war-as-napoleon-knew-it-just-not-possible-any-more-however-were-very-unlikely-to-accept-or-recognize-world-peace-even-when-we-get-it
the-level-ignorance-is-declining-ability-to-accumulate-data-manipulate-it-for-various-ends-is-increasing-bruce-sterling
You may be a geek. You may have geek written all over you. You should aim to be the geek they will never forget. Don't aim to be civilized. Don't hope that straight people will keep you on as some sort of pet. To hell with them, they put you here. You should realize what society has made of you and take full revenge. Get weird. Get way weird. Get dangerously weird. Get sophisticatedly thoroughly weird and don't do it half way, put every ounce of your horse power into it. Have the artistic courage to realize your significance in culture.
Bruce Sterling
you-may-be-geek-you-may-have-geek-written-all-over-you-you-should-aim-to-be-geek-they-will-never-forget-dont-aim-to-be-civilized-dont-hope-that-bruce-sterling
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 mourned mankind, and the blindness of men, who thought that the Kosmos had rules and limits that would shelter them from their own freedom. There were no shelters. There were no final purposes. Futility, and freedom, were Absolute)
If poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world, science fiction writers are its court jesters. We are Wise Fools who can leap, caper, utter prophecies, and scratch ourselves in public. We can play with Big Ideas because the garish motley of our pulp origins make us seem harmless.
Bruce Sterling
if-poets-are-unacknowledged-legislators-world-science-fiction-writers-are-its-court-jesters-we-are-wise-fools-who-can-leap-caper-utter-prophecies-scratch-ourselves-in-public-we-c
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but-economys-out-control-money-just-doesnt-need-human-beings-anymore-most-us-only-get-in-way-bruce-sterling
one-great-beauties-politics-as-art-form-was-its-lack-restriction-to-merely-standard-forms-realism-bruce-sterling
America hadn't really been suited for its long and tiresome role as the Last Superpower, the World's Policeman. As a patriotic American, Oscar was quite content to watch other people's military coming home in boxes for a while. The American national character wasn't suited for global police duties. It never had been. Tidy and meticulous people such as the Swiss and the Swedes were the types who made good cops. America was far better suited to be the World's Movie Star. The world's tequila-addled pro-league bowler. The world's acerbic, bipolar stand-up comedian. Anything but a somber and tedious nation of socially responsible centurions.
Bruce Sterling
america-hadnt-really-been-suited-for-its-long-tiresome-role-as-last-superpower-worlds-policeman-as-patriotic-american-oscar-was-quite-content-to-watch-other-peoples-military-comi
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death-defeats-us-in-end-but-our-children-are-our-revenge-against-it-bruce-sterling
well-exchange-rings-well-throw-rice-well-put-down-roots-we-dont-have-roots-were-network-people-we-have-aerials-bruce-sterling
do-you-remember-abelard-once-i-told-you-that-ecstasy-was-better-than-being-god-i-remember-i-was-wrong-darling-being-god-is-better-bruce-sterling
in-world-redolent-with-wonder-how-can-we-allow-ourselves-to-conduct-our-daily-lives-with-little-insight-such-absence-dignity-bruce-sterling
The future is unwritten. there are best case scenarios. There are worst-case scenarios. both of them are great fun to write about if you' re a science fiction novelist, but neither of them ever happens in the real world. What happens in the real world is always a sideways-case scenario. World-changing marvels to us, are only wallpaper to our children.
Bruce Sterling
the-future-is-unwritten-there-are-best-case-scenarios-there-are-worstcase-scenarios-both-them-are-great-fun-to-write-about-if-you-re-science-fiction-novelist-but-neither-them-eve
the-internet-brought-many-laudable-things-but-prosperity-stability-accountability-honest-politics-were-not-four-them-bruce-sterling
the-ruins-unsustainable-are-21st-centurys-frontier-bruce-sterling
 is to discover truth, codify it through techniques of scholarship, and then teach it. Universities are meant to pass the torch of civilization not just download data into student skulls.)
University, as institutions, pre-date the information economy by many centuries and are not for-profit cultural entities, whose reason of existence (purportedly) is to discover truth, codify it through techniques of scholarship, and then teach it. Universities are meant to pass the torch of civilization not just download data into student skulls.
