Podcast 4: Now with Sound 2.0!*

At one point during my educational career, I had a teacher who, perhaps inadvertently, had a huge impact on my life. On the first day of our class, this teacher stated that there was only one rule in her classroom. Her rule was, "when you do something, think about what the classroom would be like if everyone were doing what you are doing. If the classroom would be improved, then your action is right. If the classroom would be hurt, then your action is wrong."

In my life, I have tried to make that a rule to live by. With that in mind, I have a question for the makers of this podcast: How would the world be affected if everyone had the same attitude that you do toward the maxim, "it's better to ask forgiveness than permission?"

You are terrible :)

Just wanted to clarify that when I'm referencing the Middle East, I am not referring to our involvement in Iraq, but the different societal wars that have been going on in that area for quite a while.

A Few Comments. First in regards to Permission vs. Forgiveness.

I find Elbow's philosophy to be an interesting philosophy to have in one's life. However with most philosophies, I don't believe that any one should be used to control ones life, and that situations should dictate this.

One thing I found interesting is that Joey says that he finds it easier to ask for permission, saying it as though it were a blanket statement.

However his wording when discussing the situation referenced in the episode that the binars did the right thing because of the situation they were in justified their actions, thereby making it sound that indeed Joey does not believe that forgiveness is always better than permission.

In Regards to the Holodeck Women and it not being an immoral or wrong thing to do, I would equate this with pornography. While physically it is not cheating, but there are those who would argue that there is a form of mental cheating going on when one views pornography. While in Riker's position where he wasn't seeing anyone at this time, I would still equate it with the viewing of pornography.

Finally, regarding the Fountain of Youth, we are taught within our religion, that we are on this earth to receive a body, mainly for the reason of returning back to heavenly father after our resurrection. However partaking in the Fountain of Youth would be denying this possibility.

So two fountain of Youths.

One is the traditional forever young fountain of youth.

The other has all the benefits of the fountain of you, except you still die when you would normally have died.

Which do you take?

So, Sideshow, is pornography the same thing as infidelity?

What if a couple watches pornography _as_ a couple?

I am about 30-40 minutes into it.
I think Peter's issue with "Let's not borrow trouble" is that he's had too many incompetent bosses.

The technical side is much improved, although there are still parts that are jarring where someone will be saying something, everyone is laughing, and then suddenly that same person starts talking in a more subdued tone of voice. Not sure what you can do about it. I get the impression you've condensed a two or three hour conversation into a one and 1/2 hour podcast.

Perhaps I'll have more to add after I finish listening.

Yes, the issue is delegating responsibility. If you'd had bosses you trusted, you could have raised the issue and let them handle it. Instead you feel compelled to do all the prep work yourself.

Ah, but Ben Linus never tells his subordinates what his contingency plans are until they are called for.

Well, I don't particularly enjoy Star Trek and have never seen that episode, but I imagined in my little brain that as a commanding officer, it's Riker's duty to listen to his subordinates' concerns and then file those concerns away so that those under his command can focus on their current task, while he worries about "borrowing trouble." If Riker failed to plan for possibilities that have been raised by a subordinate, then that is a failure on his part. But that's a different failing than telling his subordinate to "not borrow trouble."

Yes, this goes directly to the heart of where Radar and I disagree. I didn't interpret Riker's reaction as "I don't have a plan and I don't want to think about it", but rather as "Yes, Lt. Cmdr. Data, it's an issue, I'll reveal my plan if and when that comes about."

Obviously not - but, on the other hand, where's the fun in agreeing? ;)

It's good to see you're so comfortable with being DEAD WRONG! Hang on to that feeling at least through Friday night, it will serve you well in the Podcast.

Re: The Technical Side

Yes, I'm aware of the "loud to quiet" problem. It's just an artifact of the way people speak that I couldn't really find any good way around. Part of it is also that I edited the amplitude of the laughing so that it doesn't "fuzz" so much, but this sometimes led to the voices being a bit quieter on the other side of the laughing.

I fully intend to use your off-switch for all of the reasons you've proposed - you're a danger to others, because I can, and because I don't like your view on life. Watch out, swatson...I'm coming for you.

I would laugh if you weren't such a pedant and your comment wasn't so incredulous.

This kind of makes me think of I Am Legend (The Book not any of the movies). It touched on this topic a bit, with the resolution of the book. I highly recommend it.

With society, perception is reality, and whatever the majority of society believes is right, is technically right, as it goes to laws.

However moral right, and legal, societal right are two completely different things.