[scifinoir2] The mouse hits 40-year milestone
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7768481.stm The mouse hits 40-year milestone By Mark Ward Technology correspondent, BBC News The humble computer mouse celebrates its 40th anniversary today. On 9 December 1968 hi-tech visionary Douglas Engelbart first used one to demonstrate novel ways of working with computers. The first mouse that Dr Engelbart used in the demo at the Fall Joint Computer Conference (FJCC) was made of wood and had one button. Much of the technology shown off in the demo inspired the creation of the hardware and software now widely used. It was a good show, but it was all real, said Dr Jeff Rulifson, now director of Sun's VLSI research group but in 1968 architect and lead programmer for the software shown off at the FJCC. Pioneering work A day of celebration is planned in California to mark the 40th anniversary; with many of the researchers behind the original demo reunited to mark the event. The mouse, which was built by Bill English, helped Dr Engelbart demonstrate how text files could be clipped, copied and pasted as well as showing ways of using computer networks to collaborate on projects or co-edit documents. Dr Rulifson joined the group that Dr Engelbart assembled at the Stanford Research Institute in California after meeting the charismatic engineer while attending the FJCC in 1965. I met Doug and got thoroughly enchanted, Dr Rulifson told the BBC. I really understood what he was after. I was blown away by the ideas. Dr Engelbart wanted computers to act as helpers that augmented human intelligence and enabled people to operate far more efficiently and productively than they would without such tools. The 1968 demonstration showed off the computer system, called NLS, developed to put these ideas into practical form. Most of this, said Dr Rulifson, had to be invented by the team at SRI. There were bits and pieces all around, he said. There was no completely unique set of ideas but we pulled it all together. Although the mouse was central to what NLS could do, said Dr Rulifson, there was more to what Dr Engelbart wanted to achieve. I think people get fixated on the mouse, he said. It's a symbol they can hang on to but the idea behind it was this idea of putting text into NLS and giving it an entirely new flexibility. We had full text editing and hyperlinks - the mass of what we use today, said Dr Rulifson. In the 1968 demo Dr Rulifson was at the SRI Lab and appeared on screen in Brooks Hall auditorium while helping Dr Engelbart to show how co-workers could use NLS to collaborate. The demo was so far ahead of other uses of computers at the time and the technology on show was so powerfully convincing that one attendee later likened Dr Engelbart's efforts to dealing lightning with both hands. Command set Not only did NLS impress the audience at the FJCC, but it also became the first program scheduled to be used across the fledgling Arpanet that was just being built. NLS is mentioned in the first RFC - the technical documents that describe the workings of what we know today as the internet. In 1969 SRI, along with UCLA, was one of the two ends of the first link in the network that became Arpanet - and ultimately the internet. Sadly, said Dr Rulifson, NLS did not win enough people over to become the essential tool that Dr Engelbart envisioned. I think what happened was that Doug was very focused on extremely powerful systems for extremely highly-trained people, he said. NLS had 500 single key commands. Learning how to use NLS was a formidable task that few took on - despite its potential. Many of the people that worked with Dr Engelbart at SRI went on to Xerox Parc - another legendary lab in California where many contributed directly to the technologies that led to the personal computer revolution and the world wide web. Only now is Doug Engelbart's vision starting to be realised, said Dr Rulifson, and the world has yet to catch up with the ideas first aired in 1968. Half the vision has come along, said Dr Rulifson. We could see the day when these things would be small enough to carry about. But, he added, Doug was very frustrated with the stuff that grew up around the PC, because it's too static and paper-like.
[scifinoir2] Re: Depp, Burton in Dark Shadows
Same here. I was watching it recently online line and it occurred to me that there was enough cheese to make a mean toasted sandwich.:) Meta --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, marian_changling [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I was one of those that rushed home to see Dark Shadows also. I bought the books and the soundtrack. I guess I would have bought the action figures if there had been such a thing at that time. I didn't get into normal soap operas. Dark Shadows was a goth soap opera before goth was in. By the way, I tried watching the reruns when they were shown later and I don't know what drug I was on. They were horrible in a funny way. Nevertheless, when someone tried to bring the show back again awhile back with new actors, there I was glued to the TV again for the second try. I think dark romantic tales about hopeless love will always find watchers. I liked Forever Knight for the same reason. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, KeithBJohnson@ wrote: Thanks, what's the attraction for Dark Shadows? I was probably around eight or nine when I tried to watch it, and found it to be drab and a bit morose and depressing in its atmosphere.
[scifinoir2] Fought Over Any Good Books Lately?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/fashion/07clubs.html?_r=1partner=MOREOVERFEATURESei=5040 Fought Over Any Good Books Lately? By JOANNE KAUFMAN Published: December 5, 2008 JOCELYN BOWIE was thrilled by the invitation to join a book group. She had just returned to her hometown, Bloomington, Ind., to take an administration job at Indiana University, and thought she had won a ticket to a top echelon. I was hoping to network with all these women in upper-level jobs at I.U., then I found they were in the book group, she said. I thought, Great! Theyll see how wonderful I am, and well have these great conversations about books. Ms. Bowie cannot pinpoint the precise moment when disillusion replaced delight. Maybe it was the evening she tried to persuade everyone to look beyond Oprah Winfreys picks, and they all said Whats wrong with Oprah? she said. Or perhaps it was the meeting when she lobbied for literary classics like Emma and the rest of the group was abuzz about The Secret Life of Bees, a pop-lit best seller. The last straw came when the group picked The Da Vinci Code and someone suggested the discussion would be enriched by delving into the authors source material. It was bad enough that they wanted to read Da Vinci Code in the first place, Ms. Bowie said, but then they wanted to talk about it. She quit shortly after, making up a polite excuse: I told the organizer, Youre reading fiction, and Im reading history right now. Yes, its a nice, high-minded idea to join a book group, a way to make friends and read books that might otherwise sit untouched. But what happens when you wind up hating all the literary selections - or the other members? Breaking up isnt so hard to do when it means freedom from inane critical commentary, political maneuvering, hurt feelings, bad chick lit and even worse chardonnay. Who knew a book group could be such a soap opera? said Barb Burg, senior vice president at Bantam Dell, which publishes many titles adopted by book groups. Youd think it would just be about the book. But wherever I go, people want to talk to me about the infighting and the politics. One member may push for John Updike, while everyone else is set on John Grisham. One person wants to have a glass of wine and talk about the book, while everyone else wants to get drunk and talk about their spouses. There are all these power struggles about what book gets chosen, Ms. Burg said. Then come the complaints: Its too long, its too short, its not literary enough, its too literary ... The literary societies of the 19th century seemed content to leave the drama to authors and poets, whom they discussed with great seriousness of purpose. Some book groups evolved from sewing circles, which gave women a chance to exercise their intellect and have a social gathering, said Rachel W. Jacobsohn, author of The Reading Group Handbook, which gives a history of the format plus dos and donts for modern hosts. Today there are perhaps four million to five million book groups in the United States, and the number is thought to be rising, said Ann Kent, the founder of Book Group Expo, an annual gathering of readers and authors. I firmly believe there was an uptick in the number of book groups after 9/11, and Im expecting another increase in these difficult economic times, she said. Were looking to stay connected and to have a form of entertainment thats affordable, and book groups are an easy avenue for that. Most groups are all-female, but there are plenty of all-male and coed ones. Lately there have emerged plenty of online-only book groups too, though - given the difficulty of flinging a drink in the face of a member who suggests reading Trollope - those are clearly a different animal. And more clubs means more acrimony. Sometimes there is a rambler in the group, whose opinion far outlasts the natural interest of others, or a pedant, who never met a literary reference she did not yearn to sling. The most common cause of dissatisfaction and departures? Its because theres an ayatollah, said Esther Bushell, a professional book-group facilitator who leads a dozen suburban New York groups and charges $250 to $300 a member annually for her services. This person expects to choose all the books and to take over all the discussions. And when I come on board, the ayatollah is threatened and doesnt say anything. Like other facilitators, she is hired for the express purpose of bringing long-winded types in line. For Doreen Orion, a psychiatrist in Boulder, Colo., the spoiler in her book group was a drama queen who turned every meeting into her own personal therapy session. Dr. Orion was used to such people in her practice, but in her personal life - well, no thanks. There were always things going on in her life with relationships, and shed want to talk about it, she said. Thered be some weird thing in a book and shed relate it to her life no matter what.
