| Author |
Message |
Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 6:01 pm: |       |
The whole direction of human history seems to be that human life & comfort have gradually improved. (I mean as a general trend, not that each year improves on the preceding one, of course.) If people are asked to sacrifice comfort now, I'd want to see hard evidence that this sacrifice will be necessary to help those in the future.If (& only if) so, I AM willing to make sacrifices.And environmentalism has other goals as well, such as preserving endangered sapecies for their own sake. I think that should never trump human welfare & happiness.Also--to Damien,thanks for the support, but I won't hide behind the claim that I "need" Lipitor. If I never eat anything I like, my lipids are good, not as good as they are on Lipitor, but good enough for me not to need medication. But I don't believe in unnecessary self-deprivation.Joanna, when you mention the gadgets you don't have becaiuse you don't need them, I can't help wondering whether there's anything you have not because you need it but because you want itjust for ease or pleasure. Woubit--unless your anonymous source transdlates his anonymous remarks into English, they're all Greek (or German) to me. |
Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 6:11 pm: | |
P.S.to Buzzard--Am I correect in assuming you're leaving Chicago because, now that you have your Ph.D., you've taken a job? Congratulations!! Where & what is it?? |
Johanna (Buzzard)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 6:28 pm: | |
The whole direction of human history seems to be that human life & comfort have gradually improved.
Are you basing this claim on anything specific, or just your own observations? Because most people I have heard advance such a claim are basing their idea of the "quality of human life today" on their own quality of life as relatively affluent people in a very affluent country. Has the quality of life also improved over the years in developing countries? (I honestly don't know - that's why I'm asking.)
If people are asked to sacrifice comfort now, I'd want to see hard evidence that this sacrifice will be necessary to help those in the future.
Do you accept that there is hard evidence that fossil fuel resources are finite and nonrenewable?
I can't help wondering whether there's anything you have not because you need it but because you want itjust for ease or pleasure.
Of course there is. Why?
P.S.to Buzzard--Am I correect in assuming you're leaving Chicago because, now that you have your Ph.D., you've taken a job? Congratulations!! Where & what is it??
I defended my thesis on November 3rd, as may have been mentioned in the chatroom, and I officially received my degree last Friday. After the holidays I will be moving to England to work as a postdoc at the University of Bristol. |
David Burn (Woubit)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 8:15 pm: | |
Woubit--unless your anonymous source translates his anonymous remarks into English, they're all Greek (or German) to me.
If you smoke and if you drink,
It is later than you think.
If such poisons aren't your game,
You will perish just the same. |
Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 8:44 pm: | |
The whole direction of human history seems to be that human life & comfort have gradually
improved.
Are you basing this claim on anything specific, or just your own observations? Because most people I
have heard advance such a claim are basing their idea of the "quality of human life today" on their own
quality of life as relatively affluent people in a very affluent country. I wonder why you think most people base this on themselves rather than on the statistical evidence that average life expectancy has been increasing, at least in the developing nations. Has the quality of life also
improved over the years in developing countries? (I honestly don't know - that's why I'm asking.) In some Third World countries, such as Mexico & Costa Rica, life expectancy & literacy have risen dramatically since World War II. I don't know if this is true of the Third World in general. I do think many of the Third World's problems are, at least in part, the industrialized nations' fault. I favor foreign aid, liberal immagration policies ( my own father was an immigrant), debt refief, etc.
If people are asked to sacrifice comfort now, I'd want to see hard evidence that this sacrifice will
be necessary to help those in the future.
Do you accept that there is hard evidence that fossil fuel resources are finite and nonrenewable? Yes, but that doesn't mean that future generations won't find other sources of energy, such as solar & wind power. Human ingenuity is renewable
I can't help wondering whether there's anything you have not because you need it but because
you want itjust for ease or pleasure.
Of course there is. Why? Because the one gadget you said you had--a computer-- you defended on the grounds that you need it for work
P.S.to Buzzard--Am I correect in assuming you're leaving Chicago because, now that you have
your Ph.D., you've taken a job? Congratulations!! Where & what is it??
