I've been waiting for an open thread.

Question: What makes "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" (which I enjoy immensely) a good book?

There is essentially no plot (Shukov ends the day where he started, no happier, no sadder, no wiser) and the entirety is worldbuilding, yet it is strangely compelling.

Is it simply the ultimate in "show me" (the repression of the Stalinist society) rather than "tell me" (Stalin was bad and his society sucked)?

Help me out, here. I reread it last weekend and, while I still enjoy it immensely, I don't understand why...

Posted November 13, 2007 5:27 PM by Richard Campbell

Never commented on Making Light before. Hope this works.

Can anyone recommend an English translation of The Brothers Karamazov? I figure it's about time I read it.

Posted November 13, 2007 5:29 PM by Greg

We shouldn't be using this thread until (at least) Service Pack 2 has been released.

Posted November 13, 2007 5:34 PM by Jon Meltzer

Greg @ 9...

Weren't they the guys who used to entertain worldcons with the juggling of bowling balls?
("Pssst! I think those were the flying Brothers Karamazov.")
Oh.

Posted November 13, 2007 5:36 PM by Serge

Richard @ 8:

That's a good question. I'm not sure that I can properly articulate an answer. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is one of my favorite books; I first read it in high school for that year's Academic Decathlon, and have reread it a few times since.

Like you, I'm unsure why I like it so much or why it's so damn good. I think it's how smoothly we're dropped into that life, that day. It's profoundly satisfying (to me, at least) to have the experience of knowing someone, and from the perch that we're given in Ivan Denisovich, we do--that day, at least.

It's been at least a year since I last reread it, so I'd have to pick it up again before I could really begin to comment more seriously, but I did want to share your enthusiasm for the book.

Posted November 13, 2007 5:37 PM by Alberto

Random comment, re PNH's particle on the Ars Technica review of the Sony PRS-505 ebook reader: I picked one up last month, and I really like it. Unlike its predecessors, it's sufficiently compatible with a Linux/OS/X gearhead's lifestyle to be usable, and open source software support is available here. It's a whole lot easier on the eyeball than any backlit LCD I've tried, and it's a third the weight of a hardback. Unless you absolutely insist on being able to buy DRM'd ebooks from Sony, or being able to read proprietary file formats for other readers without prior conversion, it's great.

(Okay, so I have a low saving throw vs. Shiny!, and I've been reading ebooks on PDAs since my Psion 3a, back in 1997, but this one's useful.)

Posted November 13, 2007 5:40 PM by Charlie Stross

A reminder... Tonight's episode of PBS's Nova is a 2-hour special about the Dover school district and the Independent Designers.

Posted November 13, 2007 5:42 PM by Serge

[ The received view is that the conservative christians have taken over the Republican Party. I think the reverse happened. The right wing of the Republican Party has taken over the church. ]

That certainly is what happened with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in which I was brought up; as far as I can recall, it was already beginning in the mid-60's, considering what that newly ordained firecracker of new pastor in my home congregation was like. He even tried to force me to come back home and TESTIFY in front of the congregation that my mother was an adulteress -- because she was now divorced and re-married.

Nevermind that he was too much, then, even for that little congregation, that they let him go, and he had a nervous breakdown and was put into a church treatment center. Surely he was out again, not that long afterwards, and got himself another congregation.

The nation went crazy in more ways than one or two or three or four around 1965. And the loons took over a few decades later. Funny that those 'loons' turned out to be not the ones, say, that my grandfather, thought were the loons and who would destroy the nation (that was the anti-war people, in his opinion).

Love, C.

Posted November 13, 2007 5:43 PM by Constance Ash

Sarah #7: Dress based on the temperature. It's likely to be chilly.

The Cedar Ave. Bridge has sidewalks (GIYF).

Posted November 13, 2007 6:01 PM by Seth Breidbart

I am embarrassed* to realize that I didn't post a thank-you to the people who said nice things about my daughter's picture on the last Open Thread.

Thank you.

* Thank goodness for the spelling reference!

Posted November 13, 2007 6:01 PM by Jen Roth

Serge @ 14 - thanks for the heads up on that.

Posted November 13, 2007 6:06 PM by Steve C.

Lori Coulson #6: I suppose so.

Posted November 13, 2007 6:06 PM by Fragano Ledgister

Sara @7: last time I was in Minneapolis/St. Paul was for the Winter Carnival. It can be cutting cold; the saving grace was the multitude of enclosed walkways.

Two words of advice: (1)tights, not hose. Especially if you must wear a suit. Tights under the suit's pants, if that is your preferred form of suit. (2)Layering; thin cotton cami, cotton shirt, blazer or cardigan, coat. Things may seem too light, but the effect is much warmer than heavy sweater/heavy coat that most winter novices use.

Posted November 13, 2007 6:08 PM by Emma

Seth @ 16:

It looks like the nights will drop below freezing; do you get enough rain that I need to worry about ice when I'm out walking?

I'm not familiar with GIYF; can you translate, please?

Posted November 13, 2007 6:09 PM by Sarah

Google "GIYF" for one possible answer!

Posted November 13, 2007 6:11 PM by Niall McAuley

A world without writers.

Posted November 13, 2007 6:25 PM by Jon Sobel

Serge @ 11

No, I've already read their book, the memoirs from their Trapeze period, "For Good To Make Flying The Easy." I can't help but suspect it was, at best, a poor translation.

I was asking about the Dostoevsky.

(Oh. There really are Flying Karamazov Brothers. Well then.)

Posted November 13, 2007 6:45 PM by Greg

Fragano @ 5: Applause!!

Posted November 13, 2007 6:48 PM by Syd

Thanks, Emma @ 20. I'm accustomed to dressing for rain, which is a very different beast.

Posted November 13, 2007 6:52 PM by Sarah

We are waking up and linking to each other. We are watching. But we are not waiting.

I think The Cluetrain Manifesto is going to give me nightmares.

Posted November 13, 2007 6:59 PM by Dave Hutchinson

Sarah @7,

If you're staying in the Radisson downtown, there's a bus that runs Very Often between downtown and the U of MN: the MTC 16 route -- http://www.metrotransit.org/serviceInfo/route016.asp -- take anything North on Hennepin Ave (out the hotel door to the west, heading to your right) to Washington Ave, where the 16 runs; get a transfer from the first bus driver. In general you can transfer up to 3 times, but not so as to make a round trip. The 16 bus runs about every 10 minutes.