[RE][scifinoir2] Is Dollhouse Doomed? 7 Trouble Signs
After reading this, I now believe that Dollhouse is going to make history by being the first television series ever to go straight-to-DVD. -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Is Dollhouse Doomed? 7 Trouble Signs Date : Mon, 8 Dec 2008 22:09:26 -0800 From : Tracey de Morsella [EMAIL PROTECTED] To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Is Dollhouse Doomed? 7 Trouble Signs Rejoicing ensued when word came that Joss Whedon--creator of the beloved Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly--was returning to network TV with Fox's upcoming SF series Dollhouse, starring Buffy/Angel alumna Eliza Dushku (Faith). But that was months ago. And in the wake of news about the show's troubled development process, the buzz may be turning ugly. This may sound ridiculously nerdy, but I'm kinda scared to get all emotionally invested with another of Whedon's shows after the cancellation of Firefly, one person posted on YouTube.com after Dollhouse's trailer debuted there. We are all big supporters of Whedon, too, but we have to worry ourselves, just like these others: In Joss we trust, but not Fox. Should we start the 'Save Dollhouse' petitions now? :0) So true. Let's hope Fox doesn't mess this up!! There is a space on the market for a show like this. Alias, Dark Angel, BTVS, Bionic Woman ... all gone. My fingers are well and truly crossed. One of the most anticipated shows of the season, Dollhouse has had one of the most troubled preproduction journeys of any show in recent history. Dollhouse follows a group of mind-wiped secret agents who have different personalities and skills implanted in their brains for each mission. Dushku plays Echo, one of the dolls who is starting to become self-aware. Going by premise alone, the show should be Whedon gold. But the devil is in the details. Here are seven reasons to worry. This story continue below the video window. http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1545148137/bctid1902520342 1. Pilot issues. Whedon filmed the pilot episode, Echo. Then it was announced that Echo would now be the second episode, and a new first episode was being shot. Then the pilot was thrown out completely. This is disturbingly similar to what happened on Firefly, Whedon's last network show, which Fox canceled abruptly in the middle of its first season. In the case of Firefly, the original two-hour pilot was bumped to later in the show, and a new one-hour segment was shot to introduce viewers to the complicated 'verse of the series. In the case of Dollhouse, Fox suits were reportedly concerned that the original pilot was too hard to follow. Once it became clear what paradigm the network was shooting for, it just didn't fit at all, even after I'd reshot more than half of it, Whedon posted on the site Whedonesque.com. How do you not know what the network is looking for? Didn't they tell you? This story continues below the image. dollhouse Stars Tahmoh Penikett (left) and Eliza Dushku (right) with creator Joss Whedon. 2. Work stoppage. Production was actually halted. Twice. Once for script issues on the fourth episode, and once for the sixth and seventh. Whedon said in a blog, To get a sense of how completely turned around I was during this process, you should know there was a scene with Eliza and the astonishing Ashley Johnson that I wrote and shot completely differently three different times, with different characters in different places (actually I wrote it closer to eight times), and none of it will ever see air. Really? The creator of the show had to reshoot something three times, and it still didn't work? 3. Bad buzz. Fans started a Save Dollhouse campaign pretty early on, even before the show began production. Check out this fan video: http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0 amp;id=62579 Scroll down I asked Joss about the fear at Comic-Con this year. I think the campaign is a little bit of a ... it makes people think, 'Hmm. What's wrong with Dollhouse? Why does it need saving?' I say, 'Wait, whoa, whoa, we're not on yet! We're OK.' I think. 4. Bad dialogue. I watched the trailer, hoping for a laugh. Whedon is known for his snappy dialogue and witty lines. But not this time, at least not in the trailer. Where is the Prince of Night, I summon you. Come fill me with your black, naughty evil. Or Every well-bred petty crook knows that the small concealable weapons always go to the far left of the place setting. In the Dollhouse trailer, we get Did I fall asleep? For a little while. 5. Friday night Death Slot. On Nov. 10, Fox announced that Dollhouse would debut on Friday nights (starting in February), following the ratings-challenged Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Friday night has traditionally meant cancellation for shows of the sci-fi persuasion, The X-Files being the lone exception. We're talking Sliders, Dark Angel and the infamous Firefly. The term Friday Night Death Slot even has its own page on Wikipedia. I'm
[RE][scifinoir2] Re: Depp, Burton in Dark Shadows
Just like any other good soap. I remember watching the show first run with my maternal grandmother, Deity rest her well, along with Another World, The Edge of Night and As The World Turns. -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Re: Depp, Burton in Dark Shadows Date : Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:58:45 - From : Meta [EMAIL PROTECTED] To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Same here. I was watching it recently online line and it occurred to me that there was enough cheese to make a mean toasted sandwich.:) Meta --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, marian_changling wrote: I was one of those that rushed home to see Dark Shadows also. I bought the books and the soundtrack. I guess I would have bought the action figures if there had been such a thing at that time. I didn't get into normal soap operas. Dark Shadows was a goth soap opera before goth was in. By the way, I tried watching the reruns when they were shown later and I don't know what drug I was on. They were horrible in a funny way. Nevertheless, when someone tried to bring the show back again awhile back with new actors, there I was glued to the TV again for the second try. I think dark romantic tales about hopeless love will always find watchers. I liked Forever Knight for the same reason. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, KeithBJohnson@ wrote: Thanks, what's the attraction for Dark Shadows? I was probably around eight or nine when I tried to watch it, and found it to be drab and a bit morose and depressing in its atmosphere. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
[RE][scifinoir2] The mouse hits 40-year milestone
