Re: [silk] Anthropology and Sociology

On 09/07/2014 10:24 AM, SS wrote: I have had an amateur interest in the subjects that (I thought) were studied under the headings anthropology and sociology. After a couple of decades of imbibing information by osmosis and random diffusion, it seems to me that these fields deal primarily with

Re: [silk] Anthropology and Sociology

On 09/08/2014 10:32 PM, Udhay Shankar N wrote: On 08-Sep-14 10:27 PM, SS wrote: But surely it would have to be sociologists, more than any other people who would be able to comment with authority and knowledge on all societies and express some opinion on features of societies that may be

Re: [silk] Anthropology and Sociology

On 09/10/2014 01:15 AM, SS wrote: On Wed, 2014-09-10 at 10:14 +0530, Udhay Shankar N wrote: Again, not really. It turns out that the pace of change is such that such studies are not the most useful way to deal with the future. Udhay the pace of change is exactly what I am talking about. Who

Re: [silk] To retire or not - that is the Q.

Sandhya aka Sandy wrote: At the brink of yet another huge restructure in my company, I'm beginning to tire of it. Just a wee bit. Quite a lot, actually. While I no longer look for logic in the actions of a big company, these restructures and their ensuing impact are really getting old. And

Re: [silk] To retire or not - that is the Q.

Rajesh Mehar wrote: Fifteen more years has also given me some perspective on the importance of doing *work you believe has enduring value*, and of the need for down time to keep work from being the force driving you. @Bruce: This is really interesting stuff for me. Could you write a little bit

Re: [silk] The Real Existential Threat

On 10/14/2014 12:08 AM, Udhay Shankar N wrote: As far as it goes, absolutely true (IMO). I'm interested in conflicting opinions, however. http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2014/10/the-real-existential-threat.html Monday, 13 October 2014 The Real Existential Threat What

Re: [silk] The Real Existential Threat

On 10/14/2014 05:32 PM, Thaths wrote: On Wed Oct 15 2014 at 8:05:28 AM Bruce A. Metcalf bruce.metc...@figzu.com wrote: What makes today's bad decisions worse than those of prior years is just this: overpopulation. Was Malthus wrong? How? No, I believe he was correct, but he was thinking

Re: [silk] What book changed your mind?

Thaths wrote: This post http://chronicle.com/article/What-Book-Changed-Your-Mind-/149839/ of people talking about the books that changed their minds made me wonder Which book made *you*, dear Silk lister, change your mind? How? That post further restricted matters by limiting acceptable

Re: [silk] Assimilating huge information

On 03/22/2015 09:56 PM, Bharat Shetty wrote: I'm curious, how do you guys process non-technical information or information not related to your work, research outside of your work hours ? Pretty much the way I process data for work. As others have suggested, I cull my sources fiercely,

Re: [silk] To retire or not - that is the Q.

On 07/11/2015 07:02 AM, Rajesh Mehar wrote: Hey again Bruce! Thanks for reviving this thread. I've had a similarly non-linear career path up until now. Nowadays, I'm more hesitant to make creative leaps across competencies because there's a pervasive idea that people who are new to a

Re: [silk] To retire or not - that is the Q.

On 06/01/2015 10:27 PM, Udhay Shankar N wrote: ​On a related note: Tell us about the most interesting jobs/assignments you've worked on? Sorry for the delay, I was at sea for five weeks with a laptop that died en route. I'd have to say I've had a lot of interesting jobs; hard to say which

Re: [silk] Renaming Aurangzeb Road

Deepa Mohan wrote: Venkat Mangudi wrote: But, OTOH, I like... no, love... Bruce's writing. I don't mind reading more of it. Keep at it, Bruce. :) If at first we like your words, Alfred the Bruce...write, write, write again! I'm glad some found entertainment in my remarks, snarky

[silk] On the Road

Suresh wrote: Bruce wrote: >> Now I need to go find something constructive to post. I don't >> suppose anyone cares for a trip report of ... 8500 miles across >> America by car? The road trip, sure! I live in Orlando, Florida, in the southeast corner of the US. I wanted to attend a

Re: [silk] Does Your Language Shape How You Think?

