every 3.4 * 10^-1801 seconds, and the universe is unaware of it...
The philosophical implications of this are pretty cool. What if the universe is being rebuilt moment by moment, instead of a going through truly analog and continuous change? At what point does a fine enough discrete system become indistinguishable from a continuous one?
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Seriously, we need to start thinking about the ramifications of all this. Do/.'s banner ads produce enough revenue to feed Taco, Hemos, Timothy, CowboyNeal and others? Or are we going to have to come up with other cool ways to lend our support to them?
If we start a newsgroup to discuss this issue now, perhaps we can avoid the possibility of/. having to close its doors. I've been tossing out a few ideas left and right, on other stories and threads here, but that means nothing if there isn't enough intelligent discussion to seperate the good ideas from the crap. Come on! Prepare for an Andover meltdown now, and perhaps we can keep the best parts of their sites still up, even if VA Linux keels over.
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and would say that art is *art* when it makes an emotional impact on you. However, with Key, I was refering specifically to the fact that there is a major tragedy in the last episode, one that left me feeling really bummed out. And thinking on the issue carefully, they could have removed said tragedy w/o any 'deus ex machina,' or somesuch, and thus, it's pretty clear that they left it in to give the last episode a greater emotional impact.
So, here I am, slightly miffed that they didn't have a happier ending, or at least less bittersweet, but still impressed as heck by the work as a whole. "So good it hurts" is how I describe art like this, stuff that has enough tragedy in it to give it bite. Like The Warrior's Apprentice, a work by multiple Hugo winner, Lois McMaster Bujold. Or a lot of stuff by Orson Scott Card. Or other great works of art.
So, if you want to do yourself a favor, get yourself a copy of Key. It qualifies as great art by your criteria, so I'd think you'd enjoy it...:)
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Which is more than I would've expected from Eva...:) Oh, and is Rei still the same Rei from the earlier part of the series, or is she a clone? I'm asking because I missed episodes 23-24, or a couple of episodes around there. (I can't remember the episode number.:P)
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Well, it is a huge series, but there are television series that are longer, less interesting, and much slower. If you're comparing it to other OVA series, well, I can see why you felt it dragged.
Well, I just watched the ending and can see why you might not have liked it. The whole nature of gel is still left a little vague (liquified soul? chi? something else?) and is supremely disturbing, and they did do something horrible to one of the main characters. But for me, I felt that the whole thing was of 'so good it hurts' quality. You know, like some really good books where horrible things happen to good people?
Oh, and if you felt things just got too weird at the end, remember: the director once worked as an assistant director on Akira, so he comes by his weirdness naturally. And all in all, it wasn't half as weird as the End of Evangelion, and they got it right on the first time, which is more than can be said for Eva.;P
Anyways, I'll probably go buy Lain sometime in the next year, when I have some more money or something. And if you're looking for another good thought-provoking television series, try Revolutionary Girl Utena. They've only released the first 13 episodes (of 39) of the series, and are dragging their heels about releasing the rest, (Software Sculptors, a subdivision or something of Central Park Media: they probably want to finish Slayers first) but what other anime has the Student Council of a high school receiving orders from the End of the World? 8)
One last note: Key was produced in celebration of Pony Canyon's 10th or 15th anniversary or something. That explains why they were willing to even create such a massive OVA series..
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Or the End of Evangelion, as most people refer to it. Or is it rebirth, parts one and two?
Anyways, a much better work than the original last two episodes, though still pretty darn weird and confusing. For instance, are there any other humans around at the end besides Shinji and Asuka? And what did Shinji's decision mean for the human race? Apotheosis, or the decision not to, as the case may/may not be, always leaves behind too many questions for nice neat endings with all the stray parts tied up... all in all, an cool film, but, as I put it at the club meeting where I saw it, "It's Evangelion! It's not supposed to make sense!"
Oh, and I just finished watching the last episode of Key. It gets pretty weird too, at the end. I'm still not quite sure what gel really is, and I'm still in a state of emotional shock from this last episode, but a very good work, all the same.
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I mean, I know I could buy the boxed sets and get everything, or they might offer them piecemeal, but are there any 'extras' that come only with the boxed set? And how much more expensive is it to get the DVD's one by one?
