Senseless Acts of Random Stuff

DSCF1389

2010-09-12T00:33:00.001+01:00

DSCF1389
Originally uploaded by NelC

Kyoto Tower in the twilight

DSCN2826–28

2010-08-29T21:11:00.001+01:00

DSCN2826–28
Originally uploaded by NelC

Inside the Kyoto International Manga Museum.

DSCN9707

2009-04-07T15:21:00.001+01:00

DSCN9707
Originally uploaded by NelC

Almost finished putting up the pictures of my trip to Japan and Korea from eighteen months ago on Flickr. If I put in a bit of effort I might manage to get the pics of Narita up before the end of April.

In the meantime, this pic is from the collection of pics of the National Museum of Korea that I've just finished uploading.

Avoid Election Day Disasters

2008-11-04T18:18:00.000Z

As a service to any of our American cousins who may happen to read this on the relevant day:

Avoid Election Day Disaster

You'd think voting would be pretty easy. You're registered. So show up and vote, right? Not exactly.

There are a lot of little hurdles that could get in your way come Tuesday, so we've asked the Election Assistance Commission and the nonpartisan Election Protection coalition for tips to make your voting experience as smooth and easy as possible.

BEFORE YOU VOTE...

1. Check your registration
In most states*, if you aren't already registered, you can't vote. Even if you are registered, sometimes you may not be on the voter rolls because of a typographical error. Double check to make sure your name is in the system. If it's not, you may have to jump through some ID hurdles when you get to the polling place. The National Association of Secretaries of State website can direct you to the right place to check.

*If you live in one of the following states, you're in luck because the EAC says you have same-day registration: Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, New Hampshire and Wyoming. ID requirements vary by state, so check with your secretary of state to find out what you need to bring to register on-site.

2. Double-check your polling place. Know when it's open.
Even if you've been voting in the same school gymnasium for 10 years, double check the location of your polling place. You don't want to show up at the wrong one, wait in line for an hour, then get told you have to go somewhere else.

Both Election Protection and the National Association of Secretaries of State have websites that can help you find your polling place.

3. Plan plenty of time to wait
Try to head to your polling place at an off-peak hour if you can (mid-morning, early afternoon) and plan to be there for an hour or two. There has already been record turnout in early voting. No one has any reason to suspect Election Day is going to be slow, so you're probably going to be there for a while.

WHEN YOU GO TO VOTE...

1. Bring your ID
Every state law is different and it may have changed since you last voted. Just because all you needed was a signature last time, that doesn't mean you don't need your driver's license this year. Check your local ID requirements at www.canivote.org.

2. Beware of what you wear

- Dress comfy! If you're standing in line for a bit, you'll want comfy shoes and a coat if it's cold.

- Keep the campaign paraphernalia in the car.
There are electioneering laws in some states that prevent you from entering a polling place if you are wearing campaign gear. We know you are excited about your candidate, but as Rosemary Rodriguez from the EAC said, "a polling place should be neutral and free of influence." In other words, don't campaign where people are trying to cast their votes.

If you want to play it safe, leave the buttons, signs and t-shirts in the car or at home. Or if you forgot and wore your t-shirt anyway, cover it up with a jacket or turn it inside out. You don't want sartorial choices stopping you from exercising your right to vote.

3. Beware of dirty tricks

If you see a sign that says, "Only one party votes on Tuesday, the other votes on Wednesday," ignore it. It's wrong. Everyone votes on Tuesday, November 4th (unless you voted early).

If it's raining and someone tells you the vote is postponed until clear weather, ignore them. Everyone votes on Tuesday.

You get the idea.

4. If something goes wrong, know your rights. Ask for help.

- I know I registered, but my name isn't on the voter rolls
If your name is not listed, request a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot allows you to vote and have your registration verified after you cast your ballot. How this process works varies by state and will probably require some follow-up by you. Poll workers are required by law to offer you a provisional ballot, so make sure you get it.

- I don't understand/can't read/can't work this ballot
We all remember what happened in 2000. A confusing layout -- the "butterfly ballot" -- had a lot of older voters casting their votes for a guy they didn't want to vote for. If you have a hard time reading, you can bring someone you trust into the booth with you. If you can't read the ballot and you are already in the booth, wave down a poll worker from the booth and ask for help. If you'd rather read the ballot in a language other than English, request one. Election officials are required to have ballots in other languages if a certain percentage of the population in that area speaks that language.

