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| Saturday, February 11th, 2012 | | 4:10 pm |
Come share your wisdom!
In case you didn't know... I'm running the Eco Track at Penguicon! Do you have an idea that would make the world a better place? Want to geek about going green, or your new recipe for hand soap, or how you keep the neighbors' cats from messing up your flowers? Got anything at all that you just want to tell folks about? Send me a message or sign up directly at the Penguicon website, and we'll make sure you get your message out there! For just 3 hours of presentation time, including being on panels, you can get the staff rate price con badge! If you are already coming to Penguicon, think about offering up a serving of your wisdom. If you aren't coming, check out Penguicon.org and see what you're missing!! | | Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 | | 9:41 am |
Writer's Block: A Bright Idea
A full body medical scanner that is portable and affordable. Create a wearable suit. Embedded in the fabric are cameras that take pictures at a set focal length, in visible, uv, and ir, coupled with a range finder. Inflate the suit. As each camera bundle reaches it's preferred distance from the skin, it takes it's picture. This will provide the doctor with a full body map of the patient's largest organ, the skin, as well as revealing "hot spots" where infections may be present, or "cool spots" which may indicate the presence of cancers. The body-suit nature of this device will protect the privacy of the patient, and reduce the discomfort of having the doctor poking and prodding at every crevice. This should be able to be produced for about the cost of a mid range computer, or less. If somebody makes this from my idea, I don't care about money, but a credit for the idea would be appreciated. | | Monday, November 7th, 2011 | | 7:29 pm |
Are criminal records less important than credit records?
I have been arrested. Once. I forgot to pay a fine on a speeding ticket. I don't remember the date, as it was almost ten years ago. I have been turned down for a job because I couldn't give them the correct date of my arrest. The company knew what it was because their background check turned it up. They would not let me see the results of the background check. When I applied for a credit card, and was turned down because of my credit report, they sent me a copy of the report. I saw that there was an account listing that was wrong, which I resolved by contacting the bank in question. Afterwards, I reapplied for the credit card and was approved. My question is, why aren't criminal background searches required to be shared in the same way as credit checks? I think it says something about the state of our society that your money is so much more important than your morality. Think about it: I can, easily and quickly, find out the dates of each bank account that I opened, and a general history of my behavior with those accounts. If I want to find out the dates for my single arrest, I'd have to hire a lawyer to go to the courthouse and file a records request, which may or may not actually have the information I need, since I don't already have the exact dates of the incident. This would cost well over $100, and would possibly need to be repeated to yield the information I need. Or I could risk paying an online private eye firm between $25 and $300, with all the attendant risks of fraud, scam, and plain bad luck that comes with giving your full information to total strangers. Does this seem like a healthy system to you? I doesn't seem healthy at all to me. Current Mood:  frustrated | | Monday, October 31st, 2011 | | 1:45 pm |
Cost-effective vs. effective in HPV Vaccination
A friend of mine has a son. She had him vaccinated for HPV. This got me thinking, "Should I get myself vaccinated for HPV?" TO the research! I found out something that actually shocks me. I don't shock easily, being fairly jaded when it comes to humans being willing to sacrifice other people's health for their own profit. But this actually strikes me as going too far. What I found was the concept of Cost Effectiveness. Basically, this means that whether a drug is given to someone is based on what the government feels society would be willing to pay to extend a given person's life by a year. If society is willing to pay more than X per year of a person's life, the treatment is cost effective. If society doesn't care about that person enough, then oh well. The model they use estimates the "price" of the vaccinations at around $43k. For a 12 year old girl, we'll go as high as $100k, so they get it. For each year that girl ages, society values them less. At age 26, they are "worth" about $43.5k, still enough to make it worth vaccinating them. At age 27, a woman is now only "worth" $41k, so she no longer gets the vaccine. Knee-jerk reaction: How messed up is that? We base whether or not somebody is allowed to have a life saving treatment on what we feel the person is worth? Ethics gets complicated when you combine it with capitalism. In the case of trying to find ways to determine who gets their treatment paid for by an insurance system, especially one that is trying to work within "economic realities", I can understand where these calculations can be useful. Where I lose it is when I'm told by my doctor that, due to these calculations, I'm not allowed to have the treatment myself, even though it will make my life better, even if I'm willing to pay out of pocket for it. The FDA has confused Cost Effectiveness with Medical Effectiveness. They say that, since it is not worth it for insurance to pay for this vaccine for my age and sex, it is not medically sound for me to have it at all. Grrr. Argh. -Jody | | Sunday, September 18th, 2011 | | 10:54 am |