Bruce Sterling
university-as-institutions-predate-information-economy-by-many-centuries-are-not-forprofit-cultural-entities-whose-reason-existence-purportedly-is-bruce-sterling
university quotesinstitutions quotespredate quotesinformation quoteseconomy quotescenturies quotesforprofit quotescultural quotesentities quotesreason quotesexistence quotespurportedly quotesdiscover quotestruth quotescodify quotestechniques quotesscholarship quotesteach quotesuniversities quotesmeant quotespass quotestorch quotescivilization quotesdownload quotesdata quotesstudent quotesskulls quotes
your-attitude-determines-your-altitude-your-ambitions-are-bigger-than-life-of-course-they-must-be-they-encompass-it-bruce-sterling
my-dream-appliance-circa-2050-has-one-big-dial-on-it-when-i-twist-it-to-right-my-iq-goes-up-to-450-bruce-sterling
I've been asked to explain why I don't worry much about the topics of privacy threat...One reason is that these scenarios seem to assume that there will be large, monolithic bureaucracies...that are capable of harnessing computers for one-way surveillance of an unsuspecting populace. I've come to feel that computation just doesn't work that way. Being afraid of monolithic organizations especially when they have computers, is like being afraid of really big gorillas especially when they are on fire.
Bruce Sterling
ive-been-asked-to-explain-why-i-dont-worry-much-about-topics-privacy-threatone-reason-is-that-these-scenarios-seem-to-assume-that-there-will-be-bruce-sterling
asked quotesexplain quotesworry quotestopics quotesprivacy quotesthreatone quotesreason quotesscenarios quotesassume quoteslarge quotesmonolithic quotesbureaucraciesthat quotescapable quotesharnessing quotescomputers quotesoneway quotessurveillance quotesunsuspecting quotespopulace quotesfeel quotescomputation quoteswork quotesafraid quotesorganizations quotescomputers quotesbig quotesgorillas quotesfire quotes
competence-doesnt-seem-like-big-deal-until-you-are-forced-to-realize-that-your-own-government-has-none-bruce-sterling
As a philosophical problem, it comes down to a better way to engage with the passage of time; and I think we're getting close to one, because the imaginative loss of the future is becoming acute.The most effective political actors on the planet now are people who want to blow themselves up.These are people who really don't want to get out of the bed in the morning and face another unpredictable day.
Bruce Sterling
as-philosophical-problem-it-comes-down-to-better-way-to-engage-with-passage-time-i-think-were-getting-close-to-one-because-imaginative-loss-bruce-sterling
philosophical quotesproblem quotesengage quotespassage quotestime quotesclose quotesimaginative quotesloss quotesfuture quotesacutethe quoteseffective quotespolitical quotesactors quotesplanet quotespeople quotesblow quotesupthese quotesbed quotesmorning quotesface quotesunpredictable quotesday quotes
in-startup-society-huge-sums-can-fall-on-innocent-parties-almost-by-accident-bruce-sterling
Las Vegas is a major family destination. Nevada casinos have become American family values now. It's considered just fine to go into one of these windowless scary gambling-malls, drink yourself silly, lose your ass at roulette, and then go ogle showgirls with breast implants. Republicans do this now. Working-class folks do it in polyester stretch pants. It's normal.
Bruce Sterling
las-vegas-is-major-family-destination-nevada-casinos-have-become-american-family-values-now-its-considered-just-fine-to-go-into-one-these-windowless-bruce-sterling
las quotesvegas quotesmajor quotesfamily quotesdestination quotesnevada quotescasinos quotesamerican quotesvalues quotesconsidered quotesfine quoteswindowless quotesscary quotesgamblingmalls quotesdrink quotessilly quoteslose quotesass quotesroulette quotesogle quotesshowgirls quotesbreast quotesimplants quotesrepublicans quotesworkingclass quotesfolks quotespolyester quotesstretch quotespants quotesnormal quotes
a-set-bollywood-actresses-are-coming-through-dallas-soon-in-live-tour-id-pay-lot-to-see-them-but-alas-im-fully-booked-elsewhere-bruce-sterling
The future is unwritten. Cyberspace is the funhouse mirror of our own society, reflects our values and our faults, sometimes in terrifying exaggerations. It doesn't matter who you are today, if you don't show up in that mirror you are just not going to matter very much. Our kids have to show up in the mirror.
Bruce Sterling
the-future-is-unwritten-cyberspace-is-funhouse-mirror-our-own-society-reflects-our-values-our-faults-sometimes-in-terrifying-exaggerations-it-bruce-sterling
its-truism-in-technological-development-that-no-silver-lining-comes-without-its-cloud-bruce-sterling