Ah well, it's not a near term worry. There's a bunch of stuff I want to get for the next 6 months already, like a lucent-chipset PCI Modem, Square's recent games, a Dreamcast and Soul Calibur, etc. And would you recommend FY over Escaflowne, or vice versa? Thanks.
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Revolutionary Girl Utena. I can understand why you left it out, though. Two thirds of the series have yet to see an english release, and getting someone hooked on Utena without offering them the whole series may be considered an act of cruelty.
Personally I would rank Utena just a notch below Key the Metal Idol, and definitely above Tenchi , but then again, I prefer drama to comedy. I don't know how it stacks up to Lain, since I haven't seen Lain yet. Yeah, I've been sort of out of the anime scene since '98, and am just now returning to plunge into it again. Anime deprivation for 3 years, take some pity on poor little me.;)
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Umm, Taco, you got it wrong. Animenewsnetwork isn't interviewing Hirashi Hiroki any more than/. is. Animenewsnetwork is linking to an interview with Hiroki-san. The interview seems to be an AIC exclusive.
And on a totally unrelated note, why hasn't anyone introduced Taco to Key the Metal Idol? I'm wondering why this little gem has never goten the publicity it deserves. How good is it? I would say it's the best android/robot-related work since Bladerunner, and certainly the best android-related anime. And yes, I am including Ghost in the Shell and Bubblegum Crisis in that comparison.
It has some elements of fantasy, (What are Key's mysterious powers and how are they related to the feelings of those around her?) and of sci-fi,(what are the Sipes,(short answer: military-grade humanoid robots),and what is their nature? and what is Ajo Heavy Industries doing with them on the streets of Tokyo?) blended together to form a great series with mysteries abounding.(what is the relationship between Key and these sipes?)
The pacing is excellent, the storytelling incredible, and it looks like it won't disappoint with its last episodes, unlike Evangelion. I've watched up to Episode 14 so far, (13 30 min eps, 14 & 15 are 90 min each), and as soon as I'm done here I'll go watch the last one. Sigh. Will this piece of anime ever get the attention it deserves? Listen, just watch the opening sequence, nothing more. If the haunting style and brief glimpses of story elements don't draw you in, then you can leave without ever watching any of it again, and I won't ever bother you again, Ok?
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There shall be no knights, elves, dwarves or dragons. Nor shall there be any wizards, wenches, bards, bartenders, golems, giants, clerics, necromancers, thieves, gods, angels, demons, sorceresses, undead bodies or body parts (mummified or decaying), Nazis, Russians, spies, mercenaries, space marines, stormtroopers, star pilots, humanoid robots, evil geniuses, mad scientists, or carnivorous aliens. And no freakin' vampires.
OTOH, if you could get all these things into anything with a coherent plot, I bet the resulting work would be pretty darned interesting, especially once you got past the stock fantasy stuff and got into the sci-fi stuff too.;P
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Yes, you too can star in one of your favorite series! If the strike comes, as some fear, it needn't be the end of star trek production! Just make a tape of yourself in some dramatic role, send it in to the creators, and before you know it, you might be piloting the latest addition to the Federation's fleet!
Muhahahaha! Now I will prevent the series from ever getting made! If hundreds of tapes of pasty white geeks in their feeble acting attempts don't discourage the producers, nothing will! Ah, it's good to be evil...
What!?! The microphone is still on!?! Damn voice recognition systems!
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Didn't realize you'd been successful in helping make the world a better place. I guess there's a reason you have >25 karma, huh?:)
Yeah, the prison system sucks. Fortunately, there are people out there like you and others like the prison ministry programs working to make it better.
Oh, and thanks for the correction on the use of Hanlon's Razor. I knew that I was somewhere off from the correct form of the quote!
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maybe not as expensive as you suggest, but something similar. Like, reducing moderator and meta-mod access to those who pay 5$ a year. Then you don't have people abusing metamod as much, 'cause it would cost too much. And since people tend to value things they pay for more highly, maybe you'd improve the level of moderation, too.