If you'll be in the Radisson University Hotel, you can hop on the free inter-campus shuttle to the West Bank parts of the Law School (the library, unless they've moved it, is on the West Bank; though they have done some splendid building of things since my days at the U). These also run about every 7 to 15 minutes, depending on the time of day. There's an upper deck, complete with glass-enclosed portions to cut the wind, for pedestrians/cyclists on the Washington Avenue Bridge, which is what goes between the East and West Banks of the U over the Mississippi. You can avoid the collapsed I-35W and likely now overcrowded Cedar Ave / 10th Street Bridge (which does have a walkway separated from the roadway very well) by again taking the intercampus bus over towards Dinkytown, which is worth strolling through (bookstores, music, restaurants, etc.) but not likely on your main path for work/hotel.

Enjoy Minneapolis!

The transit website above also has all the info you need for finding your way around the Twin Cities by transit. If you're flying in, and will be between downtown and the school, don't bother to rent a car; take the light rail from the airport, it's around $1.50 (or $2 at rush hour) and the buses/train take dollar bills and any coins.

Emma's advice @20 about numerous light cotton and a windbreaker set of layers rather than the too-light blouse under a too-heavy sweater is absolutely right on; if it's chilly, also remember to drink extra water since the cold precipitates water vapor out to a very dry atmosphere. Do take a long scarf, wrap once tight for warmth and once loose for a breather-pocket that pre-warms your next inhale (a little).

Posted November 13, 2007 7:11 PM by Ruth Temple

@28 make that an endorsement of MULTIPLE layers of cottons, and your coat and hat good against wet / wind as well. Though the temperatures can get chilly, the biggest difference between a Seattle cold and a Minneapolis cold temperature is the lower humidity of the latter. Not necessarily the sort of detail a person can count on one's Friend Google to mention, Seth.

Greg #24: indeed there are Flying Karamazov Brothers, going strong since the late 1970s, working their way sideways from Ren Faires to stage show environments. "hup ho, they juggle!" - and warm up, or used to, by juggling in 5/4 time, and things like that. Nice folks. Glad to see they're taking the fun to Europe and China, I haven't looked at their website in years! Thank you.

Posted November 13, 2007 7:21 PM by Ruth Temple

Syd #25: Thanks.

Posted November 13, 2007 7:24 PM by Fragano Ledgister

Thank you, Ruth, that's all great to know. Cotton sweaters over wool, then? I mostly use wool out here, but it occurs to me that that particular regional preference is probably due to wool staying warm even in an endless drizzle.

Posted November 13, 2007 7:25 PM by Sarah

Sarah@7: we seem to be having a long, warm, fall here. We just had our *first* frost the other night. Right now, it's 50.

Looks like it'll be marginally below freezing the next few nights, but that's the low, so it won't be reached until nearly morning.

Ice tends to be a problem later in the winter rather than sooner, it's mostly compacted old snow rather than newly frozen rain here. But sometimes the weather messes up, fall is unpredictable.

There's an open gathering (they're officially called meetings, but they're actually mostly social, with a 5-minute business meeting that's mostly announcements) of the Minnesota Science Fiction Society this Saturday (17-Nov), if you're into that sort of thing. Afternoon and evening both (details findable from that link). In St. Paul, near Macalester College it sounds like, easily busable.

Posted November 13, 2007 7:28 PM by David Dyer-Bennet

Sarah @7 and 21

Agree with the rest of the posters on dressing in Minneapolis -- hat and gloves are also good for this time of year. The weather is really variable (it was in the 60s today), but it is forcast for highs in the 40s, lows around freezing over the weekend and snow showers on Monday. (kind of a Thanksgiving tradition in these parts.)

As a sort-of proud U of M grad, I can second using the free shuttles between the campuses. If you want to walk, the pedestrian bridge takes 15 to 30 minutes to cross, depending on speed (we had 15 minutes between classes -- it can be done, but that's certainly no fun).

I don't think it'll be cold enough for any of the rain to freeze, but it doesn't hurt to be careful in the morning.

Oh, and I hope you have time to have some fun in the Twin Cities. There's plenty to see right around the U and in Dinkytown, not to mention downtown.

OK, I'll get off my Chamber of Commerce Soap Box and go back to lurking.

Posted November 13, 2007 7:40 PM by Ed

Steve C @ 18... You're welcome. I got that from the ACLU's e-newsletter. (Do I need to use the 'e-' prefix in this day and age?)

Posted November 13, 2007 7:42 PM by Serge

Greg @ 24... I was asking about the Dostoevsky.

The Dancing Dostoevsky Dames?

Posted November 13, 2007 7:43 PM by Serge

Tania... I just got the DVDs. And the t-shirt. And the bear-eating-a-hiker fridge magnet. How much do I owe you for the last 2 items, as I assume that they, unlike the DVDs, aren't loaners?

Posted November 13, 2007 7:46 PM by Serge

(cont'd from #36) Forgot to thank you. I ought to be ashamed of myself. My parents raised me better than that. They also raised me to be 6 feet tall, but that's another story.

Posted November 13, 2007 7:48 PM by Serge

Julie L... I just got your copy of Mike Ford's How Much For Just The Planet? Thank you very much! Payment will be in the mail tomorrow. Hmm... A musical involving the Organians. Sounds very silly. Don't you people(*) be surprised if I ask for an explanation of some of the references.

(*) No, I'm not a troll.

Posted November 13, 2007 7:53 PM by Serge

I don't know if this is a good place to find women who use amphetamines regularly, to treat sleep or attention disorders, or anything else that means taking small doses every day. (But here seems more likely than anywhere else I could think of, so I was waiting for an open thread.) Does it disrupt the menstrual cycle? Or cause hair loss?

Neither of those seem to be written up as standard side effects. I'm not sure if they aren't side effects, or if they're just very unusual. A lot of the target market for this sort of drug seems to be children, so of course they wouldn't notice anything about menstruation. And probably not about hair loss, unless it was really drastic, because kids' hair grows so fast.

