tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post8698363049939282322..comments2024-03-28T22:45:34.599-07:00Comments on CONTRARY BRIN: Debate #2? Do better! ... and today's chapter is about 'hating government"David Brinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-88159557384200670972020-10-06T17:01:57.621-07:002020-10-06T17:01:57.621-07:00@ Dr. Brin: Happy Birthday, Dr. Brin!
May you liv...@ Dr. Brin: Happy Birthday, Dr. Brin! <br />May you live to be as old as Moses!<br /><br />Keith HalperinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-36559836391746594052020-10-05T18:12:39.610-07:002020-10-05T18:12:39.610-07:00China's claims to have brought the virus under...<i> China's claims to have brought the virus under control by lockdowns</i><br /><br />Don't forget masks. My niece in Beijing was horrified to see pictures from Europe and America of people not wearing masks. Everyone in China was wearing them (and still are, at least where she goes).Robertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-48420984841680330672020-10-04T06:43:59.938-07:002020-10-04T06:43:59.938-07:00The greatest political ad around, using actual Lin...The greatest political ad around, using actual Lindsay Graham footage (albeit old footage) to blast Trump. I don't know if it works better as an anti-Trump ad aimed at sensible conservatives or as an anti-Graham ad aimed at deplorables. Either way is ok with me.<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5Xpwyd4aMM<br />Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-1547429421324745662020-10-04T06:06:33.129-07:002020-10-04T06:06:33.129-07:00I like this one, which I will present without furt...I like this one, which I will present without further comment:<br /><br />https://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2020/Pres/Maps/Oct04.html#item-2<br /><i><br />To close: "I have never killed any one, but I have read some obituaries with great satisfaction." - Clarence Darrow<br /></i><br />Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-7418968455448957242020-10-03T16:54:41.705-07:002020-10-03T16:54:41.705-07:00Dr Brin:
It'd be perfect for Graham to do... ...Dr Brin:<br /><i><br />It'd be perfect for Graham to do... and he won't because he's tipped completely over into pure evil.<br /></i><br /><br />Agreed. For a long time, it seemed as if LG was motivated by fear of blackmail, but he seems to have drunk the Polonium Kool-Aid and actually become a Trumpist. Some sort of Stockholm Syndrome going on, perhaps.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-47731934933189973222020-10-03T16:34:49.715-07:002020-10-03T16:34:49.715-07:00I see I'm the lucky one. I replied to your po...I see I'm the lucky one. I replied to your post and shoehorned LH and Scidata in on the reply.<br /><br />Republican Senators "faking it". Yes, that one is plausible. Barrett is sheer poison and they know it. Several Senators who enjoyed comfortable leads just a month ago are now trailing in their races, including McConnell. We already have two GOP cases on the Judiciary Committee, which could (in theory) stall the confirmation for at least a month. Zepp Jamiesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16261339498383415026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-73053828760824017572020-10-03T15:29:43.878-07:002020-10-03T15:29:43.878-07:00Three comments okayed but only one shows up here. ...Three comments okayed but only one shows up here. Did some of you reply to earlier postings?<br /><br />SO now Chris Christie. But I am saving my schadenfreude dor Giuliani.<br /><br />Note in the exit strategies chapter I spoke of a possibility... Republican senators playing sick so they can do something right while not triggering their blackmailers. It'd be perfect for Graham to do... and he won't because he's tipped completely over into pure evil.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-75057218719606361062020-10-03T13:36:42.291-07:002020-10-03T13:36:42.291-07:00Doctor: I'm willing to settle for a couple of ...Doctor: I'm willing to settle for a couple of months of misery and general incapacitation in return for severe damage to the "it's fake news" conspiracy theory. Too many people still believe that it's not real, or not serious, or not immediately dangerous. The events of this week are the start of putting a large dent in that fatal misapprehension.<br /><br />Gotta love Trump's doctor! "I didn't mean 72 hours! I meant three days!" Let's ... not ... ask him to measure the doses, OK?<br /><br />Hard to tell what Trump's actual health status is. The GOP have made Kremlin-watchers of us all.