Aldous Huxley – Chrome yellow

More from Crome Yellow by Huxley

How gay and delightful life would be if one could get rid of all the human contacts! Perhaps, in the future, when machines have attained to a state of perfection–for I confess that I am, like Godwin and Shelley, a believer in perfectibility, the perfectibility of machinery–then, perhaps, it will be possible for those who, like myself, desire it, to live in a dignified seclusion, surrounded by the delicate attentions of silent and graceful machines, and entirely secure from any human intrusion. It is a beautiful thought.””Beautiful,” Denis agreed. “But what about the desirable human contacts, like love and friendship?”

The black silhouette against the darkness shook its head. “The pleasures even of these contacts are much exaggerated,” said the polite level voice. “It seems to me doubtful whether they are equal to the pleasures of private reading and contemplation. Human contacts have been so highly valued in the past only because reading was not a common accomplishment and because books were scarce and difficult to reproduce.

What is Huxley up to here? Prophetic, sarcastic or maximising his own point of view? Whatever, this passage stands out as comment on our current machines.

Lake Pedder – Tasmania Australia

Lake Pedder – Tasmania Australia

I found myself grieving this lake today. I walked and camped on its shores in the 60s before it was flooded. This came up as I feared the loss of the Net to greed. I am actually an optimist with regard to the Net. It is a Net and so it is hard to knock holes in it, and new webs are woven all the time. Still, there is already a great loss of the ethos that I found here in the early 90s, where anything commercial was unacceptable, including my own Psychotherapy Online. I held that back for a while as a result of that ethos. If I could go back to 1972 I would lie in front of the tractors. I doubt this damage can be undone.

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Rickie Lee Jones MP3 Page
Surely this is the way to go. I presume this $ goes to RLJ and not some agent, if that is the case it’d be a shame to see them on p2p networks, but even then people could come and pay for the ones they like!

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journal vs. weblog
BY RYAN KAWAILANI OZAWA

Hundreds of online diary authors keep weblogs. And thousands of people use weblog sites and software to keep journals. So what’s the difference? Plenty.

Thanks to djsmurf Do we have to link before we think? I dont think so. Link and think? What if there were no links at all? I’d say its not a weblog exactly, but close. When is a book a pamphlet? A magazine? The format of writing to the web, with dates, latest on top is a new form, like the sonnet once was.

Do you hear Me? I don’t want you to kill anybody

God Angrily Clarifies ‘Don’t Kill’ Rule

“I’m talking to all of you, here!” continued God, His voice rising to a shout. “Do you hear Me? I don’t want you to kill anybody. I’m against it, across the board. How many times do I have to say it? Don’t kill each other anymore—ever! I’m fucking serious!” Upon completing His outburst, God fell silent, standing quietly at the podium for several moments. Then, witnesses reported, God’s shoulders began to shake, and He wept.

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Marc Smith MSR

Marc Smith is a Research Sociologist in the Collaborative and Multimedia Systems Group.

I focus on the research and design of social cyberspaces. In particular I am interested in the emergence of social organizations like communities in online environments and the resources groups need in order to cooperate productively.

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Project Gutenberg — Crome Yellow, by Aldous Huxley
I have been listening on a walkman to this novel. Full of ideas, some are insightful but sound preposterous in the plumb-in-the-mouth reading of the characters (they are all slightly absurd). I liked the suspense created around the meaning of a word, here is a quote:

“One suffers so much,” Denis went on, “from the fact that beautiful words don’t always mean what they ought to mean. Recently, for example, I had a whole poem ruined, just because the word ‘carminative’ didn’t mean what it ought to have meant. Carminative–it’s admirable, isn’t it?”
“Admirable,” Mr. Scogan agreed. “And what does it mean?”

His assumed meaning of inner glow after wine is shattered… and we are revealed the true meaning, first in german translation and also from the context. I checked it in Noah as I walked.

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Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | We won’t deny our consciences

We believe that people of conscience must take responsibility for what their own governments do – we must first of all oppose the injustice that is done in our own name. Thus we call on all Americans to resist the war and repression that has been loosed on the world by the Bush administration. It is unjust, immoral and illegitimate. We choose to make common cause with the people of the world.

This is interesting! I find it heartning to see this document, a rally cry! It has been hard to say that the US state is a rogue without it seeming anti-American or extreme, so good to see a bunch of decent Americans come out and say it forcefully. I am sure many have said it and there may have been other declarations – but this one seems like it will have persuasion. Where can others sign up?

How did I hear about it? blogdex