Purely by accident, I unknowingly watched the alternate ending of a movie last night. That is to say, I didn’t know it was the alternate ending until after the movie was over. I don’t know about anyone else, but we always check for a gag reel no matter how unlikely. This movie, predictably, lacked one, but the menu did instruct you on how to watch the shocking alternate ending. This is how I learned that I’d mistakenly watched the alternate ending. I’m not one for alternate endings and typically pass on them. My apathy toward alternate endings is far from a protest or anything of that sort. I guess I’m just satisfied with the one ending, and I’m not certain, but the mere existence of alternate endings strikes me as bad sign, which maybe explains my apathy.
So this particular alternate ending consisted first of the protagonist, our would-be hero, having his legs broken by a largish hammer of some sort. This was followed by a mesh helmet being place over his head wherein a small swarm of agitated bees was poured into it, with predictable results made worse by the fact that he was allergic. Climactically, he was revived and hoisted to the top of a giant flammable effigy, and yes, burned alive. The end.
In the theatrical ending the protagonist escapes with his daughter, lives happily ever after and the bad people are punished accordingly. But I wouldn't know.
Bing Crosby - Adeste Fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful) (Visualizer)
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This isn't the same Bing Crosby rendition of *Adeste Fideles *my parents
had on a Christmas album of his from the early 1950s, but it's close enough
to ev...
6 hours ago
16 comments:
I know the pieces fit...
I THINK ITS GENERALLY ACCEPTED BY JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY THAT THERE ARE NO HUMAN LIVES CONTAINED IN MALE EJACULATE WELL THE MILITARY RULERS OF HAITI WHO OUSTED ARISTIDE WERE TRAINED IN THE US BUSINESS AS USUAL AND THINK OF WHAT A PR CAMPAIGN IT WOULD BE TO HAVE US TROOPS ON THE COVER OF TIME LIBERATING THE PEOPLE OF HAITI FROM AN ULTRARIGHT WING DICTATORSHIP IF THE ADMINISTRATION ISNT RUNNING A GAME WITH HAITI THEY ARE UNIMAGINABLY STUPID WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INFORMATION WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS WHAT IS ARISTIDE GOING TO DO OR SAY WHEN HE IS GIVEN A VOICE THE MOST COMMON MISTAKE OF YOUNG THIEVES IS STEALING COMPLIMENTARY COPIES WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INFORMATION WHAT YOU OFTEN FIND IS THAT INTELLECTUALS ARE THE MOST INDOCTRINATED PART OF THE POPULATION AND GOD HAD HIM DIE FOR A HUNDRED YEARS AND THEN REVIVED HIM AND SAID HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE A DAY OR PART OF A DAY HE ANSWERED WHY HERMES REGINA FOR SECRECY OR FOR THE STRINGER OF THE FIRST LYRE OR FOR THIEVERY OR SPEED OR DO I REMEMBER HIM ALSO TO BE GOD OF COMMERCE THE FIRST CAPITALIST A FAST TALKING THEIF SINGING US NIRVANAWARD AND SELLING US PURPORTED SECRETS WITH HIGHTECH ADVERTISING CHARM NOT ONLY IS THE UNIVERSE STRANGER THAN WE THINK IT IS STRANGER THAN WE CAN THINK HOWEVER INVASION CARRIES WITH IT SEEDS OF MAJOR CATASTROPHE THE FACT IS WE STILL HAVE NO PERCEPTION OF THE TRUTH HERE WE LISTEN TO WHAT IS FED US BY THE BIASED PRESS WE MUST READ THE AGENDAS BEFORE WE LISTEN TO THE WORDS I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT WANT TO BE THEIR NEIGHBOR MY IDEA OF THE IDEAL TEXT IS STILL THE TALMUD I LOVE THE IDEA OF PARALLEL TEXTS WITH LONG DISCURSIVE FOOTNOTES AND MARGINAL COMMENTARY TEXTS COMMENTING ON TEXTS IN FACT HE TALKS EXACTLY LIKE HIS BOOKS SOUND INCLUDING THE FOOTNOTES SELF INTEREST HAS NO PLACE IN SOCIETY EACH SCENARIO IS TO LIMIT THE POWER OF WHAT CAN BE LEARNED FROM IT NONE OF US SAW AS MUCH AS WE THINK WE DID THE YOU THAT YOU ONCE WERE BECOMES ONLY A MEMORY TIME AND SPACE AS WE KNOW THEM EXIST ONLY ON THE EARTHPLANE REALITIES THAT CANNOT BE MEASURED OR DESCRIBED IN THE CONVIVIENCE OF MATHEMATICS AND MINDPLAY HEAVEN IS A TERM USED TO DESCRIBE LEVELS OF POSITIVE THOUGHTFROMS THAT RESIDE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE EARTHPLANE TO KNOW IS NOT ENOUGH WE MUST EXPRESS THAT KNOWING WHEN YOU ARE NOT YOUR BODY IT IS JUST SOMETHING YOU WEAR FOR A WHILE WHEN YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT