Comments for Mike Cosgrave http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006 Life, the Universe and Everything Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:38:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Comment on Peter Hart by john http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=613&cpage=1#comment-2704 john Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:38:53 +0000 http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=613#comment-2704 I can assure you the air was thick with tension and the bemusement of others especially the visitors that the fighting spirit of West Cork had not died in the Irish revolution. And Hart kept his peace for he knew too well he was outside his envelope. Yes indeed, it seems we have here another who wants to rewrite history. These people you refer to as “self-important, self-righteous hecklers” have every right to correct the ramblings of a man who is now deceased. These are protecting the very sacred name of their ancestors that took on an empire that would not recognise the democratic right of a people and these people were using a public forum to express their views in a very democratic way. Is it you also want this too to curtailed for some revisionist view of history that the late Cruise O’Brien wished to impose in a Nazi type solution of censorship? I can assure you the air was thick with tension and the bemusement of others especially the visitors that the fighting spirit of West Cork had not died in the Irish revolution. And Hart kept his peace for he knew too well he was outside his envelope. Yes indeed, it seems we have here another who wants to rewrite history. These people you refer to as “self-important, self-righteous hecklers” have every right to correct the ramblings of a man who is now deceased. These are protecting the very sacred name of their ancestors that took on an empire that would not recognise the democratic right of a people and these people were using a public forum to express their views in a very democratic way. Is it you also want this too to curtailed for some revisionist view of history that the late Cruise O’Brien wished to impose in a Nazi type solution of censorship?

]]> Comment on Peter Hart by clodagh http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=613&cpage=1#comment-2703 clodagh Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:16:18 +0000 http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=613#comment-2703 Very sorry to hear of Prof Hart's death. Could I point out to john that the meeting at UCC to which he refers was not 'think with tension', it was thick with bemusement at the hijacking of a discussion of 'violence in history' by a group of self-important, self-righteous hecklers. A lot of nonsense was spoken on that occasion, and not by Hart. Very sorry to hear of Prof Hart’s death. Could I point out to john that the meeting at UCC to which he refers was not ‘think with tension’, it was thick with bemusement at the hijacking of a discussion of ‘violence in history’ by a group of self-important, self-righteous hecklers. A lot of nonsense was spoken on that occasion, and not by Hart.

]]> Comment on FarmVille is Broken by Irene Balas http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=296&cpage=1#comment-2702 Irene Balas Thu, 05 Aug 2010 05:09:02 +0000 http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=296#comment-2702 I've been playing zynga farmville for a several weeks now. In fact, the only reason i made a junky FB account was to play some of the games my fiancee kept playing. I can absolutely say that the game is completely crap. Everything takes FAR too long to do. The prize are not even really goodies , they are just temptation to put more time with the game. All the current items like pets and decorations that have been coming out charge farmville cash. I will never EVER PAY for this worst designed games ever so they are bringing down any chance of me continue with the game since everything is now needing real money. The only other method to get farmville is to level. They grant you one FV for a level. But what's the catch? the experience needed at higher levels to level, makes you have to play for weeks to get one level and your award for every level is the ability to now plant several new plants and repeat it for another level. A lot of the plants you get have awful pay outs and in most cases, they are so bad, that you will never ever plant them. Not even once. Other alternative. give real bucks on the game to play, a pretty burst concept. really not fun at all. What actually pissed me off was how they force you to have neighbours to be able to broaden your farm. Not anyone of my friends play this crap, so I had to invite unknown person and let these people add me to facebook, giving them my personal info just to extend a farm... it literally does not make sense. I was really not going to add strangers just for neighbours, so I made fake FB accounts and fake farms just to add neighbours. I can also log in to these buddies and send myself gifts whenever I want to. This is maybe why you see so numerous monthly players of farmville all the dummy accounts coz I can not be the only one that said to themselves I am not adding strangers for FV. There are a lot more faults with he game too like gifts disappearing, out of sync issues, farms not saving properly, animals disappearing and the list goes on. My best advice stay far far away from this game. I can not even call this a game any more. It is a chore. Maybe that is what they were aiming for, making it tough work like running a real farm who knows... I’ve been playing zynga farmville for a several weeks now. In fact, the only reason i made a junky FB account was to play some of the games my fiancee kept playing.

I can absolutely say that the game is completely crap. Everything takes FAR too long to do. The prize are not even really goodies , they are just temptation to put more time with the game. All the current items like pets and decorations that have been coming out charge farmville cash. I will never EVER PAY for this worst designed games ever so they are bringing down any chance of me continue with the game since everything is now needing real money. The only other method to get farmville is to level. They grant you one FV for a level. But what’s the catch? the experience needed at higher levels to level, makes you have to play for weeks to get one level and your award for every level is the ability to now plant several new plants and repeat it for another level. A lot of the plants you get have awful pay outs and in most cases, they are so bad, that you will never ever plant them. Not even once. Other alternative. give real bucks on the game to play, a pretty burst concept. really not fun at all.

