Comments for Blog About Nothing http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog General Musing and Pontificating Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:04:15 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 Comment on The Future is Yesterday by Alex H. http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/2009/12/01/the-future-is-yesterday/comment-page-1/#comment-15 Alex H. Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:04:15 +0000 http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/?p=199#comment-15 I always get reminded of a CT Yankee in King Arthur's Court. I have no doubt that if Twain himself was transported back a thousand years he could make gunpowder--he was a bit of a geek. But I sure couldn't. In fact, there's very little I could do that would impress them. With a bit of work, I could probably make a mechanical calculator, but then, there are others who probably could as well. I'd just be the crazy guy running around saying "in the future, everything will be driven by electricity and gasoline!" I always get reminded of a CT Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. I have no doubt that if Twain himself was transported back a thousand years he could make gunpowder–he was a bit of a geek. But I sure couldn’t. In fact, there’s very little I could do that would impress them. With a bit of work, I could probably make a mechanical calculator, but then, there are others who probably could as well. I’d just be the crazy guy running around saying “in the future, everything will be driven by electricity and gasoline!”

]]> Comment on Pirates and The Man by Alex H. http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/2009/11/17/pirates-and-the-man/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Alex H. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:19:51 +0000 http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/?p=191#comment-13 First the smaller issue: "The sales of a given artist’s CD or movie will affect their ability to receive a more or less lucrative contract in the future (I’d compare it to the MLB free agent market, but I digress). It’s as simple as that." But it's not at all that simple. Films, music, and the culture industry as a whole is a winner-take-all market. Sure, it's true that popularity keeps the JK Rowlings and Stephen Kings of the world in 7-figures, but the vast majority of authors and publishers lose money on their publications. Just like in the national elections, my vote doesn't really matter. If I want to see le parkour in films, I can go and see a movie five times, and it's not going to have any impact on whether it is made. In other words, the studio system is built on the roulette wheel of breakout hits, the demand curve is ridiculously non-linear. But the larger issue is that you seem to conflate morals and law in what you've written above. Just because something is legal doesn't make it moral, and just because something is illegal doesn't make it immoral. This is why words like "piracy" and "stealing" seem badly suited to this issue. Copyright makes culture into a commodity--without copyright, it exists outside the realm of consumption. It's not a matter of "sticking it to the man," for many people, it's a matter of, simply, wanting to listen to good music and not wanting to pay for it. Is that getting something for nothing? Of course it is! But we get something for nothing all the time. One of the most enjoyable things in the world for me is to walk along the beach or through a forest. There isn't anything commercial about that process. (Actually businesses would love to commoditize it, and have been marginally successful in doing so, but leaving that aside...) Music existed way before there was a money economy, and will exist long after. Of course, from the perspective of a business, this is lost revenue. But it's important to notice that there are more perspectives than that of business alone. First the smaller issue: “The sales of a given artist’s CD or movie will affect their ability to receive a more or less lucrative contract in the future (I’d compare it to the MLB free agent market, but I digress). It’s as simple as that.”

But it’s not at all that simple. Films, music, and the culture industry as a whole is a winner-take-all market. Sure, it’s true that popularity keeps the JK Rowlings and Stephen Kings of the world in 7-figures, but the vast majority of authors and publishers lose money on their publications. Just like in the national elections, my vote doesn’t really matter. If I want to see le parkour in films, I can go and see a movie five times, and it’s not going to have any impact on whether it is made. In other words, the studio system is built on the roulette wheel of breakout hits, the demand curve is ridiculously non-linear.

But the larger issue is that you seem to conflate morals and law in what you’ve written above. Just because something is legal doesn’t make it moral, and just because something is illegal doesn’t make it immoral. This is why words like “piracy” and “stealing” seem badly suited to this issue. Copyright makes culture into a commodity–without copyright, it exists outside the realm of consumption. It’s not a matter of “sticking it to the man,” for many people, it’s a matter of, simply, wanting to listen to good music and not wanting to pay for it.