I would celebrate, but my touchpad gets very, VERY jealous... -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] The mouse hits 40-year milestone Date : Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:33:22 -0500 From : brent wodehouse [EMAIL PROTECTED] To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7768481.stm The mouse hits 40-year milestone By Mark Ward Technology correspondent, BBC News The humble computer mouse celebrates its 40th anniversary today. On 9 December 1968 hi-tech visionary Douglas Engelbart first used one to demonstrate novel ways of working with computers. The first mouse that Dr Engelbart used in the demo at the Fall Joint Computer Conference (FJCC) was made of wood and had one button. Much of the technology shown off in the demo inspired the creation of the hardware and software now widely used. It was a good show, but it was all real, said Dr Jeff Rulifson, now director of Sun's VLSI research group but in 1968 architect and lead programmer for the software shown off at the FJCC. Pioneering work A day of celebration is planned in California to mark the 40th anniversary; with many of the researchers behind the original demo reunited to mark the event. The mouse, which was built by Bill English, helped Dr Engelbart demonstrate how text files could be clipped, copied and pasted as well as showing ways of using computer networks to collaborate on projects or co-edit documents. Dr Rulifson joined the group that Dr Engelbart assembled at the Stanford Research Institute in California after meeting the charismatic engineer while attending the FJCC in 1965. I met Doug and got thoroughly enchanted, Dr Rulifson told the BBC. I really understood what he was after. I was blown away by the ideas. Dr Engelbart wanted computers to act as helpers that augmented human intelligence and enabled people to operate far more efficiently and productively than they would without such tools. The 1968 demonstration showed off the computer system, called NLS, developed to put these ideas into practical form. Most of this, said Dr Rulifson, had to be invented by the team at SRI. There were bits and pieces all around, he said. There was no completely unique set of ideas but we pulled it all together. Although the mouse was central to what NLS could do, said Dr Rulifson, there was more to what Dr Engelbart wanted to achieve. I think people get fixated on the mouse, he said. It's a symbol they can hang on to but the idea behind it was this idea of putting text into NLS and giving it an entirely new flexibility. We had full text editing and hyperlinks - the mass of what we use today, said Dr Rulifson. In the 1968 demo Dr Rulifson was at the SRI Lab and appeared on screen in Brooks Hall auditorium while helping Dr Engelbart to show how co-workers could use NLS to collaborate. The demo was so far ahead of other uses of computers at the time and the technology on show was so powerfully convincing that one attendee later likened Dr Engelbart's efforts to dealing lightning with both hands. Command set Not only did NLS impress the audience at the FJCC, but it also became the first program scheduled to be used across the fledgling Arpanet that was just being built. NLS is mentioned in the first RFC - the technical documents that describe the workings of what we know today as the internet. In 1969 SRI, along with UCLA, was one of the two ends of the first link in the network that became Arpanet - and ultimately the internet. Sadly, said Dr Rulifson, NLS did not win enough people over to become the essential tool that Dr Engelbart envisioned. I think what happened was that Doug was very focused on extremely powerful systems for extremely highly-trained people, he said. NLS had 500 single key commands. Learning how to use NLS was a formidable task that few took on - despite its potential. Many of the people that worked with Dr Engelbart at SRI went on to Xerox Parc - another legendary lab in California where many contributed directly to the technologies that led to the personal computer revolution and the world wide web. Only now is Doug Engelbart's vision starting to be realised, said Dr Rulifson, and the world has yet to catch up with the ideas first aired in 1968. Half the vision has come along, said Dr Rulifson. We could see the day when these things would be small enough to carry about. But, he added, Doug was very frustrated with the stuff that grew up around the PC, because it's too static and paper-like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
[FW][RE][scifinoir2] Fought Over Any Good Books Lately?
-[ Received Mail Content ]--
Subject : [RE][scifinoir2] Fought Over Any Good Books Lately?
Date : Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:23:07 -0500 (EST)
From : Martin Baxter [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
p {margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}Thank you for this, Brent. IMO, this
speaks to a problem endemic in literature today.
It's almost a lost art form. So many writers have been busy trying to say
something that they *don't* say anything. And it's not just in pop-lit,
either. Look at our own beloved genre. A couple of days ago, Tracey posted a
thread asking us to name five books we each read and liked this year. I've read
dozens, but I'm not really willing to recommend more than one, Jim Butcher's
last Dresden novel. I saw the latest in his Alera Codex series yesterday when I
was killing time in a Borders downtown, and I couldn't get through ten pages of
it.
-[ Received Mail Content ]--
Subject : [scifinoir2] Fought Over Any Good Books Lately?
Date : Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:56:52 -0500
From : brent wodehouse [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To : [EMAIL PROTECTED], scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/fashion/07clubs.html?_r=1amp;partner=MOREOVERFEATURESamp;ei=5040
Fought Over Any Good Books Lately?
By JOANNE KAUFMAN
Published: December 5, 2008
JOCELYN BOWIE was thrilled by the invitation to join a book group. She had
just returned to her hometown, Bloomington, Ind., to take an
administration job at Indiana University, and thought she had won a ticket
to a top echelon. I was hoping to network with all these women in
upper-level jobs at I.U., then I found they were in the book group, she
said. I thought, Great! Theyll see how wonderful I am, and well have
these great conversations about books.
Ms. Bowie cannot pinpoint the precise moment when disillusion replaced
delight. Maybe it was the evening she tried to persuade everyone to look
beyond Oprah Winfreys picks, and they all said Whats wrong with
Oprah? she said.
Or perhaps it was the meeting when she lobbied for literary classics like
Emma and the rest of the group was abuzz about The Secret Life of
Bees, a pop-lit best seller.
The last straw came when the group picked The Da Vinci Code and someone
suggested the discussion would be enriched by delving into the authors
source material. It was bad enough that they wanted to read Da Vinci
Code in the first place, Ms. Bowie said, but then they wanted to talk
about it. She quit shortly after, making up a polite excuse: I told the
organizer, Youre reading fiction, and Im reading history right now.
Yes, its a nice, high-minded idea to join a book group, a way to make
friends and read books that might otherwise sit untouched. But what
happens when you wind up hating all the literary selections - or the other
members? Breaking up isnt so hard to do when it means freedom from inane
critical commentary, political maneuvering, hurt feelings, bad chick lit
and even worse chardonnay.
Who knew a book group could be such a soap opera? said Barb Burg, senior
vice president at Bantam Dell, which publishes many titles adopted by book
groups. Youd think it would just be about the book. But wherever I go,
people want to talk to me about the infighting and the politics.
One member may push for John Updike, while everyone else is set on John
Grisham. One person wants to have a glass of wine and talk about the book,
while everyone else wants to get drunk and talk about their spouses.
There are all these power struggles about what book gets chosen, Ms.
Burg said. Then come the complaints: Its too long, its too short, its
not literary enough, its too literary ...
The literary societies of the 19th century seemed content to leave the
drama to authors and poets, whom they discussed with great seriousness of
purpose. Some book groups evolved from sewing circles, which gave women a
chance to exercise their intellect and have a social gathering, said
Rachel W. Jacobsohn, author of The Reading Group Handbook, which gives a
history of the format plus dos and donts for modern hosts.
Today there are perhaps four million to five million book groups in the
United States, and the number is thought to be rising, said Ann Kent, the
founder of Book Group Expo, an annual gathering of readers and authors.