- I'm using an electronic voting machine and after I hit the screen, it says I'm voting for the other guy.
If you saw Homer try to vote on "The Simpsons" Halloween special, you know what this looks like. It's called a "vote slip." It happens when the touch screen on an electronic voting machine incorrectly registers your vote. In other words, you pushed the name on one side of the screen, but the machine tells you that you voted for someone else.

The EAC and Election Protection make the same recommendation here: Stay next to the booth and call for help. Do NOT leave the booth. Do NOT finish casting your ballot. Stacie Miller from Election Protection says that once you cast your ballot, the poll worker has no recourse. Rodriguez says the machine was probably calibrated wrong, so a poll worker needs to come fix it so you can try again. Do not be shy in this situation -- call out if you need assistance.

5. What if the polling worker couldn't help me?
Both the EAC and Election Protection will have Election Day hotlines with people waiting to help you at the other end of the phone.
Election Protection: 1-866-OUR-VOTE or visit the website: www.866ourvote.org
Election Assistance Commission: (866) 747-1471 or visit the website: www.eac.gov

The Twenty Worst Agents

2007-08-22T20:02:00.000+01:00

The list of the worst twenty agents. Because, you know, a list of the twenty worst literary agents in america is something everyone should have. And one should certainly link to the 20 worst agents list, too. A lot.

From Bill Higgins at Making Light.

The Military-Industrial-Entertainment Complex

2007-08-18T23:31:00.000+01:00

Let's remember that the global security-industrial complex focussed on anti-terrorism turns over roughly US $90Bn per year, and it's grown to that scale in only six and a half years. This is effectively an industry that depends on a single class of customer -- governments -- and so it focusses its marketing tightly on persuading them to buy more produce. It is also an industry that depends on a negative. If no terrorist incidents occur, then it can point to the absence and claim a victory. If terrorist incidents do occur, then obviously the government didn't buy enough Security™ and needs to cough up more money. Value for money is thus not demonstrated by achieving anything measurable, but by conducting ostentatious displays of Security-Mindedness, as exemplified by all the uniformed flunkies making work for each other (and the flying public) at airports.

More from Charlie Stross here at Making Light.

DSCN3973.jpg

2007-07-28T15:46:00.001+01:00

DSCN3973.jpg
Originally uploaded by NelC

I went to Korea recently. Took far too many photos, and not enough.

Here's the long slideshow (1300+ pictures).

And here's the short version (only 360 pics).

ビタゴラスイッチ (Pythagoraswitch)

2007-07-28T15:07:00.000+01:00

Do you suppose that Patagorusuicchi will embed itself in the Japanese language just as Rube Goldberg and Heath Robinson have done in the English?

Damned if I can get the tune out of my head....

2006-10-02T16:40:00.000+01:00

Jim Macdonald has some advice for US military personnel, over at Making Light.

You are not required to obey an unlawful order.

You are required to disobey an unlawful order.

You swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

The Constitution states (Article VI):

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.

Here is article 3, the common article, to the Geneva Conventions, a duly ratified treaty made under the authority of the United States:

Article 3

In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions:

1. Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria.

To this end the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:

(a) Violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;

(b) Taking of hostages;

(c) Outrages upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliating and degrading treatment;

(d) The passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.

2. The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for.

An impartial humanitarian body, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, may offer its services to the Parties to the conflict.

The Parties to the conflict should further endeavour to bring into force, by means of special agreements, all or part of the other provisions of the present Convention.

The application of the preceding provisions shall not affect the legal status of the Parties to the conflict.

Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions is straightforward and clear. Under Article VI of the Constitution, it forms part of the supreme law of the land.

You personally will be held responsible for all of your actions, in all countries, at all times and places, for the rest of your life. “I was only following orders” is not a defense.

What all this is leading to:

If you are ordered to violate Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, it is your duty to disobey that order. No “clarification,” whether passed by Congress or signed by the president, relieves you of that duty.

If you are ordered to violate Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, this is what to do:

1. Request that your superior put the order in writing.

2. If your superior puts the order in writing, inform your superior that you intend to disobey that order.

3. Request trial by courtmartial.

You will almost certainly face disciplinary action, harassment of various kinds, loss of pay, loss of liberty, discomfort and indignity. America relies on you and your courage to face those challenges.

We, the people, need you to support and defend the Constitution. I am certain that your honor and patriotism are equal to the task.

Division of Inappropriate Technology

2006-09-27T20:44:00.000+01:00

For years, John M. Ford has been posting on the Steve Jackson Games' Pyramid message boards. Nearly every post he signed off with an advert or jingle or microvignette from the Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow, Division of Inapropriate Technology. Always somewhat relevant to the post, and usually funny or ironic or something the germans have a word for, and always, always original.