Posted November 13, 2007 8:51 PM by Adrian

Ruth @29 has reminded me of my very fond memories of seeing the Flying K's. We have a signed poster from their appearance at our local university's theater. And my family spent many hours discussing the best possible thing to bring for the Challenge, in which (for those not clicking the link) a selected performer will attempt to juggle any three items selected by the audience. One time we saw them the items included a breadbox and a model of the Starship Enterprise (TNG version). Good stuff.

Posted November 13, 2007 8:54 PM by Nomie

Alberto @ 12:

I'll take random gabbling at this point over proper articulation. :-)

Re: satisfying to have the experience to know someone: would it work as well if the person was completely fictional? That is, the reader knows (in general, I believe, it is somewhat drummed in from the back cover forward) that the gulag existed, that Solzhenitsyn was a prisoner there, etc.

Is it possible to bring the reader into a completely fictional world so thoroughly?

If yes, who has done it?

If no, why not?

Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm, though; one day, we'll understand it...

Posted November 13, 2007 8:56 PM by Richard Campbell

A question about winter coats: I'm looking for a good warm coat, something long involving wool. Everything I've found has a polyester lining. Will I regret this? I'm assuming it's the same kind of thing as my current winter coat, which feels very chilly against the skin. I've pretty much resigned myself to another winter of imperfect coat, but if I ask now, I'll probably remember in August, when coats are available.
Unless I've already asked and forgotton. Le sigh.

Posted November 13, 2007 8:57 PM by Diatryma

I have a question especially for the poets of the fluorosphere, but also for everyone else. I'm looking for poets - or prose writers, I suppose, but short prose, not novels - who deal well with grief and learning to accept it as part of your life. Not in a cheesy seven-stages sort of way; one writer who came to mind was Chris Clarke of Creek Running North, after Zeke died last year - now if I could find a *poet* with that kind of writing power, I'd be set. Do you have poems that come to mind on this theme, or writers who you think handle it particularly well?

It doesn't have to be poetry of any particular kind; it's for a song cycle, so one piece I'm already using is a Lorca poem, and anything else that seems immediately adaptable to music would be great, but even if it doesn't jump up and shout "lyrics" it could be good inspiration.

Posted November 13, 2007 9:04 PM by Varia

Diatryma @42: winter where? for Minnesota, these wouldn't work, but they're great for Portland, and a lot of them are really well-designed - and made locally, not by sweatshops, etc. etc. You of course end up paying for the privilege, but I've gotten them as presents for a few Very Special People and they were really well made.

Nau

Posted November 13, 2007 9:08 PM by Varia

I don't find wool warm enough, at least not up here in Canadia. Down coats rule.

Posted November 13, 2007 9:09 PM by Bill

Nomie @ 40: I once brought a breadbox to an FKB show myself (not as much of a coincidence as it might seem, since their rule is "no bigger than a breadbox"). Another time I brought jumper cables, and that time someone else brought a slab of liver. The champ made a valiant effort, but received the Gillette meringue.

Posted November 13, 2007 9:10 PM by Tim Walters

Greg at #9:

Any translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky is worth reading, according to the Russian speaking professor I had when I read the Brothers Karamazov. For myself, I can say that their translation was readable and enjoyable. Fortunately, it's also readily available since it's fashionable. It's the Vintage edition.

Posted November 13, 2007 9:13 PM by Pamela

I spent a few (too many) hours in the emergency room recently. I overheard the following (half) conversation.

Doctor on phone: Yes, sir, I understand... I understand sir.... sir, I need to know... sir, would you tell me the details.... yes, I understand.... I understand.... yes, I understand....

This half conversation went on for quite some time. Doctor finally comes over to the desk, right outside my door, and relayed the details.

It seems that the gentleman on the other end of the call had had surgery at that particular hospital some eight months prior. The gentleman had come to the conclusion that he felt there was a 15% probability the surgeons had implanted a GPS device in him during surgery. Nothing specified as to what the gentleman wanted done about it, just that he *knew*.

---
*crogglement*

Even under the influence of morphine, I still suffered severe crogglement.

Posted November 13, 2007 9:14 PM by Lin Daniel

Eep, Varia, that does matter. I'm in Iowa City. It doesn't get very cold very often, but when it does, it does.

Posted November 13, 2007 9:16 PM by Diatryma

Actually, it appears that the Vintage edition I have is out of print, and you can now get that translation from FSG. Sorry.

Posted November 13, 2007 9:29 PM by Pamela

Serge - Drat. I bet the note I meant to include with the package is still in my car. They are gifties, because I thought they might make you laugh. Hopefully you don't find them too tacky or odd. I love the bear magnet. I have one up on my fridge.

If anyone is interested, here's the fridge magnet and here's the shirt.

I wanted to send this one for Sue, but my local source was sold out.

Posted November 13, 2007 9:36 PM by Tania

I'm going to second Bill's vote on down coats. Jackets are cute and stylish, but if you want to stay warm, get a coat that covers, at the very least, your rear. A cold bottom is a real bummer.

Posted November 13, 2007 9:42 PM by Tania

Diatryma, wool coats generally have polyester or nylon linings because they are made to slide easily over a wool sweater. Or a light fleece jacket. Or something like that. Something designed to be worn over a cotton shirt is likely to be made for less serious cold, even if it feels warmer to the touch.

Posted November 13, 2007 9:52 PM by Adrian

I am out of here for the evening, but I just have to say...

Charles Darwin drives an Evolvo! ::snort::

And that's why I had to send Serge the shirt. I'm sure you all understand.

Posted November 13, 2007 9:56 PM by Tania

Adrian @39,

An adult woman here (regular poster, but not the usual name for this answer)...

I've been taking them for over a decade. I haven't ever had either of those as side effects, nor have I read of them in any medical articles, and I haven't heard of it from other people in chadd (support group- adults and kids w/ ad(h)d). I try to keep up with research on any medicine that I take (although I admit it would take quite a lot of negative results to get me to stop... I like having my full brain available to me).

For any question on neuro/psych related medicines I'd recommend the forums at the website Dr-bob.org. It's run by a psychiatrist at the U of Chicago, and the forums there are filled with helpful and thoughtful people who like to geek out on these sorts of questions. If there is a link you're most likely to run into someone who's had the same symptoms there (vs. other places on the net).