Thaths wrote: "Some 50 years ago, the renowned linguist Roman Jakobson pointed out a crucial fact about differences between languages in a pithy maxim: “Languages differ essentially in what they must convey and not in what they may convey.” ... if different languages influence our minds in

Re: [silk] Renaming Aurangzeb Road

On 09/09/2015 11:07 PM, James Bonilla wrote: P.P.S. I have answers for everything. If this is so, then why do you trouble yourself in discussion with others, who could, by definition, add nothing to your understanding? I would think that if I had answers for everything, I should say very

Re: [silk] On the Road

Udhay Shankar N wrote: Bruce Metcalf wrote: I'm curious to know how the list feels about the junction of fiction and history. Your thoughts? ​There are two kinds of fiction (I know of) that play with this junction, from opposite ends: The Roman à clef​ [1] and the secret history [1]. While

Re: [silk] Renaming Aurangzeb Road

Dear James, P.P.S. I have answers for everything. If this is so, then why do you trouble yourself in discussion with others, who could, by definition, add nothing to your understanding? Did you not see my earlier email that people tend to underestimate Hispanics? If you believe you have

Re: [silk] On the Road

Sharat Satyanarayana wrote: Loved visualising that road trip story. Photos along side would've been awesome. Yes, but I find I can write better and clearer images than I can shoot. I can't find who said it, but I believe the saying, "Radio is just like television, only with better

Re: [silk] Renaming Aurangzeb Road

Namitha Jagadeesh wrote: From another lurker, so sorry to hear about your cat, and other cats, Bruce. What a despicable thing to do! Also, I did enjoy your 007 snark. Doofus came home today, but will have to use a feeding tube for another week. The puss is a real trooper with a great

Re: [silk] Cars are getting weird

Udhay Shankar N wrote: 1. I once said, a couple of decades ago, that "the net is about sociology, not technology" (which got me quoted, among other places, in _The Cluetrain Manifesto_). Picking up from there, it seems that today's devices are more about biology and psychology than technology.

Re: [silk] The Need for Guaranteed Basic Income or why Kiran is worried sick

Kiran K Karthikeyan wrote: Posting this [1] on the only place I know where there are better minds than mine who can tell me not to worry so I can sleep better at night.

Re: [silk] silklist Digest, Vol 77, Issue 6

On 04/18/2016 09:30 PM, Udhay Shankar N wrote: On Mon, Apr 18, 2016 at 10:36 PM, Dave Long wrote: There is no Hari to achieve things Is Deepatience dee mother of virtue? ​De Pontification is the outcome of virtue, usually.​ If we digitized the Pope, would that

Re: [silk] Cable Cars - A viable urban rapid transport system?

On 05/08/2016 04:02 AM, Shenoy N wrote: Does Mumbai have the hills for a cable car system? Aerial Tramways. The aerial cable car system seems perfect for this city. But there ARE some obvious problems. 1. The capacity of a cable car is about 12 people. I've been on aerial tramways with a

Re: [silk] Cable Cars - A viable urban rapid transport system?

On 05/07/2016 04:38 PM, Thaths wrote: On Sun, May 8, 2016 at 1:24 AM Shenoy N wrote: The other day I was in a meeting with some automotive type people to help a friend find products to sell to car companies and a German gent, who was there to sell technologies, sprang a

Re: [silk] Cable Cars - A viable urban rapid transport system?

Udhay Shankar N wrote: Looks like an interesting engineering (and social) challenge, even with the various components being generally available. Let me know if you need a referral to someone with experience in this field. ​Did the Almighty Rodent do something in this space, Bruce?​

Re: [silk] On Silk, by Silk

Thejaswi Udupa wrote: Bruce A. Metcalf wrote: mostly I've worked as a reference librarian and technical writer Not to paint you as a father-figure, but that's exactly what my dad did for over three decades! Substitute railroad conductor with running the cash register at Hotel Pai Vihar

Re: [silk] Maacher Jhol

Sidin Vadukut wrote: I'm curious to know how potatoes became part of Indian cuisine. Is this Peruvian tuber replacing something else native to the subcontinent, or is a an addition not previously seen? ​Many years ago I wrote something on the history of the potato and India:

Re: [silk] Maacher Jhol

On 08/04/2016 12:50 AM, Deepa Mohan wrote: http://www.sawandutta.com/#!macherjhol/kf04t I'm curious to know how potatoes became part of Indian cuisine. Is this Peruvian tuber replacing something else native to the subcontinent, or is a an addition not previously seen? Cheers, / Bruce /

Re: [silk] Podcast recommendations?

Greets, I should think that silklisters, especially the quizzers here, might enjoy the podcast of Futility Closet . I don't do podcasts for a variety of reasons, but I devour the FC blog, which has much the same spirit. Hope you enjoy. Cheers, / Bruce /

Re: [silk] In praise of slowness

On 01/22/2017 04:18 AM, Venkatesh Hariharan wrote: I am going through a transition into a slower pace of life. Knowing the eclectic nature of this list, I wanted to hear from others who have "been there, done that." ... I am now thinking of cutting down my consulting assignments and decisively

Re: [silk] Electric cars

On 01/27/2017 04:23 PM, Alaric Snell-Pym wrote: I've just become the proud owner of an all-electric car, a Renault Zoe. Seems to be the season for it. Last week I went out to find a replacement for my 2010 Prius. The 2010 was still giving good service (and 48mpg / 4.9L/100km), but it's a

Re: [silk] On Silk, by Silk

Dear All, Udhay has responded to my foolish remark by calling my bluff: I also worked at the front desk of a hotel (part-time) for ten years. Got some stories from that! ​Please share (you too, Udupa!)​ ​*cough*​ Okay fine, here's one. In the hotel business, there is an unfortunately

Re: [silk] Bump in the road, or end of the road?

