In arguments where someone claims “A can’t be true because it would cause B and B is undesirable”, it’s probably a safe bet that A doesn’t cause B, because it’s being mentioned as supposedly obvious by the same sort of person who doesn’t recognize their own desires have no impact on whether something is true or not.
The more I think about the simulation argument, the more the measurement problem looks like a programmers hack.
In the context of notes for a potential sci-fi project…
If I were 8 or 9 feet tall and using an advanced adaptive optical camouflage suit, what would be the best way to compensate for the inability to completely camouflage the wearer when moving? Maybe fake fur?
It’s starting; just a little bit.
I understand that April is not to late in the season to plant potatoes in much of the US.
MORE: US Facing Diminishing Supplies of Rye & Wheat
As Food Prices Soar, Some Shortages Appear
Run on rice makes its way to U.S.
Era of cheap food ends as prices surge
Americans hoard food as industry seeks regs
Bay Area Shoppers Asked To Limit Rice Purchases
Wall Street Journal editorial: Time for Americans to stockpile food
Rather than choosing to explain why a fifth of Americans can’t find the US on a world map, Miss South Carolina apparently chose to demonstrate why.
This is a perfect example of the sort of person who goes on to a bright future in government or corporate communications departments. They string overtly intelligent-sounding but vapid catch-phrases together regardless of actual semantic content (or lack thereof). Expressing a coherent thought is at best optional and often to risky within the context of jockeying for status within hierarchies.
This is what the US education/indoctrination system produces because this is what the authoritarian US political system demands. We are fast approaching what the late Robert Anton Wilson (Goddess rest his soul) referred to as “Optimum Fuckup” in his discussions of communications theory.
Hat tip: Last Free Voice
UPDATE: We find a relevant factoid in this article that also happens to briefly mention a beauty queen (sort of…), but otherwise is not particularly relevant in toto…
“Miller’s routine is called “Incredible Feats of Stupidity” and highlights Pentagon programs such as the one that provided landlocked Zimbabwe with anti-submarine rockets.”
Not that stupid when you realize a fundamental purpose of the US defense budget is simply to act as an overt rationale to transfer wealth from the productive class to political class defense contractors.
Knowledge of geography is now fucking subversive…
People continue to speculate about the phrase “Ismail Ax” that Seung Hui Cho, the Virginia Tech killer, had written on his arm. Several go through various contortions of logic, which would otherwise be comical if not for the subject matter, in their aching hope to find a connection to Islam to feed their hungry lust for more pro-war hysteria.
What all of these Dick Tracy wannabes forget is that psychotic people are usually quite “rational” within the bounds of the premises set by their delusions. The most likely meaning of the phrase is a very simple and mundane one, in my opinion.
Mentally roleplay this…
You’re all set to “make them all pay” and go out in what you yourself perceive as a blaze of glory.
You’ve sent your public manifesto to the media.
You’re mentally prepared to die, after having convinced yourself it is right and necessary.
But what about tying up all of the loose ends of your life? What about those you leave behind? What about helping them with the various details of the MUNDANE but private things you’ve left undone? You’re going to die — so how can your next of kin or whoever settle up on your dry-cleaning bill or whatever?
They need to get into your personal, off-campus email account, of course, to see your saved messages and sent replies. And since you’re paranoid, you don’t want to email the password to them. Instead, you hide the password in plain sight with no context, so that it’s just gibberish to everyone except the people who might have a use for it.
I predict that if it ever becomes public knowledge why Cho wrote “Ismail Ax” on his arm, we’ll find that it was just the password for his stupid Hotmail (or whatever) account — put there for the benefit of a relative or friend. And like all decent passwords, it means nothing.
I was going to make some comparison between the myths about anarchists and the reality of the behavior of politicians as part of pointing this out — but really this guy is just a complete shithead. Do check out the comments.
In his eagerness to cover his own ass from war crimes charges through legislative hanky-panky, George W. Bush has implied that explosives brought down the World Trade Center towers. Quote follows:
For example, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed described the design of plane attacks on building inside the U.S. and how operatives were directed to carry them out. That is valuable information for those of us who have the responsibility to protect the American people.
He told us the operatives had been instructed to ensure that the explosives went off at a point that was high enough to prevent people trapped above from escaping.
This does not seem like an inconsequential point.
Hat tip to Veterans for 911 Truth.
Thanks to Adem Kupi for pointing out another great song — George Bush is an Islamic Fundamentalist. by Casetteboy & DJ Rubbish (and featuring Bill Clinton on sax).
George Bush is an Is-lam-ic fun-da-ment-alist, ob-vi-ous-ly.
Trained by Al Qah-hee-da in the heart of Texas
to fight for the faithful army.He’s now in the process of unit-ing the rest of the world
against the good ole US of A.The land of the free will come crashing down
if he has his way.…
Now at this point, I would ask you all to sing along with the chorus normally,
if it wasn’t for the fact that there are cameras on the premises and the CIA might be requisitioning the tapes at any time.So, I recommend that under all circumstances,
catchy though this number is,
you do not sing along,
you do not even smileI recommend the most you do is tap your feet,
and you do that at your own risk.George Bush is an Is-lam-ic fun-da-ment-alist, ob-vi-ous-ly.
More lyrics here. Download it in WMA format here.
For more on conspiracy theories, consult Roderick Long.
No, really — sort of. As Best Week Ever explained, it’s kind of a metaphorical reference to:
…Bush’s typical lack of charisma or intelligence…
…at least, in the context of the song The President’s Dead [mp3] reviewed here.
And while you’re at Best Week Ever, don’t forget to thank them for the public service of, ahem, turning you on to Lindsay Lohan’s vagina. Even if it isn’t the best pose, she’s still Lindsay Lohan.
