[Peace-discuss] Eyes Only: AWARE. In re AOTA

[C. G. Estabrook]

Damn right -- I hadn't heard of SLC's remark and so used to tell my students 
just to avoid intensifiers...

I think our viewership probably amounts to not much more than twain (and they've 
probably met).

Is the remark by Twain on statisticians, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, 
damned lies, and statistics"?  (I gather he attributed it to Disraeli, a proper 
politician.)

Auden riffed on the theme in his advice to students, the wonderful "Under Which 
Lyre - A Reactionary Tract for the Times":

     "Thou shalt not answer questionnaires
     Or quizzes upon World-Affairs,
         Nor with compliance
     Take any test. Thou shalt not sit
     With statisticians nor commit
         A social science."

Vox clemens in deserto, no doubt. --CGE


E. Wayne Johnson wrote:
> Carl, your Chinese is accurate and displays nicely on my screen here. 
> 
> Reminds me very much of the remark that Clemens made about the use of 
> intensifiers. 
> /"Substitute "damn" every time you're inclined to write "very";
> your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should 
> be.// /" 
> 
> Since Chinese uses some implicit shorthand it is better to allow a 
> explanation of meaning rather than to give a word for word translation.
> 
> I am also reminded of the remark by Twain about Statisticians,
> but choose to accept with due measure of clemency that
> the smallest unit of accretion in viewership is exponential.
> 
> C. G. Estabrook wrote:
>> Some thoughts about "AWARE on the Air," as it has developed in recent 
>> weeks:
>>
>> (N.B.: these notes are meant only for the Made Members of AWARE [hence 
>> the Eyes Only designation] -- altho' Wayne may remind us that Māde [妈 
>> 的] is the  most common Chinese vulgar curse word...)
>>
>> As the audience for AOTA increases exponentially, we need to think 
>> about how we do it. In what my shrink friends call "regression in 
>> defense of the ego," I propose a model from my intellectual infancy: 
>> the graduate seminar.
>>
>> It has happened (undoubtedly under the influence of the redoubtable 
>> gods of the air) that people have been bringing quite brilliant 
>> comments to the Tuesday tapings of AOTA. Linda, Ron and Wayne did that 
>> today, and Karen and I added our animadversions.
>>
>> I suggest that we formalize this arrangement just a bit, in order that 
>> each comment get its proper consideration; that after each comment the 
>> others present reflect on it seriatim (with of course the presenter 
>> given time to respond if s/he wishes); and that each discussion occupy 
>> a proportionate amount of the time available, after the initial 
>> summary of recent and upcoming local events. There is of course no 
>> reason to be illiberal in this arrangement.
>>
>> All AWAREists are encouraged to come and participate, with the 
>> understanding that you will get a (roughly) equal share of the time, 
>> according to the principle of "from each of you according to your 
>> means, to each of you according to your needs" -- subject only to the 
>> "conditions of concision" imposed by that fell sergeant, Time.
>>
>> It's only an hour's program.  Come join us: tell the truth, and shame 
>> the devil.
>>
>> Yr. obdt. servt., CGE