: Destiny & the SingularityDavid Brinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-79627505443088573502011-11-08T08:58:27.062-08:002011-11-08T08:58:27.062-08:00onwardonwardDavid Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-43531041462648039202011-11-08T06:13:04.934-08:002011-11-08T06:13:04.934-08:00And I see that Herman Cain's latest accuser is...And I see that Herman Cain's latest accuser is a registered Republican, a Tea-Partier, and a listener to Christian-Right radio.<br /><br />The news stories mention these characteristics in order to lend credibility to her story, as if to say "This is no left-wing hippie trying to unseat Cain for ideological reasons. She MUST be sincere in her allegations because she has no other agenda."<br /><br />Well, I'm not casting doubt on her story (which seems to be part of a larger pattern now), but I maintain that this is evidence that it is the Right (not the Left) which DOES have an agenda in getting Cain out of the running--they don't think he can win in November. Again, as a liberal who wants to see Obama win a second term, I am NOT anxious to see Cain knocked out of contention for the GOP slot. So I doubt there's some big LIBERAL conspiracy afoot to make that happen.<br /><br />The original leak of the Cain/harrassment story to Politico seems to have ties to the Rick Perry campaign. To me, THAT makes a lot more sense than looking to blame it on the left-wing media.LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-88218299596659025942011-11-08T06:07:01.813-08:002011-11-08T06:07:01.813-08:00Robert:
Naturally, Republicans are against it as ...Robert:<br /><i><br />Naturally, Republicans are against it as a tax. Despite the fact it's a tax against speculators and thus an aspect of the economy that is damaging to the U.S. as a whole.<br /></i><br /><br />There are (at least) two sides of capitalism. One is the positive-sum game whereby individuals increase their own wealth by providing value to the system in return. Another is the disfunction that infects capitalism when individuals are able to increase their wealth by sucking it OUT of the system.<br /><br />Republicans make use of the American tendency to praise and admire the first thing in order to defend the second thing--by pretending that they are one and the same.LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-52977940842847253952011-11-08T04:31:35.312-08:002011-11-08T04:31:35.312-08:00Well, Dr. Brin, it sounds like at least one Democr...Well, Dr. Brin, it sounds like at least one Democratic congresscritter listens to what you say:<br /><br />http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/07/wall-street-transaction-tax-revenue_n_1080493.html<br /><br />Naturally, Republicans are against it as a tax. Despite the fact it's a tax against speculators and thus an aspect of the economy that is damaging to the U.S. as a whole.<br /><br />Rob H.Acacia H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07678539067303911329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-3952619254641002062011-11-07T18:38:23.043-08:002011-11-07T18:38:23.043-08:00Back to that prediction hit found by Sociotard: th...Back to that prediction hit found by Sociotard: the only relevant 'Earth' reference I recall were the 'dazers' (p111), which is where I've parked it. Is there something a bit more proactive?Tony Fiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14578160528746657971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-67711129077246726762011-11-07T16:46:33.600-08:002011-11-07T16:46:33.600-08:00I don't recall 'Earth' predicting '...I don't recall 'Earth' predicting 'gecko' stick tape, but here it is anyway... http://t.co/CmeIePcS<br /><br />delogia: a nutritional disorder, possibly due to a science deficit in early infancy.Tony Fiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14578160528746657971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-31398883076971152992011-11-07T16:13:58.344-08:002011-11-07T16:13:58.344-08:00I shall. I'm thinking Ms McGonigal would be *v...I shall. I'm thinking Ms McGonigal would be *very* interested as well, if she hasn't already heard of it.<br /><br />On matters climatic:<br />- It sounds like the NoKXL pipeline movement managed to get a good turnout to surround the Whitehouse... 3 deep. I believe Obama was at home as well! (Who knew? Surely he could have found a prior engagement, *if* he wanted...?! ;-)<br /><br />- The Australian carbon tax is due to be passed by the Senate today.<br /><br />- The headmaster at my daughter's school assembly this morning used a thunderstorm to point out that climate was a geological phenomenon while weather was a day to day event.Tony Fiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14578160528746657971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-63045942286156012512011-11-07T14:18:08.293-08:002011-11-07T14:18:08.293-08:00Wow I learn a lot from you guys. Rubio... yep lat...Wow I learn a lot from you guys. Rubio... yep latino and florida... and incredibly inexperienced.<br /><br />That was fine for Obama, who stepped up and was chosen after huge vetting in primaries. Picking Rubio would be yet another insult. A perfect Manchurian candidate.<br /><br />NOTE! A nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System will occur on Wednesday, November 9 at 2:00 PM EST via TV and radio stations. http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.shtm<br /><br />LarryHart- I can't always recall what impulses made me choose whimsical names... my guess is that Foxleitner was a mix of Fox and Bruce Boxleitner, the actor from Babylon 5 & Tron. Nowadays I often "tuckerize" such names. Several top names in EXISTENCE were auctioned off at charioty fundraisers.