"Charles Haynes" wrote: It's certainly possible that we will automate ourselves out of the need for "jobs" but that's only a problem if you believe that existing structures of wealth accumulation and distribution are appropriate for such a world. It seems obvious that

Re: [silk] Nineteen!

On 12/12/2016 08:18 AM, Udhay Shankar N wrote: On Mon, Dec 12, 2016 at 6:34 PM, Deepa Mohan wrote: You mean Udhay added you on without ever meeting you, Preetha? ​I have added various people without meeting them, on the recommendation of an existing member (as I did

Re: [silk] Nineteen!

On 12/12/2016 08:18 AM, Udhay Shankar N wrote: On Mon, Dec 12, 2016 at 6:34 PM, Deepa Mohan wrote: You mean Udhay added you on without ever meeting you, Preetha? ​I have added various people without meeting them, on the recommendation of an existing member (as I did

Re: [silk] What's your primary computing device?

On 09/12/2017 07:23 PM, John Sundman wrote: Hope thing worked out OK. According to what I’ve read and seen, it was a monster hurricane in the Caribbean, unimaginably ferocious, but somewhat more merciful to Florida than it might have been. But still a cruel storm whose effects will be felt for

Re: [silk] What's your primary computing device?

On 09/12/2017 04:32 AM, Udhay Shankar N wrote: As in, what do you spend the most time doing serious work/play on? For any definition of 'work' or 'play' that appeals to you? At home/work, I have a small network. My desktop runs Linux, as does my file server, but I have an old machine running

Re: [silk] What's your primary computing device?

On Sun, Sep 24, 2017 at 10:37 AM Deepak Misra wrote: I observe that there is a statistically significant proportion of silklisters using Mac machines. Anything to read into ? As in do smarter people use Macs ? Is it a style statement? Or do Macs provide

Re: [silk] Capitalism and Climate Change

On 06/17/2018 07:06 AM, Udhay Shankar N wrote: I recently became aware of Kim Stanley Robinson's latest book, New York 2140, via silklister Naresh Narasimhan. Anybody read it and want to add to the nice review below? My gold standard for KSR reviews is our own Bruce Metcalf, right here

Re: [silk] Filter bubbles as weapons

On Tue, Jan 9, 2018 at 1:44 PM Udhay Shankar N wrote about filter bubbles and such: I am aware, sometimes sharply aware, that I occupy just such a filterbubble. I'm not happy about it, and it worries me. OTOH, the stupid hurts so much! Much as I dislike Facebook, it brings

Re: [silk] ‘Kind’ technology?

On 02/04/2018 11:54 AM, Srini RamaKrishnan wrote: Not my phrase, but I like it, "We are human beings, not human doings". You remind me of a wise woman I once knew. When asked what she did, her answer was, "I don't /do/. I *be*. I *be* MaryLou." Miss her. Cheers, / Bruce /

Re: [silk] How many phone numbers do you remember?

I now remember only five numbers; three of the four at home, one at the office where I volunteer, and my childhood number. On 08/20/2018 12:09 AM, Udhay Shankar N wrote: ... Along with IP addresses of a couple of handy DNS servers I remember almost all of the IP addresses for my home

[silk] Chickpea Recipes, was: How much time do you spend cooking?

Heather Madrone wrote: I figure that, if I cook chickpeas one day a week, the supply will last close to 15 years. I have quite a few chickpea recipes and can alter other recipes to include chickpeas, but I'd welcome a few more to round out my repertoire. Rehydrate, toss in a hot wok with a

Re: [silk] Hi there!

José María Mateos wrote: Deepa Mohan wrote: Welcome, Jose! That was an interesting comment of yours about mailing lists... would like to hear a little more. Just something I've experienced first hand. Mailing list discussions tend to be more nuanced and carried in more good faith that a lot

Re: [silk] How much time do you spend cooking?

