One of the most infuriating phenomena I've encountered is the the presumption that the worst thing you can do to someone is call them out on something awful they have done or call some miserable regressive opinion they have into question. It's become so ingrained that I've had to argue with people who I think should know better that freedom of speech isn't freedom from criticism or challenge. But it seems so many people believe that, it allows people with enough of a mouthpiece to get really stupid, miserable ideas into the public without comment, let alone getting shot down as they deserve (you list some ... worthy examples). It always seems to lead to the situation you ran into yesterday, and I hate when that happens and I'm sorry it happened to you.
And the Pope said what? As they say on the internets, *facepalm*
And my response was simply, "Someone should tell the Pope that Hitler was a Christian, and don't start in with all the, "Yeah, but he wasn't a real Christian crap." Which, of course, people immediately started in with.
Most of all I miss the wonderful binary files you could download. Especially pictures of trains, old cars, pinups, etc.
But you can still download binary files from the web, right? And there are so many more image libraries than ever existed on Usenet, aren't there (just look at Google and Wikipedia), aren't there? And Usenet is actually gone, is it?
New Grinderman???
Yep, and they're playing Boston in November.
but was able to reach out and put my hand on Nick's shoulder and he didn't hit me or anything - yeahyeahIknow but I have this thing about touching: I like to touch though I usually am pretty careful about it).
I have to admit I've been guilty of this a couple of times myself, creepy though it may be.
Yes, I can still download binary files but part of the problem is the huge number of images and their tendency to be spread out over many sources. I used to use Free Agent and with a few clicks I could download a fairly large number of images (from a variety of groups and all in what amounted to one location). But you're right about the number of images in other places. I don't have the convenience I once had though. But change sometimes means doing things in a different way
( ... )
You’re certainly right that we’ve always had this kind of crazy around, but as a civilization, we used to be better at keeping a lid on it. It used to be that the John Birchers were too crazy for anyone to take seriously, but that segment of the population is now making national news on a regular basis. It may be a matter of demographic rather than technological future shock: people are beginning to figure out that the future does not belong to heterosexual Christian Caucasian males who will provide authoritarian leadership for all, and this is causing severe cognitive dissonance as their sense of how the world works is being undermined.
It may be a matter of demographic rather than technological future shock: people are beginning to figure out that the future does not belong to heterosexual Christian Caucasian males who will provide authoritarian leadership for all, and this is causing severe cognitive dissonance as their sense of how the world works is being undermined.
This may be so. Certainly, it's true that a the days of an America where most people are white is quickly fading. So, a fear of obsolescence manifesting as xenophobia (or simply latent xenophobia activated by social changes). Fear of the Other (gays, non-whites, non-Christians, transgendered people, etc.), of all that is identified as non-normative.
Sorry you got all that crap on Facebook; I winced on your behalf. I'm behind you on both counts on this. Personally I'd be interested to see you discuss more politics, but you don't need some arsehole with half-baked opinions trying to hijack the debate. (The Pope will be "gigging" in my home city come Sunday, and writing as someone he'd condemn for sexuality and beliefs, I'm not happy...)
I'll look forward to hearing your opinions on Grinderman 2. I've just been playing the original, and forgotten how good it was.
Enjoyed A is for Alien a helluva lot (favourite stories: Ode to Katan Amano, A Season of Broken Dolls, Bradbury Weather). Bleak, sure, but it doesn't lack for wonder. Would you consider writing a full length SF novel? I don't read much SF so I'm not sure I can add anything new to the comments to the dark fantasy v science fiction debate; but I hope I don't sound sycophantic saying that I'd follow your work *whatever* genre it was branded by.
Sorry you got all that crap on Facebook; I winced on your behalf. I'm behind you on both counts on this. Personally I'd be interested to see you discuss more politics, but you don't need some arsehole with half-baked opinions trying to hijack the debate.
I really do appreciate thoughtful comments, but I also expect people to be courteous. I should just stay away from Facebook. I have serious differences of opinion with its attitudes towards privacy and our right not to engage on certain social behaviour.
Enjoyed A is for Alien a helluva lot (favourite stories: Ode to Katan Amano, A Season of Broken Dolls, Bradbury Weather).
Good choices.
Would you consider writing a full length SF novel?
