tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post7286847984012683582..comments2024-03-28T10:56:52.861-07:00Comments on CONTRARY BRIN: Events, brinterviews, progress... and more science...David Brinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-25471591712385180652010-09-19T13:34:17.162-07:002010-09-19T13:34:17.162-07:00@Tacitus
"...I do hope you realize that there...@Tacitus<br /><i>"...I do hope you realize that there are more WHITE welfare recipients than recipients of color..."</i><br /><br />WHOOOOSH! Right over your head!rewinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14008105385364113371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-56935864570473422142010-09-18T20:59:27.889-07:002010-09-18T20:59:27.889-07:00onward to next post....onward to next post....David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-47884934586011910742010-09-18T20:58:07.034-07:002010-09-18T20:58:07.034-07:00HeadKase... see my next posting.
You are right Ta...HeadKase... see my next posting.<br /><br />You are right Tacitus, that Colbert's faux conservative comedic riff is more hilarious to one side of the spectrum than another... But this is only partly a matter of putative unfairness (or not).<br /><br />The fact is that he does it WELL! Fantastically well. So well that his conservative guests (except O'Reilly) get sucked in and play along for fun! In fact, completely apart from politics, many believe that Colbert's is one of the most original, consistent and brilliant comedic personas since Groucho.<br /><br />And there in lies the rub, were the same thing to be attempted from the other side, you know it would likely be plain old MEAN! Nasty and deeply unfunny. NOT because there isn't plenty to satire about the left! But because the neocons have purged themselves of good-natured feelings that make for good humored ribbing.<br /><br />They CAN'T, you see. Stewart and Colbert admit their foes are human. They admit that many of them are sane and a few may even have strong points worth discussing.<br /><br />Hence, a quarter of their GUESTS are conservatives!!! That is the proof. Those screeching cowards Beck & Limbaugh and Hannity NEVER bring on opponents to challenge them.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-46423216467845092462010-09-18T20:49:58.483-07:002010-09-18T20:49:58.483-07:00Tacticus, if there were such a critter I would emb...Tacticus, if there were such a critter I would embrace him and call him my friend. I would call out to the world for everyone to watch him and to listen to the Fool's lesson as it was given to the masses. I would enjoy his every update and watch him religiously. Or her, for that matter.<br /><br />But you know something odd? We don't have such a creature. Is it because Liberals aren't as easily caricatured and that making fun of them just doesn't work? Or is there something inherently <i>nasty-minded</i> about those conservatives who go into mass media? Those with a sense of humor avoid the mass media venues... leaving only the Limbaughs and the Dr. Lauras to fill the voice?<br /><br />Or is it that the Powers That Be among the conservative media don't <i>want</i> us to laugh at Liberals... because if you can laugh at someone, then you don't <i>fear</i> them. There is a hell of a lot of fear in conservatives these days. There is a lot of dehumanizing of the Liberals and the Left. There is a tremendous loss of respect and politeness. Liberals exist to be shouted down and to be called liars. Not to be told "your opinion has merit but is flawed." To be shouted down.<br /><br />I have to wonder... why?<br /><br />Rob H.Acacia H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07678539067303911329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-34771078383056252122010-09-18T18:17:56.529-07:002010-09-18T18:17:56.529-07:00Rewinn
I do hope you realize that there are more ...Rewinn<br /><br />I do hope you realize that there are more WHITE welfare recipients than recipients of color. And that there quite likely are emphatic preachers of all shades of pigmentation.<br /><br />We of a conservative stripe don't really object to reminding our progressive fellow citizens of the importance of sensitivity in such matters, but it should not be necessary.<br /><br />But for helping me make my point, I thank you.<br /><br />In the spirit of always trying to answer questions put to me..the real question asked was would the progressive end of the political spectrum have any sense of humor whatsoever if the Stewart/Colbert rallies were isomerically a conservative media figure who had a fake, zany faux liberal foil. I'm thinking...nah.<br /><br />Tacitus2Tacitus2noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-76455243559397557412010-09-18T16:44:02.174-07:002010-09-18T16:44:02.174-07:00"...how tolerant would folks be about comical...<i>"...how tolerant would folks be about comically depicted stereotypes..."</i><br /><br />Exactly. When is the White Man going to get a fair chance?<br /><br />When will White People be able to invent stories of Welfare Queens and mice with human brains?<br /><br />When will White People be able to threaten a "2nd Amendment Option" if they lose an election?<br /><br />When will White People be able to question the birthplace of a president?