Re: Hyperinflation!
On Fri, 12 Sep 2008, John Williams wrote: > > > Julia Thompson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> How long is Anathem? > > 890 pages + about 40 pages of supplementary material at the back. I'm on page > 72. > >> If it's under, say, 800 pages, I might pick up a >> copy at FenCon and have it read by Christmas > > Ah, well. Well, maybe I'll look at it and weigh it (and I could do that in more than one way!) and at least think about it. If I get my hands on a copy to look at on Friday, I may very well purchase by the time I leave Sunday. BTW, anyone else going to FenCon? Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
Julia Thompson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > How long is Anathem? 890 pages + about 40 pages of supplementary material at the back. I'm on page 72. > If it's under, say, 800 pages, I might pick up a > copy at FenCon and have it read by Christmas Ah, well. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
On Fri, 12 Sep 2008, John Williams wrote: > "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> , I'm going to ask some questions that others interpret as setting >> strawmen. > > I'm not saying don't ask, but I won't guarantee an answer. Although you > wouldn't > know it from my posts, I actually wanted to discuss science fiction when > I joined this list (I got a bit sidetracked, obviously). No one wanted to > discuss > Greg Bear's latest book. I just started Neal Stephenson's new book, > Anathem. I'm having a little trouble getting started, the beginning is a bit > slow (heh, big contrast with Snow Crash). If you want to take a break from > your work, you could always read Anathem and then discuss it here! :-) How long is Anathem? If it's under, say, 800 pages, I might pick up a copy at FenCon and have it read by Christmas Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
On 12 Sep 2008, at 18:21, John Williams wrote: > "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> , I'm going to ask some questions that others interpret as setting >> strawmen. > > I'm not saying don't ask, but I won't guarantee an answer. Although > you wouldn't > know it from my posts, I actually wanted to discuss science fiction > when > I joined this list (I got a bit sidetracked, obviously). No one > wanted to discuss > Greg Bear's latest book. I just started Neal Stephenson's new book, > Anathem. I'm having a little trouble getting started, the beginning > is a bit > slow (heh, big contrast with Snow Crash). If you want to take a > break from > your work, you could always read Anathem and then discuss it here! :-) > I just added Anathem to my Amazon wish list the other day. But first I have to read The Baroque Cycle which I bought a year or so back. I might be some time Maru -- William T Goodall Mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web : http://www.wtgab.demon.co.uk Blog : http://radio.weblogs.com/0111221/ “Babies are born every day without an iPod. We will get there.” - Adam Sohn, the head of public relations for Microsoft's Zune division. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
"[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >, I'm going to ask some questions that others interpret as setting > strawmen. I'm not saying don't ask, but I won't guarantee an answer. Although you wouldn't know it from my posts, I actually wanted to discuss science fiction when I joined this list (I got a bit sidetracked, obviously). No one wanted to discuss Greg Bear's latest book. I just started Neal Stephenson's new book, Anathem. I'm having a little trouble getting started, the beginning is a bit slow (heh, big contrast with Snow Crash). If you want to take a break from your work, you could always read Anathem and then discuss it here! :-) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
-- Original message -- From: John Williams <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" > > > Well, my mom seems to have a trouble with new things. She has a far > > different > > way of looking at things, and when I try to explain them, she keeps on > > asking > > questions that don't lead to understanding. > > She isn't stupid, but at 88 she doesn't adapt well. > > Is your implication that she cannot plug in a cable and a power cord? No, it's subtler than that. She can do such things for things she has been dealing with for the last 25 years. But, she gets confused when its a _brand new thing_. For example, she can handle a VCR but not a DVD, even though you and I see them as subsets of the same problem, they are wildly different from her perspective. >Is she living alone? If so, what percentage of women over 65 do you think >are similarly > incapable and living alone? Many older folks are in that situation. They don't want to lose their indepenence and new technology has long passed them by. John McCain not being familiar with the internet is one example of this. > I'm asking because the implication was about whether the government should > have > prevented the networks from switching over to HDTV in order that elderly > women > living alone who cannot plug in a cable and power cord (or have someone help > them) are able to continue watching their old televisions. What will happen is that there will be a lot of upset older folks, most of whom should/do have folks they rely on (as does my mom). She should be in assisted living, would be happier there (knowing her personality I know she'd have great fun socializing instead of being isolated) but clings to the familiar. I'd argue that the real solution will be to have organizations that are in place that already help the elderly aided by the government (the rebate program should be most of the expense) in helping the elderly take advantage of the rebate program. My mom has had cable for years, so I don't worry about her. > > BTW, welcome to Brin-L. I have been the least liberal loud person on the > group, > > Thanks. Liberal loud :-). Nice description! Well, to be clear, it appears that you fit in well with the frequent posters and represent a voice/perspective that was lost when folks to the right of me (Eric, JDG and Gautam to name 3 I can think of) left. I like a wealth of perspectives. I'm taking a bit of time off in Duluth MN, now that I know there are folks who will take care of my house. (It's win-win, the person who's doing it is an old family friend who lives in a mobile home and will invite 4 friends who also live in mobile homes to stay at our house). Her kids are taking in all the blowables from the yard, so I'm very happy with that. I'm going to try to take time off to try to respond to your ecconomics email as a mental health exercise (going 14 hours a day working at my age is hard). When I do, I'm going to ask some questions that others interpret as setting strawmen. They are not I'm just asking to set boundaries, since it's much easier to discuss a topic with someone when one has a general feel for their viewpoint. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