I do know how AD(H)D meds have an appetite suppressing side-effect (the "Dex" of the 1970's version of Dexatrim). If one went too low in weight that'd affect one's cycle and/or hair.

As both of those symptoms are important I'd talk to your doctor about them. I know a woman who had those symptoms- iirc, they were caused by a problem with her thyroid- that's not an uncommon problem.

You can do online searches as well, although they can get a bit overwhelming. Here's a search for hair loss plus irregularities at the wrong diagnosis website: it lists 11 possible causes. If you're prone to getting weirded out by websites like that, have a partner or friend who knows your symptoms read through them for you.

Posted November 13, 2007 10:03 PM by private cat in the sun

Thanks, Adrian; I'd thought it might be a friction issue, but I am new to coat-shopping. By this time next year, I expect I'll have made up my mind.

Posted November 13, 2007 10:15 PM by Diatryma

Pamela @ 47

Thanks much. That's the edition I keep coming across, but it's nice to have a first-hand (second-hand? Does the internet count as a hand?) recommendation.

Posted November 13, 2007 10:16 PM by Greg

My 'winter' coat is down-and-feathers. Toasty at 32F, still comfortable at 0F (though not toasty). I rarely need it in SoCal (althgouth there was the morning I was standing on the station platform in 35F and 35mph, which is definitely windchill country).

My thermals (short sleeved tops, short pants) are cotton waffle-knit, warm when it's cold out and reasonably comfortable indoors.

Posted November 13, 2007 10:29 PM by P J Evans

Tania @ 51... Thanks. I loved the shirt and the magnet.

Posted November 13, 2007 10:40 PM by Serge

Serge @38: Looks like Xmas came early for you today :)

IIRC there was someone around here who recently offered to identify the original musical numbers... Lee @907 back in the "Wanker Wind" thread, I think? Dunno whether that offer is still open, but it sounds like it would be an appreciably useful thing.

Posted November 13, 2007 10:44 PM by Julie L.

private cat in the sun, Wrong Diagnosis missed renal failure. At least my hair fell out and my metabolism mostly stopped during both of them.

Posted November 13, 2007 10:59 PM by Marilee

I really enjoyed the Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky translation of Karamazov; it seemed to capture some of the flavor of the Russian syntax (I could sort of imagine everyone speaking their dialogue in Russian accents) while not being overly literal or stilted.

Posted November 13, 2007 11:22 PM by Emily H.

Lin @ 48 - somewhere, some surgeon is saying, "Where the heck could I have set my GPS unit down? I had it yesterday!"

Posted November 13, 2007 11:31 PM by Michael Roberts

Diatryma,

Should you run into the money for it; If you go custom tailor you can get silk for lining a wool coat for the friction factor and feel warmer to the touch than synthetics. If you need it to breathe then a nice linen. Last time I sewed a wool overcoat I lined with a light wool crepe polished side to body. Just don't line with cotton. A well made wool coat can last decades.

Posted November 13, 2007 11:55 PM by T.W

Adrian (39), I use amphetamine regularly to treat a sleep disorder.

Does it disrupt the menstrual cycle? Or cause hair loss?

After a while, amphetamine stopped having those effects. Even after I'd gone cold turkey for some time and then started on them again, I never again had those reactions.

Drink lots and lots of water, take your vitamins, eat citrus, and treat any remaining problems symptomatically.

Posted November 13, 2007 11:58 PM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Over in the last few comments (996,998) of Open Thread #94, Carrie S pointed to a write-up suggesting that Neandertal women had hunted alongside of the men. I was seized with a sudden curiosity about who said so, and why. I searched for, and found, the article by Kuhn & Stiner (2006) in Current Anthropology, and I am suspicious of their assumptions and conclusions.

However, my suspicion at this article was small compared to my extreme crogglement at another article in the same journal, whose abstract I shall post verbatim:

Theory in Furs
Masochist Anthropology
by Don Kulick

Was will die Anthropologie? Freud's analysis of masochism can serve as a lens with which to explore the long-standing anthropological interest in powerless or disenfranchised people. Recent anthropological work can be examined not only in the terms encouraged by its own diegesis as a relation between anthropologist and the powerless but also as elements in a constellation that includes anthropology as a discipline and capitalism. Exploration of the libidinal structure within which our discipline has taken shape—that is to say, the structure that gives not just possibility and meaning but also pleasure to the practice of anthropology—can shed light on the nature of the pleasure that anthropologists derive from identification with the powerless.

Posted November 14, 2007 1:07 AM by Owlmirror

I made a post on Open Thread 94 earlier today, shortly before this new OT opened and everyone came over here. Since it had a number of links to Weird Stuff On The Internet, I'm going to be slightly crass and repost it here:

- - -

A link at Irene Gallo's Art Department led me, eventually, to ConceptArt.org, where, in one of the forum threads, I found some, uhh, interesting stuff:

The second photo in this post is a disturbing explanation of Why "Fanboys" Get No Respect.

And this piece of art is, I think, Not Safe For Anywhere, even though there's not an explicit drop of ink anywhere in it. Trust me, you will want the Brain Bleach standing by for this: Star Trek/Sailor Moon mashup

And, as a special treat for Patrick:

Strange Japanese Doritos packaging (Does eating Japanese Doritos make you want to give someone a kick in the groin, or to receive one?)

Plus: Rap Snacks

Posted November 14, 2007 1:17 AM by Bruce Arthurs

Diatryma, I haven't noticed that the polyester lining of my coat has made it feel any less warm - but, as Adrian notes, I'm usually wearing it over a sweater or long sleeves. But then, I tend to feel cold more in my extremities, so I worry more about warm socks and gloves and a good wooly hat.

Tim Walters @ 46, I think what they did with the breadbox at our show was to take out an interior shelf and use that. And I've heard stories of challenge objects such as a condom filled with baked beans and a length of pantyhose filled with eggs. The general idea seems to be an unpredictable flight path. Nobody knows what the wiggling beans will do.

...and there's a sentence you don't see every day!

Posted November 14, 2007 1:24 AM by Nomie

If this was posted elsewhere earlier, sorry.

