Play Jerry Garcia, Man...
I saw a brief show on HBO this morning. It was about some work that Jerry Garcia did... I can't remember who the other guy was (David Grisman? Grisham?), but I liked the album they worked on: Not Just For Kids. A collection of not-so-watered down kids folks songs.
And I remembered Tom E., my best friend. Jerry Garcia fan and no mean gee-tar playuh. Hey Tom, I know I'm a bugger about writing back and all that. After all this SARS & Terrorism crap's over, I'm gonna come visit. Keep me posted on the plays and stuff you're involved in - hope to catch you in one soon.
CHAMPIONS Rules!
According to Gaming Top 10 Results:
Super-Hero Based RPGs
1: Champions (Hero Games)
2: Marvel Super Heroes (TSR)
3: Mutants & Masterminds (Green Ronin)
4: DC Heroes (Mayfair)
5: Silver Age Sentinels (Guardians of Order)
6: Villains & Vigilantes (Fantasy Games Unlimited)
7: GURPS Supers (Steve Jackson Games)
8: Aberrant (White Wolf Publishing)
9: Heroes Unlimited (Palladium)
10: Godlike (Hobgoblynn Press)
Go Champions, Go!
According to Gaming Top 10 Results:
Super-Hero Based RPGs
1: Champions (Hero Games)
2: Marvel Super Heroes (TSR)
3: Mutants & Masterminds (Green Ronin)
4: DC Heroes (Mayfair)
5: Silver Age Sentinels (Guardians of Order)
6: Villains & Vigilantes (Fantasy Games Unlimited)
7: GURPS Supers (Steve Jackson Games)
8: Aberrant (White Wolf Publishing)
9: Heroes Unlimited (Palladium)
10: Godlike (Hobgoblynn Press)
Go Champions, Go!
Science Fiction - Definition
"Modern science fiction is the only form of literature that consistently considers the nature of the changes that face us, the possible consequences, and the possible solutions... [It is] that branch of literature which is concerned with the impact of scientific advance upon human beings."
- Isaac Asimov
Is this necessarily true? I always feel wary about absolute statements like this. Arguments against it would normally involve specific examples of "non-science fiction" writings that meet the above critieria. But then Asimov [the-god-of-atheists rest his soul] would then promptly claim that those writings were also science fiction.
Dean has argued (check me on my accuracy here, Dean) that there are no Science Fiction or Fantasy stories about the "human condition" that could not be told in... er... normal literature. Given the above definition, he is correct, assuming that the "human condition" tackled in normal literature is the "human condition" of the present, the NOW.
Asimov's Science Fiction tackles the "human condition" of the future, based on the impact of major and minor scientific advancements. It betrays Asimov's belief that the "human condition" can change substantially, for better or worse, due to science.
It reminds me of an off-hand comment about Science and Science Fiction: "Where science predicts traffic lights, science fiction predicts traffic jams."
Science Fiction & Fantasy - Definitions
"The major distinction between fantasy and science fiction is, simply, that science fiction uses one, or a very, very few new postulates, and develops the rigidly consistent logical consequences of these limited postulates. Fantasy makes its rules as it goes along...The basic nature of fantasy is 'The only rule is, make up a new rule any time you need one!' The basic rule of science fiction is 'Set up a basic proposition--then develop its consistent, logical consequences.' "
- John W. Campbell, Jr.
Several people have spoken to me about how Science Fiction is more 'rigid' than Fantasy. As John W. Campell, Jr. clearly believed, they were right. While I do enjoy both 'genres', it seems Science Fiction is most often maligned for "having its cake and eating it too." I suppose that the main argument to write Fantasy over Science Fiction is "if you're going to change one rule, why not change them all?"
But the point of good science fiction is to make you think about a variety of issues (societal, moral, whatever) not too far divorced from the reality that we know. It is the branch of fiction that explores and often tackles in cautionary overtones the moral implications of scientific advancement. Genetic Engineering. Weapons of Mass Destruction. Supercomputers and an interconnected sea information. Satellites and Cellphones. The list goes on and on.
Sometimes the authors were horribly wrong about the implications. Other times, they were chillingly prescient. On reflection, one wonders whether H.G. Wells really did have a Time Machine of sorts...
"Modern science fiction is the only form of literature that consistently considers the nature of the changes that face us, the possible consequences, and the possible solutions... [It is] that branch of literature which is concerned with the impact of scientific advance upon human beings."
