From: Michael M. Butler (butler@comp-lib.org)
Date: Wed Jan 31 2001 - 10:29:03 MST
Michael Lorrey wrote:
> While unsubstantiated cynicism isn't worth anything.
Yes, Michael. And, FWIW, let the record show once more that while John
Marlow later wrote:
> Ah, well. No, actually I meant for the reasonably forseeable future.
> And on the contrary, assuming ANYone's EVER going to fund it
> approaches absurdity.
...what he posted at the start of this thread was:
> > The chances that we're ever gonna make it off this rock in any
> > meaningful way are a billion to one, to be kind.
"We", "ever", "meaningful"... these words slip and slide as the
conversation continues.
Also, Mr. Marlow persists in speaking of "funding" "it" as some
megaproject, like getting to the Moon in 1969. Yup, can't drive a city's
worth of inhabitants to Mars (or wherever) in one big tin can which
disintegrates enroute, so no one can ever live there, yup yup. Absurd to
think so, yup yup. We are in agreement. Comes time to try flying, you
can't build much more that actually works than da Vinci's parachute with
his technology base, either.
There is very little foreseeable future, and that timeline does not
intersect well with "ever". "Billion to one" was, as expected, mere
florid posturing.
> > Odd that you equate science fiction with stupdity.
> > As the man said, Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Jeee. Zisss.
"Fell off the turnip truck...first [sf] convention" is, you know, like,
what they call an image, and all. You know, like, umm, a metaphor or
something, like, for someone who is naive, like, you know? Hmm?
For a professional communicator, this fellow strikes me as frequently
supercilious, sloppy, hyperbolic, and rather lazy. I've been all these
things in my time, but I hope I'm getting better. I extend the same hope
to him. But I'm tired, I've done my part. Somebody tell me if he writes
something interesting, please. *PLONK*
M
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