Drawbacks? It places a monetary burden, however small, on those people who really add the value to/., the brave moderators. Those that brave the gut-wrenching levels of -1, clicking on goatse.cx links to check for moderation abuse. They that wade through the piles of first posts and penis birds, looking for those gems like the classics penned by our own/. bard, Trollmastah, may his name live on in the land of the (5, funny). Or maybe I'm romanticizing the moderators. Some days it feels like they're reading at 2+, highest first, and ignoring the reformed bitchslapped and others posting at 1 or 0 or lower. I dunno.
Finally, if we go with your plan, there oughta be a limit to how much karma you can buy, or else some rich, bored trolls will be posting at 2 and using metamod to punish moderators who give em negative moderations. On the other hand, it would make negative moderation more fun: "You lose 15$ for trolling, suckah!"
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Short term stimulation to prevent a recession is a concern right now. The numbers aren't as nice right now as they were a year ago, which led to Greenspan speaking in favor of some tax relief recently. Maybe we move to a tax cut in the near future, but for this year, keep it down to a refund.
I too think reducing the national debt does take priority, but the mood on the hill is for some tax relief/reduction. I'm just trying to make sure the government doesn't give away all of our surpluses in their enthusiasm, that's all. Feel free to add comments about the national debt to my letter, if you even use it in talking to your Senators. (instead of drafting your own from scratch, that is)
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Not that that's a bad thing, but if you want to effect real change, and even someday seek public office, you might want to moderate your views a little, so as to not scare off people. After all, the joke about libertarians is that they never see the need for police until they themselves have been robbed... An unkind stereotype, but one with a grain of truth, for far too many libertarians...
And that bit about the government using gang rape as a threat? Spurious reasoning: the corrolary to Occam's Razor says "Never suspect maliciousness where incompetence could be at fault."
The reason that guards let gang rape go on in prisons is not malicious neglect, its just that there's too many horny, malicious characters around for them to control. Remember, a prison guard is always heavily outnumbered, and a shiv can kill you as dead as a gun, if you piss off too many people. They just can't stop the rapes without fearing for their own safety. Irresponsiblity on the behalf of the state, yes. (in theory, they could hire enough guards to provide safety to both the guards and prisoners. In practice, its prohibitively expensive) Maliciousness, no.
Never think of the opposition as unneccessarily malicious. One in maybe 20 times, you will be right; they are being rat bastards. But usually they are just being lazy/overstretched/overworked/misunderstood/misgui ded/just aren't good enough for the job. Take your pick of any one of those. I'd rather be right 95% by giving the opponent the benefit of the doubt than right in in dealing with that dangerous 5%. The other approach might be safer, but it's not as kind....
Anyways, thanks for the reply. I think about those ideas of yours, though I might not agree.
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Yeah, I agree that a lot of/.'ers are too far, well, what are extremist libertarians? Far left or right?;)
Personally, I think life +70 is too long, I'd prefer something like life +50, but I acknowledge your right to disagree, if in fact you do. After all, the individual who creates something new, whether its a cartoon character or a painting or a new programming idea, has some personal rights to control that creation, rights that take precedence over the public's rights.
Sigh. Unfortunately, currently corporate ownership takes precedence over individual and societal rights. In the worst case scenario,
this sort of thing leads to artistic stagnation, as we see with comic books. Chris Claremont made the X-men as we know them, but Marvel owns all the rights to his characters. And how big is the American comic industry? A fraction of what the industry is in Japan, where the artists have some rights at least. And Japan is less than half as big as the U.S., in terms of populace! We need comic book reform now!;)
You're right, dead topic. But I try to make a point to reply to replies to my posts. Have a nice day!
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and am quite pleased to see you do so too. And I'm sorry to have unjustly criticised you, I was just pointing out that if ad banner revenues vanished,/. would survive.
I am sorry that I called you self-centered and calloused, but I got the wrong impression of you from your post. It's really hard sometimes to get a proper picture of someone in your mind from just a few lines on a web message board...
