/* ** ************************************************************************* ** ************************************************************************* ** ** NN NN SSSSSS XX XX ** NNN NN SS SS XX XX ** NN N NN SSS XX ** NN N NN SSS XX ** NN NNN SS SS XX XX ** NN NN SSSSSS XX XX ** The Non-Sequitur Express ** « an eclectic e-newsletter, e-published irregularly » ** Produced by Phillip Thorne ** nsx.underbase.org ** ** Volume 5, Issue 3: Sunday, 7 December 2003 ** Previous issue: Wednesday, 4 June 2003 ** ** ************************************************************************* ** ************************************************************************* */ EDITOR: NSX blog, HHS reunion, Philcon 2003, nano illo job OBS & COGS: Vitamin A, paper towels, dandelion, buying fish HOUSE TIPS: pill boxes, shampoo bottles, rugs GAME REVIEWS: RealOne Arcade's “Puzzle Inlay” and “Magic Inlay” ON THE WEB: “Harry Potter” fanfic, “Transformers” designer, FLSA rules UPCOMING: “Battlestar Galactica,” LotR:RotK trilogy, trailers http://nsx.underbase.org/ - back issues http://nsx.underbase.org/index_plus.htm - synopses, reviews, analyses, etc. mailto://nsx-discuss-l@underbase.org - post on this issue (if subscribed) http://www.underbase.org/ - additional databases /* *************************************************************************** ** FROM THE EDITOR ** ** Reading NSX:Blogmode? ** HHS-1993+10 reunion ** Philcon 2003 -- Phil entertains kids ** Illustrating a nanofactory in the _Futurist_ ** ************************************************************************ */ Only three issues this year? I might be growing lazy -- but have you been reading my blog? I've found it liberating to write short, individual articles; without worrying about a critical mass of content, or editing to my preferred degree. Recent articles include: 25-nov New “Doctor Who” TV series 12-nov Cooking beef roast and butternut squash 27-oct Phil's Temp Adventures: Keystone Helicopter 06-oct Supply-side economics and a power-law analysis As usual, I've been writing weekly technical reviews of “Star Trek Enterprise,” and posting them to news:rec.arts.startrek.tech. I've been busy with several other projects of late: the tenth- anniversary reunion of my high school graduating class (“HHS- 1993+10”, I call it), Philcon 2003, and a professional illustration job... * As a stay-at-home, I was recruited by the reunion's organizers to locate fellow locals; and as a Net Geek, to find fellow Net.izens. I also assembled a history exhibit for the event, featuring academic memorabilia from our era. If it was a tad short on sports-related items, too bad -- but no one complained. The evening (sat-29-nov) went off without a hitch, hosting nearly a third of the class, from as far away as California and Mexico. Those of you entitled to more details know where to find them. * This year's Philcon, the annual convention of the sixty-year-old Philadelphia Science Fiction Society (PSFS), is next week -- the 12th through 14th of December. I'll be appearing on two panels: “Nanotech,” and “SF Cartoons & Why We Love Them;” in the latter, I'll be executing rapid-fire easel illustrations in response to the discussion of the *talking* panelists. I'm also the Coordinator of the Children's Program, and I've been assembling the presenters and materials for *that* -- for instance, creating SF-themed coloring sheets. Watch for Philcon's TV commercial on the Sci Fi Channel during “Battlestar Galactica,” courtesy of Comcast. * Thanks to my contacts in the nanotechnology community, I was invited to illustrate an article that appears in the January- February 2004 issue of the _Futurist_, the color newsletter of the World Futures Society (WFS). The article (by Mike Treder) is a popularization of an exemplar nanofactory design (by Chris Phoenix). My brief was to find a human angle for this device and its implications; I also created a few technical images to show that what I'd illustrated wasn't just magic. The _Futurist_ is not typically available at newsstands. You might find it your local library; or you can order copies directly from the WFS. http://www.underbase.org/blog/ http://www.underbase.org/dept/trek/ http://www.philcon.org http://www.wfs.org/futurist.htm The Philcon coloring sheets and _Futurist_ illustrations will eventually go online for your scrutiny. /* *************************************************************************** ** OBSERVATIONS & COGITATIONS ** ** Vitamin A