- Isaac Asimov
Is this necessarily true? I always feel wary about absolute statements like this. Arguments against it would normally involve specific examples of "non-science fiction" writings that meet the above critieria. But then Asimov [the-god-of-atheists rest his soul] would then promptly claim that those writings were also science fiction.
Dean has argued (check me on my accuracy here, Dean) that there are no Science Fiction or Fantasy stories about the "human condition" that could not be told in... er... normal literature. Given the above definition, he is correct, assuming that the "human condition" tackled in normal literature is the "human condition" of the present, the NOW.
Asimov's Science Fiction tackles the "human condition" of the future, based on the impact of major and minor scientific advancements. It betrays Asimov's belief that the "human condition" can change substantially, for better or worse, due to science.
It reminds me of an off-hand comment about Science and Science Fiction: "Where science predicts traffic lights, science fiction predicts traffic jams."
Science Fiction & Fantasy - Definitions
"The major distinction between fantasy and science fiction is, simply, that science fiction uses one, or a very, very few new postulates, and develops the rigidly consistent logical consequences of these limited postulates. Fantasy makes its rules as it goes along...The basic nature of fantasy is 'The only rule is, make up a new rule any time you need one!' The basic rule of science fiction is 'Set up a basic proposition--then develop its consistent, logical consequences.' "
- John W. Campbell, Jr.
Several people have spoken to me about how Science Fiction is more 'rigid' than Fantasy. As John W. Campell, Jr. clearly believed, they were right. While I do enjoy both 'genres', it seems Science Fiction is most often maligned for "having its cake and eating it too." I suppose that the main argument to write Fantasy over Science Fiction is "if you're going to change one rule, why not change them all?"
But the point of good science fiction is to make you think about a variety of issues (societal, moral, whatever) not too far divorced from the reality that we know. It is the branch of fiction that explores and often tackles in cautionary overtones the moral implications of scientific advancement. Genetic Engineering. Weapons of Mass Destruction. Supercomputers and an interconnected sea information. Satellites and Cellphones. The list goes on and on.
Sometimes the authors were horribly wrong about the implications. Other times, they were chillingly prescient. On reflection, one wonders whether H.G. Wells really did have a Time Machine of sorts...
Musings on Writing
As a result of the writing exercise and the discussions of last Friday, I've been trying to crystallize my opinions on the craft of storytelling (in various media).
Somewhere in my subconsicious, I've subdivided stories into three types: stories that make you feel, stories that make you think, and stories that do both. Within each type, there are gradations, naturally.
Stories that Make You Feel:
These range from stories that rely on cheap melodrama and scare tactics to elicit a response... to subtly crafted storylines that reduce you to tears or elevate you to profound outrage.
Stories that Make You Think:
These range from clumsily argued philosophical diatribes to intricately plotted and characterized explorations of the impact of a new technology, a new philosophy, an old and horrible habit...
Stories that Do Both:
My Holy Grail... stories that inspire and instruct. Stories that not only educate you on the nature of the world and the inner workings of the people that live on it, but also draw strong and profound emotional reactions from those that experience the story.
As a result of the writing exercise and the discussions of last Friday, I've been trying to crystallize my opinions on the craft of storytelling (in various media).
Somewhere in my subconsicious, I've subdivided stories into three types: stories that make you feel, stories that make you think, and stories that do both. Within each type, there are gradations, naturally.
Stories that Make You Feel:
These range from stories that rely on cheap melodrama and scare tactics to elicit a response... to subtly crafted storylines that reduce you to tears or elevate you to profound outrage.
Stories that Make You Think:
These range from clumsily argued philosophical diatribes to intricately plotted and characterized explorations of the impact of a new technology, a new philosophy, an old and horrible habit...
Stories that Do Both:
My Holy Grail... stories that inspire and instruct. Stories that not only educate you on the nature of the world and the inner workings of the people that live on it, but also draw strong and profound emotional reactions from those that experience the story.
Writing Exercise 1 - Description
As I recall it, the exercise was to write a vignette that describes and defines a character. However, the restriction was that it had to begin with the phrase: "Playing chess frightened her."
Writing Exercise 1 - Thinking Creatively
My initial thoughts immediately began running towards the next logical sentence that would follow. The vignette below is the one that I chose to go with.
However, being pilosopo, I reasoned that as a phrase "Playing chess frightened her" didn't have to end with a period. This led to other starting sentences like:
Playing chess frightened her two-headed dingo.
Playing chess frightened her a little.
Playing chess frightened Hernandez.
