I just had to mention this webpage.
Tian
--
Tian
http://tian.greens.org
I still have about 135 "POWER TO THE PEOPLE - McKinney 2008" stickers.
October's First Friday in San Jose: I showed Melanie an Alaska quarter.
Don Stockbauer
> http://xkcd.com/482/
> --
> Tianhttp://tian.greens.org
> I still have about 135 "POWER TO THE PEOPLE - McKinney 2008" stickers.
> October's First Friday in San Jose: I showed Melanie an Alaska quarter.
Is it safe to go there? Do I need to wear a rubber?
Tian
Well, I enjoyed visiting enough to pass on the URL. I'm still around.
--
Tian
Don Stockbauer
> Don Stockbauer wrote:
> > On Oct 7, 2:40 am, Tian <tnhar...@aceweb.com> wrote:
> >>http://xkcd.com/482/
> >> --
> >> Tianhttp://tian.greens.org
> >> I still have about 135 "POWER TO THE PEOPLE - McKinney 2008" stickers.
> >> October's First Friday in San Jose: I showed Melanie an Alaska quarter.
>
> > Is it safe to go there? Do I need to wear a rubber?
>
> Well, I enjoyed visiting enough to pass on the URL. I'm still around.
I took a huge chance and brought it up. It is purdy neat. Now, we
need to get this person to do a cartoon on what's beyond the causal
horizon?
Tian
As a HHGG fan I was enjoying the WMDs being up near Ford Prefect.
How would they slide a Hofstadter reference into something like that?
--
Tian
Don Stockbauer
> Don Stockbauer wrote:
> > On Oct 7, 2:02 pm, Tian <tnhar...@aceweb.com> wrote:
> >> Don Stockbauer wrote:
> >>> On Oct 7, 2:40 am, Tian <tnhar...@aceweb.com> wrote:
> >>>>http://xkcd.com/482/
> >>>> --
> >>>> Tianhttp://tian.greens.org
> >>>> I still have about 135 "POWER TO THE PEOPLE - McKinney 2008" stickers.
> >>>> October's First Friday in San Jose: I showed Melanie an Alaska quarter.
> >>> Is it safe to go there? Do I need to wear a rubber?
> >> Well, I enjoyed visiting enough to pass on the URL. I'm still around.
>
> > I took a huge chance and brought it up. It is purdy neat. Now, we
> > need to get this person to do a cartoon on what's beyond the causal
> > horizon?
>
> As a HHGG fan I was enjoying the WMDs being up near Ford Prefect.
>
> How would they slide a Hofstadter reference into something like that?
"Very carefully."
WMD = Weapons of Mass Destruction, or does the AHA ("Another Hated
Acronym") have another meaning here (polysemy)? Near Ford Prefect?
He had better look out. But then, he's just a frictional character.
And people keep telling me Fords are pieces of shit, why did you buy
one, Don? Well, itz sold now, so ahm OK.
I first heard of HHGG (or was it one of his other works?) when someone
at work was running around saying "The answer is 42, the answer is 42"
around 1978, years after it came out. But then, Adams was an
absurdist, not a SF writer.
Mudge
On 10/08/2008 04:40:02 Don Stockbauer wrote:
> I first heard of HHGG (or was it one of his other works?) when someone at
> work was running around saying "The answer is 42, the answer is 42" around
> 1978, years after it came out. But then, Adams was an absurdist, not a SF
> writer.
But, over the intervening years, you HAVE discovered the answer is,
indeed, 42, innit - and L. Ron Hubbard, is NOT god !!!
--
The Canadian Curmudgeon (in Calgary)
Please save our endangered CO2 ~ plant many trees
Don Stockbauer
> On 10/08/2008 04:40:02 Don Stockbauer wrote:
>
> > I first heard of HHGG (or was it one of his other works?) when someone at
> > work was running around saying "The answer is 42, the answer is 42" around
> > 1978, years after it came out. But then, Adams was an absurdist, not a SF
> > writer.
>
> But, over the intervening years, you HAVE discovered the answer is,
> indeed, 42, innit - and L. Ron Hubbard, is NOT god !!!
Yes the answer is 42, the question is what's 21 times 2?
Hubbard was a god. As we are all gods. Combined through global
telecommunications into a meta-god.
Hubbard once said "the way to make the real bucks is to form a
religion." Hubbard resides in Money Heaven now. Universe bless his
soul.