and stargazing ** Towel dispenser ergonomics ** Dandelion sculpture ** Buying fish at the supermarket ** ************************************************************************ */ Earlier this year, I bowed to the inevitable and acquired my first pair of reading glasses (for use with computer screens -- I'm still near-20/20 otherwise). Upon reporting the bright-light afterimages I see, the optometrist suggested that I start taking additional vitamin A supplements. I periodically test myself with my camera's flash, but I've seen another effect: the stars are noticeably sharper. The cold, still air of winter is always better for observation, but even so, I can count more stars in Orion than before. One brand of paper towel dispenser (I've used) has a narrow lever- handle molded of smooth plastic -- one that's difficult for a wet hand to operate. A wider handle, with a rough-textured surface, would be preferable. One of the larger houses in my vicinity boasts a markedly unusual lawn sculpture -- a twelve-foot steel dandelion, complete with serrated leaves and spherical seed-head. When buying fish at the supermarket, inspect the price-labels closely: they may price the fish by weight (as at the deli counter), or by piece. The latter is more expensive. /* *************************************************************************** ** HOUSEHOLD TIPS ** ** Pill-boxes for the frustrated, not forgetful ** Shampoo bottle pistol-grips ** Rotate your rugs ** ************************************************************************ */ If you're the sort to take three or more pills each morning (vitamins, decongestants, meds), consider a weekly pill-box instead. These seven-compartment devices were invented to aid forgetful seniors, but they're also handy for batching the effort of finding and opening all your bottles. If the neck and threads of your shampoo bottle permit, replace its pop-cap with a trigger-grip squeeze-top (as found on bottles of glass-cleaner). It's easier to handle and dispense with wet hands, and can be hooked over any handy fixture. If you have a floor rug in a seldom-used room, rotate it periodically to equalize the foot-wear patterns. Remove any furniture from atop the rug, fold it in half, rotate it 180°, and unfold. While folded, vacuum the underside -- you wouldn't *think* dust could get under there, but it does. This involves two fold-unfold cycles, to get both sides. If the room contains a chandelier centered over a table, try to avoid injuring yourself. /* *************************************************************************** ** GAME REVIEWS ** ** “Puzzle Inlay” -- tile the shapes ** “Magic Inlay” -- tile the shapes while monsters attack ** ************************************************************************ */ Personally, I don't care for computer games that involve too much strategy or planning -- despite having helped create several such. Instead, I like puzzles, pinball and classic arcade shoot-the- polygons. How fortunate that I've found a free source online: REALONE ARCADE. Real Networks was first known for its audio and video codecs for the web, later for streaming AV content, and now for its RealOne Arcade of small web games. The games fall into six categories: Puzzle, Mahjongg, Word, Card/casino, Arcade/action, and Sports; they run either full-screen or in an Internet Explorer (IE) window. Each game has a free demo (minutes of play, not necessarily in one session); or you can buy the full version, usually for $19.99 -- which seems rather steep. Downloads are easy with broadband, but would be intolerable with dial-up. http://www.realonearcade.com “Puzzle Inlay” By GameHouse (Russia), 2003 Fullscreen, 60 minutes demo Objective: tile the game-grid with the polyomino-tiles ("gems") that arrive in random order. Unlike the classic Tetris, neither the gems nor the grid are necessarily rectangular, and you needn't deal immediately with input. The demo includes three grid-types: square (actually, double-45°- triangles), hexagonal, and one based on circular arcs. Each puzzle has a definite shape: cat, key, pill-bottle, etc. When you complete one puzzle, the next appears. The tiles arrive on an inventory-conveyor, and can be destroyed there (with a hammer), or temporarily discarded to a second conveyor. Some gems include bonus abilities: points, extra magic tool-points. The tools include the Hammer, a Magic Wand (to file gaps in the grid), a Transformer (which changes all the inventory-gems