<br /><br /><br />"When historians study the matter they generally concur that our Ten Best Presidents were, in rough order:<br />Lincoln, Washington, FDR, Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, Jackson, Truman, Wilson, Eisenhower and John Adams. This list is the same for historians of liberal and conservative perspective, although the former are holding a torch for LBJ instead of Ike."<br /><br />I don't have any problems with this list. "best" isn't the same thing as "great". T Roosevelt was the only one who managed to be "great" in good times. A real feat. I would remove Jackson who was a towering figure but who probably did as much harm as good... and replace him with LBJ. People often choose Ike for the wrong reasons.<br /><br />Tony! Care to log me for this one from Sociotard? <br /><br />"Remember in Earth where people use brain scanners to acheive meditation feats like monks, faster and easier? Brain-training games stop depression before it starts Two brain-training games tested at Stanford University have proven remarkably successful at preventing depression in at-risk teenagers before it starts. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20707-braintraining-games-stop-depression-before-it-starts.htmlDavid Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-54343136918015355152011-11-07T12:59:43.422-08:002011-11-07T12:59:43.422-08:00http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/pastor-corpora...http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/pastor-corporal-punishment-advice-scrutinized-child-deaths-160004793.html<br /><br />http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/<br />pastor-corporal-punishment-advice-<br />scrutinized-child-deaths-160004793.htmlDavid Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-60291965669020450912011-11-07T12:19:32.983-08:002011-11-07T12:19:32.983-08:00Dr Brin:
To briefly digress from politics and dis...Dr Brin:<br /><br />To briefly digress from politics and discuss your fiction...<br /><br />I'm on my second reading of "Kiln People", and I'm not sure what sort of mood I was in when I first read it, but I didn't remember a lot of the details. It's almost like I'm reading it for the first time now.<br /><br />Even though this is a more cartoonish, less "realistic" future than the one imagined in "Earth", it's amusing to see some standard Brin-isms show their faces, such as the whole "How did they ever expect to keep secrets any more?" meme.<br /><br />I laugh out loud at the name you gave the "mad-scientist's disease", Smersh-Foxleitner. I only get half the joke though. I recognize the name of the Russian spy agency from James Bond, but "Foxleitner" goes over my head. Can anyone out there fill in the blank?<br /><br />Oh, and the puns in the chapter titles and subtitles are amusing as well.<br /><br />Looking forward to "Existence" now. Except for a few of the Uplift sequels I've yet to re-read, there's not much old Brin out there for me.LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-79835112503025205252011-11-07T12:15:01.314-08:002011-11-07T12:15:01.314-08:00Silly idea for transparency:
Make politicians wear...Silly idea for transparency:<br /><a href="http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/6291/nascarpolitic.jpg" rel="nofollow">Make politicians wear logo-suits like Nascar drivers</a>sociotardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11697154298087412934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-22860571651394767812011-11-07T08:23:02.026-08:002011-11-07T08:23:02.026-08:00Do you remember the bit in Earth where people used...Do you remember the bit in <i>Earth</i> where people used little brain scanners to acheive meditation feats like monks, but faster and easier?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20707-braintraining-games-stop-depression-before-it-starts.html" rel="nofollow">Brain-training games stop depression before it starts <br /></a><br /><br /><i>Two brain-training games tested at Stanford University have proven remarkably successful at preventing depression in at-risk teenagers before it starts. In one game, girls could see an MRI scan of their brain while they were shown sad or negative pictures. Seeing which regions of the brain were activated, they were told to try and adopt a more sanguine mental state and later, to try to recreate that mental state in their daily lives. The other game, which replaced a green dot with a happy face, trained the girls to look away from negative emotion. <br /><br />The teens, girls aged 10 to 14 years, were considered at-risk because their mothers suffer from depression and the girls had already demonstrated a tendency to "amplify" unpleasant information. What the Stanford research shows is that, using knowledge of how the brain responds to certain stimuli, our ability to transform our own mental states is very powerful. And while we typically think our moods are legitimate responses to our environment, oftentimes the power of suggestion is enough to neutralize depression. </i>sociotardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11697154298087412934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-72642088892728907722011-11-07T07:21:35.429-08:002011-11-07T07:21:35.429-08:00Dr Brin said:
... tho more likely Romney and some...Dr Brin said:<br /><i><br />... tho more likely Romney and some radical-right woman not currently on stage.<br /><br />Ooooh! Pick Clarence [Thomas]. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeese?<br /></i><br /><br />Maybe it's just me, but I found the juxtaposition of those two sentences hilarious.LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-69145629273958373672011-11-07T06:55:07.016-08:002011-11-07T06:55:07.016-08:00From this morning, an NPR story of interest..
