More Than Human

Originally published in 1953, More Than Human was nominated for the 1954 Retro Hugo award in 2004.

Photo Source: Library Thing

You have the most appealing surface I have seen

Bring it over here

Lay it down by me

—Al Stewart

The other night I dreamed that I had a wireless network connection embedded in my brain. It left a big scar on my forehead, but that was necessary. The antenna was a thin, silver wire that followed the scar. Although the scar was jagged and over my right eye, it was not a lightning bolt, avoiding the whole Harry Potter image. And the little silver wire that formed the antenna was kinda cute.

Now I know that is not an original concept:

• Theodore Sturgeon won a nebula award for More Than Human, a classic story about coming-of-age when you’re part machine. I will always treasure the pure romanticism of “You stimulate my emosensors.”
• Manfred Clynes and Nathan Kline coined the term cyborg in 1960 to refer to a self-regulating hybrid of machines and humans.
• Then there is the Borg in the Star Trek universe.

Speculative fiction always seems to focus on the negative aspects of any technology. Perhaps it is just that we humans prefer to be scared of anything new or different. Embracing change is difficult, but we must try somehow. If you want to find your inner cyborg, see Cyborg.NameDecoder.com . Mine is shown to the right

Image Source: Cyborg.NameDecoder.com

References

• Clynes and Kline (1960). Cyborgs and Space. Astronautics.
• Sturgeon, Theodore (1953). More Than Human. Victor Gollancz.

Friday’s Feast

Appetizer: Name one thing that is unique about you.

With more than 4-billion humans on this planet, I don’t know that anything about me is truly unique. Maybe the combination of traits is unique, but I don’t really think so. I have seen pictures of my doppelganger, and he even had the same kind of bass guitar I do.

Soup: Fill in the blank: My favorite ______ is _______, but I like _______, too.

My favorite music is difficult to play, but I like simple songs, too.

Salad: What type of wood do you have for your home's furnishings?

As many varieties as possible. I even like mixing woods in the same room. I love wood it all its variations.

Main Course: Who do you talk to most often on the phone?

Suna

Dessert: What level of responsibility do you have at your job?

Depends on how you look at it. I am a contractor, so I have absolutely no responsibility. But I act as a consultant. People listen to me and follow my recommendations. With that power comes responsibility, as Spiderman might say.

Cosmik Debris

All that glitters is not gold. This golden rock ruined crashed through a family’s roof and landed in their bathroom. Photo source: National Geographic

Hey there, brother,

Who you jivin’ with that cosmik debris?

—Frank Zappa

Wouldn’t this just make your day? The object in the picture crashed through the roof of a house and landed in the family’s bathroom (National Geographic News, 2007). It would certainly be surprising to reach for the TP and grab this thing. Even though the article said scientists would be able to identify the object by the end of the week, I have not been able to find any information on the results. There is a strong possibility that it is a melted portion of a satellite or other contraption.

And speaking of things from falling out of the sky, one of our spy satellites is coming down (National Geographic News, January 28, 2008). The satellite cannot be controlled as it falls and contains hazardous materials. There is even a good chance that it could it somewhere in the North America (Baldor, 2008). So carry a big umbrella for the next few days.

This NASA image make it look like we have a metal shell encircling our planet. Photo source: National Geographic

And we have created a lot of this space litter since Sputnik. There are thousands of pieces of space junk in orbit around the planet. A NASA image makes it look almost like Earth has a metal atmosphere. Only 5% of the objects orbiting the planet are natural (Sullivan, 2008). At least 17,000 artificial objects have reentered the atmosphere in the last 50 years (Baldor, 2008).

Luckily, the bureaucrats have the situation under control Ten space agencies, including the European Space Agency and NASA, joined forces to create the Inter-agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (https://www.iadc-online.org/).

I didn’t intend for this entry to turn into a rant, but the stars are aligning (or at least the space trash is). Cthulu will soon start throwing rocks at us.

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References

• Baldor, Lolita C. (January 30, 2008). Dead spy satellite could crash into US. National Geographic News. Available: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080130-AP-satellite.html
• National Geographic News (January 5, 2007). Photo in the news: Mysterious space object crashes into house. National Geographic News. Available: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/01/070105-space-rock.html
• Sullivan, Eileen (January 28, 2008). Disabled spy satellite threatens earth. National Geographic News. Available: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080128-spy-satellite.html

Bold Marauder

If you think my views are extreme, check out the source of this lovely illustration.

