Comments for RachelMotte.com http://rachelmotte.com Your own personal zeitgeist Wed, 08 Sep 2010 08:28:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 Comment on Global Warming Facts, Fiction, and Freedom by A Climate for Change by Katharine Hayhoe and Andrew Farley « A Good Stopping Point http://rachelmotte.com/?p=107&cpage=1#comment-35 A Climate for Change by Katharine Hayhoe and Andrew Farley « A Good Stopping Point Fri, 25 Jun 2010 04:11:22 +0000 http://rachelmotte.com/?p=107#comment-35 [...] Rachel Motte [...] [...] Rachel Motte [...]

]]> Comment on God’s Battalions: Those Other Caped Crusaders by Tim O'Neill http://rachelmotte.com/?p=98&cpage=1#comment-32 Tim O'Neill Fri, 14 May 2010 22:11:16 +0000 http://rachelmotte.com/?p=98#comment-32 Stark's book might seem to make a plausible case to the non-specialist, but critical analysis shows it is riddled with errors, full of convenient use of selective evidence and undermined by flawed arguments. He manages to debunk a few myths about the Crusades, but his apologetic argument simply does not work. For detailed critical analysis see: http://armariummagnus.blogspot.com/2010/05/gods-battalions-case-for-crusades-by.html Stark’s book might seem to make a plausible case to the non-specialist, but critical analysis shows it is riddled with errors, full of convenient use of selective evidence and undermined by flawed arguments. He manages to debunk a few myths about the Crusades, but his apologetic argument simply does not work.

For detailed critical analysis see:

http://armariummagnus.blogspot.com/2010/05/gods-battalions-case-for-crusades-by.html

]]> Comment on Alphabetical Social Justice by Jonathan http://rachelmotte.com/?p=141&cpage=1#comment-31 Jonathan Thu, 13 May 2010 17:06:13 +0000 http://rachelmotte.com/?p=141#comment-31 Clinton would make a better argument for immigration if he hadn't mentioned the age ratio. There's something disturbing about the idea of importing workers to fund our aging population. Clinton would make a better argument for immigration if he hadn’t mentioned the age ratio.

There’s something disturbing about the idea of importing workers to fund our aging population.

]]> Comment on Re:Kindle-ing by Emmanuel http://rachelmotte.com/?p=133&cpage=1#comment-30 Emmanuel Thu, 06 May 2010 18:56:21 +0000 http://rachelmotte.com/?p=133#comment-30 @Marcy I don't want physical book stores to disappear but, I welcome devices like the Kindle. The book, whether novel or pamphlet is based on old technology that has not seen a major update in hundreds of years. We don't even look at books as the inventions that they are; they are so ubiquitous now that we can't think of them as ever being anything than just already there. Books have served mankind well and their dominance of the culture and institutions of learning; society will bring some melancholia and lament but, progress marches on. The medium and message of books will change, indeed it already has. People may laud Wikipedia for authority or accuracy but, praise of the idea of hyperlinks for exploring topics of information is so unanimous as to be a non-issue. The Kindle and things like it are merely the tip of the iceberg. The same way the printing press changed how information published; who could publish, who could read, who could write, the computers, devices like the Kindle and the internet are changing things. Moveable type changed the medium of books that also changed the message. Calvin's revolution wouldn't have happened if bibles were still copied by hand. Hyperlinks, the "disposable" writing of the masses on blogs, twitter and Facebook, the easy and fast amassing of information on Wikipedia are potent factors in the medium of the web. What change they will have, I can scarcely imagine but, I don't fathom the change will be small or slight. @Marcy I don’t want physical book stores to disappear but, I welcome devices like the Kindle. The book, whether novel or pamphlet is based on old technology that has not seen a major update in hundreds of years. We don’t even look at books as the inventions that they are; they are so ubiquitous now that we can’t think of them as ever being anything than just already there.

Books have served mankind well and their dominance of the culture and institutions of learning; society will bring some melancholia and lament but, progress marches on.

The medium and message of books will change, indeed it already has. People may laud Wikipedia for authority or accuracy but, praise of the idea of hyperlinks for exploring topics of information is so unanimous as to be a non-issue.