Temperature regulating drinking straw
I had an idea: What if you had a drinking straw that would ensure a perfect drinking temperature of any hot beverage? Here's how I picture it working: A straw is just a tube with two openings. You put your mouth at one opening and apply suction. The other end is submerged in a liquid that is under atmospheric pressure. The liquid is drawn into the straw and then into your mouth through a combination of the suction applied by your mouth and the atmospheric pressure on the surface of the liquid. In my straw, there would be a second tube, longer than the first, that either coiled around the first tube or made shapes, as in a "Crazy Straw" (possibly TM). There would be a valve at the bottom of the first tube. If the liquid is too hot, the valve diverts the liquid into the second, longer tube, where it would be given time and space to cool. Ideally, the tubes would intersect at least once more, possibly many times, each with a valve. Any time the temperature has reached a comfortable range, the next valve would allow the liquid into the short tube, offering the most direct access to the mouth. I think the straw itself should be made of aluminum lined with some sort of plastic, glass, or other food safe material. The valves could be simple bi-metal flaps that move in response to heat, much like the bi-metal coil in most simple thermostats. There could possibly even be a final valve at the very top that would prevent any liquid leaving the tube if it hadn't cooled down enough, to prevent burns due to overconfidence. Anybody reading this, do you think there would be any value in having a reusable straw that would make sure that hot beverages were the perfect temperature when they reached your mouth? | | 10:10 am |
A small group problem: Space
Small groups have many problems. My thoughts of the moment are about the problem of "Finding a Meeting Space" Groups that are less than ten people can usually be accommodated at a private home, coffee shop, or pretty much any restaurant, especially if the group members all know each other. Examples of this are book clubs, friend game parties, and personal wine tastings. Groups that are larger, open to the public, or where the members don't know each other well, become much harder to organize, primarily because of a lack of knowledge. Some examples of unknowns are: How many people will come, what are the food needs of the attendees, how much is everyone willing to pay. Obviously, there are many more questions that would be useful to know the answer to, as well. In deciding what sort of meeting space to pick, here's a list of possible options: Public Spaces: These include parks, library community rooms, open meeting halls, or other places which are provided for public gatherings. These tend to be hard to secure, often have inconvenient hours, don't tend to provide food or services, and can often be subject to the whims of weather or fate. Semi-public Spaces: These include Restaurants, Coffee shops, Book shops, or other places that pretty much anyone can just walk into, but that are controlled in some way. Many of these places will have a private room, or an area they set aside for use of groups. These typically can accommodate up to about 40 people as their maximum, though this will vary, usually downward. Semi-private Spaces: These include University Meeting rooms, Party Halls, Churches, Hotel Ballrooms, or other places where there is typically a rental fee for the space itself. These are usually easier to secure, can be good for up to a couple hundred people, and are generally available at any time with enough forethought. The problems can be in providing food for the participants, and in the cost. Some halls can charge over $100 an hour, with a minimum charge of several hours. If a group is assured of a large enough attendance, this cost can generally be spread out and covered, possibly even with some profit going towards shortfalls later. This sort of space requires much more forethought and planning than almost any other kind of space. Private: This is pretty much limited to Private Homes. Depending on the nature of the home, the number of people it can accommodate, the availability of food, parking, facilities, security, and many other factors will vary wildly. More musings in Part 2, if I get around to it. | | Friday, January 14th, 2011 | | 1:54 pm |
I'm in the process of filling out the FAFSA, and I saw something very interesting: 
You may use the virtual keyboard when entering your Social Security Number and your Date of Birth. The virtual keyboard will help prevent a malicious source from capturing your keystrokes and then later accessing your personal information. The value can be entered by clicking on the virtual keyboard character with your mouse or when the cursor is held over the key for 2 seconds.
This is the first time I've seen something like this, and I'm intrigued. My question is, is this actually safer? I suppose it would stop a keylogger installed on the computer I'm using, but the information is still being transmitted. Is this just a gimmick, or does it really make us safer? Wikipedia has a nice article, but doesn't really answer the question ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_keyboard ) Anybody reading this have a knowledgeable opinion? | | Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 | | 8:15 am |
New bookstore/cafe, new hangout!
