Ä [10] SFFAN (2:463/2.5) ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ SFFAN Ä
Msg : 36 of 185
From : Christian Raven 1:393/7 .ōp 16 .íâ 96 02:56
To : Frank Glover
Subj : Re: VIRTUAL SEX
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
KA> FG> Me, I can see it now; "Computer, run program `Madonna1, version
KA> 3."
KA> Madonna? YEEEEEESH. For your sake, I hope the program crashes...
Either that or dont leave the real world without some Virtual Protection
(perhaps by Norton: Virtual D... Doctor)..
..c.raven..
--- CNet/3
* Origin: The Bard's Tavern Denton, TX (817)243-5110 USR 28.8 (1:393/7)
Ä [10] SFFAN (2:463/2.5) ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ SFFAN Ä
Msg : 37 of 185
From : Roelof Otten 2:282/214 .cę 14 .íâ 96 00:29
To : Phill Ash
Subj : Nuclear
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Hello Phill!
Thursday January 11 1996, Phill Ash writes to David Johnston:
PA> The most common human mutation over the past 30 or so years has not
PA> been very beneficial to the specie as a whole.
PA> It's called "cancer"
Two things, cancer isn't a mutation, but a disease. Neither is it something of
the last 30 years, it has been there for a long, long time, but the fact that so
many people catch cancer (not sure about the right syntax) is because most other
diseases are under control so they don't kill us. That gives cancer more time to
get us.
Roelof
--- GED/2 2.50+/FMail1.02+
* Origin: The Cheesemaker's Home (2:282/214)
Ä [10] SFFAN (2:463/2.5) ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ SFFAN Ä
Msg : 38 of 185
From : Michael Harper 1:123/10 .îí 15 .íâ 96 09:49
To : Lawrence E Dunlap
Subj : tv and sf
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
-=> Over coffee and beignets, Lawrence E Dunlap told Michael Harper all about
tv and sf...
LED> Michael,
LED> You point out one glaring difference between US and British TV,
LED> that some foundational degree of culture was present when their
LED> networks started. The American networks tried to rise above the poor
LED> breeding of the typical American.
But don't forget, for every BBC Shakespeare production, there were half
a dozen sitcoms that were just as brainless as anything we have here.
The British and Europeans aren't the paragons of culture you'd like to
think; ten years ago, I saw a Scots folk band called the Tannahill
Weavers here. During the course of their show, they lamented the fact
that they were missing _Dallas_. At the time, it was a national
obsession in Britain and Europe.
LED> My father's generation fought WWII, his brothers fought Korea and
LED> Vietnam so *this* kind of Baby Boomer could be free to be such a low
LED> breed of life *just* described?
Yes. We need Joe Average the sheetrock worker and Steve Ordinary the
auto mechanic as much or more than we do the Sagans and Hawkings of
this world. Somebody has to do the work. It's not his fault that the
country he lives in is about twentieth in educational standards, and
possibly lower in literacy.
Do you know who the most literate people in the world are? Oil riggers.
Especially the ones on platforms and on towboats. They read everything,
and read it again, and then read it to each other. I know of one guy
who learned highly advanced mathematics, tensor calculus and that sort
of thing, while working an oil rig. It was the only thing he could find
that no one would walk off with before he was done with it.
LED> Any civilized 21st Century culture cannot exist with such poorly
LED> bred citizens of this level of ethical values and literacy in the
LED> sciences as portrayed by the composite man just presented here.
Blame the schools and the government. While you're at it, blame the
people who let the schools and government get into such a state. We're
the barbarians, son. We've planted the seeds of our own destruction.
It's up to us to do something about it.
LED> For one thing, in democracies such a man must be currently literate
LED> in the sciences to effectively vote intelligently on scientific
LED> issues.
LED> *This* kind of a vacuum brained man would vote in a tyranny!
He's a sleeping dragon, Lawrence. If something should rouse him, the
Common Man will strike out with terrifying force. His interest in
things nikulturny doesn't indicate a lack of intelligence; it indicates
a lack of education. He's ignorant, not stupid. Within his area of
expertise, he's very well-educated.
LED> You're suggesting--impuigning!--that civlilized intelligent life
LED> isn't preponderant in our country because popular media has cultivated
LED> empty-minded life to prevent any critical thinking about nonrenewable
LED> consumer products to protect easy profit margins.
Yes. Because no one ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of
the average human. And this planned obsolesence/lowbrow culture has
been spoonfed to us for years. The Romans called it bread and circuses.
If you keep the masses entertained, they'll ignore what you're doing.
LED> Why does my gut suspect a educated and ethical population might
LED> not buy so much nonrenewable consumables or docilely accept this level
LED> of mediocrity in entertainment?
The audience isn't the problem. The execs and the sponsors are the
problem. The government is a major problem when it comes to
nonrenewables. Read _Fallen Angels_ by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle and
Michael Flynn. Then get back to me on nonrenewable resources.
LED> What is your thinking about any good SF finding a place in mass
LED> market media with the declining educational sharpness that you've just
LED> highlighted? To say nothing of the survival of a educationally
LED> literate television system in the US?