After slapping myself for these insanities, I began to wonder where I'd developed this annoying habit. I blame Mr. Carlos Aguilar, my 6th Grade HS teacher who always encouraged us to be creative. He encouraged 'thinking outside the box' before it became a profitable and career-saving corporate slogan.
Then again, my parents will attest to the fact that I've always been pilosopo so it's likely he only encouraged me.
As I recall it, the exercise was to write a vignette that describes and defines a character. However, the restriction was that it had to begin with the phrase: "Playing chess frightened her."
Writing Exercise 1 - Thinking Creatively
My initial thoughts immediately began running towards the next logical sentence that would follow. The vignette below is the one that I chose to go with.
However, being pilosopo, I reasoned that as a phrase "Playing chess frightened her" didn't have to end with a period. This led to other starting sentences like:
Playing chess frightened her two-headed dingo.
Playing chess frightened her a little.
Playing chess frightened Hernandez.
After slapping myself for these insanities, I began to wonder where I'd developed this annoying habit. I blame Mr. Carlos Aguilar, my 6th Grade HS teacher who always encouraged us to be creative. He encouraged 'thinking outside the box' before it became a profitable and career-saving corporate slogan.
Then again, my parents will attest to the fact that I've always been pilosopo so it's likely he only encouraged me.
Writing Exercise 1 - Version 3
(Genre: Modern Day Romance? I dunno...)
Apologies to Dean. I'm engaged in some writing exercises with some of my buddies, and I already submitted this one (a slightly different version) to Dean via e-mail. Then I got the courage to post in on my blog and after reading it I corrected some mistakes (grammar) and adjusted some paragraphs (style). I e-mailed it again, and I saw more things I wanted to change! Ack.
Playing chess frightened her.
Many male “friends” secretly vying for her affections would drop by her loft, trying to catch her winding down at the end of her day, hoping to coax smiles, laughter, and snippets of wisdom from her lips. Some performed songs on a variety of instruments: guitars, flutes, harmonicas, and portable keyboards. Others would read to her from books of poetry or plays or the latest underground novel to garner rave reviews.
A few observant souls tried to entice her with a game of chess, prompted no doubt by the wooden chessboard on her bedside table and the volumes of chess books that dominated the shelves of her mini-library.
She would refuse these requests with feigned fatigue or disinterest, but those closest to her noted the ghost of fear playing about the edges of eyes.
Playing chess frightened her.
Every evening after the last guest left her room, one or more chess tomes would be whisked away from the shelves and stacked beside the frozen game on the chessboard beside her bed. The letters kept in the top drawer of her night table would be carefully taken from their hiding place and laid on her pillow. The chesspieces on the chessboard would be pushed to their starting positions.
She always played black.
She would read the letters then, sometimes lingering on the salutation or smiling at every familiar narrative twist or turn of phrase. At the end of each letter, she would dutifully move the piece to the position he indicated in his letters. And she would reply with a move of her own. This nightly ritual would continue until the last letter was read and the last piece slipped into its well-worn place.
Then she would scour the books for hours, imagining dozens of moves and counters playing themselves out on the chessboard. She would often catch herself wondering what if he practiced chess the way she did – alone and in private. And if he would ever join her in her city. Or if one day, she would join him in his.
Every morning, the books and letters would be carefully slipped back into their proper places.
Playing chess frightened her.
Over the months the letters had gotten shorter, the intervals between them had gotten longer, and the chess moves in them more haphazard and reckless.
One day soon, she knew that a friend would ask her to play a game of chess. And she would hesitate. And she would say yes.
(Genre: Modern Day Romance? I dunno...)
Apologies to Dean. I'm engaged in some writing exercises with some of my buddies, and I already submitted this one (a slightly different version) to Dean via e-mail. Then I got the courage to post in on my blog and after reading it I corrected some mistakes (grammar) and adjusted some paragraphs (style). I e-mailed it again, and I saw more things I wanted to change! Ack.
Playing chess frightened her.
Many male “friends” secretly vying for her affections would drop by her loft, trying to catch her winding down at the end of her day, hoping to coax smiles, laughter, and snippets of wisdom from her lips. Some performed songs on a variety of instruments: guitars, flutes, harmonicas, and portable keyboards. Others would read to her from books of poetry or plays or the latest underground novel to garner rave reviews.
A few observant souls tried to entice her with a game of chess, prompted no doubt by the wooden chessboard on her bedside table and the volumes of chess books that dominated the shelves of her mini-library.