Every now and again I grabbed one and tucked it away somewhere. Below the fold, there is a selection of these (selected by virtue of these being the first I found). I think I should warn you that without a background in role-playing games or SF wargames, some of these will go over your head. Some of them go over mine.

As Andrew Hackard (I think) said about him, "Normally, I don't respond to every cool thing John M. Ford says, because who has that kind of time?"

John M. Ford

Div. of Inappropriate Technology

Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow

Creators of THE BABYLON 4 ROLEPLAYING GAME:
Where You Already Know What Your Characters Did, But You Do it Anyway

Creators of THE STARFLEET BUTTER BATTLES BOOK:
"If your shirt is red, you should not be about!
You should not beam down when the Captain is out!"

Creators of STARFLEET TUB BATTLES:
"Scotty, I need more baking soda NOW!"

Creators of PAPER TARGETS:
Finally, enough Palace Guards (no painting!)

Creators of PI YOUR TYPE:
The Game that Combines Scrabble with Jenga

Creators of OGRE, THE RAINBOW:
"Bolo, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

Creators of SPACE POOLE -- Like ASTEROIDS, but with Dead Guys

Creators of FOWLERS & FLAGONS:
Adventuring in the Dangerous World of English Usage

Creators of OVER THE LIMIT: Sorry, Your Reality Check is Not Approved

Creators of MADE YA LOOK: The Game of Seeing if Anyone's Paying Attention

Creators of GIVE AWAY THE BRAIN -- The Game that makes YOU Speaker of the House
Coming: LORD OF THE FILES, the Independent Prosecutor Expansion Set

Creators of BIG CARDBOARD HEROES: Now where do we get 2' plastic clips?

Creators of JACK WEB'S WWW.DRAG.NET: "Just the FAQs, Ma'am."

Creators of DEEP BLACKJACK -- the Orbital Mind Control Blunt Instrument

Creators of DRANG NACH AUSTIN -- Part of the Texopa Series

Creators of GODZILLA VS. GARGAMEL:
"Hmm. I'm going to need a bigger cauldron."

Creators of OGRE JELLY -- Spread it REALLY Thin

Creators of GURPS BATMAN -- "Master Bruce, you haven't enough points to refill your utility belt.

Creators of The Four Sheepmen of the Apocalypse:
Dolly, Dolly, Dolly, and Dolly

Creators of GURPS DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM: Eventually, the Die Rolls will Wither Away

Creators of ELVES IN BLACK
*flash*
"You didn't see a large man in a red suit. A large cat made the prints on the roof. You ate the cookies and milk yourself. And you bought all the gifts."
"Yeah, and . . . smile when you give 'em to your kids."

Creators of TRIBES IN SPACE -- Gronk Throw Rock Real Far Here!

Creators of EN GARDE LOO -- Adventuring in the Streets of Paris

Creators of BERLITZKRIEG: The Wargame for Pidgin Fanciers

Creators of HUSKER DU? THE GATHERING
The Game of Remembering What Cards You've Got

Creators of ORCS TO NEWCASTLE:
"Actually, me lad, Verney's ****in' well-spoken for a Tyneside Orc. But it's only when he's pullin' the arms off people and makin' holiday garlands with their bowels that he becomes ****in' eloquent."

Creators of HELMSDEEP TROOPERS:
"Orcs, Mr. Aragorn! Zillions of 'em!"
"I read you, soldier. Now put another dwarf in your Y-rack and move forward."

Creators of THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY BLACKADDERS:
"Gentlemen, the Empire is desperate. Just how desperate may be apparent by
the fact that we have called you together in its defence. Now, to our cunning
plan."

Creators of SIR KENNETH CLARK'S HISTORY OF TELEVISION:
For twelve solid weeks, more deploring than the medium has ever presented.

Creators of THE RUST MONSTER ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE:
If People Were Supposed to Wear Metal Clothes, They Would Have Been Born with
Ziebart Undercoating.

Creators of MUPPET TROJAN WAR:
"The enemy has fled, and left as tribute a gigantic wooden chicken."

Creators of SMURFETTE WITH A SIX-GUN:
Blue. Bouncy. Bad to the Bone.

Creators of MEN ARE FROM THE MIRROR UNIVERSE, WOMEN ARE ANTIMATTER:
Relationships in the Star Trek Continuity

Creators of Volunteers Against Vampiric Obloquy and Odious
Misapprehensions (VAVAVOOM):
"We are against death being presented as a negative thing. We are not necessarily in favor of drinking blood; drinking blood is a matter for the individual post-living person to decide. We are simply trying to encourage a death-positive attitude."