Tian
> On Oct 8, 12:13 pm, Mudge <Mu...@nospam.ever> wrote:
>> On 10/08/2008 04:40:02 Don Stockbauer wrote:
>>
>>> I first heard of HHGG (or was it one of his other works?) when someone at
>>> work was running around saying "The answer is 42, the answer is 42" around
>>> 1978, years after it came out. But then, Adams was an absurdist, not a SF
>>> writer.
>> But, over the intervening years, you HAVE discovered the answer is,
>> indeed, 42, innit - and L. Ron Hubbard, is NOT god !!!
>
> Yes the answer is 42, the question is what's 21 times 2?
Well, the question could as easily have been "what's 6 times 7?",
or even "what's half of 84?" In fact, the question could have been
almost anything.
I particularly enjoy the fact that Washington was the 42nd State to join
the USA, and it is the only state on the list represented by a circle
in Washington DC. All of the other States are represtened by streets
that go someplace instead of going round and round in a circle. I find
something Hofstadterish about that.
>
> Hubbard was a god. As we are all gods. Combined through global
> telecommunications into a meta-god.
In the Hubbard vs. Heinlein debate I'm on the Heinlein side of it all.
>
> Hubbard once said "the way to make the real bucks is to form a
> religion." Hubbard resides in Money Heaven now. Universe bless his
> soul.
Heinlein said "the way to make real money is to buy corner lots in new
developments and sell them to oil companies for gas stations after they
put houses on the other ones." He also got lots of money from his scheme.
--
Tian
http://tian.greens.org
I still have about 133 "POWER TO THE PEOPLE - McKinney 2008" stickers.
Don Stockbauer
> Don Stockbauer wrote:
> > On Oct 8, 12:13 pm, Mudge <Mu...@nospam.ever> wrote:
> >> On 10/08/2008 04:40:02 Don Stockbauer wrote:
>
> >>> I first heard of HHGG (or was it one of his other works?) when someone at
> >>> work was running around saying "The answer is 42, the answer is 42" around
> >>> 1978, years after it came out. But then, Adams was an absurdist, not a SF
> >>> writer.
> >> But, over the intervening years, you HAVE discovered the answer is,
> >> indeed, 42, innit - and L. Ron Hubbard, is NOT god !!!
>
> > Yes the answer is 42, the question is what's 21 times 2?
>
> Well, the question could as easily have been "what's 6 times 7?",
> or even "what's half of 84?" In fact, the question could have been
> almost anything.
I knew that.
>
> I particularly enjoy the fact that Washington was the 42nd State to join
> the USA, and it is the only state on the list represented by a circle
> in Washington DC. All of the other States are represtened by streets
> that go someplace instead of going round and round in a circle. I find
> something Hofstadterish about that.
>
Maybe it depends on if you want the System to last forever, or go
extinct. Maybe Washington knows more than we think. What they do is
geared towards forever, going around in circles, rather than a liner
one which will someday terminate. Maybe those Foundling Fathers
really knew their stuff. Principles applicable even today. And
tomorrow. And July 4, 2839. And 1 billion AD in its sister city,
Diaspar.
>
>
> > Hubbard was a god. As we are all gods. Combined through global
> > telecommunications into a meta-god.
>
> In the Hubbard vs. Heinlein debate I'm on the Heinlein side of it all.
>
> > Hubbard once said "the way to make the real bucks is to form a
> > religion." Hubbard resides in Money Heaven now. Universe bless his
> > soul.
>
> Heinlein said "the way to make real money is to buy corner lots in new
> developments and sell them to oil companies for gas stations after they
> put houses on the other ones." He also got lots of money from his scheme.
I didn't know that. So he was into making a lot of money just like
everybody else. That's the way to be.
After a meeting of The Houston Astronomical Society one night many
years ago a member named Bill Darnell stayed late and told me that he
had once driven out to Heinleins house (I think in LA or thereabouts)
just wanting to see what the house looked like. And lo and behold,
who was mowing the yard? The Man his own self! Bill talked to him
awhile, H. took an interest in him, invited him in to supper. Can you
imagine? Bill also told me that joke about "Get Serious" said between
two astronomers in an automated observatory late at night after a hard
working session and they both wanted to go home. Where Bill is now,
along with all the rest of the HAS club memebers, I haven't the
foggiest.
Tian
> On Oct 8, 3:09 pm, Tian <tnhar...@aceweb.com> wrote:
>
>> I particularly enjoy the fact that Washington was the 42nd State to join
>> the USA, and it is the only state on the list represented by a circle
>> in Washington DC. All of the other States are represtened by streets
>> that go someplace instead of going round and round in a circle. I find
>> something Hofstadterish about that.