I've discovered something really cool. I think everybody should go here. I've discovered something really cool. I don't want anybody else to go here. I'm torn. There is this great new bookstore/cafe/tea/coffee/eclectic shop near my house. It is a store dedicated to the alternative mainstream of convention-going, ren-faire-attending, cosplay-dressing people. There is a meditation/reading room, with soft lighting and softer pillows. The cafe touts a tea bar featuring a tea producer enjoyed by the Queen of England. The coffee is made at a monastery in Wisconsin. Their bookshelves cover types of fiction that big retailers stick in back corners, namely sci-fi, speculative fiction, graphic novels, and steampunk novels of all sorts. Did I mention that the place has a steampunk theme? There are brass goggles, model dirigibles, ornate leather masks, and hats of every description. They have music for sale that I've not seen outside a convention dealer's room. The funky t-shirt collection is small but growing, including one of my favorites, a baby doll tee with a corset silk screened onto it. They have game nights. They have live performers. They have drumming classes and book readings and guided meditation and they'll make you a sandwich. This is the sort of place who's eclectic nature almost guarantees that it won't become so mainstream as to have to worry about walmart level crowds. The atmosphere and charm of the place is only enhanced by the quirky idea that the customers are unusual outcasts who are oddly elite in their own sphere. But the more people who know about it, the less exclusive it will feel, and the more likely it is to be crowded and hard to get a seat. So, my conflict: Tell everybody where it is, or keep the place secret? Ah, what the hell, company makes pretty much everything better. It's called Off the Beaten Path Bookstore, in Farmington, Michigan. The website is www.otbp-bookstore.com. They just opened the doors about a month before I first visited, so the place still has most of the shiny. I get the feeling that Sal, the proprietress, plasma to keep it that way. So go, shop, eat, drink, be merry. Buy a book, play a drum, drink excellent tea. In short, check this place out. It's so worth it! In case you missed it: Off the Beaten Path Bookstore and Café www.otbp-bookstore.com | | Tuesday, October 19th, 2010 | | 1:02 pm |
Hey Pandora!
Ok, I get the ads, really I do. I don't complain when an ad comes on the radio, or a commercial comes on tv, or even the various banners all over the internet. It's advertising driven media, and I'm cool with that. I even click for more information from time to time. But do the ads have to be twice as loud as the song I was just listening to? It isn't so jarring when I'm listening to Lady Gaga, but when I'm chilling out with Enya, having an ad for a car website come blaring on several decibel levels too high, that just hurts! I mean literally hurts, as in I snatched my headphones off and was left with ringing ears for a moment. Radio stations tend to match their commercials to the type of songs they play. Your whole model is based around matching up styles of audio content. Would it really be too much to ask you to at least sound level the ads to match the music? Even better would be actually matching the ad's style to the music genre, but I can see how that could be too complicated even for you. | | 11:22 am |
Launcher Game Idea
I don't know how many of you share my addiction to free flash games, like those found at Kongregate. Those of you who play them probably are familiar with the class of games known as "Launchers". For the uninitiated (and for clarity's sake), I'm referring to games where you have some sort of launching mechanism, like a cannon or a giant sling-shot, from which you fire a projectile, which you then control in flight in order to hit targets, collect score items, and ultimately reach some goal such as escape from the planet or a specific distance/height. Most of these games feature a living projectile, such as a hedgehog, a penguin, or a game forum troll. Mostly, these beings are shot straight up, only to come crashing down at the end of their abortive flight. After landing, miraculously without harm, you generally get the option of using points earned during the flight to level up your launch mechanism and the quality of your projectile. My idea stems from the issue I have with showing some living creature being shot into space, only to land somehow unharmed after a fall of several thousand feet. If you're going to launch a living being, it should do what livings beings do upon their reintroduction to the earth: Go Splat. My idea is that you should have to name each projectile before you launch it. The name you give it will affect, not it's performance, but the public's perception of you launching a poor, defenseless whatsit into the stratosphere. Each round, you name the poor hapless cannonball de jour, and the game calculates the "Cuteness" rating for the name. The cuter it is, the more points you get for the launch (ratings!!), BUT the more backlash there is for making such a cute thing go splat! I imagine the leveling up mechanism would work much the same as in other games, using the money garnered from the publicity of each flight going towards making better and better launch attempts in the future. However, if the public becomes too outraged, your funding will get pulled and the project will be disbanded (you lose the game) [the author just lost the game, by the way]. So, if any of you out there are into designing games, feel free to use this concept, so long as you list me as having a hand in the creation. If you happen to sell it and make more than your production costs, I wouldn't say no to some profit sharing! | | Thursday, June 17th, 2010 | | 12:56 pm |
| | Saturday, June 5th, 2010 | | 10:43 am |
Vodka plumes of the corset moonscape
My wife is using Vodka to clean a corset. She's not actually cleaning in the sense of using a chemical, scrubbing, rinsing, etc. The way it's supposed to work is that the Vodka helps to break down any lingering oils and help drive off any lingering smells. Here's where my brain went: In my minds eye, we zoom down to the surface of the garment. Here, we see giant pitted cables. Here and there, globs of oil cling to the strands. Particles waft gently off these globs, as well as slowly sifting out of the dark depths deep down under the cables. Down from the sky, a rain of clear liquid splashes down. The Vodka quickly soaks into the surface of our new world, great streams forming, flowing along the monstrous strings and threads, whirlpooling down into the murky spaces between. As it encounters the globs and blobs of grease and oil, the vodka flows over, and under, and into the slime, causing it to break apart, fragments forming from what was once a cohesive unit. After a few sharp short seconds of chaos, all is quiet. Everything feels cool and calm as the Vodka finishes its work of saturating this strange place where we find ourselves. Then the temperature starts to rise. Slowly, all but imperceptibly, a feeling of warmth , one we hadn't even noticed before it was dispelled by the Vodka rain, begins to return. As the air warms the newly arrived liquid, the surface begins to bubble, then to steam, until all around we see forming froth! Out from between two of the largest cables, a blast of steam geysers skyward! Mostly, it's clear, and seems composed solely of gaseous Vodka, but as you look closer, you can see bits of other things interspersed in it. Strings of particles are being carried off by this enormous plume! The newly freed Vodka, mixed with a few bits of oil, a dusting of skin cells, and a smattering of things that would probably smell ghastly if you got enough of them together, all go shooting off into space, to disperse out into nothing. Looking around, you see that while you were distracted, more plumes have begun to burst forth. Large plumes from deep between the fibers, little plumes shooting out of small crevices, all while a steady steam of Vodka drifts off from every surface. Every one of these plumes and drifts carries off a few more bits of detritus, a couple more molecules of scent-causing chemicals. It's a fantastic expulsion, an explosion of filth! Under our feet, the very fabric of this new place gives a delicate shudder, and one last, massive plume forms right at our feet, sending us hurtling off this strange world we've had the honor of inspecting. Returning to ourselves, we can no longer see individual fibers, or plumes, or any of the particles those plumes expelled. The air around us if filled with the rapidly dissipating scent of Vodka, with a slight overlay of sweat. After a few minutes, we lean down and sniff the newly dry garment. Smells fresh! With just a hint of Mother Russia still lingering. . . | | Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 | | 2:05 pm |
The Teapot Question
In a TED talk I was watching today, the speaker posed a question which he claims is standard in philosophy. He called it the Teapot Question. "Here is a teapot. It is full of hot water. Why is the water hot?"
He explained that this is a seemingly simple question, but that in reality, it isn't. The answer to this depend largely on how you perceive the question.
One answer could be that the kinetic energy is high, and the molecules bounce rapidly against things, a very physical science kind of argument. One could also argue that the water is hot because it was sitting on a stove with the flame on, an historical argument. A third could be that I wanted water for tea, an intentional argument. And, since this was all coming from a moral philosopher, a fourth answer would be that it's part of God's plan for the Universe.
I've been thinking about clarity of meaning ever since meeting speakers of the constructed language Lojban, and this question got me thinking about it again. Does Lojban provide for a more elegant way to clarify precisely what is being asked? And if it does, or if some other language came along which did, would that be a good thing?
