tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post4321554043523233502..comments2024-03-28T23:39:08.616-07:00Comments on CONTRARY BRIN: Chapter 5: Part II: Weapons in the war to save FactDavid Brinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-51610456748160452602020-09-12T10:57:55.567-07:002020-09-12T10:57:55.567-07:00onward
onwardonward<br /><br />onwardDavid Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-65611261847137509652020-09-12T10:55:19.721-07:002020-09-12T10:55:19.721-07:00The "controversy" surrounding the use of...The "controversy" surrounding the use of <i>ne ga</i> rather reminds me of some complaints about the children's show <i>Teletubbies</i>, when it was first exported to the shores of the US from its native Britain.<br /><br />Some American parents, on hearing the Teletubby Po riding her scooter, insisted she was saying "fatty, fatty", or in some cases "faggot, faggot". Her original voice actor Pui Fan Lee, however, tells us that what Po was saying was in fact "fidit, fidit", a childish pronunciation of the Cantonese for "faster, faster" (keep in mind that the Teletubbies were all supposed to be the equivalent of young toddlers, speaking in gibberish with occasional actual words mixed in).<br /><br />Does "pareidolia" apply strictly to visual interpretation of cues? Is there a term for when you do the same thing with audio stimuli?Jon S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13585842845661267920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-18429626876974862292020-09-12T09:00:38.730-07:002020-09-12T09:00:38.730-07:00Restricting the vote to landowners above a certain...Restricting the vote to landowners above a certain wealth level was a startling concept when I ran into it in the USAF - proposed by a first term airman, and I don't think he originated the idea. I was tempted to respond that this was excellent!, but that the minimum amount should be $10 million, and then $100 million in 4 years, and then $1 billion 4 years after that, until the vote resided in - say - 1 person. Because that's basically what happened in ancient Athens, if my memory serves me well.<br />Heinlein's suggestion that all male citizens lose the vote for a few decades as reparations for suppressing the female vote for the first 144 years is equally logical and would probably improve the trajectory of our country.Pappenheimernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-4548669010389690082020-09-12T00:06:44.320-07:002020-09-12T00:06:44.320-07:00Besides which you have to explain all the other co...Besides which you have to explain all the other countries as well.reasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09488435543492412991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-88810701840929014252020-09-11T22:33:13.089-07:002020-09-11T22:33:13.089-07:00The Liberal Order (LO) has accomplished what feuda...The Liberal Order (LO) has accomplished what feudal lords, kings, and priests dreamed they could do… or that only god(s) could do. <br /><br />All the practical accomplishments of the first sixty centuries summed across all civilizations have been reproduced by the LO in less than four and vastly surpassed in the last two. ALL of them. Even the one surviving ancient civilization knows this and has been copying the LO as fast as it can.<br /><br /><br /><br />When we were learning to domesticate grains and animals for farming, we lost half our children before puberty was complete. Not anymore. Globally, it's below five in a hundred now.<br /><br />We lost about one in three of our children before they reached their first birthday. In some places it was as good as one in five. Among LO nations, that ratio tumbled to one in five in the early Industrial era and them plummeted last century with the arrival of improved medical knowledge. Globally, it's below three in a hundred now. Some LO nations are down to a few per thousand.Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-37106879528833961592020-09-11T22:08:21.171-07:002020-09-11T22:08:21.171-07:00matthew,
My guess is that he is OK with American ...matthew,<br /><br /><i>My guess is that he is OK with American fascism-democracy because of his upbringing …</i><br /><br />Okay. Sounds like some of my relatives. [If they encounter me saying that about them here, so be it. OWN it.]<br /><br />The two factions (blue/gray) in the US are found splitting many families, mine included. A fight today would split brothers, though. A few generations have passed. Now it's just cousins as most of our parents are gone.<br /><br />Those of us wearing blue in my family are simply waiting. We out-number them on the other side. Most of the time we CAN talk to each other. When we can't, like with politics right now, we wait and count noses among our off-spring and their friends.<br /><br /><br />I know there is a good point to drafting crew-cut candidates to change the way the parties compete in red districts that might be winnable by someone with a lot less gray in their uniform. I DO get it. However, I have my qualms. Their bootcamp experience teaches a lot more obedience than I like to have in a politician writing legislation, let alone in an executive enforcing laws. A few of them in government is one thing. Bunches of them is quite another. <br /><br />For now I accept the need. We already have bunches of lawyers and that is even dumber. I won't accept it for long, though. I'm not a fan of war generals as President. Fortunately, we don't do that very often.Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-67687770669478722842020-09-11T14:28:57.708-07:002020-09-11T14:28:57.708-07:00Scott Adams is dead to me.
