X-Message-Number: 29681
References: <>
From: Kennita Watson <>
Subject: Re: Acculturation
Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2007 03:04:17 -0700

> From: "Chris Manning" <>
> Subject: Re: Acculturation
>
> Why is it appalling? There are not enough hours in the day to read  
> every
> book I should read, nor watch every film I should watch.

What was appalling is that you'd missed *all* of them.
I understand that you don't have time for everything,
but if you're not hanging around people who *insist*
you keep up with futurist fiction -- especially the
popular fiction that shapes the way the world looks at
mavericks like us cryonicists -- then, in the words of
the prophet, "You need to get out more.".  IMO, of course.
>
> I do not have people on,

??

> and my interest in the future is at least as great
> as your own.

Let's not go there.

> But to me, SF isn't about wars or empires or odd looking
> creatures with gizmos hanging from the equivalent of their hips.  
> For me that seems
> to rule out most SF films.

FTR, none of the works I recommended were about any
of those things (I'm guessing you didn't like Star
Wars) -- I recommended them because they deal
with the topic at hand.

The Diamond Age (book):  Nanotechnology (and acculturation, via
	the Young Lady's Illustrated Primer)
Demolition Man:  Cryonics and future society (and acculturation)
Vanilla Sky:  Cryonics (and acculturation)
The Matrix:  virtual reality and future society (and acculturation)
>
> I *did* see 'Total Recall'. And I saw and read 'Contact'.

Well, that's something ;-) .
>
> Money is not an issue. I don't have a DVD player. I don't even  
> remember what
> 'DVD' stands for.

Digital Video Disc.  If money's not an issue, I suggest
you buy one; it's almost as cheap as renting.

I still insist that those three movies are Must-Sees for
futurists.
>
> By the time we are revived, DVD players will be in museums, alongside
> Edison's first phonograph.

Your point?  I'm sure that will be the case, but they're
the best we have right now, and they make it possible to
see movies in much higher fidelity than was possible with
VHS.  However, if you only have a VHS player, get the
films from Blockbuster in VHS format (assuming they're
still carrying most films in VHS).  You probably want
them on DVD, though, so you can get the commentaries,
making-of, deleted scenes, bloopers, interviews, etc.
that are never included on a VHS tape.

So, once more with feeling:

Demolition Man

Vanilla Sky

The Matrix

and for print media, The Diamond Age (I *so* want a
Young Lady's Illustrated Primer!).

Live long and prosper,
Kennita
--
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
none but ourselves can free our minds.
           -- Bob Marley, "Redemption Song"

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=29681