My response to Norville got deleted–I had it almost all typed out and then poof, I accidentally X’d out of the tab. Gimme some time to rewrite it.

I didn’t know there was a Stephenson-Vinge battle. You know what else Stephenson wrote in 1999? An essay called “In The Beginning…There Was The Command Line” where he endorses a classic conservative position, that intellectuals were responsible for the horrors of the 20th century. You know how I know about it?

http://brothersjudd.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/reviews.detail/book_id/1039/In%20the%20Begin.htm

There is a scene in Cryptonomicon where one of the main characters deals with an obnoxious professor type who keeps hiding behind relativism for his argument. I should have seen the dog whistles, man!!!

I went and relistened to “The Movie” and…uh…okay…I guess it’s maybe a little like what you’re talking about. I certainly wouldn’t WANT Gilmour’s guitar style ruining that song.

But yay “St. John” and its personality! Yay!