<br /><br />Scidata and Larry: SF isn't meant to be predictive. It's a look at what could be, and the best has plausible levels of science and humanity. "Magic boxes" (like the baking machines in Kiln People") are fine, but the real writing goes into how they affect society at large and the characters in particular. Zepp Jamiesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16261339498383415026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-75138420112228033972020-10-03T12:52:47.825-07:002020-10-03T12:52:47.825-07:00Apropos of very little: Democrats who believe in ...Apropos of very little: Democrats who believe in germ theory and have been taking appropriate measures have overwhelmingly not contracted COVID. Republicans, OTOH, who have been following the Rage Mango's lead in eschewing masks, cramming into enclosed areas for rallies, and basically ignoring all reasonable anti-infection measures, have been catching the bug wholesale. This last week where so many top WH staff have been testing positive is a big data point on this. I do, however, feel sorry for the grunts who come down with it who are not dyed-in-the-wool Trump sycophants; the janitors, typing pool and errand runners who are in it mainly for a job and the prestige of saying 'I worked at the WH', regardless of who occupies the Oval Office.<br /><br />Hmm. Belief (or not) in the scientific method as predictor of susceptibility.<br /><br />I'm wondering if we will discover COVID Typhoid Marys, who are super spreaders yet unaffected themselves.TheMadLibrarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09103164355746196049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-9166469416604796362020-10-03T12:25:17.821-07:002020-10-03T12:25:17.821-07:00Larry Hart: The most they were striving for in tha...Larry Hart: <i>The most they were striving for in that sense was plausibility</i><br /><br />True, but if someone gives you $1million and tells you to design a ship's interior, it had better not wind up looking like some slimy Wraith abode with dragon scales on the walls. The key term is 'hard SF'. By 'optimistic', I infer 'achievable' by admittedly flawed human societies. Otherwise, you might as well get OSC to write it. [SF vs Fantasy debate].scidatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992209167553267488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-19812531254248168302020-10-03T11:36:05.149-07:002020-10-03T11:36:05.149-07:00scidata:
She described how shows like "Found...scidata:<br /><i><br />She described how shows like "Foundation" and "Strange New Worlds" have a very optimistic, Asimovian vision. Thank heaven for that. ... She said it's hard to find good futuristic (0-500 years) predictions and do basic research on hard SF.<br /></i><br /><br />See, I don't think <i>Foundation</i> (1950s version) or <i>Star Trek</i> (1960s version) were ever <b>meant</b> to be predictions. We do them a disservice when we retroactively judge them on how accurately their vision conforms or fails to conform to real life. The most they were striving for in that sense was plausibility--that a contemporary reader could comfortably <b>feel</b> that the story was taking place in some future time.<br />Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-86865500422058713192020-10-03T11:30:13.344-07:002020-10-03T11:30:13.344-07:00The images of indoor hug sessions at the ACB cerem...The images of indoor hug sessions at the ACB ceremony at the WH should crush most "Democrats smeared Trump's microphone!" hysterias. But the head of the Secret Service should denounce that one with rage at the insult to his agents.<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-58988336825477418302020-10-03T11:28:32.089-07:002020-10-03T11:28:32.089-07:00Zepp I didn't say he shouldn't suffer. A w...Zepp I didn't say he shouldn't suffer. A week of pain and one of nausea would be nice, followed by laryngitis.<br /><br />Asian countries (east) may have fewer of the Neanderthal haplotypes. South Asians appear very susceptible.<br /><br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-7282202676645771622020-10-03T11:27:47.740-07:002020-10-03T11:27:47.740-07:00Zepp Jamieson:
Larry, I think the fact that two d...Zepp Jamieson:<br /><i><br />Larry, I think the fact that two dozen people in Trump's immediate circle have contracted COVID make the changes he doesn't have it and is 'faking it' vanishingly small. <br /></i><br /><br />Sure, now. Friday morning, that much was not known. I'm not making the <b>claim</b> that he's faking it, but I'm saying that (at first glance), it was a reasonable assumption, and not at all "the same thing as" accusations from the right that Biden or China managed to purposely infect Trump.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-66310103161504802902020-10-03T11:24:35.469-07:002020-10-03T11:24:35.469-07:00TCB:
Our info environment is so toxic we don'...TCB:<br /><i><br />Our info environment is so toxic we don't trust the president's own doctor. <br /></i><br /><br />I heard a news conference with Trump's medical staff at around noon Saturday. The press pointedly asked whether the president has been on oxygen during this episode, and all the doctor kept repeating was "He's not on oxygen right now." Repeatedly.<br /><br />I am amused by the similarity to "It depends on what the meaning of 'is' is.", but note seriously that anyone with half a brain can deduce that the absolute refusal to say anything other than "He's not on oxygen <b>right now</b>" implies strongly that he was a few hours ago or a day ago.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-83336400663202981052020-10-03T09:16:55.150-07:002020-10-03T09:16:55.150-07:00Had a long chat recently with a mech engineer who ...Had a long chat recently with a mech engineer who does ship interiors and VR-AR set design for some of the current and upcoming SF TV series. She described how shows like "Foundation" and "Strange New Worlds" have a very optimistic, Asimovian vision. Thank heaven for that. If I see one more conflict-driven series about angry aliens and even angrier humans, I may turn to pulp fiction books and game shows. She said it's hard to find good futuristic (0-500 years) predictions and do basic research on hard SF. Imagining original content is serious work. I recommended Asimov, Gibson, and Brin.<br /><br />Idiocracy: The 'Notorious + initials' handle does not magically turn a Stepford Wife into a Ginsburg, RNA strands cannot be grifted or bullied, and science is nobody's bitch (neither demagogues nor the Ivory Tower's).<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />scidatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992209167553267488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-47870591417295862222020-10-03T06:47:52.994-07:002020-10-03T06:47:52.994-07:00Larry, I think the fact that two dozen people in T...Larry, I think the fact that two dozen people in Trump's immediate circle have contracted COVID make the changes he doesn't have it and is 'faking it' vanishingly small. I also think that while he is a major manipulator, he isn't the sort to try to play off peoples' feeling of empathy and compassion since both are so alien to him.<br /><br />Doctor, I know you don't want vicious displays of schadenfruede here and respect that. But I do believe the best thing that could possibly happen for the country would be if he were succumb to this disease. If he does recover (and going in, there's a 5 in six chance that he will) then he's likely to come out and say things like, "See? It's nothing! You don't need masks or social distancing! Now get back to work!" and we lose another 200,000 people. As you say, his followers will be quite happy to incorporate that, and anything short of Trump's actual death will allow them to "move the goalposts."<br /><br />Yes, you write SF. But right now we're in a Joe Abercrombie novel.Zepp Jamiesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16261339498383415026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-61291968498559627752020-10-03T06:06:32.925-07:002020-10-03T06:06:32.925-07:00Alfred Differ:
They have until inauguration day i...Alfred Differ:<br /><i><br />They have until inauguration day in Jan 2021 to do it. No rush.<br /></i><br /><br />That's no rush to get her appointed to the court during the lame duck session.<br /><br />There's a bit more of a rush to have her available to rule on Trump v Biden when he tries to claim an illegitimate victory. Ted Cruz's comment about "Imagine a 4-4 court..." indicates that they don't trust Roberts to help them cheat. ACB's presence or absence on the court may be decisive.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-5546317720710872152020-10-03T04:31:38.437-07:002020-10-03T04:31:38.437-07:00@ Larry Hart, it is my pet theory that the vast ma...@ Larry Hart, it is my pet theory that the vast majority of conspiratorial thinking is directly or indirectly rooted in an environment of governmental/elite/authority secrecy. If the people running things are not transparent, everybody else has a survival need to guess at what is really going on. The poorer the information environment, the the wilder the plausible possibilities get.<br /><br />Our info environment is so toxic we don't trust the president's own doctor. Check this tweet for an angry Chris Wallace.<br /><br />https://twitter.com/aravosis/status/1312054056869920769?s=19TCBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08153506222271955110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-53709151553888385252020-10-03T03:25:12.616-07:002020-10-03T03:25:12.616-07:00Dr. Brin: "Another danger... Unlikely... sick...Dr. Brin: "Another danger... Unlikely... sick bed conversions to decency. Yeah, I write sci fi."<br /><br />In that case, the Goppers might enact the 25th amendment, since the president clearly shows mental health issues. Or they react like this:<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jdf5EXo6I68<br /><br />:-)Der Ogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00977602334642769985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-37666705998922720432020-10-03T03:06:11.544-07:002020-10-03T03:06:11.544-07:00Larry Hart,
