/* ** ************************************************************************* ** ************************************************************************* ** ** 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 8, Issue 1: Wednesday, 4 January 2006 ** Previous issue: Sunday, 27 February 2005 ** ** ************************************************************************* ** ************************************************************************* */ EDITOR: I'm back! CONVENTIONS: Philcon 2005 SPECIAL EVENT: A Sikh wedding UPCOMING TV: “Farscape”, “Stargate” etc., Ghibli on TCM this month UPCOMING FILM: SF&F through March http://www.underbase.org/nsx/ - back issues http://www.underbase.org/blog - NSX::Blogmode http://www.underbase.org/nsx/index_plus.htm - extra content /* *************************************************************************** ** FROM THE EDITOR ** ************************************************************************ */ Welcome to this Not Quite Christmas, Not Quite Hanukkah, No Longer New Year's Day Observed edition of _The Non-Sequitur Express_. Yay, I'm back! Let's see how long the issues last this year... /* *************************************************************************** ** CONVENTIONS: ** Philcon 2005 ** 9-11 December 2005 ** ************************************************************************ */ Philcon 2005 featured Principal Speaker David Weber, Guest Artist David Mattingly, Ad Astra Games, and lots of other SF, fantasy, film-making, gaming and science notables. (Philcon stubbornly insists on its own terminology. All other gatherings use the terms "convention", "author and artist guest of honor", and abbreviate *that* to "GoH".) Weber (pronounced "webber") is most notably the author of the "Honor Harrington" series of mil-SF/space opera/political novels; Mattingly is his cover atist at Baen Books; and Ad Astra publishes the "Saganami Island Tactical Simulator," a tabletop space-combat game. The convention's program book featured my own "Essay on the naval architecture of Honor Harrington" and accompanying schematic, written to introduce unfamiliar attendees to the technology of those books. (There's a lot of it, but scattered.) http://www.DavidWeber.net http://www.DavidMattingly.com http://www.AdAstraGames.com Philcon featured its usual selection of programs and events: Literary, Media, Film, Anime, Science, Costuming, Filk (singing), Children's; art show, dealer's room, writer's workshop, parties. As usual, I saw very little of it, since I was running the Children's and LEGO programs -- with the help of Roy Cook, Lynn Koehler, Rebecca Marcus, Deb Ruh, Suzanne Tansky, Mary Thorne, and the various topical presenters. The masquerade (costume show) was, as usual, disappointing, running only 16 minutes with ten entries. (Some cons attract a great many costumers. Past few years at Philcon, not so much.) It did feature a very creative entry by an adorable elementary-schooler: a giant replica of a Pillsbury dough-cylinder is manhandled onto the stage, from which she emerges -- dressed as Princess Leia of "Star Wars", wearing literal cinnamon-bun hair. *** The masquerade intermission featured the 45-minute movie "Call of Cthulhu", a production by the H.P.Lovecraft Historical Society (HPLHS) of the 1926 story, done in their so-called "Mythoscope" process to resemble a 1930s silent film. http://www.cthulhulives.org/toc.html (The Rhode Island author H.P.Lovecraft (1890-1937) added new twists to the macabre style of Poe and Dunsany, and has been immensely influential in the style and content of 20cen fantasy, horror and SF. "Cthulhu," if you weren't aware, is the originator of those octopus-headed beasts that populate so much visual SF. Although frequently cutesied-up nowadays, Cthulhu was the original Not Something To Meet In A Dark Alley.) *** Philcon counts as the world's longest continually-operating SF convention, since 1935, which makes 2005 the... um... 71st edition, maybe, unless WWII and the Philadelphia Worldcons don't count. This was the fifth and final Philcon to be held at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, adjacent to the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The 2006 Philcon will be held at the Wyndham Franklin Plaza hotel, on 17-19 November 2006 (the weekend before Thanksgiving). November is Philcon's traditional month, and this represents a long-delayed escape from the much-disliked second weekend of December. http://www.philcon.org Pictures of LEGO activities at: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=159140 /* *************************************************************************** ** SPECIAL EVENT COVERAGE: ** A Sikh wedding ** December 2005 ** ************************************************************************ */ A few weeks ago I had the privilege to attend the Indian-style wedding of an old classmate -- we'll call him "SS" and his fiancée "RS" [1]. Both families are from India, but his is Muslim and hers is Sikh, which -- although Sikhism is a very tolerant religion -- for historical reasons, is not the friendliest combination. The ceremony was performed to Sikh custom, followed by a Muslim solemnization. The families had reason to organize the wedding in some haste -- no, not for *that* reason, for *another* reason (sheesh!) -- and certain aspects suffered in preparation, timing, and guest briefing. Since nobody told the non-Sikh