She would refuse these requests with feigned fatigue or disinterest, but those closest to her noted the ghost of fear playing about the edges of eyes.
Playing chess frightened her.
Every evening after the last guest left her room, one or more chess tomes would be whisked away from the shelves and stacked beside the frozen game on the chessboard beside her bed. The letters kept in the top drawer of her night table would be carefully taken from their hiding place and laid on her pillow. The chesspieces on the chessboard would be pushed to their starting positions.
She always played black.
She would read the letters then, sometimes lingering on the salutation or smiling at every familiar narrative twist or turn of phrase. At the end of each letter, she would dutifully move the piece to the position he indicated in his letters. And she would reply with a move of her own. This nightly ritual would continue until the last letter was read and the last piece slipped into its well-worn place.
Then she would scour the books for hours, imagining dozens of moves and counters playing themselves out on the chessboard. She would often catch herself wondering what if he practiced chess the way she did – alone and in private. And if he would ever join her in her city. Or if one day, she would join him in his.
Every morning, the books and letters would be carefully slipped back into their proper places.
Playing chess frightened her.
Over the months the letters had gotten shorter, the intervals between them had gotten longer, and the chess moves in them more haphazard and reckless.
One day soon, she knew that a friend would ask her to play a game of chess. And she would hesitate. And she would say yes.
A Link to a Useless but Cool Waste of Time
Check here to find out 6 degrees to Kevin Bacon.
Here are some surprising samples:
The Oracle says: Dolphy has a Bacon number of 3.
Dolphy was in Private Ompong and the Sexy Dozen (1968) with Max Alvarado
Max Alvarado was in She Devils in Chains (1976) with Colleen Camp
Colleen Camp was in Trapped (2002) with Kevin Bacon
The Oracle says: Heart Evangelista has a Bacon number of 3.
Heart Evangelista was in Trip (2001) with Ana Capri
Ana Capri was in Manila (2000) with Elizabeth McGovern
Elizabeth McGovern was in She's Having a Baby (1988) with Kevin Bacon
The Oracle says: Giselle Toengi has a Bacon number of 3.
Giselle Toengi was in Luksong tinik (1999) with Madeleine Nicolas
Madeleine Nicolas was in Going Back (2001/I) with Pablo (I) Espinosa
Pablo (I) Espinosa was in Hollow Man (2000) with Kevin Bacon
The Oracle says: Bembol Roco has a Bacon number of 3.
Bembol Roco was in Year of Living Dangerously, The (1982) with Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver was in Ice Storm, The (1997) with Colleen Camp
Colleen Camp was in Trapped (2002) with Kevin Bacon
AMAZING!!!!
Check here to find out 6 degrees to Kevin Bacon.
Here are some surprising samples:
The Oracle says: Dolphy has a Bacon number of 3.
Dolphy was in Private Ompong and the Sexy Dozen (1968) with Max Alvarado
Max Alvarado was in She Devils in Chains (1976) with Colleen Camp
Colleen Camp was in Trapped (2002) with Kevin Bacon
The Oracle says: Heart Evangelista has a Bacon number of 3.
Heart Evangelista was in Trip (2001) with Ana Capri
Ana Capri was in Manila (2000) with Elizabeth McGovern
Elizabeth McGovern was in She's Having a Baby (1988) with Kevin Bacon
The Oracle says: Giselle Toengi has a Bacon number of 3.
Giselle Toengi was in Luksong tinik (1999) with Madeleine Nicolas
Madeleine Nicolas was in Going Back (2001/I) with Pablo (I) Espinosa
Pablo (I) Espinosa was in Hollow Man (2000) with Kevin Bacon
The Oracle says: Bembol Roco has a Bacon number of 3.
Bembol Roco was in Year of Living Dangerously, The (1982) with Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver was in Ice Storm, The (1997) with Colleen Camp
Colleen Camp was in Trapped (2002) with Kevin Bacon
AMAZING!!!!
Writing Again
It's time to write once more.
Everytime I write, there's a period where I have to acclimatize myself to the setting and the characters. When I'm writing, I keep having to note down things because ideas whiz this way and that, and I keep revising or expanding scenes, characters, and so on.
Most of which is changed in the process of actually writing.
And then I go into withdrawal...
It's time to write once more.
Everytime I write, there's a period where I have to acclimatize myself to the setting and the characters. When I'm writing, I keep having to note down things because ideas whiz this way and that, and I keep revising or expanding scenes, characters, and so on.
Most of which is changed in the process of actually writing.
And then I go into withdrawal...
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