Is that getting something for nothing? Of course it is! But we get something for nothing all the time. One of the most enjoyable things in the world for me is to walk along the beach or through a forest. There isn’t anything commercial about that process. (Actually businesses would love to commoditize it, and have been marginally successful in doing so, but leaving that aside…) Music existed way before there was a money economy, and will exist long after.

Of course, from the perspective of a business, this is lost revenue. But it’s important to notice that there are more perspectives than that of business alone.

]]> Comment on Tune Tracker by Blog About Nothing - A Website Among Many http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/2009/10/13/tune-tracker/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Blog About Nothing - A Website Among Many Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:41:28 +0000 http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/?p=147#comment-12 [...] than simply looking at my website concept at face value, I figured I would take a deeper look at what I would be trying to provide for users. [...] [...] than simply looking at my website concept at face value, I figured I would take a deeper look at what I would be trying to provide for users. [...]

]]> Comment on Converging to Distance Ourselves by ianspov http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/2009/09/21/converging-to-distance-ourselves/comment-page-1/#comment-8 ianspov Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:02:04 +0000 http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/?p=56#comment-8 I agree, the jury is still out on where the media and resulting social upheaval will lead us. It is amazing that we can be so connected, but disconnected at the same time. There is something odd about knowing more about an online "friend" than your next door neighbor. I agree, the jury is still out on where the media and resulting social upheaval will lead us. It is amazing that we can be so connected, but disconnected at the same time. There is something odd about knowing more about an online “friend” than your next door neighbor.

]]> Comment on This is Freedom… by SJM_84 http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/2009/09/14/this-is-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-7 SJM_84 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:49:48 +0000 http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/?p=40#comment-7 To clarify, I truly take no issue with choices other people make regarding religion. I make my own choices and don't expect others to share my beliefs. However, it is when the religious decisions of others affect me personally that I am forced to question them. Being denied the release of a simple film may seem of no consequence, but it is just a small example of the effect religious zeal can have on our society. As a political analogy, if you don't want your children to listen to Mr. Obama, that's your prerogative, but to create such an uproar as to (in all likelihood) make him edit his speech and cause weeks of media frenzy affects all of us (not to mention the youth targeted by said speech). I consider myself to be open to discussion on a wide variety of topics. Certainly, I have firmly held beliefs, but they do not prohibit me from considering the opinions of others. This is where I think religious fanaticism causes the most turmoil. Has it come to the point where no American distributor can even contemplate the release of Creation for fear of a public outcry? Are they so threatened that any diversion from their beliefs is heresy? Mike Huckabee disagrees, but he seems to have a different view of his religion than his fellow churchgoers (5:33): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLftHRcplcY To clarify, I truly take no issue with choices other people make regarding religion. I make my own choices and don’t expect others to share my beliefs. However, it is when the religious decisions of others affect me personally that I am forced to question them. Being denied the release of a simple film may seem of no consequence, but it is just a small example of the effect religious zeal can have on our society. As a political analogy, if you don’t want your children to listen to Mr. Obama, that’s your prerogative, but to create such an uproar as to (in all likelihood) make him edit his speech and cause weeks of media frenzy affects all of us (not to mention the youth targeted by said speech).

I consider myself to be open to discussion on a wide variety of topics. Certainly, I have firmly held beliefs, but they do not prohibit me from considering the opinions of others. This is where I think religious fanaticism causes the most turmoil. Has it come to the point where no American distributor can even contemplate the release of Creation for fear of a public outcry? Are they so threatened that any diversion from their beliefs is heresy? Mike Huckabee disagrees, but he seems to have a different view of his religion than his fellow churchgoers (5:33):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLftHRcplcY

]]> Comment on This is Freedom… by Jess http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/2009/09/14/this-is-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Jess Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:35:41 +0000 http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/?p=40#comment-6 You might want to check out the Ben Stein documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. It discusses the divergence and convergence of religion and science and asks some interesting questions. While I didn't agree with all the ideas brought forth I thought it was a reasonable arguement. Here's a link to the website: http://www.expelledthemovie.com/ You might want to check out the Ben Stein documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. It discusses the divergence and convergence of religion and science and asks some interesting questions. While I didn’t agree with all the ideas brought forth I thought it was a reasonable arguement.