Yes, but you must admi...<i>Scott Adams is dead to me.</i><br /><br />Yes, but you must admit his corpse can be amusing at times, albeit in a very sad way. :)A.F. Reyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08102355714883828348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-82027031863581194852020-09-11T14:02:00.659-07:002020-09-11T14:02:00.659-07:00secret cabals of blood-drinking elites controlling...<i>secret cabals of blood-drinking elites controlling the common man</i><br /><br />You have to admit that that's actually a pretty good analogy for the Murdochs and Kochs of the world. <br /><br />On that note, you might enjoy two books by James Alan Gardner: <i>All Those Explosions Were Someone Else's Fault</i> and <i>They Promised Me The Gun Wasn't Loaded</i>.<br /><br />Superhero fiction with a twist. The Dark has gone corporate — pony up enough money and you too can be immortal and have powers, as vampires et al monetize their abilities. The Light opposes that. Our protagonists are newbie Sparks — just learning what it's like to have Powers, what the limits are, and how to deal with a world where the monied elite really are blood-sucking Darklings.<br /><br />In the authors words:<br /><br /><i>In my new series, The Dark vs. Spark, vampires, werewolves and demons have come out of hiding, offering the Dark Conversion to anyone who can afford it. Within a generation, the richest 1% are almost all Darklings.<br /><br />Then superheroes show up: ordinary joes who happened to touch a glowing meteor or fall in a vat of weird chemicals. They represent the 99%…and they’re going to provide the Dark with Adult Supervision.</i><br /><br />Two books of four written so far (assuming he writes one from the perspective of each Spark in the team). I loved them and am eagerly awaiting the next…Robertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-77513142213422893522020-09-11T13:52:25.193-07:002020-09-11T13:52:25.193-07:00matthew, I find they are jarred - alas not fully -...matthew, I find they are jarred - alas not fully - by:<br /><br />- "Your cult served the king in the 1770s and plantation lords who robbed poor whites blind, in the 1860s, You broke heads as union strikebreakers and now you are on your knees before aristocrats again, sucking Vlad Putin and Adelson and Murdoch and an array of WalStreeters and inheritance brats. You confederates have always been about treason.<br /><br />- "Show me one study that lays out the case against "fake news" or the "deep state" accusation against the men and women who defeated Hitler, Stalin, Mao and bin Laden. You slander your betters without the slightest backing or evidence (other than a few mostly made-up anecdotes. <br /><br />- "This scientific and pragmatic democracy has accomplished vastly more than ALL of your feudal lords and kings and priests did, across 6000 years. Bet me on that. Oops. You won't bet. Because no guts.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-52417351086249887242020-09-11T13:50:11.359-07:002020-09-11T13:50:11.359-07:00Here's another take on the story, with links t...Here's another take on the story, with links to other examples. (Links in Chinese characters, sorry.)<br /><br />https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-54107329<br /><br />Like I said, my niece warned me when I went to China that people weren't being racist when they said "nega nega nega", it was Chinese that sounded like a bad word in English. She was right — I heard it on the streets of Beijing and Shanghai all the time, used as filler words just as Prof. Patton described it as. Heard it from students in my class as they struggled to finish sentences.<br /><br />It's a good example of a filler sound, and a good reason why one should be cautious about multi-lingual communications. <br /><br />It's quite the story in China right now, apparently. Robertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-71247342077629474012020-09-11T13:14:07.196-07:002020-09-11T13:14:07.196-07:00Hm, my Marine co-worker is originally from South C...Hm, my Marine co-worker is originally from South Carolina, and has a dismissive attitude toward women and anyone with brown skin. My guess is that he is OK with American fascism-democracy because of his upbringing in the Jim Crow-era South. Even after serving in a non-segregated armed service for 20 years, those old attitudes remain. He's said that he would like to restrict the vote to landowners too. <br /><br />It's just..rare... to hear someone that served the USA for so many years admit that he thinks we would do better with some fascism mixed into our democracy. I've run into the attitude in vets that served for a couple of years, mostly draftee-types, but to hear support for fascism from a retired service member is, in my experience, much more alarming than to hear it from some outlaw biker that was drafted for a tour in Vietnam. It speaks to the gradual acceptance and embrace of Nazi ideals by the conservative movement in the US. <br /><br />QAn*n is a rehash of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion (secret cabals of blood- drinking elites controlling the common man) . The GOP is rapidly becoming a neo-Nazi group, thanks to the suggestion algorithms of Facebook, Google, You-Tube and the rest. Trump is a symptom of the Reich-wing conservative movement, not a cause. QAn*n is just the Tea Party all dressed up for genocide. <br /><br />My co-worker is helping understand that mindset. matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17757867868731829206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-77596877436896993342020-09-11T12:32:30.550-07:002020-09-11T12:32:30.550-07:00@A.F. Rey,
