Channeling & Noted

Question

Hi friends. Could any of you please explain these two words to me? I'm confused about these two sentences as follows.

Politicians aren't the only ones dusting off their wish lists. Columnist David Brooks, channelingHarvard Business School professor Michael Porter, says let's not forget state universities. Noted.

Thanks very much.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

My acquaintance with "channeling" is in the supernatural sense, in which a sort of seance is arranged so that a deceased person may speak through the voice of one of the living attendees. The living person is said to channel the dead person. I presume Porter is among the living, so Brooks is speaking as the voice of Porter. That is, the voice belongs to Brooks but the ideas belong to Porter.

The writer who is telling this story adds "noted" at the end much in the way some people add "Amen" following someone else's remark with which they strongly agree. (eg., a prayer.) I'm also thinking of the courtroom situation in which the judge has denied an attorney's objection. The attorney says, "Exception, your Honor." The judge replies, "Noted." In this case the judge disagrees, but acknowledges the attorney's position.

Without context, I can't say if the writer agrees or disagrees with providing more benefits to state universities, but it suggests that he too has a position in the matter.

Nancy001 · Answer

Thank you very much. Here's the context from which I quoted the questions.

Near as I can tell, these guys are all dressed up for battle with no one to fight. Who are these latter-day Hooverites? What prominent economist is out there opposing a stimulus? What politician has said he or she will pass up the opportunity to vote for spending a few hundred billion in a big hurry? Harvard professor Gregory Mankiw, who chaired George W. Bush's Council of Economic Advisers, noted puckishly in the New York Times that he has children, whereas John Maynard Keynes-~~the intellectual godfather of the idea that government spending can jolt you out of a recession~~-did not. But even Mankiw doesn't actually oppose the idea of burdening the children with more debt. (See pictures of the recession of 1958.)

If anything, there is a world-historical consensus about the need for a very big stimulus. This is so even though any amount in the hundreds of billions-~~the minimum necessary to enter the bidding~~-immediately makes a mockery of anything anybody has said or done in recent years about getting government spending under control. At best, you might be able to stir up an argument about "very big" vs. "very, very big," or about how the money should be spent. Politicians aren't the only ones dusting off their wish lists. Columnist David Brooks, channeling Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter, says let's not forget state universities. Noted.

So is "Noted" here Amen or OK I heard you?
Thanks again.

Avangi · Answer

He seems to be ridiculing both sides, but agreeing that if all this money is being tossed around, the colleges should get some.

I think we're witnessing a sea change in the monitary world balance, from the old days. In Washington, Lord Halifax once whispered to Lord Keynes/ They may have all the moneybags, but we have all the brains.

- A.

Channeling & Noted

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