>>
>
> Maybe it depends on if you want the System to last forever, or go
> extinct. Maybe Washington knows more than we think. What they do is
> geared towards forever, going around in circles, rather than a liner
> one which will someday terminate. Maybe those Foundling Fathers
> really knew their stuff. Principles applicable even today. And
> tomorrow. And July 4, 2839. And 1 billion AD in its sister city,
> Diaspar.
Nah, all they care about in Washington DC is winning the next election
for whomever it is that's going to beef up the federal bureaucracy.
>>
>>> Hubbard was a god. As we are all gods. Combined through global
>>> telecommunications into a meta-god.
>> In the Hubbard vs. Heinlein debate I'm on the Heinlein side of it all.
>>
>>> Hubbard once said "the way to make the real bucks is to form a
>>> religion." Hubbard resides in Money Heaven now. Universe bless his
>>> soul.
>> Heinlein said "the way to make real money is to buy corner lots in new
>> developments and sell them to oil companies for gas stations after they
>> put houses on the other ones." He also got lots of money from his scheme.
>
> I didn't know that. So he was into making a lot of money just like
> everybody else. That's the way to be.
>
> After a meeting of The Houston Astronomical Society one night many
> years ago a member named Bill Darnell stayed late and told me that he
> had once driven out to Heinleins house (I think in LA or thereabouts)
> just wanting to see what the house looked like. And lo and behold,
> who was mowing the yard? The Man his own self! Bill talked to him
> awhile, H. took an interest in him, invited him in to supper. Can you
> imagine? Bill also told me that joke about "Get Serious" said between
> two astronomers in an automated observatory late at night after a hard
> working session and they both wanted to go home. Where Bill is now,
> along with all the rest of the HAS club memebers, I haven't the
> foggiest.
Hmmm... I knew Virginia Heinlein slightly as someone whose emails
crossed her computer screen as part of alt.fan.heinlein, but that was
back in the days when his widow was still around. I still browse the
group occasionally, and there are still people who post there that
got responses to their fan mails to the great author. Back when he
was alive I just read his books as fast as I could, until he pissed
me off with The Number of the Beast, which wasted my time. I quit
reading him after that, and only much later found out that TNOTB
was written during what can only be called a personal health crisis.
I still remember the hunt for more good heinleins as one of the bright
spots in my teenybopper years.
Don Stockbauer
The only book of his I've ever read was Stranger in a Strange Land.
I'm sure I've read short stories of his in collections but can't
remember exactly which. I went more the AC Clarke, Harlan Ellison,
Vonnegut route. Then the web came along and put an end to me reading
books at all. I made the mistake of telling this to one person and
thy replied "You'll forget how to read if you don't read books". I
also told told a librarian once that I surf the web rather than
needing a library, and I wish I hadn't, it almost broke her heart.
Tian
It really is true that there are experiences you can get from reading
you can't get from the web. Reading on the bus for hours for the
investment of $5ish for example. Just the other week I finished reading
Bush League of Nations, a detailed look at how screwed up the current
crop of Republicans are. Now I'm working on The Rise And Fall of an
American Army, a book about the Viet Nam War from the point of view
of a soldier who fought in it.
--
Tian
http://tian.greens.org
I still have about 133 "POWER TO THE PEOPLE - McKinney 2008" stickers.
Today I found $2 in my mailbox. A thank you gift for McKinney stickers.
Don Stockbauer
I did buy the subject of this ng's "I am a stange loop"
and currently have it filled with just about as much analysis and
annotations as GEB, even though it (the reference is to GEB) has come
unbound from use (come unbound - Hmmmmm??????).
Tian
My copy of GEB is gathering dust on a shelf somewhere. I read it in the
early 80s, maybe the winter of 82-'83. Every time I move I stop to
browse it again when I pack it, and again when I unpack it. Not so many
books I enjoy that way.
--
Tian
http://tian.greens.org
I still have about 132 "POWER TO THE PEOPLE - McKinney 2008" stickers.
Don Stockbauer
Mine is mostly mothballed now. Used to refer to it to make points in
the ng's, but haven't needed to in a long time. I am a Strange Loop
has replaced it for me, but I haven't read it cover to cover, it's
more just read a bit at random here and there. I have trouble with
thinking that I AM a strange loop. I experience them, I am aware of
them, but to say that's what I AM I don't quite believe.
I heard Dr. Hofstadter's next work will be on analogies, written
together with a student. That should be good, since analogies do seem
to be the major way people learn.