Scott Adams is dead to me.@A.F. Rey,<br /><br />Scott Adams is dead to me.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-59401034090928067182020-09-11T10:00:54.546-07:002020-09-11T10:00:54.546-07:00Since Larry once frequented Scott Adam's site,...Since Larry once frequented Scott Adam's site, I thought he might appreciate one of the latest tweets from Scott, as reported by P.Z. Myers:<br /><br />https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2020/09/11/speaking-of-bugnuts/<br /><br />I think one of the comments summed it up nicely: “Damn it! ... He’s using the Chewbacca defense!” :)A.F. Reyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08102355714883828348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-42103662743977030662020-09-11T09:58:51.762-07:002020-09-11T09:58:51.762-07:00From TCB's Twitter Threadbarer link above:
Th...From TCB's Twitter Threadbarer link above:<br /><i><br />They're happy to be super-wealthy if it's easy to do so (see: oil oligarchs)<br /><br />but "middling wealthy while everyone else around me is desperate" is fine too. Hence, stifling economic development to stay on top.<br /></i><br /><br />The diametric opposite of the German businessman on Thom Hartmann's show who explained being ok with high taxes for a social safety net: "I don't want to be a rich man in a poor country."<br /><br />Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-79978999017280969302020-09-11T09:48:00.067-07:002020-09-11T09:48:00.067-07:00Dr Brin:
Re 9/11 ... Call it UA93 Day! THAT was t...Dr Brin:<br /><i><br />Re 9/11 ... Call it UA93 Day! THAT was the one good thing we saw that day, and it was done by citizens.<br /></i><br /><br />"Let's roll!" would make a good motto.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-71753326221265807262020-09-11T09:40:02.415-07:002020-09-11T09:40:02.415-07:00Alfred Differ:
Obviously we can't afford to i...Alfred Differ:<br /><i><br />Obviously we can't afford to ignore them, but we can throttle the amount of attention we give them. Like internet trolls, we might be better off starving them.<br /></i><br /><br />Well, I already refuse to watch FOX or OANN, or to listen to Rush Limbaugh. I know I would probably understand the other side better if I paid attention to their cultural touchstones, but I just can't go with the idea of taking poison in order to better understand the pain that those who regularly ingest poison are feeling.<br /><br />Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-20235705290491294312020-09-11T09:31:01.810-07:002020-09-11T09:31:01.810-07:00Robert, from that article, I'd give tentative(...Robert, from that article, I'd give tentative(!) 1:3 odds the "professor" thought he was being cute or getting away with a poke. While moderately low odds, it is high enough for me not to list this as an anecdote against campus SJW lynching.<br /><br />Thank you Hailey. Stick around!<br /><br />Re 9/11 ... Call it UA93 Day! THAT was the one good thing we saw that day, and it was done by citizens.<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-53908769120773873072020-09-11T08:32:59.281-07:002020-09-11T08:32:59.281-07:00For many years, when the date "September 11&q...For many years, when the date "September 11" showed up on the calendar, it still had the power to produce a kind of <i>frisson</i> in me. For some reason, that did not happen today. You might think that it's just a case that enough time has passed that September 11, 2001 has become more history than present, but it feels to me more like "9/11 is no longer the worst thing that has happened to our country in recent memory." As if singling out an isolated terrorist attack as a moment to fear has become somehow quaint.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-18359111641720103042020-09-11T06:40:09.673-07:002020-09-11T06:40:09.673-07:00Dr. Brin I agree those don't achieve much asid...Dr. Brin I agree those don't achieve much aside from the high of self righteous sanctimony. However, and your words and actions demonstrably prove you wouldn't use it this way, this might be a good thing to know about: https://www.npr.org/2015/04/30/403362626/the-racially-charged-meaning-behind-the-word-thugHaileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09390508899478349020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-87298445615859774252020-09-11T06:35:22.471-07:002020-09-11T06:35:22.471-07:00This seems to be one of the examples of the 'l...This seems to be one of the examples of the 'looney left' that Dr. Brin is talking about:<br /><br />https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/09/08/professor-suspended-saying-chinese-word-sounds-english-slur<br /><br />I'm certain it will also be trotted out as an example of 'cancel culture', because it's a really egregious example of punishing someone for a non-existent crime.