... it was entirely from memory.

Post #18,527 by static 11/16/01 7:58:02 AM Reply	... it was entirely from memory. I'm sorry, but I wasn't trying to read anything into or out of that particular strip. I was merely repeating what it said because the final line from Hobbes was, I thought, relevant to the discussion. That's all. Wade. "All around me are nothing but fakes Come with me on the biggest fake of all!"
Post #18,603 by Ashton 11/16/01 8:53:37 PM Reply	Not a problem.. Your comment merely recalled for me an enigma of years past: when Schultz would never 'admit' that (even the most acutely insightful of) the 'words' in the balloons were merely.. "clever stuff kids say". 'We' didn't quite believe him, not often seeing kids That cute. But I believe that Watterson has never er 'denied' that his is at root, a real Calvin (the theologian) VS Hobbes (the mechanistic philosopher) ongoing dialogue. There may even be some words of his out there someplace re that theme, as I only vaguely recall.. That's all :-) Ashton In Murica - 'comics' be our only public philosophy exercise - and nowadays, only reliable source of unvarnished 'news' commentary, too :[
Post #18,624 by hnick 11/17/01 10:29:40 AM Reply	Re: 'comics' be our only public philosophy exercise In Murica - 'comics' be our only public philosophy exercise - and nowadays, only reliable source of unvarnished 'news' commentary, too :[ This is probably true, and I expect that this will become more so rather than less as time goes on. Television has conditioned the vast majority (probably two thirds to three quarters, not the 37% needed for an election) of our population to expect news in 15 second bites accompanied by a talking head to tell them what it meant. If one is to try to raise consciousness about the environment, any political activity, or virtually anything meaningful, the response is generally going to be a quick classification (liberal/conservative/bunnyhugger/propeller head...) and dismissal or villification. If one is to report news as a complex issue, spending the time to explain the background, issues from all sides, and possible consequenses, the mainstream tv watcher is likely to start flipping stations until a laugh-track or tits show up. The germ of ideas can be planted with comics. Thoughts can be instilled in the general populace by a talented artist(think Berke Breathed or Bill Watterson) without the artist being pilloried for treason. At worst the artist can fall back to "It's just a freaking comic... Don't have a cow, man". Publish a paper critical of government or political people/processes on the internet, and you might have the Fumbling Bumbling Imbeciles breathing down your neck. Publish a comic in hundreds of news papers saying the same thing, the president will probaly read it while eating his Wheaties, and you are still pretty much safe. It's just a comic, man... According to the CIA "[link\|http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html"\|http://www.cia.gov/...eos/us.html"] , 97% of our population over 15 is literate. How many of these do you suppose can/would read a scholarly paper on abstract philosophy, or political issues that don't effect them at the moment? A glance at comic for a few moments gets them a chuckle or an "oh crap", and the germ of a political/philosophical position. Instant gratification with little effort, and the purpetrator is virtually invulnerable. It's the way of the future! I wish I was kidding, Hugh got this error trying to post the reference properly (I put in the "!" to post the error) "a" tag does not allow attribute HREF <!A HREF="[link\|http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html"\|http://www.cia.gov/...eos/us.html"]>CIA statistics Unmatched close tag <!/A>
Post #18,630 by JayMehaffey 11/17/01 12:42:32 PM Reply	Bug in board software I noticed that before, you have to put "href" in lower case for it to work. Jay
Post #18,641 by hnick 11/17/01 3:10:39 PM Reply	Thanks...
