Open Bar: We're going to build a bar, and make the drinks pay for it!

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Well, I'm going to be in Portland weekend after the next because I hate myself and hate nerds and I hope to make lots of super serious magic players sulky and maybe I'll dream crush a few pros.

The 13th-14th? If you have any free time, hit us up, maybe we can go grab a beer!

I'd up for that.

Awesome! Do you have my #? I can PM you.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

working a new story.  Problem is my keyboard is fucked at home and I am actually having to do work at work (which I find scandalous), so it might be a bit.  It's a murder mystery, for what it's worth.

[Hoopla!]

working a new story.  Problem is my keyboard is fucked at home and I am actually having to do work at work (which I find scandalous), so it might be a bit.  It's a murder mystery, for what it's worth.

Murder mystery? Hell yes!

[LMNO]

Woo!

[trippinprincezz13]

Nice! Love your writing style, and love murder-mysteries, so can't wait! 

[Cain]

Looking forward to it.

I can also sympathise with this "having to work at work" nonsense.  This time last year, I was putting in maybe an hour of actual effort, and just sitting around for the other 11.  So I'd hoped I could spend my work hours this summer on my PhD application, maybe some fiction writing I'd hoped to do...

But no.  I have to chase around 20somethings who should know better than to ie; offer alcohol to under 18s in the building, in front of me, or play tour guide to people who literally know less than 20 words of English and have no other language in common with me.  And pick up all the mistakes from the previous shifts, though I've been doing that for 19 months now, so that's not really unexpected.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I think that I may have just seen the dumbest conversation I have ever seen in my life. A lady on FB was concerned that if they mine the moon, the decreased mass would affect the tides. While not a practical concern, I can see where she's coming from, at least. Then some guy tried to argue that if that happened, we could just simulate the tides. When I asked him how that would happen, he "explained" that we could just alter the tidal lock of the moon.

When my response was BAW HAW HAW HAW, he told me that it's complicated and posted an image of a couple of linear equations that I think he found on Wikipedia. If they challenge you, just stun them into silence with math you don't understand!

 

[Junkenstein]

That's pretty fucking special.

[Eater of Clowns]

That's pretty fucking special.

Right? The tidal moon lock won't do a thing against eons of water memory.

[trix]

I think that I may have just seen the dumbest conversation I have ever seen in my life. A lady on FB was concerned that if they mine the moon, the decreased mass would affect the tides. While not a practical concern, I can see where she's coming from, at least. Then some guy tried to argue that if that happened, we could just simulate the tides. When I asked him how that would happen, he "explained" that we could just alter the tidal lock of the moon.

When my response was BAW HAW HAW HAW, he told me that it's complicated and posted an image of a couple of linear equations that I think he found on Wikipedia. If they challenge you, just stun them into silence with math you don't understand!

 

 
When I was a kid, I took a bunch of the "guts" out of various electronics, squished it all together, wrapped a bunch of clear scotch tape around it, and convinced all my friends I had made a bomb.

When one of them challenged my assertions ("NUH UHH THATS NOT A BOMB"), all of my Star Trek experience leapt into the forefront of my mind and I "showed them how it worked".  I don't remember the exact words I used, but I know I said "...reverses the polarity of..." at least three times.

I'm glad to see the Out-Technobabble-Them method of convincing others of the BS you just made up is still out there!

[Salty]

Relevant: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2009/10/why_i_hate_star_trek.html

[Mangrove]

After 10 years in this business I am finally saying goodbye to table humpers, arm fondlers, leg patters, and other assorted gross and creepy dudes.

I'm one month in my new lease at a chiro and going to very carefully run my 3rd Groupon and no more questions as to whether I offer "service to other areas". If this doesn't work, weed shops are aplenty in these parts and I have tons more sales/smoking experience than these hippies.

Good luck, man. You deserve a sainthood. After 9 years in the bodywork biz, I quit because I was sick of being broke. My second job morphed into my primary job and now I am trying to figure out what my next move is. Weed shop probably isnt my thing....at least not since I had my hair cut short. In my 20s my long hair was practically a sign that read "By all means, please approach me and ask for drugs".

[trix]

Relevant: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2009/10/why_i_hate_star_trek.html

That was a very interesting read!  Thank you.

[Faust]

Relevant: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2009/10/why_i_hate_star_trek.html

I find this a weird criticism of TNG. (Been rewatching them since they were added to netflix), while I agree that many episodes have the tech as a plot device to push the dramatic effect, the majority of the show is about exploration of various concepts from religion, politics, culture and history, to more complex themes about identity self image and sexuality with this blind optimism behind it.
Each episode follows a template format: a overarching story focusing on a member of the cast, this makes up the majority of the episode, and a ship wide threat which would fall into the technobabble category.

Science fiction is about exploring more then just technology, it would be very shallow if it did, and ironically those parts are the shallow part of the show.

In contrast, when looking at the later shows like voyager, the exploration of complex ideas takes a back seat and the body of the show is a drama set in space. I see his criticisms and would say that it is present in so much of science fiction on TV, but for the Next Gen I just dont see it.

[Junkenstein]

That's pretty fucking special.

Right? The tidal moon lock won't do a thing against eons of water memory.

Alright, you get a prize for that one.