Wedding Bells

It's been pretty busy since my last blog post. Chris and I started house hunting in earnest. When we made an offer to close on July 30, we decided that the wedding (finally!) shouldn't be very far off. So we planned a quick, intimate, wedding for Friday August 13 (at 13:00, no less).

Pictures are now online at http://picasaweb.google.com/108227556419983569417/20100813Wedding?feat=directlink (although some have already shown up on Facebook, so I'm told...) All of these photos were taken by Chris' brother Steve.

Recently Read: The Sorrow of Empire

Star Trek Mirror Universe: The Sorrows of Empire by David Mack is an example of the best kind of Star Trek novel. It weaves a new story that is firmly anchored in the established mythos without contradicting it. Not only does it adhere to the "facts" established in the various TV series and movies (with the exception of last year's "reboot" film), but also it picks up details from several of the better novels.

There is, however, one source which isn't directly acknowledged by the author: Isaac Asimov's Foundation novels. Consider (Warning! Possible spoilers!):

• both deal with empires on the brink of decline
• one individual (Spock / Hari Seldon) has a plan to shorten the inevitable dark age following the empire's collapse (moreover both plans are based upon probability calculations, although Seldon calls it psychohistory)
• both Spock and Hari must make allowances for random elements which might adversely impact the predicted path of collapse and rebirth
• Hari Seldon creates a hidden Second Foundation to preserve the knowledge of psychohistory and to modify the plan; Spock creates Memory Omega to preserve the Terran empire's science and culture through the dark age
• the Foundation saga features the immortal robot Daneel Olivaw; Sorrows of Empire features the immortal Trill symbiont, Dax

How to account for these parallels? It may be that Mack drew (unconcious?) inspiration from Asimov's Foundation. However, given Asimov's statement that Foundation was based on Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, it's possible that Mack drew instead on this common source. Further, given that Asimov's plots were (dare I say it) eminently logical, it stands to reason that Mack might independently arrive at similar solutions to the plot points of an empire in decline.

Warning! Definite spoilers ahead!

One of the features of Mack's tale that I liked best was that the Mirror Universe seen in DS9 episodes was not a failure of Spock's vision, but a necessary part of it.

I also loved many of the character touches: characters that were essentially the same in both universes but still had telling differences. For example, in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Kirk encounters Saavik in the turbolift with her hair down and she comments "It is still regulation, Admiral". In The Sorrows of Empire, Saavik has her hair sheared off in the masculine plebe style.

I was thrilled to read Spock confessing himself as despot, tyrant, and murderer. For Spock, the ends do not justify the means. We even see Sarek acknowledge the necessity of Spock's matricide without absolving Spock of the crime. The ethical quandries of this tale are not easily set aside. Mack has given us a tale of the ultimate benevolent dictator who is ultimately nothing more than a dictator.

Once I get past my tendency to admire the mirror Spock, I find questions lingering in my thoughts:

• Can free will truly exist when one's choices have been guided by another?
• If accurate foreknowledge of the most desirable outcome were possible, would it be ethical to guide a person or persons to that outcome?
• At what point does acting on behalf of the welfare of others become inappropriate interference in their freedom to choose?

If you haven't already done so, I strongly suggest reading Asimov's Foundation series: Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation, Foundation's Edge, Foundation and Earth, Prelude to Foundation, and Forward the Foundation (listed in order of publication).

You might also be interested in the Foundation books written by other authors after Asimov's death:  Foundation's Friends: Stories in Honor of Isaac Asimov, Foundation's Fear, Foundation and Chaos, and Foundation's Triumph.

As always, Wikipedia is your friend: Wikipedia: Foundation series.

I also heartily recommend a Trek fan video: Starship Farragut: For Want of a Nail in which the mirror universe is spawned  by alien technology. (I know many devout Trekkies/Trekkers suggest that the time travelling Borg of Star Trek VIII: First Contact spawned the mirror universe. I disagree. It's not the alteration of the first contact between Vulcan and Earth that causes the rift--it's the extreme xenophobia of Earthers that alters the terms of that first contact. This fan video offers a suitable explanation for that xenophobia.)

Press Release: Discovery of the Snackyon

Breaking news from Pennswald Labs, where history is made tomorrow by creating the future yesterday.

Our team of dedicated researchers has discovered the elementary particle of fast food. Dubbed the "snackyon", this particle always travels faster than light (but slower than heavy). This property of the snackyon accounts for several observed results in its interactions with human body tissues:

• A snackyon is absorbed so quickly that it adds mass to several areas of the body simultaneously. This results in disproportionate weight gain in comparison to the actual number of snackyons consumed.
• The snackyon's quick absorption rate increases the appetite for more snackyons. Snackyons leave the digestive tract so quickly that the body's normal satitation mechanisms aren't triggered.
• The snackyon can actually be absorbed by the body prior to the consumption of snackyon-laden foods. Simply looking at (or smelling) snackyon-laden foods may result in weight gain. (c.f. I. Asimov, "The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline", 1948.) 

