Comments for Conventional Folly

Comment on Hitler only had one by David Donadio

David Donadio — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 04:57:31 +0000

Ha. And John Kruk, I suppose.

Comment on Water on Mars by Dale

Dale — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:25:34 +0000

David, love the reference to a decent retelling of an even better Phillip K. Dick novelette.

But in a separate real world story that I think is at least as big as the ‘water on mars story; it appears a killer asteroid may have actually prevented the development of life by turning off Mars’ magnetic field. http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/11/19/mars-asteroid-magnetic.html

Comment on Hitler only had one by Dale

Dale — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:17:31 +0000

So we can add him to that other paragon of virtue Tupac (who became one-pack after being injured in an attack several months prior to the shooting in which he died).

Comment on Prego, cara! by David Polansky

David Polansky — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:21:30 +0000

Most ominous is the vaguely described “home-aid sex aid.” The possibilities are endless.

Comment on Water on Mars by David Donadio

David Donadio — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:15:49 +0000

Are you crazy? It’s not stable! You’ll blow the whole place up!

Very truly yours,
Vilos Cohaagen

Comment on Lieberman, far-rightist by Dale

Dale — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:00:10 +0000

Definitely, there are some such as Moulitsas and Aravosis who have it in for Lieberman. But reading the Nate Silver piece and the remarkably (to me) phlegmatic response by commenters, I don’t think the ‘vengence’ wing of the Netroots is driving the bus.

Comment on A Loss of Shared Teleology by Dale

Dale — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:21:31 +0000

I think this lack of shared teleology is actually a function of the pluralistic society in which we live; the lack of homogenity of experience. However, I think it is overly simplistic to state that this devalues ethics to nothing more than a statement of personal preferences.

In a very real sense, the struggles over gay marriage are the first real culture war we have seen since the civil rights movement of 1960s. I see a similarity to the ‘real’ battle over the scientific theory of macro-evolution vs. creationism (and its ideological cousins). It is not a battle over knowledge of nature so much as it is a battle of the nature of knowledge. It is the dissonance of one idea that knowledge can be discovered and described by humanity; and a second idea that knowledge can only be revealed and prescribed by deity or an equivalent authority of ultimate appeal.

If we choose the former path, yes we will always be questioning and re-evaluating our individual values for validity and currency. But that should give us comfort that those ideas will survive in the free-market of ideas as opposed to the certitude but lack on continued growth or inquiry of the latter path. And just as the capitalistic free-market has lead to a much vaster wealth than the Mercantilist systems of yore; so will this free-market of ideas lead to a much richer and diverse marketplace of ideas and human expression.

Comment on Prego, cara! by Daniel Kennelly

Daniel Kennelly — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:27:33 +0000

As a big government conservative, I say “Ragu for Everyone!”

Comment on Prego, cara! by Daniel Polansky

Daniel Polansky — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:21:08 +0000

You’re awfully judgmental about a man’s desire to flee the police whilst masturbating furiously. I thought you were a libertarian?
Milton Friedman would be rolling over in his grave to see your betrayal of the movement.

Comment on The Problem with Evangelicals by matoko_chan

matoko_chan — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:08:23 +0000

And in forty years, we will have citizen cyborgs and silicon intelligences.
They will not be voting Republican, the anti-intellectual party, the party of intolerance, the party of anti-science, the party of xenophobia and homophobia.
ratz, another demographic lost to the GOP.