A NEW THING YOU DO NOT THINK ABOUT IT TRY TO GRASP IT AND IT WILL SLIP THROUGH YOUR FINGERS I HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING SUPERNATURAL IF THATS WHAT YOU MEAN BUT WHEN I WAKE UP IN THE MORNING EVERYTHING IS SO BEAUTIFUL I HARDLY CAN STAND IT I DONT SEE ZEN I DONT HEAR ZEN IT MAKES NO SOUND HOW CAN I PRACTICE WHAT IS NOT SEEN OR HEARD NOW DO NOT FLUSH YOUR MIND DOWN THE DRAIN THE COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS BACKS UP NOW AND THEN ZWEI DINGE ERFUELLEN DAS GEMUET MIT IMMER NEUER UND ZUNEHMENDER EHRFURCHT JE OEFTER UND ANHALTENDER SICH DAS NACHDENKEN DAMIT BESCHAEFTIGT DER BESTIRNTE HIMMEL UEBER MIR UND DAS MORALISCHE GESETZ IN MIR WORIN BESTEHT DIE KONSTITUTIVE ROLLE DES SELBSTBETRUGS FUER DIE MORALENTWICKLUNG WIE IST DAS PREKAERE VERHAELTNIS VON SELBSTWISSEN UND SELBSTBESTIMMUNG ZUM SELBSTBETRUG ZU BESTIMMEN YOU WILL PERHAPS WONDER THAT AN OBSCURE PERSON WHO HAS NOT THE HONOUR TO BE KNOWN TO YOUR LORDSHIP SHOULD PRESUME TO ADDRESS YOU IN THIS MANNER PHILOSOPHY BEING NOTHING ELSE BUT THE STUDIES OF WISDOM AND TRUTH IT MAY WITH REASON BE EXPECTED THAT THOSE WHO HAVE MOST TIME AND PAINS IN IT SHOULD ENJOY A GREATER CALM AND SERENITY OF MIND A GREATER CLEARNESS AND EVIDENCE OF KNOWLEDGE AND BE LESS DISTURBED WITH DOUBTS AND DIFFICULTIES THAN OTHER MEN A MUHURTA IS A UNIT PERIOD OF TIME WHICH ROUGHLY EQUALS 48 MINUTES OF OUR PRESENT DAY TIME 30 MUHURTAS MAKE A DAY FOR HUMANS 360 SUCH DAYS MAKE A YEAR FOR US A YEAR OF HUMANS IS EQUAL TO A DAY IN THE LIFE OF DEVAS 366 SUCH DAYS WOULD MAKE A DIVINE YEAR 12000 DIVINE YEARS MAKE A CHATUR YUGA A CHATUR YUGA IS THE COMBINATION OF THE FOUR YUGAS NAMELY KRITA TRETA DWAPAR AND KALI KRITA IS 4800 OF DIVINE YEARS TRETA IS FOR 3600 DIVINE YEARS AND KALI IS SHORTEST WITH 1200 DIVINE YEARS BESIDES THIS THE TIME AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF A YUGA AND THE END START OF THE NEXT ONE IS CALLED SAMDHYA TAKING THESE TOGETHER KRITA COUNTS TO 800 DIVINE YEARS TRETA TO 600 DYS DWAPAR TO 400 DYS AND KALI TO 200 DYS ONE THOUSAND CHATUR YUGAS FORMA DAY OF BRAHMA HIS NIGHT IS OF SAME DURATION ALONG OUR JOURNEY STORMS OF DISCONTENT RACISM AND VIOLENCE WILL VISIT OUR LIVES PERIODICALLY HIS DECISON WAS NOT SIMPLY BASED ON INSTINCT BUT ON KEEN FORSIGHT OF THE RESULT FROM HIS CHOSEN PATH WITH EACH OBSTACLE OVERCOME HE TOOK ONE MORE STEP DOWN THE PATH TO WHERE TRUTH AWAITS WITH ARMS OUTSTRETCHED FOR IN THE END WE ARE ALL DESTINED TO FIND THE EVERLASTING HARMONY THAT ENCOMPASSES OUR LIVES AND ESSENCE OF EXISTENCE I AM FASCINATED BY COMPARISONS BETWEEN WHAT I SAW ON THE SCREEN AND WHAT I HAVE READ THE ENEMY WAS NOT TO BE HATED BUT TO BE UNDERSTOOD WHAT I HERE MAKE PUBLIC HAS AFTER A LONG AND SCRUPULOUS INQUIRY SEEMED TO ME EVIDENTLY TRUE AND NOT UNUSEFUL TRUE TO BE KNOWN PARTICULARLY TO THOSE WHO ARE TAINTED WITH SCEPTICISM OR WANT A DEMONSTRATION OF THE EXISTENCE AND IMMATERIALITY OR THE NATURAL IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL I FEEL THAT THE PEOPLE OF WORLD HAVE RIGHT TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THAT IT IS TIME TO PUT AN END TO THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING IT IT MERELY SEEK ACCOUNTABILITY HONESTY TRUTH AND FULL DISCLOSURE FROM OUR GOVERNMENT SOMETHING WE ARE ENTITLED TO AS CITIZENS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EXTRA TERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE IS NOT A MATTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY BUT ONE TO WHICH ALL HUMAN KIND SHOULD HAVE AN INALIENABLE RIGHT DID IT DO IT WISH I WASNT DOING IT TOMORROW SHE DOESNT SEEM TO SHE DOES NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOOD CONTROL NOW MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD LATER THE ONLY THING THAT CONSISTENTLY WORKS IS TAKING IT DAY BY DAY AND TRYING TO LIMIT MODERATE HIS STRESS A CLAY BUDDHA WONT PASS THROUGH WATER AN IRON BUDDHA WONT PASS THROUGH A FURNACE A WOODEN BUDDHA WONT PASS THROUGH FIRE I WONDER IF LIFE IS RANDOM AND IF WE ALL ARE JUST FLOATING ON A BREEZE THE U S AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT U S AID FUNDED A LARGE MULTI SERVICE CLINIC WHICH 4 SENIOR ATTACHES KNOWN FOR MURDER AND TORTURE WORKED OUT OF THE CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH DONT HOPE FOR