What actually pissed me off was how they force you to have neighbours to be able to broaden your farm. Not anyone of my friends play this crap, so I had to invite unknown person and let these people add me to facebook, giving them my personal info just to extend a farm… it literally does not make sense. I was really not going to add strangers just for neighbours, so I made fake FB accounts and fake farms just to add neighbours. I can also log in to these buddies and send myself gifts whenever I want to. This is maybe why you see so numerous monthly players of farmville all the dummy accounts coz I can not be the only one that said to themselves I am not adding strangers for FV.

There are a lot more faults with he game too like gifts disappearing, out of sync issues, farms not saving properly, animals disappearing and the list goes on.

My best advice stay far far away from this game. I can not even call this a game any more. It is a chore. Maybe that is what they were aiming for, making it tough work like running a real farm who knows…

]]> Comment on Peter Hart by john http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=613&cpage=1#comment-2701 john Tue, 03 Aug 2010 01:33:38 +0000 http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=613#comment-2701 Peter Hart was not a real historian rather he was a propagandist of the Anglo tradition over all others. Harts thesis is based on interviews he never did and people who were dead whom he claimed to interview. Hart picks out one small dimension of the struggle for Irish independence a movement that began with the British failure to acknowledge the democratic statement of the Irish people. A few yrs ago, I was present at a meeting in UCC where he was present. The air was thick with tension of many of the relatives of those brave people who stood up to the British Empire and whom let their feelings be known of what they thought of Hart. Conjecture, misinformation, and downright propaganda doest make history. What Hart and his like minded cabal failed to note in pre 1920 Ireland was how totally isolated were the majority of the Irish population in their own island. A small largely alien group with the support of their alien master controlled the majority. The Irish Parliamentary Party which was the democratically elected representative body were looked upon in imperial Westminster as an ass boil. On the displacement that took place following the Irish revolution, it was very very minor and affected those who actively stood against it. Compared to what happened with his like-minded in N Ireland it was minor and as for the mass movements that took place in East Europe after WWII was insignificant. If there is failures which I'm, sure there are it's all a British failure in failing to acknowledge the voice of the majority of Irish people during British run Ireland. While Ireland was part of Union it was in effect a colony administered by an unelected and unaccounted cabal selected by an imperial master. No doubt his cause has being manna for the likes of Eoghan Harris, Kevin Myres and to a lesser extend the other revisionist JA Murphy. Hart looked for a cause, found a few loose scraps and conjured a make-believe. Peter Hart was not a real historian rather he was a propagandist of the Anglo tradition over all others. Harts thesis is based on interviews he never did and people who were dead whom he claimed to interview. Hart picks out one small dimension of the struggle for Irish independence a movement that began with the British failure to acknowledge the democratic statement of the Irish people. A few yrs ago, I was present at a meeting in UCC where he was present. The air was thick with tension of many of the relatives of those brave people who stood up to the British Empire and whom let their feelings be known of what they thought of Hart. Conjecture, misinformation, and downright propaganda doest make history.
What Hart and his like minded cabal failed to note in pre 1920 Ireland was how totally isolated were the majority of the Irish population in their own island. A small largely alien group with the support of their alien master controlled the majority. The Irish Parliamentary Party which was the democratically elected representative body were looked upon in imperial Westminster as an ass boil. On the displacement that took place following the Irish revolution, it was very very minor and affected those who actively stood against it. Compared to what happened with his like-minded in N Ireland it was minor and as for the mass movements that took place in East Europe after WWII was insignificant. If there is failures which I’m, sure there are it’s all a British failure in failing to acknowledge the voice of the majority of Irish people during British run Ireland. While Ireland was part of Union it was in effect a colony administered by an unelected and unaccounted cabal selected by an imperial master. No doubt his cause has being manna for the likes of Eoghan Harris, Kevin Myres and to a lesser extend the other revisionist JA Murphy.
Hart looked for a cause, found a few loose scraps and conjured a make-believe.

]]> Comment on Wikileaks, Fractal and Fractional history by Barry http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=622&cpage=1#comment-2700 Barry Sun, 01 Aug 2010 06:43:35 +0000 http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=622#comment-2700 Information is always useful, and informers are always in danger. Surely anything that helps more people understand that Afghanistan is a total basket case (and living in America, I can tell you that for some people, this was the first they'd heard of it) is a good thing. I also disagree with the implication that sometimes it's *better* to have *less* information so you can see the bigger picture. That makes no sense at all to me. I don't think history is like an impressionist painting, that it only makes sense from a distance. You can make sense of anything, any time you like, and the more information you have to do that, no matter how detailed and seemingly trivial, the better. What you get over time is *perspective*, and that is unrelated to the level of detail. Information is always useful, and informers are always in danger. Surely anything that helps more people understand that Afghanistan is a total basket case (and living in America, I can tell you that for some people, this was the first they’d heard of it) is a good thing. I also disagree with the implication that sometimes it’s *better* to have *less* information so you can see the bigger picture. That makes no sense at all to me. I don’t think history is like an impressionist painting, that it only makes sense from a distance. You can make sense of anything, any time you like, and the more information you have to do that, no matter how detailed and seemingly trivial, the better. What you get over time is *perspective*, and that is unrelated to the level of detail.

