tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post8192490378257793536..comments2023-11-03T11:32:01.540+00:00Comments on Thought Experiments : The Blog: Unintended ConsequencesBryan Appleyardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08276787058430388582noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-756214263118694372009-04-11T22:03:00.000+00:002009-04-11T22:03:00.000+00:00elberry: I aver it's possible to live with more bo...elberry: I aver it's possible to live with more boldness and joy than you imply! But fun to think about thanks.<BR/><BR/>Brit: Thanks for the reference, will look into it.Richard Drakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10005416556432927671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-12858037905987577442009-04-11T21:47:00.000+00:002009-04-11T21:47:00.000+00:00Richard - you're probably thinking of that story a...Richard - you're probably thinking of that story about a chap who answers a pay phone in the middle of nowhere, they ask for him by name and it turns out they've accidentally dialled his payroll number which happens to be the same as the pay phone he's passing.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=8960" REL="nofollow">Here's a version.</A><BR/><BR/>It pops up quite a lot, Brithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00390560583798960760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-18805469953619104222009-04-11T20:59:00.000+00:002009-04-11T20:59:00.000+00:00Fearing your stated intentions will come to pass i...Fearing your stated intentions will come to pass is merely good sense, at least if you intend anything substantial. As soon as you write or speak you are taking a fairly serious step. If the consequences were mechanical (press button A and experience consequence B) it would be bad enough but as it is it's more like press button A and ten years later you experience consequence Z.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-35318259192472604352009-04-11T20:23:00.000+00:002009-04-11T20:23:00.000+00:00Elberry, very cool example, thanks, bound to be ad...Elberry, very cool example, thanks, bound to be added to my store of such tales vaguely remembered but told with relish. Is it part and parcel of being crazy that one fears one's (stated) intentions coming to pass?Richard Drakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10005416556432927671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-46675221610925386722009-04-11T20:17:00.000+00:002009-04-11T20:17:00.000+00:00Talking of intentions fulfilled Guido has seen McB...Talking of intentions fulfilled Guido has <A HREF="http://www.order-order.com/2009/04/mission-accomplished-mcbride-fired/" REL="nofollow">seen McBride off the premises</A>. He stated his intention to Derek Draper back on 26 March on the <A HREF="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_daily_politics/7965869.stm" REL="nofollow">Daily Politics</A> (c2:05), a spat to which I <A HREF="http://Richard Drakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10005416556432927671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-13724839170741113562009-04-11T19:54:00.000+00:002009-04-11T19:54:00.000+00:00Have you noticed that nowadays it's tougher to gue...Have you noticed that nowadays it's tougher to guess who among pedestrians is truly insane? Used to be the people talking to themselves, but now they're just on their phones with a Bluetooth attachment.<BR/><BR/>That's an unintended consequence of cell phones. And today at the gym, I ran into an old colleague from the Phila. Inquirer. He noted that the demise of newspapers is an unintended Susan B.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-7097455734383147212009-04-11T19:52:00.000+00:002009-04-11T19:52:00.000+00:00How about this: a man walks down the street, hears...How about this: a man walks down the street, hears a phone box ring, picks it up.<BR/><BR/>"Is that Mr X?"<BR/>"Yes."<BR/><BR/>- step into someone else's shoes and pretend to be them out of whimsy. The consequences, could you take on their fate and die their death?<BR/><BR/>i was once in a computer room where the phone kept ringing - a crazy woman kept asking for such-and-such a person. Every Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-23378460491757550032009-04-11T18:05:00.000+00:002009-04-11T18:05:00.000+00:00It's kinda simple. Chap walks along street, not ex...It's kinda simple. Chap walks along street, not expecting call, pre mobile phones. A public phone booth has a phone ringing and on a whim he answers. They say "Is that Mr Appleyard?" (Or Nietsche or whatever.) He says yes, with some amazement. It was someone trying to reach him, who had misdialled - or not, depending on your metaphysics. I thought it was a cool thing to have happened and I boughtRichard Drakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10005416556432927671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-37303902152635777562009-04-11T16:33:00.000+00:002009-04-11T16:33:00.000+00:00Not quite what you mean, Richard, but Dave Lee's '...Not quite what you mean, Richard, but Dave Lee's 'Bright from the Well' has an anecdote of someone trying to track down an old friend: she drew some tarot cards and rang the telephone number corresponding to the cards - it wasn't the long-lost friend, however - it was the friend's next door neighbour.