In summary, the snackyon is the particle that makes fast food fast.

Recently Read: Unspoken Truth

In the new Star Trek novel Unspoken Truth, there is a wonderful little nod to Galaxy Quest. In chapter 17 (p. 333) we read:

"That didn't take long," she remarked, stepping daintily over a Thermian's tentacles and settling in beside Mikal, elbows on the bar. "Single malt, neat," she told the bartender. "Jameson, if you've got it."

Aside from Mironova's good taste in beverages, this little gem stood out in my mind because it is, AFAIK, the first appearance of Galaxy Quest characters in Star Trek licensed media.

[In case I have to spell it out for you, at the Galaxy Quest convention, Malthesar approaches Jason Nesmith saying, "We are Thermians from the Klaatu Nebula. We need your help." When Jason's co-stars transport to the space dock, the Thermians who greet them have forgotten to activate their appearance generators and are shown as to be squid-like creatures with tentacles.]

Stupid Corporate Websites

For a lark, I decided to head over to DEWmocracy.com to vote on the new Moutain Dew flavor. And I can't. Why? Because the stupid corporate website (which is Flash "disabled"--but that's yet another rant) doesn't work. There's no entry field for birthdate and the submit button fails.

Obviously, no one tested this site. At least not completely. Maybe they tested their "connect via Facebook" option. I wouldn't know because I won't do Facebook.

The world wide web became a publicly available resource in 1991; the dot com boom has gone bust. It's about time that corporate web designers do basic sanity tests on their websites.

Ah who am I kidding? Websites are seen as part of a company's marketing presence. Which means corporate websites are all about image, not substance. Who cares if it works as long as it looks good.

Feh.

A whole month?

Sigh. After Kawa Kon, both Chris and I got sick, so between working two jobs and trying to get over the bug, the blog has suffered.

Not that anyone is actually reading this at this point.

Tonight, I was scheduled to work at the Rep, but it turns out that Theresa misread the schedule, so I was off. But instead of Christine and I having a "well" day together we wound up replacing her mom's computer. (Her old system had been acting up, and since she's was still running Windows98, we agreed a replacement was in order.)

As I write this, the new system is up and running; the old hard drive has been salvaged as an external hard drive to recover all the old files; and a brand new addition, a netbook, has been set up for homeschooling use.

Needless to say, the Kawa Kon report and pictures will have to wait a bit longer. This week, we're getting ready to reopen Tropical Traders: the stingrays return to the Saint Louis Zoo on April 24th!

Kawa Kon 2010, Day 1

Chris and I attended Kawa Kon last year, but she felt we looked a bit out of place. Yes, I was wearing my Steamboy t-shirt, but we were obviously much older than the typical attendee.

Now, those of you who know me know I am a "person of girth" and (except for military service and play roles) I have worn a full beard ever since I was first able to grow one. There are very few anime or game characters with beards, save the generic grizzled old sea captain, so we were having a tough time deciding upon an appropriate character for me. (The character I'm best suited for is Sailor Bluto from Popeye the Sailor Moon, my crossover of Popeye and Sailor Moon: "Spinach makeup!")

Chris, however, decided that I would make a perfect Totoro. While I had encountered the character, I had not yet seen My Neighbor Totoro. So I borrowed a copy from the library and wound up agreeing to do it--at least for the next con.

Now, Chris isn't Pennsylvania Dutch, but I'm beginning to see that she can be just as stubborn. Even though she was sick last week, she managed to complete Totoro costumes for us last night. Her niece, Meaghan, is cosplaying Mei and giving out soot sprites. Her sister, Jennifer, is cosplaying Satsuki. I don't have acorns to give out, but we do have almond Hershy kisses...

Based on the reactions so far, Chris "done good".  I'll be posting pics and links as soon as they are available. (I didn't have any taken with my camera yet.)

Our big activity for the night was to watch the Bunraku Bay puppet performance (and later participate in the workshop). We had seen them perform previously at the 2009 Japanese festival. Tonight we got to see Kotobuki Shiki Sanbaso, Yaoya Oshichi, Lion Dance, The Dance of Ebisu, and Hidakagawa Iriaizakura. (Ebisu was a special treat, since the puppet was just finished at 3 am this morning.) During the workshop, Chris and I (along with our friend Cathus) got to work with the puppets.

