Isaac Asimov has an interesting pre-World-Wide Web quote, “The advance of civilization is nothing but an exercise in the limiting of privacy.” Janov Pelorat in Foundation’s Edge (1982). Think about the word “civilization”. The root, civil, means to treat others well. In one ideal world, everyone would treat everyone else well for no reason. In hunter-gather…
Language is our genes talking; getting things that it wants. … Social learning is visual theft.
Ender Wiggin’s sister, Valentine plays the role of fictional Demosthenes online in several of the books by Orson Scott Card. She would play the role of an extremist to whip up the gullible Americans, while her power hungry psychopath brother Peter played the role of Locke would be the moderate. In reading Ender in Exile, a speculative train…
According to Dan Pink, John Elfreth Watkins, Jr. predicted several things: Among his calls: Americans will be taller. (True) There will be no C, X, or Q in the alphabet. (False) Photographs will be telegraphed from large distances. (True) Rats and mice will be gone. (False). Pneumatic tubes, instead of store wagons, will deliver packages and…
There is a video of soldiers returning from Afghanistan irritated about having to pay out of pocket for bags they thought were allowed under the government contract with Delta Airlines. At the time, Delta’s understanding of the contract was First or Business class could carry four bags. Economy class could carry three. Because of this,…
One of those Facebook poll things had a list of American Film Institute top 100 movies. Fortunately for me, Netflix Watch Instantly has several of the ones I wanted to see. Network was one of them. The scene where Beale, the news announcer breaks down in the rant, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not…
Yesterday was the 100th day of the year, so I figured I would figure out my progress with those pesky resolutions. Complete unfinished novel series. I finished the Harry Potter series. I am simultaneously working on the Sword of Truth and Ender series. The Shadow Rising was such an awful book I gave up on…
Driving off from brunch downtown, I followed these three (well, five) for several miles. My motorcycle gang expertise being extremely limited, I used the power of Google to see just what notorious trouble these people have caused. Brawls? Drug dealing? Executions? Terrorism? Probably not Hell’s Angels league but there must be dozens of organizations from…
I read this bit about keeping a low profile and did a bit of math in my head and realized I had an almost decade long gap in my recall of who was Speaker of the House. I knew Newt Gingrich was out around 1999. I also knew Nancy Pelosi was in around 2007. Most…