"I don't wanna be sitting at the veg patch with a pint of me homebrew relaxing, and there's just Amazon drones flying overhead delivering electric toothbrushes to Albanians"
"How does it affect you personally?"
This exchange and Morgoth's unwieldy cup of Burger King ice are the funniest bits I've ever heard on The MorgCast, absolutely pissing myself chaps cheers
Thanks Morgoth. Been falling a bit behind in the last couple of months due to personal life, but will catch up on your output over Christmas.
Looking forward to Milleniyule and your 6+ hour slot. Although I've resigned myself to the fact that there will be no Geordie impersonations of a 20-something Vietnamese woman smitten by John Rambo and any suggestion of an encore are strictly verboten; oh well.
Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
I recall seeing a video clip of Musk's former paramour Grimes, who said of their son: "He's going to be king of Mars." She didn't strike me as a politically savvy sort, so I presume the opinion was taken from candid conversation about her son's future with the father.
Great talk, but one thing disappointed me: Just as you were about to develop a thought that I found incredibly interesting you were cut off and, as far as I understand, did not return to that particular argument: Namely you were talking how Andreesen stated that the medieval mind would be better adapted to the AI future (with which observation I fully agree) and you were going to juxtapose that with the fact that silicon valley people like him are pushing that Kind of thing. Perhaps you could address what you wanted to say there here in the comments.
It was more of a semi-formed thought that tends to happen in long-form audio. But I think I was gearing up to say that, as the architects of this new technology, they would be in the position of a clergy or priesthood.
Perhaps I should think it through more thoroughly and do a whole written piece on the idea.
Please do. I find this whole concept fascinating. I remember how back in the good old covid days you had a piece where you observed that this content creator little apostate was ill Equipped to push back against the covid fanatics because she was operating under the assumption that These people could be reached with rational arguments. A medieval Person on the other Hand would have a more realistic view by assuming possession or Those people being under the spell of an evil wizard.
If I may add one more thought to this question: The "modern scientific" thinking has not only replaced "medieval" thinking, but also denies that that is - or even has been - "real" thinking in the first place. In other words, in the modern mind actual thinking only started with modernity, everything before was basically made-up stuff. And the main argument for this has been based on explanatory power and results, i.e. the assertion that modern scientific thinking reflects reality and has the ability to shape it and the alternatives do not. But this story fails to hold together in its onesidedness when now, as observed by Andreesen, "medieval thinking" has better results with respect to these new phenomena. It could be argued that this unilateral reliance on modern materialistic thought was never justified in the first place and that the greatest scientists did themselves not think in such absolutes, but made room for both sides in their understanding of the world. Exhibit A for this would perhaps be Isaac Newton, arguably the founder of modern science and its greatest practitioner, who was profoundly interested not only in Alchemy, but also Theology and wrote extensively on these topics. Any thoughts on this by you, Mr. Morgoth, would be greatly appreciated.
This sounds like the Dark Enlightenment. I don't know how deep this idea runs in Silicon Valley, but it is about the failure of democracy and the rise of kingship. I can easily see this happening ~a new set of warlords appearing across the West.
In the time lag between Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049, the vision became a lot more bleak.
The main reason the original Blade Runner has retained its allure across the last 50 years is its sheer beauty. The future society it depicts may be broken and dysfunctional, but it’s also magical and enticing. There’s always glitter in the grime. I wouldn’t ultimately want to live in that Blade Runner world, but I’d really, really love to visit: it’s my favourite dystopia. It’s this strange magical allure which, for me, Blade Runner 2049 completely lacks. I can’t think of any sci-fi films before or since which match the original Blade Runner for visual sumptuousness.
We can see everything that’s wrong with the Blade Runner world; the pollution, the overcrowding, the social fragmentation, the police brutality, the massive inequality. But as soon as we compare it with a 1970s dystopian film like The Omega Man or Soylent Green, the differences are obvious. It’s a lot more colourful.
I particularly hate the “Oliver”-style children’s work-house in BR 2049. Not because hi-tech futurism can’t co-exist with child exploitation - we know it can. But because it lazily ports into the film a ready-made and rather tired package of Dickensian imagery. The Ridley Scott of 1981 wouldn’t be satisfied with that. The Syd Mead of 1981 wouldn’t either.