MIRACLES RELY ON THEM YOU LIVE MOVE AND HAVE YOUR BEING IN THE SEA THE SEA IS WITHIN YOU AND WITHOUT YOU AND YOU ARE MADE OF SEA AND YOU WILL END IN SEA THE SEA SURROUNDS YOU AS YOUR OWN BEING THEIR ERROR WAS NOT MADE IN THE BECOMING BUT IN THE CHOOSING THERE ARE SOME WHO HAVE LEARNED TO BECOME CLAY WHEN CLAY IS REQUIRED TO CHANGE TO IRON WHEN IRON IS NEEDED TO CONVERT TO WOOD WHEN IT IS TIME FOR WOOD A STUDENT ONCE ASKED HIM IF I HAVENT ANYTHING IN MY MIND WHAT SHALL I DO HE REPLIED THROW IT OUT BUT IF I HAVENT ANYTHING HOW CAN I THROW IT OUT CONTINUED THE STUDENT WELL SAID JOSHU THEN CARRY IT OUT JOSHU BEGAN THE STUDY OF ZEN WHEN HE WAS SIXTY YEARS OLD AND CONTINUED UNTIL HE WAS EIGHTY WHEN HE REALIZED ZEN HE TAUGHT FROM THE AGE OF EIGHTY UNTIL HE WAS ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY AN AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER COMES UP WITH AN AD NEW XX CAR WITH UNLIMITED POWER CAPABILITIES THE CUSTOMER ASKS WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM SPEED SALES GUY 240 MPH AND WHAT IS THE MIN SPEED SALES GUY 240 MPH WHAT HOW WILL I DRIVE IT CONSCIOUSNESS IS NECESSARILY INTENTIONAL OBJECT-ORIENTED DIRECTED AT OBJECTS STATES OF AFFAIRS THERE IS A DISTINCTION BETWEEN CONSCIOUSNESS A PROCESS OF AWARENESS OF SUCCESSIVE MOMENTS OF AWARENESS OF THINGS ON THE ONE HAND AND WHATEVER IT IS THAT THE CONSCIOUSNES IS OF OR DIRECTED AT WHAT ARE YOUR OPINIONS ON THE RECENT POST BERLIN WALL BOOK SUGGESTING THAT WE ARE IN A HEGELIAN SENSE AT THE END OF HISTORY THE INSISTENCE ON A PHYSICAL PRESENCE TO ACCOMPANY EVERYTHING REAL IS A RESULT OF A FALLACIOUS BELIEF THAT PHYSICAL OBJECTS HAVE SOME SPECIAL METAPHYSICAL STATUS SINCE OBJECTS SEEM DIFFERENT THAN VACCUUM PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS OF THE ELECTRONS IN THE ATOMS IN THOSE OBJECTS ALMOST EVERY INTERACTION IN OUR MACROSCOPIC WORLD CAN BE REDUCED TO FEILD EQUATIONS THE WHOLE NOTION OF TRANSLATION IS MEANINGLESS WITHOUT COMMON CONCEPTS BETWEEN THE LANGUAGES THE CAN OF WORMS THAT I HAVE OPENED HAS BECOME ONE OF THE WORST ARGUMENTS I HAVE WITNESSED IN A LONG TIME THAT DISCRIPTION OF REALITY NECESSITATES A TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION BY THE TRADITIONAL DISCRIPTION OF ANALYTIC SATEMENTS CANNOT GIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE REAL BUT ARITHMETIC STATEMENTS CAN GIVE INFORAMTION ABOUT THE REAL WORLD THEY ARE NOT USING DIFFERENT CONCEPTS DIFFERENT WAYS ROUGHLY WE TRANSLATE BLUE AS BLUE AND THEN COMPARE HOW THOSE TWO WORDS ARE USED IN CORRESPONDING LANGUAGES IN DIFFERENT WAYS OF LIFE PRINCIPLES MAY BE OR NOT BE PRACTICAL WHAT IS THE MEANING OF DARUMAS COMING FROM THE WEST KANKAI ANSWERED RICE IN THE BOWL STEW IN THE POT THE MONK SAID I DONT UNDERSTAND THE MASTER REPLIED EATING WHILE YOU ARE HUNGRY STOPPING WHEN YOU ARE FULL WHEN YOU WERE HERE YOU WERE NOT SATISFIED HOW ABOUT NOW NOW I AM SATISFIED SATISFIED WITH THE GRUEL SATISFIED WITH THE RICE THE MONK MADE NO REPLY THE BRAHMA SUTRAS ARE SO CLEAR THAT THEY DONT NEED ANY INTERPRETATION THEREFORE ANY INTERPRETATION IS MISINTERPRETATION IF YOU CAN MAKE YOUR QUESTION A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC ILL TRY TO ANSWER BHAJA GOVINDAM BHAJA GOVINDAM MUDAMATHE LOT OF OTHER JUNK DELETED HOW MANY OF US TRUELY KNOW TO EAT ONLY WHEN WE ARE HUNGRY HOW MANY OF US CAN STOP AS SOON AS WE ARE FULL YOUD WANT HEPHAISTOS AS GOD OF CRAFTS AND SKILLFUL WORK WITH YOUR HANDS OR ATHENA AS GODDESS OF KNOWLEDGE AND OFTEN TECHNOLOGICAL CUNNING DAEDALUS MIGHT HAVE HAD A HERO CULT BUT NONE THAT IM AWARE OF PROBABLY A MISSPELLING OF ASTRAEA THE GREEK GODDESS OF JUSTICE AS A PRINCIPLE SHE LIVED ON EARTH DURING THE GOLDEN AGE BUT LEFT IT IN DISGUST WHEN PEOPLE BEGAN TO ACT UNJUSTLY TO EACH OTHER ALL THE TIME SHE BECAME THE CONSTELLATION OF VIRGO IN THE HEAVENS IT IS PROBABLY NOT A COINCIDENCE THAT LIBRA HER SCALES ARE RIGHT NEXT TO HER IM NOT ENTIRELY CERTAIN THAT THE SCALES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE SCALES LIFE ITSELF FOOD FOR THOUGHT RATIONAL EGOISM IS A VARIETY OF CONCEQUENTIALISM I AM NOT PROPOSING TO BLINDLY BELIEVE ANYONE ABSOLUTE FREEDOM MEANS ABSOLUTE WITHIN THE CONTEXT WITHIN WHICH FREEDOM IS DEFINED AND HAS AN OBJECTIVE MEANING OUTSIDE THAT CONTEXT IT IS NOT FREEDOM YOU ARE THEN TALKING ABOUT FORCE CAUTION B MAY