Smi...From this morning, an NPR story of interest..<br /><br />Smile! You're On Cop Camera!<br />by Martin Kaste<br />https://www.npr.org/2011/11/07/142016109/smile-youre-on-cop-camera<br /><br />note the last 3d of the story relates the story behind Eric Rachner's "Seattle Police Video Project" http://seattlepolicevideo.com/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-11663484192051421652011-11-07T06:52:50.337-08:002011-11-07T06:52:50.337-08:00Paul451, this is more of an off-the-cuff response ...Paul451, this is more of an off-the-cuff response than anything well mused over.<br /><br />I like the idea of exploring alternatives to the election rules we've currently got (which don't seem to be working). But it seems to me self-evident that we get into trouble whenever the rules revolve around individuals declaring party affiliation. In theory, it works so long as the assumption holds that (say) registered Republicans really want a Republican to win the general election. But so long as individuals who want a Republican to win can register "Democrat" and then vote in a way to SABOTAGE that party's chances in the general...well, it's the electoral version of short-selling.<br /><br />Now there's nothing wrong with short-selling a stock because you think that stock is overvalued and you'll make money when it corrects itself. There is something TERRIBLY wrong about (say) the officers of a company short-selling their OWN stock and then working to bring DOWN their own stock's value. The latter is an obvious conflict of interest, and it is analogous to the kind of mischeief voters can do if allowed to register for a primary of a party they wish to defeat.<br /><br />I don't know of a way to prevent this, except to say that it makes little sense (to me) to have open primaries in the first place. If we're GOING to have political parties, then the membership OF those parties should decide on who their candidate is, taking electibility in the general election into account. I see no good reason for the public at large to pick which DEMOCRAT and which REPUBLICAN are going to run in a subsequent election.LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-87962765296809822792011-11-07T05:01:34.837-08:002011-11-07T05:01:34.837-08:00More idle thoughts: Some threads ago, we also disc...More idle thoughts: Some threads ago, we also discussed venetian demarchy (semi-random government.)<br /><br />While having no random elements, my hypothetical McCain vs Bush in 2000 and Obama vs H.Clinton in 2008 got me thinking... it's the unstated subversion that I found amusing, it'd be the Dem voters in 2000 that really chose between those two Republicans, Rep voters in 2008 who would choose between two Democrats. All the well laid plans of party insiders would be thwarted.<br /><br />Maybe a system like that would deliver a higher standard of President. All voters register for one of two sides (D/R seems obvious, so I'll use that.) Two primaries are held, one for each side. Each side chooses their top two candidates. (Or more? Anyone who gets over 10%?)<br /><br />When the main election is held, each side votes from amongst the <i>other side's candidates</i>, Dems vote for their preferred Republican and vice-versa, and the candidate selected by the side with the highest turnout wins.<br /><br />Lots of room for strategic voting. But, in a nation of 100 million register voters, would any strategy stop a large enough majority from voting honestly?<br /><br />(Besides, could conservative voters risk staying home to guaranteeing a Republican President, but allowing Liberals to pick <i>which</i> Republican. And vice-versa.)Paul451https://www.blogger.com/profile/12119086761190994938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-28980392497964015642011-11-07T04:05:41.308-08:002011-11-07T04:05:41.308-08:00I think you would see several Democrats running ag...I think you would see several Democrats running against Obama, and one of them would likely beat him. Which one would run, however, I'm unsure.Acacia H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07678539067303911329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-43442152022392160282011-11-06T22:36:34.551-08:002011-11-06T22:36:34.551-08:00We've discussed the idea of replacing single p...We've discussed the idea of replacing single party primaries with open run-off elections, with the best two candidates being the only options in the main election.<br /><br />I speculated that you would have seen McCain vs Bush in 2000, Obama vs H.Clinton in 2008.<br /><br />So, given the stench from both the quality of the Republican field, and Obama's poll numbers, a lot of disenchanted Reps and Dems are out there, and I assume every independent is deeply unimpressed.<br /><br />So if you had an open run-off, with dems and reps both running, who would be the top two?Paul451https://www.blogger.com/profile/12119086761190994938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-1258474498023576592011-11-06T19:59:15.565-08:002011-11-06T19:59:15.565-08:00I think it will be Romney / Rubio.
