Updates.

Every now and then I go back and read old entries here. Sometimes it's to find a reference that I want to e-mail to someone, and sometimes when I'm doing cardio at the gym I re-read some postings just for fun, to see what I was thinking about four years ago or what have you.

As a result, I decided that there were some old and not-so-old postings that needed following up in one way or another, so this somewhat lengthy posting is dedicated to updates, finishing touches, and I told you so's.


I hate to say I told you so, but: Part 1.

On which note, to get the ball rolling:  Amazing Spider-Man 2, Gwen Stacy.  Yeah, well...again, not a surprise that Gwen won't be around for the third movie, and I'm pleased that they decided to stick with canon on this one, especially given all the weird changes they're playing with Peter Parker's parents.
 
I hate to say I told you so, but: Part 2.
Almost Human, one season, cancelled.  Now, as with Firefly, the fact that the network confused things by showing episodes out of sequence didn't help, but still, perhaps just a bad idea from the word go.  Better luck next time, J.J.
 
Admittedly, a lucky bastard, though.
Speaking of luck and J.J. Abrams, I am sorry to announce that I did not win the coveted opportunity to appear in the next Star Wars movie.  The winner of the prize was one D.C. Barns, of Denver, Colorado.  Bastard.

However, the OMAZE Star Wars Force for Change campaign appears to have been a complete success, raising over $4.26 million dollars for UNICEF, with Walt Disney kicking in an additional million.  And I did receive the t-shirt that I was promised as an incentive for my contribution, although I have the feeling that there's still a poster print out there that hasn't shown up yet.

Of particular note is the label on the t-shirt, which along with size, washing instructions and so forth, suggests that there may be other advantages to owning the shirt.

On a personal note.

I continue to crush on Amanda Palmer, even if she does apparently draw her eyebrows freehand.  I strongly recommend her TED talk, which, in a way, is about the future.


It would make me curious, too.
Regarding the whole "time-machine-kill-Hitler" thing, imagine how it would look from the other side of the table:

By Winston Rowntree, Virus Comix

Not to mention sex, violence, and zombies - sort of.
To my complete surprise, the Expanse series, by composite author James S. A. Corey, is being adapted as a series by the Syfy network.  The series, now on its fourth volume, will get its star power (no pun intended) from actor Thomas Jane.

I gather that they're hoping to get the same sort of success that The Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead have enjoyed, but to be honest, Syfy does not have a great record for adaptations, and to be equally honest, as much as I've enjoyed the books, I'm not sure that The Expanse has an equivalent weight of narrative when compared to the other two series.

My advice?  Peter Hamilton's The Reality Dysfunction:  six books, which occupy seven inches of shelf space as paperbacks, presenting a rich, complex and nuanced future environment, filled with interesting characters, mysterious aliens, exotic locations - and, unlike The Game of Thrones, the damn thing is complete, so you don't have to worry about the author dying in an untimely manner before he finishes the last book.
 
Better safe than sorry, but still.

With each flight test, we are progressively closer to our target of starting commercial service in 2014.

Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides

Virgin Galactic has been predicting the commencement of its commercial space service since 2009.  I realize that they want it to be safe, but if I'd given them a $200,000 advance payment for my flight, I'd probably be ready to ask for my money back by this point.
 
Obvious foreshadowing?
The Ebola pandemic continues to grow in Africa, a passenger on an airplane was discovered to be suffering from the disease half-way through a flight to North America (and could easily have infected the entire flight crew that had to clean up after him), and infected patients have been flown to the continental United States for treatment, where, of course, they will be completely quarantined with absolutely no chance of passing on the disease.

Seriously, if this was the start of a movie, you'd be sucking air through your teeth, shaking your head, and saying, "Oooo, this is NOT going to end well...."
 
I wouldn't have said no to Beyoncé, either.

The contentious role of Wonder Woman in the new Batman-Superman movie has been awarded to Israeli actress/model Gal Gadot. I haven't seen Ms. Gadot in any of her previous screen appearances and can't comment either way regarding her dramatic abilities, but I'm a little disappointed, simply because I was hoping for a more innovative casting decision - especially given the amount of discussion that the question has generated in the comics community.