Creators of THE SOCIETY OF DEAD SORCERERS [SODS]:
Been There. Done That. Got the Shroud.

Creators of ANNALS OF THE BLOGGER-GOOGLE MERGER:
Boggle. Goggle. Goober. Gurble. .Log-Log. Booger. Orgone. No, wait, that's been used. Maybe we should call the whole thing off.

Creators of 101 REASONS RPing DOES NOT HAVE A POET LAUREATE:
Winding your life in a character sheet
Began in the middle of '74
(Although we had cowboyed and Injuned before)
Between the first trip down to Sesame Street
And the end of the Asian war.

Creators of FOR LO, THE PLOT IS ALREADY WRITTEN DOWN SOMEWHERE:
"Among my people, a man has his foreshadowing removed at birth. It saves a lot of trouble in later life.

Creators of DUNGEON DENTIST:
"Look at the size of that abscess. It must have hurt this dragon like hell to eat our cleric."

Creators of GRECO-ROMAN TRAGIC WRESTLING:
"And in a remarkable display of hubris, the challenger is yelling for
the Furies to come get him! As if in response, a gaunt little old
lady with a big purse has leapt into the ring and is starting a
soliloquy. The Chorus is screaming to be heard over her! What a fight!"

Creators of THE MERCATOR ASTRAL PROJECTION:
Makes Your Ego Look Bigger than Greenland

Creators of UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS, DEAD: THE COUNTRY HOUSE MURDER RPG:

Rule 12. Do not have your character overpack. Any decent country house will have adequate wardrobe for emergency use, and one of you isn't going to need a change of clothes anyway.

Rule 12a. By Edwardian standards, "overpacking" consists of more luggage than two motor vehicles can carry. You may bring less only if you are a Wayward Son, an International Adventurer, or a Remittance Man, in which case one Gladstone bag containing a change of underwear, a dirty French novel, a bottle of hooch, and something usable as a murder weapon (which may be one of the above items) is adequate.

Creators of THE WHITEDUNGEON HORROR:
"McNaghten, this series of Orc mutilations must be stopped. Two or three thousand dead Orcs in the East End might be put down to ordinary street violence, but eighteen thousand in one night is clearly the work of a man with an obsession."

Creators of THE BUMPER FUN BOOK OF CRITICAL FAILURES:
"No, the chopstick doesn't hurt. The wasabi hurts."

Creators of NORTHERN THINGS:
Be all you can be. Beowulf.

Creators of WEENSY BIT RESENTFUL, THE RPG:
"Could we get a Cure Light Pique spell over here, pretty please with
orc blood on top?"

Creators of DRUG LORDS OF MIDDLE-EARTH:
"The Orcs of the Corleone tribe do not deal in pipeweed. Let Tartaglia's Orcs traffic therein. Now, to other matters. This Gandalf, he has a horse he is quite fond of, I understand?"

Creators of D OR D 3e: EXTREME DUNGEON VOLLEYBALL:
It's not about the gameplay. It's about the character design.

Creators of THE MALTESE POKEMON:
"Miles wasn't stupid. He wouldn't have gone into combat with a half-dragon, half-hamster alone at night with his gun in his pants and his overcoat buttoned. But He would have gone down there with you, and your big eyes and your teensy lips and that Sarah Lawrence sweatshirt and your big damn robot. He was just dumb enough for that."

Creators of TRAFALGAR, THE MOTION PICTURE:
"Emma! I have recovered from my trivial wound and returned to you more dashing than ever. And this is Mr. Hardy. He will be moving in with us and kissing me occasionally."

Creators of MAN SUES CHILDREN UNDER DMCA:
Claims They Made Unauthorized Copies of his DNA, Demands Royalties on
Grandchildren

Creators of DUNGEON OF HUMOR:
"Why behold, it is a ten-foot room, and within it lurks an Orc with his foot in a bucket."
"And it is funny!"
"I draw my sword and slash with fury, and the Orc trips on his severed arm and falls!"
"And yea verily, it is funny!"
"Here is a chest of punchlines and a +4 Cushion of Whoopee!"
"Huzzah!"
"Lo, we have many more corridors of such risibility to proceed through, and lots of supporting characters to kill."
"Yuk yuk yuk."
"Hey, isn't that Jeremy Irons exposing himself?"
"Hurrah, a guest star! And it is funny!"

*It has been noted that an awful lot of Sixties sitcoms have variants on the premise of "Guy with Big Secret that will ruin his life if it gets out" -- he talks to his horse, his wife's a witch, his roommate is from Mars -- and it has also been noted that one could fill in the blank with "Uh, he's gay," without changing a whole lot.

