tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post6658892546316773429..comments2023-05-14T21:11:23.699-04:00Comments on CHEESEBURGER BROWN: Story Wallah: The Automatic Marlboro - Section II, sub-section (c)Cheeseburger Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384136287767500794noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-67289026739975516002011-05-20T10:23:51.981-04:002011-05-20T10:23:51.981-04:00Finally, Marlboro's first-chapter claim makes ...Finally, Marlboro's first-chapter claim makes some sense.<br /><br />Time to catch up now...Sheik Yerboutinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-19136678128146853412011-05-19T14:50:08.154-04:002011-05-19T14:50:08.154-04:00SaintPeter said,
Air: "Why, yes, I am a capi...SaintPeter said,<br /><br /><i>Air: "Why, yes, I am a capital 'L' Liberal, how nice of you to notice."</i><br /><br />I think that must be a culturally sensitive expression, since to me a "capital L" liberal would be a member of the Liberal Party of Canada, a left-of-centre political organization. A "small L" liberal would be someone who held or espoused a philosophically liberal ideology.<br /><br />Of course, I'm not rushing to correct you -- I'm sure it means something else quite legitimate where you live. I just don't know what that is. (I'm also the first one to admit my lack of politico-philosophical acumen.)<br /><br />Air's attitude is abrasive though, to be sure.<br /><br />Yours,<br />Cheeseburger BrownCheeseburger Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01384136287767500794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-73581495913395152362011-05-19T14:44:11.387-04:002011-05-19T14:44:11.387-04:00Dear Anonymous,
I have mixed feelings on this iss...Dear Anonymous,<br /><br />I have mixed feelings on this issue.<br /><br />I know all the good advice says "says/said" is transparent to the reader while adding more description is usually not especially helpful (if you can't tell how they're saying it from what they're saying, you're saying it wrong).<br /><br />On the other hand, when editing I tend to find the rhythmic and mindless repetition of "says/said" to be a distracting pattern in and of itself. I generally read aloud to find our the points at which I feel it needs to be broken up, though I do admit to sometimes switching out the words because I want to emphasize a semantic point about the delivery.<br /><br />A matter of balance, perhaps?<br /><br />At any rate, thanks for letting me know when you feel I've overplayed the hand. It's very valuable information.<br /><br />Yours,<br />Cheeseburger BrownCheeseburger Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01384136287767500794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-47668538526497920502011-05-19T14:39:23.043-04:002011-05-19T14:39:23.043-04:00Dear Teddy,
Interesting starting point! I think t...Dear Teddy,<br /><br />Interesting starting point! I think there are a few flaws in your analogy, though.<br /><br />Firstly, you are not dependent upon macaroni and cheese. While you are dependent on a source of general sustenance, you are not obliged to attach yourself to any particular variety of sustenance (or even a specific source, mechanics of geography permitting). You may prefer, but you are not bound. I think "dependence" implies a state of binding much stronger than a preference or appetite.<br /><br />Secondly, I don't agree that your place of employment has every right to withhold "services" (in its role as employer). I believe in fact that the contrary may be true -- there are many, many limitations on how an employer can suspend or terminate an employment relationship. Heroes and idiots alike of the labour rights movement have worked hard to diminish that particular degree of freedom on the part of employers -- arbitrary termination is usually actionable.<br /><br />Thirdly, and perhaps most consequentially, it seems to me as if your argument is suffering from an excess of equivocation: since all things are dependent on something (because physical existence is necessarily provisional), all dependencies are indistinguishable and therefore equal.<br /><br />However, in truth, dependencies do differ in their qualitative contributions to success. They can be meaningfully contrasted, even if priorities are mutable given extremes of time, space or number.<br /><br />As an individual, my desire for thirst can be effectively contrasted to my desire for sex. I cannot live more than a few days without water but I can live indefinitely without sex. These appetites do not bear equally on my ability to survive.<br /><br />On short enough timescales this holds true for groups, too. But once we extend to a longer timescale we see that, for a group, thirst for water and thirst for sex are equally necessary for survival. On the other hand, no matter how long a timescale we use cravings for luxury items will never be on equal footing with these basic appetites correlated so directly with perpetuation of the metabolism and germ line.<br /><br />Your species requires water and sexual reproduction to continue existing, but it will never require emerald rings or soufflé. Your species may like these things, but in the absence of soufflé a substitution will do. There are no substitutes for water or fecundity.<br /><br />The Zorannic robots are metabolically quite independent, but in terms of reproduction their dependence is absolute. It's not the same as needing a hospital to give birth to your baby in, because in the absence of a hospital the baby would still come out.<br /><br />In this way we can distinguish between a dependence on infrastructure and a dependence on function. The Zorannics aren't lacking a hospital -- they lack wombs. No matter how you shake it, it's a more fundamental problem.<br /><br />Thanks for engaging the discussion, Teddy! Response and discussion are good.<br /><br />Yours,<br />Cheeseburger BrownCheeseburger Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01384136287767500794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-85606256984742791662011-05-19T10:16:02.537-04:002011-05-19T10:16:02.537-04:00The right to reproduce freely and independently ve...The right to reproduce freely and independently versus the right to buy Kraft Dinner at a supermarket? Yeah, totally the same thing Teddy. :)Joshua Benjaminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15725899574626859482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-1103815456056391032011-05-19T01:06:44.979-04:002011-05-19T01:06:44.979-04:00So? I'm dependent on Target continuing to sto...So? I'm dependent on Target continuing to stock Macaroni and Cheese for my existance, and for the store I work at to continue to stay in business so I can buy money to trade for Macaroni. If they were to with-hold their services, as they have EVERY right to do at any time, I'd be more or less hosed. The grocery less so, as there is competition, but my point stands - no man is an island, and in fact the Zorannics are less dependent on society around them than we are, it would seem. Her argument is short-sighted.<br /><br />TRHTeddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06429915965397673079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-41185014132430352362011-05-18T16:43:15.674-04:002011-05-18T16:43:15.674-04:00Air: "Why, yes, I am a capital 'L' L...Air: "Why, yes, I am a capital 'L' Liberal, how nice of you to notice." Even though I agree with the thrust of her argument, I really just want to smack her for her incredibly condescending attitude. "We're here to SAVE the Zorannics from the evil oppressors!"<br /><br />I kept waiting for her to announce that she had a clinically tight vagina. <br /><br />She does have a point, though - they are dependent on the university for their continued existence. Of course, they're also pretty smart, so I wouldn't put it past them to figure out their own solution.SaintPeterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02064605142705446251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-54274005053607906662011-05-18T11:09:57.246-04:002011-05-18T11:09:57.246-04:00I was a little distracted by declares, snaps, repl...I was a little distracted by declares, snaps, replies icily, persists, repeats. They felt like too much in rapid succession.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com