<br /><br />When will White People be allowed to question the religious beliefs of candidates for public office?<br /><br />When will White People get a chance to block legislation in the Senate with secret "holds"? A chance for fair representation in Congress and the Supreme Court and in the boardrooms of industry? A chance to shout "You Lie!" at the President in the middle of a speech and to shout down their Representatives at town meetings?<br /><br />White People are so oppressed that the Oppressive Federal Government FORCED Beck's followers NOT to bring signs to his 8/28 rally!!! At previously rallies they had cheerfully born signs with all sorts of fictions, and the OPPRESSIVE LIBERAL MEDIA GOVERNMENT took photos of them just to cause embarassment by publicizing them ... how discriminatory and unfair was that!?!!?<br /><br />Don't White People have the right to tells lies just as much as anyone else has the right to tell the truth?<br /><br />As a White Man, I wonder: what is the real question here?rewinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14008105385364113371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-52645114997228205472010-09-18T14:08:32.869-07:002010-09-18T14:08:32.869-07:00Regards the Stewart/Colbert rallies, they sound li...Regards the Stewart/Colbert rallies, they sound like good fun, and right after Halloween, so you could attend and not spring for extra costume rental!<br /><br />As humor it should be good stuff, and well within the capacious bounds of the First Amendment.<br /><br />But I wonder about a couple of things.<br /><br />Were there a conservative rally, say along the lines of the recent Beck-a-Palooza, which had appended a faux "progressive rally" how tolerant would folks be about comically depicted stereotypes. Is the "Welfare Queen" inherently more offensive than the spittle projecting, snake handling revival tent preacher? Its a moot point, as I see conservatives generally taking their politics a bit more seriously.<br /><br />And, if you really want a Restore Sanity rally you run the risk of some of these serious folks showing up with signboards showing OMB budget projections, or a platoon of "bean counters" trying to symbolically tally up beans at the same rate as we tally up deficit spending.<br /><br />Per previous comments, we can certainly expect the fair minded Mr. Stewart to feature such folks prominently...<br /><br />Oh, and regards Iowahawk, he can be a bit hit and miss. I do like his current posting, it features one of his recurring characters T. Coddington Vorhees VI, the living embodiment of old line east coast conservatism. Poor T.Codd, having barely come to terms with "La Palina and her unfortunate brood of snowbillies" he is subjected to new indignities from previously safe Delaware. Alas.<br /><br />Tacitus2Tacitus2noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-9778739325350211972010-09-18T13:52:45.279-07:002010-09-18T13:52:45.279-07:00Don't know a good way to get this comment to y...Don't know a good way to get this comment to you Mr. Brin but here it is:<br /><br />http://www.maximumpc.com/article/reviews/looxcie_wearable_camcorder_review<br /><br />This is where the reality sits of the eyeglass-cameras depicted in Earth. This one records five hours before cycling over the footage. Now all that is needed is real-time transmission, perhaps through the existing cell-phone network, of the video as it happens.<br /><br />Transparent Society can't happen fast enough for me! ;)headkasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09506030586079337035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-91985550405819131702010-09-18T06:23:07.826-07:002010-09-18T06:23:07.826-07:00Ian, the space station is made of Aluminum, not st...Ian, the space station is made of Aluminum, not steel. Sorry.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-11708913034593714332010-09-18T06:17:43.831-07:002010-09-18T06:17:43.831-07:00Oh, I figured out the Fermi Paradox. The aliens fi...Oh, I figured out the Fermi Paradox. The aliens figured out time travel, and banished all potential threats to alternate universes. We've got one all to ourselves. Wasn't that sporting of them?<br /><br />Iowahawk. I read a number of essays and patiently waited for him to be funny. Clever, yes, but clever is necessary but not sufficient for funny. And way too much Iowa corn in that diet. I suppose...if my sense of humor wore a straw boater, sock garters and spats, the guy would be hilarious, but... to each his own.John Kurmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04607323621206823686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-59053821583286848182010-09-18T02:53:55.649-07:002010-09-18T02:53:55.649-07:00"Your muscles would still go unchallenged,&qu..."Your muscles would still go unchallenged,"<br /><br />Except your leg muscles every time you took a step.<br /><br />Not saying it'd solve the problem but it might slow the deterioration and you probably test it on the ISS for a couple of thousand dollars.Ianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01739671401151990700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-59153362861459868572010-09-17T22:11:04.889-07:002010-09-17T22:11:04.889-07:00Since you said "space" ...