Eldon Tyrell clearly has better aesthetic taste than Niander Wallace (never mind Bill Gates et al). His boardroom evokes Hindu and Jain temples, crossed with the pyramids, crossed with the most de luxe millionaire architecture of 1940s Manhattan. In comparison, Wallace’s looks like rich man’s Ikea. Again, I’d love to visit Tyrell’s sumptuous boardroom, where Deckard first meets Rachel. I wouldn’t want to visit Wallace’s. I can't even imagine Wallace likes it.
There are moments in the original Blade Runner which are narratively unimportant, but which, for me, are vital for enriching the world of the film. I love the moment when some cycle riders wearing traditional Asian conical hats ride between two stone columns. It tells me nothing about the main characters or the plot. But it’s so intriguing. It hints at background levels of richness, strangeness and complexity to this society.
Probably the greatest such meditative moment is when Deckard looks over his balcony, staring at the city below, while drinking whiskey. More than any other shot, this one shows the ambiguity of Scott’s imagined dystopia: fractured, alienated, but still somehow gloriously impressive.
I got it twice in the same day the other week; first a Subway with automated orderering screens which bewildered tf out of me, then later in the day I stopped to get some diesel and just stood there at the side of my car like a mong for about 15 minutes holding the pump, waiting for someone inside to reset the numbers to go to a line of zeros ready to use.
Then I finally noticed you're supposed to pay electronically at the actual pump...
Very enjoyable chat, cheers Morgs. You didn't touch on it, but there's also the issue of when they're able to make those Tesla robots look like Sharon Stone, we'll probably have even more dysgenic and messed up relations between the sexes. Woooo!!
I forgot to add my slow jazz intro and it's really bothered me.
I'm going to have to request a refund.
Could you go back and add it now?
No, people will be listening. I weighed up the pros and cons of doing that, I'll just leave it.
I do like that gentle saxophone, but it's not essential.
Dave Cullen is brilliant!
Yes. Love him! He's intelligent and what Morgoth called a "good guy" without being a "nice guy".
"I don't wanna be sitting at the veg patch with a pint of me homebrew relaxing, and there's just Amazon drones flying overhead delivering electric toothbrushes to Albanians"
"How does it affect you personally?"
This exchange and Morgoth's unwieldy cup of Burger King ice are the funniest bits I've ever heard on The MorgCast, absolutely pissing myself chaps cheers
What a cracking pair!
Ask the AI to add it! Lol.
Thanks Morgoth. Been falling a bit behind in the last couple of months due to personal life, but will catch up on your output over Christmas.
Looking forward to Milleniyule and your 6+ hour slot. Although I've resigned myself to the fact that there will be no Geordie impersonations of a 20-something Vietnamese woman smitten by John Rambo and any suggestion of an encore are strictly verboten; oh well.
Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Merry Christmas.
Re: politics on Mars.
I recall seeing a video clip of Musk's former paramour Grimes, who said of their son: "He's going to be king of Mars." She didn't strike me as a politically savvy sort, so I presume the opinion was taken from candid conversation about her son's future with the father.
She also appears to be insane, so there’s that.
Great talk, but one thing disappointed me: Just as you were about to develop a thought that I found incredibly interesting you were cut off and, as far as I understand, did not return to that particular argument: Namely you were talking how Andreesen stated that the medieval mind would be better adapted to the AI future (with which observation I fully agree) and you were going to juxtapose that with the fact that silicon valley people like him are pushing that Kind of thing. Perhaps you could address what you wanted to say there here in the comments.
It was more of a semi-formed thought that tends to happen in long-form audio. But I think I was gearing up to say that, as the architects of this new technology, they would be in the position of a clergy or priesthood.
Perhaps I should think it through more thoroughly and do a whole written piece on the idea.
Please do. I find this whole concept fascinating. I remember how back in the good old covid days you had a piece where you observed that this content creator little apostate was ill Equipped to push back against the covid fanatics because she was operating under the assumption that These people could be reached with rational arguments. A medieval Person on the other Hand would have a more realistic view by assuming possession or Those people being under the spell of an evil wizard.
