Re: [CGUYS] The Topic [Was: Bill Nye, the anti-God "Science Guy"

2007-08-20 Thread Steve Rigby

On Aug 20, 2007, at 2:35 PM, b_s-wilk wrote:

I mention this because it's important to discuss computers and 
technology in relation to everything else. Where one technology is 
denigrated, misrepresented, or worse, denied, others can also be 
adversely affected.


  I have been clobbered by your passion!

  Steve



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Re: [CGUYS] The Topic [Was: Bill Nye, the anti-God "Science Guy"

2007-08-20 Thread b_s-wilk

SciFri "The World is Flat" podcast linky: http://snipurl.com/1pq37
All SciFri podcasts: http://www.sciencefriday.com/feed/

August can also be the time for good rants! Bob <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, let's 
hear more! Health care, religion, breaking 'Net Neutrality', poisoned 
food [this week it's "organic" soybeans from China], Katrina, impending 
Hurricane Dean, are all examples of how technology and everything else 
are being hurt by this incompetent gummint administration that hates 
gummint--that all needs to be fixed while we also fix technology.


The future is bright when the idealogues step aside and make room for 
people who care to work toward a positive future for everyone. The 
future is bright when the corporate shills step aside to make room for 
conscientious, creative public servants who work for 'we, the people'.


As of August 25th, we've lived in a passive solar home for 27 
years--MidAtlantic region [heating/cooling cost this year ~ $300]. I see 
few other similar homes in the US. I still hear, see, read propaganda 
that indicates that our experience is nearly impossible, yet my 
neighbors and many others complain about how expensive energy is. There 
was another uninformed propaganda piece against [cheap] wind energy in 
yesterday's Delaware newspaper, claiming that wind turbines are 
dangerous, loud-- only a few days after I stopped in Somerset, PA to 
photograph the wind [turbines] farm which are quiet, stable, and a month 
after examining close-up another remarkably quiet, powerful wind farm in 
SW Portugal.


I mention this because it's important to discuss computers and 
technology in relation to everything else. Where one technology is 
denigrated, misrepresented, or worse, denied, others can also be 
adversely affected.


Betty

Earlier today I was replaying a podcast of a Science Friday interview 
with Thomas Friedman about his recent book "The World is Flat." An 
important part of Friedman book is a warning about the USA's 
mismanagement of technology. Much like the post here about Gov. Rick 
Perry's line-item veto of $2.7 million of education funding. Friedman 
spoke of Bush's slashing of funding for the National Science Foundation 
and scientific research in general. Friedman decried a management style 
that did not value asking questions because all questions were answered 
by ideology (wasn't this in vogue during a period of history called the 
Dark Ages?). Friedman also pointed out that if the USA stops getting it 
right the rest of the world will get it right and the USA will be left 
behind in the world of technology and the general world economy.


So in a bigger sense the recent discussion of health care and Bill Nye is 
about broken computers. Just not computers that are already broken. Some 
of us are trying to figure out how to keep our computers from being 
broken in the future.




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[CGUYS] The Topic [Was: Bill Nye, the anti-God "Science Guy"

2007-08-19 Thread Tom Piwowar
>My question is a simple one.  When did this list get hijacked by 
>extremists who think it's a forum to insist on socialized medicine and to 
>bash Christians?

This list frequently goes a little far afield in August. A few weeks ago 
one List member noted this and posted a provocative Mac vs Windows link, 
but got no takers. (Even though the material cited was quite good).

This year health care and Bill Nye have gotten a good run. While 
literally not on topic I think these discussions reflect the context in 
which we do our computing. The reason there were so many posts is that 
people are becoming increasingly frustrated my the USA's mismanagement of 
technology and over emphasis on favoring a small number of entrenched, 
anti-innovative corporations.

Earlier today I was replaying a podcast of a Science Friday interview 
with Thomas Friedman about his recent book "The World is Flat." An 
important part of Friedman book is a warning about the USA's 
mismanagement of technology. Much like the post here about Gov. Rick 
Perry's line-item veto of $2.7 million of education funding. Friedman 
spoke of Bush's slashing of funding for the National Science Foundation 
and scientific research in general. Friedman decried a management style 
that did not value asking questions because all questions were answered 
by ideology (wasn't this in vogue during a period of history called the 
Dark Ages?). Friedman also pointed out that if the USA stops getting it 
right the rest of the world will get it right and the USA will be left 
behind in the world of technology and the general world economy.

So in a bigger sense the recent discussion of health care and Bill Nye is 
about broken computers. Just not computers that are already broken. Some 
of us are trying to figure out how to keep our computers from being 
broken in the future.



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