I firmly believe there was an uptick in the number of book groups after
9/11, and Im expecting another increase in these difficult economic
times, she said. Were looking to stay connected and to have a form of
entertainment thats affordable, and book groups are an easy avenue for
that.
Most groups are all-female, but there are plenty of all-male and coed
ones. Lately there have emerged plenty of online-only book groups too,
though - given the difficulty of flinging a drink in the face of a member
who suggests reading Trollope - those are clearly a different animal.
And more clubs
[RE][scifinoir2] Fought Over Any Good Books Lately?
Thank you for this, Brent. IMO, this speaks to a problem endemic in literature today. It's almost a lost art form. So many writers have been busy trying to say something that they *don't* say anything. And it's not just in pop-lit, either. Look at our own beloved genre. A couple of days ago, Tracey posted a thread asking us to name five books we each read and liked this year. I've read dozens, but I'm not really willing to recommend more than one, Jim Butcher's last Dresden novel. I saw the latest in his Alera Codex series yesterday when I was killing time in a Borders downtown, and I couldn't get through ten pages of it. -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Fought Over Any Good Books Lately? Date : Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:56:52 -0500 From : brent wodehouse [EMAIL PROTECTED] To : [EMAIL PROTECTED], scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/fashion/07clubs.html?_r=1amp;partner=MOREOVERFEATURESamp;ei=5040 Fought Over Any Good Books Lately? By JOANNE KAUFMAN Published: December 5, 2008 JOCELYN BOWIE was thrilled by the invitation to join a book group. She had just returned to her hometown, Bloomington, Ind., to take an administration job at Indiana University, and thought she had won a ticket to a top echelon. I was hoping to network with all these women in upper-level jobs at I.U., then I found they were in the book group, she said. I thought, Great! Theyll see how wonderful I am, and well have these great conversations about books. Ms. Bowie cannot pinpoint the precise moment when disillusion replaced delight. Maybe it was the evening she tried to persuade everyone to look beyond Oprah Winfreys picks, and they all said Whats wrong with Oprah? she said. Or perhaps it was the meeting when she lobbied for literary classics like Emma and the rest of the group was abuzz about The Secret Life of Bees, a pop-lit best seller. The last straw came when the group picked The Da Vinci Code and someone suggested the discussion would be enriched by delving into the authors source material. It was bad enough that they wanted to read Da Vinci Code in the first place, Ms. Bowie said, but then they wanted to talk about it. She quit shortly after, making up a polite excuse: I told the organizer, Youre reading fiction, and Im reading history right now. Yes, its a nice, high-minded idea to join a book group, a way to make friends and read books that might otherwise sit untouched. But what happens when you wind up hating all the literary selections - or the other members? Breaking up isnt so hard to do when it means freedom from inane critical commentary, political maneuvering, hurt feelings, bad chick lit and even worse chardonnay. Who knew a book group could be such a soap opera? said Barb Burg, senior vice president at Bantam Dell, which publishes many titles adopted by book groups. Youd think it would just be about the book. But wherever I go, people want to talk to me about the infighting and the politics. One member may push for John Updike, while everyone else is set on John Grisham. One person wants to have a glass of wine and talk about the book, while everyone else wants to get drunk and talk about their spouses. There are all these power struggles about what book gets chosen, Ms. Burg said. Then come the complaints: Its too long, its too short, its not literary enough, its too literary ... The literary societies of the 19th century seemed content to leave the drama to authors and poets, whom they discussed with great seriousness of purpose. Some book groups evolved from sewing circles, which gave women a chance to exercise their intellect and have a social gathering, said Rachel W. Jacobsohn, author of The Reading Group Handbook, which gives a history of the format plus dos and donts for modern hosts. Today there are perhaps four million to five million book groups in the United States, and the number is thought to be rising, said Ann Kent, the founder of Book Group Expo, an annual gathering of readers and authors. I firmly believe there was an uptick in the number of book groups after 9/11, and Im expecting another increase in these difficult economic times, she said. Were looking to stay connected and to have a form of entertainment thats affordable, and book groups are an easy avenue for that. Most groups are all-female, but there are plenty of all-male and coed ones. Lately there have emerged plenty of online-only book groups too, though - given the difficulty of flinging a drink in the face of a member who suggests reading Trollope - those are clearly a different animal. And more clubs means more acrimony. Sometimes there is a rambler in the group, whose opinion far outlasts the natural interest of others, or a pedant, who never met a literary reference she did not yearn to sling. The most common cause of dissatisfaction and departures? Its because theres an
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Is Dollhouse Doomed? 7 Trouble Signs
I enjoyed the movie welcome to the dollhouse... but i can assure i wouldn't want to see it weekend and weekend out... i like me some random messed up independent films. for what it's--not like i'm tellling you something you don't already know--dollhouse, no matter how doomed it is, is not going to be like that movie :D so be easy... lol Grayson Reyes-Cole http://www.graysonreyescole.com Facebook Bright Star When evil is done for the greater good, a price must always be paid... In Print April 6, 2009 Ghost Writer Reviews: Grayson-Reyes Cole is an incredibly imaginative and original writer, and fans of dark fantasy, modern fantasy, and science fiction will enjoy “Bright Star” . Read the full review at http://ghostwriterreviews.com/index.php?main_page=product_infoproducts_id=608 --- On Tue, 12/9/08, ravenadal [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: ravenadal [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Is Dollhouse Doomed? 7 Trouble Signs To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2008, 3:35 PM For me the problem has always been the title. Every time I see Dollhouse I think of Todd Solondz's Welcome to the Dollhouse, which, while critically acclaimed, is artsy-fartsy, more than a little bit precious, and nothing I want to see week in and week out. In fact, my interest in Dollhouse wasn't peeked until I saw a still picture of Dushku (bless you!) looking hot in her Dollhouse costume in a recent issue of Entertainment Weekly. The astro-cowgirl chic - think Gina Torres in Firefly - gets to me. It's just the way I'm hot-wired. ~rave! --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED] ups.com, Tracey de Morsella [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Is Dollhouse Doomed? 