The Kindle and things like it are merely the tip of the iceberg. The same way the printing press changed how information published; who could publish, who could read, who could write, the computers, devices like the Kindle and the internet are changing things.

Moveable type changed the medium of books that also changed the message. Calvin’s revolution wouldn’t have happened if bibles were still copied by hand. Hyperlinks, the “disposable” writing of the masses on blogs, twitter and Facebook, the easy and fast amassing of information on Wikipedia are potent factors in the medium of the web. What change they will have, I can scarcely imagine but, I don’t fathom the change will be small or slight.

]]> Comment on Re:Kindle-ing by Marcy http://rachelmotte.com/?p=133&cpage=1#comment-25 Marcy Fri, 16 Apr 2010 03:57:25 +0000 http://rachelmotte.com/?p=133#comment-25 The only worrisome thing about the Kindle to me is that physical bookstores are barely making it as it is, so even if you (and I...) only want to use the Kindle for certain books, we still run the risk of adding the straw that breaks the camel's back. Yeah, you could still get physical books from amazon if that happened, but the browsing experience isn't the same. I like both, and I don't want physical bookstores to disappear, even aside from my obvious bias, working in one. But yeah... I still want a Kindle. =) The only worrisome thing about the Kindle to me is that physical bookstores are barely making it as it is, so even if you (and I…) only want to use the Kindle for certain books, we still run the risk of adding the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Yeah, you could still get physical books from amazon if that happened, but the browsing experience isn’t the same. I like both, and I don’t want physical bookstores to disappear, even aside from my obvious bias, working in one. But yeah… I still want a Kindle. =)

]]> Comment on Re:Kindle-ing by Rachel http://rachelmotte.com/?p=133&cpage=1#comment-24 Rachel Thu, 15 Apr 2010 06:15:28 +0000 http://rachelmotte.com/?p=133#comment-24 Blame Emmanuel for that one. :-P Blame Emmanuel for that one. :-P

]]> Comment on Re:Kindle-ing by Jonathan http://rachelmotte.com/?p=133&cpage=1#comment-23 Jonathan Thu, 15 Apr 2010 04:54:12 +0000 http://rachelmotte.com/?p=133#comment-23 No cartoon commentary in the margins? No thanks! No cartoon commentary in the margins? No thanks!

]]> Comment on Declare the Word in Zion: America and the Middle East by Latte Links (2/25/10) | Caffeinated Thoughts http://rachelmotte.com/?p=115&cpage=1#comment-21 Latte Links (2/25/10) | Caffeinated Thoughts Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:11:23 +0000 http://rachelmotte.com/?p=115#comment-21 [...] Rachel Motte: Declare the Word in Zion: America and the Middle East [...] [...] Rachel Motte: Declare the Word in Zion: America and the Middle East [...]

]]> Comment on People for the Ethical Treatment of Themselves by RachelMotte.com › Saving the Corporate Animals http://rachelmotte.com/?p=50&cpage=1#comment-16 RachelMotte.com › Saving the Corporate Animals Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:50:01 +0000 http://rachelmotte.com/?p=50#comment-16 [...] this post about PETA’s fishy fundraising scheme? I’m not the only one who noticed.  Apparently [...] [...] this post about PETA’s fishy fundraising scheme? I’m not the only one who noticed.  Apparently [...]

]]> Comment on People for the Ethical Treatment of Themselves by Mike Garcia http://rachelmotte.com/?p=50&cpage=1#comment-14 Mike Garcia Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:50:36 +0000 http://rachelmotte.com/?p=50#comment-14 Going vegan needs to be looked upon more as a personal health choice. We are animals, and we do not ethically treat ourselves in a good way. Especially with the foods we consume. This organization has haremed the term vegan. Yes we care about the animals, but shouldn't we be abit more concerned on what is ahppening in the food industry that has to do with the well being of humans? People for the Ethical Treatment of Themselves - Founder - MG Going vegan needs to be looked upon more as a personal health choice. We are animals, and we do not ethically treat ourselves in a good way. Especially with the foods we consume. This organization has haremed the term vegan. Yes we care about the animals, but shouldn’t we be abit more concerned on what is ahppening in the food industry that has to do with the well being of humans? People for the Ethical Treatment of Themselves - Founder - MG

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