On the Nature of Things | Forum

http://atimes.com/atimes/World/WOR-01-231214.html

We got by with a little help ...
By Asia Times Online staff

It has been a bitter 12 months since our "jumbo" year-end edition of 2013. Funds have dried up, staff have gone unpaid, "hopes" have proved to be without foundation, a much-worked-on prospective purchase fell through … and incredibly patient correspondents have found their more-than-12-month-long patience unrewarded.

How sad. One of the more interesting news + opinion sites on the internet.

Typhoon wrote:How sad. One of the more interesting news + opinion sites on the internet.

True. Pablo Escobar seems to be building a wider following, so that's good.

What happens to the Spengler forum aka the Expat Bar? No mention of this issue on the forum itself.

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Hopefully it will stay on .. maybe once a week publication or once a month

In final analysis, WESTERN system, the ruling elite, do not want to promote high ends, intellectual, independent, unbiased, analytical media .. would make foolin Joe more costly

And

2B frank

Am not sure whether Asia Times type of media would make any difference

Reason is, Joe not into justice, right or wrong, humanity or this kind of stuff

Joe, push comet to shove, interested only in his pocket .. everything else, best case, just hobby

Hope ATOL stays

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no newspaper on the planet survives on the 'international commentary' section in isolation, they needed sports pages, comics, social fluff and titties aswell.

Pastaeater wrote:.

Hopefully it will stay on .. maybe once a week publication or once a month

In final analysis, MIDDLE EASTERN system, the ruling elite, do not want to promote high ends, intellectual, independent, unbiased, analytical media .. would make foolin Joe more costly

And

2B frank

Am not sure whether Asia Times type of media would make any difference

Reason is, Joe not into justice, right or wrong, humanity or this kind of stuff

Joe, push comet to shove, interested only in his pocket .. everything else, best case, just hobby

Hope ATOL stays

.

who cares about the things atimes focuses on? its retired men sipping red wine, adenoidal bores and curious misfits, a small demographic.

sensible people are too busy looking after their families to worry about intricate power politics in far flung places.

Good thing we're not sensible people.

exactly, never really got the hang of it.

azari does bring out the worst in me sometimes, i could have phrased that better.

Torchwood wrote:What happens to the Spengler forum aka the Expat Bar? No mention of this issue on the forum itself.

There may be a replacement site. Only to appear if and when the Atimes actually closes.

noddy wrote:.

azari does bring out the worst in me sometimes, ...

.

.. sensed that too,

but

here and there, can sense 'traces of humanity", even if microscopic .. better than nothing

Doc wrote:.

There may be a replacement site. Only to appear if and when the Atimes actually closes.

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Why "to appear if and when the Atimes actually closes" ? ?

A conspiracy ? ?

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Heracleum Persicum wrote: here and there, can sense 'traces of humanity", even if microscopic .. better than nothing

every now and then you almost act slightly like a human, im sure if you practice you can get better at it.

noddy wrote:exactly, never really got the hang of it.

azari does bring out the worst in me sometimes, i could have phrased that better.

Fer some strange reason, what y'all consider to be yer worst, I often think is yer best.

YMix wrote:Good thing we're not sensible people.

sensible people are appreciated only slightly less than sensible shoes.

noddy wrote:

Heracleum Persicum wrote: here and there, can sense 'traces of humanity", even if microscopic .. better than nothing

every now and then you almost act slightly like a human, im sure if you practice you can get better at it.

Here you lost me again..... by human... do you mean compliment or insult?

Simple Minded wrote:

noddy wrote:exactly, never really got the hang of it.

azari does bring out the worst in me sometimes, i could have phrased that better.

Fer some strange reason, what y'all consider to be yer worst, I often think is yer best.

seconded

Simple Minded wrote:

noddy wrote:

Heracleum Persicum wrote:
here and there, can sense 'traces of humanity", even if microscopic .. better than nothing

every now and then you almost act slightly like a human, im sure if you practice you can get better at it.

.

Here you lost me again..... by human... do you mean compliment or insult? : ?

.

Lost too

noddy, pls clarify, you intending insulting or givin compliment ? ?


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i believe my in pain and hungover self was intending a "neener neener, twinkle twinkle little star, what you say is what you are"

tis a shame when my wit fails me.

noddy wrote:i believe my in pain and hungover self was intending a "neener neener, twinkle twinkle little star, what you say is what you are"

tis a shame when my wit fails me.

Don't be so hard on yerself mate...... yer only human...

Heracleum Persicum wrote:

Simple Minded wrote:

noddy wrote:exactly, never really got the hang of it.

azari does bring out the worst in me sometimes, i could have phrased that better.

Fer some strange reason, what y'all consider to be yer worst, I often think is yer best.

seconded

Simple Minded wrote:

noddy wrote:

Heracleum Persicum wrote:
here and there, can sense 'traces of humanity", even if microscopic .. better than nothing

every now and then you almost act slightly like a human, im sure if you practice you can get better at it.

.

Here you lost me again..... by human... do you mean compliment or insult? : ?

.

