About Wyrd Smythe
The canonical fool on the hill watching the sunset and the rotation of the planet and thinking what he imagines are large thoughts.
In the previous post I wrote about some of the general themes I saw in HBO’s Westworld. Such big picture topics are inherent in the basic description of the series — intelligent robots used as playthings — and don’t require spoiling plot points or character revelations. Everything I wrote about in the last post is part of the general context of the show.
In this post I want to look more closely at things that struck me in particular, but it requires exposing certain aspects of character or implementation that could count as spoilers if one is very strictly trying to avoid knowing anything about the show.
But if you have some idea about what’s going on, maybe just from trailers, this post shouldn’t spoil anything for you. I won’t give away any of the big secrets or reveals.
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16 Comments | tags: AI, Anthony Hopkins, artificial intelligence, Bernard Lowe, Dolores Abernathy, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, HBO, Isaac Asimov, Jeffery Wright, Jonathan Nolan, killer robots, Lisa Joy, Maeve Millay, Robert Ford, robotics, robots, robots-as-menace, robots-as-pathos, science fiction, science fiction TV, SF, Thandie Newton, Turing Test, Westworld (TV series) | posted in Sci-Fi Saturday, TV
Way back in 1958, science fiction author and critic Theodore Sturgeon coined the term Sturgeon’s Revelation. Which is that “90% of film, literature, consumer goods, etc. is crap.” This became known as Sturgeon’s Law while Theodore’s actual law (from a 1956 story) — that “nothing is always absolutely so” — is forgotten. (Philosopher Daniel Dennett expanded the Law to say that 90% of everything is crap!)
I’ve always found this applies especially to science fiction TV. And in this Anno Stella Bella era, there is a lot of SF TV, so naturally there is a lot of crap. (Honestly, I don’t even pay attention to the SyFy channel anymore.)
Happily: HBO’s Westworld … not crap! In fact, it’s a gem that offers many facets worthy of (non-spoiler) thought and discussion…
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8 Comments | tags: AI, Anthony Hopkins, artificial intelligence, Bernard Lowe, Dolores Abernathy, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, Frankenstein, HBO, Isaac Asimov, Jeffery Wright, Jonathan Nolan, killer robots, Lisa Joy, Maeve Millay, movie violence, Prometheus, Robert Ford, robotics, robots, robots-as-menace, robots-as-pathos, science fiction, science fiction TV, SF, Thandie Newton, The Chinese Room, Turing Test, TV violence, violence, Westworld (TV series) | posted in Sci-Fi Saturday, TV
Well, it’s been two weeks. Things still seem very unsettled and chaotic. It’s not an obvious disaster, yet, but many of the signs aren’t encouraging. If it does turn out pear-shaped, we might look back at this early indicator:
I’m surprised no one picked up on this…
There are three human beings in the frame of that shot. All three share at least two characteristics. I’ll give you a hint: All are male, and all are white. #justsaying
Not even his FLOTUS-elect was allowed in shot. Interesting priorities.
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1 Comment | tags: Anyone But Trump, Donald Trump, internet, interweb, Never Trump, President Elect Trump, social media, Trump is a loser, Trump is a monster | posted in Brain Bubble
It doesn’t matter, because this isn’t about that, but it was a blog page I was reading — about baseball, as it happens — where the writer used the phrase, “who among us is perfect?” I hear variations of that sentiment often. It’s meant to embrace the flawed humanity in all of us, but to my ear it sometimes excuses the egregious.
In this particular case (again, not the point), the writer was excusing the putative racism of a ballplayer during the 1940s, and that’s when a Brain Bubble floated up to my consciousness: Does it seem we use the phrase “no one is perfect” a little too broadly, a little too generously?
Have our standards of acceptable gotten lower in the modern era?