Just musing,
Jody Current Mood:  contemplative | | Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 | | 4:30 pm |
"Perspectives"
Originally printed in the Troy-Somerset Gazette Perspectives by PETER MAURER With Fall elections this year, there will undoubtedly be politicking and grandstanding to make our schools and teachers more accountable for the success of the students. There will no doubt be calls for tougher standards, more professional development, more standardized tests, and maybe a longer school year or day. And yet, it seems that some people have forgotten one overlooked fact: making schools and school teachers work harder will never work until we make students work harder. I don’t know when or where, but someone forgot that students are what schools are all about, and you can put in all the technology you want, and make your teachers work beyond their capacity, and you still won’t improve achievement substantially unless and until you get the STUDENTS to work harder. You can send them to school for 200 days a year, eight hours a day, on Saturdays, Christmas, Easter, and even Mother’s Day, but until you get students to read, write, and do homework, nothing, and I mean nothing is going to change. While it can be argued that our schools have not fully adapted to our constantly and rapidly changing society, it can also be argued that society has placed unrealistic expectations on its schools. Burdened with responsibilities that go far beyond reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic, many of today’s schools struggle to cope with kids and families who turn to them for daycare, meals, counseling, discipline, and social work. Against this backdrop, throw in poverty, drug abuse, unemployment, child abuse, and a host of other societal ills, and it’s easy to see why a number of kids opt not to do much – if any – schoolwork at home. At a time when the Internet and the Digital Age have given kids instantaneous and mind-numbingly loud and colorful access to the world, they’ve grown accustomed to right-clicking their way through the day; anything that requires more than a nanosecond’s attention or effort is often disdained and loathed. Into their world of iPods, MP3’s, XBoxes, and cell phones, comes an institution where they’re asked to sit down for 55 minutes, pull out a book, and think. Unaccustomed to such outrageous demands, many of them resist, hoping that when they get home, they can search the Internet for their report on the Revolutionary War, make one click and then wait for the printer to do their work. And then there are the afterschool activities. It’s not just school sports and chess club anymore; civic sports teams, music lessons, dance lessons, language classes, and parttime jobs fill out many students’ schedules, to the point where schoolwork becomes secondary. It’s easy for teachers to see this paradigm shift in America today, and although many parents will insist that they view education and schools an important part of their children’s development, many of their actions are contrary. Go ahead and pass all the laws you want making teachers go to school for an extra year, take 30, 60, or even 90 hours of professional development classes each year, extend the school day, week, or year. But all you’re doing is making the teachers work harder. But they’re not the ones who are supposed to be doing the math homework, writing the history paper, or making the science project. Comments/remarks can be directed to me via the email link at www.troy-somersetgazette.com | | Sunday, February 14th, 2010 | | 11:49 am |
Jaws reference ftw . . .
My wife is making seafood rolls, mainly with krab meat. (that's crab-with-a-"k", which is actually a mix of other fishy meats, often some sort of white fish, flavored and colored to seem more like crab) Some of the krab must have been shark, since she just announced, "I'm gonna need a bigger bowl." She didn't get why I broke down in giggles. I don't think she's ever seen Jaws. . . | | Friday, January 29th, 2010 | | 7:53 am |
Fluid Gender Identity
I was over on ModerPoly and reading through some of the posts, and decided to respond to one. After I was done, I was quite pleased with the result. So, I'm posting it here as well, more so I have a record of it, but also in case any of my friends want a closer look inside my brain, Gods help you. The topic was: "There seem to be more Bi-Women than Bi-Men. Why do you think that is?" Here's my answer: I blame the whole thing on the media, especially magazines. We are constantly shown unreal images of fantastic (literally "Fantasy") nearly-nude women, and we are told that "This is IT!" Male, female, neuter, whatever, we all get that constant bombardment that this one standard of beauty is THE STANDARD OF BEAUTY! Looking at people is very much like looking at art: A learned skill. In order to fully appreciate Van Gogh, one must typically study all sorts of other art, starting with the basics of shape and color, and moving on up. Even then, what you experience early on in your education (formal or otherwise) will