On 09/03/2018 11:05 PM, Udhay Shankar N wrote: Something I am curious about. How much time here do people spend actually cooking the food they eat? It varies greatly, largely because my wife and I don't have a consistent schedule. Breakfast ranges from 0 to 30 minutes, with most events at

Re: [silk] My thoughts on old age

On 10/24/2018 09:45 PM, Deepa Mohan wrote: I wonder how many people on this list are in their sixties? Well, me for one, and I've been considering the thoughts posted to this thread with some care. I don't yet consider myself old. I'm reasonably fit, able to take care of myself, drive

Re: [silk] Tech & Social Good: Please Help Me Collect Readings & Syllabi

On 11/01/2018 12:54 AM, Yosem Companys wrote: Does anyone know whether there's a collection of all syllabi and readings on technology and social good (or public good or social change)? If such a collection doesn't exist, could you help me create one? I respectfully suggest you include in your

Re: [silk] From 35 years ago, Asimov's predictions for 2019 (and anxperiment for this list)

On 01/01/2019 04:21 PM, Peter Griffin wrote: What are your predictions for 2048? A most interesting challenge, thank you. I'm afraid I'm more pessimistic for 2048 than I am for later dates. I think many issues will get worse before they get better. 1. Malthusian forces will bring famine

Re: [silk] From 35 years ago, Asimov's predictions for 2019 (and anxperiment for this list)

On 01/21/2019 07:10 PM, Thaths wrote: On Tue, Jan 22, 2019 at 3:49 AM Bruce A. Metcalf wrote: 1. Malthusian forces will bring famine to much of the third world, unless some new disease gets there first. Growing resistance to acceptance of vaccination will aid the latter. I am in the middle

Re: [silk] Legal adulthood

On 12/14/2018 05:11 AM, Deepa Mohan wrote: Also would like to know the "original crew members" who are "still around". I'm pretty sure I'm not original, and not even in the first batch of non-Indian members, but my first posts are likely two dead hard drives ago. Is there any way for us to

Re: [silk] New member Intro: Jitendra (Jiten) Vaidya

On 02/24/2019 01:31 PM, Jitendra Vaidya wrote: Speaking of cooking techniques, has anybody tried Sous Vide? I would love to try it but the thought of cooking food in a polyethylene bag for long periods of time puts me off. I have been heavily into sous vide cooking for several years now. It's

Re: [silk] New member Intro: Jitendra (Jiten) Vaidya

On 02/25/2019 09:39 PM, Shenoy N wrote: Thanks so much for this. Could you share some recipes (or recommend some place where these might be found, especially recipes for vegetables) Frankly, I haven't worked with veggies enough to have a recipe to suggest. Yes, carrots and ghee at 85C for 3

Re: [silk] Questions, or answers?

On 2/18/20 5:57 AM, Udhay Shankar N wrote: Via a friend on another invite-only list, this lovely, though-provoking cartoon: http://kiriakakis.net/comics/mused/a-day-at-the-park (I won't spoil it, go read through the whole thing) So: what do YOU collect: questions, or answers? And why? I am

[silk] A Brief Visit to India

Greetings, As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm about to embark on a 'round-the-world cruise. En route, my wife and I will be making four stops in India, marking our first visit to the country. Our scheduled stops are: Sun. 29 March - Cochin Mon. 30 March - Mangalore (New Man. Port) Tue.

Re: [silk] Suleimani

On 1/4/20 5:48 AM, Udhay Shankar N wrote: On Jan 4, 2020 Peter Griffin wrote: What do you folks think will result from the Qassem Suleimani assassination? How will this play out for the rest of the world, in terms of not just stability, but also wars, economies and so on? War has always

Re: [silk] Coronavirus and behaviour change

On 3/9/20 1:30 AM, Peter Griffin wrote: What behaviours (if any) have you changed because you're worried about the coronavirus? I may have an unusual perspective on this question, as I'm presently aboard a cruise ship on a 'round-the-world cruise. (But not one that's been stuck offshore

Re: [silk] An anniversary

Venkatesh H R wrote: I've been around on this list for about five years. First heard about it on this piece by Shrabonti Bagchi. I took the opportunity to read this article, and ... oh my, I'm mentioned therein!

Re: [silk] Good puns

Here's one straight from Florida: What's the best way to cook alligator? In a Croc Pot. Cheers, / Bruce /

Re: [silk] On countries not being nation states

On 7/30/21 2:35 AM, Ameya Nagarajan wrote: Could you expand a bit more on the un-nationality of India? Are we not, rather, a multinational state and the trouble we run into is that we're trying to forge a unified identity and unlike the US we don't have strong citizen rights etc? I think the

Re: [silk] Starting a Second Career

Alok Prasanna Kumar wrote: > Read this fascinating piece on the Guardian > https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jul/14/leaving-burnout-behind-the-pain-and-pleasure-of-starting-a-new-career-in-my-50s > ? > > ...and wondered if any of you have switched careers later in life (say 20+ >