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4 Comments | tags: Age of Enlightenment, Ancient Greeks, civilization, debate, dialectic, ego, humanity, id, perfection, rational thought, social mores, super-ego | posted in Brain Bubble
SMH…
When it comes to feelings (nothing more than feelings), there are two strongly reactive — yet very separate — feelings clubs on my mind these days. The one that surprises me is personal and seems to have only myself as a member. The unsurprising one, the angry, depressed, shocked one, contains nearly all the liberals these days.
A more on-the-nose term might be ‘city folk.’ (Or my personal favorite: “polis people.”) Some see this — I fully agree — as a divide between rural and city sensibilities, between local old-fashioned and global modern tech, between yesterday and tomorrow.
One side is stunned the other won, while the winners are holding their breath wondering what they’ve won…
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25 Comments | tags: change, changes, democracy, democratic society, dialectic, election 2016, emotional mind, emotions, feelings, human mind, Leon Wieseltier, opinions, politicians, rational mind, rational thought, social change, social issues, social mores, thoughts | posted in Society
Can you believe it?
You know the ancient curse: May you live in interesting times. The last day or so I’ve been watching a lot of people feeling terribly cursed. There is much gnashing of teeth, and the rending of garments is heard throughout the land. Many Chicken Littles are certain the sky is in free fall.
That remains to be seen. Maybe the apocalypse is nigh, but, as far as I know, all we have heard from President Elect Trump so far is his victory speech. Meanwhile, the media frets about all the crap he said on the campaign trail (the trail of fears).
We’ve jumped out of the airplane. Now it’s gonna get interesting.
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5 Comments | tags: Donald Trump, GOP, President Elect Trump, President Trump, Republican Party | posted in Politics
I hope you know what you’re doing. I get the part about voting for him. What I don’t get is being fooled by him. And I’m not sure who’s getting fooled. Is he what he appears to be, or is it all just an act?
He’s a real estate salesman. He doesn’t design buildings. He doesn’t actually build them. He just puts his name on them. He “gets it done” but what about how he gets it done?
What is his word worth? Is he an honorable man? A decent one? A kind one? Do we have any fucking idea who this guy really is?
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14 Comments | tags: change, changes, Chris Matthews, conservative, Donald Trump, fear, GOP, government, House of Representatives, politicians, polls, pollsters, POTUS, President Elect Trump, President Trump, Republican Party, Senate, social change, social issues, social media, WTF | posted in Politics
Damn right, I did!
You did, too, right?
6 Comments | tags: Clinton for President, democracy, Democratic Party, democratic society, election 2016, election day, Hillary Clinton, HRC, I voted, politicians, vote | posted in Politics
As I was downloading my sample ballot and poking around the web for information about local issues and candidates (because that’s what good citizens do), I was struck by the profound sense of pain, fear, and sorrow I felt.
The feelings were so overwhelming I found myself, once again this election cycle, silently weeping. And praying that God would touch people’s hearts and minds with a measure of grace and decency.
How have we come to this? How have we gotten so far from our ideals and founding beliefs? How have we gotten so evil?
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2 Comments | tags: Anyone But Trump, Bill Clinton, Clinton for President, democracy, Democratic Party, democratic society, Donald Trump, election 2016, evil, fear, GOP, Hillary Clinton, HRC, Leon Wieseltier, National disgrace, National embarrassment, Never Trump, politicians, Republican Party, social issues, Trump is a loser, Trump is a monster | posted in Politics
Do it in the name of sanity and decency.
Please.
∇
2 Comments | tags: anger, Anyone But Trump, Bill Clinton, Clinton for President, democracy, Democratic Party, democratic society, disgrace, disgust, Donald Trump, election 2016, embarrassment, evil, good, GOP, hate, Hillary Clinton, HRC, National disgrace, National embarrassment, Never Trump, politicians, Republican Party, social change, social issues, social media, social mores, stupid, stupid people, stupid stupid stupid, stupid TV, stupidity, Trump is a loser, Trump is a monster | posted in Politics, Rant
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