Creators of THE PARACHRONIC SURVEY CORPS:
Visit Strange New Worlds. Read Their Discarded Newspapers.
[Usually rendered in Latin, so it sounds more stirring.]

Creators of SPACE: 1669:
"From the angle of the plume adorning his helmet, I must assume Monsieur has come for a fight."
"In this you would be correct, though I would not wish to inconvenience you by dueling here."
"Pah. I fight equally well in any gravity. Please have your automaton exchange formalities with my automaton, and we shall have at it."

Creators of GLOBAL REPLACEMENT THEATRE:
"For [Pete's] shall we sit on the [asteroid] and tell sad stories of
the [obsolescence] of [robots]?
How some have been [worn out], some [reprogrammed], some [powered down
and used as hallway lamps],
For within the hollow [can] that girds the mortal [chipset] of a [bot]
Keeps [Bill Gates] court;
And there the [geekboy] sits, [making big bucks] off his pomp and
[revisions of] his state,
And at the end takes an [Outlook], and bores through his [fire] wall,
And [Big Blue Screen]."

Creators of THE DEFINITIVE TAVERN BRAWL:
"Well, that was a fine exercise. Now that we are friends, shall we all go into the nearby dungeon, kill many orcs and trolls and necromancers and gelatinous fruit salads and dragons and stuff and become temporarily wealthy?"
"Sure, but not counting the innkeeper, I'm the only one who isn't dead. No, wait, the innkeeper's beautiful daughter's only got a concussion."

Creators of LIFE, THE UNIVERSE, AND GURPS:
Never count the Disad points.

Creators of 1001 WAYS TO ACQUIRE WEALTH WITHOUT HARDLY TRYING MUCH:
The Magic Wallet! The Wire, the Fight Store, and The Pay-Off!
Come-Ons and Shills, Tales and Sends, and the Immortal Cackle-Bladder!
Stats for GURPS and, uh, That Other System.

Creators of MONSTER CHILLER MASTERPIECE THEATRE:
"Good evening. I'm Alister Blackadder, moonlighting from the BBC's American Pandering Division, and tonight we're going to present our original adaptation -- ooh, what a construction -- of H. P. Lovecraft's 'The Thing on the Doorstep.' Some of you may not be aware that H. P. Lovecraft was an American, since he wrote horror stories before Stephen King, but let me assure you that he was. In our cast this evening are Jeremy Irons as the Thing, and the 'Ground Force' team will be building the Doorstep live on our soundstage. I hope you're scared already."
"My lord?"
"One momemt. I must consult with my dogsbody, Senior BBC Programme Planner Baldrick. Baldrick, I have reminded you more than once that the little red light on the snouty-box means 'do not bother his Lordship.' Now, what is it?"
"My lord, Jeremy Irons can't be here. He's accepting the BAFTA award for Best Grimace for 'Dungeons and Dragons'."
"I loathe live television. And?"
"They want you to put on the top half of a Dalek suit and play the Thing."
"I don't suppose I need ask who will be the hind end of the Dalek?"
"I have a cunning adaptation of the Stanislavsky Method, my lord."

Creators of HIGH CONCEPT THEATER:
"Okay, this guy's really ticked off that God wants him to relocate to Seattle, and -- here's our hook -- he gets swallowed by a different great fish every week. Our sell line is 'A gullet full of guest stars!'"

Creators of AMATEURS IN SPACE:
"After all," said Braga, "this science fiction crap was invented by Gene Roddenberry, but he's dead, so we have no models whatsoever to work from and must make sh*t up to the best of our ability."

Creators of THE LEGION OF HOMELAND SECURITY:
"Hey, Cyborg, you look even more ticked-off than usual."
"Yeah. I was supposed to go to some disaster with Wonder Woman in the robot plane."
"Uh . . . metal detector problems, right?"

Creators of DUNGEON OF SILENCE:
"They're not making a sound, and they're all dead pale."
"Get the stakes out. Undead or mimes, it doesn't matter."

Creators of SONGS FROM THE DUNGEONS & DRAGONS MOVIE:
Rescued from the sound guy's trunk, the classic hits that didn't. Listen for the first time to Get Down and Gimme Some Backstory, [Bleep,] Is He Evil or What? the plaintive Tell Me Where the Plot Has Gone, Not the Love Theme from D&D, Staring at a Blue Screen Blues, Oh Thank God My Character's Dead and Raise Your Hand if You Can Act.