John Scalzi finally made it to the Creation Museum, and his report is here. Do not, repeat not, skip the photos out of a sense that your time might be better spent doing something else. His captions and the comments to each photo are hilarious.

Posted November 14, 2007 2:12 AM by Linkmeister

Challenge Items: Condom string filled with jello. A toy dump-truck. That one was a hum-dinger, the hinge made it unbalanced and every attempt they made only made it more unbalanced (for those who don't know, the challenge is three objects, and three attempts. Before each attempt the juggler is allowed to make one adjustment).

There was a time one could, at the SoCal RenFaire, see them three times a day. One could also, in the same venue see, Firesign Theater three times a day.

The Reduced Shakespeare Company got their start there. I was in a group which failed to get a show, The Abbreviated Bible Company.

Good times.

Xopher: I'm not sure I thanked you properly for your support of me in the Yes Judge thread. That's OK, sort of, because I can now point you at someone who thought well of what you said, so, what he said

Posted November 14, 2007 2:25 AM by Terry Karney

One of the times I've seen the Flying Karamazov's* my in-laws got tickets, ostensibly for the whole family, but actually so they could treat their grandkids. We saw them in an old theater down on 2nd Avenue in downtown Portland, since demolished, whose stage was about five feet above the auditorium floor. This was significant, as we were in the first row. In order to see anything, we had to all slump back and look up. And the most of what we saw was juggled objects headed in our direction, usually caught before they got to us.

Even cowering beneath a potential shower of fish and kitchen knives, it was a lot of fun.

* They're local, and a friend of mine has done technical work for them**, so I've seen them a bunch, but not in the last few years.
** He's the one who made it possible for them to juggle planets.

Posted November 14, 2007 3:01 AM by Bruce Cohen (SpeakerToManagers)

Fragano Ledgister @ 5

Very good!

Posted November 14, 2007 3:04 AM by Bruce Cohen (SpeakerToManagers)

48: It seems that the gentleman on the other end of the call had had surgery at that particular hospital some eight months prior. The gentleman had come to the conclusion that he felt there was a 15% probability the surgeons had implanted a GPS device in him during surgery. Nothing specified as to what the gentleman wanted done about it, just that he *knew*.

Just got a letter complaining that the writer had had eight memory chips implanted in her spine by Merrill Lynch.

COLLEAGUE: Merrill Lynch??

ME: Yes, I know. I mean, Goldman Sachs would be far more likely to do something like that.

Posted November 14, 2007 5:09 AM by ajay

Thanks, private cat and Teresa. The doctor warned me about the possibility of weight loss, but I seem to be seeing something peculiar alongside weight gain. (Fairly slight but very uncomfortable because of the category changes.) It's hard to talk about with doctors, after years of pushing hard to get the medical profession to look past me being fat and treat other problems.

Even now that not everyone automatically sees me as "fat," it's a concern. When I started taking my antiseizure medication, 6 years ago, I lost a lot of weight and a lot of hair. There were lasting bad effects on my depression, blood pressure, energy levels, and ability to think (bad enough to be problematic despite the weight loss and reduced pain, though reduced pain on that scale will make me put up with a lot.) Every doctor I talked to about it thought I must be getting healthier--not because I was having fewer migraines or seizures, but because I was getting thinner.

Posted November 14, 2007 7:52 AM by Adrian

Exploiting the open thread:

Freezing hiker sits
warming blistered frostbit hands
burnt by friendly fire

Posted November 14, 2007 9:10 AM by albatross

Adrian #74:

Two of my coworkers independently found a local (apparently crazy) doctor, who told them they were infected with nanites spread from the contrails of airplanes. I don't think either one stuck around long enough to find out what his proposed treatment was, though....

Posted November 14, 2007 9:13 AM by albatross

Serge #38:

Are you troll or ent?
hard to tell in darkened woods
close to Isengard

Posted November 14, 2007 9:17 AM by albatross

Sort of surprised this hasn't shown up in the Particles or Sidelights yet:
88 Lines About 44 Fangirls

Posted November 14, 2007 9:26 AM by Malthus

A doctor once told my wife that she might be having an allergic reaction to something produced by our stove. Our gas stove.

The wife, who has a Ph.D. in chemistry, found another doctor.

Posted November 14, 2007 9:58 AM by Seth Gordon

Adrian (#74): My neurologist tells me there are many kinds of seizure medicine that work well. After some previous blood tests, he wondered whether what I've been taking affected my platelet count, but the latest test showed no problem so I'll stay on it. No apparent weight loss or hair loss side effects, and it completely eliminates the seizures. You might ask your neurologist about alternatives to what *you* have been taking, and see if something else might be better.

There's an interesting chart in the current Discover magazine about "connecting complex diseases". It turns out that allergies and seizures are quite close to each other, while other major diseases seem to have no major relationships to those two.

Posted November 14, 2007 10:07 AM by Faren Miller

Julie L @ 60... Looks like Xmas came early for you today

Does this mean I can start setting up the Christmas Tree now? Sue usually objects to my doing it even one minute earlier than Turkey Day. Bah humbug.

As for Mike's novel... Yes, someone did offer to elucidate some of the references. Well, I still have to finish that Peabody mystery, then a few issues of Science News. Then Mike's book.

Thanks again.

Posted November 14, 2007 10:13 AM by Serge

albatross @ 77... Are you troll or ent?

I ent either.
We are Devo!

Posted November 14, 2007 10:16 AM by Serge

Malthus @ 78... Heheheh... Thanks for the link.

By the way, one upcoming of numb3rs is going to be set at a comic-book convention. My understanding is that it won't make fun of the fans, although it may poke gentle fun. Whatever that means.

Posted November 14, 2007 10:21 AM by Serge

Diatryma re: coat linings

Yes, they must be slippery. The old cheap option was acetate, the more expensive one was heavy rayon (Bemberg). Acetate doesn't survive cleaning well, particularly if subjected to body oils - not so much a problem with a coat.

Bemberg or a substantial silk* would be great if your pockets are deep enough (not so long they hang out of the bottom of the coat, though).

You can also have a professional reline a new coat, but you're as well off to have them make the whole thing.

