The Space race

[Ken]

It was Rhetorical--It's nothing more than a Looky what I can afford, status (dick measuring) exploit of the rich, though you are technically correct in labeling it "entertainment" , you are remiss in equating it's merit, if it has any, to the readily available overall concept of "entertainment".

I disagree here.

I remember when iphone apps were just getting popular and there was a $10,000 app that just showed a picture of a gemstone, and did nothing else. It was a status symbol. Literally nothing else.
Designer clothes are status symbols.
Luxury cars to some extent are status symbols.

All of these things, if you asked a child "would you want <insert status item>", they'd stare, look confused and then run back to the playground.
If you changed the price to $1 on all of those items, there's a large contingent who would stop wanting them.

If you ask a child "do you want to go to space", they'd beam and smile and beg you to do it.

I'm not questioning that the uber rich waste their money for prestige. There's no doubt they do, in vast amounts. I'm just questioning whether space travel is "nothing more than looky what I can afford".

Space tourism is an EXPENSIVE tourist destination. I'm sure there's a level of prestige/status that comes along with it, but it's actually something that people care about even if the money was stripped away. If you changed the price to $1, the vast majority would still want it. It is entertainment.

[GwynnInTheHall]

I disagree here.

I remember when iphone apps were just getting popular and there was a $10,000 app that just showed a picture of a gemstone, and did nothing else. It was a status symbol. Literally nothing else.
Designer clothes are status symbols.
Luxury cars to some extent are status symbols.

All of these things, if you asked a child "would you want <insert status item>", they'd stare, look confused and then run back to the playground.
If you changed the price to $1 on all of those items, there's a large contingent who would stop wanting them.

If you ask a child "do you want to go to space", they'd beam and smile and beg you to do it.

I'm not questioning that the uber rich waste their money for prestige. There's no doubt they do, in vast amounts. I'm just questioning whether space travel is "nothing more than looky what I can afford".

Space tourism is an EXPENSIVE tourist destination. I'm sure there's a level of prestige/status that comes along with it, but it's actually something that people care about even if the money was stripped away. If you changed the price to $1, the vast majority would still want it. It is entertainment.

If it's not available to the regular people, it's a luxury item. That's how I see it, if 99% of the can't afford it, it's not really entertainment because you can't really be entertained by it outside of watching the rocket take off. 200 dollar tickets to Elton John are expensive, 28K is more than most people make in a year. So I guess we'll just have to see it differently.

[Ken]

If it's not available to the regular people, it's a luxury item. That's how I see it, if 99% of the can't afford it, it's not really entertainment because you can't really be entertained by it outside of watching the rocket take off. 200 dollar tickets to Elton John are expensive, 28K is more than most people make in a year. So I guess we'll just have to see it differently.

It's not the price that makes it "solely for status" though.

There are millions of people in this world who could not afford tickets to Elton John because they have no discretionary income at all. Does that make it dick measuring to go to a concert?

Hell, forget flying to space, a large portion of the human population cannot afford to fly *anywhere*. But people go on vacation all the time.

Flying to space costs a hell of a lot more than flying to Cancun, because it's really expensive just to launch - and the ticket prices reflect that.

[GwynnInTheHall]

It's not the price that makes it "solely for status" though.

There are millions of people in this world who could not afford tickets to Elton John because they have no discretionary income at all. Does that make it dick measuring to go to a concert?

Hell, forget flying to space, a large portion of the human population cannot afford to fly *anywhere*. But people go on vacation all the time.

Flying to space costs a hell of a lot more than flying to Cancun, because it's really expensive just to launch - and the ticket prices reflect that.

No it's not just the price that makes it solely for status, but that is a major factor.

Flying is transportation, not entertainment. People can get Elton's music for free pretty much anywhere and his lowest ticket prices are about 100 bucks and yes Millions can't afford that but BILLIONS can't afford to ride the giant dick.

It's a dick measuring contest between three uber rich narcissists. It has no merit other than as you say--entertaining a handful of wealthy people--and how is some kids wish to ride into space relevant to this argument at all? I'd like to play the WSoP main Event, that's not entertainment--it's a desire. People on ponying up for this shit is so they can brag to their friends, sure maybe they always wanted to be an astronaut and go into space, but to say that the fact they're doing this is to create a space flight entertainment industry for everyone to enjoy is like saying the people who build those massive Yachts are doing the same thing--To Me, it's NOT entertainment if it's ONLY accessible to 1% of the population.

[Ken]

No it's not just the price that makes it solely for status, but that is a major factor.

Flying is transportation, not entertainment.

Above I stated flying to a vacation, so you took that out of context.

People can get Elton's music for free pretty much anywhere

But we're talking about concerts - and you are making my point more than yours. If the music is free, does that mean that going to a concert is just dick measuring?

and his lowest ticket prices are about 100 bucks and yes Millions can't afford that but BILLIONS can't afford to ride the giant dick.