7 Trouble Signs Rejoicing ensued when word came that Joss Whedon--creator of the beloved Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly--was returning to network TV with Fox's upcoming SF series Dollhouse, starring Buffy/Angel alumna Eliza Dushku (Faith). But that was months ago. And in the wake of news about the show's troubled development process, the buzz may be turning ugly. This may sound ridiculously nerdy, but I'm kinda scared to get all emotionally invested with another of Whedon's shows after the cancellation of Firefly, one person posted on YouTube.com after Dollhouse's trailer debuted there. We are all big supporters of Whedon, too, but we have to worry ourselves, just like these others: In Joss we trust, but not Fox. Should we start the 'Save Dollhouse' petitions now? :0) So true. Let's hope Fox doesn't mess this up!! There is a space on the market for a show like this. Alias, Dark Angel, BTVS, Bionic Woman all gone. My fingers are well and truly crossed. One of the most anticipated shows of the season, Dollhouse has had one of the most troubled preproduction journeys of any show in recent history. Dollhouse follows a group of mind-wiped secret agents who have different personalities and skills implanted in their brains for each mission. Dushku plays Echo, one of the dolls who is starting to become self-aware. Going by premise alone, the show should be Whedon gold. But the devil is in the details. Here are seven reasons to worry. This story continue below the video window. http://link. brightcove. com/services/ link/bcpid154514 8137/bctid190252 03 42 1. Pilot issues. Whedon filmed the pilot episode, Echo. Then it was announced that Echo would now be the second episode, and a new first episode was being shot. Then the pilot was thrown out completely. This is disturbingly similar to what happened on Firefly, Whedon's last network show, which Fox canceled abruptly in the middle of its first season. In the case of Firefly, the original two-hour pilot was bumped to later in the show, and a new one-hour segment was shot to introduce viewers to the complicated 'verse of the series. In the case of Dollhouse, Fox suits were reportedly concerned that the original pilot was too hard to follow. Once it became clear what paradigm the network was shooting for, it just didn't fit at all, even after I'd reshot more than half of it, Whedon posted on the site Whedonesque. com. How do you not know what the network is looking for? Didn't they tell you? This story continues below the image. dollhouse Stars Tahmoh Penikett (left) and Eliza Dushku (right) with creator Joss Whedon. 2. Work stoppage. Production was actually halted. Twice. Once for script issues on the fourth episode, and once for the sixth and seventh. Whedon said in a blog, To get a sense of how completely turned around I was during this process, you should know there was a scene with Eliza and the astonishing Ashley Johnson that I wrote and shot completely differently three different times, with different characters in different places (actually I wrote it closer to eight times), and none of it will ever see air. Really? The creator of the show had to reshoot something
Re: [scifinoir2] Depp, Burton in Dark Shadows
Only if it's on SciFi or LifeTime, I'd warrant. Traditional soaps are losing viewers and network support. There's talk of them being extinct in a few years. -- Original message -- From: Rising Sun [EMAIL PROTECTED] With all the interest in Vampires maybe that gothic soap will come back? That was my grans fav show!!! RS=D --- On Sat, 12/6/08, [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Depp, Burton in Dark Shadows To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Date: Saturday, December 6, 2008, 10:47 AM i guess Depp would play Barnabas Collins? Isn't that the lead guy's name? Was he a vampyr? -- Original message -- From: Bosco Bosco [EMAIL PROTECTED] com Hot Hot Hot Hot Damn. I am suddenly ON FIRE. This is awesome B --- On Fri, 12/5/08, Tracey de Morsella [EMAIL PROTECTED] aladvantage. com wrote: From: Tracey de Morsella [EMAIL PROTECTED] aladvantage. com Subject: [scifinoir2] Depp, Burton in Dark Shadows To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ups.com Date: Friday, December 5, 2008, 4:25 PM Depp, Burton in Dark Shadows Goth soap opera movie will be duo's next project. by Orlando Parfitt, IGN UK UK, December 4, 2008 - Hollywood super-producer Richard D. Zanuck has told collider.com that Johnny Depp and Tim Burton's movie update of the cult gothic U.S. soap opera Dark Shadows (first announced last year) will be their next collaboration. He said the pair will get cracking on the project next summer in London, after they've finished working on Alice in Wonderland. The original Dark Shadows ran in the late '60s and revolved around a governess who arrived to work at a big mansion, only to find it inhabited by vampires, witches, monsters and all manner of other supernatural goings-on. Johnny Depp was apparently obsessed with the show from a young age and has always been keen to play vampire Barnabus Collins. http://movies. ign.com/articles /935/935596p1. html
Re: [scifinoir2] New Sci Fi Series On Showtime by Supernatural producer
Remember "Total Recall 2070" back in the day? Back when Showtime and Scifi both had good Friday evening lineups? The talk of synthetic humans put me in mind of that show, which was a hybrid of both "Total Recall" and "BladeRunner". Alas, i no longer have premium channels, so won't get to see it unless it's made available online. -- Original message -- From: "Tracey de Morsella" [EMAIL PROTECTED] New Sci Fi Series On Showtime Supernatural producer brings Syns to cable. http://tv.ign.com/articles/936/936741p1.html by Matt Fowler December 8, 2008 - Are you a fan of clones? Replicants? Skinjobs? Cyborgs might even do. On the tails of Joss Whedon's upcoming Dollhouse series, about a den of programmable and rentable human blank slates, comes a new show over at Showtime. Syns is a new Sci-Fi series being produced by John McNamara (Jericho) and Sera Gamble (Supernatural). According to The Hollywood Reporter, Syns is about a future society where synthetic humans are used for various tasks. Some are for manual labor. Some of the tasks are a little more sexy. Chris Coelen, CEO of RDF USA, said the project will have "light sci-fi elements, but it's really meant to be rooted in the real world."
Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Fought Over Any Good Books Lately?
I was listening to the news today, a report on how many newspapers continue to go out of business. Of course the Internet's part of the problem, but I also note that many people just don't like to read much news, even on the Net. It's why so many news outlets continue to cut the length of their articles for quick and easy reading--short attention span in the public. And look at how many people love to get their news from shouting cable stations where most of the information is delivered by screaming hosts who inject their own opinions as much as they deliver real news. It's more like some kind of entertainment, like Weekend Update with a pedigree. I note many of my friends who look at me like some kind of alien when I tell them to watch Charlie Rose or The Jim Lehrer News Hour to get real news, calling those programs boring. I see so many people my age and younger who want everything quick and easy, easily digested, with little commitment on their part in terms of actually *working* to learn anything. I wonder if the advent of the Net, instant and text messaging, DVRs, the Daily Show, etc., is indeed creating new generations of people who eschew reading anything of length, let alone the classics? I can think of lots of people i know who no longer read books at all, unless their tech books for work or something. I seem to remember hearing each generation think an innovation was ruining the next generation's intelligence and ability to think critically: the radio was going to kill conversation and reading...the television was going to kill the family time of gathering around the radio, etc. But I do wonder if we are losing things, as you say. Maybe great literature isn't the only thing being lost... -- Original message -- From: Martin Baxter [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thank you for this, Brent. IMO, this speaks to a problem endemic in literature today. It's almost a lost art form. So many writers have been busy trying to say something that they *don't* say anything. And it's not just in pop-lit, either. Look at our own beloved genre. A couple of days ago, Tracey posted a thread asking us to name five books we each read and liked this year. I've read dozens, but I'm not really willing to recommend more than one, Jim Butcher's last Dresden novel. I saw the latest in his Alera Codex series yesterday when I was killing time in a Borders downtown, and I couldn't get through ten pages of it. -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Fought Over Any Good Books Lately? Date : Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:56:52 -0500 From : brent wodehouse [EMAIL PROTECTED] To : [EMAIL PROTECTED], scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/fashion/07clubs.html?