I am so glad that somebody finally wrote this piece regarding press fascination with iEverything. (The author does acknowledge Slate’s history with Microsoft.) The article also links to this great spoof ad, which summarizes much of the point quite well.
There is absolutely no need to educate me about the merits of Mac products. I used to and still do own several. That’s not the point here, which you’ll understand if you read the article for what it is.
Discussion of game theory inevitably brings up the question of whether game theory relies on an assumption of rational behavior, and, if so, whether this is a weakness or a strength. Rather than respond, I thought I’d dig up this old post from my long-abandoned (but still planned-to-be-revived-one-day) Word for Wednesday series. I’ve added a couple of links and made some minor changes.
Shorter JQ: the word ‘rational’ has no meaning that cannot better be conveyed by some alternative term. Avoid it.
The excellent “Equality Exchange”:http://mora.rente.nhh.no/projects/EqualityExchange/ — a repository for papers about the theory and practice of equality from philosophers, political scientists, sociologists, lawyers and economists — has moved. Adjust your bookmarks for the new site, and take the opportunity to have a look around one of the most valuable resources for political theorists and philosophers.
The last time Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam was discussed on this blog, he was “being deported from the US as a threat to national security”:https://crookedtimber.org/2004/09/22/cat-stevens-banned-from-the-us/ . Now, via “Amanda”:http://flopearedmule.blogspot.com/2005/10/crossposted-at-hickorywind_11.html , I see that he’s been busy recording with Dolly Parton. As Amanda puts it:
bq. call me profane, but the idea of a noted religious ascetic picking with the Texas Whorehouse lady herself really appeals to me.