Musings on Random Musings

[SteveZilla]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

FWIW, that's two seconds of time's worth of the motion of the Moon, not two seconds of arc on the sky. I have known people to be confused by the different meanings of the word "second" in applications like this.

 

In practice, that position shift for light-travel-time gets neglected. Diffraction widens the beam sent from Earth by much more than that 2 km at the distance of the Moon.

 

I did the observations for my PhD at McDonald Observatory, which has always been a major participant in the lunar laser ranging business. At the time I was there, they got the use of the 107-inch telescope up to three times a night for their laser shots. Each such shot sequence took about 20 minutes from start to finish, IIRC. I regularly had my observing program interrupted for that, and I knew the guys who were the brain trust for the program. The standard result that the Moon is spiraling out now at about 4 cm per year is from their program.

 

 

I can't speak for others, but I was aware of the distinction between time seconds and arc seconds (thought I was being clear when I said 'apparent motion').

 

But I didn't realize the beam of a laser would spread that much over so 'short' a distance.

 

Yeah, tidal braking of the Earth (slowing the rotation) is transferring the energy to The Moon, pushing it into higher orbits.

[Old Man]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Try it with a waterspout then. The main thing that is getting sucked up then is more water -- and maybe a few small fish.

 

That sounds like fun, but water is still awfully hard when you fall into it from a high enough height.

[SteveZilla]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Holy bleeping hell. I just saw on the news that an EF1 tornado touched down not far from my house. Maybe a mile or two away. Also, I found this video showing the size of the hail that fell on us last night.

 

 

Hey, BB, My parents live in Cleburne, TX, and one of my sisters lives in Commerce, TX. Can you tell me if either town had bad hail or tornado activity?

[SteveZilla]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

That sounds like fun' date=' but water is still awfully hard when you fall into it from a high enough height.[/quote']

 

Parachute?

[Burrito Boy]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Hey' date=' BB, My parents live in Cleburne, TX, and one of my sisters lives in Commerce, TX. Can you tell me if either town had bad hail or tornado activity?[/quote']

 

I wish I could tell you but I'm new to Texas and I'm not sure where either of those towns are. I just know the Dallas/Fort Worth area got rocked pretty hard. If Cleburne or Commerce are anywhere near here, they most likely got hit.

 

*Wanders off in search of a map and the websites of the local news channels.*

 

They both look pretty close. Well, about fifty miles for Commerce and somewhat less for Cleburne. Cleburne probably got hit and I'd say it's almost a certainty that Commerce got it since it's northeast of us and that's the way the storm was headed. I'll keep looking, though, to see if I can find out for sure.

 

This article lists the places that had tornados. http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/weather/052511-at-least-9-tornadoes-confirmed-in-north-texas#disqus_thread

It doesn't mention Cleburne or Commerce but not getting a tornado doesn't mean they didn't get hail. I haven't seen any mention of either city yet, though, so signs are good that they avoided the worst of it.

[James Gillen]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

I'm not sure things got radically better within the lifespan of most individual members of those groups. The latter two groups only "improved" their lot via the collapse of their respective civilizations.

 

Suckiness can neither be created nor destroyed, merely changed to a different form.

 

JG

[Hermit]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

We had some hail here. Nothing quite so big, but I wouldn't have wanted to be outside in it.

[Bazza]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Perfect weather here.

[Narf the Mouse]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Suckiness can neither be created nor destroyed, merely changed to a different form.

 

JG

Picture yourself back in the medieval ages.

 

No, not like in the SCA.

 

You're standing on a cobbleston road. The road is slick with sewage and horse dung. You're flattened against the wall of a house, head bowed down as a carriage passes. It's a good thing you got out of the way in time; it certainly wouldn't stop for a peasant, although you might just be thrown out of the way by one of the guards on horseback. Or trampled. It depended on their mood, really. Still, you're better off than the pretty girl one of the guards flashed a wink at probably will be.

 

The carriage passes and you head towards more work. If you do well enough, even a third of your children might survive.