VARY SMOOTHLY WITH S IT IS NOT OBVIOUSLY AN EXACT CONSTANT THE CURVE OF B AGAINST S MAY EXPLAIN THE RADIO WAVE BACKGROUND WE OBSERVE COMING FROM OUTER SPACE FOR NON EXPANDING AND POSSIBLY UNLIMITED UNIVERSE B IS A MEASURE OF THE RED SHIFT DUE TO HYSTERESIS LAMDA R THE WAVELENGTH OF LIGHT RECIEVED FROM A STAR CORRECTED FOR OUR INGALAXY MOTION LAMDA E THE WAVELENGHT OF THE LIGHT TRANSMITTED BY THE STAR CORRECTED FOR ITS INGALAXY MOTION S THE DISTANCE FROM THE STAR BLAMDA RLAMDA EXIS IT ALSO REVIEWS THE ARGUMENT FOR CONSIDERING SPACE IN VACUO AS A 4 DIMENSIONAL SOLID END OF MESSAGE TO MANY ARGUMENTS HERMES CENTRUM YOU ARE MISTAKEN BUDDA IS MOST COMMONLY SPELLED BUDDHA THE LAST THREE REGULATE MIND REFRAINING FROM GREED ANGER AND DELUSION GIVING UP THE VOW OF UNIVERSAL SERVICE IF YOU SEE A VISION WHILE YOU SEE A VISION WHILE YOU ARE SITTING THIS IS PROBABLY WHILE YOU ARE SITTING THIS IS PROBABLY A SYMPTOM OF BAD POSTURE INCORRECT BREATHING NOT ENOUGH OXYGEN GETTING TO YOUR BRAIN OR POOR ATTENTION TRUTH IS UNCONTAINABLE AND INEXPRESSIBLE REJECTING THE TEACHING OF IDENTITYLESSNESS IT WERE AN ENDLESS AS WELL AS AN USELESS THING TO TRACE THE SCHOOLMEN THOSE GREAT MASTERS OF ABSTRACTION THROUGH ALL THE MANIFOLD INEXTRICABLE LABYRINTHS OF ERROR AND DISPUTE WHICH THEIR DOCTRINE OF ABSTRACT NATURES AND NOTIONS SEEMS TO HAVE LED THEM INTO ALL I DESIRE IS THAT THE READER WOULD FULLY AND CERTAINLY INFORM HIMSELF WHETHER HE HAS SUCH AN IDEA OR NOT AND THIS METHOD CAN BE NO HARD TASK FOR ANYONE TO PERFORM AND IT IS ON ALL HANDS AGREED THAT THERE IS NEED OF GREAT TOIL AND LABOUR OF THE MIND TO EMANCIPATE OUR THOUGHTS FROM PARTICULAR OBJECTS AND RAISE THEM TO THOSE SUBLIME SPECULATIONS THAT ARE CONVERSANT ABOUT ABSTRACT IDEAS FROM ALL WHICH THE NATURAL CONSEQUENCE SHOULD SEEM TO BE THAT SO DIFFICULT A THING AS THE FORMING ABSTRACT IDEAS WAS NOT NECESSARY FOR COMMUNICATION WHICH IS SO EASY AND FAMILIAR TO ALL SORTS OF MEN IF THEY SEEM OBVIOUS AND EASY TO GROWN MEN, IT IS ONLY BECAUSE BY CONSTANT AND FAMILIAR USE THEY ARE MADE SO THUS WHEN I DEMONSTRATE ANY PROPOSITION CONCERNING TRIANGLES IT IS TO BE SUPPOSED THAT I HAVE IN VIEW THE UNIVERSAL IDEA OF A TRIANGLE WHICH OUGHT NOT TO BE UNDERSTOOD AS IF I COULD FRAME AN IDEA OF A TRIANGLE WHICH WAS NEITHER EQUILATERAL NOR SCALENON NOR EQUICRURAL BUT ONLY THAT THE PARTICULAR TRIANGLE I CONSIDER WHETHER OF THIS OR THAT SORT IT MATTERS NOT DOTH EQUALLY STAND FOR AND REPRESENT ALL RECTILINEAR TRIANGLES WHATSOEVER AND IS IN THAT SENSE UNIVERSAL NEAR THE EPICENTER THE QUAKE WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO SHAKE BUILDINGS AND SPILL A GLASS OF WATER HE ALWAYS RESENTED THE INVASION OF HIS PRIVACY THATS NOT A RECORD I AM ANXIOUS TO WIN HE SAID WE USED TO BE THE BREADBASKET OF EUROPE NOW WE ARE THE BASKETCASE OF EUROPE AN ALBUM OF GLOSSY PHOTOS SHOWS THE FORMER SHOEMAKER THE WAY HE WOULD HAVE WANTED TO BE REMEMBERED WE CAN REASONABLY ASSUME THAT THE CURRENT INTERNET POPULATION SPREADS OVER 25 YEARS OF BIRTH DATA LETS SAY 1940 TO 1975 THEREFORE WE REQUIRE 25 X 365 X 12 EQUALS 109 500 BIRTHS TO COVER ALL DAYS AND ALL ASCENDANTS WE SHOULD WELL EXPECT THAT AT LEAST ONE OF OUR THOUSANDS OF CLOSE TIMETWINS COULD HAVE FOUND HIS OR HER WAY HERE BY THE SAME ROUTES WE OURSELVES TOOK PLANETS SUN 10 01 CAP 6TH HOUSE MOON 29 46 LIB 4TH MERCURY 19 06 CAP 7TH VENUS 03 41 CAP 6TH MARS 05 25 CAP 6TH JUPITER 10 27 AQU 8TH SATURN 29 40 CAP 7TH URANUS 00 15R VIR 2ND NEPTUNE 12 57 SCO 5TH PLUTO 10 02R VIR 3RD HOUSES ASCENDANT 18 50 CANCER CAP DESC 2ND 8 25 LEO AQU 8TH 3RD 1 06 VIR PISC 9TH 4TH 29 53 VIR PISC 10TH 5TH 6 13 SCO TAU 11TH 6TH 15 11 SAG GEM 12TH EXTREMELY EARTHY IF NOTHING ELSE TODAY IS SONNABEND DECEMBER 31 1994 NEW YEARS EVE CELEBRATION OF IEMANJA BRAZIL ORIXA OF MOON OCEAN AND MOTHERHOOD OMISOKA DAY JAPAN LUCKY DAY OF SEKHMET WISHING NIGHT MEXICO FIRE DANCE SAMOA STRENIA SICILY FOR THE GIFTS OF PANDORA HOGMANY DAY SCOTLAND ST BASIL S DAY MOON ENTERS CAPRICORN 958 PM PST 1258 PM EST 558 PM GMT EGYPTIAN MECHIR DEC 16 JAN 14 TAINO NEW CYCLE MOON DEC 2 JAN 1 95 CHIPPEWA LONG SNOWS MOON DEC 2 JAN 1 95 ISLAMIC RAJAB DEC 4 JAN 2 95 MAYAN MOL DEC 13 JAN 1 95 SUMERIAN ZIZ DEC 4 JAN 1 95 SIOUX OJIBWA BEAVER MOON DEC 2 JAN 1 95 BABYLONIAN SHABATU DEC 4 JAN 1 95 HINDU MARGSHIRSH DEC 3 JAN 1 95 HEBREW TEVET DEC 4 JAN 1 95 CELTIC