While talking about his background, Martin Holman mentioned getting a Danny O'Day ventriloquist dummy as a child. This was a very cool connection. When I was learning ventriloquism, I had Jimmy Nelson's instructional record album (featuring Danny O'Day and Farfel, of course).

Tomorrow (or, more correctly, later today), Kawa Kon day 2.

Recently Read: Unclean Spirits

I've just finished another one of the books Christine gave me for Christmas: Unclean Spirits: Book One of the Black Sun's Daughter by M. L. N. Hanover.

Normally, I shy away from books that proclaim themselves the start of a new series. Too frequently, I've found myself invested in a story and waiting for installments that never appear or worse, appear but are unable to uphold the promise of the earliest installments. But hey, this one was a gift, so...

Jayné (pronounced zha-nay) Heller is about to turn 23, has turned her back on her religiously conservative family, and is technically a college dropout, having failed to register for the next semester. She has been called to Denver by her uncle Eric's lawyer to handle his estate--or so she thinks. As it turns out, her uncle was wealthy beyond her wildest dreams with properties all over the world--and she is his sole heir.
She is also heir to his fight against the dark forces at work in the world, with her first objective being to avenge his death.

In Hanover's world, the forces of evil are the riders, various demons who take possession of humans to become the various monsters with which we are familiar: vampires, weres, et al. Magical powers can be marshaled by many humans, but ability and study are required to master the more powerful magics--but the costs can be severe.

I enjoyed the pacing of the plot and the character development (particularly that of Jayné) in this first installment. I also liked Hanover's metaphysics and the self-consistency (so far) of this world. From the beginning the use of the term "riders" evoked images of voudoun worship, ala Nalo Hopkinson's Brown Girl in the Ring. I do have qualms about future installments: between Jayné's as-yet undefined magical abilities and virtually unlimited wealth, it may be difficult for Hanover to keep the stories interesting and the characters grounded. It's one thing for our heroine to solve problems by throwing money at them in the initial flush of her new wealth, but I'll probably lose interest in continuing the series if deus ex automatic teller machina becomes a recurring theme.

Then again, maybe I just have more sympathy for economically struggling characters like Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden or Patricia Brigg's Mercy Thompson....

The story continues in Darker Angels (The Black Sun's Daughter, Book 2).

My rating: 4 stags.

Screen Scenes: The Impostors

Chris is sick this weekend, so I'm getting to spend some time going through DVDs I got at the local Hollywood Video's going out of business sale. One of the gems I found was something I've been looking for ever since I first borrowed a copy from the library: The Impostors.

I have loved Stanley Tucci ever since I first saw him as Muerte in Undercover Blues, so discovering this gem (written and directed by him) was a real treat for me.

If you read the reviews at IMDB, it should become clear very quickly that people either love or hate this movie, with a small handful giving credit for the attempt. I think it's brilliant. It is filled with slapstick, witty dialog, and subtle details that make it even funnier the second time around.

For me, this movie works on several levels. It is an homage to the legends of early film comedy: Chaplin, Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, and the Marx Brothers. Perhaps more importantly, it is a self-aware celebration of the craft of acting.

My rating: 5 stags.

Happy St. David's Day!

Christine is Welsh, so how can I not give out a shout for the feast day of the patron saint of Wales?

So send your loved ones daffodils or leeks and enjoy some Welsh cakes or some cawl.

Tomorrow you can start stocking up on Guinness for St. Patrick's Day...

Tandoori King

Chris had wanted to check out a new restaurant for Valentine's Day, but they were not yet open. It was quite sad, but we still had a great day together.

Since then, they have opened, so Chris, her Dad and I had lunch at Tandoori King today. The buffet was a limited selection but very tasty. We all opted for hot chai (in addition to our bottomless water). The nan was fresh and hot. The food wasn't overly spicy by my standards. (YMMV) Definitely not a "clear your sinuses" spicy, but more of a pleasant lingering afterburn.

The facilities are new and spacious.  The restrooms are large enough to easily accommodate a wheelchair, although the turn through the short hallway might be difficult to navigate.

The service was friendly and prompt. However, you should keep track of your silverware: Chris dropped hers on the floor and they added $200 to the tab. :-D (No, that wasn't my joke. It was theirs. So there.)


My rating: 4 stags. (Only because I haven't had a chance to try everything yet. We'll be back.)


Tandoori King (Pakistani & Indian)
1617 Bryan Rd
O'Fallon, MO 63368
636-379-9990

Color my world

Today, I'm going to indulge in one of my blathers and the starting point will be Crayola crayons.

Things were different when I was a child. School shopping meant clothes, book bags and lunch boxes. Basic school supplies were provided by (gasp!) the school. Periodically we would receive pencils and tablets of faintly-lined gray paper. (Probably at the beginning of each quarter, but I didn't keep track of such things in those days.) At the beginning of each year we'd each get a brand new 8 pack of Crayola crayons.

