A Revolution in Thought: Part Two

[Stephen Maturin]

Yep, after all this time it still delivers the lulz:

Then on August 13, 1979 a lawsuit, number 792103 was filed in Washington, D.C. at the United States District Court against President Carter by me. As I look back on my complaint it was equivalent to suing a psychiatrist for not allowing me to show him that his profession is coming to an end because he really doesn’t know what he is doing. Word for word, the complaint goes as follows:

The United States Government:

Because Jimmy Carter refused to grant an audience for the purpose of demonstrating how a scientific discovery can now unite all nations in a harmonious agreement that will break the vicious cycle of inflation and solve to everybody’s satisfaction the problems that are costing the people billions of dollars in rising prices and excessive taxes, and because this refusal violates my rights and his oath to faithfully execute the office of President of the United States which obviously includes doing everything in his power to solve these problems even to the extent of allowing someone outside the political arena to show him the answer, I, Seymour Lessans, representing the taxpayers who want to see a permanent solution, am taking Jimmy Carter to court as the only alternative to prove before 12 top ranking scientists, not political scientists, that his failure to faithfully execute his oath of office by investigating this discovery is a crime of the greatest magnitude and reason enough for the people who hired him and pay his salary to remove him from office. However, such removal is wholly unnecessary in view of the fact that no political party has the knowledge to cope with these complex problems. Therefore, if Mr. Carter will allow a demonstration in his office within 60 days from the date of this complaint, there will be no need to go to court and he will be completely amazed and pleased with the solution even though it renders obsolete the age of politics, an age of opinions and promises by politicians who are voted into office only because we didn’t know what else to do.

[peacegirl]

Originally Posted by Stephen Maturin

Yep, after all this time it still delivers the lulz:

You're pulling out all the stops in your little arsenal, but you can't hurt him no matter how hard you try. People will see through you. You're just an impotent troll who has nothing better to do than pick on people who are easy targets.

[peacegirl]

Originally Posted by Stephen Maturin

Yep, after all this time it still delivers the lulz:

You wouldn't be laughing if you had been in his shoes. He knew war could come to an end but because he was an unknown, he couldn't get an audience. He was correct that no politician has the answer to the problems that are confronting us, and it's still going on today. He felt sad and desperate after so many years. He was grasping at anything that could get him some publicity. He knew there was a possibility it would be thrown out, which is what occurred. Blame him all you want.

[davidm]

So, peacegirl, is this it, or not?

[peacegirl]

Originally Posted by davidm

So, peacegirl, is this it, or not?

It's not. You understand some of it but you want to simplify it to such an extent that it looks ridiculous. No one would be excited to read a 6-sentence summary that took this author 30 years and 7 books to write. It doesn't work. Why is it so hard for people to read Chapter One and Two? You never read it in its entirety. No one has. It's nuts. I'm not even asking people to read chapter three, although I think it would peak their interest. And please speak for yourself when you say "we get it."

[LarsMac]

Originally Posted by peacegirl

... No one would be excited to read a 6-sentence summary that took this author 30 years and 7 books to write. ...

I would.

It doesn't work. Why is it so hard for people to read Chapter One and Two?

Too much rambling. That's what ruined it for me.

You never read it in its entirety. No one has.

Again, too much rambling.

It's nuts. I'm not even asking people to read chapter three, although I think it would peak their interest. And please speak for yourself when you say "we get it."

Too much rambling. (But then, I already said that.)

[davidm]

Originally Posted by peacegirl

It's not. You understand some of it but you want to simplify it to such an extent that it looks ridiculous. No one would be excited to read a 6-sentence summary that took this author 30 years and 7 books to write. It doesn't work. Why is it so hard for people to read Chapter One and Two? You never read it in its entirety. No one has. It's nuts. I'm not even asking people to read chapter three, although I think it would peak their interest. And please speak for yourself when you say "we get it."

Whch part did I NOT undertstand, peacegirl?

Stop bullshitting yourself. EVERYTHIHG can be summarized in a few graphs, including the hardest stuff known to the minds of man, stuff like quantum mechanics, which Einstein among other broke his brain over. But after the summary, you explain that to fully understand the material, you have to read the book. This is how it is done. NOBODY understands quantum mechanics just by reading the summary of it, but the summary CAN help people prepare for what they are about to study. (Actually, nobody understands quantum mechanics AFTER studying it, either, but that’s another story.)