Sorry to return to the subject of 'paying for/helping slashdot', but I have one last question. Namely, do you think people might pay a nominal fee (say, 5$ a yr.) to get a version of/. with extra little bells and whistles, like no ad banners and a little box to track replies to messages? That last little feature I might be willing to pay for, or even go as far as learn enough perl to help add that to slashcode myself... oh well, it's good enough as is and the price is already alright...:)
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As any Terry Pratchett fan knows, it sits on the back of four elephants (or is it five? ) who stand on the back of a giant turtle who swims through the deeps of space.
Honestly, get your facts straight...
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As any Terry Pratchett fan knows, it sits on the back of four elephants (or is it five? ) who stand on the back of a giant turtle who swims through the deeps of space.
Honestly, get your facts right...
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As the knights of U.S. feudalism, corporate lawyers have a penchant for finding ways of stomping out innovation and diversity in any way possible.
The good news? I think we're really poised for a new Rennaisance. One of the hallmarks of the first European Rennaisance was the rise of Nationalism, and with Nationalism we saw the confiscation and consolidation of military power by a single national government. This had some interesting effects, most good and a few bad. The good news was that the constant warring between small-time nobles ceased, giving the peasants a taste of peace. The bad news is that with the rise of nations and nationalism, men laid the groundwork for the doctrine of total war.
So, what will the analogue of this new Rennaisance be, with the confiscation of military power? Well, I foresee the possibility of the Government confiscating legal power and providing it as a service to all, meting out a more fair system than "he who can afford the best lawyers wins." Think about it. It would certainly level the playing field between the Mega-corps and the consumer/citizen. It will have some inevitable drawbacks, but I think the tradeoff will be well worth the risks.
Jonathan Fisher, hopeful New Rennaisance man.
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As we think on the wonders of this technology (see post #17) I ask that we bow our heads in prayer and give thanks to our corporate masters for saving us from the godless institution of Communism....
(eerie silence of disbelief)
What, none of you others are joining me in the worship of the Free Market? Godless Communist heathens! May your currencies collapse and economic stagnation rain down upon your house!
Um, whoops. I'm gonna get modded down as troll, aren't I?
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Slashdot Mirror
The philosophical implications of this are pretty cool. What if the universe is being rebuilt moment by moment, instead of a going through truly analog and continuous change? At what point does a fine enough discrete system become indistinguishable from a continuous one?
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If we start a newsgroup to discuss this issue now, perhaps we can avoid the possibility of /. having to close its doors. I've been tossing out a few ideas left and right, on other stories and threads here, but that means nothing if there isn't enough intelligent discussion to seperate the good ideas from the crap. Come on! Prepare for an Andover meltdown now, and perhaps we can keep the best parts of their sites still up, even if VA Linux keels over.
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So, here I am, slightly miffed that they didn't have a happier ending, or at least less bittersweet, but still impressed as heck by the work as a whole. "So good it hurts" is how I describe art like this, stuff that has enough tragedy in it to give it bite. Like The Warrior's Apprentice, a work by multiple Hugo winner, Lois McMaster Bujold. Or a lot of stuff by Orson Scott Card. Or other great works of art.
So, if you want to do yourself a favor, get yourself a copy of Key. It qualifies as great art by your criteria, so I'd think you'd enjoy it... :)
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Which is more than I would've expected from Eva...:) Oh, and is Rei still the same Rei from the earlier part of the series, or is she a clone? I'm asking because I missed episodes 23-24, or a couple of episodes around there. (I can't remember the episode number. :P)
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Well, I just watched the ending and can see why you might not have liked it. The whole nature of gel is still left a little vague (liquified soul? chi? something else?) and is supremely disturbing, and they did do something horrible to one of the main characters. But for me, I felt that the whole thing was of 'so good it hurts' quality. You know, like some really good books where horrible things happen to good people?
Oh, and if you felt things just got too weird at the end, remember: the director once worked as an assistant director on Akira, so he comes by his weirdness naturally. And all in all, it wasn't half as weird as the End of Evangelion, and they got it right on the first time, which is more than can be said for Eva. ;P
Anyways, I'll probably go buy Lain sometime in the next year, when I have some more money or something. And if you're looking for another good thought-provoking television series, try Revolutionary Girl Utena. They've only released the first 13 episodes (of 39) of the series, and are dragging their heels about releasing the rest, (Software Sculptors, a subdivision or something of Central Park Media: they probably want to finish Slayers first) but what other anime has the Student Council of a high school receiving orders from the End of the World? 8)
One last note: Key was produced in celebration of Pony Canyon's 10th or 15th anniversary or something. That explains why they were willing to even create such a massive OVA series..