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-7995154096461543562009-04-11T12:41:00.000+00:002009-04-11T12:41:00.000+00:00Gordon's Death of a Salesman moment reminds me of ...Gordon's <I>Death of a Salesman</I> moment reminds me of a story I heard of a man who picked up a pay phone he heard ringing in the street only to find the caller asking for him by name. A combination of wrong number, momentary physical proximity and the desire to help. Before the days of mobile phones, which have made the miracle mundane. The thing is, I fully believe that this happened, just Richard Drakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10005416556432927671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-13355945190747658512009-04-11T11:32:00.000+00:002009-04-11T11:32:00.000+00:00Sounds such a benign malady, unintended quincequon...Sounds such a benign malady, unintended quincequonces, how can one be expected to guess tomorrow when understanding today is enough to make ones brain hurt. What you're saying then, Bryan von Strunkel, is because of the fact that in 1959 this blonde had her evil way with me, today the steel hawsers holding up the Forth road bridge are rusting.<BR/><BR/>Sounds like it's living trying and dying maltyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02936465848907794425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-53174658833130639152009-04-11T09:43:00.000+00:002009-04-11T09:43:00.000+00:00So your an agony aunt now?I disagree I would descr...So your an agony aunt now?<BR/><BR/>I disagree I would describe by little foray in this strange thing called Time as, "uncertain circumstances"<BR/><BR/>I suppose its the flip side of the same coin, but the unintended bit can be alleviated to some degree with understand you don't know what you don't know.Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04362169593902131947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-29820505934808250212009-04-11T09:26:00.000+00:002009-04-11T09:26:00.000+00:00There's a line from Death of a Salesman about pick...There's a line from <EM>Death of a Salesman</EM> about picking up a ringing phone, and finding that it triggers an explosion in the basement...Gordon McCabehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09151162643523937086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-12247467837044989772009-04-11T08:45:00.000+00:002009-04-11T08:45:00.000+00:00I like it. In fact, I think I like it even better ...I like it. In fact, I think I like it even better than ''Thought Experiments''. should you consider a brand realignment, may I suggest not using Ringo Starr and Bruce Willis.<BR/><BR/>Eric and Ernie eating their hearts out is a bit like Terry Pratchett getting his head together. Unintended consequences...it's good!Ian russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11106519805045337505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-82097816480204554752009-04-11T08:25:00.000+00:002009-04-11T08:25:00.000+00:00Tell me about it. I only stumbled on this blog bec...Tell me about it. I only stumbled on this blog because I wanted to know how to live forever or die trying. Now my life largely consists of malty and nigeness.<BR/><BR/>I wonder if we can combine all these profundities into one uber-profundity? Something like:<BR/><BR/><I>Life is one damn unintended consequence after another which happens between eternities of darkness while you're busy making Brithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00390560583798960760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23400750.post-4470448957840376042009-04-11T07:55:00.000+00:002009-04-11T07:55:00.000+00:00Here's an example from the last two days. Someone ...Here's an example from the last two days. Someone from The Times calls me on Thursday to ask about Twitter and its demographic bulge of 45-54 year-olds. A friend has said I may have some useful thoughts. That gets me thinking about Ward Cunningham, inventor of wiki and gentle guide to a wiser if not always older generation of software engineers. And of his many friends who I've noticed in the Richard Drakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10005416556432927671noreply@blogger.com