In reading comments on Eco's new book on another forum, in the context of today's new VorteXX comments - this fine review came up:
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/books/magazine/97259/conspiracy-theory-pr ague-cemetery# ... and the thought suddenly appeared ... doesn't Vortex dish out its own share of "porn" to the extent that we define it in the broad way that Bell does above? Bell considers Limbaugh and his ilk, for instance, to be the functional equivalent of a panderer of porn - as defined as the lascivious appeal to base-level secret and forbidden yearnings, in spite of the obvious moral dishonesty. For Bell, he may be a bit going too far in labeling "birthers" as porn artists :-) since... well, if you have ever seen Orly - the so-called birther queen, OMG do you really want to grope a centerfold of that before breakfast? Clearly "this Bell in not ringing true". Yet, in the case of most of the new pornographers he sees the real appeal of their conspiracy theories, many of which make it Vortex, as latent racism. He may be closer to correct on that, but he is careful not to brand Eco as a racist. Eco isn't, but reading The Prague Cemetery might make one wonder about where he is going with the novel. But back to energy porn. I'm struck by a recent lame defense of Rossi on Vortexx as the indeed the same kind of alternative porn. Heck - it's free-energy porn of the highest order since it plays on an irrational appeal. Let's admit it. Rossi has low credibility, low solid evidence of gain, a history of problems with the legal system - and it's getting worse with each passing day for him, not better - since 27 months have elapsed now from the first "demo" with almost nothing to show but promises. Yet, AR is the Dos Equis man in so many ways, since attracts attention as if he really has something to say. His Mom probably has a tattoo that reads "Son". What is free-energy porn? All I can say is that I know it when I see it. Like the Supreme's, no one cannot sing that tune to the satisfaction of all, but there is no doubt that Andrea Rossi is the sleaziest of the sleaze. He could be the Hustler of LENR in more ways than one. Flynt should be jealous of Rossi's brand of titillation since he is succeeding by showing less, rather than more.... Geeze, Larry, why not leave a little bit for the imagination? Back to the Eco review: "The romance and the mystery that enlivened The Name of the Rose, and saved it from drowning in a froth of philosophical speculation, are almost totally absent from The Prague Cemetery. In the end, Umberto Eco has forgotten the single most important ingredient for successful conspiracy theories and novels alike. They can be outlandish, outrageous, and even frankly unbelievable; but, as even the crudest generator of Internet rumors remembers as he spins out the latest tale about how the KGB secretly altered President Obama's birth certificate, they should never, ever be boring." And Rossi, the clown of free-energy porn, is seldom boring... he is the new Barnum and the XX man as a single dude. Jones
<<attachment: winmail.dat>>
