Comments on: Spicer taps out https://habitablezone.com/2017/03/13/spicer-taps-out/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:18:10 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2017/03/13/spicer-taps-out/#comment-38625 ER Tue, 14 Mar 2017 14:33:26 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=62753#comment-38625 If any of you speak a foreign language here's an informative little exercise you can try: attempt translating Mr Spicer's remarks to whatever tongue you're fluent in. It's impossible. There is nothing to be translated because there is nothing there. It may be grammatically and syntactically correct, but there is no information content whatsoever. In a way, it is a magnificent performance. Not only is he able to rattle on for great lengths of time, he is even able to interject contempt and scorn for the questioner into his performance as well. And he is improvising it all as he goes along. That is remarkable, he is, essentially, ad-libbing a one-sided Abbot and Costello routine, without the rehearsals or the writing and with a trained and highly skilled, (and hostile!), straight man. It is a bravura performance. I know we have posters here who can do this, but they have time to think it through and carefully craft it as they write and edit. The Spiceman is flying by the seat of his pants. Speaking of Abbot and Costello, before you start on your translation exercise, I suggest you watch the film "Arrival". It is about the difficulties of translating an alien tongue spoken by creatures with a totally alternative view of reality, and a completely non-Aristotellian logic. It's worth the effort, because if you succeed, you will learn how to time-travel. If any of you speak a foreign language here’s an informative little exercise you can try: attempt translating Mr Spicer’s remarks to whatever tongue you’re fluent in.

It’s impossible. There is nothing to be translated because there is nothing there. It may be grammatically and syntactically correct, but there is no information content whatsoever. In a way, it is a magnificent performance. Not only is he able to rattle on for great lengths of time, he is even able to interject contempt and scorn for the questioner into his performance as well. And he is improvising it all as he goes along.

That is remarkable, he is, essentially, ad-libbing a one-sided Abbot and Costello routine, without the rehearsals or the writing and with a trained and highly skilled, (and hostile!), straight man. It is a bravura performance. I know we have posters here who can do this, but they have time to think it through and carefully craft it as they write and edit. The Spiceman is flying by the seat of his pants.

Speaking of Abbot and Costello, before you start on your translation exercise, I suggest you watch the film “Arrival”. It is about the difficulties of translating an alien tongue spoken by creatures with a totally alternative view of reality, and a completely non-Aristotellian logic. It’s worth the effort, because if you succeed, you will learn how to time-travel.

]]> By: hank https://habitablezone.com/2017/03/13/spicer-taps-out/#comment-38618 hank Tue, 14 Mar 2017 04:31:33 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=62753#comment-38618 Baghdad Bob. Baghdad Bob.

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