(Nicked from James Nicoll's blog)

So to my mind, the big qestion about the Metabolists is this: was it a major post-modernist movement in architecture based around the idea of "large scale, flexible and extensible structures that enable an organic growth process"?




Or are they just architects who played too much with Leggos(tm)?





You decide!

In an online discussion recently about the Transfomers and G.I. Joe movies, it was brought up that there was at one point in the comics a crossover between Transformers and G.I. Joe. It was also pointed out that the Transformers existed in the standard Marvel Universe, even doing a crossover with Spider-Man. therefore, by the associative property of Crossovers, G.I. Joe also exists in the Marvel Universe.

At this point, I had to chime in with Godzilla. As a kid, I owned a copy of the Godzilla comic book, that had Nick Fury of Shield casing the big lizard around America. So that's right, Godzilla is part of the Marvel Universe too, I kid you not.

So true believers, what does this mean? It means we could potentially have a movie that is a Transformers/G.I.Joe/Nick Fury of SHIELD/X-Men/Spider-man/Avengers/Godzilla crossover. The geekiness level would be so high that it would literally cause true fan's heads to explode. Theater owners would have to hire people to be on geek brain detail.

Well, maybe in some other universe. I would just be happy if someone just drew the movie poster for it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY therobbergirl!!!!!


Knowing you is a gift in itself, so I wish you a wonderful birthday, and happy year!

I always wondered why classic historians focused so much on wars and the like. To my mind, social and technological shifts were at least as important, if not moreso. Then as part of a project, I got a partial list of the wars Europe has been involved in since the late 18th century:

American Revolution (1775-1783), French Revolution (1789-1792 or 1799), French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1797), Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815), War of 1812 (1812-1815), Spanish Revolution (1820), Greek War of Independence (1821-1829), Russo-Turkish War (1828-1829), Polish-Russian war (1830-1831), First Schleswig War (1848-1851), First Italian Independence War (1848–1849), Second Italian Independence War (1859), Third Italian Independence War (1866), Crimean War (1853-1856), Second Schleswig War (1864), Serbo-Bulgarian War (1865), Austro-Prussian War (1866), Ten Years' War (1868-1878), Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), Cuban War of Independence/War of 1895 (1895-1898), Spanish-American War (1898), Greco-Turkish War (1897), Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901), Boer War (1899-1902), Italo-Turkish War (1911-1912), Balkan Wars (1912-1913), World War I (1914-1918), Russian Revolution (1917-1918), Finnish Civil War (1918), Polish–Ukrainian War (1918-1919), Estonian Liberation War (1918–1920), Czechoslovakia-Hungary War (1919-1920), Polish-Soviet War (1919-1921), Irish War of Independence (1922–1923), Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), World War II (1939-1945), Greek Civil War (1946-1949), Soviet invasion of Hungary (1956), Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia (1968), Nagorno-Karabakh War (1988-1994), South Ossetia War (1991-1992), Georgian civil war (1991-1993), Croatian War of Independence (1991-1995), Abkhazia War (1992–1993), Bosnian War (1992-1995), First and Second Kosovo Wars (1996-1999), 2008 South Ossetia war.

Wow. I don't really wonder any more. I still think the social and technological developments are more important in the long run, but I can see why historians focus on t.he guns and swords part of history

Too hot.

Too hot to go outside, too hot for dancing, too hot for long walks, too hot for sex, too hot to write, too hot to read, too hot for sleep.  Far too hot to do my job work, or my worldbuilding.  Too hot to properly snark at "Ella Enchanted".

Even with the AC on, it's too hot for everything but disgruntled lounging and overheated naps. 

Make that, too hot for almost everything.  It's not too hot to give the cats baths.

Tomorrow I think we will go to the coast.  We will buy beans, and walk along the beach, and try to catch some errant breeze.

Bleah.

A toast to devonapple, one of most deserving of a toast persons around. Have a wonderful birthday, go tag the moose or some other non sequitur activity!

Dorothy was in the upper trough of the cat tree, or rather 3/4s of the way in it, while she taunted her sister Alice, by dangling her front feet insolently.
Lean, swipe.
        Lean, swipe.
                Leeeaaan...swipe....
*plop!*
Stalk away offended, as we laugh.

"Dad, I SO did not fall out of the cat tree.  I leaped and fe- LANDED on my feet.  Because I was bored.  See, I am over here.  Eating kibble.  Just as I intended.  Shut up!"

The following video remix of Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Twilight is interesting, not only for the editing and humor, but also because as a mash-up, it's compare and contrast as social commentary. It really points out the creepy nature of Edward's advances that Twilight fans tend to handwave away, and in the process, does more to comment on the misogynist nature nature of the horror genre than Buffy the TV series seemed to.

And oh yeah, it's pretty funny as well.

( Watch Video )

It's just a fact of life.  Some songs, particularly some of the most annoying songs out there, can't be improved with covers or altering the arrangements.  They need NINJAS to be made palatable.

Here's a couple examples:


See?  Here's a more modern example:
So that's the start.  Your task is to find those annoying earworms that can be improved by inserting ninjas into them.  Then go ahead and share them here.  Go!