Post #18,649 by Ashton 11/17/01 5:24:09 PM Reply	My sentiments perzackly.. Comics are our last bastion. And.. to do that Well: deserves IMhO as much recognition as to a Kafka, an Orwell (including Farley's Orwell T. Catt :-\ufffd). I'd (really) like to see a Nobel or at least a Pulitzer for: COMICS. I can't improve on your capsule summary - it possesses both 'scale and relativity' (as the Sages say!) IF.. we ever start seeing censored comics, wholesale Fundamentalist (and other signifiable pressure groups - as protest out of all proportion to numerical bloc) achieving their aims; ie if Comics fail - that will be the last.. minute source of fresh air in this increasingly Fearful thus Authoritarian society. As with HUAC, SISS - I Will be out on Those barricades. (Odds Bodkins in the '70s, and several others: were the Tom Paines of their time.) I really miss Calvin & Hobbes, though his material was Timeless anyway.. Others are more wont to weave-in current events. Non Sequitur Lives (so far). And he gets Quite political in his lampoons, every time. We need More COMICS! as our historically-ignorant and pampered culture is forced to face the philosophical consequences (always there, just ignored) of our worldwide hegemony. Oh.. and what greed might actually mean, in the end. Christians got That one right :-\ufffd {sigh} Ashton PS - as to numbers. Read/write 'Literacy' is only a useful tool for those with continuing Interest (large I) in educating self. We settle (95.238% ;-) for amusement, inane passive infotainment. Hard to measure the effects of that - numbers are such crude crutches.. thus we Love stats on Everything. [old refrain] ..especially Economics, our Achilles Heel. [/refrain]
Post #19,191 by mhuber 11/21/01 9:09:57 PM Reply	Ghod, no! No Nobels, no Pulitzers. Those would be insults. At best, they would blow the cover. ---- "You don't have to be right - just use bolded upper case" - annon.
Post #19,195 by Ashton 11/21/01 9:37:19 PM Reply	Hmmm.. yer right! Recognize --> Homogenize--> Assimilate! :[ My badness. What was I thinking ?? In atonement, will disassemble at least three machines and scatter their parts in a Senatorial Caucus, near the gizzard. :( A. Ssshhh
Post #18,776 by CRConrad 11/19/01 11:48:37 AM Reply	I wonder. Hugh N writes: The germ of ideas can be planted with comics. Thoughts can be instilled in the general populace by a talented artist(think Berke Breathed or Bill Watterson) without the artist being pilloried for treason. At worst the artist can fall back to "It's just a freaking comic... Don't have a cow, man". Publish a paper critical of government or political people/processes on the internet, and you might have the Fumbling Bumbling Imbeciles breathing down your neck. Publish a comic in hundreds of news papers saying the same thing, the president will probaly read it while eating his Wheaties, and you are still pretty much safe. It's just a comic, man... Hmm... I wonder which line, "Thoughts can be instilled" or "It's just a comic, man" the creator of [link\|http://www.ucomics.com/boondocks/viewbo.htm\|The Boondocks] would have to fall back on -- even here, with this self-professedly rather cerebral group? Wanna bet against my hunch that several among us will lose their sense of perspective (ironosadly, precisely what he's trying to restore), and start frothing at the mouth a little, at the strips for, say [link\|http://www.ucomics.com/boondocks/viewbo.cfm?uc_fn=1&uc_full_date=20011004\|October fourth], [link\|http://www.ucomics.com/boondocks/viewbo.cfm?uc_fn=1&uc_full_date=20011005\|October fifth], or [link\|http://www.ucomics.com/boondocks/viewbo.cfm?uc_fn=1&uc_full_date=20011006\|October sixth]? Christian R. Conrad The Man Who Knows Fucking Everything
Post #18,856 by hnick 11/19/01 6:05:18 PM Reply	I would suppose both... For those that appreciate, though perhaps not necessarily enjoy, the former. For those with no sense of humor or irony, it's just a freaking comic, man... I wouldn't think too many of the latter, around here, but WTF do I know? Regards, Hugh
Post #18,909 by Ashton 11/20/01 1:36:14 AM Reply	Legitimate copout? See Drook's virtuoso quip in Oh Pun: A sufficiency unto itself: to turn out legions of former infotainers.. to walk the streets behind shopping carts, laden with unused Owl entrails.. with only their murky crystal balls for company - O O

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