Alarming News: I like Morgan Freeberg. A lot.
American Digest: And I like this from "The Blog That Nobody Reads", because it is -- mostly -- about me. What can I say? I'm on an ego trip today. It won't last.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: We were following a trackback and thinking "hmmm... this is a bloody excellent post!", and then we realized that it was just part III of, well, three...Damn. I wish I'd written those.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: ...I just remembered that I found a new blog a short while ago, House of Eratosthenes, that I really like. I like his common sense approach and his curiosity when it comes to why people believe what they believe rather than just what they believe.
Brutally Honest: Morgan Freeberg is brilliant.
Dr. Melissa Clouthier: Morgan Freeberg at House of Eratosthenes (pftthats a mouthful) honors big boned women in skimpy clothing. The picture there is priceless--keep scrolling down.
Exile in Portales: Via Gerard: Morgan Freeberg, a guy with a lot to say. And he speaks The Truth...and it's fascinating stuff. Worth a read, or three. Or six.
Just Muttering: Two nice pieces at House of Eratosthenes, one about a perhaps unintended effect of the Enron mess, and one on the Gore-y environ-movie.
Mein Blogovault: Make "the Blog that No One Reads" one of your daily reads.
The Virginian: I know this post will offend some people, but the author makes some good points.
Poetic Justice: Cletus! Ah gots a laiv one fer yew...
Me, in the e-mails:
Consensus is an evolutionary process. If a consensus is proposed and it is somewhat reasonable, only 20 out of a hundred [experts] have to be converted or ostracized to complete the consensus-manufacturing, the next thing that will happen is a new consensus. Then 16 out of the remaining 80 will have to be converted or ostracized, at the end of which you have a consensus that is only sufficiently reasonable that 64% of the original group found it agreeable. By the third stage, with similar ostracizing events and measuring the [reasonableness-versus-] risibility of the consensus-content this way, you’d be down to 51.2%, then at the next stage it goes to 41%. Keep in mind, all this time the ostracized members will be replaced by newcomers, but the newcomers won’t have a vote in the prior stages of this evolving consensus. And of course, when an opinion becomes obligatory, but it’s only sufficiently reasonable that barely 40% of reasonable free-thinkers would align themselves with it, it can be a very silly opinion — even if it IS obligatory.
This is how older bureaucracies make worse decisions, and bigger mistakes, and make them faster and with greater confidence.
Since writing that, it has dawned on me that this doesn’t quite capture how a bureaucracy works. They tend to optimize their efficiency over time in this business of manufacturing “complete” consensus by way of ostracizing whoever doesn’t get on board, to lunge across greater distances in fewer steps toward more risible conclusions.
So if we “measure the reasonableness-versus-risibility” of consensus content by way of this quotient of reasonable free-thinkers who would agree without undue pressure, it’s more like: The first conclusion is 80% reasonable, with twenty out of a hundred either converted or shown the door. With that phony-consensus thus achieved, the second evolutionary stage may achieve 70% consent, thereby being only 56% agreeable to the original membership, if the assembly was still dealing with that original membership, which of course it is not. This way, you’re down in the low-forties, or even thirties, by the time you get to the third stage.
And that does seem to mirror the way it actually works.
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So “what ever two people who love each other do behind closed doors” becomes mandatory gender free bathrooms?
NEXT you’ll be telling us there will be FINES for not paying other folks amassing Munchausen by proxy at
especially high Emergency Room rate bills, and a mere accusation by a “disgruntled attention whore” is enough to forfeit a years tuition at some fancy-schmancy institution of higher learning.
I seem to recall that Joe McCarthy was entirely vindicated, and yet Murrow is STILL deemed a “hero” for his “opinions”.
*sigh*…or something.
Lest we forget
- CaptDMO | 03/07/2015 @ 14:38South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson shouted You LIE, TWICE to the Presidents face, in front of his peers.
“Consensus is an evolutionary process.”
- CaptDMO | 03/08/2015 @ 05:08As is “compromise”.
Even the Grateful Dad figured it out….
“We can share what we got of yours, ‘cus we done shared ALL of MINE. “
That’s the Delphi method engineered by the Rand Corporation. Google “have you been Delphied”. I have seen this BS used in political caucuses and other places as well…never agree to shit…it really tic’s them off. Always subcaucus…never merge, unless its something like anyone but Rino’s.
- indyjonesouthere | 03/08/2015 @ 15:12