SIMIVIS DEC 4 JAN 3 ASSYRIAN NARMAK ASHUR SHA SARATIM DEC 2 DEC 31 DRUIDIC PEITH DEC 23 BETH BIRCH DEC 24 JAN 20 HAWAIIAN MAKALI I DEC 2 JAN 1 95 AZTEC TEOTLECO DEC 13 JAN 1 95 TEUTONIC AFTUMA GIULI AFTER YULE DEC 21 JAN 21 TIBETAN LANG OX DEC 3 JAN 1 95 GREEK POSEIDEON DEC 3 DEC 31 CHINESE SIU YUE DESTRUCTION DEC 2 JAN 1 95 HOPI KAMUYA DEC 2 JAN 1 95 BAHA I MASA IL DEC 12 DEC 30 FRENCH REPUBLICAN NIVOSE SNOW DEC 21 JAN 19 HAPPINESS IS THE REWARD WE GET FOR LIVING TO THE HIGHEST RIGHT WE KNOW INTERESTING THINGS THAT HAPPENED DECEMBER 27 IN 1571 JOHANNES KEPLER BORN AT WEIL DER STADT GERMANY ASTRONOMER DISCOVERED PLANETS TRAVEL IN ELIPTICAL ORBITS IN 1773 GEORGE CAYLEY FOUNDER OF THE SCIENCE OF AERODYNAMICS IN 1822 LOUIS PASTEUR FRENCH CHEMIST AND BACTERIOLOGIST IN 1901 MARLENE DIETRICH IN BERLIN GERMANY ACTOR BLUE ANGEL EVENTS WORTH NOTING FEAST OF ST JOHN APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST IN 1741 PRUSSIAN FORCES TOOK OLMUTZ CZECHOSLOVAKIA IN 1825 FIRST PUBLIC RAILROAD USING STEAM LOCOMOTIVE COMPLETED IN ENGLAND IN 1831 DARWIN BEGINS HIS VOYAGE ONBOARD THE HMS BEAGLE IN 1850 HAWAIIAN FIRE DEPARTMENT ESTABLISHED IN 1867 ONTARIO AND QUEBEC LEGISLATURES HELD FIRST MEETING IN 1927 JOSEPH STALIN S FACTION WON AT THE ALL UNION CONGRESS IN THE SOVIET UNION AND LEON TROTSKY WAS EXPELLED FROM THE COMMUNIST PARTY IN 1932 RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL IN NEW YORK CITY OPENS IN 1934 FIRST YOUTH HOSTEL OPENED NORTHFIELD MASS IN 1941 JAPAN BOMBS MANILA EVEN THOUGH IT WAS DECLARED AN OPEN CITY IN 1945 INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND ESTABLISHED WORLD BANK FOUNDED IN 1947 FIRST HOWDY DOODY SHOW PUPPET PLAYHOUSE TELECAST ON NBC IN 1968 APOLLO 8 RETURNS TO EARTH IN 1972 LESTER PEARSON FORMER CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER AND WINNER OF NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FOR HIS WORK IN THE SUEZ CRISIS OF 1956 DIED IN 1979 SOVIET TROOPS INVADE AFGHANISTAN IN 1983 PROPANE GAS FIRE DEVASTATED 16 SQUARE BLOCKS OF BUFFALO IN 1985 TERRORISTS KILL 20 AND WOUND 110 ATTACKING EL AL AT ROME AND VIENNA AIRPORTS PRESIDENT REAGAN BLAMED LIBYANER MOAMMAR GADHAFI AND REMEMBER NATIONAL INDIGESTION SEASON ALTHOUGH EFFORTS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO ENSURE THE ACCURACY OF THIS INFORMATION SEVERAL ERRORS HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE PAST DONT PLACE ANY BETS ON THE BASIS OF WHAT YOU FIND HERE THE A IS PRONOUNCED AS IN ALPHA THE E IS PRONOUNCED AS IN EPSILON THE I IS PRONOUNCED AS IN PITTY THE TH IS PRONOUNCED AS IN THESIS THE ACCENT GOES TO THE FOLLOWING VOWEL CALLIANASSA CALLINIRA CLYMENE EIONE SEASIDE GODDESS GALENE HALIA QUIETNESS LIVES IN THE SEA IAERA IANASSA IANIRA IONE MAERA NEMERTES DOES NOT DO MISTAKES NESAEA PSAMANTITE PSAMATHI SAND GODDESS IF YOU MEET THE BUDDHA IN THE NET PUT HIM IN A KILLFILE MARS WE COULD EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLORE WETHER LIFE THAT BEGAN EARLY ON COULD STILL SURVIVE IN SOME SPECIALIZED NICHES SUCH AS HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEMS NEAR VOLCANOES WE DO NOT KNOW IF WE ARE OR IF THESE CHANGES COULD PRODUCE NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES SUCH AS SEA LEVEL RISE DUE TO MELTING OF THE ICE CAP MOST OF THE WORLDS LARGEST CITIES ARE AT ELEVATIONS VERY CLOSE TO SEA LEVEL IF WE CAN LEARN THE IMPORTANT FACTORS CONTROLLING CLIMATIC CHANGES ON ANOTHER PLANET WE MAY BE BETTER CAPABLE OF UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEQUENCES OF HUMAN INFLUENCED CHANGES ON THE EARTH UNLIKE THE OVERACTIVE EARTH AND VENUS WHERE MOST OF THE SURFACE IS COVERED BY YOUNG ROCKSAND THE INACTIVE MERCURY AND MOON WHERE ONLY ANCIENT ROCKS ARE PRESENT MARS HAS HAD AN INTERMEDIATE LEVEL OF GEOLOGICAL ACTIVITY WHICH HAS PRODUCED ROCKS ON THE SURFACE THAT PRESERVE THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF SOLAR SYSTEM NASA S JET PROPULSION LABORATORY IS GOING BACK TO MARS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1976 WITH THE SMALL FLEET OF MISSIONS ORBITERS LANDERS ROVERS AND MAYBE BALLOONS AND SAMPLE RETURNS OUR PLAN IS TO FLY AT LEAST TWO ROBOTIC MISIONS TO MARS EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT IS ABOUT EVERY TWO YEARS FROM 1996 THROUGH 2005 THE PAST IS ONLY MEMORY THE