I defended my thesis on November 3rd, as may have been mentioned in the chatroom, and I officially
received my degree last Friday. After the holidays I will be moving to England to work as a postdoc at
the University of Bristol. Take the adventure, as Malory says |
Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 8:46 pm: | |
Woubit-- I love it!!!(although my poison is chocolate) |
David Burn (Woubit)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 8:59 pm: | |
Before Buzzard arrives to tell me that I don't have the translation quite right  I should point out that the words literally mean:
Alcohol and nictoine reel in half of humanity. Without alcohol and smoking, the other half also dies.
But the curator of the LTPF Weightless Poetry Museum would lose his job if he said anything as prosaic as that |
Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 16, 2004 - 12:11 am: | |
BLOOOPERR ALERTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!
Are you basing this claim on anything specific, or just your own observations? Because most
people I
have heard advance such a claim are basing their idea of the "quality of human life today" on
their own
quality of life as relatively affluent people in a very affluent country. I wonder why you think
most people base this on themselves rather than on the statistical evidence that average life
expectancy has been increasing, at least in the developing nations.THE BLOOOOOPERR IS THAT I SHOULD HAVE SAID 'DEVELOPED NATIONS' HERE!!! Has the quality of life also
improved over the years in developing countries? (I honestly don't know - that's why I'm
asking.) In some Third World countries, such as Mexico & Costa Rica, life expectancy &
literacy have risen dramatically since World War II. I don't know if this is true of the Third
World in general. I do think many of the Third World's problems are, at least in part, the
industrialized nations' fault. I favor foreign aid, liberal immagration policies ( my own father
was an immigrant), debt refief, etc. |
Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
| | Posted on Thursday, December 30, 2004 - 10:22 pm: | |
The discussion on this puzzle could spawn a new puzzle--but not on this forum, of course, because it would be to obvious. The puzzle would be:"It's cheap, effective, improves many lives, violates no one's rights or religious convictions, & doesn't intefere with anyone who choses not to use it. Yet some people still disapprove. How come??? |
Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 05, 2005 - 11:58 pm: | |
By the way, I'm really grateful to everyone who disapproves of statins. I'm not being sarcastic. It's just that I 'm a nerd whose adventures are 99% vacarious (through Malory), but I cherish an image of myself as coconventional & daring. So if taking a pill that's good for me makes people think I'm decadent,I LOVE IT!!!! |
Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
| | Posted on Friday, January 07, 2005 - 9:38 pm: | |
OOOPS, of course in the previous message I meant to write 'unconventional and daring.' |
David Burn (Woubit)
| | Posted on Saturday, January 08, 2005 - 10:01 pm: | |
I don't see why "coconventional" should not be a word. Especially since it has a certain useful metrical pattern (and so does "Nimue", which in case any Philistines have wandered in is a three-syllable word )...
Higgledy piggledy
Felicia Nimue
Loves eating chocs, but would
Rather be thin.
Uncoconventional
New pharmaceuticals
Mean she can do what she
Likes, and still win. |
Hannah Kinghern (Kdoc)
| | Posted on Saturday, January 08, 2005 - 10:08 pm: | |
I like that one, Woubit |
David Burn (Woubit)
| | Posted on Saturday, January 08, 2005 - 10:19 pm: | |
Thank you, Hannah I would try to compose one for you, but I'm afraid that your name is unremittingly trochaic |
Hannah Kinghern (Kdoc)
| | Posted on Saturday, January 08, 2005 - 10:28 pm: | |
Hey - I learned a new word! I did once have a poem written for me, by a friend studying English at Oxford. It was written in response to my dislike of 'When lovely woman stoops to folly' by Oliver Goldsmith (I hate that poem!). I kept my poem just in case he became famous... |
Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
| | Posted on Sunday, January 09, 2005 - 12:26 am: | |
Woubit--It's clever, but 'Felicia Nimue isn't a double dactyl, as the accent in 'Felicia' is on the second syllable. N.B. I write double dactyls, too. Here's one that was in 2 of my articles & 1 other place.