Photo source: Project for the Old American Century

And we will dress in helmet and sword, and dip our tongues in slaughter

And we will sing a warrior’s song and lift the praise of murder

And Christ will be our darling and fear will be our name

—Richard Farina

I came across the following quote at wordsmith.org while reading the Word of the Day posting.

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed—and hence clamorous to be led to safety—by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.

—H.L. Mencken

Makes you wonder how Mencken knew what GWB would be doing 50 years after he died. Maybe Nostradamus was right when he said, “The more it changes, the more it stays the same.”

So that begs the question: Who are the real terrorists?

I think there are many correct answers. The Bush Administration is correct when they label people who want to cause harm or death to innocents with that moniker. They are wholly incorrect when they label anyone who disagrees with them as a terrorist. The United States was founded on the right of citizens to disagree with the government. The Second Amendment was not designed to protect citizens against foreign invaders. It was designed to protect citizens against their own government. The Founding Fathers had first-had experience with a terrorist government.

I am sad to say that we are growing painfully close to knowing the type of government our Founding Fathers knew. We have now have a government based on lies and fear. We need to find out if there is still anything left of our democracy after two stolen elections. The only way to know is if the Bush Administration hands over power to the opposition after a free and fair election.

I hope Stephanie is right, and this is the Dawning of a New Day. But I’m not that optimistic. I think McCain is a good man with good intentions, but can he tame the fascist wing of his party? I’m not confident that he can. All I know is that if the Republicans stay in power this year, the terrorists win. Maybe not the ones with fuzzy beards, but the ones who have raped the Constitution for six years now—the ones who hold power and pull the puppet’s strings.

God help us if Huckabee wins. No one else will.

On the lighter side: We Must All Do Our Part To Preserve This Climate of Fear

Karn Evil 9

When I showed Beccano this ELP cover, he thought it looked like a painting by the artist who designed Alien. Of course, he knew the guy’s name.

Photo source: Amazon.com

Welcome back, my friend, to the show that never ends

We’re so glad you could attend

Step inside

Step inside

—Emmerson, Lake, Sinfield

I am such a scofflaw. Suna tagged me for another meme! She also tagged all the people I know who blog. So rather than getting hung in and endless loop, the buck stops here. If you have not already been tagged by someone else, consider yourself tagged for this one.

Rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Random Facts

1. Ever since I discovered them, I have preferred Rotosound roundwound bass strings.
2. When I was twenty, my favorite singers were Linda Ronstadt, Greg Lake, and Maddy Prior.
3. I have always hated my hair. It is so curly and fine that given the slightest excuse it ties itself into knife knots.
4. I once stood 5’ 11.75” tall. Now I stand 5’ 11” even.
5. My best friend ordered my jazz bass but couldn’t pay for it when it came in. He kept asking me when I would sell it back to him until he died. I will never sell that guitar.
6. I still think ELP are the best musicians ever, even though they have gotten old and boring.
7. Dogs like me, even if people don’t. That’s OK. I generally like dogs better than most people, too.

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27 June 2008 Update: Of course Beccano was correct in his assertion that the cover of Brain Salad Surger was done by HR Geiger.

If You’re Waitin’ on Me

I am getting better organized. Scary, huh?

Tryin’ to make a dovetail joint fit tight

If something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right

—Steve Forbert

Over the last year, I have been alternating between piling stuff in the shop/garage and organizing it. I hit a milestone this weekend. Sunday was the first day that I had all my tools organized on the pegboard system that I expanded to include another wall. Turning the work bench (barely seen) 90° made that wall accessible and added a lot of usable space to work in.

I used to think that pegboard systems were for really anal people, especially the ones who outline every tool so that they’ll know where it hangs. I have learned just how convenient these systems can be. But I have not started outlining my tools…yet.

Grateful Monday

So, this week I am grateful for the last year. There have been ups and downs, but I can’t remember a time when there was less strife in my life. So, I am grateful for a good life with a kindhearted family.