FUTURE IMAGINATION REMAINING IN THE PRESENT CONSISTENTLY IS THE NONACTION OF THE ZEN MASTER LEARNING HOW TO RETURN TO THE PRESENT OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS THE FOCUS OF THE STUDENT KENSHO JAPANESE FOR SEEING NATURE THE CLOUDS PART TO REVEAL THE SUN THE SUN HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE BUT NOW IT IS REALIZED IN FLASH OF BRIGHTNESS FORGET I EVER SAID ANYTHING TOO MUCH TO FORGET AS EVER MANIFESTS SWEETNESS AND LIGHT A GENTLE AND COMPASSIONATE PRESENCE TO VIEW ONE AS BAD AND THE OTHER AS GOOD IS DUALISM DIRECTLY INTO THE POT SO WOULD I BUT KNOWLEDGE IS CANCEROUS IS HE SHE IN YOUR HEAD WHEN I PEEK INTO MY MOUTH I ONLY SEE ONE TONGUE IS THIS A MULTIPLE PERSONALITY THING I LIKE TO THINK THAT SINCE THESE MYTHS ORIGINATED 3000 YRS AGO PRONUNCIATION DRIFT INSURES THAT JUST ABOUT ANY PRONUNCIATION WILL BE COMPLETELY WRONG SO IT DOESNT MATTER HOW YOU PRONOUNCE THEM OF COURSE I ALSO VIEW NORMAL GRAMMATICAL RULES AS STYLISTIC RULES NOT AS ABSOLUTE RULES A VIEW WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY MY LINGUISTICS COURSE SO TAKING MY ADVICE ON PRONUNCIATION USE WHATEVER YOU LIKE MAY NOT BE WISE I M AFRAID SIR THAT YOU HAVE A RATHER WEAK GRASP OF REALITY YOUR REALITY SIR IS LIES AND BALDERDASH AND I AM DELIGHTED TO SAY THAT I HAVE NO GRASP OF IT WHATSOEVER ROBOT SPACECRAFT FROM THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA HAVE BEEN FLYING TO MARS SINCE 1964 THE LAST TIME WE VISITED MARS WITH A FULLY SUCCESSFUL MISSION WAS WITH THE VIKING WHICH FLEW TO ORBITERS AND TO LANDERS IN 1975 AND 1976 THE ORBITERS TOOK PICTURES OF THE SURFACE THAT WERE SHARP ENOUGH IN SOME AREAS TO SEE OBJECTS THE SIZE OF A FOOTBALL FIELD THE LANDERS TOOK CLOSEUP IMAGES OF TWO SPOTS ON THE SURFACE AND DID EXPERIMENTS TO SEARCH FOR LIFE WHILE VIKING DID NOT FIND ANY LIFE THE POSSIBBILITY THAT LIFE ONCE EXISTED ON MARS IS STILL THERE WERE DID ALL THE WATER GO MARS USED TO HAVE A LOT OF SURFACE WATER WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE THE ORBITER PICTURES SHOW RIVER VALLEYS AND CHANNELS BEING ABSORBED IN THE PRESENT ABSORPTION IS OCCUPYING THE FULL ATTENTION INTEREST OR TIME OF ENGROSSING THE IDEA SEEMS APPROPRIATE AS THE BRAIN IS MADE UP OF SUBATOMIC PARTICLES THE OBJECTS WHOSE BEHAVIOUR QM EXPLAINS SO WELL IT ILLUSTRATES THE USAGE OF OPERATOR LANGUAGE AND SHOWS THE DIFFICULTY THAT ARISES WHICH SEEMS INSURMOUNTABLE AT PRESENT I HAVE STATISTICALLY EXAMINED 80 YEARS OF SOLAR ERUPTIONS AND I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DEVELOP STATISTICAL MODELS BETWEEN GEOCENTRIC POSITIONS CLOSE TO THE CARDINAL POINTS OF THE TROPICAL ZODIAC THAT RELATED TO SUCH EVENTS IT DOESN T HURT TO REMIND HIM OF THAT DUTY FROM TIME TO TIME SINCE HORNY GUYS SOMETIMES DO GET CARRIED AWAY AND START THINKING WITH THEIR DICKS INSTEAD WOF THEIR HEADS MOST VETERAN GUARDS AND ADMINISTRATORS ARE REALISTIC ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE THAT PROTECTIVE PAIRING MINIMIZES THE VIOLENCE IN THE JOINT AND THAT YOU DONT REALLY HAVE MUCH IN THE WAY OF ALTERNATIVES SO THEY WONT PRESS THE PROTECTIVE PAIR VERY HARD OFTEN NOT AT ALL AND EXALT HIS EXALTEDNESS TO EXALTED HEAVEN YOU MOST GODLIKE ONES OF THE LOFTY ELIM AND EXALT HIS GLORIOUS DIVINITY ABOVE ALL THE LOFTY HEIGHTS FOR HE IS GOD OF GODS OF ALL THE CHIEFS OF THE HEIGHTS OF HEAVEN AND KING OF KINGS OF ALL THE ETERNAL COUNCILS AND CHANT HIS GLORY WITH THE TONGUE OF ALL WHO CHANT WITH KNOWLEDGE BUT NO SOONER DO WE DEPART FROM SENSE AND INSTINCT TO FOLLOW THE LIGHT OF A SUPERIOR PRINCIPLE TO REASON MEDITATE AND REFLECT ON THE NATURE OF THINGS BUT A THOUSAND SCRUPLES SPRING UP IN OUR MINDS CONCERNING THOSE THINGS WHICH BEFORE WE SEEMED FULLY TO COMPREHEND HOW DIFFICULT AND DISCOURAGING SOEVER THIS ATTEMPT MAY SEEM WHEN I CONSIDER HOW MANY GREAT AND EXTRAORDINARY MEN HAVE GONE BEFORE ME IN THE LIKE DESIGNS YET I AM NOT WITHOUT SOME HOPES UPON THE CONSIDERATION THAT THE LARGEST VIEWS ARE NOT ALWAYS THE CLEAREST AND THAT HE WHO IS SHORT-SIGHTED WILL BE OBLIGED TO DRAW THE OBJECT NEARER AND MAY PERHAPS BY A CLOSE AND NARROW SURVEY DISCERN THAT WHICH HAD ESCAPED FAR BETTER EYES WHEN MEN CONSIDER THE GREAT PAINS INDUSTRY AND PARTS THAT HAVE FOR SO MANY AGES BEEN LAID OUT ON THE CULTIVATION AND ADVANCEMENT OF THE SCIENCES AND THAT NOTWITHSTANDING ALL