Arcologies are constantly popping up in the literature of Science Fiction, and there's something about huge, "cities in a building that just seems to appeal to the fannish sensibility.  I've always wondered why.  Well, apart form they're being spectacular, if impractical applications of extreme architecture.




But there's always been something monolithic and extravagant about arcologies that seems to hint at a sort of utopian monomania. In fact, the notion of an entire city in a single, pre-planned building implies a sort of top-down authoritarianism, as opposed to the organic growth that a normal city has.

So oddly enough, it was no surprise to find out that Soleri grew up in fascist Italy.  And multiple critiques  of Arcosanti, Soleri's perpetually-in-construction seed arcology by a former resident, has detailed a structure that denies dissent and critical discussion.  Aside from Dr. Neutopia, sociologist Paul Ray has reported on the lack of workers rights and freedom in Arcosanti.  The needs of the individuals in the community are subjugated to the vision of Soleri, which is odd, considering that Arcologies are supposed to be a better way to live. 

Certainly there seems no element of human scale in Soleri's designs, no scope for individual contributions.  It is also too easy to imagine a place like Hexahedron (above), being divided into the elite in the top half, and the workers in the lower section; the design seems all to  useful for restricting flow of people and items.  Critics like Neutopia have compared the management structure at Arcosanti, to that of China: "based on the age old authoritarian, patriarchal model of command and control of the masses."  Perhaps that's a reason why China seems to be leading the race to build a functioning arcology, and not just their need for low-ecological impact housing.

The larger question here, is whether this is merely a problem with Soleri's particular vision, or whether authoritarian governmental structures go hand-in hand with the idea of arcologies.  And if so, what does it say about the science fiction culture's fascination with the idea?

Coilguns, guns that fire projectiles via magnetic coils have always seemed like a fanciful science fiction dream.  Well, until now.

The MV Coilmaster Mark-1 Coil Gun!

I mean, this is a SERIOUSLY funky looking device.  Like something a a mad scientist would whip up on the spur of the moment.





And it turns out this isn't the only, or even first coilgun out there.  Barry's Coilgun Designs is a site that gives information on the therory behind coilguns, and pretty much all the info you need to build one of the things in your own home.    Then there's World's Coilgun Arsenal, which has a listing of dozens of different coilguns, ranging from one made out of a camera, to a replica M-16.  However, most of the guns look like the designers were inspired by either Aliens or Star Trek.

So are we entering a brave new world of advanced military technology?  Well, in a a word, no.  These coilguns are neither powerful nor efficient- in fact thery're more toys than weapons.  If one looks at the specs, the actual energy delivered by coilguns is very low, the range is short, and worst of all, the recharge time is worse than black powder weapons.  The Coilmaster up above for instance, has a recharge time for the capacitators of 90 seconds, or 8 seconds if one plugs it into a wall outlet.  But somehow, I don't see Arnie the Terminator pausing in chasing Sarah O'Conner to search out a wall outlet to plug his gun into.

So once again, the future is here...it's just not very practical.

Friday, I went to a party, stayed for fifteen minutes, and left.  Not because the party was bad, but because I had to go home and get the air mattress and blankets that I forgot.  And after that, the party was fantastic.  </a></b></a>deirdremoon throws an incredible party, and this was a sleepover so for once there was no worry about driving home.  SO I ate, and talked, and drank, andn partied with a cast of fantastic people.   Foul mood uttery cured.

I went to sleep at aound 2:30, and woke up in the middle of the night with a really horrible coughing jag.  I personally blame that coughing jag for not doing anything else the rest of the weekend.  It obviously wasn't the massive amounts of alcohol I consumed in the form of margaritas, mai tais, and Missionary something-or-others.  Nope, it was allergies or something that made my legs wobbly.  But anyway, I couldn't string two coherent thoughts together on Saturday after I got home, and I wasn'tmuch better the next day.  So, I really got nothing done this weekend except some laundry.  

But on the other hand, I really needed the rest.  I played a lot of Runescape, and have pretty much gotten over my massively pissy mood from last week.  I'm ready to face thenew week, starting off with a paycheck (maybe), lots oof shopping, and then buckling down to work on UTGM.

Helpful safety hint:


After a long, depressing day, one that includes crappy work stuff, uncooperative bureaucrats, and reading about the horrible death of a pet kitty....

In seeking to relax, DON'T open a book of Russian fiction.

No really. Just DON'T.  RED LIGHT.  STOP.

After cooling off with a couple chapters at the tail end of Nightwatch, I'm ready to curl up in bed and go into vodka-induced catatonia, rather than the party I'm going to. I know my mood will lift after I'm with some happy people, but it'll take some effort. 

Geez, those Russians authors need to lighten up!

This is going to be posted both here, and to December Star.

Things went very well in the LARP, in no small part to palecur and racerxmachina 's work. RxM grumbled a bit at the act that I always deferred to her and palecuron giving background information; well, that's because in a real sense the world is their baby.

And some other random notes:

It's wonderful to see what players will make of one's characters. Red at Sunset was my primary contribution to the LARP characters, and he was played utterly unlike I anticipated him being portrayed. And it was wonderful; I had flashes of Mirrormask watching him stalk around and listening to him interrogate the other characters.

