Worldcon Schedule Take 2

Another day another schedule...  one more panel, although it is immediately after the first one which makes it tricky - I haven't seen a map yet, which is problematic because it's meant to be in the app by now.

Sat Sep 1 12:00:pm Democracy Is a Terrible Form of Government, Can't We Do Better?

McCormick The title is from the Churchill quote: "Democracy is a terrible form of government, except for all the others." But it is still a poor form of government, except for all the others. Science fiction seems like the ideal forum for exploration of alternative forms of government better than all the others and perhaps better than democracy. So how are we doing?

- Hmm...  tricky.  I'd be interested to explore if Churchill would say the same thing now.  The view of democracy in the aftermath of WW2 and Europe at the time is a consideration - I'm also failing to find out when he said it.  After that, I'd argue I don't necessarily think that democracy is all that bad a form of government, providing there are checks and balances.


I suspect this could turn into an arse kicking contest should somebody start explaining how we haven't tried TRUE libertarian government.

Sat Sep 1 1:30:pm What's New On TV?

Wright A look at new SF/F/Horror shows on television: Grimm, Once Upon a Time, Terra Nova, et. al.

Well, ignoring that all of these are moving into their second seasons so 'new' is a bit of a misnomer.  We should look forward to the NEW new season.  Which is Revolution, Beautiful People, Beauty and the Beast(ABC), Gotham(ABC),The Selection (CW)...


All of the descriptions fill me with terrible, terrible fear.  Revolution is getting a lot of airtime but my gods it looks like a pile of bollocks.  ABC have two more 'fantasy' world cross overs and the CW has teen focused love stories.  I want a fucking space ship gods dammit.

Grimm - loving it... not sure way
Terra Nova - I think it's shit, glossy shit but shit none the less - oh and looky here it was cancelled in May...  who wrote this?
Falling Skies - SLOW.  All the problems of the original survivors in that nothing bloody happens
Fringe - barking mad and I do like it
Doctor Who - 'nuff said
Once Upon a Time - HOW IN THE HELL WAS THIS RENEWED?  Robert Carlise must be mad as hell
Alphas - a sleeper entering a second season not bad

Actually this could be a panel on WHERE IN THE HELL is the new TV SF?

Sat Sep 1 4:30:pm Technology That Improves Our Society

Crystal C A look at technology that not only makes our lives easier, but actually improves society as a whole.

Not clear at this stage if the thrust is live improving tech we have, or we are going to have.  Either way I have THINGS TO SAY!

INT: JPL Design Meeting: Day

CAPTION: 10 years ago

A group of JPL engineers are sitting around watching a PowerPoint presentation from a wild eyed member of the team:

"Bob": So, we aerobrake and then deploy a parachute at supersonic speed
"Team lead": A super sonic deployment?
"Bob": Yeap...  should knock the speed down to a few hundred mph
"Team lead": Er... ok, but this is too much for airbags and that's still too fast?
"Bob": Naturally, so we throw away the heat shield, detach the parachute and use rockets
"Team lead": Yes, but we discussed that, the weight of the landing platform is a lot and we'd have to land really soft to ensure we didn't topple
"Bob": YES!  But then at about 30 metres we lower the rover to the surface while the landing stage hovers
"Team lead": Lower?
"Bob": Yes, I was thinking of some kind of crane
"Team lead": A crane?  From a hovering rocket stage?
"Bob": You got it!  Then we detach the cables and fly the rocket stage away safely and it can crash!
"Team lead": (Now looking worried) er... crash you say?
"Bob": And I'm your uncle and we're on the surface!
"Team lead": Have you been taking your medicine recently Bob?

End.

Not a surprise but Laffer doesn't understand economics...

Here's Brad DeLong's take down, but I've pulled out the money quote.

Well, the truth is that government spending does come with debits. For every additional government dollar spent there is an additional private dollar taken. All the stimulus to the spending recipients is matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis every minute of every day by a depressant placed on the people who pay for these transfers. Or as a student of the dismal science might say, the total income effects of additional government spending always sum to zero...


As the saying goes.  That isn't even wrong....