Tea Party frie...I think it will be Romney / Rubio. <br />Tea Party friendly, latino, catholic, Florida. Nuff said.matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17757867868731829206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-42206295623538409242011-11-06T19:34:41.190-08:002011-11-06T19:34:41.190-08:00Anonymous is trying to get involved with the 2012 ...Anonymous is trying to get involved with the 2012 U.S. Presidential Elections, calling to occupy the Iowa Caucuses. <br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qkAWW9CwIRM<br /><br />I really wish they hadn't done this. The only people they have a chance of influencing is Independents and Democrats. The Republicans will vote for their party as the Lesser of Two Evils. If Anonymous dissuades people to vote for either party... then the Republicans will win. And considering that the Republican candidates are their version of John Kerry... this is not a good thing.<br /><br />Rob H.Acacia H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07678539067303911329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-23044528059100221032011-11-06T19:33:59.595-08:002011-11-06T19:33:59.595-08:00@Tacitus2: We, are amused!*
I'm afraid that y...@Tacitus2: We, are amused!*<br /><br />I'm afraid that your call (or, to be more accurate, the heading) elicited <a href="http://www.lyrics007.com/The%20Beatles%20Lyrics/Help!%20Lyrics.html" title="The current crop of candidates might eleicit it as well!" rel="nofollow">this response</a> in me.<br /><br />*But it demonstrates the same '<a href="http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?GlassWall" title="Mea culpa!" rel="nofollow">GlassWall</a>' anti-pattern I've been railing against for years: how do you get experience in a job when all relevant jobs require prior experience?Tony Fiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14578160528746657971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-54193468545747218262011-11-06T18:53:18.801-08:002011-11-06T18:53:18.801-08:00http://detritusofempire.blogspot.com/2011/09/help-...http://detritusofempire.blogspot.com/2011/09/help-wanted-president.html<br /><br />TacitusTacitushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-40615363332315638082011-11-06T18:10:19.858-08:002011-11-06T18:10:19.858-08:00Tacitus...
1) Johnson, Humphrey, Shriver,Mondale,...Tacitus...<br /><br />1) Johnson, Humphrey, Shriver,Mondale, Bentsen, Gore, Ferraro, Lieberman, Biden...<br /><br />All fairly sober and experienced people... though I'd admit 3 of them fall a tad short of fully "qualified."<br /><br />Still is is a list of veritable Washingtons compared to the GOP list of veep noms. An array of loons and dwarves... except... ironically... for the one I personally despise the most. GHWB, the only one "qualified" and the one I hate.<br /><br />Matinez? Good call on many ways... but hardly a sop to the Tea Party. Romney will have to do that... and thus continue the relentless chain that started with Ike choosing Nixon. Saddling us with yet another top-frontrunner from the insane wing.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-25888705403648366272011-11-06T16:43:57.044-08:002011-11-06T16:43:57.044-08:00Dem VP list is a small sample set. I am not impre...Dem VP list is a small sample set. I am not impressed with Biden. Gore would have been a mediocre pres but I guess qualified. Mondale a little better than average.<br /><br />For 2012<br /><br />Romney-Martinez<br /><br />geographic balance, male/female, hispanic, mormon/catholic...<br /><br />6 Nov 2011<br /><br />You read it here first<br /><br />TacitusTacitus2noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-13736498244486135612011-11-06T15:37:07.930-08:002011-11-06T15:37:07.930-08:00posting from an airport (brin):
Cain is as much a...posting from an airport (brin):<br /><br />Cain is as much a horror story as Bachmann\, for similar reasons. But the sheer image of two black men fighting it out would stun the world as much as electing Obama did. very one would say "Whoa. Those guys are NOT their stereotype!."<br /><br />But who are we kidding? GOP voters always shy away from the edge just enough to pick the "electable" guy. We're stuck with Romney. The battle is over the VP slot. And given that all GOP candidates (including Ike but NOT including Reagan) choose deeply unqualified running mates, We might yet see Romney-Palin or Romney Cain...<br /><br />... tho more likely Romney and some radical-right woman not currently on stage.<br /><br />Ooooh! Pick Clarence Thoms. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeese?David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.com