Here’s a link to the website:

http://www.expelledthemovie.com/

]]> Comment on This is Freedom… by Twunked http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/2009/09/14/this-is-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Twunked Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:28:36 +0000 http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/?p=40#comment-5 People hear the word "theory" and don't understand that it has a scientific definition that differs from the vernacular definition. And nor do they want to educate themselves, because it's a useful fiction for them. The problem I find with the outlook of many on the Christian right (though they do not have exclusive guilt on this) is what I see as hostility to education and critical thinking. It's like they don't want to be challenged, because they're scared of being proven wrong. Whereas a thinking person will appreciate a challenge and the opportunity to consider and respond. But I guess that's not what you want when you're saving souls ... This is also my problem with the people who kept their kids home for Obama's speech. If you're truly concerned with what your children are exposed to, isn't it better to let them be exposed and then have a discussion about it? To teach them critical thinking skills couched in your perspective? That, to me, is the difference between education and brainwashing. Hullabaloo is unproductive in a civil society. People hear the word “theory” and don’t understand that it has a scientific definition that differs from the vernacular definition. And nor do they want to educate themselves, because it’s a useful fiction for them.

The problem I find with the outlook of many on the Christian right (though they do not have exclusive guilt on this) is what I see as hostility to education and critical thinking. It’s like they don’t want to be challenged, because they’re scared of being proven wrong. Whereas a thinking person will appreciate a challenge and the opportunity to consider and respond. But I guess that’s not what you want when you’re saving souls …

This is also my problem with the people who kept their kids home for Obama’s speech. If you’re truly concerned with what your children are exposed to, isn’t it better to let them be exposed and then have a discussion about it? To teach them critical thinking skills couched in your perspective? That, to me, is the difference between education and brainwashing. Hullabaloo is unproductive in a civil society.

]]> Comment on This is Freedom… by Janice http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/2009/09/14/this-is-freedom/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Janice Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:15:41 +0000 http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/?p=40#comment-4 Great post! I saw this and my reaction was very similar to yours. And I've also decided not to comment on any of Mr. West's actions, haha. I'm really not sure as to why they're choosing this topic for super censorship. Out of all the bizarre and controversial films that have been shown in this day and age, I would think that this would be one of the least controversial. Although, I was unaware that most people think that creationism should be taught exclusively. I for one was taught both, and I think it has been of great benefit and interest to me then and now. I won't ramble anymore, but will just leave you with the hope that maybe we'll get to see it on DVD. All the best! Great post! I saw this and my reaction was very similar to yours. And I’ve also decided not to comment on any of Mr. West’s actions, haha.

I’m really not sure as to why they’re choosing this topic for super censorship. Out of all the bizarre and controversial films that have been shown in this day and age, I would think that this would be one of the least controversial. Although, I was unaware that most people think that creationism should be taught exclusively. I for one was taught both, and I think it has been of great benefit and interest to me then and now.

I won’t ramble anymore, but will just leave you with the hope that maybe we’ll get to see it on DVD.

All the best!

]]> Comment on Back to the Future? by Twunked http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/2009/09/07/back-to-the-future/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Twunked Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:55:10 +0000 http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/?p=12#comment-3 We're getting ever-closer to that gesture-controlled computer. Look at gaming systems like the Wii, and the gesture-controlled Xbox kit announced by Microsoft at E3 earlier this year. So why do you think so many recent depictions of the future in popular media have been dystopian? We’re getting ever-closer to that gesture-controlled computer. Look at gaming systems like the Wii, and the gesture-controlled Xbox kit announced by Microsoft at E3 earlier this year.

So why do you think so many recent depictions of the future in popular media have been dystopian?

]]> Comment on Back to the Future? by Mohammed http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/2009/09/07/back-to-the-future/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Mohammed Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:23:30 +0000 http://sjm84.quicm.net/blog/?p=12#comment-2 Hello there, I've enjoyed your ideas about the future, especially the flying cars.:) I am afraid little bet of the future though. I think you did a good job here. Keep going!! Hello there,
I’ve enjoyed your ideas about the future, especially the flying cars.:) I am afraid little bet of the future though. I think you did a good job here. Keep going!!

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