guests what was going on (even SS's family was in the dim, if not the dark), I make inferences in the following report as to applicable terminology, based on research before and after. The hotel meeting room in which the ceremony was held was designated a temporary /darbar sahib/ (religious hall) by the arrival of the /Guru Granth Sahib/ (their holy book) and its special table, and accordingly all 200 attendees were required to remove their shoes and don head-coverings, called /rumal/. The ones supplied were yellow and printed with the /khanda/ (the major Sikh symbol), but this particular aspect wasn't fully understood by SS's family (so I learned later), and thus the supply was insufficient and the requirement poorly communicated to the non-Sikh guests. This lead to many comments of "Um, is this required or merely encouraged?" and much improvisation with handkerchiefs and paper napkins. (During the pre-wedding socialization, I conveyed some probable high points of the ceremony to other guests, ones who hadn't thought to Google "sikh wedding customs". The /rumal/ hadn't been mentioned.) http://www.sikhs.org/wedding/ The guests were chivvied into the hall and seated on the sheet- covered floor (men to one side, women to the other; especially inflexible attendees were permitted to stand or use chairs), while a trio of musicians played traditional instruments and chanted -- maybe religious chants, maybe pop songs; I don't know, it was in Punjabi. Eventually SS and RS entered -- she in a pink /salwar kameez/ [2], he in white robes, pink scarf and pink turban. I don't know if pink is a traditional color or if it just has to match the bride's outfit, but I didn't overhear any jibes from his friends about girly colors. The ceremony involved rose petals, an officiant waving a feather flail over the blanket-covered /Guru Granth Sahib/, the couple walking clockwise around its table four times (each time RS was escorted by a different male member of her family), and sacramental pudding. Handfuls of the pudding were handed out to all the guests; warm and greasy, it tasted rather like peanut butter cookie batter. (Paper napkins were handed out at the same time.) There were verses and responses by the crowd; the non-Sikhs just looked awkwardly at each other. (During the reception, my friend asked me how I'd liked the ceremony. "It could've used subtitles," I said. "Hey, *I* could've used subtitles," he agreed.) Two videographers and several guests with still cameras wandered around to record the proceedings. (I have a notion that weddings were much calmer affairs when photos required the subjects to hold a pose for five minutes.) Gauze baggies containing traditionally lucky foods were handed out: raisins, dried dates, rock candy, almonds, and Jordan almonds. ("How can Jordan almonds be lucky?" asked my father when I described this. "Given the number of teeth they've broken.") Eventually the post-ceremony meet-the-newly-married-couple phase arrived, during which SS poured handfuls of puffed rice over RS's head. (No, I don't get it either.) Instead of champagne, the reception beverage was sparkling apple cider. (Muslims don't consume alcohol; Sikhs are encouraged not to.) Aside from the Indian food (lots of chicken and lamb; Sikhs don't seem to have dietary limits, but Muslims don't eat pork) and the alternating American and Indian pop songs, there was nothing unusual. (The four-tier wedding cake didn't have figurines on top; possibly those would violate the Muslim command against idolatry.) *** Notes: [1] The fiancée's family name is /Singh/, which I can state without revealing anything because it's the most common name in Sikhism [3]. The name (which means "lion") was already in use by the Rajputs of India, but the Tenth Guru proclaimed it should be used by all Sikh men in the desire that they be equal. (Similarly, he proclaimed /Kaur/ ("princess") for all the women.) [2] The /sari/ is 6-9 yards of unstitched cloth wrapped and draped over the body, combined with a midriff-baring blouse (/choli/) and petticoat. That's not what the female guests were wearing. They wore (so my research indicates) the traditional Punjabi female outfit called the /salwar kameez/, consisting of a long /kameez/ tunic over /salwar/ pants, with a scarf-like /duppatta/ worn around the neck and draped over both shoulders. The /duppatta/ can be re- adjusted into a head-covering. The word "chemise," meaning a loose straight-hanging dress, is a false cognate to "kameez." It derives from Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sari http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kameez http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/chemise [3] The "Star Trek" character Khan Noonien Singh (as played by Ricardo Montalban) is Sikh by birth, as explained in the _Eugenics Wars_ duology by Greg Cox. *** Background: The Sikh religion is a monotheistic derivative of Hinduism and Sufi Islam, although more egalitarian than either. It evolved in the Punjab region from the teachings of ten /gurus/ over the 250-year period of 1469-1708, particularly the northwestern Punjab region. Its sacred text is the /Guru Granth Sahib/, considered the eleventh guru, written in the Gurmukhi script by the gurus themselves (unlike most holy books), and which quotes the writings of saints from several other faiths. The standard edition since early 20cen has 1430 pages. (The Punjab is the