strongly shape your preferences later on. I believe that the same goes for sexual attraction. Since, biochemically, most of us fall somewhere in the middle of the Kinsey Scale, it's up to the mind and society to make up the difference. And if our entire education (formal or otherwise) is geared towards the idea that "Women Are Desirable", then unless we're strongly wired against it, we're probably going to find women desirable. Men are going to see women as desirable, unless they are strongly gay. Women are going to see women as desirable, unless they are strongly hetero. And even then, pretty much everybody is going to be able to see the beauty in a slim model-type woman more easily than they will in a curvy girl, or almost any sort of male. Want to deprogram from this ingrained habit? Stop watching the media and start looking around you. Don't let your eye slide past _anybody_. Look closely at every person that crosses your path. Note the similarities of form as well as the differences. And any time you catch yourself thinking "Ewww!", question just what it is that made you think that. Unless you are actually seeing something indicative of danger or disease, most likely you are living out the media's unrealistic expectations of beauty. | | Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 | | 6:21 pm |
Random Recipe: Spinach Cranberry Chicken
Random Recipe: Spinach Cranberry Chicken I had some stuff lying around, so I put some together to make a dish for my Nikki. It came out well enough, I decided to write it down. Ingredients (All Approximate. Feel free to substitute whatever you have lying around.) 2 cups fresh Baby Spinach 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1 Chicken breast, cut into nuggets and deep fried, breaded with Onion Dip flavored Pork Rinds (leftovers; any cooked chicken works) 1 Tblspn Bacon Crumbles 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries 2 Tblspns Creamy Caramelized onion and Bacon Salad dressing (any creamy salad dressing would work, I suppose) Pinch of Salt Pinch of Sugar (I used Splenda) Dusting of Cheap-ass grated Parmesan powder Heat Oil over medium-high heat. Dump in Spinach to start wilting. Dump in Cranberries to warm up. Microwave the leftover Chicken Nuggets, enough to make 'em good and hot, but don't let them dry out. After a couple minutes, the spinach should be well on it's way to wilted, but still have just a hint of light green about it. Pull it off the heat. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut it down, especially any stems. Don't take them out, as they add a nice crunch, but do make sure there aren't any pieces larger than about an inch long. Don't cut them before wilting, or you lose all the crunchyness. Dump mess on a plate. Sprinkle on the salt, the sugar, and the bacon bits Stir in the Dressing, till distributed evenly. Dump on the chicken. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Presentation note: Mound it all in the center of the plate, then wipe the plate with a paper towel, starting at the edges moving towards the food. A moments attention makes the food much prettier, and pretty food feeds the soul too! Serve with the fork on the side. Don't just stick the fork in, this makes it look like used food. Besides, there's just something satisfying about sticking a nice clean fork into a plate of fresh food. Satisfies some primal urge to kill your food, ensuring freshness, I suppose. Surreptitiously watch your victim enjoy the food. If you're worried they won't like it, this might communicate to the eater. The smell of fear can just kill the mood. The more worried you are, the farther away you should stay. If you're really proud of your handiwork, as you should be if you used my recipe, stand proud and hand them the fork yourself! Current Mood:  satisfied | | Monday, December 14th, 2009 | | 7:36 am |
Henry Best's thoughts on Court as Theater
This was recently posted to the Midrealm Mailing list in response to a thread about Diminishing Respect in the SCA. Specifically, this portion of the thread was about people talking in Court and not paying attention. Henry Best, aka Fashoo the Fool, is a talented performer both in and out of the SCA. His post was so insightful, so profound, and so inspiringly funny, I felt the need to repost it somewhere I could find it again, and perhaps to share with a wider audience. Read, wonder, learn, and enjoy! Jody p.s. - All the world's indeed a stage, and we are merely players. Henry Best to SCA-Middle RE: Subject: Re: [Mid] Is Respect/Courtesy Diminishing? - That Heavy Burden Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 1:28 PM Disclaimer One: This is not intended, not for a moment, to relieve anyone in the audience of their responsibility to be a good and courteous audience member. You showed up. You sat down. There’s a stage in front of you. There’s a show going on. That means no chatting, no unwrapping of hard candies, no chatting on your damnable cell phone. No class is needed here. Everyone in the room has been to see at least one movie. They play an instructional