Ronn! Blankenship <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > That said, it's hard to see how this forced change is about anything > else but money: No, it is not hard to see. A lot of people appreciate the benefits of HDTV, as evidenced by the number of people with cable who are willing to pay extra for HD service. Without digital broadcasting, people cannot receive HD programming. Given the limited amount of bandwidth available to television broadcasters, it is not surprising that they would want to switch from analog to digital to give many of their customers what they demand. The current situation is clearly inefficient, where multiple copies of the same signal are broadcast in analog and digital. Some of that bandwidth can be used more effectively for other useful purposes. I think it is easy to see why the switch is occurring, and it is primarily because many customers want digital TV, and secondarily because the current redundant broadcasting is inefficient -- in other words, people want to use some of that poorly used bandwidth for other useful purposes. > under a similar title but we also have enough wireless bandwidth > already for people to yak on the phone and even send and receive text > messages rather than paying attention while they're supposed to be > driving, so what else is needed in that area? I certainly want more wireless bandwidth. I know a lot of other people who do, too. I would like to be able to stream video to and from my laptop wirelessly wherever I am, and that takes quite a bit of bandwidth. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
At 07:54 PM Wednesday 9/10/2008, John Williams wrote: >Ronn! Blankenship <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Whether I am aware of it is less the point than whether little old > > ladies living alone on Social Security need something else technical > > to bother with. > >So, you think elderly women are too stupid to plug in a cable and a >power cord? Good thing they have such a smart guy like you to >to look out for them. No, when they call me to come over and connect or troubleshoot something for them, I don't consider them "stupid" even in the cases where it turns out to be that simple. Many of them know how to do things well that I don't know how to do well or at all. Sometimes they offer to do something in exchange for what I do for them, but I never expect anything in return and nearly always turn it down. That said, it's hard to see how this forced change is about anything else but money: to eventually get everybody to have to buy new equipment and to subscribe to cable or satellite TV for a monthly fee around what one of those government coupons are worth, which is a significant amount for someone on a fixed income who doesn't really have any desire to have 500 channels. And as far as bringing in more money to the government for "deficit reduction" (which is what the title and stated purpose of the bill mandating the change is) by auctioning off the portions of the spectrum freed up by the change, not only does have to wonder whether this will bring any more relief to the average citizen than anything else which has been implemented under a similar title but we also have enough wireless bandwidth already for people to yak on the phone and even send and receive text messages rather than paying attention while they're supposed to be driving, so what else is needed in that area? . . . ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
"[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Well, my mom seems to have a trouble with new things. She has a far > different > way of looking at things, and when I try to explain them, she keeps on asking > questions that don't lead to understanding. > She isn't stupid, but at 88 she doesn't adapt well. Is your implication that she cannot plug in a cable and a power cord? Is she living alone? If so, what percentage of women over 65 do you think are similarly incapable and living alone? I'm asking because the implication was about whether the government should have prevented the networks from switching over to HDTV in order that elderly women living alone who cannot plug in a cable and power cord (or have someone help them) are able to continue watching their old televisions. > BTW, welcome to Brin-L. I have been the least liberal loud person on the > group, Thanks. Liberal loud :-). Nice description! > Unfortunately, I'm way behind because my portable started > crashing every 4 minutes, so I had to rebuild it from the core while I was > trying to satisfy 3 clients and prepare for a trip to help out > family.just > as a hurricane may be bearing down on my house...sigh. In reverse order of priority, I hope! :-) Good luck! ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
-- Original message -- From: John Williams <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Ronn! Blankenship > > > Whether I am aware of it is less the point than whether little old > > ladies living alone on Social Security need something else technical > > to bother with. > > So, you think elderly women are too stupid to plug in a cable and a > power cord? Good thing they have such a smart guy like you to > to look out for them. Well, my mom seems to have a trouble with new things. She has a far different way of looking at things, and when I try to explain them, she keeps on asking questions that don't lead to understanding. She isn't stupid, but at 88 she doesn't adapt well. That tends to be a fact of life; it's becomes harder to deal with things that are outside the framework with which you've been doing just fine in for the last 60-70 years when 70 or 80 years have passed. BTW, welcome to Brin-L. I have been the least liberal loud person on the group, and it is nice to see someone who jumps in with both feet who appears to be to the right of me. Unfortunately, I'm way behind because my portable started crashing every 4 minutes, so I had to rebuild it from the core while I was trying to satisfy 3 clients and prepare for a trip to help out family.just as a hurricane may be bearing down on my house...sigh. Dan M. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
