Displaying 2,581 To 2,610 Of 3,373 Comments Hi Kalima, » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 27, 2010 @ 10:33 pm Very wonderful comments, Q, and much appreciated. I completely agree with you that our current paradigm is one of “mastering” nature, and even supplanting it, in the dream of technophiles. Taking ourselves out of it and roaming the stars. And yet it is found, and I hope you will verify this, that depression/suicide increase even in high rise buildings! We are meant to live close to the ground and remember that we ARE the ground. If we take ourselves into space we will be ripping off Mother Nature, since our cells are the recycling of Her energy. Me, I never wanna live anywhere but the ground floor in any house or home I live in. And I give thanks every time I encounter a snake as I walk along the river path near my home. He, or she, is reminding me to touch the earth! » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 27, 2010 @ 10:02 pm An Atheist/Technologist Envisions the Afterlife I learned a new word! Thanks! » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 27, 2010 @ 6:32 pm There was a book that came out about 15 years ago that made a big splash and then sort of went away, so I’m danged if I can’t remember the title or author. Anyway, it was about this, and the premise went even further – that all our notions about “God” will be realized through cybernetics, including being able to replicate every human life ever and through Mass Consensus mete out appropriate rewards and punishments. This is the same disagreement I have with your article and premise, and with Star Trek, etc. It leaves out the animals. In Star Trek, no animals. In Star Wars, they are replaced by robots. In your article, no mention of them. They make up ninety nine point whatever percent of the life on this planet, and something like 99.9999999999999999999999 percent of the biomass, and articles and ideas like this have no place for them. You can keep your afterlife, thanks. It’s the dream of a technophile, and technophilia is, to me, nothing other than the encroachment of the left hemisphere of the brain over areas of human experience it can’t understand, so wishes to supplant. » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 26, 2010 @ 5:53 pm Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire: A Trilogy of Manipulative Media Types – Part II He really IS a pompous guy, isn’t he? 🙂 My “Keith’s Worst Moment in The World!” moment was when he made Katie Couric one of his Worst People for making a comment that could have been interpreted (if one is self absorbed and hypersensitive) as a dig at……HIM! Hilarious! You can be not only a Worst Person in Keith’s world, but THE world, if you cross him. Good night and Good Luck! » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 21, 2010 @ 3:42 pm Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire … A Trilogy of Manipulative Media Types – Part I MsB! Howdy! “Queenie” – I like that. Suits her perfectly. It hints at the delusion she seems to have that the world spins to do her bidding. I still think she’s a good writer, usually, finds a good turn of a phrase. But the site has become little more than a forum to play on with fellow bloggers, not a “player” in the world of media, progressive or otherwise. Nice rubbing whiskers with you! » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 20, 2010 @ 4:44 pm I liked Maddow’s speech, and think she has nothing to feel ashamed about. But Ariann? Jeez! Imagine that; turning down a luncheon with the president because of “scheduling conflicts”! Uh…right! I’m just wondering what type of appointment can’t be rescheduled when one has been invited to sit down with POTUS. Thanks for a good laugh, Marion! » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 20, 2010 @ 3:49 pm Yes, that’s why I posted the lyrics. They contain that same preference for property over life, even if the property is moonshine! » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 18, 2010 @ 7:55 pm A great article, Kesmarn, and what a chilling song! I think you are right about the higher tolerance for violence that is considered justified in traditional Southern culture. I remember walking up toward a home in south Columbus, with a high percentage of Appalachian heritage people, on a canvassing project I was working on in college. I was shocked to see a sign, with an illustration of a gun that said, “I value my property more than your life”. I had never even considered such a thing, and here this person was proudly displaying it, feeling as if there was nothing to justify. Needless to say, I skipped THAT house! Once two strangers climbed old Rocky Top This attitude, so sure of itself, so unapologetic, so having NOTHING to do with the teachings of the man they all claim to worship, and believe they will present themselves before in the afterlife, can be easily manipulated by demagogues. Very uncomfortable thought, that. » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 18, 