northwestern portion of the Indian subcontinent. When India revised the boundaries of its states in 1966, the new Punjab was 65% Sikh, while altogether they constitute only 2% of the country. The main language of the Punjab is Punjabi.) The Sikh place of worship called a /gurdwara/, with the main hall being the /darbar sahib/ in which the /Guru Granth Sahib/ is kept on a special table (or "throne") of honor called the /takhat/. Although the /darbar sahib/ is open to all, including non-Sikhs and non-religious, all must remove their shoes and down a /rumal/, a scarf-like head-covering. A major Sikh symbol is the /khanda/, which incorporates the shapes of four bladed weapons -- the double-edged sword known as the /khanda/, a /chakkar/ (the circular throwing-disc popularized by Xena, Warrior Princess), and a pair of crossed /kirpan/ daggers. The military symbology derives from the time of the sixth guru, mid- 17cen, when it became necessary for the Sikhs to defend their independence. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab_region http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru_Granth_Sahib http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khanda /* *************************************************************************** ** TELEVISION ** ** "Farscape" ** "Stargate SG-1", "Stargate Atlantis", "Battlestar Galactica" ** Studio Ghibli on TMC ** ************************************************************************ */ Fan-favorite space opera "Farscape", off the cablewaves for several years, now airs in broadcast on upn-57-wpsg, Sundays at 17:00, just after "Star Trek: Enterprise" at 16:00. SFC's triplet of original series returns this Friday, fri-6-jan: "Stargate SG-1" at 20:00, "Stargate Atlantis" at 21:00, and "Battlestar Galactica" at 22:00. The trio is then reprised (23:00, 00:00 and 01:00). *** Although most of its content is live-action English-language films from 1930-1960, cable network Turner Movie Classics (TMC) is dedicating Thursday nights in January (starting tomorrow) to the 60th birthday of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. Nine "Studio Ghibli" films will be shown over four weeks. Each will be aired twice, first as an English dub, and later in Japanese with English subtitles. The TCM website includes detailed write-ups on each film. There's also a sweepstakes for a basket of Ghibli DVDs and books. 5-jan-20:00 Spirited Away, 2002, English dub 5-jan-22:15 Princess Mononoke, 1999, English dub 6-jan-01:00 Spirited Away, subtitled 6-jan-03:15 Princess Mononoke, subtitled 12-jan-20:00 Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, 1984 12-jan-22:00 Castle in the Sky, 1986 13-jan-00:15 Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind 13-jan-02:15 Castle in the Sky 19-jan-20:00 My Neighbor Totoro, 1993 19-jan-21:30 Porco Rosso, 1992 19-jan-23:15 Whisper of the Heart, 1995 20-jan-01:15 My Neighbor Totoro 20-jan-02:45 Porco Rosso 20-jan-04:30 Whisper of the Heart 26-jan-20:00 Only Yesterday, 1991 26-jan-22:15 Pom Poko, 1994 27-jan-00:30 Only Yesterday 27-jan-02:45 Pom Poko http://turnerclassicmovies.com/thismonth/article/?cid=114160 http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/sweepstake/index.jsp /* *************************************************************************** ** FILMS: RECENT, CURRENT AND UPCOMING ** ************************************************************************ */ 4-nov "Chicken Little" 11-nov "Zathura" 18-nov "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" 2-dec "Aeon Flux" 9-dec "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" 14-dec "King Kong" 6-jan "Bloodrayne" 13-jan "Hoodwinked" 20-jan "Underworld: Evolution" 27-jan "Roving Mars" 10-feb "Curious George" 24-feb "Ultraviolet" 31-mar "Ice Age 2: The Meltdown" 31-mar "A Scanner Darkly" "Chicken Little", "Hoodwinked", and "Ice Age 2" are CGI movies; "Curious George" is 2D animation, while "A Scanner Darkly" is animation-shaded live action. "Harry Potter", "LWW" and "A Scanner Darkly" are based on novels; "Zathura" and "Curious George" on picture books. "Bloodrayne" is based on a videogame, and "Aeon Flux" on a series of animated shorts. "Ice Age 2" and "Underworld: Evolution" are sequels. "Roving Mars" is an IMAX documentary about NASA's _Spirit_ and _Opportunity_ MERs (Mars Exploration Rovers). http://movies.yahoo.com http://www.isfdb.com /* ************************************************************************ ** Legalese ** Acknowledgments ** Opt-in/out Instructions ** *********************************************************************** */ The original content {layout, text} of this newsletter is copyright 2006 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. Other data sources: The Internet Science Fiction Database www.isfdb.org Usenet news.rec.arts.anime.misc news:rec.arts.sf.tv Wikipedia en.wikipedia.com Yahoo! Movies movies.yahoo.com 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) /* *************************************************************************** ** *************************************************************************** ** The Non-Sequitur Express ** http://nsx.underbase.org/ ** Volume 8, Issue 1: Wednesday, 4 January 2006 ** Copyright 1999-2006 Phillip Thorne, nsx@underbase.org ** *************************************************************************** ** ************************************************************************ */