... Saturday...Since you said "space" ...<br /><br />... Saturday Morning Brekfast Cereal has <a href="http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2004" rel="nofollow">an amusing take on Fermi's Paradox.</a>rewinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14008105385364113371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-73185423480538626892010-09-17T22:06:42.678-07:002010-09-17T22:06:42.678-07:00Well, you would have to exert more muscle-power to...Well, you would have to exert more muscle-power to move around. It wouldn't be the same as walking in gravity, no, but it would be something, at least.Ilithi Dragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10300247936272572280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-66966041704704960142010-09-17T21:49:27.692-07:002010-09-17T21:49:27.692-07:00@Ian:
All magnetized boots would do is make your ...@Ian:<br /><br />All magnetized boots would do is make your feet stick to a metallic surface.<br /><br />Your muscles would still go unchallenged, and your body would still be in microgravity.Stefan Joneshttp://home.comcast.net/~stefan_jones/kira_park_lo.jpgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-72267624612361395862010-09-17T21:02:46.382-07:002010-09-17T21:02:46.382-07:00Quick space-related question: has anyone tried tha...Quick space-related question: has anyone tried that old 50's sf stand-by - magnetized boots - as a way to combat the muscle loss associated with zero G?Ianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01739671401151990700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-86663507223065458582010-09-17T15:56:24.104-07:002010-09-17T15:56:24.104-07:00I'm only a couple hours from DC, give or take,...I'm only a couple hours from DC, give or take, so barring anything unexpected cropping up, I'm definitely going. <br /><br /><br />Hmm... Dr. Brin, the Union soldier uniform is an interesting idea... If I have the extra cash, I may just rent myself a costume.Ilithi Dragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10300247936272572280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-37536948086340298892010-09-17T14:20:49.768-07:002010-09-17T14:20:49.768-07:00I'm as far away as you are, David. Hopefully C...I'm as far away as you are, David. Hopefully CS will webcast the whole thing. <br /><br />Those signs were comedy gold.Rob Perkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15618647194288598056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-18687753971164077372010-09-17T13:46:14.256-07:002010-09-17T13:46:14.256-07:00Cheryl and I stared... and our jaws dropped... at ...Cheryl and I stared... and our jaws dropped... at the big rally announcements. We muttered and cursed over how FAR it will be, from California!<br /><br />Me? I would attend Colbert's pro-anger rally in a blue civil war uniform.<br /><br />It would be so cool if it draw 10X as many as Beck drew.<br /><br />If you folks live back there... go! SHould be an epochal blast!David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-65765108270152460882010-09-17T07:25:56.290-07:002010-09-17T07:25:56.290-07:00Anybody catch Stewart's announcement about his...Anybody catch Stewart's announcement about his <a href="http://www.rallytorestoresanity.com/" rel="nofollow">Rally to Restore Sanity</a> last night?<br /><br />I'm tentatively planning on attending, barring any conflicts that would throw off that date. Might launch an attack on <a href="http://www.keepfearalive.com/" rel="nofollow">the Colbert rally</a> with my Free Hugs sign, to give them comfort and quell their fears.<br />} ; = 8 )Ilithi Dragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10300247936272572280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-32938092037588409082010-09-17T06:39:01.084-07:002010-09-17T06:39:01.084-07:00Anonymity can be comforting if your views are cont...Anonymity can be comforting if your views are contrary, defenders of orthodoxy can be a bit hasty.Tim H.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-62157966856460560082010-09-16T18:56:24.657-07:002010-09-16T18:56:24.657-07:00A network card ID can be changed and masked so eas...A network card ID can be changed and masked so easily that it's useless as a unique machine identifier.Rob Perkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15618647194288598056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-65997375459094135422010-09-16T18:47:21.608-07:002010-09-16T18:47:21.608-07:00Network cards have unique identifiers, though.
It...Network cards have unique identifiers, though.<br /><br />It was interesting listening to Stallman's take on software freedom and the internet, and his advice to all run your google queries through something like '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_(anonymity_network)" rel="nofollow">tor</a>' so *they* don't know what the citizens are doing.<br /><br />(his 'four freedoms' really only apply to software on a machine under your control)<br /><br />Like most brilliant eccentrics, it can take a while to 'get' what he's on about.Tony Fiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14578160528746657971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-85254072948321921532010-09-16T18:18:48.882-07:002010-09-16T18:18:48.882-07:00To my knowledge, the CPUID function hasn't bee...To my knowledge, the CPUID function hasn't been in Intel chips for years now. Pity; there are non-malignant scenarios where it's very useful.Rob Perkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15618647194288598056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-23639329486303256892010-09-16T17:27:11.373-07:002010-09-16T17:27:11.373-07:00Rob, there are SO many old used computers to buy c...Rob, there are SO many old used computers to buy cheap and use... and Trustworthy sites would not let those without ID chips in.<br /><br />The real solution is commercial pseudonymity sites that would let you slip on a mask while retaining the credibility rating/reputation you have earned.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-64744190425379229512010-09-16T16:31:59.755-07:002010-09-16T16:31:59.755-07:00Hi Robert,
Anonymity is only as important as it i...Hi Robert,<br /><br />Anonymity is only as important as it is because of a lack of transparency. Assumption, there are those who would strike you because of who you are. While these nameless foes are able to maintain their own anonymity, it is important that you have yours too. But by illuminating sources of power (government, corporations, etc) there will be less and less need for your own anonymity.<br /><br />This is paralleled by social retribution. Assumption, someone might insult and mock who you are because you lack Anonymity. However if transparency is reflected on them, they are much less likely show their lesser nature. Those that do it anyway would be subject to social negativity directed at them.<br /><br />Ultimately those who pry into others business will not be able to hide their own anonymity, thus making it a social hazard to be an ass. Its the transitions between privacy and transparency that will be the rough patches.Jacobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03773076186367856200noreply@blogger.com