Adages
-
Quote of the day – Joni Mitchell edition
Despite her prominence among the young musicians of the 1960s and 1970s, and her writing of “Woodstock” (where she was prevented from performing because her manager thought it was more advantageous to appear on The Dick Cavett Show[74]), she did not align herself with the era’s protest movements or its cultural manifestations. She has said that the parents of the boomers were unhappy, and “out of it came this liberated, spoiled, selfish generation into the costume ball of free love, free sex, free music, free, free, free, free we’re so free. And Woodstock was the culmination of it.” But “I was not a part of that,” she explained in an interview
Identities strike again I suppose. Making one’s costless opinions (on Climate Change, Trump, the Vietnam War in this case) of primary importance is perplexing, particularly when I do it. Granted people do talk a lot about parenting, work, etc (i.e stuff they actually do every day) the opinions are useful proxies for something I suppose.
-
Quote of the day
From this documentary about Leonard Cohen
It’s odd – his relationship with the material world seems perfect, i.e. something to be consumed, not pursued or desired. The concepts aren’t diametrically opposed, but it does change the outlook.
He is a very good example of going through life as a tourist, like Hoffer, which I suppose is why I’m drawn to him.
-
Quote of the day for our modern, anxious times
Judge lest ye be judged
Which is putting it strongly. The amount of time and effort put into posturing in the comment section is remarkable, and the more identifiable someone is, seemingly the more posturing.
-
I’m amazed that no one used this slogan in the 2016 election
From my own post all the way back in 2006
Better a third-rate fireman than a first rate arsonist.
Thomas Sowell -
Quote of the day – Trump Version
From the Sam Harris podcast
If he can’t grope it, or put gold letters on it, it doesn’t exist.
-
Quote of the day
From Ammon Hennacy via Utah
Judge: You really think you’re going to change the world that way?
Hennacy: Maybe not, but it sure as hell isn’t going to change me!
-
Quote of the day – macroeconomics and climate science
From Arnold Kling (emphasis mine)
I am a macroeconomics skeptic. I think that my background in the subject is deep enough that my reasons for skepticism are legitimate. See, for example, my memoirs of a would-be macroeconomist.
I am a climate science skeptic, but not based on a similarly deep background. I just look at the superficial similarities with macroeconomics and infer that skepticism is warranted. It is plausible to me that the climate “consensus” is way off. However, it could be off in either direction–maybe the temperature increase will be faster and sharper than the consensus forecast.
When it comes to the differences between macro and climate science, points (1) and (2) favor climate science. However, point (3) leans against climate science. Good ideas are persuasive. If you need to excommunicate unbelievers, you are dealing in religion, not science.
-
An odd request from a six year old
“Daddy, I want to play with something sharp….”
-
First quote of the day in 2017
My creative endeavors were crap, but there’s always an audience for trainwrecks
-
Interesting quotes from Moldbug
From the WikiQuotes page
the modern world has largely replaced religion, defined as the veneration of paranormal beings, with idealism, defined as the veneration of mysterious universal principles.
The artists of today produce kitsch because they’re rebelling against a fictitious power structure by supporting a real one.
[…] the replacement of religion by idealism has allowed people who are essentially religious fanatics to achieve positions of unprecedented temporal supremacy, not only without arousing the alarm of reasonable, scientifically minded writers, but in fact enlisting their enthusiastic support.
Are we really to believe that Marx, on his own, invented the idea that all men are brothers, despite living in a society dominated by a religion whose creed taught exactly that?
Progressives have created a vast set of puppet cultures which enable them to describe their monoculture as a multiculture.