Walsingham

Don't take this as official, but my take is: Galactic expansion occurs. Mankind edges out into space. Highly technological core worlds are zap-gun sophisticated. However, the difficulties involved in transport and distribution to virgin terraformed worlds puts many of the residents out on the fringe in a much less developed state. Akin to 1800s, peppered up with a mix of tech handed down third hand or less from the Core. I think that at some point the core worlds, led by some kind of Anglo-Chinese organisation decided some law, order, and so forth had to be imposed on the smaller territories and independent colonies. This lead to some kind of galactic civil war. The independents, or Browncoats, got thrashed. The captain of the ship Firefly, Malcolm Reynolds, was a sergeant in the Browncoats. After the war finished, he took one surviving member of his squad and bought the ship as a means of staying beyond the control of the Core Alliance. At the start of the series he has on board this fellow veteran (who has a disturbing tendency to call him 'sir'), a devious gunsel, a kooky mechtech, a hawaiian shirt-wearing pilot with some great lines, and some other oddballs that you will enjoy meeting. Stories are a mix of crime adventure, and social stuff. Expect some surprises on the morality. A very good show.

The use of a mathematical symbol certainly makes that geek +4 for me.

Good point. I apologise for casting doubt on the principle. Nevertheless, i didn't think light planes like the fw190, and stuka were responsible.

Mmmmm... Charisma Carpenter. *ahem* The point is that I only just got into these sorts of shows in the last six months. I have had to come out of the closet as a geek at a rather late stage, although obviously my friends and family have known for years. caring about the fortunes of a sci-fi tv show is proper geek, though. i just wondered if anyone else has something they consider properly geeky.

Without intending any disrespect to the men concerned, you have to wonder whether the official records are really impartial given the batmilking craziness of the respective authorities. Sinking a battleship with a tactical bomber sounds like someone was telling porkies.

Being basically a ground-pounder, I prefer my close support planes like the A10 and C130 Spectres. A B52 (which i assume is what you are referring to) is damn near as likely to drop things on you as the enemy.

I'm amazed at how many of you ferengi are choosing camp 70s British humour.

Warthog A10 also proves pretty isn't always best. As id the Mi-24 Hind helicopter.

Ah, Ok, I see your point. If stuff like that bugged you, then I can understand. I think I approached the whole thing from the parable angle. AND the really good news is that Firefly is much less silly. So i doubly recommend you check it out.

Is it just me, or has Hildegard got a lot more factual in recent weeks...? Pixies: The thing that is interesting and pleasing about weapon systems of any variety si the degree tow hich they have been engineered to perfectly meet a given requirement. Swords, planes, warships all have a curious terrible beauty. A stradivari violin expresses a similar dedication and genius. It is a statements of Man's burgeoning control over nature. Or that could just be me being pretentious. :D

Given your sense of humour I am surprised you did not go for Whedon, Ender. I like Firefly a huge amount, for the characters, and particularly for the 'hobnailed' morality the hero uses. Nothing fancy. It's a lot of fun. And yes, geek pride, brother.

Scars rock. I'd really like a big facial scar. Couldn't hurt in meetings.

I have to say that I thought Little Britain was just damn awful. I don't hate recurring character skit comedy, but for God's sake Little Britian is recurring joke comedy. I found myself watching several shows just out of sheer disbelief. Black Adder was certainly good. sometimes wildly inaccurate. Sometimes wildly accurate. "the real reason for the whole thing was that it was too much effort *not* to have a war." My favourite recent comedy has to be Black Books. Which is odd, because it clearly the favourite comedy of someone else with access to my study, since my copies of all three series have gone missing *eyes assembled personages suspiciously*.

You have to get a knife scar in your belly, from a Mexcian bar-fighter. A souvenir you can talk about.

Is it wrong to get worked up about the fact that the show Firefly got cancelled?

I am very easily suggestible to food in novels. If I read Michael Dibdin I have to get in some red wine and cook up Italian. Not that this is always a bad thing, as I dicsovered recently after making lentil and ham soup while reading 'Medusa'.

After the whole midichlorians thing I say George Lucas cannot be a Jedi. And if he wants to be one he can fight me for it. With brooms.

Do you think it's wrong for me to hope that if I ever have a baby it will have a really cool mutation? Bearing in mind that a baby would be a surprise for me anyway at the moment.

According to a colleague whose girlfriend lived across from Chelsea in Oxford (who names their kids after places anyway?) she 'mings' just as badly in real life. Plus you have to bear in mind that girls always end up like their mothers and would YOU want to marry Hilary Clinton? Bride prices are common in a whole bunch of places. Some cenral asians consider a good bride price essential in the same way that we westerners insist on a flash white wedding. It is superior inasmuch as it proves the guy is either independently wealthy or at least still friends with enough of his family that they care to help him get hitched. It is also considered very poor taste if one treats it as a way to earn cash using your daughters. Personally I'd rather have the simplicity of turning up with a mess of livestock, than have to endure potential father-in-laws endless rambling horse-poop on tedious subjects.

Congratulations on the baby. Best of luck in the birth happening trouble free. However, having examined the scans of your baby I must advise you that I can see distinct SAM concentrations and evidence of sub-surface structures.* This has lead me to advise your president that your wife may be pursuing a clandestine WMD program. In light of of which I suggest calling the baby 'Neutron Boy/Girl'. Bearing in mind that whenever you say the name you will have to drop your voice an octave. * I can also see Elvis, if I squint.

You can't judge dancing until you've danced naked in a thunderstorm. Danced so much and so hard that you sweated every vestige of humanity from your very pores, leaping like a salmon, and roaring like bull. Danced until your feet bled. No drugs, just air gushing in and out of your lungs like a furnace bellows. Lightning reflected in your eyes. Water in your bones. That's dancing. I just can't do it any more! :D

I know for a fact that half half vinegar and water works on sunburn. Old boer cure.

If they make Prject New Jersey set in the 50s like I want, then they can have actual ads that ran at the time, paid for by companies that still run those products. Cheap and authentic. Somebody shoot me.

Yeah! An'... an'... soldiers do a lot of the hoochie coochie.

You mean they don't teach to you dance in the Marines? Boy, now my images of Parris Island are all fethed up.