video at the beginning of each show that essentially says “You’re in a theatre. Don’t be a jerk.” So, don’t be a jerk. Do you REALLY need a class from the chatelaine’s office to know that? Courtesy classes don’t work. They don’t work because the people who NEED to take them, don’t attend. Disclaimer Two: If any part of this posting is later shown to not be in accordance with the finer points of authoritative translations of the Old Testament or any other text, or if any minor quibble should be taken with some side note, such as whether plush toys could be truly considered to be dead since they were never alive, or some other inanity, this shall not be taken to invalidate the remaining message. Only in the SCA could we really believe that a bad show is the fault of the audience. If I’m doing my show, and the audience ignores me to chat among themselves, whose responsibility do you think it is? It’s mine. What’s wrong with my show that people aren’t watching it intently, enthralled at what’s going on in front of them? It’s MY job to see that the show is successful. Heralds, crowns, coronets, presenters, anyone else going up there. It’s a stage. It’s a theatre. Consider the needs of your audience. Take responsibility for the success of the show. Rule Number One: Whatever you are doing up in court? It’s a show and it’s for the benefit of the audience. It’s not for YOU. Do whatever you have to do to make sure the show succeeds. That’s really all you need to know. Any other rules I might write would be commentary on that basic principle. Rule One A: Leave them wanting more. How short can you make your presentation and get done what you need to do? How much dead air can you cut out? Did you know that “brevity is the soul of wit”? Do you even need to do this in court at all? Could it be done privately? Or at high table? If what you are doing doesn’t contribute positively to court, consider just cutting it. As a shorter bit is a better bit, so too a shorter court is a better court. Rule One B: Speak so the audience can hear you. Project. Enunciate. Oh yeah: and face the audience. Yes yes, I know you THINK you went up there to address the Crown. That’s a theatrical convention. Step to one side, turn ¾ out to the audience, and PRETEND to address the Crown. Instead, aim your words out to where the audience can hear them. Have any of you ever seen a play? Does anyone, EVER, speak with their back to the audience? It simply doesn’t happen. And it doesn’t happen because it doesn’t work. So don’t do it. Rule One C: Heralds, you are the Voice of the Crown. That makes you the Narrator of our little show. There is SO much more you can do besides call people up and ask for huzzahs or vivats or whatever. When, inevitably, the crown or the presenter is inaudible, dull, or what have you, it is your job to communicate to the audience what the hell is going on. When the Shire of Possum’s Creek shows up and mumbles to the king that they are here to pay their taxes, then begins rummaging around in a bag, make an announcement: “THE SHIRE OF POSSUM’S CREEK IS HERE TO PRESENT THEIR ANNUAL TRIBUTE TO THE CROWN, FROM THE BOUNTY OF THEIR RICH AND FERTILE LAND” Then they hand the queen a bunch of plush toy possums they made, with Xs for eyes and tire treads across their stomach, or something equally charming. “THE TRIBUTE IS IN THE FORM OF A SACK OF DEAD POSSUMS”. The group makes their bows and curtseys and they withdraw. The king mumbles to you to call the next bit of business. “THEIR MAJESTIES THANK THE SHIRE OF POSSUM’S CREEK. THE ANNUAL QUOTA FOR DEAD POSSUMS NOW BEING MET, THEIR MAJESTIES DECLARE THAT ALL OTHER GROUPS ARE OFFICIALLY FREE OF THE POSSUM TAX. [insert cheering here] THEIR MAJESTIES CALL FORWARD THE NORTH OAKEN ARM WRESTLING GUILD” (or whatever). Rule One D: Finally, before you step onto the stage, know your exit strategy. I can’t count the number of times I’ve watched people in court blather on for the simple reason that they had no idea how to finish and exit. Do what you came to do, then leave. You aren’t 1/10 as entertaining as you think you are. Trust me. I’ve watched videos of my own shows…. -Henry Current Mood: impressed | | Monday, November 16th, 2009 | | 9:09 pm |
I really hate it when...
I wrote a rather nice, funny post about my first day at UCon. Then I hit backspace after accidentally brushing the mouse button. The browser went back, and now the entire post is gone. LJ FAIL! BAD LJ! No Cookies! bitter lol. jody | | Monday, October 12th, 2009 | | 8:57 pm |
Learning to juggle grows brain networks for good
Reposted here for interest and archival purposes. According to some new research, it looks like learning to juggle really does cause an increase in certain areas of the brain! There is a cool article on NewScientist.com, based on a journal post in Nature. From: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17 957-learning-to-juggle-grows-brain-netwo rks-for-good.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=onl ine-news ( Full text behind cut ) |
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