<br /><br />One of my nieces got caught by that when her family moved to Canada. Fortunately her ESL teacher explained the problem to her before she could get into trouble from people who didn't understand 普通话. Made enough on an impression on her that when I went to China she warned me not to get offended by people speaking in the street…Robertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-87627097477918162252020-09-11T06:03:08.600-07:002020-09-11T06:03:08.600-07:00On the claim that some people are doing it to get ...On the claim that some people are doing it to get money from climate research studies I have to ask; what studies?mythusmagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10458869083534878283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-49864916496598178432020-09-11T05:16:33.653-07:002020-09-11T05:16:33.653-07:00Republicans pretend that they never nag, until the...Republicans pretend that they never nag, until they've been pushed <b>so far</b> that they "just can't take it any more!". As if their nagging is such a special case that it's the exception that proves the rule.<br /><br />Of course, Rush Limbaugh engages in this "exceptional" behavior three hours a day.Larry Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058877428309776731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-69555656399430311662020-09-10T22:29:57.944-07:002020-09-10T22:29:57.944-07:00Larry,
The problem is we don't shun them even...Larry,<br /><br />The problem is we don't shun them even when they whine.<br /><br />Obviously we can't afford to ignore them, but we can throttle the amount of attention we give them. Like internet trolls, we might be better off starving them.<br /><br />Well... I can't seem to do it myself, so this probably has to remain at a level of 'wonder about'. <br /><br /><br />matthew,<br /><br /><i>He believes that the two work well together. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that one.</i><br /><br />My guess is he believes he is in a minority that would be suppressed by a authoritarian majority. I hear that argument a lot and give them at least some credit for it. That doesn't mean they should be cheating to prevent that majority from winning, though. They should be arranging the deck chairs to disempower the majority no matter who happens to be in that coalition... including themselves.<br />Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-12089970301987449742020-09-10T20:51:25.908-07:002020-09-10T20:51:25.908-07:00TCB that was though provoking!
Lawrence I THINK I...TCB that was though provoking!<br /><br />Lawrence I THINK I understand what you were saying. Not entirely sure I have mentally parsed it right.<br /><br />But the extremum of 'nagging" and microaggression trigger warnings at one end and thugs going up to whites dining at a restaurant demanding abject "apologies." These doen't budge anyone or help achieve anything except a sanctimony high.<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-58672271318687328272020-09-10T20:21:21.793-07:002020-09-10T20:21:21.793-07:00Ah, David. Hippie punching again. Do we actually n...Ah, David. Hippie punching again. Do we actually nag? Considering the issues at stake it seems like nagging is weak sauce. I don't nag my Republican wife. She would just shut down. I have to find subtle ways of talking about issues we disagree on. I don't nag people at work. I'm a liberal in a purple state. And even in dark blue states managerial culture in the workplace will skew conservative. Nothing to the left of Bill Clinton, who was no liberal at all. The alleged nagging is one of those perpetual grievance issues ground out by the right wing noise machine, to be sure. But is it representative of reality? I'm open to your arguments on this. Better ones than the straw man in the post. You want to experience some nagging? Visit a women's health clinic. Maybe get some pull quotes from Dr. George Tiller. Is it really a bad idea to nag Nazis and Klansmen? I know you said they aren't reachable (true) and we should focus on splitting off those short of that level of hate politics. But what's the pitch? "Say, friend, you don't really want to be over there with the Nazis, do you?" What is hard for them, at this point, to discern? As to your point about how no concession is good enough, name me a concession that was truly delivered. Haven't we been fighting backlash on every civil rights issue since 1865? I believe you have documented it well. Lawrencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01897088393026835108noreply@blogger.com