Grouchogandhi - A Punch-Drunk Filter of FACTs: September 2006

One week in the life of NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw

— Monday, September 25, 2006 —
FACT: 0 eigenstates

So what's all this about race tracks, bows and arrows, and tackle boxes?

The Fiefdom of Grouchogandhistan

— Sunday, September 24, 2006 —
FACT: 0 eigenstates

The Fiefdom of Grouchogandhistan is a very large, devout nation, remarkable for its compulsory military service. Its intelligent population of 164 million hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Social Welfare, Public Transport, and the Environment. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 9%. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Cheese Exports industry, followed by Uranium Mining and Beef-Based Agriculture.

Mobile phone masts are being erected all over the country, heavy industry must go to expensive lengths to dispose of waste and avoid even more costly cleanup costs, the nation is experiencing a severe shortage of sporting events, and female newsreaders distract the nation by breastfeeding during broadcast. Crime is a problem, and the police force struggles against a lack of funding and a high mortality rate. Grouchogandhistan's national animal is the Right Lord Dianoga and its currency is the flaxscript.

Grouchogandhistan is ranked 627th in the region and 13,347th in the world for Stupidest Citizens.

Visit Fabulous Grouchogandhistan!

SoCal Film Group's Survival of the Fittest

— Saturday, September 23, 2006 —
FACT: 0 eigenstates

SoCal Film Group has released another short film online, Survival of the Fittest, written and directed by Marshall McAuley.

This comedy short follows job applicant Chip, played to the hilt by David Lee Russek, through the absolute worst job interview ever. Chip endures endless and tormenting "tests" at the evil hands (literally) of interviewer Martha (Debbie Fan of SoCal's Dust Devil).

Funny, quirky and well worth a watch.

FACT - T' lass's really dig Pirate Speak

— Friday, September 15, 2006 —
FACT: 2 eigenstates

All Hands Hoay! To Arms! Wake the monkeys for attack! September 19th looms on the horizon!

September 19th — that seawide day of dread! — 'tis blowing us an ill wind... It brings t'our waterline the barnacles of...

International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Here are some horse-hair life vests for keeping you afloat amongst the jetsam jibber-jabber of that most horrid day:

Fair winds! I'm shoving off.

All Hail Eris! All Hail Discordia! Chaos and Constellations.

— Thursday, September 14, 2006 —
FACT: 1 eigenstates

All Hail Eris! All Hail Discordia!

It's a FACT! After centuries of being shunned and scorned, suffering the humiliation of The Original Snub, dear and beloved Eris, praise be unto Her Loins, has finally received a small offering of the adoration She simply demands from all mankind.

Eris, may She sprinkle you with fairy dust!, has been worshipfully honored with Her very own Dwarf Planet, dutifully "Dedicated to The Prettiest One" by all of science, and one larger than that dog-bastard Pluto's of course!

Science has finally accepted the New Story of Chaos! Praise Eris!

Eris, as I correctly read in the signs, is indeed ascendant.

Bonus FACTs!

Get the same old Erisian Mysteries in New & Ultra-Improved Fnord-O-Flavors!

Sacred Non-fat Feminine, or Masonic Light & Tootie!

Bring On The End Times!

— Thursday, September 07, 2006 —
FACT: 3 eigenstates

A culture is in its finest flower before it begins to analyze itself.

— Alfred North Whitehead

Welcome to the Coke side of life vs. It's the Cola crowd control strategies
* Bonus FACT!
Peak Oil: Three Meals Away from Revolution or Sustainable oil?
The Scarcity Myth: Unlimited Oil
The Megalithic Yard — Measuring the last collapse of civilization

Eris Ascendant.

DragonCon Photos

— Sunday, September 03, 2006 —
FACT: 0 eigenstates

Had a great time at DragonCon, met some interesting folk and enjoyed the eye candy.

Here's some good Flickr photo sets of the occasion.

My favorite costumes were these Blade Runner gals shown above.

DragonCon Nerds

— Friday, September 01, 2006 —
FACT: 3 eigenstates

So, this Saturday in Atlanta I'll be attending DragonCon, which claims to be the world's largest science fiction / fantasy / gaming / comics / etc. convention. And it probably is with about 20K+ people attending, though of course, there are all kinds of nerd-pissing-contest debates over how those figures are calculated.

There's no doubt it's a huge attraction for folk (and god-awful annoying filkers). Almost too big for the three downtown host sites, the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Hyatt Regency and Hilton hotels, to handle as the nerd-throngs overcrowd panel discussions on the Sacred Feminine in the Dragonriders of Pern novels, hog-up seats in the Stargate SG-1 outtakes screenings and fill the downtown streets between the hotels dandied-up as Klingons, Slave Leias and Gay Pirates. I attended last year's DragonCon for the first time since the early 90s and was astounded by the sheer mass of people and other types overwhelming the hotels' air conditioners. Hot and sweaty nerds in costumes, just what's needed to have a good time.

One of the most interesting events is the annual parade down Peachtree Street held on the Saturday morning of the convention. Everyone who's anybody in the costuming world gets geared up as their favorite fictional character and dutifully marches by the gawking non-costuming slackers. I particularly enjoy the d00ds dressed as Snowtroopers from The Empire Strikes Back. Only at a DragonCon can you see guys dressed in white robes and masks marching through Atlanta while being cheered by supportive and admiring fans. Reason alone to make it an event for the whole family to attend.

While I might sound critical of the affair and disdain its hardcore participants (okay, there's truth to that), I do enjoy the people/creature watching, running into old friends and checking out where Condom finds itself these days. It can be a good meter of what's going to be pop-culture in a few years. If you wanted to know where and how the whole leather S&M/Dominatrix scene drifted into the mainstream, you only needed to attend a couple of cons back in the 80s. While something like that might sound interesting, trust me, it can be cruelly obvious that some people need to work on getting some decent shame issues.

A friend of mine who blogs at Slightly Higher in Canada is much more harsh towards the people and scene in a recent response to an inquiry of mine about his attending this year's DragonCon:

"The last time I was at Dragoncon it was jam-packed with pathetic, desperate attention-whoring jerkoffs dressed either as pirates or Storm Troopers, wheezing their diseased breath in my face as their overtaxed cardiovascular systems attempted to cope with the stairs in the Hilton, leaving a trail of Burger King wrappers and Mountain Dew cans in their wake, furiously unlimbering their digital cameras in the hopes of catching an upskirt photo of some star-struck drama queen in homemade Victorian underwear. I cannot physically carry enough bullets to adequately dispense justice in this scenario.

Also, the dealers room sucked."

Course, he's an Absolute God of the AnimeCon community and everyone knows what they smell like. Really, it's not so much the smell of the AnimeNerds as their sickly CTR-green skin tones. Anyway, they have their own problems. Though, you gotta give them points for encouraging the Cosplay gals.

Anyway, if you're attending and want to say "Hi", I'll be the nerd in glasses.

Replicant (M) Des: LEON	NEXUS-6 N6MAC41717
Incept Date: 10 APRIL, 2017	Func: Combat/Loader (Nuc. Fiss)
Phys: LEV. A	Mental: LEV. C