*I'm not sure silk is so much better that it's worth the extra cost when commissioning a garment. I'd put it in a coat for myself.

Posted November 14, 2007 10:51 AM by Carol Kimball

The Flying K's would stay with us when they were taking their bus ("Caution: Weird Load") cross-country and we lived in south central Nebraska. The neighbors were croggled.

They were there one summer when the year's batch of 17-year locusts were hatching. We stayed up all night with lights and tripods and significantly expensive cameras documenting it.

Anything in the house could become airborne at any time.

Posted November 14, 2007 10:56 AM by Carol Kimball

Does anybody have a link to a photo of Jessica Lange as Hera in the movie Titus, preferably a closeup? That headdress made of knives is neat.

Posted November 14, 2007 11:34 AM by Serge

Don't forget Garrison Keillor's wonderful 95 Theses 95, which probably originates in his monologues, but which I first came across as a multipage footnote in Lake Wobegon Days.

Posted November 14, 2007 12:39 PM by theophylact

So I missed the PBS thing about ID...anyone catch it? Is it good? Good enough to track down?

Re: the GPS device implanted during surgery, the oddest part to me is that the guy thought there was a 15% chance that it had been done. I thought in general either you thought you had a GPS implanted, or you didn't.

Posted November 14, 2007 12:46 PM by ethan

ethan @ 88... I taped the Nova special about Dover and ID, but haven't watched it yet. If you want, I'll give you the tape when I'm done.

Posted November 14, 2007 12:58 PM by Serge

#86 Serge: I haven't seen that movie(?), but is this the picture?

Jessica Lange

Posted November 14, 2007 1:00 PM by DaveL

Varia at #43, I'd recommend Kipling for that - his later work follows that theme quite strongly, after he lost his son in the Great War. The short story collections Life's Handicap, Debits and Credits, and Limits and Renewals are all worth looking through - the first at least is available from Gutenberg.

Owlmirror at #66 - that abstract actually sounds quite a reasonable theory to me, at least if my translation into English is accurate. It also reminds me of this song.

Posted November 14, 2007 1:05 PM by Sam Kelly

Bioware is hiring writers.

I saw this story and immediately thought that the Fluorosphere might contain some folks interested in this kind of opportunity...

Posted November 14, 2007 1:11 PM by Skwid

DaveL @ 90... Alas, it isn't. There is a scene where she pretends to be Hera, but her headdress, instead of being made of the traditional(?) peacock feathers, consists of long and narrow knife blades.

Posted November 14, 2007 1:13 PM by Serge

My favorite memory of the FKBs was seeing them do A Comedy of Errors at Lincoln Center. They didn't do the Challenges, because they were doing a play. Favorite moment: "This mole on my shoulder!" (Pulling, you see, a stuffed mole of the animal variety from his shirt.)

Terry 70: Wow. That's nice. But...well, I was saying what I really believe, not trying to compliment you or even support you as such. You never need to thank me for telling the simple truth. A fine distinction, perhaps...but also, I owe you much more than you owe me. Indescribably more. From early days, when you gave me what was for me a fresh perspective on military service (since confirmed by conversations with many other military friends), to today, when quoting you has helped me persuade many people away from the 24 view of torture. Thanks for all that, pale as they are.

Posted November 14, 2007 1:17 PM by Xopher

Comment 95 already?

Posted November 14, 2007 1:24 PM by Dave Bell

Oh, no... Girl Genius's site is advertising t-shirts that say
"Fools! I will destroy you all! (Ask me how.)"

Posted November 14, 2007 1:27 PM by Serge

Adrian, I've been shuttling back and forth between amphetamines and Ritalin for more than 15 years, for ADHD; the worst I can say about Amphetamines is that, eventually, after a couple of years, they begin to have a sedative effect. Ritalin/Methylphenidate is hard for me to manage, or was until I started using Concerta- otherwise I rollercoastered through the day, with rapid onset of effect and crashing rebound.

The worst problem I ever had with regular Dexidrine (as the triangular orange 5mg pills) was when I was prescribed them as appetite control back in the late sixties and was taking about 3X what ended up being my effective ADHD dose- I stayed up all night and ate carbs, which I'm pretty sure wasn't the intended result. Rapid disasterous weight gain, and a side order of sleep=deprivation hallucinations.

I am currently trying to find a balance between treating my ADHD so that I don't space out and walk in front of a bus and getting my BP numbers to a point where my doc will shut up about it; the battle between beta-blockers and stimulants is even less fun than the adolescent dexidrine over-medication was.

Posted November 14, 2007 1:32 PM by JESR

Kung Fu Monkey considers the reasons to support the Robot Overlords.

Posted November 14, 2007 1:35 PM by fidelio

Coats: {sigh}

I have a wool coat my mother made for me in 1979, from a Yves St. Lauren Vogue Designer pattern; It's been relined once, with silk, and now needs the wool parts replaced, rather in the manner of "this hammer's been in the family for five generations, we've replaced the handle four times and the head twice."

The wonder of living in Western Washington and being a user of public transportation is that one needs many coats; the best all-around one I've found lately is a mens' false-shearling 3/4 length jacket I got from Costco a year ago; it's wind-proof and has many pockets, stays warm when damp, is lighter than a wool coat of comparable R-value and not slippery like many down ones, which are problematic on most bus seats.

Polyester linings are not as cold as nylon satin ones; there's a dandy specially made flannel-backed polyester satin lining in the best ready-made wool coats that is quite comfy (satin linings keep your business clothing from getting wrinkled and messed about when putting the coat on and off). The trick for a really warm wool coat is that it be fully inter-lined with something like waxed hair canvas or one of the high-tech breathable garment membranes.

Also, blanket-cloth coats, which are made of heavy felted wool, are right up there with arctic-grade fleece for heat retention, and almost as wind-proof as Goretex.

Nothing, however, replaces layering (well, maybe sable, if the old movies where women come in out of the blizzard and take off giant fur coats revealing diaphanous silk evening gowns, are to be believed). Frozen 6F/-14.5C fog demanded those nice British lacey woolies over tights and bra, wool socks, insulated leather knee-high boots, corduroy jeans, long sleeved T-shirt, tight angora cowl knecked sweater, wool and cotton bigger cowl necked sweater, and WW2 Naval deck coat, with a basque beret.

