#Putnam

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Colin Watson - Kissing Covens - Putnam - 1972 (jacket design by ONE PLUS ONE Studio)

[dwarvendiaries]

We were wrong about pathfinding

After spending years fixated on the optimisation of pathfinding in fortresses in vain and misplaced attempts to desperately claw the frame count back up in a long-running fortress to escape the dreaded

FPS DEATH

Putnam has revealed that checking the relationships(9%) of people watching performances to the performer takes up far more processing time than pathfinding(1%) by profiling the game(with the exception of a cat getting stuck behind a tightly shut door) as part of working towards making it run more smoothly.

Thanks Putnam

[weil-weil-lautre]

Pragmatism & Truth - Rorty, Putnam, & Conant (2002)

[roughridingrednecks]

Putnam

[unteriors]

Battey Street, Putnam, Connecticut.

[galacticrambler]

I recently checked out The Ghostkeeper by Johanna Taylor. This was a really cool story.

Johanna did the story and the artwork in this book, and they paired very well together. This YA novel is perfect for anyone into ghost stories.

The Ghostkeeper follows the story of Dorian Leith who can see and talk to ghosts. He helps them try to move on to the afterlife by listening to and working with them on their problems. Then, the key to death’s door goes missing and all the ghosts are trapped.

How does Leith navigate being able to talk to ghosts, his best friend being his ghost grandma, and the cute boy at the bookshop without being completely ostracized by the village? Not too well!

Whenever I’m reading a book, I always think about if it could also work as a movie or a show. The Ghostkeeper would definitely work as an animated movie. It would be tremendous. The scenes with the ghosts could be colorful, beautiful, and frightening all at the same time.

This book is a lot of fun, and you should check it out.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[sokawara]

The morning stretch of the mathematical conjectures, from Putnam. An economist needs mathematics.

[kkarmalade]

"The Facts Are On Our Side."

I like to think that what Rorty was disputing wasn't, "numbers in the Greek sense" but, "facts." Darwin, Dewey, Newton assert facts about the world that inform a superior discourse. Kepler and Galileo aren't discovers of, "Truth" but facts-- much of the eccentricities of the discourse lie in this distinction. The idea that the, "Galilean persecuted scientists/philosopher hero story" is greatly valuable to us is worthwhile as long as-- and this applies in all areas of the discourse-- it refrains from totalization. It's a tool and not a philosopher's stone to make a pun on Newton's esotericism.

The assertion, "there are four chairs" can be in the spirit of Darwin and Dewey both an assertion of subjective praxis eg, "there being four chairs has to do with a pragmatic conversation about what we would like to be..." and, "as a matter of fact-- the facts being on the side of the pragmatic natural philosopher eg. Darwin, Newton, Galileo.

"The facts are on our side."

"I do declare these lights."

[brightbeautifulthings]

Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning

"'Listen,' she says, 'this is the best piece of advice I can give. As long as you're kind, and unprejudiced, and haven't hurt anybody: Refuse. To. Be. Ashamed. Wear your mistakes with pride. Look them in the eye and own your space on this Earth. Own it shamelessly, without regret, and no fucker has any power over you.'"

Year Read: 2024

Rating: 3/5

About: After a fateful Tweet that went viral in the worst way, Willow's life is falling apart. She's been fired from her sitcom, her fiancé's left, and the internet as a whole is calling for her head. A retreat to Camp Castaway, where adults who want to put their mistakes behind them and disconnect from their phones, comes at the perfect moment. But Camp Castaway hides a dark history, and when campers start to go missing, it's clear someone wants to cancel all of them… for good. I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Penguin/Putnam. Trigger warnings: character death (on page, graphic), decapitation, child abuse, gore, cancer, severe injury, addiction, homophobia (countered), strong religious themes, bullying.

Thoughts: This is a perfectly fine adult slasher novel and a nice addition to the genre. Winning doesn't skimp on the gore or the body count, and, not surprisingly, the horror scenes were my favorite parts. They're nicely cinematic and well-paced, as well as a loving (bloody) homage to slasher films of days gone by. There are a couple of powerhouse Final Girls as well, and I especially loved Juniper as the aged, tough Final Girl who takes no shit and offers wisdom to the younger generation. It's harder to get a read on Willow since she's having a bit of an identity crisis, but she's a worthy heroine who always tries to help her fellow campers, even before the heads are rolling. There's also a sweet but complicated wlw romance, representation that still isn't as prevalent in horror as I'd hope.