How many goddamn times over the last 20 years have people asked you to summarize the finding, including just the other day FX right here, and you produce NOTHING? And then everyone thinks you don’t understand the stuff yourself. Of course people think you are either a con artist or a loon.

If you don’t think the summary is good enough, work with me to refine it. I really am trying to help you, sincerely, because TBH, I do think sometines we were a little mean to you. Not that you don’t deserve it, lol, but even so, I am willing to put all that aside and help you craft a summary that you can work with. And always keep in mind, you tell people the summary is not enough to fully understand the work, you have to study the work itself.

[davidm]

And, BTW, peacegirl, people here HAVE read the stuff you want them to read, and beyond. How the hell do you think we found out about the light and sight nonsense (you really need to take that out of the book) and the other stuff besides? I just reread the first couple of chapters the other night, for old time’s sake. Peacegirl, here’s a pro tip from someone who has designed and written and edited for both print and web: the type face you chose for the book is GHASTLY. I have no idea what font that is — and I have used hundred of fonts — but change it immediately. It is VERY hard to read, and reading on the web, as opposed to print, is difficult under the best of cirucumstances, especially for older people.

A good rule of thumb for print on the Web is to use a san-serif typeface. Verdana works very well for that purpose.

I worked as an editor for 18 years at the New York Times. Right now I’m doing freelance editing jobs, including a book for a photographer and another for an artist. If you want me to edit your book, PM me. Of course I charge a fee.

[peacegirl]

Originally Posted by davidm

And, BTW, peacegirl, people here HAVE read the stuff you want them to read, and beyond. How the hell do you think we found out about the light and sight nonsense (you really need to take that out of the book) and the other stuff besides? I just reread the first couple of chapters the other night, for old time’s sake. Peacegirl, here’s a pro tip from someone who has designed and written and edited for both print and web: the type face you chose for the book is GHASTLY. I have no idea what font that is — and I have used hundred of fonts — but change it immediately. It is VERY hard to read, and reading on the web, as opposed to print, is difficult under the best of cirucumstances, especially for older people.

A good rule of thumb for print on the Web is to use a san-serif typeface. Verdana works very well for that purpose.

I worked as an editor for 18 years at the New York Times. Right now I’m doing freelance editing jobs, including a book for a photographer and another for an artist. If you want me to edit your book, PM me. Of course I charge a fee.

I would never take his observation about the eyes out of the book when this knowledge, once understood, will eliminate the use of words that don’t symbolize reality and have caused much hurt.

As far as the font, any one I tried made the book much too long. It’s already 600 pages without a header. Do you think it’s so easy to change? It’s not. BTW, his other books were in a different font.

[peacegirl]

Originally Posted by davidm

Whch part did I NOT undertstand, peacegirl?

Stop bullshitting yourself. EVERYTHIHG can be summarized in a few graphs, including the hardest stuff known to the minds of man, stuff like quantum mechanics, which Einstein among other broke his brain over. But after the summary, you explain that to fully understand the material, you have to read the book. This is how it is done. NOBODY understands quantum mechanics just by reading the summary of it, but the summary CAN help people prepare for what they are about to study. (Actually, nobody understands quantum mechanics AFTER studying it, either, but that’s another story.)

How many goddamn times over the last 20 years have people asked you to summarize the finding, including just the other day FX right here, and you produce NOTHING? And then everyone thinks you don’t understand the stuff yourself. Of course people think you are either a con artist or a loon.

If you don’t think the summary is good enough, work with me to refine it. I really am trying to help you, sincerely, because TBH, I do think sometines we were a little mean to you. Not that you don’t deserve it, lol, but even so, I am willing to put all that aside and help you craft a summary that you can work with. And always keep in mind, you tell people the summary is not enough to fully understand the work, you have to study the work itself.

Where is Chapter One that I posted yesterday (Oct. 23rd). I painstakingly copied and pasted it so that we could have an intelligent conversation. If the moderator (probably Chuck) deleted it, shame on him! Would someone enlighten me?

[ChuckF]

Originally Posted by peacegirl

Where is Chapter One that I posted yesterday (Oct. 23rd). I painstakingly copied and pasted it so that we could have an intelligent conversation. If the moderator (probably Chuck) deleted it, shame on him! Would someone enlighten me?

peacegirl, if the molecules of light aren't already at your brain, I'm not sure it's going to happen.

Nonetheless, I will put in a ticket for someone to query the moderation log. We may need an sysadmin with root access to sort this one out.