]]> Comment on Wikileaks, Fractal and Fractional history by Frank O'Callaghan http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=622&cpage=1#comment-2699 Frank O'Callaghan Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:37:29 +0000 http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=622#comment-2699 What is your favorite swan? The Dehomag subsidiary of IBM was still under company control through the Swiss office. The Hollerith machines were available in Denmark as well as in Slovakia. The societies were different. They were regarded differently by their conquerer. It's not the stuff that fits our theories that improves them, it's the other stuff- the exceptions. Only the black swans correct our concepts. What is your favorite swan?
The Dehomag subsidiary of IBM was still under company control through the Swiss office. The Hollerith machines were available in Denmark as well as in Slovakia. The societies were different. They were regarded differently by their conquerer.
It’s not the stuff that fits our theories that improves them, it’s the other stuff- the exceptions. Only the black swans correct our concepts.

]]> Comment on Wikileaks, Fractal and Fractional history by Mike Cosgrave http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=622&cpage=1#comment-2698 Mike Cosgrave Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:53:11 +0000 http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=622#comment-2698 Poland, Germany and several other countries used IBM punch card technology to process their census data; that enabled the Nazis to pull out lists of people by religion very quickly, without it, the roundup of Jews would have been much less thorough. There is a book, IBM and the Holocaust, by Edwin Black. It fits in with a general theory which argues that the Holocaust was a product of the modern age because it depended so much the products of technology for its effectiveness - railway, machine guns, gas chambers. In contrast, Afghanistan is an interesting study in how new technology, overlaid on an old landscape, doesn't change the outcome much since 1842. Poland, Germany and several other countries used IBM punch card technology to process their census data; that enabled the Nazis to pull out lists of people by religion very quickly, without it, the roundup of Jews would have been much less thorough. There is a book, IBM and the Holocaust, by Edwin Black. It fits in with a general theory which argues that the Holocaust was a product of the modern age because it depended so much the products of technology for its effectiveness – railway, machine guns, gas chambers.

In contrast, Afghanistan is an interesting study in how new technology, overlaid on an old landscape, doesn’t change the outcome much since 1842.

]]> Comment on Wikileaks, Fractal and Fractional history by Frank O'Callaghan http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=622&cpage=1#comment-2697 Frank O'Callaghan Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:41:19 +0000 http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=622#comment-2697 Strong and subtle points. But there are other questions (although perhaps not as immediate as who gets killed) such as 'how true is this?', 'what theories does it disprove?', 'if it is not important then why the great effort to censor/prosecute?' and of course the even more obvious 'who benefits and why now?'. I am troubled by any suggestion that data might be supressed, the rounding up of the European jews was not caused by the data (did Poland and Denmark have utterly different data sets?) but by the actions and inactions of the powerful in the societies where they resided. There may be reasons to ignore but never supress. In all societies where violent conflect becomes normalised the consequences include petty murders, rapes and larceny. Excuses, rationalisations and justifications are made with and without data. The lack of data is no protection. I hesitate to tell you what you know so well, that the truth is only the expedient first to die. When we tell the truth we keep it alive. To delay the first victim protects the rest. Strong and subtle points. But there are other questions (although perhaps not as immediate as who gets killed) such as ‘how true is this?’, ‘what theories does it disprove?’, ‘if it is not important then why the great effort to censor/prosecute?’ and of course the even more obvious ‘who benefits and why now?’.
I am troubled by any suggestion that data might be supressed, the rounding up of the European jews was not caused by the data (did Poland and Denmark have utterly different data sets?) but by the actions and inactions of the powerful in the societies where they resided. There may be reasons to ignore but never supress.
In all societies where violent conflect becomes normalised the consequences include petty murders, rapes and larceny. Excuses, rationalisations and justifications are made with and without data. The lack of data is no protection. I hesitate to tell you what you know so well, that the truth is only the expedient first to die. When we tell the truth we keep it alive. To delay the first victim protects the rest.

]]> Comment on Wikileaks, Fractal and Fractional history by Robert Cosgrave http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=622&cpage=1#comment-2696 Robert Cosgrave Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:26:45 +0000 http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=622#comment-2696 Broad agreement there. Based on what I have read about what happened to 'collaborators' in Iraq, it seems unlikely they will be shot. At least, not at first: http://www.blackfive.net/main/2010/07/jaccuse-assange-meurtrier.html Broad agreement there.
Based on what I have read about what happened to ‘collaborators’ in Iraq, it seems unlikely they will be shot. At least, not at first:
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2010/07/jaccuse-assange-meurtrier.html

]]> Comment on CCK08 – if you build it they will come, and even pay by Joshua Taylor http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=146&cpage=1#comment-2695 Joshua Taylor Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:03:48 +0000 http://www.mikecosgrave.com/blog2006/?p=146#comment-2695 Online education is quite good too, it all depends on the student and the program.--- Online education is quite good too, it all depends on the student and the program.—

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