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In response to:On Sicily, of course. What else?

2008-09-01T12:38:41+02:00

Well, you're assuming that it would be intentional. It doesn't have to be colonisation; it could just as easily be a spread of disease or something along those lines. Admittedly, it could also be nothing. Our existence could be utterly harmless, which could be nice. But then you do have to ignore any harm to Earth that it would cause: environmentally or even to society (that might be interesting, actually. How does society respond to space travel?). We have to be paranoid, because there could be a lot at risk and we could do a lot of damage: we simply don't know.

As for survival, I'm probably supposed to say that it's supposed to end, that we're not special, not at all superior to everything else which, eventually, dies. That, were it truly harmless, were we to find a planet that could be proved lifeless, were we to redeem ourselves through centuries of peace here on Earth, were we to find some way of travel that didn't use resources more needed for schools-and-hospitals, then maybe, but that right now it's not worth it. We're just one species: we don't matter. If preservation will risk others, it's simply not right. We have no evidence that we will do good if we simply have time, at all. And while I'll be the last to say that it's human nature and that society can't possibly change, there's no point risking it until and unless we do.

Which is bloody annoying, really, because I love the idea of space travel.

In response to:On Sicily, of course. What else?

2008-09-01T00:27:52+02:00

I'm glad you hate this argument, because I think your gut is right and the argument is wrong.

First of all, it's important to remember that any conceivable space travel for a very, very long time would look nothing like some sort of advancing human horde colonising the universe, and much more like an infant taking a few tentative steps in a cot within an infinitely more vast world than it could ever conceive of. The universe is too big to fear the spread of humanity, and it probably always will be.

Is beauty not beauty even when not looked on? Well, I would probably say indeed, beauty is not inherent in a thing but the interpretation of a conscious mind. But that's not really the point. It is precisely because humans are so flawed, have done so much bad that ignoring space travel would be wrong, since we know that we won't survive on Earth forever and do we really want that to be it? So much future good, so much future thought, thrown away because we're collapsing into self-loathing? After all, we're only here because flawed and often terrible humans of the past possessed the urge to survive and spread.

But most of all it would just be such a terrible waste of consciousness :-|

In response to:On Sicily, of course. What else?

2008-08-31T18:30:50+02:00

Woah, long comment. Sorry.

In response to:On Sicily, of course. What else?

2008-08-31T18:30:27+02:00

Assuming that space travel will always, as it does today, mean environmental destruction, through the use of resources and the like, or furthermore just assuming that it will cause harm to anything anywhere in any way (military usage for new technologies, spread of disease, spread of the nastier aspects of human society, etc. etc.), then we have a reason not to.

And our only reason to is because it is pretty, or perhaps because we can learn something usable on Earth. A reason, then, that depends on the idea we have that human life is somehow more important, more special, than the rest of the universe. Are we more important? Well, no, because nothing is. Why do we think that nebulas and satellites will only have real value once we get to look at them? Is beauty not beauty even when not looked upon? We feel as if there is no point not destroying things if it means not getting to see them when beautiful; is not their mere existence more important?

Anyway, this could very easily look like an anti-travelling-on-Earth-even argument, which I suppose it is, which makes me want it to be all wrong even more. I hate the argument, hate the idea we can never get to look up without being immoral, but I can't see a way out of it.

In response to:On Sicily, of course. What else?

2008-08-31T14:34:41+02:00

Whoops, it left out my self-deprecating tags. Important, those.

In response to:On Sicily, of course. What else?

2008-08-31T14:33:12+02:00

Yes, we have the right to space travel! Well, in a sense of course we don't because 'rights' don't really exist outside of human (or other?) societies, but whatever - not only do we have the right to, but we almost have a duty to. It's highly likely to prove utterly pointless, but the slightest chance of getting it right is worth it. Especially since if humans are wiped out it's probably a very, very long way away that anyone will ever even think of rights and wrongs again.

Good to have you back :D

In response to:On Yesterday.

2008-08-19T13:51:02+02:00

I have been writing down my thoughts for 15years... there was a journal before there was a blog... (ironic that that is as long as you have been alive) many times it was the only thing that kept me sane...

In response to:On Yesterday.

2008-08-15T23:56:44+02:00

What Sanna said, exactly. Book club is sending you a message :-)

And you'll be in Sicily now, not checking the comments to your blog just as I didn't check mine in Croatia (lie...) so: have fun, and see you in September.

In response to:On Yesterday.

2008-08-14T22:14:50+02:00

Darling, I love you. That was beautiful and TRUE, dammit. We need more truth. Keep writing.

In response to:On Why the Past Eleven Days Have Me Smiling

2008-08-11T21:23:51+02:00

Thank you! I like your blog, too; it's very descriptive.

And I'm working in an independent bookshop, in London. It's a good job, I think.

In response to:On Why the Past Eleven Days Have Me Smiling

2008-08-11T20:48:52+02:00

nice blog and in this very little age you have experienced so many things, I am sure that it's due to reading books,....good habbit dear...by the way what kind of job you are doing???

In response to:On Heads and Portals.

2008-07-30T17:59:42+02:00

Probably a side effect of the head-bumping.

In response to:On Heads and Portals.