Creators of MORE REVISIONIST WESTERNS:
"Good thinking, Tonto. Butch Cavendish was bound to hit his hand while you were showing a six."
"That easy part, Kemosabe. Tough part was getting him to bet his six-guns."
"True, old friend. Butch is the most dangerous man in the West, but he's dumber than a cactus sandwich."

Creators of HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY, THE EARLY YEARS:
"Can any of the flintheads out there give me reasonable stats on the pointed stick vs. the pointed stick with a point stuck in the hot red stuff? It seems like the burny-stick would be better against high-DR big stuff like green fangies (are those suckers fast or what?) but the plain point might break up real good inside fuzzy big stuff. I need answers quick, or we're gonna have to take up sticking roots in the ground to keep from starving, and then the women will want some kind of authority, and the world will end. Thanks." -- Found on a cave wall in Northern Europe

Creators of DUNGSOC:
"The object of killing stuff is killing stuff. The object of experience points is experience points. If you want a vision of the future, it is a foot in a Boot of No Particular Speed kicking down a reinforced door. Forever."

Creators of AT THE KLINGON MOVIES:
"Okay, we're agreed. Pirates of the Caribbean is the product of an advanced culture. We will not raid theatres showing it. Sidenote: the military has formally decided that individual commanders may decide to allow their troops to dress like Johnny Depp."
"Our next picture is Gigli. Fleets are on alert to utterly destroy all theatres showing this movie, everyone who was involved in its production, and any surviving advertising material. Persons who have seen it are subject to detention and re-education."

Creators of OLD YOUNG GUNS:
Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen play elderly guys selling popcorn at Mann's Chinese Theatre, who spend their break time wondering why Kiefer Sutherland is still a movie star and they're not.

Creators of YOUNG DOCTOR GODZILLA:
"But, Doctor, there must be another way -- perhaps an emergency amputation?"
"No, Chairman Kaga, the brain tumor has proceeded too far for that. The only way to save this squeaky-voiced young girl's life is for me to step on a great deal of Tokyo, while howling loudly."

Creators of SONGS FROM THE TOLKIEN ORCISH:
Smelling little Hobbits, by the gate of Doom,
We're all dripping gobbets and our guts are going boom,
We're gonna overrun the Men,
We'll do some offstage rapine, then
Wie einst, Lili von Mordor.
Wie einst, mein Orca Schön.

RIP John M. Ford

2006-09-26T16:05:00.001+01:00

Making Light has a bunch of links. And a bunch of mourners.

Steve Jackson obit.

Loren Wiseman remembers. Or, rather, John M. Ford remembers Loren Wiseman, or something.

His wikipedia entry.

A bibliography.

A ludography.

A bunch of quotes.

Google Bomb

2006-08-26T03:44:00.000+01:00

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Darwinism and Intelligent Design has been fully reverse-engineered. Follow the link.

Wally Wood's 22 Panels That Always Work

2006-08-19T13:12:00.000+01:00

Wally Wood's 22 Panels That Always Work
Originally uploaded by NelC.

From Joel Johnson, via boingboing.

Time Out Tel Aviv

2006-08-01T13:11:00.000+01:00

Time Out Tel Aviv
Originally uploaded by ontheface.

Lisa Goldman writes:

This is the July 20 cover of Time Out Tel Aviv, published one week after the current conflict began. It is based on a famous 1970's New Yorker cover, A View of New York from Ninth Avenue. But whereas the world beyond New York's Hudson River is portrayed as a quiet, peaceful place, the world beyond Tel Aviv's Yarkon River is one of turmoil and violence. To the right are Baghdad and Tehran; on the left are Haifa, Tiberias, Carmiel, Acre and Kiryat Shmona - areas that have been under constant bombardment since July 12. The cluster of buildings at the top is Beirut.

Mating MiGs

2006-07-16T18:32:00.000+01:00

The Russian Knights aerobatic team
Originally uploaded by pykin_aleksey.

The Russian Knights aerobatic team. (Actually Sukhoi Su-27s, I think.)

Another Casualty of the War on Reason

2006-01-22T17:04:00.000Z

Orson Scott Card used to be a good writer... well, an able writer, perhaps. I'm filled with admiration for some of his work.

But lately, he's been writing things which leave a bad taste in my mind. In the comments at Pharyngula, Hank Fox makes a heartfelt plea for OSC to get his head right.

Sunset on Mars

2006-01-06T17:21:00.000Z

Kyoung, RIP 20th December 2005

2005-12-24T17:43:00.000Z

PICT0003
Originally uploaded by NelC.

