Thursday, August 21, 2003
Got some nice feedback and kind words from Kurzweil on the article below; although he points out that according to his research sofware will lag slightly behind the hardware so the numbers may be off a little — however, given my own research in learning music systems and so on I don't believe this will be an issue. Once “learning” or self-programming systems are perfected, software will grow explosively, and then automatically expand to the full potential of any hardware given, especially given the enormous range of digital media and culture we can feed it.
Other than that, SKIN DEEP, the UK tattoo magazine, is going to be using part of my Ban it all! commentary regarding the anti-mod “studies” being released by the EU, which now has a variety of pending legislation being proposed because of its lies. In the even more good news department Jim Ward tells me that we should have his first column within a matter of days now, so I'm very anxiously awaying that. In addition, expect a fascinating guest column from Jason on Live Art this upcoming week.
Finally, for those of you into t-shirts, here is Jasonthe29th's latest proposal (you may remember him from such shows as In Case Of Emergency — which is basically sold out now; sorry!). If you like it and want it brought to brint, here's where you should make that known.
Thursday, August 21, 2003
As well as Van Wilder, I caught the end of some war movie on TV last night, which always makes me sick. The thing that amazes me is that people can walk away from combat with feelings of camaraderie and pride… I don't understand how they don't walk away saying, “This is the sickest, most fucked up thing that humans can do to each other. I will spend the rest of my days speaking out against it.”
Now, a lot do, especially after combat with little to no “moral” justification like Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and so on, such as groups like Veterans for Peace and even Veterans for Common Sense. But having seen it first hand, how can all people not see the perversion in one group of people co-murdering with another group of people in an orgy of evil? How can people like through it and not shout out War is Murder and War is Ignorance?
"We got off the train. Tall, strong hard-muscled Americans. Our drill instructors taught us how to march, and how to crawl through machine gun fire. They taught us how to rip out the enemy's throat and how to fire bullets into his brain. Some of these trainees would actually come home like Trumbo's Johnny. Others would die crying for their girlfriends or mothers, mouths clogged with blood and snow, eyes frozen open. All of this would change us. Not for just awhile, but for the rest of our lives. War does that. Gets inside. Doesn't want to leave. I carry it. A discovery, a wound, a challenge. A face that cries for mercy in the world where more than forty armed conflicts are raging."
- Philip Berrigan
It's just a stupid thing for us to be doing. Life is great, as far as the hospitability of the environment and the ability to grow food, all over the world. This planet and our sun give us far far more energy than we are currently consuming, yet we wage bloody wars over highly inefficient and short-sighted fuels. It's just really stupid when you look at it on any objective level and you'd think that even if the “leaders” with their greed-filled drives can't get that through their heads won't stop, that the common man who's sent to die would have the strength to stand up and say, “You know what? I don't want to die for this…”
But instead they do exactly what they've been designed to do… make the situation worse by directing their anger at those that should be their allies — fellow oppressed people. In Iraq, we're seeing young Americans and young Iraqis killing each other and bystanders of all sorts daily, on orders of repressive rulers with no gain to themselves, their families, or even their countries (or the world). It's very sad.
Thursday, August 21, 2003
Last night I was receiving as many as one thousands virus and virus-related emails per hour; enough that it was starting to totally bog down my connection. In order to fight the economic cost of both spam and virus emails, I've added a Bayseian (or whatever it's called) filter to my email scanning, although I'm still properly training it. Other than that I had far too many nightmares and far too little sleep last night and am off shortly to Toronto. It's a very foggy day.
As a history PS, I recommend two articles. First, The Spectre of Operation Ajax, talking about how the US destroyed Iran's first democratic government back in the fifties, after it moved control of its oil supply away from the US. You may also want to check out How America Created A Terrorist Haven, on how the US in Iraq took a country that was not a terrorist threat, and recently turned it (and other countries) into one.
Thursday, August 21, 2003
Power blackouts are a waste of time. Thanks to CT (and his phone) for being around to let me know someone hadn't detonated an EMP over NYC. Other than that momentary worry it was mostly just the annoyance of pushing my already over-full and behind schedule back another 18 hours or whatever.
When the power went out yesterday, I was working on the new column. As a point of amusement, here is what I was reading exactly when the power went down (I have everything here on UPSs so I didn't lose anything at least):
The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race. They have greatly increased the life-expectancy of those of us who live in "advanced" countries, but they have destabilized society, have made life unfulfilling, have subjected human beings to indignities, have led to widespread psychological suffering (in the Third World to physical suffering as well) and have inflicted severe damage on the natural world. The continued development of technology will worsen the situation. It will certainly subject human beings to greater indignities and inflict greater damage on the natural world, it will probably lead to greater social disruption and psychological suffering, and it may lead to increased physical suffering even in "advanced" countries.
If the system breaks down the consequences will still be very painful. But the bigger the system grows the more disastrous the results of its breakdown will be, so if it is to break down it had best break down sooner rather than later.
If it's not obvious that's an excerpt from mathematician and terrorist Ted Kaczynski's Unabomber Manifesto… Who I believe time will exonerate (well, he'll still be a murderer, but no more of a murderer than any soldier that's ever killed another in a “justified” war). Well, I'm off to the gym.
Thursday, August 21, 2003
While I'm on the subject of parties, is it just me, or does Marty look (and perhaps act) disconcertingly like Van Wilder (aka Ryan Reynolds)…? (Yeah, it was just on TV).