_r=1partner=MOREOVERFEATURESei=5040 Fought Over Any Good Books Lately? By JOANNE KAUFMAN Published: December 5, 2008 JOCELYN BOWIE was thrilled by the invitation to join a book group. She had just returned to her hometown, Bloomington, Ind., to take an administration job at Indiana University, and thought she had won a ticket to a top echelon. ÂI was hoping to network with all these women in upper-level jobs at I.U., then I found they were in the book group, she said. ÂI thought, ÂGreat! TheyÂll see how wonderful I am, and weÂll have these great conversations about books.  Ms. Bowie cannot pinpoint the precise moment when disillusion replaced delight. Maybe it was the evening she tried to persuade everyone to look beyond Oprah WinfreyÂs picks, Âand they all said ÂWhatÂs wrong with Oprah?  she said. Or perhaps it was the meeting when she lobbied for literary classics like ÂEmma and the rest of the group was abuzz about ÂThe Secret Life of Bees, a pop-lit best seller. The last straw came when the group picked ÂThe Da Vinci Code and someone suggested the discussion would be enriched by delving into the authorÂs source material. ÂIt was bad enough that they wanted to read ÂDa Vinci Code in the first place, Ms. Bowie said, Âbut then they wanted to talk about it. She quit shortly after, making up a polite excuse: ÂI told the organizer, ÂYouÂre reading fiction, and IÂm reading history right now.  Yes, itÂs a nice, high-minded idea to join a book group, a way to make friends and read books that might otherwise sit untouched. But what happens when you wind up hating all the literary selections - or the other members? Breaking up isnÂt so hard to do when it means freedom from inane critical commentary, political maneuvering, hurt feelings, bad chick lit and even worse chardonnay. ÂWho knew a book group could be such a soap opera? said Barb Burg, senior vice president at Bantam Dell, which publishes many titles adopted by book groups. ÂYouÂd think it would just be about the book. But wherever I go, people want to talk to me about the infighting and the politics. One member may push for John
RE: [scifinoir2] New Sci Fi Series On Showtime by Supernatural producer
About five years ago, Showtime had decided to deviate from scifi to shock in their programming. While I hated their decision, time has proven that their decision has been the right one financially. However, I wish the goal had been to increase subscribers and have a night of scifi (which was profitable for them) and a block of shock programming. I think they did scifi better than scifi channel has From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 6:43 PM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] New Sci Fi Series On Showtime by Supernatural producer Remember Total Recall 2070 back in the day? Back when Showtime and Scifi both had good Friday evening lineups? The talk of synthetic humans put me in mind of that show, which was a hybrid of both Total Recall and BladeRunner. Alas, i no longer have premium channels, so won't get to see it unless it's made available online. -- Original message -- From: Tracey de Morsella [EMAIL PROTECTED] New Sci Fi Series On Showtime Supernatural producer brings Syns to cable. http://tv.ign.com/articles/936/936741p1.html by Matt Fowler http://tv.ign.com/email.html http://clk.atdmt.com/AST/go/111765670/direct/01/ddjIuAi,betNedKktihll http://view.atdmt.com/AST/view/111765670/direct/01/ddjIuAi,betNedKktihll December 8, 2008 - Are you a fan of clones? Replicants? Skinjobs? Cyborgs might even do. On the tails of Joss Whedon's upcoming Dollhouse http://tv.ign.com/objects/142/14215797.html series, about a den of programmable and rentable human blank slates, comes a new show over at Showtime. Syns http://tv.ign.com/objects/143/14304789.html is a new Sci-Fi series being produced by John McNamara (Jericho http://tv.ign.com/objects/828/828170.html ) and Sera Gamble (Supernatural http://tv.ign.com/objects/828/828503.html ). According to The Hollywood Reporter, Syns is about a future society where synthetic humans are used for various tasks. Some are for manual labor. Some of the tasks are a little more.sexy. Chris Coelen, CEO of RDF USA, said the project will have light sci-fi elements, but it's really meant to be rooted in the real world. image001.jpg
[scifinoir2] Gemini Division - What did you think?
Now that the first season of Gemini Division has ended, I was wondering what you guys thought about the series. For those of you who do not know what Gemini Division is, it is a series of 50 five-to-seven minute long webisodes created by Electric Farm Entertainment. The show currently airs on NBC.com/Scifi.com as part of their online content lineup. The series began August 18, 2008. Gemini Division is about an NYC detective (Rosario Dawson) investigating the murder of her fiancé that suddenly appears to be not as it first appears. During the ensuing investigation she uncovers a global conspiracy involving the creation of simulated life forms known as SiMS that have assimilated themselves within the unsuspecting public and a mysterious clandestine organization called Gemini Division that is created to take them down. Gemini Division was produced ill focus on live action with computer generated backgrounds displayed in Flash Video Forma. Gemini Division is also leveraging non-traditional broadcasting to bring further integration between the web and main stream media outlets with the new business model being supported by mobile games, alternate reality websites, character blogs and other forms of digital and interactive content. Subscribers to Verizon FIOS TV and Comcast digital cable are able to see the series via NBC's section of the ON DEMAND service the company provides. The episodes were bundled by week and are set into the services every Friday. I viewed it ON DEMAND. I viewed it on-demand. At first the low-budget production values were a little off-putting. But I adapted and found myself hooked, despite the weaknesses. With NBC and other networks being hit by the economic down-turn, Im wondering if perhaps webisodes and micro targeted audiences with smaller budgets are perhaps the salvation for Tv scifi fans. I see a lot of potential here. Did anyone else check this series out? What did you think? If you want to check it out for yourself, go to http://www.geminidivision.com/
RE: [scifinoir2] New Sci Fi Series On Showtime by Supernatural producer
agreed -- Original message -- From: "Tracey de Morsella" [EMAIL PROTECTED] About five years ago, Showtime had decided to deviate from scifi to shock in their programming. While I hated their decision, time has proven that their decision has been the right one financially. However, I wish the goal had been to increase subscribers and have a night of scifi (which was profitable for them) and a block of shock programming. I think they did scifi better than scifi channel has From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]ups.com [mailto:scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of KeithBJohnson@comcast.netSent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 6:43 PMTo: [EMAIL PROTECTED]ups.comSubject: Re: [scifinoir2] New Sci Fi Series On Showtime by Supernatural producer Remember "Total Recall 2070" back in the day? Back when Showtime and Scifi both had good Friday evening lineups? The talk of synthetic humans put me in mind of that show, which was a hybrid of both "Total Recall" and "BladeRunner". Alas, i no longer have premium channels, so won't get to see it unless it's made available online. -- Original message -- From: "Tracey de Morsella" [EMAIL PROTECTED]aladvantage.com New Sci Fi Series On Showtime Supernatural producer brings Syns to cable. http://tv.ign.com/articles/936/936741p1.html by Matt Fowler December 8, 2008 - Are you a fan of clones? Replicants? Skinjobs? Cyborgs might even do. On the tails of Joss Whedon's upcoming Dollhouse series, about a den of programmable and rentable human blank slates, comes a new show over at Showtime. Syns is a new Sci-Fi series being produced by John McNamara (Jericho) and Sera Gamble (Supernatural). According to The Hollywood Reporter, Syns is about a future society where synthetic humans are used for various tasks. Some are for manual labor. Some of the tasks are a little more sexy. Chris Coelen, CEO of RDF USA, said the project will have "light sci-fi elements, but it's really meant to be rooted in the real world."
[scifinoir2] Any Afterworld Fans?
