Modern Man Rant
-
George Carlin’s spectacular rant I’m a Modern Man. Wherein I attempt to do
it justice.
9 months ago
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Aether Salon postponed
Due to real world emergency, tomorrow's Aether Salon on Ironclad to Dreadnought part one shall have to be postponed. My apologies for any inconvenience.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The Aether Salon: Ironclads, Part One Of Two
YHN will be honored to present a hopefully illuminating lecture for on April 18, 2PM SLT, on the topic of "From Ironclad to Dreadnought". As this subject is broad and quite complex, YHN has decided to split it into two lectures, the first of which, "Look to Windward", will be on developments up to and during the American Civil War and just beyond, up to the grand naval battle of the age, Lissa. YHN hopes some of you might wish to attend.
Respectfully,
Hotspur
Friday, April 9, 2010
Where the Tides Ebb and Flow, by Lord Dunsany
The fire was guttering in the fireplace at the Black Goat. My host, Doctor Dayafter, pitched another log in, sending sparks showering up the chimney, and waking the dozing barrister next to me with a start. "Hmmph? Oh, I say.. dashing good story, Gus, dashing good, what?"
Dr. Dayafter finished tending to the fire, the refueling of which signalling at least one or possibly two more stories were left to be told. His baleful eyes rested upon your humble narrator.
"And you, Commodore? You have been silent tonight. What have you brought the throng this evening?"
"I may have just the thing," said I, watching the rain beat upon the windows of the Goat. "Just the story for a night like tonight."
And with that, I wet my pipes with a tankard of dark ale, cleared my throat, and began.
RELATED: A startling work of Interactive Fiction based upon this very story! Worth looking into!
Dr. Dayafter finished tending to the fire, the refueling of which signalling at least one or possibly two more stories were left to be told. His baleful eyes rested upon your humble narrator.
"And you, Commodore? You have been silent tonight. What have you brought the throng this evening?"
"I may have just the thing," said I, watching the rain beat upon the windows of the Goat. "Just the story for a night like tonight."
And with that, I wet my pipes with a tankard of dark ale, cleared my throat, and began.
RELATED: A startling work of Interactive Fiction based upon this very story! Worth looking into!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Movie Night! at the Gangplank
My friend Dr. Dayafter threw a kinescopically themed entertainment last evening, at the Gangplank in New Babbage. Young Master Finley Twine provided the music. YHN was happy to attend after long absence from the city.
Costumes were quite creative, and all of them movie themed. YHN espied an Alex from Clockwork Orange, Sookie Stackhouse from True Blood and many other characters.
YHN had a lovely evening reacquainting himself with New Babbage and has every intention of being more active in NB events in the future.
YHN in foreground. Can you guess the costume? No, it isn't Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain, nor is it Maurice Chevalier
Costumes were quite creative, and all of them movie themed. YHN espied an Alex from Clockwork Orange, Sookie Stackhouse from True Blood and many other characters.
I am not a number! I am a man!
YHN had a lovely evening reacquainting himself with New Babbage and has every intention of being more active in NB events in the future.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Blank verse for a hard Easter
In memory scribed,
undimmed by time
Your eyes closed tight
A fist engulfed in mine
so fierce.. so hot
fight, boy, fight!
tears shining bright
don't leave,
The tension fades,
suddenly as if sleeping
I whisper..
Don't be scared.
In memory eternal, for Joaquim.
We will meet again,
in the place where there is no darkness.
undimmed by time
Your eyes closed tight
A fist engulfed in mine
so fierce.. so hot
fight, boy, fight!
tears shining bright
don't leave,
The tension fades,
suddenly as if sleeping
I whisper..
Don't be scared.
In memory eternal, for Joaquim.
We will meet again,
in the place where there is no darkness.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Only Nixon Can Go to China: the end of the great Riel dispute has arrived.
I have received several IMs and emails about the recent mutual posting about a ball hosted by Gabrielle Riel and myself.
The speculation driven by the date of yesterday's post is entirely correct. It was, indeed an April Fool's joke, and a pretty good one at that.
And yet, to even arrive at the point of an April Fool's joke would require an unprecedented amount of cooperation, and yes, civility from two parties that heretofore were in a dispute "to the knife.. to the very hilt!". The moment to put it all aside has arrived, I am happy to say.