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Namely, personally, would you reccomend getting FY or Escaflowne first?
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Anyways, a much better work than the original last two episodes, though still pretty darn weird and confusing. For instance, are there any other humans around at the end besides Shinji and Asuka? And what did Shinji's decision mean for the human race? Apotheosis, or the decision not to, as the case may/may not be, always leaves behind too many questions for nice neat endings with all the stray parts tied up... all in all, an cool film, but, as I put it at the club meeting where I saw it, "It's Evangelion! It's not supposed to make sense!"
Oh, and I just finished watching the last episode of Key. It gets pretty weird too, at the end. I'm still not quite sure what gel really is, and I'm still in a state of emotional shock from this last episode, but a very good work, all the same.
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Ah well, it's not a near term worry. There's a bunch of stuff I want to get for the next 6 months already, like a lucent-chipset PCI Modem, Square's recent games, a Dreamcast and Soul Calibur, etc. And would you recommend FY over Escaflowne, or vice versa? Thanks.
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Personally I would rank Utena just a notch below Key the Metal Idol, and definitely above Tenchi , but then again, I prefer drama to comedy. I don't know how it stacks up to Lain, since I haven't seen Lain yet. Yeah, I've been sort of out of the anime scene since '98, and am just now returning to plunge into it again. Anime deprivation for 3 years, take some pity on poor little me. ;)
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And on a totally unrelated note, why hasn't anyone introduced Taco to Key the Metal Idol? I'm wondering why this little gem has never goten the publicity it deserves. How good is it? I would say it's the best android/robot-related work since Bladerunner, and certainly the best android-related anime. And yes, I am including Ghost in the Shell and Bubblegum Crisis in that comparison.
It has some elements of fantasy, (What are Key's mysterious powers and how are they related to the feelings of those around her?) and of sci-fi,(what are the Sipes,(short answer: military-grade humanoid robots),and what is their nature? and what is Ajo Heavy Industries doing with them on the streets of Tokyo?) blended together to form a great series with mysteries abounding.(what is the relationship between Key and these sipes?)
The pacing is excellent, the storytelling incredible, and it looks like it won't disappoint with its last episodes, unlike Evangelion. I've watched up to Episode 14 so far, (13 30 min eps, 14 & 15 are 90 min each), and as soon as I'm done here I'll go watch the last one. Sigh. Will this piece of anime ever get the attention it deserves? Listen, just watch the opening sequence, nothing more. If the haunting style and brief glimpses of story elements don't draw you in, then you can leave without ever watching any of it again, and I won't ever bother you again, Ok?
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Or is Netscape 6.01 refusing to render it? I would love to hear about what you did try to do...that's more than a lot of people ever do.
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Muhahahaha! Now I will prevent the series from ever getting made! If hundreds of tapes of pasty white geeks in their feeble acting attempts don't discourage the producers, nothing will! Ah, it's good to be evil...
What!?! The microphone is still on!?! Damn voice recognition systems!
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Yeah, the prison system sucks. Fortunately, there are people out there like you and others like the prison ministry programs working to make it better.
Oh, and thanks for the correction on the use of Hanlon's Razor. I knew that I was somewhere off from the correct form of the quote!
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Drawbacks? It places a monetary burden, however small, on those people who really add the value to /., the brave moderators. Those that brave the gut-wrenching levels of -1, clicking on goatse.cx links to check for moderation abuse. They that wade through the piles of first posts and penis birds, looking for those gems like the classics penned by our own /. bard, Trollmastah, may his name live on in the land of the (5, funny). Or maybe I'm romanticizing the moderators. Some days it feels like they're reading at 2+, highest first, and ignoring the reformed bitchslapped and others posting at 1 or 0 or lower. I dunno.
Finally, if we go with your plan, there oughta be a limit to how much karma you can buy, or else some rich, bored trolls will be posting at 2 and using metamod to punish moderators who give em negative moderations. On the other hand, it would make negative moderation more fun: "You lose 15$ for trolling, suckah!"