Princess Olivia

The literati in their cellars

Perform semantic tarantellas

I wish I did it half as well as them

—Al Stewart

You would think that between the Associated Press editors and the editors at the Austin American Statesman someone would know the difference between affect and effect. Well, you’d be wrong. I came across this gem in an online article about Angelina Jolie Visiting Baghdad:

“What happens in Iraq and how Iraq settles in the years to come is going to effect the entire Middle East,” she added. “And a big part of what it’s going to effect, how it settles, is how these people are returned and settled into their homes and their community and brought back together and whether they can live together and what their communities look like.”

You know Jollie didn’t say, “And a big part of what it’s going to EEEEfect…” or even, “And a big part of what it’s going to effect—and I mean the one that starts with an E…” At least they are consistent.

Friday’s Feast

Friday’s Feast is off line the week, so I thought I would follow Sam’s lead and come up with my own five questions. Here they are:

Appetizer: Can you read a newspaper or book without editing it?

Obviously not.

Soup: Which grammatical error irks you the most?

Using the wrong homophone. English is chocked full of them, and people in general don’t seem to get that not using the correct one completely changes (or destroys) the meaning of your sentence. I wood never do that.

Salad: If you were given the choice of reverse-reincarnation, which historical figure would you choose to “come back” as?

Main Course: If your doctor told you that you had to give up one of your favorite foods or die, what would be hardest for you to sacrifice?

Caffeine. Even though I have determined that drinking regular coffee has a detrimental effect on my blood pressure, I can’t give it up completely. Instead, I have switched to decaf, as if I didn’t know that decaf coffee often contains as much caffeine as regular—not to mention a lot more nasty chemicals. I even allowed myself a diet cola last night, and they simply don’t make a diet decaffeinated cola.

Dessert: In the state or province where you live, where would you least want to spend two weeks?

My home town. I never really belonged there. I don’t fit in. I don’t like chemicals in the air and the imminent threat of explosions.

Mother Freedom

This photo actually has nothing to do with what I’m writing about, except that it’s a protest. And I like the sentiment.

Photo source: You’ve Been Haacked (and you like it)

Hey, tomorrow

Now don’t go away

’Cause freedom

Just might come your way

—David Gates[?]

In an apparent admission that the Constitution is still in effect, the City of Georgetown (Texas) is considering legalizing spontaneous protests (Lorez, 2008). On 8 January, a group of citizens gathered on the sidewalk to protest a measure being considered by the city council. The protesters were threatened with arrest because the did not have a permit. Current law requires the protesters to apply 30 days before the event, which means that the protesters would have had to apply for a permit to protest a proposed ordinance before they knew when it would be considered.

The Texas Civil Rights Project—not everyone in Texas is a Republican—sued the city. They have also sued Georgetown over a requirement that people addressing the meeting give a week’s notice if they aren’t going to talk about something on the official agenda.

Grateful Monday

And that brings us to this week’s Grateful Monday. Even with the way the Republicans are continuing to erode the Constitution, I am glad that I still live in a society where at least some people are willing to stand up to them instead of cowering under their torrent of fear mongering. I hope that I can find the opportunity and the backbone to do more in this regard than I have done heretofore.

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Lorenz, Andrea (January 26, 2008). City may change protest law: Officials considering allowing demonstrations without permits after civil rights group sues. Austin American Statesman. Available.

[Not] Woodstock

Not everyone at the party was UU. Some were musicians. But everybody had a good time. Photo by: Suna

Well I came upon a Child of God

He was walkin’ along the road

When I asked him where are you going

This he told me

—Joni Mitchell

Today got off to a good start.

• A warm shower to ease the aching muscles from yesterday’s woodworking activities
• A few moments to relax and check the weather and my friends’ blogs
• Leaning back in my desk chair to watch the squirrels play and mate in the big oak outside the study window
• Then off to church and choir, where we sang “I Am But a Small Voice,” a song I really enjoyed and sang fairly well

But the real fun was the Super Bowl party. There were a lot of people we knew from church gathered to watch the game. I have never seen a bunch of Unitarians so passionate about anything. Of course, it helped that this was probably the best Super Bowl I have ever seen. Everybody was on their feet for the last minute of the game, which seemed to last a half hour.