One of my favorite things about horror and what basically cemented my love for George Romero movies in high school is horror's natural ability to be a vehicle for social commentary. Winning targets cancel culture with Head Will Roll, and one has the sense many influencers would rather be chased through the woods by an ax murderer than be "canceled" on Instagram. Not being much of a social media person myself, it's not an issue that particularly resonates with me, but it's nicely developed throughout the novel. Occasionally, I did feel like the issue was overshadowing the story and the horror a bit, but had I connected more to it, I might not have felt that way. All in all, it's fun, gruesome, and meaningful, as horror should be.

[howdidthatbookend]

Leah Konen | THE LAST ROOM ON THE LEFT Spoilers

The Book:  The Last Room on the Left by Leah KonenPublished January 14, 2025 by G.P. Putnam’s SonsDate read: January 7, 2025 Find more January 2025 releases here. The Last Room on the Left spoilers can be found below, but they’re hidden under a spoiler tag so you’re safe to keep scrolling if you’d just like to read my review. The Characters:  Kerry ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 3.5 out of 5. Buy it…

[omegaphilosophia]

Theories of Direct Reference

Theories of direct reference focus on how certain linguistic expressions (such as proper names, demonstratives, and indexicals) directly refer to objects or entities in the world without the need for intervening descriptive content. Here are some of the main theories and approaches within direct reference philosophy:

1. Causal Theory of Reference

Key Proponent: Saul Kripke (with contributions from Hilary Putnam and others).

Summary: The causal theory of reference holds that a name refers to an object by virtue of a causal chain of communication that links the name to the object. The chain begins when the name is originally assigned to an object, and subsequent speakers refer to that object through this causal link, even if they don't possess full descriptive knowledge of the object.

Example: The name "Aristotle" refers to the historical figure Aristotle because there is a causal history connecting the use of the name to the actual person, regardless of whether the speaker knows all details about Aristotle.

Key Features:

Rigid Designators: A name refers to the same object in all possible worlds where that object exists.

No Descriptive Content: Reference is direct and not mediated by a description or mental representation.

2. Direct Reference Theory of Names

Key Proponent: Ruth Barcan Marcus.

Summary: Ruth Barcan Marcus advocated for a direct reference theory where proper names refer directly to objects, not through descriptive meanings but as "tags" or labels that identify the object. This theory refutes the descriptive view of names put forth by philosophers like Bertrand Russell, who argued that names function as shorthand for descriptions.

Example: "Venus" refers to the planet regardless of any specific description (e.g., "the brightest planet visible in the sky"). The name refers to the object directly.

Key Features:

Rigid Reference: Like Kripke's rigid designators, names refer to the same object across all possible worlds.

Meaning vs. Reference: The meaning of a name is not determined by descriptive content but by its reference to an actual object.

3. Kripke’s Rigid Designator Theory

Key Proponent: Saul Kripke.

Summary: Kripke introduced the concept of rigid designators, arguing that proper names are rigid because they refer to the same object in every possible world where the object exists. His famous "modal argument" suggested that names must refer directly because they maintain their reference even when considering counterfactual or hypothetical situations.

Example: In every possible world where Aristotle exists, the name "Aristotle" refers to the same person, even if in that world he may not have been a philosopher.

Key Features:

Distinction Between Necessity and Contingency: Kripke distinguished between necessary and contingent truths, using direct reference theory to argue that some facts (like "Aristotle is Aristotle") are necessarily true, while others (like "Aristotle was a philosopher") are contingently true.

4. Millianism

Key Proponent: John Stuart Mill (as an originator).

Summary: In Mill’s theory, a proper name has no meaning or descriptive content but serves only to refer to the object it names. This position, called Millianism, views proper names as "denotative" terms that only serve the function of pointing to their referent.

Example: The name "Homer" refers directly to a specific individual (if such a person existed) and does not carry any additional meaning or descriptive properties.

Key Features:

No Connotation: Names are devoid of descriptive meaning and refer purely to their objects.

Contrast with Descriptive Theories: This approach contrasts with theories that associate names with sets of descriptions.

5. Putnam’s Twin Earth Thought Experiment

Key Proponent: Hilary Putnam.

Summary: In his famous "Twin Earth" thought experiment, Putnam argued that the meaning of certain terms (such as natural kind terms like "water") is determined not by descriptive content but by external factors in the world. This supports the view that reference is a matter of causal-historical connections rather than internal mental descriptions.

Example: On Twin Earth, where "water" looks like water but is chemically different (XYZ instead of H2O), the word "water" on Earth refers directly to H2O, not to XYZ, even if it has the same superficial properties.

Key Features:

Semantic Externalism: The meaning and reference of terms depend on the external world and the environment, not just the mental state of the speaker.

Natural Kinds: Terms like "water" refer directly to the kind in question, based on their real essence, even if speakers are not aware of all its properties.

6. Kaplan’s Theory of Indexicals and Demonstratives

Key Proponent: David Kaplan.

