The PPC Posting Board - Latest posts

...heck, put some rice wine in it. Now we can talk like civilized people. Perhaps you might like some of this high-quality silk, or these ceramic plates? Note how thin they are, you can just about see your hand through it, but not even a direct hit with a sledgehammer could break it. You know what? We could send some Kroot mercenaries your way. If this goes well there might be some battlesuits in your future. Now, if you'd just sign this free trade agreement, and this mutual defense pact, and this non-aggression treaty...

"Chapter Master, since last we met I have slain Nurgle's Daemon Prince, Tulvan the Suppurating, and destroyed an entire Legion of his infernal forces before they could spread vile contagions throughout the Imperium!"

"Sounds wild, Captain" said Chapter Master Wryght. "I had a patio put down."

"... Square slabs or crazy paving?"

"Square slabs."

"The choice of a WARRIOR!"

Other that the subject of the above post, I read Brief Cases (the Dresden shorts Thoth reviewed down-board) lately. I also picked up Caves of Qud (post-apocalyptic/surreal roguelike which Larf can probably rave about better than I can) and Frozen Synapse (tactics game with simultaneous, asynchronous turns) off the Steam sale, and have found them both good.

- Tomash

So, I'd gotten on a minor Ursula K. Le Guin kick earlier when someone pointed me at The Left Hand of Darkness. This led me to read The Dispossessed, and now I can come by with some hopefully somewhat coherent thoughts on it.

The plot: it exists, and there are sufficient amounts of it that you're reading a story and not a pile of worldbuilding calling itself a novel. (That is, this is not a Neal Stephenson book, but it does veer in that direction on occasion.)

However, the plot really isn't the point of the book. The point is to deliver on the subtitle "An Ambiguous Utopia". We get the contrasts between Annares (a planet of anarchists) and Urras (the nearby planet they'd left because that's how the revolution ended up getting resolved). The narrative structure (which alternates chapter-by-chapter between Shevek's time on Urras and the backstory that led him there) as well as the viewpoint character (Shevek, a physicist who ran into some of the problems with the society on Annares) gives us a good view of the upsides and downsides of both an anarchist society and much more typical places. (For example, even without laws, you're still likely to end up with some form of power structure and "laws" enforced by social consensus. On the other hand, down on Urras there's, say, a lot of poverty, sexism, capitalist/socialist "democracies" - this was written during the Cold War, that sort of thing.)

Overall, The Dispossessed basically presents some ideas about how society could work and doesn't hit you over the head too much with a desired conclusion (sure, it might have a pro-anarchist lean, but it's not being blatant about it). Personally, I didn't walk away too sold on the concept of this form of anarchism - it felt somewhat unworkable and that a lot of the problems inherent in power structures this system was meant to solve were still rather present on Annares. But I'd recommend people interested people read for themselves and reach their own conclusions.

- Tomash, posting rambling thoughts on some book he read because why not

It must be debased, as it is entirely lacking in moral fibre. And it must be entirely lacking in moral fibre, because otherwise the Empire of Man would be far more British, what what?

hS, logically unimpeachable

Since I am obviously right, that must mean everything you said is wrong.

Here, have a flag. You may wave it in celebration, provided you do so with a minimum of shouting. There are standards to maintain, you know.

hS

One of those cases where you write the wrong word...

'Sides, in order to be a true compromise, that particular sleeping dog should be somewhere in the Atlantic!

It's better not to ask what happened to hS's girlfriend. Better for everyone. Some sleeping dogs...should be left to lie. Some towns...aren't big enough for two.

--Kaitlyn

1. Aragorn becomes king... and then the narrator promptly gets back to the Shire, which isn't a monarchy. Tolkein knew we wouldn't want to stay after the ceremony was done.
   2. Magical Britain does not, for the most part, adhere to muggle laws. The wizards have their own, elective government.
   3. Star Wars started with an absolute ruler, but ended with him thrown into a bottomless pit and exploded, and everybody celebrating his death.
   4. You do realize that most of the story of Percy Jackson involves going behind Zeus's back?
   
   Quite frankly, the best thing to do with an absolute ruler is to crown them, have the cake, and then boot them out and elect the people you actually want to rule. We've already been there and done that, so I think our business with the British Empire is done.
   
   And also:
   
   1. Star Trek has the United Federation of Planets.
   2. Think about it- do you really want us back? We're a bit more... right-wing than the UK is.
   3. It's been centuries. We made our country work. Get over it.
   4. 'Brexit'. You guys aren't the only ones who decided to leave a larger union.
   

I didn't know you don't like tea. Shock! Horror! Worldview, shattered! Talking—like—Kirk!!

Eh. I suppose I'll just have to use virtual hot cocoa instead if the need arises.

And I MAY do that experiment For Science. It will hurt my soul and I will almost certainly regret it, but I'm curious. {= )

~Neshomeh

I don't think the results would be pretty. Although it occurs to me that I'm not entirely sure what would happen. Tea makes me physically ill anyways. I may as well consider making an awful cup FOR SCIENCE. Although I probably won't.