Lost too

noddy, pls clarify, you intending insulting or givin compliment ? ?


.

HP,

I think he meant try to be a better human, but without a specific name (and preferably a Social Security number) of the human you should emulate, say Mother Teresa rather than Adolf Hitler, I would not recommend anyone become more human or increase one's humanity.

Try to be more like a milkshake rather than a Kahlid Sheik Muhammed. Everyone likes milkshakes....... KSM, not so much...

noddy wrote:no newspaper on the planet survives on the 'international commentary' section in isolation, they needed sports pages, comics, social fluff and titties aswell.

That's not necessarily true. The Economist is a big counterexample and smaller magazines like The Atlantic and Foreign Affairs continue to survive. Asia Times lacked a coherent audience and it published an insufficient volume of articles to stay relevant. One way to have increased content without sacrificing too much quality would be to have Asia Times' sharp analysts write more timely pieces on the domestic affairs of the United States and other nations from which their readership was drawn, perhaps assisted by junior writers as we see at The Atlantic and others. A fresh design wouldn't have hurt, either. The site looks like something out of 1997 and doesn't exactly inspire confidence in those casually browsing through.

Zack Morris wrote:

noddy wrote:no newspaper on the planet survives on the 'international commentary' section in isolation, they needed sports pages, comics, social fluff and titties aswell.

That's not necessarily true. The Economist is a big counterexample and smaller magazines like The Atlantic and Foreign Affairs continue to survive.

they are the exception and are much slicker outfits than atimes, the economist also covers a broader range of topics.

Zack Morris wrote: Asia Times lacked a coherent audience and it published an insufficient volume of articles to stay relevant. One way to have increased content without sacrificing too much quality would be to have Asia Times' sharp analysts write more timely pieces on the domestic affairs of the United States and other nations from which their readership was drawn, perhaps assisted by junior writers as we see at The Atlantic and others. A fresh design wouldn't have hurt, either. The site looks like something out of 1997 and doesn't exactly inspire confidence in those casually browsing through.

absolutely true.

tis a shame they cant present a slicker face, i still find chan akya's articles full of wit and thought - pepe's not so much.

Maybe a long term reprieve is in the works......

I'll put this here. Maybe it belongs in Hell.


What happens when you get a global climate change denier, a Portuguese Marxist Putinophile, and a Beloved Persian who thinks Iran ruled Asia Minor for "1000s of yrs" together?


You've got trouble.




My recent post at the Spengler forum has me feeling that communication over the internet is almost guaranteed to be misconstrued. Booklady seemed offended at my criticism of forums in general, apparently taking it as a criticism of the Spengler forum. Many people have commented on how it used to be an excellent place for exchange of ideas. Maybe forums only have a limited 'best before' shelf life, but I think the real problem is the proliferation of users and sites, which means that we don't have to tolearte differences anymore. Just start your own blog or facebook page and rant away.



As long as I'm antagonizing everyone, I might as well include a comment about Mr. Perfect's latest post about ethinker. Except for the fact that I'm trying (not too hard and obviously completely unsuccessfully) not to get into serious disputes with anyone, I had been tempted several times to post nearly identical thoughts.



It all has me wistfully thinking back to the good ol' days when everyone got along so well that harsh words or disputes of any kind never happened.




P.S. Can't stand Pepe Escobar.

Apollonius wrote:I'll put this here. Maybe it belongs in Hell.


What happens when you get a global climate change denier, a Portuguese Marxist Putinophile, and a Beloved Persian who thinks Iran ruled Asia Minor for "1000s of yrs" together?


You've got trouble.




My recent post at the Spengler forum has me feeling that communication over the internet is almost guaranteed to be misconstrued. Booklady seemed offended at my criticism of forums in general, apparently taking it as a criticism of the Spengler forum. Many people have commented on how it used to be an excellent place for exchange of ideas. Maybe forums only have a limited 'best before' shelf life, but I think the real problem is the proliferation of users and sites, which means that we don't have to tolearte differences anymore. Just start your own blog or facebook page and rant away.



As long as I'm antagonizing everyone, I might as well include a comment about Mr. Perfect's latest post about ethinker. Except for the fact that I'm trying (not too hard and obviously completely unsuccessfully) not to get into serious disputes with anyone, I had been tempted several times to post nearly identical thoughts.



It all has me wistfully thinking back to the good ol' days when everyone got along so well that harsh words or disputes of any kind never happened.

Take a deep breath Apollonius. Go back and read what Book lady said. Considering everything what do you go to other people's houses and talk about what a 'dump' they live in?

P.S. Can't stand Pepe Escobar.

I can't either but If you are inferring by that what I think you are inferring I think you are mistaken

Apollonius wrote:I'll put this here. Maybe it belongs in Hell.


What happens when you get a global climate change denier, a Portuguese Marxist Putinophile, and a Beloved Persian who thinks Iran ruled Asia Minor for "1000s of yrs" together?


You've got trouble.

. . .

Oh dear, someone's granola didn't agree with him today . . .

this beast doesnt go in reverse, tis only forward.