Summary: Kaplan extended direct reference theory to indexicals (e.g., "I", "now", "here") and demonstratives (e.g., "this", "that"). Kaplan argued that these terms directly refer to objects or individuals in the context of utterance, without needing descriptive content.

Example: The word "I" refers directly to the person speaking, without the need for a description of who they are.

Key Features:

Context-Sensitivity: The reference of indexicals and demonstratives depends on the context of utterance, but their reference is direct and does not rely on descriptions.

Character and Content: Kaplan introduced a distinction between the character of a term (a rule that determines reference based on context) and the content (the actual referent).

7. Donnellan’s Referential/Attributive Distinction

Key Proponent: Keith Donnellan.

Summary: Donnellan distinguished between the referential and attributive uses of descriptions. In the referential use, a speaker uses a description to directly refer to a specific object (even if the description is incorrect). In the attributive use, the description is used to identify whatever object fits the description.

Example: If someone says, "The man drinking a martini is my friend," they might refer to a specific individual (referential use), even if the man isn’t actually drinking a martini. In this case, the speaker’s intention determines reference, not the truth of the description.

Key Features:

Referential Use: In the referential use, the description is used as a tool to refer directly to an object, even if the description is inaccurate.

Attributive Use: In the attributive use, the description serves to identify an object that fits the description.

Theories of direct reference emphasize that certain terms (especially names, indexicals, and demonstratives) refer directly to objects in the world without the mediation of descriptive content. These theories challenge earlier views that tied reference to descriptions or mental representations, offering a view in which context, causal chains, and external factors play key roles in determining reference. Major contributions come from Kripke's rigid designators, Kaplan's theory of indexicals, and Putnam's causal theory of natural kind terms.

[dwarvendiaries]

Putnam made an update to the wiki today. Turns out in civ ethics [KILL_NEUTRAL:REQUIRED] increases the chances of a civ starting a war in worldgen.

[autotrails]

American Auto Trail-Nashville Knoxville Turnpike (Wartburg to Monterey TN)

American Auto Trail-Nashville Knoxville Turnpike (Wartburg to Monterey TN) https://youtu.be/p7-apvk6Tng This American auto trail explores a section of Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau, west of Wartburg to Monterey.

[estefa2190]

Come hang out with ussss and bring your bike

[libertyreads]

Book Review #42 of 2024--

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay. Rating: 4 stars.

Read from July 4th to 6th.

Before I get into the bulk of my review, a quick thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers over at G.P. Putnam's Sons for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Holiday Honeymoon Switch follows Doppelgänger best friends Holly and Ivy who met at a Christmas party one year and are inseparable ever since. Nearly a decade later, Holly is left at the alter facing two unacceptable options: go on her honeymoon alone or spend two weeks with her icy parents trying to deal with everything. Her best friend Ivy comes up with a plan to switch holidays (Holly will go on Ivy's artist retreat while Ivy goes on Holly's honeymoon). Everything that happens afterward is a Rom-Com good time featuring two solid love stories. The Holiday Honeymoon Switch comes out on September 24th and is available for preorder now.

There was so much to enjoy with this one. The most prominent story element that sticks out to me is the friendship between Holly and Ivy. A lot of people say they are ride or die for each other, but with Holly and Ivy you know they mean it. They would do anything to help their B.F.F. Including swapping holidays (and other important plot related things I can't say). There's a little bit of suspending your disbelief with this one, but the characters felt so real and so well rounded with flaws and problems of their own. I was more than willing to go where the story wanted to take me. I felt like the romances felt so real despite the story taking place over such a short span of time. I can generally vibe with book relationships that happen quickly as long as the characters are acknowledging that this is "so weird and so crazy but feels so right" or something like that. I need them to let the reader know that they see how weird things could look from the outside but that something magical/wonderful is happening.

I do feel like one of the romances was easier to connect with than the other. I felt like I could root for Holly's romance more than I could Ivy's and I think it's because I didn't feel Ivy's emotional connection with her hero the way I did Holly's. I could connect with Holly's emotions more than I could with Ivy's. And maybe that's all down to really good writing of two different characters. Holly mentions multiple times that Ivy plays things a lot cooler than Holly does when it comes to romance.

Overall, this was such a fun and quick read for me. With real life being so time consuming lately, I don't remember the last time I read a book in three days. I think this one is going to go well for so many readers which makes me so happy. For the book's Christmassy rating, I would give this one three, maybe three and a half poinsettias. It doesn't get a higher Christmassy rating just because I don't love Christmas set in island/beach locations so it threw off the vibe for me a little bit.

[galacticrambler]

The Ghostkeeper | Comic Review

I recently checked out The Ghostkeeper by Johanna Taylor. This was a really cool story. Continue reading The Ghostkeeper | Comic Review