Which explains why I didn't go back to Pullman for graduate work.

Posted November 14, 2007 1:51 PM by JESR

fidelio @ 98... You just reminded me that I should add "Colossus - The Forbin Project" to my Xmas wishlist.

Posted November 14, 2007 1:56 PM by Serge

Fire and shadow.
Love and darkness.
Glory bright against destruction.

What a wonderful place this world is. How did I ever deserve to get it?

Posted November 14, 2007 2:36 PM by Tony Zbaraschuk

fidelio @98 beats me to the punch.

Truly, any conversation that begins, Robot overlords. You are "pro-robot overlords," is one that should be stuck around for. Also, I want the bumper-sticker.

Posted November 14, 2007 2:45 PM by Nicole J. LeBoeuf-Little

In the realm of really doing anything to avoid work....

Quicksort

A list of keys is handed to your hack
your job: return a sorted list at last
an empty list is sorted, send it back
a list with all one value, send back fast

else take the first key, call it "pivot," P
and split the list to two, the left and right
the left gets lesser half, P more than key
while larger keys than P go on the right

the keys that equal pivot go with P
and end up in the list that's on the right
then sort the lists, the rest is almost free
return the sorted left plus sorted right

Posted November 14, 2007 3:04 PM by albatross

Serge @ 86, 90:

Hmm. I'm surprised that such an image isn't more readily available. Although I haven't seen Titus since its theatrical release, I distinctly recall being sufficiently dazzled by the look(s) of the film to buy the relevant issue of American Cinematographer at the time. (Lots of tech info and a few nice stills. No knife-headdress, though.)

A cursory sweep through the usual image searches makes me suspect that relatively few images from Titus were released into the wild. Which seems odd for this film in particular, unless of course they were worried about undercutting The Illustrated Screenplay....

Posted November 14, 2007 3:18 PM by James Crowley

So I had a chance to see Beowulf in IMAX 3-D last night.

Oh. My. God.

I say it better in my review above, but please see this movie in 3-D if you can. Utterly amazing.

Posted November 14, 2007 3:20 PM by Skwid

James Crowley @ 104... No knife-headdress. Drat. Thanks for the references though, especially the one to the illustrated screenplay. Christmas is getting close.

Posted November 14, 2007 3:25 PM by Serge

Skwid 105: I might, if the previews hadn't utterly convinced me that the sensibility of 300 had infected Beowulf as well. "I! AM! BEOWULF!" is altogether too much like "THIS! IS! SPARTA!" for my taste.

Posted November 14, 2007 3:36 PM by Xopher

albatross @103
Nice. I like it.

Posted November 14, 2007 3:38 PM by abi

Xopher... I felt the same way, then I noticed that Neil Gaiman was involved in the writing of the script. Still haven't seen it though.

Posted November 14, 2007 3:40 PM by Serge

If Beowulf turns out to be a big hit, I wonder how many otherwise idle screenwriters will be turning their hands to motion-capture treatments of Gilgamesh, Gawain, Roland, and El Cid.

Posted November 14, 2007 3:53 PM by RichM

bravo, albatross! Now, can we avoid O(n^2) behavior on already sorted lists without messing up the rhyme scheme or meter?

Posted November 14, 2007 3:54 PM by Todd Larason

The Beowulf trailer left me with the impression that they're firmly in Uncanny Valley territory.

I think I'm developing a dislike for computer animation. There's so much attention put on getting it as detailed and accurate as possible, it seems — modeling hair more realistically, water that moves the way it should, that kind of thing — that there isn't enough attention being put on making the characters appealing or funny. (IMHO, YMMV, etc.) I'm having a brain-freeze and my googlefu is failing me; which animator was it who said "don't show me something realistic, show me something true"?

Posted November 14, 2007 4:16 PM by Lexica

Lexica #112: That's exactly how I've felt for a while now. And Beowulf looks awful to me (by which I mean it looks awful; I don't have an opinion about its seeming quality otherwise).

This is why I appreciated Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, flaws and all; it used extensive CGI to create an effect, a feel, rather than a "reality."

Posted November 14, 2007 4:22 PM by ethan

RichM @ 110

I picture Gilgamesh in the style of old silent movies, with the text screens* cutting in at the exciting bits to say "Six tablets are missing here."

* Strike Plate moment. Is there a name for those things?

Posted November 14, 2007 4:28 PM by Sarah

I certainly hope that Zemeckis knows that having a larger-than-life character does not mean he has to speak with gritted teeth while spitting out every word. (How can you spit something out under those circumstances? Do I want to know?)

Posted November 14, 2007 4:39 PM by Serge

Sarah @114: Caption cards?

If somebody does that epic, I hope they manage to work in one natural piece of product placement. Shouldn't there be a distiller out there promoting a Heorot Mead right now?

Posted November 14, 2007 4:46 PM by RichM

I get to see the Beowulf for free tonight if I wear my tunics because the marketing people asked local SCA to be around for entertainment during the lineup phase.
To me this looks to be like it's going to be TSR D20 Companion Beowulf more than anything.

Posted November 14, 2007 4:53 PM by T.W

RichM:

Caption cards it is! I knew the "card" part in the back of my head, I just couldn't come up with the other bit.

I blame Kafka; I've been pummeling my brain with him all morning when I ought to be focusing on work.

Posted November 14, 2007 4:56 PM by Sarah

Sarah @114: They're also called 'intertitles'.

Posted November 14, 2007 5:07 PM by James Moar

I thought they were called intertitles.

Posted November 14, 2007 5:08 PM by Tim Walters

Jinx!

Posted November 14, 2007 5:09 PM by Tim Walters

Re: Beowulf

Are there uncanny valley moments, yes, certainly (Wealthow, particularly, for some reason). But far more often there just are no issues. Amazing lip-synching and expressiveness. Flawless textures and lighting, beautiful imagery.

This is not 300, Xopher. This is Beowulf the braggart hero, Beowulf the glory-seeker. Beowulf is mighty, and he is weak. He is clever, and he is clearly mad. It's very Gaiman, really.

Posted November 14, 2007 5:13 PM by Skwid

RichM @ 116... Shouldn't there be a distiller out there promoting a Heorot Mead right now?