 

Now, wake up and look around where you are. How many luxuries can you see?

[Cancer]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

My Parents have an offer on my old home. Now for all the inspections' date=' etc. and to see if the buyer can get a mortgage through the Veteran's Admin. I hope for my Parent's sake that everything works out but I will miss the house I grew up in.[/quote']

This is very different from my experience. I never lived anywhere more than three years at a stretch until after I went off to grad school in my early 20's. The closest thing to a permanent location was my grandparents' house (where my mother did grow up) which stayed the same until they sold it in the early 1970s (while I was in high school). They put us up for a few periods very early in my life (before I was 4), and whenever we passed through the San Jose area on our gypsy lifestyle that house stayed pretty much the same. But besides that, the dorms I lived in as an undergrad, and my grad-student lodgings, I've only seen two of the buildings I lived in since I moved out of them however long ago it was. Make no mistake, I'm nostalgic about some of them, and I have latter-day pics of a couple, but I'm much closer to Kipling's Cat Who Walks By Himself ("... and all places are the same to me."). It's the broader circumstances I miss, the communities that are no longer there, ways I got to grow each stage of the journey.

 

Right now we're in the same house we bought in 1994 (though we rented it out for the four years we were in Pullman), but that wasn't planned; when we bought, we'd planned to sell and move a few years later into something nearer good schools, etc. But, my income flattened out, my wife stopped working full-time, Seattle underwent a real estate bubble which went stagnant but never really came back down, so we haven't been able to afford a different place. When the time comes (probably when I retire in 10-15 years) we'll sell it and move out. And while again I'll remember some events fondly, the physical place, not so much; perhaps merely the graves of the beloved cats buried under the Douglas fir in the back yard.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Picture yourself back in the medieval ages.

 

No, not like in the SCA.

 

You're standing on a cobbleston road. The road is slick with sewage and horse dung. You're flattened against the wall of a house, head bowed down as a carriage passes. It's a good thing you got out of the way in time; it certainly wouldn't stop for a peasant, although you might just be thrown out of the way by one of the guards on horseback. Or trampled. It depended on their mood, really. Still, you're better off than the pretty girl one of the guards flashed a wink at probably will be.

 

The carriage passes and you head towards more work. If you do well enough, even a third of your children might survive.

 

Now, wake up and look around where you are. How many luxuries can you see?

 

And yet they're still dead. And that's more the original point. It might "Get better" for future generations but for someone with no kids the joys and suffering end when it ends. Better is a relative term.

 

Oh, and there are still millions of people who live that way. Maybe a little better off, maybe they have television or the internet to distract them from the fact that they live like a medieval serf, but they still do. We lucked out, being born where we are but the pessimists have a point too.

[Hermit]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

You have to have faith, even if it's not in God, but that there IS a better tommorrow for you somewhen.

[Narf the Mouse]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

And yet they're still dead. And that's more the original point. It might "Get better" for future generations but for someone with no kids the joys and suffering end when it ends. Better is a relative term.

 

Oh, and there are still millions of people who live that way. Maybe a little better off, maybe they have television or the internet to distract them from the fact that they live like a medieval serf, but they still do. We lucked out, being born where we are but the pessimists have a point too.

The point which I was contradicting is that "Things don't get better". So, as far as I can tell, you're agreeing with me.

[Bazza]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Hermit, you are already published. Remember that. :-) and good luck.

[Hermit]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Hermit' date=' you are already published. Remember that. :-) and good luck.[/quote']

That's true, but I'm a worrier...it's what I do

Thanks for the support though.

 

I have to say Dave and Jason have been incredibly patient with me.