Andrew Crystall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > It's certainly something I'd want to know about (and returns on the > voucher? No, not allowed so sorry) given that there are $50-60 boxes > which give a perfectly good image output. Sure, I'd certainly pay $10 or $20 for a better box. Which model would you recommend? ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
On 10 Sep 2008 at 18:47, John Williams wrote: > > > Andrew Crystall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > Yes, and you get what you pay for - in reviews, that box scored > > considerably lower than analogue TV. > > Yeah, don't you hate it when free things are of poor quality? I always > demand my money back. So to summarise, I have to get a box because the government is switching over to digital TV, and the cheapest box actually reduces my image quality? It's certainly something I'd want to know about (and returns on the voucher? No, not allowed so sorry) given that there are $50-60 boxes which give a perfectly good image output. AndrewC ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
Andrew Crystall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Yes, and you get what you pay for - in reviews, that box scored > considerably lower than analogue TV. Yeah, don't you hate it when free things are of poor quality? I always demand my money back. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
On 10 Sep 2008 at 10:03, John Williams wrote:
> Ronn! Blankenship <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
>
> > Is it digital-ready? As I've mentioned before,
> > one way of looking at that is as a way that the
> > manufacturers of the equipment and the providers
> > of programming have come up with to get some more
> > money out of those who have been living too long
> > with a perfectly adequate (for them)
> > over-eight-year-old TV with rabbit ears or a
> > rooftop antenna which were long ago paid for.
>
> Are you aware that HD broadcasts ("digital") are available
> and can be received by an old rooftop antenna? If you do
> not have a digital TV, you can get a digital/analog converter
> box. In fact, the FCC was offering a $40 rebate to anyone
> purchasing such a box (I think the deal may be over now,
> but you can check with a web search). I remember at one
> point there was a converter box that sold for $40, so with
> the rebate people could get the box for no out-of-pocket
> cost.
Yes, and you get what you pay for - in reviews, that box scored
considerably lower than analogue TV.
AndrewC
___
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Re: Hyperinflation!
Ronn! Blankenship <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Whether I am aware of it is less the point than whether little old > ladies living alone on Social Security need something else technical > to bother with. So, you think elderly women are too stupid to plug in a cable and a power cord? Good thing they have such a smart guy like you to to look out for them. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
At 12:03 PM Wednesday 9/10/2008, John Williams wrote:
>Ronn! Blankenship <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
>
> > Is it digital-ready? As I've mentioned before,
> > one way of looking at that is as a way that the
> > manufacturers of the equipment and the providers
> > of programming have come up with to get some more
> > money out of those who have been living too long
> > with a perfectly adequate (for them)
> > over-eight-year-old TV with rabbit ears or a
> > rooftop antenna which were long ago paid for.
>
>Are you aware that HD broadcasts ("digital") are available
>and can be received by an old rooftop antenna? If you do
>not have a digital TV, you can get a digital/analog converter
>box. In fact, the FCC was offering a $40 rebate to anyone
>purchasing such a box (I think the deal may be over now,
>but you can check with a web search). I remember at one
>point there was a converter box that sold for $40, so with
>the rebate people could get the box for no out-of-pocket
>cost.
Whether I am aware of it is less the point than whether little old
ladies living alone on Social Security need something else technical
to bother with.
. . . ronn! :)
___
http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
John Williams <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >(I think the deal may be over now, > but you can check with a web search). I remember at one > point there was a converter box that sold for $40, so with > the rebate people could get the box for no out-of-pocket > cost. The rebate is still available. https://www.dtv2009.gov/ Also, it is not hard to find a $40 box, so with rebate, you pay nothing. See the list of retailers here: https://www.dtv2009.gov/VendorSearch.aspx The second online one in the list had a $40 box. I bet there are others as well. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
Ronn! Blankenship <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Is it digital-ready? As I've mentioned before,
> one way of looking at that is as a way that the
> manufacturers of the equipment and the providers
> of programming have come up with to get some more
> money out of those who have been living too long
> with a perfectly adequate (for them)
> over-eight-year-old TV with rabbit ears or a
> rooftop antenna which were long ago paid for.
Are you aware that HD broadcasts ("digital") are available
and can be received by an old rooftop antenna? If you do
not have a digital TV, you can get a digital/analog converter
box. In fact, the FCC was offering a $40 rebate to anyone
purchasing such a box (I think the deal may be over now,
but you can check with a web search). I remember at one
point there was a converter box that sold for $40, so with
the rebate people could get the box for no out-of-pocket
cost.