Got it, so if millions can't afford it, then it's fine, but if billions can't then it's dick measuring.

It seems like an arbitrary line you've drawn in the sand but okay.

Also, I think you'd be surprised to find that billions of people don't have $100 to spend arbitrarily.

It's a dick measuring contest between three uber rich narcissists. It has no merit other than as you say--entertaining a handful of wealthy people--and how is some kids wish to ride into space relevant to this argument at all?

There are hundreds of people already signed up to do it. Yes it's expensive, but you're point is very arbitrary.

I'd like to play the WSoP main Event, that's not entertainment--it's a desire. People on ponying up for this shit is so they can brag to their friends, sure maybe they always wanted to be an astronaut and go into space, but to say that the fact they're doing this is to create a space flight entertainment industry for everyone to enjoy is like saying the people who build those massive Yachts are doing the same thing--To Me, it's NOT entertainment if it's ONLY accessible to 1% of the population.

OK, if you say so!

[GwynnInTheHall]

Above I stated flying to a vacation, so you took that out of context.



But we're talking about concerts - and you are making my point more than yours. If the music is free, does that mean that going to a concert is just dick measuring?



Got it, so if millions can't afford it, then it's fine, but if billions can't then it's dick measuring.

It seems like an arbitrary line you've drawn in the sand but okay.

Also, I think you'd be surprised to find that billions of people don't have $100 to spend arbitrarily.



There are hundreds of people already signed up to do it. Yes it's expensive, but you're point is very arbitrary.



OK, if you say so!

My point is two fold. It's only for three rich and being me, socialists inclined, see any expenditure like this as meritless and just another example of how our socio economics are out of whack and then two--that's it's not an entertainment in the true sense of what entertainment is designed to accomplish. Having spent most of my life IN the entertainment industry, I'll say so.

And as usual you parse the post in order to remove it from it's overall context and just can't see any other view but your own once you've dug in.

Ken gets the last word in 5-4-3-2-

[Ken]

My point is two fold. It's only for three rich and being me, socialists inclined, see any expenditure like this as meritless and just another example of how our socio economics are out of whack and then two--that's it's not an entertainment in the true sense of what entertainment is designed to accomplish.

It's surprising to me, with your socialist inclination, that you're unwilling to call other things that are truly "only for the rich" as similar. I think honestly the problem is that it hits too close to home. Most, if not all of us on this board go to concerts, go on vacations, etc. We are all very very privileged. We want to point fingers at the uber rich, but the reality is that all of us act very similarly, just on a different scale. We should be looking in the mirror at our own extravagance and not saying "your pot is blacker because it's more expensive".

Having spent most of my life IN the entertainment industry, I'll say so.

I'm not sure why that makes you more qualified specifically. You know that people like entertainment. Why does that make you an expert on the specific price tag at which the arbitrary cutoff lies for entertainment vs "dick measuring" as you put it?

I'm confident that everyone on this board has discretionary income that we use for entertainment. Otherwise we wouldn't have time to be on here, honestly. And by that basis, we're all "experts".

And as usual you parse the post in order to remove it from it's overall context and just can't see any other view but your own once you've dug in.

Ken gets the last word in 5-4-3-2-

Wow, such anger. I reply in line to make it more clear what I'm replying to, but you're quite the angry elf today. If your goal is to prevent the person you are talking to from replying (garbage like "Ken gets the last word"), seriously just skim past and don't push the reply button. That garbage doesn't have a place here, take your anger elsewhere.

What's next are you going to try to edit my post if you don't like it, again?

[GwynnInTheHall]

It's surprising to me, with your socialist inclination, that you're unwilling to call other things that are truly "only for the rich" as similar. I think honestly the problem is that it hits too close to home. Most, if not all of us on this board go to concerts, go on vacations, etc. We are all very very privileged. We want to point fingers at the uber rich, but the reality is that all of us act very similarly, just on a different scale. We should be looking in the mirror at our own extravagance and not saying "your pot is blacker because it's more expensive".



I'm not sure why that makes you more qualified specifically. You know that people like entertainment. Why does that make you an expert on the specific price tag at which the arbitrary cutoff lies for entertainment vs "dick measuring" as you put it?

I'm confident that everyone on this board has discretionary income that we use for entertainment. Otherwise we wouldn't have time to be on here, honestly. And by that basis, we're all "experts".




Wow, such anger. I reply in line to make it more clear what I'm replying to, but you're quite the angry elf today. If your goal is to prevent the person you are talking to from replying (garbage like "Ken gets the last word"), seriously just skim past and don't push the reply button. That garbage doesn't have a place here, take your anger elsewhere.

What's next are you going to try to edit my post if you don't like it, again?