See also the ISO Standard cup of tea

This entire thread is hilarious and I love it. {X D

... What's this about boiling, though? I was just recently telling Thoth that you don't boil tea leaves, and I do believe I actually used the words tea-heresy. Nobody really does that, do they? O.o

If you're talking about whether or not to bring the water to a boil, that's fine, and it depends entirely on the variety of tea you intend to brew when it's come to temp.

~Neshomeh

/ahem/

The inquisitor stalked the deck of the great hexathedral Malaclypse. Below, the world known as Morlock span through space, serene amid the stars.

"Vile!" the inquisitor spat. "I hope your troops are ready for action, Smit, because by the God-Emperor, I will see this planet purged."

Lord Militant General Smit sipped at his steaming mug. "Really, my lord? The populace seem like decent enough sorts."

"They are the vilest of abhuman filth!" the inquisitor snarled. "More fish than men; they've clearly been mingled with some blasphemous xenos race."

"Quite possibly," the Lord Militant General agreed genially, and lifted his cup slightly. "They do make a good cuppa, though."

The inquisitor's glower darkened even more. "That drink," he growled, "is vile xenos filth-"

"Terran filth, I think you'll find." Smit took another sip, smacked his lips. "Your own savants, my lord, have told me that it once grew beneath what is now the Imperial Palace." His eyes twinkled over the mug. "Doesn't that make it sort of holy?"

"Heresy!" the inquisitor gasped. "In the name of the God-Emperor-"

"I understand the battle-brothers of the Glass Cannons have taken to it with distinctly un-Astartes-like enthusiasm," Smit said mildly. "They feel it increases their prowess in battle."

The inquisitor paused. Not even a member of the holy Ordos went up against a Space Marine Chapter lightly. "The abhuman filth are still heretics," he said stubbornly.

"They would agree with you," Smit chuckled, "but I've read about their religious feuds. Beast-milk or citron, saccharine or not, to boil or not to boil... even the Ecclesiarchy couldn't quibble over such trivia, but these people..."

The inquisitor spat on the deck plate. "I've heard enough," he snapped. "Marshal your troops, Smit - it's time to blast this vile planet to dust."

"Oh, I say, that's hardly sporting." Lord Militant General Smit downed the remnants of his drink and reached for the kettle. "Why don't you pull up a seat, old chap, and we can discuss it over a nice cup of tea?"

~

^_~

hS

Though, actually, it's the other way around--we came up with so, so many ideas and then chose a heaping handful to put into this story so that we wouldn't be writing forever. More snuck in anyway.

~Z

Also, I love the idea of the Canadianized Flowers and other heads! It's amazing how even a little joke story like this can lead to so much world-building, huh?

—doctorlit

Glad we nailed the goose behaviour!

The technicians...well. Rogers and Bell are phone/WiFi/etc service providers, and both...have some issues. I'm pretty sure it was ST's brainwave to make them Techies. Not included in the end were: Rogers' little brother who goes around yelling "Yahoo!" a lot (Rogers has something to do with Yahoo! which is...it offers mail and I think has services along the lines of MSN? It's been a long time since I used it), and a new guy named Koodo who goes around trying to make things better (another, I believe newer provider, with fewer problems that I've witnessed).

Hmm. I suppose that could become "a strange place," but I'd have to see it in context to be sure.

Glad you enjoyed!

~Z

PS: you might appreciate this: so much stuff couldn't make it in...including that the Flowers have become more...Canadian. Such as the Bonsai Maple. I think there was something about incorporating the official provincial flowers and animals as well? Anyway, quite a lot of animals floating around. And many squirrels, of course.

PPS: as to Canadian-made continua only...that would make sense to me, but we never discussed it that I remember. Although, do American productions filmed in Canada count? Because, for example, Supernatural is filmed in Vancouver...

I'll be the first to admit that we're not doing so terribly well as a country right now, but here's to our ideals of freedom and equality for everyone anyway! They're worth fighting for, and not at all unattainable.

... REALLY PRETTY, I tried to fit in the Subject line and failed. XD

Though truth be told I probably don't even need to go into the city to see the show.

Didn't she do the exact same thing? As an American? :V To all of Britain, no less!

Seeing your reactions to the different bits made me grin. I'll respond to a few that caught my eye:

Okay, a fan of alcohol, I’m most definitely not, but Zeb, one glass at that?
The Aviator only just recently (like, within the last year) started recovering from her drinking problem. He doesn't want to take the risk of her backsliding again.


Where did a Pokemon pick up tips about human fashion? And how much does he charge? What? At least next time the characters will have nice outfits.
He might have been hanging out with Jacques a little too much. :P


*Looking at iximaz's mission count* It's all your fault Zeb. You'll know about what when you see it.
*maniacal laughter*

IO is having some doubts there, Zeb. Should it go for a daughter or a son?
Guess that'll just depend on how much longer it'll be before the two of them aren't able to have kids together... *winks*