Not much chance, I'm afraid. In another ten years, maybe. Let the rest
of the dinosaurs die off in Hollywood, and education pick up somewhat.
Maybe then we'll see a change. But as long as television depends on
corporate sponsors, quality will be mediocre at best. The occasional
bright spot like B5 will be rare, and cherished by those of us who know
something good when they see it. The rest of the world will keep
watching reruns of Full House...
... Drop out of school before your mind rots and go to the library. -Zappa
--- RA/FD/FMail
* Origin: The Eclectic Fox -- Memphis, TN 901-327-1008 (1:123/10)
Ä [10] SFFAN (2:463/2.5) ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ SFFAN Ä
Msg : 39 of 185
From : Chip Griffin 1:320/301 .cę 14 .íâ 96 13:37
To : Bianca Wesslak
Subj : Re: nuclear BS
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
You are showing your lack of knowledge ...
On 01/14/96 (@13:27:54) Bianca Wesslak typed:
BW> energy. The energy does not even come from the split atoms. The
BW> electricity is made form steam. The steam comes from the water cooling down
BW> the core reactor. The steam turns all these doohickies, that turn turbines
BW> with magnets in them. I don't think the risk is worth it. I do not agree
BW> either with coal or fossil fuel despite what others think. I think that
BW> they're are much more safer and saner ways of getting energy. wind,
BW> solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric, like niagra falls. I don't like the
BW> though of using stuff that can level cities and leave behind destruction
BW> and death even years later. It can infilltrate ground water if people are
BW> not careful. etc etc. We can't even handle fossil fuels without hurting
BW> the enviroment and people. To keep in topic and this is also something
The energy DOES come from the splitting of atoms. When a large atom absorbs
an additional neutron (atom fragment) it becomes unstable and splits. When it
splits it becomes to other materials plus additional items. It releases
several neutrons, electrons, and heat. The neutrons have a lot of kinetic
energy. There is water close by which "thermalizes" the neutrons (that is to
say the water slows the neutrons down, which heats the water up). The slower
neutrons are more likely to be absorbed by other Uranium atoms (thus
continuing the process). The water (hot) is transported to "steam generators"
where they heat water on the other size of some tubes, thus keeping any chance
of contamination separated from the steam. The secondary water boils and the
steam is transported to the turbines. From here it is identical to Geothermal
or fossil boiler plants.
Incidentally, turbines work by converting the internal energy of the steam in
to rotational energy. The rotational energy is used to turn a magnetic field
which induces a voltage (which can then cause current flow if there is a
closed loop) in coils close by. The turbines don't have magnets in them, the
generator does. There is no risk in this. The absolute worse that can happen
here is that it can "come apart" (ie by the introduction of water when it is
turning at high speed, similar to sticking your finger in the spokes of your
bicycle wheel while it is turning at high speed) but this will only cause
damage to the turbine and people in CLOSE proximity to it ... no one off the
site will even know something happened. ... no risk ...
You should study some before you decide you don't like something ...
de Chip [N1MIE] President of TRAUG quarry@q.continuum.net
--- MacKennel 2.2.1
* Origin: The Quarry: 860-889-6427 -- Amateur Radio & Mac User (1:320/301.0)
Ä [10] SFFAN (2:463/2.5) ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ SFFAN Ä
Msg : 40 of 185
From : Chip Griffin 1:320/301 .cę 14 .íâ 96 13:45
To : Don Dellmann
Subj : Re: nuclear BS
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
On 01/14/96 (@13:42:02) Don Dellmann typed:
DD> Greenpeace is one of the greatest threats to our freedom there is. Their
DD> political agenda is to control our country the way they want to control it,
DD> and the methods they use are criminal, in fact felonious, by the laws of
DD> every civilized nation in the world.
Exactly. The scariest part for me is that my own mother supports them ... she
has greenpeace checks ... sad ...
DD> Wind is not reliable, geothermal is only available in a very few parts of
DD> the world and still relies on heat creating steam, Dams for hydro destroy
DD> large areas of the forest by creating resevoirs, (and what about the
DD> tremendous loss of life if a Dam "breaks"), and you would not believe how
DD> many people have had their houses burn down because of poor;y maintained
DD> solar collectors on the roof.
Recent stories I have heard indicate they've found a way to drill down,
detonate small explosions, and inject water which will be heated to steam in
areas where there is energy present but does not have the necessary conditions
naturally. I still don't think it is the answer either.
As for the dams, I think that fear is probably as unfounded as the fear of a
nuclear meltdown. Yes, it has happened in the past, but our knowledge and
technologies have developed a lot since then.
I don't know about the solar panel fires, that is the first I've heard of it
...
de Chip [N1MIE] President of TRAUG quarry@q.continuum.net
--- MacKennel 2.2.1
* Origin: The Quarry: 860-889-6427 -- Amateur Radio & Mac User (1:320/301.0)
Ä [10] SFFAN (2:463/2.5) ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ SFFAN Ä
Msg : 41 of 185
From : Chip Griffin 1:320/301 .cę 14 .íâ 96 13:48