___
http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
At 02:22 PM Tuesday 9/9/2008, Jon Louis Mann wrote:
>[snip for brevity]
>
>Sarcasm is the lingua franca of the internet, John.
As I noted a few hours ago on another list, on
one of the lists I am on there is one prolific
poster who frequently claims that he speaks
sarcasm as a second language . . . then there are
those of us who grew up with it as our milk tongue . . . :D
>[snip for brevity]
>
>I purchased my first brand new laptop over four
>years ago, my car was new in 1979, and I've
>owned the same television for over eight years.
Is it digital-ready? As I've mentioned before,
one way of looking at that is as a way that the
manufacturers of the equipment and the providers
of programming have come up with to get some more
money out of those who have been living too long
with a perfectly adequate (for them)
over-eight-year-old TV with rabbit ears or a
rooftop antenna which were long ago paid for.
> My next automobile will be energy
> efficient. In the meantime, I ride my bike and
> take the bus. I recycle as much waste as I
> can, and no longer eat meat three times a
> day. I got rid of my cell phone, and access
> free WiFi at the library. I shop at Goodwill and the Salvation Army.
It's nice that you do that voluntarily to
conserve resources, but what about those of us
who have had to do many of those things for years
because of the economy, which continues to get
worse? Also note that no matter why we do that,
it's not a sustainable lifestyle for
everyone: we can't shop at thrift stores unless
there are enough people who can buy new stuff and
then replace it with new stuff before it is worn
out so they can donate still-useable stuff to the
thrift store where we can buy it for a price we
can afford, so we are dependent on those who have
more money and are willing to spend it to keep
the process going. And there are lots of things
everyone must purchase new rather than used
food comes to mind (eww! X;{) and even the
price of peanut butter and ramen three times a
day keeps going up (not to mention the cost of
water and electricity or gas to prepare the latter).
>Eventually I will convert to solar and wind
>energy, and be completely off the grid,
Options which for the foreseeable future are only
available to those with significant disposable
income to purchase and install the hardware.
>plant an organic garden
It takes a lot of work to become self-sufficient,
particularly if one eschews the use of technology
and modern fertilizer and pesticides. Not
everyone can do that or even make any significant progress in that direction.
>and have my own well.
Ditto in requiring $$$ to purchase land with a
good water table (or if you already own it you
may be considered significantly better off than
most in the US, much less the rest of the
world). And what population density can the land
support if each household has its own well?
. . . ronn! :)
___
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Re: Hyperinflation!
Julia Thompson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > You might have problems with the part where you bury yourself Good point. I doubt there would be a shortage of volunteers to help me with the problem, however. "We will bury you". ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
On Tue, 9 Sep 2008, John Williams wrote: > But you have helped to break my connection to the marketplace! I gave up > all my evil ways. Now if I only had 40 acres of land to live on, I could > go bury myself in it and stop consuming altogether! You might have problems with the part where you bury yourself Just sayin'. Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hyperinflation!
Jon Louis Mann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sarcasm is the lingua franca of the internet, John. It is the signature of > your > suppressed hostility, and allows you to be critical without actually exposing > or > defending your own reactionary opinions (or actually refuting your > opponents). Who is this Mr. Franca? And why are you suppressing hostility to him? That cannot be good for your blood pressure. And you should not feel bad about your reactionary tendencies, we all have them. No need to refute opponents, they have a right to their opinions. > It provides deniability for insults and subtle personal attacks by giving the > appearance of depersonalizing the topic. Your favorite tactic is to distort > what others are saying, by deliberately misrepresenting the context. I'm sorry that I cannot understand your subtle personal attacks on me, or that I find it hard to understand your positions. Perhaps if you tried explaining them to me in simple terms? Or actually answering questions instead of insulting me? > We are all consumers, caught up in the marketplace, but some of us are > unaware, > and others don't care. Some of us bury our heads, and others are completely > buried under the sands of denial. But you have helped to break my connection to the marketplace! I gave up all my evil ways. Now if I only had 40 acres of land to live on, I could go bury myself in it and stop consuming altogether! > I purchased my first brand new laptop over four years ago, my car was new in > 1979, and I've owned the same television for over eight years. My god! The evil plutocrats have forced you to own a gas-guzzling 1979 car and a 4-year old laptop without the latest energy saving features! What unspeakable evil. Down with plutocrats! > automobile will be energy efficient. No!!! But efficiency is BAD. Down with efficiency! > It is not a crime to have money, John, what matters is how you earn it and > how > you spend it... Right, now I understand. It is not a crime to have more than Jon, just if you want to live differently than Jon. I will endeavor to change my ways to be more like the great Jon. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