to the smallest denominations), and Pause. Strategy involves managing your inventory to (a) fill the inevitable remnant gaps in the grid, and (b) keep it from fatally overflowing. “Magic Inlay” By GameHouse (USA), 2003 Fullscreen, 60 minutes demo An upgrade of Puzzle Inlay (PI). The demo grid-types include square, hexagonal, and one based on rhombii. Unlike PI, a level's successive puzzles are abstract in shape, and appear on the same screen; when you win, the game pans over the completed boards, gems sparkling, while victory music plays. The game has two extra features: on higher levels, magic creatures start interfering with your progress; and you get a choice of assistive amulets: "no lose," "double speed of conveyor," etc. Unlike PI, this demo has music. /* *************************************************************************** ** ON THE WEB ** ** “Harry Potter” fanfic ** Floro Dery, visual designer for “The Transformers” ** Federal labor law ** ************************************************************************ */ Itching for J.K.Rowling's next “Harry Potter” novel, and dreading the muscle-strains you'll incur when lifting it? Read fanfic instead! Sturgeon's Law (“90% of everything is crud”) applies, but sometimes you'll find a really good fan author. For instance: one of the pen-name “Mariner,” who's written “Harry Potter and the Polka-Dot Plague” (in which Harry and Prof.Snape share a hospital ward); “A Small Truce” (in which Snape must rescue Sirius from Lucius Malfoy without blowing his double-agent cover); and “The End of the Beginning,” a lengthy crossover with the Buffyverse, set in the months before the death of Harry's parents. (--Fanfic found by Kathryn Andersen of the gen_fic_crit@smartgroups.com list.) http://www.thedarkarts.org/authorLinks/Mariner/ Although the visual designers for “Star Trek” are well known (because of fan magazines), and for anime (because their names appear in the opening credits), the ones for American SF cartoons aren't. I recently discovered the name of the artist responsible for the look of “The Transformers,” 1984-86: Filipino-born FLORO DERY. He's assembled a lavish portfolio website, including eleven pages of designs from “The Transformers: The Movie.” (--Name reported in passing on news:alt.toys.transformers.) http://hometown.aol.com/kuest144/ The Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require employers to provide breaks; nor does Pennsylvania labor law. It stipulates that breaks of less than 30 minutes by counted as paid ("compensable") time; but that's it. http://www.labor.gov/dol/topic/workhours/breaks.htm /* *************************************************************************** ** UPCOMING TV AND MOVIES ** ** “Battlestar Galactica” runs long on Monday and Tuesday ** “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” trilogy event ** “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” trailer ** “Hellboy” trailer ** “The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra” trailer ** ************************************************************************ */ Date-time Run Net Title ============== ==== === ============================ m-08-dec-21:00 2:09 SFC Battlestar Galactica, part 1 m-08-dec-23:09 2:09 SFC Battlestar Galactica, part 1 t-09-dec-01:17 2:09 SFC Battlestar Galactica, part 1 t-09-dec-18:52 2:09 SFC Battlestar Galactica, part 1 t-09-dec-21:00 2:05 SFC Battlestar Galactica, part 2 t-09-dec-23:05 2:05 SFC Battlestar Galactica, part 2 w-10-dec-01:09 2:05 SFC Battlestar Galactica, part 2 ============== ==== === ============================ This week sees the long-anticipated Sci Fi Channel (SFC) remake of “Battlestar Galactica,” scripted by Ronald D. Moore (of “Star Trek: DS9”). The two-part miniseries airs on Monday and Tuesday. But note: THE EPISODES RUN LONG. They're 129 and 125 minutes in length, respectively, bollixing the entire schedule; your standard VCR settings won't suffice. ========== ========================================= f-05-dec LotR:FotR - Special Extended Edition f-12-dec LotR:TT - Special Extended Edition w-17-dec LotR:RotK early 2004 The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra w-02-apr Hellboy f-04-jun Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ========== ========================================= The third and final chapter of Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R.Tolkien's “Lord of the Rings,” “The Return of the King” (LotR:RotK), opens on 17 December -- but