To quote that old maxim of diplomacy: "Only Nixon can go to China". As it turned out, many of my perceptions of exactly WHAT happened and WHEN and by WHOM in past events were flawed-- this became quite clear in a conversation with Ms. Soleil Snook that occurred by happenstance about a week ago. She cleared a lot of it up for me. She, in turn, realized that GR didn't know that I had these assumptions... and must have spoken with her. Then, Gabrielle herself emailed me-- at first grudgingly speaking with me, then I responded back, equally grudgingly, explaining what I had seen and heard, then we compared notes, and explained our positions.. and talked more. The result was our first honest conversation in almost three years-- clearing up disputes old and new. Ms. Soleil, you have done some good, and you should be proud.
There can only be only one course of action when you have a rigid ethical standard, so I publicly announced that my perceptions of the Radio Riel incident were flawed directly after speaking with Soleil, whom I trust. I was ending the boycott immediately, and all hostilities had ended. Nothing big and public of course-- this beast has been fed enough. Directly after that, the email conversation, initiated by GR, commenced.
The rest you might have guessed.. it ended up being rather good humored at the end. And GR came back with ... it's April Fool's day tommorrow.. Let's cook up an April Fool's joke! If you liked the Caledon Drama Society idea, your jaw would have dropped to the floor with the first draft. But that shall have to remain forever a secret (grin).
I'm very happy with the course of events, it's amazing how quickly it worked out when we decided to communicate directly and honestly, without the filter of third party agendas. I'm sure the community as a whole will be happy about this development, too. Endless dispute can be very tiring for everyone.
GR explains her end of it here and yes, it's an accurate description of how things played out-- no arguments here. I welcome a more civil future in the Steamlands.
The speculation driven by the date of yesterday's post is entirely correct. It was, indeed an April Fool's joke, and a pretty good one at that.
And yet, to even arrive at the point of an April Fool's joke would require an unprecedented amount of cooperation, and yes, civility from two parties that heretofore were in a dispute "to the knife.. to the very hilt!". The moment to put it all aside has arrived, I am happy to say.
To quote that old maxim of diplomacy: "Only Nixon can go to China". As it turned out, many of my perceptions of exactly WHAT happened and WHEN and by WHOM in past events were flawed-- this became quite clear in a conversation with Ms. Soleil Snook that occurred by happenstance about a week ago. She cleared a lot of it up for me. She, in turn, realized that GR didn't know that I had these assumptions... and must have spoken with her. Then, Gabrielle herself emailed me-- at first grudgingly speaking with me, then I responded back, equally grudgingly, explaining what I had seen and heard, then we compared notes, and explained our positions.. and talked more. The result was our first honest conversation in almost three years-- clearing up disputes old and new. Ms. Soleil, you have done some good, and you should be proud.
There can only be only one course of action when you have a rigid ethical standard, so I publicly announced that my perceptions of the Radio Riel incident were flawed directly after speaking with Soleil, whom I trust. I was ending the boycott immediately, and all hostilities had ended. Nothing big and public of course-- this beast has been fed enough. Directly after that, the email conversation, initiated by GR, commenced.
The rest you might have guessed.. it ended up being rather good humored at the end. And GR came back with ... it's April Fool's day tommorrow.. Let's cook up an April Fool's joke! If you liked the Caledon Drama Society idea, your jaw would have dropped to the floor with the first draft. But that shall have to remain forever a secret (grin).
I'm very happy with the course of events, it's amazing how quickly it worked out when we decided to communicate directly and honestly, without the filter of third party agendas. I'm sure the community as a whole will be happy about this development, too. Endless dispute can be very tiring for everyone.
GR explains her end of it here and yes, it's an accurate description of how things played out-- no arguments here. I welcome a more civil future in the Steamlands.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Gabrielle Riel and Hotspur O'Toole announce: The Caledon Dramatic Society!
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Commodore Hotspur O'Toole, Fleet of Wrath Exiles
and
Duchess Gabriel Riel, Caledon Cartaigh
Duchess Gabriel Riel, Caledon Cartaigh
Cordially Invite you to a ball celebrating the launch of the Caledon Dramatic Society!
Sunday, April 4th, 2010, 7PM SLT
Coughton Court, in Caledon Carntaigh of Rothesay
Formal Attire Requested
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