Higgledy-piggledly
Sir Thomas Malory
Loved battles raging un-
Til the last breath.
Landing in jail, he was
Irreconcilable,
Writing of people who
Got bored to death.
Here's one I wrote for a commemorative booklet for the 40th anniversary of a medieval strudies congress.
Higgeldy-piggeldy
Sir Thimas Malory
Chaucer, Aquinas, and
Hildegarde too
All come to life again
Superabundantly
Here at our confernece in
Kalamazoo.
Hannah, I like Goldsmith's poem. It's well-written. Also, don't you think it's a parody?? |
David Burn (Woubit)
| | Posted on Sunday, January 09, 2005 - 2:09 am: | |
It's clever, but 'Felicia Nimue isn't a double dactyl, as the accent in 'Felicia' is on the second syllable.
Thank you, Jennifer. Now I know
I considered "Ackerman, Nimue", but rejected it on the grounds of sheer uncouthness I hope you don't disapprove.
I love your poems. But I would point out, since we're on the subject, that "conference" has three syllables, not two. "Conclave" would have been my choice, but "meeting" would also be OK. Once a critic, always a critic
At least, I would point this out if I were not aspiring to become a Knight of the Round Table, and would think it foul despite to do a lady dishonour. Or something like that.
I present herewith the Abridged Goldsmith, with apologies in advance for political incorrectitude:
When lovely woman stoops to folly,
I'd like to be around, by golly!
and a real Arthurian double dactyl that I seem to recall writing during a period of logic-chopping with Felicia Nimue long ago:
Higgledy piggledy
Noble Sir Bedivere,
Troubled by phantasms,
Started to quake.
"Really", said Arthur with
Irritability,
"Why don't you just go and
Jump in the Lake?"
Oh, and one for Kdoc:
Lateral patteral
Brilliant Hannah will
Cogitate puzzles with
Diligient toil,
Calmly ignoring the
Ultra-superfluous,
Leaving no answer but
"Well, I must $poil." |
Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
| | Posted on Sunday, January 09, 2005 - 2:33 am: | |
Thanks, Woubit!!!!! I've always said 'conference' with 2 syllables, but I looked it up & you're right!! I 'm going to try to change it--I just hope it's not too late. |
Hannah Kinghern (Kdoc)
| | Posted on Sunday, January 09, 2005 - 10:21 am: | |
Thank you Woubit. I will treasure it |
Tim A. Dowd (Bodo)
| | Posted on Sunday, January 09, 2005 - 3:26 pm: | |
I like the suggested "conclave" myself, but you could apostrophicate "conf'rence" couldn't you? Is that Not Allowed in double dactylifying?
Now that I think about it, I mostly hear "conference" used as a two-syllable adjective--I imagine the pronuciation will change through common usage eventually. Anyhow, we never have conferences in conference rooms, we have meetings... |
Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
| | Posted on Sunday, January 09, 2005 - 8:24 pm: | |
I'm using 'congress' becasuse that's in its official name--the international congress on medieval studies.Thanks again, smart Woubit!!!! |
Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
| | Posted on Friday, January 21, 2005 - 9:47 pm: | |
Ooops--another point about your double dactyl, Woubit, Statins don't help anyone be thin. They keep your cholesterol level down, not your weight. (I'm eagerly awaiting a pill that does both!!) |
Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 9:19 pm: | |
P.S. Puritanicality about anti-cholesterol drugs must be pretty widespread. I saw an ad that said, "You can do it. Lipitor can help." I suppose it would be politically incorrect to say, "You can pig out. Lipitor will still keep your cholesterol low." |
Felicia Nimue Ackerman (Nimue)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 6:40 pm: | |
P.P.S. This could be another puzzle: "Here's a product whose advertisements deliberately make it sound less effective than it is. How come??" |
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