THIS THE FAR GREATER PART OF THEM REMAINS FULL OF DARKNESS AND UNCERTAINTY AND DISPUTES THAT ARE LIKE NEVER TO HAVE AN END AND EVEN THOSE THAT ARE THOUGHT TO BE SUPPORTED BY THE MOST CLEAR AND COGENT DEMONSTRATIONS CONTAIN IN THEM PARADOXES WHICH ARE PERFECTLY IRRECONCILABLE TO THE UNDERSTANDINGS OF MEN AND THAT TAKING ALL TOGETHER A VERY SMALL PORTION OF THEM DOES SUPPLY ANY REAL BENEFIT TO MANKIND OTHERWISE THAN BY BEING AN INNOCENT DIVERSION AND AMUSEMENT 1 DISTINGUISHED BETWEEN KANTS MORAL ARGUMENTS 2 EVEN IF A PERSON HAS THE DEEPEST OF ENLIGHTENMENT EXPERIENCES IF THAT PERSON DOESNT THEN WORK HIS UNDERSTANDING INTO HIS DAILY LIFE THEN THAT PERSON IS NOT ENLIGHTENED 3 HUMILITY IS SUCH A BIG PART OF TRUE ENLIGHTENMENT 4 KNOWLEDGE ALONE IS QUITE HUMBLING POETRY AS REACTION TO INNER CONFLICT DO NOT BE BEWILDERED BY THE SURFACES IN THE DEPTH ALL BECOMES LAW THE STORY IS NOT IN THE NOISE BUT IN THE SILENCE THE NEXT LINE I STILL TAKE SHIT FOR.UM LISA MY LIPS ARE STILL COLD CAGE IS NOT DEAD HE IS JUST LYING IN WAIT HOPE CLINGS TO THE TRANSFIGURED BODY THE IDEA OF THE SALVATION OF THE DEAD IS THE RESTITUTION OF DEFORMED LIFE THROUGH THE PERFECTION OF ITS OBJECTIFICATION WHEN THE STARS ARE HIDDEN BY BLACK CLOUDS NO LIGHT CAN THEY AFFORD HAPPY IS THAT DEATH WHICH THRUSTS NOT ITSELF UPON MEN IN THEIR PLEASANT YEARS YET COMES TO THEM AT THE OFT-REPEATED CRY OF THEIR SORROW SAD IS IT HOW DEATH TURNS AWAY FROM THE UNHAPPY WITH SO DEAF AN EAR AND WILL NOT CLOSE CRUEL THE EYES THAT WEEP.YOU HAVE GIVEN YOURSELF OVER TO FORTUNES RULE AND YOU MUST BOW YOURSELF TO YOUR MISTRESS S WAYS ARE YOU TRYING TO STAY THE FORCE OF HER TURNING WHEEL IF FORTUNE BEGIN TO STAY STILL SHE IS NO LONGER FORTUNE IT MAY LOOK LIKE GARBAGE BUT IT MEANS I LOVE YOU.AND MISS YOU I DELIGHT TO MAKE THE LOWEST TURN TO THE TOP THE HIGHEST TO THE BOTTOM SO WHEN I TURNED MY EYES TOWARDS HER AND FIXED MY GAZE UPON HER I RECOGNIZED MY NURSE PHILOSOPHY IN WHOSE CHAMBERS I HAD SPENT MY LIFE FROM EARLIEST MANHOOD AND I ASKED HER WHEREFORE HAVE YOU MISTRESS OF ALL VIRTUES COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN ABOVE TO VISIT MY LONELY PLACE OF BANISHMENT THE BEAD AS SISYPHUS BOULDER THE TEAR RUNNING DOWN THE CHEEK OF HIS MOUNTAIN AND PLUNGING INTO THE RIVER OF DATA MAYBE HISTORY AND TRADITION WILL FIT SMOOTHLY INTO THE INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS WHICH WILL SERVE AS A RESOURCE FOR THE INEVITABLE PLANNING NEEDS OF A CYBERNETICALLY ORGANIZED MANKIND THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THINKING TOO WILL END IN THE BUSINESS OF INFORMATION PROCESSING NAMING THINGS ENABLES US TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THEM BUT NAMES ARE WORDS AND WORDS EASILY GIVE RISE TO CONFUSION THEY DO NOT REPLACE THE THING OR DIRECT EXPERIENCE OF THE THING WHICH THEY NAME BUT ONLY REPRESENT OR DESCRIBE IT COGNITIVE AND EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE BOTH HAVE THEIR ROOTS IN REALITY BUT REALITY IS COMPLEX AND COMPLEXITY IS MORE OF A BARRIER TO COGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE THAN IT IS TO EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE FOR WHEN WE SEEK COGNITIVE KNOWLEDGE OF A THING THAT IS UNDERSTANDING OF IT THE KNOWLEDGE WE GAIN OF THAT THING IS UNDERSTANDING ONLY OF ITS MANIFESTATIONS WHICH IS NOT KNOWLEDGE OF THE THING ITSELF WE MAY SEEK TO UNDERSTAND A THING RATHER THAN TO EXPERIENCE IT BECAUSE IN A WORLD BESET WITH MAN MADE DANGERS IT IS FREQUENTLY SAFER TO UNDERSTAND THAN TO EXPERIENCE IT IS COMPLEX WHEN WE TRY TO UNDERSTAND IT AND SIMPLE WHEN WE ALLOW OURSELVES TO EXPERIENCE IT ALL THINGS IN THE WORLD WHETHER MOVING OR NON MOVING ARE CHARACTERIZED BY DISAPPEARANCE AND INSTABILITY ALL IS ONE LAW NOT TWO MIND IS CLEAR OF LIMITATION.
Perp walk.
Sounds very Mel Gibson. I agree about alternate endings. If I wanted to piece together the story myself, I'd write it. Twif once said to me he thought people invested too much in endings anyway (he was talking about poetry, but the principle is the same. Not clear why the ending should be so much more important than the rest.
Off topic; could you add at link to the "Today's Pictures" front page http://todayspictures.slate.com ? It would save me a lot of clicking. There are days when it's the only part of Slate I want anything to do with.