My favorite sound byte from the party: New York had failed to execute on a play. Zappafan yelled at the TV, “You’re a Child of God. Act like it!”

Prime Minister turned to Second Minister and said, “I think we’ve got some material for a future sermon here.”

Imbolc

Brigid and Her Sheep

Photo Source: Sacred Source

In a glass

Of scryer’s black

Visions of life

Bring full impact

— Lady Gueneva

Too bad I couldn’t post this when I wrote it, but that would have given away the surprise. This is what I wrote on the day I ordered the statue:

I found a way to buy this lovely statue of Brigid and her sheep for Suna for Imbolc. Well, once I learned that my contract was extended, I decided to buy it in spite of finances. I even upgraded the shipping to make sure it gets here on time. I am sure it will cheer Suna up.

I even know where I want to put it. We have a lovely mirror stand at one end of the upstairs hall. It currently contains a small wooden water pitcher and a couple of wooden eggs. A small oval mirror adorns the back. I think Brigid and her sheep would be very comfortable there. We’ll see how it looks and what Suna thinks once the statue arrives.

With the Catholicization of Ireland, many of the locals who embraced Christianity could not turn their backs on their old goddess. The Church canonized the goddess, or at least a nun named for her. St. Brigid retains most of the attributes—healing, smithcraft, and animal husbandry—and holy places of the goddess. An eternal flame that was once tended by 12 priestesses is now watched over by nuns. Suna has even been to St. Brigid’s well.

I was right. Suna loved the statue. She immediately gave it a place of honor in the media room where we can see it all the time. It even participated in our Imbolc ritual.

Ritual

Suna had a great idea for a simple ritual. After welcoming the Guardians and consecrating the new wand Beccano got for Yule, we each lit a candle to symbolize some spark we wanted to ignite in our lives. Then we drew three Tarot cards: the spark, what we need to do to nurture it, and the final outcome (more of this in the Tarot blog). It was a simple thing, but we all felt better afterward.

Tumblin’ Dice

TubaBoy bought these dice attenuator knobs for his bass. They are packaged in pairs. Unfortunately, he has three attenuators.

Always in a hurry, I never stop to worry

Can’t you see the time flashing by?

Honey, got no money

I’m all sixes and sevens and nines

—Mic Jagger & Keith Richards

Not much today, just the normal stuff of life. Work was good enough. After work, we went to buy TubaBoy a new set of strings for his bass. He likes flatwound strings, like the ones that came on it. Even though I have never really cared for them—counterintuitively, they are more likely to give me blisters than the roundwound strings I prefer—they make sense on a fretless.

We ate Asian food and went home. A few of his friends came over to play Rock Band. It was strange how their cacophony merged with Beccano’s practicing to create an almost-soothing background noise, especially when it almost sounded like they were playing together.

Friday’s Feast

Appetizer: What is your favorite kind of cereal?

I like oatmeal, especially in the winter. I ate so much of it as a kid that I couldn't stand to eat it for years. A few years ago, I rediscovered it. Oatmeal makes a great, low-calorie lunch.

Soup: When was the last time you purchased something for your home, what was it, and in which room did it go?

A statue of Brigid and her sheep. It lives in the media room.

Salad: What is the funniest commercial you’ve ever seen?

This is a tough question. Even the commercials that are funny get overplayed so much that I end up not liking them and never wanting to see them again. So, I guess I have never seen a commercial that was funny enough to bear repetition. And some that try to be funny are just irritating. I will never buy Cheetos again after their commercial encouraging vandalism. You know the one where the "offended" moron acts out by putting Cheetos in a dryer full of white clothes. Disgusting. Are you listening, Madison Ave?

Main Course: Make up a name for a company by using a spice and an animal (example: Cinnamon Monkey).

Cummin Stag

Dessert: Fill in the blank: I haven’t ______ since ______.

I haven’t eaten since breakfast. Not really up to speed—I know, but I’m hungry right now. And I just realized I forgot my lunch. So I will have to get “real food” from the crapateria instead of eating a Slimfast bar. A tuna wrap sounds tasty, though.

Super Bowl Update

Some of the new Super Bowl ads were really funny, at least the first time around. Madison Avenue posted many of them on You Tube. Let’s see how well they stand the test of repetition.