Dear Nelson,
I am very sorry to have to inform you that Kyoung passed away on the 20th
December at home in South Korea. You may not have known that the cancer she
was diagnosed with in 2000 returned at the end of last year, and we came to
Korea in the hope to find a cure. However, after fighting an immensely brave
battle she passed very peacefully and I am sure it was a release for her as
she became so very ill at the end.
We will be holding a remembrance service early in the New Year, and I will
be in touch again with the details when this has been arranged.
Kind regards and best wishes,
Nick Dawson

I wish I'd been a better friend.

God Gets a Call

2005-11-16T00:46:00.000Z

Seen over in Making Light:

God (on phone with Pat Robertson): Wha-? Dude, stop phoning me....Yes, yes I know it's you, I have Prayer ID...Yes, I did get your last 53 messages, I just ignored them...No, I'm not going to send a hurricane to destroy Pennsylvania...What? What the hell have you been saying about me?...Hell no! I know Jesus, okay, I KNOW my own Son, MeDammit! I don't care what you think you heard...wait, let me get him. JE-SUS! Did you tell Pat Robertson you were sick with the abortions and gays in New Orleans?... No, Pat, he says you're taking him out of context...Yes, Pat, I love you, but that doesn't mean I don't love everybody else...yes, even Bush, although he should get his act together...Intelligent design? Intelligent design? Let me get this through to you, I'm Intelligent, and I Designed - evolution! Dude...you're not even listening...where did you even get this number? Okay, stop calling me, Pat...I mean it, stop calling.

I'm screening my Prayers now...yes I am, I'm screening them - you even hint of "smiting" or "Godly wrath" in any of them, I'll ignore it...that's right...play nice Pat...yes, I'll say hi to your mom for you...okay...okay...bye now.

Weirdo.

Paypal Tip Jar Experiment

2005-10-28T15:04:00.000+01:00

Just seeing if this works.

Canonical SF flicks meme

2005-10-18T12:05:00.000+01:00

Spotted at Pharyngula, this meme takes John Scalzi's list of canonical SF movies and highlights the ones you've seen, just to show what a big SF geek you are.

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension!
Akira
Alien
Aliens
Alphaville
Back to the Future
Blade Runner
Brazil
Bride of Frankenstein
Brother From Another Planet
A Clockwork Orange
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Contact
The Damned
Destination Moon
The Day The Earth Stood Still
Delicatessen
Escape From New York
ET: The Extraterrestrial
Flash Gordon: Space Soldiers (serial)
The Fly (1985 version)
Forbidden Planet
Ghost in the Shell
Gojira/Godzilla
The Incredibles
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 version)
Jurassic Park
Mad Max 2/The Road Warrior
The Matrix
Metropolis
On the Beach
Planet of the Apes (1968 version)
Robocop
Sleeper
Solaris (1972 version)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
The Stepford Wives
Superman
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
The Thing From Another World
Things to Come
Tron
12 Monkeys
28 Days Later
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
2001: A Space Odyssey
La Voyage Dans la Lune
War of the Worlds (1953 version)

Wow. I am a very big SF geek indeed.

Tried to watch Alphaville a long time ago, but it was late at night, and it didn't really grab me in the first few minutes, so I turned over. Must catch Ghost in the Shell sometime, and I guess 28 Days Later. Can't say the original Flash Gordons interest me that much, but La Voyage Dans La Lune should be worth catching if the opportunity arises. Never heard of The Damned before; might keep an eye open for that.

The Noguchi Filing System

2005-10-13T18:45:00.000+01:00

Noguchi comments that a conventional classify-and-file system has the following problems.

The user must make a decision at the beginning as to the classification of a document, something that is sometimes not possible.

Some documents might fall into two or more categories, and the user could forget where the document was filed.

Since unused documents are filed in the same "pockets" with documents that are frequently or have been recently used, the task of discarding unused documents requires the user to go through all files.

Instead, Noguchi uses a system which is sorted by time. File documents in an envelope on a shelf, adding to the left-hand side as new documents arrive or are generated. Whenever a document is removed and used, it is returned to the left-hand side. So documents are sorted by use, most used on the left, least used on the right. As the shelf fills, then the right-hand side can be removed to be archived (or binned or pulped or whatever).

It occurs to me that this is the way I prefer my computer to be organised: list view, arranged by date, most recent at the top. Except that this only records the last time the file was modified. To be proper Noguchi system, I'd need to be able to file by date last read. I wonder if Apple or Microsoft would like to incorporate the idea in the next iteration of their OSes.

Via boingboing.

Glasgow

2005-08-17T21:59:00.000+01:00

So I went to Glasgow for the WorldCon, which was roughly here.

And I took some photos.

