Path: news.utk.edu!news!newsfeed.utk.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!nycmny1-snh1.gtei.net!news.gtei.net!hermes.visi.com!news-out.visi.com!newsfeed.direct.ca!look.ca!sn-xit-03!sn-post-01!supernews.com!corp.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: "SWT" Newsgroups: alt.religion.kibology Subject: Note to self: Remember to put a subject here Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2000 08:30:55 -0800 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.3018.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.3018.1300 X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 125 Xref: news.utk.edu alt.religion.kibology:36516 Computer text processing is either very promising or very pitiful, depending on one's mindset. Much like the proverbial view of the glass of water: Is the policeman's beard half-constructed, or half-deconstructed? Facets of Megahal text can be traced back, predictably, to their source. An interesting turn of phrase may ultimately be fathered by a syntax error in line 583. The typical text engine is a deterministic parlor trick, with only a few tricks up its sleeve. To ballyhoo the its achievements is to imply that WE are deterministic parlor tricks. And this is not a convenient way of thinking! The only comparable source of discomfort is the abortion debate; here one has (on the one hand) a cell, and (on the other hand) a child. At some point, we think silently, surely there is a qualitative change, a jump between NON-PERSON and PERSON? To grant person-hood to a zygote is to strip person-hood of any real value; to deny it to a newborn seems inhuman. But with no proper boundary, no acceptable definition exists, and what is legislated is a consensus judgment call. The true reductionist, at this point, denies the reality of person-hood. This is a nihilistic yet seductive stance to take. But this idea that people are only a blob of mechanical moving; it is counter-intuitive. The problem may be that human brains are a frail amalgamation of chemical squirtings, unable to grasp their own impotence; or the problem may be with the idea itself! Two printings of a book may feature different paper, differnent numbers of pages. Perhaps no pages are the same. But at the same time, they are word-to-word identical, they are the same in the most important way. Note the word "important" and not "fundamental"; this "most important way" is the *least* fundamental way! The most interesting qualities are "resultant" qualities; not inherent in the building-blocks of the world, they stem from combinations of many building blocks, perhaps over time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ THIS POST IS NAVEL-GAZING AND SHOULD BE DESTROYED! HI! MY NAME IS BUB! I AM THE SCRUBBY BUBBLE OF CONSENSUS-REALITY! MY BUDDIES AND I ARE HERE TO FIX YOU RIGHT UP! GET READY, CHUMS! | \/ (oo) """" ------------------------------------------------------------------------ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ (oo) (oo) (oo) (oo) (oo) (oo) (oo) (oo) """" """" """" """" """" """" """" """" [CHORUS] THE OVER-EXAMINED LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING! SIDE EFFECTS OF HEADY INTROSPECTION MAY INCLUDE EUPHORIA, SUICIDE, RELIGIOUS VISIONS, LACK OF SEX, BAD GOTH POETRY, ANTI-MOTIVATION, AND GUM-CHEWING! \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ (oo) (oo) (oo) (oo) (oo) (oo) (oo) (oo) """" """" """" """" """" """" """" """" LET*S GO GO GO !! \\ BUBBLE!(o.) // """" (00) SCRUB! "'"' !! \/ [oo] CLEANSE! (oo) """" """" WHOOSH! [ long silence ] [ chirping crickets ] SWT: Howdy! Waasssaaaappp? Hey, how about that recent sporting event? You know, I was thinking the other day, and I think Florida voters might be DUMB! Or maybe on CRACK! And what about that airline food? [ Large INDIAN runs in and swats SWT with a pillow ] SWT: 000wwwww! There is GOOSE DOWN in my EYE! INDIAN: That's because it's a SIGHT GAG. ----------------------------- THAT'S MORE LIKE IT! | \/ (oo) """" ----------------------------- SWT: I hate you, Milkman Dan! Dan: Ya HOOOO! Doshita doshita! A bla bla bla bla bla! OYAJI! SWT: Not you, Dan. How could anybody hate the Ryuken Wannabe? [ Chun Li enters, and taunts Dan [GOMEN NE!] for 1 hit point of damage. Dan collapses ] Magic voice: YOU WIN! SWT: Yay! I love my fantasy universe! [ Yan-san enters, tripping and spilling oranges all over the nice clean floor ] YAN-SAN: Telegram from Scrubby Bubbles to SWT! SWT: What flavor is it? YAN-SAN: Peach! [ The cast of Mortal Kombat enters and sings that one "Millions of peaches" song ] [ exeunt ]