Why do people think this helps Trump?...Larry Hart,<br /><br /><i>Why do people think this helps Trump? It puts the lie to his "strategy" of ignoring the dangers of contagion. It disproves the "Democratic hoax" thing.</i><br /><br />I wasn't thinking of the "Covid as complete hoax" fringe so much as the "Covid as an act of war by China against the West" viewpoint, specifically the claim that the West (except for Sweden) was <a href="https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/china-covid-lockdown-propaganda" rel="nofollow">terrified into imposing lockdowns (and destroying their own economies)</a> by social media trolls working for the Chinese government.<br /><br />I myself am highly skeptical of China's claims to have brought the virus under control by lockdowns, as two of the worst-hit countries in the entire world (Belgium and Peru) had strict lockdowns.<br /><br />The real key to escaping the virus seems to be to keep foreigners out and quarantine all returning citizens: this is how Taiwan and New Zealand were so successful (and Taiwan didn't even impose a lockdown domestically!). Naturally this is only really practical for islands (or South Korea, which is a de facto island as its only land border is literally a minefield), but I could see how a xenophobic candidate like Trump could take advantage of that fact, glossing over the fact that he only sought to exclude Chinese nationals from the US, when what was actually needed was to quarantine all people entering the US from abroad, even US citizens.<br /><br />Nevertheless, China is trying to keep the West in lockdown as long as possible by selling the claim that lockdowns (in China) defeated the virus, and that if lockdowns fail in the West it is because they weren't draconian enough – this is also good for China as it helps spread totalitarian values.<br /><br />I expect that pool party in Wuhan (and other video footage designed to portray a China completely returned to normal) was staged propaganda: while they wouldn't have had to <i>force</i> people to participate in these events (as the Nazis had to in their Theresienstadt propaganda film) it wouldn't surprise me if everyone depicted in these videos was pre-selected and quarantined for two weeks prior to the filming.George Cartyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12170378024031141482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-15813795591877801012020-10-03T00:06:10.726-07:002020-10-03T00:06:10.726-07:00Ha! Sounds more like romantic fantasy. Wish it was...Ha! Sounds more like romantic fantasy. Wish it wasn't. 8)Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-8323818088680241502020-10-02T21:17:00.744-07:002020-10-02T21:17:00.744-07:00Another danger... Unlikely... sick bed conversions...Another danger... Unlikely... sick bed conversions to decency. Yeah, I write sci fi.<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-16606266559754931592020-10-02T21:01:55.613-07:002020-10-02T21:01:55.613-07:00Thinking this will halt the SCOTUS nominee is wish...Thinking this will halt the SCOTUS nominee is wishful thinking. McConnell will appoint interim replacements for the committee and things will move along.<br /><br />They have until inauguration day in Jan 2021 to do it. No rush.<br /><br />The danger is if they die and Dem Senators don't. Some are old enough to be in danger, but a 1 in 20 chance at an advanced age probably won't get enough quickly enough. Remember Pence is the tie breaker.Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-44031861726479532142020-10-02T20:53:27.413-07:002020-10-02T20:53:27.413-07:00" the deniers will have to stop pretending th..." the deniers will have to stop pretending the pandemic is a hoax,"<br /><br />So? moving the goalposts is now second nature to them. Facts? What're those? And what I said yesterday ain't shit.<br /><br />Amazing re the rate for GOP senators.<br /><br />Again, no way he'd fake it if it meant an end to rallies, his one joy in life. My top conspiracy theory is Putin/Murdoch are taking him out as a liability. Look up "Howard Beale."<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.com