And I had a jolly nice time, thank you for asking.

Ghost Town

2005-07-14T10:03:00.000+01:00

Gunkanjima -- an abandoned industrial town, off the coast of Japan.

Wil Wheaton is a cool dude

2005-06-29T12:13:00.000+01:00

Good interview on Slashdot. I think I could easily become Wil Wheaton's stalker, I like him (or his online persona) so much. Good thing he lives 6000 miles away. Maybe I can Intanet-stalk him....

I pledge allegiance...

2005-06-22T00:19:00.000+01:00

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United Federation of Planets, and to the galaxy for which it stands, one universe, under everybody, with liberty and justice for all species."

Cool kid.

(via boingboing.)

Site Pimping

2005-06-13T10:41:00.000+01:00

This is the company I work for: DMS. We do direct mail services -- from campaign design through mailing list management to delivery -- for a number of clients, both commercial and charity. And I'm mentioning it here in the hopes that it will bump the site up the google ratings, just a bit.

Book Meme

2005-06-06T10:46:00.000+01:00

JZ Myers, the Pharyngula blog-meister, is threatening to do something awful to a book unless he gets linked to, so....

The latest book meme goes like this: Last book read, latest book bought, five books that meant a lot.

My list looks like this:

The latest book I just got back from picking up: The Rise of the Indian Rope Trick, by Peter Lamont. Had an interesting conversation with the salesgirl when I ordered it; she'd never heard the expression "Indian Rope Trick" before, and wasn't really enlightened when I described the thing. "Well, that was the nineteenth century," she said, "they believed all sorts of odd things then." I was tempted to give her a rundown of the sort of things people believe these days....

If graphic novels count, then the last book I read was Brief Lives, by Neil Gaiman. Otherwise, Flashman's Lady, by Ian McDonald Fraser.

Five books that meant a lot. That's a toughie. Try this semi-random assortment:

The Mismeasure of Man, by Stephen Jay Gould. It's nice to have a book that summarises the bullshit and then demolishes it.

The New Science of Strong Materials, by J.E. Gordon. Helped me relate the somewhat academic physics I'd been taught in school to stuff in the real world. Forms a useful diptych with Structures, by the same author.

Essential Kanji, by P.G. O'Neill. After a period in the doldrums, flicking through this book in odd idle minutes has started to reawaken my interest in Japanese.

Use of Weapons, by Iain M. Banks. Intelligent and literate space opera. Not recommended if you like linear narratives, though.

Red/Green/Blue Mars, by Kim Stanley Robinson. A classic trilogy. Some find the pace a bit slow, though.

One of Us

2005-01-15T16:24:00.000Z

Turns out that Joe, the guy fired from Waterstone's in Edinburgh for his blogging, is actually one of those people who make going into bookshops worthwhile, and the corporate whore who's managing that particular shop decided, therefore that his face didn't fit. Charlie Stross has the story.

I'd noticed a while ago that the SF section in W's in Cheltenham had been derogated to the back of the shop, and the selection there just hasn't been very tasty recently, so I'd pretty much given up on the place as soon as Ottokar's had opened. Last time I went in, the popular science books had been wedged into a not-very-welcoming corner on the top floor.

And, of course, the front of the shop has become just a kind-of popular book supermarket, completely antithetical to any kind of enjoyable browsing experience, anyway. Ottakar's, with its wonderful central staircase, is much more fun.

2004-08-29T14:59:00.000+01:00

Oh, dear. This means that now I have to go see Chronicles of Riddick.

JoBlo: Is it true you're really into Dungeons and Dragons?

Vin Diesel: No. I never play D&D. For some reason, they thought that I played D&D for 20 years. They thought that I spent years playing Barbarians, Witch Hunters, Unearthed Arcana. They thought I still played D&D back in the '70s when it's just the basic D&D set. They thought I continued to play D&D when it became Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. They thought I played D&D when there was only three books — the Player's Handbook, the Monster Manual and the DM's Guide. They thought I played D&D as it continued onto the Unearthed Arcana, Oriental Adventures, Sea Adventures, Wilderness Adventures. They thought I played D&D at the time when Deities and Demigods was the brand new book. They thought I played D&D when I used to get up to a place called The Complete Strategist in New York. (Vin mouths: "I'm into D&D a lot.")

JoBlo: These are all fabrications?

Vin Diesel: Yeah, I don't know where they got that from.

Interview via 50 Cups of Coffee.

First Post

2004-08-22T19:32:00.000+01:00

Just testing...

Reading: Singularity Sky by Charlie Stross. Space Opera Empire declares war on post-singularity interstellar circus (or something).