If I may add one more thought to this question: The "modern scientific" thinking has not only replaced "medieval" thinking, but also denies that that is - or even has been - "real" thinking in the first place. In other words, in the modern mind actual thinking only started with modernity, everything before was basically made-up stuff. And the main argument for this has been based on explanatory power and results, i.e. the assertion that modern scientific thinking reflects reality and has the ability to shape it and the alternatives do not. But this story fails to hold together in its onesidedness when now, as observed by Andreesen, "medieval thinking" has better results with respect to these new phenomena. It could be argued that this unilateral reliance on modern materialistic thought was never justified in the first place and that the greatest scientists did themselves not think in such absolutes, but made room for both sides in their understanding of the world. Exhibit A for this would perhaps be Isaac Newton, arguably the founder of modern science and its greatest practitioner, who was profoundly interested not only in Alchemy, but also Theology and wrote extensively on these topics. Any thoughts on this by you, Mr. Morgoth, would be greatly appreciated.
This sounds like the Dark Enlightenment. I don't know how deep this idea runs in Silicon Valley, but it is about the failure of democracy and the rise of kingship. I can easily see this happening ~a new set of warlords appearing across the West.
In the time lag between Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049, the vision became a lot more bleak.
The main reason the original Blade Runner has retained its allure across the last 50 years is its sheer beauty. The future society it depicts may be broken and dysfunctional, but it’s also magical and enticing. There’s always glitter in the grime. I wouldn’t ultimately want to live in that Blade Runner world, but I’d really, really love to visit: it’s my favourite dystopia. It’s this strange magical allure which, for me, Blade Runner 2049 completely lacks. I can’t think of any sci-fi films before or since which match the original Blade Runner for visual sumptuousness.
We can see everything that’s wrong with the Blade Runner world; the pollution, the overcrowding, the social fragmentation, the police brutality, the massive inequality. But as soon as we compare it with a 1970s dystopian film like The Omega Man or Soylent Green, the differences are obvious. It’s a lot more colourful.
I particularly hate the “Oliver”-style children’s work-house in BR 2049. Not because hi-tech futurism can’t co-exist with child exploitation - we know it can. But because it lazily ports into the film a ready-made and rather tired package of Dickensian imagery. The Ridley Scott of 1981 wouldn’t be satisfied with that. The Syd Mead of 1981 wouldn’t either.
Eldon Tyrell clearly has better aesthetic taste than Niander Wallace (never mind Bill Gates et al). His boardroom evokes Hindu and Jain temples, crossed with the pyramids, crossed with the most de luxe millionaire architecture of 1940s Manhattan. In comparison, Wallace’s looks like rich man’s Ikea. Again, I’d love to visit Tyrell’s sumptuous boardroom, where Deckard first meets Rachel. I wouldn’t want to visit Wallace’s. I can't even imagine Wallace likes it.
There are moments in the original Blade Runner which are narratively unimportant, but which, for me, are vital for enriching the world of the film. I love the moment when some cycle riders wearing traditional Asian conical hats ride between two stone columns. It tells me nothing about the main characters or the plot. But it’s so intriguing. It hints at background levels of richness, strangeness and complexity to this society.
Probably the greatest such meditative moment is when Deckard looks over his balcony, staring at the city below, while drinking whiskey. More than any other shot, this one shows the ambiguity of Scott’s imagined dystopia: fractured, alienated, but still somehow gloriously impressive.
Good post. More leftism was embedded within the film than many people like to admit.
Enjoyed this one
Dave is an interesting guy.
What you two both say about tech I get 100%!
I got it twice in the same day the other week; first a Subway with automated orderering screens which bewildered tf out of me, then later in the day I stopped to get some diesel and just stood there at the side of my car like a mong for about 15 minutes holding the pump, waiting for someone inside to reset the numbers to go to a line of zeros ready to use.
Then I finally noticed you're supposed to pay electronically at the actual pump...
Nice bit of Chris Foss artwork there.
Amazing this, book next :)
Do Albanians dream of electric tooth brushes?
Very enjoyable chat, cheers Morgs. You didn't touch on it, but there's also the issue of when they're able to make those Tesla robots look like Sharon Stone, we'll probably have even more dysgenic and messed up relations between the sexes. Woooo!!
I wasn't aware of these ambient blade-runner-vibe YT vids prior to listening (via rss), but now I'm getting them recommended!