Ok, so after I realized that I was not going to get my weekly fix of Gemini Division, I decided to research the production company, Electric Farm Productions, and see if they had ever produced anything else. I was not disappointed. I found out that they produced a web series called Afterworld. I think I liked Afterworld even more than Gemini Division. Additionally, its format seems more potentially accessible to comic book and graphic novel producers.The show was released on YouTube and repackaged and marketed on MySpace, SciFi Australia, and other outlets for distribution around the globe. It is comprised of 130 3 - 5 minute episodes presented in a graphic novel format. Some distributers package the show in 15 minute blocks. There is an accompanying journal and something called the word wall which are used to tell various side stories or provide additional details to the main story. Again, I found the unfamiliar format a little off putting at first, but after about 15 minutes of watching, I was hooked even more than I was with Gemini Division. I cannot waited until they release season three.Are there other web shows out there? I'm ready for more. The following is the plot of Afterword: After travelling to New York City on a business trip, Russell Shoemaker wakes to find all electronic technology dead and more than 99% of the human race missing. Driven by a need to discover the truth and determined to return to his family, he embarks on a journey to his home in Seattle, while recording and telling all of the events in his journal. Afterworld is the story of Russell's 3,000-mile (4,800 km) trek across a post-apocalyptic America as he encounters the strange new societies rebuilding themselves. Along the way, he also attempts to solve the mystery of what caused this global event, which survivors refer to as the Fall. In addition to new forms of government, Russell discovers that technology has failed due to a persistent electromagnetic pulse, a product of a collection of satellites that was activated almost simultaneously to the Fall. An additional side effect of the EMP is the rapid mutation of many forms of life, including Shoemaker himself. He describes that his night-vision has improved dramatically, along with his endurance. Russell's journey eventually brings him to a nearly deserted San Francisco, and the headquarters of an organization known as the Parthia Group, who had developed a form of nano-technology, which identified humans with a particular genetic makeup. Russell Shoemaker becomes a symbol of hope, a modern superhero in search of what matters most, whose arrival is often-times eagerly anticipated by remaining survivors. View as 3 minute episodes http://www.afterworld.tv for 15 minute multi episodes http://www.vuze.com/channel/afterworld has anyone else checked out this series? What did you think? What else is out there that you might recommend?
Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Fought Over Any Good Books Lately?
I am constantly amazed and amused that texting is the favorite mode of communication for a generation that can't read or write. ~(no)rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I was listening to the news today, a report on how many newspapers continue to go out of business. Of course the Internet's part of the problem, but I also note that many people just don't like to read much news, even on the Net. It's why so many news outlets continue to cut the length of their articles for quick and easy reading--short attention span in the public. And look at how many people love to get their news from shouting cable stations where most of the information is delivered by screaming hosts who inject their own opinions as much as they deliver real news. It's more like some kind of entertainment, like Weekend Update with a pedigree. I note many of my friends who look at me like some kind of alien when I tell them to watch Charlie Rose or The Jim Lehrer News Hour to get real news, calling those programs boring. I see so many people my age and younger who want everything quick and easy, easily digested, with little commitment on their part in terms of actually *working* to learn anything. I wonder if the advent of the Net, instant and text messaging, DVRs, the Daily Show, etc., is indeed creating new generations of people who eschew reading anything of length, let alone the classics? I can think of lots of people i know who no longer read books at all, unless their tech books for work or something. I seem to remember hearing each generation think an innovation was ruining the next generation's intelligence and ability to think critically: the radio was going to kill conversation and reading...the television was going to kill the family time of gathering around the radio, etc. But I do wonder if we are losing things, as you say. Maybe great literature isn't the only thing being lost... -- Original message -- From: Martin Baxter [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thank you for this, Brent. IMO, this speaks to a problem endemic in literature today. It's almost a lost art form. So many writers have been busy trying to say something that they *don't* say anything. And it's not just in pop-lit, either. Look at our own beloved genre. A couple of days ago, Tracey posted a thread asking us to name five books we each read and liked this year. I've read dozens, but I'm not really willing to recommend more than one, Jim Butcher's last Dresden novel. I saw the latest in his Alera Codex series yesterday when I was killing time in a Borders downtown, and I couldn't get through ten pages of it. -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Fought Over Any Good Books Lately? Date : Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:56:52 -0500 From : brent wodehouse [EMAIL PROTECTED] To : [EMAIL PROTECTED], scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/fashion/07clubs.html? _r=1partner=MOREOVERFEATURESei=5040 Fought Over Any Good Books Lately? By JOANNE KAUFMAN Published: December 5, 2008 JOCELYN BOWIE was thrilled by the invitation to join a book group. She had just returned to her hometown, Bloomington, Ind., to take an administration job at Indiana University, and thought she had won a ticket to a top echelon. ÂI was hoping to network with all these women in upper-level jobs at I.U., then I found they were in the book group, she said. ÂI thought, Â`Great! TheyÂ'll see how wonderful I am, and weÂ'll have these great conversations about books.Â'  Ms. Bowie cannot pinpoint the precise moment when disillusion replaced delight. Maybe it was the evening she tried to persuade everyone to look beyond Oprah WinfreyÂ's picks, Âand they all said Â`WhatÂ's wrong with Oprah?Â'  she said. Or perhaps it was the meeting when she lobbied for literary classics like ÂEmma and the rest of the group was abuzz about ÂThe Secret Life of Bees, a pop-lit best seller. The last straw came when the group picked ÂThe Da Vinci Code and someone suggested the discussion would be enriched by delving into the authorÂ's source material. ÂIt was bad enough that they wanted to read Â`Da Vinci CodeÂ' in the first place, Ms. Bowie said, Âbut then they wanted to talk about it. She quit shortly after, making up a polite excuse: ÂI told the organizer, Â`YouÂ're reading fiction, and IÂ'm reading history right now.Â'  Yes, itÂ's a nice, high-minded idea to join a book group, a way to make friends and read books that might otherwise sit untouched. But what happens when you wind up hating all the literary selections - or the other members? Breaking up isnÂ't so hard to do when it means freedom from inane critical commentary, political maneuvering, hurt feelings, bad chick lit and even worse chardonnay. ÂWho knew a book group could be such a soap opera? said
Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Fought Over Any Good Books Lately?