2008-07-30T13:38:46+02:00

I do not understand anything on this post :) *giggles*

In response to:A Dramatisation of My Thoughts, With Notes

2008-07-16T18:28:16+02:00

I KNOW!!! And he signed this poster near me!!!

This is because Saoirse1 represents my sensible,logical, calm, political side, and Saoirse2 the wild(ish), impulsive, stupid, crude side.

Saoirse3's the voiceover girl. She just says whatever sounds good.

In response to:On Boom de Yada and Nothing Else (What Could Follow Boom de Yada?)

2008-07-16T18:15:34+02:00

I think I was just having a bad day,except for debateclub.I exaggerate. A lot.

In response to:On Boom de Yada and Nothing Else (What Could Follow Boom de Yada?)

2008-07-16T18:01:57+02:00

last night debate club saved my life (8)

Um how?

In response to:A Dramatisation of My Thoughts, With Notes

2008-07-16T17:54:37+02:00

Ahhhh Im cracking up at my desk.

HOLY FUCK MICHAEL ROSEN!

Saoirses 2 and 3 swear more than 1..
xxx

In response to:A Dramatisation of My Thoughts, With Notes

2008-07-16T01:07:08+02:00

Oh I dunno... 2? 3? 5? 7? 11...?

In response to:A Dramatisation of My Thoughts, With Notes

2008-07-15T22:32:33+02:00

The Farnsworth Parabox! (How many geek points for knowing episode titles?)

In response to:A Dramatisation of My Thoughts, With Notes

2008-07-15T18:25:36+02:00

Dominic1: Blogging gimmicks! I love these!
DominicA: Tell me about it *rolls eyes*
Dominic1: You can't talk, you obscure Futurama reference you
DominicA: Sorry. Any opinions on the Great Posting Controversy?
Dominic1: Of course - since when do we not have opinions? You post a blog post (*not* 'a blog') but you leave or add a comment, I suppose.
DominicA: What about Jakov's HTTP point?
Dominic1: That's ridiculous. Does he talk about GETting a post to read?
DominicA: You'd have to ask him...
Dominic1: It would be easier than trying to get inside his HEAD.
DominicA: OK, stop now.

In response to:A Dramatisation of My Thoughts, With Notes

2008-07-14T22:45:47+02:00

Thank you for that, Jakov, but does http really affect most people's general vocabularies? Really?

(Or is it just because sometimes the button says "post comment"? Maybe?)

"Comment", as a verb or a noun, is much more specific and useful than "post", which, in this context, tends to mean something else entirely.

In response to:A Dramatisation of My Thoughts, With Notes

2008-07-14T22:42:24+02:00

might as well comment the actual post request that sent that last comment
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/3306/postuy0.png

you can see some of my writing

In response to:A Dramatisation of My Thoughts, With Notes

2008-07-14T22:28:01+02:00

its sometimes called posting because of the http method called POST, used for when you send anything to a server, like when you comment on a blog, reply to a forum topic or make an online purchase.

when you play facebook pacman, it uses POST to send your score to the website.

I think saying "post" is more general then "comment", people who use post for all the things listed above seem to use it for when they comment too.

In response to:On Post-Marxism Happiness

2008-07-08T17:16:16+02:00

They say that it inevitably leads to death; in the revolution, and afterwards. That is crushes human spirit and individuality. That it causes many, many, many problems.

They're wrong, sometimes.

In response to:On Post-Marxism Happiness

2008-07-08T16:49:13+02:00

Who on earth said it's immoral? I've never heard that used before,

whenever i need reminding that capitalism is not good, i look at these links here and here

In response to:On Boom de Yada and Nothing Else (What Could Follow Boom de Yada?)

2008-07-02T19:55:16+02:00

(And ooh, yay: http://netstorage.discovery.com/dsc/audio/Boomdeyada.mp3.zip)

In response to:On Boom de Yada and Nothing Else (What Could Follow Boom de Yada?)

2008-07-02T19:50:43+02:00

Aww - that's the nicest advert since Nokia's short-lived Web 2.0 viral (and I'm still trying to work out if Stephen Hawking is in Caius Hall... there's one of the college crests behind him, but I can't be sure which).

I saw Ms Collins today and she was clearly thrilled with the way Debate Club is going!

In response to:On The London Debate Challenge Finals.

2008-06-25T20:26:01+02:00

Thank you for the comliments; I've been debating for about 3 weeks, so not that experienced. Yep, that university dude was a complete dunce. Hope 2 see u debate again.

In response to:On The London Debate Challenge Finals.

2008-06-24T20:11:43+02:00

I'd heard about that, but in my blog I was going- much like your team (oooh, boyed :P)- for style over content.

No, seriously: I'm sorry for accusing you of going to a grammar school. As a communist, I know how serious such an insult is.

And, thanks. I'll pass your message onto the team. And you three were amazing. How long have you been debating for, yourself?

(And that guy was a bit of an idiot, wasn't he? God, his voice ! How posh can you get?)

In response to:On The London Debate Challenge Finals.

2008-06-24T19:48:35+02:00

Actually, I ( the first speaker for Enfield ) am from Salisbury Comp, the 5th worst school in the country, so I object to being called a 'grammar school zombie'. Our team was selected from the whole of the borough, and we have only been together for a week. Well done, Brent though, you were definitely a match for us; and sorry about the major balls-up at the end.