You know who I would have liked to see as the new Wonder Woman?  MMA fighter Gina Carano.  Yes, I realize that she hasn't had a lot of acting experience to date, but I think it would be an interesting idea to give the role of the Amazon warrior to someone with a proven ability to seriously kick butt in the real world.
 
While we're on the topic.
WHY IS HER COSTUME NOT IN COLOUR, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!  Seriously, is that how it's going to look in the movie?
 
Speaking of warrior women...

And, to finish things off, a shot of my co-worker Christi, AKA Her Ladyship Anika Styfe, at the SCA Tournament of Armies.  I was hoping for an archery shot (so to speak) but it's the thought that counts.

- Sid
 

Gnomic Statements X.

NIGRI IS COMING...

- Sid

Update:  in response to requests for context:  original video.  This file will take a minute to load, be patient. 

 

Cry "Havoc"!

It's a long weekend here in Vancouver, and as tends to be the case when there's an extra day off, many of the people in my social circle have made plans: trips to Whistler, barbecues, watching the fireworks - and then there's my co-worker Christi.  What is Christi doing with her long weekend, you ask?

Christi is going to war.

Christi is a member of the Society of Creative Anachronism, a group dedicated to "researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe."  The SCA dates back to 1966 - the first SCA event was hosted by fantasy writer Diana L. Paxson, who became one of the founding directors of the organization.  Not too surprisingly, the membership has often included science fiction and fantasy authors, including luminaries such as Poul Anderson, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Robert Asprin, Jerry Pournelle and Katherine Kurtz.

In order to fulfill their mandate, the SCA hosts a variety of historically oriented activities: crafts fairs, costumed events, classes in heraldry, and of course, the official pasttime of medieval Europe, warfare.  Christi, or Her Ladyship Anika Styfe, Order of the Grey Goose Shaft*, as she is known to her fellow SCA members, is participating in a three-day Tournament of Armies being held in Aldergrove, a suburb of Vancouver.

Even as I type this, the armies of the Barony of Lion’s Gate are massing for battle, which is a carefully monitored process so as to avoid injury to the participants.  A certain number of bumps and bruises are inevitable, but the SCA makes every effort to ensure that there isn't any sort of serious damage by setting strict standards for weapons, armour, and the actual combat itself.  Weapons are either padded or made from lightweight materials such as rattan, and armour must meet the rigorous requirements for protection as set out in the Marshal's Handbook**, which also lists the rules for safe combat.

As it turns out, Her Ladyship's warband is currently not affiliated with a particular warlord, so they will very likely be available as mercenaries, eager to fight for the highest bidder.  So, if you have good red gold and honest silver in your purse, and are looking for a doughty band of skilled archers, just let me know and I’ll be happy to put you in touch with Lady Anika.  Does it need to be said that some kind of commission will be in order…?

- Sid

* A biographical note from Her Ladyship:  "I add the last bit of my title as when building an army for a Tournament of Armies. A Goose is worth two archers, but an outsider won’t know what a Goose is. A Goose in archery is similar to a Knight for Heavy fighters and a Don or Dona for Rapier Fighters."

**  Did I say "rigorous"?  An example from the Marshal's Handbook:

Helms shall be constructed from steel which has a thickness of no less than .0625 (that is, 1/16) inch (1.6 mm), or of equivalent material. Alternative materials, such as stainless steel, brass, bronze, or like materials, are permissible as long as the material is structurally equivalent to 0.0625-inch-thick steel. The mass of the helm is an important part of the protection. As such, no titanium, fiberglass, aluminum, or other ultra-light materials may be used unless they meet the equivalent mass, strength, and weight of steel which has a thickness of no less than .0625 (that is, 1/16) inch (1.6mm). Proof of construction technique, materials, and equivalency must be provided to the kingdom earl marshal (KEM) for an approval for in-kingdom use. If a spun-metal top is to be used in the construction of the helm, it shall be a minimum of 0.075 inch (14-gauge or 1.905 mm) steel. The process of spinning the top thins the metal, thereby requiring a heavier gauge.