If you can’t learn from mistakes ? Just joining up some dots between simple mistakes and the meaning of life, the universe and everything. Thanks to Arlo and Ron (on MOQ-Discuss) for this Swiftian Monty Python quote that prompted the thought. “We must never forget that, if there was not one thing that was on [...]
Entries from April 2009
What’s the point ?
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April 29, 2009 at 3:25am
by Ian
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Lazy Rhetoric
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April 28, 2009 at 8:21am
by Ian
How on earth can a journalist call this a U-Turn – just pulling a stock phrase off the bullshit headline generator- its a minor pragmatic course correction to achieve the intended end.
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Philosophical Literacy
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April 28, 2009 at 6:31am
by Ian
Post by John Hobbins (link via Sam)
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Truth in Lies.
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April 27, 2009 at 8:14am
by Ian
… the only reliable advice I have to give is on how to make stories more plausible, more moving, more true … – in other words, how to lie better. Don’t know why, but I looked back at this from Richard Russo …. and picked out the above quote.
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Linguistic Inflation
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April 27, 2009 at 6:54am
by Ian
I’ve mentioned the idea of the ”memetic arms race” (after Dennett) and the devaluing of subtle terms that get simplistically mis-represented in rhetorical argument, and this is simply another example.
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Rex Rudi
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April 27, 2009 at 1:42am
by Ian
Spent a great Friday night with Rex Rudi at the RF-Kjelleren in Oslo University. Colleague Johan on harp and backing vocals in some seriously hard rock-a-billy complete with stand-up base and stonking drummer. Very effective, very entertaining.
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Conspiracy Theories
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April 27, 2009 at 1:02am
by Ian
“Superstition brings bad luck” Ray Smullyan 5000BC There exists a secret society with branches throughout the world, and its plot is to spread the rumour that a universal plot exists. Synarchy – a new European order led by a government of wise men, above party lines – [...]Â is a plot of international technocrats. It’s [...]
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ZMM Brainwashing
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April 24, 2009 at 8:07am
by Ian
Interesting reference in Umberto Eco’s “Foucault’s Pendulum” – the book is (a fiction) about a germ of deadly truth behind endless crackpot mystical and occult theories of mythical conspiracies of Aryan, Hebrew, Templar, Catholic, Masonic coincidences and cabals. I’m only 40% through, but whilst Eco doesn’t mention Pirsig or ZMM work by name he does include this [...]
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Zen, Art and Motorcycles
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April 24, 2009 at 7:44am
by Ian
Zen, Art and Motorcycles - a 40 year search for quality. A film by Lee Glover to be released in HD video summer / fall 2009. Henry Gurr looking good in the promotional clip on-line at the above link.
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John Gray Interview
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April 21, 2009 at 10:31am
by Ian
Thanks to Euan Semple for the link to this Independent interview with John Gray, plugging his latest book “Gray’s Anatomy”. I find the fact that he “predicted” the recent financial crisis utterly irrelevant, but the pragmatic political view of philosophy without fundamental isms and ideologies is refreshing. Interestingly, I was just reading a piece from [...]
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Nihilism – What’s in a Name ?
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April 20, 2009 at 6:18am
by Ian
Interesting post from Ben Goertzel. Nihilism gets a bum rap. Discerning parody from reality – if something subtle or hard to understand is parodied on the basis of a simplistic view, then the simplistic view sticks. Time for a new name rather than flogging a dead horse by trying to rehabilitate the original name. Not sure [...]
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Quick Round Up
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April 19, 2009 at 6:39am
by Ian
Only one post in three weeks. Mentioned I’d enjoyed a weekend in Austin, TX, then spent the whole of the following week in Vegas (well Henderson, NV actually) at a conference – worst place on the planet IMHO, anyway … Spent one day in New York on the trip home. My first, so I just [...]
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Austin at First Sight
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April 5, 2009 at 10:28pm
by Ian
Had a weekend free between business in Houston last week and conference in Vegas this week, so I spent Friday & Saturday on my first visit to Austin, TX. The SXSW festival was a couple of weeks ago, so I had no idea what to expect from Austin. I’d noticed Todd Snider supporting Yonder Mountain [...]