2010 @ 6:07 pm Great Stuff! I see the musical number as a combination of “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast and “Springtime for Hitler” from The Producers. And believe me, that’s praise! » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 14, 2010 @ 3:36 pm ha ha! » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 10, 2010 @ 10:55 pm bingo! » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 10, 2010 @ 10:55 pm With a title like that, I expected this article to have something to do with the world’s oldest profession. Instead, it’s about politics. …………….. » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 9, 2010 @ 9:00 pm I hope you’re instincts are right, Adlib. Nothing less would be too cruel a fate to imagine for the denizens of the Gulf, at least the human ones. Sadly, for our fellow creatures, the damage is irreparable. » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 8, 2010 @ 9:38 pm The crisis in the Gulf is a HUGE test for this presidency, as I’m sure you’ll agree. It has the power to “define” it, and even that notion seems tawdry in relation to the immensity of the tragedy that is unfolding. Who cares if it “defines a presidency” when it is destroying a Gulf, an ecosystem, countless creatures’ lives, and the livelihoods of a region? Nevertheless, it IS a moment for him to rise to. I’m not sure what or how, but his job is to steward us through this process, the coming to terms, the meting out of justice, the safeguards against anything like this happening again,ever, and the move away from fossil fuel dependency. If he manages that well, he’ll accomplish something far more valuable than being reelected. If ever a president was presented/challenged with an opportunity to set a new course for the US, THIS is it! » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 8, 2010 @ 3:24 am Well said, choicelady! I would only add (no surprises here) that I think the onus is on BOTH parties, both the voters and the Obama administration. If his actions/inactions/half-actions, etc. are perceived as being too status quo, and that causes a tipping point of voters to “waste” their vote on third party or independent candidates, as happened with the Nader votes, I won’t be making any excuses for him or his party. » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 8, 2010 @ 3:19 am Wonderful comments, ecat, and I hope I sound sincere when I say that I value all that you write, even that with which I may not completely agree. Particularly, I am very happy to hear your own personal story and celebrate this way that life has been made better for you due to the policies of this administration. Wonderful and encouraging news! » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 8, 2010 @ 1:53 am Hi Nellie. I don’t think what happened was “the public suddenly woke up and wanted it all reversed overnight”. I would guess that the majority of Obama supporters had been “awake” all along. It’s hard to argue that people are being impatient while looking at the Gulf of Mexico catastrophe and recognizing that a.) it’s going to get worse, and that b.) we will see worse environmental disasters occur in the (possibly near) future. At the very least, I would hope that the meme could be changed from, “Waaahh! I didn’t get my pony!” to “Waaaah! I want my Gulf back!” » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 7, 2010 @ 4:08 pm Hi Boomer, I have a lot of respect for Kasich, but I confess to not following that race. I’ll start paying more attention after I figure out if Lebron is going to stay in Cleveland or not! 🙂 » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 7, 2010 @ 5:07 am I appreciate that you didn’t find this article to be bitter – that was not my intention – but also something I feared it might come off as. I’m pretty much like you, not really disappointed, because I wasn’t expecting all that much. On the other hand, the times DO call for “all that much” and that is the quandary we are in now. Maybe nobody can solve the problems our country faces, but…. » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 6, 2010 @ 10:34 pm Great analogy at the end, and overall great comments! I agree, Reagan was like the love potion salesman in the opera “L’elisir d’amore”, but as you point out, he had the courage of his convictions, misguided as they were. It was a spell one might easily fall under. » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 6, 2010 @ 10:29 pm No, I don’t think we would be having the same conversation, but I don’t think that means all that much, really. We don’t get to choose presidents like curtains, matching them with the right situations so that they can look their best. Nobody should have been shocked that the Reagan Fantasy has finally come apart at the seams. Any presidential candidate could have foreseen that it eventually would, and may well on their watch if they got elected. True, Obama was the one left standing when the music stopped, but only because he decided to play Musical