Ale drink to that.

Posted November 14, 2007 5:20 PM by Serge

Perhaps an official, branded pukku & mikku set would make a good Gilgamesh tie-in?

Posted November 14, 2007 5:35 PM by Tim May

119 & 120: Intertitles

I love this word, and I want to use it all the time. Thanks for the reference.

Posted November 14, 2007 5:37 PM by Sarah

Serge @ 123 -
Ale drink to that.

Oh, but that's beerly acceptable as a pun. You've mead much better than that.

Posted November 14, 2007 5:44 PM by Scott Taylor

Scott @126
I'm sure he ne-ferment it to be his last word on the subject.

Posted November 14, 2007 5:45 PM by abi

@126: Do you mind if I refer to you as Dregs Scott?

Posted November 14, 2007 5:47 PM by RichM

Maybe not, Abi. I'll have to beer the shame of it.

Posted November 14, 2007 5:55 PM by Serge

Oh, for heaven's Sake, Serge! Stop wining.

Posted November 14, 2007 6:00 PM by Xopher

re 113: Sky Captain would have been pretty good if Law and Paltrow had decided to act for a change.

Posted November 14, 2007 6:07 PM by C. Wingate

Xopher, yeastill picking on me?

Posted November 14, 2007 6:07 PM by Serge

Serge, I'm fermenting rebellion against you and your kind. We barley touch you, and you start having a maltdown, casking about for another pun.

Posted November 14, 2007 6:12 PM by Xopher

Serge @ 83 - Wil Wheaton is going to be in that episode - he blogged a few times about it.

Posted November 14, 2007 6:13 PM by Dawno

JESR #97: I am currently trying to find a balance between treating my ADHD so that I don't space out and walk in front of a bus and getting my BP numbers to a point where my doc will shut up about it; the battle between beta-blockers and stimulants is even less fun than the adolescent dexidrine over-medication was.

Are there conflicts between ACE inhibitors and the stimulants, or you haven't tried that, or what?

I hadn't realized you were doing a balancing act. I took beta blockers for several years at a fairly low dosage, then something blew up and pushed my BP higher, and my doctor doubled the dose. Moribundity ensued: I couldn't even climb the stairs in the house without stopping on the landing and then sitting/lying on the bed for a few minutes. Not to mention the "I have no energy and I can barely breathe" syndrome that set in every time I got out of a car and tried to walk across a parking lot. My husband reports that he was really worried about me losing my memory and all interest in just about anything.

I managed to get enough of my act together to charge (slowly) into the doctor's office this summer with a long list of things I didn't like about my current situation, most of which had cropped up since I started taking the higher dose. Result, she put me on an ACE inhibitor, and the effect was like having the switch turned back on inside my brain; I started being able to climb stairs with no problem *immediately*, and got my mental stack pointer (and the round tuit that went with it) back almost as fast. I'm able to do enough exercise that I've lost twelve pounds. I now regard beta-blockers as Teh Evil.

Posted November 14, 2007 6:34 PM by joann

Xopher... casking about for another pun

Ale-ey Hops!

Posted November 14, 2007 8:10 PM by Serge

Dawno @ 134... Thanks for the reminder, about Wil Wheaton.

Posted November 14, 2007 8:12 PM by Serge

This byplay shot down any hops I might have had of escaping unscathed.

Posted November 14, 2007 8:14 PM by Michael Roberts

Appealing to the collective knowledge of the group mind: I'm trying to remember the name of a children's book. Three kids, two boys and a girl. One boy's name is Pete. Their babysitter/handyman is an old man with a pet dodo and a flying truck. In one chapter, he "fixes" their pipes and they start running with various flavors of soda--grape, orange, root beer.... In another, they pull their reflections out of the mirror to have as playmates, then have to trick them back in.

Anyone recognize this?

Posted November 14, 2007 8:30 PM by Mary Aileen

Any idea when it was published?

Posted November 14, 2007 8:36 PM by Jen Roth

(Sorry, I lost the date in revision.) I first read it sometime in the early to mid 1970s, but it may not have been new then. Skinny little paperback, probably from Scholastic.

Posted November 14, 2007 8:41 PM by Mary Aileen

Wow. I've never heard of that book, to my knowledge, but I feel like I've read it already! Especially the boy being named "Pete". That's perfect!

Also, Serge and Xopher, you're both total pils.

Posted November 14, 2007 8:42 PM by Michael Roberts

A real coupla weizen-heimers.

Posted November 14, 2007 8:43 PM by Michael Roberts

"Ruth Christoffer Carlsen, Mr. Pudgins. 1951, Scholastic. This is a book about three children and their magical babysitter. The chapter about the grape pop coming out of the faucets is "Mr. Pudgins Turns Plumber". Other chapters involve a flying bathtub, magic birds, a dodo, and a black bear. "

Via the "Stump the Bookseller" Solved Mysteries page.

Posted November 14, 2007 8:50 PM by Jen Roth

Jen Roth (144): Thank you! That was amazingly fast.

Posted November 14, 2007 8:54 PM by Mary Aileen

Ethan @ 88: I saw it. If the dramatization of the court room scene where Behe is asked about the evolution of the human immune system is accurate, I don't know why the man doesn't slink away to one of those mountain-top monasteries that you must reach by mule, rappelling rope, and finger-in-the-rock cracks... It is utterly devastating.

What is also utterly devastating is a scene at the end where the board member who set the conflagration of discusses the judge's decision, and... well, you will have to see for yourself the kind of conscious deliberate ignorance we are up against.

Posted November 14, 2007 8:56 PM by Emma

"Stump the Bookseller" is a national treasure. Except that it's international, but that doesn't have the same ring to it.

Posted November 14, 2007 8:57 PM by Jen Roth

Given Mary Aileen's fast success, I was working on writing up my own request, but gave Google one last shot, and think I found it -- Sid Fleischman's "McBroom" books, but apparently in an illustrated edition that's not currently available now.

So, if anyone else is looking for tall tales set on a farm with giant vegetables, maybe that's it. And even if not, maybe I'll be able to find it here when I forget again...

Posted November 14, 2007 9:09 PM by Todd Larason