(I will grant that this may have had more to do with the fact that the Crayola factories are located within the greater Lehigh Valley, which is where I lived most of my life until college. But the fact remains that when I was a kid, real crayons were always Crayola crayons.)

In that basic 8 pack, were brand new, unbroken crayons of red, yellow, blue, green, orange, brown, purple, and black. (I know my memory is accurate because I double-checked at the Crayola website.) Thanks to that glorious annual 8 pack, every one of my classmates knew what a basic red crayon looked like.

Of course, as we got older, we would expand our horizons with packs of 16 or even 64 colors. (Note to self for further reflection: could Crayola's basic package counts be one of the reasons why at feel so comfortable in octal and hexadecimal? Is it possible I became a computer geek because Crayola crayons were packaged in sleeves of 8?) But that's where things start breaking down a bit, at least in terms of common experience. When you have many shades of red from which to choose, how do you tell them apart?

Now, if you're an interior designer or a graphic artist, you might be able to readily distinguish between crimson, vermilion, coral, scarlet, maroon, ruby, and plain red. You may even be able to identify them without having other samples for comparison. Most of us, however, would resort to identifying individual samples of these colors as simply "red".

Let's go one step further. Thanks to the miracles of computer technology, we can accurately specify over 16 million colors. (16,777,216 distinct colors using 24-bit RGB representation.) But who among us can actually tell the difference between #FF0000 red and #FE0000 red? Actually, that's the whole point of using 24-bits: the color "jaggies" disappear and we perceive smooth "true color". (Digital representation of analog forms is just practical calculus: if you make the partitions fine enough, the difference between the approximation and the actual smooth curve is insignificant.)

Here, however, is where we get to the crux of the matter at the heart of this essay: when I show you my red Crayola crayon, we both agree that it's red because it says so on the label and because we both know which "red" is in that basic 8 pack of crayons. But I do not (and cannot) know what you actually see. The version of red you see may be slightly darker or lighter than the version I see.

Try this simple experiment. Go to any store which has a wall of televisions showing the same program. Each of them is receiving the exact same signal (sensory input), but you can clearly see variations among the different pictures. Some are darker. Some are more saturated. Some are red-shifted. (Yes, I'm talking about value, saturation, and hue: HSV)

Now imagine those televisions are people. Each is receiving the same sensory input, yet each is experiencing a slightly different version of that input.

This basic, yet oft ignored, fact of the individuation of human experience is at the core of consciousness studies. I don't know, I can't know, precisely what it's like to be you.

IMNSHO, this fact also should be at the core of our interactions with other people. For simplicity, we assume that our experience is shared, and that you know full well what I mean when I say "red". Now granted, it isn't a matter of apocalyptic import that you might perceive it as scarlet (instead of as Rhett -- sorry couldn't resist.) But what about when we are discussing more substantial, and perhaps volatile, topics?

If we can find the common ground, if we can agree that we're all seeing slightly different shades of red, then we might be able to resolve our differences without resorting to alienation and violence.

And that would color my world with hope.

Recently Read: Doppelgangster

I read. A lot.

Always have.

I'll be the first to admit that my tastes aren't mainstream. So let's take a quick look at a book I've recently read,  Doppelgangster by Laura Resnick.

In this sequel to Disappearing Nightly, Esther Diamond is a Jewish Broadway actress working in mob affiliated restaurant. Although this puts a strain on her budding relationship with the detective she met in Disappearing Nightly, the tips are great and the owner is good about time off for auditions and real employment, i.e. acting gigs. But when Esther witnesses an impossible murder (after the victim claims to have seen his double), it's clear that there may be a magical aspect to the crime.

Think The Dresden Files meets The Sopranos. Doppelgangster is a witty riff on the urban fantasy genre. My rating: 5 stags.

First Post - Saying "NO" to Facebook

For years I had a real website--with a real domain and everything. But then RealLife(tm) happened and I didn't update for a long time. When the hosted copy got trashed, I gave up my domain (pennwald.net) and spent my time in other pursuits.

Fast forward to 2009 and my son is trying to get me onto Facebook. Which I resist--vehmently. Not because I don't want to keep up with my family, but because I object to Facebook on principle.

1. I am concerned about personal privacy and ownership of my data.
2. I am less than thrilled with Facebook's flat "friend" model.
3. Facebook is a virtual black hole--and I already have plenty of other time-wasters to choose from.

So, after much consideration, I've finally decided to go with the blog format to keep my friends and family up to date with what I'm doing. Plus, it will serve as a forum for my rants and ramblings on a multitude of topics, hence the title, "Barthel's Blather Blog".