Chairs. » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 6, 2010 @ 9:16 pm In which direction? Ninety minutes is the same time it takes to get to Cambridge, where my mom’s from. » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 6, 2010 @ 7:15 pm yeah, I hear you on that. » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 6, 2010 @ 6:37 pm Furry Paw Bump! » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 6, 2010 @ 6:18 pm Great comments, K! Agree completely. » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 6, 2010 @ 6:04 pm Thanks, Khirad. » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 6, 2010 @ 6:03 pm Hi Boomer. How the heck are you? And how the heck is O-Hi-O? I was bummed about the Cleveland Cavaliers falling short again, but I’m over it. 🙂 I wish I could share your optimism, but as my article demonstrates, clearly I cannot. I don’t blame Obama for any of today’s problems, he just happened to be the guy holding office when the whole Reagan Fantasy comes apart at the seams. But I DO hold him responsible, just by virtue of the office he holds now. I cannot even begin to imagine how difficult his job must be, but after all, that’s what surrounding yourself with the right people is for. To me, Obama’s advisers and hacks seem too cozy with those who are entrenched and misbehaving. But I am often wrong, and hope I am in this case. » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 6, 2010 @ 5:57 pm Hi choicelady – because you are in the trenches on this and I am just a guy with a paintbrush and a keyboard, I hasten to concede that I give your words on this subject vastly more weight than my own. That’s not false humility, it’s just facing reality commonsensically. So the fact that you have greater optimism than I is very encouraging to me. I really appreciate it. It goes without saying, though, that I’m not done griping! 🙂 I think your mention of Oprah, and equating her with Reagan in how the American people have distorted ideas about self, is very interesting. For me, the thing that always amuses me is the success of that book “The Secret”, which probably sold about ten copies in the UK, and zillions here! That book was, from what I can tell, somewhat like a New Age version of Rand’s “The Virtue of Selfishness”. NOT something that will bring this country together to act for the common good. But, sadly, that is where we are as a people now. Self-absorbed and hoping that “magical thinking” will give us the lives of our dreams. » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 6, 2010 @ 5:48 pm Such excellent comments that all I can say is “thanks, didenusa!” I agree completely. I guess I should add that Reaganites take the line “provide for the common defense” to mean, “Give the generals any durn thing they ask for!” NOT what the Founding Fathers envisioned at ALL! » Posted By whatsthatsound On June 6, 2010 @ 5:41 pmComments Posted By whatsthatsound
No, I would disagree with that. There are cities run more efficiently. But I am also referring to the sheer size of Tokyo. By virtue of being the center of the largest metropolitan area on earth, and a hyper-industrialized and energy-using one, I believe that my argument holds up. But I agree with you that Tokyo is by no means anomalous, and don’t write that it is.
It was fascinating, and written by a well respected scientist, but it was, of course, crapola. No mention was made about how this Super Computer/God/Thingie would take care of animals. Would it reproduce all of them too? If not, how could the injustices THEY suffered ever be reconciled? And if they couldn’t, could one truly say that human atonement had taken place?
I always love his, “Finally, AS PROMISED, a special commentary blah blah”
He PROMISED! Oh, BOY, we’re in for a treat!
Especially, as you point out, someone like her who would milk it for all its worth, having article after article appear on the site about how she “nudged” and “scolded” him throughout the proceedings.
I also think about a song, a great one, that every band that plays country music knows how to play, “Rocky Top”, that contains the lyrics:
Looking for a moonshine still
Strangers ain’t come down from Rocky Top
Bet they never will.
( I think I’ll just let everyone fill in their own punchline)
….the problems still need to be solved!
And congratulations to your daughter!
Will she be staying in Columbus?
I think that in some ways, it only makes sense that we want a “Great Communicator” or, as you say, “Cheerleader in Chief”. It’s part of who we are as a species. We could almost as easily be referred to as “Homo Communicatus” since our survival for hundreds of thousands of years has come from how well perils and opportunities were communicated among tribe members. The problem is that the world has changed (we have changed it), but we haven’t really, all that much.
Communication seems to have reached a woeful state in America now, when ironically we need it most. Hey! I think I’ll do a piece on that next!
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