Dawn: You either love Tool or you hate them (I guess). I love them. As for what you were trying to say, I'm at a loss.
Schad: Last time I'll ask but, you really should register with wikifray. (note: that doesn't mean you have to contribute, and it's not at all unlike registering for a passport, except in this case the benefits are greater)
august: Link added. Let me know in the comming days if it doesn't lead to the most recent pictures. I'm guess it will.
Funny. I was looking for a reply to your post, thought of the Tool song, this, and then searched that line from the Koran “a day or part of a day”, and found that link. Something about all the beautiful and silly things we say on the fray, and what if all got said with all caps on??? Not especially clear, I know, but your post made me unbearably sad. Someone, I thought, should go and top post and ask everyone to please just come back.
As much as I get a wee thrill at the idea of a mass exodus to this blog, I think we lose something kind of magicalif we lose BOTF. It’s a loss that’s hard to quantify. Perhaps that’s what I was saying with that link: finding beauty in the dissonance (in all caps).
I love Tool.
I know the pieces fit cuz I watched them tumble down
No fault, none to blame it doesn’t mean I don’t desire to
Point the finger, blame the other, watch the temple topple over.
To bring the pieces back together, rediscover communication.
The poetry that comes from the squaring off between,
And the circling is worth it.
Finding beauty in the dissonance.
Hopscotch. (Cortazar, you know)
I wonder how long before some auteur makes use of the dvd's "chapter" format to do a choose-your-own-adventure style direct-to-disc movie. My money's on Robert Rodriguez, <18 months. Unless Christopher Nolan beats him to it. And it will suck, but look really cool, and have -- hopefully -- hot lesbian sex.
Because all serious cineastes appreciate hot lesbian sex.
I appreciate the invitation, but I'll pass. Something Dawn said, probably.
Film-makers often film two endings (even when the original source has a clearly-defined and well-known ending). They use whichever ending tests better. Now, they use the extras to justify the unconscionable prices they charge for the DVD's.
I've been thinking about interpersonal internet communication quite a bit over the past couple of days. It strikes me that it is becoming something like the life of the proles in 1984. We can say whatever we want (within certain amorphously-defined parameters) because nobody gives a shit what we think, anyway.
Schad: I apologize for impugning your integrity. It was out of line. If you ever change your mind about joining the blog, you’ll need this, or something like it: alligatorpeople@gmail.com
password hint: mayor to MLA
I appreciate that, Dawn, but I'll still pass. Maybe if someone shows up who I don't already know, I'll change my mind (not that I don't like all of you, but I already know you).
I suspect I'm going to be spending more time on my meat relationships, job search and trying to make a profit on my house upgrades, anyway. That would probably be a good thing.
Mmmmmm. Meat relationships.
Well, that is just peachy.
I hate it when good things like BOTF are destroyed.
Schad is right, one of the things that makes it fun is that new people can find it.
And great minds converse there.
But no more, it seems.
*heavy, heavy sigh*
just as well, I have to live my own meat life sometime.
I miss you, Bite. Stop by any time, or join up, or something.
I think a lot of people are resistant to the idea of Wikifray because they think it represents something anti-fray, or something. I don't see it as anti-fray at all (and it seems like Ender's said as much, more than once) though I suppose it probably ends up being different things for different people: showcase, methadone clinic, life raft, social exchange, writing workshop, or an exercise in creative blog craftmanship.
I had someone else tell me awhile back they wouldn't join because they were afraid Ender would eventually pull the rug out, which I thought particularly silly - not only because I can't imagine him doing it, but because it's a worthwhile thing to be involved in no matter what it evolves into (or not) right now, as it is.
One of the points Ender's made from the beginning is that this is not necessarily competitive with either personal blogs or Fray posts - just another forum for presentation, and some exchange. That's certainly the way it seems to me.
So, I hope more people will entertain the possibility of joining. It's not like there are any minimum quality requirements, or anything. I mean after all, they let me join up, didn't they? I'm perfectly comfortable playing my familiar part as the lowest rung on a tall ladder.
So come on over, Bite (and Schad, and Arch, TQM, and everybody else who might be inclined). The water's warm, the company's good, and you can always grab your towel and head to another pond, when you're inclined.
tenacious said it better than me. Yet a-fargin'-gain. Sigh.
And hey - the thing is this is bigger than Ender now (which is probably what he wanted all along). He can wail all he wants but if we want to keep this core group together it's simplicity itself to just take our toys and go to that other vacant lot right next door.
Come on over, dabble a toe. If you don't like it then go back or even just pick up your towel and head off to your own pond. If you want, toss us a line.
Don't get me wrong. I don't see this site as the anti-BOTF.
However, I do think there has been something lost over there by this site existing. It must take away from BOTF to exist. Time spent reading and writing here is time not spent reading adn writing over there.
Such is the nature of the Blog.
Bite, I disagree. The amount of time it takes, really, to check/respond over here and over there is trivial. What you're seeing is the over-arching effect of the same inadequate administration and support of the site, and disregard for the potential resource of the primary users, that motivated Ender to start this baby up in the first place. This place isn't killing BOTF - BOTF is fading away without any help at all from hereabouts.
I wouldn't be there, for other reasons, even if I weren't here. I'm actually more involved this way, and I really don't expect that to diminish come March or so.
Addicts can attest to the manner in which their hand and wrist twitches as they compulsively hit the refresh button, or quickly scan other pages, while waiting impatiently for their next fix. All this gives is a place to go pick up a little codeine, while you're waiting for one of your buddies to hurry it up cooking that fix over on BOTF. It takes no more time at all.
And as far as writing posts goes, there's absolutely nothing to stop someone from cross-posting, and then including a link back to BOTF for discussion thereof - if you were concerned about taking discussion away from that forum.
So, I hope you reconsider. It would be nice to believe we over here are actually instrumental in some way for the decline of that much-beloved space, because that would imply we could do something about it. Fact is, the same things that drove most people over here are the things that are killing that board. All Ender's trying to do is draw attention to the problem. I think.
Not a botf history buff, but it's my impression that it grew because it was fostered, and is fading now (if it in fact is) because it's neglected by Daddy Slate.
And frankly, if it's just an empty lot we need, we can as easily hang out here or at our own blogs and not worry about the doggie treats of approval or the cryptic admonitions.
Also, I don't find it much trouble to crosspost things to appropriate fora and hold conversations in two places.
K
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