[L. Marcus]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Congratulations, Herm! If I only had funds to spare, I'd pre-order. :sad:

[Hermit]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Congratulations' date=' Herm! If I only had funds to spare, I'd pre-order. :sad:[/quote']

 

I hope you win the lottery then

 

 

Seriously though, well wishes are much appreciated

[L. Marcus]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Plus, I actually like your premise. ^^

[Hermit]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

A definite thanks then, L. Marcus. The play one words "3rd World" is probably pretty obvious to most. I tried to draw elements (which is writer speak for 'ripped off liberally') from historical events in Earth when one technologically superior culture encountered another and moved in. I tweaked each dominion trying to get a little something for everyone. The Aggro Strip is possibly one of the more depressing of the locations, where 'prisoners' is just another term for field slave. On the flip side, Nova Europa is meant to be more whimsical as you find out what happens when an alien race becomes OVERLY enchanted with human kingdoms and tales of chivarly and such long dead. I even put a spot in former China were rebels with psychic powers can fight using psionic ablities against their reptilian corporate overlords, which if a GM wanted, could be a very weird mix of wire fu movies and aliens. Most of the focus is in North America mind you, but I tried to spread enough globally to at least inspire.

 

And nor are all the non humans "The bad guys". Some want to 'Take up the Blue man's burden' and truly do mean well, or are scarlet skinned rivals arriving on Earth as part of a holy calling. Others are just happy to have a planet where they can exist with less hostility than elsewhere. A few even champion human causes (Though they are in the minority) and the pcs are encouraged to be among them now and then when suited. I tried to avoid the 'aliens with hats' situation...each race has multiple governments/cultures they can come from, though some are more uniform than others. And the humans? They're stuck on the Earth they got so they better make the most of it. Some will become heroes, and, yeah, plenty of black hats are found on human heads.

 

I trust any GM will swap things around as best suits them. Some of the dominions could easily have been claimed by the same governments/people but just in a different area. Relations can be better or worse than depicted, and so on. Hopefully, the 'kitchen sink' approach will pay off for folks.

[Bazza]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Congratulations' date=' Herm! If I only had funds to spare, I'd pre-order. :sad:[/quote']

 

Plus' date=' I actually like your premise. ^^[/quote']

 

So where did you read about Hermit's book?

[Bazza]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

A definite thanks then, L. Marcus. The play one words "3rd World" is probably pretty obvious to most. I tried to draw elements (which is writer speak for 'ripped off liberally') from historical events in Earth when one technologically superior culture encountered another and moved in. I tweaked each dominion trying to get a little something for everyone. The Aggro Strip is possibly one of the more depressing of the locations, where 'prisoners' is just another term for field slave. On the flip side, Nova Europa is meant to be more whimsical as you find out what happens when an alien race becomes OVERLY enchanted with human kingdoms and tales of chivarly and such long dead. I even put a spot in former China were rebels with psychic powers can fight using psionic ablities against their reptilian corporate overlords, which if a GM wanted, could be a very weird mix of wire fu movies and aliens. Most of the focus is in North America mind you, but I tried to spread enough globally to at least inspire.

Cool.

 

And Australia is a land of wizards*...right? (*Superhero magic...eg "...by the Hoary Hoasts of Hermit...")

[Hermit]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Cool.

 

And Australia is a land of wizards*...right? (*Superhero magic...eg "...by the Hoary Hoasts of Hermit...")

No magic as such in this world, though there can be psionics...

as for Australia...

 

Australia (and some surrounding areas) is one of the last human dominated lands on Earth...

and it has paid a terrible price for that to its collective soul.

 

[Hermit]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

So where did you read about Hermit's book?

 

http://www.indiegogo.com/3rd-World

 

The stuff below the trailer gives more details

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Cool.

 

And Australia is a land of wizards*...right? (*Superhero magic...eg "...by the Hoary Hoasts of Hermit...")

 

I'm beginning to get my Post-Apoc Lovecraftian Steampunk setting out of my head and in writing, and you'll be pleased to hear that Down Under is the new first world.

The Great Race cleared out most of the leftover Great Old One junk in the area (and the Nazis found R'yleth and dragged away sleeping Cthulhu), so when "the Stars were right", The South Pacific and Australasia escape most of the GOO related chaos, and the subsequent asteroid counter-strikes by the Mi-go.

 

Leaving that region to evolve into, essentially, the "Girl Genius" setting.

[Escafarc]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

"Auto-Pens, Roll Out!"