a variety of promotional events will precede it. The Extended Editions (as found on the DVDs) of the first two movies are seeing screentime; and selected theatres (King of Prussia Stadium 16 is one) will hold a special ten-hour trilogy event on tue-16-dec -- TEN HOURS. Urk. It's like having one of those six-tusked elephant-things fall on you. Oh, and I advise against caffeine-laced beverages during RotK -- it's 200 minutes long. Y'read right. THREE AND ONE-THIRD HOURS. http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&cf=prev&id=1808405636 http://www.lordoftherings.net/trilogy/index.html Trailers for “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” “Hellboy,” and “The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra” are now online... “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” is the third movie in the franchise, with a new director (Chris Columbus is taking a break). The new characters are escaped convict SIRIUS BLACK and Dark Arts professor REMUS LUPIN. Black was convicted of betraying Harry's parents and killing a dozen Muggles. Lupin is a great teacher, but has a secret. What are their ties to Harry's past? How does the movie avoid the book's long passages of exposition? Find out in June! “Hellboy” is based on the comic written by Mike Mignola (who provided the visual stylings for Disney's “Atlantis: the Lost Empire”). The title character is a demon-human hybrid disgorged in 1944 when a Nazi-sponsored occult project, one that would've destroyed the world, was interrupted. (It just doesn't pay to hire guys like Rasputin.) Adopted by an American scientist, he grew up as a staunch defender of liberty -- albeit one with red skin and horns. The Flash site contains a lot of detail on the characters. “The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra” is an indie film, a homage to the style of 1950's B-movies (in black-and-white, complete with authentic mono music), picked up by Sony because it impressed an executive at a film festival. Even the trailer is hilarious. There's a scientist and his girlfriend, a villain, aliens and their mutant pet, and an evil skeleton -- all after a mysterious meteorite. The site has a lot of behind-the-scenes detail. http://www.azkaban.com --> http://azkaban.warnerbros.com http://www.hellboy-movie.com --> www.sonypictures.com/movies/hellboy/ http://www.lostskeleton.com --> www.sonypictures.com/movies/thelostskeletonofcadavra/ /* ************************************************************************ ** Legalese ** Acknowledgments ** Opt-in/out Instructions ** *********************************************************************** */ The original content (layout, text) of this newsletter is copyright 2002 Phillip Thorne. Reproduction in whole or in part is permitted only as per applicable copyright law, if all copyright notices remain intact, and if citation trails (URLs or otherwise) are provided. That said, if you think colleagues would find an issue useful, please reproduce it -- but also suggest they subscribe. Those creative works (books, films, TV, websites, software, toys, etc.) referred-to (reviewed, synopsized, quoted, condensed, analyzed, etc.) herein are the property of their respective owners, are referred-to according to copyright law as interpreted in the U.S., and are cited whenever possible. No (endorsement, infringement, insult) is (expressed, implied, intended), except where specifically stated. If you're receiving this newsletter, you've probably intentionally subscribed to it, or possibly you're interested in special topical coverage, or maybe I've sent you a teaser issue. To subscribe and unsubscribe, use the addresses below: Publisher: nsx@underbase.org (human) Newsletter: nsx-l@underbase.org (automated system) nsx-l-subscribe (to subscribe; blank subject) nsx-l-unsubscribe (to unsubscribe) Discussion list: nsx-discuss-l@underbase.org nsx-discuss-l-subscribe (to subscribe; blank subject) nsx-discuss-l (to post) nsx-discuss-l-unsubscribe (to unsubscribe) /* *************************************************************************** ** *************************************************************************** ** The Non-Sequitur Express ** http://nsx.underbase.org/ ** Volume 5, Issue 3: Sunday, 7 December 2003 ** Copyright 1999-2003 Phillip Thorne, nsx@underbase.org ** *************************************************************************** ** ************************************************************************ */