Not angry and I love how when you get told you're wrong you tell people what they have to say isn't welcome here--but that's your MO--defend your shitty position to the death, play the victim and then strike low.

It's always interesting when the real Ken shows up--welcome back.

[Ken]

Not angry and I love how when you get told you're wrong you tell people what they have to say isn't welcome here--but that's your MO--defend your shitty position to the death, play the victim and then strike low.

It's always interesting when the real Ken shows up--welcome back.

You know is a Doig thread when he's fully switched to zero content and 100% attacks. Anything in here actually replying to the content in any way shape or form? You mentioned nothing at all about the actual topic.

Nah, just trying to show your dick is biggest. Carry on. Welcome back to Brian Doig's personal attacks thread which is what all threads devolve to when Doig can't admit to being wrong (or hell, even to being privileged in this case)

Can't wait for the next attack. 5...4...3...2...1 here it comes. Or are you just going to edit my post again, the true coward move that only Brian Doig has performed on this board?


Back on topic while the asshole steams..... seriously, how is space travel for the rich any different than me spending the same % of my income on... an expensive vacation? And when we compare that to 3rd world person who could actually USE that money, both of them are a waste, but that's not really relevant here - how are we criticizing the exact same actions that we perform?

[GwynnInTheHall]

You know is a Doig thread when he's fully switched to zero content and 100% attacks. Anything in here actually replying to the content in any way shape or form? You mentioned nothing at all about the actual topic.

Nah, just trying to show your dick is biggest. Carry on. Welcome back to Brian Doig's personal attacks thread which is what all threads devolve to when Doig can't admit to being wrong (or hell, even to being privileged in this case)

Can't wait for the next attack. 5...4...3...2...1 here it comes. Or are you just going to edit my post again, the true coward move that only Brian Doig has performed on this board?


Back on topic while the asshole steams..... seriously, how is space travel for the rich any different than me spending the same % of my income on... an expensive vacation? And when we compare that to 3rd world person who could actually USE that money, both of them are a waste, but that's not really relevant here - how are we criticizing the exact same actions that we perform?

Hehe, look boys his head's spinning. Yep I'm a Coward, my name is Brian Doig, I edited your shit, I'm surprised you haven't used the word Gross yet. Oh was that an attack? Sorry, i didn;t mean to--I was still in a quandry about how you took me to task when I accidently mentioned your last name once, but I guess the outrage is all yours nowadays.

And I'm pretty sure there's no question who the bigger dick is here.

So glad to have you back, that nice guy act really never worked anyone--though it was ENTERTAINING.

[Ken]

Hehe, look boys his head's spinning. Yep I'm a Coward, my name is Brian Doig, I edited your shit, I'm surprised you haven't used the word Gross yet. Oh was that an attack? Sorry, i didn;t mean to--I was still in a quandry about how you took me to task when I accidently mentioned your last name once, but I guess the outrage is all yours nowadays.

And I'm pretty sure there's no question who the bigger dick is here.

So glad to have you back, that nice guy act really never worked anyone--though it was ENTERTAINING.

Skimmed through and noticed zero applicable content to the thread. Zero contribution. No surprise. You do you.

[GwynnInTheHall]

Skimmed through and noticed zero applicable content to the thread. Zero contribution. No surprise. You do you.

OK, if you say so!

[Sour Masher]

Bezos just gave Van Jones and Jose Andres $100 million each to use however they want, including just keeping it all. That is a LOT of money and money can corrupt. I hope they both use it well. I guess this is another indicator of just how insanely wealthy Bezos is. He just changed two people's lives forever, and if they hold true to paying it forward, the lives of thousands more, seemingly on a whim. I think a concentrated gamble like this may not be the best way to enact change (why not spread the wealth to more movers and shakers?), but it is a hell of a move.

[The Feral Slasher]

Bezos just gave Van Jones and Jose Andres $100 million each to use however they want, including just keeping it all. That is a LOT of money and money can corrupt. I hope they both use it well. I guess this is another indicator of just how insanely wealthy Bezos is. He just changed two people's lives forever, and if they hold true to paying it forward, the lives of thousands more, seemingly on a whim. I think a concentrated gamble like this may not be the best way to enact change (why not spread the wealth to more movers and shakers?), but it is a hell of a move.

it just shows how much money Bezos has. This is like me donating $1000 dollars to the foodbank. I don't think it is a bad thing, but it doesn't change anything I think about him. Mostly a PR move i would guess

[Sour Masher]

it just shows how much money Bezos has. This is like me donating $1000 dollars to the foodbank. I don't think it is a bad thing, but it doesn't change anything I think about him. Mostly a PR move i would guess

It sure seemed like it, given the timing, but if the goal was to deflect criticism, he only did it from some people. Many on the right have a maniacal hatred of Van Jones. He jsut gave a whole lot of fodder to Fox News by giving 100 million to Jones.