I hear your laments, especially regarding newspapers. I love newspapers and I have arranged my work life (my shift starts at 11 am) so I can drink coffee, listen to sports talk radio and read two newspapers before I go to work. I started reading the Chicago Tribune years ago because it was still a real newspaper. Then financial speculator Sam Zell bought it, loaded it down with debt and turned it into a glorified version of USA Today in hopes of raising ad revenues. Thus far he has only been successful in ruining a great newspaper. ~(no)rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I was listening to the news today, a report on how many newspapers continue to go out of business. Of course the Internet's part of the problem, but I also note that many people just don't like to read much news, even on the Net. It's why so many news outlets continue to cut the length of their articles for quick and easy reading--short attention span in the public. And look at how many people love to get their news from shouting cable stations where most of the information is delivered by screaming hosts who inject their own opinions as much as they deliver real news. It's more like some kind of entertainment, like Weekend Update with a pedigree. I note many of my friends who look at me like some kind of alien when I tell them to watch Charlie Rose or The Jim Lehrer News Hour to get real news, calling those programs boring. I see so many people my age and younger who want everything quick and easy, easily digested, with little commitment on their part in terms of actually *working* to learn anything. I wonder if the advent of the Net, instant and text messaging, DVRs, the Daily Show, etc., is indeed creating new generations of people who eschew reading anything of length, let alone the classics? I can think of lots of people i know who no longer read books at all, unless their tech books for work or something. I seem to remember hearing each generation think an innovation was ruining the next generation's intelligence and ability to think critically: the radio was going to kill conversation and reading...the television was going to kill the family time of gathering around the radio, etc. But I do wonder if we are losing things, as you say. Maybe great literature isn't the only thing being lost... -- Original message -- From: Martin Baxter [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thank you for this, Brent. IMO, this speaks to a problem endemic in literature today. It's almost a lost art form. So many writers have been busy trying to say something that they *don't* say anything. And it's not just in pop-lit, either. Look at our own beloved genre. A couple of days ago, Tracey posted a thread asking us to name five books we each read and liked this year. I've read dozens, but I'm not really willing to recommend more than one, Jim Butcher's last Dresden novel. I saw the latest in his Alera Codex series yesterday when I was killing time in a Borders downtown, and I couldn't get through ten pages of it. -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Fought Over Any Good Books Lately? Date : Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:56:52 -0500 From : brent wodehouse [EMAIL PROTECTED] To : [EMAIL PROTECTED], scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/fashion/07clubs.html? _r=1partner=MOREOVERFEATURESei=5040 Fought Over Any Good Books Lately? By JOANNE KAUFMAN Published: December 5, 2008 JOCELYN BOWIE was thrilled by the invitation to join a book group. She had just returned to her hometown, Bloomington, Ind., to take an administration job at Indiana University, and thought she had won a ticket to a top echelon. ÂI was hoping to network with all these women in upper-level jobs at I.U., then I found they were in the book group, she said. ÂI thought, Â`Great! TheyÂ'll see how wonderful I am, and weÂ'll have these great conversations about books.Â'  Ms. Bowie cannot pinpoint the precise moment when disillusion replaced delight. Maybe it was the evening she tried to persuade everyone to look beyond Oprah WinfreyÂ's picks, Âand they all said Â`WhatÂ's wrong with Oprah?Â'  she said. Or perhaps it was the meeting when she lobbied for literary classics like ÂEmma and the rest of the group was abuzz about ÂThe Secret Life of Bees, a pop-lit best seller. The last straw came when the group picked ÂThe Da Vinci Code and someone suggested the discussion would be enriched by delving into the authorÂ's source material. ÂIt was bad enough that they wanted to read Â`Da Vinci CodeÂ' in the first place, Ms. Bowie said, Âbut then they wanted to talk about it. She quit shortly after, making up a polite excuse: ÂI told the organizer, Â`YouÂ're reading fiction, and IÂ'm reading history right now.Â'  Yes, itÂ's a nice, high-minded idea to join a
[scifinoir2] FW: With VASIMIR Engine Reach Mars in 39 Days
From: Chris de Morsella [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 10:43 PM To: 'Tracey de Morsella' Subject: VASIMIR engine http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=2507 VASIMR and the Nuclear http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=2507 Question It's safe to say that Franklin Chang-Diaz knows what he's talking about when he discusses the space experience. An astronaut who has logged seven flights and over 1600 hours in space (a period that includes three spacewalks), Chang-Diaz has been making even more impressive news in recent times with his Ad Astra Rocket Company http://www.adastrarocket.com/home1.html , where the VASIMR (Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket) is under development. It's heartening to think of VASIMR undergoing space-based tests, a future that is now in the cards with the news http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/06/vasimr_plasma_for_iss_griffin_remar k/ that NASA has plans to test the VASIMR engine aboard the International Space Station. We naturally think long-term here, but VASIMR's uses in potential missions to Mars (Chang-Diaz talks about a 39-day trip to the planet!) and beyond will first have to be shaken out in near-Earth orbit. But ponder a VASIMR gradually becoming operational, mounting missions to communications satellites that are now economically all but unreachable. Indeed, VASIMR sets up the potential for servicing a wide range of space technologies, keeping them viable even as we move back to the Moon and find the need to service and re-supply a colony there, a tricky and expensive process with chemical rockets. This is heady stuff that's coming in the short term. Here's what Chang-Diaz told an interviewer http://www.adastrarocket.com/CW102spacefinal.pdf late last year, when asked about timelines for the technology: We are on a fast track to complete the first flight-like VASIMR prototype, the VX-200 by early 2008. This device will be in all ways identical to the flight engine but will not fly. We plan to complete the characterization of this prototype by mid 2008 and begin the design of the VF-200-1 and the VF-200-2, the first flight engines, which will be ready for flight in late 2010 and 2011 respectively. By 2012 we expect to have both engines operating in space in two different venues. By the middle of the next decade we plan to fly more powerful engines in a lunar cargo vehicle, which is presently in our drawing boards. This vehicle could enable economically sustainable re-supply services to the Moon colonies and also be used to access space resources such as water and metals on comets and near Earth asteroids. By the end of the next decade, Ad Astra plans to begin construction of a lunar rocket test facility that will enable us to fully test the very powerful VASIMR rockets needed for missions to Mars and beyond. These rockets require a vacuum and a suitable facility large enough is not practical to build on Earth. Using plasma heated by radio waves and channeled magnetically, VASIMR offers major benefits in fuel efficiency and thrust in a system that can be adapted for robotic cargo missions as well as faster manned operations. The ISS would not only provide the venue for early testing in space but also point to a major future use, the maintenance of large structures in orbit without burning far more inefficient rocket fuel to do the job. At the ISS, the plasma drive would draw its power from solar panels, but the kind of output needed for a mission to Mars would inevitably demand an onboard nuclear powerplant. Thus we circle back to the nuclear issue, an obvious political problem that has plagued the development of space systems designed for operations far from the Sun. Remember the fear inspired by Cassini's 1999 Earth flyby on its way to Saturn? Cassini's radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) have to be used in venues where the Sun's rays are weak, but anti-nuclear activists spoke of an environmental catastrophe if the craft hit the Earth. The obvious success of the mission has only put the nuclear question on hold rather than answering it. Mars in 39 days is a grand concept, but it means a nuclear option is in play that will generate more than its share of renewed protests. Brace yourself.
[scifinoir2] Post Your SciFiNoir People Profile
Hi SciFiNoir Family. For over a decade, many of you have been submitting your profile via email to the group. A few years ago, we started using Frapper to see which members lived near each other. Recently Yahoogroups has added a new set of features that allows us to do that and more. So I set up the SciFiNoir People Profile Map It is a new profile section of our group that enables us to let other members know more about our specific interests in science fiction. If you have a sci-fi related blog, web site, book, comic, graphic novel, web series, club, publishing firm, production company, etc., this is one of the best places to let members know about what you are doing. It is also a great tool for finding out which members are located near you. I have taken the first step and posted my profile, it is my hope that you will all do the same.Thanks Go to the following link to see the SciFiNoir People Profile Map http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2 Post your profile at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=map If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me. Tracey de Morsella, your moderator [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SciFiNoir2/
