Michael Sautter

Time & Place: the usual.
Present: Jesse, Steve, Patsy, Myles and me.

If you missed coffee on Sunday then this is the place to catch up on what you missed. If you were there then maybe the notes and links will compliment and enlighten our deep philosophical discussion.

 

Dungeon Siege

Steve’s drive to get some multi-player Dungeon Siege action going seems to be getting some traction. Myles has ordered the game. However I’m not interested in playing and apparently neither is Jesse.

 

Disney Problems

Just where is the low-income housing controversy happening? It looks like California (more info).

 

Red Tide in Florida

Speaking of Disney and Florida, red tide really sucks according to Steve. Whatever is causing it, it is not due to mankind’s polluting the environment because if God didn’t want us to pollute then there would be no pollution.

 

Paris Hilton

The death of the American Dream? There used to be a time in America when with a little fame and a lot of money a rich person could get away with murder. What’s happened now? Ms. Hilton cannot even get out of some traffic trouble? Why should people work hard to gain fame and fortune if they won’t be able to buy their way out of driving with a suspended license? (/sarcasm)

Is Paris Hilton as ugly as everyone says she is? Myles doesn’t think so. Jesse disagrees with Myles. I think that she’s fairly attractive, probably with a lot of help from plastic surgery.

Related YouTube video: Shawskank Redemption .

 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Does she have a rich father? Yes, according to Wikipedia.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus was born in New York City to a wealthy Franco-American family best-known for the Louis Dreyfus Group, an international investment and banking firm.

Her father’s net worth is estimated to be over 3 billion dollars. (Wiki link)

 

Baseball

My fat ‘P’ Phillies baseball cap seemed to have attracted a Red Sox fan in a nice suit. He wanted to know why Phil’s fans don’t like Charlie Manuel. How about Uncle Charlie still is struggling with the double switch? More info.: FireUncleCharlie.com .

Jose Mesa back with the Phillies? You cannot be serious. His ERA is over 12 and his age is over 41.

 

Eagles

Steve thinks the Eagles will trade Donovan but he’s not sure when. What’s with Donovan’s beard? He looks like he’s Amish or something.

 

Computers

Jesse reports problems with HP print drivers with Windows and that the HP web site sucks.

I’m on an Ubuntu Linux computer (2.7 Ghz. Celeron) and I have not had a problem with my Samsung ML-1210 printer. You can read more about my installation of Ubuntu at Newsvine .

Afraid to install Ubuntu on your own? Then maybe buy a computer with it already installed at System 76 or Dell .

 

New Bionic Woman

Michelle Ryan is the new Bionic Woman according to Wikipedia.

 

Tony & Joe’s Pizza

In Jesse’s defense their phone number is close to mine. More info.: TonyAndJoesPizza.com .

by Lawrence C. Connolly
Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine, July 2007 edition

Space opera-et or science fiction novelet?

I suppose that if I am not sure what the piece of speculative science is that this fictional story revolves around then it really is just a short space opera. Not that that is necessarily bad, it is entertaining and it’s not like I wish I had that fifteen minutes of my life back or anything.

The setting of this story is a primitive planet and Cara Gamma, a copy of a woman from a highly advanced society, is observing the native inhabitants. Cara meets up with a native and is drawn into a problem the tribe is having. Will she help them? If so then how?

The world created here is interesting but I am not sure about the motivations of Cara, why does she do the things that she does? The author does not even tell us the reason the advanced society is observing the primitive one.

Again this was an entertaining story but there is not a Big Idea science fiction-wise that it revolves around. I think of it as SF bubblegum.

by Ray Vukcevich
Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine, July 2007 edition

What if a refrigerator was smart enough to know what was put into it and what if it was programmed to alert the proper authorities if that something was illegal?

That is exactly what happens in this short story, however when the fridge snitches it is expecting to talk with another machine which happens to be off-line at that moment. Instead human beings answer the fridge’s call and it does not believe that it is talking with real people. What follows is a twist on the Turing Test.

Overall an interesting idea that is well written but very brief (just three pages).

Tomorrows review:
Daughters of Prime by Lawrence C. Connoly
Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine, July 2007 edition