Actively encouraging a character to misbehave may be stretching the role of a supposedly impartial GM. But it was fun, and watching our magpie flutter around was thrilling.

Knowing which characters can have information slipped to them is VERY important when one has to improvise a bit of setting information.

We honestly didn't think the baddie would be discovered so quickly, and I was utterly surprised at how quickly the prisoner exchange went, . in a "huh? I blinked" sort ot manner. Fortunately, we avoided having people stand around for a couple hours waiting to disembark, through a couple strategems that will be kept in later renditions of NHNE, should they happen.

I do think that we need something of a time limit or an additional endgame, to keep the last part of the game from dragging, and continue a sense of urgency. We are currently bouncing ideas around.

THE RULES

As the person who bodged together the resolution system for No Heaven no Earth, I was wondering what people thought of it.

I had a couple of goals with it:
1) No dice or randomizers needed
2) Give a feeling for the basic magical nature of the characters; stronger always wins, but
Glamour can allow for the little guy to win if her really, really wants to.
3) Allow for either quick and easy resolution of conflicts, or dramatic impasses.
4) Be simple and streamlined, easy to understand.

Now, I do think the system needs to be edited, maybe balanced a bit more, and there's a few quirks like damage/results, and Glamour spending and refreshing that need to be worked on. Likewise, how to define an impasse,and how new traits are used in it.

But I couldn't help but think I had something when I offered to help a couple people with a conflict early in the game, and they replied, "No thanks, we got it!".

So, what do you people think?

Wow, it's been ages since I last posted.  oh, well.


Here's a couple of interesting links on the new Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor.
From the SCOTUS Blog:
Judge Sotomayor's Appellate opinions.
The Dynamics of the Nomination
It's Over

To summarize, she looks to be a moderate who will not massively change the course of the court, and the first 48 hours in the spotlight was enough to make her confirmation a near-certainty.  the Republicans really have very few options in dealing with her that aren't massively self-destructive.  While this doesn't mean that radio commentators and pundits won't take the idiotic path, but the Republican senators will almost certainly only ask her a few pointed questions to give the appearance of being on the ball, and then will back off.

This thread on the "Bad_rpers_suck community reminded me of why I don't like the pastiche setting of  Legend of 5 Rings; the random mashing together of Chinese and Japanese elements just bugs me.   The best I can compare it to, is this:

"If the Cold War was done in the style of Legend of Five Rigs, the "Usa" and the "Ussr" would be major rival clans in the British Empire, engaging in massive amounts of courtly intrigue to gain influence over the King of England, Maria Stephanopolis-Brazil  .  Which clan will gain influence over the Porcelain Throne?  Check our card game to find out! " 

And of course the most powerful military weapon in the armies of the Empire would be the Walther PPK.  Families would hand their weapons down for generations, going back hundreds of years.  Head hurting yet?  I can go on....

One of the remaining cool, breezy late spring afternoons gave me the opportunity to go for a walk and clear some of the cobwebs out of my head. As I walked, I got to listen to all the various bird calls around me- more than even the woods had in Santa Barbara. And even better, as I crossed a deserted office park I had as a companion a huge yellow monarch, before it decided to investigate some pine trees. And then there was coffee, and a walk back, while all around me were the fluttering, scurrying and singing of life going about its business.

It's not that these are the only important things to concern myself with, far from it. But they are important things for me to remember, especially these days, to keep myself on an even keel.

I won't really go into the latest racefail controversy, AKA "Mammothfail". I just want to point out that it's really a distressing feeling to read the comments of an author you respect, and find yourself muttering "No, No, no! Just, stop. You're NOT helping. I know you're trying to support your friend, but you're making things worse. No see, you're still typing. That's bad. Aw, no, not with the metaphors, just back. Away. Slowly."

A part of my mind is trying to adapt the Tom Leher song "Who's Next" to Racefail, as I wonder who the next author I respect is going to make the mistake of explaining their way deeper into a mess.

This is a very rough draft about three of the most powerful political systems in the world of Under The Green Moon, one that's subject to massive revision Real Soon Now. For a start, I'm not happy with the names of the empires; for a second, I want to do some tinkering with the empires to make them resemble less historical kingdoms. For a start, having one of them select its leader through a contest of both learning and magic ability might be interesting.


THE EMPIRES

The three largest empires of the current world are dominated by Daemons, partially through an accident  of geography and history, partially because of their superior use of magic in warfare. There are other powers though, and any number of city-states, kingdoms, tribes, and other powers. The world is far from dominated by the big three empires.


( Common Cultural Traits: )



( The Old Empire )


( The Young Empire )


( The Charter Republics )

It's enough to warm a former drafter's heart.

So there's this guy out there who is doing engineering schematics of various Star Trek vessels. That is, not blueprints, but those computer diagrams you saw on the show that showed a side view, along with a list of major systems, done up as futuristic graphics.  Like for instance, The Enterprise:



But that's not enough for him.  he had to tackle NASA as well. And this is my favorite:



One really has to appreciate the amount of effort and skill someone put into this project.