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I too think reducing the national debt does take priority, but the mood on the hill is for some tax relief/reduction. I'm just trying to make sure the government doesn't give away all of our surpluses in their enthusiasm, that's all. Feel free to add comments about the national debt to my letter, if you even use it in talking to your Senators. (instead of drafting your own from scratch, that is)
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And that bit about the government using gang rape as a threat? Spurious reasoning: the corrolary to Occam's Razor says "Never suspect maliciousness where incompetence could be at fault."
The reason that guards let gang rape go on in prisons is not malicious neglect, its just that there's too many horny, malicious characters around for them to control. Remember, a prison guard is always heavily outnumbered, and a shiv can kill you as dead as a gun, if you piss off too many people. They just can't stop the rapes without fearing for their own safety. Irresponsiblity on the behalf of the state, yes. (in theory, they could hire enough guards to provide safety to both the guards and prisoners. In practice, its prohibitively expensive) Maliciousness, no.
Never think of the opposition as unneccessarily malicious. One in maybe 20 times, you will be right; they are being rat bastards. But usually they are just being lazy/overstretched/overworked/misunderstood/misgui ded/just aren't good enough for the job. Take your pick of any one of those. I'd rather be right 95% by giving the opponent the benefit of the doubt than right in in dealing with that dangerous 5%. The other approach might be safer, but it's not as kind....
Anyways, thanks for the reply. I think about those ideas of yours, though I might not agree.
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Personally, I think life +70 is too long, I'd prefer something like life +50, but I acknowledge your right to disagree, if in fact you do. After all, the individual who creates something new, whether its a cartoon character or a painting or a new programming idea, has some personal rights to control that creation, rights that take precedence over the public's rights.
Sigh. Unfortunately, currently corporate ownership takes precedence over individual and societal rights. In the worst case scenario, this sort of thing leads to artistic stagnation, as we see with comic books. Chris Claremont made the X-men as we know them, but Marvel owns all the rights to his characters. And how big is the American comic industry? A fraction of what the industry is in Japan, where the artists have some rights at least. And Japan is less than half as big as the U.S., in terms of populace! We need comic book reform now! ;)
You're right, dead topic. But I try to make a point to reply to replies to my posts. Have a nice day!
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I am sorry that I called you self-centered and calloused, but I got the wrong impression of you from your post. It's really hard sometimes to get a proper picture of someone in your mind from just a few lines on a web message board...
Sorry to return to the subject of 'paying for/helping slashdot', but I have one last question. Namely, do you think people might pay a nominal fee (say, 5$ a yr.) to get a version of /. with extra little bells and whistles, like no ad banners and a little box to track replies to messages? That last little feature I might be willing to pay for, or even go as far as learn enough perl to help add that to slashcode myself... oh well, it's good enough as is and the price is already alright...:)
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'nuff said. :)
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Honestly, get your facts straight...
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Honestly, get your facts right...
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The good news? I think we're really poised for a new Rennaisance. One of the hallmarks of the first European Rennaisance was the rise of Nationalism, and with Nationalism we saw the confiscation and consolidation of military power by a single national government. This had some interesting effects, most good and a few bad. The good news was that the constant warring between small-time nobles ceased, giving the peasants a taste of peace. The bad news is that with the rise of nations and nationalism, men laid the groundwork for the doctrine of total war.
So, what will the analogue of this new Rennaisance be, with the confiscation of military power? Well, I foresee the possibility of the Government confiscating legal power and providing it as a service to all, meting out a more fair system than "he who can afford the best lawyers wins." Think about it. It would certainly level the playing field between the Mega-corps and the consumer/citizen. It will have some inevitable drawbacks, but I think the tradeoff will be well worth the risks.
Jonathan Fisher, hopeful New Rennaisance man.
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People like you, and the successes of the moderation system (this post reaching 5) are why I read /.
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(eerie silence of disbelief)
What, none of you others are joining me in the worship of the Free Market? Godless Communist heathens! May your currencies collapse and economic stagnation rain down upon your house!
Um, whoops. I'm gonna get modded down as troll, aren't I?
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