I've considered it. I've even sort of outlined a couple. But my agent has discouraged it, for financial reasons ("Literary sf doesn't sell," says she.), and because of the way one particular critic at Locus reacted to mt short sf novel, The Dry Salvages ("This is what happens when horror writers try to write science fiction."). Maybe those are
( ... )
...because of the way one particular critic at Locus reacted to mt short sf novel, The Dry Salvages ("This is what happens when horror writers try to write science fiction.").
I won't go off here about the idiocy of expecting all the dangers of space travel to be environmental, but that's one of my favourite of your works, and I hope you decide to continue with the sf, if only to spite those kind of reviews. Both that book, and A is for Alien actually did a lot to remind me how much I like sf, after being bored of spaceships and humanoid aliens and pages of engineering-porn.
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Augh.
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My thoughts exactly.
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And the Pope said what? As they say on the internets, *facepalm*
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And the Pope said what?
And my response was simply, "Someone should tell the Pope that Hitler was a Christian, and don't start in with all the, "Yeah, but he wasn't a real Christian crap." Which, of course, people immediately started in with.
It just makes me tired.
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Most of all I miss the wonderful binary files you could download. Especially pictures of trains, old cars, pinups, etc.
But you can still download binary files from the web, right? And there are so many more image libraries than ever existed on Usenet, aren't there (just look at Google and Wikipedia), aren't there? And Usenet is actually gone, is it?
New Grinderman???
Yep, and they're playing Boston in November.
but was able to reach out and put my hand on Nick's shoulder and he didn't hit me or anything - yeahyeahIknow but I have this thing about touching: I like to touch though I usually am pretty careful about it).
I have to admit I've been guilty of this a couple of times myself, creepy though it may be.
Trent Reznor has this: http://www.nullco.com/TSN/
Thank you! I was told about this last night, but hadn't gotten around to the download.
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Maybe. I'm just not so sure it isn't the same old crazy humanity's always suffered from, only in its latest incarnation. Pastshock, maybe.
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This may be so. Certainly, it's true that a the days of an America where most people are white is quickly fading. So, a fear of obsolescence manifesting as xenophobia (or simply latent xenophobia activated by social changes). Fear of the Other (gays, non-whites, non-Christians, transgendered people, etc.), of all that is identified as non-normative.
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I'll look forward to hearing your opinions on Grinderman 2. I've just been playing the original, and forgotten how good it was.
Enjoyed A is for Alien a helluva lot (favourite stories: Ode to Katan Amano, A Season of Broken Dolls, Bradbury Weather). Bleak, sure, but it doesn't lack for wonder. Would you consider writing a full length SF novel? I don't read much SF so I'm not sure I can add anything new to the comments to the dark fantasy v science fiction debate; but I hope I don't sound sycophantic saying that I'd follow your work *whatever* genre it was branded by.
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Sorry you got all that crap on Facebook; I winced on your behalf. I'm behind you on both counts on this. Personally I'd be interested to see you discuss more politics, but you don't need some arsehole with half-baked opinions trying to hijack the debate.
I really do appreciate thoughtful comments, but I also expect people to be courteous. I should just stay away from Facebook. I have serious differences of opinion with its attitudes towards privacy and our right not to engage on certain social behaviour.
Enjoyed A is for Alien a helluva lot (favourite stories: Ode to Katan Amano, A Season of Broken Dolls, Bradbury Weather).
Good choices.
Would you consider writing a full length SF novel?
I've considered it. I've even sort of outlined a couple. But my agent has discouraged it, for financial reasons ("Literary sf doesn't sell," says she.), and because of the way one particular critic at Locus reacted to mt short sf novel, The Dry Salvages ("This is what happens when horror writers try to write science fiction."). Maybe those are ( ... )
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I won't go off here about the idiocy of expecting all the dangers of space travel to be environmental, but that's one of my favourite of your works, and I hope you decide to continue with the sf, if only to spite those kind of reviews. Both that book, and A is for Alien actually did a lot to remind me how much I like sf, after being bored of spaceships and humanoid aliens and pages of engineering-porn.
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I hope you decide to continue with the sf, if only to spite those kind of reviews.
The older I get, sadly, the less energy I seem to have to do things in spite of other things.
and pages of engineering-porn.
It amazes me that such literature is even written.
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